Illustration by Megan Acosta

Sometimes life gets in the way of things you really want to do. This past summer, I had just started a new job and was trying to do my best to learn the position and prove to the company I was dependable. Part of that made me sacrifice seeing the first day of Gilead Fest 2014 because I couldn’t take the desired amount of time off. I knew already from the lineup that night, my decision would be a painful one.

I missed a lot of good stuff that night (I still need to see Oozing Wound live), but the main attraction for me would have been the mighty collaboration of The Body and Thou, two of the mightiest, most destructive, most inventive doom bands on the entire planet. That one hurt. I’d followed both bands through the bulk of their discographies, and seeing both forces on the same stage, playing together as one killing machine, was not something I’d expect to see again for a long time. Or maybe even at all. Ah, adult responsibilities. You really suck it sometimes.

Luckily for jerks like me who had to miss that gargantuan performance, we have a new collaborative effort from both bands “You, Whom I Have Always Hated,” a record any fan of heavy music, especially uncompromising doom and chaos, must hear for themselves. It’s the second joint effort from the two bands, following last year’s “Released From Love” EP (that contains their unreal cover of Vic Chestnutt’s “Coward” and is packed with the CD and digital version of this release), this new album pays off what we heard on that initial output, as well as I’m sure what Gilead fest attendees that fateful Friday night experienced in the flesh. These two bands are not for the weak of heart, and each plays with a passion, agitation, and desire that is threatening and enthralling. So just imagine when you make a super unit out of both bands and let them truck you over these six massive tracks.

The record explodes open with “Her Strongholds Unvanquishable” that has a heavy industrial bend to it when it starts and moves headlong in noise-drenched guitars squealing and Thou’s Bryan Funck unleashing his trademark muddy growl. The Body’s Chip King later introduces his inhuman wail, a cry you cannot mistake for anyone else’s, and drone clouds emerge as the cut reaches a bloody, clubbing finish. “The Devils of Trust Steal the Souls of the Free” is a quick, two-minute mauler that finds Funck back in front of you roaring along with filthy, heavyweight sludge and King terrifying you with his hellish pipes. The back end of the track has a bubbling melody worked into it, which sounds like Thou’s influence, and the cut dissolves into corrosive puddles. Up next is the groups’ take on Nine Inch Nails’ classic cut “Terrible Lie,” and song they douse in gasoline and set burning, with noise smothering everything, guitars spiraling and scraping, and both vocalists doing their best to make this song sound more violent and volatile than the original version. The live version was the talk of Gilead the whole weekend. Nothing like salt in the wound, huh?

“Beyond the Realms of Dream, That Fleeting Shade Under the Corpus of Vanity” is one hell of a mouthful to say, and it goes up early in doom smoke and what sounds like a million pounds of sound. Funck’s growls are vicious and unforgiving, with guitars adding to that oppressive sense of metallic power and King later cutting through that with his mad wails. The song is utterly terrifying in spots, which is not a surprise considering who is involved, and the song eventually burns out and gives off some final fumes. “He Returns to the Place of His Iniquity” is an interesting one, with cold guitars trickling ice drops on you, and weird noise interference that reminds a bit of the Body’s recent work with the Haxan Cloak. Voices warble and send chills through your bloodstream, leading to the cataclysmic closer “Lurking Fear.” It’s demolition from the start, with Funck dropping hammers vocally, feedback spitting sparks, and a filthy tempo that drives this thing. Then some odd weather moves in, with an uneasy tranquility taking over, clean, wordless singing floating over the scene, and that meeting up with the scorching final moments, where dual shrieks terrify you, and a smeary, nightmarish finish puts the perfect ending on this apocalyptic union.

If you’re still walking upright and in no pain once this record is over, you’re much tougher than I am. The Body and Thou put all of their massive chaos into these six songs, and despite not really being a fan of cover songs, they made me hear that NIN classic in a different way. That’s all I ask out of cover songs. “You, Whom I Have Always Hated” is a massive sonic assault that will twist your brain and beat you about the head and body. If that’s something you seek from your musical experiences, you might not have a better time all winter than you will with these two bands towering over your prone pile of flesh and bones.

For more on the Body, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/the-body/334047229514

For more on Thou, go here: http://noladiy.org/thou/

To buy the album, go here: http://www.thrilljockey.com/catalog/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.thrilljockey.com/

There are instances every year where metal takes us somewhere unexpected and gives us a dose of reality. Not everything has to be skullduggery and violence at every turn, and a trip away from those dynamics can be a nice palate cleanser and reminder to keep our minds open for larger ideas.

That very thing comes to pass on the new split album “The Quivering Lights,” combining German neoclassical band Nachtreich, who have plied their trade in darker metallic arts before, and Greece’s mind-altering black metal spirits Spectral Lore, who we’ve discussed before on these pages. But this album isn’t a mere split, where one band gets one side of the matter, while the other group takes the other. Instead, the two units hit on the topic of the eternal struggle between the Dionysian (irrational, chaotic, emotional) and Apollonian (rational, logical, thinking) souls, based on two of Zeus’ children. These forces have done battle forever, with our actions often dragged in one direction, either toward a volcanic, passionate outburst driven by feelings and a tendency to sit down, weight the facts, and come to a well-thought-out decision. Depending on the situation, one soul can overwhelm the other, and it’s a topic that has been addressed in literature and philosophy throughout the ages.

So, instead of dividing each band and relegating them to a side, they have a conversation, a struggle, a tug of war. The group’s songs are sprinkled in the order in which they should be heard, not based on each group, and it makes for a compelling, often gorgeous portrait that each band makes this scene even richer. Plus, the whole thing isn’t a volcanic explosion. Each band makes great use of orchestral arrangements (a given considering Nachtreich’s involvement), which might rankle anyone who needs it all brutal all the time. Take a deep breath, drink in each element, and let these sounds wash over you.

Nachtreich begin the record with “Lights,” letting piano drizzle, strings rise, and a delicate ambiance take hold, almost as if you’re immersing yourself deep in water for a stretch of relaxation and extension of self. These sounds are quite lovely in spots, though eventually some power kicks in that isn’t metallic but more in the sense of light surging. The strings continue to lead down the home stretch, with a woodsy sense taking hold and the drama hitting on high. Spectral Lore follow with “Quivering,” a song that feeds off the opening track with soft keys, lurching strings, and whipping winds that lead into guitars beginning to crunch. The scene gets darker, with harsh growls erupting and every musical element blending together for a cascade of power that’s exhilarating. A dreary tempo bubbles up, with acoustic guitars ringing and teaming up with warbled vocals. Nachtreich return for “Greyness,” a track that sits in a thick viola field, plods and sears, and has a sophisticated, baroque feel to its melodies. The track shivers and plods, heading right into the band’s next cut.

That would be “Ghost Lights,” Nachtreich’s creakiest song on here and one that shows they do have some spookiness to them. As usual for them, the strings are a major player, and much of what they do is quite lush, but there also are monstrous growls here, giving the track a beauty-and-the-beast personality. Keys drip again, there is an orchestral burst that’s enthralling, and the vocals lurch as the song surges and drops out. Spectral Lore close the record with two cuts, the first being the 11:31 mammoth “Vanishing.” There’s some bait and switch in the first few minutes, as they greet you with neatly plucked acoustic guitars, but before you now it, they’re burying you with chaos. The track is destructive in spots, as if they’re carrying out the will of the Dionysian spirit itself, and there are sections that are both melodic and fiery. Calm eventually returns, giving off a murky haze, but that’s broken apart by doomy crashing, cries of pure anguish, and a caterwauling tempo that only meets its end once a serene conclusion cancels it out. Closer “Reflection” feels aptly titled, as it’s practically a comedown from the track that preceded it. Acoustic guitars emerge and lap up here and there, never really establishing a linear direction, and it’s almost like the song is a way for you to awake from whatever meditation point you achieved during these 45 minutes. Quite a fitting conclusion.

Both of these bands have made thought-provoking music before, but what they accomplish here goes beyond that. This is a true spiritual collaboration, with each band digging deep into the subject matter and interpreting their thoughts and feeling on this lifelong struggle during these six tracks. “The Quivering Lights” is a record that could can fill many purposes, from serving as a blast of calm that is occasionally interrupted by thunder, to helping you expand your thinking on this matter and ho each force plays a role in your life. Nachtreich and Spectral Lore have done their parts, giving birth to this great work. Now it’s up to you hold up your end and get the most out their artistic exploration, even if that just means enjoying the music for what it is.

For more on Nachtreich, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nachtreich-Official/134636053320790?sk=wall

For more on Spectral Lore, go here: http://spectrallore.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: http://eihwazrecordings.com/distro/

For more on the label, go here: http://bindrunerecordings.com/

And here: http://eihwazrecordings.com/

There probably won’t be a ton of arguments from people if I suggest that the metal landscape is a bit oversaturated. There are so many bands, just as many records, and numerous labels operating, that freshness seems like a hopeless endeavor. But if you look hard enough, you can find artists carving their own way.

One such musician is Volahn, founder of the mysterious, heavily secretive Black Twilight Circle and jack of all trades for his own black metal project under his chosen moniker. The name Volahn translates into “ritual kaos,” and I’ll be damned if that’s not exactly what the six tracks on new, second overall full-length “Aq’Ab’Al” sound like. On the surface anyway. These tracks also demonstrate that taking new inroads to creating metal can be priceless, as Volahn attacks his art in a way not many other artists do these days. There’s a definite concentration on how the songs are presented, sounding as raw and primitively savage as humanly possible. He also colors in some of the ends with vast acoustic pieces that seem to flow out of the Mayan origins he explores and transports you to his origins as a person. It’s both chilling and stimulating.

Volahn himself is a man who spreads his talents over a myriad number of projects, including Axeman, Kallathon, Dolorvotre, Shataan, and many others, but this project is his main focus. Ever since the project’s formation more than a decade ago, Volahn has introduced his listeners to a dark, fiery side to the creation of black metal, with less effort put into polish and spit shine and more into interpreting the very chaos he feels in his soul. It’s an honest, true depiction of his blackness, and the music is like nothing you’ll hear anywhere else. Really, to fully understand why that’s the case, you have to spend time with the music and absorb what’s going on. That’s the only way to logically, spiritually understand what’s special about Volahn’s music.

“Najtir Ichik” rips the lid off this sucker, pulling you in with raw machination and melodies swirling around you, threatening to make the room spin forever. Volahn unleashes his trademark growls that creak and mock, keeping the ritualistic fires burning brightly while he assaults your senses. Most of these 13 minutes are relentless and churning, but there are instances when the tempo changes suddenly, at times injecting calm and at others sitting on a punk-fueled edge that’s actually kind of catchy. As the song winds to a close, it begins to storm heavily again, with Volahn’s playing catching you in a bizarre vortex of power. “Halhi Khoba” has a blistering opening that leads into a strange, echoing section of noises that could cause you to tilt your head in confusion. Out of that, Volahn’s guitars surge, spreading more infectious melodies that seem to pile up on one another, spitting color everywhere, and the way he approaches this song is rather inventive. The nasty growls return and deface, with all fires burning and the guitar work charging toward the song’s end. “Bonampak” is another epic journey, running 11 minutes exactly and starting with monstrous growls and an assault that should blow you over. Some chilling keys are served up, adding an extra level of terror, while the guitars just spider all over, never even hinting at where they’re headed next. The pace is just fierce, as Volahn gallops hard and spews absolute darkness, with his howling voice serving as a stark reminder that he’s not afraid to put blades through you. Yet, when the madness seems to be at its peak, he pulls back and lets acoustics take over the final few minutes of the song, dashing his intense composition with strains of his heritage.

“Quetzalcoatl” has a typically savage opening, with brutal vocals bleeding forth, incredible layered melodies that build mountains of chaos on top of each other, and eventually some music that feels like it shimmers. The vocals later sound like a hiss, countered by enormous wails, drums that are outright assaulted, and even some warm keys, as everything mashes into a dreamy sequence that glows and eventually melts away. “Koyopa” ignites from the start, with crazed vocals that sound maniacal and lead guitars that spiral and create fireworks. Volahn obviously is a sucker for melodies that are planted into the madness, and he brings more of them here, and the guitar work positively soars. This is another cut where, as the elements bubble heavily to the surface, the tension is pulled back and acoustic guitars, which Volahn taps and strums, construct the final moments. Closer “Nawalik” is the least varied of the bunch, as it’s pretty much wall-to-wall violence, starting with vicious thundering from all elements, guitars storming hard, and raw, vicious vocals barreling out. There are some guitar lines beneath all of this that sound a little surfy, which might just be something my brain is tricking me into hearing. Volahn spends these nine minutes bringing his final serving of punishment that is dark, unforgiving, and thrashing, ending the record in as crushing a tone possible.

Volahn, as well as the Black Twilight Circle, remain some of the most mysterious, compelling forces in underground black metal, and this project harkens back to a time when unleashing one’s creative fires took precedence over glossy publicity photos and slick social media campaigns. “Aq’Ab’Al” is like a return to black metal’s roots, an era when the creation of this music stood for something and were transmissions only a selected amount of people could truly understand. I’m not even certain I completely connect with Volahn’s entire vision, but I’m looking forward to doing so the more time I spend with his music.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/volahn

To buy the album, go here: http://ironbonehead.de/shop/

Or here: http://www.theajnaoffensive.com/

Or here (cassette): http://crepusculonegro.storenvy.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ironbonehead.de/

And here: http://www.theajnaoffensive.com/collections/all

And here: http://www.crepusculonegro.blogspot.com/

Over the past few decades, the form of music we all love has been divided into a million sub-genres that it’s so hard to describe to a newcomer what particular bands even sound like. Doom, black metal, death metal, post-metal, sludge, power metal, folk metal. Everything gets its own granular classification, and there seems to be a million different ways to play this music.

But what about tried-and-true traditional heavy metal? That’s still a thing, right? You know, the stuff bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, Mercyful Fate, and so many others played over the years? It’s still out there, and bands try and fail to revive the classic form of metal all the time with varying degrees of success. It’s always nice when a new band comes along and shows the chops and understanding to stand alongside the pioneers in keeping the spirit of metal alive, and one of those has emerged with Sweden’s Trial. These guys are on the High Roller label, who have a whole host of groups that play the traditional style of metal, and they show a hell of a lot of promise on their thunderous second record “Vessel.”

Every member of this band is solid and has a huge hand in what makes their approach so effective. But vocalist Linus Johansson is the driver of this thing with his powerful vocals, that remind me of a mix of Michael Kiske and King Diamond (when this guy goes into his high-register repertoire, that is). The singing is emotional and packs a punch, and he’s an outright joy to hear on these seven cuts. Again, let’s not count out the rest of the band, who are tremendous in their own right, as Alexander Ellstrom and Andreas Johnsson handle guitars, Andreas Olsson is on bass, and Martin Svensson is behind the drum kit. You can hear they mean every moment of this thing, raging and bursting through these seven cuts, and they keep the traditional metal fires blazing in a way that should warm any longtime listener’s heart.

The opening title track is the shortest of the bunch, with the band setting the stage mostly, with your initial introduction to their power and strong singing that is pretty sweltering. Then it’s into the rousing “To New Ends” that erupts right out of the gate and does an awesome job galloping and stampeding towards its destination. The pace is fast and could get your blood really moving, while Johansson’s singing just bursts with life. I can’t say enough about the guitar leads as well, as they tear through everything and illuminate the entire terrain in front of them. Killer song and awesome performances all around. “Ecstasy Waltz” has a punchy open before it settles into mid tempo and starts its storytelling. The verses are a little slower, though they’re met by crunchier sections during the chorus, and there is a great build to the drama, keeping you tuned in and following each step. The cuts gets a little darker in its last stretch, with insanely high vocals piercing the calm and a cool, trippy finish closing the door. “Through Bewilderment” charges and is mashing and heavy from the outset. The leads dominate, with Johansson commanding out in front, but then the mood changes with dark slide guitar slipping in and settling the tempo. Some power re-emerges before all is said and done, but then acoustics return, take over, and pull the cut to its finish.

“A Ruined World” stomps from the start, and it’s arguably the heaviest track on the record. The vocals are tremendous and stand as the dominant element of the song, and again, some darkness enters and lets the band show a bit of the uglier side. The song kicks into high gear as it winds down, with the guitars absolutely killing and the vocals hitting near operatic range. “Where Men Become All” is a different one. Thick bass emerges and begins to bloody things, but then quieter guitars kick in, followed by soulful singing that bursts with passion. The song surges and burns, playing around with tempos, with whispery vocals slipping in and the band turning up the power in the final minutes. Closer “Restless Blood” is a 13:11-long epic, beginning calm and collected before ultimately blasting open. This is a massive dose of energy here, with every element playing a giant role in its hugeness and the song itself proving just how impressive these guys can be as creators. The cut eventually slows down, with some of Johansson’s more pulled-back, hushed singing, which is quite the departure from his usual approach. The last quarter of the song lets the guys go on the assault again, as everything sounds like a machine heading toward breaking down a castle wall, the vocals register unfathomable wails, and the closing minutes are full of blazing fury and colorful playing. What a huge exclamation mark!

This is a damn fun record that makes me think back to my early days as a metal fan and what made me want to follow this style of music in the first place. Trial are not here to be tough guys or to out-brutalize anyone or to do anything other than the play the music they love with enthusiasm and passion. “Vessel” is a great effort that should please those who grew up on a diet of Maiden and Mercyful Fate and just want a record that makes their passion burn brightly again. This record does that, and it’s a great next step for this band.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/TrialHeavyMetal

To buy the album, go here: http://www.hrrshop.de/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.hrrecords.de/

With it being sub-freezing in many parts of the United States, and people seemingly miserable at every turn, perhaps now is as good a time as any for a filthy, damaging death metal record that will just make you feel a whole lot worse when it’s over. It’s time for us all to accept and embrace rock bottom.

Finnish death metal miscreants Desolate Shrine have bombarded our world again, offering up their third full-length record in only five years of existence. That’s not too shabby of a clip. “The Heart of the Netherworld” is their bleakest, most hopeless to date, smothering you in 63 minutes of evil, bad feelings, and enough soot to cake your lungs. But that’s what we who love their death as nasty as possible come to desire, isn’t it? We don’t turn to these sounds because we need a pick-me-up or a reason to feel bright and sunny in the morning. We’re here because we identify with the cacophony of horrors and wish to immerse ourselves in pure negativity, even if only to ensure ourselves we’re not the only ones embracing utter darkness.

As bands with a cloak of mystery to them are wont to do these days, your members of Desolate Shrine go by mere initials in this project. LL is in charge of all levels of instrumentation, a yeoman’s effort considering how massive this thing sounds; while RS (Lie in Ruins, Perdition Winds) and ML (Lord of Pagathorn, The Crescent) are in charge of the horrifying vocals you hear. Certainly there is melody to be heard on these seven tracks, two of which are behemoths, but much of what greets you on “The Heart of the Netherworld” is oppressive, massive, and weighs you down like gravity exacting some kind of cruel revenge on your pathetic body. Getting up afterward will not be easy.

Any time a track is labeled “Intro,” usually you can expect a quick, mood-setting cut to get you situated and ready for what’s ahead. Not here. While the first moments are murky and feel like the opening stages of a nightmare, they begin to unload the heavy artillery so your ears are throbbing before they reach “Black Fires of God.” The track grinds open, with riffs boiling and giving off steam, vicious growling making the scene that much more frightening, and dizzying lead guitars that are bound to leave you feeling disoriented. Things begin to feel sweltering toward the end, and the final moments are oppressive and punishing. “Desolate Shrine” feels watery and creepy before the track bursts open and the violence erupts anew. Guitars drizzle like they’re splattering blood everywhere, while the tempo just crushes for the most part, leaving you drowning in mud and gasping for breath. Simply title “Death” lives up to its name, with smeary riffs rolling out over grim vocals and an assault that feels like they’re hacking away with industrial-sized meat cleavers. The riffs dominate, while the vocals trade back and forth between guttural growl and unkempt shrieks, building the intensity until the whole thing hisses out.

The second part of the record contains our two epics, beginning with 14:40 “We Dawn Anew,” a track so compelling the time just flies by. Keys drip, giving off a feel of elegance, and there’s a heavy chill in the air until the song bursts open and begins pouring out its lava. Much of the pace is slow driving and drubbing, as they just thrash away, and at times it feels like the band is forming a vortex and trying to lure you into its void. The song goes clean and cold at one point, returning a feeling of chilling ambiance, but the track explodes again, with mean and callous growling and noise-fed pounding that keeps killing until it all finally fades away. “Leviathan” begins ominously before pushing into a devious groove that feels muddy and abrasive. The growls are coated in blackness, the song is built on massive chugs and carnage, and the song ends with a mind-altering gasp that could feel like it’s triggering an out-of-body experience. The closing title cut runs 12:48 and ignites immediately, with the drums crushing, the riffs just slightly off balance but fiery, and the growls sounding like those that could damage the vocals cords. The track enters a hazy phase, with the vocals registering charnel warbling, and though the band returns to heaviness again, it are these numbing pockets that really grab your attention. The vocals continue to deteriorate into a bloody belch, while the guitars bubble over with doom tar and the finish takes you into a calm corner where you’ll struggle to decide if the beating is over and you survived or if you’re about to succumb to your injuries.

If you were hoping for an early-year ravaging, Desolate Shrine are more than happy to oblige you. “The Heart of the Netherworld” is the band’s most massive, unforgiving effort to date, and there’s barely any room to breathe with all the smoke created by their heathen fires. This band has no interest in your well-being and only are invested in destroying your will. They do that over and over again on this record, and they will absolutely own you once this album comes to an end.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/desolateshrine

To buy the album, go here: http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/store/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/

The idea that classic doom and death metal are rotting, stinking corpses can have a few connotations. First, it could sound like those styles of music are dead and decaying out in open space, choking listeners with the stench. Or, and most accurately, it can mean that the true spirit of these forms of music are as vital and punishing as ever, even if their guts are sticking out and spilling on the floor.

Slithering, hulking band Ghoulgotha are committed to keeping alive the early spirit of doom and death metal, especially when those forms have crossed paths, with their debut record “The Deathmass Cloak.” Their name is a takeoff on Golgotha, the place where Jesus was crucified that translates to “place of the skull,” and that whole thing is depicted in great horror on the cover of this killer piece of work. So there’s your connection, as the band says it is paying homage to the “old skull” of death and doom metal, which they do with great power and ugliness on this 10-track, 53-minute effort.

As for the forces that comprise Ghoulgotha, they have had hands in similar efforts elsewhere and make up a beast that has proved it can get as heavy and grimy as need be. Included are vocalist/guitarist W. Sarantopoulos (you know him better as Elektrokutioner, who has added his filth to bands such as Encoffination, Father Befouled, and Decrepitaph); guitarist/bassist I. Mann (Void Ceremony, Weightlessness); and drummer C. Koryn (Ascended Dead), who form a fantastic, gooey bond and who have no qualms drubbing and horrifying you for nearly an hour. This stuff is made for those who want their death and doom as dusty and decaying as possible, and their stuff actually would be perfectly suited for the middle of autumn, when nature begins to die and fade away.

“Solar Awakening” is a strange, obviously cosmic-sounding intro cut that lets noise blend and warp, leading into the first proper cut “Gazing Into the Melted Night.” There, a burning doom riff greets you at the gates, with mean lurching and massive punishment being distributed right away, guttural growls that become a hallmark of this record, and moody, melodic playing designed to suck you in and keep you there. “A Neck for the Nameless Noose” conjures grim imagery and is built on sorrowful guitar, throaty vocals, and slow-driving morbidity, making you feel every ounce of the horror on this song. And there is plenty to be had, by the way. The final moments get a little more vicious, with the band going for your throat and driving you to the ground. “Austere Urns” opens with some glimmering doom guitar lines, like green neon cutting through a roomful of smoke. The band eventually settles into a groove that should mash the hell out of you, with more ferocious growls, slithering madness, and total soot. “Saturnal Rites” has a dizzying beginning, making your brain spin with what’s going on, yet they eventually delve into the muck and cover everything with dirt again. Strong melodies are unleashed at the same time, but the absolute drubbing they dish out cannot be avoided.

“Prophetic Oration of Self” is full of damage and mauls slowly, with power bleeding, slow, raspy growls telling the morbid tale, painful start-stop thrashing that leaves you sore, and gloriously dark lead guitar work that casts a heavy shadow over everything. “Arteries Unblest” maintains that anguished, brutal assault that travels in the dirt and drags you along with it. This is a display of pure, total doom, and a heavy exercise in the grittiest of sounds, though it segues into a section of acoustics that allows for oxygen to return to your lungs. It doesn’t last, as the band rips the song open again and pours fuel on the already blazing fire. “Citadel of Heathen Flesh” is kind of quick and to the point, at least compared to the rest of the record. The track trucks pretty hard, with ugly vocals over top and a finish that drowns in a haze of noise. “Cartilage Imperfect” is crunchy at the start, with weird riffs that perplex and growls that are crawling with monstrous intent. The riffs are a strong point, which isn’t a shock, and the end is wholly devastating. Closer “Levitate Within the Curse” is the longest of the bunch at 11:40, and it’s one hell of a strange trip. The guitar work feels like its melting and dripping blood everywhere, with the melodies coming off slurry and the vocals coming in feeling gruesome. The pace changes a lot during this cut, from more mashing and straight-forward, back to drunken staggering, and back again. The last quarter of the song slips into science lab blipping, giving the song a chemical feel, but that slips into crazed fury, outright violence, and meaty thrashing that eventually comes to an abrupt, surprising end.

Ghoulgotha’s devotion to the poisoned roots of doom and death metal is admirable, and their debut “The Deathmass Cloak” is the first must-hear debut of this admittedly really young year. There is so much to be excited about, from the grainy transmissions to the putrid heaviness to the overall appeal of their diseased display. This record is both dangerous and a ton of fun, one that’ll have you checking each corner of your rooms for any abandoned skin and bones you may have forgotten you left there while in this band’s grip.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/ghoulgotha666

To buy the album, go here: http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/store/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/

Thirsting for knowledge and understanding helps us get closer to the subject matter sitting in front of us or eating away at our psyches. You get those things now and again that gnaw at you and that you want to keep digging at despite how futile your effort might be. Sometimes you just have to settle for what you can gather.

Fitting and funny that the very thing I described has haunted my introspection into Florida death/black metal beasts Gnosis. Yeah, they have some online presence, though it keeps you at arm’s length, and even the information contained in their bio only tells you enough to know what you’re hearing, and that’s about it. Hell, they don’t even have a profile at Metal Archives so we can peruse the members’ other metallic activities. So instead, we must rely on the music contained on their debut album “The Third-Eye Gate,” released by renowned, revered underground label Nuclear War Now! Productions. The music itself was part of what wanted to help me learn more (other than my obsessive tendency to try to fill these pieces with as much info as possible) because this record doesn’t sound like your everyday death and/or black metal record. There’s a lot going on here, and it can be downright perplexing to handle in one sitting, though that is recommended.

The band’s members go by mere initials, with J.S. on vocals, A.F. on guitars, C.R.C. on bass and synth, and C.V. handling drums. Gnosis’ sound certainly comes from the catacombs of death’s origins, as there is nary a concern for sounding modern or polished, yet there is a creativity behind these songs that makes you realize they’re not just going for a bludgeoning. They’re here to dizzy and haunt you, nearly drown you before yanking you to the surface, and leave you guessing as to what weird turn they’ll take next. It is brutal, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just as stunning from an artistic standpoint. Get ready for a really involved, demanding listen.

We begin with the sound of water dripping, almost as if you’re lowering yourself into a dank, humid basement, and then you’re met with “Primaeval Light” that is lathered in strong lead guitar work, raw growls and howls, and some tricky playing that will make you take notice. There also is a rawness you can feel in the splattering drums, the sense of doom, and the primitive death that crushes you right up until the end. “The Plague of Azotus” starts with some speed and grim vocals that pull you head on into the chaos. There is a weird catchiness over the chorus that could get inside of you and that might come as a surprise. But that hook then returns you to morbid melodies, pained wails, and a final minute that pulverizes bones. “Temple of the Sea” starts off fast and sweltering, with guitars racing but also muddying the ground, the vocals sounding infernal and scorched, and the drums admirably keeping pace amid all of the storming going on around them. The final moments feel rather mystical at times, like a fog is rising up to pull you into the next realm, which contains “Chariot of the Sun-Moon.” There, a fury meets you at the gates, but eventually the band settles down into a groove, with the vocals sounding pained and evil. The band breaks out into a full-on assault, as they unload vicious thrashing and a break-neck tempo that really could agitate your muscles.

“Cult of the Great Serpent” is as dark and sooty as you might gather from its title, with strong riffs standing as the foundation and demonic growling piling up to add to the sense of fright. The melodies lurk like prowlers, while foggy keyboards emerge behind the density and add an element of classic horror. All along, J.S. calls on dark energies and sources to rise up and enact its will on the Earth. “Lotan’s Dwelling” has a prog-style opening, as the melodies noodle and splash about before the whole things submits to devastation. “The world will lie asunder!” is howled as razor-sharp soloing emerges and creaky but catchy vocal melodies cause a whirlwind of power. “Apzu Tiamatu” begins aggressively and with a nice burst of speed, tearing into raw vocals, drums that tap heavily, and cataclysmic darkness delivered on the strength of the guitar work. Up next is “Gnosis” making them the latest metal band to have a song that’s the same as the band name. It’s a scorcher, too, as the music has a bit of a punk feel to it, the growls are as gruff as anywhere else on the record, eerie strangeness arrives later like a storm cloud, and the final moments get nasty and mess with your mind. The closing title is almost like an outro, with the keys leading the way into the murk, beastly vocals sneaking behind, and an overall morose sense spilling over, leading you down a dark path from which you may never return.

OK, so we don’t know a damn thing about the shadows behind this project, but what does that matter? Gnosis’ style is enough to enlighten us to what they’re about from a musical standpoint, and “The Third-Eye Gate” is an awakening of an experience that announces this band’s arrival and gives the world another fresh monster that remembers what made death and black metal so crucial in the first place. This band will help you understand metal in a way many people have forgotten over the years, a way that will help open us your senses.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/gnosis.fl

To buy the album, go here: http://nwnprod.com/shop/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.nwnprod.com/

As eager as we are to tear into the stockpile of 2015 releases we have overwhelming the Meat Mead Metal inbox, there’s still one more record from 2014 pulling us back. And rightfully so, because this slab is jam packed with power and is something we worry may have gotten lost in the December mix.

Just a few damn days before the Christmas holiday, Denver doom crushers In the Company of Serpents unloaded a three-track assault “Merging in Light” that will wallop the hell out of you. In fact, we initially came to know of the band when they sent us their self-titled 2012 release, featured in our first-ever reader submission column. As good as that collection is, the band’s just gotten heavier and mightier as time has gone on, with an extra helping of dirt and grime smothered over their work for good measure. Their riffs are meatier and more vitriolic, and their overall presentation has grown but still maintains a rawness that keeps them grounded and cataclysmically crushing.

“Merging in Light” is the band’s first effort since 2013’s “Of the Flock,” and it finds the duo—guitarist/vocalist Grant Netzorg and drummer Joseph Weller Myer—throwing all kind of racket everywhere. The three tracks, produced by Dave Otero (who worked with Nightbringer, Primitive Man, and Cephalic Carnage, among others), should be enough to get your blood boiling while cold, frigid weather chaps at your face and leaves you shivering for protection. This shit is heavy as hell. I know that sounds simplistic or obvious, but it just is. Massively so. This is a record every doom and sludge lover should go grab right now, because you don’t want to miss out on this filthy monster.

“Breed, Consume, Die” is a devastating opener, one that should already have you feeling nice and rumbly inside from the first seconds. Strange clouds of feedback waft over you, leading into an awesome doom groove that’ll make you want to throw concrete through a window. There is a heavy Sabbath aura in spots, especially in the massive riffs, and the track trudges and crushes you, destroying in the trenches musically, while Netzorg’s massive roars feel like violent admonishment. “Third Mind” keeps the machine moving hard with devastating crunch and powerful clubbing. The vocals are corrosive once again, and there’s even a devious heaviness to what’s going on here, as the bruising melodies get inside you and burn hard. It’s an awesome bit of thrashiness.

Closer “A Union of Opposites” runs 9:40, the heftiest beast on this effort, but it starts on a much different note with some bright shimmering. It’s short lived as the bottom drops and pretty much gets ripped out, with smothering grooves setting in, doom fury making its presence known, and the vocals once again sounding nasty. The guys just whip the shit out of you on this cut, offering zero mercy and letting blow after blow be delivered to your face and body. With about two minutes left, the guys start grinding the gears more slowly, though no less heavily as they keep the pressure and might building until they finally relent their grip and let you breathe again.

In the Company of Serpents are well on their way to becoming one of the underground doom scene’s most furious bands. They have a nice collection of releases under their belts, and as “Merging in Light” goes to prove, they keep sharpening their weapons and refining their assault. It’s only a matter of time before this band is on more people’s minds, and you’re going to seem like a really smart person if you’re up on this band before all your slow-moving friends. You won’t be sorry, though you might be sore.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/InTheCompanyOfSerpents

To buy the album, go here: http://inthecompanyofserpentsdoom.bandcamp.com/

Darkher

I have no complaints about 2014 here at Meat Mead Metal. We had more readers than ever before, we covered a ridiculous amount of music, and we got to take some incredible trips to see some killer bands and hang out with people we mostly only had interaction with over the Internet.

But it’s 2015 now, so we close that book and look forward to what this New Year brings us. We have some things planned we’ll unveil over the next few weeks (hint: we’ve been lax is covering one of the words in the title of this website, which we will remedy), though for the most part it will be business as usual. But before we get there, we have to go back and give some time and love to a couple of smaller releases from the tail end of last year that we didn’t get to cover. Truth be told, one of these came to my attention late in the year, while the other had been sitting in my inbox waiting for me to finally discover it. Both are exciting, forward-thinking groups that refuse to paint by numbers and make me excited for their respective futures.

Darkher is a project that is an intriguing, haunting trip through the mind and artistic spirit of Jayn H. Wissenberg. The West Yorkshire-based artist offered up her debut EP “The Kingdom Field” late last year in Prophecy Production, and it’s an effort that should excite those who rely on that label’s great ear for talent as well as other musicians such as Chelsea Wolfe, PJ Harvey, and Marissa Nadler. To call the record merely neo-folk would be selling it short. There is that element on these four tracks, but you’re mostly getting ghostly transmissions, sold beautifully by Wissenberg’s entrancing voice, that sound like they were delivered by lost souls in the dead of night. With each visit, I feel like I’m traveling down a lonely stream, in a boat that fits one, with only the moonlight to enlighten my way.

Fittingly, the first track is called “Ghost Tears,” and it begins with eerie, chilling music that could make your skin freeze. The clean guitar work churns, with her soft vocals treading ever so gently but effectively. Cello cuts through like a knife (it sounds scintillating on headphones), energy charges, and the strangeness fades into the night. “Hung” follows and enraptures over its 6:33, with guitar work trickling and Wissenberg’s singing making your hairs stand on end. The melodies will get inside of you and move you, especially when she announces, “Here we are,” as if she’s signaling her arrival. The music is murky and foggy (seems we keep revisiting that theme), with the final moments dramatic and dreary. “Foregone” is the longest track at 7:14, with noise stinging the ears and a rather sinister-sounding guitar line grabbing hold. The drums begin to echo slowly, an element not all that present on this album, and unease starts to take hold. Layers are built on top of each other, with a strange sense of Western noir taking shape, and the song makes its rightful disappearance into mystery and the beginning moments of the closing title track. This brief, closing instrumental is the perfect come down, a chance to wake from your dream refreshed and a little perplexed by what you heard.

Wissenberg’s work is worth your while, something that might not please the tough-guy contingent among us with no imagination or sense of daring but should resonate with anyone who likes to take a journey with their music. I cannot wait to hear more from this talented musician and this Darkher project that’s made a huge impression with just one release.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/DARKHERMUSIC

To buy the album, go here: http://www.theconnextion.com/prophecy/prophecy_index.cfm?

Or here: http://en.prophecy.de/shop/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.prophecy.de/

Vyrju

When one thinks of Nordic black metal, surely the mind races back to the Second Wave and the early 1990s. And why not? That era established a sub-genre that would go on to be adored and feared, and the amount of world-toppling music that came from that country is to be respected. But in a way, that reverence sickens some minds. It’s like a black metal band has to tread a certain path, otherwise they’re not true, not real. Funny for a style of music that was set to burn the rules to the ground. Luckily, musicians such as Jan F. Lindso, who is the sole creator behind Vyrju, follows his own inhibitions, and not someone else’s. The project has been up and running for nearly a decade now, but his debut EP “Black” more than makes up for his absence from a recording standpoint. We’ll get more into this when we go track by track, but don’t expect a formulaic, all-nails record here. Lindso keeps you guessing, and these four songs are a fantastic start for this band.

The album gets off to a pretty nice beginning with a dirty, thrashy groove that could make some wonder what this is all about. Then Lindso shows his hand and opens into complete devastation, with great guitar work, harsh shrieks that could rupture the ear drums, and raw, furious playing. “I am darkness, I am misery!” he howls, as the song burns hard and eventually comes to its riotous end. Killer opener. “There Is No Grave Big Enough to Take All My Sorrows” is where we start to meet some of the uniqueness of this music. Lindso was wise enough to enlist Tim Yatras (Germ, Austere, ex-Woods of Desolation) to add clean vocals to the track, giving it a richer, more atmospheric touch. Eventually, the growls come crashing in, with the lead guitar work burning brightly, melodies getting into your bloodstream, and the finish buzzing heavily but eventually bleeding into the thought-provoking “Gone.” It’s but an instrumental, and a little under two minutes, but it’s effective and darkly melodic. That takes us into our closer “The Residue of Life,” which begins with a rock-solid melody and goes into unforgiving savagery. There is killer playing that should make your senses burst, with Yatras returning to lend his soaring voice, and the tempo keeps ramping up and making you light headed with power. Everything fires hard until the final moments, when the music subsides, and the fury fades into black.

Those who can reconcile having a record collection heavy on early Darhthrone and the newer stuff from Alcest (such as me) are sure to spend plenty of time with “Black.” I love hearing black metal with an openness to it, because you never really know where the artist will go from here. The rules are to be ignored, and I love that. It’s savage enough and plenty daring, making this project one that could be an act that could blaze new paths in the future. For now, Vyrju seem content to make furious waves in the present.

For more on the band, go here: http://vyrju.net/

To buy the album, go here: http://blackforest.no/shop

For more on the label, go here: http://blackforest.no/

Last year at this time, I was pretty sure I knew what album was going to be the top choice for Meat Mead Metal’s Top 40 of 2015. I was lucky enough to be trusted with a way-in-advance copy of FALSE’s debut full-length effort, a record that is untitled, and I could tell from listen one that this beast was unconquerable. Sure, some steady contenders would come and go as 2015 went on, but nothing was able to top this album from its mantle. This collection of songs ran the wire from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2015, as my favorite metal album I would hear all year long, and here it is, in its rightful top spot.

As many know about Minnesota’s FALSE, they do not do media. They relented and did a couple pieces for the release of the new record, but other than that, they let the music speak for them. So there isn’t an interview attached to this piece. But having seen the band–vocalist Rachel, guitarists James Claypool and Skorpian Vanderbrook, bassist Niko, keyboard/synth player Ishel, drummer Travis–play multiple times, including twice within a week this past summer in Pittsburgh, it’s evident they have no issue letting the music do the talking. Their tumultuous black metal remains front and center. But on this record some classic metal splashes were dashed and gave it the feeling of something continuing to aggravate modern fires but also had its hands in metal’s past to pay homage and try to bring those roots right into the band’s riotous style.

If you’re familiar with FALSE, then you know that everything they do is in epic length. This record is no exception with five tracks draped over 60 minutes, every moment a complete killer. That gets started with “Saturnalia,” a track built on tumult and exploration, Rachel’s vocals twisting and turning through a fiery vortex, and the band violently slicing pathways into the mountain. “The Deluge” must be heard to be believed, one of the best constructed songs of the year that builds dramatically to Sarah Green’s blistering choral lines intermingling with Rachel’s coarse growls to create a life-altering memory. The untitled cut brings the classic metal influence into the scene full force, as does “Hedgecraft” that contains some galloping sections that would make Iron Maiden awfully proud and happy. Not to leave out “Entropy,” a track where the synth has a heavier hand and adds a nice bit of chill to a cavernous boil of murk. Each song is strong on its own, but as a whole, the package is unstoppable.

So we offer major hails to FALSE, the first band in our short history to top our year-end list twice, and a group that’s slowly making people aware of their gale-force power. Their debut record shows a band that refuses to be a servant to style or trend and has taken the dark forces that move them and twisted them into their own creation. We’ve spent a little over 12 months with this record, eventually experienced the songs on vinyl and in the live setting, and it grew with power and intensity each time. There are a handful of bands that are in the palm of metal’s future, and FALSE is the most aggressive and mightiest of those groups. (June 16)

For more on the band, go here: http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/False/3540332204

To buy the album, go here: http://www.erodingwinds.com/product-category/music/gilead-media-releases/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/