This month has been a strange one for metal, or maybe just for my ears. Perhaps the new global release date switching to Friday has something to do with this, and some of the good stuff is being saved, but man it’s been a meager month. A few really good releases and a bunch of blah.

Therefore we have to dig a little deeper to find some interesting music (a venture I totally don’t mind doing), and we have one today with “Bliss,” the first release from Danish death metal troupe Reverie. Now, don’t go jumping into the death pool with both feet, because there is a lot more to their music than a simple sub-genre tag. Like Tiamat before them, and alongside contemporaries such as Tribulation and Morbus Chron, this band is throwing all kinds of new paint swatches into that sound. It isn’t just an exercise in brutality; rather you get well-thought-out, interesting compositions that dare to go elsewhere and ultimately do. On this record are nine tracks and 35 minutes that are exciting, dangerous, and always willing to go into corners that many other bands are not inhabiting. Good for Reverie because they’re already more intriguing than the vast bit of death metal’s current offerings.

As for the artists who make up this band, we have Halfdan Holden Venlov on vocals; Andreas Bunin Trap-Jensen on guitars; Andreas Nielsen on bass; and Adam Kjær Nielsen on drums. Not that this is necessarily a relevant fact when it comes to their music, but it is worth pointing out none of the members have reached their 20^th year. So you have youthful fire, incredible exuberance, and music that keeps adding gallons of fuel to their fires. I really hope this is just a beginning point, not just for albums but for their development, because we could be looking at one of the more exciting death metal bands over the coming decade. Time will tell if that promise pays off.

The record opens with “Dust and Dirt,” which pretty much tears through the doors with molten aggression, wild shrieks that sound like they emanate from a man lost in the wilderness, and strong thrashing to show the muscle of their sound. The song calms and enters into a smear, but then it’s full on attack mode the rest of the way. “Fall Apart” opens with slinky bass and a shadow of mystery, and then it’s onto a hammering pace and raw vocals that tear apart your senses. The elements keep piling on top of each other, making this more and more massive, with a fiery solo taking this home. The title track then slips in, a disarming collection of quiet acoustic guitars and flutes that feel like they’re heading into the mouth of madness. Yet that doesn’t occur until is spills into “Blood in the Sea” and Venlov’s howl of, “I will never die!” The guitars churn and char, as the band takes you on a fluid adventure that ramps the tempo up and drags it back, displays animalistic vocals that take on the vibe of a diatribe, and later lets acoustic slip behind the din almost like they snuck into the room. Great track. “Gennem Dine Ar” charges forward, with the howls sounding very much like a young Tom G. Warrior, the pace sweltering, and drums causing a ruckus. There is devastation in the air, with colorful sprawling giving this song a deep pool of texture from which to draw.

“First Reverie” opens the second serving with nice riffs leading the way and a feeling that’s more classic thrash than it is death. The vocals are menacing, with mad howls bursting out, and the band marches forward with a purpose and intent to maim. “Circles” makes no bones about wanting to do damage early and often, with the tempo launching and Venlov observantly wailing, “Circles never end!” Much of the song feels chilly and damaging, with the band unloading late in the track and the song coming to a fiery, yet wooshy finish. “From Sea to Shore” gets off to another strong start, with the band continuing their effort to keep you in the dark as to where the road is taking you and them paying off the intrigue with spirited playing, flattening assaults, and vocals that sound like they’re trying to undo some of the screws in your brain. Closer “Blind at Heart” is thrash-fed from the start, with Venlov’s patented shouts tearing open your eyelids. There is so much going on beneath the surface, from the steely bass work, to the scraping guitars that take on a peculiar haze, to the serene flutes that arrive to soothe you before one final trip into the volcano for a last dose of scorching lava.

Reverie breathe new life into death metal on “Bliss,” and they should be on anyone’s radar who wants to hear something new, exciting, and daring. This band has the goods to be something special, and a few more years under the belt, who knows what Reverie is going to sound like? As long as they keep things feral and ferocious, there are no limits for them.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.invictusproductions.net/shop/

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

When Immortal Bird swooped out of the sky in December 2013, it was a really strange revelation. Here was this really different, compelling EP “Akrasia” coming out of nowhere, almost defiant of the fact we writers want our music earlier than that so we can make our self-congratulatory end-of-year lists. How dare they burn down convention?!

No matter, “Akrasia” took hold, and as Immortal Bird played surgically targeted tours around the country, they brought people to their knees with their odd mix of death, black metal, grind and overall weirdness that really sounded like nothing else out there. There was something really special in the dark, swampy stew they were brewing, and hearing the songs played live brought an extra level of intensity to the mix. Now, with the dawning of their debut full-length “Empress/Abscess,” their story unfurls ever further. What you hear on this five-track, 31-minute album is a band—vocalist Rae Amitay, guitarist Evan Berry, bassist John Picillo, drummer Garry Naples— growing into a more dangerous machine. There are precise strikes, yes, but what’s really interesting are two things: The unique, fresh compositions that always take unexpected turns and demand your attention, and Amitay’s tortured nightmare poetics and organs-bleeding growls and screams that rupture you. Every song stands on its own and is its very own foray into emotional tumult.

Opener “Neoplastic” is a perfect track to tear the doors off this bastard, with the band mixing violence and melody, and Amitay sounding like a vicious beast, as gnarly and dangerous as she ever has before. Weekend Nachos’ John Hoffman lends his wild bark to the muck, with the band swirling like a storm. “Saprophyte” has two faces, with the first simmering and smothering with punishment, with the pace getting more raucous, teasing a bursting open. The back end blows into polar ice cap black metal, with riffs sending whipping winds that blister your lips and the vocals driving the nails. “Sycophant” has a little bit of filthy black n roll bend to it, a nice change-up for the middle of the album and a track that should blacken eyes in a live setting. “To a Watery Grave” continues to show new shades of the band, as the misery and chaos conjured goes into a quiet, serene section where Amitay plays glock (-enspiel, not, like, the weapon thing) and calm breeze sifts through your hair. But then it’s back into bustling panic, albeit with shades of atmospheric rock and prog wonder that’s super exciting to hear.

Closer “And Send Fire” is my favorite of the bunch, a 10:29 epic that just might hint at the band’s musical future. I’m not trying to stand on a hill yelling, “They’re Opeth now!” because it’s a totally different kind of journey, but they do an expert job stretching their canvas. The first part is clean, moody, and sorrowful, almost as if the music begs for singing. Yet Amitay chooses the rougher path, which turns out to be the right call, letting loose her frustration that bleeds rivers, while the band colors in all kinds of nighttime textures. Before the rousing finale, the band pulls back again, reaching into a space that, dare I say, reminds me of Rush’s calmer moments, before everything is set ablaze again, with Amitay wailing, “Burn it all down!” The band crushes and thrashes to accentuate each of her words, like they’re setting off final charges that should send jolts down your spine. The final minutes are noise-drenched crackles, hissing and sparking as you can imagine that, indeed, fire has been sent.

We sat down with Amitay over Skype and talked many things Immortal Bird, from how the record came together, to her stepping away from the drum kit for this album, to the darkness behind these songs, to how the band has grown in her time together. Thanks a ton to Rae for her time and hails to her cat Wynnie for screaming through half the goddamn interview.

MEAT MEAD METAL: When did you start writing the new record “Empress/Abscess,” and how long did it take for everything to come together?

RAE AMITAY: We started writing it pretty much after we finished “Akrasia,” and we wrote “Neoplastic” and “To A Watery Grave” pretty right much off the bat, and the rest took a while. We were writing and finishing stuff up right up until we went into the studio, which was about 4 or 5 months ago … the end of February. It didn’t take too long, about a year-ish to write.

MMM: Have you played any of the songs live yet?

RA: Most of them we have. On the last tour, we played three out of the five. We’re going to add another one for the upcoming tour. We’re still figuring out how to play “And Send Fire” live, but I have a feeling we won’t be able to play all of them live.

MMM: Talk about how the songs came together musically. You and Evan primarily wrote the music, right?

RA: Business as usual. I figured out some riffs, he figured out some riffs. We arranged everything. He did more of the arranging than I do because he is actually a guitarist. Garry played drums this time just because he’d been playing so much of the material live for the last year already, it just made more sense. His chops are at a higher level than mine right now, especially in a recording situation. I probably could’ve pulled it off, but it would’ve been more time and financially more consuming than necessary.

MMM: Being that you do write much of the music, did you play any of the guitar on the record?

RA: No, but I did all the vocals this time except for that one guest spot that John from Weekend Nachos did. Whereas on “Akrasia,” Evan did some of the backing vocals, but I did everything this time.

MMM: Well, let’s get into Garry, then … was it tough for you to give up that spot? I mean, being that you’ve played the drums all your life, what did that take for you?

RA: It was really hard. But, you know, he did a phenomenal job. In the future, I think I want to get back behind the kit for a recording, but, I mean, he did a great job. I have zero regrets having him do it. It was a little tough to step away from the kit, but you have to do what’s best for the music. It’s not about being able to put your name on something, as much as it’s about being able to put out a good album.

MMM: Were you around when he was recording? I can imagine you there wringing your hands. “No, Garry!”

RA: Garry wants to do a good job. If I have any feedback, I’d just give it to him. He’s not overly sensitive. I could be like, “That part needs to not sound like that; it needs to sound like this.” And he’d be like, “Oh, OK!” That happens more in a practice; I can’t remember anything in the studio being shitty. (laughs) He did a good job.

MMM: Do you consider him to be the drummer of the band?

RA: He’s definitely the live drummer. I think that he and I are the drummers of the band. I played on the first record, he played on this. I come up with most of the drum parts. I’d say we’re both the drummers of the band, but as far as the new album is concerned, he’s the drummer.

MMM: We’ve talked off the record a little bit about the lyrics, and you mentioned these songs you consider dark and sad. Lyrically, what are some of the things you explore on this one?

RA: This one got a little bit darker. The first album, the tracks were about someone in particular that I had very strong, angry, or resentful feelings toward. This album isn’t like that. It’s a little bit more introspective except for “Sycophant” is about a specific person. But, the other songs are more reflective about things that have really affected me in my life, and that I’ve seen affect other people and their lives. It’s less of a Taylor Swift breakup record and more delving into some topics that I’ve avoided in the past.

MMM: Anything you feel like talking about?

RA: Uh, pretty much the usual. Dealing with depression and self-loathing and addiction themes, and abuse stuff that I try to talk about. There are “akratic” themes carried over from the last album. This album is angrier and sadder at the same time.

MMM: It sounds a lot like you’ve gone through a lot to write these words, and perhaps it can be something with which other people can relate. Do you hope that people can hear these things and maybe identify with some of these universal issues?

RA: I hope so, because I’ve never been someone who flatters myself into thinking that my experiences are unique to me. I think that everyone goes through the same set of universal struggles throughout their lives and that’s why it can be so easy to relate to certain songs and to hear something and think, “This song is about me!” I mean, it’s not, but sometimes the experiences are so hyper-specific but are also so applicable to so many people that it can really feel like that. There are songs I hear, and I think, “How was this song not written about what I’m dealing with right now?” It’s because other people have gone through the same exact thing you’ve gone through, and people will go through it, and you’ll get through it. We’re all on the same sinking ship.

MMM: How did the title “Empress/Abscess” come about, and what’s the meaning behind it to you?

RA: I came up with it. I was thinking about how those words are vaguely similar, but completely different in meaning. I was thinking about how you have these people in positions of power, people who are put on a pedestal who are ugly inside. I was thinking about an empress, but an abscess is such a disgusting thing. I like the duality of it. We hadn’t been able to think of an album title. We thought we were going to do a self-titled. But I mentioned it to Evan, and he is an amazing person, and a great musician, but he is very non-committal. Typically when I come to him with something, I end up talking at him and then figuring it out on my own. But I asked him about this name, and he said, “That’s fucking awesome.” and I was like, “OK, well, we got a reaction out of you. Cool. We’re going to go with that.”

MMM: The album art certainly is gripping, and maybe it’s a total coincidence, but it does sort of reflect the album title.

RA:  It was definitely semi-intentional. It shows a little girl, and she’s all sorts of fucked up. It does have a bird, which is nice. (laughs) It fits in … I don’t want to assign it more meaning than it deserves because the art, I think, functions independently of the album title. I think that I came up with the album title after we already had the art, but I think I noticed that it fit well. It was a good accident. But I don’t think I would’ve chosen a title that was completely in opposition to the artwork and vice versa.

MMM: “Akrasia” was released independently, but for “Empress/Abscess” you’re also working with Broken Limbs for the cassette and vinyl versions. Why did you decide to pursue that relationship with Broken Limbs?

RA: Well, I was fine with doing the whole thing independently. The one thing that was bothering me was that we’ve had so many people show a lot of enthusiasm about vinyl, and that was something that I wasn’t financially ready to take on. I thought it was not the best move for us when we had an EP, but I knew that if we did a full-length that we probably need to do it. And we had been talking to several labels, but it didn’t feel quite right, so I went shopping on my own. I really like Pete’s (Browne of Broken Limbs) work; I think the albums he’s helped put out are all great. I’ve never heard a bad thing about him from any of the bands who’ve worked with him. I reached out to him, and said, “Hey, I know I follow you on Instagram, and I have this shitty band if you want to maybe put out our shit.” (laughs) He’s been wonderful so far. I guess time will tell, like, if our vinyl gets out on time or whatever. (laughs) He’s very passionate about the music, which means a lot to me. He’s always around to answer questions and show support. I think it’s going to be a good thing, a cool relationship.

MMM: You mentioned “And Send Fire,” the longest song on the record. It’s the track I like the most, and I’m really curious as to how that one came to life.

RA:   Well, here’s the thing: It wasn’t 10 minutes. It was seven minutes, and it was still our longest song, and we didn’t go into thinking that it was going to be like that. So we sent it to Colin (Marston, who mastered the album), and when he sent it back, it was 10 minutes. I was like, “What the fuck happened?” and he said, “Oh, I did some shit.” I was like, “What?!” So all the weird, ambient, creepy fucking noise shit at the end? He did that. He recorded a fire, an actual, roaring fire and reversed it. He did a bunch of cool stuff all on his own. On the album credits, it says, “Additional fire, on And Send Fire, by Colin Marston.” He put his own little stamp on it, and I am so grateful that he did, because it helped our runtime. (laughs) And it also sounds really neat. It makes listening to the record more of an experience. It’s creepy, dark, and awesome. I love what he did.

MMM: It sounds like at the end of that song there’s a word repeating?

RA: I think it might be the word “burn” and repeated it a bunch of times? I’m not sure. It sounds like “burn” to me. I say, “Burn it all down” four times at the end, and then I think he just took the word “burn” and fucked it all up.

MMM: As I said, I really like that song, it sounds like there’s a huge progression upward from the EP to this. Do you feel, musically, the progression that I’m hearing as a listener?

RA: It’s a combination of playing a lot and being an actual band. With the first EP, we were like, alright, we need to sound like a band. We can’t sound like a random configuration of weird ideas. We were trying to develop a sound we could build off of. And I think that we did. But now with “Empress/Abscess,” I think that with the songwriting, we knew what we were doing a little bit more. We knew what we were going for. We got the whole grind genre tag thrown onto us after “Akrasia,” and we were like, so be it, but we’re going to do a lot more intricate songwriting this time around. That’s why we have a piano passage on one track this time, and I played live glockenspiel. That’s not midi glock. I did the glockenspiel! I want everyone to know that. I played glockenspiel.

MMM: That’s the beginning of “And Send Fire,” right?

RA: And I think it’s on “To a Watery Grave,” too. We didn’t give a fuck. We were going to make the record we want, micro-genre tags be damned.  We kind of know what we want to sound like now. It is more of a cohesive effort. Evan and I worked together even better on this one than we did on “Akrasia.” I think it’s a progression. I think all bands hope for that.

MMM: Having been around you all a bit, everyone in the band seems to genuinely enjoy each other. That or you’re all amazing liars and actors. (laughs) What are your thoughts on that, and how does it help strengthen what the band does artistically?

RA: We are all friends, and it’s fun touring with those dudes. John and I don’t really fight; Garry and I get into one fight a year. We’ve had multiple guitarists tour with us, but it’s never been a problem. Evan and I write together really well. It’s a group of people who have a lot of respect for each other musically. We all joke around, but at the end of the day, I know everyone cares about Immortal Bird and cares about each other, which is really cheesy. But they’re some of my best friends, and I get stoked to go on the road with them. I really like and respect what they’re all doing musically and personally. It’s a good group of people, and I feel really lucky, because I know that it’s hard. It’s easy to find people who can play music well, but it’s hard to find people that you want to spend time with.

MMM: It’s funny, because this afternoon, I was reading the latest shit about Van Halen, and how Eddie and David Lee Roth hate each other, and all of that. It got me thinking that, well, that’s a business. Not really a band. They get paid a ton of money to deal with each other. Considering what you have with Immortal Bird, is that something you ever could see yourself enduring?

RA: I can’t imagine being in a situation where I’m being promised a lot of money. There a lot of genres of music I enjoy playing that are less about camaraderie and brotherhood, and are more about making a dollar. I like playing pop rock and country, and I’m sure that if I’m ever in a band like that as a session player or guest musician, we’re not all going to best pals. We probably won’t speak when we’re not in a rehearsal. I’m fine with that. I get a lot of personal fulfillment out of just playing my instrument. I’m honestly not much of a team player. I’m an only child. I was a figure skater, which is a very solitary sport. With my band, yeah, we’re a team, we’re a family, but like, at my very core, I’m cool with being a hired gun. I’m cool with solo projects. I’m cool with all that stuff, just because, I don’t know, I didn’t start playing music to make friends. I just started playing music because I felt compelled to do so. I guess maybe that’s shitty attitude. (laughs)

MMM: Well, all of this being said, and all the stuff we talked about with the music and how the band has progressed, what have you learned about yourselves? What do you realize looking back on when “Akrasia” first was released, to touring, to now pitting out your first full-length?

RA: I guess I’ve learned that I don’t want it to be just a one-off thing. I thought maybe Immortal Bird would be a one-time EP sort of project, and then I would move on and figure something else out. Now, I think I would like for it to be my main creative outlet. I always knew I liked touring, but I thought that maybe I’d tour as a hired gun, and Immortal Bird could be a recording project. But now I know that I like touring with my own band. I’d like to continue doing that.

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

To buy the album, go here (CD/digital): http://immortalbird.bandcamp.com/

Or here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.com/shop/

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

A record of honest, ugly, gloopy death metal that sounds like machines fighting and beating each other until they melt really is what is needed right about now. It’s one of those weeks where work is demanding a cut-off from the world, no one annoying or interrupting me, and delving into the nastiest thing possible to devastate my ear drums.

So all week long, while doing myriad projects and putting out several proverbial fires, the new full-length from Danish monsters Undergang has been destroying me. “Døden Læger Alle Sår” is the third offering from these Copenhagen-based beasts and their first since 2012’s “Til Døden Os Skiller.” It’s filthy, grimy, heavy, brutal, gross, you name it. This music isn’t out there trying to score style points, and chances are, this never is going to be taste-of-the-week material among those people who decide those things. But for bloody, muddy death metal that really hits the spot when you want something violent and outright monstrous, you can’t go wrong with this record.

The band is a three-headed assault led by guitarist/vocalist David Torturdød, bassist Ondsind, and drummer Anders Dödshjælp, and their music trudges more than it speeds. The 10 cuts on this new record keep slamming you face first in the mud, rolling knees over the back of your neck, and only let you up long enough to repeat that insulting, painful attack. Torturdød’s vocals are more like a lurching gurgle, making it sound like he’s spewing forth some disgusting, blood-infested mucus as he tells these horrible tales. The music isn’t polished but has plenty of muscle and brute force to keep you sustaining painful bruising again and again. Super fun stuff if you like your death from a cosmic swamp.

The opening title cut is a quick one—just under two minutes—that lifts the lid just right, with brutal growls and blistering death metal that pours into “Jomfrublodbad.” There, smeary death, gurgly growls, and absolute devastation take hold, delivering a consistently meted-out assault that bashes and jars. The track has a bit of a Demilich feel (maybe the vocals make me think that) that mashes right up to the final note. “Kronisk Betændelse i tarmene” drubs and dizzies, with Torturdød sounding like he’s struggling with a throat clogged with sinus discharge, gagging and snarling all the way. The band blasts forward, with a renewed sense of carnage that runs headlong into “Ad Ligbitum” and its chunky riffs and mega-thick basslines. The band stomps and flattens, with the vocals feeling guttural, and the final slower moments let them thrash with a grind. “Radbrækket” is savage and uglier still, with the band pounding away at you and doing so in a way that you feel every blow. The track is ominous and churns like an engine, giving off smoke and torment.

“Lemlæstelsens Kunst” is mauling and murky, simmering in the mud until the track bursts open and pushes harder. The music burns and the vocals bubble up, like a lava of plasma breaking through the surface. “Kogt i Blod” has off-kilter, bizarre guitar work that hammers the senses as the music sprawls and starts to take over your mind. Like what preceded it, the music is oppressive and meaty, with the band doing its best to keep you suffocating. “Gravrust” smears sooty insanity in front of you, with the vocals gurgling in Torturdød’s throat almost as if they’re going to choke him to death. This song contains more body blows and mental abrasions on top of the ones you’ve already sustained. “Dødsfald” finds new ways to unload smudge and filth, with abject fury weaved into the swamp-bound death. Closer “Det-Gør-Kun-Ondt-til-du-dør” is the longest track on the album at 7:36 and starts by making your head spin with their rubbery guitar work. The band isn’t any hurry to seal the deal, piling on waves of horror that accumulate on top of your chest and leave you heaving for air. The band also flashes some different tricks in the record’s final moments, as some burning soloing tears its way out of the dirt and weeds and takes the album on a glimmering high that you likely won’t see coming.

This stuff won’t go down easily, it’ll taste like clumped, disease-ridden blood, and you’ll likely be retching in pain when it’s all done. But death metal should make you feel that way sometimes, right? It wasn’t designed to be pretty, and Undergang keep things awfully chaotic and crushing on “Døden Læger Alle Sår.” This is the perfect thing to go with having a week when you want to throw a sledgehammer through a wall.

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

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

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

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but I get a ton of promos every day. There are days when I can get upward of 10-15 albums, and considering we tackle about five per week, that’s some serious overkill of the senses. It’s impossible to keep up, it’s really easy to miss a record that ends up being celebrated worldwide much later, and it causes the stress. It’s fine. It’s a nice problem, really.

A lot of time what ends up happening is besides the albums I know I’m going to cover each week, now and again I stumble upon something for whatever reason: The album title intrigues me, the band has an interesting story, or I just magically put on the record and find something really great. The latter is what happened with Svärta’s debut record “Sepultus,” as I just happened to go there and sample the thing and ended up getting sucked right into the album. The music came from a reliable source, and the band records for A Sadness Song (an offshoot of the wonderfully diverse ATMF), so why wouldn’t it be worth my time, right? Hey, look, it’s a lot material to deal with. I’m just really happy I took time to hear the thing, because it’s been in semi-regular rotation around here, sandwiched around other stuff I need to write about.

The duo—at least I assume it’s two people based on the photo you see above—reveals zero about their identities, who plays what, or anything like that. That’s fine. That’s becoming more common as we go along and people eschew revealing too much about themselves, because social media. But what they do is play a brand of raw, lo-fi black metal wrapped in psychedelics and tossed with some atmospheric post-rock. It’s a really interesting sound they’ve developed. On top of all of that, the passion with which the music is played is undeniable, and it can light a fire within you just by spending time with these six tracks that are spread out over about 41 minutes.

The album gets started with “Bråddjupets Kall” that looms like a dark storm threatening over the horizon and finally pays off that hint with strong, thick guitars, wild, manic shrieks that sound inhuman, and a pace that keeps cascading and building its intensity. The cut eventually halts and goes cold, letting a chill set in, but then it’s back to crushing fury, surging melodies, and crazed yells that color the back end of the track. “Hädanfärdens Sigill” follows, and at 8:36, it’s one of a trio of cuts that pushes the run time in the best way possible. It opens with drums killing everything in front of it, an explosion of sound, and more screaming that sound completely off the rails. Black riffs are all over, with the pace punishing and galloping hard, only to slip into a section of warmth that makes you feel an instant of calm. It’s short lived as the leads burn, the assault kicks back with life, and the vocals go from churning chants to full-blown madness again. Things are torn apart with gusto, with the last moments teetering between chaos and mental burnout. Awesome track. “Gift” does bring a breather, as this instrumental is quiet (you almost need silence around you to hear some of the elements) as it trances into the second portion of the record.

“Våndans Högborg” runs a healthy 8:50, and it slips into a clean, mind-altering psychedelic passage that spreads itself out over the first two minutes. Then everything combusts, with vicious blazing arriving and some of the most violent moments on the record taking place. The vocals are echo-warped yowls, with the pace of the song equally as crazed. The song then comes to an abrupt halt, as calmer waters trickle in, though you’re smart to this. You know what’s on the other side. So you’re at least ready for this all to blow up in your face, the vocals returning to a mangling, confrontational shriek, and the flesh-ripping playing eventually melting into dizzying serenity. “Förruttnelsens Ljuva Nektar” ignites from the start with vocals that pierce your soul and sound like they’re delivered via banshee. This devolves into psychotic gurgles and whimpers (which make me think a lot of Lifelover), with the music matching that unhinged angle and keeping things in the murk for the track’s entire run. Closer “Det Sublima Lidandet” has guitars bustling and feeling slightly classical in delivery, with echoed screams slathered over the thing. The song finds another level of fury, as the band rages forward, letting sheets of sound rain down, the vocals marring the mind, and the tempo playing mind games with you. Heavy keys dress the underneath with goth shadows, and once they take a greater role in the song, things feel ceremonial. The guitars swell, the melodies feel drowned with sorrow, and everything bleeds out, with thick, funeral-esque organs the last thing you hear.

I have no idea who is behind this madness, and I don’t know what else the members have done outside this band, if anything at all. But I do know Svärta is a great find, their “Sepultus” a hidden gem in my overflowing inbox. This band’s brand of darkness is moving and abrasive, full of emotion and torment that, language barrier aside, can infect every cell in your body. I don’t care who is behind all of this as long as I can expect more from Svärta in the future.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sv%C3%A4rta/688254307920005

To buy the album, go here: http://eshop.atmf.net/

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

We spent some time the last few days eschewing the idea that metal always has to be about negativity and pain. It doesn’t always have to be that way, which makes this landscape so diverse. But sometimes the bottom line truly is hatred, disgust, and malignant thought, which we get a nice dose of today.

Baton Rouge-based Barghest haven’t exactly been silent lately. They released last year’s hellacious “The Virtuous Purge” and were one of the acts that practically burned down Gilead Fest with their terrifying intensity. The band has done a fine job mixing raw black metal with death over the course of their run, and now they have a blistering new EP “Into Weeping Firmament” that they are releasing themselves. The band refers to the music you’ll hear on these three tracks as a sort of “return to form,” and there’s justification in that as the material is more violent and raw than what we heard on “Virtuous.” Bottom line, though, the band just sounds pissed and full of intent to do harm, which is all most people really ask of a Barghest release in the first place. So if you’ve been along with the band since the start, no way you’re not going to like what you hear on this release.

The Barghest lineup actually has shifted quite a bit. Daemontis has taken over on vocals, and Qutaybah now is on bass, taking over for Matthew Thudium. Jason Thorning and Dallas Smith remain on guitars, and Philth dominates on drums. Whether this release is merely a stop-gap or a hint as to where they’re headed in the future, it matters not. It’s a fiery slab of hell that will align with every horrible thought you’ve ever had about humanity (and if you watch the news or keep up with domestic politics, how could you not be overflowing with it?), plus it sounds downright infernal. You can download the thing right now from the group’s Bandcamp (see link below) for a mere $3, or if you prefer a physical copy, those are forthcoming on CD from the band.

We get started with “Application of Malthusian Principle,” a track that opens with raw drumming, strong riffs, and vocals that just tear you apart. The assault works its way into slow-driving, doomy terrain, with the beatings issued in a calculated fashion, and the atmosphere is totally bleak and vicious. Mournful guitars arrive and dress the thing in black, leading to the pace igniting all over again and the band hitting you with a mauling fury. They thrash heavily, conjuring a relentless black metal storm, and you’re not able to refocus or catch your breath again until all of this insanity dies down and slips out into the night. This track is a total crusher, vintage Barghest that should be a blood sport to witness played live.

“Neo-Promethean” has an immediate eruption of terror, with gruff vocals, lightning-fast playing, and the feeling you’re being lured into a bare-knuckle beating. Melodies do arrive, though they’re dark as hell, and parts of this track are alluring and even infectious. “Light this fire,” is howled, with thick, clubbing playing lighting the ignition, with a final serving of war-torn devastation unfurled before you, letting you take one last smothering before any sense of mercy is offered. Finally, we’re headed into “Leper’s Den,” which starts with guitars rumbling and furious darkness spread out as far as the eye can see. The melodies and playing leave welts, with the guitars smeared in blackness and the vocals packed with menace. The playing is clobbering and wrenching, the whole thing catches steam and hammers into a crescendo, and the final moments are fire crackling, reminiscent of the last fibers of the world burning away.

Barghest sound totally in command on “Into Weeping Firmament,” and anyone who plans to attend the band’s live shows better take heed. These guys are as bloodthirsty and furious as ever, and these three tracks prove this band isn’t backing down or taking it easy anytime soon. Take that $3 you were going to spend on a shitty coffee and get something that’ll really deliver the goods. Barghest are massive beasts that want to kill you, and this EP makes that so abundantly clear.

An early version of this story had the old lineup listed. You weren’t dreaming if you read that. We just went ahead and fixed the glitch.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://barghestsoulless.bandcamp.com/

People don’t really go around calling metal albums beautiful or breathtaking because, for some, that takes the piss out of it. Isn’t the idea to be ugly, violent, chaotic, and devoid of human compassion? We all know that, really, it is not always the case, and even when the heathens out there decry our desire to find metal that moves our souls, that doesn’t really stop us.

When tackling “Passage,” the wrenching new record by Alda, every cell in my body beams with energy. This third record by the Tacoma, Wash., based band is their most stunning achievement in a deep well of them. The band might not be known around the world quite yet, but they’ve developed a deep underground following on the strength of their first two opuses—their 2009 self-titled debut and 2011’s mystifying “:Tahoma:,” which ended up on a surprising number of year-end lists that year. But “Passage” is on another level still. It is lush and earth-rich quite often during these five tracks, but it also matches the intensity of the summer’s strongest lighting strikes, packing in melodic, outright emotional black metal into this collection. It’s a record that could grab your heart in an instant and take you along with them on whatever adventure they have in store.

This band is a four-headed beast with Michael Korchonnoff on drums and vocals; Stephanie Knittle on bass, cello, and backing vocals; and Timothy Brown and Jace Bruton on guitars. As time has gone on, and this band has grown, the music has gotten richer and more involved. There’s a hugeness in concept behind what they do, but what’s refreshing about “Passage” is the music maintains a raw feel. It’s not polished or overdone. You feel like you’re in the same room with the band, taking them in as they organically draw deep inside of them and blast out in front of you their every expression. It’s a fantastic listen you should make time to hear and absorb in full all alone, with nothing else to distract you.

The record opens with “The Clearcut,” one of my favorite songs of the entire year so far (it’s up there with FALSE’s “The Deluge”) and the best possible way to open this journey. The 14-minute track starts with clean guitars awakening and Korchonnoff (later joined in harmony by Knittle) leading the way, starting with, “Though our hearts will ring hollow in the silence of the clearcut,” as the tranquil passage teases bursts and eventually pays that off. When the power arrives, it’s with a full, bursting heart, as the singing erodes into wild growls and glorious cascading arrives that’s both heavy and incredibly emotional. The song turns back toward clean again, as Korchonnoff delivers some folk-like calls that’ll arrest you, and then it’s back into the eye of the storm, cutting through all of that chaos until the song finally ends in a bed of quiet strains. Absolutely amazing song. The title track follows, and it does a great job maintaining the intensity. Thunder calls as the band emerges from that and takes time to fully unfurl what they have. In fact, the first half of the song is purely instrumental, and riveting at that, as cymbals are bashed, guitars spill lava, and passion overflows before the first word is even uttered. The back end of the song is packed with massive leads, drum work that feels like Korchonnoff is going for broke, and eventually everything fading from where it came.

“Weathering” follows, with rustic acoustics and earnest vocals, with Korchonnoff noting, “We are parched land aching for a drink.” Wordless harmonizing adds more heart and passion to the song before the power emerges, and the band takes you on a slow-driving path. The vocals are gruff, as the melodies build around it, whipping you on a riveting journey that halts suddenly, as a clip from the movie “Jeremiah Johnson” plays, with the hammer-home line being, “Can’t cheat the mountain, pilgrim.” Acoustics come in from there, but as the track goes, it gets heavier and more spacious, with dual guitars exploding and the piece coming to a fiery end. “The Crooked Trail” is a lovely, serene instrumental track (aside from the wordless harmonies) that feels like it could be played around campfire or on a back porch in the driving rain. It’s a really nice cut that sets the stage for the finale “Animis.” The track starts with noises that could be dogs barking in the distance or might just be string strikes, and then the song explodes with life, pushing forward and destroying the path behind it. As most of the songs on this record are wont to do, we trade back and forth from calm to punishing, and later on, Korchonnoff’s rough growls turn to wild wails, like he’s standing in the middle of the wilderness begging for another voice to find him. The song rages with fire and epic grandeur, a final blast to remind you it is possible to feel abundantly alive listening to music—even black metal—closing the thing with the calm of chirping crickets and what sure is to be the pounding of your heart.

Alda have made a gigantic impact with “Passage,” a mid-way point contender for album of the year considerations and easily the best thing in their already impressive catalog. From the first time I heard this thing, I was captured. Every moment of this album is real, personal, human, of the Earth, all of those seemingly conflicting things combined. “Passage” is an album that may have made its mark in 2015, but its majesty and grace will live for calendar years well into the future. It’s that good.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alda/116289091792839

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

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

Some bands, no matter how underground or ugly their sound, were just meant for bigger stages. That doesn’t necessarily mean headlining arenas or summer sheds but just having more room to stretch out and have your ideas flex out like they should.

San Francisco’s blackQueen are long overdue for that push upward, and perhaps the music they put forth on their second full-length effort “The Directress” could be what get them there. The band long has been high on ambition, stretching their self-dubbed witch metal on live stages and onto short films (if you were at the first Housecore Horror Film Festival, you got a chance to see their film) and expanding their bizarre mix of death and black metal, doom, thrash, and spacey experimental style. There is a ton going on with this band, and with their penchant for draping their horrors over a screen, they could benefit from burning down a larger room where their majesty could be unrolled in full.

BlackQueen originally was formed in 1998 by Pete Jay (original Assück bassist) and put out their “Witch Metal” demo and an EP before disappearing back into the night. The band re-emerged with a new lineup earlier this decade with Jay (known as bZZrd in this band and on guitar and vocals) along with bassist Ursula Stuart, drummer Alex Bytnar (Galdr, Wounded Giant), and keyboard/synth/samples master Brandon Fitzsimons on board (not to mention a collective-style gathering of players sprinkled over the East and West coasts). The band holed up with the esteemed Billy Anderson to record this seven-track beast, and along the way they amassed guests including Uta Plotkin (formerly of Witch Mountain), Paul Pavlovich (Assück), Joy Von Spain (Eye of Nix), and Wrest (Leviathan) to add their pipes to this horrific display that’s as fun to hear play out as it is damaging for your central nervous system.

“The Olde Religion” begins the record in a doomy haze, with riffs sprawling and groans spilling out. This slides into mashing chaos, with wails and growls emanating, but a strange, detached clean voice from bZZrd that comes and goes on this thing. Guitar soloing starts to buckle, as choral waves crash, the sing/growl struggle continues, and the back end thrashes the hell out of you. “Silentium” begins in a strange bed of noise before it tears apart and begins the death metal assault. The growls are deep and bruising, while the shrieks tear at your senses, and the speed they unleash at the end of the song would make every would-be thrash start-up quit, for they cannot match this force. “The Names of Snakes” begins with a clip from the film “Suspiria” (it’s one of many film quotes worked into the record), as heavy doom thunders and the chugging pace hits full tilt. Vicious shrieks drive the plot, though some chant-like singing arrives and adds a chill, and the band again dabbles in blinding speed that could cause a few elbows to greet chins live. Murky synth later pours down, as the vocals are spat out, and the last moments are utterly relentless. “3rd Key” lets keys pulsate, as heavy breathing and cries are enough to make your skin crawl. The song has its muddy moments, and don’t be surprised to find your nerves frayed at the end of this one as it absolutely thumps you.

“Forever Daggers” is the strangest of the bunch, which is saying something, as it smashes into existence with a thick key glaze behind it. Goth-style singing arises on the choruses after gruffer verses, and there are parts of the song that strike me as vampiric. It took me a little while to get into this one, but after a few tries I’m under the spell. “Beneath the Barrow” is slow-driving and melody filled, with verses that border on hypnotic and feel dressed by detached levels of personal horror. The song swirls and swelters, goes clean and gentle for a spell, spins into mesmerizing territory, and then completely ignites in its final moments, ending things with operatic drama and total fire. The closing 9:31 title track feels like fall winds are in the air, with death dropping everywhere and piano notes splattering. The singing is dreary, sometimes alternating with furious growls, while the tempo never remains stagnant, moving from furious thrash to stunning keys washing everywhere to a ghoulish section where air wooshes and old souls wail. The track kicks back in with a couple of minutes left, letting the band pack a few final daggers into their opponents, who have been caught off guard and robbed of their breath.

Perhaps blackQueen are too heavy, bizarre, and spellbinding ever to graduate to a larger stage, but that’s on a populace never daring enough to experience danger. I can only imagine what this band could do in a nice-sized, darkened theater, the power of the songs from “The Directress” in hand, and their screens popping to life with sensational, spooky imagery. We can dream big, can’t we? Until then, their sound and their visions will have to be gigantic inside your own mind, as you’re haunted again and again by their witchcraft.

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

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

Brutality and unquestioned evil intent are ingredients so many bands insist on putting into their black metal. They’re like the yeast and hops. Creativity, on the other hand, doesn’t seem nearly as vital to many artists, which is probably why so many of them fall by the wayside, incapable of making a deeper impact beyond being totally cult, man.

Boston’s Infera Bruo, while heavy and brutal and evil-sounding enough in their own right, have other interests beyond just waffling you with sound. They were impressive already on their 2013 debut “Desolate Unknown,” an album we trumpeted (with real brass instruments!) on this site, and now that their second album “In Conjuration” has arrived, we get to hear a bigger, more fully realized version of the band. This quartet’s version of black metal has many shades—some of them not necessarily dark—and the work they put into every aspect of this album is impressive and noteworthy. People who show hesitance at embracing black metal even could be embraced. You like death metal or prog? You can find plenty to like on these seven tracks that will keep you captivated and at full attention.

Infera Bruo, which means “hellish noise,” is comprised of four individuals you may know from other bands. The lineup of guitarist/vocalist Galen (Trap Them), bassist/vocalist Neutrino (Encrimson’d), effects wizard/synth player Germanicus (Cul de Sac, the Girls), and drummer/vocalist Androth (Bothildir, Shadar Logoth) come from interesting musical backgrounds, which might explain why they have such an interesting way of making their art. There are all kind of things going on during these seven tracks, and it might take a few listens to absorb every element of this aggressive, peculiar (in a great way) album.

The madness starts on “Astrogenesis,” a track that kicks off the drama (it feels like classic Amorphis) with penetrating buzzing, noise zaps, and mangling vocals that bring the ugliness. Noise bubbles up, as the band hits a black metal curve, and then things go into proggy territory, turning your brain upside down. The song enters into a clean passage before coming out of the other side into manic fury. “Formless” tears opens, raging like ripping thunderstorm (similar to the one outside my window right now) before strange cosmic noise arrives and warps the cut’s face. Clean singing emerges, an element that returns here and there across the album, and that goes into a spacious setting flush with atmosphere. The playing sprawls from there, with militaristic drumming keeping pace, before going out on a growl-filled high. “Send My Ashes North” has disorienting noise and riffs that charge up, as the band finds its black metal gallop and rides it hard. Cold singing brings a sense of robotic detachment, but later the tempo rises again, shifts seemingly at will, and weirdly ends on a rock-like vibe.

The three-part “Proclamation” set starts with an unassuming intro piece on “Part I: Vessel of the Void” that trickles slowly and sets the stage for “Part II: The Silence Enfleshed.” There, antenna-like interference charges and scorches, only swallowed by a black metal assault that gets the fires raging. The music is bendy and rubbery at times, easily causing you dizziness, and the final moments are heady and heavy in anticipation of the triptych’s conclusion. “Part III: In Conjuration” has humid guitars that burst into rampage, with singing that rises above the murk, and urges of, “Let the great serpent strike,” practically begging for destruction. From there, fury and infectious oddity intermingle and create a scene that can tear at your flesh but also keep your mind wandering. Epic closer “The Two of Seven” is active and rushing from the start, with dark guitars bustling and creaky growls crawling from under the soil. The musical progressions are smart and unpredictable, with melodies swelling, the vocals going from epic to gurgling, and a spacey opening luring the song into its clutches and onto planes unknown.

Infera Bruo are great at keeping us guessing what’s next, and their second record “In Conjuration” catapults them even higher up the list of bands unafraid of challenging black metal’s borders. Yeah, the music is plenty dark and vicious enough, but what makes this group so special is their unwavering commitment to keep dreaming bigger and more colorfully. That approach is to their benefit, as well as their listeners, who crave for something unlike anything they’ve heard before.

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

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

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