I know it’s all clever for people to go around saying, “Let’s make Something Something Again,” based on U.S. embarrassment Donald Trump’s ever-so-creative campaign slogan. But what the hell. We’re feeling pretty lazy, so we’ve been hoping that a band would come along and make Death Metal Fearsome Again, and damn it if a strong candidate hasn’t reared its ugly head.

Mystery-shrouded Portuguese death metal band The Ominous Circle sound more than happy to take the sharp-ended baton and drive it mercilessly into the chest of every band trying to create a name for themselves in the death metal field. There is no desire here to sound pristine—none whatsoever—as they offer a complete bludgeoning on their massive debut record “Appalling Ascension.” Co-released by 20 Buck Spin and Osmose Productions, whose names guarantee quality, this shadowy sect pours acid and fire into their mix and comes out with death so ferocious, it will make pretenders and those weak at heart run and hide. Over these tumultuous eight tracks, the band grinds and punishes the listener, serving up sooty, basement-level carnage with gurgling vocals and a rhythm section that powders bones. Every step of this record is taking your life into your hands as you stare down danger and pray to anything you’ll survive to see the other side.

The record begins on an odd, troubling note with “Heart Gird With a Serpent,” a strange sprawl of a piece that has music beaten beyond recognition and growls working their way through the formless chaos. “From Endless Chasms” follows, with twisted guitar lines wrapping around you like a tourniquet and molten death splashing and maiming. The ferocity is pile-driving at times, with lead guitar work flashing and wailing and crazed runs coming right at you. Grisly growls and panicked shrieks intertwine, while the guitars sting on their way out. “Poison Fumes” sounds like just that, as it trudges forward and makes it feel like foreign agents are invading your blood. Gang howls arrive at one point, sounding formidable and scary, while a crushing, hypnotic pace pummels. Soloing goes off at the end, with the music cutting back and making it feel like you’re in a vortex. “Atec-Gibor Le-Olam Adonai” (a Kabbalistic acronym that stands for “You, O Lord, Are Mighty Forever,” is a humid, weird instrumental cut built on noise clouds hanging in the air and dark sounds haunting.

“A Gray Outcast” picks up the throttling all over again, but in a much different manner. Here, the band slides into Sabbath-style doom crawl, remaining as heavy as ever but delivering the pain in a more calculated manner. As things go on, guitars shriek and then the cut leaps into hyper drive, as the band delivers total annihilation. After that manic stretch, they’re back to miserable pounding and guitars jolting you with heat beams. “to En” greets you with drums lacerating your flesh and the tempo sickening you inside and out. The leads pull ahead and light up the room, at least momentarily, and the playing easily could stymie you and have you gripping the walls for balance. Guitars tear open and bring the cut to an abrupt end. “As the Worm Descends” fades in and brings with it a cloud of horror. The guitars grind away as if trying to juice you for blood, while a deliberate and thrashy assault breaks out and deals the blows, adding insult to your crusting wounds. All the elements later smash together and cause confusion, while the soloing blinds and has a blurry finish. Mammoth closer “Consecrating His Mark” is an absolute beast over its run time, making no bones about how it extends its assault and makes you gasp for breath. Guitars spit fire while the tempo mangles, and there are bends into slower playing and neck-jerk turns back to speed. As the song reaches its end, the guitars boil and wilt your skin, hulking growling instills fear, and the track comes to a fiery end that could engulf an entire forest.

It sounds odd to say The Ominous Circle breathe new life into death metal, as all they carry with them is pestilence on “Appalling Ascension.” This unit will carve you up, remove your bones, and drive over them with a cement truck. On top of all the heaviness is that eerie premonition that safety is nowhere to be found and that the most ghoulish of spirits are here to pick up your maimed carcass and ensure you are properly terrified well into oblivion.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/20bs-vinyl

Or here: http://www.osmoseproductions.com/index.cfm

For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/

And here: http://www.osmoseproductions.com/

Darkness and dreariness reign this time of year, as the sunlight is choked out early, and the skies remain grey for what seems like eons. Many people suffer from seasonal mood disorder, making them feel down or sad because of the lack of sunlight and being trapped inside for such a long time without fresh air and sunlight. I’m not saying those things influenced today’s band and music, but they certainly go hand-in-hand quite well.

Au Champ des Morts (translated means Field of the Dead) formed just a few years ago, but already they have a thick slab of black metal filled with anguish and depression. Their debut record “Dans la Joie,” which translated means “In Joy,” sounds like a record that’s anything but that. Clouds and black rivers flow out of the band’s music, and while the atmosphere is rich and the melodies often flow heavily, there’s so much here that pulls back to the doldrums, left to face these drab days alone. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, having a morose companion such as this band—vocalist/guitarist Stephane Bayle, bassist Cecile G., drummer Wilheim—can be something of a helping hand, a means to show you that not only is your world drowning in shadows, so are many others’ as well. The band’s music certainly is swelling and heavy, enough to blow down buildings. But there also is a hint of sensitivity (that is not to be read as weakness, as vulnerability is an act of self-strength) in the Alcest/Deafheaven that makes these songs slightly colorful.

“Nos Decombres” starts the record with an emotional burst and creaky growls, as the music streams and soars as it goes on, making it feel like the band literally is bleeding into this. Some clean singing enters and quivers before the track opens anew, spilling in spacey keys and drubbing power. “Apres Le Carnage” opens like water trickling through a hole in a wall before the whole things gives way, with clean calls and grisly growls hammering. Pain can be felt around every corner, and when melody strikes and brings in lushness, it’s always balanced by bruising and cinders being embedded into your elbows. Toward the end of the song, a huge tidal wave of feels crush you, as a swirl of voices sweeps over you and robs you of breath. “Le Sang, La Mort, La Chute” has a watery ambiance to start, as it travels along a mid-tempo, with clean singing leading the way. Gazey fire erupts while growls emerge, as the torturous pace grinds you into the ground, and a heavy curtain of doom drops over everything, bringing a smothering force. In fact, the final minutes remain in the dark, coming to a moody, shadowy end.

“Contempler L’Abime” follows a post-rock path, which is odd but fitting, and then it tears into a pocket of a gaze storm that hangs overhead and saturates the ground. The vocals are heart-wrenching, with a strong, riveting finish that shows a different side of the band’s sound. The title track is the longest cut at 9:59, beginning in a cloud of murk before tearing the sky apart and unleashing a storm. The song is mostly a total assault on the senses, keeping your brain rattling inside your head and, even when it slips into the mists and lets synth rise up, always promises to ignite again, which is does as it steamrolls toward the finish. “L’Etoile Du Matin” has the drums leading in and keys gathering, with the singing giving off a classic Celtic Frost vibe. Unhinged yells join later, as a gothy smear spreads soot and sadness. Closer “La Fin Du Monde” is a curve ball of a final cut, with clean guitars bubbling and drizzling singing darkening the setting. Chant-filled singing brings a hypnotic push, and that circles around your head before it disappears into the unknown.

Au Champs des Morts’ entrance into our world three years ago added another force into the black metal scene that, while their teeth are sharp, are not just here for physical violence sake. “Dans la Joie” deals as much mental anguish as anything, helping you connect to these dark times and perhaps find a way to survive the whirlpool. The fact they do so in such an interesting, emotional way leads to their impact being felt long after you experience their music.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Au-Champ-Des-Morts-1061663760580553

To buy the album, go here: http://www.debemur-morti.com/en/12-eshop

For more on the label, go here: http://www.debemur-morti.com/en/

Where would heavy metal be without Vikings? You can sift all the way back to Led Zeppelin to find their influence on heavy music, and now metal that pays homage to Viking battles and lore make up a separate sub-genre. It’s especially fitting here in the Northeastern section of the United States, while we’re at the clutches of snow and ice, to be in the midst of more great Viking black metal.

Nordic beasts Helheim have been punching out tried-and-true Viking black metal for a quarter of a century now, and they’re back with their explosive ninth album “landawarijaR” that not only does their subject matter well but also the band’s noteworthy legacy. Of course, Helheim may not be as well-known as, say, Unleashed or Enslaved, but they’ve carried on and endured just as long, and they’re still making vital, punishing music. On their latest opus, a seven-track affair, they keep melodies surging, blood flowing, and the clashing of weaponry fresh, pouring emotion and fury into each one of these songs, making each a chapter that feels like a soundtrack into wintry battle.

As noted, Helheim have been at this for the past 25 years, getting their start in 1992 and releasing their debut record “Jormundgand” three years later. They stayed on a pretty regular release schedule, coming back with something new every few years or so, with their most recent being 2015’s “raunijaR.” Well, most recent until “landawarijaR” landed, another effort to maintain Norse mythology and ensure that it continues to survive and thrive as time goes on. The band—guitarist/vocalist H’grimnir, bassist/vocalist V’gandr, lead guitarist Reichborn (the only non-original member), and drummer Hrymr—once again delivers the goods, enhancing their music with timpani and horns, and even inviting some special guests along for the ride to contribute additional vocals to the songs. It all makes for a raucous, spirited record that’s a lot of fun to play back over and over.

“Ymr” opens with a door creaking and bootsteps, as if setting up what’s about to transpire. It doesn’t take long for things to get grim and heavy, as out of an acoustic stream comes rumbling growls, guitars that kick up mud, and snowy melodies. Growls and singing tangle, as they often do on this record, and then it’s into “Baklengs mot intet,” where a chilling start lets your guard before the tempo erupts. The track storms heavily, blanketing everything, as horns blow and the music conjures great drama. There’s a nice stretch of soloing that practically drips with classic metal glory, and then it’s into a deep blast of winter and a crushing surge to end the song. “Rista blodørn” begins heavily, but then the reins are pulled back just a bit. There’s a nautical sense to all of this, as the growls are harsh and slice through choppy waters, and fiery leads emerge out of that. Clean singing returns, creating a mystical element, while the final stretch blows up and has a gloriously tormenting edge. The title track is the longest piece at 9:44, and it changes things up, going in more of a proggy, Rush-style angle. There is an epic feel to this that has nothing to do with the run time, as guitars soar and keep building layers, melodies grow and bend around corners, and clean calling again brings a haunting edge, as the track comes to a giant climax of a finish that should have your heart racing.

“Ouroboros” has a tempo that pushes hard from the start, with grimy growls on the verses and cloudy singing on the choruses. Doom horns wail again, almost as if the city gates are about to come down, and then the band swings back to prog, which allows new colors to emerge. All elements darken and cascade, with a spacey final few moments giving off steam. “Synir af heidindomr” starts with ominous acoustics, yelled vocals, and the pace crawling darkly. The playing keeps ramping up in intensity, as attitude-smeared vocals spill out, and then music unexpectedly goes psychedelic and then into NWOBHM-style thunder. Shrieks arrive from there, as thorns are dragged over the song before it fades away. Closer “Enda-dagr” has a hypnotic start before the guitars get steely and rough, and the growls again interact with sung lines. The song has an even-tempered sprawl, though there are threats for madness to return, and when the melodies thicken, horn blow again and send chills. As the track swims toward its finish, it gets surfy and windy, bringing a very different vibe to the cut, and after the music dissolves into a pool of weirdness, the bootsteps heard at the start of the record pick up again, this time leaving and closing the door behind them.

As long as bands such as Helheim exist, the Viking spirit will remain a huge part of metal’s DNA. “landawarijaR” is another strong, fiery release for these Viking black metal lifers, and as their journey progresses, they keep returning with music that’s formidable and as tough to conquer as the men and women they honor. Helheim may not be fighting actual physical battles, but their music bears the scars of the ages that only serves to toughen this vicious band.

For more on the band, go here: http://helheim.com/

To buy the album (international), go here: https://www.darkessencerecords.no/shop/

Or here (U.S. customers): https://darkessence.aisamerch.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.darkessencerecords.no/label/

As time goes on and bands spend time together both in the studio and on the road, it’s not uncommon that their style will change over time. Oddly enough, a lot of bands end up eschewing heavier sounds for something more palatable, while other just tighten the screws on an already well-constructed machine.

For NYC-based black metal band Black Anvil, they’ve morphed in different and interesting ways. From their first record “Time Insults the Mind” to the present and their tremendous fourth album “As Was,” the band has remained as heavy as ever but also don’t really resemble the form they held when they first started. For this band, that’s a good thing. Each new release has brought with it deadly twists and turns unlike what came before it, and the longer the band goes on, the more colors and morbid textures they add to their chemistry. “As Was” is their most aggressive and varied record yet, as they still punish and bludgeon over these eight tracks and 50 minutes. But they also dash death, doom, post-punk, gothic sounds, and other dreariness that adds extra layers of soot to their punishing sound.

As most already know, three quarters of the members of Black Anvil first made their name with well-regarded hardcore band Kill Your Idols before moving their attention toward newer sounds a decade ago. The band—guitarist/vocalist G.B., bassist/vocalist P.D., drummer/vocalist R.G., guitarist Sos—unloaded their newly directed vitriol on their smothering debut, gaining the attention of Relapse and releasing their second effort “Triumvirate” on that label in 2010. They followed up four years later with “Hail Death,” their grimiest, densest, longest record of their entire run, and some of what bubbled up on that album made its way into “As Was.” The music on this record pushes Black Anvil’s foundation into the next phase, warping their blueprint, smearing it with black oil, and setting it ablaze. It’s also an album that’s more intriguing with each visit, as each layer begins to unfurl.

A strong taste of what Black Anvil’s up to now can be had on 8:13 opener “On Forgotten Ways” as metallic riffs and throaty growls spread their fingers and tighten their grip. From there, though, atmosphere joins the puzzle and a dose of clean singing, a welcome carryover from “Hail Death,” creates a dreary haze. The song eventually moves back to choppy and gritty, but things end in another morose cloud that bursts over its epic conclusion. “May Her Wrath Be Just” is really strong, balancing brutality and melody nicely, and growls and warbled singing again tangle. The music heads into the murk, while the song’s title is sung back mournfully. The title cut has a huge feel to it, beginning cold and drizzling but eventually detonating. There are some compelling progressions here and a huge blast of classic metal, complete with surging lead guitar play. “All this will fade,” is wailed as the song comes to a steely end. “Nothing” has mean riffing and a nastier disposition altogether, as things rumble, the band cuts loose, and the cry of, “Can you hear me?” sounds like a warning. Cosmic synth spills into the cut, making your head swim, and the band again takes a sharp curve into classic metal terrain.

“As an Elder Learned Anew” has a stirring open, with a shriek of, “Let’s ride the sky!” causing fists to pump. Cleaner singing returns on the chorus, and the band achieves a darkly atmospheric ambiance that can chill your skin. The final minutes are catchier than usual, with great leads and a crushing ending. “Two Keys: Here’s the Lock” is a beast at 9:10, and it demands everything from you. Clean, trippy tones start, but it’s not long until heaviness drops like a ton of bricks, and the growls and singing tangle. “Never question this direction!” strikes you like a blood-pact demand, as the pace charges up and heads toward destruction, and then things calm suddenly. Surfy, psychedelic playing allows the stormfront to gather, and once the clouds burst, it’s on to a fierce ending that draws blood. “The Way of All Flesh” is a bit of a breather track, an interlude built with shadowy keys and acoustics, and then it’s into finale “Ultra,” which could leave you seeing demons. The drums kick up and the guitars chug, and as the song goes on, the band even harmonizes, something you don’t expect from every black metal band. Of course, those words are conveying a dark, entrancing message, once that pays homage to the darkness, with refrains of, “He is part of me, he is all of me.” Powerful soloing and chant-like calls spread over the final minutes of the song, leaving you feeling like you might have compromised your soul.

It’s been compelling to listen to Black Anvil grow over the length of their decade-long run and their four records, and “As Was” is another punishing installment in the band’s body of work. The fact that they deliver something a little different each time out keeps their work refreshing and intriguing, and these songs are solid and meaty additions to their already powerful catalog. Black Anvil likely never will disappoint us by dialing back the aggression or polishing their sound, but you can bet with each release, they’ll figure out new and interesting ways to bloody your nose.

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

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

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords

Just a few ticks after midnight, right after Mariah Carey won the heart of America, it felt like it finally was time to take a deep breath. We made it. 2016, the year of abominations, was over. Personally, the year wasn’t awful, but as the death count marched up (really, Father Mulcahy just under the deadline, you assholes?!) and we got ready for further political nightmares, it just seemed clearing the gates of last year was what everyone needed.

Yet here we are, pulled back to the black year for two noteworthy releases we didn’t get a chance to address in December. Once we’re in top 40 mode, it’s nearly impossible to sneak in anything else, so we didn’t get to talk about two really massive records, one from Krallice and the other from Teitanblood. Both are massive and smothering in their own ways, but they also serve different masters. So here we go, one last sip of 2016 before we expunge it from our systems.

Krallice have become masters of carefully secretive releases, as their last two were ones that suddenly were in our laps. That’s what a strong following, amazing music, and practical label freedom affords in this day, and their sixth full-length “Prelapsarian” landed right at 5:44 a.m. on Dec. 21, the winter solstice. So, dorks like me probably woke up for work, downloaded that bastard from the group’s Bandcamp, and had their minds blows on the way to work by their intricate, jigsaw puzzle-style black metal. It’s definitely right in the wheelhouse for anyone who hungers for the band’s—bassist/vocalist Nicholas McMaster, guitarist/vocalist Mick Barr, guitarist Colin Marston, drummer Lev Weinstein—insane style that veers just slightly out of control but is sci-fi-formula precise. No one is like them.

The album opens with the 12:30 “Transformation Chronicles” that starts in a noise haze and lets spiraling melodies work their way into your mind. Then the guys start grinding flesh, with wild howls launched and the cry of, “Disrespecting the point of life while the arrogance of worry spreads sores of stress and bone,” delivers a sobering message. The guitar work interplays and tangles with one another, forming a strong cord, while the back end of the song exacts more violence and pushes the vitriol into “Hate Power,” the shortest cut at 3:52 but also the bloodiest. The song is one of Krallice’s most aggressive to date, with blistering vocals, a break-neck pace, and utter demolition. “Conflagration” is rubbery and sinewy, with howled cries and gruff growls doing damage, as well as cosmically ripping playing that tears a hole in your brain. The final minutes have a different feel, letting things boil and create a dense fog, ending with trudging and noise squall. The record ends with 10:41 “Lotus Throne,” where noise sizzles, proggy playing does tricks, and deathly growls meet desperate howls. Later, the tempo calms a bit, but that’s more of a segue to the end, where guitars chew bone, insane wails bruise the skin, and the whole thing winds up in a tornadic tear.

Krallice remain the absolute masters of what they do, and no matter how many bands try to copy their DNA, there’s only one original. “Prelapsarian” is another massive building block as the band constructs its obelisk toward the sky, and we all can wait in the darkness of mystery as to when the next chapter arrives. By the way, you can get this digitally in an instant, but Gilead Media also is putting out a version on vinyl that you can preorder now.

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

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

Or here: https://www.erodingwinds.com/

Spanish death/black metal duo Teitanblood never let us down when it comes to infernally rotting fury that makes it feel like you’re stuck in an underground tube, tunneling your way toward hell. Over the past nearly 14 years, they’ve made music that makes other death and black metal bands cower, as their music always burns the hairs off your arms and, if you get too close, the flesh off your face. We last heard from them in 2014 with their pummeling full-length “Death,” and now they have a two-track, 26:14 treat in “Accursed Skin” that is being served up on 12” vinyl. The band—guitarist/bassist/vocalist NSK, drummer J—knows no other way to do things than the most extreme way possible, and as time goes on and the band digs in their heels, their music gets bloodier and more unforgiving.

We start off with the 14:28-long title cut, where you feel like you’re in a dank, soaked basement, with water up to your ankles and rising and you having no idea if any other creatures, especially dangerous or poisonous ones, are lurking. Slow-driving grimness takes over, beating you about the head and torso, and it starts to feel like you’re being pushed face first into that grossness beneath your feet. The leads blister and spit fire, and the vocals are utterly oppressive, making it sound like a lashing designed just for you. The stomping keeps going and never relents, as black chaos sweeps in and blinds you, a cacophony of noise pushes you to your limit, and bubbling blood and corrosive sounds bring the track to a merciful end. “Sanctified Dysecdysis” is a hammering assault, ripping everything open with speed and strength. There is an ugly stretch of putrid death that is overwhelming, and that nastiness gives way to a bed of strange noise and filth that spreads its way to the next attack. There, destruction reigns and the pace marches through the mud on its way to the blast furnace that takes over the final moments, leaving you a heaving mess drowning in a pool of diseased noise.

Ugly and foul, Teitanblood remain terrifying and unforgiving in their approach, and “Accursed Skin” is another damaging reminder of just how fucked up they can make their music. This is death and black metal that leaves scars and can frighten even the toughest of souls. Don’t expect a smooth trip into damnation, because Teitanblood are going to drag you there through thorns and cinders.

For more on the band, go here: https://web.archive.org/web/20150226035940/http://www.teitanblood.com/

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

Or here: https://teitanblood.bandcamp.com/

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

We’ll resume normal operations tomorrow, but in case you missed our Top 40 that we unveiled over the past 542 weeks, here’s the list. If you did miss, you should go check out the interviews from our top 5 bands. They were excellent, and some of the best content we’ve ever presented. That’s due to the artists, not our questions at all. Thanks to them, thanks to all of you, and let’s go, 2017!

40. TEMPLE NIGHTSIDE, “The Hetacomb” (Iron Bonehead)

39. ANAGNORISIS, “Peripeteia” (Vendetta)

38. VLK, “Of Wolves’ Blood” (self-released)

37. ZHRINE, “Unortheta” (Season of Mist)

36. WOMAN IS THE EARTH, “Torch of Our Final Night” (Init)

35. HIGH PRIEST OF SATURN, “Son of Earth and Sky” (Svart)

34. CROWHURST, “II’ (Broken Limbs/Dullest)

33. PESTIFERE, “Hope Misery Death” (Eihwaz)

32. SUMAC, “What One Becomes” (Thrill Jockey)

31. VEKTOR, “Terminal Redux” (Earache)

30. FORTERESSE, “Thèmes pour la Rébellion” (Sepulchral Productions)

29. WALDGEFLÜSTER, “Ruinen” (Bindrune/Nordvis Produktion)

28. MOONSORROW, “Jumalten aika” (Century Media)

27. ABBATH, self-titled ‘’ (Season of Mist)

26. ASHBRINGER, “Yūgen” (Avantgarde Music)

25. URZEIT, “Anmoksha” (self-released)

24. MARE COGNITUM, “Luminiferous Aether” (I, Voidhanger)

23. SAOR, “Guardians” (Northern Silence)

22. INTER ARMA, “Paradise Gallows” (Relapse)

21. HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE, “Dead Revolution” (Metal Blade)

20. DUST MOTH, “Scale” (The Mylene Sheath)

19. SUMERLANDS, self-titled (Relapse)

18. URFAUST, “Empty Space Meditation” (Ván)

17. MIZMOR, “Yodh” (Gilead Media)

16. BLOOD CEREMONY, “Lord of Misrule” (Rise Above)

15. ASTRONOID, “Air” (Blood Music)

14. LOTUS THIEF, “Gramarye” (Prophecy)

13. MARSH DWELLER, “The Weight of Sunlight” (Eihwaz)

12. ASH BORER, “The Irrepassable Gate” (Profound Lore)

11. PREDATORY LIGHT, self-titled (Invictus/Psychic Violence)

10. KHEMMIS, “Hunted” (20 Buck Spin)

9. BLOOD INCANTATION, “Starspawn” (Dark Descent)

8. PALACE OF WORMS, “The Ladder” (Broken Limbs)

7. AUROCH “Mute Books” (Profound Lore)

6. USTALOST, “The Spoor of Vipers” (Sibir)

5. EIGHT BELLS, “Landless” (Battleground Records)

4. ANICON, “Exegeses” (Gilead Media/Avantgarde Music)

3. SPIRIT ADRIFT, “Chained to Oblivion” (Prosthetic/War Crime Recordings)

2. OATHBREAKER, “Rheia” (Deathwish Inc.)

1. SUBROSA, “For This We Fought the Battle of Ages” (Profound Lore)