Album covers are weird, man. Actually, when it comes to heavy music albums, album art is sometimes a little dull, seeing work from the same artists over and over, often regurgitating similar ideas that seem interchangeable and somewhat unchallenging. It’s not often you can see the record’s art and have a really good idea of what the music is going to sound like, which I guess is a minor quibble.

I already feel stupid starting a piece about a record I really like with my obsession over album art, but here we are. First time I saw the cover of Chrome Waves’ new record “The Rain Will Cleanse,” I felt like I was totally prepared for the murky goth-rock-splashed post-black metal misery that is packed into these six songs. The woman looking dead eyed into your soul as she lies over an orange-splashed autumn evening sky perfectly encapsulates what you’ll hear on this album. This band—vocalist/guitarist James Benson, guitarist/vocalist/synth player Jeff Wilson, bassist Zion Meagher, drummer Dustin Boltjes—and its music has shifted a lot over the years, lessening the black metal pressure and really upping the drab majesties that splash their wonderfully moody music, with this album really sticking into your ribs like a deadly sharp knife jammed there by someone you must have wronged at some point.

“When Night Falls” gets off to a murky start as the melodies thicken and pull you under, and a strong chorus, which is their knack on this record, knocks you for a loop. The fog builds as the guitars gain a foothold, swimming into the back of your mind. “Sometimes” is a tremendous song, the best thing on here, and it feels gothy and massive at first, pummeling with moody singing, with the call of, “Looking for a place to sleep eternally,” ringing out in your brain. The track is infectious, bursting through thick clouds, adding a deeper emotional toll that forces you to pay the price. “Tired” trickles in before the blows are landed, and then dreamy vocals that are a little higher register begin to make their way into the scene. The playing washes through your senses, thickening the veins and rushing through storms. Heavy gaze hammers down, slipping into the darkest region of the sky.

“A Future” is the longest cut here, running 9:09 and starting by increasing the already existing haze laid down by what preceded it. There are sections that are sullen and sorrowful, and the chorus is well executed and powerful, with guitars chiming into a psyche wash. Halfway through, things get mid-tempo before the guitars burst a beam to the earth, the feeling of dusk drops, and the final embers are buried in the soil. “Wind Blown” pushes the melodies hard, the singing is strong again, and the chorus nails you right in the center of your chest. In fact, you might find your heart rushing along with this one, increasing your blood flow, and sustaining the heavy impact this song has, swelling with energy before bowing out. “Aspiring Death” is the closer, and it’s dark and shadowy as the song basks under the stars before shrieks rain down. The heavy cloud cover intensifies as the devastation rings out, the vocals get harsh again, and the anguish multiplies tenfold. Wrenching calls burrow into your psyche, noises waft, and the track disappears into the night sky, dissolving into the cosmic dust.

Chrome Waves have changes pretty drastically from their earlier days and their initial EP, and each time out, they get more interesting and somehow darker. “The Rain Will Cleanse” is the best thing they’ve done so far, and it’s something I have not been able to stop visiting lately. This is a record that tells you a lot of what you need to know on its cover, but once you dig into the music, you might find yourself showing that same distant stare, wondering what’s happened to you.  

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://chromewaves.bandcamp.com/album/the-rain-will-cleanse

Or here (Europe): https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://disorder-recordings.com/

And here: https://avantgardemusic.com/

As we are a quasi-pro wrestling site, I’ve been amused and annoyed lately at how many fans of that art style cannot seem to just have fun with things that are going on and stop being so judgmental. That applies to me, too, because I can’t get on board with a fake doll winking. That can spill over into heavy music as well where obsession over styles and presentation sometimes strips away the good times.

On that note, Nattmaran manage to combine great skills with a penchant for creating songs that make your blood boil, and it took members from three different countries in order to make this happen. The band’s debut full-length “The Lurking Evil” is arriving, and it’s as forceful as and a lot more fun than the hell thunderstorm currently blistering my house. The band’s members—vocalist Yogga Beges and guitarist/bassist Michael Lang, who also played in Unholy Tenebris, and drummer Koji Sawada, who was recruited by the duo—are spread out over Indonesia, Sweden, and Japan, but the way they make so much black thrash ’n roll racket, you’d think they were all in the same room, absolutely lighting up everything on front of them. It’s rowdy, raucous, and a tremendously good time, a record that makes it feel like dangerous forces are slashing at you, waiting to spill your blood.

“Beauty in Chaos” is a barn burner of a starter, ripping in with speed and power, smashing with punk-fueled mashing that gallops hard and right into “Runaway” that maintains that intensity and even manages to turn it up higher. The vocals shred as punches are absorbed on the chorus that is catchy is fuck. Chaotic and impossible to ignore, that track ends in a fiery crash. “Descending Through the Darkness” has guitars chugging as the storm cloud ignites, saturating the ground. Fiery vocals tear with mashing guitars, trampling in chaos as the animal bows out. “Imprisoned” basically is a riffs race when it starts as fiery, shrieky howls incinerate, the playing knocks loose teeth, and the power trudges, rubbing your face in the blood as everything ends in vicious fashion. “Die You Will” isn’t a warning, it’s a promise as melodic leads sweep you up, and then abrasion works to drive blood to the surface. Great soloing takes over and causes your adrenaline to rage, the shrieks peel flesh, and the back end burns off. “Die By My Bullets” is a punk thrash explosion as the band mashes hard and fast, and the simple chorus, where the title is violently recited, should put a dent in your chest. The track boils as the leads keep hammering, melting faces and spraying shrapnel along the way.

“Necromancy” is bustling and heavy, rampaging through with harsh vocals and guitars utterly scorching. Strange evil lurks within your bloodstream as the vocals slash, and the final blows leave you hurting all over. “Hellbound” charges and is purely relentless and rowdy with the vocals slashing through metal. Speedy and energetic, the track is one of those that’ll make you drive faster, so make sure the cops aren’t around. Bastards. Anyway, “Prey For Redemption” feels a little different, though it’s still volatile. This one delves into some NWOBHM lure, adding a cool blast of fire from the past, shredding your mental faculties, and suddenly heating up again as the back end absolutely melts. “There’s Nothing You Can See” unleashes riffs that have nothing but ill intent, insulting you and adding salt to your already weeping wounds. The growls are downright nasty, the guitars hit the gas pedal and never look back, and the final servings of thrash go down quite hard. “When the Night is Mine” ends things with an energetic gust, mangling riffs, and powerful vocals that squeeze the marrow from your bones. The band keeps adding new blasts, the terror thickens, and then everything fades out, taking your sanity with it.

Nattmaran had to find maniacs from all over the globe in order to make this madness work, and it does to ridiculous proportions on “The Lurking Evil.” There are shreds torn from every era of metal’s storied history on this thing, almost as if they’ve set up a stinking, beer-soaked shrine to the sounds that made us all what we are. If you can finish this record and not feel your blood screaming in your veins, perhaps heavy music has finally passed you by.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://nattmaranmetal.bandcamp.com/album/the-lurking-evil-2

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

Artists making music or any type of art together typically is driven from a state of respect for one another’s skills, otherwise what’s the point of doing something together? That’s not to suggest every band lives peacefully with everyone getting along, because that’s not the case at all. But you should at least recognize the artists surrounding you are worthy of your presence and the music’s power.

In the case of new industrial-flavored black metal band Modern Rites, the whole reason the project exists in the first place is the two people involved—Jonny Warren of Kuyashii (vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, synth) and Berg of Aara (guitars)—appreciated each other’s skills and wanted to put something together that highlighted what they do so well. That comes with “Monuments,” the duo’s first record, an album that’s heavily moving in the shadows and delivers driving murk and black metal grit. Lyrically, the band delves into bleak aspects of humanity including issues dealing with psychology, isolation, conflict, and the shadow self, so it’s also harrowing from a content standpoint.

“Intro” is a murky, cloudy intro piece, letting beams crack through the sky, leading into “Vigilance Eternal” that unloads heavy black metal riffs and shrieks that rumble the earth. Strong melodies get into your blood, and the chorus just melts, delivering majestic energy, pummeling into oblivion. “Black Wolf” is thrashy and dark as it greets you with the shrieks opening wounds and the pace chugging. The guitars darken and sicken as the drama hits a fevered pitch, leading into playing that is both spacious and sinister, simmering and ripping as the track tears away into the void. “Unburdened” ramps up right away, charging through the gates as the riffs gush melody. The drums pelt as Warren’s growls tear into time, doing ample bodily damage. An atmospheric moan causes your head to soar, the leads crash through clouds, and a heavy echo takes hold, swallowing everything into darkness.

“Self Synthesis” fades in, letting the temperature rise before the walls are torn down. The drums punish as the playing lands shots, and a hypnotic spread spills into your mid-section, tornadic gushing elbows into the shadows, and the growls rush as the track smashes to its end. “Nothing Left To Give” also bleeds in before opening the raging waves, and industrial waves blacken and mix with molten shrieks, leaving your nerves tested. Things stay heavy as noises ring in your ears, the playing punishes, and the vocals hit a weird hiss. The final moments get thrashy and odd, laying waste until it ends abruptly. “Machine Paradox” is the closer, basking in drab chills, picking up in earnest as the guitars tangle. The vocals smash as the melodies make the room spin, washing into the stratosphere and infusing the sounds with air. The pace steamrolls, barreling into a thick synth gaze that lifts you and deposits you into the clouds.

Modern Rites find a fresh and original way to meld black metal might and industrial sootiness, but never at the expense of the competing sounds. “Monuments” is a record that will sneak up from behind and set in its hooks if you’re not careful, and the seven tracks here always find ways to be spellbinding. This is a fun, soot-covered record that makes you feel filthier than you did before you took in on by the horns, and hopefully we’ll hear from these two as a duo again.

For more on the band, go here: https://modernrites.bandcamp.com/releases

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/12-eshop

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

Black metal is a wonderfully fluid thing, an art form that has a spine and a center for sure, but over time, it has grown so many different parts, it’s often unrecognizable in its original form. It’s always weird to see its fan cement their ragged boots into the ground and protest any time a band tries to take chances or expand its borders like they have any ownership. Its ability to shapeshift is why it thrives still.

Helmed by lone artist Erech, Grandeur is a black metal experience that maintains many of the tenets of the style but also injects human passion, steaming intensity, and a hemorrhaging heart that makes the project’s first EP “Aurea Aetas” such a stimulating listen. Over four tracks and nearly 18 minutes, Erech (he also plays in other bands including Ancient Mastery, Carathis, and the very weird Golden Blood) unleashes a savage spirit and a destructive force that’s such a great time to experience but that also could grab you and drag you under the surface before you even know what struck you.

“I: Acatalepsia” starts with eerie synth draining before a black metal burst strikes, and wild shrieks swarm and jeopardize your safety. The track pummels while melody collects, riffs swim in heavy storming, and your blood rushes as the playing ends with force. “II: Exordium” has guitars echoing before the levee breaks and the playing rips at your guts, paving the way for a tidal wave of melodies to strike. The guitars continue their ascent before the temperature cools off significantly, and then everything charges again. The shrieks tears through sanity, and the final moments deliver a coffin blow that knocks you out. “III: Ultimum” delivers encircling riffs and a pace that blasts through rock, with the urgency spiking while the vocals hammer. The playing chugs and gives off steam, the fury is wrecking to your intestines, and the melody splatters, getting some of that filth in your mouth. “IV: Aurea Aetas” closes the collection by igniting right away as the shrieks are abrasive, and the riffs sound like they’re boiling in tar. A brief respite for the temperature to drop sets in, but then things soar anew, with the guitars galloping and driving. Somehow Erech finds an avenue for making things even more raucous, passionate playing floods the senses, and the riffs stir one final time, bringing things to an abrupt end.

Grandeur’s promising start with this EP proves that black metal still has urgency and power, as long as it’s in the right hands. “Aurea Aetas” is a mini burst of clobbering madness, a release that doesn’t quite make it to 18 minutes but still manages to leave heavy markings. This is just the beginning for this band, and the future is bound to be nasty.

For more on the band, go here: https://grandeurbm.bandcamp.com/releases

To buy the album, go here: https://haloofflies.bandcamp.com/album/aurea-aetas

Or here: https://absolutecontemptrecords.bandcamp.com/album/aurea-aeta

For more on the label, go here: https://haloofflies.bandcamp.com/

And here: https://absolutecontemptrecords.bandcamp.com/

Saying music is personal sounds like the most obvious thing ever, but there are some artists and creations that glimmer with that idea more than others. Hearing a record that feels like it takes you right into the guts of its creator is not something you encounter every day, but when you do, prepare to be knocked backward because you’re walking rarified terrain.

South Dakota black metal band Woman Is the Earth is one of those artists for me, as each time they release new music, I feel like they reveal added layers of their raging spirits. “Dust of Forever,” their new and fifth record, is another great beast unleashed upon the world, this one a little different than the creatures that preceded it.  Here, the band—vocalist/guitarist Jarrod Hattervig, guitarist/bass effects Andy Martin, drummer/backing vocalist Jon Martin—delve deeper into post-black metal storms, letting the ground get saturated, the clouds thicken, and the majesty of nature have its way and ravage your mind. It’s such an immersive experience, a force that is impossible to fight against, so you might as well follow the path it is blazing before you.

“Emerald Ash” opens as a total eruption, feeling like a volcanic spurt from your heart as wild howls hammer you, and incredible energy collects as the guitars gain steam. Synth floods as you notice your pulse in your wrist, while excitement spirals amid harsh shrieks, spiraling riffs, and a final burst that leaves you gasping for air. “Crystal Tomb” wrenches with anguished cries and the drums punching holes in brick walls, with the guitars lathering and helping you bask in serotonin. Great melodies rage like a river, the guitars swell, and the shrieks hammer your skull as everything mounts a final assault, firing out into the night. “Through a Beating Heart” ruptures, feeling like signals being sent from a raw heart as gruff vocals crash right into cascading guitars. Things turn darker and sinister, powering up as the energy slays, the power turns into cold waters, and psychedelic shimmering rises, melting right into the mouth of “Breath of a Dying Star” that just rips right off the bat. Emotional leads rule the way, and beastly carnage flexes its muscles, with the melodies lathering yet continually tearing things apart. The playing rumbles in your guts, the sinew is torn apart, and everything settles into a sound field with ash raining down on your face.

“Spiritual Rot” unleashes guitars that are frying and a pulsating pace that is exhilarating and pure. The growls rush as the track takes on more steam, and then a halt lets you catch your breath before the melodies crush all over again, the power catapults, and the beams make their way into the clouds. “The Rope Gets Tighter” brings stinging guitars and guttural growls that slice into your belly, pulling out your insides. At times, things are disorienting, while at others, there is a moody energy that glazes and intoxicates. The center of the song explodes as shrieks slaughter, raining down blood and bone while jolting shouts leave bruising, and things fire up all over, jamming in the dagger at the end. “Departure” is an instrumental piece with cold, sorrowful melodies creating a fog, pushing into closer “Face of Snakes” that develops like a tornado chewing the ground. The shrieks strike as a stirring assault gets heavier and meaner, eating away at your senses, feeling like it’s burning in your chest. Gut-busting wails hammer home the message, the playing amps up the energy, and the track is sucked out into the cosmos, lurking forever in the dark.

Woman Is the Earth put so much of themselves, such a generous portion of their spirits into their music, that you can’t help but feel galactically aligned with them somehow after their music comes to an end. “Dust of Forever” continues their amazing run of records that are as much mental experiences as they are collections of charging music, though this one has some twists and turns that their other albums do not. This is both ferocious and sensitive, fiery and vulnerable, an album that feels like a living, breathing being taking up residence in your chest.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://initrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dust-of-forever

For more on the label, go here: https://initrecords.bandcamp.com/

We’ve all seen and been through some shit the last year and a half, and there are very few of us who have not been impacted in some meaningful way. One of the hardest parts of that has been the inability to see people for so long, the limited chances to do the things we love, and just the mystery surrounding safety and whether getting back to something of a normal routine is a good idea.

Building on some of those ideas of living in uncertain times and trying to find strength and perseverance, classic metal warriors Spirit Adrift return just when we need them most with killer three-track EP “Forge Your Future,” their first exclusively for Century Media after years with 20 Buck Spin. These tracks lift you up and make your adrenaline surge in the best way possible as they capture you with the undeniable power of heavy metal and help you find some level of power, even when it’s tough to do so. Nate Garrett’s vocals continue to get even better with each release, and his songwriting chops and fiery guitar work are getting further chiseled, while longtime drummer Marcus Bryant keeps the power humming, driving energy through your bones. Preston Bryant added wizard-like synth work to these songs, supplying a neat spacey texture, and bassist Sonny DeCarlo will join the band on the road to help present these killer songs.      

The title track gets things going with clean lines and then punches open with some great guitar work and the verses driving the emotion. “I think of every choice that I have ever made, and every road that led to them,” Garrett commands on the bridge, before powering on the chorus, wailing, “I saw the future and it set me free, the stars aligned and cleared the way.” It’s impossible to not get this damn thing stuck in your head. Later, searing soloing gets your blood rushing anew, group “oh-oh” calls instill classic metal spirit, and the track trickles out into a stream of energy. “Wake Up” is another great one, starting with riffs chugging and metal’s deep roots surfacing. The verses punch, the melody is overwhelming in a good way, and the chorus is another scorcher that’ll be massive live. “Wake up, who don’t you open your eyes? Wake up, why don’t you open you mind?” Garrett implores, easily sticking to your ribs. The track gets more and more adventurous, digging back into that old Ozzy/Dio terrain, but in a way that honors their legacy and builds it into the future. Just an awesome song. “Invisible Enemy” is the closer, starting with drums blasting and building its tempo with alluring force. The track is big and defiant, with Garrett warning, “The world will see your fate, there will be no escape,” over the brimming chorus. Everything keeps churning until a wave of serenity washes over, with the guitars cooling and coating with ice. Things pick up again with the band charging and the fires blazing, and alien synth joins the mix at the end, slipping out into strange cosmos.

This might just be a steppingstone EP to Spirit Adrift’s next full-length, the title of which obviously will start with a G, but “Forge Your Future” is a vital release with some of the band’s best work. Feel like we say that every time out, but Spirit Adrift is one of those rare bands that manages to improve and refine with each record, growing stronger and solidifying the sinew. This is a great three-track collection, one that’ll stick inside your head long after it ends.   

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

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

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

The late pro wrestler Big Van Vader was always fun to watch in the ring, but maybe never more so than when he was working a squash match, a contest against enhancement talent who was basically was supposed to obliterate. One time, he broke a dude’s back by accident. Just brutal stuff. But it was incredible viewing, even if his opponents still were taking a beating in a worked sport.

That wasn’t my first impression tackling “Disavowed, and Left Hopeless,” the new record from Our Place of Worship Is Silence, but after a few trips, I could not help but think of having two gloved fists utterly battering my face and chest, and me being devastated until mercy finally was given with the eventual three count. This band—guitarist/vocalist Eric, drummer/vocalist Tim—always had that violent streak, but this third record takes that to a whole new level, one that’s terrifying and feels like it won’t quit until you do. Permanently. Everything here is amplified from their work that precedes this album, and if you aren’t prepared for the devastating toll, you’ll be buried in no time with their furious smash of death and black metal.

“The Conspiracy Against Cruelty” starts with utterly grim guitar work that grinds at you, the pace pummeling relentlessly, and the band thrashing away, smothering with its instrumental power. “Covenant of the Fallen” has beastly vocals and wild chaos erupting, wasting away your muscle and bone. This is pure brutality as the shrieks destroy, the playing trudges, and the splattering makes it impossible to breathe, burning out into madness. “Fury Divine,” featuring Elog Ulug from Teeth on guitars as it clubs and punishes with insane vocals working into your brain, mixing shrieks and growls that compete for your psyche. The playing is mangling and violent, splattering blood and other mysterious juices, while the guitars absolutely scorch. Things keep getting more abrasive, molten slaughtering eats away, and everything jolts and melts into a fog.

The title track immediately sinks its claws, the shrieks go off, and things spiral and eventually mash your bones. The scene gets weirder and storms in a haze, the maniacal pace scrambles your brains, and the growls slash, leaving you battered. “Mdłości II” is just delirious with strong guitar work flexing, and atmospheric melody touching down, making your mind tingle. The pace piledrives from there, spiraling into madness, crashing to the earth as the guitars twist and turn, ending in a foggy gaze. “From the Noisome Pestilence” opens gargantuan hell as the guitars carve away, and animalistic insanity arrives and sickens. Chaos storms as the shrieks pelt, the pace heats up, and hypnotic guitars add a new element that begins to melt, ringing out into the night. “The Scourge” is the closer and starts like a mammoth stomping relentlessly, the shrieks mar, and your flesh feels like it’s going through a grinder. Total insanity is unleashed, weird guitar tones make your nightmares come to life, and things keep getting uglier, ripping into your chest. The playing chugs its final mangling burst, the tempo brutalizes, and the track rips out into time.

Our Place of Worship Is Silence sounds absolutely unhinged on “Disavowed, and Left Hopeless,” a record that tells you all you need to know from its title. We are indeed awash in truly dark, deranged times where the human experiment has unraveled out of control, with no way to truly cut off the death convulsion. This record is a deadly, unforgiving document that feels like it hints at the end of days, whenever those are, and promises a finish that bathes in violence and misery.

For more on the band, go here: https://opowis.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://orcd.co/disavowedandlefthopeless

For more on the label, go here: https://translationloss.com/

There’s an attraction that the darkness holds, something seductive and exciting that we know we probably should not visit, but it’s sometimes just so hard to look away. That’s something that has powered heavy metal from its earliest stages and remains a vital part of the style’s DNA today, because its invitation is often too tempting from which to turn away.

Chad Davis accepted his invitation a long time ago, and he’s committed so much to the heavy metal genre over the past two decades, that he really deserves to be mentioned by more people when discussing the genre’s true masters. Hour of 13 is one of his main projects, the one where I first learned of him, and that force is back with powerful new album “Black Magick Rites.” This album is the fourth Hour of 13 album and the first in nine years, and if you’re already tied into this band’s totally dark DNA, you’ll be right at home with these seven songs. The album is chock full of classic-style heavy metal thunder and shadow, feeling like music that could have originated decades back and been right at home, yet we’re getting it fresh in modern times. It’s a really strong, infectious album that is full of power.

“His Majesty of the Wood” kicks off with strong riffs and echoes soaring as the track is dark and alluring. Davis’ vocals are as melodic and dangerous as ever as he punches along, sweltering with sorrowful melodies, a rush of emotions, and everything burning out into sight. “Return From the Grave” unloads with gloomy leads and the vocals crawling in the soot as Davis warns, “Tonight I rise.” The guitars pick up along with him, delivering a strong retro vibe that gets into your system, mesmerizing and crunching, and more ominous lines such as, “Within your sin, I live again,” dig in its claws as the track bleeds out. “House of Death” has a driving pace, with the doom clouds hanging overhead, the vocals sweltering, and a chorus that sends chills down your spine. The riffs are strange and dizzying as the leads cut through flesh, the vocals haunt, and your mind shrouded, with Davis inviting, “Come into this house of death,” as the track burns off.

The title track arrives with swaggering riffs and vocals echoing, feeling spooky and weird. Crunchy leads and a great chorus unite as the skies further darken, guitars dice muscle, and the cut bows out to the night. “Within the Pentagram” chars wills, chants lift for Satan, and the riffs pile up, with Davis calling, “Say the name by candlelight,” and later poking, “I am death incarnate.” The playing wells up like lava, the guitars keep eating away at your nerves, and the voices wash in echo, falling out into time. “Harvest Night” has guitars swirling and a chorus that feels like it’s coming for you without mercy, basking in ritual and death. A truly old metallic feel permeates the cell structure, the guitars heat up, making you shield your face, and a doomy pall blots out the sun, disappearing into the fog. “The Mystical Hall of Dreams” is the closer, bringing deeper vocals and sinister intent, with Davis wondering, “What awaits in the night?” almost like he knows but is teasing. Hazy guitars hang as your mind is twisted, the soloing opens and binds, and the track topples into the dark side, burning into the sky.

Davis’ mission with Hour of 13 remains firm and strong, basking in the evil and washing its hands in blood on “Black Magick Rites.” His retro style predates many of the tons of other bands trying the same thing, and he remains an utter master at it, because he has eaten from the roots for so long. This is a record that makes your bones shake, the body temperature lower, and you reaching for any modicum of safety you can find.

For more on the band, go here: https://hourof13official.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.shadowkingdomrecords.com/pre-orders.asp

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

I have been accused by many people close to me that I am too invested in routine, and anything that gets in the way of that tends to knock me off my comfort. This is a reason why there’s a chance I’m living with undiagnosed ADHD. Anyway, those accusations are correct, as I do tend to freak out if things go away from rigid plans, and I’d be better off taking some chances now and then.

Dutch black metal force Fluisteraars are taking the exact opposite approach with their new album “Gegrepen door de Geest der Zielsontluiking,” a quick follow-up from last year’s awesome “Bloem,” but it’s a completely different beast. The band—vocalist/lyricist B. Mollema and multi-instrumentalist M. Koops—embraced the idea of self-transcendence and animalistic urge, spilling their energies into three swelling tracks that they pulled back on the experimentation and tinkering and instead decided to see through in their rawest form. The band created one song per day, did no overdubs, added no synth, and followed these in their most skeletal form, which turned out to be a brilliant idea. This is an overwhelming record, one that just soars with maximum power.

“Het overvleugelen der meute” opens with a drum roll that reminds me of the theme song for the old World Class Championship Wrestling show, which can only be a good thing. The drumming is great throughout this track, and the playing gushes into the atmosphere, changing in the air, taking on new forms as it goes. The power surges as the howls register, the playing feels like it fires into a cavern, and the noise quivers, rumbling out and bleeding into “Brand woedt in mijn graf” that is frenetic and fluid, mashing out of the gates and ripping into wild howls and swelling melodies. The ambiance is a rush and makes your mind race as tornadic playing and gashing shrieks team up and spit bolts. The music is infused with another gasp of air, feedback simmers, and the noise angles, cooling your flesh and ringing out into the solar system.

“Verscheuring in de schemering” is the 20:15-long closer that starts moody and cold before the guitars charge, and the melody breaks through. The riffs penetrate the earth, and the track begins to rip harder, with the energy surging through your skeletal structure. Cold calm washes over and creates heartfelt playing and vibrant emotion, with the music boiling and the drums blasting bone and teeth. Noises carve as the melodies lather, with the energy making your heart blast. Growls rip as storms swirl, the music fires up heavily, and a gigantic burst of noise picks you up off your feet, leaving you bent in half but ultimately enthralled.

Fluisteraars jumping in with full force, taking things organically, and refusing to overcomplicate things turned out to be for the best as “Gegrepen door de Geest der Zielsontluiking” is a new age for this band, one that hints at an even more daring future. This album opens itself from listen one and swallows you into their world, helping you connect with the same animalistic power that fueled this record. This collection is proof that sometimes throwing the formulas into the trash and following your bristling spirit truly is the way to go, and this unhinged, exciting record provides all the proof anyone really needs.  

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

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://store.eisenton.com/

Or here (Europe): https://store.eisenton.de/en/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.eisenton.de/

A terribly disturbing report that just came out this week indicates our world is on serious trouble, and we humans have played a large role in accelerating the damage to where it’s at. None of this is a surprise as we’ve long been told these things, but to see this in such dire wording and to know we’re on the brink of no return is sobering and infuriating considering some still live in denial still.

Long champions of the natural world around them, especially the majesty of the Pacific Northwest, black metal dreamers Wolves in the Throne Room continue to jolt our bloodstreams and capture our imaginations with their incredible new record “Primordial Arcana,” their seventh but first for new label home Relapse. The title itself harkens back to ancient, archetypal energies that flow through their veins, but there still is a major foothold within the outside world, the place that nourished us for so long, a favor we have yet to return. The band—vocalist/guitarist Nathan Weaver, guitarist/vocalist Kody Keyworth, drummer/synth player/vocalist Aaron Weaver—manage to still unfurl magic unlike any other band in their forest of sound. After carving so many paths for atmospheric black metal, especially in this country, they still find ways to surprise and enthrall, and this record is an absolute gift to be cherished.

“Mountain Magick” starts the record, slowly ushering a spiritual vibe that is thick and ever present before great riffs unload and tangle you, pulling you into the heart of the song. Shrieks wail as the skies seemingly open as savagery rushes with great force, with synth sheets bringing a chilling texture, and the sounds rushing out into the wild. “Spirit of Lightning” starts with acoustic guitars and dulcimer, striking a primitive tone before the guitars open into a swirling storm. The shrieks hammer as tornadic hell touches down, sending winds, rain, and chaos spreading. Blood rushes as the synth sheens, the gaze spreads over the land, and the power haunts as the acoustics stretch again, and everything is swallowed into the heart of nature. “Through Eternal Fields” is ominous and chilling as it starts as the shrieks push in, and the guitars spread into melodic showers. This spills into atmosphere as the drums come alive, and then the burst happens with shrieks penetrating and turning savage. Tribal drumming emerges, the riffs slither, and everything disappears into a fog. “Primal Chasm (Gift of Fire)” punches out of the murk as the vocals unload, and the riffs zip around, with the drums clobbering. That crumbles into death-style growls that smother, and then things explode again with the synth cooling flesh, the guitars enrapturing, and everything sucked out into a vortex, with only chirping birds behind.  

“Underworld Aurora” runs 7:31 and starts with synth whirling and acoustics picking before the track is torn open. Beastly vocals make their presence felt as the power increases, soaring into the stratosphere as the music captures imaginations. A mesmerizing blur takes hold and makes dreaming possible before the power surges anew, folding in melody and violent drumming that ravages spirits. That chaos continues to increase until everything pushes into the cosmos, swimming in the stars. “Masters of Rain and Storm” is the longest track, running 10:44 and tearing open with the guitars showing meanness. The track crushes and gets muscular, trading ferocity with the woodsy folk moments and spacey synth that pays homage to the precipitation. Shrieks punish as the guitars boil dangerously as the blows withstand the acoustic beauty, the vocals blast through your rib cage, and everything builds up and detonates, sending its DNA into the atmosphere. “Eostre” is a quick instrumental outro track with a fluttering synth bed, a dreamy vortex that captures you, and a rush of waters designed to soothe and reconnect you to the earth. Some versions have a bonus track “Skyclad Passage,” another instrumental that delves into forest-embedded spirituality, trancey ritualistic passages, and angelic wonder that works its way into your skeletal structure.

Wolves in the Throne Room continue to mesmerize and surprise, delivering their most intense and personal yet on “Primordial Arcana.” You’re not just getting an emotional, spirit-rushing record from this band; you’re getting an earnest and intense connection back to the old times and the old ways, a hand reached out to the past to harness energies long forgotten. That is felt in every moment of this incredible record, one that I’m still trying to fully grasp countless listens later.

For more on the band, go here: https://wittr.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://store.relapse.com/b/wolves-in-the-throne-room

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