Darkness has been a major part of the black metal kingdom since the day it first bubbled out of the cracks in the earth, sickening a heavy music world that didn’t know how to contend with such a force. As time has gone on and the decades piled up, things changed, the edges were smoothed out, and the music became more digestible.

But there are those that remain committed to the raw, harsh power of black metal, and Philly’s Unholy Altar is one of them, and they’re ready to deliver their scathing first full-length “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite.” Over nine tracks and a little under a half hour, the band—vocalist Desecrator, guitarists Miserer and Evoked Damnator, bassist Cadaver, drummer Lucifer’s Rage—stokes the sub-genre’s fires that have been burning for three decades and add their own brand of fuel. Examining the dualities of the natural world, they add some new textures and tones from what we heard on their 2022 demo. But the unforgiving darkness remains, and while they intend to smear some light into the music, this is pitch black, infernal, and so goddamn mighty.

“Intro” leads you into the carnage with plucked strings and a dark angelic haze, sounds swirling in the air toward “Abaddon,” which I wish was about the pro wrestler of the same name. Vile shrieks explode from the start, the playing destroying with fiery pressure, the viciousness and sense of evil flooding to the surface. Funereal melodies slip behind the dark curtain, torching to a hellish end. “Black Winds of Nocturnal Dismay” is moody at first, and then it bludgeons, the vocals lacerating, mangling with reckless abandon. Riffs cascade as lightning-fast punishment is served generously, howls crushing as the tornadic pace drills into the ground. “Infernal Flesh” explodes with blistering riffs, the assault trampling and destroying, the scars burned into your bones. The playing slips into intense humidity, a blinding explosion knifing dangerously for your neck.

“Treachery of the Common” simmers in sullen guitars and a more mid-tempo pace, letting you breathe even though you know another beating awaits. Howls erupt as the guitars manage to find even darken tones, feeling caustic and even dreamy in the most nightmarish of senses. “Sin Eater” totally destroys, the shrieks scalding as the guitars jam the gas pedal through the floor. Riffs encircle as the drums blister, a murky ambiance swallowing hope as Desecrator slashes with her devastating screams, every element racing to the finish. “Nefarious” is a crusher, the melodies flying at you like a microburst, the harshness becoming a bigger factor and chewing into muscle. The atmosphere begins to squeeze your brain, hypnotic guitars twisting, the heat dying down and slipping into a haze. “Pestilence” dawns in the midst of insanity, ripping guts, forcing poison into your veins as the shrieks mangle. The leads take off as the assault grinds you under their wheels, attacking and leading trails of blood and flesh behind. The closing “Outro” boils in strange keys and a horror-filled haze, leaving you in a sense of morbid disorientation.

Unholy Altar call “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite” a “dance between darkness and light,” but you got to do a lot of searching to find pinpoints of illumination in these coal-mine-dark creations. That’s a good thing, as this raw, nasty black metal has the tenets of the sub-genre’s earliest, ugliest days and takes that beastly spirit into the future. This is a band that’s just getting its tentacles around its devastating powers, and as this ghoulish force continues to grow, future massacres promise to be bloodier and more relentless.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Unholy-Altar-100091394706562/

To buy the album, go here: https://unholyaltar666.bandcamp.com/album/veil-of-death-shroud-of-nite

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

It’s really easy to lose enthusiasm for trying to save a semblance of the Earth on which we’re living and, for a lot of people, abusing. It’s also easy to be short sighted of it all, because we likely will not be here for the worst of it if we push the climate to the breaking point, and as we move forward, we don’t seem to be getting better of caring for this place.

Canadian black metal power Liminal Shroud is not exactly hitting you about the head and torso with that message, but it’s decipherable from their words in their bio and their excellent new record “Visions of Collapse.” They speak of destruction of the coast and the cycle of annihilation in which we may be trapped, leaving their music to try to grasp onto some kind of hope. The band—guitarist/vocalist Aidan Crossley, bassist/vocalist Rich Taylor, drummer Drew Davidson—pours themselves creatively and philosophically into these five tracks, pushing their black metal to atmospheric new heights while also trying to survive amid the misery of living in a world we’re destroying.

“Nocturnal Phosphorescence” greets you with tingling guitars and an atmospheric heat that gradually builds, strong wails cutting through and into melodic drilling. The playing claws and sludges, growls slithering, the fury blending into the air. The cloud bursts, guitars cascading like driving showers, vicious howls rippling as the playing carves flesh, digging back into a black pocket. “Nucleonic Blight” trickles initially, whispers sending chills, and then the playing breaks and begins to drub. Shrieks hammer as the fires are agitated, the muscular push scarring and rumbling, the force disappearing into a haze. The force envelopes as the shrieks decimate, guitars blaze, and the energy hits full tilt, a spirited gust picking up everything and blasting to a forceful finish.

“Resolve” is humid and wiry at the start, the energy combusting with the cry of, “Take my breath, take my soul!” Scathing playing meets up with cleaner singing, adding texture and a sense of cleansing, waiting for the inevitable explosion. When it comes, the tempo mashes, sparking a rousing pace that makes blood challenge veins, jolting until it finally relents. “Malaspina” is forceful, singing warbling, growls trading off and snarling, viciousness finding strange bedfellows with melody. Things gets strangely catchy as strong melodies sweep, eventually becoming victim to a severe battering. Closer “The Carving Scythe” enters with drums powering, gnarly guitars gaining steam, and a storm that just arrived chewing up scenery. The tempo goes from forceful to calm and back again, tingling at times, rampaging at others. Wild shrieks strike as the atmosphere swells, heading back into the chaos, slowly dragging to a fading finality.

The world is turning against us, and as sick as you are of reading me openly worrying about the climate is as tired as I am of writing about it and wringing my hands in disgust. Liminal Shroud are more poetic in their worry, and “Visions of Collapse” is a record that acknowledges our potential demise and paints even darker shadows to hopefully make some kind of impact. This also is a spacious, ambitious record that is perhaps this band’s best, a release that should open the eyes and ears of any conscious black metal listener who gives a fuck.    

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/bands/details/liminal-shroud.aspx

For more on the label, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/home.aspx

You can’t help but be perturbed by the Catholic church. I grew up in it, and after about a decade of therapy, I’m finally coming free of its mental clutches. It rules by fear, the institution long has protected predators, it thrives on money, and it reeks of corruption. No wonder the metal world legendarily has waged war against this force.

French doom bruisers Maudissez not only are drawing their blades against the Christian sub-genre, they’re taking the fight into the opponent’s home field. The band, whose members remain a mystery, recorded their self-titled debut live in a church in France, seeing the act as a desecration, a devastating shot in their war against a force that has hurt so many. Maudissez, whose name translates to curse, twist nerves and slash veins over these four mammoth tracks, and while they released the music on their own in December, Sentient Ruin is giving it a proper vinyl treatment. It’s a morbid, foreboding display, one that feels like it is trying to spread pestilence to the mouths of every member of its foe.

Opener “fracture par fracture” practically opens in media res battering, dark and crushing howling following, sooty sounds meeting up with spiritual and physical agony. The playing slowly drags itself across a floor covered with broken glass, horrifying decay setting in deep. Terror envelopes as the playing sounds like a dying siren, burying everything in misery. “blessure par blessure” is the longest track at 13:04, a halo of sound surrounding everything, drubbing as inhuman howls scathe. Doomy hulking unloads as the pressure builds, voices warbling under the din, the noise corroding. The playing sprawls as strange speaking haunts, and then static erupts, storming as the voice continues its mysterious message, a hulking haze hovering over and disappearing into a bloody vortex.

“meurtrissure par meurtrissure” cracks open with a hint of melody struggling to live in hell, howls scorching from every angle, pounding as the playing is steely and pressurized. Doomy blackness folds and spill into a puddle of oil, scorching and furious as the attack grows bloody and smeary, ferocious wails laying waste as your senses fry, everything succumbing to piercing sound. Closer “brûlure par brûlure” brings unfurling guitars and blinding rage, vile howls ushering in a beastly dawn, the darkness suffocating. Throaty wails grasp throats as sounds hiss in the fog, echoing from the heat that’s growing too thick to handle. Synth cascades as the sorrow thickens, clashing slowly, letting the machine gradually run out of fuel and leave an blood slick behind.

The distaste for the Catholic regime is palpable, and relatable as far as we’re concerned, and Maudissez turn their vitriol into a slowly meted-out bloodbath on their gargantuan self-titled debut offering. This is an unforgiving, hopelessly bleak display of doom that’s here to maim and refuse to give mercy. And after all the pain and evil the church has left in its 2,000-year campaign of control, it’s a comeuppance that is rightly earned.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://sentientruin.com/releases/maudissez-maudissez

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

As I put on my old man back-in-the-day hat, I can’t help recall my formative years listening to metal, when it felt like every band was trying to one up each other with precision and skill but also with memorable and devastating records. We’re not devoid of that necessarily, but it feels like those bands are a little fewer and further between now.

Finnish force Bloodcross is looking to change that on their stunning debut full-length “Gravebound,” an album that’s certainly steeped in the harshest realms of melodic death metal but also puts forth virtuosity and musicianship that is a step above most. The band—vocalist/guitarist A. Pahlama, guitarist M. Saarela, bassist T. Lindqvist, drummer J. Saarela—brings experience from black metal crushers Angelcorpse, in which half its members played, and on these seven songs and 39 minutes, they combine stunning chops with fluid carnage that easily can pull you under for good.

“Warbeast” rips open with energetic leads and soaring energy, melodic howls helping sell the cresting chaos. A huge burst leads to guitars racing and a fluid attack, ending with a power-infused gust. “Nemesis Reborn” has surging guitars and a burst of adrenaline, the twin leads making the hairs stand on your neck. Shrieks maul as the playing blows open, Maiden-style guitars giving off classic metal glory, the storming force coming to a tangling end. “Beyond Flesh” starts with cleaner guitars before shrieks rampage and tear off your head, the playing swirling and making your head spin. Punches land hard as everything turns decidedly moodier before things fire up again, letting everything bubble over as the playing disappears as a triumphant blaze in the sky.

“Pale Avenger” strikes with speed and muscular guitars, the shrieks crushing amid catchy and fiery melodies, the energy feeling like it’s reaching a crescendo. But there are bigger heights as everything bursts anew, storming through ugliness and challenging brains. The title track starts thrashy as hell and then sinks into colder waters, the leads glimmering, and a huge chorus rewarding your faith. The playing is effusive as the enthusiasm lathers, charging and blistering, coming to a blasting finish. “Devil Speed” launches with force, fast and fiery playing instantly taking you under, bristling with power. High-pitched howls meet with streaking leads, displaying astonishing skill, massive histrionics burying you in rubble. Closer “Howling Spirits” starts in murk, feeling like latter-era Maiden, setting up an atmosphere before breaking the chains. Furious melodies and smoking guitars ignite, the leads glimmering as a blinding pace goes off, torching with savage howls. The riffs remain steady as the playing pulls you under, fading into darkness.

Bloodcross’ penchant for mixing blistering, yet melodic death with shred-worthy musicianship keeps “Gravebound” exciting through its entire run, because you never can predict what’s coming. But it’s not tech wankery by any means, as you can feel the drive and emotion packed into each one of the songs. This is a strong debut from a promising band that feels like it’s just scratching the surface of what they can do.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.personal-records.com/product/pre-order-bloodcross-gravebound-cd/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.personal-records.com/

Summer literally just dawned here on the East Coast of the United States, and we’re pushing 100 degrees every day this week. We barely had a winter again this past season, and the days of normalcy seems to have devolved into something less livable. Certainly far more volatile. And so many don’t seem to care at all.

“Resilience” is the second full-length from California-based doom metal power Amarok, and it’s a concept piece that revels in the agony of violently changing climates, loss, and existential dread, all of which can be rolled into one ongoing overserving of anxiety. Over five tracks and almost 65 minutes, the band—vocalist/bassist Brandon Squyres, guitarist/vocalist Kenny Ruggles–Alaniz, guitarist Nathan Collins, drummer Colby Byrn—digs deep into the ground from where they’ve mined before and have refined their sound and made their songs even more gut wrenching. Their songs from all releases are sort of woven together into a larger picture, so this one picks up numerically where 2018’s “Devoured” left off. This is a passionate, darkly mournful record that also packs a burst of anger and resentment that is palpable and perfectly served.

“Charred (X)” is the 17:51-long opener that enters in flames, battering as howls scathe, and a funereal pace sets the mood dour. The playing corrodes as fires crackle, the guitars going cold and entering into moody territory. The track picks up the pace as emotional guitars whip up a lather, the howls boil harder, and the playing buckles, sending off thunderous aftershocks. Wails scorch as the ferocity builds, tearing through the earth’s crust as the sounds ring into oblivion. “Ascension (XI)” is the longest track at 18:10, and it’s dark and mournful at the start, howls scraping as the synth glows, the playing storming and creating a flood of power. Soul-crushing heaviness gets even more penetrative, driving through ugliness, the shrieks crushing as the leads glow. The playing then quiets as melodies fall softly like ash from the skies, heavy emotion then crashes through the walls as doom bells chime, and the playing crumbles like an aged, decaying building.

“Interlude” is the only non-numbered track, and it’s to give you a breather before the second half, letting sounds trickle and numb, slowly bleeding out toward “Penance (XII)” that immediately creates a morbid aura. Growls engorge as sorrowful melodies get thicker and more foreboding, the guitars soaring amid a fiery assault. Growls retch as the guitars fire up, bruising as the pace tears open, the pace crushing and turning bone to power. The playing then slows to a funeral pace, rupturing anew as the darkness enshrouds, the shrieks crushing as sounds dissolve and disappear into an ambient wave. Closer “Legacy (XIII)” starts with soft acoustics and a burgeoning atmosphere, the leads feeling gazey and warm, a heartfelt push making the blood pump through your veins. Howls scar as the gutting sadness increases its hold, feeling overwhelming as the screams batter, pushing your heart to the limit. A deep pall of pain and coldness gradually increases, and a strange catchiness lands as the final moments lurk off into the dark.

Amarok’s anxiety and anguish over the state of our planet not only is understandable but should spark rage in anyone who hopes we still have a habitable planet for future generations. “Resilience” is a heavy message that makes your insides ache with the fear and fury over the ignorance so many people alive alongside us have for a climate that’s teetering on the edge of disaster. All hope is not yet lost, and there’s still time to fight, but we’re running out of time, and the funeral for our species is bound to be something we have earned outright.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://amarokdoom.bigcartel.com/product/preorder-amarok-resilience-black-180-gram-double-lp

Or here (Europe): https://vendettarecords.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://vendetta-records.com/

We don’t do a lot of reissues around here, which doesn’t mean we don’t like when music gets a new chance at life. There’s just so much new music flowing out of every corner that I’d rather tackle that stuff and leave reissues, live albums, and compilations to other sites with more than one person. But never say never.

Persistent Vision Records is a Virginia-based label that is doing a lot of reissues of out-of-print records and newer albums, and they’ve got two right now that are getting well-deserved second lives. One we covered back when it first came out, so we’ll get that that one. The other is “Insania,” the debut album from Mexican crushers Habak, who combine punk, hardcore, and metal into a mauling seven-track package. The album originally was released in 2014, and now this music can live on and find a new audience. Which is well deserved as the band—vocalist Alejandra Valdez, guitarists Eduardo Valdez and Juan Cintora, bassist Alejandro Perez, drummer Patrick Alexander—was poking as societal woes that only had begun to crest and now are full-blown fires.

“Inmune al Dolor” opens by hovering dangerously, cold guitars drizzling, slowly punching up as Valdez’s acidic howls wrench into your chest. The bruising continues but slows for a stretch, and then howls scrape, dark and foreboding melodies envelop and eventually flow to a definitive flatline. “Orbe de Almas” charges with a punk-fueled rage, raspy wails whipping with stormy force. The playing lands blows and creates bruising, swimming into icy waters, speaking chilling, and gazey melodies mixing in with the chaos and slowly draining away. “Rostros Borrosos” opens with clean guitars and a foggy ambiance, and then monstrous howls erupt, building to a storming force that cannot be denied. The bass recoils as the guitars chime, the intensity whipping back in, ending with nasty intent.

“Condenado al Olvido” starts with plinking guitars and a hypnotic pressure as the playing rips open, and animalistic force stomping toward throats. The intensity rushes and battles before a psychedelic edge rises, pushing into New Wave-style melodies, giving way to a crushing end. The title track opens with Valdez’s raspy howls, the playing slashing through emotional terrain, group chants adding more adrenaline to the piece. Guitars lather as a fiery, channeled assault gives way, disappearing into darkness. “El Deceso/Vestigios” is the album ender, leading in with tumultuous, emotional carnage, melodies flowing as the power flexes with attitude. Sounds ache, Valdez’s wails press muscles, and sounds flow into moody darkness and aching misery before the pace explodes, shrieks breathe fire, and the sparks fly, letting the final moment singe the flesh. There also is a live version of “Orbe de Almas” at the end, giving you as taste of how incendiary the band is live.

A decade after “Insania” arrived for the first time, this remastered version hopefully will reach even more ears with this reissue. You can be a fan of metal, hardcore, punk, and other dark arts and find plenty to like with this band and album, as their energy and passion are impossible to dislike. A lot of time has passed since this band unleashed this record, and it sounds as vibrant and urgent as it did on that day.

We also have another reissue from Persistent Vision that we’ve covered before but still is worth your time and money. In advance of their upcoming third record, we get a fresh chance to appreciate Fórn’s debut “The Departure of Consciousness.” This record also dawned in 2014 and twisted funeral doom into a darker, bloodier corner, leaning less on elegance and more on carnage. The copy I ordered just arrived this week, and listening to this again on fresh wax was a great experience. It made me remember why I got into this band in the first place, and there is so much going on with these six tracks and 32 minutes that it’s easy to get lost in the carnage. And it’s worth it. Like the Habak album, it hits just as hard, if not harder, a decade into its lifespan.

Here’s what we wrote in the dark ages of this site when this record came out. meatmeadmetal.com/2015/03/05/gilead-media-offers-up-diverse-releases-with-forns-metallic-muscle-implodes-hazy-dreams/

For more on Habak, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Habakpunx

For more on Fórn, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Forndoom

To buy either album, go here: https://persistentvisionrecords.com/collections/persistent-vision-releases

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

Stretching out over the cosmos and imagining galaxies we cannot even see with the most powerful equipment on earth really does something to the imagination. There are places and things we’ll never see, that we don’t even know exist, and there’s a great chance no one alive at this time ever will experience those things. But we can dream.

“Heavenly Down,” the new record from long-running Hungarian metal force Sear Bliss, is a collection that should push you beyond earthly boundaries. For a band that’s been around for three decades and now nine records, they keep finding ways to expand their own horizons, which we hear on this eight-track excursion. You can get lost right away as this force—vocalist/bassist/guitarist András Nagy, guitarists Márton Kertész and Zoltán Vigh, trombone player and backing vocalist Zoltán Pál, drummer Gyula Csejtei—pushes you into the stars and beyond, rushing you into places never before visited, impossible to conceive, and accessible just by indulging in these fascinating 44 minutes.

“Infinite Grey” is murky at first, but then the synth sinks in, and the growls unfurl, and we’re off to a spacey death soup. Horns blow as ugly howls sink in their teeth, a mystical presence that spreads its wings and soars, mangling with glorious power before disappearing into clouds. “Watershed” starts with keys before blows land hard, dark and plodding as the growls curdle. The playing grows more vicious but also gets more melodic, glorious horns ringing out, a synth sheen spreading, dripping into prog puddles. “The Upper World” drills and smears, immersing you in their power, the trombone pulsing as the driving pace picks and pushes even harder. The pace pulls back some, letting you breathe, before the band unloads again, pummeling and stabbing, the fluid pace swallowing you whole. The title track flows heavily, drizzling while shrieks rain down, blistering and swimming in the chaos. The gaze thickens as melodic layers create a solid foundation, landing deep in colder waters, shimmering to the end.

“Forgotten Deities” is an instrumental that lands with soft keys, deep space synth creating a greater lather, easing and plinking, the trombone pumping notes, the pace lightly drubbing. “The Winding Path” tears open, shrieks knifing toward you, the guitars taking off toward the stars right after the brutality leaves bruising. The guitars bask in light as the keys plink, working through thick steam and humidity, meeting up with viscous, generous melodies that gust before bleeding away. “Chasm” is punchy and burly, fire breathing from throats, the howls crushing with precision. Clean singing cools before wild wails grab throats, sweeping into larger melodies, the horns sparking emotional highs, static and keys ushering in a softer landing. Closer “Feathers in Ashes” feels gothy out of the gate, and then guitars charge, vile black metal melodies making their way toward you. Keys liquify as the leads flex muscles, the playing dashing with energy, the filth suddenly multiplying, chants following a mysterious fog into the void.

Sear Bliss’ cosmic force is as engaging and intoxicating as ever on “Heavenly Down,” a record that transports the band into even more fascinating worlds than ever before. It certainly keeps in tact Sear Bliss’ black metal roots but pushes even further into more exploratory terrain and alien worlds. This is ideal music for late night contemplation where the spasms of brutality that mix in with the immersive melodies create a soundtrack to trying to reach something beyond yourself and this world.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://hammerheartstore.com/collections/vendors?q=Sear%20Bliss

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

Very few worthwhile things happen without a struggle and taking on pain and aggravation as our journeys continue. Typically we cover a lot of music that has dark, foreboding themes, and that’s not really going to change today. But there are ways through the pain and darkness that can have a positive net result, making that struggle worth it.

Taking on any record Sumac releases is an exercise in stamina, and “The Healer” is no exception. Over four tracks and a crushing 76 minutes, the band—guitarist/vocalist Aaron Turner, bassist Brian Cook, drummer Nick Yacyshyn—builds atmospheric sludge, glacial doom, and barreling improvisation on a record that weighs the wounds we all suffer, be it physically or mentally, and how the fight through that can result in newfound strength. Life doesn’t have to be dour and grim from bell to bell, and instead we can use these experiences for enrichment and a way to strengthen ourselves even further.

“World of Light” is the opener and the longest track, running a healthy 25:54 and taking its time to form its ambiance. Noise builds as sounds vibrate, Turner’s growls punishing, feeling beastly and feral. The heat boils as cosmic visions increase, heat rays punishing as the growls dig into the earth, a brief bit of calm spreading before the playing drips, light bursting as a gentle stream flows, eventually bursting into seething doom. Roars clobber as the playing actively thrashes, battering and drawing blood. “Yellow Dawn” opens with keys brimming, a psychedelic haze spreading, the playing eventually adding muscle as the howls rip. The pace mashes as blood races, hulking bass driving, guitars frying the senses as the playing bruises harder. Psyche edges spit heat as everything barrels into a flood of feedback, the playing bruises and melting flesh from bone.

“New Rites” slowly boils, jarring shots landing, guitars stabbing and charring, the riffs crushing and trudging. Roars punish as the playing twists and turns bone to dust, rattling and sizzling as the drums spatter. Fire licks bends as the guitars build momentum, increasing the agitation as harsh howls peel flesh, the playing slowly destroying before ending abruptly. “The Stone’s Turn” is the 24:35-long closer, coming in charging and corroding, crazed wails meeting with frying guitars. Deep growls maul as the sinister intent increases, spiraling into dizzying playing before everything goes cold. The heat slowly rises as the ice melts, howls flaring up as the guitars trace scars, the smoke from the collecting fires getting more intense. Howls crush as blasts stampede, guitars boil over dangerously, and the accumulating sounds lap over the earth.

There’s no such thing as smooth sailing or a brief sojourn when it comes to Sumac, and “The Healer” undoubtedly delivers in that department and more. For something as barbaric and impossibly heavy as this record is, there is light behind it and hope, and all of that combines into a new sense of strength. It’s a challenging excursion, one that will demand the most of you, but taking on that task results in new confidence and a renewed vigor for life that awaits at the end of this devastating journey.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://thrilljockey.com/products/the-healer

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

It’s insane to think that it’s 2024, and we’re still listening to men try to slot women in our societies. Men still get paid more, they try to pass legislation (and often succeed) that limit women’s healthcare options, and those on the far right have done everything in their power to try to push women back into traditional roles that are as archaic as their ideas.

Austrian black metal force Perchta also stand to challenge those old ways with their explosive new record “D’Muata” (translates as mother) that expresses feminine ideals and makes the case for motherhood that doesn’t relegate a women to a kitchen. The band—Frau Percht (vocalist, Teufelsgeige, percussions), Walscher Fabio D’Amore (bass, keys, programming), Loda Chris Knoll (guitars), Gsell Lukas Massinger (guitars), Moosmandl Christian Höll (dulcimer), Håscht Simon Schnückel (drums)—presents matters such as the journey of motherhood, female sexuality, violence against women, loss of a child, and many other vital elements in a way that doesn’t paint these roles into a corner and reduce women to these roles. It shines a greater light and pays respect to the strength women possess and the stress they must endure while also handling other roles. It’s a battle cry for the strong, independent woman.

“Vom Verlånga” starts with dulcimer ringing before a huge surge, the shrieks peeling paint off the walls. Percht’s clean singing is incredibly powerful and sounds great, a real weapon for this band. Leads glimmer as the power combusts, fluttering out in strings. “Ois wås ma san” is mystical as is starts before the doors are blown off, spellbinding drama raging, making your heart race. The clean singing again powers, and then things go into folkish waters, coming out of that with hearty melodies and a storming force before burning off. Heiliges Bluat” is a quick interlude-style track with dulcimer hammers, guitars plucked, and speaking and howls uniting before trickling away. “Hebamm” is gazey and breezier as it starts, the singing harmonizing as the track drills you in the teeth. Shrieks punish as the pace dizzies, mixing into folkish singing and then letting the guitars take off, the dulcimer sparking further wonder. Guitars smear as the singing and shrieks unite, the light and dark blending together, claps and mouth harp disappearing into the weeds.

The title track breezes in on whispers before strings rise, and forceful howls increase the wind speeds. The playing decimates as group chants rouse, gentler strains let more atmosphere into the room, and the shrieks gut before the track comes to a ripping end. “Wehenkanon” is a shorter track that starts with something that sounds like an engine firing up, then the singing swirls in the air, percussion getting more active, the strings coming on strong as screams crack the surface as things end in a magical pit of dreams. “Ausbruch” is a strange, ambient interlude, yells and strange noises playing games with your mind, bleeding into “Långtuttin & Stampa” that starts with creaks and moans. Chimes cascade as metallic fury builds, Percht’s howls rippling down your spine. The agony pours as cries crack bones, scathing guitars increase the fury, and the warbling melodies scrape off flesh. The playing strangles as guitars get more aggressive, blazing through black metal waters, crushing with urgency before zapping out. Closer “Mei Dianä Mei Bua” starts with choral gusts, dulcimer, and then guttural howls tearing the ribs from your chest. Group singing rouses as metallic devastation spreads, a strong folkish flow slides underneath the power, acoustics rinse, and a baby’s call echoes, the drums sending us out into space.

“D’Muata” not only is a refreshing listen for their style of black metal and the native sounds they build into their recipe, but having femininity and the forces that surround that such a huge part of this record also helps it stand out. Perchta explore terrain that long has gone undiscovered in heavy metal and do so in such a powerful and alluring way that you can’t help but to get swept up in their creations. This record floods the senses and leaves you enthralled and exhausted in the best possible way when it’s done.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://us.spkr.media/us/Artists/Perchta/

For more on the label, go here: https://en.prophecy.de/

There are thousands of records released each year in the realm of heavy metal and its surrounding terrain, and it’s easy to say that most of it is dark to its core, sometimes disturbingly so. That leaves a lot of place for music that doesn’t delve in the worst elements of society and that can give you a breath of fresh air from the carnage.

Long-running duo Alcest have plied black metal, shoegaze, and wondrous sentiments into their music, and their forays into magical, fictional worlds always separated themselves from the pack. That carries over onto “Les Chants de L’Aurore,” their seventh record and first since 2019’s “Spiritual Instinct.” After a time of great uncertainty that haunted us all, the band—vocalist, guitarist, bassist, synth player Neige and drummer Winterhalter—retreated back into that inner world to find something that provided solace. We’re surrounded by so much negativity and anxiety each day, that having something that can help you escape that for about 45 minutes can be the relief one needs to persevere.

“Komorebi” starts in a bright haze with effusive singing and soaring melodies. It’s apparent right away how much the band is exploring the light, the energy and playing gushing, another major gust in the final minute settling into an angelic finish. “L’Envol” is punchier when it starts, the fog deepening as the pace swells. The catchiness is impossible to shake as the moodiness increases, and Neige’s singing makes clouds burst, sunbeams swallowing everything whole. Vicious shrieks arrive, reminding that thorns exist in this realm, synth beams melting away the remaining ice. “Améthyste” opens with guitars churning and sweeping, the pace injecting energy. Guitars swirl before a sense of calm permeates, the shrieks bursting, and then shadowy singing emerging, driving as the playing continues to rupture. Melodies shine as energy floods, and melodic waves wash ashore.

“Flamme Jumelle” has guitars dripping and smooth singing, howls following later as dreamland enchantment is achieved. Cool playing gusts as the singing keeps digging deeper, filling the senses and cooling your lungs, the playing cascading as the cloud cover thickens. “Réminiscence” is a quick piece with keys and cello scrapes, the singing soothing as a choral haze envelopes your mind. “L’Enfant de la Lune” starts with speaking tingling the senses, the playing tearing open with strong singing leading the way, the pace storming into spacious atmosphere. The playing calms as the guitars layer, the singing eventually cutting through and amplifying the emotion. A brief gasp of serenity meets with a sudden jolt, everything spilling over into a static-rich finish. Closer “L’Adieu” is moody and dark, gentle singing wafting, glazing as the strings build. The dreamy sequence numbs, the elegance spreading its crystal-colored wings and soaring into the black.

Alcest’s worldview always has been different than most heavy bands, and that largely has to do with their colorful imagination and refusal to shy away from exploring positive energies. “Les Chants de L’Aurore” is a new chapter that combines all the best of Alcest’s history, remaining dreamy and exploratory while visiting the edgier and bloodier moments of their kingdom. This is a nice new entry, another chapter flowing with colors and shades that can be a welcome breather to the chaos and uncertainty of existence.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.nuclearblast.com/collections/alcest/products/alcest-les-chants-de-laurore-pre-order

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