I always see splits in two different ways. First, it’s a vehicle for two bands to put together music that may or may not fit together that lets the listener take smaller adventures with each. The other way is a tidy introduction to newcomers for bands that might not yet have hit their radar that doesn’t require them to digest an entire album’s worth of material.

Today we have a crushing 4-track split from two single-creator black metal outfits that are coming off well-received, impactful full-length albums (both made our top 40 last year) and are looking to build on that momentum. Or I’m complicating things and it’s a way for two like-minded artists to share a record and continue to warp black metal to their wills. Genital Shame hails from Pittsburgh and is helmed by Erin Dawson, and 2024’s “Chronic Illness Wish” is one that remains in my rotation on my office turntable. Joining her on this effort is Lust Hag, commanded by Eleanor, who released a self-titled LP last year that was a fiery statement that opened a lot of eyes and ears, mine included. Both artists are trans women in a space where there isn’t always acceptance and in a society that’s attacking these people for no good reason other than fucking fear. Long may both artists/bands run.

Genital Shame’s portion opens with “Notes Are My Friends” which is spacious and airy when it opens, a bit of a departure from the “Chronic Illness Wish” but an interesting one. Clean notes drip as Dawson’s howls reverberate through an acoustic wash and warm leads. Things then feel like heavy hypnosis as keys shimmer, a cosmic push envelops, and the final hellish vocals mix with a delicate haze. “War on Cars” starts with vile howls, pounding that leaves bruising, and heat that rises as vile darkness sinks in its teeth. The guitars darken as the madness opens fully, the leads scaling as the growls retch, the pace numbing, and everything washing away into freezing cold waters.

Lust Hag’s part starts with “Everything Ends” that dawns in an ominous atmosphere, a spacey coldness digesting, the feeling of isolation spreading, and then the drums exploding. Fiery chaos ignites, shrieks attack, and the leads slay, pushing you to the limits mentally as echo smears over a vicious finish. “Another Loss” brings unfurling riffs, fast and blinding motion, howls buried underneath the carnage that still have full impact. The playing drills harder, full demolition blazing, feral cries wounding with the thrashy pace. The pace turns channeled and even heavier, the guitars light up, and the final spiral leaves the room spinning out of control.

This is a really fitting combination of bands on this split as Genital Shame and Lust Hag create black metal that exists in new realms and realities that maintain the subgenre’s spirit but bend it to their liking. Both bands also seem bound to continue to push their sounds into dark regions, and this release could be a hint at where each project is headed next. This also could serve as a nice appetizer for anyone new to these hellish forces who’d like a little taste before fully diving into the sea of blades. 

For more on Genital Shame the band, go here: http://genitalshame.bandcamp.com/

For more on Lust Hag, go here: https://eleanorharper.bandcamp.com/

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

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