As noted so many times here that even I’m bored of it, humans struggles are at an apex, at least as far as modern times are concerned, and dragging yourself through every day can be a hassle. Or, just quit social media. That has to help a little, right? But you can’t avoid everything, and having an extra shot to get motivation to fight is crucial.

That brings us to “No Place of Warmth,” the third record from Texas-based death metal crushers Frozen Soul, whose music is both scathing and infectious. On this record, the band—vocalist Chad Green, guitarists Michael Munday and Chris Bonner, bassist Samantha Mobley, drummer Matt Dennar—still centers the visual aspects on unforgiving frozen tundra, but the goals of these 11 tracks is to light a fire under those who need a push to battle back. That can be against whatever ails, and for sure the band takes aim at oppressive power structures trying to devour democracy. They also have some notable guests on this record, who we’ll discuss later, who might lure listeners from other camps.   

The title track opens with keys shimmering, leads opening, and the growls smearing, trudging with a calculated pace. Leads simmer and grow doomy, My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way howling, sounding more like he did on that band’s earlier work, muddy power and doom bells ending. “Invoke War” features Rob Flynn from Machine Head, and roars and pummeling fury floods, deal leads burn, and the savagery mounts, words spat through gritted teeth. The playing takes on a hardcore feel, nasty and mean, the title wailed over and over again. “Absolute Zero” is a brief blast that lashes against ICE and authoritarianism, and you don’t have to waste much time burning those institutions when you have this 53-second destroyer that blazes with righteous anger. “Dreadnought” has an engine firing before thick bass work sprawls, driving through the mud, Green howling, “You can’t stop the dreadnought!” Atmospheric soloing emerges before mauling death reclaims the lead, battering to a finish. “Chaos Will Reign” fires with hardcore jolts, smothering with monstrous growls, thrashing into a thick fury. Fiery playing continues to char, Green belts the title over the chorus (always good for an easy live callback), and everything comes to a gurgling end.

“Eyes of Despair” has a fast start, the leads electrifying, the tempo punishing with little mercy. A sinewy breakdown mashes skulls as the bruising makes your face swell in horrifying fashion. “Ethereal Dreams” is eerie, drums encircling, the song breaking open as mashing drums and furious leads unite. The heat amplifies dangerously as the vocals hiss, guitars fire, and the tempo guts with violent intent. “Skinned by the Wind” opens with a quote from the film, “Lost in the Barrens” that pays off their frostbitten tendencies, and then it’s all-out war, brawling and dicing into “DEATHWEAVER” that also hangs in a doomy pall. The playing is heavy and sticky, guitars glistening before destroying, grisly growls sinking teeth into throats. The back half is scathing and brutal, down-tuned horrors suffocating, fading into dust. “Frost Forged” emerges from the void, feeling like water is draining from your ear canals, and then deep growls and ferocity pave the way for slow-driving death. Leads swarm as the power cuts through muscle, a beastly final push draining color from faces. Closer “Killin Time (Until it’s Time to Kill)” is a fun one, punchy playing leveling, Green wailing, “Born to chill but bred to kill.” The pace smokes as leads glimmer, the bass chugs hard, and the fiery chorus entangles, giving off one more blast for good, deadly measure.

“No Place of Warmth” is another solid entry in the Frozen Soul catalog, and while the numerous collaborators might make some worry about this band shedding identity, that never comes close to happening. The added faces help enhance what’s already a solid album by giving their own flourishes, but had they not appeared on this record, it wouldn’t suffer one bit. This is fun, furious, channeled death metal that wears brutality on its sleeve but isn’t afraid to function as an outlet for letting off a little steam. And fuck ICE. 

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://centurymedia.store/pages/frozen-soul-no-place-of-warmth

Or here (Europe): https://www.cmdistro.de/

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

Thrash has a certain feel that, when it’s done right, hits you in the mid-section like no other form of metal. It’s the style that truly introduced brutality in large quantities to heavy metal, soon to be obscured by death and black metal and their savagery. While thrash may not be an endangered species, the style trails death and black in remaining a true force.

Scottish destroyers Tyrannus carry thrash metal like they were there in the early 1980s, forming the sound alongside the greats. Their ferocious second record “Mournhold” is a motherfucker, tearing limb from limb as they blaze through seven tracks and 40 minutes, absolutely crushing and leaving nothing but bones behind. They add some different elements to the pot this time, bringing gloomier tidings and some death notes that the band—recording lineup is vocalist/guitarist Callum John Cant, guitarist/vocalist Richard Codling, bassist/guitarist/vocalist Alistair Harley, keyboard/synth player Scott McLean, drummer/backing vocalist Alasdair Dunn—nails with electricity and bloody heart, making this a record that ravages and demands your return.

“Violent Inheritance” begins bludgeoning, fiery and violent pressure releasing fumes, the howls crushing. The pace continues storming before things go cold, the fog thickening, thunderous ferocity compounding as Cant wails, “Wake up!” “Orbus non sufficit” is murky before taking off, the melodies tidal waving as momentum builds, Cant lashing, “Where is your conscience?” The storm refuses to relent, clean notes bleeding through carnage, chants bellowing, the tempo shaking your bones. “Seize the Stars” is fiercely intense, galloping and attacking, the howls brawling as the leads liquify and scorch flesh. The playing pulls back a bit before reigniting the assault, Cant wailing the title, the devastation rocketing into the cosmos.

“Flesh Eternal” has the bass driving, post-punk sounds blackening, the cloudy singing sending chills down your spine. The playing mashes as the guitar glazes, fumes gather, and everything gradually fades into the sky. “Reignfall” delivers some meaty thrash, akin to heyday Metallica, and Cant’s words raid, the speed consuming, the simple chorus arresting. Things fire up as the soloing explodes, a sinister darkness following, absolutely laying waste. If your blood isn’t pumping, go to the hospital. The title track boils over, forceful carnage trampling, the growls creaking, start/stop chugs mauling, the leads jolting through veins. Neon soloing tingles as the pace hammers again, spilling into a strange, intoxicating heat. Closer “Back to Grey” fires up and batters, scuffing up the glorious leads, howls punching as things turn even thrashier. An exciting jolt mangles as things turn colder, moodier, chills rippling flesh. Things drive anew, the tempo savaging, fluid power electrifying your brain, the power bleeding away.

Tyrannus come at you with classic, destructive thrash on “Mournhold,” a record that should excite listeners, even the ones all the way back from the subgenre’s formative years. They blend plenty of other influences, and even take you into unexplored darker territories, making their punch even heftier. This band continues to build their foundation on this second record, and they’re on fire here, coming into their true form and leaving trails of ash behind them along the way.

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

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

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

It would be nice if we had something positive to talk about for a change, and while it may be easy for some to look away from the horrors, but for many of us, it just isn’t a thing we can do. Clinging to something, anything, that provides a bit of hope is like thirsting for water after days and days of wandering the desert.

I’m not saying listening to “Legatum Mortuorum” is going to solve that which ails you, because it is a dense, macabre, interesting blend of doom and black metal that is well aware of which world it inhabits. But Desiccation—vocalist Soell Bratt, vocalist/guitarist/synth player James Bratt, drummer/bassist/synth player Patrick Hills—manages to find pinholes of light in a decaying society on these six tracks and 44 minutes. It’s an engaging, battering record that doesn’t follow well-beaten paths of sound and instead works to make each element that much more engaging and devastating, still reminding you to look for solace in a dead world.

“All Light Is Gone” rushes out, atmospheric black metal rising, howls lashing as the chorus lulls, deeper singing bathing in murk. The pace then blisters, beastly howls flattening, ramping up the temperature as the shrieks scorch, and a melodic rush seizes, the anguish disappearing into a cosmic void. “Cursed in Cold Silence” is foggy with growls snarling, screams belting, and swirling doom mashing you into gargantuan heaviness. Horror house keys immerse and hypnotize, the shadows growing more immersive, sweeping hard as the melodies freeze. Sooty playing flows into thick smoke, crumbling into sound. The title track gushes, savagery landing blows, keys pulsing as monstrous wails flatten landscapes. Guitars melt as the fumes subside, singing falls to the earth like thick raindrops, and ghouls haunt deep into the night.

“The Alchemy of Grief” delivers heated riffs, battering howls, and utter harshness, fantastical keys letting ice daggers fall. The brutality meets up with spacey strangeness, the singing rousing as guitars soar, washing over and mesmerizing ripe minds. “Ashes Unto the Abyss” folds in, howls battering, stomps leveling as grainy melodies trickle, guitars gusting into a gothy froth. Pained cries bruise as leads numb the senses, the drama encircling before dissolving in mist. Closer “Lamentations Beyond the Veil” runs 11:05, basking in dark energies, drubbing with doom as the wails strangle, a thick pall blocking out the sun. Howls scrape as the playing feels both beastly and adventurous, the calm stardust spreading through universes, washing into a long oblivion that stretches into the eons, only briefly resurfacing for alien zaps to leave some final scarring.

“Legatum Mortuorum” is an exciting, and immersive take on black metal-influenced doom (or is it doom-encrusted black metal?), and all of the strange twists and turns to which Desiccation commit. It feels like they’re branching beyond this world, further than their minds have before, and the results are physically and emotionally intense. This is not music to approach lightly; it must be considered with your full heart and mind because you will go on an excursion that will return you battered for the better.

For more on the band, go here: https://desiccation666.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://carbonizedrecords.merchtable.com/?

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

Band upheavals hardly are a new thing, and even the greatest bands in history have dealt with revolving doors. Maiden have navigated alterations that have either worked tremendously or very much haven’t. Same with Priest. Slayer never were the same again. It’s the nature of doing business, and it’s nothing new for Draconian.

The Swedish gothic doom band returns with “In Somnolent Ruin,” their eight and first in six years, and with it comes a shifted lineup. The biggest one is the return of vocalist Lisa Johansson, who left after 2011’s “A Rose for the Apocalypse”  and now replaces departed Heike Langhans, who more than held her own in the spot. The reunion feels seamless when she complements or tussles with Anders Jacobsson, both of them at the top of their game. The rest of the roster is rounded out by long-time members Johan Ericson (guitar, vocals, keys), new guitarist Niklas Nord, bassist Daniel Arvidsson (who shifted from guitar), and drummer Daniel Johansson (moving from session player to full member). It makes for a very complete, engaging form of Draconian, who are glimmering gold here.

“I Welcome Thy Arrow” opens in murk, Johansson calling, “You’re the hunter, I’m the haunted,” the pace tearing open as the melodies soak with melancholy, growls engorging as the gothic tones increase. Guitars glimmer, the soloing sweeping with power, Johansson singing, “I overcome the unwinnable war,” as everything fades. “The Monochrome Blade” has doom lurching and growls digging, the punchy tempo making water rockier, the singing adding beauty to the bruising. Blood surges as guitars burn, growls rippling through muscle, strings gliding as the melodies gush, the vocals later intertwining as the last notes freeze.  “Anima” starts cold, guest vocalist Daniel Änghede (Astroqueen, ex-Crippled Black Phoenix) urging, “Break me, defend me from the storm.” The atmosphere is moody, both voices paying the price, a shadowy chill increasing as the leads begin to scorch. Harsh wails sting as the energy pulses, the chorus bathing in darkness and blurring vision. “The Face of God” is intense and striking, Johansson warning of the subject, “It was weeping, the spirit of man.” Doomy fires lash as the intensity builds, spiking with lathering guitars and smeary emotions with Johansson calling, “Life is for the living, so don’t waste it on me,” as echoes fully consume.

“I Gave You Wings” has Johansson bellowing, a sinister spirit rising, the leads swelling before cooling, pianos dripping in the dark. Morbid speaking teases nerves as the bottom drops, the growls wrench, and the leads ache, Johansson singing, “For if you approach me, it is because I have approached you.” “Asteria Beneath the Tranquil Sea” is a shorter track, quivering beneath synth beams, the tension building as heavy mist obscures vision, Johansson guiding, “Breathe in, breathe out, and breathe no more.” “Cold Heavens” has a quaking pace and vocals that tear through nervous systems, howls erupting as the playing trudges, the pace eventually pulling back a bit. The fires explode again, growls crushing as Johansson’s singing absolutely explodes in the atmosphere, lashing and demanding your attention. “Misanthrope River” is eerie and chilling, the verses feeling adventurous and rich, the chorus dropping the hammers and disrupting serenity. “Where shall I go if one of us dies?” Johansson wonders, growls lashing anew, emotional leads digging deep into your chest, keys drizzling toward oblivion. Closer “Lethe” opens with breathy singing, hypnosis encircling, solemnity meeting with power jolts. Growls claw as the guitars melt, strings glaze over congealing wounds, mesmerizing passages illuminate with wonder, Jacobsson howling, “Oh restless soul, drown in me, drink, forget, repeat.”

Draconian’s doom can be overly dramatic and emotional for some who only seek the thorns, but “In Somnolent Ruin” is another masterful turn for their band that holds their style and approach in an iron grip. Johansson returning not only branches this album with their rich past, but she also adds even more regality to their morose, captivating sound. This is a new chapter for the band that keeps intact their long-forged spirit and rushes headlong into triumph and tragedy, life and death, and everything else in between.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://napalmrecords.us/collections/draconian

Or here (Europe): https://napalmrecords.com/english/draconian?product_list_dir=desc&product_list_order=release_date

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

I, too, love to put music on and just sink into the atmosphere and emotion, taking a well-deserved trip somewhere else of just getting an artistic reinvigoration. Taking on German power Junon, helmed by a single artist of the same moniker, is something altogether different. This is a mind fuck, a journey into the most bizarre sections of your psyche from which you stay away on purpose.

“The Golden Citadel of the Astral Sphere” is the project’s debut album, a four-track, 42-minute excursion that uses black metal as a base and then warps it into all kinds of strange configurations that could make you feel uneasy and anxious. All in good ways, actually. Junon’s vocals go from guttural shrieks to calls that reach up to the heavens with designs to poison them, and the end result of taking on this creation is a mental challenge that reshapes what you think of these dark arts. I’m not even sure these words do this thing justice.

“Propheten der blauen Flamme” attacks, but it’s noticeably lopsided melodically, in a really enticing way, warped fury burning through eerie strangeness, haunting as static spits. The playing bursts into agonized wails and pathways that’ll scramble your thinking, whispers swirling, moans falling like blood drops, weird warbles making skin crawl. The heat engulfs as screams torment and tear, the drama exploding before burning out. “Unterm Glutmond” brings melodic tidal waves, the vocals ravaging, eventually turning into an acidic rant, the tempo storming. The singing turns into a bellow, the pace mesmerizing and chilling, ugliness rushing through the seams, the energy tingling before expiration.

“Inanitas Cedit Profundo (Die Leere weicht der Tiefe)” is a bizarre form crawling through cracks in the earth, deep chants enthralling as creaking voices prod nerves. Cryptic horrors continue to spread, the coldness rising and enveloping. Closer “Dolorosa” is a force, running 21:08 and quivering and confounding, setting a soundscape over the first several minutes. Finally the growls claw, the sound morphing in front of you, guitars tangling as the pace lurches. The blows then come harder, faster, a corrosive, hazy pall swallowing the energies, the riffs melting metallic soup over rock. Grisly savagery sinks in its teeth, and then hypnosis spreads, the drums erupting out of that, morbid tendencies having their way. Howls lash as mystical beams jolt, the playing exploding into volcanic terror, rushing as Junon’s operatic calls squeeze the cosmos, the intensity spiking, guitars scraping glass as the pressure decreases, fading into a buzzing void.

“The Golden Citadel of the Astral Fear” is a bizarre, disturbing debut, one that takes black metal and turns it into black magic, the music not leaving your cells. Junon’s approach to this style is deranged, unsettling, and exciting, something that feels conjured from another plane. This is an album that doesn’t fit neatly on a playlist or in a subgenre shelf and really lives to embody and then consume this music’s morbid spirit.  

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

Or here (Europe): https://metalodyssey.8merch.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/

Metal and rebellion have run hand in hand for decades now, which is why it always makes me laugh when bands suck up to fascist ideas. Where the fuck did you lose the plot? Anyway this music was meant for the outcasts, the downtrodden, those ground in the gears of the power structure as a means to give inspiration to fight back.

Every ounce of “Gone With the Devil” sounds like a spirited battle against oppressive structures (be it political, societal, artistic), and Hellenic force Yoth Iria are holding aloft the torches for the march. On their third record and first for Metal Blade, the band—vocalist HE, guitarists Nikolas Perlepe and Naberius, bassist Jim Mutilator (formerly of Rotting Christ and Varathron), drummer Bill “Vongaar” Stavrianidis—immediately energizes with their punishing spirits and feel like they’re lathering up the masses to refuse any further bullshit. The music also gives a sense of personal power and ambition reminding that your heart is alive, as is your mind, and there is no reason to give up for anyone or anything.

“Dare to Rebel” starts with sweeping chants, and then growls lurch, the leads slowly catch fire, and then everything bursts, the vocals crushing. Singing bellows and bleeds defiance, the call of, “No fear, no shame!” feeling personal, the playing surging and then going spacious, ending in a blur. “Woven Spells of a Demon” has a fantastical essence at first, howls wrenching as the melodies swirl, the bustling pace trudging into the ground. The spirited aura turns mystical, dust kicked up into lungs, the call of, “We dare to dream,” striking. “The Blind Eye of Antichrist” starts with choral calls that rouse hearts, the leads bubble, and the whole vibe just feels huge. The guitars blaze as the song’s center reveals itself, the calls bellowing as the choruses return, alerting your animal spirit. “I, Totem” bruises, raspy howls lashing flesh, the playing accelerating, ripping into glorious power that rains down hard. The repeated call of, “Nature’s sacred magic,” works into your nervous system, weathered strains paying homage to nature, guitars circling before fading. “3am” is dark and jolting, the singing gushing, HE howling, “The doors are open, our demons are here, our freedom is near.” Melodic leads melt as the vocals claw back, savage fluidity captivates, and whispered calls conjure mystical spirits.

“Give ‘Em My Beautiful Hell” is vibrant and defiant, strings quivering as the melodies cascade, the howls gutting as the guitars flood and reach over dusty shelves. Glorious melodies halt as the drums rupture, soaring through fiery keys and a door slammed shut. “Once in a Blue Moon” basks in eerie sounds before igniting, tortured growls punishing, the guitars blazing with cosmic force. Both atmospheric and grisly, the howls scrape your psyche as infectious energy courses through your veins. “Blessed Be He Who Enters” has the drums coming to life and spitting cinders, warm, calculated melodies setting a foundation, a great chorus landing hard. The wails decimate as leads rush through and pull you under the surface, illuminating long, dark secrets before fading. “The End of the Known Civilization” starts ominously, howls creaking and then the playing mashing, the melodies sprawling with ferocity and intensity. Soloing sprawls as the mood grows decidedly sinister, striking hard as colors blaze, the drums tapping and delivering a burly end. “Harut, Government, Fallen” ends the record, blistering and stimulating, making adrenaline rush through your body, the singing driving as harsher cries salt wounds. Then things turn guttural as the leads smoke with power, and warbled cries spell an end to this attack.

“Gone With the Devil” is a record that should draw more attention to this band, as they have figured out a way to harness everything special about themselves and spill that all over these 10 tracks. This is a record that immediately grabbed my attention, and I have revisited it many times since the music arrived. This is a memorable album that fires the heart and spirit and reminds you of just how moving and motivating metal can be.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalblade.indiemerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://shop.metalblade.de/

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