We’ve made no secret here that we are not interested in writing about bands that support fascist ideas, homophobia, transphobia, and that ilk, and that philosophical style of music always will not be welcomed here. There’s been enough right-wing ideology in black metal to make one sick (and cue the babies in the comment section) that having something to battle back against that is a must. Luckily, resistance has grown steadily over the last few years.

Swedish two-headed beast Trespasser have been fighting against fascism and right-wing ideologies since their formation in 2017, and their fire-breathing second record “ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ” (translated means “Apokalypsis”) has arrived to disrupt and dismantle power structures. The band uses the Book of Revelation in an anarchist sense and its ideals as a base to let loose the idea that taking back control and living in a society where victory over tyrannical power is something that can be achieved. But having honorable beliefs is one thing, but that doesn’t always translate into good art. But Trespasser—multi-instrumentalist XVI, vocalist Dräparn—more than deliver the goods, bringing molten black metal with incredible spirit and potency that spills lava and topples worlds. You don’t necessarily have to be lockstep with the band to appreciate their thunderous assault, but it sure helps you get the most of this record. “ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ” already is out digitally, but if you’re a fan of the physical form like I am, both Red Nebula in the States and Vault of Heaven in Germany have those for you (links below). Super highly recommended, and I’m very excited to hear this beast on my turntable.

“Forward Into the Light!” storms out of the gates with warning sirens swirling and blistering fury overcoming, the fires blazing for all to see. “Join the ranks of proud tradition, a march that’s been under way for thousands of years,” Dräparn howls following a simple but rousing chorus, and then the riffs speed up more ferociously, the playing continues to rip, and everything fades into smoke. “The Great Debt-Strike I: A Pillar of Smoke” delivers an ominous riff that melts into chaos, pummeling and scorching as the damage is spread liberally. The chorus is a firestormer as Dräparn howls, “Burn the records of the creditor!” that lights you up inside and details the effort to strike terror in the guts of the oppressors. Later, a spoken declaration further pushes as Dräparn howls, “Surely I cannot be held accountable for my father and his father before him? Then tell me, from where, then, comes your wealth?” Everything after that is a total bludgeoning. “The Honourable Thrall, Or the Last Remnants of Peter’s Second Epistle Shrugged Off” rouses and unloads, the passion bleeding forcefully as the vicious playing unloads with guitars crushing, and the tempo stomping mud. Everything comes together as the earth feels like it opens, and the wild howls and electricity whips you into a frenzy.

“Flakes of Ash” opens with guitars glimmering and the playing trudging, glorious emotions running over. The gutting continues as the riffs melt, the pace clobbers, and it’s hard to regain your senses once it’s over. “Holókaustos, or the Justification and Affirmation of Hierarchical Order By the Symbolism of Immolations” begins with mystical powers and a banjo scraping out a melody, the power surge not far behind. The vocals strike an urgency, beastly intensity bleeds out of that, and challenged playing washes over, icing and then fading away. “Hand in Hand Towards Har-Megiddo” ruptures and storms, bringing down the columns and dousing everything with riotous energy. “As we marched under a scorching artificial sun, guided and blinded by a seemingly eternal daylight, we chased the night away, rejoice and jubilee!” Dräparn calls as incredible spirit emerges, ransacking and running through blood and bone, dueling leads sending smoke billowing. Closer “The Great Debt-Strike II: יובל” enters in drums blasts and mauling force, Dräparn wailing, “What beautiful chaos it was! What delightful disarray! What majestic confusion! It was divine pandemonium.” The blades swing as the playing decays, wild chants unite the masses, horns call out, and everything comes together perfectly, fueling the torches of rebellion.

Trespasser have unleashed and early year classic with “ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ” and not just in black metal but in the entire genre as a whole. This album is impossible to hear and not feel everything in your guts, a call back to the people who have been trampled underfoot and refuse to take it any longer. This is a statement, a call to action, and a collection of songs that can ignite the fires inside you.

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

To buy the album (digital), go here: https://trespasserxvi.bandcamp.com/album/–2

Or here (physical, U.S.): https://rednebula.bandcamp.com/album/-

Or here (physical, Europe): https://vaultofheaven.bandcamp.com/album/–2

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

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

Feeling the nastiness and downtrodden nature of society isn’t necessarily a means to embracing constant negativity. Reality is what it is, and thinking it’s always sunshine and equity for all is foolish, perhaps purposely so, and it’s a false existence. Times are dark, our relationships with one another as people are corroding, and power structures are more than happy to let the bloodshed happen in front of them.

There’s never been a time when Canadian doom/noise/drone trio Big|Brave hasn’t splashed every ounce of their being and experiences into their music. Their new offering “nature morte” is a French term for “dead nature,” itself an art form showing still-life paintings. The cover art is dark and foreboding, and digging into these six pieces reveal the morbid underpinnings so many of us face from dashed hope to the rage of existence to the continual effort to control women, something a particular ilk of politicians in this country exercise to disgusting levels. The band—guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie (her voice is a powerhouse that demands your attention), guitarist Mathieu Ball, and drummer Tasy Hudson—continues to push the boundaries of sound and what it means to emote musically about the things in life beyond our control because we’re not allowed to control it. It’s beauty wrapped in hell.

“carvers, farriers and knaves” jars you awake with Wattie immediately greeting you with, “It claims you, a disease for keeps piece by piece, it mars your mirth, it slaughters all you thought you’d know,” immediately sobering with its effect. The playing boils and scalds, pulling forward and back, sounds pulsating. Later, the vocals jab, Wattie’s shrieks blurring your vision as disorienting tones blacken skies. “the one who bornes a weary load” runs 9:16 and brings jarring guitars, luring strikes, and thorny impulses that run along the skin. Vocals swim in fuzz, deliberate jabs loosen ribs, and the temperature boils, shrieks raining down. The playing gets heavier and louder, pushing through boundaries, lava spilling over and hardening the ground. “my hope renders me a fool” slowly emerges as sounds hum, and a moody fogginess takes over and weighs down. It feels like the center of a serene dream, cold guitars flow, a solemn and lonesome tone is struck, trickling and easing away.

“the fable of subjugation” is the longest track at 9:21, Wattie’s voice quivering as the guitars trace patterns, sounds rattling like a loose screw in a dryer. Sounds immerse as the drums strike, the playing crashes, and the bruising reaches the surface. “Because your beauty is so hard to hold your force… so lawless and rash allow me to prevail over all your lure,” Wattie stabs, the anger dripping from her jaw. The tension builds and feels uncomfortable, the machine feels like it’s coming apart, and the howl of, “I am a man, and I need you too,” feels dark and threatening, the sounds slowly dissolving. “a parable of the trusting” goes 9:19, shadows spreading and pulsating, a doomy pall hanging over everything. The playing pummels as shrieks tear through, driving and crushing, sounds bouncing off walls. A filthy sting lingers, the percussion drives, and everything erupts, scorching and tearing flesh, feedback burning and leaving blackness behind. Closer “the ten of swords” shakes in guitar glaze, Wattie’s delicate singing washing over, guitars drizzling. It feels like a daydream stretching its arms around you, pulling into emotional caverns, slowly closing off the final rays of light.

It’s easy to fall to the hypnosis of these songs but also feel the ocean of dread roaring underneath, something Big|Brave always have done expertly, but never this bluntly and bloodily. “nature morte” feels like a dread you know is coming, you fear, and that you live inside of, never being able to shake yourself loose from the power. This is sobering, these songs tells of truths we try to avoid and never address, and the aftermath is a psyche forever changed, putting up a guard you never let down.

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

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

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

We haven’t visited pro wrestling in a while, so this seems like a good time for that. At the Royal Rumble this year, during the men’s version of the match, Ricochet and that dickhead Logan Paul put together a spot where they launched themselves into the air from opposing sides and collided in mid-air, making for a highlight of the match. It was senseless, brutal, ridiculous, ill advised, and pretty fucking awesome.

This popped into my head when I was trying to think how to open this piece on “Indulgence of the Unreal,” the new EP from Minnesota wrecking crew Wanderer, who know a thing or two about laying a massive beating on their audience. This is their fourth EP overall and first release since their 2021 full-length debut “Liberation From a Brutalist Existence,” and these five songs that last about 13 minutes total are like that Rumble spot. It feels like the band—vocalist Dan Lee, guitarist/vocalist Brent Ericson, bassist/vocalist Jack Carlson, drummer Mano Holgin—put together music that feels like two competing masses driving toward one another, leaving only carnage behind. Their brand of hardcore, black metal, and death metal feels virulent and dangerous, seeking to split skulls. They’re joined by guests in vocalist Jamie Eubanks, bassoon player Alaina Leisten, and throat singer Steve Decker to round out this collection that aims to sever skull from neck.

“Pure Human Despair” gets things started by putting down the hammer early, Lee’s howls blasting through your chest cavity. The pace flattens as incendiary playing increases the heat, strange atmosphere hangs in the air, and rubbery force blasts and ends viciously. “Slow Death of the Crowned Head” brings jerky guitars and growls leveling, the playing taking on a post-hardcore-style sheen. Things feel loopy but forceful as slow sludging makes it feel like you’re sinking in quicksand, the drubbing increases, and the final blasts make their bloody mark. “Vivisection of Consciousness” mashes as the drums blast with precision, and the growls maul as your head is spinning trying to figure out where you’re at. The bludgeoning continues and chews frayed nerves, slowly fading to a haze of Decker’s throat singing. “Hatred” begins in eerie atmosphere, feeling strange and spacey as weightlessness comes on unexpectedly. Guitars open and slither as the growls deliver force, the shrieks melting as everything catches fire. Deep growls curdle later as echoes sting, noise hovers, and the last jabs are guttural. Closer “When We Stopped Asking Why” closes things with a thick bassline flexing and death growls ripping at your flesh. The low end absolutely destroys, noise stretches, and the shrieks rain down like daggers, nailing your limbs to the ground.

Wanderer’s fourth EP “Indulgence of the Unreal” is a total beast, a blunt-force combo of death metal, hardcore, and other heavy sounds that meld together perfectly. It might not be the longest release in the world, but it’s one of the more volatile collections you’re bound to hear, one that’ll make you quake over the fiery human emotions jammed inside. This EP bridges the band to whatever comes next, and while we don’t know what that is yet, we do know it’s going to be a force that’ll wrestle you to the ground and pin you in the dirt like an animal.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://wanderermn.bandcamp.com/album/indulgence-of-the-unreal

I really enjoy a lot of the advancements that have been made in death metal because the barbaric sound that crawled put of the swamps and rose from Scandinavian regions had to advance or get driven into the ground. That said, the guttural stuff still remains tasty as hell (um, even if that taste is equally nasty), so hearing things that churn flesh and guts warms our diseased heart.

Swedish crushers Wretched Fate have their grimy boots in the old camp, finding madness and ugliness in our mundane existences and turning that back on us as their brand of death metal. It’s slathered in generous portions on their second record “Carnal Heresy,” a warped serving of the classic stuff that drills its way into your psyche. The band—vocalist Adrian Selmani, guitarist/backing vocalist Mats Andersson, guitarist Fredrik Wikberg, bassist Robin Magnusson, drummer Samuel Karlstrand—unloads their monstrous power over these nine track and 39 minutes that rubs your face in the soot and hardly lets you have a breath as you gag on the stench.

“Mind Desecrator” erupts as the guitars go off and pulverize, and the drilling fury makes an early statement that you’re in for utter brutality. The speed picks up and crushes and leaves you in a daze, smoke pours from the cracks, and striking leads burn to the end. “Momentary Suicide” clubs with menace and starts fire blazing, absolutely decimating everything in front of it. The growls menace as heavy brawling works its way toward you, and the guitar work blazes all over, bringing vicious plastering and an abrupt end that levels you. “Utterance From the Inhuman Tongue” brings guitars churning and succumbing to tornadic winds, and the punching adds blood spatter that fully disgusts. Everything hits the fan with merciless chaos, and the growls crush and blister, leaving everything in the dust. “Cry From Beyond” has an eerie opening before muddy crushing gets under way, and the vocals dig into your flesh. Strange keys hang overhead and add a weird fog, and that haze makes it feel like you’re in an altered state of mind, paving the way for sounds rattling and broken piano keys to drip.

“Umbilical Suffocation” has, you guessed it, a baby crying out at the start. Poor kid. The playing clobbers and the leads ignite, vicious destruction making its way across the land. The vocals are throaty and threatening as the terror scrapes, speed pummels, and the chorus tears through your chest. “Harlots for Suffering” blasts and brings melodic riffs, snaking and encircling with dangerous intent. Savagery trucks you and aims to pull out your guts, soloing rips open and sweeps, and beastly hell steamrolls, flattening and ending in an echo bath. “Upon the Weak” begins ominously with a calculated pace burning, the growls eating into your flesh. The moodiness thickens before the animalistic fires burn hotter, the band storms with force, and the heat slowly dissipates, leaving sweat puddles behind. “Morbid Testament” unloads as the growls hammer, the guitars swell, and the whole thing is shredded at the mid-section, blood pouring forth. Sweltering fury and a growing madness become major factors, and infernal pressure scalds, adding humidity and horror to the disgusting stew. “Spineless Horror” closes the proceedings with guitars steaming and adding extra heat to the room, and then everything comes apart, volcanic torture meted out in generous portions. A brief bit of calm comes on and then the menace claws back, heavy weight hangs overhead, and the end comes swiftly and violently.

“Carnal Heresy” is one hell of a second roundhouse blow from Wretched Fate, a band firmly keeping the blood and guts in death metal, the place where it belongs. This is a morbid, punishing display that often hurts to confront and leaves your stomach queasy afterward. These nine songs are nasty and devastating, leaving a thick blood trail on the much-travelled path that is death metal.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.redefiningdarkness.com/

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

You know when you have those spurts where you want to get up and accomplish things that are on your agenda, and the adrenaline pumping through your system makes that reality? I get that a few times a year, and it’s always satisfying seeing everything you finished sitting before you, no longer taking up room on your to-do list. I just realized this makes me sound kind of lazy, but whatever. I’m tired.

Never a band to just rest on their accomplishments, Oakland death metal smashers Ulthar have been pretty busy since their formation in 2014 as their debut “Cosmovore” arrived in 2018, following that with “Providence” in 2020. Now, three years later, the band—bassist/vocalist Steve Peacock, guitarist/vocalist Shelby Lermo, drummer Justin Ennis—returns with TWO new records, both full-length efforts that fit nicely together but also have some notable differences from each other. “Anthronomicon” is an eight-track, 41-minute bruiser that has the band delving deeply into their brand of death metal and treating that with cooling space haze that plays tricks with your mind. “Helionomicon” has Ulthar trying their hand at longer-form passages as the two-track, 40-minute album digs in with a similar sound but with added room to expand and explore, the alien parts feeling even more immersive. Both records are further solid building blocks for a band that is trying to keep their sound fresh and growing, proving terrain that has lasted the test of time still can be bent to your will and made even more exciting.

“Cephalophore” opens the “Anthronomicon” portion with doomy blasts and crushing growls as the pace sinks its teeth into your ribs. The leads scorch as the playing trudges, howls crush, and the sharp leads dig into the earth. “Fractional Fortresses” fires up and unleashes a punishing fury, twisting and stomping, charging with sinewy precision. The leads blister as they light up, black metal-flavored hell is unleashed, and a speeding assault robs your lungs of breath. “Saccades” destroys and jerks at launch as further black metal stylings come into focus, pummeling into a muddy pool. Infernal growls strike while the playing plasters, and the blows dealt feel heavier and deadlier, your consciousness taken by an immersive synth bed. “Flesh Propulsion” mashes guts as guitars jolt, howls lash, and a bludgeoning force lays waste to the earth beneath you. Guitars spiral, and then things get rubbery and disorienting, the bass tramples, and the force multiplies until it’s impossible not to submit.

“Astranumeral Octave Chants” brings challenging guitars and gutting heaviness that lands with a quake. Heavy and relentless playing becomes impossible to survive as the speed goes off the rails, and a strange fog sweeps in and combines with decimating drums. “Coagulation of Forms” is charging and relentless, the howls destroying as the channeled pace increases the pressure. Speed continues to rip into flesh, intense carnage collects into smoking piles, and vicious chaos slams closed the door. “Larynx Plateau” opens with guitars peeling off and crazed howls crashing, hypnotic thrashing making the temperature increase rapidly. The pace quickens as the blazing gets incredibly forceful, churning until a shocking abrupt end. Closer “Cultus Quadrivium” is crazed and sooty, riffs tangle, and the pace opens you up at the guts. Splattering speed invades your cells, and beastly howls dig into your chest and leave bruising. Blows continue to land until a synth storm envelopes and spreads, taking over and even marring a brief doomy return that swells and fades out.

The “Helionomicon” portion opens with the title track, a 20:31-long beast that starts strangely and then jars, the growls feeling like they originate from a different kind of beast. Portions are zany and dexterous, and it feels like an organism is slowly growing, the spindly weirdness becoming heavier and meaner. Growls grind as guitars dive, weird noodly playing sections feel like they fell from the cosmos, and then infernal crushing lands with power. A black metal-style rush explodes, the playing challenges, and everything wooshes into the stars. “Anthronomicon” is the closer, running 19:52 and starting in absolute madness that tramples and mars, leaving mental scarring behind. The playing gets muddy before merging into a sound bath, eeriness spreads, and then speed explodes out of that, sending spindly melodies and vile growls into your flesh. Shrieks wrench as the vice gets tighter, and ominous devastation spills from cracks, settling into a strange aura that feels alien at its heart, watching the weirdness warp like tendrils reaching for the moon.

Ulthar’s ambition is remarkable with “Anthronomicon” and “Helionomicon,” two records that have their share of commonality but also exist as different animals that can survive on their own. You get varied experiences with each record, and there’s so much going on here that repeat consumption is necessary and surely something that won’t be a problem. Both records are great on their own, and their union as pieces recorded at the same time stitch them forever as heavy journeys you take one by one that leave you mentally gassed when you’re finished.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063748920083

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

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

Our lives are adventures that contain myriad levels of learning, developing, making mistakes, and trying to get a better definition of who we are as individuals. The events in our lives shape us for better, worse, or indifferent, and that data that etches itself into our psyches has a major hand in helping us navigate where we’re going and how we’re going to proceed. A lot of times, our journeys are tumultuous.

Nathan Guerrette, the key driving force behind cinematic black metal force Great Cold Emptiness, has been on a sojourn himself that has played out on his “The Becoming of Man,” trilogy, the final serving of which arrives on “Immaculate Hearts Will Triumph.” These four epic tracks focus on the communities we build among friends, forgiveness we show others, and how we build these relationships that can become the center of our lives. At the same time, Guerrette also ties in the events of the Our Lady of Fatima events in Portugal, 1917, along with his own spiritual experiences that colored this record. Joined by vocalist Meghan Wood (Crown of Asteria) and bassist/guitarist Preston Lobzun (Rampancy, Narchthrone, etc.) as well as guests Caleb Hennessey (Dismalimerence, Meadows of Melancholy, etc.) and Elijah Cirricione (Aetheric Existence, Cyclopean, etc.), the entire group fleshes out these massive, emotional, incredibly atmospheric songs that bleed humanity and help seal wounds.

“The Patron Saint of Whalewatching” opens the record and runs 14:28, starting with a melodic burst that makes the ground shake. Wood’s shrieks destroy as vibrant playing and gazey flooding pair up and fill your senses, heading into a dreamy sequence that takes over your mind and body. The playing builds out of that, shrieks rain down, and keys shimmer, the playing welling up dangerously, spilling over edges and cultivating energy. Another synth wall awaits as the elements rush once more and blend together before succumbing to a bed of keys. “To Die for the Ideal” carries over the synth cloud and meets up with volcanic jolts, amping up the emotion and walking right into powerful shrieks. The guitars soar and develop a steaming atmosphere, clean calls beckon, and a wave of warmth melts ice blocks as the playing swarms again. Melodies collect, punishment rises, and everything fades into the horizon.

“She Sang of Hyperborea” is the second-longest track at 13:49, and it explodes with great energy, and shrieks fire up and rampage. A brief serenity helps you cool off, and then it’s into guitars taking over and blasting with fury, keys melting and running like a cold stream, and random colors chase shadows. The growls rumble as the room begins to spin, spellbinding melodies work into your mind, and the shrieks crush, flowing with intensity before gently trailing away. Closer “With Friends Like These” dawns with glimmering synth, freezing shrieks, and the playing pounding away, blasting through the earth’s crust. The emotion charges from your stomach into your chest, keys light up and streak across the sky, and the playing pounds, slipping into an almost danceable rhythm and bouncing to a pulsating finish.

The closure of “The Becoming of a Man” trilogy on “Immaculate Hearts Will Triumph” is both thrilling and sad, being that we have this intensely moving record but one that ends this story the band has been telling. Great Cold Emptiness is unlike most bands in the atmospheric black metal range in that their hearts outwardly bleed, and the inspirations and life experiences they have poured into this project are ones to which all humans can relate on some level. This record is filled with camaraderie, healing, and compassion, and it’s an incredible final chapter to the ultimate discovery tale.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://flowingdownward.bandcamp.com/album/immaculate-hearts-will-triumph

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

Heavy metal used to be a singular thing. At one time, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and Motley Crüe were all just labeled as metal, and that was the end of the story. Over time as the sound progressed, things splintered, subgenres were created and adhered to, and heavy metal became more of a continent with different countries tied to it. Let diplomacy begin.

Hearing a band like Hail the Void, a trio based in British Columbia, makes me feel for the time when things were just heavy metal, and the rest of the world hated it. This band feels like they are from that era, and while the doom tag certainly can be applied and makes total sense, I see them as pure metal through and through. Ozzy Osbourne’s bassist Blasko got wind of these guys and brought them to the attention of Ripple Music, and I guess he knows what he’s talking about. He does play with this Osbourne guy who has done a little bit for the good of metal all over the globe. So, the band—guitarist/vocalist Kirin Gudmundson, bassist Dean Gustin, drummer Curtis Bennet—benefits from having a hand up, and they fucking hit this thing out of the park, making good on Blasko’s support by releasing the swaggering and infectious “Memento Mori,” their second album and easily their best.

“Mind Undone” is a quick intro cut with buried singing, dissonant sounds, and a slow fade into “Writing on the Wall” that slowly drips open before the pace begins drubbing. Guitars fire up and give off a bluesy smoke, and the ominous singing sinks in its teeth as Gudmundson calls, “It’s so damn cold, you stole my soul,” as the final surges quake the ground. “Goldwater” likely isn’t about the former senator and trickles with dusty guitars and a power surge that gets the adrenaline kicking. Fiery leads take control as the chugging tempo bruises, energetic guitars pulsate, and throaty howls jolt and leave you toppled on the ground. “Talking to the Dead” opens with drums scuffling, the guitars blazing, and fierce vocals registering and ringing your ears. “When you were alone, I bought and sold the world,” Gudmundson levels as the guitar buzz swells, and the final moments rattle bones.

“High and Rising” opens with rains soaking and a spooky ambiance being set, chilling your bones as the track envelopes. “I hope the life you lead is sound, because I’ll run you straight into the ground,” Gudmundson warns as the guitars develop a psychedelic sheen, and the final drops of doom sink into the earth. “100 Pills” slowly thaws and takes on a dour, sinking feeling, with dreamy sentiments mixing with the soot. “I feel my life against the grain,” Gudmundson calls as the agony increases, and the darkness leaves the room on a breeze. “Serpens South” starts clean before the guitars start buzzing, and the verses build on the emotional mound being built. Darkness spreads as the guitars darken and give off tormenting spirits, dripping into pain as the moodiness strikes like a slowly unfolding tidal wave. Closer “The Void” dawns from a fog and quiet guitars, moving like a ghost as Gudmundson calls, “Take me on a trip down below.” The pain never relents, the playing blackens, and the dust fades into the skyline, merging with the horizon.

Hail the Void’s largely traditional doom works on so many levels that it’s hard to pinpoint what they do the best. Perhaps it’s the dark human emotion and relentless melody on “Memento Mori” that is what stand out the most, or maybe it’s their ability to stomp terrain long ago walked by the masters that makes them so effective. Whatever it is, this is a record that scratches an itch a lot of modern bands seem to miss, and the power contained inside leaves an impact you can feel for days.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/products

Or here (Europe): https://en.ripple.spkr.media/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.ripple-music.com/

I’ve never been in a wild street brawl before. Come to think of it, I’ve never been in a brawl before, so maybe what I’m about to say is bullshit since I have no experience. OK, so have you ever heard music before that made of feel like you were getting curb stomped while a bunch of crazed lunatic are throwing punches and kicking people in the teeth? If not, let’s change that.

Nex Mexico-based death metal squad Street Tombs make it feel like you have a mouthful of cinders and blood on their devastating debut record “Reclusive Decay,” a six-track beast that’s a hassle with which to contend. Combining heavy doses of death with streaks of punk and D-beat carnage, the band—guitarist/vocalist Damian Jacoby, guitarist/vocalist David McMaster, bassist Galen Baudhuin, drummer Ben Brodsky—creates a rocky, tumultuous journey that’s one of those ones that doesn’t last a terribly long time but will leave you feeling like you sustained a never-ending beating that shaved chunks off your sanity. This is a wrecking machine with a bloodthirst.

“Wretched Remains” charges in right away, punishing as the growls curdle, and the darkness gets even heavier. The soloing soars and then things get back to gutting, guitars light up, the playing mashes, and the heat boils over. “Diseased Existence” brings guitars winding up and the elements storming as the growls sink into your flesh. A haze hangs over as the chugging gets more intense, and an evil-sounding tone infects the guitars and stomps through the cement, the final moments fading into B movie-style synth. “Devour” thrashes with brutality as the growls crush, and delirious melodies make your balance take a hit. The shadows grow thicker as the guitars give off heat and then mystify, ending the track in a hypnotic fog.

“Rising Torment” lays waste from the start as fiery guitars scorch flesh, and the growls deface as the playing goes into immersive blackness. Speed kicks in and smashes with precision, raw growls make the blood rush to the surface, and a disarming synth haze devours everything. “Commanding Voices of the Damned” pummels with raspy growls and a captivating death race taking form, meaty savagery becoming the most volatile element. The power stretches as feedback hangs, causing disorientation and a dissociative state. Closer “Volcanic Siege” snarls and tangles as the growls punch holes, and nasty sentiments enter the air. The pace charges as the guitars kick harder, bringing on a tornadic intensity that balances with catchy melodies and vicious growls, ending in a pile of ash.

The music on “Reclusive Decay” leaves a film on your face and in your mouth, a gritty, ashen mix that doesn’t taste great and feels like the back end of an alley fight. Street Tombs appear to have little interest in making things look and sound pretty, which is perfect for this six-track barnstormer that has very little of your well-being as an interest. This is brutal, scathing stuff that leaves bruising and bloodied clothing behind, with you left to pick up what’s left of your physical and mental health.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://carbonizedrecords.com/search?q=street+tombs&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

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

Black metal is a strange and overpopulated kingdom that is littered with tons of creators doing similar versions of the same thing, though I’m sure their hearts and minds are in the right place. It’s the same thing that plagues a lot of metal’s terrain, a problem of too much access and not enough special substance. It can’t be easy to break out of that doldrum and find and create something truly exciting.

That’s one of the things that makes bands such as Häxanu so captivating in that they take many of black metal’s elements and bend them to their will, filling each crevice with passion and electricity that blasts through your chest. Comprised of multi-instrumentalist Alex Poole (Chaos Moon) and vocalist L.C. (Lichmagick), this band lashes back with their second record “Totenpass,” a seven-track, 45-minute sojourn into fire and ice, black metal skullduggery and melody that has many of the origin’s spirits in the mix. There’s no need to reinvent or try to find new paths when you already have a channeled, freely bleeding line into the subgenre’s heart, and the way this band goes about things and what they commit to record is monstrous and brain-mangling, music that reminds that freshness still can rise to the surface in a style run rampant.

“Θάρσει” is a brief opening instrumental with acoustics and rushing waters, flowing into “Death Euphoria” that rips and blisters, shrieks raining down like nails from heaven. The playing sweeps you up into a storm, the leads capture your spirit and squeeze your sanity, and the throaty howls from L.C. register deep within your muscles and push you into oblivion. Dual-headed “Thriambus – Threnoidia” is the longest track at 14:40, and it dawns with energetic leads electrifying, the shrieks getting into your flesh and elevating your body temperature. Synth swells as the playing gets more intense, cold waters rush and leave you shivering, and icy shrieks jab flesh, pairing with guitars that make the room spin. Everything explodes as L.C. screams, “No remorse!” as every element multiplies, shrieks drive like a storm, and sharp riffs rattle your bones as everything ends in a flaming heap.

“Sparagmos” runs a healthy 10:25, stirring with a frantic energy, beastly howls hurling hammers at your face. The guitars hit stun mode as they race with a fervor, the vocals scrape flesh, and desperate cries make your anxiety truck, everything frozen over by a synth glaze. Battering, pummeling fires rage, the shrieks deface, and the elements slowly fade into a welcoming horizon. “Ephòdion” explodes and overwhelms, L.C. howling, “Burn me with your sacred fire,” as the guitars rally around that request. Melodies invade and mount an offensive, murky keys add a thick fog to confound your thinking, and speed stampedes as the energy finally burns out. “οὐδεὶς ἀθάνατος” is a quick, solemn interlude, feeling spacious and haunting, leading to the closing title track that blisters as it explodes from the gates. Drums march as beastly wails land heavy blows, the atmospheric guitar work swimming through mystery. Grim spirits walk freely as relentless riffs spill blood, the vocals rampage, and fiery melodies soar, bringing down the final hammers on a physically demanding adventure.

With so much to mine in the black metal fields, finding something as intense and challenging as “Totenpass” is a gift that devastates long after the music is done. Häxanu’s mission is but two albums deep so far, but they already have established they’re a force truly their own, something that is cemented into the black metal foundation but isn’t following plan or structures as their build their world. This album feels like it lives and breathes, changing its formation just slightly with each listen, warping your mind along the way.  

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.amor-fati-productions.de/en/

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

Sitting down with a 75-minute record spread over 2 or 3 pieces of vinyl certainly is something I love, and spending time with the massive physical manifestation makes the money spent worthwhile. But let’s also pay respect to the shorter blasts that are over before you can finish a workout but that also leave you thoroughly devastated. The world is big enough for both things, and they create variety.

Nashville metallic trio Act of Impalement lean toward the latter with their second record “Infernal Ordinance,” a 9-track, 29-minute brawler that is packed with power and brutality and that follows 2018 debut “Perdition Cult.” The band—vocalist/guitarist Ethan Rock, bassist Jimmy Grogan, drummer Zack Ledbetter—is one of those you can’t quite pinpoint soundwise, but there’s plenty of death metal, blackened fury, and classic metal glory on this album. It’s economically served, but it doesn’t feel short by any means. This is a fully realized, thunderous display that feels beefier than its runtime and keeps your blood flowing throughout.

“Summoning the Final Conflagration” gets things off to a bludgeoning start, thrashing and mashing, the vile howls carving you up. Doomy waters suddenly rush, adding to the muddiness, while grim growls and pulverizing energy saps you of your strength. “Bogbody” lets the bass drive into the soot as the speed and insanity kill, the guitars firing away. The band unleashes a swagger that punishes, the growls huff, and everything massacres right to the end. “In Wolflight” brings sickening guitars and the vocals scorching as the ground quakes, slowing to a swelling horror. Things then speed up immediately, thrashing forcefully until you finally drop. “Specters of Unlight” charges up as the guitars grind, dark ugliness sprawls with force, and ugly, beastly growls trudge all over. The guitars thrash with power, the playing dangles you dangerously over the edge, and the final blasts rock your chest.

“Creeping Barrage” is total demolition, a quick, blink-and-you-miss-it destruction, killing through a quick trip through infernal grounds and into “Atomic Hecatomb” that drubs and rips you apart. Strong mashing causes your blood vessels to burst, the guitar work goes off and slashes at bones, and the final moments bring about a volcanic end. “Blasphemous Rebirth” unloads spiraling guitars and a thrash attack that burns through everything on front of it, the growls digging into you like a wild dog in a frenzy. “Death Hex” arrives amid trampling bass and plastering guitars that spray blood and pull out organs. Throaty howls are pulverizing, the guitars char flesh, and the final moment treat you to calculating trudging. Closer “Erased” is gloomy and gruesome before it begins a tornadic pace that takes you apart. Growls spread as strong guitar work turns up the heat, channeled strikes loosen screws, and the last punches landed make it feel like you’ve been through a war.

“Infernal Ordinance” whips by in a little less than a half hour, and although the serving size is smaller, the punishment it doles out is mammoth in scope. Act of Impalement take elements that many bands have done to death and freshen them up with a sharpened approach and devious blood spill, keeping things exciting and ferocious. Five years after their debut, this band is firing on all cylinders, proving this machine is deadlier than ever and ready to take victims along with them.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/infernal-ordinance

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