Not all bands find the need to expand and push their own boundaries, and there’s really nothing wrong with that. Consistency and your audience knowing what to expect from you can foster a lot of goodwill and a lack of bad feelings from those who consume your music. It’s smart business. But that’s also not for everyone, which is a reason metal has become so diverse.

It’s not like The Howling Wind is recreating anything with their new self-recorded EP “Oak,” but for them, it’s showing an even more expansive mind frame that could get pretty fucking exciting if this is an indication as to where things are going. Its two members—Ryan Lipynsky (guitar, bass, vocals, synth, noise) and Tim Call (drums, vocals, noise)—remain committed to elements of black metal and doom in their music, but with the heavier contributions from their ghostly synth, the music goes to a different level that can chill you to the bone. These four tracks that stretch over 15 minutes are slim, trim, and immersed in something that feels like it’s clouding your mind with imaginative impulses and warped devastation like they’re taking a trip to a new plane of existence.

“Cursed Machines of Catastrophic Failure” punches open, delivering raw fury and chaos, the guitars chugging in soot. Riffs slice as the track gets thrashier, synth clouds over everything, and the atmosphere is filled with melody and violent tendencies. The title track starts with guitars dripping in before heavy punches land, and the vocals scrape through a foggy synth haze that fills your lungs. Melodies compel as creaky vocals rumble, and then the sounds melt into serenity, giving an unexpected dose of calm. Things slowly slither back, the guitars generate scornful vibes, and everything is swallowed into the void. “Time Erosion Weapon” dawns in a sci-fi synth scape, and then vicious howls arrive and claw into muscle. Punishing riffs send cinders flying, the drums smash, and a black metal-style assault melts into sinister shrieks and a tornadic pressure. “Lost Dark Mountain” ends the EP with a sound bed created by thick keys, and the vocals twist into your psyche and leave damage. The guitars float in a spacey gasp of psychedelics, the vortex starts to swirl, and everything disappears into cosmic mystery.

“Oak” is the first new music we’ve heard from The Howling Wind since their 2019 full-length “Shadow Tentacles,” and what we find on these four immersive tracks is their continued foray into exploring more mysterious and dangerous sounds. This is a satisfying bridge to connect whatever comes next, and if this is any hint, then the next record could really be a total mindfuck. That sounds like an alluring possibility as these two keep pushing the possibilities of what it means to be heavy and sinister.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://thehowlingwind.bandcamp.com/album/oak

A lot of people, myself included, feel like we’ve been through hell the past few years with everything we’ve had to withstand. And it’s been a lot, and it’s been painful, and some of us lost a lot. But there are people who have been suffering far longer and have endured punishment and devastation we only can imagine. Those people don’t have that luxury; their hell is real.

Indonesian black metal force Pure Wrath, the brainchild of Januaryo Hardy (he handles vocals, guitars, bass, synth, songwriting, and lyrics) delivers something more harrowing and heartbreaking on their excellent third record “Hymn to the Woeful Hearts.” On this album, Hardy writes in dedication to a mother and survivor of the 1965 Indonesian genocide whose son was kidnapped, tortured, and beheaded. It’s a tragedy that haunted all of her days, spending five decades trying to live as if nothing has happened when inside, she was undone by grief. It adds a much heavier pall to this record that sounds vibrant and melodic but is awash in a story that would cripple most people. On the record, Hardy is joined by guest musicians Yurii Kononov (drums, and also of White Ward), Dice Midyanti (piano, cello, additional elements) and Nick Kushnir (additional guitars) to add more spirit and texture to these six tracks that easily can be absorbed into your bloodstream.

“The Cloak of Disquiet” opens with acoustics and fires crackling before a melodic rage explodes, stunning and crushing emotions. The leads glimmer, and a brief cold spell designed to relieve the pressure paves the way for another gust, even with some clean calls rushing behind. Drums crash as the playing flows, bringing everything to an arresting end. “Years of Silence” brings guitars gashing as raw wails hammer, and keys drip in to add a new eloquent element. A moody pace begins its stretch, and then things get electrified all over again, keys melt into the earth, and things end in elegant bloodshed. “Presages From a Restless Soul” rips open and blisters right away, flooding the senses and wrenching your mind. The tempo continues to steamroll as the shrieks devastate, and cleaner calls send cool waves to soothe you. The guitars gust again as the vocals smother, and all the elements melt in glorious haze.

“Footprints of the Lost Child” pummels with a frenetic pace as the melodies hit their breaking point. The synth gives some regality as the playing cascades dramatically, letting your blood surge. A dip into acoustics and foggy synth goes into rippling power, speedy and heartfelt energy, and a finish that robs you of breath. “Those Who Stand Still” quakes as it starts, crushing with great riffs and hypnotic playing that makes your heads spin. Things gets numbing as the pace halts, noise drizzles, and then a fresh explosion acts as a tidal wave, leaving everything washed away. The title track closes the album with clean trickling and synth rising with the atmosphere acting like a calming force. Strings glaze as warm, gentle waters flow, mixing into a cosmic void that bring this instrumental cut to an end.

“Hymn to the Woeful Hearts” is the finest work of Pure Wrath’s run, an album that establishes a major chunk of the melodic black metal world to them, which they richly deserve. Every part of this record is jammed with genuine emotion and unmistakable power, truly paying homage to the mother whose experiences are at the center of this record. This is a rush of an album musically, something exciting and utterly electric, but at its core, it’s a human story about someone who would not give in even in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

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

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

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

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

One’s presence here on Earth should not be a sedentary one, simply taking up space and absorbing oxygen and fuels just so we live to the next day. Sure, we’re all busy and have different responsibilities than we had even a couple years ago with how much our world has changed, but staying in the same place and just walking life like a treadmill at one speed is no way to exist.

Long-standing Swedish metal institution Cult of Luna is the perfect model of that thinking as they’ve demonstrated their flexibility and refusal to settle over the past almost quarter century. That goes even further than ever on “The Long Road North,” their eighth and first full-length since 2019’s amazing “A Dawn to Fear.” The band—vocalist/guitarist Johannes Persson, guitarist/vocalist Fredrik Kihlberg, guitarist/production master Magnus Lindberg, bassist Andreas Johansson, keyboardist/vocalist Kristian Karlsson, drummer/percussionist Thomas Hedlund—used the chaos that steamed from “Dawn” and their 2021 EP “The Raging River” and turned inward to measure personal growth and progress. It’s a mental adventure to become the humans the band strives to be, and it can work as a great tool to apply to our own lives, making sure we avoid complacency and we continue to grow.

“Cold Burn” begins plotting with chilled synth and a ramming pace, the gut-wrenching shrieks feeling particularly jarring. The track is icy and dark, trudging through the woods and collecting atmosphere, and then the keys thicken and travel, delivering an emotional heaviness you can taste. The roars land hard again, and a hazy gust comes to rest amid doomy warnings. “The Silver Arc” is dreary as it hangs overhead, the roars crunching and directing toward cataclysmic power. There’s a gothy feel that comes within the mist that’s gathering, and there’s a sense of calm that lands, laced with just enough unease. Things hiss before we head for an explosion, the vocals wrench forcefully, and the leads grow more immersive, the final moments pounding out your guts. “Beyond I” bathes in a synth cloud as Mariam Wallentin (of Wildbirds and Peacedrums) wails, “Someone’s calling out my name,” as the track bows to the chilling night. “An Offering to the Wild” is the longest track as 12:45, and it lets time for the atmosphere to build and mature, as the track unfurls its wings. At just before the five-minute mark, the roars land, and things come apart, compelling and scorching as the tension builds, while the earth rumbles below. The vocals sink teeth into flesh as fires flare, and a strange vibe settles into the waters, making everything feel uneasy. The flow comes alive again, overwhelming with power, and then everything fades.

“Into the Night” drips in feeling psychedelic, with a Floydian ambiance and force, the singing moving clean through the fuzz. The tempo works gently but forcefully, as Persson dreamily sings, “I hear you calling to me,” sending chills down your spine. The whole things blows up finally as the intensity blasts, with everything dissolving into eerie zaps. “Full Moon” is a strange, apocalyptic instrumental built with ominous stomps and chilling keys, moving toward the title track that starts with a dusty western sensation, almost as if you’re expecting cacti and coyotes calling. The vocals wrench as a spacey vibe darts through, moody backing increasing the darkness. Things keep pushing as the atmosphere thickens, keys ring out like signals (that element reminds me of “Finland” from “Somewhere Along the Highway”) before the vocals rush and punish. The playing drives harder as your heart rates increases, crushing and merging with the increasing noise hum. “Blood Upon Stone” combines thick keys and jolting riffs, the vocals peeling back flesh, the rocks pelting your prone body. Cosmic melodies snake into your oxygen as dark waves lap the shore, and a reflective stretch leaves you blissfully prone. Things heat up again as the vocals gut, a burst of sound flattens earth, and the final moments soar far into the deep night.  “Beyond II” closes the record letting synth sheets float and woosh, the drums crumble, and weird sounds and moans intoxicate you, preparing you rest under a canopy of stars.

Cult of Luna never fail to capture the imagination, and “The Long Road North” is another high point in a career full of them. Their soul journey they’re on with this record is impossible to shake, and who would want to when you’re surrounded by quaking, strikingly emotional music that gives as much to your heart as your mind? This is an all-time great band still operating on a frighteningly high level on their eighth record, and every journey with these nine tracks is an experience that will change you forever for the better.   

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.indiemerch.com/metalbladerecords

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

Metal has its hefty share of bands that embrace speaking out on societal and political issues as well as trying to preserve the planet and take up for people with less power. That’s made it a lot easier to find bands that identify with our particular viewpoints, especially those who happen to be sympathetic to trying to preserve life for those around us.

Legendary Montreal sci-fi thrashers Voivod were some of the first to do that, lacing their early music with Reagan-era paranoia, nuclear worries, and environmental themes, with a huge dose of intergalactic fantasy, hence their alien mascot of the same name. After four decades of existence, the band is still running strong, getting ready to deliver their great 15^th record “Synchro Anarchy,” an album that’s a blast of fun and finds Voivod sounding as powerful as they have the past 20 years, bringing their weird, warped style to these nine new tracks. The band—vocalist Denis “Snake” Belanger, guitarist Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain, bassist Dominic “Rocky” Laroche, drummer Michel “Away” Langevin—maintain their unique style as they sound undoubtedly like Voivod, and they remain as skeptical and worried about the world in which we live and whether enough people care to try.

“Paranormalium” kicks off the record, and immediately we’re ensconced in that bizarre Voivod spaceship only they can commandeer. The tempo jars as Chewy’s guitar work wonderfully reminds of the late Piggy’s weirdness, and we’re off to the races. Belanger is in fine voice, nasal and direct, playing with our emotions as this cut has all the classic trappings this band created. The title track brings jolting guitar work as the playing knifes your ribs, and there is some nice group harmony over the chorus, Belanger poking, “What are the odds?” Things get tricky before the guitars turn warmer, and then things glimmer as one more chorus blazes skies. “Planet Eaters” focuses on humanity’s penchant for scarring our own world and our formulating plans to branch into space with Voivod’s patented brand of absurdist humor that doesn’t seem all that far-fetched. A proggy jerk hits you hard as the bass folds, the pace clobbers, and a spacious stretch lights up the soloing. “Mind Clock” is moodier and even a little softer at times, especially vocally, at least for the first part. Things heat up as the bass get flexible and the guitars chug, giving off their classic sense of thrash. The music turns feverish, whipping through space, speeding and tangling as things end in eerie detachment.

“Sleeves Off” brings crushing riffs and heavy bass, battering and confounding, the slippery verses feeling like alien flesh. A wah-heavy solo washes in and warps while the final moments explode and shred bone. “Holographic Thinking” gallops in as strong vocals bruise, and the guitars dice and emit stardust. “Gone forever! Out there, fading out,” Belanger snarls as the guitar work climbs into the atmosphere, searching and scanning for signals. “The World Today” delivers sludging bass and a jerky pace, with a smooth chorus numbing your senses. Guitars get strange and bubble, and the playing is never not catchy, always making your brain work overtime. “Quest for Nothing” has trudging riffs and an active imagination, and even some gang shouts are worked in to add to the wounds. “I am a small grain of sand,” Belanger notes, later following with, “This life is the only one I have,” a needed warning for those who haven’t been living within themselves. “Memory Failure” ends the album by chugging in and chewing bone, humid playing coating the flesh. “You’re here to find it, you’ll never find it,” Belanger taunts as soloing goes off, rubbery rhythms confound, and the song wanders off into the open void.

After 15 albums and four decades as one of the most forward-thinking bands in the history of metal, Voivod continue to deliver the charmingly weird goods like they do on “Synchro Anarchy.” These guys never sound old or dated as their music lives in the stars, and they’re as hungry and paranoid as they’ve ever been, which makes them such a charming and challenging band. All hail the Voivod, destroyer and distributor of justice in the universe.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://voivodband.lnk.to/SynchroAnarchy

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

I was just having a conversation with someone about using substances when listening to music in order for the elements of the art to open up in different ways. It’s not a plight to get fucked up; you can do that anytime. Instead, I see it as a way to let the music work into you in ways your brain might not allow otherwise so that you can absorb it in a different manner.

I guess what I’m saying is I want to get high listening to Sataray’s new EP “Blood Trine Moon,” and it’s only because the impact it has on me sober likely can’t match what it would with some THC in my system. This four-track collection is immersive in a way that it acts like a ghost within your body, guiding you and helping you achieve visions you didn’t know were possible. Sataray titled this EP metaphorically to describe her creative process of bleeding and reflecting, and it impacts the music in such a haunting and gorgeous way that it is impossible not to be overcome from endless chills down your spine. It’s impossible to describe with words, but that’s why we’re here, so let’s try.

“Astara” opens with noises pulsating and a murky cloudiness overhead, swallowing you as chimes tingle. Ominous tones take over as spacey isolation becomes more apparent, darkness enveloping as Sataray chants the title as everything is vaporized. “The Lake” jars with synth and a shadowy essence, while ghostly calls emanate from damp corners. Weird vocals surround you as alien vibes work through your bloodstream, and an angelic haze lures you to somewhere you might not feel safe. “Fecundi” enters with a sense of regal origin, the vocals hovering over you in the collecting fog. That whole thing enshrouds as sounds vibrate, and a hand reaches out from the mystery, building pressure and bowing out to the night. “Hexen Nacht” closes things with voices gathering and an epic vibe building with synth strikes dashing. Percussive sounds rattle as the playing sweeps, and then beats punish and tease. A warming stretches over everything as the darkness thickens and your consciousness fades.

Sataray’s music is a ghoulish presence that easily can overtake you if you let it, and there’s no reason you should fear that journey. “Blood Trine Moon” is a calming but battered tribute to the creative process, a glimpse into her mind as she uses the spirit that moves her and compels the music you hear on this EP. This is a rich, stimulating experience that should align with anyone who sees the music they embrace as a sort of psychological partner.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/sataray7

To buy the album, go here: http://www.scryrecordings.com/album-category/releases/

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

The joke is always when Krallice release a new record, we go on about some surprising slab being dumped in our laps with us having no idea anything was even brewing. That wasn’t the case this time as the genre-strangling band gave us enough advanced notice and a solid release date to anticipate, and sure enough, they delivered as scheduled, not trampling anyone’s anxiety.

Well, that is until taking on “Crystalline Exhaustion” for the first time, the band’s 11^th record in 15 years, which is just ridiculous for a band that puts out such complicated, confounding art. This six-track, 50-minute extraterrestrial being fits along with Krallice’s other records, but it also stands by itself based on the vibe and energy this thing delivers. The band—guitarist/vocalist Nicholas McMaster, bassist/vocalist Mick Barr, keyboardist/vocalist Colin Marston, drummer Lev Weinstein—still grapple in some form of black metal, though their sound has advanced beyond any label one can affix to their creations. The most chilling element here (other than the psychotic songwriting) is the increased presence of keyboards that add a ghostly, intergalactic sheen to these songs that aim to wreck your life.

“Frost” starts with bass hiss and a strange aura unloading, the synth that is a vital element of this record first rearing its head. The track spurts to life as the vocals endlessly wrench, and the band achieves an insanity and connection most bands only dream of realizing. The track gets frosty and mystical, the vocals seethe, and everything spirals back into the keys that swallow the final moments. “Telos” drives into your chest as the keys drip and the vocals punish, the drums ripping holes into reality. The feel is aggressive and gothy, the latter part something I’d never imagined I’d use to express Krallice, but here we are. Lastly, the guitars heat and melt, and beastly growls disorient as the track fades. “Heathen Swill” enters in tornadic fury as the keys bubble, the vocals dig in, and it feels like all the elements are swimming in your brain. The growls corrode as the playing staples your brain, the rhythm section ties psychosis in knots, and it feels like you’re having a sci-fi out-of-body experience that melts in a haze.

“Archlights” ruptures as harsh howls flatten, and a gruff, punchy tempo shoots sparks as the bass plods. A mystical aura is achieved as the synth chills and steam rises, the band continually confounding logic and time. The last gasp ramps up dangerously, trampling and disappearing into a brain fog, leading to “Dismal Entity” that begins shady and mysteriously as the synth increases. The track flexes with attitude as tricky power exerts itself, and you’re dodging punches you don’t even know are coming, moving into a synth swirl that mashes muscles and cells. The 14:11-long title track brings the record to its end as synth floats in an eerie cloud, and a thick blanket slowly absorbs all light. The playing tangles and gives off a freezing wind, reminding of prime early 1980s Rush, and about halfway through, the shrieks attack and crush. From there, it’s a strenuous ride as scorching playing and nausea-inducing melodies confound. It feels like hurtling toward the deepest reaches of the cosmos, playing games with your psychological well-being and body temperature, leaving you iced and devastated.

I’m not sure how Krallice can continue at this creative clip with 11 albums in 15 years, three in the past three! “Crystalline Exhaustion” is proof that this band has gears that most bands don’t even know exist, and to come up with something this compelling and strange that feels utterly fresh is astounding. The rules don’t exist anymore with Krallice, if they even adhered to any in the first place, and this record is as exciting and vital as anything else in their untouchable catalog.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://krallice.bandcamp.com/album/crystalline-exhaustion

Or here: https://p2loggia.bigcartel.com/

Or here (vinyl preorders to come later in the year): https://gileadmedia.net/collections/pre-orders

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/p2loggia/

And here: https://gileadmedia.net/

Let’s end the week on something that will get our brains working and our emotions identifying with what’s around us and how it’s a part of our lives. The world surrounding us, humanity, and expanding our brains are things that enrich our lives and are vital to a healthy existence both physically and mentally. I’m not sure if enough people embrace these things as positives to be protected.

There are a lot of thoughts and themes swimming in “Cut the Rivers Vein,” the fourth record from Minnesota-based Mur, the project helmed by Cam Sather. Over the past decade, Mur have created music that demands listener involvement and does not just act as background texture you can have on while you multitask. That’s especially true of “Vein,” a record that leans on themes of Romanticism, the work of William Blake, existentialism, nature, and plenty of others, and you can feel the emotions rushing through these six tracks and 51 minutes. It’s an album that will fill up your heart and mind and make you take stock on what is most important to you and where you can mine wisdom. Sather also uses a variety of sounds ranging from black metal to folk, rich grounds for his creations.

“A Billet of Regret” opens acoustically, giving off a rustic feel as the sound develops, and the track spreads its wings. Sather’s growls then erupt as the pace opens and sludges, stomping and lurching through burnt terrain. Growls lace as the fog rises, guitars waft, and sound rings out inside your head. “O’palesce” dawns with mournful tones and Sather’s singing before the power nudges its way into the picture. Then everything bursts as grisly growls become a major factor, and the playing pummels hard, giving way to a sprawling dream with the drums leaving bones as dust. “Lowered Cloud” runs 11:36 and flows into folkish waters, as Sather calls, “Born under caul, amniotic nightfall, fossilized grain, the river explains,” before thrice singing, “Don’t grieve them.” An electric boost is just over the horizon as the shrieks welt and the pace trucks harder, mixing between harsh cries and clean wails, giving off great energy. The soloing blazes as things take a dark turn, the growls hiss, and the energy increases before things woosh off into space.

The title track also emerges in acoustics, and over the next 11:22, we take a jarring, emotional journey. The vocals heat up as things get dicey, and the playing slowly bludgeons and rams through, moving into doomy waves. Thick growls blister as sunburnt guitars race for the skies, and everything intensifies as the heat increases. Guitars blaze, the tempo flows, and the final minutes submit to the warmth, giving off some of the most exhilarating parts of this entire record. “A Powerful, Uneasy Feeling” enters gently with softer, more vulnerable singing, giving you a moment to breathe before the hammers drop. The vocals scrape agitated skin as the guitar work just goes off, feeling like a flood of lava and chaos that threatens with its emotional climax. “Breach & Bitter” closes the album, a 12:03-long bruiser that slowly moves at first, generating its heat. The vocals carve as the playing hulks along, ripping and mauling, paving the way for black metal-style devastation. The drums erupt as the menace floods, splattering and splurging into doom tar pits. Everything trudges as burly energy becomes more abundant, the leads just strangle, and the final moments bask in the carnage it caused, Sather calling, “Laborious joy! Thick summer stars!”

There’s plenty to mull and absorb on “Cut the Rivers Vein,” and that doesn’t just include the music, which will leave your head swollen as it takes on all these forces. There’s just as much to consider from a lyrical and conceptual standing, which means you’re not getting off easy with Mur’s fourth record if you plan to be an active listener. This is an album that requires repeated visits so you can scan every crevice and valley to make sure there isn’t a morsel of information you might have passed over.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://murmn.bandcamp.com/album/cut-the-rivers-vein

Death metal already is impossibly heavy art because the music is pulverizing, and it can torture the untrained ear. It also can be devastating to someone who is used to the style just due to the sheer weight, especially if you’re witnessing it live. When you add words and philosophies that challenge political and social structures, it makes death metal that much more challenging to behold.

UK death band Venom Prison have, over the course of three full-length albums (one of those was comprised mostly of rerecorded tracks from their two EPs), established themselves as an uncompromising force both musically and lyrically, and they have created some of the more thought-provoking songs in the entire sub-genre the last decade. They now are landing with metal giant Century Media with their new record “Erebos,” one that mostly will feel at home for long-time listeners but also demonstrates an expanded collection of textures and sounds. It’s a sign of growth for the band—vocalist Larissa Stupar, guitarists Ash Gray and Ben Thomas, bassist Mike Jefferies, drummer Joe Bills—that continues their explosive and melodic heaviness but also shows you there is more lurking beneath the creative surface than some of us may have expected. Stupar yet again hits back with lyrics that are headier and more vulnerable than almost anything else in death metal, touching on politics, social issues, depression, PTSD, and other topics most don’t have an easy time expressing.

“Born From Chaos” is a quick instrumental opener to get your appetite activated, adding chants and jarring power, flowing into “Judges of the Underworld” that brings melodic death that Venom Prison do so well. Stupar’s howls open wounds as her voice is a muscle flexing as she howls, “Guilty as charged! A childhood of abandonment and desolation, adolescence filled with guns, institutionalization, who is to blame?” There are moments of hardcore bruising, some clean calls later, and a finish that leaves you buried. “Nemesis” lights up immediately with the tempo raging and the vocals bloodying lips, Stupar howling, “I am the damaged one! You deserve all damage done.” Synth also shimmers amid the death blazes that gasp billowing smoke, and the track muscles out, leaving everything flattened. “Comfort of Complicity” opens with warmer guitars before the thorns strike, and more hardcore-style energy gives off pulsating blasts. The pace is surging and violent, a melodic burst adds new colors, and the final moments are dreamy in the manner of glimpsing beauty as the heart of Armageddon. “Pain of Oizys” is a much different style of song for Venom Prison, one that might keep some at arm’s length as it opens in static blips and Stupar going full clean singing, something at which she’s quite powerful. The track goes back and forth from gothy vulnerability and gut-wrenching power, with Stupar wrenching, “This feeling of the constant pressure on my chest, and all I wish for is an end, a way out of this dirty mess, an escape from wishing I was dead.” The track is devastating both musically and lyrically, an impressive display from a band never hesitant to show new shades of themselves.

“Golden Apples of the Hesperides” hums as guitar heat generates in its belly, eventually unraveling into violent hell. The guitars sludge as the mud thickens, making your tracking nearly impossible, and then a prog-style sheen spreads, the vocals taking you on and wrestling you to the ground. “Castigated in Steel and Concrete” open with chilling synth before death sprawls, and the playing pulverizes. Melodic calls rain down behind the fires, though they never soothe, and even a quick drink of calm refuses to quench the violence as the final moments return to hell. “Gorgon Sisters” is ripped from the heart of Greek mythology and smashed into a world that hasn’t come all that far since the tales were written. This is total savagery and justified fury, the vocals shredding flesh, the playing absolutely terrifying. Later, synth brings some cooler air, but that’s extinguished in a hurry with skull-crushing mud and strange echoes, leaving you gasping for air. “Veil of Night” is punchy and humid, taking calculated shots and balancing misery and melody. Stupar spits nails on the verses, later howling, “My love will burn forever,” putting your heart and mind to the test. “Technologies of Death” is the closer, bringing angry guitars streaming and a quaking assault, the vocals going back and forth from serene to smothering. Synth glaze lives alongside heavy grinding as the guitars turn up the heat, and repeated chants dig into your psyche. Fog thickens as the struggles subside, and the final moments lather in the blood and oil spilled and left to collect in our hearts.

Venom Prison have a lot riding on “Erebos,” the first for metal superpower Century Media and one that’ll likely have more attention once it’s released than any of their other albums. Luckily, the band answers the bell over and over, amplifying their melodic and ripping death metal and adding some new elements not heard from the band before now. This is a triumphant, powerful record from a band that’s likely to be one of the main carriers of death metal’s banner over the next decade.

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

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

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

I feel like we run a pretty vast shop here, traveling outside metal’s realms whenever we feel like it and covering as much of the metal spectrum possible, as long as there are no pig squeal vocals. I get people like that shit, but I can’t do it. Sorry. Anyway, we don’t get to punk and hardcore records all that often for reasons, but when we dig into something we really like, we will roll in it with enthusiasm.

That day is here with the arrival of “Caterwaul,” the new one from Indiana punk crushers Milquetoast, and fuck if this isn’t a great time. The fact they align with my politics in a much funnier way than I ever have is a big plus, and their music is rowdy, metallic, and a good time in that way where you know you’d had too much and you’re wobbling dangerously, but you work hard. Who are we really hurting anyway? Anyway, over 10 blistering tracks, the band—guitarist/vocalist Ty Winslow, bassist/vocalist Andy Bowerman, drummer Nick James—threatens you with a stoning death, makes fun of Trump’s stupid wall, gets excited about space, and even embraces the dummies who are fooled by actual fake news. These boys warm my heart, and this record provides violent fun while I’m encased in ice.

“Intro” is here to get things stirring, preparing you for what’s ahead, and that’s headlong into “Dead Inside” that immediately delivers a heavy punk vibe. The track is fast and punchy with shouts of, “You’re dead inside!” over the chorus, flattering you with its mangling end, and then it’s on to “Recognize” that opens with psyche-washed guitars. Riffs jar as the wail of, “Recognition goes a long way,” registers, and noisy, yet catchy playing melts you and deposits you into mud and fuzz. The drums rip alone for a stretch, and then speed ignites as the track punches its way out. “Matapacos” has a dingy basement charm to it as it lights up fast and catchy with a fun chorus. The leads are dirty, a strange edge chills your flesh, and the final blows knock you out. “Stoner Safari” is a fun one that’s plying you with two messages. Thick bass and thrashy playing take center stage as you’re taunted with, “So you want to get stoned? Today’s your lucky day!” They’re not plying you with marijuanas. You’re literally going to die as they keep piling on the threats, giving off a scathing, powerful final gust.

“Step Off” enters with an unexpected bluesy riff and then things tangle, adding attitude and some scorching guitar work to boot. The bass drives as the intensity increases, ending in unruly screams and overall chaos. “Space Force” is a good time and reminds me of something the Coke Dares would have attempted. They build this thing on surf guitars and repeated shouts of, “Space force!” melting into cosmic hell and some good-natured nonsense. One of them howls, “I don’t want to go to Mars!” as the track comes to a rousing finish. “Fake News Blues” won’t make your stupid COVID-denying uncle happy, and good because he’s probably an asshole. “Everything I disagree with is fake news!” is wailed as the band revels in making fun of this lot, jamming their punk-powered assault that reeks of Black Flag as they vow to “form their own bias” from the shitty information clogging people’s brains. “Wall” has more pointed jabs at the Trump crowd that are both hilarious and pissed off, though a late shout of, “I don’t want to eat no motherfucking Applebee’s quesadilla,” sure turns things in a wacky direction. Fuck, dude. Same. “Forgotten Death” ends the record with warbling and wrecking, adding slurry riffs and powerful leads. Noisy fury erupts as the energy buckles, and the final moments ring out in your ears, putting you down after the ample bruising you sustained.

Milquetoast come off as a band that takes their music seriously but not necessarily themselves, which is one of the things that makes “Caterwaul” so refreshing. Even when they’re jabbing at people’s beliefs, you’d have to be a humorless asshole not to at least smirk at it. Otherwise, this album is a blast to hear, likely will be even more alluring if you’re drunk, and has cover art that assuredly will clash will all the other heavy releases, which is another benefit for the band and this turbulent and catchy record.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://milquetoastpunk.bandcamp.com/album/caterwaul

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

Outer space is both incredibly fascinating and utterly terrifying, and yes, both of those truths can live together in peace. I’ve been obsessed with space since I was a child, often spending nights gazing into the sky, almost assuredly making my parents think something was wrong with me, and maybe there was. But have you ever really thought about its endless vastness? That’s an intimidating thought with which to wrestle.

Heavy metal that is devoted to the cosmos always has allured me, and even stuff that isn’t necessarily created in awe of the great beyond but still gets me in that headspace always will resonate with me. So, when I got the promo for “Striving Toward Oblivion,” the debut full-length from German black metal force Vorga, I dug right into the thing. And I wasn’t disappointed at all as this thing is a rush from moment one, taking you on a sweeping, riff-encrusted ride that never relents on the intensity. The band—vocalist/bassist Спейса, guitarist Atlas, drummer Jervas—drives you into the stars and past alien worlds to places you only can imagine but somehow are able to visit with this eight-track, 45-minute adventure.

“Starless Sky” blasts open as the vocals hammer away, and the spacious aggression has its way with you. Fiery and fierce, the track continues to open deeper portals, chugging and tearing apart the machinations, pummeling and crushing to the end. “Comet” jars as it flies in with the shrieking tearing away, dissonance blasting your nerves. The chorus is as melodic as it is harsh, and things blend into a haze, stomping through the stars. Guitars tangle as the playing bustles, and then it’s on to “Disgust” that tramples heavily as it gets going. The vocals wrench as the band displays stunning power, especially with the drums decimating, and then things take a dark turn. The violence increases as everything comes unglued, blistering and bleeding out into time. “Stars My Destination” unfurls with guitars crunching and a fast, stunning vibe, keeping the pace with what preceded it. The playing levels you as the vocals storm, and the final moments sweep you up and dash you beyond.

“Last Transmission” opens the sonic floodgates as the riffs completely overwhelm, and everything else chews at your muscles. Speed and emotion are in ample supply as things turn mystical and tingly, shrieks rain down, and strange colors dash across the night sky. “Fool’s Paradise” delivers guitars that scuff you up, and the tempo trudges and smashes, feeling corrosive. The drama enters a star glaze as the wails echo and clouds darken, leaving an ominous sheen that explodes with power and fury. “Taken” rushes as the pace caves in your chest cavity, and massive melodies swarm and bring raucous rhythms, the vocals adding a dose of acid. The heaviness reigns as the morbidity increases, bringing weighty growls and moodiness, ending things in a pile of cinder. “Death Manifesting” closes out the record with jarring, catapulting power, feeling fiery and catchy with the vocals adding an extra dose of pressure. The whole thing goes hypnotic, twisting your brain in your skull, adding layers of agony before leaving this plane and blasting off to space.

Vorga have a stranglehold on endless riffs, interstellar melodies, and creations that capture your imagination and take you somewhere beyond. “Striving Toward Oblivion” is an exhilarating experience, making you come back for more journeys inside its own universe that leave you no choice but to expand your own dreams. This is really exciting stuff that should continue to take on a life of its own with subsequent releases.

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

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

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

Or here (India): https://tometal.com/store/

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