Physical injuries are pain are obvious, and no one ever questions them, because you can see someone in a cast or a neck brace or in bandages. People never seem to wonder about those things, likely because it’s something they can see. When it comes to mental wounds, those aren’t as apparent, and there are people in our society who dismiss them and wonder why people can’t toughen up. Would you tell someone with a broken back to get over it and walk?

Andy Curtis-Brignell, the creator behind long-running black metal project Caïna, has been one who let his scars and gaping wounds be displayed by the public. He’s been outspoken about the things that ail him, as anyone who follows him on social media can attest, and he also takes bullshit from assholes, because some people can’t help themselves but be shallow. Nonetheless, Curtis-Brignell never has let that deter him, and his return record under the Caïna banner, “Gentle Illness,” is here and is one of the most explosive in his catalog. It’s also one of the most diverse as this eight-track, nearly 38-minute album still simmers in black metal, but it adds more abrasive noise, jazz, and spacey visions to its palate, which adds interesting textures to a collection that’s steeped in pain.

“Wellness Policy” opens the record with noise stinging as a doctor asks a patient about her suicide attempt and what led to it. The track is dark and weighs down on you, leading to “Your Life Was Probably Pointless” that has guitars spiraling and Curtis-Brignell’s growls devastating. The track goes from heavily pummeling to pulling back and letting cold showers chill your bones, leading into strange shadows. Just then, savage fires erupt, keys plink down like ice daggers, and the track rushes out. “No Princes in Hell” is murderous in its approach while noise assaults, and the vocals hammer the mind. The track unexpectedly turns jazzy and loose, sprawling unexpectedly before the music strikes again, slashing before it bows to a cloud of noise. “Canto IV” is an instrumental cut that has beats crackling, soundwaves spreading, and voices echoing before the track reverberates and freezes out.

The title track has a sci-fi feel as it unfurls, while darkness rolls, and the track is torn from guts to chest. An electronic wave sizzles underneath a hammering salvo, and drums and beats rapidly strike, blistering, as a clip runs about overrun mental health clinics, ways to keep patients calm, and the striking line of, “Don’t think that because they’re mentally ill, they don’t know what’s going on,” soberingly sending a warning. “Contactee Cult” opens with the bass lurking, keys warming, and guitars lathering before knifing into flesh. A path of relentless, storming chaos moves forward, feeding into another jazzy bit with shimmering keys before an industrial haze swallows everything whole. “My Mind Is Completely Disintegrating” is a 7:14-long battle with panic as it slowly crawls while guitars arrive and wander, more jazz-filled pockets open and swallow you, and things spiral into the cosmos, allowing organs to rise before everything slips away. Closer “One Breath Under the Yoke Is a Fate Worse Than Death” jolts with an electronic shock, burning a path toward a sooty death march complete with fierce wails. Curtis-Brignell conjures manic hell that bursts and burns, increasing the intensity before things finally dissipate.

Mental illness and living with such condition are constant battles, something that’s never fully won, a demon that never really goes away. Curtis-Brignell captures the pressure and punishment one goes through when dealing with these deteriorating conditions on “Gentle Illness,” a record that could resonate a little too much and too deeply for those of us who suffer. Caïna’s music always is welcome in our world, and this record is devastating, but this is not music that’s easy to hear or digest.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/

Or here: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/Caïna-gentle-illness-lp

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

There are some things even darkness, uncertainty, and chaos cannot stop from coming into fruition. That saying “what’s meant to be will be” is something people may pass off as some sort of philosophical gazing, but it also holds a ton of truth. Something that is meant to materialize will do that no matter the forces that are pushing against it.

“Demon Solar Totem,” the second record from black metal beasts The Deathtrip almost didn’t happen. Maybe, in some other warped timelines, it doesn’t make its way into the world, but in this existence, it’s here, and it’s vile and strange. I could write an entire passage about this record’s volatile journey and the starts and stops the band faced creating this seven-track, 55-minute monster. But why regurgitate that entire thing? All you need to know is guitarist Host started to work on the long-awaited response to their debut “Deep Drone Master,” and as things were getting ready to commit to time, vocalist Aldrahn parted ways with the band. That led to the return of original vocalist Kvohst (formerly of Dødheimsgard and currently of Grave Pleasures and Hexvessel), who commands the album and gives it muscle in a way only he can. Bass was completed by Thomas Eriksen of Mork, and now the album has two label homes for Europe and North America, which it deserves because it is scathing.

The title track rips the top off this thing with ominous riffs cutting through the center, and that eruption leads to things turning delirious. Kvohst’s insane shrieks burst while chants ricochet off the chorus, and clean singing comes in and add more darkness. That leads into a vile passage with ritualistic cries and pummeling madness. “Angel Fossils” have riffs spiraling and growls digging into the nerves. Wails over the chorus segue into a vicious, chilling space that brings about a trancey attack and more chants that end the track. “Enter Spectral Realms” starts with leads glimmering, driving slowly until the gears are shredded. An old school black metal spirit spills into the room and sends chills, while delirious guitars scramble, and weird calls disintegrate into a haze.

“Surrender to a Higher Power” lets guitars heat up and hypnotize, and strange, detached singing is smeared over the chorus. A storming pace collides with the earth while the vocals refuse mercy, and cries of, “Surrender,” destroy. “Vintage Telepathy” is hushed at first before it bathes in slow heaviness, with singing mixing in with the perilous guitar work. “What am I becoming?” Kvohst calls before screaming, “Shadows are falling!” over and over as the song ends in echo. “Abraxas Mirrors” has noise bubbling before it’s torn apart, and maniacal wails crush souls. The pace is unforgiving and bizarre, as the title is screamed over the chorus, and savagery mixes with belts with shrieks. “Awaiting a New Maker” is the 10-minute closer that first hovers before chugging and chewing. Howls and singing blend together as the guitars transfix, with the tempo ramping up and mauling. The track steamrolls as higher vocals rise, a fog infects, and the track submits to a cloud of cavernous noise.

The Deathtrip did whatever they had to do to get “Demon Solar Totem” out into the world, and it thrives and destroys based on the strength it gained by volatility. This is a fitting second chapter in the band’s run, and now having a familiar voice back behind the mic gives them what they need to keep burning into the future. This is a terrifying, massive slab of true black metal, and we’re all better off for this music having survived and found its way into our bloodstreams.

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

To buy the album go here: https://svartrecords.com/?s=deathtrip

Or here: https://profoundlorerecords.merchtable.com/

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

And here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/

At no point in time have we ever considered this site an expert-level collection of stories about heavy metal bands and the new records they release. Really, no site should declare that because that assumes you know everything, and no one does. But we’d like to think we’re pretty knowledgeable, but to say things never have flow under our radar would be a lie.

So, when I got a release about “Feast Your Eyes,” the latest album from Warsenal, I got immediately confused when I read them referred to as Canadian thrash metal “legends.” I’d like to think most bands who are deemed legends have passed through my brain before, so after doing some quick research, I deemed to issue to be the word choice by whoever wrote the piece. Warsenal have been around since 2012, and “Feast Your Eyes” (can’t confirm whether this record is based on Dominic Dijakovich’s ring skills) happens to be their second album overall. This isn’t to take away from the band that takes that speed tag quite literally as these nine songs are fast as hell, which made notetaking really difficult because things are happening so rapidly. So, the “legendary” tag is lovingly premature, but there’s enough biting material here that in time and with more crushing material like this, the band—guitarist/vocalist Matthew Rondeau, bassist Jeffrey Millaire, drummer Vincent Caron—can earn that lofty title. This record is just scathing.

“Forever Lost” gets the thing started with blinding guitar runs, nasty vocals, and riffs confounding and twisting the brain. It takes some guts to start off a record with a track this weird, though it starts to normalize itself with your psyche as it reaches its melodic, crashing end. “I Am the Blade” has the bass rumbling before the guitars catch fire and blast some killer riffs. The thrashy gang-shouted chorus is fun, and then a bluesy shift breaks in, complete with scraping wails and a very busy finish. “Lords of Rifftown” is a mauler, with more riffs that strike you before you know what’s happening, as well as a punchy chorus that should go over well live. Guitars go all over the map, including a sharp solo that leads to a crushing finish. “Insatiable Hunger” lets the riffs punch back as raspy shouts belt you, with Rondeau howling, “I’m looking for something sweeter!” That leads to the band throwing everything at the wall again, bringing it down with every punch in its arsenal.

“Doomed From Birth” has an acoustic lead in, but don’t be fooled because the hammer is on the other side. The track explodes, with a solid bassline leading the way, and the verses totally overwhelming with speed. The vocals are just spat out, as Rondeau shouts, “Cursed!” three times before the track blasts out. “You Better Run” has riffs shuffling and confusing, as the song tears into your spine, with Rondeau warning, “If you hear me coming, you better run!” Fierce screams and a pace that changes on a dime shake up your guts, while the track ends with huge body blows. “Burning Ships” is fiery as hell when it starts with speedy leads, gruff cries, and a pace that just flattens. The bass actually turns kind of proggy toward the end before the leads blaze brightly again as the song barrels out. The title track again features guitars that just go off, as Rondeau cries, “We’re spilling blood for your delight!” That kicks it into an even higher gear as the guitars go for broke, and Rondeau wonders, “Are you not entertained?” Very much so, yes. “Crystal Whip” brings the record to its end as guitars race, a rapid-fire chorus breaks ribs, and the track ends in a blaze that’ll have you covering your eyes and racing for shelter.

I didn’t mean any insult to the band over questioning the used of “legendary” in their bio, as that’s not their fault at all, and really, they’re a damn good band. “Feast Your Eyes” is one of the rowdiest albums I’ve heard this year, and their thrash chops definitely are not to be questioned. As long as the band keeps compiling killer material like they did here, they’ll be gashing people and spilling blood for years.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://svartrecords.com/?show=all_items

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

Have you ever heard a record that, silly as it sounds, seemed to have only the worst of intentions for you in mind? How could it? It’s music, and it can’t think for itself. But the people making it surely could, and hearing that type of assault always makes me feel like I need to have my guard up just in case.

The arrival of “Filth Ouroboros,” the second record from Cheyenne, Wo., death metal crushers Casket Huffer, makes me feel insecure each time I visit it. The band uses a war metal-style onslaught as its base, and obviously there’s a great deal of relentless hell when it comes to that approach, but these guys seem to push even that over the top on these eight tracks spread over an economical 40 minutes. This is the follow-up to their 2016 debut “Gospels of Scum,” and it’s an even more ferocious assault as they seem to dump fire on the fuel over all of these songs. The band—Than Wilson (guitar, bass, vocals), Eric Worthington (guitar, bass), Dylan Newbury (drums)—levels you with power and violent tenacity, making the music really seem like it is hoping for the worst for you, and it’s already got you in its grasp.

“Altars of Despondency” starts the record with a savage burst that essentially sets the tone for the record. Melody surges behind the hellish assault laid out before you, as the music works to liquify everything and turn it into lava. The track just keeps mauling from there, with riffs stabbing and suffocation imminent. “Oblivion Serpents” has smothering riffs dicing, growls killing, and a stretch that fries in a noise bath. While your skull is being beaten in, a solo squeezes out, and everything comes to a furious end. “The Antichrist Vessel” is mean and driving, as guitars stampede, and the drums unleash slaughter. The track feels like it’s storming hell, ripping apart faces, with the leads fanning the flames. “Genocide Thralls” grinds hard but also rubs your face in sludge as the band thrashes away and turns you into a blinding assault. The final minute of the track is a dizzying burst that spits shrapnel right at your unprotected throat.

The title track follows and delivers chunky guitar work that spread like a trail of lighter fluid toward an open flame. The guitars later speed and warp while the growls bury you in humiliation, and everything comes to an impossibly destructive end. “Caustic Winds” is complete chaos when it arrives, smashing you with steely riffs, maniacal growls, and drumming that sounds like it’s trying to tear through the earth. The growls churn and bury the senses, while the dizzying pace leaves no place for peace. “Aghast” is mercilessly heavy as the band war stomps all over its unsuspecting victims, while the growls sound like they’re trying to draw up bile. The song continues its murderous strength, hitting thrashy pockets and ending up in massive bursts of chaos. “Harrowing Mysticism” is the closer, and it erupts into a rampage right from the start, doing as much damage as possible. The growls light up and chew through muscle, while a tortuous attack is waged before things thicken up and trudge in a calculated pace. But before you can get comfortable, the playing is sucked into a death spiral, the guitars rumble, and the track ends in a painful pierce of sound.

Casket Huffer’s music is not for the weak-minded or for anyone who can’t handle an outright barrage of decibels and death that can split your face down the middle. “Filth Ouroboros” is a ridiculously heavy and punishing display that sets your life on fire and sits back to laugh. This is pure devastation that will not leave you feeling good mentally or physically once it’s over, and that’s pretty much what the band seems to have in mind.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://hibernationrelease.bigcartel.com/

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

Photo by Ester Segarra

The amount of bands doing interesting things within metal’s confines is at an almost ridiculous rate, with so much imaginative art being passed down to us on a seemingly weekly basis. It’s to the point where sometimes really strong records get lost in the shuffle because of the overflow of quality content, and it’s difficult for even us to keep up, and we get access to nearly all of it.

It’s not that Swiss burners Schammasch haven’t gotten their accolades in the United States, but considering the powerful nature of their catalog strictly based on how great it is, they really should be a bigger deal. Their fourth record “Hearts of No Light” is right on the horizon, and it’s another gigantic leap into the future for this group that keeps shapeshifting with each release. Here, the group has some added guests including Aldrahn (ex of Dødheimsgard  and Thorns) and visionary visual artist/musician Dehn Sora (Treha Sektori, Throane, Ovtrenoir) to help push the borders and expand the template. But most credit goes to the five members of Schammasch—vocalist/guitarist C.S.R., guitarists M.A. and J.B., bassist A.T., drummer B. A. W—who delve into gothic darkness, strange horrorscapes, and even some post-metal fog to color their amalgamation of black and death metal. It’s a chilling, sweeping record that never relents and always pays off with twists and turns that should enthrall you.

“Winds That Pierce the Silence” opens the record with pianos cascading and an emotional pall, as things fade suddenly before cutting back in and increasing the drama, heading toward “Ego Sum Omega” that bursts immediately and spews fire through cracks in the earth. Cavernous growls drive while daring playing sprawls all over, with a thunderous pace setting the tone and making the world fall apart. The track pulls back a bit and crawls for a while before another explosion burns, trampling bodies and causing dizziness, unleashing melodies before fading to black. “A Bridge Ablaze” has keys and beats blending together as pained speaking floods your senses, pastoral chants send chills, and the somber ending leads toward “Qadmon‘s Heir” that feels like it rips right through the universe. Growls strike as riffs maul, with the verses blasting, and C.S.R. wailing, “We are indeed dead but breathing,” before the track goes for broke. “We did come to defile the temple, for our reign is resort,” C.S.R. howls with authority as riffs swirls and chants are embedded into the crazed ending.

“Rays Like Razors” starts with the demand of, “Stab into my heart!” as tricky riffs split skulls, and the forceful push makes their momentum impossible to handle. “Those fires beyond will never rise again,” C.S.R. screams repeatedly as the guitars follow with a wave of madness, the drums destroy, and odd chants dig into your heart and blacken it. “I Burn Within You” is instantly speedy with raw howls that later are overtaken by goth-style clean singing. Carnival-style pianos then crash in, with dramatic speaking over top, and things come to a downward spiral that smashes at the bottom of the stairs. “A Paradigm Of Beauty” has guitars slicing amid strange echoes, while creaking vocals make their way into the picture. A proggy segment comes in and makes things even more adventurous, later ushering in a rock n roll-style rampage that feels jangly and edgy with sharp leads. Singing darkens everything, though it also results in a catchy pocket, while C.S.R. calls, “You gave me everything and more,” as the song ends. “Katabasis” has cold guitars greeting while the song slowly unfurls, setting a mode that finally ignites about three minutes in. The riffs punish as C.S.R. vows, “I will follow you down the path into the fire,” as the chorus smears soot. The track clobbers violently before coming to an enthralling finish. “Innermost, Lowermost Abyss” closes the record, getting started with glimmering guitars, beats mixing in, and a methodical build that lets this 15:05-long track breathe. Clean guitars wash away the charred entrails as classical-style leads enter, and the sounds spread into a trancey haze. The track feels like it’s floating in the stars before the volume builds with crackling static before everything spikes out.

Schammasch have changed themselves with each record, adding twisted new elements and exploring terrain other bands fear to tread. “Hearts of No Light” has no shortage of black heaviness and relentless savagery, but the imagination and fearless experimentation that goes into their music makes them even more dynamic and unpredictable. This is a breath-taking step into the future and even beyond this plane of existence for Schammasch, and their journey is something no one possibly could predict, which makes them a band you have to keep your eye on before they’ve defied human sight.

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

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

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

There is no doubt there is evil afoot in this world, and all one has to do is turn on the news or, if you’re really in the mood for self-masochism, get onto the Twitter. It’s weird to think sometimes we have to remove ourselves from this reality and visit with hellish creatures and forces of eternal damnation to make our hearts feel a little better. Twisted as that is.

So, it was, after once again being pulverized by the day’s events that “Through Ruin … Behold,” the debut record from Kosmokrator, felt like it was just the elixir needed to cope with 24 more hours of bullshit. The Belgian beasts mash together death and black metal with great effect, and though they’re just now issuing their first official record, the band has been together since 2013 and have put out smaller releases along the way. This seven-track, 47-minute record is not trying to be anything it’s not, and it isn’t relying on trying to keep up with ever-evolving sounds. This is a crushing, mind-erasing affair that the band—vocalist J., guitarists C.M. and D.V., bassist T., drummer P.R.—fully commits to driving into your chest like a cannonball, with you heaving for breath and blacking out.

“The Push Towards Daath” has an eerie beginning before the hammers are dropped in the form of splattered guitars and wild growls. The evil assault makes its way toward doom horns and an outright bludgeoning, while humid flames rise, the drums pace, and the finish is an outright drubbing. “Ruins” has guitars threatening before unleashing, as nasty wails and a mighty force punch toward your center. Yelled lines and a furious pace unite while the steam thickens, and the track burns out of time. “Irreversible Pathways” is smothering as the track goes for broke and powders bones, while evil howls crush and shake the brain. The sludgy assault and massive barrage continue while warped riffs bounce off your skull, and the song slowly bleeds away.

“I Am the Utterance of My Name” has strange sounds that make the flesh crawl as the guitars cut through meat and muscle, and weird growls turn beastly. The tempo then picks up and makes a run through the middle while wild cries pummel, and a fever dream sinks into your bloodstream as the track loosens its grip. “Kosmokratoras I – In His Name Shineth the Sun” starts in a sound bath before weird riffs tumble and the bass thickens. The tempo punishes while the track lays waste, and then a female-driven choral section sets in as the playing kills, only to return to madness before the song bows out. “Nathir” has riffs encircling and the verses charring before the whole world seems immersed in madness. The track is a constant assault that makes you dizzy as it goes on, finally ending in smothering hell. “Gestorben Muss Sein” is the closer and gets started with charged up guitars that give off heat before the song truly bursts. Deep growls arrive, as if choking on mud, before the terrain gets doomy and ugly. The song folds in cold trickling that provides a moment of solace as a female voice fires up, the track crackles, and the intensity quakes before exiting into fury.

Kosmokrator’s debut might have taken some time to arrive, but “Through Ruin… Behold” is a fully realized, smothering record that completely rips you apart. This record feels like it’s trying to force you into the eye of evil, accept its command, and commit to an eternity of suffering all because it’s what you deserve. This record will carve you up and leave piles of your flesh and blood behind in piles.

For more on the band, go here: https://initiate-decimation.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.van-records.de/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=kosmokrator&x=0&y=0

For more on the label, go here: https://www.van-records.de

Photo by Kathleen Kennedy

The cosmos and death metal have become strange bedfellows over the past few years. It wouldn’t seem like they’d make sense together on the surface but adding those weird dashes of synth along with pulverizing chaos and wooshes from beyond really work well if you know how to mix those parts. And get ready for a giant wave of new bands that totally can’t.

Continuing that movement with great power are Dallas death pounders Cleric on their second record “Serpent Psalms” that arrives six years after their debut offering “Gratum Inferno. It’s not that the band is digging full bore into alien conspiracy and intergalactic tales (um, that record comes later this year), but their sound very much falls in line with that style. They splash their Scandinavian-friendly sound with strange pockets of synthesizer that makes it seem like a you’re locked in a B-movie alien invasion in which the only way to survive is battle to the end. The band—vocalist Zac Christian, guitarists Chris Richardson and Ben Cooper (he replaced Cody Tatum after the recording), bassist Todd Thompson (he replaced John Schiller after the recording), drummer Zack Jobin—continues their raw, savage sound on this record that is devastating front to back.

“Maw of Absolution” begins with a cloud of synth and the cosmos bubbling before the track is shredded open, and the death march is on. The track is bludgeoning and bloody as riffs chew up muscle, the growls smear, and the drums bring devastation that eventually sinks into the muck. “Lucifer Triumphant” has muddy riffs and beastly growls with the leads sizzling in doom. The track then melts to a slow drive with the growls crushing and the pace defacing whatever is in front of them. “Of Twilight and of the Grave” has weird 1980s keys sickening brains before the piledriver is delivered. The track sinks in mud as the playing hammers away with the drums opening up slaughter and strong soloing blaring. The growls deal further blows, scraping away before the spaceship returns and summons the body. “Possessed in Congress” is not seemingly directed at the current political scene but might as well be. Chants bring in the song before things get fast and punishing with total violence leading the way. The track smears blood into the wounds before some final barks cement the weird finish.

“Unending Spectral Bloodshed” has riffs swaggering, the growls gurgling, and the guitars hovering over the killing field. The track breaks apart and sprays shrapnel, while strange guitars make flesh quiver, wild yells belt out, and the leads heat up and drive us into hell. “All Death Unseeing” has doomy riffs entangling while the tempo lurches, and then the song tears open. The band begins landing heavy body blows, as the song smashes bones, the growls turn to stabbed yelps, and the track ends in a furnace fire gone astray. “Satan Be Thy Name” is speedy and rowdy, bashing in heads and rolling in the aftermath. The track is thrashy as hell and has an easy chorus that will work well live, rolling around in chaos as the song bows out. “Forever Coils the Serpent (Opener of the Way)” delivers speedy riffs and some disarming melody, going more the black metal route before heading into muscular mashing. Guitars light up as the soloing scorches before everything dissolves into a gooey patch. “Destroying Eye of the Self” begins with a blanket of synth before meaty riffs rumble, and grim calls blister your chest with shots. The drumming then murders before soloing erupts, and then things turn murky and weird. A terrifying trance is achieved as growls return to destroy, and everything ends in utter brutality.

Cleric’s smashing approach to death metal is satisfying and gruff, and the extra cosmic seasonings they sprinkle onto their grim stew on “Serpent Psalms” can cause shivers along with the bruising. They’re also just making really good death metal, if we want to state this on the most simplistic of levels, and that’s really the reason to visit this record in the first place. It’s good to have this band after the long time away, and they’re entering back into a morbid world in which they’re more than equipped to survive.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://cleric-us.bandcamp.com/

Or here: https://rawskullrecordz.com/en/cds/419-cleric-serpent-psalms-cd-pre-order.html

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

And here: http://www.redefiningdarkness.com/

Photo by Ethan DeLorenzo

There tends to be a rather direct focus on death on this site, which you have to expect since it comes with the territory. But that’s not all there is to extreme music, just like volume and face-mashing intensity are not musts when it comes to metal. There are the everyday machinations of life that also come into play and inspire, even if we don’t get a lot of beauty here all the time.

Mammifer’s primary creative driver Faith Coloccia never has followed the typical paths when it comes to her music for this project, and that carries over to “The Brilliant Tabernacle,” her latest creation under this banner. The music is immersive and contemplative, certainly not an album that’s going to leave anyone deafened, but that’s never been the point to Mammifer’s work. Here, she celebrates the patterns of life from its fragile creation to the pain we feel along the way, working toward our ultimate end. The central character finds itself rotting and adversely impacted by modern life, only finding union with one’s true soul through immersion in love. Part of what helped inspire this music, which often freak like psychedelic folk combined with spiritual passages, also was formed after the birth of Coloccia’s first child after the last Mamiffer album “The Hope Unseen.” She, along with a group of other musicians, including partner and longtime Mamiffer member Aaron Turner, visit themes of hope, love, support, and surrender on this collection that should stir inside of you some emotions perhaps left buried.

“All That Is Beautiful” starts the record as pianos slowly emerge, drums activate, and Coloccia’s vocals begin their ascent. The music feels breezy and even chamber-friendly, while guitars begin to drone, letting things burns off, while the song ends in a noise pocket. “River of Light” has drums tapping and haunting vocals fluttering while flutes fill the room with air, and static builds. The music hangs overhead and intoxicates, opening the gates for “So That the Heart May Be Known” that has keys dripping and hand drumming. The playing stings and stretches with the main piano line returning and crushing, and the singing increasing its presence. Violin scratches as sleigh bells ring, with the vocals swimming back in before the song bows out.

“Two Hands Together” lets piano spill as Coloccia calls, “In this water, deliver me, child, I grow for you.” She sings of experiencing the baby’s cry over a ceremonial expression, buzzing keys, and an ambiance that feels like a hymn. “To Receive” has a deep Middle Ages character with strong vocal melodies, making your head float along with the words that Coloccia uses to entrance. “Hymn of Eros” has noise churning, woodwinds traveling in from the hills, and the track building itself amid drums circling and keys blending into the scene. Droning digs into your temples while galactic strikes land, and the song slips into the cosmos. “To Be Seen” has pianos bubbling as visions of early morning unfurl, with Coloccia ensuring, “You are one of us.” Violin cuts through as folkish acoustic guitars add texture, organs spread, and all of the elements come to a head. Calming singing sinks into your bloodstream, as the song’s spirit becomes one with the wind as it moves back into the stars.

Mamiffer’s journey has been unpredictable, as every stop along the way has offered something new and substantive, not just a new series of songs. “The Brilliant Tabernacle” follows that tradition and is a record that provides a personal journey on which you can join and experience all of the throes of existence. Coloccia is an artist who always gives full of herself, but she’s never given of her heart and soul like this ever before.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Mamiffer-110768695615501/

To buy the album, go here: https://sige.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://sigerecords.blogspot.com/

Photo by A.F. Cortes

One thing about music that infinitely interests me is how a record gets made. What was the process like? Who did what? Were things planned out or spontaneous? It’s a question I commonly ask bands when I do interviews, and I always worry it’s going to be the most boring of all the things I pose to my subject. But sometimes it leads to a really interesting answer.

When it comes to Sunn 0)))’s new piece “Pyroclasts,” the band details in the bio materials for the record that they would begin and end each day in a 12-minute drone session, a way to align creatively where they would time pull together their creative energies. The music you hear here is what was captured alongside the work that made up their last album ”Life Metal,” released this past spring, and both records are conjoined in that way. They share a pathos in another way in that the songs are spiritually and creatively aligned, with “Pyroclasts” working as a sort of companion piece or sibling to “Life Metal,” something that becomes apparent with numerous listens to both. Joining the primary hooded figures Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley are Tim Midyett, Tos Nieuwenhuizen, and Hildur Guðnadóttir, and together, along with producer Steve Albini, they conjure four passages that bring energy and immersive power but also pull back and let you explore mentally.

“Frost (C)” begins with noises quivering as the guitars initiate their reign, and drone rumbles into swirling winds. The track keeps moving and subtly building parts to the whole, while the ambiance chills you to the bone. As the music begins to permeate your cell structure, there’s a slight rise and fall in tone, while the music vibrates, shimmering before subsiding. “Kingdoms (G)” leans in with lighter noise before the drone awakens and peeks over the horizon, with threatening guitars just behind it. Sharp notes jolt while the heat picks up, churning its way to more warmth, while a strange melody lurks beneath the surface. The track then feels like an engine, charging one last time before fading out.

“Ampliphædies (E)” has an immediate surge, with notes crushing, the guitars haze hovering, and the volume rising and promising more friction is coming. Again, a melody line is present, though you have to clear the weeds in the waters some to hear it, and there’s a vibe that weirdly reminds of Soundgarden. Sounds power and pierce any sense of calm while fuzz murmurs, and the track slips into stardust. “Ascension (A)” ends the record by introducing burly guitars, reverberations deep in the ear canals, and a long, trance-inducing stretch that generates heat. The tones cause the floors to shake, eating away at the psyche before a buzzing glimmer leads to an abrupt ending.

The end of the “Life Metal” cycle gets an immersive, reflective jolt with “Pyroclasts,” which is one of Sunn 0)))’s most calming records in their entire catalog. Don’t take that as meaning it’s not pulverizing when it needs to be, because they still carry the iron. It’s a strong piece to compliment “Life Metal” as well as a trance-heavy creation that can more than stand on its own in the band’s mighty catalog.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://southernlord.com/store/

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

Lungs (photo by Bronson Karaff)

Doing this site isn’t easy sometimes, because there are moments when the music just pours in like crazy. We have that situation right now with too much stuff to talk about this week, so we’re going to capsule a few releases you should keep your eyes and ears on. The four artists who created these three records could not be any more different from each other, so there’s a lot of sample.

Minneapolis-based doom-sludge artists Lungs are one of those bands that likely could find an audience outside of heavy music. Yeah, they’re meaty as fuck, and their music can dent in your sides, but they bring something entirely different to this style in their vocals. You definitely will get some guttural screams, but you also are rewarded with stellar harmonizing that stands apart from so much of what other bands of this ilk tend to do. And it is so refreshing. Their new record is “Estuary,” and it comes with a heavy heart as it’s dedicated to their late guitarist Sean Tobin, who passed away last year. Its current lineup—guitarist/vocalist Jonas Kromer Yela, bassist/vocalist Mike Cushing, guitarist Dan Lee, drummer/vocalist Jeff Nicholas—delivers a five-track opus that’s powerful, emotional, incredibly human, and wholly unforgettable. It also features guest vocals from Erin Severson of the awesome Former Worlds, and everything on here may need time to sink in, but once it does, you can’t shake it.

“Matriarch” begins the record with guitars simmering before barked wails interject, then the vocals smooth out with some lurching singing. Things turn muddy and ominous as guitars melt, eerie harmonizing drips, and the guitars sizzle out. “Unbecoming” glimmers in calm, as hearty singing slathers, feeling psychedelic and dreamy. “Will you be forgiven?” they ask before the track punches, muddy basslines pummel, and the track heads into proggy waters before disappearing into the void. “Oak” is gentle and jazzy as it starts, as the signing pulls you in only to have you bludgeoned with power. Growls scrape while the song goes back and forth from threatening to mentally soothing, twisting and turning all the way, dragging you through the thorns. “At the Estuary” is the longest cut, running 10:05 and easing you through the cosmos as it goes. Much of the song is reflective, with the singing boosting the tendency to float away. Later on, the track stomps heavily as the soloing catches fire, and the pace jerks and crumbles. Howls ring out as the music spirals, and the pace is ramped up hard, with the final minutes paying off in smashing devastation. “A Blessing, a Curse” closes the album, simmering in strings before destroying the senses. Riffs swagger as the band unloads chaos, and though there are stretches where we pull back and achieve calm, the bulk of this thing goes right for you, jostling and maiming, leaving you a heaping pile of flesh when it’s done.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://lungsmetal.bandcamp.com/album/estuary

To me, the best split recordings are ones that pit bands that are not much alike, though their music makes sense together. That’s what we have with the new collection from Toronto doom dreamers Volur and long-running San Francisco-based neo-classical ambient unit Amber Asylum. Each side of this thing could not sound any more in conflict, but it works perfectly. You get the volcanic and adventurous thunder of Volur with bassist/vocalist Lucas Gadke, violinist/vocalist Laura Bates, and drummer Jimmy P Lightning on their four “Breaker of Rings” movements that suck you right in and mash you. Oh, if you’ve never seen Volur live, change that. They’re stunning. Amber Asylum brings you back down and has you floating through mysterious ghost worlds as they—the lineup for the record includes Kris Force, Jackie Perez Gratz, and Erica Stoltz, though Fern Lee is also a member—enrapture you and let you drift away with them to explore places you didn’t know existed.

The first of the four “Breaker of Rings” tracks opens with sounds quivering, violin streaming, and a mournful sentiment, with the song slowly forming and the drums opening, crashing into the second movement where Gadke’s singing kicks in, hovering over the murky playing. The violins swarm like a storm, sounding ominous and drawing you into the dark as the third section takes over, mostly built by Bates’ violin playing that thickens the drama and even comes off like a horror score at times. The final segment runs 10:02, breaking open and rumbling with lurching growls and soaring strings. Corners are dark and enchanting, others are volcanic, and everything comes to a gigantic finish that crunches. The Amber Asylum portion also consists of four tracks, starting with haunting “Séance” that has a cosmic ambiance that swims in the stars, pushing toward 11:07-long centerpiece “Blood Witch.” The singing floats, strings and bass fold into the mix, making everything dreamy and foggy. That leads the track into strange mists, slowly haunting as it goes, with the call of, “His cruelty is kind,” bruising as the song subsides. “Swarm Interlude” vibrates and echoes, melting into closer “Malaria,” where strings numb and the music glazes over. Cello beckons beneath it all as dark drama stretches, and everything disappears into the cold.

For more on Volur, go here: https://www.facebook.com/VolurDoom

For more on Amber Asylum, go here: https://www.facebook.com/AmberAsylum.official/

To buy the album, go here: https://prophecy.lnk.to/voelur-amber-asylum

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

We get a lot of music submissions from bands looking to get something onto our site. It’s very humbling that people care what we think. A lot of times I’ll read the bio and decide if I want to dig deeper. To be honest, when I first read the description for Grand Rapids, MI, extreme metal band Vestigial, I didn’t give it much hope of ending up on the site. DevilDriver is mentioned in the bio, one of my least favorite bands of all time, and some of the other groups noted are a collection of not-my-cup-of-tea artists. Nothing at all wrong with those bands; they just do nothing for me. But then I realized I was being a little unfair, so I gave a test run to “Crown of Serpents,” the band’s second record, and I’m glad I did. This doesn’t really sound like the bands they note in their bio as it’s much heavier and nastier. It’s well-played death metal, the type that a label like Unique Leader might snap up, so if that’s your thing, you’d definitely want to give these guys—guitarist/vocalist Michael Stellema, guitarist vocalist Tyler Stellema, bassist Joey Barnett, drummer Mike Miller—a solid listen.

“Phantasmagoria” is a quick opener to this concept record, and the song gives you a taste of what is ahead. Their brand of death is pretty straightforward, and it leads you into the other beasts lurking. “Dethroned” hammers and feels adventurous (the glitchy effects should go, as it’s become a genre trope), as fluid soloing rises, and piercing shrieks rain down. “Usurper” is in a similar vein, going full bore after you and doing damage, while “The Swarm” has jerky riffs that cut through steel as well as growls that sound like they’re gurgling on blood. “King Carrion” is meaty with molten guitars and a very heavy hand, landing heavy blows. This is another where some of the washed-out effects feel stale, and really, the music is strong enough to stand on its own without those dashes. “Hangman” is swaggering and drips with attitude, while closer “Rust” pulls back a bit and lets the music simmer, which makes a world of difference. This shows another side of the band as they remain heavy but also show reflective tones, as the guitars explore and even have a touch of prog strength to them.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://vestigial.bandcamp.com/album/crown-of-serpents