Breaking news: Heavy metal bands are super into the devil and will figure out whatever creative (or not-so-creative) ways to inject the dark overlord into their music, cover art, merch, you name it. This has been the case since the genre started, it remains that way now, and it will until this music form dies and descends straight into hell.

That whole thing whips up again with “Cursed Be Thy Kingdom,” the new record from Portland, Ore., blasters Bewitcher, who should find a larger audience now that they’re aligned with giants Century Media. That’s a mutual benefit, really, as the label gets a fresh, fiery new band to add to their roster, and the band can entrance their audience with their rock and roll-based black metal that, yes, very much digs in its hooves for Satan himself. Don’t’ be mistaken: This isn’t a religious homage by any means. Instead, it’s a blistering explosion into heathenistic fun that simmers in both traditional and cataclysmic waters. The band—vocalist/guitarist M. Von Bewitcher, bassist A. Magus, drummer A. Hunter—injects a ton of attitude, charisma, and fire to their third record, which so happens to be their best sounding so far and one that should raise their profile, especially once shows are back.   

“Ashe” is a quick instrumental intro track built with dusty acoustics and a Western vibe, welling up and blowing its way into “Death Returns…” that explodes with churning riffs and metallic power. “He’s coming for your soul,” Von Bewitcher warns as the band hits the gas pedal and injects you with a giant dose of hellish fun. “Satanic Magick Attack” unleashes a killer riff and classic metal power, pummeling you and smashing you with a great chorus. “He’s coming for your soul,” Von Bewitcher pokes as the tempo is furious and jabbing, the chorus whips back in for another go, and everything ends in a pit of fire. “Electric Phantoms” lets the drums loose and envelops you as the speed ignites and sends the song roaring toward the stars. A total ’80s-style solo completely melts while the tempo remains rough and rowdy, and the track keeps its intensity right to the bloody end. “Mystifier (White Night City)” has utterly killer riffs and Von Bewitcher howling, “It’ll be a hot time in the town tonight.” Great guitar work unloads as the pace suddenly changes and warps, soloing kills, and the track ends in total annihilation.

The title track has a huge opening as the guitars lunge, the vocals fire up, and an array of blows are set to kill. The leads fire up as the track blazes melodically, Von Bewitcher’s words imagine chariots clashing in heaven, and everything comes to a destructive end. “Valley of the Ravens” chugs as it achieves a mystical vibe as the vocals warp over top. The visions of witches burning is woven into the story as Von Bewitcher wails, “What a lovely day for an execution.” Cool soloing arrives and gets aggressive in a hurry while the chorus rounds back for a final blow, leaving you heaving on the ground. “Metal Burner” counts off as things immediately get into the fray, blasting your body 50 feet into the air. “Your soul is lost in the space between the stars,” Von Bewitcher calls as the guitars go off, and the track grinds your face in the dirt. “The Widow’s Blade” opens in chants as the first punches are thrown, and the tempo opens up. Raspy howls pelt at your flesh as the guitars gush with colors, and fluid soloing leaves you blinded. The chorus, for which this band has a huge knack, lashes back at the end as Von Bewitcher howls, “By the edge of a bloody widow’s blade!” leaving you flattened. “Sign of the Wolf” closes the album, starting with a vigorous launch and landing heavy blows. The vocals are grimy and forceful as the leads catch fire, and the low end chugs. “It’s alright, I can’t turn back now,” Von Bewitcher vows as the final moments explode, burying you in a pile of your own piss and filth.

Bewitcher’s devilish, rock-smeared black metal manages to get a few notches catchier on “Cursed Be Thy Kingdom,” a record that’s likely to garner them the most attention of their great run simply due to the weight of their new label. What bands like Tribulation (and in my ears fail) to capture, Bewitcher grabs with a stranglehold and hammers to conform to its will. This is great sounding, fun, and hellishly destructive, an album that should catapult Bewitcher into more people’s brains.

For more on the album, go here: https://www.facebook.com/BewitcherOfficial

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

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

Last Wrestlemania isn’t canon. Not to me. It was right at the start of the pandemic, and holding a show at a giant stadium, even though it was outdoors, was a horrible idea at the time. So, it was instead held on two nights at the antiseptic and utterly silent WWE Performance Center, and it wasn’t even live. Did we really need to have a Wrestlemania on a closed set? It wasn’t the same. It didn’t feel right.

This year is different as the event will be held at Raymond James Stadium in fucking Tampa, Florida, a state where there are no goddamn rules, virus be damned. It’ll be populated a little bit more than February’s Super Bowl, and while it’s still a scary idea, it at least should feel like Wrestlemania this year. That might be the one thing carrying this dead-ass show over the finish line, as the booking for the promotion as a whole drives further and further toward hell, and not a thing on this show feels special or huge. But again, they have the benefit of a real crowd, people who will be excited to return to a sense of normalcy, and the huge pageantry that is this show. It’s over two nights again, which is smart since 7 hours is way too long a night in the midst of a pandemic. So, let’s take a look at what’s on tap. By the way, we’ll start doing more of these for the bigger AEW and New Japan shows. After all, this is a metal site posing as a wrestling site.

Night 1

Bad Bunny/Damien Priest vs Miz/John Morrison: I get the allure of Bad Bunny, and credit due, he’s taken this seriously and hasn’t acted like a celebrity above this all. I just don’t really care, but I’m not the audience they’re after with this. I am hoping this can be a launching point for Damien Priest, a guy who has all the intangibles WWE looks for (he’s really big!) and should be in a main event role by next year at this time. Plus, he really found himself in NXT. Not holding my breath, as WWE booking is not reliable.  

Braun Strowman vs Shane McMahon (Steel Cage match): Ugh. Every show needs a toilet match, and this is it for night one. Awful storytelling, Shane McMahon again overexposed and turning purple before our eyes, Braun getting a fucking train whistle effect when he runs slowly around the ring to shoulder block dudes. Whatever. I’m done with both of these dudes.   

Women’s four-way for a tag team title shot on night 2: This match pits the Riott Squad vs Naomi and Lana vs Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose vs Natalia Neidhart and Tamina for the right to face Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax for the Women’s Tag Team titles on Sunday. WWE has done a piss-poor job building any of these teams at all, so it feels like it has no excitement. Maybe they add Bayley and Charlotte Flair as a team.

Cesaro vs Seth Rollins: Rollins’ terrible savior gimmick aside, that dude can go, and so can Cesaro, who was long been underused in WWE. There is no other finish that makes sense than Cesaro winning if they really are serious about him this time. But I’m not getting all excited about that because there’s a pile of bodies WWE built up and did nothing with. This should be really good in the ring, though.

The New Day vs AJ Styles and Omos (Raw Tag Team title match): This is a big test for Omos in his first match on the main roster. After his work last Monday on Raw, he didn’t look very promising at all, but you never know. Luckily, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Styles all are excellent wrestlers, and their work should let Omos just have spots to be a monster and not get exposed.

Sasha Banks vs Bianca Belair (Smackdown Women’s title match): This is a huge match for Belair, one of the few NXT talents in the past few years who got brought up and used mostly well. This seems early for her to win the title, but her losing on this huge stage also is not a great idea unless they have a strong long-term plan for her. Go ahead and laugh. Banks is fucking great, Belair is an excellent athlete, and I’m really looking forward to this one. There is a chance it could headline night one.

Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley (WWE Heavyweight title match): Shoving 6 months of story into 6 weeks, Lashley just recently won the title after McIntyre lost in in February to the goddamn Miz, who went on to lose it to Lashley. This seemed too early for Lashley to lose even after his group the Hurt Business (it included MVP, Cedric Alexander, and Shelton Benjamin) was dissolved for seemingly no good reason. The idea likely is to crown McIntyre in front of a crowd, which was the plan for last year, so I assume he wins the championship here.

Night 2

The Fiend vs Randy Orton: FUUUUUUUUUCK this shit. Night 2 toilet match. Toilet match for the world and for life. Don’t care. Won’t ever care. I just want the Fiend to go away forever.

Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn: Owens and Zayn are longtime friends who have always wanted to do a Mania match together. Zayn has been going on with this conspiracy theory character, which is one of the few stories that plays off current events. He has been amazingly entertaining in this role, and Owens is great as the babyface who knows how delusional the heel is being and wants to beat sense into him. I’d love to see them reunite afterward and form a tag team.

Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax vs. Winner of night one match (Women’s Tag Team title match): There’s zero reason for a title change here unless there’s a mystery fifth entrant the night before and if that team is Charlotte and Bayley.

Riddle vs Sheamus (U.S. title match): Well, they sure wasted no time making Riddle a goof. Based on his out-of-ring issues, it’s likely what he deserves. Sheamus has been on a nice run lately, having really good, hard-hitting matches. Not sure where this one goes. I can see Sheamus getting the belt as a thank you for his recent work. It makes more sense to keep it on Riddle to build him up. Again, WWE is awful at momentum, so Riddle likely loses and slips further into the land of the lost.

Big E vs Apollo Crews (Intercontinental title match): So, like, Crews suddenly has an accent. He turned heel and embraced his Nigerian warrior heritage, which apparently, yes, comes with a fake accent and a fucking spear. Stop letting 70-year-old white men book. Big E is getting his first real singles run, and this feud with Crews over the IC title has been his first big one. Also, this is a Nigerian drum fight now, which I have no what that means. I wonder if WWE even knows what the fuck this is going to be. This should be a solid match, though.  

Asuka vs Rhea Ripley (Raw Women’s title match): That non-canon Wrestlemania last year? Yeah. Ripley lost her NXT Women’s title to Charlotte Flair at that show, inexplicably. She has new life now as a Raw regular, and Asuka is just one of the best there is. She’s not had as ton of great opponents during her title run as of late, so Ripley should change all of that, and she’s a really good worker who is still young and is only going to get better. It also feels early for Ripley to win, but her losing another Mania match makes no sense, and Asuka doesn’t need the title. Unless the plan is for Asuka to face a returning Becky Lynch…

Roman Reigns vs Edge vs Daniel Bryan (WWE Universal title match): You’ve seen the memes I’m sure of inserting Bryan into every Mania main event as well as numerous life events. More strange storytelling as they managed to take Edge, who has a great built-in story as a man battling back after his career ended prematurely a decade ago, fighting through another serious injury, and finally on the cusp of regaining to being a champion, and now he’s a heel. Uh. OK. WWE never does well when they’re handed an easy story. Reigns has been so, so great as the Head of the Table along with Paul Heyman, and it also seems a little early to take the title from him. Problem is you have no one built up to face him after Mania. Edge or Bryan win and spend the next few months defending against each other and Reigns.

Also, your hosts are Titus O’Neill (a great man who has done amazing community work and is an asset to this company) and Hulk Hogan (a lifelong piece of shit). Do with that what you will.

I’m sure it sounds ridiculous to say that hearing music can leave you with physical punishment, a gimmick I like to lean on a lot, but I think you know what I mean when I say it. Hearing something so heavy and devastating makes me imagine the music being transformed into an attacking force, one with only the worst of intentions for its audience.

“All Light Swallowed,” the second record from Lithuanian beasts Crypts of Despair, falls right in line with that manner of thinking. Yes, it’s a death metal record first and foremost, but it isn’t your run-of-the-mill album that’s just leaning on riffs and horrifying growls. This music sounds vicious and the result of four people—guitarist/vocalist Dovydas Auglys, guitarist Benas Juskus, bassist/vocalist Simonas Jurkevicius, drummer Henri Mall—seemingly possessed and making their way toward you with bloodlust in mind. The dual vocals from Auglys and Jurkevicius add even more sinister intent, as their growl/shriek tradeoff is absolutely terrifying. And, of course, they along with rest of the band wreck you with their unhinged playing that, yeah, feels like it’s going to leave you physically maimed.  

“Being – Erased” gets off to a blinding start as a monstrous burst rushes through, and the dual vocals of guttural growls and banshees shrieks make for a formidable team. The leads tangle as slurry hell punishes, the playing spirals into devastation, and the track ends in fiery damage. “Anguished Exhale” unloads a furious assault and some proggy bass work, quaking the earth along with it. The band pounds away in ungodly fashion, a strange hypnosis spreads, and hellish blasts rip through your chest and your bones. “Choked By the Void” begins clean before things turn to smashing chaos, piling on and hitting you with blasts. Vicious growls well as a mystical fury spills into the scene, the track feels strange and deadly, and it finally gives way and lets you breathe. “Condemned to Life” is thick and animalistic as the shrieks and growls do battle, and it feels like you’re being aggressively smothered. The pace bashes ridiculously hard, the growls engorge, and everything ends in clobbering fashion.

“Synergy of Suffering” has growls erupting and the shrieks trading off as the pace feels like it’s designed to torture. Clean tones drip amid the carnage as things get slow but ridiculously heavy, mythical strangeness enters your bloodstream, and the growls leave you mostly scorched. “The Great End” hisses from its nest as the drums blast, and the vocals melt flesh. Brutal death is unleashed as double kick drums rumble, causing the pace to get even more battering. A brief halt lets the track bleed back in, deep growls strike, and the track is scorched into a pile of dust. “Disgust” mashes right away, though clean lines float amid the brutality. The guitars send heat as the drums destroy all over again, the guitars spill and steam, and the force rises and strangles before finally relenting. “Excruciating Weight” arrives in a cloud of hovering guitars, with raspy cries and tortured growls landing hard. The playing continues to bludgeon as the heat makes you shield your face, completely taking you to task before everything rushes off into the night. “Bleak View” ends the record with horrified screams and a doomy feel as dissonance and dark light bleed. Menacing storm clouds hang over and threaten as the instrumental track slithers along and into an endless cavern.

These Lithuanian beasts in Crypts of Despair spared no mental expense creating a record that feels like your head is being blown off in a fire storm, leaving your lifeless body a blackened shell. “All Light Swallowed” is such a perfect name for this record because that’s exactly how it feels, like life is being violently pulled from you. This is a relentless, merciless slab of death metal that feels like it’s ravaging you flesh and bone, refusing to give in until you’re fully consumed.

For more on the album, go here: https://www.facebook.com/cryptsofdespair

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

Or here (Europe): https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.de/shop-en_1

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

Over the weekend, I got to see “Godzilla vs Kong” in a real theater, socially distanced with some friends in a hall we rented. I didn’t give a single fuck about any plot because, PLOT?! No, I wanted to see two legendary titans fight it out on a gigantic movie screen as all the amazing, wonderful stupidity played out before me. Then, after the movie ended, I realized I knew the ideal soundtrack for the film.

Canadian pounders Intonate are ready to unleash their second record “Severed Within,” and it dawned on me that the five behemoth tracks on this record would be perfect to hear as these two monsters destroyed a city as they brawled over everything. Their style of technical death metal falls more along the lines of, say, Ulcerate, in that it’s spectacularly, brilliantly played, but it does remember to level you under its might. The band—vocalist/guitarist Nicola Nucciarone, guitarist Ulysses Fiorito, bassist Jean-Philippe Matte, drummer Dominic Nucciarone—is locked and nightmarishly focused on this 40-minute beast, a record that is so satisfyingly heavy, you’ll smile through the pain.

“Sever” rips into your chest right away, just crushing with the atmosphere trying to eek its way in. Gruff vocals smear as the power becomes insurmountable early, though the acoustic strains underneath the chaos makes it feel like some delicacy is possible. Things begin to hammer all over again, the growls kill, and the track ends in a pile of rubble. “Within” punches away with beastly vocals and thunderous guitars working you up into a lather. The drums pulverize while the playing feels like it’s toying with you, being cagey as hell and stomping guts. Deep lurching growls boil, cosmic noise spreads throughout the universe, and the roars crush as the song comes to a ferocious finish.

“Yearn” runs 9:43, the longest track on the record, and it unloads in a monstrous burst that feels like a ton of bricks being poured on top of you. Pressure builds as the savagery continues, wailing away as the humidity builds, and the soloing soars, feeling slightly mournful along the way. The playing continues to cake mud in the gears as the underneath simmers in doom, growls rip sanity apart, and the track rumbles into oblivion. “Wander” has winds whipping as the guitars awaken, and then the band drills, with the growls getting even more vicious as the guitars turn moodier. The bass snarls as the playing gets tricky and warping, pounding away until it catches fire and burns off. “Prolong” ends the record, a 9:36-long smasher beginning with the guitars churning and leaving your head spinning. The bass thickens and lurches while the playing hammers away, with a noise cloud collecting over everything. Moments feel like a fever dream before things come unglued, every single muscle is torn apart, and dissonant hell collects, churning until it’s swallowed by silence.

Intonate might lean toward the more technical side of death metal, but it’s never at the expense of the heart of the music on “Severed Within.” This record feels like a physical challenge, and even at just five tracks, it’s one hell of a workout. The entire experience is like what it might be like after you were trapped under a slag pile, finding breathing nearly impossible as you slowly black out forever.

For more on the album, go here: https://www.facebook.com/intonateofficial

To buy the album, go here: http://www.willowtip.com/store/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.willowtip.com/home.aspx

Frustration and anger always have been intertwined with heavy metal because so much of the music contains these elements, and just as much can be used to release frustrations baked into your psyche. It’s one of those ways that helps you realize you’re not alone in feeling like your patience is boiling into a pile of filth, and being able to ID with those elements in the music can feel cathartic.

One trip through “Echoes of the Earth,” the debut long player from Irish crushers Soothsayer, feels like a pit of despair and aggravation front to back, but their music has a focus for that anger, and it’s something in which many of us can relate. Basically, we’ve been told for quite some time now about the destructive toll we are having on the Earth, and so many people (many of them in positions of power) refuse to acknowledge this and even ridicule others who care about the well-being of the place we live. Just typing that is enough to make my blood boil, but the band—vocalist/soundscape artist Líam Hughes, guitarists Con Doyle and Marc O’Grady, bassist Pavol Rosa, drummer Sean Breen—translate those feelings into music that feels like it’s trying to combine with the planet itself to forcibly remove its would-be destroyers. This is staggeringly heavy and powerful, a record that feels like it’s aiming to leave you devastated from the inside out.  

“Fringe” starts the record as a sort of extended instrumental intro, setting the stage for what comes after. Loud wails and strange chants warm up as sung lines slur, and this detached dream heads toward “Outer Fringe” that drips into the picture before mauling you like a bear. Growls and shouts hammer as the pace kicks up, collecting mud as thunderous fury is released. The low end just snarls while the playing stomps heavily, the intensity multiplies, and chants return, making your head swim in the cosmos. “War of the Doves” starts cleanly before shouts wrestle you down, and the bass gets thick and unloads. A synth scape rises and mesmerizes, adding some chill to the fury, while the playing hammers and loosens teeth, and vicious hell boils over before finally being sucked back to sea.

“Cities of Smoke” has guitars trickling into the scene before the growls begin to lurch, and a cold atmosphere makes you shiver in your shoes. The growls crush as the playing picks up, some clean playing adds a different tributary, and forceful yells add to a rather volatile finish. “Six of Nothing” immerses itself in psychedelic colors and a crunchy, catchy pace, with gruff growls making their force known as the track gets heavier. Blows are landed as the rage explodes, guitars burn heavily, and the pace continues to add pressure even as cleaner vocals bring colder winds. Melodies flood as the shrieks jab back, disappearing into a pocket of echo as the track bows out. “True North” ends the album, a 12:09 killer that starts with guitars coming to life and the growls punishing, even as humidity thickens. The track comes unglued as the band splatters you, and noise becomes a bigger factor, adding to the immense heat that’s suddenly becoming a factor. The track hazes, voices murmur, and a weird transmission picks up and lurches toward chilling ambiance, finally ending as it sinks into the cosmos.

It’s sad so many metal bands have had to remind us that nature is going to come back and exact revenge on us all for how we have treated our home, something Soothsayer splatter all over “Echoes of the Earth,” their massive debut full-length display. The fury, panic, and disgust are all over this thing, continually here to remind you that we are to blame for this fiery tomb, and it might be too late to act at all. This is all too real, too current, and too terrifying to handle, and the fact that deniers live among us adds an even thicker level of anger and resentment that you can practically taste.

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

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

Or here (Europe): https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.de/shop-en_1

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

No one likes to think about death, or at least I don’t think most people do who are at least in decent health. But it’s a process that faces us all, and we don’t know how or when we’re going to go. But it’s a part of life that is ingrained in us all, and no matter what faces us, the anxiety can be overwhelming if we spend too much time dwelling on this conclusion.

We’re not going to shy away from this today as we have “Dyspnea,” the new record from Labored Breath, a one-man black metal project helmed by artist JK. The project’s name and the title of the record itself refer to the process of struggling for breath when a human is reaching the end of life, the struggle to survive, and the realization than the end is near. It’s doubly heavy considering the COVID pandemic as this is one of the traits of the disease, which might cause for some uncomfortable listening for those who have been impacted (it’s gave me some uncomfortable moments, if we’re being honest). The music itself is brutal, yet atmospheric black metal, as JK acknowledges influences from both the French and Icelandic scene that he used to help inform his own style. It makes for a stunning, sometimes disorienting, always devastating experience that’ll stick with you and warp your mind.

“Hypoesthesia” opens the record amid eerie strangeness before the track erupts, and a black metal tornado touches down and sends shit flying. Everything here is combustible as the atmosphere chokes, and the playing simmers in madness, contending with wild howls and strange auras. Further detonations add to the destruction, vicious shrieks hammer, and the track ends in strange echo. “Agnosia” is stirring from the start as shrieks explode, and the fury is utterly storming, with the pace lurching dangerously. The tempo envelopes as speaking crawls down your spine, and the tempo crushes and squeezes blood from your flesh. The track then dissolves into ambiance, leaving your head swimming as everything floats into deep space.

“Serpent Womb” is a quick interlude with noises stinging and echoes teasing, reminding a little of Altar of Plagues, and then we’re on to “Belie” that gusts and crushes from the start. Growls collect and massacre, later turning to shrieks, while the drums destroy, and the playing eats at your brain. Shouts jab amid fiery madness as chants usher you deeper into hell before a gushing storm takes you against your will, drowning you out in warped chaos. “Pathogenesis” caps off the album, trudging and stamping through mud as a full-force assault rolls out. Shrieks melt flesh as the playing flattens whatever’s in front of it, and a brief halt leads way for a blazing reignition that ups the ante on complete violence. Shrieks spit fire, the ferocity peaks, and suddenly everything disappears into quiet echo, fading into the void.

There’s a lot of uncomfortable content with which to grapple on “Dyspnea,” not only because the concepts are scary but also because so many of us are surrounded by death right now. But JK’s intent as Labored Breath isn’t to make you feel calm or chilled or relieved. It’s to make you confront this inevitability, think about it, sink yourself in it and see how you’re impacted on the other side. You’re either going to feel unprecedented anxiety or perhaps you’ll confront one of the most frightening realities in all of our lives and come out hardened.   

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

To buy the album, go here: http://sentientruin.com/releases/labored-breath-dyspnea

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

Look, I’m sorry, but we’re going to talk about the pandemic again, but it’ll be really quick and it has a pretty great ending. You remember when all the shows got canceled, right? Tours were turned to dust, fests were delayed and some eventually put on ice, and records we were anticipating ended up arriving later than we hoped. Luckily, lots of artists took the time to branch out and create.

One of those bands is Swiss doom beasts Rorcal, a group whose last record “Muladona” was gifted to me by mistake and turned out to be one of the best errors anyone ever made. That album is devastation from front to back. Rorcal also lost a host of tour dates they were expecting to support the aforementioned record, but they didn’t take the disappointment lying down. Instead, they teamed up with former bass player Bruno da Encarnação and his project Earthflesh to create “Witch Coven,” a two-track offering that melts your psyche and body to the ground. It’s a mangling and mentally rewiring record, something that corrodes and makes it feel like the earth is going to sink in on itself, causing lava to spill onto the surface and burn everything alive.

“Altars of Nothingness” opens the proceedings, a 14:45 mauler that starts with a stretch of harmonized chants that set the stage before the hammers fully drop about 2:50 into the track. Doom hisses as the growls massacre, smashing heavily everything in front of them, churning and chugging with beastly intent. Devastation and atmospheric hum unite as the static boils, and utter devastation bludgeons you and smashes your ribcage. The fires consume as the chants return, horror sprawls, and everything bleeds out. “Happiness Sucks – So Do You” finishes the album, a 15:44 monster that rises with terrifying shrieks and a black-metal-style storm that absolutely obliterates. The track is a total assault that feels like it’s cruelly dismantling your brain, bringing massive fire power and madness before a brief serenity takes hold. The tension remains as the passage crawls through darkness before animalistic fury returns, bringing hell with it. The pace bursts as crazed growls spread, the riffs rain heavily, and noise explodes, ending everything in a suffocating pile of cinder and ash.

It’s almost unfair that two forces as pummeling as Rorcal and Earthflesh are even permitted to be present on the same recording, but here we are, and every moment of “Witch Coven” is an audio nightmare and a psychological assault. It’s stupid to call a metal record heavy, but this thing goes above and beyond, and if you’re like me, you might find yourself physically taxed when this thing is over. This is an earth ripper, a union that hopefully has legs and a hellish future.

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

For more on Earthflesh, go here: https://www.facebook.com/earthfleshnoise

To buy the album, go here: https://hummus-records.com/product-category/pre-order/

For more on the label, go here: https://hummus-records.com/

It’s easy to feel isolated and totally alone in this current environment. But it’s not like this is a new phenomenon. It’s just that more people are feeling this now and coming to an understanding of what depression actually feels like. Many of those people will move on and never think of it again after this pandemic. For others, it’ll never end.

Multi-instrumentalist A. Kruger examined these things when putting together the second Suicide Forest record “Reluctantly,” a collection that hovers on resentment and isolation, which only got worse the past year. The creation of the music preceded the pandemic, though the creation came during it, and all those dark tidings get underneath your skin and into your psyche. The music is rich and atmospheric but also relentlessly suffocating, pushing you to confront the shadows and what lurks inside of them. Another way to look at it is the music also can be a sort of companion for your difficult journeys, a strange hand from beyond that shows you your suffering is not exclusive to you and a part of others’ tribulations as well.

The title track gets things going, a 9:42-long crusher that starts with sheets of sound and synth before shrieks wrench, and the misery rains down in thick sheets. Fog spreads as wrenching hell stretches itself out, the vocals knife through the veil of night, and everything rushes, filling your senses. Desperate wails call out as the music floats and haunts, dissolving as it drips away. “As the Light Fades Pt 1” pummels as it starts with the vocals pushing flesh and the pace hammering in a bout of madness. The guitars go off as the soloing surges, and a delirious pace lands and scrambles brains. The playing storms heavily, saturating the ground, as the shrieks batter heavily, piling layers on top and adding to the pressure. Guitars spiral and dizzy, increasing the grip before finally relenting.  

“Remorse” is an instrumental track with mournful guitar parts, the playing boiling, and the spirit hovering over like a dark cloud, bleeding into “Trembling in Emptiness” that starts with a relentless synth gaze that rises and covers land. The track eventually unloads and batters with great power as the keys add a glaze, and the tempo rushes hard. Eerie passages chill the flesh as the playing trudges, and the shrieks destroy. The drumming kicks in and knocks out some teeth while the vocals dig in their claws anew, and everything gathers and blasts toward the gates as things come to a merciful end. “As the Light Fades Pt. 2” ends the record by slowing dripping in, taking time to establish an ambiance before everything comes apart about 2:30 into the thing. Shrieks blast and the playing keeps adding to the intensity, bringing a huge deluge that jolts your emotions. The storm hangs in place, doing ample damage below while the violence starts to ease into serenity, speaking lurks, and everything disappears into echo.

While there is some light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel, the issues brought forth on “Reluctantly” are not likely to just go away for a lot of people once they have a duo of injections in their arms. Suicide Forest touch upon woes that tend to be long standing and deeply seeded in one’s brain, and this music uncovers what that feels like and how overwhelming it can be. On top of that, this is a blistering, sobering record that sounds like it’s taking you on a journey through the atmosphere even as you feel at your lowest and loneliest.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.sound-cave.com/it/label/avantgarde-music

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

There are those records that, from the first time you hear them, you know they’re going to be with you for the long haul and not just absorbed and forgotten about a few weeks later. Those are the ones that keep coming back, sticking in your side, forcing you to go back repeatedly to either experience it again or to explore the terrain all over for things you missed before.

UK-based black metal/death metal hybrid Wode always has created music that destroys and refuses to let go, but it’s not just a heap of brutality. The band always has woven in melody, imagination, and fury into their formula, making it a more well-rounded attack than many other bands in their stratosphere. Wode have returned with their third full-length “Burn in Many Mirrors,” their first since 2017 and initial offering through 20 Buck Spin. This record already is one of the most noteworthy of young 2021, an album you should go out of your way to hear, especially if you bask in the dark arts and need some serious stimulation. The band—vocalist/guitarist/synth player M. Czerwoniuk, guitarist/backing vocalist D. Shaw, bassist E. Troup, drummer/guitarist/synth player T. Horrocks—delivers a mammoth display over 6 tracks and 39 minutes on an album that should push other black and death metal bands to up their game and listeners something in which they truly can sink their teeth.

“Lunar Madness” kicks off with a burst of violence and melody as the riffs race, and the playing explodes. The guitars just hammer away as Czerwoniuk’s growls get under your skin and ravage you, with the leads welling and swimming. The growls pummel as the song speeds up, rage pours out of every seam, and the track comes to a smothering end. “Serpent’s Coil” delivers strong riffs designed to clobber as the vocals scorch, and great leads drive the way. Again, the band jerks you around with relentless dips and meaty muscle, thrashing hard as the vocals feel corrosive, the leads shoot fire, and your veins are filled with poison and pain. “Fire in the Hills” has blazes crackling as the song starts while guitars dive into the scene, and then the open charging feels like it blasts right over you. Warbled vocals mix with the fiery growls, engulfing you in flames you try to battle through. The tempo continues to destroy as Czerwoniuk cries, “We are everything and nothing at all,” and the madness ends in a pile of smoldering cinders.

“Sulphuric Glow” crushes from the start as the guitars begin to stir, and the leads dare you to unleash yourself and take the journey with them. Classic metallic riffs act as a spine while a thrashing assault takes over your body, mashing you all over before coming to a merciful, albeit mangling, end. “Vanish Beneath” rumbles as the guitars stretch, and riffs chew into muscle. Throaty growls and dark visions clash as the playing opens its massive jaws and tries to swallow you whole as melody builds up and clouds your vision. The guitars then go off, speeding recklessly as wild howls punish, and the track comes to a spine-torching finish. “Streams of Rapture (I,II,III)” ends the album, a 9:54-long triptych that starts with eerie keys floating and the drumming awakening before the track explodes. Everything is vicious and unforgiving as trudging power leaves bruises, and the growls gurgle. The intensity rounds back as a fiery, yet channeled attack is mounted, and the leads just take over. The soloing expands and bursts, every element works to land their final strikes, and everything comes to a cataclysmic end.

It’s been a good while since we heard from Wode, but “Burn in Many Mirrors” made that wait worth it as it’s another stellar display of their black and death metal stew that’s always thick and hearty. This long has been a band that has been unsatisfied with status quo when it comes to their chosen sound, and they absolutely take you apart with these six tracks. More people are going to be smartened up to Wode simply through their association with 20 Buck Spin, and that’s an introduction that’s going to absolutely pummel some people who had been lulled to sleep the past few years who are about to wake up violently.    

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

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

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

Trying to remember what I was doing 13 years ago is nearly impossible for me to do, because I was practically a different person then. I was still working at my second job out of college, I don’t think I had even started thinking about collecting vinyl records, and my taste in beer was practically nonexistent and completely immature.

That also happened to be the last time we got a record from Genghis Tron, the electronic-grind band that delivered two of the most chaotic and way-before-their-time records, the last of which was 2008’s “Board Up the House.” It seemed like a dead issue, and had the world only been treated to their two albums and trio of EPs, likely no one would have complained. Yet, in 2021, we have a new record from Genghis Tron, and like their first two, they’re rewriting their role within heavy music. If you’re here to get a carbon copy of “Dead Mountain Mouth” or “Board Up,” you won’t find what you’re seeking. Instead, on “Dream Weapon,” we find a brand-new band, figuratively and literally. Keyboardist/programmer Michael Sochynsky and guitarist Hamilton Jordan are now joined by new vocalist Tony Wolski (he replaces Mookie Singerman, who chose not to return) and real-life drummer Nick Yacyshyn (replacing programmed drums) on a record that feels like a psychedelic journey beyond yourself and into some other realm you couldn’t imagine before. The synth pockets are deep and entrancing, the drumming complements the ambiance, and the vocals are smooth and like they’re gently falling from the clouds, leaving you numb and chilled.      

“Exit Perfect Mind” is a quick intro cut built with warm synth and bubbling emotion, feeling like the sky is opening as it moves toward “Pyrocene” that hits with beats clashing and frosty keys before Wolski’s wonderfully ghostly singing starts to move. Strange ambiance doubles as your head is immersed with sounds and ideas, and a mechanical dream unravels. The synth glimmers as the track feels like it’s eating into the heart of the ’80s with fog and rain collecting, drums cracking, and the shadows bowing to the night. The title track follows with drums pummeling and smooth vocals collecting, rumbling but also dissipating. The pace feels relentless and anxiety inducing as the haze pulls over like a cloud. The pace then punches as a psyche trail sprawls, continually adding to the madness until everything comes to a toppling finish. “Desert Stairs” is a quick instrumental cut that has synth stinging and a storm front gathering as alien lightning is collected before the track settles into mystery.

“Alone in the Heart of the Light” delivers jabbing keys and echo as your brain ices over. The music is cosmic at heart as your body is numbed delightfully while the drums rustle. Sci-fi-style melodies send chills through you as the playing drives, and an immersive dream state is achieved, making your cells tingle as the music drains, and the vocals soothe your mind. “Ritual Circle” is the longest track, running 10:22, and it sits in a key surge and floating vocals, bringing a heavy cold front. Energy spits as the pressure increases, picking up the pace and melting continents of ice. The aggression picks up as the synth glimmers, the pace loops, and the fog envelopes you, ending with the drums picking at your psychosis. “Single Black Point” trudges and brings a new force, one that’s kinetic and agitating, causing your body to jolt. The synth rises as the drums eat away at you, sounds bounce from the walls, and the force disappears into mist. Closer “Great Mother” runs 8:59, allowing the synth to loom and roam before things power up. Sounds rain down as Wolski’s singing pelts away from you, feeling like a transmission from the spirit world. Chemical keys drip, the playing whirs, and the drums kick a hole in your side, opening strange portals. The guitars charge, the sounds clobber, and the track disappears down a drain into the netherworld.

Genghis Tron’s mammoth sleep ended in such a strange way on “Dream Weapon,” an album I’m surprised is even here and probably more rattled by how it sounds. This is such an extreme turn for this band, but a really goddamn invigorating one. This is not the Genghis Tron you used to know, as that body has long since decayed. This is a new beast slinking from the cosmos, into your ear while you’re in slumber, and forever changing your reality in a way you couldn’t comprehend until now.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://store.relapse.com/item/96762

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