Passing of time can be foreboding and hold with it many levels of anxiety as we change, get older, and watch society shift around us for better or worse. Humans also don’t seem to change much as we consume everything that’s around us and, as a result, become an enemy to this planet that is bound to be catastrophic for future generations, if not the current one.

Thinking ahead to what the future may hold and what problems those people might face is, in a sense, what Australian black metal chillers Spire have woven into their new record “Temple of Khronos,” their second effort and first since 2016. On it, they envision a future generation that is facing some of the same mortality issues we are now, looking back through time and finding no real answers to their plight. That fantastical but realistic situation is woven in black metal that pushes your mind to its furthest reaches, as the band expands what the sub-genre is capable of accomplishing, which is always refreshing for anyone operating in this sub-genre. Every drop of this record finds the band—M.R. and G.A.—twisting your brain and ability to handle different realities, ensuring your experience will be nothing like what you get from most black metal. This duo isn’t satisfied with conventional thinking.   

“Chronometer” starts with synth beams cutting through as the intensity picks up, and the intro cut bleeds into “Hymn I – Tyrant” that openly trudges and picks up mud and blood. The growls become unhinged as strong melodies and cleaner yells rivet, shrieks meet with chanted lines, with hypnotic patterns sneaking in. Clean lines then bore into your brain as the track burns out. “Hymn II – Tormentor” runs a healthy 10:13 as dissonant guitars melt, and shrieks rip into your ribs. Howls strike as the drums pound away, as weird transmissions enter the fray, feeling both machine like and alien as the drama increases. The vocals stab as the pace rushes ahead, strange dreams sink in their fingers, and the final moments drill through bones before ending suddenly.

“Hymn III – Harbinger” immediately combusts as the shrieks pound away, and the pace keeps stirring as it opens the lid to hell. Strangeness hangs and haunts as the humidity increases, making your head spin, and then the madness returns. The playing is unhinged as it keeps funneling its way into the ground. “Interlude – Antithesis” has guitars lighting up and hovering like a storm about to be pierced, weird chants haunt, and cosmic ghouls lurk, making the way into “Hymn IV – Puissant,” an 8:07-long pounder. Growls barrel in out of weird vibes, and howls simmer in pools of blood as a thick ambiance extends its wings. Guitars agitate as the vocals stretch out as the playing rips through rock, splattering hell and shrapnel as the noise floats, mesmerizing and slipping into time. “Hymn V – Khronos” ends the album by unfurling flesh-crawling vocals and a stinging tempo, seemingly subsiding before hypnosis increases, and your mind feels like it’s at its most vulnerable. Drums punch in, group chants make your thoughts float, and everything fades into the stars.

Despite being away for half decade, Spire have a stranglehold on atmospheric black metal that uses stardust and strange power to make their work even darker. “Temple of Khronos” is a fascinating, thunderous record that feels a little different every time you hear it, new wrinkles expose themselves, and each layer becomes more apparent. This is black metal with imagination and ingenuity, proving it’s still possible to make this style of music that challenges what you know about the art form.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://sentientruin.com/releases/spire-temple-of-khronos

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

Standing outside at night in the moonlight and gazing at the sky is enough to make your neighbors start thinking strange things about you which, come to think of it, might apply to me since I actually do this sometimes. But I don’t walk back inside my house with my head filled with evil intent and the desire to impart that destruction upon unsuspecting victims.

But the two forces that make up black metal crushers Umbral Twilight do not live like you and I, as the night and everything it holds in its clutches helped inspire their new demo “Bleeding Alchemic Talisman (B.A.T.).” The four-track offering, their first, was recorded in isolation last year, with most of the work taking place at night, when their spirits were at their highest and most vicious. The band—vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Reaper of War and drummer Bloodthirsty Heretic—conjures dark ancient rites, death worship, satanic magick, and moon worship into their noise-infested sound, with their demo comprised of two interlude cuts and two full tracks, all sounding like they would be absolutely terrifying to hear if you were already worried what was lurking behind corners late at night.

“Hypnotic Lunar Trance” is a quick synthgaze intro cut that has a haze settling over everything and an unsettling feeling rumbling in your chest, heading into the title track that erupts with noisy riffs. Strong melodies intertwine with vicious vocals that go for the throat as well as drums stomping guts into the ground. The growls wrench in echo as the band thrashes away, melodies loop with churning guitars, and the sooty assault ends in a bloody mess. “Glorious Lunacy” is a strange interlude cut with static, synth fog, and weird things trickling underground, with sounds echoing off the castle walls. “Bloodmoon Offerings” ends the collection with the drums exploding, guitars openly burning, with the shrieks peeling the paint off the walls. Things pick up and hammer viciously with the drums rattling cages, vicious storming entering a static gust, and the guitars raining down before everything ends in eerie weirdness.

It’s short, it’s to the point, and it’s aiming to carve you up as Umbral Twilight spill the blood on “Bleeding Alchemic Talisman,” a destructive demo that’s only a hint at what terror they truly can create. Evil, hell, and night worship are all flooding to the surface here as this feral form of black metal seeks to return it to the moonlight, basking in decaying graveyards. This is raw, unforgiving violence that will leave you battered but a little closer to your union with darkness.

To buy the album, go here: https://stygianblackhand.bandcamp.com/album/bleeding-alchemic-talisman

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

Pittsburgh can be a shitty place. It’s great, too, but there are things about this place that bother the shit out of me. Like how we’re one of the least habitable cities to live if you’re not a white person. Or the not-so-subtle racism that feels like it can be as plentiful as our river water. Or the fact that people think Primanti Bros. is acceptable cuisine.

But back to the good stuff, we have a really great heavy music scene that goes way beyond Code Orange, and one of the bands keeping that’s keeping it exciting is Narakah, a grindcore monster that comprises members of bands such as Demiltia, the former Slaves BC (now known as Úzkost), Meth Quarry, Prostitution and plenty of others, and they’ve just dealt their insane new EP “Blast Haven” that’ll knock the living shit out of you. At nine tracks and 12:27, this is a fucking mind melt that the band—vocalist Adam Bailey, guitarist Chris Smith, bassist Evan Kunkle, drummer Jason Spence—pours all their vitriol and anger into, and maybe they’re also annoyed by the same Pittsburgh bullshit as I am. I’m projecting. Let’s just get into this thing and get fucking fried.

“Látom” has strange noises hovering and synth pulsing before the grind rips your fucking arms off, hammers your skull, and mars you with violent fury, moving into “Samurai Dreams” that feels weird at first before the fires explode. Gnarly vocals and melodic surges unite and punish, and then it’s on to “Beretta” that’s a full-on assault with shrieks wrenching, the playing slashing away, and the animalistic assault ending in sticky globs of blood. “Cynocephalus (Destro’s End)” is a machine-like instrumental that swims in ghostly sounds and strange mysteries, leaning into “Black Guard” that lets riffs crunch and speed rule. Heavy thrashing and vocals that aim to slice your head from your neck leave you in a heaping pile, gasping for air as the title track rips open and unleashes beastly power. The growls punish as the playing feels meaty and crazed, ripping into the belly of “Implosive Sonata” that lets loose wild shrieks and bloody outbursts that leave you bruised all over. The pace slows just a bit as the thick basslines flex, marching through horrors and death snarls. “Lazar Ritual Sodomy” is 40 seconds of penetrating sounds, explosive playing, and zapping melodies, all making their way toward closer “Dakimakura” that sounds like a machine come to life, wreaking havoc among society. The drums splatter as the bass unloads, bringing the fury to a fevered pitch until the sour final warning (from the cult classic “Videodrome”), “See you in Pittsburgh,” slays you.

I’m even more furious about this goddamn pandemic because I haven’t been able to see Narakah live, and I can only imagine the assault that would result from them playing cuts from “Blast Haven,” another delirious release from this grind attack unit. It’s 12 and a half minutes of violence that never lets you get your head above water long enough for a deep breath, as you keep battling for your survival. Pittsburgh has never seemed so dangerous, and I blame that solely on Narakah.

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

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

We don’t live in very habitable times. I’ll give you a second to write that down for your records. We’ve gone over all the usual suspects here from pestilence to fascist government policy to people just being complete assholes to one another for no good reason, and it’s almost like we need to find someone to go in and remove the roots with callousness and malice.

Not sure if NYC’s Gravesend are up to the physical task, because that’s a lot of people to hunt down, but the music on their debut record “Methods of Human Disposal” might be as good a first step as we can get. With 15 tracks running a little more than 27 minutes, this is a collection that refuses to let you catch your breath and steady yourself, because they provide no time for that. Instead, the band—vocalist/guitarist/synth player A, bassist/synth player/backing vocalist S, drummer G—pepper you with bursts that mash black metal, thrash fire, and grindcore fits of rage into the same package, making this a record that will bruise you mentally, spiritually, and physically as you writhe on the floor bleeding.   

“Fear City” opens with synth fog, strange vibes, and shouts bristling, creating panic as we move toward “STH-10” that delivers decimating drums and doom from the start. The bass ricochets as punches flatten everything, and that mashes into the title track where creaky growls and relentless playing set the tone early. The drums light up and furious howls pound into your chest before everything is set ablaze, and sounds retreat into the ether. “Ashen Piles of the Incinerated” serves up thrashy death that’s tasty and sharp, unloading viciously as growls swirl in the air. The pace remains punchy and grating, pulling headfirst into “End of the Line” where the volcanic riffs shed early blood. The heat spreads as the pressure mounts noticeably, ending everything in a death maul. “Subterranean Solitude” is lightning fast as the guitars shred muscle, guts are splattered liberally, and the end bashes out and toward “Unclaimed Remains” that re-ignites the aggression into rock-defacing violence. The bass plods as the drums deliver chaos, while the growls creak beneath the filth. The playing finds a way to increase the danger even further, ending in a smoking pile of ash.

“Verrazano Floater” has drums echoing, the playing going for the throat, and an assault that feels like it tears all the way through your chest, paving the way for “Eye for an Eye” that acts as a strange, noise-glazed interlude track that makes it feel like you’re locking in fever dream. “Trinity Burning” brings stomping guitars and a churning pace that meet up with drumming that comes unglued. The feeling is maniacal and warped, making your brain feel like it’s dripping from your ears onto the ground below. “Needle Park” is blown up right away by the drumming as the playing brings new levels of heaviness and volatility, as growls tear flesh from bone. “Absolute Filth” is aptly named as it arrives with unforgiving sentiment, growls that sound like they’ve been soaking in a sewer, and an explosion of chaos that sends shrapnel flying. It’s complete devastation, leaving ash in its wake as it moves toward “The Grave’s End” that’s fast, ugly, and a blinding feral display that feels like utter slaughter. “Scum Breeds Scum” quickly takes off heads as it launches, moving at a merciless pace and feeling properly out of control, setting the stage for finale “Concrete Feet” that flattens upon arrival. The drums explode as savage vocals eat away at your psyche, landing blow after blow even as you cower for mercy on the ground from an assailant that just won’t stop.

Gravesend’s debut record “Methods of Human Disposal” certainly pulls no punches as they burn seamlessly from song to song, making these 27 minutes a physical and mental challenge that you might not be ready to absorb. Their mix of black metal, thrash, and grind works like a perfect beast, offering a multi-faceted attack that’s nearly impossible to manage. There should be no doubt this world remains drowning in misery and filth, and Gravesend spend their time smearing your face in reality until it damn near suffocates you.

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

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

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

Today wasn’t supposed to be like this. We had a review ready to go, but a troublesome matter has passed me by the last few years, and I’ll admit that today. I do fairly thorough research when I’m writing about a band I’m not knowledgeable about to avoid having any misogynistic, fascist bullshit on this page. But it’s not a perfect process, and things fall through the cracks.

Anyway, I won’t name the band, because they aren’t the culprits, but their label Signal Rex is. I went to get a shop link to their site to add to the review when I saw a shirt by Werewolf Bloodorder, which smacked me in the face as being fash as fuck. Further research, I found its sole member was in a band called Resistencia 88, a group that was not exactly shy about their nazi-supporting roots, especially sharing a split with the band Gestapo SS on a recording called “Acireman Southern Aryan Terrorists.” It includes a Skrewdriver cover!  How adorable. Actually, all the song titles suck, they both suck, and they can eternally fuck off. As can Signal Rex and any band that chooses to sign with a label that happily works with “artists” such as these. Their artistic statement, as per their Bandcamp states they are “a record label that stands for art without advocating or condemning any form of artistic expression, always having in mind the right to freedom of speech as its main motto.” Basically, welcome, shitheads. We just want to sell your shit.

This is on top of their site being an easy place to find sketchy bands, selling merch in their shop from Satanic Warmaster, Absurd (they list a tribute album!), Grand Belial’s Key, Ravenzang (follow that fucking trail), and Lycanthropic Winter Moon, who cite NSBM bands such as Graveland and Fullmoon as influences. It’s the same reason we don’t do anything on Hells Headbangers artists, with the second reason being a lot of them aren’t that good. Same goes for Iron Bonehead, who unfortunately do have some good artists, but I can’t support their politics.

This may seem like a small deal, but it really isn’t. There are so many good bands out there that deserve the coverage who don’t spread nazi bullshit or fascist and/or sexist ideas. The ones that do, we will happily ignore them outright when it comes to what we write about. I feel stupid I didn’t realize earlier on about Signal Rex, but they won’t get any more time on this site. If that’s going to be a problem for you, luckily you’re not required to be here. Despite what some people think and are vocally ignorant about on social media, metal does have problems when it comes to fascism, sexism, race, and flat-out nazi sympathy. If it didn’t, I would not have to do a knowledge check every goddamn time a new band comes my way that I have to vet first. It’s an issue, and it’ll continue to be one until we stop fucking around and do something to root it out. If you run into a listener whining about it and claiming metal is supposed to be hateful, that’s how you ID an enabler, if not an outright supporter of such bullshit. I’ve had to get rid of my share of records due to this, and funny enough, I have plenty of music left in my collection that doesn’t make me feel morally reprehensible for owning.

Anyway, that’s it. No review. I’d love to never have to write about something like this again, but I know reality is cruel, and there are enough people who will let this shit pass that it’ll live on until we stomp it out. If you see anything else on this site from the past by a questionable band, please let us know so we can get the fuck rid of it. Oh, and it goes without saying that if you’re a band that leans NSBM, sexist, racist, fascist, don’t bother sending us your album. We’re deleting it.

Before leaving office a complete loser and multi-time criminal, our last president wanted to pass an education platform that aimed to teach American wonderfulness and just kind of passed over all the shitty things that have happened in this country. This has not been a place that’s been very welcoming to non-white people, and many here still refuse to address and atone for that.

Black metal force Pan-Amerikan Native Front, a band led by sole creator Kurator of War, has shined a light on issues that impacted Native Americans in the formative years of this country, something that we seem to sweep under the rug to avoid feeling bad about that pesky stolen land and bloodshed that continues to haunt us to this day. Their latest album “Little Turtle’s War” follows Little Turtle, a Sagamore chief of the Miami people and the events that unfolded during the Northwest Indian Wars (which ranged about a decade from 1785 to 1795), including some decisive victories over U.S. forces as they aimed to wrest even more land away from the Native Americans. The music itself is raw, noise-infested, and disarmingly melodic as Kurator of War unleashes his mission on his second record under this banner (the first was 2016’s “Tecumseh’s War”).

“Assembly of the Western Confederacy” starts with water flowing and the guitars etching a path before the track is torn open, and cries echo in the carnage. The playing is thorny and noisy before waters rush back for a bit before the song erupts again. Black waves pound viciously as furious hell is agitated, and then we’re on to “Power of the Calumet Dance” that pummels and creates a thunderous stomp. Melodic jolts and relentless power unite as the pace picks up, breathing fire and burying bodies as the march continues. The drums make paste of your bones, the riffs encircle and rally, and everything burns off as footsteps crunch the snow. “Battle of the Wabash” unleashes great riffs and drums punishing before shots are fired, and the melodies envelope. The playing is so aggressive it feels like you’re being consumed while the vocals shred, and the riffs leaves a trail of ashes. “The Whispering Oak” is a quick interlude piece with insects chirping and reflective guitars creating a deep haze.

“Michikiniqua’s Triumph” starts with spirited riffs and blackened howls as the track keeps unloading power, refusing to give an inch. Punches are thrown as the playing rages, the guitars churn dangerously, chants rise and take over, and the track carries the spirit to the end. “The Great White Beaver Lurks” brings guitars that grind metal in its gears and raw growls sprawling while the fury continues to carve a bloody path. The vocals later sound like they’re choking Kurator of War as he blasts out his message, the music collects mud, and the playing drives your face into the dirt. “A Witness” fires up as guitars sting, more shots are fired, and the strains of war blend into closer “nakaaniaki meehkweelimakinciki,” a 9:28-long epic that feels like a melodic surge that heads into an impenetrable haze. A collection of chaotic passages unloads and smothers what’s in front of it before acoustics make the vibe feel rustic and on the verge of collapse. There’s an extended reflective section that chills your blood, and just as you’re easing in, the playing scorches all over again, the drums clobber extensively, and the destruction burns out into the night.

Pan-Amerikan Native Front not only bring a mesmerizing and fire-breathing does of raw melodic black metal, but “Little Turtle’s War” also might send you on a research mission like it did for me to learn more about this piece of American history that further deteriorated Native Americans’ trust in this land. If this was taught in my schooling, it was brief, though this record and Kurator of War’s mission helped open my eyes wider to this period, which was vital to the nation’s history but also detrimental to the people from whom this place was taken. This is that ugly, horrific history some people want to shield you from to maintain some dream of American greatness, events this band refuses to leave buried.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://stygianblackhand.bandcamp.com/album/little-turtles-war

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

The world feels like it’s been on fire for the past several years, with the flames getting angrier and more aggressive in the past 12 months as we all just try to survive. It’s the perfect storm for aggressive music, because it’s impossible not to feel on edge at all times, and watching people add fuel to the problems we already have and world leaders fail at their job only amplifies the rage.

Danish death metal destroyers Deiquisitor certainly have been paying attention, especially to those who could be helping us who instead are sickening us, and they roll that into their hammering new EP “Humanoid.” At six tracks and about 28 and a half minutes, it’s a serving that feels rightly proportioned and dealt, with chaos spilling out of every corner. The band—vocalist/guitarist TFJ, bassist DA, drummer HBC—has been crushing souls since 2013, releasing their self-titled debut record in 2016, with two other albums and some smaller releases under their banner. This one, the first for Dark Descent, could be an introduction for a lot of listeners, and inside they’ll find hammering, relentless death metal that never leaves you doubting their fury and desire to bring guilty parties to their knees.

“World in Flames” stomps open with gruff growls and a chugging pace that aims to eat you alive. Things get ugly and punchy as the band turns down an even darker path as the brutality increases, mixing up your brains and sending you to the frontlines of a death march that ends in chaos. “Autonomous Warfare” blasts the brains in your skull, thrashing hard amid gurgly vocals and a slashing pace. The guitars splatter as the growls chew through muscle, surging before a mashing end. “Below the Frozen Tundra” delivers ugly growls and total misery as the leads blaze, and the pace helps lay a beating. The furnace opens, and relentless heat attacks as riffs cut in and create devastation. “Empyrean Lifeform” rips out and goes on the offensive with hard growls ripping through you and the tempo galloping. Vile growls double the intensity as zany leads erupt, and everything burns into a pile of ash. “Dictate the Believers” is savagery right away with the guitars slaying and an all-out assault blasting toward you. There are some sludgy moments as demonic growls set the tone, the tempo speeds with fury, and the track drags you face first to the end. “Blinded by Wisdom” ends the record with the drums decimating, a trudging tempo, and the growls snarling. The temperature continues to rise as gnarly growls smash, the cymbals are crushed, and high-pressure bursts dissolve into noise.

“Humanoid” is a deadly next step for Deiquisitor, who have a far better chance catching on with more people now that Dark Descent is behind them, and anyone who takes the shot is bound to be deliriously satisfied. That is if you like death metal that feels like it has a vendetta against you and has no concern about being clean and neat. This band always has had a bloodthirst, but it sounds a little more serious now, and everyone in their way should take cover immediately.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/humanoid

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

Who could argue humankind is not at its shit worst? Viruses spreading with people refusing to admit they’re real. People in this country buying bullshit from a proven liar and former game show host and storming the Capitol building. The continual failure to treat people as they deserve and try to make things equal and equitable for all. It’s a mess, and it’s not clearing up.

LA-based trio Swampbeast not only is well aware of the chaos swallowing humanity whole, they’ve smashed that into their vicious death grind on their debut album “Seven Evils Spawned of Seven Heads,” which definitely feels like the world crashing into hell. The band—drummer/vocalist Marecov Mena, guitarist/vocalist Griffin Werk, guitarist Mike Royal—sees the world heading into imminent collapse, and the music on these 11 tracks and 36 minutes is designed to soundtrack that upheaval in as violent and miserable a manner as possible. So, basically, if you’re taking on this record, be prepared for a heavy taste of Armageddon that you may have had a hand in bringing to fruition.

“Orcs Anvil” bludgeons right away as vicious howls rain down, the pace stampedes, and snarling fury meets speed as morbid melodies rip to the end. “The Blind God” scrambles brains right away as growls wrench and the playing splatters before everything just goes off. A cosmic warp strikes as raspy howls pound, and crazed mashing draws blood. “Convulsing in the Shit and Piss of Man” not only is my early contender for song title of the year, but its insane pace immediately goes for your throat. Noise bristles as speeds rushes, growls splinter, and vicious thrashing gets gnarly before grinding out. “1000 Years of Pestilence” brings a slower pace that’s still heavy before menace attacks and the shrieks scrape away while the band hits hard. Beastly growls scrape, a thick muddiness makes breathing difficult, and flesh is carved to the ends. “Trudging Through Oblivion” is a quick burst that’s over before you know what hit you. It brings lightning fury and a hammering assault that’s outright slaughter for almost two minutes.

“The Permanence Of Death” opens into doomy sludge as horrific punishment is dealt, and growls gurgle into bloodshed. Everything burns hard and bright as the playing mashes skulls, and everything fades into hell. “Thy Flesh Sustained” delivers drums that just destroy, a dashing pace, and eventually it turns into calculated thrashing. Guitars hang in the air and bring heat, while the tempo blisters, and oppressive humidity ends everything in hell. “The First Prime Evil” tears right into your rib cage as the drumming pummels, and the vocals feel deadly and raw. The playing is fast and hypnotic, blasting its way into its final resting spot. “Cerebus” lights up as vile growls bubble up like old blood, and heavy pressure eats away at your psyche. Guitars heat up and burn, pounding away and leaving your bones in a pile of dust. “Chasms Encrusted With Malformity” is a quick interlude track that delivers dripping echo and gross chemical bubbling, leading toward closer “Spell of Decay” that feels like it’s simmering in doom soup. The growls then hammer as the tempo lands body blows, the leads sprawl, and everything cuts through to your heart, leaving you heaving on the floor.

Swampbeast pour a ton of heat and violence in your lap on their volatile debut record “Seven Evils Spawned of Seven Heads,” a record that’ll leave you in unspeakable pain when it’s over. Their combination of death metal and grind rarely relents, pushing you right into the teeth of as table saw before you even have time to beg for mercy. This is 11 doses of pain and power that’ll you’ll still be feeling long after the record ends.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://translationloss.com/collections/pre-orders

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

It can be a strange and potentially upsetting experience when you put on a record and immediately wonder what the fuck is going on with the music. Actually, I guess that can have two possible outcomes and expressions. One, you hear it and never want to absorb what’s attacking your senses ever again. Two, the music could hit you and attack your brain in such a way that you’re absolutely mesmerized.

Taking on “The Cycle Reckoning,” the second record from Suffering Hour, was a mentally toppling experience, and I’m hardly a stranger to the band’s music. But the latter situation is where I was ensconced as this album immediately radiated in my skull and definitely made me cock my head to the side in confusion over the band’s bizarre ambiance they added to their furious blend of death and black metal. They’ve come up with an entirely different assault from 2017 debut “In Passing Ascension” in that the guitar work sounds bent against its will and mercy, as their melodies feel like they originate from another realm. The band—guitarist/vocalist YhA, bassist/vocalist DgS, drummer/vocalist IsN—focus on mental anguish and personal awakenings, putting the screws to you as you explore along with them.

“Strongholds of Awakening” ramps up from the start, ripping through and delivering delirium that combines with skullduggery. Strange melodies mix in with the brutality as the band hammers away, bringing a bizarre assault that ravages hard and chokes you out with its exhaust. “Transcending Antecedent Visions” unloads riffs that feel like they came from alien terrain while things quiver, and the pace mashes bones. Spiraling fury makes the room spin dangerously as growls slither underneath in the grime, and eventually a lone stinging riff sends chills down your spine. The band lulls you into a trance as the riffs burst, melodies encircle, and the playing rounds into what’s next.

That would be “The Abrasive Black Dust Part II” that continues a campaign they started on “In Passing Ascension” by bringing awakening guitars, rushing melodies, and creaky speaking that digs under your fingernails. The growls unload as the murk spreads, and dreary hell is achieved that sends things into mysticism. More mind-altering riffs and a raging storm unite as thing end in a slurry echo. “Obscuration” has a tempered start, though things are quite heavy, and the growls sound like they’re gurgling blood. A sneaky bassline works its way in as the clouds gather above, and just as your head starts soaring, you’re brought back to reality with gutting guitars, speedy chaos, and more unease that spills right into 16:33-long closer “The Foundations of Servitude” that starts making it feel like your body is vibrating. Riffs unfurl and explode as growls menace, and the pace plays tricks with your mind. Hypnotic fury meets with tornadic violence as the playing shows some swagger, and zany melodies amplify the mind fuck. Things ease up a bit as the atmosphere swells, and it feels like you’re in a fever dream. But then the band opens your guts, the vocals crush, and fog reigns as the back end tunnels out.

Suffering Hour’s volatile, seemingly cosmic death and black metal is in full force and deeply in apocalyptic hell on “The Cycle Reckoning,” the record that’s likely to be the introduction for this band to a lot of people. It’s bizarre and bludgeoning, an experience that’s not likely to be mirrored at all by any other band this year, which is just as well because no one can master this trio’s terrain. This thing will fuck you up, so don’t say you weren’t warned.  

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

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

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

Absolutely soul-darkening black metal is great, but have you ever added a rousing round of spell-casting darkness to the vilest form of heavy metal in existence? Honestly, a savage bludgeoning always is a good time, and I’ll never throw that out of the proverbial heavy metal bed. But it’s also nice when a band gives you a little more so that your psyche can be fully damaged.

Nordic black metal beasts Misotheist don’t have a gigantic resume, but what they’ve offered so far has been a refreshing jolt of devastation that gets into your cell structure and changes a bunch of shit around. Their second record is arriving, and “For the Glory of Your Redeemer” is a three-track, half-hour exercise in the blackest of arts, but with their own creativity added for good measure. It’s put together in similar manner of their 2018 self-titled debut, but it’s a step above, a richly punishing record that’s awesome from beginning to end. The band—we don’t have a full lineup, and they have next to no online presence—delivers black metal that’ll stick to your ribs, but it also impacts your psyche in that you’ll find yourself far more damaged at the end than do were going into the thing.

“Rope and Hammer” trickles in before the fuel meets the match, and we have an absolute eruption. Vicious growls and crushing playing combine and deliver brute force before melodic hell is unleashed that gets into your bloodstream. The band unloads as everything burns as the growls punish, the disorienting playing mixes the brains in your skull, and everything bleeds to an end. “Benefactor of Wounds” crushes as riffs spiral, and vicious vocals rip out your guts. The playing feels like it’s blasting you into dust as a melodic, but destructive chorus strikes, and the beastly power smashes. Fires are stoked again, heating your face, bringing everything to a cataclysmic end. “Acts of the Flesh” is the 16:09-long closer that begins with weird noises and the plodding bass before things explode into spellbinding madness. The playing hammers as the growls engorge, the terror continually unloads, psychologically sending you into ruin, and then things spill into an eerie pocket before guitars liquify. Things get moodier as the growls punish, a mystical feeling comes over everything, and dreary winds and weighty darkness pull you permanently into its vortex.

“For the Glory of Your Redeemer” is very similar to Misotheist’s debut at least in structure, but things definitely have taken a darker turn here. This is a record that doesn’t require a huge commitment from you, and it rewards you with an assault that rarely takes a turn into serenity and keeps pushing your buttons as aggressively as can be. This is dark and hideous and holds within it strange mysteries that’ll take you countless listens to reveal.

For more on the band, go here: https://terraturpossessions.bandcamp.com/album/misotheist

To buy the album, go here: https://van-records.com/Terratur-Possessions_3

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