If you have a good formula, why screw with it? Why run the risk of going in a different direction or even making some minor tweaks when you already know you have an effective thing on your hands? Easy as that sounds, not all artists operate in that manner, and that can result in boredom if they keep running the same path or wildly unexpected results if they veer.

New Zealand death metal stallions Ulcerate decided to take some different paths on their wild sixth record “Stare Into Death and Be Still,” their first for Debemur Morti after spending time with Relapse. This band already had a reputation for creating mind-bending pieces of work, though as creative as their music always felt, apparently they needed some fresh air. In comes this eight-track, 58-minute beast that, while you’ll definitely acknowledge this is Ulcerate right out of the gates, feels a lot different as well. The melodies enrapture, there are times it feels like they’re playing tricks with your mind, and the utter decimating pace is now and again tempered by different realities that give you a breather, but only until the next wave of chrome lava. The band–vocalist/bassist Paul Kelland, guitarist Michael Hoggard, drummer Jamie Saint Merat—recommit to their creativity and their smoking penchant for delivering bruising music and pump out one of the most original records on a resume full of open mindedness. I’ve already immersed myself in this thing multiple times, and each experience with it is different.

“The Lifeless Advance” punches its way open as spindly guitars open, and deep roars make their way into the mix. Melody bursts and slathers into hell while the drums dust skulls, and cavernous chaos opens and swallows you whole. “Exhale the Ash” begins with an energy surge, and the tempo blasts as the drums climb up and pulverize, and the guitars send body jolts. The growls you can virtually feel in your chest as the leads burst and add different colors, while the bruising floods, and the ends comes in a pit of punishment. The title track just melts open, tearing things limb from limb and entering into a world of madness. Monstrous growls crawl as the pain pours over you, at times feeling warped yet fluid. The playing grows scathing while the track gets more adventurous before everything is swept into oblivion. “There Is No Horizon” has a dark and hazy beginning as it simmers in shadows before tearing its chest wide open and mangling listeners in its gears. Cool guitar work drips through like leaking pipes before the leads explore the atmosphere, and the growls carve a path back to the center. The track begins to smash things all over again before subsiding and giving way to a thick, enveloping fog.

“Inversion” explodes immediately and lands blows as monstrous growls and devastating playing loosen screws. The guitars sting and feel like they’re pulling in alien transmissions while the playing swims inside your head, making you feel disjointed and lost before the back end of the song mashes in your head. “Visceral Ends” starts in a fog of synth weirdness that slowly awakens like sunbeams through the aftermath of destruction. As the song awakens, the growls crush and the guitars chew on frayed nerves before the leads glisten and shimmer. The drums pick up and add to the chaos while moody guitars slur, and we end with a heavy pummeling. “Drawn Into the Next Void” greets you with guitars at the gates following by trudging tempos and a feeling you’re being pulled under. The song has moments of humidity before things cool off after a long storm. But the knife finds its way back in as the growls bubble deeply within the fires, and the return of demanding temperatures finds its way into the void. “Dissolved Orders” is your closer, and it starts with clean notes that help the song slowly flow along until it meets up with a flooding and grisly growls. The pace tends to hypnotize in spots and freezing winds chill your soaked flesh, while heavy growls sound like they’re trying to digest you. The playing then engulfs as you’re stuck knee-deep in a tar pit as cold strains wash over you while the track washes away.

Ulcerate have built a massive reputation and a mighty sound during their nearly two decades together, and had they not tweaked a thing, no question their audience would have devoured “Stare Into Death and Be Still.” But they didn’t do that, did they? Instead, this band opened up and expanded their playbook and delivered one of their most inventive records in some time, which is saying something for a group that already stands alone. This is a massive, deeply destructive record that’ll feel entirely different every time you tear it open.

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

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

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

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

Things arrive at strange times. I’m not asking you to read back the last couple weeks of this site, but so much music is landing at times where they are needed most. This doesn’t necessarily mean the music will make you feel better, but it comes to us at a time when its digestion will be most meaningful.

New death metal band Umbra Vitae is arriving at one of those opportune times with their debut “Shadow of Life,” which is the translation of their band name. The band itself takes their name from the Georg Heym poem of the same name, and that piece of work that was released posthumously in 1912, envisions a world where destruction is at hand and societies are folding on themselves. Fuck, did you pay attention to the news the past week or so? We’re on the brink, man, and this record puts a lot of that in perspective. Right, the band. You know these people. On vocals is Jacob Bannon, vocalist for Converge and mastermind behind Wear Your Wounds, guitarists Mike McKenzie and Sean Martin (both of Wear Your Wounds), bassist Greg Weeks (The Red Chord), and drummer Jon Rice (Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats), and here, they level you with death metal panic that crushes.

“Decadence Dissolves” is a quick intro where guitars crawl through thick humidity, and then it’s right into “Ethereal Emptiness” that’s a wild assault right away. Bannon’s voice is absolutely unmistakable though a little gruffer than his Converge delivery, as guitars unleash a sludgy fury around him, trampling and defacing before everything mercifully fades so you can breathe for a second. And it’s literally for one second as “Atheist Aesthetic” arrives and hammer away at your wounds. Shrieks and growls combine to amplify the pain as Bannon shouts, “One by one until there is none!” Muddy guitars pick up from there, and shrapnel is tossed dangerously through the air. “Mantra of Madness” is off to the races once it steps in, and the drums open up a massacre that has absolutely no mercy. Like, seriously. It kills. Anyway, the thing keeps ripping shit apart as raspy shouts rain down, the tempo fires up, and the track ends in total destruction. “Fear Is a Fossil” has grime-filled vocals that utterly punish on the verses. The chorus rolls you in a bath of cinders while guitars smear, and the ending adds salt to the punishment you endured.

“Polluted Paradise” is a really quick one where growls and shrieks warp together, and speedy devastation then piles into “Intimate Inferno” that continues to pound the gas pedal through the floor. Manic howls and huge jolts rattle bones before a strange psychedelic section hits and melts minds, and then it’s back into the heart of the inferno with riffs swirling and steady mashing doing their last bits of damage. “Return to Zero” blasts out as rapidly spat vocals shoot sparks, and sinewy guitars begin to flex their muscles. The leads swim through again before the song comes to a crunchy end. “Blood Blossom” lands heavy blows and feels a bit more ominous while thrashing takes over and continues bruising. The track grinds to a brutally slow mashing that sticks around until the pace ignites and ends in fire. The title cut closes and opens with drums assaulting and darker tones mixing into the waters. “We won’t find peace,” Bannon warns before deeper growls enter the picture, and the playing hits on a staggering pace. Screams reach out and soar into space while fluid guitars make their way in and help the track fade out.

Things are collapsing around us, people in our communities are losing their minds, and there isn’t a hope in sight that things will work themselves out. That’s not exactly a plus, mind you, but it should help you digest what Umbra Vitae deliver on “Shadow of Life,” a debut record that wrecks your guts and splits your mind. Yeah, you know the main players here and you know their pasts, but forget all of that and commit to a display that lets out all of its inner turmoil and matches the chaos around you.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://deathwishinc.com/collections/new

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

We’re neck deep in misery right now, so why not dump a ton more hellishness onto that pile and make everyone feel that much worse? Doom metal isn’t exactly the place to go if you want to find solace from the madness because so much of that style of music simmers in chaos. But when everything around you is shit anyway, how badly can you really be hurt?

Coming out of British Columbia are Resent, a band with almost zero public profile, no real lineup that I can decipher, but with a devastating debut record “Crosshairs” that is arriving via a trio of labels. After taking on this six-track, 43-minute bruiser, who cares if we don’t know a lineup or what they did before this or even during this, because this early ’90s-styled sludge doom monster is a massive kick to the face of anyone hoping to find a record to make them feel better. The record laces medical horrors into the body of the songs, and each crevice drips with mud and blood, pretty much trying to clog up your brain and arteries. It’s fascinating how smothering the music is, and despite its utter dismissal of anything uplifting, it’ll fill you with horrors and pain that’ll destroy you existentially.

“Miserable” opens with a clip of a patient screaming that, “It hurts a lot,” over and over as he’s goaded, and then feedback-infested sludge barrels in with a messy fury and vicious growls that take you apart. The pace is mauling and ugly, just landing blow after blow almost as if it’s standing in place, and you keep running into massive shots that ground you. “Degenerate” has noises and voices swirling in the ether before the guitars arrive to bury you in a Sabbath-style hell. The mood is dour as guitars lap up the thick tributaries of blood and filth, while deep growls rip into you like a rusty dagger. A heavy pall hovers over everything while dark waves pummel you into oblivion. “Wallowing in Filth” has a clip of a man talking about seeing people smeared in their own filth, so that should give you a good idea as to where this is headed. Slow driving panic is what ensues as you’re driven to the ground with brute force. Growls hammer while the playing scrapes away at your wounds as noise floods, and the heat swelters all before dumping you into a smothering finish that clouds your insides.

The title track starts with a patient crying about facing a needle as the riffs open up and dump oceans of cement. The playing is heavy and mashing as it circles you and threatens no solace ever. Slurry heaviness pairs with guitars that spurt and lay waste, caving in your chest and skull simultaneously. “Victimized” feels like it’s already destroying you before it really gets under way, as muddy guitars and hoarse growls amplify the misery. There is more trauma from a medical perspective laced into what’s going on, which does no good for anyone’s psyche, as everything comes to a moaning, guttural finish. “Miscarriage” ends the record with groups of people asking, “I am I, who are you?” and then things heat up in a hurry. Growls chew into muscle while the playing turns messy and grimy, and just when things seem they can’t get more monstrous, guitars begin to belch feedback, the pressure becomes unbearable, and the track burns away and out of time.

Feeling good about life is probably something we should forget about for a while, and it’s clear Resent have no hopes for seeking happiness on their stunning first record “Crosshairs.” This is a massive beast scraping across the earth, looking to accumulate bones and bodies as it chews up ground. We don’t know where they’ve been or where they’re going, but we’re willing to follow them into whatever miserable vortex they’re headed as long as the music sounds like this.

For more on the band, go here: https://resent1.bandcamp.com/

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

Or here: https://www.facebook.com/nervealtar/

Or here: https://ropeorguillotine.limitedrun.com/store

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

And here: https://nervealtar.storenvy.com/

And here: https://ropeorguillotine.limitedrun.com/

We all had big plans this summer, didn’t we? Lots of stuff going on, places to go, people to be around, whether we like that or not. I had two big metal festivals this year that I was really excited about (three if you count me driving to MDF for one day just to see Dismember), and sadly, all of that has flown out the window for all of us.

I was really looking forward to June’s Metal Immortal Festival here in Pittsburgh, the second installment of the annual event that sadly now will not be happening until 2021 because of this goddamn virus. Not only was I excited about seeing friends and spending money on a bunch of merch, but the lineup was set to be killer. One band on the bill was West Coast-based speed metal pounders Sölicitör, who are getting ready to deliver their furious first full-length “Spectral Devastation,” a huge blast of metal that feels like it emanates from 40 years ago. That’s a good thing. There are a lot of bands delving back into older vibes, but few pull it off in a way that sounds like they actually belong there. Sölicitör pull it off seamlessly on this eight-track, 40-minute album where the band— vocalist Amy Lee Carlson, guitarists Matthew Vogan and Patrick Fry, bassist Damon Cleary-Erickson, drummer Johann Waymire—feels like a group that’s been together far long than their mere two years.

“Blood Revelations” opens the record full steam ahead, galloping through NWOBHM glory, with Carlson wailing about “unholy vengeance and steel.” The soloing screams out, leading into a quick shout-back section that reminds of the “die by my hand” segment of “Creeping Death” (nice touch!) before the guitars go off again. “Betrayer” follows with glorious guitar work, and a simple, yet effective chorus that should jolt live. Riffs hammer as the playing stomps guts, the soloing chars flesh, and the track blasts home. “The Red Queen” has a folk-flavored riff out front before the song takes on a vintage Priest vibe. “She’s a nightmare in disguise,” Carlson warns, before she follows up with, “She’s a killer on the run.” Some of the singing is a little raspy and edgy, which is a cool change of pace, and strong soloing sends huge gusts of wind that rampage the song to its acoustic outro. “Leathür Streets” explodes out of the gates with some killer classic guitar work and another infectious chorus that goes down easy. “I’m going to get you with your back against the wall, Carlson warns amid nasty speed that leaves abrasions.

“Night Vision” lets acoustics set the stage before the power kicks in, and Carlson wails about “evil in the night.” Soloing tears away while the pace steamrolls, slicing and dicing before landing some final fatal blows. “Terminal Race” is crunchy as hell and goes right for the jugular, with Carson declaring, “Metal never dies!” Now that your blood is racing, they follow up with smearing soloing and a back end that tears things apart, ending in a pit of fire. “Spectres of War” has a burly start, punching hard with Carlson commanding, “Soon you’ll be caught in the crossfire!” Sirens go off as the band thrashes mightily as a searing solo erupts, and the track suffocates you in rubble. “Grip of the Fist” closes things out burning in with a powerful attack as the riffs hammer away. “Beware! The iron first!” Carlson wails as the intensity manages to get even more insane, and the track ends in a blaze of glory.

So, the summer may already be ruined and live shows might not be happening, but that doesn’t mean music is dead, and sure as hell metal will survive. Sölicitör aren’t backing down from anything, and their debut “Spectral Devastation” lights up serious fires and injects with power and glory that we all could bask in for a while. I’m excited to one day be able to see this band live and get my ass kicked with metal that pays homage to the roots and blazes trails into the future.

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

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

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

Psychological wounds and continual warping of your well being should be something you’re totally used to by now, so you can handle a few more serious blows, right? We’re delving into black metal today, the kind that tries to burn you down and smear your ashes into the earth, music that isn’t particularly concerned with how you’re doing as long as you’re unraveling.

Denver-based black metal monsters Black Curse are invading your home dwelling with “Endless Wound,” their debut offering. Comprised of members of bands such as Blood Incantation, Spectral Voice, Khemmis, and Primitive Man (you may have heard of some of them), this record is even more savage and gnarly than the aforementioned groups. It sounds like it’s trying to scorch the earth, taking you along with it, but it also contains some psyche-blasted passages that rip you into the further regions of outer space. The band—guitarist/vocalist Eli Wendler, guitarist Jonathan Campos, bassist Morris Kolontyrsky, drummer Zach Coleman—makes effective use of their time, spreading seven tracks of malevolent horror over 38 minutes that leave you a wasted mess in a pile of your own ash. I know this is exaggerated and all, but once you’re finished with the record, see if it isn’t accurate as hell.

“Charnel Rift” tears the lid off the thing and immediately sends you into the mouth of hell. Fiery shrieks echo while the pace hammers away relentlessly. That melts into doom fury, melting and oozing before the body is torn apart, and the playing rages with fury before coming to an echoey finish. “Crowned in a (Floral) Vice” smashes right away as the growls lurch through filth, and the pace blisters things into pieces. Riffs encircle as the pace gets uglier, and then it’s off to the races, smearing with madness as the track comes to a smashing end. “Enraptured By Decay” has a huge open before everything builds into a massive assault, and wild shrieks rain down like shrapnel. Blackened doom blood flows and congeals as hypnotic chugs have their way, and the playing makes your brain swim in its own chemicals. The final rush plays tricks with your mind before the pace grinds to a violent halt.

“Seared Eyes” knifes through your guts as demolition is carries out, and death growls gurgle in blood. Deranged wails and strange gasps add to the horror while the playing continues to lay waste to your physical and mental state. “Lifeless Sanctum” opens with drums encircling, giving it an almost tribal feel before cosmic synth and guitars lift, and the body blows come even harder. The track turns on the chaotic bursts, and the instrumental cut leaves off noxious fumes. “Endless Wound” has a blinding start, pushing you into decimation as outright savagery strikes. Things get slow and numbing for a stretch, but it’s temporary, as the song is shredded, and soloing rises and conquers. The fires spill as the drumming destroys, and the meaty tempo hammers until bleeding out. “Finality I Behold” closes the album, and it starts by wrecking shit, crushing wills as the fire blast ravages everything in front of it. Growls and shrieks mix, bombarding as eerie doom clouds descend, trudging in mud before the vocals destroy. Riffs repeat, the soloing glows, and everything keeps going until divebombing into oblivion.

Doom, death, and destruction might be a little too much a part of our world for comfort right now, but the type that Black Curse unload on “Endless Wound” actually won’t do so much physical harm as it will mental. But having something come out right now like this record also could help us bleed out some of the frustrations and fears and defy all the negative forces we’re facing. Or you could just put this on and let it lay waste to your hearing as you suffer in the face of blood-ripping black metal.

For more on the band, go here: https://blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com/releases

To buy the album, go here: http://www.sepulchralvoice.de/shop/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.sepulchralvoice.de/

We’re all stuck, no one can go anywhere, people are restless, and what are we to do? But the idea we can’t have fun and loosen up is a myth, because all you really need is to be drawing breath and a willingness to do something other than obsess about the news and the reality of all the hell that is surrounding us at every moment.

Granted, all the social aspects are on the outs, but we have music that can help us get by and perhaps even let us try to have fun for a bit. A great place to start is with “Satan’s Favorites,” the debut from Philly-based Narcos Family Band, who mix punk, psychedelics, metal, and straight-up rock over eight tracks that refuse to let you feel like shit. The music is a blast to hear, as every second of this thing is pretty much daring you to respond, party, freak out, sweat, whatever. If you’re looking for abject heaviness and skullduggery, you may not find what you’re looking for, but especially at a time like now, we all need to remember how to feel good about something. This record does that as the band—vocalist Hot Meat, guitarist/vocalist Unc, keyboard player/vocalist Jawn Lord, bassist Will Spectre, sax player Good Rick, drummer Old Rick—pours all of themselves into this thing and leaves you a mess wondering what the fuck just happened to you.

“Too Late” gets the record off to a rousing start with spooky keys, guitars kicking in, and the sax work pumping. Gritty singing erupts from Hot Meat (what a sentence) as the catchy fury enraptures, and Jawn Lord joins in the fun soulfully wailing, “It’s too late!” before the final punches are landed. “As Above, So Below” has the bass driving, organs blaring, and Jawn Lord teasing, “Any time you need my love,” as the sax rumbles beneath everything. The track continues to add swagger as Hot Meat shouts, “Say you need my love, say you need it,” as the track ends in sweat and fumes. “Black Hat Boogie” is short but sweet as guitars fire up, the playing feels fun and sleazy, and a simple chorus blasts through, making you feel spent. “Ready to Die” enters with a bluesy hook and a humid pace as it burns along. The chorus is easy and sticky, which is a good thing, while the organs shimmer, bringing a psyche edge, and molten sax takes us to our finishing point.

The title track opens with the sax out front, the guitars bubbling up, and gnarly vocals striking you and taking you for a ride. The chorus is cool as shit, as Jawn Lord’s singing soars again, and everything ends in echo, leaving your mind blank. “Brian Jones” has thick riffs and shimmering keys barreling through as Good Rick’s sax blurts out, and a mesmerizing ambiance is achieved. “One of these days I’m going to slip you up,” is a group call as the guitars ignite, and the keys and sax meld together into a mind-altering haze. “Charlie’s Head” is a barrage of woodwind brass and synth whirls, slowly emerging before the bruising begins. “Everyone needs to die,” Hot Meat warns with menace, as the riffs rumble behind, bringing their own ominous warnings. Sax swelters again, as all elements combine to create a weird alien storm. “Out of Time” closes the album with the repeated mantra of, “You’re always out of time,” as psyche moods elevate. The track turns into quite the mind fuck as it flows along as Hot Meat does some speak singing, the chorus rounds back and lands blows, and the track bleeds into oblivion.

There’s no reason we have to feel like terrible all the time, and if we want to get loose and fire up some drinks and other mind-altering substances in the comfort of our homes, you won’t go wrong inviting Narcos Family band to the party. But not in person! They cannot come to your place to destroy you because we don’t want to trade viruses. Luckily, “Satan’s Favorites” has everything you need to blast out into oblivion and forget the madness for a while.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://narcosrocknroll.bandcamp.com/album/satans-favorites

Photo by Anait Sagoyan

What a weird time to be alive, and that’s something that we’re probably going to keep saying for a while. So, I feel kind of monotonous that I keep talking about escapism as of late, but really, it’s something so many of us need as our lives become something we never could have imagined. To get out, even if only in our head, has become necessary in order to take a normal breath.

With all of that in mind, back comes progressive powerhouse Elder with another collection of spiraling epics to take us on breathtaking adventures into the unknown. Their latest is “Omens,” their first in three years and the first with their new lineup, and the expansive five-track, nearly 56-minute collection is as expansive and massive as anything in this band’s catalog. Imagined as a concept piece about the lifespan of a civilization, the music visits elements of doom and psychedelia over songs that make your mind wander and wonder as they pick through themes of bleakness and despair. It’s an adventure that’s not free from conflict, because how compelling would one be without that? Instead, the band—vocalist/guitarist/keyboard player Nick DiSalvo, guitarist/keyboard player Mike Risberg, bassist Jack Donovan, and drummer Georg Edert—blast you through all the highs and lows and everything that’s packed in between as they immerse you in their story.

The title track starts the record, running 10:52, as keys trace the sky, guitars warm up, and the trip begins. The pace is strong, as are the vocals, which are an album highlight, and then it’s into psychedelic waters that come up to your chest. The playing lands punches as the keys zap, and later, an orchestral glaze mixes into the low end before the leads take control again. From there, the pace ruptures and blood bubbles before the track comes to a smothering end. “In Procession” is the shortest track at 9:53, and guitars slowly awaken as steady singing and melting keys enter the fray. The track opens and begins to punch harder, catching fire before more solemn playing cools the temperature, and the music swims into a sea of proggy keys. Singing kicks back in as the leads tangle, picking up speed before meeting up with an acoustic bath at the end.

“Halcyon” is the longest cut here, running 12:48 and getting started with a synth haze that slowly extends its reach. The track slowly opens into a sci-fi-style backdrop before a psychedelic stretch reaches, and vocals enter around about five and a half minutes into this track. “Raining down on me, I can feel the Earth,” DiSalvo calls while proggy synth fires up, sometimes resembling the Moody Blues’ elegance. Guitars return to rustle while the song continues its surge into distant galaxies. “Embers” kicks off with riffs that feel Southern rock inspired before synth guides, and the pace exudes catchiness. “Seeing with the eyes of an animal backed against a wall,” DiSalvo warns before the track chews into its proggy center, and leads swirl into a loop. Things change up, but the intensity remains, while keys mix into the waters for one glorious final push. “One Light Retreating” ends the album, an 11:13-long trip that trickles open and sets up its ambiance as DiSalvo laments about, “One last shot to say goodbye.” A psyche chill follows that before the song opens back up again, and thick keys coat the terrain. Soloing catches fire while everything comes to a head in space, turning rock into liquid, warping melodies, and ending our adventure on a plane far from our own.

Locking yourself into a book or a series or a record is a great way to get your mind off things that will twist you into an anxious pretzel, and definitely we can count Elder’s “Omens” as another one of those things that’ll carry you away. The playing is ambitious and passionate, and these songs, as lengthy as they are, never feel like they’re hanging around too long. This is another rock-solid building block for a band that always puts imagination and creativity first when blasting out another enthralling opus.

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

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

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

My body never seems to time things very well, so of course I’d get a bad cavity in a tooth and have excruciating pain at a time when the dental industry is pretty much on lockdown. The only place I could go to get this fixed was an hour north from where I live, so I set out very early in the morning to get the pain alleviated via root canal. That drive, of course, was going to require a soundtrack.

By chance, I selected “Absentia,” the sixth full-length effort from Italian black metal band Blaze of Sorrow, and it turns out their emotional, melodic approach matched the beauty of my travels ideally. That might not be the most brutal setup to discuss a record that’s awash in heaviness, but the majesty of the sound is not to be denied, and the fact the band also mentions their respect for nature in the bio materials for this record means I must have been fairly well attuned to what they were aiming for and what my brain needed at the time. Blaze of Sorrow also aren’t here trying to make you think things need to be all evil all the time as the band—vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Peter, guitarist A.S., bassist V., and drummer N.—uses plenty of melancholia, sadness, and sweeping emotion to color their music, and it’s what makes them stand out from so many other bands. The songs are practically, for lack of a better word, infectious.

“Settimo requiem” starts with noise and chants before the body of the song kicks in, and great riffs lap the shores. Peter’s harsh shrieks fire up as melodic charges send jolts, and the riffs keep piling up. Soloing burns hard  as a forceful surge mounts, brighter guitars lead the way, and things rush to an effusive end. “Furia” rouses and blasts ahead with reckless abandon as grim growls wash over, and glorious leads light up the skies. Darker portions follow, though, as the vocals pelt, and the pace gets speedier. The track settles into shadows as the band keeps pounding to the end. “Sonno d’eterno”
has a clean, reflective start before tearing open at the midsection and pouring out guts. The growls scrape while the playing bursts, hammering the senses as punishing leads flow. Colors rage as the pace blasts ahead, and everything comes to a vicious finish.

“Notturna” has a huge opening with big guitars making their way through and gnarly playing leaving bruises. The fiery pace calms for a stretch, letting cool air in before things ramp up again as the storm breaks, and the growls smother. Blackened attacking makes its way in before the song comes to a gigantic finish. “Hybris” is punchy and melodic but also speedy, shaking your brain in your skull. Catchy leads run amok while the soloing scorches, and a brief pause turns into a chaotic burst. “Cupio dissolve” has a tempered beginning as a mood is built, and then the track kicks down the door as gruff growls mash digits. The track continues to penetrate as warm guitar leads send up a light, and the guitars rampage to a damaging end. “Morte di un immortale” closes the album with acoustic flourishes and folkish vibes. Winds woosh through your hair as the world opens up, and the song comes to a rustic final resting place.

“Absentia” is a fantastic record to absorb right about now when so many people are in isolation, and having something that touches upon so much of what you’re feeling really can scratch your surface. No way Blaze of Sorrow could have known any of this was coming or that they planned it this way, but obvious something cosmic is at work here, so it’s nice to have this period to appreciate these songs. This is a band that continues to grow and mature as time goes on, and they sound as strong and balanced as they ever have six records into their career.

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

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

For more on the label, go here: https://www.eisenton.de/

We’ve all had those transformative live experiences when we see a band and somehow leave our bodies and enter into an experience that’s much deeper than just seeing artists perform songs from their catalog. I remember the first time seeing Neurosis and somehow starting on one end of the crowd and ending up on the other with no realization I had even moved. I was sober.

I had one of those this past October when I went to Detroit to see psyche black metal explorers Oranssi Pazuzu in a building that, at first glance, seemed far too small for their sound. Maybe it even was, but when they opened up and started playing, everything changed, and I was instantly pulled into their performance and not let go until 90 minutes later. I’d have already been excited for the band’s new fifth full-length “Mestarin Kynsi,” but witnessing them in their element catapulted their importance to me. I had no idea when I dug into these six songs that I’d be taking an adventure with them I couldn’t have anticipated. Their penchant for krautrock-fueled black metal remains intact, but their further tunneling into thick electronics and electrifying hypnosis makes this record one that can both numb your mind and devastate your body and soul through and through. The band—vocalist/guitarist Jun-His, guitarists Ikon and Moit, bassist Ontto, synth/organ/effects wizard Evill, drummer Korjak—explores and expands over 50 minutes that’ll feel like they fly by in half of that as they run roughshod over your brain.

“Ilmestys” opens the record and sounds like the awakening into a higher dimension as noise swirls around you, and Jun-His’ maniacal wails ravage everything in front of him. The track keeps swimming with a strange pace that warps minds, while a gigantic burst emerges out of alien winds, as keys melt off to meet the twirling riffs. At the end, the guitars roar like a mechanical beast while synth rains down before an abrupt end. “Tyhjyyden Sakramentti” runs a healthy 9:37 and whirs along with looping bass, letting your head swim in the stars. Creaky growls jolt as the song opens up fully and speeds into curves, leaving you hanging on for dear life. A synth fog envelops, lulling you into serenity before shrieks waylay you, and the track starts to race and hiss. Guitars round up as keys create a storm, everything turns dangerously, ending in a pit of hell. “Uusi Teknokratia” runs 10:20, the longest track on the album, and it, too, centers itself deep in the cosmos, bringing strange echoes and heat, overwhelming as the electronic elements work their magic. Voices repeat in the fray as trance-like playing settles in before the calm is ripped apart, and sparks fly. The bass crawls beneath the din as noise wafts, and everything disappears into the clouds.

“Oikeamielisten Sali” is ushered in by thick keys as hypnosis unfurls, popping into a cool drive before shrieks arrive, and ugliness segues into a deeper realm of chaos. The synth flutters in space, which isn’t a surprise, but this time is digs deeper into the unknown. A strange ringing meets up with a power surge as the music piles in the poundage, and the track disintegrates into static. “Kuulen Ääniä Maan Alta” reveals mechanical weirdness and Jun-His defacing with his monstrous roars, while the lower end pulsates, and thick basslines barrel their way into the scene. Electronic waves and near-carnival keys amplify the insanity on the other end of the line, while momentum burrows deeper into a vortex, the music shimmers, and strange clouds slowly fade. “Taivaan Portti” closes the record with noise hanging like a swarm of insects before the drone is pummeled to death with a charring pace and shouts that scar mentally and physically. It feels like your brains are being splattered as a series of blasts send panic flying before the cacophony slowly starts to wind down, machine-like winds clear the debris, and the remnants of the multitude of alien fires burn away.

It’s almost cliché to describe a band with a sound that delves from the norm as indescribable, but Oranssi Pazuzu are a band that really must be experienced—especially live—to be fully understood. Even then, there are dark clouds. What they achieve on “Mestarin Kynsi” defies even their most ambitious twists and turns and continues their immersive exploration to the far beyond. There’s not another band like Oranssi Pazuzu, and they’ve morphed into a form no other band should even try to replicate for fear of going mad.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.nuclearblast.com/en/shop/index.html

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

Photo by Nona Limmen

Probably kind of not the best time from a psychological standpoint for some people to begin contemplating the afterlife, since we’re sort of surrounded by death right now, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative. If a plane beyond this life is something you believe is possible, what would that look like for you, and how would you want to achieve something that manifests itself somewhere we can’t even imagine?

That doesn’t mean we’re going all religious on you, but it’s something that’s raised in Dool’s fascinating second record “Summerland,” the title a pagan reference to the afterlife, whatever realm that may be. Vocalist/lyricist Ryanne von Dorst was contemplating the idea of what her place is in this world, what the idea of ultimate pleasure entails, what form an afterlife might take, and the concept of reincarnation. Also inspired by the Richard Matheson novel “What Dreams May Come,” that tackles the Biblical visions of hell, she and her bandmates—guitarists Reinier Vermeulen and Nick Polak, bassist JB Van Der Wal, drummer Micha Haring—weave immersive tales that are heavy and melodic, often infectiously catchy, and spill in psychedelics and other heavy forms of haze that will keep your blood pumping but also your mind wondering what might be possible in this world or the next.

“Sulphur & Starlight” opens the record with guitars chiming as van Dorst’s velvety voice booms, especially over the chorus when she calls, “When will you stop pouring starlight over me?” before later noting, “I’ve never seen fortune in your flames.” The song gets calm later on, with jazzier singing, before moody guitars end this great opener. “Wolf Moon” has a tempered start, pushing through with another great chorus that follows mesmerizing verses. Keys drip in later while the singing remains top notch before bowing out on the chorus. “God Particle” has trippy acoustics before a flurry of guitars kicks in as the track flows generously. “Can you relate to me?” van Dorst wails over the chorus, repeated several times to hammer home the point. A dreamy drive arrives later before the leads heat up, melting the back end with a fiery blast. The title track follows, running over 8:25, slipping into gothy waters, as van Dorst delivers higher-register singing that usual. “Maybe I should start a war and take you to the Summerland,” van Dorst calls over the chorus before the pace ramps up noticeably. Powerful soloing kicks in and lights up the room before the playing trickles into a sea of watery keys.

“A Glass Forest” flows in before picking up the pace and landing punches. The track also delves into psychedelics as the guitars stoke the flames while van Dorst insists, “I won’t live by your ways,” before the track fades into ash. “The Well’s Run Dry” bursts in as van Dorst delivers deeper singing before the playing heads off to the sun. A wave of eerie speaking flows into mind-altering soloing as the playing spreads out, intoxicating before fading into chills. “Ode to the Future” sounds like folk-driven heavy rock as it gets started as van Dorst continues to push her voice, and the tempo rouses. “Into truth forevermore,” van Dorst belts, while the track takes on a ’70s occult rock vibe, before she delivers a monologue that ends with, “I’ll see you in the Summerland.” “Be Your Sins” delivers smothering riffs and hypnotic bends before van Dorst levels, “As we read between the lines, the words cry out.” The chorus is infectious as hell with some frosty coverage, and then the guitars open up, organs swell, and van Dorst notes, “We’re at a point of no return.” That’s certainly a scary thought right now. “Dust & Shadow” ends the record, pulling from “What Dreams May Come,” shimmering and floating off into the cosmos. “I stand before infinity, it calls to me,” van Dorst wails as the playing continues to gain momentum, the volume floods, and the track disappears into a black hole.

Dool’s resume might be only five years long, but they’re already delivered two excellent records, with “Summerland” a huge high point early in their run. The record is packed with drama, gothic power, and bleeding emotion, and each song works well together but also can stand out as a whole if required. This band remains one of our favorite newer acts of the last part of the 2010, and if they continue on this path, we’re only scratching the surface of what they can achieve.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://prophecy.lnk.to/dool-summerland

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