Being in a legendary band worshipped by many likely means you’ve been doing your thing for a long time, and the scourge of lineup changes has impacted your music way more than one time. The greats always find a way to push through and keep doing relevant work—Maiden, Priest, Sabbath—which keeps them a pillar of their musical community for years to come.

Classic Swedish doom metal band Candlemass has hardly avoided chaos over the years, and from the time their last album “Psalms for the Dead” arrived seven long years ago in 2012, changes have struck the group all over again. Except this time, their new frontman is a familiar face from the past—Johan Längqvist, who performed vocals as a session singer on the band’s incredible debut album “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.” It was a welcome surprise to longtime fans to hear he was returning to the fold, but the proof of their might would be in the music they made, which we now have with their 12^th album “The Door to Doom,” as ideal a title as you’re going to find. This eight track, nearly 49-miniute record sure as hell delivers, over and over again, bringing doom magic like these guys have been making for years. The band—rounded out by guitarists Mats Bjorkman and Lars Johansson, bassist Leif Edling, and drummer Jan Lindh—sounds channeled and alive, as if they’re breathing dank new life again after renewing their mission to drub you and scorch you to hell.

“Splendor Demon Majesty” starts off the record perfectly, bristling in its presence of satanic powers. The track punches right away, with Längqvist wondering, “Will this be a new beginning or orchestrate the end?” The chorus is powerful, with the command to “hear the doomsday bell” (which you do hear), while guitars spread out, and Längqvist burns to the “sounds of 666.” “Under the Ocean” starts acoustic and trippy with hushed vocals before the track is torn open. The singing is in full command, while the soloing catches fire and scorches, leading to a cooling, mystical area. The chorus bursts out of that before things end in a psyche haze. “Astorolus – The Great Octopus” sounds like a batshit idea on the surface, but it fucking rules. Slow drumming paves the way for pulverizing riffs, verses that boil, and Längqvist wailing over the chorus, “There’s a mountain of skulls, you swallow the earth.” If this song wasn’t killer enough, Tony Iommi (of some band whose name is on the tip of my tongue) rips away, adding a bluesy fury in his own awesome way, with the band smashing and sweltering from there. “Bridge of the Blind” pulls things back, as it’s a haunting doom ballad led by colder guitars, soulful singing, and a classic metal feel. “Will you be waiting on the other side?” Längqvist calls before the song melts away.

“Death’s Wheel” begins to chew away as the riffs start to kill, and the vocals just soar over the verses. The guitars burn flesh later as the soloing sinks in, but then they buzz away, grinding away at rock. The tempo rounds back in later, with Längqvist howling, “The wheel is spinning round and round,” before the track bleeds away. “Black Trinity” is a strange one, a little darker than what preceded it, and one that feels sludgy at the start. A strange section that sounds like the exhaust from a machine kicks in before the solo blasts, and the chorus heads back for one more shot. The title cut fittingly opens with rain and thunder before the band hits on a faster pace. The chorus is simple but satisfying, with Längqvist welcoming you to the door to doom, while organs swell, and the horror gets thicker. Then the pace changes up, with a thick, Sabbath-style solo blistering as the track slips into the mud. “The Omega Circle” closes the album, letting off mystical fog that the guitars slice right through. The chorus is a change of pace, and then we’re back to strangeness, as Längqvist calls, “In the midnight hour and the souls devoured.” The track stomps and hulks, seemingly fading away, before a guitar-led charge heads in for a redux, sending thick plumes of smoke into the night sky.

Candlemass have been making some of the finest doom—hell, any style of metal—ever since their inception in 1984, and here we are, 35 years later, and they’re still cracking skulls on “The Door to Doom.” Having Längqvist back in the fold is a welcome return, and the rest of the band sounds as fresh as they ever have on this record. Candlemass have been creating great music and influencing legions of followers for decades, and that’s something that’s nowhere near ending.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://napalmrecords.com/english/candlemass

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

Now and again, we like to navigate away from the land of pure metal and explore what’s surrounding it. There are sounds that might not be metallic and—god forbid!—brutal, but the music easily could stimulate those of us who are not chained to a particular style and can find enjoyment elsewhere. That brings us to Italian post-rock trio Be Forest.

The band released their first record “Cold” in 2011, making quiet waves underneath the surface as they honed their craft. The band just released their spellbinding third record “Knocturne,” an album that plays much like multiple movements of a greater whole and can bring you into territories that are home to bands such the XX, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, and Zola Jesus. It’s a dark, stormy record that’s ideal for listening when trying to shield yourself from driving storms that soak you, no matter how hard you protect yourself. The band—bassist/vocalist Costanza Delle Rose, guitarist Nicola Lampredi, drummer/synth player/vocalist Erica Terenzi—conjures a haunting feeling, as even after multiple listens, it still gets into my chest and makes me think of some of the turmoil and chaos I’ve faced in my own life, and how confronting those has brought my psyche into better balance, as this music helps me sink underneath everything.

“Atto I” starts the record, a bubbling, foggy instrumental passage that digs deep under cold waters and comes out on the other side at “Empty Space,” where guitars pulsate and send shivers. The track feels misty and numbing, as the soft vocals pass over, sounds swim in shadows, and dreamy transmissions flood your senses before melting right into “Gemini” that gets a kick start with the drumming before entering a dreary space. This is ideal music for when it’s raining and chilly outside, as the vocals flutter, the melodies bask in the murk, and then the track reverberates into “K,” bringing things to life. The track bounces along in ashy colors, as the precipitation soaks the ground, the darkness strengthens its hold, and the singing soothes before fading into atmospheric haze.

“Sigfrido” has the drums rupturing, gothy guitars driving, and a thick bassline driving, amplifying the sense of moodiness, though some different colors are allowed to rush in. The singing comes in practical whispers, as things breeze toward “Atto II,” another instrumental that has guitars dripping and the fog rising. “Bengala” has guitars cascading, the singing coming across more boisterously, and the melodies bouncing off musical waves. The leads then take over, leading the charge before dissolving into the night. “Fragment” immerses itself in charcoal waters, with the singing hovering like a spirit, and some cool chord progressions charging cells. The track is emotional and frosty, bleeding away and leading toward finisher “You, Nothing.”  There, the guitars well up as everything pushes down the hill, with a chorus built on repetition and drone, leaving your head swimming. The leads stretch over top, with the song haunting your bones before bowing out.

Be Forest isn’t the heaviest thing you’ll hear musically in 2019, but it’s definitely weighty from an emotional and psychological standpoint. “Knocturne” deserves to find the larger audience this band always richly deserved, and this immersive, mesmerizing piece is an ideal one for people to hear now, especially as things are so bleak in too many ways. If you relish music that chews at your vulnerabilities and takes you to gloomy places, this record will overly deliver.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/beforest3

To buy the album, go here: https://wewereneverbeingboring.bandcamp.com/album/wwnbb-099-knocturne

For more on the label, go here: http://www.wwnbb.net/

The spirit of true heavy metal never will die. It can’t. It’s too strong. It has survived just about everything, including its pronounced death in the 1990s when grunge owned the world, only to flick that style’s young corpse back into the swamp from whence it came. No matter what, despite all the offshoots of the style that get heavier and mangier, true metal always will have a broad sword.

Part of the reason for this is new bands keep popping up that pay homage to the sound mightily and effectively, and one of those is Brooklyn-based trad warriors Sanhedrin. In not even a handful of years, the trio has plied their trade and proved their wares on a couple of full-length records, the latest being “The Poisoner.” There really isn’t a true center point for this group—comprised of vocalist/bassist Erica Stoltz (formerly of Amber Asylum), guitarist Jeremy Sosville (of Black Anvil), and drummer Nathan Honor (late of crossover thrashers Vermefüg)—as the three immerse themselves in epic and power metal in spots but also tread the sounds that would have made them MTV fodder had they been around 30 years ago when all kinds of bands like this got Headbanger’s Ball airtime regularly. For me, who grew up on this type of thing, it’s a welcome feeling that does make me feel nostalgic but that’s not all the music has. There’s a definite modern touch and a precision to what they do that makes this eight-track, nearly 42-minute record feel so exciting.

“Meditation (All My Gods are Gone)” starts the record with heavy hitting from all sides, with Stoltz wailing, “Sometimes you are the hunter, sometimes you are the prey,” as the band keeps things rolling. The chorus rises up and is easy to repeat even after the song is over, and the soloing scorches with soulful flair. “Wind on the Storm” has strong riffs, with the vocals powering, and the track sending jolts. “Brace yourself, your head between your knees,” Stoltz calls as a fiery solo tears through, and the track ends with the chorus rounding back for more. “Blood From a Stone” has the guitars striking and the band hitting a power metal surge that cuts to the bone. Later on, the song thrashes a little harder, the soloing ignites, and everything ends in a cloud of dust. The title track is really strong, arguably the best on the record, and it features Stoltz’s former Amber Asylum bandmate Kris Force on violin, adding a chilling element to the song. “We are like Judas, we are doomed for all time,” Stoltz sings as the song rises and falls, exploring anger, disappointment, and disgust all at once, especially when she accuses her subject matter of “twisting words into poison.” Later on, the rage boils over, the strings amp up the emotion, and the track ends with a defiant stand.

“The Getaway” gets going with the drums smashing the surface and the vocals following a similar pattern as “Runaway” by Bon Jovi (this is the first ever Bon Jovi reference on this site … treat yourself to a doughnut or something). The chorus is great and super catchy as Stoltz sings about someone quickly losing control warning, “You’ll be dead before the light.” “For the Wicked” has a fast start with gruffer vocals and a total traditional approach to the music. The soloing kicks in and scorches, while the song has a blistering, fun finish. “Saints and Sinners” lets the punches fly with crunchy verses and Stoltz howling, “It’s the killer in me recognizing the killer in you.” Some psychedelic soloing is unleashed while the drums take over and the track lands body blows. “In From the Outside” ends the record, getting mesmerizing out front with the verses pulled back some and Stoltz’s singing coming in raspier. “Snake in the grass, crawling in the weeds,” she observes, while the guitars ring out and remind of classic Maiden. The riffs round back, as does the chorus, and the track comes to a trippy, trickling end.

Sanhedrin make enthralling music that works on two levels, in that you can take the music and words together and get the full picture, or you can just listen to the album and fill yourself with true metal magic. I recommend the former, as there’s obviously a lot beneath the surface that deserves your undivided attention, and it will make “The Poisoner” a meatier, more aggressive listen. As long as we have bands such as Sanhedrin around and creating great music, the lifeblood will flow through metal’s roots forever and ever.

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

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

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

There’s a big tag team wrestling tournament coming up this spring that revives the spirit of the old Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup by staging that same event in the modern era. This is part pro wrestling site, remember. So, shoosh. Anyway, I was thinking that if we could take metal bands, combine them into a singular person, and have them team up, who would be the most formidable force?

You’d be hard pressed to find a better, mightier union than the two bands we’re taking about today due to their hammering new split effort, that being Denver sludge beats Primitive Man and Portland, Ore., doom beast Hell, who have three new tracks among them to leave you totally defaced and whimpering. Primitive Man’s segment focuses on the decay of society, something we see going on around us every single day and their plight to immerse themselves in the pit of negativity, but in a way to help you lash back out yourself. As for Hell’s singular contribution, sole member MSW. Turned inward to face the everyday struggles with anxiety and depression but in a way to strengthen you from those battles. If might be the only way you can truly fight back against the corruption destroying this world, which is the true enemy anyway.

Photo by Alvino Salcedo

Primitive Man get started with “Oily Tears” that rolls in feedback before lurching like a crazed monster toward its pretty. Heavy howls from Ethan Lee McCarthy drive fists right into your chest as the track takes on the feel of slow, long torture designed to achieve submission. The track corrodes in total misery, bludgeoning and shoving your face in the mud before the track  out in a field of noise. “Pitiful & Loathsome” has noises shrieking while the pace slowly pummels, growls gurgle, and the track tears itself open. Your senses or clobbered completely as animalistic shrieks rain down, and nastiness is dealt in heaping servings. There’s not a hint of mercy through this whole thing, as the track ends abruptly, feeling like breath has been snatched from your lungs.

Photo by Dave Burke

As for Hell, M.S.W. said he was trying to get back to the sound of the first Hell album, grittier and meaner as opposed to 2017’s great other self-titled affair that has more swagger. M.S.W. wastes no time at all, dumping a bucket of feedback that sets off sparks, leading to sludgy riffing, a massive well of intensity, and shrieks that tear through the flesh. This is slow-driving doom fire, as the riffs spew oil, noise pierces your hearing, ands clobbering madness then heads into a psychedelic sheen. The song floats and chills for a stretch, letting warmth wash over your brain, before the guitars poke through, and everything rages back to life. As the track goes, things begin to feel slurry and drunken, leaving you clutching for the walls, before the track spirals out in echoes.

I don’t know what these bands’ finishing maneuver would be for conquering the Crockett Cup tournament (Doomsday device sounds quite fitting), but that’s a fantasy scenario anyway (I think!) What deserves our attention is the clubbing, fire-breathing music Primitive Man and Hell smear on this devastating split collection. These are two of the heavier (musically and philosophically) bands in all of underground metal, and taking either of them on individually is face-bruising enough. Now try facing them both at the same time!

For more on Primitive Man, go here: https://www.facebook.com/primitivemandoom/

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

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

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

OK, YOU try to put together a best-of list for fucking January. It’s a death month. Weirdly, past few years there have been a ton of releases toward the end of the month, but not this month. Did what I could, friends. Three of the songs I picked aren’t on the Spotify. OK, I’m going to sleep.

Fire has the ability to both destroy and cleanse. It’s a force that we, as humans, have an incredibly difficult time trying to control, especially when it’s eating our vulnerable forests alive. There’s also internal fire that can act much in the same way, although it’s not going to decimate anything physical to ash. That said, it also can be enough to drive one to great heights or destructive lows.

Black metal force Vanum are issuing their second record “Ageless Fire” on their new label Profound Lore, and it’s a collection that feels like it combines both fiery chaos aiming to decimate worlds and bring about new change, as well as their personal passion that they pour into their music. The title also could bring to mind the band’s ability to bridge the infernal roots of black metal with their modern fingerprints all over this music, and the six tracks that blast over 41 minutes could get inside you and set your soul ablaze. The band has expanded from its initial two-member approach as joining K. Morgan (Ash Borer, Predatory Light, Superstition) and M. Rekevics (Yellow Eyes, Vilkacis, Vorde) are E. Priesner and L. Sheppard (also of Predatory and Superstition) who help beef up the sound and make the band a more well-rounded machine. This record is a huge step forward from their great debut album “Realm of Sacrifice” and catapult them further into the realm of some of this era’s more enthralling bands of any style of metal.

“War” starts the record, and despite it hinting at complete destruction with its title, it’s really not that. It’s an instrumental piece built with whipping winds, atmospheric pressure, and strong riffs that bring in the heat. The track hangs largely in space, and it fades out into doom bells, leading the way to “Jaws of Rapture” that tears the lid off the record. The guitars light up and begin the assault, as harsh growls strike, melodies barrel into you, and the drums crumble rock into ash. Soloing surges as the guitars punish and lash away, the leads cascade, and the track comes to an end amid the rumbling drums. “Eternity” is the longest cut on the record, a 10:13 beast that starts with an almost punk-style run that makes your blood rush as the leads pick up speed and the gruff shouts leave bruises. Great melodies flood, as the track gets more spacious, and then things calm, with a single guitar line acting as a torch. After a synth haze, the main section of the song returns as wild cries tear flesh, and the back end of the track is consumed by fire.

“Under the Banner of Death” rages over 9:02 but first starts in a haze before it splits open for mighty riffs to barrel through. The playing is powerful but also kind of frosty, and gravelly yells jab before an adventurous stretch leads to the track hitting the gas pedal. Passion pours like lava while the murk re-emerges and obscures sight, before the finish hits a full gallop that flattens everything in front of it. The title cut is eerie at first, as a bizarre fog drops before the power keg is activated and blown to bits. Smashing growls scrape at flesh as riffs encircle, making the room spin recklessly. The tempo changes up as the leads feel like they’re running a marathon, leading to a blinding fury. The vocals leave more welts, with the song ending in an icy explosion. “Erebus” is a brief instrumental close that boils in space gasses with the guitars striking up drone and the song coming to an uncomfortably serene finish.

Vanum’s reign in black metal circles might be in its infancy, but with more records as mighty and devastating as “Ageless Fire,” it won’t take them long to be looked at as masters. This album is a fire-breather, a melodic beast that gets inside your bloodstream and begins to slowly change you. By the time you’ve spent several trips with “Ageless Fire,” you’re going to find yourself demanding better of the metal on your record shelves, much of which Vanum make look kind of puny.

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

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

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

When I was a kid, I was both fascinated and terrified of what lurks in deep space. I would watch these documentaries that were voiced by people who were trying to sound mysterious, and my fear of UFO abduction only seemed to make these broadcasts even more harrowing. Yet, I always gazed at the night sky (still do to this day) to think about what’s out there, who might be hovering over us, and what we don’t and may never experience from worlds beyond our own.

The recent surge of bands who bask in the darkness of space have added to my interest and imagination (here’s where you can drop in your Darkspace reference, though there are so many others such as Mare Cognitum, Battle Dagorath, Hellebore, Archivist, etc.), and the exploration musically these bands unfurl has made it one of my favorite sub-sub-genres. This all comes back to mind with the release of “EOS” the debut record from Starless Domain, whose deep field black metal provides an enthralling, terrifying trip into the stars, into galaxies well beyond our own, where we and potentially any human within the next, what, millennium, will never see. Comprised of guitarist/drummer/vocalist AW, synth player/guitarist/vocalist AEF, and bassist/vocalist JR, the band stretches their vision over 58 harrowing minutes and 4 tracks, though it’s better to call them movements of a greater whole that is woven together front to back. The best experience with this album is full digestion from start to finish, as it’s the only true way to take this trip into the void.

“EOS I” starts the record with strange noises and overall eeriness that folds into a feeling of being lost in the stars and alien cries spiraling, which happens repeatedly over the entire record. The track opens in full and hammers, while the screeches keep slicing, the music twists and progresses, and the intensity keeps building. The track swims into a sense of ease before opening back up, with shrieks raining down, growls emerging and swallowing space, and the drums clobbering. The vocals slice and echo while it bleeds into “EOS II” and trickles with acoustics and synth chirps, the ones I remember from those old space docs. The track then rips itself apart, as savage punishment arrives, and immersive melodies enrapture, with guitars ringing back to acoustics. When the pace picks back up, it’s a frenetic assault before things get slurry, making it feel like you’re bleeding into a new realm, and this is your welcome. The shrieks then slash back with your head filling with cosmic energy, keys rush in, and the song pushes forward, with the chaos subsiding and melting into the next chapter.

“EOS III” has the keys rushing in like waves before the song punishes before a dreamy sequence takes over and captures your imagination. The track wafts psychedelically as acoustics rejoin and spark visions of alien terrain, leaving your mind numb. The track then bursts as death growls spit shrapnel, and the song lurches into the mud. The shrieks dive bomb, while the mauling, smothering final moments prepare you for entrance into finishing cut “EOS IV.” This final shift blisters right away as synth slides shades into the mix, and the shrieks echo as acoustics emerge. Cavernous growls settle behind the strange wall of keys, while synth gasps and monstrous fury become bigger factors. The drama wells up and hints at boiling over completely, with the keys zapping through like lasers, guitars droning out, and everything fading into a bizarre cloud of noise in the sky.

“EOS” is a strong, hypnotic listen that’ll lure you in with its repetition, mind-bending playing, and vocals that sound like they’ve been howled from eons away. Starless Domain’s contribution to outer space-inspired black metal is a significant one, a record that probably is best absorbed at night when you can have a better view of the cosmos. There’s no way of knowing what exactly is out there staring back at us, and this music won’t quell any of those psychological fears you hold inside.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://starlessdomain.bandcamp.com/

We pretty much know the ins and outs about sadness and despair on this site. When we’re not writing about metal and secretly trying to turn into a quasi-pro wrestling site, we’re immersing ourselves in outright darkness and thick rivers and dark emotions. It’s kind of what happens when you have a lifelong battle with mental illness.

That surfaces again now that we have “Heart of Lead,” the first record from Icelandic metal duo Kaleikr to discuss. The seven tracks on this fascinating, wholly progressive and perplexing (in a good way) album dig into sadness and follow that journey down its darkest tunnels into despair before everything devolves into total mental devastation. For anyone who ever has taken that awful journey probably will feel something in the pit of their chests right away as the mental imprint from that experience always pulls you back inside. It’s sort of an odd topic for a record that’s so fascinating and punishing, music that makes your mind do weird tricks and sends you on a trip that feels like it’s going somewhere other than pain. Nonetheless, that’s where we go, and if the lyrical content isn’t something with which you can relate, their spellbinding twist of black and death metal surely will. The band—Maximilian Klimko (guitars, bass, vocals, arrangements) and Kjartan Harðarson (drums and percussion)—grew out of the remnants of Draugsol, taking their music into even more daring corners.

“Behold at Sunrise” starts in a synth fog before the drums open up the song in earnest, and the growls roar and surge. The track rumbles the earth beneath you, while later on, the band adds some different colors in for texture, while you still can’t help but shake feeling the world is imploding. Deep roars crush as sounds well, with the track dissolving into noise. “The Descent” has a chunky, punchy start, feeling proggy while the drums demolish everything. The guitars mesmerize amid harsh growls, and the punishing fury later gives way for a jaunt into space. Out of that, the savagery returns, as the music slaughters the senses, and melody slips beneath the carnage and brings on a deadly finish. “Of Unbearable Longing” has a much different beginning, wallowing in somber, jazzy vibes before the song is shredded, and crazed devastation is afoot. Later on, stardust rains down and plays with the mind before the volcano erupts again, spewing hell and fire everywhere before finally coming to rest.

“Internal Contradiction” throws a curveball with its muddy pace and downtuned guitars before furious riffs arrive, and everything melts beneath you. Chunky crushing pushes in, as the music stomps and swirls, sounds float, and everything disappear into murky strings. “Neurodelirium” begins with guitars churning and lurching growls before it splits open melodically. The vocals remain monstrous, as psychedelic guitars give the track a different spirit, thrashing into a cosmic aura. Later on, the track takes on more of a rock feel, surging forcefully before coming to a strange ending. The title track delivers dizzying clean guitars and a trippy mood, as the bass rivets and the vocals are delivered in whispers. Later on, the violence arrives, as the growls corrode, the deathly push has a doomy belly, and the album burns closed. The album ends on “Eternal Stalemate and a Never-Ending Sunset” that begins with a calculated mauling, hulking into the scene and driving toward rock-style guitar work. The riffs cut and leave bruising while the vocals turn ugly in a hurry, and the final minute unleashes intense playing and a finish that ends in a vortex of whirring noise.

The first record from Kaleikr is one that makes the Icelandic scene even richer with strong material, and it’s one of the most intriguing to come out so far in this very young year. “Heart of Lead” also packs an emotional punch that digs at very human issues that affect so many of us and that often are hard to overcome. Luckily, the music is daring and exciting, which can help ease some of that heavy burden, and it’s a great first shot from a new band that should have an expansive future.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/12-eshop

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

It’s incredible hearing a really gifted band and great musicians progress through their career, especially if they don’t abandon the roots they grew to get out there. Record by record, you hear the music coming into its own and becoming a new beast each time out, and that makes every new creation something to anticipate and which to dissect with great enthusiasm.

I say that today because we have “Forgotten Paths,” the excellent new opus from Scottish black metal band Saor to drink up. This band has been tremendous from the start, that being 2013 debut “Roots,” and continues to this day. Along the way, primary creator Andy Marshall has created music on par with Panopticon as far as thought-provoking, emotional work that draws you in, makes your heart surge, and leaves you completely fulfilled. This record is even a step up from 2016’s “Guardians,” itself a magnificent creation, but things have been amplified to even greater heights, as these four songs are some of the best work Marshall ever created. While Marshall is the driving force behind this music, he also had a nice fleet of supporting musicians to help flesh out the record and make it even more alive.

The title track kicks off the record with driving melodies, the leads soaring, and a strong folk essence that’s woven into the song. Keys drip as the harsh cries erupt, with the tempo picking up the intensity before heading into calm, gazey ambiance. Clean wordless calls come (courtesy of Neige from Alcest) before screams burst anew, whistles flutter, and things come to a crushing end. “Monadh” is foggy when it begins, mired in mystery, before the guitars awaken, keys rain down, and the strings stir. The track blows apart with crazed shouts hammering, trading off later with clean singing, with the track easing up and melting. After a stretch where the atmospheric wind is thick, the track ramps back up, strings sweep, and the emotional toll is heavy and true.

“Brón” has a chilling opening as the guitars begin to churn and the tempo is torn to shreds. Growls and shrieks mix together, feeling wintry and spacious, as Sophie Rogers’ singing adds a different element to the track. Spirited folk glory rises up as the song stretches out and explores its surroundings with strings sending chills before the heaviness returns. Harsh wails and bleeding emotion rush to the surface as the song’s giant chorus returns and swells your chest, Marshall’s and Rogers’ voices align, as the track subsides slowly and gently. “Exile” ends the song with chamber-style strings (Italian harpist Glorya Lyr had a massive hand in its creation), angelic and dreamy passages chilling your skin, and a Medieval sense of wonder unfurling. As the track nears its end, it feels like spring crawling out from under winter’s grasp, as warmth blooms, and waves crash to the shore.

Saor remain one of black metal’s more atmospheric and ever-evolving bands, which you can hear on their stunning “Forgotten Paths.” This feels like a natural progression not only from “Guardians” but even from the project’s infancy, as Marshall continues to add his own heart and emotions into his enthralling music. Hearing this band continue to grow into its own has been a great thing, and I’d imagine this isn’t the last stop in their creative growth.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten-paths

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

Letting another human being  get close to you is a risk many people take and end up paying for in the end. As many happy people as there are in romantic relationships and friendships, there are just as many suffering from the effects of a bad union, one that has grown dangerous and poisonous. It’s enough to make one want to stay away from others forever.

UK-based metallic hardcore band Ithaca dig right into the heart of that matter on their devastating debut album “The Language of Injury.” These 10 songs spread over 31 minutes dig into heartbreak and the deep emotional scarring one can sustain when putting your faith in someone only to have them dig the knife into your back or simply just turn from you and leave you in the dark. The pain and disappointment are conveyed into thunderous, emotionally punishing songs delivered by this awesome band. Out front is vocalist Djamilia Azzouz, whose forceful shouts and growls dig right into your heart and soul and make you feel every ounce of her suffering. Aside from what the band does on this record, Ithaca also have been one of the underground champions of gender issues, ethnic diversity, and sexual identity, giving us yet another crushing band whose hearts are in righteous places.

“New Covenant” begins with feedback awakening, drums crushing the walls, and the guitars taking very Kurt Ballou-style bends toward your face. Azzouz is a force right away, as her harsh wails plaster, at one point crying, “Where did we go?” before the music eases, as do her words, and the band drops the hammer down. “Impulse Crush” races away, with the guitars spiraling and the vocals absolutely shredding. Groups shouts color the chorus before the track leans into some sludgy bits, the riffs stab, and we’re off to a pit of chaos. “Secret Space” chugs hard before pulling back a bit as the guitar jab away. Azzouz’s cries smear soot over the song, while emotional melodies cascade, the guitars splatter, and we come to a fiery end. “Slow Negative Order” starts off tricky and mathy, with deep growls emitted, Azzouz singing clean in parts, and the track going for the jugular otherwise. The band keeps aiming to crush bones before reaching an agitated end. “(No Translation)” is a quick instrumental piece built with quiet, somber guitars, crowd noises murmuring, and a pall cast over the scene.

The title track follows, sweltering and pounding, with Azzouz’s vocals delivering the emotional toll. Clean guitars slide into the mix before devastation lands again, and pieces are sent hurtling. The song eases a bit from a heaviness standpoint, as clean singing shines over the din before the power returns, and the song comes to a crash landing. “CLSR.” begins on a calm note before that’s torn apart, and the band thrashes heavily. Melody intertwines with punishment, as Azzouz cries, “Get closer!”  before a smudgy breakdown sends the track into a trickling finish. “Youth vs. Wisdom” is fiery as hell as it kicks off, with the vocals sounding like they’re splitting Azzouz’s throat and disruptive hammering breaking bones. The vocals continue to peel paint from the walls, with the band ending everything in hardcore skullduggery. “Gilt” has guitars swelling, gruff howls from Azzouz, and even smoother singing over the harsh verses. “We put each other in the ground!” Azzouz wails as the track ends in a pile of dust. “Better Abuse” closes the album with an extended exploratory section that leads you into the fog before the track explodes, with punishing playing and scraping screams. The track then eases up the tempo, as strings and horns slide into the room, bringing your emotions to a burst. Then there’s a wrenching eruption, pouring all of themselves into a chasm, and a whipping wind picks up and swallows the track whole.

This first full blast from Ithaca more than lives up to our expectations that we had coming in, and “The Language of Injury” is going to be viewed as one of the more progressive and exciting hardcore records that arrive in 2019. Hopefully those who have been through similar circumstances can find a voice in Ithaca, who know where they’ve been and how to push forward. This is a record that revels in pain, but when it’s over, there’s a good chance you’ll walk away empowered and ready to face your wounds head on.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://deathwishinc.com/collections/holy-roar

Or here: http://www.holyroarrecords.com/store

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