Imagine being taken from your sleep by a force not necessarily human and being dragged into a setting utterly dark and mysterious. You can feel around and call for help, but the idea of being captured by the void and swept into something you cannot explain fills you with terror and the sense that you might not ever attain a level of normalcy ever again.

That’s what it feels like to take on a record by Australian death horde Impetuous Ritual, a band with a hard-earned reputation for taking their sound and warping it beyond recognition. A live experience with the band must be experienced to be believed, and once that confrontation comes to an end, you’re affected days on end, wondering what you just witnessed. Their third record “Blight Upon Martyred Sentience” is here, and they’ve managed to take the terror they create and make it even more bizarre. It feels like a disassociation with reality, as the band unloads tons of noise, churning violence, and outright ugliness over these nine songs that warp for a little more than 43 minutes. It’s the strangest record of their three, and it feels like a psychological act of torment.

“Void Cohesion” opens the record like a storm of plague, as noise builds and chokes, with churning death roiling through hell and forcing you to gasp for breath. It’s a mass of sound, feeling like a planet folding in on itself and experiencing a slow, tortuous death. Moans of horror spill over the background, as everything is swallowed by a black hole. “Apoptosis” delivers pure carnage, as the guitars cut down everything with their horrifying shrieks, and grim growls spill. Guitars stab, as the song gurgles on its own blood and blends into “Inordinate Disdain” that begins strangling right away. Hellish vocals and sprawling soloing cause the fires to rage over, as terrible cries pummel, and the pace keeps blazing anew. Meaty savagery puts an exclamation point at the end of the cut, and then it’s on to “Untoward Evocation.” The drumming utterly slaughters, while disorienting playing causes your head to spin, and the pace devastates. A brief halt leads to the assault carrying on again with greater fervor, spilling in disorienting space noise and leaving everything a heaving mess. “Synchronous Convergence” has guitars flexing, the drums mauling, and a complete assault on the senses taking place. Soloing erupts, while shrieks go for the throat, and from there, the guitars carry on the assault and, along with the war-torn drums, help the song come to a disruptive end.

“Denigrative Prophecies” starts with terrifying growls that start your skin crawling, and then the song blows itself apart. The tempo draws to a premature halt, but then strange vocals bubble to the surface, and the music rises and slays again. The final moments are smothering and nasty, slipping out into space. “Sullen” is anything but, as it pummels in place and rains down hammers to the surface. Thick, gross growls and a pace that seems to stomp through tar create unease, while the song burns at a calculated pace through the bulk of its stretch. As things wind to a close, total demolition is exacted, while bells chime, and the playing leaves you dizzy. “Feculence Reveled” is a violent terror, with the drums decimating bones and the vocals spreading pestilence. The guitars gush through cracks in the earth, and the cut drizzles its final dose of fear. Closer “Intransience” is the longest track at 9:06, and it boils for its first stretch, allowing heat to gather and your body to wilt. The band burrows away, as if tunneling through the ground, while massive death growls are traded off with weird vocal spurts. The song continues to dig into the crust, as the music burns, the detached wails feel like signals from beyond, and riffs spiral away into the unknown.

Impetuous Ritual remain strange enigmas of death metal, and “Blight Upon Martyred Sentience” adds an apocalyptic scarring onto the metal world. The album is an unsettling step forward for the band, and hearing these abominations being presented live should only add another level of chaos. This record might be an unsettling nightmare for many or the exact window into hell for those who have been waiting for a statement this frightening.

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

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

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

There’s been so much talk about the end of the world lately. I think we’ve referenced it about a dozen times so far just in opening paragraphs on this site. With everything that’s going on, and all of the worldwide chaos bleeding from every corner, it’s easy to think that we’re not far away from everything being torn apart.

That scenario suits Vancouver-based black metal entity Kafirun just fine, as their cataclysmic debut full-length “Eschaton” can attest. Things are not good, and death is breathing down our necks, looking to bring about the extermination of existence in order for the world to enter its new phase. Let’s face it: This place probably would be a lot better off without us, as we tend to be an obnoxious, greedy, destructive, selfish, loathsome bunch. To put these concepts in the right setting, the band launches into a tirade of disorienting, madness-inducing passages that constantly feel as if they’re pulling against your will and destroying your psyche. The band—vocalist Luzifaust, guitarist Hanephi, bassist Hypnocrotizer—has been dwelling in the darkness ever since their formation three years, and they already have a couple of EPs (we covered the Sol y Nieve cassette reissue of “Death Worship”), a compilation, and a split to their name. This thunderous seven-track full-length takes their campaign of death to the next phase, even beyond the cessation of life.

“Lord of Blessed Murder” opens the album violently, as sounds cascade, and harsh growls hammer everything. Melodies swim in the black metal murk, as shadows spread, creaky moans are unleashed, and the track comes to a devastating end. The title cut has a hypnotic opening, with the pace dizzying, and the growls menacing. The sounds churn and the drums blast, as the pace storms forward, and gurgly growls mix with weirds chants. The song comes to a brief halt before the cut ravages again, and the end comes to a mesmerizing finish. “Omega Serpent” has guitars stinging before the rains return and flood the ground. The track is punishing and melodic, with nails falling from the sky and crushing the ground, maintaining the intensity until the song fades out.

“Divine Providence” has murky guitars spinning before things open and start swelling. Ferocious vocals and blistering melodies erupt, as speed and heaviness collide and present danger, and the band hits a relentless pace. The track then hits sludge and drubs hard, with the track plodding with a fury to its end. “Prophetic Death Trance” is gut-wrenching and bloody, with a slashing fury arriving and the melodies stirring. The track builds on chaos, as the guitars charge, and the song blasts away. “Ephemerality of the Flash” is the longest song at 8:33, as things start in heavy hypnosis before a furious attack begins. Their dripping black metal makes the room spin out of control, as feral calls race out into the night, and then clean guitars settle and provide a cool breeze. That’s a brief reprieve as the band hits high gear again and destroys with heavy bruising. Closer “Omnipresence” has an eerie start before the drums take off, and the melodies begin stirring. The pace is mind-numbing, as roared growls and throat buzz send shivers, and the band finds another level of madness. Guitars become tornadic and threatening before the devastating, emotional final moments shroud everything with smoke.

Kafirun’s vision might be a lot closer than we think, making “Eschaton” something of a visionary document. Or it could just be a grim reminder of what could be on our horizon. Their approach to their craft isn’t terribly conventional and could leave your head a winding, throbbing mess. What better way to face your fate than with your body and brain ravaged, leaving you little choice but to submit?

For more on the band, go here: http://www.kafirun.ca/

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

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

Where do you go when you die? Do you know? No one does. The people who have died aren’t telling us shit, and those of us remaining on Earth are left wondering. By the way, this doesn’t have to be a Biblical heaven thing at all. This is about once you expire, does your essence fade or transcend?

Mike Hill of Tombs is a big thinker, and the band’s new record “The Grand Annihilation” broaches the subject in a very broad way. Where do you go when you die? Does it all dissolve, or do we stretch beyond dimensions to take on new beings? If you consider the idea for too long, it’ll freak you out. The idea of eternity as a single being, constantly changing and taking on completely new ideas can be utterly terrifying if you accept this existence as the only one. But if you don’t, then being able to stretch to other worlds and beings we cannot even comprehend can be exhilarating. Tombs is a constantly changing beast, with Hill always at the forefront. With him this time are guitarist Evan Void (Hivelords, Ominous Black), bassist Ben Brand (formerly of Woe), Fade Kainer (formerly of Batillus), and drummer Charlie Schmid (Vaura), who all make the best of their skills on this record.

“Black Sun Horizon” opens the album with a raucous charge, as harsh howls and soaring guitars push everything over the top. Whispery dialog mixes into fluid playing before gravelly howls emerge, and the music moans out. “Cold” trudges right away, settling into black metal terrain, with Hill wailing, “Haunted by your past lives!” “We live inside reflections,” he observes later, as the tension builds along with the heaviness. The savagery builds back up, as Hill demands, “Tear away the veil,” with things coming to a fiery finish. “Old Wounds” rumbles open, with raspy growls, another lethal dose of black metal, and the cut getting mean and nasty. Later, the soloing goes off, and then Hill unleashes his Tom G. Warrior-style chilled croons. “November Wolves” emerges from a soundscape, as the track begins to crunch and devastate. “Devour! Our worlds collide,” Hill yelps before slipping into more singing, as razor-sharp guitar works takes this song out. “Underneath” drains some inky melodies and pushes the song into gothic territory. Hill sings again—this is the record on which he goes clean the most—going on about “violent delight and violent deaths” before he demands, “Drown in darkness!”

“Way of the Storm” rages over 7:10 as murky synth bleeds before the song rips apart. The song chugs hard, as the verses are growled aggressively, with singing merging with the chaos. The track takes on a mesmerizing bend, with Hill barking but then calling ominously about being “in her dark domain.” That bleeds into “Shadows at the End of the World” that is immersed in noise before grim shadows blanket everything, and Hill’s growls return to destroy. The guitars are powerful and imaginative, and then things get bloody and filthy, as gnarly cries lather before the song fades out. “Walk With Me in Nightmares” is where the record starts to blur into everything. It’s a shorter song that feels like it doesn’t fully develop, though it does deliver ominous tidings. “Saturnalian” settles back into deep singing, as Hill imagines going “into the chasm,” and start-stop playing gives the back end a bit more muscle. Closer “Temple of Mars” brings things back to violence, as drums kick in with force, and warbled singing chills the flesh. Guitars hang in the air, as the ambiance remains cosmic and strange. “Step in the shadows, dark age arise!” Hill cries, as the track turns into mist and flees into the stars.

Tombs and Hill have taken some really interesting turns since the project’s start, and each record holds a different mystery within. “The Grand Annihilation” is a fine next step in the band’s evolution, and as time passes, the concept keeps morphing into a different beast. This record is the beefiest of their run and the most ambitious, proving Hill is a man never satisfied.

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

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

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

One does not become a metal god overnight. It takes years and years of proving yourself in the studio and on the road before such a mantle can become yours, and as many great bands as there are in the world, most never achieve that level.

But most bands are not Iron Maiden, and their arrival for the U.S. leg of the “Book of Souls” world tour hit Virginia’s Jiffy Lube Live, a venue name Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson even made fun of from the stage. These English gents have been doing their thing longer than much of their audience has been alive (another thing Dickinson noted in a detailed, humorous build-up to “Children of the Damned”), and nothing from what I saw on the stage that hot night June 3 made me think for once about how old these guys really are! Everyone in the band, except Dickinson, is in his 60s, but they play like spry youngsters trying to prove themselves. I’ve seen Maiden so many times I can’t recall, and I never saw a bad show. This one was focused on their last record, 2015’s rock-solid “The Book of Souls,” though they set up their playlist pretty interestingly. They went two new songs, two old songs, two new songs, two old songs, etc. throughout the night until the encores, which were three classics. It was a great way to showcase the new stuff, which goes over pretty well live, but always helps shoot back to please the longtime fans who just want to hear the hits.

At exactly 8:50, Maiden’s staple opening of UFO’s “Doctor Doctor” blared over the soundsystem, their longtime cue to get to your fucking seats. When the lights went down, we were treated to a video of prehistoric Eddie, battling Neanderthal foes on his way to gain access to a giant, bleeding heart. Once he grabbed it, on the top of the stage riser, Dickinson opened “If Eternity Should Fail” while hovered over a steaming cauldron. Interestingly, Maiden used no pyro (maybe sensitivity over the recent Arianne Grande show bombing, or just by plan), but there were plenty of bright flames throughout the night. Once the song kicked into high gear, so did the band, as all six members raced across the stage, diving, kicking, whipping their guitars around, and playing like an exuberant group of kids! “Speed of Light” followed, and then we went into two classics, live staple “Wrathchild” and aforementioned “Damned,” where Dickinson reminded anyone born circa 1983 or 1984 that their parents may have spawned them while listening to the song. Funny anecdote, but who bangs during that song?!

“Death or Glory” and a stirring “The Red and the Black” followed, the latter of which really should become a normal live cut going forward. It’s got the fun crowd sing-along, it’s dramatic, what’s not to like? Then we went back in time for “The Trooper,” because they can’t leave the building without playing it, and “Powerslave,” where Dickinson donned a black-and-silver lucha libre mask for the entire song. “The Great Unknown” followed, which is one of the few non-epics on “Book of Souls,” which then led into that album’s title track. I was always OK with that song, but it sounds way better live. This also was the part of the show where giant Eddie wandered onto the stage to do battle with the band. Jannick Gers ran between Eddie’s legs, Steve Harris batted him away, guitarists Adrian Smith and Dave Murray almost succumbed, but Dickinson was able to thwart him and rip out his bleeding heart. Yet, even sans heart, Eddie didn’t die. Because he’ll never die. “Fear of the Dark,” which erupted the crowd, and band anthem “Iron Maiden” (complete with a blow-up Eddie that rose from the back of the riser) sent the crowd into a frenzy and ended a very satisfying main set.

For the encore, a giant devil rose up from the stage, while Vincent Price’s eerie introduction led into “The Number of the Beast,” one of the great metal songs of all time, and also one of the most misunderstood. The band raced onto the stage with renewed energy, flying everywhere to deliver a song that forever has a place in metal lore. Dickinson then noted the terrible terror attacks that took place in London that day, but he used it as a uniting point. He talked about the varied ages among audience members, the numerous nationalities represented (I noticed that in the merch line when I had conversations with people from so many different places, which was just great), and that fed into “Blood Brothers,” a galvanizing track where the audience members roared back the simple but powerful chorus. The night wrapped with a powerful “Wasted Years,” itself a song that should have left everyone with the idea that we should grasp tight amazing nights like these, when the great Iron Maiden reminds us all the true power of metal.

Polarizing throwback metal powers Ghost opened the show and they, not surprisingly, ruled shit. This is a band that, if their popularity continues to grow, and they don’t make stupid missteps, should be ruling arenas on their own. Papa Emeritus III was in complete command, and his new Nameless Ghouls made anyone aware of the recent controversy surrounding the band forget all that shit. Naturally, they opened with “Square Hammer,” which has one of the best choruses ever. “From the Pinnacle to the Pit” followed, which sounded amazing, and then they hit oldie “Ritual,” which still is one of their best songs. Papa charmed the crowd, speaking of evil and perversions (he mentioned female orgasms at one point, but I couldn’t totally make out what he was saying), as he and the band hit “Devil Church,” a stirring take of “Cirice,” “Absolution,” “Mummy Dust,” and “Monstrance Clock,” which was a weird choice for a set closer. The crowd was super into Ghost, and there wasn’t the expected heavy “Maiden!” chant at all during their set. That’s a good sign that Ghost have made a slew of minions very convincingly.

It was an awesome night at the big outdoor shed, though Jiffy Lube Live could be run a little better. Going into the place, you’re whipped into a formless herd with no semblance of line structure and no one knowing what to do. There were no staff members giving instructions at all. Once inside, it was nearly impossible to get merch or food without a very, very long wait in a line that never moved. It took me 35 minutes to buy one shirt. The positive in that is, as noted, all of us trying to give Maiden our money had a chance to bond, tell each other where we’re from (guy in front of me lived 15 minutes away; the group behind us traveled from Asia!), and make friends for the night. Also, holy shit, we paid a lot of money to get unobstructed view of the stage. So, a half dozen or so people I had to chase from the railing in front of us. They did not have seats in the area, and they cursed at me and called me derogatory names for asking them to leave. Maybe I sound like a dick, but dude, I drove along way to see this show and spent money that really isn’t disposable. Look, security should handle this. I asked several times for them to do something about it. They just kind of stared and meekly approached these people. I was aggravated, also had no alcohol in me, but had to slap these assholes on the back and ask them to move. Good times. Like, look, don’t do that to people. Don’t stand in front of people who paid their money and block their view. I’m not the asshole for yelling at you. You are the asshole. That said, good times, Maiden was amazing, and despite the Pens losing that night, we went home fulfilled with the light of metal.

But really, Jiffy Lube Live, get your shit together.

Putrid, unforgiving death metal can roll around in the hell and filth and sound all the better. What other form of music that’s not in the metallic regions can you honestly say that about? Digging into something that revels in all the worst society must offer and practically quivering with glee in its immersion in that territory surely may offend some, yet not those of us who dine on death.

Triumvir Foul have been one of death metal’s true revelations the past few years. The band’s self-titled 2015 debut was one of the best records of that year, an offering that wasn’t afraid to rub its audiences faces in the filth. Now comes their blistering second record “Spiritual Bloodshed” that tells you what you need to know before you hit play. Yet, once inside, you’re met face first with vile, heathenistic blasts that aim to rip you apart, limb from limb. The eight tracks that run over an ideally served 38 minutes are devastating and filthy, making your ears and your senses gush with blood. Yet, the band’s true sense of death metal debauchery will prevent you from feeling too bad about the pain you’re in as this record delivers repeatedly. Triumvir Foul have trimmed itself down to its primary two members vocalist/guitarist Ad Infinitum and drummer Cedentibus (both also play together in Ash Borer, Urzeit, and Serum Dreg), and, as a unit, they lay out a scorched-earth policy that destroys lives.

“Asphyxiation” starts the record, and it’s ideally titled, because that is what it feels like you’re going through for the most part. Noise builds, crushing your chest, before the first wild cries emerge, and madness erupts. The tempo is torn to shreds, while the guitars mangle your ear drums, and furious growls tumble with total demolition. “Serpentine Seed” has guitars blaring again, almost as if they’re physically trying to catch fire, while the playing destroys. Animalistic savagery lays waste to everything in front of it, but then the pace pulls back and gets muddy and drubbing. Everything explodes again in the final minutes, as the soloing scorches, and noise spirals out. “Entranced By Filth” is led in by drums that sound like they’re in the midst of war and music that brings raucous terror. The track completely blinds, clobbering your senses, before everything disappears in smoke. “Tyrannical Chains of Flesh” arrives with smothering heaviness and a huge serving of grime. The guitars cut through and annihilate over the choruses, while the riffs make it feel like the room is spinning out of control. The soloing then sprawls dangerously, charging into a noise-infested end.

“Disembowelment Pneuma” has noise spreading like plague and the track heading into a thrashy vortex. The cut is crunchy and violent, with gruff growls and a full serving of menace. “Vomitous Worship in Rotten Tombs” bathes in a feedback swarm before the band lets loose an ugly, damaging assault. The vocals are maniacal, while the strings are scraped, and soloing hits full blazing. Nastiness and destructive playing meet toward the end of the cut, as the track sizzles, giving off steam, and heads into the title track. There, punishing riffs begin to truck, while the pace continually ramps up and sends the song into a tornadic freak out. The vocals slice through bones, with the track ending up quaking and convulsing violently. Closer “Vrasubatlatian Rites” runs a devastating 7:20 and uses every second to squeeze and grind away. The riffs are heavy as fuck, often teasing consummation by fire, but then things settle into a calculated pace. That leads into rhythmic thrashing and a display that, while not as speedy, still leaves gaping wounds. But you know before they’re done they’re coming at you with sharpened teeth, and they do in the final minutes with a massive surge that leaves no bodies unmarked as the song disappears into a sound storm.

Triumvir Foul are only at the beginning of their hellish existence, and two records in, they’re one of the bands keeping their teeth firmly gnawing at the roots. “Spiritual Bloodshed” is manic and violent, and each drip of this record is full of noxious poison and ill intent. The torture and disgust you will face will be worth it long after the record has expired, just because what you have here is so scorching and devastating.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.vrasubatlat.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://invictusproductions.net/shop/

For more on the label, go here: https://invictusproductions.net/

Some of the very worst people on the planet are the macho assholes who question any human being suffering from mental illness. Basically, if you’re one of those people, go fuck off forever. No one is weak or soft because of this, and some folks just have brains that don’t process chemicals the same as you, you garbage tank.

Sorry to get off track, but anyone who has read this site at any time at all knows we have a soft spot for mental illness. I suffer from it and have battled it for years, and that’s a major reason Cavernlight’s debut full-length “As We Cup Our Hands and Drink From the Stream of Our Ache” hit me so hard in the chest region. The record is a five-movement piece that follows a person suffering from cataclysmic anxiety and mental illness and the daily struggle to find meaning, peace, happiness, and even a reason to keep taking the next step. Trying to work through that black hole of hell and attempting to heal can take longer than major surgery, and there is no guarantee there will be a happy ending. The band—Scott Zuwadzhi (vocals, guitars, noise), Patrick Crawford (guitars), Brandon Pleshek (bass, synth) and Adam Bartlett (drums, vocals)—actually formed in 2006, and as their mission developed, so did these songs and what makes up this amazing record. The band’s form of atmospheric doom can drag you to the bottom of the river, gasping for breath, though now and again, light beams through.

Opener “Lay Your Woes Upon the Ground and Know That the End Will Swallow You” has noise charging and a slightly gothic feel to its atmosphere. Tortured growls erupt, synth curls beneath the chaos, and a cloudy doom blanket spreads over everything. Wild shrieks break through the murk, injecting a feeling of utter sorrow, while the band mauls viciously. Demonic cries rise with the tempo, as the track rolls out with the storm. “Constructing a Spire to Pierce and Poison the Infinite” has cold guitars stinging and the drums beginning to rumble. The song takes up a slow-pounding push, and as things develop, the track gets more vicious. Sheets of hurt delivered by the chasms of madness eventually pull back a bit. But then hulking growls and a slithering pace drag the song into the mist. “Wander, Part II” (the first part was on their 2015 “Corporeal” demo) is an instrumental cut that simmers in sounds, with guitars dripping, and a cold, post-storm coldness breezing your cheeks and putting chill in your bones.

“To Wallow in the Filth That Dwells Where Despair Is Born” has some brighter guitar work at the start, with sounds drizzling and a heavy gaze section swelling heavily. Tortured wails erupt, while a slowly bleeding pace emerges and is met with bone-crushing shrieks. The vocals turn to bruised wails, while pain and beauty mix in the music, piano lightly falls to the surface, and a fog thickens and leads into devastation. Closing track “A Shell of One’s Former Self” brings everything together, and it also features some guests who add their own textures to the song. Sarah Green (who also contributes cello to the record) unleashes her angelic voice that mixes with churning guitars that should squeeze your lungs. After several minutes, the tracks bursts as growls slither across the earth, and skies begin to crumble. Terrifying wails from both Rachel from FALSE and Mike Paparo from Inter Arma/Bastard Sapling breathe fire, as Green continues to boom, while the song slowly dissolves and turns into a mist.

Cavernlight’s music puts their individual members’ hearts and psyches on the line with “As We Cup Our Hands and Drink From the Stream of Our Ache,” and this music could help someone who’s wallowing in the same dark body of water find a like-minded voice. The music is immersive, dark, and swelling with emotion, and the journey is one so many of us face. Anyone out there suffering should know they’re definitely not alone, and this music could be their journey to healing.

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

To buy the album, go here: gileadmedia.bandcamp.com

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

Paying attention to world politics, especially what’s going on here in America, can be a little bit hard on the nerves, especially the ones in the stomach. But I’ll try to put a bit of a positive spin on that. We are seeing people who love their countries vociferously trying to put forth ideas they think will make their country better because they love their homeland. The non-racists, that is.

The inspiration behind “Oathbearer,” the debut record from English black metal band Fellwarden, pays homage to the history of Northern England and the stories and struggles that built that region. Put together by two members of the great Fen, The Watcher (vocals, all stringed instruments, keys) and Havenless (drums), the duo weaves music not terribly different from their primary project but pointed toward different philosophical content. The music is just enrapturing, swelling all around you and even lifting your spirits. The music and the band’s ideas might be welled in blood and strife from over the years, but there’s also an admiration for the land and their surroundings. Hell, the promo shots that come with the album’s data files contain no images of the band members but plenty of the land’s terrain. It’s a record made for their nation. Not one blind with patriotism thus closing their focus to the warts. But one that swells with pride despite all of that for a land still standing.

“Guardian Unbound” is the 8:22 opener that starts lush and even a little gothic before the track bursts to life. The tempo starts crushing, as synth rains down, and a foggy serving of black metal comes into focus. The leads bleed with color as the melodies spiral, and synth spills right into the engorged growls. The final minutes are gazey, with heartful singing adding more texture. “Sun of Ending” maintains its ambiance through the bulk of the song, as it slowly surges at the start before ripping apart. Fiery growls hammer, as harshness and spellbinding playing combine and take the song to its foggy end. “In Death, Valiant” starts in an acoustic bed, as clean singing pierces the calm, and the song heads into a slow-driving, thorny pace. The song starts storming harder, as folk-laden strings head into the mix, rousing singing returns, and savagery and drama splatter over the conclusion.

“Wayfarer Eternal” is the second-longest song on the record at 10:14, and it starts in a synth haze that spreads into a trudging pace that breaks bones. A cleanly sung section spreads its wings, while sounds lather, and beauty and chaos meld and exist as one. Clean guitars give way to a slowly grinding pressure, while vicious vocals emerge, singing spills onto the madness, and the track floods at the end. “A Cairn-Keeper’s Lament” is the shortest track, a 4:52 instrumental built by rustic acoustics, bleeding synth, and a moody, misty finish. Closer “Sorrowborn” is the longest cut at 12:44, bursting open with vocals scraping along and synth creating more steam. The Watcher sorrowfully calls, “I am the last of my line,” as the guitars cascade and the momentum builds. The track continues doling out punishment, while the drumming decimates and a choral section rises. The fury halts, keys bubble up again and reflective guitars make the final stand before trickling away.

Fellwarden’s music does their homeland well, and there are ways that anyone living anywhere can take parts of “Oathbearer” and apply to their own surroundings. There’s no saying where this project will go from here, with Fen being such a huge part of their lives. But having this fine record in our hands is a treasure and one that should have a big impact on anyone immersed in atmospheric black metal.

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

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

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

Photo by Peyote Gutierrez

Death metal should appeal to the most animalistic, primal inhibitions, and so when the music is done raw and violently, it always works the best. Nothing necessarily against bands that have added tons of melody and spit shine to their work over the years, but the artists that remain scraping filth from the gutters are the ones that end up being the most satisfying.

That takes us to Oakland death trio Necrot, who finally are delivering their debut full-length “Blood Offerings” after six years together as a band. This unit revels in pure death metal, staying true to the sub-genre’s roots, and wringing every ounce of blood from them. Their approach is riff-filled and guttural, and it’s easy to tell from these eight songs how much the band has improved their game when compared to their three demo offerings. Not that those were bad recordings, because they definitely were not. But “Blood Offerings” is the band at its most channeled and violent, delivering fodder for your darkest inhibitions. The band—guitarist/bassist/vocalist Luca Indrio (Acephalix, Vastum), guitarist Sonny Reinhardt (Saviours, Watch Them Die), drummer Chad Gailey (Atrament, Disinhibition)—pulls together their wealth of experience making devastating noises elsewhere and delivers a death metal serving complete with danger and devastation.

“The Blade” gets things going with a blast of putrid death and nasty growls from Indrio that pace this horrifying machine. Vicious pounding and stellar riffs mix, as the shout of, “Chaos in my mind!” delivers madness that is ushered out by a blazing solo. “Rather Be Dead” is thrashy and punishing, with raspy growls firing, and the band unleashing a devastating assault. The track packs as much pain as possible into its DNA before spiraling out ferociously at the end. “Shadows & Light” has guitars dominating and the vocals thundering, as the pace chugs forward, paced by drums that sound like they’re bringing war. Vicious growls and a clobbering pace bubble up, with Indrio wailing, “We are dead!” The title track is built on savage howls, trudging riffs, and the vocals just battering everything. Midway through, the pace shifts suddenly, with hazy soloing crying, and siren-like guitar work lighting up the back end.

“Empty Hands” is fiery and destructive right from the start, as the pace could break necks, and riffs scorch over the chorus. The leads charge hard, smearing and suffocating until the song reaches its end. “Beneath” is oppressively heavy, with the growls sounding grim and the pace flattening. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” Indrio howls, as the final minute of the song slows, but never gives up an ounce of its heaviness. “Breathing Machine” is chaotic and wild, with noxious growls pelting with such lovely sentiments as, “You must die!” Riffs spiral as the pace steamrolls into the mouth of fire. Closer “Layers of Darkness” hints that your mercy is near, but not until you face this bastard. Killer riffing and throaty growls amplify the viciousness, while the simple, but effective, chorus jabs like a dagger. The guitar work has a classic death fluidity to them, while the song keeps the blazes going wildly until the track fades.

“Blood Offerings” is a record pure death metal fans are going to devour, and Necrot have made the most of the time they poured into these songs. The band is known to slay live, and once they show up with these crushers, no one’s neck or fists at their shows may ever be the same again. This is an awesome first step for a band that’s ensuring death metal remains ugly and violent forever.

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

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

Or here: https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/merch

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

And here: http://sentientruin.com/

Storytelling through music and words can transform an album experience from a collection of songs to a narrative you must follow from front to back. Even if the piece is not a true linear concept record, loosely aligned songs can take a listener from the front door, through each tale housed within the album’s doors, and back out again, as you leave with an adventure in your back pocket.

Toronto-based doom band Völur have a nice grip on this very thing, as they’ve reached back into the Germanic spiritual world and created opuses that visit stories from the past that jettison to the modern era. Their excellent second record “Ancestors,” the follow-up to their debut “Disir,” is the latest helping of what they view as a four-album piece spotlighting their source material muse. However, where “Disir” focused on female characters—mothers, daughters, lovers, murderers, widows, and explorers—these four new tracks center on their male counterparts. As for the music, yes, it’s steeped in doom, but it also lends itself to prog, black metal, and even English-style folk rock that adds a nice rustic texture to the music. Fans of bands such as SubRosa and Giant Squid could find a lot to like here, and the band—bassist/vocalist Lucas Gadke (Blood Ceremony), violinist/vocalist Laura C. Bates (Fresh Snow), and drummer James Payment (Do Make Say Think)—puts on a compelling, riveting performance over these four, involved epics.

“Breaker of Silence” is the 15:07-long opener that comes in with chimes and choral calls. A long mystical section is broken up by bass poking in, female-driven wordless calls, and haunting strings sweeping into the scene. As it goes on, the pace lights up, the song gets noisier, and a chamber-style fury is roused, as wild howls send power. From there, the strings quake, and melodies swell taking the song to its end. “Breaker of Skulls” is punchy and doom-infested, with hypnotic playing, gurgly growls, and a dark, thorny ambiance. The track settles into psyche waters, letting your mind wander and examine the terrain, while the strings stir and glide, and guitars go from a buzz to a glimmer. Harsh growls and gut-wrenching cries meet, while the song slowly burns away.

“Breaker of Oaths” is lush and delicate at the start, with whispers swirling and a dreamy fog settling in. But then the peace is ruptured, and the song tears itself apart. Soulful singing hits hard and deep, while the strings swelter amid the song’s deliberate pace. As things start to even out, wordless calling emerges and shakes your insides, while lurching growls and all elements begin blazing to provide a crunchy, sooty end. Closer “Breaker of Famine” is the longest song at 16:57, but also the most sonically varied. Morose strings start the cut on its path, while the drama builds delicately and slowly, finally erupting with massive howls and our first real dose of speed. The track absolutely crushes, with strains of black metal woven in for good measure, but then the temperature get proggy and soaks in folk marshes. Strong singing and a collaborative jarring of the senses make the section feel like a darker Decemberists, while the album’s emotional high point crescendos, and thick, weepy strings lead the song to its finish.

Two records in, Völur already are proving to be one of metal’s more interesting bands, one that finds its own ways and bends sound to suit their needs. “Ancestors” is a massive record, one that is most effective when it is consumed front to back in a single sitting. You’ll run the gamut of emotions and styles, and when the music is over, you’ll probably be heaving on the edge of your seat, waiting to see where this band goes with their next adventure.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://en.prophecy.de/pre-order-bundles/

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

Music generally is designed to make you feel something, be that anger or joy or sadness or any number of emotions. Unless we’re talking about pop country. I don’t think you’re supposed to feel anything when that stuff is on. Oh, but back to real music. Let’s also not forget discomfort and outright fear, where only the best can truly conjure in one’s soul.

Japanese noise nightmares Endon could scar a child for life. They might even have the same effect on an adult. The band’s self-coined “catastrophic noise-metal” easily could eat away at your mind or even your patience. Over the course of their time together, they have made some of the most uncomfortable, inhumane sounds known to humankind, and they’ve returned with “Through the Mirror,” a record that won’t be easy for anyone to digest, no matter how amendable your psyche is to this kind of sound. The band—Etsuo Nagura, Koki Miyabe, Shin Yokota, Taichi Nagura, Taro Aiko—made their mark with unreal 2014 debut “Mama,” and their terrifying live shows (including Taichi scaring the living shit out of audience members) became something to behold. On this new record, we get eight cuts that are grimy, bizarre, abrasive, and psychologically scarring. It also should be noted this record is being released by Hydra Head, the legendary, recently reactivated label whose first fresh release back was the insane new Oxbow album. Pretty damn great 1-2 punch.

The record begins with “Nerve Rain,” a hazy, disorienting track where fuzz and sound blitz the entire time. The pace and the buried melody change here and there, but for the most part, it’s an all-out assault on the senses that feels like you’re stuck in the middle on an old television that constantly broadcasts snow. “Your Ghost Is Dead” really picks up on the nerve-gnawing end of things. The track rumbles open, while Taichi crazily wails and sometimes inconsolably whimpers through the chaos. There are sections that feel like damaged hardcore, as the pained wails shower the ground, while everything keeps piling up, leading to a teeth-grinding finish. “Born in Limbo” has an industrial storm ripping apart, while whispers turn into frenzied shrieks and, later, unnerving laughter. Heavy breathing and noise-drenched fury sprawls, while some classic-style guitar work blazes and adds a different element. “Pensum” splits your head open, as savage growls and bloody shrieks combine, and complete sonic overload takes place, pushing you face-first into a panic attack.

“Postsex” has sounds hanging in the air, when suddenly, the track launches into cartoon-style violence. Gruff growls and a drubbing pace do their damage, while the back end of the song deals some sludge, with noise spitting as the cut’s conclusion. “Perversion Til Death” is a 10:04 physical and mental challenge, dragging you through weird, dizzying playing, an ample serving of vocals styles, from screams to howls, and a doom-infested mud that serves most of the bodily harm. The track crawls and hulks along, instilling fear into every cell, and pushing your prone body toward utter decimation. The title track unloads feedback, but then a proggy display that feels out of sorts. Melodies bubble up and threaten to burst, while the scraping noise pounds away, space keys blare, and screams and hyperventilation-style gasps meet up with warped passages. Closer “Torch Your House” actually has a chilling start before the blaze is set. An outright assault paces most of this 8:52 run time. The cut also is flooded with emotions—name one, and you’ll find it here—while later, the music goes into a dream state, numbing your body with cool breeze. But that’s not for long as the tempo ignites again, and the band finishes off this display with scorching thrashing that powders any bones it left unbroken.

“Through the Mirror” is a complete nightmare of a record, which really should be expected from Endon. There are very few musicians who can get under your skin and scrape out your blood quite the way they do, and anyone not expecting such carnage is bound to be left a heaping, heaving mess. You’ve been warned, so when this record turns your stomach and your sanity, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.

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

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

Or here (Europe): http://eu.kingsroadmerch.com/hydra-head-records/

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