Dark times call for dark music, and if you’ve been paying any attention these past few weeks, we definitely are in the midst of some grim shit. Human suffering, death, people using religion to justify their shitty behavior and reprehensible action all have been in the news cycle, and it’s not like it’s anything new for us or the rest of the world.

With that hunger for dark music at its apex (at least for me), Sweden’s Naturvidrig have surfaced with their debut EP “Sönderfall” that feels like the soundtrack to misery and pain. Their name roughly translates to “obnoxious nature,” and their music certainly can get under the skin of anyone who wants art that’s pretty, polished, and spiritually inspiring. As for the title of their EP, it means “decay,” and that seems to be an ideal descriptor for humankind right now. The world is burning, the soot is gathering, and the blood is pooling, while those who can bring about change are busy arguing semantics, perceived messages from deities, and whatever bullshit prevents them from acting. Perhaps a few rounds in Naturvidrig’s ring would be a perfect message that we see the chaos, we’re swimming in it, and you’re to blame. See, this is what happens when you write an album review the day of a national tragedy.

As for the band itself, it’s a two-headed beast about which we know very little. Helmed by Thomsen (guitars) and Ataraktika (vocals), the band creates raw, poisonous black metal that injects just a bit of death metal sentiment into its DNA. There is some melody worked in for good measure, but it’s there to balance out all of the madness that’s poured into these fiery six cuts. Originally released by the band in February, Pittsburgh’s own Ancient Future stepped up to the plate and put out the album on limited edition cassette (I have one, and it sounds dynamite), which actually feels like the proper format for this one. The lyrics are in Swedish, so I know fuck all about what they’re on about. But you can feel the venom and wretched power that no language barrier ever could hold back.

“Du bistra rekryt” starts the piece by charging out of the gates and storming with bloody battle axes. Grim shrieks rattle bones, while the music gets punchy and melodic. A smothering groove settles in, with the band laying haymakers all the way to the finish. “Miserabilist” trudges hard from the start, with a piece that feels like black clouds are overhead and threatening. The vocals pierce, giving the track a maniacal feel, but later they turn into wild howls that feel like they’ll blow you down and over an embankment. The pace stays dangerous throughout, with the final moments thickening you and coating your face with humidity. “En ytterligt korrupt själ” maintains that oppressive heat, with the vocals shredding, and the track grounding and pounding into oblivion. The guitars later spill out and rip away at flesh, and the pace gets even more insane, dropping the hammer again and again and ending with a murderous assault that’ll concuss your soul.

“Avskyvärld” is an immediate eruption, with the shrieks sounding delivered by a hoarse banshee and the riffs hitting break-neck speed. Suddenly everything comes to a halt, as a misty ambiance arrives, as if the song is enclosed in a mysterious realm. Once it breaks out of the other side, the track rolls on and reestablished its momentum, bleeding right into “Den mörka porten uppenbaras.” There, the drumming kicks down the doors, as the pace hits high gear, and the gruff vocals mete out more punishment. Speedy riffs again come into play, providing a rush but also a reminder that all is unsettled, and from there, the kit takes another hellacious beating before the song twists and grinds into the night. Closer “De svagsintas eviga enfald” has guitars cascading and the most melodic pace so far. The tempo chugs and chews, while the pulverizing thrashing is complemented by mind-altering noise, and a bleeding display pushes ahead. From there, the fires begin to die down, the playing gets cleaner and more atmospheric, and just when you’re waiting for the next attack, the whole things gets swallowed by an atmospheric vortex that finally provides you with mercy.

This is a promising, volcanic start for Naturvidrig, who are another promising new black metal band that have a firm grasp of history, while burning their own path. There’s a full-length in the works from this band, and I’m excited to hear what they can do when they spread their filth over a full release. If you like your black metal raw, relentless, and practically choking you to death, Naturvidrig are only too happy to oblige making you feel even more pain than you do right now.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.ourancientfuture.com/collections/all

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

Photo by Alvino Salcedo

I have some traveling in my future, which I’m both looking forward to and kind of having some anxiety about. The latter is just par for the course. Anyhow, usually during those stretches where there are boring, unexciting scenes, I like to flood my head with stimulating music so that I can stay alert and so that I can have something to lift my spirits.

During these upcoming travels, I’m certain I’ll be spending a lot of time with “Old Souls,” the new record from atmospheric black metal band Wayfarer, a stunning, moving adventure that’s been bombarding me for the past few months. See, I do work for a magazine as well, and with long lead times, we often get music even earlier than I do for what I cover at this site. Since I was assigned Wayfarer, I’ve had the music for quite some time now, and it’s been an album that’s constantly been in my rotation. I know we’re inundated with this style of black metal now, as there certainly is a lot of that out there, but these guys infuse passion and power into their work and keep you dreaming along with them. Hence why they’re going to make essential music for those long hours in the car.

Wayfarer, who hail from Denver, have been together for half a decade now and already are two full-lengths into their run. The band independently released their 2014 opus “Children of the Iron Age” (another record you should seek out if you haven’t yet), and that caught the attention of Prosthetic Records, who have been building a pretty interesting roster as of late. That’s a plus for both parties as the label gets another great band, and Wayfarer should be exposed to far more sets of eardrums. As for the band, they’re made up of members who have played in bands as varied as Blood Incantation, Abysmal Dimensions, Suns of Sorath, and Kitezh, and they include guitarists/vocalists Tanner Rezabek and Shane McCarthy, bassist Jamie Hansen, and drummer Isaac Faulk, and they’ve really come together as a promising leader in this sect of the sub-genre.

Wayfarer refer to their style as “music for mountains,” and that starts in earnest with “Ever Climbing,” a track that takes its time stretching its legs before unfurling fully. Once the seal is broken, heavy leads push through, howled growls pierce, and a tempered pace pushes on, not too worried about reaching its end point until the full story is told. The song chugs and tears even further apart, spilling into spacious terrain, feedback ringing out, and then another big charge. Melody bursts one more time before the track comes to its resting place. “Frontiers” is a brief interlude, built with drums, an acoustic/electric mix, and rustic sensibilities before heading into the 11:41 “Old Souls’ New Dawn.” Acoustics lead off and into the explosion, with creaky growls smearing as the tempo chugs along. The pace feels like a rolling storm, hanging overhead and soaking the ground, mixing into serenity and quiet guitars, then later erupting anew and unleashing thunder. The growls are deeper and nastier, with an emotional swelling crushing the gates, guitars lathering up, and the song winding down with explosiveness. “Catcher” punches open, making a case for urgency. There is a proggy feel to the riffs, making for one of the catchiest parts of the record, and acoustics settle in and set a bridge to deluge, with the track exuding melody and spilling right up to its blunt end.

“Deathless Tundra” charges open before the tempo starts pushing and pulling. The bulk of this is punchy and rainy, with forceful growls agitating and a fluid pace that makes this feel like a flowing stream. A folkish section arrives before the storm clouds return and deliver fury and blistering growls that trade off with eerie whispers. The final minutes pulverize the senses before the sounds bristle away. “The Dust Lakes” is a quick instrumental, with guitars slowly setting up shop before bleeding and bending through the bulk of this. The track stays mid-tempo and emotional, and it sets the stage for pulverizing, 9:50 closer “All Lost in Aimless Chaos.” The track spits open and spreads sparks, with riveting riffs, and very creative pace, before serenity sets in a lets you room to breathe. That doesn’t last long, however, as the track rages with life again and changes colors constantly, going from fire to ice. Later, the guitars mount a stabbing surge, with vicious growls causing deep bruising, making a final stand before the song takes on a slithering tempo before it fades off into a warped bed of sound.

I can appreciate any band that can grab my attention and hold it for an extended period of time, and Wayfarer definitely have that grasp. “Old Souls” is a big step ahead for them both musically and from an attention standpoint, and hopefully they make the most of that opportunity. This band has a chance to spread atmospheric black metal and its many wonder to more people, and this album is one that deserves your undivided attention.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://prostheticrecords.limitedrun.com/

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

There aren’t a ton of concept records about the weather in the metal world. I guess we can argue Immortal’s discography roughly could be argued as counting since all of them focus on a fantasy ice world. But for the most part, this is an area that doesn’t get a lot of attention conceptually over an entire album.

That didn’t deter Texas-based death metal band Vex, whose new record “Sky Exile” takes on the heat and scorched earth that was a very real thing people experienced just a few years ago. Based on the 2011 Texas drought, the 11 tracks on this record are imagined as journal entries from the people of West Texas who endured that time period. It was a way for the band to further humanize the situation by imagining what those inhabitants went through during the heat and tragically small rainfall that year. The band’s travels through those areas, and the skeletons of abandon houses, led them to create this music, looking back on one of the driest, most destructive stretches in Texas history.

While Vex are termed as melodic death metal, don’t go thinking the bulk of the indie metal label’s rosters. It’s nothing like that at all. It’s pure death infused with melody, as well as prog and folk. Having formed in 1998, the band has two other full-lengths to their credit—2010 debut “Thanatopsis” and 2013’s “Memorious.” Their dexterity and commitment to infusing passion into their music adds great depth to their work and doesn’t just soak you in brutality. What the band—vocalist Joe Jackson, guitarists Michael Day and Ciaran McCloskey, bassist Joel Miller, and drummer Eoghan McCloskey—accomplishes on this record is take an event such as the one from 2011, and give it treatment that’s equal parts heaviness and texture, fury and compassion.

“Dry River Days” is a brief opener that allows the door to creak, with swirling sounds and drums, and that leads into “To Anacreon (Strangling the Muse)” that tears apart. The pace chugs and the growls pierce, with strong riffs wailing and cool progginess slipping in. Clean singing then settles in, and the track heads toward “Empyrean,” another shorter track that acts as an interlude, blowing into “Antithetic Age.” There, the riffs hit hard as death throes arrive, with melody rushing in, and added progressive sounds showing fresh colors. The vocals switch back and forth between guttural growls and airy singing, as the bass work pops, and the track hits a new level of ferocity before it heads out and toward “Nowhere Near.”  There, the music has a bit of a Southern vibe, with slide guitars adding mood, and savage growls pounding away. Later on, the guitars stretch out and explore the sky, with the bulk of the song settling into psychedelic corners. Reflective playing then dissolves into static.

“The Cygnus Light” is a really interesting one and has a spacious start, churning and turning from there, with the grim growls telling the dark story. The song has its tricky moments, with some of the playing shaking your head around and rustic acoustics unleashing dust. Odd ambiance arrives, with a spoken passage sprawling, and a moody finish. “Solar Sacrament” unleashes the breezes again before hitting a crunchy path. Fiery vocals are unleashed, with the song getting heavier and meaner, and the final minutes jerking your neck all over. “Dark Skies Painted” begins with dark clouds settling overhead before the track bursts open with fluid playing that sometimes nears black metal realms and often is unforgivingly heavy. Toward the track’s end, the melodies well up high, as the song fades into sparks. “30 Miles From Here” starts flowing, with guitars dripping, and an explosive eruption taking hold. The bulk of this is slow driving, but ultimately heavy, with creaking growls piercing flesh, and a finish that sits in hypnosis. “August 11” has trudging power, as growls crawl over cleaner guitars before the seams are torn apart. There are parts that rip everything apart before acoustics mix in, and the track disappears into a trickle of water. “Astral Burial” is the interlude finale, a sense of relief as waters rush, footsteps crunch the ground, and fires crackle amid drumming and noise rumbling away.

While a drought might seem like dry subject matter on the surface, the humanity and passion the band puts into “Sky Exile” never even makes that thought cross your mind. The band has a creativity and style that sets them apart from a lot of the death metal world, and Vex’s multi-faceted approach always keeps their music interesting and engaging. This album is a bit of a grower, granted, but after a few visits with this record, it’ll soon start etching its way inside of you.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://eihwazrecordings.com/distro/

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

And now for a dose of head-scratching weirdness. When it comes to said strangeness, we don’t get a whole lot of that anymore in metal’s realms. Things are often too serious and to the vest that some outright wackiness and lopsided terror doesn’t get as much time as it should. But if it’s weirdness you crave, there is an abundance of it for you today. In fact, this week.

Terra Tenebrosa, the mysterious, masked trio, have confounding goods for you in great numbers on their new and third full-length “The Reverses.” Over their run, nothing has been normal or by the numbers for them, and that’s what’s made the band pretty refreshing. Can they be an at-arms-length type of band? Sure. Their wares aren’t bound to be for everyone’s tastes. But their twisted, industrial-tinged black metal is unforgivingly heavy, unabashedly strange, and packed with their own brand of intensity. In fact, if you want another example of how this band follows its own calling and no one else’s, their bio is a poem. It’s all about the plight of the Cuckoo, the formation of the band, and all of the dark and horrifying things that have inspired this apocalyptic vision. It’s not easy to understand, honestly, but that only makes sense. The band had some notable helping hands on this record, by the way, with Jonas A. Holmberg (This Gift Is a Curse), Alex Stjernfeldt (The Moth Gatherer), MkM (Antaeus, Aosoth), and Vindsval (Blut Aus Nord) lending their gifts.

We just mentioned the Cuckoo, and that’s the name of our vocalist, who plays dark host and storyteller, almost as if cloaked, with a snifter of poison and a pipe for smoking. He is joined by Hibernal and Hisperdal (all three were members of post-hardcore band Breach), and together these Swedes go about telling odd, damaged tales amid their storms of numbing, nightmare-inducing music. Terra Tenebrosa got their start in 2009, issuing their first record “The Tunnels” in 2011 and following that in 2013 with “The Purging,” an album that’s on my phone as a go-to for when I’m driving and need something to keep my mind stimulated so I don’t doze off behind the wheel. Works every time.

The record opens with “Makoria,” a ghostly introductory instrumental imbedded in odd noises and warbled growling, and then it’s into “Ghost at the End of the Rope,” a title that should send chills. The song is crunchy and off-kilter, with Gollum-style creaks and growls amid the insanity, and long stretches of dissonance disorienting. The song gets scary and smothering, blasting into eeriness and going out on a haunted note. Then it bleeds toward “The End Is Mine to Ride” that opens with a blistering, yet melodic riff. Parts of this actually are damn catchy, with the vocals slithering on, and the track taking on a horror film score sense. Things later take on a psychedelic edge, with the vocals floating in the ether, and the track trailing off into the dark. “Marmorisation” has dark guitars and sounds wafting, with a burning tempo and alien-like vocals. Later the growls turn to morbid speaking, as the music gets more mind numbing, almost like you’re listening in to someone else’s nightmare as they writhe in pain.

“Where Shadows Have Teeth” is delirious right away, with crazed speaking, hypnotic terror swirling about, and disarming heaviness that just drubs you. The pace feels like a storm hanging overhead, with mechanical growls, the tempo continually twisting and grinding, and damaged strings and blunt grunts adding more bruising. “Exuvia” has a slurring melody stretching out, while scratchy speaking tells the track’s story. This song is like if the bogeyman made a record and slipped it into your room at night, forcing you to listen in the dark. The melodies loop and continually frighten, while the final moments dissolve into a cloud of noise. Closer “Fire Dances” is the longest track by far at 16:55, and it takes its time digging in its claws and drawing your blood. Once it erupts, there are pastoral-style chants, whispery growls, and strong riffs that keep building the piece and getting heavier. Noise swirls about, leaving your head spinning, and that all passes through a pit of industrial sludge. On the other side, riffs pile up, the pace grinds away, and the track ends in guttural cries and spooky organs.

As noted, Terra Tenebrosa isn’t going to do it for everyone. They’re not easy to digest, and their work on “The Reverses” could be a cause for elevated anxiety in some. But for those seeking a nightmare in which to get lost, this record could soothe what ails and help you connect with your own weirdness.

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

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

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

The feeling of being overwhelmed isn’t a foreign concept for most humans. We have a tendency to get inundated with things, whether that’s work, our personal lives, or our emotions. That sense that so much is going on at once can be intimidating, and unless you have an outlet to release all of that energy, it can well up inside.

I got that same feeling listening to “Yūgen,” the stunning new record from Ashbringer. The feeling rushed over me the first time I experienced these eight tracks, as it felt everything from their creators was poured out, leaving almost nothing left, pushing back against the pressure. Emotion—and that’s a major factor on this record—is nearly bled dry, and not just through the words and vocals, but within the music itself. Digging into the lyrics provided even more evidence that much had to have been going on leading up to the creation of this music, that “Yūgen” seems like an outlet for something bigger than just their art. Themes of nature, loss, reunion, and longing can be felt in the songs (or at least that’s how I’ve interpreted it), and every new journey spent with this spacious, rich album could have you feeling different things and seeing changing shades.

This Minnesota-based black metal band only has been in operation for three years now, but already they have put out two powerful records that prove their strength. Before “Yūgen,” Ashbringer opened our eyes on last year’s superb “Vacant,” which proved a harbinger of what was to come. The band used to be fronted and composed solely by Nick Stanger, who now handles songwriting, lyrics, guitars and vocals. He has rounded out the lineup with a strong cast including guitarist Robert Northrup, bassist Nathan Wallestead (who plays with Stanger in Astral Blood), drummer Ian Sutherland, and keyboardist/oboe player Cormac Piper. This is a formidable lineup seeing through a vision that might remind some of the fallen Agalloch, Alcest, Falls of Rauros, Alda, and bands of that ilk.

“Solace” begins the record, a 10:40-long piece that slowly spreads its wings before hitting full soar. Glorious melody and creaking growls arrive, with the tempo driving harder as it goes and synth and spacey colors working through the body. Rustic acoustics spill in before Maiden-like leads take hold and everything comes to a fluid end, that then bleeds into “Oceans Apart.”  There, calm waters flow for a few moments before the song ignites, with huge growls pummeling. Great melodic leads drive the force, with Stanger wailing, “I’ve waited so long to see you again.” A quick halt hits, with the song slowly building back up amid woodsy melodies before the blaze lights again, and clean wails wrap themselves over top the song. “Lakeside Meditation” sits in a static storm, crushing on the other side of that, with delirious playing and furious growls penetrating. The song speeds up, finding more a rock personality, while the gazey shades and cathartic playing practically let you feel their collective hearts pumping in their chests. “In Remembrance” is hazy at first, with starry dashes and the eventual explosion. Steely guitar work and gushing feelings are injected into the piece, and Stanger reflects on loss, howling, “I watched the life fade from your eyes, I stood breathless.” That anguish continues over the song’s final moments, as the track comes to a thunderous end.

“Celestial Infancy” is hushed at first, with the band building into a spiritual chant of, “Mind and body are one, body and earth are one, earth and sky are one, spirit and sky are one,” a refrain you might find yourself repeating, especially as it repeats later in the song. There are reflective moments during this one, as well as tumultuous ones, with the pace swinging back and forth with force, and alien singing sending the track on its way. The title cut has guitars jabbing and guest vocalist Elizabeth Redding carrying the heavy load. The crescendo builds as the song develops, with beauty intertwining with fury, and the tension rising up over the final minutes as jagged guitars slam shut the door. “Omen” is a woodsy instrumental that starts with fires crackling and Cameron Becker adding trombone to the mix, with syrupy slide guitar shining a Western beam on the song, and gentle breezes following to the end. Closer “Glowing Embers, Dying Fire” bursts right away, with melodic growls, a strong refrain, and a huge feel to the guitar work. As the song goes on, the band, and Stanger as lyricist, finds a new level of understanding with the surrounding world, with him calling, “Bleeding into one, fading endlessly, merging with the earth, I see clearly now.” The track is full of spirit and power, with elegant, spacious playing unfurling, and the track finding its way to the fire where it, too, becomes one with the land.

Ashbringer’s mission is a worthy one, and the exemplary work they do on “Yūgen” must be heard in full to be properly understood. These are songs steeped in emotion, bleeding passion everywhere, and seemingly reacting to being overwhelmed by life experiences. It’s an incredible outlet for this band, one they’ll hopefully follow well into the future and they carve out their journey.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://avantgardemusic.bigcartel.com/

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

Despite the stupid, embarrassing riches I have as a writer who is inundated with new music on a daily basis, it’s actually quite easy to miss something really good. So, while we try to keep this site going forward with things that have just come out or on the horizon, now and again we have to go back and cover something we missed.

One of those things is “MMXXIII,” the new record from Quebec-based black metal band Wendess. Part of the reason we didn’t have something on this when it was released a few weeks ago is because this self-released monster never actually made it to the inbox and instead was discovered as a result of some strong recommendations and an eventual purchase on Bandcamp. The band’s sound, while black metal at its base, goes other places, allowing for some psychedelic winds, folk-led playing, and guttural emotion to make its way into the music. Comprised of Keven (vocals and guitars), Alex (bass) GIa Hoi (prince des douze royaumes) (guitars), and Огњен (vocals, drums, and percussion), the band swings back into the world for the first time since their monstrous 2011 effort “Nuee Noire” and a 2012 split with Defest. There’s not a ton else out there about the band, which is fine and refreshing.

The record starts quietly and unassumingly on “Dystopie,” with the music trickling gently but eventually erupting into thunderous melody. Keven’s wrenching growls are all over the place, scraping the track with feeling, and later, organs slip underneath the chaos, strong soloing finds its way in, and the song bleeds away. “Identité Dissociative” changes things up, threading a folk path through the song, even amid the blood-curdling howls. Dark, creaky power kicks in, with the song going emotionally bloody. Later, the song heads into prog territory dashed with rustic elements, but then it rumbles again, with strong guitar work fading into serenity. “Sommeil Profond” starts clean before choked shrieks pierce, and the heaviness arrives in giant waves. Great leads head through, firing up the song’s base, and later things get dark and even a little surfy. Every element then explodes, with growls strangling and smeary soloing bringing the track to its end. “Le Marchand D’âmes” has piano dripping and acoustic guitars, but it’s not long until the energy erupts. Wild howls penetrate, with the song flowing forward, the cut fading into darkness, and keys bringing things to a soft finish.

“Nostalgie Nocturne” also starts quietly, but then black metal-style melodies arrive, and desperate wails cut into flesh. The track boils in place for a stretch, with wild soloing blasting in and taking over the pace. Feral growls seem to indicate there’s no end to the madness, and despite a brief foray back into acoustics, that’s pretty much the case until the song ends. “Sans Raison” begins with a Charles Manson quote from a 1989 interview, where, when asked to describe himself in a sentence, he responds he’s “nobody.” The track crunches quickly, pounding away, with the guitars swelling and scorching. The melodies remind me of early fall, when greens just start to turn orange, and anguish begins to fall like a heavy storm. The intensity drives down until it fades into quiet keys. “Forêt Maudite” is a bizarre, warped instrumental that feels like something from the “Twilight Zone.” It hypnotizes and swirls, pulling in damaged “Over the Rainbow” lines and Manson’s “nobody” returning and spinning around your head, surely to induce panic. Closing instrumental “8916” (“8913” and “8915” are tracks from their two earlier albums) closes things out, with a slow-driving burn, a thick bassline for a spine, and a fascinating exploration that envelops your mind and drives you out toward the stars.

It may have taken some exploration, but I’m happy to have found my way to “MMXXIII,” this great new piece from Wendess. Striking out on their own without label support is a bold move, especially with a record this strong, so it might take this album time to stretch out. But anything worth its while will do that, and once Wendess make their way to you, prepare to go on an explosive journey that’s equal parts terrifying and enthralling.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Wendess-123940974378337/

To buy the album, go here: https://wendess1627.bandcamp.com/album/mmxxiii

There are many great pioneers of the metal sound, from Sabbath to Priest to Maiden to Metallica to Emperor. I’m leaving out a lot of names because I don’t want the opening graph to be 1,000 words long. The point is, the progenitors of extreme music make up a long list, and many of those artists are ones who have been doing their thing longer than some of its audience has been alive.

I’m sure I’ll get no argument if I add Aaron Turner to that roll call of people who have helped develop metal and its many sounds into what it is today. From his tenure in the dissolved ISIS, who along with Neurosis helped pave the oft-traveled past of atmospheric doom and post-metal, and the gnarly Old Man Gloom, Turner has had a major hand in inspiring legions of bands and artists to follow their bleeding hearts and make music that can be catharsis for both them and their audience. And just last year, Turner returned with another super heavy project Sumac that harkened back to his grittier, more metallic roots, making for one of 2015’s most explosive debuts with “The Deal.” Now, a little more than a year later, he and his mates have returned with the molten “What One Becomes,” a mammoth of a record, and their first entry for Thrill Jockey.

By the way, all the gushing over Turner’s myriad accomplishments aside, the rest of the band is rounded out by a more-than-capable bunch in their own right. Bassist Brian Cook (Wikipedia totally needs to change his profile link because … it goes to the wrong Brian Cook) made his way in notable bands such as the crushing and just-as-influential Botch and Russian Circles, and drummer Nick Yacyshyn, who makes severe noise with Baptists. This record is a rumbling affair that sounds like, at times, the dudes just went off, improvised their fury, and let it flow until they bled it dry. On top of all that, anxiety is at the heart of the record, a subject matter that jabs right at my heart, and they spend the bulk of these massive five tracks confronting it, identifying its source, and putting a battle plan into action. As someone who lives that very thing, this record provides a well-needed dose of extra therapy.

The record rips open with “Image of Control,” as hazy doom rains down, guitars scrape, and Turner’s animalistic howls blast out of the gates. While much of this song is designed to overwhelm and destroy, it has its sections of calm and even some jerky prog creations that make your face spin. The last few minutes of the song add a million jackhammers to the mix, as the band bludgeons you before slowly dragging you out through the thorns. “Rigid Man” punches and boils, with the guys drubbing amid deep, lurching growls. Again, the band delves into proggy waters, bringing some weirdness to the mix, and then the guitar work gets really tricky. Things shoot into the cosmos, with smearing soloing settling in, eventually burning out for a sense of calm to trickle on. Noise spreads over a great distance, making you think it will go until the end, but then a powerful, swaggering assault arrives, leaving everything in the dust. “Clutch of Oblivion” has a slower start, with organs rising, and the song meandering along. The track then hulks up, getting heavier as it goes along, with crazed howls injected into an oncoming dizziness. Again, though, you’re lulled into serenity before the hammers drop all over you.

“Blackout” is the longest cut at 17:26, and it’s the one that seems to develop on the fly the most. Noise scratches, with drums joining the fray, and forceful shouts barrel their way in as the guitars arrive muddy and dripping. The doomy beast eases later, with a glaze of psychedelics arriving, and out of that comes breath-taking thrashing that slams you over and over again. The attack is repetitive, which is by design, almost as if anxious nerves are gnawing on you, increasing your breathing and your heart rate. Fight or flight struggles are ramped up to an uncomfortable level, as the band plays on, searching each corner of their minds, seeking answers, and reaching for a sense of relief. The pace starts to chug, with the piece getting heavier and nastier, only to disappear into a long, reflective pool that washes over. The band goes into an extended melodic stretch of playing, with some Southern-style influences being felt, and the track trudges out, leaving you to figure out how you survived. But you did. “Will to Reach” concludes the album, charging right out of the gates and smashing barriers. Off-kilter melodies spiral, snaking through the tumult, and a calm sequence arrives, with you already having learned this is only for a breath. And sure enough, the explosion strikes, the band heads into a speedy eruption, and the crushing hell that surrounds you slips away, leaving you a heaping mess, but for the better.

Sumac is a ferocious beast of a band, and their work on “What One Becomes” is a rush both from a musical standpoint and a vessel to tackling personal struggles. These three guys have honed their craft as a band and crafted an album that delivers every time. All hail these three great creators, who just might be motivating even more would-be artists to try their hands pouring out their hearts and souls.

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

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

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

Metal long has been tied to horrors and great beasts, fantastical terrors that, while they look intimidating on an album cover or in one’s imagination, they’re not authentic in any way. But, in the words of the intro to the great podcast Sword & Scale, the worst monsters are real. Those include the ones living inside of you, the demons that torment and stretch you to your very worst.

For the longest time, German duo The Vision Bleak leaned on those old-style horror elements more than anything when constructing their songs. From inspirations including Poe, Lovecraft, and Carpenter, these guys constructed a world that was bloody and spooky, which suited their brand of dark atmospheric metal very nicely. The fact that they always had many dramatic flourishes worked into their songs helped as well, which gave a sense of theatricality to their music. But on their latest opus “The Unknown,” the band turns their respective guts inside out and instead examine personal horrors and darkness. That makes this the most personal record the band’s ever created, and one that does prove that what lurks inside of you indeed if more terrifying than any macabre tale.

The Vision Bleak have been staring into the eyes of terror for the past 16 years, having formed in 2000. The core members Ulf Theodor Schwadorf and Allen B. Konstanz (they obviously roll out a much larger cast live) dropped their first record “The Deathship Has a New Captain” in 2004, and after that they released four more studio albums, the most recent before “The Unknown” being 2013’s “Witching Hour.” The band’s new lyrical twist on this record might throw some for a loop at first, but honestly, it’s the same sound you’ve come to expect from The Vision Bleak. Every ounce of power and presence bursts from this thing, and it’s a damn fun listen.

“Spirits of the Dead” is a quick intro piece built with mallet-tapped drums, acoustic guitars, and folk-style vocals, and that leads into “From Wolf to Peacock” that greets you with glorious riffs. Huge vocals bellow, later crumbling into fierce growls, and as the track goes on, it gets more aggressive and penetrating. Proggy thrash meets black metal strains on the back end of the song, and a dramatic burst brings it to an end. “The Kindred of the Sunset” also has great riffs, with deep, gothy singing providing darkness, with shrieks mixed in later. The song goes cold, with whispers poking, and there are some great hooks, with Konstanz wailing, “We are the children of the sunset.” “Into the Unknown” has guitars buzzing, unfurling into steady thrashing and dramatic singing. Some reflective notes arrive before the band starts trudging, with howls of, “I will never be the same again,” adding a sense of uncertainty into what’s a really strong song. “Ancient Heart” has a calculated start, with chant-like vocals spreading before the pace kicks into high gear. The tempo kicks up and starts clobbering, with strong melodies mixed in, keys quivering, and a smashing finish.

“The Whine of the Cemetery Hound” sounds from its title like a track from their horror tale past, but it’s not. Drums strike hard as bells chime, and the chugging pace does serious damage. The singing is dark and moody, while the song halts for a stretch of solemnity and comes out of the other side with heaviness and vicious growls. “How Deep Lies Tartaros?” is punishing and fast, as if it’s trying to drive you through the center of the Earth to answer the song’s question. Harsh vocals are mixed in with clean, with the song having moments where it’s purely guttural. Spoken lines punch into cloudy synth, and the song turns again, coming to a furious end. “Who May Oppose Me?” is a surprising one, and it’s less defiant than its title indicates. The song has murky synth, strings, and acoustics, setting the stage for gigantic closer “The Fragrancy of Soil Unearthed.” The track in menacing from the start, though the riffs are catchy and the clean singing pushes the mission. The song bursts open later, with the singing coming into full life, and the dramatic piece comes to an end amid fairytale strings and mystical power.

The Vision Bleak’s world may have changed a bit, but musically, they’re right where you’d expect them on “The Unknown.” Perhaps turning inward for this record injected them with even more inspiration and vitriol, and it’s too soon to know if this is a one-off curveball or if this is the path they’ll take into the future. Regardless, they’re sure to find enough morbid twists and turns in their own psyches if they’ve already wrung their old texts dry.

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

To buy the album (USA), go here: http://www.theconnextion.com/prophecy/prophecy_index.cfm?

Or here: http://www.theconnextion.com/prophecy/prophecy_index.cfm?

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