It’s been a pretty dark year. The ones following this one don’t promise to be a whole lot better unless you’re swimming in goddamn money. As the year reaches its final month, a lot of people are suffering amid the onslaught of manufactured joy as the holidays approach, deepening the hurt in so many hearts. Yet, we push into the future.

“Liminal Animals” is the 13^th album from the legendary Ulver, a band that began creating three timeless black metal classics before transforming over the years into an electronics-driven, synth rock band, creating music just as compelling as their original material. Over the years, the band hasn’t shied away from exploring the darkest, seamiest aspects of our world, and they have the same bile in their mouths over our thorny present as our potentially stormy future. But there’s more at stake here as the band also mourns longtime member Tore Ylvisaker, who passed in August. His death haunted Ulver’s members, quite understandably, and this record is dedicated to him. The band’s main triumvirate remains vocalist/lyricist Kristoffer Rygg, multi-instrumentalist/electronics Ole Alexander Halstensgård, and lyricist Jørn H. Sværen, and they are joined by Stian Westerhus (guitar, bass, strings and backing vocals), Ivar Thormodsæter (drums), and Anders Møller (percussion and choir) to flesh out these songs that burst with murk and danger, the music creating visions in your mind.

“Ghost Entry” enters amid keys glowing, the feel of urban grime at your fingertips, Rygg calling, “Our days are numbered, and so are words.” The fog picks up as the track manages to get catchier and more foreboding, heading out into the dark. “A City in the Skies” glides in on slick synth, pulsing playing, and a gloomy jolt that parts clouds. The chorus stands out here, Rygg singing, “What are they thinking of? What is going on?” a sentiment that can applied to so many parts of the world right now. Later, Rygg warns, “Icons will fall once and for all,” itself a weirdly prophetic line, and the sentiments finally burn off. “Forgive Us” features Nils Petter Molvær on trumpet, his presence an even darker line in the blackout. Cold keys flow as moodiness thickens, Rygg summoning, “Spirit of the sky, spirit of the earth.” The brass adds jazzy steam as the heat spreads quickly, weird, warped calls wrap themselves around you, and the exhaust finally subsides. “Nocturne #1” is the first of two instrumentals, this dawning with whirring keys, a thickening cloud coverage, and gray skies turning black. Cosmic blips leave ice on your appendages, the playing feeling alien and isolated, the strangeness fading into oblivion. “Locusts” brings percussive rhythm, driving keys, and deeper singing. “There’s something in the air,” Rygg warns, later wondering, “Can you feel it?” over the chorus. Keys pump and the light is removed, ending in solemnity.

“Hollywood Babylon” is particularly pointed and sobering, something aimed directly at America, a country due some comeuppance. The keys taunt as Rygg’s voice takes on the proper sinister tone, calling, “Protect yourself, don’t fuck with America.” That’s not a line that should bring pride, the cocking gun sounds making that more apparent. The guitars heat up and pick at fresh scabs, everything ending in a fitting confrontational note. “The Red Light” has beats charging, keys buzzing, and unsettling tones taking shape. Danger lurks as Rygg urges, “Just try to stay alive,” as guitars churn, the mood darkens, and keys glaze before a final numbing. “Nocturne #2” is the second of the instrumental tracks, building into something a little pricklier, synth taking on spacious cosmic vibes, percussive quaking making the ground move. Sounds rattle in your ears and mind, immersive keys bring a post-apocalyptic sci-fi tone, and everything turns to a shade of red similar to what’s on the cover. Closer “Helian” is the final eulogy for their fallen friend, featuring Sværen reciting the Georg Trakl poem of the same name. The track starts as a strange symphony of synth, loops, and beats, an immersive and vulnerable piece that honors Ylvisaker and develops a mysterious ambiance for us all to consider our place in the universe. As the track nears its end, horns call out, nighttime chills work down your spine, and a smattering of beats close this dark chapter of Ulver lore.

“Liminal Animals” is another logical progression for Ulver but also a reaches a hand back in time for sounds and colors that formed their past. Mourning a friend and lamenting a world that seems to fall deeper into madness with each passing year, Ulver connect with loss, fear, anger, and vulnerability in such an elegant manner, it’s hard to find ways to fully summarize everything into words. This is music for late at night, contemplating our lives, paying tribute to those who have passed, and hardening our shells for our futures.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://houseofmythology.indiemerch.com/pre-orders

Or here (U.K.): https://store.houseofmythology.com/

Or here (E.U.): https://en.houseofmythology.spkr.media/

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

It’s the final week for reviews here at the site before we recap the year, so it only makes sense to get into some death metal first. It feels like that sub-genre was the dominant one this year, though that just might be the memory of a man a little freaked out that he isn’t burned out yet.

We last talked about Wretched Fate with last year’s “Carnal Heresy,” but now the Swedish crushers are back with a quick-and-gory EP “Incineration of the Pious,” a title that’s nicely pointed right about now. On this six-track collection, you get two halves: three new originals and three covers of classic cuts by legendary bands. This is a way for the band—vocalist Adrian Selmani, guitarists Fredrik Wikberg and Mats Andersson, bassist Robin Magnusson, drummer Samuel Karlstrand—to drop some bloody carnage of their own while also pay homage to those who came before them and blazed a fiery path.

“With Ashen Breath” is maniacal but also a little fantastical when it starts, the latter detail due to strange synth that washes through, absolute carnage meeting you on the other end. The guitar work is scathing and reeks of Scandinavian death, the daring pace and the dramatics multiplying, unloading as keys swirl again, stabbing home a final violent point. The title track dawns amid melodic leads and coarse growls, mangling and pounding with a force looking to exact pain and torment. The vocals smear as the guitars catch fire more forcefully, a fast and fluid dash taking off, clobbering as the intent makes it perfectly clear that bloodshed is the only acceptable outcome. “Callous Mutilation Grandeur” trudges before speeding up dangerously, howls spitting nails, the steam rising and making breathing difficult. The pace then smashes harder, beastly growls digging under flesh for prone muscle, crushing in a display of ugliness you cannot soon shake off. The EP concludes with their takes on three classic death metal gems, all intertwined to form one large piece. They do honorable, scuzzy takes on Morbid Angel’s “Dominate” from 1995’s “Domination”; “Like Fire” from Bloodbath’s 2002 debut “Resurrection Through Carnage”; and “Abnormally Deceased” from Entombed’s classic 1990 debut “Left Hand Path,” providing listeners with a template as to where their vicious take on death originated.

“Incineration of the Pious” is a nice bite-sized serving showing where Wretched Fate are now in their death metal psychosis and potentially where they’re going with a second full-length. The added covers are nice, but the meat here is found in the three new tracks that feel like they’re mangling your brain wiring. This is a nice quick burst to make late 2004 a little bloodier.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.us/product/wretched-fate-incineration-of-the-pious-mc/

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

Where I grew, there was a thick, yet totally walkable section of woods that became a haven during the summer time when we could find solace among the greenery. But the first snowfall (they were much thicker in these parts at that time) always sparked excitement to walk amid the inches of white, dead leaves, and branches, creating a greater connection to and admiration for nature.

Minnesota-based black metal power Canis Dirus return with a late-year gem on their fourth record “By the Grace of Death,” a force that feels like it was written expressly for chilling trips out into the wilderness. But that’s not all they have here. Their brand of black metal also breathes fire, adding a molten element to their sound that pays destructive dividends on these six cuts. That adds a monstrous new element to the band—vocalist Rob Hames, guitarist/bassist/keyboard/piano player/vocalist Todd Paulson, drummer CJ Yacoub—that already was a beast with which to be reckoned and now is operating with newfound blood thirst. On the record, they are joined by several guests including guitarist Carl Skildum (Inexorum, Majesties); vocalist Meghan Wood (Crown of Asteria); bassist/classic guitarist Mick Rotella; vocalist Damian Winter (Robes of Snow); cellist Kakophonix (Osi and the Jupiter, Hvile I Khaos); and choir singing by Gaelic Voices traditional Gaelic choir.

“Once Cursed Path Glistens in the Sun” gusts in, a black metal storm that warps and ravages, shrieks tearing into sanity as synth glistens. Sootiness becomes a factor as wild yells and screams unite, and then calm arrives, letting a hazy cloud coverage thicken. The band ravages anew, cymbals crushing, guitars gathering, and the keys blending in to create mystical carnage. “Tongues That Speak Ill” is ominous with burly howls, speedy guitars, and a rumbling that moves the earth. The playing takes on a hurricane force, the growls gutting as the guitars melt rock, igniting as everything defaces all of humanity, a synth glow providing the first layer of healing. “A Forlorn Hymn to Absolution” feels folkish as guitars are plucked, strings layer, and an elegant glaze stretches. Wordless calls chill as acoustics push through lushly, a rustic spirit chased into the night.

“Vultures Whisper” is fiery, leads adding to the steaming front, howls scraping as ice collecting on the wings. The crunching continues as things get even more sweltering, the vocals devastating as strings glide, and wordless, wild cries calling, the playing fully sending seismic waves. The emotions hit a high point, slashing and dashing, simmering to a bone-shaking close. “Cast My Heart in Stone” is a quick instrumental, strings and lush melodies melding, swimming into the darkness at the horizon. Closer “The Mind Sees What the Eyes Cannot” fully comes unglued, howls destroying as the metallic energy jolts with electricity. The ferocity settles as eerie tones give a pause to the madness, the moodiness spreading as guitars spill richer tones, key lathering, and last of the fires fading.

Canis Dirus’ atmospheric black metal can run hot and cold, meaning at one moment your flesh is being torched mercilessly, and in the next, you’re fighting hypothermia with their wintry force. “By the Grace of Death” is the year’s final must-hear record, one that sadly falls under the radar for so many people who have closed the book on 2024. This one comes knocking with a force and tenacity you cannot ignore, and it is sure to breathe its fullest life during the upcoming winter months.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563458381306

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

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

I believe a lot of us like to think of space as a majestic black ocean of stars where we can let our imaginations soar in order to soothe our mental wounds. But it might be violent. Have you seen “Alien” lately? You have to think that somewhere, horrors unimaginable might be happening, still intoxicating you with galaxies and terrifying you with blood.

Cincinnati death metal power Nogothula have a firm grasp on the fantastical and the frightening when it comes to the contents of the universe, and their debut full-length “Telluric Sepsis” is chock full of savagery that freezes every cell in your body. Taking a noticeable step up from their solid “Gore Vortex Ascension” EP, the band—vocalist/bassist  Eric Payne, guitarist/vocalist Colton Deem, guitarist Nick Moeller, drummer Alex Hooper—mutates and warps their version of death, weaving in progressive patterns and vile wreckage into a record that is challenge worth taking over and over again.

“Awakening” is a strange, short opener, growls boiling in mud, and then everything is sucked into the iciness of space. “Chaospore” ignites, guitars chugging with fervor, howls sickening as the bruising force increases. Things turn more beastly, devastating as drums crush wills and bones. “Catacomb Cauldron” stirs with guttural growls, the guitars getting trickier as a battering force is unleashed. The playing stays molten until bursting at the seams, ripping flesh along the way. “Lacerating Vibrations” is weighty and sooty as growls engorge, the melodies temporarily delving into mystical territory. Hazy guitars thicken the air as the howls melt, and cosmic keys return to the skies. “Observers of Perpetual Rot” tears in, speedy destruction having its way, pulverizing with total ugliness. The splattering playing gets in your mouth and hair, spiraling and defacing before zapping out.

“Labyrinthian Sunken Spires” dashes and encircles, deathly hell oozing through the cracks, dizzying heat slowing down a bit, heated gurgles chugging acid. Blinding, burning tension builds, leading to bizarre, sinewy guitars, the final moments gasping. “Morbid Seas of Stygian Blood” pounds as savage growls tear flesh, the bass recoiling, the tempo slashing at guts. Growls corrode as the fumes rise toward the sky, unsettling and whirring sounds lashing back tornadically. The title track ignites, blades whipping at you maniacally, driving death ramming you square in the ribs. Leads zap as the mashing lays waste, growls coat, and penetrating carnage powders bones. Closer “Meandering Comatose Twilight…The Carrion Viaduct” dawns in eerie synth, a slower, sinister pace taking hold, growls scraping congealing wounds from flesh. The playing then gets more destructive, vicious violence spilling blood, the punishment then meted out in more calculated fashion. Growls maul as the elements stir, sounds blipping and disappearing into stars.

Nogothula journey deep into the stranger elements of space on “Telluric Sepsis,” a record that is perfect for late-night sojourns when the dark sky is filled with stars and mystery. It’s normal to feel like your flesh is crawling as your brains are beaten in by the band’s forward-thinking, poisonous death metal. This is morbidly heavy, sci-fi-leaning madness that spews forth from this album and is perfect fodder for when you’re mentally strained, could use a good physical shaking, and want to disappear into the darkest regions of your mind.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/?s=Nogothula&post_type=product

For more on the label, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/

I was out driving this afternoon between record stores trying to find something, and I was travelling in snow for the first time since summer mercilessly ended like two weeks ago. It struck me that it is the perfect time for black metal again, hardly a novel idea but one that still plays out for me every year when the temperatures drop.

Black metal vets Mörk Gryning know how to strike when the iron is … hot? Hey, an iron can get hot in winter! The band storms back with “Fasornas Tid,” their thunderous, infectious seventh record that is perfect partner for battling the elements. Over 12 tracks and 44  minutes, the band—vocalist/guitarist Draakh Kimera, guitarist/vocalist S-L, bassist/vocalist
Goth Gorgon (drummer C-G and keyboardist/vocalist Aeon round out the live version of the band)—lathers you with massive riffs, a total gallop of adventure, and black metal power that drives back to the subgenre’s formative years with an unstoppable spirit.

“Intro” opens in acoustics before the power kicks in, the metallic wave on the rise, washing into “The Seer” that’s gnarly right as it starts. Howls sicken as riffs burst, animalistic power rampaging, clean singing pushing in and adding a different texture. Grimness returns as the growls intensify, amplifying its catchiness before spiraling out. ”Tornet” opens with guitar smoke, vicious snarls angling into black metal heat. The drama continues to storm harder, spirits flooding as guitars soar, coming to a crashing end. The title track has guitars lighting up, growls stretching as spirited darkness rolls in like clouds. The pace races as the tempo presses with force, the explosions making the ground quake. “Before the Crows Have Their Feast” attacks with the bass driving, singing bellowing, the growls reverberating through your skeleton. The pace halts as keys plink, the pace pummeling as blood races through your veins, guitars catching fire, energetic gusts lapping like lava. “Savage Messiah” opens with the drums rousing, darkness thickening, creaky howls leading into a sung chorus, giving it a power metal feel. Synth spills as things get monstrous and colorful, the chorus sweeping back as the remnants burn away.

“An Ancient Ancestor Of The Autumn Moon” begins with riffs spilling, the synth melting, and the screams surging, crunching bone that lies underneath. The playing spirals as speaking sits underneath the chaos, blending into a generous fog and deteriorating slowly. “Black Angel” has charred guitars and howls buckling. A pathway burns and leads into harmonized singing, not exactly a primary black metal trait, as the emotional rust blows off, leads flooding as the power continues to mount. “Barren Paths” is a quick, ominous instrumental where shadows fall slowly, darkening the roads for “The Serpent’s Kiss” that has driving momentum right off the bat. Speed gasps as fiery howls snarl, guitars igniting before the chorus infects. Keys rain down as the guitars bleed, howls savaging before a final tornadic thrust. “Det Svarta” is raw and gutting, spirited singing storming, guitars stinging over a galloping pace. The chorus runs back, the rest of the band responds with “woah-oh” calls, and the final punches blacken eyes. Closer “Age of Fire” splatters, shrieks crushing, a punchy tempo blasting into a numbing pace, the explosions gnawing on bones. A brief calm leads into murmuring guitars as melodies unload, and a majestic adventure lands in a mountain of ash.

Mörk Gryning sound as alive and colorful as ever on “Fasornas Tid,” a blast of alluring black metal that electrifies your brain in the best way possible. After more than 30 years as a devastating force and seven records now, the band still has fire in their bellies and a thirst for making imaginations soar. This is blistering and fun, an energetic surge into the most immersive sections of black metal that keeps hearts ablaze.

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

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/

Or here (International): https://shop.season-of-mist.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.season-of-mist.com/

The night sky here has been revealing more stars than I’m normally used to seeing the past few years. I doubt the layers of pollution have decreased, and it’s definitely not my eyesight improving, so it’s made me wonder why so much more of the universe has reached out for me. Whatever it is, taking the dog outside at night has been more cinematic.

Australian duo Mesarthim has been fascinated by what’s beyond over numerous releases (six full-lengths and several smaller releases) even since they surfaced nearly a decade ago. Taking on their music is like going for a journey into what humankind has yet to discover, and their latest release is a compilation of two of their singles into one package that is album length. “Anthropic Bias/Departure” pairs single tracks from 2022 and 2024 respectively that originate from the same source but come at it from different directions. The first track weighs the enormity of the universe and the tininess of humanity in scope and importance, while the second deals more with taking mental adventures through the stars to discover new things. Both tracks worked just fine on their own, but put together, they make a lot of sense as they have similar vibes and characters.

“Anthropic Bias” runs 17:22, opening in cosmic synth blips, and then everything tears open, keys warping and screams slashing. The fantasy spreads as the harsh cries decimate and torment, jostling through a storm into a spatter of blips and beats before guitars heat and explode. The synth continues to become a mental and physical force, blurring colors as the pressure builds, shrieks storming into a fog. A synth wall rebuilds itself as your brain turns into a strip of dreams, freezing and fading before disintegrating.

“Departure” is the 19:35-long other side, guitars lighting up and gushing, the keys dizzying and expanding the void. The emotion explodes as the howls maul, immersive guitars that spurt blood, the tempo halting slightly only to drain back in with trickling keys, a catchy, even dancey section changing your mental state. Beats ricochet as the screams bleeds, synth pulses, and sounds crash through clouds, the outer edges glistening. A space transmission chills as the synth softens, as does the atmosphere, fading into space.

Compiling these two Mesarthim tracks makes for a convenient way to have a copy of both singles that are separate pieces but complement each other nicely. “Anthropic Bias/Departure” is valuable not only because this band’s music is fascinating and devastating in the same breath, but also because it continues to increase their profile in the cosmic black metal corner. These nearly 40 minutes are the perfect escape past this chaotic planet, at least in your mind, as you can dream about worlds not yet sullied.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.sound-cave.com/

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

I am not exactly the most adventurous person of all time, and my participation in events that could be termed dangerous is almost, but not quite, zero. I went white water rating once. Hated it. Never doing it again. So, when I hear about people mountain climbing, it baffles me that someone would try something so ridiculous. I’m fine with cowardice.

“Eiger” is the new record from Swiss black metal force Aara, who recently completed a trilogy of albums based on Charles Robert Maturin’s Melmoth. Here, the band—vocalist Fluss, multi-instrumentalist Berg, drummer J.—turns toward the mountain of the same name as the record in the Bernese Alps that has an ice-covered North side called “Mordwand” or MURDER WALL(!). In July 1936, four climbers tried to conquer said murder wall, and guess how that ended? It’s highly unlikely a melodic black metal band that often sounds like a phantom shriek come to life would dedicate an entire record to something that ended happily, so you should know you’re in for utter peril.

“Die das wilde Wetter fängt” opens with frigidity filling your bones, moodiness spreading as a melodic gush takes over, shrieks peeling flesh from bone. The playing remains raucous for the most part, sometimes pulling back on the reins to let the gravity set in. The vibe gets a little filthier as the screams mangle, your blood rushing as we mix into acoustics, the volcanic elements cooling ever so slightly. “Senkrechte Welten” gusts, fires crying, fluid guitars working into a lather, the vocals pulling at the tension. Quiet guitars layer as steps crunch, and then the playing gets delirious again, flowing gloriously to its resting point. “Felsensang” has guitars chiming before the pace takes off, the vocals crushing while riffs dive into embankments. Once again, there is a push and pull of heaviness and delicacy, the calmer strains allowing breathing room before the next attack of ferocity, shrieks raining down into a hypnotic dirge. “Todesbiwak” enters in a halo of riffs, acoustics dripping as the power surges. Guitars divebomb as screams blister, sweeping through the thickening air, working into another gust of calm that is a bridge for the next wave of effusive fire that burns off into ash.

“Der Wahnsinn dort im Abgrund” is like an avalanche, screams mauling as the playing gets more volatile, burly abandon heading full force until a quick pause that resets the emotion. Out of that comes a rush, tornadic power that aims to consume fully, power blasting through your chest and leaving you heaving. “Zurück zur roten Fluh” batters right away, the screams rippling, the tempo rampaging colors and warped reality, daring speed threatening to burst at the seams. The playing is drubbing and dark, brief respites for acoustic winds giving hints of solace, a melodic crush bringing tumult to a temporary end. “Grausig ist der Blick” brings howling winds and guitars that aim to create a signal in flames, the pace bludgeoning, shrieks killing amid a panicked attack. A new eruption compromises your footing as the assault spirals and blurs, ending in a blast of charred remnants. Closer “Alptraum” opens with acoustics and winds whipping, the playing growing more volatile, a melodic charge loosening rock beneath it. Guitars coat with a metallic surface, the pace injecting more energy into the journey, stretching before the playing combusts. Screams plaster as guitars rampage, the finality settling into your bones as the cold winds squeeze tight, blackening forever.

“Eiger” shows its force once again, though this time in a metallic ode to trying to conquer nature by Aara that at least leaves you breathing at the end. The pain and trauma of the adventure contained within were real, a peril that ultimately proved insurmountable and deadly. This record pays that off with every freezing step, your body and mind pushed to their limits, the music acting as a harbinger to an early grave. 

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100051054499947

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

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

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

There are wrestling fans who know a lot about the characters and storylines, as well as the history. And then there are fans who dissect obscure angles and the people involved and make an entire goddamn record about it. Those are my type of fans, and as someone who always has woven pro wrestling into this metal site, it’s a no-brainer to cover.

Mountain of Smoke play muddy, fiery, grimaced doom metal, and before this moment, their focus was on science fiction films including “Blade Runner” and “Dark City.” But on “Blood Runs Cold,” they focus on a World Championship Wrestling angle from the mid-1990s of the same name that involved a series of Mortal Kombat-style characters that were nothing like anything else going on at the time. The band—vocalist/bassist Brooks Willhoite, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Alex Johnson, drummer PJ Costigan—focuses on the storyline that dawned with the introduction of the Glacier character, whose introductory vignettes bore the “Blood Runs Cold” line, and as things progressed, Mortis, manager James Vandenburg, Wrath, and eventually Ernest Miller joined the angle that was more of a mid-card spot that got inconsistent attention from the bookers. The band also shines a light on Chris Kanyon who played Mortis, a man who suffered mentally and lived in a macho industry as a gay man at a time where acceptance wasn’t what it is now. He’s one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time who inspires people to this day despite passing in 2010 at the age of 40. Now a crushing, channeled record immortalizes him.

“A Broken Man” dawns in thick doom shades, speak singing snarling, ominous feeling permeating your senses. Acoustics trace behind the chaos, burly punishment unfurling as synth whirs, and spacey strangeness leaves chills behind. “Blood Runs Cold” addresses the angle by name, Dahlia Knowles (Lorelei K) adding a haunting ambiance, the howls of, “My blood runs cold” rippling down your spine. The sounds turn mesmerizing, calls reaching into the distance, and then the drums burst, adding to the heaviness, sirens singing out and disappearing into the clouds. “Meltdown” punishes with howling vocals and scorching energy, the ferocity growing as the seconds tick by. Sounds continue to build as does the pressure, everything boiling off into a coating steam. “Lacerated” is grungy with sneering singing, Johnson taking leads this time, the pace feeling like it’s melting around you. The ferocity picks up again, moving rapidly to destroy minds, a molten, furious finish taking you fully under. “Flatliner” is animalistic and violent, sounds spiraling, an absolute wrecking machine that zaps into oblivion. “The Forbidden Door” has bass clobbering, the singing scalding as doomy, sooty winds envelop. Power rumbles as the sounds begin to fry, the pressure mounting noticeably, strange melodies teasing your psyche, the intense heat just hanging in the air.

“God of Wrath,” which focuses on Bryan Adams’ Wrath character, is earth crushing, warbled words and a swaggering pace taking over, punches landing and separating ribs. The sludge builds as noise fires up, hammering through thick labyrinths, washing out into acoustics. “Mortis” is based on Kanyon’s character, and it opens in deep fuzz, an elegant haze spreading itself, speak singing moving into gnarly growls, humid leads heading into the darkness. The colors darken as the pressure continues to build, synth clouds taking over and hypnotizing, a final rampage rushing out of that, ending in soot. “Interlude” is a quick breather as guitars scratch and stagger, smearing with disorientation into “Sacrifice the Saviors” that unloads with muddy riffs and glimmering keys. Beastly howls erupt out of cosmic zaps and a drubbing fist fight, the fire erupting generously as leads go more psychedelic, bleeding ferociously into “Pray to Feel Numb” where the bass instantly crushes your will. Howls rip open, the vocals later drenched in echo, the driving ambition gaining new textures along the way. Keys and guitars align to make your ears ring, meanwhile a new eruption pulls you under, the channeled cries slipping into the distance. Closer “Dead Mountain” feels properly maniacal, synth raising the temperatures, the wildness coming in waves. The chorus is simple but effective, the warped voices getting darker and weirder, the final gust spitting fire to the end.

As a longtime wrestling fan, it was a pure joy listening to “Blood Runs Cold” not only to relive such a strange, seemingly forgotten storyline, but also to get waylaid by doom with as many characteristics as the people in this feud. Mountain of Smoke’s dedication to this angle, as well as the homage paid to the criminally underappreciated Kanyon (by mainstream audiences, that is) cannot be properly summarized in words as the journey with the music pays that in full. This is a really cool record, one that does not deserve to fade with late-year releases and one that should find continual new life with metal and wrestling audiences for years to come.

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

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

It’s hard to live in a society drowning in religion, and with an incoming regime in this country that will be pushing the ways of Christofascism with their Christ part merely a way for them to neglect guilt, it’s nearly impossible not to react against that. So, it makes all the sense in the word to embrace even more satanic ideals, even if only to raise the flames of rebellion.

French death metal blasphemers Infernalivm go full bore into the most hellish instinct of their chosen art on their destructive debut EP “Conquering the Most High,” a title that should not be terribly confusing when considering its intent. The band—vocalist/guitarist Melek Dlth Aton (also of Novae Militiae), bassist Daethorn (Merrimack, Ritualization), drummer Kevin Paradis (Benighted, Svart Crown)—spends little time aggravating fires and layering ash to ensure chaos reigns and that the darkest forces consume everything that claims to be just but is actually behind a hideous mask.

The title track opens in the mouth of hell, growls menacing as the playing works to warp any sense you have left. The playing is vicious and sooty, everything spinning out of control and tightening grip, the growls curdling blood as the menace continues to thicken. The guitars fire up as the drums lay waste, ending in grisly, bloodthirsty force. “Temple of a Destroying Sun” is nasty, crushing wills along the way, a mesmerizing heat spreading and playing tricks with your mental health. The howls torch as the playing goes even harder, decimating and thrashing, pulling you into the deepest, darkest waters. Throaty growls waylay as the playing slows but burns even brighter, leaving singed flesh and stinking ash behind.

“Ashes of the Saints” opens in a blinding fury, the raw growls sinking in their teeth, the beastly atmosphere growing more hostile by the second. The temp then decimates, growls burying anything still breathing deep into the soil, the energy eventually slowing but losing none of its intensity as the final notes fade into dirt. Closer “The Maze of Havoc” opens with guitars heating up, the playing stirring as the heat increases dangerously, every side adding new bruises and wounds to your already suffering body. A tornadic melody sits in a hornet’s nest of fury, the howls battering as riffs char and chug, vicious intentions making themselves known. The guitars spill over into a glorious fire, jolts sending shrapnel, the final embers burning off into oblivion.

“Conquering the Most High,” as a title, likely sparks an imagination of destruction, one with very distinct targets with which to cleanse with its unforgiving fires. Infernalivm likely feel what a lot of us are feeling as we see the world captured in the clutches of religion yet again, and once again a misguided, perverted version of it, so why not answer with infernal chaos? We’ll need more of this stuff around as we deal with reality and find a way to cope with actual global evil that disguises itself in piousness. 

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

To buy the album, go here: https://sentientruin.com/releases/infernalivm-conquering-the-most-high

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

When you think of death metal, the concept of love doesn’t exactly rush to the forefront of topics that will confront you at the rusted gates. Sometimes it’s woven in mysteriously or as part of a concept record, but it doesn’t get a lot of time in what can be an overly masculine sub-genre. But here we are, looking right in its face today, facing it head on.

It should come as no surprise that Italian death metal dreamers Bedsore are the ones bringing love into the mix, and they do so artfully and brutally on their second full-length record “Dreaming the Strife for Love.” This follow-up to 2020’s “Hypnagogic Hallucinations” is a departure, but if you really explored their debut, it kind of isn’t. They take a hard turn toward 1970s-style greens and browns, even more progressive ambition, and psychedelic death that takes you under immediately. On this record, the band—vocalist/guitarist Jacopo Gianmaria Pepe– classical guitarist, synthesizers/mellotron/organ/keyboard player Stefano Allegretti, bassist Giulio Rimoli, drummer Davide Itri (Giorgio Trombino guests on saxophone and flute, Giulio Guidotti on trumpet and trombone —unleashes a record that takes inspiration from the Renaissance novel Hypnerotomachia Poliphil that recounts desperate love, layers of dreams, and ultimate devastation. It’s a human and relatable tale, once that gets drenched in imaginative death metal that seems to sound different each time you go back. It’s enthralling, enrapturing, and Bedsore’s biggest statement.

“Minerva’s Obelisque” unfurls with dark guitars and organs gliding, the ambiance feeling velvety and ’70s, maroons and golds spilling over the carpet, guest Kariti’s voice swelling as she fills the room with mystery. The keys surge as the bass slips, moving into “Scars of Light” and its fiery front, howls gutting as the playing charges, a psychedelic chill freezing the room. A sci-fi bend curls, the synth blazing, wails stretching into beyond, ending in a cosmic pile. “A Colossus, an Elephant, a Winged Horse; the Dragon Rendezvous” is the longest track, running 11:46, rattling into existence in an eerie cloud. Punches land as the playing gets faster, sax melting into a golden river, the synth and organs taking off and settling into a groove. The pace continually shifts as the cloud coverage works into different shades of gray, screams coating as the guitars soar, calming into a chambery elegance. Growls bury as the keys blind, guitars working into an eternal hypnotic surge.

“Realm of Eleuterillide” starts with keys teasing and liquifying as the ground rumbles, wild howls following and whipping up a jolting wind. The playing slips into a jazzy warmth before the playing enrages again, guitars enveloping and combusting, a synth haze hanging overhead. Raw howls scar, fading into acoustics, strangeness carried by playful leads and rustic notes. “Fanfare for a Heartfelt Love” has organs gasping, crazed shrieks blasting, cosmic synth swooping in and bringing light-dotted darkness. The tempo works into a bank of progressive keys, wailing exploding and peeling back flesh, an ’80s-style dream wave lapping your brain. Closer “Fountain of Venus” runs 9:57, icy keys dripping into a slick puddle, a thaw finally arriving as the synth sends beams of light, wild howls breaking through the surface. Synth strings pulse as sounds zap, the guitars beginning to work into the inches of freezing terrain. Prog bursts, lathered guitars foam, and baked keys drive toward an emotional caterwaul, sounds bending before retreating back into the dark.

“Dreaming the Strife for Love” is not a terribly surprising twist for Bedsore, who already showed a heavy interest in progressive death, with a few tentacles attached for the past. For this record, they go all the way, and wonderfully so, which is a pretty non-brutal way to explain a devastating record. Yes, a lot of other bands are going the vintage route, few pull it off as flawlessly and genuinely as Bedsore.

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

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

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