It’s not necessary for me to always indulge in music that makes me want to fight people or pay homage to the old gods or put me into a psychotic fit of rage. Though that type of music certainly is nice. Now and again, I like to get lost in a record for pure enjoyment of music that doesn’t necessarily make me want to go out and set a village on fire.

So when Ruby the Hatchet’s new record “Valley of the Snake” landed in my inbox, it was just what I needed for a pure getaway experience that didn’t make me want to argue about politics or religion or people. That’s not to suggest it has no substance, because that would be patently false. But instead of it wallowing in the sad realities of life, it took me on a fantastical journey that certainly has its dark side and made me appreciate how a band and album can be a lot of fun. The fact they have a nice, psyche-smoked doom groove similar to Jex Thoth, Blood Ceremony, and Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats made this something that resonated with me quickly, and every journey I’ve had with these six songs has helped me move past those very weighty topics I noted earlier so I could forget about them for a while.

Ruby the Hatchet are a damn fine, formidable band as a whole, but vocalist Jillian Taylor really makes them stand out among the pack. Her smoky, commanding vocals are what drive this thing, and she’s an awful lot of fun to hear delivering and totally selling her words. Great singer. As for the rest of the band, they pack a punch with Johnny Scarps on guitar, Mike Parise on bass, Owen Stewart behind the kit, and Sean Hur providing the mood-setting, sometimes downright witchy organs. This record is a cauldron of doom rock power, and I defy you to hear this thing and not get caught up in this ride.

The record opens with “Heavy Blanket,” a doomy, bluesy piece that has organs pouring all over and Taylor in full swagger. This one leans a little more toward the rock n roll side of things, with our singer howling, “For me, there’s only now,” as killer guitar lines assemble behind her and give the back end the right amount of punch. “Vast Acid” is a killer, with the music taking a vintage doom metal turn, and Taylor threatening, “I’ll take you and break you, I’ll watch you fall.” She has a tendency to give herself over to darker tendencies like this, another thing that makes this record so good. The guitar work hits hard, the tempo gains steam, and more buzzing organs write this song’s final chapter. “Tomorrow Never Comes” is the longest cut at 8:49, and it opens with a storm thundering amid quietly plucked guitars. The cut bursts open, with a slow-burn assault taking hold, and Taylor unleashes her apocalyptic visions for you. There is some great, smoky soloing to be found, some serious chugging that could leave bruises, and a bright, raging psychedelic fire.

“Unholy Behemoth” launches into a furious stomp, with lead guitars scorching, the song taking on a Blood Ceremony-type feel, and the tempo rushing ahead. This thing’s pretty pummeling in spots, one of the heavier songs on the whole record, and the soloing glimmers and blinds as the track ends. “Demons” has a psyche gallop to it, with Taylor’s great singing leading the way, guitars buzzing furiously, and a ’60s-influenced keyboard section swinging in and adding even more character to this thing. The pace kicks up again toward the end, with the guitars bursting all over and cool organs giving you one last blast of chilly air. The closing title cut has a pulled-back start, with acoustic guitars having their way and the band taking a Led Zeppelin-friendly bend. Flutes arrive, as the track feels folkish and entrancing, before the cut picks up steam, woozy slide guitars leave you spellbound, and a big finish lets the band launch some serious fireworks that should get your blood pumping and you on a serious high.

This band is really solid, and their second record is one that should have Ruby the Hatchet coming up in more conversations. It’s also a really flexible listen, as it can go well in the car, while having some carefully chosen strong ales, or just as you’re working and looking for something to get you moving. “Valley of the Snake” is a really huge step forward for this band, and chances are good this thing is going to win them a much larger fanbase.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://shop.teepeerecords.com/

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

It’s Monday, the worst of the days, so who wants to talk about death? Seems rather appropriate since most people probably are in bad moods, so why not indulge ourselves in the extinguishing of existence, something a little more intimidating and permanent than your poor attitude today.

Death has been synonymous with life since the beginning. It looms over our heads every day. We see death on the news, within our family and friend circles, and as a weapon of terror among groups looking to do people harm. It’s unavoidable, scary, and mysterious, and in reality, we’ll never actually know much about it. Once we have that experience, we carry on and can’t report back to anyone what it’s actually about. Ever since societies formed and humans walked the earth, there have been various ways people react to death, deal with it, prepare bodies for burial, and shape the way humans live. Those are subject matters that fascinated and motivated the two members of Czech metal band Death Karma, who examine further on their stunning debut full-length album “The History of Death and Burial Rituals Part 1.” That album title tells you everything you need to know about what they uncover, and the band creates mesmerizing, ferocious forms of death metal to unravel their discoveries.

This duo—vocalist/guitarist/bassist Infernal Vlad, drummer Tom Coroner—also play together in world-toppling Cult of Fire, but what they do here is pretty different from that band musically. There’s more atmospheric exploration, psychedelic mind warping, and disarming melody here, making for one of the most morbidly pleasurable 43 minutes you’ll ever spend thinking about death. The band selects six global territories for focus on how their respective people have reacted to death over history and where some of those customs still exist today. Religion and society play major roles, and this record is a form of tribute to the cessation of life and the rituals surrounding it.

The record opens with “Slovakia – Journey of the Soul,” where these two dig into the ancient burial customs and superstitions that thrive in that region even today. The song begins with liturgical-style organs and chants before the chaos rips open and goes for the kill. Grisly growls erupt, the organs taunt and haunt, and the pace is both crazed and somewhat approachable. Toward the end, the keys provide a cosmic glaze you could get lost inside of, as the track dissolves into the thick, rich atmosphere. “Madagascar – Famadihana” follows, with keys blazing brightly and a proggy sequence arising. The growls again are harsh, with guitars boiling, eerie chants emerging, and chilling hammering doing bodily damage. The vocals sound raspy and worn at times, adding to the decay, and furious melodies rage over the song’s final minutes. “Mexico – Chichen Itza” is based on the Mayan city where death ran rampant, sacrificial rituals took place, and people were buried in blood. The guitar work is dizzying and maddening, with gurgly, zombie-style growling, the percussion-heavy rhythms are captivating, and eventually the track spills into doom channels. The growls are guttural and brutal, while the rest of the song makes sure it entrances you in a deep pit of confusion.

“Czech Republic – Umrlci Prkna” focuses on the practice of preparing places for those who died during harsh winters to be preserved so they could be buried in the springtime after the thaw. Weird keys murmur at the start, with organs then joining the death march to create a devastating, mind-altering puzzle. The guitars start to burn, with the tempo chugging along, and the grinding vocals and psyche-rich melodies maintain a sense of dread. Later, the vocals go from a ghostly whisper to a savage outburst, and the track ends at the height of dark drama. “India – Towers of Silence” pays tribute to a place where death feels most alive, and they address that by blowing right into a fit of rage and panic, with drums being crushed and riffs dealing wicked blows. The overall feel is very thrashy and aggressive, with majestic melodies weaving themselves in and giving this instrumental a shimmering, violent feel. Closer “China – Hanging Coffins” drips with psychedelic wonder, with guitars kicking in and enhancing the effects and contributing more melody and drama. The song eventually ramps up and gets meaner, with growls dominating, the guys hitting a massive stride of heaviness, and everything swirling in the air. The soloing rises up and blows out of control, while the remainder of the song bathes in pulverizing waves that eventually give way to chimes and the final moments of death.

“The History of Death and Burial Rituals Part 1” is an interesting, unique look into one of metal’s most traditional sources of inspiration, and as indicated by the title, it looks like just the beginning of this dark journey for Death Karma. This record will take you hostage and force you to address the bleakest part of everyone’s existence, an imminent happening in life we all dread but ultimately face. Death Karma’s tribute is fitting and fiery, resulting in one of the most intriguing death metal records of this winter.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Death_Karma/3540364433

To buy the album (vinyl version), go here: http://ironbonehead.de/shop/

Or here (CD version): http://www.necroshrine-shop.de/

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

Louis CK has a bit about how if he had to sign up for a race and gender every year, he’d always re-up as a white male. Because what societal problems do those folks (me being one of them) really face? Things are and always have been essentially custom made for us, and there really are no things we can complain about. We are the least-discriminated-against segment of society, or so my brain tells me, and our everyday struggles out in the world are few.

On that note, it baffles me the battle women still .. STILL! … have to fight in 2015. Watching the news and seeing women having to struggle for equal wages, rights to health care choices, and even against physical and emotional violence is enough to make one want to shut off the world forever. What’s equally frustrating for me, and I say this as a man who doesn’t have to face these things, is how fellow members of my gender seem to want to rub women’s noses in these things are belittle them for wanting to be seen and treated as equal members of the human race. Well, how dare they? I know from my Facebook feed alone, I see people scoffing at the idea of rape culture, accusing women of changing the rules willy nilly when it comes to sex, talking about how females dress because they want to lure in men and then throw them aside frustrated, and slamming them for being upset when they aren’t treated with same respect as men. It’s fucking frustrating and infuriating, yet I keep those people in my FB feed as a reality check, and reminder that I do not share those … let’s call them “values” … and that I’m thankful I was raised to think differently.

Where am I going with this? Well, it’s not another essay similar to the one I wrote about treating people equally in metal circles and in society. Instead, someone else will do that for me, that being hardcore/punk/thrash machine War on Women, whose fiery self-titled debut full-length deals with all of the issues listed above, and more, with confrontational force. This record is the new standard bearer for “taking no more shit and doing something about it” ire raisers, and each ounce of this drips with anger, defiance, calls for justice and equality, and even good insulting jabs here and there for the parties that require them. This band is a pro-feminist, boots-on-the-ground band that isn’t just satisfied with being heard but also demands real, effective, honest change. Yet, at the same time, there’s some biting humor to all of this because, sometimes when you’re volcanically pissed, you need to smirk at all of the crap going on around you. If not, you’ll explode.

War on Women is a co-ed effort, led front and center by passionate, wholly expressive singer Shawna Potter, who messages, barbs, and diatribes cannot be mistaken for anything other than what she intends. She’s an awesome force who will make you want to clench fists and go to battle. The band is rounded out by guitarists Nancy Hornburg and Brooks Harlan; bassist Suzanne Werner; and drummer Evan Tanner, who all add even more muscle to what’s already a hulking, fire-breathing assault.

The band blitzes out of the gate with “Servilia,” built on killer riffs, vocals that go back and forth from melodic wails and wild howls, and a true punk spirit. Things really heat up on the anti-victim-blaming crusher “Say It,” which takes to task people that find the person who sustained the attack somehow at fault. “If the victim was your daughter, would that complicate the blaming?” Potter jabs, before encouraging women to demand recognition for the assault, howling, “Say it! I was raped!” “Meathead” allows a tiny bit of humor into the room, as it’s directed at the song’s subject matter named in the title. Amid thrashy, spirited playing, Potter asks her would-be adversary, “When I apply my thick lipstick, is it for me or for your dick?” Right? Because a lady couldn’t possibly just want to make themselves look good for themselves. Must be an ulterior motive! Hence, the meathead. “Second Wave Goodbye” again urges action from women who feel held down by doing more and being a bigger voice for change. The vocals are tremendously catchy during this one, with a chorus that will make you want to jump out of your seat. “Swagger” has a Southern rock bend to it and also is one that’ll get stuck in your head. The tempo is punchy as hell, and the group vocals at the end give the track add an “us-vs.-all” feel. “Roe v. World” might seem like a track you can predict from its title, and it is to a degree. But Potter takes it several steps above, first ranting about consent, and then wondering why access to birth control is such an issue (especially since so many groups that oppose this route also are anti-abortion … which never made sense to me). Potter sounds possessed during a lot of this, like a person who can take no more and finally has cracked. “I had an abortion!” she taunts over and over, before launching into a galvanizing chant of, “Give us the pill!”

“Glass City” challenges the gap women experience in the work place, dressing the track up in a killer rock and roll vibe while Potter pounds, “What’s the wage gap? Not big enough to get your ego through!” It’s probably the catchiest song you’ll ever hear about this issue. “Jordan” is pulled back some, with the vocals taking the form of a spoken narrative and giving the record a reflective change of pace. Then it’s onto “Pro-Life,” a crushing piece of hardcore fury that challenges people with conflicting values about life (can you be pro-life and pro-war?) and Potter later spitting, “No, Congressman, women know what’s best for women.” “YouTube Comments” is both funny and a little sad, with Potter reciting messages left by users over a furious tempo. “Song’s decent, but those lyrics are laughable!” she howls at one point, with her shrieking and wailing away, as if maniacally amused at the words she is reading. “Diana la Cazadora” is a sobering, but no less urgent of a song, with the band lambasting the constant violence and murder of women by men in Juarez, Mexico, and their urge for those targeted to fight back. Late in the song, Potter makes her stand: “Women of Juarez, I understand … If you take up arms to kill the men who want to kill you, we salute you.” No mincing words there, and it’s one of those situations that has gone on far too long and not received the proper amount of attention. Maybe if a Kardashian was involved people would pay more attention, but it’s a real and severe situation (and still would be tragic even if a Kardashian WAS involved).

At the end of the day, not everyone will agree with War on Women’s ideology, but hopefully it’ll make people think and evaluate. Yes, they’re upfront and in your face about what they want, but isn’t that the point? A passive fight wins no wars, and Potter’s words along with this riotous music create the perfect message and delivery system to get people united, involved, and pissed off. Women deserve better, and the people who scoff at that generally do so because they feel their power and control are threatened. Don’t stand for that, don’t allow the forces of oppression to win, and let War on Women’s fury and honesty guide you toward refuting inequality and hatred and standing united with your fellow humans. It’s time to take up arms.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.b9store.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.bridge9.com/

Pure darkness, ghostly mystery, and outright auditory violence are at the heart of what we’ll discuss today. For this is a band not many know about quite yet, but as the weeks, months, and years progress, there’s practically no way they can go unnoticed because they are too volcanic and too damn good.

Sovereign are a mysterious black force hailing from the United States who have come our way courtesy of their thunderous and furious debut album “Nailing Shut the Sacrosanct Orifice,” a vicious, gnawing nine-track record that is punishing, mystical, and devastating. There is much to discuss about this band, who appear to follow the Sumerian chaos-Gnosticism path and anti-cosmic fury that should scare the pants off most people who care to indulge in their music. If their philosophical path isn’t really your thing, then why not relish in their unforgiving sounds that should fall in line with those who pay homage to Dissection, old Behemoth, and early-era Watain. There certainly is that aura of bloodshed that should keep the most maniacal of listeners satisfied, but they also have plenty for those who can appreciate good production values and music that sounds powerful and well-crafted coming out of the speakers.

As for its members, they are shrouded in mysterious names, with A handling bass and vocals; Hammer of Dread (Take Over and Destroy) on guitars; M.S. on guitar and vocals; and M.A. (Gatecreeper) throttling throats behind the drum kit. The record was mixed and mastered by Chris Grigg, who fronts Woe and knows a little something about what makes great black metal tick, and this thing keeps smashing through its whole run time. The album itself is limited to 100 cassettes, so you’d best hurry if you want a physical copy of their furious piece of soot that provides endless punishment.

Murky instrumental “Gnosis” opens the record letting chaos ring out and sting the listeners’ souls. That all bleeds into “Orbiting Lunar Curse” that explodes into black metal fury, rough growls that sound primitive, and even some melody that cuts into the smoke. The song thrashes hard, the lead guitar work blazes, and the finish is just vicious. “Heaping Praise Upon a Cataract Sun” is built on strong riffs and yowled vocals, feeling like hell exploding onto the earth, and then they hit a devastating groove that chews a hole through everything. More powerful melodies erupt, the track hits a speedy tempo, and a mix of yells and growls help this cut truck right to its conclusion. “Knights Coated in Pitch of Terror” is drowned in gurgly growls, with blinding guitar lines slicing up the atmosphere and a thrashy groove leading to eyes being blackened. The song blows open toward the end, with horrifying howls bursting with violence, and savagery steamrolling everything in its wake. “Sulfur’s Cross” opens with eerie guitars ringing out and feeling haunting, with a mid-tempo journey getting under way. The growls are grisly and menacing, with the lead guitar work gushing buckets, horrifying cries piercing the surface, and the guys dumping fuel on the fire as the song comes to a smoke-heavy ending.

“Profane Glow” is a spooky instrumental that doesn’t stay around very long but still makes its presence felt. “Bared Teeth of the Fog” greets you with blistering drums and surging melodies that wield one hell of a sword, and the ugly growls and sweeping chaos demolish your soul. The soloing is fiery and awesome, carrying the back end of the song, and noise utterly simmers in a cauldron of blood. “Part Thy Flesh, Call His Name” has a charging, Venom-style feel to it when it tears open, and it hits awfully hard, leaving bones in pile of powder. The track is vicious and angry, storming with mad infamy, as the intensity keeps building and multiplying until it finally gives way. The massive self-titled closer feels like a fever dream at the start, with guitars raining down. The tempo chugs heavily, with the vocals going for death, settling down a little bit halfway through its run before exploding anew. The band takes you on a series of up and downs that jerk your neck around and have you grasping for any means of safety, but it’s all for naught. The wild galloping and crazed wails are poured on heavily, only letting up their grip once all sound fades away and you’re left to contemplate the journey of evil you just sustained.

Sovereign sound like a band that, if they continue on this musical path, they’re bound to be enjoying a larger profile in the coming years. Their sound is rock solid, their playing is sharp, and there’s is a furious blaze at the heart of these songs. “Nailing Shut the Sacrosanct Orifice” is a coming-out party for this titanic band, and where they go from here will depend on their spirits never finding a level of satiation and always seeking more souls to consume.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.com/shop/

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

So many records are served up each week, it’s kind of crazy. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it came up again last week in some discussions with a few people about this site. Only one person does this site, and to get to everything and offer critical analysis on each record would be tiresome, taxing, and pointless, so we designate the offerings each week that resonate and make us feel fire in our bellies. Even if that collective we is just accounting for one guy’s belly.

That’s also the case because although I at least sample just about everything sent my way, the amount of things I feel need coverage on this site is actually kind of easy to determine. And funny enough, even with the process in place, there are labels that I always feel what they’re releasing no matter what because they always seem to get it right. That’s why you see most, if not all, things released by labels such as Gilead Media, Profound Lore, and Dark Descent get time, because they always resonate with me, and I, in turn want to share what I feel with you. Another of those labels is Bindrune Recordings, long a personal favorite of mind that always seems able to tap into my love of metal that is mixed generously with nature.

The label’s latest find, another venture with Nordvis Produktion, is Ahamkara, a new duo consisting of multi-instrumentalist Michael Blenkarn (Wodensthrone, Hyrye, ex-Axis of Perdition) and vocalist Steve Black that pumps a true heathen sense into their brand of black metal. There is a woodsy, freezing lake feel to all of what’s packed into their massive debut “The Embers of the Stars,” which goes great with the freezing winds I’ve been on about lately. Most importantly, you can hear the band’s metallic passion and spirit pouring out of every corner. It’s inspiring, full of energy, and a burst of awesome savagery that so much of black metal is missing these days.

Opener “Midwinter’s Hymn” is a fitting start to this journey, with winds whipping and the song spilling into a colorful eruption of sound. The creaky shrieks from Black, a welcome trademark of this band, emerge for the first time, and guitars add both volcanic energy and extra texture. The song goes icy cold at one point, with cleaner guitars trickling, and a lush, cloudy portion feeds into a final surge, with blazing fury and a blistering savagery. “On the Shores of Defeat” opens up with misty keyboards, guitars burning, and harsh shrieks capitalizing on the intensity. The melodies are allowed to well up and flood, with animalistic cries exploding, waves of noise crashing down, and a foggy section taking over and adding an element of mystery. The track returns to tumult, of course, with terrifying shrieks destroying any sense of calm and the powerful playing bleeding out into a synth gaze.

“Lamentation of a Wraith” is a chilling title alone, and it pays off with a melodic storm, plucked strings, and great drama that cascades downward. The song feels like a heavy, unforgiving storm, with the basslines bouncing off the shores and the track eventually steamrolling and looking for bodies to mash beneath its gears. Then that gives way to some serenity, with keys creating steam and providing a final rush. Closer “To Invoke the Stars Themselves” is a 14:13 powerhouse, starting with waves lapping and murky music floating along for several minutes before a huge explosion shakes the earth. Vicious cries rip everything open anew, with the thick emotion gripping you and easing you into a jazzy section of water. That segues into heartfelt soloing that’s a big as the sky, passionate caterwauling that aims to carry you away with it, and a fire that keeps building higher and doesn’t subside until the band pulls back, returning their tales to a freshly thawed lake.

Ahamkara comes highly recommended as it is an amazing gust of black metal fury with a nature-rich spirit. The fact the labels involved know what they’re doing should be all the evidence you need anyway, as this band is another incredible find, and “The Embers of the Stars” is a spellbinding record. This band should keep you engaged from front to back and will reward your goodwill with one of the more blood-rushing metal albums you’ll hear this winter.

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

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

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

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

Or here: http://www.nordvis.com/

I am locked in a great battle with nature that, obviously, I cannot win. It’s been cold and snowy here in my section of the East Coast for the past week, and this weekend, we were supposed to be inundated with many, many inches of snow. Instead, nature kicked us in the nether region and dropped a whole ton of freezing rain, leaving my very steep driveway as thick with ice as a regulation hockey rink.

Yet, as infuriating as it is trying to get in your car in the morning while you battle staying upright, you can’t help but be moved by the beauty of it all. The glistening of the ice demanding to make contact with my skull, the flurries dotting the pre-dawn sky, and the naked tree branches encased with thin shields of clear are sights to behold. Fittingly, as I watched this weather pattern progress Sunday afternoon, I had “Fallow Fields,” the new album by Harrow in my ears. That was a great time to take this in for the umpteenth time. I was under a blanket with hot coffee, the dog was sound asleep, and I could just enjoy watching things accumulate outside in peace, not knowing of the lousy turn things were going to take overnight. At least for that hour or so, nothing could topple my world, and this record was a perfect soundtrack.

Hallow hail from British Columbia, where they surely enjoy their fair share of natural wonder, and for the past five years, they’ve done a fine job honing their craft by mixing together elements of black metal and rustic folk music. Followers of bands such as Agalloch, Fen, Falloch, and Fall of Rauros could find Harrow are kindred spirits, and the music they created on these four tracks are both explosive and breath-taking. The band—Ian Campbell (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bodhran, keys, percussion), Jacob Moyer (drums and percussion, vocals), Kat Mason (bass, vocals), and Alexia Horozian (violin)—create a woodsy, picturesque collection that really would be fitting during any season, though it’s doing wonders getting me through winter. Alongside them during the recordings are cellist Stephanie Knittle, who also plays in Alda, as well as former bassist Derrek Burton, who provides some backing vocals.

“Pathways” begins the journey with air gusting, acoustics setting the scene, and melodies building in a calculated pace, like a season beginning to ease you into its grasp. The power then arrives, with powerful growls that feel like the body of a storm, heavy and massive guitars, and cries erupting behind all of these sounds. A rustic folk section blends in, with the strings having their say, and atmosphere begins to reign supreme. Strong clean singing arrives, noise threatens, and a near peaceful passage takes the song to its end. “Through the Grey” follows, with guitars strummed gently, hazy, breezy noises floating in, and horns mixing into the scene. The first portion of this song is more folky in nature, but as it progresses, a black metal assault gallops in and harsh growls interact with the flowing melodies. Later, the tempo calms, but not the intensity, as bellowing singing colors in the band’s heathen spirit perfectly.

The title cut starts with acoustic guitars, strings swelling, the bodhran getting knocked rhythmically, and spirited singing emerging, giving the song an around-the campfire feel in the dead of winter. In fact, Campbell sings that “sparks fly from this fire” as the rest of the band backs him with stinging violin, rich cello, and a great forest feel that gives the song a ton of character. Closer “Awake Before the Dawn” is led in by Knittle’s cello moaning, with gentle chiming surrounding it and reflective melodies taking form. The singing is a little higher register and emotional, with the drums being pattered and a rush of sound bringing with it winds of seasonal change. Gazey guitars begin to boil over and add a dose of thunder to the track, the storming reaches a fevered pitch, and a serving of noise and drone let the record and the track boil off. What an adventure you just had!

Harrow still are something of a mysterious entity, as their name hasn’t blown up in underground circles yet or become heavy fodder for internet discussion. But as more people get their hands on “Fallow Fields,” that is bound to change, because the music here is far too good to fly under the radar forever. Now’s a great time to get familiar with this band before their star inevitably rises.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.com/shop/

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

Guts and grime, blood and horror all are vital parts of doom and death metal. Not every band takes advantage of those areas, but the ones that do and have a firm grasp of all of those elements are the ones that end up etching their names on our perverse brains.

There’s a new band Dwell that’s coming out of metal-rich Denmark that has a stranglehold on these ideals, and I can’t be more pleased to talk about these lurching demons today. The band has been around only three years now, with just a 2013 demo to their name. But now they’re unloading their debut long player “Vermin and Ashes” that sounds like it was created in a crypt. It’s dusty, violent, unpolished, and vicious, and the songs really come together in a horrific, satisfying manner. In fact, this record gets better as it goes on, building momentum and intensity, and it’s a fine, hammering first entry that is bound to make a huge impact on underground metal this year.

Dwell’s ranks are made up of members of other heavy hitters such as The Vein, Cerekloth, Altar of Oblivion, Woebegone Obscured, Ad Noctum, and plenty of others. The musicians who make this vicious thing—vocalist JBP, bassist/guitarist ABL, bassist Quinten Nicolet, guitarist Mans Andersen, keyboard player Kenneth Holme, and drummer Andreas Joen—have only the worst of intentions in mind and grind out an economical but heavily meaty 38 minutes that make you feel like you’re being stuffed into a tomb and left to be tortured by whatever lost souls are trapped inside. That sounds silly. I know. But it really does feel that way.

The record begins with “A Collapse Sublime,” a track that is built on punchy, doomy goop, harsh vocals and grunts, sludge that feels inspired by Celtic Frost, and cool melodies slithering behind the terror. The song hits some calming waters for a little while before everything ruptures again and ends on a gothy, gurgly note. “Pathless and Dormant” starts with air rushing into the scene, keyboards creating a dense, scary fog, and cosmic melodies mixing in with all the ugliness. Keys continue to drizzle down, growls simmer and bubble, and the back end of it disappears into ambiance. “Vermin in My Arteries” pounds away from the start, with belching growls bleeding forth, riffs taking control, and the chorus finding a weird sense of hook. The growls try to get a little clean at times, which work, the music gets murky, a woman screams out into the night, and a speedy assault brings the track to its final resting point.

“Plunging Into Ash Tombs” opens with B-level sci-fi noises, feeling like a soundtrack from a film the MS3TK dude and robots would lambaste. That’s a positive, by the way. There are fiery lead guitars that bleed into a bruising mid-tempo assault, wild wails, sections that are bizarrely melodic, and keyboards tearing in like a laser. The drums get crushed as the track bursts open again, ending with a harsh, violent finish. “Become the Void” is a cool instrumental that sounds icy and haunting, again going back to the science lab for its ultimate inspiration. That all leads into closer “Perdition’s Mire” that boils and lets the intensity build. The vocals sound painful and throat-trashing, the riffs plod, and the band lurches along this bloody journey. There is a strong dose of viciousness that acts as a final death blow, and fiery bit of soloing leads the way to the cut’s vanishing into the night.

Dwell’s introduction into this world could not possibly be grimier, and as anyone worth their weight in doom should know, it shouldn’t be any other way. They write tight songs, the sense of skullduggery is thick and rich, and they’re only beginning on “Vermin and Ashes.” This is an awesome display of filth that’ll keep you happy the entire disgusting winter season.

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

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

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

Getting back to basics often is what artists do after a long period of experimentation or doing things outside of their comfort zone. It’s a way of getting back to a primal urge and building off the things that made them creators in the first place. It’s way to go back to square one with plenty of knowledge in your back pocket.

Aaron Turner was a part of one of the most influential bands of the past decade with his work in ISIS (the band, not the terrorist group, you dummies). Their sound was revered, and a whole host of disciple groups popped up in their wake to carry that style forward. But when the band members went their separate ways in 2010, Turner didn’t exactly sit around. He got Old Man Gloom off the ground again and most recently sent Internet folks and writers in a tirade of spite over their “Ape of God” releases. He also continued working with wife Faith Coloccia in Mamiffer, and even teamed up with those crazy Fins in Circle for the supremely awesome and heavily under-appreciated Split Cranium. But now, he’s back with a brand new band Sumac that does seem to return to Turner’s basics and puts him on a similar, albeit grislier, path as ISIS. Profound Lore is releasing their debut album “The Deal,” but if someone had tricked you into thinking Hydra Head had risen from the grave and delivered this mammoth into the world, you easily could be swayed by the sound and weight of this thing. Hell, even the cover art looks like something out of, like, 2002. It’s great, and the music is huge sounding.

Turner isn’t alone on this album, as he’s joined by drummer Nick Yacyshyn (also of hardcore-laced maulers Baptists) and session bassist Brian Cook (Russian Circles, These Arms Are Snakes, Botch) added his work to the project. Most of the material here sounds pretty free form, like the guys went in with a basic skeleton of the songs and just let the lava flow and settle where it may. That gives the album a sense of freedom and organic strength, as they let these cuts develop, breathe, corrode, and burn, and if you fail to get out of the way in time, that’s your fault.

“Spectral Gold” gets the ball rolling in a calculated manner, as the brief instrumental cut opens with a tribal feel, noise spitting outward, volatile simmering you anticipate boiling over, and all of that fading into time. “Thorn in the Lion’s Paw” drops the weight immediately, with slow chugging set to devastate and Turner’s trademark monstrous growl unfurling and leading the way. Melody surges, with the section feeling airy and atmospheric, while tension builds and devours any sense of calm. The riffs shuffle and maul, the drums are beaten to a pulp, and a keyboard haze joins up and creates a wall of interference that is thick and impenetrable. “Hollow King” is a 12:21 beast, with the tempo slowly ramping up, the song beginning to crush heavily, and the vocals ripping out and devastating. There’s a great deal of mashing that could crush your digits, and that slips into muddy horror, sprawling drumming, and a long section of playing that sounds loose, unplanned, and burning off as much energy as they can muster. That leads back into the main body of the song, some spectacular riffs, trance-inducing assaults, and a back end that thrashes over and over, leaving you howling and pleading for mercy.

“Blight’s End Angel” lets guitars rise up and ring out, like a disturbing wake-up call, and from there all the elements simmer and soak in their seasoning before the track bursts with a fury. The growls are animalistic, while the tempo chugs heartily and a massive, clubbing assault on your senses plays out. Noise bends hard, the track keeps building strength and intensity, and everything slips into a reflective state ruptured only by gruff growls. The title cut bristles from the start, with a chunky bit of thrashing, sludgy terrain that catches your shoes, and vocals that disrupt and shakes into a state of undivided attention. The guitars stab with intent, with wailing sounding like it’s buried in the background, while the last portion of the song pushes into woozy, weary melodies. Noise drills hard, with drone spreading out and distributing chaos, and the power getting in a few final blows. Closer “Radiance of Being” is an instrumental outro, with the drone carrying over, somber melodies taking up residence, fuzz multiplying and frying off, and the whole thing fading off into the fog.

I’m an unabashed fan of Turner’s work, no matter the project, but it’s really cool to hear him going back to a sound he helped foster and develop. Sumac feels like a monster that traveled from a decade ago to wage war on today’s sounds, and every moment of “The Deal” pays dividends to those who just want our hearing brutalized and emotions triggered. This band does that very thing over and over, and this is a gargantuan beginning for a promising new project.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.profoundlorerecords.com/products-page/

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

Go ahead and laugh, but there is a remote possibility that metal takes itself a little too seriously at times. I mean, take a band such as Oozing Wound, who can thrash with the very best of them, and they’re written off by some people because they’re perceived as not being serious. Give me a break. They’re either good or they’re not.

That brings me to Night Demon. Now, I don’t think there are a lot of people pointing their way yet and questioning their motives, but if you absorb their debut long player “Curse of the Damned,” you likely will understand how people might look at them with a tilted head. To hell with those people, by the way, because Night Demon destroys. Feeling like something arriving out of the late 1970s or early 1980s, when there was no such thing as people questioning your motives in metal, these guys come off like the natural progression from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, and Thin Lizzy. This is a good fucking time, a chance to forget all the bullshit going on around you, and surrender to the power of metal. You remember how to do that? We all could use a refresher now and then, and this killer record can help soothe what ails you.

Night Demon have been kicking around for the past four years or so, and the lineup consists of vocalist/bassist Jarvis Leatherby (whose singing if totally cut out for this type of thing), guitarist Brent Woodward (The Fucking Wrath), and drummer Dustin Squires. The guys delivered their initial EP three years ago first on their own and then with the backing of Shadow Kingdom. Now, they’re really moving up in the world, as Century Media swooped in and signed these guys and are exposing them to the wider audience they deserve. Get ready to get lost in their power.

“Screams in the Night” gets the record off to a great start, with a catchy, riff-heavy track about an ax-wielding executioner, who Leatherby warns is “coming to get you.” The leads are great, there’s an awesome transitional riff toward the end that’ll make you punch tables, and the whole thing comes to a crunchy finish. The title cut sounds like a Scorpions track when it takes off, mainly in the guitar work, and the chorus is one of the finer ones on here, a sequence that’ll get stuck in your head and have you repeating it all day long. The track “Satan” may come off a little cheeky, but it’s an homage to the man downstairs that long-tenured metal warriors are sure to love. “He’s coming for your soul,” Leathersby reminds, as the soloing lights fires, and the whole package packs a damn fun punch. “Full Speed Ahead” is one of the more aggressive cuts here, with a NWOBHM-style assault spilling forth, the words painting scenes of comic book-style violence, and a sense of darkness taking over that gives the track a sense of danger. “The Howling Man” is the longest song at 6:47, and it’s a warning shot to those who don’t take the forces of evil seriously. After fires crackle and thunder sounds, the band hits its groove, with guitars kicking into high gear, the track taking on a classic Maiden feel, and Leatherby vowing, “I won’t let you take this world to hell.” You almost can imagine him standing off the dark forces with torch in hand.

“Heavy Metal Heat” sounds like it jumped into a time machine in 1985, when “Headbangers Ball” would play bands like this front to back, and arrived in modern times, when we could use an anthem of this nature. The guys imagine a Friday night after a shit work week, the need to blow off some steam, and the promise of salvation delivered by heavy metal. It’s a fight song, really, and those who fell off from metal the last few years could try this on and feel like they never left. “Livin’ Dangerous” is a similar style of cut, with AC/DC-style guitar lines driving this forward, the song excelling in its simplicity and power, and the back end taking on a faster tempo that should lift you out of any doldrums. “Mastermind” has a sinister feel, with the bass pushing through the center, and the verses certainly are a lot of fun to behold. The soloing is majestic and punchy, and there’s another feeling of empowerment injected into the song. “Run for Your Life has rowdy guitar work that also gets a little chewy, and the simple, easy-to-sing-back chorus adds even more weight to this one. “Killer” is literally named, as it’s about someone who murders for thrills,  though as this one goes on, the subject matter is poked and told, “Time is up, you’re gonna fry.” It’s as catchy as a song about a murderer possibly can be. The band makes an odd choice with its closer “Save Me Now,” as they held one of the most memorable, infectious tracks for last. Here is where the Thin Lizzy influence really settles in, with strong vocals, a chorus that will never let go and just sticks inside your brain for days on end, and the guys hitting on all cylinders. Like those classic metal cuts were wont to do, the band returns to that chorus and gets everything they can out of it, letting the thing roll over and over until it fades out with the song. What a killer finish.

If you find you lost your way and can’t remember the last time metal truly made you smile because it doesn’t feel like as much of an escape, go a few rounds with Night Demon. “Curse of the Damned” is a catchy, awesomely fun album that will make you want to go out on Friday, roll down the windows, and do something dumb you’ll remember forever. Or at least until the next morning. If this thing can’t lift up your spirits and let you indulge in the power of darkness, you might be a lost cause.

For more on the band, go here: http://nightdemon.net/

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

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

Imagine you’re out at night, alone, with the wind whipping at you and cracking your skin. Except, you feel like someone or something is there with you, and whether that’s as a friend or a foe, you can’t help but notice a second presence. And then your hear an inhuman voice, enough to make your guts turn to liquid and your heart race, as you’re in the vicinity of something awful.

The scenario played over and over in my mind the first visit I had with “Mysteries,” the third full-length record from mysterious one-man Portuguese metal project Black Cilice, and it’s one that doesn’t seem to go away no matter how used to the surroundings I get. On the surface, it might seem like another lo-fi embracing black metal band looking to make the murkiest, most primitive of sounds. But dig deeper, and you’ll find cavernous melodies, entrancing horrors, and a voice designed to terrify you. At least, I think it’s a voice. What sound like vocals on these six songs could be mistaken for a ghoulish wind, a transmission from a long-dead soul that is begging to reach out and express every ounce of its torment. It’s just one chilling element of what, honestly, is a very strange, quite alien-like album that must be heard to be believed or understood, if that’s even possible.

Black Cilice is the product of a nameless musician who has been releasing music since 2009, when the first demo was released. Ever since then, the music has come in waves, with a number of demo and split recordings, and two other full-length records: 2011’s “A Corpse a Temple” and 2013’s “Summoning the Night.” Never has this band been an easy one to approach, and you’re kept at the same arm’s length on “Mysteries,” a record that really could not have been given a more fitting name. After countless listens, I still am trying to fully comprehend what’s going on and what this is all about. Not that I’m complaining.

“To Become” opens the record and immediately lets you know what you’re in for with this album. The sound is furiously drowned out, with an odd buzzing over top that seems to loop through every song, and indecipherable vocals that might as well be beams of static burn through the mix. Melodies build up like an oncoming solar storm that could rip the world’s communications to shreds, and the frost and hellish ice pack so hard, it feels like you’re lost on Hoth. “Into Morbid Trance” runs 7:15 and totally messes you up hard. Damaged riffs chug, and howls sound like they slip into and out of realms. The tempo drubs hard, and disarmingly sleek playing snakes its way through the fog. On “The Truth,” the noises bobs like its rollicking on a dark body of water, and chaos erupts, with scary transmissions swirling and mournful guitar work adding more levels of bleakness. The final moments haunt and moan, and the song eventually just disappears.

“Ceremonial Energy” feels nothing but negative, with searing leads battling with the sound muck, echoey vocals reaching out from the land of the dead, and the pace eventually sludging and trudging its way over you. The song eventually blows apart, with the pace hammering, noise whining, drums being pulverized, and the last remnants of a voice dying off. “A Prayer From Beyond” is fittingly titled, with the guitars stinging, noise splattering all over, and a heavy whirring that could make you feel like you’re locked in a vortex of hopelessness. There is heavy thrashing causing fires underneath, repetitious pounding that could drive you insane, and a thunderous assault that punishes you to the very end. Closer “From the Long Forgotten Past” shakes and disorients you from the start, with howling freezing your senses, a delirious tempo taking hold and upping the danger ante, and guitars that burn and char everything in front of it. Melodies arrive and have their say, doing battle with the sheets and sheets of noise, and it all comes to a stabbing, gushing conclusion.

Black Cilice’s music is for those who want to reach beyond what’s normally expected from a genre and explore the outer reaches where few dare to tread. A lot of bands and artists have tried similar aesthetics as what you’ll hear on “Mysteries,” but this project stands out for the absolute panic it will put into your heart and the detached, out-of-body-experience level of strangeness you will encounter. Yes, it’s early, but I wonder if you’ll hear another black metal album this adventurous and mystifying for the rest of 2015.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-cilice/180165665369041?sk=timeline

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

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