When Gared O’Donnell of Planes Mistaken for Stars announced in 2020 that he had an aggressive form of esophageal cancer that was going to require a lot of work and rest, it seemed clear music should take a back seat. Little more than a year later, he was gone. Yet almost three years after his passing, we have new PMfS music.

Turns out as O’Donnell was fighting for his life, the razor-throated vocalist/guitarist also was working with the rest of Planes on new music found on new fifth record “Do You Still Love Me?” his voice sounding no worse for wear, the band on fire. Rounded out by guitarist Chuck French, bassist Neil Keener, and drummer Mike “MONGO” Ricketts, the band went to work and came up with 13 songs and nearly 40 minutes of power they practically have trademarked, their hearts gushing from their chests. Plus, the cohesion, passion, and fire evident within the band sounds as strong as ever, and what I presume is their swan song shines brighter, yet grimier, than ever before.

“Matthew is Dead” is an ominous opener, paying homage to original guitarist Matthew Bellinger, blasting as O’Donnell’s raspy calls of the title repeat, the playing driving and letting smoke spread. “You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re dead,” he wails, the final moments are filled with feral screams and endless glass breaking, trying to come to terms. “Fix Me” has a melodic pulse, though punches do land, guitars flushing and pushing before blazing. “Just say you love me,” O’Donnell howls, the playing continuing to build steam to the finish. “Further” is heated as it spills out, not a long song but one with impact, especially with O’Donnell calling, “We’ve only got the night,” leads sizzling along with that plea. “The Arrow” blasts in with punk-style riffs, the energy heading forward with force, the singing bubbling over a frantic pace. Guitars then glimmer, the pace staying fast and catchy, loading into “Modern Logic” that dawns a little easier and brighter. There’s a bit of Smashing Pumpkins in their more gentle times, softer sounds creating a bit of solace. Riffs then spit light as the vocals float, dissolving into a sheen. “Punch the Gauge” has the drums pacing, the dark playing swimming through shadows, the tension bubbling under the surface. The playing then trudges and works into a fog, and then like the opener, screams take over, glass shattered mercilessly. 

“Do You Still Love Me? No. 1” is sludgy and menacing, O’Donnell insisting, “I don’t have the shakes, the shakes have me,” repeating that mantra as doomy waters flood. “Run Rabbit Run” is catchy and sunnier, slinking in and out of darkness, the title repeated over and over as a chorus. The energy is impossible to shake, the final blast or urgency burying hearts in the dust. “Peace” also has doomier tidings, O’Donnell’s words shredding as they drop, him calling out, “We call for peace we never know.” The thick sentiment and woe unite, fading into a harsh finish. “Put Your Heart on the Fire” chugs and is both gnarly and soft, a strange contrast that oddly works. As the band leans toward the chorus, O’Donnell calls, “We both know existence is cruel,” something that hits even harder knowing his fate. Melody floods on the other end, filling with emotion and spacey wooshes. “The Calming” starts a final spate of quick tracks, starting ominously and hanging like a storm cloud, the vocals prowling underneath as visibility becomes pointless, burning out in exhaust. “In Hell” punishes with punk-driven riffs, murky playing, and vocals that sink in their teeth, letting blood spatter as it pools beneath you. Finally, “Do You Still Love Me? No. 2” closes the recording, O’Donnell again insisting, “I don’t have the shakes, the shakes have me,” but this time over a more vulnerable, hypnotic bed of sound, perfectly lying this record to rest.

“Do You Still Love Me?” is a striking listen, both musically and knowing O’Donnell has breathed his last, but not before he worked to commit these songs to permanence. Planes Mistaken for Stars might not have been appreciated at the level they deserved, but for those with this band in their heart, this record is a perfect way to end this chapter, our losses recorded in time. There never will be another band like this, nor a force such as O’Donnell, and that makes the time we had with them ever the more precious, with these final songs etched in our minds forever.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://deathwishinc.com/collections/planes-mistaken-for-stars

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

Darkness and depression are forces that are nearly impossible to avoid in one’s lifetime. No one gets out unscathed, and it’s a matter of how one deals with these issues that determines the damage sustained. The battle also doesn’t need to be grim all the time, and if you can laugh at yourself or at least make morbid jokes, it can serve to soothe wounds.

“Faded Dream,” the debut album from Neon Nightmare, treads those dark waters over seven tracks, and it’s clear that there is some mental and personal heaviness worked into these 41 minutes. This project, helmed by a creator who has yet to be named (though his creative spirit is adrift over these songs), definitely pays homage to Type O Negative-style bleak dark metal, but there also is a nice helping of doom and southern-fried sludge that adds some interesting textures to these bruisers. It also tackles the thorny issues that haunt us with a sardonic tone, understanding the weight of the matter but also refusing to be taken alive without some of our own jabs making deep contact.

“Higher Calling” opens, and don’t be a fool like me and get tricked into thinking you left your phone on vibrate. That’s just what slides over this intro track before the unrest swarms into “Lost Silver” that simmers in a bed of cold synth. The vocals are gothy and frosty, creaking over, the chorus coming to life, and if you don’t know who this artist is by now, I can’t help you. “Where did you go? Can’t feel you anymore,” he calls, hazy guitars lathering, fading into a glowing mist. “It’s All Over (For You)” is chilly, deeper singing boiling, the chorus warming your insides. “Rearranging chairs on the Titanic, everything’s OK, nobody panic,” he muses, the tempo beginning to get warmer, leads charging, keys blurring into time. “LATW2TG” is a little grungy and swaggering, the singing punching, the chorus bathing in sludge as our sole creator calls, “Laughing all the way to the grave.” Psychedelic thickness clogs veins as guitars catch fire, sun-scorched playing bleeding sepia.

“They Look Like Shadows” begins awash in piledriving power, grittier singing rising, sweltering heaviness making itself a force with which to be reckoned. The playing basks in echo, guitars bursting through clouds, the chorus punching back one more time with force.  “She’s Drowning” has chugging guitars and synth beaming, deeper singing again sinking into your bloodstream. Hazy and gothy guitars spread fog, sounds spilling over the edges, moody fires swallowing whole and pushing you through the razors. Closer “Promethean Gift” is the longest track, running 9:44, starting in a ghostly murk, guitars bending as softer singing creates the illusion of comfort. Images of a beast stuck inside, trying to crawl its way out makes this mission more harrowing, steamy guitar work wilting flesh, the call of, “He thrives on setting fires and spreading his disease,” sickening stomachs. Things turn strangely breezy, serenity raining cold drizzle, synth swimming through guitars’ oil fires.

Neon Nightmare clearly is a project that serves as a love letter to a certain era of goth-inspired metal, but our artist also injects some southern muscle into “Faded Dream” and doomy fire more reminiscent of his main project. It’s also cool that this is serious music but with a wry, curved smile, one that is trying to let you in on the misery but reminding you not to let it have power. This is a fun excursion, one that hopefully has more chapters ahead because if it shape-shifts like his main band, the future is exciting and uncertain.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.instagram.com/neonnightmaresucks/

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

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

We all have had stretches in our lives where things didn’t go well and we were our own worst enemies in a lot of those situations. Or we struggled with problems we may have brought on ourselves or that were intertwined into our relationships, and it ended up taking a mental and physical toll on us.

On “Hand of Severance,” the latest release from doom duo Coma Hole—vocalist/bassist Eryka Fir, drummer Steven Anderson—delves deeply into personal issues and when life gets chaotic for a stretch of time. Or even longer. This six-tracker stormer makes no bones about the scars shown and blood shed, and these 34 minutes address those matters head on, with eyes toward a better future. It’s also a step up musically for this duo as they add more muscle, make some of their edges sharper, and get even scuzzier. It’s also a payoff on the promise they showed on their 2022 self-titled EP, which deeply salves wounds.

“Alphaholics” starts with a radio dial being turned, scanning for familiar songs, reminding of the open of Queen of the Stone Age’s  “Songs for the Deaf,”  and then we’re soaring into burly doom, Fir lashing, “You can’t fix him, he’s the way he is.” That leads to psyche-heat bass work as the singing swelters, driving into burly terrain before a warm, buzzing finish. “Nevermind” is a molten haze, forceful singing landing blows, the playing grungy and menacing. The chorus is simple but effective, bass quivering and scuffling, heading toward a driving finish that leaves you scorched. “Rivermouth” opens with a muscular riff, the singing rising to the surface, Fir calling, “I’m caught up in the flood again.” Steely leads and pummeling drums add to the carnage, and then the temperature spikes, leaving a path of humidity and scorched air behind.

“Luster” has the bass slinking and vibrating, sultry singing adding to the heat, the vibes settling into cosmic dust. The playing slows but remains heavy, a bluesy psyche sheen stretching far, Fir calling, “I want you to want me like I want you,” droplets of sweat dotting the floor. “King Bee” is driving but also mystical, seductive singing sinking in its teeth and drawing blood. The playing punches harder as Fir’s vocals get a little raspier, the drums punching holes in your mind, the bass encircling before fading into a thick haze. Closer “Nooses” drives into a crunchy tempo, the band pummeling and making heads spin, singing sweltering as the riffs melt steel. That force only grows larger and more formidable, brawling through trudging storms and muddy paths, cold keys immersing with a sense of calm, letting the draining from the mental wounds slowly drip away.

It’s not easy acknowledging one’s self-destructive patterns, but there also is a strength and resolve that comes with that, which you can hear in full on “Hand of Severance.” Coma Hole repeatedly test you with heat and fire, forcing you to perform your own self-reflection while you’re being pummeled thoroughly physically and psychologically. This album leaves bruises but also provides a pathway to healing, giving you the proper, blasting doom buzz to help come to terms and manage the next steps on your own. 

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

To buy the album, go here: https://comahole.bandcamp.com/music

There hasn’t been a time in metal history when genre boundaries made less of a difference when it comes to bands making new music. It always was silly that we kept certain sounds apart, like it was equivalent to vegetable juice leaking onto your brownie on your sectioned dinner tray. Smashing flavors together made for new metallic possibilities.

Legendarium is the brainchild of Dutch multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Laurence Kerbov, and over the course of the project’s run, there’s hardly been a form of extreme and heavy music he’s shied away from adding to his recipe. On fifth album “For Eternal Glory,” Kerbov and the band (drummer Stefano Vaccari, tin whistle player Jared Archon) launch into the stratosphere again, using power metal as a base and piling all kinds of different influences on top of that. Death metal, punk, pop, and folk all have a part in these 12 songs, and this continues Legendarium’s run of records that on the surface really shouldn’t work, but once it’s presented to you, it’s magical. Try to say you’re not having fun. I fucking dare you.

“A Thousand Swords” has a huge open, guitars racing as Kerbov’s howls rampage, a huge melodic chorus taking the breath from your lungs. The tone is defiant and forceful, the soloing unloading, a burst of Helloween-style histrionics closing the door. “Cloaked in Crimson” has the power gushing, leads in full gallop, cleaner singing coming in, especially over the boisterous chorus. The playing toughens and the vocals get raspier, flexing muscle as the speed hits a high point before burning off. “Nightfall in the Deep Woods” starts with boots crunching through snow and deep breathing before keys enter and bring a wintry shine, the pace then taking off. Vocals mangle as the playing takes a turn toward death metal, the guitar work becoming more fluid, fiery wails following in their wake, then going cold before the footsteps crush ground again. “Tomorrow We Die” opens in chambery synth as gruff howls follow, the playing churning even through a melodic chorus that feeds off folkish roots. It’s a rousing song, one that prepares for battle, one that could be the last, and if so, Kerbov vows, “We’ll all meet again in the great hall in the sky.” “Destiny Awaits” is a quick instrumental interlude built with synth passages, rousing acoustics, and a rustic spirit, leading into the title track that begins engulfed in flames. The playing charges as the vocals punish, a throaty rage working with guitars that overpower. Crazed calls make blood rush as synth layers and glistens, coming to a rousing finish.

“My Life in Your Hands” is where the record takes a stylistic change more toward a punk feel, not surprising considering Legendarium’s back catalog. This track could excite an Alkaline Trio fan, perhaps, as the energy is undeniable, but so is the darkness, Kerbov singing, “Would you put your life in mine?” paying off the electricity and pop power. “Cursed!” follows a similar path, and the guitars are speedy while the vocals mangle, leading the way to a melodic chorus that lures you in. Guitars glow and tear, and when Kerbov wails, “Forever cursed, never whole,” the darkness sets in fully. “Crypt Crusher” has guitars in total command, punk-fueled singing leading the way, and the tempo fully taking off. Guitars chug as the vocals snarl, giving off a dark essence, spooky synth working into the mix, the leads blazing once more to leave everything in ash. Would it surprise you a song called “Dragonriders” is a great adventure? It’s fast and catchy, the vocals punishing as the playing rampages, racing to trample everything in its path. The soloing bursts with color even amid the vocals turning back toward the ugly, stabbing an exclamation point at the end. “Kill Kill Kill” begins powered hard by the drumming, riffs mashing, screams tangling in a synth cloud. The chorus delves back into punk, slickly so, as the keys give off a fog, the guitars letting fires choke out for good. “Through the Endless Night” ends things, driving through heaviness, the singing burning, the chorus rousing and soothing wounds. Thunder continues to strike, the siege of power coming closer to fruition as Kerbov howls, “You’ll die on your throne!” as the track comes to a huge, animated finish that spikes your adrenaline one last time.

“For Eternal Glory” is the type of record that’s varied but art home in its time, a mix of power metal, death, and punk that not only works well together but wouldn’t be as formidable without one of those elements. The fact Legendarium manage to make this record so powerful and fun is another boost, something lost to the decades because at one time, you were supposed to feel alive when digesting heavy metal. This album continues Kerbov’s exploits from the last several years where you lock into the record, lose yourself easily, and come out totally energized on the other side.

By the way, Fiadh releases a ton of good stuff constantly, which is way too much for me to digest and regurgitate intelligently. Check out their Bandcamp (link below). I particularly liked the Morke and Haunter releases, and there’s also a lot of quality dungeon synth for your feasting.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.instagram.com/legendariumband/

To buy the album, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/album/for-eternal-glory

For more on the label, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/music

If you’ve ever seen an ocean, and it’s not unreasonable that someone reading hasn’t, you know the incredible force standing in front of you is insurmountable. There are sections of ocean unexplored, cloaked in blackness with creatures potentially lurking that we cannot fathom. It can be a terrifying thought when you realize how tiny you are in comparison.

Swiss black metal phantoms Schammasch clearly understand the power and might, and they once again transfer that to their weighty, yet mind-numbing creations on “The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean.” This, their fifth full-length, actually is a direct descendant of their 2017 EP “The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite” as it also references Les Chants de Maldoror, written by Comte de Lautréamont and released in the late 1860s. I would explain my understanding of this text, but no one wants to hear me ramble on and try to make sense of the themes and story involved. Google, man. Anyway, the band—vocalist/guitarist C.S.R, guitarists M.A and J.B, bassist P.D, drummer B.A.W—pays great homage to the ocean, realizing the gulf of difference in size between that body of water and any singular human, and deepening the mystery of what lurks in its miles and miles of total darkness.

“Crystal Waves” is the 13:37-long opener and longest track on the record, and it begins clean, waves crashing, the aura building slowly and suspensefully. C.S.R. recites his words, and then the singing lands and swoops deep into dark valleys. The playing trickles as the howls take off heads, punches thrown as the madness snarls in the air. The drama finally calms, waters washing over again, and then the playing wrenches all over, the drums rumbling as the tempo plasters, melodies crashing to the shore. “A Somber Mystery” is a quick instrumental that swims well below the surface, eeriness at every push through the inky black, classic guitars prodding and spilling into “Your Waters Are Bitter” that has guitars pushing and pulling, screams rippling through your nervous system. The playing is savagely fluid, the singing fluttering and entering into a driving hellscape, channeled rage punishing the earth. The vocals bellow, then turning into static-rich wails, the pace picking up dangerously as drums clobber, the shrieks tearing down dimensions. Guitars chug as cataclysmic visions tunnel, colors rushing and fading.

“They Have Found Their Master” starts in deliberate fashion, guitars simmering and gaining heat, tornadic pressure making its way in, C.S.R. howling, “You cannot enter here, to know your place and accept your lot.” The vocals turn to cold singing, but the punishment increases, the cry of, “Old ocean, you are so powerful that men have learned this to their own cost,” sending chills, lava pooling beneath the waters. Kathrine Shepard (Sylvaine) lends her powerful voice, adding drama and majesty, everything dissolving. “Image of the Infinite” basks in clean echoes, singing floating, spoken lines swimming in the haze, haunting visions leading to 10:51-long closer “I Hail You, Old Ocean” that begins super charged. Singing drives as the pace rips everything apart, crazed howls rampaging, feeling slightly raspy and venomous. The tempo is furious and spirited, fluid leads driving through the veins, the melodies bubbling over the rim. Singing warbles as the pace storms and spirals, swelling calls shivering, a symphonic burst bringing the end.

Schammasch’s tribute to the great oceans is the cinematic, thunderous statement you expect from this band, and it’s impossible to walk away and not feel in awe. “The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean” not only does well by its source material, it also embodies the vastness of great bodies of water, a force that always will dwarf humankind. This is music for a great exploration in your mind, something that can add power and glory to your dreams of entering places never explored before.

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

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

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

The universe is massive and terrifying, and we have no idea what’s really out there. Think of all the monsters and beasts you’ve dreamt in your mind. How do you know something like that doesn’t exist somewhere beyond our world, waiting to strike? Those possibilities have informed heavy metal, and it’s made our imaginations more deranged.

There are few bands as responsible as Gigan for conjuring mind-altering visions in their brand of death metal. For the past 12 years, this force has delivered five full-length albums, the latest being “Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus,” that delve into the horrors of the cosmos, but in a way that’s as fascinating as it is brutal. On this new album, the band—mastermind/multi-instrumentalist Eric Hersemann, vocalist Jerry Kavouriaris, drummer Nathan Cotton—pours 47 minutes of space horror death metal over eight tracks that continually whisk you to other places and immediately terrify you with that you see and hear. Yet, in the end, you’ll have had an adventure that will capture your mind.

“Trans-Dimensional Crossing of the Alta-Tenuis” opens in total darkness, a stirring atmosphere greeting chugging guitars that crush worlds. The monstrous pace explodes into spacey leads, the soloing going off toward the outer rim. Growls engorge as the playing explodes, and then we’re on to “Ultra-Violet Shimmer and Permeating Infra-sound” that’s a bettering ram at the start. A strange aura floats as guitars tease, bizarre streaks disarming, the playing spiraling and reverberating toward a disruptive end. “Square Wave Subversion” opens with trampling guitars and zany playing, the growls menacing as the roars explode. Guitars leave the surface and begin a deep exploration, weird zaps making your brain surge, the jolts removing guts. “Emerging Sects of Dagonic Acolytes” flattens the mind with disarming sounds landing, the steam rising from a developing miasma. Alien-drenched growls slither, a cosmic stretch making the search for oxygen nearly pointless, going into a trampling assault that sizzles closed with fire.

“Katabatic Windswept Landscapes” opens with spiraling guitars, snaking and boiling in the guts of the universe, howls crushing every being along the way. A spacey sheen drips silver as destructive energy lands body blows, guitars peel off, and the landing is fiery and violent. “Erratic Pulsitivity and Horror” barrels through, the pace pummeling and tearing, growls ripping a hole in time. The playing engorges, drama dashing and terrifying, a menacing and beastly power rising and driving to a manic finish. “The Strange Harvest of the Baganoids” have the guitars instantly going into psychedelic terrain, blistering as the growls grab your throat and squeeze, the melodies digging in and pushing past other worlds. The playing ruptures and chews terrain, the space buzz returning to the death growls, a strange haze rising and crash landing. Closer “Ominous Silhouettes Cast Across Gulfs of Time” spews down-tuned madness, sounds boiling and creating a cosmic corrosion, heat rising from the surface. A metallic gust melts into a sound wash, intergalactic beams bringing grim death, shrieks destroying as the ungodly heaviness increases pressure and warps gravity.

Gigan’s death metal universe is both self-contained and exploding over into our own world, which is why it’s always exciting and a little unsettling when they dream up new material. “Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus” is a mouthful to say and another bizarre journey to experience, and all the while you’ll be battered senseless. Even as cosmic death metal morphs into something new, this band reminds of when this style was more brutal and fantastical, something to which Gigan always commit fully.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/bands/details/gigan.aspx

For more on the label, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/home.aspx

There are few things as satisfying as straight-up, honest death metal that’s only here to grind you into a pulp. It’s how things were when the sound got started some 30-plus years ago, and as we all know, things have expanded and shapeshifted over time. Still, finding something that’s here to serve a proper beating remains a good time when done right.

“Suffer as One” is the debut full-length from death metal power Living Gate, and despite its members boasting credits in other noteworthy bands such as YOB, Amenra, Oathbreaker, and Wiegedood, this record is a full-on beating. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Levy Seynaeve, guitarist Lennart Bossu, bassist Aaron Rieseberg, drummer Wim Coppers, this group is here to deliver late 1990s-style death metal that aims to reign supreme, dominating with brutality and tenacity that makes it feel like you went several rounds in a cage fight. Sure, the imaginative material that pushes boundaries is fun too, but sometimes you need a nice dose of the guttural stuff.

“To Cut Off the Head of the Snake” rips, mauling growls leading the way, the guitars snaking through rivers of muck. Ugliness thickens as Seynaeve wails, “I am the offering, I am the sacrifice,” as the lumbering madness comes to a crushing end. “Internal Decomposition” mashes, the guitars clashing, even glimmering in spots, deep growls engorging as the bass envelopes. Screams curdle as the playing alters minds, burning in psychedelic heat. “Destroy and Consume” opens with the drums smashing, the plastering playing drawing blood as growls lurch, the battering moving into dangerous heat. The chorus is simple but effective, leads clouding our mind before an abrupt end. “A Unified Soul” has wrenching guitars and punishing howls, thrashing punishment dealt in generous helpings. The atmosphere stretches as the heat brings everything to a boil, shimmering notes dripping in horror. “Massive Depletion in Eb Minor” is a quick interlude with the bass tracing patterns, guitars echoing, a transformative void slipping into the title track where riffs slice through veins. The guitars maul as the force becomes a greater factor, a shredding force working into a disarming calm. Eerie melodies leak out of every crevice, the guitars giving off strange light beams before fading.

“Ones and Zeroes” opens with gasping growls and a bludgeoning force that lays waste. A menacing fury builds as unforgiving growls bury your face in soot, the guitars later going spacey and atmospheric, turning to brutality again for a mashing end. “Hunting Maggots” is a gross idea, and the band explodes into infernal hell, the tempo buckling and punishing, the playing finding a new violent gear. Fluid leads give off a classic death metal feel, and the final moments spit blood and bone. “Atoms and Particles” is sudden and furious, growls punching holes in chests, the pace igniting and delivering a steady diet of speed. Whispery passages send chills before animalistic playing does ample damage, Seynaeve howling, “Abandon all hope!” “Overcome, Overthrow” attacks, meaty growls leaving bruising, thrashy devastation creating a virtual war zone. The vocals change off from shrieks to growls and back, and then a battering force destroys, ungodly destruction meted out generously. Closer “CQC” gurgles with bloody growls, driving death makes safety unattainable, and melodies swim through murk to add some color to the carnage. Leads sprawl as stench and steam arise, a clip of Charles Bukowski taking us out with, “So, I have very little fear of death. I almost welcome it.”

Living Gate deliver old-school, ramming death metal that has little need or use for polish and exists simply to let brutality stab a new path. “Suffer as One” is a tried-and-true exercise in the most unforgiving, filthy version of death, the kind that makes you feel like cobwebs are plastered to your face and that skullduggery is near. It’s a blast from the past into a volatile future, one Living Gate seem only too happy to douse with their own blood.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/LivingGate666/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.relapse.com/pages/living-gate-suffer-as-one

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

When I was a child, I got an infection in my hip that skyrocketed my body temperature and made me hallucinate. One of them that I can remember is seeing what was in front of me and having everything divide into four squares and change placement, arranging themselves randomly. Your brain can do unsettling things when you’re not well.

Australian death/black metal beasts Ploughshare delve into similar territory (well, sort of) on their explosive third full-length “Second Wound,” a weighty slab that takes some patience and imagination to fully indulge. For these songs, the nameless mystery of a quartet use as an inspiration the 14^th century creation Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich that is a Christian devotion inspired by visions she experienced when deathly ill in 1373. It’s a portrait of what she interpreted as levels of Christ’s love that she absorbed while not in her right mind, and the band adds a ghoulish, doomy, destructive edge to these texts. It’s a record that weighs down on you, forcing you to feel every moment like your feverish body is on the verge of collapse.

“Thorns Pressed Into His Head” is faster and more urgent, scorching and trampling as trauma guts completely. The bass curls as the vocals strangle, the playing worming into oblivion, savagery unwinding as devastation peaks, disappearing into the stars. “The Mockery of the Demons” brings burning guitars and quivering bass, the playing disorienting, fiery cries hurtling into the sun. Chaos spills over as madness ensues, panicked sounds turning back toward the storm, sounds droning into the earth. Howls echo as the bass bubbles, melting into discordance, cosmic winds chilling flesh. Closer “So Reverend and Dreadful” rips open, confounding as the playing dashes and scars, the crazed vocals going for the throat. Humidity thickens as sounds float on darkened clouds, a hypnotic fury torching flesh. The playing cools as noise penetrates, mind-altering passages fading into miasmal woes.

“The Fall of All Creatures” opens in dissonance and then roars, guitars angling as a wild push makes your brain send mixed signals. The bass bends as the speed becomes a bigger factor, smashing through a haze, the guitars tingling as the force continues to knife through to the vital organs. Manic cries ripple, a beastly rise consumes flesh, and sounds echo before evaporation. “Desired Second Wound” opens with the bass creeping through eeriness, guitars icing as howls rip, unleashing a numbing pace that makes it feel like you’re spiraling into a dream world. The pace dizzies as the band storms into progressive waters, howls destroying as the tempo reached tornadic force, storming until an icy front takes over. Sounds hang in the air as a strange aura simmers, the playing rumbling into a vortex that consumes whole.

The bizarre pressure and disarming messaging Ploughshare pack into “Second Wound” might date back to source material centuries old, but these themes and ideas still exist today. The reaching out to something beyond ourselves in states is extreme discomfort might reek of hallucination, but there are people who buy into it very deeply. This music is a reminder and visitation, a deep journey into the middle of a psychosis that often can’t be cracked and maybe even understood.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

Or here (Europe): https://metalodyssey.8merch.com/

Or here: https://brilliantemperor.bandcamp.com/album/second-wound

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/i.voidhanger.records/

And here: https://www.facebook.com/BrilliantEmperorRecords

None of us are the same people we were last year at this time. Now, stretch that idea over years, decades, and think about the growth and progression we (hopefully) have made. We are made up of parts of our past and what we’ve picked up over time, and our bodies change and regenerate over the years, further transforming what makes us whole.

We haven’t heard from doom/sludge bruisers Fórn since 2018’s “Rites of Despair,” and in that time since, we’ve gone through a lot as people and a world. It’s clear its members—vocalist Chris Pinto, guitarist/electronics master Joey Gonzalez, guitarist Danny Boyd, bassist Brian Barbaruolo, vocalist/synth player Lane Shi Otayonii (of Elizabeth Colour Wheel who now joins the lineup), drummer Andrew Nault (Josh Brettell played drums on the record)—also have developed into new forms as you can hear on their great new record “Repercussions of the Self.” Their sludge foundation remains, but built on top of it are more electronic influences (Gonzalez cites Massive Attack, Portishead, Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross as further inspiration), as well as Otayonii’s added touches that make this band a more formidable and varied creature. This record is much different from what you’ve heard of them from the past, but it’s a natural, thrilling progression that proves this band always was capable of so much more.

“Pact of Forgetting” is a mechanical nightmare, Pinto’s voice warbling as the playing crunches slowly, synth swirling as dreams come in greyscale. The playing then pounds away, fog enveloping as a deliberate pace leaks into shadows. “Soul Shadow” instantly enters into a deathly doom pall, growls buried in a melodic miasma. Otayonii’s singing becomes an early factor, adding a chilling edge, the sounds stretching and contorting, growls adding a gritty edge. The playing turns burly and spacious, trudging into waters with cold and warm edges, the electricity exploding, leads exploding into oblivion. “Hela’s Choir” dawns in static, beats echoing, hazy guitars leaning into anguishes calls. Otayonii’s wordless cries set your mind at ease and spark cortisol flow, surging into hypnosis before folding into time.

“Anamnesis” brings churning guitars, thick fog emerging from crevices, beats clashing and echoing in your ears. Sounds scuff and sooty doom thickens, electro beats bouncing off walls, heat rising off the top of this instrumental. “Regrets Abyss” starts clean before an elegant burst, growls menacing as the guitars pick up and eat through muscle, working into a haze that blankets the sky. Sounds churn as melodies get brighter, the guitars building and glimmering, roars mauling, blazing to a scathing finish. Closer “Dreams of the Blood” haunts, a smoky essence unfolding, voices warbling before growls sink teeth into flesh. The playing lathers with heat, leads wandering into hypnosis, dissolving into a humid night. Otayonii’s calls feel like a message from a dream, and then the playing explodes, going faster than ever as growls maul, acidic passages eat through bone, and gazey drama peaks and then cascades, disappearing into oblivion.

Change and progress are good, fruitful things whether it applies to our own lives or the music Fórn have created the past decade. “Repercussions of the Self” shows a band with a renewed focus and a sound that is developing more in what reflects their creative visions, and this record helps them break past pure sludge metal without losing an ounce of their impact. This is an exciting new chapter for this band, one that could find them shape-shifting even further into a more dexterous, dangerous beast.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://persistentvisionrecords.com/products/forn-repercussions-of-the-self

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

I grew up in an era when heavy metal as a basic concept was feared. I can laugh at it now, and I’m sure if I said that directly to younger listeners, they’d roll their eyes because there are so many things legitimately more frightening than this style of music. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t band that are utterly terrifying that scorch you to your nuts and bolts.

Fun story: The first time I ever heard Black Curse I was on my way to a root canal appointment way out of town at the beginning of the lockdown because it was the only dentist office that would see me. I absorbed their 2020 debut “Endless Wound” on that trip and during the procedure, and it fried my brains. No nitrous oxide either! Fast forward four years and the band—vocalist/guitarist Eli Wendler, guitarist Jonathan Campos, bassist Morris Kolontyrsky, drummer Antinom—who also dot lineups including Blood Incantation, Khemmis, Spectral Voice, and Primitive Man, is back with “Burning With Celestial Poison,” a five-track, 45-minute destroyer that is heavier and hungrier than their debut and overflowing with torturous madness that will eat away at your brain. Seriously.

“Spleen Girt With Serpent” opens the record and runs a healthy 10:51, firing up and ripping right through your mid-section. Molten chaos unfurls as a cacophony of chaos emerges, making it feel like your brain is oozing black goo, yes, just like Papa Shango used to conjure. Ugh, WWF, early ’90s. From there, the fires engulf fully, gargantuan pounding doing the bidding as lava rages, and you do your best to avoid knife swipes in the dark. The drums echo as regal blackness unfurls, the howls warping as a vicious wave pulls everything under. “Trodden Flesh” is the longest track, weighing in at 11:47, and it’s eerie at first before guts are stomped, shrieks scarring as the pace pulls back just a bit to let the bruising sink in. The next wave burns you to a crisp, a wild explosion of violent insanity dominating, the band thrashing with merciless intent, pulling guts from mouths, absolutely enforcing its will, the guitars catching fire yet again and burning into oblivion.

“Ruinous Paths…” stampedes, the drums rampaging, guitars racing and keeping pace expertly. That all combusts into violence, glorious savagery having its way with your psyche, howls battering along the way. The playing gets dizzying, which is understandable as the room surely is spinning, and then the drums turn rock to dust, the decimation becoming a manic burst right into “… to Babylon” that strangles with black filth. It’s a total blackout, your mind being bombarded with relentless sound and fury, inhuman screams lathering with psychotic breaks, the playing pounding without a hint of mercy until its frosty finish. “Flowers of Gethsemane” closes this monster, an 11:09-long demon that ramps up the anxiety before a blazing front devours serenity whole, bursting and brutalizing with no hopes of a breath. The vocals engorge as the tempo swallows you whole, gutting as the gas pedal is jammed through the floor, the playing shredding any sense of psychological well-being you have left. From there, the playing causes a temporary deep freeze, but a raucous onslaught ends all of that, opening the flood gates for an acidic last push that mains.

“Burning in Celestial Poison” is a diseased beast striking at your throat in complete delirium. You don’t know what’s happening; the animal is sick. Black Curse is not an easy entity to confront, and doing so only is recommended if you fully understand what’s in front of you as you encounter this force. Yeah, it’s a metal record. But it’s much more than that, and entering its terrain unprepared will leave you ravaged beyond your comprehension.

For more on the band, go here: https://blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com/

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

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