It’s easy to feel like you’re alone, especially when hard times strike. Or when you experience failure or loss. All we truly know is our own perspective, and it’s very understandable to get lost in the negativity and the feeling that everything is piling on our chest. Maybe it is, but to be able to share that burden with someone else can make the lift a little easier.

That’s the primary theme of “The Promise of Rain,” the second record from experimental black metal force Scarcity, and it’s a collection that fucks with one’s brain based on the sonic assault that attacks you from moment one. But ultimately, the messages here are encouraging, even uplifting if you grasp the point that suffering and struggling does not have to be an individual sport. The newly expanded version of the group brings together artists who worked with such diverse forces as Pyrhhon, Depravity, Sigur Ros, Krallice, and Glenn Branca Ensemble, and this band—vocalist Doug Moore, guitarists Brendon Randall-Myers and Dylan Dilella, bassist Tristan Kasten-Krause, drummer Lev Weinstein—pours everything into these six tracks and 40 minutes of mind-tangling madness. It’s a much difference concept than what we heard on debut “Aveilut” and shows a different side of this beast that has an enthralling future ahead of them.

“In the Basin of Alkaline Grief” almost immediately induces panic, manic guitars playing in a non-stop loop that makes your mind topple, Moore’s shrieks matching the insanity flowing through the space. It feels like an emergency siren gone wrong, the fury increasing, wails boiling, and a thick haze enveloping. “Scorched Vision” runs 11:25  and launches with encircling guitars, chaotic energy meeting with a psychotic front, dizzying heaviness making the room spin out of control. Gutting, corrosive howls mix in with the chugging, trudging playing, the bass clobbering as the intensity ramps up all over again. The playing tingles and strikes amid group calls, an electric riff buries itself behind the wall of sound, and the uneasiness bleeds into instrumental cut “Subduction.” There, the bass plods, and the increasing heat makes everything steadily more uncomfortable. A smokescreen thickens as the guitars take on tornadic chaos, ending in a gasp of exhaust.

“Undertow” continues the guitars from the opener that feel like they’re trying to peel open your skull, shrieks raining down, other calls feeling detached from reality. The guitars agitate before a brief calm settles in, and the bass slithers from there, coarse growls picking open scabs. “Venom & Cadmium” arrives with an enthusiastic riff, shrieks raining fire, and the playing digging in further, group calls rousing you and forcing your attention. The pace keeps drilling deeper, nasty calls lacerating, the tempo slicing in place, aching as you pour sweat from the humidity. A strange glaze accumulates and hangs over everything, an unsettlingly dream passage fading softly. The closing title track erupts with gurgling growls and a mangling energy, the agony multiplying dangerously. The band stokes progressive fires, the path toying with you, frenzied guitars splattering alongside sickening wails that emit power. The bass ripples as apocalyptic energy increases, settling into a fog and expiring.

It’s easy to feel alone in our grief and struggles, but most of us are a part of an interwoven support system that gives us strength when we’re at our lowest. “The Promise of Rain,” while threatening sounding at first, also is a reminder to not get too ensconced in our pain and agony as we have other people around us who can help with the burden. No one’s life ever will be easy, but with reminders like these (as terrifying as they may sound), hopefully more people will remember to reach out and ask for a hand in facing turmoil.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://nowflensing.com/collections/flenser-releases

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

Every day we’re faced with decisions, and some of them have greater weight than others. Take, for example, having to make a call about something that will benefit you but will do harm to another person. Do you do it anyway? A lot of people would do that, and we see that every day with every government around the world. Is choosing evil worth it in the end?

Canadian doom power Occult Witches tangle with making evil decisions, Satan, and all things dark and mysterious on their fourth record “Sorrow’s Pyre.” Over nine tracks, the band—vocalist Vanessa San Martin, guitarist Alec Marceau, bassist Danick Cournoyer, drummer Eliot Sirois—weaves together tales about different characters and the challenges that they face. Tying it all together is the idea of whether there is merit in making a decision based in evil, and how that is balanced with instead choosing a more honorable path.

“Intro” opens with birds calling and footstep crunching, leading into “Malice” that dawns gently as guitars trickle. Then the power strikes, San Martin’s singing unfurling and catching fire, the playing buzzing with command. The guitar work blows up with attitude, delving into classic metal terrain, driving everything to a massive finish. “Tumbling Through the Dark” unleashes psychedelic lightning, the guitars taking on a bluesy edge, the vocals pushing as everything turns darker. The pace picks up, and the guitars emit smoke, a twin-style attack bringing on a Maiden-like shine. “Faustian Bargain” is warm and hypnotic, the singing scathing, powerful blasts adding tumult to the otherwise sultry aura. The shadows thicken as the soloing goes off, conjuring spirits and emotion, gently melting into mystery.

“Flesh and Bones” rampages and throws stiff punches, great guitar work torching, the playing calming down as a spoken passage haunts. The pressure rises as the attack gets more aggressive, the guitars taking on a ferocious tone, calls echoing out into the night sky. “Interlude in E-Flat Minor” has plinking guitars and rustic acoustics, the tempo picking up and getting jazzier, basking in cold waters. “The Fool” sparks as the singing swells, bluesy heat wilting flesh, the melodies booming and making blood race. Guitars vibrate as everything builds to a stampede, sending energy through your veins and trudging to a finish. “Sorrow” traces its steps, jabbing your ribs, the guitars scaling to new heights. “Sacrifice is what they want from us,” San Martin sings with booming power, the playing agitating and turning into a molten force, crushing to the final moment. Closer “Bluesman (Sunrise Cocaine)” is a barnburner, especially for Marceau whose guitar playing here melts faces. San Martin’s singing matches the intensity as the track takes off, hurtling through intense heat, feeling playful and spirited as everything comes to a massive end.

The strange thing about people making evil decisions is so many commit those acts due to their so-called faith. The characters on these blazing songs on “Sorrow’s Pyre” faced similar circumstances, and not all came out of it in a better condition than they were in when things started. Occult Witches bring a classic doom sheen to these timeless ideas as we’ve been struggling with doing the right thing from the start, and we likely will face that battle until humanity’s last days.

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

To buy the album or for more on the label, go here: https://blackthroneproductions.com/en-us

There are plenty of bands that, as soon as you hear them, you know which other artists influenced their music. You could fill a three-day festival with bands that were inspired by Morbid Angel. Or Iron Maiden. Or Death. All of that is well and good, but when it comes down to it, you want to be able to pick out the players’ DNA and not their heroes’.

Spanish metal trio Totengott made their start as a Celtic Frost cover band, taking their name from a song by Triptykon, Tom Warrior’s latest creation. Even after they transitioned to creating their own songs, you still could hear a ton of their influence on debut offering “Doppelganger,” a pretty fitting title. It was a mighty record regardless, and as time has gone on, they’ve thrown more of themselves into the recipe. Their third record “Beyond the Veil” digs even deeper into the three people who comprise this band—vocalist/guitarist José Enrique Saavedra, bassist/backing vocalist Nacho Bernaldo, drummer/backing vocalist Jose Mora—morphing even further into their own monster, spreading that budding magic over these seven tracks and 44 minutes that show this band coming to life and establishing their own personality and wicked agenda.

“Inner Flame” starts basking in eerie sounds before the pace begins punishing, barked vocals activating your nerve endings. The pace flattens and bruises, crunchy, yet fiery playing increasing the temperatures, the guitars going off as morbid chaos is achieved. “Sons of the Serpent” has calls hovering overhead, dizzying singing, and the playing feeling through a thick cloud cover. The singing numbs as the playing glimmers, a mysterious aura thickening, trudging through a path of alien synth layers. “Marrow of the Soul” stomps through muddy terrain, punishing and galloping, the guitars scorching as the wails hammer. The playing mauls as the thrashiness increases, burrowing into filth as an acidic finish scorches flesh. “The Architect” is strange and ghostly, doomy playing thickening blood as off-kilter singing washes over. Ominous and scathing, a pall hangs over everything, hypnotic vocals spinning the atmosphere, bells chiming and signifying the end.

“Beyond the Veil Part I: Mirrors of Doom” is a mostly instrumental piece with strings glazing, and guest Marija Krstevska’s haunting singing getting into your blood. A haze hangs over and illuminates your pathway, leading into “Beyond the Veil Part II: Necromancer” that hammers away, acting like a bulldozer over loose terrain. The howls carve as the playing smothers, making it feel like you’re trying to breathe in a furnace, the vocals adding more forceful blows. Madness scars as the pace slowly winds down, setting in a pit full of soot. Closer “The Golden Crest (the Ritual, the Curse, the Path, the Light)” runs 13:33, and chilling group chants greet you, the playing chugging as they build a mood, a strange cult-like feel hanging overhead. Burly leads scald as growls echo, the body easing into a strange sound bath, steely and doomy, dragging you into nightmare terrain. Doom bells chime as the skies darken, strange horns call into the distance, and misery spreads, finally relenting as the end draws near, pulling you into the mystery of night.

While Totengott may have their original roots in homage to the great Celtic Frost, this band has expanded past their initial influences into a full-bodied machine that’s making some of the more interesting waves in heavy music. “Beyond the Veil” proves the ambition and building blocks laid by their first two records were building to this, a place where they add even more of their own flesh and blood into their recipe as they hurtle toward the void. There’s no escaping the menace and drama plastered all over this record, and it’s nice to see them develop into a more formidable beast flooding with potential.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://hammerheartstore.com/collections/vendors?q=Totengott

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

Heavy metal long has provided rich content on the destruction of our world, wars, evil, and anything that tears us apart by the seams. As we move closer to that becoming an actual reality, and as we stare a volatile future in the eyes, it seems like those bands might have been onto something. We’re nearly in hell.

Swedish death crushers Vanhelgd worked at a pretty steady clip from 2008 to 2018, releasing five records that established their fire and fury. But it’s been six years since we heard from the band—guitarists/vocalists Mattias Frisk and Jimmy Johansson, bassist Jonas Albrektsson, drummer Mathias Westman—and there’s a good reason for that. We had a global pandemic that shut down the world, crippling a lot of bands’ progress in the process, and things steadily have fallen apart globally ever since. Now arrives their sixth record “Atropos Doctrina,” sung in their native tongue, and it’s a barnstormer that takes you apart limb from limb, forcing you to stare into the miasma of hell that is our world.

“Saliga äro de dödfödda” churns as the hellish howls bellow, manic fluidity overwhelming, the playing feeling melodic and punchy. The fury continues as the drums are mashed, desperate wails calling out as the door is slammed shut. “Kom dödens tysta ängel” brings spiraling guitars and a surging attack, savage growls making their impact as blunt fury has its way. Grisly leads tingle as the playing is flush with color, whipping into a frenzy that robs you of breath. “Ofredsår” enters with drums pacing the machine as nasty wails leave welts, melodic fire unleashing havoc as the temperatures increase. Leads round back as the vocals get more incendiary, scathing through catchy madness and blending into spacious skies. “I ovigd jord” has spindling, humid guitars swarming, desperate cries reverberating, and a section of slowly paced punishment opening wounds. The infernal power makes the surface quake, the pressure building as growls engorge, and gothy keys drip away.

“Atropos Hymnarium” echoes with doom bells ringing, guitars snaking as the walls are smashed, guitars exploring as doomy ugliness rears its head and revels in soot. The playing then unloads, the playing cascading over harsh wails, the beastlike nature drawing blood. “Galgdanstid” bursts and immediately slashes flesh, crazed calls swelling, a melodic gust feeling almost tornadic. Strong guitar work takes off as new colors conjure spirits, the playing scorching until the final second. “Kerernas törst” delivers spiraling guitars, savage wails, and a forceful storm that forces you to take cover. The darkness continues to spread, viciousness welling up and threatening to take you down, blistering to a mangling finish. Closer “Gravjordsfrid” dawns with hissed howls, a grisly grind, and thorny, slower pounding. The growls dig deep as sorrowful melodies mix in with the carnage, the guitar work sends off echoes, and eerie keys lay the record to rest.

Vanhelgd see the same impending darkness many of us have spotted on the horizon, and they spill their dour tidings into “Atropos Doctrina.” I speak English, so I have no idea what the fuck they’re actually saying; but anger and destructive visions defy language and deliver universal messages on these songs. This is a morbid, yet oddly catchy record that soundtracks a downfall that looks to be driven by avarice and greed.

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

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

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

Darkness has been a major part of the black metal kingdom since the day it first bubbled out of the cracks in the earth, sickening a heavy music world that didn’t know how to contend with such a force. As time has gone on and the decades piled up, things changed, the edges were smoothed out, and the music became more digestible.

But there are those that remain committed to the raw, harsh power of black metal, and Philly’s Unholy Altar is one of them, and they’re ready to deliver their scathing first full-length “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite.” Over nine tracks and a little under a half hour, the band—vocalist Desecrator, guitarists Miserer and Evoked Damnator, bassist Cadaver, drummer Lucifer’s Rage—stokes the sub-genre’s fires that have been burning for three decades and add their own brand of fuel. Examining the dualities of the natural world, they add some new textures and tones from what we heard on their 2022 demo. But the unforgiving darkness remains, and while they intend to smear some light into the music, this is pitch black, infernal, and so goddamn mighty.

“Intro” leads you into the carnage with plucked strings and a dark angelic haze, sounds swirling in the air toward “Abaddon,” which I wish was about the pro wrestler of the same name. Vile shrieks explode from the start, the playing destroying with fiery pressure, the viciousness and sense of evil flooding to the surface. Funereal melodies slip behind the dark curtain, torching to a hellish end. “Black Winds of Nocturnal Dismay” is moody at first, and then it bludgeons, the vocals lacerating, mangling with reckless abandon. Riffs cascade as lightning-fast punishment is served generously, howls crushing as the tornadic pace drills into the ground. “Infernal Flesh” explodes with blistering riffs, the assault trampling and destroying, the scars burned into your bones. The playing slips into intense humidity, a blinding explosion knifing dangerously for your neck.

“Treachery of the Common” simmers in sullen guitars and a more mid-tempo pace, letting you breathe even though you know another beating awaits. Howls erupt as the guitars manage to find even darken tones, feeling caustic and even dreamy in the most nightmarish of senses. “Sin Eater” totally destroys, the shrieks scalding as the guitars jam the gas pedal through the floor. Riffs encircle as the drums blister, a murky ambiance swallowing hope as Desecrator slashes with her devastating screams, every element racing to the finish. “Nefarious” is a crusher, the melodies flying at you like a microburst, the harshness becoming a bigger factor and chewing into muscle. The atmosphere begins to squeeze your brain, hypnotic guitars twisting, the heat dying down and slipping into a haze. “Pestilence” dawns in the midst of insanity, ripping guts, forcing poison into your veins as the shrieks mangle. The leads take off as the assault grinds you under their wheels, attacking and leading trails of blood and flesh behind. The closing “Outro” boils in strange keys and a horror-filled haze, leaving you in a sense of morbid disorientation.

Unholy Altar call “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite” a “dance between darkness and light,” but you got to do a lot of searching to find pinpoints of illumination in these coal-mine-dark creations. That’s a good thing, as this raw, nasty black metal has the tenets of the sub-genre’s earliest, ugliest days and takes that beastly spirit into the future. This is a band that’s just getting its tentacles around its devastating powers, and as this ghoulish force continues to grow, future massacres promise to be bloodier and more relentless.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Unholy-Altar-100091394706562/

To buy the album, go here: https://unholyaltar666.bandcamp.com/album/veil-of-death-shroud-of-nite

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

It’s really easy to lose enthusiasm for trying to save a semblance of the Earth on which we’re living and, for a lot of people, abusing. It’s also easy to be short sighted of it all, because we likely will not be here for the worst of it if we push the climate to the breaking point, and as we move forward, we don’t seem to be getting better of caring for this place.

Canadian black metal power Liminal Shroud is not exactly hitting you about the head and torso with that message, but it’s decipherable from their words in their bio and their excellent new record “Visions of Collapse.” They speak of destruction of the coast and the cycle of annihilation in which we may be trapped, leaving their music to try to grasp onto some kind of hope. The band—guitarist/vocalist Aidan Crossley, bassist/vocalist Rich Taylor, drummer Drew Davidson—pours themselves creatively and philosophically into these five tracks, pushing their black metal to atmospheric new heights while also trying to survive amid the misery of living in a world we’re destroying.

“Nocturnal Phosphorescence” greets you with tingling guitars and an atmospheric heat that gradually builds, strong wails cutting through and into melodic drilling. The playing claws and sludges, growls slithering, the fury blending into the air. The cloud bursts, guitars cascading like driving showers, vicious howls rippling as the playing carves flesh, digging back into a black pocket. “Nucleonic Blight” trickles initially, whispers sending chills, and then the playing breaks and begins to drub. Shrieks hammer as the fires are agitated, the muscular push scarring and rumbling, the force disappearing into a haze. The force envelopes as the shrieks decimate, guitars blaze, and the energy hits full tilt, a spirited gust picking up everything and blasting to a forceful finish.

“Resolve” is humid and wiry at the start, the energy combusting with the cry of, “Take my breath, take my soul!” Scathing playing meets up with cleaner singing, adding texture and a sense of cleansing, waiting for the inevitable explosion. When it comes, the tempo mashes, sparking a rousing pace that makes blood challenge veins, jolting until it finally relents. “Malaspina” is forceful, singing warbling, growls trading off and snarling, viciousness finding strange bedfellows with melody. Things gets strangely catchy as strong melodies sweep, eventually becoming victim to a severe battering. Closer “The Carving Scythe” enters with drums powering, gnarly guitars gaining steam, and a storm that just arrived chewing up scenery. The tempo goes from forceful to calm and back again, tingling at times, rampaging at others. Wild shrieks strike as the atmosphere swells, heading back into the chaos, slowly dragging to a fading finality.

The world is turning against us, and as sick as you are of reading me openly worrying about the climate is as tired as I am of writing about it and wringing my hands in disgust. Liminal Shroud are more poetic in their worry, and “Visions of Collapse” is a record that acknowledges our potential demise and paints even darker shadows to hopefully make some kind of impact. This also is a spacious, ambitious record that is perhaps this band’s best, a release that should open the eyes and ears of any conscious black metal listener who gives a fuck.    

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

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

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

You can’t help but be perturbed by the Catholic church. I grew up in it, and after about a decade of therapy, I’m finally coming free of its mental clutches. It rules by fear, the institution long has protected predators, it thrives on money, and it reeks of corruption. No wonder the metal world legendarily has waged war against this force.

French doom bruisers Maudissez not only are drawing their blades against the Christian sub-genre, they’re taking the fight into the opponent’s home field. The band, whose members remain a mystery, recorded their self-titled debut live in a church in France, seeing the act as a desecration, a devastating shot in their war against a force that has hurt so many. Maudissez, whose name translates to curse, twist nerves and slash veins over these four mammoth tracks, and while they released the music on their own in December, Sentient Ruin is giving it a proper vinyl treatment. It’s a morbid, foreboding display, one that feels like it is trying to spread pestilence to the mouths of every member of its foe.

Opener “fracture par fracture” practically opens in media res battering, dark and crushing howling following, sooty sounds meeting up with spiritual and physical agony. The playing slowly drags itself across a floor covered with broken glass, horrifying decay setting in deep. Terror envelopes as the playing sounds like a dying siren, burying everything in misery. “blessure par blessure” is the longest track at 13:04, a halo of sound surrounding everything, drubbing as inhuman howls scathe. Doomy hulking unloads as the pressure builds, voices warbling under the din, the noise corroding. The playing sprawls as strange speaking haunts, and then static erupts, storming as the voice continues its mysterious message, a hulking haze hovering over and disappearing into a bloody vortex.

“meurtrissure par meurtrissure” cracks open with a hint of melody struggling to live in hell, howls scorching from every angle, pounding as the playing is steely and pressurized. Doomy blackness folds and spill into a puddle of oil, scorching and furious as the attack grows bloody and smeary, ferocious wails laying waste as your senses fry, everything succumbing to piercing sound. Closer “brûlure par brûlure” brings unfurling guitars and blinding rage, vile howls ushering in a beastly dawn, the darkness suffocating. Throaty wails grasp throats as sounds hiss in the fog, echoing from the heat that’s growing too thick to handle. Synth cascades as the sorrow thickens, clashing slowly, letting the machine gradually run out of fuel and leave an blood slick behind.

The distaste for the Catholic regime is palpable, and relatable as far as we’re concerned, and Maudissez turn their vitriol into a slowly meted-out bloodbath on their gargantuan self-titled debut offering. This is an unforgiving, hopelessly bleak display of doom that’s here to maim and refuse to give mercy. And after all the pain and evil the church has left in its 2,000-year campaign of control, it’s a comeuppance that is rightly earned.

For more on the band, go here: https://maudissez.bandcamp.com/album/maudissez

To buy the album, go here: https://sentientruin.com/releases/maudissez-maudissez

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

As I put on my old man back-in-the-day hat, I can’t help recall my formative years listening to metal, when it felt like every band was trying to one up each other with precision and skill but also with memorable and devastating records. We’re not devoid of that necessarily, but it feels like those bands are a little fewer and further between now.

Finnish force Bloodcross is looking to change that on their stunning debut full-length “Gravebound,” an album that’s certainly steeped in the harshest realms of melodic death metal but also puts forth virtuosity and musicianship that is a step above most. The band—vocalist/guitarist A. Pahlama, guitarist M. Saarela, bassist T. Lindqvist, drummer J. Saarela—brings experience from black metal crushers Angelcorpse, in which half its members played, and on these seven songs and 39 minutes, they combine stunning chops with fluid carnage that easily can pull you under for good.

“Warbeast” rips open with energetic leads and soaring energy, melodic howls helping sell the cresting chaos. A huge burst leads to guitars racing and a fluid attack, ending with a power-infused gust. “Nemesis Reborn” has surging guitars and a burst of adrenaline, the twin leads making the hairs stand on your neck. Shrieks maul as the playing blows open, Maiden-style guitars giving off classic metal glory, the storming force coming to a tangling end. “Beyond Flesh” starts with cleaner guitars before shrieks rampage and tear off your head, the playing swirling and making your head spin. Punches land hard as everything turns decidedly moodier before things fire up again, letting everything bubble over as the playing disappears as a triumphant blaze in the sky.

“Pale Avenger” strikes with speed and muscular guitars, the shrieks crushing amid catchy and fiery melodies, the energy feeling like it’s reaching a crescendo. But there are bigger heights as everything bursts anew, storming through ugliness and challenging brains. The title track starts thrashy as hell and then sinks into colder waters, the leads glimmering, and a huge chorus rewarding your faith. The playing is effusive as the enthusiasm lathers, charging and blistering, coming to a blasting finish. “Devil Speed” launches with force, fast and fiery playing instantly taking you under, bristling with power. High-pitched howls meet with streaking leads, displaying astonishing skill, massive histrionics burying you in rubble. Closer “Howling Spirits” starts in murk, feeling like latter-era Maiden, setting up an atmosphere before breaking the chains. Furious melodies and smoking guitars ignite, the leads glimmering as a blinding pace goes off, torching with savage howls. The riffs remain steady as the playing pulls you under, fading into darkness.

Bloodcross’ penchant for mixing blistering, yet melodic death with shred-worthy musicianship keeps “Gravebound” exciting through its entire run, because you never can predict what’s coming. But it’s not tech wankery by any means, as you can feel the drive and emotion packed into each one of the songs. This is a strong debut from a promising band that feels like it’s just scratching the surface of what they can do.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.personal-records.com/product/pre-order-bloodcross-gravebound-cd/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.personal-records.com/

Summer literally just dawned here on the East Coast of the United States, and we’re pushing 100 degrees every day this week. We barely had a winter again this past season, and the days of normalcy seems to have devolved into something less livable. Certainly far more volatile. And so many don’t seem to care at all.

“Resilience” is the second full-length from California-based doom metal power Amarok, and it’s a concept piece that revels in the agony of violently changing climates, loss, and existential dread, all of which can be rolled into one ongoing overserving of anxiety. Over five tracks and almost 65 minutes, the band—vocalist/bassist Brandon Squyres, guitarist/vocalist Kenny Ruggles–Alaniz, guitarist Nathan Collins, drummer Colby Byrn—digs deep into the ground from where they’ve mined before and have refined their sound and made their songs even more gut wrenching. Their songs from all releases are sort of woven together into a larger picture, so this one picks up numerically where 2018’s “Devoured” left off. This is a passionate, darkly mournful record that also packs a burst of anger and resentment that is palpable and perfectly served.

“Charred (X)” is the 17:51-long opener that enters in flames, battering as howls scathe, and a funereal pace sets the mood dour. The playing corrodes as fires crackle, the guitars going cold and entering into moody territory. The track picks up the pace as emotional guitars whip up a lather, the howls boil harder, and the playing buckles, sending off thunderous aftershocks. Wails scorch as the ferocity builds, tearing through the earth’s crust as the sounds ring into oblivion. “Ascension (XI)” is the longest track at 18:10, and it’s dark and mournful at the start, howls scraping as the synth glows, the playing storming and creating a flood of power. Soul-crushing heaviness gets even more penetrative, driving through ugliness, the shrieks crushing as the leads glow. The playing then quiets as melodies fall softly like ash from the skies, heavy emotion then crashes through the walls as doom bells chime, and the playing crumbles like an aged, decaying building.

“Interlude” is the only non-numbered track, and it’s to give you a breather before the second half, letting sounds trickle and numb, slowly bleeding out toward “Penance (XII)” that immediately creates a morbid aura. Growls engorge as sorrowful melodies get thicker and more foreboding, the guitars soaring amid a fiery assault. Growls retch as the guitars fire up, bruising as the pace tears open, the pace crushing and turning bone to power. The playing then slows to a funeral pace, rupturing anew as the darkness enshrouds, the shrieks crushing as sounds dissolve and disappear into an ambient wave. Closer “Legacy (XIII)” starts with soft acoustics and a burgeoning atmosphere, the leads feeling gazey and warm, a heartfelt push making the blood pump through your veins. Howls scar as the gutting sadness increases its hold, feeling overwhelming as the screams batter, pushing your heart to the limit. A deep pall of pain and coldness gradually increases, and a strange catchiness lands as the final moments lurk off into the dark.

Amarok’s anxiety and anguish over the state of our planet not only is understandable but should spark rage in anyone who hopes we still have a habitable planet for future generations. “Resilience” is a heavy message that makes your insides ache with the fear and fury over the ignorance so many people alive alongside us have for a climate that’s teetering on the edge of disaster. All hope is not yet lost, and there’s still time to fight, but we’re running out of time, and the funeral for our species is bound to be something we have earned outright.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://amarokdoom.bigcartel.com/product/preorder-amarok-resilience-black-180-gram-double-lp

Or here (Europe): https://vendettarecords.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://vendetta-records.com/

We don’t do a lot of reissues around here, which doesn’t mean we don’t like when music gets a new chance at life. There’s just so much new music flowing out of every corner that I’d rather tackle that stuff and leave reissues, live albums, and compilations to other sites with more than one person. But never say never.

Persistent Vision Records is a Virginia-based label that is doing a lot of reissues of out-of-print records and newer albums, and they’ve got two right now that are getting well-deserved second lives. One we covered back when it first came out, so we’ll get that that one. The other is “Insania,” the debut album from Mexican crushers Habak, who combine punk, hardcore, and metal into a mauling seven-track package. The album originally was released in 2014, and now this music can live on and find a new audience. Which is well deserved as the band—vocalist Alejandra Valdez, guitarists Eduardo Valdez and Juan Cintora, bassist Alejandro Perez, drummer Patrick Alexander—was poking as societal woes that only had begun to crest and now are full-blown fires.

“Inmune al Dolor” opens by hovering dangerously, cold guitars drizzling, slowly punching up as Valdez’s acidic howls wrench into your chest. The bruising continues but slows for a stretch, and then howls scrape, dark and foreboding melodies envelop and eventually flow to a definitive flatline. “Orbe de Almas” charges with a punk-fueled rage, raspy wails whipping with stormy force. The playing lands blows and creates bruising, swimming into icy waters, speaking chilling, and gazey melodies mixing in with the chaos and slowly draining away. “Rostros Borrosos” opens with clean guitars and a foggy ambiance, and then monstrous howls erupt, building to a storming force that cannot be denied. The bass recoils as the guitars chime, the intensity whipping back in, ending with nasty intent.

“Condenado al Olvido” starts with plinking guitars and a hypnotic pressure as the playing rips open, and animalistic force stomping toward throats. The intensity rushes and battles before a psychedelic edge rises, pushing into New Wave-style melodies, giving way to a crushing end. The title track opens with Valdez’s raspy howls, the playing slashing through emotional terrain, group chants adding more adrenaline to the piece. Guitars lather as a fiery, channeled assault gives way, disappearing into darkness. “El Deceso/Vestigios” is the album ender, leading in with tumultuous, emotional carnage, melodies flowing as the power flexes with attitude. Sounds ache, Valdez’s wails press muscles, and sounds flow into moody darkness and aching misery before the pace explodes, shrieks breathe fire, and the sparks fly, letting the final moment singe the flesh. There also is a live version of “Orbe de Almas” at the end, giving you as taste of how incendiary the band is live.

A decade after “Insania” arrived for the first time, this remastered version hopefully will reach even more ears with this reissue. You can be a fan of metal, hardcore, punk, and other dark arts and find plenty to like with this band and album, as their energy and passion are impossible to dislike. A lot of time has passed since this band unleashed this record, and it sounds as vibrant and urgent as it did on that day.

We also have another reissue from Persistent Vision that we’ve covered before but still is worth your time and money. In advance of their upcoming third record, we get a fresh chance to appreciate Fórn’s debut “The Departure of Consciousness.” This record also dawned in 2014 and twisted funeral doom into a darker, bloodier corner, leaning less on elegance and more on carnage. The copy I ordered just arrived this week, and listening to this again on fresh wax was a great experience. It made me remember why I got into this band in the first place, and there is so much going on with these six tracks and 32 minutes that it’s easy to get lost in the carnage. And it’s worth it. Like the Habak album, it hits just as hard, if not harder, a decade into its lifespan.

Here’s what we wrote in the dark ages of this site when this record came out. meatmeadmetal.com/2015/03/05/gilead-media-offers-up-diverse-releases-with-forns-metallic-muscle-implodes-hazy-dreams/

For more on Habak, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Habakpunx

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

To buy either album, go here: https://persistentvisionrecords.com/collections/persistent-vision-releases

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