Imagine, if you will, a warped reality where you recognize the landscape, but the colors just aren’t right. You’ve never seen a sky that color before, and even the people and animals with which you interact don’t seem like they’re from the same plane as you. Maybe it’s a dream. But perhaps it’s reality, and you have to figure out how to get a grip on this altogether bizarre page of existence.

Taking on “An Unhealthy Interest in Suffering,” the debut EP from black metal force Undulation, is that same type of experience. Yes, you’ve heard sounds like this before, and it should be something that’s somewhat familiar to those who indulge in heavier music. These six tracks weigh heavily on the psyche, delve into historical and occult horrors, and act like a beast that has mutated from the cells of others only to grow deadlier and more immersive. The band—vocalist the Executioner, guitarist Nelson Payne, bassist Seth Death, drummer Zach Purtell—released this strange beast in June, but I, Voidhanger is getting it out to a wider audience, which finds a perfect home on the label’s eclectic roster. This is a band that defies description, and once their sounds reach more ears, there’s bound to be a groundswell of interest and a fervor of enthusiasm for this unique machine.

“Amethyst Necropolis (Une Charogne)” bleeds in, the Executioner’s poetry bleeding through guitar steam, feeling haunting and unnerving, ending with, “Then, O my beauty! say to the worms who will
devour you with kisses, that I have kept the form and the divine essence of my decomposed love!” “Judith Beheading Holofernes” (named after the Artemisia Gentileschi painting) leaks in with eerie tones as the shrieks strangle, tornadic playing emerging from a maniacal storm front. “Flagellation, urinate on the body, stigmata still fresh,” the Executioner wails. Daring charges splatter, filling you with excitement and dread, destroying and combusting, turning guts inside out. “Undulator” brings guitars that well up quickly, shrieks curdling as the intensity spikes quickly. The playing hits a panicked turn, going for more speed and aggression, the growls retching as the room spins dangerously out of control.

“Failures of the Demiurge” starts clean and cold, the Executioner singing wordless calls, the guitars darkening as the psychological madness swells. “I am death riding a horse pale, skin brown like barren soil, glistens beneath angry stars,” the Executioner wails as wicked riffs trample, future hope being snuffed out forever. The howls get more frantic, guitars lather in pools of blood, and the tempo hits the gas pedal as everything ends bluntly. “Acid, Vinegar” is sinewy as morbid growls explode, tortuous playing weighing down on your chest and nearly causing blackout. The shrieks slash as the guitars follow suit, washing in psychological heat, the singing causing hypnosis. “I saw the shadow of an angel standing behind me, but when I turned to face him, he looked back in horror,” the Executioner stabs, thrashy fire scorching faces, simmering and fading in broken darkness. “Dressed for Her Execution” is the closer, beginning with strange clean calls, then scorching its way open and torching paths. The rage combusts as the soloing catches fire, shrieks and operatic calls mix, demonstrating the Executioner’s impressive range, and then fluid assaults tease madness. “Crucifix in hand, she calls his holy name, pleads for retribution, but he never came,” the Executioner howls, sticky blood pulling at your footsteps, the guitars slowly trickling, and an uncomfortable aura spilling into space.

“An Unhealthy Interest in Suffering” is a record that might not have its impact in the year of its birth, but it’s sure to reverberate through black and death metal circles in the years ahead. Undulation is a band that defies accurate explanation as you can describe the sounds, but to really comprehend the spirit requires you to take the stomach-churning trip with them. This is an EP, and a unit, that is starting something special, planting their own seeds in subgenres that are ripe for reimagination, with Undulation only too happy to warp its features beyond recognition.

For more on the band, go here: https://undulationdeath.bandcamp.com/album/an-unhealthy-interest-in-suffering

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

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

For more on the label, go here: https://i-voidhanger.com/

We live in terrifying times that could prove to be far worse in about a year’s time. Not that the United States has any great choices in next year’s presidential race, but we could glue the tyranny on if things go a certain way. We may never climb out. And it’s not like we don’t already have a maw of disheartening problems that have been there all along. It’s a good thing we have people willing to fight.

Columbus-based black metal band Yfel prove to be a force for justice on their great debut record “Beneath the Mountain’s Vigil.” This five-track collection is a devastating call to action to battle back against forces of oppression and mount an uprising against those who stand to hold us down. The band—vocalist Nik Pröebstl, guitarists/vocalists Ryan Atkins and Drew Staggs, bassist/vocalist Ryan Caskey, drummer Chaz Frazer—is a firebreather of force, not only delivering atmospheric black metal that makes your heart swell, but it’s a mission statement, a means of standing one’s ground with refusal to budge.

“All Fleas Carry the Souls of Men” dawns with guitars flooding, driving and gushing, splattering with power as Pröebstl’s shrieks rattle cages. A huge melodic push makes blood rush, electrifying and moving with a fire and emotion that are impossible to shake. Guitars blaze as everything dissolves into acoustics, ending with a serenity after a scorching. “Battle of Blair Mountain” recounts the largest labor battle in American history when coal miners in West Virginia took up arms during their attempt to unionize in 1921. That rage and struggle is paid off well on this thunderous 10-minute track, storming with vile howls and slashing playing, blistering as spirits hang in the air. The bass swells as the atmospheric launch gets more intense, rousing group calls feeling like forces united, combusting as the shrieks rain down. The earth quakes underneath you as the battle rages on, igniting as the assault moves forward, blasting all the way to its devastating end.

“Protectors of the Tomb” pounds away as fluid playing swells, shrieks scar, and the emotions spill over the edge. The vocals blister while energy explodes, harsh playing and spacious powers fill your chest, and group singing and gazey fury make for a formidable team that leaves bruising. “The Father’s Path” is numbing and bursting with air, hissed growls carving at flesh, and the playing feeling a little dirtier than what preceded it. Group singing picks up and carries the song to its next ebbs and flows, turning into a complete onslaught that balances melody with ferocity. Riffs spiral and flood, ravaging fury continues, and the fires blaze to a solemn end. Closer “Eyes of the Moon” brings ominous riffs that crash through the fog cover, rushing and storming, making adrenaline spike. The chorus swells, and then wordless calls increase your blood pressure, ravaging and bringing and energetic assault that fills your pores. The great force blisters, bringing vile terror and great melody, slowly drilling its way into the heart of the earth.

Yfel’s black metal not only is thunderous and devastating, but it’s filled with righteous power to keeping fighting the battles that benefit those under the thumb of the power structure. “Beneath the Mountain’s Vigil” is an incredible debut opus, adding a new force into the atmospheric black metal kingdom that has the chops and fortitude to make a true difference. This is a sign of great hope, not just for a black metal world that needs new blood, but for the people who also are fighting back against oppressive forces and will refuse to stop until the war is won.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-mountains-vigil

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

The ocean terrifies me, and I take a trip each year to go spend time at one very much on purpose. But I rarely go into the water. Some of the strangest creatures you’ll ever see exist in that space, and I can only imagine what lurks in the depths where there is no light at all. Plus, it’s a force of nature you cannot battle and hope to come out unscathed. It’s undefeated.

Long-running Belgian funeral doom duo SLOW (the name is an acronym for Silence Lives Out/Over Whirlpool) stare that very force in the proverbial face on “Abîmes I,” their stunning new record that’s either their eighth or ninth, depending on whether you consider their recreation of 2015’s “IV: Mythologiæ” a separate entry. On this four-track, 44-minute pounder, the band—vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Déhà, bassist/backing vocalist Lore—lay thick the sorrowful melodies and the doom heaviness that feels like the weight of a planet. The title itself translates to “abysses,” and a massive, mysterious body of water certainly qualifies as such. If you leave this journey not shaken to your core, you might have done it wrong. It’s that massive and alluring.

“Implode” lands slowly, spaciously, almost at an intimidating level like you’re witnessing a natural disaster about to swallow you whole. The playing lurches as the keys shimmer, the growls wrench, and the storm expands elegantly. Horror engulfs just as misery takes hold, spreading grief as icy guitars plink, and the black loneliness becomes an even greater force, basking in freezing agony, cascading to the gutting end. “Barren” runs 11:36 and unveils steely guitars, beaming keys, and growls that wear away at you. The atmosphere rumbles as the anguish multiplies, the guitars give off glacial energy, and cavernous howls bellow as the playing tingles and burns, the synth chilling wounds. From the murk comes soaring guitars, heavy moodiness, and howls echoing as they’re scorched into oblivion.

“Abyss” emerges from parting clouds, slowly pounding as the synth sheens, growls gut, and deep punishment pierces your soul. The guitars build as the fog becomes impenetrable, vicious growls lay waste, and we slip into a wave of dripping piano notes as the sounds hang. The power wrenches anew as the playing goes mournful and melodic, crushing as it bleeds away. Closer “Collapse” is the longest track, running 14:26 and heading into gazey, rainy weather, the growls corroding as the guitars burn and then add significant weight. The playing takes its agonizing time building the atmosphere and luring you into its center, crushing amid melodic layers, slipping into calm as the keys liquify. The playing then gushes all over, howls mangle with force, and layers land on top of each other, sweeping as the emotion expands. Forceful cries eat into your mind, keys fall, and everything swirls into dark imagination.

“Abîmes I” continues SLOW’s descent into the darker regions of the ocean, a slab of funeral doom that feels like it has its own barometric force. This band always has been one whose music is as much an excursion as it is a collection of songs, a sojourn into the bleakest reaches of existence that can take you over completely. This record manages to capture you from the start and pull you along under the water, scraping against icy surfaces, and letting you see a glimmer of light at the end that hints at hope.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.auralwebstore.com/shop/index.php

For more on the label, go here: https://www.code666.net/

It’s late in the evening, and your stomach has seen better days. Maybe it’s something you ate. Actually, it’s almost definitely that, and you’re writhing and wriggling as you try to find some position where the gaseous discomfort won’t feel as gross. It’s all for naught, and you’re going to have to wait for this bodily pressure to pass before you feel like yourself again.

That’s kind of what it’s like to tackle the grimy death metal from Cryptworm, and that is painfully evident on their second record “Oozing Radioactive Vomition.” Of course, this is death metal, so feeling ample amounts of disgust is a good thing, and this follow-up to last year’s “Spewing Mephitic Putridity” builds on that record and pushes even deeper into the seamy underbelly of life’s most foul pockets. The band—vocalist/guitarist Tibor Hanyi, bassist Joss Farrington, drummer Jamie Wintle—also sells this perfectly with an attitude and full serving of madness that could replicate those late-night stomach horrors.

“Oozing Radioactive Vomition” opens in a death swagger, acidic riffs eating through flesh, the growls retching and giving off nauseous vibes. Doomy hell is unleashed as the band pounds away, pummeling through a charred assault, the growls engorging as everything is buried in a shroud of smoke. “Organ Snatcher” lays waste as the growls bubble, the pace strangling as the drums go off. Guitars catch fire as the growls turn belchy, sinewy riffs pull you in and add pressure, and the doom-infected charge demolishes everything in its path, ending in a bludgeoning. “Miasmatic Foetid Odour” brings melting guitars, a driving pace that turns ugly, and growls delivering punishment. Speed becomes a factor as the guitars twist nerves, beastly howls land hard, and the last moments drown in total decimation.

“Necrophagous (Postmortal Devourment)” brings knifing riffs that snake through the body, brutal growls digging into ribcages and exposing vital organs. The playing is thrashy and ripping as the drums trample, and filthy, harrowing chaos grows more oppressive, destroying the senses. The growls sound like they’re choking on blood and bile, while the guitars raise the humidity and suffocate. “Engulfed by Gurgling Purge Fluids” emerges with strong riffs and stomping brutality, getting blistering and mucky along the way. The vocals hiss and heave as the playing reaches full combustion, the guitars warping and smashing, unloading with a force that buries with lurching strength. “Submerged Into Vile Repugnance” is the closer, the riffs steaming and then speeding up, bringing total demolition, complete with the growls peeling back flesh. The pace then destroys, smoking with power as the growls dig deep into the guts for inspiration, trudging to an unforgiving finish.

“Oozing Radioactive Vomition” arrives as people begin to celebrate year-end holidays, but there’s no glad tidings when Cryptworm are slithering through your psyche. This is a gross, doom-infested, mangling record that feels heavy in fetid horrors and always finds a way to make your stomach feel like it’s digesting something awful. This is brutal and uncompromising grime sure to make the end of your year a little more disgusting than usual.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/shop/cryptworm-oozing-radioactive-vomition-lp/

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

There is a fear and, with some, an outright refusal to address the evils people in this country have exacted on others in the past and continue to do so to this day. There are systems in place to keep people where they are, and only a select few get to rise to a position of power and comfort. It’s always been this way, it’s still this way, and those in power wonder why the downtrodden fight back with such ferocity and violence when injustice strikes yet again.

Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze have been upfront from the start about their identity as an occult ritualistic black metal band that fights in the face of injustice and abhors the capitalistic society in which we’re entrenched. On their devastating second full-length “The Fractal Ouroboros,” the band—vocalist/synth player Achaierai, guitarist/bassist/synth player Athshean, drummer Yaeth—exposes the ugly roots of colonialism, the oppression of capitalism, the violence enacted against indigenous people, and the hard truths we must face in order to make real changes in the world in which we live. They do this over seven crushing tracks that stretch over 75 minutes that are thrilling, violent, and dripping with anger. They act as a vessel to help create a place that’s more equitable for all humans and help bridge the gap separating us so hopelessly.

“Trophy” opens in a thick drone, spiritual drumming reverberating, then the track igniting as wild shrieks hammer like baseball-sized hail. The playing is tornadic, which is something that is a sonic blueprint that’s built into most of the songs on here. Melodic fire and devastation meet, and then the pace calms, drums tapping, colder winds chilling. Just as the tingling sets in, the stormfront engulfs anew, and everything begins to race time, gutting explosions firing, a daring, frothy finish leaving your heart throbbing. “A History of Cages and Broken Bones” lands in cosmic noise, guitars taking imaginative turns, everything slowly catching fire and then gushing. The pressure is there in force, as is an atmospheric heaviness, shrieks shaking guts before the music melts into a foggy dream. The playing trickles down rock, pooling beneath, flowing into split and shattered dreams. “Suffocate o Earthen Lungs; They Now Lungs of Ash” explodes with ripping guitars and shrieks ablaze, decimating the senses, lowering into wrenching hell. A storming tempo ignites as the howls scathe, turning madness into a freezing front, spitting electricity as the playing swirls around your head, robbing you of breath. The shrieks do ample damage before the pressure begins to pull back, gently flowing over the land, only to be absorbed by the earth.

“Annihilation” basks in eerie sounds, astral notes falling from the sky, slowly coming to life as whispers intensify, the strangeness looping through eons. The burst we expect comes as the playing wrenches, and while some of what’s going on can chill your brain, there’s brutality at every turn. The playing blasts hard as the shrieks maim, lashing and torching, sinking in sharp teeth before the intensity finally relents and fades. “Liberation Ritual” echoes with crackling fires, drums vibrating in your brain, spoken chants adding a spiritual element. Throat calls send chills and get into your blood, increasing the hypnosis as Achaierai calls, “As light, our chains fall away.” “Our Overt Apocalypse” is the second-longest track at a beefy 13:31, slipping into drone and disorienting sounds, continuing to add to the mental fog that’s pierced with crazed shrieks. From there, it’s a fiery assault, guitars driving, the playing slipping into miasma, blistering and creating immersive atmosphere. Spellbinding leads corkscrew, and noise filters as we enter an extended descension, bleeding out into an infectious haze. The record ends with the longest cut, the 15:57-long “Ekstasis, Enstasis, and the Fractal Ouroboros” that scrapes with a giant gust of energy. The playing is sudden and forceful, wrecking with soaring chaos, the speaking making your flesh crawl. Darkness falls as the anger bursts, leading to a volcanic pace that wrecks everything in its path, managing to make you feel feverish while withstanding the attack. There are gasps of calm as the drums patter, noise hovers, and the spirit makes a strange exit into hypnosis.

Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze create experiences more than mere records, which they do again on “The Fractal Ouroboros,” a stunning display that will leave you fulfilled and exhausted. The band makes a brutal, blunt excursion through some of the pure evils of this world, and this country especially, though they leave open that window for change where people need to recognize what’s wrong and make meaningful adjustments. That’s one of the areas where this record defies simply being a collection of songs; it’s a reminder of our past, a damnation of our present, and a call to action to make the future one in which the power structure dies for the good of us all.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/album/the-fractal-ouroboros

Or here: https://vitadetestabilisrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-fractal-ouroboros

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

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

We all face the inevitability of the end, where we cease to exist, never to draw breath again. Look, I complain about this world and the insanity of our everyday existence, but I’m not in any hurry to join the dark void, even though I know it’s coming eventually. That also applies to this planet, which we may be accelerating toward uninhabitability at a clip that could doom generations.

Canadian death metal power Phobocosm remain perfectly aware of the reality of our deaths, of the planet’s end, and that spills into their third album “Foreordained.” This is the final act of a triptych started on their 2014 debut “Deprived” and carried over into 2016’s “Bringer of Drought” that now, seven years later, finally gets its conclusion. The band—vocalist/bassist E.B., guitarist S.D., drummer J.S.G.—views the finality of death and the pointlessness of trying to avoid such certainty and uses that to make their brand of death metal uglier, more morose, and even more imaginative at times. This is a powerful record that hopefully doesn’t get lost due to the December release date because it’s an absolute mauler any death metal fan should devour whole.

“Premonition” opens in noise and a death haze, the growls rumbling in the Earth’s belly, slowly burning and pounding, The darkness retches while foreboding chaos brews and heads into 10:12-long brawler “Primal Dread” that is blistering and beastly as it dawns. The playing is cavernous and crushing, mauling its way along dark, muddy paths, grinding its gears in ugly fury. The growls mar as the pace lurches, guitars hang in the air, and a noxious fog gets thicker and more penetrative, laying waste to everything and disorienting with thousands of pounds of muck. “Everlasting Void” tears into flesh, animalistic growls pull apart muscles, and the drumming comes unglued. The playing is chunky and mashes even harder, the leads scorch, and the hammers drive more aggressively, turning everything to dust.

“Infomorph” stabs its way in, showing aggression and anger, the growls mauling as the track turns into a total slaughter. The drums blast as bloody hell is reached, causing confusion as the pace turns to a slow burn before breaking out and burying with power. The tempo pulverizes, torching without mercy, and blazing into “Revival” that opens with guitars destroying. Growls smear as the pressure builds, vile playing making the skies grow darker, driving with inescapable horrors. The guitars then incinerate while the growls clobber harder, melting minds and crumbling away. “For an Aeon” is the 7:21-long closer, beginning with daring riffs that go for broke, death carving into cranial cavities, and complete decimation being achieved. The track explodes as demolition and melodic surging unite, creating something both disgusting and glorious. The band burns the rest of the way, sweltering with power and noises that sting and hover, leaving burnt paths behind.

We all know where we’re headed in the end, and Phobocosm send a stark reminder in the most brutal fashion possible on “Foreordained,” the final piece of this trilogy. This band always is a formidable beast with which to be reckoned, and they’ve upped their game so much over the past few years, that they have to be considered when discussing this era’s premier death metal bands. This is a late-year dose of destruction that’s swarming with chaos and throws that jab to the psyche that our time here is short.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/?orderby=date&paged=1&s=phobocosm&post_type=product

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

It’s never a comfortable or enjoyable experience when we’re forced to contend with the things that ail us in order to find a path toward healing. For example, exposure therapy for someone suffering from anxiety consists of confronting our fears that contribute to that state in order for the experiences to become more normal so our difficulties can lessen over time. It works, but it sucks.

That same thing can be true for contemplation and reflection after going through a period of darkness, something this is slathered all over “Catharsis,” the new record from Portuguese post-metal trio Music in Low Frequencies. So, just to address the obvious elephant in the room, their acronym is MILF, but don’t let that fool you into thinking their music isn’t deadly serious. The band—vocalist/synth player Mariana Faísca, guitarist Sergio Ferreira, drummer Diogo Machado do Vale—brings abject heaviness and sobering realities with this, their second full-length, and the journey they take to address the issues that have caused such darkness is enriching and powerful.

“Web of Questions” starts with the guitars slicing in, shrieks punching, and a burly, bruising pressure building that threatens to maim. Melodies also roam as the playing lathers with energy, fires rage and then settle, and then the crunch makes an impact as heavy breathing gasps. Synth spins off, sending the energy to the cosmos, spacious guitars exhale, and everything ends in thick sludge. “Unborn Pride” is sooty with throaty howls barreling, the air being pumped in generous proportions. Shrieks rain down as a hardcore-smeared approach adds to the bruising, getting tougher as the playing mangles, adding thorny jolts that leave blood on the floor. “Steel” is melodic and fierce, howling swimming through gutting guitars, a muddy force flexing its muscle. Muddy playing does bruising as the growls open up stomachs, torching with punishing, yet atmospheric tenacity.

“The Right Way” basks in synth beams, forceful singing, and a battering force that hangs in the air. A clip from Carl Sagan’s “A Pale Blue Dot” works into your psyche, and out of that is a menacing, emotional swell complete with throaty howls and brutal savagery that leaves charred bones. “Unconsciousness” ramps up and has clean singing, vicious bursts tearing through bone, guitars hovering and bringing alien-like heaviness. Fiery wails and shrieks hammer flesh, guitars flood, and the carnage is washed away. “Starving the Weak” enters in blurry keys and dripping guitars, cloudy murk cascading before the growls blast. Fires haunt as cosmic swirls create a dizzying effect, the vocals pound away, and keys drain as the heartbeat echoes into time. Closer “This Corpse” seemingly runs 14:43, but it’s a red herring of sorts. The playing fires up as the growls crush, driving into foggy roadways that barely let even a glimmer of light any room to shine. The playing gushes and simmers, the energy trudges and kicks up mud and bone, and a heavy cloud cover obscures the sound and drains away. But after minutes of silence, the playing re-emerges, though it’s a cover of Marilyn Manson’s “Coma White” that brings a numbing end.  

“Catharsis” is a literal title for Music in Low Frequencies, and the musical bloodletting on these seven tracks feel like a spiritual regurgitation and a way to find something soothing in a menacing world. Subsequent trips through the album reveal more layers, places in which to lose yourself as you contemplate the same twists and turns in your own life. The fact this is so pleasingly thunderous and fixated in sounds that seem lured from the cosmos only amplifies that enjoyment and the psychological ability to connect with these songs and make them a part of your own journey.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/music.in.low.frequencies/

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

For more on the label, go here: https://www.ragingplanet.pt/

Getting to the point is a gift, something we here at Meat Mead Metal do not necessarily possess. We try to present a convincing and relatable opening to the music we’re about to discuss, but maybe we should shut the fuck up sometimes. We’re shutting the fuck up.

“The Merciless Storm” is a perfect title for the new EP from Finnish death squad Malicious, who are following their 2020 debut full-length album “Deranged Hexes” with this four-track destroyer. This is a compact, smothering EP that the band—vocalist/guitarist Miska Heikurinen, guitarist Niko Paasonen, bassist/vocalist Paavo Elo. drummer Riku Polameri—injects with force and power with which you cannot contend. Let’s just get into it, yes?

The title track opens in a flurry, guitars storming, fiery shrieks grabbing throats and squeezing relentlessly. The pace is delirious and zany, the howls massacring the senses, guitars tearing out with violent intent, the mangling continuing until the fuel burns away. “Invasive Terror” is blinding, splattering as the guitars catch fire, the manic pace making your blood race as raspy howls leave welts on your flesh. The leads boil and lather as blasts meet up with frenetic energy, blasting all the way to the end. “Ambient Sonic Annihilation” is monstrous, a giant punk gust that strangles and slaughters, a fast and crazed assault that tests your limits. The tempo shifts back as the guitars burst toward the sky, spattering blood as a heavy doom cloud brings the end. Closer “Chronic Quake” explodes and stampedes, delivering maniacal chaos, putting you through the gears without mercy. Guitars burst and head off to the races, melting with crazed fire, clobbering with channeled madness that leaves you flat on your back.

Malicious waste no time pushing your face into the dirt on “Merciless Storm,” about as fitting a title for a release as you’re going to find. The band buries you in filthy, sometimes punk-fueled death metal that doesn’t waste time weakening you and instead goes right for the jugular. This is 11 minutes of utterly deranged torture, a mini blast that’ll take off your head with violence and devastation.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://invictusproductions.net/product-category/invictus-releases/

For more on the label, go here: https://invictusproductions.net/

This has been a dark, trying year for so many people, myself included. You could say that about the last few, as it feels like it’s misery on a loop, the harshest of realities making themselves known far too often for comfort. Within all of that pain, there can be glimmers of hope, reminders this state isn’t forever, and one day we might climb out of horror. But being in it can feel as hopeless as anything ever faced.

The music created by Nordic post-metal power Leonov always feels like it connects with that world, a place where it seems like everything is falling down around you, but there’s just enough promise to keep you going just in case the storm ends. The band’s powerful new record “Procession” feels like a beacon in the cold, black night, a place to seek in order to let the bad energies have a place to fade. The band—vocalist/synth player Tåran Reindal, guitarists Ole Jørgen Reindal and Rune Gilje, bassist Morten Kjelling, drummer Jon-Vetle Lunden—sees the suffering and tries to add a layer of relief for those who suffer, while knowing full well that struggle will be a hard one to achieve. This music, harsh and thorny as it can be at times, also is like a companion holding your hand on your journey, acknowledging that path is with its dangerous curves but assuring you that a better way remains possible.

“Rem” is a dark, enveloping instrumental opener, guitars layering, the solemnity welling as the heat rises, increasing the darkness as we head into “Amer” that stings right away. Reindal’s singing floats with the clouds, a steely, dreamy haze getting richer, buzzing as the playing slips into darkness. The pace is ominous even as Reindal’s singing soars, the ambiance floating in the mists, the vocals feeling like honey drizzling gently, and then the chugging renews. Shrieks gut as the doom floods, the mix of ugliness and beauty multiplies, and the final blasts lurch in madness. The title track numbs immediately as Reindal’s singing floats like a ghost, the lush calls mixing perfectly with the rising menace. Guitars buzz as the pace turns propulsive, swirling and snarling, picking up steam as the key hypnotize and fade into fog. “Sora” brings shadowy doom, softer singing, and a rumbling feeling that you can sense in your guts. The band pushes harder as a thick mist envelops, and Reindal’s calls pick up and soar, filling your chest with energy. The emotion overflows as darkness falls, impassioned playing overwhelms, and a heavy exhaust gasps from the song’s center point.

“Mesos” slowly drips as Reindal’s ethereal singing swells, pulling through shadows and embracing grandeur that emerges from behind a wall of sound. “Who says that we won’t make it?” Reindal sings inquisitively, the playing dissolving slowly, continuing to melt and soak the ground with its juices, snaking through gloom before disappearing. “Oreza” brings darker playing, lurking in the shadows, the singing fluttering and reverberating. The pace turns spacey, guitars hurtling through ominous atmosphere, scuffing and menacing as the heaviness turns the screws, finally floating off into the stars. Closer “Son” is a soft, smoky track that brings hushed singing, and a tenderness that is palpable. Clean guitars add soothing waters as Reindal calls, “Tonight, a child is born, to us a son is given,” a sentiment she repeats that obviously holds a world of meaning. Murkiness and dreaminess collide, coating everything with warmth, the playing bathing in moonlit electricity.

“Procession” is that rare heavy music album that manages to act as a soothing agent, even amid the thorns that are woven into the record. Leonov always rose above merely a metal universe and go otherworldly, which they do here in ample amounts, giving an adventure that’s a little different than what we usually cover. This is a perfect record for a dark evening when you want to give your mind a rest, ruminate about your dreams, and release the energies that are weighing you down.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://vinterrecords.bandcamp.com/merch

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

Being a human isn’t exactly an easy thing to pull off for a lot of us. In fact, it can be destructive and callous as we navigate our way through an unforgiving world that is littered with people who don’t give a fuck about anyone but themselves. How does one try to be a decent person knowing all of this and realizing so many people and situations we face aren’t worth that kind of positive energy?

That’s a question Andrew Black is trying to answer with his black metal project Litha that is releasing its self-titled debut record. Black isn’t a stranger to the heavy music world, as he’s played as a live member of Mizmor and Hell, but his work normally is found in the ambient world. But needing an outlet to deal with the state of the world, his attempts to be a good person in a place full of bad actors, and the anxiety and depression he carries, Litha was born, and the five tracks found on this record are incredible displays, demonstrating tenacity and power, gifts he has in abundance.  

“Hunger” is the 7:35-long opener, and it blasts its way in, guitars wrenching as the cries sound sorrowful. Guitars gush as Black howls, “I sleep in a bed of broken glass, I wait to lick my wounds … like a dog!” The playing floods as the bass chugs, plastering its way to a bruising finish. “Wearing Away” starts with glimmering guitars, the vocals practically hissing, melodies washing over a land of heartache. Chaotic fires rip as strong leads gather momentum, crushing and gushing, pounding away as the sounds boil over, reddening flesh with its rising heat. “I Am Many” is clean and trickles, a mournful haze hanging overhead, the growls gripping with force and squeezing out the air. A fog encases everything as the playing gets doomier, spreading misery and pain. The guitars work their way into a gazey sprawl, and the howls bubble and cover your psyche with a sense of detachment.

“Bite the Hand” runs a clean eight minutes, starting with guitars flooding, the emotional toll being paid early and often. Guitars collect and bring a melancholic feel, and then the force explodes again before pulling back, a warm glow coating your flesh. Guitars blaze all over as the pace increases its pressure, the shrieks turn skyward and reach for understanding, and the power finally bleeds out for good. “Thirst” is the closer, a 12-minute journey that is tornadic when it lands, Black wailing, “This thirst cannot be quenched!” The guitars begin to hypnotize, speeding and twisting, flush with energy that begins to flow like as swollen lava tunnel. Finally, the temperature changes, the coldness begins to leave a frost, the riffs cascade, and the final notes land like ashes from the sky.

Obviously, we know Black’s work from his efforts supporting other projects, but with Litha, he’s finally able to shine on his own, delivering emotionally heavy black metal that pays a weighty toll. This debut record allows Black to release some of the uglier, more destructive feelings and emotions collecting within him, and having this outlet resulted in a powerful record that might act as catharsis for other. This is a promising first step from a project that hopefully has a long, fruitful life.

For more on the band, go here: https://lithamusic.bandcamp.com/album/s-t

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.tartarusrecords.com/product/litha-s-t/

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