Disinterred - DEMO MMXIII

Some monstrously aggressive Death Metal from Belgium, The demo's free, so even you're not that into Blast Beats, extreme grunts and fast-paced death metal riffing, giving this band a go won't cost you more than a couple of minutes, time you used to waste on updating your facebook status, aimlessly browsing youtube's ever growing repertoire of ludicrous videos or even watching 3 american girls shitting in a cup.

Septic Apes - Slaughterhouse Tapes II

I have to admit that i'm not really fond of bands like Septic Apes, bringing a simplified and shallow blend of doom, stoner and sludge, . The reason for posting this band and the release of their latest Ep Slaughterhouse Tapes II is solemnly based on my fascination with the first song 'Vampire Counts'. Give it a spin (or rather a click) and hopefully you'll understand my reasoning.

Shallow Grave - Shallow Grave

Instead of fruitlessly trying to capture the essence of this band in text, i will leave it up to their own self-description:

Formed in New Zealand in 2009, Shallow Grave are a cancerous blight upon the rapidly degenerating Auckland landscape.
Apocalyptic visions of nameless cults and chemical-fueled Lovecraftian insanity are channeled through mutilated riffs, horrendous screams, twisted psychedelia and sonic experimentation. Shallow Grave triumphantly ride the saddle of the rapidly-encroaching new Dark Age.

the only thing i can crudely add to the above is:
Think Neurosis' Times Of Grace meets Ramesses' Possessed by the rise of Magik.

Sunken - Sunken

It's always exhilarating to find a interesting new band in your country, especially in a country as small as Belgium. Sunken are a Doom metal Bass/Drum 2-piece from Wallonia.

First off, i have to admit that the recording quality of this demo (and also their previous ep 'Damaged') are plainly abysmal, the bass guitar should have been pumped up to a higher level, especially in the lower frequency spectrum, and the drums sound like your average DIY black metal band, which is not a virtue for a doom metal band. Luckily the music itself is quite enjoyable, when they find the courage to put a lot of pace in their songs they sound quite a lot like Black Cobra or even a slower Lightning Bolt. When they descend into the slower depths of doom however, the resemblance to the older work of OM is unmistakeable. I feel like this is a band that requires a live presence to impress audiences, and i will keep my eye out for any upcoming gigs to give them an honest chance to blow my brains to pieces.

Ether - Human Error

kicking off an album with an excerpt off of one of the best films ever made should be considered as a herald for a great and lush new album. Ether are an Atmospheric Metal band from Fort Lauderdale US and have made an imprint in the local heavy music scene by sharing stages with bands like Weedeater and Cough.

As for the album (Human Error), i am usually able to pinpoint a couple of closely related genres to any new Heavy band i come across, but in this case i found myself producing such a big cluster of genres that it would be more appropriate to encapsulate all their various influences and label them as an Atmospheric Metal band. When listening to the album it feels like Ether are trying their very best to keep introducing new sound colors, in an effort to escape from being trapped in the same songstructural cadence. The sound colors applied range from repetitive sludge riffs, to post-rock interludes and melancholic post-metal climaxes. They even went so far as to introduce classical strings to further bolster the independence of their songs. Although these intentions are shared with a lot of bands that fail in their efforts, Ether have convinced me that they're not one of them, the song structures as well as the individual melody's are intelligent but not to complicated to break an audience's attention span. all of this combined with an excellent recording quality (and an excellent drummer) make for an impressing release that should appeal to any heavy music enthusiast.

Agnes Vein - Soulship

Agnes Vein are not a newcomer to the European heavy sludge scene, and have shared stages with  leviathans such as Om, Electric Wizard and Conan. On the 1st of May they will grace us with their third release called 'Soulship'.

This overtly talented 3-piece hailing from Greece have managed to deliver a musical tale that breathes beauty and putrefaction at the same time, which may sound like a band just playing melodic passages entwined with sudden avalanches of sludgy mayhem, but there's obviously more to it than just that. In fact the processes themselves that take you through these shifts in musical timbre are the touches that make this an album that should draw your undivided attention. I have to admit that the album is tricky in that way, sometimes way up there in quality, but sometimes a bit derivative. But overall the former prevails, which makes for a dark and impressive album.

Csejthe - Réminiscence

Csejthe (Lucifer only knows how to pronounce this)  is a Black metal 3-piece from Quebec delivering an unrelenting black metal entity in the vein of their greatest influence Burzum. An other adhesive for their songs is their fascination with the Hungarian countess Elisabeth Bathory whom allegedly murdered hundreds of girls during her time of reign.

With their second album Réminiscence, Csejthe have managed to create an album that is rife with musical references to the Norwegian black metal scene, with Burzum being the main focal point. Although this reverence of a small number of bands is clear in their artwork and advertisements, their overall tone is of a broader spectrum, drawing comparison to many American black metal bands like Xasthur, Krallice, Wolves in the throne room , Nachtmystium and maybe even Ash Borer.

Csejthe is one of those bands that provides an attentive listen not because they sound so new and unique, but because they remind any self proclaimed black metal connaisseur of the times where black metal was a small ruthless club, a time where it could still be called a scene and a time where burning churches filled the moonlit sky with flickering crimson light.

Polska Radio One - New Space (Single)

I've mentioned the previous single of these Russian shoegazers here. I'm still yearning for them to release a full album instead of the occasional single, but in the meantime this will have to do.
New Space is pretty much a fair continuation of their previous single but they seem to have adjusted the destination of their krautrock induced trip to a more neo-psychedelic missive, a destination shared with bands like The Black Angels, The Warlocks and even some more illustrious psychedelic bands like The Stone Roses or Primal Scream.

The single is available for free on their Bandcamp.

The Psyke Project - Guillotine

The Psyke Project is pretty hard to pin down sound wise. One thing that's a certainty is that they're heavy, very very heavy. But there are so many aspects of this band that truly aid in their quest to become one of the most fucking uncompromising sludge bands to date.

They're most recent scourge towards mankind is called Guillotine. whether the etymology of this album is part of some grand theme or whether it's just chosen because of it's direct link to death, it doesn't matter. The album is rightly chosen because the following analogy is easily understood: 'it fucking cut's clean through'. There's no restraint in this piece of mayhem, just plain heavy, downtuned swells of sludge with sudden sidesteps of more advanced influences like Post and Noise Metal. The vocals as well as the mastering of the album are in conjunction with the Post-Hardcore esthetic, while all the rest just breathes sludge and noise.

Definitely a meritorious contender in becoming the best sludge album of 2013.

Leucosis - Leucosis

Upon first hearing this new album the scenery and heredity of this band become clear as day. In the vein of other American west-coast bands like Ash Borer and Fell Voices (with whom they've shared the stage) they produce this hybrid shape of black metal, being true to the Norwegian original in esthetic and overall sentiment but with a clear injection of melancholic and droning genius. What further sets them apart however is their capacity to sound more dynamically melodic, similar to many European black metal bands like Mgla, Tardigrada or maybe even Winterfylleth.

Another defining characteristic is the integration of harsh sludge and doom elements that shine through in a couple of their songs, which in turn makes them sound even more exhilarating and refreshing. I can't subdue the impression that this band is only on the cusp of breaking through into the global black metal scene and in due time will be positively featured in the most widely respected blogs and magazines from all over the world.

Olde Growth - Owl EP

Olde Growth are yet another american stoner/doom bands, accompanied by all the essentials: Fuzzy guitars, slow plodding drums and a unified interest in playing slow and diabolic riffs. they've just released their new Owl Ep. This is how they're described on their Bandcamp page:

With bass and drums, Olde Growth creates music that evokes the awe inspiring relics of the natural world - giant trees that span millennia, jagged, snow-capped mountains that only the bravest of souls attempt to scale, oceans who’s mysterious depth are as alien as the most imaginative worlds out of science fiction.

You could go as far as to describe them in the former manner, but in my opinion they're more easily defined as a stoner/doom band with truckfighterish vocals reinforced with dense and dynamic riffing. enjoyment is only assured when all skepticism is discarded (preferably when drunk, high and tired) and you're only goal of the evening is to headbang your way into the night ahead.

The Tragedy We Live In - ST

my fellow countrymen of The Tragedy We Live In are a Belgian post-something band (fill in the post as you like) and have seen themselves fit for releasing their unfurnished self titled album into global existence. Defining their genre as 'post-something' might seem like an affront to the band in their efforts to sound unique, but this is not the case here.

In their efforts they succeed in a number of things but the most notable is to provide listeners with a clear musical contrast between beauty and decay, shining through in their music by fluently alternating melancholic landscapes with noise ridden slabs of post-metal. Unlike many post-something bands though they don't conform to the 'buildup to climax' template that has defined slow heavy music from the beginning, they opt for the Neurosis approach and keep on teasing their listeners with misplaced constructs that in the end makes for an uneasy product. In this i have to admit that the implementation could be better, the parts that are meant to surprisingly deliver the punch are bleak and barely make the cut.
 
all in all this band delivers a very interesting debut album, particularly the gloomy post-rock segments are surely up to standard. I'm certain that plenty of touring experience and more musical input will have a positive affect on following releases, i am looking forward to reviewing their next one.

Kawloon Walled City - Containers

Kowloon Walled City make for a dynamic sludge band, with smooth sounding vocals, but terribly harsh riffing. They released their most recent album Containers in december 2012. In my eyes there is still room for progression but all in all the album excels in it's straightforward approach to a couple of closely related genres.

Inter Arma - Sky Burial

'Inter Arma' have recently released a new full album called 'Sky Burial' under the lengendary 'Relapse Records' (home of a fantastic array of great bands like: Red Fang, Minsk, Pig Destroyer, Hooded Menace, Cough, Buzzov*en and many many more).

with this new album 'Inter Arma' have managed to cook up a unique musical contraption, slithering fluently through all of the darker metal genres to create something that is entirely their own. They do not shy away from slow droning swells as well as fast paced black metal surges, in this they're not unique (just think of bands like 'Dragged Into Sunlight') but what does is their compulsory need to keep rejuvenating successive songs by adding all kinds of atmospheric subtilty's in the vein of (i'm assuming) they're greatest example, Neurosis.

Not only does the album stem from an undoubtedly brilliant set of individuals, so does the the recording quality originate from a very tedious eye for perfection, a perfection that will undeniably resonate through the years to come.

Trix Presents

The trix venue in Antwerp Belgium has proven a haven for belgian doom and stoner fans for many years now, by announcing bands like Sleep, Harvey Milk, Colour Haze, Electric Wizard, My sleeping Karma and many others in the past few years, they have fortified their reputation in the Belgian stoner/doom scene and considering recent developments they seem to be persistent in their intentions.

One of these recent developments is a small mini 'fuzzfest' with the spacejammers of 'Endless Boogie', the psychedelic soundscapes of 'The Cosmic Dead' and my two favorite bands of the evening: 'Elder' and 'Process of Guilt' (Maybe it isn't a coincidence that they're both featured on the Roadburn Line-up)

Elder play an enticing mixture of Stoner, Doom and Heavy Metal employing brutally fuzzy riffing with an intelligent twist. They're most recent full album 'dead roots stirring' ranks as one of my top favorites if 2011 and i am increasingly nourishing the impression that i'm not the only who's thoroughly infatuated with this band.

Process Of Guilt are of a different breed, they have been compared to bands like Neurosis and Godflesh, but in my experience the influence from the former (Neurosis) is far more present.


Moving on to the second development i intend to cover i have to point out that the Trix venue has a lot more good evenings in store for us, just think of 'Ufomammut' and 'Swans'.


Another concert that imprisoned my attention was this announcement for an evening with 'Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats', 'Wolf People' and 'Master Musicians of Bukkake'.

'Uncle Acid And the Deadbeats' (Also featured on Roadburn, damn what a festival) play occult traditional doom in a very authentic fashion, really old-school but at the same time a reinvention of the doom genre.

'Wolf People' are known for they're earfriendly blend of Neo-Psychedelica and Folk Rock, i saw them live 2 years ago and they never lost my attention since.

But the absolute highlight of the evening must be the obscure wizards of 'Master Musicians of Bukkake' (what a name) With their alienating mix of genres (Folk, Psychedlica, Drone, Black Metal and many more) and presenting members from Earth, Burning Witch, Grails, Asva and the Accüsed. This band can't be incorporated in mere http formatted text, just listen, be dazzled and travel to Antwerp on the first of june.

Roadburn Interviews

Apparently the kind people at roadburn have graced with a series of interesting interviews,
really worth checking out.


INterview with Mike Scheidt from Yob.





Interview with Matt Pike





Interview with Internal Void.



INterview with 'Valient' from Valient Thorr.

The Howling Void - Runa

The Howling Wind is a one-man funeral doom band from San Antonio, and for those who've been regularly catching up on this blog should know that this is another project from 'Ryan' who also impressed the shit out of me with Tethered to A Dying Animal. In the post i did on TTADA i had this to say:

"I'm really looking forward to see (or preferably 'hear' ) what this guy has in store for us in the future."

And apparently this time has come with a new Ep called Runa. The first thing that's strikingly clear to me is that the focus here is making dark ethereal music, music fit to mourn and act as a celebration of sorrow. I believe The Howling Void succeeds flawlessly at what it set out to achieve, delivering a utopian swell of melancholic surges bolstered with exemplary guitar and drum techniques.

I also like that the entire ep reminds me of 'Ruins of Beverast', which in my opinion is a band that delivers the most organic blend of funeral doom, black metal and folk. The Howling Void could still learn a thing or two from Alexander Von Meilenwald's lavish compositions, but i feel that greater things are still in store for this project and all of Ryan's brainchilds.

Bandcamp
Metallum

Salem's Pot - Watch Me Kill You/Run the Night

Salem's pot (sweden) reigned down on the world in 2012 with their debut album Sweeden and have been repeatedly hailed on various metal blogs from all over the world. They have recently released another demo called 'Watch Me Kill You/Run the Night' which is obviously another release of only 2 songs. Salem's Pot plays lengthy occult doom in the vein of Saturnalia temple and Windhand, putting the emphasis on slow decomposing riffs and eerie wallowing vocals. To sum up: an immensely valuable addition to the doom scene.

Major Kong - Sequoia

For those who aren't familiar with the band, here's a small bio from their Bandcamp:

Instrumental doom metal trio from Lublin, Poland. They began their journey in late 2010, initially as a project alongside their parent band – Fifty Foot Woman. After a couple of months they recoded 4 track EP “Orogeneis” and began serving their slow guitar hypnosis live. Currently they’re looking for label to release "Doom for the Black Sun" - their debut album made in 2012.

To me Major Kong's one of those bands that's neither Stoner/Doom nor Stoner, and could be defined as swirlingly meandering between both genres. At times sounding like your average Stoner/Doom band but then again not shying away from lengthy psychedelic jams and frantic soloing. The thing that stands out though is the relentless pace at which they overwhelm you with their crushing and pounding riffs, like a doom marathon. These characteristics are undoubtedly portrayed on their latest full length album Doom for the Black Sun but about a month ago they also released a single song called 'Sequoia' as a remnant of the recordings of the latter album. This song again further fastens them into their niche of a genre, thus defining them as one the most unavoidable bands of 2012.

Rorcal - Vilagvege

I've been anticipating the release of this album for quite some time now, because there's only a couple of bands that portray this aggressive blend of Black Metal, Post Hardcore, and Doom, in my experience the 2 most profound and well known purveyors of this atomic blend of genres are Celeste (One of my favorite metal bands, especially after seeing them live) and Shora. (If there's any others, don't hesitate to comment).

Rorcal (Switzerland) distinguishes itself from these other bands in a couple of ways. The main thing to note are the vocals, rather then originating from Post Hardcore or Doom the vocals are purely black metal inspired (with maybe a hint of Post Metal), and when i mention it i have to say that the overall sound also tends to lean towards the blackest of metals, with sudden sweeps of melodic tremolo picking that would remind any black metal connaisseur of Burzum or more modern black metal artists like Ash Borer or maybe even Wolves in the Throne Room.

Aside from these minor differences Rorcal is still unlike any other ordinary black metal band, implementing overtly aggressive riffs and combining them with odd time signatures and atonal melodics, and to create a more energetic album the songs are sproradically separated by intermezzo's of classical music. Impressive album, Impressive band.


Bandcamp