New music: Brennendes Gehirn & Dorian Williamson, thisquietarmy, Australasia, and The Chewers

Today we're visiting four albums for our music post instead of the usual three. The reason is that none of these are quite typical Black Metal & Brews releases, yet all four are worth your time and energy. For the readers with a broader appreciation of music (which seems to be most of you), I hope you'll visit with each of these releases and enjoy yourself.

Brennendes Gehirn & Dorian Williamson- "Rites of the Aethyr" CD (Antithetic)
This collaborative effort by Brennendes Gehirn and Dorian Williamson of Northumbria fame is everything I'd want in a versatile droning noise release. Three tracks that are unique even in context of the album they share, as each features a different lineup. The first track, "Involution," belongs to Dorian Williamson. It has an almost womb-like security and palpable emotion in the texture of its circular drones, the rest of the album is decidedly more ominous. The title track is a collaborative effort between both artists, and features a bit of percussion and chanting early on, yet grows into spiraling, crackling madness. Ending the album is the monumentally creepy "Geheimnis," an offering from Brennendes Gehirn, which begins with two or three minutes of speech before growing into some of the most somber and haunting noise atmospheres I've heard this year. Listen to this song in an empty parking lot on a windy night, watching paper and litter blow along. It's hard to feel like you aren't the last person on earth. The album's progression feels like the slow and final fade of the brain as one enters the realm of death. Perhaps there's more to it than that, but the vastness and severity of this release certainly work in my understanding of it. This is absolutely worth your time and interest, so grab a copy as soon as you're able.

thisquietarmy- "Hex Mountains" CD/LP (Denovali)
thisquietarmy has typically been the one-man project of Eric Quach, and while it still is, this album features many guest appearances, including the previously discussed Dorian Williamson. thisquietarmy's trademark sounds are all present on this release of subtle yet dynamic doom and drone, and if anything, this is probably the most expansive release I've heard from this artist.  Perhaps it's the influence of others, as this feels like a very organic album. Nothing is forced, nothing seems to be scrutinized. Instead, the flow of these songs feels like one artist creating something and allowing others to leave their own delicate marks. Triumphant guitars soar across the peaks of snow-capped mountains, while live drums punctuate the already breathtaking intensity and beauty created by Quach in the opening track. In contrast, many segments of this album are passages of minimal sound, with delicate waves of drone crashing off in the distance, balancing out the massive nature of the heavier passages.  While this can be a dark and personal affair at times, I feel a sense of rebirth and self-discovery when listening to this album. As always, it's featured here, so I recommend obtaining a copy.

Australasia- "Vertebra" CD (Immortal Frost Productions)
Italian post-rockers Australasia already graced my site earlier this year with a very solid EP debut. Now they've returned with a full-length album, featuring some of the tracks from their EP as well as some interesting new territory. There's a much stronger vocal presence on this album, although it's still primarily an instrumental affair. These guys are now dabbling in everything from tremolo picking heaviness to subtle synth beauty to dark trip-hop inspired passages, yet it still feels like a very natural progression for these musicians who clearly love experimenting and playing with each other. Fans of progressive or otherwise playful music should enjoy this greatly. Purchase a copy of this album from Immortal Frost while they're still available. Also note--the bandcamp link above only has a small selection of songs from this album, which is far longer than bandcamp would have you think.

The Chewers- "Chuckle Change and Also" (Self-Released)
The Chewers are by far the strangest band I've featured here, and for their strangeness they've burrowed a funky little hole into my heart. Their music feels like a mix of the broken junkyard blues of late-80's Tom Waits and the unconventional madness of The Residents at pretty much any time in the past forty years. This stuff might fall under the whole "outsider music" tag but I'd be the last person to consider myself an expert on it.  Many of the songs are on the shorter side but it works nicely. Rather than allowing tunes to feel like good ideas that stretch on longer than they need, The Chewers let each song exist as it needs to, with no extra instrumentation or needlessly long songs. Purchase a download from their bandcamp and immerse yourself in the oddness. If you're at all curious about the weirder side of music, you need to hear The Chewers.

New Music: Welter In Thy Blood, Waves Crashing Piano Chords & Tanner Garza, and A Void In Coma,

Today we're going to delve into some albums that embody the coldness, anxiety, and horror that I love so much. If you're looking for some music to really saturate your environment with darkness, this post is for you.

Welter In Thy Blood- "Todestrieb" digipack CD (Dusktone)
Welter In Thy Blood's newest offering, "Todestrieb" approaches slowly, like the onset of old age and the weakness that accompanies it.  A low frequency static rumbles across the desolation of an empty wasteland as the band readies itself to deliver an ominous offering of slow and bleak industrialized doom. In many ways, the miserable territory covered here reminds me of the slower moments of Blut Aus Nord's "Work Which Transforms God," with layers of guitar collapsing in on themselves in a way that is just melodic enough to retain the attention of even skeptical listeners. Vocals howl in and around the song like icy winds, but seldom come to the forefront, which further darkens the atmosphere. While I've grown a bit skeptical of bands with nearly indecipherable logos, I'm really glad I gave this one a listen, as it's been something of an obsession for me for the past couple weeks.  The label's based out of Italy, but it's worth the cost of shipping. Grab a copy here.

Waves Crashing Piano Chords & Tanner Garza- "de Sade" CS (Forever Escaping Boredom)
This collaborative effort from two very different noise-based artists creates a chilling environment in which gently humming tape loops set an ethereal yet eerie backdrop for high-pitched feedback and chaos. For the uninitiated, Garza (also a member of the legendary Black Leather Jesus) is the loop mastermind, while WCPC brings the feedback-heavy assault. When vocals appear, they seem to mock and challenge the listener, before becoming part of the manipulated sounds that torment the mind of the listener. This is neither as soothing as Garza's solo material nor is it as abrasive as WCPC's typical chaos, making it a great release for folks who are familiar with either artist or for people simply looking for a good sampler of two of the more prolific noise artists around right now. Get this limited tape from Forever Escaping Boredom by ordering through the bandcamp link above.

A Void in Coma- "A Primal Obsession with the Cosmos" (Self-Released)
A Void in Coma are a new group to me, having never crossed my periphery until the band themselves contacted me. I'm glad they did. Their hypnotic, droning approach to ambient black metal works nicely. While they cite influences in the shoegaze genre, there's little to no presence of the highly overdone "blackgaze" sound. Instead, the music is meditative, clear, and can easily be listened to without digging through tremolo-picked guitar, although there is a heavy haze that adds to the mood. Vocals are delivered as chants, harsher traditional black metal vocals, and even occasional depraved howls, which presents a very enjoyable balance. While this album is not currently available for purchase in any physical formats, the band has plans to repress this demo and it is presently available as a download by clicking the link to the album itself.

Song Premiere: Venowl & Auditor- "Mounds of Scorched Teeth (Unmastered)"

I feel like I'm constantly having firsts here on this site. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do, because today's first is something I'm used to seeing only on more prominent sites. I have the first available track from the impending release from Venowl & Auditor entitled Acid Revealing Open Wounds. This release showcases some rather new territory for Venowl, who do seem to benefit from rising to the challenge of working with others. When they force their churning noise through the paradigm of another artist, they expand in new directions. Auditor's contributions to this release manifest as a sort of tension, something reeling in Venowl's typically rabid sound and forcing it along a newer path. While this isn't nearly as painful as having teeth burnt out of my skull, these guys continue to create sounds that walk the masochistic line between enjoyable and hideous in all the best ways. The crawling horror of Venowl is slow and meticulous, with loose arrangements allowing for Auditor to fill in the gaps with bursts of noise, melody, and everything in between. About halfway through, things become truly deconstructed and it almost feels like witnessing people being torn apart. Those who have enjoyed previous works from Venowl or Auditor's former project, Iron Forest, should know what to expect, although there are a few surprises hidden in the murk.

Unmastered copies of this CD will be sold in a specially packaged edition at Venowl & Auditor's upcoming show opening for Wreck and Reference in Chicago. Fully mastered audio will be available on a separate release later this year from Altar of Waste paired with a bonus disc of unreleased material from Venowl. For now, enjoy the first of this album's two tracks, "Mounds of Scorched Teeth."

Paramnesia- "Ce Que Dit La Bouche D'Ombre" CD-r (Self-Released)

Here's another post about a band that caught me off guard. I make a lot of these, because apparently most of the bands that are really shaking things up are interested in contacting me but aren't being discussed by my friends. So, meet Paramnesia, an engaging and incredible French black metal group. I received an email from a member of the band politely requesting that I listen to his music, and I'm thrilled I paid attention.

While there's a slight language barrier in our communications, I believe this album was written and recorded in a three day period. These two tracks are each fully formed journeys through territory that bring to mind tracks from equally crushing groups like Deathspell Omega or The Great Old Ones, both of whom also happen to be from France. It's definitely safe to say that French (and French Canadian) bands have frequently been among my favorites, so I'm pleased to see that Paramnesia are carrying the torch. While elements of shoegaze and doom weigh heavily in this music, atmospheric black metal is the primary focus here, and Paramnesia seldom stray into territory that would disappoint purists. Guitars weave textures and melodies more than riffs, while the drums and vocals accent the overall bleakness of the music without any one musician forcing the others out of the spotlight. The coordination here is really something to notice, especially if this album was churned out in such a rapid fashion.

Copies of this brilliant release are available from Paramnesia's bandcamp page, and feature stellar artwork from Business For Satan. Grab this while you can and prepare for the next offering, which the band has indicated will draw influences from groups like Paysage d'Hiver and Leviathan.

New tunes 5/22/13: Deathcult, Deuil, The Infernal Sea

Deathcult- The Test of Time CS (Caligari Records)
Deathcult is a one-man thrashy death metal band from Chicago who plays with the intensity of a full band. The album is loaded with eerily catchy leads and galloping riffs that are perfectly tailored for headbanging. The vocals at times remind me of the legendary Don Tardy from Obituary, so expect a really throaty attack. One hundred copies of this tape are available here, which is the debut of both band and record label. The label is rooted here in my current home of Tampa, FL and seems set to release more quality stuff in the very near future. With addictive songs like "Mutant Generation" and "Hail the Antichrist," this will be a hit at your next party.

Deuil- Acceptance/Rebuild CDr (Self-Released)
Deuil are one of those bands that totally caught me off guard. I've been receiving many emails from bands seeking review, (which is why I'm now doing these abbreviated posts in the first place--to catch up), and these guys instantly stood out. The album begins with a rather peculiar yet intriguing vocal drone that leads into filthy sludge that reminds me of the ferocity of groups like Amenra or Fall of Efrafa, with all the dynamics, peaks, and valleys you'd hope to find. These Belgian maniacs absolutely crush from start to finish with this album, which you can either download for the price you'd like or purchase on a beautifully packaged and screen-printed CDr. It's limited to 50 copies, so I'd hop on it quickly.

The Infernal Sea- Call of the Augur CD (Self-Released)
The Infernal Sea are probably the only band in this post that fit into the black metal spectrum, but they are vicious enough to cover all three slots in blackened fury. These guys have a very precise and well-executed brand of black metal that is not exclusively rooted in any one subcategory of metal. Drums are aggressive and perfectly placed, the vocals are truly ravenous, and the guitar tone is rooted in classic black metal while the riffs tend to meander through whatever territory The Infernal Sea deems necessary. It's solid, aggressive, and instantly memorable black metal with strong elements of death metal that never quite overpower the darker side of the music. Purchase a download from their bandcamp or do the right thing and order the actual CD for your collection.

Buried- "The Only Promise" (Loaded Sound Records)

Today we're taking a trip through some territory that could be considered unsettling by many, with the debut release from Loaded Sound Records, Buried's horrifying black drone offering entitled "The Only Promise." This double-sided cassette features the same three songs on each side, each an untitled piece of that contribute's to the album's greater focus on the theme of imminent death and how each human being chooses how to deal or not deal with this unifying experience.

With knowledge of the album's theme in mind, it's hard not to notice how each sonic aspect of the album rotates back towards our dwindling time on this planet. The guitars stretch out in ever-expanding riffs that rumble onward while the first number of minutes of this album almost entirely lack percussion save for a single hi-hat strike that serves as the ticking of our collective clock. Vocals are sparse and hidden deep within the mix, but they're downright painful to hear and the lyrics are blunt and hopeless. Anything more flowery or complicated would dilute the intensity and simplicity of the message: everything you will ever do will eventually be rendered irrelevant, as we're all going to cease to be at some point in the relatively near future. The album itself even serves as both the fight against and the surrender to death, which I find is rather unique and makes this album just as much of a rite of passage as it is a meditation on this generally uncomfortable topic. While things speed up a bit at the end, it only feels like the last attempts to evade an already sealed fate. I can't say I feel any easier about my own demise after listening to this album, but I do feel that this album is a safe place to visit when I need to feel a connection to music that addresses such a concern. If you like your doom to be agonizingly slow and blackened to the point of absorbing all light, you need to give this tape a listen.

Copies are available from the band's merch store as well as the  Loaded Sound shop, where they've also got a sweet Buried shirt design, nifty cassette-worshiping beanies, and an even niftier Satan-worshiping tote bag. This may be the first Loaded Sound release, but I already know I can expect quality to come from this label in the future. Keep an eye on their website for more updates.

A death Cinematic- Corrosions of Traveled Daydreams CS (Tycho Magnetic Anomalies)

Just over two months ago, I was fortunate enough to interview a death cinematic, who briefly made mention of a future cassette release from Tycho Magnetic Anomalies. Such a short time later, I find that a copy of this cassette has made its way into my hands (and many other copies are available for purchase), and I'm finding myself surprised once again by an artist whose music has already been in my thoughts for years. As always, a death cinematic has outdone himself with both presentation and music. This is his first cassette release, and he has transitioned quite nicely from digital to analog with this album.

a death cinematic has always had an audience with the drone metal community despite lack of any direct "heavy metal" sections in the songs, but the very first moments of "Corrosions of Traveled Daydreams" consist of a nearly galloping riff that lasts just long enough to disintegrate into cleaner, gentler territory than I've usually heard from this artist. The contrast between two new extremes presented here had already gained my interest, but even without context of a death cinematic's other releases, this album impresses me. Clean guitars seamlessly integrate with the hum of gently rolling drones, and melancholic notes stretch slowly across percussive static. Despite the melody so often displayed, this is not so much a reflection of joy as it is the aural equivalent of the last glimmer of hope. These are not songs for the victorious nearly in the sense that these are songs for survivors. If there is any beauty at all, it is only in the knowledge that the world will continue its course regardless of humanity's intentions. Desolation and rebuilding have long been at the heart of a death cinematic's sound. With this release, the two have merged into a sort of functional emptiness. From soft to entirely jagged, the sounds and colors swirl and  soar through a bleak and unchanging landscape. The world a death cinematic shares here may be covered in soot, but its rivers still run and the roots of the trees still grow. The song titles and sonic paintings tell of a human race that has lost itself in a way that would make Cormac McCarthy smile, if he's capable of such a thing. There is little good left in humanity, and nature will eventually undo our messes when we finally finish destroying ourselves, at least if I've been listening properly.

Perhaps my words have been a bit abstract here, but when dealing with music of this nature, I find concepts and feelings become stronger than genres and ideas. a death cinematic works just as much in textures and blurred sounds as with defined song structures and discernible instrumentation. To limit a review to simply touching upon the musical characteristics would be a disservice to music that is created with such a visual and conceptual approach. In fact, accompanying this album are a set of photographs and vellum prints, along with a poem, an etched wood box, and decals with the album cover's trademark dead bird. The entire experience of this album is both humbling and impressive, and demonstrates an expertise that I hope to witness again soon. This release has been limited to a mere 60 copies, yet some are still available from the label at this time. As a reviewer and lover of music, it's my duty to recommend you purchase this before they sell out.

Ramlord- "Crippled Minds, Sundered Wisdom" LP (Hypaethral Records)

Some of you may remember Ramlord as that band I once used the word "crushing" to describe too many times. Some of you may also remember that I think "crushing" is an awesome thing that doesn't happen enough in the reviews I write. Specializing in lo-fi black metal often leaves me with a lack of solid headbanging, skull-crushing tunes. Luckily Ramlord exist so that I may write about their boozy, chaotic blackened crust madness and get my daily recommended dose of crushing. To say that this new album is a positive expansion on the material presented on their split with Cara Neir is an understatement, and I'm pretty stoked on it.

I often feel the need to write from the perspective of an educated, intelligent, well-spoken individual, but with music this raw, I feel that flowery speech would detract from just how ferocious this is. Listening to this takes me back to the days when I hung out at basement shows and drank as much cheap beer and whiskey as I could before burrito cravings set in. The difference here is that Ramlord don't seem intent on creating fun for their listeners so much as they are hellbent on imparting bleak fury. I'm nodding my head along while I listen to the album, but I'm also kinda stuck on the fact that I'm going to die one day. All the lyrics seem to lead me back to the impermanence of mortality and the futility of believing in something beyond this world. It makes me just want to dig into the music all the more, clinging to every hideous moment because this music itself is bursting with life, almost in defiance of death. The frantic pace of the music, the harshness and humanity of the vocals, the energy creates a sort of pessimistic beauty. Another thing that really works for this is Ramlord's complete lack of commitment to any one niche within the greater genres of crust, metal, or whatever else you'd call their music. Thirty-second facemelters like "Enslaved" exist in some sort of twisted harmony with the eight-minute closing nightmare of "Extinction of Clairvoyance (Part Two)," which is a continuation of the aforementioned split with Cara Neir. This whole album gives me way too much to digest, but I can say with complete sincerity that I'm okay with a bit of sonic uneasiness. I've always been into discomfort and struggle in music, so the massive quantity of chaotic and cathartic experience here gives me something hearty to sink my teeth into.

So this slab of viciousness has already been available for digital download for about a month, but I'm a total slacker. The benefit of me not posting this until now is that if you're super cool and preorder the record (for a measly fifteen bucks), you've only got to wait about a month for it to ship out. So what are you waiting for? You could have this album for free, or you can be one of only 100 awesome individuals to own this depressing mess on vinyl. I'm part of the second group; will you join me?

Northumbria- "Northumbria" (TQA Records) + "All Days Begin As Nights" (Unreleased)

In case the title of this post didn't make it apparent, today we're examining two albums by one group which are related in such a fashion that it's nearly impossible to post about one without making mention of the other. Northumbria are a self-described "ambient metal" duo from Canada, although genres seldom describe the music properly, especially with such a compelling sonic palette as that which Northumbria uses to craft their heavy drones. While part of me wants to call Northumbria's music soothing, I feel that such a term implies a shoegaze-influenced sensibility, which definitely wouldn't quite cut it. To put it plainly, I'm not quite sure what to call Northumbria other than highly enjoyable and well-crafted music that has roots in everything from the self-proclaimed term ambient metal to the farther reaches of drone, yet refuses to sit firmly in any one subcategory.

Northumbria's eponymous full-length album was released some time last year by TQA Records, and it's a great place to start. These five tunes clock in at just over 50 minutes and lead me to a very mellow, introspective place. While the guitars are dense and distorted, I feel as though these songs are more meditative than destructive. A layer of fuzz and static serves as a canvas upon which Northumbria paints textures with soaring notes and occasional jagged assaults that last just long enough to create a tension which they swiftly relieve. Some folks might take issue with the lack of percussion, but I feel that music like this doesn't need to be chained down by anything other than pure melody and expression. In a way, the closest sonic kin I can find for this album would be the works of another favorite of mine, a death cinematic, an artist who also goes without percussion yet retains a heightened sense of clarity.

Examining Northumbria's currently unreleased EP, All Days Begin As Night, I find that familiarity with the prior release is almost mandatory, as three of the four songs here are altered versions of songs from their self-titled release. This album begins with the title track, which at just shy of eight minutes in length is the shortest composition from Northumbria. This tune follows a similar path to those presented on their first album, with an ethereal drone that manages to straddle the line between haunting and calming without ever straying too far into either territory. The sounds grow in size to fill whatever space the listener inhabits and the composition as a whole evokes thoughts of the shifting beauty of aurora borealis. Following this is Theologian's cascading re-envisioning of "Lux Lunae," now titled "The Sanguine Moon." This was by far the most dissonant track in its original incarnation, but true to Theologian's fashion, it's somehow both mellower here and far more frightening, like the unsettling backing track to a dimly lit horror scene.  This might be my top pick on this album, although to discredit the other two remixes would be unwise. Famine's brief yet intense rendition of "Threnody" is probably the busiest tune here, as the incorporation of light drum programming turns this into a glitchy electronic piece that might not sound out of place beside Ulver's "Metamorphosis." Closing things out is a stellar, almost uplifting reworking of "Black Sea of Trees" by Witxes, which serves as a relatively soothing end to a highly adventurous EP.

You might notice that there isn't information available on this unreleased EP, such as a release date or a label. This is because Northumbria are currently searching for a label who is willing to release this album on vinyl. If you're a label, this could be an opportunity for you to deal with a band who are already making an impact. If you're a listener eager to hear this, share a link to this review with anybody you know who might have label connections. Let's help this album get the release it deserves.

Music Review: Fister- "Violence" 10" (Gogmagogical Records)

Fister's album "Violence" was originally released on cassette sometime last year, but has been recently reissued on vinyl by Gogmagogical Records. Much like the tape, (which was recently featured in a guest post from my friend Jon), the packaging and overall presentation for this record are top notch, but I'll get to that in a little bit. I remember hearing Fister's name once or twice throughout 2012, but somehow they slipped through the cracks as I devoured as many bands as I possibly could while starting this blog. I'm glad they came back onto my radar, because everything about this is just overwhelmingly awesome.

The album seems to follow the theme of humanity's self-imposed end, as evidenced by prophetic and apocalyptic song titles and atmosphere. Opening movement (it's one giant song, after all) "Forced Extinction" dives right in with a pummeling and ominous riff that sits somewhere directly between death-laden doom and crusty aggression. I'm a sucker for a heavy and memorable riff, and this album is exploding with them. The album's title also feels so appropriate for this release, as most of this record creates the feeling of being bludgeoned. The vocals are pure filth here, so any folks who prefer the cleaner bluesier sludge should probably look elsewhere, but it fits the oppressive nature of this music perfectly in my opinion. The album is practically dripping with feedback and other eerie effects, even in sparser passages, which gives the constant pulse of drums a bit more space in the mix and allows for perfect climaxes when the guitars come back in after short breaks here and there. Listening to this album, I get the sensation of digging through the crumbling remnants of the world we know today in an attempt to find the perfect hiding place, only to be torn from the earth like everybody else. If your idea of a great metal album includes slow, agonizing music that creates the sensation of being torn to pieces by some sort of great tormentor, you really need this in your life.

If the music alone isn't enough of a strong selling point, Gogmagogical has released this album in five separate packages, each limited to one hundred copies. Each album cover (and similarly colored record) represents one of the five moments and themes established on this album. The band (or perhaps the label) found a different artist to contribute for each design, and all five did fantastic work. I eventually decided upon the fifth color scheme/album cover for myself, created by artist Josh Rowan, which is entitled "Megabolide." I'm quite fond of blue vinyl and the impending asteroid presented on the cover artwork was too great to not obtain, but each of the other selections was equally tempting in its own way. I also happened to notice on the inner ring of my record that there was a thin carving that says "you've run too far" on the A-side and "you belong to us now" on the B-side. While this isn't a major packaging detail, I love when musicians and labels put as much passion into their presentation as I put into enjoying it. Perhaps the other four versions of this record have different inscriptions, I guess one of you will have to buy a different version of this album and let me know. As a final note, since I don't get to do reviews of smaller products, Fister has some super sweet beer koozies for sale that look mighty tempting to me. Hop on these before they sell out and share pictures of your loot with me. Cheers!

Free Music Friday: Satan's Basement/The Baptism Split Cassette

Today's review is an interesting one for me. I'll admit that even a month ago, I was unaware that either of these groups existed. Furthermore, baptisms and Satan are inherently at odds with each other, so I was a bit amused by the unintentional contrast of the names of the bands, which intrigued me. While these names might imply bedroom black metal wizardry of some sort, the music here is definitely cut from a different strain of the metal world. Satan's Basement spends a lot of time proclaiming love for Bolt Thrower and Cavity on facebook, and the influences show here, especially Cavity. The Baptism I've got a hard time pinpointing or naming, but we'll get to that as the review goes on. Regardless of genre, this is definitely a piece of music that belongs on a metal blog, and this is definitely a metal blog.

Starting things off is Satan's Basement, contributing five full tracks and four interludes to their portion of this split. Opening track "Debilitation Through Insolence" appropriately starts things off at a snail's pace with bellowed vocals and dense guitars.  I will admit that I have no idea what is happening with the programmed drums in the faster passages of this first track, but the riffs and the vocals are ominous enough to overcome my confusion, and I'm listening through computer speakers (since my tape hasn't arrived yet), so take that mild criticism with a grain of salt. While some tracks feature more traditional metal riffs, there is a generally thick feeling throughout this side of the split that showcases Satan's Basement's commitment to heavier sounds, displayed quite well on the punky "Jethro Racing Music." Cutting up the slabs of sludgy goodness are well-executed transitional tracks that help craft an atmosphere of anxiety and chaos that pairs well with the phenomenal artwork that accompanies this tape. I'll touch on the artwork more in a bit, but for now it's time to visit with The Baptism.

The Baptism follow up with five tracks of pure hatred. The shrieking feedback and relentless drumming paired with ominous and depraved vocals reminds me of some twisted hybrid of Today is the Day and mid-period Behemoth, back when they weren't sure if they were black or death metal. As both these projects are one-man bands, it's really fantastic to find two groups who sound so different yet clearly have so much in common. Their second track, "Exit," has me thoroughly impressed. It's a dense and confusing affair, but I can't help but nod my head along and tap my feet, which I imagine is the blogger's equivalent of "rocking out," as it were. The only thing I can say I'm let down by with The Baptism's side of the split is that I'd rather see another original piece instead of their cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr. Crowley" that closes out this album. It's not poorly executed in any way, I'd just rather hear more tunes from this promising new group. Regardless, they manage to not butcher a well-known song, as many metal bands tend to do, so I still approve of their choice to cover this tune.

Finally, I must say that the artwork here is beyond remarkable. You may have noticed that I shared a different album cover for each artist. That's because these guys went out of their way to make sure that the split has the best damn art possible. Both artists run their own labels and each label has its own unique set of art. The mural pictured above is the masterpiece which both individual covers are cut from, and is displayed on the official facebook page for this split album, where you can also find the album available for the free download that you've been waiting for. If you feel like making the official commitment and getting this badass album art along with your music, you can purchase it from either Hildsvfar Records or Excess and Moral Decay Recordings. Since each label only has eleven copies of this split, I don't believe it's featured in either store. Just send them an email and you'll be able to receive a copy of this excellent split tape.

Music Review: Venowl- "Gnawed Gristle and Bone" EP

Welcome back to another Black Metal and Brews review of a new Venowl release. In addition to being an incredibly enjoyable group for me, they've got an obscene amount of releases for me to cover. While there are sections of their back catalog I'm still attempting to gather and share with you all, today's review focuses on a brand new EP, which is currently up for pre-order (and will be released on November 25th) on Ominous Silence. That's right, this is the first pre-release review and it's a fitting one. While the previously featured "Patterns of Failure" was an absolute nightmare of an album, with dense production only adding to the horror Venowl created, Gnawed Gristle and Bone has a clarity that shows the listener just how chaotic the music can get.

This one song album opens with humming feedback and a glistening ambiance. This album was mixed by Garry Brents from Cara Neir and mastered by Mories from Gnaw Their Tongues, and it definitely shows. If you've ever heard the aural violence of Gnaw Their Tongues or the intensity of Cara Neir, you need only imagine how insane their involvement makes this album sound. As always, Venowl create some of the slowest, most violent music I've ever heard. The shrieks of anguish are no longer buried in the mud. They're now at the forefront of the music, creating an agonizing sense of terror. Every time the song starts to form a listenable pattern or some sort of groove, the band intentionally takes the song out of what could become a comfortable territory and steers it into a new variety of noise. The guitars churn at some of the lowest frequencies possible, providing more of a grinding sound atmosphere more than a collection of riffs. There are no melodies here for you to hum with, there is no hope of escape. Halfway through this twenty-three minute long torture ritual, some sort of keyboard or choral atmosphere creeps into the background. Instead of providing a sense of comfort, it only adds another smothering layer to the discomfort Venowl revel in.

This album's title and sound evoke the sensation of being a live animal on some sort of factory farm, being forcefed into machinery to be packaged and sold as meat to others. You can hear your own heart beat heavily with anxiety. Your breath becomes deep and slow. It almost feels like being hunted. As always, Venowl are the sort of band who are best described in sensations rather than familiar musical terms. Any attempts at giving this a proper categorization will only give the listener a preconceived understanding that will inevitably fall short.

If you like music that might cause your bowels to evacuate, give this a listen. This is definitely a more developed work than some of the material I've heard from Venowl in the past, although it is no more sterile or safe than anything else they've created. If anything, this is the sound of a band who is becoming an incredibly efficient killing machine. This is by far the most unsettling release I've heard all year and I expect it to be even more gripping when it's released in physical format. There will be 75 grey cassettes released, each    with a burgundy/maroon o-card sleeve with letter-pressed artwork, and given this label's commitment to high quality small run releases, I anticipate it will sound incredible.

Free Music Friday: Wizard Smoke- "The Speed of Smoke"

It's time for another weekend, which means another new album for you to study and enjoy. Today's free album comes courtesy of Atlanta-based sludgelords Wizard Smoke. If the name seems a bit ridiculous to you, then you probably shouldn't read on. While their name conjures up images of Gandalf enjoying his pipeweeds, their music is sure to bash in your skull at a slow and steady pace.

Opening this massive album is the intimidating "Dead Wood," a mid-paced jam with distant shrieks cutting through the thick and heavy layers of guitars and drums. All the harsh vocals on this album sound as though they're being screamed from across a vast chasm, or perhaps from an evil wizard calling out from another dimension. I'm a sucker for that distant reverb-heavy sound, and Wizard Smoke seem to be on the same page. Despite their love for a good groove, these guys aren't afraid to get a bit spacey and psychedelic, which is an excellent addition. There are so many solid guitar leads throughout the album, adding layers of light and contrast to the bleak cosmic doom that makes up the majority of this band's songwriting. It's the little accents that really bring out the strengths of a band like Wizard Smoke. Solid repetition can be enjoyable, but the subtle variations that may go unnoticed keep a steady groove from becoming a monotonous task. I find myself nodding my head along through the entire 45 minutes of this mammoth of an album, which is pretty awesome. My personal favorite track on the album is the psychedelic dirge, "Weakling," which features heavily processed vocals that sound alien in origin over a solid, aggressive groove, which eventually boils over and dissolves into the haunting intro for the nearly eleven minute epic, "Growing." If you want to get down to some great sludge, find it here.

Each song on this album has a sold mix of old and new ideas. Some of the riffs feel like they were pulled from the same bluesy swamps from which Black Sabbath crafted their first album, and some moments here feel like they'd be more at home sharing a stage with the ferocity of a band like Thou. It's really wonderful to have a band cover the entire progression of a genre in one album like this. I feel like I've listened to five equally relevant blues, metal, and rock albums in the time it took me to listen to this one piece of metal fury. If you're into any sort of slow and heavy music, you should give this album a listen. After all, the band themselves have it up for free download on their website. If you're like me and think you may want a physical copy of this beast after your repeated visits with this smoky stompy album, the band appear to have some copies of the cassette left in their online store for only five bucks. Doom on, and I'll see you next Friday for another freebie.