Fallen Empire's New Release Bundle: Tukaaria, Lluvia, & Death Fortress

For your convenience, one of my favorite labels has released a discounted package of their three newest releases. Normally when labels package together releases like this, it's because one is a weak seller or because one is a higher profile release meant to carry along a smaller, newer act. This isn't the case here, with three of Fallen Empire's finest releases to date all packaged as one. One of these is a reissue of an album that is likely familiar to many of my readers, while the other two are new releases from familiar faces. As with every Fallen Empire release, these are available for streaming and download from the label's bandcamp page. NOTE: All images in this review courtesy of Fallen Empire's official photographer, astareth.

Tukaaria- "Raw to the Rapine" LP
This Rhinocervs cassette (and subsequent Profound Lore CD) gem is finally seeing the gorgeous vinyl edition it's always deserved. While I can safely assume that Tukaaria has earned a reputation as a household name for most folks who visit this blog, here's a brief introduction. As with many Rhinocervs groups, Tukaaria's debut full-length is a violent piece of raw black metal, complete with choppy drumming, alternately dense and sparse song structures, and slightly psychedelic guitar touches in all the right spots. The vocals are some of the most human sounding howls I've heard from a USBM group outside of the Colloquial Sound roster, which adds a degree of human misery here that many other Rhinocervs releases lack. As with Fallen Empire's vinyl reissues of other modern USBM classics, the fullness of sound on this release (quite possibly due to a remaster from the legendary Colin Marston) truly makes it worth revisiting, even if you've already got it on cassette or CD. Especially as part of the bundle, this is a must have due to its affordability and high quality presentation.

Lluvia- "Premonicion de Guerra" LP/CS
Lluvia is the newest incarnation of Lord Vast, formerly of The Rain in Endless Fall & Wylve. My experience with this album begins with the insert, which indicates that no matter where on earth Lord Vast may reside, he takes with him the spirit of true Mexican black metal. This seems appropriate, as with this album he has dropped his prior English language ties and, at least in both album and song titles, committed himself exclusively to the proper native tongue of Spanish with this declaration of black metal war. Consistently bleak in atmosphere without catering to silly tactics that many bands use to "set a mood" in black metal, this release sees Lluvia utilizing gorgeously textured tremolo-picking and well arranged clean passages to craft the direction each song will take, weaving blankets of sound rather than black metal's typically jagged song structures. As the project's name (which is Spanish for "rain") would indicate, sounds of storms and rainfall often lead into songs. While this could be easily seen as a gimmick, it feels like a respectable and appropriate sonic decision rather than a cash-in on a theme. Vast has truly channeled the raging force of an oncoming storm. His next assault is already planned for 2014, with a recently released promotional cassette of new demo tracks that managed to sell out in the blink of an eye. If this debut release is any indication, we can only expect greatness to come.

Death Fortress- "Mirror Into Eternity" CS
Expanding upon Death Fortress's excellent debut demo (and brilliant split with Axis of Light) is "Mirror Into Eternity," a clearer, more vicious cassette. For those who were introduced to this group via the SVN OKKLT compilation, the third track here, "Master-Deceiver" will be a familiar tune, and its companion tracks are all equally enjoyable. There's more of a black metal edge to this release than the debut demo's primitive blackened death assault, but the primal brutality does remain intact in the form of a very present, pummeling low end. From what I've come to understand, this is Death Fortress's last release as a one-man project. I can only imagine how heavy this project will become once recordings as a complete band commence, as it's already some of the densest, most evil one-man black metal I've ever heard. While this EP can absolutely stand on its own, I can't help but treat this as a sample of the magnificence to come. In no way does this detract from this brilliant tape, but I truly believe that an impending LP will escalate Death Fortress from "buzz band" to being a prominent artist. Keep an eye out.

Xothist- s/t LP (Fallen Empire Records)

Xothist's debut album has been out for a while now, but up until just recently it had only been available on a highly limited cassette from the now defunct Bleak Environment. Thanks to Fallen Empire Records, this album has now seen release on vinyl with a recent remaster and is finally getting the more widespread attention it deserves. As Xothist's sole member is a former member of the indescribable Tollund Men, it's no surprise that the suffocating brand of ambient black metal presented here is unique and highly unorthodox. This album has been a quick seller, so check out my review and then grab a copy quickly, before they vanish entirely.

Each side of this record contains a single track just under twenty-one minutes long, allowing Xothist to slowly craft a dense and precise atmosphere rather than rushing any musical ideas. The heavy electronic elements presented here add a rather uneasy feeling to the music, and the first number of minutes of either side of the record captures the feeling of being hunted down. I'm not sure if Xothist is the predator or if he's conveying his experience as the prey, but it's unsettling regardless. When the electronic tension finally breaks into a cathartic explosion of distorted guitars and vocals, it still feels like there is a smothering element to the music. Everything seems to be either hidden behind a veil of some sort, or perhaps it's even just pushing down heavily on the listener. The feeling of a struggle is apparent in every moment of this recording, whether nearly silent or bursting with energy. The music often pours over at a mid-paced gallop, with electronic chaos exploding in the distance from time to time. While the production allows me to hear most of what's happening, there is an intentional blurring of instruments that creates a more textured and oppressive feeling than many similarly paced black metal albums would attain. When the speed picks up, it still feels pained on an almost cosmic level rather than "evil" as many faster black metal releases seem to strive for. Indeed, Xothist emanates suffering, mechanical disconnection, and universal emptiness far more than evil, hatred, or aggression. While I am not privy to the lyrical content, I'd be quite interested to know what's going on here, as the music is far more compelling and intelligent than the average black metal release.

Copies of this album with patches (pictured immediately above) are in short supply, although regular copies still remain for the time being. If you don't want to be left behind, I recommend making a purchase immediately. It's only $16 and well worth it. As always, Fallen Empire has made this album available as a "pay what you like" download from their bandcamp if you aren't entirely ready for this on vinyl, although I have no idea why you wouldn't want this album in your grubby little hands.

Year End Extravaganza: Split Albums of 2012

Split albums seem to be regaining popularity in the extreme underground lately. They provide a great opportunity to hear a new artist while also obtaining new tunes from an artist you already love. If you're adventurous like me, oftentimes a split album is an easy way to discover multiple new bands all at once. As with my last list of concerts, I feel there were many stellar split albums released this year that deserve a mention on this blog in one way or another, but I'm not really inclined to prioritize. I will also apologize for not providing full details on each split here, but each of these was worth mentioning in its own way and I think I can let the music speak for itself wherever possible. Also, yes I have twelve releases on this list rather than a rounded number. I could have listed an even greater amount, but I'm trying to show something resembling self-restraint here.

A Pregnant Light/SADOS- "The SkyConspired Against Thee Before Thy Bones Had Dried" (Colloquial Sound Recordings)

This split was the second release from the ferocious A Pregnant Light, and so far the only utterance from the jagged and intriguing black monument of SADOS. Each group provided one lengthy song for this split, and it's a monumental experience. The dichotomy between these two artists shows the perfect nature of a split release.

Adversarial/Antediluvian- "Initiated in Impiety as Mysteries" (Nuclear War Now! Productions)

If you've followed this blog for any amount of time, you know some of my favorite keywords are filthy, hideous, and fuzzy. This swampy death metal release lives in the middle of some unknown territory directly between all of those terms. It's ugly and wonderful in every way I'd want. Adversarial and Antediluvian each contribute three menacing tracks, so grab this split while it's still available.

Batillus/Whitehorse (Vendetta)

As a fan of both extreme music and extreme beards, I've long held a soft spot in my heart for Australian death/doom maniacs Whitehorse. This split was my introduction to Batillus, and I'm quite grateful for it, as their contribution here is equally crushing and fantastic. My only regret is that they didn't accompany Whitehorse on their tour dates down here in Florida. Next time, Batillus, next time.

Cara Neir/Ramlord (Broken Limbs Recording)

This split caught me slightly off guard, I'll admit. I grabbed it on a whim, having heard just a bit of Cara Neir's music before, but I was quite pleased. In fact, I wrote a review of this album a few months ago that will do it better justice than this abridged snippet could. Check it out.

Barghest/False (Gilead Media)

This monster of an album would be a likely contender for album of the year if I were making such a list, split or not. To put it simply, Barghest's violent and scathing assault is the perfect complement to False's ethereal yet driving black metal. There isn't a bad moment on this album, and I'm always eager to flip it back over and play the other side when it's finished. If you don't already own this in some format, get on it.

Fossils/Winters in Osaka- "Celestial Hieroglyphs" (Cardinal Records)

This fantastic noise collage came into my periphery somewhat by accident. In a series of clicking "related videos" on youtube, I came across the sampler for this split and was sold. It's beautiful and scratchy. It's definitely on the safer end of the noise spectrum for those not yet comfortable with the harsh noise wall business. There's a good bit of sonic experimentation and trickery occurring here, which is perfect for me.

Grave Upheaval/Manticore (Nuclear War Now! Productions)
Another split from Nuclear War Now! that embodies my love of ugly, murky metal. Grave Upheaval are a mysterious group with members of the legendary Portal. The music is exactly what you'd expect for anything associated with Portal, but on the more primitive side of things. Less technicality, more horror. Manticore play more of a blackened death assault, with vocals that verge on the decipherable and a slightly less dense sound, but make up for it with unrivaled aggression.

Hell/Thou- "Resurrection Bay" (Pesanta Urfolk/Gilead Media)
Neither of these bands should be too foreign to most folks who are keeping an eye on the metal underground as a whole. Hell provides an ominous descent into despair and misery with their unique brand of churning sludge. Thou follow up with a ritualistic and jagged dirge of their own. The whole affair is tortured and violent, as you'd expect from either group. It's a stellar introduction to either of these bands for those not yet initiated.

Horseback/Njiqahdda/Venowl/Cara Neir (Handmade Birds)
This massive split is another album that just blew me away this year. I've subjected other folks to it on the road, I've forced my friends to sit and listen to it in my room, and I've written a review of it that says everything I could say here and more. Give it a read.

Sadness Saturn/Golden Raven (Handmade Birds)
This fantastic cassette holds the distinction of being the very first album I reviewed here on Black Metal and Brews. It's still an exciting and challenging listen for me, and it's interesting to read back my old review and see how differently I was writing just a few months ago. It's only fitting that this winds up on my list for the year's end.

Trist/Nuit Noire (Fallen Empire)
This 7" was one of those albums that took me by surprise. I'd heard the name of each group countless times but never really bothered to listen. As you can tell by the review I wrote last month, I regret not having heard these groups earlier.

Yellow Eyes/Monument (Sol Y Nieve)

As with a handful of these wonderful albums, this one already received high praise on my blog a couple months back. This also received high praise for its packaging from my friend Jon, who runs The Inarguable. The tape is as beautiful as the packaging it's been given. 

Music Review: Trist & Nuit Noire split 7"

Today I'm examining an album by two bands who have been rather heavily hyped, yet have remained unheard by me until now. This split showcases that bands putting out a collaborative effort do not need to sound alike to complement each other nicely. I'll often hear a split album by two nearly identical bands that only serves to blur the line between the two and I find myself assuming that neither was creative enough to distinguish itself from its peer. The opposite seems to be true here, with two bands playing very different styles of black metal that are both quite pleasant to my ears.

Trist gets side A of this split, using it to continue the "Nostalgie" theme. This is "Nostalgie III", although you don't need to hear the others to appreciate this piece of music. I'll admit that this is my first experience with Trist and I still enjoyed it thoroughly, despite my evident need for further familiarity with Trist's body of work. This six minute track jumps right in with a dense and melancholy atmosphere that instantly reminds me of Amesoeurs' first EP, which is one of my personal favorites. The guitars buzz with sadness and the middle of the road tempo works well to create movement without it feeling frantic and abrasive. There isn't a whole lot of variation to this song, but it honestly doesn't need it. The greyscale photography of old buildings and nature that are paired with this side of the split work to create a true feeling of isolation and beauty. I always love when a band's artwork and music seamlessly fuse to immerse me in the experience, so this gets a thumbs up from me. I've long been a sucker for the depressive side of black metal, but have found a lot of recent attempts to be less than satisfying, so this is an incredibly welcome breath of fresh air.

If Trist's side of the split is meant to convey isolation and nature, then Nuit Noire's conveys madness and fantasy. The lyrical fascination with fairies here struck me as a bit bizarre at first, but the artwork and music are both spectacular and the fairy theme has somewhat grown on me. While most black metal bands seem content to talk about suicide, Satan, or Tolkien, this is an interesting subcategory and it brings me some joy to hear an original idea within a genre that's been worn thin. The thick fuzz of Trist's side does little to prepare the listener for the lo-fi punk-inspired black metal that comprises these two tracks. The vocals are pretty much just shouted/spoken in classic punk and hardcore fashion, which gives these songs a little more accessibility than standard harsh black metal vocals would, and helps gives a more timeless feel to the music. This could have been recorded in the late eighties and would have still been appropriate for the black metal trends of the era, which is not an easy accomplishment. The opening track, "Faerie Was Already There" is played at a breakneck pace yet it still manages to have some great guitar leads that make it memorable and catchy. The second track, "Fairies Fuck Humans" is a bit more varied of a tune, with some slower passages creating a nice balance to contrast the intense faster sections. I like to imagine that this is what one would hear when approaching the ominous gates that Nuit Noire has chosen for their logo.

While each side of this split ends rather abruptly, it only leaves me eager to find more releases from each of these groups. If you haven't already grabbed a copy of this split, you'd be wise to do so. Both groups are prime examples of their respective subcategories within the vast sea that black metal has become, and at only seven dollars from Fallen Empire, this record is practically a steal.

Music Review: Death Fortress- "Pulling Ancient Stone" Cassette

Death Fortress is probably one of the freshest faces I've reviewed on this blog to date. Virtually unknown to me (and likely the black metal community as a whole) until the past month or so, this band has already made quite an impact on me personally, and will hopefully do the same for you as my readers. Everything about this tape screams raw and primitive. The packaging, songwriting, and even production values give this cassette the feeling that Death Fortress are channeling something ancient and ugly.

Opening track "Eternal Enemies" is a barrage of blastbeats, guitars that stay primarily on the lower end yet retain the evil black metal atmosphere, and vocals that sound more akin to a cave dwelling beast than any modern man. The filth and fury here are thick and have made an instant fan of me. As soon as the song feels like it may build up to an overwhelming degree, it slows down just enough to make the second half of the song feel twice as furious. I feel like this band could play with equal success to a crowd of black metal elitists with folded arms as they could to old school death metal purists looking for a good opportunity to beat the living hell out of each other. If the ferocity of the first song wasn't enough, the title track follows with equally venomous intent. The drumming is a little easier to decipher through this song's particular fuzz, and I must say that it's quite impressive for this genre. Black metal bands don't often take care to keep the lower frequencies interesting, so it's nice to hear some truly masterful performance on the drums. A few minutes in, the song slows down into one of the most evil mid-paced riffs I've heard in a long time. I'm not counting minutes because I'm too busy enjoying this, but I seriously wish it could go on forever. While it doesn't last long, it provides the perfect breather and balance to the sheer violence it leads up to. These two songs end as suddenly as they began, leaving me with a desire for more ugliness, but I imagine there will be more to come from this bold new group.

If you're interested in some aggressive new sounds, you can preview this album on bandcamp. As a warning to my readers, when I listened to this from my laptop on , it really didn't do the intensity of this cassette justice. The lo-fi aesthetics that sound great through a high quality sound system can sound rather flat and unimpressive from a computer. As with many other albums, I highly urge you to grab a copy for yourself so you can listen to it in the proper format.

Music Review: Din of Awakening- "Demo II" Cassette

Din of Awakening are an entity that have been drawing my interest for a relatively short span of time. Just a few months ago, I'd never heard of them. After noticing their debut cassette was featured on SVN OKKLT, I decided to give them some attention. An initial listen didn't fully capture my attention, yet I felt compelled to listen again. The first demo from Din of Awakening eventually grew on me, with its hazy and oppressive songs pairing nicely with its obvious inspiration from cult film Begotten. When I learned they had a second demo being released so shortly after, I was quite excited and decided to obtain a copy for myself. As a shared release from Fallen Empire in the US and Mordgrimm in the UK, this is another promising release from this young one-man project.

This second slab of filth is instantly very different. These three untitled tracks carry a strong death metal influence that the first demo lacked. Vocals are more present and aggressive and there's a greater sense of urgency here. The packaging is well designed yet sparse, primarily calling for support for the Animal Liberation Front, a group whose intense and urgent message pairs quite well with the aggression presented on this demo. The first track switches between melodic leads and bass heavy beat downs that would put modern day hardcore bands to shame in the best way possible. The second track comes in more slowly yet with equal aggression and almost has a groove you can pick out and move along with. About halfway in the volume drops considerably, making time for a quick bass solo before the entire song comes back with redoubled force and purpose. The shift in music gave me a slight alarm and I believe it was intentional. The unpredictable nature of this music is what makes it so compelling, after all. The closing track opens with feedback and fuzzy riffs that remind me of material from the first Din of Awakening demo, yet the production here is still much meatier and more balanced. This is probably the most typically black metal track on the album, although it's currently my personal favorite.

If you're interested in hearing these three hideous enigmas, you can listen in full before making a purchase. As with a handful of other recently reviewed albums, this cassette can be obtained in the Fallen Empire store for the pretty reasonable price of five dollars. With such a prolific project, I expect there will be many more Din of Awakening albums to come. Get on board before these sell out. For a beer pairing, I recommend any thick, dark beer. Even a standard Guinness will do the trick. You want something intense and thick, just like this music.

Music Review: Kuxan Suum's self-titled LP.

Today I'm examining a new release from Fallen Empire Records, a vinyl reissue of two tracks from Black Twilight Circle artist, Kuxan Suum.As with many groups in the Black Twilight Circle, Kuxan Suum are quick to differentiate themselves from the standard pack of modern black metal artists. This whole album feels like a journey through both the vastness of space and the infinity within oneself. While the two tracks were recorded a year and a half apart (and with an additional musician on the b-side track), this is the product of a highly talented and unique black metal group whom I hope to hear from again in the future.

Side A contains the track that introduced me to Kuxan Suum, the mighty "Kinich Ahau."  Clocking in at seventeen minutes, this song is every bit the journey it should be. For a song bearing the Yucatec name of the Mayan sun god, this song is quite appropriately composed. It captures both the immensity of such a deity as well as the reverent beauty of a worshiper.  While I've heard it through my tinny computer speakers many times before, this is my first listen on a decent system and the difference is astonishing. The swelling beauty of the first few minutes of this track is so wonderfully presented on vinyl and the tense anticipation is so much more present in this format. While I always share youtube links to the albums posted here (if possible), this record makes a strong case for purchasing physical copies of an album. The crispness and intensity I'm experiencing listening to this makes it feel like I've never heard this song before.  When the vocals kick in, it's a howling and overwhelming experience of chaos and beauty. The lyrics are sung in Spanish and from what I can decipher, they're quite beautiful and inspired. (I speak Spanish, I just happen to have a hard time reading the handwritten lyrics in the sleeve for this song).

Side B presents another aural adventure for the listener with the song "Principle of Harmonic Resonance," originally released on the stellar Odour of Dust & Rot compilation from Rhinocervs. At a mere eleven minutes long, this tune is "short" by the standards Kuxan Suum have set forth with the opener. With time a little tighter here, the band jump right into a primal aggression on this excellent track. The addition of a bassist is quite apparent as well, despite the presence of some bass guitar on the other tune. With lyrics in English for this track, the deeply spiritual and transcendent nature of this band's message is more apparent to the lazy listener (and possibly lazy author). While I own the cassette this originally appeared on, it feels beefier and more fierce here, although that may also be because I'm enjoying it at maximum volume currently. Another pleasant change on this tune is the addition of keys. If that phrase makes you anxious, it shouldn't. There are no hints of symphonic cheesiness, just a beautiful addition that helps complete a fantastic piece of music. As the song ends, it's hard not to feel like you've witnessed something greater than you realized.

While many may find it strange to purchase a record with only two tracks, each of these is lengthy enough to justify a purchase. Adding in the high quality of the packaging and stellar sound, it's hard to state just how wonderful this is to finally own. Grab yourself a copy from Fallen Empire before they're out and mourn the recent closing of Crepusculo Negro in an honorable fashion. I acquired this along with a few other new Fallen Empire releases, so expect a week or two with a lot of content surrounding this worthy label.