Vlk- "Unknown Totems" CD-r (Self-Released)

Vlk is a new project from Chicago, committed to a pensive and textured brand of black metal. Their debut EP offering, "Unknown Totems," is a brief yet wholly engaging album which has managed to surprise and impress me from the very start. I really appreciate the intricate and human feeling of the live drums on this release, as it contributes to the swells and dips in the mood that Vlk creates in these short bursts of musical chaos. In fact, the humanity of this release is where it really excels. Everything feels like it was created with real instruments, by real people. While that should often be an expected standard in extreme music, the increasing ease with which one can access digital approximations of real sound has grown greatly. It's nice to see such a raw and impassioned release from a younger band. Vlk has indicated intentions of a cassette release in the near future, which I feel will perfectly capture the urgency of this music. While very little information is publicly available about Vlk, their facebook page lists an interest in agronomy, which tells me that they have either a scientific leaning or an interest in living in greater harmony with the earth. Also of interest is their decision to close this EP with a cover of "Echelons" by For Against. While I often feel it's ill advised to include covers on early releases while still developing a reputation, it's nice to see a black metal band exploring outside of the greater boundaries of heavy metal right from the start. If anything, this indicates that Vlk probably has some interesting expansion in mind for future releases.

"Unknown Totems" comes beautifully packaged in a handmade slipcase with a Vlk button and vinyl sticker. These are individually numbered out of thirty and only six remain, so I urge my readers to grab this as quickly as possible. If you're a spot late or not interested in CDs, it's also available for download at the price you see fit so there's no real reason not to give it a listen.

Aosoth- "IV: An Arrow In Heart" (Agonia Records)

Greetings readers. Most of you are probably surprised to see such a high profile release here, but after owning it for the past couple of months, I realize it would be absolutely unjust if this album didn't receive some kind of coverage here on Black Metal & Brews. Given that this landmark album is still available in multiple formats, I feel it's my duty to urge you folks to give it a listen and purchase it if you see fit.

If you aren't already familiar with this absolute monster of an album or the band behind it, here's your opportunity. Aosoth is a French black metal group who puts out some of the most discordant, chaotic black metal I've heard in a while. After a performance at this year's Maryland Death Fest and some pretty decent promotion behind this album, it's likely you've at least heard the name. With multiple releases under their belt and hype that they can actually back, it's likely that we're only going to hear more from and about this band in the near future. "IV: An Arrow In Heart" is easily one of the most addictive albums I've heard this year, although I find describing it quite challenging. The entire album feels like it's a transmission from a distant and horrible land, wholly isolated in time and space. Elements both futuristic and archaic weave throughout each other in some kind of unholy symbiosis, with tribal pulses echoing across a severely irradiated wasteland. Pretty much everything I love about black metal is present to some degree here. The guitars are filthy and often chase themselves in circles. The vocals are throaty and depraved, just on the far side of intelligible. The production is jagged and dense but none of the crucial elements of Aosoth's sound are obscured in the process. The lyric insert in the record is written entirely in Braille, an interesting touch for an already challenging album. I'm sure somebody has gone through the effort to decode them, but I have yet to find the words. If anything, I enjoy the mystery the band has created. I feel like less observant listeners might look to similarly minded bands and just throw out names, but there's a frightening sincerity to this album that is often lacking in releases that inspire such dread and I can't find a true peer for this sound. With songs so beautifully overwhelming, repeated listens continually yield layer upon layer of filth and fury. In short, this album is both instantly enjoyable and still has room to grow after multiple experiences. It's rare that an album holds my interest to such a degree, but Aosoth has done just that with "IV: An Arrow In Heart" and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.

Visit the Agonia Records Webstore to grab this on CD, traditional black vinyl, or limited transparent royal blue vinyl. If you're in the United States, you can try to order copies of the standard gatefold vinyl from Fallen Empire while they're still in. Listen to an edited version of the album's title track below:

CAPA- "This is the Dead Land This is Cactus Land" (Self-Released)

CAPA is a group whose music defiantly stands on its own. While it's easy to call them a black metal group, it would be inaccurate to throw a genre at a band whose entire statement of purpose is to remove itself from the norm. That said, "This is the Dead Land, This is Cactus Land," CAPA's first full-length album, borrows many elements from the black metal genre, which it fuses with elements of post-hardcore, traditional ambient (think early 80's Brian Eno), and whatever else the band feels is important at any given moment. This isn't the "kitchen sink" approach that bands like to take when trying to do something new. Instead, CAPA has made a commitment to releasing intelligent, well crafted music that sets itself into a category of quality rather than leaning on any one stylistic concept.

"This is the Dead Land, This is Cactus Land" is the culmination of a trilogy, preceded by their EP "Shallow Towers" and their debut release, "The Road is a Grey Tape" (released on Ivory Antler).  This third chapter details the world's end from the perspective of an individual removed from society, perhaps the last human being alive. Appropriately, the journey through the wastes of the world that was before leads the story's protagonist deeper both into the desolation as well as into his or her own psyche. The pairing of introspection with reflection on humanity's indulgences and the damage caused is both painful and illuminating, and the music contorts itself to fit whatever mood needs to be created. The musical direction seems to be guided more by the lyrical content than any other needs, and works accordingly. The vocals are actually intelligible and hoarse in a way that is more commonly associated with groups in the "post-metal" category (whatever the hell post- anything means anymore) but works quite well for this album's purpose. As with previous releases, CAPA refuses to be limited and seems just as content to allow for three minutes of blissful ambiance as they are creating dizzying tension with entire songs spiraling upward to simply provide a mere moment's release. Whatever terms I could use to describe these songs in regards to actual musical content will inherently fall short.  Instead, this album is a complete piece of artwork, more of an emotional and mental process that the listener must undergo to fully comprehend than a piece of aggressive music meant to be enjoyed as simple ear candy.

The album is now out for digital purchase and streaming via CAPA's bandcamp page. The band is in the process of finding a label and format for physical release in the near future. This post will be update as details arrive.

Fury 161- "Purify" mp3 single. Free Download.

Greetings readers. I feel it's safe to assume that most of you aren't familiar with Fury 161, the aggressive death industrial act featuring Corvus of BM&B favorite Project: Void. Fury 161 has chosen today to debut their single, "Purify," a track of crawling industrialized mayhem. Static percussion and depraved vocals clash with glitchy madness surrounding. Not a single instrument is working to create solace in this track, instead the whole thing sounds like a great dying machine trying to envelop as much of its surroundings as possible before it shuts down for the last time. This group has just signed up for an official Facebook page and have announced an upcoming full-length album entitled "Armageddon's Maw" which will be released by Bugs Crawling Out of People. While the world at large may be frightened by such chaos, we devoted few can enjoy this free download while we await the release of Fury 161's debut album.

Anagnorisis- "Beyond All Light" CS/CD (Self-Released/Like Young Records)

Anagnorisis initially contacted me a few months ago with a simple "hello" email and a note that they had their music up for free on bandcamp. I listened briefly and enjoyed what I heard and promptly slept on their music like I'm so good at doing. Today I decided to get with it and give them another listen. I'm already on my second play-through of their new album today and I'm disappointed in myself for sitting on such a monstrous album. With that in mind, these fellas get their own entire post so that we can really delve deep here.

Anagnorisis plays an urgent and almost cinematic form of black metal, with twists and turns aplenty but a primary focus on straight-up aggression. Unconventional instruments such as mandolin, violin, and saxophone all make appearances here, but Anagnorisis implements them organically rather than turning the music into a jazz/classical hybrid of black metal as many bands are tempted to do when incorporating such instruments. On tracks like "This Cursed Blood," you can feel the pain that Anagnorisis pours into the music, making the experience more personal and wholly fulfilling. The personality of the music really strengthens the whole atmosphere, removing the need for genre descriptions and instead making an experience that is evocative for the listener. While "symphonic" elements appear from time to time (often a big downer for my tastes personally), they serve to accent such glorious moments that their presence only emphasizes the beauty and melancholy crafted by this vicious machine. The two separate halves of this album (or sides of the tape) do feel like two distinct statements, yet both work together as one unified beast. The production here allows for sufficient clarity to hear the music but does nothing to mess with the raw ferocity these guys generate. I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy this album and wish I'd been on my feet to review it sooner.

Luckily for all of us, this album is available in many different ways through their bandcamp. Whether you're looking for an affordable download (only $5 for the whole album), a limited tape, CD, or shirt, you can grab it all. Tapes are available in red and black from the band, and yellow from Like Young Records. Hop on this now, as only 100 tapes exist and these guys are sure to sneak up on the overall metal underground with an album this intense. Previous albums are also still up for free download, so you can collect the whole back catalog pretty easily and catch up with this group.

New from Glorious North Productions: Nordland & Vesterian CDs

Glorious North Productions is a UK-based label dedicated to releasing black metal from a select few artists, hand-picked for their commitment to high quality output. While a new label to me, their two newest releases have done their part to impress me and convince me that this label knows what it's doing. Visit Glorious North's website to snag each of these CDs after reading my review.

Vesterian- "Anthems for the Coming War Age"
Vesterian's galloping war-themed assault comes in with much more beauty than I would have expected from an album with such a title. While vocals are croaked out in the grimmest of fashions, the music is well balanced, with rapid-fire guitar leads balancing out the more aggressive black metal passages, making for a more melodic and listenable release than one might expect. On songs like the impressive and daunting "Unknown Spells Cast from Nibiru's Watch Towers" Vesterian delivers everything that made me curious about black metal in the first place: fantasy themed song titles with meandering song structures that are full of melody and intrigue but also defiantly keep a step or two ahead of the listener's expectations. While this release doesn't quite strike me as evil or vicious, the imagery and album title are perfect accompaniments to this maniacal music. If this is what war sounds like, I'm not quite ready to give up my own peaceful ways, but I'm intrigued and impressed by the great art it inspires.

Nordland- "The True Cult of the Earth"
While Vesterian seems intent on focusing on the subject and feeling of the battlefield, Nordland's similarly confrontational black metal focuses on reclaiming the earth for those who truly work with it in the traditional heathen fashion. The music plays a bit more with paces, working just as well at a crawl as at punky faster speeds. While albums with themes of reclamation of the land and regional identity tend to make me a bit anxious about tentative judgment of "outsiders" from a racial or social perspective, Nordland seems more focused on raising up those who would truly tend to the timeless lands they love so well, visiting mythical themes that evoke majestic imagery. If the Bathory influence isn't implied in the name of this project, it certainly is present in the music in the best way possible. I feel I could march along under Nordland's guidance for ages. This is truly uplifting and gorgeous music that makes me wish more folks working in the pagan/heathen-centric genres of black metal would hit the formula this well.

New Music: Australasia, Sleestak, Incinerated Divinity

Today's batch of reviews examines a few releases that tread outside the realms of black metal and noise on which I so often focus. Instead, here's an offering of some great new bands playing other enjoyable forms of music.

Australasia- "Sin4tr4" Digital EP (Self-Released/Golden Morning Sounds)
Australasia is starting things off today with a stunning display of instrumental post-rock brilliance. Let's make things clear from the start here: post-anything can be a dirty phrase, but don't let the thousands of Explosions in the Sky clones prevent you from examining this release. These guys draw influence from the intense pace and tremolo picking of more traditional black metal, throw in the urgency of well crafted hardcore, and blend it all into a deceptively pretty package. This is probably one of the most accessible albums I've featured, yet I find myself frequently revisiting it, captivated by the delicate beauty Australasia has managed to carve out of such dark inspirations. This release appears to only be available digitally, but they've got a new release entitled "Vertebra" coming out in the near future on Immortal Frost Productions.

Sleestak- "Book of Hours" CD (Self-Released)
Not so sure you'd like to be lifted up by your music? Then perhaps getting low with the psychedelic sludge created by Sleestak will suit your needs. Unlike most sludge-related music referenced here, this muddy madness touches more on the early 70's hard rock and heavy metal with occasional nods to modern doom. This isn't a filth-fest, it's just slow, heavy, and a really good time. Organs follow bluesy guitars as you are invited into decadence and indulgence by the band's seductively smooth jams.  My personal favorite tune, "Lone Wolf," feels like the smoky aftermath of a battlefield as viewed from the sole survivor. There are only six tracks streaming on the bandcamp, but obtaining this album gets you an extra four bonus tracks, including two demos from 2004, a live track, and the instrumental backing track for "Lone Wolf," all of which double the length of the album. Needless to say, I recommend purchasing this, so hop on it and support these talented doomsters.

Incinerated Divinity- "Incinerated Divinity" Digital EP (Self-Released)
I'm leaving this release last since I'm attaching the whole album as a stream here, and boy is this ever worth hearing. While I'm rarely into tech death these days, their merciless assault is both enjoyable and mosh-worthy. Vocals howl out from some sort of timeless void while the band seamlessly integrates groove heavy passages into their breakneck death metal madness. Even on my tinny little laptop speakers, the production shows through so nicely, with bass actually distinguishing itself from the guitars. On a proper sound system, this album is absolutely crushing. For a band with only a couple shows beneath their belts, these guys are rapidly preparing themselves for death metal domination. Musicality and aggression are both cranked to 100% while presenting something both familiar and new all at once. Download this EP for free and buy a shirt from their store to show them how much you appreciate the free tunes.

New from Temple of Torturous: Fyrnask and Vom Fetisch Der Unbeirrtheit

Temple of Torturous has graced Black Metal & Brews once this year already with a couple of the most pleasantly surprising releases I'd received, so when I heard there would be more, I knew I had to check these out. Once again, these groups are almost entirely new to me (although I'd heard the name Fyrnask thrown around a bit) so it's been enjoyable coming into this review with virgin ears, so to speak. Let's not waste any time here, as these albums are already up for pre-order. Time to read the reviews and decide if these are for you.

From the beginning of Fyrnask's newest offering, "Eldir Nott," there is an uncanny sense of coldness. Not necessarily in the grim, pure icy evil black metal sense. Instead, I feel the beauty and slight darkness of seeing my breath at night and watching snow slowly take over my surroundings. The production on this album gives the right amount of clarity to Fyrnask's elegantly layered atmospheric black metal while still allowing it to retain its edges. Nothing is cleaned up into oblivion, instead it's nicely presented so that I can hear what I'm trying to hear. As the intro fades into the first "proper" song, "Vigil," the coldness becomes something of a heavy blanket. Still, this music doesn't feel evil so much as it feels passionate, perhaps even deeply spiritual or personal to the artist. The songs flow as almost a seamless piece rather than as a collection of independent songs, allowing for me to fully immerse myself in the dark and fantastic landscape created by Fyrnask's music. It's sometimes suffocating, sometimes tranquil, but it's constantly captivating. If you've ever wanted to go into a snow-covered forest at night and meditate upon your darkest personal demons until the sunrise comes to thaw you from the chilling intensity of your own uneasiness, this might make the perfect soundtrack. This brilliant album is already one of my top releases of the year, and it's unlikely that something will come along to challenge it. Snag this on 2xLP (black or splatter) or CD formats while they last.

Removing oneself from the meditative personal journey of Fyrnask is quite easy when Vom Fetisch Der Unbeirrtheit's jagged and cerebral electronic-heavy black metal assault on "Vertilger" starts with things cranked to eleven. For an album obsessed with the concept of decomposition, it's appropriate that things feel like a series of synapses misfiring. I'm not musically inclined enough to comment on time signature, but VFdU clearly enjoys toying with stop-start dynamics and sporadic drumming that will keep even the most math-oriented listeners on their toes. The vocals are often throaty and painful on this album, and the music is maddening in a way that even makes me feel uncomfortable at times. Conventions such as genre and form are thrown aside to create something truly depraved and unsettling, perhaps this would be a dance party for the sickest of souls, but I find it hard to do much more than simply keep up with the music. I often indicate that an album is challenging, but this album will challenge even those in search of difficult music, which to me is a good thing, but I can easily see this being intimidating to folks who like their metal to be predictable or familiar. Frequently I find songs disintegrating into electronic mush with little regard for length or anything else that most artists use to create boundaries. The album's centerpiece is even a sparse and glitchy industrial piece that feels like it could be at home equally well on a power electronics album as in the midst of this black madness. Normally a release with such little restraint would feel like a forced experiment in excess, but it seems that VFdU is constantly in control of this psychotic acid trip of an album, and the brief moments of overwhelming sound are so well integrated that I can and do find it to be worth visiting. Even if you're not that brave with your musical choices, this is a great example of how to properly generate chaos in your music without allowing your songs to become bloated and masturbatory. Grab this CD (with or without a patch) and lose yourself for a while. Sometimes losing your mind is the sanest thing you can do.

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.

Late Summer/Fall releases from Gilead Media

Well folks, it should come as no surprise that with a massive batch of new releases from Gilead Media making their way to light, it's time for me to review them and share them with you. Aside from being one of the few labels I regularly feature with bands who are "well known," they're also one of the most consistently daring labels I've encountered, taking chances on unconventional artists only to watch them excel time after time. With this in mind, it's little surprise that these new releases are both daring and enriching for me as a listener.

For the sake of organization, I'll share them in order of catalog number. Relic 46 is Hexer's debut LP, and while this is a fresh face to me, I instantly see why this band belongs alongside such heavyweights as Thou, False, and Ash Borer. While the band's logo and album cover initially had me guessing this might be a thrash release, I'm delighted that things instantly open up with some of the most fuzz-drenched, riffy black metal (albeit with some thrash influence thrown in for good measure) I've heard in a while. While I love an intricate journey, sometimes a headbanging good time is all that's needed, and Hexer delivers in full force. That's not to say that this is a simplistic mosh-fest though, as the pace and structure changes on a dime, with the band hurtling ahead at full-speed into new territory at every chance. Even when the band slows things down to a marching pace, I can practically envision buildings crumbling and explosions surrounding the band as they methodically churn out their apocalyptic black madness. While many bands these days seem intent on hiding behind distortion and density of sound, Hexer has adopted the aesthetic subtly, using it as a jagged accent to their music instead of a mask to compensate for lack of musicianship like so many other groups have been known to do. If you're into facemelting grimness, this one will be up for sale soon enough, so keep an eye on Gilead's webstore.

Next up is Relic 50, the second release from Colin Marston's project Indricothere, which is appropriately titled "II." In all honesty, I have not enjoyed everything Marston related, so with slight anxiety but as much of an open mind as I can have, I approached this album. From the opening drum assault, I was surprised. While the music is as technically sound as one would expect from a member of projects like Krallice, Behold...The Arctopus, and Gorguts, this is more listenable than I had anticipated. Alternating between valiant, aggressive, and majestic, Indricothere practically pummels the beauty out of potentially hideous structures with it's machine-gun drumming and relentless guitars chiseling away at the listener. Once the assault has created enough open space, the guitars are free to explore the space, taking the listener on a journey that seems to weave in and out of some unknown dimension. Indeed, on songs like "VII" or the drifting ambiance of "XI," I find myself actually feeling relaxed amid the sheer expansive nature of sound. It's hard to explain, but for some reason this release is so fast, so chaotic, that the only response it leaves me with is to simply relax and let it take me along whatever route it sees fit. If you're looking for some solid instrumental wizardry and have an interdimensional journey in mind, you should preorder a copy of "II" and get ready to travel into the deepest recesses of your own brain.

While the order of these items was dictated by catalog number, it's only fitting that this post closes out with the "biggest" feeling release of the three, the new album from Northless, "World Keeps Sinking," which is a split release between Gilead Media and Halo of Flies. While I tend not to like hardcore and sludge hybrids, I can tell that Northless are on top of their game for the genre. Riffs swell up in an absolutely crushing fashion, which I love, but at times the song structures are a bit uninteresting to me. That's not to say that this is in any way a dull or "bad" release, but sometimes things feel a bit cleaner than my tastes generally lean. I'm also a bit less than sold on the vocalist's style, but again, I realize this is a matter of taste rather than quality. Where this album does excel is in its instrumental passages and its capacity to shape the songs in unpredictable directions at times. I'm always into a good surprise, and this album does deliver enough of those to keep me interested. Fans of slightly more chaotic hardcore or more polished sludge releases will definitely gravitate towards this, and this album is a clear indicator as to Northless' current popularity. Perhaps with a few more listens, even this curmudgeon will be won over.

The new LPs from Indricothere and Northless are available at a discounted price when purchased together, and Hexer's LP will be available for purchase when Gilead has copies on hand. Pairing these new releases with some excellent new distro updates (including Blut Aus Nord LPs that I'm swooning over) means we're all about to be a few dollars lighter in the pocket. Get these soon, as I anticipate each of them will be successful enough to sell out rather quickly.

New music from Fragile Branch

As I've been making posts in threes from time to time, I figure that now is as good a time as any to introduce my readers and friends to the young and promising Fragile Branch. The label already has a few releases out and seems determined to keep as busy as possible, with a full distro, custom button orders, and shirt and patch printing in addition to upcoming releases. Label head Andy was kind enough to send me a few cassettes for consideration, which I'm happy to share with all of you.

Starting things off is Maugrim's "Nothing, Bare." This cassette is firmly planted in the depressive black metal genre, but keeps it fresh and pleasant. While nods to some of the classics are clearly here, I don't feel like this is a stale homage so much as a true enthusiast creating something bleak and crushing. If the pained shrieks and somber melodies don't already direct you towards a darker place, the lyrics will surely make the artist's intentions clear. Many tracks on this album either beg for death or reflect on it in some way, and the music tends to meander along, pensive as the listener will surely be when focusing on such topics. By the time the album has ended, there is a sense of peace and bliss, a relief from the chaos within which the album often resides.

Next up is Lifelorn with "Katalis Sebuah Obsesi." Hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this artist creates a dense yet peaceful style of black metal that calls to mind efforts from groups like Lustre or earlier Jesu. While there is certainly a sense of darkness that often comes with the genre's overall aesthetic, I feel as though the catharsis here is greater than the misery. As an instrumental effort, I feel this album opens up enough space for the listener to imprint their own personal meaning without the artist's vision losing its clarity. There is beauty, and there is discomfort. This tape works best when each layer of the music is allowed to build up rather than all being presented at once--hearing the individual pieces as they grow towards a single entity is quite satisfying. While I try not to pick favorites, this one is uncommonly good and comes with the highest of recommendations.

Rounding out the initial batch of Fragile Branch's releases is Filsufatia's "Buried Beneath & Forgotten." Displaying a noticeably cleaner production than the other two releases and also hailing from Malaysia, this is perhaps the middle ground between the other two groups presented in this review. The album opens with simple yet effective piano that is quickly joined by a full band's worth of instruments, crafting an elegant and reflective atmosphere. Much like Lifelorn, this release is purely instrumental, but it leans towards sorrow more than catharsis. Funereal keyboard melodies are often accompanied by distorted guitars as this one-man project builds atmosphere with precision and purpose.

Each of these fantastic tapes can be purchased in either a regular or special edition (which comes with more than just the patches I've pictured with my tapes) by visiting Fragile Branch's webstore. There is already a new lathe cut from Maugrim in stock and the label is planning their first LP release, Wanderlust's debut entitled "Monolithes entre ruines." I see great promise in this young label's selections and it's obvious that the stream of new music won't slow down any time soon.

New Music: Ak'chamel, Countess, Throne of Malediction

Ak'chamel- Thrower of Sickness Cassette (Self-Released/Halloween Quest Records)
Ak'chamel is an entity which spends a great amount of time in the realm of black metal, yet doesn't exist wholly within it. Instead, Ak'chamel produces blown out drones, sound collages of horror, and eerie samples that are accompanied by a muddy layer of fuzzed-into-oblivion black metal, all while remaining anonymous in outfits like the one presented above. Pairing all this with psychedelic leanings and spacey effects that may have come from a Hawkwind album makes for an experience that is enjoyable as a fan of black metal but also as a fan of bizarre ambiance. If you dig bands that toy with atmosphere and throw the rule book out the window, this album was made for you. Think of things like the murkier and more ethereal LLN groups or even the psychedelic madness of The Mausoleums. Currently only available as a free download, expect a cassette edition from Halloween Quest Records in the near future.

Countess- Sermons of the Infidel CD (Self-Released)
Countess stands as one of the cleaner recordings I've heard lately, following roots in a more traditional form of heavy metal while taking them down a darker path. This one-man band creates deceptively simple riffs over which stronger melodies are layered. The vocals are clearly human, snarled out with a vicious attitude, rather than the demonic shrieks of many newer bands. The evil intent drips from every line, clearly drawing inspiration from first wave black metal without simply mimicking the style of the originators. My only criticism here would be that the drumming is either programmed or done in the simplest fashion possible, but it still sets an appropriate foundation for some incredibly catchy and enjoyable metal that stands outside of time and trends. Snag this album from the artist's bandcamp page as linked above and check out his extensive back catalog while you're there.

Throne of Malediction- Out of Darkness, Comes Light (Torn Flesh Records/No Remorse Records)
Throne of Malediction grace this post with another set of sounds that rarely appears on this site, yet it's masterfully done and makes for a welcome addition. Elegant harpsichord sounds open the album with ominous spoken word, leading into an album of heavy metal which draws influences from both aggressive black metal and gloomy key-heavy doom without firmly planting itself in either. Vocals vary widely, with harsh male vocals of the black metal ilk often trading with soothing presence of gently sung female vocals that stop just short of reaching "operatic" levels. The balance of dark and light is clearly Throne of Malediction's focus, as album title and sound both demonstrate, and the balance is well kept. The album is just adventurous enough to create a unique experience, but familiar enough to keep a listener satisfied from start to finish, with a few surprise guest spots along the way. Obtain this album for free download by clicking the album's title in the header of this section and get your gloom on, or make a commitment to the darkness by purchasing from No Remorse Records.

Gethsemane - "S/T"

Gethsemane’s brand of black metal is not unlike that of Amputator or Revenge in that it seethes chaos, dismantling the listener through noise-laden guitars backed by relentless blastbeats and suffering, subdued vocals. The demo begins ominously enough with picked strings and static before setting off on a destructive path that doesn’t yield until it’s over. And while the all-out assault approach certainly works in Gethsemane’s favor, I’d argue that it’s also the demo’s biggest drawback. Amidst the swirling violence I find myself periodically uninterested, the music no longer the focal point of my attention as much as background noise. The moments wherein Gethsemane restrain the tempo, however, are my favorite parts of the demo as it showcases something more than just cacophony, which, to clarify, I’m all for when it’s done well.

 When they slow down, they generate a necrotic atmosphere that slows the blade they otherwise wield maniacally, luring the listener into a false reprieve that soon gives way to pandemonium, tried and true. Overall, I’d certainly recommend giving Gethsemane a listen as they have all the elements necessary to create something truly rewarding. You can also purchase their tape directly from the band through their Bandcamp page should you enjoy what you hear.

Review contributed by Julio Espin

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."

Yellow Eyes- "Hammer of Night" CS (Sibir Records)

When I heard that the mighty Yellow Eyes would be unleashing a new album, it was a given that it would eventually make its way onto this site. I'm delighted to say that these dudes are continuing their trend of being great musicians with this release, which is being released by their own new label, Sibir Records. Aside from the standard edition tape, there's an incredible wooden box edition (pictured in this review) available, which was so popular that they had to make a second run of it.

Yellow Eyes' progression musically has always been subtle, but with each release their sound has grown more fully formed and is now as well arranged as it is still urgent and challenging. I've heard some folks throw out lazy comparisons for these guys, but I feel they've crafted their own little subcategory of black metal that is unique and recognizable without outside context. The album opens similarly to their demo, with an ambient sound collage of sorts to create an atmosphere, but it's instantly apparent that things are crisper and more coordinated here than with previous outings. The music still retains its heavily textured and dense feeling but I can more easily separate the instruments from each other and the vocals feel more gnarled in the traditional black metal vein. While few riffs hop out of place anymore, the music is instead angular and distorted while it flows on a somewhat unpredictable path. Still, the music flows so naturally that I can't imagine the songs taking on another direction. What Yellow Eyes do that constantly impresses me is maintaining overtly melodic and tonal songs without sacrificing intensity or atmosphere. I can almost feel myself running through a snowy forest in the dead of night only to find a final place to curl up and die in solitude. The lyrical content's decidedly wretched nature only serves to amplify the coldness of the music, yet I feel more catharsis than wallowing or misery in the songs. This album truly displays the strength of well-made black metal that can and should bring in fans of most subcategories of the genre and serves as one of the genre's high water marks for the year to date. Highlights include the gripping opener "Light Has Fallen" and the instantly memorable "Many Long Fingers Bent In Pain," although no track on this album is lacking. If anything, I look forward to whatever Yellow Eyes' next progression will sound like.

Order copies of this from the label while they're still available, especially if the gorgeous wooden box set is still in stock. It's worth every penny and I promise you'll have a hard time swapping this tape out for anything else for quite some time.

Morthylla- "Morthylla" CS (Self-Released)

I often find myself feeling like I hear about new music after most of my friends and music-loving online contacts have already discovered it. For once, I've been lucky enough to catch a highly promising new act from pretty much the first moment of its ascent. Morthylla appeared pretty much out of nowhere with this spectacular five song demo tape. Despite their relative freshness, they're already churning out tunes that place them among the top new black metal acts I've heard this year. With even distribution of duties, this two-piece have enough creative fury to put most full live acts to shame.

The album begins with "Sussurans de Lamia," a track which kicks off with one of the catchiest riffs I've heard in ages only to plod on into a classic mid-paced black metal section. The whole album is filled with some of the most straight up anguished screams I've heard to date, and while they do play with reverb a bit, it's not to a criminal degree. Everything here fits my ideal production criteria, with just enough clarity to enjoy the music and just enough murky nastiness to keep things raw and pure feeling. While the album's centerpiece is essentially a sample, the four tracks that surround it are solid enough to make up for the relatively minimal amount of music here. If you enjoy your black metal in slower, somber forms without allowing it to stoop to so many of the cheesy DSBM cliches, this album should be highly appealing. The riffs have enough motion to keep the songs fresh yet they linger long enough to be memorable.

Aside from being a killer tape from a promising new band, this album also stands as the first release from a coalition of bands known as Antilight. Antilight groups are dissatisfied with the current state of black metal and are seeking to remedy this issue by creating music they feel better represents black metal's desired direction. Whether you agree with Antilight's purpose or you feel black metal is currently a blossoming community, it's pretty obvious that this album is raising the bar for releases in 2013. This tape is currently sold out in the limited box-set edition pictured here, but will be released in standard cassette format with 200 copies from Schattenkult Produktionen some time very soon. Check here for details to come as they are announced.

Youth Code - "Demonstrational Cassette"

I feel if I were to say that I was hooked on this band from the first minute of the first track it would come off trite, yet here I am, going to tell it to you regardless: I was hooked within the first minute of the first track. Granted, there is the rest of the demo to attend to but Los Angeles's Youth Code manage to set the bar rather high from the onset, maintaining this energy throughout the remaining three tracks. I'd be remiss if I failed to mention the nostalgic quality I perceive in their music and I think others in their late 20s might understand why as Youth Code's music is undoubtedly industrial, with a martial yet danceable quality that, for me, harkens back to acts like KMFDM and Psyclon Nine. Hello, high-school Julio. Consisting of Ryan William George and Sara Taylor, Youth Code's beats are infectious and abrasive and perfectly complemented by harsh, altered vocals; the sum of all this resulting in a declaration of goddamnit, I just want to dance! The aggression in their music further amplifies the catchiness of the production.

Unfortunately the tape in review is sold out however they do have a new 7" available that is down to the last 30 copies on last I checked. I really look forward to what Youth Code put out next and would love to see them live so I can strut out into the club wearing sunglasses and all-black everything. See you on the dance-floor.

Review contributed by Julio Espin

New Music: King Carnage, Gukurahundi, Ancst

King Carnage- Ounce of Mercy, Pound of Flesh CD (Badgod Music)
Today I'm in a bit of a mood for some absolutely hideous death metal, and there are few better releases I've been checking out for review than King Carnage. This album, like pretty much every Badgod release, is downright filthy. Do you want to be strung up and tortured by your death metal? This is the album for you. The guitars are tuned so low they carve the very earth beneath them. The drumming is tight enough to be clearly well played but loose enough to add to the overall murky atmosphere. The vocals are in that lower realm between a primitive grunt and an ominous whisper often inhabited by bands like Beherit. Grab this album from the label's bandcamp (link above) while you still have the opportunity. It comes with a sticker and a poster in a limited edition of 250.

Gukurahundi- An Apparition in Nocturnal Splendor CD (Manicidic)
These guys sent me an email a couple of months back and I was so preoccupied with my studies that I didn't even shoot them a response back. Big mistake on my part (and kinda inconsiderate, sorry dudes). This album is noticeably cleaner than the aforementioned King Carnage CD, but it's no less punishing in its own way. Blistering melodic riffs circle around insanely paced drums while the vocalist throws seems to fill just about every space not occupied by the other instruments. The band does have enough empty space and change of pace to keep things fresh, so this isn't so much a criticism as it is an observation. Solos aren't as common as a general driving assault, but these guys definitely take the time to show off their chops and the vocalist is more than competent enough. The occasional groove-based breakdown may steer away some purists but I still recommend a listen. This album is currently available in an edition of 100 digipak CDs.

Ancst- The Humane Condition CS (Dark Omen Records)
This album's a brief two song cassette, but they make every second count. With two tracks averaging six minutes each, Ancst has created one of those tapes that just begs to be flipped and replayed countless times (each side has the same program, conveniently enough). Ancst's brand of black metalisn't necessarily reinventing a genre, but it's one of the most memorable and compelling things I've heard in this niche in quite some time. The band can switch from grind-influenced black metal that tears the ears like shrapnel to glacial sludge in a heartbeat, and it feels completely natural. There are even a few moments of pure bliss just to showcase the band's diversity and clear musicianship, which is what makes this band stand out from the pack. While fans of groups like BM&B favorites Terzij de Horde will enjoy this, there's also a good chance that fans of the more nebulous and ugly side of black metal will also dig Ancst's urgent fury. This tape was available in 100 copies, with the first 15 on an orange tape with patch while the remaining 85 are on purple tapes without a patch, but the orange is already sold out. Grab a purple copy while they last.