Myopic- "Beyond the Mirror's Edge" (Grimoire Records)

Released just this past week, Myopic's "Beyond the Mirror's Edge" is a journey of an album, just as exploratory as it is rooted in creating something tense and energetic. This band is wholly new to me, yet in many ways this album gives me some of the same rush I felt when I first heard Mastodon's "Remission" back in high school, yet with more of a raw punk rock feel. Technically proficient without being showy, this is the first exciting progressive-leaning metal album of the year.

Equal parts progressive metal, sludge, and rock, with a bit of black metal chord structure thrown in for good measure, this album is too brief for its own good, yet it's somehow appropriate enough for what will be the first many of us hear from this creative and daring group. Many bands with grand ambitions tend to overplay their hand by offering a massive, lengthy release that falters only under its own weight. The brevity of this album is a strength in that it does what needs to be done and comes to a halt, allowing the listener to really get into every second of it rather than becoming an endurance test or display of excess. Still, one can't help be surprised by monumental centerpiece "Backstitch," which showcases the band's capacity for elegance and meandering guitars that go strange places without fully straying from their course. I can only imagine what would happen if these guys let the songs expand past the ten-minute mark. Perhaps future outings will see more expansion. Or maybe they'll get faster and more aggressive. Either way I'll be delighted to see what comes next.


From start to finish, this album had my attention. With such a solid sound and energetic delivery, I look forward to future output from these guys. Grab a CD from Grimoire Records now or wait until March for the cassette release, but don't sleep on this one. These guys will probably start receiving press from sites and publications far larger than mine if they keep this up.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

Inter Arma- "Destroyer" CD (Gilead Media)

Inter Arma have been one of those bands that existed on my periphery for a year or two without actually making their way to my ears. Call it bad luck or perhaps just having too many great options at my disposal to ever really catch up on every band I'd like to hear, but I just never got around to listening to Inter Arma until just recently. I'm instantly regretting having overlooked these guys last year, because it looks like they'll be making their way into my regular vocabulary with this release.

It's really hard to give a name to the kind of metal Inter Arma plays aside from just victorious and sprawling. The vocalist alternates between being a phlegmy Lindberg-like maniac with a perfect rasp and a bellow that sounds like some ancient warrior calling across a battlefield. "Destroyer" seems to work as both title and description of their musical approach, with the aggressive moments seeming victorious and valiant while psychedelic and spiraling guitars seem to slowly bore into one's skull during mellower moments. The instruments play in and through each other in ways that call to mind some of Mastodon's earlier and more intense albums and there is a constant sense of forward movement as Inter Arma slays everything that gets in its way. I'm not often into music that's this streamlined and well-polished for some reason, but there's such sincerity to this music that I can absolutely get behind this. At times I can't stop nodding my head, even though the opening track is nearly ten minutes long. This is one of the few bands I've featured here that could give some heavyweights a run for their money. This isn't just something that should appeal to the underground--the headlining acts of the metal world should be eyeballing these guys as potential tour mates. Inter Arma has the appeal and the talent, it's just time for somebody to take notice.

With a recent signing to Relapse Records, it seems that this band is on their way to bigger things, so it's only logical to revisit some of this band's earlier works before they become huge. Aside from getting bragging rights for knowing them first, you'll also be treated to an incredible EP that's well worth the cost. Grab it from Gilead Media and hope that you're still in the first 500 orders so that you can get a sweet patch and button.

Terzij de Horde- "A Rage of Rapture Against the Dying of the Light" CD (Self-Released)

Terzij de Horde look like such sweet, mellow guys in their portrait inside this CD. They look more likely to help stoke up a fire in the winter and put on some tea than to create chaotic and conflicted black metal. Of course you know that stirring up chaos is exactly this group's goal, and they certainly succeed at it.With each of these four songs, Terzij de Horde creates something that is bold and unique yet completely familiar, as if this music comes from such a deep place that all of us could hold it in our collective experiences.

Musically these guys lash out like a hydra, with elements of hardcore, crust, and sludge latching onto their relentless black metal assault. Stillness is not an element one will find here, but ferocity is pouring out of every sound. Opener "Prometheans" is noticeably shorter than the other tracks on this album, yet it sets the pace properly, starting at a crawl that builds up to a bloodthirsty hybrid of textured riffs and breakneck drumming. Vocalist Joost sounds like he has long since given up anything human and replaced it with the entirety of nature's wrath towards humanity's destruction. These guys are also clearly well-read, as evidenced by the list of "inspirations" for this album (all are novels rather than musical works) and the fact that they took their own moniker from a line from a famous Dutch poet. It's pleasant to see that their literary hobbies make for great lyrics. In black metal I rarely pay attention to the lyrical content of a band, yet these guys made it actually a pleasure to read along as I listened. This album as a whole is good for repeat listens due to its relatively short length, and I can only imagine how vicious these guys would be in the live setting.

Terzij de Horde is currently writing a new album that will surely shred our collective faces off. In the meantime, grab a shirt and CD directly from the band (or download it for free if you're a bit poor today). If you're lucky enough to live anywhere near them, they'll be playing with Ash Borer and Fell Voices in Amsterdam just a couple weeks. Don't miss these guys, they're destined for some serious attention in the near future.

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?

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.

Free Music Friday: The Weir- "Everything Blaowder Than Everything Else"

Today's installment of Free Music Friday is another release I found from a friend. I know pretty much nothing about this band, and I'm not sure I need to know much. It's obvious to me that they've probably got a decent sense of humor, what with the absurd demo title and the picture of a duck for its cover.

The music is aggressive and chunky, but it doesn't strike me as dull or overdone. It's definitely in the sludgy hardcore category, yet doesn't get caught up in any of the typical trappings of the genre. Instead, The Weir maintains a pretty intense pace, trudging ever onward into some sort of catharsis through heaviness. The three tracks presented here chalk up to only a little over 16 minutes, providing a great introduction to a mysterious and bludgeoning new group. If my memory is correct, these guys have members of the mighty WAKE involved. If that isn't a little extra incentive, just visit their bandcamp and let the music speak for itself. I'm pretty interested in seeing where they go from here. This is a promising assault, and I look forward to more.

Music Review: Venowl- "Patterns of Failure" CD-r

Venowl are a band who present a major issue for me as a writer. I love music, especially harsh and chaotic music, the kind that often eludes definition. My problem as a writer is that no matter how peculiar and challenging an album or artist is, it's my duty to put abstract sounds and feelings into words. The restrictions of the English language put me in a rough position when writing about music like this. In other words, Venowl have created something so hideously compelling that it cannot be described.

Patterns of Failure is not Venowl's newest release, but has recently been reissued by the band. This material differs from the tune I previously reviewed on their 4-way split. This album was written by Venowl as a 3-piece with the aid of a guest vocalist, creating an oddly structured spiral of noisy terror. The album starts at the pace of a funeral march and simply builds upon itself until it becomes a towering monument to wretchedness. The vocals howl from every direction as if carried by the wind.  The production retains a level of clarity that surprises me given how murky this music is. If this is to be called black metal, it's primarily in spirit, as these songs sound like the most horrifying take on sludge I've ever heard, if it can even be labeled as such. The tuning is low, the pace is slow, yet the music fits no classification. It's not a problem for anybody other than myself, as I wish so desperately to describe this music yet struggle to do so.  If anything, the nameless filth that Venowl creates deserves its own subcategory. If somebody came up to me looking for new black metal, I would not instantly think of Venowl. If somebody came up to me looking for new sludge or noise, I would not instantly think of Venowl. If somebody came up to me and asked for something ugly and new, Venowl would be one of the first bands I could recommend. I don't think a band has confused my vocabulary and senses in such a way since I first was introduced to the overwhelming sounds of Nurse With Wound so many years ago.

In no way is my lack of words meant to signify disapproval of this band. In fact, I find it refreshing to hear something that brings so many visuals to mind, yet so few musical terms. As I've been attending a music class in college lately, I've been thinking in terms of melody, harmony, and structure so frequently that I have almost forgotten how nice it can be to enjoy music that simply bleeds itself all over the listener and requires no other basis for enjoyment. I seldom find myself this energized by music so slow, but there's a violent intensity here that knows no pace. If you're at all intrigued by this ugly and dirge-like music, you can give it a listen on Venowl's bandcamp or buy it directly from the band, thereby funding future sonic torment from these talented individuals. They've only got 50 copies of the album created for this run, so hurry up if you want a piece of this mess for yourself. For a beer pairing, the band themselves have recommended Victory's Storm King Imperial Stout, and I couldn't agree more. It's dark, bitter, and complex. Much like Venowl, it's description makes it sound unappealing, but it's worthwhile if you're a patient sipper (or listener).

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.

Music Review: Horseback/Njiqahdda/Venowl/Cara Neir split Cassette

Well, this review is quite the undertaking. Handmade Birds has produced another monstrous split cassette from four of the most daring and unique bands in extreme music today. Each of these groups has a distinctive sound, even apart from the other groups sharing this cassette, which makes this split a unique and cherished addition to any collection. Since there's a lot to review here, I'm jumping from the intro right into the details. Here we go.

Side A of this cassette features one track each from Horseback and Njiqahdda. Horseback open things up with the off-kilter track "Heathen Earth," possibly a nod to the Throbbing Gristle album of the same name. As any Horseback listener knows, they tend to keep their music unpredictable and this is no exception. The opening of this tune is as funky as anything I could imagine them doing, yet builds up in a very ceremonial fashion, as if the band has prepared to summon the very song itself. I envision walking up to a fire-lit ritual where Horseback is waiting to guide the listener into the deeper recesses the rest of the tape will explore. Layers of droning guitar and elevating feedback build over the steady pulse of drums and bass playing in unison as the song makes its way into more familiar Horseback territory, complete with intense black metal inspired vocals and the foggy atmospherics they've built their reputation upon. Even at its thickest and most intense, this song maintains a shimmering, trance-like beauty which will likely appeal to folks who aren't as well versed in music of this nature. The incredibly prolific Njiqahdda follow with the monumental "Towers Constructed to Break the Sky," which is also featured upon their recently released Towers and Tides EP. The production here is noticeably cleaner and this music is more technically slanted, yet the band manages to maintain an atmosphere of beauty and passion despite it. The drums are incredibly well played and produced, which I'm always delighted to hear. When the clean introduction caves in to the distorted guitars and faster drumming about a minute in, it feels so seamless. The bellowed vocals have the mud-covered inflection of groups far sludgier, bringing to mind Neurosis more than most progressive-leaning extreme metal groups, which is a nice touch. The song's title and musical textures work quite nicely to evoke imagery of man's constant ambition towards self-deification, which is a pleasant excursion for my mind to embark upon. The peaks and valleys of Njiqahdda's track are easy to follow and despite its great length, it's no great effort to listen and be captivated through its entirety.

The B side of this tape contains a new track from Venowl and three songs from Cara Neir, whose aggression has already graced this blog.  Venowl's contribution, simply titled "III," provides a stark contrast to the melodic tones of the prior two groups, delving into the fuzz and filth that I so often speak about throughout this blog. The pace is slow, the guitars and drums tend to attack at the same moment, making each pulse of the song painfully delightful. This feels like it was recorded in a poorly lit basement in the true fashion of classic black metal, but with a different take on the sounds of the genre. The vocals are shrill and tormented, the production is murky yet does nothing to mar the intensity here, and the band's dissonant attack on the listener provides little to soothe or relieve the tension they create. The entire song makes me feel like I'm being dragged headfirst down a stairwell into a dungeon while hearing the screams of other prisoners. I'd love to know what the lyrics are, as I have a feeling these guys have some pretty dark inspirations behind their hideous assault. Closing this split are three intense cuts from Cara Neir, starting with the pitch black fury of "Minus His Confidence." While the band certainly haven't given up their outside influences, this song is as close to pure black metal as anything I've heard from them and it absolutely shreds. Despite the absurd pace of the song, these guys still manage to fit in a break for a wild guitar solo and a few other little touches of brilliance. For a pair of young musicians, these guys are quickly carving out a niche for themselves, and hopefully other equally talented groups will begin to follow suit. The meaty punk-inspired blackness of "No Right Path" feels like another full-on assault, although it's a fraction of the length of closing masterpiece, "Seize and Exist." This seven minute tune returns to more of Cara Neir's trademark territory, opening with chaos all across the board that hones itself into a pummeling blackened attack, marching forcefully onward just long enough to surprise the listener when the song breaks down into a spacey dirge a couple of minutes in. For a band drawing from such a broad range of influences, these guys continue to impress me with their ability to meld it all together without sounding forced or pretentious.

This entire cassette impressed the hell out of me, to be honest. I figured I'd be able to pick a standout track or particular artist whose music touched me in a particular way, but each group's contribution is so unique and enjoyable that I'm just going to recommend you get a copy and that you do it quickly. Only 250 of these gems were made and I see the price escalating quickly via discogs and ebay once these sell out. Get it for only 9 bucks from Handmade Birds. It's already sold out over at EEE Recordings, but you should check out that store if you're interested in more Njiqahdda related releases, they've got a ton of great stuff.