Cathedraal - Voix Blanches

As far as obscure and extreme music goes, there's been some significant breakthroughs at the hardcore front that shouldn't be flying under our radar. One notorious example is (was!) french act Cathedraal, whose only full release Voix Blanches (that I know of, mind you) presents us with a very interesting blend of the self-deprecating vocal distress, the emotional guitar melodies and chaotic song structure that characterize the so-called "screamo" genre, with a challenging degree of experimentation both in the contrasts between the different tones of the song (the curve of calmness and agressiveness) and in the overall album structure/composition.

I say was, because I right this from reading news that their career has been short-lived: I right this six hours into the band's announcement of its own end on facebook. Bloody shame, if you ask me. Still, their album is still stored on bandcamp, fully streamable and downloadable at the very convenient "name your price" cost. Most definitely worth checking out.

Horseskull - S/T

I was browsing through reddit when I came across this band as it was proclaimed "the east coast's strongest doom". Naturally, I was intriguied - doesn't take much to pique my interest and to be frank I was due a bit of some more regular posting in this blog.

Now I'm not really sure on that "strongest doom" claim, but Horseskull sure do punch you in the jaw for all the energy they are packing up. After a long while of turning my attention to classic, funeral-y or drone/atmospheric doom, I have to admit that I grew lax on the more headbanger blend. Certainly what Horseskull bring to the table - nasty, sweaty, poorly dressed and most likely drunk kinda music, like a good old-fashioned tavern brawl.

Headbanging indeed. I can see how they would put quite a show. The album is well put together, nothing too unpredictable as you dive into it. Solid and reliable throughout, with a nice slower instrumental ending to boot.

Now where's my beer?

Writhe - The Shrouded Grove

Slowly steering the blog back on track with a short piece of brittish atmospheric black metal by Writhe. The EP itself is nothing particularly innovating, though it should appease fans of the so-called "blackgaze" style of music. I've made the point somewhere in the past that a band doesn't have to be innovative to be good - there is beauty in iteration, as long as it's well made.

And it is pretty good, as it stands.

Shoutout to the youtube channel Atmospheric Black Metal Albums for this particular suggestion.

Medo - Cruzando os Portais do Submundo

Some time-consuming personal projects have prevented me from contributing regularly to The Brainlesser. Even though I can't write lengthy texts for the time to come - not that it makes much of a difference for the 2 or 3 people who actually follow this joint -, I might as well at least keep you updated on what's spinning on my gramophone.

Today, I bring you Medo, a Portuguese act which plays black metal as it should be done: gruesome, ghastly, grim. Here's their third album, Cruzando os Portais do Submundo, released earlier this year. A huge plus: they write in the most beautiful language in the whole world, our native Portuguese – unlike many nationalistic, patrio-idiotic black metal bands who use the imperial tongue of the day; to wit, awfully written broken English.

Monument of Urns - Absence

Getting this blog train back on track with the devastating Absence by the notoriously obscure Monument of Urns. Heavy, drone-y, funeral-y, despairing twenty something minutes of doom for your perusal. Just the thing to kickstart September - what a shitty month it is. 

If you're left thirsting for more, check out my long-winded diatribe on Habsyll right here. 

Countess - Cursed Seeds of Aten

Countess has put forth the official video of a track from their latest album, Ancient Lies and Battle Cries, which has already been on The Brainlesser's limelight. It's basically a simple video clip with a succession of Countess live pics and scenes from an old movie, related with the thematics of the song. It also presents its lyrics, which are rather interesting, telling us about what the band construes as being the seed of all monotheistic religions and their history of intolerance and persecution: the ancient cult of Aten, in the Egypt of the Eighteenth Dynasty. 

Slowing down

The blog is slowing down all throughout july and august. Regular updates should resume in september.

PLUNGING DOWN THE WELL | Bergraven's Dödsvisioner

Dödsvisioner (2008) pulls a kind of blackened and grim metal that did put me off when I first listened to it. It's a weird presentation, as if looking at a lego structure built from pieces that don't exactly fit, but does look solid enough from a distance. It grows on you, like being infatuated with a person whose beauty isn't quite evident at first, and when you're tangled and bound you realize it's the very off-putting characteristics which pushed you away at first that are now what pulls you in.

It's heavy as it is hard. Doënde, the opening piece, is pretty straightforward as far as black metal goes - and I like it very much, what with the head-bangingly rythm and the haunting organ samples - but all along the album you'll see it mutate and grow in all of these shapes, long and calm instrumental segments bridging emotional outbursts. It all ties in that off-putting way, with remarkable skill and fluidity. Ondkall is a great example of the in-and-out, up-and-down, conflicting nature of Dödsvisioner, though the full (barely) 60 minute long experience is a testament to that idea, the concept of a conflicted mind, of conflicted emotions, put into song.

I could also point out to Den svarta angstens essens for the same reasons, or the long drawn instrumental of Det man med själen... or Ekot av bikt, but you get my point. Dödsvisioner weaves a sinuous blend of emotion all throughout. There are rythm breaks, heavy distortion; there is relaxation, whispering and post-rocky segments; there's despaired screaming. There's also a nice complete feel to the album too and I have very often found myself surprised when Doënde was on again, as the album went a full loop. I wasn't familiar with Bergraven, so this was certainly an exciting find.

Check it out:

 
This is one of a series of reviews I'm making for albums that I've ordered from Hydra Head Industries a while back. Might as well, right? I'll pick from those I enjoy as I listen through the collection.

Incantation - Dirges of Elysium

I'm sure US death metal legends Incantation need no introduction. They've released their latest album last month, which I heard today for the first time. From what I gather so far, there's no major departure from what the band has been doing the recent years, putting forth doomish death metal of solid quality. You can check Dirges of Elysium below.

Diocletian - Steel Jaws

Last May we had the release of Gesundrian, the third full length from Diocletian, a New Zealander act performing beastly black/death metal in the tradition of Blasphemy or Black Witchery. Though they have much in common with the latter, their music has a more intricate, often slower, and more ominous tone to it. I do not know the previous material of the band, but this album definitely whetted my appetite. Here is “Steel Jaws”, one track from Gesundrian.   

Sons of Crom - "Conqueror"

A little bit of Bathory, topped with Falkenbach influences, sprinkled with imagery from Robert E. Howard's Conan universe; what could possibly go wrong? Sons of Crom are a Finnish-Swedish duo playing epic metal in the vein of the aforementioned acts. This is their debut EP, which is available for download at Debemur Morti's Bandcamp. The band has recently been added to Debemur Morti's roster, and their first full-length,named Riddle of Steel, is scheduled to September. By Crom and Ishtar, you have to listen to this!

 

Nunslaughter - "Angelic Dread"

This has been a plentiful half-year to all of you rotten demonolaters out there, am I right? Just take as an example the latest work of US black/death/thrash maniacs Nunslaughter, Angelic Dread.

Pyramids with Nadja

More often than not, when we come across a collab of some sort we get subpar music, as the featured bands won't push their limits neither will pack off their current best song meddled along with other bands'. It's understandable, but inevitably these kinds of albums seem either an offset of the band's work - this is specially true in splits where, more often than they should, bands resort to making covers of songs they enjoy.

This is not the case with Pyramids with Nadja. I'm not a connoisseur of either band, first off, but the album feels whole, complete. It feels like a piece all throughout, rather than something jambled together for the sake of it.

It's highly experimental ambient music. It grows, too, it's an album that to me resonates with growth. From the soothing vapour-states of Into the Silent Waves - a veritable travel through deep layers of noise, electronic slow rithm and the perfect punch of dissonance - to the explosion of An Angel Was Heard to Cry Over the City of Rome, there's a landscaping involved towards an end. It's a linear album, to be heard from start to finish and to explore again from scratch.

Now the effort behind this album seems to me what holds the greatest responsibility for its success. At every song there's every member from both bands playing - which seems to total six people - plus a bunch of different people weighing in. The evident result is a complex layering of different sounds, different origins; ordered disharmony in some places and perfect harmonic bliss in others.

The power to achieve, through collective work, a coherent album piece is what strikes me as particularly special about this album. Something you should really look into - and cheap to boot. A necessary album for ambient enthusiasts and a "must check" for people searching for an interesting music experience.

 
This is one of a series of reviews I'm making for albums that I've ordered from Hydra Head Industries a while back. Might as well, right? I'll pick from those I enjoy as I listen through the collection.

Countess - Ancient Lies and Battle Cries

Countess is a long-lived Dutch band, sporting a brand of black metal highly reminiscent of Bathory or Venom. 2014 saw the release of their latest album, Ancient Lies and Battle Cries. This full-length takes on the black/heavy metal traits typical of the band and develops the epic themes - already extant in previous releases - to a whole new level. At some points, the classic heavy metal elements of the band are paramount. Just listen closely to "Pray for the Cult", which could easily figure in some Manowar tribute compilation. The compositions are rather rock'n'rollish and the orchestrations are delightfully simple, almost tacky. If you look for clean, "pretty" music with a lot of sophistication and finesse, Countess isn't your thing. But if you're into good old heavy metal/first wave of black metal cult, this album definitely has a place in your shelf.   

Black Crucifixion - Heroes End Up On Gallows (Official Video)

Finnish veterans Black Crucifixion have issued an official video for the track "Heroes End Up On Gallows", from their latest album Coronation of King Darkness. It's pretty cool, I must say!

Sólstafir - Ótta

Iceland's Sólstafir have brought upon the world a premier track from their upcoming album, Ótta, due out in the 29th of August. I'm not even going to comment on whether this is metal or not (seemingly the main focus of many critics, the same happening with Alcest or Lantlôs). This is a great track, bringing them closer to those ethereal soundscapes typical of their brilliant fellow countrymen Sigur Rós. A special note goes for the banjo line, one more proof that banjo and rock/metal go well together, even in the farthest fringes of the genre (just remember Taake's "Myr").

 

Tashaki Miyaki - I Came

You know one of the reasons why it's fun to be running a thematically ambiguous blog is that you start to doubt your own ability to post a song named "I Came" without thinking about the myriad of different ways to ruin it with some overtly and offensivelly pornographic satanic black metal of one sort or the other.

There's a place for anything, I suppose. Childish innuendo aside, Tashaki Miyaki do seem to enjoy their loaded (eheh) lyricism here and there.

Childish innuendo really aside, this song is great. Upbeat, catchy, fuzzy rock with a warm 90's throwback and a dream-pop feel. Dug through their bandcamp and can't find the album that this song belongs to, maybe none at all, but I will be checking this band out further in the future. Check them out and check out their facebook page while you're at it.

Boris - Noise (streaming)

I'm really not sure what I'm feeling right now, this album is way weird. I'll get back to you on that, let me just say that the song Heavy Rain hits you like a cement train, out of the fucking blue - you'd think you'd notice the tracks under your feet? And then it jumps to Taiko No Baka, this twee-noise-pop interlude starkly contrasting with the previous wall of sound. I don't know, man.

This will asking for some looped listening. Fitting that Boris would send out a mature album like that, they do have the statute to demand some attention from the listener.

Though so far, the album, it's not something too noteworthy for me. 

Anyway, thought I could share. The album is streaming for a limited time on NPR, through this link.

Goatwhore - FBS (new song)

I don't know if you guys noticed, but Goatwhore have pulled out a killer track from their next album Constricting Rage of the Merciless, due out in July. Check it out!

Ride for Revenge – "Enter the Gauntlet"

Some weeks ago, Finland has blessed us with one filthy pearl of beastly black metal. Imagine if Archgoat or Beherit took their foot off the gas for a while and started to listen to Sunn O))). They would probably sound like their countrymen Ride for Revenge, whose latest full-length Enter the Gauntlet was released in the beginning of May. They offer us therein a cacophony of distorted lo-fi guitars, prominent bass lines and hypnotizing tunes, peppered with sickly raspy vocals. It’s the perfect amalgamation of raw black metal and drony, ritualistic soundscapes. Check out their Bandcamp and buy the album. It’s 6 euros for 73 minutes of mindfuckíng and mesmerizing music, for Satan’s sake.  

Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestite Mirror (new song)

Wolves In The Throne Room have released a track from their upcoming album. It's an ambient piece, mostly electronic stuff, no blast beats or vocals of any kind. I like it, though it wouldn't make me check out the album later if it wasn't this particular band.

Check it out:

Impaled Nazarene – Vigorous and Liberating Death

I’m not particularly crazy about Impaled Nazarene. They had their apex with Ugra-Karma, which is a brutally brilliant album if you ask me, but all of their subsequent releases, though fairly good, don’t fail to reflect a certain degree of staleness. Yes, they’re extremely competent musicians and performers but, nonetheless, their albums seem to amount to nothing more than different renditions of a same composition. Some praise this as a mark of “trueness”, as if being coherent, per se, were virtuous. I disagree with this position. I prefer an “incoherent” band which succeeds in blowing my mind off with every new release than a very “coherent” act which seems to successively bring forth different versions of a same album.

Besides, I just can’t put up with their homophobic, nationalistic, anti-communist bullshit. Sure, we have our share of bigotry, ignorance or downright idiocy in the black metal scene, but few are so damn explicit about it. Just check the lyrics of tracks such as “Zero Tolerance” or “Healers of the Red Plague” to see what I mean. Let’s just say they could easily be uttered by any minister of the Westboro Baptist Church.

Due to all this, I can’t say I was holding my breath for Impaled Nazarene’s new full-length, Vigorous and Liberating Death, which is just more of the same recipe. A decent sample of brutal, fast-paced, punk-infused black metal. It’s a good release, don’t get me wrong, and at some points it even sounds less “mechanical” than previous albums, which is always a good thing. In one word, this album will maybe make you bang your head, but don’t expect it to rock you off your socks.

Oxbow - King of the Jews | Hydra Head Bargain Sale

Hey guys just a quick heads-up that Hydra Head Industries are pulling an awesome sale: 30 albums for $40. Now us non-american types get the shit-end of the stick (thanks, Obama) because we actually pay the shipping fees, that are free for US residents. Still, I dished a sum total of ~66€ for the whole thing, that's around 2,2€ per album which is pretty fucking sweet if you ask me.

There are some goodies to be grabbed here. Khanate, Xasthur and Oxbow are personal favourites here, but there's no frowning at a decent Cave In or Harvey Milk release. All in all, there's no downside to this, other than the obvious drought that I'm predicting due to having spent my monthly beer money on the damn thing.

Enjoy some Oxbow while you're at it, for no particular reason.

Satanic Warmaster - New album in the making

Satanic Warmaster has announced the preparations of a new release, due this year. One preview of the album, a cover of Vornat's track "Korppi", is available on Youtube (streamed below).  It counts with the participation of Thaukhnifur, from the above-mentioned Vornat. Meanwhile, the band also has a number of gigs scheduled for this year in Mexico, Japan and Italy. Check the dates on Satanic Warmaster's official Facebook page. 

Mayhem - VI.Sec.

One more song premiere from Mayhem's forthcoming release Esoteric Warfare. As you'll notice, it seemingly doesn't stray much from the path carved in recent albums, such as Ordo ad Chao. Many technical intricacies, but not even remotely near to the good ol' 1990's Mayhem as an emotional catalyzer. Oh well, maybe it's just the reactionary bastard in me talking. 

40 Watt Sun - Lioness

I'm not sure whether this is a 40 Watt Sun concert - it seems to be, since the band is there - or one of those "Patrick Walker shines light on the lucky few who managed to attend his obscure (read: I can't go) shows", but god damn it covering a Jason Molina song is the kind of stuff that makes me glad to be alive. Jason Molina being one of my favourite musicians, of course, may he rest in peace, and 40 Watt Sun one of my favourite bands.

You can check out more live stuff at http://40wattsun.com/.

Lioness from 40 Watt Sun on Vimeo.

Teitanblood - Sleeping Throats of the Antichrist

2014 has already been a plentiful year regarding extreme metal releases. Today, I'm enjoying Teitanblood's recent effort, Death, released about two months ago. Jesus fuck me, this is brilliant stuff! Uncompromising brutal old school black metal, no bullshit attached. This album will fling the gates of the fiery Underworld wide open for you. Dare to take that step further, but do it at your own risk, for dreadful pits of hellfire and brimstone await your frail bones. 

Möbelstück Beckmann - Leonina

Thevolumesettingsfolder - ie, Möbelstück Beckmann - is an author whose work I've been following for a while now through the convenience of tumblr. His is the line of one-man-electronics-band that seem to populate the soundcloud sea, though his particular take on it is really interesting and chill. Take a moment of your time to chick his work out:

Malicious - Mental Illness

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the third edition of the Åbo Massaker fest in Turku, Finland. The set was headed by renowned names in the Finnish extreme metal scene, such as Black Dawn or Archgoat. It's not my objective to summarize the proceedings of the event (though I have to say that Archgoat fucking ruled!), but to call your attention to a new Finnish band, which is doubtlessly worthy of a look: I'm referring to Malicious. They opened the second day of the fest and were the only band I wasn't acquainted with. I have to say I was really impressed! They spew forth a solid mix of old school black/death/thrash, heavily reminiscent of 1980's or early 90's extreme metal. Despite their young age, inexperience and recurrent technical problems, they excelled the older and well-established Kill, from Sweden, who, even though I'm particularly fond of their records, presented a rather disappointing performance. Malicious, on the other hand, seem to be much more captivating live than in studio. Anyhow, check out their only demo in their Bandcamp and toss them a couple of coins.

Lantlôs - Melting Sun II: Cherry Quartz

Since a few days back, NPR has been streaming "Cherry Quartz", the second track from Lantlôs' upcoming album Melting Sun. Let's be honest, it's no Agape - my personal favorite from the band - but it kinda got me stoked for the official release. Its doom-scented, post-rocky, shoegazy tunes are definitely something to look forward to. 

A grave injustice has been committed by many (perhaps myself included) towards bands like Lantlôs or Alcest, who decided to leave behind their black metal roots and evolve towards new paths. Attention has oftentimes been centered on how they ditched black metal instead of on the virtues of the music itself. Let's face it, sometimes certain bands consciously abandon their initial musical paradigm to embark upon a new sonority. Some of these bands do a good job, while others screw it all up. The fact that I'm a committed old school Satanic black metal fanatic is in no way compromised by my propensity to listen to Alcest in a sunny, blissful day. In many ways, we dwell in a dualistic cosmos: there's no darkness without light. As the subtitle of our blog hints, there's no misanthropy without butterflies. While striving to give vent to our hatred and destroy our enemies, one has to stop once in awhile to smell the flowers. The main point is that, like all living organisms, bands can develop, improve, mature - while remaining honest. 

To sum it up, I don't give the slightest fuck about how trve a band is, insofar as it is true. I think that Alcest and Lantlôs are good examples of such cases.         

Walpurgis Night celebration: Impurity - Bonfim Moritvri Mortivis

Unfortunately, manifold affairs have kept me away from this blog. That does not mean I have been oblivious to the tidings in the shadowy world of extreme underground black metal. I just haven't had the time or patience to update you. That notwithstanding, I couldn't let this Walpurgisnacht go unnoticed here in The Brainlesser, where our sympathy towards the Ineffable Prince of Darkness is notorious. Please enjoy this sample of good old fashioned blasphemous black metal from Brazil's veterans Impurity, whose reeking black vomit immediately reminds us of other iniquitous cults such as Blasphemy, Archgoat, Black Witchery, Proclamation, Beherit or Sarcófago. Streamed below is their last LP Bonfim Moritvri Mortivis.

Horns up and crosses down-turned!

Toner Low - II

I spotted this album at bandcamp's "doom" tag (sorted by newness: a commonly opened tab on my browser) while shuffling through the dirt and mud of single track uploads, mislabeled pop/rock bands and the reocurring undecipherable blob of doom bands that apparently have yet to understand that bieng "experimental" doesn't excuse you from pulling shit music.

Toner Low have been around, as it seems. Were I a prouder man and I would be excusing my language away from admitting that I had never heard of them before - though in truth I might actually have had, but even then the hypothetical dark corner of my memory where I hypothetically flung it to die is now all but barred with layers of unsorted crap. I'm also not a proud man; here at The Brainlesser, low is the new high.

The band has been around since 1998 regardless, and have three full-length albums out, of which I heard this particular share, the last of them having been out last year - nope, hadn't a clue. Toner Low's III has been postponed for a proper listen somewhen down the upcoming week and I haven't heard their debut either because, let's face it:

Starting off as a more or less traditional stoner rock-outfit, over the years they evolved into the heaviest band of the lowlands. 

...is not the best lure to grab my attention towards their earlier work. I will get around to it though, don't get me wrong, but I thought I might as well bring out II and face III later on. 

The good thing about II is that it is pretty much your well-rounded, heavy and slow stoner doom. In many ways it reminds me of Ufomammut, namely the landscape painting by several degrees of low-pitched distortion, but it is different in that it's more minimalistic, less melodic and also less apparent in their design and intention. Where Ufomammut haunt you with the ever present repetition of a single melody that rounds the whole album, or concert even, structure in a neat bundle, Toner Low's II is more unpredictable and far much steeper in its turns, ups and downs. Which is strange because, all in all, it's not very innovative doom - it's good, but nothing unheard of, really. 

All the while, pointing some criticism at II, I can't but feel that its very steep and turning nature makes for some bits of buzzkill moments, most evident in the beginning of the song Three, and through it on too, if I'm perfectly honest. There's an essence of being led to this sort of fuzzy stoner doom that is for me the most enjoyable emotion that I can draw from it and Toner Low seem to be just short of hitting that sweet trance-like spot just because of a couple of buzzkill moments. Tempo grows into nothing, suddenly effects are added in for no good reason, rythm and cadency promptly halted halfway through for a change in song structure.

It's almost as if they had a whole bunch of great music ideas and just kinda threw them in. This is not very often, mind you, the examples being few and not very imposing. Most of the time it works just fine, it is after all a very solid album, but sometimes there's a disruption in the pattern that just kinda feels forced and unnecessary.

I'll be checking III, curious if they ironed out these minor pickings. Meanwhile, judge the piece for yourself.

Isis - Blacklit (Remastered)

Ipecac Records will be releasing the remastered version of Isis' Panopticon at April 29th (next week!) and here's a song from that upcoming gem. What else is there to say? It's motherfucking Isis!

Sonic Jesus - S/T

Kicking my blogging back into full swing with this great EP by Sonic Jesus, featuring cool lo-fi psy-krautrock jams that get me stoked for their upcoming gig in Portugal's Reverence Valada festival, which I plan on attending.

Honorable mention for the song It's time to hear.

1349 - "Slaves" (new track)

By Frost's magnanimous mustache, a new 1349 song?!

Yup, it certainly is. Check it out below.

Vassafor – Obsidian Codex

Until a couple of days ago, I had no idea who the hell Vassafor were. When I got my hands on their LP Obsidian Codex, it was a shot in the dark. I found the aesthetic of the album appealing and I happened to read very good reviews of it recently. While listening to the first track, I was immediately mesmerized. This really is exceptionally good shit! I got spellbound by their ritualistic, atmospheric black metal (at given points, reminiscent of Blut aus Nord), with Beherit-like whispering growls in the background and egregious doomish passages. May you revel in this record as much as I do, and bask along this hypnotizing voyage through the entropic dimensions of our dark universe. 

Thou - Heathen

Making up for the slow activity on the blog with a fantastic recent release from Thou. I wouldn't be surprised that this album would become one of the best sludge releases of 2014, in many people's eyes. Stream it on bandcamp below:

VON: The Return of the Dark Gods

Fuck yeah, the dark gods of American old school minimalistic black metal are back! One year after unleashing Dark Gods: Seven Billion Slaves, which brought us a new, improved, matured version of good old VON, these devilish bastards have recently announced the return of their darkness and evil, with the upcoming full length Dark Gods II: Birth of the Architects, the second chapter of a conceptual trilogy. To whet our appetite for destruction, let us revisit Dark Gods: Seven Billion Slaves. Horns up!

crumbling mirth - Don't Try

Heads-up to the EP Don't Try by seemingly newcomers crumbling mirth, playing some well executed, proper sludge. It's somewhat melodic, which is something that appeals to me greatly, especially in the song Eaten by Nothing, which I highlight below and sounds to me like the high point of the EP. I can imagine some great things coming from these dudes.

Acheron - Devil's Black Blood

A little more than a month ago, Acheron issued their latest work, entitled Kult des Hasses. I finally got my hands on a copy and for now I can only tell you that, as could be expected, it delivers good old fashioned Satanic death metal, in my opinion unmistakably superior to that of their fellow countrymen Vital Remains or Deicide. I only listened to the album once actually, so I still need to digest it properly. One thing is certain, though: it fucking pleases the Horned One down below, Perpetual Ruler of the Blazing Netherworld. 

Here's a sample I found in Youtube, the final track "Devil's Black Blood". 

ColdWorld’s new album in the making

Exciting tidings from the cold underworld. ColdWorld has announced in its official Facebook page that a new full length is in the making. In the aftermath of the launching of Melancholie², a superb masterpiece and a majestic monument to wintry dejection, ColdWorld has been able to secure a steady base of support in the nether reaches of the black metal universe. I’ve been a fan of ColdWorld ever since the EP The Stars are Dead Now, and, like many others, I have eagerly awaited a new effort from this German one-man act. Meanwhile, we may always revisit Melancholie², while holding our breath and tightening the rope around our necks, for your expectations aren’t likely to be frustrated. 

bemônio - lágrimas de sangue e fezes

Taking some time to share this experimental/avant-garde/drone gem from the brazillian bemônio. I have to say I was a bit skeptical as I approached the album - whose title literally translates to "tears of blood and feces" - but I was pleasantly surprised. It helps that I was specifically looking into some reading music, so it felt really proper, and it prompted this fast review to grant the album some deserved exposition.

A very interesting, introspective and thought-inducing piece, which I highly recommend. You can stream it below:

Rancho Relaxo - Who Says

Rancho Relaxo is one of those strangely obscure fuzz-gaze "kinda droney" that one comes across when browsing the web. I say strangely obscure because, in my mind, this kinda stuff should appeal to a whole lot of people. Just saying.

EITHER WAY, they have a new album coming out and here's a song from it. It's more pop than what they usually do but it kinda brings me back to that late eighties - early nineties kinda grunge kinda pop rock kinda shoegaze thing that bands had back then. It's a bit of a nostalgia trip - even though I was around 4 at the time, so what do I know - and even if it isn't, it's still a fucking great song, come on:

Today’s meal: Den Saakaldte’s videoclip and a fresh new track from Autumn’s Dawn

Many exciting news for today. First of all, we’re sharing Den Saakaldte’s official video of “Destinasjon Helvete”, the track featuring in their recent split with Horna. Take a ride on the train to Hell!

  

Secondly, there’s the advance track from the debut EP of Autumn’s Dawn, due to come out in the 21^st of April. A must-have for Austere fans.

Vanhelga - Där Evigheten Inväntar Mig

I know I’ve been quite inactive in this blogging affair since last week. My necromantic evocations and self-mutilation rites have kept my hands awfully busy (and bloody). Be it as it may, today I bring you the latest single from Vanhelga, which is set to feature on their third full length, Längtan, whose release is scheduled for the 28^th of April. I’ve mentioned in previous posts how saturated the whole “DSBM” thing currently is, with literally thousands of bands all around the globe releasing demos and LP’s on a monthly basis, mimicking uncritically the formulae established by their notorious predecessors, without contributing with anything new to the genre. Actually, truth be told, they didn’t even had to do anything outlandishly original; they simply had to compose something remotely able of transmitting any sort of sentiment other than boredom. Anyhow, in every ten bands or so within this musical niche there’s one or two which are worthwhile checking out. Vanhelga definitely belong to the latter. It’s difficult not to be reminded of Lifelover when listening to their despondently sick stuff. I’ll be looking forward for their forthcoming opus, which I expect to be at least as good as the preceding Höst, which you can also hear and buy at their Bandcamp.

thisquietarmy - Aphorismes MMXIV

Fresh from the upcoming release of Rebirths, an album set to re-release some thisquietarmy songs, that have been re-recorded with a new coat of varnish. Fantastic stuff that Î couldn't recommend enough, this release shouldn't be high up there in the wishlist for those already acquainted with the band, thought it might prove a worthy listen for those unfamiliar with the band and concept.

Slated to release on April the 16th, here is the costumary bandcamp link:

And We Made The Room Shine | Commentary

La Blogothèque should not be a stranger to anyone who wanders the web looking for good music, but for those who aren't aware it is a great source for interesting work done by interesting artists in interesting settings. This snippet format, where musicians play select songs in unconventional places and/or with a special connection to a public - this Beirut concert springs to mind - is usually successful in conveying a situated perspective on music-making, which comes across both as an experience that is shared, collectively, and as something we are all - both artists and listeners - a part of. It takes us there, and I find myself both appreciating the music and its context, realizing that such performances are unique - as is every single one of them - while the underlying resonance, a human experience, is the glue that draws and binds all of this specificity.

This is particularly evident in Matana Roberts's bit in And We Made The Room Shine (AWMTRS), a "post-rockumentary" (as they claim it to be at their facebook page) done by La Blogothèque with Constellation artists in a tour around Vienna. Her role here as a musician and performer is evidently reliant on the public, on communication and the musicality that is in everyone - a chorus that feed into her music-playing. This is of course nothing unheard of, as Gospel choirs spring to mind immediatly during her performance, the idea of collective singing being an integral part of traditional music all around the world; but the artifice of contemporary performance does have a history of forgetting that there's no concert without a public, no message without a dialogue. 

Which is not to say that every musician should do what she does, of course. In fact, no other artist in AWMTRS is going down that route. But from the street concert of Do Make Say Think to Elfin Saddle's water glass music, or Hangedup's steel pipe drums, there's a sense of placement that makes apparent both the intention of La Blogothèque situated music films and the artists' involvement with the surrounding environment. A stark contrast with Mike Moya and Eric Chenaux's solitary performances, but again these were contextualized: Eric Chenaux is at the stage playing for an empty audience, Mike Moya playing at what looks like an abandoned hall or basement; in both, the context relating to the introspective nature of the music being played.

All the while, AWMTRS is pulling it off through wordless movement. If anything, therein lies its flaw - that throughout the journey, there's always an eerie sense that we are mere spectators, voyeurs into the brilliant lives of these artists and the fortunate people that may experience their performance. This may be because even though it's the documentary's intention to bring us into the experience, the fact is that, well, we're not there. So I'm torn between the ambitious representation in AWMTRS and the simpler, more straight-to-the-point structure of, say, Blood, Sweat and Vynil. They both share the "band showcase" type of cadence - though AWMTRS is obviously more focused on the concerts themselves, while BSV is more interested in fan service - and they both seem to make a point of singling out the connection between artist and context as a driving force for the respective bands/musicians. But in BSV that is an explicit argument, while in AWMTRS it comes through interpretation and oftenly it becomes unclear whether it wants to go through with it, or whether that was its intention to begin with. It may just as well be the case that I'm reading into a non-intentional message that squeezed out between the lines.

The idea that AWMTRS "loses itself" by burying too deep on its own representation is an extremely subjective one and certainly not any reason to frown on the film itself, though. Taken at face value, you have an assortment of great artists pulling great performance. The filming is great and envelopping enough; the whole thing is marvellous work. 

I highly recommend you spend the 45 minutes of your time as I'm sure anyone can enjoy the experience. The situated performance of music is something I believe needs much more thought and effort by us, or we stand to lose ourselves in the rattle of everyday consumerism. For that alone, I appreciate the very intention behind AWMTRS. The fact that the artists are great and the filming/setting is well thought out, makes this an excellent film. 

You can watch it here:

Alastor – From the Hellish Abyss

Lately, I’ve been listening quite often to Alastor’s LP From the Hellish Abyss, released last year by Hoth Records. Alastor is one of the side-projects of JA, the mastermind behind Decayed, one of the most influential black metal bands hailing from Portugal. We can easily relate Alastor with Decayed, mainly through the borrowings from first-wave black metal bands and good ol’ times rock’n’roll, the latter being the primal root whence all heavy music rose, notwithstanding the unawareness of this fact by many in the scene nowadays. We’re streaming here From the Hellish Abyss, but Alastor's entire discography is available for listening and download at their Bandcamp. 

Sühnopfer – “Chevalier Maudit”

We continue roaming through the lightless paths of French black metal, and bring to you an advance track from Sühnopfer’s second opus “Offertoire”, whose release is scheduled for this month. In contrast with the more degenerate breed of black metal evoked by his fellow countrymen previously appraised here in The Brainlesser, Ardraos’ solo project sports a melodic brand of metal noire, striking us with a certain epic ambience. The song is further enriched by the contribution of Peste Noire’s infamous Famine. Check it out below. 

THERE IS NO UNDER - Overmars' Born Again

Tomorrow is the International Women's Day and that's as good an excuse as any to share what are probably my favourite female vocals in sludge. Overmars are of course giants in the scene, and the kind of music they achieve in this album is just too fucking brilliant. What a great follow-up to the monolith that was Affliction, Endocrine... Vertigo, which was already a testimony of the best that sludge has to offer - and how devastating it can be.

Born Again drags the listener further into the depths, and where it loses in the anger that was characteristic of Affliction, it gains in doomy weight. Down is the way to go. I like that Born Again does not try to repeat the formula of its predecessor, and instead it carves its own path without losing the destructiveness of Overmars - in some ways, it's more of a different perspective.

Born Again came out in 2007 and you can stream it at the Overmars official bandcamp below. You can also browse it for other albums from that band.

MEMNON SA - Black Goddess

Today's song is a promising track from a promising release by Pyrmide Noire's MEMNON SA. An ambient, droney, instrumental wandering that drew my attention for sure, let's see how the album plays out. Listen:

French Putrid Decadence: Sale Freux (ex-Saatkrähe), Voqkrre, Drakonhail

The French black metal scene has always been one of a kind. During the nineties, we had the so-called “Légions Noires”, an underground “organization” comprised of bands like Mütiilation or Vlad Tepes, the French equivalent of Norway’s “Black Circle”. They were easily identified by their decrepit, lo-fi, and drug-fuelled strain of vampyric black metal, by the same time many of their notorious Scandinavian coreligionists were dead, jailed, domesticated by the music industry or revelling in harmonious orchestrations, singing paeans to their “native gods”, their “national culture” and bullshit of the sort. But the Légions Noires didn’t thrive for long, as Mütiilation was the only band surviving well into the 21^st century. Fortunately, there were others who took up the black torch and kept the flame of putridness alive. Of course, we have renowned acts such as Hell Militia or Peste Noire, who partially absorbed the rotten, sick sonority of their predecessors. But these aren’t the ones to whom I devote these words.  

I contemplate herein four Gallic bands which share a set of specificities and the influence of an obscure musician known as Dunkel: Sale Freux (formerly known as Saatkrähe), Voqkrre and Drakonhail. I’m not going to delve into details concerning each one of these entities, since you can evaluate their dreadful art by yourself through the samples embedded below. It suffices to say that Sale Freux and Voqkrre display many common traits in their sound, heavily influenced by the 1990’s wave of French black metal, with their deranged vocals and the foul scent emanated by psychotic guitar riffs, while Drakonhail lull us into the abyss with their ambient, slow and grievous compositions.

These are some of the lesser known bands that make the French black metal scene one of the most stimulating in the world. Here, the genre has kept its primary murkiness and subversive attitude, keeping at bay any commercial pressures whatsoever, although not becoming ridiculously ridden with clichés or infected with the musical and aesthetical staleness conveyed by many bands of the genre.          

Sale Freux - "Edelweiss", from L'Exil (2012)

Voqkrre - "Monotone Funebre Orchestra", from Palans in Pestilens (2009)

Drakonhail - "Errance Monotone", from ...Des Ailes... (2011)

NO-DOOM: Habsyll

I've been reading an interesting book by Castro-supporter-turned-neoliberal Mario Vargas Llosa about what he calls the "Civilization of the Spectacle" (he reads an essay from the book here). Setting aside some glaring contradictions in the book - not the least of which being the gap between the author's political life and the book's main thesis - he paints a gloom picture of contemporary society: a world of acritical consumption, a global generation bent on destroying culture (high culture, he would point out) and reducing the heights of artistic achievement to the banality of everyday commodities. A state of affairs wherein price overtook value; form overtook content and representation overtook meaning. 

In a society where Oprah dictates mass market trends in literature much more effectively than the whole body of academically informed literary critics in North America, we can understand why this might pose a problem. This crisis of meaning being replaced by its representation - the real being set aside in favour of the artificial - should not come as a surprise to anyone who has read Guy Debord (in fact, the book is not innocently named) or, for that matter, Marx. But Llosa's lament here is unique in that it reflects upon the soul of society and on a particular struggle - the artistic struggle - of mankind when facing its own smallness, its own mortality. Indeed, the Civilization of the Spectacle is not merely one who lost its way with its own entertainment, which replaces culture, it's one who lost its humanity, its life.

It's gazing at this collective drive to dystopia that I most appreciate the work of drone/doom bands like Earth and Sunn O))). In its own way, the abrazive, disharmonic sentiment of the drone act reflects to me the attempt to turn the toppling ship back on its track, to force meaning through the deafening white noise by disregarding musical form. The deep, low vibrations resonate with our very biological senses, in a way that's so real, it defies or even rejects explanation (which is one of the many reasons why I enjoy the absence of lyrics). At the same time, repetition is rebellion: if the repetitive motion of drone music is a sort of defining motif, it can also be seen as a resistance to a world of excess in stimuli, a call to reflection and pause when facing the constant barrage of commodities tailored to please, to amuse, to entertain.

Dissonance is bliss, and few do it so well and dig so deeply like Habsyll, our feature band for today. A first listen will rightly remind us of doom terrormancers Khanate, who have built a solid empire on this matter, but Habsyll stands on its own feet, a giant of heavy, powerful, destructive, bottom-of-the-well doom. If my textual pacing so far took us to understand "underground" metal as an artistic call-to-arms against the static of contemporary society - an argument, as it stands, that I've been making in my other blog posts -, Habsyll cranks it up to eleven with a blanket refusal of norm, pleasantry and harmony. NO-DOOM, anti-humanistic. To deny form is to enforce meaning. Here we are at the tipping point, where rejecting humanity is what makes us alive.