Bands You Should Be Hearing Pt.I

I've realized that my inbox is flooded at this point with requests, and as much as I would like to, it's hard to filter most of the stuff there. I really would love to take some decent time to listen to all of the music people kindly send me, but I find that to be a very, almost, impossible task to do it in the very little spare time that I have. I know you guys would love a deep and full review of all your releases... but in the end it all comes down to use Forever Cursed as the messenger, the vehicle to your message out there, I just light the way and people will do the rest. So, without further bullshit, excuses, bla-bla-bla, here are some of releases/bands that caught my attention in the past few months.

I became aware of the Pennsylvania duo Capa since the "Shallow Towers"release, at this point many of you probably know them too. The band plays a more contemporary, avant-garde and technical style of black metal. I look at Capa's sound and I interpret it as "progressive metal with black metal influences" and not as simply "black metal" because it's not. Although I'm not the most avid fan of this style of over polished kind of production, "The Droves" turned out a very interesting listen and it's one of those releases that you will put on repeat for the next couple of hours or even days. The whole production behind it is very keen and the songs are pretty solid. Like I said, the percentage of black metal influence is strong on this one, although after lifting up Capa's cloak (Fact: "Capa" in portuguese means "cloak") and after dissecting their sound, it I also found some "djenty" and post-metal riffs that are thrown in the middle of the tracks. In the end the result is this very tragic, almost theatrical, if you look at it through this point of view, style of metal. What a nice surprise. Check them out below.

The Droves | Alternative DL Link

This next band crashed in a very mysterious and simple email with the just the Bandcamp link in it. The band is Home Is Gone (No, it's not a His Hero Is Gone covers band) from New York and they introduce us to "Triptych", that's right: a three song release that consist of this blasting, furious, industrial sounding black metal sound. Almost as a bastard child between Genghis Tron and Liturgy (wait..) and the result is, at least, interesting. Check them out below.

Home Is Gone

From Finland, Maze of Roots, a doom duo releasing their fifth Demo, well they've released two Demos last month, simply called "Chapter One" (or was it supposed to be Three?) and "Chapter Two", two chapters of what it seems a trilogy. Maze of Roots plays a very bleak, depressing, anguished and traditional style of doom metal, following the Finnish heritage of doom bands like Umbra Nihil and Majesty for example. I must confess I wasn't very impressed with their first Demos, I really didn't like the vocals at all but maybe it was just me back then. Here, Maze of Roots, successfully created some very nice tracks filled with a very gloomy and melancholic atmosphere. (Sorry I took so long Joel)

Chapter I | Chapter II

Next is Cepheide, a brand new band, formed this year, coming from France. The band describes their sound as raw cascadian black metal in the vein of bands like Ash Borer or Fell Voices. Indeed Cepheide's style of black metal drinks up in a insatiable way, the influence of the Cascadia style of bands. It's good to see bands like this coming out of Europe, the truth is that there aren't many bands playing this style here. So it's always good to witness the rise of bands Cepheide. In "De Silence et de Suie" (that was created under a very DIY spirit by the band itself) expect four great tracks of passionate, uncompromised, energetic and raw black metal. A great release by Cepheide. Bravo!

Cepheide

Idre, a trio from Oklahoma who quote names like Neurosis, Ennio Morricone, Swans, OM, and Khanate when describing their music. Interesting, no? It immediately makes me just go out and press "Play" as I forget what I was doing. This self titled album consists of 2 songs spanning over 40 minutes. The first track "Factorie" last almost half-hour and its melancholic tone reminds me a lot of the style of Across Tundras. The more we dig in, the more weird it gets, as more entangled we get in those slow and atmospheric layers. In the second track "Witch Trial" I really get the OM influence. The sound is Ok, I get their thing here but I'm not a big fan of the vocals. These guys are trying to do something different here but I believe that they still didn't reached it.. yet. I wasn't too excited with this released. Please Idre, prove me I was so wrong in a very near future. Take your own conclusions below. A CD and LP versions will be available later this summer.

Idre

Oh yes! Filthy, nasty, sickening sludge doom from Keeper. From what I've seen so far, these guys are escalating quickly with their "MMXIV" Demo. Formed by ex-Tiger Lily (whom I've talked about here on the blog some time ago) member, Keeper is the answer to every sludge/doom aficionado. You dig Thou? You dig Hell? You dig The Abominable Iron Sloth? You dig Old Witch? Then this band is for you. Just one word to describe this release: Crushing! Support these dudes. Tape out now on Grimoire Cassette Cvlture.

Keeper

Scroll "Scroll Demo"

Now this particular release isn't new. Some of you may already be familiar with it but for those who aren't, keep on reading. Scroll is a one man black metal band from Seattle and this is its first self-titled Demo released back in 2011. It was released as a tape with a very awesome DIY hand-made pouch. For those who grabbed it, lucky you. Scroll's Demo features 5 tracks giving us a total of 30 minutes of very well performed, very good, intense and memorable black metal music. I was really astonished by the quality of this. It's really, really good. I personally love the sound of it. It's very dense, almost as we're involved with this cold tremolo picking blanket in the middle of this grim whirlwind of blastbeats.     I guess the best way to describe Scroll's sound is that it sounds pretty much "cascadian". Very Ash borer-esque or Fell Voices-esque, if you know what i mean. Nevertheless it has a soul of it's own and it's not just another copy-cat band. The barrage of the tremolo picking notes spewing from the guitar melts perfectly with the fury of the drum, creating this thick wall of noisy and impenetrable black metal. I just hope this project hasn't died yet and the man behind it can surprise us with something new soon. You hear that Jesse??

Whispers within the forest

Ash Borer "Bloodlands" Review

At this point everyone knows already Ash Borer recognized as one of the foremost exponents of the Cascadian black metal scene. After a split with their fellow Fell Voices, a Demo and their latest  full-length", Cold Of Ages" released last year by the hand of Profound Lore Records, Ash Borer are at this point completely rooted in the USBM generating a large cult around them and on every release they put out. 

The first aspect i felt after hearing this new release was that, to me, "Bloodlands" feels almost like a sequel of "Cold Of Ages" due to the sound and song structure on it. Almost if the tracks featured here are, well.. leftovers isn't a very pretty word, but were built in the creative process of "Cold Of Ages". Many people i've talked to, said that they were a little bit disappointed with last year's "Cold Of Ages", I on the other hand must belong in that small minority that absolutely loved it. It's sounds precisely like... Ash Borer. Many people probably felt they sell-out because of that album being released by Profound Lore, i don't know. That chaotic whirlwind of cold and rough shaped riffs along with that blasting drum buried deep in the mix and those haunting blood-freezing screams all ensnared in the midst of this desolate and gelid scenario, was in fact, still there.

In all their releases, the band always had a tendency to evolve in order to create something more atmospheric, and that is not an exception here on "Bloodlands". The opening track "Oblivion's Spring", starts with some repetitive isolated guitar notes earlier accompanied by a keyboard in the background, as another layer of guitar notes is added into this mix, creating an atmosphere shrouded in mystery. This is just a short introduction that is immediately pulled under our feet as a storm of sharp riffs and savage blastbeats falls upon us as the shrieking screams circle through the middle of this vortex which plagues us, absorbing us in such a way, that we hardly realize the 15 minutes that this track lasts. Going from chaotically accelerated rhythms to mid-paced sections extinguishing slowly to the sound of the same notes that opened it now distorted by a twisted atmosphere like the howl of the cold Winter wind that carries the ashes of what once was beautiful.

To help you to understand the effect of this track imagine this: as the first notes echo, imagine yourself in the middle of a beautiful garden in the midst of Spring when suddenly, without warning, the sky turns black and a terrible storm falls upon us, with very strong and cold winds destroying everything. Leaving nothing but wrecks and smithereens on the floor. "Oblivion's Spring" is a obscure hymn to despair, loneliness and madness. As something dark and macabre that was hidden behind something as seemingly naive and beautiful... That's how i visually imagine "Oblivion's Spring" in my head.

Right after this turbulent start we enter "Dirge/Purgation", which I'm going to face as two tracks merged into one, being "Dirge" a beautiful instrumental interlude served as intro for "Purgation" that has kind of a doom-ish touch. It begins with very slow beats as the dragged sound of the guitars mourn along a path at least, painful. The voice barely cuts through as it's very caught up in the mix. As if the instruments were in a determined room and the voice is one or two room below.

Now under a much more dynamic rhythm, "Purgation" is a track that kind of hypnotizes us, leading us into a state of trance due to the those repetitive guitar notes that very rarely and occasionally, break into other territories ranging from increasingly fast to slow rhythms that seem to belong to a more doom-ish territory due to the decadent and gloomy sound that it emits. I definitely feel that Ash Borer were trying something different with this track here. Experiencing something new into a more atmospheric  territories, trying to create new dynamics to their tracks without losing the seal "Ash Borer" in it. Looking back to "Bloodlands" it's another great and unique milestone into Ash Borer's career, a record that makes me come back repeatedly never getting tired of hearing it.

In the meantime you can order it here at the Gilead Media store, it also will be available on Psychic Violence store but only after the european tour ends, along with some other goodies like the Ruin Lust LP for example. Stay tuned.

Enter the  Bloodlands

Hope Drone "Hope Drone"

Now i just discovered this on Bandcamp while i was checking some random black metal acts. The minute i pressed that "Play" button i was instantly surrendered to it. Hope Drone are a black metal band  hailing from Brisbane, Australia and formed by members who also play in bands like IDYLLS and The Fevered for example. With the hand of Mr Sanford Parker behind the production of this release and mastered by Dan Randall (who mastered Ash Borer), the result is really above the average. Hope Drone's music can be described as a more contemporary style of black metal, i can almost describe them as a more accessible version of Ash Borer, not that they are copy cats of the Californian band, no... don't get me wrong.

Hope Drone really took all the influences they get from all these new and old black metal acts and created their own vision, and what a really impressive vision it is, i must confess at this point. With such great names behind the making of this, the sound featured here is at least great. Blistering, rabid and extremely well executed. Beginning with "Advent", that is served as the perfect appetizer for what we're about to hear. The drum marks the hypnotic rhythm as the guitars scream feedback in the background for almost two minutes of the five and half minutes that this track lasts. Raging blastbeats are unleashed over a thick layer of killer almost "cascadian-ish" black metal riffs that are chained to Chris Rowden's agonizing harsh vocals. "Finite" a colossal track that through its almost 12 minutes that it lasts, unfolds some amazing melodramatic riffs who have the power to create in us a feeling of melancholy totally caught up in a whirlwind of anger. "Grains", another of those tracks that unravels bit by bit, a track filled with some more gentle moments but also full of an invigorating and brutal energy that catches us off guard dragging us into a vortex of blackness. "Ash", the closing track, begins in a melancholy tone almost in a way of a farewell, but still the band gathers energy strong enough to invoke some blistering blackness.

One of interesting aspects is that even though the tracks are long, we never get that feeling that the band disperses, a common factor that usually happens in ambitious young bands in the genre. The band seem and sounds focused and by doing that they have created an amazing piece of music here. Which just proves that Hope Drone is here to stay and with this release they make a solid statement creating a status of respect amongst the new and veteran bands in this genre. An album that is fresh, invigorating and captivating. Not to be missed. Amazing debut.

Hope Drone's debut is available on the band's Bandcamp where you can download as "name your price" although i encourage you to support such creative new acts like them. Follow their moves on Facebook too. Highly recommended!

Ash and Dust

Ash Borer "Cold Of Ages"

Almost no introduction needed for this one.

Emerging as one of the most revered new bands within the ever polarizing movement of this present day American black metal scene, Ash Borer are a band that will be known as of the pillars within the genre. Through violent waves of harsh virulent sonic ambiance, the time-expanding songs that Ash Borer manifest hold true to a certain aspect of the essence of black metal; on a sonic level Ash Borer’s brand of unearthly trance-inducing ambient black metal holds its own ground by upholding the genre’s aesthetic, while on a lyrical and thematic level, Ash Borer do touch upon subjects that deal with spiritual themes and religious initiation, all while harboring that slight aura of mystique and mysticism they also present.

Nonetheless, “Cold Of Ages” (which also features a guest appearance by Jessica Way of Worm Ouroboros on the tracks ‘Convict All Flesh’ and ‘Removed Forms’) is a surging and hypnotizing sonic pillage that stands as one of the defining moments of America’s present-day black metal scene. One of the albums of the year? You tell me. Get it here.

cold ashes

Sorrows "Threads" EP

It's been a while since this band released something. "Threads" is the new EP brought by the Atmospheric Black Metal act Sorrows. The EP features one track only of about 15 minutes length. I quite enjoyed this release, you can tell it's well crafted, it's raw but with the right amount of melody, that creates a cosy atmosphere. If you're into Fell Voices, Ash Borer or the "cascadian" BM scene then this is a must-listen for you. Limited to 100 Cassettes it comes with a booklet of writings and photo's. Support them here. Follow their steps here.

tristeza

Addaura "Burning for the Ancient"

A very interesting release this "Burning for the Ancient" by Seattle's Black Metal band Addaura. With only 4 tracks, "Burning for the Ancient", shows us a band that delivers some honest and passionate Black Metal straight from their guts. This one is more WITTR influenced than the material i've heard from their 2010's Demo, described as "Cascadian Black Metal", Addaura's interpretation of Black Metal is indeed more atmospheric. With songs that pass the 10 minute mark each, Addaura delivers some very good material and "Burning for the Ancient" is without shadow of doubt a great album that you must check out. I believe the band is preparing to launch it vinyl soon, just follow their steps here. Recommended!

listen | if these woods could speak

Sleepwalker "Demos"

Sleepwalker is the side project from Mike, the drummer of Fell Voices. It has released two Demos so far, one in 2009 and another one in 2010. The sound that Sleepwalker presents us is a misty and murky post rock influenced BM, with repetitive and hypnotic riffs that leads us into some sort of trance. The production is as raw as you can get. This is good material though. These guys are playing now on the Gilead Media Festival, so if you're near it, check out Sleepwalker live in one of its rare live appearances.

listen | shady sounds

Ash Borer

Well, about time i put some Ash Borer here. This band have proved themselves quite simply the most impressive up-and-coming atmospheric black metal band out there today. They steer clear of all the ridiculous bullshit that turns other promising acts into sub-par gimmicks and meld influences from a slew of other genres with an uncanny sense of when to stop and when to go to craft an effort that is almost guaranteed to annihilate all contenders for the throne of 2011 atmospheric black metal album of the year. Most importantly, Ash Borer have attained the musical nirvana so desperately sought by their peers and have risen above and beyond all.

And the best part?

The band is barely three years old, and judging by the excellence that was hinted at on their previous releases and has finally been fully realized on Ash Borer, the future of the Cascadian scene will be very bright indeed as long as Ash Borer are around. I, for one, hope that this will be for a very long time.

"MMIX - MMXI" consists on a compilation kind of a best of, over an hour long, of the best material released by this most promising black metal act. I strongly recommend this. Enjoy.

myspace | pt.I | pt.II