Bands You Should Be Hearing Pt.V - Essential Doom for 2015

Holy fuck... 2015 seems that it's aiming for the year of Doom. You want to know why?

One of this years releases that has been playing non-stop here on my den is this killer split release between two of Ireland's finest doom heavyweights: Nomadic Rituals and Tome. Featuring one track for each band, it's more than enough to let this thick, blurred, cosmic, black ooze flow into your ears for the next coming months. I'm totally addicted into this split and love equally both tracks from each band. It's slow, it's fucking.. I mean FUCKING SLOW AND HEAVY. What else do you need? It's so fucking good. Please check both bands and buy this vinyl record. A mandatory release for fans of the genre.

Bone Divinations

Next is Church from Sacramento, California with their "Unanswered Hymns" Demo. Church deliver these thick slabs of slow, heavy as fuck, riffs that drags us into the depths of the pits of Doom. It's almost impossible to hear this without in some unconscious way, you start banging your head s-l-o-w-l-y... I totally love the way the two vocal styles combine, bringing the most occult, witchy(!) side of doom metal with it's most vile and ugly facet. Another great doom release to keep in mind. Crushing. Demo available through Transylvanian Tapes.

Unanswered Hymns

Another fucking crushing Demo that landed on my ears was this one by Weltesser, a young band from Saint Petersburg, Florida. Now this exactly the type of sound I'm into. Filthy, brutal, vile sludge doom metal. No fucking bullshit here, just hatred in its most pure essence. Weltesser's sound has got to be one of the meanest you'll hear this year coming from an underground band. I can see a bright future for these boys. Check them out. No salvation. Only perdition.

Weltesser

And finally, another band that I'm super stoked upon are Spectral Voice from Denver, Colorado. Sick, putrid and misanthropic death doom is what you'll get here. Delivering thick, heavy and decaying riffs very à la Corrupted meets Disma meets Anhedonist kind of sound. The stench of death is everywhere on this Demo. And I fucking love it. So much that I instantly ordered the tape immediately. The tracks are amazing here, I love them all, they're very well played. These guys are truly on the right track.

Necrotic Doom

Do yourself a favor and support all the bands above. These are fucking mandatory Doom releases for this year. Support the underground!

Forever Cursed Best Of 2014 - The Haxan's Choices

Here we are again.

Personally, it was just another fucking year, just like the last 4 or 5 last years. Time seems to fly. As a matter of fact, it flies so fast that I barely have time to slow down, and look back.. well, some things aren't worth looking back, so... 2014 was all about work, dedicate time to family, friends, buying new music and just enjoying it and most of all, always learning. Music has always been there for me, in good and bad times. It's that safe harbor where I go so many times to be in total solitude and just let my spirit feast with all that magic essence that pours down through every note. I've learned so much through music, whether it's metal or not. Along the years it has also molded me into what I am today, my personal tastes and character.

And once again 2014 proved to be a great year, at least... in the field of heavy music, although so many good albums were also released in another fields of music. Did I enjoyed YOB? Yes I did! Did I liked the new Blut Aus Nord? At first I was a bit sceptic with the sound of it, but the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me, so yes. Did I loved Sinmara? Oh fuck yes! You know what I feel about Icelandic black metal and this band is no exception. The releases I'm about t show you are mostly releases that I've been emerged into mostly this year, so I hope to help you find some new and interesting music that may grab and sweep you from your shoes as well.

I had to make a Top 21, it may sound silly, but I wasn't expecting one of these specific releases would come out so soon. I was counting for it only in the beginning of next year, but since I've heard it in advance... it immediately climbed its own way to the top and I really didn't want to cut out one of the releases I already had figured for my own personal Top. Enjoy.

#21

Towers "II"

Towers are a Portland duo whose demolishing sound basically consists on just a bass and drum. And the apocalyptic visions they can cause with just that, is absolutely crushing. I really loved the whole sound of this album. The whole depth and atmosphere. Killer. 

Listen

#20

Profetus "As All Seasons Die"

Profetus from Finland return with a majestic tribute to the real funeral doom sound. Crushingly heavy, an authentic mournful ode to sadness, grief and pain. Perfect to hear in those cold Winter days in total solitude. 

Listen

#19

Wrekmeister Harmonies "Then It All Came Down"

One of the most emotionally crushing releases of this year, "Then It All Came Down" features J.R. Robinson joined by members of Indian, Corrections House, Twilight, Yakuza, Anatomy of Habit, Come, Mind Over Mirrors, Bloodiest, as well as Wrest (Leviathan) and Ryley Walker. With such collaboration the result is at sight: an amazing introspective journey into our soul.

Listen

#18

11 Paranoias "Stealing Fire from Heaven"

New supergroup featuring members from Ramesses, Bong and Satan's Wrath. "Stealing Fire from Heaven" gathers the right amount of psychedelic doom I just need to hear sometimes. A very smokey and trippy journey indeed with the right dose of heaviness imbued.

Listen 

#17

Harassor "Into Unknown Depths"

"Into Unknown Depths" marks the return of blood thirsty barbarians Harassor. The vicious blend of black metal, punk, death metal is just fucking killer. You won't get two songs alike in this album which proves the heterogeneity and the ability of Harassor to shift the direction of the songs without never losing fucking control. Fucking killer I said!!

Listen

#16

Nuclearhammer "Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer"
Probably one of the most underrated blackened death metal that came out this year. Canada's Nuclearhammer really hits the nail on this. You just need to look into that artwork to realize that this album will bring total bestial and cosmic devastation.

Listen

#15

Nux Vomica "Nux Vomica"
Another one straight out of Portland. Nux Vomica perfect blend of post metal, crust, doom results in the most amazing atmosphere. To prove that, "Reeling" is simply one of the best tracks I've heard this year. Epic.

Listen

#14

Sun Worship "Elder Giants"
I've been following the moves of Germany's Sun Worship since day one, and so far they haven't disappointed me. 2014 is marked by their full-length "Elder Giants" a brilliant, passionate and relentless album that sweeps me away every time I play it. Brilliant.

Listen

#13

Kriegsmaschine "Enemy of Man"
Another great album that passed under the radar of many. Kriegsmaschine "Enemy Of Man", one of the most brilliant black metal albums that came out this year. If you love the dissonant atmospheres of bands like Deathspell Omega or the cold atmopshere of Mgla (who shares a member in this band, in case you didn't know) I strongly recommend you "Enemy Of Man". Perfect.

Listen

#12

Laster "De Verste Verte Is Hier"
After a very well received Demo, Dutch black metal band Laster return with a brilliant album that provides perfect freezing cold atmosphere, perfect for those cold and rainy Winter days. I really love the passion that is behind every riff, every blastbeat and the vocals that just slay me.

Listen

#11

Walk Through Fire "Hope Is Misery"
Desolation. Despair. Depression. These are all words that come to my mind whenever I hear "Hope Is Misery". Many of you out there aren't familiar with this band from Sweden. Their minimalist approach to their sludge doom is just one one of the most heavy I've heard this year. I'm a sucker for this kind of sound and "Hope Is Misery" proved to be a very unpleasant (in a very sadistic way) company.

Listen

#10

Spectral Lore "III"
We all know that, when it comes to black metal, Greece hides many secrets. One of them is precisely Spectral Lore. Don't know why I don't see this name floating more around. "III" quickly grew on me and proved to be one fantastic journey into the realms of atmospheric black metal. The fury of those blastbeats that walk hand in hand with some beautiful melodies. A very beautiful album that, if you don't know yet, then you must discover.

Listen

#9

Funereal Presence "The Archer Takes Aim"
One of the most played here on the Haxan's den. Funereal Presence "The Archer Takes Aim", an album with a very unique and distinctive atmosphere, brought to us by the mind of Negative Plane's Bestial Devotion. It's one of those albums I will never grow tired of hearing. Excellent.

Listen

#8

Skáphe "Skáphe"
One of this year's surprise, brought by the hand of Fallen Empire. Skáphe, a mysterious band involved in a very dense and intoxicating mist, handing us a sample of a very original black metal filled with claustrophobic atmospheres. Addictive.

Listen

#7

Funerary "Starless Aeon"
"Starless Aeon", the debut album of Funerary. I was amazed by this debut, Funerary's funeral doom approach is quite memorable and I just get the riffs of "Beneath The Black Veil" stuck in my head for hours. This track is just remarkably beautiful and it strikes me on the inside like no other. "Starless Aeon" is a very emotional, mournful and introspective journey into the cosmic valley of doom.

Listen

#6

Thantifaxath "Sacred White Noise"
The artwork doesn't reveal much on what is the story here. But as soon as we fall into the downward spiral of "Sacred White Noise" we soon realize that we're pulled into a maze of twisted riffs that don't obey any conventional black metal guideline. It's just Thantifaxath doing the best they can do. And it's just amazing.

Listen

#5

Swallowed "Lunarterial"
It only took one audition to this album to realize that I was in front of my favorite death metal album for 2014. It took a while to get here but finally did. Finland's Swallowed unleash the most lunatic and deranged death metal I've heard. Like a crossbreed between Teitanblood and Cultes Des Ghoules. Can you imagine that? The result is at sight: "Lunarterial". Fucking Awesome.

Listen

#4

Rotting Sky "Sedation"
Rotting Sky is a side project from Tim Messing from Nux Vomica. As Rotting Sky, Tim brings us an excellent formula that mixes black metal, doom with drone, noisy atmospheres. "Sedation" is simply hypnotic and I just want to listen to it in repeat forever.

Listen

#3

Fórn "The Departure of Consciousness"
With was with great pleasure that I was aware the Fórn were going to release their first full-length this year. I really loved their EP (featured here last year) and I was looking forward to hear "The Departure of Consciousness". All my expectations were exceeded when I finally heard the full album. Crushing, devastating and beautiful harmonies from these young doomsters. Just fucking stellar.

Listen

#2

Thou "Heathen"
Well.. it's fucking Thou! What else is to be said about one of the most heavy bands to walk this Earth nowadays. A very ambitious album that proved to us that this band has no match. I really how this album brings back that initial Thou sound and song structure mixed with their most recent material. Excellent.

Listen

#1

Sonance "Blackflower"
Finally, the cherry on top of the cake. An album that caught me by surprise and just climbed its way all by himself to my heart. I really loved what Sonance had brought with "Like Ghosts" but to me, "Blackflower" has just raised the bar. Slightly different from their previous but still you get it's Sonance. The whole melody that evolves us and leads us into the most catastrophic of scenarios is just heartbreaking. With "Blackflower", Sonance have accomplished something that is very rare nowadays. Try to figure what that is.

Listen

Besides these releases, I've been a lot this year into a lot of stuff, but I feel I must enhance Northward "IJsgang", sadly the last breath of this great band. Australia's Total Control with "Typical System", a very great record that successfully pulls that early 80's punk spirit and blends it with the most contemporary post punk as well, an album filled with great and eclectic songs. Vaniish "Memory Work", probably the best post-punk album that came out this year. Brilliant. Vorde "Vorde", another Fallen Empire release, saw many folks complaining about the vocals on this one, but I think it totally gives a different aura to Vorde's black metal sound. An album that intrigued me a lot at first, but the more I listen to it, the more it grows on me.

That was it for now. Wish you all the best. Let's raise our chalices up high and wish for a better year of MMXV. Hail! 

†H†

Bands You Should Be Hearing Pt.II

First, and to start in a good way, I bring you the putrid sonic attack by Wørsen. A primitive, raw black metal punk band from Florida. This "Rehearsal" tape was released on Primal Vomit Records and the band seems to be writing new stuff at this point. Here we get, basically, six tracks of filthy, disgusting  and raw-to-the-bone style of black metal that will please fans of bands like Black Apparition, Raw Moon, Ancestors, etc. Check'em out.

Wørsen

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Next is a young band from Zurich, Switzerland, Æsop, with their debut EP "Weltengänger". Entirely recorded and produced by the band itself, "Weltengänger", contains three tracks that together, result in a total of 20 minutes length. Although it was all crafted under a very DIY spirit, the result is really astonishing. The sound is great, all the instruments are perfectly combined, the vocals and the songs are really good and interesting. Æsop's sound drinks from atmospheric sludge to post metal with some hints of black metal in the middle. Fans of bands like Year Of No Light (back from when they used vocals), Rorcal or Kehlvin for example, should keep an eye on them. A very solid and strong EP by Æsop. Look forward to hear what the future will bring.

Aesop

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Now it's a band I've talked about some time ago, Grue. This time Grue, delivers "Rake" EP although I recommend you to look back into their stuff and hear the album "Casualty of the Psychic Wars". I'm glad to hear that the band continues their style of ravenous and epic black metal, specially here on the "Rake" EP where the band unleashes two incendiary tracks: "All Mortal Greatness Is But Disease" and "Rake", burning down every little sparkle of hope and life. Soundwise, Grue's sound is very accessible, reaching out not only the usual avid black metal fundamentalist kind of fans but also the usual heavy music fan that seeks new bands and that, once in a while, likes to dig in deep inside the black metal specter. The drum seems a little bit low in the mix, nevertheless you can still feel that it's there. The big highlight for me is indeed the vocals. It's really different from what we usual get from the most standard black metal bands out there, not the usual style of harsh or grim kind of vocals, and that's why it stands out. It's clear yet filled with hate and powerful. Very good stuff, check them out.

Grue

................................ † ................................

Next is Naught, a doom metal band from Iceland. Now, we're all used to think about black metal when we relate "Iceland" and "metal". This time, we get to see another side of the cold and desolate landscapes of Iceland. Naught presents us with "Tómhyggjublús", a beast formed by three sluggish, mournful, despairing songs that clock around 7 to 11 minutes long, all filled with this draining negative energy. These guys play really slow... so slow that you can almost see your beard growing along the playing of "Tómhyggjublús". And that's how doom is meant to be: fucking slow and evil. Check them out.

Naught

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Yith, a black metal project from the U.S. that seems to already have a solid cult around it, as every tape that is released is already sold out. Soundwise, Yith blends the best of two worlds: black metal and doom. And you can see the justification for all the adoration around this band: Yith's tracks are really above the average, speaking of a an unknown band, that probably many of you out there never heard about before. Yith sound here is perfect. It really matches that artwork and it's suitable for those cold, foggy Winter days. A very interesting release for you to discover. 

Yith

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For the last, but not the least, I present you Hedge Fund from Boston, MA (Somerville). Hedge Fund play this brute and noisy hardcore punk in the style of bands like Mind Eraser, Rival Mob or Full Of Hell, so that you can get the picture. "Apeiron" was all self recorded and released in cassette that, I think is still available. When Hedge Fund aren't busting heads with their brutal "mongocore" hardcore, they're fucking up with our brain making up some noisy and violent sort of power electronics as heard on the tracks "We Have Transgressed" and "Of The Crooked Timber". I think it works rather well here. I mean, it's the fusion of these two that makes "Apeiron" one hell of a good release. So what the hell are you still waiting? Go and buy the tape Goddamn it!!!

Hedge Fund

                     

Arakk "Self & Distance"

From time to time, from all the requests I get in my inbox, few really have that power to surprise and overwhelm me at a first audition. One of those cases is precisely the band I'm going to talk about next. Arakk, a funeral doom band from Copenhagen, Denmark. Arakk is Jesper Christoffersen (guitars/vocals), Kasper Ralsted Jensen, ex-Hexis, founded Hexis along with Filip (the singer) and Simon (the drummer) back in 2010, (guitars/vocals), Nicholas R. Tesla (bass), Johan Trærup (drums), Aske Øland Kjærgaard (synth/programming) and featuring guest vocal by the beautiful Ayo Krohn Mikkelsen.

Arakk initially formed back in 2012 and have been playing a handful of shows in the Copenhagen underground scene since then. The band has finished recording, mixing and mastering some of their material and now have put out one of their songs called "Self & Distance" recorded last fall. According to them, they have been working on that specific song and some other material for almost 1.5 years now - because it takes a lot of time and patience to make a long, powerful and honest doom metal song. Well, the result is a sight: a majestic track with almost 25 minutes length that leads us into a beautiful introspective journey into the most bleak and sorrowful landscapes of funeral doom.

"Self & Distance" is a monster that awakes in a very slow, soft and calm atmosphere, and as the heavy mournful riffs are thrown almost in slow motion, we begin our journey through this desolate land. If you think that when facing a funeral doom song with nearly half an hour length, that it becomes monotonous, you are mistaken. There are times when the pace seems to deviate from that most funereal pace, progressing a bit more toward its peak, until it suddenly stagnates and calm the waters. We are in the center of this storm and suddenly we start getting surrounded by this mystical fog that seems to be brought by the magical voice of Ayo Mikkelsen. Her appearance delivers a total magical aura to the song, until we are pulled out to the final minutes that curiously, seem to suggest a sequel to this track.

I can only imagine that if the band had another two or three tracks with the same quality as "Self & Distance", then we are about to face the rise of one of the best contemporary doom acts coming from Europe. Amazing track from this band, extremely well executed in every aspect of it. Absolutely recommended for fans of Evoken, Mournful Congregation, Esoteric, Faal, Monads, etc.

For new updates, follow the band through their Facebook page here. 

Self & Distance

Threshing "Threshing"

Another great offering that landed in my inbox in the past days. Threshing, a doom band from Tallahassee, Florida introducing their self-titled EP. These songs were recorded live in town by David Settle of Ex-Breathers. The field recordings used on the album were recorded on documentary film jobs by member drummer Joe. Some cool buddhist chants and windy docks adding to the overall abysmal feel of the album. After a first audition I was really pleased with it. All of the elements result really well as a whole. The sound quality is quite good too, keeping in mind it's a live performance coming from an actual underground and unknown band. The tracks themselves are really great, starting with the sluggish and melancholic instrumental "Church Warden", to the sorrowful, painfully dragged "Dross" to the evil and haunting yet amazing "One or Several Wolves?". I really can see a bright future for Threshing. If they keep on delivering like this, soon they will be on the mouthes (in a good way) of every doom fanatic. I really loved this sample, it's one of those releases that I will surely be hearing on the next few days, weeks! Recommended for fans of: Bell Witch, Alkahest, Batillus. 

Stream it, or download it, below.

Threshing

Best Underrated Releases of 2012 Pt.I

Well, better late than never, right? I know... sorry for the delay. You know that end of the year lists are a major pain in the ass, so last year i really thought about it and after seeing several "copy-paste" type of Lists, that really basically licked every major band and their labels asses, i thought to myself: "Fuck...". So i focused my attention on releases (and as releases i understand: Demo, EP, Split's, Album, whatever the band puts out. If you don't agree then get your own blog, fuck off) that are as good (or even better) than some titles found on most of those "mainstream" lists that flooded the web last year.

I've been planning this for ages, but (now for the rehearsed speech) time is the enemy and i can't make blogging out of a living. So cut the chat, let's get to the music. Boys and girls i give you my first part (of two) of my favorite underrated releases of last year. This first compilation is essentially made out of doom, hardcore, sludge, etc. I can lift up the veil a little bit and tell you that Part II is dedicated to the blackest side of metal.

Get into this. If possible check the whole album where the track comes from, burn it into a CD to hear on your stereo, car, etc. Cook it with some peas, i don't care. Just listen to it. Hope you enjoy.

Note: The playlist has been updated. I fucked up and in the first .zip file there was one track that was from 2013. Sorry for that. You can check out the setlist below.

Forever in the shadow

Setlist

1. Column of Heaven - After the Mission (taken from the album "Mission From God")
2. Column of Heaven - Buried Secrets (taken from the album "Mission From God")
3. Aksumite - Angel Strike Animal (taken from the album "Prideless Lions")
4. Ascetic: - Uroboros (Up From Eden) (taken from the album "Self Initiation")
5. This Gift Is A Curse - Att hata allt mÑnskligt liv (taken from the album "I, Guilt Bearer")
6. Hexis - Seputus (taken from the EP "Seputus | Fatum")
7. Torch Runner - Committed to the Ground (taken from the album "Committed To The Ground")
8. Godstopper - Blame Them (taken from the album "What Matters")
9. Dephosphorus - Uncharted (taken from the album "Night Sky Transform")
10. Nekromantheon - Cast Down to the Void (taken from the album "Rise, Vulcan Spectre")
11. Fister - Violence V: Megabolide (Return to The Heavens) (taken from the EP "Violence")
12. Drowning Horse - Of the Wild (taken from the album "Drowning Horse")
13. Anguish - Book Of Fox (taken from the album "Through the Archdemon's Head")
14. Faustcoven - Hellfire and Funeral Bells (taken from the album "Hellfire and Funeral Bells")
15. Bereft - Ethereal Dispersal (taken from the album "Leichenhaus")
16. Faal - My Body Glows Red (taken from the album "The Clouds Are Burning")
17. Hell - Decedere (taken from the album "III")

Pendulous "Mirrored Confessions"

"Mirrored Confessions" is the debut EP of LA's doom band Pendulous. Pendulous play that style of doom that i enjoy a lot. Heavy, slow, mournful and depressing. It mixes some contemporary doom elements with some classic ones. Basically although "Mirrored Confessions" features 4 tracks in its alignment, only two of them are really songs. It starts with "Disheveled" an intro that is served as a very introspective monologue, it instantly brings to my mind "Weathering The Blight" the intro track from Loss taken from the magnificent album "Despond". If you hear both track, you will probably find some resemblances. It has that same cold and gloomy atmosphere where we imagine this character, alone in a very dark room looking to its own reflection in a old mirror that stands before him, as we hear his thoughts loudly echoing through the room.

"Reflections" begins with some shy, distant guitar notes that don't stretch too long until this avalanche of doom collapses right before us. The anguished and "clean" side of E.R.M's voice you either gonna love it or hate it, the thing is that fits really well here. The bipolarity of the vocal work varies between a more clean, but still tortured enough, kind of voice, carrying out that tone we are used to hear within a more classic doom outfits like, for example, My Dying Bride or (pulling out a more contemporary act) Pallbearer and a guttural, cavernous voice in the vein of a Loss, Lycus or Aldebaran. Moreover,  throughout the nearly 10 minutes that this track lasts, it's pure funeral doom. Slow rhythms that move at a almost a funeral pace exalting nothing but sorrow and grief.

"Seeds" is clearly my favorite song here. Tearing out under a more dynamic pace, this track surprises us in its middle with a short instrumental moment. Sounding quite introspective and minimalist, it gives this track another energy, making it more interesting and not so boring ("boring", a very dreaded word when it comes speaking of doom metal where the songs usually have, at least, about 6 or more minutes long). Despite being a song that contains such different tempos, in the end, the result comes out very nice and quite enjoyable. The variations of the voice, the background howls and echoes turn out to be quite a decisive factor that make this track so good.

"Mirrored Confessions" closes with the outro "Mislaid". That creepy old grandfather clock sound brings me back to my childhood where my neighbors had a clock like that and i was constantly awaken in the middle of the night due to its noise. Urrghh... Here we hear the same kind of monologue we heard in the opening and with this another page of this depressing diary is closed. For now.

I really enjoyed this EP from Pendulous, the tracks are really great, the whole production sounds quite good and it's well performed. It seems we have another player in the US doom scene. Look forward to hear more of this band. Great release.

Highly Recommended for fans of Lycus, Loss, Pallbearer, Aldebaran. My Dying Bride and other doom outfits that may fit in this bag.

Pendulous

BEST OF 2012 - Part I - The Demo Series

After a long hiatus, I'm back. this time to unveil what you probably must have been fed up so far like it's usual on this time of the year... Lists, Lists and more Lists. Some seem to bet on the quantity, others on the quality making their Lists following the same "copy-paste" as the List right next door. Some say it was a bad year for metal, others say the opposite. I personally think that this year we witnessed another good crop.

So this time i thought about it a lot and since i heard a lot of awesome releases this year i decided to not go with the flow. It would be also a little bit boring for you to put here the albums that you all are already familiarized with. May all those bands forgive me but hey... you got like 20 or more specialized metal websites/blogs talking amazing stuff of your latest album just right around the corner.

This year i've decided to invest on releases that i really loved and that are as good as the albums featured on the majority of the Lists seen out there on the web. Call them underrated if you feel so. I have compiled what, for me, are the best releases that are worthy of your attention (and support) that also came out in this wretched year of 2012. So i've decided to begin with many bands also begin with: the demo. There are of course, dozens, hundreds of other demos left to discover, but let's give time to time. 

Until then...

So without further notice, these are my 10 favorite demos of 2012.

# 10 #

Oyarsa "Oyarsa"

As described from Sol Y Nieve: "Tales of astral decay and bliss. The procession of a doomed race. Ouroboral riffs through hazy paths of space and time." Chicago's Oyarsa make their debut with this awesome demo filled with, as described by the band itself, cosmic doom. Expect some really heavy doom metal layered with some really harsh vocals. Can't wait to hear more from this band. Loved it.

# 9 #

Skygge "Heksekunst"

Norway's Skygge simply deliver some of the most nefarious black metal around. What else could we expect from a black metal band hailing from Norway? One of the most principal lairs, of the trve grim and frostbitten. That's precisely what you can expect with this demo. Cold, grim, ugly black metal where every riff is fired with shards of ice. Skygge have, in the meantime, released their full-length entitled "Knokkelkraft". If you enjoyed this demo I'm pretty sure you will love the album.

# 8 #

Monomakh "MMXII"

Two words: "Death Metal" and "Australia". In nowadays these two words will immediately hook up any extreme death metal fan. Monomakh are no exception. With this demo, the band present us the most twisted, vile, primitive and chaotic death metal around. Besides the most dark and obscure side of death metal, they also blend some black metal into their sound giving it a more hallucinatory facet. I was extremely glad to know that Monomakh's tape was made possible and released thru Rising Beast Recordings, after i posted them here on Forever Cursed. A big thanks to Roach from RBR!

# 7 #

Torture Chain "Time is But a Doorway to the Incinerator"

Some say this is the best material released by Torture Chain to date. And i must agree. This demo is compost by only one track that gives title to the demo itself. Killer riffs, killer voice and killer solos swirl thru the 23 minutes that this track lasts. A very enthusiastic and ambitious voyage lead with success by Torture Chain.

# 6 #

 

Sodb "Don Seantalamh a Chuid Fein"

From Ireland arrives another great gem. Featuring members from the Irish underground scene, Sodb is a raw black metal band introducing with their first demo, "Don Seantalamh a Chuid Fein", four tracks of some hypnotic and incisive black metal. It isn't very common to get a raw black metal act as this coming from Ireland, but with this demo, Sodb really made some notable work. 

# 5 #

Déliquescence "Antinomisme"

A very interesting demo this one brought by Québec's mysterious act, Déliquescence.
Three tracks of the best occult and ritualistic black metal coming out from that corner of the world. Déliquescence can really create a dark and mystical atmosphere in which we blindly dive in full darkness. "Antinomisme" is all about the atmosphere. An amazing and very interesting piece.

# 4 #

Laster "Wijsgeer & Narreman"

Laster are a black metal band founded and located in Utrecht, the Netherlands. "Wijsgeer & Narreman" is a conceptual work presenting us three tracks inspired by Goethe's tragic play, "Faust".  The quality of this demo is really, really good. Featuring an outstanding drum work, some cascadian-like sounding guitars and a very haunting voice, Laster unleash three great tracks filled with real raw emotions, no tricks, no gimmicks, just true to themselves and to the listener. A terrific piece of work.

# 3 #

Hallow "Hallow"

Another gem brought to light this year was Oregon's doomsters Hallow with their first demo. Introducing two themes of the most heavy, slow, mournful doom. I'm a sucker for this kind of sound and this demo really fulfills my hunger for this kind of doom. I look forward to hear more from this band in the future, until then... doom on!

# 2 #

Muknal "Muknal"

From the Crepusculo Negro collective, a claustrophobic and haunting piece orchestrated by Muknal. One of the most vile demos i've heard this year. If you look at the demo's artwork while listening to this demo, you'll find that it really fits in Muknal's sound. Surreal death metal coming from the most unknown depths of the Earth. Brilliant.

# 1 #

Tardigrada "Widrstand"

This is by far, the best thing i heard in the demo field this year. I really lost the count of how many times this demo tape played here at the Haxan's den. Tardigrada's demo "Widrstand" is amazing in all of its details. Amazing atmospheric black metal that craves really deep into the listener. A demo that still will be heard many years from now. Absolutely a must for any fan of this genre.

Enjoy!!

Grue / Word of Unmaking "Lo, the Curse of the World Cometh" Split

Here is an interesting release between two unknown bands to date. Grue's mystical anti-humanism black metal inspired by Sargeist, Profanatica, H.P. Lovecraft and Word of Unmaking's haunting and frozen funeral doom.

While Grue bring in their luggage four themes (which one counts as an interlude), Word of Unmaking bring us just one theme but a theme about 15 minutes long. I must say that at a first audition Grue's tracks didn't left me very fascinated, but the more i listen to the tracks the more they seemed to grow in me. My attention was absolutely focused on "Ascending the Necrolith" that revealed to be a great and solid track. The turn that this track takes around the mark of 2:50 is absolutely wonderful. Very epic, yet dramatic. It isn't a complex track, full of tricks and artifices. It's simple, effective and filled with an ambitious anger that suddenly turns into sorrow.

After this we get more of that melancholic feeling invading our soul with the interlude "Lament of the Spheres", where we can hear such instruments like a cello that really bring that gloomy atmosphere to this track. "In the House of Nemesis" and the ending track "Across Black Seas of Infinity" are other fine examples of what Grue are capable of. Grue's black metal finally convinced me. It's filled with real and honest emotions, charged with a raw anger that flow naturally to the surface of the skin.

On the other hand we have doom. Gloomy, cold and haunting doom. Word of Unmaking track, "Tombs Our Only Monuments" is full of a energy so negative that during those fifteen minutes that lasts this track, the only thoughts that cross our mind are only death, desolation and loneliness. Like a funeral march, this track takes us through the tortuous paths of doom metal. Slow decaying riffs meander through a sinister and misty voice that whispers among old tombstones. This track has a lot of changes over the last fifteen minutes that it lasts, having enough room for even that same cello lend an air of its grace. In the end it seemed to me that "Tombs Our Only Monuments" still has some loose ends to remedy, perhaps in a future record ... who knows. It started in a good way...

Two very opposite directions, yet nice proposals, in this independent/self release split tape ($5 shipped in the States, and/or downloadable for free from Bandcamp).

Grue | WOU