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

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

Moonknight "Senmorta"

"Senmorta" is the brand new EP from Moonknight, the solo project of Horus aka James Brown III, who you might know from the band Harassor who also runs Rising Beast Recordings. For these 5 new songs, Horus has stepped away from the atmospheric black metal style established on releases like "Ligeia", "Toplov" and the recent split 7" with Ukraine's Moloch, opting instead for a vicious blackened death/thrash approach. Featuring live drums from Andorkappen aka Lord Time, these songs carry the Moonknight aesthetic into new territory and will serve as a precursor to the next full-length. 

Indeed, this slight turn in Moonknight's sound is a challenge, specially to Horus. The songs on "Senmorta" may have acquired new dynamics and new structures but they haven't lost their essence, well hidden in its core. In other words, when we first hear these new tracks we quickly recognize that we are face to face with Moonknight. Like in "Street Rot City" and "Usurpers", the first two opening tracks of the EP, they clearly have a strong thrash and punk vibe behind, treated here with that special and unique touch that only Horus can give. The guitar still sounds incisive enough while the vocals clearly pull to an almost old school death metal territories. Just like "Usurpers", "A.R.S." is a short track, they almost reach the two minute mark, but that's more than enough to state that this new turn, in terms of sound, will certainly extend in future records of Moonknight. Short but effective. Done. 

But then there are tracks like "A Dying Star" that seem to peek into the past where Moonknight still manages, amidst this blackness, to embody in his music elements of such beautiful, almost romantic melancholy making it to sound so special and unique. I really love this (not so) softer side of Mooknight's music. But not all here is roses, well.. it can be, but they are black and have big and sharp thorns. 

"Phantom World", the track that closes this great EP in all of its glory, carries those same romantically dramatic elements that swirl around frenetic and chaotic rhythms. It's almost as if Mooknight grabs that kind of romantic sadness that we only hear in genres like post-punk or shoegaze and reinterprets here in his own way. I can only describe the weight of drama on this track in one word: Beautiful.

With "Senmorta", Moonknight opens a new passage to new, well-known territories but always with one eye in the past. Honestly, I really enjoyed this EP, it left me begging for more. The sound here is sharp and cohesive with moments that can go from the most frenetic thrash/punk style to a more atmospheric/melancholic kind of black metal. I really look forward to another full-length of Moonknight. 

Meanwhile head over to Rising Beast Bandcamp and stream/download this great EP by Mooknight, just follow the link below. A limited edition tape of "Senmorta" will see the light of day soon, so keep your eyes opened for this one.

Senmorta

Crypt Lurker "Baneful Magic, Death Worship and Necromancy Rites Archaic"

Holy shit... now where did this band came from? Crypt Lurker hail from Liverpool playing this dreadful, haunting, absolutely the most sinister death doom i've heard in a while. Simply some of the best material i've had the pleasure to hear this year. Their sound brings to my mind bands like Hooded Menace (but way more frightening), Catacombs, Moss or the slower side of Funeral. Crypt Lurker's music is all about death involved in with a very claustrophobic atmosphere where a very strong stench of sulphur, reigns. "Baneful Magic, Death Worship and Necromancy Rites Archaic" is the band's debut that is going to see the light of day very soon. With such great releases this year from Vasaeleth, Ulcerate, Gorguts, etc, this is a new band that sure deserves to be upon the same altar as them. Memorize this name: Crypt Lurker.

The hour approaches, the bells toll, the crows stare as the grave lies open...

be ready or one of the most heavy death metal releases of the year. Stream the tracks in the link below.

Worship Death

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

Whorls "Lvmen Natvrae"

Danish band Whorls are back with their latest 7'' entitled "Lvmen Natvrae". Expect three themes of the most blackened and crushing hardcore being currently made nowadays. "Lvmen Natvrae" 7'' is available for purchase directly from the band for just 4€ here or you can head to the following stores, Maniyax Records or Boue Records. Crushing release!

Light of Darkness

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

UNRU "DEMO MMXIII"

UNRU are a raw black metal crust influenced band from Germany and this is their first Demo. And at this point i must already confess that this that you're about to hear is devastating. Sorry to lift up the veil already but i really couldn't help myself. "DEMO MMXIII" consists of 11 tracks of the most vile, vicious, bile filled blackened metal covered with layers and layers of dirty, repulsive crust.

It starts with "I" which is basically an intro to this whole mayhem we're about to witness. Along the 11 tracks there are, at least, four more sequential interludes that are named from "I" to "V". And between them? Absolute inferno. With a very DIY kind of sound, UNRU tracks are authentic bursts of (evil) energy surrounding the concepts of: Ecstasy, Dissociation, Impotence and Displacement. And maybe some other occult and unknown concepts. The black metal influence on UNRU's sound weights as much as the crust/d-beat one, conjuring a kind of sound that is very aggressive and animalistic. Nevertheless, the sound featured here is absolutely great. It has depth and a unique character of its own. Eyes on this band, UNRU are simply destructive. I totally fell into this immediately after a first audition to this amazing Demo. This demanded vinyl or even to be released in tape.

These guys will be on tour with another awesome black metal band, Sun Worship (who recently released a new EP that is awesome), so if you're in Germany check the dates and try not to miss them live.

To all the others you can stream/download as "name your price" the Demo and buy some merch here or check UNRU Facebook page here. Highly Recommended.

†VNRV†

Encircling Sea "A Forgotten Land"

Australia's Encircling Sea have marked their return this year with their third chapter entitled "A Forgotten Land". With 4 songs that clock around 68 minutes, "A Forgotten Land", is an absolutely wonderful introspective journey. This new album continues clearly the lineage of "Écru", although i feel that the black metal vibe has resurfaced a lot in this new album. But still you can expect a very coherent and very eclectic atmospheres: a fusion of sludge, post-rock, ambient and atmospheric black metal. Having members that are involved in so many other musical projects, this congregation of influences turned out pretty damn good on this new album. 

About the tracks on "A Forgotten Land", while "Yearn" and "Transcend" dwell between atmospheric sludge and the most atmospheric black metal of territories, the track "Become" is an authentic breath of fresh air with its acoustic facet with the band revealing a more folk side featuring male/female voices and violin parts, a perfect track to listen while making a long trip. Closing this chapter is "Return", an epic 20 minute long track stuffed with great harmonies that creases even when the band crosses barriers to more hostile black metal lands. At its core, the music remains, pure, sincere and beautiful. This track the cherry in the top of this majestic album. 

"A Forgotten Land" shows us Encircling Sea with a very cohesive and massive sound, reminding me a lot of the same production heard on Downfall Of Gaia's amazing "Suffocating in the Swarm of Cranes", just me sayin'...

Looking at the cover, it seems the right place to really enjoy the music featured here, in plain solitude away from all the urban chaos of our daily lives. 

"A Forgotten Land" double LP is limited to 300 and pressed on 200gm black vinyl. Packaged in a reverse board gatefold sleeve with a doubled sided 300gsm recycled stock insert with artwork and photography by band members Dase and Rob. If you live in the US grab it here, if you're from Europe check it out here. Meanwhile the band has decided to put the album as "name your price" on their Bandcamp, but i must tell you that all donations made there will go for a good cause:

"All proceeds from this digital download will be donated to Still Wild Still Threatened, a grass roots forest defense group based in Tasmania, AUS."

So, by getting great music you're also contributing for a good cause. Recommended for fans of Skagos, Addaura, Falls of Rauros, etc.

Gaia's rise

Rorcal "VILAGVEGE"

Holy shit.... Rorcal are back. And they are pissed.

"Világvége, Armageddon, Fin du monde, Weltuntergang, Apocalypse, Ragnarök... No matter the language or origin, the 'End of the World' has always been a huge theme of discord since men were born. 

After illustrating the decadence of a Roman Emperor with HELIOGABALUS in 2010, RORCAL is back with a third album whose guideline just appeared to be obvious. 

Like its source of inspiration, RORCAL music has no boundaries and VILAGVEGE is here to prove it. When Doom turns into Black, you can't expect anything but chaos: 8 tracks straight to the point, nervous and furious like never before. 

Released in 2013. Vinyl through Cal of Ror Records, SickManGettingSick Records & Lost Pilgrims Records. Tape through Wolves and Vibrancy Records. 12'' LP with cover. 180g black vinyl. 333 copies. Hand-numbered."

I took knowledge of this release for quite some time, I pre-ordered it immediately and now I sit here impatiently for my vinyl of "VILAGVEGE" to crash, which i believe it can happen any day now, but the main reason i'm only putting this only today is because the album is already in its entirely on the band's Bandcamp available for your hearing.

With "VILAGVEGE", Rorcal lift up their black hoods and reveal their darkest facet. Imagine the biggest tragedy that could fall upon us and multiply it by 1000, still... you wouldn't get close to what "VILAGVEGE" sounds like. If this is the evilest face of Rorcal, man, i'm going back to their older stuff in order to find some peace.. really. You have no idea what to expect here. Simply, one of the best and most anticipated releases for this year. May we all go down in flames at the sound of  "VILAGVEGE" for this is the soundtrack of the Apocalypse.

Like i said before on this blog about Rorcal, the band basically does it all, they have put some of their previous works that, like this new one, were forged with blood, sweat, tears and of course money. And still the band puts this up for free. So the only retribution you can do is supporting them. Spread the word. Buy the vinyl, tape, merch, Bandcamp donations, etc. But please... support this amazing band. We all love Rorcal don't we? 

VLGVG

SVN-OKKLT 2xCS COMPILATION

It's out. The amazing SVN OKKLT just put out the double cassette compilation featuring great names of the black metal underground scene like Witch In Her Tomb, Axis Of Light, Death Fortress, Nuklearenpest, Sylvus, Tardigrada, Eos, Gevurah, Dressed In Streams, Xothist, Jute Gyte. If you're familiar with S.O then you know what to expect, nothing more than the best of what is being made out there in terms of black metal material. From the U.K to Switzerland and the U.S. Through out these months, years, that Forever Cursed exists, S.O has been one of the many contributors for my personal musical education by simply sharing great underground acts. Some of them i I fell completely into like Tardigrada for example (and by the way, the Tardigrada track on this compilation.... oh man). But in this original compilation also lies space for great other tracks like from Eos, Axis of Light, Jute Gyte or Dressed In Streams. But i strongly recommend you to check out the whole line up. 

Let me remind you that the SVN-OKKLT 2xCS Compilation  is still available at the Fallen Empire Store, and i can't get enough of recommending these guys... great folks to deal with. 

Svpport by getting the tape here or if you live in Europe, there are some few copies left at Mordgrimm headquarters, but let me tell you that there are very, very few left. Meanwhile stream, download, buy this compilation. Just follow the link bellow. Unmissable.

Thank you Svn Okklt for your dedication, every each one of your offers is as remarkable as the last one. 

RITES OF THE OKKLT

Abyssal "Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius"

UK's Abyssal mark their return in the beginning of this year with "Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius", that translated to english means "For the Lord knows those who are his". This is their second full-length after last year's very well received first album, "Denouement". This second full-length follows the footprints left by the previous record where in over one hour, the eleven tracks of "N.E.D.Q.S.E." unleash the most dreadful black/death metal I had the pleasure to hear already.

It begins with an atmospheric intro, "Forebode", which basically opens the gates of hell we are about to enter. "The Tongue of the Demagogue" sets everything immediately on fire, releasing all Hell's creatures upon the Earth. In terms of sound, expect the same production heard on "Denouement", when they aren't busy shooting dozens of Deathspell Omega-esque swirling riffs at us, they are throwing these Portal-esque notes that sound almost as a swarm of giant bees attacking us all at a same time. I mean, the atmosphere gets so thick and heavy.

I think the best way to describe Abyssal's sound on this record is that it's almost like this giant black snake with flaming red eyes, moving sinuously and slowly between us and as the minutes go by, it squeezes us more and more, the more we struggle to get out, the tighter it gets. "Under the Wretched Sun of Hattin" follows the same path. Incendiary blast beats rain down unexpectedly as swarm of riffs attack the listener's ears giving no respite until it reaches our mind infecting it with the horror. "Elegy of Ruin" is served as short interlude and it gives the motto to "The Headless Serpent" that continues the path of devastation and really brings to my mind the chaotic rampage we are used to get with bands like Ulcerate or even Mitochondrion, but it's more than obvious that the percentage of black metal influences on Abyssal's sound also has it's heavy share although it is very well balanced here with death metal.

The rest? I'll leave you to discover this great, great album by Abyssal. All I can say is that I'm enjoying this one way more than "Denouement". A very good and unexpected album, filled with notes that will turn your head around. The more I listen to it the more vicious it gets. Just head over to their Bandcamp where you can listen to the whole thing, download, etc. But let me remind you that this is available also for purchase here. Support great acts like Abyssal. Highly recommended!

Under the wing of the Chimaera

Sonance "Like Ghosts"

From time to time, when i think that nowadays nothing can surprise me anymore in terms of heavy music, one of these precious gems surface and as my ears are flooded with such great music i silently whisper a sincere: "Holy shit...".

This happened today when i discovered Sonance, a atmospheric/experimental sludge/doom collective hailing from Bristol while checking my blog roll. Their first release only features two tracks, around 20 minutes each, no titles just "Side A" and "Side B". The fact that these guys came from England really got my attention since there are few acts there that practice this kind of music, and most of them are quite impressive. And after a first audition to this... well, I guess i was right.

"Side A" begins with this hiss coming out of violins giving the motto for this thick cacophony wall of sludge that sounds pretty much like Hell. Massive riffs are hammered repeatedly through our brain as the voices behind it scream and yell. Suddenly the whole music tempo changes and morphs into what it seems a more post-rock/instrumental register, very low, it moves at a very slow pace until it morphs again into a more aggressive beast. There's layers and layers of rich and diverse elements that intertwine harmoniously between each other and work perfectly together, and that voice that speaks "like ghosts.." around at minute 7:45... leaves me speechless. I can see there's a clear Neurosis influence in Sonance's sound but i can also throw in names like Kayo Dot or even Godspeed You! Black Emperor. "Side B" goes to a more drone/atmospheric territories before it unveils these massive layers of sludge metal. This was the factor that hooked me up instantly, the whole atmosphere that lies within Sonance's music.  making this release (and band) the best music i've heard this year.

Sonance's ability and creativity to shape and shift their music into different directions without becoming dull or boring, even in the most still parts, is impressive. It really shows the level of maturity that this band holds. Creating this way, from beginning to end, an atmosphere that binds us as we dissect every note with great pleasure. This way it won't take long until Sonance will become a name present in every lover of this genre's mouth.

After this amazing sample i look forward to hear more from this amazing band. If you dig sludge, doom or drone or any of the subgenres, and if you don't listen to this, you don't know what you're missing. Really. What a brilliant release. Sonance, i bow before you.

Meanwhile head over to their Bandcamp and listen/download (name your price) this excellent release. Like always, donations are appreciated. Absolutely fucking highly recommended. 

like ghosts we wander

Hell "III"

By now you probably know that i'm a sucker for the next band presented here and all things related to it. And i really could not let this one pass. "III" is the third part of Hell's trilogy, delivering two tracks around 20 minutes each of the most tenebrous and sulfurous doom.

In pair with Thou, Elu Of The Nine and few other acts, Hell are probably one of my favorite bands ever since i discovered them. They simply create this suffocating atmosphere almost as if its coming from the deepest pits of Hell itself. Filthy doom/drone that create this dantesque and archaic scenarios of torture, grief and death. Once again represented through the visual imaginary of Gustave Doré that in my opinion fits perfectly to Hell's sound brought here on "III" and of course in all of their previous releases. The big highlight goes to the track "Decedere" that after the infernal doom/droning experience "Mourn", it sounds like the ascension to the Heavens of all the lost souls trapped in this Hell hole. The angelic voices, something never heard before in Hell's record, suits perfectly in this registration. An amazing sonic experience and a remarkable record by the band. Grab one copy of "III" at Eternal Warfare.

III

Ride At Dawn "Human Altars"

"Human Altars" is the first LP of Toronto's based black punk metal band Ride At Dawn. In this first full-length, Ride At Dawn presents us, i must say, a very well produced album. Distilling 10 songs of some dirty blackened punk in just 20 minutes, "Human Altars" appeared as a big surprise. I must confess it's one of the best albums in the genre i had the pleasure to hear this year. The catchy riffs of punk/hardcore layered with some dirty, raw and vicious black metal fit perfectly in this record. Great stuff. "Human Altars" cassette is available on Vomiting Leaves, version limited to 50. Buy it here. You won't regret it. Stream or download the LP below. Highly Recommended.

human altars

Redrighthand "They Sang And Chanted For Hours, Then The Locked-in Hundreds Set Themselves Ablaze"

Damn.. this album title almost looks like a Red Sparowes song name. But no, nothing related at all. But i'm just gonna shoot into the dark and at least say that the band's name was taken from a Nick Cave & Bad Seeds famous track. "They Sang And Chanted For Hours, Then The Locked-in Hundreds Set Themselves Ablaze" is a damn fine album and Redrighthand, the sick maestro behind all of this pain and filth. Feeling almost as a bastard child of a relationship between Khanate and Monarch.

According to some sources, and to my regret, this band no longer exists. Members were in/went on to bands as Hard To Swallow, Narcosis, They Are Cowards, Charger, Ocksen, Like A Kind Of Matador and Gruel.

Although the lifetime of this beast was short, they left at least one brutal discharge of the most filthy and sick doom sludge coming out of old Britannia. Redrighthand's sound is dragged slow producing an atmosphere so thick, we can almost cut it with a knife. And the vocals are simply some of the most distressing i've heard into this genre, very Toadliquor style, very deep as if he is shouting from the deepest of catacombs, way behind the rest of the band. Although it was recorded in 2004, this is one of the best of what UK sludge/doom has to offer. A perfect distillation of fear and despair. Sick people, as me, into this sort of stuff... grab it here. Highly intense record. Recommended!

like a bird of doom

Ironhorse "Dragged Down A Dead End Path"

And how about for a kick in your fucking teeth? That's right. Colorado's Ironhorse will kick the shit out of you with "Dragged Down A Dead End Path" an album that is all about one thing: Anger. As i started to play this album, i felt like i am immedeatly slapped in my face, but the deeper i get into it, something evil (even more) starts growing inside of me, making me just want destroy stuff around me.

Delivering a brutal mix of hardcore, sludge, crust, powerviolence or even grind, Ironhorse's formula is as powerful as a keg full of gunpowder about to blow. These boys are here to make a stand with this album, ten explosive tracks in 25 minutes... they mean serious business. Don't get in their way or they will slay you. Coming straight out of nowhere, "Dragged Down A Dead End Path" is a killer album. Play it loud and destroy! Listen in the link bellow and don't miss the chance to check them out live.

horses of death

Forks of Ivory "The Isolator" EP

Forks of Ivory are a two-piece band from Johnson City, Tennessee drawing influence from all types of music, from sludge to black metal passing through post metal and doom. I've heard this band since their self titled from last year and i really remember enjoying what i heard back then. I felt that this band was really on to something. With "The Isolator" EP my expectations were indeed overcome. I enjoyed this so much that the only negative aspect i can point towards it is the short amount of tracks. Damn you Forks Of Ivory, if you could've only worked on a few more, it would probably hit my Best Of 2012 List. 

To begin with, the sound production on "The Isolator" is awesome. Very clean and sharp. The sound is heavy almost sucking every bit of air in every room where it's played. Featuring three tracks, the instrumental intro "Captured", which seduces us with its very dreamy atmosphere right before this mountain of riff known as "Sentenced" crumbles upon us. Thunderous riffs open way as the drum hits like a sledgehammer right in our eardrums. From there on, this 11 minute tracks dwells into sludge, black metal lined with atmospheric contours before closing in into a whirl of deafening wall of noise. "Condemned", simply takes no prisoners nor have pity and drag us to the scaffold without pity or the slight hint of mercy. This track is charged with an inherent evil which we can feel in the vocal work presented here. Almost as if they were possessed by any and all existing evil on this planet. 

With "The Isolator", Forks of Ivory, have really hit the nail and i just finished listening to this begging for more! A remarkable and heavy as hell release for this year. I just pray that these guys maintain this line up and carry on like this, if so, i'm pretty sure they will go far in the blackened sludge scene. So please Forks Of Ivory, bring on a full-length soon! The band is giving this great EP for free on their Bandcamp, so follow the link below so, play it loud and bang your fucking head to this!!

captured, sentenced, condemned

Esoterica "Knell" EP

I was caught by surprise with this new EP from Esoterica who've I talked about some time ago here on Forever Cursed and how I was blown away with their fantastic debut EP "Idololatriae". This time they bring "Knell", an EP featuring three tracks only, if it's short in quantity sure is not in quality. "Knell" is a little different from "Idololatriae", it's more focused on the atmosphere itself than simply turn us into ashes through a devastating barrage of tremolo picking and blast-beats.

But don't get me wrong, Esoterica didn't turn out into some depressive or mellow dramatic black metal act. The aggression is still there, in its cold and evil core. It starts with "Elixir and Aer", a track that starts by wrapping us slowly with soft melancholic and atmospheric tones that are suddenly corrupted by the somber voice of Esoterica. This track really has that mourning tone that crawls and gets deep into our skin causing us to lose all the conviction we may have in life. It just draws our defenses as we are swept away by this black tide. But before we realize what is going on emotionally inside us, a stinking sulphur stench invades our nostrils with the title track "Knell" and the amazing "IV/Ayahuasca", a twisted behemoth track with 18 minutes long.

Preview it here or download it below through the link given by the band. Enjoy one of the most awesome BM acts coming out of the North American scene today. Fans of the sickest BM factions like B.A.N and Deathspell Omega come closer...

kneel before he

Serpentine Path "Serpentine Path"

Just a quick post before i head off to burn my last days of vacations for the year. Heading off to Rome, to see some ancient catacombs & shit... Don't know if they will let me in the Vatican though... well, nevermind.

Finally, another of the albums for 2012 i was very eager to hear has finally crashed. The debut full-length of Serpentine Path (I've talked about these guys earlier here) a "supergroup" featuring Jay Newman - bass (ex-Unearthly Trance, ex-Villains, ex-Thralldom), Darren Verni – drums (ex-Unearthly Trance), Tim Bagshaw – guitars (Ramesses, ex-Electric Wizard) and Ryan Lipynsky – vocals (The Howling Wind, ex-Thralldom, ex-Unearthly Trance, ex-Villains). What can you expect of this super line-up? How about the most vicious doom metal you will ever put your ears on? Together they have unleashed another solid pillar of doom that strengthens the compendium of doom releases for the year. These guys had already released a 7'' in February of this year, that left me drooling for more, and finally here it is.

This monster self titled features the best death/doom filled with suffering and misery over 42 minutes of skull crushing doom. Just imagine if Bolt Thrower had slowed down and decided to play some gnarly doom tunes, the result would be something very close to what you will find here. Total fucking evil. "Serpentine Path" is already available on the Relapse webstore. Buy it in that wonderful snot green vinyl!! Absolutely recommended.

path of doooom