Orgy of Carrion "Perverse Homage to the Rotting Divine"

Fuck this. Fuck that. Fuck you. Fuck Everything. Total Fucking Hatred.

Total support to Defiled Light bleakness.

Orgy of Carrion

Infernal Slave "Oppressed By Inferior"

Another band that I haven't been able to let go since the day I found out about them, are Infernal Slave (formerly know as the underground raw black metal act Abnutivum) with their amazing 2013's debut "Oppressed By Inferior". Infernal Slave's demented raw black metal is just something that surpasses me. i mean... I'm a sucker for this raw and filthy type of recording. It's absolutely mental. That drum sound that quite doesn't sound like a drum at all, instead it sounds like some demented freak hitting on some plastic buckets. The harsh vocals that exhales the rotten stench of violent death on every word seems to fit like a glove on this recording. This is the absolute soundtrack for any serial filthy hooker slasher type of killer out there. This will drive you insane. I must warn you that isn't quite suitable for the most "mainstream" black metal listener. If you're into polished and standard kind black metal featured on those most common webzine$ out there, please get the fuck out. The filthier, the better.

 Many thanks for Terminal Escape blog for this underground gem.

Infernal Slave

Lost Hours "II"

Lost Hours are one of my most recent discoveries, I can't exactly recall how I found them and at this point it really doesn't matter. What I can recall is that when I see both "doom" and "drone" tags together, my inner alarm goes off and my attention is suddenly directed only to that particular release.

This EP features two tracks only that together, offers us a splendid, very well spent half hour. The title of the first song really caught my eye, "He Whose Limbs Shatter Mountains, Whose Back Scrapes the Sky". Just the name itself, sets the motto for something big... epic. It begins slowly with some shy notes opening way to what soon transforms into a fucking nightmare. It's like as if the floor cracks open below our feet and we fall endlessly, deep down into the abyss. The vocals are quite punishing, creating in the listener the feeling of impotence as the black cloud of despair forms right above our heads. Thick and twisted riffs are roughly hewn along the 18 minutes. 

The second half of this, "S. A. A." is basically an almost 14 minute, drone, atmospheric track whose sound seems quite concealed in a very cinematic type of record. This is a very interesting release and I just look forward to hear more of Lost Hours. 

If you're into heavy, punishing misanthropic doom, then jump right in. Tape version unfortunately sold out at this point. Highly recommended. 

Lost Hours

Scáth Na nDéithe "The Horrors Of Old"

Here is another surprisingly good act coming out of Ireland, Scáth Na nDéithe, with their debut EP "The Horrors Of Old" that features four tracks in total, although two of them are basically an intro and a interlude. Still, we have more than 20 minutes of ravaging and pummeling mid-paced black metal that, to me, sounded quite good to be honest. Nothing groundbreaking, I mean, these guys aren't adding nothing new to the show, but I believe it's still a record worth of your time. Ireland has been pulling out great acts lately and this band is no exception. Great gloomy and obscure atmosphere on this one.

The Horrors of Old

Haxan's Halloween Mixtape V

Yep. 

Here's another mixtape for you guys. This time I've decided to unleash it earlier so that you can already catch up the spirit. 

Happy Halloween.

Halloween Mixtape MMXV

Failure Ritual "Secret Hoard"; "Total Weakness"; "Ineptitude".

If you're an avid follower of my blog, you'll probably remember when I posted about Failure Ritual back in 2012. Well, he's back. And it seems he has been busy, I mean... very busy, since he delivers not one, nor two but... three new whole releases, three! And what can you expect? More of that impenetrable noisy, entrancing blackened doom? Blackened drone? It's hard to classify Failure Ritual's sound. Whatever that may be, it just grabs you and sucks you down to the bottomless pits of Hell. Check it out.

 Failure Ritual

Bands You Should Be Hearing Pt.VII - Welcoming Oktober.

More news from the underground. Here is what I've been digging.

Cepheide from France delivering that cascadian style of black metal approach with their new release "Respire". Featuring two long tracks with rather alternating rhythm, you can expect some really raw and untamed black metal layered with some serious cold and distressed howls. Fans of good atmospheric black metal acts like Fell Voices, Ash Borer or even WITTR, take notice. Support the band, buy their tape.

 Cepheide

Patibulum are a death metal band from Seattle, Washington and introduces us their Demo "Ninurta's Call Heeded" filled with three putrid hymns of some really sick death metal. Their sound really captures that good old school vibe and it's almost impossible not to headbang to it. There isn't much info about these guys out there neither on how to purchase a physical release of this Demo. So all you can do for now is to stream it or download it on Bandcamp. If you're a fan bands like Miasmal or Grave Miasma then you'll love this.

Patibulum

Next is one of, probably one of my favorite Demos of the year. Nyght's self titled Demo released in cassette by Swedish label Ljudkassett holds that black metal I love so much. Raw production, great tunes that stick in your head for hours and that are impeccably played. Nyght is evil, grim and menacing and yet very catchy. The opening track "Begynnelse" reminds me a blend of early Throne of Katarsis but way more raw and those chants that are thrown there in the middle, are absolutely very Urfaust. From the start to the end, this Demo is just fucking addictive. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the cassette seems to be already sold out. And I'm glad that I'm part responsible for it. Ha...

Nyght

Another band I don't know much about is Shibboleth, from Victoria. Seems like this band has two members only and I must begin by saying that they did a good work here with "Language of the Night". It really captures the essence of that norwegian-second-wave-of-black-metal but splattered here with some punk and maybe some doom, since there's also some very slow, mid-paced sections here. Nothing groundbreaking here, still a very good and recognized effort.

Shibboleth

Filthy and rotten death metal from Germany is always good right? And that's exactly what these fine gents brings us. Kriegszittern, from Mülheim, Germany delivering their "Frostbite Demo". No polished production, no big production, nothing. Just filthy, primitive and apocalyptic death metal for your ears.

Kriegszittern

Keeping the track here on death metal, another great contender for best death metal demo is Altarage from fellow neighbor Spain. Altarage play this fucking visceral and diabolical death metal I mean, these guys have been listening a lot to records of bands like Portal, Mitochondrion, Antediluvian and Blasphemy for sure. If this didn't make you thirsty already, what the Hell are you waiting for? This is fucking destroying everything else out there. Limited edition cassette through Sentient Ruin Laboratories and the always amazing Sol Y Nieve Records.

Altarage

Another interesting band that caught my attention in this whole new death metal underground spectrum, are Loputon Suo from Finland. Their sound can clearly be described as death metal but they stretch it even more to other territories like black metal. The result is quite pleasing to our ears and so worth of our attention.

Loputon Suo

And for last I've chosen Witcher from the U.S. Now this Demo is a fucking killer and it got me straight out of nowhere. The drum is just amazing, so fucking relentless and as furious as a war machine... I mean.. this whole band sounds like that. The evil vocal work, the continuous storm of riffs are just fucking incredible and epic. No need to enhance that is one of the best Demos I heard so far in this year as well. Luckily for you you can download the Demo here or even better, you can get a physical copy through Runelore Productions (if interested, email them at runeloreproductions@gmail.com). Highly recommended.

Witcher

That's all for now. Have a great day.

BLSSND

Today I'm sharing something that isn't music although it's related to it. 

If you're in Tucson (AZ) or even near it, don't miss this event. My friend and most talented artist, Luca Devinu (Blessend) is having his first exhibition tour with Christophe "Lord Of Logos" Szpajdel for the upcoming months. Lots of good work and good music there as well. If you seek an original and fucking amazing logo for your band, seek no more. Check the dates below:

4th September 

The Rock 136 N Park Ave with Sacrificial Slaugther and Nuclear Age live show

23rd October

The Rock 136 N Park Ave with Vehemence and Chronovorus live show

Powered by @outsiderindustries (USA) and @asabovesobelowrecords (Italy)

Be sure to follow Luca's work on Instagram: @blssnd

Erraunt "The Portent"

Just a quick heads up to you guys and gals out there who religiously follow my blog.

Finally, I mean FINALLY, one of the best Demos you'll hear this year (at least for me it's some of the most awesome and fresh black metal I've heard in quite some time) is available in cassette. Just follow the link below and grab one before it's too late. Don't sleep on this one if you're into some mesmerizing and esoteric black metal. Ugh.

Highly recommended.

The Portent

Moonknight "Valinor"

"Valinor", the new album by LA's depressive black metal entity Moonknight, whose cloak hides the creative mind behind the project, Horus aka Lord Foul who is also (as many of you out there already know) in the barbarian blackened trio, Harassor. 

"Valinor" is the third and probably most intimate album in Moonknight's discography, he's been releasing some splits and EP's as well, and after a first listen, I immediately realized that this new release sounds a bit different from the previous albums "Toplov" and "Ligeia". Yet it's true that many moons separate this new material from the oldest, so evolution came naturally. The first thing I noticed is that the tracks in "Valinor" don't sound as raw and menacing, no. But soundwise speaking, there's still a link between them, that fuzzy and murky sound is still Mooknight's trademark although it now seems to weep instead of waving his sword and going out on a killing spree throughout the night. And still he lurks in the shadows but instead of that sword he now holds his cold, dying grey heart. 

"Valinor" embraces sorrow allowing it to drag slowly through mourning and grief territories. Opening track "An Initiation" starts out with some kind of a droning buzz where soon those seesaw guitar riffs spread out and give way as the perfect greeting card opening way further into the album. The vocal is still harsh and follows the same style as heard in Moonknight's previous works, a screaming mixture of anger, distress and pain. While tracks "With Bright Knives" and "Aconitum" drags us deep into the somber pit of sorrow, "Helplessness" is a bit more cold-blooded and brings to the surface a bit more of that anger that flows in the veins of Mooknight. But don't keep your hope, soon we're pulled down again with "Pleasure Funeral" and the beautiful "Broken Blade" that to me is just one of the best tracks featured here, the environment created by this track is absolutely dreamy and so, so cold. It really can pull our mind into the most haunting and desolate of Winter landscapes. Very in the likes of bands like Thou Shell of Death if you seek some comparisons. Beautiful atmosphere. "Western Shores" is served as a cold instrumental and is the perfect motto for another great and best track here, a track that gives name to this album. I can sense that "Valinor" is very personal, not just by it's lyrics but soundwise and how the whole track is constructed. All about personal feelings that surface from time to time. Personal and intimate experiences that are locked down inside our cold hearts. The notes of "Valinor" sway and takes us gently inside the cold heart of Moonknight, there we can almost see a little glimmer of light, a light that keeps on burning and keeps Moonknight alive in order to deliver us the best depressive bleak tunes. I swear to God that I got goosebumps the first time I heard this track. The melodic notes in the middle of the track are simply beautiful. 

"Valinor" is another great milestone into the discography of Moonknight and also very worthy of your attention. It's just how depressive metal should be, cold, bleak yet served sharp barbs. No life, no joy, no fun.

Valinor

"Valinor" will be out soon through Rising Beast. Keep an eye out for both digital and physical editions.