Ommadon "IV"

Ommadon are Ewan Mackenzie (Drums, Keyboards, Noise) and David Tobin (Guitars, Noise) an independent duo and former members of mythical Scottish doom band Snowblood. Now as Ommadon, both Ewan and David are committed in making some heavy doom/drone atmospheres. "IV" was recorded all by themselves in the highlands of Scotland. All live, no overdubs and mastered by Billy Anderson. Basically "IV" consists in two tracks reaching in total, almost one-hour of length. The first track, "In the presence of absence",  is a rich composite of sounds and textures that unfold gently, slowly giving way to a pit of noise and distortion, filled by this instrumental barrier composed of drums, guitar and noise, quite in the style of a Moss, Atavist or even Gog if you seek comparisons, to which the band crushes and reduces to dust the frame that was early designed at the beginning of this track that started well by way of foreplay and now ends in climax. "Beyond opposition", a 26 minute long beast, soon reveals the monster that is, stuffed with decibels moving at a very slow pace, the pace of a snail, circling around us and tightening the siege on every passing minute, suffocating us until our own very end. It is true that it doesn't introduces anything new within' the genre, but if you like your doom/drone quite thick and full of decibels, then I invite you to spend an hour in the hands of Ommadon. I, personally I'm a sucker for this kind of beasts. "IV" is available in CD with an all hand-crafted packaging, head straight to the band website or contact them through their Facebook page.

 IV

Ride At Dawn "Blast Cage"

Toronto's Ride At Dawn are back again with their second full-length "Blast Cage". Recorded in their practice room in midwinter of 2012 using a single harmonica microphone, "Blast Cage" introduces us 6 vicious themes with a more stripped, crude, ugly treatment. The sound on "Blast Cage" is quite different from the one we heard on the "Human Altars" LP, not that the sound on "Human Altars" was all polished and neat. It was more ascertained, but still corrosive as Hell. Here on "Blast Cage" the sound is more.. how can i say: "in your-face". No studio mambo-jambo, no tricks, nothing... it's meant to be served and eaten fucking raw.

Starting off with the venomous "Serpent Riders" which has carved in it, a very punk-ish black metal vibe, very similar to the kind of stuff you can hear on Darkthrone's "F.O.A.D" in their later punk/d-beat, call it what you want, phase. But not all here runs at a frenetic pace, the next track immediately cuts us down from the initial rhythm the first track put us in. "The Eldritch Matriarch" moves at a more slow almost morbid pace, crawling in a foggy cemetery where shadows seem to creep behind old and mossy tombstones. This is probably the slowest song on this new release since the four following tracks continue to distill the corrosive black punk metal from Ride At Dawn filled with simple, yet effective, riffs that tear our flesh apart as we penetrate deeper into the tracks. A rabid blast of mean, ugly and vicious black punk metal. Like raging rats trapped in a rusty cage... Great stuff.

The first run of 100 tapes will be available via survivalist so keep your eyes out for this one.

Dawn riders

ARRM "Sand"

Time to chill a little bit here on Forever Cursed. To get you in a zen mode for the weekend i bring you today ARRM, a Polish duo formed by A. and M. who create some brilliant experimental atmospheric music. "Sand" serves basically two atmospheric tracks where both create a very relaxing journey into the desert landscapes of experimental instrumental music. "Sand" is a very chilling, psychedelic track while "Black Water" is a more hypnotic journey into the unknown territories of drone where ethereal layers of notes exhaled by the guitars put us in a state of numbness conducting us to a secret inner peace. Ideal music for listening in perfect isolation in the heart of nature. Recommended for fans of Barn Owl, Brian Eno, Crone, MGR.

ARRM

Flagellant "Illumination"

Little is known about Germany's Flagellant, a one man band that began back in 2004 and has released so far, two demos and this latest EP "Illumination". Flagellant's sound is hard to describe since it embodies a lot of different sounds from where we dissect genres like drone, ambient, black metal, shoegaze or even post punk... it's hard to tell. In this new EP, the sound is so harsh and noisy that we can only distinguish the rhythm of the blasbeat through the muffled sound of the pedal from the drumkit. Flagellant presents a very thick wall of atmospheric and corroded kind of black metal sound that ended up by pleasing me a lot. It reminds me a bit of the atmosphere from Echtra's "A War For Wonder". The atmosphere created with these two themes is great and inspiring, sounding like nothing you have ever heard when it comes to this genre. Between that harsh wall of sound, the guitar draws some solos that end up by giving the songs a fairly solemn facet. The fact is that Flagellant is not for everyone. Only few minds will get into this. But that's why we are all different, right? "Illumination" EP will have its physical form by the hands of Negation Records, so all of you interested in this, send them an email, or contact Flagellant directly through Bandcamp. Enjoy.

For the Illuminated only

Cape of Bats "Olcott Rites"

Latest release from these black horror punk metal aficionados. Expect nothing but true cold and noisy black punk metal.  Sharp your fangs below.

Bat wings

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

Stillborn Fawn "Abature"

Stillborn Fawn are a black metal duet from Denver, Colorado playing a very raw and rudimentary kind of black metal. Composed mainly of guitar and drums only and harsh vocals capable of at times cause us some spine tingling, Stillborn Fawn present us "Abature", their latest Demo released in physical format as tape by the hand of Bleak Environment, who also houses other names like Xothist for example. And what can you expect from "Abature" Demo? Well basically four awesome tracks of some unorthodox, visceral, raw black metal with a very punk vibe in it. Starting with an intro that summons the Great Goat, the black candles are now lighted and the dagger awaits on the altar as Stillborn Fawn begin their ritual. Stream the tracks, download as "name your price" (thank you Stillborn Fawn) and carve a pentagram on your forearm. Everything is now aligned...

Bandcamp

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†

Agowilt "Clocks Made Of Their Own Bones"

"Clocks Made Of Their Own Bones" seems to be the first release of California based band Agowilt. Agowilt play this dark, chaotic, primitive mixture of powerviolence-meets-sludge-meets-black metal kind of sound and behind it lays a very DIY-Anarcho-Nihilist spirit. Imagine for example a crossbreed between bands like Clinging To The Trees of a Forest Fire, Bucket Full Of Teeth and Thou... on speed. "Clocks Made Of Their Own Bones" will be released on a one-sided LP by Human Resources Records in the very near future. One 17 minute song compromised of a noise introduction and three parts. It kills. Check it out.

osteoarthritis

Blessings "Bittervatten"

Blessings are a three piece Sweden based dark and crust hardcore with some sludge influences featuring members coming from very different bands of the swedish scene like Scraps Of Tape, Anchor, Fä and Chester Copperpot.  With this Demo, the band introduces us a a very raw, stripped down, almost a kind of live captured sound. The tracks fall in a little different from the usual dark hardcore kind of bands, for example,  there are some tracks like "Bittervatten" that seem to fit in a more classic registration of classic northern European acts like JR Ewing or The Spectacle and then we have tracks like "Worms of the Earth" that is quite vicious and sounds pretty much like Cursed. And there are tracks like "The Shrine" that are absolutely original from the start to the end.

What i really enjoy the most in Blessings is that this band has really a different point of view and that they are going in a different direction, dispersing themselves from  the rest of the pack. The vibe expressed through their music is really great. The songs on "Bittervatten" are really original and quite fresh. A factor that really makes me want to listen to this Demo tape over and over.

There's also a loose song on Blessings Bandcamp, entitled "Black Vestals" that is really awesome. It sounds a little bit more sludgy than the tracks featured on the "Bittervatten" Demo. Here, the vocals remind me a lot of older Neurosis and the riffs are absolutely crushing. I'm really enjoying the path the band is taking. Really hope they keep it up like this. Too bad the tape is sold out but expect new stuff soon. This band slays, another great promising and original band from Europe. Check them out below.

Bless yourself

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