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

Northward "IJsgang" EP

"IJsgang", the final breath of the now defunct dutch black metal band Northward. It's sad because I really enjoyed the work of Northward. Their 2010's demo, "In Sturmes Wind" was a fine piece of cold and amazing horrid black metal blizzard, that played almost everyday since I got the tape. "IJsgang" EP is a great way of ending, in full glory with this remarkable piece. Soundwise, there's a huge step from what we've heard in "In Sturmes Wind" but still it can be easily identified as Northward's sound. I love all tracks on this EP but I specially love the tracks, "IJsgang" and "Stroming". So, so good.

The tape is available through Zeitgeist Publishing, a label that has the gift to always surprises us with their amazing packaging and impeccable good taste when it come to layout design for all of their releases. The tape for "IJsgang" EP is no exception. Limited to 88 copies only, this is truly a "must-have" for every black metal fan and tape collector. Get it here.

Let us hope that the future brings us new and exciting projects from the ex-members of Northward. Hail to them!

You can also download the 2010's "In Sturmes Wind" excellent Demo here, courtesy of the band as well for the link below.

Thank you.

IJsgang

Bleak Bulge "Bleak Bulge"

I know, I know... it's been a long time. To all out there who took your time to send an email or requesting stuff, I'm get into it in time. Don't worry.

Bleak Bulge are a dutch band coming from the beautiful city of Amsterdam. They play this cool blend of hardcore, punk with some slight, slight hints of black metal (maybe due to those harsh vocals.. maybe?) that I'm pretty sure it will please fans of bands like Hoax or Church Whip. If you're into these bands, wait no more. And if you really enjoy what you hear, please support these dudes by buying their tape (nice layout by the way). Check them out below.

Bleak Bulge

Nadra "Eitur"

Naðra, one of the most recent acquisitions to the Icelandic black metal catalog. Raw, powerful and intense. Enjoy.

Bandcamp | Facebook

NOÛS "ἀηδής"

Today I bring you the latest release from NOÛS, an australian sludge doom metal band from Melbourne. I've been following this band since I first discovered them through the "Eobiont" EP back in 2012. Through all these years, NOÛS sound suffered some kind of a mutation and it turned a very ugly, filthy and evil beast. And a very fine example of that is this latest release "ἀηδής" (that I believe it means "sickening"). This title really fits the music played here. It's beyond slow, every instruments seem to be dragged through the most filthy gutters of doom metal. A 20 minute dose of the most nihilistic and repulsive doom you will ever hear. Not an easy listening for the standard sludge/doom listener but on the other hand I'm pretty sure it will please the hardcore faction of doom lovers that, like myself, love this kind of sound. If you seek comparisons, I can think of bands like Corrupted, Whitehorse or Wreck Of The Hesperus just to name a few.

It's a one minute track where, like I said, every instrument is dragged along the 20 minute that this track lasts. At some points, the riffs are sooo)))) stretched out that we fall into a more drone context. The vocals? What can you expect here? The vocals are simply abysmal. So guttural that almost make me shit my pants. This band is on a good track, only wish they keep up like this. This release is indeed sick, sick, sick. Support these boys. Doom on!

Highly Recommended!

The Sickening

Unru & Paramnesia "Split"

I must start this post by saying that I'm not a big collector when it comes to split releases, specially when it comes to two-track split releases. I'm willing to only spend money on it, as long as the two bands are fucking amazing. Well, in this new split release, we get two young and aspiring bands from Europe. German blackened crust act Unru and French atmospheric black metal band Paramnesia. We get one track from each one that together brings us almost half hour of music, ok. We get a remarkable artwork by the talented Business for Satan who also belongs to Paramnesia. Ok. You should know by now that these two bands are amazing and very talented. Both of them are bringing some freshness to the actual metal scene here in Europe, and this split release really proves that. 

Unru's side with "Die Welt in der wir sterben", really sets them apart from that blackened, harsh violent crust sound we heard in their (remarkable) Demo. This track has way more black metal in its core. The guitar starts by winding a few notes until the drums comes in thundering as the dismal vocals, in a very dramatic register, spew all of it's sadness. The guitar notes along this song really emphasize this somber mood even while behind the battery remains unstoppable in a row of furious blastbeats in the background. This amazing track ends with, what it seems to be, some kind of a spoken word, quote sample taken from a movie, layered with some loose guitar notes. 

Paramnesia's track, simply called "III" doesn't fall behind. It's a true black metal whirlwind. I would classify it as atmospheric black metal, although I feel in Paramnesia's sound clearly some classic influences coming from the Northern Europe but also some more contemporary influences coming maybe from the other side of the Ocean, some more "cascadian" type of influences. Nevertheless, Paramnesia's sound really stands out, making them one of the most interesting acts in the actual european black metal scene. The good thing on this track is that, it has 14 minutes length but it seems to last the double of time. The raging sections, filled with the most fierce black metal along with the most melancholic atmospheric parts, and the way the band bridges these two parts together, is just remarkable. Remarkable. And I specially love their sound and the vocals, those vocals... so cold and severe. 

This, ladies and gentlemen, is indeed a split release you must not let pass you by. Great performance by both bands. In my opinion, this unholy alliance works really, really well together. Great split release. No more words needed, just get it. 

Highly Recommended.   

Unru | Paramnesia

Dying Sun "Transcendence"

Dying Sun are a atmospheric sludge metal band formed initially in 2008. They started as a duo, inspired by acts like Neurosis, Cult of Luna, Wolves in the Throne Room and The Angelic Process. "Transcendence" is their third release and latest full-length. With 8 tracks totaling 50 minutes, "Transcendence" represents the continuing evolution and distillation of the band's blend of atmospheric doom, melodic riffing and electronic ambience. 

As the first track, "Generating The Sphere" begins, I really wasn't prepared for what came next. It feels like we are suddenly thrown into a huge storm right in the middle of the ocean where the riffs are the colossal and heavy waves that crushes us. During the almost 10 minutes that this track lasts, we are constantly thrown from one side to the other due to the whole magnitude of power that surrounds us. I must point out that the clever use of electronic ambience really enhances the whole epic feel we get in this opening track, that is clearly one of the best here.

With "The Night Sky" the deluge continues, as the vocals almost spew their lungs out in the midst of this thick atmosphere. But not all is chaotic and brutal, there are still moments where the band offers us quiet times with "Dead", "The Weight Of Time" and the acoustic "We Don't Belong Here". 

Dying Sun's sound is heavy yet melodic. Their sludgier facet isn't dirty enough like most bands in the genre, instead it is quite polished so I guess it crosses the border to a more "post-metal" territory. The influence of Neurosis is very clear but also, the whole dramatic, cinematic atmosphere presented here reminds me a lot of the band Eyes of Fire. But in Dying Sun's sound there is also a big slice of doom metal, although it's not that dark, mournful type of doom. Here we get a more dramatic, melancholic style of doom. And yet in the middle of this, they still manage to deliver great atmospheric sections within' some of the songs like "Generating The Sphere", "Dead" and the beautiful closing track "Transcendence (Leaving)". 

"Transcendence" revealed to be a very eclectic album, all the tracks are different from each other but conceptually, they work very good as a whole. A very beautiful album that will offer you an amazing journey. Absolutely recommended. 

Dying Sun

Host "Death Will Claim These Tired Bones"

Remember this band, Host, that I've talked about here on Forever Cursed back in 2012? Probably not. But it doesn't matter now. The story goes like this,  Host hit the studio to record what could have been their first full-length but due to personal circumstances the band was dismantled shortly thereafter.

So, one of the ex-members of Host, Gabriel, decided to put the tracks up on Bandcamp available for download so that people could hear the album. Now you may notice that this isn't a free/pay what you want download. And it's meant to be this way for a very special cause.

Ana, a close friend of theirs suffers from a pancreatitis liver failure, and she needs all the help she and her family can get in order to be able to pay some serious medical treatments (read more here). All the money coming from the purchase of this download will go straight to help Ana. Just think if it was something close to you, a friend or someone from your family. It really touches me when I see specially such young people facing this kind of trouble. Every donation will be deeply appreciated for sure. It's more than a good cause, it's to help someone to get a decent and good life. Spread the word out, help Ana. Besides the sad news, Host are a killer band and you definitely need this.

Limited vinyl release coming soon on Cricket Cemetery.

HOST

Human Bodies "Demo MMXIII"

Human Bodies are a young band from Boston, Massachusetts, playing a caustic blend of punk and raw black metal. With this first Demo, simply called "Demo MMXIII", Human Bodies unleashes 4 furious and vicious slabs of some good raw black punk (by the way, people must get a new name for this genre fast!), having already a musical background while playing in some underground crust/punk/doom acts like Aspects of War, Negligence and Fórn is already an asset. So I guess they took all of their influences and created this beast. Soundwise, the Demo sounds great. I mean, it's raw... but still audible. It's not that wall of caustic noise that we usually get in most of bands preaching this genre. Keep in mind also that this was a DIY recording by the band, which I think they did a terrific job here. The tracks have a strong punk vibe within its core but they also seem to flow from crust and black metal at some points. To me it sounds almost if Cursed turned into a raw black metal band, because besides their sound being quite harsh, it also holds some melodic and catchy riff work. But falling into reality I guess that Human Bodies sound might fit in the same bag as bands like Witch In Her Tomb, Cape of Bats and other bands in the genre.

The result of that is that the Demo tape is already sold out but the good news is that there might be a repress in the works soon... so don't miss this chance to grab one copy. Negative aspects here? Well, the small amount of tracks, four only, having each one of them around two minutes length. But it's more than enough for you to get an idea of what will you have here. Really good stuff and look forward to hear more from this band. Check them out below and please check out the new track these guys have, it sounds quite different from their Demo, it's going to be a killer for sure.

Human Remains

Osraige "Osraige" Demo

Osraige, an underground raw black metal band from whom I know nothing about. There's not much information floating around on the web about this vile act. I've stumbled upon its name some while ago when I was searching for the Osraige/Indentured Cervix split. It seems also to be attached to a label called Strange Tales from what I don't know nothing about as well. So fuck it. Osraige plays this awesome raw, primitive and murky black metal that I'm pretty sure it will please all the fans of this genre. Featuring three tracks only, that flow from the most rabid and frenetic raw black metal to a more slow, mid-paced almost doomy black metal tempos. Really dig this Demo. The sound is great, it's audible and not that kind of raw black metal that seemed to be played in a cellar and recorded with a Toys R'Us tape recorder, and the tracks are really good as well. Check it out. 

Osraige