With The End In Mind - Unraveling; Arising (2016)

Artist: With The End In Mind
Album: Unraveling; Arising

Genre: Atmospheric/Cascadian Black Metal 

Country: United States

Label: U N S I G N E D 

Preview Track: 

The season for Cascadian black metal has come and gone. It feels like only yesterday the movement was still green -from 2009 to 2012, you couldn't escape Cascadia's looming shadow - but in recent years, its popularity has silently withered away. It's certainly not for lack of quality material; last year Alda released Passage, their finest fusion of folk and black metal yet, while on …And the Lamps Expire Addaura further harvested the forestral landscape they cultivated on prior albums. As with most things in this age of the internet though, the focus of black metal fans has simply shifted elsewhere. However, in 2010, when With the End in Mind formed, a seed was planted, first sprouting with their 2013 effort Thresholder, and finally coming to bloom with this year's Unraveling: Arising. There may be hope for Cascadia yet. 

Unraveling: Arising is the catharsis of sole member Alexander Roland Freilich. It carries the vibe of an album forged through trial. It's summed up perfectly in opening track "Sing The Sky", where Freilich desperately caterwauls "O’ to be scoured clean/Sings the Sky in falling stars/Roaring, whipping, saying: “Cast off those tattered rags, and emerge anew”. Musically, the song reflects that rebirth. It starts out cold and emotionless, brimming with icy black metal conviction. Transitioning into a folksy, Addaura-like segue, it pensively builds to its climax, a surge of transcendental leads that ply the middle plane between Deafheaven-esque post-black metal and the naturalistic wonder of the Cascadian scene. It's a striking transformation that leave its mark. Therein lies the album's greatest strength; its ability to simultaneously embody the heart-wrenching frenzy of blackgaze and the stoic beauty of the wild. 

There's a very spiritual element to Unraveling: Arising. It sounds like a record composed around the campfire, inspired by a starry night and the reflection of flame against the trees. Many Cascadian black metal albums feel similarly, but few have ever felt quite as genuine. The title track is the best example of this. A purely ambient piece, the song features a bass-y drone, hurried acoustic strums and ritualistic chants that swirl into the sky like ashes from a blaze. The primitivism makes it feel like it was created from instinct alone, an aural manifestation of man possessed by nature. 

Alexander may be the only "official" member, but what With the End in Mind accomplished here wouldn't have been possible without a few contributions from others, which are best seen on the closing song, "Wheeling, Endlessly Wheeling". Caitlin Fate's ethereal vocals create an excellent counterpoint to Freilich's scarring rasps. Her Bjorkian croon is haunting, mesmerizing, and memorable. Drummer Pierson Roe is fantastic throughout the record, but on this track his performance is stellar. His ability to transition from a crusty punk blitz to tribal battering is essential in the album's level of immersion. The album was created from Freilich's vision, but without these other key players, he never would have been able to see it through. 

Unraveling: Arising is a gorgeous record, that modern black metal fans would be insane not to clamor for. It's both stargazing and shoegazing. It perfectly captures the idea of tumultuous introspection and reinvigorating epiphany through our connection to this earth. Nature is magical. It's ancient but revitalizing. It will always be a source of inspiration, and this record is reminder of not only that, but the woodsy charm that made us fall in love with the Cascadian scene in the first place. Like nature, we have tendency to forget its importance and impact; but thanks to With the End In Mind hopefully Olympia will come to blossom again

W H E E L I N G,   E N D L E S S L Y  W H E E L I N G

Tyrannus - The Warden (2017)

Artist: Tyrannus
Album: The Warden

Genre: Dungeon Synth/Dungeon Noise
Country: United States 

Label: Pagoda Mast

Preview Track:

The Warden was an album I discovered the very first night I decided to start exploring dungeon synth. I experienced a plethora of different sights and sounds for the first time that evening - the whimsy of Fief, the choking darkness of Old Tower, and more - but nothing shook me more than my first listen to The Warden. Reinforcing the usual sonic fare of dungeon synth, The Warden props up its harmonic resonance with beams of noise and calamity; though melodic each track lives in a realm of static, swallowed by an everlasting void of noise. It was a dichotomy I wasn't prepared for initially, yet it ended up causing The Warden to stick with me much longer that most of my other discoveries from that time. It is the perfect soundtrack to a snowy night, and as the weather continues to get warmer, it will definitely be a record I spin throughout the summer to keep myself cool. 

A R R I V A L O F G L O R Y

Enon Chapel - Enon Chapel (2019)

Artist: Enon Chapel

Album: Enon Chapel

Genre: Black Metal / Thrash Metal

Country: United States

Label: Acephale Winter Productions

Preview Track: 

Despite most of black metal's practitioners desire to remain independent and enigmatic, Enon Chapel shy away from such pretension, and as a result prove to be one of the more interesting collaborations I've seen during my time as a fan of the genre. Consisting of Meghan Wood (Crown of Asteria, Great Cold Emptiness, etc) and Balan (Botanist, Palace of Worms, etc...) Enon Chapel is a band that delivers a fierce brand of black metal while somewhat subverting expectations of the genre. Influenced by a plethora of different sources - everything from Victorian-era England, to the insidious French Les Legions Noires, to more modern entities like The Black Twilight Circle- Enon Chapel feels like culmination of the genre's long and worn history. Though it may usurp bits of character from the annals of black metal history, their conglomeration of  influences feels fresh and untapped; like their main projects Balan and Meghan continue to compose black metal on their own terms, and unsurprising of two visionaries, the result is of a class of its own. 

S E A N C E  

Rusted Shut - Rehab (2005)

Artist: Rusted Shut

Album: Rehab

Genre: Noise Rock

Country: United States

Label: Emperor Jones Records

The Texan psychopaths in Rusted Shut very obviously have taken a few notes out of the page of bands like Brainbombs and Flipper, but Rehab is much more than a simple homage to the noise rock of yore. Rehab is one of the most frightening, punishing, grimy, rotten, and bastardized cuts of "rock" to ever be served. The sludgy, corrupted bass-tone basks in the proverbial black smoke of distortion, whereas the guitars make a noise akin to rocks and shards of glass banging against rusty sheets of metal. Everything hits like a ton of bricks, making for an emotionally exhausting listen, but one that has its fair share of Dystopia-or-Harvey Milk-like catharsis. Screams of death, chugging riffs, a incredibly depressing atmosphere - this is one of those records that perfectly emulates pain in a way that few are able to. Bridging the worlds of heart-smashing harsh noise and utterly repulsive sludge rock, Rehab is an unstoppable force of suffering and sin. Listen at your own discretion.

D E A T H W I S H

Imperialist - Cipher (2018)

Artist: Imperialist

Album: Cipher

Genre: Melodic Black Metal

Country: United States

Label: Transcending Obscurity Records

Preview Track:

Imperialist is a relatively new melodic black metal band from the frosted wastelands of....Monrovia, California? Who would’ve thought that some of the coldest black metal could come from such a warm and happy place like California? Bands like Ash Borer, Fell Voices and now Imperialist have come from Cali and have put out some cold and miserable sounding black metal music.

I’m not comparing this band to Ash Borer or Fell Voices in any way to be clear. Imperialist is way more melodic, riff heavy and upbeat than said bands. Their lyrical themes focus on time and space similar to a band like Mare Cognitum or Midnight Odyssey. Their debut album Cipher focuses mainly on fast and ferocious melodic riffs and blast beats from the black abyss that is outer space. The vocals here are pretty much the norm for black metal ala shrieks from a demon.

Cipher won’t blow you away with originality by any means. If you’re a black metal fan then chances are you’ve heard this album dozens and dozens of times before. But if you like your black metal fast, with melody and full of riffs then you will find something you can enjoy in Imperialist’s debut album. The best is yet to come from these Californians and I’m all ears.

T H E S I N G U L A R I T Y

Måneskygge - Untitled (2018)

Artist: Måneskygge 

Album: Untitled [Demo]

Genre: Raw/Atmospheric Black Metal 

Country: United States
Label: U N S I G N E D

Preview Track:

Even for a black metal, a genre that thrives when cloaked in an air of mystery, it is usually possible to unearth the details behind obscure artists/bands when you buckle down and commit yourself to hours of mining the internet, even if it is just for mere pebbles. Besides discovering the entity behind Måneskygge is also responsible for the ambient/dungeon synth endeavor Bergtatt and that they reside in "The Beaver State" aka Oregon, there is N O T H I N G more to be found about this enigmatic black metal project; N O T  O N E  I O T A. And honestly? It kind of makes their music all the more irresistible.

Måneskygge's introductory demo feels like the work of a lonesome and wizened winter apparition. For those who can read between lines of this untitled effort's grainy production, they are rewarded with exquisite shards of frostbitten black metal, an aural conjuring of glacial beauty that can only be achieved through reflective isolation. I will repeat this line ad nauseam - winter black metal, for the most part, is BORING - however, there are  few acts that manage to buck the trend, which Måneskygge skillfully does. Worth listen for fans of raw and uncompromising black metal. 

                                               U N T I T L E D

Transient + Bastard Noise - Sources of Human Satisfaction (2018)

Artist: Transient and Bastard Noise

Album: Sources of Human Satisfaction

Genre: Grind/Powerviolence/Harsh Noise

Country: United States

Label: Six Weeks Records

Preview Track:

Sources of Human Satisfaction is an utterly blistering approach to melding the powers of grindcore and harsh noise. From the first mechanical screech to the cataclysmic end of "Bloodline," Transient and Bastard Noise (you may know the latter as Man Is The Bastard) come together to form a beautifully decrepit marriage of harsh feedback and face melting riffs. "Night Ass," "Mandala," and "Leeches" show this in full force, with pummeling song compositions and performances that hit the ear drums like a brick hits glass. The noise that complements the speeding grind are sound like robotic screams of agony. Everything here screams of passion and intensity: the shrill shrieks of the vocalist, the roaring guitar, the body-battering percussion. Auditory violence is the name of the game and these two powerhouses are in it until the bloodied end. It's wild how so much aggression can be bottled into such a short record, but here it is. Transient and Bastard Noise are like two freight trains on the same track and Sources of Human Satisfaction is the resulting collision. 

E E E E E E E E E !

Enbilulugugal - PRAISE THE FUKKEN LARD (2015)

Artist: Enbilulugugal

Album: PRAISE THE FUKKEN LARD

Genre: Black Metal/Noise/Parody

Country: United States

Label: U N S I G N E D

Preview Track:

Enbilulugugal is the perfect anti-thesis for the seriousness of most black metal. In the least humorous and most try-hard of genres (I say this as a fan), we have a group dedicated to only a few things - lard, obesity, and their lord above all else, Curlyton. They can barely play their instruments, they write with the crudeness of Nunslaughter and the coherency of Captain Beefheart, they sample episodes of Futurama and corny stand-up bits, and they do it all with the cacophony and exuberance of groups like Ahulabrum and Havohej. Songs like "Bovine Sized Sloppy Jose Value Meal Track as Requested by Our Lard Curlyton" show that they've found their stride in being a particularly explosive novelty group. To call Enbilulugugal genius would be an exaggeration, but to call them mindless would rob them of their unique brand of artery-clogging wit. Enbilulugugal is a remarkably refreshing project in a sea of noisy black metal that refuses to have any fun. Because of this, these overweight clowns are exactly what a scene this deathly serious needs - a reminder that a lard-caked sense of humor never killed anybody. 

H A I L C U R L Y T O N !

SQRM - Rodeo (2010)

Artist: SQRM 

Album: Rodeo

Genre: Noise Rock / Hardcore

Country: United States

Label: Youth Attack!

Preview Track:

SQRM have always confounded me. Even to this day - 9 years after the release of their last album - I was never able to place whether they were cerebral hardcore deconstructionists or noisy hardcore savages.  I've always preferred to believe the former; that their cover, a miserable clown, was some kind of cynical commentary on the state of happy-go-lucky hardcore. Or perhaps it's just a teaser of the misery in store for all those who listen? I guess I'll never REALLY know if SQRM is as subversive as I want them to be, but what I can tell you is Rodeo, their sophomore and final effort, is one of the most disgusting, sludgy, and filthy slabs of hardcore I've ever heard. Oscillating between noisy half-tempo dirges and near powerviolence bouts of aggression, SQRM's schizophrenic assault corrodes your mind until you feel as insane as the music portrays itself to be. In the middle of the bedlam stands front man Tony P., feverishly yelling lines of lunacy like "I'M A FUCKING FREAK, SPIT ON ME", further cementing the band's commitment to their uber-negative, self-deprecating style of hardcore. For me, Rodeo still feels like a fresh if not absolutely vile take on the genre, with SQRM feeding you a palate cleanser of dirt and Clozapine while they convulse in the corner. 

F U C K T O S U R V I V E

U N H O L Y T R I N I T Y M E G A P O S T

There are quite a few releases I am looking forward still in 2019, but none of them eclipse my excitement for the return of a certain triumvirate of bands. Connected not only through their intertwining lineage, but a thread of sonic filth, these acts have established themselves as some of the best death metal to come from the US in the last decade, and surely their upcoming efforts will only further their standing in death metal's putrid canon.

Prosanctus Inferi - Pulpit Sycophants (2019)

Artist: Prosanctus Inferi

Album: Pulpit Sycophants

Genre: Blackened Death Metal / War Metal 

Country: United States

Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions

If you read my previous post regarding Prosanctus Inferi, you'll know that they are a band I hold in very high regards. After a six-year silence, I was worried they had died an innocuous death, but luckily I was wrong; they are alive, kicking, and gearing up for the release of a new album entitled Hypnotic Blood Art (release date TBA). It would seem Pulpit Sycophants a demo that has so far only been released via Youtube, consists of rough versions of this upcoming full-length. Despite their being incomplete, the material on Pulpit Sycophants is impressive nonetheless, and seems to hint at the band returning to the bestial and crude blackened death metal they wielded on their earlier releases like Pandemonic Ululations of Vesperic Palpitation. Despite my love for their last record Noctambulous Jaws Within Sempiternal Night and its more pronounced death metal influence, I am still very much looking forward to what's coming next. 

C O M M O N  T H R E A D: Vocalist/guitarists Jake Kohn served as the bassist for Father Befouled from 2009 to 2012, appearing on two full-lengths and one split. Oh, and speaking of Father Befouled....

Father Befouled - Holy Rotten Blood [EP] (2019)

Artist: Father Befouled

Album: Holy Rotten Blood [EP]

Genre: Death Metal

Country: United States

Label: Dark Descent Records

Preview Track: 

When I first discovered Father Befouled, they were EASILY my least favorite of the three bands included in today's post; don't misunderstand, I still thought they were a fantastic band, but they didn't quite hit me like the other two projects. This internal ranking was shaken with the release of their last album, the excellent Desolate Gods. Like their previous entries, Father Befouled still promulgated a particularly doom-y and Incantation-esque version of death metal, however UNLIKE the albums that proceeded it, there were these insanely brief moments of melody that shone through the dirt and grime. Whilst melody in death metal isn't exactly groundbreaking anymore, it is rare that a band as dirty and cacophonous as Father Befouled to feature anything of the sort, and the result truly elevated the piece above not only their prior efforts, but many of their peers (**cough Incantation included cough **). With their upcoming EP Holy Rotten Blood, it is unclear if they will further indulge in this progression, but the slight chance of it alone is enough to be excited.

C O M M O N  T H R E A D: Father Befouled's current frontman/guitarist Justin Stubbs is also the frontman of Encoffination, two-piece he shares with ex-Father Befouled drummer and multi-band extraordinaire Elektrokutioner. Which actually reminds me...

Encoffination - We Proclaim Your Death O' Lord (2019)

Artist: Encoffination

Album: We Proclaim Your Death O' Lord

Genre: Funeral Doom/Death Metal

Country: United States

Label: Selfmadegod Records

Preview Track: 

Encoffination are the slowest band I've ever heard in my fucking life. At first listen, they ALMOST seem like a parody of funeral doom. However, the further you delve into the bottomless pit of their music it becomes clear they are very serious about what they do. Imagine taking a single riff from Incantation (yes, they are a relevant comparison here too), stretching it out to ten minutes long, and adding a choir of unsettling atmsopherics not limited to but including the imposing ring of old, cracked bells and the inherently terrifying church organ. Utilizing these paragons of what should be light and then twisting their visage into something dark and wretched only makes their delivery more horrible and impacting, the exact effect Encoffination aim to achieve. We Proclaim Your Death O' Lord only promises to further instill fear in the religious and enthrall the blaspheming. 

C O M M O N  T H R E A D: If you've been paying attention, you get it by now. 

An Isolated Mind - I'm Losing Myself (2019)

Artist: An Isolated Mind

Album: I'm Losing Myself

Genre: Atmospheric Death Metal

Country: United States

Label: U N S I G N E D 

Atmospheric death metal has always felt like one of those more head cannon-y sub-genres. It's without clear-cut parameters to truly define what it is, and for that reason you have everything from Australian instrument-torturers Portal to Finnish filth-lords Desolate Shrine -two very different sounding projects- performing what could in essence be called atmospheric death metal. It's one of those "you know it when you hear it" types, where the finer details don't matter as much as the finished product.  

The reason I bring all of this up, is another project, the incomparably weird An Isolated Mind, seem to fall within this vague and nebulous extreme metal genre. Exuding a stifling sense of psychedelia and featuring a range of oddities - everything from jazzy saxophone interludes to moments of ambient claustrophobia - I'm Losing Myself does its name justice with its variation without ever becoming too overbearing or experimental for its own good. The balance struck between straightforward and atmospheric, dissonant and melody is incredibly well-executed, offering a multi-faceted approach that begs repeated listens. This is very fucking good, and highly recommended for fans of Cynic, Gorguts, Portal, and anything in-between. 

W E A R E F R A G I L E V I B R A T I O N S

Prosanctus Inferi - Noctambulous Jaws Within Sempiternal Night (2013)

Artist: Prostanctus Inferi
Album: Noctambulous Jaws Within Sempiternal Night

Genre: Blackened Death Metal / War Metal
Country: United States
Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions

Since its release in 2013, Prosanctus Inferi's diabolical sophomore effort Noctambulous Jaws Within Sempiternal Night has been a favorite of mine, but thanks to their  recent announcement of an upcoming third album, Hypnotic Blood Art (release date TBA), I've dug back into Noctambulous... in a way that I haven't in a long time. I still find it the ultimate culmination of black and death metal; Jake Kohn's spits bile with every blasphemous word, his delivery reminiscent of the vaunted Peter Helmkamp in its guttural rasp. Musically, Noctambulous... is easily the group's most muscular and death metal-oriented outing to date, however it still oozes a charred and blackened atmosphere. In many ways, it's very similar to early Morbid Angel, rife with Azagthothian off-kilteredness and an underlying sense of esoterica. When it comes to war metal that isn't completely Blasphemy inspired, Prosanctus Inferi's Noctambulous Jaws Within Sempiternal Night is the best you're going to get. 

M A T E R N A L T O N G U E O F S E M P I T E R N A L E V I L

L'Acéphale - L'Acéphale (2019)

Artist: L'Acéphale

Album: L'Acéphale

Genre: Atmsopheric/"Cascadian" Black Metal

Country: United States
Label: Eisenwald

L'Acephale predated the Cascadian black metal boom by a few years, but was undoubtedly one of that movement's greatest inspirations. Now, about a ten years after Cascadia's nature-inspired black metal influence had started to decay, these innovators have returned with their most ambitious album yet. Though their "Cascadian" essence remains, L'Acephale, like always, has proven to be so much more; elements of dark folk run rampant throughout the band's self-titled effort, restraining a portion of the blackened fury present. This in of itself isn't **too** peculiar, but when supplemented by an eerie almost-martial atmosphere, L'Acephale feels more imposing than most other albums of its ilk. Cascadia may be dead, but its ghost remains.

W I N T E R N A C H T