NINE SONGS I LIKED THIS WEEK(s) IN LIST FORM JUN 25 – JULY 8

Being as crushed by life in recent months, and seeing there's a good possibility a lot of people feel the same way, I thought maybe I need to stop treating my recent inability to actually sit down and write as an obstacle. Instead, I shall treat it as an opportunity to see how music has been able to be there for me, which is basically what music has done for me forever. I guess mine are boring, old-man problems. We're moving from our home of the last 17 years to a new home. We're renovating, or have been renovating for the last what seems like forever, and we're all in a very cramped, very stressed home of five (one of which is a baby). Every evening feels like the most tired I have ever been in my life, until the next one comes. It's like those climate emergency infographics ("June was the hottest month on record!") only with fatigue and an all-pervasive anxiety. So. Yeah. Very sorry for being so absent, both on the site and on my purported social-media iterations falsely publicized below. I'm basically overwhelmed, and yet happy to have this place and to have you all here. God knows it would have been shittier with it and you.

As always, check out my various interview projects and other cool shit. And if you'd like to keep abreast of the latest, most pressing developments follow us wherever I may roam (FALSE!) (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and now also a tape-per-day series on TIK TOK!), and listen to my, I guess, active (?) podcast (YouTube, Spotify, Apple), and to check out our amazing compilation albums. You can support our unholy work here (Patreon), if you feel like it. Early access to our bigger projects, weekly exclusive recommendations and playlists, and that wonderful feeling that you're encouraging a life-consuming habit.

1. Faerie Ring – "Silver Man in the Sky," from Weary Traveler (Heavy Metal/Doom – Wise Blood Records).  I am not one for the heavy of metal, never really got that. I see how that makes my into a pariah in most metal circles, but it's just the case. But when that shit hits, it hits. This new album from American group Faerie Ring sounds old trad doom, heavy metal, and, at times, 90s stoner-indie in the best possible way. Just an unbelievable, uplifting listing. FFO: Kyuss, Drune, Nebula.

2. Demoniac – "Granada," from Nube Negra (Thrash/Black Metal – Edged Circle Productions). Demoniac's 2021 album So it Goes wasn't just a masterpiece for the ages and one of the greatest thrash-affiliated albums in recent memory, it was probably – wait for it – the greatest album in that general realm since forever, and forever. So a new album from these Chilean masters of the evil clarinet was very welcomed, and this first single is a proggy, evil fantastic blast of absolute talent and beauty. Don't mess around or you'll find yourself sleeping on a AOTY-level thang. FFO: Solipnosis, Invocation Spells, Left Cross.

3. Panopticon – "Cedar Skeletons," from The Rime of Memory (Melodic Black Metal – Bindrune Recordings). You know how great athletes can pick up new things as they go along, further diversifying what is already an amazing skillset? And you know when they just say "fuck it" and do what they do best, and it shows? So this first (mega) single from the upcoming child of Austin Lunn's musical loins feels like that. This is basically Panopticon doing what Panopticon do best. Which, when they do that, is among the best things your ears could take in. FFO: Music.

4. Dark Citadel – "Formless Shadows," from Shapeless Dreams and Formless Shadows (Avantgarde Black Metal – Independent). Brendan Sloan (Convulsing, Altars) isn't just a great musician and a decent person but also a wonderful fan of music whose taste I almost blindly follow. So, when he recommended this beautiful thing I knew it was worth my time, and my time indeed it was worth. Beyond the fact the the cover art is the same as another beloved, and very different, project, this is creepy, dissonant, mind-piercing metal for lovers of proggy, weird shit that makes you feel like drowning. FFO: Drowning.

5. Rorcal – "Early Mourning," from Silence (Sludge/Black Metal – Humus Records). Rorcal's previous release, 2019's Muladona, is a modern classic of emotionally twisted, atmospherically immense music. Those are just the facts. A new album from Rorcal is, then, cause for a black celebration (TONIGHT), and this first single is just as banging, just as immense, just as monstrously beautiful as I could have even hoped for. Just incredible. And if you're into the visual side of things, talent monster and friend of the show Eeli Helin (Fawn Limbs, Lung Knots, et al) is in charge of this striking video for the track. Good people all around. FFO: Amenra, LLNN, Celeste.

6. Gridlink – "Coronet Juniper," from Coronet Juniper (Grindcore – Willowtip Records). I mean, what do you even say this? One of the most anticipated release of this year or any, and one of the most important "comeback" record in a while. The legends of Grindcore, one of the best to ever do it, return and eviscerate everything in their path. God, if only grindcore was my life right now.

7. Ch'ahom – "Ts'ono'ot" (Black Metal/Doom – Sentient Ruin Laboratories). I had never heard of these German dudes until I received this Sentient Ruin notification, but now I have heard both of them and them and I am happy, so all is well. Spastic, chaotic black metal that sounds like The Ruins of Beverast took a Portal pill and went to sleep in a damp forest. Also, if that wasn't enough (which it should be) then this must be my favorite-looking logo in a while. Awesome, dark shit. FFO: The Ruins of Beverast, Hissing, Venenum.

8. Cryptae – "Glands" (Experimental Metal – Independent). Is this just a new track from Dutch insane-asylum-soundtracking band Cryptae? Is this the harbinger of a new album? Not that anyone is asking me, but I vote for the second option because it means we might get a whole hour of this mind-numbing, chaotic, mastery. This is music as it emanated from primordial ooze of life, and the closest auditory interpretation of I'm feeling these days. Just incredible. FFO: Ron Ben-Tovim having a hard time.

9. Will Haven – "Evolution of Man," from VII (Alt-Metal – Sludgelord Records / Minus Head Records). Look, this is a complicated one for me. First: I am a HUGE Will Haven fan, back from their masterful 90s and early 2000s albums. Their previous album, Muerte, was also pretty amazing. I actually approached them a year or so ago to do a 90s interview, which they were very gracious to agree to, but I then got sucked into the vortex of life and it never happened. There's a part of me that doesn't feel like doing that anymore since everyone is going to be talking about them now, and there's an ugly part of my personality that hates that. But that part needs to fucking die. So I will. And in the meantime, take this beast inside of you. Some people wait for Godflesh albums. I wait for Will Have albums. FFO: Me, fucking up.

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: Lamp of Murmuur released a track that was available only for the Decibel flexi thing. If you're a fan of Immortal LoM, this will suit you nicely.

TWO: The screamo beast that is atameo released a beautiful new Coma Regalia cover as part of a new Zegema Beach sampler.

THREE: Glitchy, oppressive hardcore-metal? Check out this track from Mouthbreather.

FOUR: I feel like I've said enough.

FIVE: Friends of the show Myrdød decided they are a brainy, chaotic, proggy death metal band now. I'm OK with that. Might be their best yet.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: I'm done. Go support Jason from Suffering Hour, if you haven't already.