NINE SONGS I LIKED THIS WEEK IN LIST FORM – JAN 21-27
Yada, yada, yada, metal. Keep safe.
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1. Lotus Thief – "In Perdition," from Lotus Thief – Forlesen (Prog/Doom Metal – I, Voidhanger). Seems kind of wrong to have to choose a track from a two-track gem of a split, but here I am doing it. Lotus Thief and Forlesen are obviously sister projects in that they share members but, more essentially, a musical point of view, the kind that creates universes as opposed to making songs. And I cannot think of a universe more pretty, overwhelming and cruel than the one that sprouts out of the tension and harmony between the THROAT and SPIRIT that is Beth Gladding and the CRUCH and DOOM of the band's instrumentation. And, if I am to somewhat cheat, this is also kinda sorta picking Forlesen since it is Ascalaphus's harsh vocals that send this already rediculous track into a whole other (nasty) dimension. Sharpen yer axes! FFO: My Dying Bride, Forlesen.
2. Trembling Void – "Cloud of Flies," from Terrifying Vistas of Reality (Black Metal – Inferna Profundus Records). Another split appearance, this time it's the blessed/cursed return of the magnificent Trembling Void. After releasing what just might be one of the most perfect lo-fi black metal releases in recent memory with their 2021 demo (wrote about it here), with a track appearing on MILIM KASHOT VOL. 4), and releasing a solid debut LP, the one-man project out of the bowels of nail polish hell are back and sound as nasty and as trippy as ever. Get it. FFO: Spider God, Mayhem.
3. Coffret de Bijoux – "j'erre de mur en mur jusqu'a l'effervescence de la pelouse violette m'imbibe d'odeure inconnue, m'imbibe d'odeure inconnue, m'imbibe d'odeure inconnue,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,," from La l'dépendåancsee ause kelées magiquey quềềề leyn florquas arkions',` d'un moment ȧ l'autre',;; ṫesesc omeomeas magniq""'e deŝŝ orne..; mëntš! Ėlllễs-mxme;;, Ėlllễs-les savencs..;; Nuertas seûiûlement après la pluit,;;; (Atmospheric Black Metal – Independent). Well, talk about taking a page off of the Trhä book, this Quebecois project delivers sing-songy black metal that sounds like it was recorded on a tape recorded situated on a different floor of a pure-concrete, brutalist apartment building. And yet what meager sounds filter through are as beautiful as can be. And if you're fans of the ragin' soul from a different universe there's little chance of you being disappointed here. FFO: Well, yeah.
4. Xenoch – "Sign II: Soiled Rags of Clouds from Poison Lotus Corpse Pearl (Avant-Garde Black Metal – Independent). Every once in a while a release comes along that makes you go: "Hmm, I didn't know I needed that, whatever the hell it is." And it's always a special moment. Always a special moment to discover you needed something you never knew about, and that it would be as weird as it is. That is my review of the album Poison Lotus Corpse Pearl by the New-York-based project Xenoch. FFO: Florid Ekstasis, Krallice, Skin Tension, Liturgy, Kaldeket, Ocrilim.
5. Lhaäd – "Beneath V," from Beneath (Atmospheric Black Metal – Amor Fati Productions). Lhaäd's debut album Below was and remain of the most underrated black metal releases of the last few years, owing perhaps to the fact that it was released as late as it was in 2021 (I wrote about it here, because I am a saint). The morose Belgians, while building on their aquatic theme and, ah, "under" album titles is about to deliver a album that might be actually better than that gem. As oppressive as it is majestic. FFO: Mare Cogitum, Fen.
6. Nothing Is Real – "We've All Lived Bad Lives," from Acts of Despair and Faith (Avant-Garde Metal – Independent). While there are many people like me, there is only one Nothing is Real. There's just nothing like them around, not in terms of scope or general bizarreness nor in the lengths they go to realize their grand and bizarre ambitions. It's almost like you took Mike Patton's hunger with an extreme-metal body. This first track from their upcoming (and probably brilliant) album is all music happening at once, like a fascinating train wreck. More. FFO: No one! OK, maybe kinda sorta Haunter.
7. Loam – "Recompense for the Drowned," from Grief Outlet (Black Metal – Independent). From the makers of a shining pearl of a black metal EP from 2022 (wrote about it here), comes the triumphant return of the Minneapolis twosome with, ah, another amazing EP! How about doing a whole album!? That would be nice! Anyhow, I mean, bands that spew pitch-perfect, organic-sounding black metal that just so happen to not deliver what I consider to be the adequate amount of said perfect black metal that would fit my own personal requirements isn't really a top 100 problem in the world right now, is it? Though I suspect a good deal of those problems would go away if more people listened to Loam.
8. Cave Sermon – "The Paint of an Invader," from Divine Laughter (Dissonant Death Metal/Prog – Independent). A few years ago I wrote a short remark about a one-man instrumental project by the name of Cave Sermon, thinking in my head: "Man, this with vocals would destroy." Lo and behole a few years past and now only do Cave Sermon return with vocals, and not only are those vocals delivered by one of the absolute best throats in the game – MICO's Miguel Méndez – the end product is far better than even I could have anticipated. If said to me "early AOTY candidate along with Vemod and Hoplites" I would have said: "Yes." FFO: Aeviterne, Converge.
9. Srefa – Ensnared and Conquered, from Solstice (Black Metal – Satanath Records). The first single from the up-coming full-length debut from Tel Aviv-based Srefa is basically the manual on how to do orthodox, almost Norwegian-sounding black metal that is still exciting and different and great. It's taking the formula but tweaking it in slight and subtle ways to make something that's actually interesting. And given the fact that this is already better than what was a pretty great debut EP, we've got ourselves a heater in the making. FFO:
FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
ONE: Don't ask me why I was rummaging through the Robotic Empire Bandcamp, but there I was, and there I found this beautiful, wonderful shoegaze release by Hollow Sunshine from 2015.
TWO: Temple of Void released a compilation of their non-album tracks.
THREE: New Lord Dying sounds kinda sick.
FOUR: In a moment of absolute, weird nothingness I released a Nine Song-type post about some of my favorite books. Here.
FIVE: Upon first listen the new Abigor sounds like the musical equivalent of some of TT's Facebook posts.
ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: In the spirit of placing albums I wanted to get to but didn't in the last spot of the post – there's a new and beautiful Obsidian Tongue coming, and I'll probably write more about it next week.
