NINE SONGS I LIKED THIS WEEK IN LIST FORM – JUN 9 – JUN 15

Back in the life, life is OK. In essence it's actually terrible, floating around on what feels like a sliver of solid ground atop a lake of actual magma. But, OK. Yeah. OK. Keep safe.

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 my 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. Vimur – "Sons of Another Light," from The Timeless Everpresent (Black Metal – Avantgarde Music). Atlanta's finest are back with a new album and a new label. After a great run with Boris Records, which included the "some of the best black metal of the 2010s" with the impeccable Triumphant Master of Fates, they're on board with Avantgarde and taking one other bold leap away from their very American, almost spiritual brand of hectic black metal to the clean, mid-tempo bosom of Mother Europe – an aesthetic shift that includes both the label and the logo, by the way. Not always a fan of that transition, especially when the starting point was as awesome as it was, but the first single sounds cool so let's give hate a chance. FFO: Woe, Vimur.

2. Torturer's Lobby – "Chromosomal Devastation," from Deadened Nerves (Death Metal – Caligari Records). The thing that sucks about Caligari not really releasing as much as they used to is that they're not releasing as much as they used to. But, the good thing about them not releasing as much as they used to is that every time they do release you know you're going to have to buy that shit. Case in point is this exhilarating full-length debut from Floridian hate project Torturer's Lobby that is just all you need from energized, nasty death metal of of that Black Breath / kinda-sorta-early Morbus Chron vibe. Open-ended madness executed to perfection. FFO: You've got some names there, I think.

3. Iravu – The Outsider from Sudra – Iravu/Mumuksu (Atmospheric Black Metal – Vita Detestabilis Records). The Malaysian one-band wonder of Iravu is black, kind of, via this split/collaboration with compatriots in both body and spirit, Mumuksu. Everything you (well, I) loved about last year's full-length debut is here, only more and bigger. If you ever lusted after an all-consuming cosmos that then sends you into a black hole where your dead grandparents show you the news on TV, this is definitely for you. I mean, for me. FFO: Afsky.

4. Cold Wives – "Unwashed and Misunderstood," from Cold Wives (Noise Rock/Post Rock – Roman Nvmeral Records). by , I didn't see a band made up of Made Out of Babies/Red Sparowes' members (Brendan Tobin and Eric Cooper), among others, coming into this world and creating what sounds like a whole fucked-up post-rock version of Unsane, but here we fucking are. Not even kidding, this is some of the best shit I've heard all year. Not tying to be something, not as-if being something, just a human-first-shaped art. The best part of the early 2000s come alive, only better. FFO: Mastodon if it was good and kind of post-punky.

5. Nectogutter – "Master," from Gutter Rituals (Death Metal – Independent). There a comes a time in a man's life where one must drag one's knuckles across some forsaken concrete floor and do what's right. Not going to say everything is perfect about this little filthy gem of a demo/EP (mixing might be one stick -in-the-mud point to make), but a lot of what's important is here, including some pretty astounding performances and the general vibe of listening to a swamp play music. FFO: 

6. Hemorrhoid – "A Dozen Suppurating Masses," from Raw Materials of Decay (Death Metal/Grindcore – Headsplit Records). And as long as we're dragging our meaty knuckles, might as well add this beautiful thing to the putrid pile. Had enough waiting for a new Pharmacist? Have a Symphonies of Sickness body pillow? This should be right up your stinkin' alley. Gross riffs delivered in Swiss-watch-like precision. What more should one want out of life? FFO: Miasmatic Necrosis, Pharmacist.

7. Endon – "Time Does Not Heal," from Fall of Spring (Noise/Experimental – Daymare Recordings / Thrill Jockey Records). Honestly, given that at one time I never thought I would hear new Endon music ever again, I leap at the opportunity to partake in their creative chaos any chance I can get. Thrilled to see they have a new album out from one of the most out there and fantastic things to have ever happened and one of the most intense and beautiful live shows I was ever fortunate to witness (case in point). FFO: Living.

8. Laceration – "Excised," from I Erode (Thrash/Death Metal – 20 Buck Spin). Let me just be a proud father here despite the fact that I am not Laceration's father nor am I responsible for anything good in their lives nor am I anyone really ever but just solely based on the somewhat overblown in my own eyes fact that I have been following these fine gents since (will enter year once I google it, OK it's 2019) and am happy beyond happy to see them end up on 20 Buck Spin's legendary platform. Proggy, thrashy death metal that feeds on your pancreas. FFO: Vektor, Toxic.

9. Apes – "Penitence," from Penitence (Black Metal/Grindcore – Secret Swarm Records). I wrote about Apes' magnificent previous release, Lullabies for Eternal Sleep when it came out and was completely blown away. It's not often that something manages to touch that untouchable realm of, say, whatever lies between Wake, Immortal Bird, and Cloud Rat, but there it was – touching. Now they're back with another release that presses even harder on some of the "spacier" elements of their work, launching them into proximity with another incredible (and incredibly underrated) band – Dead to a Dying World. Incredible shit. FFO: A bunch of bands.

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: The new Immortal Bird album has been recorded. Gird yer loins.

TWO: Nails are back, which is nice, and with fucking Shelby Lermo on guitar, which is incredible. Too bad the first single is just kinda OK.

THREE: The Solar Temple/Dead Neanderthals collab from the 2022 edition of Roadburn is now up on the Bandcamps and such. Highly recommended.

FOUR: Ah, life.

FIVE: New Molchat Doma is coming, and it's fresh, dancy, and sounds like magic.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: I guess I should say something about a new The Jesus Lizard track in something like a millenium, so here I am. Saying something about it. Track rules, btw.