NINE SONGS I LIKED THIS WEEK IN LIST FORM – JUL 21 – JUL 27
People keep dying. Keep safe. Don't die. Also, if you feel like listening to one of the most crushingly melancholic and beautiful albums of the past few years, I suggest you check out our premiere of the new Choshech album. Trust me. And, yes, still keep safe.
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1. Diploid – "Trust the Process," from Mantra (Grindcore/Death Metal – Rope or Guillotine). I am a happy person when I learn new Diploid music has descended from its nihilistically heavenly abode and thus, as logic would have it, I am a happy person. Aggression distilled to its finest forms, in all shades of rage, fury, despair, and despondency. May they scream at my face for eternity. FFO: Chepang, Bride Burner.
2. Siderean – "The Sacred Sea," from Spilling the Astral Chalice (Death Metal – Edged Circle Productions). One of the albums I personally have most eager to see released this year, eager as a young bird that is, well, eager for a new album from one of its favorite modern death metal projects. Whether they were Teleport (btw, Edged Circle found some CDs of the Teleport EP) or Siderean, this merry band of Slovenian demons is just one of the best at twisted psych-sounding, space-expanding melodies to your overjoyed confusion. This is, I guess, what Morbus Chron would have sound like with EVEN MORE drugs. The best. FFO: Morbus Chron, Horrendous.
3. Whispering Void – "Vi Finnes," from At The Sound of the Heart" (Folk/Avant-Garde – Prophecy Productions). I, much like the other critters of the forest, also got the promo email saying Prophecy was going to release the debut superalbum from another superband filled with supermusicians who are of course Norwegian because they are kind of super, and I sighed and went "OK." I only half remembered this fact when I went on a "downloading promos" binge the other day and just fell into the leafy trap that is this album. I don't even know what it is, I guess it's a bunch of superNorwegians singing flowers to Thor, but my god (the Abrahamic one, I'm afraid) is it beautiful. I read a really beautiful, sad book while listening to this and I think I'm a rabbit now. FFO: Transforming into creatures other than human.
4. Wormwitch – "Godmaegen," from Wormwitch (Black Metal – Profound Lore Records). Look, I already wrote about the excellent Wormwitch/Sadistic Ritual split from earlier this year, so I didn't feel like writing about Wormwitch again because I'm better than that. Well, turns out their new album is better than me. I was especially taken by this track because it made me feel like I was listening to what used to be my favorite black metal band before they stopped being my favorite black metal band all at once because of, well, bad reasons. So, I get to check out the new Wormwith = good, and also act like I'm actually listening to a whole other band that I actually don't listen to anymore = amazing.
5. Raptio – "Erotic Fucking Slaughter," from Nuclear Agony (Grindcore – Independent). I don't imagine I would like to meet the members of this band, ever, whether in private or in public, since I suspect they are some weird-ass people. I would, however, like to recommend this horrible thing because it makes me feel like I vomited into my soul and then ate it and then someone killed me. And it's been a while since I've felt like that! FFO: Vomiting and killing, pretty sure.
6. Solar Temple – "Ejaculation," from A Gift that Should Have Been Reserved for the Great Lights (Ritualistic Mind Fuckery I Guess – Consouling Sounds). It's been a whole fucking while since I'm allowed some Solar Temple winds to caress my emotional soft place, but here we are. And what have we here? Well, I'm not so sure. It might be an Urfaust track stripped of the music and then placed on a loop made of old Depeche Mode beats, it might be that. It might be that even weirder and more abstract Nadja album you were looking for. Whatever it is, it feels like taking the good good drugs and forgetting you're alive, which, to be completely honest, sounds like sparkling gold right about now. FFO: Astral projection. Not the band.
7. Vuur & Zijde – "Omheind," from Boezem (Post Black Metal/New Wave- Prophecy Productions). More crazy Dutch people and yet another supradupraband – and another one signed to Prophecy! So, I'm getting repetitive, I guess. But, my detrimental tendencies to repeat ad nauseum what was never destined to work even once, this is some of the finest black-metal-producing members of the Dutch commonwealth doing some groovy, 80s-tastic shit that still somehow feels weirdly dangerous. I liked it. FFO: Rope Sect, Wolvennest.
8. Signaux Du Vide – "Transmission: S.E. – 0.009" (Atmospheric Black Metal – Independent). Taking a slight break from my Netherlands-obsessed post to sing the praises of this windswept piece of black metal played through your great-great-great grandmother's gramophone, if said gramophone was in space. Very Darkspace-inspired, I think, but in a very good way in that I enjoy it and wish it was longer. Here's hoping for Transmission: S.E. – 00.10, or something shit like that. Beautiful stuff, though, decimal points be damned. FFO: Darkspace.
9. Silvaplana – "I," from Limbs of Dionysus (Avant-Garde Black Metal – Augur Tongues and IARNWITH). The beautiful mind and low-key handsomeness of Alexander DeMaria (Yellow Eyes, Morbid Sphere, Anicon) is back to spew some of the best black metal of the whole year. Weird, bendy, meandering, it sounds like a lo-fi Yellow Eyes being filtered through the true menace of bands like Skáphe or Wormrot. Does that makes sense? It does not. But you're not here for the sense, you're here for the music. I hope. FFO: Good music.
FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
ONE: Blood Incantation released a trailer for the making-of that will I guess come out with their new album.
TWO: The very excellent Vomit Rot are coming at you soon with one of the best death metal albums of the year. You heard it here last.
THREE: Esoctrillihum are back, and they have a piano now.
FOUR: No one cares about these rants anyway.
FIVE: She has one of the best YouTube channels out there, and now Claire Lamb is officially also one of my favorite death metal musicians with Misyrion. I mean. listen to this shit.
ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: Cool death metal from Mortuary Rot.
