NINE SONGS I LIKED THIS WEEK IN LIST FORM – Somewhere in August, Someplace in Time
I have been away for a while, which isn't really something I do that often. this weekly dose of mystery-meat music has been going pretty consistently for almost five years now – rain, childbirth, shine, pandemics, and wars. Thing is, we went on a nice vacation, one directly linked to just how awful things over here are and how horrible they've been for almost a year now. And I could have written something like "I got caught with family stuff," which would have been true. But I liked it. I liked being away, liked being with my kids, and very much liked not giving a shit about which album came out. I loved it. The only downside to the whole affair was that a) I felt like I was cheating my readers and Patreon people and b) I wasn't listening to music, and that's not a healthy long-term situation for me. So here I am, very hesitantly coming back, for now. Everything's so stressful, so horrible, so, at times, horrific. I think it was only until we got out of it for a second that I truly realized how bad it was. So, in the universe of content-creating assholery I realize it's important to post regularly. But I am not in a regular situation, so I guess shit's going to be a bit irregular from now on. Keep safe, and many thanks for those who reached out with concern and care. You rule.
Oh, and I obviously spent a whole shitload of time not caring, which led to a back catalogue of stuff I wish I had written about. But, so it goes.
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. Immortal Bird – "Plastered Sainthood." from Sin Querencia (Everything Metal – 20 Buck Spin). In a world filled with empty music-writing platitudes, this is my most anticipated album of the year and practically any year. Thrive on Neglect was a very important album for me, as well as Empress / Abscess, really, and everything about this band is just what I love about music. They're back, they sound like they can rip everyone's head off, and Rae Amitay is still one of the best throats in metal. Nothing to hate, everything to love. FFO: Haunter, Inter Arma.
2. Nubivagant – "Darkness Upon the Face of the Deep," from The Blame Dagger (Epic Doom/Black Metal – Amor Fati Productions). I can't call this "most-anticipated," mostly since I never even knew it was coming, but I am very happy. A fan and early adapter of both of Nubivagant's previous (and brilliant) releases, this just sounds like the same magic, with an added dose of dynamism and power. Also got to see them live following the release of their second album, and the power they emit live just adds to my job. So, joy. FFO: Urfaust, Candlemass.
3. Paysage d'Hiver – "Urgrund," from Die Berge (Black Metal – Kunsthall Produktionen). Being honest here, I'm not the kind of person to eagerly await new Paysage d'Hiver while wearing a black hood and casting spells. I'm more of a cornflake person. But I am intrigued, I am that. And pressing "play" on the first "single" (more like a mini album) from their upcoming album made me suddenly realize what Damián Antón Ojeda told me in my interview with him, about how he was inspired by PH to try and create the kind of project (Trhä, see below) the generates winter. This is winter. Not in that "oh shit those riffs are so cold" or "TNBM!!" way. No. It's just winter. Actual winter. Brilliant. FFO: Snow and hatred.
4. Cosmic Putrefaction – "Hallways Engraved in Aether," from Emerald Fires Atop (Death/Black Metal – Profound Lore Records). Ah yes, Gabriele Gramaglia being brilliant again, what a shocker. Mr. GG himself returns in his Cosmic Putrefactory guise, back, seemingly armed with keyboards (!) to ruin your soul, riff your bones, and urinate pixie dust into your mind. It's as heavy and demented as it has always been, but it's way WAY weirder, which means it's a possibly AOTY album. Those are the rules. FFO: Filtering chaotic death metal through Yes.
5. Fórn – "Pact of Forgetting," from Repercussions of the Self (Doom Metal – Persistent Vision). How long has it been, Fórn? It's been very long. Just so we're on the same page, their debut Departure of Consciousness, which was recently reissued by Persistent Vision, is a bona fide modern doom metal classic, and I've been a long-time fan. I even interviewed them about it, almost ten years ago. But what's curious is that I got to say hi to the band a while ago, which was a great privilege and great fun, and now they suddenly feel inspired enough to release music? Hmm. Probably not a coincidence. Anyhow, this first single is more of a starter or a teaser, so don't get your hopes up there. But do get your hopes all the way for this release. All the way. FFO: Doom?
6. Trhä – "úbaºh'la den mí¶as absu'jegra desde," from ∫um'ad∂ejja cavvaj (Atmospheric Black Metal – Independent). It's been a while (?) since Trhä rained emotions on us in an elfish language, hasn't it? Well, he's back at it, with a couple of new Trhä releases as well as a couple of new Sadness releases, to which I shall shortly get. Not anyone like it, not in its musicality, not in its stark vulnerability, and not in its beauty. Just a well of pretty things. FFO: Wells.
7. Días Oscuros por Venir – "El Arca," from Heraldos del Final (Atmospheric Sludge/Depressive Black Metal – Independent). Here's the thing with Ignacio Elías Rosner (AKA IER, Disfuria, ex-Thermohaline): He can do whatever he feels like, and if he feels like doing something he's going to do it the best. He's a member of that very small circle of artists who are just brilliant at everything (Maurice de Jong, Déhà, and Caio Lemos come to mind). So, yeah. Another brilliant outing. Not as "avant-garde" as, say IER, but brilliantly written an executed post-everything metal that feels like a real person saying real things in a language I don't understand. FFO: Fall of Efrafa, Aseethe.
8. Indricothere – "Solar Mass," from Extruded Nonlocality Immersion (Drone/Ambient – Independent). The first strange fact is that this release from Colit Martson's death metal project is 14 hours of droning synth. The second strange fact about this album, however, is that it has slowly (pun completely intended) and surely become one of the most important releases of the year to me. Maybe it's the novelty of quiet when the air around me is buzzing with anxious noise, maybe it's the long-form compositions, maybe it's the feel that my soul is being sucked into one of those colonoscopy tubes, but it's immediate. Not a second of synth goes by without me completely focusing on the here and now, which, again, I can't tell you how rare that is for me. So, thank you, Colin. You have composed medicine. FFO: Health.
9. Eldamar – "Akt I; First sight of a new realm...," from Astral Journeys Pt. I : Creation (Atmospheric Black Metal – Northern Silence Productions). Look, I've been away, and there are a TON of new releases to be excited about – Father Befouled, Dreamless Veil, Svrm, a ton. But Eldamar has been away for so fucking long that I just can't help it. Oh, and it doesn't really hurt that it's so fucking gorgeous, does it? Music that feels like a dream. FFO: Sleeping.
BONUS: Harsh Realm – "As Bulbs Form," from Death Carries On (Death Metal – Hand of Death). I had to do this one, just for the simple fact that I have been waiting so long for it to come along. If memory serves, 2019 was a fantastic year for death metal demos and debut EPs, and out of the whole bunch of amazing bands that came out at that time (Undeath, Blood Spore, etc), it really felt like Harsh Realm were kind of the last to not release new shit since. Will, that has thankfully been remedied. What haven't been remedied, however, are the riffs. Because they're still sick. Yup. I just made that joke. I'll let myself out.
FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
ONE: New and excellent anti-war/anarchist compilation filled with incredible local punk and hardcore. Fuck the war.
TWO: Psychonaut 4 announced a new album. Ready your nooses.
THREE: Remember that incredible Miasma of Occvlt Limbs debut I wrote about last year (Chilean death doom)? Well it's coming out in physical form via Sentient Ruin.
FOUR: My kids rule.
FIVE: Nachtmystium continues to be the cringiest band alive.
ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: New Gigan album coming. I'll get to that next week. I think. Hope. It's nuts, though.
