A FEW SONGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE EXISTED THIS WEEK NOV 17 – NOV 23
Music. Keep safe.
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Dronte & Raoul Sinier – "Perspective," from La Bête by (Acoustic Proggy Death Metal – Independent). It's been a while since I wrote about my favorite acoustic prog death metal band (see previous entries here) because, well, I had to wait for them to release new shit and also because I'm pretty sure only one band fits that description. For the uninitiated – a jazz band playing at a carnival side show while listening to Morbid Angel. Also, unrelated, but as long as we're on the folk/metal collision course, Malva Silvestre is pretty cool.
Decultivate – "Já Sám" (Hardcore/Post-Hardcore – Independent). Friends of the show Decultivate return with some good ole caustic hardcore that sounds like hardcore is attempted while someone is burning the studio. All is good, except for the fact that they never release enough music. But then again the notes say new album in early 2025, which is (are?) wonderful news.
Prosperity Gospel – "Vibrating," from Society of the Spectral (Atmospheric Black Metal – Independent). Find of the week goes to this incredible album from what early signs show is an absolutely incredible band that I was woefully unaware of. Of which I was woefully unaware. How did my awareness improve? Well, via the wonderful, packed compilation by Liminal Dread Productions benefitting those hit by Hurricaine Helene. I'll ad the comp in the info section below, but Prosperity Gospel has so far been the diamond in a pile of gold. Feeling, grand black metal that feels like music from real people to real people. Amazing album that I'll probably add to this year's list just because it was released late last year. Awesome.
Daedric Shryne – "Dominion," from Daedric Shryne (Trad/Heavy Metal – Fucking Kill Records). Am not, as those who frequent this damp online cave would know, a huge trad person. But game recognize game (I should note at this point I do not have game), and when it's great then that's what it is. Driving, riffy trad that kind of borders of slow thrash (is that a thing?) in a King Diamond way. Very cool, very catchy, and basically just great.
Sunrot – "Shapeshifter," from Sunrot // Body Void Split (Sludge/Doom – Riff Merchant Records). After having the pleasure of seeing Sunrot live I can attest that they are indeed as heavy as they sound and probably heavier. This new split with the equally heavy and awesome Body Void is a great demonstration of their separate and combined power and makes me feel good in a very terrible way.
Karv Du – "Blue Light Evocation," from Duality of Spirit and Matter (Avant-Garde Metal – Independent). Another band that snuck out of nowhere into my nowhere, this time a consciousness expansion, or I should say yet another consciousness expansion thats to the consummate consciousness expander, Lev. Production and style feel very Ved Buens Ende and the music also kind of feels like Ved Buens Ende, only much less black metal and much more murky alt-rock/post-hardcore if that makes sense. Super cool little thing from way back in 2016 CE (they have newer stuff, but this is better).
Thecheeseburgerpicnic – "I'm Going to Kill You and then Kill You Again." from Nausea (Noise/Grindcore – Independent). Whatever that was in the previous entry, whatever sense of existential angst and anxiety it may have prompted in its liquid structures and weird weirdness (yes), those will be quite easily cleansed by the musical brain-bleach that is this god-damned thing. Pure fury, pure chaos, and it feels like bliss.
Múr – "Heimsslit," from Múr (Post-Metal/Prog Metal – Century Media Records). I'm going to shoot it straight here, dead reader, everything about this album from the production to the music to the name to whatever was made for me to hate it. It was born for me to despise. And yet I didn't despise it (hey band, if you're reading this here's that blurb you need for the album promo), and not only did I not despise it I really liked this song. Feels like sitting a in a beanbag of riffs and melodies.
Codespeaker – "Hecatomb," from Scavenger (Post-Metal – Ripcord Records). The last entry this week seeing that incoming rocket fire has been adamant in its attempts to break my concentration today comes from the second album from Scottish post-metal project Codespeaker. Aside from the Roman Jakobson-esque name, this is basically that classic post-metal style a-la Cult of Luna etc etc et al et al, but, and here's the rub, done in a good, dynamic way. So, kudos to them. Very cool-sounding and cool-feeling album.
SHORT FACTS ABOUT THINGS
Fact #1: That wonderful compilation mentioned above, here it is here. All proceeds to those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Fact #2: Very cool tribute to one of the greatest albums of all time, Repulsion's Horrified.
Fact #3: If you might be into a fascinating, chilling 50-minute noise track, then this from Limestone Ziggurat is awesome.
Fact #4: Thorns posted an updated about the L-O-N-G-awaited followup full length to their 2001 masterpiece, and it seems early 2025 is when it might happen.
Bonus: I really ought to have written about this earlier, but there's a new collaborative Ashtoreth album (Peter Verwimp, formerly of Emptiness) with Onstruricheit and it's as droning and pretty as ever.
