A Few Songs that Are Looking into Your Son's Eyes and Guesstimating the Sheer Amount of Pain You Have Caused Him By The Very Fact of Bringing Him into this World – JUN 27-JUL 5

Don't dig too far into the basement, you might find humans remains. Keep safe. Oh, and Machine Music has been alive for 15 years as of a couple of months ago. What a joyful waste of everyone's time! Have been celebrating the occasion by listening nonstop to Djevel albums and following a podcast about Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, because nothing says Machine Music like melancholic Norwegian black metal and Medieval, Aristotelian rabbinical literature. Keep safe. Oh, and I did a Spotify updating playlist, which I haven't done in a long while. Here it is.

If you're new to this metal blog of bones you can also check out the various interview projects I have going on as well as the weekly recommendation posts. And if you'd like to keep abreast of the latest, most pressing developments follow us wherever I may roam (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Bluesky, etc), and listen to my, I guess, active? (no) podcast (YouTube, Spotify, Apple), and to check out our amazing compilation albums. You could also possibly 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. It's probably a bad idea, but to each their own. On to the list.

Sea Mosquito – "Organs Dissolved in Lacquer," from Majestas (Avant-Garde Black Metal – I, Voidhanger Records). It's safe to say that I'm a Sea Mosquito fan. The UK-based band is one of the most exciting projects out for a while now, combining an almost Gentle Giant-like progressiveness, an utter and complete black metal desperation. and the massive scope of atmospheric black metal. They've happily found their way to the warm, loving, and weird hands of I, Voidhanger for this newest album, which makes me very happy. Though not as happy to partake in their grand, pretentious (in a good way), and masterful brand of chaotic, strange music.

Creatvure – "Hope Inc.," from Toujours Humain by (Industrial/Symphonic Black Metal – I, Voidhanger Records). Another fantastic I, Voidhanger announcement and another criminally underrated black metal project. This time is French neo-classical/industrial fireball Creatvre that, if I am to belabor the point, are one of the most underrated projects on IVR massive catalogue. There just isn't anyone really doing what this one-mad circus is, with music that ranges from carnival sideshow to the depths of a very grand (and keyboard-happy) hell. 

Sallow Moth – "Icegorger Gauntlets," from Mossbane Lantern (Brutal/Technical Death Metal – I, Voidhanger Records). Yes, I, Voidhanger, again. What can I tell you. This time another recent inductee into the IVR pantheon, featuring the grandmaster of shapeshifting brilliance and final boss of all delivery side hustles, Garry Brents (Sallow Moth, Cara Neir, Homeskin, Gonemage, et al). And while Cara Neir was my way into the GBFC (Garry Brents Fictional Universe™), Sallow Moth is without a doubt becoming my favorite. For the simple fact that genuinely riveting, original, and sick tech-death is probably one of the hardest, most thankless jobs this side of Afterbith and Origin, and Sallow Moth nails it, time and time again. 

Thanatorean – "De Profundis," from Ekstasis Of Subterranean Currents (Death/Black Metal – I, Voidhanger Records). OK, last IVR releases, I swear. For now. Though this one doesn't came fresh from the latest label batch of announcements, as with the previous three entries, but is an album that's actually been out for a week or so, and of which I had not heard and to which I have yet to listen. This time we're in Poland for the debut by a project populated by a folks who've been around the harsher side of the Polish block for a while, releasing what, to me, feels like that rare gem of death/black creepiness that is both genuinely creepy and also sounds terrific. Death black can, as with most sub-sub genres, I suppose, become quite one note and predictable, with a bit of evil-faced ooga booga and "chaotic" guitars. This, however, feels amazing, and sounds, again, amazing as well.

Lifetaker – "Maschinensturm," from Herbsthunde (Industrial – Independent). Kind of weird this album popped into my mind this week (after being out for a month, I've been lazy) considering I was also reminded of another project similar in atmosphere, the legendary P.H.O.B.O.S. (hopefully new music from them later this year). And when I say "atmosphere" I of course mean the black hole of music that is the exact negative of any atmosphere. The previous release from these German wizards of negativity was a bit more on the hardcore/grindcore side, but this is just straight darkness into your muscles. And it's lovely.

Kaspyx – "Kadaver," from Kaspyx (Death/Doom Metal – Transylvanian Recordings). Sometimes I listen to an album and wonder "how would a Justin dance-tastic reaction to this would look like?" I think the answer here is a few scenes – mostly in shades of grey – of Justin astrally projecting his body while bouncing his perfect hair as slowly as humanly possible. The riffs are so huge, and the music so dynamic you can be forgiven to fail to notice how slow it gets. This isn't death doom, this is death metal so slow it might be mistaken for doom. There's a difference.

Spirit of Iron – "Buried Beneath the Sage," from Cradled in Coldest Stone Black Metal – Fifth Funeral Records). Speaking of music that makes me think of a specific reader, this one goes out to Leonard, the supreme connoisseur of all things lo-fi black metal. I have no idea who these fine people are, I only know they're pretty good at making black metal that sounds like people being swept in a snowstorm while holding candelabras whose candles barely flicker in the wild wind. 

Innumerable Forms – "Impulse," from Pain Effulgence (Death Doom – Profound Lore Records). A bit of research has led me to conclude that I've been writing about Innumerable Forms for quite some time, ever since 2020's Despotic Rule, but probably earlier. And they have been steady banging out death doom perfection throughout that period (and earlier, obviously). Perhaps contrary to the existence of death doom earlier in this post, I didn't think I would be in the mood for this given the death doom of life, but it got my HYPE. Might be one of their best tracks to date. 

Vulning – "Burial Bloom," from The Wound (Atmospheric Black Metal/Blackgaze – Independent). A couple of years ago something quite magical happened in the Machine Music universe – I wrote about a Sadness split but highlighted the non-Sadness band. That band was Ohio duo Vulning, who basically floored me with their taste and execution. Now they're back with a full-length album of well-rounded, dramatic black metal of the kind you might expect to hear on Bindrune. Which I guess means black metal one can imagine listening to while hiking through the woods of a Midwest/North U.S. emotional wasteland. Beautiful, larger-than-life, attacking-yet-melodic black metal at its best.

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: The incredible The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir, of which I have raved and whom I had prodded, got a well-deserved physical release via, who else, Fiadh.

TWO: FesterDecay, one of the best goregrind bands out there, signed to Relapse and is prepping a new album.

THREE: The wonderful Repose Records, who released some of the best music of the past few years, is calling it quits. A real shame. You can get discounted, final-sale stuff here.

FOUR: Blood Coloured Beast released a limited vinyl run of the 2004 demo.

FIVE: I failed to mention it thus far, because I was never THAT into Deadguy (lack of listening, not dislike), but the new album is fucking nuts.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: The mega-talented Omer Hariff (Srak, Scud, et al), released a gothy solo album about the despair of leaving home. Super great.