A tad too many songs I liked this week Jul 13 – 19

Hi there, music. Keep safe. Put up a new interview with Beannachd Leibh this week, if you feel like checking that out. Out-of-nowhere crazy shit. Listen to it.

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.

Tar Pit – "Coven Vespers," from Scrying the Angel Gate (Stoner Rock – Transylvanian Recordings). A very unusual place to start this week's post, seeing that this is not necessarily a genre I write about and/or enjoy. I mean, I love Kyss, I love QOTSA, and I love bands like Fu Manchu or Nebula, but it's really been a whole while since I've grooved to that kind of shit. And maybe those bands aren't really the immediate reference here, because this isn't that proggy/meandering and much more direct, but goddammit if it isn't fucking incredible. Catchy, well written, we recorded, and just fucking awesome. Apparently idiot me didn't know a) of this band, and b) of their apparent past links with Coffin Rot, but hugely recommended and very much looking forward to the entire thing.

Kakothanasy – "Ephemeral Demise Macro-Episodes Merging in Successive Epiphenomenal Conglomerates," from Metagonism (Brutal/Prog Death Metal – Amputated Vein Records). Would not have even heard of this release had I hadn't seen it mentioned in the Avant-Garde/ Dissonant/ Cavernous Death & Black Metal FB group. Basically the kind of brutal death metal I love the most, which basically means the mind of a psycho broken apart into instrument form with pinging blast beats in the background. Stupendous. My thanks to Steven who posted it.

Tómarúm – "Shallow Ecstasy," from Beyond Obsidian Euphoria (Progressive Death Metal – Prosthetic Records). This is one of those albums I might have passed on or completely missed (this despite the fact I wrote about their 2022 album, and fucking loved it), and was dead wrong to do so. Alec of Beannachd Leibh mentioned it in my recent interview with him, and boy was he fucking right. Every manner of "prog" as used in metal thrown into one beautiful package – from melodic grandiosity, erratic riff switches, blindingly beautiful guitar solos, to a magnificent variation of vocals. Probably the best "prog" thing I've listened to since this album, which is saying everything. 

Downward – "Spite," from To Lurk as Fever (Atmospheric Black Metal – Katafalque). Apparently the debut from Texas-based project Downward, and apparently basically their only release since the one demo they apparently released 16 years ago. What's also apparent is that it kind of sounds like it. That might sound like I'm being mean, but it surely is not meant to be mean, just to say that indeed it sounds like the kind of black metal that people were doing say circa 2005-2014 (I just made that span up, appreciate the fiction). And the reason this is not mean is to say that that's the metal that got me back into metal, that drama, the grandiose everything, the emotional desperation. It's been so long since I've heard anything like that – this human. A wonderfully genuine and at times frightening release. I would have bagged the tape if the shipping wasn't that fucking horrendous. A world at war, there you have it.

Альфатер – "ніхто не прийде їх спасти," from Колись все мине (Post-Hardcore/Screamo –  Erythroleukoplakia Records). Don't really recall why, but I found myself perusing the Bandcamp of this weirdo Ukrainian label for a good while this week, and found many an album to enjoy. This was one of them. Basic, at times claustrophobic post-hardcore and/or screamo that feels, I dunno, real. Direct, no bullshit, and just great.

Kerath – "Skutigera," from Skutigera (Avant-Garde Noise Rock/Death Metal – Deepswarming Bloodmagic). Another stop in our Ukraine tour, this time in order to gather that basic of all foodstuffs – manic, sax/clarinet-laden weirdo metal that sounds like someone's worst nightmare and your best day. This is from an EP that seemingly originally came out last year, but I didn't know that, so doesn't count. If Death Proof (remember that movie?) was a spazzed-out Ukrainian metal album, it would probably be this one. 

Srefa – "The Gap" (Atmospheric Black Metal – Independent). As stated clearly upon the sullied pages of this weird space, Srefa's Solstice was one of the best atmospheric black metal albums of 2024 and just in general one of the better releases of that year. Now, the bottom line is that this new single is stunning as well, and should be listened to by anyone who a) has ears b) likes black metal. But the bigger picture question is: Does this mean there's a new full length coming? God I hope that's what that means. Essential, grand, beautiful black metal.

Fire in The Blood – "Drawn Dead," from This Place is Barren (Hardcore – Independent) . It's been a very long while since I've been able to enjoy some good ol' fashioned beat-down metallic hardcore. Not sure, why, maybe just haven't had the patience for rage given that's my basic emotion (along with anxiety and depression) for the past 21 months. But for whatever reasons this release from these Pennsylvania folk hits the mark for me. Maybe it isn't that complicated, maybe it's just good and a lot of the other have sucked. Possible.

Trepidation – "Frayed," from Frayed (Grindcore – Independent). Ah yes, the sweet sounds of sideways grindcore as they eviscerate my ears and allow the real-world abyss of violence to be focused like a laser beam into my brain. That open-stringed thing some, great grindcore bands do is like a drug to me, and reminds me for whatever reason of Japanese grindcore and/or Discordant Axis. The wisdom of recognizing that violence is speed, not palm muting. Anyhow, fire shit.

Rapière – "Ярче тысячи солнц," from Пепел (Post Metal/Post-Black Metal – Independent). This is the part where I usually cap my post at a certain number of tracks, but fuck it, we only live once. Wrote about this talented Russian project last year because of a pretty great three-way split. And so was happy to find out they released an EP earlier this year that sounds, again, pretty fucking great. Blackened post-metal would have worked here as well, a-la Celeste and so on. 

Jorum – "Mysteries Eternally,"from Vortex of Madness (Stoner/Doom/Rock – Independent). Yes, more music. Here in the form of the debut full length from Gothenburg band Jorum. Again, not a genre I delve into as much, but when I do enjoy it – Messa, Nubivagant, etc – I fucking love it. And I have reason to suspect I'll fucking love this as well. Very rockin', very "trad" epic doom metal in a way, but very well done, great fucking vocals, and great overall feel of drinking wine from a blackened skull barely lit by a fading candelabra while riding a motorcycle with a nickname something like "Lightnin' Bitch." Etc etc. 

Goatsoul – "Descent into Hell," from Legacy of Contempt (Black Metal – Independent). First of all, let's all appreciate the fact that this lovely three-track release is tagged under "melodic black metal on Bandcamp. Which is a whole hoot. Big fan of the Utah weirdo metal scene, with bands like Moray, Throat Breach, Pagan Moon, etc. This is more along more traditional lines, a relatively straightforward blasting affair, but, to me, well done and catchy. Cool shit.

Cringe Blizzard – "Home, Sweet Home," from Palmface, Vol. 1 (Hardcore/Sludge/Black Metal – Independent). Conan O'Brien is one of the single most influential figures in my cultural life, and has been for the better part of the last 30 odd years. On his podcast/travel show this band was mentioned. Which, I will be the first to admit, bodes very badly for the chances of them being any good, just statistically speaking. But it rips. Very much an "everything but the kitchen sink" attitude toward metal, but, miraculously, in a way that actually works and sounds like a faster, more pissed Thou worshipping at Baphomet's alter while cracking horrible dad jokes.

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: One of the best bands to ever exist, True Widow, are recoding new material for what I hope is their first album in a VERY long time (2016).

TWO: Might seem unrelated as fuck, but Blood Orange is releasing new music soon too! Indie, spaced-out R'n'B. Two tracks out now.

THREE: Lucerne Hammer, who released one of the best demos of the year, and of which I had written here, are releasing the tape version via Fiadh (already sold out, so it goes. Good for them).

FOUR: The great Apes re-recorded their 2012 demo.

FIVE: Cool black metal demo from Dhanthalion.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: Aidan Baker (Nadja) does so much cool shit that it's actually hard for me to keep up. But thanks to a physical release from Gizeh I have now been acquainted with his 2023 series of trio releases, in which he anchors a separate trio of what feels like improvisational music. The one with Tim Wyskida and Daron Beck is fucking ridiculous. The last track on that might be one of my favorites of any I've heard this year (Wyskida is also a huge part of one of my current AOTYs in Overmold), and just a tour de force of fucked up music. May Aidan Baker never die.