Some Songs I listened to While Failing as a Father, husband, and just overall person Sep 7 – Sep 13

Hi, no time, need to fail some more. If you haven't heard my new compilation album MILIM KASHOT VOL. 6, the latest in the MILIM KASHOT compilation series, it out right now with all the money going to World Central Kitchen. It has new and unreleased stuff from Krallice, Brendon Randall-Myers, Gential Shame, and many more. Do it. Oh, and we premiered the new Choshech album, that has since come out. If you love industrial/electro creepy music of fear and hate, it's a must. Keep safe.

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.

Cranial – "Guidelines," from Structures Post Metal – Moment of Collapse Records). How long has it been since the last Cranial album, you ask? Well, we all know math, so, yeah, do the math. But a long time, whether you know math or not, and a wonderful surprise to see these German Hydra Head-fanboys come back and plug an HM-2 into our collective brain. Sludgy filth that feels like a collapsing black hole. Yay!

 

Crippling Alcoholism – "Pay Pigs," from Camgirl (Post-Punk/Noise – Portrayal of Guilt). I have a lot to say about this album:

1) For all the 90s worship that has been inundating metal/alt rock, there's a fundamental lack as to whta you're supposed to do with your worship. No, it isn't to release "an album that could have come out in 1996." That makes no sense. What you should be doing is releasing an album that could have only come out now having listened to an album that could have only come out in 1996.

2) How is Crippling Alcoholism releasing another masterpiece a little over a year after the previous one? How? (on my 2024 list).

3) I'm a big fan of music that fills up every minute molecule of space. It can be Mono, it can by Lamp of Murmuur, it can be 90s Smashing Pumpkings, it doesn't matter. I need to be assaulted by my art. Crippling Alcoholism have this thing were they achieve exactly that effect, that HUGE-ATMOSPHERIC-BLACK-METAL-SUCKING-THE-AIR-OUT-OF-YOU-SAY-LIKE-PEAK-TURIA effect, only with just basic human sadness and some reverb. It makes zero sense, but here we are. Again. The Faith no More of our time. 

Antiversum – "De Nemesis Omnis et Omnia," from De Nemesis Omnis et Omnia (Black Metal – Amor Fati Productions). One of the most disturbing, dark, weird, and just overall cool black metal albums of the year, as far as I can discern. Just exploding with creativity, creepiness, creative creepiness, and creepy creativity. Also, an equally disturbing drum performance from one of the most disturbing drummers of our (metal) time (Fabian Wyrsch of Bølzer). Beautifully airy, unique, and punchy.

Primitive Man – "Social Contract," from Observance (Doom/Noise – Relapse Records). There was a time where Primitive Man was known as those huge dudes who play very loud live. I liked those times, I saw them live (back when I was part of human civilization, fun times), and I respected the approach and idea. But I never loved Primitive Man. That changed slightly after Caustic and changed A LOT after brilliant collaboration with Full of Hell. In fact, there is much in common here with Full in Hell, at least insofar as a band that was hyped for A ended up using its artistic duration to explore X instead. This new track is just one other sign of them exploring the fuck out of that X. Probably my favorite by them so far. Aging like fine wine, but not wine. Acid.

Tenue – "Inquietude," from arcos, bovedas, porticos (Screamo/Post-Rock – Shove Records). Again dipping into the Shove pool, this time with an albums that can only be described as "motherfucking explosive" by a Spanish band that no only hits every single metric on the "GOOD SCREAMO" scale but just sounds incredible. And don't get me stated on the shirt designs. They are cool. Anyhow – GOLD.

Hebephrenique – "I, Adverse," from Decathexis (Avant-Garde Black Metal – Brilliant Emperor Records). Another brilliant black metal weirdo album in a year that's fast becoming one of the absolute best in that category (which I just made up) ever. I had this interview with that dude from TDEP where we talked about – I'm paraphrasing – ADD metal. Well, this is the black metal version of that idea – almost in motion, always changing, never settling, dynamic, busy, and, oh yeah, also pretty fucking great. Ben, his name was Ben.

Scare – "Crowned in Yellow," from In the End, Was it Worth it? (Crust/Black Metal – Independent).  For whatever reason I was going DEEP into my mailbox of correspondences with bands and so on, and unearthed my then blurb/review of an album by a Canadian crust hardcore band by the name of Scare. I liked that release and so went on to see if they did anything following and found this majestic slab of metallic pissed-offness that came out earlier this year. Infectious, riffy, angry and, well, kind of fun in that "the world is a black hole" way. s

Esoctrilihum – "Supplication of the Veiled Saint from the Secret Book of the Ghostigmatah Rites," from Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm (Avant-Garde Black Metal – I, Voidhanger Records). What can I possibly say that hasn't already been said by the weirdos who have been on the Esoctrilihum train this past decade or so? Yes, another barely listenable explosion of unedited, insane ideas. Yes, more song titles that make sense only to those with the kind of brain that would even consider writing or playing this music. All of the trademarks are here. But I'm on to you, Asthâghul. I know your secret now. I know that all you need to do, at least in the last couple of releases, is just stay in the bunker until the first two waves of insanity wash over and, like a miracle. actual melodies and – yes! – breathing room will manifest amid the smoking ruins. This is probably my favorite Esoctrilihum in a while. Again, yes, he will bombard you with, well, him. But it's worth it, trust me.

Dimscûa – "On Being and Nothingness," from Dust Eater (Post-Metal – Independent). In a non-stop year, this week has seriously one of the most packed and stacked release weeks I can remember. Just insane. I have enough "left over" stuff for another whole post (will probably drop some kind of list on the Patreon). And yet I chose to devote this last spot to this magical post-metal-y album by a band of which I had never heard, because, well, it's fucking magical. Huge, emotional, touching, human, and beautiful. And since I do have so much other stuff, and if you dig the post-metal vibe, please also check out another English band, Mother Knife. Very cool shit.

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: I listened to the new Blut aus Nord and they are still a one-of-one band. Unreal.

TWO: New Gnaw Their Tongues is out.

THREE: A band that sounds like it could be on 2000s Dischord? Takomaha.

FOUR: For trad-y doom: Faetooth.

FIVE: How busy was this week? I didn't even write about the new Proscription yet. It's amazing.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: Weirdo grinding black metal from 0decathexis0.

ONE LAST THINGGGGGGG: THE NEW COMPILATION.