Grinding Teeth With A Chisel the the sound of Weirdo Metal Jan 18 – Jan 24

Hi everybody. Hope you're safe.

If you missed the 2025 list, here.

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.

Hagetisse – "Self-decimation," from To Wither Beneath Thy Radiance (Black Metal – Independent). This may seem like a blurb about the new Haetisse album, and in fact it is just that, but really it isn't. The new Hagetisse is absolutely brilliant, the best kinda-sorta atmospheric black metal that actually sounds like black metal this side of Fluisteraars and a wonderful album overall. But the deal here is, again Maurice de Jong, who also released the new The Black Mysteries album, which is perfect as well, but of which I had already written when the first single came out and so, as a result of my own self-imposed rules, cannot write about again. So, technically this isn't me breaking the rules by saying that it's absolutely incredible and that TBM is fast becoming my favorite MdJ project. That would be dumb. NOR is this an excuse for me to slide in another rabid recommendation for Temple Mist, yes, another incredible MdJ release from late last year. I am a man of my word and I would never do such a thing. Never in my life.

Aftoktonia/αυτοκτονία – "Stellar Voyage IV (Έξοδος)," from Through Nebulae of the Empyrean Aether (Atmospheric Black Metal –  Independent). Apparently this project has been releasing recently and I have missed that fact, so that's on me. I will not miss future releases, lemme tell you. Thesaurus-loving atmospheric black metal of the highest orders, with parts that sound like nebulas and parts that sound like supernovas, all while a shrieky wizard hovers above and whispers something about something in Greek. As is appropriate. Very cool release.   

Kratt – "Nieder," from Zerleben (Atmospheric Black Metal / Post Black-Metal – Independent). More big-black-cloud black metal, this time from a German project of which I have never heard but rules in a very weird way. "Weird" because my first reaction was it bears the hallmarks of some German extreme metal i.e. a too-clean production, at least too clean as in "gets in the way." But I found myself listening to this album again and then again and realizing that it's perfect the way it is. Powerful, beautiful, bull-bodies post-whatever black metal.  

Lepra – "Magician's Gambit" (Avant-Garde Black Metal – Independent). Maine's very own black metal wizard weirdos Lepra (not to be confused with the Swedish death/black metal wizards Lepra) have emerged from their dogmatic slumber to release a new track of carnival-esque magic and bizzaro charm. Just a track, yes, and not yet a full-blown follow-up to their wonderful Devil's Blood in Her Tongue (of which I had written when it came out via Fiadh), but I'll take it. For people who wished Fleshvessel sounded more like Old Nick.

The Silver – "Two Candles," from Looking Glass Hymnal Blue (Black Metal – Gilead Media). A couple of pieces of good news, one temporary and the other terminal. The temporary one is: "Gilead Media is still alive!" which, we know, isn't going to last long, so appreciate it while you can. The more permanent one is the The Silver are finally coming back with a follow up to the madly amazing and maddingly underrated The Ward of Roses, which was one of my fave albums of 2021. Much has been made of the wedding between two hordes that is this band, namely Crypt Sermon and Horrendous. And much has been made of the wedding of the melodic and the harsh/heavy, and all of that is true. But what also happened in the meantime is that both bands got better, with an emphasis on CS, which means that whatever sweet coitus they perform together is going to be better too. That completely seems to be the same with the first single, a seamless marriage of melody and heft. Catchy as a motherfucker and bangs like it banged that same motherfucker, is what I'm saying. A whole banger.

Ultima – "Cryptic Spiral of Wisdom," from I: Katabasis (Raw Black Metal – Obscurant Visions). Ripe off of his recent triumph with Délirant, which wasn't just one of may favorites for 2025 but, to me, his personal high point since masterful Negativa's 03, D.B., the man of many weird faces, returns with yet another project, this time, I guess, aiming for that "I recorded this with my armpit and the devil" sound. And as it seems with all of his recent releases it too is great. Raw, forceful, evil sounding, purposeful and grand. May all black metal sound this good (it won't).

Sight Welder – "This Haze," from Reveries (Post-Metal – Independent). For those keeping track (hi Mom), I mentioned the debut from Sight Welder a week or so back, and usually that's where those mentions stay (another one of my rules). But then the whole thing came out and everything that kinda sorta worked for me in the single clicked very violently into place. Not violently because this is violent music, it really isn't. More along the lines of SubRosa-cum-40 Watt Sun, if you were looking for an easy comp. But because it makes sense as an album in a way I feel like it didn't as one track. Yes, there are many bands in that "atmospheric post-whatamacallit" vibe. Very few, if any these days, are this good. Especially on a debut. Incredible stuff.

Blade and Bath – "Absolute Hatred," from Brutal Fantasies (Depressive Black Metal/Goth – Independent). Allow me to be, if I may, superficial for a bit here. Love the logo, love the artwork. There. Oh, and the production on this is pretty spectacular. Whosever in charge of how this thing sounds is pretty great. And on top of that, the music is good too! Gothy depressive black metal that sounds like someone who does everything with a candelabra in their hand while failing to cast spells over people. Cool in my book.

Telos – "As Atlas Stumbled," from Delude (Grind/Mathcore – Tomb Tree Tapes). So, funny story. You know those download codes you get with your physical releases? Those pesky notes that get into every nook and that you swear you'll check out but never do? Well, I cleaned house this week and happily so, because I found many a gem from familiar faces such as Tomb Tree, Zegema Beach, Fiadh, and others. But this one from, quite randomly, 2023 really grabbed me where only my wife is allowed to. Incredible album, incredible force, and they now, thanks to those download code note thingies, have a new fan.

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: Apparently a bunch of I, Voidhanger artists have come together to release a re-telling of the Epic of Gilgamesh in weirdo black metal form. Cool. 

TWO: Pelican released a new "EP" that's really a whole new album, that, I think, I like better than what counts as the "album."

THREE: Very cool attacking black metal from Krosscythe.

FOUR: Interesting hyper-proggy death metal from Chaos over Cosmos.

FIVE: New Ingrina album coming!

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: A reminder not to sleep on the new Gorrch. You shouldn't. Unless, that is, you hate great music. Coming this weekend.