What is Even the Point of Doing These Things No One Ever Reads Them Feb 8 – Feb 14

Hello. 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, TIKTOK 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.

Dwellnought – "III Whispers," from Monolith of Ephemerality (Death Metal/Grindcore/Doom – Caligari Records). Really tried working on my shit this week, "shit" being worried about a book coming out, writing a different book, stressing over deadlines, stressing over yet more war coming despite the fact of reeling from all the other wars that never seem to end and/or the rise or, as some might argue, the effective already-too-late of fascism, worried about what kind of world my kids will live in and, quite often, thinking about them not being able to survive it. Everything seems small and futile, as the title to this post may indicate to those of you who read titles, and here we are. You may think this has nothing to do with the very excellent new/debut full-length from Dwellnought. You might be right, you might be wrong. It still rules. 

Janvier – "La neige et le mistral," from L'Hiver n'est jamais fini (Atmospheric Black Metal – Independent). What could be more French that an atmospheric black metal album about winter with a band that has a winter-themed name and every word seemingly on it references snow, winter, or, whatever, cold shit? Nothing. Oh, I'm sorry, what could be more Canadian about all those things? Nothing, right? Thing is, this album fucking rules. And yes, I do, I do feel like a fucking cliche when I even reach out to click its wintery artwork, but it's so fucking good it's ridiculous. So, boil the kettle or whatever you do with it, heat it, turn the fire beneath the kettle floor, whatever you do, and listen to it. With hot chocolate, I guess.

Ligation – "Reflection," from After Gods (Weirdo Death Metal – Personal Records). Promos are great because you get to listen to albums and get hype and say things like "GET HYPE" or "DON'T SLEEP," but they also suck because you get excited about good albums and then it takes them forever to actually come out. I mentioned this is going to come out and that it's good here, but then forgot to actually write about it. Such a strange album, in the best way. Sometimes it goes slow, sometimes it goes nuts, and at all times it feels real and raw and – yes – weird. Like a person being suffocated, but it's pretty. Oh, and the sax. THE SAX.

Funelore – "The Dissolution of Consciousness," from The Dissolution of Consciousness (Death Doom – Me Saco Un Ojo Records). I take it there's a bit of a slow-ish theme this week, that is if anything here was planned or thought out in any significant way. I assure you, it isn't. An easy way to present this album would be "for people who love Disembowelment," but since that's all people, doesn't really help. Another would be "includes a dude from Sedimentum," who are admittedly very cool, but doesn't really help that much either. A better way, I think, would be to say that these two tracks are some of the best doom I have heard in a very, very long time and that they are great and I love them. There. A writer, I tell you. A real writer.

Scythe – "Of Pure Goriness," from Boiled Alive (Death Metal – Independent). A bunch of Romanian kids randomly came together, perchance in a Romanian basement, and decided that the world needed some death metal that sounds good, feels good, is done well, and is worth everyone's time. And I have to say I agree with them. Can't believe this is their debut, I know a shit-ton of "actual" bands with money and time on their hands that would kill to sound this good. 

Ossification – "Gore Salad," from The Perfect Specimen (Goregrind – Independet). I've been writing so much about death metal this week I might actually blossom into my much-sought-after status of a person who doesn't care he isn't wearing deodorant. No there yet. And with the second appearance of the word "gore" in this week's installment – a historic moment for the blog – we have this delightfully dense slab of knuckle-dragging wonderfulness. From Florida, too! Almost too perfect. 

Sanguine Wound – "Spells to Open the Moribund Gates," from Keys To The Astral Gates And Mystic Doors/ Bloody Keep/ Sanguine Wounds (Black Metal – Grime Stone Records). A very pleasant new split from GSR featuring some very pleasant bands doing some very pleasant shit. I was, for reasons, looking forward to the TTAGAND contribution and was not disappointed, it's great. But Sanguine Wounds steals the show. Buried-under-the-ground black metal that travels like a light mist. Beautiful.  

Predatory Void – "Contemplation in Time," from Atoned in Metamorphosis (Black Metal / Post-Black Metal – Pelagic Records). Something fascinating is happening over at Pelagic HQ recently. Maybe it's a "me" thing, in that I am only now noticing a deeper, older trend, but to me Pelagic was, for a while, a kind of Ocean-like and Ocean-adjacent post-metal stuff, which is nice, I like The Ocean, but not always my cup of tea. Well, let ME tell you, that has changed (if indeed it was ever different, though I think it was). Releasing Mourir, for instance. That's interesting. That you, infinite album, for instance. And now this. Fucking tremendous, post-everything chaos that sounds kind of like heaven. This is what heaven sounds like. Also, apropos of everything – perfect vocals.

Foetorem – "Mors Viaturis – The Death Traveler," from Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot (Death Metal – Everlasting Spew Records). I started this post with a flurry of excellent death metal, and thusly is also have I choose to part. I've always kind of liked Foetorem, without really writing about them that much, maybe an indication how just how much I actually like it, maybe not, but just the way it is. This new album is getting my whole attention however. The gross death metal parts are done perfectly, the doomy mid/slow paced parts are done perfectly, and it has chugged its way into my black heart. 

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: New Converge album is still under consideration here over at MMHQ. I agree, as some of said, that it's a "back to the roots" album but also think those tend to suck. You can't go back. However, "Gilded Cage" is a good song. Lyrics are kind of eh, though.

TWO: In the spirit of periodically checking out bands I like and who haven't released in a while and then seeing what else they're up to: this time it's Tumba de Carne, who released a magnificent album in 2021. Anyway, also involved in Ataudes, who made it somewhere into my 2025 list, and this fucking beast of a rager by the name of Abyecto Mesias, who released this EP in 2024.

THREE: Speaking of good 2025 albums, there's a new Ehtëk album. For Trhä lovers, naturally.

FOUR: Cool post-punk, shoegaze, indie from Ulrika Spacek.

FIVE: New Hässlig + Opresija split coming, that sounds great.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: I seemed to have forgotten about the new A Forest of Stars album. Next week.