Relocating My Family to a Safer Area While Not Having Time to Listen to Avant-garde Metal Feb 22-28

War is back and so technically I don't have time, sitting in my nieces room having just returned from the safe room after another alarm-type situation, to write about music. Yet here we are. Keep safe. Myself included.

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.

Mylingar – "rækta," from Út (Dissonant/Black Death Metal – Amor Fati Productions). My prayers have been answered, and we have a new Mylingar album coming, seven LONG years in the waiting. There weren't that many bands like Mylingar at the time, or at all, and there still aren't that many today, though, I think, more. And so as with any boundary-pushing band that hasn't released for a while, the question is always "are they still special given that the 'scene' is closer to them now that it was in the past?" and the answer is a very easy yes. Now please let Haunter get back to their old selves and I can be happy. Kinda.

Mors.Void.Discipline – "Sanguinem In Anum Caprae Putrescentis Eiaculans," from Txketh)ëké (Black/Death Metal – Sentient Ruin Laboratories). A somewhat cousin-like release to the above-mentioned Mylingar, in that it represents the most toxic, noxious example of the death/black metal specimen. Music that makes you feel very dirty. This whole album, due out in a couple of weeks, is easily one of my favorites this year. Brutal in about ten different ways, all of which are splendid. 

Reeking Aura – "What Only Worms Witness," from On the Promise of the Moon  (Death Metal – Profound Lore Records). More brutal, more brutal. The world is brutal, this is brutal. Brutality. Reeking Aura are always welcomed in this house, for their almost magical ability to combine brutality in death metal form with an almost etherial sense of space and melody. Always amazing, this time as well. Can't wait. 

Lureplasm – "Globulucid Dipsody, Book XXV," from Luridysic Heirloom (Goregrind – Lilang Isla). Garry Brents (Sallow Moth, Cara Neir, etc) returns to his excellent goregrind iteration of his personality. Slimy riffs that slip up on the gory floor and are belched through a through filled with maggots and puss. Basically. 

Unmother – "State Dependent Memory," from State Dependent Memory (Avant-Garde Black Metal – Fiadh Productions). Those of you who read my nonsense know that there's a specific brand of music that tends to climb to the top of my year-end lists and to the top of my year-end soul. It's weird, artsy, ambitious black metal that doesn't really sound like black metal but is. To date the new album from Unmother is the best of that so far this year. A magically stretchy album of brilliant ideas and a human soul. So many humans are losing their souls, this is basically the news. Might I be losing my soul? I might. This helps restoring it, though. May it heals yours as well. And for an old-school FFO: Grey Aura, Dola, Gorycz.

Ossomancer – "Banebdjed (Solar Inebriation and the Sun Chalice)," from Banebdjed's Path (Avant-Garde Black Metal/Thrash – Independent). Once upon a time Ossomancer released one of the most underrated metal albums of recent years – this one – and then just randomly disappeared into oblivion. Well, oblivion no more, since they are back with a) seemingly another version of that album and b) a new one. Very spiritual-feeling, proggy black/thrash that feels fresh and necessary. To me.

Pain Portal – "Parasite Expulsion," from Portal of Pain (Death Metal/Grindcore – Independent). This one comes from my long-time FB-friend and general lovely person with great taste, Lydia Erickson, by way of a very timely recommendation. These weirdos released their debut full-length late last year, and it's pretty great. Generically all over the place between death meta, post-hardcore, grindcore and, at times, death doom, in what feels like a manic combo of ugly parts. I love it. Thanks Lydia.

Possession – "The Mother of Darkness," from The Mother of Darkness (Black Metal – Iron BoneHead Productions). Rarely do I indulge in straight-up black metal, because rarely is it worth my time. And, speaking truthfully, I'm not sure I've ever listened to Possession. But this is so good, so well recorded, so un-boring-while-very-aggressive that I had to shout it out. Great shit.

Slave One – "The Adversarial Path: Theistic," from The Seraphic Conspiracy (Disso Death – Independent). This one lives and dies by the power of a towering recommendation comparing it to Ad Nauseam. I lives by it, since, well, you have my attention, and also I kind of see where it was coming from. I kind of dies by it, however, since, to me, it doesn't feel as original and urgent. But, jettisoning the comparisons for a moment, this is a very well-done album in that general disso-death vibe and more than worth your time if any of those words made sense to you.

BONUS: Defect Designer – "Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer," from Depressants (Progressive Death Metal – Transcending Obscurity Records). Another brilliant Transcending Obscurity release, it seems, that, as do many of their brilliant releases, hails from "challenging death metal" territory. Death metal for the ADD and ADHD among us, with enough riff ideas in one second than some bands have in an entire catalog. Cool shit. 

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: Did you know about Visceral Gleam? I didn't know about Visceral Gleam.

TWO: You would think distorted piano would be a bad idea. It is in fact a good one (Pianist).

THREE: New Inter Arma album in the works.

FOUR: Maudlin of the well, who kinda-sorta were back via the current Kayo Dot lineup, are now back back, with a new album on the way.

FIVE: New THÆTAS album coming. If you know, you know.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: More Eric Wing brilliance, this time in the death metal department. S/O to Lev for the hot tip.