Dishing Out Hot Music Recommendations While Acting Like a New Neurosis album with Aaron Turner isn't Wrecking Me Mar 15-21

I'm going to write this post, you see. It's going to happen. No, I do not hear those very loud bangs. No, my wife did not just joke with me on the phone that they were in fact bass tones and I was listening to music. No, none of that is real. The only thing that is real is this. Keep safe.

Also, if you haven't noticed, I've been really trying to get you people to listen to the new Yhtill album and to their back catalog more generally, ever since stumbling into their horrible noise recently. So, here's an interview I did with them for that purpose. Read it and listen to then.

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.

Neurosis – "In the Waiting Hours," from An Undying Love for a Burning World (Sludge/Post-Metal – Neurot Recordings). Where do I begin with this one. Neurosis effectively ending because of the Scott Kelly horror show was one of those things that are just bad and happen, to speak nothing of the actual horror his family must have felt and surely still feels. Steve kept doing freaky shit in the woods, Dave popped up in the odd Krallice recording, things just kept doing thing things. Meanwhile, Sumac was coming more and more into its own, acting, perhaps, as a long treatise on what it was Aaron really wanted to do in those later Isis years (detailed somewhat in my interview with him about all that a few years back), which is basically a lot of freaky shit. I think most of the people who were disgruntled about both how Isis ended and how Sumac picked up got over it or moved on, and we were all blessed to get Sumac in our lives. I say all this to say that this isn't just a new Neurosis album, though that is really enough and more than we deserve as a species. It's a new Neurosis album that's also a pissed Neurosis comeback album that is also Aaron Turner coming to terms with being OK with even being associated with this style of art, let alone jumping straight into the pool that kinda-sorta birthed him, equipped with the non-sequitur, neigh unmelodic approach he has honed in his time in Sumac. It's almost too much catharsis for one work of art to deal with, which makes sense because it's coming out at a time where catharsis is most needed, at least for me. If there was anything, really anything, that could reach down its heavily tattooed arm and grab me from the slimy pit in which I have been sitting then surely it had to be something like this. And I have a sense that that's also why this album was made – to reach into the guts of the thing and rattle it. May it reverberate until this sick world breaks. 

Deafkids – "Cicatrizes," from Cicatrizes Do Futuro (Experimental Metal – Neurot Records). Staying in the Neurot family tree for this next one with Brazilian experimental geniuses Deafkids who have also made a return of sorts to the stage with their first proper (non-collab, non-split) album since their towering masterpiece Metaprogramação way back in 2019. If this track is any indication this is going to be a WILD ride. Think Oranssi Pazuzu goes club bangers. Or something. Can't wait.

Papangu – "Calado (de Olho)," from Celestial (Prog Rock – Independent). Staying in Brazil, staying with geniuses, and staying with the Isis/Neurosis theme, I guess, with this album title, we have the return of friends of the show and prog weirdos Papangu. This time the João Pessoa Gentle Giants have really went ahead and bought that big top hat in the prog rock store, not only recording on tape in Berlin (dunno, seems proggy to me, Germans are kind of weird) but going full throttle on a warm, beautiful 70s sound. The question with Papangu is always "will it metal" and, gotta say, don't actually care. There might be heavier moments on the album, but I'm here for the show.

Ara – "Geweiht," from Hohe Tannen (Black Metal/Post-Punk – Into Endless Chaos Records). Staying with geniuses, staying with weirdos, and staying in the German-speaking sphere, though it's technically Austrian, but I'm doing my best here under ballistic-missile attack, people. Importantly, Ara are also friends of the show, having popped into my radar with their wonderful album last year (interview here, year-end list here) and have very quickly become one of my favorite bands of the current moment, slipping from black metal, to post-punk, to punk and wherever it is they feel like going. This new album sounds fucking incredible, to be honest, simultaneously stepping on all genres at the same time and sounding fucking perfect while doing it. Get excited. 

Otras – "Kristove Varhany," from Tschechen Schweine ((Black Metal – Into Endless Chaos Records). If all you black-metal-seeking folk are still out there after all this, then I shall reward your curious, beady eyes with this fucking flamethrower from Slovakian project Otras. Part of a pretty great four way split also featuring Bahratal , Chevallier Skrog, and Pakosteň, this track right here has to be one of the best "dude, fuckin' black metal" tracks of the year so far. So much fury, so much passion, so much room in the drums sound, it just feels like being transported into a devilish rehearsal space with horrible carpeting and barely functioning air conditioning. Glorious. 

Hajduk – "Кърваво писмо," from Хвърковата чета (Black Metal – Amor Fati Productions). More soul-piercing, excellent black metal, too arriving from the smoky regions of Eastern Europe, this time with this mind-mending, emotional album from Bulgarian project Hajduk. I know the whole thing isn't out yet, and it's pretty poor form to talk about a full album when not all of it is available, but trust me when I say this is going to be one of the best black metal, depressive black metal albums of the year. Crazy good.

Stormkeep – "Carnal Tapestries of Nailtorn Flesh" (Symphonic Black Metal – Vesperian). I'm not saying I'm old, but I'm older than some. And one of the things that are truly shocking about getting old is that things come back. There was a time in life where symphonic black metal, or the brand of symphonic black metal of the late 90s was considered not the real deal. To be sure, only idiots thought that, but it was clearly out of style for a while there. Now and again, people kept the synthy flame alive, but for the most part it lay dormant, probably wearing a reversible velvet cape. I think that with this great new Stormkeep single and with the new Worm album that came out earlier this year that shame is officially a thing of the past. Dimmu Borgir worship all the way, my lovelies. All the fucking way.

Powerplant – "Running Cross," from Bridge of Sacrifice (Post-Punk – Arcane Dynamics). OK, OK, hear me out on this: What is Crippling Alcoholism was happy? No, not "happy." What if Crippling Alcoholism was a tad less sad? An obviously imperfect comparison, mostly because Powerplant seem to have a tad more "black metal" in their DNA, but basically a jangly, borderline brit-pop style of indie that feels that it belongs in the wide tradition of sad boys making happy music – The Smiths also come to mind. Sweet, catchy, and filled with pastel colors. Pretty special, and very great.

Yew – "Thou, a Husk of Your Former Self," from IV  (Atmospheric Black Metal – Independent). Not as a fresh a squeeze on this fruit, seeing that this came out on October 2025, but no less delicious. For whatever reason Yew popped into my BC feed (maybe the tapes just came out) and blew my dust-bowl mind. Atmospheric black metal in the grand, big-sky tradition of almost-Western-style dusk-packed riffs and open spaces. Very very cool, and so is basically everything else they've ever done. 

BONUS: Goreworm – "The Enthralling Grave," from Miasmic Solitude (Proggy Brutal Death Metal – Transcending Obscurity Records). With so many great releases, including a new Darkthrone single (that I actually like very much), the competition was fierce, but so is my love for ADHD death metal. Yet another gold-plated releases from Transcending Obscurity, who have been batting close to a 1000 as far as I'm concerned. Technical without being soulless, crushing without skimping on variety, and just an overall stellar death metal release.

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: Samael have a new album coming, and an OK single out.

TWO: Primeval Well are recording a new album, and the amazing Italian death-doom band Burial is too.

THREE: Thanks to the always-awesome Leonard I found out there's a new Iron Firmament album (raw black metal), and it might be my favorite of theirs.

FOUR: Alternating between being thankful for every good moment I have, especially with my just incredible kids and wondering whether it's the kind of appreciation someone has because he's dying. I'm not dying, relax, technically I'm not. But Jesus fucking Christ this needs to end.

FIVE: Moyamoya, of whom I had written when their demo came out a while, released a pretty great two-track EP. FFO: Chat Pile, but kinda better.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: Very cool new track from A Pregnant Light.