Slowly Readjusting to Real Life While Being Accosted by Weirdo Metal Apr 19-25
Well, I'm back from my first visit to Roadburn. How was it? No one cares in case you do I did a three-staged review of the experience here, here, and here). I thought it would be difficult to reacclimate myself to the many different roles I hold in the world that were hard-paused while I was away. I was wrong – I've stopped performing them at all. My kids are hungry, my students are bewildered, and my neighbors hate me. Nothing is working. Is this a rousing recommendation to do this to yourself every year? It probably isn't. Dancing has its prices too. But god that shit was incredible. Incredible.
Keep safe one and all.
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Kaatayra – "Rio sem Nome," from Caminhos de Água (Avant-Garde Black Metal – Independent). Introducing a Kaatayra track is never easy. So I won't. This is the first proper full length from the brainchild of Brazilian wizard Caio Lemos since his incredible Inpariquipê five whole years ago. That fact matters since despite being very active across several other brilliant projects, most recently with last year's Vauruvã album, Kaatayra had been steady releasing, and often in an intimidating clip, since it first emerged into the cosmos. Which means Lemos needed that time to do something. By the sound of this incredible (yes, another incredible) new album that time was spent in a cocoon of beauty and grief. While in many ways this album is a direct successor to the progressive tendencies on display in Inpariquipê it also feels like an elegant consolidation of that and a previous emphasis on, shall we say, black metal. The result is the only music I can bear listen to in this my own cocoon phase post-Roadburn, mid-war, mid-everything. And that's something Lemos has done better than probably any other living musician in the past five or so years, with the possible exception of the great Kali Malone – channel human frailty in musical form. Music to be frail with, music to become frail by, music through which to survive the frailty of self. Is there any other value? Also, the drums sound fucking incredible.
Daedalia – "Beneath The Thanatic Goregonian Gaze," from Dream Of A Manikin (Avant-Garde Black Metal – Independent). Another method of recuperating from Roadburn is, again, to hang on to its humanity. In this case the humanity condensed around the human form of the wonderful Toyah who had approached me following the transcendent Lijkschouwer show to discuss my Ustalost shirt and morphed into a friend for life. While talking she had mentioned this French one-person project, adding that I might like it since she found it to be in the Yellow Eyes/Ustalost vein. Which is a shocking statement, really, and an impossible on in may ways. No band could ever be like those bands. And yet Toyah was right. A shimmering hill of inspiring, twisted, at times ruthless black metal that both plays on the same melodic frontiers as bands like YE as well as devolve into Mastery-like chaos. That's as rousing a recommendation as I can think of.
Bloodsoaked Necrovoid – "The Kindling Within Blackness, Quickening." from Bloodsoaked Necrovoid (Death Doom – Iron Bonehead Productions). Where have you been my beloved Costa Rican dwellers of the infernal margin between hell and a nether hell? Seems like a whole fucking while. In fact, the last standalone release was the beautiful Expelled into the Unknown Depths of the Unfathomable (deep breath), so a whole fucking while. I guess they moved or something, but doesn't matter. One of the best death-doom/death metal bands on earth, and this EP, while not as satisfying as a whole album, is the fucking bees knees.
Lysergic – "Within the Marrow of Negation," from Towering Altars of Misanthropy (War Metal/Grindcore/Industrial – Independent). Well, I guess I found out a couple of weeks ago that one of the best throats in the "game," Wake's Kyle Ball, had left the Calgary legends. Which fucking sucks. I love Wake, and while I wasn't as huge a fan of where they were going with Thought from Descent I was definitely looking forward to a new album and definitely to a new album with Ball. Alas, that is not to be. What is to be, however, was for me to check out Ball's other project, the toxically violent Lysergic, who just released a new EP. Rancid, acidic metal/grindcore that makes you feel gross, mad, and alive.
Zyggurat – "Ram Ba's Shep Hut," from Sphere to Sphere (Experimental – Old Technology). You probably need to relax after that last one, and I don't blame do. So do I. What better way to relax then (other than the new ambient None release, that is) than this absolute beast of an album from Pete Grimshaw's Zyggurat. If those ambient/krauty passages on Blood Incantation albums were up your alley but weren't quite psychotic enough, this is probably just for you. Inspiring, winding, creative, and probably cool shit to trip out to.
L'Horreur D'Exister – "Tainted Stillness," from A Perpetual Cycle of Lament & Sorrow (Black/Death Metal – Independent). A lot going on here. Firstly, an Ulcerate-like sonic, dissonant attack that colors the air with a gross grey, albeit more on the blackened side of that experience. Secondly, really, an album title that befits the past three years quite nicely (horribly that is) and a band name that fits that period as well. Probably longer. Every one goes through shit, I feel compelled to say, and most of the people going through shit are way more unfortunate than I. In a cesspool of existence I'm in the dry/lucky side, I know this. And yet, shit is also shit. Don't know what that means. Atmospheric, disturbing music for atmospheric, disturbing times.
Drouth – "The Outer Church," from Toward Dead Temples (Black Metal – Independent). Drouth really got my fucking attention with last year's brilliant The Teeth of Time, which was also featured on my 2025 year-end list. So a new split featuring them and Balitmore Band Nixil was a happy occurrence on my BC feed. Nixil, who I don't think I knew before this, rule here as well, but this Drouth track was so pissed and borderline hardcore I had to include it. Strong Hope Attrition vibes, if that makes sense. A great split, great bands, and a great message.
Tooms – "Whitethorn," from Karst (Doom/Sludge Metal – Fiadh Productions). In the "support everything Fiadh" portion of this post (also see info section below), which could have also included some fantastic pissed black metal from Arüspex, we have this fantastic pissed them in the form of sludgy doom from Irish project Tooms. Having just experienced probably the best days of live music I have ever experienced, I can just tell this shit slays live and I might mosh. Who's kidding, I will never again mosh. My knees, you see, are missing. I think this might be my new pick-me-up-make-me-angry morning album (currently it's this one).
Genghis Tron – "I Am All," from Signal Fire (Industrial/Shoegaze – Relapse Records). Really so much amazing shit I could have written about – new Big|Brave, for instance. But there is only one Genghis Tron, and we have so few days on this earth, we must use them to write about Genghis Tron. It's that simple. Putting living-legends status aside, their previous full-length Dream Weapon was one of my favorite albums of 2021 and of ever year since, so, fuck living legends, let's just get more of that good, good shit.
BONUS: Pharmacist – "Propelling Inwards," from Vertebrae after Vertebrae (Goregrind – Hell's Headbangers Records). I couldn't really end this post without mentioning friends of the show (and compilation alums) Pharmacist and the fact that they are (fucking finally) ready to unleash more magnificent grossness on a world very much in the need for grossness that is magnificent. Unsurprisingly intense, unsurprisingly perfect.
FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
ONE: The Holy Flesh are working on a new album, first single out. Psyched-out black metal, if you know you know.
TWO: I wrote about it in my Roadburn review, but Habak in person is a life-changing experience.
THREE: For all ye American folk, you can now buy the brilliant Teardrinker EP via Fiadh. Do so now or perish.
FOUR: There might be something wrong with me (#1), but I actually like the new Blackbraid EP.
FIVE: Yes, I've seen gods play live, but I have yet to see Kostnatění live. I hope that will be remedied ASAP.
ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: There might be something wrong with me (#2) but I think I like the new/last Spirit Adrift album.
