Trying to Submit a Book about War and Nature while Being Inspired by Demented Metal Aug 2- 8

Hello to you, music and such.

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.

Ch'ahom – "Cult Of Xaman," from Anthropic Rites Of Sublimation (War Metal – 20 Buck Spin). Modern masters of the messy, scary death/black nightmare, Ch'ahom are back to make you wet with fear. Their previous album, Knots of Abhorrence, was one of my favorite of its cursed year and one of my favorite of the decade so far. New track sounds fire, though I need the album as context since the source of their magic is the crafting of the full-album dynamic. But, still, come one. 

Kaikkivaltias – "Kuninkaan hansikas," from YXI (Black Metal – Forest Gloom). I went slightly apeshit over a bunch of Forest Gloom-associated acts a while back, including Bronze Hall, but also, in my own private life, basically everyone on that roster, including Kaikkivaltias and Houre. So new shit from them is good in my book. Fantastic black metal that is also smart and melodic in places and most importantly has a profound sense of pace and dynamics. Which is to say it ain't boring and its great. 

Horse Funeral – "Salome," from Horse Funeral (Screamo/Grindcore – Vamonos Records). Do you know what I love? That's right, my kids. But do you know what else? Coming upon fully formed, intelligent collectives/labels that just exude taste and passion. I have, at least I don't think, yet to come across Vamonos Records and can already tell you that if you like raging emotional music I'm not sure they have a bad release. Case in point, this amazing Horse Funeral EP/album that was made just for me. That's my sense of it. Also, so as to not belabor the point too much, this Lorraine release is also a must.

Hulder – "In Blood and in Earth," from Verbolgen (Black Metal – 20 Buck Spin). I'm going to make an unfair comparison, so apologies. Lamp of Murmuur's transition into black metal from whatever it was they did before has never really worked out for me. Sometimes it does, most of the time it doesn't. Hulder, who were never really far from the more traditional mode of black metal, somehow got it right. With each release they have, to me, become more and more "traditional" and also increasingly better. So, this is their best so far, easy. 

Myrdød – "Part I," from Unseen Daydream (Black/Death Metal – Independent). A little bittersweet, this one. Sweet because new Myrdød and probably the zenith of their current weirdo-death-metal stage. Bitter because it seems it might be the last Myrdød releases. I was high on this project quite early (here they are on my 2020 list), and have done my best to keep track with all the twists and turns. They have always been creative, always weird, and always fucking insane. Hopefully more to come under a different name. 

Fvneral Fvkk – "Bishop of the Iron Guard," from Indecent Idols (Doom Metal – Dying Victims Productions). Well, here's a name I haven't heard in a very long time. I'm not usually partial to melodic/trad stuff, as most of you might well know, but when it's fucking awesome then what am I going to do. I had fond memories of Fvneral Fvkk's 2019 album Carnal Confessions, and so am very happy to finally get new shit. Trad doom done right.

Dead Neanderthals – "Roaming the Desolate Plane of Existence," from Flesh is Fragile (Experimental/Nose – Independent). There are no clear "opposites" in art, but if there's one possible diametric opposition to Fvneral Fvkk is might be this DN track. I don't know if it's because I've been dipping my toe back into the The Body back catalog, but this is giving me cool Master, We Perish vibes. Dead Neanderthals have always done whatever the fuck they wanted, it's just a matter if you're game or not. This is earth-destroying and melancholy at the same damn time, so I'm game.

St. Clovis – "Even Wors," from Negative Hardcore (Hardcore/Grindcore – Independent). I meant to write about this gem of a out-no-where band last week, but ran out of space. Hardcore that fills me soul with jagged shards of broken glass and thus simultaneously bleeding and filled with joy. Give me 1000 songs like this and I'm a happy man.

Druid Stone – "Wiped Out Too from," The Scars of Dracula (LP 9, magnum gock opus) (Weirdo Acid Rock Weirdness – Independent). A new installment in the ongoing series "Leonard sends me cool shit." This time it's this beautiful mess of a thing that throws every idea it has into a proverbial kitchen sink – stoner, doom, sludge, psych, etc – and yet somehow comes out emotive, human, and fragile out the other side. A beautiful, strange album filled with a couple of unexpected covers too. Awesome. Thanks Leonard! (who also did the cover art, so thanks X2).

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: Sigh have a new album coming.

TWO: Haven't been super up-to-date with Judiciary, but they always rule and have new shit out.

THREE: It's the tenth anniversary of the Zeal and Ardor debut, and there's a nice reissue/remaster out. Holds up great, has never been anything but pretty awesome and unique, and proud to say I was early to the party. So, basically a ten-year anniversary of this interview.

FOUR: Summer isn't a wonderful time to be a parent, especially if you're trying to get shit done (see title of this post), but my kids are fucking amazing. Lord only knows how I'm already fucking it all up, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

FIVE: How great it is that someone else gets to go to see shows and you then find out about cool shit? Twitter's good person Semir Stambolic posted a clip of a doom metal of which I had never heard named Dusk and turns out they fucking rule. This is their most recent release from 2023 and it's great.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: Sometimes I bury lead. So here: The upcoming Cartilage albums has been on digital repeat all week. Get to it.