So, as I mentioned in my last post, promoting my second podcast episode, I mentioned that the first episode was skipped over, because it’s sound quality was a little off. Well, today, I had some time on my hands and decided to fix it up a little and re-upload it! It’s back up again and it sounds at least mostly presentable now. So, here it is!
On my first episode, I review the harrowing, nightmarish and chill-inducing new album by the mysterious entity known as Akhlys, as well as what I now consider old school Death Metal album of the year, courtesy of Of Feather and Bone!
This is something that’s been a long time coming. I’ve been flirting with the idea of a podcast for over a year now, and I finally worked up the courage to get it going. It was just a matter of overcoming my fear of hearing my own, shitty voice on a recording. But I finally did and I’m already on my second episode! I didn’t promote episode 1, because honestly, it sounds like shit. I was still learning how to edit and I kept switching back and forth between recording it on my computer microphone and my phone, which both sound totally different, quality-wise. The intro/outro music also sounds muffled. I definitely learned my lesson there, so I corrected those mistakes for episode 2, which sounds much better!
On this episode, I review the long-awaited new ripper from North Carolina’s Blackened Punk filth-mongers, Young and in the Way! Who, as we all know by now, six years ago, put out one of the best Black Metal albums of the 2010s. I also review the new album by Black Metal titans, Inquisition! Yes, I address the elephant in the room regarding that one and yes, I’m aware, but this podcast, just like this blog, is purely about the music and the art itself, not the human beings behind it. All that aside, Inquisition have put out another masterpiece, as far as I’m concerned.
So, here it is, for your listening pleasure! I’d say enjoy, but I hate hearing myself talk.
It’s been a while. I haven’t written a damn thing in weeks. After reviewing the latest Napalm Death album, I decided to take another extended break for my own sanity and mental health. Not that I don’t enjoy writing anymore, but because of all the madness that has befell our world altogether and my personal life as well. Our current election cycle is a shit show, we may be headed for a second lockdown, and I’m becoming less and less trusting of everything and doubting what’s real and what’s bullshit being fed to us through our TV screens by hapless drones, spewing the same baseless propaganda to keep their narratives alive. I’m tired and bored of the world around me and it’s even starting to affect my desire to do the things I enjoy doing, including listening to new music. Is it depression? Boredom? Growth? I can’t answer, because I don’t even fucking know. I’ve tried to find the answer to that myself, but all I just find myself giving up because of my own nihilistic indifference.
I’m also 30 now… and feeling it. *painful wince*
But, I’m not here to talk about politics, our collapsing society or by deteriorating, old body. All I know is that, in the midst of all this, I’ve jammed out so many new releases over the last several months, that I’ve had yet to cover until now, and since we’re nearing the end of this absolute pigshit year and It’s almost time to put my year-end list together, I figure it’s time to talk about those releases and get it done. Don’t get me wrong, I still love doing this and I still love talking about and promoting quality tunes, I’m just too mentally tired at this point to do it on a more consistent basis. I DO however, still have other plans for Thy Kingdom Scvm, that extends beyond purely typing out words. More on that in due time!
But, enough with my pissing and moaning. This is my list of jams I’ve used to escaped the famished realities of this rotting planet, all throughout the Fall season, that deserve your time and attention. Take some advice from Morrissey for a moment, and stop watching the news, and indulge in some of these if they catch your interest.
My picks for fall 2020:
Darzamat: A Philosopher at the End of the Universe (Massacre Records / 2020)
Eleven (11) long years, I have waited, and finally, the day has come! The LONG awaited comeback album by one of the most criminally under-the-radar acts in the otherwise diluted and over-sanitized genre of Gothic Metal, who have proven once again to be a true force of darkness that sticks out like a sore thumb among the fluff of bands like Nightwish, Epica and Within Temptation, who’ve commercialized the style to death, and freshen it up with their unique and distinct take on the genre, that interjects some of the darkness and viscera of bands like Siebenburgen and early Tristania into a more modern sound, darkening it up with some Black Metal-esque instrumentation, as well as frontman, Flauros’ scathing shrieks, coupled with fronwoman, Nera’s vampiric, crooning cleans. After anticipating a new release from these guys and gal all throughout the 2010s, it’s finally arrived and I couldn’t be more pleased with it! Not quite as aggressive as Transkarpatia or Solfernus’ Path, but a spellbinding listen nonetheless! One of the very few bands preserving Gothic Metal in the current day.
Atramentus: Stygian (20 Buck Spin / 2020)
20 Buck Spin is usually on point when it comes to both nasty, snarling old school Death Metal and Death-ridden Doom; this piece of cold, stark Doom Metal mastery is no different! Atramentus, who have seemingly come out of the blue, have actually been around for several year now, and this striking debut, that they have conjured up and unleashed on us in the year of the modern plague, actually lied in wait for seven fucking years, before finally seeing the light of day! I’m glad it finally did, because this is a three-track, forty four-minute piece of the most depressive, soul-churning Funeral Doom that I’ve heard in years, possibly since Mournful Congregation’s The Book of Kings floored me into oblivion early in the 2010s. I haven’t really been too keen on the Funeral Doom genre otherwise, save for a few gems, and this is definitely one of those gems. The best Doom is the kind that utilizes both atmosphere and heaviness, which Atramentus balances perfectly. This album feels like walking though a pitch-black snowstorm in Antarctica in the dead of night, while the spirit of a long-dead entity follows you every step of the way. Not only is this the most harrowingly emotional and devastatingly crushing piece of Extreme Doom I’ve heard in quite some time, but the lyrical storytelling is also superb and further adds to the package altogether. I can see why this took a while to compose, because it goes deeper than just the music itself. A great slab of Doom that tells a haunting story, that also makes a fine soundtrack to the apocalyptic clusterfuck that is the year 2020. Excellent Doom that revitalizes my faith in the genre!
Skáphe: Skáphe³ (Mystiskaos / 2020)
A highly anticipated release for many, with plenty of good reason, Skaphe is another conjuration, involving mastermind, Alex Poole (Chaos Moon, Gardsghastr, Guðveiki, Häxanu, Entheogen, Esoterica and many others), that twists Blackened Death Metal into it’s own hallucinatory, nightmarish image, injecting as much atmosphere and psychedelic instrumentation (and possibly drugs) into it’s composition, that creates a sound that even an act as bizarre and unnerving as Portal would nod it’s head at in approval. It’s a continuous flow of spiraling riffs, radiating through a blood-curdling fog of ambiance and dismal howls, down-toned guitars, muddy drums and flooding psychedelic melodic passages, beneath a thick layer of chaos and entropy that sends chills down your spine and pulls the deepest forms of euphoria right out of you and allows you to interpret it’s message and intent for yourself. Some true esoterica in the most violent and nightmarish form that further adds to the growing body of work that Alex Poole and hid cohorts are slowly, but surely building with time.
Serpent Column: Kathodos (Mystiskaos / 2020)
What would happen if one of these ‘Mathcore’ acts that everyone hypes up (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Car Bomb, Vein, etc) listened to one Icelandic Black Metal album and decided to try their hand at it? Here’s your answer. Serpent Column is a truly unique animal of an act, who answered a question I’ve had looming in my depression and anxiety-riddled brain for a while now: Does Technical Black Metal exists? Can it exist? Serpent Column has done a great job so far at leaning the answer towards a whopping yes, starting with the Endless Detainment EP, through which I discovered SC, which I covered a few months back, and now his debut full-length, Kathodos, which goes a more melodic route than it’s predecessor, interjecting more spastic, almost Converge-like riffs, both melodic and harsh, into the mix, and letting them rain down on you at full speed, in masterfully technical fashion, inhumanly ferocious drumming, and just all-around cacophonous instrumentation, that the vocals actually take a backseat to, as they’re not as prominent on this one. The instrumentation does most of the talking here, as it should, because it’s fucking insane in a brilliant way. This is one of the more innovative Black Metal outings to come out in a long time, that takes influence from rather unusual sources. Serpent Column is going to be a notable entity in the underground in the next few years, in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it dethrones Deathspell Omega as the go-to mention whenever experimental Black Metal comes up in conversation. Challenging, but great stuff once fully digested!
Wayfarer: A Romance With Violence (Profound Lore Records / 2020)
The new outing by one of the more unique Black Metal acts around today, that did not disappoint in the least. Wayfarer once again project their passion for the wild west and it’s violent, bloody history, in the form of some of the most gripping Atmospheric/Folk Black Metal, that was excellent enough on the last album, World’s Blood, but amplified times 10 here, sounding even more cinematic and epic this time around. This is a very well crafted piece of forward-thinking Black Metal, that doesn’t stray too far from it’s roots, while using unique outside-elements to evolve from eithin, based on it’s theme. You may get some Agalloch vibes at times, but with more of a western twang to it, which is a good thing, considering the void that Agalloch has left since disbanding. They may very well fill that void if they keep doing what they’re doing and getting better at it. The production meshes almost perfectly with the overall sound too, especially at it’s most epic moments, namely the final moments of the last track, which ends this album with a bang. If you’re looking for the Metal equivalent of a good old Western film, with a little bit of Noir mixed in, then look no further, because this album is a perfect amalgamation of drama, despondency, darkness and light, conveying tales of the old American frontier, with pure emotion and vigor. Definitely their best release to date and another Folk Metal album I was able to easily sink my teeth into without getting too corny or goofy. Truly the John Wayne to Cobalt’s Clint Eastwood. Also, that title… *chef’s kiss*
Begotten: If All You Have Known is Winter (To Dust Productions / 2020)
The second full-length by who I consider one of the finest Depressive Black Metal acts going right now, who actually does it right. Begotten is emotion, vigor, despair and spite, all woven into a cold and cathartic amassing of mid-paced, melodic and searing Black Metal, that oozes sadness and contempt for life and the trials of being human, that sounds legit and proper, and not like it’s made from some teenager in their bedroom somewhere. A definite stand-out among the majority of the genre, which shouldn’t adhere to the it’s mostly negative reputation. This is excellent and does NOT belong lumped in with the edgy weirdos who make music on their phone. Great stuff that’ll appear on here again in December!
Necrot: Mortal (Tankcrimes / 2020)
One of the most highly acclaimed Death Metal albums of 2020, by far. Necrot are back with their second full-length, and as annoying as the hype train surrounding it has been (to the point where I had to mute Necrot’s name on Twitter), it’s pretty well deserved. This is old school, rifftastic Death Metal of the purest order, with just the right production value for it’s style. The riffs are loud and clear on this one and pretty much front and center, second to the vocals. Much like the new Incantation album, it has some juicy, catchy riffs that do most of the talking, while the rest of the chaos serves as a backdrop. Everything else is also well done and on point, specifically the drums, which sounds just as nasty as the guitars. Not the most innovative DM you’ll ever hear, or even the best one I’ve heard this year, but it’s definitely make a fine edition to your collection if you can’t get enough of 90s-worshiping sickness, in the vein of Incantation or Bolt Thrower. Good shit, as tired as I am of hearing about it already!
Seven Chains: Thus She Speaks, the Spiraling Maranatha (Independent / 2020)
This one caught my attention with it’s Full of Hell-ish artwork, which actually fits, because this is also an unusual form of Death Metal, that explores the weirder doldrums of the style, comparable to the likes of Portal and Hissing, and maybe even Full of Hell a bit. Though not as atmospheric, it has that feverish vibe that Portal protrudes, as well as those squirming riffs that they’re known for, but more paced and methodical, with occasional blasting outbursts and ambient passages that break off at random turns. It’s a bit of a weird listen that took a few spins to grow on me, but it’s an interesting take on the unnerving Portal-type sound with some sick imagery to go with it. Looking forward to what this project comes out with next.
Nyredolk: IndeBrændt (Independent / 2020)
What more can be said about this stuff that I haven’t already gushed about for the last 3 years now? Raw, filthy, nasty and ruthless Blackened Punk of the scummiest order! Simple, catchy and raw to the bone, as it should be. Same as it ever was; if you’re into the likes of Cruel Master, Akitsa, Bone Awl, Arnaut Pavle and the first Nyredolk demo, then you already know the filth and spite that awaits you. Just as good, if not, better than the first demo. Blackened Punk still reigns supreme!
Directive: Beget New Eras (Nihilistic Noise Propaganda / 2020)
I haven’t listened to much War Metal in recent days, beyond the latest Revenge album, but this is one that came out of seemingly nowhere and belongs to the noisier side of the genre’s spectrum. Directive is as primitive and animalistic as it gets, and this EP brings harsh noise back into the fold, similar to the likes of Subduer and Tetragrammacide. Just a continuous barrage of hammering blasts and blown out guitars being run through the gamut of piercing static and all kinds of other cacophonous madness, punishing you and your unsuspecting eardrums throughout it’s duration. The limitations of the human sensory are sure as hell challenged with this one and you better have a taste for going deaf by 40 if you’re gonna give it a spin. The implementing of noise is the most unique thing implemented into the War Metal style in the last few years and what it’s brought about so far has been pretty good to great. Directive is a name to look out for in the near future if Beget New Eras is any indication of what’s to come. Good shit!
Gravenchalice: Apparition (Independent / 2020)
I only found out about this act through somebody’s Instagram story, but it instantly became one of my favorite Black Metal releases of the year as soon as I looked it up and pressed play on it’s Bandcamp player. Gravenchalice comes from the early to mid-era Deathspell Omega camp of melodic, but ripping Black Metal, rich with weird, but catchy melodic riffs, over harsh, ripping guitars, hammering drums and super-harsh bellows. It gets pretty nasty real quick, even through all of the melody and intricate instrumentation. It’s far from generic, play-by-numbers, Deathspell Omega worship, it takes that style and makes it it’s own, giving it it’s own tone, tempo, pace and meaning. I’ll even go as far as saying that this may be what Deathspell Omega should have progressed into, instead of what their most recent albums are, which would have taken a lot less time to grow on me, although I am liking those albums much more than I originally did. Either way, this is still some very good modern Black Metal, that channels its roots well, while still putting forth something fresh and captivating, while still being harsh and strident. Definitely one of the better Black Metal releases of the last few months and an act that I’ll be singing the praises of going forward, as long as they keep on this path. Great artwork too!
Utzalu: The Grobian Fall (Vrasubatlat / 2020)
The Vrasubatlat crew comes through once again with one of my favorite projects from their circle, and if you think the new Nyredolk EP is great, what that does, Utzalu does even deadlier! This is one of the grimiest releases I’ve heard all year, that takes Blackened Punk to even more cavernous and horrific depths, all the way down to the ultra-spiteful snarls for vocals. This is raw, heavy and would make a perfect soundtrack to a drug-fuled, feces, vomit and blood-covered orgy of squatters in an abandoned derelict basement. It’s THAT nasty and that forceful in delivery, and it’s not your typical Wampyric Raw BM that’s been running rampant in the shadows of society for the better part of the 2010s, nor is it your grandfather’s 1st or 2nd wave Black Metal classics. Even when adhering to the fairly simple raw Blackened Punk formula, the Utzalu and the rest of the Vrasubatlat collective stand out in their own, unique way and add their twisted spin on things, and I’ve loved everything that’s come out of there so far. This is just the latest glorious abomination and it’s a lock-in for my year-end list in December. Audio violence incarnate!
Assimilation: Tainting the Purity (Reaper Metal Productions / 2020)
I truly believe that the new wave of old school Death Metal has run it’s course, but, it’s not going to go out without spawning a few more rippers for the road! I’ve been singing the praises of Assimilation since 2017, after hearing the Death/Thrash masterpiece that was The Laws of Power, which sounded to me, like a Thrashier Tomb of the Mutilated. Three years and a label change later, we finally have a follow-up and these guys are coming more into their own and have evolved their style quite a bit, in both composition and aggression. This is OSDM that packs a punch that most of these other newbies lack and has a rawness and honesty to it, that isn’t just a bunch of cosmic fluff. Just pure punishment and hatred, through intense, raw and razor sharp Thrashing riffs, through Death Metal’s slimy lens. Even better than the first one, if you ask me.
Skeletal Remains: The Entombment of Chaos (Century Media Records / 2020)
Skeletal Remains has consistently been one of the top-tier names out of the while OSDM wave of the last several years, and show no sign of slowing down on this monstrous beast of an album! This may very well be their tightest and most precise and ruthless effort yet, doing an excellent job mixing fairly clean production, with some nasty riffs, akin to those of Obituary, Entombed, Asphyx and the likes, and some barbaric brutality to boot. I don’t know what more I can say about old school Death Metal that hasn’t already been said a thousand times over at this point, but when it’s great, it’s great and can’t be ignored just because my boring ass is out of interesting ways to describe it. Another fucking ripper by one of the main event players of the NWOOSDM (yes, I just coined that on the spot, you’re welcome)!
Necrophobic: Dawn of the Damned (Century Media Records / 2020)
Necrophobic is a band who I feel aren’t talked about as much as they should be. They definitely should be, because they’ve brought Melodic Blackened Death Metal to the fold and this is another absolute banger of a release that deserves more eyes and ears on it! If you enjoy At the Gates’ newer material, this is basically that on steroids. Necrophobic takes the Swedish Melo-Death sound and injects some sweet, juicy Dissection-style riffage into the mix, and adds in some Thrash to amplify the aggression tenfold. I thought the last album was their magnum opus, which became one of my 2018 aoty contenders, but this one might just take the cake instead. It’s a hard match, but I found myself enjoying this one on the first listen much more than the last one, and it only gets better with every listen. Sharp, precise, hyper-aggressive and riffs for days. 30 years in the game and still killing it. If you’re into Dissection, or even At the Gates, but looking for something similar, but more aggressive, then get on this one and give these guys the respect they deserve! Sweden rarely disappoints.
That wraps it up for now. Hopefully the next time we talk, things will be back in order and we’ll have some answers as to who our POTUS is and hopefully no cities will be burned to the ground. I doubt it though. Either way, no matter which decrepit, old, white boomer comes out on top in this thing, we’re still going to remain the uncultured, western side show we’ve always been. Same soup, different bowl. I just hope New York is at least cool as a dystopian wasteland.
So, until next time, hope y’all have a nice Thanksgiving, and don’t cut ties with too many family members for who they voted for. Just remember, that we’re all in the same swamp, with the same creatures, just with the different color ties.
Thy Kingdom Scvm 