Quick Album Thoughts | Q2 2021

So, we’ve reached the end of June, which means we’ve also reached the end of the second quarter of 2021, henceforth, it’s time to talk about some of the new releases I’ve given my time to over the last three months, that I enjoyed. We have quite a few of them this time around, as doing these things quarterly has freed up more than enough time to check out more new releases, which I still do for some reason, even as a crotchety 30 year old. My passion for finding good, new stuff within the Extreme Metal underground is still alive and well and this time around, I’ve got some bangers, and some decent to good ones to share my thoughts on and recommend. It’s been an interesting few months and I’ve already got some more lined up as we head into the remainder of the summer, as people get vaccinated and the black cloud of Covid that’s been hovering over us slowly, but surely fades into the past.

So, without any further adieu, here are my picks for Q2 of 2021:

Portal: Hagbulbia (Profound Lore Records)

Portal have put out their horrifying new album, Avow, just a few weeks ago, which I’m going to be covering on an upcoming podcast episode (stay tuned for that!), but along with that, came a surprise companion piece of sorts, which opens up a whole new door to a whole dimension of Portal’s sonic lore. Portal go full-on Noise for this album and it’s just as hallucinatory and horrific as Avow, and some of the most atmospheric Noise I’ve ever heard. It’s a non-stop barrage of dissonant static, fused with haunting soundscapes and a fog of sonic haze, that resembles being sucked into another wormhole of nightmarish hallucinations, just when you thought the one you’ve just gone through with Avow was over. This album actually sent me on a week and a half-long Noise and Power Electronics kick, that I plan on talking about in another upcoming podcast episode in the next couple of weeks. So, stay tuned for that as well, along with my review of Avow. Sickeningly evil and haunting stuff brought on by one of Death Metal’s most otherworldly purveyors.

Grave Miasma: Abyss of Wrathful Deities (Dark Descent Records)

The long-awaited new full-length by one of the top heavyweights of doomy, cavernous Death Metal has finally arrived and it does not disappoint. Grave Miasma are back and for this album, they actually go the way of current day Incantation and go for a more straightforward Death Metal sound, complete with primitive riffs and crushing grooves, while still maintaining that dismal, oppressive tone throughout all of it. It’s not the most innovative album you’ll ever ever hear, but it’s one of those albums that doesn’t need to be, because it enough meat on the bone and enough juice in those riffs to tantalize you to get brutalized from start to finish. Abyss of Wrathful Deities is old school Death Metal the way it should be done and Grave Miasma didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Atmospheric, dense and groovy in the way that had my face crunching like I was smelling something putrid. A great follow up to the excellent Endless Pilgrimage EP. Well worth the wait!

Altered Dead: Returned to Life (Momento Mori)

This one caught my attention with it’s Lovecraftian artwork alone. I wasn’t familiar with Altered Dead prior to this album, but they’ve been around for a bit and they left their impression on me for sure. This is pretty straightforward but well executed Death Metal straight from the mouth of the cosmos, with some Autopsy-esque sleaze mixed in. The tempos shift flowingly, from groovy, to Thrashy to blasty at any time it sees fit and the guitar tone is as harsh and dismal as the eroded bowels of an otherworldly beast that swallowed you whole. As intense and dirty as OSDM can get and another newer OSDM release I can see myself jamming out often. More proof that not all the youngins are incompetent when it comes to writing some decent Death Metal that would fit into it’s long-past heyday. If you like aliens and Autopsy, this is for you!

Blindfolded and Led to the Woods: Nightmare Withdrawals (Independent)

I wasn’t sure what the hell to expect from this one before pressing play, nor did I really comprehend what I got once I did, for the first few listens. This one is definitely a grower that’ll take a few spins to click, but once it finally did for me, it became one of my favorites of 2021 thus far, and would have gotten a full review, if not for life getting in the way. Blindfolded and Led to the Woods rest on their own sonic plane of existence, with a sound that can only be described as an amalgamation of Death Metal, Black Metal, Grind and some Mathcore, all rolled up into one spastic and chaotic blast of cacophony. It’s not just some scattered, jumbled mess of weird riff thrown into a blender either; it’s a twisted and contorted slab of Progressive Death Metal, with hints of many other elements, that blend into the form of angular riffs, that creep up on you and continuously jab into you like a storm of hale the size of baseballs, raining down on you at unearthly speed. If you took Deathspell Omega, Cryptopsy and Curl Up and Die and locked them in a burning boiler room, to melt together into a mutant blob, you’d get Blindfolded and Led to the Woods. True evil and malice in sonic form.

Revenant Maequis: Below the Landsker Line (Inferna Profundus Records)

The latest full-length by Welsh purveyor of ghastly and oppressive Black Metal, who I discovered through his Polterngeyst album and been a fan of since. Raw or Vampyric Black Metal is very hit or miss these days, but this guy definitely delivers on all cylinders, adding a foggy atmosphere to the mix, as well as some good, audible riffs that don’t get lost in said fog. Some of the most treacherous and eerie Black Metal to come from the raw and primitive side of the genre, that knows where atmosphere stops and instrumentation begins, keeping a fair balance between the two. Some truly haunting stuff, from an entity that has yet to disappoint me.

Matsunaga Was Right: Twenty Strands of Barbed Wire (Appalachian Noise Records)

When Extreme Music and Pro Wrestling converge, great things can happen (see Eat the Turnbuckle and Hammerlord), and this mercilessly grinding ripper is the newest and may be my new favorite of this small sect of bands who go down this path. Matsunaga Was Right is fast, ripping Grindcore that sounds like Anal Cunt and Eyehategod clashing in an FMW style Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch, which is the main theme of this album. Just 11 short, but painful minutes of fast, ripping Grindcore, with no frills, no bullshit political banter and no wasted motion; just non-stop blasting drums, ripping guitars and spiteful, snarling vocals. Grindcore at it’s most primitive and reckless, without a single second given for a breather. Some of the best new Grind I’ve heard in a long time, that isn’t Death Metal or Black Metal based. Onita would be proud!

Kaltesblut: The Lost Art of Twilight (Witchhand Productions)

Right off the bat, the cover art of this album gives me heavy December Moon vibes, which is an automatic plus, and behind that cover lies one of the best Black Metal releases of 2021 thus far! This duo from Portland, Oregon, one of many projects from both gentlemen, is an icy cold throwback to the glory days of 2nd wave Black Metal, with a bit of a modern twist, blending dreary atmosphere and harsh, scratching guitars, with a heavy melodic undertone. Something of a cross between early Emperor and Dissection is the best way I can describe it. Some of the melodies also remind me of Konkurs-era Lifelover, which is also a plus. Again, one of my top BM picks for 2021 so far, which it instantly became on first listen. Cold, grim, vibrant and evocative, all at once.

Zao: The Crimson Corridor (Observed/Observer Recordings)

Metalcore legends and one of my long-standing go-to’s of the genre are back with their 12th full-length and remain consistent in belting out that heavy, vicious, knuckle-punching old school Metalcore sound, while continuously evolving it at the same time, tying in elements of Black Metal, Death Metal and Doom, and lacing it with melodic nuance, far transcending the genre they’ve been pigeonholed in for two decades now. To see these guys go from the dark, hellish chaos of albums like Liberate te ex Inferis and Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, to where they are now, while consistently delivering on all cylinders and seldom disappointing, is pretty great to see. One of the most underrated acts in all of Metalcore, who’ve spawned quote a few minions over the years (*cough Wristmeetrazor cough*). The Crimson Corridor is Zao at their heaviest and most emotional, which, in my eyes, is what makes them Metalcore’s top pioneers, alongside Converge and Earth Crisis. Still one of the few saving graces left for Metalcore in the current day and part of Metalcore’s Mount Rushmore, as far as I’m concerned.

Last Days of Humanity: Horrific Compositions of Decomposition (Independent)

The comeback album to end all comeback albums! The undisputed kings of Goregrind (sorry, Carcass, but you flubbed that title once you went full Melo-Death), are BACK and filthier, noisier and more unapologetically putrid than ever before. Nothing has changed… beside the odd choice in artwork. This is noisy, blown out Goregrind, that throws you straight into a sonic meat-grinder and reduces you to mush once it’s all said and done. Non-stop blasts, incomprehensible guitars (with a nice riff here and there), sixkening snarls and all-around dissonance and chaos through and through. Not much else to describe; just the same eviscerating slop as you’d expect from this band back in the 2000s, as I experienced as a goofy High Schooler, that made Goregrind a nostalgic genre for me. Pure fucking filth and vileness from front to back. Just in time for what could have really been the last days of humanity, too! Good shit.

The Ruins of Beverast: The Thule Grimoires (Ván Records)

Not too many albums today are truly challenging, but The Ruins of Beverast has always been one of the few acts to bring real esoteric depth to their sound, which has resulted in some real evolutionary chaos, in the form of some truly gripping Blackened Doom. I thought his last album, Exuvia was his best work yet and one of the most foreboding Blackened Doom albums I’ve ever heard. The Thule Grimoires is the latest step in the continuing evolution of the Ruins of Beverast sound, and another demonstration of how much more you can get out of an album with true sublime intentions, from an artist who doesn’t care about dumbing himself down to be easier to swallow. This was probably the hardest RoB album to really digest, which made my enjoyment of it that much richer once it clicked. It’s a lengthy album, but once again, oozes with foreboding and ominousness, with a mix of crushing heaviness and wailing melody to top it off, drowned in otherworldly distortion. This one would have gotten a full review as well, had I found the time for it. Another complex, eerie and psychedelic piece of occult Blackened Doom art, by a mastermind of esoteric artifice. Not for the simple or faint of heart.

Febris Manea: With Pale Opulence Thy Reign is Doomed (Independent)

Febris Manea put out one of the best Raw Black Metal releases of last year, that I praised highly, so you can bet your ass I’m revisiting it for it’s latest onslaught of aural terrorism. The artwork itself is enough of an indication of what you’re in for and it’s as horrifyingly accurate as it gets. This is Raw Black Metal at it’s most vicious and razor sharp, that doesn’t hold back, and throws everything it has at you from every direction, as dissonant guitars ream through the sound barrier and into your soul, violating it with deadly force, while murky, visceral shrieks torment you all the while. Just like it’s predecessor, this demo is dissonant, disturbing and truly malicious and piercing, and it pushes the sonic boundaries of primitive rawness, without having to delve into Noise or War Metal territory. A horrific assault on the senses, that pulls from the deepest depths of depravity that Black Metal seldom goes nowadays. Beautifully disturbing, just like the last outing, from a project far more worthy of attention than most of these lame, clout-chasers that plague the scene that use Instagram beef to garner attention. This is the real shit.

Kauan: Ice Fleet (Artoffact Records)

I’ve stated before that I’m very selective when it comes to Post-Black Metal. I have my exceptions, but overall, the genre only does so much for me, until my interest drains out. It’s very rare I come across a band under that umbrella that truly catches me off guard and delivers something that speaks to me. The last time a Post-BM band really did, was Agalloch, particularly, The Mantle. Now, I’m not saying that Kauan hit me at the same level that Agalloch did, they sure did strike a chord, and I ended up really enjoying this album thoroughly. This is the type of Post-Black Metal that pours every ounce of emotion into every second of every song, which blossoms into a visceral outpouring of melodic and atmospheric Black Metal mastery. Beautifully depressive, hauntingly potent and paced well enough to convey the story and message, through dueling harsh and clean vocals, that work and compliment each other well. This album has close to the same lore to it than The Mantle has, giving me a similar feeling on first listen. One of the better Post-BM releases of the last few years and definitely one of the few this year. Kauan is a band I need do dive deeper into in the near future.

Other Worthy Mentions:

Wode: Burn in Many Mirrors (20 Buck Spin)

Universally Estranged: Reared Up in Spectral Predation (Independent)

Seth: La Morsure du Christ (Season of Mist)

Abkehr: In Blut (Vendetta Records)

Human Failure: Crown on the Head of a King of Mud (Sentient Ruin Laboratories)

Black Knife: Murder Season (Independent)

Facial Fracture: Primitive Encephalectomy (Independent)

Jarhead Fertilizer: Product of My Environment (Closed Casket Activities)

Vermintide: Meaningless Convulsions (Independent)

Available here.

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And that wraps up quarter 2 of 2021. You can consider this my mid-year catch-up as well, because it basically is. I think I’ve finally found the proper way to do this, by doing it quarterly, rather than monthly or bi-monthly. It gives me more time to check more stuff out and more releases to cover in one shot. So, I think this is how it’ll be from here on out. Interesting quarter to say the least. There were also a lot of stinkers that didn’t make the cut, so this is pretty much the cream of the crop. Again, I had much more time to get around to more shit, with the three month window this allows me. I haven’t been able to churn out too many reviews in recent months, but I plan on changing that shortly. I also have two new podcast episodes coming up in the next week, as I mentioned earlier in this post. Stay tuned for that.

That’s all for now, fuckers! I’m off to do some more yard work in the scorching heat by day and watching disturbing movies and drinking a ton of beer by night! Fuck Summer!

Album Thoughts | Spectral Lore: Ετερόφωτος (I, Voidhanger Records)

I stated in my review of the latest Mare Cognitum album, that I enjoyed his side of the Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine split last year, than Spectral Lore’s. I made it abundantly clear. I just enjoyed his performance more. That’s not to say though, that I didn’t also enjoy Spectral Lore as well. Spectral Lore is actually one of the handful of Post-Black Metal acts I like, as he brings something unique and spellbinding to the table sound-wise, much like Mare Cognitum does for Atmospheric Black Metal. He did just as well on that split as he does on his previous releases, but when there’s a split, or even collaboration between two stellar, talented artists, it’s a matched playing field and one is bound to outdo the other, especially when different ideas are bounced off between the two. Spectral Lore may have gotten the short end of the stick in my eyes when it comes to Wanderers, but good fucking lord, did he make up for it with this album! After a couple of listens, I think I can safely state, that Ετερόφωτος is Spectral Lore’s best release yet, and it’s Post-Black Metal at it’s most sonically expansive, with peaks and valleys, melody and harshness, aggression and calm, all wrapped into one big display of Progressive Post-Black Metal mastery, that sets itself apart from the generic pack and builds upon it’s foundation, while staying in it’s lane and not straying too far from it’s formula. Much like Mare Cognitum, it explores almost every possible avenue emotionally as well, which is why I feel like these two acts mesh so well together, they both clearly have a shared vision of integrating as much emotion as possible into their sounds, both high and low, and making it genuine and not some Shoegazy fluff.

This album starts off on the abrasive side of it’s expansive pallet, as Atrapos thrusts you right into a whirlwind of blasting drums, and intense tremolo riffing; the vocals are come in and are strong and not too reverb-heavy, except for a few well-placed moments here and there. The album pretty much sets it’s foundation on the typical Atmospheric BM template, but things start to get interesting at the halfway mark of this track, when it breaks it’s blast-beat laden stride and takes a nosedive into a catchy groove, as equally catchy melodic riffs come into play. This track is pretty much broken into three sections, and this one ends when it switches up again and the spirit of Tool (yes, THAT Tool) apparently enters the studio and takes charge, as the last bit of the track is a slow, melodic passage that sounds like something straight from Lateralus or 10,000 Days. Sounds crazy, but it’s actually pretty interesting and well done. If you’re familiar with that Tool type of quiet groove, with those rhythmic melodies peppered in, you know what I’m talking about. The echoey clean vocals top it off and confirm the Tool influence. If I had that much to say about the opening track alone, imagine what more this hour-long beast has to offer?

The Golden Armor pretty much follows the same formula, going back to blasting drums over a repeated melodic opening riff, that immediately brings Dissection to mind, which goes on for the first half of the track, until again breaking into a catchy, melodic groove. It has the intensity that I feel is missing from a majority of Melodic Black Metal these days, that also feeds into the progression and grand scheme of where the songs go. The slower parts of this album are directly led into by the harsher and faster parts, creating a smooth flow between the two sides. That’s what makes Progressive Metal and any of it’s sub-genres interesting; that, as well as the emotion put into every second of every song, making everything mean something, with little to no room for filler. Not to mention, again, that a multitude of different emotions are covered, as well as introspective lyrics and subject matter. This goes even moreso for the longer tracks on this album, where there is even more breathing room to explore more avenues, like The Sorcerer Above the Clouds: clocking in at eleven minutes, I knew this is where things would get even more interesting and expansive. I was definitely not wrong, as this is where the attention is taken away from the blasting and Dissection-esque ferocity, and given more to this dude’s melodic prowess, as it opens with a beautiful passage of wailing guitars, then explodes into a mid-paces assault, where clean, vibrant riffs continue to sear out. This track gives me some strong Blut Aus Nord vibes, with a hint of mid-era Enslaved.

Longer songs can get monotonous very often, but this album does everything in it’s power to keep things fresh and attention-grabbing, by not spending too much time on one section and moving on when the time is right, all within the confines of it’s core-sound. Solid songwriting is aplenty here. It also goes to show how much more can be done when it’s just one person and their ideas alone at the helm and not having anyone else to have to gel with. A great example for what a lengthy track can be if given the right amount of effort and attention to detail. The second half of the track is equally as epic and chill-inducing. Apocalypse is where things get dark and foreboding, where everything is slowed down to almost doomy tempos and the tone saturates into the negatives, like an ominous cloud just hovered over the recording session. This song has more in common with the darker side of modern BM, like Svarttjern or Merrimack, with the doomier element, like that of The Ruins of Beverast or the slower side of Blut Aus Nord; another example of the gamut of emotions that this album treads with it’s immaculate prowess. The title track is another grand display of this, then it all comes to a close with the near-twenty minute ambient epic, Terean.

I can confidently say that this is Spectral Lore’s best work yet. It’s a huge step up from his usual Post-Black Metal style, which is what kept me from becoming a fan for a while, but his performance on Wanderers really solidified him as a force to be reckoned with in my eyes and this album sets it in stone. I couldn’t go into too much detail here, or this would be one of my longer reviews, but it’s an album to be experienced on one’s own accord anyway. It’s lengthy, but it’s epic, emotional, versatile and as expansive as the cosmos itself. It’s a far cry from any “hipster” pejorative anyone wants to throw at it, it takes Atmospheric Black Metal to fresh, progressive heights, that too many bands shy away from, and much like Mare Cognitum, he executes his vision to it’s fullest potential. It’s not your grandfather’s misanthropy-fuled grim and frostbitten Black Metal (though there’s always room for that), nor is it the most innovative you’ll hear, hence all the comparisons I’ve made for it above, but it uses what it has at it’s disposal to explore a multitude of possible routes it can be taken in, and it finds quite a few ways to do so. Overall, it’s a fine follow-up to Wanderers and one of the finest that 2021 has to offer. A massive, stellar shock to the system of a genre with a lot of samey-sameness; a pleasant surprise to say the least.

Ετερόφωτος is available through I, Voidhanger Records.

Album Thoughts | Mare Cognitum: Solar Paroxysm (I, Voidhanger Records)

Just one year ago, as the Year of the Modern Plague was in full swing, and most humans were stuck at home with nothing to do, besides eat themselves to death and consume entertainment until their hearts content, music fans included, two exceptional acts within the Cosmic Black Metal stratosphere came together and dropped a release that was so rich with spellbinding musicianship and atmospheric melody, that it did the unthinkable and made a damn near two-hour release bearable to sit through. One of the hardest tasks a band can pull off, that very few have succeeded in. The release I’m talking about is Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine, by Spectral Lore and the subject of this review, Mare Cognitum. I gained an immense amount of respect for both of these guys after hearing that release, which some may see as a split, while others may describe as a collaborative album (I lean towards the latter), and it officially made me a fan of both; Mare Cognitum, however, was the star of the show; his performance on that split was fucking immense and had me locked right in throughout each track on his side of it, including the two collaborative tracks at the end. That whole split was immense and Spectral Lore did his part and delivered as well. It would have been the first split in the history of this blog to take the #1 spot of the year, had it not been for the stiff competition that ultimately beat it out. It was close though, no doubt.

Which brings us here. It’s the second Year of the Modern Plague and both acts are putting out their follow-up to that amazing split, starting, of course, with Mare Cognitum and this dreary, sonic wormhole, titled Solar Paroxysm. I’ve always been very selective when it comes to Atmospheric Black Metal, as I find that too many of them rely far too much on atmosphere and creating a foggy, trancy vibe, and leave not much else to offer and much more to be desired; not to mention the rise of “Blackgaze”, which has the same problem, but with too much focus on making pretty melodies and catchy choruses. It’s a genre with a lot of squandered potential, that I feel like songwriting is less of a priority, in favor of just making something to vibe to, with little to no true emotion. Very few recent acts of the genre have caught my attention, aside from a few unique exceptions, and in turn, Mare Cognitum quickly rose up in my personal ranks, upon my initial exposure to him and his style, which is a vast, fleshed out and riveting plethora of emotion and musicianship, that exhibits a perfect balance of melody, atmosphere and visceral aggression. His performance on Wanderers was peak Atmospheric Black Metal excellence and an exercise in how the genre should be handled and how much you can really get out of it, if the right minds and skills are placed behind it. Solar Paroxism is a fine follow-up, that expresses a similar and just as drearily colorful psychedelic melody, that fogs the room in cosmic enchantment, while serving as a well-rooted progression of Atmospheric BM, not straying too far from it’s established aesthetics.

Now, to keep it real here, I can’t say that this album had as much of an impact as Wanderers did; again, I believe that was Mare’s best performance yet, but the emotion and vigor still courses through this album’s veins like a psychedelic drug illuminating one’s bloodstream. The opening track, Antaresian, starts things off going right for the throat with a speedy blast-beat assault, that serves as the winds that blows the sails as the fast and explosive, but vibrant trem-picking decorates the sound with it’s dreamy elegance. Jacobs intense shrieks kick in shortly after, as things break down a bit and go more mid-paced. A hint of Shoegaze shines through, as the tremolo riffs return through those cloudy guitars for a few seconds, then once again breaks into a groove, with a more intense, palm-muted riff. Kinda sounds like a more aggressive Alcest, with less catchy choruses and flashy wailing, but just as dreamy and uplifting. Frozen Star Divination follows up with another searing opening riffs, over another barrage of blast-beats, that flow on for the first minute, until a second guitar comes in and harmonizes that same riff in a mesmerizing fashion. This is where it sets in, how crisp the musicianship is, and it gets better and better every time I hear it. The harmonies in particular are almost immaculate. The drumming ranges from blasts, to steady, mid-paced beats for the remainder of the ten-minutes, as the guitars transition from one intense, dreamy tremolo riff to another, with steady and smooth abandon. The overall sound is as beautifully intense as ever on this one. There’s also some vocal range presented, switching from intense shrieks, to death growls. A lovely guitar solo tops things off towards the end.

Things get a bit more ominous with Terra Requiem, which treads into darker and doomy waters, as it slows the pace down and the guitars saturate to a slightly darker tone, while still maintaining their dreary melody. That contrast in tone and vibe introduces a fair balance of emotion, covering both sides of the spectrum, giving some shade to the brightness that this album has presented thus far. It makes for a complex sound, with some emotional range, that maintains it’s vigor and intensity throughout; the traits that make Mare Cognitum what it is and what it pulled off so masterfully on Wanderers. The real dynamic of the overall sound gradually reveals itself, as the album goes on, as the case for most MC releases and it doesn’t cram everything into one single track, which is saying something, because each track, in and of themselves, is a lengthy spectacle, rich with songwriting that flows along with uplifting soundscapes and hellacious amounts of emotion poured into every riff and melody, drenched in cosmic atmosphere, that makes me feel like I’m standing on top of a mountain, watching planets align. Each of the five tracks clocks in at 10 to 12 minutes long, and has enough breathing room to allow this searing composition to be packed into just five tracks, bringing the album to almost an hour in length, each second of which is more than worth sitting through. Luminous Accreation and the epic finale, Ataraxia Tunnels ooze the same vigor and emotion as the first three that I described.

Will everyone like this? No. Will some write it off as hyped garbage? Probably. Am I being a bit too hyperbolic in this review? Maybe, but, while it doesn’t exactly match the excellence of Mare Cognitum’s side of Wanderers, it’s a great follow-up and it may very well be this dudes best full-length to date. Not many Atmospheric Black Metal acts can blend atmosphere and instrumentation the way MC does, and it’s one of the things that makes me a sucker for cosmic-themed Black Metal in the first place. Definitely one of the best Atmo BM releases I’ve heard in a while. It’s dynamic, decadent, and covers the gavel of emotions, from euphoric, to ominous and accentuates them to the fullest. This isn’t the usual atmosphere-reliant pseudo-Shoegaze Black Metal that runs rampant nowadays, this is the real deal and a stellar example of what can materialize when songwriting comes into play. A fine follow-up to one of the best splits of the last decade.

Solar Paroxysm is available through I, Voidhanger Records and the Mare Cognitum Bandcamp.