Album

Deathvoid – Terrace [Switzerland, Noise / Black] (2020)

Standard

Xenoglossy Productions | 9-4-20

There are often times when the noise tag for an record comes as a cosmetic aesthetic. the addition of noise in production can add a certain raw edge to music that is already feral in sound. There are often times when the noise tag is apart of a genre and has surrendered its sound the the formless void of a style I might not fully understand. Deathvoid’s is something I understand though it is a record which I only have the most basic of grasp on with the threat of it dispersing into the void. Deathvoid appeared on a fantastically frightening split with Illuminated Manuscripts. That particular release was my first foray into a haunted world where ghosts did not linger in shadows rather cause bodily harm from the ceiling. Terrace continues the band’s descent into artsy formlessness with a landscape of horror, unease, and feral spirits.

Töxik Death – Sepulchral Demons [Norway, Thrash / Death / Punk] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 8-22-20

The tags for this record are black / thrash / death / punk and to what percentage is anyone’s guess. Töxik Death care little for being balanced or even correct as the band’s second full length does more for their thesis of destruction than any previous release. Reviewing a band with a larger history is unique on this site as most bands are new or have a few releases before the one being reviewed. Töxik Death is approaching nearly 20 years of being formed and Sepulchral Demons feels like a fiery debut that is setting the stage for a whole career of madness. Sepulchral Demons sharpness the band’s focus from their earlier work and presents a future of old school heavy underground metal worship in a sound that doesn’t feel costumed rather galvanized by the the decades old quest for disorder. Come on and come all for the festival of the ruined.

Affliction Vector – Death Comes Supreme [Netherlands, Black] (2020)

Standard

ARGENTO RECORDS | 9-25-20

There is something about artwork depicting Jesus getting run through by demons. This description and accompanying artwork might be ostentatious but it is fitting to Death Comes Supreme, a grand declaration of bestial noise. The Bandcamp page sports names like Mayhem, Voivod, and Bolt Thrower which are three different styles but all fall under one focus of ruinous chaos. While the page only has one song, which cuts off at the end, Affliction Vector comes shambling to the forefront like some stuttering specter with claws and a terrifying presence. Affliction Vector reminds us of the dangerous quality of black metal only in the fact that its rough edges have a chance of carrying disease. This is a haunted releases and the fraying of ones minds under intense spiritual stress.

Evaporated Sores – Ulcerous Dimensions [US, Death / Noise] (2020)

Standard

Sentient Ruin | 9-3-20

If I was going to guess where this act originates, It would be “different places” as the two members from the few bands listed on the Bandcamp profile hail from Mississippi as well as Oregon. We are going to assume Evaporated Sores is a digital project though I could be wrong as the sound is cohesive enough to be recorded live and by cohesive I mean a focused tornado of ruin. Ulcerous Dimensions is the debut (?) release from Evaporated Sores with vinyl and tape coming from Sentient Ruin. One may notice the noise tag in the headline with this release not being truly apart of the harsh noise genre but its sound is drenched enough in caustic chaos that it was worth noting. Evaporated Sores is a mystery in many things mostly for their existence and their ultimate plans on what they plan on doing here as their wake leaves scorched earth.

Disrupted – Pure Death [Sweden, Death] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 10-9-20

There is a long and detailed history of Swedish death as a sound as it has come to influence and sway the actions of many new bands. The atmosphere if ripping chainsaw guitars and the grinding d misery of mid tempo death is something that is retained in the hearts of devout followers. Disrupted loves Swedish death but also when it is mixed with d-beat which smells like kerosene. the result is something that can be heard, as the band puts it in the Bandcamp page, in the work of acts like Bastard Priest or Bombs of Hades. It is a specific variety of death metal which doesn’t like to wallow or loom rather to chase down its listener wielding power tools. Pure Death is the third record from the band who has yet to achieve sort of recognition their production is ready for. I wish them the best this year since this sound is gnarly.

Dysylumn – Cosmogonie [France, Progressive Black] (2020)

Standard

Signal Rex | 10-3-20

O first want to pay special recognition to the artwork of Karmazid who graces the cover of this release. Karmazid has also done work for Andavald, Bewitcher, Chevalier, Draghkar, LVTHN, Malokarpatan, Urfaust, and a whole host of other acts with their distinct style occultist imagery. Perhaps this is what brought me into the page for Dysylumn’s third full length Cosmogonie. To be fair with the lyrical themes tagged as Psychology, Hallucination, Space and a sound which is akin to climbing on the ceiling of an abandoned castle, I would have made my way here eventually but having artwork that fits the mood is fantastic. Cosmogonie is being released by both Signal Rex and Egregor Records and for now you only get a song but I am sure all of this is enough to keep you in this unhallowed place until the fateful hour.

Telluric Effluvium – Dissolution of the Threefold Self [US, Funeral Doom] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 10-3-20

I could probably count the number of funeral doom records reviewed on this site in the entirely of its existence. To be short, funeral doom is not a popular style despite its robust history as an extreme metal genre. This is for various reasons but mainly one might struggle to find an audience that is into lengthy tracks combined with a dismal atmosphere. This hurdle however does not stop the genre and with the success of bands like Bell Witch, Funeral doom remains a niche but fertile genre to sow the seeds of despair. Dissolution of the Threefold Self is the debut full length from Denver based Telluric Effluvium. Over the course of three lengthy tracks, the band manages to weave a tapestry of gloomy dirges and condenses funeral doom’s most memorable aspects into a record that is only 30 minutes long. This might seem unorthodox for a genre that is famous for its glacial running time but Dissolution of the Threefold Self works in its expedited state and manages to be effective at a quicker pace. All hail eternal mourning.

Question – Reflections of the Void [Mexico, Death] (2020)

Standard

Chaos Records | 7-31-20

Bright psychedelic covers be dammed, this is some decent stuff. Question was a surprise a few years ago with the release of their 2018 self titled EP. The twisting death metal sound which sounded like non euclidean staircases was a surprise and part and parcel for Caligari Records. Reflections of the Void brings back this band I almost forgot about with full mind bending horror that uses riffs and grooves as instruments of destruction with a sound that is commanding much like the festooned album cover.

Autolith – Caustic Light [US, Sludge / Crust] (2020)

Standard

Hand of Death | 3-22-20

Autolith has a lot going for them which sort of balances out their sound. Sludge / crust is not something I initially seek out but the band’s dedicated to bleak aesthetics including album name, album cover, and record label name is all something that made we wander in only to be hit by a wave of pessimism. Much like early Baroness or Mastodon where the sheer weight of the music was enough to crush the listener, Autolith is a a mouthful of rotten air in the best way possible.

Continue reading

Eternal Rot – Putridarium [UK / Poland, Doom / Death] (2020)

Standard

Self Released | 7-6-20

Let the filth rain. If the stark black and white near cartoon cover was not enough indication, Eternal Rot’s second release is going to be akin to reading a horror comic with black and white gore strewn among its pages. Eternal Rot is a cross country collaboration between Polish and English musicians who have found a common language if filthy riffs. Putridarium is the second full length from this act even though their full lengths are only a few long tracks. There is no time down here in the torture chamber of eternity.