Kyriss – Olden Ruins & Miry Depths [Germany, Atmospheric Black / Raw Black] (2020)

Self Released | 6-9-20

Kyriss, known also as Kyriss the Perverse, was a Keeper of Secrets, a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh, who was active during the Horus Heresy in the early years of the 31st Millennium. Alongside the infamous Bloodthirster Ka’Bandha, a Greater Daemon of the Blood God Khorne, Kyriss served as one of two daemon overlords or “generals” who helped orchestrate the Signus Campaign, in a coordinated effort to lure the Blood Angels Space Marine Legion to the Signus Sector and corrupt them to the worship of the Ruinous Powers.

I am not assuming the band’s name is after this Warhammer 40K lore but I am going to pretend it is since it is pretty cool to read. Now with the potential context of deep fantasy lore in front let us move to the music with is something you would NOT expect given the potential fantasy component. Within the world of Olden Ruins & Miry Depths, lies atmospheric black that is twisted and forgotten to the point of being fossilized. Here among the scarred landscape of where once tall trees stood, is the toiling of witches and oppressive synths. I love this so much and I believe it is the polarization of potential aesthetics that is fueling the greatness.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Crypt Walk – Rot Gut Prophecies [US, Grind / Death] (2020)

Self Released | 6-5-20

I love this so much. It is so nasty and possibly out of the realm of heavy metal but it doesn’t matter one bit. Welcome Crypt Walk, a grind / death (?) three piece that wants nothing more than to dump cinder blocks on you from the top of an abandoned warehouse. Rot Gut Prophecies lies on the outskirts of punk / hardcore / grind / death metal and has been rolled up in a carpet and now is crawling with slugs. The gross imagery is part and parcel for a record that is short in its execution but leaves a stench lingering in your nostrils even after walking away from it.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Opium Grave – ...and the rest is silence [Australia, Black / Synth] (2020)

Self Released | 6-5-20

This is good. This is weird. This is not for everyone. I believe the perfection in this release is its unbalanced quality. Opium Grave is an Australian one member black metal project that surrounds themselves with a matter or weird artifacts. Coming into the short demo is like walking into a curio shop and being greeted by hanging skulls and strange bottles. There are a lot of things that do not make sense but the low synth and distorted vocal samples are enough to pique interest with the crashing harsh dissonance to cement that curiosity in place.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Cenobite – Soul Torn Apart [Russia, Death] (2020)

Self Released | 6-6-20

I think this is one of the few times I am 100% with the music even if I have some criticisms about the aesthetic. I do not think Soul Torn Apart fails in its aesthetic rather I feel a band devoted to Hellraiser could be more arcane with its song titles. I only mention this since the more generic album and song titles do not reflect the absolute monster of a release this is as Cenobite channels old school death like they were summoning devils in a lab. Riffs like spires and an attitude which drags across the floor, Soul Torn Apart is one of the nastiest demos in recent memory and I almost passed it over.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Gravesend – Preparations for Human Disposal [US, Black / Grind] (2020)

Stygian Black Hand | 6-5-20

Gravesend maybe releasing at an opportune time as the world descends into bleaker futures. Preparations for Human Disposal is the debut (?) demo (?) for Brooklyn based black/grind/death(?) outfit that channels centuries of urban misery into a 14 minute release that is boiling with rage and riffs. The band’s Instagram sports photos of structural decay which is fitting as the music sounds like demolished buildings and the stress or claustrophobia. This is a ruinous release that could be a personal totem for uncertain times. Whatever you use it for, the force and effectiveness of the music comes at the listener like a cinder block dropped off of a burned out building.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Profane Oath – Unholy Hymns [Italy, Black / Thrash] (2020)

Ancient Entity Records | 7-5-20

The more I spend time with this record, the more I love it. Profane Oath follows a very familar template when it comes to their approach to heavy metal. Surrendering to the style of black / thrash, Profane Oath has bought into the sounds, image, and general lifestyle of black/thrash with an EP that could make its idols blush with its dedication. This becomes apparent when looking at the cover with a guitar pretruding fromt he mouth of Christ and songs like “Possessed By Quorthon.” Unholy Hymns is not going to break any genre barriers anytime soon but for now it is a six pack and a party of a time and everyone should love being here.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Winterstorm. – Demo II MMXX [Ecuador, Black] (2020)

Self Released | 5-28-20

Even though the Bandcamp page for this demo lists this as “raw black” and even “lo-fi black” I am going to lean towards this being less noisy that maybe what people are expecting. Yes, there is a dissonant production with the instrumentation flung up against the shredded vocals. For as primitive as the recording however, Winterstorm (with the punctuation?) presents a clear presentation of icy second wave black metal that even has room for some woozy vocal effects. This is great as should be stored at a chilled temperature.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

KRAAPIDES NAHKA – MANIFESTATION I [Canada, Raw Black / Punk / Dark Ambient] (2020)

Self Released | 5-26-20

From the cold lands of neverwhere, comes a cassette filled with icy black punk / dark ambient. Black / punk has always been a favorite of mine though the tone and style has always been scathing and alive. KRAAPIDES NAHKA takes the same idea of black / punk and buries it in a winter forest for a few decades before returning with a shovel. Through cracked ground and howling winds, Manifestation I is a haunted cassette of tortured memories and frozen emotions that hang motionless upon evergreens. This cassette just came out and it is currently limited to 2 per customer. I have no idea how popular this will be but I am in awe of its scope and effectiveness at being unreachable.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Black Candle Wax – Crematorium [US, Raw Black] (2020)

Self Released | 5-27-20

Here is a release that is actively trying to get you not to listen to it. I love the cult aesthetic on some of these releases. From having a tape only exclusive, to only releasing a title-less sample, to even pricing your sample at the mythical 666$, Black Candle Wax takes no qualms in saying you probably do not need this in your life. It is funny I am more intrigued to a release like this. For all of the fanfare that precedes this demo, Crematorium rips through the air like an angry ghost with 3 minutes of violent nightmares.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Enucleacion – Adelanto Demo 2020 [Chile, Death] (2020)

Self Released | 5-20-23

This is absolutely 100% rotten. If the eye gouging yellow bordered Bandcamp gore profile picture is not enough to indicate this is the realm of dripping violence, then I do not know what will keep you safe. Since this band is not on Metal Archives yet, we are just sort of shooting from the hip and the tag of black/death could mean many things including slam/death or just a gross combination of everything vile in the metal world. Enucleacion seems to be less concerned with distinction than they do pushing chainsaws into the face of listeners. Gross.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.