Demo / EP / Split

Sepulchral Voices – Evil Crusaders [Belgium, Black / Thrash] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-29-20

The Bandcamp for this band states “We are Sepulchral voices and we’re back from the grave” but this should be taken as aesthetic rather than insinuating they are an old band. This is confusing as there is an older band named Sepulchral Voice that plays death thrash. This is not them rather Sepulchral Voices who play black/thrash at the speed of a hurricane which ravages the land. Sepulchral Voices has been around since 2016 and their album covers exude a certain aesthetic of ferocity seen in black/death bands. Evil Crusaders is relentless but not in the grinding concrete style of war metal rather thrash metal that has been possessed by the devil.

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Spitgrave – Purge [Portugal(?), Black / Death / Thrash(?)] (2020)

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MIASMA OF BARBARITY | 3-30-20

Miasma of Barbarity is a Portuguese label that puts out really gross things. Spitgrave was the first thing i found from this label and despite its odd looking logo, was two tracks of blistering death/thrash that was like a sledgehammer of riffs in a darken closet. I have put lots of question marks on this entry since I do not really know due to its primitive nature. What I do know is this swings and most certainly leaves a wound behind.

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Pagan Moon – Deathlike Journeys [US, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-1-20

Sometimes aesthetic is enough to get you to a place with talent taking up the slack. Pagan Moon leans heavily on the second wave / bedroom / DS / raw / spooky / anti christian aesthetic with a new demo that looks and feels like a black metal demo but is intimately effective through sheer talent. It is through this talent that atmospheric synth can drape over songs like funeral shrouds and give the entire release an air of ghostly presence. This is a ghoulish record that isn’t abrasive or aggressive rather haunting in its structure.

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Qual – An Unfathomable Darkness [US, Punk / Black] (2020)

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3-23-20 | Self Released

It is difficult sometimes to parse out where black metal and punk rock meet since its middle is a battleground of trashed vocals and even more trashed riffs. At some point the genres meet in a riotous demolition of sound making it hard to distinguish between the two. Qual fits into this nebulous category as it is just basement punk rock with even more guttural vocals. the funny thing about all of this, is that An Unfathomable Darkness fits so well with its sound. It is groovy in a shredded shirt way and catchy in a bleeding wound sort of fashion. This all is a party with a broken bone and it is wonderful.

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Disrotter – Plague [US, Death / Grind] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-25-20

It is funny to think of heavy metal being topical at any point but the title of this demo as well as the Bandcamp message of “Confusion blinding the panic is rising. Disruption commencing this chaos ascension” gives the music a sharper edge not to mention the dissolving human artwork on the front. The interesting part about this whole thing is Disrotter could have come out at any point and its music would be classic death grind worship with well mixed production and killer riffs. Now, in the middle of this whole “chaos ascension,” the music feels reflective on rising tensions which is far beyond exploitative and more reaching reflective. Come throw yourself into this storm of stress.

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Fratricide – Horrible Deformities [US, Death] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-19-20

This is perhaps one of the starkest examples of a demo whose music is the best thing about the presentation as the logo, band name, and album artwork fail to live up to the experience of the music. It is not that Fratricide has a terrible presentation rather the music goes beyond the confides presented by its cover. Where one would think you get mid shelf death metal that is sloppy but kind of fun, Fratricide presents winding journeys in rotting flesh. Heavy metal, like most music, is about musical and visual presentation and though I feel that one if severely lacking, I am glad for the other to be so strong.

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Glemsel – Unavngivet [Denmark, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-18-19

This EP was tagged under the genre of “atmospheric black,” though I feel we are going to collectively move past any assumptions regarding sound. Glemsel is a trio from Denmark whose first statement in this heavy metal world comes by way of Unavngivet — a powerful release full of spite, longing, and heavy textures. Unavngivet comes in as a longer EP at almost 30 minutes though this time is truly spent crafting an emotional experience, which for anyone who does not speak Danish, is going to remain a mystery. Beyond lingual comprehension, however, the work of Glemsel and its seething attitude regarding life and death transcends spoken words and washes over the listener in cascading riffs.

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Impetuous Burial [US, Death] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-16-20

Yes. Is really gross death metal still going on? Well, i guess that is the thing about rotting death, is that even if it is slightly hip with bands like Blood Incantation and Tomb Mold, that its presence is eternal regardless of what mortals think of it. Enter Impetuous Burial and a demo that sounds like the sounds of the last 5 years in death metal distilled down into a punchy record. We are all mature enough to realize that despite this demo not breaking any new ground from its name, cover, or sound, if the riffs are solid, which they are, then it is going to be a fantastic ride in the dark.

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Ukcheansalawit – Tekipuk [Canada, Atmospheric Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 1-20-20

From the cold gloomy lands of Canada comes a slightly atmospheric black metal release with…you guessed it….a black and white tree on the cover. Outside of this very obvious joke, Ukcheansalawit (ûkcheânsâlâwit) debut demo has everything going right to be a memorable exploration of black metal themed after indigenous cultures. While most of these summations could be wrong, the majority of Tekipuk is centered around words of the Mi’kmaq tribe which was one of the largest Native people centered around Canada’s Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). Outside of some vague references to Canadian native people and the use of the language, most of the work of Ukcheansalawit remains a mystery aside from a 17 minute demo of synth heavy lo – fi black metal. Perhaps 2020 will see more releases but for now, this release is enough to spark interest in a relatively unexplored area of pan American culture.

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Spirit Possession – 2020 Demo [US, Black / Punk] (2020)

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Self Released | 1-21-20

Sometimes there is a release which comes along that affirms your dedication to an aesthetic. Spirit Possession has everything I could possibly hope for in a release — raw black / punk, blistering attitude, near zero internet presence. All of these combine into an 11 minute release which feels like clenched teeth and an image which makes you the coolest ghoul in the graveyard. If one is in the mood for a party where everyone has limbs falling off then you are in the right line.

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