Repulsive – The Flesh Domain [UK, Death] (2017)

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Self Released | 3-10-17

March comes in like a unholy desiccated lion and out like a thunderclap. I think I got that right. Repulsive is difficult to search for as they share a similar sounding name with a classic and pioneering death metal band. If you do manage to find this UK based Swede worship band, then you are in for a horrid creation. With everything in the right place, The Flesh Domain EP is one of the more entertaining death metal releases of the year if nothing else than for surgical precision.

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Ashen Chalice – Ritual Under The Blackened Moon [Croatia, Dark Ambient / Noise / Black] (2017)

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Self Released | 3-10-17

Ashen Chalice is more like a journey than a destination. Finding a Croatian black noise project that isn’t even listed on the Metal Archives is sometimes as exciting as listening to whatever was put to proverbial tape. The aesthetic of Ritual Under The Blackened Moon toes the line between dead serious and tongue in cheek humor. The tape design is there as well as the black metal tropes. If it was not for the effectiveness of the three songs, I would have moved on by now.

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Muka – Sveta Stoka [Croatia, Black / Death] (2017)

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Self Released | 03-07-17

Thanks to Muka for breaking a pretty nice streak of black and white album covers. It is okay, since the cover for Muka’s newest EP comes drenched in pale yellows and cold greys as it really frames a record that is both uninviting and entrancing. I do not know if my translation is correct but the internet tells me the name of the EP comes out to something like “Livestock Council.” This either makes all of the sense or none of it.

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Nornír – Urd [Germany, Black] (2017)

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Northern Silence Productions | 3-3-17

Hopefully you are ready to run becasue whatever is chasing you is getting closer. From the not so ice bitten lands of Germany comes a band that is less innovative as they are aged in experience. With a decent sized EP to follow their 2015 demo, Nornír steps onto the stage to offer entertaining black metal with the jaws of hades.

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Angel Morgue – Angel Morgue [US, Death] (2017)

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Self Released | 2-16-17

Yes to everything about this. From the sound to the name to the album cover, Angel Morgue fills a very order for people seeking cavernous death metal which wouldn’t be welcomed in any places of worship. The aesthetic which drips from this band in trails of slime is notable as their self titled EP debut hammers away at the bells of hell.

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Vomit Kult – Demonic Art [Unknown, Raw Black] (2017)

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Self Released | 1-29-17

Well, fucking fantastic guys, I literally have nothing to go on regarding where you are from since there is no trace of you anywhere on the internet. It is funny that people lament the death of research in the internet age and yet there are still bands that toe the line of known. Perhaps that is where they want to be, right on the cusp of existence.

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Myotis Occultus – Of Weeping Spells & Wounded Shrines [US, Raw Black] (2017)

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Self Released | 1-27-17

In the world of underground and lesser known heavy metal, newness is a relative term. To some the Arizona based one man act Myotis Occultus could be new with the weight of raw black metal making its first introductions. To others, the songs on the Of Weeping Spells & Wounded Shrines demo are just a recollection of past works that have been spread out on singles and demos released in 2016. If it sounds like I am complaining, I am not as Myotis Occultus was a mystery to me until today. Perhaps every once in awhile one needs new introductions as there will be more people coming in at various times.

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Ose – Rituum [US, Black] (2017)

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Self Released | 1-30-17

I love the tag of NCBM as if I am missing some big North Carolina black metal scene. Ha. Wait. I am not am I? Please tell me if I am and I will be down there in less than 10 hours. Rituum just came out and by the looks of it, I am the one of the few that showed up super early to this party. With no Metal Archives and a Facebook page that hasn’t been updated in years, I can safely wonder if Ose actually exists. If they do not then I have this near amazing demo to show for my efforts.

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Noctis – Gamaliel [US. Black / Noise] (2017)

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Self Released | 01-26-17

One song releases are difficult to assess in terms of potential. For the most part single and 1 track demos are made by the dozen but hardly ever covered due to their insubstantial nature. there just isn’t that much one can do with 1 track that is even less than 5 minutes. what one can do is look at past works and compare the single track to surmise where the music could potentially travel. If one was doing that for Noctis, the answer would be the depths of chaos.

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Hypnosinosis – Delirium [Chile, Black / Death] (2017)

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Self Released | 1-20-17

I believe it to be this blog’s quest and motivation to find lesser known metal, throughout the year. A large goal and benchmark I have been working towards is finding bands before they have a Metal Archives page or below a certain number of listeners or just online presence. This isn’t some contest to find the most obscure band rather recalibrate my journey through the wretched halls of lesser known heavy metal. Though this search does not turn up gems everyday, if one is patient they will find something truly horrid. Hypnosinosis is one of the winners for January.

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