Keeper – M M X I V [US, Black / Doom] (2014)

Self Released | 7-15-14

Yes. Yes. Yes. Certain times, one needs to be reminded the capabilities which heavy metal can reach. After a while of listening to heavy music, certain things lack the punch needed to become fully awake. Keeper is like drinking day old cold coffee or punching yourself in the leg to keep awake during a long drive. It is a shock to the system which is much needed and feel alive and ready. Holy shit, what in the world is that sound? It feels like the ground is flooding with Hell.

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.

Athanatos – Unholy Union [Chile, Black / Death] (2014)

Iron Bonehead | 6-13-14

Demos are a fantastic display of talent and potential for a limited amount of time. Rather than devoting attention to a full release, a listener can cycle through a catalog of up and coming bands before their introductory debut. I believe this is the reason why so many people get excited for demos especially ones that offer a chance at something unorthodox. Athanatos comes with little information other than a 17 minute demo. The band’s sound may start out traditional but ends somewhere south of depraved. I am thankful for demos as some records need to come in shorter running time lest the threads of mental stability be lost forever.

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.

Gnosis of the Witch – Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar [US, Black] (2014)

Iron Bonehead Productions | 6-14-14

Alright. So this is what is happening now. I see. Might as well go to the ground and cover my head for the ensuing storm. It was nice knowing all of you. If there is anything I can count on Iron Bonehead doing, it is unearthing this album that should have remained undiscovered. Not because said things are terrible, rather the world can only hold so much darkness and evil at one time that the very fabric of order might begin to fray. The planet is not ready for Gnosis of the Witch.

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.

Barghest – The Virtuous Purge [US, Black] (2014)

Gilead Media | 6-17-14

Jesus fuck. So the promotion pictures of Barghest proudly show the members pointing assault rifles at the viewer. This band, from the deepest parts of the Southern United States, seems to be bred for disdain and humid violence. It is funny that the band shares their name with a low level RPG monster as Barghest, the band, seem much more capable of inflicting long lasting harm than a puny demon dog.

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.

Skáphe – Skáphe [US, Black] (2014)

Fallen Empire | 6-6-14

I feel blessed to have a reliable record label which I can walk into an album blind and know that it will be of high quality or, at the very least, interesting. Much like a majority of the Fallen Empire roster, Skáphe is a complete mystery aside from a 35 minute tape release. With little information besides a general region and a full length stretched out across four songs, listening to these types of releases is akin to navigating a dark room which maybe endless in its own dimensions. We have reached the very end of existence and beyond us is a starless abyss.

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.

Heavydeath – Demo II – III [Sweden, Death / Doom] (2014)

Self Released | 5-9-14

I think I found Caligari Records as well as Heavydeath as the same time. It was a wonderful afternoon / early morning. Caligari Records is a spectacular label / distributor which specializes in lesser known cassettes of a particularly rotting variety. Heavydeath is a band made up of members of Runemagick and Necrocurse who specialize in a particularly rotting variety of death/doom. Though death/doom isn’t entirely novel, Heavydeath’s approach to the style is not only refreshing but it is a cause for feverish excitement as their 2014 trilogy of demos far surpasses most releases this year.

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.

Ritual Chamber – The Pits of Tentacled Screams [US, Death] (2014)

Nuclear War Now Productions | 3 – 24-14

Yeah, turn that shit up. No, seriously. Turn it up. I can’t hear what is going on. What sort of horrors can come from a mysterious project whose demo has been slung to the far corners of hell by Nuclear War Now? Well, once the volume is properly adjusted, the audience can get acquainted with The Pits of Tentacled Screams, the debut demo from Ritual Chamber. I am unaware whether it is the tentacles screaming or screams are emanating from the pit of tentacles. Whatever the answer, it sounds horrifying.

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.

Slaughtbbath / Hades Archer [Chile, Black] (2014)

Iron Bonehead | 5-9-14

South American black and death metal is ferocious to the point of being scary. The continent had developments of black and death metal much like the same from the Europe and America but did it with a raw sensibility with less concern about genre distinction. Even this split between two Chilean black metal artists sounds like a cross between black, death, and some sort of exploding swine monster. There is no wispy atmosphere from here on out, only bowels of the underworld where flesh is consumed nightly.

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.

Falls of Rauros / Panopticon [US, Black] (2014)

Bindrune Recordings |2-15-14

Splits are an amazing way to get acquainted with old bands as they work on new material or discover new bands. The very nature of their design is joint advertising and trying to get as much music to as many different people. Birdrune Recordings has decided to make it their lot in life by surrounding themselves with rustic based extreme metal from all over the United States and beyond. Birdrune only seems to be providing temporary housing for Panopticon and this arranged courtship with Falls of Rauros seems to be for a brief moment in time. Whatever is contained on here is a flirtation between two stellar black metal bands who will be in different places within the months time. Enjoy it while you can.

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.

Serpents Lair – Demo MMXIV [Denmark, Black] (2014)

Self Released | 5-2-14

Another day, another black metal demo with a decent groove and a potential for greater success. I think I would grow tired of this sort of thing if it were not for it being absolutely entertaining. From what I can tell, Seprents Throne is a two piece from Denmark with a 2 song demo which is being offered in digital form for a modest sum. It is partially lo-fi and deliberately comes with an air of being obscured from any clear information. While the aesthetics are not novel, Serpents Throne does make itself known among the other demos by a focused and effective sound which sounds like it is delivered from the mouth of a hydra.

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.