Wildernessking – The Devil Within [South Africa, Black] (2014)

Grimoire Cassette Cvlture | 3-14-14

The amount of metal coming out of Africa is minimal at best. The majority of African metal either comes from the northern countries (Algeria, Egypt, Libya) or South Africa. Wildernessking is from South Africa and by all intents and purposes fits within a very large family of atmospheric black metal with varying relations to post rock. The band’s debut album The Writing of Gods In the Sand impressed and surprised a handful of blogs and critics. Despite African metal being an easy prompt for review, Wildernessking survives on its own merit with their 2014 EP The Devil Within proving to be of similar caliber.

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.

SwampHög – Pearls For Swine [US, Sludge/Doom] (2014)

Grimoire Records | 2-10-14

Swamphog has made their Bandcamp distinct from other possible iterations of the same name by being the first attach “666” to the address. Make no mistake, this Swamphog is here for evil and the possibility of Satan. This will be my third review for a Grimoire release in 2014. Though I just found this label a month ago, the level of dedication to craft and the openness to other genres is fantastic. Before was black metal, now we troll the bogs of the underworld.

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.

Sun Worship – Elder Giants [Germany, Black] (2014)

View From The Coffin | 2-28-14

This right here is the reason that randomly searching the internet for music is one of the better hobbies outside shipbuilding. Sun Worship is an unsigned German black metal band with a release on what seems to be the a start up distribution called View from the Coffin. The surprise with Sun Worship and their debut Elder Giants is the level of craft present in the recording contrasted with the band’s almost non existent exposure. Make no mistake, this is one of the better releases this year and I would have missed if if not for accidentally falling into its cold withered arms.

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.

Lie in Ruins – Towards Divine Death [Finland, Death] (2014)

Dark Descent | 2-4-14

This is an exercse in precision. Lie in Ruins is a Finnish death metal act with a release on Dark Descent Records. This is similar to Corpsessed, which is another Finnish death metal act also with a recent release from Dark Descent. In fact these two bands live less than an hour away from each other. If there were not so much good European death being released, then things wouldn’t become a problem. in fact if Corpsessed and Lie in Ruins released their records years apart, it would be cause for note. the fact that it came out within the same month is sending me to struggle to keep track.

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.

Corpsessed – Abysmal Thresholds [Finland, Death] (2014)

Dark Descent | 2-4-14

I sort of get the introduction to Corpsessed’s debut Abysmal Thresholds. The thundering entrence to the album acts as sort of fanfare following two well reviewed EPs. It is an archway that could be thought of as, well, an abysmal threshold. Corpsessed begs its listener to fall backwards into Lovecraftian death where only madness and the occult hold political sway. While not as cavernous as bands like Grave Miasma, Corpsessed is one of a handful of bands from Finland which makes convincing and sometimes unnerving death metal.

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.

Torrid Husk – Caesious [US, Black Metal] (2014)

Grimoire Records | 2-4-14

I just discussed Grimoire records being at the weird middle of different styles and now this record is here. Torrid Husk is not at the center of different genres rather a clean and neat package of black metal with only slight modifications. The funniest part about searching out lesser known metal bands is running into releases that may have been released last year to the attention of fewer than deserved. Torrid Husk’s debut Mingo was silently released and celebrated but without much fanfare. The band follows up their first on Grimoire records with a short yet concise EP with second wave flirtations as well as a deep groove which runs like jagged wire throughout the record.

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.

Woods of Desolation – As The Stars [Australia, Black] (2014)

Northern Silence Productions | 1-14-14

Woods of Desolation came to my attention with the 2011 release of Torn Beyond Reason. This was also the time when I was really into atmospheric black metal and was collecting bands which starting with W. Torn Beyond Reason as it turns out was a fantastic combination of depressive black metal and filled with entertaining atmosphere. The band was also related, loosely, to other Australian black metal acts such as Austere, Germ, and Temple Nightside. As the Stars is the project’s third release which reinvents its sound while still being as emotionally threatening as before.

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.

Nefaria / Sylvan Frost [US, Black Metal / Ambient] (2014)

Self Released | 1-31-14

I feel my journey into lesser known metal is going to unearth some awesome and strange examples of artwork. Example — this fucking pencil drawing used on the cassette of the Nefaria / Sylvan Frost split. Perhaps the best part about this cover is the total disregard of any sort of graphic assistance. Nope, I am going to hand write the names. Fuck you guys and your use of “computers.” From a design perspective this is both insulting and completely charming. Who in the world is this meant for? The answer is everyone as this cassette has been famously xeroxed for anyone who got a chance to purchase 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.

Ethereal Shroud – Absolution|Emptiness [UK, DSBM] (2014)

Grimoire Cassette Cvlture | 1-14-14

Note: This album was released October 13th of 2013 but is now being released as a cassette from US based Grimoire Cassette Cvlture.

It is perhaps fitting the bandcamp page for Ethereal Shroud is cast in an almost illegible greyscale. the text is near illegible and there is not much information regarding the record. Because the creator goes by “Anonymous” and everything is released for free without much fanfare, Absolution|Emptiness comes cast in a fog of obscurity. This, of course, is the correct atmosphere one strives for when releasing depressive black metal. It is almost as it is cast in an abstract veil. Alright, fine … cast in an ethereal shroud. There.

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.

Cavern – Tales of Ruin [US, Sludge/Rock] (2014)

Grimorie Records | 3-4-14

Alright, there are a couple of reasons how I ran across this. First of all Grimorie Records is a Baltimore based metal label which specializes in, well, a lot of things. The second reason is that this brightly colored illustration depicts a crying nun and, well, that is eye catching to say the least. I am already writing about a black metal band from Grimorie but Cavern’s Tales of Ruin was just too disaffecting to pass up. I am also a sucker for sludge.

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.