Messa – Belfry [Italy, Doom] (2016)

Aural Music | 5-6-16

Doom can be so hot and accessible. Usually my searches through Bandcamp trawl on on the bottom of the ocean floor looking for new black and death albums with the occasional doom thrown in for good measure. Belfry, the debut album from Italian traditional/stoner doom outfit Messa, has come on the wings of no previous material nor no huge press hype yet it has been 6 days and already it is relativity popular and a hit with certain crowds. Why is this? Well, it is my belief that not only is doom with female vocals backing traditional doom enticing to people but Messa does this formula exceedingly well.

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.

L.O.R.E. – Demo [US, Black] (2016)

Self Released | 5-8-16

I make jokes about the black metal stock market in that you feel good when you find a band before everyone else does. The joke goes that you can buy low and then sell at a profit. I obviously have a very limited knowledge of stock trading but I feel pretty confident on finding out of the way black metal. I know nothing about L.O.R.E other than their Bandcamp Page and a few tags on Facebook. This is all surprising because their demo which appeared out of nowhere looks like it is designated for 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.

Isolert – No Hope, No Light...Only Death [Greece, Black] (2016)

Ogmios Underground |5-1-16

Yeah I know, I am not that enthusiastic about the artwork either. It is not the digital painting depicting a hanging corpse in the middle of a grim forest is bad rather it doesn’t really match the precision of the band’s grey logo. I feel comfortable point this out, at the beginning of the review, because my deflated attitude towards the cover is only dwarfed by my enthusiasm for the music contained within. There is always something that you can point out with a record that is pretty damn great.

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.

Vidargängr – A World That Has To Be Opposed [Germany, Black] (2016)

War Anthem Records | 4-29-15

Oh Lord, listen to that sound. If the cover art by fellow German metal musician Alexander Kavtea was not enough indication, A World That Has To Be Opposed is really about that one violent push back against, well, everything. situated in violent brushstrokes, the entire cover plus logo, is painted giving the design a raw and unnerving disposition. Cover art is important ass it is the first impression for most listeners. By this notion, Vidargängr is literally spitting on people who get too close.

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.

Prisoner Of War – Rot [New Zealand, Death] (2016)

Iron Bonehead | 4 – 18 – 16

Paging through new metal releases, there is a certain through process behind what to discard and what to put to the side for furthur investigation. Seeing the tags “New Zealand,” “Death,” and “Iron Bonehead” together made for an interesting proposals which was immediately followed by a fulfillment of all expectations. If the gross cover was not enough indication, New Zealand’s Prisoner of War is going to come to your house and fuck everything up.

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.

Utzalu – Drowning in Sanguine Screams [US, Black] (2016)

Vrasubatlat | 3-31-16

This demo is recommended in the hopes that people eventually stumble upon the nest that is Vrasubatlat. Vrasubatlat is the nucleus of “R” and his many connected black, death, punk, and mixed bands including Urzeit, Uškumgallu, Serum Dreg, Triumvir Foul, Dagger Lust, and finally Ash Borer. R and collected company have put out 8 releases since June 2015 ranging from demos, EPs, splits and full lengths all within the category of damn good to amazing. I have reviewed these other bands before and the same is true for each releases — these demos are fantastic on their own and become near unholy when taken as a collective force of destructive violence.

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.

Artifact of Skulls – III: Luciferian Blasphemy [US, Black / Death] (2016)

There are sometimes when great things just fall into one’s lap. There are other times when it descends from a tree, with the intent of killing, when you are least expecting. Artifact of Skulls is a black/death/war outfit from somewhere deep within the United States that has been on a 2016 tour of wanton destruction and satanic death. III: Lucerferian Blasphemy maybe the band’s first full length but it is just another chapter of basement/garage level black metal which substitutes all aspects of production for the sheer intensity of chaotic devotion.

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.

Into Coffin – Into a Pyramid of Doom [Germany, Black / Death / Doom] (2016)

Caligari Records | 4-8-16

Look. At. That. Fucking. Cover. There is a certain feeling one gets when they find a style that clicks with their personality. Into a Pyramid of Doom has everything from occultic obsessions to comic book styled horror. I do not know exactly what it is about Lovecratian monsters looming over Ancient Egypt, but I know Into Coffin knows exactly how I feel.

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.

Eichenwald – Eichenwald [US, Black / Ambient] (2016)

Self Released | 3 – 27- 16

I have made jokes in the past about black metal’s obsession with nature sounds and landscape arrangements. This sort of joke never gets old as long as bands keep putting in field music into their records. Case in point, Eichenwald’s debut demo/album opens with an honest to goodness, all hands on deck, wind/rainscape that extends into a 12 minute meditation. I feel the desire to lampoon things like this would be so much greater if the artist was more well known as well as if things like Eichenwald’s debut were anything less than exquisite and interesting.

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.

Putrid Coffin – Under the Cementery [Chile, Death / Thrash] (2016)

Self Released | 3-15-16

I want you to marvel at that album title because it speaks wonders and volumes. Putrid Coffin is having the time of their lives and everything is fair game. I do not even know how to say “cementery” without laughing. If this is all fun and fucking games to you then, the sound of ripping death thrash which makes a line right across your throat should add to the hilarity.

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.