Crust

Autolith – Caustic Light [US, Sludge / Crust] (2020)

Standard

Hand of Death | 3-22-20

Autolith has a lot going for them which sort of balances out their sound. Sludge / crust is not something I initially seek out but the band’s dedicated to bleak aesthetics including album name, album cover, and record label name is all something that made we wander in only to be hit by a wave of pessimism. Much like early Baroness or Mastodon where the sheer weight of the music was enough to crush the listener, Autolith is a a mouthful of rotten air in the best way possible.

Continue reading

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

Standard

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.

Continue reading

Siberian Hell Sounds – ⍲⍕⍎⍱ [Australia, Grindcore / Black] (2015)

Standard
Self Released | 3-9-15

Self Released | 3-9-15

Ugly. This is ugly. In fact, “ugly” is the first and maybe only word which came to mind after hearing Australia’s Siberian Hell Sounds. In fact, before even hearing the music, a particularly grim suicide picture adorns the cover of the release. the band also comes with Lyrical themes of Violence, Anger, and Machinery. If you were thinking this was going to be anything else than a mortal trainwreck, then you are sorely mistaken. Luckily for everyone still here, Siberian Hell Sounds gives its audience something — and that something is relentless riffs.

Continue reading

Xatatax – Demo 2014 [US, Doom/Thrash/Crust] (2014)

Standard
Self Released | 7-12-14

Self Released | 7-12-14

When a band has their first single release titled “Barf at the Moon,” one can make a couple of guesses at what the band’s body of work will contain. Xatatax may have a couple of surprises here and there but audiences can safely bet on further releases being similar to a house party which is both collapsing as well as engulfed in flames. The band’s name is a palindrome which is fitting as their music is both filthy forwards and back.

Continue reading

Black Monolith – Passenger [US, Black / Crust] (2014)

Standard
All Black Recording Company | 4-29-14

All Black Recording Company | 4-29-14

Trust me, I literally have no idea what is happening in this album art. I would say that the lithograph inspired artwork illustrates the relationship between Black Monolith’s influences but this is wrong. This US based crust act fuses together the styles of hardcore and black metal but that would mean both figures on the cover should be rotting and shriveled. I think this is true unless the nude women is black metal. What in the hell is going on at that campfire? What is that pyramid?

Continue reading