Celestial Grave – Burial Ground Trance [Finland, Black] (2016)

Iron Bonehead | 7-7-11

Cool name. Check. Cool album title. Check. Iron Bonehead check. Finland. Check. Demo. Check. Cryptic artwork. Check. Well it looks like we got everything we need ladies and gentleman. Sometimes a release already comes with so much to like about it, it is amazing how much it grows beyond expectations. Celestial Grave already has at least 50 fans just on paper but this Finnish duo’s demo is so impressive that it may have the ability to capture the tortured imaginations of so much more.

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.

Sacrocurse – Destroying Chapels [Mexicio, Black/Death] (2016)

Iron Bonehead Productions | 1-16-16

In my various years of reviewing heavy metal records, few times have I ever been unnerved like I was when hearing the opening recorded shrills of Sacrocurse’s Destroying Chapels. The shlocky prerecorded screams of victims quickly drops into a brief 13 minute EP of madness and despair. Sarcocurse is being sponsored by Iron Bonehead for this EP but seems to be supported by Hells Headbanger for others. With those two in their corner, there is nothing but profane blasphemy in their future.

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.

Venefixion – Defixio [France, Death] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 10-18-15

Oh my goodness. either I am slowly becoming an Iron Bonehead fanboy raving about multiple demos just this year or there is a palatable stream of good material being unearthed by this label. Both may be true. I also maybe a sucker for hilarious blasphemy in artwork and Defixio, the debut from Venefixion has an oddly comedic spin to their artwork. Come towards the skeleton bearing a crucifix.

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.

Veiled – Omniscient Veil [US, Black] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 9-13-15

I am going to take you back to a time when a band called Gnosis of the Witch tore up the universe with their second EP Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar. This was back in the halcyon days of mid 2014. I only bring this up because Veiled is Gnosis up the Witch just…well…shrouded in a different name. I have no idea why this duo decided to jump ship on a name which did not have that many roots in terms of recognition but we can all assume that Veiled is just going to be as terrifying as the previous entity.

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.

Creeping – Revenant [New Zealand, Black/Doom] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 8-28-15

It was only after admiring the cover for Creeping that I soon stumbled into a weird and tangled web of New Zealand based extreme metal. Creeping’s cover was made by handyman Jamie Saint Merat who not only plays drums for Ulcerate but also did design/sound for a bunch of related bands including Abystic Ritual and The House of Capricorn. Those two bands are sort of the two parts which make up Creeping. If a voucher from Iron Bonehead is not assurance for this band’s third full length is not enough, then put your trust in New Zealand’s ability to make no nonsense darkness.

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.

Shroud of the Heretic – Unorthodox Equilibrium [US, Death] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 7-30-15

I believe my only complaint regarding west coast death metal act Shroud of the Heretic and their 2014 full length Revelations in Alchemy was the cover. Given the cavernous nature and the occult themes which run like imps through that record, I personally felt the white cover did not match the aesthetic of the record. It is a small complaint but something which stuck with me considering how much I enjoyed the record. Imagine my surprise when the band’s new record, Unorthodox Equilibrium comes with a gorgeous cover with a bunch of symbolism that I probably have no business trying to figure out. It is this type of alignment which makes great music shine when a pleasing album cover and competent death metal dances under arcane mysticism.

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.

Possession – 1585-1646 [Belgium, Black/Death] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 6-6-15

Oh that’s cool. What is that? Is that a child being sacrificed by moonlight among a group of armored and robed deviants. Amazing. Is that a bell tolling over the sound of rumbling thunder for an intro? You had me at thunder. There are sometimes when an album cover can tell a story a thousand pages long. Possession’s 6 minute intro into their 24 minute EP comes with such tension and grand celebration that it is hard not to get excited when everything breaks into complete fucking panic.

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.

Nocternity – Harps Of The Ancient Temples [Greece, Black] (2015)

Necroshrine Records | 2-16-15

Wow, ok. This seems to be a record that takes a lot of breathe and explanation before the music even starts. Let us see if we can cover everything. Nocternity is a Greek black metal project helmed by a musician named Khal Drogo. While that name is well known now, the fictional character from George R.R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice was less known in the early 2000’s when Nocternity was releasing music. The last full length release for Nocternity was in 2003 with Onyx which was bridged by various EPs and splits. Harps of the Ancient Temples was planned as a third release much earlier but was eventually mired in production difficulty and various recordings. The third full length from Nocertnity is advertised as “black metal from a lost time, from a time far, far way, from a time that is literally ancient.” Though the early 2000’s do feel very ancient in terms of black metal, Nocternity has a romance for something much older.

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.

Swarþ – Veneficivm [Unknown, Black / Death] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 2-27-15

“There is no contact address, no credits nor pictures of the band.”

Recently there have been conversations about the use of anonymity in heavy metal whether for protection, enhancement, or downright hype. Though anonymity can certainly divorce the music from its creator leaving a dark entity removed, it can also be used as a silly promotional tool. Swarþ (sort of pronounced SwarTH) is an entity which has existed since 2013 without name, country, or any real information. Their releases come without titles and were released by the British label Exitium Productions, In fact, the labels first release was Swarþ’s demo. Despite the layer of anonymity being only so deep, the veil of silence which accompanies Swarþ is certainly enough to chuckle but never enough to detract from the music.

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.