Raw Black

Pale Shroud – In Sight O the Bog [UK, Raw Black] (2022)

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Self Released | 1-29-22

Oh frequency illusion, have heart! Bands with “shroud” in their name keep popping up in raw black metaldom. For us today, it’s In Sight O the Bog – the second demo from the anonymous Pale Shroud. In my raw black metal listenings, there exists the “Paysage threshold” of emotional resonance – a moment like in Paysage d’Hiver’s self-titled album where the violin soars through the ice-cracking tremolo. Well, In Sight O the Bog has one of those moments – it’s on “VII” where the synth briefly soars through the punky rhythms. Those little moments of “oh wow” are what elevates exceptional melodic raw black metal from the fray of so many Darkthrone worshippers – moments where the hair on my arms stands up just a bit. Pale Shroud also stands out by how punky it is; though the whisper-raps might put off, the crashing stilted percussion works (again, “VII” stands out). Alright Kap, your move on the raw black game.

In Sight O The Bog (Demo II) by Pale Shroud

Zwarte Dood – Waanzin [Belgium, Raw Black / Doom / Dark Ambient] (2022)

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Zwarte Dood is one-man raw black metal group that plays an absolutely harrowing mix of raw black and doom metal. Waanzin is the act’s third demo – though it’s remarkably different from the others. Waanzin is one twenty-minute long track that starts in a ghoulish dark ambient aesthetic before evolving into positively catastrophic metal with manic vocal invectives. The man behind this project is also the main creative force behind LVTHN, and it shows in both band’s haywire compositional style. Though Zwarte Dood is far more “off” than LVTHN; I don’t recall LVTHN’s music having a full-on minute of laugh-sobbing. Waanzin is a deeply discomfiting listen but damn if it isn’t powerful as all hell.

Waanzin by Zwarte Dood

Rose Cross – Rosicrucian Song [US, Raw Black] (2022)

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Self Released | 1-17-22

Pull out your copies of Foucault’s Pendulum. Rose Cross is a raw black metal-cum-punk band from Florida that plays three tracks exploring the arcane. In contrast to the more rapid-fire black / punk of bands like Bone Awl or Raspberry Bulbs, Rose Cross is a bit more mid-tempo. “Ceremonies for Ancient Knowledge” is nearly ritualistic, and “Madathanus” could be described as plodding. But that doesn’t mean to imply boredom; check this out for some of that dirty raw black and punk rock sound that just might have strong feelings about prime numbers. The Templars do not hold a stake in Tape Wyrm.

Rosicrucian Song by Rose Cross

Eternal Sword – The Cursed Land [?, Raw Black] (2021)

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Self Released | 5-22-21

I’ve listened to this release five times. I still don’t know what to write. Not that it’s bad – in fact far from it. This is one of the best demos I’ve heard this year regardless of genre. “The Cursed Land” is the (thus far known) first demo from the anonymous Eternal Sword, released on a certain day to uncertain parents. It’s a 31-minute romp of two tracks, both of which have plenty of extraordinarily riff-centric melodies with tupa-tupa-tupa percussion (that endearingly lags behind the guitars) and buried shrieks. One could call this “atmospheric” in the sense of being encompassingly produced. The midway riffs on the second track recall the best, most fervent parts of Weakling’s “Dead As Dreams” or Misþyrming’s “Söngvar elds og óreiðu”. Yet this is an autumnal album; “Dead As Dreams” is synthy and depressive, and “Söngvar elds og óreiðu” is hollow and scorching. “The Cursed Land” feels effervescent, pouring out grand and bombastic melodies that resolve into each other as the tracks bring back previous movements after sidewinder escapades to form wonderfully cohesive closers. I can’t wait to hear what’s next.

Chorazos – Demo [US, Raw Black] (2017)

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Self Released | 5-29-17

Album art is important ad it seems that the cover for this demo is the same image used on LVTHN’s 2013 demo. The image depicts a woodblock goat which does not seem to have a source material or if it did, it has been lost in a sea of appropriations. Albums covers to stickers, to social media pictures, this particular goat has become almost as synonymous with darkness as the black and white Baphomet image. Perhaps it is like a mantle which gets passed from one disgusting demo to another. Right now it is the dawn of Chorazos.
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Vomit Kult – Demonic Art [Unknown, Raw Black] (2017)

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Self Released | 1-29-17

Well, fucking fantastic guys, I literally have nothing to go on regarding where you are from since there is no trace of you anywhere on the internet. It is funny that people lament the death of research in the internet age and yet there are still bands that toe the line of known. Perhaps that is where they want to be, right on the cusp of existence.

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Myotis Occultus – Of Weeping Spells & Wounded Shrines [US, Raw Black] (2017)

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Self Released | 1-27-17

In the world of underground and lesser known heavy metal, newness is a relative term. To some the Arizona based one man act Myotis Occultus could be new with the weight of raw black metal making its first introductions. To others, the songs on the Of Weeping Spells & Wounded Shrines demo are just a recollection of past works that have been spread out on singles and demos released in 2016. If it sounds like I am complaining, I am not as Myotis Occultus was a mystery to me until today. Perhaps every once in awhile one needs new introductions as there will be more people coming in at various times.

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Altars of Ash and Bone – I [Unknown, Raw Black / Noise] (2017)

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Self Released

Self Released

Happy 2017 everyone. Though it is only 10 days into the year, this is a good of time as any to start digging into lesser known releases for the year. First up is a band that I legitimately can not find any information regarding aside from their Bandcamp page. You know the drill. Pull the blankets your to your face.

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