GS Productions | 3-24-14
I mean, why would’t a funeral doom album have a cover with a casket and the lying dead? Seriously. This can’t be the first time this has been thought of. Splits are hard enough to categorize but it makes even more difficult when one band has three countries attached. Ennui is from Georgia, thankfully, while Aphonic Threnody is from the UK, Hungary, and Italy. You guys are going to make the heavy metal Olympics really hard to pick out uniforms.
Self Released | 1-1-14
It is about that time when things completely break down and chaos ensues. Plagüe is a California based black thrash act who has yet to find a label to call home. Unholy Offerings is the band’s first somewhat official release following two demos of near evil. Though this EP probably will not be considered anything past a longer demo, Unholy Offerings has brief glimpses of exceptional madness and potential to fuck shit up without mercy.
Iron Bonehead | 3-4-14
Hooray French death! It should be noted that this band has two releases in 2014. One is this EP and the other is a reissue of the band’s 2012 demos packaged together with Swedish death act Inisans. That other release is being handled by Caligari Records while Deathmanicvs Revelation is headed up by our trustworthy friend Iron Bonehead. Enough time spent hopping around lesser known labels will reveal a network of filth, evil, and interconnected madness. By Hook or crook, Skelethal is entering in through your front door.
Caligari Records | 1-16-14
Holy shit, who knew Caligari Records was releasing such wonderful music? The possibility for exceptional black, death, and doom is very real and just hidden under large rocks in Tennessee. Ritual Decay is a doom influenced black / death act with no ties to established bands nor any preceding qualifications. In fact their resume maybe blank with only an overexposed photograph with a wolf in their promo photo. Regardless, The Conquering Darkness is beyond the qualifications for introductions as Ritual Decay firmly plants themselves as one of the best newcomers for 2014.
Tartarus Records | 2-28-14
I feel compilations are important as they could potential be an introduction to a little known band. Suma is a Swedish stoner doom act who spent the bulk of the 00’s making splits with other psych, doom, and sludge acts of similar fame. This is to say relativity obscure. For all of the time Suma spent in the shows, You’re Such a Disappointment is here to remind everyone compilations are important and potentially slap to the face that everyone needs to look harder for these types of bands. Prepare oneself for a trip in the ether where monsters are capable of materializing.
Sarlacc Productions | 3-2-14
Again, I feel that “dates” are sort of up in the air when it comes to demos. Finish black/death act technically self released their demo in December of 2013 but the 2014 pressing by Sarlacc productions feels like an official date. In demo-land, things are hazy and ambiguous but I have a feeling I want Devouring Star’s first demo included in discussions with 2014.
Self Released | 1-14-14
I am going to have to make a special note on which albums are being self released in 2014. The reason for this interest is that the divide between label representation and independent status could be in name only. While certain labels possess resources not available to every band, the possibility of reaching people is very real. I had no idea who Grey Widow was until their music came in by accident and smashed all of my front windows.
Fallen Empire | 3-14-14
I have not been shy about my adoration for Fallen Empire. Ever since stumbling across the two cassette compilation from SVN-OKKLT, which showcased some fantastic underground black metal including Death Fortress, Witch in Her Tomb, Axis of Light, and Eos, I have been a fan and activley camped out in front of the office doors. Since that compilation, Fallen Empire has released a tremendous amount of material that included the full length from Death Fortress, the massively underrated Premonicion De Guerra by Lluvia, and now a demo from Eos. 2014 seems to be a good year for the Quebec based Eos. What little information is available for this act only adds to the mystery, as their debut demo L’Avalé is one of the better black metal releases of the year.
NoVisible Scars | 1-3-14
Well, then. We have One Master. From the not so horrid lands of Boston, One Master is a traditional first/second wave black metal band with their eyes focused on the occult. In fact, the cover for their 2006 full length The Quiet Eye of Eternity looks like the last image one sees before ritual sacrifice. This band has the imaginary to go to bat as well as the chaotic disposition to scare their listeners into submission.
Self Released | 1-15-14
I think I would have thought this were a German group if not for catching a few passing mentions of Ash Borer. Urzeit is from Portland, Oregon and contain one of the members in the half atmospheric half second wave black metal act Ash Borer as well as the sludge doom act Hell. Because it is more interesting when outer collaborations differ from the previous acts, Urzeit stands as the orthodox disciple of raw black metal. No frills here, Der zweite Drei is an open wound with gravel rubbed in for good measure.