SEEN AND HEARD ON A SUNDAY (PART 2): PUTREFIED REMAINS, RUINEBELL, SKIALYKON, WAKEN

 

As explained earlier today, I spent a lot of time yesterday making my way through new songs and short releases and found so much to like that I’ve planned four posts about them. Though I’m not sure I’ll succeed in writing all four before the new week buries me in other things, I’ve at least succeeded in completing a two-part collection that includes seven new songs from forthcoming albums and one new single. I’ve arranged them in alphabetical order by band name. The first four songs are collected here, and the next four are featured below (actually, there are more than four… as you’ll soon discover).

PUTREFIED REMAINS

Putrefied Remains are a Malaysian band whose debut full-length was released on tape last October by a Malaysian label named Narrowards (a re-press of the tape became available last month). I discovered the band because of an announcement that the tasteful Barbarian Wrath label plans to release the album on CD in October of this year. Barbarian Wrath has also made a track from the album available for listening on Soundcloud, and it put an iron grip on my throat when I heard it yesterday.

 

 

The name of the song is “The Dying Lullaby”. As Barbarian Wrath notes, the music is reminiscent of early Greek black metal, in the vein of Varathron, Mortuary Drape, and Rotting Christ — but man, it’s also heavy as hell, a steamrolling phalanx of compelling riffs, gut-punching percussion, exotic soloing, and demonic vocal extremity. A grim and gripping song!

P.S. After almost finishing this post I discovered that Barbarian Wrath has put up a second track from the album for streaming. The name of that one is “Silverian Hordes”, and you can check that out here.

It’s just as fantastic as “The Dying Lullabye”. Can’t wait to hear the rest of this album….

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Putrefied-Remains/230147383773039
http://www.barbarianwrath.org
https://barbarianwrath.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/BarbarianWrath666

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RUINEBELL

Ruinebell caught my eye because the band is a collaboration between Lasse Pyykkö (guitars) and Pekka Koskelo (drums) from Finland’s Hooded Menace, and Dopi from Spain’s Machetazo (vocals). The Czech label Doomentia Records will soon be releasing their debut EP Ember’s Grave. As a big fan of both Hooded Menace and Machetazo (though sadly, Machetazo appears to have broken up), I couldn’t resist checking out the first song from the EP that recently became available for streaming on Bandcamp. That song is named “Inexistence”.

I feel like bowing down and prostrating myself before the power of the almighty chugging riff that anchors the first part of this song — it’s a headbanger’s delight. But there are more delicious riffs in this song besides the first one, and the distinctive vocals, the bone-rattling percussion, and the psycho-active soloing are just as transfixing. Fantastic.

https://doomentiarecords.bandcamp.com/album/embers-grave
https://www.facebook.com/RUINEBELL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SKIALYKON

Skialykon is a one-man band from Reggio Calabria in Italy, and Naturmacht Productions will be releasing the band’s debut album Vestigio on July 26. What I discovered yesterday was an advance track from the album named “La morte di Iperborea”.

It’s a mesmerizing song — a soulful, sorrowful, echoing piece of atmospheric black metal, coated in a veneer of distortion. The vocals are varied and effective, a mixture of dramatic, layered clean vocals and caustic harsh ones, and the largely keyboard-driven melody is beautiful and harrowing at the same time.

Vestigio is available for pre-order on CD at this location.

P.S. After writing most of this post I discovered that Naturmacht has made two more songs from the album available for streaming on Bandcamp. For those like me who are interested in exploring more of Skialykon’s music, I’ve included the Bandcamp player below the YouTube clip for “La morte di Iperborea”.

https://naturmachtproductions.bandcamp.com/album/vestigio-preorder
https://www.facebook.com/skialykon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WAKEN

The last song in this collection is a recently released single entitled “Covet” by a band from New Haven, Connecticut, named Waxen. Someone I know on Facebook (I’ve forgotten who) left a link to this track, along with an enthusiastic recommendation, and I finally got around to checking it out.

The music is somewhat off our usual beaten paths, but it has really gotten its hooks in my head. The earth-shaking drumbeat and sludgy bass riffs that loop through the song give it weight, and the cosmic, psychedelic lead guitar and high, clear vocals provide a contrast that works very well. It’s a dark, potent piece of music to which I’ve become quite addicted.

“Covet” is a “name your price” download on Bandcamp.

https://wakenedmusic.bandcamp.com/releases