I want to thank those of you who have left comments or sent messages expressing sympathy and support for my current day-job misery. I was also surprised, and admittedly a bit disappointed, that a lot of people checked in on yesterday’s post even though I didn’t have the time to write about any of the music — or even listen to it! So I thought, what the hell, let’s do that again.
This column is usually devoted to black metal, and so I’ve started that way but also diverted from it. But yesterday one of our supporters (rodney) left a comment with some recommendations, and I thought I would include some of those here at the end, because he included some enticing descriptions of the bands and their music. Some of that music would seem to fit SHADES OF BLACK and some might not, which is true of my own choices
I again haven’t listened to any of this. As was true yesterday, I’m gambling, but these all seem like good bets.
Oh, one more thing: I’m rushing to get back to my job even faster than yesterday, so today I’m not even able to include artwork or the usual pre-order and band social media links. Sorry about that. Four more days of day-job hell ahead of me, and then relief.
THE STONE (Serbia): “PRAMAGLINA” (from Kosturnice)
COSCRADH (Ireland): “PLAGUES OF KNOWTH” (from Mesradh Machae)
VALLENDUSK (Indonesia): “THE SOVEREIGN” (from Heralds of Strife)
THULCANDRA (Germany): “NIGHT ETERNAL (LIVE) (from Fallen Angel’s Dominion)
SULPUR (Unknown): “A TEMPLE DRAPED IN SHADOW” (from Embracing Hatred and Beckoning Darkness)
FUOCO FATUO (Italy): “OBSIDIAN MULWARK (CREATION OF THE ABSURD)” (from Obsidian Katabasis)
CROSS VAULT (Germany): “GODS LEFT UNSUNG” (from As Strangers We Depart)
RODNEY’S RECS
CTHONICA (Venezuela): THE LESSER INCANTATIONS OF CHTHONIC LORE
Rodney: There’s a Venezuelan blackened death metal act named Cthonica that’s just put out their second LP (I think it’s their second?), The Lesser Incantations Of Chthonic Lore. It’s fairly simple but has a very raw tone that’s different from Vassafor, and to my ears at least, is really unique. Despite it being nothing innovative in terms of primitive blackened death metal, there’s just something about it. Don’t know if it will keep me going for lots of listens as it’s not a complex beast, but it sort of reminds me of a deathened and primitive version of early Skaphe, only the musicians aren’t on the same level and it’s not as dissonant. If that makes sense at all!”
EHNAHRE + N (U.S.): JACOB
Rodney: “Ehnahre’s latest is being released, called Jacob, a collaboration with an experimental noise musician, that takes their improvisational approach to new corners of creative chaos. An intense listen in terms of doom-noise-avant-guard-experimental metal. Although not post-rock (far too heavy and multi-faceted for post-rock), the way they seem to put their music together reminds me of how the British synthpop turned post-rock act (the first true post-rock act?) Talk Talk (rest in peace, Mark Hollis) did their last couple of CDs, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Layers of improvisational music where the musicians are given free license to improvise and jam on particular themes, with some of this ultimately spliced together to form the discordant yet controlled ensemble of sounds contained within some fairly rudimentary parameters, that somehow works and feels coherent.”