GONZO’S HEAVY ROUNDUP, SEPTEMBER 2023

(Our Denver-based contributor Gonzo is back with another end-of-month column, recommending five albums released in September that he thoroughly enjoyed.)

I have to admit that I love fall, if for no other reason than the temperatures stop trying to boil me alive.

Music-wise, though, there was actually too much good shit that came out in September than I had time to write about, so I had to trim down some stuff that otherwise would’ve appeared here. But I loved what ended up making the cut – some of it was full of surprises, and some of it was stuff that lived up to the hype.

Let’s get weird.

 

ASINHELL, IMPII HORA

We’re quickly reaching the end of the year, and that means I’m starting to think about which albums are going to be in my year-end top 20 for Listmania. And every year, without fucking fail, there’s at least one October surprise that throws my entire order into abrupt chaos. The debut album from Asinhell is the one this year.

Formed by Volbeat main man Michael Poulsen, Asinhell is the culmination of his desire to get back into his death metal roots. Enlisting the help of his longtime friends Marc Grewe on growls (formerly of Morgoth fame) and ex-Raunchy drummer Morten Toft Hansen, the results of the efforts here are searingly heavy, catchy, and immediately warrant multiple listens. “Fall of the Loyal Warrior” was the one that grabbed me first, as it was released as a single at some point this summer.

The rest of the album is absolutely loaded with headbanging grooves and relentless growls. There’s not a song on this record that I listen to and think “this could’ve been better” – every single one of the 10 tracks here just rips. “Inner Sanctitude,” “The Ultimate Sin,” “Wolfpack Laws,” and “Desert of Doom” all exemplify why Poulsen should spend more time in heavier circles than his main project.

It’s impressive that Poulsen and co. could put together such thoroughly fucking excellent work in a relatively short timeframe, but it’s just more proof that when death metal calls you to its unholy altar, you answer accordingly.

https://asinhell.bandcamp.com/album/impii-hora
https://www.facebook.com/AsinhellMusic

 

 

KEN MODE, VOID

The Canadian unit’s Null last year was underrated (at least, to me), and I still have yet to fully digest it. Void, it would seem, is the other-side-of-the-coin counterpart to that album, and it hits just as hard.

“The Shrike” kicks things off with a vitriolic bang, and “Painless” erupts into hardcore punk-fueled rage right after. I’ve always loved KEN Mode’s sound – mainly because nobody else really sounds like them, but also because their fusion of caustic hardcore, noise rock, and sludge scratches multiple heavy itches at once.

The menacing chug of “I Cannot” really stomps, while the doomy opening bass lick of “He Was a Good Man, He Was a Taxpayer” sees the band exploring some new – dare I say slower and moodier – territory. It just goes to show you that even a band as unique as these Manitobans can continue to refine themselves in ways you might not expect. Might be part of the reason they’ve been making quality noise for over 20 years.

https://kenmode.bandcamp.com/album/void
https://facebook.com/kenmode

TAR POND, PETROL

I love bands whose names evoke the feeling you get when you listen to them. Crowbar is a great example – I always feel like someone smacked me with an actual crowbar every time I listen to Time Heals Nothing. Listening to doom outfit Tar Pond, meanwhile, makes me feel like I’m literally walking through an actual tar pond.

It’s no wonder, then, that thick, slow grooves make up most of what these guys are all about. Ex-Celtic Frost bassist Martin Ain was an original founder of the group, but his tragic passing in 2017 led to some uncertainty for the band. Ain’s earth-shaking presence can still be felt in the fabric of Petrol, though – think Black Sabbath meets Alice in Chains at their most sludgy. It’s moody, it’s heavy, and it’s dripping with atmosphere. Try “Blind” and “Slave” for a good taste of this bombastic assault you’ll be treated to, and “Something” wallows into more psychedelic territory.

Also, this should be fairly obvious given the above descriptions, but Tar Pond is also ideal music to light up a joint while blasting at just the right volume. (I’m a simple creature.)

https://tarpond.bandcamp.com/album/petrol
https://www.facebook.com/tarpondband

DOMKRAFT, SONIC MOONS

Sweden never fails to disappoint me. Of all the various styles of metal to emerge from that country, though, you might not think of a trio of dudes that play loud-ass bottom-heavy metal that sounds like Soundgarden stuck in a desert wasteland, but alas, I present to you, Domkraft.

There hasn’t been a moment of filler for this band since their debut EP in 2015, and Sonic Moons might be their greatest moment yet. Filled with scorching riffs and howl-at-the-moon vocals, this album tears its way through a psychedelic backdrop and into your eustachian tubes with the fury of a thousand suns. At times, they sound a little like Seattle’s Sandrider here, but other times, they take on a ferocious life of their own.

“Stellar Winds” erupts with the might of a volcano and steadily builds across more than 7 minutes, while personal favorite “Slowburner” hits you in the fucking face with a massive riff right out of the gate. I have to wonder how loud these guys would sound live, because I need to put my earplugs in when I crank this loud enough in my car.

https://domkraft.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-moons
https://www.facebook.com/domkraftband

VAK, THE ISLANDS

As I’m often prone to doing here, let’s close out with something weird as absolute shit.

Sweden’s VAK cannot be easily categorized; nor, I imagine, do they want to be. They play a spaced-out version of psychedelic sludge, and even that’s a vague way to describe them. I first heard the song “Panorama” when a buddy of mine sent a frantic text sometime last month, saying “Listen to VAK. Because holy shit.”

Never one to turn my back on a good time when it comes to music, I obliged. Fast forward to a month later, and I can’t get enough of this record. “Panorama” is just the tip of the wacky-ass iceberg here, though – The Islands is a wild ride; almost like you’re listening to Killing Joke if Mike Patton was in charge. “Sewer Café” melts your brain by its end, while the brutally melodic “Q & A” settles things down into more familiar riff-based stoner grooves.

And I can confidently confirm that the song “Bodies” is not actually a Drowning Pool cover. (Don’t worry, I’m here to do the hard-hitting investigations so you don’t have to.)

https://vakband.bandcamp.com/album/the-islands
https://www.facebook.com/VAKsthlm

Like what you hear? Follow my best-of-2023 playlist for selections from everything you’ve just read, and a whole helluva lot more.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7zWqE685GVpuB5M3qRDvog?si=08d80939b43e4d89