(DGR reviews the debut album by Sacramento’s Vrtra.)

A half hour of music is honestly not a tall order when it comes to heavy metal. Most of the time you’ll find (especially amongst reviews here at NCS) that a half hour is really concise, more often than not an exciting prospect due to its propensity for constant repeats, and usually tied into jokes about a half hour being strictly reserved for Infinite Jest-length grind albums.

A half hour is actually something of a selling point, easily packed into work commutes and lunches. A half hour across three songs makes things much more interesting, and now the concessions start: A half hour available right now only through digital means or via cassette tape is when we start getting into strange territory. Such is the case with Vrtra’s My Bones Hold A Stillness. Continue reading »