Two New Releases from EEE Recordings

Presumably the last two releases of 2010 for one of HSS's favorite labels.  First, the latest from Oaks of Bethel, titled Two Rivers of Blood Flow From the Moon.  Hypnotic and aggressive black metal with the signature tortured vocals.

Second, the long awaited debut full-length from Louisville's Wheels Within Wheels. You may remember WWW from the 2009 split with Panopticon, which was solid material.  I'm willing to bet that this will be far better. Wesley Crow, the man behind WWW, also plays in Seidr with Austin from Panopticon, among others, so you know this guy has vision. I absolutely cannot wait to hear this.

You can preorder these both from EEE Recordings; the official release date is December 21st.

3 New Albums from Sepulchral Productions

Canadian metal label Sepulchral Productions has just recently put out three great new albums. This first one is a gem by the Quebecois ambient black metal trio Forteresse, and the album is called Par Hauts Bois et Vastes Plaines. This translates as By High Wood and Vast Plains, if that matters to you at all. This is an album of slow, majestic, and ethereal black metal that will chill you to the core. It is beautiful, haunting, and altogether moving. The keys aren't overstated or saturating, but they play a prominent role that maintains the cold atmosphere of this recording. Perhaps their best yet.

Speaking of cold... and misanthropic and hateful... here's the new album from Swiss one-man black metal band Borgne. Bornyhake  is also at the top if his game, here, taking all the varying elements that made previous Borgne efforts so memorable and putting them down on one disc.It's not terribly groundbreaking, but that's not really the point. The point is that the songs are very good, and expertly communicate that frigid, reclusive vibe that Borgne is known for.  Well worth grabbing.

Last, but by no means least, the latest album from Neige et Noirceur (which means "snow and blackness," in case you were curious). This is a phenomenal record from a band that seems to only put out unreasonably good music. The sound on this album is more varied than that found on the previous Neige et Noirceur releases, but still has that sprawling, epic feel that one encounters in the middle of a barren, snowy field during a midwinter blizzard. It's really a remarkable achievement; other bands that produce this style of music can often be boring and rather plain, but that's not the case here. The album is very interesting from beginning to end.

All three of these albums should find their ways into your collections, and I think I can reasonably assure you that once you do pick them up, they will spend considerable time in your CD players.  Order all of them now at Sepulchral Productions.

Heaven in Her Arms, "Paraselene" 2xLP

Another record that has just blown me out of the water and left my jaw hanging wide open.  Japanese post-hardcore bares some similarities to Envy of course, but you'll never mistake it for Envy when you listen. The vocals take on a different sound, and the atmospheres that reside on this album are thicker and even more beautiful than those found on Envy records.  My guess is that if you like Envy, you'll like this, but the comparisons aren't really fair, because Heaven in Her Arms (named after the Converge song, I'd imagine) are definitely doing their own thing, bringing their own unmistakable intensity and passion. I absolutely love this album, and I really hope that you will too.

Available now for preorder from Denovali in double vinyl as well as CD format, but if you know Denovali, you know they do vinyl really, really well.  There are a couple of really nice editions of this record that you can order, as well as a t-shirt.  If you just want to hear some of the band's stuff, go here, but if you've been waiting for this like I have, just go here and preorder it now. ALso, you can get more details on the album and listen to a couple of tracks here.

Ayr, "Circling" and "Eternal Sustain"

Scathing, hypnotic, and heavy black metal from North Carolina. The demo, titled Circling, and pictured above, is available in cassette format from Nervous Light.  Only a few left, so get one while you still can.

This, the band's first full-length, titled Eternal Sustain, is based around the idea of getting eaten, digested, and spat out by the Earth, which pretty much sums up the way I feel just about every fucking day. How delightful.  In any case, you can download this from the band's Bandcamp page for a paltry $5.50. Supposedly coming in limited cassette and CD editions. 

Listen to this, it fucking rules.

Thou, "Summit" LP

Thou's Summit, one of this year's finest metal records, finally hits the streets on vinyl.  This is only the first four songs from the CD version, because the other two were not actually meant for this album, but were included as CD-only bonus tracks.  Usually it's the other way around, and there are vinyl-only bonus tracks, but I understand why it was done, in this case.  Whatever, this is still a must-have - 180 gram white vinyl, with heavy duty jacket and printed inner-sleeve.  Get it now from Southern Lord.

New Stuff From Khrysanthoney/Starlight Temple Society

As you can see in the above photo, there is some sweet new stuff available from Khrysanthoney - the new (and final) recording from Clair Cassis as well as the re-release of Velvet Cacoon's classic Dextronaut. Both are available now on CD, but will be issued on vinyl in January of 2011.  Dextronaut will be a 2xLP - a format it should have been on a long time ago.  So psyched that this is getting done.

 Also, three absolutely essential releases from the enigmatic Starlight Temple Society. First, the culmination of a project that has been in the making for quite some time, and one that I'm freaking thrilled about - Nightbringer's Emanation CD. This CD brings together Nightbringer's demos as well as some rare and unreleased stuff.  A must-have if there ever was one.

Second, the debut album from Temple of Not, titled Μέλαινα Τάξις τοῦ Θανάτου, or B.O.T.  Temple of Not is the terror machine of Naas Alcameth from Nightbringer and Akhlys, so you know this is going to be amazing. The Temple of Not material on the Rex Ex Ordine Throni double split LP (with Nightbringer) from 2005 is unbelievable, so this can only destroy. A long time coming as well.

Third, the debut album from atmospheric black metal band Void of Reveries, titled Silenti etc es tantum Quietus. This is highly textured, highly addictive stuff, so beware: once you start playing it, you won't want to stop.


These are all highly limited, so get your butt over to the STS/Khrysanthoney store to purchase any and all of these. The prices can't be beat, so get these while you can.

Vit - Untitled Album

Vit, from Swansylvania, Ohio have self-released their untitled debut album, and I think you should hear it. Equal parts brutal aggression and hypnotic, melodic beauty, and it's hard not to appreciate what this band brings to the table. They clearly mean fucking business, and you can witness that first hand if you're lucky enough to be in one of the cities they'll be playing in with Vestiges:

12/26 Cleveland, OH @ Tower 2012
12/27 Chicago, IL @ The Juicer
12/28 Chicago, IL @ Reggies
12/29 Nashville, TN @ Little Hamilton Collective
12/30 Asheville, NC @ The Get Down
12/31 Greenville, SC @ Suite 8
01/01 Augusta, GA @ The Garage 
01/02 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter

To check them out, go to the Bandcamp page - you can support them and pay for a download, or just link to the free download offered their as well. Some wooden boxed editions of the album were made, but have sold out.  Looks like they're going to make more, though, so just email them and I'm sure you can probably get one. I've enjoyed the hell out of mine. There's a less deluxe burlap edition of it too - just support the band in one way or another and get this - and then play it fucking loud.


If you like, you can also "like" them on Facebook.

Terzij De Horde, "A Rage of Rapture Against the Dying of the Light"

Note: This was originally written for a different website, one that no longer exists, so I'm posting it here.

This Dutch band, which previously existed under the moniker Liar Liar Cross on Fire, has burst onto the post-black metal “scene” with this EP, its debut recording under this name. (Liar Liar Cross on Fire released a demo in 2008 called “Exposed, Barren and Often Windswept,” which, while decent, doesn’t come near the quality of the Terzij De Horde material.) There is quite a lot going on here, as there are clearly a number of prominent musical influences that produces this band’s sound. Terzij De Horde don’t exactly sound unique, but there’s something unmistakably TDH about the music on this 4-song EP, which combines black metal, post-hardcore, post-rock, sludge, and even screamo to get what we hear on songs like “Vertigo - the Mithraic Ritual” and “The Roots of Doomsday Anxiety.”

If I had to sum up the feeling that this record communicates in one word, I would use the word “tension.” The tension builds during each song, and even across songs, and you can tell that these guys mean business. The passion is impossible to question, and it’s made even more glorious by the fact that this is intelligent music, almost touching on the avant-garde at times. Terzij De Horde are said to be influenced by a great many philosophers and poets; they lyrics to these songs, when read without the accompanying music, make rather good poetry. It could also be noted that the lyrics to one of Liar Liar Cross on Fire’s songs (“The Kraken”) is actually a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson.

My only complaint about the record is that the tension that builds never really lets go. Every time I listen to it, I expect for the pressure to finally release, for waves of unbridled emotion to come cascading down upon me, but it never really happens. One is left feeling that the record is rather incomplete; I often tell myself that if it were a full-length, then this minor issue could be worked out. Even on the final track, “Non Timetis Messor,” when it seems like the band is consciously trying to wrap it up and leave the listeners ears in a state of total disarray, the climax never arrives.

Still, this is a somewhat minor issue, especially considering it’s the band first release.  The songs stand up to repeated listens and even keep me coming back for more. It’s an interesting listen, and I’ve found new things almost every time.

For more info, or to buy a CD, go to the band’s myspace.

Deafheaven demo

I swear I posted this before; there have been a few things I've posted that seem to have disappeared. So I try again...

I've been listening to this quite a lot. It didn't strike me as anything special the first time I listened to it, but now I hear the brilliance hear. Black metal with post-rock elements. Yeah, you've heard that story before, but this is the real deal - these songs are quite memorable. The songcraft here is what makes this special, along with the fact that the four songs on this demo were produced very well.

Don't take my word for it - check it out yourself.  You can download the demo at their Bandcamp page, and when your satisfied, you can purchase a tape here.  For $4 you really can't go wrong.

Furbowl, "Those Shredded Dreams" 3xLP

Yes you heard it right. 3 mighty slabs of early Swedish Death Metal. Furbowl was one of those bands with the terrible name (which is probably why they later changed it) but amazing riff-heavy death jams. This triple 180 gram LP in heavy triple gatefold packaging contains not only the classic Those Shredded Dreams album, but also 18 bonus tracks, including demos and live cuts - enough to make your mouth water.  Hells Headbangers comes up big yet again. Strictly limited to 200, so get on this now.