Refill #3: April 2023
Not as late this time!
In this edition of the Refill, I'll be trying out a new section. It's one hundred percent the wrong choice for a heavy metal newsletter. Therefore, it's funny. This is how my brain works. I'm sorry.
Anyway, as always, here are a bunch of releases from the month that was. I think I got all of the big stuff. I don't think I'm missing one. Me-tal-a-what? No, I'm pretty sure this is it.
Highlights:
Everything I liked this month
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Asystole - Siren to Blight (I, Voidhanger Records)
From: New Jersey
Genre: death metal
From the big minds and talented hands belonging to members of Thætas, Aberrated, Needlepusher, Replicant, and Windfaerer comes this exceptional exploration into death metal's odder environs. Yes, the nods to Gorguts and Virus are apparent. But Siren to Blight is also blessed with a death metal purity in its approach. It could be a follow up to None So Vile or Despise the Sun, complete with those albums' penchant for memorable riffage. And that memorability provides the crucial balance. Siren to Blight is deep. It's complex. You keep hearing new things every spin. But what you uncover burrows into your brain like a habit you can't quit.
Burning Palace - Cimmerian Altars // Ornaments of Bone (Total Dissonance Worship)
From: Santa Rosa, CA
Genre: death metal
I've got a feeling 2020's Hollow, this quartet's full-length debut, will eventually find a sizable number of fans. At the very least, it deserves more than the 82 monthly listeners currently enjoying its tech death delights on Spotify. Perhaps this single will set the record straight, then. The double A-side, as Total Dissonance Worship puts it, "hints at a potential magnum opus coming our way … before the end of the year." Boy, does it, taking the Ulcerate style of death metal in a direction similar to what Aeviterne recently accomplished.
Century - The Conquest of Time (Electric Assault Records)
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Genre: heavy metal
Like an NWOSHM take on Satan, Century's debut full-length is an early candidate for the album I'd hear the most at BBQs if I went to BBQs and/or had friends. Toss it on, crack a cold one, and dream of BBQ conquests, I guess. "The Fighting Eagle," with rushing riffs rife with trad belt ambitions, is a killer kickoff for an album that keeps it classic and catchy.
Devangelic - Xul (Willowtip Records)
From: Rome, Italy
Genre: death metal
This Italian quartet follows up the excellent Ersetu with an even leaner and more muscular take on Sumerian-inspired death metal that sounds like Nile summoning Disgorge in a ritual. Xul also contains another great performance by power growler Paolo Chiti.
Healthyliving - Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief (self-released)
From: Edinburgh, UK
Genre: rock / doom / sludge
Healthyliving is rich with spellbinding musical passages. But its most spellbinding musical trait might be its commitment to variety. While it's unified by the band's singular voice, born from the irrepressible personalities of its players, no song on Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief follows the same path. Even the back-to-back of "Galleries" and "To The Fields," two songs that follow a sort of Jeff Buckley-ish alt ballad construction, feel unique. The latter, one of my favorite songs of the year, reminds me of the more hushed moments of Bee and Flower or the eternally underappreciated noise rockers Barbaro. It's nervier, contrasting "Galleries" spectral shoegaze/slowcore-isms. But it doesn't upset the album's flow. Unlike some genre jumpers, there's a coherency to how Healthyliving makes the leap from the sludgy "Until" to "Obey," the latter being a post-punk stunner that makes silence feel as heavy as a power chord. This is just how Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief unfolds. Each song is an album unto itself. That said, make no mistake, Songs of Abundance, Psalms of Grief is a full album.
Ὁπλίτης - Τρωθησομένη (self-released)
From: China
Genre: black metal / death metal
That was quick. Τρωθησομένη takes everything about Ψευδομένη and cranks it up. What I wrote about its sibling, "intense spasms of chaos that sound like if Slayer read the Necronomicon out loud," still applies. The "meditative delirium" is still present. But Τρωθησομένη feels even more frenzied. Unbelievably, I think it's because Ὁπλίτης is more patient this time around, taking time to let riffs rise and fall. Highlight "Τρῶξις" sounds like Aura Noir studiously messing around with Meshuggah chugs, which is the most coherent and memorable offering from Ὁπλίτης thus far. That song makes the blasts of batshittery on the proceeding "Τρῆσις," a track dripping with discomforting discordance, all the wilder.
KEN mode - "I Cannot" (Artoffact Records)
From: Winnipeg, Canada
Genre: noise rock / punk
Can never complain about new KEN mode. Following last month's kick ass "Painless," "I Cannot" keeps kicking ass by steering the band toward SST territory. Per the liner notes:
We were looking for something ignorantly furious with this one, and it shows in the riffs. Equal parts My War, 90's metal core and some noise post rock. As much as everyone getting along would be nice, I don't think I want to be on the same side as y'all in the end. Ya dig?
I do.
Lunar Chamber - Shambhallic Vibrations (20 Buck Spin)
From: Atlanta, GA
Genre: death metal
Long have we waited for a metal band to pry open its third eye and gaze at the same astral plane as Lykathea Aflame. Some have gotten close: Sutrah, for one. But, despite it blowing minds for 23 years now, there still has yet to be a successor to Elvenefris. Shambhallic Vibrations suggests that Lunar Chamber might get close. While not a Lykathea Aflame clone — in fact, it reminds me more of Irreversible Mechanism or Augury respawning as Mithras — the five songs on this experimental EP are blessed with the same sense of wonder. Hell of a start. That these awed passages include Predator vocals says it all.
Molested Divinity - The Primordial (New Standard Elite)
From: Ankara, Türkiye
Genre: brutal death metal
Last time we saw Molested Divinity around these parts, the brutal death metal crusher was fronted by Cenotaph/Drain of Impurity's Batu Çetin. Now, the trio's gurgler is Erkin Öztürk of Meshum and Rektal Tuşe and formerly of Cenotaph. That wasn't the only trade. Yep, we got action in the drum department. Out: Decimation's Berk Köktürk. In: Cédric Malebolgia of Putridity. You're going to have to trust me when I say that's a lot of BDM star power trading spaces.
Lone-standing OG Emre Üren has cooked up some delectable riffs that race, rage, and rip. Think Malignancy at its speediest and it's receiving directions from Iniquitous Deeds. With the addition of Öztürk's roar, which has only gotten growlier since Meshum, and Malebolgia's hyperspeed blasts and stank-face-inciting grooves, The Primordial makes a hell of a noise when Molested Divinity is going all out. It's multi-dimensional degeneracy. I'd point you toward an example, but it turns out that applies to the entire album.
Runemagick - Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind (Hammerheart Records)
From: Gothenburg, Sweden
Genre: death/doom
After 2018's Evoked from Abysmal Sleep proved the rebooted Runemagick still had something left in the tank, I thought 2019's Into Desolate Realms backfired. Nicklas Rudolfsson sounded gassed. The hooks weren't there. The riffs didn't crush. Sure, in a vacuum, it was fine. Lord knows Runemagick on a bad day is better than a lot of death/doom. But it didn't have that spark. Compared to Into Desolate Realms, Beyond the Cenotaph of Mankind absolutely crackles. The production is wall-shakingly massive. And the four-piece sounds refreshed. When Rudolfsson lets loose that first roar, it's like no time has passed since Dawn of the End.
Sick Sinus Syndrome - Swarming of Sickness (Obscene Productions)
From: Ostrava, Czechia
Genre: goregrind
If you've done your time in the more extreme environs of the Czechia scene, these related outfits will mean something to you: Malignant Tumour, Pathologist (yes, that Pathologist), Ahumado Granujo, Heaving Earth, Intervalle Bizzare. For everyone else, this grinder is another outstanding entry in what has already been a banner year for goo. Thick riffs, fleet blasts, toilet flush vocals. A bona fide Obscene Extreme headliner.
Smoulder - Violent Creed Of Vengeance (Cruz del Sur Music)
From: Canada / United States / Finland
Genre: epic doom
Now flexing the "epic" side of its epic doom, Smoulder swings its sword faster on its sophomore release, Violent Creed of Vengeance. But, in case you're worried that the drums won't pound and the guitars won't crush, know that its muscles still ripple with that Cirith Ungol kind of strength.
Spotlights - Alchemy for the Dead (Ipecac Recordings)
From: Brooklyn, NY
Genre: sludge / doom / shoegaze
What a fascinatingly deep and rich album. I never dipped into Spotlights before this cycle, and that seems like a mistake. Alchemy for the Dead reminds me of the first time I heard Failure, that indescribable feeling of just sinking into music that has no bottom. In a 2019 interview with Echoes and Dust, frontperson Mario Quintero provided a different touchstone:
I don't think there is one particular album but if I had to [choose] one that had a profound effect on me and still does, it's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure. There is so much incredible music on that album. From the darkest, depressed moments to the poppiest love songs. This record is incredible too cause it highlights Robert Smith's ability to work off of one motif for an entire song and make it the most interesting thing ever. There are many choruses on this or any Cure record for that matter. It’s a combination of interweaving melodies, each one it’s own hook, that work together to keep you engaged. The guitar tones and playing are incredible as well.
Spotlights pulls off a similar effect. Check out "Sunset Burial." The song is essentially the same pace throughout, but so much happens, like when it gets gritty with gnarly distortion in its second half. Also, gotta mention Chris Enriquez's drumming. Steady, but fluid. And that tone is killer.
Tanith - Voyage (Metal Blade Records)
From: Brooklyn, NY
Genre: rock / heavy metal
It's early and it's still growing on me, but Voyage doesn't quite stack up with In Another Time. However, it's still good, delivering a fresh yet classic take on hard rock. Specifically, Tanith dusts off relics from an era right when rock started transforming into '80s heavy metal. It is an oft-used comparison, but I'll trot it out again: The trio sounds like Buckingham Nicks turned down the Fleetwood Mac offer to pursue Wishbone Ash jams and tour with a young Iron Maiden. "Olympus by Dawn," with its spectral guitars, is worth the price of admission.
VoidCeremony - Threads of Unknowing (20 Buck Spin)
From: Ramona, CA
Genre: death metal / black metal
This progressive death/black beast makes the leap on its second full-length. The promise of At the Periphery of Human Realms, the demo that showed off new members Philippe Tougas (Chthe'ilist, Cosmic Atrophy, a bajillion others) and Damon Good (Mournful Congregation, StarGazer, a bajillion others) has been realized. At the very least, VoidCeremony does sound like a dalliance between Cosmic Atrophy and StarGazer. What I mean is that Threads of Unknowing takes more twists and turns, putting the prog back into prog death. I especially like the fusion-y soloing throughout.
Check out my favorite metal albums of the year on RateYourMusic.
People Like ‘Em:
Stuff I'm on the fence about, mostly because I haven’t listened to it enough, but is still worth sharing
A La Fin De L'Univers - Le Voyageur (Transcendance)
From: France
Genre: black metal
I hate to burden A La Fin De L'Univers with a near-universal observation, but it's the first band up in this section, so it will have to wear this one: There's so much dang music. How are you supposed to keep up with 2023's pace? I sure couldn't, which is why this section of the newsletter is unusually laden with bangers.
Rennie Resmini hipped me to Le Voyageur, as Rennie does with many things. Seriously, if you think this newsletter is stuffed with stuff, realize that Rennie does this almost weekly. Did I have time to digest even a riff from this astral atmo blaster in the style of Arkhtinn? Alas, no. Here's my superficial appraisal, then: Sounds cool.
Altari - Kröflueldar (self-released)
From: Iceland
Genre: black metal
Altari is another Rennie selection I haven't had time to explore. Anyway, shout out to Iceland. I don't think there's another place in the world right now where the black metal scene has such a strong regional identity that you can generally tell what something sounds like based solely on knowing its home base. At first blush, Kröflueldar comes off about as you'd expect, albeit with some art deco, Imperial Triumphant-y gilding here and there.
Astral Sleep - We Are Already Living in the End of Times (Saarni Records)
From: Helsinki, Finland
Genre: doom / psych
Didn't even know this was out until I started putting this list together. Astral Sleep's earlier death/doom material, such as Solitude Productions-released Visions, made an impression on me. At some point, the band shifted to doom psych and it fell off my radar.
Birdflesh - Sickness in the North (Everlasting Spew Records)
From: Växjö,, Sweden
Genre: grind
In a genre where the average grinder wraps up their career in one album or less, it's notable that these weirdos have lasted over 30 years. Fun live show, but never did much for me on record.
Blood Star - First Sighting (Shadow Kingdom Records)
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Genre: heavy metal
Madeline Smith sure can sing, but the rest of First Sighting didn't tickle the ear. I think I convinced myself this was going to sound like Hellion. Instead, it's steady heavy metal. It's fine. I might just be grumpy. Your mileage may vary.
Buckethead - Pike 495 - Just Looking for a Friend (Bucketheadland)
From: Los Angeles, CA
Genre: rock
I can't believe we lived to see Pike 500. Following a deluge of live material, Just Looking for a Friend showcases Buckethead in meditative mode, vibing out with an acoustic guitar. You bet, this is my favorite kind of Buckethead record. But, same old story: Got too busy, haven't made it here yet.
Caustic Vomit - Eloquent Requiems of Necrotic Decadence (Cemetery Profanation Records / Necroharmonic Productions / Rotter Records / Spiritual Warfare Productions)
From: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Genre: death/doom
This is a fun one. Caustic Vomit dropped a creepy crawly death/doom demo back in 2018. The quartet returns this year with more of the same, emphasizing austere doom punishment a la Winter and Coffins. Hoping to give this one some more spins soon.
Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current (Peaceville Records)
From: Oslo, Norway
Genre: black metal
If there's ever a band that doesn't fit in with the "here are some albums released this month" newsletter format, it's Dødheimsgard. While I've listened to and enjoyed Black Medium Current, I can't claim I really "get it" yet. Like the stellar A Umbra Omega, I know I will have to put in the work. Maybe I'll revisit this in a future VaccZine. Dødheimsgard deserves it.
Dozer - Drifting in the Endless Void (Blues Funeral Recordings)
From: Borlänge, Sweden
Genre: stoner rock
Likewise, I feel bad that I haven't made the time for Dozer's first album in 15 years. Few bands can take the Kyuss crush and Fu Manchu fuzz to space like prime Dozer. If Drifting in the Endless Void launches itself into a similar orbit, it'll scratch a lot of itches.
Fardeaux - The Den Has Become An Abyss (Drowning in Chaos Records)
From: Saint Omer, France
Genre: black metal
Fardeaux features Mathieu from Darkall Slaves on drums. Fardeaux, though, ain't goo. Instead, Pierre, the player responsible for everything else, takes a page from cryptic black metallers with a predilection for labyrinthine riffs. Like most everything in this section, I haven't had a chance to go much deeper than a first impression. Be that as it may, good first impression.
Hyenism - Arma Defensiva (self-released)
From: Bratislava, Slovakia
Genre: black metal
I'm, uh, listening to this right now for the first time as I write this. Real professional. In my defense, it just came out. Still, Hyenism has the co-signs from the right Bandcamp power users. (And you can buy its complete five-release discography for €3.25 if you want to become a power user yourself.) Arma Defensiva, so far, sounds neat, allowing black metal, post-metal, and post-punk to swirl together into a dynamic whole.
Infecting the Swarm - Pulsing Coalescence (Lacerated Enemy Records)
From: Augsburg, Germany
Genre: brutal death metal
I remember Infecting the Swarm's previous album, 2016's Abyss, being well-received. Pulsing Coalescence reminds me of a nowadays Unique Leader take on fellow German borkers Despondency. There's a smidgen of modernity that doesn't rub me the right way. Still, when the duo, with guest drumming by Norse's Robin Stone, muck around in the BDM pigsty, like the ripping opening of "Anthropogenic Misconception," it sounds pretty undeniable. I don't know. Did I screw up not buying this?
Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown (Century Media)
From: Philadelphia, PA
Genre: metalcore
While I generally enjoy this new spate of beatdown bands, I also listened to Disembodied the first time around. That's not to shade Jesus Piece, whose new album sounds fine, but it's why I don't feel much urgency to cover this segment of the scene. Again, it's good. The juds are nice. But I'm old. I think this stuff really has to hit you when you're young enough to do pile-ons and headwalks without worrying about going to work tomorrow. So, unless a band is cutting big chungus chugs with something else, I'll just dust off Diablerie, thanks. That said, I'm open-minded. What am I missing?
Menacing Glare - I See Through You (self-released)
From: Baldwin Park, CA
Genre: grind
I really liked 2020's Continued Disdain For People, which had a blown-out production that reminded me of the early Willowtip signees like Watchmaker and Circle of Dead Children. I See Through You opts for a punkier sound in the vein of Bloody Phoenix. Not for me. Still, I like pulling for up-and-comers, so here it is.
Moribund Mantras - ...Of Fathomless Depths (Argento Records)
From: Stuttgart, Germany
Genre: doom
One of my more hilarious traits as a myopic coverer of underground metal is my tendency to be like, "Wow, everyone is talking about this band!" and the album in question is in a total of 14 Bandcamp collections. That's where we find this German doomer that spills into the off-kilter black metal. Is it hyped? Yes, by a bunch of accounts I follow on Bandcamp. Should it receive wider praise? Probably. Should I give it a deeper listen? Definitely.
Overkill - Scorched (Nuclear Blast)
From: Old Bridge Township, NJ
Genre: thrash
I've heard people saying this is the best Overkill album since The Electric Age, i.e., the last time I was interested in doing time with a new Overkill album. Like I intimated when I wrote about returns-to-form last year, Overkill's blessing and curse is you know what you're getting with the band. If I were a diehard, I'd be pleased. But I am not. So, if I'm feeling the need for Overkill, I'm generally not reaching for anything after Horrorscope. To its credit, Scorched sounds like how a modern thrash record should sound: lively, fiery, and with a thick low end. (Also my Tinder headline.) Definitely worth a spin if you have any affinity for the band or thrash in general.
Sanctuarium - Into the Mephitic Abyss (BlackSeed Productions / Gurgling Gore)
From: Barcelona, Spain
Genre: death metal
I used to know someone who argued that Spain produces fewer death metal bands than Sweden and Finland because there are so many nice beaches. Having lived in a beach-filled region and still been extra miserable, I don't think that theory holds water. To wit, Sanctuarium is from Spain and sounds authentically miserable in a Nordic fashion, letting its scuzzy death/doom fester with a Finnish kind of rot.
Serotonin Leakage - 2C (self-released)
From: Pennsylvania, US
Genre: death metal / black metal
Serotonin Leakage had been fusing vaporwave and goregrind until recently, when its metal got more multifaceted and spacey. The near-seven-minute single "TMA-2" even had a touch of Sarpanitum in the same way as still slept-on Ophanim. 2C seems to be working in a similar space, sandwiching black/death like early Aeternus in between swells of synths. Hoping to pick this up soon.
Silent Shepherd's Horn - Demo III (self-released)
From: Kansas City, MO
Genre: black metal
The thing I like most about Silent Shepherd's Horn is that it takes me back to that pre-MySpace age of sharing your demos on black metal message boards. Because there were no YouTube tutorials to follow, everyone's ambition pulled them in weird directions. "Hametsu (Determined There Should Be Nothing)," with its hypnotic arpeggios and spasms of drum machine cymbals, has that same stank of outsiderness.
Wild Beyond - Wild Beyond (Gates of Hell Records)
From: Philadelphia, PA
Genre: black metal / thrash
Not unlike Edward Gonet III's other band, Daeva, Wild Beyond plays blackened thrash. But I think of Wild Beyond as being more on the black side, complete with those sweep-picked flourishes and general Frost-sourced nastiness that informed the second wave. I feel like this requires a couple more spins on my part to pick out the riffs I like, but it generally adheres to the "on the verge of falling apart" thrash thrust I prefer.
Wolf Spider - VI (Metal Mind Productions)
From: Międzychód/Poznań, Poland
Genre: thrash
Wolf Spider is a Polish tech thrash band that released a bunch of neat albums in the '80s and early '90s. If the band is remembered for any release, it's probably its debut, Wilczy Pająk, which made the download rounds during the Blogspot era. My favorite is 1991's Drifting In The Sullen Sea, which has a real Voivod streak to it. Anyway, Wolf Spider reformed in 2011 and started releasing new material. VI features the debut of singer Jasiek Popławski, and what I've sampled sounds killer. If I can figure out how to buy this, I'll report back next month.
How’d I Miss This?:
Stuff that I missed
Akinetopsia - Collapse of Continuum (New Standard Elite)
From: São Paulo, Brazil
Genre: brutal death metal
Let's be clear: I didn't "miss" the releases in this section so much as New Standard Elite tends to delay digital drops to prioritize physical releases. I'm not in the market for more physical releases. My lower back still hasn't forgiven me for the last time I moved. But, since I brought it up, is this Bandcamp moratorium a good business decision on NSE's part? Well, it seems to work for NSE. And, hey, like I'd know. There's a reason I don't run a label anymore. Anyway, this is a long way to explain that I'll be working through the BDM backlog in this section for a few editions.
Akinetopsia! This is sick. I know it's from Brazil, but are you sure? Collapse of Continuum gives off a distinct Dying Fetus vibe, like whatever Baltimore basement produced those opposition-destroying chugsters also birthed this trio. But, nope. Brazil. I will say to assuage the concerns of my description nitpickers that Akinetopsia is way more on the BDM spectrum than Dying Fetus. But in the way Kataplexia is kinda Fetus, Akinetopsia is, too.
Darkall Slaves - Mephitic Redolence of the Decomposed (New Standard Elite)
From: Lille, France
Genre: brutal death metal
I don't want to turn brutal death metal into the back of a baseball card. But I do think engaging in the related-band/ex-member rundown can set expectations. For instance, before Marc Lamorille was roaring for Paroxysm Unit and Servants of the Sword, before Alexandre Giorgi was bassing it up in Engulfed in Repugnance, before Mattis was shredding in Cenotaph, they were in Darkall Slaves. (You already know who is playing drums.) Check out those names. Expectations are high. Darkall Slaves delivers.
The French quintet recently returned after an eight-year break with its second full-length, Mephitic Redolence of the Decomposed. It's the kind of album that NSE excels at. While I might run my mouth about the gooier stuff, this is the brutal death metal I keep returning to. It's riffs for people who like riffs. If you need a comparison to go along with those related bands above, let's say Disgorge played with the same pinch-harmonic hecticity as Malignancy. Mephitic Redolence of the Decomposed would've easily made the list last year if I could've gotten my greasy mitts on it.
Infectology - Deification of Anthropophagical Rites (New Standard Elite)
From: Ibarra, Ecuador
Genre: brutal death metal
This is the other kind of album NSE does well: barbaric brutality that barely hangs together. Infectology plays with a punky immediacy, choosing power over coherence, which is not dissimilar from the impact of the related Encystment and Infibulated. Pings, growls, riffs that sound like a centipede skittering around your skull. Ultimately, the reason Deification of Anthropophagical Rites does hang together is thanks to Fabricio Tamba, who plows through this material with an invigorating urgency. I mean, whew, "Impulsive Degradation." Are we talking about the song or my Bandcamp collection, OH!
Suffocate Bastard - Devouring the Void (New Standard Elite)
From: Herten, Germany
Genre: brutal death metal
If you're thinking, Huh, I haven't seen this awkward name since 2007, you're right because you haven't. And little has changed in those 16 years. I mean, I guess the drum tone doesn't ape Flo circa None So Vile as hard, but this is still the same brutal death metal band with a '90s flair and death/grind energy. I always feel weird making this case for brutal death metal, a style that should hook you from the get-go, but Devouring the Void's best elements surface on repeat listens. Case in point: Check out David Adamietz's layered riff interplay. There's a ton more detail in these mostly sub-three-minute rippers that flow much better than the band's name.
Bandcamp Hauls:
Stuff I bought that doesn't fit into the above sections
Álvaro Domene - Rapid Influx (Iluso Records)
From: New York
Genre: shred / fusion / electronic
I fell for Not Arbitrary because it sounded like nothing else. Little did I know that Álvaro Domene simply makes these mind-melters on the regular. Rapid Influx is another guitar record that pushes the limits of what constitutes a guitar record. It's like an AI trying to process the instructions "make a metallic jazz fusion album" when it has only been trained by Venetian Snares. But, of course, this has way more heart and art than a computer could churn out. If you like Aphex Twin at its most bugged out, you must snag this. The only thing missing is an "extremely hard bop"-y genre tag. Intelligent death music?
David Cordero - Among Pale Trees (Lontano Series)
From: Cádiz, Spain
Genre: ambient
Lotano Series: the best deal in ambient, minimalism, and modern classical. You can grab most of the label's releases for €1 and the entire 53-release discography for €15.90.
David Cordero's Among the Pale Trees is, according to the artist, "part of an imaginary soundtrack that accompanies me when I walk through the trees." "The Great Sadness" slowly plucks tones that ripple like raindrops hitting a puddle. Other tracks, like "Oma," are a blissed-out tone bath. But the most interesting work is the near-26-minute closer, "Night Begins," which reminds me a bit of new age master Iasos.
Duhkha - "Crasher" (self-released)
From: California
Genre: metalcore
Duhkha is back with a track benefiting "POAC Autism Services, a non-profit organization that provides training for parents & educators, and recreational & support services to children on the spectrum and their families." Refresher: This is the band with members of Teeth and Tzompantli that's fronted by…Keith Barney of Eighteen Visions. Juds aplenty, proving the ink hasn't run out yet. You can check out the Punks for Autism compilation here.
Jens Pauly - Narrows (Lontano Series)
From: Cologne, Germany
Genre: ambient
My other Lontano pickup. Jens Pauly's minimalist music favors layers of gentle progressions. Field recordings give Narrows a naturalistic feel, as well. Good chill-out record.
Kareem Ali - Godson of House: Rise of a Black Planet (self-released)
From: Tucson, Arizona
Genre: electronic
Hello again, Kareem Ali. Nice to see you again so soon. Godson of House: The Album dropped in February. Where that collection felt like a noontime pump-me-up, Rise of a Black Planet is more sedate, like a balm for those lonely 2am stretches. I mean, titles such as "Longing For You" and "For Those Who've Died" make that clear. Still, like the album that came before it, Ali's production choices are engaging, and while these songs fall under the house umbrella, they're varied, ranging from the Tangerine Dream-esque "For Those Who've Died" to the dancing-alone disco of "One Chance."
Lankum - False Lankum (Rough Trade Recordings)
From: Dublin, Ireland
Genre: folk / drone
I'm new to Lankum, but I can't think of a better way to get jumped in than "Go Dig My Grave." It's like a traditional folk song that slowly transforms into a Swans-esque dirge. False Lankum, the folk quartet's third album under this name, does its best work when operating in that mode, mixing the old with the industrial. "Go Dig My Grave," in particular, would've been a shoo-in for the Nurse With Wound list, like the Pogues collaborating with Scott Walker, as others have pointed out.
Lucidity - The Minsk Sea (Zegema Beach Records)
From: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Genre: screamo
It's still unbelievable to me how good screamo is now. When I bailed a couple years after Capsule's excellent Blue, I thought most in the style were spinning their tires. I heard good releases here and there, such as We Were Skeletons and La Luna to name two, but I didn't feel compelled to reestablish my previous obsession. (I'm guessing at least one of you remembers me from the masthead of a '00s screamo blog. If so, hey. Been a bit. No, I won't refresh To Dream of Autumn's download link.)
But now, thanks to labels like Zegema Beach Records, Tomb Tree Tapes, Larry Records, No Funeral Records, and more, I get to see how wrong I was. Screamo is alive, and it is vibrant. Lucidity is made up of ex-members of Улыбайся Ветру, a Russian group that embraced the melodic spasms of chaos like Ampere. The Minsk Sea works in a similar vein but goes harder, like if Neil Perry were granted access to the same studio tricks that made the aforementioned Blue feel so big.
Mohamad Zatari Trio - Istehlal (Zehra)
From: Romania / Iran
Genre: fusion
Musicians from India, Iran, and Syria comprise this three-piece that "merges traditional Middle Eastern sounds with contemporary vibes [including] interpretations of Hossein Alizadeh & Riad Al-Sunbati classics." For the first few seconds, the thrill is simply hearing these instruments — oud, tar, and tabla — together. That said, the songs are so well composed and arranged that any incongruity quickly fades away. Cool record, and probably not the last time you'll see Zehra in this column.
Temple of Angels - Endless Pursuit (Run For Cover)
From: United States
Genre: punk / goth
Hell yeah. I almost feared that Temple of Angels was done. After a superlative single, Cerise Dream/Breathless, that was equal parts of 4AD's dreamy and jangly sides, the five-piece went dark. Turns out, COVID put the kibosh on album sessions. But at last, here it is. Lead single "Tangled in Joy" is indeed that, immediately highlighting what made this band special in the first place. Guitars chime, drums thump, and the bass bops melodically. Also, Bre Morell can actually sing, an uncommon skill in the style as cooers are often hidden behind a mountain range of reverb. Morell, though, cuts through.
Tim Hecker - No Highs (Kranky)
From: Los Ángeles, Chile
Genre: ambient
I mean, it's Tim Hecker. I've been doing the Tim Hecker thing since Jetone. A good chunk of my life has been me submerged in Hecker-ish ambient fuzz, wearing his drones like armor. So, I bought No Highs as soon as it dropped, as I've done for every other release since Mirages, and...I haven't had time to listen to it. There's so much music! And I need to be in the right headspace, i.e., a long walk through a city. (I currently live in the middle of nowhere, thus tumbleweeds and death metal.) Anyway, like you need me to explain Tim Hecker to you. You know what you're getting. If you don't, I think it's best to hit play.
Tyshawn Sorey Trio - Continuing (Pi Recordings)
From: New York, NY
Genre: jazz
Tyshawn Sorey Trio's Mesmerism is still in the rotation, a beautifully complex piano trio record. Every member stars on that one: Aaron Diehl on piano, Matt Brewer on bass, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. Sorey stated that he went into those sessions wanting to lay down songs from the "Great American Songbook as well as those by composers whose work I feel should also exist in this canon." Thus, Mesmerism had a classic approach while providing plenty of room for each players' inventiveness to grow into those standards like thirsty roots. In particular, Sorey's drumming continues to wow me, often eliciting a literal "wow" like I'm hearing it for the first time. Continuing, the trio's newest work is, per the liner notes, far different from its predecessor, as each song stretches out to epic lengths. The Necks-esque, maybe? Can't wait.
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Mind Munchers:
Older stuff that has been stuck in my head so long that I need to write about in an effort to unstick them
D-Train - "Keep Giving Me Love (Labor of Love Mix)"
D-Train is one of those groups that had success yet still feels criminally underappreciated. Across three full-lengths released during the fertile post-disco era of the early '80s, James "D-Train" Williams (singer, songwriter) and Hubert Eaves III (instruments) cut two US Dance top 10s: 1981's number one, "You're the One for Me," and 1982's number two, "Keep On," the latter of which was sampled by Clark Kent for The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Sky's the Limit." Those cuts appeared on the duo's full-length debut, 1982's "D" Train, which is often listed by its subtitle, You're the One for Me. That one cracked the US album chart and the US R&B top 20. (Because I've cursed myself to be on this beat forevermore, it's a nearfecta: D-Train's "'D' Train Theme" from "D" Train.) The follow-up, 1983's Music, was less successful despite being a better album. Still, the title track and "Keep Giving Me Love" did OK, and the album broke into the US R&B top 40. The duo's finale as a band, 1984's Something's On Your Mind, didn't do business despite the title track peaking at number five on the US R&B charts. Odd. I'm sure there's a story there.
To get back on track, that career arc is nothing to sniff at, of course, and D-Train's legacy continues to live far longer than similar outfits of the era. (For people interested in early '80s dance music, this stuff is bedrock.) But, I don't know, D-Train's genius deserves more. Hubert Eaves III didn't have to go that hard on the bangers that make up D-Train's discography, but he did.
Breaking in with Gary Bartz NTU Troop on 1973's Follow, The Medicine Man, Eaves already had a heck of a career before joining D-Train: Norman Connors, Phyllis Hyman, Pharoah Sanders, Mtume, Stephanie Mills, The Spinners, and way more. His lone solo release, 1977's Esoteric Funk, isn't quite as intimidating as the title suggests, similar in spirit to, say, Idris Muhammad's Power of Soul. From a pure hooks perspective, "Painful Pleasure" sneaks into Mizell Brothers-esque jazz funk territory. (For my nerds, among the many other musicians on the LP, Esoteric Funk features Reggie Lucas on guitar, Mtume on congas, and Howard King on drums.) Anyway, this is all to say that Eaves had chops and experience.
Much of that comes through on "Keep Giving Me Love (Labor of Love Mix)," the 12" version of the single. The song sparkles with chiming keyboard flourishes, but it's all about the thump and bump of its low end, a syncopated beat that seems to prod you to get to the dance floor. It's not my favorite D-Train song, that would be the extended version of "Music," which reaches a delirious crescendo, but it's still a sonic marvel that still sounds a step ahead 40 years later.
James "D-Train" Williams went "solo" after Something's On Your Mind, cutting two more albums in the '80s with Eaves as producer. Because music is never not weird, you might know him best as the singer of the original "Pokérap." Eaves, on the other hand, went on to a successful career behind the scenes, notching credits with Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, and Erykah Badu. Gotta work with 'em all.
Gino Vannelli - "Appaloosa"
The supremely well-coiffed Gino Vannelli made the most of his opportunities. After running onto the A&M lot to beseech Herb Alpert for a shot, Vannelli recorded evermore popular pop fare culminating in the platinum-bound Brother to Brother. That album produced the number four single, "I Just Wanna Stop." Vannelli, of course, hasn't. While never reaching that level of notoriety again in this country, nor making an album cover as ridiculous as Storm At Sunup, Vannelli has kept it moving, riding the twists and turns of a lifelong music gig. For instance, by the 2000s, Vannelli was singing in front of the Pope, a move that led to a contemporary classical album. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether Pope John Paul II liked Storm At Sunup. I bet he did.
The embed above is from Live in LA, recorded in 2013. You'll spy an older, perfectly permed Vannelli shaking his hips to one of his enduring contributions to the dad pop canon, "Appaloosa." I actually like this version better than the one that kicks off Brother to Brother. Its more deliberate pace is more sagacious (if you want to make that leap with me), giving Vannelli's cooled-by-the-decades vocals a pleasing swell of jazz rock to ride upon. Sure, some weirdness with the video synch makes me wonder how much of this was tweaked and sweetened in the studio. However, it was always clear that Vannelli could put on a show, as this 1979 special attests. That version of "Appaloosa" also bangs, suggesting that Vannelli's '70s work really comes alive on the stage.
Minako Yoshida - "Town"
The increased interest in Japan's city pop and new music eras, not to mention the ease with which it is to find and stream now, has helped me to connect the dots between things I've listened to for years that I previously lacked context for due to the language barrier. Take Minako Yoshida. As someone interested in Japanese music of the '70s and '80s, some of her more-shared work, which I picked up via many Blogspot hunts many pirate raids ago, has been in my rotation: the soulful jazz rock of 1977's Twilight Zone that everyone compares to Laura Nyro; the Philly-esque soul of 1978's Let's Do It; and the sleeker R&B of 1980's Monochrome.
Here's what I now know: Turns out, Minako Yoshida legacy is as a songwriter if English-language bios are to be believed. And, lo and behold, there she is with credits on Tatsuro Yamashita's 1982 masterpiece, For You. And, because some very kind/obsessive person has gone to great lengths to document credits in Discogs, it's possible to see how often these artists collaborated. Who did the horn and string arrangements for "Town," the opener for 1981's Monsters in Town? Tatsuro Yamashita. The dots keep connecting.
Anyway, "Town." What a jam. That pulsating Prophet bass line, played by Minako Yoshida, is nasty, perfectly offsetting the glistening rhythm guitars, pugnacious horns, and sweeping strings. Also, that extended break with the live-wire guitar feedback that duets with police sirens rules, injecting just the right amount of danger into the stomping disco. "Town" fits in with other tracks of the era, such as The Jones Girls' "Nights Over Egypt," Rick James' "Ghetto Life," and Mary Wells' "Gigolo," that being immaculately produced dancefloor fillers. And, like those songs, "Town" has its own idiosyncratic verve that sets it apart. It's instantly recognizable. Once you've heard it, it has you. That groove goes harder with each subsequent listen.
Back when I had more time, I used to write more about my non-metal interests at Your Least Favorite Lupine. You can find the archives here.
Further Reading:
Some other Substacks for you
I dug this post on Air Raid that spends a couple grafs digging into why joyful heavy metal never seems to make a big impact on these shores.
Absurdly talented writer Justin Charity tackles modern "divorce albums," using Kacey Musgraves' star-crossed as a frame.
Jake Newby does such an excellent job tracking what’s happening in the Chinese music underground. The latest post has some gems including the new project from Carsick Cars members, a band that will be familiar to any obsessive reader of the Aquarius Records lists.
The Drumming Upstream series is a blast. Episode 29 tackles "Antares" by the shoegaze band Stella Luna. I really liked the thoughtful essay about the genre.
I have to thank Rennie Resmini's newest post for pointing out a new U SCO was on the way. I'm pretty sure I would've missed it otherwise.
The Friday standby.
You can find other recommendations here.
Shameless Self-Promotion And Logrolling:
Because I need money and haven't figured out a way to eat Bandcamps yet
The Black Market: "Exploring Metal’s History With The Band Name/Song Title/Album Title Trifecta"
This one has been brewing for a bit. It's a quick dive into heavy metal's enduring interest in the title triple, taking you from Black Sabbath's "Black Sabbath" from Black Sabbath to Ardent Nova's "Ardent Nova" from Ardent Nova. Shout out to Benjamin John for crushing the data. Shout out to Metal Stats, too. And I thought this one had a good slate of blurbs, to boot: Ypres, Hellish Form, Ocean of Grief, TDK, and Healthyliving. Super fun Body Stuff track as the bonus.
Heavy Business Podcast: "How to Listen to Music Part 2"
Fun one with Aliyah and Curtis. I'm just going to steal the episode description because I have done far too much clicking and clacking at the keyboard today: "Hop in our time machine back to hear how music journalism was done in the 1890's! Podcast friend, journalist Ian Chainey, came back on the podcast to continue through this book and discuss how these principles apply today. What is the role/responsibility of a music journalist? What does Greek mythology have to do with it?" Calling me a "journalist" is generous. I believe my correct title is "hack."
News & Notes:
Substack Notes is OK! Definitely less heinous than the Musklands we used to roam. Granted, I use it about as frequently as I do other social media tools. But if you want the odd dispatch about some random brutal death metal release or me reminiscing about Dionne Farris's "I Know," come find me.
I've been sitting on a half-finished VaccZine since January. Is this the month?
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