THE HERETICS FORK: “OPACIS DOLORIS”

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Oct 212020
 

 

(The Heretics Fork is a band of unknown location and anonymous membership who’ve taken a medieval torture device for their name. This is Vonlughlio’s review of their new album, which will be released by P2 on October 31st.)

This time around I have the opportunity to review the sophomore effort from The Heretics Fork entitled Opacis Doloris, set to be released on October 31st via P2.  Before I start to dive in I have to mentioned that their debut Tomentore was released two years ago (also on October 31st) and for me was one of the biggest surprises of 2018 (see review here), and subsequently made it into my list of top BDM releases of that year.

One big mystery is that no one knows who is involved, there is no social media presence, without a care in the world, and this just adds mystique to the project. They obviously prefer to let the music speak for itself, and make no compromises to their artistic vision. The scene will take care of promoting it by word of mouth, with no problem, since the music is that good. Continue reading »

SHORT BUT SWEET: DAUGHTER CHAOS / ULTHA / VONLAUS

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  4 Responses »
Oct 202020
 


Daughter Chaos

 

(Andy Synn returns to NCS from the injured list and brings us reviews of three excellent EPs released in September or October of this year.)

Some of you may have noticed (or maybe you didn’t, I don’t know how much attention you’re all paying) that I haven’t published anything here at NCS for a little while.

The reason for this is that last weekend (not the one just gone, the one before that) I managed to do myself an injury – not the worst I’ve ever had, but significant enough to affect my life – that has basically kept me in pretty much constant pain, and prevented me from sleeping more than an hour or two at a time, ever since.

As a result I really haven’t been in any mental or physical shape to focus on my writing here, hence my absence over the last week or so.

Thankfully I’m slowly beginning to heal up (and have gained access to some better drugs) meaning I’m now finally capable of diving back into the massive backlog of bands/releases which has developed over the last few days/weeks/months, so expect to be hearing a lot more from me – about a lot of new releases – over the next several days.

And to start things off, here are three pretty damn killer EPs from three pretty damn killer bands. Continue reading »

AN NCS DEMO PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): WATASHI DAKE — “FERAL”

 Album Reviews, Premieres  2 Responses »
Oct 192020
 

 

The pandemic brings physical and emotional misery on a vast scale, but as someone once said, life finds a way — including musical life. Creative people continue to create, perhaps as much to treat their own pandemic wounds as to offer a balm to others. And so, for example, 2020 has given birth to a fascinating musical project named Watashi Dake. Who knows, maybe in a more normal year it wouldn’t have happened.

The phrase is Japanese and means “Only Me” or “Just Myself”. But the musical project that took this name is the work of a Romanian artist, R.S., who dwells in Transylvaia rather than Japan. The phrase connects to the lyrical themes and inspirations of the music on the band’s first demo Feral, which speaks of failure, freedom, and struggle. “Feral,” we are told, ” is first and foremost a call to rebellion against the chains that imprison our true nature”. It’s thus not surprising that in addition to two original songs, the demo also includes a cover of Dead Kennedys‘ “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”.

Feral was composed and recorded in the summer of 2020, and it will be released on October 25th by Inferna Profundus Records. Today we’re presenting a full stream of its three tracks. Continue reading »

AN NCS DEMO PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): ÅSKOG — “VARG”

 Album Reviews, Premieres, SHORT BUT SWEET  No Responses »
Oct 162020
 

 

The Swedish duo known as Murdryck began musical life in 1999 as a “Blackened Dark Ambient” project, disappeared for a time, and then rejuvenated themselves as a Black Metal band in 2014. Thereafter, they released two excellent albums, 2016’s Antologi MMXV (reviewed here at NCS) and 2019’s Födelsen. And then, to the sorrow of Murdryck’s fans, they disbanded. But it turns out that the two men behind Murdryck weren’t finished after all.

That duo — bassist/vocalist Lars Hansson and guitarist Adam Chapman — came back together early this past summer, inspired to renew their cooperation in pursuit of fresh ideas. Adopting the name Åskog, they ensconced themselves in a decrepit forest house owned by Lars deep in the woods of Värmland and wrote four songs between July and August. As they explain, the themes of the music were spawned by the band’s presence in that old forest house, with its own morbid history and its wilderness setting, during a time when the Covid-19 pandemic turned the world into chaos: “You only have to watch nature documentaries to realize the natural world is truly a horrific place. The great outdoors is romanticized, but the reality is it is brutal with no room for concession or concern.”

But what kind of music was born of this reunion, and Åskog’s focus on the cold and harsh brutality of nature? You are about to find out, because today we’re streaming Varg, Åskog‘s first demo, on the eve of its October 17 release. In its digital edition, it includes two of the four songs written this past summer, and a cassette tape edition will include a third one as a bonus. Continue reading »

DEFACING: “THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN CRUELTY – DESTROYING YOUR DIGNITY”

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Oct 152020
 

 

(Here we have Vonlughlio’s recommendation of a new compilation record by the Chilean brutal death metal band Defacing, which is out now on Rotten Cemetery Records.)

Defacing is one of the best BDM acts from Chile. Originating back in 2001, they graced us in 2003 with their demo The Beginning of Human Cruelty, a display of powerful in-your-face Brutal Death that has all the qualities fans of the genre love.  But it was not until 2005 with the release of their debut album, the well-named Spitting Savagery, that I was able to discover them.

A friend of mine said when we listened to the album (and I quote) “South America Cryptopsy twins”, and the funny thing is, they cover “Phobophile” on this release (which is hands-down an amazing cover). But for me, they are not twins. Sure, there is a strong influence, but Defacing still managed to create a special sound.  For 31 minutes you find yourself in constant movement with the punishing riffs, the blast beats, and vocals that are utterly nasty and full of hate.  This album made an impact that still holds 15 years after its release, an underrated gem of one great project. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): INTAGLIO — “INTAGLIO” (15TH ANNIVERSARY REMIX)

 Album Reviews, Premieres  1 Response »
Oct 132020
 

 

On the 15th of October, 2005, Solitude Productions released the self-titled debut album of the Russian band Intaglio (also known as Инталия). The album made a deep impact, not only because Intaglio were one of the earlier pioneers of funeral doom in their homeland but also because the music created such a powerful and memorable amalgam of crushing weight, desolate atmosphere, and profound melody.

It is thus entirely fitting that on October 15 of this year, on the album’s 15th anniversary, Solitude Productions and Weird Truth Productions will be releasing a very special “reimagined” edition of the album. As they explain: “All the original source audio tracks have undergone restoration and processing using top of the line digital and analog gear. In place of the original version’s programming, all drum parts have been live recorded without the use of any triggering or sampling technology. The album was restored and remixed by Evgeny Semyonov (When Nothing Remains, Woe Unto Me, Sorrowful Land) at Slow Burn Studio, and mastering was performed by Mika Jussila (Shape Of Despair, Isole, Unholy, Moonspell) at Finnvox Studios.”

The results of this careful work are stunning, and an experience that no fan of funeral doom should miss. We are very happy to give you the chance to experience it today through the premiere of a full stream. Continue reading »

OMINOUS SCRIPTURES: “THE FALL OF THE CELESTIAL THRONE”

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Oct 132020
 

 

(Here is Vonlughlio’s review of the second full-length by the Belarusian death metal band Ominous Scriptures, which is out now on Willowtip Records and features striking cover art by Jon Zig.)

I have to say that I have been fortunate to write my small reviews and lists of best releases for some years now and am thankful to Islander for the trust.  As I’ve mentioned, my main purpose is to promote Brutal Death Metal since other genres are well-covered here. Having said that, yes I do listen to other genres as well but for the reasons mentioned I try to focus on BDM here in NCS, and am doing that again now.

Today the subject is a project from Belarus that goes by the name Ominous Scriptures. On August 28th they released their sophomore album The Fall of the Celestial Throne via Willowtip Records. This release is crushing from start to finish, revealing the work of outstanding musicians who have come together in crafting something special that will forever be cherished by their fans. Continue reading »

UNSUNG HEROES OF 2020: HVRT / KRUELTY / KVLL

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Oct 082020
 

 

(Here’s a trio of enthusiastic reviews penned by Andy Synn, accompanied by a lot of crippling music)

Those of you who’ve been with us here at NCS for a while will, possibly, know that I usually do these “Unsung Heroes…” articles in January/February as a way of catching up with bands who I didn’t get around to reviewing the previous year.

You also may have noticed… it’s October 2020. Which means I’m kind of jumping the gun a little. But damn, I didn’t want to wait until January to get these three artists/albums written up because they deserve all the love and attention I/we can muster right now. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): KNEEL — “AILMENT”

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Oct 082020
 

 

Bewildering and distressing times we live in, where the unstopped global migration of a microscopic organism has exposed a multitude of fissures in human societies that have been accumulating for countless generations, and turned them into gaping fractures. The scale of these terrible consequences is vast, a devastation writ large, but in some ways a reflection of what happens in so many solitary lives, where the accretion of seemingly minor problems over time can lead, and often does lead, to tragic and unmanageable outcomes.

The persistent failure of both individuals and societies to deal with mounting flaws until it’s too late is a kind of seemingly incurable ailment in the human condition. And thus it’s fitting that Kneel‘s new album, which was inspired by such thoughts, is itself named Ailment.

As the solo project of Portuguese multi-instrumentalist and producer Pedro Mau (ex-Kneeldown, Wells Valley), Kneel released a debut album named Interstice seven years ago but at last is returning with this follow-up full-length, set for an October 16 release by Raging Planet and Planet K, with vocals and lyrics contributed by Mau’s Wells Valley bandmate and Concealment guitarist/vocalist Filipe Correia. What we have for you today is a full stream of Ailment, preceded by thoughts about what you will be hearing. Continue reading »

PUTRESCENT SEEPAGE: “DEAD AND DEMENTED”

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Oct 072020
 

 

(In this post Vonlughlio reviews and recommends the debut album from the Australian brutal death metaal band Putrescent Seepage, out now on New Standard Elite.)

The BDM band Putrescent Seepage from Adelaide, South Australia, was born in 2012.  From the beginning the guys behind this project were Cameron Smith (Drums/Vocals) and Brett Stoeckel (Guitars/Vocals) (recently joined by vocalist Simon Naulty). The following year they released a demo that was very limited and that I of course missed (shame on me).  After three years, a two-song demo saw the light and yours truly made it his mission to get one from the band, which came with an original sketch from their drummer (who also happens to be a painter, with amazing work).

That second demo just hit the BDM scene with a vengeance. I was living in the Dominican Republic then, and it was great to see all the fans around the globe just going nuts over this effort. It showcased the talent these musicians have and how as a team they were able to create one of those demos that should be or have been considered classic. Continue reading »

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