OBSCURITIES – VOLUME XX: CHANGES, TEMPERATURES, AND RIFFS

 Album Reviews  4 Responses »
Sep 152025
 

(Daniel Barkasi returns with his monthly collection of album reviews, this time recommending six albums released in August 2025.)

As summer nears its conclusion, the heat has finally (sort of) calmed down a little in the Floridian swamp. It’s about damn time. The dogs can finally be taken outside and we’re not a dripping puddle of sweat in 1.2 seconds. More like 10 minutes, which is an improvement that’s most welcome!

On a sad personal note, my wife and I lost our precious dog Kaiya last week. It wasn’t completely unexpected – she had just turned 17 and had some worsening health issues – and her body just couldn’t keep going. We had a hell of a 17th birthday bash only a few days prior, but she sadly plummeted quickly not long after.

My wife had her for literally half of my wife’s life, and I had the distinct pleasure of having her in my life for over a decade. She was the best girl – sweet as can be, loving, gentle, and quirky in the best ways. It’s still hard for me to write this, as I miss her terribly and it’ll be fresh for a while. One of our other dogs, Hiroki, has taken it especially hard, as they were incredibly close. He seems to be on the mend, thankfully, as he sits next to me. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: BLUTSAUGER — “BLACK SHROUD RITUAL”

 Premieres  No Responses »
Jul 222025
 

(written by Islander)

Though Italian in location, the black metal band Blutsauger chose a name for themselves that means “bloodsuckers”, drawing inspiration from Transylvanian and Austro-Hungarian folklore and evoking the undead monstrosity of Nosferatu. They named their 2021 demo Path of the Bleeding Dead, and their forthcoming debut album is emblazoned with the title Nocturnal Blood Tyrants.

All of that, and their signing with the label De Tenebrarum Principio (a division of ATMF), signals music of “nocturnal terror and eternal darkness”, of “sanguine delirium” and “feverish ultraviolence”, and of a “trance-like state” that might be induced by their blood-lusting and blood-letting assaults against victimized listeners.

Those are among the preview words offered on behalf of the label. We have some of our own, impelled by the Blutsauger album track we’re premiering today: “Blood Shroud Ritual“. Continue reading »