From underground gems to headline-worthy drops, it’s New Music Friday for 5-30-25
What is your favorite album cover this week?Continue reading
Tag Archives: Obsidian Tongue
PREVIEW: New Music Friday – Rock and Metal Releases for 5-30-25
From underground gems to headline-worthy drops, it’s New Music Friday for 5-30-25
What is your favorite album cover this week?Continue reading
NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: New Rock and Metal Releases 2-2-24
PREVIEW: New Music Friday Rock and Metal Releases 2-2-24
Obsidian Tongue (Shabti, Falls of Rauros) Shares a New Single and Video for “The Stone Heart” EP ft. Obsequiae’s Tanner Anderson
Portland, Maine-based atmospheric black metal outfit Obsidian Tongue presents their most epic work to date, with their new EP, The Stone Heart. Alongside the record’s cover art, track listing, preorders, and other details, an official video for its stunning title track, which features an otherworldly guest vocal appearance from Tanner Anderson of Obsequiae and Majesties, has been premiered exclusively through Decibel Magazine. Continue reading
Bindrune Recordings Signs Eave, Announces New Distro Deal with Season of Mist
Bindrune Recordings, one of the best labels for underground music for 20 years has signed Maine’s atmospheric post-Black Metal band Eave to a new deal. Their new album Phantoms Made Permanent, is coming in 2020. The label has also announced a new distribution deal in Europe with Season of Mist. The partnership begins with three albums including the new Obsidian Tongue album! Continue reading
Obsidian Tongue Streams New Single, New Full-Length Album Due Early in 2020
North American Atmospheric Black Metal band Obsidian Tongue has shared a new single, their first for their new album due in early 2020. ‘Return to the fields of Violet’ is the first track from Volume III, due out January 31st via Bindrune Recordings. The track is the first new music from the band since the band released a single a few years back, two 2015 split EPs, and 2013’s epic full-length A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time. Jam the new track right now! Get hype as this will be a major underground release on the schedule for us, and should be for you as well if you love high-quality USBM. More info and pre-orders are coming soon about the album! Continue reading
Abbath – Obsidian Tongue – Sangus – Infera Bruo: At The Sinclair
Many touring bands today enjoy their seldom “days off” while on the road. Every once in a while, a touring band will use these days off and turn them into one-off shows nearby to their trek. Abbath provided Boston with such an occasion, a day before the first official stop on the tour they were supporting. Add in a few solid local openers inside a smaller venue such as The Sinclair and you have quite the show for a Tuesday night! Continue reading
Thrawsunblat – Metachthonia
Thrawsunblat initially started as a side-project of Wood of Ypres members Joel Violette and later, David Gold. Thrawsunblat became the Joel Violette’s main project since the passing of Gold and the end of Woods. Sadly, until being asked to review this I’d not heard anything by them, something which was rectified very quickly after hearing this.
Metachthonia (Ignifera Records/Broken Limbs) is their latest album and is released on Ignifera records. The title Metachthonia is Greek for “the age after that of the earth” and this concept album addresses that which we are yearning for and has been taken away in the modern world. Describing the style of the new album as ‘folkened black metal’ the anticipation is that Metachthonia shifts from their folk sound to a much blacker sound.
Opening track ‘Fires that Light the Earth’ begins sombrely with cello courtesy of Raphael Weinroth-Browne, before being joined by the guitar and drums which begin a short-lived lament but then branches into blackened blasting drums from Rae Amitay (Immortal Bird) and the bass of Brendan Hayter (Obsidian Tongue) and the tone for the album is set, and it is considerably blacker.
The folk elements and blackened parts juxtapose well, and give a better balance to their sound than before: emphasised by an ebb and flow to the track. The more subdued folk elements provide beauty and the enhanced blackened elements combining with excellent production which gives it an immediacy and a very satisfying sound.
Whilst very much a different band from Woods of Ypres, their enhanced blackened style creates sections where the similarities in tonality and pacing are very difficult to ignore. This can mean that if already familiar with woods it can take a few listens before appreciating Thrawsunblat in their own right. Those few listens however, are truly worth it as this album is incredibly well-crafted and a wonderful listen.
They display a much more palpable sense of optimism and rebirth in their work, which is further emphasised by the organic feel of the folk elements woven throughout. A yearning to what has been lost in the modern era and the desire for its return. The feeling being similar to seeing nature reclaiming abandoned places, that sense that no matter what the natural world can and will survive humans be damned.
Ultimately, Metachthonia is a fantastic album from opener ‘Fires that Light the Earth’ right up until the phenomenal final track ‘In Mist We Walk’, highly recommended!
8.5/10
RICH PRICE
Boston’s Metal For Nepal Benefit Concert Raises Money For Earthquake Victims
Metal For Nepal Benefit Concert
On June 20th Boston’s Metal For Nepal Benefit (#MetalForNepal) concert was held at The Middle East Nite Club in Cambridge, MA. The event was a resounding success, raising over $1200 for victims of two earthquakes in Nepal. The $1200 raised came from proceeds of ticket sales, an exclusive merch raffle of donated items, and sales from the Metal for Nepal compilation album. $1200 USD is the equivalent of NRS 120,000, and can be used to build temporary housing shelters and give life saving supplies to communities still reeling from the devastation. Headlining the bill was Obsidian Tongue, with Native Construct, Caricature, Sonic Pulse and BruteMukti. Special thanks to MediaBoss Television for being on hand to film the event.
Obsidian Tongue, by Meg Loyal Photography
All monies collected will go toward the Jai Nepal Youth Club, No Silence for Nepal, WHR Nepal, Reaping Hope and Jagaruk Nepal charities.
The co-founders of Metal For Nepal Boston commented on the event:
Kevin Brown : After an amazing outpouring of support, from friends and family, to locals who wanted to contribute, we have found ourselves at an end. One foot in the door of an awesome journey to help a wear country, head banging all the way!
Kunjan Joshi: It’s encouraging to see people from all walks of life supporting and helping rebuild Nepal. It’s a long way to recovery but we are very well on our way!
Keith Chachkes: Having volunteered at charity events in the past, I was surprised at how many people asked about the charities the money was going to, and what else they could do to help them. Metal For Nepal has inspired a deep and ongoing level of interest from metal fans. I am proud that I could lend a hand to make this happen. Thanks to Kevin and Kunjan for all of their support.
Metal For Nepal compilation cover
Sales of the physical copies of the benefit compilation organized by Metal for Nepal performers BruteMukti, featuring Nepalese metal bands dubbed Nepal Earthquake Relief, were brisk at the event. You can still donate and download the collection from Bandcamp here: https://nepal-earthquake-relief.bandcamp.com/releases. Physical copies will also be available for purchase at future Metal For Nepal events while supplies last, with all the proceeds going to charity.
The support of the metal community by the music industry has buoyed our efforts and we’d like to thank them:
Dewar PR (Special shoutout to Curtis Dewar for donating crucial publicity services!)
Several other PR firms, which made anonymous donations
Artist Mark Richards of Heavy Hand Illustration (Aborted, Pig Destroyer, Revocation)
Artist Michelle Duggan of Heartbeasts (Saint Vitus, Lord Dying, Cult Leader)
Please support the bands that performed at Metal For Nepal Boston:
There will be future Metal For Nepal Boston organized events in the near future. Metal For Nepal’s other shows have included one as in LA on June 13th and other events around the world. BruteMukti will participate in New York’s Metal For Nepal event on July 15th at Archeron long side such bands as Sangharsha, Tiger Flowers, and Skullshitter.
Facebook event for Metal For Nepal New York
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