I: Oblivion (Church Road Records) is, despite the inference in the title, actually the second part of the album series, as Vnder A Crvmbling Moon released 0.1 Prelude back in February. And, don’t be fooled (again), just because this British band spells their name with a bunch of V’s they are not black metal – the VACM sound falling in the cracks between sludge and doom.
Hailing from the artistic and musically cultural hub of Berlin, The Ocean are certainly no ‘ordinary’ band. Founded in 2000 by guitarist and principal songwriter Robin Staps, the collective have released a staggering amount of fine music, with around forty different musicians lending their talents to the cause over the years. Always an outlet for extreme experimentalism, The Ocean explores both the light and dark sides of music as eloquently as anyone else in the business, and to catagorise their sound into any one genre is impossible. Continue reading
Hamtramck is a community of creatives that is nestled right up against the city of Detroit. This popular burb is home to some of Motor City’s favorite petite-sized concert halls. The Sanctuary is particularly popular for its inexhaustible source for live entertainment that caters to everything from Punk Rock to Black Metal. They have a small town charm in the middle of the big city where they welcome all to their dive bar vibes and small, but mighty stage. Last weekend, Khemmis brought their North America MMXXIII Tour to this prized place.
Chicago-based Chrome Waves brings together members of various Black Metal bands from the thriving underground US scene, with guitarist Jeff Wilson (Abigail Williams) taking over as the driving force in the band, which has undergone significant change since its inception in 2010 following the unexpected passing of drummer Bob Fouts (Gates Of Slumber), and the departing of The Atlas Moth guitarist Stavros Giannopoulos.
No matter how rotten the State of Denmark ever was, the fecundity of fetidity seems ever more prevalent in the Belgian ward of Ghent; more specifically within the parish boundaries of the Church of Ra, is something far more foul. Missionary for ruinous, dark, and heavy music, six-string dire wolf Lennart Bossu presents a new vehicle to spread the word of power of exacting, challenging, but ultimately rewarding, dark metallic music captured and presented under the guise of Predatory Void, a quintet of local luminaries to Bossu who have helped mould and shape a new, slightly more straight-forward, yet no less demanding than Amenra, force.
With the first release in eight years, Norway’s Dødheimsgard return armed with a reputation for the abstract and the almost absurd. Formerly a more pure Black Metal act, 1999’s seminal 666 International saw the band broaden their sonic palette to incorporate a widening range of styles within their sound, often incorporated in sudden ways as opposed to fluidly throughout, with 2015’s return, A Umbra Omega, receiving plaudits and adding to their cult following.
One of the many things to appreciate about Sunrot’s second full-length is the opener, ‘Descent.’
Not only is the title extremely indicative of the track – and the record, The Unfailing Rope (Prosthetic Records), as a whole – it also gets right to the point of what the New Jersey-based sludge metal/noise band is trying to achieve: uneasiness and mind play.
As someone who also tours, it is always a treat when a familiar band is playing in the city you are in when you happen to be on your day off. This time it was Cult of Luna, in Stuttgart, Germany. And to say that I was lucky on this, would be an understatement, as Cult of Luna delivered and learning of the existence of Svalbard UK was an extra treat.
Igorrr and Amen-Ra on the same bill would already be a joyful tour to catch, but the show tonight at 013 is like a mini pre-pandemic Roadburn day, with Hangman’s Chair and Der Weg einer Freiheit joining this monster of a bill. While the start of the show is quite early, and the closed-off balcony and stairs imply not a huge amount of tickets sold, the ambiance is cheerful and the crowd is warming up as we wait for Hangman’s Chair to start as we get in from the icy rain outside.
At the time of writing a look out of the window reveals overcast and grey skies, whilst as quick a glance at the news is equally as bleak and miserable. It is hard to pay attention to the discourse in the world right now and not feel some combination of anger and hopelessness.