Back to Bandcamp: April 9, 2016

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The Great Lucian - The Flood
(http://thegreatlucian.com/album/the-flood-ep)

The Great Lucian are one part folk, one part psychedelic, one part prog, and no parts metal. So why is the Thurible of Darkness reviewing this Texan foursome? Because if this band distorted their riffs, they'd be playing some of the most creative occult rock you've ever heard. The riffs are catchy, the vocals are haunting, and the general vibe is somehow funky and spooky at the same time. Amrit Khalsa's gorgeous vocals are the project's main attraction, but they're backed up by experimental sensibilities and progressive melodies and song structures that even the kvltest among us could give an appreciative nod. Give this band a listen. Their unique and sometimes eclectic style is hard to capture in words.

Highly Recommended.


Blood Chalice - Demo 2016
(https://bloodchalice.bandcamp.com/album/demo-2016)

Reach far back enough into the history of black metal, and you'll find a period (pre-Mayhem, of course) when black and death metal were barely differentiated. This was the heyday of bands like Possessed and Helhammer, writing songs about vampires, the occult, and the devil without fully transitioning away from their thrash metal roots. Although plenty of black metal fans dismiss this formational period of black metal out of hand, daring to dabble in Bathory or Celtic Frost at most, they're frankly missing out, and I'm always ready to check out a band that hearkens back to the earliest days of my favorite genre.

Blood Chalice play early black/death metal splendidly, with thrashy riffs, monstrous howls, and a perfect recapturing of the feel of this music they're imitating. The production is a little rough for my taste, but "demo" means "demo," and I've forgiven much worse in this department (see my favorite early black metal album, Tormentor's Anno Domini). If you're hungering for a little 80s extreme metal nostalgia, check out this Finnish band that have pre-Mayhem black/death down.

Recommended.


Akvan - شاه شاهان
(https://akvan.bandcamp.com/album/--2)

Remember Akvan, the "Aryan" (as in Iranian) black metal act combining the folk music and culture of Persia with the lofi savagery of Scandinavia? Well, Akvan is back with another short release: a patriotic hymn littered with references to the history and legends of one of the world's oldest civilizations. The folk-influences are more effectively integrated than before, strengthening the band's esoteric atmosphere and great songwriting. As with Akvan's last release, this single leaves me hungering for a longer one, where Akvan expands his artistry to a scale befitting his influence and subject matter. Until then, I'll have to settle for a song or two at a time from this "True Aryan Black Metal" project.

Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: November 21, 2015

Here's your weekly roundup of indie releases:

Turia - Dor
(http://montturia.bandcamp.com/releases)

It speaks volumes for the integrity of these Netherlanders that they opted not to market Dor under the much maligned (and frankly, deeply cynical) female-fronted label. I supposed I've just ruined that for them by mentioning it, but it's the thought that counts.

There are no frills or gimmicks on this atmospheric black metal debut. Frantic blast beats and dense, repetitive riffs drive most of the record, uniting with vocalist T's harsh screams for a bleak and gloomy listening experience. While Turia's raw and earnest performance sets Dor apart from other atmospheric projects on tracks like "Ascese," it's also the band's greatest weakness: Dor lacks variety. Apart from the ambient ending of "Halsstarig de Dood Tegemoet," every track on the record follows essentially the same style and structure—slight variations to a melancholy progression over rapid and cacophonous percussion. Otherwise, its a strong debut, and certainly a worthwhile listen for atmospheric black metal fans.

Recommended.

møl - II
(https://moeldk.bandcamp.com/album/ii)

The term "hipster metal" probably gets tossed around a bit too much. That said, møl's II is triumphant, shoegazy Deafheaven worship of the most unabashed kind. There's not the slightest hint of grimness on this EP; these five Danes play high-energy glasses-and-short-sleeves black metal of the most egregious kind, and they're damn good at it. If huge, soaring melodies and bright, clean production are your thing, you can't do much better than møl's hum-along choruses. If uplifting progressions and bassists wearing baha hoodies make you run for your treasured 1996 cassette of Filosofem, you'll probably hate this slightly less than you hate Hunter Hunt-Hendrix. To each their own.

Recommended.

Akvan - بلک متال آریایی
(https://akvan.bandcamp.com/album/-)

Ready for this?

Akvan play True Ayran black metal; that is, black metal inspired by the music and culture of Iran. If you like your black metal subversive, you can't do much better than this middle finger to racism and Islamaphobia. If you like your black metal folksy, then you'll enjoy Akvan's masterful incorporation of Iranian instruments and scales into traditional black metal aggression, especially on the second track. بلک متال آریایی  runs less than 15 minutes, but it's a quality EP hinting at even greater things to come from this Persian solo project. Good luck telling your friends what your favorite track is.

Recommended.