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: March 12, 2016

The North Gate - Center of Homes
(https://thenorthgate.bandcamp.com/album/center-of-homes)

The North Gate are a difficult band to define. They tie together elements of black, death, doom, and hardcore punk, without letting any individual element become their defining aspect. At times, the band feels like a heavier metalcore band—at others, a blackened sludge project. "Filthy Garments," for instance, opens with a black or death metal riff before transitioning into a sludgey bridge and ultimately ending with a dark acoustic passage. The only uniting features of the record, besides the general heaviness, are the prominent doomy basslines and raw, aggressive, punk-inspired vocals—both strong suites of the band. An interesting, if very short (and a little messy) debut from this New York band.

Recommended.

Necrolytic Goat Converter - Demo MMXVI
(https://necrogoatconverter.bandcamp.com/album/demo-mmxvi)

New York has no right to this many great metal artists. This one-man black metal debut has in spades what most releases by scene veterans lack entirely—tight songwriting, catchy riffs, and robust production. Tracks like "Absolution" and "Second Skin" highlight Necrolytic Goat Converter's straighforward and melodic take on black metal, reminiscent of Tribulation's most recent album in the best possible way. This is a true bedroom black metal album—recorded on a single guitar and produced in Garageband—but the drum arrangements are varied and tasteful and C. Voss avoids all the typical self-producing pitfalls, neither smothering the vocals in distortion nor drowning the guitars in reverb. A great debut from a great musician.

Highly Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: February 6, 2016

Behold Darkness - Unholy Filth
(https://psalm88.bandcamp.com/album/unholy-filth)

All too often, the "raw" in "raw black metal" means shrill, disembodied and tinny. And Behold Darkness are having none of it. This little release packs meaty black metal fuzz and riffs frostier than icicles hanging from Gaahl's beard. With piercing shrieks, lo-fi production done perfectly, first-rate musicianship and haunting riffs even Varg Vikernes would give an approving nod before going back to rambling about Odalism, it's hard to believe Unholy Filth isn't the work of a Scandinavian hermit (it's a Californian band, oddly enough). Easily the best traditional black metal release of this year (so far).

Highly Recommended.

Constellation - Constellation
(https://constellation-project.bandcamp.com/album/constellation)

No instruments were harmed in the making of this record, which is surprising considering how much visceral power and manic wildness Constellation packs into barely 10 minutes. Imagine death metal hammered out on an MPC AraabMuzik-style and you'll get a sense of how this experimental project unites the artificial and the energetic using only synths and samples. Short and sweet is usually a good road to take on a debut, but Constellation's six brief tracks of futuristic grind could have definitely been longer without anyone complaining.

Recommended.

Witchcryer - The Preying Kind - Demo MMXVI
(https://witchcryer.bandcamp.com/album/the-preying-kind-demo-mmxvi)

Slow and spooky, Witchcryer deliver more of a doom formula we're familiar with from bands like Mount Salem and Blood Ceremony. So what sets this Austin occult rock/doom trio apart? Not much, at this point. Not that they necessarily need it. Witchcryer craft a gloomy hook and vocalist Suzy Bravo's croon fits the band's retro aesthetic perfectly. Likewise, guitarist and doom metal veteran Jason Muxlow's riffs convey the sense of maturity and mastery necessary in a genre niche built on nostalgia. Certainly a worthwhile listen, especially if you're already into doom bands with "Witch" in their names.

Recommended.

The Thurible Reviews: Show Me Wolves - "The World They Took Over"

If black metal has a weakness, it's a general lack of dynamism. Apart from more experimental acts like Deathspell Omega, most black metal songs revolve around a few menacing riffs repeated over a standard driving drum beat. It's a great formula for creating the haunting atmospheres that black metal fans love, but it doesn't make the listener involuntarily bob their head in the way death, or doom, or nearly every other kind metal does.

Iceland's Show Me Wolves aren't quite black metal. I don't mean that in a disparaging way; they're not "not quite black metal" in the same way that Cradle of Filth are not quite black metal. Rather, Show Me Wolves straddles the line between progressive black metal and metalcore so effectively that to describe the band as either/or would feel dishonest. This Icelandic solo project of Hörður Lúðvíksson delivers the frosty riffs and blast beats fans of black metal expect, but mixes them with the punk energy and big melodies of modern metalcore for a listen that's more accessible than most black metal and grimmer than most metalcore.

The World They Took Over is packed full of thick, fuzzy riffs. Even more conservative tracks like "Exit The Realm Of The Living" deliver meaty guitar and bass work, but it's the head-bobbing chugs on tracks like "Transparent Figures" and "Mother" that set Show Me Wolves apart—this band knows how to write a powerful riff. Lúðvíksson also incorporates metalcore and death metal drum fills into traditional black metal drumming throughout the album, restoring some of the genre's lost punk aggression. Occasionally, as on "Downfall" he even throws in a double bass-infused breakdown.

Some will probably dismiss The World They Took Over as Baby's First Black Metal Album. They've completely missed the point. The end goal of all heavy music is not to make more Darkthrone fans. Show Me Wolves is not a gateway drug to heavier, kvlter black metal—it's a solid crossover act in the vein of Nachtmystium (or, more recently, Panopticon), cobbling together the best bits from progressive black metal, death metal, and metalcore for a record that appeals to fans of all three. If you're craving black metal you can jog to or metalcore that reminds you of bleak northern mountains instead of sweaty mosh pits, Show Me Wolves is well worth the listen.

Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: November 13, 2015

Back to BandCamp is The Great Thurible of Darkness' weekly spotlight on indie releases.

Hallowed Hands - Hallowed Hands
(http://bluebedroomrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hallowed-hands)

Anyone up for video game-themed black metal?

Hallowed Hands debut is charmingly atypical. A weirdly listenable mix of solid depressive black metal with touches of classic video game music held together by an ominous gaming theme, Hallowed Hands are one of those bands that keep you wondering if their whole shtick is just a sick joke or if they're really into this bizarre concoction they're serving you. If the whole thing is a joke, it's a good one. If not, it's still enjoyable DSBM with great riffs and a fun gimmick to keep you interested.

Recommended.

BARUS - EP
(http://ladlo.bandcamp.com/album/ep)

French death metallers BARUS deliver crunchy riffs and wonky time signatures on their debut EP, along with a few surprises. This is progressive death metal you can bob your head to, but it also has a mystical quality: the EP is littered with chanted invocations and biblical references, as well as acoustic interludes soaked in dread. There are even a few near sing-along moments evocative of Opeth, and vocalist Keithan plays crooner and growler with equal mastery. May the French ever curse us with such delightful death.

Recommended.

Battle Path - Ambedo
(https://battlepath.bandcamp.com/album/ambedo)

Tennessee's Battle Path play woodlands doom metal with atmospheric black metal frills. On Ambedo, they wander through synth-infused post-metal soundscapes with lumbering chugs, only occasionally interrupted by black metal ferocity. This is doom metal of the melancholy variety: more dedicated to building morose atmospheres than memorable riffs. And that's fine. Battle Path inject just enough aggression to keep Ambedo interesting, while still giving keyboardist Christopher Davis space and time to build haunting melodies and ominous echoes. The band also avoids the cardinal vice of atmospheric metal: lack of variety. Every track brings a new twist on the band's atmospheric doom/black formula.

Highly Recommended.