Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

I have a theory about the music industry. My theory is that, like the hotel industry in ski country, everyone crosses from the red into the black because of one season.1 Because of that, Autumnal releases have become more prominent over time. While summer brings festival season and blockbusters at the movie theater, and the winter holidays make it unlikely that anything of consequence will receive a December release, September, October, and November—and particularly September and October—are when the biggest bands will release the biggest albums of the year. That a big band releases an album doesn’t mean it will be the Record o’ the Month, but the tendency for lists to be Fall Heavy during #Listurnalia is right in line with this. That said, when looking at my lists throughout the years, the only #1 spot from September was Aeternam’s mighty Heir of the Rising Sun in 2022. In the top 5, we’ve had Haken’s Magnum Opus The Mountain (2013) and Archspire’s Relentless Mutation (2017). This result surprised me.

September of 2024, however, reminds me of another crazy September that we’ve had here. Right before our impending doom—in September of 2019—there were two Record(s) o’ the Month that went on to be staff favorites, while several seriously high-profile releases didn’t even make the list. Fvneral Fvkk and Disillusion’s The Liberation were both released in September of 2019, along with Opeth’s In Cauda Venenum [8 on RotY list], Borknagar’s True North, in addition to bangers from Cult of Luna and White Ward.

With a bumper crop of excellent records released in September—though, maybe not on September 2019 levels—this has been one of the most difficult R(s)otM posts for me to write. And yet, such is my fate. Alas, that these evil days should be mine.

Die Urkatastrophe (released on the 20th of September, 2024 [Bandcamp] by Century Media)—translated as “the original catastrophe”2—is used by German scholars to refer to the monumental impact of World War I as the foundational disaster that set the stage for many of the 20th century’s subsequent conflicts and upheavals, including WWII. For many. this record will be their first exposure to the German black metal phenom known as Kanonenfieber and as far as first impressions go—shall we say, Der Ureindruck—Die Urkatastrophe does a bang-up job of showcasing a band firing on all cylinders. For those of us already familiar with the Kanonenfieber’s work, Die Urkatastrophe features Noise doing what he does best: crafting brilliant riffs, matching them with the intense emotions of war, and sprinkling that combination with the best use of samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear. For Carcharodon, Die Urkatastrophe was “more than [we] dared hope for. The textures Kanonenfieber weaves into its sound, coupled with the subtle tempo and stylistic shifts, give this album an almost languid fluidity and make it a heart-wrenching joy to listen to. What makes this record truly iconic, however, is the storytelling.” Sometimes an album can be iconic.

Runner(s) Up

Pyrrhon // Exhaust [September 6th, 2024 | Willowtip Records | Bandcamp] — Pyrrhon has garnered fawning praise from writers at AMG before. With an abstract, aggressive, dissonant sound and the best cover art in the biz, it was unsurprising that when Exhaust got a secret release, there was an ecstatic response in the AMG Slack. While I urged care and caution, a busy Metal Cognoscenti went into overdrive to explain why Exhaust was going to be the Record o’ the Year. I could not have anticipated that despite my inclinations, I also enjoyed this album. There’s a ferocity and cathartic air covered in the exhaustion and everyday tragedy featured on its gorgeous cover. Doing his best Kronos impression, our own Dolphin Whisperer gushed unapologetically: “For an album dedicated to burnout, a theme all too appreciable to those on the wrong side of twenty-five, Pyrrhon charges forth with an experimental vigor and practiced ambition untarnished by time. Hunger steers Pyrrhon. Struggle defines Exhaust. Though far from the most avant, unpredictable set in the Pyrrhon registry, Exhaust billows with the fury of defeat and determination—damn fine music for a downfall.”

Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — Oceans of Slumber has become a strangely divisive band in the scene, a fact with which I struggle. The Texas-based five-piece has a unique and progressive voice in metal, and they have consistently shown growth, experimentation, and maybe most importantly, fearlessness in their adventurous compositions. With a truly transcendent Voice in Cammie and a consistently ’90s-tinged gothy vibe that underpins venturesome—yet introspective—composition, Where Gods Fear to Speak is a triumphant album and potentially their very best album to date. Kenstrosity was thoughtful and effusive as he heaped praise upon Where Gods Fear to Speak. “With a core sound that cannot be replicated, any new record by these Texans is a celebration of artistry and the unique artist’s voice. While every Oceans of Slumber album has showcased aspects of that artistic voice, Where Gods Fear to Speak refines everything that came before into something epic and new. Where Gods Fear to Speak is the culmination of everything Oceans of Slumber is, everything they have been, and hopefully just the beginning of what they’ll become.”

Endonomos // II – Enlightenment [September 27th, 2024 | Argonauta | Bandcamp] — Heavy, slow, unbearable. These are descriptions of both Endonomos’ II and life. And that’s what makes II special, what Steel Druhm called a “shockingly mature and intoxicating blend of classic doom, post-metal, and death that’s powerful, emotional, and captivating,” the ability to represent the slow march of suffering and the realization that all that’s waiting is more suffering. This is also known as Enlightenment. Druhm pulled no punches when he gushed: “Endonomos find that elusive sweet spot between heavy and melodic and craft a collection of songs that allows them to punch far above their weight. II – Enlightenment is easily one of the best doom albums of 2024 and one of the best of the last few years. If 2024 has yet to deliver the doom your masochistic heart longs for, this is it.” And then after saying it was one of the best doom metal records in years, he gave it a 4, because praise is for n00bs and poseurs.

#2024 #AngryMetalGuy #AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheMonth #BlogPost #DieUrkatastrophe #Endonomos #EndonomosIIEnlightenment #Exhaust #Kanonenfeiber #OceansOfSlumber #Pyrrhon #RecordSOTheMonth #Sep24 #TheatreOfTragedy #VelvetDarknessTheyFear #WhereGodsFearToSpeak

Record(s) o’ the Month – February 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

The common wisdom about February in Sweden is that it’s the dreariest month; it’s long, it’s gray, it’s cold and it’s only standing between you and spring. At least in November you can look forward to Christmas, but February is just a long, bitter slog. I carried this attitude over to metal releases from the early winter months, as well. However, as I showed last month, January’s reputation for being slow appears to be incorrect. The same is true of February, apparently, if my lists are anything to go by.

In contrast to January, February seems to either hit or miss, with less in the middle range. February proffered, for example, few Honorable Mentions (just Frozen Dawn in 2023 and Ad Nauseam in 2021) and fewer #(ish)es (only Beyond the Red Mirror in 20151), while the only other February release that I ranked under #4 on my Top 10(ish) was Steven Wilson’s The Raven That Refused to Sing which came in at #9 in 2013. The top 4, on the other hand, has been flush with great February releases. Behemoth’s best album (yeah, I said it), The Satanist, was released in February of 2014 (and ranked at #4) and we first met Kvaen in February of 2020 and they, too, ranked at #4 at my RotY list in 2020. The highest ranked February record is the reigning Record o’ the Year from 2023, Carnosus’ brilliant Visions of Infinihility. But what struck me was that fully 30% of the #2s on my end of year list between 2013 and 2023 were February releases: Fleshgod Apocalypse’s uaaaautastic King (2016)2; Black Sites’ excellent debut record In Monochrome (2017); and Soen’s brilliant Lotus (2019).3

February 2024 was pretty fucking tedious and trying for me, at least personally. With another stint on the IL from an innocent little cold that turned out to pack a wallop and that knocked me down for nearly 3 weeks,4 there was plenty of time to passively assess the collective output of the metal scene via AngryMetalGuy.com. So, will any of these make it back around in December? Or is being miserable an insurmountable bias in my listening process? I guess only time will tell.

Borknagar, celebrating three decades of influence in black metal and beyond, continued to captivate fans with their latest album, Fall [February 23rd, 2024 | Century Media Records (Bandcamp)]. These Norwegians’ unyielding dedication has ensured a surprising consistency in quality throughout this time, with each lineup change resulting in a new record that belongs in the band’s pantheon of ‘bests.’ Fall revisits the band’s roots while maintaining their signature expansiveness and melody, and masterfully blend black metal ferocity with serene, atmospheric passages (like on “Summits” or “Moon”). And, as is often the case, it’s the contrasts between brooding melodies and aggressive riffs that makes Fall stand out from the crowd, both heavy and rich. And it’s just that, Fall’s diversity—from the heavy to the harmonious—that exemplifies the band’s well-balanced journey through time and genre. Borknagar continues to successfully blend the harsher elements of their past with the matured sound of recent years to great success. As our own Dr. A.N. Grier exclaimed, “After repeated listens, I still find something new in each of Fall’s songs. When compared to 2019’s True North, this release has more elements, greater progression, and better continuity.” It’s just a darn good record from a legendary band.

Runner(s) Up:

Necrowretch // Swords of Dajjal [February 2nd, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp]: Nearly four years after their fourth album, The Ones from Hell, French blackened death metal band Necrowretch has returned with Swords of Dajjal. This album, inspired by the Islamic mythology of Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, marries the band’s death metal roots with a more pronounced black metal influence. The result is a vicious, bestial sound, highlighted by the gravelly, sepulchral vocals and the rage and enchantment carried on the guitars and in the rhythm section. Swords of Dajjal retains a concise 37-minute runtime, avoiding the trap of over-indulgence while exploring epic themes and this is one of its best choices. Each listen requires a re-listen, each time it ends you are left wanting more. As Carcharodon gushed, “One of the first things to really hit me in 2024, Necrowretch made a real step up from The Ones from Hell. More maturely and consistently written than that last record, Swords of Dajjal has a flow and intensity to it, which gives it an epic feeling of grandeur that belies its tight runtime.”

Counting Hours // The Wishing Tomb [February 23rd, 2024 | Ardua Music | Bandcamp]: Counting Hours, born from the legacy of Finnish melodic doom band Rapture, has returned with its follow-up album, The Wishing Tomb. This record weaves a tapestry of sadness, despair, and melancholy; masterfully blending influences from the early days of Katatonia, Dawn of Solace, and the core essence of Rapture itself. Counting Hours is like the Platonic Ideal of sadboi Finnish doom metal. It’s heavy, yet infused with mournful guitar work and poignant vocals that capture the essence of darkness and sadness and which complement melancholic leads, harmonious riffs, and the occasional crushing doom onslaught. The Wishing Tomb is both beautiful and heartrending and finds Counting Hours showcasing their profound understanding of the genre conventions, yet delivering the fresh takes on familiar themes as so few bands really ever do well. As scene veteran and undeniably Sadboi Druhm opined after his most recent crying jag, “Counting Hours have the perfect formula and know exactly how to get to the heart of Steel.” It’s not often that the Druhm himself breaks the counter like some kind of overrating overrater. Heed him.

#2024 #AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheMonth #ArduaMusic #Borknagar #CenturyMediaRecords #CountingHours #Fall #Feb24 #Necrowretch #RecordSOTheMonth #SeasonOfMist #SwordsOfDajjal #TheWishingTomb