Vous rêviez de voir #SunnO_ en concert à la #BiennaleDeVenise #BiennaleDiVenezia ? A défaut de les voir, c'est en écoute par ici :
https://sunn-live.bandcamp.com/album/2025-10-24-biennale-musica-2025-teatro-alle-tese
6 track album
Stuck in the Filter: July 2025’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
If you thought June was hot, you aren’t ready for what July has in store. The thin metallic walls of these flimsy ducts warp and soften as the sweltering environs continue to challenge the definition of “habitable.” But I must force my minions to continue their work, as this duty is sacred. Our ravenous appetites cannot be slaked without the supplementary sustenance the Filter brings!
Thankfully, we rescued just enough scraps to put together a meager spread. Enjoy in moderation!
Kenstrosity’s Blackened Buds
Echoes of Gloom // The Mind’s Eternal Storm [July 12th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Queensland isn’t my first thought when considering locales for atmospheric black metal. A genre so often built upon frigid tones and icy melodies feels incongruous to the heat and beastliness of the Australian landscape. Yet, one-man atmoblack act Echoes of Gloom persists. Masterminded by one Dan Elkin, Echoes of Gloom evokes a warm, muggy, and morose spirit with debut record The Mind’s Eternal Storm. But unlike many of the atmospheric persuasion, Echoes of Gloom also injects a classic heavy metal attack and a vaguely punky/folky twist into their formula to keep interest high (“Immortality Manifest,” “Throes of Bereavement I”). Furthermore, Echoes of Gloom weaponizes their energetic take on depressing atmoblack such that even as my head bounces to the riffy groove of surprisingly propulsive numbers like “The Wandering Moon” and “Great Malignant Towers of Delirium,” a palpable pall looms ever present, sapping all color from life as I witness this work. This in turn translates well to the long form, as demonstrated by the epic two-part “Throes of Bereavement” suite and ripping ten-minute closer “Wanderer of the Mind’s Eternal Storm,” boasting dynamics uncommon in the atmospheric field. In sum, if you’re the kind of metal fan that struggles with the airier side of the spectrum, The Mind’s Eternal Storm might be a good place to start.
Witchyre // Witchy Forest Dance Contest [July 14th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Germany’s Witchyre answer a question nobody asked but everyone should: what would happen if black metal and dance music joined forces? With debut LP Witchy Forest Dance Contest, we get to experience this mad alchemy firsthand, and it is an absolute joy! The staunchly anti-fascist Witchyre take the raw sound everyone knows and pumps it full of groove, bounce, and uninhibited fun for a raucous 46 minutes. Evoking equal parts Darude and Darkthrone, bangers like “Let There be Light…,” “Witchy Forest Dance Party,” and “Lost in a Dream” burst with infectious energy that feels demonic and exuberant at the same time. The raw production of the metallic elements shouldn’t work with the glossy sheen of electronic doots, but Witchyre’s often pop-punky song structure that develops as these divergent aesthetics collide adeptly bridges the gap (“Spirits Twirling,” “The Vampire Witch,” “Dragon’s Breath”). My main gripe is that even at a reasonable 46 minutes, each song feels a bit bloated, and some dance elements feel recycled in multiple places (“The Spirits Robbed My Mind”). But don’t let that scare you away. Witchyre is a delightful little deviation from convention fit for fans of Curta’n Wall and Old Nick, and everyone should give it a whirl just for fun!
Owlswald’s Hidden Hoots
Sheev // Ate’s Alchemist [July 11th, 2025 – Ripple Music]
While stoner can be hit-or-miss, Ripple Music often delivers the goods. And with Berlin’s Sheev, they can add another notch to their sativa-flavored belt. Since 2017, the four-piece has been brewing their unique, progressive-infused stoner rock sound. On their second full-length, Ate’s Alchemist, Sheev doubles down on their sonic elixir, with a throwback prog-rock vibe that evokes the likes of Yes and Jethro Tull, but with heavy doses of grunge, jam and modern rock. Vocalist Nitzan Sheps’ provides a stripped-down and authentic performance, sounding like a cross between Muse’s Matt Bellamy and Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley. The rhythm section is particularly great here. Drummer Philipp Vogt’s kit work is exceptionally musical, with intricate cymbal patterns on tracks like “Elephant Trunk,” “Cul De Sac,” and “King Mustard II” that fuel deep-pocket grooves. He also provides Tool-like syncopated rhythms on tracks like “Tüdelüt” and “Henry” that lock with bassist Joshan Chaudhary. Chaudhary’s bass playing is rare in its prominence and clarity in the mix. He maintains a tight pocket while also venturing out regularly with nimbler, adventurous flurries that highlight his technical skill. Yeah, a couple of the longer songs get a little lost, but the album is packed with killer musicianship and vocal hooks that stick with you, so it barely matters. Overall, Sheev has delivered a solid record that I’ll be spinning a lot—and you should too.
Dephosphorus // Planetoktonos [July 18th, 2025 – Selfmadegod Records/7 Degrees Records/Nerve Altar]
Space…the final grind-tier. On their fifth album, Planetoktonos (“Planetkiller”), Greek astro-grind quartet Dephosphorus rejects normal grind classifications and instead annihilates worlds with a brutal, interstellar collision of grind, blackened death, and hardcore. Taking inspiration from the harsh sci-fi of James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse, Planetoktonos is a relentless twenty-eight-minute assault—a sonic asteroid belt of thick, menacing distortion and time-warped drumming that channels Dephosphorus’ raw, furious energy. “The Triumph of Science and Reason” and “After the Holocaust” attack with the ruthless speed of Nasum while others, such as “The Kinetics of a Superintelligence Explosion,” “Hunting for Dyson Spheres,” and “Calculating Infinity,” punctuate sludgy aggression with razor-sharp, shredding passages reminiscent of early Mastodon that offer contrasting technical and rhythmic hostility. Vocalist Panos Agoros’ despairing howls are a particular highlight, full of a gravelly, blackened urgency that sounds the alarm for an interplanetary attack. Gang vocals on tracks like “Living in a Metastable Universe” and “The Kinetics of a Superintelligence Explosion” add extra weight to his frantic performance, proving Dephosphorus can incinerate worlds and still have a blast doing it. Raw, intense, and violent, Planetokonos is a must-listen for fans seeking Remission-era energy.
Tyme’s Tattered Treats
Mortual // Altars of Brutality [July 4th, 2025 – Nuclear Winter Records]
From the fetid rainforests of Costa Rica, San Jose’s Mortual dropped their sneaky good death metal debut, Altar of Brutality, on Independence Day this year. Free of frills and fuckery, Justin Corpse and Master Killer—both have guitar, bass, and vocal credits here—go for the jugular, providing swarms of riffs entrenched in filthy, Floridian swamp waters and powdered with Jersey grit. Solo work comes fast, squealy, and furious as if graduated from the Azagthothian school of shred (“Dominion of Eternal Blasphemy,” “Skeletal Vortex”), as hints of early Deicide lurk within the chugging chunks of “Altar of Brutality” and whiffs of early Monstrosity float amongst the speedier nooks and crannies of “Divine Monstrosity.”1 Incantationally cavernous, the vocals fit the OSDM mold to a tee, sitting spaciously fat and happy within Dan Lowndes’ great mix and master, which consequently draws out a bestial bass sound that permeates the entirety of Altar of Brutality with low-end menace. Chalo’s (Chemicide) drum performance warrants particular note, as, from the opening tom roll of “Mortuary Rites,” he proceeds to bash skulls throughout Altar of Brutality’s swift thirty-five-minute runtime with a brutal blitz of double-kicking and blast-beating kit abuse. Embodying a DIY work ethic that imbues these tracks with youthful energy and a wealth of death metal character, Mortual aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel as much as they’d like to crush you under its meaty treads, over and over again.
Stomach // Low Demon [July 18th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Droney, doomy, sweaty, and sludgy as fuck, Stomach’s blast furnace second album, Low Demon, is the antithesis of summer-fun metal. Hailing from Geneva, Illinois, Stomach is drummer/vocalist John Hoffman (Weekend Nachos) and guitarist Adam Tomlinson (Sick/Tired, Sea of Shit), who capably carry out their cacophonous work in such a way as to defy the fact that they’re only a duo.2 At volume, and believe me, you’ll want to crank this fucker to eleven, Low Demon will have you retching up all that light beer you drank by the pool and crying for yer mom, as “Dredged” oozes, rib-rattling from the speakers, a continuous, four-and-a-half-minute chord-layered exercise in exponentially applied tonal pressure. With five tracks spanning just over forty-three minutes, there’s not a lot on Low Demon that’s in a hurry, and aside from sections of up-tempo doom riffs (“Get Through Winter”) and some downright grindery (“Oscillate”) offering respite from the otherwise crushing wall of sound, listening to Stomach is akin to being waterboarded with molasses. Heavy influences from Earth, Sunn O))), Crossed Out, and Grief—whose Come to Grief stands as a sludge staple—form the basis for much of Stomach’s sound, and while Primitive Man and Hell draw apt comparisons as well, I’m guessing you know what you’re getting into by now. Maniacally cinematic and far from light-hearted, Stomach’s Low Demon was everything I didn’t think I needed during this hot and humid-as-an-armpit-in-hell summer.
Killjoy’s Flutes of Fancy
Braia // Vertentes de lá e cá [July 10th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Bruno Maia is one of the most inventive and hardworking musicians that I know of. Best known for the whimsical Celtic folk metal of Tuatha de Danann, he also has his own folk rock side project, Braia. Vertentes de lá e cá explores the rich history and culture of the Minas Gerais state in his native country, Brazil.3 Bursting with more sweetness than a ripe mango, Vertentes de lá e cá sports a huge diversity of musical styles and instruments. A combination of flute, viola, and acoustic guitar forms the backbone of most of the songs, like the Irish jigs in “Vertentes” or the flitting melodies of “Princesa do Sul.” My ears also detect accordion (“O Cururu do Ingaí”), saxophone (“Serra das Letras”), harmonica (“Hipólita”), banjo (“Carrancas”), and spacey synth effects (“Pagode Mouro”). That last one might sound out of place, but it makes more sense after learning of the local tales of extraterrestrial encounters. Maia sings in only two of the twelve tracks (“Emboabas” and “Rei do Campo Grande”), but all 41 minutes should be engaging enough for listeners who are typically unmoved by instrumental music. Though thematically focused on one specific location, Vertentes de lá e cá deserves to be heard by the entire world.
Storchi // By Far Away [July 25th, 2025 – Self-Release]
I would guess that the “experimental” tag causes some degree of trepidation within most listeners. However, occasionally an artist executes a fresh new vision so confidently that I can’t help but wonder if it’s secretly been around for a long time. Storchi, an instrumental prog group from Kabri, Israel, utilizes a flute in creative ways. Its bright, jazzy demeanor almost functions as a substitute for a vocalist in terms of expressiveness and personality. The Middle Eastern flair combined with modest electronic elements reminds me of Hugo Kant’s flute-heavy multicultural trip-hop. The chunky palm-muted guitar and bass borrow the best aspects of djent alongside eccentrically dynamic drum tempos. There is premeditation amidst the chaos, though. The triplet tracks “Far,” “Further,” and “Furthest” scattered throughout By Far Away each offer a unique rendition of the same core flute tune. “Lagoona” and “Smoky” make good use of melodic reprisals at the very end to neatly close the loop on what might have otherwise felt like more disjointed songs. Despite frequent and abrupt stylistic shifts, Storchi manages to make the 31-minute runtime of By Far Away feel more enjoyable than jolting. Flute fanatics should take note.
ClarkKent’s Addictive Addition
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway // Addicted to the Violence [July 19th, 2025 – Scarred for Life]
Since System of a Down disbanded, guitarist Daron Malakian has gone on to release 3 full-length albums under the moniker Scars on Broadway between 2008 and 2025. This spinoff project has proven Malakian to be the oddball of the group, and this goofiness hasn’t mellowed since SOAD’s debut released 27 years ago. The energetic set of tunes on Addicted to the Violence mixes nu-metal, groove rock, and pop with plenty of synths to create some fun and catchy beats. Sure, you have to delve through some baffling lyrics,4 such as when Malakian sings that there’s “a tiger that’s riding on your back / And it’s singing out ‘Rawr! Rawr!'” (“Killing Spree”). Malakian also turns to the familiar theme of drug addiction that he and Serj have explored from “Sugar” to “Heroine” to “Chemicals.”5 This time around, it’s “Satan Hussein,” where he mixes Quaaludes and Vicodin with Jesus Christ. To offset the repetition within songs, Malakian has the sense to mix things up. There’s the nu-metal cuts of “Satan Hussein” and “Destroy the Power,” featuring energetic vocalizations and grooves, but there’s also a lot of pop (“You Destroy You”). The riffs may not be as wild or creative as times past, but Addicted to the Violence makes use of a variety of instruments that keep things fresh, from an organ (“Done Me Wrong”) to a mandolin (“You Destroy You”) to some sweet synth solos. There’s even a brief saxophone appearance to conclude the album. Yes, I know exactly what you’re thinking: “This sounds awesome!”
#2025 #7DegreesRecords #AddictedToTheViolence #AliceInChains #AltarsOfBrutality #AmericanMetal #AteSAlchemist #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AustralianMetal #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #Braia #BrazilianMetal #ByFarAway #Chemicide #CostaRicanMetal #CrossedOut #CurtaNWall #Dance #Darkthrone #DaronMalakianAndScarsOnBroadway #Darude #DeathMetal #Deathgrind #Deicide #Dephosphorus #Doom #DoomMetal #Drone #Earth #EchoesOfGloom #EDM #ExperimentalMetal #FolkMetal #FolkRock #GermanMetal #Gindcore #GreekMetal #Grief #GrooveMetal #Hardcore #Hell #HugoKant #InstrumentalMetal #IsraeliMetal #JethroTull #Jul25 #LowDemon #Mastodon #MelodicBlackMetal #Monstrosity #Mortual #Muse #Nasum #NerveAltar #NuMetal #NuclearWinterRecords #OldNick #Planetoktonos #PopMetal #PrimitiveMan #ProgressiveMetal #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #RippleMusic #ScarredForLife #SeaOfShit #SelfRelease #SelfmadegodRecords #Sheev #SickTired #Sludge #SludgeMetal #Stomach #StonerDoom #StonerMetal #Storchi #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #SunnO_ #SystemOfADown #TheMindSEternalStorm #Tool #TuathaDeDanann #VertentesDeLáECá #WeekendNachos #WitchyForestDanceContest #Witchyre #Yes
Ava Mendoza/Gabby Fluke-Mogul/Carolina Pérez – Mama Killa Review
By Angry Metal Guy
By: Nameless_n00b_601
The more experimental a piece of music is, the harder it must work to ground its artistic expression in an emotional or compositional core. Dazzling displays of aural innovation or sonic provocation still need a conceptual throughline—something for even the most open-minded listener to latch onto. As a fan of more “challenging” styles, I find there’s a fine line between music that feels like “artistic expression for its own sake” and music that offers “engaging tunes I actually want to listen to.” Mama Killa is the debut improvisational collaborative album from a trio with an impressive musical pedigree, consisting of guitarist Ava Mendoza (Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet, Unnatural Ways), violinist Gabby Fluke-Mogul (Zoh Amba, Ivo Perelman, William Parker), and drummer Carolina Pérez (Hypoxia, Castrator). Named after the Incan goddess of the moon, the album promises “eight tracks of high-volume, riff-based guitar-violin improvisation bolstered by thunderous drumming.” Can this newly formed power trio avoid the common pitfalls of experimental music and deliver over 50 minutes of compelling, instrumental free jazz?
Mama Killa offers a set of compositions that resist easy classification. While “free jazz” is likely the closest label, the sound here is a novel fusion of dissonant aesthetics, ambient impulses, Afro-Latin grooves, and avant-garde metal. I’d point to John Zorn’s more metal-focused offerings, or the most recent Mamaleek albums as potential antecedents, but Mama Killa truly sounds like nothing else. Each player draws from their unique background to craft performances that exist at a stylistic crossroads. Mendoza’s guitar work ranges from off-kilter psychedelic blues riffs, effects-heavy noise, and introspective drone, punctuated by ethereal, tremolo-picked leads. Her ingenuity is matched by Fluke-Mogul, whose violin playing is both versatile and unpredictable. She uses an array of techniques and effects pedals to summon everything from shrieking wails to rhythmic plucking and somber melodies. Pérez, meanwhile, brings her death metal roots to the drum kit, incorporating double bass gallops and anchoring the string players with a solid, rock-oriented foundation. While her style may lack the finesse and tight precision of a traditional jazz drummer, her command of dynamics, fluidity, and aggression elevate the string pyrotechnics of her bandmates.
The album and its track list are held together by a close attention to dynamics, allowing the listener to distinguish peaks from valleys in what might otherwise feel like formless terrain. High-intensity, riff-driven tracks like raucous opener “Puma Punku,” the black metal-tinged “We Will Be Millions” and the krautrock-inspired “Nowhere but Here” are spaced out by slower, more contemplative pieces that highlight different elements of the trio’s artistry. “Trichocereus Pachanoi” places Pérez in the spotlight with an undulating drum solo that eventually gives way to Sunn O)))-like waves of guitar drone—a motif expanded in the tense and unsettling “Mama Huaco.” Meanwhile, “Partera Party” centers Fluke-Mogul, who begins with a sparse, exhilarating violin solo before easing into an almost playful groove once the drums enter. This sense of contrast lends Mama Killa a strong pacing. Whenever the trio’s intensity hits a peak, it is soon tempered by several minutes of minimalist reflection. While some of the quieter moments occasionally linger a bit too long, the album overall offers a surprisingly well-balanced listening experience, especially for a genre so rooted in unpredictability.
It helps that Mama Killa features a raw, no-frills production style that not only highlights its careful use of dynamics but also brings sonic clarity to its adventurous performances. Legendary engineer Martin Bisi (Sonic Youth, Swans, Boredoms) captures everything from the subtle hiss of Mendosa’s amps to the soft timbre of Pérez’s cymbal wash, placing the listener firmly in the room without relying on studio tricks that might dilute the emotion of these pieces. This allows the gorgeous violin melody of “Amazing Graces” and the slow-burn, post-rock build of the closer “Mama Coco” to truly resonate. Unfortunately, the production does highlight a somewhat weak vocal performance on 2 tracks (“Puma Punku” and “Nowhere but Here”), where improvised blackened yelps appear to distract from the stellar instrumental parts. This is ultimately a small complaint, but it does detract slightly from an otherwise impressive work.
Mama Killa is an exciting debut that manages to both chart new sonic territory and entertain while doing so. It certainly stands as a challenging work which listeners might not be keen to partake in regularly, but for those willing to embark, Mama Killa offers a unique and varied work of experimental music with a sly thematic core. It’s an album where each contributor’s artistic voice is clearly discernible, and their cohesion elevates this collection of improvised music beyond typical genre pitfalls. If the trio finds time amid their busy musical schedules to release another project, it will be exciting to see how they might further develop an already compelling formula.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: Lossless
Label: Burning Ambulance Music
Website: mendozaflukemogulperez.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: July 11th, 2025
#2025 #AvaMendozaGabbyFlukeMogulCarolinaPérez #Castrator #FreeJazz #Hypoxia #JohnZorn #Jul25 #Mamaleek #Progressive #Review #Reviews #Sunn #SunnO_ #Swans
Entheomorphosis – Pyhä Kuilu Review
By Dear Hollow
If I’ve learned anything from Dark Buddha Rising, it’s that drone metal goes hand-in-hand with spiritual awakening. The blinding light of transcendence and the shadows of the occult are parts of the same jagged landscape of existence, and the abyss rules beneath, embodying both creation and destruction. Gentle and ruthless in equal measure, drone metal’s tides of mountainous riffs and thunderous tones offer the secrets of the universe and the nonexistence that perpetually threatens every fiber. Dark Buddha Rising exemplified this in its Buddhism-influenced aesthetic tied to hypnotic and ritualist drone, pulsing percussion, and a flurry of vocal attacks to conjure and invoke a dark trance. With their ongoing hiatus, Entheomorphosis takes up the mantle.
Appropriately, Entheomorphosis is the spiritual successor of Dark Buddha Rising, taking its namesake after its 2009 album of the same name, its primary architect being former guitarist/vocalist Vesa Ajomo. A quartet, other members include Mr. Peter Hayden/PH/Enphin alum Lauri Kivelä (also of Alitila) on bass and JP Koivisto (also of Vallihauta) on guitar, as well as Lassi Männikkö of Gangrened and Ludalloy behind the kit. While Dark Buddha Rising offered a surprisingly nimble and balanced approach to drone in energetic percussion and obscure vocal approaches, Entheomorphosis embraces the sprawl and a more predictable vocal dimension, alongside a much more erratic percussion presence. Debut Pyhä Kuilu (“holy abyss” in Finnish) embraces the spiritual awakening of shedding old skin with shuddering tone abuse and glacial crawls in its favor, even if it pales in comparison to its mother act.
Entheomorphosis does a great job of compacting drone metal’s most trademark features in a tidy thirty-five-minute runtime, thanks to concise songwriting. It features four tracks, with the bookends comprising the main movements (“Alkiema,” “Iätön”). These are the transcended Arhats in a drone metal fan’s nirvana: droning riffs, tortured vocals, and breathless patience. Conjuring the Sabbath-worshipping likes more of Earth than Sunn O))) in its slightly orange and hazy tone (perhaps Bongripper), it drawls on while Ajomo’s vocals take the stage in tortured shouts and Männikkö’s slightly off-kilter rhythms add a dimension of intrigue to the proceeds. Contrary to Dark Buddha Rising’s winning formula of drums carrying the drone, Entheomorphosis finds the drums carrying on a manic ritualistic energy almost despite the droning riffs, reminding me of early Sumac’s work. This clash is a bit jarring but intriguing, as longer passages avoid stagnation thanks to these odd collisions. The moods invoked are vast, settling upon anticipation’s startling brightness (“Alkiema”) and dread’s heavy weight (“Iätön”).
Getting away from the traditional drone template, the meat of Pyhä Kuilu offers respite in unexpected ways for Entheomorphosis. From the minimalist creeping of blackened shrieks atop chaotic drumming, thunderous bass, and synthesizer (“Sikinä”) to a crystalline and pulsing synth foray (“Huntu”), the centerpieces recall a more liturgical and shamanistic Primitive Man in its unforgiving noise and injection of chaos among the more regal movements of straightforward drone. They nonetheless beg the question as to why two comparatively brief respites are tied together as such when they are just different enough to be confusing and just similar enough to sound the same. The vocals are likewise a bit of a conundrum with Entheomorphosis, especially in comparison to its parent project. Dark Buddha Rising benefited from the choir of insanity of its three voices, but Ajomo’s nasally shouts seem to clash with the surrounding bleak obscurity, working most effectively with the blackened shrieks in “Sikinä.” The vocals are not the main focus, but they do distract at best, derail at worst, when they appear.
Entheomorphosis soars in being a worthy spiritual successor to Dark Buddha Rising, even if its pedigree cannot hold up. It’s a dark drone sound that you’ve come to know and love, but simultaneously more accessible and more experimental. Pyhä Kuilu feels more liturgical and less hypnotic, and its chemistry between drums and riff is endlessly intriguing. It may not achieve transcendence of its actors’ other projects, but for fans of drone, Entheomorphosis is a tour de force of holiness and devastation. While a nice bit of escapism, I’m banking on a more complete spiritual awakening next time.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Svart Records
Websites: entheomorphosis.bandcamp.com | entheomorphosis.com
Releases Worldwide: May 23rd, 2025
#2025 #30 #Alitila #AvantGardeMetal #Bongripper #DarkBuddhaRising #DoomMetal #DroneMetal #Earth #Enphin #Entheomorphosis #FinnishMetal #Gangrened #Ludalloy #May25 #MrPeterHayden #PH #PrimitiveMan #PyhäKuilu #Review #Reviews #Sumac #SunnO_ #SvartRecords #Vallihauta
By Dear Hollow
Black Aleph is a sonic experiment devoted to ritual. Debut Apsides, while short, is nothing short of perplexing in its evasion of genre trappings, ultimately making some form of drone metal with folk instruments, imbued with post-metal’s metamorphic crescendos. However, the value lies behind these descriptors, with a distinct ritualistic heart beating beneath as its Middle Eastern modal traditions guide the movements—a divine and otherworldly experience. Don’t misunderstand, Apsides will still crush you, but just as much in its serenity as its dense guitar riffs—the weight it conjures is a suggestion and anticipation of punishment rather than a rod brandished. The result is haunting and unique, but brimming with more potential than it capitalizes upon.
Black Aleph is a trio from Australia, its Sydney- and Melbourne-based members comprised other acts from the country’s weirder underground offerings. Aside from respective solo offerings, guitar and effects wizard Lachlan Dale hails from maqam-centric acts like Hashshashin and the Arya Ensemble,1 cellist Peter Hollo lends his eerie drones in post-rock/electronic collectives like Tangents, Haunts, and FourPlay String Quartet, and dar player/setarist Timothy Johannessen plays in the folk-inclined Mehr Ensemble. Johannessen and Dale’s respective roots in Arabic, Iranian, and Persian folk music pronounce the motifs that Black Aleph utilizes. The trio has been compared to renowned experimental acts like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Justin Broadrick, and Jesu, while associated with members of We Lost the Sea and Sunn O))). However, Black Aleph plays more in line with Hashshashin or countrymates Omahara in the blurring of drone and folk, ever-punishing and ever-organic.
Black Aleph deals in a style that balances weight, tension, and melody. Just as in Godspeed’s Lift Your Skinny Fists…, chord progressions throughout Apsides are layered with tension, bated breath between dissonance and harmony. While layered with ominous droning doom riffs (“Descent,” “Precession”), the crescendos within its micro-movements prove the most intriguing. Whether it be its dancing and complex rhythms (“Return”), climbing arpeggios (the “Ambit” duo), or gradual uses of volume and curious motifs (“Separation,” “Return”) the best uses of the percussive daf are utilized in quieter moments, creating a pulsing undercurrent of mystery and frailty rather than the punishing drums they pretend to be in the more droning cuts. These more gentle movements gradually increase in girth with post-rock intention, erupting in satisfying droning climaxes (“Ambit II (Aphelion),” “Return”). While droning guitars are relatively straightforward, their acoustic instruments—setar, daf, cello, and violin2—provide Black Aleph an easy and effective bridge between droning metal and folk motifs, as the songs are constructed safely and neatly.
Black Aleph’s voiceless music creates a greater impetus to focus on the songwriting, and unfortunately, Apsides suffers from moments of directionless meandering and awkwardly curtailed movements. In general, the lack of vocals is a critique depending on the listener. In a manner of songwriting, however, the best crescendo occurs in “Ambit II (Aphelion)” and no track following lives up to this peak, although others attempt to scale it (“Separation,” “Return”). While noodling occurs throughout (i.e. “Ambit I (Ascension)”), it overwhelms the moments of climax, leading tracks plummeting to the ground, especially in the limp closer “Occultation,” whose wonky rhythms and skronky setar rob the guitars of needed weight. Most frustrating with Black Aleph is that, although each track is neatly composed and competently executed, the album at large feels too short and abrupt. Apisdes’ thirty-minute runtime feels too short like Black Aleph missed the chance to adequately flesh out their ideas when eschewing drone metal’s tendency towards lengthy offerings.
Apsides offers a unique sound, hindered by its own ambition. Although the songs are too short and performances can be shortsighted, Black Aleph has an endlessly intriguing premise and unique execution. Ritualistic rhythms, Middle Eastern motifs, droning riffs, and otherworldly drive collide in an album that largely succeeds. It’s good that I want to hear more of Black Aleph, because I think their next album will be better than Apsides.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: blackaleph.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blackaleph
Releases Worldwide: October 25th, 2024
#2024 #30 #Apsides #AryaEnsemble #AustralianMetal #BlackAleph #DoomMetal #Drone #DroneMetal #Folk #FourPlayStringQuartet #GodspeedYouBlackEmperor #Hashshashin #Haunts #Jesu #JustinBroadrick #MehrEnsemble #Noise #Oct24 #Omahara #PostRock #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #SunnO_ #Tangents #WeLostTheSea
By Dear Hollow
Look, Dave. Buddy. Pal. I love drone, but you’re making it really difficult. When I sat and listened to Sunn O))) for like an hour and a half, my colleagues mocked me. They said, “Wow Dear Hollow, doing laundry at work, huh?” before laughing and gorilla-hooting in my face all the way back to the Fvneral Fvkk cvbicle. I persisted, even when Steel Druhm played screaming rooster videos while I played Nadja’s Radiance of Shadows and I thought it was the advent of vocals I had missed before—I even spilled my coffee. But even then, I turned the other cheek. I persisted. Even when Dr. A.N. Grier called me an idiot as loudly as possible to drown out Horseback, making him sound like the deranged lap-steel-abusing cowpoke I know he is. My point is: Dave, my man, you gotta help me out here.
Oscillotron is a project of David Johansson, frontman of Steel Druhm–gorilla-themed Swedish doom rock act Kongh, and live guitarist for Cult of Luna since 2013. If you’re hoping that Oscillotron incorporates any of that shit, aside from thick-as-booty-cheeks heavy, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Oblivion is Johansson’s first offering under the moniker in eight years, promising more drone-influenced sprawls than the atmospheric doom and electronic emphases of 2016’s Cataclysm or 2012’s Eclipse. In this way, Oblivion lives up to its name—mightily. Your ears will be greeted by an hour-long track composed of an unceasing wall of noise made of droning guitars and Moog synthesizers. Without a serious pair of headphones or an ounce of masochism, Oscillotron will offer you the album to drift off to. It’s about as exciting as you can imagine.
Oscillotron is meticulous in its sound design, with each layer of density and shuddering radiant carefully constructed and included. In true drone spirit, Oblivion’s spotlight is on the heft. Oscillotron offers no vocals or percussion and no chord progressions in a stark (and tragic) departure from their Sunny genremates. It’s one sprawling and unmoving beast whose only sign of life is some periodic strumming movement, the electronic warbles and beeps from the synth, or the gradual collapse of the wall somewhere near the forty-five-minute mark. Johansson steers away from the Sabbathian orange fuzz of Earth, the dynamics of early Boris, and the evocative movements of Nadja. It’s truly Oblivion, an emptiness that envelopes the ears in encompassing saturation of total emptiness. It’s almost astounding, as repeated listens grant layers of noise peeled back with each iteration, a trip to the void that feels ruinously apathetic and aphotic. It will drive you mad, for better or for worse.
Perhaps most obviously, Oscillotron is drone—stubbornly more-vacant-than-usual-drone—for a whole fuckin’ hour with nothing going for it. Good drone is meant to swallow you whole, but Oblivion is so devoted to expansion that it neglects any form of accessibility or, dare I say music. Distortion is front and center, and for funsies you can sing along by humming the same note for a whole fucking hour. As such, there is no direction or defined purpose, no beginning, middle, or conclusion, aside from the shuddering density. Oblivion cannot stand on its own, as there isn’t even a lead-in or a fade-out—it just starts abruptly and ends abruptly. I can admire Oscillotron’s motives to create something rawer and more visceral than the cinematic facades constructed in years past, but to turn away from the very basics of music into truly a sprawling static stand-still of noise? That is truly puzzling.
I will use Oscillotron’s breed of noise-mongering as background noise for reading or sleep aid, but Oblivion is minimalist decadence for absolutely no one’s benefit. It lacks basic musical wherewithal and earns its status as “just noise.” Yeah, I love drone, but I also like drone to feel a bit more like, I don’t know, music? I can see its uses and get lost in the labyrinth where all walls look the same, but Dave, my guy, I’m gonna be made the laughingstock of AMG HQ if you keep this up. At least put in a couple more chords, a sustained high note, drums, vocals—something. If not, the ADHD Metal Guy, Second Most High Gorilla, Idiotic Cowpoke Grier, and the other Fvneral Fvkking bastards are coming for me. For my sake. Be a friend. Please.
Rating: 1.0/5.0
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-Released
Website: oscillotron.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/oscillotron
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024
#10 #2024 #AmbientNoise #BlackSabbath #Boris #CultOfLuna #DoomMetal #Drone #DroneMetal #Earth #Horseback #Kongh #Nadja #Noise #Obligion #Oscillotron #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #Sep24 #SunnO_ #SwedishMetal
Victory Over the Sun – Dance You Monster to My Soft Song! [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]
By Dear Hollow
Victory Over the Sun is a project of the Portland-based multi-instrumentalist Vivian Tylińska who, along with Jute Gyte’s Adam Kalmbach and Kostnatění’s D.L., represents the diversity and power of the unorthodox take of microtonal black metal. You’ll find Tylińska is more inspired by Liturgy than Darkthrone, touches upon Kayo Dot more than Mayhem, actualizing a more triumphant and avant-garde take on black metal – although her more blackened passages are nothing short of vicious. As loose and freeform as jazz and as organic and fluid as classical, fourth full-length Dance You Monster to My Soft Song! balances the razor’s edge between traditional and otherworldly, exploring the niches and crevices in each crooked composition.
Victory Over the Sun is not inspired by the status quo, as Tylińska’s aim is not to warp listeners back to the glory days of black metal – she’s just a “girl who makes noise.” Microtonal black metal has found itself more and more a vessel for the queer and members of LGBTQIA+ to express self-discovery and identity. Victory Over the Sun is no different, the work of a trans woman offering a further intellectual layer with each theme steeped in the futurist art and music of the early 20th century. Utilizing a blend of dense and shimmering, movements are founded upon a motif that reoccurs throughout each track, revisited intensity and hypnotic repetition. Opener “Thorn Woos the Wound” is the best example, a nearly seventeen-minute foray into shimmering atmospherics and triumphant chord progressions alongside blastbeats and plods, as well as Tylińska’s blackened screech. “Madeline Becoming Judy” and “The Gold of Having Nothing” offer a similar aura, simple plucking and drumbeats collapsing into blastbeats and raw tremolo, to return to its off-kilter rhythms and a patiently sprawling wall of uncanny valley melody, motifs taking on a burning, searing quality.
You will certainly find your share of brutality, particularly in the shortest track “WHEEL” and closer “Black Heralds.” The former is an absolute mammoth of a track, a work of contrast due to the most optimistic lyrics of the album colliding with the most sinister riff, a crawling beast with more similarity to Portal than to Mayhem – hypnotic and funereal, otherworldly and vicious. Meanwhile, “Black Heralds” features a weighty riff to complement the darker plucking that saturates it, a smooth crescendo from ominous dripping plucking and hollow synths to a massive riff that feels like something out of Sunn O)))’s Black One. The album progression in this way maneuvers between the more exploratory songwriting and its darker conclusions, reflecting the pessimism of its lyrics (a poem by Cesar Vallejo).
Dance You Monster to My Soft Song! is an album that requires much to unpack. Every movement is intentional, with repetition used to searing proportions and melody thoughtful and patient rather than attaining to some “trve kvlt” standard. Victory Over the Sun not only stands as a landmark for LGBTQIA+ representation in a masculine-dominated style of music, but sets the bar for the burgeoning style of microtonal black metal. It’s exploratory in the best ways while ensuring that the experience of this strange type of music is not lost in the lushness – shimmering but punishing. Balancing more triumphant passages with an underworldly darkness, both undergirded by reckless and fearless songwriting, Dance You Monster to My Soft Song! is one of the best albums of the year, comfortably settling Tylińska and Victory Over the Sun – more than just the product of a “girl who makes noise” – into the upper echelon of experimental black metal.
Tracks to Check Out: ”Thorn Woos the Wound,” “WHEEL,” and “Black Heralds”
#2023 #Apr23 #DanceYouMonsterToMySoftSong_ #Darkthrone #JuteGyte #KayoDot #Kostnatění #Liturgy #Mayhem #Portal #SelfRelease #SunnO_ #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023 #VictoryOverTheSun
Megaton Leviathan – Magick Helmet Review
By Dear Hollow
Look, I love drone. I love getting lost in the swaths of noise and soundscapes that pervade its classics, as albums like Earth’s Earth 2, Sunn O)))’s Black One, and Boris’ Flood offer otherworldly and mammoth wilderness to explore. Riffs don’t offer adrenaline, but mountains instead, while vocals and percussion, if there are any, are the last semblance of humanity amid the utter saturation of sound. Its utter overwhelm of sound makes it controversial, its void of relatability offers little reprieve, and its slow depiction of devastation is hypnotic. All that to say, while I was maybe hoping for the next Holy Fawn with Megaton Leviathan’s talk of shoegaze, drone, and doom, I don’t know what the fuck to make of Magick Helmet.
While the gone-but-unforgotten Huck offered an optimistic 2.5 for the act’s third full-length 2018’s Mage, praising the song “Within the Threshold” for its ability to fuse sprawling drone with psychedelic soundscapes, things change in five years. Most notably, Megaton Leviathan is now a solo project of mastermind Andrew James Costa Reuscher (credited as Reuscher), responsible for every aspect of the hour-long monstrosity of Magick Helmet. As such, gone are the vocals and drone entirely in favor of an instrumental psychedelic rock session, comprised of fuzzed-out bass, wailing guitars, and pounding drums, attempting to channel “a maximum Doomgaze and minimalist approach embracing change and employing [Reuscher’s] love for things gritty, CVLT, and mind-altering.” It’s a minimalist approach to be sure, but the only thing conjured here is a maximalist headache.
Megaton Leviathan still manages to be drone, but to be frank, it’s in the bad way your parents describe your favorite music. Four tracks, over an hour long, with two tracks comprising over forty-six minutes of the runtime – it all sounds like something Sunn O))) would do. But if mammoth waves of drone is what you’re after, you will be sorely disappointed. Megaton Leviathan’s songwriting is comprised of a single fuzzed-out bassline and drum pattern that courses through the entirety of a song, while scathingly bright guitar wails comprise the melody. Magick Hammer is minimalist and rooted in vintage tones of psychedelic rock, which is Reuscher’s intention – I love that for him. Its only real highlight consists of centerpiece “The Belly of the Beast,” which departs the formula in favor of a Swans– or Merzbow-esque descent into noise and madness, which feels darker and more intense than anything Reuscher has accomplished. The flipside of this highlight, however, is that while Swans’ song “The Seer,” for instance, layered performances atop itself with an intense collusion of vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and noise, Megaton Leviathan’s noisy tendencies sound more like a new guitar player trying out a pedal at a Guitar Center – only guitar trilling away, feeling random and directionless.
The two sides of Magick Helmet are damning, because one sees the bass and drums locked into an unwavering and wearisome sequence, while the other is psychedelic upper fretboard brain-scorching randomness that is supposed to be the main attraction. While this certainly achieves a drug-fueled psychedelia, it also is derailed by a bad combination of boredom and tinnitus. The bulk of Magick Helmet consists of the aforementioned dully repeated basslines and scathing Jimi Hendrix-esque upper fretboard gymnastics interpretive dancing, making the nearly thirty-minute long “Helios Creed Magick Helmet” and openers “The Final Form of Nothing is Final” and its utterly unnecessary sequel “The Final Form of Nothing is Final (A Slight Reprise)” unbearable. While many more atmospheric or post-rock acts rely on a single motif to build a dynamic or crescendo upon, it is a building process. Megaton Leviathan’s is not: just repetition in hopes the guitar does the heavy lifting. Psychedelia is also a worthy aspiration, but other adjacent acts like Dark Buddha Rising or Space Coke do it better.
Megaton Leviathan talks a big game, with talk of “doomgaze” and “industrial drone” spilling out of previous releases. While often misguided, previous releases capitalized upon this ambition with sprawling compositions with many players’ formidable talents. While I understand the minimalist ambition, simple songwriting techniques need to be employed beyond “playing this shrill psychedelia until I get tired of it.” The Magick Helmet refers to the throbbing that covers my entire head upon listening, so maybe Megaton Leviathan should provide a dose of Tylenol with each purchase.
Rating: 1.0/5.0
DR: 61 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Volatile Rock Recordings
Websites: megatonleviathan.bandcamp.com | megatonleviathan.com | facebook.com/MegatonLeviathan
Releases Worldwide: December 8th, 2023
#10 #2023 #AmericanMetal #Boris #DarkBuddhaRising #Dec23 #DoomMetal #DroneMetal #Earth #MagickHelmet #MegatonLeviathan #Merzbow #Noise #Psychedelic #PsychedelicDoomMetal #PsychedelicRock #Review #Reviews #SpaceCoke #SunnO_ #Swans #VolatileRockRecordings
Pasquale 📷 🇫🇷 🦻 
Angry Metal Guy
