I don’t quite recall how or where I first heard of Emit. It was either via the Crucial Blast Records website or from Zero Tolerance Magazine, but I do know that when I first heard “Spectre Music of an Antiquary” I was thoroughly pleased. Each song is like a portent of a slowly creeping doom … Continue reading “Spectre Music of an Antiquary” – Emit
“Daemon” – Mayhem
Like the many-headed hydra of Greek myth, The True Mayhem sprouted yet another serpentine head with the celebrated release of 2019’s “Daemon”. This spiraling descent into pure black metal hell hearkens back to the golden age of the genre, luring us in with it’s Faustian offerings and casting us into a deep abyss of woe … Continue reading “Daemon” – Mayhem
“Subterranean Rites” – Gnawed
My first encounter with Gnawed was shortly after the release of 2014’s Feign and Cloak, which I discovered after it was recommended by Zero Tolerance Magazine in an issue published around the same time. I was immediately a fan of the harsh, gritty soundscapes and dank atmosphere which Grant Richardson (Gnawed) produced. Unlike other noise … Continue reading “Subterranean Rites” – Gnawed
“A Journey Through the Dark” – Dungeons of Irithyll
One of my very favorite dungeon synth albums, “A Journey Through the Dark” by Dungeons of Irithyll bathes listeners in dolorous synth passages conjured from the lore of the Dark Souls video game series. The somber minimalism of this album is reminiscent of many environs from within the games (of which I am also a … Continue reading “A Journey Through the Dark” – Dungeons of Irithyll
Lurker of Chalice (S/T)
In 2005 I was fifteen years old, and my burgeoning interest in all things black metal was all-consuming. I was drawn to the genre like a lunar moth to a pale flame and was fiercely inspired by various artists within the genre, particularly the classic 2nd wave Scandinavian bands, but also to the handful of … Continue reading Lurker of Chalice (S/T)
“Crossing the Rubicon”
The past week or so has been a time of quiet reflection for me, as nearly everything apart from “essential businesses” is still closed and, apart from work, I’ve been home-bound. While this imposed isolation has been emotionally trying at times, my cabin fever has subsided for the time being, and I’ve been focused lately … Continue reading “Crossing the Rubicon”
“Universal Death Church” -Lord Mantis
Like necrotic seepage dripping from a gangrenous wound, Lord Mantis reemerged from the gutters anew with Charlie Fell back in the band, and their latest offering, “Universal Death Church” is disastrously filthy, the heaviest and most putrescent of blackened sludge has been funneled and condensed into a nightmare-cocktail for the world to imbibe. While many … Continue reading “Universal Death Church” -Lord Mantis
“Tchornobog” – S/T
Oozing forth from primordial depths, the malicious entity known as Tchornobog slithers forth to ensnare listeners with slime-drenched pseudopods and drag them to a brutal desert hell. This is one of those rare, unnerving gems that cannot be easily dispelled once heard; it is as innovative as it is cataclysmic, birthed from the very depths … Continue reading “Tchornobog” – S/T
“Quarantine: Eternal Dungeon”
My house feels smaller than usual lately, and colder -even with the air conditioning off; It’s like a crypt, and I have been interred herein with my wife and daughter for weeks, only leaving to go to the store and to work when there is work on-site to be done. The monotony and isolation have … Continue reading “Quarantine: Eternal Dungeon”
“Terminal Aggressor II” -Dragged Into Sunlight
I spent years wondering when Dragged Into Sunlight would release anything after Negative Volume. For a time, it seemed to me that the band had gone dormant, apart from live performances, but I never stopped wondering what would come next and when that day would come. My fondness for the original 2006 Terminal Aggressor demo … Continue reading “Terminal Aggressor II” -Dragged Into Sunlight
Towers of Rust 