As we all prepare to wrap up an eventful 2021, here’s a quick look back at a two-band/three-song split that came out earlier in the year, and recently had a vinyl pressing announced for early next year. Both participating bands and the label that put this together are all pro-feminism, anti-fascism, and highly LGBTQ+ supportive — all of which are positions we can certainly get behind. And it doesn’t hurt when the music sounds cool as well…

Awenden / Feminazgûl – Split (Tridroid Records, cassette and digital 07 May 2021, vinyl expected March 2022)

“Sam Slater Lighting Candles,” by Cascadia’s Awenden, occupies the album’s entire first side at nearly 17 minutes. Its title a reference to the British industrialist who emigrated to the USA with secrets of textile factory machinery, playing a major role in launching the industrial revolution on this side of the Atlantic, the expansive, progressive track features lyrics (performed using a blend of ghostly harsh screaming and gorgeous melodic singing) that are appropriately scathing about their subject — who is also known for directly contributing to the American industries of child labor, wage theft, and the gender wage gap.

The bulk of side B is occupied by “Call Out Her Name When You’re Lost” contributed by Appalachian group Feminazgûl — who are led by a self-proclaimed “trans witch” and derive their name from a portmanteau of an anti-feminist slur plus the band of ring wraiths from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Stretching to nearly eleven minutes in length, the track features plenty of arboreal sound effects as well as several non-traditional instruments (within the metal genre, that is) throughout such as piano, various strings and percussion; vocally, the song begins with gloomy, dirgey chants repeating the title over and over but then gives way to a more familiar up-tempo black metal delivery. Closing track “Windtime Wolftime” (just over three minutes) continues in a similar fashion, a mad dervish that elicits thoughts of both elements of its title: howling winds and howling wolves.

This split release is currently available to purchase digitally; three pressings of cassettes have already sold out but a fourth is available right now; and finally, that gorgeous-looking pink and purple vinyl edition (pictured above) which was JUST announced for pre-order is expected by next March. All these options can be found on the label’s Bandcamp site.
 

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http://awenden.bandcamp.com | http://twitter.com/Awenden_metal
http://feminazgul.bandcamp.com | http://twitter.com/feminazgul
http://tridroid.bandcamp.com