Category Archives: New Releases

DeathCrawl – Acceptable Level of Misery (2017); Enhailer – Dumb Enough to Care (2017-18)

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DeathCrawl – Acceptable Level of Misery (self-released, 27 October 2017)

 

Enhailer – Dumb Enough to Care (Blackseed Records, 11 December 2017 / vinyl to be released via Burnout Records, 14 June 2018)

 

Last time we checked in with Cleveland-area discordant agonists DeathCrawl was nearly five years ago when we introduced you to Accelerated Rate of Decay, the album they released the previous year. And then, following that incredibly vicious piece of work, this trio has put out another album late last year — which we will be talking about today.

Why today? Well, it has been brought to our attention that tonight the band will be performing in the faroff land of Canton, Ohio for the first time ever. So this belated look at Acceptable Level of Misery is our way of helping to spread the word about that.

And on the subject of releases from near the end of 2017, Enhailer from Akron (which is partway between Cleveland and Canton) will be playing at that same show tonight, and we’re also going to cover their Dumb Enough to Care EP which first came out back in December, but which will be coming out as a 10″ record in about a month and a half. Cheers!

 

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Wovoka – Saros (2015); LLNN/Wovoka – Traces/Marks (2017); LLNN – Deads (2018)

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Wovoka – Saros (digital Locust Rising Music / CD Battleground Records, 14 April 2015)

LLNN/Wovoka – Traces/Marks Split LP (Pelagic Records, 16 June 2017)

LLNN – Deads (Pelagic Records, 27 April 2018)

So a few years back — about three, actually — this Californian heavy sludge band called Wovoka reached out to let us know they were releasing their debut record. We really dug it at the time, and have been revisiting it often ever since then, but somehow never quite got around to writing anything about it. Then last year we got word that these guys were participating in a split LP with Danish band LLNN. And then sometime after that, we learned that THOSE guys would be issuing a new album themselves (their second). That will be hitting the streets tomorrow, but today we’re going to cover all three of those releases.

Also, earlier this week saw the start of a month-long European tour with LLNN joining Bison. After you’re finished reading, keep scrolling down to the bottom where we’ll fill you in on those dates!

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Orphanage Named Earth – Re-Evolve; Soom – Djebars (2018)

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Orphanage Named Earth – Re-Evolve (Argonauta Records, 20 April 2018)

 

Soom – Джєбарс (Robustfellow Prods. / Addicted Label / Voron Nest / Kvlt Ov Ї, 20 April 2018)

 

Today we’ve got two brand-new albums to share with you. These were both released last Friday: the debut full-length of Orphanage Named Earth from Poland (a more precise location for the band is not given, but as the album was recorded in Białystok, let’s assume they come from somewhere nearby), and the sophomore LP by Kharkiv, Ukraine’s Soom.

Any fan of things that are loud and heavy, but also thought-provoking, should find plenty to like with either one of these records — or hopefully both!

 

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River Cult – Halcyon Daze (2018)

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River Cult – Halcyon Daze (Magnetic Eye Records / Blackseed Records / Nasoni Records, 09 February 2018)

 

In the grand tradition of classic power trios like Mountain or Cream, infused with the loud and fuzzy psychedelics of Blue Cheer, Brooklyn’s River Cult ought to be bursting onto radar screens all over the place with their first LP Halcyon Daze. Only five tracks long but with a running time around forty-two minutes, the record came out earlier this year via a handful of labels in New York, Pittsburgh, and Germany — but if it has somehow managed to elude your attention thus far, our job today is to fix that!

 

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Insect Ark – Marrow Hymns (2018)

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Insect Ark – Marrow Hymns (Profound Lore Records, 23 February 2018)

 

Bi-coastal DOOM duo Insect Ark is made up of film music composer and animator Dana Schechter (Angels of Light, Wrekmeister Harmonies, Zeal & Ardor, Gnaw) on bass and lap steel, and electronics expert Ashley Spungin (Taurus, Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Negative Queen) on drums as well as various synths and analog noise pedals she created herself. With this unique arrangement (featuring zero electric guitars, in the traditional sense), the instrumental assembly has brought forth their latest sonic creation (through a combination of long-distance collaboration and in-studio cooperation).

Although nearly two months have passed since the record’s Profound Lore release, last night (Sunday, 15 April) was the celebratory release show in Brooklyn. Next up, the pair will be hitting the Roadburn stage later this week followed by a month-long tour through Europe. You can find a listing of all those dates at the bottom of the page, but first, check out Marrow Hymns!

 

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Heron – A Low Winter’s Sun (2018)

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Heron – A Low Winter’s Sun (Sludgelord Records, 13 April 2018)

 

Ever notice how many really great bands there are, who are named after birds? I mean, just off the top of my head: Vulture, Cormorant, Mockingbird, Wren… and I guess to a lesser extent, Counting Crows? Anyway, it’s time to add Vancouver (BC)’s Heron to that list.

Surprisingly graceful for their size, as well as extremely stealthy and patient hunters, the heron is already no stranger to cover art (both dead and alive*), so it totally makes sense for a metal band to use that name. Just released yesterday, Heron‘s debut album is one of the first few put out by the relatively new Sludgelord Records, and it’s one I’d highly recommend you check out.

 

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Imperial Triumphant – Part II (2015-2018)

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Imperial Triumphant – Abyssal Gods (Code666, 10 March 2015)

 

Imperial Triumphant – Inceste (CD and digital Redefining Darkness Records, 15 April 2016 / vinyl Temple of Torturous, 23 March 2018)

 
[NOTE: this is the second of a two-part series on NYC black metal crusaders Imperial Triumphant. If you’ve missed the first part, check it out here.]

As I’ve mentioned, Imperial Triumphant have become known for producing unique and unpredictable music, which is dense and complex and really requires some commitment of time and attention from the listener to really be able to unpack and grasp everything that’s happening. The same could be said of the two releases we’ll be discussing in this article, their second full-length (released in early 2015, just two months before I finally got the opportunity to experience this band in person) and another EP that will be turning two years old this weekend (which just last month was given the vinyl treatment with several bonus tracks). Let’s dig right in!

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None – Life Has Gone On Long Enough (2018)

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None – Life Has Gone On Long Enough (Hypnotic Dirge Records, 11 April 2018)

 

Yesterday, Hypnotic Dirge released the second album by None. The label describes them as a “two-piece Depressive Black Metal entity from the Pacific Northwest.” Digging a bit further reveals that they are in fact from the northwestern USA (to avoid confusion since the label itself is from Canada). And that is literally all we’ve been able to uncover, as “none” also accurately describes how much of an online presence this band maintains.

But that’s fine: it doesn’t require any background information to be able to listen to something and appreciate it. So without any further extraneous introductory remarks, let’s jump straight to the music.

 

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Ruby the Hatchet – Planetary Space Child (2017)

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Ruby the Hatchet – Planetary Space Child (Tee Pee Records, 25 August 2017)

 
I’m putting the finishing touches on writing this article during breaks between watching Philadelphia’s hockey team getting demolished during the first game of this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. Entirely by coincidence, that city (a place whose biggest claim to fame is striking a beloved holiday character with snowballs) happens to be the home base of psychedelic ensemble Ruby the Hatchet. But I’ll implore you not to hold that against them.

As you may recall, we wrote about this band’s 2012 debut album Ouroboros when it was reissued back in 2016, and then last summer we mentioned that they would have a new album out soon. Today we’re discussing that album, as RtH prepare to head out on a whirlwind tour of the country over the next few weeks (kicking off this Friday, 13 April 2018). Check out the full list of dates at the bottom of this page.

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Harakiri for the Sky – Arson (2018)

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Harakiri for the Sky – Arson (AOP Records, 16 February 2018)

 
Hey! Remember a few months back when we passed along the news that the Austrian post-black metal twosome known as Harakiri for the Sky would be returning soon with a new album? If not, it was here (November) and here (December), each time with a video of a new song from Arson.

Well since that time, they put out another video in January (see below to check that out), and — oh yeah — the album itself dropped via AOP about a month and a half ago. For those who have been paying attention to the updates, this record is every bit as good as you would have expected from the preview tracks. Which you probably already know because you already got yourself a copy. But for the rest of you…

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