Category Archives: New Releases

Out Today: Agruss – Morok

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Agruss – Morok (Code666 Records, 26 April 2012)

 
There seems to be a growing trend in the American Black Metal scene that revolves around combining atmospheric post-black-metal sounds with a pro-nature, anti-technology attitude. This has been discussed ad nauseam all over the internet (perhaps best exemplified here), and frankly, I don’t give a shit. This may seem like an oversimplification, and you might say I’m being too broadly dismissive, but I say to hell with all of it. That whole movement comes across (to me) as a bunch of whiny neo-hippies saying yay to peace and love and flower power, with all the conviction and determination of that whole stupid “Occupy Wall Street… Until it Starts Getting Cold Outside” slumber party that was such a big deal last year, while it was the cause du jour.

Well, here’s a review of something totally different: a band who use black metal as the medium for expressing their rage against modern technology and the destruction of nature!

How is that different, you ask? Well for starters, the band Agruss is from the town of Rivne (Рівне), Ukraine, just a short distance away from one of that country’s nuclear power plants. Furthermore, that town is only about 400km away from the town of Chornobyl (Чорнобиль), or more commonly known by its Russian name Chernobyl (Чернобыль). As you are probably aware, that town — now almost completely abandoned — was very close to the site of another Ukranian nuclear power plant, until an explosion occurred there, releasing nuclear contaminants all over the surrounding area. That disaster occurred in 1986, on the 26th of April. (See what they did there?)
 
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Coming Soon: Undersmile Reveal Cover Art, Track Listing, and More!

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Well, would you look at that.  It’s early Monday morning, it’s cold and rainy outside, and I have to go to work.  What a miserable way to start the day.  Just when I was thinking I could really use something dark and dismal to match my bleak mood, so that I could feel a little better, check out this treasure trove of incredible news I just found on Facebook!

I’ve been bubbling with excitement about a new Undersmile album ever since it was announced, as I mentioned when I wrote about that announcement back in November.  (Check out that earlier post if you need a brief introduction to the band and some of their earlier work.)  Well as it turns out, Future Noise has just announced a ton of brand new details about that album, Narwhal, which is now scheduled to emerge on 28 May 2012.

At the top of this post you can admire the artwork that will be adorning the new record (by artist Tony Roberts, who has done work in the past for bands such as Conan and Electric Wizard), and further down will be the full tracklist, as well as information on where you can hear a couple of these tracks now — plus how you can preorder a copy of the album!

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Out Last Month: Tribune – Elder Lore / The Dark Arts

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Tribune – Elder Lore / The Dark Arts (Corpse Corrosion Music, 20 March 2012)

Whenever I discover a new band, I usually try to learn as much as I can about them, including where they come from. If it’s a country or a city I’m not especially familiar with, occasionally I’ll hit Wikipedia and see if there are any interesting facts to be learned there. Maybe I’m just a major dork, I don’t know. Whatever. Sometimes I like to look at a map of where a band comes from, just to see where it is in relation to things I do know about. This is how I discovered that the city of Burnaby, British Columbia, is right next to Vancouver, near the Pacific coast and just above the U.S./Canada border. Playing with the settings a bit, I found myself looking at a topographic map of that general area. In this way, I found that Burnaby is surrounded by a few lakes, and most of the land seems to be pretty close to sea level anyway. From that I would surmise that there just might be a good bit of swamps or marshlands near that area.

Now, I wasn’t just randomly seeking out information on the geographic characteristics of various cities in Canada. No, I was learning about Burnaby because it’s home to the band Tribune*, to whose recently-released double-EP Elder Lore / The Dark Arts I had just been listening. The blend of riffs and vocals they incorporate into their particular version of death metal might give you the impression that they come from the same backwater bayou country as Down or Crowbar, rather than the frozen tundra of British Columbia, which is what set me on that particular path of research. But anyway, hometown notwithstanding, these guys have put together a combination of styles that I’ve decided to call stoner/death metal. You just need to check it out to see what I mean.
 
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* By the way — I don’t know if it’s a Canadian thing or what, but I’ve learned that the band’s name is pronounced differently than I originally thought. It’s actually supposed to be “TRY-bune” (as in “tribunal”), rather than “TRIB-une” (as in “tribute”).
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Get ’em While They’re Hot: Download the New Dreaming Dead Album for Free (Today Only!)

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Dreaming Dead have officially released their new album Midnightmares (the follow-up to their 2009 full-length Within One) today. Described as “elements of black, death, thrash and Schuldiner-inspired progressive metal [melded] into one thought-provoking and intense sonic assault,” this trio of Angelenos (vocalist and guitarist Elizabeth Schall, drummer and vocalist Michael Caffell, and bassist Juan Ramirez) operate with a strict M.O. of DIY. So in putting together this new album, they aren’t working with any fancy labels, they just went to their fans to help raise the funds using Kickstarter — which has successfully met their goal of $5000, enabling them to release the album on both CD and vinyl!

To celebrate this achievement, and to celebrate the release of the album, the band has announced that they are giving away free downloads TODAY (20 April 2012) ONLY! Head on over to their Reverbnation page, PRONTO, to get in on this deal!

The Kickstarter campaign also runs through midnight (Pacific time) tonight, so there’s still time to join in and grab some great thank-you gifts, including CD and/or vinyl copies of the album, t-shirts, all the way up to a private show in your backyard (southern California area only)!

If you miss out on the Kickstarter thing and the free download thing, you’ll still have the chance to buy physical copies and other merchandise from the band’s online store.

Once again, you can download the album for free from here, just for the rest of today. I’ve got my copy already (and an actual review will be posted soon), now what are you waiting for?

Dreaming Dead website, Facebook, Reverbnation, Webstore

The “Signmeto” Unsigned Band of the Week: Chopstick Suicide

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Hey look at that, it’s Monday.  Around here, that can only mean one thing: it’s time for the “Signmeto” Unsigned Band of the Week!  Just like I do every single Monday, without any exceptions ever*, I’ve gone to the “Sign Me to Roadrunner Records” website and checked out some of the bands there who are looking for people to review their music.  I’ve picked out one of those,  listened to the songs they’ve got posted, and now I’m writing about them here so that once again, YOU can discover some awesome new music. 

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*Okay, okay, okay, I lied. I missed last week. I was too busy travelling and visiting with relatives and junk like that over the Easter weekend, and didn’t have anything prepared for Monday. But that was just one time! It won’t ever happen again. Ever. But don’t quote me on that.
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Anyway, that bunch of pissed-off looking dudes in cartoon character shirts, up above, are a band of mathcore hooligans from Istanbul, Turkey, called Chopstick Suicide.  These guys recently released an album called Lost Fathers and Sons on the Turkish label Peyote Müzik, but nevertheless they do have a few of their songs available on the Signmeto Roadrunner Records website, and therefore they qualify as an Unsigned Band of the Week here on Valley of Steel, mostly because they are currently seeking a relationship with other labels to help distribute their stuff internationally.
 
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Just Released: Obolus – Lament

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Obolus – Lament (The Flenser Records, 10 April 2012)

In the “Inferno” section of his Divine Comedy, the poet Dante describes his descent through the various circles of Hell, including the particular sins which had landed the condemned souls in each of these, and what tragic fate had been assigned to them.  A large part of the allegorical nature of this tale revolves around the narrator’s interaction with some of these damned creatures; while often serving as political commentary on what he perceived as misdeeds in his own time, Dante’s poem also speaks on the evils of human nature in a far more universal sense.

Of the nine circles through which the author must pass, the seventh is the final resting place for those deemed guilty of sins of violence.  This circle is further subdivided into three narrower rings.  The section “Canto XIII” discusses what he sees in the second of these three rings, which is classified as sins of violence against oneself:
 

“… we had put ourselves within a wood,
That was not marked by any path whatever.
Not foliage green, but of a dusky colour,
Not branches smooth, but gnarled and intertangled,
Not apple-trees were there, but thorns with poison.”

“There do the hideous Harpies make their nests…
They make laments upon the wondrous trees.”

“I heard on all sides lamentations uttered,
And person none beheld I who might make them,
Whence, utterly bewildered, I stood still.”

 
Soon, at the urging of his netherworldly guide Virgil, our hero discovers that the voices he hears are issuing from the disfigured trees themselves, in which form are trapped the souls of those who had ended their lives by their own hands.

By breaking off a piece of one of their limbs, he finds he is able to address the tortured soul within, and have it respond to his inquiries:
 

“As out of a green brand, that is on fire
At one of the ends, and from the other drips
And hisses with the wind that is escaping;
So from that splinter issued forth together
Both words and blood…”

 
If the lamentations he heard from this poor, wretched being could be captured on tape, I’m sure the result would be extremely similar to the just-released Lament by the San Franciscan atmospheric black metal band Obolus.
 

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Out Last Week: Elizabeth – Where Vultures Land

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Elizabeth – Where Vultures Land (Throatruiner Records / I for Us Records, 04 April 2012)

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s worth repeating: I have a lot of respect for bands and record labels who do what they do for the right reasons. Here, “the right reasons” are not to get rich and famous and live a life of luxury by taking advantage of people, but simply to create (for the bands) or disseminate (for labels) art based on a true passion for doing so. Now, I’m not saying that nobody should ever make money from their art — a lot of work goes into it and everyone involved totally deserves to recoup their expenses and bring in enough extra income to hopefully be able to continue what they are doing! But at a certain point, it seems like making a few dollars becomes more important than sharing a mutual love of music, and that is just a sad situation for anyone to be in.

Having said that, it’s obvious Matthias Jungbluth of French (Breton) label Throatruiner Records is in this for the right reasons. Anyone who would start an extreme metal label nowadays has to know beforehand that they aren’t going to be bringing in a ton of money, considering the state of the music industry these days, and so there must be some degree of passion for the art itself. The label specializes in small releases on vinyl or cassette, as well as some other merchandise, supplemented by free downloads of those releases in order to expose the artists to as many people as possible.

 
Packaged with the free download of an album from Throatruiner is the following text (contained in a file named “FVCK LARS ULRICH.rtf”):

Thanks for your download, we hope you will enjoy this record as much as we did! When I have started Throatruiner Records last year, one of my guidelines was to put all my releases on free download. Because the stuff i love should live without any boundaries. So if you want to support Throatruiner Records & our bands, please visit http://throatruinerrecords.tumblr.com/ and pick some stuff, we need it; and if you think we don’t deserve any $, be kind, share this album with five of your friends!

Sorry for your ears.

I’ve discovered a lot of great new music through this label, one example of which I’d like to share with you today.

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Let’s Start the Day with More TrollfesT News!

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Good morning!  Tuesday’s post about the release of a new TrollfesT song attracted a lot of attention, which is great — I’m excited to hear some new music out of these guys, and I’m glad to see so many other people feel the same way.

Well, guess what!  Since then, I’ve stumbled upon a whole treasure trove of new information — including the track listing and the story behind the new album Brumlebassen (due in August from Noise Art Records) plus the cover art (see above)!  Additionally, there’s been a bit of a line-up change in the works which was just made official in advance of the band’s performance at Inferno Festival (which is taking place later today in Oslo).

 

So!  First things first, here is how the band describes the concept for their upcoming fifth album:

Like all TrollfesT’s albums, Brumlebassen tells a story about one of the characters that inhabit the fantastical universe created by the band.  This time the story is about Brumlebassen the Bee Keeper, whose task it is to care for the bees and brew the Honey Mead that is much loved by the Trolls.  Brumlebassen adores his bees so much that he would secretly like to become one of them himself and he is therefore depicted wearing a bee costume!

I don’t know about you, but to me a story about a troll who wants to be a bee sounds awesomely hilarious.  I can’t wait.

 

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MDF Update: Apparently Morgion was Scheduled to Perform? Anyway, That’s Been Postponed.

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NOTE — Updated 07 January 2013 — This post originally referred to Maryland Deathfest X (which took place in May 2012). However, Morgion was announced as one of the confirmed performers for this year’s MDF XI (scheduled for May 2013). Recent reports (see the comment section, below) are indicating that this may not be happening as planned, either. Stay tuned, and I promise to share all the facts with you as soon as I have heard anything from an official source. But it’s not looking real optimistic at the moment.

 
UPDATE #2 — 08 January 2013 — Okay, it’s now been made officially official, Morgion will not be playing in 2013 either. Possibly not at any other time in the future, either.

 

Ok, first off, what the hell!!? I know I’ve been super busy with work crap and school crap and all kinds of other crap lately, but how did I miss the news that Morgion — the legendary doom metal band from the 90’s and early 2000’s — was getting back together to play at this year’s Maryland Death Fest!?!?

Anyway, so I’ve just learned that the band has been forced to postpone their previously-scheduled reunion performance. It was going to take place at MDF on the 25th of May, but… (as drummer Rhett Davis, formerly of Morgion and now with Gravehill, explains):
 

It is with great regret that I must inform you all that Morgion must postpone our performance at this year’s Maryland Death Fest, on Friday May 25th. Jeremy (Peto – Bass/Vocals) recently sustained a quite serious neck & back injury, serious enough to where he must undergo surgery and months of physical therapy. Needless to say we are all very concerned for his health and well-being, we must ask you to be patient with us just a lil’ bit longer! On the positive, we have our Rabid Decay Demo – Live Rehearsal Demo – Travesty 7″ EP re-release on CD called God of Death & Decay on Dark Descent Records, as well as the double gatefold Solinari vinyl release on Parasitic Records due before MDF! I do have to stress this is NOT a cancellation, this is a postponement… Our sincere apologies for this, but the circumstances are quite serious and we hope our fans/friends understand and wish Jeremy a speedy recovery!

 
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Now Hear This! Previously Unreleased TrollfesT Song Now Streaming

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Over their nearly-decade-long existence, TrollfesT (who inexplicably describe themselves as “True Norwegian Balkan Metal”) have really built a name for themselves, as much for their unique folk instrumentation as for the drunken party environment that surrounds everything they do. By all accounts, their live performances are truly something to behold — and for those who live in Europe you just may get a chance to witness this, as they are playing at Norway’s Inferno Festival this Thursday (05 April) before embarking on a tour with kindred spirits Korpiklaani this month, as well as dates in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as part of MetalFest in July, Slovenia’s Metalcamp in August, and finally the Heidenfest tour in October and November.

For those of us who live elsewhere and aren’t lucky enough to be able to attend any of these festivals or tours, we can take heart in the knowledge that sometime this summer the band’s fifth album Brumlebassen will be released by Noise Art Records, but maybe that isn’t quite enough for you — perhaps you are still feeling left out?

Sadly, I can’t magically make the band appear in your city (although they did mention on Facebook, a while back, that they’d love to come to the U.S. — they just need enough people to go to their local venue owners and concert promoters and demand it! ask politely), but what I can give you is a sneak peek at a song that was previously only available at live shows!

 
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