Chloe Dancer – S/T EP; Drazen – EP (2022)

Hello everybody…

Remember a few months back when I told you about Food Desert Recordings, the label who, since forming earlier in the year, has now put out a pair of charitable compilations?

Well anyway, today I’d like to make sure you’re also acquainted with another label that just opened up over the past few months. This one started out when an individual from British Columbia, who happens to hang around a few of the same Discord servers I sometimes frequent, was tossing around the idea of creating an explicitly anti-fascist, anti-sketch, and anti-capitalist cooperative (since unfortunately, way too many of them turn out to be far in the opposite direction). He joked that the name would have to be the most stereotypically Canadian thing anyone could think of, and came up with Syrup Moose.

The record label’s online bio clearly specify that it had just started out as a joke — which is absolutely true — but within weeks the collective found itself with an ever-growing roster and quite an unfunnily busy slate of upcoming releases, including cassette versions of each, as well as unique (and highly collectible) tarot card designs exclusively painted and printed for each new release.

Out of that already-extensive-and-rapidly-expanding catalog, I’ve selected one of the first as well as one of the most recent, to share with you this afternoon. The fact that both of these artists happen to be based in Pittsburgh is purely a coincidence — honestly!

 

Chloe DancerChloe Dancer EP (Syrup Moose Records, 02 September 2022)

 

DrazenEP (Syrup Moose Records, 09 December 2022)

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Úzkost – Mt’hr (2022)

ÚzkostMt’hr (self-released, 30 September 2022)

 

Happy Bandcamp Friday y’all!

It’s been two whole years since Pittsburghers Úzkost put out their delightfully deranged “Blood Debt.” But just a few days ago they returned with a brand-new single, and the promise of more forthcoming! Here’s “Mt’hr.”
 

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Úzkost – Blood Debt (2020)

ÚzkostBlood Debt (self-released, 21 August 2020)

 

Hello out there, friends and faithful readers who have been bearing with us as we have been going through a bit of a slow period in terms of writing output! For those who don’t watch television or read newspapers or spend all day doomscrolling Twitter (that last one has been my personal sickness lately), sorry to have to be the one to break it to you, but the entire world is crumbling to shit.

In entirely unrelated news, earlier this week I got a notification that this website’s domain registration was renewing (marking the eighth anniversary as an official “dot net” site, and putting us a few mere weeks away from our ninth anniversary operating under the Valley of Steel name), which reminded me that I have a self-assigned duty to share my musical discoveries with the good people of the internet.

Frankly, it’s been pretty difficult lately to get excited about anything or to focus attention on anything that isn’t the constant stream of negativity and hatred that surrounds us all. But I’ve managed to drag myself away from the harsh misery of 2020 America just long enough to write up some words about this new single and video that was released two weeks ago by local (Pittsburgh) band Úzkost. And as a bonus, both song and video happen to be a strikingly apt reaction to all that negativity and hatred!

 

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Slaves BC – Third Temple (2020)

Slaves BCThird Temple (The Fear and the Void Recordings, 18 March 2020)

 

Hello from the Valley of Steel Quarantine Command Headquarters. Hoping that everyone is staying safe out there, wherever you are.

Personally, my coworkers and I had barely begun adapting to an entirely new accounting and ERP software system, which we had been preparing to implement for about the past year and a half, and which finally launched company-wide, a mere three days before the mandatory work-from-home proclamation went out. But as stressful and difficult as this has been for me, I know how fortunate I really am to have a job flexible enough to allow me to perform my duties from the safety of home — unlike so many folks who have to continue venturing out into the world, or so many others who simply aren’t able to work at all under these circumstances.

That’s always very important: to recognize the relative triviality of our own struggles when compared with those of other people; but especially in times of widespread crisis like this, we should all be asking ourselves what more we could be doing to lend a hand to those who might need it. This philosophy is perfectly embodied by local Pittsburgh band (and longtime friends of this website) Slaves BC, who released a brand-new song a few days ago accompanied by the following announcement:

With the global pandemic we are now facing, a lot of people are losing their jobs and are really struggling financially.

We were going to use this track for something else, but we decided to release it early to raise money to help people we love.

For the foreseeable future, any money paid for this track and all other releases by Slaves BC will go to friends in need.

Thank you for your support.

Wash your hands.

 

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Mevrimna – INHIBIT\\EXHIBIT (2019)

MevrimnaINHIBIT\\EXHIBIT (The Fear and the Void Recordings, 01 November 2019)

 

While they may take the stage silently, completely shrouded in the anonymity of long black cowls, I don’t think either member of Pittsburgh-based blackened noise duo Mevrimna is making any real attempt to conceal their real-life alter egos: the guitarist (and occasionally bassist) and the drummer/vocalist serve in those same capacities as members of the much-acclaimed Slaves BC.

In fact, their live debut (almost exactly one year ago in Turtle Creek, PA) was slotted immediately before a performance by their “other” group. While I don’t know whether they found themselves to be a hard act to follow that evening, I can confirm that the peculiarly-named twosome did succeed in utterly scaring the hell out of everyone in attendance.

And now, following a few one-off tracks, this month these guys have released a brand-new full-length recording, which assuredly will serve up the exact same result. Consider yourself warned.

 

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Descendants of Crom III – Pittsburgh, September 2019

 

 
Next month, Descendants of Crom returns to Pittsburgh, bringing you a weekend jam-packed with doom and sludge and more — for the third year in a row!
 

Sponsored by Blackseed Records, Riff Relevant, and Stoner Rock Lives

 

Descendants of Crom III

 

Pre-Gala: Friday 20 September 2019 8:00 pm

Howlers – 4509 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh (Bloomfield) PA 15224

 

Saturday 21 September 2019 | Sunday 22 September 2019 | 4:00 pm each day

Cattivo – 146 44th Street, Pittsburgh PA 15201

 

$12 for Friday; $30 each for Saturday or Sunday; $65 for Saturday AND Sunday; and only $70 for ALL THREE (tickets here)

 
 
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Sub Alpine Metal Fest – Turtle Creek (Pittsburgh) PA, November 2018

 

 


 

 

Sub Alpine Metal Fest

 

Friday 02 November 2018 (doors 4:00 pm | music 4:30-11:00)

Saturday 03 November 2018 (doors 3:00 pm | music 3:45-11:00)

at the Sub-Alpina Society – 108 9th Street, Turtle Creek PA 15145

$10 each day at door (no advance sales)

 

 
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Descendants of Crom – Pittsburgh, September 2018


 

 
The city of Pittsburgh has already hosted one major multi-day metal music festival this year. Would you believe there’s going to be another one? Or that it’s happening this weekend?? Well… believe it.

Featuring a packed line-up spread across two dueling stages at Cattivo in Lawrenceville, Descendants of Crom brings you two full days of doom and sludge and more!

 

Descendants of Crom

Friday 28 September 2018 4:00 pm | Saturday 29 September 2018 4:00 pm

Cattivo – 146 44th Street, Pittsburgh PA 15201

21+ ONLY | $35 each day or $70 for both (tickets here)

 
 
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Live Music Alert! GHOST and MELVINS in Pittsburgh this Weekend


 


 

 

That’s right, these two titans of (the music) industry will be making an appearance in Pittsburgh: Ghost (who were here exactly five years ago today and gave one of the more memorable performances I’ve ever witnessed) TONIGHT, Friday the 18th; and (the) Melvins (who also came through town five years ago this month, with what was quite possibly THE best show I’ve seen) TOMORROW night, Saturday the 19th!

Stick around for more details on this weekend’s shows, as well as a bit of a walk down memory lane…
 
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Holy Rivals – Self-titled (2016)

Holy RivalsHoly Rivals (self-released, 25 May 2016)

 

Hey folks, remember all the way back to yesterday, when we talked about a pair of Howling Giant releases from 2016 and 2017? If not, make sure to go check it out! Anyway, way down at the end of that post you might notice that the Tennesseans are heading out on a tour of the eastern United States tomorrow night (Thursday, the 10th of May) and swinging through Pittsburgh soon after (Saturday, the 12th).

Well as it turns out, one of the local bands performing at that show also happens to be someone whose music we’ve been meaning to share with you for a while — in fact, their self-titled debut EP came out two years ago this month. So before any more time passes, today let’s listen to the self-described “three sludge/grunge dudes from Pittsburgh” known as Holy Rivals!

 

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