It’s been all over the place as of late: I’ve had good news, bad news, unfortunate events and fortunate events. BUT, who cares as long as we have another Saturday crammed with great metal. And we have exactly that this week on Initial Descent. What you ask? Well, leading off this week’s festivities is the psych doom trio Ufomammut with their latest and eighth full length (Oro was technically one, who’s counting anyway) 8 and as good as their discography has been thus far they’ve gotten even better – oh yeah. Next up, and the second outstanding album in this list, is Satyricon‘s Deep calleth upon Deep and this is where the band gets back to doing what they do best: killing it. Moving on is another return of sorts as Wolves in the Throne Room brings back some of their fury on Thrice Woven (psst – Chris was busy this week and covered both of these last two, make sure to click through and read up). Last but not least is the jaw dropping doomgaze of Mindkult on Lucifer’s Dream and if you’re keeping count, this makes two stellar efforts that command attention. Anywho, hard to top those four but there is a laundry list that follows that will keep you going until next time so get comfy. See you back here next week and good luck getting through all these by then.

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Ufomammut – 8 (Neurot Recordings) – psych doom metal [full review]

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Satyricon – Deep calleth upon Deep (Napalm Records) – black metal [full review]

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Wolves in the Throne Room – Thrice Woven (Artemisia Records) – black metal [full review]

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Mindkult – Lucifer’s Dream (Transcending Obscurity) – doomgaze

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Also on tap:

71TonMan – Earthwreck (Black Bow Records) – doom metal

A Very Loud Death – Lanterns (Independent) – rock

Acephalix – Decreation (20 Buck Spin) – death metal

Ancst / King Apathy – Split, LP (Supreme Chaos Records) – black metal

Arallu – Six (Transcending Obscurity) – black metal

Archspire – Relentless Mutation (Season of Mist) – technical death metal

Bionatops – Voices (Nefarious Industries) – experimental metal

Brant Bjork – Europe ’16 (Napalm Records) – desert rock

Canker – Earthquake (Xtreem Music) – death metal

Chelsea Wolfe – Hiss Spun (Sargent House) – dark experimental

Daydream XI – The Circus of the Tattered and Torn (Sensory Records) – progressive power metal

Dead Is Dead – Constraints of Time (Triple Eye Industries) – post-metal

Dead Medusa – Riff City (Independent) – traditional death metal

Epitaph – Claws (High Roller Records) – doom

Faces of the Bog – Ego Death (DHU Records) – psychedelic sludge

FVZZ POPVLI – Fvzz Dei (Heavy Psych Sounds) – noise rock

Geist – Disrepair (WOOAAARGH) – blackened hardcore

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Luciferian Towers (Constellation Records) – experimental

Green Elder – Litterfall (Independent) – appalachian folk

Gridfailure – I Shall Not Survive Another Winter (Independent) – dark drone

Hazzerd – Misleading Evil (World War Now Records) – thrash

Heavy Traffic / The Mad Doctors – Split, 7″ (Twin Earth / King Pizza) – psych metal

Implore – Subjugate (Century Media) – black / death

In Twilight’s Embrace – Vanitas (Arachnophobia Records) – death metal

John Steven Morgan – Solo Piano Works (Dark Martha Records) – piano

King Parrot – Ugly Produce (Housecore / Agonia) – grind / extreme

Kuudes Silma – Pelko (Svart Records) – gothic rock

Maharaja – Kali Yuga (Independent) – sludge

Monarch – Never Forever (Profound Lore) – doom metal

National Suicide – Massacre Elite (Scarlet Records) – thrash metal

Otherwise – Sleeping Lions (Century Media) – hard rock

Overdose Support – Try Dying (Kaos Kontrol) – experimental

Overoth – The Forgotten Tome (Hostile Media) – extreme metal

Quaye Lahüe – Day of the Oppressor (High Roller Records) – heavy metal

Rust Dust – Diveners and Shivs (Independent) – folk

Seventh Genocide – Toward Akina (WOOAAARGH) – atmospheric post metal

Sinicle – Angels & Demons (Independent) – heavy metal

Skein – Deadweight (Inverse Records) – dark alt-metal

Terror Empire – Obscurity Rising (Kosher Records) – thrash metal

The Flying Eyes – Burning of the Season (Ripple Music) – heavy psych rock

The Wake – Earth’s Necropolis (Loud Rage Music) – black metal

Tombstalker – Chaotic Devotion (Boris Records) – black / death

Trauma – Comedy Is Over, Reissue (Deformeathing Production) – death metal

Ummagma – LCD (Label Obscura/Somewherecold Records) – alternative

Unru / Tongue – Split (Supreme Chaos Records) – black metal

Urarv – Aurum (Svart Records) – black metal

We Came From Wolves – Haunt Me (Heart Out Records) – metalcore

– Josh