I was just talking about how we had crossed into December and BAM! it’s cold and snowing a little. For those of you up north, feel free to make fun of me for my thin blood and thin skin. Me and cold don’t get along very well anymore but as the weather cools down the metal heats up so let’s get to this edition of Initial Descent. Leading us off is Retrocausal which breaks a seven year silence from Cleric and they waste no time showcasing their ability to effortlessly bend sound at will as well as stretch their jagged experimental legs with longer tracks. Next up is the mysterious DSKNT with their debut album PhSPHR which can best be described as bleak and chaotic black metal. Moving along is a three way split, Shades of Sorrow, between Suicide Wraith, Necrolytic Goat Converter and Uncanny Reality — expect a wonderful black metal ear bashing here. Last up in the opening slots is The Line Between from Blood Oath which saw cassette release earlier this year but is being reissued on CD this week so there’s no reason not to get your hands on this amazing blast of raw and pure death metal. That’s a killer opening four but as usual we have way more to discover so slap a hoodie on and cinch up the headphone cords, it’s time. Continue reading →