eisenwald

Initial Descent: September 20 – 26, 2020

JoshLeave a comment
The Ocean

Oh hi. Last week’s list was long but this week’s list is longer. Score. Annnnnd, we’re off… The Ocean has yet to release anything less than stellar and this week’s second Phanerozoic chapter is no exception—expect another epic tour-de-force. If you’re in the camp of saying how much Uada sounds like x band or y band, this week’s third full length will change that as they reach far outside the confines of just black metal and come up with all aces. Speaking of great third full lengths, Svalbard return with what might be their finest post-metal, punk, abrasive yet ethereal moment to date, the amount this band has grown in a short time is unbelievable. Bringing the top four to a close, we have yet another third full length from Lik who bring the Swedeath HEAT. So, exceptional top four here but there’s a ton more to seek out immediately below. Happy hunting.

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Initial Descent: August 23 – 29, 2020

Josh1 Comment
Necrot
Necrot

Catch that Enslaved Below the Lights stream last week? Maybe it’s still up but if not, and you missed it, shame on you is all I can say. Anyway, another new week and another massive pile of bloody metal to sink your teeth into. Shall we? Rhetorical, of course. The Bay Area’s death metal behemoths Necrot are back with a vicious slab of old school infused death that’ll set your head on fire and make your ears bleed, everyone’s favorite grind masters Pig Destroyer have an EP that is at once familiar but boundary pushing on the backside, Exist chair an all star class on how progressive metal should be done, and Panzerfaust hit us right in the raw yet hypnotic black metal feels and those are good feels, to be sure. See? I told you this week would be massive, and there’s still a ton more below. Enjoy.

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Rainbows in the Dark: Osi and the Jupiter — “Appalachia”

Ian1 Comment

I’ve had a lot of fun with Rainbows in the Dark here.  As much as I love metal, I love a diverse range of genres, I like being able to talk about all of them, and I like being able to stretch my comfort zone and get into stuff I would normally pass by.  I’ve found a lot of albums that I’ve really enjoyed for this column, but with Osi and the Jupiter and their EP Appalachia, I have found true gold, the kind of release I hoped I would find when I picked up this column. Continue reading →

Rainbows in the Dark: Mosaic — “Harvest: Songs of Autumnal Landscapes and Melancholy”

IanLeave a comment

Thuringia is one of the little-known gems of Germany.  One of the least populous states in Germany, it is nevertheless replete with natural beauty in its misty forests, lofty mountains and verdant plains.  It’s in these landscapes that Martin van Valkenstijn, aka Mosaic, has taken inspiration for his somewhat folk, somewhat black metal, somewhat atmospheric project for the last fifteen years.  In celebration of this monumental anniversary of his project, Valkenstijn tirelessly worked to remaster and compile a collection of old, limited release tracks in the form of Harvest: Songs of Autumnal Landscapes and Melancholy. Continue reading →

CANTO: Septicflesh, Metallica, Osi and the Jupiter, and More

CoreyLeave a comment

CMB_9542

Guess I’m going to go pre-order a bunch more vinyl after writing this. Life is so hard.

  • A couple videos to share today. The first one comes from Septicflesh, who released a live performance of “The Vampire from Nazareth”. That’s another one taken from the upcoming DVD Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX.
  • This was somewhat hinted at yesterday. Metallica have released two songs from their S&M2 performance. You can check out “All Within My Hands” here, and “Nothing Else Matters” here. That DVD drops on August 28th I believe.
  • Crown the Emperor are celebrating their 10th anniversary with a live streamed acoustic performance this coming Saturday (July 18th) at 5 PM EST. You can view that over on their Twitch channel.
  • Finally, a new video from Osi and the Jupiter. This one is called “The Binding Will of the Mountains”, and it’s taken from their upcoming EP titled Appalachia. That drops on July 31st through Eisenwald.

“Ein Bie… bitte.”
– cmb