indie recordings

Initial Descent: November 6 – 12, 2022

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Detherous – image courtesy of Tegan Hoffman Photography

And just like that we’re in November. The time changed so hopefully you got the memo on that. Won’t be long until we’re stuffing our faces with copious amounts of food, getting in a quick nap afterwards, then pillaging stores for Black Friday deals. I, of course, won’t be doing the latter as I don’t participate but I will be doing the first two even though I don’t need the extra pounds. Since we’re in the season of giving thanks, there’s plenty new metal releases to be thankful for again this week in the various forms of death metal from Detherous, synth laden punk-industrial-horror from Black Cross Hotel, death-doom from Dream Unending, black metal from Kampfar, and a seriously loaded list of other stuff worthy of your time. I haven’t confirmed, but going off my foggy memory this may just be the longest list we’ve had this year. So, happy hunting and we’ll see you here throughout the week. 

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Initial Descent: April 28 – May 4, 2019

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Appalling

Monday. I got nothing. Well, I take that back – I’ve got new metal and lots of it so let’s focus on that…

Up first is a twofer of outstanding death metal. Appalling have a way about them that screams old school death yet sounds forward enough in their brash mix of blackened, thrashened (two in a row, fight me) death and not to mention their outstanding ability to write a killer song so give Inverted Realm a spin at max volume. Once that one’s done take a stroll through another album with incredibly memorable songwriting and death metal thick enough that even a chainsaw couldn’t cut through it, Parasitic Slavery from Body Harvest is one you’ll not want to miss. Kampfar has been around for nearly 25 years and still manage to put out some of the darkest black metal going today and on Ofidians Manifest they do it darker and better than ever. Last but not least is Mavradoxa on their melodic leaning atmospheric black metal filled Nightmarrow which is a beast on several levels and stay tuned for an in depth look at this one in the coming days.

See, I actually did have something. Here. Not elsewhere. Not today. Continue reading →

Initial Descent: April 22 – 28, 2018

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Boss Keloid
Boss Keloid

We’ve got another long list of metal this week so let’s jump right in — Boss Keloid return with Melted On the Inch which is vastly different from their last album but is without a doubt their best yet and consequently one of the most forward thinking metal albums you’re likely to hear. Even though Cist‘s The Frozen Casket has been out for a minute, this week’s expanded CD release is as good a time as any to pick up this slab of speedy OSDM, so get on that.  Grá‘s Väsen is a healthy dose of primal black metal and Aura Noir, a band I wasn’t sure would ever return with an album, is back and exceptionally so on Aura Noire. It serves as a great reminder as to how much I’ve missed their thrashy black metal. There you have it, the lead off four. But there’s much more to get into this week so stick around as long as you want, we never close. Continue reading →

Album Review: Aura Noir – “Aura Noire”

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Aura-Noir-Aura-Noire

Heavy music has some peerless blends, from black / death metal to stoner / sludge. Though strangely less common, the black / thrash metal subgenre boasts plenty of iconic performers. It’s a wide and debatable net that scoops up acts as divergent as Bathory, Voivod and Slayer in its universe.

Aura Noir, one of the forefathers of the sound, is owed some credit for lighting that flame and, to a degree, keeping it going. Especially with their latest Aura Noire. However, such can’t necessarily be judged by quantity, but rather quality. Continue reading →

Initial Descent: February 5 – 11, 2017

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nidingr
Nidingr

You know, my Dad was right; “son, as you get older time will pass like a fleeting breath and you have to take advantage while you can.” Truer words were never spoken as here we sit almost halfway through February and closing in on Valentines Day so I sure hope all you metalheads have thought about that. And if you haven’t GET ON IT, the wonderful love of your life won’t be happy if you’ve spent all your money on metal. Disclaimer: we are not responsible for your spending habits, we merely show you what’s out there so no complaining. Comprende? Cool, now lets get to it; Nidingr return with their fourth full length The High Heat Licks Against Heaven and its another beautiful notch in their avant-garde take on black metal but more than likely the best album title of the year, Wiegedood return with De Doden Hebben het Goed II and fully pull away from the atmospheric black metal pack by building a bigger and better beast than what we had with part I, right on cue and right when we need it the most Overkill return with their eighteenth full length The Grinding Wheel (EIGHTEENTH FULL LENGTH!!) and honestly they haven’t lost a step — if anything they just continue to get better so if anyone asks “what is metal” you can point them right here to this phenomenal album, and Dead Witches are upon us with their occult doom metal debut Ouija which is packed with all the goodies that discerning doom fans will love. All that and much more after the jump.

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