Anyone else in the mood for primitive, lo-fi black metal? Graves comes out of Portugal, and their debut album Liturgia da Blasfémia is exactly that. Thick, cavernous black metal that howls and drools evil all over the carpet when you let it into your house. Production that sounds like the engineer had tentacles instead of fingers. But still with just enough clarity that the intent doesn’t get lost in a wash of reverb and candle smoke. Know what I mean? Continue reading
In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.
What do you think of when you see the term “blackened death” applied to a band or album? Is it predominantly death metal, but “blackened” up a bit? Is it black metal with traces of that good ol’ drop-D groove? Is it once again just a silly attempt to pigeon-hole and categorize something for easier consumption? Rhetorical questions one and all, but it helps to classify the theme for this edition of Second Circle as we check out the latest slab from Throne of Heresy and the debut from Tetragrammacide. Continue reading
Receiving the Evcharist is our weekly feature where we pair choice albums with our favorite libations. Drink from the cup of heresy. This week’s offering: Vassafor’s Malediction and 21st Amendment Brewing’s Back in Black IPA. Continue reading
“Blackened death” or whatever you want to call it seems to be the genre du jour this year, and I’ll be the first to admit the scuzzy, filth-ridden sound is not a favorite for me. The switch hasn’t clicked in my head that seems to be the default position for so many online writers who fawn over this kind of thing (there’s a reason I didn’t review the latest from Triumvir Foul), but I keep trying to crack it, to find some hook or jagged spike I can latch onto and wallow in the muddied waters with the rest of you.
So, biases and trepidation laid out, let’s take a listen to the debut from Vesicant, Shadows of Cleansing Iron. Continue reading
By the time you read this I’ll be somewhere between Florida and my hometown returning from a much needed vacation, very sunburned but very relaxed. Well…except for that whole “returning to the real world” and the plethora of idiots that populate the road ways who will inevitably be in my craw. But, I digress. It’s another week of mucho metal here on Initial Descent so let’s not delay any longer. Kicking things off, Oregon’s Witch Vomit return for another (short) round of killer death metal on Poisoned Blood, Weregoat get bestial and downright nasty on their debut full length Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication, keeping with the theme established thus far is Pig’s Blood with their debut full length Pig’s Blood which offers little in the way of good feelings and rounding out the top slots is Weapönizer with their second full length Lawless Age which features a wicked amalgamation of black metal, thrash and crossover. An overall brutal way to start a Saturday but as always there’s so much more to check out right after the jump. So go, now. Continue reading
