A figure draped in black moving lightly and slowly, barefoot, through a moonlit mossy forest. Smog curls from the end of a smudge bundle as a smokey scent trails through the earthy air. Listening to doom/dark folk band Darkher (passion project of the very talented Jayn Maiven) brings this imagery to mind and their latest release The Buried Storm urges this dark beauty to unfold and encapsulate listeners. Fans have waited six long years for a sophomore release from Darkher and this album does not disappoint. The songs contain a melancholic heaviness that Maiven previously established in earlier releases, while also expanding to include guest string musicians and creating vast well-developed soundscapes that intwine perfectly with her hauntingly ethereal vocals.
Continue readingprophecy productions
Album Review: E-L-R — “Vexier”
Vexier, from the Latin “vexare,” meaning to plague or to irritate, or from the German “Vexierbild,” meaning a flipped image, or even a puzzle game in some dialects. What does all this have to do with the newest release from Switzerland’s doomgaze golden children E-L-R? A lot, actually. While I wouldn’t say this album is going to plague you, the idea behind it is that it should vex you a little bit. It should get under your skin and make you want to unwrap more layers, make a couple more moves to solving the puzzle, try to piece out the original from the image.
Continue readingCANTO: Christian Death, Satan, Midnight, and More
I truly cannot believe we are just over the hump this week.
- Let’s start with The Space Control Tour 2022, which features the likes of Misery Index, Origin, and Wolf King. That’s an awesome trio. Those dates run through the month of May, kicking off on the 6th in Chicago. Tickets go on sale Friday here.
- Eight Bells premiered a new track and video recently, titled “The Well”, which you can check out here. That’s another one from Legacy of Ruin, which will be out on February 25th through Prophecy Productions.
- I’ve heard really good things from the new Midnight album, Let There Be Witchery, so I suppose it would be a good idea to include new material from that one. So, here’s “Nocturnal Molestation“. That album drops on March 4th through Metal Blade.
- Another one from Metal Blade today features Satan. Their sixth studio album, Earth Infernal, is set for an April 1st release. You can pre-order that, and check out “Burning Portrait”, right here.
- We’ll close with new material from Christian Death. Evil Becomes Rule is out on May 6th through Season of Mist, and a visualizer for “Blood Moon” is available below. They’ve also got May tour dates coming up, so make sure you get in on that as well.
“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb
CANTO: Suffocation, Eight Bells, Backslider, and More
To make 2022 even worse… I’m pretty sure I lost my entire photo and music library. Help.
- Let’s start with tour news, some good… some bad. First some good. Suffocation have announced a new 2022 North American tour with Atheist, Soreption, and Contrarian. The dates cover late May through late June, and tickets go on sale Friday at this location.
- Less positive news has emerged from Khemmis, who has postponed their West Coast tour until June. All previously purchased tickets are still valid, and it sounds like some more dates might even be added. Read up on all that here.
- Philadelphia sludge punk collective Backslider released a new track and video today, titled “Pseudomessiah”. That’s taken from the upcoming new album, Psychic Rot, which drops on February 11th through To Live A Lie Records.
- Som shared a new track from their upcoming new album, The End of Everything, which is out on January 21st through Pelagic Records. Listen to “Center” here.
- We’re going to wrap up with the first new Eight Bells material I’ve heard in forever. Check out “Destroyer” below. Legacy of Ruin is out on February 25th through Prophecy Productions.
“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb
CANTO: Blood Incantation, Helloween, Behemoth, and More
And on this day, we drink bourbon.
- Blood Incantation have a new album on the way. Timewave Zero is out on February 25th through Century Media, and is available for pre-order here.
- Black metal duo Austere have signed on with Prophecy Productions/Lupus Lounge, with plans to release their third full-length sometime in 2022 after a decade-long hiatus. Looks like they’ll also be releasing some past recordings as well, so good stuff all around.
- Malefic Throne have set the release date for their self-titled Hells Headbangers debut EP. It will be out on January 28th on CD and cassette (vinyl to come later), and you can check out “A New Hand Upon the Blade” right now.
- Helloween gave us a new video today, for “Out For The Glory”. That track, of course, is taken from the self-titled album that dropped back in June. Pick that one up through Atomic Fire, if you haven’t already.
- May as well end with Behemoth, who have shared the final video from In Absentia Dei. Check out the clip for “Slaves Shall Serve” below. Man, I forgot how monstrous that track (and album) was. You can purchase that live album here, if you feel so inclined.
“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– cmb