Striker Live at Complex in Glendale, CA

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Symphonic and melodic black metal has been making a comeback lately. Whether it be due to the constant sharing of old Abigor pictures on Instagram or a select few semi-recent reissues, an interest in mid-'90s black metal extravagance has found a new home multiple decades later. Is there anything to complain about? Unless a notable release ends up a total stinker, not at all. This movement–which lasted from about '95 to '97–was one of black metal's pinnacles, taking what was once ascetic and turning it on its head, making way for massive atmospheres and intriguing songwriting. Paying homage to this special period of time is Pestilent Hex, the duo of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist L.Oathe (Lauri "LL" Laaksonen of Desolate Shrine) and vocalist M.Malignant (Matti "MM" Mäkelä of Corpsessed, Tyranny, ex-Wormphlegm, et cetera). On their debut record The Ashen Abhorrence, Pestilent Hex's reverence to "the old ways" (rather than "nowadays black metal"–keep up) is more than apparent, but without the pitfalls of being a cover or "worship" band. Where many fail by stealing and appropriating Steinar Sverd progressions, Pestilent Hex's ideas are fresh and merely dressed in older regalia. Bringing mid-'90s black metal melodicisms and all their glory to a new generation of listeners (or a nice listen to those who remember or were lucky to experience it firsthand), Pestilent Hex is a wolf in wolves' clothing, offering a more modern (read as: cleaner, sharper) take on a classic style. Listen to an exclusive debut of The Ashen Abhorrence closer "Chapter VI : 'Banishment'" and read an interview (featuring some classic zine-style antagonism) with L.Oathe and M.Malignant below. Prepare to hear some of the finest black metal you'll experience this year.

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https://youtu.be/XNdd8Cm5ATM

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The The Ashen Abhorrence press release names some black metal heavy hitters (Kvist, Arcturus, Abigor, et cetera) in a specific time period between 1995 and 1997. Was it your intent to pay homage to these artists, or was this sound more of an organic result of your songwriting process? What is it about this time period of black metal which makes it so special as to revive it decades later? M: The period of '95-'97 was the era when both of us got into black metal so there for sure is a certain sense of nostalgia, and even though with Pestilent Hex we are undeniably tapping into that sound - I see the band as a lot more than just a tribute to the soundtrack of our teenage years. Yes, this is us paying our dues to the bands & albums that formed our musical sensibilities from an early age, but crafting our own vision out of it. This music has always flowed in our bloodstream, lying dormant for years to find the correct outlet to channel it through… and perhaps waiting and gathering the sheer will to do it as well as the bar we had set for ourselves was very high! Coming from a much more blunt expression to a more melodic one such as this requires some adjustment, and it exposes certain sides of us to the outside world that we have kept purposefully hidden. But once we allowed the gates to be opened it all felt very natural. There is also much more ambition behind this band than just a mere rehash of old ideas. The bands mentioned (and you should definitely not forget the masterpiece Witchcraft by Obtained Enslavement from the list) are there to give you a frame of reference on what to expect from us, as this is a new band no one is yet too familiar with… But the references are not just a template we would blindly follow, the idea is to forge our own path through the sound that still haunts us to this day. When composing orchestral music, how does the greater idea come to you? That is to say, how do you compose the individual parts in the VST orchestra and how do you create the larger musical texture? L: Riffs & guitar melodies always come first and everything else is complementary. We do not aim for what one might call "realistic orchestration," per se, but use synths and classical instruments to elevate the atmosphere and emphasize melodies and harmonies. Therefore we mix a lot of older synths and modern libraries in order to achieve the needed outcome, ambiance, without being limited too much on the rules of music theory and classical instrumentation. Greater idea - it formulates in my head while composing a song–and that's it. I know what brushes and color to use and when. Pestilent Hex is a very visual band, not only on the surface level especially, but musically and in spirit. Finland has a rich history in symphonic black metal and dark metal. Why do you feel your home country has been such a breeding ground for this type of music, and how do you feel Pestilent Hex fits into this greater history? M: This is a question that pops up from time to time in interviews - why is Finland such a fertile breeding ground for dark music, be it Black Metal, Death Metal or Doom? I don’t really have the answer and I think an outsider might have a more objective perspective on the matter. All I can tell you is that the surroundings, mentality, history and culture are there to strongly support it. Darkness is in our nature - internal and external. Channeling that darkness into music/art and having a way to alleviate yourself from its oppression has also much to do with it. How will this band fit into the greater history of Finnish Black Metal? Too early to say, really. We don’t sound typically Finnish, and are a new entity into the musical sphere, even though we’ve both been active in different musical outlets for a couple of decades already - only time will tell. L: As stated above, we definitely do not sound like Finnish black metal in the sense it's nowadays perceived. It is not something we’ve thought of actively, nor have aspirations of belonging to some bigger phenomena or sound... It would limit us, with the approach we have and I do not like limitations– and that has nothing to do with the quality of our BM scene which I respect greatly. Worth remembering is that there are and have been bands that do not fit into that framework like Thy Serpent's early works for example that have greatly shaped the musical landscape 20+ years ago. For LL: how does your approach for Pestilent Hex differ when compared to how you write music for Desolate Shrine? Vastly different approach. Even the fact that the guitars are tuned differently makes a huge difference. The sound itself inspires and takes you into different realms but the mindset matters the most. Pestilent Hex's approach is extremely natural for us. Even if writing music for other bands feels natural too in their own context, other bands have not been suitable for this kind of melodic approach. There has been pent up musical ambitions and energies that have been waiting to come out and now it is pouring out en masse without any effort. Apart from very different goals and vision, the songwriting itself remains similar–intuitive and adventurous. For MM: you are generally known for the low vocals you employ in various bands (though Wormphlegm did feature some pretty putrid high vocals). What was it like working (almost) exclusively in your higher register? Did you have to adjust at all? M: I think I started first doing vocals in the extreme metal context back in '98 (a typical story, nobody else in the band wanted to pick up the mic and someone had to do it–so it might as well have been me) and it was indeed in the higher register and screaming style, so it was nothing really new to me. I adopted the lower growling style later, it’s all about context on which type of voice suits the music you are playing. In Wormphlegm I utilized pretty much any vocal style I could and pushed it to the most extreme reaches but I have not done it to that extent in many many years, doing mainly backing vocals in my other bands, so some adjustments had to be made for sure. So when approaching the Pestilent Hex material, I knew I could do it, but of course had my doubts and insecurities at first. Being the sole vocalist and not hiding behind my guitar was a challenge and it took me some time to gather the self confidence and adjust myself to this new role. The album is broken into six chapters which leads me to believe this is a concept album. What is the greater concept surrounding The Ashen Abhorrence? M: This is indeed a concept album, divided into six (hex) chapters where everything, artwork included, is woven together. If you narrow it down, essentially it is a ghost story. The lyrics are written in a journal-like fashion from the perspective of the writer and the story ventures into the occult, witchcraft and contacting the spirit-world… leading to hauntings, possession, sleep paralysis and the blurred lines of what is a dream or reality. In the background lurks the eternal faustian aspirations of man's hunger for knowledge of worlds beyond our own. Writing the lyrics took a long time even though the story I wanted to tell was there for years. I approach the lyrics from a very visual standpoint. Explaining it too much would take away some of the magic, but I am also fully aware that the story might not easily open up to the reader at first glance. Is there anything specific you'd like to make clear about Pestilent Hex that you haven't had a chance to say yet? What would you like to make clear? M: One important thing to mention is that Pestilent Hex should not be seen as just a mere experimentation or a side project of death metal guys venturing into black metal. The reality is quite different and both of us have a long history with black metal. This band (yes–I intentionally diverted away from the word project) will not be a "one off" thing either. The first album took some years to complete, but now as the gates are open and our cooperation is very fruitful, there is much more to come. This is just the beginning. We have worlds to show you.

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The Ashen Abhorrence releases July 8th on Debemur Morti Productions.

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The lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic was a pressure cooker for independent bands: some bands buckled down and made the most of the inescapable downtime, while others simply... buckled. Pale Horseman is certainly in the first camp: the long-running Chicago veterans took the opportunity to cook up some of their nastiest and most adventurous sludge yet. This new material doesn't shy away from the band's core strength of fashioning gothic, imposing riffs and methodically driving them through listener's skulls with hand tools, but it also develops these deadly ideas into spaces slightly beyond their familiar caustic territory. Their new track "Exile," which we're premiering below, seems custom-built to induce ritualistic headbanging at a slow, methodical speed sure to cause severe neck trauma. I speak from significant experience seeing them live here, but there's simply no better way to appreciate it--maybe stretch a little bit before listening.

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Meting out destruction with saintly patience, Pale Horseman's dedication to cyclical, crushing riffs shines on "Exile," but their ever-evolving approach to songwriting is noteworthy too. A sense of rising pressure, initially sparked by a deceptively calm introduction, escalates through the track as if it's about to reach a boiling point--and when it does, a wicked solo lets off some of the steam before the track comes crashing down to its end. Though directly influenced by the pandemic, "Exile" is completely in line with Pale Horseman's apocalyptically-minded sludge--should the actual apocalypse manage to hold off long enough, expect more of Pale Horseman's dire sludge on its way to our doomed world soon. Vocalist/guitarist Andre Miguel Almaraz comments:

The song was written by Eric Ondo and he does lead vocals on that one. It was the first song we completed of the new batch of songs, and it’s been a band favorite ever since. It was written during and inspired by the lockdown phase of the COVID pandemic here in the Chicago area. Ultimately the lyrical content ended up being about multiple plagues that have wiped out large numbers of people over the centuries, and how mankind has responded to managing the spread of the plagues. It also touches on the level of care/lack of care given to the infected and dying individuals, including the disposal of the contaminated corpses.

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Follow Pale Horseman on Facebook and Bandcamp.

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There's something poetic about a band named Electric Mountain being signed to a label named Electric Valley Records, and that sense of rightness is only compounded by the fact that Electric Mountain's new album is called Valley Giant. Enormous facets of nature, amplified and supercharged, combine here as if pre-ordained, all in the name of giving listeners a jolt of pure rock energy. Hailing from Mexico City, the band's lively approach calls back to the early days of stoner rock, with raw, fuzzy tones and sun-bleached vocals let loose to wreak joyful havoc--there are no hints of post-metal or progressive tendencies here, just sick grooves. Valley Giant's free-flowing rock feels like a testament to sunny days, long drives, and the rightfully loud music that ought to accompany such circumstances. Whether or not these are your circumstances (personally, it'll be raining all day here), throw on the album now with our early premiere and get in the summer mood anyway.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2ihZJGqjA

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This is a vibrant record, one full of life and subtle goings-on beneath the big crunchy guitar action. From bass rattle to guitar scrapes and ghost notes, there's an undercurrent of life that breathes additional energy into their already exuberant jams. The closing track "A Thousand Miles High," which also happens to be the longest on the record, takes both this element and the band's mastery of rhythmic fixation to a high point: it's simply eight minutes of one killer riff after another, all delivered with noisy glee that proves to be infectious and invigorating. Valley Giant is good music to take a trip to, in one sense or another. The band comments:

The album is filled with distorted and fuzzy guitars, energetic drums, and a bass with an enveloping atmosphere with catchy lyrics that go from surreal landscapes, to desert trips, Viking invasions, love stories, and more, all guided by a melodic voice, while maintaining a heavy and groovy sound.

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Valley Giant releases May 27th via Electric Valley Records.

[caption id="attachment_77081" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: O F Cieri[/caption]

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I once had a friend tell me how haunted he was by The Body. Another friend put an LP on while he was stoned out of his mind and broke the seal on the most evil soundscape he ever heard. When he went to sleep that night, he dreamed he was trapped in rigor mortis while his friend stood over him, twitching and making the same noises as the LP. While The Body tours to promote their latest album, I've Seen All I Need to See, they've brought along some artists they've collaborated with in the past to create a soundscape full of broken glass, crying, and deep-fried samples. The show took place at St. Vitus in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, against a backdrop of three saints pulling Jesus out of the ground, except the body of Jesus is a giant tuber. Three huge cabinets took up so much space on stage that the drum set had to be re-positioned to stage left to make space for them, and all three bands used every single decibel. One of these artists, Sore Dream, is the industrial project from the musicians in Full of Hell, based out of Ocean Hill, Maryland. Sore Dream is only a year old, but Spencer Hazard told me they were in Brooklyn just last month to promote the split Full of Hell did with The Body. In their grindcore band, they incorporate a more traditional compositional structure, with instruments and a rhythm section. Sore Dream is much more ambient, however, evoking a sense of place with samples and synthesized instrumentation. It fits well with the brightly colored, jagged art done by Bo Orr for their LPs and merch. Bo Orr is a tattoo artist at Only You Tattoo in Atlanta, Georgia, and his prints combine the neon colors of his neoclassical tattoos with the jagged, asymmetrical shapes that have been cropping up in punk and metal art for the past few years. The weird, bright objects in his landscape are made up of or dissolve into objects from nature, like birds and flowers. "We didn't want it to look like a normal industrial album." Spencer Hazard told me. The next act was Midwife, which was one woman on stage bathed in blue light singing with noise-cancellation headphones on. Her choruses were slow, soothing chants that transitioned into a guitar bridge heavy with interference to create a soft, fuzzy effect. Midwife is Madeleine Johnston's project, a self-taught musician out of Rhode Island who has been playing music for 15 years. All of the backing tracks she played along with on stage are recordings of herself on bass, piano and guitar. Midwife has been active since 2015 and has played in NYC many times. The Body jumped right into playing when she got off stage, with Lee Buford on drums and Chip King rolling right into their set while a tech managed the levels on a soundboard behind them. Given how much noise comes out of them, it makes sense that he would need to be up close to do it. The Body is cursed, and The Body is timeless. The sounds they make are clearly a modern invention, but being at a The Body show is like being on a haunted galleon during a storm while the damned scream. It's always a good sign when the reverb is in my nasal cavity. King and Buford have good on-stage chemistry, shrugging and laughing at each other to communicate song transitions. King dropped a chord and threw back his head to laugh, as comfortable on stage as he would be completely alone. Below, find some (cell-phone-captured) photos from the hazy proceedings. [gallery gallerytitle="The Body, Midwife, Sore Dream at Saint Vitus Bar 5/21/2022" ids="12935,12934,12933,12932,12931,12930,12929,12928" galleryid="846:77076" galleryindex="0" showthumbs="no" ]

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The first time I saw Chicago-based trio RLYR (pronounced "Relayer"), they weren't even RLYR yet, nor were they a trio. Pelican's Trevor de Brauw and drummer Steven Hess (also of Locrian, Cleared, Haptic, and probably more) were invited to Milwaukee to play a special collaborative set at the second Utech Records Music Fest, a three-part festival series curated by Utech Records' (Horseback, Locrian, Nadja, Dead Neanderthals) Keith Utech. I had first met Trevor seeing Pelican open for Opeth in Houston a few years prior, and Steven and I were in close contact from his exploits in Locrian, who are still the best band in Chicago, even if Andre and Terence have moved elsewhere. The joyous, rocking sounds which emitted from this pre-RLYR outfit were intriguing, especially for an experimental music festival. I guess it ended up working in their favor, as RLYR very soon after became a full band, inviting Bloodiest's Colin DeKuiper into the fold on bass. Now on their third album, RLYR's eponymous work acts as a distillation of the strange, mathy, emo-y rock championed on Delayer and Actual Existence, but also an appending. Though RLYR has always been a "progressive" band in some terms, it's on RLYR where the idea of rhythm becomes a little looser and more natural. "[Approaching rhythm was] exceedingly natural," says Trevor, "to the extent that in some cases I don’t realize a part is offtime or in a non-traditional time signature until we’ve been playing it for quite awhile. I did try counting out the riff from 'Wrack' at one point, but I’m sure it doesn’t matter what time signature it is because we’re just playing by feel anyway." "I'm hopeful that when one listens to RLYR they feel a little sunniness," says Steven Hess, and sunny the album is. Hearkening back to the first time I heard the song "Stars," or maybe even my first (actual) emo record, RLYR is radiant, happy, and nostalgic, but without being saccharine. Now scene stalwarts in their own right, RLYR look back on their works and feel a sense of pride and lightheartedness, and to think all it took was a chance invitation to play an experimental music fest in Milwaukee to make it happen. Listen to RLYR in full and read an interview with the band below.

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https://youtu.be/xIC61YVz7nU

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It took three albums for RLYR to release a self-titled record. What made you want to go the eponymous route this time around? Trevor de Brauw: The first two albums we went into already having a title in mind and this one we didn’t. In the back of our minds we knew that at some point we’d have to come up with an album title, until we realized that maybe we didn't? That said, the way the album art came together the design feels cleaner and more direct with just the band name on the front. And I definitely appreciate the juxtaposition of the clean simplicity of the album title and art with the rather intricate construction of the songs contained therein. RLYR tends to err on the complex side. Is this your intent? Trevor: I feel that this band is a lot more intuitive than intentional when it comes to songwriting, it's just that our intuitions naturally guide us toward complex structures and arrangements. Our songwriting process is rooted in free improvisation; seeing where those jams go and taking the best moments as a base to build structured compositions on top of. There’s no intent to make the songs complicated or to willfully make things more complex, that’s just sort of where the process naturally leads us. If anything, we tend to overstuff the songs from the beginning and end up putting more thought and effort into trying to simplify and streamline them. What do you feel RLYR achieves with this complexity? Trevor: Like many, my entry point for playing guitar was through punk and as a result musical complexity was almost antithetical to my initial approach to songwriting. I think this trajectory shifted with the discovery of bands that had that a similar jumping off point, but took their songs down winding paths to get where they were going–I'm thinking especially of songs like "J'Nuh" by Sunny Day Real Estate, "Sea Foam Green" by Jawbreaker, "Chatroom Walkout" by Garden Variety, and so forth… songs that have winding instrumental sections that take the listener somewhere unexpected, playing out as something like a musical journey. I think once I was opened to the world-building potential of more complex structures I got really hooked on chasing that feeling of a song taking you somewhere unpredictable. That aesthetic is now so ingrained in how I write that sometimes I find myself at a loss when trying to write something more direct and simple. Some riffs (like in "Wrack") eschew proper time signatures (which could probably be mapped out if I wasn't so lazy) for something more pulse-oriented. What is it like centering around this more organic approach to rhythm? Trevor: Exceedingly natural, to the extent that in some cases I don’t realize a part is offtime or in a non-traditional time signature until we’ve been playing it for quite awhile. I did try counting out the riff from "Wrack" at one point, but I’m sure it doesn’t matter what time signature it is because we’re just playing by feel anyway. There is a distinct sunniness to RLYR, something which I've referenced in another writeup about this album. What is it about this type of hazy, nostalgic music that appeals to you? Steven Hess: That’s good to hear! I'm hopeful that when one listens to RLYR they feel a little sunniness. The three of us all have a wide range of influences and we have a tendency to talk about the prog bands of the 70s and 80s which in turn becomes the basic foundation for the sounds and structures we are going for. I'd like to think RLYR are "positive forward progressive." Although we get into a bit of grit and knuckle-dragging here and there as well. Personally, my thoughts are that the three of us have played, and continue to play, in bands with a bit darker style, and I might even say a serious side, which is exactly what those bands need and are going for, but in RLYR we are writing complex songs but with more of a lighthearted, playful twist and exploring music for its own sake. Compared to your other bands and projects, RLYR is very much a "rock band." Do you find that you have to get into a specific mindset for RLYR compared to other musical ventures? Trevor: I’m familiar with this practice of having to get into a specific mindset to write specific music- I remember in the band I used to play bass for, Let's Pet–I would listen to New Order before practice to try and access Peter Hook's playing style by osmosis, but with RLYR not so much. Since all of our music is written in the practice space it's really just a matter of this being the music that we’re pulling out of one another. That said, I made at least a couple of conscious attempts to push my playing on this set of songs into a more overtly metal direction–there's some deliberate thrash-isms in the guitar work on "Distructure" and at least one direct death metal homage in "Wrack," along with some less deliberate influences that seeped their way into the album. The musicianship element is definitely a big part of RLYR. Big, techy riffs, blast beats(???), atypical grooving, all key to making RLYR the album it is. What is it about the RLYR approach which commands such musicality and proficiency? Colin DeKuiper: I think Trevor and Steven would agree that it isn't the intent. We still write together within the practice space, but I live in Michigan now so unfortunately I am not joining for weekly practices. Trevor and Steven do a great job documenting parts they come up with and send them to me as they develop so that I can then come in with ideas when we all get together. Sometimes the parts are immediately a challenge to latch onto, but the technicality or complexity is likely a result of just continually working the songs over a period of time and finding more ideas that we want to include. We do probably write in a more additive manner building on a foundation versus reducing a lot of ideas from the start. We will cut things, but more due to the length of a specific part or section. Closer "Codeine Horse" moves similarly to early post-rock: A Minor Forest, Slint, that type of stuff. Reckless, energetic, lots of dynamics. Do you feel a kinship to this type of music? Colin: I wish that I did a better job of documenting our initial songwriting "cheat sheets." These are essentially our lists of "part A, part B, etc." but substituting a band name for the alphabetical letter so that we can remember song structures. The actual parts are never written to sound like the band we are referencing, but typically a reaction coined by whoever names the part first. Often, it is just how a part feels and not necessarily how it sounds. "Codeine Horse" is a part reference that stuck around to be a song title. This is a long way of saying, yes absolutely. We are all fans of artists that would likely fit within that genre and would add Codeine to the list and some of our favorite (Neil Young &) Crazy Horse songs as well. Trevor: I’m pretty sure Steven has a folder of several, if not all, of the riff cheat sheets. They aren’t always callouts to other bands; some of the parts have names that just describe the vibe–I remember the last section of "Actual Existence" was called "Cruisin'" or something because, well… One of the songs on the new album had a riff called "Weezer Death Metal" which sounds nothing like either Weezer or death metal. Songwriting is weird. Steven: I do, they will be included in the booklet of our future box set. "Codeine Horse" also, interestingly enough, features a guitar solo over a Chatham-style one chord groove. What was it about such a minimalist section which screamed "I need to solo over this" when compared to other, more melodic progressions? Trevor: As with anything in this band I just followed the impulse where it took me. Anyone who has followed my music career has likely noticed that guitar solos are not one of my go to maneuvers, so however idiosyncratic of a place it might be for one to happen it just seemed like that’s where it needed to happen. In retrospect it would probably be easier to have done a solo in a song that had a baked in melody line to improvise around, but there's also something freeing about soloing over a one chord lockgroove as it can really take off in any and every direction. I’m still unpacking all the different dimensions that feel right to explore in that section, so it feels more like an evolving work in progress than something set in stone.

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RLYR releases May 13th on Gilead Media.

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Note: I wrote this well before the news that Roe was in the process of being overturned but I think it’s important that I come back and add a simple fact that has nothing to do with the rest of this piece. That fact? A woman’s body is no one’s business but her own. Fuck every single one of you “keep government out of my life” assholes that somehow think that this intervention is an ok exception, especially when you’re only pro-life when it comes to the unborn but wouldn’t lift a finger to help a sick child, the homeless or anyone else that Christ hung around with in that book you keep telling everyone you love so fucking much. I tend to try to have innocuous conversation when I first meet "normal" people, especially in a work setting. Trying to explain what it is I do or am into is a fucking chore and I'm sure at least a few of you reading this will pick up what I’m putting down. So when I had a conversation with one of my new hires a few years ago, one of those "getting to know you in the workspace" type chats, she asked me what my desert island record would be. When I told her it was probably Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Deaf she told me I was full of shit and just naming something I thought she'd heard of. I tend to be an excellent hiring manager, as per the example of a new employee calling what sounded like my bluff. And, under most normal circumstances, she'd have been right, but I was being completely sincere. I had two other choices (Mark Lanegan Blues Funeral or the 2003 self-titled Killing Joke record–all three having some tangential connection to Dave Grohl) and while they're both near the top of my list, I've come to realize that twenty years after I first picked it up Songs for the Deaf is my favorite record of all time.

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https://youtu.be/s88r_q7oufE

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At least for the last twenty years. Songs for the Deaf is the very definition of someone capturing lightning in a bottle (I promise that's the last time I use that cliche for at least a few months). It would be Grohl's only full-length appearance with the band, and Mark Lanegan and Nick Oliveri's last big contributions, with Oliveri getting fired afterward and Lanegan (also reportedly "fired") stepping back to only offer minor appearances over the next few records. It's the middle of an incredible three album run (with Rated R and the underrated and fucking morose Lullabies to Paralyze as bookends) which all capture unique emotion and are all, in my eyes, perfect records. They're also records that once the weather turns even slightly warmer returns to a strong rotation in my life, regardless of what I’m going through or how I’m feeling.

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https://youtu.be/DcHKOC64KnE

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The first time I heard the record was towards the end of summer, 2002. The previous few months had been a time of profound musical and spiritual growth occurring after my doctor had put me on the first (of many) antidepressants. It would be the last full year that I experienced any youthful exuberance towards anything, before I fell into years of untreatable depression and drug abuse that I wouldn’t crawl out of for years. In a sense Songs for the Deaf can be seen as the absolute end point of innocence in my life. I don't know what it was that really caused me to latch onto Songs for the Deaf. The combination of the songs' genre fluidity or the fact that the lyrics were both witty and had depth to them was fascinating. There was (is) just something about this record that captivates me no matter how many times I've listened to it, which is probably in the fucking upper hundreds (if not thousands) by now. Even the radio skit intros work to make this record its own little sub-contained world, a feat that is pretty fucking difficult even by most bands that make it their MO to build sonic experiences. When it came out it really didn’t fit into any established space in terms of my listening habits, but 2002 was all about finding records like that for me, a pretty uncomfortable journey truth be told. By the beginning of 2003 I'd subjected anyone who spent a modicum of time with me to this record, including extensively during the recording of Krieg's The Black House and a subsequent fest where we stayed at the same house as Black Witchery (who introduced me to Sub-Basement as a countermeasure). It became a record I spent hours with my (then) girlfriend talking about or listening to when we drove around. That was around the end of the good times and I entered into a long downward spell of mental illness and drug use. Imagine a dramatic fade to black.

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https://youtu.be/PL3xsQlLYBo

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I've written about how the summer of 2011 was a pivotal moment in pulling myself out of the emotional fucking mess my life had been the previous seven or eight years. It was the summer that Mark Lanegan's Bubblegum helped bring me back to life. One thing that spurred me into diving head first into Lanegan's discography was Songs of the Deaf's return into heavy rotation. I was working at a record store that was located on the Ocean City boardwalk so it didn't seem like the most terrific idea to be playing death or black metal since half the store was loaded with surf shop kitsch and, frankly, especially after the last year prior, I really needed something else to soothe the rawness that was my emotional and mental state. This ended up being the triumvirate of Queens records I spoke about a few thousand words ago, Lanegan's solo work and Nick Oliveri's 2nd and 3rd Mondo Generator records. All music made by well adjusted, stand up gentlemen, but it did the fucking trick. Yet this time around I fixated on the lyrics most of all. And through them I found a whole new meaning to this record I’d already spent a decade with. These were the words of someone who had fallen but was dusting themselves off and standing again.

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https://youtu.be/Pqpo8x70-bM

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The blind can go get fucked…lie besides the ditch…this halo 'round my neck..has torn out every stitch… The titular song wraps up the record with the most perfect song on what I consider a perfect album, playing to every member's individual strengths and the last time they would convene in a recording under this configuration. I can only dream of creating a musical statement like this. I could go and tell you every other instance of when this record was important to me but I think you get the fucking picture. My most recent memory of importance regarding this record was driving my year old daughter to sit disinterestedly on the lap of some poor fucker in a bunny costume and making sure to play her the entire record from start to finish on the drive, talking to her the whole time about it in an effort to prepare her for men talking at her about records she doesn't give a fuck about later in life. It'll be a memory I’ll cherish and another one to file under Songs for the Deaf. So yes, Claire, I wasn’t bullshitting when I said this was my favorite record.

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https://youtu.be/zLjlewbZpp8

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RIP Mark Lanegan. This video is probably the best version of "A Song For the Dead" I’ve heard. See you back in two when I bring up two bands that have taken fucking forever to do new records. I'm sure you’re thrilled.

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What bond could be stronger than that of friendship and comradery, spread out across decades of collaborative extreme music songwriting? The bond of blood, as it turns out; sacrifice, blood and death are some of Canadian black/death powerhouse Ceremonial Bloodbath’s strongest themes (seriously- no less than TWO demo releases with “Sacrifice” somewhere in the release title!) and unlike some of the weak vampyric instagram black metal out there angling somewhere similar aesthetically, these mad Canucks back it up with their music. Ceremonial Bloodbath is not a celebration of light, airy things, of gentle progressivisms, or of warm and inviting melodies. This band is pummeling evil of all of the most horrid varieties, a seamless marriage of the straightforward lurching blast-riffs of Archgoat and the swirling chaos of countrymen Adversarial; though an initial listen to their debut album The Tides of Blood sounds like a frenetic wall of sound, careful attention reveals a thoughtful approach to composition that reveals a tremendous variety to the band’s aggressive music. Though most of Ceremonial Bloodbath’s immediate sound is clearly rooted in the cacophonous side of black/death, to me their core is dynamics; there are plenty of slow parts to offset the powerful and hateful riffs, and the approach towards the larger dissonant chord shapes shows a level of experience and skill beyond what might be inferred from a passing, disinterested listen. This band is no more interested in a mindless rehash of well-trodden ground than they are in remaining accessible for casual fans, and for all that any individual section might seem to fall within a specific clear archetype, the overall composition separates them from the pack of superficially “similar” bands and reveals them as they are: skilled, well-versed musicians taking a dive into chaos and seeking a sanguine end. Check out The Tides of Blood, get excited for whatever comes next, and read below for an interview with lead guitarist ABYSMAL BERZERKER and bassist THE NOCTURNAL BLACK.

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It’s been a couple years now since The Tides of Blood came out, and you’re now in the process of recording a followup. How much of that time was spent writing? How old are the oldest of the new songs? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - We started writing this album soon after we finished recording The Tides of Blood. The first 2 songs are on our Mutilation of Sacrifice demo. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - Not much time seems to pass in this band before someone has new desecrations in the works. Even though everyone is busy with other bands and whatnot, the blood is pretty much constantly churning. Is the songwriting completely collaborative then? Does anyone ever just come in with a completed song? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - The Tides of Blood was written more collaboratively. Due to the isolation over past years, this new album was written in isolation by the individual members of the band. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - Typically one person brings in the complete skeleton of a new song. Everyone beats it until form, sometimes twisting the shape or tearing it apart. Everyone shovels their dirt on it before it’s ready to exhume. Was writing in isolation a strange experience? Had any of your previous bands ever operated that way? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - I would say collaboratively writing at band practices isn’t really the norm. Most bands I play in, a band member will bring a fully written song to practice for everyone to learn. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - Actually this is pretty much how most of my bands have operated. That said, things always mutate and get fucked with in rehearsal, and often end up very far from their original state. A lot of the memorability of The Tides of Blood comes from a contrast between relentless, pummeling riffs and slower sections that are not always present in similar material. Is finding a good balance difficult? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - The balance is worked out in rehearsal. The result is everything must resolve into the sickening. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - I think we all have pretty similar ideas about riffing, pacing, tempos, etc. We’ve all been poisoned by a lot of the same influences for many years. I think a lot of the same musical and anti-musical ideas are shared among us subconsciously. How calculated is the approach prior to working it out in room? Does the collective of the band choose how many songs a release will be, what sort of pacing you all want, or anything else prior to starting on writing? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - We bring new songs in and they get added to a set of new songs after being learned. The songs come together sounding more unified. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - I think the process is a bit more primitive than that. Songs accrue and we do discuss and work on how they will all fit and flow together, but it seems to mostly happen unconsciously, as the songs begin seeping into our psyches. Is there any room for real calculation and planning? Do any of the group’s other projects take a less instinctive approach? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - It’s mostly calculated, planned and practiced. Everything is written and played the same way every time. Things are added and taken away initially but once completed the song is played the same. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - I personally find the instinctive approach more interesting, letting the unperceived currents carry and guide until they reach the foulest conclusion. As well, I’m not smart enough to do much else. I have a broken binder full of ripped up papers scrawled with base-level tablature and hateful lyrics - that’s about as clever as I get with it. Much of Ceremonial Bloodbath have ancient history together going back decades. Would this band be doable without that familiarity between the members and the comfort of familiar songwriting buddies? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - The familiarity makes things run smoother, but more important is understanding the music being written and being on the same page in the style of playing. Without everyone's contribution nothing would get done. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - We’ve all known each other for a very long time, so when we’re locked in the rehearsal dungeon little time is wasted on shit-talking, arguing, explaining etc. We’re able to speak the same rotten language, which tends to whip the darkness into form more quickly. A common intent and morbid vision keeps us on the same hellpath. When did the idea for this particular band first come up? What inner need does it fill that other bands weren’t? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - Ceremonial Bloodbath was started to fill our inner need to make a dark, ethereal, and violent cacophony of celestial abomination and emptiness we wanted to hear. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - I joined after original bass tormentor T.L. departed, so I can’t comment on that. Given the nature of the band, is there room at all for a continuing evolution sonically or thematically? ABYSMAL BERSERKER - Our approach for this new album is different from the last. Whether evolved or devolved the sound of each record will become more sonically sickening than the last. Regression into a primorial, swarming oscillation would be ideal by me. THE NOCTURNAL BLACK - I think things will continue to develop and evolve, and I don’t expect anything to slow down in the forward momentum of this band. But I wouldn’t hold my fucking breath for operatic vocals or anything. We’ve been too deeply scarred by Fallen Angel of Doom, Oath of Black Blood, and other classic blacknesses for that to happen. There’s enough damage and insanity in this band that I only expect things to continue deeper into the abyss, for fuck’s sake.

[caption id="attachment_77006" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Ted Nubel[/caption]

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First thoughts: Oblivion Access is a festival for the music-obsessed. The sheer volume of bands and venues means that once events start for the day, there is always a band you desperately want to see about to start down the street. Downtime is limited, to put it mildly. That's especially true for press and event photographers attempting to get good angles on as many performances as possible among packed crowds – we saw as much as we could, but there was no way we'd be able to cover each of the 75+ bands on the bill. Here's what we saw, with a lean toward the fest's heavy metal end (Oblivion Access by no means limited to heavy metal) – oh, and damn good thing the food trucks in the Red River Cultural District are open real late. We'll have more thoughts for you tomorrow, but please enjoy these excerpts from our photographic journey through Oblivion Access 2022.

--Ted Nubel and Andrew Rothmund

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Day 1: Immortal Bird, Elizabeth Color Wheel, Hell, Devil Master, Primitive Man, Carcass, Windhand [gallery gallerytitle="Oblivion Access 2022, Day 1" ids="13203,13201,13200,13198,13196,13194,13192,13191,13190,13189,13186,13185,13183,13182,13181,13179,13176,13174,13173,13172,13171,13170,13178,13168,13167,13166,13164,13163,13165" galleryid="846:76799" galleryindex="0" showthumbs="no" ]

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Day 2: Vile Creature, Jarhead Fertilizer, Body Void, Dorthia Cortrell, Soul Glo, Thou [gallery gallerytitle="Oblivion Access 2022 Day 2" ids="76849,76850,76851,76852,76853,76854,76800,76802,76803,76805,76807,76808,76809,76810,76812,76815,76817,76819,76821,76822,76823,76827,76828,76829,76830,76832,76833,76834,76835,76838,76840,76843,76844,76846,76848,76841" galleryid="846:76799" galleryindex="1" showthumbs="no"]

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Day 3: Skeleton, Yautja, Fed Ash, Mortiferum, Ilsa, Spectral Voice, King Woman, Melt Banana, Drain [pics coming soon], Outer Heaven, Fury, Yellow Eyes, Blood Incantation, Autopsy [gallery gallerytitle="Oblivion Access 2022 Day 3" ids="76856,76858,76855,76859,76862,76863,76864,76865,76868,76869,76870,76871,76875,76876,76877,76873,76881,76882,76885,76887,76886,76891,76892,76893,76894,76897,76899,76902,76903,76901,76905,76904,76906,76909,76907,76912,76911,76917,76918,76919,76921,76922,76916,76924,76926,76927,76929,76930,76934,76935,76938,76940,76941,76942,76943,76944,76945,76946,76947,76948" galleryid="846:76799" galleryindex="2" showthumbs="no"] Melt Banana

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Day 4: Vermin Womb, Despite You, Converge, Liturgy, Cave In, Cattle Decapitation [gallery gallerytitle="Oblivion Access 2022 Day 4" ids="76949,76950,76951,76952,76954,76955,76956,76959,76958,76960,76961,76962,76957,76964,76966,76967,76968,76969,76970,76971,76972,76973,76974,76975,76976,76977,76979,76980,76981,76982,76983,76987,76988,76989,76990,76991,76994,76995,76996,76998,76999,77000,77002,77003,77004,77006,77007,77008,77009,77001,77005" galleryid="846:76799" galleryindex="3" showthumbs="no"]

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Our contemporary decadence can be exhilarating. While life is faster, more hectic, more oversaturated than probably ever before, there are upsides—playing games with friends across the world, instantly having tchotchkes delivered to your door, and so on. Of course, many decry the modern world's moral decadence and with cause. Like a sort of Potemkin village, humans have built a castle of technology on a foundation of sand, failing to plan ahead or account for ourselves as part of the muck from which we sprung. Xenoglyph is keenly aware of this extremely tenuous existence. On their new LP Spiritfraud, the mysterious black metallers have crafted a Byzantine monstrosity. While much of black metal is fixated on some distant Nordic past warped by unhealthy nostalgia, Xenoglyph traces a meandering path from the recent past to the doomed future. Buoyed by currents of psychedelic synthesizers and propelled by eerie and unsettling black metal riffage, Spiritfraud is exploration of humans' inability to get out of our own way. This album asks whether or not we should've locked ourselves in a panopticon of our own making—Xenoglyph plays a sort of Ian Malcolm role here, warning the worst is to follow. From the hallucinatory squalls of "Mainframe Equilibrium" to the nihilistic whorl of "Acclamations of Emptiness," Xenoglyph uses a digital palette to paint a maximalist epic. There are moments adjacent to symphonic black metal and passages of pure dissonance, but the album feels wired together by melodic throughlines and deep sorrow. Spiritfraud feels like the work of a group genuinely interested in how we got here. This is no meandering philosophic screed, but an earnest effort to deal with the consequences of the unchecked pursuit of growth for its own sake. The title track embodies all of this. From unconventional melody to blast beat-powered waves of terror, the melancholy is palpable. Unlike other dissonant, swirling black metal of this ilk, there's a surprising tenderness here—however, that tenderness is couched in a dazzling, spiked carapace. Says the group:

The track "Spiritfraud" is about reflecting back to simpler times, before our lives were fragmented by the abomination that is technology and the misery that comes with realizing our very spirit was counterfeited by our own inventions. It’s like technology is a game of chess with yourself, except by merely playing the game, you inevitably put yourself in checkmate.

Stream "Spiritfraud" below. The full album will infect the musical mainframe on July 15, 2022 courtesy of Translation Loss Records.

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Vindsval is an expert in the art of compartmentalization. Throughout their sprawling, 28 year career with Blut aus Nord, he's curated a discography where each album–or in some cases, a series of albums–is the distillation and exploration of a certain set of sounds. Though their catalog is frequently divided between melodic progressions or industrial raptures, the tangents in which Vindsval executes these duplexities can sound quite unalike from each record to the next. The Work Which Transforms God and Odinist, pieces that are often recognized as two of Blut aus Nord's more "discordant" endeavors, unfurl their grotesqueries in completely different ways. Likewise, Memoria Vetusta III exudes an opulent sense of melody rather than the mescaline-soaked tabs of harmony found on Hallucinogen. Advertised as Blut aus Nord's maneuver to "reassume their rightful throne" after what was their most–if not their only–whimsical release to date, Disharmonium–Undreamable Abysses is an album that almost feels as if it was made in response to Hallucinogen's overt melodicism. I mean, just take a second to look at its title, and though it certainly does err on the more abrasive side of their discography, it is still Blut aus Nord like we’ve never encountered them before.

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https://youtu.be/6WHSZ7FE5M0

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Whereas previous, similarly strident efforts from the band - consisting of Vindsval and his longtime collaborators W.D. Feld and GhÖst - veered heavily into an abyssal, mechanical grinding, Disharmonium–Undreamable Abysses feels more spectral and otherworldly. It evokes a more supernatural form of terror, far removed from the industrial scrapyards where past works was like MoRT or 777–Sect(s) were constructed. Like Lovecraft’s best work, the horrors of Disharmonium–Undreamable Abysses sound both oceanic and unearthly all at once. Atmosphere has always been one of Blut aus Nord’s foundational elements. They've made music that elicits imagery of both heavenly vistas or infernal sweeps, but here its importance is greater than ever; Disharmonium–Undreamable Abysses forgoes many of the band's typical metal trappings, and is, in essence, a product of pure atmosphere. Despite the vibrant hues of pink, blue, and purple that dress its cover, it is, sonically, a very gray album and maintains a tone that is consistently monochromatic. Keeping in the theme of nautical dread, throughout its seven tracks it feels like trying to navigate volatile waters during an overcast day at sea, vision obfuscated by thick layers of fog. Disharmonium -Undreamable Abysses’s tension is something hard to ignore. Rather than congealing into actual riffs, the rhythm guitars create more an uneasy churn with the ebb and flow of their varying tempos making it hard to maintain balance. Meanwhile ethereal wails of lead guitar cut through the haze like leviathanic squalls, and instead of typical blackened screeches, Vindsval's vocals are reduced to sporadic moans and whimpers, like desperate cries from a figure trapped in the beyond. One of Blut aus Nord's greatest strengths is their ability to write batches of music that deliver a consistent and distinct melodic through line. Time and again, Vindsval has proven himself a virtuoso of curating themes, and Disharmonium–Undreamable Abysses is no different. It is an exceedingly immersive album due in no small part to the band’s ability to maintain ubiquity throughout the record's seven tracks, where each song feels haunted by a similar atmosphere of antediluvian horror.

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From its flesh-tenderizing snare to the muscular riffs that comprise it, Maul's upcoming album Seraphic Punishment is, in a word, meaty. Thick, guttural, and loaded with nasty hooks, this is death metal not just to sink your teeth into -- it's death metal to savagely tear into and leave bloody-mouthed. The North Dakotan band nail the primal fury (and resulting primal delight) that only death metal can offer, and they do it with unsettling grace. Surprisingly nimble despite moving with deadly intent, Seraphic Punishment is not an album you'll want to turn your back on. On the album's title track, which we're premiering now below, the group's jagged riffs, set in grisly chainsaw tones, prove surprisingly hypnotic and should be fully digested.

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From the band:

Seraphic Punishment is a story loosely tied into religious lies of an ethereal life mixed with personal thirst and desire to live eternally given any opportunity no matter the cost... "a gift or damnation". We write all of our songs together in rehearsal either from improv jam sessions or Lamb or Al had a new riff idea prepared and we expand on it as a group. The title track, Seraphic Punishment, was created through our desire to push faster riffing and alternating tempo changes as opposed to our past demo material. With new blood flowing in the band welcoming Al in on the writing process, it was almost easy and we created a ton of fun gnarly material that is still completely us.

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Seraphic Punishment releases July 15th, 2022 via Redefining Darkness Records, with a cassette release through Gurgling Gore.

[caption id="attachment_77035" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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Saturday As the dust settles on Friday evening and the performance of Thou and Mizmor’s surprise album Myopia still weighs heavy on the mind, Saturday brings even more moments of intensity as it begins at The Engine Room with the delicate danger of Midwife. Madeline Johnston uses her voice and a guitar to create heavy whispers of sound that curl through the crowd and affect each in individual ways. Her command is in the quiet moments that allow space to reflect and in the contrasting bursts of color from the looped guitars and crescendos. It is a jarring start to the day and one that fulfills the brief of “Redefining Heaviness” that the Festival is promoting this year. Midwife’s weight lies not in huge crashes of sound but in the emotional heft that Johnston imbues her music with, the core elements of pain and trying to find an understanding of loss bringing much more in terms of heaviness than a larger ensemble of musicians would.

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[caption id="attachment_77029" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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This theme follows through into Jo Quail’s commissioned piece, The Cartographer, at least in terms of using quiet to invoke a sense of weight and burden. The classical aspects of Quail’s cello-led work is given life by the musicians behind her, percussion and trombone alongside violin and piano, while a modern slant is taken by vocalists Lucie Dehli and Jake Harding who breathe a contemporary edge into the piece. As The Cartographer flows over the Main Stage and into the audience it becomes clear that Jo Quail has created something very special - the composition washes over the rapt gathering in beautiful waves of luminous sound and as it moves towards the inevitable end, the dual vocalists bring their voices together to lift the work into the realm of the heavens. It is a stunning climax and it's not until the artists have left the stage that a collective sigh is released by many in the crowd. It’s an expression of awe, a “what did we just witness, that was incredible” moment shared by thousands on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Tilburg. It’s beautiful. A quick switch back to De Koepelhal and The Terminal stage brings us to Hangman’s Chair. The French band are playing their latest album, A Loner in full today and while the plan is to watch half before heading back to the Main Stage to see Emma Ruth Rundle play her newest release, too, Hangman’s Chair are captivating. The first song shows just how skilled these musicians are as the sound that emanates from the stage is almost note perfect. Cédric Toufouti’s voice rings out across the hangar with stunning resonance as the band move through their album, impressing many who wandered into the stage without any expectations or ideas as to what the band would sound like. That aspect is difficult to define as their sound incorporates doom, gothic elements and a clean singing style that places it slightly outside of the usual genre boundaries but that is what Roadburn is for - to explore those limitations that have previously been set and to push them further from the basic codas that have been put in place in the past. Hangman’s Chair represents that and on Sunday will join Regarde Les Hommes Tomber to present their collaboration and push those limits once again.

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[caption id="attachment_77030" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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As the set draws to a close it is time to head over to the Hall of Fame venue, this year a free-standing and much larger structure than previous years, to check out the dark synthwave of Deathsomnia. The industrial slant of their sound forces many to move in sync with the electronic beats and despite entering the stage with little to no idea of what to expect, the UK/Estonian band impress immediately with devilishly catchy songs and a bombastic stage presence. Deathsomnia proves to be a good decision in the end as the Skatepark is full way before Primitive Man’s surprise set starts and it’s not long before the next announcement comes via the Festival’s twitter feed. Patrick Walker will be appearing at Paradox - the newest venue for Roadburn and a well known local jazz club which hosts many of the more experimental and avant-garde bands of the weekend. It is the perfect place for a solo show from the 40 Watt Sun frontman, who, alone with an acoustic guitar, plays songs missed from the band’s full set on Thursday alongside friends who accompany him at times on cello and additional guitar. The 40 Watt Sun live band join towards the end but it’s an emotional dedication to a good friend who happens to be in the audience, Emma Ruth Rundle, with the song “Carry Me Home” that moves many to tears.

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[caption id="attachment_77031" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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To the surprise of probably no-one, Thou are announced to be playing another set today. This time it’s listed as Thou & Friends and it’s happening at the Ladybird Skatepark. Can we get in? Only if everyone else leaves, so after some waiting around in the queue for it to go absolutely nowhere for ten minutes, many of us give up and head elsewhere. This attendee stakes a place for Ulver on the Main Stage which is intriguing enough before it even starts due to the large white screen that is tied down across the entire front of the stage, from ceiling to photo pit. What this will entail is anybody’s guess and as the band begin with “One Last Dance” from Flowers of Evil (the main focus of the set), the screen stays up - and will for the whole performance - as colorful patterns bloom across it, projected from above and through to the main video screen behind them. The band stays firmly positioned at its back and at their instruments, with Kristoffer Rygg occasionally moving forward away from his own setup to encourage the audience in their dancing. It’s a fascinating way to approach the audience and one that leaves plenty of people slightly confused for the first song as they wait for the screen to reveal the band more clearly. However, as the set progresses and the visuals move in time to the beats of the songs it becomes clear that Ulver are sending a message, perhaps about how we engage with music and artists. But that’s a much more complicated thought than can be handled during the psychedelic breakouts that Ulver incorporate into their songs, expanding them into ten minute plus epics and inserting a couple of favorites from 2017s The Assassination of Julius Caesar to round out their time on the stage. It’s a thrilling performance and one that I’m still thinking about weeks later.

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[caption id="attachment_77032" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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As midnight rolls around and the final bands are taking to the stage across the Festival’s venues, this attendee heads out to the Weirdo Canyon in search of friends and a cold drink. As much as music is a passion, there is only so much you can take before you stop having a good time and for me, this is the end of the day’s musical discovery and a chance to catch up with some people that haven’t been seen since the last in-person edition of Roadburn.

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Sunday Sunday’s adventures start with a double header of Dutch underground music on The Terminal stage as Terzij de Horde showcase their new material from album In One Of These, I Am Your Enemy. Partway through the allotted time the band leave the stage and handover the reins to Ggu:ll before the two projects come together to lay waste to the space of The Terminal. This is a stage that sees a lot of black metal action today and De Koepelhal is the place to be if you want to see some of the most interesting and forward-thinking acts of the genre - the next being a collaboration between fellow Dutch entities Solar Temple and Dead Neanderthals.

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[caption id="attachment_77033" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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Entitled Embers Beget The Divine, this mind-melting journey of sound is as hypnotic as it is heavy. Almost immediately there is a sense of ritual to this performance as the guitars and their cyclic riffs burrow deep into the psyche, lifting the songs into spiritual territory and becoming as hymns to an all-seeing god. The audience is entranced as the songs twist through repeating patterns that are seemingly never-ending in their search for higher dimensions and the spell is only broken once the music stops. It comes as a shock for many as they are so deeply entrenched in the world that Solar Temple x Dead Neanderthals have created that coming back to reality is a confusing moment for a lot of us. Having previously been announced for the 2020 edition of Roadburn where they would play 2019s much celebrated album Cairn, Mizmor are one of the biggest draws of the day. Led by A.L.N. and supported by several old friends to complete the live band, Mizmor are masters of creating music that makes you feel. Emotions that have been long forgotten are dredged from the darkest places of the soul during their performance as the band journey through religious fervor and leaving it all behind due to the absurd nature of what is asked from a person from God. A.L.N.’s voice switches from the deepest bellows to the highest shrieks as he explores his life path and the audience is taken on this devastating journey with him. This is pure catharsis for many here tonight as the collective exhale as the final notes of “The Narrowing Way” rest in the air can attest to.

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[caption id="attachment_77034" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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Spilling into the early evening light after being in almost total darkness is a shock to the system but a breather is needed before heading back into The Terminal for Lamp of Murmuur’s official Roadburn debut (secret show notwithstanding) and this is a set that is extremely exciting for many who are already queuing to enter the stage. It’s a curious thing to be waiting to see a band that up until two years ago were known mainly on the internet to a dedicated fanbase. You couldn’t hear the music unless you purchased it physically (or someone ripped it to YouTube) and the mysterious M. plays their cards so extremely close to their chest that it isn’t clear who they even are. Appearing in black cloaks and corpse paint, the live band have been chosen carefully to execute M.’s vision which comprises raw black metal that has been imbued with several post-punk and goth influences. Tonight M. is draped in black and masked to ensure his identity can remain hidden yet his sheer passion is apparent quickly. Having been released in 2021, Lamp of Murmuur play through the entirety of Submission and Slavery this evening and while the audience is slightly more subdued than those in attendance at the Little Devil show, the band are giving it their all with M. occasionally stepping to the front to take in the spectacle before him.

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[caption id="attachment_77035" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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Slightly before Lamp of Murmuur took to the stage, Roadburn announce that Grey Aura would be playing immediately after in the skatepark and so after the rapturous applause dies out on The Terminal stage it’s time to make a quick dash around the corner to hear what the Dutch band have to offer. And, damn, they have a lot to offer. Their black metal is deeply indebted to the avant-garde but it’s the beats that dig under the skin and there is more dancing here tonight than there was at Ulver last night. There is an infectious charm to Grey Aura’s sound and it cannot be ignored by those who gather at the front of the stage. When the quartet finish some fresh air is required before heading back in for bonkers Belgian’s Alkerdeel who take over for the unfortunately canceled performance from enigmatic entity Koldovstvo. It’s not long before a surprise is announced in the form of a Black Sabbath tribute on the Next Stage after Green Lung finish. Green Lung play a pastoral sort of doom that takes inspiration from English folklore and myths and creates a fascinating sound from it, not least because of Tom Templar’s stunning voice that commands the crowd down to the last row in the room. It seems as though many in the crowd are here to stake a claim for the front row for this intriguing Black Sabbath tribute (could it be Thou who have played every other day?) which is lucky for Green Lung as they have surely found several new fans tonight.

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[caption id="attachment_77036" align="aligncenter" width="630"] Photo Credit: Cheryl Carter[/caption]

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As the band leave and the stage hands begin to break down the equipment ready for whatever will happen next the general buzz and consensus is that, yes, Thou are going to be the band to do this covers set. The atmosphere is electric as the band set-up, with some curious concert-goers taking a sneak peek at the setlist that lies on the monitors before Thou are ready to start a set which is to be the final performance of Roadburn 2022. “Wheels of Confusion” kicks off the tribute set and it is a suitably fuzzed-out rendition of a classic song. The audience are going wild as the first notes pierce the smoke-filled room, something frontman Bryan Funck jokes about quickly… “Can we have less smoke? We don’t know these songs that well and hardly had time to practice.” Considering they’ve played at least one hundred other songs this weekend it’s surprising they can remember their own names at this point. Still, the smoke adds to the occasion and the band are joined by a handful of friends as the set progresses. Smoke aside, the viewing location isn’t exactly the best and so we only manage to catch a brief glimpse of A.L.N. from Mizmor on drums, Andrew Black (Mizmor live) on guitar but the most obvious collaborator during this set is Lingua Ignota on vocals during “Black Sabbath.” Despite holding the lyrics in her hand and professing to not knowing the song at all, she does an incredible job adding even more dimension to the track. The set closes with “Supernaut” and as the audience calls for more, both because Thou are a thrill to watch and because by them finishing it signals the end of Roadburn, the band apologize - they don’t know any more songs. As the audience come to terms with this fact and leave the 013 for the last time for Roadburn 2022, there is a sense of hope and magic in the air. For most, this is the biggest event they’ve been to in two years and it’s also a place where your musical dreams can come true, so to be able to experience live music in this capacity once again is a wonderful feeling. Roadburn will be back in 2023–see you there?

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