Written by Kep, Westin, Ellis, and Kirk
March felt like the first truly packed month of 2024 as far as releases go, as we were swamped by a tidal wave of Extremely Good Shit. We loved a lot of things, and we’re here to tell you all about them.
As always, quick links to our reviews of March releases:
Angmodnes – Rot of the Soul
Cell Press – Cages
Wounds – Ruin
Hideous Divinity – Unextinct
Cave Moth – In Memory Eternal
And now on to the rest of the best!
Iskalde Morket – Deleted Scenes from the Pandemic Ward
Black/death metal from the UK
Solo project Iskalde Morket has already released some real gemsโI discovered them via their 2021 EP Punctuated by the Screams of Dying Animals, and 2020โs Metaphysics of Mass Murder is also great stuff. Deleted Scenes is an even uglier, more experimental, and more horrifying thing, written by mastermind John Rogers as an account of his time as a frontline healthcare professional during the COVID pandemic. The music is dizzying, maze-like stuff, with guitar lines that never seem to lead where youโd expect, spider-crawling in dissonant harmonies before diving headlong into pitch-black depths of distorted chaos, adorned with Rogersโ hideous rasping screams. He also makes use of chunks of abrasive noise. If youโre into it, check out the Iskalde Morket Facebook page for summaries of each trackโs subject matter: itโs visceral, enraged, and deeply personal stuff.
– Kep
Vorga – Beyond the Palest Star
Black metal from Germany
Vorga is back. This sci-fi black metal band definitely stand out, with a space-y sound and aesthetic that almost feels like they have more in common with certain progressive death metal bands than with a lot of other black metal, especially for how surprisingly heavy the record is. But make no mistake, this is still black metal. Tons of washy tremolo, high shrieks, and atmosphere to evoke a sense of fear. But that’s rooted more in the existential horrors of space and its infinite potential than magick or demons. If you like your black metal with a little more melody, atmosphere and tradtionally good production, Vorga are for you.
– Westin
Frail Body – Artificial Bouquet
Screamo from the US
It may have taken Frail Body the better part of five years to follow up their truly outstanding 2019 debut full-length A Brief Memoriam but they have made up for the wait with an album thatโs nearly twice as long and at the very least just as good as its predecessor. The band make excellent use of the extra time to play with, borrowing more liberally from the not too distant worlds of black metal, post-hardcore and post-rock for more expansive and dynamic results. Artificial Bouquet is as arresting in its chaos and cacophony as it can be in its moments of beauty and delicacy, which may be the sort of thing you could say about a lot of great screamo records but should by no means be mistaken as a platitude for one as brilliant as this.
– Ellis
Coffins – Sinister Oath
Death/doom from Japan
Look, I donโt know what to tell you. Coffins have been around for well over 20 years at this point and theyโve fucking ruled the whole damn time. Sinister Oath is yet another testament to that fact, a cool 43 minutes of the grimiest, crustiest, most brutal OSDM-worshipping death/doom youโll hear. Itโs got that sort of production that feels unapologetically old school, highlighted by nasty sawtoothed distortion that rattles the speakers and rattling cymbal hits. As per usual the songs are remarkably diverse in style, thrashing and slogging and riffing and throwing elbows and crushing with mountainous weight. Itโs not inconceivable that you might not have known Coffins before now, but this album is too good to allow that to continue.
– Kep
Dionysiaque – Diogonos
Doom metal from France
I, Voidhanger are known for their eclectic collection of black metal and doom, and the latest from Dionysiaque fits the bill perfect. Fantastically groovy and heavy, this strange doom metal band is themtically in keeping with Hoplites use of myth and legend to construct social critique, despite not sounding alike at all. Vocalist NC sounds like a mad prophet shouting about the will of the gods while the band noodles off into a mystical orgy in the woods in some drunken holiday of mirth. This is esoteric doom metal that’s still rooted in a bluesy sound that is just damn fun to listen to. One of the best records I’ve heard this year.
– Westin
Chapel of Samhain – Black Onyx Cave
Blackened death metal from Portugal
Seeing as how I hail from the great state of Louisiana and enjoy the many great Cajun and Creole influences that originated in my homeland, I get to use the word โblackenedโ to an incredibly wide degree. Am I talking about how I like to season my food or how I prefer my music to sound? In most circumstances, it can be both, but with Chapel of Samhain, itโs how their debut album, Black Onyx Cave, sounds. Blackened death metal to be more precise. I may not serve chicken or seafood as raw as Chapel of Samhain serves up their riffs, but both are remarkably tasty and simply bursting with flavor. Click the link below to find a list of ingredients. Mix well and serve hot!
– Kirk
Hate Force – Systems of Terror
Death metal from the US
Hate Force have plenty going for them before you even hit play on their sophomore full-length Systems of Terror. Rad band name, members of Harmโs Way, Weekend Nachos, and Like Rats, signed to Closed Casket Activities… whatever gets you through the door youโll stay for the pulverizing death metal contained within. Mixed by Andy Nelson (another W), Systems of Terror boasts about 40 minutes of thick, filthy, bludgeoning brutality that may hold rigidly enough to the conventions of the genre but still absolutely punishes regardless. It hits hardest when it goes for more of a mid-tempo groove, which is good because that is what it spends most of its time doing, with the mid-album run of โTotal Violenceโ into โPower/Masterโ into โHateful Creatorโ providing exemplary proof of this among plenty of other killer tracks.
– Ellis
Ecr.Linf – Belluaires
Black metal from France
Taking their name from the Latin phrase โecrasez lโinfameโโliterally, โcrush the infamous,โ or sometimes โcrush the monster,โ referring to abuses of power by the church in powerโcoined by the philosopher Voltaire, this band came out of nowhere with a debut LP that took me by very pleasant surprise. Crisp production, lush sounds, riffs for days along with compelling melodic work, and featuring very clear post-black leanings, Belluaires is a shining example of modern black metal. Vocalist Krys Denhez alternates between a throaty midrange scream and hardcore-influenced shouts. Ecr.Linf create some enormous walls of sound but also scale back dramatically for quiet moments, using keyboard to enhance their warmer textures. The songs are all excellent, but the favorite for me is โLa danse des crรขnesโ, with its balance of semi-melodic riffs against whirling darkness and Grima-esque folky accordion that highlights the last third of the track.
– Kep
Slimelord – Chytridiomycosis Relinquished
Death/doom metal from the UK
This album kicks off with sampled geese honking, which is a bizarre sentence to write, but it makes me genuinely uncomfortable in a way that settles into my bones. (Editor’s note: I thought it was birds, too, but turns out it’s actually frogs! This somehow makes it even more unsettling.) This creates a tension Slimelord are more than ready to exploit as they shift and wither and crawl between rhythms. The samples and well produced instrumental sections feel like being digested by a massive oozing creature that exists only to slowly consume. The songs are dank and dripping, squelching as they shift tempo, never losing momentum no matter how slow they get. A great debut.
– Westin
Kidnapped – Disgust
Powerviolence from the US
Kidnapped arenโt really an obvious fit with a label like DAZE though the fact both are based in Connecticut may explain it, as indeed might the quality of their debut full-length. DAZE literally never miss and Disgust maintains the streak with 23 minutes of ripping powerviolence that lives up to both its title and its grim and grimy artwork. True to genre the band rattle through 15 tracks in that time, with closer โNot Todayโ taking up a good three-and-a-half minutes of that with noise and samples, so naturally itโs fast as fuck albeit with some more mid-tempo and moshier moments peppered through tracks like โOnslaughtโ, โBlind Dogsโ, and โNeglectโ to make things all the more impactful and interesting in what is ultimately a clear frontrunner for the best powerviolence record of the year so far.
– Ellis
Septage – Septic Worship (Intolerant Spree of Infesting Forms)
Goregrind/death metal from Denmark
This fourth mini writeup spot of mine initially belonged to Chilean death outfit Horrifying and their excellent Dreadful Parasomnia; then I listened to Septage. This 22-minute beast grabbed me immediately and wouldnโt let go, and I think itโs one of the absolute best things Iโve heard this year. Grinding and gory but rooted in OSDM with hefty distorted production to match, Septic Worship pays tribute to the OGs Carcass while forging its own hefty riff style. The songwriting is down and dirty, straight to the point, valuing brevityโ15 tracks in those 22 minutesโand clobbering you with fast, active guitarwork thatโs produced so you can actually hear it. Bassist Malik รamlica, also bassist of my faves Hyperdontia, shows out, particularly near the end of the record, while drummer/vocalist Ugur Yildirim gets utterly filthy on both parts. Guitarist Tobias Bendixen and รamlica both also contribute backing vocals in true grind fashion. This album is a damn powerhouse, and youโll want to spin it again as soon as itโs finished; I know I did.
– Kep