Microdose: Jars, Self Loathing, Fulci & Darktower

Jars – “ПОДЛОГ” (2019)

I’ve been in the habit of reviewing the Russian underground lately and I never want to stop. This one was described to me as post-hardcore noise punk and not only does it sound every bit as chaotic and catchy as that sounds but it also has a great album cover. Russia has a real bloody talent for mixing music styles, especially in the realm of post hardcore – I honestly believe Russia is at the forefront of a cutting edge post metal scene. The American stuff sounds like a McDonalds menu being recited by a white noise robot in comparison. The genre was always supposed to be about experimentation and I’m glad somewhere in the world it is being brought back to that raw conceptual ideology. Musically Jars bounces between danceable grooves and sharp gain/feedback attacks that add a layer of grime to the whole thing, tying the aesthetic together nicely. The vocals are fantastic and varied, with cleaner styles showcasing the regional accent as well as effect driven punk vocals. Each track is very distinct and plays around with different ideas, you’ll be surprised what you find. Jars are all the things you never realised you wanted from music.

FFO: The Callous Daoboys, Melt Banana, ???

Self Loathing – Season Depression (2019)

A short but impactful lofi death metal EP that will get you excited for future releases from the band. This release is even further elevated by having artwork done by one of Noob Heavy’s favorite artists in the metal world, Brouemaster who has worked with a shit load of great bands this year like Haunt and Spirit Adrift. His trademark style really suits the lofi world of death and cassette, it’s a good combination of sounds and images all round. Sonically it’s like a more lofi Blood Incantation but instead of themes about aliens and the outer world, it’s chaotic themes of human suffering and the inner world. There is so much power here waiting to burst forth on an LP. A physical release is in the works for Season Depression and I’m certainly waiting to get one. 

FFO: Mortiferum, Blood Incantation, Corpsessed

Fulci – Tropical Sun (2019)

I discovered this one very late, cheers to Mrxtalksmetal on IG for putting me onto it. I was immediately awestruck by this cover art from Misanthropic Art. It is one of the finest and classiest pieces of gore art I’ve ever seen. It has the levity of a Lewandowski piece mixed with the aesthetic of the Dead Island video game series, I can’t overstate its brilliance. Musically Tropical Sun has some groovy death metal with the occasional bit of beachy flavor mixed in topped off with a bit of the ol grindcore. There’s a lot of accentuation across the album that I enjoy, like horror movie samples being played over ominous Carpenter-esque synthesisers. The final track “March Of Living Dead” is a very energetic and melodic ending to the album, capping it off nicely. This album is really good, you’d have to be a complete Brian to not like this.

FFO: Iron Eagle, Cannibal Corpse, Iron Eagle again.

Darktower – Obedientia (2019)

Long reigning Brazilian metal band Darktower are one of the most professional bands to come out of their side of the globe. They have many releases to their name since releasing their first single in 2008 and now 2019’s Obedientia marks their strongest effort yet. It’s a sound that harkens back to the heyday of Cradle Of Filth and Akercocke, there’s a strong sense of melody and romanticism to their blackened death sound. I particularly enjoyed the epic guitar work on the track “Highland Ceremony” which serves as a nice break from the usual tremolo picking and melo death riffage. Fortunately there are plenty of solos using the perfect guitar tones, possibly a benefit of their many gear endorsements.

FFO: Akercocke, Cradle Of Filth, Agathodaimon