I’m not sure what changed- the lineup has remained the same for the band’s entire discography, Colin Marston returns for the mix/master, though here, that is one of the things that sort of hit me wrong. So I can’t quite put my finger on anything truly impactful. Now, the songwriting, upon the initial listen, definitely seems more proggy and less purely, organic, atmospheric, and contemplative black metal, with tangible, choppier hues of Extol or even Opeth, rather than the band’s early, heavy-handed Agalloch influence. And certainly, there are a few moments of those pitch-perfect, 6/8, shrill, melodic, yet despondent tippy-tappy blast beats that the band absolutely perfected on the last two efforts, but they seem less prevalent between the more wandering, patient textures, and expansive ebbs and peaks.

Marston’s knob-twiddling also seems a bit ‘off’ here as well, with the mix just not sitting well with me- it’s lavish and lush, but the more prominent bass and clean, almost pure prog metal tones don’t seem as warm, organic and welcoming as before.

Just go to the opener “Clarity” and I’ll think you’ll get a quick sense of the entire album’s pacing and delivery as it starts with a definite, more jarring Extol vibe that’s isn’t what I was expecting, but in the same song, they have one of the album’s better, enthralling black metal tremolo picked melodies to die for about 5:50 in, and it’s what made the last two albums so good, there just isn’t as many of them on Key to a Vanishing Future. The same can be sort of said for the second number “Desert of Heart”, where the lovely, warm mid-paced shimmery riff about 2, 3 and 6 minutes in, is cut off too quickly, and the song just sort of meanders for the rest of its duration instead of using those gorgeous moments as the focal point of the song.

“Survival Poem” gets to the good riff early on, and has a warm throb for the rest of the song, then the discordant tangent a minute and a half into “Known World Narrows” almost ruins the song before one of the album’s better, shrill melodic riffs, saves the song, and highlights how good these guys are when they lock into one of those moments. This is also shown in closer “Poverty Hymn”, arguably the album’s best track that imbues past efforts in a better light, with a despondent canter and moving midsection that hits all the right notes as the last two albums did.

I’ve always thought these guys, Alda and former Bindrune labelmates Obsequiae were cut from the same cloth and whose recent albums ranked very high on my respective year-end lists. And while this is a good album, and it certainly might grow on me, but with Key to a Vanishing Future, there’s a little disappointment after the last two efforts, and Falls of Rauros have dropped a little below both as far as most recent efforts, and certainly, Alda‘s 2021 album, A Distant Fire, blows this away. But it has its moments, and those alone are worth the listen if you can wade through the introspective, staggering filler.

Fast forward to 2020 and the band has released a new album called Moonlit Navigation. From the home of the infamous Minneapolis Mangler comes this melodic black metal machine. The first thing I want to point out is that the drum sound I mentioned before is gone. On this one, front man Carl Skildum, is listed also playing midi and acoustic drums. I must however mention some issues regarding the production. Not that it’s out of the ordinary for the style, but the vocals are a little too buried in the mix for my liking. There aren’t a lot of dynamics within the production itself, either. It’s borderline brick-walled in that almost everything is on the same level and turned up to 11.

My production qualms out of the way, let’s talk about the actual music. The first track is called “Ouroboric State.” The guitar is the star. It’s honestly very standard melodic black metal for a significant portion, but the guitars are interesting. However, as mentioned above, the production is an issue because they don’t stand out as much as they should. Some clean vocals come in with about a minute left in the track, but they don’t stay around long before we’re onto track 2.

That second track is the title track, “Moonlit Navigation.” While the guitars stand out a little more on this track, for the most part, the underlying riffing is still buried. With a little over a minute left, there is a good lead with some choral vocals in the background, which definitely stands out from the previous track. The slight dirge at the end, as I am choosing to call it, would be very headbang-able if the production had a little more impact. If this is the best song on the album and representative of it as a whole, I hope they don’t make like a virgin engaging in his first time and blow their load far too early.

They didn’t do the above, but it was still not an All Star performance. I want to briefly mention the best track on the album, an interlude called “Wild Magic,” which is track 7 of 8. It’s barely over a minute and serves as the only reprieve from the monotony of the rest of the proceedings.

After that last statement, my thoughts are likely clear. I hate to say it, guys, but I really don’t feel any different about Moonlit Navigation than I did Lore of the Lakes, which is why I only wrote about a handful of tracks. I found myself listening… and listening… and listening, trying to assure myself that I was just missing something. I don’t think it’s me. I think it’s the lack of strong hooks, the production, and a general sense of every song being basically the same. I want to like this album far more than I do. I don’t want to trash it by any means because I think there’s potential here. Maybe they’ll be able to tap into it next time.

The 4 song, 41 minute affair is a patient, rewarding listen with the many highlights buried in the 10 to 16 minute tracks  (there is a 1.5 minute instrumental outro) , but you have to dig for them. The keyboards not full on Dimmu Borgir, but are more subtle, but have an airy majesty akin to Ihsahn’s work on the seminal In the Nightside Eclipse, adding a swirling solemn background aura to the epic-ness, like ayrialo borealis swirling magnificently in the background of of a pitch black, frosty northern night The guitars are brittle but effectively deliver the tremolo picked melodies and occasional introspective bridges. The howling vocals of Rachael are effectively hawkish and witching, even if they lack a real cadence and are a bit monotone.

The first two tracks deliver that Emperor ish majesty with a austere on point delivery but on 11 minute opener “A Victual to Our Dead Selves”, about three and a half minutes in the band deliver a stunning riff that made my hair stand on end and instantly elevated the album from solid 90s black metal worship to something much more special. The same can be said for second track , the 16 minute “Rime on the Song of Returning”, where again, about three minutes or so into the blistering, regal atmospheric black metal, False deliver another simply stunning riff to die for, this time a slower, waltzing riff that crescendos into a shrill, Liturgy-esque climax, signalling these guys have ‘it’, when it comes to crafting searing but memorable metal riffs.

The 16 minute “The Serpent Sting, the Smell of Goat” has the difficult task of building on the high points of the amazing prior duo, but manages to at least come close after a long ebb and flow that takes a while to get going with a more restrained gait and mood. But at the song’s 9 minute mark it takes a somber, moody turn that slowly builds and builds in urgency before eventually exploding in an gorgeous, arpeggio filled blast that takes the song to its breathtaking climax, especially that last two minutes…. phew. Closer “Postlude” is a throwaway mint and a half piano epilogue.

Between these guys and Northwind Wolves, the golden era of 90s symphonic black metal looks to have a solid US base and future signalling portents of  even more great things to come…

As with the opener from Vigilance Perennial , “White Granite”, on opener (after 2 minute intro “Détournement”) “Weapons of Refusal”, there is that truly special moment where you realize how perfectly aligned every element of the band’s , Agalloch inspired, forest-y, misty, atmospheric post/cascadian black metal is. About 3 :33 in, there is this shrill, majestic stomp that will set your hairs on end, and the acoustic refrain that follows and songs emotional climax is just as gorgeous, resulting in one of the year’s most complete and enthralling 11 minutes of music.

And from there it just somehow keeps delivering the shimmery, atmospheric, hair raising goods. 8+ minute New Inertia” builds patiently for about 3 and a half minutes before exploding into a black metal vortex of layered melodic bliss. “Renouvellement” breaks things up with an acoustic clean sung interlude of sorts before “Last Empty Tradition” brings in  moodier saunter and sway  for about 6 minutes before one of the bands signature galloping, melodic, shimmery expulsions unfurls from the speakers in glorious, soaring fashion. I’d put these guys over peers Deafheaven and Ghost Bath, and right behind Vallendusk when it comes to these kinds of uplifting, radiant melodies.

9 minute closer “Memory of Night” opens with a patient, rending plod that would make Finnish death/doom bands weep into their puffy shirt sleeves. But about 3:10 in, it takes a turn into a tumbling, tidal, gorgeously layered blast beat that takes my breath away. The song settles into a warm, alluring closing aura and ends the album on a perfect note, where you can finally exhale and appreciate that you just were completely absorbed over the last 45 minutes by one of the  years best albums.

One of my only gripes with Lore of The Lakes is believe the drums are programmed.  If Skildum can find the right live drummer, watch the hell out!  It should also be noted that Lore of the Lakes was mastered by Alan douches (Morbid Angel, Havok, Darkest Hour).  With only five tracks and a run time of 32 minutes Lore of the lakes feels like a much quicker listen than 32 minutes.  I found myself wanting more by the end of it.  Other strong tracks include, “Let Your Pain Be Your Guide” and the title track “Lore of the Lakes”. Sound wise there is definite style to each of the five tracks. Variation from track to track is slight but at no point would I say the album drags.

I cannot get over how good the guitars sound on this.  The meticulous layering is really well thought out and has the maturity of a group that has been together for more than ten years.  It should be noted that Anti-Verse Co-Guitarist Matthew Kirkwold plays bass on this recording who definitely makes his presence felt to this outstanding debut. I have been fortunate to review many bands from Minnesota as this is my home state. Inexorum is a project that will grab your attention and refuse to let go.  With as busy as 2018 has been for Melodic Metal it would be very easy to miss on this one. DO NOT! Two big thumbs up for this.  Pre-order immediately.  I really look forward to the evolution of Inexorum’s material.

“Last Of Your Kind” kicks the record off in a different fashion than Clandestine Abuse. Where the last record came out of the gate crushing everything in its path, World Keeps Sinking starts off with a harmonized single note trip around the neck of the guitars akin to any of the post-metal titans. Don’t worry though, the off-kilter, breathtakingly heavy riffing isn’t far off. Massive, down-tuned, stomping rhythms take over, and even sort of break into some Stoner feeling moments before crashing headfirst back into Post-Metal meets Sludge territory. Their angular riffing is almost Coalesce-y at times.

“Kuru” is the second track and starts off with another departure. It sounds like a filthy Doom riff that has been slightly bit-crushed. But after two measures, it turns into what could be one of the heaviest riffs I’ve ever heard. Plodding, oppressive, and again a bit bent, this is surely not Sludge-By-Numbers New Orleans worship. After a little break, look for the awesome buildup and extremely fitting, slightly dissonant ‘solo’ beginning around the 5-minute mark. You can tell Northless are becoming masters of their own sound.

Attempting to steer clear of a 2,000 word essay on all of the interesting and noteworthy parts, I’m trying to avoid continuing a track-by-track breakdown. Expect tons of Earth shaking Sludge, plenty of cacophonous and eccentric riffing, and thoughtful inclusions of influences you didn’t even know these guys had. I’m so impressed by the territory World Keeps Sinking covers that was previously uncharted by the band.

The 11-minute fourth track “Communion” gives you everything above, but tacks on about 3 minutes of unexpected, but not out of place clean picking as a segue into the fifth and longest track, album centerpiece “Passage.” Within these 16 minutes, we find Northless having their Cult of Luna level moment of brilliance. It’s all one perfectly executed riff after another, all sewn together with threads of gorgeous transitions and passages of immense riffing.

Instead of releasing another body-bashing piece of colossal Doom and Sludge with hints of something more, they dialed back the intensity (albeit however slightly) and Northless has really pieced together something inspired here. One more record like this and the band may solidify themselves as the triumphant kings of a LONG tired and imitative genre, that really only has a few bands doing anything worth noting anymore. In a year where Cult of Luna release yet another killer record, Northless has the audacity to put out World Keeps Sinking and unseat them for the best Post-Metal(ish) record. That is company they most certainly want to be in.

This frightening foursome features members of funeral doom stalwarts, and one of my personal favorites, Esoteric and now defunct Black Metal act Lunar Aurora. Imagine an amalgam of the two, with a little bit of the sickening atmosphere of Tyranny’s Bleak Vistae, and a touch of progressive that reminds of Ihsahn’s solo work, and you might be on your way. The result feels like a warped soundtrack of the surrealist Robert Wiene films of the 20’s like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. It’s an evil, off-kilter, swirling, vortex of ProgressiveDoomBlack Metal that keeps you on the absolute edge of your seat. It begs repeat listens because you’re afraid you’ve missed something.

The aforementioned opening track is a short glimpse of what’s to come. Second track “Resentment” is a mid-paced, malicious number that shows exactly what this album has to offer. Some blackened riffing, some slower Funeral Doom moments, and all the while the putrid vocals growl like vocalist Greg Chandler (Esoteric) eagerly awaits devouring your charred corpse at the end. Track 4, “In Self Ruin” is a standout not only for its quality, but its brevity and ferocity. At 3:30, it is the shortest and fastest number on the album. Vicious blast beats, furious tremolo grinding, haunting pipe organs, it’s all here and it’s unbelievable. If I had to complain about something, it would be that there isn’t another shredder like this on the album.

There are honestly many more moments like this that are masterfully injected into the slower songs on the album. They punctuate the Funeral Doom sensibilities and add just the right amount of barrage to keep this album from being labeled as anything else. “Sceptre To Control The World” exemplifies their ability to intermingle between genres without ever losing a step. It is slow, fast, grating, haunting, and more. “Triumphalism” is another of the speedier tracks on the album without falling into a complete assault. And finally we’re left with “When Scorn Can Scourge No More.” The 4 minute closer is mid tempo and melodic. The leads really soar in this one, with notes raining down through the vile atmosphere to bring with them tiny flashes of the light beyond the perpetual darkness.

This record doesn’t so much attack your senses as much as it slowly poisons them. Each song more sulfurous than the next. It one of those gems that sound both modern and timeless. Were this released 15 years ago, it would be a cult classic today in 2013. In 2028, I’ll bet people looking for “old school Black Metal classics” are going to get hip to this record by 50 year old curmudgeons like me who are yearning for the good old days.

Now in stark contrast, another favorite of mine, Burzum has never and will never play live. Call me a hypocrite if you must, but Varg is a truly great artist regardless of this fact. But I’m such a fanboy when it comes to Burzum that I almost want to discount my own opinion.

Fell Voices takes the sound that was pioneered and perfected by Burzum, honed by countless others, popularized more recently by Wolves In The Throne Room and all their other Cascadian (fuck I hate that tag) brethren, and completely devour it. Everything Fell Voices has done has been golden. Truly one of my favorite Black Metal acts to come out in years. I hate the fact that I’ve never had the opportunity to see them live, though I have watched the videos I could get my hands on. I hear they are a tour de force. A whirlwind of atmosphere and intensity rarely matched today. No flash, no fog, no hype, just 3 musicians giving everything they have to the moment. You can’t ask for anything more, and why would you? So, all of this preface leads to where?

Fell Voices decided to record their very first officially titled full length Regnum Saturni completely live, and manage to absorb every last ounce of that intensity they are purported to perform with. Fully realizing their most hypnotic and engrossing material to date, Fell Voices destroys the competition. Long, sweeping passages of tremolo picked Black Metal furor, bookended by modulated harmonium for intros and outros, and distant chasmal cries are blended seamlessly to create what I truly can’t imagine won’t be my favorite Black Metal record of the year.

Regnum Saturni opens with “Flesh From Bone” and the aforementioned modulated harmonium drone. It is hollow and detached, at the same time present and distant. Two minutes, then a barely intelligible sample, some feedback, and the trio come surging forth with a whirlwind riff and blast beat. Long passages of the repeated ritualistic riff is a cornerstone of Fell Voices’ sound, and it is accomplished here in spades. Though “Flesh From Bone” is 17:35 long, it feels like a quarter as long as you get washed onto its shore by wave after wave of atmosphere and sincerity. The harmonium makes a short appearance before disappearing behind the next bombardment of blast beats and octave swirled miasma. We cycle through this world until with two minutes left; we are left with the harmonium that underpins the entire album. If feels like it’s always there and only gets buried by the ferocity. It really makes Regnum Saturni feel like a whole.

“Emergence” takes the same harmonium, layers it with just the guitars until 3 minutes in when the band kicks in at full speed and begins a further 17 minute journey into the abyss. Tempos shift seamlessly, riffs of differing though similar texture progress, until with 3 minutes to go, the guitars begin to echo away and we are left again with the tidal pull of the harmonium. It slowly disappears, only to return with a slight tremolo effect for the intro to the near 22 minute “Dawn.” Swells of single note picking dance in and out, highlighting and complementing the drone. Distortion, drums, and foreboding set in until the 5:30 mark where the cacophonous Black Metal onslaught begins again. Melodic yet atonal, soothingly repetitive, pained screams echo behind the relentless blitz of blasting. We shift focus and tempo again and again until not even the harmonium remains, only distant echoing shouting signals the end. The 61 minutes are over, and all you want them to do is start over again.

I’m sure this album has seen its share of reviews already, and if you’re here, you’ve probably read others. This is a triumphant moment in a short career that has seen this band grow from promising upstarts, to the kings of the realm. Don’t be surprised if this is as good as it will ever get from Fell Voices, and don’t be surprised if it isn’t.

Except that this Indricothere sounds nothing like that – this is frantic, highly fragmented technical death. Instrumental too – no vocals to distract you from a blizzard of hyperspeed riffing and even faster drumming (all programmed, but who cares, it sounds great).

If you dig a little deeper, the sound should come as no surprise, since it’s the solo brainchild of Colin Marston, also of Behold… the Arctopus, Dysrhythmia and now this year’s excellent Krallice. (Marston also runs a recording studio in Queens called The Thousand Caves, which has got to be the pulsing core of the New York metal movement).

To say that there’s a lot to take in over the album’s 5 tracks (with the longest topping out at 9:28) would be a gross understatement. Some of this stuff makes current math-metal stalwarts like The Dillinger Escape Plan look staid and conventional by comparison. Indricothere scrambles between what seems like an endless succession of churning, hyperspeed riffs (usually death, but there are some thrashy bits scattered through) and slow, crumbling stomps. Strains of other genres occasionally rocket to the surface of the maelstrom, whether it’s the loops of mutating prog at the core of track 4, or the dreamlike acoustic folk that ripples through track 5. But mostly, this is just relentless, channel-surfing brutality, and everything is performed at an insane level of precision (or a precise level of insanity). The production is terrific, allowing each of the elements to stand on their own even as they try to out-spaz each other.

Impressive as it is, this is kind of thing that will either enthrall you with its ingenuity, or annoy you with its capriciousness. As with most heavily fragmented technical metal, the more you put into it, the less jarring and erratic it will become (expect many many listens to get to that point). However, I do think there is a line between unpredictability and just plain chaos, and this brings up a larger question of what actually defines a song. To bring up an example, I think this year’s Gigan release, while also sharing Indricothere‘s dissonant, volatile psychosis, knew when to pull away and let a song breathe, so that it became easier to “chunk” into memory. You’ll have a harder time doing that with this release. I suppose the easiest solution is just to liken this to jazz, and while nothing here directly smacks of that genre, it does share its protean, self-referencing creativity.

That all said, this is definitely worth a listen for fans of Marston’s other projects or tech-death junkies. Be prepared to put some time into it, though.

I love everything about this band; their simple name, their logo, their artwork (the new artwork even seems to match the artwork of Peasant), their crawling, sludgy, blackened doom, their lyrics, and the fact they are from Louisiana. With obvious nods to Eyehategod as well as current sludge acts like Cough, Highgate and Negative Reaction, and even some Autopsy, Thou are a simple, icky sludge act with little deviation from lengthy songs of oozing, feedback laden riffs straight from the depths of the Bayou. Even with a few tangents of hacking Southern ambience and bluesy sometimes post rock acoustic respites, Tyrant comes across as a festering, sore ridden and painful metal reminder of the post Katrina carnage that left the area a barren, scarred wasteland of human misery and refuse.

I heard this album after Peasant, and when you compare the two, Tyrant seems to be the better release. It has a bigger, fuller, nastier production as well as a slightly more unique ‘swampy’ feel, as opposed to pure droning sludge. The seven tracks, in their hour duration deliver tangible moments of skin picking paranoia mixed with some surprisingly introspective segues of malaised beauty. The end result often comes across as Goatsblood meets Isis having a voodoo ritual.

From the opening scrawl of the title track, to the aptly named, heaving “With a Cold, Life Extinguishing Elegance”, loping menace of “Fucking Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean”, rending and almost melodic doom of “I Was Ignored and Judged and Cast Down”, to the crawling filthy “Monstrance” and closing duo of the corrosively epic 13 minute “What Still Flows From These Veins” and surprisingly elegant 11-minute instrumental “Acceptance”, Thou are absolute masters of this style and in my opinion one of the best and nastiest sludge bands around. (On a side note for you vinyl nuts out there the album’s last two tracks are also both available from Gilead on a Blood Red Vinyl 12″ EP).

If you enjoyed Peasant, Tyrant is a must have as it is the superior release, though Peasant is awesome also. Tyrant just seems to have a bit more variety and ambience amid the gnarly, tooth gnashing sludgy throes.

Essentially mixing the likes of Ed Gein and Pig Destroyer’s spastic post grind and angular DEP/Ion Dissonance math metal, A Scanner Darkly then throw in some ambient sci-fi tinged programming and samples to make the whole thing meld into one caustic, yet mechanical and harrowing display of modern noise.

How many modern ‘core’ bands have a 9 programmed/droning minute interlude (“Four Years, False Memories”) amid the expected spasms of screaming, jarring mountainous noise (“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”, “Pay for the Printer”, “Man in the High Castle”) and glacial, pummeling sludge (“VALIS”, “Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said”)? The atonal assault is precise yet chaotic, but snippets of Dick’s literature and a few unobtrusive beeps and whirs, keep things far from the expected noise-core structures and keep the listener’s attention.

I don’t expect Minnesota band to reside on Gilead Media for long as this 24 minute audition should set the likes of Hydra Head, Relapse and Robotic Empire on full notice for arguably the next big noise act.