Welcome back to our monthly segment, Under/Current. Here we will cover the music we currently find inspirational, the music we look forward to in the near future, and what we, J.C.L, X.K..and P.S., are currently listening to. We encourage you to check out the artists with the links provided in the texts (Marked in yellow).
J.C.L.
Currently Inspirational:
This is a Canadian funeral doom project, which was founded in 2012, where Stygian was written, but only now was a full band assembled to record it. As someone who's had such an album in mind, but lacked the necessary personnel, I can relate. Yet here the end result is 2 long tracks and an ambient interlude of very menacing, slow and despair-filled doom, perfect for the coming cold months. Also, in this case, you can judge something by it's cover, and the artwork by Mariusz Lewandowski is once again a perfect companion for Atramentus's debut. For anyone who's ever been into funeral doom, Stygian should be for you.
Void Prayer - The Grandiose Return to the Void
Currently looking forward to:
How would you like your metal without guitars? I've fallen into a rabbit hole with Botanist from San Francisco, and what a gift to the world they are. Besides a plant and ecology-based lyrical universe, they have a very unique, and unorthodox, sound thanks to having traded guitars for a hammered dulcimer, an instrument more used in eastern music. I already checked out their previous album Ecosystem from last year, and on the 30th of October they will release Photosynthesis. The two available tracks Bacteria and Water are already worth the purchasing prize. Go check it out, regardless whether you like atmospheric black metal or not, they are worth your time..
Auðn - Vökudraumsins Fangi
A lot of albums are being released around Halloween (And picking which I wanted to talk about wasn't easy), in what I consider to be a metal tradition, and Icelandic Auðn are back with their third full-length also on the 30th of October. Vökudraumsins Fangi , which translates as "Prisoner of the daydream", already has 2 tracks available for listening, both of which promises a contemporary, clean and melancholic sound, filled with a darkened atmosphere, and, if judging by the album title, some commentary on our reality. I'll be listening to this for sure.
Experimental metallers Tombs are already back after a very productive year, with an EP and live album under their belt. Many bands would have been satisfied with such a year, but these Brooklynites are on the 20th of November releasing their fifth full length, Under Sullen Skies. Right now 3 tracks are available, and by the sound of them, we are in for some more hard hitting blackened metal. Also, that cover-art... Valnoir's instantly recognizable style is what first caught my eye, so let's see if the rest of the album is as good as the artwork.
Listened to this week:
Every time I start writing on an Under/Current, I have to make decision on which bands and projects I want to write about. Normally I would disregard a project as Clown Core and the album cover of Van without hesitation, but... There is just something to this. I have no idea how to sum up this album; It's jazz, it's grindcore, It's groovy, it's minimalist, it's madness and it's raw musicianship, and yet I still feel that doesn't do it justice. Imagine an even weirder Mr. Bungle... nah, maybe not... Whether it's serious or not, is up for debate, but I very much enjoyed the crazy 17 minutes it lasted. And do yourself a favor and look up their videos on YouTube, if alone for the talent and entertainment-value.
One day I browsed the quite long list of albums from this year which I haven't really had time to delve into. A random pick into the backlog brought Swedish Descend's The Deviant to my attention. A sound which can only be described as epic death metal (Think Opeth meets Strapping Young Lad), this phenomenal and well-produced album is full of variety, melody and musical craftsmanship, which I have somewhat missed from death metal as of late, especially the more melodic kind. I can fully recommend this album if you've had the same thought, and need to be reminded of how invigorating melodic death metal can be when it's done well.
P.S.
Currently Inspirational:
For this month I have chosen to write about Oranssi Pazuzu, who has been a big game changer for me personally for a few reasons; First of all, I feel like I know black metal and psychedelic music, and what it does to me, but to hear a band blend the two genres in such a mind-bending way gives me the feeling of hearing music, or a new genre, for the first time. This was a big deal for me and I have been a big fan since. Värähtelijä is the band's fourth album and is a creepy trip, full of slow drum parts mixed with keyboard-synths, guitars and one of the best black metal vocals I have heard in a long time. It is clear to me that every member of this band are exceptionally talented musicians, whose instruments compliment each other.
Currently looking forward to:
This month I am really looking forward the new collaboration from sludge metallers Thou and sing-songwriter Emma Ruth Rundle. Now just a quick bio; Thou is a band out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and they have put out some of the best sludge metal to date, so check out their previous albums if you like sludge metal, you won't be disappointed. Emma Ruth Rundle is a somewhat different story; she makes very muddy and sometimes dark folk-inspired music, and she has a beautiful voice, with which I think, combined with Thou's heavy sludge riffs, will make for a great album. May Our Chambers be Full releases on the 30th of October.They Came From Visions - Cloak of Darkness, Dagger of Night
Listened to this week:
This week I have been listening to American doom metal band YOB and their album Atma, which was the band’s sixth studio album, and in my opinion their best. It has some of the best riffs and atmosphere of all of YOB’s albums. The word “atmosphere” is one that I feel would best describe the music; They create a sonic landscape like very few other bands right now, with monumental big riffs, which I am a big fan of. This album stands out so much to me, but all of their albums are amazing and I highly recommend them if you’re into the more atmospheric side of the doom genre.
X.K.
Currently Inspirational:
A new group has risen from the eighth-most populous country in Europe… Ukraine. The trio managed to release this debut a little over two weeks ago which ended up catching my eye among the many releases. The simplicity of a cover art that does not depict much other than a colorful picture of an old wooden house was worth clicking on. It is not a shock that we are talking black metal here and the best description of the record would be a stew of raw black metal with the combination of the much attractive atmospheric sound that floats among us a lot these days. But why give these guys a chance? You must, these five numbers that only stretch out on a thirty-five-minute duration are not to miss and get better, more intense, and open up new unexpected musical surprises the further you get.
Favorite song: Terra Ultrix
Currently looking forward to:
No introduction needed when it comes to the Finns that for years have bought us some of the rawest and original pieces. Their huge influences can be heard worldwide through other creative souls that like myself were inspired by records like “Askel lähempänä Saatanaa”, “Kohti Yhdeksän Nousua”, or maybe “Sudentaival”. I have already dug into this tenth-full-length album that after a five-year gap has returned significantly stronger. “Kuoleman Kirjo” may sound like a classic Horna record much like the second album “Haudankylmyyden mailla” from 1999, which is a mixture of folky and somber soundscapes that at times drowns out by the great vocals from Spellgoth. Here is the already released track 'Saatanan Viha'.
Severoth - Vsesvit
I always keep an eye out for Severoth as he has produced some of my favorite music of all time these last past years. Recently he announced the announcement of the fifth-upcoming-album that will be out on November 20th this year. Personally, all releases have marked me on a completely unreal higher level, and seeing that this new record will be out so soon has got me beyond excited. At this point you can listen to the first track that comes with a beautiful landscape video also called ‘Вище Неба’ in English ‘Far Above the Sky’.
Listened to this week:
Since I discovered this otherworldly therapeutic blackgaze project in the depth of Bandcamp two years ago, it sort of became a part of my daily listening ritual, as it inspires and influences positively. Two years prior to my first encounter “Disquiet” was released as the debut record that has a no better explanation as Marcello Velasco describes it on Bandcamp “It’s haunting. It’s chaos. It’s energy. It’s happiness. It’s sadness. It’s love. It’s hate.” also a description that can be used on every record from that to the most recently released album “Empathica'' that came out earlier this year.
One thing for sure will be to detail the majestic and symphonic process that hangs within the typical seven or eight tracks presented on most of these albums. And as I this week, over and over repeated “Stars Wept to the Sea” each specific song once again bit me in the ear with the smallest elements of solid instrumental awakenings that define this as one of the most powerful atmospheric black metal projects.
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