Tundra-Demo

Tundra-Demo

Boreal Hymn

Just released on US label Sacrificial Sounds, this little demo is stunningly beautiful. The duo contains a member of Wormwitch, whose album Heaven That Dwells Within was one of my favorite black metal albums in 2019. It's the raw, aggressively beautiful pagan black metal I've come to expect from Sacrificial Sounds releases, and it is done exceptionally well. This reminds me of a mix of the stellar Gaahl's WYRD album released last year and the aforementioned Wormwitch album. It's haunting, ritualistic, animalistic, and powerfully evocative of it's namesake.

You can pre-order the cassette, or just pick up the digital version, from the Sacrificial Sounds Bandcamp.

Listening to this again and it's safe to say, still one of the best black metal releases of 2020.

Tundra-Demo

Boreal Hymn

Just released on US label Sacrificial Sounds, this little demo is stunningly beautiful. The duo contains a member of Wormwitch, whose album Heaven That Dwells Within was one of my favorite black metal albums in 2019. It's the raw, aggressively beautiful pagan black metal I've come to expect from Sacrificial Sounds releases, and it is done exceptionally well. This reminds me of a mix of the stellar Gaahl's WYRD album released last year and the aforementioned Wormwitch album. It's haunting, ritualistic, animalistic, and powerfully evocative of it's namesake.

You can pre-order the cassette, or just pick up the digital version, from the Sacrificial Sounds Bandcamp.

Eden in Reverse

Hail Spirit Noir

(Preorder/Upcoming)

Looking forward to the newest release from Greece's psychedelic black metal wizards Hail Spirit Noir, to be released June 19th from Agonia Records. Two tracks have been released so far, with the second featuring guest vocals from Borknagar's Lars Nedland (who released a fabulous album last year).

So far the tracks have leaned heavily towards prog, capitalizing on the bands kooky, ethereal capabilities. The insane spiraling synth of The First Ape on New Earth is simultaneously creepy and beautiful, with the guitars following suit. And the soft clean vocal work hides an undertow of foreboding that permeates the track.

Nedland's vocals work wonderfully on Crossroads, a perfect match of progressive musical beauty. The track might have almost fit in on Borknagar's last album, but yet not at all, with HSN injecting their usual infectious strange into the track.

I've definitely enjoyed the teasers, but really look forward to getting to hear the whole thing, as HSN are one of those bands where the whole album is simply an experience unto its own.

----The album is available for preorder, though depending on your location you may not want to preorder physical copies from Agonia Records' Bandcamp page, as shipping is rather hefty. You may check local record distributors for your home country, and it also looks to be available on at least the American Amazon store as well, depending on where you shop. -----

"Extermination Front"

Black Jackal

The next single from my favorite Texas band has been released. Half as long as the first single (Hunter-Killer), this is a ripping piece of blackened thrash that is all forward momentum. It evokes classic thrash with the guitar tone, a frantic wild ride with sharp edges. And the guitar solo in the middle is pure old-school heavy metal glory: violent, fast, wailing. To my knowledge there's no established release date yet, but the new album will be titled "Forever War".

You can pick up the single on the band's Bandcamp page, as well as the rest of their material.

Bandcamp Daily

Artists and Labels Offering Donations, Special Merch, and More Today

Including those donating to organizations fighting for racial justice and change.

Bandcamp are returning all revenue directly to bands and labels for today's sales (June 5th 2020), and numerous musicians and labels are using the opportunity to offer discounts, specials, and raise donations for various causes.

Naturally there's several punk labels and bands, but also several heavy metal labels, from Apocalyptic Witchcraft to Dark Descent. I've put all the heavy metal labels and bands I recognize from the list in the tags, but you might recognize a band name I don't.

Invictus Productions in particular are donating to a wildlife preserve in Ireland, and the aforementioned Dark Descent to a homeless youth outreach program. For several of the labels you will need to check what their discount code is and make sure you apply it! Some are automatically slashing digital prices, but will also discount physical merch as well if you use a code.

Please note though, due to the revenue return, even if a band isn't offering a discount, today your money is fully supporting them! Meanwhile several labels are also using this as reason to give more revenue than usual to bands for sales. Plenty of reason to support the musicians you like, all of whom have taken a financial blow this year.

I also know this list is not comprehensive, so you might do some more digging and see if your favorite band or label are doing any discounts. I've included some in the tags that I received messages from announcing discounts/ specials/ donations that I didn't see on here. Note that Non Serviam have an ongoing 1€ digital album sale.

Instant Exorcism

Curse Mackey

Austin, Texas based industrial mastermind Curse Mackey released his debut solo album in 2019, and its an infectious gothic masterpiece of apocalyptic darkwave. Like a mix between the finest Tim Skold output and the catchiest songwriting of Depeche Mode, this album pulls you into a grimy industrial gloom haunted by the ghosts of an apathetic cityscape. My favorite track is "O' Blasphemy", but everything on here is incredibly catchy, and the flow from one song to the next makes the whole album experience a treat. I spent a good portion of the year spinning it repeatedly and adding quite a few songs to some of my regular playlists.

Curse Mackey has spent years working with bands such as My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, playing live keyboards for Killing Joke, and even filling in for Peter Murphy at a stop on Murphy's recent tour with fellow ex-Bauhaus member David J. His credentials are exemplary, so it is exciting to see his solo material released, and he delivers on all expectations. Furthermore, if you have the opportunity to see him live, I strongly encourage going, his performance is fantastic, and really brings the tracks to life in a primal, energetic manner.

The album can be purchased from Curse Mackey's Bandcamp page, or from the musician himself when you go see him live because you definitely should.