Red River Family Fest 2018 - Tumblr Posts
Woe
New York Black Metallers tore it up at Red River Family Fest III.
Photo by Blogger. Barracuda, Austin, Texas, September 28, 2018. Red River Family Fest III.
Panzerfaust
Canadian militant black metallers at Red River Family Fest III. Absolutely crushing set.
Photo by blogger. Barracuda, Austin, Texas, September 28, 2018. Red River Family Fest III.
Panegyrist
Hierurgy
Avant-garde ritual black metal from Chicago, Illinois. This is their debut album, released just this year through I, Voidhanger records.
The avant-garde elements remind me a tad of Therion, but this is definitely still wrapped up in the black metal spirit. A ritual for the soul, this is not raw or aggressive, but rather spiritual and contemplative, with underlying grandeur and majesty.
Hope Attrition
Woe
This New York based black metal outfit were one of my favorite performances of a quality filled Red River Family Fest III.
Off the rails unstoppable train of sonic destruction is how I would describe their sound. They did not let up for a minute, and their albums are much the same, unrelenting aggression that crushes body and soul while still drawing you in for more.
Uada
Oregon black metallers played a fantastic live show yet again at Red River Family Fest III
Photo by blogger. Barracuda, Austin, TX. Red River Family Fest III, September 28, 2018.
My 2018 Album Of the Year List, pt. 1
This is a ridiculously long list, so its split up. Its still long. It might be overdoing it. I don't care. Believe it or not, I even left several releases off. I cannot emphasize it enough, there was a ton of superb music to be heard this year, and my goal is that maybe you'll find something new to enjoy. Read it or don't, just keep loving music.
75)IDLE HANDS - PDX- Don't Waste Your Time
- Heavy metal with a sort of goth rock bend to it that's just an enjoyable listen
74)IAMX- Alive In New Light
- electro goth rock of a sort. Still his own thing. The main single, Stardust, is fantastic.
73) Sniper 66- Annihilator
- Austin punk rock that gives no quarter. They just get better and better.
72)Lunaform- Lunaform
- absolutely beautiful debut prog/djent EP from the Dallas area.
71)Convulsing- Grievous
- Punishing, melancholic black/death metal hailing from the Land Down Under
70)YOB- Our Raw Heart
- I'm actually not generally a fan of loooong, plodding doom metal, but personal taste aside, this is probably one of the best metal albums this year. It is aptly titled, and emotionally rewarding.
69)Pious Levus- Beast of the Foulest Depths
-Grimey Death metal from some of Texas' finest, here to rip you open.
68) Marid-VVVVVVV
-Beautiful Saharan atmospheric black metal that makes me feel calm, so always a good thing.
67)Craft- White Noise and Black Metal
-Black metal to napalm your ears with. Just napalm. Burn.
66)Carn Dûm- Shadow and Fire
- Tolkien black metal that roars like a Balrog and hits like one too.
65)Whoredom Rife- NID-Hymner av Hat
- Yeah, Norway still makes excellent black metal. Enough said.
64)Cultor Noctis- Demiurg
- A great little black metal EP that jumped out at me on Bandcamp, looking forward to more.
63)Krigsgrav- Leave No Path to Follow
- These Texas fellows are back with a somber, weighty black metal outing that'll trap you like a quagmire.
62)Lifted Traces- Akira
- Seeing this performed live with the film might have resulted in bias on my part, but tackling one of my favorite film soundtracks with a superb interpretation is just amazing, so full kudos to the fellows at Switched On.
61)Morgengrau- Blood Oracle
- Roaring Texas death metal titans return to crush your ears. And ribs. And face. And soul.
60)Tamerlan Empire- Age of Ascendancy
- Symphonic black metal mixed with Middle-Eastern musical elements, without the overdone death metal aspects so many bands insist on having when doing this kind of sound. In other words- Heck yes!
59)Erebos- Peste Kommer
- While I ultimately enjoyed Faded Into the Shadows from last year more, this is still a mighty good black metal release that perfectly achieves Burzum synth worship.
58)Tvaer- Old Gods Whom Chaos Knew
- Raw melancholic black metal that I'm really hoping there will be more of.
57) Anders Manga- Perfectly Stranger
- Just stumbled on this darkwave project this year, very glad I did. Absolutely top-notch.
56)Dispirit- Enantiodromian Birth
-I really hope I spelled that right. The album is great and so was their performance at Red River Family Fest.
55)Therion- Beloved Antichrist
- Because why not just make a massive rock opera? Their skill never ceases to amaze me.
54)Elderfrost- The Beautiful Voice of Shadow
-If more dungeon synth sounded like this I'd listen to more dungeon synth. I wish more dungeon synth sounded like this.
53)Nocturnus Santurnus- Nocturnus Santurnus
- Immortal worship of the highest caliber, with so many riffs.
52)Magoth- Zeitgeist: Dystopia
- This didn't quite catch me the way last year's album did, however it's still a very solid album with more sweet riffs.
51) Immortal- Northern Chaos Gods
- A return that did not disappoint in the least, this album could freeze Hell its so frigidly raw.
50)Mare- Ebony Tower
- This is dark and beautiful and sucks you in so well.
49)Iskandr-Euprosopon
- Its mellow, odd, cold, and wonderful black metal, and should be given a listen.
48)Sargeist- Unbound
-Unbound is a good title for this, like a raging black metal beast set loose.
47)Spite- Antimoshiach
-Speaking of raging black metal beasts, yeah, this one too.
46)Cultum Interitum-Temple of Triumphant Death
-Dark, roaring black metal that I was quite pleased with, and definitely want more of.
45)Judas Priest- Firepower
- Bow to the metal gods, because they definitely still rule.
Part 2 & 3 incoming.
Part 2
44)Infernarium- Kadotuksen Harmonia
-Ah, sweet, wonderful, nuclear Finnish black metal. Finnish black metal is on fire these days, and bands like this are why.
43)Sargeras- Satan's Terror
- "Welcome to Life, Cunt!" How can you not love these guys? Raw, unapologetic, borderline ridiculous, so awesome black metal.
42) Vargrav- Netherstorm
-Awesome symphonic black metal that worships the sound of old while still charting new territory.
41)Wiegedood- De Doden Hebben Het Goed III
- These guys have yet to release a bad album, and it was so exciting to get to see them. They're good, and I hope they get more recognition for it.
40)Keegan Ostrowski- Ilusen's Fallacy
- Some of the finest progressive death metal you will find, with stellar musicianship all around, and the precision and cohesion is glorious to witness. Let yourself drown in it.
39) The Damned- Evil Spirits
-Much like Judas Priest, here's another band still showing the youngsters how it's done. This album is just pure punk rock fun, and that's how it should be.
38) Hinayana- Order Divine
- These Texas melodic death metallers are definitely going to get bigger. A superb album, and they put on a superb live show too.
37)Solar Temple- Fertile Descent
- Fuzzy ambient black metal isn't always my thing, but this band is great, and they will absolutely bring the riffs.
36)VOID- Jettatura
- This French black n roll band will pummel you with riffs and rage and rythym.
35)Morgal- Morgal
- Even more rifftastic black metal, these fellows are a blast.
34)Kommandant- Blood Eel
- This is already awesome black metal, but the drumming, like all their releases, just pushes it to the next level for me.
33)UADA- Cult of a Dying Sun
-Their sound makes me calm, and tends to make me feel happy. Perhaps its having seen them three times in the span of a year, and each show was an enjoyable time, so maybe I'm just invoking nostalgia when I listen to them. In any case, they're a great band, this is a great album, and you should see them live three times in one year too.
32)Funeral Winds- Sinister Creed
- Raw, almost grimey, awesome black metal that grinds away your soul.
31)Blitzgeist- Ritual Magic
- I chose just one of the three releases from this year, this one is probably my favorite. The title suites the ritualistic, dirge-esque black metal wonderfully.
30)Deth Crux- Mutant Flesh
- This is fantastic Deathrock that evokes everything from Christian Death to more traditional goth rock like Bauhaus, and it pleases me so much.
29)OVÁTE- Ováte
- Again, Norway's still churning out awesome black metal, and this new project is promising.
28) Horror Vacui- New Wave of Fear
- More Deathrock- I really, really enjoy these guys. For me, they have just the perfect blend of goth and punk, and it's so catchy.
27)Panegyrist- Hierurgy
- I keep calling them a black metal Therion, and that's a big deal for me. This year I learned I really like my black metal avant-garde, and this band delivers.
26)BEHEMOTH!- I Loved You at Your Darkest
- While not on par with The Satanist for me, this follow up is still quite good. They've really mastered the creation of atmosphere, and I love it. Songs like "Bartzabel" really appeal to that taste for the avant-garde I mentioned.
25)Funker Vogt- Wasteland
- This is awesome. An absolute testament to why they're one of my favorite industrial bands. Perfect blend of rythym, harshness, and an ability to mellow out at just the right times.
24)Norrhem- Vaienneet Voittajat
- Its the riffs. I don't know what else to say, really. Just, RIFFS.
23)Plaguestorm- Eternal Throne
- High speed, zero fucks raw black metal with excellent guitar solos. Honestly I'm really happy to have such soaring solos in such fantastic black metal. It just makes it that much better.
22)Slavehouse- Taste in Pain
- Speaking of high speed, zero fucks raw black metal, but this one comes with some lovely punk tinges that pushes it just a little higher for me.
21)Blood Worship- Death's Omnipotence
-Do you like Swedish black metal? Yes? Then this band is for you. They specialize in melodic, catchy riffing in the vein of Watain, and they do it well.
Part 2. Almost there!
The Top 20
20)Alkymist - Canada- Spellcraft Ceremony
- This is just good, intricate black metal that is both melodic yet fiery, with great structure and delivery.
19)Trenchant- Martial Chaos
-This is some great new Texas death metal that is simultaneously bludgeoning and melodic, with a smooth delivery to the roar of the music. I need more death metal bands like this.
18)Elegiac- Pagan Storm
- A beautifully melancholic black metal album, raw but slower, with an expansive sound that pulls you in and worships times past. This project keeps growing, incorporating new elements, yet does so well enough that the growth remains organic and delightful.
17)Thy Dying Light- Cold in Death
- This is pure traditional black metal worship from Britain that sounds like it crawled right out of Norway in the 90s, yet instead of sounding cliche it just sounds amazing and fresh. It is awesome.
16) Churchacide- Bilesoaked Blades
- Roaring Texas death metal that will crush you with riffs. Its fast, its fun, it'll blast you off your feet. This was a good year for Texas death metal, and this was my favorite release for it.
15)IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT- Vile Luxury
- Another one of those perfectly titled albums, this thing is amazing. A mixture of the perfect slimey death metal undercurrent, with soaring brass interspersed and stellar musicianship, this album is a pinnacle of art. They're a great live show too.
14)Arketh- 12 Winter Moons Comes the Witches Brew
- This psychedelic, avant-garde black metal release is just so much fun. It's weirdly wonderful in all the right ways, and I listened to it a lot this year.
13)Gary Numan Official- Savage: Songs from a Broken World
- This is an amazing electronic album, and the song "My Name is Ruin" is one of my favorite songs this year. This album should not be overlooked. Another older musician showing the young ones he's still got it.
12)Lord Of The Lost- Thornstar
- This is an excellent album from this band, possibly my favorite of theirs yet. They've solidified their sound and delivered something exceptional.
11)Kvalvaag- Seid
- If I put you on par with Emperor, it means I really like your music. This is one of the few modern black metal bands that for me achieves that chaos made melody sound Emperor specialized in. I love it.
10)Lucifer's Child- The Order
- Its a really good take on the Rotting Christ black metal sound, roaring like a beast from the pits and just not stopping. Plus, riffs.
9)Crawl/Leviathan - Split
-So the Leviathan side of this split is good, but the Crawl side? Holy crap. It's stunning. He remains one of my favorite local musicians for precisely this bone-crushing, soul shattering sound, and this track is immense. And I find that it makes the Leviathan side better, like it feeds off the sound of the Crawl side.
8 )Morok (MOPOK)- Carpathian Fullmoon Ritual
- This is awesome traditional black metal with some of my favorite synth work this year. This is just too awesome for words. If you like black metal, check this project out.
7)Urfaust- The Constellatory Practice
- These guys are another band that get better and better, and they were already amazing. This atmospheric, beautiful black metal swallows you whole for a transcendental experience.
6) Ghost- Prequelle
- Much like Mastodon's Emperor of Sand from last year, here's another album about death that tends towards an upbeat sound. This album is all plague and fire and Eighties. An ode to music heroes now gone, it expertly blends the band's recognizable style with flourishes from said music heroes, and its a ton of fun too. Learn to let loose, but don't forget that you will die.
5) Powerwolf- Sacrament of Sin
- I love these guys, and this album exemplifies how well they've come into their own sound. They're fun, catchy, and just a wonderful music experience, and this album fully displays their range of style perfectly, from goofy good fun to beautiful ballads to even hints of Medieval metal.
4)Uruk- Nihilistic Warfare in Inhuman Realms
- This Austin black metal band took their already awesome black metal and made it even better. A pure inferno at the start, it transforms into something great with the incorporation of folkish passages a-la early Satyricon, and blends itself into a maelstrom of rage and beauty.
3) Zeal & Ardor- Stranger Fruit
- I cannot say enough good things about this album. A fantastic blend of Spiritualism, Americana, Folk, Occult Rock, and Black Metal, this is far and away one of my favorite releases this year. Do yourself a favor, and don't sleep on them like I was.
2) Orga- Demo
- So I spent a good portion of this year not shutting up about this demo, because it slays. Raw blackened punk that decimates everything in its path, while remaining an almost groovey thing. Riffs upon riffs upon riffs, and a fantastic barking vocal delivery that ties the whole thing together. It was a stiff competition.
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1)Black Jackal- Rock N Roll Nightmare
- I consider myself very lucky, having grown up on a farm in bumfuck nowhere South Texas, to now have the opportunity to witness so much amazing music on a regular basis. The reason I've come to constantly hype so many local bands is because THESE BANDS ARE GENUINELY AWESOME, and I am so happy to get to see and hear them. And this year, Black Jackal took the cake. For the first time in a year and a half, I had to work 7 am morning shifts, after growing accustomed to being at work until 12am. This album is how I survived. Its an injection of burning black n roll that is full of energy, spirit, and an indomitable soul. The vocal work is perfect, the bass lines roar, the drumming keeps you headbanging, and the guitarwork, from BOTH guitarists, is fantastic. Its catchy, fun, powerful, and just pure fucking rock n roll. It chewed the competition up and spit it out. I will miss Jesse's godlike guitar playing in the future, but a certain Nerd is doing just fine, and just continues to get better. Overall this band rules, this album rules, and for the billionth time, check them out!
** Hey, you survived this ridiculously long list. Happy New Year, here's to more awesome music in 2019! **
Oakland, California grimey black metal band Dispirit released this album last year, and played a superb Red River Family Fest III set.
Black metal with the slime of death metal, their sound sucks you in like a bog. But that riff in Besotted by Feral Whims, right after the soft intro, it's utterly fantastic, rythmic and mesmerizing. These fellows are quite skilled, and absolutely worth seeing live if you have the opportunity.
Chicago, Illinois band FIN released this roaring black metal album a few years ago, and if you slept on it, well, you missed out. This band is intense, all wailing riffs and warlike battery.
If raw black metal is your thing, give this album a spin.
The first track, Manias, is probably my favorite, based mostly on the riff. It's a high pitched whine that's almost too much, yet is definitely just enough, and it will get stuck in my head for days.
I was lucky enough to see them perform live at Red River Family Fest III, and they had the whole crowd moving.
