Just Mustard : "WE WERE JUST HERE"

 

The Irish dream pop-sters are back with an opaque batch of tunes that finds the forward mixed vocals putting them closer in the zip-code of Cranes.  Katie Bell's child like purity is the sugar coating to what might be a venture into more experimental territory for the band. Her voice rings out wit ha sing song cadence that works for the opening track, but there is a very uniform feel to how this all unfolds over the course of the album. The third album from these guys means they have dialed in their artistic vision, and purposefully pursue certain influences like My Bloody Valentine with the boozy sound of the heavily effected guitars. 

On the second song the vocals begin to become more of a texture, and the bass line a vague frequency  that sets the tone but does not allow for further grooves. Two songs in this is not a deal breaker but how it plays out once you get deeper into the album found me wanting a greater range of dynamics. The plus side of this equation is that nothing is allowed to drone on for too long as the songs all fall within the four minute range. The guitarist lends his voice to "SILVER" to break things up a bit, and the song itself moves at more of a Radiohead like shuffle. 

"DREAMER" finds them backing off more to allow the vocals room to simmer over a more minimal instrumentation that is like riding a rain cloud. Synth sounds create more of a groove for the title track. "Somewhere" lingers in the reverb before creeping to life. "Dandelion' drifts without really going anywhere. The mix disrupts the stage the experimental elements were trying to set for "That I Might Not See'. It result in the song being drowned by it's own drone. "The Steps" feels like more of an idea they never shared with their drummer. 

The last song is more syncopated which helps set it apart from the other songs. The guitarist also sings on the song which at least provide another color in the mix of sounds. Overall I will give this album an 8.5, what they are doing is on brand for them and works, but I would like to here more dynamic focused songwriting from them next time around, 

pst591

Slomatics : "Atomicult"

 I reviewed this Belfast-based band's last album and gave it an 8, for some reason, the vocals needed some tweaking in post-production. Not hearing the same issues, though I don't remember listening to the last album, so perhaps that is also an issue. They are rumbling into this album with a weighty sludge lumber. The vocals sit back in more of the atmospheric backdrop of the song, just soaring over the guitar. I do remember that I liked the fact that the vocals were not trying to be Ozzy, and that is still in play here. 

There is a more spaced-out feel to what the trio is doing here. The vocals do something similar on the second song, though they are a little more melodic. At times it is hard to tell what the bass is and where the guitar begins amid the rumble, but it works for what they are doing., There is a little more syncopation to "Auto-Skull." There have not been any guitar solos are jamming until they reach the synth line in the middle of this song that offers a slightly more progressive touch. 'Relics' is a faint ballad that is overtaken by its own ambiance, but I can appreciate the Pink Floyd influence.

In contrast to the previous song, "Night Grief" possesses a very purposeful stomp. "Physical Witch" Finds sytn sounds blending into the bass to create an interesting throb that hypnotizes you. This is more effective than the more typical doom that is dished out on "Chrome Sisters".  They get even gloomier for "Biclops", though they also add a little more atmosphere to balance it out.  They close out the album with a heavier droning crunch. Fans of doom-laden sludge will enjoy it as it offers the kind of pounding they are looking for.  I will give this one a 9, as it gets the job done while improving upon what they did on the last album, and caters to fans of space-rock tinged doom. 

Thanks for reading, give a listen to the song below, and  please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

pst380

Malthusian : "The Summoning Bell"

 

In 2015, I checked out this band because it's the drummer from Altar of Plagues. They have only released one full-length and a split since then, so the Irish death metallers take their time. They also play in other bands like Grave Miasma. They open the album more aggressively than what I remember from this, which was a more cavernous, doomy atmosphere, but here the drums are bombastic and hammering at you. They slow into a more deliberate Morbid Angel-like riff, though the vocals are a low gurgle that works as a resonance more than a narrative. By the end of the song, the journey takes some awkward twists and turns, making it feel like a new song when it reaches the dismal end that builds once again into a blast beat. 

"Between Dens and Ruins" finds things gathering up into a rabid flurry of blasts and dissonance, with the rasp of the vocals more layered. The bass steps forward to anchor the chaos more progressively. The shift into spewed vocals from the main gurgle creates dynamics along with the angular phrasing of the abstract guitar riffs. Things sound do grimy and brutal to think of this as technical death metal, but the nuanced timing is more complex than most of those shreddy death metal bands. It is opaque rather than hooky. The title track has more purpose. They slow down to achieve this and touch on darker sounds in doing so.  The riffs are allowed to ring out more melodically. When they fail to resist the urge and speed up again, they sound like every other death metal band. 

"Eroded into Superstition" finds a chaotic intro converging into a more powerful riff that offers more drive to the verse and gives the vocals more to work with. Then the momentum gets killed midway through the song when things drop down to a creepy riff that still works for me. It might be the album's best song. The 15 minutes of "Amongst the Swarms of Vermin" are excessive, no matter how much doom you are flirting with. They are doing some interesting things, just taking too long to unpack them as the song begins to drag just three minutes in, making me wonder how painful the throne of the next 12 minutes will be. The drummer takes an almost jazz-like approach to how he arranges the meter of this song. The chaotic solo sections create a Morbid Angel feel until they get too frantic for their own good. 

The last song, "Chaos Exult," starts with a swath of atmosphere anchored by the drums. They hold this down as more of a jam for the first half of the song, as things slowly build to a more simmering boil. I wish they had worked this kind of mood into the other songs. I will give this album an 8.5, which puts it on par with 'Below the Hengiform". So if you liked that album, you will like this one, though in terms of composition, they do experiment a little more here. 

Thanks for reading, give a listen to the song below, and  please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

pst379

OWLS : "Death Games"

 This Irish band is following the new path to dark wave , taken by other projects like Boy Harsher and TR/ST. Sometimes things take a slight detour on the dance floor, and the frantic mood of " Skin on Skin" feels more like lo-fi new wave, without the '80s radio aspirations. The synths are prominent, along with odd swathes of noisy effects as "Perfect Nightmare" comes to life. It locks in a hypnotic drone as the groove lulls you into an altered state. Where it parts ways with goth music from the 80s is that there is less of the melodrama dressing this up for Halloween. 

"Fevr 2" is certainly a song that could keep the dance floor churning during a goth nite in 2025. It feels like fewer organic elements are bringing the atmosphere together, and maybe this is where the line is drawn between cold wave and dark wave. The vocals, which have been a texture sitting back in the cavernous reverb, come more to the forefront for "Tombs". The drips with a ghostly ambiance as the more synth wave groove kicks in, all of the different elements come together in all the right places to make this the album's best track. 

"Send Me To My Grave" works off a much simpler pulse and supports the bleak croon of the vocals. The primary mood is darker with higher, more analog synths working as a lighter layer atop, then he uses whispered vocals that are mixed in a manner that makes them sound harsher. "Death & " finds the vocals fading further into the reverb swamp in the back of the mix. The other elements paint an odd sonic picture until the beat comes in. The vocals continue to moan about death and destruction. Things end in a more atmospheric manner for "This Must Be the End," which is more of an outro. I'll give this album a 9; it grooves really well and takes you to the needed shadowy alleys of the soul. Placing this project on solid footing as an act to watch in the future of dark music. This album drops June 6th on Negative Gain Productions. 

pst229

God is an Astronaut : "Embers"

I enjoy post-rock, but I have to be in a particular mood for it. Having a headache and not being able to listen to anything more aggressive is such an occasion. This might be an even more melodic direction for the Irish band as the song focuses on central melodic themes, and sails off. Graceful is one word that comes to mind. There is a more exotic touch to the chord voicing and it often sounds like sitar is being used.  This takes things on a magical mystery tour with its more psychedelic leanings. Sometimes they are subtle as the second songs gradually build up to them at the end, while songs like "Odyessy" find them carrying the main melody as a dynamic shift from the more rock-oriented riffing.

"Heart of Roots" is a moodier exploration with piano taking center stage. The rock guitar colors the background and lets things progress with a more jazz-like layering.  "Embers" finds both drone and groove working off one another. Great drumming and excellent guitar tones certainly help this song's case for greatness. It borders more towards prog.  Even though it's over four minutes long "Realms" feels like it's the atmospheric intro to "Oscillation" which is a proper song with melody and direction rather than just a sculpt of sound.

"Prism" works off a pretty simple melody they drone off of, but does not go anywhere dynamically. Sure it sounds cool, but instrumental bands have to work harder to compensate for the lack of vocals, or they just kind of fade into the background.  "Hourglass" proves they can not only compensate but hypnotize you with layers of lush dynamics, making it one of the album's strongest songs. I will give this album a 9, they have improved as a songwriter, and this will give fans what they want and more than they expected.

pst422

Fontaines D.C. : "Romance"

 

Wow, it seems like these guys took a turn. Though when the groove of "Starbursters" takes you away bobbing your head it's kind of hard to argue with it. This Irish band is now playing a hooky-as-hell version of Brit-pop that is more infectious than the post-punk they busted out on the last album. The songwriting is in a poppier direction but without feeling like they are selling out. The vocals were given more room to work their magic and Grain Chatten has really come into his own as a singer. Granted some of the credit goes to producer James Ford, who has also worked with HAIM, Depeche Mode, and Florence and the Machine. He obviously knows how to dial vocals in the right way and give everything the space it deserves to make the most of the melodies.

This is also the band's fourth album, so they know what they are doing, and seem to have a firm grasp on where they want to take it.  If you want to hear the band's more Clash-influenced take on punk, then this is not the album for you as they have grown past that point. I could stand to have the guitar more present in the mix, but for what is going on here, I will take what I can get. There is plenty of strumming going on with "In the World Modern" but it is more of a ballad. It reminds me a little of Tears For Fears if they covered a song from the last Taylor Swift album. 

"Bug" finds them still having some of the attitude that pervaded previous work, but streamlined into this more Brit pop-flavored delivery, where the guitar is strummed in a manner that owes more to the Verve or Oasis. This vibe carries over into "Motorcycle Boy". I think they are most effective when locked into more of a groove, but the mellower direction still works well enough. I find myself waiting for when they are going to jump back into that sort of thing, but instead, they go into more of a dream-pop atmosphere for "Sundowner" the more melancholic mood, which also works for me since I am a depressed person, so I can co-sign this direction as well. 

"Horseness is the Whatness" is another ballad, this time it feels like a psychedelic show tune. Reverbed-out surf guitar creeps along the edges. "Death Kink" has more of the punk undercurrent lurking under it, with the band kicking in with a more Pixies-like energy. This makes it one of the album's best songs. A grungy single-note guitar solo comes in to add more 90s vibes. "Favourite" has a happier strum to it, that feels like one of the Cure's radio hits, but more cheerful than what I prefer from these guys, but they pull it off well. I will give this album a 9.5, as it's a leap forward in terms of songwriting, even if they have stepped away from some of the things that got me into them. It's hard to argue with something that works. 

pst410

And So I Watch You From Afar : "Megafauna"

This Irish band's 7th album is a lively jam that embraces more math rock than it indulges in the kind of atmosphere that we could consider post-rock. That does not mean this album is devoid of ambiance or dynamics, there are plenty of both just expressed differently. The first two songs carry the momentum you might expect from a live show and the band does not head into the more experimental direction until "Gallery of Honor" which brings in so many different sounds that it gets hard to balance them out in the context of the song. 

They go about experimentation more gracefully in the first part of "Mother Belfast". It flows smoothly and allows for their abilities as musicians to be showcased in a manner that allows you to hear how underrated these guys are. I was not expecting some of the harder sections, where they are willing to go into oa more aggressive almost metallic style of playing. Only one song goes over the six-minute mark, yet they use their time wisely and cram a great deal into the allotted time without allowing the jam to sprawl. This creates a sense of urgency. The guitar solos on the second part of "Mother Belfast" give things a little more of a rock n roll feel. The fact that this album is instrumental and manages to hold my attention like it does is impressive. 

"Years Ago' has some great bass playing on it, but is less focused than the previous songs, the more abstract nature it floats in creates this. "Any Joy" floats with more ambiance, it flirts with classical music, and even in its listless melodies, it is enjoyable. Even with the distinct syncopated jangle "Button Days' it feels like it is running with other songs. There is strong drumming, but it does not make it more interesting. The last song is less adventurous than you would expect they stay in the middle road of the wheelhouse they are comfortable in.  I will give this album a 9, it's more about playing the instruments and creating the energy and mood than the songs but still impressive. 

pst385

SPRINTS : "Letter to Self"

 This band from Dublin pays a tense energetic version of raw-powered post-punk that is inspired by SAVAGES, yet does its own thing. However, their formula from the first song is repeated almost verbatim in the second song. So what else can they do is going to be the question I ask of this band throughout my review. They do switch up the tension in the first verse of "Cathedral" but they can not keep themselves from exploding in a very similar manner to what we heard from them in the first two songs. 'Shaking their Hands" finds them straying from the formula they employed in the first three songs. This pays off for the band, as it makes the sonic shift they take more effective and it feels like one of their best songs thus far. 

We got a palm-muted punk verse for "Adore Adore Adore" which is the most punk moment they have had so far. It works well, as it adds to the established energy and angst. 'Shadow of a Doubt' does not engage me as much as the previous song, though it does not default back to the formula it is looking in that direction. There is more of a Smiths feel to the guitar of "Can't Get Enough of It". Karla Chubb is not Morrissey when it comes to pipes, and is more of a punk vocalist than not. She does work well with what she has. 

"Literary Mind' is a fun punk song, that jangles like indie rock with its 90s level brooding. I think leaning into their punk side is a smart move as I think that is who this band is at their core. This is a much more well-produced album than what punk normally goes for which is where the indie rock aspirations come into play. At times the organic warmth of the guitars reminds me of "Dirty" era Sonic Youth, the overdriven bass tones add to this comparison. "Up and Comer" ponders their existence as a punk, before exploding out at you. It is another return to punk, making it one of the more compelling songs that also employs the more post-punk tension. There is dissonance driving the title track that closes the album.  Overall, punk needs more bands that take chances like these kids, I will give this one a 9, as they break from their own formulas and the confines of the genre. 

pst363

Ten Ton Slug : "Colossal Oppressor"

 

This band from Ireland grind out a very deliberate brand of death metal that carries a crushing chug. There are some sludge tendencies in how they turn the riffs around, but aggression is the theme for the day here. The first song makes it hard to deny that this is really well done, and the guitars sound great. The chugged-out riffs do what Death Metal should do perfectly. For this to be their debut album they are really killing it. The riffs are not only heavy and demand your head banging, but they are pretty catchy for what they are doing. The vocals trade off between a commanding roar, to a higher snarl.. The fact they are not giving into the need for speed most death metal bands serve is one of their assets. 

The bass steps up and gives "Ancient Ways" more of a backbone. This is the first song where I begin to hear a little of the sludge influence. It reminds me of early Mastodon in a few places, but back then they were pretty close to death metal as well. Karl from Bolt Thrower joins them on "Brutus" while he lends his growl to the song, it is not really noticeable enough as it is still in the band's wheelhouse. "Mindless and Blind" rolls off of a tense palm-muted groove. The growl of the vocals works well enough but is pretty much what we have heard from them. The vocals are articulated enough to make out more lyrics than you might typically discern from death metal. They thrash things out a little more on what might be the chorus. 

The 90s sludge groove that grew out of when metal bands intersected with grunge, really possesses the last song. It even leads to actual singing. It might be the album's most accessible song. I think mainstream metal audiences that are only able to digest the more mainstream strains of death metal will find lots to love with these guys, and they are still legit enough for death metal hipsters. I will give this album a 9, very solid death metal. 

pst229

the Sept : "MMXXIII"

 

This Irish band is a late entry into this year's metal race, but a weird and wonderful one. They balance out a death metal lace grind-core with some raw and unsettling atmosphere. The vocals are uttered in a low growl or a rabid snarl. The grindcore side of their songwriting equation keeps things very economical and makes every chug count. When they are committed to giving you a pounding they are fully invested. "The Endless Knot" has more of a hardcore attack to it. "Fissures in that Which is Reflected" is more deliberate with its slow and steady sludge-like chug. 

"Homini Sacer" comes at you with a more feral flash of snapping teeth. The playing here seems to bring the message that in his heart of hearts, the drummer is more into punk than metal. They are capable of crashing down with a more metallic intensity, and the howl of vocals falls on the more metal side of the equation. The descent into the chaotic shadows stirred by the sonic torture chamber is tightly reined and still song-focused. "Nala Ukhthaz" is a two-part song the first being ambient noise that turns into black metal of sorts. The second part finds them unleashing the heaviest chugs yet. The vocals shift into something more akin to anguished hardcore. Three and a half minutes into it and things get really crfazy like free-form jazz. 

"Four Walls" is the opposite of the previous song. It shows the band appreciates actual singing and things like melody, though I would prefer that they would have worked something like this into what they normally do so you would be hit with both things at the same time. Instead, this just feels like an outro. I will round this album down to a 9, as it gets a little noisy, but is overall more rewarding a listen than not when it comes to very heavy bands taking some sonic risks.

Gama Bomb : "BATS"

 

Going into this album you might assume Gama Bomb is just another band trying to dig back into the 80s and resurrect the glory days of thrash. They prove themselves students of the era, but make attempts to establish themselves as a band that walks in the present day. "Egyptron" does this by going into an exotic breakdown that features a verse from rapper The Egyptian Lover. Though that song might mislead you thinking they are more along the lines of Avenged Sevenfold. This is corrected on the more street-wise "Living Dead in Beverly Hills". If there is one band in the Big Four of Thrash these guys take inspiration from it would be Anthrax.  Much like Anthrax there is a more fun-loving spirit about what they are doing. 

Though by the time the album arrives at "Rusted Gold" it is evident they take more inspiration from the less stadium-packing pedigree of the genre, and take more cues from a band like Overkill. Melodic vocals that are rapid-fire as needed provide a commanding narrative for the songs, even venturing up into falsetto shrieks. It takes a few listens for these songs to settle in. They are not immediate headbangers. The frantic pace of "Materialize" does not feel as effective as the more deliberate gallops found in the first few songs. The guitarist produced this album, so all the solos sound pristine and this is a very guitar-dominant album.

They could convince you they are from Jersey rather than Ireland when things lock into a speed metal frenzy for "Mask of Anarchy" which puts the gang vocal chorus to good use. It is surprising that halfway into the album they have not tried to milk the half-time mosh groove. They add a slight touch of rock n roll to " Don't Get Your Hair Cut". "Dreamstealer" is driven by a tight palm-muted tension that almost feels more power-metal. Some of the melodies are more cumbersome than others on this one, even with its more Van Halen-like party vibe. 

"Speed Funeral" is the first song that conforms more to the hyper-aggressive razor-riffed brand of thrash that Slayer made famous. The vocal delivery falls in line with what their singer has already brought to the table earlier in the album. This is also the song where there are noticeably pitchy points when goes up into his falsetto.  "Secular Saw" takes a joking look at religion. The riffs match up to the lyrics well. The gang vocals are really the only thing keeping "Bats in Your Hair" from sounding like the more free-wheel-burning proto-thrash of Judas Priest. I will give this album a 9, as it's a fun listen that exceeded my expectations, and finds these guys in the rare position of not being a tribute band, but a thrash band in and of themselves. 

Primordial : "How it Ends"

 It's been five years since the Irish pagan metallers released "Exile Amongst the Ruins". Their newest album finds them in the same saddle galloping toward an even grimmer horizon. In fact the end of the world is the theme of their newest effort, which should be no surprise given the title. The album starts off in the mega epic vein you might associate with this band. With Nemtheanga's vocals soaring while still full of commanding grit. I think of these guys as blackened power-metal, which the title track supports. Things get more mean spirited sneer to the aggressive undercurrent of "Ploughs to Rust, Swords to Dust". There is also a doomy melancholy that haunts some passages showing they are not tied down to the blackened power metal formula. 

The strum of guitar leading into "We Shall Not Serve" is one of the band's trademarks. His vocals touch on A.A 's lower register. The guitars race under with a cadence that reminds me of early Iron Maiden. The drummer it really breaking a sweat on this album, as he goes the extra mile. "Pilgrimage to the World's End " has a grungy doom throb to it. It builds off this singular theme to an almost hypnotic effect, which works well for this song, but when the same formula is applied to "Nothing New Under the Sun" that follows it , things feel like they went to the well one too many times with this formula. "Call to Cernunnos" has more of a folk metal swing to it, that helps break the mood up. It is done in a call and response manner, that feels more epic. 

Things take a darker turn on the more brooding "All Against All". Nemtheanga goes into more of a growl at times on this one. There are songs with a more aggressive tempo, but this feels like the most black metal song of the album so far. At almost nine minutes it is also the album's longest song. The songs end finds it droning off into throat singing, as the guitars give an ominous pulse. I like the groove it builds back up into making this one of the album's more impressive compositions. They lurch back into a more blues flavored doom shuffle for  "Death Holy Death". It is one of the most soulful vocal performances I have heard from him.

The return to the more old school Maiden like gallop to finish off the album. Granted it's rougher around the edges this time. It goes off into a more jammy section, which sounds like it would transition well live. I think this album holds up against their other work and is better than "Exile Amongst the Ruins " which earned a 9, so I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me . If you are looking for folk/ pagan metal that leans into the metal side with a classic bombast then give this album a listen. 

Jaaw : "Supercluster"

 Andy Cairns from Therapy? was around when industrial music hit big. He knows it was punks trying to play electronic music. Sure they have taken influence from that era, but this is sludged out rock with punk attitude. Not far removed from Therapy?'s heavier moments, these guys hit you with fuzzed out guitars and sullen vocals. Sometimes yelled more than others. It opens with more of that big punk energy. There is a raw dissonance roughing up the riffs. 'Reality Crash" has the Led Zeppelin like swagger that Uncle Al often aspired to. There is something sonically hedonistic about it that still works here. 

"Rot" is more of a sludged out dirge, with a dystopian Pink Floyd like feel. The album is getting darker with each song, which is something I can appreciate. "Total Protonic Reversal" is more of an experimental groove than a song that you find yourself going back for repeat listens. "Bring Home the Motherlode" has a more hypnotic groove even in the face of the noise it collides with. It is very sonically dense, and takes you on a droning journey.  "Hellbent on Happiness" is more metallic. The sung vocals offset some of the aggression while the lower more whispered one give it a more death metal feel.

"the Dead Drop' is more brooding , but a chorus does manage to soar from it's murk. Having already heard Helmet's cover of Bjork's classic "Army of Me" I am not as impressed with this version and think they could have taken better notes in what worked with that one like the vocals being more present. Overall this album is a great deal of fun and I like it. I will give this a 9. Fans of Therapy? will enjoy this as well as fans of the days when industrial bands were actually bands. This comes out May 26th on Svart Records, I highly recommend it. 

Slung From a Tree : "Voyage into Cosmos"

 This band from Ireland is plenty heavy. They lash out with a feral snarl and wall of distortion . The rough around the edges feel to their lumber plants them solidly as a sludge band. It is one of those experiences where the sheer weight of their sound stuns you and , then after the first song you are left asking if they can write songs. That is if you are the type of listener who wants more than just a sound from the bands they are into. The question of can they write as song, takes a minute to warm up to into order to answer it in the most accurarte manner ,as the first two songs run together, thanks to the monochrome screams that are just a static human layer to the collision of sound that your ears are being battered by here. 

At times there is even a bit of boogie and if feels like they are putting in the effort from their perspective to write songs. It is not until "Noise Pollution" that they really earn my attention. The song before it, just hammers on with a dense fuzzed out sound, but nothing that really grabs me aside from just being heavy. There are more dynamics to "Noise Pollution", it feels like a song rather than scathing riffs your ears are in masochistic relationship with. There is even a guitar solo or two, which adds another dimension of musicality to things.  "Dim of Wit" has purpose to it, though might not touch upon anything that sets these guys apart from other bands doing similar. 

The untitled song, starts off with more of a post-rock meander. It is one of the albums more unique moments. It is largely instrumental with only a few spews of vocal exclamation. The stoner doom tendencies of this band are kept on the back burner , but this is one of the few moments when the jammy nature of what they do exerts enough blues to be noted. I will round this down to an 8, while they have a sound I enjoy, there is a uniformity that could stand to be broken up with more atmosphere as when they do bring in the more nuanced touches they shine. This is being released on Cursed Monk Records April 20th

No Spill Blood : "Eye of Night"

 This Irish band's second album finds them taking and very hard driving form of sludge and marrying it to synth driven rock. The opening track is more aggressive and the more analogue synth sounds do not begin to drip their atmosphere into the heavy throb until the second song. Which drones while it progresses. A throaty bark is the narrative. This instills the anger of sludge into the proceedings. The title track returns to more of the hammering. Yet I think their strength is touching on the sonic space atmosphere is embraced and is at the heart of their heaviness rather than just trying to beat this sound into your ears. They hint at their ability to capture this on the title track, but it is captured more effectively on the second song. 

When darker moods are uncovering there is a more Neurosis like quality to what they do."Ekur" fins the synth sounds setting the stage for the more distorted barrage building its storm behind them. The vocals are a one trick pony for sure, and almost another texture rather than contributing to the song. "Cimmerian Maw" is more of an interlude than a song that stands on its own two chords. "Ossein" delivers a more balanced pounding that broods in the krautrock flavored swell of the synths. The vocals remain a disgruntled howl in the background that like many metal bands just feels obligatory. The lyrics do cut through the other sounds more than the previous songs, but nothing that gets stuck in your head.

The strongest song might be the last. "Dead Satellite" has a great deal of melody to its throb despite the yowling vocals not really contributing much more than a human layer of white noise to this. It's darker and soars with more sonic weight. Overall, this album is enjoyable for fans of sludge who want less conventional colors to drape their metal in. Not as electronic as I thought it would be going in, it was heavier and a great deal of payoff for dense waves to slap your ears around, I will give this one an 8.5. It comes out Febuary 24th on Svart Records.

Just Mustard : "Heart Under"

 

This Irish band plays a dreamy droning take on shoe gaze. The centerpiece is vocalist Katie Ball who dreamy fey vocals stylings, offer the kind of breathy narrative that gave trip hop a great deal of its atmosphere in the 90s . The band begins to come together in a more organic fashion that sounds like a band more than button pushing by the time we get to "Still" .  There is a touch of noise draped around the sonics they color the song with. " I Am You" has more of a dynamic shift and I admire the fact they are not afraid to challenge the listener with harsher almost industrial sounds. 

If it was not for the intervals Katie choses this would sound darker. But even I will concede it works for what they do. She pushes from her diaphragm more and goes up higher on "Seed" which is more than can be said for the trend of pop singers like Billie Ellish who use a breathy tone and record their vocals close on the mic. "Blue Chalk" works off more of an ambient tension pulsing in the background. The vocals are haunting but feel less invested in being as crucial a part of the song. It feels like it should bring the hammer down like a HEALTH song would but that never comes. 

"Early" has a more formed and floating vocal melody and goes to show the dynamic range this band has in terms of the scope of what they do. There is more melancholy buried into the fibers of "Sore". It is one of the more emotive vocals performances Ms. Ball gives thus far on this album. "Mirrors" has more motion to it and is one of the album's better songs despite being more detached emotionally. The 90s electronic alt rock vibes get stronger on "In the Shade" . It almost sounds like if a noise band remixed a Chvrches song. The percussion is more minimal on the last song and the vocals hover around with the rest of the droning atmosphere that is the focus of this song which at five and a half minutes is not long compared to some of the other music we review around here, but for this band it's their longest song at least on this album. I will give this album a 9.5, it is strong when you consider what they do which is going for a mood and they use some interesting colors to capture it. Not shoe gaze in the way you might expect them to be. 

Fontaines D.C. : " Skinty Fia"

This Irish band now perhaps lives in a sonic zip code closer to Radiohead than any type of shoegaze or post-punk revivalists.  They slip away from the more hypnotizing drone it's a slinky groove for "Big Shot".  The vocals are moody but with an underlying attitude. Their singer chooses some interesting placement with his phrasing. This can be felt in the with the lyric bob in and out of the guitars staccato jangle. "How Cold Love is " flirts with their punk rock youth and guides it with a smoky groove that invokes dive bars past midnight.  This album is very dynamic as the more upbeat street musings of "Jackie Down the Line" holds most of its grit in the lyrics, with the music bringing the Pixies to mind, though the vocals are less quirky and more matter of fact. 

The Pixies influence I am detecting does not stop with that song, the prominent plod of the bass line mixes them with Jesus and the Mary Chain, the later setting more of the tone for the mood. This band's strength lies in their song writing, like many artists the Beatles certainly being one of them in how they covered a great deal of ground stylistically while retaining their identity, rather than coming across that they were just trying on musical hats. This is not to say some of these genres they dip into are not in my mind tied closely to other artists, a problem the Beatles did not have. An example being the brand of dancey Brit pop they bob into on "Roman Holiday" carries it's ambiance in the same manner as Stone Roses. It's not until the accordions come out on "the Couple Across the Way" that they overstep things. This kind of folk does not play to their strengths. 

They pull out another dancey groove on the title track. He is not rapping on this , but his vocals are more spoken than sung. I mean if it wasn't white people doing in this in 2022 then perhaps we could call it rap, I mean if you have to work off that kind of flawed logic. He stays in the more staccato spoken vocal delivery for "I Love You" which reminds me of Idles more melodic moments.  It is another song that makes the case for them being a punk band, though I prefer the darker sonics they stir up on the last song. The guitars are a little more aggressive. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me . The first half is notably stronger , but except for the accordion folk moment the tracks that do not slap as hard are still better than most indie rock coming out,  

 

Black Metal History Month - VALAIS -"s/t"

Here is a curious case. This project from Ireland released this album last year on Bandcamp, then they got signed to Signal Rex for the actual physical release. It is black metal history month, so the history of this album online does not make it any less vital of a 2022 release. It is only an ep, 37 minutes of music so still longer than "Regin in Blood".   I often lament about bands focusing on a sound rather than songs. This project manages to do both, but they have also managed to make the sound they created to throb with an unsettling darkness that is in and of its self-attention grabbing. While I say that now, I hope this does not mean that for the remainder of the album, this is all they do. 

I can understand why they are compared to Leviathan but hear something that is unique to who they are while they follow down that path to madness. The second song, throbs with a malice more closely aligned with what you expect from black metal as long as you are not expecting black metal to just be blast beats. They do go into blast beats for the last song which is a sprawling almost 14-minute journey into the abyss. The second song that is a song and not the interludes which for the purpose of this review I am not giving much thought to as they feel like they are just parts of the songs they bookend.  They second song has a weird girl's voice panned in there, it might have been my meds playing tricks on me, but there was some spooky shit going on there.  

The production is very interesting there is a rawer more lo-fi sound to the crescendo of the last song. The first song is smooth in the darkness and some of the sounds are crisper than others. It is very organic, and I think a fresh take on the Cvlt sound though the bulk of this album the focus is more on the eerie darkness being summoned here.  When I reviewed Watain's new album I declared it was the bar that had been raised for black metal to measure up this year. There are things these guys do that is different than Watain, the bass tone has more thump. They are more experimental, but not as polished or melodic as Watain.  For this reason, they are a 9.5, as it still works great and is worth repeat listens, highly reccomended if you seek darkness 

Bats : "Alter Nature"

This Irish post punk band has returned after 7 years with it's 3rd album. When we say post punk in regard to these guys this is not mere Joy Division worship instead we have tense angular math rock that is dissonant . Sometimes darker than others. The lyrics a grim, leaning into sci-fi and horror. The drummer is pretty adventurous and they are prepared to bash into everything with the power of an Amp Rep band. The vocals are like a more monotone version of Brain from Placebo. They are frenetic like a punk band but bob and weave in various tempos. The vocals are often layered with yells and screams. "Christian Science " works of a sinewy groove. You can bob your head to it , but not dance. Things get darker for "the Call of Cthulhu" . The lyrics are pulled directly from Lovecraft's writing.  The melodies are often sing song chants.

I had to return to "Old Hitler" a few times before paying attention to it. There is a groove to it. The vocals are more understated. "In the Court of the K RISPR King" is not a King Crimson cover. The vocals are smooth and the frantic nature of the song is well contrasted .  There is a more aggressive tension to "Ergot".  The tempo picks up to more of a almost metal intensity.  The syncopation is very taunt as their chug carries weight.  "Dyson Sphere" runs off of it's energy generated by the momentum of an album that has not really let up since the first song. It bounces with the same force propelling a great deal of what has gone down so far and gets even more aggressive as it progresses.  This carries over into "Family Planning" that follows. It is more about the tension than the explosion.

"Current Affairs" has vocals that are more screamed going into it, thus setting the tone for something more punk. If you consider Fugazi punk then this could very well be punk too. This is not the first riff I have heard on this album and thought it was heading in a more metallic Mastodon like direction. I will give this album a 9.5, its still growing on me, there is a lot going on but I like all of it.

Black Metal History Month - Sacrilegia : "The Triclavian Advent"

According to their press release, this might be the Irish band's debut album, but they have been around for decades. The opening song is more blistering and thrashy. They are really racing where later in the album they begin to sound more like a speeded out version of Venom. The vocals are a low anguished growl , almost bordering more on death metal. The faster moments on the album all begin to run together , I as on the opening track and don't hear something that catches my ear til the 5th song. Going back to give another listen it's evident that while I like when Destroyer 666 does something in this zip code , they have more elements of classic metal in play and the songs catch my ear rather than blaze past it. Some times it slows down like a dramatic break down, but it conflicts with the rule here which is cool riffs alone does not a good song make.

This leaves "Armored Angel" as they only song that really connects and demands multiple listens. While they do not rely on blast beats alone , the fast drumming has the more punk influenced slant. With "Unhallowed" The vocals are not as interesting  as they were on the previous song, but better than the other songs on the album.If you were going to say this band is from Ireland, it would not be the first place I would have thought. Not that band's from Ireland have to sound like Primordial, but they do tend to be darker. They way the vocals fall on "Unheeded Warnings" sticks with you better than some of the other barking despite the guitar that was so fast it felt just like a static trembling. This is not the best mixed album , but it's not cvlt lo fi either.

There is more of a thrash feel to the last song. The blinding guitars are more black metal, but this is more aggression than atmosphere and anger is the only frequency I hear. As an instrumental under two minutes this is more of a outro than a song that stands on it's own.  I'll round this down to a 6, if just angry speed is your thing you might like it more than I did. Not sure why it took them decades to come out with this . This album comes out April 12th via Invictus Productions.