Days of Sorrow complex the Sunshine within.. 2/12/17 7 new dimensions to explore..

Witchapter- Spellcaster-CD/ Digital ( Black Bow Records)

I wonder if Witchapter got into my head and just knew " Hey Clint lets make an album that your going to write about and  love" Well you did it gentlmen. Sludgy, Noisy, Death metal with a ton of pissed off crusty elements just thrown in to make the feedback and drones something all the more special for me . Are you into bands like  Noothgrush, Melvins, Earth, Eyehategod, Cavity and  Burning Witch then my friends run do not walk and  get a Physical or Download copy of this  Juggernaut. The riffs here are as powerful and the tortured vocals and slow and lumbering riffs that bring total joy to this old grizzled man's heart. Witchapter the only thing wrong about this album is it's to damn short.   I look forward to your next masterpiece as well .

http://www.blackbowrecords.com/

Trevor Shelley de Brauw- Uptown - CD/LP/Digital ( The Flenser )

So what would you as a member of Pelican would have a solo album sound like ? Well you might be surprised at what I'm about to tell you as its not Doomy at all and I would say its far less  Post Metal and far more  Ambient, Soundscape and Post Rock with elements of electronica and delicate acoustic form a band like Mogwai and June of 44.  There are some very challenging Dark Ambient/ Drone movements that make this something very much like House of low culture at time too.  I hear element of Thurston Moore, Gravitar and Mandible Chatter as well too. There are some very Avant space guitar noise moments. I would even say Band of Susans.  This is a very diverse mix of sounds and textures that all work together . Uptown is far more theatre of the mind then a band and I love it being that soundtrack to an unwritten movie . This album actually is giving me chills and feeling of wanting to create so new sounds myself. Stellar job but a very innovative mind.

http://theflenser.com/

Xibalba- Diablo Con Amor, Adios-7"/ Digital ( Closed Casket Activities )

Death metal and  Hardcore have been partners in the night of chaos and mischief for over two decades now and with Xibalba we have the mix of Brutal Death metal and Punishing Hardcore full on with driving riffs, breakdowns and catchy melodic elements that just make you want to listen to this Ep over and over again. I hate the word Deathcore as it limits what bands like this are truly about .   This were bands like like  His hero is gone, Deadguy and Fudgetunnel would have headed  and bands like  Integrity , Tragedy and Crowbar have just continued . I'm going on again gushing about another band. This EP is needed to be listened too so go and do it .

www.closedcasketactivities.com 

Horseneck- Heavy Trip- CD/ Digital/LP ( Self Released)

What the hell is going on here my head is so confused? I going to mention a few bands and just you need to blend them all together . Converge, Mindfunk, Grand Funk Railroad, Big Chief and Clutch and you have Horseneck. By all meams I should hate this . But the mix of  Hardcore, Blues, Soul, Southern Rock and Heavy Desert rock sounds  I just can't. It's Dirty, Nasty, Melodic and Toe tapping all in the same song. If motown signed hardcore bands this is what Horseneck sounds like to me. I want to say There are some strong elements to Dog Fashion Disco going on here and you know that going to win me over 9 out of 10 times. The Organs and Grooves are so infectious I just want to say when the horns come in I'm in submission already. I'm waving the white flag. That Detroit sound is so here in this beast. Love it Love it Love it with the Crusty Noisey Hardcore.

https://horseneck.bandcamp.com

Anomalie- Visions-CD/ Digital ( Art of Propaganda)

Forward thinking  Post Metal that does mix elements of  ( Doom. Death and Black Metal) with huge atmospheric and  ethereal elements and Droning Post Rock full of  Spacial  Reverb and Delicate acoustics that give it that occult/pagan touch that always draws me bands closer to the sound. I hear element of  Tenhi, My Dying Bride, Dornenreich, Blood of the Black Owl, Alda, Anathema, Old Man's Child and Ihsahn in this band a lot . I would even say you have a strong tie bands like  Falkenbach and Thryfing  as there is a Viking element that does shine through out the album but it more just a flavor of the album as music this impressive is normally influenced by many styles and ideals.  You can just feel the heritage of the pagan past flowing through out this album and we need to never forget. You can hear moments of that cold distant Polish and German Black metal style as well. I want this to just keep going . At times I swear there are Bal Sagoth member in this do but I know there are not. This is another strong album from a label that continues to impress. 

http://www.art-of-propaganda.de/

Hollow Leg- Murder- EP/ Digital (Argonauta Records)

As this is just two songs I'm going straight to the point with this one. this is a stoner more fuzzed out verision of  Crowbar meets Down. I do like it just wish it didn't live on the Rise Above / Meteor City riff and sound so much as when they do get sludgy and heavy this band can kick some major ass. The vocals are Kirk of Crowbar with a heavy flange on it other wise this could be his clone. They have a huge love for the Nola Doom sound and that is what is keeping me coming back and wanting to listen. I hope they move away from the more fuzzed out elements as that is what really makes them sound like so many other bands and not something more cutting edge.

http://www.argonautarecords.com/

Balfor- Black Serpent Rising- CD/ Digital/ LP ( Drakkar)

Symphonic and Warlike Black metal if a love for the more Post Black metal elements of bands like  Saytricon,  Dimmu Borgir, Marduk,  Old Man's Child , Septic Flesh, Limbonic Art, Raganrok,  Immortal and Gorgoroth.  This album has a massive and epic production, sound and the musical arranging is every bit as powerful.  This is what Sweden and Norway were giving us as the cream of the crop from  1995 to about 2007 and then the tide moved more towards a Blackgauze and Avant Black metal sound. This is awesome to relive this style with this war machine from the Ukraine . Let the chariots burn and fall from the heavens this sounds like what the end days war between  Angels and Demons would bring about . I close with this  the best Black goes one of two ways it has a melody that unsettles you and makes you need to listen to understand or has such a grim tone that if you don't listen you feel that you are missing out . Well with Balfor there are both..

http://www.drakkar666.com/