Saturday Singles: Helleborus-Coils

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Helleborus is a two-piece melodic black metal/death metal band that hails from Manitou Springs, Colorado and takes it's name from a poisonous flower that blooms in Winter. The group is comprised of vocalist/lyricist Wyatt Houseman (Akhenaten, ex-Execration) and multi-instrumentalist/producer Jerred Houseman (Akhenaten, Bohemian Grave, ex-Execration) and from what I've been able to gather these two brothers will release their debut album, "The Carnal Sabbath", sometime in the very near future. The interesting single "Coils" was released last year and this well-constructed & downright intriguing number should easily appeal to fans of Satyricon as well as those fine folks who like there blackened death metal to be melodic and doom-laden to the core! Be sure to follow this up-and-coming black metal band as I have no doubt that they will be going places! You can head here to check out there Facebook page.

Hollow-Mordrake

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Montreal's Hollow (the symphonic black metal one and not the now defunct thrash metal version) offer up their full-length debut album with "Mordrake". Serving as the predecessor to their 2010 EP, "Cynoptic Eschaton", "Mordrake" (due to be released on the 30th of this month) is the sound of a band that knows fully well what they are capable and then not only doubles the task at hand, but triples it! Having already shared the stage with such heavyweights as Marduk, Suffocation, The Agonist, Sword, Jungle Rot, TYR, Aborted and even Canadian legends Voïvod, Hollow are now primed to conquer the world of studio recordings thanks to this fifty minutes or so long, wake and shake the dead collection of extreme material know as "Mordrake". Produced by Kevin Jardine (Slaves on Dope) and co-produced by Dan Lauzon (Entropy) and the band members themselves (Mott-vocals, Cadaver-guitar, Snow – bass and Blaac-drums) "Mordrake" is absolutely brilliant as a debut-album! The songs on "Mordrake" betray this band's (musical) maturity as each and every track here seems to have been painstakingly crafted so that no minor detail has been overlooked! The skill-level of Mott notwithstanding, it's the music, between the hash marks, that is this band's true strength. Subtle, cleverly placed notes demonstrate the clear-cut effort that went into this release and it's all the more impressive when you take into account this little note that came pasted along with the promo:  Hollow's "Mordrake" was recorded "without the use of any triggers, midi or copy/paste editing, the album features true-to-life performances". How about that?  Amazingly that's not something you come across every day. Especially in regards to a symphonic black metal release! "Mordrake", as precise and detail-oriented as it is (Cadaver's guitar playing is stunning!), is a real album with no studio tricks/slight of hand maneuvers! Instead this brave and bold outfit did it all on their own making a release like this one (one which soaks up the sun while it partakes in adventure after adventure-not just through the fields of black metal, symphonic metal, melodic death metal and even progressive death metal(!), but by way of traveling in new directions such as taking a jog through the valley of classic heavy metal!) all the more satisfying and filling! More and more I find myself falling in love with beautifully assembled/creative black metal like this (even at it's bleakest which is something that could and should be said about Hollow's delivery!), performed with razor blade like precision (technically speaking) as it savagely stabs at the listener (emotionally speaking) with material that is at it's core equally fierce and frightening as well as freeing! Destined to be looked at as one of the defining moments of Hollow's career, "Mordrake" comes across as a must-have addition to the collection of any self-respecting black metal fan! 

https://www.facebook.com/hollowcanada

Zeugen der Leere-Seelenwanderer

Self-Release/Independent
2014

Formerly known as Ruin of Remembrance (under which moniker "Second World" was released in March of 2012) and with the name change coming about in 2014, Zeugen der Leere are a studio project featuring Denny (vocals), Holger (guitars, bass) and Maximilian (programming). It the was the pair of Holger and Max who originally formed Ruin of Remembrance in 2009. At that time the project had no name and it was only after the arrival of (now departed) vocalist Timo that the (then melodic death metal) project really took off.  With the release of  "Seelenwanderer" (offered as a free digital download at the link below!) this German act has moved passed the (often-times) limiting stranglehold that is death metal (melodic or not) and settled into the role of a (modern-day) atmospheric dark/ black metal project. One must say that the change in style suites them as "Seelenwanderer" (featuring a quite capable cover of the Erkyss song "Forsaken Astronaut") was a pleasant surprise on what has (so far) proven to be a cold, "Are you kidding me it's mid-April mother nature enough is enough!", snow-covered day here in my part of Ohio! As is often the case with releases such as "Seelenwanderer" an open mind is needed as is a willingness to embrace the darker, slightly more off-setting edges of life. And, seeing as this is atmospheric (experimental) black metal it's not going to be for everyone. But, for those who set aside the time needed and deserved to take in everything that this well-designed release has to offer the rewards will be well-worth the investment! Memorized by the likes of "Tänzer im Nebel" and "Komplex der Vergessenende" I walked away from Zeugen der Leere's "Seelenwanderer" with the pressing desire to share this release with each and all of you.

http://zeugenderleere.bandcamp.com/

Skogen-I Döden

Nordvis
2014

Just one of several bands black metal bands to go by the moniker (because hey, that's not at all confusing or anything right?), the trio Skogen (which, in their native Swedish language means "the forest") will be dropping this (album number four since their formation in 2009) at the start of next month. On "I Döden" (In Death) the band does their utmost best though to prove that they alone deserve the title and that they alone should be heirs to the legacy that such a worthy moniker deserves! And I'll tell you what. If they don't manage to convince anyone else they've at least convinced me! This should be required listening for those who still insist upon viewing back metal as a blanket assumption (and I should know as I used to be in that exact crowd before having my frame of mind blown wide open thanks to adventurous black metal outfits like this trio!). We're talking about adventures in sound and texture, from dark and brooding passages to melodic, often-subtle interludes, as channeled from band that crawled forth from primordial slime and, upon staring upwards toward the night sky, realized their long road towards evolutionary perfection had to start with basic black metal but that it would end with a magically enchanted LP like "I Döden"! Whisper it with me, "This is perfection".    

Eschatos-Hierophanies

Tridroid Records
2013

Eschatos, who shouldn't be confused with the disbanded Polish black metal act of the same name, are a 4-piece band that hails from Latvia. The band, who were formed in 2012, features several former members of Ocularis Infernum. Now, just as in Ocularis Infernum, things start off with sick black metal and burn forward from there. The Metal Archives lists Ocularis Infernum as melodic black metal and, while I'm not 100% sure if that's the case or not, there's some melodic black metal here as well, but with the added addition of some progressive moments things get both evil and epic. Speaking of evil and epic, and all things sinister and shock-worthy, the band is fronted by one Kristiāna Kārkliņa. Female-fronted black metal? Honestly I can't recall hearing one before, but it doesn't much matter as she takes center stage and pulls you in with her emotional performance. By emotional I mean soul-ripping black metal shrieks! Women in rock and metal is no big thing anymore obviously, but it's still simply cool to hear someone like Kristiāna Kārkliņa stand in front of the mic and unleash hell upon the listener. Backed by guitarists Hellgar and Hellhurl Caligula (Jānis Bušs) this talented front-woman helps carry what is a really solid debut-album. Eschatos churns out black metal that features layer upon layer of interesting and intense movements that keep the listenr entranced. For example the title cut opens with session musician Jānis Kaņeps on keys (and beautiful ones at that!) before it tears into your eardrums with blacker then black metal that's both worthy of acknowledgment and worthy to stand side by side with any great Polish black metal act. "Hierophanies" is a wicked album that might have originally been a self-release, but it has a grade A production and a grade A delivery. If it wasn't for how short this release is it would be receiving my highest marks. It's short length though left me wanting more so hopefully we'll hear more from this new group before too long!

https://www.facebook.com/eschatos.band
https://www.facebook.com/TridroidRecords