Category Archives: Splits/Singles

Skeletonwitch – Well Of Despair

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Fandom is a curious thing. People feel very intense about about a band and sometimes fret when there is a change. Bands change members all the time. That is the nature of people trying to play music for a living under mixed circumstances at the best of times. For thirteen years Skeletonwitch has been one of the most heavy and consistent bands in the American metal scene. They have made some great records, opened tours for major names, and spread their sound around the globe. Fans certainly didn’t want to accept the change when the band suspended and removed former singer Chance Garnette, due to his personal issues, and much chatter on line centered around the future prospects of new music. Cleverly the band didn’t reveal new vocalist Adam Clemans (Wolvhammer) until just recently and now have debuted the first new music with Adam, in the form of new single Well of Despair (Prosthetic).

Although this track s but a small taste of what is to be expected later this year in the form of a full EP, ‘Well of Despair’ was recorded at Baltimore’s Developing Nations with Kevin Bernsten (Noisem, Magrudergrind, Mutilation Rites) earlier this year. Musically the track is as much of a declaration of intent as anything else. Galloping drum beats pound from the speakers. All the things that made Skeletonwitch great, this track has it. It’s a quick slab of brutal thrashy black-metal inspired riffage that is sure to make fans headbang like mad and take notice. Clemmons sounds excellent. He has a gnarly growl and a lung power equal to Chance’s. It will be great to hear him tackle the back catalog during the forthcoming Decibel Tour with Abbath, High On Fire, and Tribulation. But ‘Well Of Despair’ is a powerful introduction to the next phase of the band. If you had any doubts about the future of the band, throw them out the window now!

 

Skeletonwitch 2016 new band photo ghostcultmag

7.0/10

KEITH CHACHKES

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Primitive Man / Sea Bastard- Split EP

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Around the same time last year, Primitive Man and Sea Bastard released two of the most hateful – and well received – products of the year. The former’s vicious EP Home is Where the Hatred Is (Relapse) and the latter’s nightmarish split with Keeper (Dry Cough Records) were followed by a joint tour of the UK last spring and, with this split release (Dry Cough Records), the bonds the two outfits have forged now become indelible.

Primitive Man’s two tracks kick us off, and with a familiar feel: the band’s squalling, Blackened Sludge given added horror by the face-melting roar of Ethan McCarthy. The clanking, Low-end ferocity of ‘Cold Resolve’ is certainly augmented by some of McCarthy’s most fearsome barks to date, and the portentous squeals of the sinister drop are enough to collapse the nervous system. The resonance of bass and drums launching us into ‘Servant’ also have a primal minimalism which clears the bowels: its fizzing, sparing riff a tolling bell which flays the skin with each swing, McCarthy’s voice the scouring brush rubbing salt in the open wounds, the brief quickening a Deathly flash. It’s a terrifying assault: appalling, guttural, startling, physically affecting…and damn satisfying.

Another near-20 minute slice of snaking pummel from Brighton’s finest closes this tormenting platter. ‘The Hermit’ largely follows the Bastard template but unusually, so gradually you hardly notice, it gathers pace through a viscerally pounding, pregnant centrepiece. Oli Irongiant’s deep, singular, painfully slow riff sets the tone before the lumbering behemoth is brutally awoken by the pulverising rhythms of Steve Patton and George Leaver. Telling the tale of the persecuted Northern monk St Cuthbert, Monty’s screaming roar wraps itself around the mellow hundredweight like your favourite Serpentine villain, rising and falling with each line, carrying that Sabbath-esque quickening toward a low, nefarious final movement which is both torturous and earth-shaking.

This “split” has been in the pipeline for some time and, thankfully, it’s been worth the wait. Crushing and hostile, these are two of the most exciting Doom-centric bands around right now and to have them both on one plate is a horrifying bliss.

8.5/10

PAUL QUINN


Jennifer Christensen/Twilight Fauna – Split

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Sometimes music is for dancing to, for laughing to and for loving to. And sometimes music is an art form, a means to expressing something subconscious, so deep down, and utterly fundamental to the human soul that expressing them with mere words only serves to highlight the inadequacy of language over art. Such is the case with the Jennifer Christensen and Twilight Fauna’s two track split on Red River Family. The two tracks are joined together neither by style nor genre, but as a means express the inexpressible, to express the inevitable, when dancing, laughter and love ultimately fail us all.Continue reading →


The Body / Krieg – Split

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A collaborative effort between two or more bands is not an unheard of concept, especially within our world’s more avant garde entities, from the sublime – Scott Walker and Sunn O))) – to the not so good (Metallica and Lou Reed just to open a can of worms). Experimental extremists The Body are certainly no strangers to such work, with their previous collaborations with the likes of Thou and this release with black metallers Krieg (At A Loss).

The first thing to note is how dissonant and visceral this release is. As with their previous joint works, The Body choose to bolster the white rage intensity of Krieg, building on a distinctly metal record with their dark traits. Rather than the more distinctive black metal blast beats however, this is much more electronic based, programmed beats, high pitched frequencies and feedback and a bulldozing pace, albeit with Neill Jameson’s piercing growls and shrieks on top.

This clash of raw black metal and the mechanized and programmed beats match up so well in what is an equally horrifying, dizzying and hypnotic effort, while Jameson’s vocals add an even weightier punch of pure terror as this conveys the absolute epitome of dismay and filth.

This is extreme metal crawling to its warped and perverse limits, dragging it kicking and screaming to the future.

 

8.0/10

CHRIS TIPPELL

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Human Bodies / Leather Chalice- Seven-Inch Split (Vinyl)

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Human Bodies and Leather Chalice Split single cover 2015

Broken Limbs Recordings brings us this raucous Black Metal and Punk hybrid split seven-inch, with Boston’s Human Bodies and New Hampshire’s Leather Chalice.

Featuring two tracks from each band, this hallowed-out and thrashy LP takes you on a raucous ride through grimy streets, riddled with the echoes of Venom, Discharge, and drugs, and harkens back to the days when punk was still pretty dangerous.

Tracks one and two are donated by Human Bodies and are appropriately quick and dirty. Track one, entitled ‘Only the Sigh,’ and track two, entitled ‘Malice Prepense,’ are vitriol-fueled black metal and Hardcore hybrids curated by a little D-beat for immeasurably catchy shit.

New Hampshire’s one-man punk project known as Leather Chalice chimes in on tracks three and four with impossibly unpolished Blackened Crust. The project, which features Jann from Ramlord, takes to the extremes of the genre-meld, garnering hues of grime and gray, and garbage can tin-sounding percussion, and in sum, is the sound of impassioned, unimpressed, abandoned youth.

This mash up is due out September 22 on 7-inch vinyl and is released in cooperation with Prison Tatt Records.

Information on oerdering this split seven-inch vinyl can be found over at the Broken Limbs Records Website at www.BrokenLimbsRecordings.com.

6.0/10

LINDSAY O’CONNOR


Godhunter vs. Destroyer of Light – Endsville

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Come no closer if you like God or happiness, as the very antithesis is available in this remarkably-packaged ‘split’, Endsville (Battleground), from Tucson quintet Godhunter and their Austin Doom counterparts Destroyer of Light.

The Arizona mob kick us off, their acoustic-toned ‘End Time Blues’ and ‘The Emptiness That is Left’ bookending four tracks of angry, raw Stoner. There’s a basic, Punk vibe to the minimalist style of ‘Divided States’ and ‘Anthropophobia’. The throaty squeal coursing through them is, however, somewhat inept, and accompanied by prosaic, unimaginative riffs and rhythm. Sadly this rather uninspiring, stodgy template continues throughout Godhunter’s offering; the Kylesa-lite ‘Cassandra Complex’ occasionally loads colossal weight upon the shoulders and is the standout track of their inferior set, but the slovenly growl and lacklustre riffs fail to stir the blood sufficiently. The closing coda of ‘…Emptiness…’, a diseased version of ‘Something in the Way’, desecrates Nirvana’s original whilst paradoxically landing a long-overdue significant punch.

Thankfully the rollicking, NWOBHM-infused Psych-Occult of Destroyer of Light fares much better. Opener ‘Electric Shadows’ finds ground between Moss and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats; the steady, cantering pace graced by Steve Colca’s dramatic holler, subtle samples and eerie chanting which add melody to pummeling riffs and Jeff Klein’s pounding bass. Some electrifying solo work to the track’s coda, meanwhile, helps to banish the memory of what has gone before. The dirty, monolithic chords of ‘Coffin Hunter’, Colca’s vocal tolling over them, are reminiscent of Iommi at his evil, crushing best, while devilish roars from the three-quarter point are utterly terrifying and offer more than Godhunter’s whole portion.

And here’s the issue: this is a ‘split’ in the real sense of the word, an immense second half in real danger of being overshadowed by the shambolic pointlessness of the first. The dazzling leadwork of the morose, pulsing ‘Forever My Queen’ proves the Texan outfit’s name to be misleading, lighting the path to sinister, bone-crushing closer ‘Valley Of The Dead’, and affirms the belief that Destroyer of Light should not suffer the sins of their undeserving co-contributors. Give the Trad Doom boys your time at the very least.

 

6.0/10

PAUL QUINN


The Meads of Asphodel / Tjolgtjar – Taste of Divine Wrath

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The Meads of Asphodel are no strangers to split LPs, nor is Tjolgtjar for that matter, but this is the first time the pair team up for a co-creation. The result is Taste of Divine Wrath (Eternal Death).

The Meads of Asphodel has one of the best song titles I have seen in a while: ‘An Ebullient Prelude to a Loathsomely Grim End’. This short intro has a high level of bombast and the promised ebullience with its orchestra and choir, and gives way to the sufficiently grim ‘Chidiock Tichborne’. This song is very high paced and strange. The lyrics “High treason, hung, drawn, and quartered,” really impart the loathsomely grim end that was referred to in the previous title. The grunts are slow when compared to the music, and this contrast, together with the variation in styles of grunt, makes the song interesting.

Then follows an utterly bewildering cover of ‘You Got the Love’, called ‘You’ve Got the Hate’. It is mystifying and confusing, but actually quite good.

The penultimate song on the A-side is about Balthasar Gérard, the infamous murderer of William I of Orange who was gruesomely executed for his deed. This song details the execution and questions the value of the assassination. The music is rather atmospheric and beautiful, with acoustic guitars and synths, and contrasts rather poignantly with the subject of the lyrics. The atmospheric style continues into the final song ‘Infidel’, but this also contains some of the musical brutality of ‘Chidiock Tickborne’.

The B side of the split is Tjolgtjar, a one-man project in a genre known as “Black’n’Roll.” The first song, entitled ‘The 5th Mass & Her Works’ is a bit of a cut and paste of a mind-boggling mixture of Psychedelic oriented Rock’n’Roll with sections of Black noise. The next song, ‘Near You Always’, is far more balanced, having mostly a base of Psychedelica with a topping of Black rather than the rapidly altering sections of the previous song. I was rather pleased with the sounds of an actual goat in ‘A Goat in the Woods’, which is an instrumental song firmly entrenched in Psychedelic territory. The main guitar riff for ‘Winter Research’ is brilliant and catchy. The voice-overs at the start, middle, and end of this side make this a strange collection, however, the alien manifesto and satanic cults do make for very interesting listening.

With songs well put together; if you are interested in the strange and experimental sides of black metal, this split album might just broaden your horizons.

 

7.5/10

The Meads of Asphodel on Facebook

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LORRAINE LYSEN


Torver/Arcane North- From Moonrise To Moonset (split)

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The influence of nature and earth on black metal has become somewhat more of a recurrent theme in recent times. Some of black metal’s current champions such as Drudkh, Wodensthrone and Winterfylleth have embraced inspiration from such landscapes, in some degrees from their own locales rather than necessarily the stereotypical Satanic lyrical content of the genre’s forebears; also offering a more atmospheric approach. On this split, From Moonrise To Moonset (Blackwood), we see the contributions from two upcoming UK bands of such an ilk, with some variation in style and result.

The first half sees contributions from Torver, beginning with an ominous, gradually building introduction track, complete with wolf howling and strings, setting the tone and expectations quite high. The following tracks ‘Naked Moonrise’ and ‘Lunar Ritual’ are both bold examples of forward thinking Black Metal, alternating in pace between a slow crawl to more uptempo, and combining typical shrills with an eerie chant like drawl. A lot of positives to take but sadly it becomes unstuck by a thin production which buries the vocals far into the mix and kills some of its atmospheric air.

In the production stakes Arcane North’s half fairs a whole lot better and thus has a much more encapsulating tone to it. Vocally this is on much more familiar territory but elsewhere it still holds an ambitious streak, but is simultaneously familiar for the less au fait with the genre. As a result it is much more immediate and is certainly the more recommended part.

Neither band gives a complete or perfect offering, but both bands show a lot of potential, if not very much to differentiate in an arena that is starting to get a lot more crowded.

6.0/10

Torver on Facebook

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CHRIS TIPPELL

 

 


Horisont – Break the Limit (Single)

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Break the Limit (Rise Above Records) is the latest single to come from Nordic warriors Horisont who have recently finished a tour of Europe and are settling in to record their fourth album as we speak. This catchy number would sound epic belted out in a stadium or at a festival but is just as enjoyable sat on the sofa at home. The opening riff is instantly reminiscent of Black Sabbath whilst the main bulk of the tune is similar to Iron Maiden in style and vocals whilst retaining their own individuality.

The second track on the single ‘Yellow Blues’ follows Horisont’s distinctive style and is another easy listening anthem which gets stuck in your head for hours after listening.

This single gives a good taste of what is to be expected in their new album.

 

7.0/10

KT KTHULU

 


Occult 45 – Human Abhorrence

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Seven tracks on a 7”?! It is, of course, Grindcore, and a brutal pummel it is too. Human Abhorrence (Broken Limbs), the latest release from Philadelphia quartet Occult 45, shows very little let-up in its procession of psychotic battery; and perfectly displays the “hell is other people” ideology to which their Facebook page, in a blunt yet entertaining fashion, would have you believe they ascribe.

There are variations in sound here, however, perfectly exhibited in the frequent switches of direction and slight groove conclusion of the early ‘Tyranny Stomp’. Opening and closing tracks ‘Plaster Saint’ and ‘Death With Dignity’ evince the Doom-inflected, Hardcore-Death pounding of Xibalba, the latter track’s venomous bass and lead coda a glorious finale. This feel is assisted by the ferocious bark of John Hauser, bearing striking similarities to the Californians’ frontman Nate Robelledo and absolutely throat-ripping in the high velocity sections such as those of ‘PPFO’, which slows to a delightfully spooky, buzzing, 50s B-movie-guitar line groove. It’s a joyous carve-up, dictated by the near-perfect timing of breakdowns led by the technical savagery of drummer Jay Dost. His rolls and fills at the head of ‘Succubi’ highlight the complex fluctuations: dropping from a frenetic battery to a gloomy pensiveness and back again, all the while retaining phenomenal power.

Despite the aural violence and barely-controlled explosions of energy it’s often tough to remain enthralled by the unflinching ire of the genre; some special souls contravene the norm to follow the Napalm Death / Pig Destroyer route of showing enough invention to hold the attention. This is one to possibly add to that canon, being a varied and largely exciting offering, and suggesting that there’s plenty more to look forward to from this nasty little corner of Pennsylvania.

7.5/10

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PAUL QUINN