Black September

Allochiria – Throes Review

By Mark Z. on March 18, 2017 in 2017, Art of Propaganda, Greek Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Sludge, Post-Metal, 22 comments

“While I’ve enjoyed some Pelican, Isis, and Light Bearer in my day, often the genre’s huge soundscapes and slow-burning buildups are simply too demanding for me to enjoy on a regular basis. On 2014’s debut Omonoia, Greek quintet Allochiria seemed to fit largely in this same mold. Drawing comparisons to the sludgy expanse of Year of No Light, a cursory listen revealed a layered, cerebral album whose dystopian atmosphere was delivered via a measured, methodical pace. Throes, however, is a much different beast — and one I think I’ll be spinning far more often.” Post beast is the new game in town.

Cara Neir/Wildspeaker – Guilt and His Reflection [Split] Review

By Mark Z. on September 16, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Black Metal, Broken Limbs Recordings, Crust Punk, Hardcore, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Crust Punk, Hardcore, Sludge, 23 comments

“Crack a beer and grab a seat. Today’s entertainment is a double feature from two Texas-based bands with a proclivity for taking black metal and turning it on its ugly, corpse-painted head. First up is Cara Neir, an idiosyncratic, punky duo whose hardcore-tinged blackness often lends itself to wild stylistic forays, as heard on 2013’s Portals to a Better, Dead World. On the flip side is Wildspeaker, a crustier, sludgier outfit who formed in 2013 and released debut Survey the Wreckage last year. They’re here to deliver Guilt and His Reflection, 13 tracks depicting ‘humanity crumbling into itself’ through ‘the story of post-civilization sins committed when desperation overwhelms.'” That certainly sounds cheery.

Iskra – Ruins [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]

By Mark Z. on December 14, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Crust Punk, Things You Might Have Missed 2015, Black Metal, Crust Punk, 18 comments

“Despite what the general public may think, extreme metal is rarely written by extreme people. For all the songs about devouring maggot-ridden brains and summoning Shub-Niggurath, we all know that Corpsegrinder is really just a huge World of Warcraft nerd, and Trey Azagthoth is actually a closet Sailor Moon fanboy (and occasional emulator of the late Steve Irwin). Canada’s Iskra, however, is different.” Different like Glen Benton?