LP Review: "Moonless Night Sacraments" by Deathwomb

Moonless Night Sacraments

When I was in high school, all those many years ago, a teacher told our class that the hardest thing about starting a band is naming it, because all the good ones are taken.

He's kind of right and now there are several names used by multiple names, but here's a new one on me: Deathwomb.

Honestly, I cannot figure out what a death womb even is, but ok. It's metal and dark. So that makes sense.

On their debut album these Spanish Black metallers are able to conjure up the legends of the genre without ever sounded like a xeroxed copy.

Is it right to call a throwback band authentic? Well, they're at least as authentic as American Chinese food I guess. The significant point here is that this band, starting out, has hit the ball out of the park or pulled down a golaso (as they're probably bigger fans of soccer rather than baseball).

Moonless Night Sacraments is appropriately evil, catchy, and it sounds like it was recorded inside of a metal lunchbox. That is to say, it's basically a perfect record.

RELEASE 4/19/19 BANDCAMP

LP Review: "...Of Death Eternal" by Ulvdalir

...Of Death Eternal

Today we're checking out one of the best kept secrets in Russia, besides what's in the kompromat...

Ulvdalir is now exporting their True Ingrian Black Metal Death into these United States via Iron Bonehead (digital, CD, and LP formats).

Upon a quick google search, this term does auto fill, but it doesn't lead me to any information that can be imparted unto my readers regarding the meaning of this phrase.

Let's just assume it means a circle of bands from Siberian Russia that play a not quite so avant garde version of post modern black metal.

...Of Death Eternal opens with a standard extreme metal convention, the intro. This particular track caught my attention due to the vocal stylings. First of all, these intro songs shouldn't have vocals and for a second, they sounded folksy. From that point the band started playing a melodic style of metal that kept me enraptured throughout its duration.

Let's clarify the melodic comment. This isn't like Melodic Death Metal where there's a little tingle tangle between the riffs at certain intervals. The riffs and the vocals ooze melody. Melody isn't a crammed in afterthought.

That's what makes this record so undeniably amazing.

RELEASE 1/25/19 BANDCAMP

LP Review: "Mesa" by Abyssous

Mesa

In 2018, Lo-Fi recording is no longer a necessity for those bands on the lower end of the pay scale spectrum. It's now a choice of sounds.

And there are times when nothing else would improve upon a song than a gritty, almost rusty, sound.

Abyssous's sophomore LP, is a smoldering campfire of black metal. It's the single blade of fire in a pitch black evening.

It's the heavy metal acid trip that leaves you warm and loved. Unfortunately, an album that's wholly like that grows dull and cold.

Abyssous understands the concept that is album dynamics. Most of the record is ethereal black metal, but then there are forays out of the atmosphere and back to terra firma. It also appears that from time to time, the guitar player was even lucky enough to win some of the arguments... Listen well, oh, not even that well really, and you'll see why.

Mesa is another album in the long line of black metal records that warmed me up to the genre. Sit down and roast a marshmellow.

RELEASE 11/1/18 BANDCAMP FACEBOOK

LP Review: "Occulta religiO" by Abhor

Occulta religiO

It's amazing what a small piece of flair can for something otherwise mundane.

At Glacially Musical we abhor (get it) the mundane, save for those moments when milquetoast music just gets it done. That is a rare occurrence.

In any type of art, the out of place piece of the work can take many forms. Progressive rock and metal bands have been spending their whole lives mind melding flamenco and psychedelic guitars...with mixed results.

What about a black and white movie or photograph, but there's one small piece of color. One can't help but think back to the infamous red coat in Schindler's List. How much time is there in our lifetimes to unpack the seemingly out of place?

LP Review: "To The Great Monolith I" by Death. Void. Terror.

To The Great Monolith I

Years ago, in the before time, my crew would go play songs at a coffee house in Webster Groves, MO.

The name escapes me, but later it became Pony Espresso. Though, by and large, we were not coffee drinkers, there we were most Tuesday Nights.

We often played a "song" called The Clown Joke.

We played fast and loose with the word song. It was a fifteen to twenty minute avant garde tour de force telling of a really terrible joke.

Let's be quite clear, there was nothing written to this song excepting more or less, the punch line of the joke. There was never any telling how long it would go on or what we would play on our instruments.

LP Review: "Plagues and Ancient Rites" by Disembowel

Plagues and Ancient Rites

So, apparently there's something going on down in South America.

The Brazilian Metal Scene, well that is the stuff of legend. If you're just now hearing about Brazilian metal, I would wonder why you're reading this blog.

(Unless you're looking to learn and then it makes total sense and welcome!)

What I'm told is that the small and thin nation of Chile has this thing going on. There's been a little bit of action on here from that desert country.

So, there's an occult music scene down there. That makes me interested to see what I've been missing. This website is the result of my looking past Kiss, Metallica, and Iron Maiden to see what there was to see....

LP Review: "Exorkizein" by Possession

Exorkizein

Dear Scandinavia,

I accept that you are by far the most metal region in the entire world, or at least you're peopled with the most metal musicians. Honestly, places like Detroit, Berkeley, New York City, and my hometown, St. Louis are more brutal and metal than you.

As has been said many times on here and twitter, I don't like your primary metal export. Scandinavian Black Metal...well I find it to be rather aptly named.

The breaking of the fantasy with the killings, the burnings, and whatever other crimes many of the forefathers have committed just to be metal turn me off.

It seems to me that you fellows have come up with a great, but unfinished idea. Lots of other bands have been able to take your framework for metal and turn it into a beautifully ugly serenade.

Please keep an eye on what the rest of the world has done with your art.

LP Review: "Sacraments to the Sons of the Abyss" by Ritulization

Sacraments to the Sons of the Abyss

In their fifth season, Star Trek The Next Generation had a spectacular episode called A Matter of Time.

This episode revolved around the Enterprise working as hard as possible to save a planet from imminent destruction, because naturally, the planet's population lacked the foresight to, you know, start evacuation of said planet.

Well, lo and behold a time traveler from the future arrives just as they're working towards saving the planet under the guise of wanting to witness  this historic feat.

As the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are the best and brightest in Starfleet, they finally ferreted out what was really going on.

The man was in fact a time traveler, but from the past and not the future. This criminal was attempting to rewrite history with his hand being far more deeply involved than it should have been.

LP Review: "Turm am Hang" by Horn

Trum am Hang

"It's easier if I do it myself."

This is something that my mother said to me every time she critiqued my doing of the dishes. They were never clean enough and never done fast enough.

What in the world did she have me do it if it that was harder?

Until about seven days ago, it was clear to me that this was the greatest lie my mother had ever spoken to me. What I didn't know then, was well, parenting.

Teaching my daughter how to clean her room....it's a nightmare and absolute nightmare and it frankly is just easier if I do it myself...it gets done quicker, with less whining, and then I can go listen to records, but that's not right for my daughter is it?

LP Review: "Vexamen" by Verberis

Vexamen

Heavy metal has long been considered darker than most other forms of music.

There's something about the pounding drums and the a-melodic singing that has raised the hackles of the outsiders. Those of us inside the circle can feel the power these things provide.

But what happens when the music grows darker and the lights grow dim?

On on and on this race has gone.

Once upon a time metal was melodic and progressive. Iron Maiden were the standard bearers for many years.

It's not uncommon for death metal bands to claim fandom of horror movies which helps to explain their music, but how many of their songs actually feel like a slasher flick?

LP Review: "The Hecatomb" by Temple Nightside

The Hecatomb

Cold, grimy, and dark.

That's a simple way to describe the best months of the year in my personal opinion, the winter.

Life is never as good for me as when my neighborhood is covered in snow and ice. Sweating, heat exhaustion, and sun burn are words not stated in the murky grip of January.

Those are serious problems in my home during the oppressive months of summer.

Aside from the apparent desolation, there are some juxtaposed upsides as well. As our home is in a fairly historic neighborhood, and that our domicile is older than my grandfather, a beautiful, snow covered winter looks like a Charles Dickens novel. Even in darkness, there is beauty.

Album Review: "ROT" by Prisoner of War

ROT

Lately there has been a series of debates on the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame and whether or not certain acts should be in.

Personally, my belief is that the RNRHOF is improperly named and should be named the Pop Music Hall of Fame as the genre known as "rock'n'roll" has come and gone.

But it's interesting to consider the roots of music and how we have arrived to the places we are now.

Jimi Hendrix was one of the most amazing musicians of all time and in his very short time in the spotlight amassed a large catalog of work.

What made The Jimi Hendrix Experience so special, in my opinion, is that it wasn't a rock band, a rock'n'roll band, a blues band, or an R&B band, but an amalgamation of all of those genres all at once. The roots ran very deep.

Album Review: "Endarkened" by Eucharist (Australia)

Endarkened

This is another one of those times when more than one band has chosen a name.

There is also a Swedish band, but this is not them.

Let's just focus on Eucharist (Australia) here. Unfortunately, I cannot find their Facebook page, so you'll just have to trust me that these guys are real.

I also have no photos of them.

However, I have heard the music contained here and I can tell you that they are quite, quite brutal.

They're coming off of having their demo released by Iron Bonhead Productions on vinyl, of all things. So, in order to celebrate and move forward, they're releasing a mini-album here. We'll call this an EP though.