As anyone who's caught them live will tell you, Red Fang are downright riff masters and this title track from their forthcoming album "Arrows" will surely become a headbanging, foot-tapping, singalong classic in a regular Red Fang show. Not only this song captures their trademark lush melodies but also rocks out with big, groovy and chunky riffs. 

“It was so gratifying to put these songs on tape with Funk!” says guitarist/vocalist Bryan Giles of the album that was produced by longtime collaborator Chris Funk (Murder The Mountains, Whales and Leeches). "It felt very comfortable with a loose schedule. We didn’t take it one song at a time, but added guitars, vocals, or general weirdness whenever an idea sprang to mind. We busted out a hurdy gurdy! It was that fun. Long live Rock!!”

Red Fang know what they do well and they stick to it and if gritty and highly contagious stoner rock is your jam there are few bands who can deliver it better than them, so expect another great album from this Portland-based group. Check out a taste of what's to come from the record with this humorous video for "Arrows" below. 

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Don’t know about you, but this is just what the doctor ordered, classic death metal with no frills, overflowing with catchy, cranium-crushing riffs. You can always count on Obituary for some neck-snapping, straightforward death metal and their new effort for Relapse Records, Inked In Blood, offers up plenty of crushing riffs and hooks that will surely incite some vigorous headbanging.

Inked In Blood is a strong album and as always sees Obituary masterfully combining a brutal and blasting death metal with some slower, groovy passages without ever losing the ability to crush. It’s nearly impossible to sit quietly to tunes like "Visions In My Head" and "Violence".

The album, however, isn't perfect as some of the songs get a bit samey at times, as if Trevor Peres and new boy Kenny Andrews are merely rehashing the same riffs, but still there’re enough classy tunes here to prevent Inked in Blood from turning into a tiresome experience. Plus, this beats most of today’s death metal bands who could certainly learn a thing or two about hooks from these veterans.

I reckon this is business as usual for the Florida boys and Inked In Blood doesn’t offer anything new, but they do it so well that it doesn't really matter that we've all heard it before. Accept it for what it is, just turn it up and enjoy some good, straightforward death metal, you won't be disappointed.

Band info: www.obituary.cc
Label info: www.relapse.com

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There are a million ways to promote an album, but in a style like Black Metal which originates huge discussions about what is authentic or faux, what is pure or impure, the best way to promote a new BM release from a young act is definitely to portray an image of authenticity.
Well, at least that’s what Relapse Records thinks anyway, when they had to come up with a marketing strategy to promote Myrkur, a one-woman black metal project emerging from the darkness of Scandinavia.
Not much is revealed about Myrkur’s origins and history, except the fact that she resides in Denmark and signed a record deal with the respectable underground label for the release of her very first recording. Yet, there are rumors floating around claiming that the mysterious woman behind Myrkur is actually an indie-pop artist residing in New York.
If the rumors are proven to be true, then this is just a weak gimmickry from Relapse to avoid Myrkur getting tagged as yet another bunch of hipsters jumping on the black metal bandwagon. Does it matter? Not really, especially because Myrkur is actually a great and unsettling listen.
We asked Myrkur a few questions by email prior to hearing these rumors and here’s what she had to say about the project’s origins and various influences. 

I’d like to start by asking if you can tell us a bit more about your musical upbringing? Who were your influences growing up and what artists inspired you to start Myrkur?

"I grew up in Denmark by the northern coast and forest. I was taught violin and played in a symphony orchestra. I grew up listening to Nordic composers mostly, Edvard Grieg, Carl Nielsen, Stenhammar etc. Black metal bands I like are for example Ulver, Dissection, Mayhem, Kvist, Emperor, Abigor."

You mentioned that "Nature is a big part of the reason black metal even exists.” Living in Denmark, do you think your environment has had a major influence over your music?

"Yes nature is the biggest influence on me of all. Scandinavian nature looks the way black metal should sound. Frozen, pure, pine trees, fjords, dark, but also with crystal clear skies. Midnight sun in summer or darkness all day in winter. No grey areas or half way anything."

What other non-musical influences initially lead you to create Myrkur?
You also mentioned that you always dreamed about becoming a Huldra, an elf girl, a Valkyrie or the goddess Freja. Is that idea present in your music?

"Yes these characters possess both human and godly features, darkness and light. I like this combination in my music as well. I have many sides to me. This is one of them."

Let's get into the EP. It's a great and unsettling listen filled a mysterious darkness. Can you walk us through the creative process for this album?

"I have been writing these songs for a long time and was not planning on releasing them. I mostly write and record in my house in Denmark alone. Sometimes I have written in Bergen, Norway. The songs on the EP are all the original demos. When I decided to release them, I mixed them myself and then had them mastered to make them properly loud."

“Dybt i Skoven” seems like an extremely sensitive and ethereal song that stands out on “Myrkur”. What were you thinking about when you wrote it?

"I was fallen into a black hole of thoughts about my forest that I used to walk around in when I was little. The song reflects to me a journey into darkness for a young girl who gets lost and perhaps wishes to disappear forever into a romance with nature."

You said that when you’re screaming these songs it physical hurts you and it feels like something is leaving your body. Is your music intended as a catharsis or do you view it more as a process to transcend to another spiritual state, or a little bit of both?

"I don't have a deliberate motivation when I write or perform this music. But I wish to leave the mortal world and become one with nature. And express a fraction of the anger and hatred I have inside me. But also something beautiful and pure."

Lastly, how do you feel about black metal in 2014?

"I do not know how I feel about it. I don't know too much about new releases or the current Black metal scene. But truthfully I do believe that black metal has the most dedicated fans whose hearts bleed for the music they hold dear. And this hasn't changed."


Find out more about Myrkur here: www.facebook.com/myrkurmyrkur
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By this point learned metalheads shouldn't have to be told that Tombs are a top-shelf act. Their coming out party, 2011's Path of Totality, was even named Decibel Magazine's Album of the Year. The NY quartet carry over the qualities that lead to that album's critical success on their latest transmission of darkness, Savage Gold.

For this release mainman Mike Hill (vocals/guitars) is once again joined by drummer extraordinaire Andrew Hernandez as well as newcomers Ben Brand (bass, ex-Woe) and Flourishing guitarist Garrett Bussanick. Despite the member turnover this unit perform as a potent force.

The lyrical themes of Path carry over to Savage Gold as well. Unlike much typical black metal there's no mention of any cloven-hoofed worship, no admonishment of belief systems and no revelling in the glory of nature. Hill focuses more on darkness and death. His vocals may be beastly and muscularly dynamic but nearly always discernible.

His ruminations are deep and philosophical; the product of a mind that never idles. A general feeling is that of acceptance to death's inevitability, yet there is still a fear of succumbing to its clutches. Heavy topics sure, but as David Gold (Woods of Ypres), whatever-you-believe-in rest his soul, said, “Only death is real.”

Hill's thought provoking words are delicate on paper but betrayed by the fierce savagery with which he delivers them. Such existential musing must be accompanied by equally dark music and the multi-layered black metal Tombs excel at is plenty dark. Their sonic palette consists of shades of black but Savage Gold is painted with rich, emotional textures. Scorching black metal blasts play a big part but as much as tunnelling through the depths draws the listener in, it's the moments where Tombs slacken the pace and open up that really cut to the core. It's like seeing through the savagery and blind rage of a razorbacked beast to the tortured soul that lies within.

Hill's gruff and gravelly bellows and rasps express torment over painful melodies on “Seance”. The track works in an almost sludgy vibe but also some of the best windswept tremolos and punishing blasts on the album. Each shift in tempo and mood is met with the same sense of importance and awe.

That's just one example of how well Tombs are able to play with dynamics. Cascading melodies create atmosphere. Hypnotic brooding dulls the senses. Death metal sensibilities crush the skull. Pulverizing chaos, lumbering gait, serpentine movements and mesmerizing guitar interplay blur the edges of reality.

Savage Gold coils around the listener like the tempting serpent. The grip of the experimental blackness is inescapably deadly. It's a captivating album that beats you senseless one moment and carries you among the clouds the next. It's powerful, chilling, exhausting, encapsulating and irresistible. Among the wealth of excellent bands releasing albums this year, Tombs will once again shine amongst the brightest.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/TombsBklyn
Label info: www.relapse.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Metal Bandcamp, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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Any metal fan worth their weight in salt should know the indelible mark Eyehategod has made on the scene since the 90s. They practically defined the sludge genre with seminal album like 1993's Take As Needed For Pain and 1996's Dopesick. Their drug fuelled and dirty-as-a-sewer mix of Sabbath-laced doom and hardcore intensity has influenced countless bands over the last 20-some years. But it's been a long, hard 14 years since EHG graced us with a new album. The wait is over.

The New Orleans quintet has returned with 11 tracks of filth and sweat for this self-titled release. One wouldn't really have expected any mellowing out as the band as aged though. Far from it. If anything life has only become harder in The Big Easy. Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans a ruin from which some will never recover. If that wasn't enough, drummer Joey LaCaze passing suddenly in 2013 no doubt left a permanent scar on the band's heart. Thankfully, LaCaze's drum tracks had already been recorded for the album. His contribution to EHG's rebirth is both tragic and special.

The situation has to have affected the band's performance in completing the album without him. Guitarists Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton, bassist Gary Mader and vocalist Mike IX Williams more than do justice to LaCaze's memory.

Eyehategod is just as grimy, infected and scabrous as anything they've done previous. The tone is devilishly meaty and patently recognizable. Riding waves of feedback through strained amps, gut-wrenching riffs pile up on the listener's back, weighing them down while at the same time driving them forward.

The blatant Sabbath influence colours the whole album but most notably on “Parish Motel Sickness” and “Worthless Rescue”. Their hardcore leanings run you down on “Agitation! Propaganda!” and “Framed to the Wall”. And all the while they display the sort of snarling and heavy-handed sludge mastery they've become renowned for.

Williams plies his visceral trade through the swampy murk with reckless abandon. All the pain and struggle oozes from his pores. His social consciousness and unique view on life fuels his impassioned performance with a lyrical approach framed by his streetwise and ingrained intelligence. He's always intense, slavering and thought provoking.

Unreasonably high expectations have been placed on Eyehategod. The band's adoration and legend has done nothing but grow in their recorded absence. Unlike many other renewed acts, EHG have lived up to those expectations. Sure, the production value may separate this album from its predecessors but all the dirt, all the heaving anguish, all that makes EHG who they are is still there. Eyehategod is a glorious return enhancing their legacy and an outstanding testament to the memory of Joey LaCaze.

RIP Joey and long live Eyehategod!

Matt Hinch 

Band info: www.facebook.com/OfficialEyeHateGod
Label info: www.centurymedia.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Metal Bandcamp, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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Much of the time one's enjoyment of a particular band or album comes down to taste. Sometimes that taste is the bile rising in the back of your throat from whatever sickening and twisted manipulation of conventionality you find yourself suffering through. In which case it's most likely the responsible parties fully intended to induce such an intense feeling of unease. Enter Pyrrhon and their second full-length The Mother of Virtues.

The Brooklyn band take any semblance of “normal” death metal and warp it beyond a reasonable shade of recognition. Their reliance on channelling chaos is discombobulating to the point that trying to focus on the disparate elements becomes futile. Dissonant guitars, wretched bass, intuitive percussion and multifarious and malevolent vocals all vie for attention amid a pervading sense of dread and inherent evil.

If there's one thing the unimaginative listener can latch onto it would be the rhythm section. The drums and bass aren't necessarily typical death metal but their general feel is far less “out there” than the guitars. Their relative steadiness holds as everything else collapses into a churning miasma of dissonance and atonality.

Tracks like “White Flag”, “Eternity in a Breath” and the title track, being the longest, segue back and forth through movements of quiet reflection, crushing doom, vortices of soul-sucking and noisome clamour and skin-flaying death metal. Tempo changes from monolithic to middling to mile-a-minute happen in the blink of an eye. Skittering broken chords giving way to scorching death or heaving lurches is only par for the course. After a listen or two one gets the feeling that the more passive moments are just a cruel trick to sedate the listener before the disembowelment.

The Mother of Virtues as a whole growls with sadistic intent. It bears a boiling intensity of combatant ideologies of instrumentation. The tactic of extreme dissonance and anti-riff sentiment is far from unique but Pyrrhon put their own spin on it. Much of the time it feels like multiple aspects of the same self existing in parallel dimensions where the rules of physics and sound are vastly different. These dimensions have become pierced through allowing the wavelengths of existence to overlap. Sometimes they sync up through self-modulation of frequency but predominantly follow their own circuitous paths of wild imagination.

Pyrrhon are devoted to dissonance and a strict adherence to atonality. The Mother of Virtues is not for the faint of heart or weak of mind. Even then it's a viscerally challenging listen that finds and forces its way into the dark corners of experimentation. If Gorguts, Ulcerate, Artificial Brain and anything Colin Marston (who mastered the album) gets his fingers on gets you foaming at the mouth, take a hit of The Mother of Virtues and the brain-frying madness of Pyrrhon will be your new drug of choice.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/pyrrhonband
Label info: www.relapse.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Metal Bandcamp, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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One of the best things about my “job” as a metal writer is discovering new bands. Sometimes the bands themselves are new, and sometimes they're just new to me. Such is the case with Ringworm. The Cleveland hardcore juggernauts have been around since 1991 but their newest, Hammer of the Witch stands as my introduction. The band's signing to Relapse no doubt has helped raise their profile so that more of the innocently ignorant will be hopping on board. Once you've saddled up, you better hang on.

Since I approached Hammer of the Witch as a Ringworm virgin (although I've actually had ringworm) I'll present this as if you, the reader are a newbie as well. Ringworm play a style of metallic hardcore that is absolutely levelling. It's imbued with so much power, so much violent energy that remaining passive under its subjugation is an impossibility.

What stands out most is vocalist Human Furnace. His rage is palpable and energy infectious. Incendiary seems like an inadequate term as the burning intensity radiating from his throat scorches and destroys like a merciless wildfire. And one aspect in which Ringworm work metal into their hardcore is the lyrics which Human Furnace is torching the listener with. This isn't your typical hardcore fodder. It's not all tough guy, posi-vibes or straightedge banter. This is closer to death metal. “Leave Your Skin At The Door”, “I Recommend Amputation” and “One Of Us Is Going To Die” serve as examples of Ringworm's brutalistic edge.

When it comes to the band behind Human Furnace, things are no less uncompromising. Their hardcore is equally vicious and razor sharp. The riffs are muscular and work in ample groove. It pulls the listener close and compels involuntary headbanging. If they're not play the straightforward hardcore angle, they're probably ripping the floor to shreds with the gnashing teeth of thrash and a bit of crossover. The riffs are infectious and bruising and the solos shred. Whether laying down a hardcore punk beat or blasting migraines through your skull, the percussion is alway concussive. Simply, this shit rips no matter who's on the mic. But we're glad the Furnace is roaring.

Ringworm are a fearsome beast. The terror induced by their shear intimidation factor is only enhanced by Human Furnace's inimitable roar. Hardcore and metal fans alike should be drooling all over this release with a feral disregard for the tenets of humanity. If you're not getting beaten down by Hammer of the Witch, feel free you beat yourself up.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/Ringworm13
Label info: www.relapse.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Metal Bandcamp, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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Recently signed to Relapse Records, Italy’s Cripple Bastards have been dishing out their form of abrasive and punishing grindcore since 1988, and no one can ever accuse them of succumbing to trends or making drastic experiments since then. So it’s no surprise that Nero In Metastasi is ruthlessly heavy and brutal from start to finish, encompassing virtually everything a grindcore fan could hope for or expect; unrelenting savagery, raging riffs, barbaric growls and ear-piercing screams.

Clocking in at a lengthy 37 minutes (for a grind album at least), there is literally no time to breathe, as the band simply pummels and plows throughout 18 songs with no respite and even less remorse. The album explodes with “Malato Terminale", a boisterous track that is delivered with intense savagery, but still manages to be extremely catchy due to some straightforward riffing. From there on, things only get more threatening and vile, with each tune being loaded with a furious hatred, yet surprisingly Nero In Metastasi never gets tiresome as Cripple Bastards aren’t afraid to slow down a bit on some occasions and dust off some thrash-influenced riffs that work really well in adding more diversity to their sound.

Careful on this one, because it scraps and stings with the most hostile intentions.

Band info: www.cripple-bastards.com
Label info: www.relapse.com

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A number of things link the countries of Canada and Sweden (besides being my two favourite). Both have similar climates, Green elected officials, excellent hockey and killer metal. Which brings us to Culted. This blackened doom group is a collaboration of members of both countries. Michael Klassen (guitar/bass/percussion/noise), Matthew Friesen (guitar/bass/percussion/noise) and Kevin Stevenson (drums) hail from Canada and vocalist Daniel Jansson from Sweden. Despite the distance and Jansson never having met the other three, Culted operate as a unit, at least musically if not spatially or temporally. Their shared vision resulted in debut Below the Thunders of the Upper Deep and 2010's Of Death and Ritual EP. Four years have passed and now Culted return with Oblique To All Paths, a stunning example of the way doom can be the most powerful form of expression.

For over an hour Culted envelope the listener in a vast array of emotions through layers of guitar, bass, noise, ambience and savage vocals, starting with the 19-plus minute “Brooding Hex”. Beginning an album with its longest track (of 7) is a bold move but it never feels stagnant and so it keeps pushing the listener forward until it circles back around to the main riff. A riff that inspires dread through its immensity. As with most of the album, elements drift in and out, back and forth, balancing the heaving might with elegant beauty. It's like getting a glimpse of hope through oppressive clouds heavy with discontent. “Illuminati” takes a more forceful path. Thunderous doom with a more classic bent, driven by a momentous riff, simple yet effective. Just as the Illuminati is multi-tiered, the track is stacked with layer upon layer of dry feeling (tonally) riffs, ambient noise and Jansson's equally dry yet harassing vocals.

“Intoxicant Immuration” sounds like defeat. It's slow, brooding cadence pulls you deep into the pits of despair. It's so melancholic you can taste it, before rising from the depths to imprison the listener within walls of massive doom and disconsolate melody.

Culted's melodic and varied darkness carries through the album's later half as well. “March of the Wolves” purposeful cadence leads in to the noisy “Distortion of the Nature of Mankind” and the weathered “Transmittal”, a track bleeds with more progressive and experimental vibes yet remains ungodly heavy in unexpected ways. The track is swollen with drama and shifting moods leaving the listener beaten and exhausted.

Closer “Jeremiad” brings Oblique To All Paths' harrowing journey to its conclusion. Its slow and methodical doom is threaded with industrious noise and a cursed malevolence. As with the rest of the album, its shifting moods resonate deeply making its integration with the soul complete.

Nothing about Oblique To All Paths can be taken for granted. Culted's commitment to the expression of anguish, pain and isolation is unwavering while refusing to follow the path laid before them. The use of nuance, atmosphere, ambience and variation is reverent and painfully affecting. It's also telling of the care and engagement essential to its creation. After a multitude of listens Oblique To All Paths continues to blossom, revealing untold depth beneath its suffocating doom, making it unquestionably essential.

Matt Hinch 

Band info: www.facebook.com/Culted
Label info: www.relapse.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Ghost Cult Magazine, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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I can't say I wasn't expecting a challenge when approaching From All Purity, the newest from Chicago doom miscreants Indian. But I wasn't expecting a challenge this great. The title is apt as the album has had purity stripped from it. It's unclean, dark and tainted with the stain of unsanctimonious hostility. It would be easy to bandy about using half-clichéd buzzwords to describe the nearly 40 minutes of filth on hand but one is left with no choice. Because they're true.

From All Purity consists of six misanthropic administrations of contempt, so bleak and caustic as to be practically indigestible. Indian's excruciating doom raises spires of hatred and discontent at every turn. Their slow, torturous and droning riffs suffuse the listener with a feeling of unending dread. One feels trapped beneath a seething, writhing mass of negativity. The unyielding repetition feels explicitly Sisyphean, and equally as frustrating. The merciless beating laid upon the ears with mechanical persistence is enough to drive lesser men/women to the brink of annihilation.

Indian give no quarter vocally either. Astringent screams reign supreme. A sad desperation bleeds from the voice of a soul-sucking wraith. The terror inherent in these vocal ministrations is inescapable but one may sometimes wonder whether the voice is that of the prisoner, or of the captor. Most likely both are one and the same. Without a lyric sheet one cannot be entirely sure, but one can sense a delitescent intelligence behind the virulent rasp. There is no relief from those vexatious screams rife with pain and misology.

Woven betwixt the oppressive doom and distressing vocals lies a terrific low rumble, permeating the album with a burning intensity. It feels like a volcano spewing molten nightmares and coating the world in ash. Agitating and insectile noise also rears its misogynistic head, irritating and pestering like a mosquito in the dark.

From All Purity begs for a stout heart and sound mind lest the ponderous, mind-numbing doom, simmering, acerbic noise and apocalyptic vocals be the vehicle for your ascent beyond the mountains of madness. Indian's incessant doom, harsh noise and vocals radiant with anger indeed present a challenge. May perseverance be your strength, for the bittersweet reward is not without peril.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/IndianDoom
Label info: www.relapse.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Ghost Cult Magazine, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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The self-proclaimed “Hatebreed for wimps” act Weekend Nachos are at it again with another release on the Upper Darby, Pennsylvania record label, Relapse Records. This newest effort, titled Still, is the same ‘ole powerviolence/grind/hardcore amalgamation everyone expects from the Chicago outfit.

Powerviolence isn’t a sub-genre of hardcore that lends itself to creativity and invention (unless the band being spoken of is Man is the Bastard), but there’s a lot that Weekend Nachos does right, and perhaps better than their contemporaries. There’s a vast range of influence that comes through on all of their albums -- Still is no different. Weekend Nachos utilizes a vast range of influences, from hardcore acts like Youth of Today and Haymaker to powerviolence acts like No Comment and Crossed Out. They’re not just a powerviolence band, however; the Bleed E.P. made certain of that. But the influence does come through in spades on Still, right from the get-go. “Suffer No More” lasts only forty-four seconds, but switches between powerviolence and hardcore, ending with a two-step part that just straight-up grooves. “No Idols and No Heroes” is some old-fashioned beatdown hardcore; it’s the kind of track that would open up the pit and send everyone into a frenzy.

It’s one of the strongest parts of Weekend Nachos’ sound. They have mastered “negative hardcore”. There’s a few acts that play in a similar vein (UK’s Gets Worse is a prime example), but none do it better than Chicago’s finest. Still contains tracks that are sincerely aggressive; “S.C.A.B.”, “Satan Sucker”, “You’re Not Punk”, and “Ignore”. “Watch You Suffer” is a brilliant mix of hardcore and sludge metal; like most of Weekend Nachos’ tracks, it is merciless in its delivery and assaults the listener directly, like good hardcore should do.

Weekend Nachos switches their sound up on each album, and each album is unique. Of course, there will be people who prefer Worthless to Still, and others who prefer Punish and Destroy to Unforgivable, but the takeaway should be that the band constantly improves upon itself, and pours everything they have into every album. Still punishes the listener with powerviolence, sludge, and even drone, showcasing the creative exploits of the band while retaining unearthly levels of vitriol and negativity. The blend of hardcore and its sub-genres with influences from the heaviest of heavy metal works so well -- quite possibly better than on albums like Worthless. Sure, that album is great, but Still is an album in the Weekend Nachos discography that should be praised, even heralded as one of the finest works the band has ever produced.

Bill Haff

Band info: www.facebook.com/weekendxnachos
Label info: www.relapse.com

Editor-in-Chief at Scratch the Surface, Bill Haff is a Philadelphia-based music critic who also contributes for Cvlt Nation, Metal Injection and Ghost Cult. You can follow him on Twitter at @bill_haff

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Rejoice, all ye thrash fans and revivalists. Toxic Holocaust has released a new record, and it is everything you’ve come to know (and hopefully love) about the Portland, Oregon assaulters.

Let’s not mince words; Toxic Holocaust aren’t innovators of the genre -- they aren’t redefining crossover thrash. What they bring to the table is stripped down, crust punk-like thrashiness that teeters on the edge of hardcore. Think bands like Discharge and Krömosom while maintaining the aggressive speed of Kreator. Throw in some early black metal influence (Bathory and Venom, anyone?) and you’ve got the backbone of Toxic Holocaust.

This new album, Chemistry of Consciousness, is their fifth full-length, and features some of the most stripped-down, filthy, and vicious crossover meeting black metal meeting crust punk tracks. Right from the opening track, “Awaken the Serpent”, Toxic Holocaust pulls no punches; the Swedish crust influence shines through, held together by the Bay Area thrash sound. The band leaves very little room to breathe, opting for an all-out attack instead of getting overly technical. Joel Grind’s vocals are raw and ripped, spewing lyrics like bile being expelled from the body. “Salvation is Waiting” contains darker, leaner parts from “Angel of Death” off Reign in Blood, mixing in some Haunting the Chapel-like eerie guitar sounds. The track moves from a two-step groove into a full-scale thrash jam, then segues back into the two-step breakdown. Probably the most interesting track due to the sheer brutality and assortment of influence, “Salvation is Waiting” is nearly three minutes of destruction, hell-bent on delivering driving, merciless sounds and never letting the foot off the gas pedal.

The album does tend to wane thin towards the end. Some of the tracks unfortunately bleed together (like “Deny the Truth” and “Mkultra”), leaving a dizzying feeling, quite possibly the side effect of listening to the band in high doses. However, Chemistry of Consciousness is a rage-inducing assault; an album certainly worthy to thrash out to. There’s no use weeding through the album with a fine-toothed comb; Toxic Holocaust’s attack is pretty straightforward, but sometimes, that isn’t such a bad thing.

Bill Haff

Band info: www.facebook.com/ToxicHolocaust
Label info: www.relapse.com

Editor-in-Chief at Scratch the Surface, Bill Haff is a Philadelphia-based music critic who also contributes for Cvlt Nation, Metal Injection and Ghost Cult. You can follow him on Twitter at @bill_haff

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I should like Perigea Antahkarana more. The latest from Wolvserpent, it hits plenty of the targets of what I enjoy: blackened doom, drone, expansive instrumental choices, voices that sound like they’re being astrally projected into the studio from the sixth dimension. Maybe it makes sense that my favorite track, “A Breath in the Shade of Time,” hits most of these, but at the same time, I’m actually confused. While I enjoy extreme music of all kinds, I’m a big rock guy, in terms of rhythm, momentum, the tension inherent in even a simple bass-drums-guitar lineup. And “A Breath” is almost entirely void of these things, instead consisting of about ten straight minutes of feedback drone overlaid with chanting vocals, opened by expressive cello work and closed in a harsh sound collage.

But, somehow, that’s the most exciting the record gets. The first and last ‘real’ tracks are fairly standard issue doom, super slow and very protracted. You could stretch an entire powerviolence album between the strums on closer “Concealed Among the Roots and Soil,” it takes so long with its time. This style is gratifying, certainly, or otherwise bands wouldn’t still be playing it. But so much more can be done with it: look at something from just this year, like Northless’s World Keep Sinking, or maybe 2012’s Longing by Bell Witch.

Wolvserpent prove this themselves with “A Breath,” which tries so many new things and ultimately succeeds at all of them. “In Mirrors of Water,” while carrying more of that doom baggage, nonetheless throws in a blackened barrage for good measure, varying things nicely. I don’t doubt live that I would want the exact opposite, desiring the crush of their standard-issue doom as opposed to drawn-out amplifier torture. But listening at home, the latter proves much more interesting to me, holds a greater draw. I can’t tell you why, it just is.

This is why I wished I liked Perigea more than I do. It’s certainly a well-made record, and Wolvserpent is a band that knows what it’s doing, but the things I want to excite me just don’t. Most of their atmosphere, being campfires and birdcalls and wind, is pretty par for the course in the genre, and there’s nothing about their riffs that puts them apart from most other riff purveyors. It’s not a bad record by any means, and if this style is your bag Wolvserpent do more than most with it. If only there was a little more of the strangeness of “Breath,” less of “Mirrors’” standard-issue riffs.

Rob Rubsam

Band info: www.facebook.com/wolvserpent
Label info: www.relapse.com

Rob Rubsam is a freelance writer and itinerant resident of Upstate New York. His writing about music has been published at CVLT Nation, Tom Tom Magazine, The Rumpus, Burning Ambulance, and others. When not contemplating giant squids or erecting a standing stone in his backyard, he tweets at @millenialistfun. Do not contact him with your black mass-related inquiries, please.

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There are enough female-fronted doom-based bands around anymore that it almost becomes its own subgenre. You could probably name a half-dozen in the blink of an eye. While the gender behind the mic is essentially irrelevant there is something about a beautiful female voice countering unfathomable heaviness that enhances the feelings of sorrow and mourning (and sometimes evil) that the best doom evokes from the listener. That being said, the latest voice to grace our ears over crushing doom this year is Dorthia Cottrell on Windhand’s latest, Soma.

The Virginia group’s Relapse debut is nothing short of transcendental. You’ll likely see that word a lot in regards to Soma but that’s because it’s true. The tones alone on this record are enough to induce out of body experiences and carry the listener away. Guitarists Garrett Morris and Asechiah Bogdan (ex-Alabama Thunderpussy) along with new bassist Parker Chandler (Cough) put on a veritable clinic in amp-worship. Monstrously deep and vibratory tone solidifies into dominant doom riffs thick with bong resin. And I hope drummer Ryan Wolfe (The Mighty Could) has good sponsors because he abuses that kit with admirable ferocity and impeccable timing.

Monumental riffs and gorgeous vocal melodies are the order of the day. They’re deceptively catchy, and coupled with the stoner-friendly groove, they pull you in with all the power of a black hole. Once you’ve fallen into its embrace, escape is impossible. After a few listens the hypnotic stoner/doom casts a spell and the act of enjoying Soma becomes a ritual of escapism. Tension and worry fall away, melted off by the warm tones and Cottrell’s soothing voice. However, faster sections and haunting passages call forth their own drama from the abyss.

Amid the mountainous, leaden doom lies “Evergreen”. Seven minutes of gentle acoustic guitar and Cottrell’s charming grace. Thirty minute closer “Boleskine” is seismic in its effect and evolutionary in its speed. A central riff drones on for over 12 minutes on the track’s latter half. It feels like a warrior honing his blade. Muscle memory and instinct take over freeing the mind to contemplate past glories, future plans or silently mourn a loss.

Soma is as beautiful and powerful as a mountain thick with an ancient forest, enchanting and entrancing. Losing yourself in this incredible album is inevitable. Fans of muscular tone cranked to 13 and massive riffs have found their home. They say Virginia is for lovers, well, Soma is for loving.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/WindhandVA
Label info: www.relapse.com

 

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Ghost Cult Magazine, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @MetalMatt_KofN.

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Two years after their debut record for Relapse ‘Harhakuvat’, Finland’s Unkind return with another vicious slab of crust-infused d-beat hardcore, which sounds darker, harsher and more aggressive than everything the Finns have ever written.

Yet, although consistently powerful and aggressive, the music contained within also transcends the boundaries imposed by a rigid style such as crust/d-beat hardcore as the band make several deviations from the left hand path to spice up their furious assault. For every d-beat, frenetic moment, there is an equally intense yet more atmospheric musical passage which gives the songs a sinister edge and sounds genuinely unsettling. Those who have heard Unkind’s work, especially their previous album ‘Harhakuvat’, will know exactly what to expect from ‘Pelon Juuret’. Those who haven’t, please imagine if Mogwai had been fed with a solid diet of Discharge and Amebix and then decided to make a crust/hardcore album, or try to imagine a more visceral and violent Envy, multiply that by ten and you have Unkind.

The title theme, which means “roots of fear”, kicks things off with a raging fury, unleashing savage riffs along with a wrenching, frenetic drumming with the right amount of force to inflict some serious damage. Following track, “Vihan Lapset”, continues in similar fashion, but it’s on “Valtakunta” that things start to get more interesting with Unkind balancing the brutal chaos with some disquieting, engaging melodies. The album ends with the surprising “Saattokoti”, nearly five minutes of ambient sounds rounded with some fascinating banjo melodies that prove that Unkind unlike a good portion of their peers in the netherworld of crust/d-beat hardcore are still pushing ahead to new, stranger places.

Band info: www.facebook.com/UnkindHardcore
Label info: www.relapse.com

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Billed as a cross between Mogwai and Tragedy in their press materials, which, for some strange reason, really piques our interest, Finland’s Unkind return with another furious slab of d-beat crust/hardcore crossed with some intriguing and dark atmospheres that transcends boundaries and avoids easy pigeonholing.
Scratch the Surface caught up with drummer Saku to talk about their latest album, 'Pelon Juuret' and their imminent touring plans.
 

You just released your new album and sixth LP, ‘Pelon Juuret’, how has the reception been since its release?

“Pretty good! There haven’t been many complaints and even the ones that had some were mainly positive overall.”

This is your second LP for Relapse Records and it seems that you didn’t receive much attention outside Finland until ‘Harhakuvat’ was released two years ago. How did that affect your development as a band?

“Well if there's been anything substantial it must be that we've attained a bit more prestigious gigs out of it as well as loads of attention from people who would have otherwise dismissed us entirely.”

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"...We've never really considered changing anything in hopes of pleasing a larger crowd."

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It seems that ‘Pelon Juuret’ essentially picks up where ‘Harhakuvat’ left off, weaving an intriguing blend of furious d-beat crust/hardcore with some dark ambiences. In your opinion how does the new album differ from its predecessor? Did all the recognition the band garnered recently had an impact on the songwriting?

“It's a bit more coherent and straightforward compared to our previous releases. As for the recognition it probably gave us a bit more self confidence, but overall the creative process has stayed the same. We've never really considered changing anything in hopes of pleasing a larger crowd.”

The press release describes your new album as if Mogwai made a record of Tragedy covers or a From Ashes Rise influenced by Explosions in the Sky. Are you comfortable with such descriptions and do you see yourselves influenced by these bands?

“It is somewhat accurate at least to someone who hasn't heard us before although I can't see we've drawn any direct influences from any of them. Comparisons and genre labels do have their place - mainly in introducing bands to newcomers but from there on they should have less meaning and importance as the only thing the listener should decide upon is whether they like it or not.”

Which other bands have influenced Unkind to this current point the most?

“The biggest and earliest influences were and still are to some extent Discharge, Amebix and Black Sabbath. We have pretty wide taste in music so there have been loads of other smaller ones over the years, but those three have remained central inspirers along with numerous others of the same type.”

You have an impressive array of influences from grindcore/crust and post rock atmosphere to hardcore, etc… and you still manage to sound cohesive and preserve your own identity. Do you find it difficult to get the right balance between all those different sounds?

“I'm glad to hear you think we've pulled it off. We've never felt we've had to force it in any way. It's just our basic recipe to try and add dynamics to our songs. I think we've just about found the right balance especially with the latest material.”

The artwork for ‘Pelon Juuret’ depicts an unsettling black and white drawing of numerous humans lined up and with what it seems their eyes bleeding. ‘Harhakuvat’ also has a black and white cover with a man covering the mouth with his hands, so it seems that you have some sort of fascination for monochromatic images. How does the black and white art work in tandem with the music itself?

“Black and white cover art has always been the classic format in hardcore/crust albums and it does usually fit the bleakness of the music well. As long as the visuals fit the mood of the record it doesn't really matter to us how much colours there are. With the last two albums we wanted the artist Jacob Speis channel the feelings he got from the music into images and it worked out great both times.”

Finally, what plans and projects does the band have for the rest of 2013 and beyond?

“We have an extensive release tour starting on the 3rd of august with a set of Finnish gigs after which we hit the road with the KEN mode to tour most of Europe. After that we'll probably slow down for a bit and start writing new material and sorting out some gigs for the next year.”

Catch Unkind on tour with Ken Mode at the following locations:
Fri 13.09.13 Cafe Nova, Essen, Germany.
Sat 14.09.13 Patronaat, Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Sun 15.09.13 Cassiopeia, Berlin, Germany.
Mon 16.09.13 Feierwerk, München, Germany.
Tue 17.09.13 Chapeau Rouge, Prague, Czech Republic.
Wed 18.09.13 Elfer, Frankfurt, Germany.
Thu 19.09.13 Bastard Club, Osnabrück, Germany.
Fri 20.09.13 SAS, Delemont, Switzerland.
Sat 21.09.13 Freakout Club, Bologna, Italy.
Sun 22.09.13 Lo Fi, Milano, Italy.
Mon 23.09.13 Secret Place, Montpelier, France.
Tue 24.09.13 Les Saints Des Seins, Toulouse, France.
Wed 25.09.13 Miroiterie, Paris, France.
Thu 26.09.13 La Ferailleur, Nantes, France.
Fri 27.09.13 Minsters Bar, Stoke On Trent, UK
Sat 28.09.13 Crane Lane, Cork, Ireland.
Sun 29.09.13 Voodoo, Belfast, UK.
Mon 30.09.13 Fibber MaGees, Dublin, Ireland.
Tue 01.10.13 Corporation, Sheffield, UK.
Wed 02.10.13 Royal Park Cellars, Leeds, UK.
Thu 03.10.13 Audio, Glasgow, UK.
Fri 04.10.13 Water Rats, London, UK.
Sat 05.10.13 VK, Brussels, Belgium 

More info at: www.facebook.com/UnkindHardcore 

We have one copy of Unkind’s latest album ‘Pelon Juuret’ courtesy of Relapse Records to offer to one lucky reader, to apply you need to follow us on twitter or facebook and answer the following question in the comments section below before August 31: 
What is the name of Unkind’s debut album for Relapse Records?
Giveaway is now closed and the lucky winner is Wendy Chung from Syracuse, NY.


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Experimental, dark ambient / noise trio Locrian have premiered their new video for 'Exiting The Halls Of Vapor And Light', off of their new full-length, ‘Return To Annihilation’.
The video is an abstract interpretation directed by George Moore of the instrumental track that appears on their new effort, a two-part concept album inspired by the band’s love for prog-rock progenitors Genesis, Yes and King Crimson. Check it out below and read Dean Brown’s review of ‘Return To Annihilation’ here.

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Savannah's riff-meisters Black Tusk have unveiled a new video for the song ‘Truth Untold’ from their new EP ‘Tend No Wounds’, which is now available via Relapse Records. The EP features six new tracks recorded with producer Phillip Cope (Kylesa, Baroness) at the Jam Room in Columbia, South Carolina and serves a stop-gap between their last effort ‘Set The Dial’ and their next one.
Meanwhile, check out the hilarious clip directed by Brad Kremer and produced by Tytan Creates below.

Black Tusk photo by Geoff Johnson
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Freshly signed to Relapse Records, Portland’s Lord Dying have recently released their impressive debut full-length 'Summon the Faithless’, which boasts some of the purest and heaviest metal riffs you’ll hear all year. Guitarist and vocalist Erik Olson told us everything about the deal with Relapse, their background, and the band's future plans including a possible European tour. 

First off, you just signed a deal with Relapse Records so congratulations. Tell us a little bit about how it all came about? I’ve heard they turned you down just a few months prior to the current deal.

"It all started with Matt Jacobsen (president of Relapse) coming to our shows in the beginning and asking us to play a show for his birthday party. He lives in Portland but the main Relapse office is in Philadelphia. He was interested but not everyone was on board in the Philly office, they still needed to see us live. We played in Philly the first time on the Witch Mountain tour but didn't get an offer until the second time we played there with Red Fang. Yeah it's true we were turned down 3 months previous to the offer so we were surprised when they offered us a deal."

I understand that you all knew each other before forming Lord Dying from playing in other bands, so what was the force & purpose that brought you guys together?

"Chris and I have been playing in metal bands together since we were 13 and it seemed like the natural thing to do. At the time he had been jamming with Jon and asked me to come over and we immediately wrote "In a Frightful State of Gnawed Dismemberment". A song we still play today. We needed a bass player and we had known Don for a long time and also that his band Black Elk had recently broken up so we asked him to join."

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"...The inspiration came from a fascination of metal and hatred for organized religion."

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Relapse have just released your debut LP, ‘Summon the Faithless’, what was the major inspiration that inspired and brought this record into being? Some of the songs already appeared on your previous EP, but all that other songs are brand new and were recorded last year with Sanford Parker right?

"Yeah we recorded the album in October 2012 with Sanford Parker at Jackpot Studios in Portland, Oregon. The inspiration came from a fascination of metal and hatred for organized religion. Ultimately it is an offering for the undesirable and a celebration of all things wicked."

There are the obvious comparisons to say, High On Fire, Black Tusk and Red Fang (with whom you’ve toured before) to be found on ‘Summon the Faithless’, but occasionally I also hear some thrash metal influences creeping into the songs. Is it something that just happens organically or does one of you guys brings this influence consciously to the table?

"It happens organically. Really we just focus and the riff, trying to shape it constantly into something we like. Sometimes they are slower, sometimes faster, but always heavy."

If I’m not mistaken right now you’re on the road playing some shows with Howl. How’s the tour going so far?

"We are doing some headlining dates across the US and we're meeting with Howl on Saturday in Providence. It's been going great so far, been an awesome response!"

You’ve been touring a lot lately, what were some of the good things and bad things you come across on tour?

"Man, we love touring. Some have been better than others. The best part is just getting to play every night, only bad part is it can be kind of exhausting sometimes but we still love it. Lots of touring coming up!"

Finally, what other plans do you guys have for the rest of this year and the years to come? You’re going to tour with Valient Thorr and Ramming Speed this fall right?

"Yeah, we will be out with Valient Thorr and Ramming Speed, we are playing Housecore Horrorfest in Texas late October and there will be another US tour in November. We will also be hitting Europe early 2014."

More info at: www.facebook.com/LordDying
 

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Who would have thought that an eight year break from recording new material, which ended in 2011 with the release of the scathing ‘All Guts, No Glory’, would have been the best move Exhumed ever made? The lengthy lapse in time resulted in Exhumed hitting the nail on the gore-sodden head with ‘All Guts, No Glory’ in terms of song-writing, while staying true to death metal’s barbaric tenets. By capitalising on the acclaim and momentum of ‘All Guts, No Glory’, Exhumed have now readied another collection of choice cuts for your delectation in the form of their latest studio album, ‘Necrocracy’.

Besides focusing intently on suturing together sickening, mid-paced grooves as well as, lyrically, taking a noticeable political slant (don’t worry the band hasn’t turned its back on the gore to become Misery Index), ‘Necrocracy’ isn’t a cadaver’s throw away from its predecessor—which is nothing if not a huge positive. The sagacious tempo changes (led by d-beats and a variety of blasts), scalding riffs and solos, gut-puncturing growls and shrieks with enough character and range to actually entertain the amount of hooks sprayed around like blood from a severed aorta, have all returned more memorable than ever before. The Carcass-esque "Coins Upon the Eyes" is straight up fun—well as fun as death metal gets—with the chants of “Die!” sounding exultant and not corny; the vocal hooks of "The Shape of Deaths to Come" and "Necrocracy" are just as effective as the gruesome bass-lines and riffs that cut right through them; and each guitar solo contains equal parts surgical precision and flair—especially those of "The Rotting”. "Sickening”, on the other hand, is literally a blast from the past with its fast paced grind, while "Dysmorphic" just so happens to be one of the best songs Exhumed have ever vomited upon us: Its deathly thrash attack and vocal trade-offs leading to a surprising acoustic guitar break before a serrated riff, intent on taking the head clean off your shoulders, appears out of the blue.

The production clarity on ‘All Guts, No Glory’ and now ‘Necrocracy’ has really benefited Exhumed by allowing the band’s song-writing skills to shine through. But the thing with Exhumed is that, even back in the band’s ‘Gore Metal’ days the same traits were at play only they came smothered in coagulated claret. ‘Necrocracy’ is as clear as you can get in death metal without sounding sterile, and the audible thump suits the band’s increasingly catchy songs. From the blasting beginnings of "Coins Upon the Eyes" to the rampaging finish of "The Rotting", Exhumed have written a record that will undoubtedly satisfy those that still believe actual song-writing in contemporary death metal is a forgotten art (And there are plenty of reasons to believe this). Twenty years on, Exhumed’s slaughtercult continues to grow. This time, however, we all fall under necrocratic rule!

Dean Brown

Band info: www.facebook.com/ExhumedOfficial
Label info: www.relapse.com

Dean Brown is a metal scribe based in Ireland. He is currently a contributing editor to the North American cultural magazine Popmatters and he regularly throws words for a number of other reputable loud noise publications such as About.com/heavy metal, Soundshock.com, MetalIreland.com, MoltenMagazine.com, amongst others. He has a strong affinity for music that shakes souls and leaves debilitating tinnitus in its wake and such obsession has left him financially and medically crippled, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Follow Dean on twitter @reus85

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