Clactonian: Everlasting Paleolithic
Out 28th March on Prehistoric Sounds
Clactonian return for another brief skirmish of dark war metal. Here we see them combine the violent intensity of early grindcore with the haunting darkness of Von. Pivoting on a basic, punk riff, hammered home with an almost ludicrous determination, with only brief variations in pitch or tempo offered to the listener in order to navigate the piece. Chaotic guitar leads punctuate the timeline at random intervals, working in an almost call and response role against the visceral punch of the vocals. Although ‘Everlasting Paleolithic’ is undeniably more direct than the previous EP, the music still carries a degree of size and scale despite its restrictive nature and the very brief runtime (two tracks clocking in at barely six minutes). The captivating momentum and sense of purpose behind the music, alongside the surprisingly rich mix combine to bring vitality and energy to war metal, a style often accused of sterility and monotony.
Belnejoum: Dark Tales of Zarathustra
Out 4th April on Antiq
Essentially a mid-period Dimmu Borgir album set to a string quartet. It should be noted that this is a rare instance where an overcooked concept may actually work to the music’s advantage. By adopting a semi-musical, semi-operatic (in the narrative sense) structure, the symphonic excesses are at least reigned in with a degree of focus and coherence beyond simply showing off the wares. The backbone consists of fairly run-of-the-mill symphonic black metal, and falls into the exact same trap as much post 99 material in this regard in its cavalier attitude to riff stylings, jumping from era and mood in an attempt to extend the scope of the music, but as none of the architecture is in place to contextual these frequent shifts, the result is so much incontinence. But over and above this endemic but hardly surprising shortcoming is an engaging tonal signature delivered with a patiently thought out conviction, running through each piece with pleasing consistency. The undercurrents of keyboards, a string section, along with elaborate piano, woodwind, and additional vocalisations all conspire to bring these elements into sharper focus. This, in and of itself, is enough to warrant a closer inspection of this album despite the bulk of material amounting to little more than Dimmu Borgir with braincells.
Visceral: Eyes, Teeth and Bones
Out 4th April on Raging Death
Mechanical deathgrind oscillates between moments of surreal, muscular violence and industrial monotony in an oddly compelling rhythmic dance. Direct, linear, grooves underpin all with an unambiguous throughline, leaving no room for tangents or duality of meaning. Meaty, bass heavy guitars ride these percussive waves in simple, bitesize chunks of information, as sloganeering with a view to stirring its audience into action. Lead material, if it can be called that, takes the form of high end chromatic refrains that serve more to draw attention to certain riffs shapes than to provide any developmental material. Jarring transitions, laboured breakdowns, and the occasional interlude of static do not detract from the sheer physical oneness of the music as it pounds its message home in unmistakable transmissions of energy. Vocals are perhaps the only element that attempts to add a degree of nuance through extended, pained screams and guttural groans that largely avoid the rigid percussive flow of the music, instead adopting a loose performance art approach as a way to build contrast. Compelling in its single mindedness that nevertheless manipulates outrageous contrast at the molecular level in overwhelming builds of dramatic energy.
Nordheim: Nordheim
Out 8th April on ATMF
Understated, repetitive atmospheric black metal, Nordheim are one of the more convincing attempts to capture the obscure mysticism of Burzum through trancelike pulses and simple binary interchanges. Tension arises from extending the moment of transition from one chord or pitch to the next for just enough measures for the listener to forget that they are not in fact in a place of rest, but merely existing within one step of the journey. In this way, the flow of these simple riffs mimics the immediate pulses of nature, as the wind gushes over the trees and clouds roll overhead. In this spirit, drums offer very little variation beyond simple backbeats, with the occasional extended fill signalling the birth of a new phase and the death of the old, as the bright light of day gives way to late afternoon. Patient, immersive, longform. Yet most importantly understands the ethos of minimalism in its ability to get more from less. The scope of the music, what it invokes and what it calls for, far outreaches the raw substance placed before us for analysis. It is through this implication that ‘Nordheim’ manages to connect with the original mien of black metal. And in doing so offers continuity in spirit with lost forms. Something far more valuable than contrived originality for its own sake.
Neptunian Maximalism: Le Sace Du Soleil Invaincu
Out 11th April on I, Voidhanger Records
Boisterous psychedelic drone outfit returns for another issue of raga infused soundscaping, once again attempting to capture an unrepeatable moment borne of the recording environment (this time in St John’s church in Bethnal Green) that sees the music attempt to interact with its surroundings. Eschewing the overblown cacophonous approach of 2022’s ‘Finis gloriae mundi’, this latest iteration leverages the legacy of 20th Century classical as much as it does Sun Ra. Unlike a lot of drone metal that pools all of its resources into static vibes that build layers of noise without necessarily arriving at a destination, things do happen across these pieces. Themes tentatively approach, work out their development, emit complimentary harmonies, and eventually meet with their decay. But the music must take up space to achieve this. There is little to distinguish one moment from the next aside from builds of noise. But equally, one could tune out of the music only to suddenly realise that they are in a very different place when they tune back in. In this regard, Neptunian Maximalism are, rather ironically, more interesting at their most minimal. The eerie drone of Charles Ives can be heard beneath the slow builds of dissonance and teasing dynamic range. Once the doom metal undercurrent and brass section assert themselves, the picture becomes a rather domesticated (if far slower) iteration of so much modern doom psyche. By turning away from metal entirely to focus on ambient noise, raga, and early modern classical, Neptunian Maximalism achieve a strikingly tense ambience with a rare sense of purpose.
Anoxia: Revel in Sin
Out 17th April on Brilliant Emperor Records/Gutter Prince Cabal Records
Average death metal that attempts to synthesise modern interpretations of the Swedish buzzsaw sound with Suffocation. The result is an album that fails to rise above any particular influence or reference point and articulate its own vision on anything. Whilst individual riffs may be serviceable, their lack of connection to the surrounding material or any overriding telos to the tracks themselves renders them as pointless material. Although not the worst offender in this regard, Anoxia are the latest in a long line of artists keen to assert old school credentials as a means of renting vision and artistic purpose from readymade templates. The lack of any intention or reason for making music communicated across this album makes the experience frustratingly generic. Why regard this collection of offcuts as having any value beyond proximity to the material it apes?
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