Botanist - Nero di Marte - Void of Sleep crowd-funding

Written by Justin C.

Art by M.S. Waldron

I came across (and donated to) two crowd-funding efforts that I think are worthy of your attention. One is born of happy circumstances, but the other much less so.

As frequent readers of the site may have noticed, I really love the one-man black metal phenomenon that is Botanist. This bio-black metal band centered on Otrebor's hammered dulcimer playing satisfies a musical need I never knew I had.

I don't know if there's a huge overlap between Bandcamp enthusiasts and vinyl collectors, but Botanist is doing a Kickstarter campaign to fund the pressing of a vinyl version of III: Doom in Bloom (minus the Allies recordings). Picking my favorite Botanist album at this point is like asking most parents which is their favorite child, but Doom in Bloom will always be high on my list. The opening track, "Quoth Azalea, the Demon," has delicate melodies that haunt my dreams.

Even if you're not into vinyl, this Kickstarter has something for you. You can get a digital download of a rehearsal/live performance from the band for a measly $6, and the recording is exclusive to Kickstarter backers. There's a ton of other merch available, and the band is flexible about combining rewards. Just give them a head's up. As of this writing, they're about $150 away from full funding, and every little bit helps. It helps the band, and it helps me, as otherwise, I will be forced to cover whatever's left over to make sure this happens. The funding period ends on May 15.

Kickstarter: "III: Doom in Bloom" Double LP Gatefold

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Alex Eckman-Lawn

As I mentioned, the other crowd-funder is for less happy news. Italian bands Nero di Marte and Void of Sleep had all of their gear stolen after a show in Rome. We're talking a 25,000 Euro loss. As fans of this kind of metal know, bands other than KISS don't travel with and/or own truckloads of gear, so this can be a devastating career ender. That would be a real shame in this case. The list of stolen gear is heart rending. As an amateur musician, this would be devastating to me, and I don't rely on my equipment to make a living.

The entry-level reward for their IndieGoGo campaign is a split EP from the two bands for 10 Euros, and given the two bands involved, I expect it to be excellent. Nero di Marte's self-titled debut is available on Bandcamp. I didn't realize this until recently, or I probably would have written something for it here. I've been enjoying the CD version since it came out. Nero di Marte scratches the same itch for me that bands like Gojira and Byzantine do. Not because they're sound-alikes, but because they all fit in that nebulous progressive metal genre that sometimes gets labeled "groove metal" for lack of a better term. It's immediately accessible, but complex enough to keep you coming back.

I know less about Void of Sleep and they don’t appear to have a Bandcamp presence, but a quick perusal on YouTube convinced me I need to check them out more in depth. Obvious touchstones are Opeth and Tool. (I hate to do such a short-handed "recommended if you like" write up for what appears to be a very good band, but I wanted to get this out there sooner rather than later.)

Right now the bands are at about 4,200 Euro of their 20,000 Euro goal, but this is a flexible funding campaign. Unlike Kickstarter, IndieGoGo allows for crowd funds other than all-or-nothing, so the raised funds go to the band even if the full amount isn't reached. I certainly hope they reach much higher than what they have now. The funding period ends on May 13.

IndieGoGo: NERO DI MARTE - VOID OF SLEEP: Stolen gear donations and Split EP

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]