Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin - Stygian Bough Volume I

By Justin C. You’d be forgiven for thinking Stygian Bough Volume 1 was a split, since it does list both Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin as artists, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. This album features Erik Moggridge, who plays dark, acoustic folk under the name Aerial Ruin, playing with Dylan Desmond and Jesse Shreibman, the duo that makes up Bell Witch.

By Justin C.

Artwork by Adam Burke.

You’d be forgiven for thinking Stygian Bough Volume 1 was a split, since it does list both Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin as artists, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. This album features Erik Moggridge, who plays dark, acoustic folk under the name Aerial Ruin, playing with Dylan Desmond and Jesse Shreibman, the duo that makes up Bell Witch. It’s not a new band, per se--it’s not even a new idea, since Moggridge contributed vocals to Bell Witch’s monstrous album Mirror Reaper. It’s a collaboration. Or, given that the music often drifts into tempos so slow that metronomes can’t measure them, a funereal relay race, with both musical entities passing ideas back and forth.

Maybe the clearest example are the songs “Heaven Torn Low I (the passage)” and “Heaven Torn Low II (the toll).” Part I is mostly Aerial Ruin’s show, featuring Moggridge’s inimical clean vocals and acoustic guitar. But as the song progresses, Bell Witch begins to creep in around the edges, giving Moggridge’s sound the epic swell that’s usually implied in Aerial Ruin’s music, but not actually present.

Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin live. Photos by Nessie Spencer (licence).

As Part I slowly fades, Part II roars to life with the distorted bass and slow-moving melodicism that’s unmistakably Bell Witch. Moggridge continues to provide vocals, but massive, distorted bass notes stretch out and break into howls. The songs clearly take heavy emphasis from Aerial Ruin and Bell Witch, in that order, but it would be a mistake to say that Part I is “Aerial Ruin’s song” and Part II belongs to Bell Witch. One often takes center stage, but the other is always supporting and expanding.

There’s a lot of heart-breaking beauty in this album, and even though it’s just over an hour--which is pretty tame by funeral doom standards--it has the effect of dilating time. I listened to this album during a long drive, the first in a long time, and the light, pandemic-affected traffic on top of the music made me feel as if I were being pulled into some other realm. The album feels endless at times, but not in a tedious or tiring way. Timothy Leary’s old drug-addled adage of “turn on, tune in, and drop out” applies in a weird way, but no LSD is needed here. The artistry itself that takes you away.

Dawn of Ouroboros - The Art of Morphology

By Master of Muppets. Versatility is a tough thing to pull off well. Too much of it and any given album is likely to be a jarring mess, not enough and it's Disturbed. While older, seasoned acts tend to more or less settle into the confines of one genre or other, many young bands find themselves to explore their sonic boundaries at will.

By Master of Muppets.

Artwork by Jill Colbert.

Versatility is a tough thing to pull off well. Too much of it and any given album is likely to be a jarring mess, not enough and it's Disturbed. While older, seasoned acts tend to more or less settle into the confines of one genre or other, many young bands find themselves to explore their sonic boundaries at will. Though the fruits of such youthful ventures are often spirited and compelling, they are not always particularly well-guided endeavors, nor do the wide scopes of the artist's intent necessarily manage to find their mark; many debut albums attempt to be more than they're actually capable of being, but then again many debut albums aren't Dawn of Ouroboros' The Art of Morphology. It's actually possible that most albums aren't The Art of Morphology, but that's neither here nor there. What's here is one badass album, and what's there is an absence of reasons as to why you shouldn't be jamming out to it right this second.

Before we get too far on course with this great album, we must wander off course to pay tribute to… another great album! In the name of karmic balance, I must admit to have only stumbled across Morphology while trying to get the most bang for my buck; Naturmacht Productions offered it included at a discount alongside What We Leave Behind, the latest offering by Swedish doom act Soliloquium, and the only thing I love more than Katatonic doom is pinching the proverbial penny. If the deal is still going on whenever you read this, I'd urge you to take advantage as both albums are well worth your time. I'll almost certainly be back to babble about What We Leave Behind at a later date, but in the event that you can't be patient or I can't be trusted, I'll say this: it's a wonderful piece of modern post-doom on a lovely label, and without either I would never have found the excellent album in discussion today. Everybody, say 'thank you!'

Categorizing the Katatonia core of Soliloquium or explaining the appeal of saving money are relatively straightforward tasks. Describing Dawn of Ouroboros' sound, on the other hand, is no such thing. These Californians wear a lot of hats, adopting several sonic styles throughout Morphology's 8 tracks and pulling all of them off downright fiercely. Proggy, deathy riffs? Check. Frostbitten tremolos and blackened shrieks? Ch-ch-check. Clean, pleasant passages with ethereal vocals? You know how this game works, I'd also throw in 'melodeath sensibilities', 'symphonic flourishes' and 'random djent outbursts' if I felt like continuing that shtick, but I don't. The point is that Dawn of Ouroboros do a lot of things with 43 minutes, and they do them surprisingly well for this being a debut. The Art of Morphology is a constantly shifting soundscape, a hostile world where the weather's always changing and yet it feels like home nonetheless.

This vibrant sense of variety brings with it a feeling of vitality so vaguely, faintly familiar that it almost feels foreign to today's metal climate. Dive through any genre on Bandcamp and you'll find not only several prominent artists of the scene but also myriad clones, all attempting to cash in on a sound that's been proven to work by 'doing [genre] right;' The Art of Morphology has that mythical air of a band just being themselves and having fun with their own sound, the kind of palpable sincerity and earnestness found amongst such unifying, time tested classics as In Flames' Whoracle or Pantera's Far Beyond Driven - except, again, this particular slab of exploratory greatness is a friggen debut. The potential that tracks such as the artfully balanced prog death of "Pinnacle Induced Vertigo " or the symphonic blackness of "Serpent's Charm" foretell is impressive and incredibly promising, to say the very least.

I love The Art of Morphology, and I am absolutely gunning for Dawn of Ouroboros' future. I found this album entirely by accident, only to discover the first album to make me genuinely excited about a young band's future in years. It's well crafted, well paced and well executed; The Art of Morphology is one of those special albums likely to unite fans from all ends of the metal spectrum, and it is incredibly refreshing to find such a thing as the rest of the world is falling apart. If I somehow haven't sold you on this sweet slice of scariness yet, I would like to point out that every shriek, growl, roar and otherwise nameless vocal declaration of war uttered within Morphology's tracks was delivered by one loud little lady named Chelsea Murphy. You would be doing yourself a disservice as a fan of metal to allow yourself to miss out on her incredible performance here on Morphology.

Eye of Nix - Ligeia

By Justin C. A tidy genre tag for Eye of Nix is elusive. We could go with Black/Doom/Avant Garde, from their Bandcamp page, and that’s more or less O.K., but that leaves out the gothic, psychedelic, and sometimes operatic elements. Maybe “post-everything” covers it.

By Justin C.


A tidy genre tag for Eye of Nix is elusive. We could go with Black/Doom/Avant Garde, from their Bandcamp page, and that’s more or less O.K., but that leaves out the gothic, psychedelic, and sometimes operatic elements. Maybe “post-everything” covers it.

Their newest, Ligeia, is that rare album that manages to encapsulate a wide palette of sounds without sounding like an album made by seven different bands. The first track, “Concealing Waters,” is actually a pretty good introduction in more ways than one. It’s a mysterious opener that showcases a lot of the sounds you’re going to hear on the rest of the album. Lush guitars and clean vocals start out, creating a doomy, psychedelic start reminiscent of Ides of Gemini and even a little bit of The Doors. Vocalist Joy Von Spain weaves a spell, but the perspective takes a hard left when the drums start to blast and she adds blackened harshness to her vocals. Sure, the song is almost 7 minutes long, but in a contradictory way, it feels both more immediate and more expansive than that run time suggests.

“Pursued” charges out of the gate with more of a death metal feel, but the proggy, off-kilter touches you heard in the album opener are still there, even if the mood has suddenly turned more vicious. This track also features the first demonstration of Von Spain’s operatic style of vocals. It’s typically not a style I enjoy in metal or its natural habitat--although I appreciate the skill--but Von Spain’s use of it as just one of the styles in her arsenal works for me.

The rest of the album dwells in these dualities--”Stranded” starts in an ethereal plane before moving to churning heaviness--and it’s a sound to behold. All of the band members get a chance to shine here. The intricacy of the drumming, the atmospheric guitar, the bass providing the solid bridge connecting the instrumentals, and the synths and “sound collages” are all showcased at one point or another, but yet this is still very much a band effort, and that band is exploring its own path in a very unique space. Even if one of the many things I mentioned here is usually a turn off for you, I highly recommend you give the whole a chance.

Raphael Weinroth-Browne - Worlds Within

By Matt Hinch. Wake's previous album, Misery Rites, should have garnered the attention of anyone who hadn't been paying attention already. It was a potent blend of black metal and grinding madness. Anyone who thought new album, Devouring Ruin was going to follow the same formula would be wrong.

By Matt Hinch.

Painting by Heather Sita Black.

This site may be Metal Bandcamp but this solo album from Raphael Weinroth-Browne, Worlds Within, is barely even metal adjacent. That term doesn't make much sense anyway. Raphael has played with Musk Ox, The Visit, and of course Leprous so he is well known to the metal community. However, we haven't really heard him play the cello quite like this. Unaccompanied. Every sound on here was made by him on a cello. The instrument itself has great range but add in the percussive elements and effects pedals and you'd swear a whole orchestra is in on this. It's just him though. Rhythms, leads, everything. Worlds Within seems like a spectacularly apt title given the worlds that open up in the minds of the listener on this 45-minute piece presented as 10 movements.

All 10 of those movements are quite moving. The piece's bookends, “Unending I” and “Unending II” feel like dawn and dusk, casting shadows with beauty and subdued light, brightening and fading, albeit with melancholic qualities. Melancholy and darkness find their place often. “From Within I” and “From Within II” open up the mind and paint an expansive picture. Raphael himself has stated a mind-nature connection exists with this section and with eyes closed the majesty of both worlds fills the soul.

As we move into “From Above” and the “Tumult” suite Worlds Within starts to show its diversity even more. Non-traditional playing techniques (is that strumming?) and percussive elements change the mood. It feels more dramatic and expansive once the spacey layers find their home. Layers move in and out of consciousness amid a steady beat until gorgeous leads take your breath away. There are times even that the Walking Dead theme comes to mind. So does Blue Man Group!

“Fade (Afterglow)” brings things back down to earth after all the drama. In fact, it feels watery, like ripples spreading in a pond as rain falls on the surface, leading us back to the aforementioned dusk of “Unending II”.

Worlds Within is an escapist piece of music. Wrap it around you like a blanket and let the emotions it conjures penetrate you. Serenity, fear, joy, sadness, conflict, peace. Traditional sounds via untraditional methods form a profound 45 minutes of encapsulation. The cello is an amazing instrument and Raphael is an amazing musician and composer with amazing vision, passion, and skill. We all need to escape. Escape to Worlds Within.

Ulthar - Providence

By Bryan Camphire. I saw Ulthar perform much of this set here in Texas last year. I knew they were good, I had their debut full length. The righteous album art drew me in, plus the fact that they were signed to the venerable death metal label, 20 Buck Spin.

By Bryan Camphire.

Artwork by Ian Miller.

I saw Ulthar perform much of this set here in Texas last year. I knew they were good, I had their debut full length. The righteous album art drew me in, plus the fact that they were signed to the venerable death metal label, 20 Buck Spin. I liked their brand of blackened Old School Death Metal. Still, their first full length did not prepare me for the ferocity of this set of songs that are now released as Providence. I was in the front row at the show hanging on every note. (Damn, I miss live shows.) After this fiery initiation rite of witnessing them spreading carnage onstage, I became obsessed. I walked up to the merch table later and bought a shirt. The bassist had on an Order of Chaos shirt, illustrating that his commitment to the old school was for real. I asked him how he plays so fast. He said, "I practice a lot."

Listening to Providence, it's clear that this band is a well-oiled death machine. The aptly titled opener, "Churn", blasts off with a take-no-prisoners approach. Dueling blacked vocals and death growls, swirling aggressive riffs and relentless drumming all race towards the finish in just over two minutes. As the shortest song on the record, it's the perfect opener to this set. Its lean gristly riffs function as a mission statement of what's to come, assuring that listeners sit up and pay attention from the jump.

Completely unexpectedly, track two, "Undying Spear", opens with an acoustic intro. At this point, the listener is led deeper into the dark thicket of horrors on display in Providence. This cut further showcases the band's ridiculous chops in a cavalcade of tangled blistering riffs. Put headphones on to relish in the detailed playing on offer, or simply play it loud to offend some neighbors held captive in quarantine.

Next comes the record's title track, and it's from this point that the band locks into its steady stride that remains more or less consistent through the end of the record. You can hear echoes of Death's 1991 masterpiece, Human in the gnarled labyrinthine structures of Providence. The record harkens back to golden times before "technical" became a dirty word when applied to death metal. Providence brings the riffs with plenty of low-end and ample urgency. Songs on offer here, like "Cudgel" and "Furnace Hibernation", are as these titles suggest blunt edged forces of restless burning fury.

In the wake of watching their live set, I remember getting an oil change later that week, reading an interview with the band on my phone. My wig was so flipped that I wanted to know more about how such a tumultuous din gets kicked up by these three men. The guitar player describes once upon a time flying from California to Pittsburgh on his birthday for the sole purpose of placing the band's demo cassette in the hands of the label boss of 20 Buck Spin, saying, "I told him it would be a real dick move NOT to put it out, after all that. ...he wrote me a couple days later, saying he wanted to do it." This anecdote recalls the lore surrounding the first Deicide record in 1989, when legend has it that Glenn Benton waltzed into offices of Roadrunner Records presenting them with the band's demo saying, "Sign us, you fucking asshole." You want OSDM bona-fides, Ulthar's got 'em. Providence represents everything the band gets right taken to an even greater extreme.

It's Bandcamp Friday Again.

It's Bandcamp Friday again, and for the third time they're waiving their fees. Originally the Fridays were meant as support for bands who had to cancel shows and tours because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but this time around many bands and labels have chosen instead to donate their proceeds. Ayloss from Spectral Lore explains:

It's Bandcamp Friday again, and for the third time they're waiving their fees. Originally the Fridays were meant as support for bands who had to cancel shows and tours because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but this time around many bands and labels have chosen instead to donate their proceeds. Ayloss from Spectral Lore explains:

"Together with 40 60 other metal bands, I'll be donating every purchase at Spectral Lore's Bandcamp page to the National Bail Fund Network. Support and solidarity to the demonstrators that fight for racial equality and against police brutality in the US, without any "but" or "if" or anything. This is a one in a lifetime uprising, even things that seem like they'll last forever like racism can be overturned if we fight hard enough."

The first 41 bands.

This initiative was started by Sarah from Smoulder. Here's her message on behalf of the bands:

"Following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer on May 25, protests have erupted across the United States decrying police brutality and decades of institutionalized racism. As an act of solidarity, on Friday, June 5, 41 heavy metal, rock, and punk bands [plus a few surprises] will be donating proceeds from sales made on Bandcamp to the National Bail Fund Network.

The National Bail Fund Network organizes to end all forms of detention, criminalization, and surveillance. The charity uses community bail funds as organizing tools to free people and push to abolish detention. Go here for more information on bail funds.

To get involved, head to the Bandcamp pages below on Friday, June 5 from 12 - 12 PST and buy! More importantly, you can donate to the National Bail Fund directly here."

Artwork by Loukas Kalliantasis.

Mystras is a new project from Ayloss. It's a good deal rawer and more aggressive than recent Spectral Lore output. The obvious comparison is the majestic castle metal from Obsequiae. but Mystras comes without the romanticism. While the music is meant to "shed some light on unsung acts of valour and bravery from the Middle Ages", Mystras' focus is on the common folks instead of kings and nobility.

Artwork by Michael Whelan

Smoulder plays epic doom. Seriously good epic doom. Three things tells you exactly what the band is about: the motto "Love Metal | Hate Fascism", the awesome cover art by fantasy great Michael Whelan, and the dedication of Dream Quest Ends to the memory of the mighty Mark "The Shark" Shelton from Manilla Road.

While compiling this list another 20 bands were added to the Network. All 60+ of them are listed below in alphabetic order. The initiative have gained popularity fast, but it bears mention that many other bands and labels are donating to similar causes. This is just one list of many that could have been made.

A Flock Named Murder

Astral Witch

Azath

Black Knife

Blood Star

By Fire & Sword

Cemetery Filth

Cirkeln

Citizen Rage

Concilium

Culled

Cultist

Destroyed In Seconds

Emblem

Ezra Brooks

Falsehood

Feminazgûl

Fer de Lance

Flavortoun

Haunt

Häxan

Hitter

Horrendous

Horror Vacui

Hyperia

The Isosceles Project

Knightmare

Lady Beast

Lightning Born

Locust Leaves

Maldita

Malleus

Mega Colossus

Midnight Priest

Mount Cyanide

Nomadic War Machine

Nucleus

Oath

Obsequiae

Olórin

Pale Mare

Ravensire

Ravenous

Ripped to Shreds

River Jacks

Rough Spells

Sallow Regent

Septuagint

Syryn

Third Chamber

Thorazine

Thronehammer

Throne of Iron

Völur

Vulgarite

Yovel

Zealotry

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