I can say this: don't be disappointed in the lack of releases here. This week is necessary. Take the time to relax, catch up on some music, maybe take a listen to something that strikes your fancy below. Because the amount of releases coming out next week will shatter your world and rape your soul. But I digress. Enjoy the serenity while it lasts, and check out these new releases from Witch Mountain, Miss May I, and more:
Witch Mountain – Cauldron Of The Wild
Genre: Stoner/Doom Metal
Country: United States
Label: Profound Lore
Listen: "The Ballad Of Lanky Rae"
Like almost every band on Profound Lore, Witch Mountain is worth at least a few minutes of your time. If the psychedelic retro-gore occult vibes of the cover art aren't enough to drag you in then maybe a few choice words will; take any band from the underground drug culture of the 60's and 70's, saturate them in all the down-tuned, fuzzy, sludgy glory of a modern stoner/doom band, and then place Janis Joplin at the helm. The end result, of course, sounds like a drug-induced haze of crushing doom, soulful blues, and downright filthy vocals. Without Uta Plotkin in control of the microphone this band passes silently under the radar; but the inclusion of her powerful voice amidst the murky darkness of distorted noise makes this an album worth listening to.
Miss May I – At Heart
Genre: Metalcore
Country: United States
Label: Rise Records
Listen: "Day By Day"
I will be blunt here for the sake of brevity; I regret every second I spent listening to this. Those are moments of my life that will never be returned to me. Moments spent in great pain and agony. You can usually tell what type of music a band plays by the general atmosphere of their Youtube comments section. In the case of Miss May I, any click of the mouse will reveal unto you a nightmarish world of angsty teenagers, poor grammar, and vitriolic arguments about the sanctity of Atreyu or Bullet For My Valentine. This, of course, is a pretty good summation of what the band actually sounds like; the worst parts of Atreyu and BFMV plus teenagers and poor grammar. And I hate myself for even taking the time to write that.
Turbonegro – Sexual Harassment
Genre: Rock n' Roll/Goth Rock/Punk
Country: Sweden
Label: Volcom
Listen: "You Give Me Worms"
I'll be honest here; everything I know about Turbonegro comes from either Jackass or that Bam Margera show. I've never listened to the band elsewhere, nor did I ever really have the desire, but I certainly didn't dislike what I managed to hear in passing. Listening to the album now, most of what I originally thought has been confirmed. Which is by no means a bad thing. This is music that just makes you feel good, man. It's upbeat and fun while still managing to maintain that hard edge of good ol' rock n' roll. This band is right on the line; they take themselves just seriously enough to gain respect as musicians, but stay far away from the type of serious that would require anything more than simple, entertaining rock songs. A perfect album for the summer; throw it on, drink a few beers, start a BBQ, and rock the fuck out.
Brume d'Automne – Brume d'Automne
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Canada
Label: Sepulchral Productions
Listen: Album Teaser
When I saw that this band was associated with the likes of Forteresse I expected certain things, but these things turned out to be only half-accurate. Where that band is focused entirely on the atmospheric, sweeping aesthetics of the cold Canadian landscape, the two-man project of Brume d'Automne gets a bit more traditional at times, delving into the raw, unadulterated, buzzsaw hatred of early black metal. This is mixed nicely with frequent melodic flourishes, the occasional folk section, and the type of "wall-of-sound" atmosphere that usually accompanies poorly produced black metal. However, at certain points I got the feeling that the band was simply trying too hard to produce something "kvlt"; not everything here seems natural or genuine, but rather artificially constructed to sound a certain way. In general an enjoyable album, but nothing that I'll be dying to revisit anytime in the near future.
More Releases:
Bilocate – Summoning The Bygones
Borgne – Royaume des Ombres
Cara Neir/Ramlord – Split
Process Of Guilt – Faemin
Shaped By Fate – I Fear The World Has Changed
Thornafire – Eclipse Nox Coagula
