~By Jacob Mazlum~

Ten is such a passé number. Top ten album lists are for the sheeple. We nonconformists like to be individual and only make Top-X lists that aren’t divisible by five.

We like the number seven though, because it’s edgy and cool, just like us. So here are seven albums you probably didn’t hear in 2018, but they’re my favourites and they really do deserve your time -- if you enjoy staring into the all-consuming abyss. They do anyway.

Go listen...

Esoctrilihum

Pandaemorthium (Forbidden Formulas To Awaken The Blind Sovereigns Of Nothingness)

Pandaemorthium (Forbidden Formulas To Awaken The Blind Sovereigns Of Nothingness) by ESOCTRILIHUM

France does it again, with yet another one of its sons churning out yet another forward-thinking extreme metal masterpiece. Pandaemorthium (and the rest of that pointlessly long album title) is what metal needs -- something that manages to be simultaneously challenging, engrossing and strangely fun.

It uses death metal as the blueprint upon which it builds its twisted spires of warped black metal and dank sub-basements of doom. This moves and evolves in a way that makes other "blackened death metal" sound like a croaky Motorhead. Truly, it’s the delicacy with which the obtuseness and extremity is handled that is most impressive here.

This is a solo project, too. Yes, it’s all just one guy. I’m not sure if I, Voidhanger Records got lucky or if Esoctrilihum did in this arrangement, but they make a perfect match.

Uada

Cult of a Dying Sun

Cult of a Dying Sun by UADA

By the end of the first song on my first listen of Cult of a Dying Sun I realised why I loved it so much. It’s because it reminded me so much of Let The Devil In-era Sargeist, which is a quick way to get into my heart. The rest of the album may not have committed itself to this sound as much as expected, but by then I didn’t care; it already had me hooked.

Done wrong, this kind of black metal can sound bad, like really bad. The kind that makes you not want to take a chance on unfamiliar artists. But Uada execute their individual parts so competently that any doubts are banished. The sheer musicality of each passage is a joy to hear and it’s all executed with such damned sincerity.

It’s shamelessly melodic, with the clear production bringing out every note and embellishment with clarity. This stellar production even gives the album a thick woodland-sounding atmosphere that is probably responsible for the Cascadian touch of certain parts, almost making it sound like the vibrant younger sibling of Marrow of the Spirit.

But it’s not Agalloch, it’s not Sargeist. It’s Uada, and any fan of USBM should find something in here to love, even if it’s just for one spin. Go Portland!

Inexorum

Lore of the Lakes

Lore of the Lakes by Inexorum

What happens when you get a remarkable metal musician and a highly-lauded producer together to work on a frostbitten black metal project with an unwavering commitment to melody and high fidelity? You get Lore of the Lakes apparently, and despite it sporting the kind of title to make you think Amorphis-worship or power metal nerdery, the album is actually really impressive.

It’s the ex-solo project of Carl Skildum, live guitarist of Obsequiae (who I should note are one of my favourite metal bands in existence right now), and RIAA-certified gold producer Matt Kirkwold -- or at least that’s what Bandcamp tells me.

My ears simply tell me this is black metal of yesteryear played with modern sensibilities and a thoughtfulness that negates any concerns for trends or time periods. There’s a slight Windir vibe in Lore of the Lakes that is at once more chilled and more furious than the band’s seminal '90s work, and I can’t get enough of it.

Ignore the front cover, this is totally worth listening to.

Burial Invocation

Abiogenesis

Abiogenesis by Burial Invocation

Think of Turkey and death metal probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. Spend enough time there though and you begin to understand how metal can find a natural home in that blood-stained gateway between Europe and Asia. There’s something in the spirit of the place, something that makes you imagine it being a potential hotbed of quality E-string pummeling just waiting to be created. (Anyone in doubt about Turkey’s pedigree in modern music should check out the history of Turkish disco.)

Well, as you might have guessed by now, Burial Invocation are a Turkish band whose brand of death metal impressed me so much that I don’t much feel like making any myself...ever.

In truth, I don’t know where to start with this record. It’s huge, it’s elaborately constructed, and it weaves between sections with a technical prowess that impresses with tastefulness rather than rote motor-function wizardry. This is 2018 death metal done near-perfectly.

Svartidauði

Revelations of the Red Sword

Revelations of the Red Sword by Svartidauði

The best Icelandic metal band ever to exist came back in 2018 with their first full-length since 2012’s Flesh Cathedral. The three interim releases could only muster a footnote quality due to their short lengths, and could never conjure the labyrinthine aura of winding lava-tunnel madness that only builds with an extended runtime.

Having visited Iceland this year, it became apparent that this is a nation that lives alongside the nature of the land, rather than simply building on top of it. Nature may have been partially tamed in certain urban areas, but never felt defeated as in most other developed countries.

With this in mind, the vibe of Svartidauði and their compatriots Misþyrming started to make more sense, and whilst the airy magic of the latter is impressive (enough to make them to be my favourite band of Brutal Assault this year) it is the earthy, subterranean texture of the former that truly grabs me.

The thick textures and muscular vocals are more Neurosis than Immortal, and they take this album outside the realms of the predictable. Yet it is the simple joy of treading ever deeper into Svartidauði’s dark and heated underworld that makes this journey so persistently rewarding.

Under

Stop Being Naïve

Stop Being Naive by Under

Considering I’ve spent the last five years devoting far too much of my time and resources to my doom band, it’s amazing how few bands in this area manage to move me anymore.

Doom is one of the great unexplored lands of metal, second maybe only to black metal in terms of potential (in fact, doom has far more potential than black metal ever did -- black metal just ran with it far better). It lets you explore atmosphere, texture, pacing and genre-melding in a way that would sound fundamentally incompatible with other subgenres. It has a spiritual element to it, a ritualistic quality, and this should make it the artistic breadbasket of the metal world.

This may not be the case, but thankfully there are bands out there that realise the potential doom holds. These bands build upon the fundamental tenets of doom to craft something new that isn’t neutered by convention. Under are one of these bands, and Stop Being Naïve is one such album.

I don’t even want to talk much about the album itself. There’s too much to say. There’s too much going on that’s worth discussing. This isn’t a review, it’s a synopsis, but a synopsis can’t capture anywhere near the breadth of what Under consistently achieve through the album’s runtime. I could throw out names like The Jesus Lizard, Mr. Bungle, Bauhaus, but that would only set unhealthy expectations.

The best way to experience Stop Being Naïve is simply to be a fan of sludgy doom and have a desire for something truly new. No, not just some new riffs, but for a new conceptualisation of what doom can be.

Truth be told, a whole lot of doom fans probably won’t like Stop Being Naïve, and that’s the highest praise I can give it.

Délétère

De Horae Leprae

Whilst this list is in no particular order, Délétère’s offering can confidently lay claim to my award for metal album of the year. One of the most noteworthy of the Québécois black metal hordes, Délétère have always been impressive with their past output but seem to have upped their game even further with De Horae Leprae.

Much like Uada, it is the sheer accessibility that makes De Horae Leprae so likeable. Melodies buzz with clarity and chord progressions fall with the dramatic weight of Maiden in their '80s prime. These are songs, like real songs. They have build-ups and crescendos and bridges and dynamics and the same emotional gravitas that makes even a band like Goatmoon so musically enjoyable despite their subject matter.

BelzebonG Drop Wicked Stomper For Halloween!

Oh my, this sounds amazing. What a way to celebrate Halloween! Infamous green smoke-filled, fuzzed-out Polish doom clan BELZEBONG have a new treat in store for all you Doomers & Stoners out there!

This is their new four-tracker, 'Light The Dankness' (2018) -- the first release from the band in two years and perhaps my favorite yet. Well, I'm a little high from toking in these fat riffs right now, so I have to qualify that by saying 'Sonic Scapes & Weedy Grooves' (2011) will forever have a fond place in my heart.

With all that said, Light The Dankness is objectively one of the band's finest achievements since. It's gorgeously recorded, monstrously heavy -- just a huge release, fantastic in every way. From the looks of it, vinyl is coming, though in limited quantities. Pre-order here.

Give ear...

~By Willem Verhappen~

I have a confession to make: I'm a shallow bastard. At least, I can be when it comes to music. Every so often, I come across a record by a band I don't know and I buy it even though I haven't heard a single note of what's on it. Sometimes, when I have no idea what kind of music it even is, I might do a quick internet search, but often I just buy it. I buy those records for one simple reason: I like the artwork. The thing with this tactic is, sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't.

I also bought 'Fringe' (2018), the third record by Finnish death-doomsters LURK for this reason. The record was originally released in 2016 by the band themselves, but now Transcending Obscurity Records re-released the record with hauntingly beautiful new artwork from Adam Burke.

Hauntingly beautiful is also a good way to describe the music. Not in a pretty way though, for this is still a Finnish band. I'm not sure if it's the lack of sunlight during winter or something else, but the country is home to some of the most depressing bands ever. Lurk certainly is one of them. The four piece mixes death, black and doom metal in a sludgy mix.

Fringe (Atmospheric Sludge/Doom Metal) by LURK (Finland)

Opener "Ostrakismos" is dark, almost ambient-like piece, with even an alto-saxophone thrown in the mix. Expect slow but melodic guitar arpeggios, drenched in reverb and with sufficient feedback. "Tail Blade" has a more traditional structure, with some quality doom riffs and heavy drum hits.

By the end of the second song, it's already clear who the real star of the record is. Vocalist Kimmo Koskinen is a true force to be reckoned with. His grunts are low and dark, sometimes appearing to go subsonic. It's often similar to the most extreme parts of Manne Ikonen (Ghost Brigade). At other times he belts out emotional screams, sporadically bordering those of Amenra's Colin H van Eeckhout. By the time we reach "Elan," Koskinen channels his inner Aaron Stainthorpe, mixing clean vocals with grunts. It must be noted though, that even though his clean vocals are good, he's no match for the My Dying Bride vocalist.

The fact that the vocals are good on this record, does not mean that the music is overpowered by them. Musically, every song firmly holds its ground. Each song is a depression inducing lesson in bleakness. The songs sometimes sound clear, melodic and open, at other times heavy and dense, throwing you on the floor and refusing to let you get up. Once again the comparison with their countrymen from Ghost Brigade isn't far away, but Lurk still manage to kick it up a notch.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Transcending Obscurity is my go-to label for extreme metal and Fringe is no exception. If you're into the Finnish brand of extreme doom metal, the kind that is both beautiful and mercilessly punishing, you're going to love Lurk. They're in the same spectrum as bands such as Ghost Brigade, Swallow The Sun and Hooded Menace, but without sounding like a copy of any of those bands. Go have a listen right now, but be careful, you just might be as broken as the end of "Proteus Syndrome."

Chatting It Up With Kalle & Kimmo of Lurk

~By Shawn Gibson~

First things first: introductions!

Kalle: Yours truly, Kalle Nurmi, can be found beating the skins, a.k.a. drumming. Arttu Pulkkinen on guitar, Eetu Nurmi on bass, and Kimmo Koskinen is always screaming for vengeance. We’ve been active for about ten years now.

'Fringe' (2018), your latest LP, was released on the Transcending Obscurity label over the summer, right?

Kalle: That’s correct, but actually Fringe was originally, although momentarily, released on Bandcamp two years prior. We didn’t have any luck with labels back then and decided just to put it out there, mainly out of frustration. Then Kunal Choksi of Transcending Obscurity got in contact with us, wanting to do a proper release and we quite quickly went with him. You could sense the passion driving him and we knew he was gonna deliver - and he did! Fringe is our third album, preceded by our self-titled debut and our second, Kaldera.

Kimmo: Kunal's dedication has been inspiring. Finally Fringe gets the release it deserves, not least because of the exceptionally amazing art of Adam Burke.

What bands from Finland do you guys like and like to play with?

Kalle: Horse Latitudes, Hooded Menace, Coughdust, Demonic Death Judge, Black Royal -- those are just some that come to mind easily, that we’ve played with. There are loads of great bands from Finland, metal and otherwise, that we’ve not shared a stage with just yet.

Kimmo: There are loads of spirited groups in Finnish underground and different styles interlock smoothly together. We have played with doom, death and black metal bands, in hardcore nights and so on. Passionate and honest atmosphere feeds itself and leads to torrid combinations.

Where are some good places in Finland to see metal or heavy bands play?

Kalle: You can see great underground-bands play at Vastavirta Klubi in Tampere. I’m not sure about the situation in Helsinki at the moment, but I presume Lepakkomies has bands all the time and we’ve played there a lot at one point. More mainstream metal acts can be seen at Klubi, YO-Talo or Olympia in Tampere, and during the summer there’s a festival going on somewhere all the time. For example Tuska is completely dedicated to metal.

What are some of Lurk's influences musically?

Kalle: Oh man, that’s a tricky one! We’ve never decided on a certain sound or a band that we wanted to sound like, so all of our influences were allowed to get in the music. But of course, some bands have bigger weight in our output. For example Celtic Frost, Eyehategod, Neurosis, Entombed, Black Sabbath, Emperor, Burzum and about gazillion other bands. Also artists outside of metal, as Scott Walker’s The Drift is, in my opinion, one of the scariest albums ever made.

What's a damn good book you've read lately?

Kalle: Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, everything by Lovecraft. My most recent favourite book is by legendary Finnish writer Mika Waltari. I had to check online for its English title, it’s called The Etruscan.

What makes you laugh uncontrollably?

Kalle: Human endeavor. Also, cat videos.

The artwork by Adam Burke is amazing! Elan is my favorite song on this album. Please explain what this album means to the band and what the artwork symbolizes.

Kalle: This album means a lot to us. We changed bass players just before making the second album, Kaldera, and that kinda made us want to write differently too, and now with Fringe I think we managed to capture something that was set in motion back in those days. Maybe we are slow learners but this is the album that we wanted to do already back then, we just didn’t know how. We wanted to combine the best parts of our both previous albums and use them to make a goddamn super-album! The art itself wasn’t made to order, but when we saw it there was no question about it. It fits the mood. It’s not completely bleak and void of colour, there are shades and textures. There is also a strong link to nature, and death is ever-present, looming in the background.

Kimmo: Fringe is about the passion and all the human behavior around it. We, as species, have lost and banned big part of our heritage, our primal instincts. What's most important, the honesty has been derogated. Humanity isn't just positive pool of thoughts, and it seems that the world is nowadays living just for the decorative skin. At the same time the self-proclaimed messiahs are conspiring behind our backs, in the name of religion, money and power. But there's so much power to be found from death, rage and beastliness, because those pure things are us. Lurk is the one channeling the vigor and ripping the meaningless crust apart. From the woods we have come and to the woods we are to be buried.

What is in the future for Lurk?

Kalle: New songs, so probably a new album, maybe some gigs. Who knows? The doom-train keeps a-rolling.

You guys have an amazing response to this album and have great reviews how do you feel and how does this motivate you?

Kalle: It’s always good that people like it. Some seem to like it a lot! I’d be making music even without the positive reviews, but they tell us we’re onto something good.

Kimmo: We are making the music for ourselves, first and foremost. But if someone finds it intriguing, I don't blame him or her. If the music makes one think, it has reached the goal.

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Massive Lurk Giveaway!

Transcending Obscurity Records is giving away 100 free digital downloads of Lurk's 'Fringe' (2018). Grab 'em while they're hot! Simply copy one of the codes below and click here to redeem it.

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~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

Review by Billy Goate

Think you've heard it all and you're confident about closing the books on 2018 and putting out your best-of lists? I advise you to hold your horses, my friends, because you haven't heard this yet. Get ready for what is without doubt the grandest album of 2018. Guttural rumblings of bass collide with sublime organ tones, shooting holes through the dank chamber like laser rays of radiant sunlight. Soon this feast of sound will be joined by damning riffs and strangely majestic voices that layer melodies in shifting keys, one upon the other, until a spire is created like an ancient ziggurat.

The latest offering by French occultic doomers and Roadburn Festival alumni HUATA is like none other. The band, which recently made an appearance on our 'Doomed & Stoned in France' (2018) compilation, often configures as a five-piece. However, the consistent heartbeat of the project has been founding member, Ronan Grail, and long-time bassist Benjamin Morea -- both of whom constitute the backbone of the now 12-year old act that hails from Rennes.

Long renowned for their stirring live rituals, Hua†a have two extended-plays, two splits, and one previous full-length to their name already, the brilliant 'Atavist of Mann' (2011). However, nothing prepared me for the power of their crowning achievement, 'Lux Initiatrix Terrae’ (2018).

I find myself struggling for points of comparison to entice the reader to become a listener. Shall I draw parallels to the imposing architecture of Ufomammut, the sweeping compositional vision of Slomatics, the ardor of Inter Arma, the airy psychedelic soundscapes of Pink Floyd, the sanguine tenor of Pallbearer, or the harmonic resplendence of Chrome Ghost? At the risk of losing some of the faithful doomers, the most fitting association to the size, scope, and most importantly spirit of Lux Initiatrix Terrae comes not from the realm of metal, but from the world of classical music. I'm thinking of one ambitious work, in particular: Ferruccio Busoni's massive Piano Concerto in C Major, Opus 39 -- one of the most ambitious works ever written in its genre class. Like Hua†a, Busoni laced his work with cryptic references to the occult, ancient orders, and esoteric knowledge.

I hasten to add that Hua†a's magnum opus is not symphonic metal, though "symphonic" seems a most fitting adjective for it. Let's think of it as a rhapsodic fantasy marrying epic and gothic doom to atmospheric, surreal heaviness, whilst subtly flirting with spaced-out domain of psychedelic and occult rock. Some tracks ("The Golden Hordes Of Kailash," for instance) usher in surreal scales and unusual chord progressions that remind me of the creepy grandeur of the mutant worship service in Beneath The Planet of the Apes (1970).

This modern day Tower of Babel aspires to reach the heavens with a power, elegance, and resolute will encountered so rarely in the realm of metal or, for that matter, anything else across the many genres of contemporary music. During its exalting 70-minute run-time, I felt I was bearing witness some incredible modern cantata. This was more than my usual audit of a new promo; this was an all-absorbing listen and an altogether moving experience.

After hearing this record, I'm convinced that Hua†a have definitely given Batushka a run for their money at Psycho Las Vegas over the summer. No Vinyl Stage for these guys, though. Take them straight to The Joint, fellas! A sounds this large is worthy of the same immense theater that brought us Enslaved, SUNN O))), Godflesh, and Indian this year; Candlemass, Yob, Electric Wizard, and Sleep in the years prior.

I've been avoiding using well-tread power words like epic in much of my reviewing this year, but it's time to pull this one off the shelf. This is a special occasion, for Lux Initiatrix Terrae is the band's final work as Hua†a -- an emphatic punctuation to a long and fruitful career. You'll not encounter a band as fascinating as Hua†a or an album quite as majestic as the one before us this year, perhaps not even this decade. Make no mistake, Hua†a's strange, bold chef d'oeuvre will be discovered in this crowded year of excellent releases and, with any luck, reach wide appreciation. At the risk of sounding orgasmic, this record is a triumph.

Right now, you can sample two singles from the album -- its opener, "The Mystical Beast of Revelations" and the third track, "The Solar Work." Both will make you hungry to hear this regal heptad of hymns in all its fullness. On November 23rd, Hua†a's Lux Initiatrix Terrae will see a physical release on a very limited run of 200 cassettes via Sludgelord Records and Seeing Red Records, with vinyl available via French label Music Fear Satan.

To satiate the appetite while we wait, Doomed & Stoned is pleased to bring you the record’s finale, "Third Eye Nation." Though belying in the trippy ambience of its opening moments, the 16-minute monolith soon overtakes the soul.

Give ear...

Lux Initiatrix Terrae by Huata

Interview by Shawn Gibson

with additional question by Billy Goate

Recently, I sent away for Hua†a's new cassette and can't wait to get it! I already have 'Open the Gates of Shambhala' (2010) and 'Atavist Of Mann' (2011), but 'Lux Initiatrix Terrae' (2018) is my first preorder. I must have listened to album's opening track, "The Mystical Beast Of Revelations," four of five times in one sitting already. I play it as loud as I can during my daily commute. It's an amazing song that takes me to places not of this earth! The vocals sound different than the first two albums. The music sounds more sharpened and honed, though still very much the Hua†a we know and love. The organs add to the uniqueness and mesh well with the heavy, doomy vibe of multi-faceted gem of doom, ritual, occult, and psych metal. It was high time we interviewed the band, I thought. Following is my recent exchange of words with , in which they take us behind the veil of secrecy for a rare look at the musical minds that make up Hua†a.   (Shawn)

☿

I used to have a radio show and played "Diving In The Swamp" and "The Imperial Wizard," which I absolutely love. Your new album comes out on November 23rd, which happens to coincide with a full moon. That's a great time to release an album, intentional I would imagine. I'll make sure to listen to 'Lux Initiatrix Terrae' under the light of the full moon and be transcended!

Ben: Thank you for those kind words. We like "Thee Imperial Wizard," too. It was a good song to play live, really deep and slow, as we enjoy.

Who is presently in the band?

Ben: I play bass in Hua†a and also guitars on Lux Initiatrix Terrae, plus fx and synths. I am responsible for a lot of the musical arrangements and composed both the music and lyrics with Ronan.

Ronan: Currently, Ben and I remain in the band, but the last album was recorded with David Barbe on drums and Gurvan Coulon on organ. At this point, we must say it's hard to hold Hua†a alive. We've had a lot of lineup changes. As the founder and last remaining from among the original members, I played with dozens of guys. I don't feel proud of it at all and I can't deny the help and devotion we had from many of the former members. I just wish I had not to deal with these lineup changes.

"At this point, we must tell the truth. There won't be Hua†a anymore."

So Hua†a is now a two-piece? What does that bode for the band's future?

Ronan: At this point, we must tell the truth: there won't be Hua†a anymore. This album will come as a posthumous album. This is due to musical disagreement and I now realize why many bands used the same argument and how it's difficult to explain! I personally don't want to stop playing music like Hua†a, because it's a strong thing I need to do in my life. Like, making it real, see? The thing is, Benjamin is at least as much in Hua†a as me and I can't deny it. So what I want to do now is make music again and all the ideas that could help me to make music like Hua†a did would be welcome.

Ben: As Ronan says, we weren't on the same page, musically and emotionally speaking, anymore after 10 years of doom worshiping to continue this project. We started to write this album in 2013, record it in 2015, and release it in 2018. This lapse of time weighted on us very much, in terms of how we wanted to continue this band. Our wills, visions, and expectations have changed throughout this hiatus and this split is for the best. Now I'm focusing on my other project, Fange, which grew up fast and good, as well as a new experimental hip-hop act called Bienveillance.

Lux Initiatrix Terrae by Huata

Who did the artwork for Lux Initiatrix Terrae?

Ronan: Ben has done all the artwork in Hua†a, from our first release onward. He did all the T-shirts, too, all of Hua†a's imagery remains his vision.

Related to that, when you’re not making music what do you like to do?

Ben: Creating visuals, having nice drinks and meals with friends, playing board games, watching the NBA, and listening to music, obviously.

Ronan: I am currently training for adults undergoing kite to become a Cook. I had a lot of jobs before. I'm like a regular guy; I like to eat, to drink. I like those good things we can take in this world, as I tend to be epicurean. For example, I like to drink and discover a lot of IPAs.

What's a damn good book you've read?

Ronan: I am now reading, again and again, 'The Morning of The Magicians' (1960) from Bergier and Pauwels, and I can tell that the power of this book remains in the themes it tackles. Hörbigers’s Welteislehre, especially, retains my fascination.

Ben: 'The Morning of the Magicians' is definitely inspiring and so is 'The Secret Doctrine' (1888) from Helena Blavatsky. A few books from Robert Charroux were also big inspirations for us in the writing of Hua†a's lyrics and philosophy. Otherwise, ‘2001, A Space Odyssey’ (1968) from Arthur C. Clarke is brilliant, as is the Kubrick's movie adaptation, my favorite of all.

What makes you laugh?

Ben: Monty Python, The IT Crowd, Black Books, Ricky Gervais, etcetera. English humor is the very best. Ace Ventura is also one of my favorites, along with Les Visiteurs.

Ronan: Monty Python! I love the absurd humor.

I love to cook and eat. What are some good French foods you love?

Ben: All of it, man. Don't mess with French people about food. This is more than a cultural institution here; it's a freakin' religion! (laughs) French gastronomy is a masterpiece -- from meats, cheeses, and wines, to fishes and seafood, to even offal, snails, and frogs. All are great, without mentioning the quality of our pastry. But if I had to choose one stuff it would be the bread. Everywhere else's bread is shit.

Ronan: (laughs) Well, I'm actually learning a lot about this topic, as a future Cook. I'm now attending to make a "Poulet vallée d'Auge," a chicken flamed with calvados -- yummy! -- cooked with onions, fresh cream from Isigny, mushrooms, cider, and all of this with roasted potatoes and a good Merlot from our many varieties of wine grapes.

What are your influences musically?

Ben: The first bands I ever listened to as a child were Magma, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, and a lot of '70s rock, thanks to my father, so these records really influenced my musical approach. Black Sabbath is the obvious one, because I'm devoted to the art of the riff. Also John Coltrane, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Zorn, and Trent Reznor are some composers I really admire, among many others. But for Hua†a, my influences were much more from the '70s psychedelic era than the doom-stoner one.

Ronan: I hear from my childhood rock, blues, folk and pop music. I'm not that much into metal music; I mean, not all of it. I'm now exploring some progressive rock music.

Hua†a is from Rennes, so I'm curious about some of the bands from area that you guys dig?

Ronan: I love Eat Roses. What they did was so deep and beautiful. Totorro also does good music. I'm not that much into thrash or death metal, but Hexecutor or Cadaveric Fumes are doing an excellent stuff. And the wave of garage rock bands -- I'm from Rennes -- is quite cool too, I even found Le druide du Gué Charette, which is from this wave and also wear monk robes like we did!

Ben: Eat Roses was the best, but DEAD and You, Vicious! are also quite good in the post-punk scene in Rennes, along with my mate, folk singer Dany von Del Baüt of Malaad Roy, and Straw Hair, who play hip-hop.

How is the metal scene in Rennes?

Ronan: There are the Roazhon Underground productions, Black Karma's new festival, and of course the "Tendresse et passion" scene. A lot of foreign bands visit the Mondo Bizarro or Terminus bars.

Ben: There was a big hardcore scene in Rennes in the late-'90s 'til the mid-2000s, but the metal scene didn't really grow up here. Can't say that there are obvious bands or venues, except the Mondo Bizarro, to really federate everyone, but some promoters are doing a good job to make it live.

What has been an awkward moment as a band?

Ben: Too much to remember, but most of them were more funny than weird moments, which makes good anecdotes, at least!

Ronan: There are so many I can't tell!

Your music has always had religious overtones, thematically and especially instrumentally -- namely through the use of organ. Do any of you have background in Christianity and Catholicism? I'm imagining, perhaps, the music of the cathedrals of your childhood, the grandiosity of the organ music there.

Some of us have been baptized and/or followed catechism class as children, but this has nothing to do with our reason for using an organ in our music, even if we are very impressed and enjoyed by organs in churches. There is nothing about religion in Hua†a, but there is spirituality and the will to cite many cults and convergences between ancient beliefs and occultism throughout history.

For this recording, what did you work with, organ-wise? It sounds like one of those incredible, elaborately piped church organs.

We would have loved to record a proper piped church organ, such as the one you can see on the alternative cover of Lux Initiatrix Terrae, but as with previous albums, we just recorded with a 1961 Hammond Organ -- which actually was used in a church in Brittany, back in the day. We chose to add an organ to our music because of our '70s musical background, but you're not completely wrong by saying that the majestic tones and serenity brought by the organ tones fit well with our musical purpose!

I'd love to probe the depths of each song, because I'm sure there are all kinds of fascinating details there our readers would love to know about. That said, I can understand if the band desires to preserve some mystery and leave it to the prerogative of the listener to search these things out. Certainly there are many rabbit trails to explore, not the least of which is the band's name.

Our lyrics and universe are very deep, indeed, and we do like to let our audience get into this if they want to. There is a big part of our work which remains hidden -- that's the purpose of the occult. To be honest, only a few really dug the lyrics, which are written in an ancient German code in our records, so you have to unscramble them in the graph way and by their meaning and references.

That is truly fascinating. Also, I noticed there were quite a number of contributing artists credited on the record.

We have had so many musicians throughout the years that it might be difficult to follow, I admit! We recorded Lux Initiatrix Terrae with a proper line-up, but summoned several extra-musicians to help us in expanding our musical palette. Their collaborations were even very mysterious, as we didn't meet in person with any of them -- except Laetitia, whom Ronan knows. They all recorded their own parts. We've only reached out to them with ideas of what we wanted and they managed to write what we were expecting.

I imagine there was a deliberate rationale for this?

Nothing extravagant, I'm afraid. They were just living in different areas of Brittany and the recording process took place in several spots over a two-year period. But it definitely fits the purpose not knowing who they are and having no interactions with them.

Not to end on a sour note, but I’m saddened to hear this is perhaps Hua†a's last album!

The decision to split apart was quit recent, but we were already in a hiatus for three years and no ceremonial activities in four years. As you may have gathered, we're a bit outside all these preoccupations we had back in the days, but it's always interesting and a pleasure to picture the whole frame of Hua†a with new disciples!

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~By Jamie LaRose~

Photographs by Burning Moon

'Wasteland' (2018), the latest offering from Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, will melt your brain. This pleasurable trip induced via neuron-altering sound will send you on a ride into the void of dilapidated humanity, then back to earth in an awakening.

We had the chance to visit with Uncle Acid founding member Kevin Starrs about the new album and his own inspiring musical journey. He also indulged some unusual fan questions.

Come trip with us.

"At the end I was sick everywhere."

I was curious about the narrative underlying 'Wasteland.' Is it a follow-up to the story behind 'Mind Control' (2013)?

It’s funny, I never really thought of much similarity between the two albums. There is an underlying theme of manipulation, propaganda, and things like that, which were sort of touched on in Mind Control. Wasteland is a little more fragmented, almost like fragments from a memory disc or something like that, that’s all been shattered and thrown together. So although all of the songs relate to each other, it’s not so much of a linear story as the other albums are.

That makes sense. The title track seems to encompass a wide array of styles, from the 1960s to present, with its melodies, harmonies and psychedelic dissonance. I feel like a time traveler. Do you think music is a true form of time travel?

Yeah, you know, you associate memories with certain sounds. In this particular track, as you say, there are so many different influences on that. It wasn’t really intentional, that was just the way it kind of panned out in the end. That’s actually one of my favorite tracks of the album, just the way it turned out. I think it came out really great.

I agree. Mind blowing.

Thank you.

"Even if we have a pristine recording, I’ll do whatever I can to destroy it."

I had my headphones on, I sat back, and I kind of lost myself in that track “Exodus” after I had listened to the album and I found myself startled. This has happened before, when I was listening to that Jimi Hendrix song, “The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice,” for the first time. I got into the groove with "Exodus" and there’s this weird, kind of heartbeat sound coming in and it took me off guard. I almost forgot I was listening and then it snapped me into a different place.

That’s great. I mean, that’s sort of the idea of it. It’s to mold you into a false sense of security, then you’re going along and all the sudden it stops -- that part about the mercenary or whatever, that sawing sound like somebody’s skull is being sawed open and gets stuck into the brain, and there’s all kinds of panning and effects that swell around your brain. Especially if you say you listened to it on headphones, it can be quite disorientating. When I finished this album, finished mixing it and listened to it straight through for the first time, at the end I was sick everywhere. For whatever reason, it made me feel very uneasy, I don’t know if it was the music or because I had worked on it so hard, but it was quite strange to just vomit after you’ve finished an album like that.

It almost surrounds the part of your brain where you’re unable to escape from it. It makes sense to have felt that way, that’s how it happened for me, as well!

Nice. I’m glad.

So what's the story behind 'Wasteland'?

It was based not in a desert wasteland, but a city wasteland, with large, boned-out buildings. Loads of propaganda and things like that. The story just evolved as I was writing it.

Before this interview, I asked fans is they had some questions for you. Here's an unusual one to start: "How do you feel about spirit animals?"

Spirit animals. You know, I’ve never really thought about that.

Like if you have a dream or event that involves an animal coming to you?

I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that sort of thing.

Seemed like something that was possible.

Well, maybe. I mean, I’m not really sure what kind of spirit animal I would be, to be honest.

Another fan question I got frequently was, "Who's Uncle?" Are you?

I guess that would be me, yeah. I started it and I used that name in the beginning “Uncle Acid” just because, you know, I didn’t think it was going to get anywhere. It was just kind of a small project and I wanted to remain anonymous. It made sense to take a name like that, but as the band grew a lot bigger and it became an international thing, I didn’t want it to become a character that I had to play -- you know, some fucking whatever -- so I thought, "We’ll scrap the idea and I can just use a different sort of name" and became K. R. Starrs and then Kevin Starrs. There’s just all different kind of ways of putting it, so it can be quite confusing for people.

You go by many names, perhaps you have not settled yet? There’s probably another form that will somehow emerge.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. There could be, yeah.

"It was just kind of a small project and I wanted to remain anonymous."

I had another fan question, "Would consider doing a Cactus cover in Uncle Acid style?" They suggested “One Way or Another.”

You know, I’ve never really thought about doing a Cactus song. I guess “Evil” would be a good one to do. That was the first Cactus song I ever heard, so that could work. It’s always good to do sort of unusual songs for covers. I’ve got a couple of ideas that we could use as B-sides if we ever need them, strange covers that maybe people would be a little bit surprised with.

I had a somewhat strange request from someone who asked if you could live in their basement, because it wasn’t doomy enough. In relationship to that, I was wondering if you’ve gotten strange fan requests and what the strangest request might have been.

It tends to happen in the U.S. amazingly. I remember meeting someone and he wanted me to sign his pickle jar. He had like and empty, large pickle jar. He was very adamant. I don’t know what he was going to put in it, but he was adamant that it needed to be signed by me.

That can go in a lot of different directions. Like, you’ve signed a jar that something can go into.

It could be some body parts -- anything, really. I mean, you never know.

I live in Florida by way of Portland, Oregon and the last time I saw your band was in Philadelphia, you were playing with Danava. I know you’ve toured with them a couple of times and I’m a huge fan, as well. How you did like touring with Danava and what other bands have you enjoyed sharing the stage with?

We’ve been pretty lucky, as we’ve gotten to tour with a lot of really great bands. Static Vision, I really love what they’re doing. We’ve got Blood Ceremony coming up here and we’re really excited about that, we’ve been looking to tour with them for a long time. I’ve been a fan of theirs since their very first album and I love everything that they’ve done. It’s always just been difficult to get schedules to match up. We finally got a window of opportunity to tour, so we are really looking forward to that. And, of course, as you say, Danava -- one of the best, the best band in America, in my opinion. Greg’s always been very supportive of us, as well, so we always have a good time touring with those guys.

In the album, I hear a kind of '80s metal influence with theatrical stylings muffled down into psychedelic tones and that brain-mesh we spoke about. What are some of your most notable influences to date?

Pink Floyd is a huge influence, especially on this one. Pink Floyd, as well as Roger Waters solo stuff. He makes albums that are very immersive, it goes back to using sound effects and spoken word, and sound samples of voices. He always does that on his albums and it makes it immersive for the listener, adding a sort of paranoia feeling to it sometimes. So, yeah, Pink Floyd, I love that band. Neil Young is a huge influence, as is Simon and Garfunkel.

I always assume that people aren’t going to like it.

You have a style that transcends time. Someone could recognized Uncle Acid as a band from the '60s, but with the modern attributes of mixing and mastering. It feels so expansive. You’ve been able to cover so much ground, using musically recognizable forms from each era without replicating the bands that influenced you. How do you pull off this unique sound?

I just write to my particular tastes. I always assume that people aren’t going to like it. So, if you have that in mind, any sort of good reaction is going to be unexpected, really. We’re not trying to recreate anything that’s happened in the past, I just have a specific sound that I like. Sometimes that’s contrary to what’s going on currently, especially on the production side.

A lot of the metal production is very clean and you can hear every single element of the drums and everything is perfectly in place. It’s all really sterile and I really don’t like that sort of thing, so I go in the exact opposite direction. Even if we have a pristine recording, I’ll do whatever I can to destroy it, run it through preamps, and turn everything up. I make it sound kind of disgusting, the opposite of what’s popular at the moment. We use a mixture of analog and digital, as well. There is a place for digital in recording, you can make it sound really good. We’re not specifically trying to recreate anything from the past, but I guess because our music production is so different from a lot of the modern productions. People just assume that it’s trying to be like that.

Speaking of the modern production in relationship to your process, do you use vintage equipment in recording?

It’s a mix, really. A lot of the guitars we use are new, made in the last 10-15 years. I’ve used an amp from 1958 and an amp from 1972 and then an amp from 2005. Whatever sounds good, basically, we’ll use. In the studio that we used, they had a lot of great, old vintage equipment, stuff that’s been in there for 50 years. Microphones and tape machines and echo chambers that we used were used on classic records, and we got to use them.

The recording studio that you use, do you know of the history of the equipment that you have been able to record with?

Yeah, we’ve recorded at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles for the main tracking. That’s where the first couple of Van Halen records were made, Neil Young recorded there, the Stones, Zeppelin, The Doors. I mean, it’s just a who’s who, all these classic albums were made there. There is something about those rooms that held a sort of vibe to the place, which definitely helps. You feel this sort of leisure gain, because you’re playing in a place where you know so much great music has been recorded. You want to up your game a little bit to match that.

"Question everything and keep your mind open."

It sounds like that studio would be very filled with their presence in a way, if you have that sort of sentiment about spaces.

Yeah, absolutely!

Do you have a message to the universe from Uncle Acid or Kevin Starrs?

Question everything and keep your mind open. That’s it, really. In a lot of our albums, we present stories where if people would question things maybe it wouldn’t have turned out as bad for the people on the albums. A lot of the time, people just fall for the propaganda, they fall for what they’re told, and it always ends terribly for them. All of our albums have that theme of just things going terribly wrong for people.

Question Your Destiny

Jamie LaRose reviews Uncle Acid's new heart-stopping spin

The fifth album by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, 'Wasteland' (2018 - Rise Above Records), is filled with questions -- questions one needs to ask to avert the miry void of a dismal, propaganda-filled eternity. Uncle Acid is Kevin R. Starrs (lead guitar, vocals, organ) and the Deadbeats are Vaughn Stokes (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Rice (drums), and Justin Smith (bass). The narrative of these songs begs us to interrogate our reality by asking "What's real?" In a dismal, decayed, apocalyptic world, the way to find escape is through a journey. From beginning to end, the psychedelic melodies will keep the soul alert through its dark night. The album contains extreme mastery of a personal style orchestrated by the infamous Uncle Acid himself. Trust me when I say it will affect your brain chemistry.

The storyline of Wasteland has us constantly second guessing ourselves as we're guided by the tones of insanity. “See Through You” will gives a launching point into space. It sounds as if you are being launched into a rocket where you will meet this very tune in the expansive voids of outer worlds. The best way to experience the album in the most immersive way would be to listen with a nice pair of headphones. The intricacies of the chaos created will become so intense that you have to wonder if you’re listening to something interdimensional. After speaking with Kevin Starrs, the creation comes to life in a different way, yet everything makes sense when he explains that the reaction you feel was intended.

Music Video by Gryphus Visuals

Kevin Starrs has gone by many different names throughout his time with the band, yet his style always remains outstandingly individualistic and organic. There are hints of many different styles throughout the record, from groovy psychedelic rock and '80s hair metal to the futuristic possibilities of unknown noise. It is apparent that the influences he referenced most, such as Pink Floyd, come into play in the writing process. Even though the nature of this record has obvious influences, drawing from a wide array of inspirations, there is not the slightest indication that it is contrived in any way. The style is well-developed by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats and thus distinctly their own.

There is something about this writing style that focuses intricately on brain invasion. The final track, “Exodus,” is a great example of neural integration within this musical masterpiece. While listening, I became entranced by the lulling melody of the swaying guitar riffs, quintessential Uncle Acid vocals, and the snazzy high hats. This comforting sound is like a rocking chair, with a quality of restless relaxation. Finding myself enraptured by this hypnotism, I sank further into a state of calmness. This came towards the end, right when a decision must be made. In the outro, I was awakened to memories of the album in its entirety, as if I was waking from a dream. The enrapturing nature of this song affected me greatly. I felt confused, lost. As soon as I realized I was still listening to the album, I awoke a new person with a piece of myself curious to hear my own heartbeat. It wasn’t my heartbeat, was it? No, it was the awakening.

Film by Billy Goate

Overall, the experience of listening to the new Uncle Acid album for the first time was much more than I ever expected. Each time I hear the songs in succession, I encounter an invasion in my head. Finding the truth is hidden within the questions we ask ourselves and Uncle Acid has let us in on this discovery. In order to find oneself, we must take a look inward. If that doesn’t work, take a look at your realm of outward influences and you will discover yourself once more in the Wasteland.

Follow The Band

~By Jamie LaRose~

Art by Brian Crabaugh

Portland, Oregon sensation HOLY GROVE are back, following up their highly successful debut with a second full-length, simply titled 'II' (2018 - Ripple Music). The band, comprised of Andrea Vidal (vox), Trent Jacobs (guitar), Gregg Emley (bass), and Eben Travis (drums), deliver a record that entices thoughtful distraction. I listened to it sitting peacefully on a cool and breezy fall evening under the darkness of the dimly starlit sky.

Throughout the album (capably engineered once again by Billy Anderson), there are moments of heavy hitting guitar solos, intricate drum sections, groovy bass, and beautifully poetic vocals. II has an evocative quality, with long, soaring melodic phrases that lull the listener into a dream-state, couched between more of the heavy head-swaying action we loved so much on 'Holy Grove' (2016 - Heavy Psych Sounds). Jacobs can satisfy the auditory needs of a wide range of guitar fans and Vidal’s vocals are positively entrancing.

II by Holy Grove

During "Valley of the Mystics," for example, I found myself looking skyward immediately as the song began. Something about the music invited a glance at the heavens above tree branches swaying in a light Florida wind. Before I realized this may have been the intention, Vidal delivers a telling vocal line:

Memories of horrors from the past, buried the strange from their years of greed, of greed and decay.

Point to the sky, and hope you're not right.

Holy Grove's previous record had moments hinting at this direction, but the culmination of their sound on the latest effort is simply striking. You'll feel as if, too, have been heading there the whole time. The aligning lyrics and sound match flawlessly, resulting in a mentally interactive ride.

Jacobs captures a leading voice with intense, hard-hitting solos, as well as peacefully dreary lullabies. The switching of voices in the guitar made me feel as if I was suddenly in a lucid dream, with nowhere to hide once the slower parts revealed themselves. During the moments of repose highlighting singular instruments, Travis nails the articulation. When the drums themselves are in the spotlight, they take on a light-hearted spirit. This, coupled with the emotive tones of Emley's bass, creates an atmosphere unlike anything you're likely to encounter in the waking world.

Each song is well-crafted to entertain each musician's style and personality, tying them perfectly together into one chilling, melodic production. While listening, I couldn't help foot-tapping and head-swaying. There are moments that evoke dance, which awakened potential to explore new ways of feeling about the music. For someone who does not frequently dance while wearing headphones, let me warn you that it was unavoidable during the ethereal, deathly vocals of “Cosmos.”

With all the characteristics of a full-on live experience, Holy Grove's II offers the listener a gloriously doomy environment in which to think, feel, and move. The composition is thoughtful, inspiring, and elegiac. I particularly look forward to experiencing the pairing of these five songs with a Solaris Rye Pale Ale. If you enjoyed the band's first record, get ready for more fiery singing, wicked guitar solos, and rambunctious rhythms that reveal dreamy new horizons and cosmic insights.

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~By Clem Helvete~

Live Photographs Courtesy of ByMetal

Photo by Allison Gandar Photographie

There’s just no way around it, CULT OF OCCULT is one of a kind among the French scene. To be honest, I think the band is one of a kind, period. But that’s like, my opinion, man. Rare are the interviews with the quartet from Lyon and let’s just say that their reputation usually precedes them. Truth be told, Cult of Occult couldn’t care less about scene gossip and is only here to deliver earth-shattering, bleak music which leaves the listener wondering what the hell just happened. Leaning more towards the musical entity than the traditional band, Cult of Occult focuses on making its sound evolve with each album and lets the music speak for itself.

In order to fully understand where Cult of Occult’s new album stands, it is essential to put it in context by talking a bit about the band’s previous effort first. The devastating Five Degrees of Insanity was released in 2015 and is a no-hold-barred statement in brutality and heaviness. The fascinating artwork perfectly illustrates the music and lyrics and the album is filled with anxiety-inducing, slow-pace, downtuned riffs coming together to create jarring soundscapes.

Although this may sound over the top, it is exactly what Cult of Occult is: over the top. The music is extreme, difficult to get into, and may feel actually physically taxing to non-initiated listeners. It is pretty clear that the band has no intention to do the work for you and will not compromise in order to appeal to a wider audience. Absolutely no effort is made to alleviate the tension or ease you into the music.

To say that Cult of Occult’s next release was anticipated is an understatement, but how would it top the savage energy and ruthlessness of Five Degrees of Insanity?

For the next three years following the release of the album, the four headed beast toured extensively through Europe, sharpening its teeth and digging its claws into the European scene. In 2017, it was announced that Cult of Occult’s next album would be released on Music Fear Satan, home of French heavy hitters Hangman’s Chair. The album, titled 'ANTI LIFE' (2018), would be composed of one “song” divided into four tracks. The title made complete sense, the band is rather well-known for its misanthropic attitude, but the one song thing felt a bit gimmicky at the time as Bell Witch’s Mirror Reaper had basically just came out and crushed everything in its way. Was this format about to become the next attention-grabbing trick in the doom scene? As soon as the pre orders were open, I purchased my copy of Anti Life and waited impatiently. Fast-forward a month or two later, this is when I realized what a foolish mistake it was to doubt Cult of Occult’s ability to subvert expectations.

There is a lot to unpack here, and it may take quite a while to form a fully-fleshed out opinion on the album. Yes, it’s an overwhelming piece of music. Yes, you have to push through the thick layers of sound and fuzz to make your way through the album. Yes, you will feel like you just got punched in the gut. But, what a rewarding experience it is!

Anti Life clocks in at 53 minutes and 30 seconds. Yet, it will make you lose track of time and you won’t realize that almost an hour has passed by the time the last feedback fades away. Each part is seamlessly connected to the next one and every single element has a precise role to play in the creation of this airtight, four-act, monster of a song. The record feels like one intricate piece of music and the structure is far from being gimmicky. It is actually difficult, if not impossible, to think of Anti Life as anything but one monolithic composition.

Just like Five Degrees of Insanity, the artwork of Anti Life is a visual manifestation of the album’s overall themes and atmosphere. It is dark, hard to grasp, it feels like moving through a haze surrounded by strange silhouettes, and it becomes increasingly mesmerizing the more you come back to it.

So how was Cult of Occult able to top the heaviness and brutality of Five Degrees of Insanity without becoming a goofy parody of itself? Well, the band managed to pull it off by adding depth and dynamics to the music. When it comes to creating contrast, Anti Life is an outstanding accomplishment. Cult of Occult plays with rhythms and atmospheres to make heavy even heavier. Of course, the production is what you would expect from such an album. It sounds aggressive and every single note hits you right in the chest.

ANTI LIFE by Cult Of Occult

The album starts with a slow build-up of feedback culminating in the first strike of the album. A gut wrenching roar forms the words “I want to get out! Stop it now!” as the instruments are menacingly and slowly hammering in the background. The agonizing riff is played at a crawling speed, the guitar and bass sound abrasive and the mood is incredibly heavy. The slow pounding drums drenched in reverb and combined with long dragging chords give the impression of being imprisoned in an endless void where a dull buzzing noise keeps echoing. This impression is reinforced by corrosive vocals shouting “I’ve lost my mind, mentally and physically ill.” Every single element plays a part in establishing that there is no escape possible.

“Every night, full of drugs and liquor, I see, floating above my bed, the Devil. This woman in white dress, Satan herself.”

ANTI LIFE by Cult Of Occult

With the second act comes the feeling that all hell is about to break loose. The tempo slowly intensifies then suddenly comes to a halt while eerie sounds take over. A razor-sharp guitar lead reels you in through the thick fog created by the bass and drums as the vocalist shouts his way to insanity.

ANTI LIFE by Cult Of Occult

The third part begins with “Those Walls! Asylum! Asylum!” as the guitar, bass, and drums are once again pounding together. The track slows down and languidly creeps to what is, without a doubt, my favorite moment in the album. As the rhythm section hammers a funeral dirge, the guitar launches in a forlorn sounding lead comprised of multiple layers, which builds up to the climax of the track.

ANTI LIFE by Cult Of Occult

This is where the last “movement” of Anti Life, and the final step towards irreversible madness, starts. Cult of Occult is back doing what it does best, pounding flesh and bones to a pulp. The faint guitar in the background is joined by a spellbinding and disturbing melody as the album comes to a close.

I’d rather not spoil the experience by revealing too much about the final notes of Anti Life. All I’ll say is that Cult of Occult closes this impressive piece of work masterfully.

There is no questioning it, the band has managed an impressive feat on many levels and clearly has a better grasp on its sound and craft than ever before. The members of Cult of Occult are known for their enthusiasm for cheap, strong, canned beer and one could say this album feels somewhat similar. Anti Life is intoxicating. It doesn’t look pretty and polished but it will hit you hard, make your head spin, rattle your bones, and leave you lifeless on the curb. If heavy and dark means anything to you, you will come back to it over and over, only to hear new layers and details with each listening.

Cult of Occult launch their West Coast tour alongside Cloven and Dark Castle this week, beginning tonight at Black Lodge in Seattle. Do not miss out on this one! If listening to one of the band’s album is quite something, it is nothing compared to experiencing it live. The amps are deafeningly loud, the atmosphere is so thick you can cut it with a knife, every beat feels like being hit by an unseen force, every note adds to the oppressive atmosphere, and the vocals will shred your ears and heart. Leave all hope at the door and let the thick wall of distortion and heavy pounding take over. Trust me, it’s worth it.

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Cult of Occult Stage West Coast Invasion!

                                       ️11/13 - Seattle, WA at the Black Lodge

                                       11/14 - Portland, OR at High Water Mark

                                       11/15 - Eugene, OR at Old Nick's Pub

                                       11/16 - Oakland, CA at Eli's Mile High

                                       11/17 - Los Angeles, CA at Los Globos

~By Tom Hanno~

Editor's Note:

I've always had an internal tug of war about rushing to review new albums. As it turns out, most of our writers feel the same way. Thus, we continue our series called "Second Spin" to give consideration to records that we think deserve a trip around your turntable and a place in your collection. Over to you, Tom!   (Billy Goate)

          An age of violence and magic.                             A world of uncertainty.                                         A soundtrack to a time forgotten by man.

Over the last few years, a band called HYBORIAN has been kicking up a real dust storm out of Kansas City. Last year, they self-released 'Hyborian, Vol. 1' (2017) digitally, which was subsequently picked up by Season of Mist and reissued on vinyl and compact disc in February.

Vol. 1 is six tracks of straight-up metal in the vein of Leviathan-era Mastodon -- only way better, in my opinion. This spring, Hyborian hit the road with Weedeater and Bask and I was in attendance to cover their March 22nd show for the Fuzz Heavy Podcast. I want to thank Hyborian for setting me up with my admission and for hanging out to chat with me. You guys rule on and off stage, too!

“We're pretty big into old-school Metallica and stuff like that, but everybody in this band worships Matt Pike,” says the band's frontman and guitarist, Martin Bush. “While we don't really sound like Sleep, and we're a lot more progressive than High on Fire is, that stark, straightforward raw aesthetic is really what we're going for.” In my opinion, they definitely hit that straight forward mark head on.

Photo by Jason Newton

What's more, the concept of the new record is very cool, but I’ll let them explain: “Lyrics, artwork, and everything tie into their concept of an interstellar, extra-dimensional being called the Traveler -- that cloaked figure on the cover of the record. Hyborian is the Traveler's chosen mouthpiece for this time in existence. He touched history, and at this place and time, so the band tells his legends from the time before written language.”

This album is full of bludgeoning guitar riffs, thunderous drumming, and killer singing. The vibe that runs through it all is full of frantic energy and never lets up from the first track (“As Above, So Below”) to the last (“Dross”). Riff after riff, the massive dogpile of awesome just crushes you with its intensity. Martin Bush has a phenomenal vocal approach, sounding as for all the world as if he’s crawled out from the very depths of hell. I like that he and Ryan Bates trade off on the vox here, as it adds another standout element to Hyborian as a band. The two come across expertly on stage, as well.

Hyborian: Vol. I by Hyborian

I mentioned earlier that Hyborian's music has an early-Mastodon feel about it and this comes in the form of some of the more progressively tinted leads. I know a lot of people that would really enjoy this aspect of their sound. Turns out, the guys dig Metallica, too, and in “Dross” you can hear that influence, with its thrashy rhythm work and guitar tone. It has a rawness that I find to be highly enjoyable.

I urge you all to check out this extremely talented band, because I have a feeling that they will be around for a while. Ryan even alluded to that while we talked, stating that they plan to come back through my neck of the woods in the Syracuse area as many as possible times. Vol. 1 is an example of everything that is right with metal and it deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. As per my usual, there will be links below to help you get started on a fascinating journey of your own with Hyborian. Enjoy!

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