Today, the hazy and hypnotic duo Belong share the closing track from their upcoming album, Realistic IX.
‘AM/PM’ is a driving track full of static which rounds off the album on an uptempo and propulsive note.
Realistic IX, the third full-length by the duo of Michael Jones and Turk Dietrich, aka Belong, is both an expansion and excavation of their signature acid-washed songcraft. Bleached guitars, metronomic drums, and buried voices rev, swirl, and seethe across shifting gradients of haze and hypnosis, alternately driving and diffuse. Melodies surge closer to the surface, flexing their form before resubmerging into quickening currents of feedback. Elsewhere the elements dissipate into a dusk of murk and microtonalities, electricity liberated back into infinite night.
Although it’s been 13 years since Belong’s prior Kranky offering, Common Era, none of the duo’s rare synergy has decayed in the interim. Jones and Dietrich’s commitment to oblique states of motorik drone and liminal emotion continues to evolve and unfold, increasingly tactile and unreal, an alluring glow glimpsed through fogged windows at witching hours.
Listen to ‘AM/PM’ here:
Realistic IX will be released via kranky on 9th August.
Uniform announce their fifth solo album, American Standard, today, to be released on 23rd August via Sacred Bones. The first single ‘This Is Not A Prayer’ is a driving force of a song, propelled by the dual drums of Michael Sharp and Michael Blume.
The album is surely Uniform’s most cohesive and intimate work to date, tackling themes of self-destruction and with a particular focus on vocalist Michael Berdan’s bulimia nervosa – reader discretion is advised when looking at the biography below. About the album and the first single ‘This Is Not A Prayer’, Berdan comments; “Although our new record is best experienced as one cohesive piece, it isn’t exactly Dopesmoker. The songs on American Standard feed into an overarching narrative with the goal of retaining their own individual identities.
“Existing in the netherworld between Public Image Ltd. and Butthole Surfers, “This Is Not A Prayer” best exemplifies the bludgeoning percussive interplay between dual drummers Michael Sharp and Michael Blume. Similar to bands like Swans or even Meshuggah, the guitar, bass, and vocals on this track act in complete service to what’s happening on the kits. The song is as purely rhythmic as we’ve ever dared to attempt, and we hope that these beats will take you where you need to go. Drums should serve as lead instruments in extreme music more often, but I digress…
“Thematically, ‘This Is Not A Prayer’ touches on the internal paradox that I’ve experienced while in the throes of an eating disorder. It’s about how the best I’ve ever felt about my physical appearance came when the people I love have told me that I look sick. Rather than taking their concerns to heart, I internalized these sentiments as proof that I was on the right track. I was not.”
Buckle in and brace yourselves for that brutal double-drum barrage and listen to ‘This Is Not A Prayer’ here:
Press Photo By Joshua Zucker-Pluda & Sean Stout Pictured: Founding Members Ben Greenberg (Guitar), Michael Berdan (Vocals) Not Pictured: Mike Sharp (Drums), Brad Truax (Bass), Michael Blume (Drums)
Decline and Fall, a new Dark Wave project from Portugal formed by Armando Teixeira, Hugo Santos and Ricardo S. Amorim, is thrilled to announce the release of the music video for ‘Gloom,’ the haunting title track from their debut EP.
The ‘Gloom’ EP features four evocative tracks, each creating a dense and disturbing atmosphere with glimpses into the darkest corners of the human psyche. Armando Teixeira, a pioneer of EBM and Industrial in Portugal, brings his vast and award-winning experience to the project. Known for his influential work with Ik Mux, Bizarra Locomotiva, and Balla, among others, Teixeira’s return to his roots in post-punk, new wave, and industrial is marked by a matured artistic vision and evolved technical expertise.
Joining him is Ricardo S. Amorim, author of Culto Eléctrico and Wolves Who Were Men – The History of Moonspell, and Hugo Santos from Process of Guilt, whose exploration of heaviness and rhythmic intensity adds a unique dimension to the project.
‘Paint It All in Blue’ is the second taster from Norwegian band Mayflower Madame’s highly anticipated third album Insight, out on 1st November via Night Cult Records/ Up In Her Room/Icy Cold Records.
Following first single ‘A Foretold Ecstasy’, which refined their signature blend of post-punk, shoegaze and psychedelia into a sharper soundscape, the new offering instantly puts a spell on you with its throbbing bass lines, motorik drums and hypnotic guitars, until it opens up midway, leaving you drifting in a sea of dreamy melancholia.
The emotional intensity is heightened by frontman Trond Fagernes’ deeply reverberating lyrics about addiction and escapism when love is experienced as a drug. Combining the rhythmic grooves of krautrock and post-punk with the dazzling atmospherics of shoegaze and neo-psychedelia, ‘Paint It All in Blue’ is a profoundly dynamic song unfolding layer by layer.
Watch the video here:
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Over the past years, Mayflower Madame have gained a reputation far beyond their hometown of Oslo, Norway. Following the release of their debut album Observed in a Dream in 2016, which received rave reviews and earned them tours across Europe and North America, their 2020 sophomore album Prepared for a Nightmare firmly established their position as one of the continent’s leading purveyors of cinematic psych-gaze swathed in 1980s dark romanticism.
In 2022, the band returned to touring the UK and Europe, while last year it focused on writing and recording new music and releasing a Deluxe Version of Prepared for a Nightmare containing 5 new bonus tracks.
Their upcoming album has been mixed and mastered by renowned Italian engineer Maurizio Baggio (The Soft Moon, Boy Harsher, The Vacant Lots). It will be released digitally via their label Night Cult Records (Norway), on vinyl via Up In Her Room (UK) and on CD via Icy Cold Records (France).
Mayflower Madame is Trond Fagernes (vocals, guitar, bass) and Ola J. Kyrkjeeide (drums). On studio recordings, they are joined by Kenneth Eknes (synths). "Paint It All in Blue" also features Rune Øverby (guitar).
French atmospheric doom collective IXION has just revealed their latest video for the song ‘The Advent,’ directed by Hugo Le Beller and featuring performances by Raphaël Mars and Irène Bonnot.
The track is off the band’s newest EP ‘Restriction,’ and marks another exciting prelude to their highly anticipated fifth studio album, Evolution, set to be released in late October via Finisterian Dead End/Season of Mist.
“We are so excited to share with you this video for ‘The Advent’!” says the band. “The song is about androids working to replicate emotions, and the first of them to finally experience feelings. We tried to create a short story around this theme, playing with characters and surroundings…”
‘The Advent’ offers a visually stunning and thought-provoking glimpse into a world where androids strive to understand and emulate human emotions. The narrative weaves a short story that aligns perfectly with the overarching concept of their upcoming album, Evolution.
Don’t miss the captivating new video for ‘The Advent’ here:
Following the critically acclaimed L’Adieu aux Etoiles, Evolution is divided into three parts, each delving into different aspects of the human-android relationship. The album is an enthralling blend of progressive metal, melancholic, and atmospheric doom, showcasing IXION’s unique sound.
The first part of the album, ‘Extinction,’ was released on April 16 and explores humanity’s struggle with mortality amidst rapidly advancing android technology. The second part, ‘Restriction,’ released on June 14, takes listeners on a sci-fi, electronic, and ambient doom-metal journey, depicting androids’ quest for emancipation and a closer connection to human emotions.
Originally formed in 2004 as a solo project by main composer and multi-instrumentalist Julien Prat, IXION has established a distinctive presence in the doom metal scene. Their innovative fusion of ambient/electronic music with atmospheric doom metal draws inspiration from science fiction, creating a unique and immersive auditory experience.
The new single from UK metalheads Orange Goblin’s hugely anticipated new album Science, Not Fiction is out today. The track, titled ‘The Fire at the Centre of the Earth is Mine’, follows ‘(Not) Rocket Science’ and ‘Cemetary Rats’ as the third single to be taken from the album and is accompanied by a new lyric video by Matt Vickerstaff. Watch it here:
Speaking about the new track, singer and lyricist Ben Ward said, “We are very proud to present our new single ‘The Fire at the Centre of the Earth is Mine’. We consider this a very ‘typical’ Orange Goblin song… uptempo, melodic and instantly catchy, with all the ingredients of classic Heavy Metal! it’s the perfect way to kickstart the new Orange Goblin album! Lyrically, it’s about how we can’t change our past, but as the rest of the world is seemingly falling apart, we all have a chance to change our future. We are very excited about adding this banger to the live set at future shows!”
Orange Goblin’s new album Science, Not Fiction is their first since 2018’s The Wolf Bites Back and marks the band’s arrival on legendary metal label Peaceville. The album is inspired by a diverse range of influences, including spirituality, science, religion, and the band’s love for the sci-fi genre – “The title ‘Science, Not Fiction’ to me summarises how the world and everything we know is based on 3 fundamental things: Science, Spirituality and Religion” says Ben Ward. “It’s no secret that the band and I have always had a strong interest in vintage science fiction (particularly the dystopian kind!) and cosmic horror, whether that is movies, literature or just plain old imagery”.
For the last 30 years, Orange Goblin, London-based hard rock lifers, have tirelessly flown the flag for all out heavy metal and maximum rock ‘n’ roll. Driven by passion, persistence and heartfelt love for metal’s dark magic, Orange Goblin have always been a vital force and a risk-free bet. But while some may be content to trade on past glories, Orange Goblin view heavy metal as a lifelong pursuit. In 2024, they open a new chapter in their heroic saga, marking it with the release of their tenth studio album: Science, Not Fiction.
Photo by Tina Korhonen, astrophotography courtesy of Giancarlo Erra
WE ARE WINTER’S BLUE AND RADIANT CHILDREN (WAWBARC) is the new quartet of Mat Ball (BIG|BRAVE), Efrim Manuel Menuck (Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion), and Jonathan Downs and Patch One (both Ada). On NO MORE APOCALYPSE FATHER they present six modal lullabies drenched in seared distortion, slathered across striding electronic pulses.
Ball and Menuck began creating music in and for the bleakest moments of Montréal winters: “We’re honoring that idea of winter, when you come inside and your house is warm, a place that only exists because of how cold it is outside,” says Menuck. They later recruited Downs and Patch to flesh out their initial ideas—Menuck met first them in 2015 when recording Ada’s final self-titled album at Montréal’s Hotel2Tango, the same studio where WAWBARC convened to make this record.
The album is out September 13th on Constellation. Meanwhile, you can hear the title track here:
London-based musician/composer Ian Williams has released a new single entitled ‘Chronopolis’ today. Taking its title from a J.G. Ballard short story, it is an edited version of a track from his current album, Slow-Motion Apocalypse.
An accompanying video was shot in Canary Wharf in London. It highlights the clock-watching and surveillance of the workforce (facial recognition, keystroke logging and anything else they can think of) that makes the vast multinational corporations located in this financial heart of the beast untaxed billions, leaving crumbs that the average worker is supposed to feel grateful for.
The epic soundtrack to this scenario perfectly encapsulates the colossal architecture and human hive of activity, with hyperactive sequencer lines agitating under soaring lead synths as towering piano chords and immense drumbeats propel the whole machine along.
Ian Williams began his music career in Edinburgh in the mid 1980s as a founder of Beautiful Pea Green Boat, whose ethereal, atmospheric sound pre-dated the vogue for dream pop by at least twenty years. Several collaborations with Lebanese choreographer Joumana Mourad and her contemporary dance company Ijad saw him fuse Arabic/classical/techno/ambient styles, following which he changed tack to work with singer Claudia Barton as Gamine, releasing two albums of dark, piano-led torch songs and lullabies.
Williams’ own releases include THE DREAM EXTORTIONISTS (2019), a debut solo album of dark piano and electronics; LES BLESSURES INVISIBLES (2019), an eclectic electronic soundtrack to a documentary film by French director Eric Michel, and ALL BECOMES DESERT (2021), an album of minimalist ambiences and warm analogue soundscapes.
Williams has also composed the soundtrack to Michel’s new WW2 spy documentary, LE MYSTÈRE LUCIE (Code Name Lucy), which will be released in July. Further details will follow in due course.
VUUR & ZIJDE (‘Fire & Silk’) reveal the closing track ‘Naakt’ (‘Naked’) as the final advance single taken from the Dutch blackened post-punk outfit’s debut full-length Boezem (Bosom), which has been set for release on July 12, 2024.
VUUR & ZIJDE comment on ‘Naakt’: "In finality, the sorrow is laid bare, and its nakedness is shrouded in cosmic fragility", vocalist Famke writes in psychological riddles. "Steadily waltzing into a conflagration, dissonance creeps in and opens the gateway towards the light – sharing your burden of grief."
Listen to ‘Naakt’ here:
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Love and heavy metal have always had a somewhat strained relationship as the former is at least nominally topic number 1 in pop music. It becomes even more complicated when black metal is involved, a genre in which hate is a major ingredient as much as blues musicians must have felt utter sadness.
This observation makes Boezem, the debut full-length of Dutch quintet VUUR & ZIJDE ("Fire & Silk") the more remarkable as the album revolves around themes of conditional and unconditional love – and the difference between those, the liberation of intimacy, and motherhood. This album politely abstains from going through the motions of tedious heavy metal clichés.
It might help that although the Dutch have deep roots in black metal and the five have been or still are members in such established bands as LASTER, NUSQUAMA, SILVER KNIFE, GREY AURA, WITTE WIEVEN, and TERZIJ DE HORDE, they have stylistically shifted from their 2020 split-album with IMPAVIDA in the meantime. Having grown from a trio to a 5-piece formation has brought a wider range of influences and ideas to the table. The changes are subtle but enough to locate a part of their sound in the evolving and exciting realms of post-black metal.
The black side of the music is mainly expressed through whirling drum attacks and buzzing guitar riffs. Yet there is a second strong pillar on which Boezem rests, as bands that started out as post-punk acts and developed into more dreamy, meditative sounds such as COCTEAU TWINS and even DEAD CAN DANCE are also named as a source of inspiration. And for the record, at least KILLING JOKE made the topic acceptable in the post-punk scene with their classic ‘Love Like Blood’. Synthesizer sounds and the beautiful voice of singer Famke naturally contribute to that side of VUUR & ZIJDE.
The vocalist is also responsible for various lyrics penned in Frysk (Frisian). The Frisian name and language go back to a North Sea Germanic tribe and survived through the middle ages. Today, the Frisian is still spoken in a few Dutch and German areas along the coast up to the Danish border. The other lyrics are written in Dutch.
With Boezem, VUUR & ZIJDE achieve a perfect balance between their contradictory poles. The aggressive side with elements of black metal that have been transformed into post-black metal contrasts with the light side of shoegaze, post-punk, and wave. Both are entwined in an endless dance that creates fascinating new music, which is at the same beautiful and yet full of thorns – just like a black rose.
Aural Aggravation 