US-based occult doom rock trio Hail Darkness are set to enchant listeners with their debut full-length album, Death Divine, scheduled to be released on August 15th via their own label, Vatican Records. Ahead of the album release, the band is now thrilled to premiere the video for their haunting new track ‘With Horns of the Beast’, which you can watch here:
AA
The band had this to say about the video: “‘With Horns Of A Beast’ is the first video from our debut album Death Divine, the video clip portrays the psychedelic trip of a persecuted woman hunted by masked wild animal humans lost in the depths of the forest and is inspired by ‘70s horror, Mansonic clans and exploitation movies. Death Divine was recorded over a period of more or less four years during different recording sessions, it compiles and captures our vintage lo-fi occult doom rock with pinches of ‘60s psychedelia and exotica creating our own musical time-warp trip”.
Comprised of ten songs, Death Divine sees Hail Darkness incorporating elements of occult 70’s rock, psychedelia, doom and folk to take listeners on a magical and dark cosmic journey, while the lyrics talk about occult themes inspired by old occult movies and some personal experiences.
Hail Darkness was founded by bassist Joshua in Phoenix, where the first songs were recorded and produced around mid-2020, alongside Jez on guitar and vocals and Emmet on drums. The trio later relocated to Jez’s home in South Carolina, setting up a home studio for an extensive three-year recording session that resulted in four hours of material. Their initial goal was to recreate the vintage sound of their idols—T-Rex, Jefferson Airplane, Pentagram, Shocking Blue, Focus, Jes Franco soundtracks, Black Sabbath, Lucifer Rising, Mountain, and Captain Beyond—while blending the sounds of modern favorites like Cathedral and Electric Wizard.
In the studio, Hail Darkness is accompanied by a host of friend multi-instrumentalists, known as the Hail Darkness Coven, who contribute various instruments to craft the expansive and psychedelic sound that defines the band.
Today, the trio are pleased to confirm details of their new album BERRIES.
Due for release on 18th October via the Xtra Mile Recordings label, the album is preceded by its lead single ‘Watching Wax’, which is available to hear – and watch – now:
AA
With its scrawled-out staccato guitar licks, spidery basslines, and venomous lyrical stings, first cut ‘Watching Wax’ signals a deadly return from London trio.
Dripping with a febrile intensity and packed with scattergun hooks to match, ‘Watching Wax’ finds BERRIES reflecting on the restlessness of anxiety and the constant cloud it can cast over our day-to-day. As the band state:
“‘Watching Wax’ is about escaping your worries for the day and attempting to give your mind a rest. The lyrics touch on fears for our future selves, looming anxieties that you can’t suppress and the desire to have a perfect day without your daily stormy thoughts.”
The first indicator of how the follow-up to their acclaimed debut, How We Function is shaping up, the single finds BERRIES honing their art for the unpredictable and growing in confidence. And as its eponymous title, ‘BERRIES’, may already make clear, this is a band determined to make a statement with their second full-length outing. While the band have never shied away from brutally honest admissions or difficult subject matters like struggles with mental health, ‘BERRIES’ finds them weaponising them into a set of fearlessly assertive tracks that seize strength from darkness. As BERRIES explain:
“This album is about battling intrusive thoughts and finding contentment in your day, however big or small those moments are. It’s a journey to finding your own space and being comfortable in it. We haven’t held back with this album – it’s raw, honest, and a true reflection of BERRIES.”
Teaming up with production legend Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Muse, Everything Everything), who took on mixing duties for the record, listeners will almost certainly feel that turbo-boost coursing through the veins of BERRIES 2.0.
While veering between Riot Grrrl-esque discordance and thunderous grunge-rock anthems ripe for the big rooms, ‘BERRIES’ also finds a band spreading their wings with sonic explorations into shapeshifting math-rock (as on opener ‘Barricades’), epic post-rock nods (on closer ‘Crumpled Clothes’), through shades of Power-Pop (as on the infectious ‘Narrow Tracks’), and even tender, unadorned acoustica (as on ‘Balance’). Reflecting of making ‘BERRIES’, the band add:
“We really pushed ourselves creatively and out of our comfort zone, especially with the acoustic track and working with mixing engineer Adrian Bushby. We’re super proud of what we’ve written and created.”
Following a spate of recent shows road-testing new material in support of punk/rock legends the likes of The Subways, Skinny Lister, Feeder, and Sleeper, plus Newcastle noiseniks The Pale White, BERRIES are now ready to take their latest work out on the road for a series of headline dates of their own.
With 8 dates planned for October and November, following the release of ‘BERRIES’, catch the band performing new material and more at these fixtures as follows:
With every movement of American Standard, Uniform peels off a new layer and tells the story inside of the one that came before it. It’s Uniform’s most intimate work to date, tackling themes of self-destruction and with a particular focus on vocalistMichael Berdan‘s lifelong struggle with bulimia nervosa. His lyrics sink down into the core of the innermost self, the small human being crushed in the grip of sickness. His bandmates join him, applying majestic droning that becomes both mechanical and omniscient. As the rhythms continually pulverise, Uniform gives themselves over to the grinding gears of an uncaring universe.
The thematic content behind American Standard can be divided down the middle into two distinct sections. While the A-side of the record deals with an individual who exists in a purgatorial state of physical and psychic crisis, the B-side serves to address how a lifetime of dealing with an eating disorder has impacted those around him.
“Permanent Embrace,” available today, is the album’s final statement. Berdan tells, “It touches on a facet of the disease that I’m incredibly wary of facing. Built on a narrative foundation laid out by author and lyrical collaborator Maggie Siebert, the song revolves around the idea of a person holding a loved one as an emotional hostage. Seeing perverse beauty in a story about a car crash, the narrator relates the analogy of two automobiles twisted together to that of his last standing relationship. As he has broken down over time, so has the one who continues to stand by him. The object of his manipulative guilt trips remains locked in a hopeless situation, terrified of what he may do to himself if they were to finally leave.
The music reflects the psychic violence of the lyrics, as riffs and rhythms that wouldn’t feel out of place in the Unsane catalog careen into giant synth melodies before collapsing into itself. This is kind of our misguided interpretation of what Faith No More were doing on ‘Angel Dust’, and we hope that our tip of the hat to those masters of madness can hold a candle to their horrific splendor.”
For “Permanent Embrace,” Uniform teamed up with director Sean Stout on the single’s compelling visual. Stout tells, "Without sounding trite, when we first read Mike’s lyrics to the record our reaction was extremely visceral. They are brutally introspective and beautiful at times and we wanted to try visually to convey that range of emotion in a sequence of single images that unfold narratively and potentially shift their own meaning over time. Our concept was to intertwine images of an outer world-overgrown, rusting and moving on in its decay-with an inter-world that is largely going through the same process as a result, but is markedly separate as well. We never see one observe or interact with the other, yet they are the same and of the same world."
Watch the video for ‘Permanent Embrace’ here:
AA
Uniform wants to find what’s underneath. And what’s underneath the underneath. And what’s under that. American Standard begins with a shock. A voice, a room, a face in a mirror. In the mirror stares a visage, doubled and staring back. Each line comes back to him: reflected and refracted in the unsympathetic glass. Forget for a moment that Berdan has been destroying his throat in Uniform for over a decade. Forget his highly stylised delivery on the band’s acclaimed collaborative work (alongside experimental doom titans The Body and Japanese heavy rock powerhouse Boris). Forget the entire tradition of abrasive vocals in aggressive music. Look for what’s underneath the songs, the form, and the style.
To help peel away this narrative of eating disorders, self-hatred, delusion, mania, and ultimate discovery, Berdan sought assistance from a towering pair of outsider literary figures. Alongside B.R. Yeager (author of the modern cult-classic Negative Space) and Maggie Siebert (the mind behind the contemporary body horror masterpiece Bonding), the three writers eviscerate the personal material to present a portrait of mental and physical illness as vividly terrifying as anything in the present-day canon. The result is an acute articulation of a state beyond simple agony, capturing the thrilling transcendence and deliverance that sickness can bring in the process.
American Standard is surely Uniform’s most thematically accomplished and musically self assured album to date. Sections spiral and explode. Motifs drift off into obscurity before reasserting themselves with new power. Genres collide and burst open, forming something idiosyncratic and new. There’s a grandeur, due in part to the addition of Interpol bassist Brad Truax alongside the percussive push and pull of returning drummer Michael Sharp and longtime touring drummer Michael Blume, marking his Uniform recorded debut here. However, this magnificence is most clearly attributable to the scale and power of guitarist and founder Ben Greenberg’s arrangements, matching ever elegantly to the intense lyrical subject matter.
Underneath it all, what remains is trust. A record of this range and depth, a piece of art so far out on a ledge, can only be attempted with an extreme and almost foolish amount of understanding between collaborators. American Standard stands firmly on the bedrock that Uniform’s two original members, Michael Berdan and Ben Greenberg, have been building on for over a decade.
In Greenberg’s words, “When we started this record, Berdan told me: ‘I trust you to come up with a solid foundation for this, however you envision this thing. I want you to realize it completely, because I believe in you.’ So I wanted to write something overwhelming and all-encompassing for Berdan to lead his narrative through… because I trust and believe in him.” For an album to defy simple genre exercises and become a work of art, the musicians behind it must push themselves so far beyond the frayed ends of an established comfort zone that they might never return. Without a shred of doubt, American Standard is a work of art, agonising in its honesty and relentless in its pursuit of sonic transcendence. It is hideous. It is beautiful. It is necessary.
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)
The collective of renowned musicians from Norway’s west coast henceforth known as WHISPERING VOID is releasing their first ever video single ‘Vi finnes’ (‘We Exist’) taken from their forthcoming debut full-length At the Sound of the Heart. The album has been slated for release on October 18, 2024.
Watch the video here:
WHISPERING VOID comment: “The main lyrics in this song are in Norwegian, more specifically in an Eastern dialect of Norwegian, and this creates a slippery and almost untrustworthy character”, vocalist Kristian Espedal writes. “The title, ‘Vi finnes’ means ‘we exist’, but the lyrics are about us never existing. The words are about the morning, which is an opportunity, and about the hours, which are the repetition of everything that happens all the time but is never the same. There is much hopefulness in this song, and at the end even a bit of suffering. When the lyrics move into English, they steer into a different direction. Ferrucio came up with the idea for the video. The lady in this film is observing life from the past. I like the very subtle connection to the lyrics.”
Lindy-Fay Hella adds: “I love the vibe of the video”, the vocalist enthuses. “I like that there is a connection with the song’s lyrics, but it also adds a new dimension to it. The haunted house in this video is situated in my neighbourhood and the lady in the video is one of my best friends. She really fits this song. I feel somewhat reminded of the fairy tale ‘Goldielocks and the Three Bears’.”
Black metal legends Mork have announced their new album Syv today, set for release on 20th September on Peaceville. Alongside the news, the band have shared the album’s first single ‘Utbrent’. Speaking about the new single, Mork creator, frontman and mastermind Thomas Eriksen said “Utbrent is a depiction of getting burnt out and the struggle of holding oneself standing. Even whilst silently knowing the day will actually come and break you down…the harsh punishment of living as life breaks you down and burns you out”.
Watch the lyric video for ‘Utbrent’ here:
AA
Following on from Thomas Eriksen’s self-titled Udåd project debut earlier this year; a dark release which explored the more underground & murkier-sounding waters of primitive black metal from a by-gone era, Syv emerges as the new pinnacle of Mork’s and Eriksen’s ever-evolving journey, as well as a creative expansion both sonically & compositionally over all prior works.
Syv also undoubtedly represents Mork’s most expressive and diverse works to date, with exquisite melodies interspersed with brutal and even occasionally progressive riffs amid an ever-present air of melancholy. This forms a perfect backdrop for Eriksen’s thematic dive through the contemplations of looming mortality, and digressions through the depths and contrasts of human existence; from the blackness of despair, to the pride & strength in overcoming, as well as absorbing additional inspiration from tales of old.
“We have reached the seventh chapter of the Mork saga. As I have stated earlier, it has been important for me to let the music evolve over the span of albums. It has really been a rewarding couple of years writing and recording “SYV”. When listening back the finished product I felt a great satisfaction. Brutal riffs meeting melancholy and melodic passages with a slight progressive approach. Lyrically scraping the bottom of human existence and frailty as well as touching an immense pride and strength. This is probably my most varied album to date. Which in my mind makes a perfect outcome and addition to the Mork catalogue.” – Thomas Eriksen
Syv was performed, recorded & mixed by Eriksen himself, with engineering assisted by Freddy Holm (who also contributes with strings and synths). Mastering work on the album was carried out by studio mastering guru Maor Appelbaum (Sepultura) in collaboration with Jack Control at Enormous Door (Darkthrone).
Italian psych band Cosmic Room 99 have announced their debut album will be released on 11 October via Sister 9 Recordings" (UK)/ Little Cloud Records (US)/Shyrec (ITA).
They recently shared their debut single ‘Plastic Venus’. They explain: “Everything is fiction, everything is altered, everything is seen through filters, nowadays even Venus is made out of Plastic”.
Watch the video here:
AA
The band’s name was inspired by a documentary called ‘The Cosmic Room’, which tells the story of NATO employee Bob Cohen accidentally discovering a top-secret plan to eradicate part of the world’s population to maintain Earth’s sustainability. The number 99 in numerology represents someone who uses their gifts to make the world a better place, encapsulating the band’s ethos.
Musically, Cosmic Room 99 draw influences from a diverse range of sources, including the obsessive rhythms of The Velvet Underground, the dreamy psychedelia of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd, the harmonies of The Beach Boys’ "Pet Sounds", the sharp feedback of The Jesus and Mary Chain, the austere wave of Joy Division, and the deep, abysmal worlds of Bauhaus, all linked by a punk attitude.
The album was recorded primarily in their home studio in Treviso, Italy, where band members played various instruments, creating a collaborative and cohesive work. To add warmth to their sound, they recorded vocals and analog drums and mixed the songs at Overdrive Studio in Treviso, with producer and sound engineer Edoardo "Dodi" Pellizzari. Final mastering was done by Collin Jordan at The Boiler Room in Chicago, USA, adding the finishing touch to their music.
Industrial band, FLEISCHKRIEG has unleashed their new single & video, ‘Eve’.
The song ‘Eve’ is based on the Gnostic tradition of Adam’s wife being the hero in the Genesis creation myth – rather than the villain. This second century Christian sect revered Eve as an early incarnation of the Divine Feminine, and if it weren’t for her courage to commit “original sin” – we’d still be trapped in a genetics lab known as the Garden of Eden.
The song is sung from Adam’s point of view – he praises Eve for delivering them from the tyranny of the Elohim. Though they are “thrown out the gilded cage”, Adam asks Eve to “make the thorns our home”, a poetic nod to human resilience in the face of catastrophe.
iItalian scholar Mauro Biglino and his research on the Biblical Apocrypha inspired the song’s themes and lyrical content. Mauro briefly translated for the Vatican – but was eventually fired when his published works revealed modern Christian theology was incompatible with the written texts of ancient Hebrew authors.
The song was produced, mixed, and mastered by Logan Mader (Machine Head, Once Human).
‘Pagan Synth’ duo, ESOTERIK has just unveiled their new single, ‘Mentor’ from the forthcoming EP, Archetypes.
For the next installment of the EP, ESOTERIK explores the insight and experience the ‘Mentor’ has to offer. Get lost in the hypnotic groove but heed the advice of the Mentor for it’s the end of suffering. It’s a beacon in the darkness calling you from the illusive world of form. It’s a voice that’s behind the incessant stream of thoughts; a gentle nudge with a firm but helping hand. The choice has always been yours all along. Will you be a listening ear, or will you flounder in the chaos?
On the upcoming EP Archetypes, the band examines the tropes that have weaved a thread across societies for centuries. “It’s such an interesting topic and really highlights the power of language whether written or passed down via word of mouth. The legends hold a commonality that span through time and culture. Before the world was connected by technology, these stories held the experiences and wisdom for generations to come. Whether they are steeped in symbolism or ritual, the lessons are still infused and if sensational that only ensures the survival beyond our limited life spans.”
TRELLDOM drop ‘Exit Existence’ as the next single taken from the legendary Norwegians’ forthcoming new full-length: …by the shadows… has been scheduled for release on September 13
TRELLDOM do neither comment on their music nor explain their art.
Throughout 2024, and marking three full moons, Harvestman (a.k.a. Steve Von Till) will be presenting his ambitious Triptych project, a three-part album cycle. This album trilogy is a distillation of a unique approach that finds a continuity amongst the fragmented, treating all its myriad musical sources and reference points not as building bricks, but as tuning forks for a collective ancestral resonance, residing in that liminal space between the fundamental and the imaginary, the intrinsic and the speculative.
Today, Harvestman share ‘Galvanized And Torn Open’ from the upcoming Triptych Part Two, which will be released on 21st July via Neurot Recordings to coincide with the Buck Moon. Part One was released on 23rd April on the Pink Moon, and Part Three will be coming on 17th October’s Hunter Moon.
Harvestman has also announced a listening party for Triptych: Part Two on the day before the album’s release. The session will take place via Bandcamp on Saturday, July 20th at 7pm GMT. Save the date and RSVP HERE.
The new visualiser for ‘Galvanized And Torn Open’ was created by Von Till, who writes of the song, “This track was composed entirely around a very simple beat performed by Dave French and I on an old steel water tank that I had accidentally destroyed with my snow plow during the Winter of 2019/2020. The following Spring when rolling it to my truck to take the scrapyard, I heard its rolling thunder and knew it was a piece of percussion magic. Shortly after, Dave came out to Idaho to visit for a while, and we worked together to compose three pieces based on its various sounds. This second piece is centered around giving space to its thunderous low end. A few simple guitar and lines and synth harmonies help give it movement, accentuate its natural breath, and let it guide us on a sonic journey to a few different internal landscapes.”
Aural Aggravation 