Dark. Cold. Winds. Ugasanie in familar, icy territory.
Tarpan’s crusty death metal is delish. Thick as gravy, and groovy too.
Бездна (The abyss) - literally bottomless.
These Russians mean business, and Goddess knows I’m buying what they’re selling.
LemKuuja is a producer from Jordan, and Cheesecake+ (2018, Business Casual) is his latest album of future-funky tunes.
He’s perhaps one of the best people working in the genre currently. A master’s touch in grooves and hooks.
Late night dreaming. Guitars under the Ukrainian leaves, critters all around. And the wind caressing gently.
Gamardah Fungus channel the ancient magic of herbs through their signature organic ambient.
Supreme chill with TAO-net’s #naturewave. Looks like biomes(systems) is the project’s only release — sadface.
This one has it all, though: the softest synth instruments, a touch of new age vocals through the filters of time and space.
Thumping minimal noise on Sokyra by Kotra vs Edward Sol.
The dirty heartbeat of a riot, or a revolution?
Four axes to grind.
Avantgarde Music is reissuing Throne of Ahaz’s On Twilight Enthroned from 1996.
Hadn’t heard it before, but it’s a proper classic of mid 90s black metal. Not overly raw or gritty, with a nice rocking groove.
Spacious spiritual drones by Nam-Khar on Secret Essence · Sangwa Dupa, which came out this year on Winter Light.
Plenty of breathing room for scattered drum hits, rattles, chimes.
Excellent! Full review in the next issue of Ex Abyssō.
On their latest album Semmiből - a semmin át, Agregator (HUN) serve up melodic death metal of the turn of the century kind.
Not terribly original, and I’m not 100% convinced on the vocals, but there definitely are some top-notch riffs and solos in here.
Surfpunk? Beachwave? Who cares, dude. Just grab one of the big waves. Tubular!
This one’s got, like, a bunch of gnarly songs. Don’t let the great white bite!
Taphephobia’s ambient takes us deep into Northern forests, where we find—unexpectedly—calm, and warmth.
Ghostwood is between worlds, and so are we when we are in it.
Slightly brighter than usual for Cyclic Law fare; a strong addition to the roster.
A Veil of Water really hits the spot with this collection of calm melodies.
Late Night Loneliness came out this summer on Hidden Vibes and has a supremely relaxing blend of ambient and post-rockish sounds.
Piano, guitar, rhodes, the occasional whisper. The kind of chords for when you need something soothing and familiar.
I’m of a dark mind this morning, and trying to exorcise.
Twilight Fauna’s EP Therapeutic Landscapes is getting me part of the way. Scathing ambient black metal and spirituals.
My head’s still bowed, but there’s a spark of determination there now.
We know Business Casual for their top shelf vaporwave releases, but I bet they didn’t think twice about releasing this slab of dark synth EBM by White Gavri’el.
Vista of Chaos has plenty of danceable tracks, but also takes the time to experiment. Stellar.
On Jupiter’s Immigrants The Moor serve up nine tracks of prog metal with black/death influences.
Chorus-based with plenty of nice hooks and solos, incl. a cameo by Dark Tranquility’s Mikael Stanne. Pretty slick, but it sticks.
[no bandcamp]
If you liked Ikjoyce’s work on Ex Abyssō I, you’ll love Selene, this year’s album on Naviar Records.
Meditative ambient synth, darker and lighter moments, and continued lunar themes. Always a plus for me.