Written by: The Administrator
Another year, another batch of outstanding EPs! I personally have a strong affinity for releases of the short, concise, and otherwise succinct persuasion, and so my weekly listening is often informed by what new EPs have dropped. The following includes those that made a significant impact and stuck around in my rotation. This list--although perhaps a term such as "loose collection" or "heap" would be a better choice--has not been trimmed or edited to meet a specific quantity. I just kept adding stuff until I hit 23 entries, which felt like an appropriate number, and so here we are. Like last year's extravaganza, this list features a bunch of different genres but is not sorted by genre. My year is defined by eclectic listening habits, and while my albums lists will be divided into hip hop and metal for sake of reading convenience, no such editorial courtesy is reflected here. And lastly, this is utterly unranked. If something appears here, please know that it comes highly, highly recommended. Without further ado, let's dive in!
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Written by: The Administrator
Despite bolstering a catalog that is notably minimal in scope, Scotland's Order Of The Wolf is one of my very favorite black metal bands. I was initially quite impressed with 2020's split with Pessimista, and my admiration of Order Of The Wolf's half has only grown of the past few years--when looking for a little blackened fury, these tracks are first on the menu every damn time. As such, word of a new track was cause for much excitement. Originally released on the excellent Black Metal Rainbows charity compilation, this single--"A Plague On Conservative Houses"--was most certainly worth the wait. Over the past few days I've listened to this song fairly incessantly, and I don't anticipate slowing down anytime soon.
This year, in an attempt to cover more music that would all-too-oft slip through the very large cracks, we're trying something new and novel around these parts. Namely, we're gonna actually publish the little one-off reviews that were previously (and arbitrarily) deemed too short for publication. In that spirit, here's a mini-review of a single worth checking out.
Written by: The Administrator
For those of ye unfamiliar, Settle For Shadows makes music that feels distinctly weird. This is evidenced across a swath of quality projects over the past few years. Even those earliest releases, which feel a little easier to nail down, are nonetheless quite quirky in their willingness to throw unexpected passages into the fray with nary a backward glance. That said, Settle For Shadows makes a fairly substantial turn on this latest single "The Mourn," delivering a blistering blend of raw symphonic black metal with a healthy deathcore stomp and vigor. There's an underlying chug on display that isn't present in the jazzy avant-gardism of Settle For Shadow's (excellent) 2022 The Bleak Demo, alongside a potent sense of organic chaos that feels a far cry from the punkier early EPs. The Bleak also presents a marching momentum that feels almost industrial from a percussive point of view, yet the vocals and symphonic elements lend the whole affair a delightfully untethered quality. Balancing the ethereal with the more overt aggression is always going to be a difficult game, but here, Settle For Shadows walks that line pretty damn well. "The Mourn" is a very cool single. Moreover, it is an intriguing and enjoyable new direction for a band that has consistently delivered intriguing and enjoyable music. I'd be very excited to hear more music like this, but would also consider myself suffonsified should Settle For Shadows elect to switch up the formula on the next release. Unpredictability is an underrated characteristic. Bottom line? I recommend you snag it here. Settle For Shadows - The Mourn was released August 5th, 2022
Guest Post by: Ria Wigley
1. Old Nick
If there’s one thing that defines the microgenre of Vampyric Black Metal other than lyrics and imagery about vampires, it is flamboyant, dare I say CAMP riffs, a big focus on atmospheric synths, and absurd song titles. No band exemplifies this better than Old Nick. In fact, the 16-bit inspired keyboard sounds were almost too silly for me to really enjoy this band upon first listen, but after giving it more time I quickly grew to love it. There is an inherent silliness to the obsessive adherence to a particular aesthetic that most vampire media portray, even when it still manages to be coldly sinister and atmospheric at the same time, and Old Nick is the perfect musical representation of that. If you were hoping for second wave worship with some more gothic elements...well this isn’t that, it’s much better. Plus, who doesn’t love song titles like "Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood, Blood" or "Spooky Wicker Basket 1994 (Yes, a witch!)" Recommended album: A New Generation of Vampiric Conspiracies 
Written by: The Administrator
There's been a constant string of winter storms here in Chicago--erm, I mean the geographically unpinned Sleeping Village--as of late. As such, I've been spending a lot of time outside taking long walks, because nothing soothes the soul quite like experiencing a taste of extremity. Such walks necessitate a similarly frigid soundtrack, and last night, on one such ramble, the succinct We Were Put On This Earth To Suffer did the trick nicely. This four-track split by Sapientia Diaboli and Dread Maw is an acute display of distinct raw black metal stylings. Like unto a good split, it presents a package greater than the sum of its parts by benefit of juxtaposition. And, like unto a walk in a winter storm, it requires a little preparation and perhaps even an advisory. In this arena, senses will be deadened. Frostburn is likely. Discomfort is all but guaranteed. 
Written by: The Administrator
Let's get one thing clear immediately. If the production quality of first wave black metal isn't your cup of tea, you're inevitably gonna have trouble with this one. If, however, you find a certain irreplaceable charm and viciousness in audio quality that mirrors the experience of listening to music through blown-out earbuds that happen to be located several rooms away...well, you are in good hands. Stick around. Over the course of the past few years and several distinct projects, Erin Palmer has been refining a clear sound and sense of recognition in the world of antifascist black metal. Excluding a recent two-track split with Molten Dagger, her latest effort--the brisk No Grace But Through Torment--is the first EP proper under the Wolven Daughter name. It's also pointing in the direction of Erin's best work to date, which is saying something, given how much I enjoyed previous efforts. Clocking in at 8 minutes, No Grace But Through Torment delivers its point quickly without waiting around for a misguided rebuttal, all while leaning heavily into the brazen abrasivity of raw black metal. |
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