Mound of Orchids - Silhouettes EP

Labels: Self-Released/Fiadh Productions

Formats: Digital/Tape

Release Date: 17 Apr 2026

Tracklist:

1. Silhouette of Faith

2. Of Sinew and Blood

3. Swallow Your Sorrow

Blackgaze, the sub-genre that was born out of shoegaze (while encompassing black metal and screamo) is producing some really interesting bands at the moment. The majority are still pretty unknown outside of their local areas, which is certainly the case for Mound of Orchids from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They released their debut EP Silhouettes in April on digital platforms and Fiadh Productions have also released a tape version.

To spread their music before the EP release and to hone their sound, they played alongside a whole host of really great bands across their home state including Italy's Radura (who'll be releasing their newest LP via Dog Knights Productions later this year), Ragana, Sunrot and Respire to name but a few. I'm excited to hear this.

It’s not often that a release starts with piano as majestic as that which opens ‘Silhouette of Faith’. It’s a gentile way to ease into what becomes post-metal tinged blackgaze. It’s atmospheric and anthemic, thanks to the instrumentation while the vocals are very blackened for the most part. Clean vocals are used in the song’s latter half, when the music settles into a brief period of calm. Even though that calm is shattered towards the end, there’s still a sense of brightness.

That opener stretched to over six minutes and it was worth every second. ‘Of Sinew and Blood’ that follows is somewhat shorter and a lot more pensive (if that’s the right word). The harsh vocals sit much deeper in the mix and at a lower volume, as melodic guitars and other musical elements are allowed to breathe. Perfect for an early morning autumn sunrise perhaps.

Ending with ‘Swallow Your Sorrow’, Mound of Orchids go even more expansive. Their black metal/blackgaze hits top gear straight away but it isn’t long before more engrossing instrumentals and clean vocals regain their place on the recording. An awful lot of thought and time has gone into writing these songs and it shows. The contrast between heavy and light on this song in particular is what makes it work so well, as even when it gets heavier later on, it never feels oppressive.

With such a stirring end to the EP, it’s hard not to feel emotional. I found myself reflecting on where I am in life right now and whether or not I’m merely existing. That’s the power that music can have and Mound of Orchids are able to harness that power to create something greater than just notes, and words.

You can stream and purchase Silhouettes digitally via bandcamp below:-

Mound of Orchids - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093998209912

Tape copies from Fiadh Productions are sold out. 

Fiadh Productions - https://www.facebook.com/fiadhproductions

Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead - Collected

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 24 Apr 2026

Tracklist:

1. Spirit Incantation

2. Glimmer Fate

3. Etchings

4. Perish Song

5. A Deeper Shade Of Night

6. Spiteful Enemy

7. Suzerain

8. Malediction

9. Ritual Symmetry

10. Blood Astronomy

11. Arrangement

12. Meadow Rue

13. Baleful Solitude

14. Arguments In Iron

15. Everdark Conifers

16. Marionette

17. Propitiation

18. When What Once Works Suddenly Breaks

19. Aspected Of Dust

It's insane how many new-ish screamo bands already have such a pedigree. The community of bands from across the world is continually exploding and it's especially the case in North America. Canada's Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead are most certainly one of those bands and they've also been given the discography treatment by Zegema Beach Records recently. In fact, the CDs were made in time for their recent appearance at ZBR Fest in early May.

Drive Your Plow... released their demo back in 2023, before their debut album Tragedy In Catharsis merely a years later in 2024. In 2025, they featured on a six-way split LP and also a bizarre 6-way Christmas 7" single. This CD gathers together every recorded song to date.

This is the second discography I’ve featured in as many weeks and I knew it was gonna be a biggie! It’s a collection of all nineteen songs Drive Your Plow… have released so far. Starting with ‘Spirit Incantation’, which was the lead single and opener on their album Tragedy As Catharsis, you’re greeted with noisy and emotive post-hardcore. The blasting drums are right up in the mix, while the guitars sit deeper when everything’s in full flow. The vocals are mainly raspy screams but there are some low growls hidden in there too. 

It’s probably not going to be the case for many songs here but there’s an instrumental mid-section during ‘Spirit Incantation’, which is measured and excellently delivered. Things get a lot weirder from here, as ‘Glimmer Fate’ demonstrates, when it goes from intense grind to danceable screamo and back. They certainly fit a lot into their music. ’Etchings’ lasts thirty-seconds and after the feedback has settled, you’re left with some mental, grinding mathcore-like noise. I like how this isn’t just straight-up heaviness, as Drive Your Plow… are able to craft metallic riffs and melody into even the shortest of songs. Despite the brief pause between each one, they all follow on as if the pauses weren’t there. 

The guitar tone that opens ‘Perish Song’ is so engrossing, you almost forget that things are about to explode. The way this band switches the mood from hopeful to uneasy is nothing short of jaw-dropping. ‘A Deeper Shade Of Night’ continues along the off-kilter path that’s been laid down so far, but with much more furious percussion, which at times sounds industrial. It’s over very quickly and you’re immediately thrust into ‘Spiteful Enemy’ and it’s The Body-esque emoviolence. It’s actually a lot more hardcore in places, with chunky riffs and backing vocals joining the madness. 

You’d be forgiven for thinking that ‘Suzerain’ was going to be an instrumental before Drive Your Plow… once again drive their auditory plow right into your face. There’s nowhere to hide with this one. You’re just going to have to accept your fate at this point, as ‘Malediction’ carries on the barrage. The sudden stop mid-way through catches you off guard a bit, as some (relatively) gentle guitar is joined by atmospheric screams. It builds again just before the end, before stopping dead.

‘Ritual Symmetry’ has one of the longest instrumental build-ups of any song here so far. It’s a hard one to pin down style-wise as it’s equal parts screamo, punk and even atonal in places. Again, it shows that Drive Your Plow… are able to nail the more engrossing/engaging side of their sound with ease. From one end of the spectrum to the other though as ‘Blood Astronomy’ has no such build-up nor lasts beyond twenty seconds. That being said, there’s still room for tempo changes and dramatic melodies.

By now, the final few songs that made up Tragedy As Catharsis are coming into view. ‘Arrangement’ goes for the panic-inducing grindcore/emoviolence vibe. Wrapping itself around you with everything from fast tempos to driving vocals, before slowing to a sludge-like crawl with meaty stomps. ‘Meadow Rue’ strides along with purposeful abandon, as Drive Your Plow… inject it with an energy that’s much darker than it first seems.

‘Baleful Solitude’ finishes the Tragedy As Catharsis section of this discography in such an iconic way, as it did the album itself. A lengthier piece filled with catchy elements, at least until half-way through when it collapses into a swirl of chaotic noise once again. So utterly intense, it’s hard to put into words.

The rest of this collection is made up of non-album songs, including those that appeared on splits. ‘Arguments In Iron’ was the band’s contribution to the 2025 split that also included Piot., Plein De Vie, TNG, Eris I Disnomia and Jornada del Muerto. It was actually recorded as part of the session for their album, so it carries on the momentum nicely. A clever placing I think.

‘Everdark Conifers’ appeared on another split, which was actually a Christmas 7” single. It’s hard to imagine but Drive Your Plow… joined groups from all genres, including folk, country and electronic. It was recorded in their practice space on a mobile phone. It sounds raw but thanks to some mastering wizardry from Will Killingsworth, it’s also really listenable and nods to their live sound.

Ending with their earliest demo songs is the perfect way. ‘Marionette’ is unflinchingly heavy from beginning to end, even compared to the album’s songs. The guitar work is much more prominent here, especially in the higher ranges. ‘Propitiation’ is equally unabashed, but also more involved emotionally. That maybe has something to do with its song length.

Penultimate song ‘When What Once Worked Suddenly Breaks’ is like the great crescendo. Mixing their violent screamo with spoken-word samples and building instrumentals, there’s a cinematic approach that’s not been heard thus far. ‘Aspected Of Dust’ brings this release to a close with a literal collage of sound, coming from all directions and all adjacent genres. At times depressive but also euphoric.

Discographies like this are a great place to start if you’re new to a band. What could be more convenient than having all their songs in one place. ZBR have done a great job with this one and it leaves you wondering what’s next for Drive Your Plow…, hopefully we won’t have long to wait.

You can stream and purchase Collected digitally from ZBR on bandcamp below:-

Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead Instagram - @driveyourplow

Zegema Beach Records Instagram - @zegema_beach

If it's CD copies you're after, head to ZBR's webstore (thus avoiding bandcamp's fees):-

ZBR Canada/International - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/collected

ZBR North America - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/collected

Khnutt - Khnutt 7"

Labels: Its You! Records/Polar Summer

Formats: Lathe/Digital

Release Date: 10 Jun 2017

Tracklist:

1. Deceased

2. Mutilation

3. Power Supply

4. Basement

5. Point?

6. Useless

7. City

8. Suicide is not a bad thing

I'm starting to actively hunt down physical copies of releases that I've reviewed over the years. I own quite a few, but nowhere near as much as I should. The owning and reviewing paths cross this evening, as I once again give my attention to the Polar Summer discography. This evening, it's the turn of the self-titled EP from Russian powerviolence band Khnutt, which was released back in January 2017.

As well as being digitally released, it saw a limited 7" lathe release by both Its You! Records and Polar Summer (15 copies each from both labels). I was lucky enough to be able to track down a copy via the expansive distro of German label Dingleberry Records. A quick fact that I just learned about Khnutt too is that the band includes members of Lora. 

The 7” format is perfect for this release, as it’s a quick one. Opening with ‘Deceased’, this sounds much more like a powerviolence EP. The sludgy riffs and tempos lead into blasting, violent hardcore and the vocals sound deeper in tone than I was expecting. One thing you can’t escape from with this release is the ringing feedback. It’s only briefly used on ‘Mutilation’ but it grabs your focus as Khnutt grind their way through the next fourteen seconds. It’s very much in the vein of bands like Nausea, Reproach and Jesus Cröst.

I’ve forgotten how hard it was to try and live review music this fast (though you’d think I’d know it off by heart by now!). ‘Power Supply’ rages with short bursts of violence that sandwich a sludgy mid-section (if that’s the right way to describe it). There’s a very old-school feel to it all, which I like. ‘Basement’ takes a real blackened turn with the roaring vocals. They tower over the instrumentation for a bit, before Khnutt get noisy once again. Khnutt’s music has an edge to it that makes it very exciting and hard to turn off.

Talking of being hard to turn off, ‘Point?” Is over before you even get chance to think about it! This song is about as chaotic as Khnutt’s sound gets, with its flailing percussion and scratchy bass. ‘Useless’ is double the length of ‘Point?’ and it benefits from stop/start instrumentation, which is used to great effect. The vocals are as fierce as they have been throughout too, leaving no room for niceties.

From the short blasts of the EP so far, ‘City’ couldn’t be more different. Initially, Khnutt break out with mathcore before it gives way to some rap and spoken-word samples soon after. Even with those samples, the recording still maintains the slightly grainy/DIY sound that gives the release such heart. On EP closer ‘Suicide is not a bad thing’, hardcore groove flows into proto-crust blackness and with one last bass riff, it all goes silent.

This was actually the first of two EPs that Khnutt released in 2017. It’s a snapshot in time from a band that was very productive but somewhat elusive. I love it and I do wonder if anybody will give their work the discography treatment in the future. I can’t help but feel excited every time I listen to this and thankful that it exists. Be inquisitive about music and you’ll be rewarded.

Physical copies don't come up for sale very often, but you can stream and grab the EP as a name-your-price download from Khnutt below:-

No real social media presence to speak of unless you're on vk.com (if their profile still exists). Same for Its You! Records.

Polar Summer - https://polarxsummer.bandcamp.com

Abyssius - Vermin

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 20 Mar 2026

Tracklist:

1. To Slay a Rat King

2. Death Drive

3. Patricide

4. Hesitation

5. Corpse Star

6. Black Dogs

7. L'appel du Vide

To quiet fanfare in late March, International technical death metal quartet Abyssius released their 2nd full-length Vermin. With members spanning Norway, Taiwan and the United States, Abyssius have been honing their sound since 2023. Shortly after, they released their debut self-titled album in January 2024. Perusing the band recommendations at the bottom of their bandcamp page, I see Xoth, Drouth and Mors Verum amongst others. That isn't bad company be in. Aside from the already promised death metal and technicality, maybe we'll get some proggy tones and blackened madness to boot.

I really want to get my old iPod classic refurbished. I’ve got so much music sitting, waiting to go on it it’s unreal. This album from Abyssius would definitely be on it, as straight from the word go it sounds so full and melodic. Opening song ‘To Slay a Rat King’ is pretty damn fast tempo-wise, with the drums dictating things. The guitar work is excellent but slightly drowned out by the percussion and indeed the vocals, which are delivered with a lot of intensity.

There are subtle atmospherics and clean vocals sitting amongst the instrumentation, plus a great guitar solo later on too. It’s more modern and polished than I was expecting, which is no bad thing at all. ‘Death Drive’ features more of the melody and atmosphere I was talking about above, though both elements are short-lived as Abyssius kick back into full gear again. There’s a real Scandinavian edge to it at times, kinda like Norther and Soilwork. That’s no surprise given the Norwegian contingent amongst their ranks.

‘Patricide’ sees Abyssius reaching their most technical, especially in guitar terms. Honestly, I think they’re at their best when their music flows, as it does in passages here. The more aggressive it becomes, the more disjoined it sounds at times. That’s only my opinion though, which I know you’ll take with a pinch of salt. Given that my neighbour upstairs is bashing on their floor again; it must mean that either I’m typing too loud or the music isn’t to their taste. Oh well, sucks to be them. ‘Hesitation’ is delivered without any such worry as Abyssius up the ante once again, giving a modern melodic death metal masterclass in the process. That solo especially rules supreme!

Talking of masterclasses, ‘Corpse Star’ has a ridiculous percussive tempo from the off. As has been the case throughout Vermin though, the guitars remain buried deeper in the mix while the vocals are provided lots of space. At times, they remind of Lorna Shore. Abyssius seem to be leaving the best till last musically, as penultimate song ‘Black Dogs’ has the best opening bars of the album so far. If they continued down the nasty down-tempo path, there’d be a totally different vibe to it. That said, they know how to wrestle back control with some ultra-sick solo work and guttural madness. 

Closing out with ‘L’appel du Vide’, Abyssius provide one final blast of their technical yet brutal death metal. Their atmospheric touches are prominent once again, adding dramatic elements to the music. The clean vocals used later on are more obvious than earlier in the record, while the guitar work sits on top, exhibiting their musical prowess one last time. This is another example of not judging a book by its cover. I was waiting for progressive, otherworldly death metal but instead I was broadsided by a more melodic approach to the genre. I have nothing bad to say about this album though as Abyssius have given a genuine account of themsevles and the music they want to play. That’s all that really matters. I know a lot of people will really dig this!

You can stream Vermin and purchase it digitally, as well on limited cd from Abyssius below:-

Abyssius - https://www.facebook.com/abyssiusofficial

NSIXHUNDRED - Discography '24-'25

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 17 Apr 2026

Tracklist:

1. and longing for the truth i say...

2. yogurt

3. immediate sword master

4. as fast as a snail

5. well guess what?!

6. Mr. Noob

7. The Duel

8. Return of the Shirt

9. let's have a ball!!!

10. Santiago's big day

11. blue dream (live)

We're having a small heatwave and everybody's melting! Personally, I love it but I do feel quite lethargic at the same time. Hopefully, I'll be productive with what's left of this month. Tonight it's the turn of another new release from Zegema Beach Records and while there's been a hint at some changes coming for the label, what isn't changing is their ability to put out stellar music!

US emoviolence/mathcore sextet NSIXHUNDRED are the latest band to get the ZBR discography treatment. It gathers together all of the songs they recorded in 2024 and 2025, including their debut EP and longing for truth i say..., the songs from their split with Dance of the Seventh Crow and two songs from their two song tour demo 2025 (as there are three on bandcamp), with a live track thrown in as well.

Discography releases aren’t just reserved for when bands break up. NSIXHUNDRED are very much still a band, so this may be at lot people’s first introduction to them (it is mine!). ‘and longing for the truth i say…’ kicks things off with vicious emoviolence, a multi-vocal approach that could strip paint, chugging low-end passages and nice mathcore rhythms for good measure. You don’t get much change out of two minutes, but that’s the whole point.

‘yogurt’ has some of the best bass-swagger I’ve heard from a skramz band. It’s really cool how they’re able to go from peppy verses to chaotic noise in what seems like seconds. The ending has a live feel to it with cheering and clapping, as it closes with a solid panic-laden riff. That same riff lead you into sixty-second rager ‘immediate sword master’, which is the heaviest, spinkicking-est show of aggression yet!

I’ve just noticed that the cover art for this release comprises elements from the art on their discography to date, which is a really nice touch! ‘as fast as a snail’ is thankfully faster than a snail, though the addition of some sludge-like tempos do the trick! What is noticeable too is that there hasn’t been any re-mastering done to these songs (and to be honest why would there?), though please correct me if I’m wrong. To me, they sound just as they were intended.

The deafening feedback that starts ‘well guess what?!’ soon gives way to a song that’s equal parts noise-rock and chaotic screamo. It has a kind of atonal sound to it till about halfway through, where NSIXHUNDRED go off on a tangent with stop/start instrumentation, mathiness and what could be a belching noise? Maybe I’m hearing things. ‘Mr Noob’ definitely sits more at the mathcore end of the spectrum and it shows where they were at when they released their split with Dance of the Seventh Crow.

There’s actually a lot more melody in it (well, perhaps just a little more), as there’s also a lot of grind as well. ‘The Duel’ is beyond description. Just when you think it’s settling into one sub-genre, it pivots into another and even when NSIXHUNDRED play the introspective card, it’s still not restful, with the exception of some lovely piano towards the end.

The rawness is back on ‘Return of the Shirt’ and with the belligerent heaviness that makes this band so unforgettable. Not sure if I’m repeating myself here but this has to be the heaviest thing ZBR have released (but feel free to challenge me on that). ‘let’s have a ball!!!’ was recorded as part of the band’s 2025 tour demo and it belongs on such a release. Witnessing it live must be something else as well!

‘santiago’s big day’ follow’s suit in the same way, with a cacophony of noise filling the speakers. Anybody that owns a copy of that demo must surely just be playing it on repeat. I would be! Closing the discography with ‘blue dream (live)’, NSIXHUNDRED show that they can play live just as well as they can on record. There’s sometimes a question mark over whether more technical bands can do that out in the wild. There are no worries here.

NSIXHUNDRED are another band I wouldn’t have known about were it not for ZBR. I can’t get over how heavy they sound or how enthusiastic they are. The latter definitely comes across in their music. If you’ve read the news on ZBR’s socials over the last 24 hours, you’ll know that USADave is departing the label, which is sad. Thankfully, CanaDave is carrying on, which is good. More quality screamo to come. 

It didn't take very long at all for the tape copies of this release to sell out, but you can still grab it digitally from ZBR below:-

NSIXHUNDRED Instagram - @nsixhundred1

Zegema Beach Records Instagram - @zegema_beach