Suspected Of Arson Records - Suite Green and Alas 'Finnskramz Compilation' Song Premiere

As promised yesterday, I'm thrilled to be able to bring you a two song premiere featuring music from two absolutely brilliant Finnish screamo/emo bands. If you''re at all familiar with this blog, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of heavy Finnish music and when the head honcho of Suspected Of Arson Records wrote to me about a compilation the label was releasing, I didn't think twice about featuring it in some way.

I listened to the full comp and asked if I could feature both songs and to my surprise, Chris was happy to oblige. The two bands (and songs) I'm premiering this evening are Suite Green and their song 'Sometimes' alongside 'En ole siellä' by Alas. Both songs are available to stream via my YouTube Channel below:-

I was spellbound by both of these songs when I first heard them. From the melodic approach of Suite Green to the abrasive majesty of Alas; the variety and complexity of musicianship demonstrated by both  bands here, as well as the others who have contributed to this compilation makes it an obvious listen for anybody who is into heavy and enigmatic screamo.

The comp will be available digitally and on limited tape from Suspected Of Arson Records soon.

Suite Green - https://www.facebook.com/suitegreenband

Alas - https://www.facebook.com/alasyhtye

Suspected Of Arson Records - https://www.facebook.com/tulikuljekanssani/

Note: If any of the above information is incorrect, please let me know and I will correct it. Cheers.

Disengagement - Formless In A Violent World

Labels: Self-Released/Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 14 Jul 2023

Tracklist:

1. Black Hole Horizon

2. Permafrost

3. Deathdealer

4. Formless In A Violent World

Continuing (and catching-up) with my write-ups about the releases coming from Manchester, UK based doom/sludge turned doom/death label Dry Cough Records moves a step closer this evening as I focus on the 2023 debut EP from North West quintet Disengagement. Formless In A Violent World saw the light of day (if that's the right phrase) in July 2023 on both digital and tape formats. It proved so popular in fact, that Dry Cough Records pressed a second run of tapes, which are now fully sold out.

On reading through the list of bands that Disengagement's members play in/have played in, it's names including The Flex, Violent Reaction, Sectarian Violence and Headroom that jump out at me. Its got me wondering how they went on to form a band rooted in old-school death metal. Maybe that's a question better left unasked. 

I own a copy of this EP on tape and despite having a portable tape/cd combo player, I’m in the market for a proper tape deck (any leads would be greatly appreciated). I need one to fully appreciate the quality encased within the plastic shell of this and all of the other tapes in my collection. Starting with ‘Black Hole Horizon’, Disengagement presents a down and dirty modern take on OSDM, which is something UK bands do pretty damn well. Pummelling yet classy percussion is joined by rumbling bass, thrash-laden death metal riffs and deep, bellowed vocals.

The opening riffs and tempo of ‘Permafrost’ nod towards the many bands that Disengagement’s members also reside in, but don’t let that fool you. Instead of being influenced by raucous/groovy hardcore, the mid-paced death metal approach turns it into a menacing yet subtle march.

‘Deathdealer’ sees the tempo ratchet up a notch thanks to more thrash-like death metal grooves. It’s a really classy take of death metal that will captivate you, if you haven’t already been dragged in by it’s hellish siren song. I appreciate that it’s been nearly eighteen months since this EP was released, but I for one am hoping that the silence from Disengagement since doesn’t spell the end of the band.

Closing with the title-track ‘Formless In A Violent World’, things get decidedly more sludgy and slower in tempo, leaning evermore towards the old-school. I’m not complaining because everything about it is absolutely perfect. The instrumental and eventual vocal delivery is what makes it so.

If you’re looking for a death metal EP that’s free from experimental noodling and resplendent in straight-forward yet disgusting tones, this is for you. I’m going to stick my neck out and say that it’s the best version  of OSDM I’ve listened to since the (new) current wave of UK death metal crawled out of the soil. More please!

You can stream and purchase Formless In A Violent World digitally below for just £2.00 from Disengagement below:-

Disengagement Instagram - @disengagement.death

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Defect Designer - Chitin

Labels: Transcending Obscurity Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 15 Mar 2024

Tracklist:

1. Uglification Spell

2. To Ziggurat

3. Simulacrum

4. We Will Need Your Chitin

5. We Prescribe

6. Certainty After The Kafkaesque Twist

7. Gaudy Colours From Your Plastic Bag

8. Shine Shine

9. Story Of A Styrofoam

10. Insomnia

11. Nu, Pogodi!

12. Orgone Accumulator

2025 release promos are coming in hot but I'm not done with 2024 yet (after all, I still haven't scratched the surface really). This evening's review is a case in point, as it focuses on Norwegian death metal band Defect Designer and their third full-length Chitin, which was released in March via Transcending Obscurity Records. 

For those unfamiliar,  Defect Designer is duo made up of bassist/vocalist Martin Storm-Olsen (ex-Coldflesh/Trollfest) and guitarist/vocalist Dmitry Sukhinin (Diskord). For this release they enlisted the help of drummer Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse) and guest vocalist Bjorn Strid (Soilwork).

I’m feeling it this week. A late night on Monday after seeing Bilmuri and Sleep Token live in Leeds hasn’t helped, but my god it was worth it! I’ve come to realise that a shift or break in routine isn’t helping me either, so I’m trying my best to realign. The realisation that this review of Defect Designer’s Chitin may take two evenings to complete is very real, as is the intense opener ‘Uglification Spell’. If you like straight-forward death metal that straddles the line between traditional and technical, then this is definitely for you. 

It’s a song that defies it’s seemingly short length thanks to brutal up-tempo passages that sandwich a mid-section of such melodic/instrumental prowess. ‘To Ziggurat’ continues in the same relentless fashion as DD continues to move between brutal yet masterful death metal and moments of virtuosity. The vocals, as on the opener, are ferocious yet stay well clear of the pig-squeal trap.

If you were expecting some kind of progressive tome, you’ve missed the plot entirely. Most of the songs on Chitin barely surpass four minutes. ‘Simulacrum’ is straight out of the tech/death-grind top drawer, with hints of thrash in there for good measure. It’s utterly disgusting in the best possible way and it makes me long for sweaty, intimate local metal gigs again. Maybe Defect Designer will one day make their way to the UK and stop off in Leeds. That’d be so much fun!

‘We Will Need Your Chitin’, which is accompanied by a video, flits between metallic avant-garde weirdness and expressive death-grind in increasingly blurred fashion. Stunningly precise throughout, as it leads to ‘We Prescribe’, which pretty much continues the party with insane blasts and synths that provide a brief sense of symphony. 

Fear not though as Defect Designer soon banish any thoughts of fantasy metal during ‘Certainty After The Kafkaesque Twist’, gathering together their most brutal instrumental and vocal elements. Chitin’s latter half starts with ‘Gaudy Colors From Your Plastic Bag’ and a sludge-like tempo in places (compared to earlier songs). What I’m trying to say is that it sounds more like old-school death metal.

‘Shine Shine’ is brought to life with the melodic vocals of Soilwork’s Bjorn Strid, providing a theatrical flair and change of sound. I’m not sure how I feel about it to be honest. Both DD and Bjorn are excellent musically but the song just feels a little out of place to me. It’s followed by the experimental offering of ’Story Of A Styrofoam’, where bluesy bass/percussion/guitar passages are interspersed with more madcap death-grind.

The old-school vibes are back during the chugging riffs and bellows of ‘Insomia’. It’s title is very apt, putting into musical form the utterly draining feeling of not being able to sleep, which is something we’ve all felt at  some point. Add to that some more clean vocals that seem to mock your sleepless state. The feel completely changes again with penultimate song ’Nu, Pogodi!’ and it’s enjoyably upbeat melodies. 

It’s impossible to know where this album is going from one song to the next and that doesn’t end with album closer ‘Orgone Accumulator’. The final throw of the dice from Defect Designer and one that sees them retreating to more familiar death metal territory (though it’s anything but traditional). 

This album has been a journey! One full of bizarre twists and turns. Defect Designer’s vision of death metal is definitely their own and it’s always evolving. Chitin is an ambitiously delivered album and I think there is still so much more to come from this band.

You can stream Chitin and purchase both on CD, and digitally below (vinyl copies are sold out):-

Defect Designer - https://www.facebook.com/defectdesigner1

Transcending Obscurity Records - https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurityrecords

Crowning/Oaktails - Split

Labels: Self-Released/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Digital/Tape (out soon)

Release Date: 11 Oct 2024

Tracklist:

1. Crowning - Jung Money, Freud Problems

2. Oaktails - Dazzling Dress

3. Crowning - Luxor Surrealism

4. Oaktails - Winter Call

US band Crowning have released a split with Japanese band and recent tour-mates Oaktails. It coincided with their tour and was released digitally in October; however, it's due for a tape pressing via Zegema Beach Records soon. Crowning features Dave Cullen (one half of ZBR) and also includes awesome people that play in Greed Worm (Trilly) and Iwan (Justin), not to mention Vanessa and Lowell.  Oaktails are a new name to me entirely, so I'm excited to listen to them too. Also, apologies to Dave if I've ever mixed him up with CanaDave in any of my previous Crowning reviews, because I'm pretty sure I have!

This split features two different takes on screamo. Crowning open things with ‘Jung Money, Freud Problems’, which is best described as a cross between mathrock and post-hardcore. Off-kilter at first before retreating into a more expansive sound that contains both brilliant atmospherics and subtle emotive sassiness.

Next it’s the turn of Oaktails and their first track ‘Dazzling Dress’. They draw influence from the screamo released by the likes of Level Plane and Ebullition. Their music leans towards emoviolence yet the lyrics and vocal delivery are coupled with a heap of the now traditional Japanese approach.

‘Luxor Surrealism’ is Crowning’s second and final song. It follows on perfectly from their opener, both musically and atmospherically, while also going by way too quickly overall. The dynamics amongst Crowning’s members show that they’re absolutely in tune with one another.

Oaktails end the split with their second song ‘Winter Call’. The Japanese lyrics/vocals immediately take hold, as their post-hardcore covers all manner of different sounds and corners of the sub-genre. A brilliant way to end this split and one that will be remembered.

We’re fast approaching year-end and the obligatory End-Of-Year list chaos; however, there’s still time to get in last minute listens to those 2024 releases you may have missed. This split is a perfect reason to live in the moment. Both Crowning and Oaktails are on excellent form. Their personal takes on post-hardcore/screamo are refreshing and enthralling.

You can stream and purchase the split as a name-your-price download from Crowning's bandcamp page below:-

Keep an eye out on the Zegema Beach Records website for news on that tape release (I hope I haven't missed it) - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/

Crowning - https://www.facebook.com/crowningband

Oaktails Instagram - @oaktails

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

In Der Welt - Sungazing

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 29 Nov 2024

Tracklist:

1. Sungazing

2. Et aprés

3. Hung in a harness

4. C'est mieux comme ça

5. Détruire dit-elle

If anybody can offer me advice on how to stay focused, I'd be forever grateful. I've been free from the shackles of the day job for the last week yet I've struggled to commit to writing. I have; however, made some time to go through my inbox (albeit, less frequently than Id've liked to) and that's where I came across an e-mail from Thomas, who is a member of French post-metal band In Der Welt. 

In Der Welt released a couple of digital singles in 2020 before their self-titled album, which came out last year. Next Friday sees the release of their newest EP Sungazing. which is made up of three songs separated by two shorter interludes (maybe?). I've always had a soft spot for the French heavy music community; after all, I've featured Who Needs Maps?, Kazan and After Taste, to name a few.

Well, In Der Welt sound way more rockin’ than I was expecting on EP opener ‘Sungazing’! Starting off with upbeat instrumentation that sounds pretty bluesy (to my ears anyway), it slowly moves in a more typical post-hardcore/metal direction while the vocals are a nice mix of harsh, and clean. It’s technical in places yet it remains much more to-the-point.

‘Et aprés’ is a sampled, spoken-word interlude that sets the scene for ‘Hung in a harness’ very effectively. The rock ’n’ roll vibe is back once again and it hits in same way it does when delivered by the likes of Cancer Bats or Every Time I Die (RIP), yet with typically nonchalant French flair.

Second interlude ‘C'est mieux comme ça’ is another ambient spoken-word piece that flows neatly into EP closer ‘Détruire dit-elle’, which is by far the heaviest song here and reminds me a bit of German metalcore band Caliban’s earlier albums in it’s ferocity as well as it’s beauty.

My lazy comparisons aside, this EP from In Der Welt is excellent and a great way to get introduced to them if you haven’t already heard their music. So close to year-end it’s often a blur of best-of lists etc and new releases gets overlooked. Before you write yours, listen to Sungazing.

Prior to the EP's release you can listen to and purchase their self-titled album physically or digitally, alongside their earlier singles here:-

In Der Welt - https://www.facebook.com/inderweltmusic

Still - A Theft

Labels: Floodlit Recordings

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 15 Nov 2024

Tracklist:

1. Yearn

2. Only Time Will Tell

3. Light

4. Dark

5. Oscillate

6. Life Eclipses Living

7. Small Mercies Of Falling Apart

8. Unresolved

Last Tuesday I attended my first Bandcamp listening party in quite some time. When the online listening parties first stared, they were a great way for fans and bands on the platform to interact, and bond over a new release outside of a live setting. While Bandcamp as a platform might be changing in ways that aren't universally popular, these listening parties are still a great idea and this one gave me the opportunity to hear A Theft by Hull's post-black metal/hardcore band Still prior to it's release. as well as getting to soak up the feedback from fans and bands alike.

The record starts in very unconventional fashion with droning, drawn-out strings on opener ‘Yearn’, which soon after becomes overwhelmed by utterly heavy guitars, cavernous vocals and bass/drum work that reaches the outermost depths of what makes UK heavy music so great. The immediate blasting that kicks off ‘Only Time Will Tell’ sets the scene for an absolutely beastly take on black metal (with a metallic, avant-garde tinge). Still have been described as a blackened hardcore band in the past and there are definitely elements of that in their sound but here they do seem to transcend that label.

The production is incredible throughout the record as is it’s flow. ‘Light’ is a song title that resonates in an opposite way due to the darkness that it delivers (if that even makes sense!). It’s powerful yet sensitive enough to be cinematic at times as well. The transition to ‘Dark’ happens seamlessly, so much so in fact that I didn’t even notice! As I said earlier, Still absolutely nail the flowing nature of this record and keep the momentum high. Reading the chat as I’m writing is hard but I’m just about managing it and I’ve seen the likes of Plebeian Grandstand, Noise Trail Immersion and Fall Of Efrafa mentioned as comparisons. Who could argue with that!

‘Oscillate’ is a quick-fire song that signals the album’s latter half. It doesn’t deliver the ambient instrumental that some of you might be expecting though, as Still elects to continue with the intensity, leading into ‘Life Eclipses Living’. It mirrors real life in both name and atmosphere. It’s sonic elements are right up there too. So good! The angular beauty that’s captured in the metallic riffs of penultimate song ‘Small Mercies Of Falling Apart’ is a joy to behold (if you like your music off-kilter and angry). It highlights just how much Still care about their craft. The UK needs music like this and bands like Still, especially when you hear that ending!

Album closer ‘Unresolved’ is it’s longest and oddly it’s most melodic, if the guitar work is anything to go by. It’s also stark though and oddly simplistic at first. It goes from melodic and airy to sludge-like in a matter of moments. Tempo changes, engrossing vox, ground-shaking bass and insanely good percussion complete what is a truly breathtaking song. Jaw dropping from beginning to end. I don’t know how music this good is still so under-appreciated. I know I’m biased because I write about it over and above any other genre of music but it just hits differently.

You can stream and purchase A Theft on all formats from Still below:-

Still - https://www.facebook.com/wearestillaband

Floodlit Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/floodlitrecordings

Blue Noise - Demo #1 [Blue Noise]

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 06 May 2019

Tracklist:

1. One

2. Two

Blue Noise is just one of the many bands that come from the incredibly talented Maya Chun (namely Goodthink, Youth Novel, Heavenly Blue and the list goes on). Demo #1 was one of three releases to come from the union of Blue Noise and Zegema Beach Records in 2019. It was a super limited pressing across just 26 tapes (long sold out). It features two songs but good luck trying to pin down a genre.

I’m trying to write this in a fairly short window, so apologies if it ends up being garbage! ‘One’ starts off the demo in quiet fashion thanks to it’s gentle intro before Maya launches into a sound that’s every bit as chaotic as it is powerful. A mix of almost every conceivable heavy/dreamy genre awaits. The abrupt switch to ‘Two’ is quite startling, especially if like me, you were lost in that first song. 

Thankfully, it doesn’t take too long before you’re transported back to that exact same feeling. Aside from being more grandiose, ‘Two’ goes through various phases from cinematic to minimalist before making a 180 degree turn and going headfirst back to mayhem-inducing intensity, enveloped by glorious melody. You can just tell by listening that these songs are/were a complete labour of love.

This demo formed the blueprint for what Blue Noise became and I’ll be continuing this little journey at a later date. For now though, I’m left with the impact that these two songs have made. They’ve not just shaped a musical project, they’ve helped shape a modern day dynasty (if that’s the right word?) and blurred lines between genres.

You can stream and purchase Demo #1 as a name-your-price download from ZBR below:-

Blue Noise - https://www.facebook.com/bluenoisemi/

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Coffin Mulch - Spectral Intercession

Labels: At War With False Noise/Darker Than Darkness Records/Dry Cough Records/Gurgling Gore/Memento Mori

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Jun 2023

Tracklist:

1. Spectral Intercession

2. Into The Blood

3. Mental Suicide

4. In The Grip Of Death

5. Fall Og Gaia

6. Gateway To The Unseen

7. Infernal Mass

8. Eternal Enslavement

When a death metal band comes along featuring members/ex-members of bands from outside of the genre, there's reason to be intrigued and excited. Gathering musicians from doom/sludge bands Age Of Taurus (previously reviewed here), Backstabber, Forever Machine, as well noisecore act Seppuku and Tetsuo (whom I don't know much about), you'd be forgiven for not knowing what to expect. Spectral Intercession was released in mid-2023 and is the band's first full-length, following a demo, an EP and two singles since their formation in 2018. They landed on my radar thanks to Dry Cough Records, who released the album on tape.

The weirdness starts straight off the bat thanks to the intro of opener ‘Spectral Intercession’, which after bizarre screams and noise descends into a whirlwind of old-school death metal of the thicc riff variety. Not overly fast tempo-wise and with a solid low-end, it grabs your attention with ease. Coffin Mulch carry the momentum of their album opener forward with ‘Into The Blood’, which doesn’t break for breath until the mid-way point when it flips from driving up-tempo death metal to sluggish doom/death. It’s absolutely glorious and the screeching guitar mini-solo towards the end caps the listening experience off perfectly.

Being a huge fan of doom/sludge and powerviolence, I like those low riffs that shake everything right to the core. The sort of riffs that open up ‘Mental Suicide’ then! They set the scene for what’s to come, even if that is unexpectedly blasting. The percussion is much more prominent here, providing not just a backdrop but a lead for the rest of CM to follow. ’In The Grip Of Death’ closes out the first half of the album with some truly epic OSDM that refuses to hang around. It’s over very quickly but there’s still plenty of musicianship throughout it’s sub two-minute playing time. 

The second half of Spectral Intercession rolls around with ‘Fall Of Gaia’ and it couldn’t be better. A constant barrage of top-tier UK death metal is all that’s required and Coffin Mulch deliver in spades. The buffeting intensity of ‘Gateway To The Unseen’ and the occasional use of vocal reverb (if I’m hearing things correctly) give this song a much more crusty feel, though it is subtle. Obviously, I get that how we hear and interpret music is subjective (I’ve said it enough times here before already), so you definitely should decide for yourselves. 

Penultimate song ‘Infernal Mass’ gives off complete doom/sludge vibes early on before Coffin Mulch once again launch into hyperspace, without the need for a drum machine(!), while allowing the lead guitar to shine once more amongst the chaos is perfect this late on in the album. Closer ‘Eternal Enslavement’ is the lengthiest song by some margin on Spectral Intercession and it’s everything you hoped it would be. Stark spoken-word samples, slow/low riffs, upbeat percussion and those now customary harsh vocals come together to offer an even greater old-school feel.

As the current “new wave” of UK old-school death metal grows it’s tentacles, Coffin Mulch stand out in the darkness. Expertly performed throughout, this album is both visually and musically up there with the very best in the genre right now.

You can stream and purchase Spectral Intercession digitally, as well as on limited edition vinyl from Coffin Mulch below:-

Coffin Mulch - https://www.facebook.com/coffinmulch

Physical copies can also be purchased on tape from Dry Cough Records below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/coffin-mulch-spectral-intercession-cassette-dc73

At War With False Noise - https://awwfn.bandcamp.com

Darker Than Darkness Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Gurgling Gore - https://www.gurglinggore.com/

Memento Mori - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label

Virologist - Ameliorating Vicissitudes EP

Labels: New Standard Elite

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 27 May 2024

Tracklist:

1. Opprobrium Transmogrification

2. Reanimation Of Mechanical Flesh Through Cybernetic Enslavement

Californian brutal death metal quintet Virologist have been on a bit of a wild ride over the last twelve months or so. Having self-released their Promo 2023 demo last July on both cd and digital formats, they came to the attention of Indonesian death metal label Brutal Mind, who also pressed it on . Fast-forward a year and their newest EP Ameliorating Vicissitudes has been released on cd via US brutal/tech death bastion New Standard Elite. The fact that NSE elected to sign Virologist and release this two-track EP off the back of just a demo suggests that there's much more to come from these guys.

Today is a significant day for me as it marks my first cup of proper coffee in well over five years. I stopped drinking coffee because it (instant coffee to be more precise) was giving me the shakes and palpitations. I cleaned and fired up my coffee machine today and despite the noise it created after laying dormant for so long, I took a chance. It might help with my productivity but also I might regret it later on.

Anyway, none of the above has anything to do with this review other than to frame why it may be a bit all over the place. This EP’s first song ‘Opprobrium Transmogrification’ is an incredibly technical take on brutal death metal, albeit with the requisite pig-squeals. I love the attention and detail that’s put into the instrumentation on this release but, as with the majority of similar sounding records, the vocals make me switch off slightly.

Virologist’s second song ‘Reanimation Of Mechanical Flesh Through Cybernetic Enslavement’ is slightly longer than the EP and follows in exactly the same vein. If they were to release an instrumental version of this EP I’d be all over it! With that being said though, I’m not a fan of being disrespectful to bands. Virologist know exactly what they’re going for sound-wise and deserve huge respect for it. 

As a sign of what’s to come, this EP is a really good listen. It contains details that might take a few listens to truly appreciate. While I gravitate towards the slower/murkier/old-school side of death metal, I can appreciate the work and love that has gone into these tracks. You can forget about Elon Musk micro-dosing on Ketamine to help him focus, a bit of coffee is all that’s needed.

You can stream and purchase this EP digitally via New Standard Elite below:-

You can grab cd copies from Virologist here - https://virologist.bandcamp.com/album/ameliorating-vicissitudes

Virologist - https://www.facebook.com/virologistband

New Standard Elite - https://www.facebook.com/@NewStandardElite

Apostles Of Eris/Raining - Split

 Labels: Larry Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 19 Apr 2019

Tracklist:

1. Apostles Of Eris - ...and one for all that I know

2. Apostles Of Eris - Fascist Pacifist

3. Apostles Of Eris - Mikey Got His Gun

4. Apostles Of Eris - A fire for your horrid life...

5. Apostles Of Eris - The Eye

6. Raining - blank tree

7. Raining - inoperant

8. Raining - two mirrors

9. Raining - Sleepy ernst

10. Raining - chervonenkis in the swamp

Way back in March 2019 I premiered a song from both Apostles Of Eris and Raining in advance of this split, but like an idiot I didn't review the full thing upon it's release. It was released as a limited tape pressing of 100 copies via Larry Records and Zegema Beach Records, which to date counts as it's only pressing. For those unaware, Apostles Of Eris are from USA/Canada while Raining are from New Zealand. 

Apostles of Eris have been super prolific since their first release in 2016 (the split tape with The World That Summer), in fact this split with Raining counted as their third release in 2019 alone (if Discogs is correct). While it’s classed as an album it’s weird to think that Apostles Of Eris haven’t actually released a proper full-length of their own yet. There’s still plenty of time for that though!

They begin their side of this release with ‘…and one for all that I know’, which is a gloriously melodic yet powerful piece of screamo. An intense opener complete with a subtle build-up of emoviolence to start things off. After an angry spoken-word sample, ‘Fascist Pacifist’ and it’s down-tempo heaviness takes over. The dual screams of Jesse Mowery and David Norman provide as much emotion and depth as the instrumentation does. 

‘Mikey Got His Gun’ is the longest song on AOE’s side and it’s delivered with a nod towards panic chord-stricken screamo, albeit with a lot more melody and a sense of coherence that’s unfathomable to my ears at least. The penultimate song on their side of this split ‘A fire for your horrid life…’ may well be the bookend to their opener (I don’t know?) but what I can say for certain is that it’s epic! It’s loud and full of what makes AOE such a great band.

Ending with ‘The Eye’, there’s a real sense of calm and contentment flowing through AOE’s music, as if all along they only wanted to write music to make people feel at peace. I mean, I say “only” because I can’t speak for them directly. I can only speak about how I interpret it and how it makes me feel.

The split’s latter half is all about Raining and ‘blanktree’, which comes at you with much more rawness and less melody initially. That rawness feels greater thanks to the distorted vocals; however, it’s not long before Raining turn one hundred and eight degrees, choosing musicality over madness with clean guitar work, subtle percussion and what sounds like brass/woodwind.

After an extended period of ambient noise towards the end of ‘blanktree’ that continues into ‘inoperant’, you’re greeted with a song that’s filled with more urgency, yet where Raining don’t alter their song-writing stance at all. Their shortest song ‘two mirrors’ is a glorious acoustic one that’s joined by soothing spoken-word vocals. It’s a loverly way to break up the split’s heaviness for a moment.

‘Sleepy ernst’ is sensitive to the vibes you might be feeling after that previous song, as it starts off gently and builds slowly, albeit with harsh vocals once again. Later, those harsh vocals are joined by off-kilter time signatures and added dissonance. It’s not an overly heavy song but one that’s full of body and poise. Closing what is still their only release to date, ‘chervonenkis in the swamp’ is the closest Raining get to avant-garde screamy jazz weirdness. 

In typical fashion this split’s final song is also it’s longest. It highlights the inventiveness that Raining exudes (or exuded) in such an emotive way. I know that some people reading this review will be more familiar with split EPs and singles, but split (and even collaborative) albums have been growing in frequency and popularity more recently. I’m totally here for it as both Apostles Of Eris and Raining execute their’s perfectly.

You can stream and purchase the split digitally via Apostles Of Eris and Raining (respectively) on bandcamp below:-

Apostles Of Eris - https://www.facebook.com/thegoddessprevails

Physical tape copies are long sold out via Larry Records but you can still grab some from Zegema Beach Records here:-

CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/aoe-raining

USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/apostles-of-eris-raining-split-cassette

Larry Records - https://www.facebook.com/larryscrammo

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Besra - Equilibrium EP

Labels: Suicide Records

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 01 Nov 2024

Tracklist:

1. An Omen Of...

2. The Final Hour

3. Equilibrium

4. End Of The Horizon

I had nothing review-wise pencilled in for this evening. I usually put together a schedule of sorts based on regular reviews (my ZBR roster reviews for example) and fit more reviews in between. It's basically a vein attempt to convince myself that I'm organised when in reality I'm so far behind on e-mails it's not even fair anymore.

So instead of using the time to catch up, I'm excitedly writing about a new EP that's due for official release on Friday. Coming courtesy of Swedish/Finnish label Suicide Records, Equilibrium is the latest release from Finnish post/prog metal band Besra. It'll be available digitally and follows on from their 2023 full-length Transitions.

Finland’s rich musical heritage has contributed so many bands, whom have been written about multiple times since. Bands including Amorphis, Insomnium, Sentenced, Swallow The Sun (the list goes on) have woven a tapestry of progression, mournful gothic melody, post-metal beauty and deathly aggression all of their own. That is why bands like Besra exist today. On Equilibrium’s opener ‘An Omen Of…’ they encapsulate all of the above to produce a truly epic mix of melody and heaviness. The country’s folklore and personality flows through the song as Besra refuse to give in to outside influences.

Besra’s songs on Equilibrium have an undeniably dramatic feel and tone to them. Listen to ‘The Final Hour’ if you don’t believe me. Glorious post-rock/metal instrumentation is joined by spoken-word vocals, both of which beg it to go on and on, and it does as it flows into the title-track ‘Equilibrium’. A punchier, heavier number that plays to Besra’s progressive strengths as it lets yet more melody in. Reading that people have been comparing them to Cult Of Luna and the like is pretty accurate but I think they definitely have a personality all of their own. Their music is better because of it too.

EP closer ‘End Of The Horizon’ is delivered with excellent precision. Being a sextet with multi-instrumentalists allows for a lot of flexibility and it shows in the expressiveness that exists through all four songs. In the current musical climate, it’s too easy for a band to allow their sound to become too compressed and modern-sounding. I think Besra have got it right here though as they keep things a bit simpler, letting their own instruments and voices do the talking. 

A perfect accompaniment to the winter nights that are drawing in but without cliche. This EP is excellent from beginning to end, warming the heart and cleansing the soul. 

You can stream the title-track and pre-order the EP digitally via Suicide Records below:-

Besra - https://www.besra.band/ / https://www.facebook.com/besraband

Suicide Records - https://www.suiciderecords.se/store/ / https://www.facebook.com/suiciderds