Carl Johnson/YCПЕХ! - Split

Labels: Polar Summer

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 11 Dec 2017

Tracklist:

1. Carl Johnson - Unworthy Of The Name

2. Carl Johnson - Ice Cold Killa

3. Carl Johnson - Inversion Therapy

4. YCПЕХ! - Эптеп-септеп

5. YCПЕХ! - Эзет-эзет

6. YCПЕХ! - Чай-пай

As a record/cd/tape collector, there are lots of releases that I know I'll probably never come across. A good number of those have come from Polar Summer. They're out there but would be difficult to obtain even if I could. I'll make do with continuing to write about them instead, as I pick up where I left off in my Polar Summer review series.

This split between Russia's Carl Johnson and YCПЕХ! from Kyrgyzstan was released in December 2017 and was limited to 20 tape copies in total. I've covered both bands in previous reviews, so don't have anything extra to add at this point other than that if you like emoviolence from the Eastern block, you're in the right place.

A nice split release is just what I needed, given that I’ve spent most of today wishing it was Friday. I shouldn’t wish too hard though. Opening this split up, Carl Johnson’s ‘Unworthy Of The Name’ wastes no time in awakening the senses. It’s an intro that sees explosive screamo bookended by ringing feedback. ‘Ice Cold Killa’, excusing the gangsta vibes of the title, is an epic approach to emoviolence. It’s part crust, part skramz but with a lot of melody and some punk rock for good measure. The instrumentation is top notch while the vocals are as intense as intense can be. 

Ending their portion of the split with ‘Inversion Therapy’, Carl Johnson bleed one song into the other, leaving you with their most chaotic number (for the first half at least). The latter half is a lot gentler on the ear. This release came before their split with Mrtex, but after their first and only full-length, which I don’t think ever had a physical release. The second half of the split belongs to YCПЕХ! and on their opener ‘Эптеп-септеп’, you get a sound that’s more DIY and raw, yet also more melodic. Less emoviolence, more emo with screaming. The guitars are much higher up in the mix for sure. 

‘Эзет-эзет’ is heavier in tone while still maintaining the live recording, which is where that rawness comes from. I personally really enjoy the different approaches of both Carl Johnson and YCПЕХ! on this split. ‘Чай-пай’ builds with background chatter and gentle guitar. You expect it to explode into life but it leaves you hanging. It’s a glorious way for the split to end, as it ends up being the most emotive song here (in my opinion). YCПЕХ! have amassed six releases to date (I don’t know if they’re still active).

This is one of those releases that really chokes me up, without sounding dramatic. Both bands really cared when they recorded these songs, which shines through. I could sit here wallowing in the fact that I’ll probably never hold a physical tape copy, but it’s not about me. It’s about preserving and sharing great music.

You can stream and purchase the split digitally below:-

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

Ultima - I: Katabasis

Labels: Self-Released/Obscurant Visions

Formats: Digital/Vinyl

Release Date: 18 Jan 2026

Tracklist:

1.  Hermeticism

2. A Labyrinth Beneath Reality

3. Cryptic Spiral of Wisdom

4. Catacombs of the Sun

5. Katabasis

While I enjoy various genres and sub-genres of heavy music, I find myself being drawn to black metal more of late. There's something about the imagery and the often anonymous creators behind the music that pulls me to dig deeper. I trawled the Internet recently in search of such music but I needn't have bothered, because it was closer to me than I thought.

D.B. wrote to me regarding his new project Ultima and its first full-length I: Katabasis, which he self-released digitally and cult Kazakhstani label Obscurant Visions released on vinyl early in 2026. D.B. himself is fairly well known in underground black metal circles, as the musical brain behind Délirant,   Hässlig and Negativa, as well as Spanish label Bile Noire.

I’ve been getting twitchy again. Mainly because I didn’t end up writing anywhere near as much as I had hoped last week. I’ll try harder this week. I mean, it’s not like I’m short of releases to cover! Anyway, in between sneezing, hitting play on the opening track of I: Katabasis brings a surprise of sorts. ‘Hermeticism’ is an ambient intro that’s both relaxing and unnerving, if that makes any sense. Following next, ‘A Labyrinth Beneath Reality’ is anything but, as Ultima bursts into life with a mixture of blasting and melodic black metal. It’s not totally true/occult sounding, but it’s also not too avant-garde/progressive. It sits in between, at least to my ears. The instumentation is very well executed and ice cold at times, while the vocals have a raspiness to them that could easily put you to sleep (in the best way).

‘Cryptic Spiral of Wisdom’ is a real joy to listen to now my neighbour has stopped revving the hell out of their motorbike (I try to be considerate with my own volume after all!). It’s a longer song too, all eight-and-a-half minutes of it. That’s a proper length for an all engrossing black metal song in my opinion. There’s a cascadian element to Ultima’s music at times and it shows itself here. ‘Catacombs of the Sun’ has a mdi-tempo feel thanks to the pace of the percussion and the hypnotic riffs. The orchestration during the song makes you think there is actually a full orchestra on the recording, while the raspy vocals are backed up by subtle blackgaze elements (if I’m allowed to use that comparison here!).

Ending with ‘Katabasis’, Ultima leaves the most expansive track till last. It encompasses not just the early sound that Ultima is built on but also the collective experience that D.B. has gained over the years, It’s where the music slows to a near crawl, almost funeral doom-like for a few moments. It’s here though where the approach does become a bit more abstract, as Ultima flirts with more metallic guitar elements and melodic textures. That said, furious black metal is just around the corner and with a flourish of up-tempo musicianship, it all ends with the shortest of outro sections.

For a project to be able to deliver its musical intent on debut is very difficult. Ultima isn’t far away from achieving that though, given D.B.’s experience. Black metal fans are almost fervent in their support of the genre, so they’ll warm to Ultima really quickly (if they haven’t already). I have that warm feeling already and will be returning to listen to more Spanish black metal immediately.

You can stream and purchase I: Katabasis on both digital/vinyl formats via Ultima's bandcamp page below:-

Vinyl copies are also available from Obscurant Visions here - https://www.obscurantvisions.com/product/ultima-ikatabasis

Ultima Instagram - @negativa0

Obscurant Visions Instagram - @obscurantvisions 

Orphan Donor - Ailments

Labels: Self-Released/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Released: 11 May 2026

Tracklist:-

1. Ailments

2. Lampmaster

3. Frail Forms

4. Viscera Coffin

5. The Same Emptiness

6. Show Me the Way

7. Void Eyes

8. Acidic Prism

It's back to reality with a bang this week! Post-holiday blues suck. What doesn't suck though is that Oprhan Donor released a new album back in May! It was self-released digitally by the band, while ZBR did a run of 100 digipak CDs. Grind meets metal meets noise-rock meets skramz.

Pennsylvania’s Orphan Donor are building a reputation for colourful, eye-catching album art (courtesy of @melted.gif here) and music that’s a beast all of its own. Starting off with the album title-track ‘Ailments’, you’re greeted with a very calm intro song with gentle trumpet and percussion. It’s got a soft jazz vibe, though that vibe doesn’t stick around for long, as ‘Lampmaster’ is where the heaviness kicks in. There’s atonal noise, which at times sounds industrial. There’s grindcore in several different time signatures and belligerent vocals that pierce through it all. Give it to your “average” music listener and they’d hate it, but it works.

From that insanity, ‘Frail Forms’ sounds oddly more structured as Orphan Donor deliver a sludge/noise-rock song that threatens to descend into sonic madness once again but stops just short. There’s me trying to make sense of it all, when I really can’t! ‘Viscera Coffin’ is a fine case in point as it’s a sub one-minute barrage of everything and all sorts. I have my window open to let in some cool air. I’m smiling manically because it’s also letting out this glorious racket.

Ailments isn’t a long record and in what seems like the blink of an eye, it’s already half-way through and ‘The Same Emptiness’ is coming at you like a black-jazz odyssey (except it’s only a little over thirty seconds). Familiar territory is sort of back on the horizon thanks to ‘Show Me the Way’, in that it’s one that opens with an instrumental noise-rock feel. The latter half is a twisting, gurning mass of grindcore and sludgy interludes. 

Penultimate song ‘Void Eyes’ is unlike anything else here. Yes, it’s grinding but the trumpet sounds like a malfunctioning air raid siren (which fits perfectly) and there’s a sense that Orphan Donor just threw caution to the wind, not that the rest of the album is an easy listen or anything! Closing it all out with ‘Acidic Prism’, there’s no time for pleasantries. Blasting noise punctuated by brief moments of off-kilter guitar, as screams fade in and out, and where the trumpet looms ominously in the final bars.

Some might say that I’m poking fun at Orphan Donor with this review,  but I’m not. Honestly, I don’t waste time writing about music I don’t like. I do like this. Ailments rules and Orphan Donor create noise that’s so infectious. Go and spin it all the time! 

You can stream Ailments below, where it's available to buy digitally or on CD directly from Orphan Donor:-

If you want a CD copy and live in Canada or Internationally, you can grab one from Zegema Beach Records here - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/ailments.

Orphan Donor Instagram - @orphan_donor

Zegema Beach Records Instagram - @zegema_beach

Barren Womb/Hylko - Split-Single 7"

Labels: Fucking North Pole Records/Captured Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 20 Mar 2026

Tracklist: 

1. Barren Womb - The Perils of Self-Improvement

2. Hylko - Green Spa (Cold Region Version)

I still love a good 7" single. I’ve been steadily picking them up, even though all of my record storage is taken up by LPs and they're now relegated to a crate (will be looking to change that soon!). That's what drew me towards this little split single from Norwegian noise-rock duo Barren Womb and Japanese stoner trio Hylko. It features one song by each band and was limited to just 100 copies, 50 on black and 50 on white vinyl, released by Fucking North Pole Records (or FNPRecords for short) and Captured Records.

It’s been quite sometime since I last reviewed a quick-fire release like this one. Barren Womb is a name I’ve seen pop up in various places over the last few years, though I didn’t realise they have been making music since 2011! Their song here ‘The Perils of Self-Improvement’ is a surprising mix of pop/melodic hooks and thundering heaviness. Dual-clean vocals, shouts, mid-paced percussion and guitar riffs that pivot between classy rock, and harrowing stoner-metal. The ending is especially worth waiting for, as Barren Womb literally grind their way to a halt.

Hylko are a completely new band to me and as they’re from Japan, I don’t know what to expect (apart from something unexpected!). The trio features a drummer, a vocalist who also plays a djembe drum and a bassist. Japan has a long history of producing great psych/stoner/noise bands and as the rumbling bass riff hits on ‘Green Spa’, another one is born in Hylko. Simple but noisy with beguiling Japanese lyrics that really bring out the psych influence, alongside the sounds of what is apparently a hot spring! 

Two totally different bands sharing a love for noise and rock, but interpreting both in their own way. Barren Womb show a lot of maturity but also a fraught side. Hylko are relatively new still (this is only their second release) but show great promise and ingenuity with their music. There’s a lot to like here.

You can stream Hylko's half of the split via their bandcamp page below, where the track is also available to purchase:-

You can also stream/download the full split from Barren Womb's site here - https://barrenwomb.org.

Barren Womb Instagram - @barrenwomb

Hylko Instagram - @hylko.stonerrock

Physical vinyl copies can be purchased via the pages below:-

FNPRecords - https://www.facebook.com/FNPRecords

Captured Records - http://captured.web.fc2.com