Light/Moongazer/A Rose Dying In The Rain - Sundrowning 3-Way Split

Labels: Self-Released/Fiadh Productions

Formats: Digital/Tape

Release Date: 06 Dec 2024

Tracklist: 

1. Light - Everflowing Rivers

2. Moongazer - Lilac

3. A Rose Dying in the Rain - Starry Eyes Like Late Sunset

In December of 2024, three blackgaze/ambient black metal bands joined forces and released a split together. Italy's Light, Moongazer from the US and Mexico's A Rose Dying In The Rain put said release online digitally for both streaming and purchase. Prolific US label Fiadh Productions announced a tape release via press mail-out earlier this year and feature the split on their Soundcloud page too; however, after scouring their socials and bandcamp, it doesn't appear to have materialised yet (please correct if I'm wrong and have missed it, or if it's still due for release!). Whatever the situation, I feel it's only right to champion these bands and their split.

This is an epic split release. One that’s typical amongst underground metal bands, especially those who lean towards black metal. It begins with the song ‘Everflowing Rivers’ by Italy’s Light, which is also it’s longest song. Gentle, soothing guitar melodies open the split in glorious fashion, in some ways reminiscent of compatriots like Earth And Pillars, Falaise and others besides. As it builds with additional layers of percussion and ambience, you’re encouraged to relax before Light unleashes harsh yet uplifting black metal vocals upon you. Amongst the backdrop of the vast cinematic instrumentation, it’s hard to feel anything but adulation for what’s coming out of the speakers. 

The latter half of the song is filled with so many layers; from the aforementioned guitar/ambient melodies, to the throat-scraping vocals and beautifully executed choral singing too. As opening songs go, this is gonna be hard to beat. I feel so energised after that, especially as the sun in coming out around me after such a grey and miserable day here. It’s apt though that America’s Moongazer are up next, as we head ever closer to evening darkness. ‘Lilac’ is also truly beautiful, with even more swathes of melody and ambience. The dissonance from the guitars may shock at first, but it soon nestles comfortably within Moongazer’s enthralling sound.

The further you get into this release, the greater it becomes. There’s a huge feeling of positivity about it, which aligns with how I feel in general right now. I hope it makes you feel the same. To close out this split, Mexico’s A Rose Dying In The Rain provide the cosmic, synth-laden ’Starry Eyes Like Late Sunset’. It’s heavily instrumental and when the band’s vocals join the mix, they’re slightly deeper. Their position doesn’t do any harm at all though, as there’s an authentic and organic feel to the whole song. There isn’t really anything else I can say to describe this release at this point.

All three bands are breathtaking and deserved of any attention they receive. I know a lot of people will pour scorn on so-called “blackgaze” bands but in an environment where genres are constantly getting blurred, they definitely have their place. If you’re still unsure, give this a chance. Light, Moongazer and A Rose Dying In The Rain deserve greater attention after this.

You can stream and purchase the split below:-

Moongazer's bandcamp:-

A Rose Dying In The Rain's bandcamp:-

Moongazer - https://www.facebook.com/moongazerofficial / Instagram - @moongazerofficial

A Rose Dying In The Rain - https://www.facebook.com/aroserainofficial/ / Instagram - @aroserainofficial

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

Cathartic - Through The Abysmal Gates Of Subconscious

Labels: Awakening Records/Concreto Records/Metal Coffin Records/Raise The Dead Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 26 Aug 2022

Tracklist:

1. Beyond Grief

2. In The Pits Of Anguish

3. Vanish Into Oblivion

4. Gloomy Ways To Decay

5. Carried By The Wings Of Death

6. Hateful Faith

7. Path To Perdition

8. From The Unknown

9. Obliteration

What's not to like about Mexican death metal that pays homage to the Swedish way! That's what Guadalajara's Cathartic do on their debut full length 'Through The Abysmal Gates Of Subconscious'. The album was released back in August of last year by ever growing Chinese extreme metal label Awakening Records, as well as via Mexican labels Concreto Records and Metal Coffin Records soon after. It's getting the much deserved vinyl treatment later this year from UK label Raise The Dead Records too! Given that this is their debut record, it's pretty amazing to see that they're due to play alongside the likes of Dark Tranquility, Immolation and Grave amongst others in Mexico this September at Candelabrum Metal Festival.

Yes I know I’m behind on this one but part of the joy of music for me is discovering stuff at seemingly random times. I like how it often takes me by complete surprise. While I have a bit of a hankering for thrash metal at the moment, death metal’s a more than adequate substitute and Cathartic nail that old-school death/thrash sound on opener ‘Beyond Grief’. It’s rip-roaring and full of energy, while also being dirty enough to remind you that this is a debut album (though I have to say, the production and mastering job done here is spot on). 

There’s more rough and readiness to ‘In The Pits Of Anguish’ but it’s blasting percussion and frenetic riffs banish any notion that this is a release dreamt up by a demo band. Cathartic have chops and the song-writing skill to back them up. Their tempos range from mid-paced to fast and ‘Vanish Into Oblivion’ switches between the two with relative ease. At times the transitions do sound a little awkward but that doesn’t harm things too much, especially when Cathartic go into overdrive later on in the song, with the help of a subtle yet wailing solo.

I’ve read comments that almost consistently refer to the band’s love of HM2 guitar and I can hear exactly why people have drawn such comparisons on ‘Gloomy Ways To Decay’, where that really satisfying buzzsaw guitar sound comes through. The overall pace of this album is noticeably intense, even with the unnecessary pauses between songs. ‘Carried By The Wings Of Death’ is s sub five-minute barrage of the highest order. From it’s fierce first half to it’s more atmospheric, old-school latter that shows a different side to Cathartic, it’s pretty damn good!

I have to say that in variation terms the second half of Through The Abysmal Gates Of Subconscious is where it’s at for me. There’s a lot more lead work going on during the excellently titled ‘Hateful Faith’ and it really accentuates the raspy, growling vocals. ‘Path To Perdition’ is more stomping in places, but not in a slam-death way. It still has plenty of melody and personality hidden throughout it’s layers. Ear-to-ear grinning fun. 

From there you’re greeted with probably the gnarliest song of the whole record in the form of ‘From The Unknown’. It literally is from the unknown, bringing together everything that makes Cathartic great musically. The death metal community continues to expand and bring great bands to the fore of modern day extreme metal. Why can’t Cathartic be one of them! Closing with ‘Obliteration’, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that some kind of grind song awaits. Instead Cathartic provides a riff-filled instrumental that’s as catchy as it is precise, showing how musically excellent they are.

We all like different flavours from time to time and when you think how raw metal from Central and South America can be, Cathartic put Mexico on the map as a North American country that’s on the rise musically. A fact only made more real because both Chinese and UK labels (amongst others) have helped and are helping to spread their music far and wide.

You can stream and purchase the album digitally, as well as on CD and tape formats from Cathartic below:-

Cathartic - https://www.facebook.com/catharticdm

Depending on where you are in the world, you can buy physical copies from the labels below:-

Awakening Records - https://awakeningrecordscn.bandcamp.com/merch

Concreto Records - http://www.concretorecs.com/categoria-producto/

Metal Coffin Records - https://metalcoffinrecords.com/en/product-category/metal-coffin-records/

Raise The Dead Records - https://raisethedeadrecords.com/collections/all

Awakening Records - https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningRecordsCN

Concreto Records - https://www.facebook.com/concretorecs

Raise The Dead Records - https://www.facebook.com/raisethedeadrecords

Sacrocurse - Supreme Terror EP

Labels: Shadow Records/Regain Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 20 Jan 2021

Tracklist: 

1. Herethical Catharsis

2. Man Became Cursed

3. The Temple Is Open

4. From Genesis To Revelations

I'm back (albeit behind) on the 2021 release trail with this January EP release from Mexico's Sacrocurse. It was released via Shadow Records (with promotion and distribution from Regain Records). Sacrocurse's main protagonist ZK formed the band back 2012, and the time since then has seen a demo, a split, two full-lengths and another EP prior to this one. While enlisting live musicians for public appearances, the recorded output is mainly produced solely by ZK, who is himself an ex-member of Morbosidad and a current live member of Pseudogod, so Sacrocurse's black/death metal should be suitably nasty here.

That’s enough procrastinating. It’s straight into the old radio/war sampled intro of ‘Herethical Catharsis’ (or Catharsist, as it’s titled on the Regain bandcamp page). I’m not sure which one of the two is correct, but I’m going with the former here. Semantics aside, this is some great old-school death metal with black metal tendencies thrown into the mix. The drumming is maniacal, the guitars sit deeper in the mix and are quite understated in parts, while the vocals straight up snarl as they take centre stage.

‘Man Became Cursed’ contains those reverbed black metal vocals that seem to echo throughout the whole song and while the musicality isn’t as high as it was on the EP’s opener, it’s still a razor sharp piece of extremity with plenty of raw and evil South Americanism’s mixed in, as well as a whole heap of wailing leads.

The urgency on the EP’s latter half in dialled up a couple of notches and ‘The Temple Is Open’ is a thrashing beast of a song, which harks back to the era of Sarcofago and even Celtic Frost in parts. Obviously it’s faster than it is brooding but that does no harm at all, apart from to your neck!

EP closer ‘From Genesis To Revelations’ is surprisingly groovy to begin with before it gets a lot more intense. Sacrocurse’s sound is certainly raw and a bit of an acquired taste, but it’s also very addictive and real. This form of black/death metal is very much alive at the moment and I guess it’s a symptom of how horrendous 2020/early 2021 was for everyone. That aside though, Sacrocurse has unleashed one of the  evilest sounding EPs of 2021 so far.

You can stream and purchase 'Supreme Terror' digitally, as well as on all formats via Regain Records below:-

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

Shadow Records - https://www.facebook.com/shadowrecords.se

Regain Records - https://www.facebook.com/regainrecords.se

Heterofobia - Queremos Ver El Mundo Arder

Labels: Drunken Sailor Records/Voice From Inside Tapes

Formats: Vinyl/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 24 May 2019

Tracklist:

1. Huele A Muerte

2. Me Das Asco

3. El Infierno

4. Vida De Mentiras

5. Rincones Polvorientos

6. Falsos Aliados

7. No Podemos Ser

8. Silencio Absoluto

9. Ya Esta Bien (La Uvi Cover)

10. Queremos Ver El Mundo Arder

Raw and angry punk from Mexico makes for a perfect accompaniment to this slightly hungover bank holiday Monday. This is the latest album from Monterrey's newest queer, pink punks Heterofobia and was released on vinyl and digitally by UK label Drunken Sailor Records only last week, while there has also been a tape pressing via Voice From Inside Tapes from the Ukraine. Spanish language punk with more than a nod towards the garage punk and death rock sounds of the 80s, with a La Uvi cover to boot.

There’s an ominous atmosphere that greets you on album opener Huele A Muerte, with it’s authoritative percussion, riffs that sound slightly anti-melodic and the shouted vocals. It’s not blasting like crust punk but it has as caustic edge to it that’s really infectious. It’s also fairly mid-paced but it leads into the more urgent Me Das Asco, which makes use of dual vocals and a larger garage punk influence.

El Infierno has a real danceable goth-like vibe to it, despite the destructive vocals. It’s over too quickly. Talking of being over too quickly, Vida De Mentiras is the shortest song on “Queremos…” and as a result, it’s stark urgency is all too obvious. Heterofobia’s sound is perfect on here. There’s nothing too technical about it but then punk doesn’t need to be. Before you know it, you’re racing to the album’s mid-point with Rincones Polvorientos. It’s tempo seems to get faster and faster as it goes, but I may be imagining that.

Falsos Aliados is death-rock personified. It’s cruel and dystopian march is oddly hypnotic. Heterofobia really let themselves go on No Podemos Ser, which has to be the loudest and most aggressive song on “Queremos…”. The bass tones on Silencio Absoluto are strangely soothing at first, even if the song itself isn’t so. They cover of Ya Esta Bien by Spanish 80s punks La Uvi and they manage to retain the caustic sound of the original while also pumping their own melody into it.

The album finishes with the title-track and the distilled anger set against the backdrop of garage-punk instrumentation is a contrast that definitely works in Heterofobia’s favour. It may not be an easy listen for some but it’s well worth dedicating the time to if you are a fan of punk in its many forms. 

You can stream and purchase "Queremos Ver El Mundo Arder" directly from Heterofobia below:-

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

Physical copies can be purchased from the labels below:-

Drunken Sailor Records - http://www.drunkensailorrecords.co.uk/

Voice From Inside Tapes - https://voice-tapes.blogspot.com/p/releases

Drunken Sailor Records - https://www.facebook.com/DrunkenSailorRecords/

Voice From Inside Tapes - https://www.facebook.com/voicefrominside666/

Ravenous Death - Chapters Of An Evil Transition

Labels: Memento Mori

Formats: CD

Release Date: 05 Feb 2019

Tracklist:

1. Prelude To Evilness

2. Doomed To Exist

3. Harvesting Hate

4. Evil Dementia (The Voices Of The Nobodies)

5. Awakening Of The Damned

6. Cursed Origin

7. Initiation Ritual

8. The Sinister Being

9. Massacre Cult

10. Soul Consumes By The Occult

A death metal band from Mexico, with a name taken from a Vomitory song! That's exactly what you get from Ravenous Death. They've been spewing out blasphemic death metal since 2016 and this is their debut full-length, which follows their 2017 EP "Ominous Deathcult". "Chapters Of An Evil Transition" was released digitally and on cd via Memento More earlier this month. Something tells me this is going to be rad!

At this point you’re nearly over the hump, so why not being your descent into the weekend with some ripping death. Ravenous Death promises a lot but if you’re anything like me, you never quite know what you’re going to get with death metal anymore. Thankfully, this is old-school worshipping in the best from as the menacing riffs and growls of Prelude To Evilness pull you in. There’s definitely a nod towards the usual suspects but there’s also some Mexican heat too! Doomed To Exist is the first full assault from the band and it’s fast raw drumming is immersed within sludgy, atmospheric bass/guitar work and low growls. It’s technical but not overpoweringly so, which means it’s a pleasing listen.

The sound here never quite crosses over into death-thrash or black-thrash territory, but it does threaten to on Harvesting Hate. It certainly has that underground nastiness to it. I suppose Incantation might be a good comparison (if I was to pick one) or maybe even Morbosidad possibly. A healthy slab of lead work leads you onto Evil Dementia (The Voices Of The Nobodies), which is equally as horrid, especially thanks to some Slayer-esque riffs and rasping screeches. It’s at this point that it feels like Ravenous Death are really starting to grow in confidence on the recording. 

Things get even gloomier on Awakening Of The Damned, as Ravenous Death settles into their stride and really goes for it instrumentally. This is the best song on the album yet and it shows a new side to them with twin-melodies and greater layers of sonic savagery. Their tempo seems to get faster again at this point too with Cursed Origin continuing that trend. It’s just straight-up raging. There’s a different approach to atmosphere during Initiation Ritual, which is both experimental and oddly festering at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still fast but there’s also a whiff of pungent doom/death in the air, though it is subtle. 

That doom/death aura takes more of a hold during The Sinister Being, with it’s opening mix of deep and trebly guitar. Again, the drumming seems to play at double time compered the guitars but that’s what gives it an edge and one that’s sits really well. The vocals are back to their deep glowing beat and there’s no escape. Penultimate song Massacre Cult underlines why this record is so enjoyable by being unpretentious and fun (if death metal could be considered so). It also shows off the variation levels that sit within RD’s music, which is more obvious if you sit and really take it in as a whole. In what seems like the blink of an eye, you’re head-banging to the bars of final song Soul Consumes By The Occult. 

This is a cracking death metal record by a band that’s really still finding their feet. Ravenous Death rules and are certainly going to be putting Mexican extreme metal on the map this year! Lend them your ears. 

If you're in Mexico you can buy "Chapters Of An Evil Transition" on cd and digitally below:-

If you're anywhere else in the world head to Memento Mori - http://www.memento-mori.es/store.php.

Ravenous Death - https://www.facebook.com/RavenousDeathOfficial/

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

Glass Mind - Dodecaedro

Labels: Rockshots Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 10 Jan 2017

Tracklist:

1. Babel

2. Caliente

3. Fu

4. Humedo

5. Inside The Whale

6. Frio

7. Detritus

8. Seco

9. Dodecaedro

The weekend is nearly here and let's face it, we all want to ease into Friday. That's where Mexican progressive instrumental band Glass Mind comes in. Their 2nd full-length "Dodecaedro" was released in January 2017 by the band themselves and was then picked up by European label Rockshots Records on licence, who gave it a wider release in Europe and North America during the year. It follows their 2011 debut album "Haunting Regrets". Glass Mind has been compared to the likes of Dream Theater (minus the vocals) and Scale The Summit, though I'm gonna let those comparisons go and try to appreciate their music for what it is.

Opening song Babel was one of the band’s earlier singles prior to the release of “Dodecaedro”. It was made available digitally by the band in May 2015. What strikes you immediately with the song is Glass Mind’s use of traditional Mexican and South American influences during the opening passage. Those influences remain subtle throughout the rest of the song, which is a great mix of progressive melody and metallic heaviness. Caliente is a more restrained and shorter piece. In fact it’s interesting that Glass Mind elects to sandwich sub-two minute pieces in between their longer songs, so as to not lose the listener. Fu is incredibly upbeat and contains a lot of different textures and musical layers, which for a quartet that solely relies on their instruments (and not heaps of electronic wizardry) is great to hear. 

Humedo has a space-age vibe to it and some great drumming to boot. There used to be a time when I though that instrumental progressive metal bands were all about histrionics and classical music, but as I’ve got older and discovered newer bands like Intervals and the like, I’ve realised that isn’t the case at all. Inside The Whale is a beaut and takes more from the modern era of instrumental bands, while still ensuring that Glass Mind’s incredible musicianship isn’t tampered with in the process. Glass Mind makes Frio into a brief fairytale-like musical interlude that sounds beautiful. 

Detritus was the earliest single that Glass Mind released (in March 2014, the other being Inside The Whale in July of the same year) and it’s twin guitar work is something else. The piano lends a more sensitive edge to the music as a whole, with extra rock tendencies flowing through it. There’s all kinds of things going on in penultimate song Seco, which features some great guitar effects and what sounds like s Sitar(?). Glass Mind end with the title-track, which is probably the most experimental song on the record. It sums up both how assured this quartet is but also how amazing instrumental metal can be. I know that I’m writing about this over a year after it’s release but it still stands up as an incredible album. More please!

You can only stream "Dodecaedro" via Glass Mind's bandcamp page below:-

If you want to purchase the album digitally or on cd, links to all the major outlets are available on the above page as well.

Glass Mind - https://www.facebook.com/glassmind/

Rockshots Records - https://www.facebook.com/rockshotsrecords/