Iceburn - Asclepius

Labels: Southern Lord

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 25 Jun 2021

Tracklist:-

1. Healing The Ouroboros

2. Dahlia Rides The Firebird

I may have got a little excited when I saw this sitting in my inbox this evening. I've been really intrigued by Iceburn ever since I picked up a copy of Hephaestus from a local record shop here in North Yorkshire (of all places) a few years ago. It was a blind buy at the time, except for the fact that it had the Revelation Records logo on it's sleeve. On listening to it, I realised that it was nothing like any other Revelation release I had heard (maybe I've not heard many, I don't know!) and since then I've promised myself I'd seek out more of their music, while also being a little nervous about doing so. Asclepius is the band's first new music in about twenty years and it's found the perfect home on Southern Lord. Intelligent, progressive, ever-shifting music has been the bedrock of this educated collective (maybe that's why I've been nervous) and when you consider that the album is named after the Greek god of medicine/healing, it becomes clear that this was meant to be.

I must clarify something about the above, lengthy paragraph; I’m not nervous about this because I see myself as being intellectually inferior but because I may not have the words to fully do this release justice. We’ll see...

Asclepius is made up of two long tracks, so it’s not about instant relief. ‘Healing The Ouroboros’ begins with guitar work that reminds me of the song ‘Brando’ that Scott Walker and Sunn 0))) released as part of their collaborative album Soused, before Iceburn veers off in a more sludgy/trad-doom direction, which is more akin to sister band Eagle Twin. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that the music keeps you guessing with experimentalism in abundance. That said, and doing a complete 180 degree turn apparently, this is way groovier than I was expecting it to be. Not complaining one bit though, as it seems totally right for a warm and muggy English Monday evening.

The feedback that kicks off second song ‘Dahlia Rides The Firebird’ is the aural equivalent of a sign saying ‘hey, we like rocking’, which is exactly what Iceburn does all the way through this record. Even if it’s not the kind of rocking you can dance or bounce to, it will satisfy you. The main thing that will keep you hooked here is the constant riffs that take the lead throughout. They tend to sit atop of the recording, while the bass and percussion provide the much needed low-end. The vocals are delivered sparingly and without pretence or showy-ness. This album is definitely one that’s accessible for those willing to give it a chance.

To sum this album up after only a couple fo listens is difficult. I’ll go with the less is more approach and just say that it’s really good. You can do the rest…

You can watch preview videos of both song's via Iceburn's bandcamp page here - https://iceburnsl.bandcamp.com/album/asclepius.

Asclepius is also up for physical/digital pre-order there too.

Iceburn - https://www.facebook.com/IceburnSLC

Southern Lord - https://www.facebook.com/SLadmin

Nails - Unsilent Death (10th Anniversary Edition)

Labels: Southern Lord

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 27 Nov 2020

Tracklist:

1. Conform

2. Scum Will Rise

3 Your God

4. Suffering Soul

5. Unsilent Death

6. Traitor

7. I Will Not Follow

8. No Servent

9. Scapegoat

10. Depths

11. Leech (Previous Unreleased)

12. Enemy (Previous Unreleased)

13. Confront Them (Obscene Humanity 7")

14. Obscene Humanity (Obscene Humanity 7")

15. Lies (Obscene Humanity 7")

Ten years ago saw the release of Unsilent Death by US hardcore/death metal band Nails and for many, it was their first gateway into the band. The album's 10th anniversary has just passed and to mark the occasion, Southern Lord released a special version containing the original album and five bonus songs, including two previously unreleased songs from the Unsilent Death recordings and the three songs that appeared on the 2012 Obscene Humanity 7".

The impact of Nails is still undeniable on Unsilent Death opener ‘Conform’, which straightaway sees the band launching into a powerviolence-esque thirty second battering of percussion, raging bass/guitar and unforgiving vocals. Blasting Napalm Death influence flows through this album, as on ‘Scum Will Rise’ and there’s no hiding from the sheer power of the band. Subtle sludginess and screeching feedback are also present and correct on ‘Your God’, which is short but no less intense, while on ‘Suffering Soul’ things are extended into a longer form, with a punk-backbone flowing through it thanks to the drum beats. The breakdown in the song’s second-half is mighty and underlines their heaviness. 

The original recordings haven’t been remixed or remastered, aside from the bonus songs so what you hear is as it was when Unsilent Death was initially released, which is why the album’s title-track sounds so raw and groovy. From there, ‘Traitor’ brings you back down to earth with a bang thanks to it’s stop/start fast/slow approach. In true belligerent fashion, ‘I Will Not Follow’ lives up to it’s name with more off-kilter time signatures and proper hardcore tones. There’s no pretence here at all, just honest heavy music and no matter what you think about Nails now, they’re still one of the best modern-era bands of this ilk. There’s something very necro about ‘No Servant’, which I think has to do with the blasts. Aside from that, it also features some of the best guitar work on the record.

The two final songs of the album proper are utterly insane, with ‘Scapegoat’ leading the charge with uncontrolled noise, death and hardcore all rolled into one sub one-minute song that leads straight into album closer ‘Depths’ via more screeching feedback. This is the crust/sludge-laden beast that Nails always threatened to whip out on Unsilent Death and saving it till the end is a masterstroke. It’s blistering instrumentation tells you all you need to know. Next up are two previously unreleased tracks from the same recording sessions as the album. ‘Leech’, unsurprisingly, has the same sound and approach to many of the songs on Unsilent Death but the fact that it’s only been released now makes it a special listen, which can also be said about ‘Enemy’, with it’s warp-speed tempo and crazed grindcore blueprint. 

Closing this re-release out are the three songs from the 2012 Obscene Humanity 7”. ‘Confront Them’ is more white-hot than many of the songs that appeared on the album, in terms of anger and the higher tone of the screams, but it shows the progression that Nails were making at the time. The 7”s title-track shows yet more of a step away from the bolder, thicker sound of Unsilent Death, into dare-I-say-it a more Japanese crust/death direction (maybe). The final bonus track from the 7” is ‘Lies’ and like ‘Depths’ earlier, it’s an extended player that once again shows off the variation and musical skill that’s obvious throughout the band.

As far as re-releases go, this is both true to the original but also special enough to warrant greater attention. Hopefully it’s release will bring in a new wave of listeners, especially in a year when music this dark fits the current times. Cracking stuff from both Nails and Southern Lord.

You can stream and purchase the full re-release on all formats below:-

You can also purchase physical copies from Southern Lord here - https://southernlord.com/

Southern Lord Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/SLadmin/

Pelican - Nighttime Stories

Labels: Southern Lord Recordings/Brutal Panda Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 07 Jun 2019

Tracklist:

1. WST

2. Midnight And Mescaline

3. Abyssal Plain

4. Cold Hope

5. It Stared At Me

6. Nighttime Stories

7. Arteries Of Blacktop

8. Full Moon, Black Winter

The other night I mentioned the number of incredible records that were released recently and how I was way behind in appreciating them all. I'm slowly catching up on them and latest album from Chicago, Illinois post-metal/instrumental band Pelican was one that I was eager to hear. It was released in June on vinyl, cd and digital via Southern Lord Recordings, along with a tape version via Brutal Panda Records that saw the light of day about a month later. I probably can't say anything that hasn't already been said about Pelican and their music, but this is all about enjoyment of music and its creators.

Elegant soundscapes and subtle textures are exactly what’s needed this evening, as the barmy late summer sun recedes and “Nighttime Stories” promises that. Opener WST provides a glimpse into a mellower side of Pelican, though it’s only a mere intro of sorts. Midnight And Mescaline is a very different beast with upbeat tempos and driving instrumentation. The quartet has matured well beyond the point of a band still finding own way and it shows here.

It’s actually amazing how upbeat this record is considering the heavy sludgy beginnings of the band well over a decade ago. Abyssal Plain is another example of this, albeit one that does call on passages of off-kilter instrumental black metal-like guitars and blasts at times. It convinces you that vocals are not needed. Cold Hope is by far the heaviest song on “Nighttime Stories” so far as it takes things in a more dissonant and doomier direction.

The second half of the album is ushered in by another calming piece in the form of It Stared At Me. It tempers back Pelican’s more full-on side but it still gives you plenty of time to appreciate their musicality at the same time. Time is short but when it’s spent listening to this, it’s very previous indeed. Just when you’re at your serenest though, the title-track shatters that feeling with a bass-heavy smash to the face. There’s still plenty of melody here but it’s the rumbling noise that takes true hold of your senses. The volume seems like it’s been turned straight up beyond maximum and it gets the heart beating as a result.

There’s a slight reduction in the heaviness as Pelican wind their way to the end of “Nighttime Stories” but that does nothing to stop their momentum and penultimate song Arteries Of Blacktop is still a driving effort for sure. Closing song Full Moon, Black Water is most definitely a positive and life-affirming way to end. It gathers everything that is great about Pelican’s music and shoehorns it into the perfect summary to conclude the album. There are no histrionics or pretence, just honest musicians making honest music. A fantastic contender for album-of-the-year.

You can stream "Nighttime Stories" and purchase on vinyl, on cd and digitally below:-

Pelican - https://www.facebook.com/pelicansong/

Tape copies can be purchased via Brutal Panda Records here - https://www.brutalpandarecords.com/collections/all?page=4

Southern Lord Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/SLadmin/

Brutal Panda Records - https://www.facebook.com/BrutalPandaRecords/

The Secret - Lux Tenebris EP

Labels: Southern Lord

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 31 Aug 2018

Tracklist:

1. Vertigo

2. The Sorrowful Void

3. Cupio Dissolvi

Seemingly out of nowhere, Italy's The Secret are returning to the fray with their newest EP "Lux Tenebris". Following the long six-year period of silence from the band, they're playing selected shows across Europe again in support of the EP, which comes out at the end of August via Southern Lord on a single-sided 12" with a silkscreened b-side. Their black and heavy sound has brought with it a mass of followers since the release of their debut "Luce" back in 2004 and this new EP has extra poignancy as it marks fifteen years since their initial formation.

The aim of opening song Vertigo is to induce similar symptoms to that of the condition it shares it’s name with. Dizziness inducing bass and noise create an atmosphere that makes you nervous. The Secret are clearly heading in a darker and more experimental direction with their sound and this proves it as they build the intensity together. It never quite explodes into the raging beast that you might be expecting but it does leave you on the edge of your seat with a sense of anticipation, that is almost overwhelming. Black metal meets grind and ambient noise. 

The Sorrowful Void is no less terrifying with it’s undercurrent of hissing feedback and repeating riffs that burst into life providing the explosiveness that you know The Secret are capable of. This is them at their grinding best and where Wake (Canada) are showing North America how it’s done, The Secret are doing the same for Europe. I know that drawing comparisons are often pointless and subjective, but I think that this particular one is accurate. 

After the dramatic ending to The Sorrowful Void, it’s left to EP closer Cupio Dissolvi to carry the momentum on and it does so effortlessly. It’s a longer song and is woven together with The Secret’s driving heaviness and passages of quieter introspect. The song’s second half is dominated by black metal instrumentation, which turns into a mid-paced march filled with anger and hostility. If this EP is a barometer of the future of The Secret, it looks like it’s going to be bleak (in a good way). After it’s release, we’ll start to wave the summer goodbye and this will no doubt be the solace we need during the dark winter months.

You can stream The Sorrowful Void below via The Secret's Southern Lord bandcamp page below:-

Lux Tenebris can be pre-ordered on both vinyl and digital formats above too.

The Secret - https://www.facebook.com/the.secret.lux.tenebris/
Southern Lord - https://www.facebook.com/SLadmin/

Sect - No Cure For Death

Label: Southern Lord Recordings

Formats: LP/CD

Release Date: Nov 24th 2017

Tracklist:

1. Open Grave

2. Day For Night

3. Crocodile Prayers

4. Reality's Wake

5. Stripes

6. Liberal Arts

7. Born Razed

8. Transaction

9. Least Resistance

10. Avoidance Ritual

Social commentary and rage against the current US Presidential machine are hot topics right now, but there are hardcore bands that are about more than that. Enter US/Canadian straight-edgers Sect, who released their new album "No Cure For Death" via Southern Lord Recordings last November. As individuals their hardcore pedigrees precede them, but as a band they transcend their own reputations in order to make the world a better and more conscious place.

“No Cure For Death” is made up of ten quick-fire old-school hardcore songs. Sect doesn’t bother with a lengthy intro on LP opener Open Grave, instead going straight into a feedback-ridden number that crosses over into metallic powerviolence territory at times. They have huge riffs, powerful percussion and bass. Sitting atop of the instrumentation are vitriolic yet positive vocals. Day For Night hammers home their message in a short/sharp ninety-second blast of straight-up hardcore. 

Crocodile Prayers follows it with blinding pace and leaves no place to hide. There are mosh parts contained within it that aren’t super obvious and the record retains a raw and honest sound thanks to both the recording (by Kurt Ballou) and the mastering (by Alan Douches). The riffs on Reality’s Wake transport you back to a time before metallic hardcore/metalcore became overcrowded sub-genres. It’s brooding and bass-heavy, and you can hear the vocals instead of them being inaudible (that’s true of the whole album in fact). 

The ringing feedback of Stripes acts as a warning siren, as Sect tears into another short hardcore jam. They up the intensity on Liberal Arts one again with a breakdown towards the end that’s executed in a way that only vets like these can pull off. No-nonsense song Born Razed careens through forty-five seconds of belligerent grinding hardcore and while the tempo is tempered slightly on Transaction that follows it, the heaviness remains. 

Penultimate song Least Resistance punches through the violence to become a positive example of the band’s collective rage. Sect closes out “No Cure For Death” with Avoidance Ritual, which has the swagger of bands like ETID and a lot of metal influence in the low harmonies of the guitars. It’s an album that’s short and to the point, which should come as no surprise. Sect is another great hardcore band and Southern Lord seems to have a knack with that sort of thing. 

You can stream "No Cure For Death" and buy it digitally, as well on LP/CD via Sect's bandcamp page below:-

Sect - https://www.facebook.com/SectXVX/

Southern Lord Recordings - https://www.facebook.com/SLadmin/