Häxkapell - Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp

Labels: Nordvis Produktion

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 17 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Satans rötter

2. Metamorfos

3. Urgravens grepp är hårt och kallt

4. Hem

5. Vindar från förr

6. Den sanna modern talar

Swedish black metal project Häxkapell released their second full-length in January via Nordvis Produktion, also of Sweden. The band revolves around founding member Oraklet, who is joined by contributors JM on drums and IPU on violin, viola and additional vocal duties. This album follows Häxkapell's debut album Eldhymner, which was released in 2021.

It was Fortress Festival in Scarborough (North Yorkshire) this past weekend and I regret not going. The fact that a black metal festival held in a Northern seaside town exists and it’s not held in the depth of winter is brilliant. Before you say it, I am aware that Fortress Festival has been going for sometime now. In fact, it would be the perfect UK festival to host Häxkapell one day, if the band ever were to play live.

Their latest album Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp begins with ‘Satans rötter’, which is filled with choral shanty-like vocals, exquisitely played melodic instrumentation and crushing black metal. It’s layered with introspection and gentle ambience, which breaks up the extremity beautifully. I’ve often overlooked the folkier end of black metal previously and I don’t know why. Maybe my musical palette is changing again because this is really enjoyable so far.

There’s no such build-up on ‘Metamorfos’ as Häxkapell just launch straight into some scathing black metal complete with metallic guitar riffs. The production, mixing and mastering cannot be ignored either, as it gives this album the space and soundstage it deserves. None of that hissing, feedback-laden BM here. It’s fantastic to listen to.

‘Urgravens grepp är hårt och kallt’ moves in a slightly more unnerving direction thanks to it’s slower-ish tempo, but there’s always a defined pace that’s prevalent in this form or black metal and it’s more than welcome. The strings provided by IPU here fit perfectly, as does JM’s pummelling drum work. Oraklet’s vocal and guitar delivery is epic, just as it is throughout the whole album.

The sounds of the landscapes and land-dwellers of old are brought to the forefront on ‘Hem’, with it’s traditional/acoustic musicianship and gently sung vocals. It offers a bit of calm before the storm to follow. I call it a storm, but it’s one that’s slow to build as ‘Vindar från förr’ initially takes the form of another mid-paced folk laden hymn. It does contain flourishes of more chaotic heaviness at times though.

Closing the album with the eleven+ minute epic ‘Den sanna modern talar’ sees the band delving deeper into their musical arsenal, providing a barrage of cold black metal alongside warming layers of strings once again. It’s just the ending I was hoping for, as it shows off how expansive Häxkapell can be. This album provides an exciting glimpse into the current Swedish black metal community, while also showing that Nordvis know what they’re doing (not that there was ever any doubt!).

You can stream and purchase the album on all formats below:-

You can also buy copies directly from Nordvis here - https://www.nordvis.com.

Häxkapell Instagram - @haxkapell

Nordvis Produktion - https://www.facebook.com/nordvis

Återstod/MEIßEL - Split

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 13 Jan 2025

Tracklist: 

1. Återstod - Never Let Go

2. Återstod - And Longing Since

3. Återstod - Through Dust Covered Windows

4. MEIßEL - Intro

5. MEIßEL - Verblendung

6. MEIßEL - Verlies

Brand new Swedish solo-project Återstod recently teamed up with German duo MEIßEL to release a split of fresh screamo via Zegema Beach Records. Återstod is the new solo-band from Suis La Lune's Henning, while MEIßEL (who released their debut album in 2022) also released another split earlier this month alongside Ikigai, Apousia, Azzacov and Portrëit. Plenty of reasons to be excited about this release then!

Another sick new ZBR release is just what’s needed during this cold and dark month. It’s even better when you realise that Återstod carries the legacy that was started by Suis La Lune. It’s a solo-project from vocalist/guitarist Henning and opener ‘Never Let Go’ is a great introduction to the future of Swedish screamo (if that’s not too excessive to say). Mixing lovely melodic yet angular guitar with harsh vocals and properly explosive percussion/bass. Instrumentally, it’s surprisingly heavy the further you get into it.

‘And Longing Since’ takes the band’s sound in a very different direction, as the song barely surpasses a minute in length and goes from blistering screamo/emo-violence to heartwarming, slowing post-rock in mere seconds. Återstod’s final addition to this split ‘Through Dust Covered Windows’ goes for a nastier, almost sludgier sound initially before flowing almost seamlessly into more familiar off-kilter screamo territory. Nothing stays the same for too long though, as breathable moments of melody are cut short by bursts of effortless violence and vice versa.

German duo MEIßEL make up the other side of this split and they compliment it perfectly, as ‘Intro’ gently builds from lone-melodic guitar to ever-growing explosive instumentation. It fades, giving way to ‘Verblendung’ with it’s rumbling bass/guitar and rabid dual-vocals that are pushed along at great speed by the unrelenting drumming. It’s too short to fully appreciate in just one play!

Their closer ‘Verlies’ is also their longest song, which is the perfect way to end the split given that Återstod’s longest song kicked it off. It doesn’t disappoint as it moves in so many different directions throughout it’s playing time. It’s made of equal parts math, screamo, emo and post-rock. MEIßEL do a fantastic job of sounding much bigger than just a duo. Now is the time to check out their split release with Ikigai, Apousia, Azzacov and Portrëit if you haven’t already done so.

This split is top quality. Both bands give it everything (as you’d expect) and it shines a light on two of the newest screamo bands to look out for this year. I’m not a trendsetter so you don’t have to listen to me, but at least listen to them.

You can stream and purchase the split digitally from both bands here:-

Tape copies are sold out at ZBR's bandcamp page but you can still purchase copies from their online stores below:-

ZBR CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/aterstod-meissel

ZBR USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/aterstod-meissel

Återstod - https://www.facebook.com/profile

MEIßEL - https://meiszel.bandcamp.com

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

Nionde Plagan - Reflektion

Labels: Damnfinetapes!/Moment Of Collapse Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 22 Feb 2019

Tracklist:

1. Bekannelser

2. Rex

3. Prestationer

4. Trots Allt!

5. Premisser

6. Maskinerna

7. Alienation

8. Diskrepans

It's mad to think that Swedish post-rock/screamo merchants Nionde Plagan have been making music for over a decade now. Reflektion was released in early 2019, though physical versions seemed to come earlier in 2018. It followed their 2017 split with The World That Summer and proceeded their latest full-length Transformation, which was released a year ago. Tape copies that accompanied Nionde Plagan on tour were provided by Damnfinetapes!, while the vinyl pressing was handled by Moment Of Collapse (who also masterminded the CD release) and Zegema Beach Records, though ZBR aren't credited on Discogs for some reason.

Storm Babet is currently making it’s way across the UK and people have been advised to hunker down. I’m keeping warm and dry with a glass of red and the friendly tones of Nionde Plagan’s 2019 full-length Reflektion. Album opener ‘Bekannelser’ is a song that best demonstrates just how beautiful Swedish screamo can be. Composed and delivered with great sensitivity. ‘Rex’ moves and shakes like all great modern day indie-rock songs, while the vocals lay to rest any notion of the band easing off, thanks to the pure emotion they convey.

The slightly muddier sound of ‘Prestationer’ only comes about because of distortion in the guitars. It adds a rawness to the music that’s not been prevalent so far. There’s more urgency and drive throughout the song, with abundant melody keeping pace as well. The songs so far have hovered around the four+ minute mark but there’s always room for something more expansive. Enter ‘Trots Allt!’, which is the first of two songs that break the ten minute barrier, demonstrating NP’s post-metal side. When I talk to people (who only know mainstream chart music) about lengthier songs like this, I tend to get the same response. One of confusion and sometimes fear. I’m not a gatekeeper by any means, I just appreciate thought provoking music such as this. 

‘Premisser’ signals the second half of Reflektion and it’s more immediate. Tempo-wise, it’s not any faster but I guess the shorter length makes it seem that way. I kind of wish it was longer though. The way ‘Premisser’ flows straight into ‘Maskinerna’ without a pause, reveals superbly precise drumming and big riffs. The vocals sit slightly deeper in the mix here, though probably not be design. They’re just a tad buried by the sheer heft of the musicianship, which is absolutely epic.

Again, what is it with the extremely catchy rock influence that takes over penultimate song ‘Alienation’! It’s so infectious and masks NP’s screamo in such a way that it could even fool casual rock fans, as least that is until the song’s latter half when it takes a much heavier turn. Final song ‘Diskrepans’ goes long just as ’Trots Allt!’ did earlier. Even sitting here with the volume turned up I can still here the faint the sound of the wind outside, which only adds to the atmosphere that Nionde Plagan weaves. Undeniably brilliant from start to finish. Note to self: don’t take an extended break halfway through writing a review. 

You can stream Reflektion below, where it's also available to purchase digitally or on one of the five remaining CD copies (you should definitely purchase one) via Nionde Plagan's bandcamp page:-

Nionde Plagan - https://www.facebook.com/NiondePlagan

Physical copies are also still available from the label stores below:-

Moment Of Collapse Records - https://shop.momentofcollapse.com/

Zegema Beach Records - https://zbrusa.com/

Moment Of Collapse Records - https://www.facebook.com/momentofcollapse

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

Black Wound - Wither

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Jun 2022

Tracklist:

1. Bite The Blessed Hand

2. Oceans

I was literally planning this review as news dropped of Black Wound's debut album release. Needless to say, continuing to follow the trajectory of this Swedish death/doom band is something I was more than eager to do. Wither was released back in June 2022 via Dry Cough Records, who have been involved in both of the band's previous releases, including their split with Skullsceptre. This EP features two tracks and acts as a pre-cursor to that aforementioned full-length (which, is on sale now by the way!).

Drowning out the generic pop/r&b that’s being played by my neighbour below is easily done when hitting play on Wither’s opener ‘Bite The Blessed Hand’. Black Wound have made it their mission to create truly nasty death/doom, just as it was back in the heyday of the sub-genre. Here, it’s presented in an urgent manner thanks to higher instrumental tempos and genuinely blood-curdling growls/screams. 

The EP’s second song ‘Oceans’ is a very different beast, with Black Wound favouring a slower yet entrancing approach to their music. Murkier and much lower in every department, it feels and sounds much more akin to a funeral march initially. After a couple of minutes though, everything’s turned up a notch or five. That tempo change catches you off guard and while it’s one that retreats back behind the band’s lumbering doom as quickly as it burst forth, it makes quite the impact. 

I’ve always been somebody who appreciates slower doom, I feel like there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Black Wound. Their musical honesty and song-writing skill stands out like a beacon here, elevated by the mid-section of ‘Oceans’, which is surprisingly light and melodic. A touch unexpected but gracefully delivered with a hint of avant-garde instrumentation thrown in. 

At times there’s an inevitability that songs lasting over ten+ minutes will begin to decline in quality towards their conclusion, it’s not the case here. The latter third it filled with glorious instrumental prowess and a smattering of death metal influence. It concludes an EP that’s short but oh so infectious. 

I’m fast approaching that time of year where doom becomes my go to sound. I have plenty of records to choose from (thanks to Dry Cough and others), though Black Wound will be featuring high on that rotation when the likes of Primitive Man, Meth Drinker and Slave Hands have choked out all light.

Stream and purchase Wither digitally below:-

Tape copies are sold out.

Black Wound - https://www.facebook.com/blackwound

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

Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader/Mrtex - Split 7"

Labels: Dingleberry Records/Friendly Otter/Samegrey Records/Through Love Records/Wolf Town DIY/Zegema Beach Records

Foermats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 03 Sep 2017

Tracklist:

1. Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - Jag Ringer Nog Dig Om Allt Gar At Helvete

2. Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - Nar Du Kom Tillbaka Sa Var All Disk Ren

3. Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - Akvarell

4. Mrtex - Slapping The General Populace

4. Mrtex - Inhaling Infants

I recently acquired a physical copy of this split, which brings my Zegema Beach Records discography collection to 51 releases (though that is a rough guesstimate). This 7" was released back in late 2017 featuring songs from Sweden's Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader and US/Canadian band Mrtex. 250 copies were pressed in pretty d.i.y fashion, but that's fine as the aesthetic suits it well.

This split is chock full of piercing emoviolence/screamo and Det Ar Därför’s opener ‘Jag Ringer Nog Dig Om Allt Gar At Helvete’ is a rude awakening if you were expecting something more tuneful. The vocals are super high-pitched screams that almost sound a bit comical, but they’re not, as you’ll realise on ‘Nar Du Kom Tillbaka Sa Var All Disk Ren’. I’m sure I’ve said before that I hear a Japanese influence on Det Ar Därför’s music, but I can still hear it in the atmosphere they weave here. Their final song ‘Akvarell’ is more artsy than I remember any of their earlier music to be and it’s fantastic.

Mrtex follow with two songs that sit on the rawer end of the spectrum, while being lengthier and less violent. ’Slapping The General Populace’ makes use of their instrumental ability (as the instrumentation takes most of the slack), while the vocals are more prevalent at both the beginning and the end-ish. ‘Inhaling Infants’ is like a blistering mass of percussive mite and explosive tension. There’s also plenty of beauty in it too.

Recently when I’ve sat down to write these reviews, I’ve been calm and my head’s been somewhat empty, but this evening’s felt a bit different for whatever reason. What it has done is made really appreciate the raw, cathartic energy that went into the songs that appear on this split. I’m a believer in non-violence and pacifism , but I think I could do with laying off higher-tempo releases like this for a little bit.

You can stream and purchase both sides of the split digitally below:-

 

Det Ar Därför Vi Bygger Stader - https://www.facebook.com/vibyggerstader

Mrtex - https://www.facebook.com/mrtexrebellion

Physical copies are still available from the below labels:-

Friendly Otter - https://friendlyotter.bandcamp.com/album/fo-86-split-7

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases/products/det-ar-darfor-vi-bygger-stader-mrtex-split-ep

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/detar-mrtex

Dingleberry Records - https://www.facebook.com/Dingleberry Records

Friendly Otter - https://www.facebook.com/friendlyotterrex

Samegrey Records - https://www.facebook.com/samegrey

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec

Wolf Town DIY - https://www.facebook.com/WolfTownDiy

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

Nionde Plagan - Transformation

Labels: Moment Of Collapse

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 28 Oct 2022

Tracklist:

1. Jag vill det här för oss

2. Resenär

3. Äta sova dö (deluxe edition)

4. Vanligt folk

5. Oro

6. Affirmation

One of the coolest things about writing the Zegema Beach Records roster series of reviews is finding out about all of the bands that are releasing new music. One such band is Sweden's Nionde Plagan, who recently released their newest record Transformation in October via Moment Of Collapse Records. I wrote about their 2015 album Frustration in May of last year and followed it up with a review of their 2017 split 10" with The World That Summer in May of this year. Nionde Plagan must have appreciated those write-ups because they contacted me directly about a month ago, which means a huge amount to me.

Nionde Plagan has always been pigeonholed amongst the screamo/post-hardcore movement of the 2010’s and onwards, but I feel that with Transformation, they’re moving beyond that. ‘Jag vill det här för oss’ begins in really beautiful fashion with gentle organ (I think) and guitar before clean vocals come in alongside subtle percussion. Just after the two-minute mark, Nionde Plagan banishes the feeling of calm with the help of dramatic, down-tempo heaviness and an off-kilter, yet still very rhythmic post-metal approach. I have to remind myself that this is still just the first song!.

After such a rousing and dramatic opener, ‘Resenär’ follows channeling a low-end that stands up against peers like The Ocean Collective while the brighter melody and screamed vocals are still very much trademark Nionde Plagan. I guess the reason for comparing this to The Ocean is because of it’s grandiosity at over twelve minutes in all. There’s definitely a more progressive side to the band’s music, albeit one that shares time with post-rock/metal influences (I guess they go hand-in-hand). The gang-chorus towards the end is utterly brilliant as well.

‘Äta sova dö (deluxe edition)’ hits top gear right from the off with a faster, louder sound that’s more rooted in hardcore and it’s glorious. I don’t know what makes it a “deluxe edition” of the song but it definitely grabs you with it’s crunching, dissonant form. Even when it retreats to an introspective mid-section, there’s still an abrasive soul in there. A soul with a heap of groove and bouncing energy. 

That bouncing energy is replaced by post-rock anxiousness on ‘Vanligt folk’ and if musical claustrophobia was really a thing, the opening bars of this song would be the definition. It doesn’t stay that way for too long though, as more rhythmic screamo takes over and breathes some life and light into the song for a time. I realise that there are different levels of heaviness in music and that this isn’t gonna rip your face off, but that’s not the point of Transformation. As the title suggests, this album is a transition to heavier and more atmospheric climbs. Time will tell but if you take it as it is this album is epic.

One thing that’s really struck me about this album is the guitar tones that Nionde Plagan employ throughout, as evidenced on penultimate song ‘Oro’, which in this case sounds quite scuzzy and distorted initially before settling down with added melody. The music on show here and throughout isn’t overly technical but is intricate and heartfelt. 

Album closer ‘Affirmation’ is apt not only in title but also because the music it contains is an affirmation of just how majestic this album is. For me, it’s the best song on Transformation. As It all comes to a close, I realise that taking my time over this review was the right thing to do. Letting this album wash over me a few times recently has made me appreciate it even more. The end of the year is fast approaching but there’s more than enough time for this record to be amongst your album-of-the-year lists. 

Transformation has been out a couple of weeks now and you can stream it, and purchase it on vinyl and/or digital formats from Nionde Plagan below:-

Nionde Plagan - https://www.facebook.com/NiondePlagan

You can also buy copies from Moment Of Collapse Records here:-

https://shop.momentofcollapse.com/products/nionde-plagan-transformation-lp / https://momentofcollapserecords.bandcamp.com/album/transformation

Moment Of Collapse Records - https://www.facebook.com/momentofcollapse

Black Wound/Skullsceptre - Deterioration Of Light

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 07 Oct 2021

Tracklist:

1. Black Wound - Rusted Teeth

2. Skullsceptre - Inferno From Beyond

3. Skullsceptre - Upon The Cross

I really must stop using the warmest evenings of the year to write about slow and heavy music. I'm pretty sure I did something similar during the July heatwave, but I just can't help myself. This here split features Swedish death/doom trio Black Wound, whom I wrote about in June and fellow Swede's Skullsceptre, with this split featuring their first recorded material. Deterioration Of Light was released on tape (limited to 100 copies) by UK label Dry Cough, who also released Black Wound's previous EP To The Endless Depths, as well as digitally. Tapes are sold out.

The air is so still this evening with barely any breeze, which means having my window open does nothing at all apart from spread this aural filth even further. Black Wound’s up first with their one and only track ‘Rusted Filth’, which proves my description in the previous sentence was correct, but in a good way. Slow, bass-heavy and raw death/doom that’s primed for tape player real-estate. The vocals are equally as low and are used quite sparingly given the song’s playing time. Definitely heavily rooted in the old-school and all the better for it. It’s very atmospheric too though as the second half demonstrates, when Black Wound venture further down the doomy path with slower and darker tempos. 

Skullsceptre fly straight out of the speakers on their first song ‘Inferno From Beyond’, which is made up of a higher tempo version of death metal, though it still takes it’s influences from the genre’s forefathers. It’s no great surprise really given the death metal royalty that came out of Sweden back in the day. The percussion is faster as you’d expect, while the bass and guitar work is more frenetic and punk-filled. The vocals again are deeper in tone, suiting the music perfectly. Split closer ‘Upon The Cross’ is maniacal in it’s delivery, much in the same vein as Skullsceptre’s first song but coupled with a grin-inducing guitar solo and frightening dual-vocals, it really hits the spot.

This split is over all too quickly. Both Black Wound and Skullsceptre shine new light on the Swedish death metal scene, even if it only lights up the gloomier alleys of it’s underground. The torch never burns out but merely passes on to the next. I know there’s been further material from Black Wound (that I’ll be writing about at a later date) but here’s hoping for more from Skullsceptre as well. Until then though, this split is more than worthy.

You can stream and purchase Deterioration Of Light digitally below:-

Black Wound - https://www.facebook.com/blackwound

Skullsceptre - https://www.facebook.com/skullsceptre

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

Trachimbrod - Leda

Labels: Damnfinetapes!/Dog Knights Productions/Through Love Records/Tokyo Jupiter Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 Apr 2017

Tracklist:

1. Rum utan fönster

2. Allt är som det alltid var

3. Tärd

4. Begränsad

5. Medskyldighet

6. Ett annat liv

7. Vi två

8. Hjärnspöke

9. Saker de säger

This, while being my latest Zegema Beach Records roster series review, is also rather embarrassingly one of only a few reviews I've written that also features a release from UK/EU label Dog Knights Productions. That's strange in itself because ever since I started this blog, I've been religiously buying everything that Dog Knights and it's imprint Left Hand Label has released. It also comes at a time when DKP has announced an indefinite hiatus from label activity, for the forceable future at least.

Leda by Swedish post-rock/screamo band Trachimbrod (known as Come Across Trachimbrod in their easier days from 2009 - 2012) was released in April 2017 on vinyl by DKP, ZBR and Through Love Records. It was also released on tape via Damnfinetapes! and on cd via Tokyo Jupiter Records that same year. It serves as their last release to date.

This review might get a but sentimental, so apologies in advance. Owning records like Leda and living with it’s music for so long actually makes it’s harder to write about (for me anyway). I don’t know why but it just does. Album opener ‘Rum utan fönster’ is so musically pleasing and lighter than you might imagine given Trachimbrod’s post-rock/screamo leanings. Even when the screams come in over the top of the instrumentation, there’s no reason to be put off. It’s a record by a Scandinavian band that kind of sounds like a record by an Asian band to me, but that’s maybe because I’ve been listening to a hefty amount of Asian screamo lately, away from this blog. Musically it’s fantastic.

‘Allt är som det alltid var’ is beautifully pop-like, in the vein of I Love Your Lifestyle. It’s variation that suits Trachimbrod’s sound one hundred percent. The vocals switch from clean to harsh towards it’s end and when both are together, they work perfectly. As somebody who swings wildly from ludicrously heavy music to catchy and upbeat music now more than ever, ‘Tärd’ is a glorious mix of both. It may read like this is the first time I’ve listened to this record, but if truth be told I haven’t listened to it for a while (a symptom of always buying music I guess). I’ve forgotten how much I love it though!

After the slightly shorter ‘Tärd’, ‘Begränsad’ gives Trachimbrod’s sound a slight art-rock vibe, thanks to the lovely melodic guitar tones and time-signatures used throughout. It’s dreamy and is exactly what’s needed at this midweek point. The bass that concludes ‘Begränsad’ leads you into the quite explosive ‘Medskyldighet’, which is the shortest song of Leda but also the heaviest so far. It brings to mind Via Fondo, Suis La Lune and Shirokuma for me, thanks to it’s honest intensity.

‘Ett annat liv’ mixes the intensity of it’s predecessor with the vocal melody that was heard during ‘Allt är som det alltid var’, yet with a greater leaning towards those screams. Again, it’s so hard to ignore the exquisite musicianship that envelopes it all. The drums sound so organic and lively, while the bass and guitar work is sensitive and easy on the ear. I think it’s for that reason that this whole record sounds so perfect, as ‘Vi två’ rings out of the speakers. 

You reach penultimate song ‘Hjärnspöke’ all too quickly and with it, Trachimbrod’s heavier edge gets the heart racing once again. I’m not really a fan of symphonic/orchestral metal/rock, and I’m in no way comparing Trachimbrod to that, but there’s something dramatic about their sound here that makes me think of an orchestra. I can imagine them on a live stage, all moving individually (seemingly and rhythmically) while playing as one. I’ve seen bands do that before live and it’s a joy to behold when you’re lost in it.

Album closer ‘Saker de säger’ is the final illustration of just how great Trachimbrod’s music is. It brings to life the highs that you feel when listening to this album. Music is to be treasured and I treasure this LP so much, which is why I own two variants still to this day, and I’m not collector scum believe it or not!. This album is great from start to finish. Thanks and admiration goes to Trachimbrod and to all of the labels that were involved in bringing this to so many ears, Also, special thanks to DKP for all of the music that I hold so dear.

For fans of: Blue Friend, Via Fondo, Suis La Lune, Shirokuma, I Love Your Lifestyle and Heaven In Her Arms

You can stream and purchase Leda digitally as a name-your-price download from Trachimbrod's bandcamp page below:-

Trachimbrod - https://www.facebook.com/trachimbrodofsweden

Remaining physical copies can still be purchased from the releasing labels below:-

Dog Knights Productions - UK/EU/ROW - https://dogknightsproductions.com/collections/12-dk/products/dk103-trachimbrod-leda-12-lp 

Dog Knights Productions - USA/CAN - https://dogknightsproductions.com/collections/dog-knights-us/products/us-only-dk103-trachimbrod-leda-12-lp

Tokyo Jupiter Records - https://store.tokyojupiterrecords.com/collections/460391-tokyo-jupiter-records/products/19407580-trachimbrod-leda-cd

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/leda

Dog Knights Productions - https://www.facebook.com/dogknights

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec

Tokyo Jupiter Records - https://www.facebook.com/tokyojupiter

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

Black Wound - To The Endless Depths

Labels: Dry Cough Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 04 Aug 2021

Tracklist:

1. Absence Of Will

2. From Eternity And Beyond

3. Unending Labyrinth

4. Lurker Of The Threshold/Dweller Of The Depths

5. Traitor

The band I'm reviewing this evening have a bit of a complex history. The Swedish death/doom band (now known as Black Wound) released three demos in 2021, two of which predated To The Endless Depths. The first being Planetary Holocaust, which was originally recorded and released when they were known as Odium and Christ Betrayal, when they were known as Rotten Incarnation. With the current line-up being formed of three members from both of the aforementioned bands, they went on to release To The Endless Depths via UK label Dry Cough Records last August. Metal Archives-based semantics aside, Black Wound are another exciting new death/doom band hailing from the fertile shores of Sweden, which can only be a good thing,

Bass-heavy, low-slung death/doom with utterly filthy gutturals. That’s what you’re greeted with on EP opener ‘Absence Of Will’. A lot more death than doom from Black Wound but the atmosphere’s a lot gloomier than it might first appear. The lo-fi recording and production of this tape really helps with the aforementioned atmosphere. On ‘From Eternity And Beyond’, Black Wound ratchets up the doom with lumbering riffs and plenty of crash cymbal madness. It shows just what they can do with longer songs. Not so much devastating, more devouring in it’s intensity.

The groove of the bass that kicks off ‘Unending Labyrinth’ is an unexpected addition to the grim layers within Black Wound’s music and it leads the way through the whole song. Yes it’s still an extreme number but it’s one filled with catchy tempos and innocent old-school values. I’m not sure if this is two songs rolled into one but ‘Lurker Of The Threshold/Dweller Of The Depths’ is the most oppressive addition to the EP. Even more oppressive than this mini heatwave we’re experiencing in the UK right now. It’s also much better with the volume turned way up, as it reveals all of the band’s instrumental nuances, of which there are plenty if you dedicate time and energy too them.

Final song ‘Traitor’ follows on with an instant percussive wake-up call. The kick drum here is loud! It adds massive heft to the crawling death/doom that flutters around it. The vocals are pretty frightening at times and raspy at others. About a third of the way through they change direction, becoming melodic and almost mystical for a moment, before switching back to their already ploughed furrow. This release is not for the faint of heart. You can’t just dabble in it’s darkness, you have to immerse yourself in it and move far below the surface world. Black Wound is hell personified and all the better for it. 

For Fans Of: Incantation, Skaphe, Abstracter, Malignant Altar and Fossilization

You can stream and purchase To The Endless Depths as a name-your-price download from Black Wound below:-

There were two runs of tapes released via Dry Cough Records. Both runs are sold out.

Black Wound - https://www.facebook.com/Black-Wound

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

Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket/Mrtex - Split

Labels: Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 23 Nov 2016

Tracklist: 

1. Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket - Skymningstimmen

2. Mrtex - Baby Roles

3. Mrtex - Accidental Coffin Making

4. Mrtex - Gnawing Our Way Out Of The Rat Bin

It's safe to say that I've been a bit shit at writing/posting over the last week. With that being said though, it felt weird posting this up on or around the recent ZBR Mid-West Fest that took place recently. This split between Sweden's Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket and the USA's Mrtex was released by ZBR back in late 2016, limited to just seventy copies. It's long sold out now according to Bandcamp and was never meant to be available digitally, at the time of it's release. It contains one song from Vi Som and three songs from Mrtex.

I did not realise that my last post was seven days ago! I keep getting distracted by trivial things, especially when I’ve had full-on days. It’s lovely though to sit down and soak up the epically comforting sounds of Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket, who should be more than familiar to you by now. Their sole song on this split ‘Skymningstimmen’ is probably one of the most melodic song’s I’ve heard from them. It’s got a strange Americana-esque guitar tone to it (maybe?). It’s mid-paced, though the vocals are as passionate and stark as always. It’s pretty haunting actually, as Vi Som threaten to allow it to overflow but never quite reach that precipice.

Mrtex continues the melodic vibes on their opener ‘Baby Roles’, which as a song title, leaves no clue as to what’s to come. It’s as laid back as Vi Som’s song instrumentally, with the vocals providing the heaviest element once again. Glorious percussion and guitar work bleeds slowly into noisier passages towards the end. ‘Accidental Coffin Making’ is completely the opposite in terms of form and structure. It’s pure, chaotic screamo/emo-violence. Mrtex’s off-kilter influence is at it’s clearest on their final song ‘Gnawing Our Way Out Of The Rat Bin’. It’s live-sounding production gives it loads energy that will stay with you long after the split is over.

I love both VI Som and Mrtex (I’m sure I’ve said that here many times before!). It’s awesome to be able to take things from every bit of music you listen to, even if only brief. It reminds you that the “noise” around you isn’t really important. Be like Vi Som and Mrtex. Be cool.

For Fans Of: Holy Fawn, Respire, La Luna, Storm(O), Lytic & Nayru.

Stream and pick up this split as a name-your-price download below:-

As mentioned above, this release is long sold-out from ZBR.

Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sy Mycket - https://www.facebook.com/visomalskade

Mrtex - https://www.facebook.com/mrtexrebellion

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