YСПЕХ! – Кечир Мени

Labels: Polar Summer Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 10 Oct 2017

Tracklist:

1. Жалбырактар

2. Сызык

3. Сүйүнчү

4. Байчечекей

5. Чайна

6. Cuento de amor de locura y de muerte

7. Акыркы Чыгарма

This is my first jump back into the Polar Summer Records back catalogue since late last year. I couldn't believe it, but then again time is absolutely flying! This isn't the first time that I've written about the lo-fi/raw screamo/emoviolence played by Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's YСПЕХ!, and it won't be the last.

It was released in October 2017 on a run of just 20 tapes via Polar Summer (and yes, if by some wild miracle, somebody own's a copy they'd be willing to part with please let me know!). I'm on an Eastern European/Central Asian kick right now, there's just something about the intensity of the bands from the region that's got me hooked.

There’s a whole world of undiscovered/under-represented bands from the Eastern block and Central Asia. Granted, there are some shady ones too, but I won’t waste time bringing them to you. Kyrgyzstan’s YСПЕХ! are gracing the blog for the second time tonight, as I focus on their only full-length Кечир Мени. Featuring seven songs and starting with ‘Жалбырактар’, you can totally see and hear why their music is described as lo-fi. It’s a chaotic blend of emoviolence and subtle melody, that’s pierced by crashing cymbals and furious screams. 

The live sound that’s been achieved here is what it’s all about for me. ‘Сызык’ even contains so excellent bluesy/jazz-like instrumentation that’s really stripped down and interesting. I wasn’t expecting it, but it works so well. We need more skramz jazz. At this point, as if it wasn’t obvious already, I must say that no translation is taking place here. I don’t understand Kyrgyz or indeed Russian, which is also prominently spoken in the country.

‘Сүйүнчү’ has a weird country vibe going on throughout its very short playing time and if it wasn’t for the occasional scream, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was an interlude. It isn’t though and it leads into ‘Байчечекей’, where YСПЕХ! use dual vocals to open proceedings. If you’re a fan of The Body, you’ll appreciate this song for its gentle abrasiveness (if that’s a thing!).

‘Чайна’ wastes no time reaching top gear, as YСПЕХ! show their live intensity once again. The song’s mid-section is graced by some beautiful introspection before yet another short blast of emoviolence. One thing I definitely didn’t expect on this album was a song title in Spanish. I don’t know the reason behind it but that doesn’t matter. ‘Cuento de amor de locura y de muerte’ has a more pensive musical approach and uses subtle noise during its first half, before more abrasive screamo takes over, accompanied by Spanish spoken-word. 

With no time to take stock of what’s going on, album closer ‘Акыркы Чыгарма’ takes over. It’s a sprawling epic track that just exemplifies the honest, raw approach that YСПЕХ! take with their music. The slightly repetitive nature of the instrumentation is actually refreshing and hopefully, you’ll understand what I mean by that. I’m always in awe of just how creative bands can be, wherever they’re from in the world. 

Music in its purest form is bigger than any individual, which is kind of obvious I guess. It’s important to give time and space to bands like YСПЕХ! as they have shaped (and continue to shape) music as we know it in regions where sometimes freedom of speech, and expression can be frowned upon. You can’t help but be moved by it.

As I eluded to above, Polar Summer are long sold out of their limited tape copies. You can stream and purchase the album digital from YСПЕХ! below:-

YСПЕХ! Instagram - @yspeh.band

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

dagerman. - Di fronte a noi il nulla

Labels: Best Life Records/Dancing Rabbit Records/Fireflies Fall/Shove Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 20 Mar 2026

Tracklist:

1. Incarnazione

2. Calvario

3. Lontani da qui

4. Caino

5. Oltre

6. Neve

7. Immobili

8. Metamorfosi

Time waits for no man and it certainly isn't waiting for me! Pelle from dagerman. wrote to me back in March about the release of the band's second album and here I am, writing about it just over a month later. Coming less than eighteen months after debut album tragedie | VIVERE was unleashed, Di fronte a noi il nulla was released digitally by dagerman. and also pressed onto vinyl by a beautiful bunch of collaborating labels made up of Best Life Records (UK), Dancing Rabbit Records (DE), Fireflies Fall (FR), Shove Records (IT) and Zegema Beach Records (USA/CAN).

Last year I wrote about a fair few bands from Italy. A few years ago, I did the same with bands from Finland. I have a tendency to gravitate towards certain countries or styles sometimes. This year’s been a bit more random so far I think and I’m going to try to vary things further. Jumping into Di fronte a noi il nulla, ‘Incarnazione’ brings back the warmth I felt while listening to tragedie | VIVERE. Flourishes of metalcore and hardcore can be heard too, building on the sound of their debut album.

‘Calvario’ has a lot more urgency and intensity compared to the album’s opener. dagerman. give their earliest take on emotive hardcore here. The explosive opening third progresses into a mid-section that’s more subdued and pensive, before the final third explodes once again.

dagerman. have this innate ability to make their songs sound both intense and introspective at the flip of a switch. ‘Lontani da qui’ is the best example of that. The mix of hardcore and introspective, emo-like musicianship is perfect when it’s held up against the vocals, which are very much front and center. 

There’s a mid-section of sorts on this album where dagerman. throw in a couple of shorter songs, starting with ‘Caino’. It’s filled with such gorgeous instrumentation that you’d be forgiven for ignoring how technical dagerman. can be at times, ‘Oltre’ is darker and more unnerving at first, so it’s not a surprise when the quintet’s angular hardcore/screamo takes the lead later on.

‘Oltre’ bleeds seamlessly into ‘Neve’. The percussion especially stands out for me here, as it’s filled with subtle groove and even some funk early on, before the volume explodes once again with the classy bass, melodic guitar work and emotive vocals. 

Penultimate track ‘Immobili’ passes by in waves of post-hardcore/rock atmosphere, bracketed by faster flourishes, in turn creating a dramatic soundscape that carries over into final song ‘Metamorfosi’. It is the album’s longest song and it fittingly show’s off everything in dagerman.’s musical arsenal. Such an epic way to end what’s been a special album.

Once again, there’s such a buzz around Italy’s post-hardcore/screamo scene that shows no sign of calming down. dagerman. might have just released one of the best albums of the year in the sub-genre. Don’t sleep on this.

You can stream and purchase the album digitally below:-

dagerman. Instagram - @dagerman.band

Physical copies are available from the labels below:-

Best Life Records - https://www.bestliferecords.com/products/untitled-mar20_10-35

Dancing Rabbit Records - https://dancingrabbitrecords.bandcamp.com/album/drr027-di-fronte-a-noi-il-nulla

Fireflies Fall - https://firefliesfall.com/product/dagerman-di-fronte-a-noi-il-nulla/

Shove Records - https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/album/di-fronte-a-noi-il-nulla

Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/dagerman2 / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/dagerman2

Best Life Records - https://www.facebook.com/bestliferecords

Dancing Rabbit Records Instagram - @dancingrabbitrec

Fireflies Fall - https://www.facebook.com/firefliesfall

Shove Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062967532917

Zegema Beach Records Instagram - @zegema_beach

Wince - Gem (Single Premiere)

Sometimes opportunities present themselves at unexpected times. That reminds me...  I should be better at seizing such opportunities. What am I talking about? The opportunity to premiere (well do a UK premiere at least) for the brand new single 'Gem' from New York, USA post-rock band Wince.

I was supposed to host it via my YouTube channel but I noticed that the single was already up there, so I decided that I'd much rather Wince get the attention themselves. 'Gem' is their first single since the 2023 full-length To Be a Fly in the Rain and it's being jointly released today via Dead Mothers Collective and Cropsey Records.

You can stream 'Gem' via YouTube below:-

Wince's music has been described as post-rock and there's definitely nods to that here. They've been compared to the likes of Russian Circles and Holy Fawn due to their ambient, and sometimes experimental nature. There are elements of indie and art-rock in there as well, pointing to a very well-rounded band. 

This is merely a taste of what Wince deliver musically and after listening to their previous full-length via their bandcamp page here, I reckon plenty of you will enjoy them to, especially if you like post-rock, post-hardcore and experimental music. Thanks for checking this out, I hope you've enjoyed it. Please give Wince your attention and show them some love.

Wince Instagram - @wincebandnyc

Dead Mothers Collective - https://linktr.ee/deadmotherscollective

Cropsey Records - https://cropseyrecords.com

Sulphuric Deity - Demonstration MMXXVI

Labels: Self-Released/Iconoclasm Conquest

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 06 Feb 2026

Tracklist:

1. Introduction

2. Gas Guts

3. Mutant Plague Assault (The Plague Becomes The Sword)

4. Foetus Christ

5. Subterranean Eradication

These are bleak times. Grey Britain is definitely living up to its name. From an island nation that gave birth to Black Sabbath's doom and the driving tempos of Motörhead, the bedrock for extreme metal was laid (at least in the UK). War metal, which shares its roots with black and death metal, has branches that stretch from South America to India and across every other country/continent if you look hard enough.

A new band emerged last year going by the name Sulphuric Deity and quickly released their first demo in February. Needless to say it sold out quickly, leading to a repress via German label Iconoclasm Conquest. My review this evening is of the digital version that contains five songs, while the tape version includes an additional exclusive cover of Blasphemy's 'War Command'.

Starting with ‘Introduction’, which was a collaboration between Sulphuric Deity and Mike Blenkarn-Durning, the sound of distorted air raid sirens, gales and disconcerting explosions provide the perfect backdrop to Sulphuric Deity’s intense barbarity. ‘Gas Guts’ unleashes hellishly loud, feedback-laden instrumentation as well as high/low-pitched vocals. It’s an instant impact that you never recover from.

‘Mutant Plague Assault (The Plague Becomes The Sword)’ takes the band’s grind influence and dials it up as high as it’ll go. There’s a metallic edge but not one that’s too obvious, as the recording and the rest of the instrumentation drags it back into darker territory. Demos can sometimes be overlooked but not by fans of extreme music and this one demonstrates why (sorry).

Sulphuric Deity’s sound leaps forward throughout this release and nowhere is that more obvious than on ‘Foetus Christ’, where bestial back metal is joined by death metal groove and screeching solos, causing a rousing opening salvo that leads to more crazed musicianship. Closing with ‘Subterranean Eradication’, there’s something immediately satisfying about the power of the instrumentation. Slightly powerviolence-esque, it continues on alongside scathing vocals that harness the true hatred that exists within black metal.

This is a powerful demo. One that justifies constant rotation alongside its recent tape repress. I’ve witnessed a lot of bands go silent after one or two releases. Hopefully, it isn’t the case with Sulphuric Deity.  

Demonstration MMXXVI is available to stream and purchase digitally from Sulphuric Deity below:-

Limited 2nd press tape copies are available from Iconoclasm Conquest here:-

https://iconoclasmconquest.com/products/sulphuric-deity-demonstration-mmxxvi-mc

Sulphuric Deity - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586266141454

Iconoclasm Conquest - https://www.facebook.com/iconoclasmxconquest

Viamaer - In lumine lunae

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 29 Jan 2026

Tracklist:

1. In excitatione terrae

2. In lumine lunae

3. Dimensio mortis

4. Ultra insaniam

5. Liberum arbitrium

6. Haec vox

7. Magna paranoia

8. Smaragdus somnium

A few weeks ago a copy of the debut album from Polish post-black metal/shoegaze act Viamaer dropped through my letter box. In lumine lunae was self-released in January by sole member Krystian Jurkiewicz (also a member of Polish Thrash/Groove metallers Steamachine). This is a record full of Krystian's personal experiences, yet it's also written with the listener in mind. Let's put that to the test...

All of the song titles here (alongside the album title) are in Latin, so forgive me for not translating them. Starting with ‘In excitatione terrae’, Viamaer immediately surprises with music that sounds so clean and melodic. The instrumentation early on is slightly jarring due to a subtle disconnect with the percussion but that’s soon resolved, as the vocals (varying between clean singing and harsh growls) take center stage. The vocals are used sparingly in between the vast instrumental approach of Viamaer though, which is very good indeed.

I’m not a linguist but I think the vocals are being delivered in Polish, Viamaer’s mother tongue (please correct me if I’m wrong here!). The language doesn’t really matter though, as title-track ‘In lumine lunae’  presents itself with so much atmosphere and progression. Viamaer’s bandcamp page recommends  Asunojokei and Ghost Bath as similar bands, which aren’t too far off actually. ‘Dimensio mortis’ might come across as something morbid, but it’s anything but. The instrumentation grows with every bar, sounding very upbeat. The clean vocals sit deeper on the recording, which is quite disappointing actually. All elements come together in the latter-half though, as harsh vocals join the melodic vocals and heavier instrumentation, lifting the tempo and mood on the record.

‘Ultra insaniam’ is the album’s shortest song and as such, it’s a lot calmer in delivery. It’s actually a lot closer to Scandinavian melodic metal than anything else, which is certainly no bad thing. It’s also another really strong example of how creative one individual can be, as Krystian shows during its instrumental entirety. Crossing to the album’s latter-half, ‘Liberum arbitrum’ is gently choral but that gentleness leads into some of the most pummelling percussion so far.

In truth, it’s a record that flows in unexpected directions and is definitely the work of a musician trying to find their sound. ‘Liberum arbitrum’ is the album’s lengthiest song conversely to the one it follows, yet it’s better because of that fact. A lot doomier and earthier for me. ‘Haec vox’ features some truly beguiling guitar that’s retained throughout. The clean vocals are more front and center at times here, but Viamaer’s blackgaze/shoegaze influence does mean that they are still buried within the mix at times. The same can’t be said for the harsh vocal though.

Penultimate number ‘Magna paranoia’ strikes me as Viamaer’s most complete songs on In lumine lunae. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve now spent a good couple of hours with this record or because it just sounds a lot more rounded musically, but something’s definitely clicked. Closer ’Smaragdus somnium’ is another loverly instrumental piece. It rounds out the album in confident fashion.

As I mentioned earlier in the review, Viamaer is a band finding it’s sound. As the album progresses, that sound takes shape and grows in confidence. There’s already an acoustic session available on bandcamp that re-works some of the songs present here, so that tells you that Viamaer isn’t sitting still. A band that’s well worth your time.

You can stream and purchase In lumine lunae digitally below, where it's also available from Viamaer on CD:-

Viamaer - https://www.facebook.com/viamaer