Mutter - Trashed Body

Within two days I have received two EPs that, while each of them not being totally or wholly black metal, are definitely going on my year end list. Most Holy Death's "Forsake Your Blood" and this, Mutter's follow-up to the already best of the year "Grief Songs". This is not "Grief Songs: Pt 2" thought. Benjamin Roney-Yeager continues to craft a completely inorganic take on industrial black metal, one that here finds itself snaking through soundscapes of noise, ambient, and triphop. What seems like random beeps and bloops are deftly pieced together to help assemble the whole sonic picture. This is adventurous music to say the least. Don't go into it with a static mindset.

Most Holy Death - Forsake Your Blood

It's 3:55 AM and the battery backup that makes sure my server stays on all the time is dying, emitting a chirp every second and a half. My teeth are set on edge, this is the sound of my life ticking away, slowly driving me insane. Of course, it'd probably not be such a quick trip to madness if I wasn't listening to Most Holy Death's follow up to Death Knell. Forsake Your Blood continues with the seething, malignant take on droning, blackened doom/post rock, heartbreaking and claustrophobic and crushing in equal measure. The noise component comes more into play with this recording, helping to create a more desolate and stark sonic landscape. The chirp behind me is fading with the crescendo of the music. Or maybe I've finally reached my destination. If so, what a fine time to get there, listening to this EP.

Aires/Rui P. Andrade/Earthly Beasts - Split

Not Black metal, but related and still fucking good. This three way fuckfest is all Portuguese all the time. Much like the delicious bread I get from the bakery a block away from my house. Would this music be good with marmalade and eggs. Probably. However, it is more similar in its harsh, noisy crust, rather adept in concealing the sweet wheatflesh inside. The Aires track would be most like this, the main bulk of the song is harsh phasing, but beneath it and finally pushing to the front at the end of the movement is a mournful, yet sweet, melody. Rui P. Andrade puts out what is basically a very good and long ambient interlude on a black metal album. Earthly Beasts rounds out this trio with dense soundscapes, and spacious beats, all with the intent to put the listener in a state of high tension. Free Download: http://enoughrecords.scene.org/#/release/enrmp357

Writhe - The Shrouded Grove

Writhe is a Atmospheric black/Post Black artist from Bedfordshire, UK. The first song starts out like Isa-era Enslaved, before settling back into a more familiar note, kinda Altar of Plauges-esque with hints of fellow countrymen Caina. Far from a carbon copy though. The songwriting is top notch, carrying at times a mournful, yet triumphant feel. A march to a war, to victory, but knowing the loss that will come and not ever forgetting. Definitely one of the better examples of the style, great production and exquisite composition. This will be on my playlist for a while.

Ambergris - S/T

Ambergris is a byproduct of sperm whale digestion, a rank, reeking hunk of whale bile that is used in the manufacture of some of the most iconic and/or expensive perfumes. What does this have to do with this (now basically defunct) 2-Piece from San Diego? Their filthy, repetitive riffing can be as oppressive as being locked into a room with their namesake with no ventilation. However their melodic lines can shine through like the sweetest notes of your lover's (or, in some of your cases, the lady of the night you forked over 200$ to)perfume. Quite an interesting blend of rawness and avant-garde black metal here, but one well worth your time.