1. // Burner – It All Returns To Nothing (Church Road Records)
Burner are a band who have been bubbling away nicely since signing with Church Road Records, drip feeding a number of singles into the ears of of those in the know since the end of 2021. It’s fair to say that the aggressive Metallic-Death / Hardcore 4-piece had built up a fine reputation for themselves in that time, and It All Returns To Nothing was one hotly anticipated full length debut when it landed back in July. The record is a masterclass in ferocity from the very opening beats of ‘Hurt Locker’, with it’s Thrashy-Hardcore sound and duel vocal styles switching seamlessly from Death to a Blackened tone. The title track is blistering in pace with the swirling riff of the verse giving way to a dark and terrifying chorus, with the song culminating into utter chaos before bleeding into the equally tumultuous Blackened-Hardcore of ‘Pyramid Head’.
The delivery is relentless and Burner deliver a thoroughly intoxicating Black Metal infused verse on ‘Pillar Of Shame’, which perfectly trades off with the Death style of the chorus in one of the records standout tracks. It All Returns To Nothing is exquisitely produced providing a particularly sumptuous bass tone on ‘Prometheus Reborn’, while the riffs are crisp and the percussion thumps with crystal clarity throughout. The album culminates with the nihilistic journey of ‘An Affirming Flame’, with it’s run-time of over 7 minutes and an ambitious arrangement allowing Burner to showcase their entire box of tricks in one go, before the band deliver one final short blast of aggression on ‘Waco Horror’.
2. // Blackbraid – Blackbraid II (Independent Release)
Blackbraid is the project of Native American Jon Krieger aka Sgah’gahsowáh (a Mohawk name meaning ‘The Witch Hawk’) and Blackbraid II is the follow up to his debut release from 2022, itself a highly well received slice of Black Metal created with inspiration from an indigenous background and the naturalistic surroundings of his home in the Adirondack Mountains outside of New York. The music on the debut was ferocious but with moments of atmospheric calm provided by acoustic sections and the use of indigenous pipes. Pt. II picks right up where the debut left off, opening with a crackling wood fire and the sound of rain with a beautifully mellow classical guitar on ‘Autumnal Heart Ablaze’, before the raging Black Metal eventually drops on ‘The Spirit Returns’, with an infectious sweeping guitar and percussive blast-beats.
The music then takes a change as Krieger delivers a classic guitar riff in an Iron Maiden style which works perfectly when it lands. This combination of styles continues throughout on ‘The Wolf That Guides The Hunters Mind’ and ‘Moss Covered Bones On The Alter of The Moon’, with the latter introducing the sound of a traditional Native flute within the Blackened haze. This is a particularly epic composition which is repeated on ‘A Song Of Death And Winters Of Dawn’, with both tracks providing extraordinary lengthy journeys of pure emotion and atmospheric fury. Blackbraid II offers respite at times with sorrowful acoustic interludes on ‘Spells Of Moon And Earth’ and ‘Celestial Passage,’ while Krieger mixes it up by taking the music slower and sludgy on ‘Twilight Hymn Of Ancient Blood’, before the track gives way to some fantastic Blackened-Thrash and an epic guitar solo.
3. // Johnny The Boy – You (Season Of Mist)
You is the intriguing debut record from Johnny The Boy (named after the character from Mad Max), a project derived from Crippled Black Phoenix and ex Electric Wizard multi-instrumentalist Justin Greaves, and his current CBP vocalist Belinda Kordic. Johnny The Boy provides an entirely different outlet for their creativity deviating from the Alternative / Post-Rock of their day job with a fine infusion of Black Metal and Stoner-Rock, creating a thoroughly rambunctious Black’N’Roll vibe. The record opens with a sumptuous guitar hook on ‘Die Already’ which drops into one hell of a catchy marching riff on the chorus, with some wicked drumming perfectly complimenting the guitars.
‘Grime’ provides a slower rock groove in a kind of Black Metal meets Mötorhead style. ‘He Moves’ is Sludgy with Kordic’s Blackened vocals transcending and rolling over the top in a Deafheaven – esq vein. ‘Endlessly Senseless’ is slow and atmospheric with cleaner hypnotic vocals, while ‘Crossings’ comes in at over 8 minutes and is a well crafted and intricately arranged Doomy-Stoner offering. The record eventually whizzes through a couple of shorter tracks on ‘Druh’ and ‘Wired’ before culminating in a comedown of lazy Southern-Rock and clean vocals on ‘Without You’, which meanders into a cosmic Black-Gaze realm and rounding off the release in a mellower fashion.
4. // Calligram – Position Momentum (Prosthetic Records)
Position Momentum is the fourth release of intoxicating Black Metal from the London based Calligram, a 5-piece made up of multi-national musicians who clearly have a fine understanding of the Blackened art, as this deeply textured release is one of the finest of the genre you are going to hear in 2023. Kicking off with no intro at all and diving straight into the dark frenzy of ‘Sul Dolores’, you get the feeling that your going to be in for one relentless journey of delectable noise from the off. There is no let up in pace or brutality on ‘Frantumi In Itinere’ which is just as phrenetic, but Calligram do provide some welcome respite with the intro to ‘Eschilo’, and it’s haunting passage of melodic and clean classical guitar.
‘Tebe’ starts hard and fast in a Wiegedood type of fury, before dropping face first into a calming melody which melts into the soft angelic interlude of ‘Per Jamie’, providing a moment of calm before the final storm. From here Position Momentum provides a flurry of songs from ‘Ostranenie’, where Cradle Of Filth – esq vocals mix with a Blackened-Crust like style of Downfall Of Gaia, through the ferociously emotional ‘Ex-Sistere’ and finally the smooth Black-Gazey / Post-Metal opening of ‘Seminario Dieci’, which eventually explodes into a typically tumultuous finalè.
5. // Urne – A Feast On Sorrow (Candlelight Records)
A Feast On Sorrow might just be the perfect follow up album for London based three-piece Urne, who had already announced themselves in some style with their debut Serpent & Spirit back in 2021. And with this sophomore effort recorded in Gojira vocalist Joe Duplantier’s New York studio, the band have raised the bar even further. A Feast On Sorrow develops the Neo-Thrash crossed with Sludgy-Rock style of their first record, which unashamedly wore its 80s Metallica and Megadeth influences on its sleeve, by taking the music deeper and heavy with a stronger Carcass – esq Death Metal influence, as well as some soaring clean sections. Lyrically the record is also somewhat of a concept built around coming to terms and dealing with the horror of dementia in old age, with the prominent lyric “Where do the memories go, Will they find their way home?’ recurring at times.
‘The Flood Came Rushing In’ certainly picks up where Urne left off on their first record with a Thrashy-Speed-Metal verse eventually giving way to a soaring clean vocal in the chorus. ‘To Die Twice’ is slower with a Death-Doom influence and the tortured sounding vocals of Joe Nally prominant throughout. This eventually breaks down with a classical guitar before giving way to the distorted intro of ‘A Stumble Of Words’ and a stamping riff showing that the old-school Metallica influence is still there. ‘The Burden’ opens with a chugging riff which at this point is typical of the Urne sound, before bleeding into the heaviness of ‘Becoming The Ocean’. The title track opens with a gorgeous sounding piano before providing another deeply emotional song with a strong vocal hook in the chorus. The record finishes with 11 minutes of ‘The Long Goodbye / Where Do The Memories Go?’ first in a Hardcore-Thrash Powertrip – esq style, before eventually giving way to a softer finalè of Alternative Rock and clean vocals.
6. // Karavan – Unholy Mountain (Evil Noise Recordings)
Another fine debut record this time by way of Norway and Karavan, a trio who perfectly capture a mesmerising Blackened-Stoner vibe with a huge influence of Doom Metal in all its forms. Opener ‘Throne’ sets the benchmark for what’s to come, with a psychedelic intro quickly dropping into a fuzz of distortion and an infectiously rolling riff. Where the music is taking distinct inspiration from the likes of Yob and Sleep, it is the rasping vocals that provide a good dose of the Black stuff, sitting deep in the mix and and complimenting the music perfectly.
‘Chase The Dragon’ provides more distorted fuzz and an ultra low bass tone, with the track building into an instrumental finalè which draws comparisons to the likes of Fu Manchu and Kyuss. While a bluesy lead drops on ‘Bonfire Ritual’, with sumptuous Stoner riffing and the subtlety of the suppressed Black Metal vocals. Elsewhere Karavan deliver the bass heavy instrumental of ‘Rot’, the beautifully titled and hypnotic ‘Demon Slime’, and the slow meandering heavily Sabbath influenced ‘Mars’. Unholy Mountain plays out with the title track which is only the seventh on the album, and for me at this point Karavan have prematurely completed a record that undoubtedly leaves you wanting more. KZ
Words by – Abstrakt_Soul
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