New music roundup: Fen, Blaspherian, Necrowretch, Sempiternal Dusk & Bloodbath
Do you like music? Because there’s some of that shit right in here.
Fen have been releasing material since 2007. If you didn’t know that, it’s no fault of your own. They’ve been lost in a thick fog made principally of a hundred-fucking-billion bands riding the atmospheric/post-black wave, and overshadowed by the small handful currently doing it right like Falls of Rauros and Wolves in the Throne Room. They’ve got a new album coming out called Carrion Skies, and they just dropped the first single, “Menhir – Supplicant.” Guess what? I think it’s good.
Instead of sounding like a generic song by a band playing what’s in vogue (which, to my ears, is something that Fen tends to communicate), it sounds organic, unforced, and void of contrivance. It’s 12 gripping minutes of stirring atmosphere and shifting melody. A few steps away from their countless peers and into their own territory. Could the release of Carrion Skies see the formation of a unique identity for Fen? We’ll find out on November 22.
Here’s one from one of our favorite labels, Iron Bonehead Productions — Blaspherian. Hailing (Satan) from Texas, these gnarly dudes have been around since 2004, releasing a handful of demos, splits, EPs, and one full-length in 2011. They’re about to release a 7″ called Upon the Throne… Of Eternal Blasphemous Death. In addition to a random and wholly unnecessary ellipsis, it also contains a song called “Phoenix of Uncreation,” which you can stream below. It’s exactly the kind of thing you’re expecting a band called Blaspherian to put out: a filthy churn of cavernous death metal that crushes to dust all bells and stabs to death all whistles. Fuck frill.
Here’s some more straight-up nasty shit for you. Necrowretch‘s new 7″, Even Death May Die (Lovecraft reference? – W.) just released today (get it through Century Media). This French trio like it fast and full of blasphemy. You can stream the title track “Even Death May Die” below (the other side is a probably-lame Slayer cover). It’s a ripper of a track, though I have noticed a few similar concerns among Soundcloud commenters:
Stream it below:
Normally I’d advise you not to trust a polar bear with a mustache (or any polar bear for that matter), but I gave Leif Bearikson a chance and was rewarded with Sempiternal Dusk. Here’s what he said to me in our personal correspondence and definitely not after I asked him for a blurb: “Sempiternal Dusk take your doom and death it up a bit. Or do they take your death and doom it? Either way they have delivered a monster of a tormented album. Much like Sex Bob-omb, they’re here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff.”
Their self-titled debut was released by another one of our very favorite labels on September 30. So yeah, we’re late. But we don’t want you to miss it. From their Bandcamp: “After their demo assault on our eardrums with their 2012 attack, Sempiternal Dusk makes their presence known on five track, forty-seven minute affair. If you like doom in your death metal, Sempiternal Dusk will be most pleasing to your taste.”
Most pleasing, indeed…
Lastly, there’s another new Bloodbath song. Look, I’ll admit that I’ve been pretty underwhelmed by the songs we’ve heard so far, but “Famine of God’s Word” is savage. Exploding out of the blocks, this sucker wants to break your neck in record time. And break your neck in record time it shall.
Nick Holmes still sounds off, though… Is that just me?
Grand Morbid Funeral drops on November 18th. Preorder it from Peaceville Records.
