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Wanna win a copy of Gloam<\/strong>‘s engrossing new EP? Can you count to 6?\u00a0Well, I’ve got some good news for you…<\/p>\n

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For those not already familiar with the upcoming USBM band, then you’re getting on board just in time, as\u00a0Gloam are about to release their first material since recently joining the staunch powerhouse that is Blood Harvest Records<\/a><\/strong>. The band’s 2015 debut was an intriguing blend of doomy psychedelia and morose black metal; the intricately woven layers combined to form a stark sonic tapestry, a pervasively haunting piece that certainly lives up to its name<\/a>\u00a0and imagery.<\/p>\n

Today marks the release of their follow-up to Hex Of Nine Heads<\/em>, and I can say with complete certainty that it lives up to the high expectations I’d placed on it.\u00a0At a mere three tracks, on face value\u00a0Death Is the Beginning<\/em> may seem like just a brisk jaunt in the crisp night air, but the dark is as deep as the mind it surrounds. In under 20 minutes, Gloam manage to pry open otherworldly portals other acts never quite manage to crack. Riffs of moribund anguish sublimate into swirling miasmatic spectres seeking retribution amidst the black sky.<\/p>\n

Sounds\u00a0like the perfect soundtrack to your\u00a0Friday the 13th, right?<\/p>\n

Well the band were cool enough to reach out and offer to send us a physical promo copy. However, as much as I’d like to have this excellent EP in my hands, I’d feel bad asking the band to pay for postage across the Pacific, especially since I’d already been smashing replay for a few weeks on a digital copy. So I thought it would be a better idea if we could gift one of you most worthy flushers the album instead. Adequate recompense for enduring my perpetual sardonicism? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, these tracks rule, one of you score, and I’ll likely remain a prick regardless. So how can you get a copy?<\/p>\n

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Well, I’d originally planned to get you to write a short review, but Joe reminded me of our cohort’s inherent laziness and suggested we ask for haiku reviews instead (which we’ve successfully\u00a0done a few times before<\/a>). Excellent, we could use the album’s title as a theme. Wait, it only\u00a0contains 6 syllables. Fuck. How about instead of the 5\/7\/5 pattern of a haiku, we opt for a 6\/6\/6 syllabic run instead? Perfect. You can use the title (“Death is the beginning<\/em>“) as either your first, second, or third line, as long as you have 6 syllables in each line, your entry counts. The final result will be decided this weekend and we’ll send out the album so you can rejoice in the spoils of victory as soon as possible. So drop your entry in the comments below, and make sure you give the record a spin this Friday the 13th.<\/p>\n