Avant-garde Metal

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    Klabautamann – Smaragd (2017)

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    Hailing from Germany, today we have one of the most original and downright weird releases of 2017. On “Smaragd”, this dynamic duo delivers 53-minutes of a mixture of Progressive Black Metal with tons of Jazzy and Folky influences, creating a very engaging sound unlike anything you have heard before. If you are into highly experimental music that defies the boundaries of genres, this is definitely the release for you.

    Opening with the moody “Into Depression”, the band slowly leads the listener down to their magical universe. This track starts off very Jazzy as it weaves back and forth between heavy passages and emotional acoustic interludes with killer guitar leads. Just when you think you have figured the out, the band delivers the raw onslaught of “My Terrifying Mirror”, with a furiously crushing opening that slowly morphs into madness. The band’s ability to change course mid-song and between songs, it is quite impressive creating magical contrasts and keeping the listener on their toes (eg. transitioning into the Proggy/Occult Rock elements of “In My Shadow”).

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    Snares of Sixes – Yeast Mother: An Electroacoustic Mass (2017)

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    With several bands rising from the ashes of Agalloch, today we have Jason William Walton’s Snares of Sixes debut EP release “Yeast Mother: An Electroacoustic Mass”. Featuring a wide array of invited guests like Don Anderson (Agalloch) and Andy Winter among others, this release is a truly unique musical experience that is both delirious and yet cohesive. Unleashing four extremely intricate tracks, this release will certainly grab your attention since the first minute.

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    Netra – Ingrats (2017)

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    One-man outfit Netra returns after five years to unleash the very unique “Ingrats”. Mixing Industrial/Trip-hop/jazzy elements with Black Metal, this release delivers nearly 40 minutes of exciting Avant-garde music. As with the previous Netra releases, this one will keep you at the edge of your seat always wondering what kind of surprises the songs have in store for the listener.

    Opening with the mysteriously jazzy “Gimme a Break”, the band brilliantly eases the listener into being quite shocked with the savage intensity of the following track. On “Everything’s Fine”, we get the same trippy elements, but they are paired with punishing harsh vocals and intense riffing. The track again flips on the listener before finishing as it slowly eases into the trip-hoppish atmospheric interlude of “Underneath My Words, The Ruins of Yours”.

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    Slagmaur – Thill Smitts Terror (2017)

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    After eight years in the making, we finally get the return of Norway’s Slagmaur and their unique take on Black Metal. With “Thill Smitts Terror” the band delivers over 45 minutes of truly bizarre and disturbing music that will fully immerse the listener into the band’s own deranged world. If you like bands like Diabolos Rising and Mysticum, but want an extra touch of madness, this band has you covered.

    With “Innferd” setting up a very dark and somber mood, “Drummer of Tedworth” is the first creepy Industrial-influence piece that truly showcases Slagmaur’s weirdness. Perfectly juxtaposing sinister riffs and Industrial percussions, they create a very sickening and truly immersive atmospheric experience. The band’s oppressive atmosphere is nicely continued in the punishing track “Werewolf”, one of the heaviest and busiest tracks in this release.

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    Lethe – The First Corpse on the Moon (2017)

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    For those like us that like trippy experimental music, today we have the brilliant sophomore release of Lethe titled “The First Corpse on the Moon”. This project of Tor-Helge Skei (ex-Manes) and Anna Murphy (ex-Eluveitie) delivers in many different levels, from weird and trippy, to brilliantly catchy and hypnotic. If you liked the band’s debut release and bands like The 3rd and the Mortal (on their later years) and Closed Room, this is one release you don’t want to miss.

    The album opens with the intoxicating “Night”, a track that perfectly sets a very jazzy moody vibe. This track slowly introduces the uninitiated to the band’s very unique musical landscape. Very quickly, things get more Trip-Hop oriented with “Inexorbitant Future” and return to ‘heavier’ more Metal-influenced territories with one of our favorites “Down into the Sun” and its catchy vocal arrangements.

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    Fjoergyn – Lucifer Es (2017)

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    Hailing from Germany today we have Fjoergyn and their latest very impressive foray into the realm of Avant-garde Black Metal with “Lucifer Es”. Joining the elite list of bands like Anomalie, Agrypnie, and Nocte Obducta, which are re-defining the genre, this band delivers 61 minutes of action packed music that commands your attention from start to end. Perfectly crafted for fans of the bizarre and complex, this release is one hell of a ride.

    After opening with the somber “MMXVII”, the band perfectly blends punishing riffs with intricate atmospheric arrangements as we hear in “Leviathan”. The mixture of vocal styles is something that instantly sticks out from such a unique mixture of elements, giving the band that extra level of creepiness. With tracks like “Viva La Inquisition” exploiting the band’s heavier side, Fjoergyn delivers a very expansive and relentless sound that very few bands can pull off.

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    Mord’A’Stigmata – Hope (2017)

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    Finally returning with a thought-provoking full-length release, today we have Poland’s Mord’A’Stigmata and their latest offering “Hope”. Continuing their musical evolution, this release delivers over 40 minutes of hard to define music filled heavy Post-Black Metal overtones. If you are a fan of bands like Harakiri for the Sky, Anomalie, and even Moonspell, this release will certainly appeal to you.

    Opening with the 12-minute title-track, the band leads with expertly layered guitars and a very enigmatic pace. The mixture of clean and harsh vocals reminds us a bit of Moonspell. However, the intricate guitar work is what truly makes this track quite unique and engaging. The band continues their musical experiments with the faster paced “The Tomb from Fear and Doubt”. This song we are treated to faster drums alongside hypnotic instrumental interludes.

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    Fleurety - Fragmenta Cuinsvis Aetatis Contemporaneae (2017)

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    Keeping things as weird and unique as possible, today we have the legendary Fleurety and their latest EP titled “Fragmenta Cuinsvis Aetatis Contemporaneae”. Released as a 7” vinyl, the listener gets two more windows in to the band’s unique, and pretty deranged, musical vision. If you like weird stuff, this is definitely something you need to check out.

    Very far from their Black Metal origins in the seminal “Min tid skal komme”, the band has continued to evolve over the years perfectly creating a very bizarre sound that just keeps getting better and better with time. Exhibit A in this release is the trippy “Consensus”, a song that is quite experimental with influences ranging from Noise to Drone and all the way to Jazz. This piece creates a very dissonant and uncomfortable atmosphere that is equally brilliant and insane at the same time.

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    Madder Mortem – Red in Tooth and Claw (2016)

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    As one of the biggest surprises of 2016, today we have the return of Madder Mortem and their whacky Progressive Metal with “Red in Tooth and Claw”. Always hard to peg down and describe, this Norwegian band has consistently released very unique album and with this one they sound as crazy as ever. Delivering over 50 minutes of music, this release was definitely worth the 6 year wait.

    Opening with the funky “Blood on the Sand” we are instantly transported to the band’s unique musical world. Agnete’s signature vocals perfectly lead this very engaging track that features tons of odd tempo changes and has a certain circus vibe to it. The madness continues in very different shapes as “If I could” and “Fallow Season” deliver funkadelic rhythms and very playful combinations of intricate bass guitar lines and heavy riffs.

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    In The Woods… - Pure (2016)

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    As THE most awaited release of 2016 for us, today we have the pleasure of reviewing the return of In The Woods… with “Pure”. Having influenced hundreds of bands over the years with their visionary music and style, this band finally reformed back in 2014 - after 14 years of hiatus. Featuring over 67 minutes of music, this release perfectly delivers the traditional In The Woods… experience but not without a more refined an evolved sound that puts them right back in the map, picking up exactly where they left off.

    Opening with the soaring vocal arrangements of “Pure” alongside a very moody and engaging instrumentation, the band will instantly transport you to their unique world. With British singer James Fogarty at the helm, instant comparisons to Jan Transeth can be made, but Mr. Fog has a more dynamic range and brings his own style into the mix. For those of us that enjoyed the experimental nature of the band, they quickly deliver the atmospheric and dreamy “Blue Oceans Rise” and “Devil’s at the Door” to hook the listener further in.

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