Ba'al

We’ve got a couple more great shows lined up for this year and some exciting things taking shape for the next, but in the meantime we continue to waffle about the music we’re blasting at home – read on below and enjoy our Spotify playlist containing all our picks.

Richard – Bass

Mizmor & Thou – Drover of Man

Whilst I do really like both of these artists, I somehow wasn’t expecting their collaboration to be as good as it is, and sometimes middling expectations really work in your favour – Myopia is in contention for my AOTY now. Genre-wise it’s more in Thou’s doomy ballpark, but Mizmor’s black metal tendencies influence things to make them even more nasty, counterbalancing the monolithic, melodic riffs very nicely. Crushing in all the best ways without being inaccessible.

Conan – Grief Sequence

I have often stated my controversial opinion that Conan are the best doom band, but whilst there are subtle yet important differences between all their albums, you usually pretty much know what you’re getting with a Conan record. Well, throw that idea out the window when you get to this closing track on their new album Evidence of Immortality: it’s a 14-minute instrumental track that is part drone metal and part 80s-horror-soundtrack, driven by some big synth leads. A curveball that really makes the album for me.

Björk – Enjoy

Ahead of the release of her new, tenth album (which I’ve not got round to yet), Björk started a podcast going through her albums in order and explaining the sounds and circumstances surrounding each, helping me to fully realise my true form as an adorer of both her music and her Icelandic speaking accent. All of them have been fascinating, but I particularly enjoyed hearing her experiences of the dance music and rave culture in London in the 90s around the release of Post, and I think this song captures her take on that quite well.

Murmuüre – Amethyst

Murmuüre combine atmospheric black metal and ambient music in a way that is quite unlike any other artist I’ve encountered, belying a true, deep knowledge and appreciation of both genres and creating some very absorbing, unusual soundscapes. Recommended for weirdos.

Deathstars – Mark of the Gun

After a conversation at band practice the other week about how ridiculous Deathstars are (particularly the lyrics and overly forced deep voice of singer Whiplasher Bernadotte), I fell down the rabbit hole of nostalgia with their first two albums. This track is just pure stupidity, with all the Rammstein riffs you could ever need, big goth-glam vibes, and a chorus which is essentially just an acrostic poem spelling ‘DEAD’ (if you’re interested, the words are ‘destroy’, ‘enforce’, ‘absolute’ and ‘darkness’).

Chris – Guitar

Falkenbach – Vanadis

This is very much one of my comfort albums – atmospheric viking metal from 2003, in the same sort of arena as Bathory and Summoning, which I’ve listened to more times than I care to think about. It’s the perfect music for BIG NATURE and landscapes, and this month it was part of my soundtrack for a delightfully scenic 4-hour round trip to pick up a new guitar (an Ibanez Iceman, to be precise)!

Blackbraid – The River of Time Flows Through Me

Atmospheric black metal written by indigenous American Sgah’gahsowáh, this manages to put a fresh spin on a genre that can often be quite by-the-numbers. I love to see how different cultures can shape musical styles I’m familiar with; this track has plenty of frosty riffing but keeps it interesting throughout.

BAND-MAID – From Now On

You would think, given how much I’ve listened to Babymetal, that I’d already be familiar with this band – but no, I just discovered them this month. A group of Japanese girls who wear maid outfits and play heavy rock/metal with some very solid riffs is possibly the most Japanese thing I’ve ever heard of and right up my street.

Bobby Darin – Beyond The Sea

Binge-watched the third season of The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel this month, an absolute visual/aural feast (and also just a very good show) – this track featured prominently in one episode and reminded me how much I enjoy listening to old-school crooners now and then.

Cluster -Im Süden

The best description I can give you for this track comes from Matt Berry (of What We Do in the Shadows/Toast of London fame), who recommended it in a YouTube video. He described it as “early electronic nightmares” and he was absolutely correct. It’s 12 minutes of nightmare synths and dark atmosphere which you definitely should not listen to while on a long drive home late at night, like I did. Enjoy!

Joe – Vocals

The Spirit – Of Clarity and Galactic Structures

What would Dissection have sounded like had they been inspired by the images from the James Webb Space Telescope? This, probably… I don’t know, I’m not a scientist.

Afsky – Tyende Sang

Just an exquisite piece of atmospheric black metal from an outstanding album. Extra credit for main man Ole Pederson Luk showing himself to be truly good person too.

Voices – Last Train Victoria Line

Voices have always done weird very well. Voices have always done eerie very well. On this track Voices, somewhat unsurprisingly you might predict, have done weird and eerie very well.

The Monolith Deathcult – Kindertodeslied

A powerful track told from the point of view of a 12 year old member of the Hitler Youth defending Berlin from the Soviet Union, complete with samples from the movie Downfall and sections seemingly sung by children who’s voices warp and become distorted. It’s an intentionally tragic listen that stands out on a relatively tongue in cheek album.

Werewolves – We Are Better Than You

Few are doing death metal as well as this Australian outfit, which is hardly a surprise when they feature two core members of The Berzerker. “How dare you buy our music, we are better than you”; no argument here.

Nick – Guitar

Boris – Ghostly imagination

Not one but two top drawer albums this year from the only entity I will ever recognise under the mononym Boris. Where W was ethereal and hazy as a foggy autumn morning, the latest Heavy Rocks is effectively summarised by its leopard print cover art. Brash and vulgar yet not lacking in artistic provocation, it’s the album to go for when subtlety is not on the agenda.

Povarovo – Ronald

Summer is well and truly over, it’s getting dark early and frost keeps forming on my bedroom window in the morning. At last I can once again revel in gloomy darkjazz and obsess about achieving the perfect noir lighting. All I need now is a case to solve and a crippling opium addiction.

Jesus Piece – Lucid

Recent events have made me an angry little bunny rabbit. This track accompanied me on a particularly trying morning and it’s a miracle I didn’t suplex that arrogant prick that popped his chest at me for crossing the road when I CLEARLY had the right of way.

The Devil Wears Prada – Hallucinate

TDWP really hitting hard in the feels this year. I’ve never been one to pay much attention to lyrics but for some reason this album’s vocals completely drew me in. Get ready for some big sad. Some great and varied songwriting and production going on as well and possibly their strongest ever release; a pleasant surprise all around.

From The Bogs Of Aughiska – The One Whitethorn Bush

I didn’t think stories about fairies and weasels could make me feel unsettled until I heard this band. Captivating dark ambient from the Irish west coast.