It’s been a while since the last SFTG chapter, so here we go with VOL. XXII, AKA “Descent,” cause you really have to embrace the pits to uncover these underground gems whose obscurity is a crime, so here’s to shining some light on them….
One – FOSA – Demo
Chile’s Fosa‘s debut demo – recorded live, and performed with harrowing intensity. A maelstrom of dark hardcore, grind, crust, and black metal that flails the senses. Vaguely psychedelic, tremendously moving, and catastrophically atmospheric, this is some of the best shit in the genre I have come across in the long time – despite the lo-fi audio quality, which frankly just ads to the mysticism. For fans of Fall of Efrafa, Tragedy, Hexis, Rorcal, Ekkaia, Madame Germen. Check it out here.
Two – BIRD OF OMEN – What Was Once There Is Now Gone / Eulogy
Bird of Omen is a side project from the deranged mind behind catastrophically heavy extreme doom absurdity Monuments of Urns. These two releases have lurked in the underworld of the underground for years now (2013, and 2012 respectively), but I felt like they should now be unearthed and re-actualized as they are truly something scary and monumental to behold. This is colossal and slow moving ambience that encompasses drone, shoegaze, doom, and dark ambient to devastating effects. A dreadful and thick black veil of pianos, synths, mortiferous guitars, and rumbling drums that drags the listener straight into hades. For fans of Sunn O))), Lustmord, Black Boned Angel, Common Eider King Eider etc.
Three – BODEN – s/t
Sometimes quiet and meditative, sometimes violent and grim – this is Germany’s blackened post-hardcore enigma Boden. Circling an abyss to which black metal, screamo, shoegaze, grind, post-punk, and noise rock then converge to its center, Boden create heart-splitting dark punk songs full of spleen, angst and massive claustrophobia. This s/t EP is a new, single, 12 min song, but you can check out all their stuff here. For fans of Orchid, Fen, etc.
Four – ALTARS – Demo
San Jose, CA- based crippling bestial supremacy. Ridiculously heavy and wretched doomy war metal for the end times. Black, death meal, sludge, crust and grind taken to a harrowing extremes, with no solution for salvation. Annihilation that just devours everything. Total fucking war in the fallout of nuclear decimation. For fans of Blasphemy, early Carcass, Diocletian.
Five – MOBLISH – Hallucinations of Freedom
Supersonic and reckless hardcore crust from Canada that crashes at breakneck speed against existence. Angst-ridden, frenetic, schizoid, and totally deranged hardcore punk for the end times. When nothing else matters or means anything anymore, even total annihilation and reckless self-destruction seem like an everyday routine. For fans of Siege, Void, Crucifix, Minor Threat.
Six (six six) – COSMIC REEF TEMPLE – Age of the Spaceborn
“Keep Santa Cruz WEIRD,” right? Well, Santa Cruz, CA-based Cosmic Reef Temple have kind of taken this saying a bit too seriously and brought things to ridiculous extremes…in a super rad way! This collective of acid-devouring freaks have taken doom, jazz, and psychedelia to implausible new heights of weirdness. Their debut album is an amazing amalgamation of surf, kraut, freak-rock, prog, acid rock, doom metal and weirdo jazz all tangled up in an entrancing and nerve-shattering listening trip. You’ll be taken from earth to the moon, then to Mars, and to John Zorn, to Cathedral, to Acid Mothers Temple, to Chrome Hoof, to Master Musicians of Bukkake, to Secret Chiefs 3 and Sabbath to the edge of the universe and then back to earth where you’ll realize you brain didn’t withstand the neural stimulation and melted in your skull. Try to crack this band’s code if you can!
Seven – WORSHIP OF KERES – s/t
A short EP in preparation of greater things. California’s doom rockers Worship of Keres (or Keres) have some big news coming and so they have prepared a little taste of the party they have coming for you. It comes as no surprise this EP slays so hard – this band is a high-octane heavy metal adrenaline ride that takes elements from Sabbath, Judas Priest, Cathedral, King Diamond, and Pentagram to bring you raging amplifier worship for the fucking end times!
