Autumn’s full embrace: 12 dark and heavy highlights for Oct. 25

With most of this week’s highlights occupying more extreme territory, I’m more than happy to grant French trio Fields of Næcluda the top spot with their new album “Ubuntu”. And while the very first riff on that album evokes some Haken references, the rest of it leans much more into the emotional space of bands like Leprous, Ions or Mother of Millions and Playgrounded. And the more I dive into it, the more I fall in love with band leader Michel Teyssier’s wonderful timbre and melodies. Equipped with a wonderfully warm production by Chris Edrich (Leprous, Klone, The Ocean…) responsible for the mix and mastering by Pierrick Noel (Atelier Mastering), it’s often towards the later parts of the songs that they kick in with a super spicy, proggy riff (‘Lost in Translation’, ‘Aegis’) to elevate the song and the whole experience actually to another level. “Ubuntu” is Fields of Næcluda’s second album, and it’s an excellent one at that, hopefully opening many new doors of opportunities for them. Dario

Band number 1 to open their monster of an album with a 13+ epic: Iotunn go all in once again with their highly anticipated second full length offering, “Kinship”. The Danish/Faroese quintet expands upon their very own sound established on 2022’s highly acclaimed debut “Access All Worlds” and takes the inclined listener on yet another epic voyage. And as much as this is a full band effort with brothers Jesper and Jens Nicolai Ladekær Gräs on guitars, Eskil Rask (Cold Night for Alligators, Sunless Dawn) on bass and drummer Bjørn Wind Andersen putting forth excellent instrumental performances, glued together by the impeccable mix and master of metal legend Jacob Hansen, it is the otherworldly performance of Jón Aldará (Hamferð, Barren Earth) that lifts this 68 minute journey of doomy, cosmic progressive death metal to another plane of existence. Dario

P.S.: Check out Bob’s full review here: https://theprogspace.com/iotunn-kinship/ and don’t miss out on the two Danish dates in January 2025 with the amazing An Abstract Illusion from Sweden. Can’t wait for more dates to be announced soon!

As far as psychedelic, ritualistic experimental post doom goes, Australian trio Black Aleph might have just opened a portal into another dimension with their debut album, “Apsides”. Lachlan R. Dale’s effect-laden guitars, mourning cello tones by Peter Hollo and the hypnotic percussions from Timothy Johannessen transcend the post metal and doom genres into a cosmic meditation of unheard and unseen scope and intensity. One definition of the word Aleph that I found was “the cosmic point that contains all times and places in the universe, a fabled observatory that figures the endlessness”… I don’t think there’s anything more to add to that. Dario

Band number 2 to open their monster of an album with a 13+ minutes epic this week: Swiss black metal non-conformists Schammasch finally follow up their 2017 experiment “The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite” with “The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean”. And, befitting the source material this is based on (Les Chants de Maldoror, originally published 1868/69), it’s brimming with gothic, surrealist atmospheres. Full review by Lykle coming up soon. Until then, dive into these immersive Maldoror chants and some autumnal avant garde gloom. Dario

If one word could describe the music of Gaerea, it would be ‘intense’. The Portuguese band has built a reputation of devastating people’s ears with an emotional approach to black metal, plus heavily compressed productions to drive the point home. It’s a recipe for wonderful music, but, if I may be honest, it’s also a tiring listening experience. As a result, I love my Gaerea albums, but I don’t listen to them often.

So, does the latest album, called “Coma” have anything new to offer compared to its predecessors? Yes and no. Fans of the band’s atmospheric black metal can rest assured that it still offers everything that Gaerea stands for. On the other hand, there are some changes too. First of all, the music, even though still heavily compressed, has a little bit more breathing space through some quiet, mellow passages. Secondly, there is a minor death metal influence in the music now, adding more groove and dynamics to the typical Gaerea sound. For some, it might mean a watered-down approach to Gaerea’s intensity, while others would welcome some variation. I’m a bit in the middle myself: while I am happy that “Coma” is a bit easier on the ears, I do love the previous album, “Mirage”, more. What will be your opinion about it? Lykle

Job for a Cowboy, Fit for a King…? No, it’s actually New Jersey based five-piece Fit For An Autopsy that just dropped an album. One can really get confused with all these weird deathcore/tech death band names. Anyways, “The Nothing That Is” is, contrary to its title, not nothing, rather the seventh album already since their 2011 debut “The Process of Human Extermination”. Don’t let yourself get fooled by the nihilist album title and cover artwork, there’s plenty of melody spicing up their massive and groovy deathcore/progressive death metal hybrid. With Gojira paving the way for even bigger commercial success of that kind of sound, it’s no wonder they’re going from strength to strength as well. And with this kind of continued quality material output even less so. Dario

Sometimes, a striking cover artwork can work wonders for a release to gain some wider attention. “Odyssey”, the fourth full length album by Swedish progressive stoner doom merchants Vokonis released in 2021 was most certainly such a case with its glowing yellow bird, subsequently lovingly dubbed “the chicken album” by many (new fans). Anyways, Vokonis are back with “the seadragon album”, officially called “Transitions”. Personally I had wished for some more psychedelic tangents like the wonderful second half of epic closing title track, but apart from that minor personal preference, this is another very solid album and should appeal to any fans of stonery-sludgey sounds. Dario

Making Archspire sound like easy listening stuff: Chicago based trio Gigan unleashed their newest barrage of dissonant tech death onslaught entitled “Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus” via Willowtip Records on Oct. 25. Do I understand anything that’s going on in the eight tracks thereon? Hell nah. Do I find it endlessly fascinating nevertheless? Hell yeah! Extreme dissonant madness galore. Oh, did I mention dissonant? Dario

For his 22nd solo album “PowerNerd” (if you count all Project, Band, Ziltoid and Casualties of Cool albums as well), Canadian workaholic Devin Townsend leans heavily, or should I rather say lightly, into his uplifting, more easy listening sounds. And who can blame him really, I mean one can only be angry and depressed for so long… The airy, lightweight sounds in continuation of 2022’s “Lightwork” is juxtaposed with some pretty much in your face, yet always tongue-in-cheek rock’n’roll like the title track, ‘Knuckledragger’ or ‘Ruby Quaker’, stuff I personally could do without musically. Yet without them, the album wouldn’t be complete. For some more crazy Devin stuff, we’ll have to await the arrival of “The Moth” next year I guess, for now I’ll enjoy some bits and pieces of “PowerNerd”, while other might like other parts more, or even the entire thing as a whole. Dario

Entheos are a prog death metal romance story: Primary band members Chaney Crabb and Navene Koperweis (ex-Animosity, ex-Animals as Leaders, Fleshwrought, solo work as Navene K) are a real-life couple and have recently married. After taking 6 years in between full-length album releases, in 2023 they offered “Time Will Take Us All”, an elaborate 40 minute ride across an intense soundscape. To fans’ surprise, they are already back with “An End to Everything” just about 18 months later.

Check our or recent in-depth interview with Chaney Crabb for deeper insights into the band and the EP: https://theprogspace.com/chaneycrabb/ 

According to Entheos, the new EP is tailor made for best translation into the live setting. “Time Will Take Us All” was a concept journey with high stylistic dynamics – but the band felt like in parts, that didn’t translate ideally in concerts, where they wanted to unleash a more straightforward blast of intensity to their crowds. This idea is immediately noticeable in the EP. Song structures are rather clear; the songs center around a cohesive vibe and feel rounded-off by themself, less dependent on context within the rest of the EP. This is further emphasized by the release strategy, where all songs came out as singles with accompanying music videos.

The band’s staple elements are clear and present: Koperweis’s vehement drumming drives a sonic monstrosity, bassist Evan Brewer (ex-Reflux, ex-Animosity, ex-the Faceless, Fallujah, solo) is remarkably present with a unique slap-based approach. Koperweis doubles up on studio guitars, as all the compositions are his. Rapid riffing is exchanged with vast and open choruses, ornamented by eerie leads akin to 12-tone-concept wizard Ron Jarzombek (ex-Watchtower, Spastic Ink, Blotted Science). Chaney Crabb’s distinguishable vocals reveal previously unknown facettes: Back are her well-known guttural growls and crass “goblin-mode” shrieks; but the EP features several types of more conventional singing. ‘An End to Everything’ and ‘Life in Slow Motion’ even feature intimate cleans.

In what feels like a written deja-vu (my recent mini-reviews of Nile and The Black Dahlia Murder come to mind), I once again feel compelled to point out the stellar production courtesy of Mark Lewis. In a continuation of their collaboration from “Time Will Take Us All”, “An End to Everything” sounds rich and intense; it maintains crisp dynamics and a human authenticity in the performances, while still packing the punch of a modern production.

Crabb explained the EP’s subject matter as a reflection on the downfall of a close real-life friend; a crushing personal topic far removed from traditional zombie-gore death metal themes. The thought of a ‘Pitchfork Impalement’ (Cannibal Corpse) is customary to death metal connoisseurs, but Crabb’s lines transmit a more spine-chilling message. Case in point, from ‘All for Nothing’ – this is not a happy ending story…

The warmth was
So bitter and stagnant
On that hollow day
No one to watch you slip away
I knew I’d never see your face again

Bas

Sallow Moth is a solo metal project from American multi-instrumentalist Garry Brents, who also is responsible of Cara Neir, Gonemage, Homeskin, and Memorrhage. Under this moniker, he goes for a pretty unique combination of prog, tech, dissonance, and grind. Immediately, I hear influences in the vein of Afterbirth and early Wake, who I absolutely admire. Lots of fantastic ideas thrown into this little EP, and it leaves you wanting more. “Vial” is an engaging and intriguing listen, not to mention impressive with how many different styles Garry experiments with, but this effort is my favourite of the lot, so far! Can’t wait to dive in and see what else comes out of this project. Colin

Originally released 10 years ago as the monumental closing track of Omnerod’s debut album “Ivory Dune”, the Belgian quartet has now re-imagined, re-recorded, and revitalized this 16-minute epic journey. In their own words, “it sounds like the incestual creative baby of three immature and intoxicated teenagers throwing dumb ideas around the rehearsal space,” but as the band commented, I also believe the song is thematically and musically a continuation of their incredible opus “The Amensal Rise” (2023).

The song is a trippy voyage into the concept of panspermia, drawing a metaphorical portrayal of life emerging, evolving, and seeking purpose in the vastness of space. In line with the unifying thread of their previous release, it is both cosmic and introspective -a journey through creation, dissolution, and transformation, weaving threads of life in cycles with a mixture of awe and surrender. The music serves as a vessel where these ideas find their sonic parallel. From raw, thunderous heavy riffs -even though djenty and metalcore-ish-, in true Omnerod fashion, it is cushioned by playful and irreverent keyboard melodies turning sinister. Anthony Deneyer’s growls are superb, while angelic chorals build up with orchestration and synths, preparing us for a transition into the trippiest part of the voyage (transformation?) to fall into the unknown. We enter the second part of the epic.

Crossing the threshold into a new phase, we are welcomed by the incredible, powerful yet angelic voice of Romain Jeuniaux, who seems to be singing better than ever (is that possible?). Subtle melodies full of emotion emerge from the heart to become an explosive blast of energy with echoing overlaid tracks over his agonizing screams in the background. Meanwhile, in the back, all hell’s loose as Pablo Schwilden-Diaz’s roaring clockwork drums and André Six’s backbone basslines support Romain’s voice -now a concert of melodies- that elevate the song to new levels. We fall into the final phase of this voyage, with Anthony roaring the alchemistic “as above, so below,” pointing once again to cycles of evolution (of life? oneself?) and concluding with a bang, as Romain screams the not-so-metaphorical line, “trails of light in the sky, constantly converging.” What a trip!

“Panspermia” was mixed by longtime collaborator Julien Huyssens and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, Sweden. Van