‘Dark, Melancholic, Reflective’: The Behaviour new album transcends the gothic post rock atmosphere

The Behaviour is excited to announce the release of the album, A Sin Dance. The album is available worldwide on all streaming platforms. Recorded throughout 2022, this album features seven new tracks entirely written, arranged, and performed by Der Baron M. Kilpatric.

These songs are the first to showcase Kilpatric’s unique songwriting style and wide ranging musical abilities. Culled from a wealth of material written over the past few years, these were specifically selected for their dynamic, eclectic, and diverse nature to give but a taste of what is to come. “A Sin Dance”: here

The Behaviour is a gothic inspired post-alternative rock group created by Der Baron M. Kilpatric in 2020. The album was entirely written, arranged, and performed by Kilpatric himself. While currently located in New England, this album culminated from his time residing in Colorado and the Midwest while marinating in the sounds of Jeff Buckley, Soundgarden, Slint, Killing Joke, Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, my bloody valentine, David Bowie, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and countless others.

The Behaviour as a perfect and effective representation of the sounds, melodies, and noises heard in his head and ringing in his ears for quite some time. While being a catharsis, purging, and execution of shadow work in its purest form of expression, this record is merely a prologue.

The music is dark and melancholic on the surface, yet underneath the richly textured layers are introspective messages of redemption, healing, and renewal found through experienced loss and traumas.

In this interview, we talked with The Behaviour about his musical influences, future plans, trajectory, among other curiosities. Check it out!

What can you say about this new release? This album was many years in the making. I started writing it in 2020, and began the recording process in 2022. It came about by a combination of things – separation, loneliness, the pandemic, loss, trauma, longing, sobriety, and became a healing process in doing so. Shadow work in its purest form. After being the drummer in a number of groups on many different levels over many, many years, I thought it was time to step up and out from behind the kit and take the reins completely. I wanted to prove, to myself more than anyone, that it could be done. To create something that was pure and organic, with many aural and lyrical textures, meanings, and layers. I aimed to utilize the universal language to truly exemplify what drives me, what makes me who I am, for all to see and hear out on display in sheer vulnerability. It is definitely introspective and emotional, as well as giving glimpses of perspectives faced outwards. I hope that is conveyed.

How was the recording process of the album? Since being written while residing in the shadow of the majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado, I chose to record it in the Midwest with the invaluable assistance and expertise of a very talented recording engineer, Scott Mackey, who has been a dear friend of mine for decades. Due to logistical reasons, we recorded over the weekends for several months throughout the summer and fall of 2022. It was very laid back, allowing us to spend more time than what would be normally allowed in a formal recording studio under limited budget and time constraints. This opened up many more possibilities to explore, such as the deep layering and textures that make this album so unique, and try different experimental techniques and approaches. There were some additional things I did at home and in various locations to add some touches that make this album best listened to loud and/or on a very good stereo system or headphones, which is the way I like to hear my favorite records that have influenced me.

If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick? “Strangelic”.

What’s your favourite band? It is always very difficult to pick just one, but in the scope and totality of the vastness of their catalogue, I would choose Pink Floyd.

Who or what inspires you to write songs? I am inspired by personal experiences, things I have endured, reflections on things occurring around me, thoughts toward the future. Hoping to find healing and transformation into a better human being by and through the notes, frequencies, rhythms, and melodies I hear in my head and hopefully thereby transmitting and transmutating them to and for the listener as well. It is an innate natural occurrence to do these things, not really having a conscious choice in the matter. It is who I am.

Whom would you like to feature with? Like your dream collaboration? For those still living, it would be a dream to collaborate with David Gilmour, Nick Cave, Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke), Michael Gira (Swans), David Eugene Edwards (Wovenhand), Ken Andrews (Failure), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Diamond Galas. For those now passed, it would have been Jeff Buckley, David Bowie, Chris Cornell, Leonard Cohen, Mark Lanegan.

How is the independent and underground scene in your country? From what I can tell, here in the US it is very much thriving and possible to be an independent and/or underground artist now more than ever, with so many resources and tools widely available to do so. Touring can be difficult, as traveling across the US entails large fuel, lodging, and food costs, and if you are trying to do so on your own, starting from scratch to build a fanbase, your guarantees can be smaller and make this difficult. There are also “buy-on” options for opening slots with more established acts, and this can even further your expenses. Another caveat for independent artists is that the more equal playing field of streaming and exposure has created a flooding of the “market,” making it inundated with so many artists that it has become more difficult to stand out and be heard above or even as much as others. It comes down to how well your resources are, and the usual typical “right place/right time”, with regards to your music being heard by and resonating with the right person to help spread your art/message. I think this is not just limited to my country. Certain algorithms in this streaming age should help make this more possible as well, but again you are always up against the major labels and artists

with a far more vast amount of influence and resources.

What are your plans for the future? Writing and releasing more music! As I said, there is an arsenal of songs waiting to be more explored, as well as a few covers I want to interpret to put out there. Continuing to reach a new audience in any way is never ending, and perhaps I would like to bring The Behaviour to a new dynamic by presenting it live at some point. I do not desire to tour as I once did, being on the road for months at a time. The climate of that environment has changed drastically since I last did it, and it is far more difficult to make a living at it now with costs and expenses, while also being away from your loved ones and trying to have stability and security. But we’ll see. I am definitely not opposed to doing one-off dates, like festivals or something of that nature.

REVERENCE TO PAROXYSM set release date for ME SACO UN OJO / DARK DESCENT debut, reveal first track – features members of DISGORGED, HACAVITZ+++

Today, Me Saco Un Ojo Records and Dark Descent Records announce August 31st as the international release date for Reverence to Paroxysm‘s highly anticipated debut album, Lux Morte, on vinyl LP and CD formats, respectively.

Forming in 2020 and with a split and live album already under their belts, Mexico City’s Reverence to Paroxysm are now unveiling their debut album, Lux Morte. Taking a viciously old-school approach with disgusting riffs contorting upon pulverizing drums, this macabre descent into decay shall grip you from the very earliest moments. Gurgling vocals spew eldritch slime upon the meaty instrumentals, with thick bass-lines giving a chunky low end to the sound. Taking all of the most morbidly revolting elements of underground death metal, Reverence to Paroxysm bludgeon their way into your skull with fleshy hammer blows. The talents of frontman Antimo Buonnano, previously from death/grind legends Disgorge among many others, brings a veteran element to the band, injecting their abhorrent legacy into his latest involvements. The slower moments will drag you through the sepulchral dirt while more upbeat assaults thrash the meat from the bone like a bladed whip of sonic poison. The gloomy dynamics, visceral hooks, and brutal execution will mercilessly execute all in their path, and you would be a fool not to submit to Reverence to Paroxysm

Eerie soundscapes entwine with putrescent primitive pounding, giving a rancid and yet atmospheric listen. The more you delve into this record, the more subtle nuances you will find scattered throughout, which add texture and detail while falling into the monstrously cataclysmic feel of the entire piece very naturally. Although an odiously primal energy is draped across this entire record, there are some very cleverly placed and unusual riffs that give a very unique and interesting feel to things as they cut through thundering bass or the razor-sharp cymbal work. The sparse vocals perfectly play off of the instrumental parts to give the band this dense, foggy, and oppressive sound. If you are of the school of death metal lover who needs subterranean riffing, crackling bass, bone-splintering drums, and disgusting -but-varied vocals, then waste no time in checking out Lux Morte. So proceed with caution and succumb to the fetid, decaying world that is presented and be soaked in the rotten tapestry Reverence to Paroxysm have woven for you and prepare to be crushed by it. [text by Jørgen Sven Kirby, Nattskog webzine]

In the meantime, hear the brand-new track “Necropacity” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Reverence to Paroxysm’s Lux Morte
1. Astray Descent [8:20]
2. AD Putrefactio [5:55]
3. Burial Absolute [7:07]
4. Necropacity [7:20]
5. Portals To Dark Misery [6:46]
6. Care Data Vermibus [9:22]

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/reverencetoparoxysm

www.mesacounojo.com
www.mesacounojo.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/mesacounojo

www.darkdescentrecords.com
www.darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com

MINENWERFER set release date for new OSMOSE album

Today, Osmose Productions announces March 10th as the international release date for Minenwerfer‘s highly anticipated fourth album, Feuerwalze, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

A campaign started on July 1st, 1916. A campaign of muddy, rat-infested trenches, endless artillery barrages, and cracks of rifles in the distance. A campaign of unsettling night raids, close-quarters combat, and suffocating fumes of chlorine gas.

The sound of the treads of the first tanks grinding the bones of those long dead on the battlefield to dust and of the screams from no man’s land of men bleeding out in the night from the previous day’s failed offensive.

This is the soundtrack for that campaign. Welcome to the Somme.

First track premiere to be revealed shortly. Preorder link can be found HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Minenwerfer’s Feuerwalze

1. Cemetery Fields [6:07]
2. Feuerwalze [6:47]
3. Eternal Attrition [8:00]
4. Nachtschreck [7:50]
5. Sturmtruppen III (Sommekämpfer) [5:27]
6. Shrapnel Exsanguination [5:54]
7. Labyrinthine Trench Sectors [8:28]

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/minenwerfer

www.osmoseproductions.com

RIENAUS stream new KVLT album in advance of its release – features members of AZAZEL+++

Today, Finnish black metallers Rienaus stream the entirety of their highly anticipated third album, Luciferille. Set for international release on November 25th via KVLT. Hear RienausLuciferille in its entirety here:

Formed in 2009 and led by the iron fist of erstwhile Azazel member Mavrofos, Rienaus have quietly built a sizable catalog of paradigmatic Finnish black metal. With two albums, three demos, an EP, a split album, and even a live record to their blasphemous name, Rienaus have dependably and doggedly pursued their vision with nary a misstep: so pure, so cold, traditional Finnish hunger – no more, but definitely less. An idiom doesn’t “need” anything when it is already in its perfect state.

And so it goes with Rienaus‘ third album, Luciferille. Immediately, those chill winds of melodic mysticism blow across this tight ‘n’ concise 35-minute record: freezing fire fueled by unfiltered emotion and inner darkness, performed with a conviction one can truly FEEL. As ever, Mavrofos finds that ever-elusive production style that’s both clear ‘n’ shimmering and just a bit roughed-up and raw, allowing the subtly spiraling guitar parts to take hold of the listener’s soul and whip him into a hypnosis of transcendental proportions. However, whereas the hallmarks of the classic Finnish black metal sound are present – both pulsing gallop and hateful headbang, shifting with ease and when the album’s seven central songs call for it – Rienaus manage to explore (subtly, effortlessly) a number of dynamics not often found alongside such tropes, like downtempo clang and almost-motorik grind. But, of course, Luciferille sounds and feels BLACK METAL above all.

To restate the obvious, Finnish black metal doesn’t need to “be” anything more than it already is, and Rienaus deeply understand this intrinsic truth. Discover that truth – again, or for the first time – with Luciferille.

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Rienaus’ Luciferille
1. Alkusoitto
2. Uhrattavaksi Siunattu
3. Luciferille
4. Saatanan Valtakunnassa
5. Äärellä viimeisen portin
6. Pedon Merkki
7. Kuilu
8. Äänet yössä

MORE INFO:
www.rienaus.bandcamp.com 

GRAVE INFESTATION set release date for INVICTUS debut album, reveal first track

Today, Invictus Productions announces June 3rd as the international release date for Grave Infestation‘s highly anticipated debut album, Persecution of the Living, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Formed in 2018, Grave Infestation wasted no time in making their presence in the underground felt far and wide. Recorded as a power-trio, the band’s debut demo, Infesticide, was originally self-released in late 2018 and then picked up for wider release by Invictus. On evidence of that opening 23-minute salvo, it’s not difficult to understand why: Grave Infestation wielded a gutsfucking sound that near-effortlessly synthesized every slice of darkness of death metal’s pivotal late ’80s era. Death metal diehards took notice, and then the second demo, Infestation of Rotting Death, consolidated that enviable standing, now revealing the band as a quartet.

Alas, as doom enveloped the earth, Grave Infestation was lurking in wait, brewing their full-length debut. And it arrives with the force of a nuclear payload in the form of Persecution of the Living. Reprising a couple re-recorded songs from the preceding demo, the presciently titled Persecution of the Living wastes no fucking time in getting in and absolutely flaying the listener alive. The foundation remains much the same – from the malignant tendrils Morbid Angel cast across the Tampa scene to the buzzsaw bulldoze of the contemporaneous Swedish scene, the ancient foundation of Necrovore, Repulsion, and Sadistic Intent to Carcass’ godly first two albums – but Grave Infestation exhibit a frightening clarity in their jackhammering attack. Some could call it a “clean(er)” iteration of their strident sound; others might view that cauldron with focus and finesse, as eerie melodies occasionally bubble up from the muck; but whatever tag you put on it, Persecution of the Living represents a professional-yet-powerful statement to the wider metal world. Darkness, death, DOOM: herald the grand arrival of Grave Infestation!

Witness that arrival with the brand-new track “Slaughter, Then Laughter” here:

Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Grave Infestation’s Persecution of the Living
1. Intro
2. The Conquest of Pestilence
3. Slaughter, then Laughter
4. Persecution of the Living
5. Can You See the Pale Horseman in the Distance
6. Plague of Crypts
7. Death of the Last Individual
8. Human Jigsaw Puzzle
9. Eternal Oblivion
10. Outro

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/graveinfestation

www.invictusproductions.net

HELL MILITIA announce new album and release new song “Dust of Time”

After nearly a decade of silence, French underground black metal band HELL MILITIA have now returned with a brand new album, titled ‘Hollow Void’. The first song of the new record is now streaming at the official Season of Mist Youtube Channel. Feast your ears upon“Dust of time” here:

The band’s new full-length will be released via Season of Mist Underground Activists on March 18. Pre-orders are available HERE. Pre-save the album HERE.

The band comments: “10 years have passed since the release of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ and the more things change, the more things stay the same. “Dust of Time” is the first song to be presented and it is a diary of all events that took place in the years that have passed since. It is a summary of bitter days, unshakable religious faith, urban filth, decay, death worship and an extremely bitter aftertaste.” 

The cover artwork was created by Manuel Tinnemans // Comaworx and can be found below, together with the tracklist.

Tracklist:
1. Lifeless Light (04:21)
2. Genesis Undone (04:22)
3. Dust of Time (05:47)
4. Within the Maze (04:09)
5. Hollow Void (04:57)
6. The Highest Fall (05:18)
7. Kingdoms Scorched (04:54)
8. Veneration (04:39)
9. Corruption Rejoice (05:50)
Total: 0:44:17

Ten years have eclipsed since ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, HELL MILITIA’s last studio album. Black metal has wandered into unforeseen territory and simultaneously drifted back to its roots in that span, remaining entrenched as a polarizing but no less interesting force. Its increased visibility has become the carrot dangled in front of many bands seeking wider acceptance within the underground. But has also made it easier to identify the bands who, fundamentally, will forever uphold black metal’s venerable tenets of darkness and Satanism. Therefore, it is with little surprise that HELL MILITIA have risen to the occasion with their fourth long-player, ‘Hollow Void’. 

HELL MILITIA’s absence can be explained through a mix of personal and intra-band turmoil. Line-up changes included members literally disappearing to the other side of the world. Vocalist RSDX went missing in action after his life took a dark turn. Side musical projects and new life endeavours eventually put the band on hold. But when HELL MILITIA (who are completed by guitarists Arkdaemon and Saroth, bassist S. and drummer Dave Terror) regrouped in 2018 for a few selected live shows, it helped lay the foundation for what would become ‘Hollow Void’.

As is now customary, the pandemic delayed the album’s recording. The band was rehearsing in Paris when global lockdowns began. And since some members of HELL MILITIA reside outside of France in Sweden and the Netherlands, it meant they had to wait out the first wave of the pandemic to start tracking later in 2020. HELL MILITIA eventually entered Studio Saint-Loup outside of Paris in the fall of 2020 to lay down drums. Additional instruments, vocals, and mix and mastering were conducted with producer/engineer BST at BST Studios through the summer and fall of 2021. According to RSDX, the tumult of recent years, the pandemic and real life’s comings-and-goings were perfect ammunition for ‘Hollow Void’’s creation.

“The whole recording process took longer than expected, but as life took its turn straight up until the vocal recordings, the timing was exactly what it needed to be,” he says “A lot of these experiences were included in the lyrics, giving an honest reflection of what was going on. Bitter days, unshakable religious faith, death, contempt for life, urban filth and an even more bitter aftertaste turned into the toxic cocktail we called ‘Hollow Void’. Still, the pent-up energy increased to a point it just had to explode. We put all that energy back into the album. Now that everything is recorded, we await the date we can unleash this on this world. We will keep the energy at this level until it’s time we can perform it.”

The resultant effort is perhaps HELL MILITIA’s most strident effort to date. The band’s orthodox, unrelenting approach is a broadside to the black metal scene at large. Dense chord swaths, a whirling barrage of blast-beats and RSDX’s nihilistic, scathing vocals coalesce into an album that exploits the true nature of black metal: Savage, unforgiving and grim.

“We wanted to make a much more aggressive approach this time,” confirms the vocalist. “A true-to-form, punch-in-the-face comeback album. We wanted to combine the dissonant riffs of ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ with the raw and filthy sound of our first album, ‘Canonisation of the Foul Spirit’ and include some new elements. I think we succeeded in this, as it is much more raw, aggressive, yet catchy and 100 percent recognizable as HELL MILITIA.”

The events of the last few years provided no shortage of lyrical topics for RSDX. The nihilistic, unforgiving concepts heard on the band’s previous full-lengths remain very much intact, albeit coming across far more prescient in a world on a fast-track toward its own demise. However, RSDX notes that his lyrics on ‘Hollow Void’ are a combination of him looking inward as well as outward toward a world that fills him with disgust

“The lyrics are the universe of HELL MILITIA, and at times, also a diary of all events of the last couple of years,” he says. “It is a summary of bitter days, fanatic unshakable religious faith, urban filth, decay, death worship and an extremely bitter aftertaste. It has traditional Satanism and a contempt for life at its very core.”

Indeed contempt, Satanism and a total disregard for human life have been the primary thread of HELL MILITIA’s musical output since they emerged on the scene in 2001 via the ‘SPK Kommando – We Hope You DIE’ split alongside fellow French black metal holdovers Antaeus, Eternal Majesty and Deviant. The band’s lauded and influential ‘Canonisation of the Foul Spirit’ would follow four years later, establishing HELL MILITIA as one of the leading purveyors of the 2000s French black metal wave. 2010’s ‘Last Station on the Road to Death’ and 2012’s ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ followed, bringing them even closer to black metal’s true, raw spirit. As evidenced by ‘Hollow Void’, the last ten years have done little to HELL MILITIA’s approach.

“We are still the old, bitter radical individuals whose masks are off,” closes RSDX. “What the scene does is of no concern or interest to us. We are in contact with bands and individuals we respect. The rest of the world can keep their watered down, non-ideological form of black metal. Black metal to us means the same as it did when the band was founded: A vessel of strong expression in music and ideology with unshakable faith at its very core. If a band doesn’t have that, it’s not black metal. I may approach life differently now that I’m in my 40s than when I was in my 20s, but the attitude and radical stand on what black metal should be has not changed.”

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/hellmilitiaofficial
https://www.instagram.com/hellmilitiaofficial

Line-up:
RSDX – Vocals
Arkdaemon – Guitars
Saroth – Guitars
S. – Bass
Dave Terror – Drums

Guest musicians: Meyhna’ch (ex-Mutiilation, ex-Hell Militia, former vocalist) Guest vocals on “Corruption Rejoice”

Finland’s AZAZEL set release date for new PRIMITIVE REACTION album, reveal first track

Today, Primitive Reaction announces September 24h as the international release date for the highly anticipated third album of Finland’s AzazelAegrus Satanas Tecum.

Formed in that fateful year of 1992, Azazel are among the first black metal bands to hail from Finland – and undoubtedly, one of the most cult. The band released a demo in 1993 and a mini-album in ’96, but then receded into the shadows and misery for many years. Following a split album in 2011, however, the black flame of Azazel was burning brightly once again, resulting in the full-lengths Jesus Perversions (2012) and Witches Deny Holy Trinity (2015). And while it would seem that the shadows of misery ensnared the band again, some demons never die…

Now, at long last, those shadows recede and reveal Azazel‘s long-awaited third album, Aegrus Satanas Tecum. Immediately and righteously recognizable as AzazelAegrus Satanas Tecum is a unique record in that it bridges all the band’s eras whilst opening new portals into the black beyond. Here, one will find the near-bestial filth & fury of Jesus Perversions alongside the more haunting and even stately sensations of Witches Deny Holy Trinity. But, like anything in Azazel‘s wild & weird world, ramshackle insanity runs riot – and often – and thus is a variety of songcraft employed to mangle the mind and ruin the spirit. And yet, the finesse with which Azazel accomplish this, playing something “primitive” but in clear & cutting fashion (and vice versa), bespeaks some strange magick on the band’s part and lends even more staying power to their ever-uncompromising sound. Above all, Aegrus Satanas Tecum is an album that’s equally early ’90s as it is NOW: Azazel are more undead than ever.

“Accomplished”? Perhaps? Ancient? Always. Azazel may be predictably unpredictable, but Aegrus Satanas Tecum proves that their twisting saga is far from over…

Hear for yourself with the brand-new track “Demons Attack the Nun’s Chapel” here:

Cover artwork, courtesy of the legendary Chris Moyen, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Azazel (Finland)’s Aegrum Satanas Tecum
1. Invocation (Hail the Ancient Ones)
2. Jesus Christ Impotent Rotting Saviour
3. Welcome to Church Bizarre
4. I Worship Him
5. Demons Attack the Nun’s Chapel (Aegrum Satanas Tecum)
6. Incubus Rises Again
7. Succubus, My Infernal Vampire Spirit
8. In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanas

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/azazelfinland

Withered stream full album in advance of the release date

Those fine folks at Season of Mist Records decided to stream the full Withered album “Verloren” that is released tomorrow, June 25th today. YUSSS! For those of you who don’t know S.O.M. don’t really sign many US BM bands so you know Withered have got to be good to the green light from these guys. The record sounds Huge great production and lots of twists and turns in the song writing to keep you on your toes (You know what I am talking about)

Check out the full album here:

WITHERED vocalist/guitarist Mike Thompson and artist Paul Romano recently gave a behind-the-scenes look and in-depth interview on the creation of the unique album artwork. The detailed article, which is accompanied by an exclusive video clip and photos, can be viewed HERE. Further details for ‘Verloren’ can be found below.

Tracklist
1. By Tooth In Tongue (8:22)
2. The Predation (6:55)
3. Dissolve (4:33)
4. Casting In Wait (5:29)
5. Passing Through… (2:37)
6. …The Long Hurt (3:55)
7. Verloren (4:29) 8. From Ashen Shores (8:21)
Total: 44:41

From its inception, WITHERED has been an outlier, a perplexing charge of extremity which the metal scene has never been able to put its finger on.
 

“We want to compound new elements into every album,” posits guitarist/vocalist Mike Thompson, “and we’re definitely a band for metal nerds. Our audience seems to be the old-schoolers who are absorbed by this stuff every day and jaded folks of a certain age. Industry types and peers tend to get it, but that’s about it.” 

Thompson’s self deprecating assessment of his creative output might be part gentlemanly humility talking or a harshly realistic take on WITHERED’s cult status, or somewhere in between, but with an impressive body of work fanned out over the course of 18 years and five albums which have weathered as many trends, the Atlanta quartet continues to confound and refuses to compromise. New album, Verloren is the band’s most daring and iconoclastic work yet, one that spits in the eye of complacency and exists as a contrarian masterstroke. 

Originally formed by Thompson and ex-guitarist/vocalist Chris Freeman in 2003 following a spell in local grind institution Social Infestation (alongside Mastodon’s Troy Sanders), WITHERED’s initial goal was to re-write black, doom and death metal modes and mores. To that end, the band has achieved that goal as their sound and aesthetic refuses to clearly state which subgenre they call home. Over the course of its history, WITHERED has generated more questions than answers about who they are and what they do. They’ve toured with the varied likes of Mastodon, High on Fire, Dismember, Grave, Vital Remains, Possessed, Watain, Mayhem, 1349, Krallice, Skeletonwitch and Danzig. Their live show provides an air of never-know-what-you’re-gonna-get mystery. See them on one occasion and it’s a DIY kick in the gut with stripped down, rehearsal room bareness appropriately complementing the lunacy. The next time they get in the van they’ll do so accompanied by rigged up columns of light cloaking the stage in bloody reds and searing whites. And with Verloren, the band’s forthcoming fifth album, Thompson and his band mates – drummer Beau Brandon, bassist Rafay Nabeel and fellow guitarist/vocalist Dan Caycedo – continue to nudge both thematic and sonic goalposts by providing relatable food for thought while retaining the adversarial fire that has powered the engine since the start. 

“There’s a philosophical introspective approach to the subject matter that informs our writing style. We’re trying to create an atmosphere that complements the themes and that’s something we’re trying to circle back around to on Verloren.” 

WITHERED’s first album, 2005’s Memento Mori, generally speaking, tackled the subject of mortality and the grieving process that follows significant loss, trauma and tragedy. Album number two, 2008’s Folie Circulaire was, as Thompson describes, “more existentialist, nihilistic and Nietzsche-ian” while 2010’s Dualities was an exploration of Jungian psychology and the shadow self. As alluded to in the title, 2016’s Grief Relic started into the U-turn back towards the exploration of the role and impact of grief as the men of WITHERED themselves entered that stage of life in which older family members, friends and childhood heroes were passing away, expectedly and otherwise. Five years on, Verloren rounds out the turn with a sinister sound and an area of study more akin to a deep therapy/counseling session instead of the usual gore and lore that often emboldens extreme music. 

“Rafay wanted to use the theme of ‘missing’,” explains Thompson, “which was broad and abstract, so I dialed it down to be more about this outlook I’ve developed over the years about how each of us have a ‘Love Well.’ Every bit of love you get from your parents, your upbringing and your learning how to receive and experience love in relationships and through experiences contributes to the well. Your traumas counterbalance that and take away from it, especially when foundational core elements take a hit, like the untimely loss of a parent. That’s one of life’s unique puzzle pieces and when that piece is removed it’s never going to be replaced. 

“We’re equipped with a certain capacity – our wells are filled to a certain level – and when you start getting smacked with traumas, whatever you have in that well – your defense mechanisms – can get worn down pretty quickly, especially for someone who has never really known love because of a broken home, difficult relationships or whatever. Each one of us in WITHERED carry unique traumas that we’ve focused this new record on. For me, most of my significant losses are from older wounds that I’ve dealt with through WITHERED from the very beginning, but with this being the first album with Dan and Rafay, it’s like a new exercise for them to really focus on the things they’ve been carrying around.” 

Verloren translates to “missing” from German and relates not just to the friends, family and pieces of the member’s lives and hearts that have, and will go, missing as the time ticks on unfettered, but also, in the face of the global pandemic, just how much the activity of being in a band has been missed by everyone who took the write/record/tour cycle for granted. Verloren demonstrates a topical uniqueness; one that discusses the stuff everyone from the steeliest of black metal cape wearers to the gore-obsessed death metal crushers and everyone playing in a band or not has had to – or will have to – confront at some point. By leveling the elitist playing field so often found in extreme metal underground attitudes, Verloren offers a more holistic experience, elevating WITHERED by being unafraid to discuss topics that fly in the face of what most would connect to the sounds they make. 

“About two years before I started WITHERED,” Thompson recalls, “I went through a series of traumas where I was forced to take stock of and define my foundational ‘puzzle pieces’ that could be taken away and what the trauma and grief is going to look like when I lose close family and/or friends I truly care about. Ironically, one I didn’t face until recently was WITHERED. No one ever thought that not being able to play shows or tour because of a pandemic was even feasible. I processed the idea of losing WITHERED and playing music and touring and everything else around the time of Grief Relic when two guys quit the band and I lost a lot of steam and inspiration. Luckily, Beau was there to kick my ass and shake me out of it. When it comes to this album, there was an initial suffering of anxiety because of the uncertainty in the world and the fear of losing this album because we put a lot into it, are super proud of it and it is the best WITHERED album yet. It’s important for my inspiration and motivation to go forward. It takes so much effort for us to create a record, the thought of it for it to all be for naught or potentially be wasted just destroys me. 

“Surprisingly, we haven’t had a lot of push back on these themes, though I would love to take on that conflict!” he laughs. “For most people, metal is purely aesthetic, a grandstanding ‘f-you!’ to society and an adolescent rebellion kind of thing. But at the same time, we do get positive feedback from the people who have looked a bit deeper and done some research. We just want to be honest. We used to make the joke when we go out on tour, especially in the early days when deathcore was all the rage and we’d be on these weird package bills, that ‘Hey, we’re WITHERED and we’re here to bum you out.’ We’re not a party band or a shock band so you don’t get the fun aspect from us when going to a show. I’ve always been frustrated that we’ve never been able to communicate our super-realism and the different perspectives of life. If I want to sing about how much gratitude I have for my mother in a roundabout way, then whatever, we’ll do it!” 

As WITHERED enters its third decade, they’ve drawn a more insular and conclusive line in the sand. The band has forged further forward with the process of eschewing typicality, including not utilizing any of the usual producer suspects to help sculpt Verloren. Instead, they flew the flag of independence by again going down the route of self-production with Thompson himself taking the bull by its horns. 

“We get a little bit more deliberate every time around and starting with Grief Relic we decided not to hire anyone to help produce and filter it through a particular lens. We started self-producing and I kind of took the reins on that last time and more so this time and also when it came to selecting who was going to engineer [Raheen Amlani at Orange Peel Recordings], then mix [Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios] and master it [Jarrett Pritchard]. The trick is to find someone who loves Times of Grace as much as they love Clandestine and His Hero is Gone, Napalm Death and all the way out to later Enslaved and can balance all those things. If it’s truly honest and truly communicating the intention of a song, then it’ll be powerful, heavy and generate emotion.” 

Verloren also revisits WITHERED’s traditional methodological step of sitting down and looking at the present state of metal before consciously lashing out against what’s taking up most of the broader public’s attention. 

“We’re constantly looking for something new to do. We love genre bending and putting D-beats next to funereal riffs next to black metal blasts and heavy doom riffs and figuring out how to make it all work and make sense with whatever vibe we’re trying to nail down. For this one, I wanted to lean back into the funereal doom world. I got burnt out when doom – especially southern doom, being a southern band – was the word of the day around the time of our first two records. We basically ran in the other direction and got away from doing any full-on doom parts for a while. I wanted to come back around to that, so we went back to bigger stuff like My Dying Bride for the couple of eight minute epics on the album [album opener “By Tooth in Tongue” and closer “From Ashen Shores”]. Also, for the first time in my life and against my better judgment, I decided to write clean vocals and I’m singing on two songs. They’re kind of buried in the mix a little bit because I’m still self-conscious about them, but they were the only things that made sense for the parts we wrote. I tried to fight it, but nothing extreme was accomplishing the goal. On top of that, we go the other way where three of the songs have some super crusty and grind elements. Part of why I asked Dan to join the band was because I knew he would get the sludgy, crusty side of things and help me cultivate that better in WITHERED. On the album, ‘The Predation,’ ‘Dissolve’ and ‘Casting in Wait’ are his. Those would be the twists on this album because we’re always trying to write what we think is missing and what we want to hear in heavy music after sitting down and looking at the landscape of what’s out there.” 

And despite being deliberate oppositional in the subject matter they choose to explore and express, how much of their hearts and souls they choose to strip bare for fickle crowds and grind against whatever current musical grain the rest are cruising along, the determination, seriousness and importance of WITHERED in each member’s lives hasn’t ebbed. In fact, it’s only been magnified with time and circumstance. Having been forced into a year off from normal band life has made it clear how vital WITHERED is for everything from creative expression, social networking, wanderlust, overall personal sanity and moving forward. 

“Personally, I’m very, very fortunate with regards to my family and others being supportive and taking what I do seriously. Looking back, I could be really selfish and headstrong about music. My family got so used to it that they would volunteer to schedule dinners and family events around rehearsals and practice because they were able to glean how important this was to me and how seriously I took it. Even moving out into the real world with the professional realm of things and the jobs that we have had in order to keep this going, I’d say it’s taken more seriously now than ever. We’re constantly challenging ourselves to progress and carve our own path. WITHERED is a permanent part of my life, it’s what I expect to be there. I’ve built so much on it and I’ve somehow been able to weave it into my life to where it’s a defining part of me as well. This isn’t rock star fantasy camp, although the other weekend I was bored, missing travelling and sitting around so I took the band van out and just drove out for three hours, turned around and came home!”

Links:
 https://withered.bandcamp.com/merch 
 https://www.facebook.com/witheredmetal
 https://twitter.com/WITHEREDMETAL
 https://www.instagram.com/witheredmetal/ 
Line-up
 Beau Brandon – Drums
 Dan Caycedo – Vocals, Guitars
 Rafay Nabeel – Bass Guitar
 Mike Thompson – Vocals, Guitar

Guest Musicians:
Ethan McCarthy (Primitive Man) on “Passing through…” which is a noise track done under his “Many Blessings” nomenclature using field recordings Mike Thompson made at a family funeral.

THY DARKENED SHADE, AMESTIGON, INCONCESSUS LUX LUCIS, and SHAARIMOTH to release long-awaited “SamaeLilith” split album via W.T.C.

THY DARKENED SHADE • AMESTIGON • INCONCESSUS LUX LUCIS • SHAARIMOTH
A four-way collaborative album comprised of 15 songs of stygian devotion, spanning over 90 minutes of music. Executed by four of the most uncompromising and zealous bands.

“We are The Murderer’s black seed, eternally. A conjoined working to receive further blessing of the Sinister Gods.”


After years of blood, sweat, and sacrifice, W.T.C. Productions is proud to announce the release of SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of The Fireborn, set for international release on June 30th on double-CD and double-LP vinyl formats. This is a conceptual split release, with each band focused on venerating a different aspect of The Bloodline of Fire, culminating in a recording that works as a cohesive whole, even greater than the sum of its individual parts.

These are four sonically very different bands, each pushing the limits of what is known and expected of their art, whilst still honoring tradition. However, there is a common thread that ties this seamlessly together. This is particularly apparent when reading the lyrics – since despite being written independently, the language used throughout is cohesive in the strange and unusual choice of vernacular.  It is almost as if the words were penned by a single unseen hand.

SamaeLilith is the outcome of an unyielding and timeless fervor that dwells deep within the hearts of all artists involved. Indeed, it is this very same shared formless essence from where this work derives, manifesting itself as a veritable and blessed poison – A Conjunction of The Fireborn.

To complete this work, Vamperess Imperium has created a magnificent piece of art to adorn the cover of the album, a striking piece of artwork to give visual representation for each of the four sides of music and their respective holy currents, as well as a lavish layout design to unite the words and music contained within.

SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of The Fireborn was recorded between 2007 and 2020, but even though the split has been in the works for quite some time and the obstacles along the way have been numerous, this release has been definitely worth the wait.

In the meantime, hear a sample track from each band here:

Aforementioned cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of the Fireborn
1. Thy Darkened Shade – Murderer’s Black Seed
2. Thy Darkened Shade – Undead Lineage
3. Thy Darkened Shade – Daathian Reveries and Gamaliel Revelations
4. Thy Darkened Shade – Return of the Ancient Ones
5. Amestigon – The Slant Serpent
6. Amestigon – Maelstrom Into The Lower Octave
7. Amestigon – The Tortuous Serpent
8. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Phantoms from the Land of Nod
9. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – The Osseous Gulf
10. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Sabbatical Thaumaturgy
11. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Liminal Terror (The Witch’s Curse)
12. Inconcessus Lux Lucis – Into Feral Fumes of Sanctification
13. Shaarimoth – From The Gates Of Death
14. Shaarimoth – Flows The Blood Of Retribution
15. Shaarimoth – And Salvation Everlasting

MORE INFO:

www.facebook.com/Thy-Darkened-Shade-391172430930927
www.facebook.com/amestigon666
www.facebook.com/inconcessusluxlucis358
www.facebook.com/Shaarimoth

www.w-t-c.org

Interview with Serge from Selfgod (Automb, Necrophagia)

This week we spoke to Serge from Automb – 2020 – 2021 has been a weird time for all of us but as some of us imploded through the shut downs or too much food and booze others of us kept busy and creative during the down time, Serge from Automb is one of those – starting a side project called Selfgod – here is our first interview with him on Selfgod.
New music for us to check out to come soon

Life’s been very hard and weird for me through the pandemic.
Probably the worst year of my life

How have you been holding up during this crazy pandemic?

Life’s been very hard and weird for me through the pandemic.
Probably the worst year of my life. Due to health issues last year (non covid)
and of course the darkness of the pandemic and lock downs. Cancelling tours etc.

I would say this is the best material I’ve ever written.

I have heard one demo from Self God what can we expect for the album?
The debut Selfgod album will feature material I wrote for Necrophagia and Automb.
A good combination of Black and Death Metal. More emphasis on the death metal.
A lot more catchy riffs and more symphonic elements.
I would say this is the best material I’ve ever written.

How did you come up with the name Self God?
It was very hard to come up with a name that wasn’t taken.
Everything I thought of was already a band.
I came up with the title Selbtsgott in German for an Automb song which translates to “Selfgod”.
It represents the whole Pagan vibe I was trying to go for and there was another band with that name but it wasn’t very big and wasn’t active so I figured I can take that name.

Musically is the band going to be a drastic departure from Automb or just an extension of that band?
Probably an extension with more flavors so to speak. I was going to use this material for the 3rd Automb album originally.

Lyrically what are the themes for self god going to be about? More paganism stuff or self empowering stuff or?
Lyrically it’s mostly about Slavic paganism, self spiritually and just about the pagan age in Europe.
Still have some lyrics to finish. But that’s what I got so far.

I follow mostly Slavic Paganism since I’m Slavic and I’m from Ukraine

Speaking of Paganism what path do you follow?
I follow mostly Slavic Paganism since I’m Slavic and I’m from Ukraine
and I also follow my own path which is a mixture of everything.

Gear wise do you plan on using any different gear from your Automb days?
Gear wise it’s gonna be all completely different.
I recently became endorsed by Dean guitars so I’m going to be using strictly deans.
Also I got an endorsement from a very well known amp company.
Can’t say yet who it is since there hasn’t been an announcement but ya I won’t be using my old amp rig again.
Very excited to use this new gear

What can we expect next from Self God?
You can expect a total Blackened Death metal sonic pagan assault

Any final words?
I want to thank all the fans who supported me in Necrophagia and Automb.
You’re support is everything to me and without you I wouldn’t be anywhere but my bedroom.
So thank you all so much!
Stay positive and stay metal.
Also huge thanks to Alex from Brudders. Cheers.

Go follow Selfgod here : https://www.instagram.com/selfgodband/