Yet, here there is a looser sense when it comes to the progression of the compositions. Notions of atmospheric sludge, minimalism, and post-metal still swirl into the collective’s kaleidoscopic vision. In many ways De Doorn is an evolution of Amenra’s Mass vision. Now Amenra opens up a new chapter with the release of their Relapse debut, De Doorn. In 2003, they started unfolding their Mass chapter, which would be split into multiple parts and would come to an end (?) with 2017’s Mass VI. Hailing from Belgium, this collective soon amassed a vast discography filled with splits, collaborations, extravagant live performances, and the like. Year of No Light, Celeste, and Bossk are some of the names, but arguably the most pivotal entity is Amenra. On the backfoot of the first post-metal wave in the 2000s, brought forth by American acts like ISIS and European outfits in Cult of Luna, a new generation was already coming of age. – Spyros StasisĪmenra – De Doorn (Relapse) De Doorn by AMENRA De Doorn by AMENRA And rounding up this mix is Thy Catafalque, returning just one year after the magical Naiv, with a strong work in Vadak. For Iceburn, moving into the abstract and strange always came naturally, so the circular progressions and post-hardcore themes should not come as a surprise to any fans of the collective.
Trialogos move into an all-encompassing rock form ranging from the atmospheric and folk-ish to the experimental and krautrock-ish. Odd Circus make an impressive amalgamation of metallic jazz filled with psychedelia. Standing out is the Warmoon Lord’s sophomore record Battlespells, calling upon the second wave black metal sound and its epic underpinnings. Seance Of from the land down under offer a variation on the traditional black metal recipe. Moving into black metal, Gorgon greatly improve on their second album since reestablishing the group in 2017 with Tradition Satanae. Retaining a death metal perspective in its most outlandish form and adding a touch of black metal to the mix, Seputus create a monstrous offering with Phantom Indigo. Staying with the traditionalist approach, Crypta have risen, featuring members of the legendary Nervosa, with debut Echoes of the Soul. Moving to the fringes, the death metal stench is unmistakable, with Cerebral Rot dropping their sophomore record, Excretion of Mortality. On the more traditional path, the return of Pharaoh is upon, the band unleashing The Powers That Be after nine long years, reminding us of the potency of their heavy/power core. Meanwhile, Hellish Form dwell in the funereal aspect of the genre, and the multifaceted Bong-Ra allow us to revisit the magnificence of Antediluvian. Moving to the doom premises, Boss Keloid unleash a highly energetic listen in Family the Smiling Thrash. A month of returns, June sees iconic post-metal acts Amenra and Bossk make a comeback, while Chassm and Somnuri add the necessary new blood to the scene.
Summer is upon us, and we have some heavy tunes to go with it.