CASSETTE ASSAULT (Stuff I’ve Been Sitting Upon)
It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these, and that’s primarily because of a special app I’m seriously working on for the site where I can give some press to stuff I don’t review on in this way anymore. Bad art, or just ehhh releases, will all have their due eventually. Sometimes this is the case with cassettes, which I may actually like, but have crud art and I can’t bring myself to promote singularly. This is the oldest form of workaround for that, the freaking CASSETTE ASSAULT, where I give quick reviews, in alphabetical order, of 6 or more plastic love cases sent to me lovingly by different bands and labels. Some of these I’ve been sitting on for probably two years lol, but hey, I’m known for being elusive and reviewing stuff way after it’s released, even if it’s out of stock. Get used to it.
Cerecloth – This Temple is a Grave
Bloodsoaked Records, do love, have pin on my Jansport to prove it. I don’t think guy’s sent me anything I didn’t enjoy, even if I didn’t entirely love it. I don’t entirely love this, either, but it’s hard not to enjoy. Cerecloth are a Swedish mystery that, to date, have but a single demo to their name, released in 2016, this one. Since it’s death metal from Sweden you know it’s probably going to be a tad unorthodox, yet grounded. Cerecloth have yet to do anything else or really even breath since 2016, but perhaps they have something in the works, for this one proves they’ve got that groove that only Swedes are capable of crafting. Score: 4.1 / 5 Cerecloth Official Facebook
Iron Noose – Power Obtained // Power Abused
This one is so good I was actually going to do a separate, single review for it but man does that liner artwork suck. It’s a shame, because I didn’t realize the image on Bandcamp wasn’t the same. So what am I looking at in the case, guys, a mini-campfire outside of your house? Come on. Well, it’s okay, they’re getting more notice through I how I promote these anyway, though a shorter review. Iron Noose really only consists of one guy, and somehow no one has noticed it yet for a label-supported release, or Iron Noose is just too good to care because this one tears me a new mouth. Bet you thought I was going to say anus, well I got you again. Excellent blackened death metal with moodiness, cockroach stomping riffs, whatever I might mean by that, agony, and all that makes misanthropy great. Maybe I can do a vinyl drop for these dudes, or this dude, whoever. Score: 4.6 / 5 Iron Noose Official Bandcamp
One Master – Live in the Castle Quiet
This one is way out of print. I believe I intended on doing a full review on it, originally, but it somehow found its way into the depths of my desk. So, here’s some necromancy. Maybe it will be a spell powerful enough to get No Visible Scars to start doing releases again WTF. Dude was one of my favorite underground tape labels. He seems to have been silent for about three years now… Anyway, so not One Master, though, who with this one have possibly done the greatest live recording ever. It’a amazing this is even live, but it was recorded at a radio station in April of 2013. The set is repeated on the other side, but it doesn’t matter because you will want to listen on glorious tape loop. When I hear occult and black metal in the same sentence I usually groan from the tomb, but these guys are just too damn solid with no pretentious features. I suspect the live setting, somehow, ended up being perfect for the sound, thus not intentional, but it matters not. Looking for just some goddamn black metal without the Norse BS and “so scary” aesthetic? Here. Score: 4.2 / 5 One Master Official Facebook
RID – VULGAR UPLIFTMENT
This is a good one to toss in the mix to really make it a mix. I forget the last time I did a review for Divergent Series, and as you can see I’m too pathetic to even use the search feature on my own site. Let’s just assume it never happened and this is the first. RID is a mystery, as most bands of this type, apparently consisting of only one member, FRKSE, who’s done work with some other projects I need not mention here. VULGAR UPLIFTMENT leaps from genre to genre with metallic slamming, death industrial-style vocals, drone, and the like. The question you should ask is “but is it esoteric enough to piss others off?” The answer is yes, and you will most certainly disturb neighbors, friends, loved ones, and anything that has working ears. Even without ears it can be intimidating. Score: 4.3 / 5 Divergent Series Official Bandcamp
मोक्ष [UIS-07]
This tape is one of a few sent to me by Russian label UIS, and is currently out of print. I originally planned on doing a full label feature for the guy, but realized something quite quickly, and it’s all summarized through this one tape, which was my favorite: compilation. Each tape presents a variety of different experimental artists who create tracks around a central idea, and then UIS distributes them in unconventional ways. That part I really like. This one was distributed in Trunyan, a village known for its peculiar burial practice where corpses are merely adorned and left to rot openly in nature, so some copies were left sitting with skulls and the artists seemed to all be from the area. Really quite an ingenious connection of sound to theme. But, here’s the thing; since every release is a comp it’s going to be hit and miss. In the whole set he sent none were as effective as मोक्ष. The rest, though with moments of greatness, were too scattered to give my full attention. I would hope in the future UIS considers non-comp releases or at least gets a better grasp of theme, because every tape after this sounded far too similar. This one survived because of the Bali theme that differentiated it. Score: 4.1 / 5 UIS Official Facebook
Witchstone/The Death Wheelers – Split
This one is hard to introduce, because it’s actually a split, but since it’s a tape it must be here. I thought it was cool that one part of the shell is white, the other black, and the insert is even reversible, with a collectors card included. Since it was packaged with Witchstone first, we’ll put it here, though technically the album doesn’t even have a name since it’s a split. Let’s summarize, in brief, like the rest of these. Witchstone play a more occult style of doom with Summon the End, with clear connections to the distant metal past, but with the throaty, consumptive vocals and hard-slamming moments, it’s clearly modern. The solos gave me faith in Sabbath-worship, and you know that’s really hard to do. What really sold it was those vocals, though, so keep up that grave filth otherwise I’d be more inclined to laugh, skill aside. Now, The Death Wheelers present something different with their side, Mind-Blowing Trip!!!, and I’m not entirely sold on it. If you can’t figure it out from the art, these fellows are all about those old school biker trash-and-burn films you can barely find on VHS. Great, and the sound is like a rusted Harley coughing to life after sitting in a garage for thirty years. Their groove is intense, their presence foreboding, but ugghhhh, why do some bands go without vocals? As hard as these boys hit, they need to listen and listen now. Get a vocalist with a unique touch, otherwise you’re weed-shredding like any other doominion does in his head, and might have even witch-spelled some riffs from other bands without realizing it. Set yourselves apart damn it! Score: 4.4 / 5 Witchstone Official Facebook and The Death Wheelers Official Facebook
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
