Hell Awaits is a column by Kim Kelly and Andy O'Connor that shines a light on extreme and underground metal. This time, Andy sizes up new metal from Hollow Sunshine, Brownout, Diocletian and more.
Hollow Sunshine:“I Wandered”
Dreary metalgaze duo Hollow Sunshine are following up last year’s self-titled full-length with Cold Truth, a 7” due out early next month on Nostalgium Directive. We’ve got a first look at the B-side, “I Wandered,” and it emphasizes their slower approach. Reuben Sawyer (who some of you may know as Rainbath Visual) keeps the downtrodden fuzz on track, and Morgan Enos’ vocals still sound like Justin Broadrick on the fringes of loneliness. On this track, he gets support from Nina Chase of the electronic duo Some Ember. She adds beauty while maintaining the downer spirit of the song.
Brownout: Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath
Austin Latin funk/rock group Brownout became possessed by the (still-living) spirit of Iommi and Geezer and have become Brown Sabbath. Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath will come out on the 24th on Ubiquity, and it’s enough to make you go “Why was I mad about Bill Ward again?” Guitars don’t carry that Iommi stature so that the top-notch horn section gets space to play, and they still have plenty of crunch.
That horn section is quite crucial in “Into The Void”, where they replicate the vocal lines with a freshness Ozzy hasn’t seen since Blizzard of Ozz. “Iron Man” is shortened but still carries all its original dread—it’s like Bond decided to give himself a gritty reboot in the 70s. The rearrangements are so exhilarating that, even without amplifier overdose, they make you remember why you got into metal in the first place. In that sense, it’s almost like a companion piece to High Spirits’ You Are Here, another album that’s slavish to its love of metal, but not hampered by a desire to stick to conventions. If Brown Sabbath tour or you happen to be in Austin when they play a show, you owe it to yourself to see them. They were a last minute replacement for Oneohtrix Point Never at Austin Psych Fest last month, and the crowd’s rapture suggested hardly anyone missed him.
Diocletian: Gesundrian
Playing at 1:55 on a Saturday afternoon at any festival can be a thankless task—few have shown up, and those that are there are usually more preoccupied with getting trashed for the known known acts later. New Zealand war metal quartet Diocletian suffer no fools, and they owned their early time slot at this year’s Maryland Death Fest. They just released Gesundrian via Osmose, and while this is definitely for the Black Witchery hooded maniacs, it serves as an entry point for war metal as well. The genre’s known for reckless chaos, but Diocletian maintain some control and restraint while still sounding fearless. Combat’s more effective when you have a plan.
DAMA/LIBRA:“Only Medicine”
DAMA/LIBRA is a collaboration between G. Stuart Dahlquist, currently of Asva and formerly of Sunn O))) and Goatsnake, and Joel RL Phelps, best known for his work in Silkworm.They’ll release their debut album Claw on August 12 through Northern Spy. The record may throw some more familiar with Dahlquist for a loop, as it focuses on lush organs and ambient structures rather than doom metal. “Only Medicine” is the second-to-last track on the record, alternating between Stars of the Lid-like drift and gorgeous piano. Phelps’ vocals are quite lovely and pained, which helps bring the songs together. While DAMA/LIBRA is not metal, “Medicine” does feature some crunch at the end that’ll satisfy those waiting for a new Goatsnake record. The surge, if brief, does offer a rush that effectively distinguishes itself from the rest of the record. DAMA/LIBRA is an apt union of both Dahlquist’s and Phelps’ visions, and more adventurous listeners will benefit.
Bhleg:“Alyr”
Gothenburg, Sweden hasn’t been too prevalent in the metal front lately. The city is mainly known for ushering the melodic death metal sounds pioneered by At The Gates and In Flames, but since American metalcore bands bastardized those sounds in the 00s, Gothenburg hasn’t made a comeback. Bhleg is not a melodic death metal group, but they play some extremely cold black metal that’s the best thing to come from the city in a while. They released “Alyr” a couple months back digitally, and it will appear on their forthcoming album Draumr Ást. Aside from a demo last year, this is the only taste of the group we will get. Their distant yet melodic black metal will garner some praise when the full thing comes out.
Sacrocurse: Unholier Master
Russia’s Pseudogod and Chile’s Wrathprayer were two MDF acts who weren’t fit to only desecrate Baltimore, as they embarked on a small US tour following the festival. Opening the Austin, Houston, Chicago, and Oakland dates was Monterrey, Mexico’s Sacrocurse, and they held their blasphemous own. Among their ranks is Houston metal veteran Zolrak, who’s played in Nodens, Obeisance, and Morbosidad. Sacrocurse is his most savage project yet, drawing from the tradition of Central and South American black and death metal. Unholier Master, their debut record, just came out on vinyl in Europe through Iron Bonehead, and it will see a stateside vinyl and worldwide CD release through Hells Headbangers on August 19. If you’re not into subtlety whatsoever, this is your jam.