Hell Awaits is a column by Kim Kelly and Andy O'Connor that shines a light on extreme and underground metal. This time, Kim Kelly sizes up new releases from Disemballerina, Khold, Heavydeath and more.
Disemballerina: "Sundowning"
Chamber doom? Funeral folk? However one chooses to hastily describe the sound drawn forth by this mesmerizing instrumental Portland project, rest assured they will do it no justice. Disemballerina is the brainchild of violist and harpist Myles Donovan and guitarist Ayla Holland, combining the twain’s shared interests in chamber music, funeral doom, and ritual ambient. Together, they create brooding, romantic washes of sound and strings, moving seamlessly between brooding intensity and ethereal softness. Melancholy, measured, and utterly spellbinding, the Undertaker LP makes for a perfect soundtrack to a dark and stormy lonesome summer’s eve. Disemballerina’s latest release was recorded with help from alt-rock legend Tad Doyle and will be pressed to vinyl by Graceless Recordings later this summer. In all honesty, it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. Lose yourself in “Sundowning”.
Disemballerina: "Sundowning" on Bandcamp
Khold: Til endes
At this point Sarke may be better known for his black’n’roll side project with Darkthrone’s Nocturno Culto, but the Oslo-based drummer has finally turned his attention back to his longest running commitment, Khold. It’s been six years since we last heard from this oddball Norwegian black metal institution, but judging by the material on upcoming album Til endes, the time off did them some good (and gave them the opportunity to record a killer “Troops of Doom” cover, reimagined as “Dommens Arme”). Til endes colors its chilly midtempo black metal overtures with Khold’s trademark dirty rock’n’roll stomp and enigmatic frontman Gard’s scratchy croaks. It’s out through Peaceville on September 29, and if you dig the black heavy metal sound but can’t get down with Midnight’s thrashy tendencies, hop on this one.
Heavydeath: Forebear Avenger
Even without trumpeting the pedigrees of its members, Finnish death/doom duo Heavydeath make no bones about their sonic intent and leave little to the imagination with that apter-than-apt name of theirs. On Heavydeath's fourth demo, cobwebbed vintage death metal riffs collapse under their own weight, pooling into a sluggish river of doom and gloom that churns biliously beneath a lo-fi layer of foggy distortion. Jonah Backman and Nicklas Rudolfsson may be best known for their contributions to revered acts Runemagick and Necrocurse, but their newest endeavor is more than worth a listen on its own. Caligari Records has just made Heavydeath’s latest five-track demo, Forebear Avenger, available on limited cassette. It features over 24 minutes of stupidly heavy, bass-driven death/doom done right and done evil.
Nocturnal Poisoning: "Illusion of Worth"
Malefic has returned! Except he’s going by plain old Scott Conner now, and has moved far, far away from his past work under the guise of Xasthur—the revered depressive black metal band turned Marissa Nadler collaborator. His last album as Xasthur made clear that Conner is deeply interested in more than just metal, and his third album under the Nocturnal Poisoning banner cements it. The End will release the fancifully named Doomgrass on October 7, which sees Conner mining a rich, melancholy new musical vein. His stated reference points in bluegrass and country show up in the rhythmic finger-picked guitars and bluesy melodies, and vocalist Robert N. adds some dark Americana in his rough-hewn lines. It’s a strange ride, but one that anyone who's spent time exploring the crossroads between country music and heavy metal will enjoy. “Illusion of Worth” is a somber acoustic ballad whose dusky tones bring to mind a gently countrified Steve Von Till.
Dhwesha: Sthoopa
Bangalore trio Dhwesha is readying its debut full-length for release via Dunkelheit Produktionen come September 1. As usual, it looks as though the German label has unearthed an extreme metal gem. Dhwesha formed back in 2008 but has only recently begun releasing music, starting with a 2012 demo and now leading up to Sthoopa. The band’s lightly polished death metal machinations occasionally touch on black metal but never get too grim; think a youthful Dead Congregation or melodically-minded Bolt Thrower with some spit-shine and devilishly layered vocals. There’s a strong thread of Eastern melody running beneath the rumbling riffs that will cause fans of Weapon and Rudra to sit up and take notice, while other more typical but well-executed harmonic leads often rise to the forefront as well. The winding “Kapala Haara” ends the band’s eight track debut album on a high note.
Dhwesha: "Kapala Haara" on Bandcamp
Organ Dealer: "Pear of Anguish"
With Human Remains long gone, Gridlink freshly interred, and Hayaino Daisuki still six feet under, the great state of New Jersey has been crying out someone to swoop in and hoist the flag for its wacked-out grindcore legacy. Luckily, Organ Dealer has just released its maiden demo, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it test run of manic death, clanging crust, hardcore crunch, and hypergrind speed. It doesn’t hurt that said demo’s two blasts of explosive deathgrind conveniently feature the considerable talents of Hayaino Daisuki drummer Eric Schnee, who proves himself more machine than man on this recording. Organ Dealer get in and out in under three minutes total, but there’s an enormous amount of potential packed into those three minutes. Keep an eye on this lot.
Organ Dealer: "Pear of Anguish" on Bandcamp