Extra Credit: Apothesary

Apothesary is a four-piece out of northern California that plays a mixture of technical death and thrash metal.  The band released They All Carry Ghosts, which includes four originals and one cover (At The Gates' "Blinded By Fear"), in December of last year.

"Hamartia" starts things off, and while it's pretty good, it may well be the weakest of the originals.  In fact, They All Carry Ghosts seems to get better and better as each song plays through.  "Parting at Morning," the EP's longest track, shows just what Apothesary is capable of.  It has a piano/synth intro and outro and features some classic-sounding heavy metal guitar solos.

They All Carry Ghosts is available at Apothesary's bandcamp page for the "name your price" option, so you can download the EP for free or pay what you can to support the band.

Extra Credit: Ludicra

Ludicra was a black metal/avant-garde metal band from San Francisco.  They formed in 1998 and sadly broke up in the summer of 2011.  The good news, however, is that the band's back catalog plus some live performances are available for free downloads at the Ludicra bandcamp page.
If you're new to Ludicra, then I'd suggest starting with the group's most recent release, 2010's The Tenant.  From there, simply work your way back.

Extra Credit: Sküll

Sküll is a death/crust band out of Trondheim, Norway, that also incorporates elements of thrash, punk, and even a little sludge.
On the Sküll demo, we're given 7 songs in about 22 minutes.  And you'll hear no clunkers or duds here.  The first three tracks have more of a death/crust feel ("Vision apocalypse" is a bit sludgy), whereas the remainder of the demo has more of a thrash/punk feel ("Black Thrash Attack" couldn't have been better titled).
The Sküll demo is available as a free download from the group's bandcamp page, so be sure to check it out.

Extra Credit: Kowloon Walled City

San Francisco's Kowloon Walled City plays a sludgy, noisy kind of post-metal.  At times, the band brings to mind Fugazi's slower moments.

Kowloon Walled City recently released Container Ships, a collection of 7 songs that lasts about 35 minutes.  If you like opening track "The Pressure Keeps Me Alive" (and you should), then you'll also dig the others.

Container Ships is available at bandcamp for the "name your price" option, so you can download the record for free or pay what you can to support the band.

Extra Credit: Arsis

The folks at Scion A/V have done it again.  We've already received free EPs from Revocation, Witch Mountain, and Corrosion of Conformity, and now we're offered a new EP from Arsis titled Lepers Caress. 

The six-song EP starts with the instrumental "Haunted, Fragile, and Frozen" and then blasts into "Six Coffins Wide."  From this point forward, you'll be hit with a good dose of technical and melodic death metal.  The aforementioned second track and "Carve My Cross" are early favorites.

Lepers Caress is available as a free download here as long as you're willing to give up your email address.  You can also stream the EP here if you want to give it a listen before downloading it.

Extra Credit: Solbrud

Solbrud is an atmospheric black metal band from Copenhagen.  This Danish four-piece's self-titled debut gives us 4 songs in about 46 minutes.
Opening track "Bortgang" definitely has that mid-tempo, atmospheric feel to it.  It's followed by "Øde Lagt," which gets off to a much faster start after just a bit of ambiance.  At just over 7:30, "Dødemandsbjerget" almost feels short.  Closing track "Skyggeriget" begins acoustically and then blackens considerably.
Solbrud is available at bandcamp for the "name your price" option, so you can either get it for free or donate what you can to show your support.

Extra Credit: Corrosion of Conformity

Once again, the folks at Scion A/V are offering up some free metal music.  This time it's a five-song EP from Corrosion of Conformity called Megalodon.  For the price of an email address, you can download this EP for free, or you can simply stream it here to see if you like it.

First track "Feed On" is okay, but it's followed up with "Priest Brains," which really gets the ball rolling.  "The Megalodon" comes next and has a bit of an Alice In Chains feel at a certain point.  The band may have saved their best for last with the final two songs, "Strong Medicine Too Late" and "The Vulture."

Extra Credit: Cara Neir

Cara Neir is a Dallas duo consisting of Chris Francis (vocals/lyrics) and Garry Brents (guitars/bass/drum programming/backing vocals).  On the Sublimation Therapy EP, the band offers up 17 tracks in about 22 minutes.  The sound is grindcore meets punk with some crust and death thrown in for good measure.  Standout tracks include "Fearless Transfixion of the Devil," "Son's Lament," "Make Room for More," "Prudent Oath," and "You Are Missed."  "Stained Bedsheets" and "Sturdy Belief in Flimsy Gods" find the band at their most accessible (and most enjoyable).
This EP is available at bandcamp for the "name your price" option, so you can download it for free or donate what you can to show your support.

Extra Credit: Barghest/False split

On their side of the split, Barghest offers up two songs - "Shifting Sands" is an old song and "Inhuman Hatred" is new.  Coming from Baton Rouge, the band plays an abrasive, low-fi version of black metal.

On the other side of the split, Minneapolis' False gives us one song, but it runs for over seventeen minutes.  "Heavy as a Church Tower" is more of a black metal journey - it's atmospheric at times, speeds up and then slows down, and even features synths.

The Barghest/False split is currently available at bandcamp courtesy of Gilead Media for the "name your price" option, so you can either get it for free or donate what you can to show your support.

Extra Credit: Ah Ciliz

Ah Ciliz is the Mayan god of solar eclipses.  Ah Ciliz is also an atmospheric black metal project out of California. It's the vision of Elmer, who gets help on drums from Marco.
Led Astray, released at the beginning of this year, has a low-fi, homemade feel, but therein lies its charm.  It doesn't even really sound like metal until after four minutes into the self-titled opener, but then the vocals kick in and you get the full sound of Ah Ciliz. 
The strongest tracks here are "Ailing" and "Secrets of the Forest."  Be sure to give these a listen before making up your mind.
Led Astray is available at bandcamp courtesy of Broken Limbs Recordings for the "name your price" option, so you can either get it for free or donate what you can to show your support.

Extra Credit: Witch Mountain

Scion A/V gave us a free Revocation EP not too long ago, and now they're offering a two-song EP from Witch Mountain for the price of an email address.

Formed in Portland, Oregon, fifteen years ago, Witch Mountain are a doom-metal band.  Since finding a voice in singer Uta Plotkin a couple of years ago, the band has released two albums (South of Salem and Cauldron of the Wild) in the past two years.

Of the two songs on this EP, "Bloodhound" is new and "A Power Greater" is a re-recording of an old song.  If you're new to Witch Mountain, then these songs should serve as a fine introduction, and if you're already a fan, then I'm sure that you'll enjoy both tracks.

Extra Credit: Dead Beyond Buried

England's Dead Beyond Buried play death metal with elements of black metal and thrash.  Their third album The Dark Era is currently available at the band's website as a free download.  If you'd like to give it a listen before you download, you can also stream the record here.

Here's how the band describes The Dark Era:
"A man finds himself as the only survivor after his home world is savagely torn apart.  Now he is a spirit of the void searching for the hope his faith has promised him. The silent black ocean before him offers no kindness. With every turn he sees horrors unimaginable to the conscious mind.  Driven to the edge of the universe, will he find the peace he craves or join the shadows in the night on their path to utter annihilation....."

Dead Beyond Buried plans to release CD and vinyl versions of The Dark Era later this year.

Extra Credit: Wound Upon Wound

Dublin, Ireland, is not likely to wind up on anyone's list for up-and-coming metal hotbeds.  Wound Upon Wound, however, are doing their part to change this mindset.  Named after the Gorgoroth song of the same name,the band play black metal with elements of doom and death.
The self-titled Wound Upon Wound features seven songs in 50 minutes.  Opening track "I Become" is mostly doom and death but is followed by the more blackened "Descent" and "Awakening."   After the atmospheric "Eulogy," everything comes together on "As The Waves Draw Closer," the strongest piece on the record.  The final two songs further reinforce what the band does well.
Wound Upon Wound is available for free at bandcamp.

Extra Credit: Percht

Percht is a post-black metal project out of Belgium.  It's the work of Ferre Bulté, who handles everything from vocals and instruments to effects and programming.
The Aftermath of a Velvet Season consists of 8 tracks and comes in at just over an hour.  There's a definite Wolves-In-The-Throne-Room-type influence going on.  It's available at bandcamp courtesy of Broken Limbs Recordings for the "name your price" option, so you can either get it for free or donate what you can to show your support.

Extra Credit: Revocation

Today, Scion A/V released the five-song EP Teratogenesis by Revocation.  And best of all, as long as you're willing to give up your email address, it's free to download.  Just go here and get it, or give the stream a listen first and then download it.

Last year's full-length Chaos of Forms was very good.  If you like that one, then you should dig the new EP.  The guitar playing can get a little technical at times, but it's never in an over-the-top kind of way.  If you like Teratogenesis, then definitely check out Chaos of Forms if you haven't done so already.

Extra Credit: Mare Cognitum

Mare Cognitum is Latin for "Sea that has become known."  If you're into NASA and outer space stuff, then you may be familiar with this term.
Mare Cognitum, however, is also Jacob Buczarski's one-man black metal project from Santa Ana, California.  Atmospheric at times, An Extraconscious Lucidity pummels its way through 6 songs in 49 minutes.  I stumbled upon this recently and am surprised that more people aren't talking about this.  It's available at bandcamp for the "name your price" option, so you can either get it for free or donate what you can to show your support.

Extra Credit: Desolate Oasis

Desolate Oasis is a one-man band from Boulder Creek, California.  That man is Dimitri "M." Kuzbyt, who's clearly been following the shoegazing black metal coming out of France for the last decade or so.

When dreams become reality is a five-song, thirty-minute release courtesy of Broken Limbs Recordings.  It's available at bandcamp for the "name your price" option, so you can either get it for free or donate what you can to show your support.

Extra Credit: Laster

Laster, which means "libel," is a black metal duo from the Netherlands.  Wijsgeer & Narreman is their 3-song demo and is available for free at their bandcamp page.  While not trying to reinvent the wheel, Laster does a pretty good job of playing Drudkh/Burzum-inspired black metal from years past.  Of the three songs, the title track finds them at their best and most interesting, pushing themselves a bit further than the more straightforward first two songs.

Extra Credit: Cloudkicker

Cloudkicker's been on my radar ever since 2010's Beacons, but I'll admit that I didn't give that release much attention.  And then last year's Let Yourself Be Huge came out and I paid little mind once again.  My mistake.  But after repeated listens of the recently released Fade, I know it's time to revisit Ben Sharp's previous works.  Instrumental rock can be hard to pull off, but, like Explosions in the Sky and Russian Circles, Cloudkicker is on the right track.  You can check out Sharp's discography at his bandcamp page, where all of the digital releases are available at a "name your price" option.