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.

Class of 2012: Enlsaved - Riitiir

Norway's Enslaved started out over twenty years ago as a pretty straightforward black metal band.  Over the years, the band's sound has evolved into a melodic/blackened/progressive style of metal.

Riitiir starts off strong with "Thoughts Like Hammers" and "Death in the Eyes of Dawn."  The former has a riff that will stick in your head for weeks, while the latter features an incredibly catchy hook.

Next comes "Veilburner," which is a solid track, but it can't compare to what follows.  "Roots of the Mountain" has a soaring chorus that fittingly sings of wings, eagles, and the sky.  Oddly enough, this chorus brings Garden State to mind.  See if you can figure out what I mean.

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.

Class of 2012: Winterfylleth - The Threnody of Triumph

Winterfylleth is Olde English for "Winter Full Moon."  And while we're at it, a threnody is a song, poem, or hymn to commemorate the dead.

Winterfylleth is a British black metal band with slight folk/pagan leanings.  The band describes its music as "English heritage black metal."

The Threnody of Triumph opens with "A Thousand Winters."  It's a pretty good start, has effective tempo shifts to add variety, and ends with chants of drawn-out "whoa"s.  The chanting also appears on next track "The Swart Raven," which is one of the album's highlights.  It starts very strong, twists at just past the halfway point, and then shifts back toward the end.

Movie Day: One Man Metal, Part Two

Part two of Noisey and Vice's One Man Metal documentary is available to watch here.  If you haven't yet checked out part one, then do so first right here.

While black metal is not for everyone, it's interesting to compare and contrast these three artists behind the music of their solo projects Leviathan, Xasthur, and Striborg.  Did you know that Jef Whitehead got his start as a skateboarder?  Russell Menzies seems very normal.  He's married, has a family, and has been drug-free for 10 years.  Scott Conner avoids getting too personal, but he makes it clear that he's not a people person.

Part three should be available in the coming days or weeks.  Stay tuned.

Pass/Fail: Titus Andronicus - Local Business

I'm sure that I'm in the minority, but I didn't love The Monitor like everyone else seemed to.  I liked it (and still do), but I think I'd rather listen to The Airing of Grievances.  I'd almost forgotten about Titus Andronicus when I found out that a new album, Local Business, was about to come out.

Titus Andronicus plays indie rock with a punk spirit.  Think Bright Eyes meets The Dead Milkmen.

Local Business opens with "Ecce Homo," whose first few seconds bring "Ring of Fire" to mind.  It's a good start.  Next comes "Still Life With Hot Deuce On Silver Platter," which is pretty good until the poppy line "Here it goes again / I hear you took it to another level" becomes way too repetitive.  Speaking of repetitive, wait until "Titus Andronicus vs. The Absurd Universe (3rd Round KO)," which repeats "I'm going insane" over and over.

Class of 2012: Horrendous - The Chills

Horrendous are an old-school death metal band with a bit of a punk influence.  Imagine Lemmy getting together with a death metal band and releasing the results.  The Chills is what it might sound like.  On their debut album, Horrendous gives us 9 songs (8 if we don't count the short instrumental "Sleep Sickness") in just under 42 minutes.

First track "The Womb" features a great introduction - the opening riff is catchy and the bell chimes add a special touch.  As the song progresses, it's clear that it's going to be hard to beat.

There's no question that this is death metal, but certain moments have a slight punk feel to them.  Listen to "The Somber (Desolate Winds)" and "Fleshrot" and you'll hear what I mean.