Merkstave - "Merkstave" (2013) [Pesanta Urfolk]

I initially thought Merkstave was just destined to be "one of those bands." You know, the one which shares members with a few of your favorite bands, and yet you can't seem to find any goddamn information on them. Metal-Archives says they released two excessively limited demo tapes in 2011, though recordings apparently date back to 2005, but, aside from an extremely low-quality upload on Youtube, their online presence is all but nonexistent. It seemed that this collective was doomed to rot in obscurity, even with rumors swirling of a finished full-length album swirling around the back corners of the nerdiest of metal forums for the past near-three years.

Featuring members of Leech, Hell, Elu of the Nine, Mania, Velnias, and what seems like the rest of the "Colorado/Oregon doom and black metal" microcosm, Merkstave is by far the heaviest doom band you've never heard of. Featuring professionally recorded versions of their demos Laments for Lost Gods and Spawn of a Lower Star, Merkstave's first, and seemingly only projected full-length effort consists of three long-form offerings of the most despondent, excruciatingly slow funeral doom this side of Finland's Tyranny. This is one of those albums which isn't to be taken lightly, especially for those of the faint of heart. As someone who struggles with depression (don't we all), I find it difficult to listen though this album because it is so brutally, devastatingly honest in its successful attempts at portraying just how alone we are in the universe. If there were ever gods, they certainly aren't here anymore. We simply exist in this vacuum, and Merkstave is here to remind us that there is nothing else in this telluric funerary void. Rarely moving above the pace of a funeral procession through chilled molasses, Merkstave's minimal approach to doom hits the listener right where it hurts with soul-crushing heaviness, bleak, somber melodies, and a pleasant balance between "pretty" and downright nasty.

Yeah, that's right. Nasty.

I have a big problem with doom bands who constantly romanticize depression like it's some beautiful motivator, because, let's face it, depression sucks. Sure, it brings about some great music, and yeah, you can totally romanticize it with big, beautiful melodies, which Merkstave embraces, but there's so much more going on underneath. Big, murky drones, minimalism to an excess, and gross shrieks are pit against the melodic majesty, creating a wonderfully unique dichotomy therein, echoing the complexities of true human emotion. It's a rough listen for sure, but it's definitely rewarding, especially for those of us who have waited far too long to hear Merkstave come to posthumous fruition.

Our friend Harold over at Hammer Smashed Sound's declaration of Merkstave as "the epitome of doom" is right on the money. This is explosive, angry, miserable, and goddamn heavy. The stars have aligned against us. Remember that. Fans of the usual funeral doom crew take note, but approach with caution and antidepressants. In the usual Pesanta Urfolk fashion, there's the "regular ol' LP" version out now, but members of the "elite subscription service" better keep their eye out for the ridiculous special edition which is the epitome of labelhead Adam Toruella's reckless excess and artistic vision. It'll be worth the money I don't have. Get sad.

-Jon

Devotion - "In Love We Stand Alone" (2013) [Brave Mysteries]

We don't normally have much trouble distributing reviews around here. I only got the honor by virtue of having been the first of us to order it--we ALL ordered it.



So yeah, Devotion is the work of Brave Mysteries veterans and more-or-less newlyweds Troy and Dani Schafer, also known for work in ensembles like Kinit Her, Wreathes, and Wormsblood. In Love We Stand Alone is absolutely among our favorites of their work (which is a muddled mess of "wait but this album is priceless too") and features all of the slight strangenesses, originality, and beautiful sense of melody we've come to expect from their other projects--with an emphasis on the beautiful and enrapturing. Troy and Dani embrace us with the kinds of tunes that stick in the mind and yet continually receive a welcome.

Like Kinit Her's nearly simultaneous album The Poet and the Blue Flower (from which we premiered a tune here), In Love We Stand Alone heavily features harmonic masses of violin work, here mixed with more of Troy's acoustic guitar strumming and lush horn arrangements. Featuring Dani more prominently as the main voice helps Devotion find a place as the "beautiful" one of the twins, but extended violin technique and occasional forays into microtonality mean the engaging songwriting also holds on to the adventurous. Nathaniel Ritter of Kinit Her appears in the final track, working under his Circulation of Light name to bring huge keys and organ in a fitting ode from a close friend to the pair's marriage.

It's one thing to know people who are as beautiful human beings as Troy and Dani Schafer; it's a world of blessing that they're capable of putting that into their music and sharing it with the world.

Sutekh Hexen - "Become" (2013) [King of the Monsters/Auris Apothecary] (Exclusive Track Premiere! Stream "The Voice: The Void" Below!)

I'm not going to lie, it's been a while since we've heard from the otherwise prolific Sutekh Hexen. Granted, this isn't the first time the Become EP was released this year, but Auris Apothecary, the magnificent purveyor of micro-releases on odd formats, chose to unleash this monster on a 1/4" reel, making it impossible to listen...so I waited. Not to say it was bad of Auris Apothecary to release this on a legitimately dead format, but I, like many others, lack a reel-to-reel player, so waiting is all I could really do. I figured someone would release this on a more "accessible" format (hard to believe I'm saying that about vinyl in 2013), especially given the fact that the Auris Apothecary release sold out within hours, and King of the Monsters was nice enough to confirm my suspicions, giving Become the full vinyl treatment.

In the wake of Larvae, which was released earlier last year, it seems that the constant touring and otherwise lack of recordings from Sutekh Hexen has treated them well, allowing Kevin Gan Yuen and Andy Way to experiment further with live electronic sound and extensive textures, manifesting in the massive Become. A two-part experiment in long-form, droning, blackened ambiance, Become shows Sutekh Hexen taking a breather from their usual brand of non-stop, metallic walls, giving way to a more dynamic approach which lends to them rather nicely. It would seem that the "cheese grater to the ear" approach found on the demo trilogy and Luciform is a thing of the past, instead replaced by subtly shifting textures, crawling, distant drones, and the occasional, much more powerful black metal blast. The interplay between Gan Yuen's bizarre riffing and Way's extensive electronics wizardry is at its most cohesive, feeding off of each other in a way which only truly comes from the aforementioned live experimenting, rather than studio magic. This EP ebbs and flows in waves of cleansing white noise, scrubbing away at endless layers of filth and exposing light.



B-side "The Face: The Void" opens with a monstrous, doomed black metal riff, fleshed out with bouts of noise and harsh vocals. In the distance lies a muscled pulse, a rarity in Sutekh Hexen's discography, pushing the nightmarish being forward. As this faceless void lurches on, it devolves even further into abstraction, taking on characteristics of harsh noise, cavernous drone, and shimmering guitar ambiance. It's quite striking, really, and a tour de force of Sutekh Hexen's ever-gaining momentum and maturity. Brilliant darkness.

Become is currently available for pre-order from King of the Monsters Records. Alongside the standalone LP are two different gold LP die-hard editions, one containing a slipmat, and the other including both the slipmat and two shirts. This is cool.

-Jon

Editor's Note: Yeah, there's some drama going on with Sutekh Hexen. Whatever. Pick your side and keep it to yourself like I did. Black metal isn't about friendship, anyway.

Tervahäät - "Patria" (2012) [Anima Arctica]

Tervahäät is a unique and terrifying monster. With their previous efforts, the duo of Finnish folk experimenters M. Poyhonen and Anima Arctica labelhead Kaarna crafted soundscapes which echoed the vast, frozen tundras of northern Finland. A unique mix of grating banjo, icy ambiance, and warm, deep voices, Tervahäät managed to imbue senses of both vastness and claustrophobia, an agoraphobic sense of inner isolation. With their sense of adventure, Tervahäät proved themselves to be a more advanced listen, made specifically for the most seasoned and eclectic listener, which, ultimately, and sadly, went largely overlooked.

As I mentioned in my review of last year's Kalmonsäie, Tervahäät has been changing since their first, self-titled effort in 2009. Originating in near-pure abstraction, Poyhonen and Kaarna slowly brought in elements of rhythm and clear songwriting over the course of Kalmonsäie, being sure to retain their otherwise unsettling, calculated atmosphere. A bold step which was met with some confusion, but even the biggest Tervahäät fan could not prepare themselves for the change that was to come with Patria, which was released shortly before last year's end. Yes, it would appear that Patria is Tervahäät's most "conservative" work yet, no doubt a product of Poyhonen's mind, which has given us the beautiful Pyha Kuolema. While still airy and Winter-like, we see the music slowly and surely approaching the project's characteristically warm and full voices, concentrating more on songwriting than their usual texture-bent approach. A quiet and calm effort in comparison to its more chilling predecessors, Patria shows a maturity and flexibility which most musicians lack, normally sticking to one characteristic style until it's run its course, only to beat the dead horse further. Granted, those who know me also know I tend to criticize artists who "genre jump" a little too much, and yet I cannot deny that this sounds like Tervahäät! Sure, the overall approach is a little more direct than what I would expect, but Patria still holds some of the unsettling, chilling undertones found in Tervahäät and Kalmonsäie, just sort of...pushed off into the distance. A familiar chill I can only associate with Poyhonen and Kaarna's works still manages to creep up my spine, even at Patria's most beautiful and calm moments. So, sure, this is a departure, but the intent and identity remains intact, making Patria a success.

Patria is by far Tervahäät's most accessible release by far, which might not be saying much, but it is definitely the best entry point for those who desire neofolk's more abstract realm. Full of warmth, distant rumbling, and a lurking sense of uncertainty, I can't help but return to Patria even on the warmest of Summer days (though autumn is coming). Expect a new Tervahäät release, titled Taival, on Anima Arctica later this Fall. Apparently a new Key album is on the horizon, as well. Keep your fingers crossed.

-Jon

Trees- "Sickness In" (2013) [Crucial Blast]

The new Trees album has a goat on the cover, which in my book, is an instant win.  A vibrating goat, to boot.  And I must say, Sickness In is one of those pieces of music that needs to be played at a floor rattling volume to be properly experienced.  No, it doesn't make the music "better," but when the buildup finally breaks it's comparable to the release of a good orgasm.

Trees first hit my radar earlier this year with the discovery of their two previous albums, Light's Bane and Freed of This Flesh.  While their debut brings the heavy doom you crave, Freed of This Flesh showcases the band's development of more eerie buildups and use of textural feedback, which continues onto Sickness In more grandly than before.

Introduced with finger picked guitar and crescendo feedback, Cover Your Mouth doesn't mess around with bringing the drone, but when the intro finally succumbs to the awaited ear splitting madness it's much heavier than anticipated.  This is slower than previous Trees offerings and demands a fitter physique to withstand the continuous aural and filthy feedback.

Perish takes a different tact opens with throat singing, punchy bass, and beloved feedback.  This is one track that will grab your ribcage and pulverize your liver in a total aural domination, and while it is still clearly Trees, the glimpses where their path may be heading.

Sickness In has decimated a lot of the heavier albums released this year, but I almost wish Perish had been first in the track listing.  As it is, this song is an almost-hidden gem in the Manhattan sewer experience Trees create on their latest release.

-A.