Unsigned and Unholy: Mephorash, Außerwelt, A Sudden Burst of Color

Swedish outfit Mephorash are signed to small independent label Shadows Records, but we’ll give them a mulligan here because their own brand of blackened-death-whathaveyou is worthy of a far wider audience than it currently has. Mephorash remind me of what Behemoth might sound like if Behemoth played much slower and were somehow even more somber and serious than they already are.

Außerwelt (pronounced “Ausserwelt”) hark back to Black Meddle-era Nachtmystium, a grandiose, lush, melancholic and melodic version of black metal that’s sorely missing in the scene right now. Außerwelt even take it to the next level with a big production aesthetic that suits this kind of music perfectly, and the up the melody factor one notch as well. Check out their latest album Transitions below via Bandcamp.

Fans of atmospheric instrumental bands like And So I Watch You From Afar will surely dig A Sudden Burst of Color, who go heavy in the paint with David Gilmour-esque, delay-soaked guitars on their latest jam “I Am the Storm.” The track is a one-off single released late last year (buy here), but it’s enough to have me looking forward to a full-length album release whenever that may come.