UNSIGNED AND UNHOLY: MORE GEMS FROM THE UNDERGROUND

The number of talented and original unsigned bands who hawk their wares to Axl and myself via the MS Mansion Monkeys continues to amaze. After the jump, a look at three of my recent favorites: The Osedax, The Odious, and Alkahest.

• The Osedax: Readers’ Choice alumni The Osedax now migrate to Unsigned and Unholy with the release of their independently financed album Delayed Response. Delayed Response is an apt name given The Osedax’s penchant for playing really. really. slow. doom. This ain’t your grandpap’s stoner doom, though; this is bludgeoningly heavy, crushing doom that feels like being sat on by an elephant with a serious case of ants in its pants. Think Batillus with guitar ambience in the place of electronic noise. Check out album-opener “The Purging” at Bandcamp.
• The Odious: Excellent proggy death metal with a bent for bizarre and clever melodic structures that at times remind me of Daath, other times of Son of Aurelius, and other times of BTBAM. The clean vocal sections sound a lot like Layne Staley, although most of the vocals are growled.
• Alkahest: No relation to the Heavy Blog is Heavy proprietor of the same name, this Brooklyn outfit plays a mellow, atmospheric hybrid of doom and black metal like Black Anvil or Tombs on hallucinogenics. Their new album Milk and Morphine will be out soon.

-VN