Unsigned and Unholy: Pineal, Veilburner, Special Providence

London’s Pineal remind me of a sludgier, stoney version of Gojira, or a modern metal version of Alice in Chains… take your pick. The Layne Staley-like vocals probably won’t be for everyone, and I admit to being caught off guard by them at first, but I quickly grew to love the way they’re juxtaposed with the brutal, off-kilter, proggy sludge riffs underneath. Also, that album cover! So creepy.

I’m digging “Nil Absolute,” the one song Veilburner have streaming on the Bandcamp page for their recently released album The Three Lightbearers. I can’t make sweeping generalizations about the album or band just on one song, but this one song sounds a lot like a charred, blackened version of Gorguts, Ulcerate and Nero di Marte all mashed together. Listen:

I first featured the absolutely splendid prog-fusion band Special Providence in an Unsigned and Unholy column two years ago. I thought they were amazing then, and I think they’re amazing now — check out this jam video for their new song “Northern Lights.”