In League with Necrolust
For my last post of the day, I wanted to be cheeky and plug my new blog, named after and inspired by my column on this very site. Necrolust is both an interactive Post-it note for myself and a resource for those who are interested in the same kind of obscure black, death, doom, crust, grind, and weird shit that I write about on here. Turning people on to new, obscure, underground, up and coming or long-forgotten bands and records has been a passion of mine for such a long time, and has always been the driving force behind my work as a writer. The thrill of the hunt and that wonderful moment when you stumble across a band and immediately think, “This rules!” is one of the most priceless aspects of heavy metal fandom. As a wise man once growled, the chase is (almost) better than the catch.
I spend so much time and energy digging up weird little sonic gems that I thought it’d be a good idea to collect them all in one place, instead of blowing up Twitter or trying to squeeze them all into my column here. I hope you find something you like. If not, ignore me, and carry on looking for something else that grabs you. It’s all fine by me, so long as you keep digging.
Here are a few highlights from the blog thus far:
ACT OF IMPALEMENT – Nashville, TN (USA)
Dangerously addictive and thoroughly impressive – how are these guys still unsigned? That crusty, cataclysmic tone alone trumps any other death-soaked blackened doom (doomened black?) record I’ve heard this year. Recommended and a half.
Listen/purchase: Hyperborean Altar by Act of Impalement.
RITUAL CHAMBER – San Francisco, CA (USA)
Ancient death metal project from Dario D. (of Krohm, Vetus Obscurum, ex-Drawn and Quartered, ex-Evoken, ex-Abazagorath, ex-Infester). Yeah, it’s as good as you’d think (i.e. very very).
I’ve got a feeling that this band is gonna be a Thing.
Listen/purchase: The Pits of Tentacled Screams by Ritual Chamber
BASTARDHAMMER – London, UK (innit)
These dickheads make me miss Saturday night pissups at the Purple Turtle and late-night chippy runs to the Fry Chik. They’ve also managed to record a brilliant cross-gene catastrophe of thrash, crust, death, hardcore, and manky sludge, with more than a little fuck-off punk’n’roll chucked in. The song titles alone are worth a few quid, and hell, even Fenriz gave his blessing.
Listen/purchase: 10 Counts of Fuck Off by Bastardhammer
There is a wrenching desperation to this new black/doom troupe’s seven songs. Maybe it’s the vocals, the howls that hurt your throat just to listen. Maybe it’s the heavy downstrokes, or the insidious tendrils of melody snaking through the gloom and grime. Maybe it’s just the name, which is about as self-explanatory as it gets. Whatever it is, I’m sold.
WILT – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
These guys are great. Lush, atmospheric black metal that blends seamlessly with melancholy melodic death/doom to create one immensely satisfying, perfectly calibrated range of dynamics and intensities. Recommended.
LEGION OF ANDROMEDA – Tokyo, Japan
This is like Coffins on low-grade ketamine or gut-gobbling pornogrind slowed down to eye-twitching funeral tempos. Disgusting, distorted, depraved death/doom.
Listen/purchase: Legion of Andromeda (demo 2013) by Legion of Andromeda
Thanks for reading.
Love,
“Grim” Kim Kelly.
