Ulvesang - Self-Titled

The mesmerizing debut album from Canadian darkfolk trio Ulvesang.

Bloodway - Mapping the Moment with the Logic of Dreams

Romanian trio Bloodway comes through with a kick ass dark metal project with debut album Mapping the Moment with the Logic of Dreams. Check it out ahead of its September 25 release via I, Voidhanger.

Gnaw Their Tongues - Wir Essen Seelen In Der Nacht

On November 1, Dutch black metal outfit Gnaw Their Tongues will put out a new full-length titled Night of Consecration. In the meantime, they've thrown this EP of four experimental pieces up on their Bandcamp. It's a really thick mix of drone, dark ambient, baroque classical, and black metal elements and makes for a quite riveting listen. I don't imagine it's an accurate representation of the nearing full-length's direction, but it's nevertheless a direction I'd be interested in seeing them pursue further.

Pyre - "Merciless Disease"

Get your teeth gnashed and fists clenched! You might wanna light up a torch as well for this new Pyre track titled "Merciless Disease." These guys are a metal outfit that hails from Russia, and their new LP, Human Hecatomb, will be out this month via Chaos Records.

Sonically, this track is a pretty standard portrayal of death metal and crust punk, but the songwriting and performance are just too awesome to disregard. The band has guts; there's no debating that! It's like they've somehow managed to indulge in some musical nostalgia while actually conjuring the excitement I get from listening to bands that were kingpins in the era of music that so obviously influences Pyre.

Wreck and Reference - Want

Wreck and Reference serve up a slightly different, and more dismal, blend of extreme music styles coming together on this new album of theirs. However, the song structures still leave a lot to be desired.

Preterite - "From the Wells"

Some dark and haunting guitar, strings, vocals from this new Preterite track, "From the Wells." The duo's new, sophomore album is coming out on September 22nd via Union Finale. Enjoy!

GDP & The Wrong Address w/Jimmy Frankenstein - "The Art Of Blowing Glass vs. The Act Of Breaking It"

Previously mentioned rapper GDP is usually an odd and hilariously foul-mouthed dude, but this new track of his, which is featured on his new 12" via Run For Cover Records, is one of the darkest, moodiest songs I've ever heard him drop. The lyrics depict an incredibly damaged relationship with someone I call a "love interest" in the loosest sense of the word. It's actually downright depressing, and that's not only due to GDP's lyrical ability, but the atmospheric instrumental he's riding on as well. Enjoy!

Sigur Ros - "Kveikur"

Sigur Ros is really showing how diverse of a group they can be as the band takes a dark, moody approach to their newest songs.

"Kveikur" features some huge, distorted riffs that art matched with Jón Þór Birgisson's vocals being twisted for a poltergeist-like effect. It says a lot when you have no idea what a band is really saying lyrically, but still has an immense impact with the vocals and music. They have always been able to do that and "Kveikur" is no different with it's heavy bass and drums brooding throughout.

It feels like a very masterful track from a band who remains difficult to pin down. The album Kveikur will be released on June 18th on XL Recordings.