The Disturbing History of Silencer

*TRIGGER WARNING* This article mentions suicide, self harm, mental instability, and is not for everybody.

   A fall pastime for me and Zach "Thank God I'm a Car Guy" Ganshirt, is going into the woods and discovering hidden places long forgotten by time, also known as Urbex. Well We also like to jam some spooky stuff on the way and recently we threw on some black metal, but probably not the black metal you are used to. When you think "Black Metal" you probably think of bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone, or Emperor right? You may not be too familiar with what's called "Depressive Suicidal Black Metal" or "DSBM" for short.   

   Well this night we threw on a band called Make a Change...Kill Yourself and talked about a song where the vocalist literally recorded himself puking in a toilet for a couple minutes...yeah gross right? Well we went through some bizarre gimmicks black metal bands did, and of course the whole Mayhem thing was brought up been then I remembered one band I discovered a couple years ago, Silencer. Silencer have a story that could be even more disturbing than Mayhem's depending on your views, after I told Zach what I knew, he grew curious and sent me some stuff he discovered which made me dig deeper as well. Just a heads up, this could make you very uneasy, hence the trigger warning.

   Silencer formed in Sweden in 1995, and has since been considered a huge influence on the DSBM style. The two main members were Leere (Andreas Casado) on guitar and Nattramn (alleged real name: Mikael Nillsson) on vocals as well as a session drummer, Steve Wolz, for their only release. Aside from a demo, Silencer have only released one album: Death - Pierce Me, a very melancholic and eerie black metal release with some of the most disturbing suicidal lyrics that some might say are as poetic as they are straight forward. 

   Now the attention grabber for this band was the vocalist, Nattramn. His vocal style was...unconventional to say the least. His vocals are agony filled shrieks and wails that you could honestly compare to a dying animal, as critics like to say. Well little is known about Nattramn, not only before the band, but also during its time, I say this because not much is 100% confirmed.

   It is speculated that during the recording of Death - Pierce Me, Nattramn would harm himself by cutting deep wounds to make his screams more genuine and agonizing. Another rumor was that he even chopped off his own hands and replaced them with pig trotters. Here is a confirmed picture of Nattramn during the recording, also the most famous one.

With his face obscured his identity remains a mystery, but supposedly he is covered in his own blood.I think we can all agree that the pig feet rumor is definitely false considering you can tell he's holding them under the bandages. This is proven even further with other pictures that we will get to later, my theory: all for shock value, hopefully not from a real pig though. Don't let this make you lose interest in the subject however because it only get wilder.

   After the record was recorded, Nattramn was admitted to Sankt Sigfrids Sjukhus, a mental hospital in Sweden. The band officially split as of 2001 without playing a single show, and Leere went on to join fellow Swedish black metal band Shining. Its unknown whether Nattramn was voluntarily admitted or admitted by his fellow band mate. Again nothing is 100% confirmed. While spending time in the hospital, Nattramn was actually quite productive. He recorded an industrial dark ambient album in 2007 under the name, Diagnose: Lebegehfehr which translates to Diagnose: Mortal Danger. While this is entirely different than Silencer's music, its still very eerie and unsettling, too much so for me to go through the whole thing to be honest.

   Another event in hospitalization was the release of his book in 2011 entitled Grishjärta which translates to "Pig's Heart". This book contained poetry in both English and Svenska, as well as dark artwork, and more pictures of Nattramn himself. Once again these are confirmed 100% to be him.

Now these look familiar right? These are allegedly also from the recording of Death - Pierce Me, but there was one more that stuck out the most to me...


                                              

In this one, we can just barely see Nattramn's face, though not enough to identify him. what I found very interesting is that not only is he not covered in blood, but there's not scars from his self harm habit. Granted you can't see his arms very well either, but judging from the other pictures it makes me think he cut all over. Some could again speculate it was all fake, I for one propose the theory that this photo was from before the recording, which could possibly have been the only time he has done it. Nothing is confirmed other than these photos are in fact him, we don't know when these were taken, this is all speculation.

   Now a big thing that shocked me in my research about Nattramn was this. During his time in the hospital, he allegedly broke out, left a note saying he was out to kill. He stumbled upon a nearby playground and nearly murdered a 5 year old girl with an axe. The police showed up and he attempted suicide by cop, aka he literally begged the cops to kill him. Now this story supposedly made news in Sweden, but you guessed it, not confirmed to be Nattramn, I've read it was a possible relative of his or just a friend from the same hospital. Once again this is all speculation. According to my sources, he was readmitted to the hospital, and shockingly enough this allegedly happened in 2001, the same year Silencer broke up. Now I could only find one forum where someone has cited a link to the news story and to make it more believable it was written in Svenska from a Swedish website. I checked the link to get some accuracy, it does bring you to an entirely Swedish website, however the page says "Hoppsan - vi kan inte hitta sidan!" For those of you non Swedes, this translates to "Oops - We Cannot Find the Page!"

   Now lets wrap this up. Nattramn, who's alleged name is Mikael Nillsson, was unknown before Silencer, was clinically insane, self harmed during recordings, then was hospitalized, wrote a book, released an ambient record, broke out and attempted murder/suicide by cop, then what? Well according to the Metal Archives he is working on a new extreme metal project, but there is no evidence whatsoever to back that up. The big thing people talk about with this band is "was any of this real?" An interesting take I found in my research was a theory where Nattramn was nothing more than an "art project" or a character basically to give the band recognition.

     Something that crossed my mind is so much was dug up on Nattramn...but what about Leere? I could find very little about Leere, pretty much only could find that he joined Shining. What was fucked up about Shining's rep was their vocalist was also notorious for self harm and would even add it to the on stage performance, and they actually wanted their fans to commit suicide because of their music. So put two and two together and I thought to myself: "What if Leere pushed Nattramn to self harm".  My first thought was if there's no interviews people on the internet must've said something right? Nope. Nothing. I know I've said it many times but this is all speculation, I can't stress it enough. The lyrics Nattramn wrote for Silencer would have really any loved one concerned about his well being, therefore it does make sense to me that he was admitted to the hospital, but I find it so bizarre that we know what hospital it is but can't confirm his real name? Well I suppose that is a confidential thing for a hospital. 

   Now as for session drummer, Steve Wolz. He is also regarded as the ex drummer for a band called Bethlehem. In my digging, people actually seem to gravitate more towards him for answers. Personally I would go to a full time member of the band before a session drummer but supposedly these people claim to have made progress. I have found two claims of people who got in contact with Wolz, one is far more believable than the other. First off was someone on a metal archives forum who claimed they emailed him and Wolz responded saying that Nattramn was a good person with a great sense of humor, however this person had a very fuck off-ish attitude towards the whole subject and I find it very hard to believe any average Joe would get access to his email. Now the second one had a screen shot. 

This was a Facebook message only intended to confirm if Nattramn was a real person. This person claims this conversation was from 2016 and posted 10 months ago on reddit, not only that but this person claims to have gotten in contact with something called HAL which Nattramn is affiliated with. There is a screenshot of the email, but I will not include it only because it contains a slur, but it seems to just be confirming that a record has shipped, but then it says "Holy Trinity Kris (Spirit) Peder (Father) Nattramn (Il Capitano). My opinion, Steve's picture in the message doesn't look precisely like him but all pictures of him he has long hair and is obviously younger, however I can believe at the very least he would give this much info about Nattramn. As for the HAL email, I heavily doubt it was Nattramn himself that sent it, with someone that seems to try and keep such anonymity to just have a casual yet racist response seems very farfetched. Not only that but every bizarre story and rumor on Silencer was mentioned by sites like Metal Injection, something big like this would've made headlines in the metal world for sure.  Lets say it together, nothing is 100% confirmed this is all speculation, whether you choose to believe the screenshots are real is entirely up to you.

   So this is all I could find on Silencer. A very mysterious and twisted band. In reality all we have to go on is music, pictures, and a book to really know what happened. It's as if all other records were erased and the band seems to want to keep the mystery as part of their legacy. Well there's a ton of people on the internet fed up with the antics of black metal and call everyone a dumb shit for believing in it, but hey its a big world out there and I don't doubt that there's a possibility something like this is possible. Whether you want to believe it or not is up to you. There are things about the story I believe, and some I am really not sure of, as well as a few things I have disproven to at least myself and possibly you, the reader. 

The Forgotten Legacy of Acid Bath

FFO: EyeHateGod, Alice in Chains, Morbid Angel, Black Sabbath, Black Flag

For a while I took a break from hardcore, one or two years ago, and found myself going to more doom/stoner/sludge metal shows. 90% of the people I met at these shows would bring up Acid Bath. If you are familiar with doom metal at all this probably happened to you but finding their music was near impossible unless you actually wanted to buy a physical copy, but if your like me, you're not gonna buy the album when you haven't heard anything on it. Recently I decided to throw on some Crowbar and under the recommended artists on Spotify, guess who I saw. Thats right, Acid Bath, and now that I finally got the opportunity to listen to them I need to talk about them.

Let's start with a little history. Acid Bath were a band from the 90s that didn't last very long and didn't get much attention outside their home of the swampiest end of Louisiana. There's a reason and we'll get to that later. In the 90s New Orleans aka NOLA had some of the top notch sludge metal acts that are still active to this day, such as EyeHateGod, Crowbar, etc. While Acid Bath never claimed to be part of the NOLA scene, something about this area was influencing this style. 

When you look at a promo pic of them, they look like an average 90s band but don't judge them on that. These guys never gave themselves a "true genre". Vocalist Dax Riggs would call them "death rock" or folk metal, while guitarist Sammy Duet (now active in Goatwhore) would often call them "gothic hardcore". Back when I had a Facebook, I was part of a Stoner/doom group and a running inside joke would be "What genre is Acid Bath?". 

What makes this band so incredible and unique is they manage to combine sludge metal, death metal, black metal, grunge, blues, folk, and even gothic rock all into one. I'm not joking. They flip a switch from Incantation to Alice in Chains to EyeHateGod and it just leaves you saying wow. I could add at least 10 more bands to the FFO. A certain record label, Rotten Records, signed them and Acid Bath ended up releasing two LPs with them.

Now remember when I said it was hard to find their songs anywhere? Dax Riggs once said in an interview talking about Rotten Records that they were a "bad label"...which he said after signing with them. Speaking from my point of view, they seem very greedy and are afraid that by putting music out without making anyone pay for it they are throwing money out the window. Theyve responded to Youtube comments on the only Acid Bath music video, where people asked them to put Acid Bath on streaming services. They responded with "Spotify doesn't pay shit". Acid bath broke up '97 after the tragic death of bassist Audie Pitre, who died in a car accident, and ever since Rotten pretty much owned the name and did as they pleased. It was only recently that Rotten finally gave in and put Acid bath's two LPs on streaming services.

Now lets discuss these LPs

I'll go as far as saying When the Kite String Pops is one of the most important albums in metal history. I swear there's something for everyone in this album, I guarantee it would make hardcore kids kill each other and metal heads... well kill each other too. In no way would I call this album progressive but I told my old prog head coworkers to check it out and they loved it for the same reason I did. If you want to get a metal head into it, start with the song Jezebel which spontaneously starts with blast beats and an evil death metal riff thats pretty signature Sammy Duet. While the album as a whole keeps a sludge structure for the most part, you can't go threw it without having a "holy shit!" moment. Even the ballad, which I would say is my favorite track, Scream of the Butterfly. This is a slow gothic Alice in Chains song, but with eerie lyrics and even double bass, its insane that they make this work. The album weighs in at over an hour but every second is worth it. If I'm listening to an album that long, its usually something shoegazing or pretty like post metal or something. This album ain't either of those.

Now as for LP numero dos, Paegan Terrorism Tactics. When it comes to the artwork, this one is definitely the better one done by Dr. Jack Kevorkian (Kite String was done by John Wayne Gacy while in prison awaiting execution, the label made them use the artwork while the band actually hated it). Now this album is more melodic than the previous but still maintains the same influences...maybe more on the grunge side, but still a strong metal/hardcore presence. Same deal really hardcore kids and metal kids can both get down but what really sticks out about this one are the slower acoustic ballads. again with the chill Alice in Chains vibes but it really makes you think that its an Acid Bath thing, especially when you listen to this after Kite String. Again one moment will be Crowbar, then switches to Morbid Angel, then Black Sabbath, yeah you get it. While I prefer Kite String, Paegan Terrorism Tactics is still a ride you won't forget, guess you could say two sides of the same coin. Most doom fans will tell you to just listen to/buy both albums anyway, even before you hear them.

Overall with all the hype I heard about this band, they live up to every expectation I had. Members are often asked if a reunion is possible and the answer is usually the same. "There's no Acid Bath without Audie". After a while the band got tired of playing the same songs and after Pitre's passing only played live a couple times and they say it just wasn't the same. Dax Riggs ended up forming a few bands in a less metal style before ultimately persuing a solo career while Sammy duet went on to be in Crowbar then formed Goatwhore which he is still active with. While I don't have any hopes of a reunion, I wouldn't be opposed to it.

Burned Alive By Time: A Blast From the Past

Look at that, we're still going with this shit. Well recently I realized how bad I am at remembering when shows happened and I started think about shows I went to very far back to the point where I was like "Holy shit that was back when this band existed and when that band was nobody". Well you can thank a very talented photographer, Olive (@Oliviasjaw), for giving me this train of thought. That being said here's a bunch of bands you probably forgot about, stopped caring, about, or never even heard of.

Do No Harm
Genre: Melodic Hardcore/Screamo
FFO: Touche Amore, Verse, Modern Life Is War
Fav Release: ...And I am Now Played out


Only one member of this band didn't think I was a loser, and thats the drummer, and thats only because he's an even bigger loser than I am. I used to see Do No Harm a lot back in the day, I guarentee I can reactivate my facebook and find pictures from shows but fuck facebook. To be honest though, DNH could probably leave a bigger mark on everyone if they were still around now that this style is becoming far more popularized.
https://donoharmhc.bandcamp.com/

Hammer Bros.
Genre: Hardcore "MVHC" FFO: Shipwreck AD, COA, Reign Supreme
Fav Release: The Vitality


Hammer Bros. were in fact before my time I'll admit but they absolutely deserve a spot here. If you're old enough to remember how hard everyone rep'd MVHC and Anchors Up, Hammer Bros. played a big part of it. Always enjoyed this more than RA, then again early 2000s hardcore was my favorite era so... kinda default regardless, a reunion would probably be terrifying though but fun.

Hivesmasher
Genre: Grindcore FFO: Fuck the Facts, Pig Destroyer, Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire
Fav Release: Gutter Choir


Hivesmasher came back last year I believe but let me tell ya, these guys left a mark on me. I was 14 years old and these guys were the first "local band" I ever saw. They played a showcase called Black Christmas at the palladium and Hivesmasher was the only band that had really...well...force, power, energy, whatever you want to call it. Every other band was a slam or blackened death metal band but I remember meeting the vocalist before the show asking what his band was like and he was super nice and understanding that it was my second show ever. Then on stage I see these musicians having a seizure while they play and Aaron shredding his vocal chords the fuck apart. after the set he came back to see how we were doing with his eyes watering and puked in the bathroom immediately after. I went on to see these guy 5 times all together before I even had a license and they broke up. Hivesmasher will always have a place in my heart.

Cerce
Genre: Powerviolence/Hardcore Punk FFO: Punch, Torso, Gouge Away
Fav Release: Self Titled


I remember seeing Cerce all the time back in the day. If you still own the "fuck pop punk defend feminism" shirt they had, bonus points to you. Sometimes I look back and think how underrated these guys were, I mean they had sludgy elements let alone the powerviolence. Lovechild was alright I guess but we all know it wasn't the same...

Forest of Remorse
Genre: Slam Death Metal FFO: Abominable Putridity, Putrid Pile
Fav Release: Lashed to the Altar of Fornication


My slam phase was pretty poserish if I'm being honest but I gotta pay my respects to my brother the one and only Big Fudge for giving Forest of Remorse the rep they had. I've known the heavyweight champ since I was a young lad (ironically I think I met him at that Hiesmasher show) and I knew exactly what to expect when seeing Forest for the first time. Lots and lots of dildos. Whether he's throwing them at his bandmates, at the crowd, or hitting himself in the dome, he always said the iconic line: "THIS IS WHAT WE ARE! WE'RE A BUNCH OF DICKS!!" Pretty sure he threw a whole box full of them into the crowd once. All aboard the slam train!
https://forestofremorse.bandcamp.com/album/lashed-to-the-altar-of-fornication

Piss Poor
Genre: Melodic Hardcore FFO: Defeater, Have Heart, More Than Life
Fav Release: Born Bitter


Severely underrated band that I really wish lasted longer and still existed today. I remember around this time I heavily used the term "emotional hardcore" to describe a band like this. Connecticut had some gems back in the day (*cough* With Honor) and even still today (*cough* Anxious). Piss Poor I would call the hidden gem of Connecticut
https://pisspoor.bandcamp.com/album/born-bitter

My Fictions
Genre: Screamo/Hardcore FFO: The Saddest Landscape, Touche Amore, State Faults
Fav Release: Stranger Songs


I haven't forgotten My Fictions and never will. Still to this day these guys remind me I am worthless. Another band that could get so much recognition today with the revival of screamo. Listen to this band and understand why I hate myself.

Void of Heaven
Genre: Metalcore FFO: Earth Crisis, Unbroken, Strife


While we're at it, there were members of My Fictions that went on to be in Void of Heaven who dropped one demo and one demo only. WHY!? Void of Heaven did only this and hasn't released anything else and they were 90s metalcore reincarnated without the obnoxious bullshit. I only recall seeing them once with Primal Rite and I constantly wonder if its the only show they ever played.

Prison Hit
Genre: Rock n fucking Roll FFO: Motorhead, Anti Cimex, Amebix
Fav Release: The Demo
 

You probably already recognize these guys if you've been involved in BHC for at least the past 3 years. Man oh man nothing says rock n roll like Motorhead and if there's one band these guys sound the most like its Motorhead. This is a band I will forever miss. Prison Hit are the epitome of rock n roll in Boston.

Endure
Genre: Melodic Hardcore FFO: The Carrier, Dead Swans, The Effort
Fav Release: Solid Ground


I'm obsessed with The Carrier so of course I'm gonna put Endure. After the last Endure show I have grown very close to Tommy (the vocalist) and he would always tell me stories from the Endure days and how they purposely ripped off The Carrier riffs. Really the best way to describe Endure is a Christian The Carrier, which I know is a turn off for some but the passion Tommy had in this band is undeniable.
https://endurema.bandcamp.com/album/solid-ground

Gaia
Genre: Grindcore/Metalcore FFO: Burnt By the Sun, Premonitions of War, Converge
Fav Release: State of Urgency


I saw this band once, it was their second or third show ever at a local showcase in RI, I got kick in the face 2 songs in and left with a bloody nose. The next day I went to school and rumors went around that I went to underground fight clubs. This band was fucking angry and dangerous. Honestly if these metalcore kids who spend $200 on 90s metalcore merch and pretend they saw them when they were 6 were around for this band, they would be put in a grave. Then again they probably wouldn't have the money after all the bootlegs they get scammed into buying, yeah I said it.
https://gaia.bandcamp.com/

The Bonus Army
Genre: Hardcore FFO: Hammer Bros. Guns Up, COA
Fav Release: Negative Outlooks


Another MVHC rep. The Bonus Army was another Anchors Up regular that offered hardcore that was just plain mean and had kids flying. These bands were really fun to see back in the day. Featuring members of The Carrier.

Composted
Genre: Slam Death Metal FFO: Dysentery, Abominable Putridity, Party Cannon
Fav Release: Simplex Slam


I feel most would find the album cover for this one a little extreme so search at your own risk. Anywho Composted were one of the best and funniest bands to see live when it came to death metal. No matter what there's a costume/dress code for them whether it happens to be a hot dog suit or hawaiian shirts. Composted always put on some memorable shows for a slam band that was meant to be more comedic than anything else really.

Native Wildlife
Genre: Screamo/Indie/Post Hardcore FFO: State Faults, Pianos Become the Teeth, La Dispute
Fav Release: Self Titled


This release came out after I was more into this band but man is it incredible. I remember first seeing Native Wildlife at some shitty venue in Taunton with Do No Harm and I remember they had a very colorful performance. Looking back now, its seems like screamo had quite a presence between 09 and 14 or so and I guess I just forgot ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
https://nativewildlife.bandcamp.com/

Matahari
Genre: Hardcore FFO: Guns Up!, Down to Nothing, Shipwreck AD
Fav Release: Shameless


These guys played basically every other hardcore show I was at if I recall. I was looking at old fliers and was just like "Oh man Mata-fucking-hari". Just straight mean hardcore love it.

Some Nerve
Genre: Hardcore (BHC) FFO: Restraining Order, Chain Rank
Fav Release: Sense of Control


The real ones know. Triple B Alumni Some Nerve had some wild pits at Cambridge Elks where kids would swing from the pipes in the ceiling and do backflips off the couches (no joke). A set from these guys was always a wild ride.

Energy
Genre: Melodic Hardcore/Horror Punk FFO: Misfits, AFI, Ambitions
Fav Release: Invasions of the Mind


The kings of Stoughton. Energy have got to be one of the most unique punk bands ever in my opinion. Its well known that they are H E A V I L Y influenced by Misfits and even have a cover album, but the music is pretty difficult to put a label on. They are still together and still writing music though not as active as they once were.

Pure Disgust
Genre: Hardcore Punk FFO: Bad Brains, Black Flag, Minor Threat
Fav Release: Self Titled


I may have fell off with hardcore in the past few years but when I went to pretty much every single hardcore show at the Elks, bands like this stuck out better than anyone. I remember seein Pure Disgust play AHC fest upstairs one year and they were the only band that had LITERALLY the entire room dancing. The whole time I was thinking "this must've been what a hardcore show was in the 80s" especially considering they are straight from DC and clearly sound like an 80s band. I still miss this band.

Floods
Genre: Metalcore FFO: All Out War, Pulling Teeth, 100 Demons
Fav Release: Day of the Dead and Disciplines Throne


The first time I saw Floods, they opened for Go Long Kid, a pop punk band from the south shore. I immediately thought they were the heaviest band from the area, especially after covering Entombed with only like 3 people in the crowd knowing it. Every time I saw Floods after that, the sets were just getting more and more dangerous where sometimes I would fear for my life. By the way if those vocals sound familiar to some of you, the same vocalist is now in Exertion. Also never forget Neil to none ;)

Sweet Jesus
Genre: Hardcore/Alternative FFO: Red Hare, Wolf Whistle, GIVE
Fav Release: You Destroy Yourself


Everything about Sweet Jesus was weird but at the same time it was really cool. Very unconventional hardcore with almost noise rock style parts, its honestly really hard to describe. I remember when I first even heard about Sweet Jesus, it was described to me as "a better Have Heart" only because it was fronted by Patrick Flynn, and the dumbass that told me hated Have Heart. SJ is a completely different project worthy of your ears.

Violence To Fade
Genre: Hardcore FFO: CIAC, Big Contest, Breakdown
Fav. Release: Unstoppable Force


If you got the exclusive record release version (like I do) bonus points. We're gonna end here with what was probably the most fun hardcore band to see from Mass every other week. Featuring members of CIAC and Restraining Order, and probably more, VTF always had tons of crowd participation at every show and it was really sad seeing them go. But man did they go out with a fucking BANG!







No gag on this one. Couldn't think of one...

Apocalyptic Havoc: New music for the quarantine, and more...

    

   This bullshit has been driving me insane since it began. Thankfully in between playing Animal Crossing, beating Resident Evil 2 and 3 multiple times, and watching Hello Kitty spinoffs people having been giving me good recommendations on music. Unfortunately since the zine primarily revolves around live music, I feel it would be a waste to make one for, what was a favorite when this blog was active, a playlist. That being said here's some new music released this year and some stuff good for the quarantine. Fuck Donnie T.

The Weekend - After Hours

Genre: R&B Fav Track: Hardest To Love

I usually start with the obvious but there isn't really an obvious one this time. So we'll go with The Weeknd since most know who he is. My dude here just broke my heart once again. I don't know what it is but The Weeknd's voice is just that sweet spot between soothing and emotional. What I love about After Hours though, and I'll probably get judged for saying this, is it has a noticeable synthwave influence that at times just makes me think of darkwave and I love it. The fact that I can make that comparison doesn't even seem right.

The Cure - Bloodflowers

Genre: Gothic/Post-Punk FFO: New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees

Fav Track: The Last Day Of Summer

    It's no secret I love The Cure. The original "sadboi" Robert Smith can never  write an album that isn't both beautiful and devastating. Bloodflowers was a later album that probably didn't get as much limelight as say, Disintegration or Pornography, but nonetheless it still has that classic makeup and hairspray 80s aesthetic with songs about heartbreak. I keep finding myself to reach for this one when I bump The Cure lately.

Sallow Moth - The Larval Hope

Genre: Death Metal FFO: Ascended Dead, Spectral Voice, Esoctrillihum

Fav Track: Ancient Grudge

A one man death metal project. Thats all you need to hear. Sallow Moth is the demon risen from the earth by Garry Brents of blackened screamo/grind band, Cara Neir. Nothing impresses me more than when another project sounds entirely different than another without even a trace of it. Sallow Moth is very comparable to dark descent death metal bands and I can easily see it getting signed in the future. So far I'd say this is my favorite death metal release of the year.

Red House Painters - Self Titled

Genre: Indie/Folk/Shoegaze "Slowcore" FFO: Bedhead, Carissa's Wierd, Mount Eerie

Fav Track: Funhouse

The one memory I have when listening to this album is driving into western mass and seeing the mountains and fields. The scenery is perfect with this album. Red House Painters is best known for being one of the pioneers in the "Slowcore" genre and also known for being Mark Kozelek's band before Sun Kil Moon. The fact that its tough to be outside for some this album at least paints a picture in my head to make it feel like I'm there. P.S. if you're into True Widow, you can hear a huge influence from this album ;)

Ringo Deathstarr - Self Titled

Genre: Shoegaze/Dream Pop FFO: Slowdive, Chapterhouse, Wildhoney

Fav Track: I Don't Want To Lose This

I have been waiting eagerly for this one. One day I literally just said "I'm gonna jam Ringo today" only to find out this came out pretty much unannounced a week before. So far this is battling another album for No. 1 of 2020. Undeniable talent from these guys and this was well worth the wait. 

Sure - Twenty Years

Genre: Darkwave FFO: Drab Majesty, Ritual Howls, Them Are Us Too

Fav Track: Precious Words

This is the album that is vs Ringo for No. 1. Sure has that sweet heat with the gothic synth and keyboards and almost industrial percussion. Its madness but in the best way. I'm seeing a lot of people get bigger into darkwave so absolutely give Sure your attention.

Mountain Man - Three

Genre: Hardcore FFO: Last Lights, Shipwreck AD, Reign Supreme

Fav Track: Calm

I was heavily impressed by the post metal approach Mountain Man showed in their previous release, and better shown when I saw them with The Body in Wmass. That being said, Three seems to go back to their roots as a hardcore band, is this a bad thing? Absolutely not, I still loved them as a hardcore band, as well as Last Lights. One thing that still sticks out is how they continue to be slightly on the odd side. Still pretty cool and nostalgic sound they went for with this release.

Super Unison - Stella

Genre: Post-Hardcore FFO: Refused, Drive Like Jehu, Gouge Away

Fav Track: Virus

Punch were huge for me in high school and I was sad to see them go, but to find out Meghan went on to be in a new band was like a light in the dark. Super Unison as you could probably tell are heavily influenced by Drive like Jehu but much more...I guess skateable sound. Like I can see most songs on a Tony Hawk game easily. Personally I consider this the best release, very fierce but still a weird punk album (weird in a good way of course). 

Denzel Curry - UNLOCKED

Genre: Rap/Hip Hop FFO: Flatbush Zombies, JPEGMAFIA, Lil Uzi Vert

Fav Track: take_it_back_v2

 

We all know how much I love Denzel. I keep thinking my boy here will never be able to top Taboo but the more music he makes, he seems to just keep doing what he does. Is UNLOCKED better than Taboo? In my opinion probably not, but it has a different style, still insanely ignorant but with the same old school idea like ZUU had. Plus with Kenny Beats featured throughout the whole album, Denzel's voice is constantly chopped and screwed in every song. Bonus points for the modern twist on the artwork.

The Effort - Iconoclasm

Genre: Melodic Hardcore FFO: Modern Life Is War, The Carrier, Killing the Dream

Fav Track: The Price of Medication

This band. This fucking band. The Effort have been one of my favorites in melodic hardcore as well as straight edge hardcore for a long time. This album has helped me through a lot and still does to this day.

Thou - Oakland

Genre: Sludge/Doom/Drone Metal FFO: Lord Mantis, The Body, Unearthly Trance

Fav Track: Smoke Pigs

I pretty much love everything about Thou. They're one of the heaviest bands I've ever seen, they have gothic album art, their lyrics are comparable to a lot of shit, they're vegan, I could go on. Oakland seems like the generic choice to go for but I mean come on can you blame me?

Pummel - Illusion of Choice

Genre: Hardcore FFO: Mental, Hammer Bros., No Option

Pummel may have earned my most written about hardcore band at this point. Well considering everything these guys have done during the quarantine, I think they deserve my spotlight again. Illusion of Choice is one big stab at the government BHC style and from what I understand it's the first song recorded with Seth on bass. Seems like just yesterday Seth was Pummel's biggest fan and look where they are now. Love these guys and will never stop supporting them. You know the first show these guys play after this is over is gonna be absolutely insane.

Midwife - Forever

Genre: Indie/Shoegaze "slowcore" FFO: Drowse, Marissa Nadler, Giles Corey

Fav Track: S.W.I.M.

 

This one I just can't put down. Midwife is the one woman project of Madeline Johnson that showcases some incredible stuff. At first the music seems slightly simple but in just gets more and more unique the more in depth the listen. various levels of distortion and countless guitar effects usually prove for a good album. I can see the project opening for a band like Russian Circles in the future.

Graf Orlock - Destination Time: Tomorrow

Genre: Grindcore FFO: Pig Destroyer, Some Girls, Ed Gein

Fav Track: A Shocking Interrogation

Ahh Graf Orlock, a band long forgotten. While this band can be dissonant at times they never really stuck out to me as mathcore like most fans call them. Long story short this album is like getting in a brawl with 7 people at once during a movie...like in the theatre. You'll see what I mean when you jam it.

Fearing - Shadow

Genre: Darkwave/Deathrock/Post Punk FFO: Death Bells, Death of Lovers, Night Sins

Fav Track: Pictured Perfect

This album is just amazing. The facts that bands like this are gettng better recognized and also releasing fire after fire really brings a smile to my face. You've herd me use this description before but this is a shades and (vegan) leather jacket band. Gotta love the gothic atmosphere this album gives off, I can only imagine the live visual. 

Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

Genre: Avant Garde Black Metal FFO: Imperial Triumphant, Waste of Space Orchestra, Krallice

Fav Track: Uusi Teknokratia

Teach me how to pronounce literally any title this band writes and I will pay you. Before you ask, they are Finnish. Now that thats out of the way, ahem, H O L Y F U C K. If you wanna talk about boundary breaking, I don't think I can name 70 percent of the equipment these guys use and its somehow still black metal.

Amygdala - Our Voices Will Soar Forever

Genre: Screamo/Hardcore/Powerviolence FFO: Portrayal of Guilt, Orchid, Ursurp Synapse

Fav Track: It Takes A Village

Something in texas is bringing out some sick screamo/screamo influenced bands. I constantly wonder if Amygdala got their name from the Bloodborne boss or the part of the brain. This album can show a range of influences but the big thing for me is the artwork because it reminds me of the building I live in. Actually kinda freaky because my building was an asylum before and it literally looks like this at night. Anywho, this is definitely one of those albums to jam at night for the full effect. Very Melancholic in an abrasive but also beautiful way.

Best Coast - Always Tomorrow

Genre: Surf Rock/Indie FFO: Wavves, Beach Fossils, Surfer Blood

Fav Track: Master of my Own Mind

Some know and some don't but Best Coast are surprisingly one of my favorite bands. This was the first indie band I really got into and I was devastated that their tour was cancelled. I can appreciate this band even more with the anticipating summer season and working outside in the cold 99% percent of the time just makes me want summer more. Master of my Own Mind is a song I really needed to hear too.

Ripping Corpse - Dreaming with the Dead

Genre: Death Metal FFO: Demilich, Morpheus Descends, Death

Fav Track: Beyond Humanity

Let's take it back to a very influential death metal album/band nobody talks about. Like come on why does nobody talk about these guys?!? Posers.

Publicist UK - Forgive Yourself

Genre: Post Punk/Deathrock FFO: Death Bells, Fearing, Cursed Moon

Fav Track: You Are The Stars

How many non metal albums do you know that were put out by Relapse? Here's one. Surprisingly featuring members of Municipal Waste, Revocation, and Goes Cube. You wouldn't even think members from this band were from metal bands. What an incredible display. I don't know how but listening to this band actually feels like you're listening to an english band from the 80s. Give them a whirl.

Product of Waste - You Won't Take Me  Alive

Genre: Hardcore FFO: COA, Wolf Whistle, The Rival Mob

Fav Track: Crook With a Badge

We'll end it with the best hardcore band to come out of Rhode Island. On the days where I do go outside I try to take advantage of it and skate. P.O.W. is always my go to. R.I.P. T :(

Lof-fi Hip Hop beats to relax/study to

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