April 2024, In Review
The Onslaught Continues
As predicted by the median monthly releases that I shared last month, April was a busy month. Also predicted was that it would be less so than March, and that held up. Here’s how we’re looking this year — while there appear to be less releases this year than past years, the curve is moving as expected.
I didn’t enjoy as many bands this month as last, so there’s no need for two posts this time around. That said, I’m squeezing as many bands into this post as I can without Substack truncating the resulting email, so I’m going to forego getting into the stats. Maybe I’ll create a separate post for that.
Sorry — I’m getting distracted. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Sunrise Patriot Motion — My Father Took Me Hunting in the Snow
Sunrise Patriot Motion is an act to be keeping a close eye on. While their debut album Black Fellflower Stream flew under the radar for many, it ended up being one of my favorite releases of 2022. Their latest release being an EP, I’m not as blown away this time around purely for wanting more. There’s a marked improvement in their songwriting, but there’s only two actual songs on the EP. Nonetheless, if post-punk and goth are sounds you can enjoy, you’d be amiss to overlook this release.
Lutto — Coscienze Infelici
Speaking of gothic black metal, Lutto cropped up with a fun album. This isn’t quite as post-punk inspired as Sunrise Patriot Motion’s style, drawing instead on the organ-driven sounds of goth metal. Lutto’s opting for melody over complexity pairs well with the haunting tones of organ and harpsichord. Being an Italian band, the harsh vocals flow elegantly and thus strike a nice vampiric sound. All these parts assembled result in a perfect album for some spooky atmosphere.
Blood Eclipse — Небесная Кровоточащая Луна
The Russian black metal scene has been pretty busy, and unlike most countries churning out regular releases, Russia is putting out consistent quality. Blood Eclipse stands out even amongst the Russian crowd. I would consider this album a perfect example of the sounds prevailing in Slavic nations as of late. It has the occultic lean typical of the Mediterranean crowd, but captures all the intensity sought by second wave die-hards of Scandinavia. If the vibe of Lutto is something you enjoyed, but you’re craving something a little… louder, go with this album.
Walg — IV
Walg really surprised me here. I’ve listened to some of their past stuff, and while I found it all solidly performed, nothing had grabbed me fully. This changed with their fourth release since 2021, very drolly titled IV.
Title aside, this is a damn good album. Great guitar work is essential for anyone touting to be melodic black metal. While you’d think that be a given, I’ve heard many a lackluster melodic act. What’s more, the Dutch black metal scene has been popping off for a while now, but an overwhelming amount of bands coming from the Netherlands have veered towards depressive and post-black styles. For choosing for a more traditional style, Walg’s IV has ironically proven to be a breath of fresh air.
Dark Goat — Abyss of Annihilation
Dark Goat has been an interesting act to follow. This isn’t even the first time this year that I’ve recommended an album from them. Highly prolific in their short lifespan, their now monthly releases vary just enough to keep one coming back. Their sound tends to shift around between black, death, and grind, but this album fits squarely in the blackened death realm of the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Herxheim — Contrapasso
Patrick Brown of the now defunct Howls of Ebb has returned with another Herxheim release. (Firstly, if you haven’t heard Howls of Ebb before, fix that.) Herxheim has always had a very distinct sound. Sure, the similarities to HoE pop up here-and-there, but in my opinion, Herxheim never quite captured the same evil magic. On Contrapasso, all the grimy grooves that make HoE so great are present but in a way that still keeps with the very raw style that Herxheim has asserted on past releases.
Darkthrone — It Beckons Us All
Darkthrone has been busy this past decade, and every release has brought forward a slight variation on their famous style. The latest may be the biggest leap in their sound for some time. It continues on with the doomier elements of recent albums but with Fenriz bringing along some of the vocal stylings of his recent trad- and doom-inspired side-project Coffin Storm. This is a worthwhile album for those of Mercyful Fate, Candlemass, or Celtic Frost fandom.
Venomous Echoes — Split Formations And Infinite Mania
Here’s something else for the blackened death fans. This is the second release from I, Voidhanger on this list (the other being Herxheim). The Italian label’s roster is known for avant-garde, death, and black metal of the highest caliber, and that makes it a perfect home for Venomous Echoes. While most of the album keeps to styles typical of blackened death, the bizarre sampling throughout the album drives it into the realm of the unsettling. Even ignoring the samples, the vocals and instrumentation range from intense to spastically dissonant. Bands like this are why I never forget to peak at I, Voidhanger’s releases each month.
Inter Arma — New Heaven
This album is much better than the stupid album cover might lead one to believe. Inter Arma has always been a powerhouse in the USBM scene, known for their sludgy riffs that carry on in an entrancingly psychedelic fashion. New Heaven is a much more visceral work than past releases, pushing into sounds that one would expect more from death metal. It may be that Mike Paparo’s time in Artificial Brain is seeping through.
Dystopia — De Verboden Diepte I: Veldslag op de Rand van de Wereld
At least a couple of people will remember Dystopia from my recommendations last month. I had mistaken their released single for this album with their prior album Geen Weg Uit. I’m very glad I did, as Geen Weg Uit ended up being an incredible album. I’m split on whether I prefer De Verboden Diepte I or Geen Weg Uit, but I can say that De Verboden Diepte I is quite ambitious. It appears to be an operetta. (I don’t feel like deciphering the Dutch at the moment, but the titles and album art definitely invoke that feeling.)
I was surprised to find that the trumpet is not as present on this album, instead appearing at strategic moments to drive home certain tones. I think the same could be said of the songwriting broadly; everything feels more calculated and the result is an album with greater purpose than the albums before.
Actually, I’ve made up my mind — I like this album more than their last.
That’s all I can squeeze into this post before it is no longer email-friendly. There were some other bands I wanted to include, but they got axed for not quite standing out enough (Nimbifer and Howl, to give some examples). Feel free to add your own favorite April 2024 releases in the comments section.