• SHRT REVWS • This condensed version of short(er) reviews focuses on releases arriving in the first half of May covering epic heavy/doom metal, technical death metal, black/death metal, funeral doom metal and more. // In an attempt to be more conversational these are more easygoing and casual than longform reviews, so relax and think for yourself. — If you find something you dig go tell the band on social media and support them with a purchase! If you’d like your music reviewed, read the FAQ and send promos to: grizzlybutts@hotmail.com

---

Despite ‘Dimsvall‘ being Finnish black metal troupe ONDFØDT‘s fifth album I’m not all that familiar with their discography prior to their almost total line-up refresh at their ten year mark (~2022) and decent 2023 LP ‘Det österbottniska mörkret‘. Their style amounts to a modern, non-specific treatment of Scandinavian black metal with hi-fi production values and semi-melodic style which appears inspired by both popular classics as well as nowadays interest in atmospheric black metal. Parts of this record recall Azaghal‘s grooves or maybe even debut LP era Carpathian Forest to some degree but I’d found this record unable to make a distinct impression beyond some of its deeper nuances, most of which are crushed beneath their machine. All of their parts are well oiled, everything speaks to the zeitgeist of European black metal standards but when it comes time to apply craft and make a statement it all becomes a bit lost for words and perhaps due to everything being cranked to eleven on much of the record. It is a fine enough listen though this level of bombast never quite knocked me off my feet, not bad but not to my own taste. “Tuonela” and closer “Stormin” are worth checking out as I’d felt they do well to communicate the range of the bands work here.

---

Cleveland, Ohio-based death metal quartet SHED THE SKIN return for a fifth full-length album that merges ‘old school’ death metal’s punisher level attack with bigger, uglier grooves. I’ve basically been recommending this band since their second LP released back in 2018 and I’ll continue to give them another thumbs up for ‘The Carnage Cast Shadows‘ which starts out picking up some punk and thrash nods which’d caught my ear right away, especially that The Exploited worthy riff that circles “Crook of the Sacred Skies” ’til the blackened end. They’re up to a lot more on this record, always leaning into strong variety with big riff-driven grooves and some manner of melodic edge to whatever brutality they get up to. Was already a fan after their second LP but I’m particularly liking their approach on this and their previous LP in terms of production/sound design, lots of different pacing, and I enjoy the style of the artist they’ve commissioned for the cover art. Underrated band from my point of view. Particularly liked the sludgier riffs on “The Mind’s Vermin” b/w “Ancient Flames”, the harmonized leads throughout the album, and the mid-90’s Carcass-feeling step which works its way into a few of these songs.

---

Bleeding the old, rotten blood of speed metal era first wave black and sleazy Satanic heavy metal from the eastern bloc Silesian death-thrash metal quartet SEXMAG are a throwback to the stinking gutter swill of the past on this debut full-length album. When I first saw this band’s ‘Sex Metal‘ EP back in 2021 I though it was a nod to Brazilian death-thrash group Sextrash and that notion is warranted but overall it’d turned out to be closer to the early days of 80’s death metal and black-speed metal out of eastern Europe… something like the first Sodom EP, late 80’s Kat, pre-’89 Bulldozer and deeper more aggressive cutters like Debustrol‘s infamous demo ‘Vyznání smrti‘. Guitar tone is perfect for these references, their sound is maniacal in its aggression and though it isn’t all that memorable in terms of its riffs ‘Sexorcyzm‘ bleeds of unholy style worth exploring further. Didn’t stick in mind for long but I enjoy their treatment of this style quite a bit.

---

Toronto, Ontario-based psychedelic doom metal quartet WITCHROT return for a bluesier, far-out second LP where they’ve quickly grown past of some of the Windhand comparisons they’d gotten via their 2021 debut and worked to include their own melodic touch beyond the surreal. Most of ‘Soul Cellar‘ shifts its fixation between creeping traditional doom movement and swinging, bluesy psychedelic rock in slow-motion and none of it is all that straight shot beyond a few stoner rock riffs here and there. Though their focus on melody and lead guitar work doesn’t always hit they’d nonetheless end up become the strongest voice on the full listen. “Spineless” is probably the best song to showcase these folks alt-rock/shoegaze muse and the potential soar of the vocalist but I can’t say that any one song took hold beyond parts of opener “Possession Depends”. Much as I enjoyed the sound of this record, both Witchrot‘s style and the recording itself, the songs just weren’t ultimately there in terms of standout interest. Found every reason to pull in and check their gear out but I didn’t find enough of a reason to hang with this one for long. Check them out if you’re a fan of Witch Mountain and Castle.

---

If you were a fan of that Daevar record that’d released a month or two ago you can expect a similarly outsized sonic treatment from producer/engineer Jan Oberg (Earth Ship) who is not only responsible for the render of this latest full-length from German stoner/sludge metal duo GRIN but also their drummer and vocalist. The big change that occurs here this fourth time around isn’t so much those production values but a pivot on their songcraft, relying less on quicker/simpler cut pieces and aiming for something tuneful in a more ~3-5 minute stoner-doom realm. I’ve never been a huge fan of this type of sludge, you can feel the mainstream rock interest seeping through their pores here and on past releases, and their style is more performance than it is pain… but if you’re less of a purist the hi-fi fuzzed over sound and heavier grooves should entertain for the span of this record. They do well to lean into the huge sound of the record but it all becomes mush for me around “Unshut.” Decent spin but I felt like the more attention I paid this one the less depth it revealed.

---

Lisbon, Portugal-based black metal solo project ONIRIK comes by way of Gonius Rex who’d decided to take a different path through this sixth full-length album in taking on tributes to the 90’s Norwegian black metal scene which are inherently more melodious compared to his avant-garde path on the previous few releases. Of course we don’t get the usual 90’s black metal as a result, though, only a pre-1993 type of sound that has a sort of (early) Ancient feel to it at times though the artist rightfully mentions Satyricon, Isengard, and Ved Buens Ende have all added coloration to his riffcraft and approach to melody. To me this album is a very personal feeling anomaly from the artist, one which has the mysterious wandering spirit of earlier pagan black metal just as much as it might interest a fan of early obscure dark metal. Of course the guitar work rightfully dominates the main interest ‘Curling Serpents Under Stone‘ carries and the overall voice of this record comes with its search, scrambling and rousing exploration but the right atmosphere makes it cryptic, oaken and estranged. The only thing about this record that’d left me feeling a lack was that it exists as an island thus far, a sound unlike much of Onirik‘s work which I’d like to hear more of. A good surprise, though I wish I’d set aside time for a more thorough listen and better familiarity.

---