New Spins: 7th September 2020

It's been a busy week checking out new music for reviews, and there's some fantastic bands here on this weeks edition of New Spins...

The Devil's Sermon - Rydwany Ognia

'Rydwany Ognia' translates from Polish to 'Chariots of Fire', but the title track on this EP is not a cover of the classic theme from that film about athletics (you know the one!), but rather the Bathory song from Under The Sign Of The Black Mark. It's not one of the more standout Bathory tracks from my memory, but The Devil's Sermon have done an excellent job of re-working the track. I say it's a cover, but it might be more appropriate to call it a translation because the band have truly transformed the song into a densely layered piece of furious black metal than hints more at the expansiveness of Emperor than the raw intensity of the original. The other three tracks here are original compositions that are just as good as the title track, and continue with this sound which is a fantastic progression from their debut album. Check out The Devil's Sermon if you like modern sounding black metal that also stays true to the genre's roots.

https://thedevilssermon.bandcamp.com/album/rydwany-ognia 

Bog Wizard - From The Mire

Ouch! Bog Wizard's music hurts, but it hurts in a good way. The way a thick wall of down-tuned fuzz hurts. The way a constant pummelling bass groove hurts. The way copiously cacophonous drums hurt. Their debut full-length is a relentlessly heavy journey through stoner doom riffs and smokey atmospheres. The band also combine clean and harsh vocals remarkably well, and on repeat listens there is more to this record than it's pure heaviness; there's some intriguing songwriting on the like of City In The Mountain and the closing 10 minute epic Swamp Golem. Bog Wizard's music hurts, but it hurts the way good doom metal should

https://bogwizard.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-mire .

Cvlt of Ravens - Yours Is The Kingdom Of Despair

Cvlt of Ravens's form of doom metal is certainly an interesting one; drawing heavily from death-doom and sludge (can I coin a new genre: 'deathsludge'?!) their music sounds like suffocating in a cauldron of pure suffering. It's a pretty punishing listen, but the band bring in some experimental sounds and samples too that really give this record some interest. The vocals particularly are terrifying, more death metal in tone, but with a slight tint of black metal's evilness. The opening track The Raven's Flight is noted as featuring Brother Dick Dale, although some research has proven that this isn't a re-incarnation of the pioneering surf rock guitarist, but another Dick Dale who seems to be a curator of horror films; appropriate considering some of the disgustingly dark sounds of this record. The band have also just released a new track on the latest Torture Drome compilation, alongside Warrior Pope who featured in last week's New Spins. Give them a listen if you like to be scared while you're head banging.

https://ravens.bandcamp.com/album/yours-is-the-kingdom-of-despair