The first Only Death Is Real of 2022 comes at a tumultuous time, a time where the pandemic still has a grip on the world and where world leaders can wantonly decide to invade their neighbours on a whim. The nuances are, of course, much trickier to unravel but from the outside the situation is bizarre and heartbreaking. We can only hope for a peaceful end yet that seems very far away.
In music we find refuge and the records below offer some respite from reality and allow us brief moments of escapism into worlds different to our own. Whether that’s in the dirges of Mur’s black metal or Nadja’s experimentalism, there is sanctuary to be found in the world’s created by artists.
Moonlight Sword – Elfenwinter (Self-Released)
Moonlight Sword is the work of Winter Lantern’s Carmilla II Dracul and stands as another side of her black metal tastes, this time embodying the symphonic raw aspects of the early days of the genre while keeping in line with the vampyric elements of her other works. Elfenwinter is a sprightly demo that utilises keyboards to the highest degree to serve an atmospheric journey into the coldest nights in the most windswept lands. There is a narrative that runs through Elfenwinter in that it tells the tale of a trek through darkness and ice as the (anti)hero makes their way through treacherous valleys and enshrouded forests.
“Enchanted Black Raven’s Feathers” features a wonderful melody that undercuts the rough production to boost Moonlight Sword’s charm even further. The guitars sit slightly back in the mix, occasionally muffled by the choices made in production yet it is not to the detriment of the music, rather it boosts the appeal and intrigue as to what Moonlight Sword might be hiding below those standout keys and swirling howled vocals. Time will only reveal more.
Mur – Cut The Rivers Vein (Self-Released)
The blackened sounds of Mur is filtered through curious lenses of folk, black metal and doom as Cut The Rivers Vein moves from the heavy, throbbing steps of “O'palesce” that conjure images of weighty giants treading the earth to the gentle introductory tones of “Lowered Cloud” and its opposing vocal approach. Sole member Cam Sather moves from deep, guttural growls on the aforementioned song to the simple, clean intonations of its follow-up before succumbing to the darkness and segueing into snarls once again. This movement is natural, never forced, and Mur benefits from these changes in that the band creates characters and themes with ease.
These contrasts present themselves often during Cut The Rivers Vein and by extension its cinematic title track, as Mur progresses through their influences with deft skill. Movements are constructed to flow into one another as the music switches from heightened drama to deep, downtuned doom and unsettling melody effortlessly. The differing approaches offer insight into the artist’s mind while leaving many questions still unanswered as “Breach & Bitter” closes out the album on disjointed sounds and powerful energy.
Nadja – Nalepa (Midira Records)
Looking at Nadja’s discography is a task that you might need to set yourself some time aside for. The band’s output is impressive, with live releases standing alongside studio work, EPs, splits and collaborations. Nalepa is a live studio recording that Nadja undertook at the beginning of 2020 in Berlin and features the drumming of Hypnodrone Ensemble’s Ángela Muñoz Martínez to tie together the threads of Aidan Baker’s guitar and Leah Buckareff’s bass into a streamlined, experimental session.
Nadja’s music has long been living in the realms of drone and doom and here the textures are given life in the studio setting, as they are allowed to be formed in a freer state despite following the guidelines of the way the music has been composed. There is a sense of enjoyment in the cyclic percussion and as the guitars curl around curious beats of drum and the bass drives deeper tones into the earth during “Funkspiel Part Two,” the electrostatic dimensions jump from the speakers to the listener in glowing arcs. This celebratory aura continues through “Funkspiel Part Three” as the pace ramps up towards rolling hills of sound and the more restrained palette of “Funkspiel Part Four.” Nalepa is a wonderful addition to the Nadja catalogue and it shows the duo at their most free, live and in their element.
Spider God – Black Renditions (Repose Records)
Cover songs can often lean towards exact copies, bringing nothing new to the table and leaving you wondering what the artist’s point or intention was. Spider God, a one-man raw black metal entity from the UK has taken the cover and spun it through their personal sound. And while you might be thinking Spider God has perhaps covered some well-known black metal songs or metal adjacent tracks and changed some pacing or rhythms, you would be hugely, sorely mistaken. For here, Spider God has taken classic pop songs and given them entirely new life. The songs are fairly faithful in terms of melody and structure except overlaid with Spider God’s throaty rasp. It’s bizarrely fun and just what you might need if feeling a little overwhelmed with life and in search of some light-hearted joy.
Black Renditions features classic from Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, British legends S Club 7, No Doubt and some more modern choices Kanye West and Justin Bieber. It sounds both as bonkers and as wonderful as you think. Highlights come from the Spice Girls’ “Viva Forever,” here titled “Forever,” which is given a doomy, metallic sheen that suits it perfectly and Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle,” which is renamed “Genie” and spins its dark desires through fiery guitar and thrilling gang vocal chants. How Spider God decided on these particular tracks is mindboggling but one can only assume they grew up on some of these songs and still hold popular music in some regard. The most intriguing part of the whole thing is that given these song the black metal edge brings out the darker themes that a lot of pop inherently has, in that the many love songs feel more desperate and chilling for the new angle. Spider God is clearly having an immense amount of fun with this release and hey, I am too.
