Canadian Doom Metal trio, Ethereal Tomb, have been making quite the name for themselves among the Canadian DIY scene. Proving why doom metal has just as much a place in the scene along side genres like metalcore, deathcore, and hardcore. Raw production and heavy hitting instrumentals all wrapped up in an anti-colonial mindset, these three really know how to keep your attention on them.
A handful of shows and demos under their belts, things are looking positive for the future. The band dropped a Split EP with fellow Canadian doom band Loose back in early November and as recently as January 20th, 2023 they dropped their follow up “Promo ’23“. In support of their newest release they dropped lead single “Stone Magnet“, an amazing Electric Wizard cover, which is available on all streaming platforms.
We had a chance to catch up with Guitarist/Vocalist Alexander Senum to discuss general life as a musician/promoter, the bands future in the scene, and being an indigenous creator in an mostly white dominated genre.
After the turbulent year that was 2022, it goes without saying that we could all do with a quiet year. Lo and behold though, for it seems 2023 just looks to be as frantic of a year as the last. Thankfully, with the towering shadow of covid now withdrawing, it appears the world of music is bustling once more. Granted, to say to industry is in ideal health would be an utter fallacy, but never-the-less, we are seeing a mass emergence of new talent from all across the alternative contemporary spectrum. So with that in mind, we present the first part of the bands set to completely make 2023 their own.
Conjuring the bewitching consolidation of modern brutalised sonic mastery with the rapid spiral dance into Scandinavian pagan worship, the Big Smoke/Somersetonian quintet Forlorn carved a distinct mark on the heavy music community despite their stunted growth due to the endless flow of lockdowns that plagued the British isles. Upon being forced into an elongated respite only weeks into presenting their double debut singles ‘Erased’ and ‘Emotionless’, re-evaluations of the bands purpose and stylistic endeavours took centre stage as the possibility of touring became rather inconceivable; when inspiration sprouted surrounding a fascination with the contemporary classic folklore horror film Midsommar, it proved to be a delectable combination come experimenting with the dichotomy of savage etherealism on their late summer of 2020 single ‘Colour Lost’.
With such a milestone in their sacred evolution conquered, their 2022 string of enchanting singles which fully embraced the Swedish cultist aesthetic including ‘Old Wounds’, ‘Hold Me’ and ‘Redeem, Release’, were met with widespread acclaim and overwhelming elation come the promise of further reconnaissance into their immanent divinity. Such impactful creativity from these kindred spirits is to be an expected ongoing offering, one of which you would be a fool to pass up on. – Bennie Osborne
Typically, a band’s moniker is a suggestion of their sound. Though saying that, Going Off’s namesake can’t do the band’s output the justice it’s deserves nor demands. Dealing in the kind of brutalising and borderline feral contemporary hardcore in vein of acts such as Gulch, Candy, Scalp and Times Of Desperation, Going Off are the sound of British hardcore in it’s most intense and violent form. As proven within the band’s two existing extended plays – self -titled and Destroy, both released in 2020 – this band forgo the gimmicks abundant in modern hardcore in favour of maximising the impact of their sound. There’s no callouts, samples or fumbled attempts in shoehorned genre dynamism to be found here; just fierce and bludgeoning hardcore optimised for maximum conflict and violence.
Appearances with the likes of Cruelty, Sworn Enemy and Full Contact have made this fact physically palpable – often to an injuring degree – but it’s the band forthcoming LP debut What Makes You Tick that’s set to see Going Off spin-kicking the scene into top gear. Released February 24th via Church Road Records, the record is musical violence distilled into audible form, with the band adding further groove, haste and aggression into their mix. There’s nothing subtle to be found here, just hard and relentless music for increasingly hard and relentless times. – Dan Hillier
Taking a listen to Sleemo’s smattering of singles and EPs since their formation in 2019 you would be surprised to know that this Norwich trio have not been around that long and that they are much younger than many of their peers. The depth and maturity in their song writing is astounding. 2022 saw two new singles in ‘Dog’ and ‘For The Honest’ which continue to shape them as genreless to a degree within the realms of rock.
Incorporating elements of noise-punk, doom, post-hardcore and indie they are a gripping listen if anything else. ‘Dog’ is bass heavy with chaotic drums with a stomach grumbling breakdown yet the vocals set them apart from these features with Rival Schools-esque clarity and tone. In thanks to their skill, they have already found themslelves sharing stages with Jamie Lenman and Palm Reader whilst also winning ‘Best Alternative Ast’ at the New Music Generator Awards. As well as plays on BBC Introducing, people have been paying attention to what these three fresh faced talented gents have been up to and what is next. With a potential release coming this year on Beth Shalom Records you should keep an eye out too. – Adam Vallely
After becoming the subject of close devotion within their local Brighton scene, LibraLibra are back with the grandiose post-rock inspired ‘Mothers’ Ruin’. Taken from their forthcoming extended play Cut – released March 23rd – ‘Mothers Ruin’ once again see’s the trio channeling trauma into dynamic pop maximalism whilst also treading new new sonic territory. Inspired by respective members’ time playing in local post-rock acts, the track is a moving, textured and alluring documentation on frontperson Beth Cannon’s attitude to food and control as a young person that’s only further fleshed out by a Bjork-esque delivery and the sweeping centrepiece of a saxophone solo courtesy of Miles Spilsbury of The Physics House Band. “Mother’s Ruin’ was truly cathartic in helping me heal from past traumas I am still unravelling”, states Cannon on the track. “I feel like I was speaking to my 15 year old self. The year when I lost all control & power over my body & as a means to survive I transcended above my body & bones & began floating up in clouds, watching life in slow motion.” – Dan Hillier
Self-styled Midsommar metallers Forlorn have unveiled their latest single, ‘The Weight of It All’, taking the dual, duelling nature of their music to new heights. The pagan group balance both serene melodies and vicious screams, all emanating from vocalist Megan Elliott, alongside haunting soundscapes that both soar and plumb the depths of despair and sorrow. It’s particularly fitting, then, that ‘The Weight of It All’, is as Elliott describes, “lyrically centred upon the notion of living a double life; switching between two paradoxical personas that coexist within one fragile lifeform.” The scope of the instrumentation feels cinematic and echoes that duality, the band blending folk horror, pagan mythos along with the trials of modern life to create something truly compelling. – Will Marshall
London hardcore/death metal troupe Burner blew more than just the doors off last year with their debut EP A Vision of the End, and they’ve been hard at work since, writing and recording their first LP slated for release this year. The first taste of it comes in the form of brand new single ‘Hurt Locker’, which takes everything we already loved about the Church Road signees and dials it up to 11. Rampaging right out the gates at breakneck pace before settling into a hellish groove, it packs a hell of a punch, including a neck-snapper of a riff shortly after the 2-minute mark. The song takes aim at war and oppression, with the band dedicating it to “the Ukrainian people, fighting a war they shouldn’t have to, and the Russian civilians and soldiers that chose to resist instead of comply. For every unjust war, the people forced to fight in them, the innocent people who die and the propaganda that hides the truth about conflict.” A blunt message delivered with surgical precision. – Will Marshall
St Alban’s finest Enter Shikari offer up ‘It Hurts’, the second single from highly anticipated album A Kiss For The Whole World, and with it comes a call to arms for listeners to reassess their world view and analyse the ways in which we (often too harshly) judge ourselves. ‘It Hurts’ is a serotonin-boosting whirlwind of intensity that revealed itself to frontman Rou Reynolds in unlikely fashion, ‘Melody, chords and fully-formulated chorus were part of a dream that, thankfully, remained with me when I woke up’, recounts Shikari’s commander-in-chief. Exploring the narrative of living in a society that teaches the avoidance of criticism and failure, Reynolds states that ‘It Hurts’ ‘is about perseverance and the importance of reframing failure as a fruitful and pivotal route to progress’ and, in just over three minutes, impressively dissects the world we live in to arrive at the conclusion that to simply try makes us more than enough. – Jordan Aldridge
After a successful 2022 touring the UK and supporting the likes of HECK along the way promoting their debut album and tearing up rooms causing more chaos than a two piece should be able to, Death Goals have returned to cement themselves as a crucially exciting and important band. Lead single ‘Faux Macho’ from their second LP A Garden of Dead Flowers presents clear growth sonically for the band. Noise, hooks, gang vocals and chaos wrapped up with a glittery bow. Harry (guitars/vocals) and George (drums/vocals) are wearing the queer hardcore label on their sleeves proudly and they are rightfully demanding the attention and acceptance of all that listen. Expect nothing short of blood, sweat and a good time from the duo this year. – Adam Vallely
Formed in 2017 and composed of Mariana Navrotskaya (Vocals, Guitar), Anastasiya Khomenko (Drums, Vocals) and Natalya Seryakova (Bass), Death Pill are – quite frankly – a product of oppression. Sick and tired of witnessing toxic masculinity dictating and stagnating their national Ukrainian scene, the band formed as a kickback against the overtly male presence that dominates not just culture but society as a whole. Using the righteous and riotous sound of classic riot grrl as their primary drive and musical foundation, Death Pill enrich their sonic takedowns with hardcore-orientated energy and raw thrash metal fretwork. The end result is the concise musical equivalent of a knife fight between Exodus and Bikini Kill whilst Black Flag and GEL cheer from the sidelines.
For some time, Death Pill seemed unstoppable. A dotted fixture of their underground national scene and with their news of their namesake floating across borders, the band’s drive and incendiary mix of metallic riot grrl soon became a rallying call from an entity most unstoppable. Of course, the events of February 24th 2022 changed their course. Following the invasion of Ukraine, the trio split, with Nataliia seeking refuge in Australia, Anastasiya traveling to Spain and Mariana staying in their hometown of Kyiv. Their attitudes, plans and lives altered by unjust war and bloodshed, the band hastened work on their forthcoming debut LP. Now – earlier than initially planned – Death Pill are on the cusp of releasing their self-titled, a body of work that’s thrilling, dynamic, urgent and understandably ferocious.
With the self-titled record due for released February 24th – an exact year following the invasion of Ukraine – via New Heavy Sounds, we got in touch with the band to discuss their work and ethos.
Anastasiia: “We are angry and we care about what is happening around us. “You must hear it, and better yet see our live performance. We are definitely not a commercial band which think just about money and “how to be famous”. We are pretty “underground” punk minded people. Everyone can find something about themselves in our lyrics.”
Marianna: “Punk like Black Flag and metal. We all have different tastes in music (this is our issue and strength at the same time). Power, because each of us can bring something fresh to our music. This is why our songs are different and every time then we play a show, the organisers and audience are confused as our style is often a mix of 4 or 5 different influences.”
Nataliia: “There is still work to be done, but personally I am happy that there are a few more female bands on the Ukrainian scene. Everything, including the music world, is changing, slowly. But we are heading in the right direction, where people will not focus on stereotypes.”
Marianna: “Excited, a little embarrassed by all this attention, but it’s very nice and keeps us going. This album came a long way to get finished and we are very happy to share it with people.”
Joining the already confirmed likes of Deafheaven, Converge, Heilung and more this week are Enslaved, Swans, Petbrick and Empire State Bastard, the new endeavour of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and Oceansize’s Mike Vennart. They will also be joined by fellow newcomers A Burial At Sea, A-Tota-So, Copse, Dawn Ray’d, Din of Celestial Birds, fakeyourdeath, False Hope For The Savage, Haast, Joliette, LOS SARA FONTAN, Mt. Yonder, Other Half, Poisonous Birds, Project MishraM, Pruillip, Thought Forms and Wallowing.
On the announcement, the festival states; “ArcTanGent Festival has always been about championing the most exciting, experimental, left-field artists and this year will absolutely be no different. There’s zero chance you’ll find another line up like this anywhere in the UK – this is not to be missed!”
The home of all things posty, mathy and all things generally experimental-y, ArcTanGent Festival has become globally renowned as the biggest and arguably best festival for all things contemporary and unique. Acclaimed for hosting emerging talent as well as pioneering acts in from all things left-field, the Bristol based festival has quickly been bequeathed with a legendary-like status due to it’s diligence in hosting unique lineups spreading all across the experimental spectrum. As per, ArcTanGent Festival will take place at Fernhill Farm between 16th – 19th August 2023. Full information and tickets are available here, see the lineup thus far below.
After few and mysterious sightings over the years past few years, the sci-fi extreme metal entity Wallowing have made contact; and they do not come in peace. One of the most fascinating and unique voices in the underground metal circuit, the masked and laser-lit group’s new single ‘Flesh And Steel’ not only the first glimpse of their upcoming LP Earth Reaper, but it’s release coincides with their signing to tastemakers Church Road Records. For those who have seen and experienced Wallowing in the past, such grand news of a signing will come as no surprise. Committed animating their sci-fi narrative not just through their abrasive art but also via comics, trading cards, action figures and intricately designed props, Wallowing live and breathe the sci-fi world they have crafted, something made further palpable with the bleak, harsh and unrelenting ‘Flesh And Steel’. With Earth Reaper scheduled for landing on April 28th and it’s release also featuring a companion comic illustrated by Luke Oram, this is a crucial media experience for those who wish to experience full body disintegration though audible means. – Dan Hillier
It’s fair to say The Ongoing Concept blew the doors off the saloon with their debut album Saloon, and its followup Handmade (which naturally involved them using entirely handmade instruments from scratch); after that, a line-up change and their third album, the band went their separate ways. Seemingly, the concept was finished; until this year. The original lineup have repaired relationships (as it featured three brothers, and everyone knows family dynamics are a tricksy thing) and got back together to not only continue, but do so by calling back to the past with Again, and first single ‘Prisoner Again’. Though it’s named after ‘Prisoner’ on Handmade, this isn’t a redo; instead it takes inspiration from the former’s chaotic metalcore mashup to bring a new twist on a familiar sound. The band say of the new single and album, “We wanted to bring a classic The Ongoing Concept sound but were struggling in finding a way to showcase a new era of the band. The missing piece of the puzzle was adding TJ and Andy’s vocals to the mix. Along with Kyle and my [Dawson] vocals, you get a taste of the range this album will have.” – Will Marshall
The band that never slows down, after releasing a ripper of a record last year with f.e.a.r., Stand Atlantic are already back at it with their standalone new single ‘kill[h]er’. Sitting somewhere between the bands slower, more solemn songs, whilst introducing the kind of build up and distortion on the guitars that typically falls in line with the bands more upbeat pop punk hits. It’s a song that deals with self depreciation, and the intrusive thoughts that come with feeling low in self certainty, something vocalist Bon has been vocal about since the early days of the band’s career, between bouts of funny hijinks onstage and shitpost quality tweets. The song hits like a sweltering ballad invoking tones, strangely enough, from classic rock, with a big Aerosmith-esque guitar solo for good measure. Stand Atlantic continues to prove that they can conquer any and all genres they put their minds to, and there’s no telling what could possibly come next, other than chances are it’ll likely be just as good as this track here. – Elliot Grimmie
Written alongside the Reuben classic ‘Let’s Stop Hanging Out’ and presented in the charismatic and charming style of his current material, ‘Words Of Love’ bridges Jamie Lenman’s past and current state of being. Arriving hot on the heels of his late 2022 offering The Atheist and taken from his upcoming EP Iknowyouknowiknow – due for release May 5th via Big Scary Monsters – the track bares the hallmarks of the classic Reuben sound, and whilst some of the post-hardcore angle have been sanded down, it’s original musical DNA is clear. “Words Of Love’ is a very old song that I’ve been trying to get on a record since some time between the second and third Reuben albums, but it never fit anywhere until now”, states Lenman on the track. “Even so, I still had to shave off a few of the post-hardcore edges to make it fit with this project, so if you think you can hear a little mid-noughties vibe in there, that’s why. For a long time this was on rough track listings for the album, but in the end we decided it would be nice to give it a starring role on the EP instead—otherwise it would have been fighting for attention.” – Dan Hillier
