Releases of 2016 that may deserve your attention

(april, may and june)

[and one or two things that I missed from previous months]

   Definitely I could not be more excited about this post – because I AFFIRM without reservations that the underground music is living a great time! In addition to great international releases, this second quarter was particularly positive for the brazillian music – NOT JUST indeed very varied but, above all, creative and even innovative in some segments. So, I challenge the readers to check the materials below to form your own conclusions: put your headphones and push play!

Note: the term ‘underground music’ refers to a multitude of genres and is impossible to follow all current releases [I’m writing a text about it]. What we have here relates only to a small set of genres. Please, I kindly ask you, give this band/projects a try!

Releases from around the world

Anti-Freeze/Stollo – Mothman prophecies [split album] [Anti-freeze part] [Stollo part free download]
Just hit the links and check it by yourself. Raw, ambient, punk, folk, weight and desolation. If the mythical own Mothman could hear this I think he would feel honored.

Auxeptheon – Serpentfire [demo]
Unbelievable atmospheric black metal project! Although the band has been economic in tags I would add ‘progressive’, ‘psychedelic’ and ‘avant gard’, adding that they are extremely melodic without being sugary and quite hypnotic in some passages. 100% recommended!

Funeral Art – Demo
Great project from Guatemala, combining dungeon synth with more harsh elements of black metal.

Harmr – Demo
This demo is a bit difficult, but I think the band deserves more attention. No easy listening here!

Hey Exit!
Hey Exit has invested heavily in the combination of extreme sounds in experimental music fields, moving between the harsh noise wall, noise and remarkably melodic lines. His latest work, Caudata and Slow names 4 are amazing – but the experiment Every recording of Gymnopedie 1 is a modern masterpiece!

Koprotopsy – Awaken the abysses EP
Imagine a band of black metal raw and old school adding mystical elements in their sound, like something from the middle 90’s? Here’s what these french guys have to offer!

Noč – Demo V and Demo VI
Once more this one man band takes the black metal to new musical territories: the Demo V returns to experiments in the black metal fields and in the Demo VI he returns to cloud rap with notable weigth and terrible anguish.

Speck – Antiheart
Drone music of the highest quality, spectral and diaphanous. Not to mention the cover, a truly painting.

Talog – Talog
By sure an ambient synth album, but very minimal and silent at times.

Tegroth – Nothing left [stream by YT]
The Project of this one-atormented-soul of New Zealand is one of the best musical events of our time – chaotic, sinister and bleak. His howls and incomprehensible mutterings will exhaust all your hope in life.

The Depressick – 1962
Amazing fusion of depressive rock, DSBM and post-metal. The vocals, anguished and full of energy, are the highligths.

Unreqvited – Disquiet
This depressive/atmospheric post-black metal band shows here, as a preview, just two tracks, extremely creative – and the full, in turn, will be released in october by Pest Productions. Do I need to say more? Well , I need: the vocals are great, often laden with suffering cries are disturbing.

Zeal and Ardor – Devil is fine
Surprising fusion of black metal with negro spirituals.

Your Schizophrenia – Юдоль Печали (album 3, if I’m right)
Creative and melancholic fusion of minimalist piano, ambient and spoken word.

Labels

Hobo Tapes
This Finnish non-profit label releases ONLY tapes – NOT JUST, thus, accessible economically and, above all, of superb musical quality. I recommend you to consult the entire catalog, but right now listen this two magnificent releases:

MTS M – Negative sessions
Very nice ambient/experimental noise, mixing the impact of harsh noise wall with melodic moments in a brilliant way.

Napalm Ted – Into a black ooze
This finnish power trio has an astonishing sonority, sounding like Slayer from 80’s sometimes. I can’t think in a better way to recommend them!

Meia-Vida
Brazillian label 100% diy that also releases the major part of his titles in tapes. Noise, improvisation and post-punk. To recommend them, however, I ask permission to indicate a title released in late 2015:

Flores Feias – F .˙. F .˙.

Brazillian releases

Abismika – Infortúnio
Experimental and creative, Depression 4, the soul and the body behind this project, launched an honorable full-lenght [physical copies available for Depressive Illusions]. The titles of the songs cause shiver – and the lyrics will let you very down.

As Long As I Can – Demo
New project of Putrefactus, now even more depressing. Wait for great ambient passages and beautiful acoustic strums.

Cristalv – infeliz.mente EP
Fantastic fusion of dark beats and cloud rap with lyrical themes of DSBM. The result is surprising and addictive!

Def – Sobre os prédios que derrubei tentando salvar o dia (parte 1)
Promising launch of Bichano Records. For fans of emo folk, hardcore and indie music.

Happy Hearts – Lost inside [stream by YT]
Deep melancholy brought to the real world by a noticeable minimal synth.

Lado Esquerdo Vazio – Póstumo
A release that I, personally, was waiting for. Blackgaze at it’s best!

Invernium/Nihus – Forgotten voices [Split] [stream by YT] [Invernium part] [Nihus part]
Great split between this two dsbm projects!

Luison – Vazio EP
Ambient black metal with DSBM elements. This first official release brings a very distressing sound in his digressions about the emptiness of human existence – but the first track released on the web, “Além do incosciente”, had strong indigenous hues in it’s composition.

Melancholiliê – Nonexistence [stream by YT]
DSBM reduced to its smallest power, perhaps verging other genres… sensitive and tormented.

Nihus – Monólogo do sofrimento
DSBM with memorable guitar solos and extraordinary vocals works! Mandatory listening for fans of the genre!

Narcose
I have followed this incredible band from Campina Grande since it’s appearance on the web and I can say that they have the potential to enter the immortal hall of brazilian black metal. With a little bit polished and furious sound, the tracks already released allow us to glimpse a launch of weight: [Felicidade entorpecida] [Até que a luz nos leve] [Buracos negros] [Originally the band was called Psykiatricentrum and then changed to Narcose].

Nitllot
Member of Narcose, Nitllot has proven extremely versatile in various formats: DSBM, horrorcore, dark trap. His most authorial project began as something more ambient/ dungeon synth and soon swelled into a amazing post-black metal. Three tracks were released as previous – but while the first two [I] [II] show great talent, the third one has  a guaranteed place in the top releases of the year [original version] [versão remixada]!

Nostalgia – Lost… [single]
Excellent single of this great post-metal project.

Old Memory – Alcoolismo
Raw black metal about a main theme for the dsbm – the search for drawning the pain in the bottles.

Robert Misan – Silver clouds EP
Shoegaze, minimal synth, minimal piano – somewhere between this genres. The result is brilliant.

Sabactâni/Daydream – Obscura melancolia [split] [stream by YT] [free download]
Split album with two blackgaze/post-metal projects of high quality.

Sem dó – F.C.S.P. (vídeo no YT) e DEVIL (vídeo no YT)
Brazillian horrorcore project ultra heavy and each day more sinister.

shadoW – Edward and Sophia [loose track]
Intimate and touching, this hypnotic elegy is one of the best compositions of the year. shadoW is a portuguese artist currently residing in Brazil – which is why I am including her in this ‘side’ of the selection.

Synonism of Torment – A cloud over the pianist
Debut album of this melancholy soul that I had pointed to in my last selection.

Yvyy – sonnelism, landscape
Incredible project merging black metal and vaporwave.