Author's Choices

Shortcuts to the Underground – Episode 6


New shortcuts! Here we have another three underground releases that could not be much more different.


Solis Nigri – The Serpent Which Heralds The Dark
[Self-Released]

Solis Nigri is the solo material of Jamison DeBolt who is active in several other projects. He is responsible for all composition and performance: guitars, drums, bass and vocals you hear here. How cool is that!? The music is pretty much what I’d call black metal. Plain and simple. Without too much going on, this EP has a badass, dark and sometimes misanthropic and melancholic vibe to it. It’s pretty poetic as well, sometimes with a hint of avant-garde. The overall feel of these songs remind me of the first few black metal releases I got into back in the day while discovering the genre. I am looking forward to hear more!

Amniostasis – Amniostasis
[Self-Released]

Okay… tech death in general is something I absolutely love. All forms of it… be it melodic, brutal, progressive or a little dissonant, I enjoy most of it. With that said, something this technical naturally hits home for me. Fast, highly tech guitar wankery (meant as a compliment!) followed by constant blast beats and nice groovy parts for a change! An absolutely impressive brutal death / tech EP in my opinion.

FFO: Septycal Gorge, Wormed and older Decrepit Birth

Te Ruki – Marako Te Ruki
[Self-Released]

It’s 2024, we have black metal and death metal all over the world. There is not really a country anymore i would not expect quality music from these days, yet here i am, pretty much surprised and impressed by this badass release from french polynesia. WOW! Black / death from some beautiful tropical islands in the middle of the ocean sounds unreal until you listen to Te Ruki! These guys are fantastic and i truly hope they will blow up fast! I honestly can not point out what makes them so special but they deliver death / black metal just as i like it. Melodic, memorable songs, a great atmosphere, clean production but still pretty heavy. Come, get some. You wont regret it!

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