Skeletonwitch - Devouring Radiant Light

Skeletonwitch’s original claim was being a bit different from bands of the re-thrash movement of the late oughts, with vocalist Chance Garnette leading the fracas with black metal rasps and tremolo picked frets to back him; equal parts chaos and melody. Garnette was easily the most recognizable member of the band; then he was replaced. Devouring Radiant Light ushers in a completely new era for the band, even though The Apothic Gloom was their first proper material with ex-Iron Thrones and current Wolvhammer frontman Adam Clemans.

The Atlas Moth - Coma Noir

Chicago-natives The Atlas Moth have always had a special place within my rotation of music that I choose to listen to. Unlike the vast majority of other bands, I don't listen to The Atlas Moth because I want to cure an itch for x-genre specific stylings. Rather, I listen to the band because I'm in a need of something that grooves but also leaves plenty of room for my mind to wander and even relax. Combining elements of stoner metal and psychedelia, their music is certainly layered, but never so-much so that it's overwhelming. Quite the contrary, The Atlas Moth harness a sound that is heavy-hitting but even more so sedative. The band's latest effort, Coma Noir, manages to keep this allure in-tact while also embracing more of a straightforward metal approach to the songwriting. No strangers to change, The Atlas Moth's sound continues to evolve into a new yet comfortable direction with their Prosthetic Records debut.

Wayfarer - Old Souls

In Mick's spot-on review of Zhrine's Unortheta the other day, he talked about the genre descriptor "atmospheric" more often than not being applied to black metal bands.  Lo and behold, I bring to you today a review of such a band!  I'm not sure what it is that makes me go so crazy for well-done atmospheric or folk metal, but throw some acoustic guitar or ambient sound between some blast beats and snarled vocals, and I'm all in.  And with the demise of Agalloch not too long ago, I've been looking for some good ol' American folk/black ambiance with which to fill my day.  Lucky for me, Denver, Colorado's Wayfarer has stepped forward with their sophomore album Old Souls, and it's exactly what the musical doctor ordered.

Scale The Summit - V

While instrumental music in the overarching realms of rock and metal over the past decade or so has given birth to some truly phenomenal bands, it's easy to cave by classifying these bands as simply "instrumental". If you asked a metal fan who some of their favorite instrumental bands are, it might not be a surprise to hear them mention bands as stylistically divergent as Animals As Leaders and Explosions in the Sky in the same breath. One band which has woven a unique patch in this instrumental tapestry, however, is Scale the Summit. The band's technical prowess blended with warm and organic rhythms has cemented them a spot in the upper echelon of the current progressive metal scene. Without fail, Scale the Summit reveals a new depth of complexity and honing of craft with each release. SPOILER ALERT: Their newest release, V, is the band's fifth album (shocker), which takes the listener through familiar, yet welcome territory. Like a mixing pot with their four previous albums thrown in, V represents a cumulative pinnacle for Scale the Summit.

Tempel - The Moon Lit Our Path

Nearly three years ago, we received a bandcamp link from a two-man instrumental act called Temple. Self-identified in their description as "instrumental black metal," I was immediately intrigued. While this seemed like a descriptor that would have surely been placed on the metal blogoshpere's carousel of sub-genres already, I couldn't quite place a band that completely fit that label.  Thankfully for my ears, I decided to check out their debut album On The Steps of the Temple (reviewed by Durf here). In the wake of the positive response to the album, the band got picked up by Prosthetic Records, changed their name ever so slightly to Tempel, and have now released a second offering for us to enjoy.  Improving upon the formula from their first album, The Moon Lit Our Path showcases Tempel taking the trademarks of black metal and weaving them into atmospheric elements, soaring guitar solos, anthemic riffs, and unrelenting beats.  What results is a soundscape that is foreboding, serene, and full of heavy energy all at the same time.

Exclusive Interview - Ryan Wenzel (Tempel)

Yesterday, Durf and I sat down for a little skype chat with Ryan Wenzel, guitarist for instrumental duo Tempel. Durf wrote a review for their debut self released album, "On the Steps of the Temple," in September, but this black metal oriented act has enjoyed some well deserved recognition as of late. After the break, take a listen to our interview with Ryan where we dig into everything you'd possibly want to know about Tempel and more.

Tempel Signs To Prosthetic Records

It's always super cool to see bands get signed that truly deserve it. Check out why this signing made us here at Brutalitopia particularly happy after the break.