TERMINUS: extreme metal podcast

Terminus Episode 120 - Cromlech, Haxprocess

Mom and dad are fighting again.

It's been a tough time on the Terminus homestead with regards to scheduling, TDMG waylaid from recording earlier by the insidious trickery of budget airlines. Perhaps a cooling-off period was needed, though, before recording what is perhaps the most contentious episode in Terminus history. Blood must be shed. There is no other path forward.

The cause of such discord within the family? The long-awaited return of Cromlech, epic doom purveyors with close ties to the podcast. "Ascent of Kings," a record a decade in the making, is without question one of the single most ambitious albums we've ever covered on the show. Epic in scope, scale, and concept, Cromlech pulls on threads of epic doom, traditional heavy metal, and those genres' progressive rock ancestors to make a record as unwieldy as it is grandiose. The question is simple: does Cromlech stick the landing, or is the sheer weight of compositional intricacy too much to bear? The battle lines are drawn and the positions the hosts take may surprise you, but one thing is clear once the dust has settled: "Ascent of Kings" will undoubtedly be a cult smash hit for a certain audience, and it is a record which necessitates tremendous discussion, whatever your position might be.

Following this is another album with tremendous ambitions, albeit in a radically different direction: the debut full-length by Haxprocess, Jacksonville progressive death metal band and friends of The Death Metal Guy. Haxprocess sets its sights on recreating the style of late 90s progressive death metal, closely hewing to the structural rigor of deathrash while also heavily invested in the psych and prog rock of yesteryear. Through careful recreation of that era's stylistic features but with a genuine charge of youthful spirit and creativity, this is a record which could easily have emerged from '98, but with an energy and soul all its own.

0:00:00 - Intro

0:07:12 - Cromlech - Ascent of Kings (Hessian Firm)

1:51:24 - Virgin Steele - “Through the Ring of Fire” fr. The House of Atreus - Act I (T&T Records, 1999)

1:56:49 - Haxprocess - The Caverns of Duat (Independent / CD on Witches Brew)

2:49:39 - Outro - Burning Inside - “Apparition” fr. Apparition (Crash Music, 2001)

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Terminus Episode 119 - Schavot, Kanashimi, Lovebites

After being battered for a fortnight by winds of frost and plague, Terminus once again valiantly gallops into battle against the forces of stoner doom and prog metal with another enthralling installment of the only metal podcast that has ever existed. Weathered and beaten but unbowed, your intrepid hosts present a melange of records from all over the map, starting most curiously with Lovebites, the current spearhead of the Japanese power metal scene. For all those who miss the classic days of oldschool Sonata Arctica, Rhapsody, and other legends of traditional Euro-style power metal, take note: they might be a meme for weebs, but they're an excellent band for the serious metalhead.

Our first full review goes to the sophomore full length by Schavot, the solo project of Floris Velthuis, one of the pillars of the Dutch black metal scene. The new record shows the project sharpening its focus dramatically into a fusion of Dutch and traditional second wave styles, with an emphasis on high contrast songwriting, unique chord voicings, and rigorous, austere forms. This album shoots straight down the middle between both hosts' tastes in black metal, which we wager means that it will be as remarkable to the listener as it was to us.

Further down the rabbit hole is the new record by Kanashimi, a grumbling and miserable DSBM/doom project from Japan which gathers melodic motifs from both pop and classical culture. Slow, trundling songs spin together gossamer threads of delicate piano melody into arduous paeans of modern isolation and misery. Both traditional in its minimalism and modern in its execution, this record is essential for any of those who want to experience some full-body gloom in the waning days of winter.

0:00:00 - Intro/Lovebites - Judgement Day (Victor)

0:27:31 - Schavot - Kronieken uit de nevel (Void Wanderer Productions)

1:24:07 - Interlude - The Funeral Pyre - “Thieves,” fr. Wounds (Prosthetic Records, 2008)
https://thefuneralpyre.bandcamp.com/album/wounds

1:30:11 - Kanashimi - 闇歌 [Yamiuta] (Talheim Records)

2:18:24 - Outro - Susumu Hirasawa - “Gatsu” (Berserk, 1997)
https://youtu.be/pPPlW_sLoXM

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Terminus Episode 118 - Sielunvihollinen, Sudentaival, Rigor Sardonicous, Orphan Autopsy

As February progresses and winter's grip begins to falter, Terminus takes advantage of this space between seasons to present a real grab bag of an episode. Today's theme? Confidence and boldness, as exhibited by bands from all over the world and in all styles of extreme metal- there's something for everyone here. First: Cuban(!) slam death band Orphan Autopsy, whose refined presentation and brilliant sense of pacing elevates conventional ideas into a slickly listenable but intensely brutal package.

Next is a double feature of recent Sielunvihollinen releases which explore different aspects of the band's core sound. First is a split with fellow Finns Sudentaival. On these tracks Sielunvihollinen emphasizes the intense street punk influence in their black metal, where Sudentaival combines the rowdy schlager quality of Absurd with truly gorked garage punk. On the other side: Sielunvihollinen's newest EP, which shows off a more melodic side to the band, heavy on influences from melodeath and power metal but no less ferocious for their presence.

To wrap things up, something completely different: the hideous return of the mighty and terrible Rigor Sardonicous, cult Long Island extreme doom purveyors whose sound is at once singular and primordially familiar. Trundling, oppressive chords derived from equal parts Winter and Black Sabbath batter the listener with sluggish regularity while monstrous pitch-shifted vocals roar and a drum machine thumps, clicks, and whirrs in the background. This repulsively majestic release stirs in your hosts an intense discussion and one of our best reviews. Save your fork- there's pie!

0:00:00 - Intro

0:04:30 - Orphan Autopsy - Blistering Deprive From Sanity (Rotten Music)

0:20:42 - Sielunvihollinen/Sudentaival - Split (D88 Records)

0:42:02 - Interlude - Hasil Adkins - “Chicken Walk,” fr. Out to Hunch (Norton Records, 1986)

0:43:56 - Sielunvihollinen - Sielunmurskaaja (Independent)

1:15:44 - Interlude - Peste Noire - “Retour de Flamme (Hooligan Black Metal),” fr. La Sanie des Siècles - Panégyrique de la Dégénérescence (De Profundis Éditions, 2006)

1:20:02 - Rigor Sardonicous - Praeparet Bellum (Memento Mori)

2:13:37 - Outro - Thralldom - “Quantum Frost,” fr. A Shaman Steering The Vessel of Vastness (Profound Lore / Parasitic Records, 2006)

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Terminus Episode 117 - Deiquisitor, Apokatastasis, Utanförskap

Sunday, February 12th, 2023 marks one of the most important rituals in American culture: the release of a new Terminus episode. We're back with some records the more death metal-inclined Terminators will undoubtedly appreciate, plus an appetizer provided by Russia's Utanförskap, a post-black metal project which arrives at a unique sound through a genuine appreciation and understanding of its post-punk and shoegaze source material. Many of you are undoubtedly soured on the post-black style (for good reason,) but trust us: this is the exception to the rule.

First at plate is Deiquisitor, a bashing Danish death metal outfit initially brought to the table by The Black Metal Guy, of all people. Deiquisitor's sound is difficult to pin down, operating in a hazy grey area of oldschool death metal songwriting combined with the cold and nihilistic atonality of the most avant-garde brutal death. "Apotheosis" reaches both forwards and backwards in time, with the primordial matter of Tampa and New York styles of death metal filtered through a prism of terrible, futural certainty.

Following this is the debut record from Apokatastasis, courtesy of our friends at Hessian Firm. This one-man project from Arizona sets itself a challenge right out of the gate: to successfully combine brutal death metal and melodic black metal into a cohesive entity. The result: something akin to a particularly ferocious take on Swedish blackdeath (Dawn, Sacramentum, etc.) infused with the convoluted, ever-spiralling technicality of Crimson Massacre. This one is a challenging listen, certainly, but one that rewards today and promises more in the future.

0:00:00 - Intro/Utanförskap - Förlåtelse (Independent)

0:24:37 - Deiquisitor - Apotheosis (Extremely Rotten Productions)

1:09:31 - Interlude - Nailed - “Rupture Savior” fr. Hatred, Failure & the Extinction of Mankind (Anticulture Records, 2008)

1:13:15 - Apokatastasis - The Consecratory Secretion (Hessian Firm)

1:54:49 - Outro - Vehemence - “By Your Bedside” fr. Helping the World to See (Metal Blade Records, 2004)

Terminus Episode 116 - Goatmoon, The Howling Void, Noisy Neighbors

Now that the dust has settled from our 2022 recap, it's time for the boys to dive headfirst into the new year with a smattering of genre- and quality-varied records. This week's episode features a major black metal release and a funeral doom record from a friend of the show, but first up- an appetizer. Noisy Neighors' debut full-length truly blasts from stereo speakers with a ripping half hour of traditional yet tightly coiled grindcore- an easy recommendation for all lovers of d-beats and death growls.

Six years after the release of the divisive "Stella Polaris," Goatmoon has returned with "What Once Was... Shall Be Again," a release that suggests a return to Goatmoon's core sound of stomping, punk- and folk-infused Finnblack. The band doesn't disappoint in its return to the traditional Goatmoon form, but how does this shake out after such a long departure from the style? TBMG and TDMG tease out the subtle structural differences between this and Goatmoon's classic works, attempting to answer a crucial question: what, exactly, will be Goatmoon's legacy?

Should the jangly stomp of Goatmoon raise your spirits too much, The Howling Void is here to crush them once again. The funeral doom project of Ryan from Pneuma Hagion, Intestinal Disgorge, and many others, THV's newest record points to a minimal yet multifaceted take on the traditional style. Early Skepticism is brushed with the symphonic backing and scope of Summoning, and further by a haunting veil of mournful folk melody. It may be a new year, but it's still winter, and The Howling Void reminds the listener that it always comes back again.

0:00:00 - Intro

0:05:56 - Noisy Neighbors - Derailing the Hype Train (Grand Vomit Productions)

0:22:22 - Goatmoon - What Once Was… Shall Be Again (Werewolf Records)

1:23:19 - Interlude - The Offspring - “Elders” fr. The Offspring (Nemesis Records, 1989)

1:25:30 - The Howling Void - Into Darkness Ever More Profound (Funere)

2:23:18 - Outro - Catacombs - “At the Edge of the Abyss” fr. In the Depths of R’lyeh (Moribund Records, 2006)

Terminus Episode 115 - 2022 Roundup! - Manticore, Tribal Gaze, Stabbing, Shape of Despair, ๛ (Komootra), Chasm Shroud

The Black Metal Guy slithers out from his dreadful crypt. The Death Metal Guy emerges from his abattoir-cum-brothel. A chill upon the hissing wind raises hackles and lowers spirits. A sluggish and corpulent full moon hangs listlessly just over the horizon. A whisper whips through the trees, barely audible: "please bro I just need an aux cable to run my drum machine through the PA I swear I'll give it back as soon as I'm done with my set."

Welcome back to Terminus! At least partially rejuvenated from our break we return with SEASON 4 of the hottest extreme metal podcast on the market! This time we're opening the year a little differently: an embarrassment of riches came out toward the end of 2022, making it literally impossible to cover everything of note before the year is out. As a result, we've assembled a fast-moving episode of shorter reviews to attempt to cover as much territory as possible before proceeding with 2023 releases. Today's features include:

Chasm Shroud attempting to square the circle of high art and fast motorcycles.

Manticore continuing a proud legacy of middle-American* proto-war metal.

Tribal Gaze creating a tricky new sound from the bones of death metal and hardcore.

Stabbing reining in brutal death metal's most abstract impulses to create something more musical.

Shape of Despair providing the definitive soundtrack to visits to a mist-filled cemetery.

Komootra dedicating themselves to torture, nihilism, death, nothing, The End, etc.

Welcome back, terminators! It's time to put 2023 to death- by guillotine!

0:00:00 - Intro

0:06:11 - Chasm Shroud - Manna from Heaven (Forbidden Sonority)

0:29:04 - Manticore - Endless Scourge of Torment (HHR)

0:49:29 - Tribal Gaze - The Nine Choirs (Maggot Stomp)

1:11:39 - Interlude - Xibalba - “Never Kneel,” fr. Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias (Independent, 2010)

1:16:10 - Stabbing - Extirpated Mortal Process (Comatose Music)

1:33:33 - Shape of Despair - Return to The Void (Season of Mist)

1:54:58 - ๛ (Komootra) - ๛ (Non-Self Supremacy)

2:15:44 - Outro - Tetragrammacide - “Pulsating Sudarshan Gammadion of Aiwasstronic Fishnu,” fr. Third World Esoterrorism (Iron Bonehead, 2019)

*TBMG starts the year off right - with a thunderous, clunking error. Judas Iscariot is from DeKalb, Illinois, which is NOT in Ohio. The broader point, re. Midwestern black metal, still stands.

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Bursting out of Shadow: Lykathea Aflame’s Elvenefris

By this point into Terminus Winter Break, you've no doubt exhausted our considerable back catalog, and have been reduced to listening to actual music instead of our reviews. But fear not! Every time we go on break, we release one of our elite, patrons-only bonus episodes to all you rank and file terminators. So here's the first single-record episode we've ever done. We think it's some of our best work, and we hope you enjoy it.

Most truly great albums leave a legacy, begetting new genres, subgenres, styles, or scenes, and so becoming points of origin for new traditions. But once in a very long while, there is a complete one-off. Lykathea Aflame’s only release to date, Elvenefris, is one of those albums: How do you build on a masterpiece of lush, ecstatic, melodic…. goregrind? Maybe you don't. Where the hell did this record come from? And why is it so damn good? The answers may surprise you.

00:00 - Intro

8:40 - TBMG reacts / major key metal

19:10 - Vs. the "happy death metal" cliche / religion, goodness, virtue

37:50 - "Bringer of Elvenefris Flame" - influences and lack thereof

54:51 - "Land Where Sympathy is Air" - the Elvenefris theme

1:03:20 - “On The Way Home" - insane song structure* / non-metal influences

1:32:45 - “Flowering Entities" - don't worry, this is still death metal / finding "the way home"

1:43:50 - “A Step Closer" - lurking black metal influence / newness from tradition

01:53:20 - “Walking in The Garden of Ma’at” - happiness, vulnerability, permanence

2:12:37 - Outro - Lightning Bolt - “2 Morro Morro Land,” fr. Hypermagic Mountain (2005)

*Chart for "On The Way Home":

Main riff: A B C B C’ D C’ E’ E F GB’ B

Drone: A A A A A A Note: X' = "X prime," marks a variation on that riff.

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Terminus Omega 2022 - The Year-End Show

The third season of Terminus is drawing to a close, but of course, there's one last matter to attend to: a testimony to the unquestionable best metal records of 2022. As is tradition, our final episode of the year is a sprawling beast where your intrepid hosts discuss all the peaks and valleys of the year in review. This year's list has plenty of surprises in store, with lots of dark horse records creeping their way to the top and others losing steam upon further review.

As always, we'll be taking a break of a couple weeks at the beginning of the new year to rest and recuperate before the assault continues in 2023. Happy new year to all terminators, and thank you for your continued support. Here's to all the great music of this year and more in the future.

0:00:00 - Intro

0:31:20 - #20-16

1:09:14 - #15-11

1:41:38 - #10-6

2:20:26 - #5-1

3:10:19 - Aparthiva Raktadhara - "Gnostic Arousal of Shava Lingam" fr. Adyapeeth Maranasamhita (আদ্যাপীঠ মরণসংহিতা) (Iron Bonehead Productions, 2022)

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Terminus Episode 114 - Satanic Warmaster, Hate Forest

Merry Christmas and Happy Yule to all terminators (and lumps of coal to those who deny our power)! This is our last main episode of 2022 before we embark on the path to our end of year extravaganza and it's a doozy. We're finishing the year with two black metal records which need zero introduction- one arriving at the end of this week, the other released by surprise. Both these records are the latest installments of long-running, lauded black metal legends, so how does this most recent material stack up to the legacy?

First off is Satanic Warmaster's first full-length in 8 years, a record so highly anticipated the heat coming off it will make you spill your cocoa. What comes after such a long wait? An almost absurdly tight, refined, and polished take on SW's inimitable style. It's not without its own identity, though: Aamongandr explores deeply the relationship between the Finnblack style (which SW itself helped pioneer) and more traditional second wave black metal. Each song on this record captures a unique essence, exploring different facets of the band's long-running career to make for unquestionably one of the most well-rounded (and best) black metal records of the year.

Much like in 2020, Hate Forest has released their newest full length with little fanfare. Innermost displays Hate Forest at their loudest, most immediate, and (arguably) most aggressive, paring back the band's minimal style into the barest etchings of melody and form. Cold and austere but with flickers of fragile life, this record provokes a spirited debate between our hosts, with each taking a surprising position. How minimal is too minimal? How does one define and consider aggression? And why are those trees so angry, anyway?

0:00:00 - Intro

0:06:48 - Satanic Warmaster - Aamongandr (out DECEMBER 30 on Werewolf Records)

1:06:59 - Interlude - Osculum Infame - Vampiric Warmaster (Part II), fr. Dor-nu-Fauglith (Mordgrimm, 1997)

1:14:47 - Hate Forest - Innermost (Osmose Productions)

2:16:19 - Outro - Windswept - “Bookworm, Loser, Pauper,” fr. The Onlooker (Season of Mist, 2019)

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Terminus Episode 113 - Rot, Imha Tarikat, Burkhartsvinter, Wolfsblut

Another episode so soon? Well, our cold, black hearts felt the distant and chilly fingers of shame over how long the last one took to come out, so we've ramped up production in the Autism Factory just for you! Today's episode is another that focuses on deep cut black metal, but perhaps a little less putrid and decrepit this time around. It's still gnarly, though, as demonstrated by our opening segment on a split between German hordes Burkhartsvinter and Wolfsblut who each present their own take on scrappy, longform black metal.

Next is the debut full-length by Rot, quite possibly Vietnam's first black metal band, languishing in obscurity for nearly two decades. So much time slow-roasting in the oven has developed an impressive flavor of resolutely oldschool black metal basted with touches of death and thrash, reminding the listener distinctly of earliest work in the Norwegian and Swedish scenes pre-second wave. Immediate and heavy but also well-paced and surprisingly broad in its musical techniques, this is a record for dedicated black metal aficionados to really sink their teeth into.

Following is the return of Imha Tarikat to the show, whose third full-length seems to represent the band truly arriving at their definitive sound. Exploring a territory somewhere between Mgla haze and Bølzer explosivity, this scans less as black metal and more as something entirely new- heavy, aggressive guitar music where the riff is replaced almost entirely with longform melodies. Not gonna lie, folks- we really reach into High Art Critique territory on this one. The Death Metal Guy unironically employs the phrase "interrogates the relationship." Brace yourselves- these are murky and uncharted waters.

House of Ygra on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@houseofygra7198

0:00:00 - Intro/Burkhartsvinter/Wolfsblut - Return of the Black Hordes (Sturmglanz Black Metal Manufaktur)

0:25:43 - Rot - As Darkness Burns (House of Ygra)

1:08:06 - Interlude - Dark Angel - “Black Prophecies,” fr. Darkness Descends (Combat Records, 1986)

1:16:34 - Imha Tarikat - Hearts Unchained - At War With a Passionless World (Prophecy Productions/Lupus Lounge)

2:15:58 - Outro - Raven Woods - “In Loneliness I Wither” fr. In Silent Agony… (Zoo Sound, 2001)

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