October 17

Förmörkelse by Leviathan

The sophomore effort from Swedish project Leviathan feels vaguely flaccid, especially when compared to their 2002 debut blaster: Far Beyond the Light. Förmörkelse drags – and doesn’t have the engorged spirit of the former.

G.O.H.E by In Cauda Venenum

A challenging listen, In Cauda Venenum is to black metal what Tool is to heavy metal; it defies classification. G.O.H.E is merely two tracks long (20+ minutes each) but is compelling and creatively links segments together in novel time arrangements. The tea is not black enough for me, but the musicianship is second-to-none.