{"id":719511,"date":"2026-06-06T18:41:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T18:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/719511\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T18:41:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T18:41:13","slug":"stuck-in-the-filter-march-2026s-angry-misses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/719511\/","title":{"rendered":"Stuck in the Filter: March 2026’s Angry Misses"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rain has started to leak into the ducts as Spring gets wetter and wetter. While I\u2019m away, vacationing in a nice, dry, cloudy place, my minions are drenched and miserable. As it should be! But I\u2019m still keeping tabs on their progress. Just because I\u2019m having a great time somewhere else doesn\u2019t mean these louts don\u2019t have a quota to meet!<\/p>\n

And meet their quota they shall, if only barely\u2026 BEHOLD!<\/p>\n

ClarkKent\u2019s Sci-Fi Soundbites
\nEpigram<\/a> \/\/ Obsolescent [March 6th, 2026 \u2013 Self Released]<\/p>\n

\"\"Combining the melodic black metal of Thulcandra<\/a> and Dissection<\/a> with the symphonics of Fleshgod Apocalypse<\/a> and SepticFlesh<\/a>, Epigram dropped a tasty little morsel with their debut, Obsolescent. The trio from Los Angeles puts on a spirited performance that borders on thrash. Tim Cauley\u2019s display on the kit is a dominant force as he furiously blast beats his way from one song to the next. He turns \u201cWrath of Betrayed\u201d into a piece of blackened thrash and proves tireless across Obsolescent\u2019s 27-minute runtime. The lively vocal performance of Luis Echevarria adds further to Epigram\u2019s charm. His low growls may seem underpowered, but his delivery is energetic and fun. He\u2019s also the source of the symphonic instrumentation, via synths, though this aspect is secondary. Sure, there\u2019s some choral chants (\u201cMyrmidon,\u201d \u201cThe Usurper\u2019s Throne\u201d), strings (\u201cHour of Gods\u201d), and other vaguely symphonic sounds, but Epigram is most focused on the blackened melodic stuff. Shadi Absi throws together some great riffs, particularly on \u201cEmpires,\u201d a work of pure black \u2018n roll. The showstopper is \u201cHour of Gods,\u201d with some sweet riffs and terrific energy. This song alone makes Obsolescent a worthy spin. Rounding out the musicians is Sanjay Kumar (Inferi, Wormhole), who plays solos on \u201cWrath of Betrayed\u201d and \u201cNo Sin.\u201d This is a promising debut for an eager new band.<\/p>\n

Obsolescent by Epigram<\/a><\/p>\n

Kal-El<\/a> \/\/ Astral Voyager Vol. 2 [March 20th, 2026 \u2013 Blues Funeral Recordings<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"Sporting the greatest band name of all time, Kal-El have been blasting listeners with stoner doom since 2012. Astral Voyager Vol. 2 is the follow-up to last year\u2019s Vol. 1, and these pyschedelians\u2019s seventh album overall. It\u2019s been seven years since Witches of Mars<\/a> was unfairly pummeled by a Kryptonian frog, and now I\u2019d like to do the band justice by rescuing them from our filter. On this astral voyage, you get the pleasure of listening to six songs and 42 minutes of laid-back stoner tunes with plenty of fuzzy riffs\u2014perfect for cruising around the cosmos. Their riff-centric approach puts them in the Black Sabbath camp, and the riffs on the likes of \u201cJuno\u201d and \u201cThe Prophecy,\u201d which has a \u201cChildren of the Grave\u201d vibe, are tons of fun. Further cementing the Sabbath comp is the vocal performance of St\u00e5le Rodvelt, who carries a resemblance to Ozzy in his delivery. Longer cuts take more exploratory routes, akin to Sleep, yet still feature plenty to get your head bobbin\u2019. \u201cAsteroid\u201d opens up with some sweet riffs that sustain its near eight-minute frame, while \u201cThe Nine\u201d will still have you singing along in the final of its ten minutes. So if you are in the mood for something chill that won\u2019t put you to sleep, something that has the riffs without the risk of elevating your blood pressure, you should spend some time with Kal-El.<\/p>\n

Astral Voyager Vol. 2 (North American Version) by KAL-EL<\/a><\/p>\n

Thus Spoke\u2019s Tectonic Treat
\nBong-Ra<\/a> \/\/ Esoterik [March 20th, 2026 \u2013 Debemur Morti Productions<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"Not having received promo, it was only upon visiting DM\u2019s Bandcamp page while writing up Aversio Humanitatis <\/a>that I realised Bong-Ra had released another album. Asked whether Esoterik would be leaning more into enigmatic doom or spiky industrial electronica, the shapeshifting Bong-Ra said \u201cyes\u201d. The music is built on layers of dense, gritty atmosphere undulating with bass, breakbeats, and distorted riffs. Vocals are maintained from Black Noise\u2014half-spoken snarls blurred by noise, shifting between blunt tunefulness (\u201cSerpentine Helix\u201d) and gargling venom (\u201cMachine Halo\u201d)\u2014but at least half of the space is devoted to the purely instrumental psychosis. The saxophone is back, adding bizarre elegance and chilling eeriness in equal measure. Sometimes, Esoterik seems to be pitting its sultry and acerbic natures against one another; that chamber jazz side can take one by surprise (\u201cPleasures of the Flesh,\u201d \u201cDuality of One\u201d), sandwiched as it is between a more punishing industrialism, but Bong-Ra just about gets away with it. This could be down to Esoterik\u2019s efficiency in establishing (new) grooves\u2014rhythmic and stylistic. Opener \u201cHarmony Cloak\u201d dispels misgivings on its skittering electronic oddity with a chorus that strikes a stylish balance between melody and dissonance; \u201cMachine Halo\u201d later follows in its stride. It\u2019s an album that earns its moniker, right down to the particular spelling, and is worth the dark diversion it requires.<\/p>\n

Esoterik by Bong-Ra<\/a><\/p>\n

Grin Reaper\u2019s Kooky Curios
\nSurturian<\/a> \/\/ II \u2013 Hessian Spears [March 13th, 2026 \u2013 Crawling Chaos<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"A German thrash band named after the legendary fire giant and guardian of Muspelheim? And on their debut LP, they launch an unrelenting, venomous assault filled with sticky riffs and bopping bass grooves in under forty-five minutes? Sign me up! Surturian plays thrash that smacks of early Testament<\/a> and Metallica<\/a> fused with the epic melodies of latter-day Kreator<\/a>\u2014hell, vocalist Tim Krogull reeks of Mille\u2019s rancorous vocals, even though his name hews closer to a Voivod<\/a>ian disposition. In addition to thrash influences, Surturian calls upon Maiden<\/a>\u2019s signature gallops (\u201cCimmerians Wrath\u201d) and anthemic melodies (\u201c\u2060Night Stalker,\u201d \u201cDo What Thou Wilt\u201d), inculcating a lofty grandeur throughout II \u2013 Hessian Spears. Further fanning Surturian\u2019s flames, the outfit navigates a varied landscape that imbues each track with its own character while never straying too far from their core sound. Hard-hitting offensives (\u201cBlood Witchery\u201d), slinky licks (\u201cNight Stalker\u201d), and oddball songwriting (\u201cBeneath a Dying Sky\u201d) unite into an album I\u2019ve regularly returned to since discovering it. If you\u2019re feeling unSurtain, take it from me\u2014it\u2019s always a good time for some Hessian aggression!<\/p>\n

II \u2013 Hessian Spears by Surturian<\/a><\/p>\n

Barn<\/a> \/\/ Crucibles [March 24th, 2026 \u2013 Self Released]<\/p>\n

\"\"Thanks to a certain dude\/guy in the comments section, Crucibles didn\u2019t slip past me undetected. Despite their dubious band name, Barn dropped a humdinger slab of tech death back in March that oozes with references to Unquestionable Presence (Atheist), Focus<\/a> (Cynic), and, to a lesser extent, Decrepit Birth<\/a>. There are even moments that echo more subdued moments from recent Sallow Moth<\/a> releases (\u201cThe Serpent\u2019s Perpetual Shed\u201d). Staccato bursts of guitar, pinch harmonics, and buttery, fretless bass glissandos epitomize what Barn offers, and they spread it thick and chunky all over Crucibles\u2019 sixty-five-minute runtime. Rustic name notwithstanding, Barn\u2019s latest sounds like a sci-fi adventure, supported by track names like \u201cBlack Hole Lens\u201d and \u201cCymatics.\u201d The fretless bass especially helps with the futuristic aesthetic, frictionlessly gliding through gusts of abrupt, otherworldly guitars that buffet tracks from all angles. Barn rarely offers reprieve during their unconventional onslaught, but tracks like \u201cForbidden Fruits,\u201d \u201cCymatics,\u201d and \u201cThe Defeater\u201d achieve such heights that I don\u2019t find myself needing one. In short, these Boise boys warp listeners to a different dimension on Crucibles, and though it runs a tad long, I haven\u2019t been deterred yet from lighting up this Barnburner.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Dionysiaque<\/a> \/\/ La Tourbe des R\u00eaves [March 27th, 2026 \u2013 I, Voidhanger Records<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"Dionysiaque dispenses a bizarre derivative of doom on La Tourbe des R\u00eaves that\u2019s sure to be equal parts captivating and divisive. Reaching into the bag of tricks defined by Cathedral<\/a>, Black Sabbath<\/a>, and Candlemass<\/a>, Dionysiaque\u2019s sophomore album lumbers and chugs with classic rock-inspired leads and firecracker songcraft that I find utterly enthralling. Songs like \u201cAaron,\u201d \u201cHate Fruit,\u201d and \u201cThe Two Headed Boy\u201d spotlight Dionysiaque\u2019s plaintive guitar wails, contributed by L.B. and Bruno Penserini, along with their savvy balance of somber atmospheres and rousing melodies. Buoying the guitar tandem, bassist Lethal lays down frolicking, fabulous thunder via absorbing countermelodies while drummer T.H. looses potent fills and rolls throughout. Soaring atop the instrumentation are N.C.\u2019s unorthodox vocals, which will almost certainly be the sole determining factor in listeners\u2019 ability to engage with La Tourbe des R\u00eaves. His delivery recalls that of Mayhem<\/a>\u2019s Attila Csihar at his most operatically deranged, never lacking conviction yet occasionally overpowering and ostentatious. Still, I appreciate and enjoy the commitment to the unhinged performance, and although dialing it back a little would make Dionysiaque\u2019s latest more accessible, I\u2019ve come to love La Tourbe des R\u00eaves without apology. So don\u2019t be afraid to let a little love into your heart\u2014go get debauched with Dionysiaque\u2019s aphrodisiac.<\/p>\n

La Tourbe des R\u00eaves by Dionysiaque<\/a><\/p>\n

Creeping Ivy\u2019s Pandemonic Pleasure
\nMammon\u2019s Throne<\/a> \/\/ My Body to the Worms [March 13th, 2026 \u2013 Hammerheart Records<\/a>]<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In advising his fellow fallen angels\u2014recently expelled from Heaven\u2014to turn Hell into a competing kingdom, Mammon projects that All Demons will \u2018work ease out of pain \/ Through labor and endurance.\u2019 Satan doesn\u2019t heed this advice, but the third LP from Mammon\u2019s Throne arguably does. On My Body to the Worms, this Australian five-piece inflicts pleasurable pain upon metaldom via five filthy slabs of sludgy death-doom (plus two instrumental reprieves). Mammon\u2019s Throne conjure Hooded Menace<\/a>, Temple of Void<\/a>, and (old) Worm<\/a> in their proclivity for plodding tempos, swampy riffs, and gravely howls (\u201cElixir\u201d). The album is also a labor of love for classic (death-) doom \u00e0 la Paradise Lost<\/a> and My Dying Bride<\/a>, mixing gothy croons, ascendant melodicism, and haunting piano into the band\u2019s sinister stew (\u201cEvery Day More Sickened,\u201d \u201cAt the Threshold of Eternity\u201d). Though the listener does need some endurance, as three of the five non-instrumentals hover in the 8\u20139 minute range, the record flows fluidly across an easy 42 minutes. If you ever wondered what metal in league with Mammon might sound like, give My Body to the Worms a spin.<\/p>\n

My Body to the Worms by Mammon\u2019s Throne<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n