To Hell And Back is a weekly column in which Noisey metal editor and lifelong hesher Kim Kelly explores the extreme metal underground and recommends her latest faves.Last week, I wrote about the idea of examining and sometimes abandoning one’s musical idols in service of the greater good, and taking accountability for one’s own failings. It was a difficult and complex problem to discuss, and I was gratified to see that it generated some discussion amongst people I respect (and I only got a little bit of hate mail!). This week, I’ll be honest: I am way too fucking tired to wax philosophical about much of anything. I’ve barely even listened to music at all since I wrote up the band entries for last week’s column, because I don’t listen to music on my phone and as one of the collective organizers of#OccupyICENYC, have spent the majority of my time since then at the blockade outside the I.C.E. processing center at 201 Varick Street in Lower Manhattan. There were a few moments during the occupation—like when a guy in Morbid Angel gym shorts stopped by, or when various folks brought out a guitar, or a ukulele, or an accordion (?)—that reminded me that, oh yeah, music exists, but by and large, my ears have been on hiatus.
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The revolution will have a soundtrack, but I don’t know exactly what it’ll sound like yet. I’m hoping Iskra.It’s a funny thing, going from listening to music for eight hours at a time (or more, if I go to a show after work or have the energy to throw on one of my dad’s old country records when I get home) down to nil. After so many years of writing about metal, I very seldom listen to music at home anymore; it’s kind of a shame, but living such a loud existence does amplify one’s appreciation of silence. Also, outside of work/metal, my particular political activities mean that I’ve been exposed to enough LRADs, screams, and sirens for a lifetime, so I do appreciate the moments of calm within the ongoing storm.Getting back into the swing of things this week has been slightly jarring, but was eased by the beautiful inevitability that I’d eventually get lost in an album and start absentmindedly headbanging at my desk—a sight that my coworkers are now used to, but that still seems to perplex the randoms who trundle in and out of Vice’s editorial floor each day. Yesterday, Adzalaan’s Into Vermillion Mirrors is what did the trick; today, Forest of Grey’s Crypsis is the first thing that’s grabbed me (and it has really grabbed me—it’s a perfect synthesis of atmospheric black metal and epic crust, which has me written all over it).Here are a few other things that I’ve been enjoying this week from some old friends, new discoveries, and dependable faves (they're not all metal, either—sorry not sorry, you're lucky I didn't just cue up fifteen Merle Haggard songs and leave it at that).
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Black Tusk
Dakhma
Escuela
Escuela just keeps on killing it out here, and the Ithaca powerviolence crew is taking no fucking prisoners on their new split with Oakland grind freaks Violent Opposition. I can't remember if I've written about them and their uncompromising sonic warfare operations here before, but if not, shame on me, because they fucking rule.
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Dead Wretch
Skeleton
Timelost
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Agnosy
Grave Plague
I cherry-picked this track off of Give Praise Records' new sampler, The Two Faces of Reality, but there's a ton of great stuff on there, particularly for those who like it fast and ugly. Grave Plague seem to be a new prospect with a delightfully caveman-esque outlook; their approach to death metal comes straight outta the early 90s, brewed from a rotten mash of Swedish and Floridian influences (as well as the obvious hat-tip to Incantation). I haven't heard enough to pass any real judgements, but judging from this track, I'm going to need to keep an eye on this Cleveland death squad.Kim Kelly is an editor at Noisey; follow her on Twitter.