BAZ Underground Updates XXII

It is hard to believe that today marks the first of September of this year that has been trying, to say the least. With schools starting and snow just around the corner, we now need it more than ever to keep updated on fun entertainment to brighten up the days ahead, and surely this week as any other week you can find Julia Katrin and Tom Boatman right here with the BAZ family to bring you news on events and great merch offers to keep your spirits up!

So, let’s see what’s out there…

Band: Devin Townsend

This coming Saturday, the 5th of September, we have a real treat coming your way!

To make up for the tremendous disappointment of Bloodstock being cancelled this year, Devin Townsend is nowhere close to giving up on his plans for the festival where he had an eye on doing his first “By Request” set and he and his crew have been working tirelessly to bring us a virtual show of the set that was to be showcased at Bloodstock. To complicate it even more, all the musicians that are set to play are all stationed in different places and so even more work has been put into this live stream that most others we have witnessed this summer. The interactive experience with Devin will allow him to answer questions we may have for him and the full show will be 85 minutes, just as long as he would have been on stage had Bloodstock not been cancelled.

To secure your ticket now, all you must do is head over to Stagheit´s webpage which will host the event, and of course you can head over to the event´s Facebook page for further information and time schedule.

Band: Behemoth

Should Devin Townsend not be your cup of tea, there is no need to fret as at the same event Behemoth has announced the In Absentia Dei immersive livestream event! The stream is planned to be in high definition 4k from a secret church location in Poland, giving us a chance to choose from eight different camera angles in the multi-camera shoot, or watch the “Director´s Cut”. Special guests at the stream will be Imperial Triumphant. Tickets are available now and ticket holders will be able to watch the event for up to 72 hours after the initial broadcast time. However, we would like to remind you all that Behemoth is known for…interesting performances, and parts of the performance may offend. We therefore recommend viewers to be 18 years of age or over. For time tables and further information, feel free to head over to the band’s Facebook page.

Band: Ninkharsag

Yesterday in Prague felt like a definite shift away from a series of hot summer days to something far more blustery, cold and autumnal. There are though worlds where it would seem always to be winter. So it is with the musical landscapes of Ninkharsag. Taking their name from a Sumerian goddess of the mountains, the band are in fact from Liverpool, England, but they do a damn fine job of invoking the spirits of nordic black metal. Over at Vendetta Records you can pick up their latest single, the rip roaring “Discipline Through Black Sorcery” on 7” vinyl, where you’ll also find their debut LP, alongside some t-shirts. See what’s on offer here and get winter started early with the lead track of the single below:

Band: Huntsmen

Blending together metal with folk and country elements, Huntsmen presented their latest offering “Mandala of Fear” back in March 2020. The double LP was issued with a graphic novel and though the original batch sold out, a handful (13) of the 2 LP + graphic novel set are available again. As I write this there is literally 1 left. If you’re reading this and that last set is already gone my apologies. In the meantime you can still pick up the double CD and it sounds like there may be a second pressing to come. So if you like what you hear, be sure to follow the band on bandcamp for future notifications. I always appreciate finding a band that goes off in their own direction and Huntsmen are definitely on my radar now. Very cool stuff indeed. Check out the offers here and listen below:

Label: Horror Pain Gore Death

Philadelphia’s mighty HPGD Productions have quite the intriguing offer right now. The “30 CDs for $30 Grab Bag” probably doesn’t need much more explanation. For $30 a member of staff at the label will choose a random 30 CDs from their extensive back catalogue (they promise no duplications). This is a limited offer, so if you fancy putting your fate in the hands of the metal gods head over to the label’s bandcamp page. Below is a taster of what you can expect from the label’s roster:

Band: Brain Corrosion / Ripped to Shreds

And returning to HPGD Productions, how often is it you get to listen to some new Taiwanese Grindcore? Well, just announced is the forthcoming “Exhumed from Eastern Tombs”, a joint release between Taiwan’s Brain Corrosion and Taiwanese/ American death metal outfit Ripped to Shreds. For fans of Asphyx, Bolt Thrower, Gorguts and Mortician yes it should be clear by now, it’s extreme and gruesome. Check out the limited CDs (and t-shirts) here and find out what you’re letting yourself in for below:

Band: Ovnev

Over at Naturmacht Productions a new release by atmospheric black metal act Ovnev has been announced. “Transpiration” is not just a powerful musical statement, the album considers the synergie of earth and all the life bound together here. As their bandcamp release states “Ovnev invites you to ride the wind on this atmospheric journey of scientific discovery and botanical wonder. The earth is amazingly complex and deserves our utmost respect for providing our resources needed to survive.” If that sounds intriguing check out the vinyl, CD and digital options here and listen to a sample below:

Band:  Eclipse (Gnaw Their Tongues)

The world of underground metal is already pretty niche in itself, but if any of you really feel like it’s time to push the boat out and terrify yourself (and your neighbours) with some truly strange experimental black metal, well there’s Gnaw Their Tongues (and the plethora of other names that mastermind Mories chooses to release his music under). Just announced Eclipse “demo 1 ‘93” has been made available on limited edition 12”. At the time of writing there’s only 5 copies left here. There won’t be many of you, but perhaps just a few will take the plunge down this rabbit hole. Me? I’m going to go have a lie down.

As already pointed out, today marks the first day of September of this year and what sort of feels like the first day of fall. Under any normal circumstances we would all have had our mosh pit and metal festival needs met, but as we are all aware of that has unfortunately not been the case. But guess what? We survived, and we should be thankful for the responsible actions crew members and artists as well as ourselves have shown during the tempting sunny days of these past three months. Remember now above all else to keep it up. 

By Julia Katrin and Tom Boatman

**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre.**
#WeAreBlessedAltarZine
#TheZineSupportingTheUnderground