On my older bass guitar I have a bunch of stickers all over it. On my newer guitar I have one. It says LOWER YOUR HEAD. And it came from Hell. It's their mantra, their ethos, their command. It's also an entirely rational thing to do when listening to the works of Hell's lord and creator, M.S.W.. New album Submersus is no exception. Crank it up, lower your head, and get doomed.
Led by a piercing stab of feedback "Hevy" delivers the first of five hammering blows spanning a tortured 41 minutes. Riffs march like trolls, menacing and fearless save for the light of day. Expansions of buzzing atmosphere bewilder and subjugate. Darkness becomes manifest. So much pain, so much release. Sliding right into "Gravis", gargantuan tone beckons across the wastes as if for war, yet already lamenting the fallen. Sickly rasps, bellows, and growls emanate from behind the wall of resolute energy. Tension leads to angelic clarity.
As the melancholy of "Factum" fades jagged peaks once again rise with towering might. Peaks reaching not for the sky. The domain of "Mortem" is deep and cavernous, stout riffs echoing inwards, pushing deeper and deeper into a realm removed from life. Slowly, gently, rising from the depths, "Bog". Breaking the surface a martial cadence takes hold, rot and black muck sucking at every footfall, fading back to darkness, alone and forgotten.
I hesitate anymore to use phrases like "best album to date" because context has so much to do with perception. But, Submersus is pure Hell. Everything that makes up the Hell experience is embodied here and has been refined to a deadly effectiveness. Best album of July 2025 is pretty easy to say however. Use it to siphon strength from doom and gloom, within and without.
Other releases at least worth mentioning: uh, Aank by Kombynat Robotron I guess.
As always, here's my Playlist for July 2025. One track from each release I listened to all the way through at least once. Lots of Black Sabbath and Scissorfight this month.
