The Metal Scholar's Weekly Listening List (16th June 2020)

All Because The Shops Are Open Doesn't Mean You Should Go To Them, There Is Still A Pandemic Going On.

Seeing the shops open yesterday and the ridiculous queues made me feel a bit sick yesterday. Although it is now possible for me to go and see my grandparents but the rules are still unclear for me, it still makes no sense why people would go en masse to shops as soon as they open. We have one of the highest death rates in the world and even though the infection rate may be going down it's embarrassing to see. Just makes the prospect of possibly returning to work on the 4th July a bit more daunting. I won't go on and on about it as that is not what you're here for but while the country is a global laughing stock its hard not to feel angry and frustrated with is all. In the meantime, I have focused on a lot of Witchwood Wizard & The Psychic Yeti (WW&TPY) stuff this week, and it's made that we dropped our debut single Deep Rooted Black Magick a week ago today!  We're still working hard behind the scenes to keep the momentum rolling but thank you for all the love and support you've given the single, it really means a lot! Between you and me there is also plenty more where that came from. Overall the week has been one of mixed emotions so I think this week's lists will show that as I've gone from one extreme to the other. Hopefully you too can get lost in some awesome tunes to help you escape from the absolute wreck that this country has become. So, without further ado;

Singles Of The Week

I. Phoxjaw (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - You Don't Drink A Unicorn's Blood (Hassle Records), Alt. Rock 

II. The Vintage Caravan (🇮🇸) - Psychedelic Mushroom Man (Nuclear Blast), Psychedelic Rock

III. Gaerea (🇵🇹) - To Ain (Season Of Mist), Black Metal

IV. Svederna (🇸🇪) - Tempelhärd (Carnal Records), Black Metal

V. Haunter (🇺🇸) - Thus My Undertaking, to Reject Stagnation, and to Liberate Fervency (I, Voidhanger Records), Black/Death Metal

VI. MaidaVale (🇸🇪) - (If You Want Smoke) Be The Fire (The Sign Records), Psychedelic Rock

VII. Oceans Of Slumber (🇺🇸) - A Return To Earth Below (Century Media Records), Progressive Metal

VIII. Lifvsleda (🇸🇪) - Det Besegrade Lifvet (Shadow Records), Black Metal

IX. Ramihrdus (🇺🇸) - Tempest Of Unreachable Desire (Independent), Atmospheric Black Metal

X. Grima (🇷🇺) - Devotion To Lord (Independent), Atmospheric Black Metal

Albums Of The Week

I. MaidaVale (🇸🇪) - Tales Of The Wicked West (The Sign Records), Psychedelic Rock 

II. Nordkväde (🇸🇪) - Visdom & Makt (Naturmacht Productions), Black Metal

III. Elephant Tree (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Elephant Tree (Magnetic Eye Records), Stoner Metal

IV. Sergeant Thunderhoof (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Ride The Hoof (Hoof Records), Stoner Metal

V. Ramihrdus (🇺🇸)/Luminous Veil (🇺🇸) - Two Solaced The Soils  (Independent), Atmospheric Black Metal

Throwback Of The Week

Revisiting an album that captured my interest almost instantly. Commonly mocked as metal for those who like ABBA, I can kind of agree and see where is comes from. Ghost's Opus Eponymous brought a lot of new things to the table for me, and I often wondered how they got away with all the blasphemous imagery as it looked so much like the precession robes of the Catholic church. Either way for me this album has some tunes on it and I think the production is a style that is raw and rough which I think the band have unfortunately moved on from. So, this week's throwback;

Ghost (🇸🇪) - Opus Eponymous (Rise Above Records), Doom/Psychedelic/Hard Rock/Metal

Weekly Listening Playlist