The Devil's Mouth

14/06/2024

Hey, it’s been exactly two years (are we living in fast forward or some s**t?) but our episode with comedian and musician Dave Hill, “the Darkthrone of comedy” as we somehow established him to be at one point during this hilarious chat, is still by far one of our favourites.

Go check it out if you missed it the first time!
Direct link:
https://www.mixcloud.com/thedevilsmouth/the-devils-mouth-vol-99-ten-rounds-with-dave-hill-painted-doll-valley-lodge-witch-taint/

Also be sure to watch Dave’s comedy special on YouTube, The Pride Of Cleveland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPtSd7VHmdc

06/06/2024

Another month goes by, and music keeps being one of our only beacons of light and hope in these dark times. The world is on fire, we’re watching genocide being perpetrated with impunity and the majority take it in as easily as if it’s a bad taste soap opera. All around the world regressivism and greed keep unfolding unstoppably, fueling injustice, cruelty, bigotry and conflict. So does it matter what fu***ng records we’re listening to? Not in the grand scheme of things, probably, no, but hey. We’ll take all we can get right now. If you live in a place where you can still have the privilege of taking a little break from the news and the endless cycle of doomscrolling, then take a peek at this list of brilliant music for hard times that we, alongside our illustrious guest, exceptional music recommender and overall splendid man Andy Cairns have prepared for you this month. And stay safe.

Our picks (see previous post for more details):
God Mother - Sinneseld (self-released)
Haunted Plasma - I ()
Righteous Underground - Out Of Place (self-released)
Shellac - To All Trains ()
TenHornedBeast - Capra Hircus ()

Andy’s Picks:
The Body & Dis Fig - Orchards Of A Futile Heaven ()
Gimic - We Are Making A New World (Crew Cuts Records)
The Jesus Lizard - Hide & Seek ()
Slab - Defibrillator (feat. The Sewer Cats) (self-released)
Thou - Umbilical ()
Tongues - Feral Hands (Evil Tongue)
USA Nails - Feel Worse ()

Read it all:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/the-devils-month-may-2024

06/06/2024

Another month goes by, and music keeps being one of our only beacons of light and hope in these dark times. The world is on fire, we’re watching genocide being perpetrated with impunity and the majority take it in as easily as if it’s a bad taste soap opera. All around the world regressivism and greed keep unfolding unstoppably, fueling injustice, cruelty, bigotry and conflict. So does it matter what fu***ng records we’re listening to? Not in the grand scheme of things, probably, no, but hey. We’ll take all we can get right now. If you live in a place where you can still have the privilege of taking a little break from the news and the endless cycle of doomscrolling, then take a peek at this list of brilliant music for hard times that we, alongside our illustrious guest, exceptional music recommender and overall splendid man Andy Cairns have prepared for you this month. And stay safe.

Our picks:
God Mother - Sinneseld (self-released)
Haunted Plasma - I (Svart Records)
Righteous Underground - Out Of Place (self-released)
Shellac - To All Trains (Touch and Go Records)
Tenhornedbeast - Capra Hircus (Cold Spring)

Andy’s Picks (see next post for more details):
The Body & Dis Fig - Orchards Of A Futile Heaven (Thrill Jockey Records)
Gimic - We Are Making A New World (Crew Cuts Records)
The Jesus Lizard - Hide & Seek (Ipecac Recordings)
slab - Defibrillator (feat. The Sewer Cats) (self-released)
Thou - Umbilical (Sacred Bones Records)
Tongues - Feral Hands (Evil Tongue)
USA Nails - Feel Worse (One Little Independent Records)

Read it all:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/the-devils-month-may-2024

31/05/2024

BAND OF THE WEEK: Righteous Underground

Their new album is out today!
Includes a cool interview with Espen Ingierd too.
Go discover!

Link:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/band-of-the-week-righteous-underground

30/05/2024

SÁTAN is the newest Icelandic festival you should pay attention to - it starts next week, and no, that name doesn’t mean what you think it does. Discover everything about it now!

Read here:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/festival-spotlight-satan

27/05/2024

They’re only a couple of years away from celebrating two decades since their first album came out, but unusually enough we don’t really feel like we’ve got Menace Ruine all figured out. On the contrary. Each of their own incredible records is a little unsettling and inspiring universe, each one a new puzzle piece belonging to a different puzzle. Atmosphere, drone, black metal, electronics, folk and medieval music and so much more is there, but what comes out is genuinely their own. Theirs has been a journey of absolute discovery, of entirely fascinating new music no matter what form it takes.

It took a while, but we have finally managed to persuade Geneviève and S. to open up a little of their world and discuss music, life, love and the universe in general with us, and we loved every second of it. We can’t wait to see them live at Amplifest in a few months.

Besides the episode itself, the duo has also gifted us with a playlist of songs they love that didn’t make it to the Ten Rounds. You can listen here: https://bit.ly/menaceruineplaylist

You can tune in directly to the episode here:
https://www.mixcloud.com/thedevilsmouth/the-devils-mouth-vol-135-ten-rounds-with-genevi%C3%A8ve-s-menace-ruine/

Or read a little more about the episode here:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/the-devils-mouth-vol-135-ten-rounds

If you subscribe to our Substack you already have everything in your inbox without moving a finger, so maybe do it if you haven’t yet? It's free.
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09/05/2024

As a little homage, I put together a playlist of 166 songs, roughly 12 hours of Steve Albini-recorded tunes. Hope you like it. Click below to get to it.

A homage playlist with 166 songs in 12 hours of Albini-recorded tunes.

02/05/2024

Ever since this wonderful collaboration between The Devil's Mouth and Mondo Negro began, over a year ago, we’ve had the pleasure of amplifying the voice of hundreds of bands and suggesting you hours and hours of awesome alternative music. We do like to scour the depths of the underground to bring you some less than obvious tips, but sometimes we are faced with the undeniable and unavoidable heavy-hitters that simply demand their presence. April has kinda been one of those months - with records by such immortal gods like Darkthrone, High On Fire or My Dying Bride, our picks this month are slightly more obvious than usual, but hey, the good news is that it’s not only the kids doing alright - the old dudes, at least according to this exceptional sample, are also doing quite alright, releasing albums that more than hold up to their illustrious past.

Also, the great Andy Cairns is still with us and adding his own picks, and this month he seems to have had a particularly profitable Bandcamp run, coming up with five blistering records that you can challenge the endurance of your eardrums with straight from the players on the article page.

So, this month’s list goes like this:

Our picks:
Couch Slvt - You Could Do It Tonight (Brutal Panda Records)
Darkthrone - It Beckons Us All....... (Peaceville Records)
Harvestman - Triptych Part One (Neurot Recordings)
High On Fire - Cometh The Storm (MNRK Heavy)
My Dying Bride - A Mortal Binding (Nuclear Blast)

Andy’s picks:
Dynamite - Blow the Bloody Doors Off! (Bandcamp)
Hubert Selby Jr Infants - Have You Ever Been a Crow..Or An Eel (Bandcamp)
K-Hole - Discordant (Bandcamp)
Objections - Optimistic Sizing (Wrong Speed Records)
Schkeuditzer Kreuz - Ratchet // Amerika 24 (Bandcamp)

Read/listen:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/the-devils-month-april-2024

29/04/2024

About to complete the first decade of their existence, progressive metallers ENTHEOS have spent that time wisely, growing into a technical, emotionally intense and brutal as f**k metal monster over the course of their three records. Signed to the legendary Metal Blade Records, they have recently resurfaced, roughly a year after their hugely successful 2023 effort 'Time Will Take Us All', with a blistering new single entitled 'An End To Everything', an unbelievable track which highlights the astounding multi-faceted vocal talents of their frontwoman Chaney Crabb.

We were so impressed by this performance that we called Chaney up for the Ten Rounds challenge, which she promptly accepted. Throughout a truly engaging conversation, Chaney - who also gives voice to the well-known Jill Valentine characted on the Dead by Daylight video game - showed us a few of her favourite songs while at the same time giving us a wonderful insight into her vocal talents, musical perspectives and background.

Tune in directly on the link below:
https://www.mixcloud.com/thedevilsmouth/the-devils-mouth-vol-134-ten-rounds-with-chaney-crabb-entheos/

23/04/2024

A “sonic reaction” between the experimental/noise veterans Pedro Roque and Jerome Faria, NOx is a brand new entity that defies clear definitions and pushes the boundaries of experimental music.

Their very first release, ‘ALTAR’, is out on April 30th via Colectivo Casa Amarela, but you can jump the gun and watch the brand new - and quite dark! - video for the first piece of the album, an exclusive The Devil's Mouth video premiere.

So that you are fully prepared for the sonic assault, we’ve also had a chat with the duo about this first stage of their collaborative career.

Everything here:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/video-premiere-nox-altar

14/04/2024

Today, our festival spotlight shines firmly upon a quaint little village in the north of Portugal that becomes the loudest place on earth every year during the last weekend of April.

Get to know SWR BARROSELAS METALFEST a bit better, one of the coolest, most chilled out metal festivals in the world, through our interview with founder Ricardo Veiga.

Read here:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/festival-spotlight-swr-barroselas

06/04/2024

Would you?

04/04/2024

2024 rumbles on mercilessly, the world is a chaotic fu***ng mess, but like it always happens in “interesting times”, art is there to help us get through it the best we can. This year’s first trimester of music has been an embarrassment of riches, with so much different great stuff to choose from – a great number of which are available to you a click away over at Mondo Negro, just sayin’ –, so it’s lucky that we acquired the best help possible to help us wade through the mountains of sounds and come out on the other side with a carefully curated selection. That’s right, Andy Cairns of the mighty Therapy? returns once again this month with a few more March picks to further enrich our own selections, and we’re sure you’ll find his suggestions to be absolutely spot on as we have.

In total, that’s nine records for you guys to get your heads around. Which one was your favourite this month? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to keep making Andy feel welcome – we can’t imagine The Devil’s Month without him anymore!

So our list goes like this:

Our picks:
Deaf Club (Feat. The HIRS Collective / F**k Money) - Split EP (Three One G Records)
Grieving - Everything Goes Right, All At Once (By The Time It Gets Dark)
Midnight - Hellish Expectations (Metal Blade Records)
Pi**ed Jeans - Half Divorced (Sub Pop Records)
UDÅD - Udåd (Peaceville Records)

Andy’s picks:
Brux - Fills De La Nit (La Vida Es Un Mus)
HAUNCH - Let’s Get the Surgery (Long & Short / Bandcamp)
Public Acid - Deadly Struggle (Beach Impediment Records)
GIRLS IN SYNTHESIS - Lights Out (Own It / Cargo Records UK)

Read everything here:
https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/the-devils-month-march-2024

27/03/2024

Their final album ‘Release’ turns a round and slightly depressing 30 years old this year, so it’s a good excuse as any to revisit our Discography Deep Dive into the career of the legendary and massively underrated Cop Shoot Cop, one of the most crucial noise rock bands of the 90s.

Are you a fan? What’s your favourite release?

Subscribe our substack and never miss another post - it’s free! Link at the end of every post.

Nine years, four albums, two basses, so many samples: Cop Shoot Cop remain unique.

26/03/2024

The great Steve Austin has a new outlaw country/bluegrass act, a new album has been announced and he’s even had his live debut already. Huge news all round, so this next installment of our Inner Self feature, where we focus on the world of singer/songwriters past and present, is all about this new journey in Steve’s rich musical career.

He was also kind enough to sit with us and have a long chat about everything that led to this bold step, all inspirations, feelings and plans, so check that out right now. Oh, and there’s some sweet TODAY IS THE DAY news as well…

Read everything on the link below.

Subscribe to The Devil's Mouth substack (link at the end of every article) to get stuff in your inbox and never miss a post again. It’s free!

A journey into the world of singer/songwriters past and present.

25/03/2024

At the turn of the century, a new voice appeared in American folk/country/blues music. A voice that can sound as old as time, but with songs infused with enough grit and emotion to be very much of their own time, relatable and heartfelt. Coming from a farm in southeastern Iowa, William Elliott Whitmore is the real deal. In his songs, there is sometimes unimaginable loss and grief, but other times - or often in the same song - there’s also someone running from the cops, drinking as the trains go by or remembering how some chickens died on the farm recently.

New album ‘Silently, The Mind Breaks’ came out a couple of months ago, and it once again offers with little tales of humanity, deep and grave but also fleeting and even funny. ‘Darkness Comes’ for everyone, sure, but we can also share a ‘Bunker Built For Two’. It just ‘Has To Be That Way’. William is also, unsurprisingly, the coolest dude, full of other people’s songs to recommend and stories to tell. It’s a pleasure to have him on the show and we’re already wishing for his return soon.

Tune in:

18/03/2024

One of the most crucial bands in the development of the doom metal subgenre, My Dying Bride are a rare case of longevity without decay. A whopping 34 years after the release of their debut album ‘As The Flower Withers’, the English band remain at the forefront of not only their style, but metal as a whole. Every new album bringing a breath of fresh, albeit tragic, air, and new ways of portraying a theatrical, but at the same time all too human and profoundly relatable sense of loss, longing and perhaps a little hope in there too, sometimes.

In what is still one of the most popular episodes of the podcast, we had the honour of having vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe as a guest when their previous album ‘The Ghost Of Orion’ came out. Aaron was also kind enough to participate on our festivities when we reached episode #100, telling us in detail and with moving sincerity all that was behind the song ‘Tired Of Tears’.

Now, upon the release of the fantastic new ‘A Mortal Binding’ album, this honour is doubled as Andrew Craighan, guitarist, founding member and chief songwriter, also joins us for his Ten Rounds. Not only did we get his thoughts on this new release - and what he feels like every time there is a new album about to be released, in fact - but also, as expected, Andy’s choices of songs gave us the opportunity to have wonderful insider perspective into his own relationship with music and the art of songcraft, not to mention quite a few unexpected revelations. Do you know how many “Gorgoroths” the average My Dying Bride song has? Or, for example, which bands really mean it? (hint: Belphegor do, Babymetal don’t)

Well, it’s time to find out.

Tune in with the link below:

Your support and feedback is always greatly appreciated.

One of the most crucial bands in the development of the doom metal subgenre, My Dying Bride are a rare case of longevity without decay. A whopping 34 years after the release of their debut album 'As The Flower Withers', the English band remain at the forefront of their style, with every new album br...

07/03/2024

So we’ve had our one year anniversary of The Devil’s Month, the lovely people at the Mondo Negro record store keep powering this collaboration, you guys have been great with all your feedback and reactions, we might as well rest on our laurels, right? Or, alternatively, how about we, like, you know, give you a revamped feature that is TWICE THE SIZE of the usual ones?

That’s right, now besides the usual five The Devil’s Mouth monthly suggestions, we managed to rope in a remarkable gentleman - a rock superstar, a purveyor of the finest riffage, an iconic frontman and also, as you will be aware in a minute, a fantastic music recommender. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our fold none other than Mr. Andy Cairns, frontman of the mighty Irish rockers Therapy?, who will be adding his Andy’s Picks to each The Devil’s Month. In total, we’re giving you eleven fu***ng records to chew on today - heaviness, psychedelia, weirdness, melody, experimentalism, intensity, it’s all here. You are welcome!

Our first augmented The Devil’s Month goes like this:

Our picks:
Haystack - ‘Doomsday Goes Away’ (Threeman Recordings)
Ihsahn - ‘Ihsahn’ (Candlelight Records)
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - ‘Of The Last Human Being’ (Avant Night)
Spectral Voice - ‘Sparagmos’ (Dark Descent Records)
Toadliquor - ‘Back In The Hole’ (Southern Lord Recordings)

Andy’s picks:
Cower - ‘Celestian Devastation’ (HUMAN WORTH)
Dez Dare - ‘A Billion Goats. A Billion Sparks. Fin.’ (God Unknown)
Island Apes - ‘Island Apes’ (God Unknown)
Nocturnal Reaper - ‘Nocturnal Reaper’ (self-released)
The Bug - ‘Machine V’ (Pressure)
Thee Alcoholics - ‘Feedback’ (Rocket Recordings)

Please be as vocal as you can welcoming Andy in the comments, and don’t forget to tell us what was your favourite suggestion of the month! Who wins February 2024 - Andy or José? The race is on!

Read everything on thedevilsmouth.com
Direct link: https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/the-devils-month-february-2024

04/03/2024

An absolute juggernaut of metal that steamrolled the scene in the first decade of this century with their D&D-tinged, mythology-inspired colossal mountains of songs, Of The Minotaur have gone a little quiet over the last few years - ever since the release of their last full-length ‘Evil Power’ in 2010, this veritable musical hydra has remained pretty much coiled upon the wicked mountain where it resides, stirring just every now and then for a smaller release, like the EP and the two singles this period has produced.

One of those singles is already from 2024, a typically gigantic track called ‘Dark Sorcery Beyond’ (which marks the return of the original line-up with former TDM alumn Larry Herweg and bassist D.J. Barraca), which we took as the perfect excuse to invite main man Steven Rathbone on the show to tell us the latest Lair news, as well as revealing a little more of his musical taste and personality outside the band. As an unashamed fanboy of the band - you might recall the relatively recent Discography Deep Dive on them and also a Were You There? about a kickass 2007 show they did - it was a pleasure to chat to Steve, a genuinely nice guy and a musician with a rare integrity in the approach towards his band.

Tune in now!

An absolute juggernaut of metal that steamrolled the scene in the first decade of this century with their D&D-tinged, mythology-inspired colossal mountains of songs, Lair Of The Minotaur have gone a little quiet over the last few years - ever since the release of their last full-length 'Evil Power'....

03/03/2024

BAND OF THE WEEK: RYF

Includes interview with Francesca Morello.

A new "underwater album" that will pull you under with gusto.

19/02/2024

Hailing from Austin, TX, DEEP CROSS were one of the revelations of 2023 with their ‘Royal Water’ album - or, if you had already listened to their previous releases, including the split with likeminded sonic manipulators khost, a confirmation more than a revelation. Blending post-punk, industrial, noise, electronics and a lot more into their unique sound, they are as soothing as they are apocalyptic and as wildly experimental as they are welcomingly familiar. At one point during our chat, the duo formed by Jason Joachim and Michael Cockrell inspiringly describe what they do as “deranged psychedelics”, and we agree!

Jason and Michael are also “voracious music consumers of all kinds”, as their list of songs and subsequent super-nerdy discussion thereof amply show. Oh, and did we mention you’re getting a FU***NG BRAND NEW SONG? Yeah, there’s a forthcoming 7” coming out and the guys were generous enough to supply us with new tune ‘Strangler Fig’ off that one.

Go listen now!

Hailing from Austin, TX, Deep Cross were one of the revelations of 2023 with their 'Royal Water' album - or, if you had already listened to their previous releases, including the split with likeminded sonic manipulators Khost, a confirmation more than a revelation. Blending post-punk, industrial, no...

16/02/2024

BAND OF THE WEEK: Haunch

Distorted pop songs. Check them out. Includes interview with the band!

https://thedevilsmouth.substack.com/p/band-of-the-week-haunch

29/01/2024

Check out my favourite EPs of 2023:

Oh, he's still at it.

16/01/2024

Only the top ten missing now.

Almost there.

16/01/2024

We - meaning The Devil's Mouth and Mondo Negro, whose ongoing partnership has brought you these little monthly round-ups for a full year now - have genuinely discussed if we should do The Devil’s Month this month. December is typically a slow release month, as everyone is mostly focused on end of year lists and holidays and stuff, and on top of it we haven’t even finished our yearly list for the whole of 2023. So who can be arsed with a few scraps from the flimsiest release month, right? Well, we can. No matter how questionable the decision is to put out records in December, the fact is that quite a few good ones came out once again, and hey, in the end, that’s the whole point of all this, right? To share cool music with you. Also, it’s now been a full year ‘round the sun of The Devil’s Months, so happy anniversary to us or whatever. Here’s to many more.

Here are our last picks of 2023:

Bjørkø - ‘Heartrot’ (Svart Records)
Cryptworm - ‘Oozing Radioactive Vomition’ (Me S**o Un Ojo Records)
Full of Hell and Nothing - ‘When No Birds Sang’ (Closed Casket Activities)
Harp - ‘Albion’ (Bella Union)
HEALTH - ‘Rat Wars’ (Loma Vista Recordings)

Did you have a favourite The Devil’s Month? Any special records you discovered through our picks? What’s your favourite album of 2023? Tell us all your thoughts in the comments!

Rounding up some of the finest releases of the previous month

08/01/2024

One of the most distinct alternative rock bands to come out of the fertile 90s came out of remote reaches of the northern coast of Norway. Madrugada left an indelible footprint on the decade with their legendary debut ‘Industrial Silence’, starting off a brilliant career that has fortunately been resumed in 2018 after tragedy had thrown them into a long hiatus along the way.

A big part of Madrugada’s appeal has always been the uniquely evocative voice of their singer Sivert Høyem, who has also created a remarkable solo career throughout the years with a string of extraordinary albums that had culminated, until recently, with the sombre elegance of 2016’s ‘Lioness’.

On January 26th, however, Sivert returns with a new solo album, ‘On An Island’, so we took this opportunity to have a lively chat with the singer and songwriter about the new record, of course, but also about some of his all-time favourite tunes, giving us a rare insight into his artistic personality.

Tune in now:

One of the most distinct alternative rock bands to come out of the fertile 90s came out of remote reaches of the northern coast of Norway. Madrugada left an indelible footprint on the decade with their legendary debut 'Industrial Silence', starting off a brilliant career that has fortunately been re...

05/01/2024

The thing goes on.

Getting warmer!

20/12/2023

Last weekend was all about an early Xmas party, ‘Zelas style - the unhallowed village of Barroselas, where SWR BARROSELAS METALFEST is usually held in April, was host to the preliminary round of the Portuguese Metal Battles.

Check out a summary of all the action and see who went through to the next round, to take place at the big festival itself.

An early Xmas metal party, 'Zelas style.

15/12/2023

TWENTY MORE 🤘

Moving up.

11/12/2023

A prominent figure in several fields of music for the past three decades, Ihsahn first rose to fame as the frontman of black metal icons Emperor, a legendary band whose first two albums in particular are immovable cornerstones of an entire genre. While Emperor are still active for a few choice nostalgic shows here and there, it's however the Norwegian's solo career that has dominated his output since the beginning of this century, and he already has a discography behind him that features a complete embarrassment of riches.

Prog, experimental, orchestral, jazz, metal, rock, electronics and beyond are all ingredients thrown into the Ihsahn furnace, and the results are always unpredictable, with seven full-lengths and a triad of EPs offering a true rollercoaster of thrills for the most sonically adventurous among us. With his self-titled eighth album scheduled for February 2024, a typically ambitious affair featuring two versions, the "metal" and "orchestral" versions, to reduce it so its simplest explanation, of the same piece of music - and trust me, it is a beast that will indelibly mark 2024 in music -, it seemed like the perfect timing to finally have the great man on the Ten Rounds.

As also typical of the gentleman whose "real” name is Vegard Tveitan, our high expectations were enormously exceeded as this exceptional musician guided us through a truly unique musical path built of his own inspirations.

Tune in now with the link below.

A prominent figure in several fields of music for the past three decades, Ihsahn first rose to fame as the frontman of black metal icons Emperor. While Emperor are still active for a few choice nostalgic shows, it's however the Norwegian's solo career that has dominated his output this century, with...