Every month, I will recap the music I discovered on Bandcamp or releases that were submitted that spoke to me. I find music through word of mouth recommendations, recommendations from artists on their profile, Bandcamp editorial lists, and, occasionally, the site’s recommendation tools. These albums may or may not have been released in the month in which I am reviewing. The criteria is simply that I found them during that month. I will give each release a brief review and share the Bandcamp link.

I’m a few days behind. Will you ever forgive me? I’ve got a surprising long backlog of reviews to write, too. My energy ebbs and flows. I think we will all survive. Maybe. August was a bit light, in terms of new music I found, as I spent a substantial amount of time diving into old favorites thanks to the CD changer a friend graciously gifted me. Do not fear, I will not send you into the month empty-handed.

End of Small Sanctuary/Lord Carrion – Tower Spells (Split)

Released April 4th, 2025

Take it from me, a librarian and relative expert on the covers of books, if anyone tells you don’t judge a book by its cover, don’t trust them. This idiom applies to people, not actual art. Cool artists choose cool cover art, and the art is what pulled me in here. The two tracks from Lord Carrion are blistering, opening with an absolute cacophony of blasting drums and trem picked guitars of blackened screamo that is certainly my cup of tea. The tracks, particularly “Simbelmyne”, are patient in a way that some of the best atmospheric black metal can be. I certainly will dive into their other EPs.

The End of Small Sanctuary surprised the shit out of me. Their tracks touch on things that feel familiar from my teen years, particularly the vocals that seem to pull from all of my gateway heavy bands (I’m looking at you, Circle Takes the Square), but feel completely fresh as a whole. This split is a great pairing, as I would also consider The End of Small Sanctuary patient. This is apparently their first release besides a single, so I’ll anxiously await more music from the Seattle based quartet.

Bonus points for when I realized this was mastered by Logan Rivera!

https://endofsmallsanctuary.bandcamp.com/album/tower-spells-split-with-lord-carrion

Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer

Released on August 15th, 2025.

Alright. If the absolutely ripping guitar solo that opens the first track doesn’t get you pumped, do you even have a pulse? Caelid Dog Summer is hardly the first black metal record I’ve covered for this site to pull from other genres, but it may be the first to pull so directly from traditional heavy metal. Throughout the seven heavy metal and punk infused raw black metal tracks, Athens, Greece based Fell Omen streaks up and down the fretboard in a way I’m not sure I’ve ever heard on any other black metal record, approaching the riffs and solos from an extremely traditional direction. The closer, “The Fire is Still Warm”, is, fittingly, the high point for me. Highly recommend this one.

https://fellomen.bandcamp.com/album/caelid-dog-summer

HULDER – A Beacon From Darkened Skies

Released on August 19th, 2025.

At this point, my love for HULDER is a known commodity. Verses in Oath would have made my list for best of 2024 if I had bothered to post it. The Washington based medieval black metal icon has been cranking out consistently great records for the better part of a decade at this point, and A Beacon From Darkened Skies, a two song release, continues the pattern of quality work. HULDER has played around with folk music throughout her discography, but I didn’t expect “Zonnesteen” to be entirely acoustic and medieval. It’s a moody aesthetic and one I hope HULDER continues to build on.

https://hulder.bandcamp.com/album/a-beacon-from-darkened-skies

Wedding Singer – Maybe Not Happy, But Content

Released on August 26th, 2025.

Remember that backlog of reviews I have to write? Well, Maybe Not Happy, But Content is first on the list. Wedding Singer, Portland, OR based emo, are back with a full-length of emo revival bangers, complete with non sequitur song titles, that sound like a PBR tastes. I’ll have a full review of this in the coming weeks, but the short version is that Wedding Singer has crafted the soundtrack for your next DIY kegger.

https://weddingsingerband.bandcamp.com/album/maybe-not-happy-but-content

Sister Sigh – Back to the City

Released on August 29th, 2025.

Oh, how Disparate Parts has strayed from god. What started as a way for me to write about metal now features acoustic folk music. Stick with me. I promise “Back to the City,” the first single from Portland, OR based Sister Sigh, is a good one. The harmonies by Cody Riker, fellow Louisiana expat, and Deidre Jane Rundle immediately grab the listeners ears with how natural and unforced they sound, and, despite being notoriously oblivious to lyrics, a handful of lines crawled into my brain and stuck around. “Lover, you shouldn’t have to be brave on your own goddamned street” is a standout. When Sister Sigh reached out, they mentioned a more substantial upcoming release, and I’m certainly looking forward to it.

https://sistersigh.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-the-city-single

I will no longer be including a Spotify playlist.