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Metal Monday.
 

Metal Monday.

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If anyones interested, tickets for Turnstile at Piece Hall and Spiritbox Euro/UK tour on sale Friday.

I'd put it in the IPA & Intellectual Superiority Tour Gigs thread, but as they're not hipster enough it will get roundly ignored. 


 
Posted : 23/02/2026 5:37 pm
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Posted : 23/02/2026 6:58 pm
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Posted : 23/02/2026 10:05 pm
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Based purely on the name, Warlock Corpse has to be my kind of thing. Will need to check them out at lunch. 


 
Posted : 24/02/2026 9:32 am
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After a hiatus it feels like a good time to return to revive the age old tradition of missing Monday!

 

Recently I have been enjoying Agriculture's latest record after seeing a bit of it in a live session via the KEXP YouTube channel:

AGRICULTUREMUSIC.BANDCAMP.COM "https://agriculturemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-spiritual-sound"
The Spiritual Sound | Agriculture
The Spiritual Sound by Agriculture, released 03 October 2025

1. My Garden
2. Flea
3. Micah (5:15am)
4. The Weight
5. Serenity
6. The Spiritual Sound
7. Dan's Love Song
8. Bodhidharma
9. Hallelujah
10. The Reply

There’s a kind of quiet violence in how music is consumed today—flattened into background noise, sonic perfume fed into algorithms, sold as lifestyle. It’s entertainment as anesthesia. Sound without the weight. The Spiritual Sound, the new full-length from Los Angeles–based band Agriculture, stands as a pointed refusal of this condition. This is not a playlist. This is not a vibe. It is a demand.

Across its runtime, The Spiritual Sound traces a narrative arc through extremes: searing, sky-cracking catharsis on side A; a slow-burning, devotional undercurrent on side B. The album is largely a fusing of the visions of its two principal songwriters, Dan Meyer and Leah Levinson: distinct voices, deeply complementary.

Dan writes like someone clawing toward the divine through noise, channeling Zen Buddhism, historical collapse, ecstatic grief. Leah’s songs move differently: grounded in queer history and AIDS-era literature, amid the suffocating fog of the present, they carry the weight of survival as daily ritual. Her writing asks how to honor queer community and collective struggle without turning it into identity branding or personal mythmaking: how to stay honest, how to stay present. Though distinct, their voices converge in a singular spiritual grammar—one that defines the totality of The Spiritual Sound, not as separate parts, but as one unified expression.

Agriculture’s formation mirrors this duality. What began as a loose collaboration between Kern Haug and Dan Meyer in the Los Angeles noise scene evolved into a shared pursuit of the sublime through heavy music. With the additions of Richard Chowenhill and Leah Levinson, the project solidified into the band’s current form. The ecstatic black metal foundation was laid on 2022’s The Circle Chant, expanded into something more precise and far-reaching on their 2023 self-titled full-length, and deepened further with 2024’s Living Is Easy: a record that embraced devotional intensity and radiant heaviness in equal measure.

Agriculture’s writing process is built on dismantling and revision of self. Dan and Leah bring songs to the band and then allow them to be pulled apart and rebuilt communally: reshaped through conflict, repetition, and deep trust. Richard adds guitar melodies and solos, and Kern constructs rhythms which are sometimes familiar but often unconventional. Finally, with Richard producing, the final form of each song is realized through intense collaborative work in the studio. Although a time consuming and ego-frustrating process, this allows the band to find the spirit of the songs not through inspiration, but through persistence.

Yet, even in its most ambitious moments, The Spiritual Sound remains rooted in the ordinary and in the day-to-day relationships between the people who made it. Gas station snacks. Inside jokes. Sleeping on floors. Playing shows in rooms that smell like mildew. The spirit here isn’t abstract, it's live. This is spiritual music that starts with imperfect gear and a long-in-the-tooth tour van.

Agriculture doesn’t offer salvation. The Spiritual Sound isn’t a map out of the fire. What it offers instead is presence: a confrontation with the moment, however unbearable, however divine. It insists that meaning is still possible, even in a world hell-bent on reducing everything to content, and where suffering itself can be conducive to recovery. As the Buddhist saying goes “the only way out is in.”

When the founder of Chinese Zen, Bodhidharma, was asked by the emperor of China “What is the true meaning of the holy truth?” He replied, “Vast emptiness. Nothing holy.” This is not background music. This is not for vibe. The Spiritual Sound is music that asks.

 

And! In the spirit of shameless self-promotion my band Oolith released its debut album this month:

 

For fans of YOB, Thou, or Pallbearer 🙂

 

 


 
Posted : 10/03/2026 8:30 am
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Oolith has a new follower & Agriculture is on today's work playlist though this week I've been largely music free, enjoying the sound of silence. 


 
Posted : 11/03/2026 9:57 am
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Thanks @thepodge!

Agriculture are ace - their KEXP session is well worth a watch, they're ludicrously tight.

I've tickets to see them in Manchester in the summer, looking forward to it a lot 🙂


 
Posted : 14/03/2026 9:23 pm
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Not a half bad review from my mates over at Ninehertz either. 

Agriculture didn't do it for me, some good stuff but a bit too varied overall. 

I'm trying to work out if I can make it to Core later this year, the lineup is bonkes

www.corethefestival.com


 
Posted : 14/03/2026 10:09 pm
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Metal Monday X Dog Thread crossover: here's Nilo meeting Eicca Toppinen (founding member of Apocalyptica) last week and playing it very cool, didn't want to seem too much of a fanboy 😂


 
Posted : 14/03/2026 11:35 pm
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The dog's saying, "Yeah man it's cool, I'm just more into grindcore" 🙂

@thepodge yes the 9Hz review was a nice surprise, our first written review!

Core festival does indeed look cool.  I know they're a fair way down the bill but Cwfen I saw last year supporting Faetooth and they were really good.


 
Posted : 15/03/2026 5:30 pm
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I cannot believe how damn good Budgie are. Thank you


 
Posted : 15/03/2026 5:41 pm
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Posted : 16/03/2026 2:50 am
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Posted : 16/03/2026 8:01 am
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metal might be a push, but defo rock/folk rock. anywho, just discovered these guys, and am totally blown away by their latest album.

 

 

 

and they did a sweet cover....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omqKZ3VSmTc

 


 
Posted : 16/03/2026 9:15 am
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Oddly enough as I read this I'm in a hotel and Steppenwolf come on the TV. 

Often credited with coming up or at least popularising the term "Heavy Metal". Considering what else was around in 69, I guess they were quite heavy but would probably be logged as Rock these days. 

Also, can we have a resurgence of keyboards, specifically organs in music please? 


 
Posted : 16/03/2026 9:42 am
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Korn have just announced a European tour. Architects as support. 


 
Posted : 16/03/2026 10:19 am
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I had a fantastic time at the 1865 in Southampton last Saturday moshing to ChopSuey - a S.O.A.D tribute band, and I remain stoked about it today, so, an oldy but goody.

Soad


 
Posted : 16/03/2026 10:55 am
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Posted : 23/03/2026 1:02 am
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New track from Neurosis:

Looks like Aarron Turner from ISIS has joined the band 🤩 


 
Posted : 23/03/2026 1:27 pm
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Posted : 23/03/2026 8:46 pm
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No apologies if I've posted this before 🤘🤘🤘


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 5:11 pm
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Posted : 30/03/2026 5:29 pm
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Singer Maphra has gone viral on YouTube over the last few months. She isnt in a band but is singing lots of covers from different metal bands.

Can't work out if she's real or ai.

Either way it's reached number on on the Billboard's hot hard rock chart for the BMTH cover.

 

 


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 7:12 pm
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Posted by: flyingpotatoes

Singer Maphra has gone viral on YouTube over the last few months. She isnt in a band but is singing lots of covers from different metal bands.

Can't work out if she's real or ai.

Either way it's reached number one on the Billboard's hot hard rock chart for the BMTH cover.

 

 

 


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 8:09 pm
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Something a bit different from me this week.
My local alternative / metal /.punk / DIY venue needs your help.

Thanks


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 8:22 pm
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To me the sync is out on that BMTH Maphra vid which would easily fuel the AI comments. 


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 8:25 pm
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Lots of good suggestions here will add some to my playlists. 

I do also enjoy listening back to the BBC introducing rock on Radio 1 via the sounds app, some songs aren't my liking but the odd song each does week catch the ear and get listened to a few times. I do enjoy the enter the pit feature towards the end of the show. 


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 8:46 pm
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Hoping to see Gnome tomorrow night at the Rebellion in Manchester. 

 


 
Posted : 30/03/2026 9:09 pm
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Posted : 31/03/2026 11:20 am
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I don't mind that Gnome band above, they are one of the better bands that clearly grew up with Kyuss and KTB etc but I don't understand their desire to include the novelty aspect.

I've never really gelled with Down or Crowbar or Corrosion of conformity, something about that whole sphere has just felt a little too redneck for me but I'm quite taken by this track from the new CoC album.


 
Posted : 06/04/2026 9:10 am
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Despite my best efforts I've never been able to get into any CoC record apart from Blind, which, start to finish, is one of the greatest records ever made.


 
Posted : 06/04/2026 11:56 am
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I had this ready to go last night, then forgot to send it. Still, what’s a day between friends, eh? 🤷🏼‍♂️


 
Posted : 14/04/2026 8:37 pm
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Posted by: thepodge

To me the sync is out on that BMTH Maphra vid which would easily fuel the AI comments. 

Looks fine to me, and I was watching very closely on both videos. The way her face moves, her lips match, and there’s little things that I’m sure AI just wouldn’t ‘think’ of; the tiny flashes of light from the jet beads on her choker. She’s got a good voice, I’d love to see her with a good bunch of musicians playing behind her.


 
Posted : 14/04/2026 8:47 pm
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Posted : 14/04/2026 8:54 pm
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Posted by: CountZero

I had this ready to go last night, then forgot to send it. Still, what’s a day between friends, eh? 🤷🏼‍♂️

what a throwback! i havent listened to that in years and years! awesome!

 


 
Posted : 15/04/2026 8:03 am
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It's Monday and I'm considering Napalm Death tickets so fill ya ears.

NAPALMDEATH.BANDCAMP.COM "https://napalmdeath.bandcamp.com/album/scum-full-dynamic-range-edition"
Scum (Full Dynamic Range Edition) | Napalm Death
Scum (Full Dynamic Range Edition) by Napalm Death, released 01 July 1987

1. Multinational Corporations
2. Instinct of Survival
3. The Kill
4. Scum
5. Caught... in a Dream
6. Polluted Minds
7. Sacrificed
8. Siege of Power
9. Control
10. Born on Your Knees
11. Human Garbage
12. You Suffer
13. Life?
14. Prison Without Walls
15. Point of No Return
16. Negative Approach
17. Success?
18. Deceiver
19. C.S.
20. Parasites
21. Pseudo Youth
22. Divine Death
23. As the Machine Rolls On
24. Common Enemy
25. Moral Crusade
26. Stigmatized
27. M.A.D.
28. Dragnet
29. Multinational Corporations (Rough Mix)
30. Instinct of Survival (Rough Mix)
31. The Kill (Rough Mix)
32. Scum (Rough Mix)
33. Caught... In a Dream (Rough Mix)
34. Polluted Minds (Rough Mix)
35. Sacrificed (Rough Mix)
36. Siege of Power (Rough Mix)
37. Control (Rough Mix)
38. Born On Your Knees (Rough Mix)
39. Human Garbage (Rough Mix)
40. You Suffer (Rough Mix)
41. Life? (Rough Mix)
42. Prison Without Walls (Rough Mix)
43. Point of No Return (Rough Mix)
44. Negative Approach (Rough Mix)
45. Success? (Rough Mix)
46. Deceiver (Rough Mix)
47. C.S. (Rough Mix)
48. Parasites (Rough Mix)
49. Pseudo Youth (Rough Mix)
50. Divine Death (Rough Mix)
51. As the Machine Rolls On (Rough Mix)
52. Common Enemy (Rough Mix)
53. Moral Crusade (Rough Mix)
54. Stigmatized (Rough Mix)
55. M.A.D. (Rough Mix)
56. Dragnet (Rough Mix)


 
Posted : 27/04/2026 1:00 pm
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New bank holiday Airbourne, mates!

 


 
Posted : 04/05/2026 8:50 am
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Topic starter
 


 
Posted : 04/05/2026 6:57 pm
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There really needs to be a dad-rock Tuesday thread.


 
Posted : 04/05/2026 7:57 pm
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New vinyl that arrived Friday, but I was away and forgot to post yesterday. 

20260505_112025.jpg


 
Posted : 05/05/2026 12:07 pm
citizenlee reacted
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Posted : 05/05/2026 12:12 pm
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