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Premieres
by Astral NoizeJune 14, 201910:00 amJune 14, 2019

Premiere: Hidden Mothers – The Longest Journey Yet

Ambient textures and blackened extremity have long been bedfellows, but where once we had the slightly more atmospherically-inclined works of Ulver and Summoning, styles like blackened post-metal and blackgaze are now fully-fledged genres in their own right. Looking back on the early days of black metal’s second-wave, it might be hard to imagine just how effective dreamy soundscapes and furious blastbeats would be when merged together, but combined, the two seemingly disparate styles bolster one another and concoct something entirely more enticing and captivating as a result.

Ever since Alcest and Deafheaven took black metal out of the murky shadows by merging its anguished wailing and razor-sharp guitars with reflective melodies and luxuriant atmospherics, in the process pissing off diehard fans of the genre but attracting a whole new swathe of fans anyway, we’ve seen a wealth of atmospheric new takes on the subgenre, with recent years gifting us world-beating albums from the likes of Denmark’s Møl and America’s Bosse-de-Nage. Now, the UK is looking to get in on the act through Sheffield newcomers Hidden Mothers.

Born out of a mutual love for artists like Oathbreaker, Deafheaven, Amenra, Converge and Alcest, the Steel City group are a forward-thinking new blackened post-metal/blackgaze group who share a goal of “making abrasive yet ethereal music and pushing ourselves and each other creatively,” an objective clearly reflected in their triumphant debut single ‘The Longest Journey Yet’. The track was recorded by Joe Clayton (Pijn, Leeched) at No Studio in Manchester, who the band selected due to his excellent work with the likes of Ithaca and Wren. 

Hidden Mothers plan to head to the studio later this year to record a full EP, and have some shows booked for September and beyond, but for now, you can hear their debut single exclusively on this very site a few days before it officially drops. It’s a life-affirming bout of blackened post-metal, with anguished cries emanating out from amidst lush soundscapes – enjoy!

If you like what you hear, you can follow the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Words: George Parr

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Tagged with: atmospheric black blackened blackgaze debut exclusive experimental extreme heavy hidden mothers metal new post post-metal premiere sheffield shoegaze single track uk

2Comments

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  1. 1
    Premiere: Agvirre – Muzzle & Mask – Astral Noize on August 2, 2019 at 11:02 am
    Reply

    […] One of heavy music’s innate traits is the ability to offer catharsis, both for those creating it and those listening to it. The raw intensity and unbridled emotion makes for purgative experiences, and if there’s one genre leaning into this in recent years it’s blackgaze. The genre’s merging of blackened extremity and more lush textures doubles-down on this aspect of heavy music, offering something that’s capable of both ferocity and serenity, often simultaneously. Perhaps it is this knack for tapping into human emotion and creating something poignant that has lead to somewhat of a burgeoning scene for the black metal offshoot, with several talented new names springing up in recent years and indeed recent months. […]

  2. 2
    Premiere: Mairu – Wild Darkened Eyes – Astral Noize on December 5, 2019 at 9:41 pm
    Reply

    […] enjoyed so much so that we’ve subsequently released their music through Astral Noize Records, Hidden Mothers and Agvirre emerged as breakout acts this year and Sheffield’s Archelon also continue to […]

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