Terminus Episode 126 - Austere, Hanging Garden

TERMINUS: extreme metal podcast

Summer yawns over the horizon, but Terminus is interested in something a little colder: today's episode features both DSBM and material descended from Peaceville doom to add some well-needed cynicism to your time by the pool.

First up is the return of Austere some 14 years after their last full length. Titans of Australian DSBM, Austere return no less powerful for their time absent, with material just as grey, lonely, and withering as their classic works. Beyond simple depression, though, Austere explores fascinating textural territories with dense, novel chord voicings, a patient, nearly ambient manner of constructing songs, and moments of triumphant melody which burst through the music's dense, suffocating fog. Highly recommended for DSBM fans and even those suspect of the genre.

The other half of this episode features the return of Hanging Garden to the show, who made a great impression on us with 2021's "Skeleton Lake." Their new (nearly) eponymous full length presents an aggressively streamlined, pop-forward sound which manages to fully integrate the band's serious extreme metal pedigree with hook-laden, approachable songwriting. This record functions as a fascinating update to 00's Hot Topic stalwarts like Lacuna Coil, with just enough bite to keep noisemongers like us listening. While this is far more accessible than our typical fare, it's no less potent in its songwriting and craftsmanship.

0:00:00 - Intro

0:05:39 - Austere - Corrosion of Hearts (Lupus Lounge)

0:53:50 - Interlude - Totalselfhatred - “Total Self-Hatred” fr. Totalselfhatred (Ordo Decimus Peccatum, 2008)

1:01:06 - Hanging Garden - The Garden (Agonia Records)

1:52:32 - Outro - Theatre of Tragedy - “And When He Falleth” fr. Velvet Darkness They Fear (Massacre Records, 1996)

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