Now Playing #1
Alda / Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo / Uamh / Wounds of Recollection
Oops! It’s (almost) all black metal! Today I wanna chat about three albums that released this year and one that was released over a decade ago.
Alda - Tahoma (2011)
As a self-described enjoyer of atmospheric black metal, I fear that I may be asked to hang up my credentials as I’ve somehow managed to avoid ever listening to Alda despite knowing full well that I should for many years now. I changed that in November at the insistence of a friend, and yeah, I absolutely should not have slept on them for as long as I did.
I’m one of those freaks that listens to discographies in order of release, so I checked out their self-titled record first and thought it was pretty good! It’s raw and fairly flawed as underground black metal often is, but I enjoyed the rough recording & mixing, even if it was lacking a bit of oomph that would’ve given it the bite it sorely needed. Tahoma is a huge improvement in that regard, with the band adding some much needed depth and variation to the mix, bringing their music to a level that actually had me feeling things instead of just nodding and saying “yeah this is nice”. I’m also always a sucker for acoustics in atmospheric BM so I especially appreciated the track “Shadow of the Mountain” which gave the album a little more movement.
Tahoma still doesn’t quite break through into my all-time favourites of the genre, but it certainly has earned its place in my rotation.
Chat Pile & Hayden Pedigo - In the Earth Again (2025)
What a fucking treat this album was. I thought I knew what to expect going into this album as Chat Pile is one of my favourite bands and their 2024 record Cool World was one of my favourites of the year. But I had never listened to anything by Hayden Pedigo, which is a shame because his records have incredible covers. Seriously, check out the last three albums he did and tell me the art doesn’t at least pique your curiosity.
First of all, a lot of this is recognizably Chat Pile, and a lot of it isn’t. Most of what isn’t is the work of Hayden Pedigo who provides beautiful, intricate guitar playing via serene interludes as well as subtle contributions to some of the more intense tracks. The blend of sludge, shoegaze and americana is truly something to behold and almost certainly is as unique as it comes. A lot of it boils down to a post-rock kinda feel as it doesn’t really fit snugly into any other category, though the songs are a hell of a lot shorter than your typical post-rock record. Something I really enjoy about this album is that we get to hear Chat Pile vocalist Raygun Busch tone it down a notch, showing a side of his voice we rarely ever hear. His vocals on “The Magic of the World” and “Radioactive Dreams” are some of his best and I’d absolutely love to hear more of that in the future. Speaking of “Radioactive Dreams”, it may be one of the best songs ever made and I’m being completely serious when I say that. What I find incredible about In the Earth Again is that Chat Pile manages to capture the raw, visceral emotion they’re known for, and with Pedigo, they transform it into something truly beautiful & touching.
Uamh - Prairie Smoke (2025)
Two years ago, I listened to Uamh’s debut LP, At the Edge of the Loch, a record that unfortunately made no impact on me whatsoever. I didn’t love it, nor did I hate it, it just was. Nonetheless, I appreciated their approach and was eager to see what the band would do for their next record. So I chucked ‘em a follow on bandcamp and completely forgot about it. Then I saw the email for Prairie Smoke.
Prairie Smoke draws upon the placidity of western America and the isolation of rural living, delivering fast, hard hitting black metal and emphatic vocals. As someone who grew up in a small desert town in the west, I have a great appreciation for black metal that captures the essence of this side of America. It’s a good contrast with the usual depictions of vast forests and mountain ranges the genre is typically associated with. I otherwise don’t have a hell of a lot to say about this record, it isn’t groundbreaking, nor is it attempting to do anything remarkable. It’s just done very, very well, and I think that’s perfectly fine. Probably not a particularly accurate comparison, but it reminded me a lot of some of Yellow Eyes’ music. Highly recommend this one if you’re looking for more atmospheric stuff.
Wounds of Recollection - I Found the Love That I Was Looking For (2025)
Folks, it finally happened. It took me years to get here, but I have finally become a genuine fan of blackgaze. This started with the release of Deafheaven’s Lonely People With Power earlier this year, which is not only their best record, but also my current pick for AOTY. I could never really call myself a Deafheaven fan in the past as they failed time and time again to click with me, but I think I get it now. Interestingly, this wouldn’t be the last time this year I fell in love with a blackgaze record.
Enter Wounds of Recollection, a semi-anonymous one person band going back at least ten years now, though I'd somehow never heard of ‘em until rather recently. I first checked out their 2023 record Warm Glow of the End of Everything and I was seriously impressed by what I heard. Absolutely crushed me in more ways than one. So naturally I moved on to their latest album, titled I Found the Love That I Was Looking For, and holy shit, it blew me the fuck away. As if having a pretty album cover and being on my favourite label wasn’t enough, Wounds of Recollection totally stepped up their game and released something truly special this time. The elements of post-rock and the added nuance and detail to each song made me sincerely appreciate what I was hearing. It’s emotional, heartfelt, somehow soul crushing and hopeful at the same time, a beautiful journey from start to finish. Couldn’t choose a favourite song if I tried, you’re just going to have to trust me and listen to it.
If you enjoyed this record, please please check out both of their side projects, The Blood Mountain Black Metal Choir and Isleptonthemoon. Incidentally, they just released a split with all of their projects, which is kind of an odd thing to do, but I totally respect it.