Dark Descent Records exists to make people like me horribly happy. They release music most often described as “metal of death.” That phrase covers all kinds of death metal, from death/doom to war metal (aka black/death) to melodic black metal and beyond, but the awkward phrasing serves as a symbolic beacon, indicating the high likelihood of Death Metal English lyrics contained within, as well as a certain level of filth and self-seriousness. By my standards, that means cool death metal (as opposed to the alternative.) October brings two new records from Dark Descent: a melodic ripper from Horrendous, and this little hunk of chitinous vitriol from Finnish death/doom duo Swallowed. Listening to Lunarterial, I find myself thinking of alternate dimensions, incomprehensible horrors, things too large for human understanding, and, for some stupid reason, the movie Event Horizon and its “dimension of pure chaos, of pure evil” (lifted wholesale from Hellraiser), and the cosmic repercussions of opening doors better left shut. Evocative tunes lead to strange visions, what can I say. Meanwhile, chromatic doom chords oscillate and decay like the pulse of a dying star; clattering drums telegraph back a response before the whole thing explodes into the aether, and we’re left dreaming of sweet death metal. It’s a good month when I get more than one record from Dark Descent Records. As labels go, they’ve got as distinct a voice as any: cavernous death metal of unspeakable origin, left in the dark to decay, fester, and multiply exponentially. We’ve got Lunarterial for you to stream in full today. Listen.

Lunarterial CD is shipping now via Dark Descent; vinyl is out 11/6 via Me Saco Un Ojo.