Mass.

Density.

Collision.

Mutation.

Synthesis.

Dawning.

Summoned into existence by five hundred thousand millennia of primal, foundational crash and churn, the ground which gave rise to the melody-tinged epic black metal of Northern Curse is an epicenter of tectonic plate smashing, molten magma bleeding creation through destruction.

“New Hampshire’s bedrock is entirely igneous rock or a similar form called metamorphic rock, created when heat and pressure alters existing sedimentary or igneous rock,” columnist David Brooks wrote in the Concord Monitor a couple years back. “That, incidentally, is why we don’t have any fossils to speak of: Our bedrock has been heated or crushed or melted so much that no fossilized bones are discernible.”

And this lava flow of elemental heaviness has never been more fiery or vast than on the New Hampshire band’s forthcoming sophomore full-length Universal Bleeding.

“The general theme is human suffering,” guitarist/vocalist Matt Serven—a founding member of crusty grind-punk heroes Backstabbers, Inc—explains. “Human suffering within the context of human existence and human experience. Often in silence. Isolated. But at the same time…together.”

Originally founded to serve as a black metal outlet that would strive to evoke the tough life and existence of early New England settlers and the seafaring/fishing/whaling way of life, Northern Curse quickly evolved into a less confined beast. While the trio’s self-titled 2017 full-length turned enough heads in the underground to land the band on stages with Fuming Mouth, Morne, Wolves in the Throne Room, and others, it is on Universal Bleeding—featuring a revamped and revitalized lineup—the true scope and darkness of Northern Curse reveals itself.

“In my mind I was writing a straight-forward and honest black metal record,” Serven says. “I know that some—perhaps many—may not agree. But the appeal of black metal to me is that, much like in hardcore, there’s a lot of room for interpretation within the style. Especially, when it comes to the emotions that both these genres convey. I think black metal is just as much about as intention/emotion as it is sound.”

-Shawn Macomber