Lord Mantis guitarist Andrew Markuszewski is a man of many hats — literally. In addition to sludge heavyweights Lord Mantis and his solo black metal band Avichi, the guitarist formerly known as Aamonael also leads the experimental dark folk act Sonoran Rebel Black Magick.
At times displaying the similarities of Nick Cave and King Dude, the one-man folk project is getting ready to release its debut album True Western Doom via New Density on June 21. (Pre-order here.)
Recorded and mixed by Markuszewski in the Sonoran Desert and mastered by Collin Jordan (Eyehategod, Yob), the press release says the album's eight tracks are "the soundtrack to a dream of a western world, where time is a flat circle, and cutthroat realities cement — only to later break away into an ethereal and occult truth."
"Just another record by a man, both, at the end of his wits and at the end of another civilization," says Markuszewski. "This album has some feels, and some of them aren't pretty."
The band recently released a music video for the song "Pilgrim of the Sun," which shows off SRBM's eclectic mix of ambient black metal, electronica and outlaw country swagger.
Markuszewski isn't the first extreme metal musician to try his hand at the country thing. Xasthur mastermind Scott Conner completely jettisoned his band into a "blackgrass" trio of folk musicians, while former Morbid Angel frontman David Vincent has crooned cowboy songs for the last several years.
But who does it better? Let's find out!
