Libido is a mid 60’s Are-they-mad-or-not thriller, which blends in elements of psycho-sexual unease, gothic moodiness, and black-gloved Giallo. It regards a young man returning to his childhood seaside mansion home, where his father tied up & murdered a woman, before seemingly committing suicide. The film features a small, well-picked cast,  a great sense of uncertainty, mystery & unease, with a few neat twists. Here from Radiance is a new Blu-ray release of the film, featuring a crystal clear 2k monochrome print, a new commentary track, and a few new interviews

Night of the Juggler oozes the ‘Fear City’ era of 1970s New York, and being released in June 1980, it may be a significant final late entry in the neo-noir crime thriller subgenre that also brought us The French Connection (1971) and Death Wish (1974). Not, however, that many in the UK will know it as such. As the disc’s informative commentary from film historians Kim Newman and Sean Hogan notes, it was one of the first major studio films to receive a straight-to-video release in 1982, and for many years, it was only available on hazy VHS.

Delayed gratification; or, maybe no real gratification whatsoever? Strange and untimely qualities today, but with a rare acumen for presence, Periode (Andreas Reihse & Thomas Winkler), are just fine with the here and now on their new work of measured gesture and restraint, Grapes of Nothingness. Don’t let the title fool you. 

Japanese death metal band Invictus debuted in 2020 with an album called The Catacombs of Fear. This is their second album, several years later, titled Nocturnal Visions.

Dead-Wall Reveries brings together three modern chamber works from Canadian composer Eldritch Priest. Each runs between twenty and twenty-five minutes- all three have a decidedly compelling air, which moves between woozy angularity and sparse disquiet.

Je Laisse à La Nuit Son Poids D’ombre is a fifty-two-minute modern ensemble for ten players. It slowly shifts from hauntingly beautiful to discordant, dark, and at times, primal unease. The whole thing feels like a wonderfully muddying/darkening of the sonic waters.

From the late swinging sixties, The Assassination Bureau is Edwardian-set action-adventure/ dark comedy, with a star-studded cast- taking in the likes of Oliver Reed, Telly Savalas, and  Diana Rigg. It’s a decidedly Euro-trotting affair with an entertaining mix of witty banter, action, thrills, sword fighting, explosions, and more than enough camp to float a boat. Here from Arrow Video UK is a Blu-ray release of the film, taking in an HD print, and a few new extras.

Here we have a digital/  split EP bringing together two walls. One is decidedly pop/grit-bound from the UK’s  Spent Stiletto,  and the other thicker/ cruder buffeting weather-bound affair from USA’s No Fun Harsh Noise Wall. Each wall hits dead on the ten-minute mark.

With only a handful of releases spread over their twenty plus year career, Peru's Evil Damn treat us with a new mini LP from Hells Headbangers, Eons of Horror. Five tracks of classic, old school death metal, Eons mixes far-reaching and catchy death with angry, throaty vocals and propulsive drumming, capturing that old school vibe and aggression. Their first new material since their 2021 full length debut, Necronomicon, Evil Damn continue with the Lovecrafian/occult themes that pervade not only the runtime of the MLP, but are extra present in the ripping, ritualistic cover art.

Here we have a wall noise split, which is apparently themed around Orthodox Schema monk outfits. Each project serves up around fifteen minutes of crudely droning ‘n’ choppy wall matter. Featured here are Oregon’s Pink Wool, who are fairly new. And Poland’s Sado  Ritual, who have been active since 2019, releasing two hundred plus releases.

Glimmers of Hope is a recent mini-album from the Polish wall noise project Olion. Each of the two tracks featured slides in at dead on the fifteen-minute mark- both are fairly bass-focused affairs, with crackle-bound toppings.

How To Have Fun is the second release from Lea  Cummings( Kylie Minoise, Official Music Team, etc), lo-fi/ outsider folk project King Futile.  It takes in another eight tracks, and really, it sees him pushing even further the tongue-in-cheek/ glum/ sarcastic lyrical edge.

Devil Times Five is an early 70’s mix of killer kid thriller and slasher. It starts fairly campy/ soapy, before slowly but surely getting more mean-spirited/bleak, before diving into a truly nihilistic resolve. It features a decent selection of both victims and killers,  a snowy setting, and one or two fairly impressive low-fi gore effects. Here from 88 Films, as part of their Slasher Classic Collection, is a Blu-ray release of the film. It takes in both new and archive extras, including a brand new commentary track from slasher-loving podcast  The Hysteria Continues.