New Music Friday: Psychedelic Esoterica, Sublime Black Metal, Future Folk
Sept. 18 releases include Outer World, Krallice, Perennial, Roomer, Wau Wau Collectif, Λύσσα Κακιά, Emma Ruth Rundle, Le Motel, Carly Rae Jepsen
Did you know that Carly Rae Jepsen and Krallice share today's release date? Both double albums. But did you also know that Carly Rae Jepsen was recently on Las Culturistas and mentioned going to a "screamy" show with her husband? Some internet sleuths figured out that the show was Blood Incantation, Dispirit and Krallice. WHAT. Two perfect halves of my heart — Carly Rae Jepsen and Krallice — in one place. And now Sept. 18, 2026 will go down in Viking’s Choice history as the day that Day and Night and Scour Order co-existed.
Stream the Viking's Choice Guide to New Music Friday mixtape (tracks 1-8 are from the albums reviewed, the rest are singles released within the last week). Follow me on Bandcamp and check out previous mixes via Buy Music Club.
Outer World, Home
Psychedelic esoterica that punctures our existential dread with pastels. Broadcast remains the north star, but these spacious and deeply textured fuzz-pop songs almost imagine an alternate universe where The B-52s made records for 4AD.
Krallice, Scour Order
Frenetic black metal riffs in blazing counterpoint, impossible drum patterns and all manner of growling and screaming. I wrote about the sublime 16th album by my favorite metal mutants for NPR Music.
Perennial, Modernism
This is a 21-minute confetti cannon to the face. And, yet, even with its constant blast of yelpy, modded-out dance-punk, there are so many unexpected textures to untangle.
Roomer, Staircase Made of Rope
Crunchy, bleary-eyed slowcore that moves at a swimming-through-goo pace. The promise of this young, German trio lies in the experimentation, but they also know how to make the most out of a moody hook.
Wau Wau Collectif, Terenga
What a stunning close to this cross-cultural collaboration. The future-folk traditions of Senegal and Sweden in borderless conversation: intimate, intuitive and unknown. Sunday morning music.
Λύσσα Κακιά, Λύσσα Κακιά
Look, some heavy music needs to sound like s***. Bolt Thrower riffs get into a bender with Discharge-y 'tude and here we are: vicious, crusty death metal. Don't think too hard about it.
Emma Ruth Rundle, These Killing Times
Everything's terrible. Oh, you expected a "but"? ERR examines hopelessness with equal parts tenderness and anger, often simmering in heavy shoegaze tones, allowing her voice to pierce the despair.
Le Motel, Pozo de Agua
The soundtrack to an imaginary world. Soft, quirky and sound-rich, the Brussels-based composer blurs the line between reality and fantasy, leaving room for your mind to play.
Carly Rae Jepsen, Day and Night
I can't remember the last time I heard a pop album this ambitious or sprawling. Carly makes some wild choices, especially on the Day side, but I admire the hell out how quintessentially Carly they are.
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