Vaura - Selenelion (2012)

Genre: Black Metal, Post-Punk, Post-Rock
Country: United States

This isn't exactly obscure or anything, but it sure is under-appreciated and overlooked. I can see there being a lot of hype for this seeing as this has Toby Driver in the band among others, but it seems people's expectations were a little bit too high because of it. Regardless, this is an excellent release as long as you don't expect it to blow your mind. It sort of has that black metal / shoegaze feel but it's more of an influence more than it is integral to their sound. They also switch between the gruff harsh vocals and the gothic post-punk kind of vocals similar to The Cure. It's a pretty unique in its own right, just don't expect some avant-garde type of thing. It's just good for what it is.

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Death of Lovers - Buried Under A World Of Roses (2014)

Genre: Post-Punk, Shoegaze
Country: United States

Death of Lovers is made up of members of Whirr and Nothing. The influence from the two bands' sounds aren't completely prevalent save for a couple of parts in some songs. The cold and depressive kind of post-punk sound is what really shines here and is certainly well executed. Taking influence from older post-punk bands and adding a dash from their other bands' sounds, Death of Lovers form a cold and haunting sound using spacey synths, baritone to whisper-y vocals, bumping basslines, clean guitar picking and strumming, and tight drum playing.

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