Metal fans have long been accused of listening to noise instead of music. And it's true, we love deep screaming and growling vocals, discordant, even jarring guitar riffs- being pushed beyond comfort. But those elements typically come together with drums and rhythm and melody and story to create metal, the music of the gods.

PLOUGHSHARE seems to ask the question, "what if metal sounded like noise on purpose?" "Ingested Burial Ground" is the second full-length album from the genre-splicing, black/sludge Metal band from Australia. Instead of producing songs to headbang too, the band has seemingly created a soundscape, an audio experience if you will, to achieve a distinctive mood.

With a surreal combination of soft melodies, throaty screaming, and layers of blurring sounds, "Ingested Burial Ground" sounds like what you would hear if you were summoning the underworld through a busted TV. It's what Pinhead from Hellraiser listens to when he wants to relax.  It's what you would hear if you played a VHS you found in the crawlspace and now had 7 days to live.

The album contains five original tracks, followed by five remixes performed by Sow Discord, Ignis Fatuus (PORTAL), Ascanyx, Xeno Chemist, and Alex Macfarlane (FACELESS BURIAL).

"An Uneasy Dread Arose" is likely the most accessible song on the album, both the original and the remix. Violently creepy, the original features some heavy-hitting rock riffs that are quite good, and then drowned out by the sound of ghostly bells ringing at a tempo that contradicts the rest of the song. The remix replaces the bells with an arcade-esque soundtrack. "The Cold Horror is Clear" also resembles a song better than much of the album. It's quite an intriguing listen, with underlying "cool" vibe from layers of synths.

"Divulging Bees, Spiders, and Scorpions," perhaps the standout track, boasts a punk impression, and features an excellent metal sound and insane vocals. The sound is again a bit punk-ish, and then, at nearly 4-minute mark, includes a chunk of music you could hangbang to, but it's quickly overwhelmed by the unrelenting soundscape. The remix, brought to us from Alex Macfarlane, is chilling, drum-heavy, and even even more viceral than the original.

All of that being said, the vocals are the stuff of legend. The lead vocalist, some unnamed ghoul perhaps, sings his throaty, unclean vocals with a passion, intensity, and talent that's uncompromising. Any metal fan would fall in love with that voice.  Much of the album has that crunchy, grimy, cacophonous sound that Metal fans love, and others just don't get.  The combination is incredibly intriguing but won't be for everyone. Except for a Halloween party. You would impress your friends.