Yin (音, “music”) is a weekly RADII feature that looks at Chinese songs spanning hip hop to folk to modern experimental, and everything in between. Drop us a line if you have a suggestion.
Strap in and prepare for a looooong shave, because Nanchang black metal band Be Persecuted has just released their latest: a 2x cassette box set in the vein (kinda literally — the album art is a big, bloody razor) of forebears such as Sweden’s Silencer and Germany’s Sterbend. Behold:
The cassette box is a co-release between Nanchang-based Pest Productions — your one-stop shop for damn near most Chinese metal, irrespective of sub-genre — German underground metal label Eerie Hint, and Nanjing/Lyon-based label WV Sorcerer, which I included on a few cuts in my Hangzhou City Mix the other day.
WV (that stands for 巫, “witch, wizard, shaman”) label-runner Ruotan explains:
This is a promise we made around 5 years ago when the label started to run. With a huge delay, now we are finally able to deliver the double tape box set of this razor-worshiping Chinese depressive black metal act.
More about the band:
BE PERSECUTED started their journey of depressive black metal from 2006, only 2 albums + a few demo / split released and rare live performance during 12 years, this mysterious project is still one of the most fierce DSBM bands in Asian black metal scene.
I managed to catch one of these rare live sets in Beijing 8 years ago, and it was my first inkling of stray elements of China’s underground cultural scene already traveling globally — black metal purists back home instantly recognized the name when I brought it up, a testament to Be Persecuted’s authenticity and dedication to the form.
Pick up the cassette box, which includes re-releases of Be Persecuted’s two albums (I.I and End Leaving), right here, but act fast — only 30 out of a total 222 copies are being sold on WV Sorcerer’s Bandcamp, and I guarantee you there are way more than 30 black metal completists in the world.
Ruotan adds: “Prepare your tape deck and razor.”
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