There’s black metal…
Then there’s the kind of music that feels like it was clawed directly out of somebody’s nervous system at four in the morning during a thunderstorm while the world burns quietly outside the window.
That’s where Flowers of Rust live.
Not in trends.
Not in hype.
Not in polished social media aesthetics and fake occult posturing.
No, butt — this project exists somewhere far deeper and far uglier than that. Somewhere lonely. Somewhere cold. Somewhere painfully human.
The Cleveland, Ohio-based entity created by multi-instrumentalist Jake O’Brien is preparing to unleash a wider release of the utterly devastating Crude Exhibitions Of The Soul through Apocalyptic Witchcraft on August 7th, 2026, and honestly? This album feels less like a record and more like discovering somebody’s private emotional collapse trapped inside an old cassette tape.
And we mean that as the highest compliment possible. 🤘
🕯️ AN UNDERGROUND SECRET FINALLY STEPS INTO THE SHADOWLIGHT
When Crude Exhibitions Of The Soul first appeared back in November 2025 as a tiny hand-numbered CD release, it instantly carried the aura of something special.
One of those records you imagine being discovered years later by obsessive collectors digging through crates in dimly lit record shops while muttering things like:
“This album ruined my mental health in the best possible way.”
The original release was painfully limited.
A hidden wound passed quietly between those already dwelling in black metal’s more emotionally shattered corners.
But now, thanks to a partnership with the wonderfully named Apocalyptic Witchcraft, the album is about to reach a far larger audience — and trust us, there are going to be a LOT of emotionally devastated people wandering around after hearing this thing.
Flowers of Rust announced the signing with a statement dripping in ominous atmosphere:
“The journey continues. Flowers of Rust is honoured to join the Apocalyptic Witchcraft family—a collective bound by vision and intensity. Together, we move forward, gathering momentum toward an uncertain and looming future.”
Which, let’s be honest, sounds less like a press release and more like the opening narration to the apocalypse itself.
Meanwhile, label boss Conor Droney perfectly captured the spirit of the project when he described the signing as:
“Raw, honest, and impossible to ignore.”
Too right.
Because this album absolutely refuses to let go once it gets inside your head.
⚰️ THIS ISN’T MUSIC FOR PARTIES — THIS IS MUSIC FOR SURVIVAL
There’s a huge difference between music that pretends to be emotional and music that genuinely sounds like it’s fighting for its own existence.
Flowers of Rust belong firmly in the second category.
From the opening seconds of ‘Eigengrau’, there’s an overwhelming sense of emptiness hanging in the air. The track doesn’t rush. It doesn’t scream for attention.
Instead, it slowly opens the gates to this miserable, beautiful world like fog creeping across abandoned ground.
The atmosphere alone is enough to make your skin crawl.
And then the title track arrives.
🌑 ‘CRUDE EXHIBITIONS OF THE SOUL’ HITS LIKE A PANIC ATTACK IN MUSICAL FORM
The title track is where the album truly begins tearing flesh from bone emotionally.
The riffs don’t merely play — they pulse and writhe like living things.
The drumming feels frantic one moment and utterly defeated the next.
Vocally, Jake O’Brien sounds completely unguarded here, delivering harsh screams that carry genuine anguish rather than theatrical aggression.
There’s desperation buried inside every second of this track.
The sort of desperation that can’t be faked.
You can practically hear sleepless nights soaked into the recording itself.
And while many modern black metal releases lean heavily into overproduction and synthetic atmosphere, Crude Exhibitions Of The Soul feels terrifyingly organic.
The pain breathes.
The despair sweats.
The loneliness lingers long after the song ends.
🌫️ ‘SOUR MERCY’ AND THE FEELING OF LOSING YOURSELF
Then comes ‘Sour Mercy’, which may genuinely be one of the bleakest pieces on the entire record.
The opening moments feel almost fragile — lost in space, drifting through emotional numbness before the guitars suddenly twist into jagged, razor-edged violence.
The song captures a very specific kind of sadness.
Not dramatic heartbreak.
Not cinematic tragedy.
But that slow, suffocating feeling of becoming disconnected from everything around you.
Like staring out of a rain-covered train window while your brain quietly unravels.
And somehow Flowers of Rust turn that feeling into art.
Ugly, crushing, deeply uncomfortable art.
The best kind. 😈
🖤 ‘BRAVE NEW CORPSE’ IS ABSOLUTE EMOTIONAL DESTRUCTION
Right.
We need to properly discuss ‘Brave New Corpse’ because this track is an absolute monster.
It begins with riffs so crushing they feel physically oppressive, dragging listeners through colossal walls of distorted misery before slowly unfolding into moments of bleak melodic beauty.
And that contrast is what makes Flowers of Rust so effective.
The album constantly balances ugliness with vulnerability.
Violence with grief.
Chaos with fragile humanity.
The melodies hidden inside Brave New Corpse almost feel accidental — like tiny flashes of hope struggling to survive inside total darkness.
It’s haunting stuff.
The sort of track you finish listening to and immediately sit in silence afterwards questioning your entire existence.
⚡ ‘BRIGHT VIOLENCE’ FEELS LIKE WATCHING THE WORLD COLLAPSE
If the previous tracks dragged listeners inward emotionally, ‘Bright Violence’ widens the scope into something almost apocalyptic.
The song moves with a grim, stately dread.
Everything feels unstable.
Everything feels moments away from collapse.
The dissonant guitar work creates this constant sensation of unease, while the underlying desperation gives the whole track an almost cinematic horror atmosphere.
Honestly, this would soundtrack the end credits of civilisation perfectly.
Somebody get this band attached to an A24 horror film immediately, mun.
❄️ ‘MOTHER ATROPHY’ IS THE HEART OF THE ENTIRE RECORD
Now then…
Let’s talk about the crown jewel of this miserable masterpiece.
‘Mother Atrophy’.
Bloody hell.
This song doesn’t just hit emotionally — it consumes you entirely.
The track drags listeners deep beneath waves of towering blackened atmosphere before exploding into moments of heartbreaking melody that feel utterly devastating.
There’s a strange vastness to this song.
It feels cold.
Endless.
Almost cosmic in its loneliness.
The riffs crash like freezing oceans while the melodies drift above them like distant lights disappearing into fog.
And by the end?
You genuinely feel exhausted.
Emotionally hollowed out.
Like the song physically took something from you.
That’s not something many bands can achieve.
Flowers of Rust manage it effortlessly.
🌧️ ‘DRIFTWOOD’ PROVIDES A BROKEN, BEAUTIFUL FAREWELL
Closing track ‘Driftwood’ feels like the final stage of emotional collapse.
No rage left.
No fight remaining.
Just fragments washing ashore after the storm.
It’s a perfect ending for the album because it doesn’t offer resolution or redemption.
There’s no triumphant finale here.
No victorious climax.
Just emptiness.
Acceptance.
Silence.
And honestly? That makes the ending hit even harder.
🥁 THE MUSICIANS BEHIND THE MISERY
While Flowers of Rust is fundamentally Jake O’Brien’s vision, the album is elevated massively by the contributions of some serious underground talent.
J V Green delivers phenomenal drumming throughout the record, balancing explosive aggression with subtle atmospheric touches that constantly shift the emotional weight of the songs.
Meanwhile, Thorn Blackfyre contributes additional guitar work to the title track, adding another layer of darkness and texture to an already suffocating piece of music.
Everything is then tied together through the mixing and mastering work of Thom Tadsen, whose production preserves the album’s raw emotional intensity while ensuring every crushing riff and agonised scream lands with devastating force.
Nothing feels overproduced.
Nothing feels artificial.
It sounds wounded.
And that’s exactly why it works.
🔥 FOR FANS OF BLEAKNESS, ATMOSPHERE, AND COMPLETE EMOTIONAL RUIN
If your music collection already includes:
- Leviathan
- Bethlehem
- Altar Of Plagues
- Be Persecuted
- Axis Of Perdition
…then congratulations, your next obsession has arrived.
But Flowers of Rust aren’t simply copying influences.
There’s something deeply personal buried inside this album.
Something authentic.
Something painfully real.
And in a genre sometimes overcrowded with imitation and theatrics, that honesty cuts like a knife.
🌑 THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT
Crude Exhibitions Of The Soul is not an easy listen.
Nor should it be.
This album is suffocating, emotionally vicious, and absolutely drenched in atmosphere from beginning to end.
It sounds like loneliness given physical form.
Like grief wandering through frozen ruins carrying a broken amplifier.
Like staring into darkness long enough that it finally stares back.
Flowers of Rust have created something genuinely special here — an album that doesn’t just explore despair, but inhabits it fully.
And with Apocalyptic Witchcraft now bringing this devastating work to a wider audience, don’t be surprised if Crude Exhibitions Of The Soul becomes one of the underground black metal releases people won’t stop talking about in 2026.
This isn’t background music.
This is emotional excavation.
And honestly?
We can’t stop listening to it. 🖤🤘
📀 RELEASE DETAILS
Artist: Flowers of Rust
Album: Crude Exhibitions Of The Soul
Label: Apocalyptic Witchcraft
Release Date: August 7th, 2026
Formats: Cassette / Digital
Genre: Depressive Atmospheric Black Metal
👥 LINE-UP
🎸 Jake O’Brien – Guitars / Bass / Vocals
🥁 J V Green – Drums
🎸 Thorn Blackfyre – Additional Guitar Work
🔗 FURTHER INFORMATION
🌑 Facebook – Flowers of Rust Official
🌑 Apocalyptic Witchcraft Records
🌑 Release Link – orcd.co/apw063
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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