Blood Vulture - Die Close (2025)

Blood Vulture's 2025 debut album, "Die Close," released on June 27 via Pure Noise Records, is the brainchild of Jordan Olds, known as Gwarsenio Hall from "Two Minutes to Late Night." Kerrang! describes it as a "serious, and seriously impressive, piece of work," noting how the album's "grandiose doom moves" are complemented by melodic, often double-tracked vocals reminiscent of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell.

The album is described as "gothic sludge" and delves into themes of mortality, grief, madness, and obsession through the narrative of a reclusive vampire. The Toilet Ov Hell highlights its deeply mournful yet dense sound, with Olds packing in "unpredictable riff[s]" where a repeated chord might have sufficed. Guest appearances include Jade Puget of AFI, Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota), and Brian Fair of Shadows Fall, all contributing while maintaining the Blood Vulture vision. "A Dream About Starving To Death" is specifically mentioned by Olds as a song about a vampire facing the end of the world alone.