Oakland’s Ulthar are the musical equivalent of some ethereal being from an H.P. Lovecraft story; a grotesque sin against nature, dripping goo from its unreasonable amount of appendages and eyeballs, handily exposing mankind’s flaws with its ancient knowledge and biological superiority. Ulthar is scathing, ever dissonant, and, depending on which side of the creature you’re hearing, straight death metal, black metal, or even crust. And wouldn't you know it, upon further research, their lyrical themes are Lovecraft-inspired as well. Sound, meet context. The band formed in 2014, releasing their first full-length Cosmovore last year. Seeing as how this monster is in the early gestation period, you can expect Ulthar to get even stranger and more dangerous. by Aris Hunter Wales