Album Reviews

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    Trépas - L'héritage du monde (2019)

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    Hailing from Quebec, Canada, today we have Black Metal newcomer Trépas and their debut release “L'héritage du monde”. Delivering nearly 40 minutes of relentless frosty Black Metal, this outfit unleashes quite a solid initial effort. For those fans that like a good dose of melody mixed into their BM, the six tracks unleashed in this release will satisfy your cravings.

    The band blasts away with the pummeling “Rivages Sombres”, a very punishing and engaging opening track. Perfectly balancing melodic guitars, blistering drums and harrowing harsh vocals, Trépas makes a very solid first impression. The sinister opening of “L'Aube”remind us of old-school Ancient and that melodic riffing with furious drumming from 90’s BM. The level of intensity in this track is perfect for a furious headbanging session, from start to end.

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    Arkona - Age of Capricorn (2019)

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    Just when you think that 2019 can’t get any better in terms of Black Metal release, Polish Arkona decides to drop their triumphant release “Age of Capricorn”. Delivering one of the most savage and yet melodic and refined BM releases of the last decade, we are treated to over 46 minutes of vicious music. If you are a fan of the genre that wants both relentless aggression and high-octane atmospherics, this is the best album you can get in 2019.

    After a creepy intro with some eerie samples, “Stella Inferno” quickly unleashes grim riffs and bestial drums. This track is both atmospheric and in your face, blowing past your eardrums and rattling your brain as Khorzon and company spew their madness. The playful synths perfectly combine with the blistering pace of the demonical “Alone Among Wolves”. As if the BM aural assault wasn’t enough, some super creepy wolf samples add and insane amount of depth and vigor to this track.

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    OAK - Lone (2019)

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    Unleashing one of the most monolithic Atmospheric Death/Doom releases of 2019, today we have Portugal’s OAK with “Lone”. Featuring four tracks and around 50 minutes of soul crushing music, this release highly recommended for fans of bands like Mournful Congregation, Shape of Despair and Ahab. Piercing through the listener’s psyche, this album is heavy and punishing, unlike anything else you will hear this year.

    Slowly building up momentum with the gargantuan opening track “Sculptures”, this duo craft a very punishing atmosphere thanks to massive slow riffs and crushing growls. With a very mellow pace, this track crafts a mysterious cavernous atmosphere as the guitars unleash minimalist notes of desperation. Expertly crafting desolate passages, “Mirror” continues the funeral procession with more crushing guitar riffs and crafty drum patterns. The tracks’ catharsis is well earned and after a while of atmospherics the listener is treated to some truly haunting growling passages.

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    Horrizon - World of Pain (2019)

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    With many Melodic Death Metal bands getting a bit too melancholic for our taste, today we stumbled upon Germany’s Horrizon and their third full-length release “World of Pain”. Unleashing 11 tracks and nearly 50 minutes of old-school Melodic DM reminding us of the early days of Dark Tranquility and Be'lakor. As one of the most recommended releases for catchy riffing enthusiasts, this album has plenty of epic headbanging passages and a few surprises.

    The band wastes no time in asserting their dominance with the superbly executed “Once In A While”, a track filled with crushing vocals and super melodic guitars. As the riffing onslaught continues with tracks like “Sentenced to Death”, the band changes up the pace with the more melancholic “Where Am I?”, nicely showcasing more dramatic atmospheric arrangements and guitar leads. However, the mellowness does not take over the release as the album title track and “Haunted By the Past” get back into the furious pace of tight drums, crafty riffs and brilliant tempo changes.

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    Helleborus - Saprophytic Divinations (2019)

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    Symphonic Black Metal is one of those genres that if done incorrectly, can come off as gaudy and laughable. Luckily for us, Helleborus manages to deliver one of the most dense and engaging entries to the genre in quite a while. With “Saprophytic Divinations” this North American outfit unleashes an untamable beast in the shape of nine crushing tracks. Definitely targeted to Black Metal fans of bands like Nightbringer that have a small sweet spot for cavernous symphonic arrangements, this release will transport you to a hellish trip like no other.

    Setting a haunting atmosphere with the dramatic opening to “Celestial Grave”, the band marches forward with punishing vocals and pummeling drumming. This level of intensity mixed in with melody is somewhat similar to Old Man’s Child last releases. As “Alraun Ghost” and “Devil’s Garden” unleash their poison, we are treated to intense guitar riffs, relentless vocals and a very dense atmosphere thanks to the dramatic symphonic arrangements. Perfectly balanced in the mix, all elements shine alike, creating a very intense and poignant aural abuse.

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    Fen - The Dead Light (2019)

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    Now on a bigger label and with an organically evolved sound, today we have Fen’s debut release on Prophecy Productions titles “The Dead Light”. Featuring nearly an hour of dreamy Atmospheric Black Metal, the band continues to evolve with more proggy influences added to their already very distinctive aural identity. If you liked anything that the band has put out before, this release will surely propel the to higher levels thanks to its craftsmanship and atmospheric brilliance.

    Opening with “Witness”, the listener is instantly immersed in the band’s world with subtle guitars and a very moody intro passage. As the track slowly picks up, we can feel a bit of a Lantlôs vibe created by the cascading guitars and somber clean vocals. As the two parts of the album title track come along, we get to hear a proggier side of the band with sweeping crafty passages that mix faster paced sections and crafty tempo changes. These two tracks have a certain vibe that can be compared to a version of Opeth playing Atmospheric Black Metal.

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    Ateiggär - Us d’r Höll chunnt nume Zyt (2019)

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    Unleashing a very retro sounding Black Metal EP, today we have Switzerland’s Ateiggär and their debut EP “Us d’r Höll chunnt nume Zyt”. Affiliated with the Helvetic Underground Committee from Switzerland, this two man entity brings back the mood and sounds of the 90’s from bands like Limbonic Art and Tartaros. For nearly 30 minutes, this release transports us to the early days of the second wave of Black Metal thanks to its ingenious soundscapes and upbeat compositions.

    After the traditional mood setting intro, “Und d Korybante tanzed in Sturm” leads the way with dramatic atmospheric arrangements and punishing distorted guitars. The track sounds and feels retro, but well produced, perfectly balancing the rawness of the vocals and the craftiness of the music, particularly the piercing bass guitar line. As the album title track rolls by, we are instantly hooked on the epic vibe produced by the Immortal-esque melodic guitars and lush atmospherics. The track’s crafty tempo changes create a very catchy and enjoyable track that is perfect for headbanging.

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    Sertraline - These Mills Are Oceans (2019)

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    With a huge infusion of Post-Black Metal bands these days, it has become a very interesting job to listen to all their releases and find diamonds in the rough. Today we got lucky and found Sertraline’s latest EP release “These Mills Are Oceans”. While most bands try to copy the genre pioneers, this outfit marks their own path with the perfect balance between shoegazey guitars and furious BM onslaughts.

    This short and sweet release kicks off with the Post-Rockish beginning of “Eyes As Tableau”, a track that slowly builds up to pretty cathartic moments of dreamy guitars and harsh vocals. The particularly enjoy how well is the bass guitar mixed, allowing it to lead the way. For those looking for more dreamier Lustre kind of tracks, “Their Cities” is that perfect mood shifting track that will send you into an aural trance.

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    Vesperith - Vesperith (2019)

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    Unleashing a truly transformative and trascendental release, today we have Finland’s Vesperith and her self-titled full-length release. As a one woman entity, Sariina Tani has crafted a unique experimental release that will transport the listener to the bowels of hell with waves of aural dissonance and will bring them back to the surface with angelic chants. Not for the impatient listener, this release will grow on you with time, but once it does, it is unrivaled when it comes to cinematic experiences.

    Setting a very dramatic and enigmatic mood, “The Magi” gets the journey started with eerie atmospherics and haunting vocals. After some moments of peace and clarity, “Fractal Flesh” unleashes crushing drums and harsh vocals to infuse uneasiness on the listener. The mixture of Black Metal and atmospheric elements works magically on this track.

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    Lunacy - My Favourite Dreams (2019)

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    Returning with a dreamy Deampop/Shoegaze release, today we have Lunacy and their sophomore release “My Favourite Dreams”. Hailing from Belarus, this band delivers wave of moody music perfectly paired with lush female vocals. As one of our favorite singers, Morena, elevates Lunacy’s music to ethereal realms thanks to her subtle and fragile singing style. If you are a fan of bands like Amesoeurs and Malenuit, you cannot afford to miss out on this release.

    Opening with the lush “Paints and Pictures”, the mood is set to be quite lively with Pop-ish arrangements and very melodic vocals. The surprise in this track is that out of nowhere we are treated to BM screams and a Alcest-like tempo change that perfectly contrasts this unique song. Building up on the ethereal vibe the release has, “The Road” has that Post-punk/Synth Pop edge that very few bands can pull off authentically.

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