Black Metal

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Istapp – Blekinge (2010)

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    With a particular beef with the sun (read their bio) and a very interesting overall concept behind the band, we get today Istapp and their blend of Black Metal with Viking/Folk Metal elements. The band’s first full-length release “Blekinge” set to be release on June 8th on Metal Blade records is one of the most complete Black Metal albums of 2010.

    Hailing from Sweden, a place where pretty much every band seems to have the skills to craft great music, it’s hard to find young and promising talent such as Istapp. The band’s music is very straight forward and aggressive, but has mystical clean passages that create unparalleled atmospheres fully enriching the listening experience.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Lantlôs - .neon (2010)

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    Hailing from Germany (well, the original ‘half’ of the band is from Germany), we get today Lantlôs with their second “.neon”, the band’s second full-length release. And right of the bat, we will tell you that “.neon” is one of the best depressive Post-Black Metal releases we have ever heard. The bleak atmosphere created by this release is unparalleled.

    Featuring Neige from Alcest on vocals, Lantlôs has crafted around 40 minutes of pure depressive music that will make Amélie Poulain get sad and depressed. The enchanting melodies crafted on “.neon” are greatly adorned by Neige’s sorrowful vocals, sounding sometimes similar to Alcest, but with a higher dose of jazzy elements that create an intoxicating atmosphere.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    A Forest of Stars – Opportunistic Thieves of Spring (2010)

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    After their brilliant debut release “The Corpse of Rebirth”, A Forest of Stars (AFS) is back with their demented Psychedelic Black Metal that will puzzle the masses and will be praised by the select few that like experimental genre-bending music. “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring” is a huge step up for AFS, the album is 72 minutes long and features more intricate, more dense, and overall more grandiose compositions.

    In the six songs presented on “Opportunistic Thieves of Spring” we found a very rich palette of different sounds and elements that at first, did not seemed to come along nicely. However, after a few listens we started getting immersed in the haunting (and demented) atmospheres presented in this release. Yes, the learning curve on this one is a bit steep, but once you are over the hump you will enjoy this release 100%.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Nàttsòl – Stemning (2010)

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    With a true Norwegian Black Metal sound, Nàttsòl has unleashed upon the world their majestic debut release: “Stemming”. The band has the true and cold atmosphere that Black Metal should have, but what makes them standout is their use of folk elements through the album, making them sound like Ulver in their “Bergtatt” and “Kveldssanger”.

    Working in secrecy since 2006 Erlend Antonsen, the mastermind behind Nàttsòl, had been writing songs and required the services of top notch musicians from the Norwegian scene in order to bring his creations to life. With “Stemming” we get a very mature Black Metal album in nature, but with a brilliant shroud of mysticism and folk elements thrown into the mix.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    I Shalt Become – Poison (2010)

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    I Shalt Become is one of the pioneering bands behind the USBM movement of the last years, and while not as recognized as Leviathan and Judas Iscariot, the band has released some fine pieces of USBM history like “Wandering” and “In The Falling Snow”. “Poison” features an overly orchestral trip down to the depths of hell.

    The first things that came to mind when listening to “Poison” are the quick similarities it draws to Elend’s work. And while the musical composition skills of S. Holliman are not as good as the ones behind Elend, this album does create a very dramatic atmosphere that is not to be taken lightly. Also, “Poison” features has a down temp feeling, similar to what some doom and funeral doom bands have been doing for years, providing an extra dimension to this fine release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Hacavitz – Metzli Obscura (2010)

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    Hacavitz is a Mexican two man apocalyptic outfit that creates very raw and brutal Black/Death Metal. Unlike many bands of this genre, we don’t hate them. The band is pretty good at creating rudimentary and harsh music that will make your spine chill. Using English, Spanish, and Aztec (or something like that) the band will haunt your dreams since the start of “Metzli Obscura”.

    We usually bitch and moan about the shitty quality that similar releases have, but we cannot complain about this with Hacavitz. The band’s sound is very dense and dirty, but it works wonders in creating a raw and thick atmosphere. With the chaotic feeling that “Metzli Obscura” creates, we have found the perfect soundtrack for a journey through hell.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Kraaker - Musikk fra Vettenes Dom (2010)

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    Whenever we get any album that says “Experimental” we are thrilled. Since we usually review tons of ‘regular’ stuff we are always interested in listening to something new and different. The music presented by Kraaker on “Musikk fra Vettenes Dom” cannot be considered an experimental band, but rather a ‘traditional’ Norwegian Black Metal band with different tuning at times and nothing else.

    However, Kraaker’s music is not bad at all. The band actually excels in creating powerful guitar driven melodies that do not sound like the million Black Metal clone bands we have on the scene these days. “Musikk fra Vettenes Dom” is actually a very solid first full-length for a band that shows substantial promise.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Frostfall – Dark Torments / Beyond The Dusk (2010)

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    Courtesy of Final Eartbeat productions we all the way from Italy we get Frostfall’s first two demos released on CD. We will be reviewing both demos separately in this space since they are huge differences between them. Hailing from France, Frostfall is a Black Metal band that is very raw and brutal in nature.

    The first demo “Dark Torments” was originally released in 1999 and you can really notice that by the way it sounds. Having very bad clicking and popping noises due to the low quality of the recording we almost thought our Home Theater’s speakers got damaged. However, there are some hints of quality in this recording.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Vomitor - Devils Poison (2010)

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    While Hells Headbangers is known for releasing very retro (and good) sounding releases, with Vomitor’s “Devils Poison” they have dropped the ball immensely. This Aussie band had done a great job with “Bleeding the Priest”, a very worthy debut album that gained them well deserved comparisons with Sodom, Celtic Frost and the all mighty Hellhammer. But with “Devils Poison” they sound like they should be heading back to their garage and record a few more demos.

    “Devils Poison” is a very chaotic release that has pretty much nothing going for it, the album gets boring right after track number one. We are not complaining about the raw and primitive sound the band has (which is characteristic of the early Sodom, etc albums), but we complain about the lack of creativity and even musicianship behind this release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Thulcandra – Fallen Angel’s Dominion (2010)

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    Fronted by Steffen Kummerer from Obscura, today we have a very impressive band from Germany. Thulcandra comes with the slogan of “the heirs to Dissection’s throne” and this could not be any more accurate. The band excels at making Death/Black Metal music unlike anybody these days.

    The influences of Dissection and Emperor are clearly present, but the band takes this further with their own technical abilities. For a band that has been together since 2004, and has never release a full-length, “Fallen Angel’s Dominion” is an impressive achievement.

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