Black Metal

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    Nel Buio - Nel Buio (2024)

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    Unleashing a pretty nifty and weird Black Metal adjacent release, today we have Nel Buio and their eponymous EP. Led by Claudio De Rosa with members of Blasphemer and Electrocution, this outfit pushes the boundaries of the genre with their futuristic five tracks and 22-minutes long release. If you like electronic/darkwave elements in your music, you are in luck as this release perfectly blends them with a very aggressive BM core.

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    Aussichtslos - Schicksalstotschlag (2024)

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    Delivering nine excruciatingly brutal tracks, today we have Germany’s Aussichtslos and their latest onslaught “Schicksalstotschlag”. Featuring nearly 50 minutes of fierce and punishing Black Metal, this outfit flattens their opposition with intensity and raw power. Not for the faint of heart and weak of mind, this is one of the most pummeling releases of 2024.

    Immediately setting a very commanding and ravaging pace, “Am hohen Ross” delivers waves of intense riffs and pounding drumming, setting a high bar for this release. Both “Verwoben” and “Im Schützengraben” further elevate the all-out-war vibe with sinister guitar melodies and piercing snarls, perfectly paired with additional vocal arrangements to create very eerie and devilish atmospheres.

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    Black Sorcery - Plummeting into the Hour of the Wolf (2024)

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    Being old enough, we miss those days of our youth when we purchased a random cassette tape with a cool looking cover and were pleasantly surprised that the band’s music was actually good and intense. Luckily for us, Black Sorcery revived those moments with their crushing release “Plummeting into the Hour of the Wolf”, which coincidentally is also released on tape by Eternal Death. Featuring three tracks of pure fucking destruction, the band’s Black Metal sound is magical.

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    Ancient Guard - Nightfall Enthroned (2024)

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    As a new solo effort from Nightwolf of Runespell fame, Ancient Guard is a pretty interesting band that has an old-school Bathory days Black Metal sound with heavy atmospherics that remind us a bit of the early days of Emperor, Limbonic Art and Bal-Sagoth. Featuring four tracks and over thirty minutes of music, this release has a gloomy and mysterious vibe that feels fresh and highly appealing.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Alcest - Les chants de l'aurore (2024)

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    As one of the most awaited releases of 2024, “Les chants de l'aurore” sees Alcest reaching new heights with their seventh full-length release. With a five year gap since their last release, Neige and Winterhalter are back with seven highly dreamy and engaging songs, clocking in at nearly 45 minutes of music. The band’s sound continues to be refined, keeping their core ‘ethereal’ dreaminess, but it also explores new textures and elements, creating an even more immersive and surreal experience.

    Opening with “Komorebi” sets a very magical and ethereal stage with lush guitars alongside crafty atmospherics and masterful drumming. Neige’s clean vocals quickly set the mood and this track has very nice tempo changes with some excellent melodic passages and crescendos, creating a very traditional Alcest-like vibe. This brilliantly continues on pieces like “L'envol” and “Améthyste”, where the Blackgaze atmosphere nicely blends with more Post-Rock-style moments.

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    Mythraeum - Oblivion Aeternam (2024)

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    Proposing a very lively and engaging Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal, today we have North American outfit Mythraeum and their sophomore release “Oblivion Aeternam”. With a sound similar to Vesperian Sorrow, Limbonic Art, and to a point mid-career Dimmu Borgir, this release unleashes nearly one hour of superbly crafted high-octane music that any fan of the genre will certainly love.

    Opening strong with “Crown of Sepsis” after a flashy intro, the band quickly delivers waves of powerful guitar driven melodies perfectly accompanied by hearty snarls and a good dose of atmospherics. The band’s sound is very well crafted and polished, allowing tracks like “Harbinger’s Chant” and “Halls of Forgotten Will” to focus on mixing melodic passages with more faster-paced headbanging moments. Masterful tracks like “Terrestrial Despair”, showcase the band’s core influences, while still crafting their own style with tons of tempo changes and dramatic arrangements.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Rotting Christ - Pro Xristou (2024)

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    Hailing from Greece, Rotting Christ is finally back with another sinister exercise of aggression and melody with “Pro Xristou”. Featuring ten tracks and over 45 minutes of highly engaging music, the band shows no signs of slowing down and delivers another high quality release. Slowly refining their melodic Black Metal over the years, the band has it down to a science and unleashing ten of their most catchy and enjoyable tracks.

    Setting the stage with a dramatic atmospheric intro, “The Apostate” nicely takes on from where the band left off with their previous release “The Heretics”, and continues unleashing unholy atmospheric brilliance, paired with eerie vocal arrangements and the band’s signature riffing. Sakis Tolis has the band’s sound perfected to deliver crafty guitar melodies alongside his signature snarls, as songs like “Like Father, Like Son”, “The Sixth Day”, and the blistering “La Lettera Del Diavolo” demonstrate.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Deathcult - Seven Are They (2024)

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    Spewing some blasphemous old-school Norwegian Black Metal, today we have Deathcult and their latest 7” release “Seven Are They”. Featuring Hoest from Taake (and others) and the brothers Thurzur and Skagg, which also play or have played with many other Black Metal bands, this release gives the listener a little taste of the band’s commanding sound and blistering energy.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Heimland - Tronearvingens doed (2024)

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    Hailing from Norway, today we have Heimland and their 7” release “Tronearvingens doed”. As a teaser after their 2023 release “Forfedrenes taarer”, this 2 song release continues to show the bands fierce Norwegian Black Metal style. With a very uncompromising and raw sound, this outfit demonstrates they are the real deal and should be kept on any BM connoisseur radar.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Vástígr - The Path of Perdition (2024)

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    Hailing from Austria, today we have mysterious one-man band Vástígr with a very tense and crushing brand of Atmospheric Black Metal. While most bands in the genre sound alike these days, “The Path of Perdition” has a certain unsettling uniqueness thanks to its darker and more sinister take. Featuring four tracks and nearly 45 minutes of crushing music, this release is definitely worth the attention of any fan of the genre, and Black Metal in general.

    Opening with the ravaging “Plunge”, Thomas Anzinger quickly creates a very thick and punishing atmosphere with intricate guitar work and deep growls. Far from linear, the track suddenly changes tempo to more melodic and equally sinister passages. Continuing the onslaught “Chasm” starts off showcasing crafty tempo changes ranging from Doom-ish interludes to more straight up Black Metal power. The band’s unique ideas nicely create a very demoralizing and yet highly effective style of its own.

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