Black Metal

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    Inherits the Void - The Impending Fall of the Stars (2023)

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    Unleashing waves of old-school Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal, today we have one-man battalion Inherits the Void and and ‘their’ sophomore full-length release “The Impending Fall of the Stars”. Mixing elements from the early days of bands like Old Man’s Child and Dimmu Borgir, with the raw melody of Immortal, this release delivers 43 minutes of intense music.

    Opening with the album title track, we instantly get waves of crushing riffs, a la Galder style, perfectly adorned with subtle but lush keyboards and hellish screams. The immediate vibe is quite retro, but with crisp production values. As “Palingenesis”, “Where the Oceans Lost their Might” and “Sullen Laments of the Wanderers” roll by, the listener will find itself headbanging to the expertly crafted melodic core of the band’s sound.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Imperium Dekadenz - Into Sorrow Evermore (2023)

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    With all the killer reviews coming out in January, we almost missed “Into Sorrow Evermore”, the epic seventh full-length release of Germany’s Imperium Dekadenz. Featuring around 50 minutes of melodic and highly atmospheric Black Metal, this release feels like a mixture of Vreid with Der Weg einer Freiheit. If you like atmospheric stuff, this is probably one of the best in quite a while.

    Opening with the engaging “Into Sorrow Evermore”, the band nicely sets a moody vibe as the wave of blistering guitar riffs and furious drumming sets in. We like this tempered approach as the band’s sound slowly expands and envelops the room very effectively. The headbanging continues with the crushing “Truth under Stars” and it nicely mellows out with the solemn opening of “Aurora”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    A Diadem of Dead Stars - Emerald Sunsets (2023)

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    Unleashing a very interesting compilation of some of their earlier digital material, today we have A Diadem of Dead Stars with “Emerald Sunsets”. Hailing from Greece, this band has a very unique and at times gritty sound that perfectly blends influences from bands like early Ulver, Empyrium, and more modern Atmospheric Black Metal elements from outfits like Heretoir and Saor.

    Opening with the blistering “The Furrow of Woes”, we quickly get aggressive BM guitar riffs and a moody tempo. This track nicely evolves into some eerily magical (early) Ulver-esque passages of clean vocals and powerful guitars. There is a certain Doom-ish magic to the band’s sound that nicely keeps things interesting and different, as we can hear in songs like “And Swallows Flew Away From This”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Moonlight Sorcery - Nightwind: The Conqueror From the Stars (2023)

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    Some releases are just too awesome to have a digital only release, and thanks to Avantgarde Music, today we have Moonlight Sorcery’s latest EP “Nightwind: The Conqueror From the Stars” available in different physical formats. Featuring a very interesting mix of old-school Black Metal with a heavy Melodic edge, this band perfectly captures that 2000’s vibe when the genre was pumping out excellent releases.

    Hailing from Finland, this outfit quickly sets a hectic tempo with the magical “Ancient Sword Of Hate” and its uncompromising melodic riffing. Filled with furious lead guitars and blistering drumming, this track is quite punishing and yet highly engaging. With a thrashier edge, “Yötuulten Kutsu” has a certain early Children of Bodom-meets-Alghazanth vibe and we totally love it. Definitely one of the best tracks in this release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Hate Forest - Innermost (2022)

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    After being broken up for 15 years or so, Hate Forest returned with a punishing release in 2020, and before we even knew it, they dropped “Innermost” this past December. Featuring six tracks and around 35 minutes of punishing Black Metal, this release keeps the band’s mythos alive and well by unleashing their signature demoralizing style. If you are a fan of the band, and/or bleak and ravaging BM, you can’t miss out on this release.

    The release quickly goes for the throat with “Those Who Howl Inside the Snowstorm”, a blistering piece of traditional Black Metal in the vein of Immortal, with piercing tremolo picking and crushing drumming. The album’s savagery level is quickly showcased as pieces like “By Full Moon's Light Alone the Steppe Throne Can Be Seen” and “Ice-Cold Bloodless Veins” provide no respite except for the occasional atmospheric interludes. Hate Forest has always been characterized for their relentless brutality and this is front and center on this release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Serotonin Syndrome - Seed of Mankind (2023)

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    Unleashing aural waves of misery, today we have Finland’s, Serotonin Syndrome, and their third full-length release “Seed of Mankind”. Perfectly blending Post-Metal/Post-Black Metal elements with sobering melancholy, this release unleashings five tracks and nearly 40 minutes of brilliant music. Highly recommended for fans of bands like Karg, Harakiri for the Sky, and Heretoir, this release will certainly turn days cloudy and gloomy.

    Opening with “Among Others”, the release starts heavy hitting with piercing riffs and crushing vocals. This slowly transforms into slower passages that set a very bleak mood early on. As “The Pitiful One” rolls in, the band keeps unleashing blistering aggressive sections in between dreamy guitars and crafty tempo changes. With “Seed Of Mankind” the release takes an interesting tour into Karg/Harakiri for the Sky-esque territories with lush guitars and some shoegazey passages.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Kanonenfieber - Der Füsilier (2023)

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    Delivering two tracks of switch brutality and incisiveness, today we have Kanonenfieber and their short but punishing EP “Der Füsilier”. Featuring two relentless tracks, this EP showcases the band’s raw power alongside their melodic undertones and craftiness. For fans of Black Metal that is just weird enough to be different, this is a band to keep in your sights.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Grá - Lycaon (2023)

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    Hailing from Sweden today we have Grá and their fourth full-length release titled “Lycaon”. For the uninitiated, Grá is the original band from Heljarmadr, Dark Funeral’s current vocalist. Unleashing eight tracks of superbly catchy and in a way a bit retro Black Metal, this release will give you a very nice and eerie Hypocrisy vibe, while delivering its swift punch. If you like old-school Melodic Black Metal, this is certainly an album to explore.

    Opening with the superbly catchy “White City Devil”, we immediately got Hypocrisy circa “The Fourth Dimension” vibes and we totally loved it. The band however, keeps things more on the Black Metal side with incisive riffs, crafty drums, and a playful bass guitar line. As “Flame of Hephaestus”, and “Torn Asunder”, one can quickly appreciate that Heljarmadr is also a pretty solid guitarist, as most tracks feature very catchy guitar work that is both engaging and punishing.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Forlesen - Black Terrain (2022)

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    After blowing us away with their 2020 debut “Hierophant Violent”, Forlesen is back for more with a poignant sophomore release titled “Black Terrain”. Clocking in at nearly 60 minutes of crushing and yet experimental music, this album perfectly blends elements of Ambient music and Doom/Black Metal to create a massive slab of enigmatic atmospheric brilliance. Better digested after more than a dozen spins, this release is a killer follow-up to their antics.

    The release opens with the 19-minute behemoth “Strega” and its slow burning approach, flanking distorted guitars with crafty vocal arrangements and additional subtle instrumentation. The solemn combination of male and female vocals alongside a super slow tempo creates a very unique and devastating aura as more colorful guitar leads are introduced. The song reaches an excellent climax and we will definitely not ruin it for listeners here.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Satanic Warmaster - Aamongandr (2022)

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    Keeping that old-school Finnish Black Metal flame alive, today we have Satanic Warmaster and their latest effort “Aamongandr”. Unleashing six tracks and around 36 minutes of pure mayhem, this one-man battalion feels like an army heading to battle. With a timeless sound and crushing execution, this is definitely one of the BM highlights of 2022.

    The release opens with the ravaging intensity of “Bafomet” and its piercing riffing. The band’s sound is very typical and well polished, and even delivering some extra melodic guitar work to keep things fresh and interesting. Keeping things very hectic, “Duke's Ride” unleashes waves of crafty drumming, Werwolf’s signature snarls, all alongside excellent synth undertones. The ability of the band to keep songs fresh and dynamic while retaining their core Black Metal elements is quite engaging and keeps the release interesting.

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