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    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Kaamos Warriors - Spirit from the Void (2022)

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    Always keeping us posted of new and up-and-coming bands from the flourishing Finnish Metal scene, today we have Kaamos Warriors and their fourth full-length release “Spirit from the Void”. As a band from Mikko Ojala of Dark the Suns fame, this outfit creates a very interesting sounding mixture of Symphonic/Gothic Metal elements with a Dark/Black Metal core.

    The atmospheric side of the band is laid out quite thick since the opener “In Blood And Spirit”. However, this atmosphere is not your standard one as it has some slight Industrial and even Gothic Metal undertones, creating a very unique vibe when complemented with the growls and Doomy tempo. Things continue to get more dynamic and engaging as tracks like “Vapus”, “The Flames of the Dragon” and “Varjojen Vaeltaja” are introduced.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Aesthus - Hänen temppelinsä varjoissa (2022)

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    Hailing from Finland, today we have Black Metal newcomers Aesthus and their debut full-length release “Hänen temppelinsä varjoissa”. Delivering over 38 minutes of furious and frosty music, this band further extends the dominance of Finland as one of the countries that produces uncompromising and crushing BM releases.

    Opening with the incisive album title track, we are treated to a hefty dose of blistering drumming alongside piercing and melodic riffing. The band’s two guitars onslaught is brilliantly balanced around hellish shrieks and a throbbing bass guitar line, with tracks like “Vihani alttarilla”, “Kuolonpolku”, and “Jälkeläinen” being perfect examples of this.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Αχεροντας - The Seven Tongues of Δαημων (2022)

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    Unleashing an early candidate for best Black Metal album of 2022, today we have Greece’s Αχεροντας and their highly impressive release “The Seven Tongues of Δαημων”. Featuring over 42 minutes of high-octane music, this release visits all depths of hell with its dramatic arrangements and unparalleled musicality.

    The release starts with the furious “Lucifer - Breath of Fire” and its crafty layered guitars, perfectly paired with explosive vocal onslaughts and intense drumming. Immediately overwhelming the listener with a wall of sound, the melodic tempo changes are what keeps the listener on its toe as the release is quite varied and engaging, as pieces like “Leviathan - The Fervent Scales in Reverence”, “Belial - The Enn of Beliya’al”, and “Satan - Exaltation of Unbeing” showcase.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Saklas - The One Who Swallowed God (2022)

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    Crafting nearly 40 minutes of truly unique and intense Black Metal, today we have Saklas and their latest EP “The One Who Swallowed God”. Split into four tracks, this release is far from linear, introducing some quite unique and unconventional elements to a very punishing and ravaging musical core.

    The release delivers its first swift blow with the pummeling “Mastering The Chaos Meditation”, a track that has some undertones of bands like Behemoth and Hate, but with an interesting tempo change near the end. The weirdness begins with the instrumental “Empty Realm”, which sets the mood for the avantgarde-ness of the album title track. This track features a jazzy unconventional pace and destructive vocal onslaughts, it also has a funky treat after a brief pause.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Order of Nosferat - Nachtmusik (2022)

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    Unleashing 46 minutes of highly melancholic and yet quite piercing Black Metal, today we have Order of Nosferat and their new full-length release “Nachtmusik”. Perfectly balancing mood-setting atmospheric instrumental pieces alongside savage BM onslaughts, this release is both intense and engaging from multiple different angles.

    The album sets off with the raw power of “Tunes of Nocturnal Tragedies”, a six-minute piece filled with melodic elements thrown into a very compact and powerful mixture. Atmospheric pieces are woven into the album’s fabric, between each ‘heavy’ song, making the transitions quite smooth and cinematic. We particularly enjoy the fury and melancholy of pieces like “As the eternal Night fell upon us” and the catchiness of “Bloodlust Nightmares Raging Wild”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Messa - Close (2022)

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    Completely blowing us away with their even more refined and enigmatic mixture of Doom and Psychedelic Metal with tons of lush atmospheric elements, today we have Messa and their latest opus “Close”. If you thought the band’s first two full-length releases were awesome, this one takes things to a whole new level. Delivering over 64 minutes of trance-inducing music, this release will most likely end up at the top of our best albums of 2022 list.

    Slowly building up anticipation, “Suspend” quickly escalates into a powerful mixture of crushing distorted riffs and Sara Bianchin siren-like vocals. This track perfectly evolves into more Psychedelic and atmospheric territories as it progresses into more free-flowing pieces like “Dark Horse”, “Rubedo”, and the sultry “Orphalese”. There are obvious comparisons to be made to Jess and the Ancient Ones and Jex Thoth, but Messa manages to craft an aura of uniqueness around their music.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Moonlight Haze - Animus (2022)

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    Fronted by the charismatic Chiara Tricarico, today we have a superbly bombastic release filled with Symphonic/Gothic and Power Metal elements titled “Animus”. As the third full-length release of Moonlight Haze, the band shows maturity and refinement in their style, delivering almost 45 minutes of catchy and engaging music

    Opening with “The Nothing”, we instantly get that lush and explosive vibe of bands like Nightwish, Visions of Atlantis, Epica, etc. However, what sets the band apart is Tricarico’s vocals and their own dynamism as shown in the dreamy “It’s Insane”, “Kintsugi” and its lush choral arrangements, and our personal favorite the cinematic “The Thief and the Moon”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Olde Throne - An Gorta Mór (2022)

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    It is not every day we get to review a band from New Zealand, and it is definitely even better when the band is truly impressive. Olde Throne is unleashing upon the world their fierce debut full-length release “An Gorta Mór”. Featuring a very vicious pace and sinister atmospherics, this Black Metal album brings back memories of the early days of Emperor, Enslaved, and Immortal.

    The release quickly strikes a punishing tone with the ravaging onslaughts of part 1 of the album title track. As the release transitions between the first track and “Knockdoe”, we get Emperor’s “Wrath of the Tyrant” vibes. Creating cavernous atmospheres, “Children of Lir” continues the brutality with a more sinister angle and subtle melodic undertones.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Kuolemanlaakso - Kuusumu (2022)

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    Led by Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow the Sun), Kuolemanlaakso, a Finnish outfit, delivers killer Death/Doom Metal with some Gothic elements. With “Kuusumu” the band further expands it sound and incorporates some more modern elements alongside their highly emotional and soul crushing antics. The band’s Finnish only lyrics add an extra layer of uniqueness to their piercing sound.

    Opening with the dazzling atmospherics of “Pimeys laski”, a very somber and yet lush mood is set. The combination of clean and harsh vocals alongside female vocals and harsh shrieks gives the music a very theatrical versatility, like on the Therion-esque “Katkeruuden malja”, or the punishing “Surusta meri suolainen”. Far from linear and traditional, the band’s Doom influences provide a nice contrast to faster and heavier elements thrown into the mix as “Kuohuista tulisten koskien” showcases.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Lord Agheros - Koinè (2022)

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    Perfectly tailored to fans of music that pushes boundaries and that incorporates many disparate elements, today we have Lord Agheros and their latest opus “Koinè”. Mixing Ambient, Atmospheric and Avantgarde elements with a Black Metal core, this one man outfit continues to deliver unique and engaging releases that are varied and evocative from start to finish.

    Opening with “The Prophecy”, we are treated to an Elend-esque momentum builder filled with dreamy atmospherics and crafty guitars. The musical exploration continues with the Industrial-elements of “The Walls of Nowhere”, paired with lush vocal arrangements and the doomier onslaughts of “Hold the Line”. As you can read, as the album hits the middle track, “Sow”, there are plenty of engaging elements from different genres, nicely arranged to create an immersive experience.

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