Hailing from Italy, today we have Yass Waddah and their furious Black Metal EP titled “Cities of the Red Night”. In this five song offering we hear the band’s ruthless and rather traditional Black Metal, worthy musical effort available on their bandcamp page. For those of us that like uncompromising Black Metal that is fast and heavy, this is the perfect release since it has a very direct and live-sounding feeling to it.

The release blasts wide open with the crushing opener “Invocation”. Immediately the band reminded us of Singapore’s Impiety and their raw and direct sound. Filled with crushing riffs and pushing drums, this is quite an exciting opener. After another crushing song with “B-23”, things get more interesting with the playful “Transmigrants and Receptacles”. This track features a funky opener, but then it develops into full-blown chaos with imposing vocals and very cool rhythm sections.

From the highly creative mind of Nathanael, of Bonjour Tristesse and Agrypnie fame, today we have Thränenkind’s debut full-length “The Elk”. Being released through LifeForce Records, this powerful exercise in desolate and depressive music combines Post-Black Metal elements with Depressive Rock and a huge knack for bleak musical passages. With influences from bands like Heretoir and Austere (among others) to more Post-Rock outfits like God Is an Astronaut and Godspeed Your Black Emperor, this is one emotional rollercoaster ride that you do not want to miss.

Brilliantly setting the mood with the desolate “Monument”, we don’t have to wait much to get fully immerse in the band’s melancholic music. The first heavy hitting song is the ethereal “Just Another Way of Expressing Defeat”. Featuring dreamy guitars and a very mellow pace, this is one song that is very well constructed, transporting the listener back and forth from ethereal dream states.

Arriving from Finland, today we have a very lively EP titled “Howl from Beyond” from the band Children of Madness. In this four song release, this up and coming band showcase their very interesting blend of melodic guitar-driven Metal that features Heavy Metal-like soaring vocals and playful keyboards. For a short release, all the songs will stay in your head for quite a while due to their super catchy nature.

Opening very strongly with “Phoenix Rising”, the band sets a very melodic and epic mood with their excellent riffing and soaring vocals. We like that the vocals are quite natural and don’t sound over the top for the music the band presents. There are some killer solos in this song that greatly enhance the overall experience. As the album title track makes it way, the band steps it up a notch and delivers a hard-hitting catchy tune. The riffing again stands out, and it is nicely complemented by the atmospheric keyboards the band gives a darker vibe to this track.

Delivery waves of Pyschedelic Retro Doom Metal with some Rock influences, today we have Black Magician and their EP titled “The Pursuviant”. In this very unique but short EP, slated to be released on 7” vinyl, this UK band manages to craft a very mystical and unique sound that ranges from heavy Doom passages, to all out Hammond Organ-fueled psychedelic sections. While never lacking creativy, this is one of the most interesting EP’s we have received in a while.

Opening with the pounding album title track, the band seems to be going down a straightforward Doom path, but as soon as the organ kicks in, the mood drastically changes. The band manages to fuse into the heavy riffs some very cool organ arrangements paired with interesting guitar leads. This track immediately shows that this band has a very unconventional sound.

Keeping their cavernous and compact Black Metal sound from their debut full-length “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi”, today we have Norway’s Saligia and their sickening EP “Lvx Aeternae”. Delivering four track and 25 minutes of truly haunting Black Metal, this band is a combination of the rawness and directness of Watain with sickening atmospheric elements of bands like Bethlehem. If you like your Black Metal to be harsh, but obscure and focused more on cavernous atmospheres over extreme over-the-top tremolo-picking, you are in luck with this release.

The band blasts this release wide open with the crushing “Per Aspera Ad Astra”. In this track Ahzari’s powerful vocals make up for 60% of the overall raw power of their sound, while his pulsating bass guitar line adds to the destruction. The cavernous atmosphere continue with the album title track, but make no mistake and think the production is weak, since you can listen clearly to every single cymbal of V’s drums.

Having released over 10 releases in the last two and a half years, the creativity keeps flowing for Russian’s one-man band Frozen Ocean. In this split with Petrychor, another excellent one-man project from the States, we get three powerful tracks of highly Atmospheric Black Metal that will surely make you want to find more material from each band and start enjoying their excellently crafted music.

Opening with Petrychor’s “Tomorrow It Will Rain Over Bouville”, Tad Piecka treats us to a 133-minute piece of brilliant crafting that is both highly emotional and very powerful. Starting with a lush and slow intro section, the song quickly builds up to very melodic and straightforward Black Metal with a very dreamy atmospheric backdrop. The sharp vocals are excellent and provide an excellent contrast to the very mellow and melancholic feeling of the music. This track is anything but predictable and some of the acoustic/post-rockish passages are perfectly blended into the harsher and more brutal sections.

Pretentiously called Extreme Progressive Art, the statement is actually pretty darn close when it comes to describe the challenging music of Deconstructing Sequence on their debut EP “Year One”. Feturing three songs and over 23 minutes of Extreme Progressive Metal music, this duo delivers quite an intricate release filled with little nuisances that make it even more enjoyable after a couple of spins.

With a very ominous start to “Departure of the Stellar Fleet Marks the Year One” the band sets a very epic mood since the beginning. The keyboards reminded us of late 90’s bands (in particular Nile) giving a high atmospheric charge to the incisive guitars and crafty drumming. The growls are quite crushing and elevate the brutality of the music without obscuring the technical abilities lurking in the mist.

Featuring members of Evil Angel and other Finnish BM outfits, today we have Sacrilegious Impalement and their crushing release “III: Lux Infera”. Pounding away at nine soul crushing tracks, this band’s Black Metal is pretty intense and expertly crafted. With an old-school vibe and a sense for savage riffs, this release is quite powerful and devastating, perfect for any fan of the genre looking for extreme war.

The album opens with little room for fluff and cliché’s, “Angel Graves” immediately delivers waves of crushing riffs and pummeling vocals courtesy of Wrathprayer. The musical explosion continues with commanding tracks like “Down for Grim Lord” and “Scars for Scarred ones”, both punishing and relentless pieces of brutality. The band also does a great job in channeling their sheer aggression in melodic ways, with “For Sins of the Pigs” and “Through Punishing Gates” being great examples of this, filled with excellent drums, awesome guitar layering, and killer furious speed-ups.

Any album that has more than one wolf in the cover has the potential of being amazingly great or total shit. Luckily for us, “At First Light” is one hell of an interesting release spawning from the UK. Arceye delivers in their sophomore full-length album ten tracks of very intriguing Thrash infused Death Metal with hearty melodic elements. If you like dynamic music that keeps you guessing from start to finish, this is one release you don’t want to miss.

The band starts pounding away with a very catchy melodic passage at the opening of the album title track. As the guitar solos appear we immediately see a 180 degree switch into old-school Thrash Metal in the vein of Kreator and similar bands. Tracks like “The Storm” have that cool modern Death Metal vibe with a retro flair to them, making the band quite versatile while retaining their own signature style.