With everybody and their mothers playing Doom/Sludge Metal it is getting quite annoying to weed out the bad releases from the good ones without investing too much time in it. Luckily for us, Sadgiqacea made it very easy since the first song of their debut release “False Prism” is pretty epic and quite unique from your average band in the genre. Hailing from the USA, this two-piece delivers four crushing tracks of powerful Doom/Sludge that will greatly appeal to fans of bands like Black Cobra all the way to Neurosis.

Opening with “False Segments”, the band pummels away with some very cool (and heavy) guitars that are above your average repetitive Doom/Sludge guitar work. The band’s knack for creative rhythms and excellent musical skills allows them to sound different while retaining the griminess of the genre. As the track nears its end, there are some very cool details that made us enjoy it even more.

Arriving from Russia, today we have a very solid split release between Gmork, Astarium and In Tenebriz. All of the bands here are Russian, and they play different variations of Atmospheric Black Metal. With almost four songs each on this release, we get a very good glimpse about each band’s style and their unique features. If you are a person looking for new bands to like, this is the perfect release to get an impression of three talented groups.

Gmork opens up the release with four Russian titled tracks so we avoid the embarrassment of writing their names here, and will just refer to the by number. The first song opens with some cool spoken (in Russian) section and it slowly moves into atmospheric territory with some cool synths and very simple and effective guitars. Howling winds open the second track as it starts revealing its very regal and medieval-esque atmospheric elements. The harsh vocals make their appearance and provide a decent combination of growls and more BM-esque screams. Our favorite track from this band is their last song on the split, allowing them to show a very unified and diverse style. Combining melancholic guitars with tight drums and very enjoyable atmospheric elements, the band left a very good impression on us.

Everybody’s favorite Metal Vikings return with yet another epic release with “Deceiver of the Gods”. Doing what they do best, catchy melodic tunes, the band delivers 10 tracks of signature Amon Amarth music that are prefect for a good dosage of beer drinking and headbanging. Mixing in some traditional Heavy Metal elements with their already well defined style, the band manages to release a very powerful and refined album that just adds to their amazing legacy.

Without wasting any time, the album title track delivers excellent melodic riffing that only Amon Amarth can produce. Johan Hegg’s powerful vocals lead the way and they are as brutal as ever. The melodic passages are top notch, an early indicator of how epic this release will be. “As Loke Falls” has all the ingredients for a typical anthem: catchy chorus section, pummeling riffs, violent vocals, and an overall melodic vibe that is quite amazing.

Hailing from Belgium, today we have Nemesis Irae and their latest crushing release “Eradikate Kampaign”. Featuring eight tracks of devastating Black/Death Metal, this release is very raw and powerful, perfect for fans of old-school music from the genre. Delivering pummeling riffs and massive drumming, this Belgian band pummels through this release in a very stylish and aggressive way.

Opening with the hectic “Karnage”, the band instantly makes an impact with their powerful guitars and demonic vocals. The combination of screams and semi-growls is quite effective and gives an extra boost to the band’s already powerful sound. The releases provides a healthy mixture of powerful and to the point short songs with other tracks going over four and a half minutes being a bit more complex and elaborate.

Arriving today from Massacre records we have Agathodaimon and the follow up to their controversial 2009 release “Phoenix”. Going from Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal to Blacked Gothic Metal left a lot of people puzzled by their odd transformation. With “In Darkness” the band starts solidifying their very unique style, making it a bit more cohesive but still quite unexpected. In our opinion, their brave evolution is quite engaging and made us really enjoy this new release.

The album blasts open with “In Darkness (We Shall Be Reborn)”, a 6-minte epic that reminds us a lot of Graveworm and their very bombastic Symphonic/Gothic Black Metal. The band delivers powerful riffs and killer atmospheric keyboards in a very punishing manner. The vocals change between growls, shrieks, and clean singing very convincingly giving the music enough depth. “I’ve Risen” and “Favourite Sin” for the most part sound like Dimmu Borgir, and this is a great thing in our opinion. The clean vocals really add to the music and make it more interesting and less linear.

As one of the most brutal USBM bands of these days, Ash Borer has carved a name for them with crushing and relentless Black Metal brutality with some Noise/Drone and weird FX’s to add to their music. Originally released in 2012 by Profound Lore Records, today we have the Double LP version of “Cold of Ages”, one of the most devastating records of 2012. Released by Pesanta Urfolk in extremely limited quantities, this is one release you must hear on vinyl.

Opening with the sheer brutality of “Descended Lamentations”, the band delivers a 16-minute song of epic proportions. The drumming is hellish, the riffing is ultra-powerful and the screams are phenomenal. The band achieves an extreme level of brutality that almost no USBM band has ever come close to. Our favorite track in this release is “Phantoms”, thanks to the sick opening riffs and the weird outro that the track features.

Being huge fans of Post-Rock and Post-Metal, we were pretty psyched about this release after doing our research on the band. Needless to say, this release is one of those albums that feels extremely repetitive and after a while gets on your nerves. We do not doubt the band’s abilities or flow of ideas, but the songs in this release get very repetitive and dull after 15 minutes.

The album open with “Antenna”, a very dreamy Post-Rock piece that is quite good and engaging, the only issue is that all the remaining songs sound the same. The Black Metal-esque riffing is quite effective and promising, but was used more as a gimmick than actually part of the band’s sound. With “Spine” and “Apnea” we start getting quite sleepy since there are not many different things except for some cool keyboards and atmospheric elements, but not enough to really help discern the songs.

Arriving this June on Hypnotic Dirge Records and Misanthropic Art Productions we have Frigoris and their sophomore release “Wind”. Perfectly mixing acoustic guitars with melancholic Black Metal, the band creates a very powerful and emotional atmosphere around their songs. Hailing from Germany, this band is an ideal match for fans of bands like Agalloch, Fen, and Woods of Ypres, and older Empyrium.

Opening with the mysterious intro “Windgeflüster” that features some nice acoustic guitars and whispers, the band fully explodes with “Zwischenwelten”. This straightforward Pagan/Black Metal track is quite melancholic and perfectly crafted to create a special atmosphere. The BM harsh vocals are quite good, but what elevates this release is the creepy whisper/acoustic guitar combination that bands like Empyrium have used in the past.

Delivering a very impressive debut self-titled album, Lychgate combines highly atmospheric music with brutal Black Metal in a very crushing and terrifying way. Featuring tracks form the band’s ‘dormant’ years, this release carves out perfectly songs that are both chilling and very harsh. With over 37 minutes of music, this release is by far one of the best we have reviewed this year when it comes to Atmospheric Black Metal.

Hailing from the UK, the band warms up with “The Inception”, an dense and creepy mood setting intro. When the first track, “Resentment” arrives, the dramatic keyboards/organs create a very bleak and commanding atmosphere, but it is ultimately the riffing that completes the band’s awesome wall of sound. Having elements of bands like Way to End and Nidingr, the band’s sound is hellish and very well constructed.