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    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Valravn - Prey (2020)

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    As the weather turns cold and frosty in some places, it is the perfect time for blistering Black Metal releases that deliver sheer rawness, brutality, and a mix of melody thrown in for good form. Today we have Finnish outfit Valravn and their crushing release “Prey”, which delivers over 40 minutes of in-your-face raw BM. Focusing on craftsmanship alongside relentless brutality, this band unleashes one of the most intense aural onslaughts of 2020.

    After a folky opener with “Awaken”, the band launches a full-on attack with the pummeling rawness of “Thrones of Blood”. Alongside furious riffs and intense drumming, the band nicely changes gears at times to deliver crafty oppressive atmospheric/melodic passages. With tracks like “Void” and “Conjuration” nicely blending styles and still being quite ravaging, it brings us back memories of old-school Norwegian BM at times.

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    Exitium Sui - Ad Personam (2020)

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    Dramatically balancing brutality with sheer beauty, today we have Exitium Sui and their debut release “Ad Personam”. Mixing elements of Black/Death Metal with lush atmospherics and excellent vocal arrangements, this release delivers over 35 minutes of excellently crafted music. One-man projects usually allow musicians to craft exactly the music they want, with no compromises, and this release shows a very personal and crushing aural experience.

    The release kicks off with the punishing “Eviscerate My Withered Soul”, which has a more traditional Death/Black sound but with a calmer pace and an intriguing and very subtle atmospheric undertone. The vibe continues to get bleaker in songs like “The Long Return To Nothing” and “Into The Conflagration”, while delivering a hefty dose of harsh growls and crushing guitars. It is quite interesting how the release slowly builds up its atmospheric components and turns darker as the minutes pass.

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    Veil of Secrets - Dead Poetry (2020)

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    Finally, after years of waiting, Vibeke Stenne marks her return to the Metal scene with Veil of Secrets and their melancholic debut release “Dead Poetry”. Alongside Asgeir Mickelson, Vibeke graces us with eight tracks and nearly 50 minutes of highly emotional music, that is both dark and Doomy. While some people might have expected something more similar to old Tristania, this release showcases great maturity and undeniable vocal talents, while carving a different and distinctive sound.

    Opening with the incisive guitars of “The Last Attempt”, the band instantly gives off a vibe similar to the short-lived Proggy/Doomy Alas from Erik Rutan and Martina Hornbacher. The atmosphere in this release is quite dark and very cohesive, crafted with only a few elements such as solemn violins from Sareeta and the occasional growl from Erling Malm. This allows Vibeke’s vocals to truly shine alongside weeping guitars, making tracks like “Sear The Fallen”, “Remorseful Heart”, and “The Lie Of Her Prosperity” quite effective and direct.

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    Sodom - Genesis XIX (2020)

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    Unleashing one of the most fierce and pummeling Thrash Metal releases of 2020, today we have the legendary Sodom and their latest effort “Genesis XIX”. With a new crew behind this release, Tom Angelripper manages to craft nearly 55 minutes of incisive music, split into ten high-octane songs that will have you headbanging from beginning to end. It goes without saying that this release is highly recommended for any Thrash Metal fan.

    The riffing onslaught begins with the short opener, “Blind Superstition” and nicely bleeds into the vicious “Euthanasia”. With new band members, since the last full-length, Yorck Segatz and Toni Merkel, the band shines with crafty drums and powerful guitar arrangements, when paired with Frank Blackfire (who was in the band at some point in the late 80’s). This revitalized core allows the band to rip through pieces like “Genesis XIX”, “Sodom & Gomorra”, and the sinister “Dehumanized”, all of this while delivering blistering guitar leads and superb drumming.

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    Uthullun - Dirges for the Void (2020)

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    From the endless amounts of releases that make it to our inbox, it is always pleasing to discover some diamonds in rough, these being releases like Uthullun’s debut “Dirges for the Void” which make us dig deeper into the band’s history looking for more music. In this debut release, the band unleashes over 40 minutes of sinister and very crafty Black Metal that is both dissonant and yet catchy and melancholic.

    Opening with the cavernous “Sunless”, the band has a very refined style that never abuses its core elements and delivers just the right amount of brutality and tremolo-picking to create a sinister atmosphere. As “Silence”, “Penitence” and “Ecstasies” unleash hellish fury, we also hear great craftiness and restraint to create punishing atmospheres that are not necessarily extreme, but rather well constructed and developed.

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    Ventr - Numinous Negativity (2020)

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    Unleashing nearly 25 minutes of sinister Black Metal dissonance, Portugal’s Ventr make a big splash with their debut EP “Numinous Negativity”. With a very stripped down sound that will send chills down your spine, this band crafts four tracks that are both violent and engaging, creating a magical aura as they introduce themselves to the world.

    Blasting through the listener with the brutal “Omnipresent Abominations”, the band sets a high-octane mood with their incisive guitar riffs and hellish vocals. While the band’s vocalist goes for the deep and raspy styled vocals, alongside the pummeling music, they create a very cavernous and yet enigmatic sound. Setting a more restrained and yet demonic mood, “Our Altar of Murderous Fanaticism” delivers a chilling nearly 8-minute track filled with traditional tremolo picking and BM punkish drumming.

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    Horna - Kuoleman Kirjo (2020)

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    Unleashing hellish fury upon the world, today we have Horna’s latest opus “Kuoleman Kirjo”. With nearly 70 minutes of crushing music, this is THE Black Metal release to buy in 2020. For those uninitiated, this Finnish battalion has been delivering sweeping blows of BM brutality over the years and this release is no exception. Filled with perfectly layered rudimentary atmospherics and vicious guitar work, Shatraug and company once more seize the BM throne.

    The sheer violence of “Saatanan Viha” is the first indicator of what is to come in this release. Delivering sweeping aural violence, the guitars/drums/vocals combo signal for complete destruction. Completely riding on their signature in-your-face approach, tracks like “Elegia”, “Uneton”, and “Sydänkuoro” lay waste to listeners as crafty tempo changes and crushing drum patterns create a whirlwind dissonant experience.

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    Engulfed - Vengeance of the Fallen (2020)

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    Hailing from Turkey, today we have hard-hitting Death Metal battalion Engulfed and their latest effort: “Vengeance of the Fallen”. For a 25+ minute EP this release packs a mean punch with crushing riffs and crafty tempo changes, making the album quite engaging and unlike most of the very linear and dull Death Metal that kids release these days. If you are a fan of bands like Centinex, Origin and similar, you will find this album very enjoyable.

    Opening with the vicious “Rite Abandoned Heretics”, the band delivers a swift kick to the nuts with their relentless guitar work and brutal growls. Clocking in at around 8 minutes, this is definitely one of the longest Death Metal tracks we have heard in awhile, and luckily the band has the chops to keep it interesting and punishing. The guitar leads and tempo changes of “Summoning The Black Death”, make for a very interesting follow-up to a very pummeling opening piece.

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    Dark Buddha Rising - Mathreyata (2020)

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    Always delivering a truly hypnotic and ritualistic aural experience, today we have Dark Buddha Rising and their latest opus “Mathreyata”. Hailing from Finland, this outfit continues to captivate audiences with their piercing and ritualistic compositions, unleashing nearly 43 minutes of music in four tracks. For those that like heavy distorted guitars, trippy percussions and tempo changes, alongside a good dose of Drone, Sludge, and Pysch, this release is face melting.

    Opening with the trippy “Sunyaga”, the listener is faced with a barrage of pummeling riffs alongside a psychedelic undertone. Vocalist Marko Neuman is one of those weird forces that seems to unleash multiple personalities while singing, creating a very mysterious and yet brutal aural. Feeling already numb and subdued, the second track “Nagathma” takes the eerie atmospherics to a whole new level thanks to some superbly creepy elements paired alongside crafty drum patterns and spacious guitars.

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    Countless Skies - Glow (2020)

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    Unleashing one of the most impressive releases of 2020, today we have Countless Skies and their sophomore full-length release “Glow”. In a time that there is so much uncertainty and shittiness in the world, one of the things that brings smiles to people is music, and this is one of those releases that will captivate and change the mood of the listener from the first minute. If you thought that Dark Tranquillity was going to take the best Melodic Death Metal release of 2020, you better wait until you check this one out.

    Opening with an instrumental intro, “Tempest” sets a very magical and wondrous vibe thanks to its crafty use of atmospheric keyboards and the soaring guitars. The mixture of harsh vocals and soaring clean vocals alongside epic guitar leads gives the song a certain proggy edge that makes it even more impressive. The magic continues with the lush “Summit”, a slowly building piece that shines a very bright light by combining elements of bands like Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, with the roughness of Bela’kor. This track takes epic vocal arrangements to a whole new level for the band, creating an epic complement to their already superb core.

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