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    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Psychonaut 4 - Beautyfall (2020)

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    Hailing from Georgia, a place where we have only heard of a few bands, today we have deranged outfit Psychonaut 4 and their latest opus “Beautyfall”. As one of the weirdest and intense bands in Depressive Black Metal, this album showcases their maturity and intensity of their craft. We rarely review albums we didn’t receive for review, but this release is one that has been in constant rotation in our playlist and we believe more and more people should know about this excellent band.

    The release kicks off in style with the pummeling opening of “One Man's War”, showcasing that this album will be heavy and yet feature a good dose of melody as the song evolves alongside dramatic vocal arrangements and solid guitar work. Our favorite track in this release, and probably one of our top 10 of the year has to be the emotive “Tbilisian Tragedy”. We particularly enjoy the eerie atmospherics and funky tempo changes, transmitting magical misery through its mixture of clean vocal passages and dramatic guitars.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Ceremonial Castings - Salem 1692 (MMXX) (2020)

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    Unleashing a cosmic onslaught of highly melodic/symphonic Black Metal, today we have Ceremonial Castings and the re-recording of their 2008 opus “Salem 1692”. As one of the most promising and interesting Black Metal bands in the USA, it was quite a surprise to see this release pop in our inbox as the band has been in hiatus(?) since 2014. With over 70 minutes of enthralling music, this release is a true gem in the crowded Symphonic Black Metal arena.

    The release leads off with the dreamy atmospherics of “Beneath the Sabbath Moon”, a track that quickly triggered old-school Emperor and Tartaros flashbacks, but with an even more melodic spin. Jake Superchi and company have done a great job in improving the quality of this release, making epic tracks like “Where the Witches Waltz”, “Obsidian Spells of Hysteria”, and the eerie “The Devil in Salem” completely pop with an over-the-top lushness and crafty guitar work.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Abigor - Totschläger (A Saintslayer's Songbook) (2020)

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    Seemingly out of nowhere, recently we received Abigor’s latest opus “Totschläger (A Saintslayer's Songbook)”. As one of the most diverse and deranged Black Metal albums of 2020, this release unleashes 51 minutes of madness, ranging from traditional BM to more Symphonic/Atmospheric BM territories and a few visits into Avant-garde territories. If you like weird and yet masterfully crafted BM, this is one of those albums you can’t miss.

    Opening with the theatrics of “Gomorrha Rising - Nightside Rebellion”, we get an early Emperor/Limbonic Art vibe from this intense track. Alongside the pummeling drumming, we get a nice variety of vocal styles and very chaotic guitars, both of which nicely bleed into the next track, “Silent Towers, Screaming Tombs”. For those looking for dramatic arrangements and a very regal/epic vibe, “Orkblut (Sieg oder Tod)” has you covered.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Auro - Auro (2020)

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    Delivering a nostalgic release from the days of simpler and yet punishing Atmospheric Black Metal, today we have Germany’s Auro and their self-titled debut release. With over 50 minutes of music, this track will bring back memories to the early days of Immortal, Satyricon, Limbonic Art and Emperor. Crafty and relentless, this release certainly has something for everybody as it is quite accessible and very well crafted.

    Opening after the traditional atmospheric intro, “Im Nebelland” delivers sinister riffs and hellish snarls as it unleashes fury alongside intense drumming and a very hectic pace. Tracks like “Ouroboros - Schuppengott”, “Brodelnde Wasser - Rufe und Zeichen” and “Rammbock - Durchbruch zur Entmenschlichung” deliver that old-school rawness thanks to its down-to-the-basics instrumentation and very subtle atmospherics, focusing on organic melody and brutality.

    • 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.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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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.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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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.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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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.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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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.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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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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