Black Metal

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    Azarath - Saint Desecration (2020)

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    Perfectly blending hyper fast Death Metal brutality with Black Metal hellishness, today we have Azarath and their latest offering: “Saint Desecration”. Building up on their transition into Blackened DM territories over their last releases, this album unleashes nearly 40 minutes of swift aggression and crushing speed, leaving the listener’s ear ringing for a couple of hours after it is over.

    The band’s ‘new’ vocalist/guitarist Skullripper (Marcin Sienkiel) perfectly fits in the band’s energetic style and wastes no time to make his presence felt in the furious opener “Death-at-will”. While some might expect more Behemoth-styled because Inferno’s drumming, the band forges their own signature style with a pummeling and firm Death Metal core that turns Blackened in certain occasions thanks to the riffs or some screams, like on “Sancta Dei Meretrix” and “Let Them Burn”.

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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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    The Kryptik - Behold Fortress Inferno (2020)

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    Striking while the iron is hot, Brazilian Black Metal duo The Kryptik follow up their crushing 2019 release with a superbly impressive EP titled “Behold Fortress Inferno”. With nearly 40 minutes of music, this release creates a very sinister symphonic atmosphere paired with hellish shrieks and blistering guitars to deliver one hell of a ride. If you like adorned, raw, and powerful BM, this is one release you can’t miss.

    Setting a very cinematic and gothic mood with the album title track’s opening atmospherics, The Kryptik brings back the days of Charmand Grimloch and his Tartaros project. The chilling atmosphere is nicely complemented by the pummeling blast-beats and hellish screams, creating a very intense experience. The brutality continues as “The Plagues of the Abyss” and “Black Legions March” continue to perfectly balance eerie atmospherics, melodic passages, and creepy interludes with pummeling riffing and a pretty aggressive overall pace.

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    Odiosior - Syvyyksistä (2020)

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    Unleashing one of the most diverse and engaging ‘traditional’ Black Metal releases in 2020, today we have Odiosior and their multifaceted “Syvyyksistä”. Taking elements from tons of different variants of the genre and wrapping them around a pummelling and frosty superbly raw core, this release changes colors like a chameleon. If you like diverse BM this is one of those releases that feels like a buffet of different flavors.

    The release opens with the hyper violent “Viha Minussa” and its bestial onslaughts of shrieks of pain and intense guitars. Some more interesting elements start to appear, like haunting keyboards and funky atmospherics that will play a larger role as the album progresses. With a certain Darkthrone-esque rawness, “Takaisin Kaaokseen” has that playful Punkish sound with crafty drums and catchy passages. On “Laulu Pimeydessä” the band makes keyboards the focal atmospheric point, creating a very engaging and at times chilling song, with a certain horror-movie-like flair.

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    Void Paradigm - Ultime Pulsation | Demain Brûle (2020)

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    Perfectly crafted for those of us that like funky Black Metal with tons of unique and at times bonkers elements, Void Paradigm prepares to unleash: “Ultime Pulsation | Demain Brûle”. In this 38+ minute release, the band presents two songs that create very unique atmospheres and are full of intricate little details to discover. Highly recommended for fans of bands like Ved Buens Ende and Ephel Duath.

    The release kicks off with side A, “Ultime Pulsation”, a chilling song that slowly builds up to a very chaotic catharsis and a hefty dosage of creepy atmospherics and stern vocals. With incisive and punishing riffs flanking the hellish vocals of Jonathan Théry, the release instantly induces anxiety upon the unsuspecting listener. We particularly enjoy how the crafty tempo changes and funky drum patterns shape how the song unravels to the listener while creating some interesting and subtle instrumental passages.

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    Epitimia - Allusion (2020)

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    Crafting a very unique and cinematic Post-Black Metal experience, today we have Russia’s Epitimia and their latest opus: “Allusion”. Featuring seven tracks and nearly one hour of extremely crafty and well engineered music, this release has a little bit of everything. Not going down the same path of most Post-Black Metal bands, this outfit focuses on creating a brutal experience that manages slower and melancholic passages quite efficiently.

    After a lush opening, “Clue I: Animist” delivers blistering harsh vocals alongside intense guitars creating a hash but intriguing atmosphere. Weaving back and forth between melodic interludes and aggressive passages, this track sets a very engaging mood. After a punishing opening, “Clue II: Melancholia I” hones in on more melancholic and intricate territories with some more experimental and seemingly free-form sections near its end.

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    Boreal - The Battle of VOSAD (2020)

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    Atmospheric Black Metal is one of those genres where bands can either deliver excellent and chilling releases or just completely shit the bed. Luckily for us, Boreal’s debut full-length release “The Battle of VOSAD” is quite good, providing a solid experience to the listener. For fans of bands like Limbonic Art or Mysticum, this release creates a haunting and yet magical vibe.

    Opening with the lush intro of “The Battle”, the band sets a very regal and fantasy-like ambiance before hitting the listener with a Mysticum-esque Industrial-ish sounding Black Metal with powerful vocals and solid riffs. The drums, which sound more like programmed drums, but you never know these days as software has gotten quite good, set a very martial and hypnotic pace, keeping the atmospheric elements flowing effectively and elegantly.

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    Sad - Misty Breath of Ancient Forests (2020)

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    Unleashing a thunderously frosty release, today we have Greek battalion Sad and their latest full-length release “Misty Breath of Ancient Forests”. Delivering over 54 minutes of raw and crushing Black Metal, this band carries the flame of old-school BM with intensity and gusto. For fans of bands like Horna, Sargeist and similar, this album will pummel your senses from start to end.

    The duo kicks off this release with the blistering “Self Hatred”, a track that brings that Satyricon “Mother North”-era vibe but with a sharper edge and pummeling guitars. With a very melodic approach, the band’s frosty style delivers a great contrast between non-stop aggression and well paced melodic passages. Tracks like the desolate “Enjoy Your Pettiness” and the two parts of the album title track create a very hectic and effective atmosphere.

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    Shaidar Logoth - Chapter III: The Void God (2020)

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    Unleashing a very unique and auraly abusive release, today we have experimental/atmospheric Black Metal duo Shaidar Logoth and their gargantuan “Chapter III: The Void God” release. Featuring a mix of traditional USBM with more esoteric atmospheric/ambient elements and a splash of Post-BM elements, this release delivers over 47 minutes of creepily captivating music.

    The release opens with the multi-layered “Nest of Pigs”, a track that slowly builds up with a very ethereal feeling thanks to the Post-BM-ish guitars in the first few minutes. The band’s aggressive side is not to be trifled with as this opener reaches a high point with blistering BM aggression through intense riffing and drumming. The band’s more atmospheric/ambient influences help transition this track into the cavernous “Anguish Cradle”. This song creates a very unique and effective oppression sound with a slow drawn melody and a chaotic ending.

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