Black Metal

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Ayyur - Balkarnin (2020)

    cover

    It is not every day that we get a release from Tunisia, and it is even less common that it is actually pretty good. Today we have Ayyur with their highly atmospheric and experimental Black Metal unleashing their two-song EP “Balkarnin”. With a knack for cavernous atmospheres and punishingly slow riffs, this release is one strong introduction to this very promising band.

    The EP sets a very hypnotic mood with the slow riffs of “I”, combining them with harsh vocals and a certain Doom vibe. As the guitar leads develop into an atmospheric interlude, the band creates a commanding atmosphere that is both bone chilling and dense. Without much flair or additional elements the rudimentary rawness of the band’s sound is quite direct and effective.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Order of Orias - Ablaze (2020)

    cover

    Hailing from the land down under, today we have Black Metal duo Order of Orias and their ravaging full-length release “Ablaze”. Featuring six tracks of devilish music, the band finds the perfect balance of atmosphere and harshness to create nearly 40 minutes of blistering and demoralizing music. Aimed at Black Metal purists, this release unleashes relentless guitar work and pummeling drumming, similar to bands like Immortal and early Satyricon.

    Wasting no time to showcase their brutality, Order of Orias opens with the blistering riffing of “Blood to Dust”, a superbly violent track that commands respect and shows great determination. The onslaught continues with the demoralizing “Gleaming Night” and its crafty tempo changes, and the sheer brutality of “Raging Idols” with its killer guitar leads and polarizing tempo changes. Black Metal comes in all shapes and sizes, but consistency in terms of brutality while introducing ambiance is something that this release excels at.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi (2020)

    cover

    Unleashing a highly mysterious and depraved orgasmic aural assault, today we have Finnish outfit Oranssi Pazuzu and their highly expected fifth full-length release “Mestarin Kynsi”. Having sonically abused all their fans for the last decade, the band continues their musical exploration with 51 minutes of music spread in six captivating tracks. If you think the band was weird and trippy in the past, wait until you listen to this release.

    Opening with the trance-inducing “Ilmestys”, the band slowly builds up and introduces their funky mixture of effects, sickening vocals and crushing guitar work. If the first track didn’t create enough anxiety in the listener, “Tyhjyyden sakramentti” continues the aural exploration with chaotic ravaging passages filled with weird distortions and an overall sense of urgency that creates a very demoralizing and brutal atmosphere.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Blaze of Sorrow - Absentia (2020)

    cover

    Constantly evolving and refining their sound over the years, today we have Italy’s Blaze of Sorrow and their latest Atmospheric Black Metal opus: “Absentia”. Featuring seven songs and nearly 45 minutes of lush music, the band shows how their sound continues to improve with intricately crafted songs that are both pummeling and melodic. With similarities to bands like Fen, Agalloch, Saor, this outfit has marked their own path of blended melody and aggressiveness.

    The album opens with the folky “Settimo Requiem”, a song that features a lively mood with creative tempo changes and a very epic feeling. The band’s ability to swing from ravaging Black Metal onslaughts to melodic interludes is amazing as it allows them to completely re-shape the direction of songs with these transitions as the pulverizing “Furia” demonstrates.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Asarhaddon - Reysa (2020)

    cover

    Hailing from Germany, today we have two-man battalion Asarhaddon and their debut full-length release “Reysa”. Featuring a very refined and yet violent Black Metal sound, the band conceptually explores death and nature, in a very hypnotic and crushing style. Clocking over 50 minutes of relentless music, this album is quite suited for fans of bands like Anomalie, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Agrypnie, as it both blends punishing harshness with uncompromising melodic passages.

    Leading with “Der Ursprung”, the listener instantly received a wall of crushing distorted guitars right after a very subtle acoustic intro. The guitar onslaught is quite impressive, never letting go of the listener’s thoat as the band pummels through crushing pieces like “Die Vergängnis erwacht”and “Ein wahrlich wirrer Ort”. Both songs are filled with pummeling riffs and very introspective melodic sections that nicely deliver tempo changes while creating cavernous and mysterious atmospheres.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Cénotaphe - Monte Verità (2020)

    cover

    The French Black Metal age of enlightenment of the last few years is real and bands like Cénotaphe are a testament to this. On their latest full-length release, “Monte Verità”, the band treats us with over 46 minutes of relentless onslaughts of brutality with a somber vibe and a retro production. For fans of bands like Absu, Carpathian Forest and Ragnarok, this release will rattle your speakers with furious gusto.

    With a creepy retro intro and a very raw and visceral production, “Myosis” leads the way with furious riffs and hyper-fast drumming. Vocalist Khaosgott delivers that kind of punishing raspy shrieks performance that adds an extra level of raw brutality to the music, as we hear on “Aux cieux antérieurs” and the furious “L'oeuf de mammon”. Our favorite track has to be the brilliant “De mon promontoire astral” and its melodic and mystical edge thanks to additional vocal arrangements, making it super eerie.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Aara - En Ergô Einai (2020)

    cover

    Switzerland has been recently surprising us with their masterful Black Metal bands, Aara is another one of those outfits. Focusing on dramatic atmospherics and lush melodies, “En Ergô Einai” delivers over 33 minutes of emotionally intense music that brings back memories of bands like An Autumn for Crippled Children and Deafheaven. For those that like a melody and ambiance with their brutality, this album is one hell of a discovery.

    Easing the listener into a state of hypnosis, a lush opening to “Arkanum” was laid down by Vindsval (Blut Aus Nord), as the band quickly escalates things with furious drumming, dreamy riffs and harrowing shrieks. The cohesion presented by seemingly disparate musical elements is quite effective as the duo’s music perfectly blends that subtle dreaminess with crushing aggression, perfectly illustrated by “Stein auf Stein”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Grieve - Grieve (2020)

    cover

    Hailing from Finland, today we have yet another crushingly frosty Black Metal outfit with Grieve. With no social media, or even internet presence for that matter, Werewolf productions unleashes to a wider audience the bands debut recording. For those that can’t get enough of the nostalgic 90’s Black Metal from bands like Vargrav and Faustian Pact, this 12” release will give you an extra fix.

    Taking the listener to the past with their cavernous sound, the band quickly unravels the brutality of “Spiteful Scourge”. In this track the mood seems to be quite straightforward until the tempo changes and eerie clean vocals add an extra mysterious vibe to the song, similar to Ancient’s “Cainian Chronicle”. The dreamy atmospheric keyboards nicely add that extra ethereal touch to the band’s already ravaging sound.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Dawn of Ouroboros - The Art of Morphology (2020)

    cover

    Unleashing a very unique musical concoction of Progressive elements mixed in with Death/Black Metal, today we have Bay Area’s newcomers Dawn of Ouroboros and their full-length release “The Art of Morphology”. With over 40 minutes of crafty music, this release showcases plenty of musical talent and creativity paired with a high-octane delivery and intensity. If you are a fan of creative music that blends genres together and delivers high-replay value, this is the album for you.

    Opening with the dreamy intro to “Revivified Spirits”, the band quickly shifts into 5th gear with brutal onslaughts of harsh vocals, violent drumming and intense riffing, showing off their versatility from the start. With a certain jazzy and proggy vibe, “Pinnacle Induced Vertigo” is one of those playful tracks that nicely transitions into the mood setting instrumental “Gateway to Tenebrosity”. Fronted by Chelsea Murphy, the band’s sound is perfectly suited for her mixed use of demonic harsh screams and angelic clean vocals as the ethereal “Lunar Cathexis” contrasts.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Häxanu - Snare of All Salvation (2020)

    cover

    From the endless creativity of Alex Poole, today we have the ravaging Black Metal outfit called Häxanu. Focusing on brutality and atmosphere, this band delivers over 44 minutes of relentless music in “Snare of All Salvation”. Very few debut releases have the quality and teeth that this one has, so if you are a BM connoisseur, this is an album you cannot miss.

    After setting a very mysterious mood with the intro, “Materia Prima” delivers dramatic atmospheric keyboards and waves of pummeling riffs. This track, while basic in nature, it is quite brutal and effective. Vocalist’s L.C. shrieks are quite ravaging and perfectly fit the intensity and brutality of the music. Both “Sulfur, Salt, Mercury” and “Smaragdina” show a more melodic side of the band, with brilliant headbanging passages crafted by tight drumming and crushing riffing.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries