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    Sabbath Assembly – Quaternity (2014)

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    The weirdest band in the planet has finally returned with an even weirder release with “Quaternity”. Sabbath Assembly has been focusing since its inception to re-interpret the hymns of The Process Church of the Final Judgment, and with this release they take things further into darker corners with a bit of a shift from the more Psychedelic/distorted guitars oriented music to a more rudimentary and bone chilling musical deconstruction.

    After the chilling intro “Let Us Who Mystically Represent...”, Jamie Myers (vocals) and Dave Nuss (drums) return with a more elaborate and expansive sound combining minimalistic percussions and string instruments on “Jehovah on Death”. The music in this release, in its majority, is all new and original from the band with just a lyrical inspiration of the Process Church’s vast weirdness.

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    Entartung – Peccata Mortalia (2014)

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    Delivering one of the most savage and yet melodic Black Metal onslaughts of 2014, today we have Germany’s mysterious outfit Entartung and their sophomore release “Peccata Mortalia”. With a very savage sound, this band nicely throws in some melodic and atmospheric elements to create some of the densest and demoralizing Black Metal tunes of this year.

    Opening with a weird intro, the band’s full prescense is felt with the devastating “Blasphemaverit in Spiritum Sanctum”. In this track the band immediately generates comparisons to bands like Horna and Taake with their razor sharp aggressive riffs and commanding vocals. However, Entartung takes it one step further with their ultra-catchy melodic riffing passages. In full (newer) Gorgoroth fashion, “Out of Darkness into Light” delivers more blows with incisive riffs and eerie atmospheric sections.

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    Tortorum – Katabasis (2014)

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    Keeping the Norwegian Raw Black Metal decadent sound alive, today we have Bergen’s Tortorum and their pummeling second release “Katabasis”. With all the watered down Black Metal we have these days, it is quite refreshing to hear bands like this being released by labels like World Terror Committee that focus on superb Black Metal. With over 50 minutes of music, this is one hell of a release you cannot miss.

    The first sign of BM decadence comes with the initial powerful riffs of “The Great Apocalypse”. Delivered with a crystal clear production, this track really opens the album wide open with inhuman vocals and blistering drumming. With Immortal-esque catchiness, “In Nameless NonBeing” is one of those tracks that are prefect for moshing after a long day of work.

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    Reacta – Refraction (2014)

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    Bordering on the limits of what we review here at Infernal Masquerade, today we have Alternative/Prog Rock outfit Reacta from Mexico. In their 2014 release “Refraction”, the band delivers 10 dreamy tracks of expertly crafted music that will grab the attention from fans of 30 Seconds to Mars all the way to God Speed Your Black Emperor.

    Hailing from the city of Aguascalientes, Reacta kicks off the release with the perky “Lost”, a very mainstream track that has a super catchy vibe. This track instantly brings memories of bands likes Kings of Leon and similar outfits that have charismatic lead vocals and an eye for detailed guitar melodies. The Post-Rock/Atmospheric “Back Home” is another catchy piece with lush guitars and memorable vocals that sometimes have a certain ring to heavy weights U2.

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    Fluisteraars – Dromers (2014)

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    Unleashed only in LP and Cassette, today we have Dutch outfit Fluisteraars and their debut full-length release “Dromers”. Presenting us with over 34 minutes of music divided over three pummeling tracks; this release shows the band’s abilities to create engaging Black Metal songs that are both very long and highly atmospheric in nature.

    Opening side A with “De Doornen”, the band slowly builds up their sound in a style similar to acts like Agalloch, Fen, Velnias, that keep things going for a while before their intentions are fully revealed. The guitar work is quite solid and the sporadic vocals are very well placed to allow the music to develop without any interruptions. The drumming is quite solid and nicely executed, highlighting the brutality of the band’s sound.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Grue – Casualty of the Psychic Wars (2013)

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    Arriving from American label Eternal Death, today we have a duo from Boston named Grue. In their debut full-length record “Casualty of the Psychic Wars”, the pair delivers five crushing tracks of highly atmospheric and devastating USBM. Mixing blistering passages of furious Black Metal with more mellow and powerful atmospheric sections, this is one excellently constructed release that will immediately put the band on the map.

    Opening with the album title track, we get a whirlwind vibe that reminds us of BM outfits Mortualia, Algazanth, and Sargeist. The riffing is quite primitive and the distortion nicely creates a thick layer of decadence in the music. Changing the tempo of things, “Calling down the Stars” continues the aural onslaught with fast paced drumming and very interesting atmospheric interludes that feature some spoken word sections.

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    Vyre – The Initial Frontier Pt. 1 (2013)

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    Out on Supreme Chaos Records, we have one of the most unique releases of 2013 that for some reason got lost in our review queue and we finally gave it the attention it commands. Featuring a unique blend of Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal with a heavy dosage of Atmospheric synths and Avant-Garde elements, “The Initial Frontier Pt. 1” is a release that will demand your undivided attention since the first minute.

    After a short intro, the space journey begins with the intergalactic epic “The Initial Frontier”. Delivering 9 minutes of lush atmospheric elements and imposing guitars, this track created a unique atmosphere that will disconnect you from reality. The Black Metal onslaughts remind us of bands like Shade Empire and early Dimmu Borgir, allowing the band to be quite versatile and engaging.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Nebelung – Palingenesis (2014)

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    Arriving from Germany, today we have Neo-folk trio Nebelung and their latest full-length release titled “Palingenesis”. Featuring six tracks of hauntingly dark compositions, this outfit delivers a similar vibe to genre greats Empyrium and Tenhi. Filled with lush soundscapes and very elegantly crafted melodies, this is one Neo-folk release you don’t want to miss in 2014.

    The album opens with the mellow “Mittwinter”, a song that nicely builds momentum and showcases lush acoustic guitar arrangements. As we move into the somber “Nachtgewalt” we get that instant Empyrium “Weiland” vibe with the imposing cello leading the way. The band’s ability to keep the tension escalating without giving anything away is one of their top skills in this release.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Krieg - Blue Miasma (2013)

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    Today we have the re-release of Krieg’s “Blue Miasma”, a staple album in the band’s career that came out in 2006. Out on Forever Plagued Records, this version of the album, according to Imperial himself, is the way it was originally intended to sound. With a very raw and punishing nature, we have over 60 minutes of crushing USBM that could have been recorded yesterday and people would have never guessed it.

    After a very traditional intro, the band fully explodes into raw and melodic savagery with tracks like “Who Shall Stand Against Me” and “Under an Uncaring Moon”. This early onslaught reminds us of acts like Mortualia, Sargheist, and similar Black Metal bands with certain melodic riffing. Sonically, “Blue Miasma” has that relentless rawness that only a handful of bands can put together and come out as a more brutal and more aggressive outfit.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Esoterica – Aseity (2013)

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    Featuring members and ex-members of outfits like Krieg, Vital Remains, Chaos Moon, and countless other bands, today we have Esoterica and their monumental release “Aseity”. Featuring a thick and devastating atmospheric component, this Ambient/Black Metal release will enshroud your sonic landscape with crushing riffs, demoralizing vocals, and very thick layers sound aural dissonance.

    Wasting no time, Esorterica blows things wide open with a pummeling onslaught on the opening track “Lessons in Forbidden Alchemy”. The band’s three members deliver one hell of a powerful sound with a merciless guitar distortion and perfectly crafted drums complementing the harsh vocals. This punishing musical approach nicely continues on tracks like “A Slave’s Ablution” and “Fever”, both of which never let go of the listener’s throat with their crushing atmospheric elements.

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