Black Metal

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    Unspoken – Requiem Aeternam Deo (2013)

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    With a very dark and foul sound (we mean it in a good way), today we have Norway’s Unspoken and their upcoming full-length “Requiem Aeternam Deo”, soon to be released in 2013. Mixing elements of Death, old-school Black, and some Thrash Metal, this band delivers 10 tracks of neck-snapping Metal that any fan of old-school music that demands modern production values would love.

    Opening with the bone-chilling “Baptized At The Altar of Rats”, the band’s fuzzy guitars are immediately present bringing havoc and destruction. The demonic vocals are very typical of old-school bands, and Unspoken really makes the shine with well-crafted music and an excellent production. Keeping the momentum going, the chugging riffs of “Redemption Scars” make this song quite catchy and perfect for some headbanging.

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    Aenaon / Stielas Storhett – Split (2012)

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    Being huge fans of Aenaon, we got very excited when we received this two-song split release between the Greeks and the Russian one-man band Stielas Storhett. Clocking in around 12 minutes, this split really showcases both bands ability to take Black Metal to completely new heights and make it seem easy.

    Opening the release we have Aenaon’s “Er”, a 6-minute track that continues their Progressive Black Metal brilliance after last year’s epic “Cendres Et Sang”. The band’s unique style is immediately present with funky melodic sections and killer vocals. The progressive elements of this track are excellent, but the sax on it really reminded us of Ihsahn and his own brand of music but with a jazzier edge, just like on the band’s previous release.

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    Fen – Dustwalker (2013)

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    Arriving early 2013, we have Fen’s eagerly awaited third full-length release “Dustwalker”. This UK band has been pushing forward with their Post-Rock infused Atmospheric Black Metal for several years now, and with this release they manage to go fully over the Post-Rock side of things lined with some killer Black Metal elements. In this excellent release, the band delivers seven brilliant atmospheric tracks that will surely enchant you since the first one.

    Opening with the most brutal track in this release “Consequence”, the band goes on a killer opening with furious Black Metal riffing and crippling harsh vocals. This very intense opener nicely mixes some excellent clean vocals and the overall atmosphere feels very soothing once the song climaxes and closes. The Post-Rock side of things starts with the very ethereal “Hands of Dust”, a melancholic 11-minute song that is quite enjoyable and very easy flowing. Don’t get us wrong, there are intense BM moments here and there, but the overall structure of the track is quite melodic.

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    Lord Agheros – Demiurgo (2012)

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    Today we have one-man band Lord Agheros and its latest atmospheric opus titled “Demiurgo”. Hailing from Italy, this band suffers from the one person doing too many things syndrome, and while delivering excellent bone chilling atmospheric elements, the totally craptastic programmed drums bring down the release quality in a very drastic manner. For over 17 tracks, we are treated to some creepy passages and amazing symphonic elements, making this 60 minute release quite a journey.

    Warming up with “Chapter I: Prologue”, our expectations grew immensely since the atmosphere is very intoxicating. This nicely bleeds into “Eris”, a song where even the drumming is very tolerable in this song (very slow paced sections). What makes this track special is the spare acoustic guitars and string instruments that create a very desolate and eerie atmosphere when combined with the synths. With things speed up on “Styx”, is when Lord Agheros drops the ball and the horrible drumming begins. We understand that is hard to find talented drummers and that not all one-man bands call graciously pull off ALL instruments, but when the drumming sounds this fake, it makes us wonder if the person writing the music is actually listening to it.

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    Abstrusa Unde – Introspection (2012)

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    Being re-released by Apathia Records, today we have Abstrusa Unde and their debut full-length “Introspection”. In this very diverse and entertaining release, the band delivers eight tracks of brilliant Avant-Garde Black Metal with a deranged theatrical vibe to it, similar to Arcturus, Unexpect, and such bands. With ten musicians participating in this release, the listener is in for a truly exciting experience through many different musical landscapes.

    Opening with the album’s title track, the band crafts a very sinister atmosphere similar to a mixture of Angizia with The Diablo Swing Orchestra. Immediately invoking the spirits of the masterpiece of Arcturus, “La Masquerade Infernale”, the band delivers the intoxicating “Hamsa Lonri”. This song features enchanting female vocals and intense string instruments. The harsh vocals mix very well with the female singing and with the crazy keyboards, creating a truly haunting experience.

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    Eclectika – Lure of Ephemeral Beauty (2012)

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    After pushing the boundaries of Black Metal with their 2010 release “Dazzling Dawn”, today we have Eclectika and their latest opus “Lure of Ephemeral Beauty”. In this album the band shows that they have settled with a very sharp and aggressive brand of Black Metal with brilliant melodic incursions that greatly set them apart from the rest. For over 10 tracks the band demonstrates that with a bit of creativity, all Post-Black Metal does not have to sound the same.

    Opening with a lush symphonic instrumental track, the band sets the expectations really high for their third full-length release. Immediately blasting away with album’s title track, we get a typical Black Metal vibe but with a completely different guitar distortion of what one would expect. This allows the band’s sound to be quite different and very engaging indeed. The harsh vocals make their appearance, but it is the female vocals of Noemie Sirandre that really make this song shine in a very dramatic and operatic way.

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    Blaze of Sorrow – Echi (2012)

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    With the amount of releases we get here at Infernal Masquerade it is rare that we spend as much time reviewing one as we have with Blaze of Sorrow’s “Echi”. In this killer album the band combines tons of atmospheric and folk-ish elements into their very melancholic blend of Black Metal. For the duration of the 52-minutes of this album we found ourselves constantly wanting to replay the songs one more time in order to fully appreciate the intricacies of the expertly crafted tracks.

    Opening with a lush acoustic intro, “All'Ignoto” greatly sets the mood for the release, once the melodic aggressive guitars hit, we just knew this album will be magical. There are indeed very fast-paced moments, but they are very well balanced with beautiful slowdowns and killer vocal work. The Folk-ish acoustic sections on “Empatia” reminded us of early Alcest, and their excellent combination of lush atmospheric slow sections and powerful guitar riffs. The Doom-ish edge to this track greatly enhances the overall mood of such a sublime track.

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    Nidingr – Greatest of Deceivers (2012)

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    Originally a solo-project of Teloch, this ‘all-star’ Black Metal band presents us with their latest opus of destruction titled “Greatest of Deceivers”. Being no strangers to Black Metal, all members of this band channel their collective efforts into one of the most savage and crushing Black Metal releases of 2012. With a no-bullshit approach, the band delivers ten anthems of sickness that will surely resonate in your ears for quite a long time.

    The furious “Greatest of Deceivers” opens up this release on a very high note with perfectly layered guitar riffs and very intense drumming. The vocals are top notch courtesy of Cpt. Estrella Grasa, and greatly do justice to such well-crafted Black Metal. Leading the riffing onslaught we have Teloch and Blargh, in what seems a competition of who delivers the most awesome riff as the songs progress.

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    Arcanum Inferi – Ars Hermetica (2012)

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    Finally a Black Metal band that delivers an old-school sound that does not totally suck or sounds exactly like all the other copy cats in the scene. Arcanum Inferi’s debut full-length “Ars Hermetica” delivers a nine-track opus that combines rawness with interesting melodic elements in a devastating manner. Hailing from Italy, this band reminded us of the beginnings of BM, but with a nice crisp rawness that is rare to find these days.

    After a very fitting and creepy intro, the band delivers the crushing “Aeterna Damnatio”, a furious in your face song filled with hateful Black Metal riffs and hellish shrieks. The vocals might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but we think they fit the music very well and add that extra layer of brutality to it. The bass guitar line in this song (and release) is particularly excellent and very intense. The mellow into of “Furor Melancholicus” just makes this track even more brutal once the guitar onslaught is brought forth.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Mandibula – Sacrificial Metal of Death (2012)

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    With a crushing and think as fuck sound, today we have one-man army Mandibula and the CD release of their 2010 demo “Sacrificial Metal of Death”. The band plays homage to the greats of the 80’s namely Celtic Frost, Venom, Bathory, etc. with a very retro and dirty sound that will wake the dead from their graves. Featuring nine eardrum crushing tracks, this release is as raw as you can get while still being able to distinguish everything that is going on.

    Opening with an intro similar to Mortician releases, the band sets a very dark and disturbing mood since the get go. Once the riffing comes through, you can hear that this is not your typical ‘pretty Metal’ release since everything is very raw and a bit garbled up, thanks to some cheap (or intentionally cheap) production. The raw vocals remind us of Hellhammer at times, and ultimately add a great deal of authenticity to the bands killer old-school music.

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