Black Metal

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    Impiety – Ravage & Conquer (2012)

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    Recently signed to Pulverised records, today we have Impiety and their eight full-length released titled “Ravage & Conquer”. Feeling like a bag of bricks to the face, “Ravage & Conquer” delivers some of the most brutal music Impiety has ever written. Pummeling through eight furiously paced tracks, this is one release that no fan of this band would want to miss.

    Opening like an epic soundtrack to some medieval battle, the guitars blast through things and the punishing drumming indicates that Impiety has arrived. “Revelation Decimation” is the 8 minute opener that delivers waves of brutal onslaughts of hellish vocals and crushing riffs. The band’s sound is cleaner than in previous releases and the overall feeling is very chaotic and brutal… just what the doctor ordered. Steamrolling with “Ravage & Conquer”, “Weaponized” and “The Scourge Majesty”, this release is off to a very brutal and intense start, not to mention several 8+ minute long anthems of destruction.

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    Murw – Kanker (2011)

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    After releasing a few demos and a split album in a span of 14 years, we finally have Murw stepping up to the full-length arena with “Kanker”. In this very interesting release, the band delivers 37 minutes of a highly melancholic combination of Doom Metal with some Death/Black Metal elements. Mostly driven by powerful guitar riffs, “Kanker” is a very well-crafted release that deserves attention.

    Opening with the crushing “Kanker”, this release sets sail with the heaviest and most ‘Black Metal’ track in the whole album. The raw power behind the riffs and crushing vocals is very dominating, reminding us of older Death/Doom bands from the 90’s. At around 7 minutes long, this song nicely evolves into some Doom-ish melodic passages with weeping guitars and a nice overall atmosphere. Keeping things in ‘Doom mode’, “Als Sneeuw Voor de Zon” sounds like something that Mournful Congregation or Shape of Despair could have crafted.

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    Disguise – Second Coming (2012)

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    With a very interesting combination of Melodic elements and furious Black Metal, today we have Italy’s Disguise and their latest release “Second Coming”. In this eight-tracks 42-minute effort features very powerful songs that are nicely contrasted by a few keyboards and even some Black’n’roll tracks that will surely please any fan of bands like Satyricon, Dark Funeral and Anorexia Nervosa.

    With punishing riffs and a very brutal drum track, the album opens in full strength with “Fragile Certain Death”. The overall pace of this song is very typical of late Satyricon, but with an emphasis on being brutal. The atmospheric/melodic elements start being more noticeable on tracks like “I am Alone” and “The Origin of the Unknown”. In these two songs the band goes on full endurance mode with some furious speed-up sections that rival Dark Funeral’s stamina.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    So Much for Nothing – Livsgnist (2012)

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    As an early candidate of Black Metal release of the year, today we have So Much for Nothing’s debut full-length “Livsgnist”. This two-man outfit does an excellent job in taking Suicidal Black Metal into a whole new level, and will surely take years for any band to rival with Erik Unsgaard and Uruz have achieved with this album. Featuring seven tracks and around 50 minutes of gut-wrenching depressive music, this is the kind of release that will leave a deep impact on your psyche and will not easily be forgotten.

    Having people like Niklas Kvarforth and Peter Huss of Shining, Julianne Kostøl of Pantheon I, Trondr Nefas of Urgehal, and Seidemann of 1349, among many others as guest musicians, So Much for Nothing is the equivalent of Ayreon and Avantasia in the realm of Black Metal. With a excellent foundation provided by Unsgaard and Uruz, this release takes things to a completely different plane of existence and almost achieves musical perfection.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Secrets of the Moon – Seven Bells (2012)

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    After releasing three EP’s since their last full-length release back in 2009, today we finally have Secrets of the Moon releasing another full-length release under the title of “Seven Bells”. In this release, the band delivers seven (duh) tracks of brilliantly crafted Black Metal that is very characteristic of the band and will never bore you.

    With its typical dark atmosphere, Secrets of the Moon nicely builds up momentum in the crushing opening track “Seven Bells”. The creepy bell sounds are excellent and the riffing is very powerful and direct, all this while the vocals are as hellish as always and the overall melodic nature of the music is outstanding. With a more direct approach, “Goathead” blasts away since the opening notes and steps up the pace to full-blown Armageddon. Again, the atmospheric parts are downright chilling and the slow building during the last few minutes of the track is just outstanding.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Shroud of Despondency – Pine (2012)

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    It was just a few months ago that we reviewed the excellent “Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion”, and now we have Shroud of Despondency back with another epic release titled “Pine”. Covering 11 tracks and over 58 minutes of music, we are amazed by how fast this band can crank out self-released albums that are actually pretty good and worth to listen to.

    With a very experimental edge to their sound, Shroud of Despondency mixes Black Metal with progressive and acoustic elements and creates a very aggressive sound that has excellent melodic and atmospheric passages. The first sample of these atmospheric elements is immediately found in the opener “Wander Lust (Winged Seed in the Breeze)”. Things get a bit more hectic and crazy with the deranged vocals of “Overshadow”, something we quite haven’t heard before.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Demoncy – Enthroned is the Night (2012)

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    As a new entry in our “raw as fuck” category, today we have Demoncy and their latest release “Enthroned is the Night”. As the band’s first full-length release in almost 9 years, we get 40 minutes of soul crushing Black Metal that is very raw and demonic in nature. This one man Black Metal machine does a great job in delivers a think atmosphere that will unsettle even the most devote fans of the genre.

    Opening with an intro that reminded us of the movie “Event Horizon”, the band fully explodes with “Winds of Plague”. In this hectic ritual, Demoncy immediately established its riffing power and thanks to the hellish vocals, this song (and release) sounds as inhuman as you can get. The album’s production actually gives the band that raw and lo-fi sound that many BM bands look for, but it does not keep the listener from enjoying this album. Pummeling through tracks like “Unclean Spirits”, “Into the Twilight Mists”, and “Opening the Lunar Bloodgate”, Demoncy does a great job in writing simple songs that pack enough aggression and rawness to please any fan of the genre.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Do Skonu – Womb of Primeval Darkness (2011)

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    We are always skeptical about underground Black Metal releases since they are usually really bad, but to our surprise (and enjoyment) Forever Plagued Records re-release of Do Skonu’s debut full-length “Womb of Primeval Darkness” is a winner. This release showcases bands that has great songwriting skills, but are heavily damaged by the crappy production behind the original recording of this album.

    As we mentioned, the whole sound is a bit muffled in the sense that you can hear the excellent riffing, but the drumming and bass guitar get drowned away by being fused into a big lump. The vocals are also pretty crisp, but the overall experience is similar to the ones we used to have when the cassette player was crapping out and destroying our tapes back in the day. Aside from the sound issues (of the original recording we assume), this release is one hell of an album that any Black Metal fan should take note.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Svartsyn – The True Legend (2012)

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    Originally released back in 1998, today we have the re-release (and partial re-recording) of Svartsyn’s cult debut full-length “The True Legend”. Constantly criticized back in 98 because of the ‘bad’ production, this release now sounds like any other well-crafted crushing Black Metal release. Standing the test of time (only 13 or so years), “The True Legend” is a very powerful release that could pass for something a band would crank out these days.

    Deliver the first blow, “Tearing Your Soul” has that typical BM guitar distortion that older BM releases used, but the melodic aspect of the music makes it very appealing. The drums are very clean and brutal, giving this song a very powerful sound. The tremolo-picking is not overly exploited, making the song both brutal and crushing without being extremely cliché. “The True Legend” follows a similar approach, but a bit more hectic and fast. This allows the album to start building momentum since the first few tracks and we love it.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Enthroned – Obsidium (2012)

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    With a feeling of 100 bricks to the face, today we have Enthroned’s latest release “Obsidium”. For the purists that feel that soul-crushing Black Metal can only come from Scandinavian countries, they are so wrong and Enthroned clearly demonstrates it on their latest release. Clocking around 40 minutes, and spawning through 9 tracks this release in one hell of a BM album that you don’t want to miss.

    The first waves of powerful guitar riffing and aggressive vocals make their wave in the opener “Sepulchered within Opaque Slumber”. In this track, the band opens strong with a relentless Black Metal that does not need ridiculous amounts of tremolo-picking or overly dramatic shrieks. The music is well crafted and direct; the overall feeling is very powerful due to the hellish vocals and masterful slowdowns.

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