Unsigned

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Lesotho - Summer Wars (2021)

    cover

    Hailing from Boston, USA, today we have Lesotho, an intense trio playing some lush and expansive mixture of Post-Rock with Post-Metal flair. For fans of bands like Caspian, This Will Destroy You, pg.lost, and Tides from Nebula, this release is filled with cinematic aural experiences that are both dreamy and yet intricate and complex. If you are in the market for mellow and introspective music, this is a great place to start.

    This EP starts with the momentum builder “Plusone/Timestwo”, a track that slowly evolves into heavy but dreamy territories thanks to engaging distorted guitars and crafty tempo changes. We particularly enjoy the shoegazey cathartic feeling of this track as it peaks. Our favorite track in this release has to be the engaging “Altar Fire”, and its crafty manipulation of expectations with heavy distorted riffs nicely lined up against sweeping guitar leads and very dramatic crescendos.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Les Chants du Hasard - Livre Troisième (2021)

    cover

    It has been a while that we have received an interesting neoclassical release like “Livre Troisième” from Les Chants du Hasard. Channeling a mixture of the turmoil of Elend’s music and the sinister side of the orchestrations and vocal arrangements of Devil Doll, this release unleashes nearly 45 minutes of a very cinematic and harrowing aural experience. Filled with dramatic and moody arrangements, this album is quite interesting and lush.

    Opening with the dramatic and quite regal “Le Moine”, a very epic and somber backdrop is set. Followed by “Les Prismes”, a piece that establishes a cinematic experience with its tempo changes and very dramatic vocal arrangements. “Le Reflet” has to be one of our favorite tracks thanks to its over-the-top operatic vocals dueling with creepy harsh screams and a very tense orchestral backdrop, raising our heart rate as the track reaches its climax.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    The Beast of Nod - Multiversal (2021)

    cover

    Mixing up Technical Death Metal with Progressive and ‘Video Game’ Metal elements, today we have a very intense and exciting band from the USA called The Beast of Nod. With comparisons to bands like Dethklok, Powerglove, and similar outfits, “Multiversal” delivers over 50 minutes of playful high-octane music that is extremely technically proficient, fun, and greatly engaging.

    Opening with the magical “Flight of the Quetzalcoatlus”, we instantly get that Proggy/Techy vibe with intricate guitars, crafty drumming and playful tempo changes. The vocal styles vary between growls and shrieks, allowing for the music to change moods and intensity quite nicely, as the jazzy “Contemporary Calamity” showcases.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Gorr - Kvit Som Snøen, Kald I Blikket (2021)

    cover

    Hailing from the frosty lands of Norway and South Carolina, today we have International duo Gorr and their latest full-length release “Kvit Som Snøen, Kald I Blikket”. Delivering over 25 minutes of raw Black Metal, this outfit unleashes an interesting mixture of rawness and mid-tempo atmospherics, creating a very unique and engaging sound. If you like Black Metal that while sounding like it was recorded in the woods, it also has a more thoughtful and melancholic edge, then you should definitely check this out.

    Opening with the mellow “Innleiing”, we get a nice contrast between simple guitars and raspy harsh vocals. Skuggimaðr is the band’s vocalist and Norwegian member, whose singing style perfectly fits the duality of the band’s sound. Tracks like “Bitande Kaldt”, “Kvit Som Snøen, Kald I Blikket”, and “Ditt Uendelege Raseri”, are your run of the mill BM songs, with some Death Metal and even Doomy influences that makes them interesting and nice complement to the more atmospheric pieces like “Mørkt Føre, Mørke Bak” and “Kom Ut I Mitt Mørke”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Urfeind - Wraiþaz (2020)

    cover

    Delivering a firm blow of powerful Black Metal, today we have Germany’s Urfeind and their latest EP “Wraiþaz”. Mixing crafty melodies with intense riffing, this outfit unleashes nearly 21 minutes of engaging music that any fan of the genre will enjoy. Staying away from cliches, this band commands attention thanks to their firm and aggressive sound.

    Opening with “Nine to Zero”, we get a mid-tempo wave of crafty riffs and a powerful snarl, expertly paired to inflict maximum damage. The band’s sound is straightforward, and yet all-consuming thanks to their solid instrumentation. The intensity increases with the blistering guitars of “Void” creating a very hypnotic and engaging atmosphere.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Blighted Eye - Wretched (2020)

    cover

    Newcomers Blighted Eye are ready to take the North American scene by storm with their very crafty debut EP “Wretched”. Unleashing over 27 minutes of high-octane, progressive/melodic Death Metal with additional influences, the band delivers four very well crafted songs that nicely balance both technical proficiency and killer songwriting chops. If you are into bands like Sculptured, you cannot afford to miss this release.

    Opening with the intense guitars of “Contempt”, this band sets a very energetic and firm pace. This track features crafty tempo changes, killer intense passages and overall excellent musicianship, showing a bit of a Tech Death Metal influence but with proggy ambitions. As “Respite” follows the intense opener, the band’s more proggy influences are heard, reminding us a bit of mid-period Opeth with some killer guitar leads added.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    For Ruin - Elapse (2020)

    cover

    With hundreds of releases making into our inbox every day, we need to carefully pick which ones we listen to. Band releases that are ‘professionally’ submitted usually get our attention over non-major label releases. Lucky for us, today we have For Ruin and their killer self-released EP “Elapse”. Delivering nearly 20 minutes of blistering Melodic Death Metal, these types of musical discoveries are what makes our day at Infernal Masquerade.

    Opening with the quick and pummeling “Elapse”, the band sets a very hectic and engaging energy from the get go. Reminding us a bit of bands like Kalmah and Mors Principium Est, this track nicely leads into the riffing acrobatics of “Fiel to the Fire”. The mixture of clean and harsh vocals is well balanced with the faster paced sections in this highly headbangable track.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Sulphur Sun - Placodemic Heraldry (2020)

    cover

    Hailing from Switzerland, today we have Sulphur Sun and their very interesting EP titled “Placodemic Heraldry”. Featuring a weird amalgamation of Death Metal with progresisve/technical DM elements, this release delivers a very promising 10 minute teaser for a uniquely weird band. If you like weird music that is both crafty and a bit chaotic, this is the EP for you.

    Opening with the madness inducing “The Temple of Dunkleosteus”, the band delivers intricate riffs, hellish vocal arrangements ranging from hypnotic throat singing to growls, and a very playful drum track. The band’s style is instantly hard to categorize as the song goes over multiple moods and styles. The chaos continues with the sinister “Trilobite Thief”, featuring some Satyricon-esque sounding guitars and more blistering drumming and odd tempo changes, all working in strange unison.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    POET - Emily (2020)

    cover

    Usually Doom Metal releases are best for cold and dark days, however, POET will turn your August days quite dark and gloomy with their gargantuan release “Emily”. Delivering over 44 minutes of soul-crushing Doom, this album has a ‘classical’ Death-Doom/Funeral Doom vibe as it spews six anthems of darkness and despair. As one of the densest albums of this summer, this self-released album is a breath of fresh air amongst all the crappy stuff coming out these days.

    Opening with throbbing guitar riffs, the first track, “I”, slowly builds up and delivers waves after waves of slow and delicious distortion. The band’s edge comes in the way of the use of truly demoralizing Violin, Viola, and Cello’s through this album, paired with Brighid Wagner’s haunting female vocals. Think of early My Dying Bride with some sprinkles of Sub Rosa thrown into the mix as “II” and “IV” slowly progress.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Fellahin Fall - Tar-A-Kan (2020)

    cover

    Hailing from the USA, today we have a band that we never thought we would find ourselves listening to as much as we do. Fellhain Fall has a certain commercial alt-rock edge that is sneakily built on superbly catchy Gothic, Industrial, Darkwave elements, making the sound behind “Tar-A-Kan” quite intoxicating and engaging. While the band’s music lies more in Metal foundations, the band’s unique accessibility makes this release very easy to digest and highly enjoyable.

    Opening with the lush atmospherics of “A Fading Whisper”, we get a playful dynamic between heavy distorted guitars and the charismatic lead vocals. It is a staple of Gothic Metal to have a signature singer and this band clearly has one. The music nicely experiments with Industrial/Darkwave elements in tracks like “Rover” and “My Hollow” deliver, while the Doomy elements surface on songs like “Caught Between”, keeping their sound quite dynamic and versatile.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries