2024

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    Vuur & Zijde - Boezem (2024)

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    Dramatically moving away from their original Atmospheric Black/Post-Black Metal sound, today we have enigmatic Dutch outfit Vuur & Zijde and their debut full-length “Boezem”. Featuring members from bands like Laster, Terzij de Horde, and Grey Aura, there is no surprise that the music presented in this release is captivating and truly unique, with seven tracks and nearly 46 minutes of hypnotic music. This release is for fans of bands like Beastmilk/Grave Pleasures with some Wave influences and featuring sultry female vocals.

    Opening with the mysterious “Onbemind”, the band sets a very unique Post-Punk vibe that quickly escalates into fierce guitar riffing and pummeling drumming. One would think that the harsh vocals would follow, but they never really do, instead we get the dreamy clean voice of Famke. This gives the band’s sound a very unique proposition, with heavier passages with more restrained drumming and a very organic and catchy vibe, perfect examples of this are songs like “Zusterzon”, “Omheind”, and “Us”.

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    Kommandant - Exhibition of Conquest (2024)

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    Unleashing all-out war, today we have Kommandant and their latest EP “Exhibition of Conquest”. Continuing the piercing onslaughts of their 2023 full-length “Titan Hammer”, this North American outfit delivers five tracks and over 27 minutes of swift destruction. Perfectly blending rawness with incisiveness, this release is full of fury and hatred, making it a top notch Black/Death Metal offering.

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    Seth - La France des maudits (2024)

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    Unleashing an early candidate for Black Metal album of the year, today we have Seth and their engaging Symphonic/Melodic BM style delivering eight tracks and over 46 minutes of highly immersive crushing music. Riding the momentum of the brilliant “La morsure du Christ”, the band wasted almost no time in unraveling their latest opus, filled with extreme craftiness and a swift dose of brutality alongside lush atmospherics.

    Setting a very hectic and riveting tone with the opener “Paris des Maléfices”, the band quickly unleashes their fury with pummeling drumming, incisive riffing and the hellish vocals of Saint Vincent. The band’s current line-up is probably the best they ever had, as tracks like “Et que vive le diable !”, “La destruction des reliques”, and “Dans le cœur un poignard” perfectly blend melody with aggression and crafty atmospherics creating a fine aural assault.

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    Akhlys - House of the Black Germinus (2024)

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    Taking their nightmare inducing sound to a whole new level, today we have Akhlys and their latest opus “House of the Black Germinus”. With an Industrial edge to their already piercing Ambient Black Metal sound, this release delivers six tracks and over 50-minutes of some of the most hellish soundscapes you will ever witness.

    Opening with the Blut Aus Nord-esque “The Mask of Night-speaking”, the band sets a very intimidating atmosphere flanked by crafty synths, crushing drumming, and pummeling Black Metal onslaughts. Naas Alcameth is a master in creating unsettling atmospherics with excruciating tempo changes, with tracks like “Maze of Phobetor” and “Through the Abyssal Door” being perfect examples of this.

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    Octoploid - Beyond the Aeons (2024)

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    Being huge fans of Amorphis, we always wondered what would they sound like now if they would have kept the core style behind “Tales from the Thousand Lakes” and just made refinements over time. Luckily for us, Olli-Pekka Laine, former and again current bassist from the band, unleashes Octoploid and their debut release “Beyond the Aeons”. For eight tracks and around 45-minutes, this release delivers excellent proggy Melodic Death Metal music with a very familiar style and a whole lot of catchiness.

    Opening with “The Dawn in Nothingness”, we are quickly treated to playful riffs, enthralling keyboards and Mikko Kotamäki handling the vocal duties. “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” and the opening track will quickly bring back the days of early Amorphis as it has a mixture of elements from “The Karelian Isthmus”, “Tales..”, and “Elegy”, particularly because Tomi Koivusaari handles the growls on this second song.

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    Eivør - Enn (2024)

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    Hailing from the Faroe Islands, today we have Eivør with her major label debut “Enn”, released under Season of Mist. Featuring a very dreamy and upbeat sound, this release delivers eight tracks and over 40 minutes of highly addictive music. While not the usual stuff we review, there is a certain magic to Eivør’s ethereal vocals and style that we got hooked on, and hence reviewing for you.

    Setting a very dreamy vibe, the opening track “Ein Klóta” unleashes waves of hypnotic electronics and sweet angelic vocals. With “Jadartra” we get a nice droney melody with a mysterious edge, reminding us a bit of Kari Rueslåtten’s “Pilot” days. Just like something out of an Eurovision contest, “Hugsi Bert Um Teg” is a catchy track that quickly grabs your attention thanks to the masterfully crafted beat and dreamy electronics.

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    Limbonic Art - Opus Daemoniacal (2024)

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    Limbonic Art was definitely one of our favorite bands growing up, with their fantastic Symphonic elements back in those days, their sound was revolutionary. After breaking up for some years, Daemon brought back the band to life with a more guitar driven approach, slowly chipping away at the atmospherics that made them stand out. Featuring seven tracks and nearly 50 minutes of music, this release is pretty solid if you expect a certain old-school Norwegian Black Metal sound without the synths.

    Opening with the blistering “Ad Astra et Abyssos”, we hear that Daemon has not lost a step in delivering some truly impressive riffs and crafty melodies. This whirlwind approach permeates tracks like “Deify Thy Master”, “Consigned to The Flames” and “Vir Triumphalis”, creating a very high-octane vibe while unleashing those old-school Black Metal elements that we all love. This release sounds like it could have been released in the late 90’s, early 2000’s and we love it for that.

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    Perchta - D'muata (2024)

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    Unleashing a very unique amalgamation of Black Metal with Folk influences, today we have Austria’s Perchta and their sophomore release “D'muata”. After a very powerful debut release, the band has been making live appearances on respected events like House of the Holy and Eros at Arms thanks to their unique sound and instrumentation. With this release, Perchta demonstrates their debut was not a fluke and that their sound can go even further in the intense 47 minutes of music presented here.

    Opening with the moody “Vom Verlnga”, we quickly hear the band’s use of traditional instruments on top of a vicious onslaught of Black Metal riffs and the charismatic vocals of Perchta. The music features the perfect balance of aggression, melody and melancholy, creating very engaging songs like “Ois ws man san” and “Hebamm”. While infusing lore and atmosphere with others like “Heiliges Bluat”.

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    Amarok - Resilience (2024)

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    Unraveling a gargantuan Doom/Sludge Metal release, today we have North America’s Amarok and their punishing sophomore release “Resilience”. In the same vein as outfits like Bell Witch, Nizmor, Usnea and Lycus, this band crafts some of the most oppressive and soul crushing long and demoralizing songs we have ever heard. Five tracks and nearly sixty-five minutes of music are a testament to this.

    Opening with the emotional rollercoaster that is “Charred (X)” the band quickly sets a very bleak and desolate soundscape, filled with Sludgy riffs and hellish vocals. If your soul did not get crushed by the 17-minute opener, the 18-minute “Ascension (XI)” will surely achieve that. This track has an even slower pace, throwing Funeral Doom vibes as the weeping guitars make way for slow snarls and piercing growls. Filled with crafty tempo changes, this track is definitely one of the finest of its kind, and a new personal favorite.

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    Midnight Odyssey - Closer to the Sky (2024)

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    Always consistent and oozing creativity, Dis Pater and Midnight Odyssey return with an epic EP titled “Closer to the Sky”. In this five track, thirty-three minute outing, the listener is treated to magical ambient soundscapes that are masterfully adorned with harsh screams and relentless Black Metal onslaughts. Filled with quality music and engaging atmospherics, this is yet another triumphant release from the band.

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