Black metal is one of the metal genres that has most run-of-the-mill bands in my opinion. Ever since Darkthrone and other similar bands basically wrote the 101 guide to simple black metal in the 90's thousands of people have tried their hand at creating music with minimal effort, and this has led to a plethora of incomplex, boring black metal bands, a lot of which are one-man projects. While Nordland is also a one-man effort, his straightforward style is more or less the exact opposite of run of the mill.
The eponymous first release of Nordland takes me back to when I first started listening to black metal. Those years ago it was albums such as Satyricon's Nemesis Divina and Dark Medieval Times, Marduk's Panzer Division Marduk and Nightwing and Gorgoroth's Destroyer that shaped my musical tastes, and Nordland - though the name brings Bathory's viking metal albums of the same name to mind - reminds me a lot of those bands in the way that it's simply plain black metal with no bullshit.
The production is sufficiently clean to allow for smaller details to come forth and provide the necessary variation so the music doesn't become tedious to listen to, much in the same way that the abovementioned albums do, and it makes the album sound immensely professional and immersive, which is rather astounding for a debut effort. The same discrete variations are what makes up the cold atmosphere that fills Nordland's debut and allow the tracks to be of such impressive length. Black metal traditionally consists largely of songs longer than 3 minutes, but Nordland's shortest track is about 5 minutes and 20 seconds, and the 7 tracks on the album makes it an hour long opus of classic semi-modern black metal.
Only rarely have I heard debut albums, especially within this genre, that sound so professional, and seldom have I listened to straight up black metal that features riffs as memorable as Nordland's. Like Vorh, the band's sole member, raspingly sings on Messenger of the Vortex Winds, "This is my land and I live here alone", Vorh has made black metal his domain and is one of the few newer one-man black metal bands worth listening to. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Vorscara
2. Thule
3. Morth
4. Messenger of the Vortex Winds
5. Lords of the Great Dwelling
6. Nordland
7. Nord Uliima
It's funny how symphonic black metal isn't played by that many bands, and yet there are several very well known bands to emerge from that scene. I suppose the mix of easily accessible melody mixed with the extremity of black metal makes it a good combo for many people. One might argue that the reason there aren't that many bands in the genre is because of the needed musicianship. To create good symphonic black metal you can't just write up simple melodies in shitty classical VSTs over equally shoddy black metal riffs, you need to actually be able to write captivating and preferably eerie symphonies that also fit together with, again preferably, complex black metal.
A band that perfectly encompasses what I described lastly is Italy's Dark End. Having just toured with large names like Cradle of Filth, God Seed and Rotting Christ, one my say they have their work cut out for them. Can they dethrone bands like Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth or Emperor? In 2012 Dark End released their third album, entitled "Grand Guignol - Book I", and while I haven't heard their previous material I feel safe in saying that they could very well be the next big thing in the genre.
The Italian band aren't doing much out of the ordinary, but by playing a genre that doesn't have a lot of bands there's a certain imbalance in supply and demand. That said, Dark End aren't just resting on their laurels - Grand Guignol: Book I is a phenomenal album. Animæ's characteristic vocals go in perfect unison with Antarktica conveyance of classical symphony, which in turn fit perfectly with the black metal parts vomited forth by Ashes, Nothingness, Specter and Valentz. You can tell that Darkend is a band that wants something with their music. There is absolutely nothing half-assed about Grand Guignol - Book I. It's extremely well-executed and thorough in almost every aspect, and it just seems so... complete. One of the things I like the most about Dark End is their take on the genre: Not as extreme or fearsome as Anorexia Nervosa, not as dark and esoteric as Limbonic Art, but way more catatonically climactic and immersive than Cradle of Filth or Dimmu Borgir.
Whilst writing the review I thought to myself that Dark End would be a great alternative to Dimmu Borgir. Then it occured to me that a band such as Dark End are probably sick and tired of being compared to that band, and while Dark End don't possess the same pop-ish easy listening "qualities" as Dimmu Borgir, their styles are alot alike. Especially in songs like "Spiritism: The Transmigration Passage" and "Dawn: Black Sun Rises" does this become apparent when the parts with clean vocals much like the way Dimmu Borgir utilized those of ICS Vortex come in. But Dark End just make it work so well. So much so that I've been listening to Spiritism almost non stop since I noticed it. That shit is CATCHY!
If you don't like symphonic black metal, I don't think Dark End will be the band to change your mind. They're great, and Grand Guignol - Book I is something truly special, and if you're into that kind of stuff I strongly recommend it, as it is probably the strongest album to emerge from the genre in years. Even if Dark End aren't bringing anything new to the table they still managed to create a masterpiece of symphonic black metal where you can actually still hear the black metal elements, which is more than you can say about Dimmu Borgir's latest albums. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Descent/Ascent (II Movement)
2. Æinsoph: Flashforward to Obscurity
3. Doom: And Then Death Scythed
4. Spiritism: The Transmigration Passage
5. Bereavement: A Multitude in Martyrized Flesh
6. Grief: Along our Divine Pathway
7. Bleakness: Of Secrecy, Haste and Shattered Crystals
8. Pest: Fierce Massave Slaying Grandeur
9. Decrepitude: One Last Laugh Beside Your Agonies
10. Dawn: Black Sun Rises
I was on my way out the door one early winter morning in freezing Denmark. I got in the car to go to work on the hitherto coldest and snowiest morning this year, and like so many times before I was going over my CDs to find a couple to bring on the trip. I was going to go with some Entombed and Darkthrone, feeling like listening to some old school stuff, but then I found Okketaehm's promo "Stones" from Contaminated Tones Productions and thought I might aswell give a listen on the way to work. Though the total play-time of Stones is a mere 18 minutes of grey, wintry, space-like ambience and raw black metal the demo never left the car's CD player even though the trip is almost 40 minutes each way.
It was early, the climate was frosty and the road to work was long. Having only ingested some toast and a cup of luke-warm coffee I wasn't much in the mood for anything as I began my journey through the soundscapes of Okketaehm. The music that met me through the speakers was well befitting of the desolate roads. Stones consists of various parts of icy black metal, dark ambience and something that borderlines white noise mixed into one long track of 18 minutes, and all these parts in conjunction with masterful production lead my mind to things like the vast emptiness of space, void-like depression and mist-veiled frostscapes. Characteristics I normally attribue to bands like Darkspace, Ash Borer and Paysage d'Hiver. I admit I at this point wasn't much focused on my driving.
Let's not kid ourselves, ofcourse Okketaehm isn't perfect or innovating, but it sure as hell did make my drive to- and from work a lot more enjoyable. Okketaehm provides incredibly accurate atmospheres, and while you at times wonder wether the music is still on or someone is just vacuumcleaning in a nearby room it simply adds to the enormous impact the half-melodic black metal pieces of Stones presents. 8/10 guitars.
Let me first introduce the band: Sewercide is a 4-piece thrash band from Melbourne, Australia. Their genesis was in 2011 and by now in 2012 they've already seen two releases, the demo Severe Trauma and a split with Randomorder called States of Decay. While the two releases combined boast only 3 tracks of a total of 10:30 minutes the 7 minutes of early death-infused thrash metal that make up the Severe Trauma demo from March are like a hail of machinegun fire on the eardrums in the best way possible.
Sewercide have obviously been listening to Max Cavalera-era Sepultura. I detect huge amounts of Schizophrenia through Chaos A.D. worship on this demo that infuses the fast, aggressive thrash metal with the heavy, distorted musical psychosis that is death metal. The 4-piece utilize a very dynamic sound to fuel the bonfire that is their chosen style. Just like Sepultura.
And this brings me on to my main point: Why listen to a Sepultura clone, when you could just listen to the actual Sepultura? Even if they're a very enthusiastic copy with huge amounts of talent, is there any point in listening to Sewercide rather than putting on Beneath the Remains? Let me answer that question in a very short manner: Yes. The Australian conspirators may sound a lot like Sepultura, but even so their music is hugely enjoyable and played with such force and ferocity that it WILL be an enjoying experience.
Now with all these positive remarks I end my review with some small downsides. Unlike timeless classics like Slayer's Chemical Warfare, Sepultura's Territory, Kreator's Pleasure to Kill or Slaughter's Incinerator - Tracks that would all fit the style of Sewercide - this band's music sort-of lacks something to really get me hooked, like a memorable riff, catchy chorus or hellish drumroll. I also haven't adressed my dislike for overly short demos. I can easily understand why a newly created band wants it's music unleashed upon the innocent crowd as soon as possible, but I would've like this demo was a bit lengthier. On the other hand, it is easily within the first couple of years of a band's creation that most bands release their most vigorous, brutal and uncompromising material and I can see why it would definitely be benefitial to have a slew of highly destructive tracks out there.
In closing Severe Trauma is a very short, but mighty effective demo. Sewercide have convinced me in relative short time that their potential is undeniable, and if they continue releasing material at a rapid pace I will be a more than happy reviewer. 8/10 guitars.
Defilementory is a band that I knew a bit in advance. I had seen them a couple of years ago when they and another Danish death metal band called Castrensis opened for the one-man slam act Putrid Pile in Copenhagen. That particular performance was a night to remember - All the bands fit so well together and were so talented and put on a great performance. It wasn't until I listened to Infatuation with Deformity that I realized that Defilementory has a very precise way of conveying the delicate details of their music, though it seems weird to talk about delicate anything in terms of brutal death metal. It just so happens that Defilementory has a lot of technical elements and a bass section to die for, which is something I can really appreciate. Sure, great guitarists are always cool, but everyone has great guitarists these days. Good bassists are severely underappreciated, and the bassist of Defilementory, who also happens to be their lead singer, does an incredible job creating bass lines that are imperative to the recognizable sound of Defilementory.
I give the bass of Defilementory a lot of credit (and rightfully so), but even if you were to remove it and put in some "regular" basslines the music on Infatuation with Deformity has a lot of merrit in itself. Lots of brutal death metal acts are incredibly one-tracked and even monotonous, but this Danish band mix things up constantly while still maintaining their brutal death metal flavour. The malign clarity and gritty brutality of the two tracks that make up this demo is something that makes Defilementory seem like a band very serious about their music, and the demo showcases their vigorous enthusiasm in creating and playing some of Denmark's heaviest music.
If there is one thing that really stands out as a bit regrettable on the demo it's that fact that it's so short. Two tracks really isn't enough to stay entertained for very long, and even though the two tracks are pretty long for death metal it doesn't go a very long way. I read somewhere that there was supposed to be a third track, but that it was lost somehow, and this is really a terrible shame. I would've loved to hear that third track, but hopefully that song will be featured on their upcoming album.
To sum up Defilementory's second release "Infatuation with Deformity" from 2011 really would be nothing other than "great and pretty unique brutal death metal with a noticable flavour of technical aspects". Their bass-driven style makes for a lot of enjoyable listening minutes on my part, but in the end two tracks of this great music isn't enough to keep me satisfied and will mostly serve as a little something to listen to between other albums. Their upcoming album will hopefully feature everything that makes Defilementory's demo great, and then some. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Infatuation with Deformity
2. Vengeance
On their previous album, the debut "Murderer", Deus Otiosus show, with a rather convincing effort, that they harbor immense potential for death metal. On their second album "Godless" the Danish band goes on in this continuety and displays an on going contempt for life as they celebrate the end of humanity and grim extermination of civilization.
Deus Otiosus know that death metal isn't necessarily all about being the heaviest, most brutal band in existence. While some of their new tracks certainly are made of the heaviest material, a song like Death Dance shows us that crushing brutallity isn't tantamount to monstrous death metal.
On Godless it sounds like Deus Otiosus have toned down the actual death metal in favor for equally fitting elements, yet still maintaining a solid core of old school death metal. It most definitely still is the Deus Otiosus we came to know on Murderer, and their songwriting still rivals that of Morbid Angel, Immolation and others. Songs like Snakes of the Low, the crushing album opener, is a clear statement that the Danish band means business.
As a whole Godless is a effort on par with certain albums from the late 80's that have since become classics, and it would be an understatement to say that Deus Otiosus is probably one of the strongest current Danish death metal bands. Godless is brimming with memorable riffs as well as classic songwriting. Most definitely a keeper. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Snakes of the Low
2. In Harms Way
3. New Dawn
4. Pest Grave
5. Surrounded by the Dead
6. Cast from Heaven
7. Face the Enemy
8. Death Dance
Ceremony of Godslaying is the Russian band's second full length effort. I find that the second album from a band is often a watered down version of the first album, but I'm having trouble seeing how this could be watered down from anything. It simply is that solid. It's got great vocals, a crystal clear production, drums that are fast and tighter than a nun and incredibly memorable riffs. In short, everything a black metal album of this type needs. Ceremony of Godslaying from 2012 appeals to me as a fan of Marduk, 1349, Gorgoroth and Dark Funeral and I've found that in regards to songwriting tracks like Diabolical Perversity and Funeral of Christian God fully measure up to classics such as Panzer Division Marduk, My Funeral, Procreating Satan or I Am Abomination.
Inferius Torment never lets their guard down. From start to finish Ceremony of Godslaying is a satanic torrent of blast beats, tremolo riffs and spewing hatred. Their recipe for destruction is simple yet effective, and during the almost 40 minutes that make up this album that recipe never grows stale. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Agnus Dei
2. Evangelical Key
3. Diabolical Perversity
4. Sola Scriptura
5. Archangel Seals
6. Evil Manifestos of Satan
7. Funeral of the Christian God
8. Unbaptized Flames
Ah, grindcore. Is there anything that doesn't go great with grindcore? If there is, death and thrash metal isn't it. Proven time and time again by bands such as the horror themed Frightmare, Brain Famine resurrects the time-tested recipe for mosh-friendly death/thrash/grind with gusto and abrasive enthusiasm.
What the lyrics are about I have no idea, but then again I've never been that much of a lyric aficionado. But what I do know is that Brain Famine, two guys from Weymouth, Massachussets, know their grind. I'm guessing they've been listening a lot to bands like Macabre, Carcass and Ghoul, and like those bands they've got the heavy riffs, organic drumming and terrific production down. Whoever said that grindcore needs to sound shitty is an asshole and needs to be buried alive with a handful of spiders.
With just 6 songs on the EP you'd think that, given their predisposition to grindcore elements, it's gonna be a short one. Au contraire! The eponymous opus is a whopping 22 minutes in length, which is only a mere 7 minutes shorter than Slayer's magnum opus Reign in Blood. Not that those two compare. At all.
Brain Famine's first effort as a band is one that shows great understanding of how to put together awesome metal and grind. Though I've been heaping loads of praise upon the EP it's not all perfect. There is especially one track that annoys me slightly, namely Ingest, the third track. It sort of halts the otherwise monumental flow and momentum that the first two tracks create, and with it's incredible 5 minutes and 56 seconds it takes a lot of focus away when listening. It's not a bad track as such, but I would like it more if it was placed last on the EP and wasn't so damn long.
Brain Famine succeed in creating hugely enjoyable death/thrash/grind that I will likely be listening to for months to come. It may not be perfect, but it feels sufficiently polished and prepared to reignite my want for some Impetigo. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Die Off
2. Cunning Bondage
3. Ingest
4. Ignorant Dopes
5. Citizen Solution
6. N.F.O.
Formed in 2010, Terminate (a name that weirdly enough isn't already taken) formed with a massive inspiration from the mostly well-respected Swedish death metal scene. I must say that the first thing I thought when I started listening to "Thirst for the Obscene" was that I had been mistaken in their origins, because Terminate sound nothing like your garden variety US death metal band. Instead they sound almost exactly like a Swedish death metal band, complete with Sunlight guitar tone, thrashy riffs, d-beats and rotten solos. Hell, even the logo looks Swedish.
When you mimick a certain sound like that you better make sure you're up for the task and are able to write some gruesome, neckbreaking death metal, and terminate obviously are. Only very rarely do they slow down on this their second release, and when they do it's only to induce massive outbreaks of headbanging with riffs that border on the grisly and macabre. Who needs to rest anyway!
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I wish unknown bands would stop putting a slew of cover songs on their demos and EPs... It takes away focus from their own material, and there's absolutely no reason when your music is as solid as that of Terminate! The American band did a terrific job in making Slaughter's INCINERATOR their own. Though I don't feel the muddy guitar sound quite fits the chuggy riffs of Incinerator, I sorta prefer John Porada's vocals to those of Slaughter's singer Terry Sadler.
What can I say, everything just comes together in a putrid mass of charred remains and death metal, and I for one am not going to complain. Completely solid death metal with a Swedish touch all around. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Thirst for the Obscene
2. Numb
3. Drown in Flames
4. Blind Leading the Blind
5. Incinerator (Slaughter Cover)
6. The Usurper (Celtic Frost Cover)
In 2010 yet another thrash band was created in Sweden. That band was Extrakt, and their brand of blackened thrash metal was first incarnated in March 2012 on their first demo "Stuck in the Trash". The terrific trio created a short, straight to the point thrash demo with nothing more than three ripping tracks, entitled appropriately "Bitch", "Extraktified" and "Stuck in the Trash".
Being a young band, I was told that Extrakt were mostly beginners. But judging from the sound of their first demo "Stuck in the Trash" they're better than some bands consisting of seasoned musicians. Their style bears a certain tinge of early Sodom and Fear of Tomorrow and Terror Squad era Artillery and as such features some of the elements that made early European thrash metal stand out. True, nowadays the world is flooded by second- or third-grade blackened thrash metal with little appeal, but Extrakt's recipe for simple thrash is really effective in creating hugely enjoyable metal which is easy to imagine in a dark and energetic live setting.
Though the first song "Bitch" consists mostly of a repeated chorus, it has a realyl awesome thrashy riff right before a solo that just reeks early 80's thrash metal, and the other two songs "Stuck in the Trash" and "Extraktified" are fully up to par with many other excellent thrash demos. The young band has an excellent ear for riffing and thusly never become tedious or monotonous to listen to. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Bitch
2. Extraktified
3. Stuck in the Trash
Death metal is by far one of the most popular metal genres in Denmark. The legends of the scene like Iniquity, Illdisposed, Dominus, Konkhra, Exmortem, Panzerchrist and Corpus Mortale were in more recent years followed up by equally prolific bands such as Hatesphere, Dawn of Demise and Thorium, and bands like Cerekloth and Undergang have given old school death metal a resurgeance in recent times.
Playing that very style we have another Danish band, which is more or less an allstar lineup. Featuring members from Church Bizarre, Cerekloth, Victimizer and Hideous Invasion the band DEUS OTIOSUS is by no means comprised of newbies, and their heritage from the other bands really shines through on this 2010 debut album. The album "Murderer" is an 8-song showcase of how you write fucking awesome old school death metal without shitty production.
There are catchy riffs aplenty when the primal roar of the first track sets the tone. Immediately Deus Otiosus make it clear what they're about: Death metal like our moms used to make it (well, not really, but you catch my drift) with a twist of thrash and a production that makes the music heavy as fuck but still has plenty of room for crystal clear sound. Only rarely have I heard a debut album with as good a flow as Deus Otiosus' Murderer. I admit it took me more than one listening to get into the album, but when I took the time to really listen I was rewarded with a beyond satisfying listening experience.
Production-wise every is as it should be. Audible and perfectly balanced, the vocals neatly binding it all together in a writhing mass of noxious death. Normally I would say 8 songs is a bit short for a death metal album, but the length of the tracks fully justify the small number of songs as most clock in at more than 5 minutes.
Despite all my praise, there is one thing Murderer lacks. I said there are plenty of catchy riffs, and I stand by that statement, but ultimately the album isn't as memorable as some of the albums that Deus Otiosus have likely listened to. But Murderer is an album that is so masterfully put together, so solid and so deserving of appraisal that I'm forced to give it an 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. I Have Seen Him Slay
2. Thousand Arms of the Dead
3. Wall of Violence
4. Ye Pigs of Little Faith
5. Whore Limbs
6. No Life
7. Ash World
8. Murderer
Black metal has really found its' way to the furthest corners of the Earth. Well, maybe except for Antarctica, which is arguably the grimmest place on Earth. With its' roots in Northern Europe it's amazing to see a genre like that travel around the globe to South America, Alaska, Russia, Japan, Australia and even Malaysia like Neftaraka.
Before I even started listening to Neftaraka's "Morts" album I noticed the completely over the top awesome artwork. Many metal albums have really shitty artwork, but Morts is one of the coolest covers I've ever seen. It would look glorious on 12" vinyl.
As I listened to the album I realized that this would probably take a few listens before I'd get into it. And I was right, it did take a couple of sittings before I could really appreciate the moods set by the band with their Scandinavian-style black metal. By taking inspiration from such legendary acts such as Darkthrone and Burzum they've chosen som tough names to live up to, and while their riffs may not match that of Transilvanian Hunger or Lost Wisdom they've taken an age old recipe and made it their own.
But let's not make it more than it is: Classic black metal with a tiny bit of raw and depressive elements once in a while just to mix things up a little. They've even incorporated the close-to-mandatory dark ambient piece in the song Anttarra Solitude, which, despite my words, is actually a pretty damn solid track.
This goes for the whole album. It's strong black metal and it makes for a satisfying listening experience with a ton of good riffs and a near-perfect production that satiates the thirst for both filthy black metal and black metal of a more modern kind.
Neftaraka have released a throng of demos and splits and even an album in their 16 year long carreer and Morts certainly shows that the band have a lot of experience in the unholy arts of black metal. That said it sounds like the best songs are gathered in the first half of the album, which makes for a small lack of flow, but this is easily overlooked because Morts as a whole is really good. 8/10 guitars.
Thing's are going great for slam all over the world. The scenes in the US, South America, Japan, Southern Asia, Germany, Russia and even Scandinavia are doing great with numerous talented bands doing their part with great EPs, demos and full lengths to further fucking SLAM.
Tracks of a length of more than 3 minutes is more or less an unusual sight in slamming brutal death metal. However, of the three tracks on Endometritis' demo "Dehiscent Purulent Abdominal Viscera" two of them are of a length greater than that benchmark, the longest one clocking in at a stunning 6:09 minutes. This track, which insidently is also the first one, sets the tone for the next 13 minutes with a murderously slow exhibition of brutal death metal.
Continuing in the same crushing manner the German band delivers a gorey torrent of killer riffs and some of the most well-performed and most varied vokills I've ever heard in a slam band. The second track "Squelching Postcoital Contraception About Ovarian Cysts" is a monumentally fearsome piece of slamming brutal death metal and really is the EP's main centrepiece, where it feels like Endometritis have really given it all they've got.
The last track, Ulcus Durum, is probably the EP's weakest track, and it feels like it's only there as a kind of filler track.
Despite all the commendable features of the "Dehiscent Purulent Abdominal Viscera" demo EP I wish they had a more aggressive, heavy and organic guitar tone. The drums could also be a little more crispy without losing brutality, and I feel Endometritis' music deserves the best sound available.
In short, Endometritis might be one of the next big things in German slam. They're playing a death metal/grindcore festival in Denmark this summer (2012) and, if I remember correctly, have some new material coming out soon. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Disgorging Foul Excrements
2. Squelching Postcoital Contraception About Ovarian Cysts
3. Ulcus Durum
ENDOMETRITIS official site
Download the EP and listen for yourself HERE
Depressive and atmospheric black metal, often chriticized for being a way too "easy" genre that every babboon can play, is mostly seen in conjuction with lenghty black metal tunes with tortured vocals, a truckload of highly distorted tremolo riffs and drums that range from simple 4/4's to blistering blast beats.
Hailing from Canada Wendess is in all aspects a traditional atmospheric black metal band with some tendencies toward depressive themes. Already from the first of the five it's obvious that their focus lies with the melancholic feelings invoked by the pain-filled vocals and the foggy atmosphere occassionally created by the heavy ambiance and huge contrast between peaceful parts with clean guitars and the chaotic cacophony of the more traditional black metal parts.
Wendess is one of those bands that master the change from violent blast beats and aggressive tremolo-riffs in the spirit of true black metal to scenic soundscapes of a dovish nature that are so frequently associated with atmospheric bands. Just when you thought they had nothing more to add they come back with yet another detail or hitherto unseen part that makes for an overall enjoyable listening experience.
To me it's always interesting to see and hear the way a band progresses and evolves between releases. Some bands develop a completely new style between albums while some stay with what they know.
The Greek black metal act Rise of Malice, originally created by Satwe, Norlander and Storfeth in 2009, are now two demos into their career of blasting black metal. 2010's demo "Coronation of Liar" features 4 original songs aswell as a Darkthrone cover; The 4 tracks are a manifestation of 90's black metal worship, sounding very akin to Norwegian legends like Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and at times even Immortal. Vocals, drums and guitars all come together in a greater unity to nourish the incredibly cold atmosphere that many bands of the genre have come to embrace. The vocals are a classic display of the trademark distorted raw screams, and the guitars present wholesome tremolo-ridden riffs that are mostly very catchy aswell as giving the impression that the music is not something that the band just does as a hobby.
Rise of Malice's first demo is an overall magnificent interpretation of the classic black metal bands, and while they aren't trying to hide who they're taking inspiration from they still manage to give their own personal touch.
When Silent Echoes, the first track of the second demo, 2012's Rise of Malice, toned in on my speakers I thought for a moment that the Greek band had taken a turn toward depressive black metal like Xasthur, Wedard or Nortt. But as soon as the intro track faded into the second track, the mystically magnificent "Forest of Mist", those ideas were blasted to hell by a torrent of guitars, drums and vocals.
What hit me first thing was the more progressive riffs. With their self-titled demo Rise of Malice have developed a more destinct riff-sound aswell as moved into turf more unorthodox. The progression from Coronation of Liar to Rise of Malice, while subtle, is noticable. Their newfound more untraditional niche of black metal has also brought a rawer sound with it.
I was surprised to find that their sound has changed from their old material to the new. I already mentioned the rawer sound, but the general balance between instruments isn't quite the same anymore. The drums sound like they've been downplayed a little, though certain fills are marginally louder than the rest. The vocals also seem to have been altered and made less distorted.
The second demo offers 4 new tracks written by Rise of Malice and another cover, this time of Immortal's Withstand the Fall of Time. The 4 new tracks, while much the same as the 4 on Coronation of Liar, still show a certain amount of musical evolution within the band. It sounds more like the band has found their own sound on the self-titled demo.
Over all I guess you could say that the first demo is more catchy and easy to approach while the second is a tad bit more esoterical. If you are one of those people who think black metal can't be about great riffing, then Rise of Malice may very well be the band that changes your mind. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist (Coronation of Liar):
1. There is no God
2. Voice of Profligate
3. Coronation of Liar
4. Chalice of Blood
5. Unholy Black Metal (Darkthrone Cover)
Tracklist (Rise of Malice):
1. Silent Echoes
2. The Forest of Mist
3. Bones to Dust
4. Bloodshed
5. Withstand the Fall of Time (Immortal Cover)
You could probably say that there was two major influential groups in early death metal: The Florida-scene and the Swedish scene. Though the bands from both places played death metal there were some differences in sound and such. The Swedish scene's trademark chainsaw-guitar sound is a trait that has since been used by bands all over the world.
The Brazilian deathdealers in Escarnium mix the brutallity of Brazilian death metal that we all know (or SHOULD know!) and this fuzzed up guitar sound of Sweden. Filled with great riffs, headpounding drums and a total rotting old school feel despite the somewhat modern production Rex Verminorum is a short display of absolute death metal power.
If you are ready to embark on a journey through disease-ridden lands covered in death and suffering, Escarnium will help you get there with these 30 minutes of blastbeats, tremolo riffs and magnificently executed growls.
Now, this isn't going to be all appraisal. As much as I'd like it, no album or EP is perfect. But with Rex Verminorum I can't really put my finger on anything other than lack of ingenuity. While the album is definitely a fun and enjoyable listen, it's not really anything new. It's not been done overly much, so it's still within acceptable bounds.Laden with well-executed blastbeats and a dry sound Escarnium are a beacon of light in a sea of mediocrity. There's the occasional unleashing of a vicious guitar solo, and though the Brazilian quartet rarely push the speed limits their brand of death metal that is usually mid-tempoed sometimes unleash short blasts of lightning fury.
Escarnium have a way with flow. Despite some of the songs being from another release, the "Covered in Decadence" demo from 2009, all the songs fit together like pieces of a morbid puzzle. The hellish vibes of the Rex Verminorum EP should disappoint no fan of solid Swedish or Brazilian death metal. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Dark Clouds Above Hell's Fire
2. Self Proclaimed Messiah
3. Rex Verminorum
4. Covered in Decadence
5. Enfeeblement and Iconoclasm
6. His Final March
7. Slaves of an Ending Fate
There are so many subgenres of black metal, some close to the roots of the genre and others so mutated they are barely recognizable. Bands like Dimmu Borgir with their transition from symphonic black metal to what is essentially symphonic extreme metal further makes it difficult to categorize bands of that type.
Pantheon of Blood, however, is easy to place - They play straight-to-the-point no bullshit black metal with small hints of depressive black like Burzum and early Satyricon.
Created only 3 years ago Pantheon of Blood haven't released much yet. Other than a self-titled demo from 2010 Consociatio Solis et Lunae is the first effort from the Finnish band. Not only does the EP leave the listener wanting more, it also creates great expectations for more material. Pantheon of Blood really have something to live up to with this debut EP.
The great guitar work comes together with the fantastically grim vocals and well-varied drums in a close to 8 minute blast of genuinely good black metal. The cryptical sound that Pantheon of Blood has picked up so early in their musical carreer creates the perfect amount of gloom for the 2-song EP. All the transitions are smooth and the melodic riffs don't in any way take away focus from the raw outlook, especially because the sublime details only add to the feelings invoked by Consociatio Solis et Lunae.
All in all I guess you could say that Pantheon of Blood is a strong contender in the veritable horde of black metal bands out there. They stand out along other newer acts like Ash Borer by making more intricate black metal with more layers than what is customary for most bands of the genre. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Overflowing Manifestation
2. The Crimson Empress of Night
Many black metal bands utilize elements of dark ambient in their music, either as intros, by making entire dark ambient songs among black metal ones or by direct incorporation of ambience into the music to create an atmosphere. While black metal by its sheer nature already have lots of atmospheric tendencies, this feel can be emphasized by the use of ambient elements.
The Ukranian one-man black metal band Moloch sets the tone from the first track, which serves as an intro and mindsetter for the rest of the album. "Illusionen Eines Verlorenen Lebens" is in excess of 50 minutes of depressive black metal with a slew of apathy-ridden tracks of atmospheric nature. The tortured vocal efforts of Pr. Sergiy Fjordsson goes hand in hand with the ambient characteristics and the drony and heavily distorted guitars.
The 8-track album emanates a definite aura of cold desolation and is more or less the soundtrack to how I imagine a cold winter in Ukraine. As with most bands in the genre Moloch presents itself with repetitive songwriting, and while this may sound like a bad thing I've always seen it as a means to create the desired feeling with the listener.
There is one thing that bothers me with Illusionen Eines Verlorenen Lebens and many modern black metal bands in general - The drums. It's a damn shame that so many one-man black metal bands use drummachines or heavily sampled drums. It takes away a lot of the atmosphere and feeling, which I feel are essential to music that seeks to invoke those kinds of feelings with the listener.
All in all I'd say Moloch, who is incredibly productive by the way, having recorded more than 70 releases since its creation in 2002, is a fine example of depressive black metal with a boatload of dark ambient elements. Fans of Paysage d'Hiver and Wedard must check out this band. Afterall the drumsound shouldn't have that much of a say on the overall score of the album, but it is something that slightly lessens my oppinion of it. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Illusion des Winters
2. Ein düsterer Winter kommt I
3. Ein düsterer Winter kommt II
4. Dissonanz Tropfen eines glühenden Schmerzes
5. Weg von dieser Welt voller Traurigkeit
6. Unsichtbarer Faden des Lebens
7. Illusionen eines verlorenen Lebens
8. Abgrund meines Wesens
Fronted by bands such as Shining (Swe), Xasthur and Nyktalgia depressive black metal is a somewhat new genre focussed mostly on droning rhythms and a cold atmosphere. While depressive black metal is mainly about the lyrics - which are more often than not about nihilism, apathy and depressed moods - you often see it go hand in hand with the above description also featuring simplistic guitars, gritty production and acoustic elements.
The bands within the genre are greatly varied. An example of textbook depressive/atmospheric black metal would be At Dusk, who's sole member "Korihor" hails from the sunny state California in the USA. Having released only one split before this self-titled piece you could say that At Dusk is still a young band, though the time in this realm has been spent effectively: This 13-track demo tape is over one hour in length. Even for depressive black metal, where many bands are known for making songs of great length, this is much.
The At Dusk demo tape is exactly what depressive black metal needs to be. Gritty, dark, cold, desolate and devoid of all life. If I was told that Korihor had walked among intergalactic horrors and stared directly into chaos I would be inclined to believe it. The impressive 13 tracks offer many minutes of emotive compositions and simplistic structures fitting to this particular style of metal. Among the traditional elements of the genre you will on this demonstration of skill you'll find certain foreign parts; weird melodies that at times can sound almost psychedelically horrific or cosmic, which only further contributes to the unearthly depressed atmosphere.
If you are into highly atmospheric depressive black metal in the vain of Xasthur and very early Burzum this self-titled demo is definitely something for you. At Dusk is the total package of low to mid-paced depressive black metal. This release should come with a warning: If you turn up At Dusk really loud it will at times sound like eldritch horrors scratching and clawing at the walls of your mind. 8/10 guitars.
Tracklist:
1. Invocation of Ancient Power
2. Colder than the Merciless Snow
3. End of Being
4. My Flesh, a Pittance
5. The Profaned Temple
6. Forsaken, Betrayed
7. Suffer in Solitude
8. Limbless, Man's Fall
9. Will This Ever End?
10. Boundless Fathoms (of Pain)
11. I Have No Mouth
12. Haunting Echoes
13. Within this Hallowed Place
For more At Dusk check out the official homepage HERE
Folk legends and traditional mythology of old, be it Celtic, Norse, Medieval or other, has been featured as musical inspiration and lyrical subjects in metal bands for a long time, dating back to the early releases of bands like Cruachan, Skyclad, Bathory and Subway to Sally. In more recent times the incorporation of mesopotamian, oriental, egyptian and mediterranean elements have seen the light of day with bands like Nile, Melechesh and Orphaned Land on the forefront of these glorifiers of the ancient days of the cradle of the Earth.
En Eabatu, the Lord of Babylon and the sole member of AGGA, is one such person. With lyrics firmly rooted in Babylonian and Sumerian mythology aswell as Lovecraftian lore and music in the genre of black metal with an absolute and dominant twist of ancient-sounding folk music, Agga is a phenomenal example of the fact that you don't have to follow tradition in music. En Eabatu has labeled Agga as "mystical metal", and I find this to be a very exact description as this 7 track album indeed has a huge emphasis on the mystical atmosphere. When listening to Agga I find myself imagining a dark, ancient mediterranean city.
It's obvious to the listener that Agga's main strength lies in the incorporation of this dark, ancient ambience in the otherwise standard black metal sound with incredibly catchy and atmospheric riffs aswell as catchy choruses. The overall feel goes great with the metal elements and the vocals which are mostly a mix between black and death vocals. The structure and flow of the individual tracks also help contribute to the overall feel that it's obvious Agga has gone for.
Overall I feel you could say that this debut album from 2008 exhibits an extrordinary sense for atmosphere. The only thing dragging the self-titled release down is dodgily mastered guitars and a final track that is definitely below par. Other than that: 8/10
Tracklist:
1. Dance of the Fire Serpent
2. The Lord of Babylon
3. Desert Death Winds
4. The Calling
5. Neo Sumerian
6. The Rise of Gibil
7. Out of the Cold Desert
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