Drevorod are an atmospheric black metal band from Russia and this is their debut album.
This is atmospheric black metal with folk influences. It’s well-played and manages to balance the atmospheric/folk sides of the music well, so that the band have an obvious character to their music without it coming across as twee. Continue reading “Drevorod – I Swear to Return Here (Review)”
This is the debut album from Italian symphonic black/death metallers Vereor Nox.
In some ways this reminds me of The Forest Dreams of Black by Tine, which is one of my favourite examples of how to merge black and death metal with symphonic elements. Although Vereor Nox don’t sound like carbon copies of Tine, there’s enough superficial resemblance to make me instantly warm to the music on Noli Respicere. Continue reading “Vereor Nox – Noli Respicere (Review)”
Ashes of Nowhere are a post-black metal band from Italy and this is their debut album.
This is a release that combines a fair few different blackened styles into its 54 minute running time. Across the seven tracks one can hear raw, traditional black metal, atmospheric post-metal, melodic black metal, depressive shoegaze and a touch of the avant-garde.
Phew. Continue reading “Ashes of Nowhere – Emptiness (Review)”
Bearstorm are a progressive black metal band from the US and this is their latest EP.
Bearstorm play progressive black metal, but if you haven’t heard them before I can all but guarantee that they don’t sound as you’d expect them to.
Their previous album Americanus was an unusual record. A very good one, but a very individual one that was probably too much of an acquired taste for most. A shame, but their loss, (whoever they are), is our gain. Continue reading “Bearstorm – Biophobia (Review)”
This is the second album by UK black metallers The Infernal Sea.
This is sophisticated black metal that still manages to somehow sound filthy, ugly and grim. It’s a beguiling combination that sees the band combine atmosphere and ferocity in tantalising ways across this 42 minute release. Continue reading “The Infernal Sea – The Great Mortality (Review)”
This is the third album from Soulburn, a predominantly black metal band from the Netherlands.
Featuring ex-members of Asphyx, this is a solid slab of prime-time metal that effectively mixes black and death metal, (with some doom), into a tasty 47 minutes. Continue reading “Soulburn – Earthless Pagan Spirit (Review)”
This is the debut album of Ovnev, a one-man atmospheric black metal band from the US.
Featuring atmospheric black metal with a nature theme and plenty of use of acoustic guitars, Ovnev’s debut album is confident and assured from the start.
Cycle of Survival is filled with Continue reading “Ovnev – Cycle of Survival (Review)”
This is the fourth album from German band Downfall of Gaia. They play post-black metal.
This is a release that creates and fosters atmosphere like a second skin. It’s dark and mystical, and keeps its secrets close to its chest despite also being quite warm and welcoming in some respects. Ice-cold black metal full of hatred and blasphemy this is not. That’s not to say that Continue reading “Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy (Review)”
Tarnkappe are from the Netherlands and this is their second album.
The band’s first release Tussen Hun En De Zon introduced us to the band’s take on classic black metal, with lashings of Burzum and Darkthrone influences lacing the old-school venom of the music. Continue reading “Tarnkappe – Winterwaker (Review)”
Fornicus are a black metal band from the US and this is their second album.
Since 2014’s Storming Heaven it seems that Fornicus have only become harsher and more extreme with their black metal. Hymns of Dominion is 43 minutes of fast and scathing icy hatred. Continue reading “Fornicus – Hymns of Dominion (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 