This is the debut album from Canadian black metallers Vital Spirit.
Featuring members of Seer and Wormwitch, Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind contains 36 minutes of folk-enhanced black metal. Continue reading “Vital Spirit – Still as the Night, Cold as the Wind (Review)”
This is the debut album from I Am the Night, a black metal band from Finland.
Brought to us by current and ex-members of bands such as Insomnium, Malpractice, Omnium Gatherum, Paradise Lost, and Vallenfyre, While the Gods Are Sleeping is a 38-minute record influenced by the 90s second wave of black metal. Continue reading “I Am the Night – While the Gods Are Sleeping (Review)”
This is the seventh album from Swedish black metallers Watain.
This is the follow up to 2018’s Trident Wolf Abyss and contains 50 minutes of new material. The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain is raw and unforgiving, but not without character or atmosphere. The songs have the feel of those on classic second Continue reading “Watain – The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain (Review)”
This is the debut album from Freja, an atmospheric black metal band from the Netherlands.
Featuring a member of Laster, Tides contains 39 minutes of ethereal atmospheric black metal.
The music is layered with emotive Continue reading “Freja – Tides (Review)”
This is the fourth album from US black metallers Feral Light.
Feral Light impressed me with both 2020’s Life Vapor and the short EP Ceremonial Tower the year after. Psychic Contortions continues the band’s impressive run, showcasing Feral Light doing what they do best across 36 captivating minutes. Continue reading “Feral Light – Psychic Contortions (Review)”
This is the third album from US black metallers Vanum.
The promo blurb states that Legend is for fans of Ultha, Wiegedood, Ash Borer, Fell Voices, Turia, Fluisteraars, Wode, Yellow Eyes, Bathory, Rotting Christ, and epic heavy metal. This is as good a place as any to start with for this record. Continue reading “Vanum – Legend (Review)”
This is the debut album from Notturno, an Italian black metal band.
Featuring the vocalist of Eyelessight, Notturno play a mix of depressive and atmospheric black metal that also contains elements of doom. There are three epic-length songs on Obsessions, delivering 37 minutes of material in total. Continue reading “Notturno – Obsessions (Review)”
Dreariness are an Italian post-black metal band and this is their third album.
I enjoyed 2016’s Fragments, so was keen to check this new album out. I’m pleased I did, as it presents the band in the best light, with a good, natural progression in sound. Continue reading “Dreariness – Before We Vanish (Review)”
Marrasmieli are a black metal band from Finland and this is their second album.
I enjoyed 2020’s Between Land and Sky a great deal, which made Martaiden Mailta one I was definitely looking forward to. Marrasmieli play atmospheric black metal with a clear folk influence, but they balance this against a heart of pure blackened darkness. Continue reading “Marrasmieli – Martaiden Mailta (Review)”
Tome of the Unreplenished are a black metal band from Cyprus and this is their second album.
Containing current and ex-members of bands such as Code, Macabre Omen, and Lvcifyre, Earthbound is a 47-minute atmospheric black metal album that may not be quite what you were expecting. Continue reading “Tome of the Unreplenished – Earthbound (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 