Armed only with the album cover and the briefest promo blurb I’ve probably ever seen simply identifying this as black metal, I decided to take a chance on it. In fact, I’ll reproduce the promo text in its entirety here – Continue reading “Pakkt – To Brocken Heights Where Witches Dance (Review)”
Category: Black metal
Tardigrada – Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit (Review)
Tardigrada are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their second album.
Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit is 59 minutes long and contains four massive songs. Before each one of these sits a brief intro/interlude track, and against all expectations these are actually decent moments of rare calm and reflection amidst the atmospheric and emotive storms of the main songs. Continue reading “Tardigrada – Vom Bruch bis zur Freiheit (Review)”
Funeral Mist – Deiform (Review)
This is the fourth album from Swedish black metal solo act Funeral Mist.
The follow up to 2018’s vicious Hekatomb, Deiform contains 54 minutes of new material. It is an atmospheric and immersive release, filled with grandeur and weighty concepts and themes. Continue reading “Funeral Mist – Deiform (Review)”
Inherits the Void – Monolith of Light (Review)
This is the debut album from Inherits the Void, a French one-man black metal act.
Monolith of Light is 37 minutes long and contains a form of melodically-rich atmospheric black metal that hits the spot quite nicely. The promo blurb tells us that the artist behind the band wanted to aim for “a meeting between influences from the ‘90s Swedish black metal scene and a more current orientation of the genre”, and I’d suggest that this has been achieved. The album has an old-school core that’s enhanced by more modern post-blackened influences. Continue reading “Inherits the Void – Monolith of Light (Review)”
Vahrzaw – The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men (Review)
Vahrzaw are an Australian black/death metal band and this is their fourth album.
Having enjoyed 2014’s Twin Suns & Wolves’ Tongues and 2018’s Husk, I knew I wanted to check out The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men as soon as I could. This new album further develops the sound that Vahrzaw did so well on Husk, taking it Continue reading “Vahrzaw – The Trembling Voices of Conquered Men (Review)”
Ethereal Shroud – Trisagion (Review)
This is the second album from UK solo atmospheric black metal band Ethereal Shroud.
Now this is my kind of album. The album boasts three colossal songs, with a total duration of 64 minutes; Trisagion is a dark odyssey that’s well-worth embarking on. Despite being essentially a solo work from a creative perspective, there are a number of other musicians on the album that help to flesh out the artist’s vision, providing bass, viola, drums, and female vocals, (the latter on the 28-minute opener Chasmal Fires). Continue reading “Ethereal Shroud – Trisagion (Review)”
Doodswens – Lichtvrees (Review)
This is the debut album from Doodswens, a black metal band from the Netherlands.
Doodswens play black metal infused with the spirit of the Scandinavian second wave, and delivered with contemporary passion and mood-focused impact. Think a combination of the traditional old-school Darkthrone sound combined with the grim darkness of acts like Xasthur and Gnaw Their Tongues. Continue reading “Doodswens – Lichtvrees (Review)”
Aquilus – Bellum I (Review)
This is the second album from one-man Australian black metal act Aquilus.
Bellum I features 62 minutes of atmospheric black metal combined with folk and classical elements. The promo blurb states that Aquilus’ music is for fans of Midnight Odyssey, Skogen, and Falls of Rauros, which immediately caused me to be interested. I’d also add bands like Opeth, Ne Obliviscaris, Agalloch, and Wilderun to this list too. Continue reading “Aquilus – Bellum I (Review)”
Gurthang – Hearts of the Hollow (Review)
This is the seventh album from Polish black metal act Gurthang.
2019’s Ascension was an album that I enjoyed at the time, but which has only increased in my estimation since. As such, I was eager to hear their latest creation. Continue reading “Gurthang – Hearts of the Hollow (Review)”
Anomalie – Tranceformation (Review)
Anomalie are an Austrian post-black metal band and this is their fourth album.
Following on from 2017’s well-received Visions, (via an EP I haven’t heard), Tranceformation contains 44 minutes of new material, and comes with a newly-focused direction to boot. A rough reference point for what Tranceformation sounds like would be a mix of bands such as Schammasch, Enslaved, and old Anomalie, although to be honest this is only a very approximate guide at best, especially as some songs have a modern doom metal flavour too, (most notably opening track). Continue reading “Anomalie – Tranceformation (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 