This is the second album from Belgian black metallers Ars Veneficium.
I really liked 2016’s The Reign of the Infernal King; the band’s fiery black metal left lasting marks. A new album feels overdue, so it’s with great anticipation that we turn to Usurpation of the Seven and its 38 minutes of dark blackened mayhem. Continue reading “Ars Veneficium – Usurpation of the Seven (Review)”
Crown of Asteria is a one-woman black metal band from the US, and Nodus Tollens in a one-man black metal band, also from the US.
The split opens with the single 19-minute track Claw of the Firemaker by Crown of Asteria. The style is nature-influenced atmospheric black metal with elements of doom, folk, and ambient mixed in. It’s raw and unpolished, but this simply adds to the music’s charms. Continue reading “Crown of Asteria/Nodus Tollens – Split (Review)”
Tombs are a post-black metal band from the US, and this is their latest EP.
Tombs have a strong track record, (Savage Gold, All Empires Fall, The Grand Annihilation), so ensuring I listened to this release was an easy choice. Having undergone a twisted rebirth of sorts, (three out of the four members are new), the latest Tombs EP marks a more-collaborative version of the band, and the results are impressive. Continue reading “Tombs – Monarchy of Shadows (Review)”
This is the debut album from Mourir, a black metal band from France.
The music on Animal Bouffe Animal takes influence from the Scandinavian second wave, but then updates this with modern touches and uncomfortable dissonance, scathing sludge, and harrowing doom. The end result is 34 minutes of atmospheric rawness that combines old and new to produce something hideously enjoyable. Continue reading “Mourir – Animal Bouffe Animal (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Ihsahn, a legendary black, progressive, and experimental metal artist.
Containing 5 tracks, including two covers, (Iron Maiden and Lenny Kravitz), Ihsahn’s latest EP features 26 minutes showcasing the artist’s more aggressive side. Continue reading “Ihsahn – Telemark (Review)”
Blaze of Perdition are a Polish black metal band and this is their fifth album.
A new Blaze of Perdition album is always welcome, with both 2015’s Near Death Revelations and 2017’s Conscious Darkness setting high standards. Pleasingly, The Harrowing of Hearts doesn’t let the side down, and offers 51 minutes of quality material, including a Fields of the Nephilim cover that closes the album. Continue reading “Blaze of Perdition – The Harrowing of Hearts (Review)”
This is the second album from French black metallers Pénitence Onirique.
It seems like ages ago that V.I.T.R.I.O.L. came out, and it was 2016 I suppose. The record made an impression, so I’m pleased to now be presented with its successor Vestige; 53 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Pénitence Onirique – Vestige (Review)”
Sons of a Wanted Man are a post-black metal band from Belgium and this is their debut album.
Sons of a Wanted Man mix post-metal, shoegaze, and melancholic atmosphere into their blackened concoction, resulting in a multifaceted album that hits many highs across its 47-minute playing time. Continue reading “Sons of a Wanted Man – Kenoma (Review)”
This is the latest EP from French black metallers Moonreich.
Moonreich are a band I always enjoy the work of, (Fugue, for example), and this new EP is no exception. It contains four new songs and a Depeche Mode cover, and lasts 22 minutes. Continue reading “Moonreich – Wormgod (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Frigoris, an atmospheric post-black metal band from Germany.
Frigoris’ post-black metal is atmospheric and immersive, and as you journey across this 65-minute album, you’ll also discover aspects of doom, progressive metal, and post-rock that are incorporated into the music’s textured tapestry. Continue reading “Frigoris – …In Stille (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 