Alda – Wonderbox Metal

Ahamkara – The Harrow of the Lost (Review)

This is the second album by UK black metal band Ahamkara.

I’ve been waiting for a new Ahamkara album since 2014, which is a shockingly long time to wait for anything. The Embers of the Stars was a damn good album though, so now that a new record is here, it was not one I wanted to overlook. Unfortunately, it seems there was a good reason for this delay, as the promo blurb tells us – “Following ten years of silence after the release of their debut album “The Embers of the Stars” and the untimely death of vocalist Steven, Ahamkara return with a new lineup and new album “The Harrow of the Lost”, an unflinching exploration of the transformative nature of grief.” Continue reading “Ahamkara – The Harrow of the Lost (Review)”

Obsidian Tongue – The Stone Heart (Review)

This is the latest EP from US black metal band Obsidian Tongue.

I’ve never properly reviewed anything by Obsidian Tongue, although I did love 2020’s Volume III and included it here. My very brief overview of “Highly accomplished atmospheric black metal with a voice of its own.” still applies, and The Stone Heart is definitely one to check out if you’re a fan of bands such as Agalloch, Wolves in the Throne Room, Wilt, Alda, etc. Continue reading “Obsidian Tongue – The Stone Heart (Review)”

Yfel – Beneath the Mountain’s Vigil (Review)

This is the debut album from US black metal band Yfel.

Across the 40 minutes of music on Beneath the Mountain’s Vigil Yfel reveal themselves as very capable purveyors of atmospheric black metal. Continue reading “Yfel – Beneath the Mountain’s Vigil (Review)”

Wilt – Huginn (Review)

Wilt are a Canadian black metal band and this is their third album.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Wilt’s past material, (and bought the T-shirt too), so to say that I have been looking forward to Huginn is an understatement. Both 2015’s Moving Monoliths and 2018’s Ruin are exemplars of atmospheric black metal, and the new release Huginn is no exception. Continue reading “Wilt – Huginn (Review)”

Krigsgrav – Fires in the Fall (Review)

Krigsgrav are a black metal band from the US and this is their seventh album.

I haven’t caught up with Krigsgrav since their 2016 album Waves of Degradation, so it’s good to check in with them once more. Fires in the Fall contains 53 minutes of new material and reveals some changes to the band’s sound, which can be roughly and facetiously summarised as shorter songs, more doom. Continue reading “Krigsgrav – Fires in the Fall (Review)”

Returning – Severance (Review)

This is the debut album from US black metal band Returning.

Containing 48 minutes of music, Severance is a journey into the horrors of ecocide and a hymn to the natural world. Blending black metal with the ambient and atmospheric styles to create immersive soundscapes that exude emotional power, Severance is a shock to the system and a call for better times. Continue reading “Returning – Severance (Review)”

Alda – A Distant Fire (Review)

Alda are an atmospheric black metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.

Alda have a multifaceted sound born from combining black metal, post-rock, and folk into 51 minutes of atmospheric nature-themed blackened art. Boasting multiple vocalists and a range of different instrumentation, including the use of viola and cello, A Distant Fire is an album of nuance and rich texture. Continue reading “Alda – A Distant Fire (Review)”