This is the debut album from Finnish one-man black metal act Sammale.
Brought to us by a member of Marrasmieli, Sammale contains 32 minutes of atmospheric folk-tinged black metal. With just over half an hour of material the artist behind Sammale has delivered an album that can effortlessly be replayed over and over again. Continue reading “Sammale – Sammale (Review)”
This is the second album from French post-black metal band Jours Pâles.
Last year’s Éclosion came out of nowhere and hugely impressed me. I ended up enjoying it so much it appeared on my end of year list too. I wasn’t expecting another album so soon, but here we are with Tensions, which contains 61 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Jours Pâles – Tensions (Review)”
This is the debut album from US one-man black metal act Chamber of Mirrors.
Delivering 35 minutes of underground black metal, Shadow Kingdom is a good showcase for what the artist behind Chamber of Mirrors is capable of. Continue reading “Chamber of Mirrors – Shadow Kingdom (Review)”
This is the debut album from international death metal band Jade.
I’ve loosely called this death metal in the introductory sentence above, but The Pacification of Death provides more than this. I suppose blackened atmospheric death metal is more accurate; Jade excel in crafting music that combines 80s/90s death/doom and mood-heavy black metal, resulting in a 40-minute album that is more notable than most. Continue reading “Jade – The Pacification of Death (Review)”
Orphique are a Canadian black metal band and this is their debut album.
Consécration Cadavérique contains 40 minutes of music, and is an exemplary introduction to Orphique’s charismatic take on black metal. Continue reading “Orphique – Consécration Cadavérique (Review)”
This is the ninth album from Norwegian Black Metallers Kampfar.
It’s been a while since I last caught up with what Kampfar were doing, (2015’s Profan). Their brand of pagan black metal is always entertaining, so when Til Klovers Takt appeared I was eager to check it out. Continue reading “Kampfar – Til Klovers Takt (Review)”
This is the second album from French black metal band Iffernet.
Silences assaults the listener with 38 minutes of underground black metal. It’s harsh and unforgiving, but isn’t lacking in finesse or nuance. The promo blurb mentions Weakling, Urfaust, and Fluisteraars, which should give a rough idea of what we’re dealing with here. Continue reading “Iffernet – Silences (Review)”
This is the second album from Swedish black metallers Jordfäst.
Av Stoft contains just two tracks, the first of which lasts 16 minutes, and the next 17 minutes. During these two lengthy songs we are taken on an epic, windswept journey into Jordfäst’s world.
If you think of bands such as Skagos, Ulver, Primordial, Wolves in the Throne Room, Bathory, and Skogen, (the singer of which guests here), you’ll have a rough idea of what Av Stoft contains. Continue reading “Jordfäst – Av Stoft (Review)”
This is the latest EP from German black metal band Asarhaddon.
I really enjoyed 2020’s Reysa, so Thurofreminga is one I didn’t want to miss. Containing two 13-minute tracks, Thurofreminga is an epic slice of melancholic black metal. Continue reading “Asarhaddon – Thurofreminga (Review)”
This is the third album from Irish black metal act Eternal Helcaraxe.
On Drown in Ash Eternal Helcaraxe provide 47 minutes of music that’s dark and personal, dealing with intimate themes of depression and loss. As such, the music is a forlorn and melancholic form of black metal that drips with feeling and emotion. Continue reading “Eternal Helcaraxe – Drown in Ash (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 