This is the fourth album from US black metal band Black Anvil.
2014’s Hail Death was a firm favourite of mine. They’ve now produced the follow up to this, and it’s great to have them back.
Black Anvil play black metal that combines elements of thrash metal with a more epic, expansive side. Continue reading “Black Anvil – As Was (Review)”
This is the latest EP from one-man black metal band Råttkung, who hails from Denmark.
Råttkung’s debut EP Dark Is the Beginning was 17 minutes of raw, underground black metal that reached back to the early days of the second wave for inspiration.
In some ways this influence is continued on this latest short release, but we also see another side to Råttkung too. Here we get a mere three songs in 10 minutes, but what this EP lacks in length it makes up for in blackened malice and ambition. Continue reading “Råttkung – Unborn Undead (Review)”
This is Ultha’s second album. They are a black metal band from Germany.
Now this is quite the find. Mixing elements of Burzum, Emperor, Wolves in the Throne Room and Lycus, Ultha mix old and new black metal with some crushing doom influences to produce 63 minutes of bleak melancholy and dark allure. Continue reading “Ultha – Converging Sins (Review)”
This is the second album from Italian black metal band Earth and Pillars.
It starts off softly, leaving you unprepared for what lies within…
This is atmospheric black metal with long songs and epic ambition.
Mixing repetitive atmospheric mood-pieces with suffocating Continue reading “Earth and Pillars – Pillars I (Review)”
Laster are a black metal band from the Netherlands and this is their second album.
We’ve met Laster before, both on their debut album De Verste Verte Is Hier and on their split with Wederganger. Both times they’ve impressed with their atmospheric black metal, and this continues with their newest release. Continue reading “Laster – Ons Vrije Fatum (Review)”
Drevorod are an atmospheric black metal band from Russia and this is their debut album.
This is atmospheric black metal with folk influences. It’s well-played and manages to balance the atmospheric/folk sides of the music well, so that the band have an obvious character to their music without it coming across as twee. Continue reading “Drevorod – I Swear to Return Here (Review)”
Ashes of Nowhere are a post-black metal band from Italy and this is their debut album.
This is a release that combines a fair few different blackened styles into its 54 minute running time. Across the seven tracks one can hear raw, traditional black metal, atmospheric post-metal, melodic black metal, depressive shoegaze and a touch of the avant-garde.
Phew. Continue reading “Ashes of Nowhere – Emptiness (Review)”
This is the debut album of Ovnev, a one-man atmospheric black metal band from the US.
Featuring atmospheric black metal with a nature theme and plenty of use of acoustic guitars, Ovnev’s debut album is confident and assured from the start.
Cycle of Survival is filled with Continue reading “Ovnev – Cycle of Survival (Review)”
This is the fourth album from German band Downfall of Gaia. They play post-black metal.
This is a release that creates and fosters atmosphere like a second skin. It’s dark and mystical, and keeps its secrets close to its chest despite also being quite warm and welcoming in some respects. Ice-cold black metal full of hatred and blasphemy this is not. That’s not to say that Continue reading “Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy (Review)”
This is the second album by Mesarthim, an Australian atmospheric black metal band.
Mesarthim create cosmic-themed black metal that’s spacious and rich in atmospheric attack.
This is a very striking release. The album layers cosmic Continue reading “Mesarthim – .- -… … . -. -.-. . (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 