Hryre – From Mortality to Infinity (Review)

HryreHyrye play atmospheric black metal and come from the UK. This is their debut album.

Featuring harsh black metal that’s born out of the early atmospheric style, it also has some progressive and folk influences that it welcomes into its wind-swept embrace.

Over 66 minutes the band paint dark pictures through extremity Continue reading “Hryre – From Mortality to Infinity (Review)”

Mare Cognitum – Luminiferous Aether (Review)

Mare CognitumThis is the fourth album from this one-man US black metal band.

Over the years Mare Cognitum’s output has proven to be of exceptionally high quality, with 2014’s Phobos Monolith being a particular highlight.

Luminiferous Aether provides us with more of the progressively-edged atmospheric black metal that we’ve come to know and love from the outfit, all lavishly arranged, produced and delivered across over 50 minutes of Continue reading “Mare Cognitum – Luminiferous Aether (Review)”

Interview with In Cauda Venenum

In Cauda Venenum Logo

The self-titled debut album by In Cauda Venenum is now over a year old and about to get a vinyl re-release. If you haven’t yet heard it then I highly suggest you do. Containing only two tracks, yet running for 42 minutes, the music is epic, top-of-the-line atmospheric black metal, full of texture and darkness.

Ictus, (guitars, bass and vocals), brought me up to speed with all you need to know about this talented band…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

We are two guys playing Black Metal songs. We like making it epic, progressive and atmospheric. If you enjoy long tracks, you should give a chance to IN CAUDA VENENUM.

Give us a bit of background to In Cauda Venenum

I wrote 4 first ICV songs during 2009 and 2010. When N.K.L.S. joined me as a drummer in 2011, we decided to bring them to another level and started a rewriting process. After several years working on these 4 tracks, we finally decided to focus on 2 tracks to prepare our first release. We made this choice because our tracks were quite long (more than 20 min each), and the job was to huge. Continue reading “Interview with In Cauda Venenum”

Nox Formulae – The Hidden Paths to Black Ecstasy (Review)

Nox FormulaeNox Formulae are a Greek black metal band and this is their debut album.

This is ritualistic/occult black metal that combines a raw delivery with elements of the avant-garde and atmospheric.

The band take the second-wave black metal template and mutate it into something a bit more atypical. Synths and dark Continue reading “Nox Formulae – The Hidden Paths to Black Ecstasy (Review)”

Void Omnia – Dying Light (Review)

Void OmniaVoid Omnia are a black metal band from the US, and this is their debut album.

Dying Light is largely fast and furious, taking elements of melodic and atmospheric black metal into its dark, cold embrace and suffocating them with the essence of the deep void of outer space.

Full of blast beats and fast riffs, the songs on Dying Light Continue reading “Void Omnia – Dying Light (Review)”

Somnium Nox – Apocrypha (Review)

Somnium NoxThis is the debut release from Somnium Nox, a black metal band from Australia.

Somnium Nox are harbingers of esoteric progressive/atmospheric black metal that plays out over one 16 minute track, revealing an expansive tapestry of music that explores the underground world of black metal with aplomb. Continue reading “Somnium Nox – Apocrypha (Review)”

Cairiss – Fall (Review)

CairissCairiss are an atmospheric/post-black metal band from the UK. This is their debut EP.

Now, here we have something very impressive.

Cairiss’ music is atmospheric metal that takes a good amount of black metal influence but builds on it with post-metal knowledge and application.

The singer has a voice that does the music justice. Her harsh screams are savagery Continue reading “Cairiss – Fall (Review)”

Wederganger/Laster – Split (Review)

Wederganger LasterWederganger and Laster both play black metal and are both from the Netherlands. They have teamed up for this very tasty split.

Wederganger contribute one song, Klaroenen Van de Dood, lasting almost 15 minutes. They’ve been featured on this site before with their début album Halfvergaan Ontwaakt, which was an enjoyable listen that fused orthodox black metal with epic, folk influences.

On this split the band show their predilection for Darkthrone/Satyricon-styled grooves Continue reading “Wederganger/Laster – Split (Review)”