This is the seventh album from legendary Norwegian black metallers Mayhem.
New Mayhem material is always A Big Event. Despite enjoying 2019’s Daemon, it wasn’t quite as special compared to the band’s other records. So what of the 49-minute Liturgy of Death? Does it suffer the same malady? Continue reading “Mayhem – Liturgy of Death (Review)”
This is the second album from Mexican progressive metal solo act Phendrana.
Here we have a 38-minute album that takes a lot of different influences into itself. Blackgaze, post-metal, progressive rock, avant-garde metal, folk, and post-black metal all come together with nuance and grace inside a progressive extreme metal framework that’s highly compelling. The artist behind Phendrana has made a convincing case for Cathexis being Continue reading “Phendrana – Cathexis (Review)”
This is the fourth album from UK black metal band Sidious.
From 2014’s symphonic blackened death metal Revealed in Profane Splendour, to 2019’s reinvention as the raw black metal darkness of Temporal, and then 2022’s slice of contemporary blackened might Blackest Insurrection, Sidious always put out something I want to listen to. Each album so far has been better than the last too. Can Malefic Necropolis continue to follow this upward trend? Continue reading “Sidious – Malefic Necropolis (Review)”
MØL are a post-black metal band from Denmark and this is their third album.
With 2018’s Jord and then 2021’s Diorama, MØL have established themselves as quality purveyors of sharp, shiny post-black metal. Now, with the 44-minute Dreamcrush, they consolidate their position, offering up their most polished and well-rounded album to date. Continue reading “MØL – Dreamcrush (Review)”
This is the second album from Italian black metal band Gorrch.
Across 37 minutes Gorrch rage with furious intensity, and do so with a slithering dissonance that’s born of arcane venom. Stillamentum is vicious, but not without nuance or layers. In fact, there’s a quite a lot under the surface of the claustrophobic nightmarescape that Stillamentum portrays. Continue reading “Gorrch – Stillamentum (Review)”
This is the fifth album from US solo black metal band Serpent Column.
Following on from 2024’s Tassel of Ares, Aion of Strife contains 50 minutes of new material from the esteemed Serpent Column. Prepare yourself for overstimulating oblivion. Continue reading “Serpent Column – Aion of Strife (Review)”
This is the second album from French solo black metal band Archvile King.
I enjoyed my time with 2022’s À la Ruine, so a new record from Archvile King is not unwelcome at all. Aux Heures Désespérées boasts 47 minutes of new material, and it’s pretty damn good. Continue reading “Archvile King – Aux Heures Désespérées (Review)”
This is the second album from Polish solo post-black metal band Miasme.
Keep Them at a Distance contains 43 minutes of engaging music. The artist behind Miasme convinces easily with a striking display of hybrid blackened post-metal that feels very contemporary, yet also timeless in its flavour. Continue reading “Miasme – Keep Them at a Distance (Review)”
This is the seventh album from one-man German black/doom metal metal band The Ruins of Beverast.
For some reason it feels like an age since The Thule Grimoires came out, but it was only actually 2021. As such, the arrival of Tempelschlaf feels like an occasion of note. The artist behind The Ruins of Beverast has amassed a great deal of experience and renown across his career – can Tempelschlaf keep the momentum going? Continue reading “The Ruins of Beverast – Tempelschlaf (Review)”
This is the sixth album from Ellende, a solo black metal band from Austria.
Following on from 2024’s Todbringerin, Zerfall contains 52 minutes of new material. The artist behind Ellende specialises in post-black metal that uses blackgaze elements to produce emotive, mood-focused music. Continue reading “Ellende – Zerfall (Review)”
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