Oranssi Pazuzu – Mestarin Kynsi (Review)

Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin KynsiThis is the fifth album from Finland’s black metallers Oranssi Pazuzu.

This is the follow up to 2016’s well-received Värähtelijä, which is a record that has only increased in my estimation over time. Now, across 50 minutes of multifaceted and highly textured music, Mestarin Kynsi is an album that I have little doubt in my mind will keep on giving for years to come as well. Continue reading “Oranssi Pazuzu – Mestarin Kynsi (Review)”

Depleted – Wretched Decay (Review)

Depleted - Wretched DecayDepleted is a one-man death/doom band from the US and this is his latest demo.

We first met Depleted in 2018 with Conjurations of Void, and it impressed with its virulent underground nastiness. On this new release we are (mis)treated to 31 minutes of horror and despair. It may not be pleasant, but it is damn good. Continue reading “Depleted – Wretched Decay (Review)”

Monthly Overview – the Best of March 2020

Lots to choose from this month, so narrowing it down to just a handful of releases was not easy… Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of March 2020”

Dawn of Ouroboros – The Art of Morphology (Review)

Dawn of Ouroboros - The Art of MorphologyThis is the debut album from Dawn of Ouroboros, a progressive black metal band from the US.

Combining elements of death, black, and progressive metal, this is a enchanting mix of the three that adopts a modern extreme metal approach to its highly engaging material. Continue reading “Dawn of Ouroboros – The Art of Morphology (Review)”

Dodenbezweerder – Vrees de Toorn van de Wezens Verscholen Achter Majestueuze Vleugels (Review)

Dodenbezweerder - Vrees de Toorn van de Wezens Verscholen Achter Majestueuze VleugelsThis is the debut album from Dodenbezweerder, a black metal band from the Netherlands.

Containing the very prolific artist behind Gnaw Their Tongues, (and many, many other bands and projects), Dodenbezweerder offer up 38 minutes of raw blackened nightmare. Continue reading “Dodenbezweerder – Vrees de Toorn van de Wezens Verscholen Achter Majestueuze Vleugels (Review)”

Spectral Lore/Mare Cognitum – Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine – Split (Review)

Spectral Lore Mare Cognitum - Wanderers Astrology of the Nine - SplitSpectral Lore and Mare Cognitum are both one-man black metal bands, (from Greece and the US respectively), and this is their latest collaborative split.

No stranger to teaming up with each other, these two atmospheric black metal bands have created an epic project with Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine. Just under 2 hours in total duration, this monolithic release features four tracks from each band interspersed with each other, topped by a final two tracks that are collaborative, with both artists creating music together. Continue reading “Spectral Lore/Mare Cognitum – Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine – Split (Review)”

Scáth Na Déithe – The Dirge of Endless Mourning (Review)

Scáth Na Déithe - The Dirge of Endless MourningThis is the second album from Scáth Na Déithe, an Irish black/death metal band.

The Dirge of Endless Mourning contains 44 minutes of atmospheric black metal mixed with malignant death metal. It’s spiritually comparable in scope and breadth to the Cascadian style, but filtered through Irish folklore and history and has a brutal edge that comes from the death metal influences. The result is an album that pulls strengths from Continue reading “Scáth Na Déithe – The Dirge of Endless Mourning (Review)”

Earth Rot – Black Tides of Obscurity (Review)

Earth Rot - Black Tides of ObscurityEarth Rot are an Australian blackened death metal band and this is their third album.

Both 2016’s Chthonian Virtues and 2017’s Renascentia were hugely enjoyable, and worthy of a place in any extreme metal fan’s collection. Continue reading “Earth Rot – Black Tides of Obscurity (Review)”