Burial in the Woods – Church of Dagon (Review)

Burial in the Woods - Church of DagonBurial in the Woods is a one man blackened doom band, and this is his debut album.

Brought to us by the mastermind behind Asche der Welten, this new project’s debut release features four tracks in total. The first three each clock in at 7-9 minutes each, while the last is an imposing 24 minutes. At 49 minutes in total, Church of Dagon is a diverse and inventive listen, one which is definitely worth experiencing. Continue reading “Burial in the Woods – Church of Dagon (Review)”

Yellow Eyes – Rare Field Ceiling (Review)

Yellow Eyes - Rare Field CeilingThis is the fifth album from Yellow Eyes, a black metal band from the US.

Yellow Eyes play modern black metal, raw and underground. Theirs is a bleakly charismatic form of blackened expression, one which provides the listener with many facets to explore throughout its 46-minute playing time. Continue reading “Yellow Eyes – Rare Field Ceiling (Review)”

Ashbringer – Absolution (Review)

Ashbringer - AbsolutionAshbringer are an atmospheric black metal band from the US and this is their third album.

Ashbringer’s black metal combines aggressive blackness with melodic sensibilities and folk-influenced post-rock reflection. Elements of bands such as Fen, Agalloch, Falls of Rauros, Amiensus, and Alcest can be heard, but moulded and channelled through Ashbringer’s own collective experiences and personality. Continue reading “Ashbringer – Absolution (Review)”

Unknown Artist – A Pig’s Head on a Stick (Review)

Unknown Artist - A Pig's Head on a StickThis is the debut release from Unknown Artist, a French extreme metal band.

What on earth is this unholy abomination? A single 28-minute track of utter nastiness and horror, that’s what. Complex and impenetrable, this is disjointed, inaccessible blackened death metal, and is not for the weak of heart. Continue reading “Unknown Artist – A Pig’s Head on a Stick (Review)”

Murk Rider – Exile of Shadows (Review)

Murk Rider - Exile of ShadowsThis is the debut album from US black metal band Murk Rider.

Three enormous songs, with a combined duration of 82 minutes? Okay, I’ll bite.

An album of depth, both musically and thematically, Exile of Shadows is black metal in only one of its aspects, albeit a primary one. The band also occasionally incorporate apocalyptic sludge and stoner doom into their melting pot, as well as strands of classic heavy and speed metal. This curious, (yet effective), mixture means that Continue reading “Murk Rider – Exile of Shadows (Review)”

Itheist – Itheist (Review)

Itheist - ItheistItheist are a UK black/death metal band and this is their debut album.

Previously named Aetherium Mors, this is the band’s first release under its new moniker. This is modern, dissonant black metal that’s been hybridised with death metal and energised with melodic darkness. Continue reading “Itheist – Itheist (Review)”

Temple Koludra – Seven! Sirens! To a Lost Archetype (Review)

Temple Koludra - Seven! Sirens! To a Lost ArchetypeThis is the debut album from Temple Koludra, a German black metal band.

Temple Koludra’s music uses black and death metal to craft a grim, raw exploration of Indian cultures and influences via extreme metal’s embracing framework. Continue reading “Temple Koludra – Seven! Sirens! To a Lost Archetype (Review)”

This Gift Is a Curse – A Throne of Ash (Review)

This Gift Is a Curse - A Throne of AshThis Gift Is a Curse are a blackened sludge band from Sweden and this is their third album.

Here we have 45 minutes of hateful extremity that combines black metal, sludge, and hardcore. It’s violent, world-ending music that’s wreathed in both aggression and atmosphere most foul. Continue reading “This Gift Is a Curse – A Throne of Ash (Review)”

Haze of Summer – Stuzha (Review)

Haze of Summer - StuzhaThis is the second album from Russian post-black metal band Haze of Summer.

I enjoyed 2017’s Znoi, and on the band’s new release we get a further 33 minutes of melodic post-black metal. The album follows on from Znoi, even down to the tracklisting, which picks up where the last one left off. Continue reading “Haze of Summer – Stuzha (Review)”