Vassafor – Malediction (Review)

VassaforVassafor are a black metal band from New Zealand and this is their second album.

Now this is a nasty, otherworldly offering. With immense songs and monstrous presence, this is individualistic black metal that liberally pilfers from the darkest recesses of death metal to produce a harrowing, ugly album of darkness and bleak, blackened soundscapes. Continue reading “Vassafor – Malediction (Review)”

Nesseria – Cette Érosion de nous Mêmes (Review)

NesseriaThis is third album from French metallic hardcore band Nesseria.

Having unleashed something as heavy and violent as 2014’s Fractures, Nesseria have now returned to inflict their latest ode to sonic violence Cette Érosion de nous Mêmes; 38 minutes of intensity and aggression. Continue reading “Nesseria – Cette Érosion de nous Mêmes (Review)”

Celeste – Infidèle(s)

CelesteCeleste are a French blackened doom/sludge/hardcore metal band and this is their sixth album.

The artwork of Celeste albums has always been very striking and atypical, but I think they’ve outdone themselves this time. Continue reading “Celeste – Infidèle(s)”

Arkhon Infaustus – Passing the Nekromanteion (Review)

Arkhon InfaustusArkhon Infaustus are a black/death metal band from France and this is their latest EP.

After a decade of nothing, we now witness the rebirth of Arkhon Infaustus. The creature that has come crawling back out of the underworld is a fresh, reinvented version of the older one that so many people held highly, however. Continue reading “Arkhon Infaustus – Passing the Nekromanteion (Review)”

Khragkh – Ersatz (Review)

KhragkhKhragkh are a black metal band from Belarus and this is their debut album.

Khragkh offer us 34 minutes of underground black metal on their latest release. Stylistically this sits somewhere between old-school and new, with enough elements from both to appeal to almost any fan of dark, cold black metal. Continue reading “Khragkh – Ersatz (Review)”

Wolves in the Throne Room – Thrice Woven (Review)

Wolves in the Throne RoomThis is the sixth album from US black metal band Wolves in the Throne Room.

After 2014’s Celestite, which saw the band take a significant departure from the norm into expansive ambient soundscapes, this latest release returns to the band’s atmospheric black metal roots, with 42 minutes of new material. Continue reading “Wolves in the Throne Room – Thrice Woven (Review)”

Gloam – Death Is the Beginning (Review)

GloamGloam are a US black metal band and this is their latest EP.

This is black metal that’s played with grim grandeur and some touches of doom. This is dark and majestic music, using melody well to create atmosphere and evoke images of harsh vistas and gloomy landscapes. Continue reading “Gloam – Death Is the Beginning (Review)”