Lifestream are a French Black Metal band and this is their début album.
Lifestream play their Black Metal in a dark and atmospheric style that recalls the Norwegian scene at its height, and Emperor in particular.
Well-written songs are powered by blast beats and bile. Twisted guitars and winding, atypical melodies are used frequently to create unexpected avenues of musical exploration.
Keyboards are used to add extra layers, but not overly so; they enhance the overall atmosphere of the songs without drawing needless attention to themselves.
The songs draw you in and enclose you in a shroud of darkness that you’re only too happy to be smothered by. This is an ambitious and atmospheric release from a promising new aspirant and Lifestream show that they have what it takes to play in the big leagues.
An album like this draws influence from the Norwegian style, as mentioned, but also contains enough quintessential elements of the French scene to be identifiable as such. Underground, occult and inscrutable; Lifestream have created an ambitious and impressive 53 minutes of supreme Black Metal art.
Daemonium are a Ukrainian Black Metal band and this is their début album.
Here we have a release full of savage Black Metal with a distinct Scandinavian quality and lots of evil feelings.
Evoking the spirit of bands like Marduk, Dark Funeral and Naglfar, as well as Dimmu Borgir and a taste of Emperor; Daemonium proceed to blast and pound their way through these songs like they really mean it.
This is somewhat of a nostalgia-inducing release for me as it takes me back to the late 90s period of Black Metal. This is no bad thing really, as Имя Мне Легион is produced, performed and delivered with real passion and bile.
The singer has a great, throaty rasp that is perfect for this style of music. He’s not adverse to going deeper too and his vocals never seem too far away from the action.
This album is packed full to the brim with Blackened, frosty melodies and razorblade riffing. Subtle keybaords lurk in the background adding extra flavour and their contribution shouldn’t be discounted.
I do enjoy this style of balls-to-the-wall occult Black Metal. The feeling of malevolent brutality and otherworldly sped-up hatred is a tough one to beat. The fact that it also comes wrapped up with an extra atmospheric element, thanks to the keyboards, is just a bonus.
Although the style is an old one, Daemonium play their Black Metal with such enthusiasm that it’s hard to be dismissive; plus the fact that they genuinely seem to know what they’re doing means they have written a really enjoyable album.
I’d definitely recommend this one for your further investigations.
Aezh Morvarc’h are a Black Metal band from France and this is their latest EP.
This is sharp and frosty Black Metal that carries a melodic edge with its raw delivery.
Dark screams and ghostly clean-chants populate the musical landscape and recall Mayhem at their esoteric best.
The songs have their atmospheric moments but for the most part it’s a grim assault that the band undertake. Melodic riffing softens the effect though and the inclusion of so many heroic-sounding cleans further distils the rawness factor. This is all a plus point as it gives the band their own character compared to countless other bands playing underground Black Metal.
The speed of the songs is enticing, but it’s the mystical melodies that really do the trick here.
Aezh Morvarc’h have taken their Classic Metal heritage seriously too, and Mare Humorum has more than its fair share of real Metal riffs mixed into the Black Metal. This is a welcome aspect of their style and combined with the clean vocals really gives the band an epic/heroic streak to their sound.
I enjoyed this. For a band that is ostensibly an underground Black Metal group, this release offers the listener something a little different.
This is the third album from US Melodic Black Metallers Withering Soul.
The band play Melodic Black Metal that has speed and melody in abundance yet knows the value of restraint on occasion.
The vocals are a kind of chanted scream-shout (?) of the Dimmu Borgir variety. Clean vocals are also used sparingly and effectively.
The music is cleanly recorded with just enough dirt left in to prevent them being described as polished.
The band have some low-key symphonic influences to their sound and I quite like how these are used on the album.
These tracks are mainly fast and sharp, with razor riffs and burning leads. The subtle atmospheric backing keyboards add a surprising amount to the songs and help differentiate from others playing this style.
An enjoyable way to spend 40-odd minutes. Have a listen for yourself.
This is the tenth Sigh album. If you’ve never encountered them before, they’re from Japan and they play Black Metal. At least, that’s what they started out as and they’ve just kind of evolved from there. Avant-Garde Black Metal/Extreme Metal is probably closest to the mark these days, if you have to label it at all.
Sigh are one of the few bands in existence that come even close to being able to be called unique. They definitely have their own sound and identity, even if this has changed quite a bit through the years.
So on to Graveward. This is dense and complex music that features a lot of different parts to the songs. Clearly a lot of work has gone into these compositions.
The Black Metal base is present and correct, as well as the Avant-Garde tendencies. Add to this is a psychedelic influence, powerful cinematic qualities as well as a strong theatrical component and you have an album that’s born to stand out from the pack.
The theatrical nature of the release belies the horror-themed core of the album, but ultimately serves to reinforce it.
As you might think, each track has a lot going on and it’s a lot to take in on first listen. Subsequent spins reveal all kinds of nuances and little things that you didn’t necessarily consciously pick up on first time around.
Choirs and orchestration rub shoulders with Thrash riffs and Blackened croaks. Psychedelic keyboards and operatic vocals join horns and saxophones in backing the distorted guitars. It’s a true melting pot of influences that probably shouldn’t work but it really, really does.
Befitting music that has a lot of different components to it, Graveward features a wealth of guest appearances from well-known members of bands such as Trivium, Dragonforce, Shining, Rotting Christ and The Meads of Asphodel, among others.
Somewhat of a cross between Emperor, Therion, Arcturus and some form of crazy Progressive Jazz, Sigh can always be relied upon to liven things up with their presence and Graveward is no exception.
This is a truly exceptional release that many will probably find overwhelming with its multicoloured assault on the senses. Those who endure, however, are rewarded tenfold for their perseverance.
In Cauda Venenum are a Post-Black Metal band from France and this is their début album.
Consisting of only two tracks, each lasting a touch over 21 minutes in length, this is an ambitious release that makes good use of the longer playing times to explore darkened themes and Blackened music.
Post-Black Metal is such a rich sub-genre that has so many opportunities to impress, and In Cauda Venenum take advantage of all of these.
The band play harrowing Black Metal that’s epic in scope and spiced up with enough Post-Rock/Metal elements to claim the Post-Black Metal tag as its own.
The music is masterly crafted and very atmospheric. Blackened riffs and blasting drums meet introspective restraint and Progressive explorations.
Both songs are very well written and it’s clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into their composition. Dynamics, pacing and mood have all been carefully considered and the end result is 42 minutes of elite Post-Black Metal that in many ways skirts the best that both genres have to offer.
The vocals are of the ultra-high, almost-static variety that work so well with Atmospheric Black Metal.
The recording is a quality one with the guitars in particular having a good tone. A clear, powerful sound gives the drums plenty of strength and as a whole the production strikes the right balance between underground ice and polished darkness.
As I say; in addition to the vocals and drums though, I do particularly enjoy the guitars on this album. They have the requisite Blackened bite and melodics in spades but they also benefit from being heavier than the norm for the style and employing some choice riffs throughout the songs.
A hugely impressive release. In Cauda Venenum have produced two remarkable songs of high Blackened art.
Heathen is a one-man Black Metal band from Norway and this is his second album.
This is Atmospheric Black Metal played with an Old-School flavour and swamped in darkness.
Here we have 53 minutes of music that is authentic Norwegian Black Metal; recognisable enough to be instantly appealing and enticing enough to hold attention.
This is in the lo-fi style and sonically everything just fits perfectly. This is the kind of sound that Black Metal was born to.
Musically the brain behind the outfit is extremely talented and these compositions are very advanced. A lot of bands either concentrate on riffs or atmospheres but on this release we get a decent amount of both.
Quality riffs lay a bedrock on which the moods evolve and dark atmospherics unfold slowly and malevolently.
The pace picks up as well so as to provide variety but even here the aim of the increased speed is to also increase the impact of the feelings that are evoked.
The vocals are high pitched static screeches that are barely audible above the guitars. In effect they act as another layer to the music and it’s like someone is trying to scratch your eyeballs out with sound.
What can you say about an album like this? It needs to be experienced. This is the kind of Black Metal that keeps you in love with the genre.
The album features a cover that is dear to my heart as it depicts Valle Crucis Abbey, a place I’ve been to many times. With that in mind I happily pressed play and the band didn’t let me down.
Obsequiae return with another round of medieval-influenced Black Metal. They play Melodic Black Metal and have refined their melodic attack by improving on the already well-defined melodies from their début.
The production means that Obsequiae sound bigger, better and bolder this time around, but it’s not just that; the music sounds more confident and sure of itself. Something has clicked somewhere and Aria of Vernal Tombs is even more enjoyable than its predecessor.
Medieval instrumentation adds authenticity to the tunes and it merges seamlessly with the Metal. You can almost imagine this kind of Black Metal being a popular form of music all those centuries ago…almost…
This release is a nice and natural progression for Obsequiae and I hope they continue to develop in the future. The longest song here is just under 5 and a half minutes in length but I can easily imagine them writing involved songs twice that length. Here’s hoping.
For now though, slip on Aria of Vernal Tombs and become immersed.
This is the début album by Ecferus, a one man Black Metal project from the US.
This is Black Metal that’s somewhere between the Cascadian type and the more dissonant style of Black Metal.
The songs feature emotive riffing that seems to wind around on a journey, searching for something that was lost long ago. It’s marvellously composed.
The thing that I love about Black Metal like this, (well, one of the things), is the sense of exploration and wonder that it brings me. This is well-thought out music that is more than just a collection of riffs, it’s about atmosphere and feeling in the widest sense.
The pieces of music contained on this 36 minute release provide the listener with a musical framework wrought from the Blackest Black Metal from which they can feel the wonder and awe that the artist clearly feels about the universe and our existence.
A decent amount of variety is incorporated across these 4 tracks and there’s a lot to absorb here. Even the faster sections are dedicated to providing the listener with a thoughtfully emotive experience and taken holistically every song works hard, (though effortlessly), to engage and stimulate.
Ecferus are a great example of all that is right and healthy with the Black Metal scene in 2015.
Kafirun are from Canada and play Black Metal. This is their latest EP.
After their enjoyable début release Death Worship, Kafirun return with more True Black Metal to assault the masses with.
Kafirun play their Black Metal extremely well. It’s authentic, pitch-black and full of malevolent feeling.
The songs are like hymns to darkness and the relatively varied and emotive vocal delivery leads the sermon in ritualistic worship.
There’s a touch of Mayhem and Deathspell Omega to their Black Metal assault, both in the vocals and music.
The band have a really good sound – it’s raw enough to have the Black Metal aesthetic without it detracting from the overall performance as it’s also thick and balanced enough to be an enjoyable listen.
It’s only a short EP at 21 minutes in length, but each track showcases the band’s songwriting skill and passion for Black Metal.
Kafirun have shown us once again that they’re ones to watch. Keep it up!
Lifestream are a French Black Metal band and this is their début album.
