This is the fourth album from US solo black metal band Serpent Column.
Tassel of Ares is a 39-minute avant-garde black metal album brought to us by the artist behind Theophonos. The style is dissonant, esoteric, and obscure, yet remarkably accessible for that. Serpent Column’s music is an impressive beast. Continue reading “Serpent Column – Tassel of Ares (Review)”
From the Vastland are an Iranian/Norwegian black metal band and this is their eighth album.
I enjoy catching up with From the Vastland’s brand of black metal. I’ve liked all of their albums I’ve heard so far, (2016’s Chamrosh, 2018’s Daevayasna, and 2020’s The Haft Khan, (I managed to miss their 2022 record Taurvi, which I’ve only just found out even existed), so I didn’t expect Tenebrous Shadow to break this trend. Continue reading “From the Vastland – Tenebrous Shadow (Review)”
Anomalie are an Austrian post-black metal band and this is their fifth album.
Although I enjoyed 2017’s Visions, 2021’s Tranceformation took Anomalie to another level, ending up as a firm favourite of mine that year. As such, anticipation is high for the 54-minute Riverchild. Can Anomalie deliver the goods once more? Continue reading “Anomalie – Riverchild (Review)”
This is the third album from Shaarimoth, a blackened death metal band from Norway.
Shaarimoth return with Devildom, a new 43 minutes of material. After a considerable gap since their last album, (2017’s Temple of the Adversarial Fire), I knew I wanted to make sure I immersed myself in the band’s dark blackened death metal once more. Shaarimoth haven’t been totally absent though during that time though, as in 2021 they also contributed to a split release with Thy Darkened Shade, Amestigon and Inconcessus Lux Lucis called SamaeLilith: A Conjunction of the Fireborn. Continue reading “Shaarimoth – Devildom (Review)”
Schammasch are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their fifth album.
I have been really excited to hear this one. I’ve been a big fan of everything I’ve heard from Schammasch; make sure you check out 2016’s Triangle and 2019’s Hearts of No Light, both of which are top tier records, and both of which placed on my end of year lists for 2016 and 2019. Interestingly though, The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean is the spiritual follow up to Schammasch’s 2017 avant-garde EP The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite, making me even more interested to find out what this new opus had to offer. Continue reading “Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Portuguese black metallers Gaerea.
Ever since I first heard 2018’s Unsettling Whispers Gaerea have stood out to me as something pretty special. In 2020 Limbo solidified this opinion, and then in 2022 Mirage cemented this further. In fact, my appreciation of Mirage has only increased since catching the band’s transcendental live experience at this year’s fantastic Fortress Festival. I have high hopes for Coma. Continue reading “Gaerea – Coma (Review)”
Black Curse are a US black/death metal band and this is their second album.
Following on from 2020’s hideously good Endless Wound, comes the 45-minute monstrosity that is Burning in Celestial Poison. Featuring five tracks that are mostly far longer than their predecessors, Black Curse have unleashed a severe statement of malevolent intent with their new record. Continue reading “Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison (Review)”
This is the fifth album from Polish experimental metal band Thaw.
It’s been more than a while since 2017’s Grains, so I was intrigued to see what Thaw have to offer in 2024. An experimental act, who have operated in black metal, sludge, doom, drone, ambient, and noise waters across their career, what does Fading Backwards and its 36 minutes of new material bring us? Continue reading “Thaw – Fading Backwards (Review)”
This is the third album from US blackened extreme metallers Immortal Bird.
It’s been a long time since 2019’s Thrive on Neglect and an even longer time since 2015’s Empress/Abscess, (a standout release of that year), so it’s a real treat to have Immortal Bird back with us. Continue reading “Immortal Bird – Sin Querencia (Review)”
This is the latest EP from Persecutory, a Turkish black metal band.
It’s been quite some time since I caught up with Persecutory. 2016’s Perversion Feeds Our Force, in fact. They’re had two albums released in the meantime, neither of which I’ve heard, so The Glorious Persecution is as good a time as any to get reacquainted with the band’s aggressive sound. Continue reading “Persecutory – The Glorious Persecution (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 