Devourer – Raptus (Review)

Devourer - RaptusDevourer are a Swedish/Russian black metal band and this is their fourth album.

I really enjoyed 2017’s Across the Empty Plains and 2019’s Dawn of Extinction, so upon receipt of Raptus it was a must-listen.

Ever since first hearing Devourer back in 2017 I was immediately Continue reading “Devourer – Raptus (Review)”

Abhoria – Abhoria (Review)

Abhoria - AbhoriaThis is the debut album from US black metallers Abhoria.

So, here we have a 42-minute black metal release that claims inspiration from Immortal, Dark Funeral and Emperor. How could I resist sampling its dark delights?

Abhoria present their second wave-influenced assault with a Continue reading “Abhoria – Abhoria (Review)”

Darkest Mind – Oracle of Death (Review)

Darkest Mind - Oracle of DeathThis is the debut album from Belgian black metal band Darkest Mind.

Oracle of Death saw the light of day at the end of last year, and I confess that I overlooked it largely due to its cover. Not that it’s bad artwork by any means, but the bright colours didn’t inspire me to check it out. My loss. Having now had the album brough to my attention once more, Continue reading “Darkest Mind – Oracle of Death (Review)”

Skinliv/Vermisst – Split (Review)

Skinliv Vermisst - SplitSkinliv are from Denmark and Vermisst are from Poland, both play black metal and they have teamed up for this 38-minute split.

Skinliv open up the split, with four tracks across 19 minutes.

Skinliv’s blackened assault is Continue reading “Skinliv/Vermisst – Split (Review)”

Standard Interrogation Techniques: Five Questions for Celeste (Interview)

Although I’d ideally love to be able to conduct hard-hitting, in-depth interviews, who has the time these days? In lieu of this, I’ve thrown together the below question template, hopefully to gather some interesting and informative results, without taking up too much of anyone’s time.

Introduce yourself – who are you and what do you do?

Hi! I’m Guillaume and I’ve played guitar in Celeste since the beginning of the band in 2005. Even if our creative process is very collaborative, I’ve always been the main songwriter until Infidèle(s) (2017), our previous album. Since then, I’ve shared this responsibility with Johan, the singer and bass player in the band. Continue reading “Standard Interrogation Techniques: Five Questions for Celeste (Interview)”

Mur – Cut the Rivers Vein (Review)

Mur - Cut the Rivers VeinThis is the fourth album from one-man blackened doom act Mur.

Cut the Rivers Vein spends 51 minutes mixing together doom, post-metal, and black metal, with elements of folk, ambient, and drone, to great effect. Continue reading “Mur – Cut the Rivers Vein (Review)”

Sonic Assault – Neon-Lit Metropolis (Review)

Sonic Assault - Neon-Lit MetropolisThis is the debut album from Swedish progressive thrash metal band Sonic Assault.

Sonic Assault’s music contains elements of hardcore, (primarily in the vocals), and black metal, but mostly the style is one of progressive/technical thrash, played with conviction and skill. Continue reading “Sonic Assault – Neon-Lit Metropolis (Review)”

Tine – Mergae Maris Profundi (Review)

Tine - Mergae Maris ProfundiThis is the second album from US solo symphonic black/death metal act Tine.

Tine’s debut album – The Forest Dreams of Black – was one that I enjoyed a great deal, and I can’t quite believe that it came out seven years ago. I’m pleased to say that we now have a new album on the horizon – Mergae Maris Profundi – which provides us with 54 minutes of blackened death metal to hungrily consume. Continue reading “Tine – Mergae Maris Profundi (Review)”

The Mist from the Mountains – Monumental – The Temple of Twilight (Review)

The Mist from the Mountains - Monumental - The Temple of TwilightThe Mist from the Mountains are a Finnish black metal band and this is their debut album.

Monumental – The Temple of Twilight contains 38 minutes of 90s-influenced nature-inspired black metal. The promo blurb mentions bands from that era such as Old Man’s Child, Gehenna, Dimmu Borgir, and Borknagar, which, coupled with the enticing album art, meant I definitely had to give The Mist from the Mountains some of my attention. Continue reading “The Mist from the Mountains – Monumental – The Temple of Twilight (Review)”