Francis Root, (based in Norway), and Sconsacrata, (based in the UK), are both solo black metal acts who have teamed up for this split release, (both artists are also in sludge metal band Beggar).
Francis Root start us off, with 19 minutes of material. The style of the four songs we’re presented with is one that’s modern and progressive, with elements of electronica and industrial sewn into the music. Continue reading “Francis Root/Sconsacrata – Split (Review)”
Withered Land are a black metal band from Belarus, and this is their debut album.
Withered Land play atmospheric black metal with influences from the folk and dungeon synth styles. Across 38 minutes The Endless Journey delivers epic atmospheric music that’s quite absorbing. Fans of acts such as Falkenbach, Summoning, and Windir should take note. Continue reading “Withered Land – The Endless Journey (Review)”
Necronautical are a UK black metal band and this is their fourth album.
Featuring members of Winterfylleth and Foetal Juice, Necronautical play black metal influenced by the second wave, in particular the keyboard-enhanced symphonic side of it. To this is added a muscular death metal influence, which is streamlined by the blackened core of the band and used to add a lethal edge to the music. There’s also a progressive metal influence that can felt on occasion, usually in a particular riff, solo, or melody, for example. Continue reading “Necronautical – Slain in the Spirit (Review)”
Let’s take a quick tour of some of July’s best metal releases, shall we? Continue reading “Monthly Overview – the Best of July 2021”
Underdark are a post-black metal band from the UK and this is their debut album.
Underdark combine black metal, post-rock, post-hardcore/screamo, and blackgaze into their sound. That might sound like a slightly strange mix of subgenres, but on Our Bodies Burned Bright on Re-Entry these influences all coalesce into a very effective and enjoyable 36 minutes of post-blackened darkness. Although Continue reading “Underdark – Our Bodies Burned Bright on Re-Entry (Review)”
This is the third album from Finnish black metallers Ondfødt, a duo whose members are also in Dispyt.
I always like catching up with what Ondfødt are offering. I enjoyed 2014’s Hexkonst and 2019’s Dödsrikets Kallelse, so now it’s time to turn to Norden with positive expectations. Continue reading “Ondfødt – Norden (Review)”
Ulvik are a Canadian black metal band and this is their second album.
Cascades contains 32 minutes of atmospheric black metal. What it might lack in quantity it makes up for in quality. Ulvik have produced an enjoyable, satisfying slice of darkness here. Theirs is a largely aggressive strain of atmoblack, but one that’s not without nuance or dynamic differentiation. Continue reading “Ulvik – Cascades (Review)”
This is the third album from UK black metallers Craven Idol.
It’s great to have some new material from Craven Idol. 2013’s Towards Eschaton and 2017’s The Shackles of Mammon were both records that I hugely enjoyed, and the 41 minutes of new material on Forked Tongues continues this trend nicely. Continue reading “Craven Idol – Forked Tongues (Review)”
Erdve are from Lithuania and play blackened hardcore sludge. This is their second album.
Following on from 2018’s crushing Vaitojimas, Erdve have returned with 43 minutes of new material. Savigaila contains eleven songs, compared with Vaitojimas‘s six, yet is only five minutes longer due to the overall shorter duration of the individual tracks. Continue reading “Erdve – Savigaila (Review)”
This is the debut EP from US blackened death metal band Disimperium.
Billed as a mix of black, death, and grind, and labelled for fans of bands like Knelt Rote, Heresiarch, and Vermin Womb, how could I not check out the inaugural release from Disimperium? At only 12 minutes in duration, it’s like a foul breath of rotting air given twisted aural shape and venomous musical form.
The songs on this EP are feral and grim. Ultra-aggressive, the music pummels and grinds with inhuman intensity and daemonic fury. All three of the tracks are barbaric and savage, revelling in the mayhem they make and the damage they cause.
This collection of darkly brutal tracks is drenched in layers of blackened malignancy and is purely interested in destruction and chaos. It’s as belligerent as it comes, and the songs don’t care who or what gets torn down in their quest for carnage.
The sound is filthy and unfriendly, and therefore perfect for this sort of release. I find the deep, malevolent growls particularly satisfying, but to be honest everything here just reeks of grim nastiness, which is what you want from something like this.
For a first release Malefic Obliteration is well-formed and impressive. If you’re a connoisseur of underground extremity, then this is well worth your time to explore.
Wonderbox Metal 