Bizarrekult are a Norwegian post-black metal band and this is their second album.
Formed around a central artist who is Bizarrekult’s driving creative force, he’s joined by a range of other musicians, (including a member of the mighty Adliga), who round out the band nicely. The end result of their efforts is Den Tapte Krigen, a 42-minute slice of expressive modern black metal. Continue reading “Bizarrekult – Den Tapte Krigen (Review)”
This is the thid album from US black ‘n’ roll band Funeral Chic.
Following on from 2018’s Superstition, Roman Candle brings us a different band with a different sound. With ten tracks and a duration of 36 minutes, the album has less songs than Superstition, but is four minutes longer. Continue reading “Funeral Chic – Roman Candle (Review)”
This is the debut album from Black Void, a Norwegian black metal band.
Featuring members of Borknagar, Ihsahn, In Vain, Profane Burial, and Solefald, Antithesis delivers 39 minutes of furious black metal cut with harsh hardcore punk, black ‘n’ roll, and some unexpectedly anthemic influences. Continue reading “Black Void – Antithesis (Review)”
This is the debut album from German black metallers MNHG.
I confess that anything with the black ‘n’ roll tag I usually let pass me by, but after a brief sampling of the material here I felt compelled to dive deeper, and here we are.
So, what did I find upon entering MNHG’s world? ALL OF THE RIFFS!!! Continue reading “MNHG – Mundare (Review)”
This is the third album from UK black metal band The Infernal Sea.
After 2015’s The Great Mortality, I’ve been really looking forward to this one. On Negotium Crucis The Internal Sea offer up a compelling cocktail of classic second wave black metal, with a few added ingredients to spice it up. This is a rawer album than its predecessor, Continue reading “The Infernal Sea – Negotium Crucis (Review)”
This is the third album from US black metallers Feral Light.
Feral Light play a mix of black metal and post-metal, with touches of doom and hard rock. Life Vapor offers up 39 minutes of easily-digested blackness. Continue reading “Feral Light – Life Vapor (Review)”
Satanic Assault Division are from Denmark and this is their second album. They play Black Metal.
I’m guessing that the name alone is enough to let you know what kind of music this is. Yes, here we have Traditional Black Metal with lots of bite and plenty of violence. What might surprise you, however, is just how damn catchy and memorable this record is.
The songs are full of decent and substantial riffs. The guitars are dark and sharp, exactly as this kind of Black Metal should be. The band demonstrate very early on that they have good songwriting skills and these tracks make an impression.
Blasting drums provide plenty of speed and groovy, mid-paced riffs lend the music an extra energy, with the band firing on all cylinders. There’s even the odd guitar solo; these are usually understated and brief but provide extra interest when they appear. The solos, alongside some of the more Rocking guitars, lend this a Black ‘n’ Roll feeling in places, although this is but part of their sound.
The singer’s voice is full of bile and hatred, croaking out from the Blackened tunes as if in a murderous trance.
This is a band who have produced a Black Metal album with an emphasis on catchy music and the kind of songs that it’s easy to like.
14 tracks, (one a cover) – 55 minutes of scathing Black Metal. Best experienced at full volume.
This is the début album from Finnish Black ‘n’ Rollers Sågverk.
Angry, Crust-fuelled Black Metal with a modern Rocking aspect and plenty of attitude; Sågverk make this kind of music look easy, but also offer up something a bit different.
There are 8 tracks of Blackened belligerence and groove here, comprising 7 originals and a Metallica cover of Motorbreath.
Buzzsaw riffs and brutal guitars power the songs, but there’s a lot more control here than I was expecting to hear. The tracks are written with more than just Black Metal in mind – as well as the Punk/Crust there’s a bit of a Stoner vibe to some of the riffs, making Sahataan ne Kaikki a bit different from the norm.
The songs are well-written and make use of a strong riff-oriented approach. This is not a release that’s top-speed all of the time, but nonetheless maintains a high energy throughout.
The vocals are shouted screams that vary in tone and delivery a fair deal. Cleans are also used sparingly but it’s mainly all about the shouting. The singer plays his part well and gives a good performance.
The band have a very clean and clear sound; again, a bit different form the norm as this kind of Crusty, Blackened assault is usually a lot dirtier in delivery. It works though and allows the Rockier aspects to their style to come to the fore.
This is a really interesting release that smashes my preconceptions about what Black ‘n’ Roll can sound like. If you imagine a Black Metal/Crust/Punk hybrid, the likes of which we see relatively often, then make their sound cleaner and add in a combination of Kvelertak with a bit of (old) Mastodon to the riffs then Sågverk will be the end result.
Enjoyable and different, Sahataan ne Kaikki is a really good listen.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 