Burzum – Wonderbox Metal

Label Roundup: Black Mass Prayers – Lykten, Urluk, & Valadier (Reviews)

Wonderbox Metal gets sent a lot of new music, (which is great), but there’s no way that everything can get covered unfortunately, (which is not so great). This new column hopes to redress this balance, if only slightly, by taking a look at a handful of releases that a record label has recently sent out that might have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

For this edition we turn to Black Mass Prayers, an Italian label that states it is “supporting the Italian Black Metal underground and aiming to spread its glory worldwide”. Neither other the label nor the bands on it were familiar to me prior to this, so it felt like a good time to dig in and explore what they had to offer… Continue reading “Label Roundup: Black Mass Prayers – Lykten, Urluk, & Valadier (Reviews)”

Skinliv/Vermisst – Split (Review)

Skinliv 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)”

Dauþuz – Vom Schwarzen Schmied (Review)

This is the fourth album from German black metallers Dauþuz.

Vom Schwarzen Schmied gives us 57 minutes of well-crafted black metal to sink our teeth into. Continue reading “Dauþuz – Vom Schwarzen Schmied (Review)”

Fuath – II (Review)

This is the second album from Fuath, a one-man UK black metal band.

Here we have 42 minutes of atmospheric black metal in the vein of the 90s second wave. The promo blurb mentions bands such as Darkthrone, Mayhem, Burzum, Drudkh, and Windir, and these influences are well-represented Continue reading “Fuath – II (Review)”

Bhleg – Ödhin (Review)

Bhleg are a Swedish black metal band and this is their third album.

Having enjoyed 2014’s Draumr Ást and 2018’s Solarmegin, I knew that I had to check out Ödhin when it appeared. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, Bhleg’s music is a form of black metal that’s full of atmosphere and folk influences. Continue reading “Bhleg – Ödhin (Review)”

Obscurae – To Walk the Path of Sorrows (Review)

Obscurae are a black metal band from the US and this is their second album.

The style here is atmospheric black metal, with influence taken from the classic second wave era and enriched with traditional synth effects. Continue reading “Obscurae – To Walk the Path of Sorrows (Review)”

Hexivoid – The Beckoning of Celestial Tendrils (Review)

Hexivoid is a one-man UK black metal band and this is his second album.

Hexivoid’s music is a mix of modern darkness and Burzum-esque atmosphere. It manages to balance an atmospheric delivery with one that also seethes with dissonance and feral aggression. Continue reading “Hexivoid – The Beckoning of Celestial Tendrils (Review)”

Heaume Mortal – Solstices (Review)

This is the debut album from French post-black metal band Heaume Mortal, (featuring a member of Eibon and Cowards).

There are six tracks on this album spread out across a sprawling 58 minutes of material, (including a Burzum cover). This is music that’s dark and crushing, while also containing aspects of resplendence and writhing, textured colour. Continue reading “Heaume Mortal – Solstices (Review)”

Nyss – Princesse Terre (Three Studies of Silence and Death) (Review)

Nyss are a French ambient/atmospheric black metal band and this is their debut album.

Nyss play raw, underground black metal that’s inspired by the second wave, but then fleshed out by atmospheric and ambient influences. Continue reading “Nyss – Princesse Terre (Three Studies of Silence and Death) (Review)”

Eoront – Another Realm (Review)

Eoront are a Russian black metal band and this is their second album.

Playing keyboard enriched atmospheric black metal with a deep mystical side, Eoront’s latest album contains over an hour of sprawling, epic music. Continue reading “Eoront – Another Realm (Review)”