Hyrgal are a French black metal band and this is their third album.
I enjoyed both 2017’s Serpentine and 2020’s Fin de Règne, so – is well-received, if unusually titled. We once again get seven tracks of dark black metal art, this time with a duration of 38 minutes. Continue reading “Hyrgal – – (Review)”
Katharos are a Swedish black metal band and this is their second album.
Featuring the drummer of Wormwood, Of Lineages Long Forgotten contains 49 minutes of symphonic black metal. The band take clear influence from the likes of Dimmu Borgir and the legendary Emperor, while also carving their own path through Continue reading “Katharos – Of Lineages Long Forgotten (Review)”
This is the debut album from I Am the Night, a black metal band from Finland.
Brought to us by current and ex-members of bands such as Insomnium, Malpractice, Omnium Gatherum, Paradise Lost, and Vallenfyre, While the Gods Are Sleeping is a 38-minute record influenced by the 90s second wave of black metal. Continue reading “I Am the Night – While the Gods Are Sleeping (Review)”
This is the seventh album from Swedish black metallers Watain.
This is the follow up to 2018’s Trident Wolf Abyss and contains 50 minutes of new material. The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain is raw and unforgiving, but not without character or atmosphere. The songs have the feel of those on classic second Continue reading “Watain – The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain (Review)”
This is the third album from US black metallers Vanum.
The promo blurb states that Legend is for fans of Ultha, Wiegedood, Ash Borer, Fell Voices, Turia, Fluisteraars, Wode, Yellow Eyes, Bathory, Rotting Christ, and epic heavy metal. This is as good a place as any to start with for this record. Continue reading “Vanum – Legend (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Finnish black metallers Aethyrick.
Another year, another Aethyrick album. Which is no bad thing, in my opinion, as so far the band have managed to keep the quality levels high enough to warrant such an output. Following on from last year’s enjoyable Apotheosis, (which itself followed 2020’s Gnosis and 2018’s Praxis), Pilgrimage contains 42 minutes of new material and sees Aethyrick continue their positive trend, albeit with some course corrections this time. Continue reading “Aethyrick – Pilgrimage (Review)”
This is the seventh album from Swedish black metal veterans Dark Funeral.
Following on from 2016’s very enjoyable Where Shadows Forever Reign, We Are the Apocalypse contains 44 minutes of Dark Funeral doing an updated version of what Dark Funeral do best. Continue reading “Dark Funeral – We Are the Apocalypse (Review)”
Ad Finem Omnia are a black metal band from Chile and this is their debut album.
Brought to us by two members of Sol Sistere, Ad Finem Omnia play second wave-inspired melodic black metal, and on No Peace – No Dawn they deliver 44 minutes of material. Continue reading “Ad Finem Omnia – No Peace – No Dawn (Review)”
This is the third album from UK black metal act Sidious.
I’ve enjoyed watching Sidious develop from their symphonic black/death beginnings, (Revealed in Profane Splendour), to their metamorphosis into the pure black metal form of their last album, (Temporal). Now we have Blackest Insurrection, where the band spend 48 minutes showcasing a refinement of their raw blackened assault. Out of the two, I’d say that this is the superior release when compared to Temporal, and it’s great to hear the band improving their sound. Continue reading “Sidious – Blackest Insurrection (Review)”
Mara are a Swedish black metal band and this is their fourth album.
Following on from 2019’s enjoyable RÖK, Loka Mær delivers a scant 26 minutes, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality. Continue reading “Mara – Loka Mær (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 