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)”
This 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)”
The 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)”
This is the second album from Tyhjä, a black metal band from Finland.
We’ve met Tyhjä before on their 2017 debut EP. Apparently they had an album out in 2019, which I completely missed, so this is my first exposure to them since that first release. Continue reading “Tyhjä – Valtakunta (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 