Vörnir – Av Hädanfärd Krönt (Review)

Vörnir - Av Hädanfärd KröntThis is the debut album by international black metal band Vörnir.

Brought to us by current/ex-members of Chaos Moon, Dagger Lust, Häxanu, Krieg, Triumvir Foul, Osgraef, Ringarë, Skáphe, Wormlust, and many, many, many more, Vörnir is a new band with a wealth of experience. All of which made me very interested to check out the 38 minutes of material on Av Hädanfärd Krönt. Continue reading “Vörnir – Av Hädanfärd Krönt (Review)”

Hasard – Abgnose (Review)

Hasard - AbgnoseThis is the second album from one-man black metal band Hasard.

This is the 46-minute follow up to 2023’s Malivore, which showcased the artist behind Hasard’s vision for dark, nightmarish black metal. Abgnose contains an idiosyncratic form of dissonant avant-garde black metal, one that’s enriched with dark orchestral symphonics as part of its journey into the abyss. Continue reading “Hasard – Abgnose (Review)”

Rhizaria – Indulgences (Review)

Rhizaria - IndulgencesThis is the debut album from US black/death metal band Rhizaria.

Rhizaria play a progressive form of black and death metal, delivering a hybrid style that’s irregular, and very compelling. Indulgences contains 40 minutes of material that scratches a very particular itch that sits right in a hard to reach place between atmosphere and dissonance. Continue reading “Rhizaria – Indulgences (Review)”

Oskoreien – Hollow Fangs (Review)

Oskoreien - Hollow FangsThis is the third album from US black metal band Oskoreien.

After enjoying both previous Oskoreien albums, it’s come as a surprise to discover that I never actually reviewed either of them. Hollow Fangs is a great opportunity to remedy this, and it’s Oskoreien’s first outing as a full band too. Hollow Fangs contains 39 minutes of new material, so let’s dive in. Continue reading “Oskoreien – Hollow Fangs (Review)”

Sacred Noose – Vanishing Spires (Review)

Sacred Noose - Vanishing SpiresThis is the debut album by Sacred Noose, a black/death metal band from Northern Ireland.

Vanishing Spires offers up a 31-minute concoction of poisonous black, death, and doom metal, all poured into a think tar-like substance of misery, pestilence, and woe. Sacred Noose are like a shroud of horror and violence hiding a deeper malevolence that just wants everything to decay and wither away.

Continue reading “Sacred Noose – Vanishing Spires (Review)”

Délirant – Thoughteater (Review)

Délirant - ThoughteaterThis is the second album from Spanish black metal solo act Délirant.

Thoughteater contains 38 minutes of swirling dissonance, esoteric atmosphere, and dark aggression. With a promo blurb that references bands such as Blut Aus Nord, Akhlys, Deathspell Omega, Abigor, and Misþyrming, are you ready for the nightmare experience that the artist behind Délirant offers up? Continue reading “Délirant – Thoughteater (Review)”

Monte Penumbra – Austere Dawning (Review)

Monte Penumbra - Austere DawningThis is the third album from Portuguese black metal band Monte Penumbra.

It’s been eleven years (!) since I last caught up with Monte Penumbra on Heirloom of Sullen Fall, so a reunion is long overdue. Containing 41 minutes of new material, Austere Dawning offers us a journey into dissonant black metal darkness. Continue reading “Monte Penumbra – Austere Dawning (Review)”

Still – A Theft (Review)

Still - A TheftStill are a post-black metal band from the UK and this is their second album.

Still boast a fierce, ugly sound that’s equal parts black metal, sludge, and hardcore, resulting in a post-blackened 35-minute burst of punishment that’s damaging, yet moreish. The more Still scar and brutalise you, the more you want more. Continue reading “Still – A Theft (Review)”

Veilburner – The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom (Review)

Veilburner - The Duality of Decapitation and WisdomVeilburner are a black/death metal band from the US and this is their seventh album.

A new Veilburner album is always an exciting prospect. I’ve been a fan since 2016’s The Obscene Rite, but it was 2022’s VLBRNR that really saw them reach their true potential in my eyes. Now we have The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom‘s 49 minutes upon us, and I’m ready to fall into Veilburner’s well-realised world once more. And, this time, it’s stranger than ever. Continue reading “Veilburner – The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom (Review)”

Serpent Column – Tassel of Ares (Review)

Serpent Column - Tassel of AresThis is the fourth album from US solo black metal band Serpent Column.

Tassel of Ares is a 39-minute avant-garde black metal album brought to us by the artist behind Theophonos. The style is dissonant, esoteric, and obscure, yet remarkably accessible for that. Serpent Column’s music is an impressive beast. Continue reading “Serpent Column – Tassel of Ares (Review)”