This is the fifth album from one-woman experimental black metal band Cicada the Burrower.
The follow up to 2021’s very enjoyable Corpseflower, Blight Witch Regalia brings us 31 minutes of new material from this talented artist. Although tagged as black metal, this record has moved on from that description really. Fans of the classic blackened sound are Continue reading “Cicada the Burrower – Blight Witch Regalia (Review)”
Leukotomy are a Vietnamese black metal band and this is their debut album.
Eternal Path to Eden delivers 51 minutes of black metal that has a second wave base which has been adorned with avant-garde enrichments. Continue reading “Leukotomy – Eternal Path to Eden (Review)”
This is the second album from international black metal band Omega Infinity.
Brought to us by members of Ne Obliviscaris and Todtgelichter, The Anticurrent is a 49-minute journey into the realms of cosmic black metal, (or 57 minutes with the bonus Sear Bliss and Emperor covers). Continue reading “Omega Infinity – The Anticurrent (Review)”
This is the fifth album from French progressive black/death metallers.
Helioss play a hybrid style of black and death metal that has progressive influences and symphonic aspects. Across 62 minutes Contre ma Lumière delivers a multifaceted album of atmosphere, aggression, and majestic grandeur. Continue reading “Helioss – Contre ma Lumière (Review)”
Teitan is a one-man black metal band from the Netherlands and this is his latest EP.
Vákuum contains 22 minutes of avant-garde black metal that’s played with skill and charisma.
This is atypical black metal that reminds me of the more experimental edges of the late 90s and early 00s black metal scenes. When bands like Dødheimsgard, Continue reading “Teitan – Vákuum (Review)”
This is the debut album from Khôra, a black metal band.
Featuring a member of Dødheimsgard, and so many guests it’s quite remarkable, (mainly on vocals or keyboards, and from bands such as …And Oceans, Amiensus, Dødheimsgard, Finntroll, Nòtt, and Moonsorrow), a lot of talent and experience has gone into Timaeus. Continue reading “Khôra – Timaeus (Review)”
LÜÜP is a, (deep breath), Greek one man experimental avant-garde blackened classical band, (phew), and this is his third album.
Canticles of the Holy Scythe features 37 minutes of music that consists of a black metal undercoat, which has then been fully fleshed out and painted with colours from folk, progressive, avant-garde, ambient, and classical music. Continue reading “LÜÜP – Canticles of the Holy Scythe (Review)”
At Dusk and Sacerdos are both black metal bands from the US, with At Dusk being a one-man entity and Sacerdos being a duo.
At Dusk’s contribution to this release is one 15 minute song named Condemned. Continue reading “At Dusk/Sacerdos – Split (Review)”
This is the third album from Ukrainian experimental black metal band Balance Interruption.
All I knew about this band before I listened to them was that they were a black metal band of some description. As such, I was not prepared at all for what I found inside Door 218.
Here we have an album that might not sound as you expect it to upon hearing the black metal tag. Yes, a lot of the familiar elements are present and correct, but there’s a lot of unusual aspects to the music too. Continue reading “Balance Interruption – Door 218 (Review)”
This is the seventh album from German Black Metal band Todesstoss.
At 75 minutes in length this is a long album that only contains 3 tracks. I mention this purely to set the scene for the kind of sprawling, unconventional, Blackened vision that Todesstoss have.
This is Experimental Black Metal that takes the serrated core of Black Metal and adds Electronica, Ambient, Martial, Dark Rock, Avant-Garde and Depressive tendencies to it, creating songs that are unhinged marvels of deranged darkness.
Various instruments and flashes of sound compliment the core instrumentation and the mangled, psychotic vocals punctuate the music like stab wounds. His violent outbursts are quite disturbed and fit the uncompromising music.
Think bands like Bethlehem/Burzum/Deinonychus/Dødheimsgard, only stretched out to the extreme.
There are a lot of themes and moods spread across these tracks and it’s clear that a lot of work and effort has gone into perfecting the meaning and rationale for the existence of every part of this music. To some listeners it may seem as if occasional bits of noise or instruments are randomly inserted here and there, but I suspect that everything is where it is for a reason.
These certainly aren’t songs in the traditional sense, but rather canvasses of sound that are used for exploratory experimentalism by their creators to give voice to what dwells inside them. It’s a fascinating insight into a warped psyche as portrayed via the medium of mutated, corrupted Black Metal.
This is not an album you enjoy in the traditional sense. It’s an album you survive, and then, suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, you develop an affinity for the abuse it puts you through and eventually go back to it time and time again for more punishment.
Let your re-education begin.
Wonderbox Metal 