This is the debut album by Pénitence Onirique, a French black metal band.
Pénitence Onirique play scathing black metal, filled with dark atmosphere and with a foreboding presence.
Razor sharp vocals lash out from the music like barbs, lacerating with ease, while the Continue reading “Pénitence Onirique – V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (Review)”
Sarcoptes are a black metal band from the US. This is their début album.
This record makes me feel nostalgic. The band play a classic style of black metal that incorporates elements of the 90s symphonic style alongside a few thrashier bits here and there. It really does take me back to the early days of bands like Cradle of Filth, Emperor, Bal-Sagoth, Hecate Enthroned, Dimmu Borgir, etc.
The singer has Continue reading “Sarcoptes – Songs and Dances of Death (Review)”
Enthean are from the US and this is their début album. They play Black Metal.
This is progressive, technical and symphonic Black/Death Metal. It’s a bit of a mouthful, but then this is a band who have a lot of different influences. I hear bands like Zyklon, Dissection, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Septic Flesh and Fleshgod Apocalypse in their sound.
Continue reading “Enthean – Priests of Annihilation (Review)”
This is the début album from US Symphonic Blackened Death Metallers Tine.
Blackened Death Metal is a funny beast. Frequently just a Death Metal band with some added Blackened spite, you also occasionally get a Black Metal band with some added Deathly brutality too. Very occasionally, however, you get bands that actually combine both styles in a convincing, equal way.
Tine are one such band. Combining the darkness and atmosphere of Old-School Black Metal with Death Metal’s feral core, The Forest Dreams of Black is a feast of spectrally enhanced Metal that takes elements of bands such as early Emperor and Behemoth to create 53 minutes of emotive Blackened Metal.
The Symphonic elements are nicely understated, making sure that they don’t overpower the rest of the music. They add and enhance, rather than overtake or smother. One of my all-time favourite Atmospheric Black/Death Metal albums is Depresy’s Sighting, so it’s a big compliment that The Forest Dreams of Black puts me in mind of this.
The music is clearly a passionate and personal affair for its creators, and this shines through in the music with a dark, poisonous light.
I have really enjoyed this release. There’s real feeling and atmosphere here, with an underlying emotional intensity that’s hard to ignore. The two different genres both come out in the songs in different ways and the commanding vocals are full of presence, bringing everything together to a charismatic focal point. A satisfying sound that isn’t too polished rounds off the impressive package and I am left with fond memories of a walk through a dark and dangerous forest, one that I’m happy to revisit again and again.
Highly recommended.
Formicarius are a Black Metal band from the UK. This is their first release.
Here we have almost 12 minutes of music, made up of two originals and an Emperor cover. Formicarius’ Black Metal is Symphonic, Old-School and dark. Harking back to an early era when bands like Cradle of Filth, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir and Emperor were still young, Formicarius are attempting to herald a return to such times.
Featuring veterans of the UK Metal scene, (including the guitarist of the excellent De Profundis), this is a band who are starting out from a very strong position, so although this is only their first release it very much sounds like they have been together for a lot longer.
The songs have a streamlined darkness that flows and winds around the ostentatious keyboards like vines trying to strangle the life from something. The grim music pulses against the throat of the bright orchestration but doesn’t dampen its enthusiasm. Indeed, it seems spurned on by its antagonistic partnership to even greater heights.
One thing that was largely missing from this style back in the day was guitar solos, so I’m pleased that these make a brief appearance here. Played well, the music in general is accomplished and enjoyable. The songs are relatively simple homages to the Old-School Symphonic Black Metal style, (a bit of a mouthful), that are well-written and perfromed by people who clearly know what they’re doing.
Although there is a good helping of nostalgia with music such as this, (very much so for me), this is still a band who are doing their best to bring the style into the modern age. Admittedly, there’s only so much of this which can be done before changing the music into something else entirely, but on Lake of the Dead it’s the small touches here and there that give the band a certain edge; a short melody, a certain riff or keyboard addition…it distinguishes them as a band who are from the here and now, regardless of how old a style it is that they play and clearly love.
And the Emperor cover is fucking great, too.
12:00 minutes of quality. Get it.
Alastor Sanguinary Embryo are a Black Metal band from Costa Rica. This is their third album.
This is Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal, but not necessarily in the way you might be thinking. A lot of the time these days Symphonic Black Metal is polished, ostentatious and overblown; this is more Old-School Symphonic Black Metal, if there is such a thing. We’re back in the ancient old days of early Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth, et al for this one.
The keyboards are subtle affairs, (relatively), working to add flavour to the Blackened assault rather than trying to be overly-prominent or ruling the roost, so to speak. For this kind of Black Metal this is the preferred state of things and Alastor Sanguinary Embryo never lose their dark bite because of it.
There are a variety of moods, speeds and feelings on this release, but I find that I enjoy it the most when the band are in full-on blast beat mode, with everything fast, screeching and trying to outdo everything else.
The scathing vocals, sharp guitars and understated atmospheric keyboards provide a lot of Blackened entertainment throughout this 58 minutes and I like that the blast beats are never too far away from proceedings. Also – you can actually hear the bass, which is always a plus point. But, and get this – BASS SOLO! Fuck yeah!
Ahem.
Although some of the writing could do with tightening up on occasion, this is ultimately a really good exemplar of how Symphonic Black Metal should sound if you want a good taste of what the style was originally about, rather than what it’s largely become today.
A refreshing blast from the past; it’s hard to not enjoy this release as there’s such palpable enthusiasm and passion on display here. The songs are just really enjoyable, especially if you were brought up on this kind of thing.
Check them out.
Lifestream are a French Black Metal band and this is their début album.
Lifestream play their Black Metal in a dark and atmospheric style that recalls the Norwegian scene at its height, and Emperor in particular.
Well-written songs are powered by blast beats and bile. Twisted guitars and winding, atypical melodies are used frequently to create unexpected avenues of musical exploration.
Keyboards are used to add extra layers, but not overly so; they enhance the overall atmosphere of the songs without drawing needless attention to themselves.
The songs draw you in and enclose you in a shroud of darkness that you’re only too happy to be smothered by. This is an ambitious and atmospheric release from a promising new aspirant and Lifestream show that they have what it takes to play in the big leagues.
An album like this draws influence from the Norwegian style, as mentioned, but also contains enough quintessential elements of the French scene to be identifiable as such. Underground, occult and inscrutable; Lifestream have created an ambitious and impressive 53 minutes of supreme Black Metal art.
Daemonium are a Ukrainian Black Metal band and this is their début album.
Here we have a release full of savage Black Metal with a distinct Scandinavian quality and lots of evil feelings.
Evoking the spirit of bands like Marduk, Dark Funeral and Naglfar, as well as Dimmu Borgir and a taste of Emperor; Daemonium proceed to blast and pound their way through these songs like they really mean it.
This is somewhat of a nostalgia-inducing release for me as it takes me back to the late 90s period of Black Metal. This is no bad thing really, as Имя Мне Легион is produced, performed and delivered with real passion and bile.
The singer has a great, throaty rasp that is perfect for this style of music. He’s not adverse to going deeper too and his vocals never seem too far away from the action.
This album is packed full to the brim with Blackened, frosty melodies and razorblade riffing. Subtle keybaords lurk in the background adding extra flavour and their contribution shouldn’t be discounted.
I do enjoy this style of balls-to-the-wall occult Black Metal. The feeling of malevolent brutality and otherworldly sped-up hatred is a tough one to beat. The fact that it also comes wrapped up with an extra atmospheric element, thanks to the keyboards, is just a bonus.
Although the style is an old one, Daemonium play their Black Metal with such enthusiasm that it’s hard to be dismissive; plus the fact that they genuinely seem to know what they’re doing means they have written a really enjoyable album.
I’d definitely recommend this one for your further investigations.
This is the tenth Sigh album. If you’ve never encountered them before, they’re from Japan and they play Black Metal. At least, that’s what they started out as and they’ve just kind of evolved from there. Avant-Garde Black Metal/Extreme Metal is probably closest to the mark these days, if you have to label it at all.
Sigh are one of the few bands in existence that come even close to being able to be called unique. They definitely have their own sound and identity, even if this has changed quite a bit through the years.
So on to Graveward. This is dense and complex music that features a lot of different parts to the songs. Clearly a lot of work has gone into these compositions.
The Black Metal base is present and correct, as well as the Avant-Garde tendencies. Add to this is a psychedelic influence, powerful cinematic qualities as well as a strong theatrical component and you have an album that’s born to stand out from the pack.
The theatrical nature of the release belies the horror-themed core of the album, but ultimately serves to reinforce it.
As you might think, each track has a lot going on and it’s a lot to take in on first listen. Subsequent spins reveal all kinds of nuances and little things that you didn’t necessarily consciously pick up on first time around.
Choirs and orchestration rub shoulders with Thrash riffs and Blackened croaks. Psychedelic keyboards and operatic vocals join horns and saxophones in backing the distorted guitars. It’s a true melting pot of influences that probably shouldn’t work but it really, really does.
Befitting music that has a lot of different components to it, Graveward features a wealth of guest appearances from well-known members of bands such as Trivium, Dragonforce, Shining, Rotting Christ and The Meads of Asphodel, among others.
Somewhat of a cross between Emperor, Therion, Arcturus and some form of crazy Progressive Jazz, Sigh can always be relied upon to liven things up with their presence and Graveward is no exception.
This is a truly exceptional release that many will probably find overwhelming with its multicoloured assault on the senses. Those who endure, however, are rewarded tenfold for their perseverance.
Essential listening.
Keep of Kalessin are from Norway and play Black Metal. This is their Sixth album.
Keep of Kalessin return, and it’s a very welcome one.
Fusing the best of bands like Emperor, Satyricon and Enslaved, Keep of Kalessin have produced an album that’s as epic and soaring as they’ve always promised.
Elements of the symphonic, majestic and even Avant-Garde combine with a state-of-the-art Blackened core to produce tracks that are brightly textured and rich in colour and taste.
Expertly performed cleans act as a central highlight of many of these songs, whilst expressive screams provide an acidic hit of aggression.
Highly emotive music connects with you on a visceral level as the band work their way through 52 minutes of top quality Metal.
The band may have a firm Black Metal core but they have used this to create music that almost transcends genre boundaries. Almost. Ultimately though, this is Black Metal, and it means business.
Their songwriting skills have been further refined since their previous work and this is a relatively varied album that takes in the past whilst leaning towards the future.
Intricate, inspired and sometimes warped riffing is impressively integrated into the wider song structures to create tracks that don’t always do or sound as you expect them to.
The musicianship and production values are first rate of course. Everything is played and recorded extremely professionally and the clean vocals in particular seem vibrant enough to jump out of the speakers.
A must listen for all Extreme Metal fans.
Wonderbox Metal 