Melodic Black Metal – Page 25

Nothgard – Age of Pandora (Review)

Nothgard are from Germany and this is their second album of Melodic Metal.

Nothgard specialise in epic and stirring Melodic Metal. They have a Melodic Death/Black Metal base with a Power/European Metal covering. Think of a Power Metal band who have Symphonic leanings. Then, make them heavier and give them a vocalist who uses serrated screams as his main form of attack. This is Nothgard.

It’s technically proficient and rabble rousing at the same time; a rare combination of clinical application and emotional drive. As I listen to them I can’t help but just get swept away with their enthusiasm and passion of delivery.

The songs are typically catchy and high energy. It’s immediately apparent that this is a quality album with lots of hooks and memorable melodies; the more you listen to it the more this reinforces itself.

The vocalist mainly screams his way through the songs, although he also has a versatile enough voice to deliver deeper grunting and some semi-cleans for added effect.

The guitar playing is flawless and the amount of solos and leads is like the most sugary of treats.

Symphonic and keyboard ostentation is constant and seems to sometimes even merge with the guitars at a cellular level. It’s exciting stuff!

Of course not everyone enjoys this very European-styled Melodic Metal, but if you’ve a taste for this kind of thing then Nothgard do it better than most. As for me, I haven’t heard an album in this style that I’ve enjoyed this much for quite some time.

Check out Nothgard and play them loud.

https://www.facebook.com/Nothgard

Achren – The White Death (Review)

Achren are from Scotland and play Black Metal. This is their latest EP.

This is Black Metal with a healthy melodic side and a hard, Thrash edge to some of the riffs.

The vocals are mainly high pitched screeches designed to strip paint and puncture ear drums. These are joined by the occasional deeper growl that sounds quite fearsome. The vocal rhythms used are in sync with the music and are much more catchy than a lot bands playing this style. This is especially noticeable in The Eschatologist.

The White Death has a good recording and everything sounds in-your-face, much like the band themselves.

The melodic Black Metal romps along at a fair pace with the Thrashier riffs adding some groove. The songs are well-written and the band clearly know what they’re doing. The melodies are memorable and there are some very good tunes here.

The more you listen to this the more you realise that these songs are very, very good indeed and this is a very, very talented band. There’s nothing especially new or original here, (the same can be said of almost every band), but their talent and skill shows in the songs themselves – these are just incredibly strong songs.

At only 3 tracks in 15 minutes this EP provides a decent intro to the band whilst also leaving you hungry for more.

Catchy, memorable and with a good degree of bite; this is a great EP.

Favourite Track: The Eschatologist. What a brilliant song. Can’t say better than that.

Hyperborean – Mythos of the Great Pestilence (Review)

Hyperborean are from Sweden and play Black Metal. This is their second album.

We have 9 tracks here, one of which is a cover of (Don’t Fear) the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult.

Hyperborean play Melodic Black Metal with bite and flourish. This accomplished band are comfortable playing both at speed and at a more mid-paced rate. Expressive leads and emotive riffs accompany some inhuman drumming to produce the kind of songs that bands like Naglfar and Satyricon would be proud of.

The vocals scream their rage into an empty abyss, occasionally venting into a deeper grunt to emphasise their disdain for all things full of life and hope.

The music is sharp and some of the riffs are surprising; they have a good sense of dynamics and a good ear for melody. They also incorporate more solos and leads than a lot of bands of this ilk and this sits on top of their hardened core making the songs seem to zip by in a colourful blur. And with a 54 minute album this is no mean feat.

This is really enjoyable Black Metal and I like that the band haven’t gone the safe route and simply regurgitated generic riffs that have bean heard a thousand times before; some of the mid-paced riffs especially hit the spot nicely and really get the limbs gyrating along with the tunes.

Quality band, quality album.

The video below is for the title track, and one of my favourites from the album. Give it a try.

Obsequiae – Suspended in the Brume of Eos (Review)

Obsequiae are from the US and play melodic Black Metal.

This is dark and atmospheric Black Metal with a strong medieval feel and influence to the melodies. Said melodies are thick and emotive, swallowing the listener and transporting them to another century.

Frequent interludes intersperse the songs, adding to the medieval theme of the album. These mini sagas add great feeling to an album already awash with melodic entreaties.

The rasped Black Metal vocals seem to glide out of the layered guitars, piercing the tuneful riffs with a harsh reality check before they quickly recover like nothing happened and it’s back in time we go once more. Not that they had Metal back in ye olde times of course, but if they had…

Imagine Dissection had they embraced the aforementioned medieval influence, this should give you a good idea of where Obsequiae are coming from.

The sound seems to flow organically and the riffs are like liquid nature distilled to their Blackest essence and allowed to root deep in the mind of the listener.

Obsequiae grow there, in the dark, quietly taking shape until they cannot be removed. Listen to Obsequiae and one day you’ll know what I mean.

Frozen Dawn – Those of the Cursed Light (Review)

Frozen Dawn are a Spanish Black Metal band with a penchant for all things Swedish.

The band are influenced by bands such as Watain, Naglfar and Dissection, and as such the guitars are scything and icy, with the vocals as sharp as a barb and a solid rhythmic underpinning.

Frozen Dawn have a good grasp of melodics and the tunes melt through the hands like thawing snow.

A lot of these songs are surprisingly catchy; tracks like Blackened March have infections guitar riffs and Blackened grooves to die for. This is a theme repeated throughout the 53 minutes of this enjoyable album.

The band ably create the atmosphere of a Blackened winter’s day, with ice crystals as far as the horizon.

A good album, and recommended. Give them a listen.

Paramnesia/Unru – Split (Review)

Paramnesia are a French Black Metal band and their half of this split is a track enigmatically named III.

This is epic, searing and mystical Black Metal with some atmospheric Post-Metal/Doom sections included in the 15 minute play time. If you think of Black Metal such as Deafheaven you’ll be in the right area stylistically.

The song is very well laid out and evokes the appropriate feelings of Blackened tragedy and remorse. The sound, and in particular the drum sound, is flawless and allows the song to shine brightly.

Unru are from Germany, play Black Metal and they contribute a song called Die Welt in der wir sterben to this release.

Unru’s offering is a real mood-builder, with melody and Post-Metal influences tempered against the harsh, icy Black Metal core. The anguished vocals slice through the music and as with Paramnesia’s track the sound is first-rate and everything flows perfectly.

The song is almost 13 minutes of involving and caustic Black Metal that draws the listener in and holds attention.

A top quality release from two top quality bands. I can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t get hold of this Split straight away. Do it now!

Primalfrost – Prosperous Visions (Review)

Primalfrost are from Canada and play Melodic Black Metal with influences from Power Metal.

An extravagant intro heralds in the very textured and multi-layered Metallic sound that the band have. Razor sharp Melodic Black Metal sounds combine with larger-than life orchestration and enough solos to make any Power Metal band blush.

The musicianship in general is flawless, whether it’s the opulent leads, the spiky riffs, the solid drums or the symphonic keyboards.

The vocals for the most part are high pitched rasps straight out of the Black Metal handbook. These are occasionally offset by deeper grunts and heroic cleans that add further flavour to an already tasty meal.

The songs are highly accomplished and there are plenty of ideas at hand to stop things becoming dull. The songs each offer something slightly different, but all built around the central core of the band. We even get an epic 14:00 track that serves as the album’s centrepiece and is an expertly executed slab of Metal.

Prosperous Visions is 55 minutes of prime-time Melodic Black Metal. If you want the epic, fantastical grandeur of Power Metal with the rougher, more aggressive delivery of Black Metal then this is for you. An ambitious album and well worth adding to your collection. May they prosper for many years to come.

Get it here: http://primalfrost1.bandcamp.com/releases

Hangatyr – Elemente (Review)

Hangatyr are from Germany and play Black Metal rich in melody.

Appearing out of the mist like a creature from some long-forgotten Germanic myth; Hangatyr prowl and stalk their prey with a surety born of ancient times.

This is cold Black Metal; born of the frigid wastelands and honed in frozen storms. Each song drags you deeper into the world of frost and ice, struggling for air as your lungs fill with needles of pure winter.

This is an extremely well-written album that reminds of the masters of the genre while simultaneously sounding as fresh as if it was straight out of the frozen tomb. The guitars may be chilled but they describe a rich tapestry of texture and ancestry. Hangatyr are clearly aware of and living up to their Black Metal heritage.

The vocals are watery shrieks, as if they have newly thawed and are breaking into the light for the first time in millennia.

The sound is great, the mood is great, the songs are great, it’s just a great album. A wind-scarred revelation.

Ritual – The Resurrection (Review)

Here we have some Black Metal from the US in the form of Ritual.

It starts off all plinky-plinky, (a technical term), before the drums start and then a mournful guitar sweeps in. It’s an unexpected entry into the album as I was ready for a more traditional blastbeat-heavy entrance, (probably after some perfunctory intro), so this was a welcome change of pace.

This is early 90’s-style Black Metal with a sorrowful NWOBHM edge to it, and highly enjoyable it is to.

The vocalist is full of passion and has a good set of lungs which he uses to scream praises of evil and hate. The vocal rhythms fit perfectly over the mid-paced riffs and the songs are simple but effective.

Short songs with good composition rule the roost and melodic guitars slip easily into the ear.

This is an easy album to listen to; the scything, razor-edged vocals and the Black melodies dripping with scorn and melancholy create an enjoyable listen. Recommended.