Mòr – Hear the Hour Nearing! (Review)

Mòr - Hear the Hour Nearing!This is the debut album from French black metallers Mòr.

Containing members of Iffernet and Sordide, Hear the Hour Nearing! is a 44-minute black metal record that merges second wave black metal with a modern delivery. Continue reading “Mòr – Hear the Hour Nearing! (Review)”

Cistvaen – At Light’s Demise (Review)

Cistvaen - At Light's DemiseThis is the debut album from UK atmospheric black metallers Cistvaen.

I like this form of atmospheric black metal, and I like it even more when it’s played with a weighty doom component, as it is here. The promo blurb mentions bands like Agalloch, Fen, My Dying Bride, Alcest, Insomnium, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Winterfylleth, amongst others, so this should give you a good starting point for approaching the 58 minutes of music on At Light’s Demise. Continue reading “Cistvaen – At Light’s Demise (Review)”

Benighted – Ekbom (Review)

Benighted - EkbomThis is the tenth album from French death metallers Benighted.

I’ve enjoyed all of my encounters with Benighted so far, (NecrobreedDogs Always Bite Harder than Their MastersObscene Repressed, and live in 2016), so I knew I wanted to check out Ekbom. Running at a lean and mean 37 minutes, Ekbom is here to brutalise and destroy. Continue reading “Benighted – Ekbom (Review)”

Pyra – Those Who Dwell in the Fire (Review)

Pyra - Those Who Dwell in the FirePyra are a black/death metal band from Italy and this is their debut album.

Featuring the formidable vocals of the singer/guitarist of Dead Chasm, (who here also handles bass), Those Who Dwell in the Fire contains 44 minutes of blackened death metal that’s menacing and dark. I’m a bit late to the Pyra party, but a record as good as this demands coverage. Continue reading “Pyra – Those Who Dwell in the Fire (Review)”

Verberis – The Apophatic Wilderness (Review)

Verberis - The Apophatic WildernessThis is the third album from Verberis, a black metal band from New Zealand.

I discovered Verberis on their 2022 album Adumbration of the Veiled Logos, and was very impressed. So when this new record appeared, it was with no small amount of excited interest that I hurriedly pressed play, eagerly to soak up its esoteric charms. Continue reading “Verberis – The Apophatic Wilderness (Review)”

MNHG – Necare (Review)

MNHG - NecareThis is the second album from German black metallers MNHG.

Necare is the 37-minute follow up to 2021’s Mundare. This new record sees the band taking firm strides forward with their music, with stronger performances and production values that allow the nine tracks to shine. Continue reading “MNHG – Necare (Review)”

Alpha Wolf – Half Living Things (Review)

Alpha Wolf - Half Living ThingsAlpha Wolf are an Australian metalcore band and this is their third album.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2020’s A Quiet Place to Die, as well as 2022’s split with Holding Absence The Lost & the Longing, so more new material from Alpha Wolf is very well-received. I dislike the album art, but ignoring that, what do Alpha Wolf have in store for us this time around? Continue reading “Alpha Wolf – Half Living Things (Review)”

Ingested – The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams (Review)

Ingested - The Tide of Death and Fractured DreamsThis is the seventh album from UK death metallers Ingested.

So, if you’re a fan of deathcore-edged brutal death metal, then you must surely know of Ingested by now, (if not, acquaint yourself with The Level Above Human, Where Only Gods May Tread, Ashes Lie Still, and the rest). Ingested seem to be on a bit of a creative binge over the last few years, pumping out albums like nobody’s business, which brings us to the 45 minutes of heaviness that is The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams. Continue reading “Ingested – The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams (Review)”