Aodon – Portraits (Review)

Aodon - PortraitsThis is the third album from Aodon, a black metal band from France.

Portraits is the follow up to 2020’s 11069, and features 46 minutes of sleek, quality material. If you liked 11069, then Portraits is the upgraded version. Continue reading “Aodon – Portraits (Review)”

Morkera – Aggravations (Review)

Morkera - AggravationsMorkera are a black metal band from Croatia and this is their second album.

Aggravations is a 36-minute album of modern black metal that’s beautifully harsh and aggressive, while still achieving a certain level of atmospheric darkness. Continue reading “Morkera – Aggravations (Review)”

Mnajdra – Mnajdra (Review)

Mnajdra - MnajdraThis is the debut album from US black metal band Mnajdra.

From out of nowhere comes Mnajdra, a 44-minute slice of underworld darkness. This is thick, unfriendly black metal that has subsumed elements of doom and sludge into itself to better portray the utter bleakness and horror of existence. Continue reading “Mnajdra – Mnajdra (Review)”

Moonreich – Amer (Review)

Moonreich - AmerThis is the fifth album from Moonreich, a French black metal band.

Moonreich’s aggressive brand of modern black metal is always good to hear. Following on from 2018’s Fugue and 2019’s WormgodAmer contains 43 minutes of new material from this enjoyable band. Continue reading “Moonreich – Amer (Review)”

Cursebinder – Drifting (Review)

Cursebinder - DriftingThis is the debut album from Polish post-black metal band Cursebinder.

Featuring the vocalist of Dormant Ordeal, (and also ex-Moanaa), Cursebinder play black metal that contains elements of doom, blackgaze, post-rock, and progressive metal. Continue reading “Cursebinder – Drifting (Review)”

Tempel Wolf – Hirschgeweihmaskeraden (Review)

Tempel Wolf - HirschgeweihmaskeradenTempel Wolf are a black metal band from Switzerland and this is their debut release.

Tempel Wolf play atmospheric black metal, and on Hirschgeweihmaskeraden they deliver 32 minutes of material across this absorbing release. Continue reading “Tempel Wolf – Hirschgeweihmaskeraden (Review)”

Aara – Triade III: Nyx (Review)

Aara - Triade III NyxThis is the fifth album from Swiss black metal band Aara.

Another year, another Aara record, and I’m very happy about this. Triade III: Nyx is the final instalment in the trilogy that brought us Triade I: Eos from 2021 and the stellar Triade II: Hemera from last year. Continue reading “Aara – Triade III: Nyx (Review)”

Vitriolic Sage – 梦路 (Review)

Vitriolic Sage - 梦路This is the third album from Vitriolic Sage, a one-man black metal band from China.

Brought to us by the artist behind the exceptional Ὁπλίτης (Hoplites), 梦路 contains 43 minutes of modern black metal. 梦路 combines elements of the Continue reading “Vitriolic Sage – 梦路 (Review)”

Limbes – Écluse (Review)

Limbes - ÉcluseThis is the debut album from one-man French black metal act Limbes.

We’ve encountered the artist behind Limbes before, on his split with Mütterlein, and also when the project was named Blurr Thrower. Écluse contains 39 minutes of new material, and although the songs are still on the longer side, (especially the 15-minute closer), overall they’re shorter and more concise than we’re used to from this artist. Continue reading “Limbes – Écluse (Review)”

Bizarrekult – Den Tapte Krigen (Review)

Bizarrekult - Den Tapte KrigenBizarrekult are a Norwegian post-black metal band and this is their second album.

Formed around a central artist who is Bizarrekult’s driving creative force, he’s joined by a range of other musicians, (including a member of the mighty Adliga), who round out the band nicely. The end result of their efforts is Den Tapte Krigen, a 42-minute slice of expressive modern black metal. Continue reading “Bizarrekult – Den Tapte Krigen (Review)”