This is the third album from German black metallers Beltez.
Following on from 2017’s well-regarded Exiled, Punished…Rejected, A Grey Chill and a Whisper is well-received and quite exceptional. Across 65 minutes Beltez brutalise and mystify with a compelling tale of darkness and despair, but with some glimmers of hope. Continue reading
This is the debut album by Ba’al, a blackened post-metal band from the UK.
I last caught up with Ba’al on their debut release in 2017 – In Gallows by Mass – which showed a lot of potential. This appears to have now been fulfilled, albeit in a different way than I was initially expecting. Elipsism ably demonstrates how the band have Continue reading
This is the second album from Entropy Created Consciousness, a one-man, (with guests), black metal band.
I’m a big fan of 2018’s Impressions of the Morning Star, so this new release has been greatly anticipated by yours truly. I haven’t been disappointed. This is top tier underground esoteric blackened art. Continue reading
This is the second album from French black metallers Griffon.
Griffon give us a very agreeable and enjoyable take on medieval-influenced black metal. Across 40 minutes, ὸ θεός ὸ βασιλεύς, (or o Theos, o Basileus), proves to be aggressively melodic and energetic, but not without atmosphere or depth. Continue reading
This is the fourth album from progressive black metal band Infera Bruo.
Here we have a modern progressive blend of black metal, played with furious passion and experienced skill. Infera Bruo know how to write this style, and Rites of the Nameless contains 41 minutes of thoroughly enjoyable music. Continue reading
This is the second album from French black metallers Vous Autres.
Vous Autres’ black metal has a strong sludge metal undercurrent flowing through it, and it’s a combination that has produced an album of sublime merit. Continue reading
This is the debut album from French one-man black metal act Crépuscule d’Hiver.
Par-Delà Noireglaces et Brumes-Sinistres contains 69 minutes of music that combines atmospheric black metal with dungeon synth, creating an engaging journey into medieval times for the listener to become immersed in. Continue reading
Hræ is a one-man Icelandic black metal band and this is his debut album.
Hræ’s brand of black metal is dark and menacing, with an experimental edge that reeks of dissonant malevolence. Continue reading
This is the debut album from French black metallers Sunnudagr.
Le Silence features 36 minutes of Scandinavian-influenced black metal. It’s capably forged from a second wave base and then enhanced with a contemporary edge. Continue reading
This is the debut album from Finnish black metallers Väki.
Kuolleen Maan Omaksi mixes old and new black metal styles together to create an album that draws from both to weave its dark magicks. The end result is a modern interpretation of blackened extremity, one which ably demonstrates a band with a lot of potential. Continue reading
