This is the debut album from US black metal band Earthen Altar.
Earthen Altar play nature-inspired atmospheric black metal informed by the Cascadian style., but not restricted to it. Earthen Altar contains three tracks with a total duration of 27 minutes. Before we start, prepare yourself, as this is a colossally strong release. Continue reading “Earthen Altar – Earthen Altar (Review)”
This is the debut album from US black metal band Returning.
Containing 48 minutes of music, Severance is a journey into the horrors of ecocide and a hymn to the natural world. Blending black metal with the ambient and atmospheric styles to create immersive soundscapes that exude emotional power, Severance is a shock to the system and a call for better times. Continue reading “Returning – Severance (Review)”
This is the second album from Swedish black metallers Jordfäst.
Av Stoft contains just two tracks, the first of which lasts 16 minutes, and the next 17 minutes. During these two lengthy songs we are taken on an epic, windswept journey into Jordfäst’s world.
If you think of bands such as Skagos, Ulver, Primordial, Wolves in the Throne Room, Bathory, and Skogen, (the singer of which guests here), you’ll have a rough idea of what Av Stoft contains. Continue reading “Jordfäst – Av Stoft (Review)”
Ahamkara are from the UK and play Atmospheric Black Metal. This is their début album.
This is Black Metal with epic length songs and a windswept feel.
This is the kind of album that’s the soundtrack to exploration. It’s the Blackened equivalent of a map of uncharted territories and frost-worn mountains.
The Embers of the Stars is bitingly cold and achingly sensual in equal amounts. These songs are emotive and expressive, infused with the raw energy of nature and the passion that goes along with this.
Heartfelt guitars and subtle synths provide the rasping vocals with a rich background on which to scream out into the heavens.
This sweeping music is perfect for Black Metal that’s inspired by nature and seeks to channel it via a darkened Metal route. Each of these songs is extremely well composed and gives the feeling of really being in the raw, dangerous outdoors.
This is the kind of epic, atmospheric music that has been characterised well by the Cascadian scene, even though this is from the UK. Fans of Wolves in the Throne Room, Altar of Plagues, Agalloch, Fen, Skagos, Fauna, Wodensthrone, (who share a member), etc., will be very at home with Ahamkara. However, whereas a lot of these bands have Post-Metal qualities to their sound, Ahamkara substitute these for shades of the mighty Emperor and thus are more “pure” Black Metal than not.
Really top quality work like this should always be supported. Listen and become enthralled.
Wonderbox Metal 