This is the debut album from French black metal band Peurbleue.
Peurbleue play a form of mood-rich, electronically enhanced black metal. La Ciguë is a 36-minute soundscape of dark atmosphere and mysterious textures. Continue reading “Peurbleue – La Ciguë (Review)”
Vong is a one-man black metal band from Vietnam and this is his debut album.
Apparently a demo version of this was released in 2019, but this definitive version is a complete rerecording of the songs, with some rearranging going on too.
Vong’s music is an atavistic example of the core blackened Continue reading “Vong – A Wander in Liminality (Review)”
This is the seventh album from French solo black metal act Esoctrilihum.
I enjoyed 2018’s Pandaemorthium (Forbidden Formulas to Awaken the Blind Sovereigns of Nothingness), and then enjoyed even more 2021’s Dy’th Requiem for the Serpent Telepath. Has this upward trajectory of enjoyment continued with Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh? Continue reading “Esoctrilihum – Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh (Review)”
This is the second album from Black Fucking Cancer, a black metal band from the US.
What can you say about a band with a name like Black Fucking Cancer, other than to describe them as sounding completely and utterly evil? 2016’s Black Fucking Cancer and 2019’s Boundless Arcane Invokations – Split with Gloam, both impressed me with their malignant take on underground black metal, so when Procreate Inverse raised its ugly head, I knew I had to prepare myself for a beating. Continue reading “Black Fucking Cancer – Procreate Inverse (Review)”
This is the third album from UK black metal act Sidious.
I’ve enjoyed watching Sidious develop from their symphonic black/death beginnings, (Revealed in Profane Splendour), to their metamorphosis into the pure black metal form of their last album, (Temporal). Now we have Blackest Insurrection, where the band spend 48 minutes showcasing a refinement of their raw blackened assault. Out of the two, I’d say that this is the superior release when compared to Temporal, and it’s great to hear the band improving their sound. Continue reading “Sidious – Blackest Insurrection (Review)”
This is the debut album from US one-man black metal act Antimony.
Antimony’s black metal is a combination of the progressive, atmospheric, and melodic styles. These are mixed together to produce lengthy songs that describe a journey into existential dread. The promo blurb states that it’s reminiscent of Moonsorrow, Mgła, and Drudkh, and this should give an appropriate starting reference for the style you’ll find on Ending. Continue reading “Antimony – Ending (Review)”
This is the seventh album from Polish black metal act Gurthang.
2019’s Ascension was an album that I enjoyed at the time, but which has only increased in my estimation since. As such, I was eager to hear their latest creation. Continue reading “Gurthang – Hearts of the Hollow (Review)”
Runespell is a solo black metal band from Australia, and this is his fourth album.
I like a bit of Runespell. I’ve enjoyed watching the band develop from 2017’s Unhallowed Blood Oath, through 2018’s Order of Vengeance, to 2019’s Voice of Opprobrium. It’s now time for a new offering, and Verses in Regicide contains 38 minutes of the good stuff. Continue reading “Runespell – Verses in Regicide (Review)”
This is the debut album from US black metal band Feral Lord.
Recommended by the promo blurb for fans of bands such as Oranssi Pazuzu, Odraza, and Deathspell Omega, I couldn’t resist giving this a listen to see if it hooked me. Well it did, as you can probably tell by the fact I’m reviewing it. To the above list I’d also add parts of bands like Suffering Hour and Mourir as reference points for Purity of Corruption too. Continue reading “Feral Lord – Purity of Corruption (Review)”
This is the third album from Canadian black metallers Wormwitch.
Wolf Hex is the 34-minute follow up to 2019’s very well-received Heaven That Dwells Within, but it’s somewhat of a different record to its predecessor. Although obviously the same band, (but with a different lineup), Wolf Hex is rawer and less-polished, and owes more to the underground scenes; it sounds loose, organic, and unforced, and the songs benefit from this approach throughout the album. Continue reading “Wormwitch – Wolf Hex (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 