VASTUM SILENTIUM: "Time Will Come, and Everything Will Be Passed"

Symphonic heathen black metal has always been Ukraine’s thing, and Vastum Silentium’s debut album Time Will Come, and Everything Will Be Passed is another addition to the long list of Eastern European black / folk albums, implementing a healthy amount of acoustic and synth melody into the harsh blasting.

As soon as the first proper song ”Warriors of Darkness” kicks in, a tight thrash metal riffage meets the listener, not quite what one would have first expected of the album. It’s not until the next offering ”On the Day of My Triumph!” when the melodic black metal truly enters the picture, where tremolo guitars and synths fluctuate while drums batter steadily, the rather usual raspy screams are delivered, and also the acoustic guitar appears for a while. ”Silentium” could be said to be the album’s centerpiece due to its adventurous song structure, going through many interesting breakdown passages during its over 8-minute course.

”My Heart, My Blood”, a Whites Load cover, starts with a bombastic atmosphere and a nice bass guitar pattern, later bursting into more active folk metal, not unlike the next original piece ”With Wrath in Our Hearts, With Fury in Our Eyes! ”. The short ”En Arving Av Svargardr” ends the album with melancholic riffing very similar to Drudkh, one of my favourite pieces of the album as well.

Time Will Come’s main strength is the nicely varying song material, as there’s certainly no moment when the album would really repeat itself. In spite of being their debut, the members of Vastum Silentium handle their instruments professionally. The production, however, could do better: right now it sounds as if they had tried to get a bright and polished sound but the result is quite loose and unbalanced, though not to a harassing extent. It’s clear that Time Will Come, and Everything Will Be Passed is done quite thoughtfully, including a lot of interesting material (even if it doesn’t rise to truly remarkable levels), hence deserving a positive rating.

3 / 5

BODYFARM: "Bodyfarm"

On their eponymoys debut EP, initially self-released last year but now reissued by Abyss Records, Bodyfarm explores the territories of simple old school death metal, though luckily the material doesn’t fall to any exact geographical location musically, at least not too evidently - I think that pretty much everything is melted together here (with perhaps a slight dominance of the Swedish underground), forming an enjoyable but definitely unsurprising little album.

In spite of being their first release, the band sounds really mature: not only the production is bright and massive, but the execution of instruments seems flawless in all departments. Song-wise, the EP starts with a rather unnecessary and pompous symphonic intro that already takes a nice amount of the EP’s running time, but after that ”Bodyfarm” attacks with menacing tremolo riffs and blast beats not unlike Bloodbath - the similar style is later utilized on ”Heartraped”. ”Final Redemption” and ”Slaves of War” then, on the other hand, focus on slower tempo, chugging riffs and morbid atmosphere, belonging to my personal favourites of the whole.

Bodyfarm is ultimately rooted in old school values without going any further in innovation. What they batter here is well done and engaging but it also feels like a brief teaser of what’s to come, that’s what I hope at least. Thus said, Bodyfarm doesn’t seem to be in its full glory here on a short EP release with mere four tracks, but perhaps I’m able to capture a better picture of the group when a full-length arrives.

2.5 / 5

KRIEGSHETZER: "Panzer Vorwärts"

Pure relentless war is a good way to describe Kriegshetzer’s debut album Panzer Vorwärts, and is there really any need to analyze assaults like these any further? Perhaps a few additional words are in place, but if you already know that you want variation and calmful melodies in your black metal, there’s no reason to continue reading.

The paradigm is simple: a load of fast-paced blast beats, swift and piercing tremolo riffs and masculine screams. The instruments are executed with rather precise touch and timing which makes the music sound fittingly sharp and militant. In addition to the overall belligerent atmosphere, there are also some latent tendencies towards melancholic melody, such as in the main riff of ”Hohe Nacht der klaren Sterne” even if it’s only for a couple of seconds. One of my personal favourites off the album is the adventurous ”Mutspruch” which showcases the band’s ability to create such twirling and damn engaging riffs in insane tempos - not that this particular track is the only one of its kind.

Usually, I’m bored to death when it comes to prolonged albums where hateful riffs are played incessantly without the slightest change of compromise. This is why it comes as a surprise how well Panzer Vorwärts and its not-that-unique Eastern European black metal chord progressions retain my interest throughout, even if I would have still removed a song or two from this 48-minute entity. The production, natural sounding and hence far away from a modern overcompressed turd, is also a partial reason why Panzer Vorwärts is an endurable record. For obvious reasons, this album is not for everyone, but for those who seek for simple violence from their black metal, Panzer Vorwärts is a recommendable album.

3 / 5

INFESTUS: "Ex | Ist"

One-man black metal projects rarely showcase as qualified handling of instruments as Infestus does here on his third full-length Ex ‏| Ist, a majestic opus of atmospheric black metal executed in a bright, massive soundscape, thematically revolving around inner turmoil which is successfully put to practice in these long compositions where desperation meets anger. This all forms a very professional sounding and endurable whole though the album does have its flaws as well.‏‏‏

The instrumental ”Akoasma” begins the journey, shifting from double bass frenzies to portentous acoustic guitars and solos, following closely the footsteps of Shining. Next up is ”Down Spiral Personification” which is more evidently black metal but with a good dose of fitting melody therein, making it a highlight of the album. ”Darkness Blazing the Flame of Fire” crawls with moderate speed and murky riffs until it explodes to blast beats and vicious tremolo riffs like the track before it, the same applying to ”Mirror Mind Reality” and basically the rest of the album. That is not to say that the songs repeat themselves, no, every track here incorporates multiple interesting sections within their long playing times, ensuring wholly enjoyable rides through varying tempos and moods.

During the last two pieces, ”Der Blick Hinaus” and ”Descend Direction Void”, a plenty of acoustic sections are added to the middle of the metal, working exceptionally well on the latter, doom-driven song that ends the album with reverb-laden repeated acoustic pattern. Not to be forgotten, either, is the album’s short centerpiece ”Torn Obsever” which is filled with pulsating rhythms and melodies reeking of dissonant evil.

Not all riffs on the long course of Ex | Ist truly stand out with splendor, but when looking at the big picture, there’s no way calling the album a failed attempt at proper black metal darkness. Once again it must be stated that it’s impressive how good sounding whole has mere one man created here - it’s apparent that this album has been a long time in the making. A recommended album if you’re into not-that-traditional black metal and seek for fresher ideas and good productions sound-wise.

3.5 / 5

THE AXIS OF PERDITION: "Tenements (of the Anointed Flesh)"

Going back to the first half of the 2000s, the abominant The Axis of Perdition was already churning out impressive industrialized black metal horror, not unlike Atrium Carceri’s ambience and Blut Aus Nord’s twisted metal, and I remember enjoying Physical Illucinations in the Sewer of Xuchilbara (The Red God) and Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital to a great extent. Keeping this in mind, the group’s newest offering Tenements (of the Anointed Flesh) is unfortunately not quite as captivating release, lacking in some crucial aspects such as truly haunting compositions and a fitting sound.

After the brief introduction, ”Unveiled” kicks in with the programmed drums that, even though appearing on a heavily industrial album, seem somewhat amateurish, the sterile hammering not working for the atmosphere’s good at all. However, the overall atmosphere is fittingly hysterical, a thousand voices echoing all around the soundscape, guitars firing rapid and seemingly incoherent discordance, albeit the chord progressions are almost never remarkable. Vocals are the weakest link of the line-up: while for the most part they are decent raspy screams - though sometimes the forced semi-clean vocals (”Unveiled”, ”The Flesh Spiral”) sound like they’d better belong to an insipid nu-metal group from yesteryears, lacking strength and any seriousness that an album of this kind would need - there’s really nothing mysterious about the vocal output.

The humming ambient interlude ”Dark Red Other” is the first proper breathing moment after an exhausting four-song combo of constant chaos. After that, the same feast on dissonant melodies continue until ”Ordained” begins, a 180 degree turn from the material before it, starting with epic synths and then bursting into impressive melancholic black metal with twirling melodies and only slight elements of the convulsing metal that Tenements otherwise provides. This song is a definite highlight of the album, a heard-rending piece combining despair and sickness, sung in clean vocals, and it makes me wish the 60-minute whole had more of this style.

I hate to say it, but all in all Tenements (of the Anointed Flesh) leaves a slightly negative taste, mostly because the music doesn’t quite deliver the frightening elements of their early material; instead, it all sounds a little common, already heard on various other black metal albums. Having only one truly great song, I must settle to an okay rating. Without that one particular track, take the half star off.

2.5 / 5

AOSOTH: "III"

All black metal groups out there trying to achieve truly morbid and abyssal sound: take heed of this album. Aosoth’s third full-length, simply titled as III, is probably the sickest sounding album I’ve heard in a long while, hands down. And this comes as no surprise really, knowing the band’s strong line-up relations with another French war machine Antaeus, so to depict III with an example, think of Blood Libels with even deeper and more droning guitar sound.

Compositionally, Aosoth delivers brilliance as well. The utterly profound and massive production works as a fitting base for the six evil pieces of black metal where tempos shift from slow menace to faster chaos. One guitar handles downtuned rhythms while another provides high-pitched discordance similar to Nightbringer, this seems to be the general structure throughout the album. The monstrous growls are handled convincingly as is the precise drumwork, battering the hell out of anything on its way.

Between the metal, brief moments of ambience appear (the beginning of ”III” having even an interesting piano pattern), providing quieter moments that are welcome due to the album’s heavy volume. And the volume is damn heavy indeed, just put a song from III to an audio editor and see how the album is master-wise pure loudness war. This is a little minus as the audio suffers from being forcedly loud, hence clipping a lot, but then again, it also works for the album’s chaotic nature.

I’m not familiar with Aosoth’s back catalogue (shame on me) so I don’t know how this compares to the band’s earlier output, but at least on its own III is one highlight of 2011’s first half, providing unresistable filth to my now-aching ears. Thus said, III is indeed a recommendable album to look into, and one of those reasons of writing reviews: to give publicity to albums that really deserve it.

4 / 5

DEMONICAL: "Death Infernal"

Buzzing and sawing guitars, death reeking growls, morbid atmosphere  - yep, pure old school Swedish death metal is once again the name of the game, this time on Demonical’s third full-length offering Death Infernal which doesn’t truly surprise with its music, but since when has that been the point? The album simply showcases how brutal, coffin-like death metal is supposed to be spewed and it’s up to the listener if that’s enough for his musical preferences.

Actually I lie a little when I say that there’s no surprises here. For the most part, as tracks on the first half like the savage ”Ravenous” and the mid-tempo ”Return in Flesh” imply, Demonical stays true to its Entombed influences, but as soon as the seventh song ”All Will Perish (The Final Liberation)" begins, one can notice the evident melodic death metal elements of Amon Amarth, and this continues throughout the last tracks ”Slain Warriors” and ”Darkness Awaits”. The two additional bonus songs retain the same melodic inclination, including the Emperor cover ”Night of the Graveless Souls”.

Delving deeper into the compositions, it must be admitted by everyone that Demonical does know how to craft captivating death metal pieces. This becomes clear right on the first track ”The Arrival of Armageddon” that goes up and down the fretboard with ingenious riffs and on ”Black Inferno” where Bloodbath esque malicious melodies appear in front of the distorted low-pitch instrumentation. Some stagnation is to be found from the album as well but nothing totally fatal that would make the listening experience an annoyance in any way.

Despite that the occasional melodic death elements are somewhat refreshing to hear on an album of this sort, I find those tracks to be the album’s weakest links, as Death Infernal seems to be at its best during the most brutal assaults. To conclude my nagging, the production could be a bit filthier as there’s slight sterileness in the sound, so that it’s not quite like the dirty eponymoys Interment album, for instance. In the end, Death Infernal leaves a positive taste, and is definitely recommendable for the lovers of the genre, and I mean those who still can endure the similar ideas initiated in the early 90s already.

3 / 5

CURSE: "Void Above, Abyss Below"

We all can name a million different Darkthrone clone bands in a moment’s time, but how many bands are out there heralding the aforementioned band’s Hate Them and Sardonic Wrath era? I believe we have at least one name now that Curse has come up with Void Above, Abyss Below, an album with the darkness of 90s’ black metal (and vocals so damn close to Nocturno Culto’s) but with the attitude of a demented old school thrash / punk affair.

From that perspective, Curse does very fine throughout the mid-tempo savage and simple power chord riffage, but once again it’s the compositional predictability that rises to be the album’s worst enemy at least on the first half of the record, though points can be given to the fact that the material is partially improvised with an on-the-go mentality. Considering that, the band has done quite a hell of a job with these 36 minutes that form the competetent whole of Void Above, Abyss Below.

To analyze the album’s (moderate) diversity further, there are certain moments - residing mostly in the album’s latter half - that part from the common paradigm, such as ”Infernal Visions” that meets more with the recent rocking Satyricon releases, and then there’s the surprisingly adventurous ”Painting the Devil on the Wall” that is laden with a great deal of lead melody. Not to be forgotten is also the album ender ”Priests of the Underworld” that utilizes choir style singing, synths and overall a tad more malicious atmosphere.

Of all the underground black metal albums of recent times,Void Above, Abyss Below doesn’t exactly rise to the top ranks (I could mention Tsorer’s Return to Sodom that still does things a little better) but the album does deliver its riffs in a very smooth and enjoyable manner that endures repeated listens, hence deserving a favorable score and a chance in the audio players of other lovers of punky old school black metal.

3 / 5

INFUNERAL: "Torn from the Abyss"

Infuneral is certainly not the first nor last black metal group to hold their grab firmly in the values of old school, underground black metal of two centuries ago, and without any additional elements. 28 tight minutes of hateful black metal is the way things work on their second album Torn from the Abyss, offering little to someone accustomed to compromising and evolving music, but a tad more to someone who still enjoys to look back into the old days with nostalgia.

The short playing time becomes the album’s best feature due to the music’s ultimate predictability: blast beats hammer, tremolo riffs fire and raspy screams proclaim their simple Satanic and nihilistic message, and only rarely the band goes astray from this path, a noteworthy exception being ”A Scent of Death” and its chorus-based structure and occasional choir style backing vocals. Otherwise the songs on Torn from the Abyss don’t differ from each other radically. There’s slight leanings toward melancholic lead melody in every song but the core is always the cold, relentless black metal that is executed with tight precision in a rather professional yet not polished production.

By now, every reader knows where to stand in relation to Torn from the Abyss: are you willing to get into another rather traditional black metal affair, or just pass and look for something more inventive within your black metal? Personally I’m content with the album but then again I’ve recently been exposured to an excess of rather faceless black metal albums, resulting in that none of them truly impress me anymore.

2.5 / 5

KRV: "Ograma"

Attacking with black metal from an unusual country Bosnia and Herzegovina, KRV delivers a solid album of traditional elements, mixing hateful chords with a pleasant amount of epic melancoly. The band’s fourth and also last album Ograma does not play with unnecessary gimmicks; these ten songs (excluding the short ambient bookends) are authentically executed in an asphyxiating soundscape, making the album an oppressive experience, mostly in a positive way.

Sung in their native language, Ograma’s message doesn’t really transfer to the listener, but the music itself is enough captivating to make an endurable whole. Not a single track truly stand out from another; the material seems constantly enjoyable even if definitely unsurprising. Instruments are handled with rather careful tightness, tremolo fire doing its job admirably, not to forget the steady drumwork nor the low-pitch growling. The previously mentioned production, though, makes it all sound a little incoherent and tremulous, hence harder to get into.

The lack of truly outstanding compositions is, surprise surprise, the main glitch of Ograma. Those looking for proper innovation from their black art will most likely be disappointed by the record, but for others Ograma might provide a plentiful amount of good riffage. Not a groundbreaking record whatsoever, but would be a worthy acquisition into my shelves for an occasional listen.

2.5 / 5

HRIZG: "Anthems to Decrepitude"

Hrizg’s second full-length Anthems to Decrepitude is a hard bit to swallow for various reasons. This Spanish one-man horde has crafted a challenging, yet ultimately traditional black metal album off simple ideas that seem very uninviting at first, but only slowly starts to show signs of true potential.

Anthems to Decrepitude isn’t overly aggressive nor atmospheric black metal; the music resides somewhere between the two, at times blasting in great speeds not unlike Mayhem but mostly wandering in middlegrounds when it comes to the pace, the somewhat powerless production and minorly melancholic melodies helping in the creation of the interesting atmosphere that might seem dulling at first during the course of the 50-minute whole, but once again it must be said that this album takes its time to open.

In spite of not utilizing a lot of reverb, the album somehow sounds cavernous, as if recorded literally underground in a tomb or something along the lines. The mid-level growls of the vocalist are part of the reason why Anthems to Decrepitude sounds almost like an old school death metal album, but purely production-wise, that is.

It might seem that I’m implying that Anthems to Decrepitude is some kind of a hidden jewel of pure brilliance but that is not true either, as I can most certainly agree with other reviewers in that this 50-minute entity is a little too long and never musically varying enough - except an acoustic interlude like ”Invierno”. But in my humble opinion there are plenty of great ideas here that make the record a noteworthy release, clearly above an avarage old school black metal album for sure.

3 / 5

REPUKED: "Pervertopia"

Judging by its appearance, and several references to GG Allin I’ve seen in relation to this album, one or another could think that Repuked’s debut full-length Pervertopia would be full of tongue-in-cheek punk played under influence. That is why it comes as a slight surprise that Pervertopia is so solidly hammered death metal instead of mere random punk bursts.

Don’t get me wrong, Pervertopia indeed is filthy, ugly and nasty, with an uncountable number of references to vomiting in song titles. Vocals, varying from lower grunts to higher pitches, also take care of the puking element of the band, spewing the filth convincingly. Production-wise, Pervertopia sounds huge, guitars having the main role with their vast, crushing sound, not to forget the rather simple yet effectively battered drums.

For the most part, the tempo is kept at quite high, ”Toxic Constipation” being a major exception from the code though as it’s a long, doom-driven piece of slow menace. Proper highlights come hard to mention as the 45-minute whole doesn’t offer any truly outstanding compositions - instead, all the songs are equally vomit-inducing - which becomes the album’s only main problem, as there’s not that much to remember afterwards, though some songs like ”Mental Vomit”  and ”Chemically Wasted” (with its maniacal, hypnotizing (!) instrumental outro section with a constant blast beat and a lot of noise) do get stuck in my head.

Along with the other January release, Maim’s Deceased to Exist, Soulseller Records has again spawned a solid death metal release into the world, a release worth of the attention of those who like their old school death metal with a load of nastiness instead of any occult imagery that seems to be so common today. With a little more focus on memorable songwriting, I could be impressed to much higher extent next time these Swedes come around, but Pervertopia is already a fine and enough endurable installation into the genre.

3 / 5

DEAD NEON: "Dead Neon"

Now here’s something I don’t come across very often: post-apocalyptic sludgy doom with monumental distortion, packed into a compact whole that runs for less than 30 minutes. The eponymous debut of Dead Neon is a sweet little treat of innovative music that in all its simplicity makes a truly positive impression on yours truly, to the extent that I am actually reviewing a release of this kind - I usually just skip through the sludgy albums because I’m not really acquainted with the style.

Dead Neon sounds huge and rough as if the album was recorded live on one take: the transitions between songs are seamless, the same feedbacks usually connecting the neighbour tracks. After the introduction’s - "Advisory (Go to the Boneyard!)" - speech fades out, the massive guitar walls burst on ”Downwinder” and the mid-tempo rumble begins, drums and bass grooving steadily while Jarrett proclaims his evocative (and definitely worth reading) lyrics in sinister, maniacal voice.

Song-wise, Dead Neon retains the same style throughout: there’s not much difference between many of the tracks, but it doesn’t really matter as the basic principles are of high quality and the overall length isn’t prolonged. From the core, what basically is to be expected is heavy and evil sludge / doom riffage all the way until ”Ride the Light” which ends the story of Dead Neon in clean guitars and singing.

If you’re up for some lyrically adventurous yet musically ultimately repetive and simple sludge or doom, and a really dirty production isn’t a hindrance, Dead Neon is a worthwile record to look into - and it doesn’t necessarily cost even a cent as it’s offered as a free download besides the proper tape version. I’m useless naming any references here but if there’s more this kind of music somewhere, anyone can feel free to guide me.

3.5 / 5

HÆRESIARCHS OF DIS: "In the Obsecration of the Seven Darks"

On paper, Hæresiarchs of Dis and his third full-length opus In the Obsecration of the Seven Darks sound pretty enticing: furious, chaotic black metal with occasional tendencies towards haunting ambient soundscapes. The outcome, then, is not exactly that marvellous due to some critical glitches in the musical coherency of this 51-minute beast.

Atmospherically, In the Obsecration of the Seven Darks is rather well done: listening to the album is quite a damn trip through audial insanity where discordant and seemingly constantly changing guitar chords lead the way, backed up by a plethora of fast drum beats and a heavy dose of synths in the background. The only problem sound-wise resides in the drums that are either triggered too heavily or programmed too harassingly (with all the new technology I’m not sure which one it is), resulting in an overpowered snare sound which is a big minus on an album that relies so heavily on overall atmosphere.

...because compositionally, these nine tracks have little to offer, unfortunately. The balance between metal and (chaotic) ambient is pretty much 50-50, but neither of the band’s styles truly capture any fantastic ideas. At times, the melodies and riffs seem like they were improvised on the go, and with not that mind-blowing results. "Ensorcelled by Khaos" - originally an Emperor track - is a surprising choice of cover, but I do see a little resemblance between the bands, especially in Cernunnos’ high-pitched vocals.

In the Obsecration of the Seven Darks is, in the end, an album that does not tire me, but neither does it trigger any proper emotions in me. It’s a shame to give a rather negative rating to an effort that is, for the most part, thoughtfully done and rich in textures, but it isn’t simply enough. With a few main problems fixed, this could turn into a much more enjoyable ride. Perhaps with his next album, then.

2 / 5

THALLIUM: "Armanenschaft"

I’m pretty confident that Thallium’s second full-length Armanenschaft is a love-or-hate case, being a really sloppily executed black metal album in the spirit of early Graveland and Veles, and I mean very sloppy. How come, then, that I may rate an album of this kind so highly? It’s the charm and magic of unpredictable music. Armanenschaft is, despite the somewhat clear studio production, the exact opposite of generic modern metal where all stones have been turned and the listeners accustomed to precise, almost digitalized playing.

To elaborate the actual music further, Thallium focuses here on atmospheric, wistful and largely melodic (thanks to the loud synths) black metal where mid-tempo drums, no matter how randomly actually played, hold the fuzzy rhythm guitars together, the synths being the main source of melody. The importance of the synths comes clear right on the first metal track ”Return from Near Death”, only to increase on ”Our Dreams Belongs to the Stars” where they dominate even more.

The moderately slow and misty music ends for a while on ”Eagle’s Eye” which is a furious, blast beat filled five minutes, nodding more to Evil’s, Warwolf’s main band’s, direction. ”II” and the bookends provide synth and piano driven material solely, taking a prominent ten minutes of the album’s total length, hence being an important part of the album as well.

Armanenschaft isn’t the most original black metal recording and clearly tries not to be, and sometimes the sloppiness might be more for the album’s bad than good, but there’s something in the natural sound of the album that keeps me getting back to the record every once in a while. Those with a primitive yet melodic taste for black metal are recommended to look into this worthwile effort that hopefully receives continuation in the future.

3.5 / 5

MURKRAT: "Drudging the Mire"

Females playing metal is nothing new whatsoever, but females playing funeral doom is an entirely different thing - at least to me - so this 2-piece Murkrat and their second full-length Drudging the Mire is no short of an intriguing release, for sure. And the outcome is largely positive even if the 72-minute mammoth has its glitches as well.

Fitting for the style, Drudging the Mire sounds cavernous and utterly dark. Slow drum beats reverberate in the sinister soundfield, synths and pianos having a prominent role along with the simple guitar chords. But the most important feature here is the vocal delivery of Mandy VKS Cattleprod that goes from a clean yet viperish chant-like approach (”Faceless”, the close-to-ambient ”World”) to demented moans and snarls (”I, Rodent”, ”Speak”). Those used to hearing mere deep male growls in funeral doom might have hard time stomaching her style, but I find the output only refreshing.

During the course of the lengthy whole, not all riffs truly stand out with pure brilliance, but for the most part, Drudgin the Mire is surprisingly consistent throughout. The album is probably at its best on the centerpiece ”Electric Womb” where the oppressive, repetitive patterns work like magic - truly haunting and impressive, I must say. The droney bookends - ”Processional: Drudging the Mire” and ”Berceuse - Slow Immersion” - are well done pieces too, beginning and ending the long journey in fitting buzzing and howling sounds.

While still waiting for the eternally delayed Elysian Blaze album, Drudging the Mire is a real treat. Personally I’m not so fond of some of the experimental, faster elements that appear here on a few corners, but overall, Murkrat has created a really nice record, recommendable for fans of the genre who do not avoid uncompromising approaches to vocals.

3.5 / 5

HELLSCOURGE: "Hell's Wrath Battalion"

It’s rare to stumble upon this lo-fi sounding old school thrashing black/death metal when it comes to promotional items sent to reviewers, but Hellscourge’s debut Hell’s Wrath Battalion is a refreshing exception, being a really dirty, rehearsal quality album that could have very well been recorded straight to an analogue tape twenty years ago.

And how do I love when bands have the guts to put out this filthy metal with balls! Think of Sodom’s early years, Sarcófago and all the other daring acts and when the distinction between death, black and thrash wasn’t so evident. This is what these 32 minutes offer. Ass kicking riffs and a plenty of solos, barbaric drumming and vocals that are a mix of black metal raspiness and heavy metal power. At times, the rusty production reminds me of Deathspell Omega’s Infernal Battles quite a lot actually, just with a more old school attitude.

A golden production doesn’t, however, justify unmemorable compositions. This is not to say that Hell’s Wrath Battalion would suck at any point, but perhaps they could have crafted something more into the songs that, in their current state, are all good but none rise to total victory. Nonetheless, Hell’s Wrath Battalion is a wholeheartedly welcome assault of convinving old school metal that is here to remind us again what metal is all about, against the dominating swarms of hipster black metal fusion groups.

3 / 5

ARFSYND: "Arfsynd"

Released almost a year ago, I didn’t come across Arfsynd’s eponymoys debut album until recently - and luckily I did. Perditor’s (better known from Orcivus) another project offers riff-driven underground black metal that shows how to create tight evil riffage with some latent melancholy therein.

First of all, it’s the earthy, dry sound that lures me towards the album from time after time. No studio tricks and compressions to be spotted here; semi-lofi soundscape not unlike Vitsaus is what dominates, meaning that all necessary is audible and no extras. This plain sound might scare away some during the course of the six songs, but I would recommend to look properly into these riffs - as in the damn solidly executed intro riffs of ”Vid Syndaflodens Mynning” - that reek of authenticity. While the tempo is mostly kept between middle and slow (which is perfect for this discordant menace, and probably put to its best use on the 10-minute ”Sjalamassans Andalykt”) there are times, such as ”Blodsutgjutelse I Herrans Namn” imply, where the tempo is raised a little to create a nice dynamic range.

Arfsynd might not be laden with originality, but Perditor has most certainly crafted some very fine black metal off simple ingredients - the way I enjoy it most of the time. Do yourself a favor and check this out if you think likewise. The vocal delivery is another thing worth mentioning here as it’s not the most common high-pitched rasp; it is more in the vein of Dødsengel, meaning more emotion-filled moans and snarls of madness.  Hopefully there’s some new material in the pipeline so that Arfsynd won’t be just a one-time project because there’s a load of talent to be found from here.

3.5 / 5

NEGURĂ BUNGET: "Poartă de Dincolo"

The new line-up of Negură Bunget, that last year unleashed the remarkable Vîrstele Pamîntului, didn’t receive as warm welcome as I’d say they deserve. Despite the fact that almost all of the original members are gone, the band sounds as authentically mysterious and convincing as before, and their newest child Poartã de Dincolo, a four track EP that ends their deal with code666, is to prove their skills further.

Nothing has radically changed since their last year’s appearance, but the band does sound more earthy and natural here, perhaps due to the production that isn’t so bright and clear this time. ”Hotar” begins the EP with trademark Bunget mysteriousness, meaning sinister synth mats and clear guitar patterns until it later bursts into distorted menace and, finally, to some truly maniacal blast beat chaos. ”La Marginea Lumi” creeps up slowly with a misty flute melody in leading role, then exploding into various interesting metal sections in the common Negură Bunget tradition.

”Frig in Oase” is wholly an ambient track, and a very welcome one as long as the listener has patience and ear for a long interlude of sorts, but I’m sure all fans of the group know how to appreciate ambience, anyway. Rich synth mats open up the track, later introducing some whispered vocals and a string instrument (guitar?) going ouf of tune - all in all a well done breathing moment until the title track ”Poartă de Dincolo” gets back to the metal. A cleanly sung section is a slight surprise here, but it works wonderfully. Thanks to that, and the ethereal melodies on the latter part of the track, this is another highlight of the EP along with ”Hotar”.

As usual with Negură Bunget’s output, it took a while to get into Poartă de Dincolo but in the end the band didn’t disappoint. There’s true ingenuity lying in these four compositions, only strengthening expectations in regards to their next move from here on. Say what you say, but to me the band is far from dead. Most certainly a worthwhile EP, recommendable not only to the fans of the band but also to those who would like to hear a fair deal of unique Romanian tradition in their black metal.

4 / 5

EVIL WRATH: "Chaotical Invasion"

Some say that black metal should evolve. Some, like Evil Wrath here, say a big fuck off to that. On their second full-length Chaotical Invasion, this hateful Canadian group offers nothing but true underground black metal in the very vein of Darkthrone’s golden era in the first half of the 90s. No more, no less. In good, and bad.

The paragraph above alone tells pretty much enough, but let’s go into some details, anyhow: Evil Wrath does know how to create cold sounding black metal without unnecessary twists, there’s that certain monotony in these rather long compositions - most evidently manifested on the over eight-minute title track - where a moderately paced blast beat carries the song through various tremolo picked evil riffs, rather high-pitched screams proclaiming death and hatred towards the whole of humanity on top. Bass guitar is quite non-existent but it does make the album’s lo-fi soundscape a tad fuller. And who wants some lively bass solos on an old school black metal album, anyway?

I’ve heard a fair deal of better albums in this field, albums that have summoned coldness and lurking menace much more convincingly, but then again, I’ve also heard many worse endeavours than Chaotical Invasion. This album might offer little to someone who needs basically nothing but Under a Funeral Moon to satisfy his needs for basic, hateful black metal, but for those who still seek out for different faces within a constricted, uncompromising style, Chaotical Invasion might just be his thing.

2.5 / 5

PESTILENTIAL SHADOWS: "Depths"

Australian black metal underground has been bustling for the past few years, offering a lot of high quality filthiness in the forms of e.g. Atra, Ill Omen, even the infamous Drowning the Light, Forbidden Citadel of Spirits, and... the list could go on. Pestilential Shadows, on the other hand, has somehow evaded my attention until now that their fourth full-length, Depths, is out, absorbing people’s any possible happy thoughts with its utmost melancholy and madness.

As soon as the first tremolo firings of ”Lost Geists of the Sunlight Sphere” come out, the listener is introduced to the vast soundscape where guitars have the primary role, and hell how massive they do sound. The drums, although somewhat (and only slightly) plastic sounding, keep the pace steadily with blast beats, while guitars retain their ominous melodies. Even though there isn’t an excess of reverb, the sound is abyssal, fittingly. Short passages of acoustic guitars and even choirs (e.g. ”Tribulations of Man”) are also added to the mix, ensuring an endurable whole.

Throughout the 55 minutes, the melodies balance between truly touching sadness and savage evilness: ”Putrid Earth” - having also Azgorh from Drowning the Light handling the vocals - is the most heart-wrenching melancholic piece of the bunch, the latter part of the song strongly reminding me of Drudkh’s Forgotten Legend’s remarkable ”False Dawn”. I could listen to ”Putrid Earth’s” ending chord progression for dozens of minutes. Yeah, it’s that mesmerizing. Then there’s the more aggressive side of the band, visible on e.g. ”Architects of the Spear” and ”Poisoner”, that shows the band’s ability to create utterly sinister melodies with success.

There are times when Depths seems to be a little stagnant, but those moments are few and far between, so for the most part Depths is a really enjoyable experience, and takes its place somewhere among my current top 10 of the year. Fans of the Australian scene should be checking out this album by now, as long as the fairly modern production isn’t a hindrance. At least in this case it shouldn’t hinder anyone, because the compositional work here alone is on such high level.

4 / 5

BLUT AUS NORD: "777 - Sect(s)"

As a fellow of mine said lately, it’s not every day you come across this popular and hyped bands that keep releasing new material constantly whilst still retaining the quality of the music. The odd path that Blut Aus Nord chose on The Mystical Beast of Rebellion - and since then has evolved it through a plethora of other albums - is still present on their latest offering 777 - Sect(s), meaning that the band sounds still as convulsing and twisted as before.

Those familiar with this French group’s earlier efforts know what to expect, indeed: mechanical, capricious black metal that mostly relies on dissonant chords yet, at times, realizes to feed the listener with a bit of tasteful melody. On 777 - Sect(s), it mostly happens on the rather slow-tempo ”Epitome 02” that gets only more epic towards the end with its lead guitar melodies, and on the closer ”Epitome 06” that belongs to the same category of fully welcome breathing moments amidst all the cacophonic and twisted blasting that the album otherwise brings forth.

And what’s best about the other tracks, they actually are real growers instead of unnecessarily meandering artistic nonsense. It does take a couple of spins, but by now the ingenious riffs are comprehended to the extent that the music sounds almost catchy, and that’s a term you often don’t see connected to the repulsive monster named Blut Aus Nord. The centerpiece  ”Epitome 04” is the truest example of a song that first might seem to revolve around not-that-exquisite riffs but after a few listens opens up to goosebumps inducing beauty. Of all the five tracks, ”Epitome 05” is the only one that slightly pales in the shadow of the others but I would still regard it as an important part of the whole.

While What Once Was... Liber I was not so mindblowing experience, I’m admittedly really impressed by 777 - Sect(s) on which almost all the previous glitches of a Blut Aus Nord record have been fixed. Most importantly, the material is consistently on high level without any filler material, and it all lasts for a fitting and endurable 46 minutes. Four stars, if not more, are surely deserved here, and yours truly is now wholeheartedly looking forward to hearing the next two chapters of this well-begun trilogy.

4 / 5

SERPENT NOIR: "Sanguis XI"

Of all the deeply occultistic, magical black metal bands of recent years, this Greek group spews forth one of the most interesting efforts in the field under the moniker Serpent Noir and their debut EP Sanguis XI. It is, however, misleading to label this as mere black metal because there’s a big load of death metal murkiness running through the veins of this twenty minute piece of both sophisticated and savage occult metal.

Even without any previous knowledge of the band, I was able to spot that certain Greek sound in the production, nodding to e.g. Wodulf’s recent debut’s direction, meaning that it’s somewhat loose sounding but still effective, and at least miles away from any sterile sound. After the brief introduction, ”Midnight Consciousness” begins the mid-tempo meandering properly where relatively low-tuned riffs and growls meet with discordant black metal menace and, later on, rapid blast beats. ”Invocation of Sorath” follows then the same path, and also introducing some distant clean chants not unlike Behexen’s My Soul for His Glory.”The Disputers” possesses the most old school sounding death metal riffage, catchy as hell yet not loosing the overall morbid black metal atmosphere at any point.

Next up is the two-part name monster "Ritualis Draconis, Part I: Opening the Eye of Set / Part II: Rising of the Dragonforce" that is pure ritualistic ambient music, sounding like it was naturally executed in an echoing hall. Despite the ambient tag, guitars and percussion are used here as well to great success, so don’t expect any lackluster one-note synth humming. ”The Eleventh Blood” returns to the metal in the very same way as the songs before ”Ritualis Draconis” except that suddenly in the middle of the speedy, chaotic black metal appears a chant-like quiet section of clean guitars, hymns and subtle percussion as in the previous track.

Perhaps due to the somewhat weak production, Sanguis XI wasn’t so luring at first, but repeated spins have made the record a very enjoyable listen that just requires firm attention. Sanguis XI reeks of sinister magic in a truly authentic way - do not ignore the evocative lyrics that come along - so that all in all the EP is most certainly a success. Definitely a recommendable purchase for anyone into ritualistic, truly evil sounding death / black metal. Personally, my expectations for any possible future releases are rather high but I’m sure Serpent Noir won’t disappoint next time either.

4 / 5