NAZXUL: "Iconoclast"

Nazxul remained rather silent in the 2000s and, in fact, this is the band first full-length in 14 years. Now I must confess that I’m not familiar with Nazxul’s back catalogue (soon to be fixed though as I’ve already received a promo of their debut that was just rereleased) so this is written from the perspective of a total newbie to Nazxul’s music.

What Iconoclast seems to offer is synth heavy melodic black metal. Clear and professional production backs up this lengthy piece of 14 tracks - of which some are pure ambient interludes, though. There’s almost nothing obscure about Iconoclast: everything is upfront and easy listen to, from the accurate and massive drumming to the evil shrieking somewhere in the middle range. However,  a great deal of details can be found from the record as it contains many layers of sounds, so it’s not like Iconoclast is THAT simple album to digest.

While the first half of Iconoclast focuses on faster tempo and more devilish output, the eleventh track ”Oath (Fides Resurrectio)” slows things down a little and sounds upbeat, at least partially. This kind of little variation between songs is very welcome. I also find myself enjoying the short ambient pieces greatly in all their minimalism: they’re done with good taste, humming and droning pieces of simple sounds.

What I fail to grasp about all the hype I see revolving around this album is that what makes Iconoclast so special? Most certainly, the album is well done in every aspects but I can’t help thinking that this doesn’t differ so much from some other modern symphonic black metal efforts. Nonetheless, you can expect a lot of great atmosphere from this album even if it doesn’t provide any surprising moments. At all, really. From that perspective, Iconoclast suffers a lot. But then again, I do enjoy the album all around but, in my opinion, doesn’t deserve all the praise that it’s been getting. Definitely above your average symphonic black metal album, anyways.

3 / 5

LÖNNDOM: "Viddernas Tolv Kapitel"

The musical paths of Lönndom’s members have gone through various phases, crossing black metal (Armagedda), simplier rock (LIK), and folk metal with Lönndom. Last year Lönndom unleashed Viddernas Tolv Kapitel, a pure folk album consisting of nothing but acoustic guitars and clean singing. While black metal related bands can do acoustic albums outstandingly (think of Drudkh’s 2006 effort), I am not so sure about Viddernas Tolv Kapitel.

Atmospherically, everything is in its right place here, sounding all natural and woody. This is a proper dive into autumnal melancholy and beauty. But the problem here is that none of the compositions really stand out in any way - surely there are various good melody patterns (e.g. ”En vår är kommen”) but otherwise this one hour monster is in stagnation. And here comes my oh so common rant: one hour is a too long playing time for simple acoustic strummings with almost zero variation. Vocals are masculine and chant-like, there’s definitely emotion in them; but on the other hand I feel that they don’t always properly fit to the actual music. Some compositions I would have enjoyed much more if they were solely instrumental.

Viddernas Tolv Kapitel is surely crafted carefully and most definitely has its fans, but personally I find it somewhat uninviting. If or when I am to pick an acoustic album to enjoy on a quiet day with a cup of tea, it would be some other than Viddernas Tolv Kapitel. I still believe, however, than Lönndom are able to surprise, knowing the members’ history of shifting musical styles, so perhaps their next album will surprise me more positively.

2 / 5

THE ORDER OF APOLLYON: "The Flesh"

Consisting of members related to Cradle of Filth, Akercocke and Aborted, I didn’t expect to hear this bare deathened black metal on The Order of Apollyon’s debut album The Flesh. And the initial surprise was positive most certainly, but towards the end of the album I’m realizing that The Flesh falls down due to fairly mediocre filler material.

Indeed, taking at least ten minutes away from this 40-minute piece would have helped the album a lot. I’m quite impressed in the beginning when this war machine begins its rampage on the militant rhythms of ”God Speaks”, followed by the rapid strafe of ”Ich Bin Das Licht”. The production is really crispy and tight, a nice contrast to the other Listenable Record’s output this year, the muddy and bassy Fester and Putrefy by Cavus.

Near the middle of the album, my focus starts to wander around and the tight riffage and accurate drumming doesn’t have the same impact anymore. The songs follow another too closely and some variation would have been in place to create a more interesting whole. There’s no question of the member’s technical abilities but it doesn’t take away the fact that these compositions aren’t above the line of mediocrity.

The Flesh isn’t a failure but could have been better. Production-wise and technically everything seems to be okay - after all, these are experienced musicians behind The Order of Apollyon - but something is lacking compositionally. A good production alone doesn’t make a great album. Perhaps their next album will fix that glitch, here’s to hoping. Bonus points for the lyrically interesting theme, however.

2,5 / 5

HAT: "Vortex of Death"

With all the possible jokes about the band’s name aside right in the beginning, Vortex of Death is a rather well-done album of uncompromising and evil black metal with all the necessities inside: malicious atmosphere, simple riffs and underground production.

To be honest, though, Vortex of Death was uninviting at first. The production is fairly poor due to the overall powerless sound - guitars are really thinly buzzing - and clearly programmed drums. But there was something in the music that kept me getting back to the album and still keeps: in spite of all the clumsiness sound-wise, the album is somehow charming and songs like ”The Flesh I Wear” and ”Slaves of Insanity” comprise impressive guitar lines. ”Tilintetgjørelsen” ends the album with epic soundscapes, another standout moment on the album. Undertrykker’s raspy screams are one of the best features here even if nothing new, compensating for the otherwise weak production.

Multiple listens reveal that there’s more depth to the record that it first seemed: there’s some synths to be spotted occasionally and the riffs just start to sink in better in time. Countess is what comes to my mind when listening to Vortex of Death, but just a more devilish version. There’s no way I could recommend this to someone only into modern technical black metal acts, but those who don’t mind some clumsiness and not-ass-kicking production, then do yourself a favour and look into this.

3,5 / 5

INFERNAL WAR & KRIEGSMASCHINE: "Transfigurations"

Transfigurations collects together two important Polish black metal groups, namely Infernal War and Kriegsmaschine, so that it’s more than fitting that these two appear on a split release, also considering their musical and surely ideological closeness.

Infernal War is the more thrashing of the two, providing some very crushing black metal with really tight and ass-kicking production. ”Into the Vortex of Naugh” is the most violent and fast of the band’s three compositions here, not to underestimate the power of ”Primal Degradation” and ”Incipit Chaos” at all. Ultimate blast beats and destroying slow parts with professional technicality but never gimmicky, a way I often enjoy my black metal. In spite of not bringing anything new to the table really, Infernal War convinces me pretty well and is surely recommendable for fans of e.g. Massemord.

Kriegsmaschine, however, was the band that I had most expectations for. It’s been five years since we’ve heard about this band as most of the members have focused on Mgla I guess, and now it’s finally time to hear new material from them. Nothing has radically changed: authentic and powerful black metal with some flirts with religious black metal phenomenom (yeah, that melody dissonance), rather growly singing, well-executed and groovy drumming, and production as tight as it was with Infernal War. Guitars are somewhat downtuned, creating an utterly evil atmosphere. ”Onward Destrudo” gets only better when it progresses to a sweet breakdown and ”Fear and Loathing in Gethsemane” is on the same level of greatness with its pounding slow parts and transitions to buzzing seas of blast beat with careful use of melody.

Needless to say, I’m enjoying Transfigurations greatly. It comprises black metal that doesn’t recycle the same ideas all over again (especially Kriegsmaschine) and brings fresh yet not experimental black metal to the table, kicking ass with sheer power and almost scaring the listener with its atmosphere. One of my personal highlights of 2010’s latter half.

4 / 5

CAVUS: "Fester and Putrefy"

Muscular black metal - a fitting term that I’ve come across in relation to Cavus’ debut assault. Fester and Putrefy offers 45 minutes of crushing, bassy and hence almost sludgy black metal, sound-wise close to bands à la Diocletian. Considering the band’s homeland, this isn’t the most played style there, so though nothing new is to be expected, Fester and Putrefy is still refreshing in its own way.

After the introduction track’s atonal guitar screeches are done, Cavus attacks with a sledgehammer named ”Fist of the Titan”. Tempo is commonly kept somewhere in the middle grounds though fast bursts occur often, too. Due to the rather generic musical style, highlight moments are hard to spot but the most I enjoy e.g. ”Death Rattle” with its chorus(-like?) proclamations and the gloomy and trance-inducing atmosphere on ”Eyeless Gaze” that even flirts a bit with melody. The production is well done, not rehearsal-like but neither polished; dark, muddy, full, all instruments audible.

One common problem in this style is the total playing time, and this applies to Fester and Putrefy, too. 45 minutes is simply too much. Like Black Witchery does, I would love to see these bands creating close to 30-minute albums so that the constant chaos wouldn’t start dulling the listener. Luckily, Cavus isn’t the most generic band in this field as they realize to incorporate some melody to the sound as well. Fester and Putrefy is a recommendable piece of black metal with some balls.

3 / 5

IMPIETY: "Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny"

Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny is a surprising album considering Impiety’s back catalogue of not-so-innovative war metal bursts. What we have here is one 38-minute song with recurring slow and rather melodic parts, and one of the key melodies of the song - a choral synth melody - sounds almost happy and hopeful (though the lyrics proclaiming nuclear holocaust imply otherwise...)! I bet this album will cause varying opinions among the band’s fans.

How successful is this daring experimentation, then? I would lean on a positive opinion though the song has it flaws too, e.g. the production could do better as the triggered drums are too much upfront so that guitars lack some punch. Also, some sections are repeated even too often, but other than that I find myself enjoying the fresh approach, and don’t you old schoolers be totally desponded: there’s those more familiar fast blast beat sections here as well! But more prominently, the album relies on epic - yet evilish - riffage in slower tempos.

I’m not sure how much I would’ve liked another album like Terroreign, so Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny came as a welcome surprise. It’s not the most groundbreaking record of 2011 I’m sure, but an interesting journey to experience amidst all the generic Ross Bay clone bands, nonetheless. 

3 / 5