FEN: "Dustwalker"

When Fen first appeared in 2007 with their mini-album Ancient Sorrow, its timing couldn't have been more propitious: it was around then when Drudkh had came up with their masterpiece Blood in Our Wells and so had Alcest with Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde – both albums, frankly, belonging to my favourites of all time – so there was unquestionably a lot of demand for atmospheric, natural, melancholic dwelling within the frameworks of black metal. Fortunate for Fen, the band garnered a heap of attention and this resulted in the acclaimed The Malediction Fields in 2009 and its follow-up Epoch two years later.

But where exactly does the band stand in 2012 when people's initial infatuation of 'shoegaze black metal' has pretty much worn out by now and everyone is looking for something different already? Quite interestingly, their third album Dustwalker hasn't really departed from the style that they've been playing for six years or so: and I only find this positive since it verifies that Fen is not just a shallow passer-by to the realms of 'trendy' black metal aesthetics (a.k.a. incorporating elements of post-rock into black metal), but a serious player in the field, a field that's been poisoned by a plethora of mimics. Fen, however, somehow manages to avoid the biggest clichés and provides some of the finest compositions I've heard this year.

What one could have expected after such an introvert, magical and calm journey as Epoch is that the beginning of Dustwalker would also build up slowly with some subdued synths maybe, but that is very far from the truth when "Consequence" quite literally kicks in with a growl and a menacing melody pattern, soon followed by ravaging blast beats. So is this the sound of Drudkh gone all evil? Perhaps something close to that, and I'm already sensing that fans of the band's earlier material will find this element of raucousness, of stark sounds only positive. Yes, Dustwalker is in general somewhat harsher and thus in evident contrast with Epoch, but don't you lovers of calmful meditations worry too much: within these massive and intricately textured 10+ minute pieces you will find plenty of moments to breathe and just indulge in peaceful melodies.

I find it unnecessary to go too much into details of individual tracks but since some of the ideas presented here are simply so enthralling I think I just have to mention some of the album's best parts, like the latter half of "Spectre" which has this addicting distortionless line that culminates into a clamorous wall of instruments: this spectacular, bigger-than-life ending made of pure euphoria serves as a reminder that you can still do plenty of things right with something as simple as reverby tremolo. Then there's the middle section of "The Black Sound" that has this slightly doom metal feeling to it, another section crafted of rather simple ideas yet they've turned it into something very effective.

Let those be just a couple of examples what Dustwalker has to offer. But on the other hand I also want to dedicate a moment for some criticism, which mostly goes to the production of the album. I'm not an audio professional but this sure does sound like it's way too loud, so I wouldn't surprise if there was a lot of clipping in here. In all honesty, the pummelling drums (and the 'wavering' effect they create) almost cause a sickening feeling at times. Neither I'm much fond of the cover art with the album name that oversized and the general photoshopped feeling of the piece.

But I suppose those are just minor rants that deservedly pale in the shadow of the compositions themselves: needless to say by now, Fen has done a great job again with combining memorable riffs and atmosphere. One interesting thing to note is that there's no synths on this album at all, so the songs rely heavily on guitars. Also, remember to give the album a little bit of time. My initial thoughts on Dustwalker weren't as positive as they're now and although I still haven't got fully over the maybe-a-bit-too-rocking elements of "Wolf Sun", I've grown to respect that song too. Dustwalker is a really worthy installment to Fen's catalogue so the score I've given might seem too harsh considering how I've praised the album, but if we compare it to e.g. Epoch of which I can't basically find anything negative to say about (and hence it's rated 4.5 / 5), I hope the rating makes more sense.

4 / 5

SZRON: "Death Camp Earth"

It's crazy to think that around two years ago I still thought that Polish black metal had already seen its most glorious days and nowadays the country yields only rather generic music, but oh how wrong was I. Whilst the first remark might still be true to a large extent – nothing quite beats what the various The Temple of Fullmoon bands did in the 90s – I constantly find myself lured to listen to Dark Fury (all albums now in my shelves), Ohtar (oh, true for that too) and other somewhat newer, mostly 21st century acts hailing from Poland. Szron is another example of these, and especially their 2010 album Zeal. Characteristic of the label Under the Sign of Garazel, I didn't see their newest album Death Camp Earth coming at all, I just suddenly came across it and saw it was released already in September. Information flow in the age of the internet isn't so flawless after all!

Death Camp Earth follows its predecessor in similar steps in that it consists of just a few tracks, though this is compensated by their lengths so that in total the album runs for a fitting 39 minutes. These four songs form this concise whole of uncompromising underground black metal which comprises both hateful tremolo riffing as well as a sense of sadness. Compared to earlier efforts, I think there's a bit more concentration on evoking a brooding, misty atmosphere instead of just kicking things dead with mere powerful rhythms. This means there's plenty of ominous and rather slow dwelling like the long interlude in the center of "Becoming a Shadow" consisting of nothing but a repetitive pattern of plucked, distorted guitars. "The Birth of a God" is all sullen too, seas of tremolo delivering utter hopelessness. "Summoning the Storm of Nothingness" picks up the pace a little and gives more space to ferocious riffing. The self-titled song, then again, concludes the album in a rather wistful mood.

The album is in almost every way the kind of black metal I always prefer, but it does have its minor glitches. The only proper problem I have with it is the production which suffocates the drums way too much into the background: where's the bass drum? The snare? Level them a bit closer to the massive walls of guitars, and you've got a winner right there. But now we kind of miss the power those sweet beats in e.g. "Summoning the Storm of Nothingness" would otherwise have. With this production in mind, I wouldn't say Death Camp Earth is as good as Zeal but this does come very close to it. Very much recommended anyhow if you're up for a feast on some tasteful black metal that doesn't play with unnecessary gimmicks.

3.5 / 5

PURE EVIL: "As Blood Turns Black, Mankind Shall Drown in Despair"

On previous albums, Pure Evil has been known for roaming the territories of underground death metal in a really Satanic manner, and in spite of getting albums released via black metal related labels it wasn't until the dawn of As Blood Turns Black, Mankind Shall Drown in Despair that the band adopted clear black metal influences: so clear actually that you couldn't really figure out this album is Pure Evil (though the vocals are still rather low-ranged growls), because this really is Pure Evil gone Pure Black Metal.

From the first seconds of the eponymous introduction 'til the very end we've got some freezing tremolo picked riffs evoking hatred with an edge of melodic nostalgia. The soundscape is rather harsh in its basslessness, but it is only fitting considering the totally different grounds on which the compositions have been built this time around: instead of any two-minute death feasts, there's something like "Slain by Frost" which runs for continuous eleven minutes, comprising adventurous riffing and various beats to back up the journey in some very cold atmospheres. Even "Tapa Minut" ("Kill Me") with its quite brutal message deals with a lot of piercing melancholy which only brings some seriousness to the issue at hand: I doubt I would've been as affected had this been a mere menacing piece with less varied riffing, because we've all heard that before.

One feature that really surprises me here is that these damn riffs and melodies actually get stuck to my head. It doesn't happen with many new albums nowadays, so whatever is the secret to Kryth's ability come up with memorable songwriting, I raise my hat especially since Pure Evil hasn't played in this style ever before. But surely he's gotten the skills from Korgonthurus, a band that would actually be the best comparison to Pure Evil as of 2012. I do wonder if this was just a one-album experimentation and sure wish it wasn't since I, as a sucker for Finnish black metal done this way, enjoy As Blood Turns Black, Mankind Shall Drown in Despair even a lot more than the previous death metal recordings.

4 / 5

ARKTAU EOS: "Unworeldes"

Arktau Eos' brand new vinyl-only album Unworeldes continues the journey in similar sounds as Ioh-Maera, its sibling released around the same time. So, what you should expect is some extremely dark and brooding ambient combined with the ritualistic, occult aspects these Finnish bands are known for, and for what they'd deserve more recognition than they currently do. But I do realize that this kind of music is of challening nature; it requires careful listening and to be properly delved into.

Now one could ask what makes Unworeldes differ from Ioh-Maera, as in why weren't they released together and why is this only on vinyl. I can't give objective answers to those questions but I do have a gut feeling that this record just happens to fit to the format perfectly. There's something more organic, analog about the sound if compared to the abyssal basses of Ioh-Maera. Don't get me wrong though, this is damn deep as well, just in a little different way. It sounds old and atmospheric, like a vinyl should.

What comes to the individual tracks, well, they're pure splendour. "The Cypress Watcher" keeps it rather quiet for the first minute but then the low frequency bass emerges along with a high-pitch note that always appears in waves. "Coven of the Seven-Winged" crawls up slowly too, but after two minutes there comes some hissing cymbals and an utterly beautiful melody, both sorrowful and mysterious, somewhere in the haze of this soundscape. "Black Leaf Gaze" is probably my favourite with its very dramatic melody pattern. It's like a possessed, low-tuned mellotron playing dirges with some feedback backing it up. Beautiful. "Geometry of Emptiness" closes things with reverberating choral sounds and with the album's first and only percussion pattern.

I find Unworeldes simply enthralling. Somehow the production as well as the faint melodies make it even surpass Ioh-Maera. This one also benefits from the format in that it's a compact four-track whole with two sides of almost equal length, so the coherence is definitely there. What else I'd ask for? I can't think of any downsides here really, but I'm still not going to give full points since there's always room for improvement, I believe. I want to see the day when Arktau Eos top even this album.

4.5 / 5

ARKTAU EOS: "Ioh-Maera"

I've deliberately avoided listening to any ambient music for a long time, for the sole reason that I haven't had proper equipment to truly enjoy this particular style of music. But now that my shiny new headphones are in, I was more than glad to give the new Arktau Eos albums a go. I've followed these Finnish groups for various years and they've always kept my interest: there's no way to deny the ingenuity and brilliance of Halo Manash or Zoät-Aon. Now Arktau Eos is coming up with two brand new releases of which the other, Ioh-Maera, is CD-only, consisting of five long (around ten minutes a piece), haunting tracks that probably derive from some other plane of existence.

"Unbinding Kaamos" starts it all, creeping up slowly with a deep bass tone pattern. After a while, discordant male chanting emerges, uttering Enochian secrets on the brink of insanity. Brooding cymbal-like hissing in the background. With "Noxfaros" things get more active via the incorporation of a repetitive percussion pattern. Compared to the preceding track, the humming is slightly higher and extrovert. Culmination happens in a noisy drone reminiscent of guitar drone that fluctuates between the left and right channels.

"Sunken Luminaries" soothes the atmosphere a bit. The feedback drone is still lurking but otherwise it's calm now, though the constant feeling of oppression lingers on. Then, "Ioh-Maera" returns to rhythm. A deeply reverberating pattern is being repeated among the layer of low-tone, malefic chants. At six minutes or so, hell breaks loose with the vocals heavily proclaiming IOH-MAERA, IOH-MAERA... "Otherstone Refraction" brings a bit of relief after all the infernality of the previous track. This is the first time I sense something vaguely melodic on the album, but it's really minimal. A steady hum carries on through the track, slowly ending the journey.

What's left after the session is a confused mind which feels like it departed this life for the course of the album. This, of course, requires rather heavy volume; otherwise you end up dismissing the whole thing and turning on something 'more lively' music. Anyways, Ioh-Maera manages to do exactly what I think an ambient album should do: keep my attention throughout and bring me to some other sceneries. There are no big twists on the album, but it simply sounds so damn good and organic that it's pure pleasure to listen to. I could have shortened a couple of the tracks a bit here, but it's not like I'm bored at any moment of the experience. Those into dark, ritualistic ambient should not miss this one – nor the vinyl-only album either.

4 / 5

MORDBRAND: "Kolumbarium"

My last encounter with Mordbrand was another EP, Necropsychotic, which was a rather usual feast on Swedish underground elements and which, admittedly, I've pretty much forgotten by now. But something lured me to see what they are to offer on a seven inch record since I'm a big lover of the format: you've got nothing but ten minutes or so to convince and that's it. No time for slacking or anything of that sort. Kick ass and leave.

And what would be more fitting for the format than crunching, devastating, reeking death metal. I don't think much has changed since Necropsychotic but it's not like I'd expect much innovation from this market: what we've got is monstrously pummelling drums (from various sorts of blasts to the d beats), downtuned string menace and hellish uttering. What makes the A side track "Consume Them" so good is the amount of dynamics they've managed to cram into the six minutes. There are varying tempos and some bright lead melodies, a breakdown with some ominous whispering, some doomish elements, and whatnot. With these features this is pretty easily the best track from the subgenre I've heard in a while – the last topper was probably from The Chills by Horrendous.

The B side hell roams under the moniker "Let Them Slumber" and what surprises me the most here is that it's no one else than Nox from Craft fame visiting here. You can tell it from the riffs already: the malicious, groovy shit that begins from 1:40 or so is pure and sole Craft: you've got the riffs, the beats, the vocals, the solos! So how exactly does their black metal work within Mordbrand's death? Well, this proves it works just admirably. In short, Kolumbarium did what I was looking for it to do: provide some very effective and demolishing old school death metal. Nothing from the subgenre really really bowls me over I'm afraid, but this is as great as it gets, I think, and I enjoy it to a great extent.

4 / 5

ISRATHOUM: "Black Poison and Shared Wounds"

Israthoum is another example of those bands that have roamed the earth for over 20 years (though under a different name in the beginning) yet I had never before heard of them. It seems that they haven't garnered much of attention during the years but then again, Black Poison and Shared Wounds is only their second full-length.

In spite of their age, what Israthoum plays here is a rather modern type of black metal. But no worries, they've kept it raw and raucous nonetheless. When the first riffs of "Necromancer's Fugue" roll in I'm instantly reminded of Sardonic Wrath era Darkthrone, but when the album is considered as a whole, it isn't a truly fitting comparison. This is because Israthoum tends to play in a more twisting and adventurous manner: the sudden changes of rhythms, crazy speeds and some surprising melodies – see the high-note melancholy of "The Presence, the Baying", the infernality of "Burning the Sephiroth" and the abyssal tunes of "Procession of Demented" – are the kind of elements that seperate Israthoum from being a totally uncompromising piece of underground black metal.

The core elements are indeed simple here, but the little touches of innovation give the album even a better taste. Still, it would be misguiding to say that Black Poison and Shared Wounds was anything spectacular. It is not as if I'd yearn to listen to this record, and I'm pretty sure that people wouldn't miss anything truly big if they didn't check this one out. But as a little snack of well-played black metal with a good production, this does its job very well. Repeated listens have revealed that there's a real heap of quality in here so that I'm actually going to give it a half star more than what I was originally planning. Bonus points for the sweet, detailed artwork.

3.5 / 5 

SHIA-IXA: "Chaos Voodoo Magick"

Whenever I put on Shia-Ixa's Chaos Voodoo Magick, I'm reminded of the fact that most of the black metal that gets released nowadays follows some very strick guidelines. Then when I return to witness what the hell is going on on this tape, I smile because Shia-Ixa has actually done something really weird here, but it's also (1) tasty and (2) authentic black metal that doesn't play with mere artsy gimmicks.

We could of course debate on whether this is solely a black metal record, but I don't find that so relevant a question. Anyhow, at places there are some surprisingly 'general' riffs in the background, like on the starter "The Possession". The dominating weird stuff, however, happens in the forefront where maniacal moans and wails confuse the listener to the brink of insanity. This piece of harsh hammering is followed by the ritualistic "Celebration of the Reign of Exua" which incorporates a pummelling, reverberating bass drum whacking steady kicks under a hysteric acoustic guitar plucking discordant tunes. Ominous voices in the background. Chanting. A vehement conjuration?

"Liturgy of Mahu Khaos" is then a return to the first track's style with messy drums and guitars playing something Ødelegger-like and vocals chanting undecipherable rituals along with a high-pitched effect voice. "Rite of Mange Loa" introduces a screeching guitar melody in moderate pace. The scheme remains the same until its end, but it builds and builds and becomes more chaotic every second, until it's time for the last piece, "Invocation of All Gods and Spirit Who Gather Under the Banner of Evil", to kick in and provide some trance-inducing bass lines with multiple layers of vocals proclaiming whatever magical rituals they proclaim.

The best comparison to Shia-Ixa would logically be its native colleague Dead Reptile Shrine. Both bands execute something that's on the verge of ritualistic ambient and black metal. Shia-Ixa, though, might be even a bit more coherent than the aforementioned band in that there's a bit more structure to these songs than DRS sometimes tends to have. I also hear something similar to Saturnian Mist in here which, though, I can't fully explain. All in all, Chaos Voodoo Magick is an odd bird that is probably going to make you vomit if played at high volume. It confuses but in a good way. I've really enjoyed listening to this every now and then, but it definitely requires a certain kind of state of mind to get truly appreciated. A quiet dark night would be the most ideal circumstance, I'd say.

4 / 5

FORLORN WINDS: "The Day the Wolf Swallowed the Sun"

Cold, vast mountain landscapes. Piercing gusts in the heart of winter. Although nothing explicitly implies it here, I sense a strong nordic spirit in Forlorn Winds' debut album The Day the Wolf Swallowed the Sun, in the kind of way a Hate Forest record like Purity or Sorrow conveys its coldness – and I wouldn't surprise if indeed the aforementioned band was a deliberate influence on this band's sound.

The members behind Forlorn Winds aren't any newcomers into black metal, though. Comprising a doublet of Pantheon and Dark Fury related personnel, one might already guess that this fusion would result in a competent record, and that is very true. The band plays very straightforward, monotonous style of black metal that is dominated by steady drum machine blasts and breezing tremolo riffing. Melodically, the album is not entirely harsh nor mournful: it nicely balances between the two elements, evoking a rather epic yet ominous atmosphere. Fitting mid-range growls complete the package, and in the end I don't have much bad things to say about the album.

The Day the Wolf Swallowed the Sun is smoothly executed underground black metal that on the other hand doesn't provide anything new, but on the other it has pretty much everything a good black metal album needs. No tricks, no surprises. Sometimes during the course of the album it might get even a bit too monotonous, but luckily Forlorn Winds have kept all their songs under four minutes, so these raucous blasts will never tire the listener. Just when the riff patterns would get too familiar, the song ends and a new beast emerges. So if you happen to crave for another Blood of Kingu or Hate Forest record, you might want to give Forlorn Winds a chance.

3.5 / 5

ANGANTYR: "Forvist"

Taking on an Angantyr album is never a simple task. The songs drag on and on, there's no real variation during whole albums, and a foreign listener can't really even follow the lyrical story. So what's the catch? Honestly I'm not sure, even though I consider 2007's Hævn to be a monumental record that carries a lot of personal importance for me.

And although Ynleborgaz's music doesn't base on any really unique ideas, it's always recognizable Angantyr. The deal is rather straightforward black metal that balances 50/50 on two elements that are atmosphere and hatred – not separately, but always combined. And when a certain kind of nostalgic mourning gets conflated with the disgust and hate towards Christianity, you get the proud, paganish style that the band has been executing since 1997.

The newest album, Forvist, follows these familiar steps closely, and before embarking on its journey I was unsure if I could take another round of the same style, but apparently I can and with largely positive thoughts. What always grabs my attention is the ultimate, and I really mean ultimate, endurance and power of the sole member behind it all. He may whack the kit like a machine for continuous 10 minutes as well as firing those tremolo-riffs for an eternity. So maybe the feeling of endurance, 'never-give-up' kind of attitude is part of Angantyr's attraction, which is very true in Forvist's case too. He comes up with these menacing yet tragic riffs and holds the listener in trance for at least six minutes every time – and then it's time for another. It all conveys the journey-kind-of feeling very strongly.

It's pretty hard to mention any particularly shining moments on Forvist because it's pure ancient battle all the way through. The feeling of a consistent whole is further evoked by the fitting appearances of an acoustic guitar in the beginning and the end of the voyage. Anyhow, as already said, it's not necessarily easy to like something as, ehm, stagnant as this album, but at least personally I don't mind having a little task of really getting into a record – no matter how stale it might sound at first – because in the end it rewards. This is a thing I guess I should have realized in the case of 2010's Svig that I largely ignored, and now it might be a good time for me to look at it with different eyes.

3.5 / 5

TOTALE VERNICHTUNG: "Feuerbestattung"

Totale Vernichtung's name was vaguely familiar from earlier this year and even after a couple of listens of their brand new album Feuerbestattung I couldn't figure out where I had seen the name; but now I'm pretty sure it's their demo Die pechschwarze Artillerie that I saw being hyped in the spring, but for an unknown reason never checked it out. And now I can say that I'm glad I finally dismissed even the rather general artwork and delved into the music itself because what we've got here is some ingenious underground black metal.

Feuerbestattung is, in spite of some traditional values, an odd bird. There's surely a crunchy production, a drum machine, tremolo-picked riffs and other such features of a regular black metal release, but the guitars are doing something truly weird here. I tend to think these riffs are an equivalent of those Sonic games on Sega: these melodies twirl and twist in such a lively manner and speed that, if separated form the music around it, this would barely be black metal. For more relevant (musical) comparisons, you could think of Eisenwinter but a thousand times more active and catchy, or Peste Noire when it comes to the riffs' overall inventiveness. The clear drum machine, as well as the vocals and the language they're performed in, hint also to Wehrhammer's direction.

Inspirational would be a good word in depicting the essense of Feuerbestattung, and I don't think there's any need to analyse individual tracks, as the scheme remains the same throughout. The actively wandering riffs consisting of very high notes are the key to the album's success in my books. I can't think of any other band playing black metal exactly like this, which is a good sign. Feuerbestattung deserves a worthy recommendation, and although there are some minor issues such as the drums (programmed ones are always at least a tiny nuisance), this album is definitely a refreshing experience.

4 / 5

CIRCLE OF OUROBORUS: "Abrahadabra"

Ever since 2007 or 2008, Circle of Ouroborus has kept me under its curse with a plethora of more and more brilliant releases under their moniker. I'm not even going to go into details of which album is the best and so on, but to make a general distinction between the various styles they play, it would be something like this: there's a few (entirely or semi-) acoustic folk albums, then there's the crunching, harsh demo tape sounding releases, and then there's the fuzzy, ethereal albums that wander in some other dimensions with synth-like guitars and Klemi's weeping clean vocals.

Abrahadabra belongs to the third category, and in some respect could also be seen as the third installment into the series of "ethereal" albums, starting with Eleven Fingers and continuing with The Lost Entrance of the Just – but just to make clear, the buzzy and flowing atmosphere has been there since the band's first steps already.

And what comes to this album's music, it's as splendid as before. The scheme is very similar to the previous two full-lengths: almost indecipherable synthwalls of guitars providing the mellow background for the unpolished and heavy drumming, and most importantly for the lead melodies that are an essential part of Circle of Ouroborus' sound nowadays. The general mood of the album is strongly inclined to melancholy, but there are a couple of hopeful tunes such as "Like Silent Meadows", and then some pure hate-filled riffs like the one that begins "These Days and Years to Kill".

Is there, then, truly unforgettable melody making on Abrahadabra? Something as deeply cutting as Moonflares' "Walk Through Me"? Oh yes. It's not like every fourtyfive minutes of the LP were pure splendor melody-wise, but I think that e.g. "Conspiracy", "Breathing Slowly" and "Dementia Praecox" deserve their place in the hall of the greatest CoO riffs. And, in fact, there's not a single track I'd skip while listening to the album, unlike Eleven Fingers' "Staining the Paper to Create", for example.

Lyrically, Abrahadabra dwells in hefty despair: "Because in the end there are no reasons / There are no aeons, no seasons / Just the hollow hole, hard to fill / Just these days and years to kill". But in spite of the apparent hopelessness, Klemi has never gone astray from the occult aspect of it all. The album's title already paints rather deep ideas of the otherworldly – and the cover art is a rather clear example as well. Song-wise I tend to think that "Six Hands" covers the album's occult side the strongest, though my ideas can be totally wrong. But I sense a strong connection between the word abrahadabra and this song: when the word abrahadabra is sorted out into vowels and consonants, we get 5 + 6 = the five-pointed pentagram (Microcosm) and the six-pointed hexagram (Macrocosm). These I find to be the "Two hearts of duality – the keys to infinity" and, as it is, abrahadabra (and the significant number 11) symbolises the accomplishment of the Great Work.

Like every previous album of the band, also Abrahadabra took a rather long time to open. On the first rounds there was almost nothing that stuck to my head, but now a day rarely passes when I wouldn't listen to its catchy melodies and great atmospheres. Needless to say, this is a strong addition to the band's evergrowing discography, and should not be missed. Just give it a little time. When viewing my score it is to be remembered that I'm a hopeless CoO fanatic and the rating should be regarded as such – those who hate Klemi's atonal singing and all the other plain weird aspects therein won't find anything here that would change their opinion.

4.5 / 5

TODESWEIHE: "The Black Mass"

Without additional clues, it would sometimes be hard to place a raw, uncompromising black metal recording to a certain time slot of history. Todesweihe made that clear on 2011's demo compilation Necronomicon Ex Mortis which was a filthy feast on ideas formed twenty years earlier already. While that CD comprised material from the band's past eight years, you can't really tell any difference in sound if we compare it to this year's material presented on the six-track The Black Mass. 'No evolution whatsoever' seems to have been the band's driving force throughout their journey in the underground, and although it is very acceptable (and enjoyable), there are limits to how much one can stand listening to the riffs that have been basically the same since Darkthrone launched them in the early nineties.

So although the settings for The Black Mass are unfavourable, I was able to listen to it very carefully. This was probably because I've lately had a partial break from listening to basically anything, so keeping a focus on any music at all was easier than it tends to be after scrolling through a million albums a week. But what I essentially found from this EP was very simple, very primitive black metal that is cold, rehearsal sounding, and evil. This isn't exactly crammed with blast beats; Todesweihe here prefers a groovier direction in the vein of those masculine, mid-paced, rusty and partially palm-muted riffs of Clandestine Blaze. This is put to its best use on ”Buried and Forgotten” that during its last section incorporates a screeching lead melody on top of the grumbling war.

Pieces like that do their work admirably, but in the end, The Black Mass is just a rather forgettable snack of underground black metal. Personally there's no way of me hating it, but neither does it leave a lasting impression. Also, when a band releases a short EP, I don't understand why there has to be over two minute intros and outros, eating a lot of the overall playing time. And these are among the reasons why I'd choose some other release over this one, no matter how decent this is in the background.

3 / 5

BEHEXEN: "Nightside Emanations"

I don't think it's lying to say that Behexen's upcoming fourth full-length Nightside Emanations is the most expected black metal album to come out of Finland this year. The hype surrounding the band is well deserved when we take a look at the band's back-catalogue which includes e.g. the harsh yet magnificent By the Blessing of Satan and the more sophisticated yet not less evil My Soul for His Glory. Behexen hasn't derived from their four-year policy between albums even this time around, and now it's finally time to see what they're up to in 2012, after a full line-up change in the melody (guitar) department.

It is to be remembered, though, that most of the songwriting is still done by the drummer Horns (as far as I'm aware) who's been in the band since its formation in 1996, and that is probably the warm reason for Nightside Emanations still sounding Behexen and not just another band of Shatraug's, for example. Those influences aside, there's plenty of other kinds of influences in here to my hearing: most notably, I believe that the Swedish religious black metal phenomenom has given its contribution to a couple of tracks here. For instance, ”Death's Black Light” is a full-on headbanger that could've belonged to Watain's song arsenal, and most of the other tracks have a certain kind of vibe coming from that style as well. Luckily it's mostly just latent, and even more luckily we have such utterly possessed and devotion reeking manifestos in the very Behexen vein as ”Circle Me” which can't leave the listener cold.

”We Burn With Serpent Fire” makes sure there's some epic soundscapes incorporating solos, while ”Luciferian Will” rumbles in a confusing maze of palm-muted riffing and ”Temple of Silent Curses” proclaims messages of Satan in a robust, clean vocal performance. In a nutshell, there's a lot to discover in these nine hymns of the devil. But Behexen is in the bad situation of having three great albums in their history already, so truly impressing the band's fan isn't easy: that's why e.g. I'm constantly comparing this to the older albums, and hence must say that at least for now, this one doesn't beat the previous two.

Of course, Nightside Emanations can be a real grower, but the things that faintly bug me here are (a) the rather polished sound which makes e.g. the drums reverb in a somewhat unrealistic way, and (b) the feeling I've got that Behexen has lost a part of their identity to a certain kind of 'religious black metal' spirit. Nonetheless, if only I wasn't biased by my fondness of the older material, Nightside Emanations would be truly great. Another thing that might lower the score for now is that there's no lyrics provided within the promo, nor artwork. For a band with strong message, things like that can be very important, so when I eventually get Nightside Emanations to my hands in physical format, and when I get to play it with the lyrics, I could see this turning to full four points - and that would be the minimum.

3.5 / 5

BLOOD RED FOG: "Harvest"

It must have been a relieving year for Blood Red Fog for finally getting some 'older' material out of the queue, first in the name of the doublet Death Cult I and II, and a couple of months later the long-awaited follow-up to 2006's debut album got released as well. After some long delays (most of this album was put down in 2007 already), Harvest is here to summon nothing but atmospheres of inevitable death, and the very reverence of that.

Compared to the tapes earlier this year, Harvest introduces a little more cleaned up sound. There's nothing fancy to it though, as instead of some indiscernible mess, the production here sounds very natural yet crisp, being the opposite of any studio trickery. They've balanced it well, so that it's not a modern loudness war disco nor the resemblance of a hissing underground demo. You can hear every punishing note of the plucking guitar, and the otherworldly vocal performance of BRF reaches the listener better than ever.

What comes to the four long, individual songs here, I tend to think that Harvest is knowingly cut into A and B sides (the back cover hints that too, in expectations of a vinyl version, I hope): ”Harvest” and ”Return” begin the album in a slightly faster manner, firing sweet guitar lines after another in the very Blood Red Fog fashion the band is known for: melancholic torture fluctuating between tremolo and slower parts. Typical of the band, there's a lot of repetition within songs, and this is even more apparent here as every song reaches the 10 minute mark. But during the course of the album you don't really notice it: at least I realize it only if I try to analyze and memorize every part of the album. But that's not what you're really supposed to do anyways.

”The Prison” and ”The Abyss” take the atmosphere to even broodier landscapes, and in my opinion this is where the album does its magic the best. The pace is slowed down to a doomy level, and a crucial feature on both tracks is the appearance of Shu-Ananda on clean vocals: on ”The Prison” he handles an epic chorus and on ”The Abyss” he is responsible for all the vocals, concluding in the last two minutes to shivering levels of greatness. In all honesty, this must be one of the best moments I've heard in Finnish black metal in a while. It's where intensity and emotionality collide in a ritualistic chant in the very best possible way.

”That voice belongs to Satan
The quiet master of my soul

In his footsteps I pass

Into the watery graves”

In the light of the last two tracks, the first two do pale a little, but all in all what we have here is a successful album that's been the soundtrack to my life for the last month. Along with just a couple of other releases, it's the only black metal I've listened to in a while. An all-encompassing dose to satisfy my needs of black metal? Apparently, for now. If you care at all about Finnish black metal, I wouldn't hesitate getting your hands on Harvest which showcases how it's done pretty damn admirably.

4 / 5

GALLOWS THRONE: "Scourge of Bedlam"

There are bands that are stuck on demo level recordings year after year, but that's a category where I would not insert Gallows Throne into, as they show an honorable amount of skill on their first release which also works as their major debut album, Scourge of Bedlam.

Comparing this deftly executed piece of both ominous and beautiful sounding black metal to other bands isn't that easy, but after some thinking I'm leaning towards a hybrid that contains the harshness of Black Twilight Circle but with an added touch of post black metal à la Altar of Plagues and even Fen - the latter comparison mostly in regard to the howling vocals. Most of the time, Scourge of Bedlam twirls as a furious evil creature without mercy, but then might suddenly turn into soothing, sunny landscapes. A good example would be the ending of "Celebration of Endings": the listener is calmed, but then BOOM, "Terminal Fog" kicks in immediately after with its blast beats and discordant tremolo picking.

Running less than thirty minutes, it is easy to keep track of what's happening on the album, and the rather diverse soundscape they have, ranging from beauty to abject insanity, keeps me interested throughout. Another question, then, is how good the whole is in the end. I'm definitely liking this, but some of the mood shifts I find to be too sudden, kind of ruining the flow. I'd be up for an entirely calm album, or the opposite of that, but when they are all conflated, I'm getting vibes of a style of music that maybe tries too much to be experimental. Less would be good but then again, that's just me. This is the opposite of a monotonous black metal album, so for an extremely dynamic black metal experience, Scourge of Bedlam is surely recommended.

3 / 5

KING FEAR: "King Fear"

Satyricon's development into a rocking outfit wasn't easy to accept at first but I grew to like it. But despite liking albums like Now, Diabolical and The Age of Nero, I can't really say those albums are anything special, anything that would really stick to the head. The same depiction is apt for King Fear's debut EP here, a fifteen minute package of well-played, well-produced black metal with leanings to other extreme metal genres as well.

Nothing really annoys me here, but nothing either impresses. Some grooving elements, some fast blast beat bursts, commonly evil vocals, plenty of technicality. Where King Fear succeeds in is the realization of keeping the song lengths at short, all song clocking at less than four minutes: I wouldn't have wanted to hear any longer versions of the elements at play here... In addition to black metal, there's a serious Deicide esque death metal vibe going on at ”The King (of All Fears)”, which I found pretty interesting.

Putting it all together, I'm afraid I don't have many positive things to say about this one. It's as unimaginative black metal as it can be really, where cold atmospheres are replaced with values of modern extreme music. A less deranged listener than me, i.e. someone who likes something else than hissing lo-fi tapes, might find more to dig from here, as the music is certainly played well. To me, it is just way too predictable and ineffective.

1.5 / 5

VENUS STAR: "Nivritti Marga"

Finland's riff & melody fount Rauta is not solely busy with creating new haunting Circle of Ouroborus tunes as recent years have brough upon a spate of crushing death metal influenced releases under the Venus Star moniker. Granted, both full-lengths lacked something that would've made them deserve truly hyperbolic praise, but what's sure is that the key elements at play are always promising: murky, primitive black doom death with deranged vocals. It's then always a question of how much longevity a full album of this style carries, but here we have an EP length of the very style, clocking at ten important minutes.

Nivritti Marga's first side begins with ”Osiris Virgin”'s punching downtuned palm-muting, stripped soundscape providing nothing but crudeness. The guitars sound a little sharper than on the recent album Setyphorus, a nice change to the full-length's deliberately abyssal, brooding tune. This, instead, is pure killing. Nothing out of the ordinary really happens on the track: it's a 100% Venus Star track that some will loathe for its uncompromising (anti)development. Those listeners will probably gain more from the B side song ”Strange Backwards Seeing” which I admittedly find to be perhaps the best song from the band so far. The kernel elements are the same, but its a slight step towards a ritualistic Ride for Revenge esque sound, spiced with some very tasty acoustic guitars, thanks to which the track evokes an atmosphere unlike any other.

If I was to introduce someone to Venus Star, Nivritti Marga would be the starting point. It simply can not bore due to its brevity, and it showcases the project's sound accordingly (”Osiris Virgin”), as well as adds something new (”Strange Backwards Seeing”). The package also includes some sweet occult artwork along with the lyrics present. At the time of writing this I realize that my copy of the latest tape Wild Grains & Turningheads... is still unplayed, so I can not say with absolute certainty that this EP is the very best moment of Venus Star's career so far, but a damn great one nonetheless. If my memory serves, this is part one of a trilogy of seven inches, so there's a lot of expectations for the future.

4.5 / 5

ZERVM: "Nex Cvltvs"

I remember obtaining Zervm's 2008 demo tape Nihil Morte Certivm from a distro for two euros or so, and how happy was I for getting such a score. Not that it would have been a truly awesome hidden gem from the underground, but in comparison to how cheap it was, I enjoyed spinning it surprisingly often. A little bit deranged, filthy black metal was Zervm's style back then, and it's not much unlike their offerings on the brand new album Nex Cvltvs.

Simply put, Zervm here is somewhat murky power chord firing with ominous twists, i.e. the rather traditional ravaging riffs sometimes diverge into atonal notes. Barbaric drumming backs this up, and on top of all are the leprous snarls of the vocalist, half-spoken, or more like uttered. This is the paradigm under which the band plays through the whole album without any alterations really, but luckily it tastes pretty good: these seven horrid spells are all effective. However, in the big picture, they tend to resemble each other a bit too much. In the course of listening throughout the album, and I've done it maybe six times now, my mind starts wondering off always at some point, and then I need to skip back a few tracks to the moment when my mind departed.

The stripped production and overall style resemble that of Hrizg's latest offerings Anthems to Decrepitude and Inferno, so if those appeal to you, so should Nex Cvltvs. The atmosphere is pretty damn well accomplished here, both suffocating and somehow cavernous, but song-wise I would have liked to hear some more variation, I guess. The basic elements are handled like they should be, meaning that there's nothing wrong with the instrumentation nor sound, but I still find it lacking something that would raise it higher than many others in the field.

3 / 5

NORDWIND: "Wendehorn"

What comes to Canadian black metal, I do revere Pagan Hellfire, and Revenge doesn't suck either even if not being entirely my cup of tea, but generally speaking I can count truly good black metal bands from Canada with one hand's fingers. Hence coming across an act like Nordwind is a great pleasure: two Godless North related persons playing crude black metal without any gimmicks whatsoever.

And while many fail at the delivery of uncompromising black metal, i.e. actually sounding good and interesting with the minimum equipment and means at use, Nordwind seems to belong to the few bands who know how to hit the right spots. Their debut album Wendehorn is downright harshness and coldness from the north, further accomplished by the very deft playing of instruments. There's not much bass in the soundscape; instead, the raw guitars are are in the leading role, firing ferocious riffs one after another. Just listen to the main riff crushing on ”Gazing from the Void” - brilliance! ”Spear of Mastery” shows how tasty lead melodies are done on top of a rumbling rhythm section, and ”Death Asceticism” encapsulates the essence of powerful palm-muting.

Admittedly, Wendehorn might later on start suffering from a lack of longevity as the songs build around rather simple (yet effective) ideas, but a part of the album's charm, as a counter-effect, is indeed its brevity: the album comes, kills, and leaves. Six tracks of merciless action, and then it's done. Nordwind's performance here is commendable, though of course rather predictable as there's nothing majorly unique about them, but I really can't start philosophizing about 'lacks of that and that' while listening to this piece of grabbing fierceness. Wendehorn does what it's supposed to do, and hence deserves a good rating.

4 / 5

BLOOD RED FOG: "Death Cult II"

The second part of the Death Cult couple spreads its pernicious message in very similar ways as its first half: staying true to their style since day one, Blood Red Fog is menacing and slovenly, yet thoughful, black metal under the banner of Jyväskylä from where many likeminded groups stem (Saturnian Mist, Arvet, Verge and Orfvs to name a few). On part II, the sound is perhaps even a bit messier than on the first part, and I sense a focus on the harsh, callous side of the band instead of catchy melodies that the band is known for providing as well. Here it is mostly the abyssal, hope-shattering riffs that play a dominant role.

B.R.F.'s trio on the demo, comprising other noteworthy persons from the underground scene (Desolate and Profundiis), plays flawlessly here. It doesn't mean it's superbly tight in execution, as if they were some professional musicians, but they all serve their insruments in a way that the compositions flow perfectly: there's no uncertainty, but purposeful killing and death worshipping in the form of black metal. Add the deathly howls to the package, and yours truly can't complain. As it's evident, these lines deliver ideas of vanity and dying, but not necessarily in a negative way, like ”Pierced by Black Rays” tells:

”Through the mazes of misery and sadness / Through the halls of soul crushing emptiness / Through the corridors of solitude and madness / And finally there shines the knowledge / Of how beautiful is the transition from life unto death / From futility of common man / To the grandeur of eternal being”

Due to the second part's less catchy compositions, I'm settling for a lower rating than what I gave for part one, but this is not to say that Death Cult II is bad in any aspect. Not at all, as it's competent, worthy black metal all the way through. Here's to only hoping that the second full-length gets finally released some day as it's been so terribly delayed. There's nothing wrong with these minor releases, but a full hour of new Blood Red Fog material wouldn't be bad either.

4 / 5

BLOOD RED FOG: "Death Cult I"

Blood Red Fog is an interesting case in the assortment of Finnish black metal. Since their debut appearance on the 2005 demo tape, the band has been churning out new material steadily throughout the years, mostly on short-length releases like splits and EPs, and I've had the pleasure to follow their career since the massive eponymous opus from 2006. So, in spite of their constant delivery of nothing but quality, and various live appearances even outside the homeland, you don't see many people talking about the band. Maybe the reasons reside somewhere in the fact that Blood Red Fog is definitely not reinventing the wheel, but damn, how someone can still overlook these golden riffs?

For some references in regard to their sound, you can think of their country colleagues Cosmic Church, Funerary Bell and the likes that deliver filthy and melancholic black metal with plenty of authentic philosophy behind the mere sound. However, while the aforementioned bands focus on the Great Work from different angles (i.e. a rather romantic reverence of Satan and one that contains elements of horror, respectively), Blood Red Fog is all about death and decay – the process of mortification. This becomes even clearer on their two-part minialbums of which the first one, Death Cult I, is now in scrutiny. First of all, tape format suits the scruffy sounding, almost rehearsal-like black metal perfectly. The guitars screech and wail just like they're supposed to in raw black metal. As a good example, just listen to the violent feedback on ”Pendulum”, or even just the folky melodic touch of the intro. Or the ominous flow of riffs on ”With Open Arms” that truly immerse the listener.

It's not always easy to say what makes a rather traditional underground black metal release better than some other, but the fact is that Death Cult I stands above many in the field. B.R.F.'s ingenious sense of riffs and melodies is very much in presence here, and when it's combined with the lovely soundscape of the tape, I can't find much to complain about. Also, I can't end a Blood Red Fog review without mentioning the vocals that I regard the country's best along with Wyrmfang and Antti Klemi: these semi-harsh howls reek of utter death and unholiness. The tape is getting sold out by now and if you are too late, look out for these if they get reissued some time in the future. Not into the black metal that Finland tends to spew forth? Then there's nothing for you to see here.

4.5 / 5

CHARNEL WINDS / VERGE: "Two Serpent"

When two basically seminal Finnish black metal serpents of late times appear on the same split or, even better, join their forces to create a collaborative piece of work, it is pretty much bound to be good. Charnel Winds and Verge are the big names here, and anyone following the country's output has most likely heard of both bands, Charnel Winds for their praised 2007 demo and the ambitious full-length Der Teufelsbund, and Verge for their rather long career already during which they've crafted such diamonds as Hatemagic and Sex & Violence.

The minialbum embarks on its brief voyage with the ominous groove of ”Archons” that nods to Charnel Winds' direction both in execution as well as in overall sound that has a certain kind of cleanness to it which reminds me of their debut album. It's not a negative element, rather a professional feature that still retains the necessary roughness. The meandering main riff later breaks into a hypnotizing guitar plucking that then again is pure Verge, as are Wyrmfang's vocals. ”Serpent Tongue” swims in similar, convulsing waters which later incorporate some sweet clean vocal output, a style further explored on the record's highlight track, the epic ”Wingless Dragons” which I find to be pure gold in all possible aspects. ”Godhead” ends the EP with raucous, relentless black metal, a level more traditional in style, which works very well as well, yet it does pale a little in comparison to the earlier tracks.

Lyrically, I'm not sure if there's any strict theme to the whole, but the underlining currents always carry the ideas of destruction and hopelessness along with ascension. While ”Archons” includes lines of extreme 'nihilism' (”No one has the right to practice anything / in the name of anything else / than naught”), ”Serpent Tongue” delivers reverence of Satan, the ”twisted tongue”, the ”evil tongue”. ”Wingless Dragons” depicts people, the mundane humanity that wastes its potential, ”lacking virtue, lacking will / devoid of chance to ascension”, and hence are "too blind to see the inner sun". I believe there's a real-life story to the last track but I'm much unaware of it, but this godhead is given some references to in such lines as ”Every satellite has the right to rebel / to question the motivation of its creation”, I suppose.

With ever-competent music and thought-provoking lyrics, the combination of Charnel Winds and Verge - two bands that clearly fit together due to very similar spirits – works to great extents. The brevity of the running time makes Two Serpents pass fast by, so the music deserves some real attention to be fully digested. Noxifer has painted some detailed, brooding paintings to the booklet which make it even a worthier package. Although the material presented here might not be of such mindblowing level as yours truly regards e.g. Hatemagic, one can't really go wrong with this record either.

4 / 5

ARS DIAVOLI: "Clausura"

Six years ago (whew...) I remember buying Ars Diavoli's demo tape The Absence of Light, and how I listened to it quite a bit back then, enjoying its ear-shattering roughness combined with the melancholic melodies. Years pass and Clausura, Vilkacis' second full-length album already, has been out a long time by now, but I started digesting it only recently. Perhaps my lack of enthusiasm to follow the band's activities is corollary of the major debut Pro Nihilo Esse not impressing me properly, and unfortunately I'm having somewhat similar thoughts on the second effort, another album that kind of lingers in the already heard ideas.

Simply put, Clausura is depressive black metal. A load of reverby atmosphere with guitars fluctuating between the distorted tremolo picking and clean note plucking. Steady drumbeats are provided by a tad too clear drum machine, and mostly in tempos that verge on doom metal. Some exceptions do occur, like the rather fast-paced beginning of ”Momento Inerte”, but the general speed is slow, and fittingly so. There's no major flaws in the music here, the only yet too severe glitch is the fact that there's nothing really refreshing about Clausura: it's depressive black metal by the book: funereal atmospheres, evocations of hopeslessness, the inescapable decay of all living...

Giving this album a listen in total darkness and in the right state of mind may, or must, result in a more positive impression than giving it a go in the middle of all the daily fuss. I'm too often guilty of inclining towards the latter category, a category that does not go hand in hand with something like Clausura. If depressive landscapes in the rather traditional black metal way haven't bored you by now, Ars Diavoli's second album is most likely a worthwile album to check out. And even if you find the subgenre tiresome, there's no way of saying that Clausura was somehow badly done. Not at all. For my taste, it is just a bit too predictable.

3 / 5

DEATHHAMMER: "Onward to the Pits"

To hell with thrash metal, I tend to think, but every now and then I have to take those words back when some group unleashes a mammoth of ass kicking thrash with hues of black metal. It doesn't happen often, but Deathhammer's Onward to the Pits is one of these cases that simply stun you with fiery riffing and sharp production.

In essence, there's nothing fancy about Onward to the Pits: this is infuenced by the likes of Sodom, basically meaning old school blackened thrash. ”Deathrashing Sacrifice” kicks in the album with riffs of insane velocity with competent blasting behind, well continued in the follow-up ”Voodoo Rites”. The third piece, ”Fullmoon Sorcery”, could have appeared on the Bathory debut, while ”Emperor of Sin” crawls in funereal mid-tempo pacing in its beginning, a theme further explored in various other parts of the album as well. There's no need to delve any further into individual moments: by now you know what you're in. One element that does deserve a mention is the vocalist who spews some unhinged semi-clean wails every now and then when he's no performing the more traditional rasps. This is one of the features that makes the album distinguish itself from the masses of similar acts.

Onward to the Pits isn't something I'd listen to in every occasion, but for the times when your metal doesn't necessarily have to dwell in deeply philosophical substance, and there might be even some alcoholic beverages in proximity, this record could be a perfect soundtrack for that moment. Onward to the pits indeed, and to hell we're certainly going with this infernal blasphemy.

3.5 / 5

THORNIUM: "Dominions of the Eclipse"

The nineties of Scandinavian black metal are often hailed in the names of just a handful of influential records, and deservedly so, but a more profound look into the supply of those times reveals a goldmine of other worthwhile albums. Thornium, who? Exactly. I remember hearing, and disliking, their 2010 album Fides Luciferius, a real turd of modernized soulless black metal, but I wouldn't have guessed what a gem the same band had crafted fifteen years earlier. Dominions of the Eclipse, the debut, is everything that the band's reincarnation is not: tasteful, and authentically evoking auras of hate as well as of magical northern woodlands.

I'm sure there are reasons why this album never made it as high as their country mates. Primarily, the reason might reside in the album's very static production: the sharp guitar lines have no dynamics whatsoever, and the whole soundscape is stripped off of any ornamentations. It is about tremolo guitars, stable (almost crazily stable) blast beats, hate-filled traditional vocals and the occasional keyboard atmospheres. Initially, there was next to nothing that impressed me, but repeated listens have thankfully showed the album's greatness. Many of the riffs, seemingly stale at first, reveal signs of ingenuity that challenge some of Veles' and early Satyricon's ideas. Listen to the acoustic breakdowns of ”Emperor of the Carpathians” or the otherwordly intro to ”De Som Pesten Drapte”. Or the hypnotizing touch of the folkier ”Slottet I Skuggornas Morker”.

What comes to the recent reissue of the album, I would have preferred to have the great concise album as it originally was. The ambient outro ”Förmörkelsens Herravälde” is a 2011 remake, and next up are two other newly recorded bonus songs, and quite a leap backwards they are form the album: pushed, compressed modern sound hits the listener's ears, and at least yours truly starts losing interest after a few seconds. As a compensation, the band's early demo North Storms of the Bestial Goatsign is added to the end, bringing back the 'good old spirit' with natural, rehearsal atmosphere that revels in so much more feeling and atmosphere than the interruptive, contrived new recordings.

Dominions of the Eclipse is definitely a recommendable album for anyone interested in looking a bit further through the facade of the most predictable essentials. It is an enjoyable glimpse to another time when the whole notion of black metal wasn't yet so refined, and didn't include any unnecessary gimmicks. As for what Thornium did musically after this album, I wouldn't step on those grounds at all. What you've got here is a good though largely forgotten album from the pages of black metal's history.

4 / 5

HORN OF THE RHINO: "Grengus"

Although my primary musical interests lie in other styles than doom or sludge, there's one particular Czech record label whose output I've had the pleasure to follow, and through which I've come across plenty worthwile discoveries. Released via Doomentia Records, Grengus – an album title whose phonological properties already hint at the actual music – grumbles and rumbles effeciently in the currents of death, doom and sludge under the appellation Horn of the Rhino.

Fundamentally, Grengus is mid-paced, grooving and muddy. A key feature is the heavy guitar tone, as well as the well-pummeled, energetic rhythm section. Much of the album's power resides in the crushing production, and this is also what become's Grengus' hindrance: it sounds good, but I don't hear much longevity in the compositions themselves, no matter how deftly played. Vocals snarl and stretch around the style of Mastodon, and while I enjoy their appearance in the aforementioned band, I have a trouble with other bands singing in this vein. It's bearable, but some low-pitched grunting would have fitted here very well, too. I do like how the vocals change into a Black Sabbath esque clean style on the self-titled track, though. The foreboding and lengthy ”Brought Back” must be the highlight, being perhaps the only track during which I'm really listening carefully and waiting for what ever might happen next.

In its genre, and among the fans of it, Grengus is probably a lot better than I am letting you believe, but it's about apples and oranges really. You enjoy sludge and doom? I suggest to check this out. You do not enjoy sludge and doom? No business for you here. I'm not entirely leaning towards the latter category, however, and can appreciate various features of Grengus, even if I wouldn't say it's an exceptional album in any way.

3 / 5

PANTHEON OF BLOOD: "Consociatio Solis et Lunae"

Profound black metal isn't ever easy to tackle. When you've got your average norsecore albums under analysis, the review of the content can remain on the level of how instruments are played, what's the production like, and maybe a comment on overall atmosphere. But approaching a band like Pantheon of Blood on the level of mere superficialities, like those above, seems redundant: the message conveyed here is of such importance that you can't really circumvent it. Many worthwile albums may pass under your radar as you don't delve into their lyrical potential, but in the case of Consociatio Solis et Lunae, the profoundness is easy to notice: the artwork alone suggests that there's something more to it than just a couple of guys playing black metuuhl.

But first we may still be interested in the shallower side of things (which isn't purposeless either): the music. Comparing this to the 2010 demo, there hasn't been any crucial changes. Powerful underground black metal in varying tempos with a heap of Finnish spirit that you may come across in bands like Funerary Bell and Blood Red Fog. Overall eeriness is conflated with a touch of both melancholy and hope. And like on the previous effort, Pantheon of Blood succeeds here very, very well. The way the raging riffs develop into the wailing beauty on ”Overflowing Manifestation” is mesmerizing with all the clean plucking and orotund male vocals. While this track follows a rather general, yet tasty, way of composing black metal in its country, ”The Crimson Empress of Night” brings in a combination of plentiful mysteriousness and a pummeling rhythm section. The overall mood here nods towards a death metalish atmosphere, though otherwise that reference does not apply.

What I personally enjoy here to a great extent is how the music projects the lyrical, symbolic side of the record. Obviously, the contrasting principles of sun and moon / light and darkness / day and night / male and female / et cetera are at play here. The bright, vivid sounds on ”Overflowing Manifestation” reflect the side of the Sun. Lyrically, this is evident in the ”gleaming faces” and ”blazes of lightning falling from Heaven”, as well as in the hyperbolic reverence: ”Pure immanence, of immaculate radiance / Crowned with gold, endowed with the sight of countless eyes”. Cyclicality is explored here too, intertwining the second track to the first, as both sides are necessary in the universe: ”Into His loving embrace / The birds of night return / Only to burst out again”. The side B track ”The Crimson Empress of Night” is the darkness, the magic. The one who veils the hidden knowledge, and the one whose madness and evilness one must look through to see that there ”the jewel of Wisdom shines”.

Being a concise (almost too brief, though) package, and having such a well explored theme, Consociatio Solis et Lunae is like a ritual, no matter how clichéd that sounds. I can not say it's a record that has the most mindblowing musical content ever, but the high level of quality is definitely there, hence deserving good ratings. Coming in sturdy gatefold covers that are beautifully illustrated, the EP should not be overlooked.

4 / 5