Gulch - Impenetrable Cerebral Fortress (2020) Review

Half comic, half nightmare. At first glance, the pastel palette almost softens the scene: a fleshy figure pours a torrent of crimson liquid into a pit of spikes, where a distorted head waits to be submerged. But linger for more than a moment, and the playful tones turn sinister. Skulls grin mutely from below, architectural shapes rise like fragile monuments, and faceless bodies stand frozen in ritual. 

Several references can be observed: These bizarre juxtapositions (a faceless head in a fountain, skeletal masks at the bottom, distorted anatomy) strongly echo surrealism’s embrace of subconscious imagery. Its primitiveness, topped on bold colors and disproportionate figures, is reminiscent of outsider art, while its crude intensity touches upon neo-expressionism.

Wth its flattened perspective, bold color blocking and exaggerated anatomy, the style is deceptive naïve, yet the the depicted brutality undercuts any innocence. This tension puts the artwork at the crossroads of surrealism and brut art, where raw draftsmanship is the vehicle for psychological violence. The horror is not polished, instead it’s closer to George Condo’s or Jean Dubuffet’s grotesques rather than conventional metal aesthetics.

The ambiguity is what makes the piece striking. Is the liquid blood (or something more symbolic) rage, memory, spirit? The setup feels both ceremonial and absurd, a Boschian hell rewritten through a child’s hand.

Oh, and the album itself is great too.

Purposeless matter merge into a form that's true

Rating | 3.5 out of 5 [Great]

Lamp of Murmuur - Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism (2020) Review

One of the problems with the modern scene is how saturated it is across all genres, but the fact that someone points it out again is in itself saturation. Stop making new bands.

Looking at a bleached black and white cover, with stapled titles in thorny fonts and a dude in corpse paint, makes me sigh instantly nowadays. Romanticism? There goes another mellow project that's into gothic rock, post-punk and no energy trying to put me to sleep. Lamp of Murmuur is none of all things. 

Their demos leading to this full length were all amazing. The music here is catchy, memorable and harsh. The Dead Can Dance cover is great. Finally, here is a project that managed to pull of the melodic / raw black metal trick properly, and this result is quite an achievement. 

Pretty epic album, with long tracks full of fantastic material for your ears and your friends. It will also help you not think of their latest release. Recommended. [4 out of 5 - Excellent]

Los Angeles, California, US | Self-released

Website | Listen

Track listing:

1. Of Infernal Passion and Aberrations

2. Bathing in Cascades of Caustic Hypnotism

3. Gazing Towards the Hallways of a Peaceless Mind

4. The Scent of Torture, Conquering All

5. Chalice of Oniric Perversions

6. Heir of Ecliptical Romanticism

7. The Stars Caress Me as My Flesh Becomes One With the Eternal Night

8. In The Wake Of Adversity (Dead Can Dance cover)

Total runtime | 00:47:29

Serpent Column - Kathodos

Region: United States

Genre: Avantgarde black metal

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1. Departure of Splinters [4.5]

2. Kathodos [4.5]

3. Night of Absence [3.5]

4. Dereliction [3.5]

5. Anodos [3.5]

6. Seinsverlassenheit [3.5]

7. Splinters of Departure [4]

8. Wind and Fog [4]

9. Pathlessness [3.5]

10. Offering of Tongues [3.5]

11. Desertification [3]

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Autumn 2020, Mystískaos

Listen

Ifernach - The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard (2020) Review

Genre: Black Metal

Location: Quebec, Canada

Release date: 20.06.2020

Label: Tour de Garde

Listen: Bandcamp

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I started listening to this project's works in the reverse order, as The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard was the first release I got my hands on, and there have been several interesting mini-releases as well as three full length albums before since, since their inception in 2015. Ifernach belongs to the cast of black metal artists exploring native American folklore but not just out of interest, as they are usually closely related on the topic even outside the borders of music.

The first thing to quickly notice in the record is the impressive riff work. When it goes deep into melodic / harsher guitar parts, I would say that all the riffs are just wonderful, and all of them memorable. The Green Enchanted Forest... opens with an introduction that honestly reminds too much of Burzum's "Dunkelheit" days, but it's more of a homage than a rip-off, much like Watain's touch on Mayhem on the opening "Devil's Blood" of Casus Luciferi in 2003. Nevertheless, following with "The Passage of Dithreabhach", the most bombastic track of the record and in my opinion, its highlight, shows clearly Ifernach's skill to compose great black metal, combined with an interesting clean guitar part towards the end.

More ominous playing is found in "In the Hollow of the Togharmach " and "Teimn Laid II", making me think that Ifernach must be really into Norwegian black metal and more specifically, the aforementioned legends. There's traces of punk in these tracks too, and above all I really enjoyed the thick and dusty production the record has. With an album cover painted by Megan Walsh, the record conceptually clicks with all its different aspects apart from the music itself and definitely offers a journey worth taking.

On the other hand, I found the interludes of The Green Enchanted Forest... just too long. While still above average, "A Cursed Spear" feels unnecessarily long, and I had the same impression of "Teimn Laid I". Building on that, "Hidden Palaces Under the Green Hills" is a nice ritual / dark ambient track, and all of these grant the record with another, more meditative side, which helps with its originality and the story that is told here, but just didn't keep me personally attached in the end. However, as a whole, The Green Enchanted Forest... has some seriously powerful black metal in it, and that's not only what you will find here.

As a whole, Ifernach have achieved something special. The album is really interesting once it sets in, and you could find yourself returning to it more than you expect, with awesome guitar lines and a great and unique atmosphere. I enjoyed most of it, and I have been listening a lot on repeat since the time I found it (which was even later than when it was released), but its beauty was revealed to me after a few listens and not right away. It is also a project that deserves listening time for their EPs, demos, and especially split albums, but still i consider  The Green Enchanted Forest... as a fairly high point at their discography.

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Tracklist:

1. The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard

2. The Passage of Dithreabhach

3. A Cursed Spear

4. In the Hollow of the Togharmach

5. Teinm Laida I

6. Teinm Laida II

7. A Winter Tree Clad in Black Frost

8. Hidden Palaces Under the Green Hills

Damage: 4/5 [Excellent]

Grimdor - The Shadow of the Past (Comp, 2020) Review

Genre: Dungeon Synth / Black Metal

Location: Germany / USA

Release date: 01.11.2020

Label: Out of Season

Listen: Youtube

Website: Instagram

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There have been numerous small releases in Grimdor's short lifetime so far, and it seems that there's always more material coming from them, either under the Grimdor moniker or through their side projects. The band has a fairly respected and well-known mark in the dungeon synth scene, as their physical copies get sold out faster than the speed of sound wherever they appear, and their keen interest in the Tolkien universe shines through every aspect of their music. Without a full length release yet (something we really really need), they have achieved this status by frequently releasing demos or EPs, often quite short in duration.

The Shadow of the Past, apart from the legendary piece in The Lord of the Rings soundtrack, marks the boundary between the black metal and dungeon synth inclined parts of Grimdor's discography. It rounds up their first three EPs (The Lonely Mountain, Stone of the Hapless and The Chamber of Mazarbul) and a couple of other tracks, mostly comprised of lo-fi raw black metal with a dusty sound, while after this collection, they have been exercising more stripped down dungeon synth in 2021, with a lot of wonderful mini-albums. 

Big variations undergo this compilation, featuring Grimdor's strongpoints as well as more average fillers. For example, "Death of Glaurung", "Morgul Blades" and "The Chamber of Mazarbul" are really fine quality of ferocious raw black metal. The band experiments with a short doom / depressive black metal piece in "Deer's Leap", and you can swear you must have heard "Scimitar" or "Battle at Cirith Ungol" somewhere in the past, lost in a Norwegian basement during never released Gorgoroth rehearsals. On the other hand, "The Lonely Mountain" has some dubious clean vocals, slightly referring to epic heavy / doom metal singing but not with a huge success, and the longer drone-ish "Battle at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm", while a fan favourite, didn't manage to persuade me.

When Grimdor goes into dungeon synth, they shine. "Mount Gundabad" is wondrous, the eerie essence of "Ringwrath" conveys in just a minute and the introduction or "Black Storm", are beautiful songs for background roleplaying games all over. A track like "The Black Thorn of Brethil!" could be skipped, while "Stone of the Hapless" is great, and right after that, "The Red Eye of Sauron", also released as a single, is one of the best if not the best pieces in this compilation. The Shadow of the Past collects all of their work until then so that you don't have to go into each one by one, but it doesn't leave out some of the band's weaker moments.

And that doesn't change anyone's mind. Me included, as the rest of the people who follow them, purely for the great aesthetics and honest underground spirit, would support and buy anything Grimdor puts out. I'm always glad to see new tracks from them and 2021 has been especially good for that. The Shadow of the Past is a must for dungeon synth lovers, fantasy enthusiasts and lo-fi fanatics alike, yet you should also definitely check out what they have been doing after that. Since the band decided to put their discography on a ridiculous discount a short while back, I decided to grab it all and have a few dedicated listening sessions, and The Shadow of the Past concludes only the first part. Off to listen to "Mirkwood Forest" and "Bombadil" again.

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Tracklist:

1. Untitled (single)

2. Bombadil (single)

3. Black Storm

4. Repulse the Orcs

5. Death of Glaurung

6. The Black Thorn of Brethil!

7. Deer's Leap

8. Stone of the Hapless

9. The Red Eye of Sauron

10. Mirkwood Forest (Intro)

11. Morgul Blades

12. The Lonely Mountain

13. Ringwrath (single)

14. The Chamber of Mazarbul

15. Battle at Cirith Ungol

16. Scimitar

17. Mount Gundabad

18. Battle at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm (single)

19. The Lonely Mountain (alternate version)

Damage: 3.5/5 [Great]

Albums of the Year 2020

Last year, I closed this post by giving a shoutout "that's all folks, see you next year and stay alive". Ironically enough, I should never have opened my mouth and give any kind of wishes on a year that proved to be one hell of an amusement park ride, constantly feeling like a nightmare simulation you can`t wake up from. Misery and existential dread didn`t just knock on our doorsteps, it came in crushing down the house, left everything in splinters and locked down the pandemonium of the century.

Top 10 EPs of 2020

Welcome back. I'm kicking off this year's lists posts with one that I would post a bit later on usually but this time, it was actually the one that was finished first. At the same time, 2020 was the year I listened to the most EPs compared to past years, reaching 84 in number, when I normally go for half that. Many bands give equal attention to their Extended Plays as they do to full lengths, depicting important steps in their careers, and there were several ones this year that I considered to be great to listen to. The genre variation will not surprise you because there almost isn't any, so let's look into some 2020's fabulous extreme metal mini-albums.

Top 10 Greek Metal Albums of 2020

Since the very first years, to be on the lookout for new coming and underground bands from your whereabouts has been of vital importance, to encourage locally relevant quality. Two events to point out were the return of the ancient band Piranha, and the release of Revenge's Massacre In Heaven along with its story, an album that didn't get any coverage as far as I am aware of. To subjects closer to me, sadly I listened to Eriphion's second album (with its intriguing cover that refers more into some DIY post-punk than black metal) too late, and it would be a possible runner up for this list. 

Top 10 Greek Metal of 2020:

10. Nox Formulae - Drakon Darshan Satan

9. This Is Past - Labyrinth

8. Obsecration - Onwards the Mystic Paths of the Dead

7. Katavasia - Magnus Venator

6. Death Courier - Necrotic Verses

5. Revenge - Massacre in Heaven

4. Dephosphorus - Sublimation

3. Utkena - Nex Fornix

2. Kawir - Adrasteia

1. Mystras - Castles Conquered and Reclaimed

Top 10 Non-Metal Albums of 2020

Usually this part is all over the place, but this year I had a clear favorite and several albums I found fascinating, even in more mainstream genres. The list represents well the various genres I was into throughout the year and basically I somehow chose representatives of each, but there are still things I had to listen to but didn't manage. Some honorable mentions are the albums by The Strokes, Nothing, The Garden, Nine Inch Nails and Dua Lipa. Wait, what?

Top 10 Non-Metal of 2020:

10. Forndom - Faþir

9. Prurient - Casablanca Flamethrower

8. Steve Von Till - No Wilderness Deep Enough

7. Taylor Swift - Folklore

6. William Basinski - Lamentations

5. Lowrider - Refractions

4. Anna von Hausswolff - All Thoughts Fly

3. Puta Volcano - AMMO

2. Bohren & der Club of Gore - Patchouli Blue

1. Venus Volcanism - Rizitiko

 

List of Good Albums 2020

 

As we're wrapping up, this is the pool of albums I enjoyed throughout the year, in alphabetical order. More concrete posts are being written as we speak and meanwhile, you might find a couple of hits even now at the last moment:

Abigor - Totschläger (A Saintslayer's Songbook)

Abramelin – Never Enough Snuff

Afsky - Ofte jeg drømmer mig død

Akantha – Gnothi Seauton

Altar of Gore - Obscure & Obscene Gods

Anaal Nathrakh – Endarkenment

Ancient Gate – Empire Beyond Dusk

Ardente - Citadelle des Brumes

Begotten – If All You Have Known Is Winter

Beneath the Massacre – Fearmonger

Black Vice - The Alchemist's Vision

Carved Cross - Severance of Disparity in Absolute Acrimony

Circle of Ouroborus - Viimeinen Juoksu 

Cold Earth – Your Misery, My Triumph

Cosmic Putrefaction – The Horizons Towards Which Splendor Withers

Crépuscule D'hiver - Par-Delà Noireglaces Et Brumes-Sinistres

Cultus Profano – Accursed Possession

Cursed Altar – Midnight Reprisal

Cystic – Sworn Enemy of Life

Cénotaphe - Monte Verità

Death Courier – Necrotic Verses

Devangelic – Ersetu

Disembowel – Echoes of Terror

Disrupted – Pure Death

Dropdead - Dropdead

Drown – Subaqueous

Drüben - Det Alværnende

Elffor – Unholy Throne of Doom

End – Splinters From an Ever-Changing Face

Enepsigos – Wrath of Wraths 

Enshadowed – Stare Into the Abyss

Erancnoir – Berglicht

Fellwarden - Wreathed in Mourncloud

Feral Light – Life Vapor

Forgotten Tomb – Nihilistic Enstrangement

Gaerea - Limbo

Gloosh – Timewheel

Grace.Will.Fall - Barren by Design

Grógaldr - Illness Unto the Womb of Spirit

Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

Horna - Kuoleman kirjo

Häxanu - Snare of All Salvation

Ifernach - The Green Enchanted Forest of the Druid Wizard

I’m In A Coffin – Waste of Skin

Incantation – Sect of Vile Divinities

Í Myrkri - Drivende i Dødens Æter

Jordablod – The Cabinet of Numinous Song

Kommand – Terrorscape

Konvent – Puritan Masochism 

Krallice – Mass Cathexis

Kryptamok – Verisaarna

Lampir – Awaiting the Predatory Dreamscape

Leeched – To Dull the Blades of Your Abuse

Ljosazabojstwa - Głoryja Śmierci

Maquahuitl - At the Altar of Mictlampa

Midnight – Rebirth By Blasphemy

Molested Divinity - Unearthing the Void

Mortiis – Spirit of Rebellion

Mourir - Animal Bouffe Animal

Mournful Winter – Viscus Et Os

Naxen – Towards the Tomb of Times

Nidernes – Darkness Cenotaph

Nox Formulae - Drakon Darshan Satan

Núll - Entity

Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin kynsi

Over the Voids - Hadal

Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man

Prison of Mirrors - De Ritualibus et Sacrificiis ad Serviendum Abysso

Raven Throne - Viartańnie (Chroniki Źmiainaj Ciemry)

Reaper – Unholy Nordic Noise

Revenge - Strike.Smother.Dehumanize

Sanctifying Ritual – Sanctifying Ritual 

Sentient Divide – Haunted by Cruelty

Serpent Column – Kathodos

Serpent noir – Death Clan OD 

Sinister - Deformation of the Holy Realm

Spirit Possession – Spirit Possession

Striges – Verum Veterum

Suicide Silence – Become the Hunter

Svartsyn – Requiem

Thecodontion – Supercontinent

Toadeater - Bit to ewigen daogen

Turia – Degen van Licht

Vampire – Rex

Verbal Razors – By Thunder and Lightning

Vinland Ghost – Empire Without End

Violent Hammer – Riders of the Wasteland

Voyeur's Blood - The Dawning of Post-Mortal Enlightenment

Vredehammer – Viperous

Wake – Devouring Ruin

Warp Chamber – Implements of Excruciation

Witches Hammer - Damnation Is My Salvation

Yaldabaoth - That Which Whets the Saccharine Palate

Ygg – The Last Scald

YounA – Zornvlouch

Paysage d'Hiver - Schnee (2020) Review

 

This year will be a year to remember for many reasons. Little events happened in the scene that surprised me, and one of them was the exposure Paysage d'Hiver got worldwide with their album Im Wald. If you dare to call this the project's debut because it's a full length then you haven't spent serious time with the band, whereas the fact that they actually released and EP (!) in the same year is much more surprising. As a fan for several years now, I lean a bit on the negative side about Im Wald and not because of the popularity it got, but that's for a different post that will probably never come.

On the other hand, here is a collection of tracks that I previously hadn't thought needed to be gathered in a single release. Schnee is a compilation of tracks the self-titled tracks (I) to (IV), composed in a time period between the early 00's and late 10's, specifically "Schnee (IV)" was featured in the 2017 split with Drudkh, a breathtaking mini-album also for a different post. Considering that another compilation was released in 2020, we faced quite some activity from Paysage d'Hiver in 2020, who started off the year with a blast with the live show (remember) in late January and the early distribution of the full length there.

The process of listening to this band is like a patient exploration. It insists upon the subjects it touches for more than twenty years now, so there has to be some serious filtering of material in order to maintain a relevance. Paysage d'Hiver have achieved that in a remarkable manner so far, maybe not totally but mostly. I don't know if Wintherr planned this all along, but the sequence of the four "Schnee" tracks is brilliant, and also plainly describes, the most vital source of influence of the band, in its simplest word. To be a bit clearer, only through exploration one can discover the magnificent guitar part in the middle of "Schnee (I)", which comes at a point when the listener has assumed he has heard everything.

From the four tracks, "Schnee (II)" is definitely the hardest hitting, which is also the shortest composition at only ten minutes. All the main elements of the band are present, from the wind samples to the monotonous, lethargic riffs, distant shrieks and some beautiful clean singing during the opening of the compilation. I didn't need to be reminded of how majestic "Schnee (IV)" is as it was already under frequent spins, but I'm pointing out again how amazing it is. The cover of Schnee might be the same photograph as the cover of the band's split with Nordlicht, where "Schnee (III)" is featured. 

I never expected such an act to attract attention outside of the underground, and a little breakthrough was made with Im Wald. Things are changing as we speak, and this compilation offers a fine dose of Paysage d'Hiver's talent that works as a silent reminder not to neglect the past, when taking steps ahead. Schnee comes in an elegant black envelope, with gentle engravings on the side, on a delicate A5 digibook, proving how this is a jewel not only for its music. 

Beherit - Bardo Exist (2020) Review

2020 has been the year we saw some activity from the Beherit camp. In August, NWN Productions released Promo Tape, a reissue of two classic tracks from the past in red cassette featuring an iconic photo of the band. A live album was also independently released a bit later, named "Live in Nokia Finland 8-3-1991", so up to that point it seemed like we are still mooching off their rich early history. What about a completely new full length album on top of that though?

Bardo Exist, unexpectedly dropped, serves as another big surprise of the year. It is the follow-up release of 2009's Engram (not counting 2011's re-release to the mix), a widely talked release of that era, as is anything Beherit put out, and also follows the same kind of turn they did between 1993 and 1994: from a primitive black metal record to a challenging, experimental ambient one, yet this time it only took eleven years instead of one. In bleak aesthetics, the band's wonderful logo strongly poses on the side of what seems to be a smeared black face and is just a beauty to look at.

 

Being quite interesting to listen to, it surely isn't an average dark ambient work but more of a release characteristic of Beherit's atypical compositional ways. I won't hide that I would listen to bombarding, thick, repetitive riffs by them any day, however Bardo Exist is a proper addition to their back catalog, with all its idiosyncrasies. The album contains eleven tracks and thirty seven minutes of music, with a special edition containing a self-titled, twenty two minute piece, which I haven't heard yet.

The record is not purely aiming to be a dark instrumental soundscape, as different kinds of synths kick in throughout the listen. Discrete elements from a wide array of electronic music are being employed at times, often changing places in the same tune too, in what could be a score for a contemporary art noir movie. Beherit are fans of distorted vocal sounds and they are gracefully used in Bardo Exist too, from the introduction to several parts of other tracks, which are relatively diverse but maintain a settled flow that doesn't break the overall atmosphere.

Highlights are the haunting "Shadow Prayer", "Acid Death Vision", the sudden noise / drone switch after the spacey synths in "Peilien vanki", the pale beats of "Ghost Visitor" and the dim outro "Sorrowers". I liked the nuances of "Extreme Thirst and Insomnia", and how "Silom Vortex" feels like a track that would play once you entered a tavern in an old school RPG game. Bardo Exist is loyal to the character of Beherit, which doesn't always wear the facet of the ugly black metal monster that they might be most famous for. I got behind this band very late, yet this release and its listening process, satisfied me deeply.

Young and in the Way - Ride off and Die (2020) Review

Needless to say, it is a big and unexpected turn to see a new album by Young and in the Way, minimally promoted, splashing in the world out of nothing. After the burning incidents that rose to the surface a couple of years ago, I believed this band was put to rest for good. And even though they have now a new full length album, fans should not trust in a full return as it is stated by the band that this is "the final album by The True Enemy". Entitled Ride off and Die, it is an appropriate swan song for a band like that, while the obvious Darkthrone reference stands out (they even have a song named "R.O.A.D." here). 

It almost feels like not a day has passed since When Life Comes to Death, except for the fact that the band has now exposed its core and stripped the music down to the bare necessities. The titles and lyrics, angry and straightforward, tell the tale of the wounded beast in punkish filthy fashion, with the hard-hitting compositions being exactly what Young and in the Way does best: pompous beats, harsh screams, cutting guitars and abundant feelings of hostility.

If you've heard of them before, at times it will feel like you've heard this before. The techniques are all the same, yet Ride off and Die is one hell of an enjoyable record because there is hardly any misstep. The band has channeled all its rage from the last few years into one record that might seem simple but isn't easy to achieve, and the listener will definitely feel how sincerely pissed they are with everything. I remember liking their previous album but this, more direct in its nature, fits wonderfully as the album to completely describe what this band is about.

Not a single track is to be skipped (interesting background synths in "Endless Night", plenty of energy in the riffs of "Suffering Dawn", "There is No God, Only Me" and "Ready to Explode", "R.O.A.D." is a two minute Young and In the Way anthem) but most of a note must be left for the last one "You Can't Kill Me". Seven minutes (not as long as other closing tracks they have done), the middle paced passages with the clean vocals towards the end, as well as the final solos / screams, are a highlight for the record and the band. 

Let's see if this will get any coverage from zines around, yet I wouldn't bet my money on that. Ride off and Die sees off Young and in the Way in such manner that there needs to be no more activity from them. The band probably doesn't care anymore, they're throwing this out there and suggesting its title as the way to deal with it, and as the last lyric goes, "you can't kill what's fucking dead" is the take home message for us.

Sorcier des Glaces - Un Monde de Glace et de Sang (2020) Review

If one doesn't count the rework of Snowland in 2012 as a separate full length, Sorcier des Glaces now count seven albums since 1998, with the last decade being by far the most productive period for the band. The Canadian project hasn't really fallen short all these years, as a large part of their solid work has granted them a respected spot in the underground scene and their debut is hailed as an atmospheric black metal masterpiece by now. I haven't talked about them a lot in this blog even though I haven't missed a record since 2011 and The Puressence of Primitive Forests. 

Un Monde de Glace at de Sang (=A World of Ice and Blood) is surprisingly, the first album of the band to go over an hour in length, even though they have flirted with this kind of duration in the past (last 2-3 records were about 50 minutes). Such a size is only necessary, giving Sorcier des Glaces the space they need to unfold their ideas and construct the wonderful, frosty atmosphere that they are craftsmen of. While this is true, don't imagine the sound of more modern atmospheric black metal bands with a lot of ambient elements in them, SDG are well set in their own approach and wear their 90's black metal influences and roots on their sleeves.

The first three tracks showcase parts in all different speeds, several epic guitar lines and well worked sections right up in SDG's game, being some of their most memorable material the last few years. The album has tracks both in English and French, the vocals are clear enough to follow, and as Un Monde de Glace at de Sang unfolds, it proves to be an absolutely captivating album. Acoustics are first introduced in the beginning self-titled track, which is also the longest and includes additions of samples of sword fighting, along the already established wintry feeling the album exerts. 

A wonderful cover of the song "The Warlock" by Necromantia, originally in their classic debut Crossing the Fiery Path from 1993, gives extra hints of SDG's early black metal influences (they have covered Tormentor too in the past). After all, they are a band that belongs in that era anyway. Proper justice is given to this majestic composition, a great choice for a cover that is also great to see, how Sorcier des Glaces would approach and replay it. 

One of my favorites from Un Monde de Glace at de Sang is "l'Éternelle Majesté des Montagnes (partie II)", which seems to be a musical continuation of the first part of the song with the same name "l'Éternelle Majesté des Montagnes", that can be found in Snowland, the band's first album. The two pieces both start with a kind of chanting vocals, and in the case of this record, the spirit of the older times is a little bit stronger also. "(Return to) the Primitive Grandeur" is another track where Sorcier des Glaces use more repetitive, faster tempos along with their potent melodies.

I'm quite satisfied by the production as well, which has cleaned up throughout the years but has not gone full crystal clear. The cold and slightly dusty sound that has been given to the guitars serves the music perfectly, and Sorcier des Glaces have an excellent grip on compositional structure to an extent that they have to specify the lack of keys in the album. The different layers are created by the guitars, which feature brilliant riff work and variations. Un Monde de Glace at de Sang does not get along completely with the music of its time, and this is a definite plus in this case. 

There's nothing to skip and nothing to complain on this album. Sorcier des Glaces are unique, and perfect in what they are doing, with Un Monde de Glace at de Sang they created a black metal album in which melody and intensity co-exist perfectly, it is primitive enough and flows like a river. Unlike more modern albums, it represents the authentic and unfiltered process of creation that only the best bands in the 90's employed, it glorifies the SDG sound as a whole. Fans of the band or Quebec metal (Forteresse came to mind a bit when listening to this) will surely love this record. 

I don't know, maybe I like it that much because it's now raining a lot here.

Funeral Harvest - Funeral Harvest (EP, 2020) Review

When looking at a line-up consisting of members from Italy and Norway, especially in the territory of religious themed black metal, it's difficult not to immediately think of Darvaza. Funeral Harvest is the first EP of a band that has been active only since 2016 and has just a demo and a single released before this mini-album, which makes it their biggest work for now and also the first main stop point in the hopefully, more to come.

Thematics close to the aforementioned band are being stressed here as well, as it seems Funeral Harvest aim for the same aesthetics with a hefty inclination towards the use of Latin, I can only imagine that they would perfectly fit in black metal festivals along bands with a ceremonial stage presence. The EP contains four tracks at a duration of almost twenty minutes, common compositions to the band's first demo Bunker Ritual Rehearsal, reworked for this release. Naturally, this translates to a slightly cleared up production, making Funeral Harvest easy to approach and follow.

Comparing with the demo recordings, I get the feeling that part of the intensity has been lost along the way, as the sound the band had in 2017, with the same tracks, did come out as more intimidating than the mixing of the latest EP. It would be a lost case to claim that Funeral Harvest have not been meticulous with their effort now, yet it's a release that wouldn't be a big musical challenge for someone who follows this kind of black metal. Apparently, Signal Rex will host the band's debut full length too, and I am hoping the band pushes forth a bit towards taking more risks in order to stand out.

Looking into the tracks specifically, the different parts of "O.S.N.D.S.P.T." make it an entertaining track, the opening "Nihil Sub Sole Novum" displays great technique on changing between slow and fast paced moments, while "Omega" on the other hand has guitar lines that are a bit more indifferent. "Sacred Dagger" is another solid track, and the raspy, scourging vocals are saving plus for the whole release. I would enjoy Funeral Harvest to use the proficiency they have in adapting a style, and be in overall, more intense. It's definitely a band that can do it. 

Empyrean Grace - Bestowment of the Seraphic Key (Demo, 2020) Review

 

Among the many different, mainstream and not, releases that were scheduled for today, I was also waiting for Iskandr's new EP Gelderse poort, the next recording step of that project after the marvelous Euprosopon from 2018. However, by listening to that and then going into the label housing the Dutch underground group named Haeresis Noviomagi, I stumbled upon this demo by one of their new bands, Empyrean Grace. Needless to say, all the bands related to this label are nothing short of fascinating, yet this project still caught me off guard as it doesn't fully comply with the musical methods of its compatriot acts.

Bestowment of the Seraphic Key consists of one twenty-eight minute track. In case you are familiar with this family of artists and by chance had Imperial Cult's Spasm of Light come to mind, don't expect similar material here. Empyrean Grace's approach emphasizes on layers of opaque soundscapes, it's more soothing and mesmerizing, puts everything around the listener to a halt and it forces you to just lean back. They are not afraid to employ monotony and it's used to their advantage, creating a deep, lethargic atmosphere, coherent enough and with wonderful variations in parts, to make it a magnificent piece for its duration.

Once the sense of engagement has set in, the elements unlock. The track's contemplative nature thwarts movement but isn't demanding or draining, instead it stays in between and makes up for a truly rewarding listening experience. I don't easily stay tuned with endless tracks of almost ambient black metal, however I played this a second time back to back. I don't know any information about Empyrean Grace at the moment, but it just proves again that the turbulence coming from this side of the Netherlands, is not an accident.

Sepulchre by the Sea - Conqueror Worm (2020) Review

After a single track demo in late 2019, this one-man project from the UK comes out with the debut full length Conqueror Worm, to be released in November of this year. Openly influenced by themes of Edgar Allan Poe, the band's name could be a reference to one of the poet's last works "Annabel Lee", describing the perseverance of the protagonist's love towards his then deceased woman. As mournful as that piece is, Sepulchre by the Sea aims to convey the same atmosphere through a mixture of traditional black metal and elements of melodic / post-black in Conqueror Worm, which last almost an hour and features six tracks in total. 

Among them, the track from the demo has been re-recorded for the album, and the wider use of different instruments broadens and shows more clearly the musical palette of the project, which combines a variety of characteristics around the basic black metal pattern. Sepulchre by the Sea also employs solid clean vocals at times, most notably in a the wonderful "Slices of Death", while the most intense moments line in the great guitar lines of the self-titled track, "And So It Crumbles" and the middle part of "Behind the Walls". The last of these three takes a calmer turn towards the end to give way to the final track of Conqueror Worm, "Plutonian Shores", a lengthy composition that touches seventeen minutes duration and goes through all the phases of the band's sound, from clean to heavy parts and in between. 

There are a lot of interesting ideas in Conqueror Worm, which wouldn't make it just typical post-black metal, still I think there is space for improvement in terms of cover artwork and production, with the latter having the potential, in my opinion, to give a completely new dynamic edge to the project if handled properly to give space to the compositions to really show their worth. Sepulchre by the Sea's first effort is a fine offering of black metal that isn't direct and raw, for fans of atmospheric / post-black metal artists and of course, for lovers of Edgar Allan Poe.

Panzerfaust - The Suns of Perdition - Chapter II: Render Unto Eden (2020) Review

Last year, I had almost skipped Panzerfaust's Chapter I: War, Horrid War. When I finally listened to it, it didn't take me that much time to place it among the albums to return to for the rest of the year, and until now. A band completely unknown to me with a long history starting from the early 00's, which lived through a very obvious change in their path by releasing War, Horrid War in 2019, which lifted them from the average underground corridors of extreme metal to the high peaks of artists to constantly keep an eye out. Momentum has now been growing even more, with the second chapter in this concept tetralogy, Render Unto Eden, attracting the attention of an even bigger portion of the scene. And it's by no mistake.

From all the war-themed metal albums in the world, how many would you tell manage to convey the message and provoke the feeling adequately enough to avoid being crushed by their own pretension? The atmosphere Panzerfaust construct is unique, and with subtle compositional fixes show how well they know how to play and what they're doing. By nature, Render Unto Eden has space for interpretation (compared to a more direct War, Horrid War in my point of view) and has been improved in terms of musicianship, production and mainly, flow. The band masterfully builds the album's intense moments, maintains a dim, menacing character throughout the listen, having placed together five tracks that go along in absolute brilliance. 

While the sound is very characteristic of them by now, slight traces of other famous bands of our time can be found in sparse riffing and the more general approach of their aesthetics. Mgła influences can be found in some potent guitar melodies of "The Faustian Pact" (and the stunning structure of this song), but more clearly in "The Snare of the Fowler", just by listening to the drumming session in the middle of the track and on. In Render Unto Eden, the guitar lines have grown, the bass work is impressive and should not be overlooked, drumming is on point, and the depth of the compositions certainly surpasses its predecessor. 

Apart from Arkona's Maria Arkhipova, who is featured and contributes to a breathtaking part of the introduction track "Promethean Fire", I also adore the chosen cover for Render Unto Eden, which could be taken from the works of Käthe Kollwitz and specifically The March of the Weavers in Berlin, one of her more popular pieces. Other than the fine aesthetics, "Areopagitica" is the total banger of the record, deserving to get higher exposure, as it is addictive from the first seconds and quite memorable. I think all five tunes are of high quality, but only once the listener invests into the band's world. The closing of Render Unto Eden with "Pascal's Wager" is plain melancholic, offers a smooth transition back to reality and makes up for this hell of a listening experience.

There is backstory to the tracks and the complexity of the album is not so much in terms of technicality but more in the level these musicians understand what they want to write in their music. In my opinion, it's really hard to achieve this and shows endless compositional potential. I know for a fact that the band can be mistaken for nothing special as I almost was in that loop once, yet Render Unto Eden can make a lot of extreme metal records obsolete, and it just makes me wonder how will the next two albums look like in this story. Until then, listen to Panzerfaust and listen to this, but as a whole. 

Precambrian - Tectonics (2020) Review

This is the second time it's happening. Back in the middle of 2019, one day I decided to re-listen to Wintewolf's debut Cycle of the Werewolf (which was also my first vinyl purchase) and at the end of that post, I was wondering about the future of this project, if there was any. Soon afterwards, they surprise released a second full length (review here), which had me scratching my head as if it was a joke then. Fast forward to this year's May, I also re-listened to Precambrian's discography up to date, the two EPs they released in 2014 and 2016, through the 2019 compilation that contained them. In my thoughts, this compilation was more of a concluding mark for the band, but little did I know that they were about to start on fresh, with not an EP, but an actual full length this time. 

When the album's single Cryogenian was released some time ago, I didn't believe my eyes that another side-project I was very much into and recently wrote a post about, spawned a full length unexpectedly. Tectonics is barely half an hour long, it contains five new tracks from the band, which has chosen the stripped down, straightforward and combative approach they have been following since day one. Thematics revolving around climatology and geology, thick sound and often incredibly heavy tunes is what characterizes Precambrian, unlike their members' other projects that tend to infuse a lot of melancholy and melody in their music. Though you will not find that kind of atmosphere here, with Tectonics there are some concealed, well placed melodic parts in the songs, that turn events into more epic directions.

For those new to Precambrian, prepare to be met with material that is dense and hostile, where the tools are simple: potent repetitive riffing, hard hitting drums and above all, monstrous growls and screams. The vocals take the record to a different dimension (the singer's growls have been a long time favorite of mine) and make the already impressive, minimalist structures of the compositions even stronger. Moments in "Fossilization", "Archaebacteria" or "Cryogenian" feel like a bulldozer, in a way that is almost rare to find in black metal nowadays. Precambrian have not chosen a color outside black - grey - white - black yet, they don't talk about the typical uninteresting subjects you are used to and above all, are talented in what they do.

"Volcanic Winter", a rather interesting phenomenon on its own, is also a highlight track. Traces of the aforementioned melody are present, along with some of the most monotonous parts of the album, and it works great. One will notice how abruptly tracks get cut when they end, as if there was a continuation that is not in the final mix, a choice that I sense was done consciously and aims to not have a comfortable flow. In normal conditions I would be alienated by this, but Precambrian is not the project that aims for anything different than what they offer. Since this project is very specific musically, I don't know how they want to continue with it but a synth based album, Ildjarn style, would be interesting to hear.

Once you've taken a course in Hate Forest's albums, the next step would naturally be to check and invest into this rather quiet an unknown side project from the universe of Drudkh. Not many bands sound like them and there is nothing friendly in this album, in a sense its release was a very satisfying event for me and another secret wish I had came true. By all means a release that is worth your time, especially if you are into underground extreme metal and you're looking for elements that have been coming and going the recent years during the musical expansion of the genre. Precambrian creates its own thick layer, with hardly any outliers. And for that reason, Tectonics can be assimilated and appreciated as it should. 

August 21st, 2020 | Primitive Reaction

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Primitive Man - Immersion (2020) Review

Three years after Caustic, Primitive Man releases an album which is half as long in duration, and also the shortest of their three full lengths, including the debut Scorn from 2013. For some reason, this was the first characteristic that drew my attention before getting into Immersion, which has already been widely praised by everyone who knows this band. Primitive Man have been relatively active in between the full lengths with a lot of split releases, most of them with quite interesting underground artists, however I have to admit it's only Scorn and Caustic that I had heard of them until now (and of course, the cover of "Sweet Leaf"). The band dictates its own law with immeasurable heaviness, playing one of the most direct and ugliest forms of doom out there, and to even call it like this feels slightly out of place. Doom metal can be beautiful.

The sludge / noise combination of elements, widely used by bands from the United States in the recent years, along with openly expressive lyrical negativity, has been a weird growing trend over there. Primitive Man leave no space for anyone to doubt their sincerity though, and this comes from someone who wouldn't claim to be their biggest fan. For the first time with this band for me, I gave them points and acknowledged the album's title being aligned with its effect, as Immersion can get quite immersive. The band's music was harder to follow with Caustic, a record which was over an hour. The content has been distilled multiple times now and the result is more consistent, more solid, and not at all less violent.

For its own sake, Immersion has an amazing production. The natural and pleasing sound of the drums makes each snare hit directly through your heart, the monstrous growls are unsettling, and the guitars are ripping all along during the album. No unwanted dust can be found in the overall sound, except when Primitive Man wants it to be there. Noise touches are of course present like before, especially in "∞", even though the real terrifying moments for me with Immersion are when they play faster. Parts of the closing track "Consumption" and the introduction of "Menacing" (one of my favorite tracks from them by now) display this clearly. At the same time, most of Immersion is painfully slow, putting shame to a big chunk of the scene that includes bands that even touch the same musical subgenres.

Arguing that Primitive Man got more accessible is false argument, they just got better. The tracks in Immersion are all memorable and they co-exist in one album perfectly. As a band that can achieve heaviness like no other, one couldn't say that the same verdict has not been delivered once again. Generally, I do believe that bands from the US today tend to get too much promotion and too much praise. Especially experimental artists, who touch a bit of grindcore / black metal / noise, seem to get into a wave that favors them even though the music is supposedly extreme. On the other hand, Primitive Man I can stand and admire. Immersion could be their best album to date, not much more to say for it.

August 14th, 2020 | Relapse Records

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