Bronze Hall - Embers of the Dawn (2026) Review

Finnish output Bronze Hall from loses no time after their notable debut, Honor & Steel (2025), and comes out with a well-versed follow-up of heavy-inclined, epic black metal. 

A lot of influences, from Macabre Omen to Nokturnal Mortum, and of course the legendary viking metal era of Bathory, come to mind - tracks vary from three to almost ten minutes with a dusty production exemplary of the underground sound. 

Build-up are often used in the form of acoustic guitars (e.g. in the awesome opening track "Embers of Remembrance", and "In Northern Twilight"), classic dungeon synth atmospherics (e.g. on "Call of Steel"), or dimmer dark ambient (e.g. on "Ravaging Flames", which has an absolutely menacing tempo right after). 

The longest piece "Galloping in the Sunlight's Embrace" has all Bronze Hall can offer, from the dungeon synth opening texture to the amazing, middle-paced black metal melodies and the more abstract, higher-thrill ending to close the album. 

There's bits and bites of brilliance all over this record, from the shortest "Night's Black Wings" (one of my favorites, even though the least ambitious) to the guitar work on these longer compositions. I consider this an improvement on the project's debut, and a must-listen for fans of aforementioned references and artists.

Rating: 3.5/5

Morbific - Squirm Beyond the Mortal Realm Review

This Finnish act has been ascending in the ranks of the new wave of old school death metal and by no accident, as they have a really good grasp on the visuals and the music, proving it with their debut Ominous Seep of Putridity last year. Their split with Anatomia was also decent, so there were no signs of immediate malfunctions for Morbific, who build up on their first work with a very similar minded record, Squirm Beyond the Mortal Realm. Everything seems to be in its proper place once again, and the band does perform to its expected standards, providing material that is full of crawling, heavy grooves, painful growls, violent lyrical themes and a healthy dose of brutality one would hope to receive from such albums. Morbific are not master composers and not the filthiest of death metal practicians that you could find, yet they at least stand well on their feet when it comes to the compositional part of Squirm Beyond... The biggest issue of the record though, one that ruins the listen for me, is this obnoxious production. There is a constant amount of noise that, even if it comes or doesn't come from an instrument, actively damages the outcome. The drums are completely buried and every instrument sounds cut off from the rest of the instrumentation. The vocals are sometimes too silent and generally, the record's audio is simply smashed. Most of the actual material is enjoyable even if sometimes, middle paced guitar lines are repeated too much and make the tracks a bit frail (the longer ones especially have that problem). It sounds like when you watch Morbific perform these tracks live, they will definitely sound different, so the studio editing unfortunately had a negative impact on the outcome of this record. Still, this cover is really great, and there are a handful of nice moments here which death metal fans will dig, if they don't mind its production. [2.5/5 - Average]

Corpsessed - Succumb to Rot (2022) Review

This Finnish band's acute sting is no wonder when taking into account its members, who are also active in projects like Lie In Ruins, Profetus, Tyranny and Concrete Winds, some of the most high quality extreme metal out of that country, considering everything (you heard me). Nevertheless, I never gave Corpsessed a proper listen except for 2018's Impetus of Death, which I had found more than entertaining, and now their fourth full length and first release in three years, Succumb to Rot, which is as bludgeoning as the title suggests.

While disregarding excess in technicality, the record thrives on potent, heavy riffing with numerous middle and slower paced moments, cavernous vocals and harsh but clear production that has admittedly taken a step or two forward compared to their previous material. There is a leveled amount of old school death metal groove in Succumb to Rot, as well as excellent drumming with an even more excellent sound, definitely one of the highlights for me that made the tracks even more pleasing throughout the listen. Corpsessed have a good sense of riff sequencing and are not afraid to switch tempos when needed, achieving a result that stands out for its amounts of the purest element of the genre, brutality.

It's not that Succumb to Rot is completely void of filler moments. Especially in the longer tracks of the record (such as "Profane Phlegm", "Sublime Indignation" or "Spiritual Malevolence"), I heard some moments that served as little too long bridges between actually solid parts in the composition, especially when the band decides to go almost towards doom / death territories. This little point can remain under the radar though and won't really annoy the ear of a listener who gives themselves up to the album, an otherwise wholesome experience. These tracks are also enjoyable, but I do think Corpsessed are flawless in their shortest pieces, especially "Relentless Entropy". I could also live without this two minute introduction, but it does somehow set a mood. Imagine though, the record starting with the massive second track!

Corpsessed explode just before the record ends with the longest piece in the record, "Pneuma Akathartos", meaning unclean spirit in Greek and slightly grammatically incorrect (the correct phrase would be pneuma akatharto). Here, one can hear actually efficient doom-ish passages in between completely crushing death metal that brought Desolate Shrine in mind, while Corpsessed are more of an Incantation / Disma kind of hellspawn. Succumb to Rot does not come lightly, it doesn't contain any tricks to sound as punishing as it does and it resembles the image of a giant boulder running over the house. All in all, it hits what death metal can and should hit.

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Label: Dark Descent Records

Country: Finland

Release date: April 22nd, 2022

Website: Instagram

DAMAGE: 3.5/5 [Great]

Notes on: Thy Serpent

As stars have come old

Finland has always had a certain affection towards raw, blasphemous black metal, from its early days until today. Bands like Archgoat, Barathrum, Beherit and Impaled Nazarene were central protagonists during the second wave in the 90's, and a generation of new bands of the same origins has surfaced the last couple of decades, making their branch of the genre an equivalent of the drunkard uncle that crushes and ruins the Christmas family dinner. Of course, artists from there are also capable of delicate, beautiful music (all the symphonic black metal, melodic death metal, symphonic metal and rock, with bands of global caliber) and is one of the areas with the richest heavy metal culture on the planet.

Warloghe - Three Angled Void (2021) Review

Genre: Black Metal

Location: Säynätsalo, Finland

Release date: 2021

Label: Northern Heritage Records

Website: Facebook

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After the EP Warloghe released in 2017, Lucifer Ascends, I wondered for a bit if they would have a follow-up to 2003's Womb of Pestilence. It turns out we get Three Angled Void, 18 years later, released relatively quietly through the common suspects of Northern Heritage in Finland. The band has achieved its own cult status due to its first two albums, and even almost two decades later, nothing has changed with Warloghe. 

This includes all the points that I enjoy about them, as well as the ones I don't. It seems to me the project has an above average perception when it comes to its aesthetics and textual content (cover art, titles, concepts etc...). They don't fall into the blasphemous, straightforward words of other Finnish bands. They don't overload their covers with Old English fonts and logos, instead they are all the time, plain and enigmatic. I equally like the newest art of Three Angled Void, as simplistic as it seems. It is worth it to own an LP of The First Possession or Womb of Pestilence, just because of the awesome artwork, and the same applies for this.

Nevertheless, the actual music of Warloghe is regrettably moderate at most times, with only a handful of more blistering moments. It it was the case in the past, it's also with Three Angled Void that I struggle to maintain focus when listening, while enjoying a track part here and there but that's about it. The production is very close to Warloghe's older material, fairly chalky but not always to a good extent, basically providing a far-flung instrumentation sound that's almost detached from the shrieked vocals on top. The middle / slow paced pieces in Three Angled Void are sluggish and too familiar, making "The Everburning", or "Inhuman Error" difficult to remember. 

On the other hand, more exciting activity appears in the more aggressive lines of "Invultuations From the Black Earth", and "Lucifer Ascends" (not a new track but a part of the aforementioned EP). "Starlit Portals Amidst Mass Graves" also offers a few fine, traditional black metal melodies, but the constant one dimensional vocals of the record doesn't seem to catch up with the ferocity of these pieces. I liked how minimally the album ends with "Singularities Descend", and especially its final two minutes. 

Even after all this time, Warloghe's work remains completely unchanged, to standard black metal with a few extra elements that the fans might enjoy, and Three Angled Void fits perfectly to their back catalog. It could have been released one day after Womb of Pestilence. While I support the band for its overall stance, and they have not received unreasonable exposure all these years, their music often doesn't pass the average bar for me, but it's always a nice feeling to see projects like this active and sticking to what they want to do.

---

Tracklist:

1. The Everburning

2. Lucifer Ascends

3. Inhuman Mirror

4. Invultuations from the Black Earth

5. Starlit Portals Amidst Mass Graves

6. Singularities Descend

Damage: 3/5 [Good]

Skepticism - Companion (2021) Review

Release date: September 24th, 2021

Genre: Funeral Doom Metal

Origin: Finland

Label: Svart Records

Listen: Bandcamp

We got a tiny bit of Eero Pöyry action earlier this year with his keyboard contribution to the introduction and outro of Mork's latest album Katedralen, a great work of modern Norwegian black metal that features some of the band's most well-written material to date. As for me, I enjoyed Katedralen but was more anxiously waiting for the next Skepticism full length, especially after the slight letdown of 2015's Ordeal, where the band didn't manage to keep my attention almost at all. Prior to that, they have massive albums on their backs, each one a big chapter in their story dating back to the early days of establishing this subgenre.

If you want some quick insight to stop reading this text faster, you should already know then that Companion is startling. Its massive atmosphere, through multilayered synths and the beloved church organs, the snail-paced guitar lines -even though, this time Skepticism dare to play a bit faster too- all live up to their names. With instances that reminded me a bit of the Farmakon era, it's packed with epic moments and almost no dull moment, it naturally flows and you won't even know when the 48 minutes of duration have passed when listening to this magical journey. Companion changes mood from time to time, based always on interesting ideas and fine musicianship, so don't expect pointless, endless songs that attempt to mimic funeral doom metal. I really liked some of the directions this record took, and it's after all, made by veterans.

The album openers "Calla" and "The Interwined" are wonderful examples of Skepticism class, and they stand on the slightly more uplifting side of the album. The band picks up some speed here and might catch some listeners off guard (just compare this to the standard speeds of e.g., Alloy), offering an abundance of beautiful melodies and some especially nice piano + drums part in "The Interwined". Slower, church organ driven lines follow in "The March of the Four", where one can find some of the more typical funeral doom elements being clearer. However, Companion takes a wondrous turn from then on, as it shows its angry face with "Passage". Apart from the intimidating introduction, which feels like a more furious, fast paced black metal track might kick in, its used of background synths, along the mellower, more common Skepticism style, provides a heavier, more punishing result that made it possibly my favorite track in the record.

It's pointless to mention how good the keyboards and the church organ is every time it deserves a mention in Companion, but for the people who are familiar with Skepticism, the quality of Eero Pöyry's execution is well known. That's what I enjoyed the most in the dolent "The Inevitable", and the rest of the instrumentation in the ominous introduction of the final track "The Swan and the Raven", as well as how it built up and closed the album in the same manner. Yet, not to totally praise this release, what I did not completely enjoy at several times was the growling of the vocals, as to me it didn't sound as hefty, as deep or as strong as it could have been, which had me thinking that if Companion featured a more monstrous lower vocal work, it would have been among my top funeral doom metal albums. Still, I doubt this will alienate the fans out there, as Skepticism have made another really solid effort.

Ok, this was really nice, now back to Stormcrowfleet again.

Tracklist:

1. Calla
2. The Intertwined
3. The March of the Four
4. Passage 
5. The Inevitable 
6. The Swan and the Raven

Damage: 3.5/5 [Great]

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.

Baptism - Grim Arts of Melancholy (2008) Review

Baptism kicked back wonderfully with the release of Grim Arts of Melancholy in 2008, three years after their least appealing release, which in my opinion was 2005's Morbid Wings of Sathanas. In this album, they improved on several sections that they needed work: the compositions are much more crushing and addictive, the sound is dusty but not inaudible, the vocals are comprehensible and the body of the record is thick and solid, setting Grim Arts as a glorious representation of what Baptism can achieve musically. They don't fall into the stagnating trap of sounding like any other Finnish black metal band out there, they dance between slow, depressive melodies and faster parts with all-in-all impressive ideas and menacing riffs. The album is emotionally charged, channels its negativity and communicates the message of the band rather convincingly. Of course, Baptism went on and released more quality material the following decade (As the Darkness Enters in 2012 is still one of my favorites from the 10s era), yet this is the album to come back to when thinking of this band. Tracks like "In this Painful Life" and "Only Death" flirt with DSBM directly, the opening "A Dream of War & Illumination" is a true black metal anthem, while "Depressed Void" is one of the most memorable songs they have ever composed. Grim Arts of Melancholy is a well rounded record, emotionally charged and with strong attitude, in what could have been the peak of the band at the time.

Listen to Grim Arts of Melancholy:

Korgonthurus - Kuolleestasyntynyt

Artist: Korgonthurus

Origin: Finland

Genre: Black Metal

Album: Kuolleestasyntynyt

Release: March 13th, 2020

Track listing:

1. Kuolleestasyntynyt

2. Tuhontuoja

3. Syyttäjäenkeli 

4. Riivattu

5. Yön lapsi

6. Nox

Cornigr - Relics of Inner War (2011) Review

Origin: Finland
Label: Final Agony Records
Release: 2011
Type: Full Length

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It would be hard to guess that this now defunct act was active since 2002, with just one full length and a couple of mini releases on their backs. Cornigr were and one man band by Vainaja, who kept it as a personal side project while working with other more popular Finnish bands. He has been involved with Saturnian Mist, Horna, he's active with Vitsaus and also has played bass in Sargeist, while Cornigr were for sure the place where he would exert his musical ideas freely. Relics of Inner War has a distance of eight years with its previous release, a short demo in 2003 all in Finnish, which depicted a big evolutionary leap that justified this time period gap.

As many countries, the more typical bands from Finland have grown to have their own touch to the sound of black metal, as it has evolved from the second wave and onwards. We shouldn't hesitate to say that Relics of Inner War falls into the same category, as it wouldn't remind the listener directly of other Finnish bands, but more of a vicious album that features plenty of well-written tracks and leans slightly to the orthodox black direction, when at the same time stays far away from it. The production is not perfect but audible, it wouldn't need to be any cleaner than it is and can be a fine example of how an album completely worked by one person might come out.

There are several points on the positive side for Cornigr, not just the compositional confidence and enthralling content of Relics of Inner War. The guitar lines are ripping and offering potent riffs all throughout, the record's unfiltered sound enhances the band's purpose and character and produces a rather chaotic result, where one has to be more careful than usual to discover the different musical parts. In a sense, Relics of Inner War is a rather introverted record that provokes the feeling of isolation when listening to it, but not in a shallow manner that many black metal bands think they provoke. 

The distant and painful sound of the vocals, as well as the textual work on Relics of Inner War, reach the level the instrumentation demands. While the record contains parts of weary black metal melodies, moments of a more chaotic playing can really show what this band was capable of. It's not the most original piece of all time or the most processed, but its sincerity and strength of the tunes is absolutely compelling after a couple of spins. Cornigr created a sturdy album that kind of stayed in the shadows, or just eluded me for a long time.

I like how at first, you notice a couple of short duration tracks that last around two minutes and think that it will be worthy-to-be-skipped interludes. However, Relics of Inner War does not stray from the guitars - bass - drums - vocals setup at any time, and it's far more exciting to hear a faster black metal track of one minute, than blurry dark ambient sounds. What Cornigr does is keep playing in both "Rotten Embrace" and "Brand Carrier's Canticle", the latter being a two minute monster and one of my favorites as well. Why aren't there more bands out there that do that?

Apart from a small part of "Banished and Cast Into Fire" where the drumming is a bit incoherent (an otherwise great track with an underlying Mayhem feeling) I don't think Relics of Inner War has a bad moment. It has the appropriate length of half an hour too and you will not grow out of it very quickly, even the ending track "Discord" features a more quiet and ominous outro to finish the record, that doesn't last too long. Everyone else just uses two or three minute outros, or worse. Relics of Inner War is just the right amount of everything. I don't know where Cornigr would be today if it was still an active project but it is fortunate that this album has seen the light of day.

Track listing:

1. Shroud of Satan
2. Baptism Below
3. Rotten Embrace
4. Death Trimorph
5. Brand Carrier's Canticle
6. Jaws of Time
7. Banished and Cast into Fire
8. Discord

Winterwolf - Cycle of the Werewolf (2009)

Artist: Winterwolf

Genre: Old School Death Metal

Origin: Finland

Year: 2009

Label: Xtreem Music

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Deathchain are relatively known in the underground scene and considered a solid Finnish death / thrash metal band, plus their hefty discography has some really good albums. 

A lesser known fact is that the band were previously known as Winterwolf, between the years 2000-2001, before becoming to Deathchain in 2002. The band had released to demos as Winterwolf before changing name, and their sound back then was raw and closer to pure death metal.

Some of the band members decided to bring Winterwolf back to life in 2006, while Deathchain were still active, and their first and only album so far, Cycle of the Werewolf, was released three years later, in 2009. Antti from Demilich also took a part in the album.

I ordered the record when it was first released because I wanted to fill a request, but a fun fact is that I initially wanted to buy a CD version. I was confused and ordered an LP version instead, which was a big surprise to me when the package arrived.

I didn't (and don't) have my own turntable, and it was impossible to rip the album into my computer, and back then it was still not available online. I had the LP and couldn't listen to it, only after a couple of years when I used a friend's vinyl player. But at first, I was really eager to listen to it, I had it and still it was impossible for me.

Cycle of the Werewolf is obsessed with fullmoon and wolves, as in its booklet, the band has used simplistic, black and white drawings of werewolves transforming and similar scenes. All the lyrics and most of the booklet text is in classic, lovable old English font.

The tracks are all revolving around that subject, and the album was: mastered at Studio Perkele (Finnish as fuck), recorded at Moonlight Studios during fullmoon. Winterwolf are so focused on this classic horror theme, that it's what separates them from the rest of the death metal scene. The guys have all the time they want to express themselves through Deathchain, so they can go with something graphic and straightforward in a side project. 

Musically, Cycle of the Werewolf is not a revolution, but stays in Swedish / Finnish old school death metal ideas. The production is harsh and there also is a cover of the legendary track "Cenotaph" by Bolt Thrower. 

I have Winterwolf close to my heart because, through my ordering mistake, it was the first LP I ever bought when I first started collecting in 2008 - 2009. I used to get CDs then, but it's funny that my first LP came around like that.

The band released a split with Disma in 2011 (review here) but haven't done much since. Cycle of the Werewolf is intended for fans of old school death metal, and people who have been into the genre for some time. A second album by them is a kinky dream for me but I don't mind them staying in the shadows like that.

The album title is very possibly inspired by an awesome short horror story by none other than Stephen King, released in 1983. You can find some information about this book at Wikipedia.

Track listing:

1. Intro to Death

2. Phantoms of Madness

3. Cemetary by Night

4. Lycanthropic Aeons

5. nataS fo tsaeB

6. All Shall Be Eaten

7. Shadows, Howling and Doom

8. Wolf Skin Mask

9. Return to the Shadow of Death

10. Cenotaph (Bolt Thrower cover)

--

Similar to: early Entombed, Dismember

Café suggestions: Phantoms of Madness, Wolf Skin Mask, All Shall Be Eaten

Listen on Bandcamp

Beherit - At the Devil's Studio 1990 (2011) Review

Album | At the Devil's Studio 1990
Country | Finland
Genre | Black Metal
Label | Kvlt

| Nocturnal evil |

Beherit had been out of activity for almost fifteen years when they made their return with the well known, but still legit fourth full length album Engram. I tend to think of their discography as a collection that doesn't contain the two electronic efforts they released, not because I don't like them but because they have a completely different sound. If they were a side project by Holocausto (that many bands do) it might have been better. Yet, I don't have the same problem with the Burzum case so I guess it's just my personal disfunction with these guys, always forgetting the 1994-1996 work.

It seems like a main member of the band, Sodomatic Slaughter, found a tape of the mixes of what could easily be the first full length album by Beherit, before Drawing Down the Moon. For their own reasons, they weren't able to release this album so it was buried by time, only to arrive in 2010. Of course, they would cease the moment and immediately release it, fetching the fans with more, unheard material of their kvlt days, even older than their opus in 1993. In At the Devil's Studio 1990, there are two unreleased songs, as well as different versions of their old tracks, so I guess it's already easy to guess what this contains.

It's not clear to me, why they decided to release this as a full length, and not as a compilation, since it's just a collection of old tracks. In fact, it has the exact track listing structure of new, pointless compilations: demo / rehearsal versions of known tracks plus a couple of new ones. Even if it was intended to be a full length album twenty years ago, it's not how it should be released today and they could have chosen a better format. Of course it doesn't make the tinniest difference whatsoever, since the music would be the same either way, but still it bothers me, for some reason.

Maybe it's not right to judge this album, since it wasn't released as a new effort by the band but mostly for archival purposes, they know old record hunters are dying for anything that was released a bunch of years ago. I would also release a tape of my two decade old music, especially if I had built a legit name back then. Imagine being a die-hard fan of the band, I think you would have been filled with joy listening to the news on this record and you would save money for an LP as well, just for the sake of the collection. I made the mistake and listened to this as if it was a real record, and there it has nothing more than mediocre, monotonous black / death, half the size of Profanatica's dicks.

The production is quite dirty and a bit sloppy, as the volume of the guitars is higher than needed, covering the sound of the drums (I could only listen to the cymbals, unless I wanted to hurt my ears trying to find the rest of the kit) and the gargling vocals. It's sound is naturally affiliated with their demos at the time, which is understandable but still somehow unbearable, making me think that it would be so much better if they completely re-recorded it. Then, it might fit the title of a full length as well, or at least it would get a little bit closer. I don't have many comments to make on At the Devil's Studio 1990. If you are a fan, you will enjoy it. If you try to review it objectively, in the 21st century and not in 1990, you will see that it's frustrating and boring.

Beherit - Engram (2009) Review

Album | Engram
Country | Finland
Genre | Black Metal
Label | Spinefarm Records

| Spirit of heroine |

The majority of the black metal scene today is familiar with the wagon of Beherit and their followers, mainly for their significant contribution in black-death metal and their early album Drawing Down the Moon, which was "cult" and raw but really not much more. After their two albums of electronic music, they vanished so that they would return many years later as a force of primitive brutality. Engram is a reminder of the roots of genre, simple as can be, noisy and faithfully anti-religious, in the vein of no other than Beherit themselves.

What makes this album a lot different than their early material is not the music but the production, which is a lot clearer and thicker than what you might be used to. As a pure black metal album, the guitars' cutting sound and the raspy schrieks are dominant in it's entirety, while the drums are a bit lower in volume. Some samples of church bells are used in "Pagan Moon" and there is an introduction where Holocausto confesses "because, I just fucking hate this world" in the beginning of the first song, just for the listener to feel more comfortable.

I think the sound of Engram is a lot better than the sloppy first album, try not to choke on your black metal bullet belts on that comment and learn to appreciate the profits of a solid studio for once. I'm glad they finally cleaned their instruments and got out of the attic, at least in terms of sound. The music is at the same level as it has always been, only that this time the compositions are too repetitive. They are more repetitive than your average black metal record, revolving around a simple riff or two, both fast (in the tracks "Suck My Blood" and "All In Satan" and middle / sludgy (in the track "Demon Advance") paced.

Even though the band has not improved or changed it's style very much, I seem to enjoy Engram more than anything else I have listened by them so far. It's straightforward and simplistic for it's own good, a solid representation of what Beherit do best with the proper production and character. It exerts enough hatred and doesn't put too much philosophical pressure behind it, making it great just to sit back and enjoy. You can even share a listen with a couple of friends, how about that.

Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon (1993) Review

Album | Drawing Down the Moon
Country | Finland
Genre | Black Metal
Label | Spinefarm Records

| Black haired witches |

It's often hard to point out the difference between hard working, serious musicians and a bunch of anxious teenagers experimenting with extreme subjects, especially when sound as primitive as can be is easy to make and doesn't require that much music knowledge or technique. I almost can see the guys from Beherit jamming around as kids, back in the early nineties, when the band started it's infamous path. This band always comes second to mind when talking about Finnish black metal of that specific period, right after Impaled Nazarene, when third goes Archgoat and Barathrum (there wasn't a big movement over there, as it was in the neighbor countries).

A common characteristic of these bands and almost any other Finnish one back then, is the complete lack of melody or rhythm in their music. The bands there preffered to create dismal and blasphemous material, draining their music from any radio friendly elements, so Beherit is no exception. That's why one can relate them more with bands on the other side of the planet, like the Canadian Blasphemy, or Von / Profanatica and so to say. All these bands never made the way to my top favorites, even though it's fun to listen to them, but as Drawing Down the Moon is widely regarded as a masterwork, I thought deeper insight would be useful. Inside my head, I was hoping that this would last around half an hour and I really wanted to dig it as much everyone does.

It has come to my understanding that the record is a love it or hate it issue, since it's up to the fan's tastes and patience in cases like this. I probably lean towards the second group and even if I don't think this is extremely bad, it is surely way overrated for it's kind. If you have listened to any of the aforementioned bands above, you will know that bestiality is the key element and Drawing Down the Moon has plenty of it. Not only the guitars but the sound itself is raw and distorted, keeping the recording as authentic as possible. The album mostly moves in an oppressive, middle paced tempo and it presents it's monotonous, droning buzz in a way that's not the easiest to follow.

If anything needs to be said about the production, it's dirty and focuses bass tones in every one of it's instruments. To me, each one of them sounds neat by itself, but the mixing and the balance of them all together lacks the expected power. The guitars seem to have a distance from the drums and the vocals, creating holes in the overall sound, making it significantly weaker than it would probably go. I know it's not even the first priority here, but still I wanted to be overthrown by it's blasphemous strength and I wasn't, so it was kind of a let down there. Drawing Down the Moon lasts forty minutes and it included thirteen 1-4 minute compositions, which are more than needed in my opinion. Filler tracks make the album even more fragile.

There are a few signs that give away the band's later efforts with peculiar electronic music, and these are mainly the instrumental tracks and the track "Summerlands". I can't blame them for liking other genres that include more electronics (in fact, Holocausto is DJing trance these days and has come to Greece for shows too) but I can't help but blame them for mixing them with this black metal. Even if one is fully enjoying it's raw brutality, one get's frustrated when these funky space sounds arive, like that track "Nuclear Girl" which is one of the weakest moments of the album, and it would be better if it was not included. With kick ass titles like "Salomon's Gate", "Nocturnal Evil" and "Sadomatic Rites", which in fact make good tracks as well, there should be no place for this child synth playing.

Musically, the album has a simplistic and typical structure, with the songs built around common riffs and repetitive drums. The sure thing is that Necroperversor could do more in the drum post and that is obvious in faster tracks like "Thou Angel of the Gods" and "Werewolf, Semen and Blood" where he doesn't really follow properly at all. The guitar work is average too but fairly enjoyable, being the memorable element of album, along with the vocals. They might be one part of the album I had no problem with, the nightmarish and diverse vocals and chanting in the songs, a little above the overall mediocrity. From the lyrics I caught, there are references to occultism and Satan, the latter being the band's name in Syriac too.

"Gate of Nanna" is a bad example of the album, for it's boring rhythm and dull, frustrating drumming / riffing and "Black Arts" is a good one, since the power of Holocausto as a singer and composer is shown there. Drawing Down the Moon is not the worst stuff I have listened but don't flatter yourselves with overwhelming comments about them either. The first Impaled Nazarene albums are equally raw and way richer and more interesting than this, if there should be a comparison. I don't think Beherit managed to overcome the barrier of Von's sluggish level and since I don't enjoy them either, I can't say much about this. I get why the fans consider it a gem and it might be one, but I was completely turned off in some points, in a way that the couple of solid moments could not save the day.

Archgoat - Whore of Bethlehem (2006) Review

Country | Finland
Genre | Black / Death Metal
Label | Osmose Productions
Dynamic range | DR9

| Against all white light |

Each genre and sub genre is characterized by a couple of breakthrough bands that first started with that particular music, motivating many others with their albums. In a way, ungraceful black / death metal is not an established subcategory (as symphonic black metal for example) but there is a whole scene based around it, starting back in the early nineties. Now, it's true that most of the bands in there are nothing more than whining drunks with a very immature and easy to go touch in their stuff, which consists of a lot of swearing, genitalia and upside down crosses. Tell me when I have to get scared.

One of these milestone bands for this genre are indeed Archgoat. Despite having very few releases and only some years activity in 1989-1993, it seems to be one of the major influences around here. Coming back from the dead in 2005, Whore of Bethlehem is in fact the debut full length album by the band. I would be happy with a trve kvlt record in 1992-1994 because it would surely be worshiped later on, but hey, it's never too late. So, what do we have to expect from the first full album by Archgoat? Not much have changed and it should stay that way, with the dudes focusing on pure madness and bestiality for about thirty five minutes. If you have heard their first EP Angelcunt (Tales of Desecration) and loved it, with a silent wish of a longer record in the back of your mind, this is for you. After a nonsense MCD in 2005 which almost buried them alive, they pick things up right from where they left them in 1993 and put out a -by all means- solid record.

Of course, the genre is somehow doomed to mediocrity inside it's own borders, since bands like these never demonstrate something unique or fascinating musically. I doubt they give a damn about it either, since the sole purpose is to be ugly and attacking, so every bands that succeeds that can be considered "good" by me. I don't have a lot of complaints about Whore of Bethlehem, as it balances nicely between pure blasphemy and musical structure, without giving emphasis on one of the two alone. The same ingredients are used once more, from the filthy black / death riffs, to the monstrous vocals and the hard hitting drums, as well as a steady bass sound, is the alpha and the omega for the band. The sound of the album is low pitched and scourging, lacking variety for it's own good. The old but adored church bells and synths are included in a couple of songs, like in "Dawn of the Black Light.

It's not creative or rich, but it feels great to listen to. It's typical Archgoat but in a larger proportion, dressed in a dusty and hostile production, putting it right in every playlist, when you feel like sacrificing goats in the name of Lucifer, while cursing religion in any way possible. You are not going to fall apart from it's sheer musical genius, but surely it has the needed brutality and rawness.

DAMAGE: 7.25/10

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Archgoat - Angelslaying Black Fucking Metal (EP, 2005) Review

Country | Finland
Genre | Black / Death Metal

Label | Hammer of Hate Records
Dynamic range | DR7

 With a few short releases, Archgoat decided to split after the release of their debut EP Angelcunt (Tales of Desecration), only to come back to life eleven years later and start working on new material. Angelslaying Black Fucking Metal was what the band decided to offer to the hungry fans that have been anxious about it all this time, another EP one year after the regroup, pretty much in the vain of their older stuff. However, this record much weaker and more shallow, compared to previous stuff.

If one thought that Angelcunt was short, lasting only thirteen minutes, they should check this out. Three songs that barely pass five and a half minutes in total, certainly too short and to quick for one to notice in a load of music or similar. These three tracks combined could easily be used as one filler track for an actual whole album, it contains such a small amount of music. That was a cruel comeback dudes. I believe they were in a hurry to release a full length (that came out in 2006) and wanted to put out something before it, so the EP was created in something like a day or so, like the listeners would not notice.

However, I think many fans that like this band are satisfied by the EP, which doesn't lack anything for the standards of Archgoat. It's not friendly melodic, instead it still is uncompromising, raw and heavy. The compositional level is not hard to reach, but it seems like they had better things to do during the conception of this, as if it's something they hadn't completely think through. The production is more polished and doesn't have the filth of the early nineties, which was lovely. Instead, it has created a metallic sound for the guitars and left the drums a little behind, making the sound cleaner but not improved by any means. Even the vocals don't have the bits of diversity they had on Angelcunt, they are limited to monotonous growling only.

There is "Penis Perversor", aggressively opening the record with some screaming samples and the same old riffs, for about two minutes. It is a punching track but doesn't get out of the bathroom. The second "Thrice Damned Sodomizer (Stream Of Blood)" is the longest and most solid song here, it gives the impression of a full song and has a couple of nice synths here and there. The last track "Satanic Oath" lasts 43 seconds and it's relatively useless. Again, the band does not stray from the cloud of death metal that much, meaning very un-technical and watered down death metal over the actual genre. Therefore, this EP sucks in two genres.

I enjoyed the first EP very much but almost hated the second. Maybe I had negative thoughts about it before listening, but if it had anything interesting, it would change my mind. With a stomping title and some empty songs, it seems like they tried to recapture the love of the scene from nothing and if this is considered a return, it's a god damn lame one. Hopefully, their later full albums were meant to repay me and everyone else in full or even more...

DAMAGE: 1.0/10

Convulse - Evil Prevails (2013) Review

Convulse: Evil Prevails

Country | Finland

Genre | Death Metal

Date | November 1st, 2013

Label | Svart Records

| Clouds red as fire |

It seems like a lot of bands from the past are coming back with new releases after a lot of years (Sorcery and Protector come to mind). The old school fans have no right to complain about anything anymore, since not only the old bands arise from their ashes to release new music, but also there is a whole scene of newcomer bands that play as if they still live in the late eighties and nineties. When I first found Convulse, I fell in love with their debut album A World Without God, for it had the amazing sound and that particularly amazing feeling that old bands bring inside you when you listen to their forgotten, buried records. Then, I was a bit let down by their sophomore Reflections, and left the band into cold ice. Almost forgot about them. When the reissue of World Without God came out in 2010 it hit me that these guys might be back together, without thinking of a new release at all, something that made this album a surprise. In fact, I was not sure of who this band is, because the name didn't ring any bells at first sight. There are new members, the drummer and one guitarist, hired by the other two, original members, the singer/guitarist and bassist.

Getting down to the content, Evil Prevails is a dark, intense, old school death metal record from guys that seem to never get old. I'm glad time has not erased their urge to make great music and I'm talking about one of my favourite comebacks of the year, to be exact. A problem I often encounter in such cases, is that the frontman usually has lost his deep growling voice and goes with softer, shouting vocals instead. It works fine most of the times, but I personally prefer the downtuned, rancid vocals in death metal, and that's what I get here. Rami is a magnificent vocalist and he demonstrates his talents not only with his unearthly growls, but also with some clean vocals that are inserted in the more silent, doomy, acoustic minutes. The slower, grimy parts in the tracks remind me of the doom side of Autopsy, less frequent but in the same vein.

I'm pretty straightforward with what I want from this kind of death metal and such experimentations rarely pass the test for me, but this time I found it delicate, smartly used, a great addition in general. There are plenty of fast-paced hammering parts for you to enjoy anyway. The songs are built around numerous riffs and solos, enhanced by a great vocal and drum work, worshipping the first wave of Finnish death metal, with them being a significant part of it in the first place. If one would ask pure old school riffology in this album, it is exactly what one will get. Plenty of them, good varations in each song, with the proper way of using breakdowns and an overdose of agressiveness pouring out of every single line.

The now matured musicianship here helps a lot to the clear band improvement, in terms of composition and album structure. It flows nicely, warms your heart and caresses your ears, leaving a strong feeling of you traveling through time back into the tape trading era. With a production pleasingly raw to the fans and unfriendly to the outsider scene of modern meloshit, it builds it's own walls of protection from the unaware and repays it's followers with a remarkable, non stop trip of brutality. Lyrically, they don't go far from the familiar subjects, like genocide and war, as well as religion, pretty much the same like what they included in their debut. Not to mention the captivating cover artwork, done by the common suspect Luxi Lahtinen, who has been active into the painting business in the early nineties, drawing for bands like Avulsed and Demilich.

This is well written, accurate and relentless death metal, from the beginning to the end, executed by masters of the area, leaving the listener with very few to dislike, if any. You will find blast-beats, doom additives, clean parts, but all of them revolve around the old school attitude of death metal. The whole package is exactly how the job is done, but if I was to choose some standout tracks, these would be Days Are Dark, Unholy War and Reborn In Chaos, each one containing some of the best moments of the album, which ends with a sound of babies crying. What we get here is forgotten death metal with several new school elements as an enhancement. It is an enthralling album with enough, non-repetitive music for you to enjoy, without stepping into the trap of being a replica to all other, usual and simply good bands. It turns out Convulse had still some ideas to work on in the rear.

DAMAGE: 8.5/10

 | www.facebook.com/convulse |

Ancestors Blood - A Moment of Clarity (2013) Review

August 6th, 2013

Heidens Hart Records

Finnish Ancestors Blood return with a second full length album after five years, when they released the mannered and tight debut "Return of the Ancient Ones". The band moves towards pagan black metal and generally speaks about anti-christianity and paganism, describing their music as esoteric heathen metal. The new album contains eight tracks and lasts about 45 minutes.

Starting with a clean sounding debut record and then turning your back to the studio and praising more primitive, raw sounds, is encountered less often than the other way around and this is the case here. They seem to go back to their demo period and explore new sides of it, sticking to the basics and focusing on the dirty production to build an intact, cacophonous atmosphere, with the synths to take the leading role in the whole act. As they do, one can listen to amusing melodies from the keyboards and it's the key aspect that makes the songs memorable, for their primordial sensation and aesthetic. Even though it's not musically better than it's predecessor, it sure is more aggressive, even with all the synth additions that make it mainly atmospheric.

Apart from the keys, little changes can be found between the songs and there lies the Achille's tendon of the album. The guitars are too fuzzy to give the impression of variation or change, sounding like the same thing played over and over again, with a few moments in the sun only when a solo or lead riff comes in. Combined with the guitars and the sparse bass, it creates a somehow plastic sound that does not highlight the compositional work of the band, trapping them into their own production. Nevertheless, the music is addictive if you listen to it closely, with the bands giving away talent in songs like Puu Ianikuinen and the grim vocals being way better than the howling / screaming that took place in their first album.

"A Moment of Clarity" runs on middle fast paced rhythms, calming down only during the intro and outro, interlude and some dispersed song parts. It can be described as a raw version of Summoning, if they ever decided to adjust pure black metal elements into their music, maintaining it's place as a legit album because of the engaging synth lines. A strict judge will find a couple of failing characteristics that might ruin the image of the album, but it will enjoy the fans whatsoever.

DAMAGE: 5.5/10

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[Recommended to fanatics of Satyricon debut and later Summoning.]

Vorum - Poisoned Void (2013) Review

Early winter 2013, Woodcut Records

Finnish Vorum released their debut full length "Poisoned Void" early this year and that adds yet another band to the modern old school death metal scene, as if the past is coming back to haunt us all. Formerly known as Haudankaivaja, these guys got together in 2005 with a mission to pay their respects to the roots of the genre. This album is like a finger pointer to the early death metal bands and they are not forgotten or forgiven, and since it's the first full work by the band (along with a poor demo and split w. Vasaeleth), it should be given priority.

No need to mention the awesomeness of the artwork this album has, which is very similar to my favourite pieces in black metal like the covers of Ravencult's Morbid Blood, Watain's Lawless Darkness (and everything), Behexen's Night Emanations and goes on... A perfect cover for the occasion for sure. 8 tracks reach 35 minutes in total length, with average 3-4 minutes songs expect the last self-titled one with lasts 7. The band has managed to create an album that depicts an amalgamation of different death metal styles of the 90s, moving from the American, to the Swedish, to the Finnish scene over and over again. With a sound that's heavy, thick and obscure, gnashing vocals and a shitstorm of riffs and solos, not only do they play something enjoyable to listen to, the very combination of influences results into a somehow unique synthesis.

Most of the tracks are quick-paced and vehement, with some Autopsian doomy riff exceptions, hopefully very few, no more is needed anyway. Every instrument is pleasingly audible and something i admired was the setting of the solos, which are given a clear sound and don't bury or get buried by the rest of the fuss, therefore not losing an ounce of their quality due to the production (check the track Evil Seed to see what i'm talking about, it's one of the best in the album too). The vocals are something between growling and screaming/Sorcery-like shouting, which is expected of them and acceptable as well. There are not any variations of them during the album, but still they are not out of place or weak by any means. It is a crossing between the growls of van Druned and Tardy, if names are needed.

The drumming moves into regular drumming and blastbeats, it is a bit high in volume in the mixing, but not high like it would destroy everything, more likely to improve it, being a great companion and giving a heart beating pace. Each song has a bunch of different riffs to grow around, making it very interesting to listen to, as they are using the not at all worn out recipe that Entombed introduced to the game. Their music is dirty enough to be given an Angelcorpse / Incantation feeling, since it has a raw blackened sound with hammering compositions from the beginning to the end. The songs are not overfilled with ideas and their moderate length helps them to be easy to digest and eventually headbang to, so as a whole, it is a comfortable album.

Track listing:
1. Impetuous Fires
2. Death's Stains
3. Rabid Blood
4. Thriving Darkness
5. Evil Seed
6. In Obscurity Revealed
7. Dance of Heresy
8. Poisoned Void

DAMAGE: 7.5/10

Monarque & Mortualia - Hymnes Funéraires des Rois (Split, 2008) Review

Monarque & Mortualia "Hymnes Funéraires des Rois"

Autumn 2008, Obscure Abhorrence Productions

Monarque

These two bands are known for their bloodchilling black metal and when the subject arrives, they should never be left out. Shatraug's project Mortualia is a torturing machine of unattractive sounds, whereas Monarque is a canadian project with a very delicate approach to the genre, as an art. This split between them was released back in 2008 and i can say it is very good. There are two songs in here and the album was only released in 7" vinyls.

Monarque's song starts with the standard tuning of DSBM, which helps the guitars sound thick and cold. It is the main characteristic of the song, since the rest of the instruments just kind of follow the slow-paced riffs. His vocals are amazing as always and the beginning of the song is a less-depressing and more atmospheric version of Xasthur or Veil. Monarque also added a clean part in between the song, making it a solid listen.

If you are familiar with Mortualia, you will expect something more painful than what you have just heard, and that's what you'll be getting. Shatraug grabs his evil thoughts and squizzes them so much that music comes out of them. The song moves on the same pace as the first two albums he has released, which means sad riffs with simple drumming, following bass and a hurtful voice. Seriously, these vocals can rip your heart out. It's not something new, its exactly what he knows best and he is a talented composer.

DAMAGE: 6.75/10