Saidan - Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory's Wrist (2026) Review

This act has caused significant turbulence within the scene since its formation only a few years ago, yet in that short span it has already assembled a quite formidable catalogue of full-length albums. Saidan's frenetic brand of black metal, amplified by overwhelming melodicism and blended with the dismal aura of Japanese horror, has grown a large audience through the effectiveness of its riffing and mercurial style of songwriting. Evolution has been evident throughout their entire discography, with each release surpassing the last.

Covenant - In Times Before the Light

Covenant were wise to change their name into The Kovenant to separate the time they were unique and beautiful with the time they went completely off the rails. 

I can't believe they also went on to pick this fine piece of work and slaughter its soul in 2002 with that horrendous re-recording. 

Apart from that, one of the most amazing symphonic black metal albums from Norway and maybe generally, full of memorable tracks and great production exactly to fit its time and the perfect medieval cover. 

Possibly overlooked, it's one of the classics of the late 90's and there's a few more around there that you might have also missed. [4.5/5]

Tracklist:

1. Towards the Crown of Nights

2. Dragonstorms

3. The Dark Conquest

4. From the Storm of Shadows

5. Night of the Blackwinds

6. The Chasm

7. Visions of a Lost Kingdom

8. Through the Eyes of the Raven

9. In Times Before the Light

10. Monarch of the Mighty Darkness

Calderum - Lord Cramridor (2023) Review

As medieval as the cover art of the new Calderum record looks, just about that much it actually feels like listening to it. The one-man project from Catalonia had set this as a clear goal since its first days and Lord Cramridor honours the pact, as an admirable traditional, lo-fi black metal release with its own hints of dungeon synth. 

In this record, everything feels aged, and its leanings are of a different time. Nostalgics of the 90’s second wave will be fairly pleased with it, as it’s mostly structured in the foundational patterns of the genre alongside pale synths behind the middle / fast paced tremolo picks. It doesn’t stretch their use too much to fully enter symphonic black metal territory, but they are mostly employed in a similar fashion like the bands from the Greek scene (most notably in “Chaos in the Dark Realm”). For its better part, Lord Cramridor features tracks of fine quality and with enough variety to not stumble upon itself. 

“Regions of the Dying Souls” has the most memorable lines in the album, while the self-titled track and the opener “Gates of Darkness” have multiple solid riff passages to enjoy. High pitched screams hardly diverge from the norm as it was fully expected, while the most distinct difference from the rest of the work is held by the outro “Enlightenment of the Forgotten Souls”, an instrumental that feels more like a recording of a ritual in the rain. Lord Cramridor is a well-written piece of black metal that doesn’t want to surprise, but it pays homage to old school heritage and fantastically praises medieval witchcraft. 

Calderum pile on with this third full length, which is also the one I found the most solid in their discography especially because of the multitude of neat guitar lines and smart synth ideas to accompany them. Not to mention that it follows a rather unspoken cover art trend of real castle photography behind a red logo (Wallachia, Evilfeast, Godkiller and probably more, have done this in the past…). Anyway, for this year, Calderum delivered.

DAMAGE: 3.5/5

Listen:

Bandcamp

Release date: 03 Feb 2023 (Death Prayer Records)

Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon (2003) Review

The turn of the millenium saw Dimmu Borgir going with orchestral elements, clean production and pumped epicness, full bore. What was originally some murky symphonic black metal elements in the early 90's had now turned into ambitious, grandiose compositions of the most polished sound possible, polarising the fans of the genre and standing even today as one of the most loved / hated bands throughout the years. The first thing to notice about Death Cult Armageddon is how much effort was not put in the cover art (even though the previous album's Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia choice, was decent...), which looks like something something one could make with the most generic editing software, using the most generic fonts possible. Apart from that, Dimmu Borgir kept on from where they had left two years earlier when it comes to music and lyrical content. For the latter, most of the texts in Death Cult Armageddon are quite decent, and all lyricists involved (mainly Silenoz & less, Shagrath) write well. As it was proven later when the band collaborated with the Norwegian National Orchestra, some tracks here and especially "Progenies of the Great Apocalypse" are characteristics of their modern era and are generally solid tracks, appropriate of their own worth. As the track is in the first half of the record, it is part of the better material in Death Cult Armageddon, as later on tracks get really bland and boring, really fast (from "Blood Hunger Doctrine" and on). However, when a riff gets in the spotlight, it does sound great and the combination of symphonic instruments and guitars is great, all the instruments are audible and the combination of vocalists has always been, in my opinion, a positive element of Dimmu Borgir. Death Cult Armageddon has clear weaker points and a couple of filler tracks, yet also a few moments of quality from the band and despite their musical directions, they are all solid musicians. [2.5/5 - Average]

Origin: Norway

Label: Nuclear Blast

Release date: 08.09.2003

Listen: Spotify

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.

Bullet Ratings #4

• Decapitated – Anticult [3.5]
• Fellwarden – Oathbreaker [6.0]
• Gorsed Noctis - Orgy on Meridians [2.5]
• Lifeless - The Occult Mastery [4.0]
• Limbonic Art – Spectre Abysm [5.0]
• Mitochondrion - Antinumerology (EP) [7.0]
• Morke – Morke [0.5]
• Ominous Throne - Ο Δρόμος Της Αποθεώσεως [5.0]
• Ostots - Ezer Ezaren Araztasuna [7.0]
• Tyrannosorceress - Shattering Light's Creation [7.25]
• Ulvegr - Titahion Kaos Manifest [6.5]
• Weapönizer – Lawless Age [6.5]
• Witch Vomited – Poisoned Blood (EP) [5.5]
• Woman Is the Earth – Thaw (EP) [2.5]
• Zurvan – Gorge of Blood [4.0]

Bullet Ratings #3

• Abkehr – In Asche (EP) [6.0]
• Carach Angren - Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten [6.0]
• Dawn of Ashes - Daemonolatry Gnosis [6.5]
• Death Fortress - Triumph of the Undying [7.0]
• Heresiarch - Death Ordinance [7.0]
• Impetuous Ritual - Blight Upon Martyred Sentience [3.0]
• Rimruna - Der Hatz Entronnen [5.0]
• Slægt - Domus Mysterium [6.0]
• Subjugation - Caustic Visions [5.0]
• Time Lurker – Time Lurker [5.75]

Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst MMV (2005)

Album: Stormblåst MMV
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Website: Facebook / Myspace

I wish i had the first edition of the album, but i might have to sumbit to prostitution to find the money for it. Dimmu Borgir have gone a little bit out of hand but i enjoy some newer albums by them once in a while. I don't really care if Shagrath is a soldout son of a bitch that betrayed the scene blah blah... When you see a band playing live with a national orchestra, you gotta have to pay attention, because there is a shitload of music in the atmosphere. As for this album, its great. Thats all.

The Breathing Process - Odyssey (Un)dead (2010)

Country: USA

Genre: Symphonic Black / Melodic Death Metal

Label: Candlelight Records

Website: Facebook

When it comes to the modern sound of melodic death metal, im very picky, since i dislike the boy looking bands, the clean vocals, the fanbase of the scene, weak riffs and everything that can go wrong on an album combined. However, this is much different, a wonderful blend of synths, keys, melodies and well worked growling vocals. 

Plus, even the very carefully put cleans in the songs are not destroying anything now. Its an intense album even though it has interludes and "silent" parts, all the songs are fast paced and sound quite heavy. If there is anyone open to genre mixing, you might as well check this, if you have certain styles you like and would not change, do not waste your time.

Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse (1994)

Country: Norway
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
Label: Candlelight Records

On the album now, Emperor are not new in the metal scene and they (and their musicians) have had a great run the last 20 years or so, before they split up, this debut depicts the full awesomeness of what the guys could do, it is considered one of the top albums in black metal and more, since it lacks nothing whatsoever. 

Ihsahn is a talented keyboardist and at the time he had the youngster's blood burning inside him, these combined with the black metal aura that was around Norway then, it was almost inevitable that he would make extraordinary synths. There is a great job done on the lyrics too, not to mention how much inspiration one can draw from the compositions here, as it indeed happened in the later years. Personal favourite when it comes to them, im sure im not the only one.

This is not the first press of the album, its a special edition that was released via Candlelight in 2007, it contains an interview of the band, a poster, lyrics booklet and a special CD case, they also released the rest of their albums like this, look out for them, its really cool to own one of these in your collection. There are two bonus songs in this, a cover of Bathory's "A Fine Day To Die" and a cover of Mercyful Fate's "Gypsy".