The North

January 2025

1. Djevel - Bespottelsen (from Natt til ende, 2024)

2. Kvist - Min lekam er meg blott en byrde (from For kunsten maa vi evig vike, 1996) [Submitted by Karl]

3. Doedsmaghird - Death of Time (from Omniverse Consciousness, 2024)

4. Havukruunu - Tavastland (from Tavastland, 2024)

5. Slaughter Lord - Taste of Blood (from Taste of Blood, 1987) [Submitted by Daniel]

6. Primeval Well - Ghost Fires Burn Light in Our Eyes (from Talkin' in Tongues with Mountain Spirits, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Deus Mortem - W serce płomiennej gnozy (from Thanatos, 2024)

8. Ungfell - S Alpeglüeh (from De Ghörnt, 2024)

9. Nachtmystium - Survivor's Remorese (from Blight Privilege, 2024)

10. Thorns - Underneath the Universe 2 (from Thorns, 2001)

11. Polemicist - The Ambition and the Wrath (from Polemicist, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

12. Drudkh - Wind of the Night Forests (from Autumn Aurora, 2004)

13. Bathory - Crosstitution (from Requiem, 1994) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Horn - Dagetostaon (from Daudswiärk, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. An Axis of Perdition - I Am Odium (from Apertures, 2024)

16. Malignant Eternal - Tårnet (from Tårnet, 1995) [Submitted by Karl]

17. Immortal - In My Kingdom Cold (from Sons of Northern Darkness, 2002)

18. Bríi - Enlutados (from Camaradagem póstuma, 2024)

Hi Ben, a couple of finds from 2024 that I would appreciate if you could please add to the site:

Balwezo Westijiz (Sweden)

Fir (Netherlands)

Yeah, I don't mind them too much and still like the debut album, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, along with my personal favourite Middian and Nymphetamine is OK. I don't really think they have been classed as black metal for many a year now, gothic metal being the most usual tagging for them. 

Gaerea - Coma

Polish black metal (dubious) band Gaerea gave me a lot to think about when it came to what this album should be categorized as. It's a far cry from anything related to the original source material, but it does have some open ended tremolo guitar and pummeling blast beats. At times it did remind me of some of the atmospheric black metal records from bands like Summoning and Saor. But the lower guttural vocals and post-metal interludes leave this feeling more like progressive death metal. 

Not that this is a bad thing. The record sounds gorgeous and leaves me feeling uplifted when I hear it. However, it runs out of ideas pretty quickly and can be a slog to finish. But this style of death/black metal crossover project is rare as far as I can tell, so I'm willing to overlook it due to a lack of saturation.

3.5/5

Nice! I didn't mind Barshasketh's last couple of albums but haven't gotten around to listening to their new one yet. I'll place it on my to-do list.

Do you also hear a bit of an industrial sound here too, Daniel, particularly in the machine-like dehumanisation of tracks like the title track and "Ikikäärme"?

I do but I wouldn't say that it's worthy of aq secondary tag as it's not all that prominent in the overall direction of the album. The psychedelic side of the Oranssi Pazuzu sound has certainly been pushed to the back this time though, hasn't it? I'm gonna put up a Hall of Judgement poll to have the album put into The North at some stage today so make sure that you vote in that mate.

I just finished reviewing the latest Paysage d'Hiver album & it's another classic in my opinion. It honestly had the potential to be one of the all-time great black metal records if not for one flaw which I go into detail about but, as it stands, I'm gonna place it in second place for my The North award, slightly behind Oranssi Pazuzu (if we end up counting it here of course).

Kampfar - "Kledd i brynje og smykket blodorm" (from "Mellom skogkleedde aaser", 1997)

Ragnarok - "Minner om svunne tider" (from "Nattferd", 1995)

Смрт - "U raljama košave" (from "Na utrini", 2024)

Angantyr - "De dødes valg" (from "Indsigt", 2024)

Häxkapell - "Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp"

Swedish one-man bm out Häxkapell releases his sophmore album some four years after his debut Eldhymner.  The two promo tracks are decent enough to see me park this for a full run through when it is released on 17th January.

Then we have Drudkh and Immortal too boot, again with tracks pulled from two great albums. 

Yeah, those Drudkh & Immortal tracks are both very solid, aren't they?  The whole "Autumn Aurora" album is too actually but I have to admit that I've never considered "Sons of Northern Darkness" to be anything more than decent. I think it's just a little more melodic & accessible than I'd like from Immortal to be honest. I certainly get some enjoyment out of it but I rarely feel like returning to it when I have their more aggressive material to turn to.

Could not get on with that Bathory track

I don't mind that track actually. In fact, I don't mind a good two-thirds of the songs on "Requiem" but the other third is bad enough to see me generally steering well clear.

The Slaughter Lord inclusion is probably my favourite song from them. Anyone that thinks that war metal came about through Blasphemy in 1989 should take a listen to that track & some of the early Sarcofago demo tapes in my opinion.

Here's my review:

My initiation with London-based black metal five-piece Code came at around the time I returned to the metal scene in 2009. I was doing my best to catch up on & indulge myself in as much of the new extreme metal as I could get my hands on which saw Code’s brand-new sophomore record “Resplendent Grotesque” venturing onto my radar. I quite enjoyed it too with it’s forward-thinking & progressive take on the black metal sound showing the band to have a clear talent in both musicality & creativity. The experience saw me checking out Code’s earlier debut album “Nouveau Gloaming” from 2005 shortly afterwards, a record that I ended up slightly favouring over its younger sibling & one that I would ultimately become my Code release of choice over the decade & a half since. Admittedly, I haven’t really gotten into the later Code material I’ve heard to date much although I can’t recall ever checking out their 2015 “Mut” record which is supposedly more of a progressive rock release than it is metal. Regardless, I’ve been very pleased to revisit “Nouveau Gloaming” this week & it’s ultimately led to me discovering that my affection for the album has only grown in the many years since its release. I mean, Ben can occasionally be right about these things but don’t let him know that I said that, OK?

Although they’re generally claimed by the English, Code were somewhat of an international act which brought together members from not only Britain but also aboard. Lead vocalist Kvohst (Beastmilk/Dødheimsgard/Void/Grave Pleasures/Hexvessel/The Deathrip) & guitarist Aort (Hexvessel/Indesinence) are both English while second guitarist Vyttra was American & bassist Vicotnik (Manes/Naer Mataron/Dødheimsgard/Doedsmaghird/Dold Vorde Ens Navn/Strid/Ved Buens Ende…..) & drummer Aiwarikiar (Ulver/Uruk-Hai) were both Norwegian. As you can see, most of these individuals came from a strong metal pedigree & you can easily hear that in the class with which they go about their craft on this debut album as it’s a beautifully realised piece of work from a purely artistic point of view. The album was recorded in Savonlinna, Finland with Vicotnik handling the production duties himself. He’d already gotten a taste for production while co-producing Dødheimsgard’s 1999 “666 International” album & does an excellent job here too with the band’s sound achieving an imposingly dark atmosphere while also maintaining a level of precision in the performances. All of the instruments can be easily identified in the mix & I particularly enjoy the layers of bright, trebly guitars & the competently executed drums which cut through the mix extremely well. The way the clean vocals are presented is nothing short of splendid too & creates somewhat of a transcendental feel.

Code are often referred to as a progressive black metal band & those claims are not without merit when examining their later material either but I don’t feel that those sort of labels are appropriate when describing “Nouveau Gloaming” as it’s a bit more conventional, even though it certainly doesn’t stick to the tried & tested black metal mould. The majority of this material still clearly sits in the black metal space but it’s the clean vocals I mentioned earlier that give Code’s debut its unique character. I can only imagine that these were influenced by the presence of Vicotnik as they sound very similar to those from his highly acclaimed avant-garde metal project Ved Buens Ende….. & I find them to be just as impressive & powerful here too. Despite my feeling that “Nouveau Gloaming” sits best under a conventional black metal tag, there are a few tracks that see Code taking their creative endeavours a little further & it’s perhaps no surprise that the band would eventually go on to explore a more expansive sound in the future as these three songs are the clear standouts of the album. “Brass Dogs” sees them opting for more of an atmospheric black metal approach while “A Cloud Formed Teardrop” is perhaps the inclusion that best hints at what was to come for Code as I’d describe it as a genuinely progressive black metal piece. It’s closer “Ghost Formula” that is the most emphatic creative statement of the eight on offer though & I absolutely love its wall of melodic guitar dissonance & tension-filled post-atmospheric black metal format.

“Nouveau Gloaming” has really surprised me this week. I’ve always really enjoyed it but have rarely thought of it when reaching for the more elite examples of the genre. I think I’ve under-estimated it though as the base quality level is invariably very solid & the highlight pieces are significant enough to drag it up into modern-day classic territory in my opinion. Sadly, I’m not sure that Code would ever manage to equal their debut in terms of impact, at least not with the three subsequent full-lengths I’m across. There is, of course, another album as well as a number of E.P.’s that I’m yet to explore though so perhaps I need to pencil those in for future investigation.

For fans of Aenaon, Ved Buens Ende….. & Dødheimsgard.

4.5/5

Just for reference, if you are checking this out on Spotify, they have made a right cock-up of the track listing. The short intro track isn't on the original album and they have all the titles wrong - track 2 on Spotify is actually "Bestial Warlust", track 3 is "Dweller of the Bottomless Pit" and so on, until you get to track 6 which is "Hammering Down the Law of the New Gods" / "Holocaust Wolves of the Apocalypse" with the first part being a short intro.

I'm glad you mentioned that because I based my review on the Spotify version so have had to change my track references now. It was bloody confusing while listening to the album as my recollections of my enjoyment of each track were drastically out of whack.

Kaatayra - Toda história pela frente (2020) 

Kaatayra is one of the solo projects of brazilian multi-instrumentalist Caio Lemos who released his debut under the name in 2019 and went on to release 5 full-length albums in two and a half years. "Toda história pela frente" ("All History Ahead") is the fourth of these, being released in August 2020. Kaatayra plays atmospheric black metal infused with Caio's native brazilian folk music that makes for a refreshing change and adds a nice twist to the genre, bringing a different aesthetic to the music away from the euro-centric folk most usually encountered within the genre. Gone are the frigid, icy soundscapes more readily associated with european and north american black metal, to be replaced by a warmer, more celebratory atmosphere, where the natural environment is not so much a hard and inhospitable setting which must be endured, but a life-giving and nurturing domain that is to be acclaimed.

"Toda história pela frente" consists of three lengthy epics and was Kaatayra's most black metal album up to that point. I also think it was the album where he best integrated the black metal and acoustic elements together, with a noticeble increase in consistency as his songwriting matured. Not that I am saying there was too much wrong with his previous albums, but there was sometimes a jarring feeling that the two disparate elements were being forced together rather than the tracks evolving the relationship between the metal and the folk-led in a more organic way as they do here. Sometimes he takes a completely fresh approach to black metal and even plays the riff on acoustic rather than electric guitar, complete with accompanying blastbeats which works surprisingly well. Elsewhere he weaves some nice synth-led ambient threads into his musical tapestries, with an especially soothing section coming in the latter part of opening track, the 17-minute, "O Castigo Vem à Cavalo", giving the listener a moment or two of calm which lends an even greater impact to the final climactic blackened explosion.

When Caio let's the black metal side of things rip, then he sounds more savage and visceral than he had at any point up until this, with his ragged shrieks, frantic tremolo riffing and pummelling blastbeats providing an aggressive, red-blooded assault on the listener's ears with the opening minutes of second track "Toda mágoa do mundo" being the prime example. Yet, despite this, there is a rhythmic quality to the riffs on even the most vicious sections that prevents the tracks from sounding spiteful or hate-filled, but rather impart the notion of a more wholesome "nature red in tooth and claw" ethos instead. The latin rhythms of the folk-led parts are also one of the major distinctions between this and the vast majority of the atmospheric black metal pack. The euro-centric folk incorporated by most black metal acts oftentimes gives a menacing, ritualistic and even occult vibe to proceedings, but the dance-oriented latin rhythms deployed here make for a much more positive and celebratory atmosphere.

I don't think I can give this more praise than saying that, in certain respects, it reminds me of Austin Lunn's Panopticon. Similar to Panopticon it has taken the local folk music of the artist that sits outside the scope of black metal that we are used to and has incorporated it in such a way as to impart a different, more positive and human ethos into what can so often be a misanthropic and negative style of music, giving the listener an entirely different experience of black metal than they may have expected.

4.5/5

Here's my updated Top Ten War Metal Releases of All Time list after finally awarding Bestial Warlust's debut album for full rating & review it's deserved after all these years of adoration:

01. Infernal Coil - "Within a World Forgotten" (2018)

02. Bestial Warlust - "Vengeance War 'Till Death" (1994)

03. Teitanblood - "The Baneful Choir" (2019)

04. Teitanblood - "Death" (2014)

05. Impaled Nazarene - "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz..." (1993)

06. Damaar - "Triumph Through Spears of Sacrilege" (2007)

07. Archgoat - "Whore of Bethlehem" (2006)

08. Bestial Warlust - "Blood & Valour" (1995)

09. Conqueror - "War Cult Supremacy" (1999)

10. Blasphemy - "Blood Upon The Altar" demo (1989)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/216

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Stiriah - Sterbend im Nebel (from Portal, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

2. Yoth Iria - We Call Upon the Elements (from Blazing Inferno, 2024)

3. Aara - Senkrechte Welten (from Senkrechte Welten, 2024)

4. Emperor - Wrath of the Tyrant (from Emperor, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

5. Furia - Ptaki Ida (from Nocel, 2014) [Submitted by Xephyr]

6. Labrynthus Stellarum - The Light of Dying Worlds (from Vortex of the Worlds, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Sørgelig - Those of the Depths (from Φθορά, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

8. Panzerfaust - Occam's Fucking Razor (from The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion, 2024)

9. Watain - The Limb Crucifix (from Rabid Death’s Curse, 2000) [Submitted by Daniel]

10. Gargul - Gallows (from Gallows, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

11. Horna - Haudanusva (from Perimä vihassa ja verikostossa, 2000) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. Veilburner - Ill Visions of Hex-Shaped Hiss, Behead the Howling Spirit (from The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, 2024)

13. Necrowretch - Dii Mauri (from Swords of Dajjal, 2024) [Submitted by Xephyr]

14. Dark Horizon - Secrets of the Nightmare Prophecies (from Darkness Falls upon Mankind, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

15. Nargaroth - Black Metal ist Krieg (from Black Metal ist Krieg, 2001) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Saor - Amidst the Ruins (from Amidst the Ruins, 2024)

17. Imperial Triumphant - Hotel Sphinx (from Hotel Sphinx, 2024)

18. Isolert - The End of Beauty (from Wounds of Desolation, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

19. Enslaved - Slaget I skogen bortenfor (from Hordanes Land, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

I was already across this release as we headed into November and so seeing it added to the feature roster lined it up nicely for review. As those folky rich melodies sent my brain into a near trace-like state, I did start to question my credentials as a nail coated wristband wearing black metal fan. But then I remembered my enjoyment of Mare Cognitum and Darkspace and convinced myself that my icy soul was no nearer to being thawed as I first feared. The inclusion of such a heavy amount of synths is perhaps the most challenging part of Vortex of the Worlds yet at the same time it would not work as well as an album without them. They do sound incredibly artificial and are without doubt the main culprit in steering the album away from the more extreme boundaries of black metal, but I find at the same time they are relatively easy to make peace with given their obvious contribution to such a rich and luscious soundscape.

When taken out of consideration for a moment, the synths are far from the only positive element of the instrumentation. The tremolo riffing is excellent (Transcendence) both in isolation and also in accompaniment to everything else. When paired with vocals, they ground the album in the more familiar and safe territory of atmo-black. The programmed drums do not go unnoticed, but are hardly a problem either as I do not believe that Labyrinthus Stellarum wrote Vortex of the Worlds with any desire to focus on percussion. The lack of bass is the only real issue I have as it does makes things sound unnecessarily sterile and gives those synths an almost smothering edge at times. There is a rumbling "something" in the background but I would suggest it is just the intentionally density added in the production to mask the lack of bass.

My instinct suggests that Labyrinthus Stellarum will move too far away from a core black metal sound in subsequent releases to this one. For now, Vortex of the Worlds is a sensible gateway into that vortex that I sense will soon lose some of its appeal in the coming records. I am more than happy to celebrate the successes of this record though and acknowledge its bravery in sticking to its ideals and values. It retains a unique edge without dropping into a Summoning level of repetition and genuinely has some exciting and intense moments that standout. The songwriting suggests that particular methodology is sound enough as the crescendos mid-track are effective and create some of the strongest moments in the record. The album has grown on me with repeated listens but I can sense that looming distance is coming still.

3.5/5

 I am familiar with the Walknut and Satyricon tracks and it was fantastic to hear them again.

I absolutely love "Walk the Path of Sorrow" & my recent revisit of "Dark Medieval Times" has only further fueled those flames. It's the only genuine classic on that record in my opinion. I could have picked a number of tracks from "Graveforests & Their Shadows" actually but the extra aggression in the shorter closing track gave it a slight edge over the other more solid inclusions on that album.

I don't mind DMT, but The Shadowthrone is my favourite Satyricon album if you don't count the The Forest Is My Throne / Yggdrasill split with Enslaved.

I'm a big fan of the "Non seriam" album. I bought the CD upon release & thought it was a big step up from "Thy Mighty Contract". It's still my favourite Rotting Christ release to this day actually.

Here's my review:

Popular Swedish black metallers Watain first came to my attention around fifteen years ago through their 2003 sophomore album "Casus Luciferi", an experience that I really enjoyed which saw me venturing either side of it to indulge in the band's first & third albums in 2000's "Rabid Death's Curse" & 2007's "Sworn to the Dark". The latter offered me a similar level of appeal to "Casus Luciferi" & saw my interest in Watain being well & truly maintained while their debut album "Rabid Death's Curse" delivered a milder brand of entertainment which didn't encourage me to seek out repeat visits. Watain have very much lost their way with me since that time with the 2010's not treating them very well at all. Even my couple of live experiences have been fairly lacklustre to tell you the truth but things started to look up again with 2022's "The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain" seventh album which was their best work in a long time. It's been eons since I heard the Swede's first-up effort though & this month's feature release nomination would seem like as good a time as any to reassess the merits of Watain's early sound.

The production job on "Rabid Death's Curse" isn't amazing. I guess it's nothing out of the ordinary by black metal standards but Håkan Jonsson's drum sound is terribly lacklustre while bassist Erik Danielsson's vocals could probably have been better highlighted. It took me a listen or two to get used to but I eventually found myself coming to terms with it. This is a different sounding Watain to the one that most fans have flocked to anyway though as it's much less melodic & entirely more traditional in its take on the classic black metal sound. You won't find too many dalliances with Dissection-style melodics here as there are relatively few risks taken on "Rabid Death's Curse", so much so that I'd argue that most of us would likely not have come across this release if it had sported a different band moniker on the front cover. Most of this material goes for broke on the higher tempo blasting with much less time afforded to eerie atmospherics. There's a clear tendency to want to portray themselves as being "evil" too & it's easy to see that Watain were still fairly young & immature at this early stage with the band all still sitting within an age bracket of 18-20.

The biggest obstacle that I faced with "Rabid Death's Curse" can be found in the drumming of Jonsson. He clearly seems to fancy himself as a Marduk-style blaster but his ability to deliver on that concept falls noticeably short of the mark with his blast beats being very messy indeed. This flaw takes a lot of the gloss off of those sections & leaves me with the clear understanding that early Watain were at their best when they showed more restraint by slowing things down a touch. Guitarists Pelle Forsberg & C. Blom produce some more than acceptable black metal riffs here although they aren't always terribly original in how they go about creating them. You see, Watain were a little late to the table to get away with producing an album that sounds this familiar with the Scandinavian scene having well & truly peaked during the middle of the previous decade. Still... there's something about the classic black metal model that lends itself to well produced emulation, isn't there?

"Rabid Death's Curse" is essentially a flat line when it comes to quality & consistency with all eight tracks included sitting at pretty much the same standard. This leaves the listener with a tough task when trying to identify favourites amongst this lot as there are no clear highlights. In saying that though, there are no creative failures to speak of either so I've found myself enjoying the whole album, at least once I'd found a way past my issues with the blast beats. If I had to pick a few of the stronger songs then I'd probably go for opener "The Limb Crucifix", "Life Dethroned" & "On Horns Impaled" but I could just as easily have selected any of the other five songs too given how closely they sit to each other.

Despite the consistency in the tracklisting, there's can be no denying that Watain were not a top tier act at this stage of their evolution. In fact, I'd suggest that they sat smack-bang in the middle of the third tier which is where I place most of the artists that give me mild enjoyment without commanding much in the way of replay value. The Swedes would quickly improve on that position over the course of their next two full-lengths but I'd still suggest that "Rabid Death's Curse" was an acceptable first-up effort for a young band that was still discovering their own capabilities. It may not make any sort of bold creative statement but it does showcase an understanding for the genre from an aesthetic point of view with the atmosphere being suitably dark & grim & the song-writing being attractive enough to keep me engaged. The band would return much better for the run in three years time, this time having dropped guitarist Blom for a new three-piece lineup, & would begin their attempts at global domination with what I consider to be their best record, so one gets the feeling that "Rabid Death's Curse" was an essential stepping-stone in that process. It's just not necessarily an essential one for your average black metal listener, even if I think it's definitely worth a spin or three.

For fans of Valkyrja, Mayhem & Ondskapt.

3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Dreamless Veil - Dim Golden Rave (from Every Limb of the Flood, 2024)

2. Necrowretch - Total Obilteration (from Swords of Dajjal, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Samael - Rebellion (from Rebellion, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Horna - Hymni I (from Nyx - Hymnejä yölle, 2024)

5. Firtan - Arkanum (from Ethos, 2024)

6. Satanic Warmaster - Bafomet (from Aamongandr, 2022) [Submitted by Karl]

7. Unanimated - Blackness of the Fallen Star (from In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Winterfylleth - Upon This Shore (from The Imperious Horizon, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

9. Spite Extreme Wing - Acqua di fonte di gloria (from Magnificat, 2003) [Submitted by Karl]

10. Vafurlogi - Reikul vofa (from Í vökulli áþján, 2024)

11. Impaled Nazarene - Hate (from Ugra-Karma, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Marduk - Those of the Unlight (from Those of the Unlight, 1993) [Submitted by Karl]

13. Agrypnie - Aus rauchlosem Feuer (from erg, 2024)

14. Sorhin - Livets löfte (from Apokalypsens ängel, 2000) [Submitted by Karl]

15. Rotting Christ - The 4th Knight of Revelation (from Thy Mighty Contract, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Groza - Dysthymian Dreams (from Nadir, 2024)

17. Beherit - Lord of Shadows & Golden Wood (from Drawing Down The Moon, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Trelldom - Fra Mitt Gaml (from Til Minne…, 2007) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Funeral Mist - Funeral Mist (from Devilry, 1998) [Submitted by Karl]

20. Ellende - Scherben Teil I (from Todbringerin, 2024)

Korpiklaani - Spirit of the Forest (2003)

Now, I am not the biggest fan of most folk metal, but I don't have any particular ideoligical opposition to it, it is just that it is so badly done, so often and usually comes off as a bit goofy and corny. But, that said, even a notorious miserablist like myself occasionally needs to hear something uplifting and life-affirming and, when done well, folk metal can provide that for me, particular with it's jaunty naturistic celebrations and  it's use of folk instrumentation, of which I am a big fan. Korpiklaani seem like just one of a few of those bands who strike the right balance for me. I think it is because they take both the folk and metal aspects of their sound seriously and come off as sounding more authentic than a lot of bands within the genre, who often feel too gimmicky. So when I want to hear something with a bit more of a positive, celebratory atmosphere and feel that some good folk metal may do the trick, then I don't usually look far beyond Korpiklaani or Finntroll. Maybe it's something hiding in those finnish forests that influences those two band's take on a genre that can go horribly wrong and enables them to transcend the embarrassing corniness that too often accompanies it.

This was actually Korpiklaani's debut and is a strong one at that, especially for a genre to which I am largely indifferent and is one of only a handful of folk metal albums I can stomach. The songs are mostly shortish affairs and the album varies it's tempo a fair bit, so it never feels too "samey" and if a particular track doesn't strike your fancy then it isn't long before something else takes it's place. It's mostly a jaunty, jigging affair, that makes you think of summer nights under a starry sky, drinking and engaging in generally raucous merry-making around the leaping flames of a camp bonfire with good friends. I have spent quite a few nights in my younger days in just such a way and maybe it's success for me personally is in evoking nostalgic visions of good times.

3.5/5

Here's my review:

I wasn't surprised in the slightest to find Ben nominating the sole album from Moscow-based atmospheric black metallers Walknut for feature release status this month as he's been raving about it for a good fifteen years now. In fact, it was one of a whole bunch of releases that he recommended to me to explore upon my return to metal in 2009 so I've been well across it for a long time now & have given it a number of return visits over that period. As with most siblings, my tendency is always to want to slam something that Ben adores as my first point of call so I probably went into my first listen to "Graveforests & Their Shadows" with a level of defensiveness & subsequently found myself taking little away from the experience which allowed my to give Ben the smug feedback I'd always intended on giving (i.e. "I dunno what you see in this bro. You can't even hear the riffs!") but time & repeat listens have seen me gaining a strong affection for this Russian artist, if not to the same stratospheric levels as Ben or Sonny.

Walknut is the solo project of Anton Svyagir who goes by the pseudonym of StringsSkald. He's fairly well known in the underground for his work with other Russian black metal acts like Forest, Nitberg & Темнозорь who you may be aware of but "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is by far his most celebrated work. This sole album sees him collaborating with Темнозорь lyricist & Stellar Winter Records owner Gorruth (known as Ravnaskrik for this project) who provides him with well-articulated stories of icy landscapes & tortured souls with which to layer over his lo-fi black metal instrumentation. I've often been critical of the use of the atmospheric black metal subgenre tag in recent years as it seems to have lost a lot of its meaning with people failing to understand its original intent & attempting to chuck it over far too many conventional black metal releases for my liking. But the tag fits the Walknut sound like a tailored glove as "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is far more about texture & subtlety than it is blasphemy & brutality & it does a great job at creating a fantasy world in which the listener can almost see, touch & feel the scenes being portrayed in Ravnaskrik's lyrics.

The lo-fi production job employed is nothing unusual for the atmospheric black metal subgenre but it's certainly well done on this occasion. I still maintain that the guitar riffs are quite difficult to pick out of the mix when taken in isolation as they're used more for texture than they are for melodic direction. It's the keyboards that are layered over the top that are tasked with giving the guitars their melodic context & this technique works quite well, contributing to the album's unique character. The tempos are generally fairly restrained with minimal use of blast-beats & three of the six tracks exceed the ten-minute mark which isn't all that uncommon for releases of this type. Stringsskald's tortured screams are another highlight as he sounds genuinely inhuman a lot of the time which only adds to the frostbitten atmosphere. Unlike a lot of European black metal though, Walknut's fuzzy musical tapestries feel somehow comfortable & you don't get the feeling that the intent was to suffocate or intimidate the listener. There's a warmth to be found in all of the frost if you know what I mean & I feel that this element is what makes the Walknut album stand out from the wealth of similar releases on the market.

The tracklisting kicks off with a well-executed one-minute ambient piece called "Hrimfaxi" that I really enjoy before taking off into the proper black metal material. Of the five metal songs, there are a few that stand out as highlights but all are worth listening to. The more expansive pieces like "Come, Dreadful Ygg" & "Grim Woods" are excellent examples of their type but I think it's the more upfront & aggressive four-minute instrumental closer "Skinfaxi" that appeals to me the most which is perhaps not all that surprising. Opener "Motherland Ostenvegr" is probably the most popular track but I rank it slightly below these other three along with the ridiculously titled "The Midnightforest of the Runes". It's a very consistent album overall though with the entire 43-minute runtime being worth exploring.

I've said a lot of positive things about "Graveforests & Their Shadows" so far, haven't I? And four-stars is more than respectable rating. But why don't I regard Walknut's lone album as highly as some of our other members by placing it up on a pedestal with the absolute cream of the black metal crop then? I think it's to do with some of the melodic ideas portrayed in the instrumentation to be honest. As well-executed as this material is, I often find that the motifs don't quite fully connect with me in the same way as peers like Paysage d'Hiver or Burzum do when they're at their best & it's important to me that I save my elite ratings for releases that I regard as being genuinely life-changing. The programmed drums are fairly obvious too which does detract from the overall package a touch, although I admittedly find myself getting more used to them with each listen. Nonetheless, "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is an excellent example of the atmospheric black metal subgenre & if that's something that you usually dig then I have no doubt that you've find a lot of enjoyment in it.

For fans of Drudkh, Ygg & Wędrujący Wiatr.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Pestilential Shadows - Devil's Hammer (from Devil's Hammer, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

2. Spectral Wound - Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal (from Songs of Blood and Mire, 2024)

3. Impaled Nazarene - I Al Purg Vompo: My Blessing (The Beginning Of The End) (from Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz…, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Schammasch - They Have Found Their Master (from They Have Found Their Master, 2024)

5. Ljå - Til Satan (from Til avsky for livet, 2006) [Submitted by Karl]

6. Aetheria Conscientia - The Blossoming (from The Blossoming, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

7. Korgonthurus - Syyttäjäenkeli (from Kuolleestasyntynyt, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

8. Oranssi Pazuzu - Valotus (from Valotus, 2024)

9. Véhémence - L'étrange clairière (from Par le sang versé, 2019) [Submitted by Karl]

10. Mystifier - An Elizabethan Devil Worshipper's Prayer Book (from Göetia, 1993)

11. Havohej - Fucking of Sacred Assholes (from Dethrone the Son of God, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. In Aphelion - A Winter Moon's Gleam (from Reaperdawn, 2024)

13. Hulder - Hearken the End (from Verses in Oath, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

14. Wraithfyre - Ablaze in Abyssal Frosts (from Of Fell Peaks and Haunted Chasms, 2024)

15. Absu - Infinite & Profane Thrones (from Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L., 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Ymir - Silvery Howling (from Ymir, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

17. Paysage d'Hiver - Urgrund (from Urgrund, 2024)

18. Blut aus Nord - Elevation (from Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

Here's my review:

The 1993 "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz..." debut album from Finnish black metallers Impaled Nazarene made a significant impact on me after I picked it up on CD shortly after release. It's blend of simple, catchy, yet still pretty evil sounding black/war metal was really well produced & executed which left me with the impression of an artist that was aware of its limitations & worked really hard at maximizing its strengths. I wasn't surprised that Impaled Nazarene's tongue-in-cheek approach got a few purists noses out of joint (I'm looking at you Ben) but I could manage to look past it in order to take "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz..." for what it is i.e. one of the more fun black metal releases of its time. So, when news of Impaled Nazarene's sophomore album hit my ears only ten months later, I found myself eagerly reaching into my pocket for another helping.

The "Ugra-Karma" album makes for a very good accompaniment for the band's debut actually as it possesses many of the same traits & qualities. It was recorded by the same lineup in the same recording studio with the same producer & only a short time later so I guess that was to be expected though, wasn't it? It's of a pretty similar quality too so if you liked "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz..." then you were probably always gonna like "Ugra-Karma" too. The production job is once again extremely solid, making the most of the simple, uncluttered arrangements by presenting them within a tight, rock-solid framework. The drum kit sounds particularly powerful while front man Mika Luttinen's grim black metal vocals are once again a highlight.

The twelve track, 38-minute tracklisting is generally pretty solid with only the misguided industrial black metal piece "Gott ist tot (Antichrist War Mix)" failing to hit the mark. In fact, that particular number fell well below the bar so I've struggled to justify its inclusion to be honest. There's less of the war metal sound that I enjoyed so much on the debut this time but we find Impaled Nazarene replacing it with a punk rock influence that we'd see them expanding on further on future releases. The wonderful "Hate" is by far the best track on the album in my opinion with its incorporation of synthesizers giving it more of a classic Norwegian feel than most of the other material. I also really enjoy the more aggressive & brutal tracks like "Coraxo", "Goatzied" & "Cyberchrist".

"Ugra-Karma" has gone on to become Impaled Nazarene's most highly regarded release over the years & it's not hard to see why as it showcases a flare for violence & brutality wrapped in an air of accessibility, a lethal combination when done just right. There's been very little attempt at any sort of sophistication & there's a place for that sort of record in my life given my history as an old-school tape trader. I do have to admit that I prefer the debut over "Ugra-Karma" though, mainly because I prefer war metal over punk rock by a considerable margin. I also miss the dark Mayhem-style power chord riffs that "Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz..." delivered with such success. However, I've returned to "Ugra-Karma" many times over the years & will likely continue to for some time yet as there's no doubt that it's a very solid example of mid-90's European black metal.

For fans of Sadistik Exekution, Impiety & Belial.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Seth - Et que vive le diable (from La France des maudits, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

2. Vananidr - The Watcher (from Beneath the Mold, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Aura Noir - Conqueror (from Black Thrash Attack, 1996) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Sear Bliss - The Winding Path (from Heavenly Down, 2024) [Submitted by Xephyr]

5. Gaerea - Hope Shatters (from Hope Shatters, 2024)

6. Samael - After the Sepulture (from Blood Ritual, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

7. Whoredom Rife - Den vrede makt (from Den vrede makt, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

8. Gorgoroth - På slagmark langt mot nord (from Destroyer, 1998) [Submitted by Karl]

9. Sig:Ar:Tyr - Awaiting the Last Dawn (from Citadel of Stars, 2024)

10. Hail Spirit Noir - The Temple of Curved Space (from Fossil Gardens, 2024)

11. Keep of Kalessin - Through Times of War (from Through Times of War, 1997) [Submitted by Karl]

12. Krallice - Fatestorm Sanctuary (from Inorganic Rites, 2024)

13. Yoth Iria - The Great Hunter (from As the Flame Withers, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

14. Cradle of Filth - To Eve the Art of Witchcraft (from The Principles of Evil Made Flesh, 1994) [Submitted by Daniel]

15. Diocletian - Barbaric Hunt (Feral Prey) (from Inexorable Nexus, 2024)

16. Kvaen - De Dodas Sang (from The Formless Fires, 2024) [Submitted by Xephyr]

17. Nattefrost - Primitive Death (from Terrorist: Nekronaut Pt. 1, 2005) [Submitted by Vinny]

18. Inherits the Void - The Orchard of Grief (from Scars of Yesteryears, 2024)

19. Enslaved - Heimdallr (from Ygdrasill, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

20. Dark Funeral - Shadows Over Transylvania (Re-Recording 2024) (from Shadows Over Transylvania (Re-Recording 2024), 2024)

I agree with Vinny on removing Batushka. I've listened to a lot of modern Black Metal and there aren't a lot of bands that follow in Batushka's footsteps with the chanting aspect; the only one that springs to mind is Thy Darkened Shade and their 2014 album Liber Lvcifer I: Khem Sedjet which predates the Batushka album. 

Since we're going purely influential, I'm also with Vinny on removing Conqueror and keeping Blasphemy as the sole War Metal representative, unless someone else wants to suggest an example that's pushing the genre in the modern era. Something like Infernal Coil's Within a World Forgotten since that seems to be hailed as War Metal graduating into something more than the original Blasphemy-core, but I'm not an expert on that. 

I don't listen to a lot of Depressive Black Metal so take this opinion/suggestion as you will: I would keep Xasthur and Leviathan and remove Silencer. Unless Silencer's 2001 is cited as being a real influence on either of the other two albums, in which case I would keep Silencer and Xasthur. I did find out that Bethlehem's Dictius Te Necare predates all of these under the Depressive Black Metal tag, releasing in 1996, and while the production is much clearer and the songwriting isn't as frantic, it still has the reflective and despairful atmosphere along with a vocal style that I've heard from many a Black Metal band. I'm just not sure how well this album was known by other musicians at the time. If Bethlehem comes into the discussion, it'd be Bethlehem and Xasthur for me personally. I went back and forth but I think Ben's right in saying that Xasthur is the more quintessential Depressive Black Metal sound, even though I think Leviathan has the more interesting album.

I think Enslaved stays.

I'm unsure on having both Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir beside each other as the final Symphonic Black Metal representatives, especially since In the Nightside Eclipse is already there. I'm not an expert on either of these bands, but from what I can tell, modern Black Metal bands more closely follow Dimmu Borgir's Enthrone Darkness Triumphant than Dusk and Her Embrace, which sounds still sounds pretty unique to me. I'd have to spend some more time coming up with a more modern representative for Symphonic Black Metal, I don't know if there is one to be honest. 

I also get frustrated by the need to further sub-categorise metal genres, but I think in this instance it's a valid one. The influence that Deathspell Omega have had on black metal can't be overstated. There are many (admittedly) lesser known bands that are attempting to utilise a similar sound. I reviewed one here at Metal Academy not long back actually...

https://metal.academy/releases/23898

Bekor Qilish, Kvadrat and Skaphe are other bands that come to mind that are very obviously bringing Deathspell-like dissonance into their music. I do feel there's something quite distinct about the sound that was introduced by Blut Aus Nord's The Work Which Transforms God and Deathspell Omega's mid-2000s releases. They don't have traditional black metal riffs at all.

For anyone interested, I think these are good examples...

https://open.spotify.com/track/2eDaorhzqRSmuYdPFW7Jnu?si=728c5b45a7584f69

https://open.spotify.com/track/5FSASFBCaKkBYhH6iYq4kN?si=9f51be8b321a4f29

https://open.spotify.com/track/377pFq2o7qSZSU9wAo8oiI?si=635093e767b540a0

Here's my review:

My earliest experiences with French black metal stars Blut aus Nord came through the tape trading scene of the mid-to-late 1990’s when I became exposed to their first two albums, both of which I really enjoyed. My self-imposed hiatus from the metal scene for pretty much the entirety of the 2000’s saw me almost completely forgetting about this band though & it wasn’t until Ben encouraged me to investigate their classic 2003 fourth album “The Work Which Transforms God” upon my return to metal in 2009 that my passion for Blut aus Nord was reignited & boy it was an exhilarating experience too. That record possesses a purity of darkness that few in the black metal scene can touch & it affected me on a deep enough level to see me flogging the album for months to come. Since that time though, I’ve found Blut aus Nord to be a little hit & miss with some of their releases falling a little flat & others reaching the higher stratospheres of the black metal air space. 2009’s seventh album “Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars” has always been one that I’ve taken very positively though, even if it perhaps doesn’t sit amongst my favourite Blut aus Nord records overall. I’ve returned to it several times over the years but have never afforded it the dedicated attention required for a well-informed review until now. Let’s take a look at what it’s all about.

Blut aus Nord releases inevitably possess their own unique characters & “Memoria Vetusta II” is no different in that regard. It contains some really big positives that drive its appeal but it also presents us with a couple of weaknesses that prevent the album from becoming the true classic it seems to have the potential to be on the surface. Unlike some of Blut aus Nord’s more experimental or avant-garde efforts, “Memoria Vetusta II” is noticeably more accessible & is unquestionably an atmospheric black metal record. It’s a lot more about producing ethereal soundscapes than it is about battering or intimidating the listener with its tone creating a calmer & more contemplative view of the world than a record like “The Work Which Transforms God” which was significantly darker. There’s a strong focus on melody here with the stunning guitar riffs combining with some subtly incorporated, almost angelic synthesizers to wonderful effect. In fact, the keyboard work sometimes reminds me of German ambient producer Gas with its soft, organic timbre beautifully intertwining with the guitar work to produce some quite vivid visuals. This is the real strength of “Memoria Vetusta II” as there’s an undeniable class about the way Vindsval creates his guitar parts & I find this element of the record to be infinitely impressive.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of things that detract a little from the strength of those components though. Firstly, the programmed drums sound weak & obviously artificial which goes against the more organic nature of the rest of the instrumentation. There are certainly those more industrially-tinged Blut aus Nord releases where the drum machine plays an intrinsic role in the atmosphere but here I find that it lacks the required cohesion with the rest of the instrumentation, a flaw that is only further highlighted by the fact that the bass guitar is so low in the mix that it’s almost redundant. Similarly, Vindsval’s grim black metal vocals reside quite a bit further back in the mix than I’d ideally like to see them sitting. This technique works really well for many of your more lo-fi & noisy black metal artists but here I find myself consistently wishing they were a little further towards the front so that they could compliment the clear strength in the guitar work. Sadly, this was not to be & I’ll have to take “Memoria Vetusta II” for what it is. Let’s not sit here dwelling on what-if’s though because this is still a damn fine black metal record in its own right.

The nine-song tracklisting is a wonderfully consistent collection of material that flows very nicely together, despite containing a few interesting deviations from the standard atmospheric black metal model. My pick of the bunch is actually the ambient/dungeon synth intro piece “Acceptance (Aske)” which puts me into a lovely warm & meditative state before the black metal assault firmly jolts me to attention. The more traditional black metal numbers are all very solid with "....The Meditant (Dialogue With the Stars)" & "Antithesis of the Flesh (...And Then Arises a New Essence)" being the most significant compositions in my opinion. The well-executed clean folk guitar piece “Translucent Body of Air (Sutta Anapanasati)“ works very well to break up the album while instrumental closer “Elevation” is also worth mentioning as it's comfortably my favourite of the metal tracks. I love the way that it manages to transcend the black metal genre through the use of repetitive, melodic motifs which wash over the listener. It’s a stunning way to finish what was already a highly rewarding hour of black metal.

Look, perhaps “Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars” isn’t the career-defining masterpiece that so many black metal fans seem to claim it as these days but it is a damn fine record nonetheless & one that I can’t see disappointing too many extreme metalheads, at least once they’ve given it a few spins & accepted the initially distracting drum programming. I have to admit that this was an obstacle for me on each occasion that I’ve revisited “Memoria Vetusta II” over the years but those feelings of hesitation inevitably fade once I became reacquainted with the obvious quality in the guitar hooks. There are three or four Blut aus Nord releases that I’d reach for before “Memoria Vetusta II” when I feel like a fix of high-class French black metal but there’s no doubt that it’s a record of substance that needs to be heard in an underground scene that’s so chock full of followers. These guys clearly fit into the category of leaders & their influence on not only their local scene but the international one is beyond question.

For fans of The Ruins of Beverast, Akhlys & The Eye.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Gaerea - World Ablaze (from World Ablaze, 2024)

2. Akhlys - Maze of Phobetor (from House of the Black Geminus, 2024)

3. Árstíðir lífsins - Nauð greyprs élreka (from Aldrlok, 2024)

4. Adversarial - Merging Within the Destroyer (from Solitude With the Eternal..., 2024)

5. Enslaved - I lenker til Ragnarok (In Chains Until Ragnarok) (from Blodhemn, 1998)

6. Warmoon Lord - Blazing Warrior Soul (from Burning Banners of Funereal War, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Whoredom Rife - The Beautiful End of All (from Den vrede makt, 2024)

8. Master's Hammer - Utok (from Ritual, 1991) [Submitted by Daniel]

9. Sólstafir - Hin helga kvöl (from Hin helga kvöl, 2024)

10. Critical Defiance - Full Paranoia (from The Search Won't, 2024) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Begotten - If All You Have Known Is Winter (from If All You Have Known Is Winter, 2020)

12. Saidan - Genocidal BloodFiend (from Visual Kill: The Blossoming of Psychotic Depravity, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

13. Emperor - My Empire's Doom (from Wrath of the Tyrant, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Ætheria Conscientia - Endless Cycle (from The Blossoming, 2024)

15. Satanic North - Village (from Satanic North, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Amiensus - A Consciousness Throughout Time (from Reclamation, 2024)

17. Evilfeast - From The Northern Wallachian Forest… Tyranny Returns (from Elegies of the Stellar Wind, 2017)

18. Pestilent Hex - Chapter II: "Nature of the Spirit" (from The Ashen Abhorrence, 2022)

19. Summoning - The Passing of the Grey Company (from Minas Morgul, 1995)

Cool find. I would have probably never heard of this one if I hadn't joined the Academy. After giving it a few spins over the course of last week, I decided to review it as well:

https://metal.academy/reviews/35546/9858

As the final moments of Ulver's Bergtatt play out and fade into the abyss I complete my journey through Black Metal-The First Decade.

This really was a journey too, I experienced a range of emotions; anger, frustration, joy, sadness, disappointment, and satisfaction.  Where the Modern Death challenge list left me apathetic, I was never at a loss for visceral emotional response as I made my way throught the frostbitten, demonic, mystical, and beautiful forest of Black Metal's early offerings.

There was only one or two albums where I was left with a middle of the road sort of feeling. I was for the most part either writing a half star review or a five star review, and to me that's the best sort of art. I wouldn't reccommend every album as a stand alone, but I would reccomend that list as a complete experience.

I also learned a lot about myself and how I relate to this clan. 

I'm a very a-typical Black Metal fan, or at least very much against the grain of the stereotype perpetuated on the internet. I do not come to this music to praise the horned one-while not a church goer I am a very spiritually devoted Christian. I'm not particularly fond of absurdly low-fi production or blast beats-I enjoy them as flourishes or when they add a certain character to the overall product, but I am not on a quest to find the most harsh and abrasive recordings available.

so what am I doing here? 

I relate to descriptions of frozen wilderness and bitter cold. I understand isolation, and misanthropy. I enjoy evil sounding guitar riffs. My favorite albums on this list were 1st wave entries that played like diabolical thrash more than the 2nd wave or true Norwegian sound. The more melodic entries appealed to me. I have always prefered dirty vocals over cleans, so the black metal rasp suites me fine. 

I'm drawn to black metal through DSBM, which I get a feeling is sort of the black sheep (or goat as it were) of the sub-genre. It works along side my adoration for particular funeral doom. I enjoy melancholy introverted heavy music. 

BLACK FUCKING METAL! 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=9eb898291b6f4c46

1. Akhlys - Sister Silence, Brother Sleep (from Sister Silence, Brother Sleep, 2024)

2. Scarcity - Venom & Cadmium (from Venom & Cadmium, 2024)

3. Antichrist Siege Machine - Lysergic War Psychosis (from Vengeance of Eternal Fire, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

4. Aristarchos - Atrium - Martyr of Star and Fire (from Martyr of Star and Fire, 2024)

5. Tsjuder - Lord of Terror (from Kill for Satan, 2000) [Submitted by Vinny]

6. Saidan - Visual Kill (from Visual Kill: The Blossoming of Psychotic Depravity, 2024)

7. Kostnateni - Nevolnost je vše, čím jsem (Nausea Is All I Am) (from Upal, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Sear Bliss - The Upper World (from The Upper World, 2024)

9. Above Aurora - Inner Whispers (from Myriad Woes, 2024) [Submitted by Sonny]

10. Anorexia Nervosa - Antinferno (from Redemption Process, 2004) [Submitted by Vinny]

11. Liturgy - Vessel of Everthirst (from Immortal Life II, 2024)

12. Aquilus - Into the Earth (from Bellum II, 2024)

13. Hellripper - Mester Stoor Worm (from Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Grima - Hunger God (from Frostbitten, 2022) [Submitted by Vinny]

15. 1349 - Ash of Ages (from Ash of Ages, 2024)

16. Melechesh - Incendium Between Mirage and Time (from Sphynx, 2003) [Submitted by Sonny]

17. Primitive Warfare - Heretic Crusade (from Extinction Protocol, 2024)

18. Trhä - Danë‡i (from Av◊ëlajnt◊ë£ hinnem nihre, 2023) [Submitted by Daniel]

When my self-imposed exile from metal was ending at the end of the Nineties and I was casting around for bands to get me into the new sounds that had developed since I left it behind in 1990, I stumbled upon CoF playing live on some late night UK TV show and was mesmerised by their sound and aesthetic which were all new to me. I soon obtained a copy of Principles of Evil (via Napster I am ashamed to say) and really got into this new, eccentric-sounding and thoroughly exciting "new" style. I've not always been wowed by all their stuff, but I did find that this debut, Middian and even Nymphetamine offered me enough enjoyment to thoroughly shred any possibility of me claiming to be any kind of trve kvltist black metal fan! However, over the intervening years my black metal listening has refined itself somewhat with Cradle no longer appealing to me that much and it has been a long time since I last listened to Principles of Evil all the way through, so it's time to see how it stacks up 25 years on from my initial discovery of the East Anglian black metal goths.

The most striking thing about CoF is the sheer theatricality of their sound. Combining the symphonic black metal of Emperor with the gothic aesthetics of MyDying Bride, Dani Filth strikes me as a black metal version of Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Cradle albums as soundtracks to black metal musicals. In truth, that fanciful notion has less basis in fact here on the debut than it does on some of their later releases, but it is still a fair comment, I think, as it is still steeped in theatricality. To this end Benjamin Ryan's keyboards play a significant role on The Principle... providing intros, outros, interludes and as atmospheric layering they are never far from the action and provide some great moments, such as during The Forest Whispers My Name where they provide a nice melodic overlay and my favourite track, To Eve the Art of Witchcraft, which is undoubtedly elevated by Ryan's keyboard work.

Obviously, Cradle never really sounded this black metal again, with them inching into more gothic metal territory with each release, but underneath the gothic and atmospheric trappings there are some pretty decent slices of melodic black metal blasting here with the title track, the aforementioned The Forest Whispers My Name and A Crescendo of Passion Bleeding. They are unafraid to slow things down, too, and lean more into the gothic metal direction. The Black Goddess Rises, for example, contains little actual black metal and is a much more considered tempo, almost resembling doom metal, for much of it's runtime.

I'm actually glad I returned to this for May's feature because it has held up quite well across the intervening years and I feel a bit more love towards it today than I did before revisiting it. Of course there is an inherent degree of cheesiness here, with Dani's clean vocals providing much of it, but I do like his singular brand of ear-piercing screams which possibly makes me a bit more forgiving. All in all, I am feeling so well-disposed to Principle today, after several revisits during the month, that I am going to up my long-standing 3.5 star rating to a full 4.

4/5

I loved the Antichrist Siege Machine track, which is unsurprising as the album it is from is currently my #2 album of 2024. Other notables were Darkestrah with the grandiose pomp and circumstance of "Destroyer of Obstacles" really tickling my fancy this morning, Sacrificial Vein's blatant DsO-worship and Tsjuder's uncompromising old-school onslaught also standing out. To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole playlist, except for the Labyrinthus Stellarum track, which is in large part due to a deep-seated loathing of synthesised vocals of the type used here, but even without that it was largely unremarkable to my ears. The closing Trhä track I also found to be quite emotional for some reason, it's wistful and reflective atmosphere chiming with my own emotional state today.
Once more a stellar effort Ben, thanks a lot.

Strong month this time with me picking up the fantastic Narbeleth (props to Sonny).  Since listening through the playlist on Sunday, these Spanish residing Cubans have not been off my speakers much.  New Mütiilation slipped by me and that track sounds promising to my ears.  I was not too smitten with Suldusk or Moonlight Sorcery but it was great to see some BAN (underrated album that "Odinist..."), Rotting Christ and Xasthur getting some air time. 

Here's my review:

1991's "Worship Him" debut album was a relatively big record for Ben & I back in the early 1990's. I was already a fan of the First Wave of Black Metal when I first discovered Switzerland's Samael & their first full-length possessed some of the best traits from a number of those bands which saw me being heavily attracted to their fairly simple yet deeply atmospheric take on early black metal; their measured & doomy sense of control being in direct contrast to the death metal explosion that I was right up to my eyeballs in at the time. We'd pick up 1992's follow-up album "Blood Ritual" on CD & would give it a very similar treatment & with a fairly similar result from what I recall too. I didn't regard either record as being classics for the genre at the time but felt that they were essential early black metal release nonetheless. I always got the feeling that they sported a timeless quality & that element is still very much in effect with this week's revisit.

"Blood Ritual" isn't as different from "Worship Him" as some reviewers tend to make out. It certainly contains a cleaner, heavier production job that has obviously been inspired by felllow Swiss extreme metal legends Celtic Frost with the thick layers of rhythm guitar being a clear highlight of the record. The slow-to-mid paced tempos of "Worship Him" have only been dialed back a little further with the doomy vibe of the slower material off the debut having been accentuated here. If anything the riff structures are even less typical of the modern-day black metal sound too with thrash & doom metal tools being utilized within the context of a black metal atmosphere. Guitarist Vorphalack's grim Quorthon-inspired vocals always end to tie Samael to the black metal genre too, along with the darker feel & simpler riff structures. This is black metal at its most primitive, only with a production that goes very much against the traditional lo-fi grain that black metal was built on but one that definitely suits Samael's character traits. Celtic Frost are the clear source of inspiration here & (as with "Worship Him") I can't help but wonder as to just how much of an influence the early Samael releases had on Darkthrone's transition into black metal, particularly records like "Panzerfaust". The early works of Greece's Rotting Christ & Varathron also come to mind due to the similarities in style & tempo.

The tracklisting on "Blood Ritual" is very top-heavy with the vast majority of the stronger material residing on the A side. There's a short lull in the middle of the album with the faster title track (a re-recorded track from their 1988 "Macabre Operatta" demo tape) & short interlude "Since the Creation..." failing to hit the mark before things return to more enjoyable territories for the remainder of the record. The most notable inclusion is the incredible "After the Sepulture" which was clearly Samael's finest moment to the time & is still one of my all-time favourites amongst the earlier black metal acts. It represents Samael's first genuine classic & is probably the differentiator between where the two albums stand for me personally. Other highlights include "Poison Infiltration", "Bestial Devotion", the solid opener "Beyond the Nothingness" & the lengthy "Macabre Operatta" (another re-recording from the demo of the same name").

"Blood Ritual" is another high-quality effort from a black metal band that had been around a lot longer than most at the time & showed a clear understanding of the key elements that make the genre so great. There's not a lot between Samael's first two full-lengths but I tend to find "Blood Ritual" just edging out its older sibling overall, buoyed by the impact of the wonderful "After the Sepulture" while "Worship Him" lacked such a transcendent highlight track. 1994 would see Samael topping both records with their career-defining "Ceremony of Opposites" third album but "Blood Ritual" is probably still my second favourite Samael record of the ones I've heard & it should be essential listening for anyone wanting to gain a comprehensive understanding of where the black metal genre came from.

4/5

Evilfeast is a solo project of Polish multi-instrumentalist Jakub Grzywacz, who goes by the pseudonym of GrimSpirit. The project has been going since 1996, when it was then known as Darkfeast (changing name in '98) so he has some credibility as a relatively early adopter of the atmospheric black metal creed and not just some random bandwagon-jumper. So, I thought I hadn't listened to Evilfeast before and when it was pointed out that indeed I had (thanks, Daniel!), I still had no great recollection of the event. Not exactly a ringing endorsement I think you will agree. However, it says more about my insatiable appetite for listening to more and more unfamiliar metal albums and a resulting lack of retention of any but the most excellent (or utterly terrible), than it does about the quality of the release in question. This is because Elegies of the Stellar Wind is, in fact, a pretty decent slab of black metal with a pronounced symphonic element influenced by none less than the mighty Emperor, I would suggest. Although the keyboards are fundamental to the album's sound, it still feels like it sits more within the sphere of atmospheric rather than symphonic black metal because, although the synth sound can be traced back to Ihsahn & co, it isn't as bombastic as the Black Wizards, but rather it feels like it is heralding the majesty of the natural world rather than the machinations and achievements of powerful men.

The black metal component is generally of the uptempo, quite savage-sounding, thinly-produced type that harks back to a previous black metal age and doesn't contain the lushness of more recent atmospheric black metal efforts, but that feels no less effective for it. I must admit I like it's quite raw black metal stylings, whilst the keyboards are incorporated effectively and even though they have a significant presence they still work well in tandem with the riffing. It never really attains the hypnotic transcendence that the absolute top-tier atmospheric black metal releases achieve and, in truth, it probably feels a little more down-to-earth as a result, but whilst these ham-fisted attempts at describing Evilfeast's sound make it feel like it won't work, it absolutely does, it's just that it's not exactly what you would necessarily expect.

I'm gonna stick with my old RYM score of 4/5

My first question has got to be "did Daniel really suggest the Equilibrium track?!" I mean, I quite dug it too, surprisingly (it felt very cinematic), but it seems most unlike him.

It was a pretty lean month for me for The North releases so I thought I'd include it in the interest of diversity. It was probably the least offensive track from an album where I found nothing whatsoever that appealed to me.

This old favourite has finally packed it in after being structurally weakened by the Queensland sun with both elbows having increasingly bigger holes in them. You can kinda see the fade lines where the clothes line sits too. Clothes lines are metal as fuck, aren't they?

It's been a while since I revisited the debut album from notorious one-man Californian black metal artist Odz Manouk but this feature release has been beautifully timed to come off the back of the very positive experience I had with Yagian's long-awaited 2023 sophomore album "Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան)" which was one that went pretty close to dragging classic status outta me. "Odz Manouk" is generally considered to be a classic release for the genre in itself & it's certainly very solid but I'm not sure I'd go that far, despite it possessing some admirable qualities. An exceptionally cold & lo-fi production job is the cassette's main calling card & boy is it effective, giving the atmosphere an extra couple of layers of menace & spite. Yagian's vocals are the other highlight as he really nails that evil, tortured & abrasive style perfectly, particulary on the classic opener "A Mymex Omen" which is frankly one of the greatest examples of the genre you'll find. Unfortunately, Odz Manouk can't manage to repeat the dose across the other five songs included with the quality levels showing a bit of unwanted variety as the tracklisting progresses. The very popular "The Indisciplinarian" doesn't do a lot for me in all honesty & is the only genuine weak point in my opinion while closer "The Roaming" is merely acceptable. The other three tracks are all high-quality examples of their type though which makes "Odz Manouk" an essential listen for fans of the US black metal scene. The one element that I think could have been improved is the use of a fairly cheap sounding drum machine which is pretty obvious at times. I don't recall noticing it on "Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան)" which I consider to be the better record overall. Still... there's a lot to like about Yagian's debut full-length & I've really enjoyed this return visit.

4/5

Yeah, I have to admit it was a quiet month for new North tracks. I agree that modern Inquisition seems to have lost some of what made it so enjoyable in the past. 

I corrected The Amenta track to be off Plague of Locus rather than Lord Kaos' Thorns of Impurity album, which of course the track was originally found on. The Lord Kaos album is now on Spotify too, which is a good thing. Daniel was mates with the guys in the band and I listened to that album a lot in the back end of the 90s.

The Frozen Dawn is awesome too - it's yet another from the masterful Mariusz Lewandowski, so it kind of goes without saying!

Kostnatění - "Úpal" (2023)

Last year's sophomore album from one-man Minneapolis avant-garde black metal project Kostnatění is a really solid release & should probably come into these discussions somewhere. It's currently sitting solely in The North but it's very clear to me that it should have a dual clan allocation with The infinite as it's made an obvious attempt to sound as strange as possible with a Deathspell Omega influence being pretty obvious in the guitar work. It doesn't all work but the majority of the record is highly engaging, despite being more interesting & intriguing than it is traditionally enjoyable. I'm placing it just behind Odz Manouk's "Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան)" & Panopticon's "The Rime of Memory".

4/5

My gut feel from the limited exposure I've had to Medieval Folk Metal is that we may be best to at least rename it to Mittelalter-Metal or Medieval Metal, particularly given that RYM felt strongly enough to do so. It wouldn't take all that much effort as there's not that many releases. A deep dive is certainly required in order to determine if it's really best suited to being a) a subgenre of Folk Metal & b) a member of The North clan at some point.

Aloha, resident non-hater of Folk Metal here.

What makes it hard is that there are very few Folk Metal releases nowadays that stand alone as a Folk release, rather than being bundled with a Black / Progressive main genre. In all of my 2023 listening, I think the only actual Folk Metal release was Skálmöld's Ydalir, which I liked but wasn't anything to write to MA about unless you're really craving some Viking Metal. There was that Kostnatění release, Úpal that used Folk elements as the backbone of its songwriting but not in a Folk Metal way, so that was another win for wonky Black Metal rather than Folk Metal. I'm just waiting for the new Moonsorrow album. That's coming out, right guys? Any day now. 

I'll be giving Sagas another run here today, as I remember it being very good but very long.

I've correct the tracklisting. Thanks Vinny.

A bit late, but I did comment on this album earlier on and I'm doing my rounds of catch up today here on the forums as well but wow what a release and I do appreciate the nomination of this one Daniel it definitely hit a spot I didn't know I needed. As I mentioned in the review, this is such a great album to sleep to for some reason the atmosphere is just so cozy.

Another top list this month, Ben. I don't know if it's because the winter is here and the music suits the mood so well, but the last couple have been very good indeed. In fact there wasn't a single track I could say I disliked. Sure there were a couple that were a bit more melodic than I prefer, but they were still fine in their own way. I'm with Vinny in thinking that Faidra track was a particular highlight. Deiphage, Ebony Pendant, Fork Of Horripilation, Glemsel and Auriferous Flame were fantastic too. And let's face it, any playlist with Mayhem, Emperor and Darkthrone is going to kick ass anyway. Nice work Ben and everybody who submitted their selections.

One last album that is so amazing and unique, yet a reminder about how I should stop my melodic black metal exploration so I don't get highly committed to a genre still out of bounds from my moral comfort (among other reasons). Here are my thoughts:

Windir isn't a band that can be considered just black metal. This is epic melodic/symphonic black metal with colorful leads and mythological lyrics. All that and the genre's usual vocal screams and blast-beats make this sound a unique combo. Valfar was one of the more talented members of the Norwegian black metal scene. He could do everything except drums and clean vocals, which two other band members have done for him. He had an idea to make a black metal band that didn't follow the usual the genre's stereotypes, and he succeeded! Sadly, his life was taken in a blizzard during a trek to his family cabin in his homeland of Norway after his band's 4th album. He had an incredible technique of alternating between only a few powerful melodic riffs throughout the longer tracks. The instruments make the most change, taking turns playing each riff, whether adding more or less heaviness or harmony. All that makes this album an excellent unique journey. RIP Valfar

4.5/5

Yeah, I'm ending this melodic/symphonic black metal exploration early because these kinds of threads are frowned upon, and I've realized that I'm still not ready to travel further into The North. This means any suggestions for my exploration are cancelled (Sorry, Morpheus). Will I try to explore more black metal in the future? No idea, but the time is not now. That's all for this thread, folks!

Let's stick with what unites us and not what divides us, so saying I agree Vinny, the Mānbryne track was a standout and their album is near the top of my list of things to check out soon.  As you've already listened to it, is it any good?

I thought it was solid enough but not outstanding.  My fears of them being Mgla clones were not realised thankfully but I see little here to be attracting the top end of the rating spectrum, however I have only listened through a couple of times.

This is fucking fantastic Ben. Super-premium atmospheric black metal with a strong & highly original psybient component & some excellent extreme metal drumming. How could I not love that?! The mature use of melody, the knack for building tension & the inherent creativity are simply so impressive. "U.M.A." is the perfect Metal Academy feature release in my opinion as it's criminally underrated & underappreciated.

4.5/5