The North
The North Threads
Krallice - Diotima (2011)
So, here is yet another example of the fact that I have no idea what I am talking about, or even what I like half the time. My only other exposure to Krallice was their 2015 album, Ygg Hur, to which I awarded a measly 2.5 stars. I remember said album as being a bit technical and a bit dissonant in the way that I didn't especially enjoy around that time. As such, I wasn't particularly enthused going in to this, but it is actually pretty good and I enjoyed it a helluva lot. It is made up of fairly lengthy and repetitive tracks of muscular black metal that seem to have a beefiness derived from employing death metal production techniques. With the repetitious nature of the riffs and lengthy runtimes you would be forgiven for filing this away as atmospheric black metal but it isn't really as I don't think the repetition is deployed in a way as to create atmospheric layers, but rather to bludgeon the listener and make them feel like they have taken a metaphorical punch on the nose. There is some dissonance involved, but nothing too egregious and certainly not enough to put even my sensitivity to it on alert, just enough to add a bit of bite and edge to the tracks to prevent them becoming too warm and fuzzy.
I don't want to give the impression that this is a boring slog of repetition, though, because the songwriting and composition of a track like "Telluric Rings" is much more accomplished and nuanced than that and is a fine of example of a band who want to make interesting black metal whilst still delivering on the darker side of the genre. The band employ two vocalists, the main one, I think, is guitarist Mick Barr whose vocals are a harsh bark in a more death metal style than the more familiarly thin shrieks of second vocalist, bassist Nicholas McMaster. Speaking of which, I must also make mention of McMaster's bass playing which is busily at work doing some serious heavy lifting for a fair bit of the runtime, not content to just follow the riffing, the bass weaves some quite complex patterns, adding some nice flavour to the musical mix.
I have got to say, I am quite impressed by Diotima and feel that maybe I have been unjustified in giving Krallice short shrift in the past. Every track is strong, but the aforementioned "Telluric Rings" sounds like something special to me and is possibly heading towards becoming a firm black metal favourite of mine. I notice that I am the first on here to rate it, but I strongly recommend a listen to most of the North regulars because, honestly, it is much better than I make it sound.
4.5/5
Fans of Austin Lunn will be happy to know that he will release Laurentian Blues on 15th August. This is his eleventh full length and is released via Bindrune Recordings.
Deafheaven - "Lonely People with Power" (2025)
The new Deafheaven album is once again a very solid piece of work from a high-class metal outfit. I can't say that I can see why people are going so nuts for it though as I'd suggest it's still arguably the least impressive Deafheaven full-length to date (although I admittedly haven't heard 2021's divisive "Infinite Granite" record as yet). The brilliantly powerful & high-precision drumming is the clear highlight here while those screaming black metal vocals & shimmering production job are pretty fucking awesome too. I just can't quite get onboard with claiming some of the more commercially structured material as extreme metal classics like others seem to be able to but a track like the rip-roaring "Revelator" certainly show the potential to go there. There's no doubt at all that Deafheaven are the best blackgaze band in the world in my opinion & this record sees them returning to their signature post-blackgaze sound & flexing their creative muscles. I doubt any fans will be disappointed but it's not an album of the year candidate for me personally.
For fans of Ghost Bath, Oathbreaker & Alcest.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Blackgaze Releases of All Time list:
01. Deafheaven - "Sunbather" (2013)
02. Deafheaven - "10 Years Gone" (2020)
03. Woods of Desolation - "Torn Beyond Reason" (2011)
04. Deafheaven - "Roads to Judah" (2011)
05. Deafheaven - "New Bermuda" (2015)
06. Alcest - "Kodama" (2016)
07. Deafheaven - "Ordinary Corrupt Human Love" (2018)
08. Deafheaven - "Lonely People with Power" (2025)
09. Lantlôs - ".neon" (2010)
10. Alcest - "Écailles de lune" (2010)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/204
Mysterivm Xarxes - 'In Resonance with the Carnalized Manifestations' (2025)
In Resonance with the Carnalized Manifestations has been on my review list for what feels like months now. I mean, yes it was released way back in January and we are now well into May, but it feels like I have been toying with it for longer than the last nearly half a year. As I just start to remember why I usually find keeping up with the slew of new releases each year such a challenge, here I am finally committing my thoughts to review. With Austria not being my usual go to country for black metal, to find such a raw and intense experience that instantly recalls the jarring horror of Leviathan is a real treat. Indeed, first track proper, ‘Bound and Condemmed in the Chamber of Your Insignificance’ is as harsh and unforgiving as the track title suggests. It is clear from the off that if you are looking for some catchy, black ‘n roll style bm, you are in the wrong hole.
The crude melodicism of the dashing tremolos, which are generated by the guitarist just dashing their hand up and down the fretboard it seems, does bring an unexpected sense of underlying depth when you take time to listen critically. In fact, the more I listen to this EP the more it has grown. The EP format does not make this a smash ‘n grab bm release either, Homvnkvlvs does everything on Mysterivm Xarxes releases and his marauding style of black metal more than hints at thought and structure beneath the ghastlier aesthetic that he presents in his music. The melody is primitive to an almost pagan extent at times, but the fact is that the tracks are in a continued state of flux. The pacing and tempos change with a degree of regularity, keeping you guessing as to where tracks might be going next. By the time we get to the middle of third track ‘At the Threshold of Purification’ we are almost straying into a progressive build for a few bars before we descend back into raging black metal fury again.
Therefore, despite being only a little over thirty-one-minutes in duration, the EP feels very fulfilling. It is like everything that is wanting to be said is expelled in an enormously entertaining manner. The ambient sections work just as well as the more aggressive parts when they are given the floor. Keying up the final act of the release, instrumental number ‘Dawn of Inner Renewal’ does just enough with its gentle ambience to settle our nerves for one last foray into the rampant black metal of ‘Shards of Lasting Rememberance’. This last track comes charging out of the blocks like a possessed animal. That fearsomely strummed tremolo drives the track forward with unrelenting fury, all making for a satisfying end to fine release overall.
4/5
Dawn - "Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher" (1994)
Unlike many fans, I slightly prefer the debut album from these Swedes over their more widely celebrated 1998 third full-length "Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy)". It's an extremely consistent record that's highlighted by some powerfully executed drumming from Karsten Larsson (Falconer/King of Asgard). Henke Forss' (Niden Div. 187) blackened shrieks are rip-roaring too which sees him nicely complimenting the sophisticated & melodic guitar riffs which showcase an early Emperor influence at times. There are no weak numbers included which makes it hard to ignore Dawn's claims in the melodic black metal space. I think most The North members will get something out of this one.
For fans of Sacramentum, Vinterland & Dissection.
4/5
Here's my updated Top Ten Melodic Black Metal Releases of All Time list:
01. Dissection – “Storm Of The Light’s Bane” (1995)
02. Rotting Christ – “Non Seriam” (1994)
03. Mare Cognitum – “Solar Paroxysm” (2021)
04. Les Chat de Nihil – “Le tyran et l’esthete” (2021)
05. Dawn - "Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher" (1994)
06. Dawn – “Slaughtersun (Crown Of The Triarchy)” (1998)
07. Iskald – “The Sun I Carried Alone” (2011)
08. Naglfar – “Teras” (2012)
09. Abigail Williams - "In The Absence Of Light" (2010)
10. Dissection - "The Somberlain" (1993)
https://metal.academy/lists/single/164
Another month flies by, which means it's time to select a new feature release for The North. This time, I've elected to go with the 1997's "Impergium" LP from the short-lived Swedish black metal outfit Niden Div. 187, featuring members of Dawn, Thy Primordial & A Canorous Quintet. Very much in opposition to the mentioned bands' epic & melodic leanings, this is a short (just under 26 minutes) & sweet slab of relentless black metal brutality that should satisfy fans of Legion-era Marduk, Sammath & Zyklon-B. Highly recommended!
https://metal.academy/releases/28870
Drudkh - 'Shadow Play' (2025)
Drudkh tailed off for me not long after Microcosmos. A Handful of Stars was a poor follow up to 2009’s triumph of a release and I progressively lost interest in the band. In writing this review, I looked back at some of my ratings for what has come after 2010 and found that on the few I had rated, I had little if any memory of what they sounded like (ratings on relevant releases have therefore been deleted from MA). Whereas I would have once looked forward to a Drudkh album, I found news of Shadow Play arriving landing with a less than muted applause. For me it almost feels like Drudkh have said everything I wanted to hear on their first few records. Those first four albums were the band’s golden run in my book and although they most certainly do have albums outside of that window of releases that I enjoy, I sensed that Shadow Play was not going to see me reaching for the higher end of the scoring range.
My fears were confounded by the frankly boring album opener ‘Scattering the Ashes’, a seven-minute plus track that is frankly one of the dullest pieces of music the Ukranians have ever written. I get the sound of the footfalls in the snow are of someone carrying an urn, however the track itself goes nowhere in between the footfalls that bookend the instrumental. Not a positive start then. Hold on though, both ‘April’ and ‘The Exile’ immediately get me interested in the album again with their driving rhythms and charging pace. The riffs seem to wrap effortlessly around one another, seemingly at home regardless of the tempo being deployed at the time. The rich melody that Drudkh are famous for is certainly still at the forefront of their music. The sound of the guitar alongside Roman’s grim vocals are familiar and welcome sounds. There’s a jangle to a Drudkh tremolo that sometimes sounds like a 60’s psychedelic rock jam. As we get onto the halfway point of the album, things are looking up.
I would go as far as to say that the previous two tracks are a couple of the best songs Drudkh have pulled together in a long time. Solid and memorable, urgent and pressing, as well as sounding like they are performed with passion and guile. ‘Fallen Blossom’ introduces a more aggressive sound, not dissimilar to the overall sound of album The Swan Road. Whilst the melody is still obvious, there is a harsher, colder edge to it on here. Even when the track seems to settle down into a rhythm, it still feels oppositional. The keys do little to soothe this abrasive edge, seeming to support its threat and intent with menacing atmospheres. The track builds into a tumultuous mass of tremolos and percussion, never taking its foot off the gas for the final third of the song. A more melodic opening greets us on ‘The Eve’, even if we are still seeing no signs of the pace letting up in the first instance. At this point I did start to wonder if some variety was missing here, but just as the demons started to have me doubting Drudkh, there’s a swell of accessible, more leniently paced melodies that is cleverly given space to breath and develop before becoming consumed again in the more raging torrents of the track. There is great use of pacing here, even though I missed this on my first few listens, it seems so obvious as I listen through on my review write-up.
Album closer, ‘The Thirst’ sounds like there may be some folk instruments at play in the raging mix that starts the track. I cannot see anything listed other than guitars and keyboards, so it may just be clever use of the keys, but I hear some light droning warbling in the background that seems to be a different pitch to the tremolo that I would normally attribute such sound too. In the end though, Shadow Play is not an album that needs much in the way of expansion. It says what it needs to say very well without much in the way of thrills being needed. It is one of the most consistent Drudkh albums that I have heard in a while and it really is only let down by that lifeless opening track which thankfully soon becomes a distant memory as the real quality of the album soon starts to take over.
4.5/5
Ben, Sonny, Xephyr, Rex....this amazing offering of power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth you guys' time:
Revenge - Violation.Strife.Abominate (2025)
Canada's Revenge are not a band for fucking around - they burst in, drop their war metal ordinance which is designed to cause the maximum number of aural casualties and then they get the fuck out. It isn't pretty and it isn't melodic. It is vicious and nasty and is meant to provoke a reaction of repulsion from the general record-buying public - and even the majority of metal fans I would surmise. To say that a band like Revenge only play for themselves and their fans is no hyperbole. I can't imagine them giving a shit about what anyone says about them because they make no concessions to trends, they make no attempt to expand their sound to appeal to a wider audience and they exhibit no desire to stretch themselves artistically. And you know what, I can respect that because I always appreciate those who are comfortable in their own skin and who couldn't give a toss what naysayers think or say.
Then, on the other hand there is a counter argument which says, how many Revenge albums do you actually need if they all plough exactly the same furrow? How can you get excited about a new Revenge release when it sounds so much like all the others? These are both good questions and certainly have a validity. They are charging $9.99 for the digital version on Bandcamp, $16 for a CD and from $29 for the vinyl - even the cassette version is $18, so why should you pay that much for a further rehashing of the same old sound? I am sorry, but I don't have a nice, neat answer for you and if you need to ask the question in the first place then I would have to say dont bother and look elsewhere for your musical kicks.
So what is that sound I probably don't hear you ask? It is a pulverising deathly black metal cacophony that is typical of the war metal genre. It is abrasive and unrelenting - there are no lulls in the perpetual aural bombardment, no reduction in tempo, no dropping into the odd groove-laden riff or dishing up of the occasional hook to give the brain a fragment of flotsam to hold onto in a boiling sea of blood and steel. The vocals are distorted shouts and hideous growls that often don't even seem to be issuing from human throats, shearing away even that shred of human connection from the listener. The drums batter away with a basic brutalisation of blastbeats whilst the few guitar solos just sound like somebody torturing their six-stringer into acquiescence. War metal in general and Revenge in particular produce metal that is meant to test the endurance of the listener. It is meant to be a visceral, almost physical, experience that is supposed to leave you feeling worn out and spent, it isn't deep and contemplative, or designed to make you think, unless it is about unmentionable horror and fear. This is metal that is uncompromisingly primal, raw and uncaring, so if that sounds truly awful to you then don't waste your time here - Revenge wouldn't thank you for it anyway.
3.5/5
How's it going, fellas, as it is my turn to nominate the featured release for The North, I would like to, once again, use the opportunity to introduce you to one of my personal highlights of 2024, this time of the black metal variety. My pick this time is going to be the second full-length from the New York-based conventional black metal crew Spite, "The Third Temple". The album offers a nice marriage between the Immortal-esque melodic riffing against the backdrop of cozy pre-Norwegian warmth and heavy/speed metal tendencies reminiscent of the likes of Master's Hammer and Grand Belial's Key. The lyrical themes form another link with the latter, concerning ancient biblical tales and Jewish mysticism, although notably without the antisemitic component that is notorious of GBK. All in all, I've found plenty to enjoy on this record - let me know what you think!
https://metal.academy/releases/55216
Abigail Williams - In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns
Genre: Symphonic Black Metal
This debut album is basically what would happen if a bunch of metalheads discovered real extremities for the first time, decided that Born of Osiris was just as good as Emperor, and then thought they would be the coolest thing on Earth if they decided to mash the two. Well, they didn't end up the coolest thing on Earth, but it's not that bad of a debut.
The most important thing to keep in mind are the veterans these guys got to help with the album, notable a couple of metal veterans: Emperor drummer Tryn, and metal producer James Murphy. High grade celebs. The worst thing to keep in mind is the constant deathcore-infusion, which the symphonics can't quite drown out. The writing itself is pretty good, going into a lot of complex and unpredictable parts while maintaining a constant vibe. But with the album always switching between another blast beat, violins and the bare essentials that symphonic black metal needs, it pretty much becomes 46 minutes of the same thing; it's variations of the same song that gradually get less original and slightly worse overtime. Now this doesn't mean the album eventually sucks. In fact, the first two songs: The World Beyond and Acolytes, are actually very good. Acolytes is almost incredible in a way, largely due to a keen awareness of what extreme metal needs to sound like. Obviously, we have our two veterans to thank for that. But eventually, the album bears the same originality as any Fleshgod Apocalypse album. Thankfully, there's one shining example of great writing on side B: Empyrean. That song really carries some of the Emperor spirit and is one of the heavier tracks. I might even say it's my favorite song on that album.
So, starts of great, finishes decent, has instances of brilliance. Stays brutally heavy throughout, and beautifully produced.
82/100
So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The North for 2024.
Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The North Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.
The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top North releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE
