December 2021 "The North" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=Q31-oZS0T9SMK_rHTYEq2g

Tracklisting: 

1. Marduk - Beast of Prey (from Panzer Division Marduk, 1999) [Submitted by Sonny]

2. Thyrfing - Döp dem i eld (from Vanagandr, 2021)

3. Mare Cognitum - Occultated Temporal Dimensions (from Luminiferous Aether, 2016) [Submitted by Sonny]

4. Antichrist Siege Machine - Carried Into Darkness (from Purifying Blade, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

5. møl - Serf (from Diorama, 2021)

6. Havukruunu - Rautalintu (from Havulinnaan, 2015) [Submitted by Xephyr]

7. Serpent Column - Disobedience (from Katartisis, 2021)

8. Empyrium - Über den Sternen (from Über den Sternen, 2021)

9. Inferno - The Wailing Horizon (from Paradeigma (Phosphenes of Aphotic Eternity), 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

10. Blasphemy - Demoniac (from Blood Upon the Altar, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]

11. Code - The Rattle of Black Teeth (from Resplendent Grotesque, 2009)

12. Drudkh - Sunwheel (from Autumn Aurora, 2004) [Submitted by Xephyr]

13. Antaeus - Inner War (from Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan, 2000) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Cradle of Filth - Crawling King Chaos (from Existence Is Futile, 2021)

15. Astrophobos - Liktal (from Corpus, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Untamed Land - A Nameless Shape (from Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

17. Burzum - Spell of Destruction (from Burzum, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Cantique Lepreux - Lune défroquée (from Sectes, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Panopticon - Black Soot and Red Blood (from Kentucky, 2012) [Submitted by Daniel]

I found this month's list to be a bit hit and miss for me. Absolutely loved that Burzum choice and the inclusion of Drudkh, Mare Cognitum and Panopticon were the highlights for me.  Not sure at all about møl - too gazey for me in all honesty and I will need another couple of cracks at that Code track before settling down on one side of the fence on it.

The more Havukruunu I hear the less I like them for some reason.  I find them to be a little too earthy in their approach and this is normally something I would admire but for some reason with these guys it just rubs me up the wrong way.  Empyrium are a group I need to spend more time with though as I already had that track queued on my "likes" to get back to after a couple of listens - uplifting stuff.

I know I added them myself but I am on the fence about Antichrist Siege Machine.  Accepting that I do need an uninterrupted end-to-end session with the album at some point, but currently I am not finding it that good in snippets.  Maybe the full auditory assault of the whole offering will help shift my perspective to a more positive direction.

That Panopticon track to close is so perfect to end the playlist though.  Cannot think of an album that uses spoken word recordings against a musical background so effectively.  This track invokes a real sense of struggle quite unlike anything I have heard before.

An entertaining playlist this month. I would be lying if I said I enjoyed everything on it, but it was a very interesting listen.

1. Marduk - Beast of Prey (from Panzer Division Marduk, 1999) [Submitted by Sonny]
5/5 Brutal Metal of War.

2. Thyrfing - Döp dem i eld (from Vanagandr, 2021)
4/5 Pretty good - enjoyed it.

3. Mare Cognitum - Occultated Temporal Dimensions (from Luminiferous Aether, 2016) [Submitted by Sonny]
4.5/5 Swirling atmo-black that sweeps you away with it's lush atmospherics.

4. Antichrist Siege Machine - Carried Into Darkness (from Purifying Blade, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
4/5 Thundering war metal. I'm a fan of this album.

5. møl - Serf (from Diorama, 2021)
3/5 Not really for me - a bit lightweight for my taste.

6. Havukruunu - Rautalintu (from Havulinnaan, 2015) [Submitted by Xephyr]
3.5/5 Decent if not great pagan BM.

7. Serpent Column - Disobedience (from Katartisis, 2021)
2.5/5 Serpent Column are currently one of the darlings of the BM scene and I get that we're all supposed to dig this cacophony, but it doesn't do anything for me. Guess that makes me the uncool one... again!!

8. Empyrium - Über den Sternen (from Über den Sternen, 2021)
3.5/5 A bit cheesy, but I did like the doomy vibe.

9. Inferno - The Wailing Horizon (from Paradeigma (Phosphenes of Aphotic Eternity), 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
4/5 Proper infernal and filthy sounding - liked it a lot.

10. Blasphemy - Demoniac (from Blood Upon the Altar, 1989) [Submitted by Daniel]
5/5 I love Blasphemy and this sounds like ass - which only makes it even cooler!

11. Code - The Rattle of Black Teeth (from Resplendent Grotesque, 2009)
2.5/5 Not for me - I especially didn't like the clean parts at all.

12. Drudkh - Sunwheel (from Autumn Aurora, 2004) [Submitted by Xephyr]
4.5/5 Drudkh are almost always high quality and this is no exception.

13. Antaeus - Inner War (from Cut Your Flesh and Worship Satan, 2000) [Submitted by Sonny]
4/5 Proper filthy, misanthropic black metal that makes no pretence to being anything else.

14. Cradle of Filth - Crawling King Chaos (from Existence Is Futile, 2021)
3.5/5 Despite still not being up my proverbial alley, surprisingly I didn't hate this within the context of the playlist, although the thought of a whole seventy minutes of the full album is still too much for me to contemplate.

15. Astrophobos - Liktal (from Corpus, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
4/5 Really liked this. Simple, old-school black metal.

16. Untamed Land - A Nameless Shape (from Like Creatures Seeking Their Own Forms, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]
3.5/5 I like the spaghetti western atmospherics better than a lot of the more usual european folk metal crap that gets bandied about a lot nowadays within atmospheric black metal circles. Whilst not being exactly my cup of tea, it makes for an interesting mix.

17. Burzum - Spell of Destruction (from Burzum, 1992) [Submitted by Daniel]
4.5/5 I guess I am one of the few who enjoys Burzum's debut more than his other releases. I know it's not objectively better than Hvis lyset tar oss or Filosofem, but I just enjoy it's naive and basic sound more. If I had ever made a black metal album I would have wanted it to sound like this.

18. Cantique Lepreux - Lune défroquée (from Sectes, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
4/5 Love this old-school sound like the Astrophobos track.

19. Panopticon - Black Soot and Red Blood (from Kentucky, 2012) [Submitted by Daniel]
5/5 I think I have made my feelings on this album well known before so will say no more about it other than Panopticon are very, very near the top of the tree when it comes to atmospheric black metal.