What Are You Listening To Now - The North Edition
Dzö-nga definitely needs more attention this year, Thunder In The Mountains is such a huge step up from his other material it's not even funny. The Native American folklore touch is has is unique and interesting, I have it as a 4/5 right now but I could easily see it being a 4.5/5 by the end of the year, I haven't gotten tired of it yet.
Sorhin - Apokalypsens Ängel (2000)
Can't remember how these guys ended up on my Trello board for bands to check out but have heard a couple of their releases this past week and they aren't half bad. Melodic and catchy without any symphonic elements. Catchy in a punky kind of a way.
More folk-y black metal from me guys! This one is from New Zealand and, while I did like this album far more than Skyforest's A New Dawn, this is still far more in the blackgaze subsection of the genre as opposed to Dzö-nga or Izthmi. Certainly an acquired taste, but good stuff from a very niche subgenre.
7/10
https://sojournermetal.bandcamp.com/album/premonitions
And since I just mentioned them in the last post, this is the debut album from Seattle based Izthmi. Much more traditional black metal tones, while still digging into that epic atmospheric songwriting and timbre. Ben, I think you'll really enjoy this.
8/10
https://izthmiseattle.bandcamp.com/album/the-arrows-of-our-ways
And since I just mentioned them in the last post, this is the debut album from Seattle based Izthmi. Much more traditional black metal tones, while still digging into that epic atmospheric songwriting and timbre. Ben, I think you'll really enjoy this.
8/10
https://izthmiseattle.bandcamp.com/album/the-arrows-of-our-ways
Just checked out the first couple of tracks. There are a lot of influences here, including Agalloch, the progressive stylings of Opeth / In Mourning, and I can definitely hear a bit of the Scandinavian doom sound that I love so much in bands like Rapture and Slumber. I think it's going to take a bit of time for this one to sink in.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I am far from being an authority in any type of way when it comes to black metal, but this is really my thing. I imagine that Dissection was probably a bit of an influence on this one, but I like that these are pretty concise songs, and the production doesn’t really distract me at all like on some of the other more well known canon.
New blackgaze from my part of the world everybody! Unreqvited is Ottawa, Ontario's newest entrant into the fray and I heavily enjoyed the symphonic elements and how they add to the overall atmosphere. I would say that the individual moments sound better on the own, but the dynamic control is excellent. Apparently, they've been around for a few albums over the last five years. Worth checking out, but over-saturation could be detrimental down the road.
7/10
https://unreqvited.bandcamp.com/album/empathica
https://unreqvited.bandcamp.com/album/empathica
Mgła - "Exercises In Futility" (2015)
A brilliant flexing of the creative muscles of Poland's finest black metal export. I can't understand the backlash from your black metal elitists to be honestFans of Uada, Kriegmaschine & Plaga should already be all over this one.
4.5/5
Vanum - Ageless Fire (2019)
Melodic black metal that despite being quite predicatble still gets props for doing justice to the genre. Some unexpected chord progressions and tempo changes here and there to keep things interesting. Ticking all my boxes on a Sunday mornng where I have woken up to Dissection and Sacramentum tracks drifting through my head.
3.5/5
Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black
This extremely strange 1995 Symphonic Black Metal release came to my attention when taking a look at the 1995 charts while writing my review for In The Woods..., and wow is it strange. The group plays with two basses, which actually works wonderfully to create some killer Black Metal riffs, but goes completely off the deep end (in kind of a good way) with overblown symphonic elements including an extended sax and woodwind solo and an intermission which includes the full beginning of "The Flight of the Valkyries" thrown in for no reason whatsoever. It's a very unique one to come out of the explosion of Black Metal in the mid-90's, and if I had the power I'd love to see it in the Clan Challenge for the beginning of Black Metal just because it's so strange and off the wall. It's almost like an alternate dimension Enslaved/Emperor but less solid overall. Weird stuff.
4/5
Paysage D'Hiver - Steineiche (1998)
The debut release from Winteherr's solo project that preceded anything he did in Darkspace by some four years, is full of abrasive and harsh black metal blended (often in quite a caustic manner) with more ambient passages with an ever-present and bone-chilling coldness to it.
4.5/5
Darkthrone - Panzerfaust (1995)
Despite the strong Celtic Frost vibe to this I still find it a howling piece of BM that never ceases to entertain. At least they were honest about wanting to focus on CF on this and the job they do is respectful and not just a gratuitous regurgitation of that band. One of my favoured Darkthrone releases.
5/5
Darkthrone - Panzerfaust (1995)
Despite the strong Celtic Frost vibe to this I still find it a howling piece of BM that never ceases to entertain. At least they were honest about wanting to focus on CF on this and the job they do is respectful and not just a gratuitous regurgitation of that band. One of my favoured Darkthrone releases.
5/5
Hear, hear! Darkthrone are probably my favourite BM outfit and Panzerfaust my second favourite album of their's after A Blaze in the Northern Sky. It's massively underrated.
I found "Transilvanian Hunger" to be the finest example of the black metal sound to the time of release so "Panzerfaust" seemed like a little bit of a step down to me. Where its predecessor was incredibly focused & pretty much defined the modern black metal sound, "Panzerfaust" seemed to be more of a collection of individual tracks that were more of a tribute than an artistic statement. It lacked the focus & cohesion of the previous trio of albums. There are some fantastic ttracks of course (like the unbelievable "Quintessence" for example) but I do feel like it was just an enjoyable Darkthrone release rather than a classic one like "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" or "Transilvanian Hunger".
Akhkys - Melinoë (2020)
Pre-order done for this and I can't wait for 14th Dec for the vinyl to arrive. The Dreaming I was excellent stuff and this follow up is a whole five years in the making. Listening to the track available for stream Pnigalion this album seems to pick up where the other left off. Swarming and chaotic black metal with a death metal attitude with a melodic mining tone also that is truly the stuff of nightmares. All hail Naas Alcameth!
Von - Satanic Blood Angel
Primitive and raw perhaps don't cover this accurately enough. There's more than just bm on this with doom riffs also being present but overall it is a nefarious beast with the drums unfortunately being far too forwards in the mix making it a bit "tippy-tappy" in places. Vocally it is more death metal in focus but that frantic tremolo pace in the guitar keeps things routed in the bm realm sufficiently.
Selbst - Relatos De Angustia (2020)
Powerful and melodic black metal from Chile (although originally from Venezuela), in the vein of Mgla only nowhere near as polished. Well paced and thoughtful stuff that can shift mood effortlessly. Thinking this (or the latest Gaerea) will be my next review.
Sarcófago - "I.N.R.I." (1987)
Ultra-raw, super-kvlt black metal from Brazil. For fans of Vulcano, early Sodom & the first couple of Sepultura records.
3.5/5
Serpent Column - Kathados (2020)
After Mirror In Darkness ended up highly regarded on my 2019 list, Serpent Column is back already in 2020 with another extremely dissonant and aggressive Black Metal offering. Kathados is slightly less chaotic but still has a ton of technicality while keeping the despair-laden atmosphere. Definitely worth a listen if you like Deathspell Omega styled Black Metal.
Blut Aus Nord - MoRT (2006)
Industrial-edged, black metal, dissonant goodness for a Sunday morning wake up.
Ifing - Against This Weald (2014)
Folkly, atmospheric black metal from the US featuring recorders and tin whistles on the instrument list. The cover gives the game away in terms of what to expect. Enjoyable if not predictable.
3/5
Wallachia - Monumental Heresy (2018)
An unexpected freebie from Debemur Morti Productions when my copy of Akhlys Melinoë arrived today. Tucked into the packaging was this CD. It's an album I am familiar with but have never infested much time in. It's symphonic elements feel more folk than outright Emperor like grandiosity and when it goes bm it does so with sufficient abrasiveness to please my kvlt tendencies.
4/5
Blasfemia - "Guerra total" E.P. (1988)
Very raw Colombian black metal that draws influence from Parabellum, early Bathory & "In The Sign Of Evil" era Sodom.
3/5
Panopticon - Kentucky (2012)
I have grown really fond of this record in recent weeks (think I picked up on it from a track on the North playlist the other month). It is such a well composed album that deals with a very emotive subject very sensibly in terms of how the folk, bluegrass and black metal elements are deployed to tell the story. Need to find time to get a review done on this so will hold off rating at this stage.