What Are You Listening To Now - The North Edition
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.
My favourite Panopticon album and one of my favourite atmo-black records. A metal album dealing with a labour dispute is a rare thing indeed, but then again Austin Lunn is a rare individual in the world of black metal.
Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm (2021)
First time listening to this band and have to say I am already massively impressed by just the power of the opening track on here.
Incredible record, my favorite of 2021 so far. I'm really impressed that he was able to follow up Wanderers: Astrology Of The Nine from last year with something that might be his best work yet.
Damn right guys. This is a great record from a fantastic talent. I feel it's got a bit more bite than his more cosmic-sounding earlier releases. My amber vinyl copy was waiting for me when I got home from work today, so looking forward to spinning that up this Easter weekend. It's a really nice gatefold package that looks almost as good as the Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine vinyl release.
Spectral Lore - III (2014)
Damn Mare Cognitum get me all like atmospheric and shit this week so pulled out this beauty of a record from 7 years ago. Need to be spinning this more to get back in my head. This guy knows how to write and of course did a split/collab with Mare Cognitum that I need to check out also.
Hey Vinny, Spectral Lore has actually done a couple of collab / splits with Mare Cognitum - 2013's Sol and last year's Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine, both of which are really great, especially Wanderers. Both bands are extremely accomplished at the whole cosmic black metal thing, don't you think?
Hey Vinny, Spectral Lore has actually done a couple of collab / splits with Mare Cognitum - 2013's Sol and last year's Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine, both of which are really great, especially Wanderers. Both bands are extremely accomplished at the whole cosmic black metal thing, don't you think?
Yeah both are superb and both discographies need some Vinnytime spent with them.
Forhist - Forhist
I think Forhist was already mentioned somewhere in The North but I've been consistently going back to this one and I'm impressed every time. This is a solo offshoot of Blut Aus Nord with frontman Vindsval and it sounds fantastic, I love the subtle dynamic choices on it throughout. The blast beat snare growing and lessening in volume is something I don't think I've heard out of Atmospheric Black Metal and this makes me want to hear more of it in the future. The atmosphere is great too, with all of the classic sounding electronics blending in wonderfully. This release might grow even more on me through the year, even though the final two songs might be a bit of a letdown, I'll have to see.
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
I'm getting dangerously close to finally completing the 1st Decade Black Metal list and this was definitely a cool one. The way it incorporates a folk/fantasy atmosphere into an aggressively grindy Black Metal album is neat, even though it's definitely flawed in a lot of ways.
I've got 5 more old Black Metal albums to review and it's getting tough, I feel like I'm really starting to repeat myself. I might go back and redo my In The Nightside Eclipse review since that album deserves more than one paragraph, but I'm not sure.
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
I'm getting dangerously close to finally completing the 1st Decade Black Metal list and this was definitely a cool one. The way it incorporates a folk/fantasy atmosphere into an aggressively grindy Black Metal album is neat, even though it's definitely flawed in a lot of ways.
I've got 5 more old Black Metal albums to review and it's getting tough, I feel like I'm really starting to repeat myself. I might go back and redo my In The Nightside Eclipse review since that album deserves more than one paragraph, but I'm not sure.
Always been a big fan of this album. I probably rate it too highly due to how important it was for me as a teenager.