August 2021 "The North" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=8b017a1cc07a484c
Tracklisting:
01. Ondskapt - "Blessed by Demoniac Wrath” (from “Dödens evangelium”, 2005) [Submitted by Vinny]
02. Panopticon – “Watching You” (from “On The Subject Of Mortality”, 2011) [Submitted by Vinny]
03. Ungfell – “Tyfels Antlitz” (from “Tyfels Antlitz (Wie e Huerä zwei Chind empfanget)” (from “Es grauet”, 2021)
04. Empyrium – “The Franconian Woods in Winter's Silence” (from “A Wintersunset…”, 1996)
05. Violet Cold – “Pride” (from “Empire Of Love”, 2021)
06. Poccolus – “Vilkolakiai” (from “Poccolus”, 1996)
07. Këkht Aräkh – “Thorns” (from “Pale Swordsman”, 2021)
08. Mork – “Svartmalt” (from “Katedralen”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
09. Negură Bunget – “Ţesarul de lumini” (from “OM”, 2006) [Submitted by Sonny92]
10. Opera IX – “Alone In The Dark” (from “The Call Of The Woods”, 1995) [Submitted by Ben]
11. Shining – “Fields Of Faceless” (from “III - Angst - Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie”, 2002) [Submitted by Sonny92]
12. Cradle Of Filth – “Funeral In Carpathia” (from “Dusk… & Her Embrace”, 1996)
13. Rotting Christ – “Ἐλθὲ, Κύριε (Elthe Kyrie)” (from “Rituals”, 2016) [Submitted by Ben]
14. Spectral Lore – “Ατραπός” (from “Ετερόφωτος”, 2021)
15. Gexerott – “Into Descensus Impious Ad Gloriam” (from “Into Descensus Impious Ad Gloriam”, 2013) [Submitted by Vinny]
Caught some unexpected weekend downtime this morning so have been able to tuck into the North playlist earlier than planned.
I have been listening to that Ungfell album on and off since it came out and I still am yet to fully get to grips with it. It just has these weird moments that I find hard to put into words as to why they are so off-kilter to me but I am on the fence still with these Swiss black metallers.
First time of listening to Empyrium and at first I found those clean and deep vocals a bit off-putting but the track is so melancholic and beautiful that they do kinda fit on reflection. Will be exploring more of these guys based on this but I am not quite sure the folk metal is framed correctly alongside the symphonic elements based on this showing.
Violet Cold are a curved ball it is safe to say. Reading Saxy's review of this record earlier it summarises this track as the strongest. It starts far too busy for me and before I know it those female vocals are replaced by harsh black metal vocals and my mind is reeling for a few seconds. I think the female vocals kill the track in all honesty and the track would be far more appealing to me without them. There's some good ideas going on instrumentally and the overall warmth of proceedings does work for me but it just feels cluttered as a whole track and probably needed a couple of elements less to make a more positive impression on me.
Poccolus are another first time listen for me and their pagan leanings bring an energy in their delivery that is only really dampened by those fucking awful vocals. I mean, they destroy the atmosphere of the music entirely. Këkht Aräkh is an artist I keep seeing on YouTube as a suggestion but I never seem to get around to listening to. It is obvious that Mr Crying orc knows his black metal well and it shines through in the Burzum-like guitar tone and the balance of piano against riffs is skilfully done allowing a rich warmth to an otherwise cold sounding basis.
That Negură Bunget has been getting much airtime in the Vinny lair this past fortnight as I picked the album up on CD after enjoying reviewing it for the clan challenge so much. That incredible rumble to the bass is like a black metal pulse that travels through the floor into my very being and those ethereal melodies are striking to say the least. Sonny wins the playlist with his choice.
Opera IX are another previously unknown act to me and I like the death metal sound to accompany those equally deathy vocals also that make up the first three-and-a-half minutes of the track. There's a kind of doomy element to the track as it easies back to allow some build of atmosphere. I realise now that this is Cadaveria on vocals having only stumbled across her on a playlist recently with her current self-titled project. The solo work on this track is terrible though and I am not convinced all the instruments are that well arranged considering this is the opening track to the album but it is not that they are all that terribly arranged just that they meander a bit too much unfortunately.
That Shining track further cements my opinion of what a flawed genius Kvarforth is. The chug of those riffs pulls the very air around the speakers towards their sweet menace. I do need to check out more Shining as virtually everything I hear is superb. It is good to see COF get a bit of airtime on the playlist, that album being the only one of theirs that I own in physical format having come very late to the COF party just some two years ago. I love the progressive drive to Funeral In Carpathia that keeps things interesting. The theme of classic bm bands continues well with Rotting Christ and their often overlooked 2016 album, this track embodies the tribalism of that album whilst still capturing that warm melodic richness we all know to expect from them. The spoken word parts are distracting though from Danai Katsameni but I am guessing that they are essential to the subject matter of the song somehow.
If there is one band I am guilty of spending too little time with, it is Spectral Lore. I love III but I have never managed to sit down with anything else. I have heard good things about this release (despite that artwork suggesting otherwise) and the rather aggressive opening to this track is certainly evidence of great promise. **Updates Trello Board with further music to check out**
As usual with these playlists I found much to check out and also some albums to revisit. Thanks for putting together Daniel.