September 2021 "The North" Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=eaa7712119ff4966
Tracklisting:
01. Blodsrit – “Vanmakt” (from “Helveteshymner”, 2004) [Submitted by Vinny]
02. Nameless Mist – “Unearthed” (from “Nameless Mist”, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]
03. Dawn – “Diabolical Beauty” (from “Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher”, 1994) [Submitted by Ben]
04. Dimmu Borgir – “Alt lys er svunnet hen” (from “Stormblåst”, 1996)
05. Alcest – “Écailles de lune - Part 2” (from “Écailles de lune”, 2010)
06. Mystifier – “Cursed Excruciation / The Sinuous Serpent of Genesis (Leviathan)” (from “Goetia”, 1993) [Submitted by Ben]
07. Bathory – “The Lake” (from “Blood On Ice”, 1996)
08. Felled – “Ember Dream” (from “The Intimate Earth”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
09. Blut aus Nord – “Epitome XI” (from 777 – The Desanctification”, 2011) [Submitted by Ben]
10. Primordial – “Autumn’s Ablaze” (from “A Journey’s End”, 1998)
11. Khold – “Nattpyre” (from “Masterpiss Of Pain”, 2001)
12. Silencer – “Death – Pierce Me” (from “Death - Pierce Me”, 2001)
13. Warmoon Lord – “Empowered With Battlespells” (from “Battlespells”, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny92]
14. Pillorian – “Archaen Divinity” (from “Obsidian Arc”, 2017) [Submitted by Vinny]
15. Mare Cognitum – “Pulses in Extraconscious Lucidity” (from “An Extraconscious Lucidity”, 2012) [Submitted by Sonny92]
16. Sainte Marie des Loups – “Des profondeurs le silence” (from “Funérailles de feu”, 2020) [Submitted by Sonny92]
17. Agrypnie – “Wir Ertrunkenen” (from “Metamorphosis”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]
18. Bestial Warlust – “Blood & Valour” (from “Blood & Valour”, 1995)
Another really good playlist this month - I think The North provides me with the most consistently high-quality playlist experience of all the clans.
My thoughts:
01. Blodsrit – “Vanmakt” (from “Helveteshymner”, 2004)
4/5 Not a band I've listened to before, but I will now - proper misanthropic-sounding shit!
02. Nameless Mist – “Unearthed” (from “Nameless Mist”, 2021)
3.5/5 A new band with an old sound. Is the artist male or female bacause from the vocals I can't really tell?
03. Dawn – “Diabolical Beauty” (from “Nær sólen gar niþer for evogher”, 1994)
4.5/5 Great album - great track
04. Dimmu Borgir – “Alt lys er svunnet hen” (from “Stormblåst”, 1996)
4/5 I'm not a fan of DB at all but this track is great.
05. Alcest – “Écailles de lune - Part 2” (from “Écailles de lune”, 2010)
4/5 This is one of, if not the best Alcest track.
06. Mystifier – “Cursed Excruciation / The Sinuous Serpent of Genesis (Leviathan)” (from “Goetia”, 1993)
4.5/5 Awesome blackened OSDM. Why don't I know this band already?!
07. Bathory – “The Lake” (from “Blood On Ice”, 1996)
3.5/5 Not my favourite Bathory album and a bit underwhelming for me.
08. Felled – “Ember Dream” (from “The Intimate Earth”, 2021)
3.5/5 Surprisingly OK folk metal - nice violin work.
09. Blut aus Nord – “Epitome XI” (from 777 – The Desanctification”, 2011)
4/5 I've never listened to the 777 trilogy - obviously that's got to change.
10. Primordial – “Autumn’s Ablaze” (from “A Journey’s End”, 1998)
4/5 Nice!
11. Khold – “Nattpyre” (from “Masterpiss Of Pain”, 2001)
3/5 The weakest track on this month's list - OK at best.
12. Silencer – “Death – Pierce Me” (from “Death - Pierce Me”, 2001)
5/5 I love this album and have come close to suggesting this myself several times. Deranged and desperate sounding DSBM that epitomises the genre - vocalist Nattramn had well-documented genuine mental health issues that manifested in his bizarre vocal performance.
13. Warmoon Lord – “Empowered With Battlespells” (from “Battlespells”, 2021)
3.5/5 Kind of like Emperor played on 45rpm - and I mean that in a good way!
14. Pillorian – “Archaen Divinity” (from “Obsidian Arc”, 2017)
4/5 I'm already a fan of this album, but nice to hear it again.
15. Mare Cognitum – “Pulses in Extraconscious Lucidity” (from “An Extraconscious Lucidity”, 2012)
4.5/5 One of my favourite ABM albums, so it's gonna score well.
16. Sainte Marie des Loups – “Des profondeurs le silence” (from “Funérailles de feu”, 2020)
4/5 Another bunch of savage Frenchmen kicking ass.
17. Agrypnie – “Wir Ertrunkenen” (from “Metamorphosis”, 2021)
4/5 Hard-edged and vicious sounding - I like it.
18. Bestial Warlust – “Blood & Valour” (from “Blood & Valour”, 1995)
4.5/5 Never was a band better named.
Mixed bag for me this month. Still astonished by Dawn every time I give them a spin and are definitely a band that do not get enough plays throughout the year but I think I am finally done with Bathory. I just cannot fight the sense that influential though he was Quorthon was not anywhere near as talented as the metal community seems to indicate. Similarly I am now convinced that Primordial are massively overrated on the vocal front also.
Stunning track from Mare Cognitum, highlighted brilliantly that pushing sound that I find hard to describe in their sound as the track just continues to stretch and unfurl more goodness and it was good to catch some BAN in the list this month. Didn't mind that Khold track in all honesty, certainly like it more than Nameless Mist which was a bit on the dull side. SIlencer is way too over the top for me though, I get the impact and appeal but not for me.
Hands down the track of the month is that Sainte Marie des Loups number. Not sure how I have missed this trio but I will expanding my knowledge of them over the coming weeks. The French scene certainly rarely disappoints and this is further testimony to that. A subtle necroticism to it but also a real attitude to back it up. Yey, new things!
Hands down the track of the month is that Sainte Marie des Loups number. Not sure how I have missed this trio but I will expanding my knowledge of them over the coming weeks. The French scene certainly rarely disappoints and this is further testimony to that. A subtle necroticism to it but also a real attitude to back it up. Yey, new things!
I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion Vinny that the French are currently the World Champions as far as modern black metal goes. They just seem to have so much going on and rarely is it that a French band disappoints (not an easy thing to admit for an Englishman!)