The North

I am quite stunned by Alcest's non-metal albums and Katatonia's death-doom debut appearing on the list

It's hardly surprising really. RYM's genre-tagging is pretty terrible these days. I've been finding myself submitting Hall entries for roughly one in every three or four releases lately. The list indicates that the more accessible releases (i.e. Deafheaven, Agalloch, Alcest, etc.) will always be the more popular on a website that's not specifically catering for the extreme metal market.

My takes from this list are, Mystras, Funeral Mist (know them but not heard much recent output from them), Nameless Mist and Wiegedood who I also know but I am used to them sounding more aggressive than that frankly weird sounding track of undulating tremolos.

Didn't mind that Funeral Mist, at the same time I wasn't instantly blown away by it either.

'94 was indeed a special year for black metal - so many of my all-time favourites were released that year. 1994 is the new 1986!

I agree with you Xephyr. I wouldn't say that I'm anywhere near as on top of new releases as some of our other members are but I had four black metal releases in front of "...And Again Into The Light". There's no doubt that it's a very strong release & I'd comfortably take it over a lot of previous Panopticon records but Mare Cognitum took my bikkies over Ethereal Shroud, Spectral Wound & Le Chants de Nihil with Panopticon finishing in a respectable fifth place. I wouldn't say that I checked out a The North release that captivated me at that very top level this year though. None of these records reached "classic" status for me personally.

Nordicwinter - Le dernier adieu

Sedately paced atmospheric black metal from Canadian solo project Nordicwinter with nary a blastbeat in sight. This doesn't make it a bad record by any means, in fact it's a decent listen for any atmo-black afficianado, but neither is it going to set the gates of heaven ablaze. I was particularly enamoured of the distant-sounding vocals, which I really like in atmospheric black metal as they give the impression of ghostly voices heard on the wind. I would have liked a few pacier and more aggressive sections as overall the album feels almost too laid back and muted, but as I said it is decent enough, albeit fairly innocuous black metal.

3/5

There has been some very nice covers this year, but I must say it seems like an awful lot of bands just aren't trying and there is a lot of shit out there too. I guess because they don't need to catch the eye on the shelf anymore as everybody streams everything nowadays and as such the covers just aren't that important to some bands anymore. Is the art of the cover a dying art?

Check out the description for my latest video (my last black metal one and the only one I plan to keep):

I had Borknagar's debut pegged as a solid 4.5. However, it must be a dozen years since I last listened to it and those years haven't been kind. OK, I accept it's more likely that it is my taste that has changed rather than any fundamental alteration in the metal climate - it's my fault, not yours, Borknagar. The reason for this change of heart is those folky interludes which just get in the way of some pretty intense black metal. I mean, I'm just really getting into some decent old-school, second wave blasting then this drippy folk shit pops it's fucking head up and completely spoils my private party - again and again. Well I'm not gonna stand for it I tell you - I'm dropping this fucker down to a 3.5!

Actually, I'm so peeved about it because when they hit that bm sweet spot, which they do on several occasions here, they really are fantastic, but the impetus is completely drained by those multifarious folk breaks, like a turd in a pool party. I guess I'm just no longer the same tolerant guy I used to be several years back. Life's too short for endless interludes on black metal albums and if I want folk music I'll buy a Bob Dylan album instead - or Wardruna - those guys are much better at it anyway.

3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=9-8JokmtThugqCC-1N8mnA

Tracklisting:

1. Otargos - Fleshborer Soulflayer (from Fleshborer Soulflayer, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

2. Gloosh - Hexenring (from Sylvan Coven, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny]

3. Uada - Djinn (from Djinn, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

4. Archgoat - Black Womb Gnosis (from Worship the Eternal Darkness, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

5. Arkona - Shtorm (from Khram, 2018)

6. Sun of the Blind - Fire & Thirst (from Skullreader, 2009) [Submitted by Daniel]

7. Panzerfaust - The Day After 'Trinity (from The Suns of Perdition - Chapter I: War, Horrid War, 2019) [Submitted by Vinny]

8. Stormkeep - The Serpent's Stone (from Tales of Othertime, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

9. Blasphemy - Hoarding Of Evil Vengeance (from Fallen Angel Of Doom..., 1990) [Submitted by Daniel]

10. Cân Bardd - Autumn Shore (from Devoured by the Oak, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

11. Khandra - Irrigating Lethal Acres With Blood (from All Occupied by Sole Death, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny]

12. Wormwitch - Canadian Denim Mountain Attack (from Wolf Hex, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny]

13. Darkthrone - Quintessence (from Panzerfaust, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]

14. Finsterforst - Zerfall (from Zerfall, 2019)

15. Serpent's Oath - Malediction (from Nihil, 2020) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Aquilus - Into Wooded Hollows (from Bellum I, 2021)

17. Ethereal Shroud - Discarnate (from Trisagion, 2021)

It has been a while since a listened through the debut full-length from the now defunct Wodensthrone. The sound borrows more than just a tad from Drudkh to the extent that the opening of album closer That Which Is Now Forgotten – 597 borders on pure worship of the Ukrainians. The atmospheric elements contained within Loss draw a direct line to the first four Drudkh albums and similarly the charging momentum of the Wodensthrone debut matches the same impetus. Now, to have such a comparator is without question something of merit for a band who at the time were in their fourth year of existence. However, when you struggle to be able to stabilise where the influence stops and the genuine motivations of Wodensthrone begin then it is clear I have some challenges here.

With most releases (certainly most debut releases) I am looking for a band’s identity to shine through even if a plethora of influences are obvious at the same time. On Loss, I just do not get any sense of identity overall and the band come off as just combining the best bits of WITTR, Drudkh and then hark to some Winterfylleth to round things off. What I get therefore, whilst being of good quality, just is not that interesting in the grander scheme of things. In the more pagan inspired moments is where I find the greater levels of intrigue if I am honest, and as such I want to enjoy the record more than I do.

Now this is not to say that Loss is without its moments. The thundering fury of Black Moss needs acknowledging and celebrating as it is by far the most powerful and energised track on display here. It is the only track that shows enough individuality of sound to warrant notice above the other far too obviously influenced tracks. Whilst it most certainly does stray into that Drudkh hole that they continually fall into it does still standout as an individual triumph still with an acute level of intensity that is both imposing and welcome at the same time. The tremolo riffs wail on this track and the more basic riff patterns give real life to the passages. In many ways it is the most straight forward track on the album and is one whose structure they perhaps should have embraced a little more throughout the album.

In terms of quality, Wodensthrone knew how to write and play great atmospheric bm (just not necessarily own it at the same time). The level of musicianship was up there with the likes of Fen, Saor, Fuath and even Negura Bungent’s less ambient moments. However, it all just lacked an element of responsibility for the own sound and that in so many ways is an absolute tragedy.

3/5

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.

Never really got on with Schammasch (not for want of trying).  I find their avant-garde approach to be at the expenses of the bm in their sound as opposed to marrying with it in any regard.  This track reminds me of Deathspell Omega to start but soon becomes meandering as it lacks the depth of the aforementioned artist.  Similarly, I can't get on with Alcest, just nothing for me to grab hold of to keep me interested.  I even prefer that Moonsorrow over the Alcest track, even though it constantly broods and never really gets going.

One of my kittens was in the room when that Månegarm track was one and was well fascinated by the bird and animal noises if not the battle sounds.  Entertaining for some at least.

Never heard of Vargrav before but they are very Emperor-like and a little too close to worship for me, nothwithstanding Symphonic bm is a very one-dimensional offering.  I don't feel they do anything exceptional though.  Great to hear some Drudkh on the list and the furious stabs of war metal punctuated the list pretty well to give a real sense of variety.  I need more Teitanblood in my life, just never get around to spending a lot of time with their stuff for some reason even though I have never heard anything by them that I did not like.  Like Sonny I just don't gel with Seth; in all honesty I am yet to figure out why but I soon reached for the skip button on this list when they came on as I had tried their album earlier this year to no avail.

The classic bands ruled the roost for me this month with Blasphemy, Sarcofago and Kvist sitting nicely against my familiar band choices.

I'm really glad Ben suggested this as a monthly feature as I'm sure I may never have stumbled across it otherwise. It is absolutely the case that this is a grower rather than being the type of album that grabs you by the throat from the off and I enjoy those sort of albums hugely as they seem to offer something new upon every listen. Anyway here's my review:

To be honest upon first listen at the start of the month I wasn't especially impressed with Skullreader. However, each time I've returned to it it has dug it's claws deeper into me and now I think it has finally "clicked". To be sure it isn't an "immediate" listen and it certainly doesn't grab you like Zhaaral's Darkspace bandmate, Wintherr's Paysage d'Hiver work does (and in truth it isn't really on the same level as Paysage d'Hiver, but then again, not a lot is).

Anyway, back to the release on hand and what Zhaaral has served up is a hybrid of melodic and atmospheric black metal with some occasional, brief post-metal-ly sections. There is a fair predominance of keyboards present, but they aren't at all overbearing or cloying and are very tastefully incorporated into the overall sound. I have seen the album compared to Blut Aus Nord and that is a fitting comparison I feel, especially when compared to the Memoria Vetusta series (although, again, it isn't on the same level of accomplishment). The layers of guitar and synth build an all-enveloping ambience that does allow for some nice mental pictures to flow. Lord of Mind, for example, with it's slower pacing feels like a journey through a huge abandoned alien city.

I initialy disliked the fact that the vocals are buried in the mix, but have actually grown to enjoy that aspect, as the fact that you have to strain a little to hear them properly makes it feel like a voice is reaching out between dimensions or across the veil between life and death to impart some profound insight. This is not merely an album built on atmosphere though, it also has some quite cool riffs, Fire and Thirst for example, which also has some nice Middle-Eastern influenced guitar work and Vanitas whose main riff sounds imperious.

Overall a very good album, albeit one that takes a bit to get into, but one that is worth persevering with. May not ultimately stack up against his more celebrated colleague's back catalogue, or his original band's output, but I would have welcomed hearing further releases from this project to see where they may have led. As it stands however, Sun of the Blind is a one-shot deal so presumably Zharaal has scratched whatever creative itch he may have been feeling within Darkspace, for now at least.

First off I chose this as a feature release not just because it is one of my favourite albums but also because it shows that black metal needn't necessarily be hateful and misanthropic all the time, but can actually be used to relate human stories and illuminate it's listeners about topics of which they know little or nothing. Austin Lunn is also an artist who flies in the face of genre stereotypes. This is a guy who actually cares about people - he used to be a social worker but quit, I believe, due to the frustration of working within an overly bureaucratic system. So when someone tells you all black metal bands are nazi satanists then point them in Panopticon's direction.

I was originally turned on to Panopticon via his 2014 album Roads to the North and was so impressed I dived right into his back catalogue. The preceding albums were not as impressive as Roads... that is until I got to Kentucky, which is the album where the Panopticon sound really began to gel. The introduction of bluegrass music into a black metal environment was a revelation to me. Of course I was more than familiar with the inclusion of european-derived folk elements in black metal and even middle-eastern influences via bands like Melechesh, but this was a whole new take (to me anyway) and as such sounded fresh and exhilharating. I have always quite liked the sound of bluegrass, it has a kind of melancholy to it that is difficult to pinpoint, but that resonates with me somehow (although coming from England's northern midlands I have no endemic cultural attachment to the music) but it wasn't until I heard it welded to atmospheric black metal that it actually began to make sense to me and none more so than on Kentucky's telling of the struggles of early twentieth century American coal miners against their profit-driven bosses. I don't want to get into the politics of the record, but as I worked with many family members of miners who were part of the bitter early 1980's miner's strike here in the UK, let's just say that I have some sympathy for the album's protagonists and the history of labour struggles does hold some interest for me.

Of course what we came here for is the black metal and Kentucky contains three of my all-time favourite black metal tracks in Bodies Under the Falls, Black Soot and Red Blood and Killing the Giants As They Sleep, these tracks owing much to another of my GOAT albums, WitTR's Two Hunters, an album I've waxed lyrical about on more than one occasion! This blend of poetic black metal, folk protest songs and effortless storytelling makes for a unique listening experience that defies the norm in metal music and firmly plants Kentucky on my list of great black metal albums.

Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (2004)

After seriously enjoying Drudkh's Blood in Our Wells, I knew I had to check out their other albums, so I immediately went for Autumn Aurora and the more I listened to it the more I can't fathom how this one even comes close to Blood in Our Wells. Sure the atmosphere is different and unique from other Atmospheric Black Metal albums, but it's so uneventful in the way that it presents its style. It's lush and gorgeous, but the novelty of it wore off pretty quick for me and it became no more than nice sounding background noise. It's far from a bad album but I can't place this album even near the same level as Blood in Our Wells. 

3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=82ff89f82bd74806

Tracklisting:

01. Der Weg einer Freiheit – “Aufbruch” (from “Finisterre”, 2017) [Submitted by Vinny]

02. Fluisteraars – “Verscheuring in de schemering” (from “Gegrepen door de geest der zielsontluiking”, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

03. Thron – “The Prophet” (from “Pilgrim”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

04. Arcturus – “To Thou Who Dwellest in the Night” (from “Aspera Hiems Symfonia”, 1996)

05. Deafheaven – “Violet” (from “Roads To Judah”, 2011) [Submitted by Daniel]

06. An Autumn for Crippled Children – “To Set Sail to the Ends of the Earth” (from Lost”, 2010) [Submitted by Ben]

07. Falkenbach – “Ultima Thule” (from “...En Their Medh Riki Fara...”, 1996) [Submitted by Vinny]

08. Departure Chandelier – “Life Escaping Through the Candle's Smoke” (from “Antichrist Rise to Power”, 2019) [Submitted by Sonny]

09. Odal – “...um Ewiges zu schaffen” (from “Welten Mutter”, 2021) [Submitted by Vinny]

10. Duskmourn – “Deathless” (from “Fallen Kings & Rusted Crowns”, 2021) [Submitted by Xephyr]

11. Mayhem – “Chainsaw Gutsfuck” (from “Deathcrush” E.P., 1987) [Submitted by Sonny]

12. Progenie Terrestre Pura – “[.subLuce.]” (from “oltreLuna”, 2017) [Submitted by Ben]

13. Cresent – “The Fires of Akhet” (from “Carving the Fires of Akhet”, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny]

14. Khandra – “In Harvest Against the Sun” (from “All Occupied by Sole Death”, 2021) [Submitted by Sonny]

15. Abigor – “The Rising of Our Tribe” (from “Orkblut - The Retaliation” E.P., 1995) [Submitted by Ben]

16. Anaal Nathrakh – “When Fire Rains Down From the Sky, Mankind Will Reap as It Has Sown” (from “When Fire Rains Down From the Sky, Mankind Will Reap as It Has Sown” E.P., 2003) [Submitted by Ben]

17. Sadistik Exekution – “Fukking Death” (from “Fukk”, 2002) [Submitted by Daniel]

Absolutely correct! 

I think it's been a pretty good year for black metal. To prove it I've put together a playlist on Spotify of tracks from my top twenty albums (actually that's not strictly true as Pan-Amerikan Native Front aren't on Spotify and so Little Turtle's War couldn't be included).

Sonny's Best Black Metal of 2021

All good points Ben. I agree with you that you are not well qualified for any of your four clans & should consider not having any. ;)

P.S. Please dump my ass back in The North when you get a minute. *runs off to review the latest Mago de Oz record*

Done! Welcome back brother of The North!

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!)

I knew I forgot something, so Esoctrilihum's days were extremely numbered. Auld Ridge has a fantastic album out that could go even higher since I have to revisit it again.

Solid work this month Vinny! I was very pleased with your feature album this month.

As I prepare to enter into my fourth decade on this planet, I'm continually asking myself whether or not I have gotten soft in recent years? As the years go by, thrash metal has become a dead genre to me; what used to be full of life and nonstop energy, now I view it as a black hole of empty chugging and solos, lacking in grooves and melodies and bands devoid of originality and would rather just copy the golden era of thrash of the 1980s. Even more so, my favour with those bands (i.e. Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica) has also faded as they have become tiresome and boring. And as I have grown into extreme metal genres like death/black metal, most of my favourite albums are of the melodic and atmospheric variety. For as epic as Saor and Panopticon albums sound, they won't be winning any "most brutal breakdown of all time" awards anytime soon.

With that being said, I recently gave The Dreaming I by American duo Akhlys a spin and... well I think it is safe to say that my suspicions might be true, but goddamn does Akhlys make the realm of Hades sound like a pretty awesome vacation spot! This is a marvelous record that takes the atmospheric and melodic side of black metal and combines it with some filthy grooves and riffs for one of the most impressive hybrids that I have heard in quite some time.

Whereas most of my black metal is of the open, soaring variety, Akhlys use the atmo-black sound to create a soundscape that resembles the floor opening up below your feet as you are dragged down into the abyss. The extended ambient intro of "Breath and Leviathan" sets the ominous mood right out of the gate, before what can only be compared to a B-list horror movie jumpscare, the serial killer pops up around the corner wielding their perfectly sharpened machete ready to murder you. The wall of sound black metal is sudden and shocking, and may increase your heart rate!

And if that doesn't scare you enough, the chase scene will. This black metal sound is relentless and is complimented by some fantastic sounding lead guitars and a dazzling vocal performance. The way in which this duo is able to effortlessly match their ambient interludes and atmo-black passages is both technically impressive and compositionally sound as they play off one another to create wonderful dichotomy's for cooldowns and making the wall of sound hit that much harder.

While this album is impressive, it does have a little bit of a length problem, in which some songs sound like they begin to lose momentum and would rather fade out to their conclusion, rather than with a full stop, perhaps signaling the end of the road. But perhaps the lack of an ending shows a group that would have you believe that their is no end to this path; it persists far beyond the end of a single song. However, "Consumation" has a definitive ending, but then proceeds to go on another two/three minute ambient outro and it feels out of place.

But forget the minor issues surrounding the length and how songs end! The intros and body are exquisite and the production is spectacular; the bass lines are very prominent adding to the depth. In the end, Akhlys' album The Dreaming I helps to restore my faith (however slightly) in the most extreme metal to still invoke a positive reaction out of me.

8/10

Here's my updated list:

01. Burzum - "Filosofem" (1996)

02. Deathspell Omega - "Kénôse" E.P. (2005)

03. Akhlys - "The Dreaming I" (2015)

04. Darkthrone - "Transilvanian Hunger" (1994)

05. Oranssi Pazuzu - "Mestarin kynsi" (2020)

06. Burzum - "Hvis lyset tar oss" (1994)

07. Oranssi Pazuzu - "Värähtelijä" (2016)

08. Wolves In The Throne Room - "Two Hunters" (2007)

09. Bathory - "Blood Fire Death" (1988)

10. Mayhem - "De mysteriis dom Sathanas" (1994)

https://metal.academy/lists/single/120

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. 

Massive fan of this one and I'm not quite getting the "untapped potential" aspect that Daniel/Vinny are describing even though I can see where they're coming from. I haven't listened to any Attila outside of Mayhem so it might be hard for me to tell whether he's phoning it in or not, but I never thought I'd consider myself a fan of his vocal style outside of De mysteriis dom Sathanas. His strange croaks work really well with the more extreme edge this album has with its insanely fast drumming and more thrashy style of tremolo riffing that balances melody and aggression really well. I'm also inclined to agree with Daniel in that there isn't too much Melodic Black Metal here apart from having a few more riff transitions than normal in tracks like "Come Damnation". I think this album works so well for me because it's an EP and not a full-length, since I could see myself getting tired of the relentless and somewhat repetitive aggression past the 40-minute mark. All in all though this release is exactly what I want and expect from a star lineup of Black Metal musicians and I thoroughly enjoy every single song on this album, although "Obliterator" is where I can start to understand Vinny's "jumbled ideas" comment since it definitely lags behind the 3 other full songs on the album. "Come Damnation" is probably the best Black Metal track I've heard in months though, so it's a small price to pay. 

4.5/5

I've finished listening to (and rating) the 26 Black Metal releases from 1993 on the site. I've updated my Top 15 Black Metal Releases (1984-1993) list if anyone's interested.

Top 3 Releases

1. Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon (I think I like this even more than the debut these days)
2. Immortal - Pure Holocaust (even better when played in context of the year)
3. Burzum - Det som engang var (flawed, but Varg's genius shines through regularly)

Top 3 Surprises

1. Mystifier - Goetia (occult-themed doomy black metal - so much better than the debut!)
2. Christ Agony - Unholyunion (quality Polish black metal - if only the tracks didn't overstay their welcome)
3. Ungod - Circle of the Seven Pacts (Darkthrone inspired - the riffs and vocals are great, the production isn't)

Top 3 Disappointments

1. Impaled Nazarene - Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz (I used to enjoy this, but it's way too immature/repetitive these days)
2. Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon (I will never understand the cult fandom for this band)
3. Necromantia - Crossing the Fiery Path (I wanted to like this, but there's too much pomp and too little substance)

Worst 3 Releases

1. Countess - The Gospel of the Horned One (terrible Bathory clonage - laughable)
2. Abruptum - Obscuritatem advoco amplectére me (it's certainly a curiosity, but it's far from actually good)
3. Impaled Nazarene - Tol Cormpt Norz Norz Norz (see above)

I thought this month's playlist got off to a great start with Vinny's trio of selections kicking us off in fine style. That impetus was lost by the Skyclad and Lantlôs tracks unfortunately - Skyclad I've never liked and this was a particularly awful track and I found the Lantlôs track a bit boring. Still, the remainder off the list had some awesome tracks I'm familiar with from Panopticon, Darkthrone, Kanonenfieber, Batushka and Emperor and some unfamiliar and interesting stuff from Djevel and Evilfeast as well as the three bands at the beginning of the playlist. Overall another great playlist with something for everyone I guess.

Since there's already a Panopticon thread here, I've been digging into ...And Again Into the Light all this week and really enjoying it, but there's one thing that I'm just not getting about the album even after multiple listens. It feels like the folk element completely leaves during the back half of "Rope Burn Exit" and for the entirety of "A Snowless Winter" plus "Moth Eaten Soul" and awkwardly comes back in full force in "As Golden Laughter Echoes" only to be replaced by Post-Metal for the final two songs. Maybe because I enjoy the atmosphere and style of the opening track into "Dead Loons" so much that having the album progress away from that feels out of place, even though the progression makes sense? Pretty torn on it, still one of the best albums of the year but I feel like I'm missing something. 

After Mestarin kynsi won pretty much all of the critics 2020 best metal albums award, it was only a matter of time before those of us who caught on to Oranssi Pazuzu late would have to take the deep dive into the bands 2016 album, Värähtelijä. This album was equally as well received, if not more so, by critics at the time and as an outside looking in, I can only imagine why Oranssi Pazuzu were given such a loose second opportunity.

That's not to say that I do not like Värähtelijä, I absolutely do! But I've heard many atmospheric and psychedelic black metal albums in the years since this album was released and can only see it as a stepping stone towards greater things for Oranssi Pazuzu, including Mestarin kynsi!

First and foremost, I see Värähtelijä as an experimental project by comparison to its later sequel being the more refined mending of ideas together. This album contains a similar number of tracks as its follow up, but the tunes feel less impressive. The obvious outlier here is "Vasemman käden hierarkia", which sounds more like an extended jam session rather than a collection of ideas formulated together into something spectacular. At the very least, Ornassi Pazuzu are smart enough to make each of the tracks distinguishable from one another; a problem that many psychedelic albums face. After "Lahja" and the title track leave lots of space for post-rock elements, "Hypnotisoitu viharukous" drastically ramps up the intensity and is further explored on "Havuluu". And ending the album on the relatively laid back "Valveavaruus" gives this record a truly unsettling conclusion to a mostly unsettling project.

And even though the production on this album is very muddy, it does play into its benefit slightly. Psychedelic rock does not need to be riff-centric when it is the wall of sound technique that has been imported from atmospheric black metal that creates the comfortable, yet unsettling environment. I found that the fewer synthetic sounds did not help matters in making this nearly as unsettling as Ornassi Pazuzu may have thought, but these advances were made on later albums, so once again, I feel like this was an experiment for the band to see what would stick and then develop that sound further on subsequent releases.

But in the end, I know why people enjoy this record so much and while it may not be my personal cup of tea, I certainly appreciate its quality. For me, I prefer my atmo-black metal with sweeping melodic phrases and epic hooks and tales of folklore. Bit for an unsettling taste of psychedelic rock meets atmospheric black metal, you can never go wrong with Oranssi Pazuzu, even though I feel Mestarin kynsi is the culmination of this sound.

7/10

P.S. This absolutely needs to be essential listening if you enjoyed this months Infinite featured release: Lucid Planet II.

A strong start to this month's North list with that Spectral Wound track which is one of my regular spins of the past month or so.  Once I get the mining riffs of Fuath out of my head I soon find myself wondering why I have never really pursued more Obsequiae and quickly make a note to check out more of their stuff.  Moving swiftly into one of the worst things I have ever heard from Skyclad (not my usual experience of them) but then all is saved by the rich earthiness of that WITTR track - the in form Sonny does it again!

Heretoir just drifts by after that - through no fault of their own, just a tough track to follow - and I find myself reaching for the skip button to end the nonsense that is Bal-Sagoth before Arkona get things back on track - although at first I found myself caught off-guard because this clearly wasn't the Russian band I was familiar with.  More quality stuff from Shining follows and I have a little sleep during that Xasthur track to recharge my batteries (good track just heard it many times so spied my opportunity) before my new favourite band Mare Cognitum drop another stellar track which forces me to go even further into their back catalogue.  The conflict of whether I like Diabolical Masquerade this year or not is presented to me next and I decide 2021 is a good year for Blackheim.

Now I discover that Wintherr's at it again and this news has passed me by somehow.  I fell out with him for Im Wald which was far too long and my attention span struggled massively with it.  On this release it seems the internet is a bit upset with this release but from what I hear on this track it is nice and abrasive stuff.  Sonny wins himself another 100 internet points for putting my second favourite band in the world Yith on the list.

Good month (again), fuck me we are good at this!

After Achatius had a near year-long run for me in 2019 since it came out in mid-February, going back to it leaves me feeling the same way as I did back then. I really enjoy this album just because of how unique it is in a variety of different ways, from the incredibly extended songwriting, the chaotic and somewhat messy performances, and its modern take on a more lo-fi Black Metal production. I still haven't come across anything that has the same sort of energy that Achatius brings to the table, so it remains near the top of my highly regarded Black Metal albums. 

I figured that there would be some discourse here and there because this album absolutely isn't for everyone, as I can see where Daniel is coming from given how messy the album can sound in places. There's so many different guitar harmonies and dueling melodies that if you listen very closely there are some obvious blemishes, but I don't think that errors in the performance ever affected me that much just because this release has always sort of embraced the chaos for me. You never really know what's coming next, there aren't many "main riffs" to speak of, almost no choruses, so the fact that Funereal Presence was able to create a gripping concept album out of all these different elements will always be impressive to me. The messiness and the slight production issues become a feature rather than a fault, at least to me in the end. 

The only interesting take I found in this discussion was Daniel's claim in "failing to understand modern conventional Black Metal" because I definitely wouldn't consider Achatius to be that. I chose this album knowing that someone was bound to fall on the negative side of the argument given how expansive and somewhat weird it can be, so I don't think that's any fault of your own. I'd consider "traditional modern Black Metal" to be something like Mgla, which garners incredibly good reviews and scores from most of the community, and Achatius is worlds away from any Mgla release in my opinion. 

Going back to this topic, here's a little something based on a Pearls Before Swine comic, when I realized the acronym DSBM sounds similar to a different inappropriate one:

Another strong playlist made all the more delicious by the superb inclusion of Dark Medieval Times by Xeph.  I picked up a couple of new bands to explore more of including Månegarm and Sear Bliss who have always existed on the fringes of my radar.  I am undecided on Wode still - I know Sonny likes it which is usually a precursor to me doing the same based on our BM tastes but I just find it a bit distant in terms of me feeling like I am getting amongst the music all that well and it does feel a bit staid as a result.

Nice to see some Darkspace on the list too.  

I struggled with this one too, enough that I really don't think I'm going to give it any more chances even though I'm not going to give it a low score. The atmosphere and riffs are disgustingly good, but man, those vocals combined with the extended song structures just didn't do it for me. I have issues with the more "possessed" style of Black Metal vocals and this one really, really highlighted that for me. I love the dark, ritualistic atmosphere, but having it forcibly thrust down my throat for an hour straight by the vocalist just gets straight up annoying to me, especially in "Vintage Black Magic" and "The Devil Intimate".  

Tried my best to get past my bias on this one, since the rest of the album is admittedly amazing, but this one isn't for me. I'll have to come back to this in a month or so to see if it still rubs me the wrong way. 

3.5/5

I thought I'd better get a few of the less popular The North subgenres into this playlist (i.e. Celtic metal, medieval folk metal, black 'n' roll, etc.) as they'd been completely omitted in recent times. intentionally chose some pretty short tracks though.

For an album released in 2004 this has some serious early second wave credibility, which is not so surprising when you discover that despite only releasing their debut album Light of a Dead Star in 2002, they had originally formed in '92 (although they had split in '95 after releasing a demo which would later become that debut, ultimately reforming in 2000). There's a Lovecraftian aesthetic theme running through the album with it's songs of unknown threats and elder gods and in keeping with the creeping terrors of HPL's work, this isn't a monotonous blastathon, but rather, the band isn't afraid to slow it down and allow the music to reflect that crawling feeling of dread. For proof check out the superb The Elder Gods Awakening, the claustrophobic feeling of being stalked by an unnamed terror is excellently realised as you feel the darkness closing in. Don't misunderstand however, when it blasts it really kicks ass too, believe me. The first half of In the Mists of Orion's Sword is as taut as a piano wire and may well tear your fuckin' head off (fans of Darkthrone's classic trilogy prepare to salivate!)
I can't express exactly how impressed I am by this, so thanks Ben for bringing it to everyone's attention. Although black metal is viewed as a Scandinavian phenomenon, the French have certainly carved out an impressive niche for themselves within it's boundaries and Requiem Tenebrae is a great example of Gallic BM. This is the very definition of an underground classic and I'm gonna give it an unapologetic 5/5.

I haven't listened to this album as of late, but I've listened to it enough to know that it's still a 5/5 for me. 

I listened to Verisakeet extensively before checking out this one, so I went into it thinking that there's no way that it would top that one considering it's my favorite Folk Metal album of all time to this day. While I think I still prefer Verisakeet, Hävitetty is its own beast that makes some daring shifts to their sound considering how fantastically their sound evolved starting with Kivenkantaja, which I wasn't as much of a fan of. The production and atmosphere of Hävitetty is much rawer but it has a ton of depth, leading to an even more "epic" feel than Verisakeet had. While Moonsorrow's extended songwriting has been great before, they really allow it to shine with doubling their average song length for Hävitetty.

This is going to be one that I want to review eventually and just rave endlessly about, so I think the gist is that Moonsorrow followed up one of my favorite albums of all time with something that was completely different and just as fantastic in its own right. It's definitely slower than Verisakeet and even that album can be quite slow with the drawn out ambiance of "Jotunheim", so I don't think that everyone will be as immediately drawn to this one as I was. 

5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1rdH2fO1ezWQznWzZv1KlL?si=VKqz5lw2TW23rZUn4H2IeQ

Tracklisting:

01. Abigor – “Gomorrah Rising - Nightside Rebellion” (from “Totschläger (A Saintslayer’s Songbook)”, 2020)

02. Walknut – “Motherland Ostenvegr” (from “Graveforests & Their Shadows”, 2007) [Submitted by Ben]

03. Melechesh – “Rebirth Of The Nemesis: Enuma Elish Rewritten” (from “Emissaries”, 2006)

04. Sadness – “I Want To Be With You” (from “I Want To Be There”, 2019)

05. Moonsorrow – “Huuto” (from “Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa”, 2011)

06. Negură Bunget – “Ţesarul de lumini” (from “OM”, 2006) [Submitted by Ben]

07. Svrm – “Мовчання” (from “Розпад”, 2020)

08. Transilvania – “Opus Morbi” (from “Of Sleep & Death”, 2021)

09. Altar Of Plagues – “Neptune Is Dead” (from “Mammal”, 2011) [Submitted by Ben]

10. Nagelfar – “Schwanengesang” (from “Hünengrab im Herbst”, 1997)

11. Emperor – “The Loss & Curse Of Reverence” (from “Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk”, 1997)

12. Serpent Column – “Violence Aesthete” (from “Endless Detainment” E.P., 2020)

Serpent Column's "Endless Detainment" is a really chaotic little E.P. full of short stop/start style blast-fests with shrieking, unintelligible vocals & a dense & inaccessible production. It's almost unimaginable to think that it might have been produced by just the two musicians to be perfectly honest. I don't think anyone will be too surprised that this release was right up my alley though given my love of both black metal & mathcore & to their credit Serpent Column have done a splendid job at combining the two genres in a fluent & exciting way with neither style taking the ascendancy. If pushed I'd suggest that the mathcore component might slightly outweigh the black metal one as I think you'll struggle if you don't enjoy mathcore but could probably still get by if you're not into black metal. There's a considerable amount of complexity to a lot of this material & the duo deserve full credit for managing to keep it all together. It's interesting that I've seen little mention of the significant grindcore component too as it's pretty obvious across a number of the nine tracks. The short run time certainly helps to make this a more palatable experience & I ended up playing it three times in a row without feeling like I needed a break to recover this morning. Perhaps "Endless Detainment" might have been better served as a The Revolution feature but I got a lot of enjoyment out of it & think it was a worthy inclusion.

For fans of Deathspell Omega, Plebeian Grandstand & Krallice.

4/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5OywTbqO5b300LG2iRw9h4?si=CBV1kSlvTN6q6tQG3hCgHQ

Tracklisting:

01. Marduk – “Panzer Division Marduk” (from “Panzer Division Marduk”, 1999) [Submitted by Sonny92]

02. ColdWorld – “Dream Of A Dead Sun” (from “Melancholie2”, 2008) [Submitted by Ben]

03. Wallachia – “Heathen Shores” (from “Monumental Heresy”, 2018) [Submitted by MacabreEternal]

04. Fall Of Rauros – “The Cormorants Shiver On their Rocks” (from “The Light That Dwells In Rotten Wood”, 2011) [Submitted by MacabreEternal]

05. Agalloch – “In The Shadow Of Our Pale Companion” (from “The Mantle”, 2002)

06. Varathron – “Under the Sight of Horus” (from “Walpurgisnacht”, 1995) [Submitted by Sonny92]

07. Windir – “Svartesmeden og Lundamyrstrollet” (from “Arntor”, 1999) [Submitted by Ben]

08. Shining – “Vemodets arkitektur” (from “IV • The Eerie Cold”, 2005)

09. L’Acephale – “Sovereignty: (Dieu – Die Sonne stirbt – Sovereignty)” (from “L’Acephale”, 2019) [Submitted by MacabreEternal]

10. Leviathan – “All Tongues Toward” (from “Scar Sighted”, 2015) [Submitted by Ben]

11. Lunar Aurora – “Glück” (from “Andacht”, 2007) [Submitted by Ben]

12. Förgjord – “Suohauta” (from “Ajasta ikuisuuteen”, 2008) [Submitted by MacabreEternal]

13. Drautran – “” (from “Blót - Lohen der Opferung” (from “Throne of the Depths”, 2007) [Submitted by MacabreEternal]

14. Árstíðir Lifsins – “Ek sá halr at Hóars veðri hǫsvan serk Hrísgrísnis bar” (from “Saga á tveim tungum II: Eigi fjǫll né firðir”, 2020) [Submitted by Sonny92] 

Another utterly magnificent Deathspell Omega release here in my opinion. I just fucking love this band. In fact, I think they've been the best black metal band in the world since the turn of the century. The way they invariably manage to make such abstract dissonance sound so unnervingly evil is beyond comprehension & the drumming & vocal performances just smash me. I have no problem with the chaotic structure as that's really a part of the appeal with a band like Deathspell Omega & the lengthy track duration is only an issue if you're not engaged throughout which I unquestionably am. I spend the vast majority of "Chaining The Katechon" being amazed at the next-level artistry on display & find it just edging out "Paracletus" for second place behind "Kenose" as far as Deathspell Omega's back catalogue goes.

4.5/5

Much to enjoy here for me and a couple of takeaways for me to explore more in Kawir, Katavasia and Panopticon. Heard Panopticon before but never explored beyond the one album I own.  I think I have the Nocternity half of a spit they did with Kawir and have never heard any Katavasia until now so got some warm black metal tones to listen to over the coming weeks.

Great playlist this month Daniel, one of the best yet. Sorry though Vinny, the Jute Gyte track went right over my head. Summoning are only really any good for table-top RPGing and I found the Ensiferum track a bit fromage-friendly! I was also wondering why the Deafheaven track was so crap until... Bam!! When it gets going it is amazing. Everything else was terrific and to be honest how can any playlist that features Immortal, Bathory and Darkthrone not be awesome? A few I need to check out further too, such as Wiegedood and Anorexia Nervosa (I remember not being impressed by them before, but their track on here is very good indeed).

Ha, Jute Gyte is a challenge alright.

Yeah, he sure is. I really enjoyed his Perdurance album, but I'm a bit too much of a literal person for the more avant-garde stuff. Still, he's obviously ridiculously talented, so good luck to him.

Worked my way through this earlier, some interesting stuff in terms of new bands like Mystras, Manegarm and in particular I Shalt Become whose whole album I listened through this morning and subsequently have found my way to Krohm as a result.  I found White Ward to be a bit odd, a bit forced if perfectly honest.  They don't need that jazz edge (not sure if that's a whole trait of theirs or just limited to that song) as it brings nothing to the track. When the track did get going it was decent enogh BM to my ears so why f**k about is my initial ask.

Had forgotten how abrasive and harsh Jute Gyte was as it had been a while since I heard much of his stuff; hasn't helped my tinnitus anyway.  Another enjoyable list thanks Daniel. 

It's now October which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We're really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don't be shy.

This month's feature release for The North is the highly regarded 2010 self-titled debut album from Norwegian crust punk/black 'n roll hybrid Kvelertak.

https://metal.academy/releases/3931

I think that Falkenbach exists in the "this is pretty good I guess" zone of Folk Metal for me. After listening to this and Heralding I might have to admit that straight up Folk Metal doesn't really do it for me, especially in the way that Falkenbach presents it. This album is incredibly smooth, pretty, and easy to listen to, but I can't help but feel like nothing really happens. I don't necessarily get any atmosphere the same way I do with other Folk Metal bands I tend to gravitate towards, like Moonsorrow. I'm sure that these guys are massive favorites for people that enjoy straight up Folk Metal because, again, this album was admittedly gorgeous. But I still can't exactly recommend it because of the reasons said above me, it wasn't engaging nor particularly exciting for me. 

Three things I have learnt / relearnt from the playlist:

1. I really love black metal.

2. I really dislike folk metal.

3. I actually like Shining a lot more than I thought I did.

There's a couple of well-respected albums on there that I've not checked out yet and I definitely now intend to - Fluisteraas and Oathbreaker.

That Aquilus track was very interesting to. I'm intrigued to listen to the whole album now.

Yeah I felt fairly similarly about this playlist to be honest Vinny & it reminded me the reasons why I opted to remove myself from The North altogether because there's a substantial portion of the subgenres it covers that are simply too far removed from my personal tastes which sit very much in line with with your own. I could easily have stuck to my comfort zones when creating these lists but it I would always have left someone disappointed so I opted to go with a more holistic approach. I'll be interested to see what the community consensus is on that over the next month or so but I think things will inevitably morph into whatever direction the clan members want to take over time once we have more regular suggestions for inclusion coming in.

Just shared my review. I had a lot to say so let me be brief:

Sunbather is a record that shocked a lot of people when it came out. Hell, it's still controversial even to this day. Some "metal purists" do not like the idea that their favourite genre is commercializing. They can't stand change. But change can be for the better. I believe that Deafheaven created the most culturally significant metal record of the 2010's and a great one to boot. The major chordal harmonies found within are truly spectacular and unlike anything I've heard in any strain of extreme metal. The atmosphere is warm and uplifting rather than cold and brooding. It is flawed for sure, but its unique charm almost makes me lenient by default.

8/10

P.S. If you like this new wave of blackgaze, may I suggest giving artists such as White Ward, Sylvaine and Unreqvited a chance as well.