The North

Hi Ben, I am sure you would soon anyway, but can you add the latest album from Fuath, please.

January 2026

1. Archgoat - "Rats Pray God" (from "Worship the Eternal Darkness", 2021) [submitted by Sonny]

2. Watain - "Ecstasies in Night Infinite" (from "The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain", 2022) [submitted by Vinny]

3. Thou Art Lord - "The Era of Satan Rising" (from "Eosforos", 1994) [submitted by Karl]

4. Stworz - "U Śmierci na komornem" (from "U Śmierci na komornem", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

5. Mayhem - "Despair" (from "Liturgy of Death", 2026) [submitted by Sonny]

6. Lord Belial - "Ipse Venit" (from "Unholy Trinity", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

7. Odium - "The Brightness of the Weeping Kingdom" (from "The Sad Realm of the Stars", 1998)

8. Martwa Aura - "Lament Drugi" (from "Lament", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

9. Atomic Goatcrime - "Cycle of Wrath" (from "Thermonuclear Humanicide", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

10. Blasphamagoatachrist - "Cyanide Sacrament" (from "Bestial Abominator", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

11. Nexion - "Gandra" (from "Sundrung", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

12. Enslaved - "Lightening" (from "Axioma Ethica Odini", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]

13. Apati - "Sömnlösa nätter" (from "Eufori", 2009)

14. Menhir - "Die Kelten" (from "Thuringia", 1999) [submitted by Karl]

15. Malakhim - "Solar Crucifixion" (from "And in Our Hearts the Devil Sings", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

16. Vreid - "Fangegard" (from "I krig", 2007)

17. Naked Whipper - "Bloodstained White Icon" (from "Chapel Defilement", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

18. Imperial Crystalline Entombment - "White Behemoths of Woe" (from "Abominable Astral Summoning", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

19. Finsterforst - "Urquell" (from "...zum Tode hin", 2009)

20. Blut aus Nord - "Seclusion" (from "Ethereal Horizons", 2025) [submitted by Sonny]

21. Soulless - "As If Our Time Runs No Longer" (from "The Supreme Resurgence", 2023)

I reviewed this only two or three months ago and I think my review still holds, so here it is:

Derby's Abduction are one of those black metal bands who seemingly beaver away with no fanfare or support from the music industry at large, making me wonder how they keep at it. It isn't like the UK has exactly ever been overflowing with good black metal acts now is it? Anyway, Abduction is the brainchild of guitarist and vocalist Phil Illsley, aka A|V, with guest musicians providing drums, bass and additional guitars. I was well behind the band around the time of the 2018 album, "A Crown of Curses" which I have on cassette from the now defunct Death Kvlt Productions label, but I have lost touch with their progress over the last few years.

So here we are in 2025 and album number five. This is a well-produced and written slab of vicious and savage-sounding black metal that makes no pretence to the folky or celtic atmospherics which are often a staple of UK black metal, but which goes for the jugular in full-on attack mode. That doesn't mean the thin and tremolo-heavy sound of true raw black metal, the production is too thick and muscular for that, but it takes a more bludgeoning approach, in the vein of death metal. Even though this is still unambiguously black metal with pummelling blast beats and tremolo riffing, there is a fullness of sound that puts more meat on the genre's usually skeletal bones. The band sound very tight and the playing is excellent throughout.

A|V has an excellent vocal delivery with a howling savagery and angst-ridden desperation borne of emotional frustration that screams in the face of an uncaring universe. His lyrics are poetic and dense and I haven't had much time to sit down with them so far, but I am sure they are much deeper in meaning than I have as yet been able to ascertain. The killer riffs are powerful and are driven by a phenomenal powerhouse of a rhythm section as drummer Ed Gorrod and bassist Gavin Archer blast a path with the force of a high explosive drone strike. The tracks all flow nicely with decent variation of pacing, despite the overarching aggressive feel of the album. and the songwriting seems of as high a standard as the musicianship.

All told, this is a very good slab of UKBM and with, in my opinion, the recent decline of previous UK heavyweights such as Winterfylleth and Saor there is no reason why Abduction should not sweep in and claim the mantle of the premier UK black metal act.

4/5

Also, coming tomorrow, January 9th is the brand new album from Ruins of Beverast, the first for 5 years, entitled Tempelschlaf. 

A couple of tracks are up for preview on Bandcamp:

https://theruinsofbeverast.bandcamp.com/album/tempelschlaf

Thanks Vinny, I really appreciate the feedback. I feel obliged (as with all the playlists that I compile) to include some sub-genres that I am not the biggest fan of. With the North this is often the symphonic, black 'n' roll and folk metal entries, although I have found stuff to enjoy in each of those too. I also think it adds some variety and acts as a nice illustration of the breadth of material within the North. 

I will also try to supply more commentary on each playlist going forward.

As I alluded to in the January playlist thread, I am going to start issuing the North playlist on a monthly basis once more. Unless you tell me otherwise, Vinny, I will use your additionals from last month for the February playlist. Karl, if you wish to nominate anything please post it by the 15th of January.

That's fine Sonny.

An experimental progressive black metal beast lurking in the shadows:

Ditto with this one, though is the only filler track you'll find in this album that's better than their debut:

Another feature whose subject is an act I have no previous knowledge of is this latest album from Icelandic black metallers Nexion. This is only their second full-length despite their decade of existence so, hopefully, they are a band who favour quality over quantity. Now I am a big fan of Icelandic black metal bands who deliver sweeping epics that conjure up images of the mountains, hot springs and ice-fields of their native land, such as Auðn and Árstíðir lífsins, but the initial impression I got from "Sundrung" was of a less epic and more violent record that incorporates significant influence from death metal, especially production-wise. This isn't necessarily the case though, as I think the band still deliver an album of epic black metal, although it is delivered in a different way to the aforementioned acts.

The death metal influence is evident and does beef up the bands sound significantly, yet the twin guitar tremolo riffing and frequent use of harmonised, viking metal-like backing vocals does imbue it with a sense of the epic. This saga-like feeling to the tracks is futher accentuated by the use of a significant layer of atmospheric dissonance, similar in tone to that utilised by the superb Ulcerate, which makes the album feel like an Árstíðir lífsins album recorded by Deathspell Omega (this is a good thing, by the way). So, despite the violence on display, in no small part due to the savagery deployed by vocalist Jósúa Rood, there is still a sense of a striking and epic scope to the instrumentation.

For me at least, this was an album that didn't instantly grab my attention and whose inherent viciousness just sort of washed over me at first, but it is a multi-layered beast and ultimately rewards the listener the more they are willing to invest in it as it is a fairly complex entity hiding in the skin of a visceral and savage beast. While I am a metal fan of fairly simple tastes, it is great to sometimes be presented with an album that challenges initial perceptions and which makes me want to keep returning to it to dig deeper into its labyrinthine depths and "Sundrung" is definitely one such album. The only real downside for me was the drums which felt quite one-dimensional and dulled in delivery, but that is a minor issue in the scheme of things here.

An excellent feature pick, Vinny, and a 4.5/5 from me.

Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss (1994)

Genres: Atmo-Black Metal

Looking at old reviews for albums is a good way to see just how much you've changed. In this instance, it's one of Burzum's crowning gems, the one he wrote right before his legendary (tho overrated IMO) Filosofem. The name is Hvis lyset tar oss, which is Norwegian for "If the Light Takes Us." At this point in time, much like Filosofem, I can't say I like this one as much as I used to. I even knocked off a whole star from my Filosofem rating when I heard it. But I don't think I'll go quite that far. Back then, I liked Filosofem more, by a 2/100 edge (92 vs. 90). This time, I'd say I like this much more than Filosofem, which only had a 93.

In my old review, I mentioned that Burzum expressed his anger perfectly. I really don't think so anymore. Hearing so many professional and even frightening shrikes and growls in my time as a metal fan, now Burzum's voice sounds unpolished and even a little dorky, like he's trying either too hard or not hard enough. Otherwise, the music itself is pretty good. I got it right in my older review when I said that Burzum delivers on the basics of atmo-black well enough. This album is cold and treacherous, much like an actual blizzard. There are synths in the back but they're typically faint and not forced, working just well enough to add a little spice to these four epics. But the thing about these epics is that they largely have a one-track mind, so once again, it's more about the atmosphere than the music. Still, it's a careful, though not too experimental, blend of atmo, depressive and traditional black metal with a little dungeon synth on the side.

So I would say in my current state as a music buff that Burzum's album right before Filosofem has the edge. I didn't really expect to like it more than Filosofem at first, but I'd say that this one feels more like an actual music album, and it doesn't have an overdone 25-minute ambient track at the end, but rather a synth track which feels like something out of a Tangerine Dream album (it has a 14-minute one, which is still overdone but easier on more melodic ears and actually showing clever shifts in gear).

76

My top 10 out of the RYM top 40

1: Moonsorrow: Verisakeet (100)

2: Emperor: Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk (98)

3: Leviathan - Lurker of Chalice (98)

4: Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane (98)

5: Immortal - At the Heart of Winter (97)

6: Ulver - Bergtatt (96)

7: Murmuüre - Murmuüre (96)

8: Agallock - Ashes Against the Grain (96)

9: Bathory - Blood Fire Death (96)

10: Mayhem - De mysteriis dom Sathanas (96)

My top 10 in general

1. Emperor - Prometheus (100 / Symphonic Black, Traditional Black)

2. Blut aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God (100 / Atmo-Black, Dissonant Black)

3. Alcest - Souvenirs d'un autre monde (100 / Blackgaze, Shoegaze, Post-Metal)

4. Emperor - Emperial Live Ceremony (100 / Symphonic Black, Traditional Black)

5. Enslaved - Mardraum (100 / Prog Black)

6. Moonsorrow - Verisakeet (100 / Folk Metal, Pagan Black)

7. Cabinet - Claustrophobic Dysentery (100 / Bestial Black, Black Death)

8. The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Darkened Shrine (Black Doom, Atmo-Black, Death Doom)

9. Sear Bliss - The Arcane Odyssey (Melo-Black)

10. Stormkeep - Galdrum (Melo-Black)

As you can see, having both Prometheus and Mardraum as their artists' top slot on my chart shows off my love of the more experimental stuff and my occasionally controversial hot takes.  Even by saying that specific live album is Emperor's best, when some would claim it's their worst, I prove that point.

God, Ben is really on point.  The next Sear Bliss album I'm checking out, Heavenly Down, I've NEVER heard this kind of music.  It's... aquatic black metal, right out of Avalon and composed by the Lady of the Lake.  Enya black metal, and that is NOT an insult. Halfway through The Winding Path right now.  Perty freaking brilliant.  The blackest song so far, The Upper World, was a bit of a typical song, but the rest is quite inventive.

Yeah, they definitely have their own sound, and it's one that I return to over and over again. I'm thrilled that I've assisted another metal fan in discovering them.

And the best part about that sound is that it works so well no matter what sound they go with.  I mean, the debut is so serene and heavenly, then the next is rough and doomy, and their recent one, I reiterate, is aquatic, and they even have a sparse, groovy avant-garde one.  This is what I think a band should be.

Now all I have left are Thorns and Satyricon, but the latter will take longer since I need to listen to the previous releases.  I know absolute jack about them.  So if all goes well, I lock in my fourth clan today.  That on top of getting my two books physically published makes for an eventful weekend.

Tonight I am rolling out some vinyl:

Blut Aus Nord - "The Work Which Transforms God" (2003)

Blut Aus Nord - "777 - Cosmosophy" (2012)

I'm pretty happy Filosofem is no longer the top black metal album on RYM.  Dissection, while not my number 1 choice personally, has a better overall sound and isn't tainted by an overlong ambient track that has very little imagination.  Burzum's quite good as a metal artist, but his dungeon synth needs work.

Here are some tracks I can think of that can be good for your North playlist:

Samael - "After the Sepulture" from Blood Ritual

Shade Empire - "Disembodiment" from Omega Arcane

Stormlord - "Under the Samnites' Spears" from At the Gates of Utopia

Mental Cruelty - "Nordlys" from Zwielicht

Shylmagoghnar - "A New Dawn" from Emergence

I didn't mind the Warmoon Lord's previous couple of albums so I might add this one to the to-do list.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT

1. Mayhem - "Buried by Time and Dust" (from "De mysteriis dom sathanas", 1994) [submitted by Sonny]

2. Sargeist - "Ordained and Adorned" (from "Flame within Flame", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

3. Destruction Ritual - "Washed Away Sins" (from "Providence", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

4. Kadotettu - "Kuolema ylivuotinen" (from "Ihmisyyden viimeiset askeleet", 2016)

5. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - "Eos" (from "Innern", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

6. Throne of Ahaz - "An Arctic Star of Blackness" from "Nifelheim", 1995 [submitted by Karl]

7. Abduction - "Vomiting at Baalbek" (from "Existentialismus", 2025) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Arkona - "Only True Belief" from "An Eternal Curse of the Pagan Godz", 1994 [submitted by Karl]

9. Profane Order - "Black Vomit Desecration" (from "Slave Morality", 2019)

10. Medieval Demon - "Raging Lord of the Deeps" (from "All Powers of Darkness", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

11. Finsterforst - "Zerfall" (from "Zerfall", 2019)

12. Polemicist - "The Infidel" (from "Medieval Rites", 2025) [submitted by Karl]

13. Bekhira - "Gas the Christ" (from "Demo '96", 1996) [submitted by Karl]

14. Autrest - "Ruins of the Lost" (from "Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

15. Together to the Stars - "Gravity Eater" (from "The Fragile Silence", 2024) [submitted by Sonny]

16. Bethlehem - "Verheißung - Du Krone des Todeskultes" (from "Dictius te necare", 1996)

15. Spiter - "Transylvanian Night" (from "Bathe the Babe in Bats' Blood", 2022)

16. Swordmaster - "Wraths of Time" (from "Wraths of Time", 1995)

17. Helheim - "Dualitet og ulver" (from "Heiðindómr ok mótgang", 2011)

18. Panopticon - "The Echoes of a Disharmonic Evensong" (from "Roads to the North", 2014)

I have been spinning this a few times this week and I am yet to make it through a full sitting in one go as I keep putting it on when I climb into bed and then fall asleep (more of a reflection on how quickly I drift off when I hit the hay as opposed to any scourge on the entertainment value of the record).  What I do like about it is how it captures the violence of black metal and yet still is able to shroud it in that atmospheric hue that we have all come to know and expect of Wintherr (which differs from how Sonny hears it - which is what makes the reviews here so interesting for me, how different people perceive records and hear different things is fascinating to me).

Great album. As I said in my own review, I think the cleaner, modern production job allows the listener to really get under the hood of war metal, better than the muddy and often messy production of the genre's earlier classics. ASM's best to date.

As I indicated in my forum post summarising the feature release this month, if I look at Sinmara’s discography, they have never quite topped their debut album. For me the capture of dissonance and atmosphere is rarely exemplified as well as it is across Aphotic Womb. What really stands out is that in creating such a vibrant sound, the band never once let much in the way of light into their songs. As the album title suggests, this is a creation grown in the darkest of wombs, utterly devoid of light. Taking all the best parts of Deathspell Omega, Carpe Noctem and Svartidauði the band make a real European mix of black metal sounds, incorporating elements that also remind me of Irish bm crew Slidhr and even Mgla in the album’s mellower transitions. For an album with so many moving parts it could easily sound like instruments are falling over one another as the layers overlap, yet there’s none of that cumbersome nature present on the album, in fact it is one of the most deftly played dissonant bm records of the 2010’s.

The band clearly take great pride in their attack on Aphotic Womb and there is a real sense of them owning the songs in the fullest sense of the term. Without creating any sense of restraint, they manage each of the tracks so diligently that it is hard not to see their pride in the delivery of their art. Album highlight for me is ‘Shattered Pillars’ with its riffs jittering across the track in glorious shimmering dissonance. In fact, some of the lyrics on here sum up the experience of the album perfectly:

“A cluster of storms

Breathing through wormhole mazes

Feeding gaping jaws the bitter waters of nausea

To harvest the foul seed and rape the crops of life

The demented ancestry of nebulae afar”

The album feels like that cluster of storms, with each track creating that maze as they are performed. There is something foul underlying in the music of Sinmara here, something wicked that barely makes the effort to stay hidden. That strong Ulcerate sound to the guitars on ‘Shattered Pillars’ is one of the reasons why I love this track. The New Zealand dissonant death metallers had only just released the might Vermis the year before Sinmara dropped their debut. Whilst percussively speaking there is a clear difference, the similarity in the guitar sound is undeniable.

Two instrumental tracks on your debut are a bold move, especially with one opening the record, yet Sinmara pull it off for me on both occasions. Working well on the two-disc vinyl version (I am guessing as I only have a digital version of the release) these tracks herald the arrival of each disc to the turntable with a sense of drama that never quite strays into the realm of epic. The harshness of Iceland’s landscape certainly comes through on Aphotic Womb, that unrelenting, heaving nature to the guitars sounds particularly symbolic in comparison. The album sounds like a vast and desolate landscape; possibly invoking images of a mass larger than its country of origin itself at times.

4.5/5

Alcest - "Les chants de l'aurore" (2024)

So, I've spent a bit of time with the French post-blackgaze stalwarts' seventh full-length now & have developed the feeling that it's not a bad record, if not one that I'm likely to reach for when I feel the urge for some Alcest. The tracklisting is without blemish but the overall atmosphere is extremely whispy & melodic (even for them) with the shoegaze influence being far more prevalent than the post-rock on this occasion. The black metal shrieks aren't used as regularly as they have been in the past either but the instrumentation has plenty of black metal about it. Overall, I'm gonna suggest that "Les chants de l'aurore" is probably Alcest's least impressive album since 2014's "Shelter" but it's still worth a few listens, even if (much like the Frenchmen's previous record "Spiritual Instinct") I can't say that this is an essential release for those looking for the elite-level blackgaze.

For fans of Amesoeurs, Lantlôs & Deafheaven.

3.5/5

Making the most of my day working from home, as well as getting through The Fallen playlist, I also ploughed on through The North one as well.

A bit more of a challenging listen for me this one once Sühnopfer kicked in and then Waidelotte too.  I actually sat through the Deafhaven track without skipping it, but it was not my most comfortable moment.

Thankfully the likes of Gorgoroth, Primordial, Krallice, Emperor and Satyricon kept me focused.

As I mentioned previously, I have only had a brief, but exceedingly positive, association with Aeternus. Their 1995 "Dark Sorcery" EP is one of my favourite black metal EPs and their 1997 debut album "Beyond the Wandering Moon" isn't bad either, so I went into this in a positive frame of mind. Luckily, this uncharacteristically positive attitude wasn't misplaced and this is a nice slab of medium-paced, melodic, norwegian black metal that was very easy to get into with Immortal being an obvious touchstone for me.

A striking atmosphere is set with the introduction to the epic opener, "There's No Wine Like the Bloods Crimson" which starts off with a warrior's raging and a brief snatch of liturgical singing before giving way to a martial drum beat which sets the conflict-riven battlefield scene where most of the album's events take place. The theme here is the horrors and glories of war, particularly toe-to-toe, whites-of-their-eyes, blood and guts medieval warfare. The riffs are fairly melodic and memorable enough to catch yourself humming along occasionally. The odd riff also has a folk metal component to it, with second track "As I March" containing a prime example. The sound is pretty thick, not the lo-fi, washed out and icy thin sound often associated with nineties black metal, but with a noticeable death metal influence which is well-suited to the blood-riven theme of the album. I always love a good drum track and Vrolok's percussive contribution is well-handled here. The track "Blodsverging", where he really gets to let rip, is a great example. I am not clued in enough to know how technically good Vrolok is, but the drums sound absolutely brilliant and I love what he was doing with the aggressive, but well-controlled, battering that he is visiting upon his kit. There is some fairly sparse utilisation of keyboards, but they are subtly handled and never smother the riffs, merely adding a thin atmospheric layer to proceedings.

I am not going to claim that "...And So the Night Became" is a top-drawer norwegian black metal classic or anything, but it is very good and I found it exceedingly easy to get into with a musical consistency and atmospheric integrity that showcases the songwriting skills of all involved. Aeternus may not get a huge amount of credit or acknowlegement in the black metal world, but here they reveal themselves to be a very accomplished black metal act that almost certainly deserve more plaudits than they receive. There is some really good stuff on here and this is definitely an album I will return to in the future.

4/5

https://metalinjection.net/news/zoe-federoff-posts-her-contract-with-cradle-of-filth-details-how-little-she-was-paid

Wow! Not a great look for Dani Filth & management.

All that + a collaboration with Ed Sheeran = zero credibility.

Kvelertak - "Kvelertak" (2010)

The debut album from this Norwegian crew offers a fairly enjoyable example of the black 'n' roll style, combining blackened hardcore screams with really well produced & executed punk & hard rock instrumentation. The energy levels are excellent throughout & one can easily pick up the influence of classic hard rock artists such as AC/DC, Motorhead, Jimi Hendrix & Led Zeppelin along with flashes of black metal aggression. This isn't generally my sort of release on paper but I can't deny that it's been beautifully done & has kept me engaged for the majority of its run time.

For fans of Owls Woods Graves, Wormwitch & Zorn.

3.5/5

Have finally had to kiss goodbye this classic Dissection hoodie which became too dodgy looking to wear out in public some time ago. I did the gardening in it this morning & it got so covered in thorns that I decided it was easier to simply toss it out than to remove them all effectively.

I tend to agree with you Vinny. I've never been much of a fan of "Noregs vaapen" & don't think any of Taake's subsequent full-lengths are a match for their first three full-lengths to be honest.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT

1. Bathory - "Enter the Eternal Fire" (from "Under the Sign of the Black Mark", 1987) [submitted by Sonny]

2. Norrhem - "Teräsmyrskyssä" (from "Aurinko ja teräs", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

3. Enthroned - "Deny the Holy Book of Lies" (from "Prophecies of Pagan Fire", 1995) [submitted by Karl]

4. Trespasser - "To the Barricades!" (from "Чому не вийшло?", 2018) [submitted by Sonny]

5. Immortal - "Storming Through Red Clouds and Holocaustwinds" (from "Pure Holocaust", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

6. Varathron - "Unholy Funeral" (from "His Majesty at the Swamp", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

7. Enslaved - "Lifandi liv undir hamri" (from "Vikingligr veldi", 1994) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Regnum Noricum - "Aminata Muscaria" (from "Lost Legacy", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

9. Groza - "Dysthymian Dreams" (from "Nadir", 2024) [submitted by Saxy]

10. Shylmagoghnar - "A New Dawn" (from "Emergence", 2014) [submitted by Andi]

11. Häxkapell - "Metamorfos" (from "Om jordens blod och urgravens grepp", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

12. Mystifier - "The Baphometic Goat of Knights Templar in the 12th Century" (from "Göetia", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

13. Niden Div. 187 - "A View in the Mirror Black" (from "Impergium", 1997) [submitted by Karl]

14. Lycopolis - "Lord of the Necropolis" (from "The Procession", 2021) [submitted by Sonny]

15. Mortuary Drape - "Evil Death" (from "Secret Sudaria", 1997) [submitted by Karl]

16. Void of Hope - "The Hollow Hymn" (from "Proof of Existence", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]

17. Deathspell Omega - "Wings of Predation" (from "Paracletus", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]

18. Summoning - "Beyond Bloodred Horizons" (from "Lugburz", 1995) [submitted by Karl]

19. Malokarpatan - "Ve starém mlyne čerti po nocách mariáš hrávajú" (from "Nordkarpatenland", 2017) [submitted by Sonny]

20. Moonsorrow - "Pimeä" (from "Verisäkeet", 2005)

Next playlist due September 2025

I have only just got round to this one and I am liking what I am hearing at this point. I will give it a few more spins and see if I can work a review up.

Another month flies by, which means it's time to select a new feature release for The North. This time, I've elected to go with the 1997's "Impergium" LP from the short-lived Swedish black metal outfit Niden Div. 187, featuring members of Dawn, Thy Primordial & A Canorous Quintet. Very much in opposition to the mentioned bands' epic & melodic leanings, this is a short (just under 26 minutes) & sweet slab of relentless black metal brutality that should satisfy fans of Legion-era Marduk, Sammath & Zyklon-B. Highly recommended!

https://metal.academy/releases/28870

I have done a couple of listens through to this and although I get the talent and the direction, it just doesn’t work for me.  For a start, the songs are too long and have far too much to say over their duration.  As a result they feel like a collection of ideas moulded (although not forcibly so) into whole songs.  I find myself losing interest pretty quickly to be honest and then I get snapped back into the room by a more beautiful or interesting moment.  I even tried the bedtime black metal trick, where I sit in bed with headphones on and listen to something in the dark, yet this still didn’t keep me present with the album.

I like my folk music now and again (in fact, increasingly so of late) but I almost just want this to be all folk or all black metal really.  As I say, clearly a talent, but not one that is resonating with me.

2/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Satyricon - "Du som hater gud" (from "Nemesis Divina", 1996) [submitted by Karl]

2. Desaster - "In the Ban of Satan's Sorcery" (from "Hellfire's Dominion", 1998) [submitted by Sonny]

3. Kvist - "Stupet" (from "For kunsten maa vi evig vike", 1996) [submitted by Vinny]

4. Emperor - "Night of the Graveless Souls" (from "Emperor", 1993) [submitted by Karl]

5. Satanic Warmaster - "Harken the Bells of Damnation" (from "Exultation of Cruelty", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

6. Dawn - "Sorrow Flew on Black Wings" (from "Sorgh på svarte vingar fløgh", 1996) [submitted by Karl]

7. Primordial - "The Mouth of Judas" (from "Redemption at the Puritan's Hand, 2011) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Oubliette - "Desolate Path" (from "Eternity Whispers", 2024) [submitted by Saxy S]

9. Stormlord - "Under the Samnites' Spears" (from At the Gates of Utopia, 2001) [submitted by Andi]

10. Black Witchery - "Barbarism Domination" (from "Inferno of Sacred Destruction", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]

11. Revenge - "Revelation Emaciated (Chalice Abominate)" (from "Violation.Strife.Abominate", 2025) [submitted by Sonny]

12. Ungfell - "Im Ruusch" (from "De Ghörnt", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

13. Sorcier des Glaces - "The Winter Nightsky" (from "Snowland", 1998) [submitted by Karl]

14. Saor - "Glen of Sorrow" (from "Amidst the Ruins", 2025)

15. møl - "Jord" (from "Jord", 2018)

16. Majestic Mass - "Sanguine Dreams of Lust" (from "Savage Empire of Death", 2018)

17. Ieschure - "Cold Stars of Eternity" (from "Cold Stars of Eternity" EP, 2020) [submitted by Sonny]

18. Inferi (ARG) - "Marked with Our Ancestors Blood" (from "The Awakening of the Black Hordes", 2005) [submitted by Karl]

19. Ruïm - "Fall of Seraphs" (from "Black Royal Spiritism - I - O Sino da lgreja", 2023) [submitted by Vinny]

20. Demoncy - "Risen from the Ancient Ruins" (from "Empire of the Fallen Angel: Eternal Black Dominion", 2015) [submitted by Karl]

21. Helheim - "raunijaR" (from "raunijaR", 2015)

Here's my review summary:

What makes Stormlord stand out in the symphonic black metal pack is the lyrics centered around Italian mythology, and it fits well for when the music alternates between melodic and thrashy. At the Gates of Utopia is the band's second album and their first with the locally popular Scarlet Records after a decade in the underground. Many songs have an epic black metal structure of fast guitars and drums occasionally slowing down for a gloomy section. Even people like me who aren't into black metal that much can enjoy this power and glory. There's also some dramatic choir and male operatic singing. Still we have great speed in the guitars, bass, and drums, in conjunction with the epic atmosphere. As amazing as At the Gates of Utopia is, I still don't feel up to switching back to the on side of my on-off relationship with black metal. Nonetheless, this is the best I've heard from symphonic black metal in a long while, particularly in some highly memorable tracks including the title intermission. As for a couple tracks, they rule too but could've had less forced ideas. With all that said, power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth it for any metal listener!

4.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Under the Samnites' Spears", "Xanadu (A Vision in a Dream)", "At the Gates of Utopia", "The Curse of Medusa", "The Secrets of the Earth"

For fans of: Arcturus' 1996 debut, Bal-Sagoth, Demoniac (the pre-DragonForce band formed in New Zealand)

Ben, Sonny, Xephyr, Rex....this amazing offering of power metal-ish symphonic black metal might just be worth you guys' time:

Gorgoroth:

1. Under the Sign of Hell
2. Pentagram
3. Antichrist
4. Destroyer
5. The Last Tormentor / Bergen 1996
6. A Sorcery Written in Blood demo
7. Quantos possunt ad Satanitatem trahunt
8. True Norwegian Black Metal - Live in Grieghallen
9. Incipit Satan
10. Instinctus bestialis
11. Under the Sign of Hell 2011
12. Ad majorem Sathanas gloriam
13. Twilight of the Idols

I honestly think they managed to avoid dipping below a certain level of quality across the whole discography. I'd suggest that even the lowest placed records on the list ain't that bad, although I certainly am biased as far as this band goes - Gorgoroth were my first love when it comes to extreme metal, and I will always place them among the highest deities of my metal pantheon. I hope we're going to hear from them once more - it's been 10 years already since "Instinctus bestialis" and I wouldn't mind at all to witness yet another "Rebirth".

Edit: For every connoisseur of Infernus' unique riff attack, allow me to recommend some 2024 releases to scratch the itch a bit:

1. Förgjord (FIN) - "Perkeleen weri"

2. Sørgelig (GRE) - "Φθορά"

3. Isolert (GRE) - "Wounds of Desolation"

How's it going, fellas, as it is my turn to nominate the featured release for The North, I would like to, once again, use the opportunity to introduce you to one of my personal highlights of 2024, this time of the black metal variety. My pick this time is going to be the second full-length from the New York-based conventional black metal crew Spite, "The Third Temple". The album offers a nice marriage between the Immortal-esque melodic riffing against the backdrop of cozy pre-Norwegian warmth and heavy/speed metal tendencies reminiscent of the likes of Master's Hammer and Grand Belial's Key. The lyrical themes form another link with the latter, concerning ancient biblical tales and Jewish mysticism, although notably without the antisemitic component that is notorious of GBK. All in all, I've found plenty to enjoy on this record - let me know what you think!

https://metal.academy/releases/55216

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

Tracklist:

1. Bathory - "A Fine Day To Die" (from "Blood Fire Death, 1988) [submitted by Sonny]

2. Dark Funeral – “My Dark Desires” (from “Dark Funeral” E.P., 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

3. Kampfar - "Kledd i brynje og smykket blodorm" (from "Mellom skogkleedde aaser", 1997) [submitted by Karl]

4. Novembre – “Let Me Hate” (from “Dreams d’azur”, 2002) [submitted by Daniel]

5. The Great Old Ones - "Me, the Dreamer" (from "Kadath", 2024) [submitted by Vinny]

6. Keep of Kalessin - "Obliterator" (from "Reclaim", 2003)

7. Black Anvil - "On Forgotten Ways" (from "As Was", 2017) [submitted by Sonny]

8. Ragnarok - "Minner om svunne tider" (from "Nattferd", 1995) [submitted by Karl]

9. Imber Luminis - "We Are Not Free" (from "Nausea", 2017)

10. Ellende - "Ballade Auf Den Tod" (from "Todbringer", 2016) [submitted by Vinny]

11. Al-Namrood - "Kail be mekialain" (from "Wala'at", 2020)

12. Aggressa – “VooDoo Doll” (from “Nuclear Death” E.P., 1988) [submitted by Daniel]

13. Kvlthammer - "Hounds" (from "Kvlthammer", 2014)

14. Gehenna - "Morningstar" (from "First Spell", 1994) [submitted by Sonny]

15. Bestial Warlust – “At the Graveyard of God” (from “Vengeance War ‘Till Death”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

16. Angantyr - "De dødes valg" (from "Indsigt", 2024) [submitted by Karl]

17. Impaled Nazarene – “Steelvagina” (from “Suomi Finland perkele”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

18. Barshasketh - "Nitimur in vetitum" (from "Antinomian Asceticism", 2025) [submitted by Sonny]

19. The Black – “The Black Opal Eye” (from “The Priest of Satan”, 1994) [submitted by Daniel]

20. Смрт - "U raljama košave" (from "Na utrini", 2024) [submitted by Karl]

21. No Point In Living - "The Path To the End" (from "The Cold Night", 2017)

The next playlist for The North will be published at the beginning of April, so suggestions in by 15th March please.

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The North for 2024.

Below are some of the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2024 The North Cover of the Year Award. The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

The following link will take you to the Gallery, displaying the top North releases that you have not rated yet: CLICK HERE

Got around to the Sargeist tune today. That is fucking great and fits right in. Good Swap IMO!

Here is my review:

Knowing nothing of Code, I did my due diligence and it turns out that they are from the UK, or at least founding member (and only remaining member of the lineup that recorded Nouveau Gloaming), Aort, is. He began the band as a solo project called Seaonal Code in 1998, recording a number of demos before shortening the name to Code and expanding the lineup by bringing in fellow Brit Kvohst as vocalist and recording a further demo in 2002. Further expansion to a five-piece with the addition of US guitarist, Vyttra and a norwegian rhythm section of bassist Viper and drummer AiwarikiaR, saw the release of this, their debut, in 2005.

An initial, cursory listen-through reveals something a little unusual with Nouveau Gloaming, which is the liberal use of clean vocals on what is, essentially, a black metal album. Not exclusively, to be sure, but enough to make the listener sit up and take notice. Kicking off with opener, "The Cotton Optic", things begin fairly conventionally with a very tightly-performed slice of conventional black metal which has a memorable, medium-paced riff that wouldn't sound out of place on a Satyricon album. Very soon, though, things take a different turn with second track "Brass Dogs" being the first to feature the aforementioned clean vocals. It starts and ends with a crackling sound and those clean vocals, recorded very thinly, as if playing on an old record player through cheap speakers. A fairly ominous and slow-tempo tremolo riff joins in along with sluggish drum beats to provide accompaniment to the, obviously deliberately, oddly-produced and slightly disorientating vocals. This is quite a stange track and it does have a kind of disconcerting effect on the listener, which, after the fairly conventional and accessible opener made me wonder where Code would be taking us next.

"An Enigma In Brine" has a post-black feeling to it, with the tremolo riffs forming a wall of sound, alternating clean and harsh vocals and a slow tempo, with lumbering drumbeats, eventually building in tempo and intensity. This is followed by "A Cloud-Formed Teardrop Asylum" which begins with a liturgical chant vibe and those increasingly familiar clean vocals before turning in a progressive black direction that feels a little like the kind of track latter-day Enslaved would be very comfortable with, sounding both epic and poignant, although I felt it ended a little too abruptly.

I think by now you get the picture that this is not exactly your typical black metal album, but something far broader in scope, with a diversity of structure and texture from track to track. It must be said, however, that the album as a whole, despite the individual tracks' diversity does have a coherent and cohesive tone and atmosphere, with a general feeling of discomfort and unease generated by the feeling that something is somehow amiss. I see that the band later went in a more progressive direction and that is certainly hinted at here in their earliest work as even this early on they seem to be seeking to breach the boundaries and constrictions of their chosen genre. Technically the band sound consumately accomplished to my untrained ear and their songwriting is forward-looking and ambitious, building a fairly unique atmosphere with their musical abilities rather than relying on production techniques to do the heavy-lifting atmosphere-wise as some are wont to do. The production is exceedingly clear and allows each member ample exposure in the mix.

I must admit I am very pleasantly surprised by Nouveau Gloaming as I was unaware of the UK having been the home of such a unique black metal release. It is both accessible and thoughtful, whilst still generating the kind of uneasy air that great black metal is so consummately suited for and is one of the UK's more interesting black metal efforts.

4/5

Yeah, I don't mind them too much and still like the debut album, The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, along with my personal favourite Middian and Nymphetamine is OK. I don't really think they have been classed as black metal for many a year now, gothic metal being the most usual tagging for them. 

Do you also hear a bit of an industrial sound here too, Daniel, particularly in the machine-like dehumanisation of tracks like the title track and "Ikikäärme"?

I do but I wouldn't say that it's worthy of aq secondary tag as it's not all that prominent in the overall direction of the album. The psychedelic side of the Oranssi Pazuzu sound has certainly been pushed to the back this time though, hasn't it? I'm gonna put up a Hall of Judgement poll to have the album put into The North at some stage today so make sure that you vote in that mate.

I just finished reviewing the latest Paysage d'Hiver album & it's another classic in my opinion. It honestly had the potential to be one of the all-time great black metal records if not for one flaw which I go into detail about but, as it stands, I'm gonna place it in second place for my The North award, slightly behind Oranssi Pazuzu (if we end up counting it here of course).

Then we have Drudkh and Immortal too boot, again with tracks pulled from two great albums. 

Yeah, those Drudkh & Immortal tracks are both very solid, aren't they?  The whole "Autumn Aurora" album is too actually but I have to admit that I've never considered "Sons of Northern Darkness" to be anything more than decent. I think it's just a little more melodic & accessible than I'd like from Immortal to be honest. I certainly get some enjoyment out of it but I rarely feel like returning to it when I have their more aggressive material to turn to.

Could not get on with that Bathory track

I don't mind that track actually. In fact, I don't mind a good two-thirds of the songs on "Requiem" but the other third is bad enough to see me generally steering well clear.

The Slaughter Lord inclusion is probably my favourite song from them. Anyone that thinks that war metal came about through Blasphemy in 1989 should take a listen to that track & some of the early Sarcofago demo tapes in my opinion.

Just for reference, if you are checking this out on Spotify, they have made a right cock-up of the track listing. The short intro track isn't on the original album and they have all the titles wrong - track 2 on Spotify is actually "Bestial Warlust", track 3 is "Dweller of the Bottomless Pit" and so on, until you get to track 6 which is "Hammering Down the Law of the New Gods" / "Holocaust Wolves of the Apocalypse" with the first part being a short intro.

I'm glad you mentioned that because I based my review on the Spotify version so have had to change my track references now. It was bloody confusing while listening to the album as my recollections of my enjoyment of each track were drastically out of whack.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Stiriah - Sterbend im Nebel (from Portal, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

2. Yoth Iria - We Call Upon the Elements (from Blazing Inferno, 2024)

3. Aara - Senkrechte Welten (from Senkrechte Welten, 2024)

4. Emperor - Wrath of the Tyrant (from Emperor, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

5. Furia - Ptaki Ida (from Nocel, 2014) [Submitted by Xephyr]

6. Labrynthus Stellarum - The Light of Dying Worlds (from Vortex of the Worlds, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

7. Sørgelig - Those of the Depths (from Φθορά, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

8. Panzerfaust - Occam's Fucking Razor (from The Suns of Perdition - Chapter IV: To Shadow Zion, 2024)

9. Watain - The Limb Crucifix (from Rabid Death’s Curse, 2000) [Submitted by Daniel]

10. Gargul - Gallows (from Gallows, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

11. Horna - Haudanusva (from Perimä vihassa ja verikostossa, 2000) [Submitted by Vinny]

12. Veilburner - Ill Visions of Hex-Shaped Hiss, Behead the Howling Spirit (from The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, 2024)

13. Necrowretch - Dii Mauri (from Swords of Dajjal, 2024) [Submitted by Xephyr]

14. Dark Horizon - Secrets of the Nightmare Prophecies (from Darkness Falls upon Mankind, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

15. Nargaroth - Black Metal ist Krieg (from Black Metal ist Krieg, 2001) [Submitted by Vinny]

16. Saor - Amidst the Ruins (from Amidst the Ruins, 2024)

17. Imperial Triumphant - Hotel Sphinx (from Hotel Sphinx, 2024)

18. Isolert - The End of Beauty (from Wounds of Desolation, 2024) [Submitted by Karl]

19. Enslaved - Slaget I skogen bortenfor (from Hordanes Land, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

I was already across this release as we headed into November and so seeing it added to the feature roster lined it up nicely for review. As those folky rich melodies sent my brain into a near trace-like state, I did start to question my credentials as a nail coated wristband wearing black metal fan. But then I remembered my enjoyment of Mare Cognitum and Darkspace and convinced myself that my icy soul was no nearer to being thawed as I first feared. The inclusion of such a heavy amount of synths is perhaps the most challenging part of Vortex of the Worlds yet at the same time it would not work as well as an album without them. They do sound incredibly artificial and are without doubt the main culprit in steering the album away from the more extreme boundaries of black metal, but I find at the same time they are relatively easy to make peace with given their obvious contribution to such a rich and luscious soundscape.

When taken out of consideration for a moment, the synths are far from the only positive element of the instrumentation. The tremolo riffing is excellent (Transcendence) both in isolation and also in accompaniment to everything else. When paired with vocals, they ground the album in the more familiar and safe territory of atmo-black. The programmed drums do not go unnoticed, but are hardly a problem either as I do not believe that Labyrinthus Stellarum wrote Vortex of the Worlds with any desire to focus on percussion. The lack of bass is the only real issue I have as it does makes things sound unnecessarily sterile and gives those synths an almost smothering edge at times. There is a rumbling "something" in the background but I would suggest it is just the intentionally density added in the production to mask the lack of bass.

My instinct suggests that Labyrinthus Stellarum will move too far away from a core black metal sound in subsequent releases to this one. For now, Vortex of the Worlds is a sensible gateway into that vortex that I sense will soon lose some of its appeal in the coming records. I am more than happy to celebrate the successes of this record though and acknowledge its bravery in sticking to its ideals and values. It retains a unique edge without dropping into a Summoning level of repetition and genuinely has some exciting and intense moments that standout. The songwriting suggests that particular methodology is sound enough as the crescendos mid-track are effective and create some of the strongest moments in the record. The album has grown on me with repeated listens but I can sense that looming distance is coming still.

3.5/5

 I am familiar with the Walknut and Satyricon tracks and it was fantastic to hear them again.

I absolutely love "Walk the Path of Sorrow" & my recent revisit of "Dark Medieval Times" has only further fueled those flames. It's the only genuine classic on that record in my opinion. I could have picked a number of tracks from "Graveforests & Their Shadows" actually but the extra aggression in the shorter closing track gave it a slight edge over the other more solid inclusions on that album.

I don't mind DMT, but The Shadowthrone is my favourite Satyricon album if you don't count the The Forest Is My Throne / Yggdrasill split with Enslaved.

Here's my review:

Popular Swedish black metallers Watain first came to my attention around fifteen years ago through their 2003 sophomore album "Casus Luciferi", an experience that I really enjoyed which saw me venturing either side of it to indulge in the band's first & third albums in 2000's "Rabid Death's Curse" & 2007's "Sworn to the Dark". The latter offered me a similar level of appeal to "Casus Luciferi" & saw my interest in Watain being well & truly maintained while their debut album "Rabid Death's Curse" delivered a milder brand of entertainment which didn't encourage me to seek out repeat visits. Watain have very much lost their way with me since that time with the 2010's not treating them very well at all. Even my couple of live experiences have been fairly lacklustre to tell you the truth but things started to look up again with 2022's "The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain" seventh album which was their best work in a long time. It's been eons since I heard the Swede's first-up effort though & this month's feature release nomination would seem like as good a time as any to reassess the merits of Watain's early sound.

The production job on "Rabid Death's Curse" isn't amazing. I guess it's nothing out of the ordinary by black metal standards but Håkan Jonsson's drum sound is terribly lacklustre while bassist Erik Danielsson's vocals could probably have been better highlighted. It took me a listen or two to get used to but I eventually found myself coming to terms with it. This is a different sounding Watain to the one that most fans have flocked to anyway though as it's much less melodic & entirely more traditional in its take on the classic black metal sound. You won't find too many dalliances with Dissection-style melodics here as there are relatively few risks taken on "Rabid Death's Curse", so much so that I'd argue that most of us would likely not have come across this release if it had sported a different band moniker on the front cover. Most of this material goes for broke on the higher tempo blasting with much less time afforded to eerie atmospherics. There's a clear tendency to want to portray themselves as being "evil" too & it's easy to see that Watain were still fairly young & immature at this early stage with the band all still sitting within an age bracket of 18-20.

The biggest obstacle that I faced with "Rabid Death's Curse" can be found in the drumming of Jonsson. He clearly seems to fancy himself as a Marduk-style blaster but his ability to deliver on that concept falls noticeably short of the mark with his blast beats being very messy indeed. This flaw takes a lot of the gloss off of those sections & leaves me with the clear understanding that early Watain were at their best when they showed more restraint by slowing things down a touch. Guitarists Pelle Forsberg & C. Blom produce some more than acceptable black metal riffs here although they aren't always terribly original in how they go about creating them. You see, Watain were a little late to the table to get away with producing an album that sounds this familiar with the Scandinavian scene having well & truly peaked during the middle of the previous decade. Still... there's something about the classic black metal model that lends itself to well produced emulation, isn't there?

"Rabid Death's Curse" is essentially a flat line when it comes to quality & consistency with all eight tracks included sitting at pretty much the same standard. This leaves the listener with a tough task when trying to identify favourites amongst this lot as there are no clear highlights. In saying that though, there are no creative failures to speak of either so I've found myself enjoying the whole album, at least once I'd found a way past my issues with the blast beats. If I had to pick a few of the stronger songs then I'd probably go for opener "The Limb Crucifix", "Life Dethroned" & "On Horns Impaled" but I could just as easily have selected any of the other five songs too given how closely they sit to each other.

Despite the consistency in the tracklisting, there's can be no denying that Watain were not a top tier act at this stage of their evolution. In fact, I'd suggest that they sat smack-bang in the middle of the third tier which is where I place most of the artists that give me mild enjoyment without commanding much in the way of replay value. The Swedes would quickly improve on that position over the course of their next two full-lengths but I'd still suggest that "Rabid Death's Curse" was an acceptable first-up effort for a young band that was still discovering their own capabilities. It may not make any sort of bold creative statement but it does showcase an understanding for the genre from an aesthetic point of view with the atmosphere being suitably dark & grim & the song-writing being attractive enough to keep me engaged. The band would return much better for the run in three years time, this time having dropped guitarist Blom for a new three-piece lineup, & would begin their attempts at global domination with what I consider to be their best record, so one gets the feeling that "Rabid Death's Curse" was an essential stepping-stone in that process. It's just not necessarily an essential one for your average black metal listener, even if I think it's definitely worth a spin or three.

For fans of Valkyrja, Mayhem & Ondskapt.

3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT?si=e1f1eac0cfee4656

1. Dreamless Veil - Dim Golden Rave (from Every Limb of the Flood, 2024)

2. Necrowretch - Total Obilteration (from Swords of Dajjal, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

3. Samael - Rebellion (from Rebellion, 1995) [Submitted by Daniel]

4. Horna - Hymni I (from Nyx - Hymnejä yölle, 2024)

5. Firtan - Arkanum (from Ethos, 2024)

6. Satanic Warmaster - Bafomet (from Aamongandr, 2022) [Submitted by Karl]

7. Unanimated - Blackness of the Fallen Star (from In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

8. Winterfylleth - Upon This Shore (from The Imperious Horizon, 2024) [Submitted by Vinny]

9. Spite Extreme Wing - Acqua di fonte di gloria (from Magnificat, 2003) [Submitted by Karl]

10. Vafurlogi - Reikul vofa (from Í vökulli áþján, 2024)

11. Impaled Nazarene - Hate (from Ugra-Karma, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

12. Marduk - Those of the Unlight (from Those of the Unlight, 1993) [Submitted by Karl]

13. Agrypnie - Aus rauchlosem Feuer (from erg, 2024)

14. Sorhin - Livets löfte (from Apokalypsens ängel, 2000) [Submitted by Karl]

15. Rotting Christ - The 4th Knight of Revelation (from Thy Mighty Contract, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

16. Groza - Dysthymian Dreams (from Nadir, 2024)

17. Beherit - Lord of Shadows & Golden Wood (from Drawing Down The Moon, 1993) [Submitted by Daniel]

18. Trelldom - Fra Mitt Gaml (from Til Minne…, 2007) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Funeral Mist - Funeral Mist (from Devilry, 1998) [Submitted by Karl]

20. Ellende - Scherben Teil I (from Todbringerin, 2024)

Here's my review:

I wasn't surprised in the slightest to find Ben nominating the sole album from Moscow-based atmospheric black metallers Walknut for feature release status this month as he's been raving about it for a good fifteen years now. In fact, it was one of a whole bunch of releases that he recommended to me to explore upon my return to metal in 2009 so I've been well across it for a long time now & have given it a number of return visits over that period. As with most siblings, my tendency is always to want to slam something that Ben adores as my first point of call so I probably went into my first listen to "Graveforests & Their Shadows" with a level of defensiveness & subsequently found myself taking little away from the experience which allowed my to give Ben the smug feedback I'd always intended on giving (i.e. "I dunno what you see in this bro. You can't even hear the riffs!") but time & repeat listens have seen me gaining a strong affection for this Russian artist, if not to the same stratospheric levels as Ben or Sonny.

Walknut is the solo project of Anton Svyagir who goes by the pseudonym of StringsSkald. He's fairly well known in the underground for his work with other Russian black metal acts like Forest, Nitberg & Темнозорь who you may be aware of but "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is by far his most celebrated work. This sole album sees him collaborating with Темнозорь lyricist & Stellar Winter Records owner Gorruth (known as Ravnaskrik for this project) who provides him with well-articulated stories of icy landscapes & tortured souls with which to layer over his lo-fi black metal instrumentation. I've often been critical of the use of the atmospheric black metal subgenre tag in recent years as it seems to have lost a lot of its meaning with people failing to understand its original intent & attempting to chuck it over far too many conventional black metal releases for my liking. But the tag fits the Walknut sound like a tailored glove as "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is far more about texture & subtlety than it is blasphemy & brutality & it does a great job at creating a fantasy world in which the listener can almost see, touch & feel the scenes being portrayed in Ravnaskrik's lyrics.

The lo-fi production job employed is nothing unusual for the atmospheric black metal subgenre but it's certainly well done on this occasion. I still maintain that the guitar riffs are quite difficult to pick out of the mix when taken in isolation as they're used more for texture than they are for melodic direction. It's the keyboards that are layered over the top that are tasked with giving the guitars their melodic context & this technique works quite well, contributing to the album's unique character. The tempos are generally fairly restrained with minimal use of blast-beats & three of the six tracks exceed the ten-minute mark which isn't all that uncommon for releases of this type. Stringsskald's tortured screams are another highlight as he sounds genuinely inhuman a lot of the time which only adds to the frostbitten atmosphere. Unlike a lot of European black metal though, Walknut's fuzzy musical tapestries feel somehow comfortable & you don't get the feeling that the intent was to suffocate or intimidate the listener. There's a warmth to be found in all of the frost if you know what I mean & I feel that this element is what makes the Walknut album stand out from the wealth of similar releases on the market.

The tracklisting kicks off with a well-executed one-minute ambient piece called "Hrimfaxi" that I really enjoy before taking off into the proper black metal material. Of the five metal songs, there are a few that stand out as highlights but all are worth listening to. The more expansive pieces like "Come, Dreadful Ygg" & "Grim Woods" are excellent examples of their type but I think it's the more upfront & aggressive four-minute instrumental closer "Skinfaxi" that appeals to me the most which is perhaps not all that surprising. Opener "Motherland Ostenvegr" is probably the most popular track but I rank it slightly below these other three along with the ridiculously titled "The Midnightforest of the Runes". It's a very consistent album overall though with the entire 43-minute runtime being worth exploring.

I've said a lot of positive things about "Graveforests & Their Shadows" so far, haven't I? And four-stars is more than respectable rating. But why don't I regard Walknut's lone album as highly as some of our other members by placing it up on a pedestal with the absolute cream of the black metal crop then? I think it's to do with some of the melodic ideas portrayed in the instrumentation to be honest. As well-executed as this material is, I often find that the motifs don't quite fully connect with me in the same way as peers like Paysage d'Hiver or Burzum do when they're at their best & it's important to me that I save my elite ratings for releases that I regard as being genuinely life-changing. The programmed drums are fairly obvious too which does detract from the overall package a touch, although I admittedly find myself getting more used to them with each listen. Nonetheless, "Graveforests & Their Shadows" is an excellent example of the atmospheric black metal subgenre & if that's something that you usually dig then I have no doubt that you've find a lot of enjoyment in it.

For fans of Drudkh, Ygg & Wędrujący Wiatr.

4/5