Black Metal 2025 by Vinny

When I go looking for a black metal record, as in a real black metal record, The Triumph… is the exact type of record I want to find. Full of vicious riffing and strained keys, with ghastly vocals too boot. The percussion is just awash with that shimmering hue of hi-hats over the rest of the music, but they never invade the other elements. The rampant riffs of ‘Necromancer’s Night’ shows this perfectly, the riffs get front and centre at a couple of points and it is glorious in underlining the beastly nature of the track. Despite the raw approach here, I sense some calculation in the arrangement of tracks as the album does only appear to grow in stature as it blazes its way along to completion.

I am captivated by the time the chants start on opening track ‘Kuolematon laulunhenki’, only to be further hauled into the baying mob by the mining riffs of ‘Havukruunu ja talvenvarjo’. The choral elements of the latter track disperse into the song unexpectedly, without dispelling the more aggressive and driving rhythm that constitutes the main part of the track. I think this is one of the key areas of success for Tavastland. Despite showing a clear penchant for the more extreme parts of metal, the band always keep that apron string back to that very traditional metal sound that their art is built on, very much in reach still. The pagan influence does not get lost either, the title track being heavy with that content across both instrumentation and vocal context also.

I have listened to a lot of black metal over the years and the albums that I hold in high regard all exude passion for their artform. In a sub-genre that champions the minimalist approach it is easy to become lost in a sea of raw, primitive and yet utterly emotionless music. There is absolutely a time and place for that, however with where I am at in my bm musings nowadays I like to hear some heart in what I am listening to. Luckily for me, Gràb are full of passion for what they do. Yes, the melodicism helps no end here. That smattering of doomy atmosphere also does much to enhance the experience. But at the very core of Kremess is the undeniable presence of musicians revelling in what they love doing and in turn letting the listener revel in the majesty of the music they produce.

The four tracks that run over the hour and three-minute duration are all delivered with a maturity and a sense of patience being applied to the song development. This is not just four tracks of post-metal that grow into raging black metal crescendos at the halfway point, to be then taken into some death metal section before fading away into more minimalist pastures to end. The structures here are varied and are kept interesting throughout the longer than usual runtimes. Think the clever songwriting of Cult of Luna coupled with the innovation of Enslaved and then throw some Agalloch in there to temper everything and you are absolutely on the right track. I would argue that this is more entertaining than anyone of those bands in isolation (notwithstanding that I am not Agalloch’s biggest fan by any means) and being able to take the better elements from just three such well established artists show a talent in itself of course.

I think what stands out most for me on the album is how mature it sounds. This is a band who can layer different instrumentation into a perfectly complimentary arrangement. That bayan never once sounds intrusive. It is tempered perfectly by the tremolo riffs and balanced well in terms of atmospherics with the keyboards of Valentina Astashova. When it does get sole playtime it manages to add welcome depth to the track (the end of Skull Gatherers). But the expected instruments also put in a great shift. A mention must go to the subtle yet effective work of guest drummer Vlad Yungman, who like Morbius and Villhelm is also of Ultar fame. The drums are never a blasting frenzy, yet are interesting and in total keeping with the pace of each track. The tremolo riff is strong here, complimented by strong melodies and leads also. As I say, it is all so beautifully arranged to make tracks such as Impending Death Premonition take on such a haunting, ethereal mood just by this clever use of aggression and melody

The fact is that I enjoy Kadath a lot more than I was expecting to. I have gotten into the habit of getting in bed at a reasonable hour and taking some bedtime listening with me. Kadath was my bedtime listen last night, and I completed a further run through this morning before work. These two more critical listens, done without the distractions of screens or work, proved to be key in my development of understanding the record better. For a start, it struck me that the three guitars are used intelligently and are not allowed to overwhelm tracks. In fact, they fill up space that would otherwise go unused, in the sense that if two of them are maintain the often-powerful rhythm of many tracks then melodies and atmospherics are done by the third guitar in the background, on the periphery of the main drivers of tracks or in the upper stratosphere of some of the more expansive moments on songs. Cleverly, they do this without creating any distractions. All three instruments fit together so well.

The ghastly rasps of Juuso firmly keeps the mindset in the black metal camp though. The vocals have a delirious tone to them, bordering on howls at times which work well in contrast with the slower, more atmospheric moments also. Tracks such as ‘A Hungering Yoke’ explore the full gamut of Warmoon Lord’s armory, deploying atmospheric keys, frantic riffing, rhythmic riffing and icy cold vocals across its mere five-minute run time. Taken as a whole experience, Sacrosanct Demonopathy is quite a positive sounding black metal record. Not blue skies and rolling green fields by any means. No, I look at the artwork for the previous release from the duo (Battlespells) and I get the sense of the smug pleasure that army of evil knights as they march away from the burning buildings, past a river turned red with blood. In short Sacrosanct Demonopathy feels good in the sense that you have just fucked shit up in an epic way, defeated an enemy or conquered a long-standing civilisation. As a record, it carries a crude sense of achievement.

The synths are deployed effectively on all the tracks here and the album would be at a loss without them for me. Providing a real supporting role as opposed to dominating proceedings, they swell tracks with a richness within the swirling chaos that they help develop I sense them growing, filling all available space behind those prominent guitars

There’s variety on this record to. Without ever once giving up on the levels of misery in their music to support their lyrical themes, Void of Hope pull in an eleven-minute plus track ('The Hollow Hymn') alongside a just under two-minute piano led palate cleanser immediately after it. The longer track goes through the whole gamut of black metal, from slower sections to blasting fury, atmospherics to blastbeats, melodic passages to driving, near epic sections. As I understand it, one of the guys from Moonlight Sorcery is involved and so I guess this explains the flavour of the epic and some of the expansiveness. There’s variety in the instrumentation too. Synths and keys permeate the space just behind the strings, vocals and percussion, giving a sense of density to the sound of tracks. These are well balanced, and they feel like they are in a true supporting role, breathing in some elements of atmo-black as they create this fog in the background.

‘Fallen Blossom’ introduces a more aggressive sound, not dissimilar to the overall sound of album The Swan Road. Whilst the melody is still obvious, there is a harsher, colder edge to it on here. Even when the track seems to settle down into a rhythm, it still feels oppositional. The keys do little to soothe this abrasive edge, seeming to support its threat and intent with menacing atmospheres. The track builds into a tumultuous mass of tremolos and percussion, never taking its foot off the gas for the final third of the song. A more melodic opening greets us on ‘The Eve’, even if we are still seeing no signs of the pace letting up in the first instance. At this point I did start to wonder if some variety was missing here, but just as the demons started to have me doubting Drudkh, there’s a swell of accessible, more leniently paced melodies that is cleverly given space to breath and develop before becoming consumed again in the more raging torrents of the track. There is great use of pacing here, even though I missed this on my first few listens, it seems so obvious as I listen through on my review write-up.

It is all here for the taking for me. Themes of Satanism, death, ritualistic offerings and dark mythology are what help pique my interest on most metal records. When they are as well integrated into a wall of crawling, lumbering, threatening and menacing black metal music such as Vortex of the Destroyer, then this is the icing on the cake. Ornias sounds genuinely deranged on here, his vocals are as pestilent as the vilest of diseases, his riffs are relentless sorties of marauding layers of darkness hammered home by guest drummer Ignace Verstrate’s (the aptly nicknamed Hammerman) unabating pounding on the skins. It is the dead body the kids find out by the lake one day. Bloated with filth, hissing noxious gases from its orifices, its flesh infested with all manner of crawling things. If you need a quick teaser of VotD at its best, throw on the amazing ‘Utter Northern Darkness’ and you will soon be met with the type of barrage of fury you can expect from pretty much all ten tracks on offer here.

Fact is, this record has been kicking around my rotation list for a good few weeks now and there is a healthy number of listens under my belt on this one, given it has enjoyed at least one spin per week over the last two months. It is certainly an album that has benefited from repeat visits, with each trip into its darkest depths leaving me curious to come back for more each time. It is a record that I would say I hear more of each time I listen to it. At the same time, it now possesses a strong degree of familiarity also. Those mocking vocals are sublime to my ears each time they spit their derisory lyrics my way. The layers of riffs that dash at me like flicked knives bring welcome wounds as they breach my skin. All the while, the constant threat of something really unhinged getting ready to be unleashed keeps my nerves just on the edge of turmoil every time.

The crude melodicism of the dashing tremolos, which are generated by the guitarist just dashing their hand up and down the fretboard it seems, does bring an unexpected sense of underlying depth when you take time to listen critically. In fact, the more I listen to this EP the more it has grown. The EP format does not make this a smash ‘n grab bm release either, Homvnkvlvs does everything on Mysterivm Xarxes releases and his marauding style of black metal more than hints at thought and structure beneath the ghastlier aesthetic that he presents in his music. The melody is primitive to an almost pagan extent at times, but the fact is that the tracks are in a continued state of flux. The pacing and tempos change with a degree of regularity, keeping you guessing as to where tracks might be going next. By the time we get to the middle of third track ‘At the Threshold of Purification’ we are almost straying into a progressive build for a few bars before we descend back into raging black metal fury again.

I am very much reminded of 777-era Blut Aus Nord when listening to II. That blend of the coherent and luscious instrumentation, coupled with unintelligible vocals (and spoken word at times) is delivered perfectly here, putting all the attention on the music. The more modern take I get from the record though is Mare Cognitum inspired melodic urgency and scurrying tempos. The tremolos get quite shrill in places, suggesting some stringed folk instrumentation alongside the electric elements here and there too. If ever there was a band befitting of residing on DMP’s roster, Blood Abscission are it. The focus is absolutely bang on here, capturing all the right elements I want to hear in my atmo-black. At times when I listen through to the record, I am reminded of Grima’s triumphant record from this year also.

Now, I am not overly familiar with pagan black metal, however I do know a hint of Moonsorrow when I hear one and after multiple listens, I think that the reference is the nearest I can make to how I can define the sound here. The tracks for the most part have solid, driving rhythms, offset with acoustic, atmospheric passages that give time for reflection. Clearly Norrhem have a deep sense of pride in their Finnish heritage and this nationalism is strong in the sound of the music. Embracing the melodic aspects as they do on Aurinko ja teräs alongside the more choral/chanting effects makes for a good mix of foot stomping black metal that carries an almost hidden catchiness (in the sense that it takes a few listens to pick up on it – well at least I did). Unexpectedly, I find some of the tracks quite warming, despite the colder atmospheres associated in general with the music.

There’s an abundance of melodic yet mining leads alongside the riffs that cascade over solid percussive performances. These spurts of melody give a sense of light in an otherwise densely murky sounding album. Within all this atmosphere, there is still a well-structured drumming element that holds a welcome focus in the mix throughout the album. Abyssal Vacuum are a band playing music with atmosphere added as an additional layer, as opposed to a group of individuals starting with atmospheres as the dominant force in their sound and then playing some music as an afterthought. The album has an intense focus on form and composition, a fixation on sensible arrangement even. It is a mature and very enriching experience to listen to. The lavish layers that are present manage to compliment rather than smother the darker aspects of the sound. Clearly accomplished musicians over an extended format as well as over Eps, I hope the confidence of Abyssal Vacuum grows from this outing onwards.

I could do with a little more weight in the drums on the mix, but I still feel Marco Prij does a great job, pacing his patterns as the soundscape that continues to unfold requires him to. Houvast’s guitar work is great throughout. It is vibrant one minute, then cold and jarring the next. I have no major criticisms here in all honesty. I am still a little confused by the black thrash combo that relies more on atmospherics above all other things to emphasise that cold influence and it does still feel a little strange adding this into my The North list for 2025. However, it is absolutely a valid entry and is one of the best releases of the year so far regardless of which sub-genre sits as its driving force.

In the Rotting Grave certainly sounds like it has been recorded south of ground level. It is full of dank riffs and lumbering synths. Creating doom-like atmospheres seems to be an organic output to what Forbidden Temple do. The opening to ‘Mephistopheles Nightmare’ with its choral accompaniment sounds perfect before it gives way to some solid riffs and haunting keys, the drums all the while are bashing away like some dementor with two bits of wood and a stool and some pedals. The Norwegian influence is still very clear throughout the record, with early Darkthrone being a clear similarity from the off. However, there’s some Mortuary Drape and Samael kicking around on here too. FT are all about the late 80’s and early 90’s bm scene baby.

Maledictum, is well written and equally as adeptly performed. The storytelling is logical and meaningful without being overly dramatic. The musical representation of the witch trials plays as a very honest and earthy representation of what went on at the time. The playing sounds tight and direct, maintaining consistency throughout the album duration. Whilst this does cause the album to stray into dangerous levels of repetition there are a couple of elements for me that still make it standout. Number one is the vocals. An internet acquaintance of mine pointed out to me that the vocals put them off this release, which was a real shame because they found everything else here to be ‘top notch’. For me the vocals are a real draw. Reminiscent of Nas Alcameth in Akhlys, they are a raspy, throaty whisper style that is not common, not in my bm catalogue at least.

Tracks such as ‘Lifeless and Corpsed’ are tormenting little numbers to contend with. The drums labour just enough to make you wonder if they are going to bother or not at times, whilst the guitar just continues to grind out that tremolo riff, occasionally allowing it to soar a shade higher to truly herald the growth of the track. But in the main, Beautiful Glorious Death Throes is a success largely because of its steadfastness. The album does exactly what it says on the tin. You can predict how the record is going to sound, just be looking at the necro cover, and if you love bm then you will not be disappointed in the no frills approach. This is a true celebration of darkness that is as consistent as the other EP and split that came out this year from these guys also.