Shezma's Reviews
So many solid riffs. In my long journey with Iron Maiden I know I have listened to many if not all of their albums at one point or another but this time with Powerslave hit different and it just might be my new favorite one of theirs. I think the extended instrumental parts and melodies really worked here. I found myself in a trance enjoying it so much. Aces High, 2 minutes to midnight, Losfer Words are such a great 3 track opening sequence. Starts of High (pun intended) and just doesn't stop but takes little detours to show what Maiden is capable of. These are also some of Bruce's best performances of in my opinion too, I think he really knew what he wanted here. Number of the Beast is where he came in and fit in right away, and followed up with Piece of Mind, but Powerslave is where it really feels cohesive an they were taking Iron Maiden to the legendary status we will still and always embrace. If I have any minor nitpicks, is that Rime of The Ancient Mariner. I don't like that song, unlike other people who love it.
I feel dirty rating this so low. I do not like Cirith Ungol, and I never have even after trying so many times over the years with this band. But I can't in good conscience rate this better than I truly feel. The vocals don't work for me. The instrumentation seems lacking, and this is all my opinion and you can entirely disagree with me if you want, but the guitar sound is generic to me and when I do find a good lick or riff in there it changes or gets drowned out by the vocals or drumming or something else. Drums don't stand out, but I also tend to not always notice drums unless they're really good. This is not what I want to listen to, but I respect those that do. Variety is the spice of life, and we need this to bring out others to use this and take the style and run with it. I'm not trying to be down on this too hard, but it's not for me but I also think there always does need to be a counterpoint when necessary. I would perfectly accept someone taking one of my favorite albums and rating it low because it didn't work for them. Your opinion is still valid, and if you are also one that will still try Cirith Ungol and not like it either know you are not alone.
This is solid heavy metal. New Wave of British Heavy Metal if you will. Angel Witch is not a band I'm super familiar with but going back and listening through the classics with way more experience and history of metal under my belt now this is a quintessential album for the beginnings of this style and even as the turn of the 80's decade. Angel Witch the song is such an ear worm that I've been humming it all day. Memorable riffs and signature styles that has that NWOBHM style blowing up at but still absolutely stands out. At this point, i'll admit to having a hard time figuring out why I can't do a higher rating but I just don't feel it's quite a 4 1/2 or more record. It is a really good solid record that also doesn't overstay it's welcome at a perfect runtime of 38:10.
This was the featured release for The Horde for November 2023. I am not a part of the horde, but I am of clan The North which this is supposedly a part of. It just sounds like noise. It's generic death metal riffs and noise. I like my metal chaotic, but I just hear tv static put in a metal box. This isn't for me, and from the looks of it seems fairly low rated for even metal academy, but maybe somebody enjoys this. There is talent here underlying it all to even be able to make this project, but there needs to be a bit more direction.
I really enjoyed this album. I listened to this before in expectations of reviewing it and never got around to putting my thoughts in then life distracted me, now I listen again and remember why I had a hard time writing a review. You ever have a meal where afterwards your full and satisfied but have to be reminded what you ate and all it was is some chips and a sandwich? Like it hit everything you needed that day in giving you substance, and you can be like that was a good sandwich, but what kind of sandwich was it? What were the chips? Oh actually it was French fries. Hopefully that makes sense to you, because that's how I feel here. I've listened to it, and I immediately go that was a good time, with some black metal riffs and melodies but I can't recall any specific moments or riffs but as a whole I'm already looking forward to the next cold rainy day like it is here today and listening again. Even the last time I listened, I still remembered going that was really good but I could've swore this was an album that I had already reviewed and talked about but can't recall what I said so here I am doing it immediately after I listened again and all I can think of is the pleasant trance that I was in to get my mind off of other dumb things going in my life right now. A solid good time, maybe after another bunch of relistens I will come back to this review and really be swayed one way or another in a definitive thought direction. I will say, the album cover is a bit misleading to me as I keep thinking this is a folk/black metal record and there really isn't any of that here so that could add to my disconnect to what this album really is.
This was just boring to me. Not really sure why, maybe it was because of the lack of fun progressive elements. I really just couldn't get invested in this, there was nothing objectively bad to me there was just nothing that stood out. Even as i'm writing this I remember there was a woman's vocals on it, talking about things I guess while also kind of singing as well in spots. There were black metal sprinkled in and it just never felt like it was going anywhere. Even the melodic moments lacked any energy for me. Just mediocre.
Solid Black Metal. Has all the best moments, riffs, and atmosphere of what is considered black metal drawn out for an hour and 15 plus. The melodies are infectious, and then beaten over the head. There are only 5 songs for this epic long album. That doesn't take away from the fact that all of this is really good though. There are some memorable moments, if anything because of the infectious repetitive aspects, and creepy ambient soundscape of a dark atmosphere. Their is a doom metal element here, underneath the looming eeriness of the black but it's too far in the background. If this was either more doom or cut almost in half run time this could be a genuine classic of an album. I do understand this as being one to check out for the 2nd generation, but I don't see many people returning to this multiple times. I feel this review could be me just repeating myself of talking about the highs and lows in this album in each song so my final thought is just that this is a great album that's too long.
2 hours and 45 minutes live album. I have to start with this to explain why I can't give this a higher rating. I love Opeth, being one of my favorite progressive metal bands of all time honestly. Especially Blackwater Park which is covered in full and is still really good here. Then they add a song from every album from Orchid to Watershed with some really solid choices such as Advent and Harlequin forest. Remember this is a live album, and 2 hours and 45 minutes.
This was probably an absolutely amazing show to attend, but I personally am not a fan of listening to live albums. This is not a terrible recording by any means, the venue sounds well mic'd and the soundscape of the room holds up well enough but this isn't my jam. For a live album, it is one of the best I have heard in that regard, many are terribly novelties with bad acoustics and too much echo or crowd noise. The crowd here is noticeable at points, but don't take away from the music being played. Mikael does some crowd work explaining how happy he is to be performing there and explaining why they're there and he has some good charisma and I enjoyed listening to his bits and happy they got to do this. Felt nice and perfect blend for a show of this magnitude for them, wasn't overly preachy but got the point across for the crowd. Some bands talk too much, others don't talk at all which can be even more awkward but this felt just right.
If you're into live albums, this is absolutely worth it because it does that well. I on the other hand would rather be there, then hear most live recordings when the original Blackwater Park album is right there. I understand this is in two parts with the first half being Blackwater Park and the rest being a single song from other albums but I still had to break this up into 4 different listening sessions to get through it. 2 hours and 45 minutes. I like to listen to my albums in one go, I can't do this here and unfortunately there's really nothing here for me that stands out enough for me to not just go back to the original album versus the live album. Good for a one off, and again one of the better live albums I've heard but I won't be going back to this.
This is a folk metal album with black metal elements. Not quite perfect, but I feel closer to 4.75-5 stars then just 4.5 so "perfect" it gets. I think it deserves the love. I've mentioned before that I prefer folk metal over black metal, and that's what we get here. The blackened parts are there, I just have to really listen for them and pick them out of the other elements. I actually found more of a heavy metal and even at moments power metal influences in this one and when I think of black metal those elements don't shine through like they do here. I don't get the raw sound, blast beats, or the vocals as often as you would think from a typical release. As a more veteran to the folk and even Viking metal styles of music this is much more akin to that in my opinion. My favorite was "Deuden", which is entirely a folk metal song. Though there was some odd bits such as the digital or cyber stylings in "Blodssvik" which wasn't awful just felt out of place. This will definitely be one I go back to, up there with some of my favorite releases. I even preferred this one over Arntor. Still need to listen to the other releases, but for now it's my favorite of the discography.
Been feeling a bit nostalgic lately, and I listened to these guys self-titled album in high school and fell in love. Different times. I saw this on Spotify listed as a "new release" so I had to check it out. Come to find out this was their first album finally releasing on streaming. This is not good, even for 2001 especially with nu-metal near it's peak at the time. The mixing is terrible, the production is awful. Nothing here is what I wanted even for my rose-tinted glasses. Even the half decent songs that I do have the fond memories of are bastardized versions here that are played and remixed/remastered better on their self-titled album two years later. This one I will never go back to, and they did actually release an album as of this review in 2023 that albeit not great is so much better and mature than this one. Not worth the listen, a very sub-par whiney album.
Another band I grew up with that I loved then decided to get mediocre on me. However, Foregone is the best album from these guys since 2000. I actually caught myself a little toe tappy, a little head boppy, a little smile on my face for once. Still nothing compared to their 90's releases which still are some of the best melodic death releases of all time but this is solid. Harsh vocals are back in a good way, nothing too extreme but they made me feel good. The melodies are there, but also a bit repetitive. I had fun. A solid, good refresher of the In Flames style and am proud of them boys for making a decent record again. When you're not quite sure if they can ever make anything great again they come back and make a solid effort. Still not sure if they have it in them to make another Whoracle or Jester Race but I will not complain and this is a direction I will gladly accept and spin from time to time.
Ah, this is my kind of music. I love the more folksy side of black metal. Or should I say, I still prefer my music folk and traditional then I do music considered black. Giving a black metal edge to my black metal is perfectly acceptable, and here is done really well in Windir. This is more than just an atmosphere album, there's a story they're telling and though I don't quite understand the lyrics I can tell it's a story of their ancestors or at least the folk lore stories of their region probably into Viking lore with even slight leanings into Viking metal. With most black metal I get a vibe of cold, depression, sadness, some anger, and other similar feelings. While this album has all that, there is an underlying story here instead of vague poetry sung with an emotional attachment this has generations of history put into this with their traditions to be spread and praised. Gives me more of an appreciation when listening and enjoyment. Something I will go back to, and experience again and again. Not the best album I have heard but absolutely one of the best, maybe a bit too much on the black metal side of things that in my biased opinion kept the true traditions fully coming through and realized but I can't really fault it as it still is better than almost anything in a similar aspect.
After recently rating and reviewing "Nattestid ser porten vid...", I of course noticed that Taake released this new album here in 2023. The two albums are both black metal, but this one really has a heavy metal guitar in this one, I really enjoyed the riffs here more so than in the earlier album and everything else comes off as more mature and experienced. You can tell the songwriting had more experience put into it, and I think for being almost 25 years you can hear the difference but the soul of the music is still here.
Oh Ulver, how I have gone in and out of their music for a while. I have listened to Bergtatt before in the past, but it's been a while so I can't say my feelings today but I do remember enjoying it. I absolutely adored the "Assassination of Julius Cesar", and Perdition City but they have so many other albums and no two are alike. This is their other black metal album after Bergtatt, and it's really interesting to go back and listen to this now after hearing their evolution in styles. Surprisingly, I see people still praising Ulver after their tonal change but still revere these albums. I'm even surprised at myself that I have not listened to this one before in my music ventures. This is a classic absolutely, however there are so many times, VII stands out in my mind, where it becomes very repetitive and not enjoyable in the least to suffer through. However, we have useful skip buttons to those moments in this album where otherwise I'm actually enjoying myself. I was close to giving 4 stars, because for the most part I really did enjoy but those repetitive moments do stick out when listening and it's been a minute of the same note played over and over.
Thorns.. where do I start? Never heard of these guys before at all. Not quite sure since after hearing about this, it is quite revered everywhere. I don't listen to industrial metal often, haven't found much before that have interested me. There are industrial moments, of some mechanical and even digital sounding percussions and background rhythms that come off very interesting. There is some very innovating material here and I can see learning this style, however the entire time I'm thinking if I was a musician I would do this and try to make it better. The interesting bits seemed more in the middle of the album where I actually took notice, heavily industrial influenced and I enjoyed that quite a bit. I liked the what I consider almost symphonic parts of Underneath The Universe and the various instrumental bits like the end of Shifting Channels however they're limited here and would love to hear a full album of that style. Most of the time unfortunately I just tuned out really longing for more from this.
This album has so much in it that I would love to show off to other people looking for a new and challenging listen, and I could understand this can be a life changing experience for someone. Especially for 2001, this has to have been some musicians influential first starts into what we have today. Again, I'm not a fan of this but I have to show respect and acknowledge that there is something here for others.
Solid black metal release. Can't say I bob my head to b, often but this had me pumped up. A transitional album of the scene in my opinion. Had the classic style of blast beats and proper black metal vocal screams but with a proper mixing and a little extra production style not sounding like it was recorded with cheap equipment in someone's echoey basement. Not that's not also an enjoyable early style, this just felt more evolved. Cant say I've found anything earlier in the 90's that sounded this crisp and clear in this style. Very much a transition into a new era of black metal and one I'm very happy with. I see that this is a well regarded album, and have heard about it before but never really delved too into it, but glad I did here.
Aggressive. That's all I could think of when listening to this album. I guess there is an underlying melody as well and that helps from keeping the onslaught to be repetitive and monotonous but after being bombarded throughout my listens as this being a "melodic" black metal record was not on my mind. I'm still a noob to this style and all these new albums I learn more and more about myself and what music can be. I've started my more extreme metal journey from melodic death metal and I don't find much similarities to this and In Flames or Dark Tranquility. However, besides melo-death I did listen to hardcore such as early Thrice and AFI and they did use that melodic style along the aggressiveness.
This is still pure black metal, yet maybe the most aggressive I've heard. It's dark and foreboding, yet violent. At 46 minutes, this is a quick and headbanging listen. May as well say an "easy" listen considering everything because there is nothing terribly difficult in the sense of crazy time signature changes or a bad production. For a 1996 release the production is quite solid, not to the point of oversaturation and too clean but makes the sound hit the ears as I believe intended. Not drowned out like some early black metal went for either, but one of raw power.
The quite opposite of the atmospheric style, but one that is appreciated. Although it doesn't have the same vibe, it still feels like your just on a different layer of hell then one of depression and bleakness but one of violence and unease.
Quintessential 90's black metal album. If there is a record that I have found during my 90's catch-up listens that I would call a necessary and important listen for the era and the genre as a whole. This is not my favorite release, but it is solid. If you are wanting to become a musician within the genre, this is a must listen. You will absolutely find something here to emulate. I prefer more in my music, either melodically or aggressively, and although this does both well however neither really hit the spot for me. There is nothing wrong with this album, and I get why others have this as a 5 star perfect album. This is an easy entry album for those new to black metal to get a good taste or idea of the genre and would recommend this to anyone wanting to know where to start because I can use this as a jumping off point for other bands and releases. As said, there are melodic points and even aggressive through out and if I was showing this to someone and pointed to a certain part and be like "more of that!" I can show them Immortal, or Dark Funeral, or other bands more in the similar style. There's just enough here to keep me invested, but also opens up such a big gateway to so much more.
This isn't Black metal. Or at least, not what I would think of when talking Black metal. Symphonic, sure. Atmospheric, kinda. Black, only in the vocals and not even all of the time. This is a very good metal record I enjoyed cover to cover with maybe a few bits of less than stellar results but never a dull moment just maybe not perfect. The symphonic elements are strong, and would almost be curious to here a full orchestra behind this but that may actually take away from the soul of the record however that does not take away what the band members are able to do with what they were given also given the time of '99. There are moments of atmosphere, but I feel that atmosphere is a very limited term that doesn't do the melody justice. There are better, more detailed terms to explain the melodies to invoke certain feelings and mood. I get a fantastical feeling, an epic story vibe in a vein of something like Lord of the Rings but not quite as mystical. There could definitely be an essay written, or even a full on novel written around the lyrics and sound of this album. Amazing, near perfect story album.
Another album in the challenge that I listen to that hits the atmospheric black metal vibe i'm looking for. 3 songs and nearly an hour run time combined. Slow, droning, powerful and dark. This is the album to put on in the dark to enjoy best. Nothing really sticks out, but I think that may be the point. Black metal, especially the more atmospheric side where it is more the vibe and world the music takes place in and that's what I get from here. I enjoyed this, and may have to back at this again later while probably go down the entire discography however it's not on the tippy top of albums I'll be thinking of to go back to but I know I'll have a good time when I do.
This started with some decent grooves and "gothic" riffs, but after a couple songs in I got bored. The only thing black metal I found in this release at all was the vocals. The mix was too clean, and maybe I've been more into the atmospheric sides of things lately but even in melodic black metal there is usually some form of dark feel. I oddly got an alternative rock/metal feel from some of the songs like a Tool sound. can't explain how just some of the stylings gave me a vibe but with the vocals seemed out of place to me. Not that they were bad, but like an odd mix of flavors that surprisingly don't work when together. I see this as a highly reviewed record, and maybe if I heard this years ago I would've liked it better but in 2023 I can find more black metal releases from the 90's that I enjoy more.
Ever since I listened to this when it first dropped, I can't stop thinking about it. It's doom-y, it's groovy, even a bit heavy and epic. Hits an itch I didn't even know I had. It sounds like if you took the 80's NWOBHM, even parts of glam vocals, and put it over slowww riffs. Most of the songs are 8+ minutes long with long doom moments, but then you have the odd ambient bits of the intro track Curse of Men, and then Viral tomb both at around 1 minute. Also the more upbeat and traditional heavy metal reminiscent of something Candlemass or Witchfinder General would do. But then those 8 minute ones are if you did the Electric Wizard thing and go more towards the Stoner metal side of things but not quite? It does a good blend of styles while keeping me interested.
Quite possibly my favorite black metal release yet. Coming back to this site to get reacquainted with black metal and be more involved I need to put in my missed ratings here and how can I pass up to talk about the most beautiful album I heard over these last few years. Cold atmospheric pagan sounds that are oddly soothing and enwrap me in a warm blanket of and takes me through a journey of the Scandinavian wilderness. This is meditative to me. I love vocal harmonies, especially with dueling clean and harsh ones. Does a great job of making sound epic, but also soft. The blend is wonderful. The guitar work while also a bit simple, does the job well with my head bopping along while also relaxed. Even in the faster more "blackened" songs or harsh parts still have a softer side that is very welcoming. Never goes to the true dark side of black metal, but never goes full symphonic either. A journey worth taking, especially if you do like the more "epic" sounding metal with a bit of black and pagan. There probably is a style that this may emulate but I'm not sure what it is, maybe I will edit this when I find a decent comparison.
Negură Bunget - Beautifully Haunting
Now I just had the added experience of listening to this amongst a rainstorm while driving and maybe that covered some of the weaker spots on this album, but I have listened to this multiple other times as well and still enjoy where it's coming from. I love the musicianship of this album and the haunting black metal shrills that are drowned out by the furious drumming and guitar playing that just goes full speed. This is not the most technical or talented album. This feels like a young band that was able to find a better than average producer to mix this album in a way that elevated what they were going for. It's not perfect by any means.
I can really feel the, "throw it at the wall and we'll see what sticks" vibes but in my opinion more of what they try at least sticks well enough to make me continue to come back to this album and not want to turn it off by any means. That doesn't make it memorable, but something in this works for me when i'm in that kind of mood. Though, the songs do have a hard time to get going. I forgot about the first minute of song 2 (II), being just skippable but then it starts to get into the song with a more folky vibe that I actually enjoy. But that also is another thing on this album, it's only 4 songs that makes up a total of 53 minutes long. This isn't a doom epic so 15 minute long songs in black metal is a bit off for others but I liked it here. Each song changes quite a bit you could probably make this one long song and it would probably feel the same.
I don't know why I like this, because when I think about it more it's not something I would normally go to but I can see myself falling asleep to this or just having it play in the background without wanting to turn it off. There are a bunch of transitions that are oddly smooth without noticing you're still listening to the same thing so when I put it on I easily forget what I put on but it still is enjoyable when actually paying attention as well. Easy to zone out too for me.
Underground record worth looking for
This is an amazing black metal album. It takes you to a place. That place is somewhere I don't understand, definitely a dark vibe throughout the album. This is an album is not on Spotify where I get most of my music from however i found it on youtube and listened to it there then had to find a copy I could download. Seriously this is a dark boding album, that doesn't always sound Black metal. There are heavy influences of black, but I also hear alot of doom and folk in this as well. If you're interested in something very atmospheric and takes you to a dark place this will do it.
I have known of Lurker Of Chalice through Leviathan, or Jef 'Wrest' Whitehead, saw some documentaries on him and the american black metal scene and was hooked. I never listened to this album before but fell in deep within Leviathans work. You can hear the darkness, the depression, the sadness, and everything that he feels within this. I wish I could find lyrics to this because some of his vocals are so quiet i'm honestly not sure if they're lyrics or just groans of pain, but if they are lyrics I want to know what he's saying to get that more connection with this. Very talented.
Old School heavy metal Lordi, a parody version of the metal it seems. This was overall a fairly fun record. Not a big fan of the skits here, they're the boring radio DJ skits with a joke on how this album is so demonic it's summoning demons. Really nothing new to say here though, they're a band that's been around forever and still have a bunch fun doing it. Something you never take too seriously, but can still bang your head and even sing along too.
Appreciated, Cult following Black Metal
This is what I used to think of with Black Metal. The loud driving drums with blast beats, undeniably unique black metal guitar work, undertone of low screeching vocals. This is the kind of album I would have listened to back in the early to mid 00's and then just put away remembering why I don't listen to black metal. This is not for me. If this was the only album of it's kind I would consider this a bad album, but there is a following for this style of music. I can hear there is talent here, and that there is really good overall sounds but nothing grabs me and keeps me involved. I keep falling out of this album when listening to it, for a few riffs and melodies I get drawn in but that only lasts for so long.
I actually was beginning to like the song Stupet, it had a good interlude with fun guitars. There is an unbridled anger that goes on for a bit too much and then takes a step back and pulls into a slow motion shot to watch as the anger erupts. You still feel the anger, just at a distance which I like but this only lasts for a bit before it becomes repetitive. It doesn't feel cohesive, there's no melodic transitions for any of these changes, it just tends to go on for way too long then turns the speed up or down but doesn't feel like much else changes. The end of the album was the worst part of that for me as I tried listening to the end a few times and I always just tune out, there is nothing that holds my attention at all.
This isn't a horrible album. I still give it decent marks, because it never did make me want to turn the music off however once the music was over and it was quiet I honestly didn't notice a few times. It's not a slog to get through, just entirely unmemorable for me. I can continue to put this album on but I will never remember I put it on, maybe this would be perfect study/homework music because it was actually decent as short drive listening music for background noise.
Better Production Values, Still Got It
I'm not a fan of too much production value in my Black Metal. I want it to sound like they picked up their microphones and instruments out of the trash and recorded by playing back to a tape from a static filled amp. This isn't quite that, they found a bit of money to find decent guitars and an actual recording studio. This is still pretty good. I first listened to this album while on a mountain hike in the middle of winter with snow falling all around me. Fit perfectly, if only their was a bit more static involved to feel like the snow really hitting me with enthusiasm.
This is a great album. Immortal still has it into their 5th album and 10 years. They're such a uniquely sounding black metal band, that although they're are black metal through and through you can still hear the melodic tones in this one. I love melodic death metal a lot and though, as I stated earlier, I prefer the low-fi production for my black metal it works really well here. The melodic death metal is a change of pace that I welcome. The melody isn't progressive, it's not trying something new to take you somewhere else, it implants you right where you're sitting and puts you into a mesmerized state that you just want to sit back and enjoy. It takes away the atmospheric elements of nature or symphonic elements of horns and string instrumentation and just lets the guitar alone do it's thing to create a soundscape to fall into.
This is a definitive change of pace for Immortal that I haven't heard before from them or really since. Very unique album along my black metal library that I will be returning back to for more melody that I didn't know I needed.
Over Produced Blackened Avant-Garde Metal
Enslaved is an early starter in the scene forming in 1991 amidst the Black Metal revolution in Norway. Now I haven't heard any of their earlier stuff, only later. These guys definitely stand out to that sound. At least on this record, it does not sound like a Norwegian Black Metal band from then. This album did release in 2003, and my late 90's- early 00's black metal is a weak game and I know that many of the older acts who release during this time also had some weaker albums. This is not a bad album but I won't be coming back to this. This is too avant-garde, or progressive, for a black metal mood and it's too black metal for a progressive metal mood for me.
For a black metal album, this is way too cleanly produced. I miss the time of old when the records were made in a cold dirty basement with sub-par equipment. At this point, they're so glossy and overproduced the instrumentation is so clean at times I wonder if it was done by a computer. Listening to this as I write, Queen Of Night, begins and it feels like Opeth or another folk/prog metal band. I'm into it, but then the black metal screams come in with completely different battling instrumentation going on in the background. I hear a lead guitar giving a solo while a rhythm guitar is giving a really cool progressive melody that eventually becomes repetitive and grading. And now an almost Depeche Mode like gloomy singing. Then back to fast beating guitars with the black metal vocals. This is a perfect song to talk about this album really, as it's all over the place and I am not a fan.
It's like a mash up of 3 or 4 good songs being played at once, if I focus one aspect at a time I enjoy it quite a bit. They're vocals keep me involved, the guitar work is super fun, the drums are driving, but together they don't feel like they belong. I would give this album an even worse rating, but I feel there is still talent and worth listening to. I can imagine there are those that find this to be one of the best, but for me it's talent wasted on overproduction and bad songwriting.
An Unfortunately Deferred Experience
Emperor is a name i've known for a long time in the Black Metal scene. I even absolutely love Ihashn's solo project. Then why has it been until now to fully check out Emperor's stuff? No idea, but i'm glad that i'm doing this challenge to go through albums I probably would have never listened to. This album is probably perfect, and I have listened to it non-stop over the last week and enjoy every minute of it. This also being 2020, it definitely holds up. Black metal has a way of doing that since it's in a world of it's own.
Anthems to the Welking at Dusk just fits everywhere. Listened to it driving, sleeping, walking around and just everywhere in the background. Doesn't work the best as just plain background music since it can suck me in and then I forget what I'm doing or I forget what I'm listening to and a softer more ambient part finishes into a loud screeching part and i'm scared a bit. Both not exactly negatives. First album of my challenge I really want to give a 5* but I have just started listening to it and may just retroactively go up later.
This is what I feel like Black Metal should be. I love the symphonic elements, and the dark spooky vibes were just pure bliss. I can't even come up with imagery for this album, but I still enjoy it. Some times it feels spacey, some times cold, some video game soundtrack, almost always a sci-fi/horror vibe. Looking forward to hearing more of this.
Not sure what I expected
So, this is the Drudkh I've heard about. Well I've listened to it. Very atmospheric and folksy.
Fading is a soundscape of birds chirping in some woods or a forest. Interesting start for black metal. By putting birds happily chirping instead of vultures or some other detesting screeches it really takes me out. I enjoy some ambient environmental music, but this is such an odd place to start for black metal.
Summoning The Rain is too literal but at least feels more like black metal. It's fine, the guitars seem too epic sounding and big then I would have liked to fit for what should be a dark boding sound. Maybe i'm too close minded but this feels like too many different styles mashing together that don't work for me. Drums feel too samey and think they would fit very well in like a bad Slipknot song. I don't understand drums too well, but it's noticeable to me when it's dundundun tahtahtah the whole song it really gets irritating.
Glare of Autumn is the where rain was summoned for apparently. Love the concept and use of rain, but wow that's a bit tongue in cheek for black metal. Probably my favorite song on the album if had to choose though, the ambiance actually feels sad. The guitar work and drums get a bit samey here as well but at least it seems to belong here and doesn't overcome it's welcome too much. I still don't like the percussion here either, i'm really getting a Slipknot vibe where they just pound on the trashcans and metal pangs throughout.
Sunwheel interesting riff. I can't quite grasp where I know that from, I get like a traditional folk song vibe or something. I'm too focused on trying to figure out what that riff is, until about 4 minutes in the other guitar comes in like an 80's guitar solo. I really like the folk parts of this song, I would love to hear when it actually goes almost gypsy quality with it's Pagan roots more. There's just too much going on elsewhere to really get into it, alike the rest of the album if they took out the black parts of this and just went Pagan Folk Metal this could be something special.
Wind Of The Night Forests is epic black metal in a good sense. This actually feels cold and empty as it should, until it hits the odd 80's guitar solos again. Why are we putting these in here? If the guitarist wants to play solos get a different band for that, or make your own record. It sounds good but playing Van Halen's Panama over a black metal vocalist is a gimmick that doesn't work for me. At least it ends like i'm about to go on an adventure in an interesting way.
The First Snow is last track. Atmosphere at its peak here, I actually got lost in this. For a while, then I snapped out of it when it dragged on and nothing happened. You could've easily cut this song in half. It's not a bad song, nor a bad way to wrap up this mess but it's 9 minutes of the same 30-40 second loop. It's beautiful and you could let yourself fall into it, but after the marathon that was this album it was terribly noticeable for me.
Overall, this albums not the worst but there was too much that seemed out of place to take me out of it. In metal I want to fall in and let them take me on a journey whether it be in a dark cold night as black metal tends to, or get me involved in a story that folk metal leads me on, or any other genre. This album leads me down a path then puts a purple elephant on the side to distract me while i'm still flowing down the river. This is not for me, I can see why some would enjoy this if they can ignore or accept the random guitar solos and very repetitive percussions but I can't.
Haunting Hopelessness
Well this was a ride I don't know why I never got to. Dimmu Borgir was my first black metal act. As I have mentioned elsewhere Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia was my first black metal album. After listening to CoF, I had an urge to listen to PEM again and it still held up in my opinion then noticed Enthrone Darkness Triumphant was next on my list and was looking forward to it. Wow, what a change in direction in 4 years that these albums had. PEM took away the more symphonic elements and went more straight black metal leaving out a bit of the melody this one had.
I've listened to everything that Dimmu Borgir has put out since Puritanical and was always a fan. Now, it's been a few years so I will definitely be going back to them but I need to listen to their early stuff first because I am very impressed. The melodies and atmosphere they put in this is amazing. This is cathedral black metal during a blizzard at night. The instrumentation fits so well, the keyboard and even organ work (even if just using a keyboard's organ tone) does so well I don't understand why more acts don't do this. Beautiful. I don't believe they're trying to scare anyone with this like other acts do, but I'm not sure what they're going for because it's still cold.
A sensation of helplessness, as if your body is already frozen but fear has left you and you're at the acceptance stage to let death wash over you to take you away. That's my description. You want to die at peace but you are being tormented by the cold. The sweeping keys are almost uplifting at points while the guitars and drum work pummel you into a coma unrelenting to let you drift away. Dimmu Borgir has done an amazing job here and looking forward to anything else they put out and going back through their discography and finding so much more to love.
Where did this come from?
I have never once heard of Deströyer 666 before doing this review. I still don't know much about these guys or what they're trying to play. This is a very unique and different style of black metal. In my opinion this is way more thrash then black, if there was a middle ground genre like Blackened Thrash Metal these guys would be the fore runner. If there is anyone like this I don't know. The closest thing I could think of was Vektor but they are way deeper into thrash then this is. I am definitely not that into much thrash myself but for me this is a really good album. Honestly I feel it deserves a more 3.75 star rating but since that's not possible and I see that so far the rating is on the lower end of the spectrum (without any other reviews as of this writing) I go for the 4.
The album starts off more black metal and the second half feels more thrash. Oddly enough, I actually liked the second half a lot better. Lone Wolf Winter is now placed in my favorites, such good heavy riff song. The beginning felt like it dragged on for me too much and didn't feel like it really knew where it was going until it got to that latter half and it just went full thrash speed hard rocking good times music. Still had the black tinge to it, but it felt more natural in the overall production of the music.
I wonder if this is an album that is more for the thrash fans then black metal fans. As a Black Metal album, is this even highly regarded in the community or is any of their stuff? If this was more my style I would be curious and to delve deeper but it doesn't hit me well enough to put effort into this while my other blacklog piles up. For a black metal album I really don't expect to be banging my head or toe tapping so this just gives me weird vibes. Good album, but hardly atmospheric for black metal.
Unconvincing
Deathspell Omega is another name stay in the BM scene that I have heard over the years but nothing stuck out. This album is a horrible offender too me, very bland. When I think of Black Metal I think of a cold, dark void of an atmosphere that should suck me in and drown me with despair or other feeling of emptiness. This drowns me in boredom and apathy. I have recently heard of this bands controversies and have been trying to read up on reviews of the band and this album to possibly get another point of view of this album. I even read up on the satanic lyrics and prayers even come off campy and cheesy for me. Nothing in this album feels demonic, it feels too try hard.
This is not a horrible album either, nothing is so blatantly bad I need to turn off as I am listening to this again as I type but I can't find anything to pull out of this. This is background black metal if there was one, but not for atmosphere or driving music or anything. I listened to this once while waiting on an oil change and almost forgot I was even listening to anything. Like a musical score for a video game or movie where things are happening on screen that could use a soundtrack but nothing too compelling to forget what you're doing. This could be good sleeping music or reading music for me. It's doing really well as music to write to, but as Blessed Are The Dead Whiche Dye In The Lorde plays I am more interested in the spelling of 'dye' in the title. Why that choice? I also just noticed how 'whiche' is spelled. Apparently that's an obsolete version of which. Going for an 'old' feel for satanism? I don't think Satan is stuck in the last millennium, we have enough hell on earth now to pick up on.
To say something on the actual music itself, the vocals are fine. They sit in the background like everything else. It all feels toned down like they're trying to make it spooky but it comes off to me as too passive and uninteresting. The instrumentation does not feel too wild for I've heard others refer to this as avant-garde, which I can believe that may be something DsO is going for.
There is an entire scholastic case study to find here within this album and I should make this a 5* for that but I can't. I don't have that much interest in it. I'm going to move on to something I can actually get lost in sonically instead of whatever they're actually trying to do with this. At this point I am listening to the title track and..... got nothing and walked away. Back on Jubilate Deo is where I feel they could've had something. This feels so unconventional and even more out of place. If they made an album around this at least it would be more memorable to me. I just can't finish this again, i'm going to go do something else now. Eh
2/5 -
Godfathers of Symphonic Black Metal
Cradle of Filth has been a band I've only known since Nymphetamine, and that was probably my first Black Metal album of any kind. It didn't resonate with me and besides hearing stuff from these guys off and on never really was all that interested for one reason or another. I really don't know why I never went back and listened to their older stuff like this one. This is the album I always had pictured in my mind of what Black Metal was before I ever really listened. The first album I did listen to was Dimmu Borgir's Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia and though that album and this one Dusk... and Her Embrace are both symphonic death metal there's still a big difference in sound between them.
Dusk... and Her Embrace is so much more powerful then I had expected going into this. I'm not sure why I've had a negative connotation about these guys, but I have and it kinda hurt my experience going into this album. This is like a haunted forest in a snow storm. The other albums I've listened to for The North's 2nd Decade challenge have been way more atmospheric and you can live in that open ambient space. The ambiance in this album full of pounding moving drums and unrelenting guitar rifts. There's not a bunch of down time in this album which is a pleasant change of pace for everything else. Even Dani's voice helps keep the story moving along nicely. Even when the songs do get a bit 'slower' they still move a story along. There's always something around the corner such as a wolf's howl that keeps you guessing and engaged in.
Everything is good in this album. I'm not sure why, but I can't give this a 5* rating. It feels like it is missing something to me, maybe it's an album that I feel won't stay with me. I've listened to this a few times, and even have wanted to go back and listen to it again a few times more for pleasure before writing this review but I have this feeling like the rest of the bands discography that I will remember it fondly but rarely ever put it on. There's nothing earwormy (for lack of a better real word), that sticks out and urge me to look it up again and listen. It's really good though, and makes me when I have more time to really dive into the rest of their discography and see where they go from one of their earliest records until now.
Seperating the Man From The Music
Burzum. This is a difficult review to start, as an album untainted it is a necessary experience. I would have loved to go into this album entirely blind knowing nothing about what I was getting into. However I've seen various documentaries on Black Metal, the scene, and Varg (Burzum himself) and I wonder how that affected my listening experience. I can push certain political and criminal affiliations aside to a point. However, when you know how much effort he and the rest of the early Norwegian Black Metal scene put into their art you have to take notice and really dive into what they were trying to do and how they accomplished it with the way they record, live their lives, and just be black metal.
I could tip-toe around the controversy of this man and the music that came from it but I have to say for me it gives me more of an appreciation of the music. The Norwegian Black Metal scene including Varg is a Youtube/documentary rabbit hole that is fascinating to go into. I really don't know if I would listen to any black metal at all if I didn't get gripped into these stories. I have found no other genre of music to have such a definitive interesting story as the black metal scene has and can really be experienced by listening to specific albums that uniquely created a sound. Burzum - Filosofem is the last of that uniquely definitive sound in my opinion. It feels like a closing statement of a generation that lends itself to so many others.
Experience this first, unlike I did, then do yourself a favor and learn your history on this scene. This is an emotional ride, and for me I have a really hard time separating myself from the haunting slow fuzzy sounds of this album from the story. I have listened to this album many times and I am truly closing my eyes and trying to decipher every note, every screech, every emotion that fills this record. I don't understand it, nor will I try to, but I have my personal connection toward this album that works for me. 4 long tracks that just fly by but halfway through the 25 minute run time of 5th Rundgang Um Die Transzendetale Saule Der Singularitat I definitely notice it. The other songs are around 8 minutes long and I never even notice the time, but once I get half way through this one it does start to take you out of it. It's not a bad song, but after about the half-way mark you really do start to notice the repetition it it.
I can't even do a track by track review, because by doing so does not give the cohesion of this album justice including the 25 minute epic that would unfortunately be skipped midway through. It is a very particular naturally intended low-fi sound throughout. With very simple, possibly cryptic lyrics screeched through a bad microphone with fuzz. It's dirty sounding, there's nothing clean about this record. It has not been over-produced to clean out any imperfections. When you hear this and know that every instrument was delicately played and placed exactly when and where he wanted it you just let that take over. It is beautiful, and disturbing. It is warm, and freezing. A must hear experience for any music lover.
Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
Ambiant Cold Stormy Night
Blut Aus Nord has been a name in the metal scene that I've known for a long time. I have checked in on them from time to time and never found anything that I liked before until I listened to the most recent album 2019s Hallucinogen. The boding dark melodies that were on that album honestly made it for one of my favorites of last year though I did just recently listen to it at the end of the year so didn't end up on my best of lists but retrospectively I could probably put it up there. It just fit so well in my opinion. The Work Which Transforms God is very different speed then that, but why shouldn't it be it was made over 15 years ago. Things and people change.
The pros: Any and all of the ambient slow quiet parts are just amazing, you really do feel that cold nightly atmosphere so well.
--End, Our Blessed Frozen Cells, Devilish Essence, Procession of The Dead Clowns
The cons: The bombastic beats in the louder faster parts of songs over these vocals don't grip me. Even for black metal.
--Metamorphosis, The Supreme Abstract, Inner Metal Cage
End starts off perfect. Short but sets a tone going into The Choir Of The Dead I was not expecting. It starts off very loud and explosive, but doesn't stick around too much. Which is my problem in this album, where I can also see why it can be a very well loved album on my 3rd listen since I'm already expecting it. I've already gone in the haunted house and now I know where the chainsaw man starts revving up his engine so it has it's appeal to watch unassuming listeners come in and get frightened out of their skin but his affect on me wears thin quick and looking to hand out with the zombies in the next room.
Axis, nothing memorable with this one. I am listening to this album again and I passed over this song honestly not even realized it played through, must've just transitioned from The Choir really smoothly. The Fall is another wonderfully beautiful ambient track, and smooth and deserted.
Metamorphosis is black metal through and through and the first non true instrumental track that I was starting to enjoy besides the vocals. Feel like they're going for the Mayhem vibe here but it doesn't fit the tone of the song to me so takes me out.
The Supreme Abstract is an interesting one. There's a subtle haunting humming/whispering that I want to enjoy, and if they made an album around that I may have really came around to it more but it really felt out of place on this album. The rest of the album feels like an abandoned farm house from like a Resident Evil game but this song feels more
Our Blessed Frozen Cells / Devilish Essence are probably my longest favorite part of this album. Devilish Essence is an ambient outro for Our Blessed... and is back to being beautiful and as the song titles say almost frozen and a devilish essence.
The Howling Of God, this song alone is Resident Evil 4. Takes me back into that game so hard, I'm just waiting for someone to yell at me in Spanish and chase me. The eeriness of walking around in that game and hearing the odd screeching the people make in that game when you're in the castle and have the monk-like Los Plagas doing their rituals in between running in and out of the wilderness.
Inner Metal Cage after having a good moment with the last song, I come to another song taking me out of the moment. Best I can get is if X-Files had a crossover with a Law&Order-like crime drama. It's not terrible but the guitars get me out of the cold and into a court house where an Alien killed his cheating wife's lover.
Density is 18 seconds of silence? I put my volume on max and didn't hear anything and was perplexed more than anything.
Procession of The Dead Clowns love the name and the song. Ends on a very high note in my opinion. Long, drawn out, and exactly what I want in my black metal.
Overall after listening to this album again while typing this down my rating has gone up a bit. 3 to a 3.5. Still not an amazing album but better then the first few times, I can see this is already a grower on me with the more ambient tracks really making me love those songs but the bad out of place wierdness that is The Choir Of The Dead, The Supreme Abstract, Inner Metal Cage, for me take me too far out. Maybe If I make a playlist with just End, Our Blessed Frozen Cells, Devilish Essence, The Howling Of God, and Procession of The Dead Clowns and play some Resident Evil I would find this to be a perfect night but as a whole this album is not cohesive enough for me.
I have a history with this album. This is what I think of when I think of Sludge for better or worse. Every couple of years when I go down my music rabbit holes I always see this album pop up on best of lists of various types. To this day I'm not sure why. Maybe because it is unique in it's own way, but going through all of the sludge albums lately there really isn't anything here in my opinion that stands out. It's more unusual I guess, with elements of industrial, punk, hardcore, and various other genres that it seems most sludge albums I've been listening to try to do something similar and maybe this is where they got the idea. There could be a lot to dissect here if you're interested, but to me listening it feels like they threw everything at the wall to see what sticks. Many does stick, and someone more invested than I can get a lot out of this but this is not for me.