Tag Archives: black metal

Album Review – Liminal Shroud / Through the False Narrows (2020)

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Behold the debut opus by a Canadian Black Metal horde that takes inspiration from the surging oceans and mist-strewn coast as they explore themes of futility, passage, and individual and metaphysical transformation.

Take these ashes – take these dreams of worlds to come
Only self remains – only what is true

As the skies turn grey and dense fogs hang above the shoreline, Canadian Black Metal unity Liminal Shroud will expel a swirl of melancholia and torment over its moss-strewn forests and perilous waves in their debut full-length album, titled Through the False Narrows. Formed in late 2017 in Victoria, British Columbia, the three-piece band comprised of Aidan Crossley on vocals and guitar, Rich Taylor on bass and vocals, and Drew Davidson on drums takes inspiration from the surging oceans and mist-strewn coast as they explore themes of futility, passage, and individual and metaphysical transformation in their new opus, being highly recommended for fans of the music by Ash Borer, Drudkh and Fen. Recorded by Jordan Koop at The Noise Floor Recording Studio, mixed by the band’s own Aidan Crossley, mastered by Rolando Rolas at Cavern of Echoes Studios, and featuring a striking artwork by Canadian artist Alayna Coral Gretton, Through the False Narrows offers the listener a unique form of Black Metal surging with atmosphere and anguish, melancholy and rage, showcasing Liminal Shroud’s own sound and style without sounding repetitive or tiresome at all.

A demented growl from the pits of the underworld ignite the sluggish, dark and infernal Blackened Doom-infused aria A Hollow Visage, with Aidan barking and roaring like an anguished beast supported by the intricate drumming by Drew, and with the music changing its shape and form throughout its imposing 11 minutes while presenting the band’s Black Metal core from start to finish. Then more of their fusion of progressiveness and obscurity comes in the form of Tainted Soil, with Aidan and Rich crafting a Stygian ambience with their respective riffs and bass lines while Drew and Rich are in absolute sync, darkening our minds and thoughts to the sound of their evil kitchen; followed by To Forget, presenting cryptic, acid lyrics vociferated by Aidan (“A life not lead lies obscured / Beyond broken branches / Amidst the shallow, desperate forest floor / What secrets have you buried?”) while the music remains bold and epic in a hybrid of classic Black Metal with Atmospheric Black Metal. Needless to say, this amazing tune will please all fans of the genre without a shadow of a doubt.

Liminal Shroud Through the False Narrows Bundle

Investing in a more melodic, melancholic and grim sonority, the trio offers our avid ears a majestic wall of sounds in The Grotto, where the strident riffage by Aidan matches perfectly with his own austere gnarls, ending in a truly enfolding manner before we’re treated to four minutes of old school Black Metal infused with Atmospheric and Epic Black Metal nuances in Erupting Light, where Drew is unstoppable behind his drums showcasing all his dexterity and passion for extreme music. Never tired of blasting their disturbing but extremely sharp and harmonious Black Metal, those Canadian metallers bring forward the multi-layered Sentinel, where Aidan keeps roaring deeply and demonically while Drew and Rich alternate between sheer obscurity and demolishing sounds, and before all is said and done get ready for an 11-minute feast of Atmospheric Black Metal in Lucidity, presenting their darkly pensive lyrics (“Dragged down by weighty night / Hollow, weary eyes – fixated / The world moves faster / Time is a wheel / Every second / Every hour”) and with Aidan being on fire with his strident riffs, accompanied by the smashing beats by Drew and the Marduk-inspired bass jabs by Rich, therefore putting a beyond splendid and venomous conclusion to Through the False Narrows.

Do you think you have what it takes to enter the realm of atmospheric and tormented Black Metal ruled by Liminal Shroud in their brand new album Through the False Narrows? If your answer is a hellish “yes” with an evil grim on your face, you can enjoy the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if I were you I would definitely purchase such distinguished opus of extreme music from the band’s own BandCamp page, from the Hypnotic Dirge Records’ BandCamp page or webstore (where by the way you can find this amazing bundle including a CD, a shirt, a woven patch, a magnet, a metallic button and a sticker), from Season of Mist or from Amazon. In addition, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about such talented horde, keeping the fires of their tormenting extreme music burning bright for centuries to come in their homeland and anywhere else in the world where Black Metal is truly appreciated.

Best moments of the album: To Forget and Lucidity.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Hypnotic Dirge Records

Track listing
1. A Hollow Visage 11:16
2. Tainted Soil 6:33
3. To Forget 8:10
4. The Grotto 6:19
5. Erupting Light 4:08
6. Sentinel 6:56
7. Lucidity 11:05

Band members
Aidan Crossley – guitar, vocals
Rich Taylor – bass, vocals
Drew Davidson – drums

Album Review – Vyrion / Nil (2020)

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A fantastic concept album of bone-crushing Black Metal made in Australia, telling the stories of civilizations from the cradle to their eradication by disease.

With Black N’ Roll rotting its heart, Nil, the brand new opus by Brisbane, Australia-based Progressive Black Metal horde Vyrion, brings a relentless bone-crushing, soul-fucking, thrashing element to the otherwise intricate formula the band comprised of Dale Williams on vocals and lead guitars, Mark Boyce also on the guitars, Mitch Rogers on bass and vocals, and James Daly on drums perfected on their 2014 album Geo. A concept album telling the stories of civilizations from the cradle to their eradication by disease, Nil takes all prisoners on a vivid journey, basking in the glory of our war-mongering past and looking eagerly towards our decrepit future, all embraced by the distinctive, aggressive and progressive Extreme Metal carefully (and furiously) crafted by this four-piece Black Metal entity who has been on a constant rise since their inception in 2007, having already carved their name in the history of Australian underground metal.

The piercing riffage by Dale and Mark ignites the furious Beleaguered, leaning towards classic Black Metal with James showing no mercy at all for his drum set (and consequently for our necks), but of course presenting the band’s core progressiveness and harmony, and more of their metallic wall of sounds will hammer our cranial skulls in Squall, a lesson in Progressive Black Metal spearheaded by Dale and Mark’s Stygian guitars, with Mitch and James generating a menacing atmosphere with their infernal kitchen. Then we have Avalanche, which as the name already states is an avalanche of old school Black Metal the likes of Dark Funeral and the early days of Enslaved infused with Progressive Black and Doom Metal, with Dale sounding like a creature from the abyss with his demonic gnarls, and you better get ready for another fulminating exhibit of the band’s undisputed talent and deep passion for Extreme Metal in Erupt, a mid-tempo feast of Black and Doom Metal where James provides hellish but at the same time very detailed beats throughout the entire song.

Time for a one-way voyage to the pits of the underworld to the sound of the 8-minute aria Crave, where all band members are on fire with their razor-edged riffs, rumbling bass punches and crisp drums, therefore inspiring you to bang your head nonstop and succumb to their otherworldly, venomous music; whereas atmospheric sounds are suddenly enfolded by an incendiary riffage in Monuments, where Dale couldn’t have sounded more bestial on vocals, resulting in the the epitome of Australian Black Metal, sounding and feeling menacing and thrilling form start to finish. In the vile and grim Dethrone the band brings forward their classic sonority with James delivering sheer brutality on drums accompanied by the once again flammable riffs and solos by the band’s guitar duo, albeit a bit generic compared to the rest of the album, and last but not least Vyrion darken the skies one final time with Infect, starting in a Stygian way before morphing into a neck-breaking Black Metal hymn where James once again takes the lead with his unstoppable drumming until the song’s cryptic ending.

After all is said and done, the hellish, blackened sounds blasted by Vyrion in Nil definitely deserve our respect and appreciation, as those Australian black metallers are not only extremely talented and focused, but the way they managed to transform such interesting concept into extreme music is also beyond outstanding. Hence, keep an eye on all things Vyrion by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and grab your copy of Nil from their own BandCamp page to show your true support to Black Metal from Down Under. As it seems like humanity will never learn with the mistakes and issues that caused civilizations to crumble into pieces throughout history, there’s nothing left for us to do but to enjoy the first-class, eye-opening Black Metal played by bands like Vyrion, pointing to a bright future for such amazing Australian horde and, unfortunately, to an even darker and more frightening destiny for our rotten and decaying world.

Best moments of the album: Squall, Erupt and Monuments.

Worst moments of the album: Dethrone.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Beleaguered 6:25
2. Squall 4:57
3. Avalanche 6:25
4. Erupt 3:18
5. Crave 8:01
6. Monuments 6:49
7. Dethrone 6:42
8. Infect 5:24

Band members
Dale Williams – vocals, lead guitars
Mark Boyce – guitars
Mitch Rogers – bass, vocals
James Daly – drums

Album Review – Bròn / Pred Dverima Noći (2020)

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Embark on an atmospheric voyage to the mysterious and untamed nature of Serbia’s wilderness adorned with enthralling, majestic soundscapes and endless streams of melodies and harmonies.

Through the cosmic mists it descends upon us, Pred Dverima Noći, the new (and fifth) full-length album by Atmospheric Black Metal/Ambient act Bròn. Formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2014 as a sonic chronicle of the wanderings of New Zealander KG (from Barshasketh), but currently based in Belgrade, Serbia, Bròn (which by the way means “sorrow” in Gaelic Scottish) has already released a handful of ambient, down-tempo albums exploring life within a sprawling urban expanse since the project’s inception, but now with the addition of drummer GH (from A Forest Of Stars), Bròn has permanently left urbanity behind and has returned to the mysterious and untamed nature of Serbia’s wilderness in Pred Dverima Noći. Recorded, mixed and mastered at Sonorous Studio, and featuring a grim artwork by Khaos Diktator Design, Pred Dverima Noći is adorned with enthralling, majestic soundscapes and endless streams of melodies and harmonies, propelling the listener into the vast expanses beyond the conscious mind throughout its three sprawling tracks, all clocking in at over 15 minutes, being therefore recommended for lovers of the music by Limbonic Art, Evilfeast and Darkspace, among others.

The atmospheric keys by KG grow in intensity in the opening track Dverima Noći, darkening the skies and preparing our senses for an onrush of Stygian and captivating Black Metal spearheaded by KG’s devilish gnarls and the fulminating drums by GH in a 16-minute journey through the bitterly cold lands of extreme music, changing its shape and form as the music progresses while showcasing stunning keys intertwined with venomous riffs. If that wasn’t complex enough for you, Bròn offers us all Usnulu Zlobu Razbudi, which already begins in full force like an infernal tempest, filling our ears with scorching riffs, vicious blast beats and endless obscurity while once again presenting elements from classic Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal and even Symphonic Black Metal for our vulgar delectation. Moreover, KG sounds like a true beast with his hellish roars and riffage, supported by the talented GH and his unstoppable drums in this full-bodied, dense and very detailed aria. And the third song from such grandiose album, entitled Zastore Skrai, brings forward more of Bròn’s thrilling and epic fusion of heavy and austere sounds with the finesse of atmospheric music, also presenting elements from Blackened Doom and Depressive Black Metal to make things even more somber. In addition, GH pounds his drums slowly and steadily while KG keeps gnarling with tons of anguish and pain, flowing darkly and embracing our souls majestically until the very last second.

In the end, after the three songs (which offer an impressive combined running time of over 52 minutes of music) from Pred Dverima Noći are over, you’ll definitely feel trapped in the vastness of the Serbian uncharted lands forever and ever, going back to the start to savor every second of such imposing album of Atmospheric Black Metal again and again. Hence, don’t forget to follow KG and his cryptic Bròn on Facebook and to purchase your copy of Pred Dverima Noći from his own BandCamp page (or you can also click HERE or HERE and select your favorite version of the album), inspiring the wanderer KG to keep exploring the most desolate, uninhabited and serene regions of the world armed with his idiosyncratic music, bringing a paradox of peace and violence to our souls just like a feral creature trying to survive in the cold and dark nights out in the wilderness.

Best moments of the album: Usnulu Zlobu Razbudi.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Nordvis Produktion

Track listing
1. Dverima Noći 15:57
2. Usnulu Zlobu Razbudi 19:31
3. Zastore Skrai 16:56

Band members
KG – vocals, guitar, bass, keys
GH – drums

Album Review – Ecclesia / De Ecclesiæ Universalis (2020)

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Showcasing the perfect syncretism between Heavy and Doom Metal, this army of French inquisitors stands strong on their crusade against every doom heretic with their incendiary debut album.

Playing what they like to call epic and dark Doom Metal-influenced Heavy Metal since their formation as a trio in 2016, the now fully-formed army of French inquisitors known as Ecclesia (the Latin word for “church”) unleashed upon us sinners this Friday the 13th their debut full-length musical mass De Ecclesiæ Universalis, which is Latin for “the universal church”, following up on their highly acclaimed 2017 demo Witchfinding Metal of Doom. Armed with purifying fire, blessed swords and Holy Rage, the band currently comprised of Frater Arnhwald on vocals, Julius Accusator and The Witchfinder General on the guitars, Frater Ignis Sacer on bass, Pater Hexenhammer on drums and Pater Walkelinus on organ and keyboards deals with the 12th Century dark medieval age of Holy Inquisition in their lyrics, showcasing the perfect syncretism between Heavy and Doom Metal in their music and, therefore, being highly recommended for admirers of the music by Candlemass, Cathedral and Solitude Aeternus, among other giants of the 80’s heavy and doom scene, standing strong on their crusade against every doom heretic and urging us all to confess our unholy sins.

Gregorian chants and the always tenebrous sound of the rain ignite the album in the bold intro Excommunicamus, before the strident riffage by Julius and The Witchfinder General dictate the rhythm in the hybrid of classic Heavy and Doom Metal titled Vatican III, a superb song to start the album where the rockin’ vocals by Arnhwald truly enhance the song’s impact and blasphemous feel, whereas their Black Sabbath vein beautifully explodes in Ecclesia Sathani, with Walkelinus’ phantasmagorical pipes bringing a touch of evil to the overall result, blending the glory of the 70’s and 80’s with their modern-day Doom Metal. Then get ready to crack your neck headbanging in the name of the unholy church of doom ruled by Ecclesia in Montségur, where Hexenhammer and Walkelinus are in absolute sync with their respective beats and keys while Arnhwald continues to fire his ass-kicking, King Diamond-inspired vocal lines. And never tired of hammering their sonic weapons, Ecclesia deliver another amazing tune entitled Behold the Heretic Burning, feeling like it was taken from one of Dio’s classic albums (which obviously means excellency), while Ignis Sacer makes sure the earth shakes to the sound of his menacing bass.

After such amazing first half of the album, how about seven minutes of a fusion of classic Doom Metal with Stoner and Southern Metal, spiced up by epic keys and soaring vocals? That’s what you’ll get in the Stygian hymn Antichristus. Needless to say, the band’s guitar duo will pierce your skin deep with their venomous riffs, ending the song in the most visceral way possible, and you better prepare your ears for another round of slashing riffs in Deus Vult, where the church-like organ pipes by Walkelinus will captivate your mind, opening it up for the slamming Rock N’ Roll crafted by his band members while sounding as harmonious and thrilling as it can be. It’s time to go full doom in the cryptic God’s Trial, with the sluggish beats by Hexenhammer walking hand in hand with the riffage by Julius and The Witchfinder General, being tailored for admirers of the most primeval form of Doom Metal (albeit not as powerful as the rest of the album). Before all is said and done, we’re treated to their cover version for Venom’s classic Burn The Witches (actually, the original song is titled “Don’t Burn The Witch”), from their 1982 cult album Black Metal, and you check the original version HERE, with Ecclesia’s version being absolutely awesome from start to finish, morphing into the stunning church-inspired outro Ite Missa Est to put a proper ending to their metal mass.

In case you’re considering joining a church for any given reason, I suggest you go check the services provided at the temple of doom ruled by Ecclesia on their Facebook page, and purchase your copy of the sensational De Ecclesiæ Universalis from their own BandCamp page, from the Aural Music webstore, from Season of Mist, from jpc.de, from Best Buy or from Amazon, proving to those French metallers you’re not a doom heretic and that you’re worth their mercy. Put differently, why not confessing your darkest and most impure sins to the sound of the ass-kicking metal music blasted by Ecclesia in their flammable newborn spawn? I’m sure both God and the Devil will love to witness you succumbing to their visceral, damned creations.

Best moments of the album: Vatican III, Montségur, Antichristus and Deus Vult.

Worst moments of the album: God’s Trial.

Released in 2020 Aural Music

Track listing
1. Excommunicamus 1:07
2. Vatican III 4:44
3. Ecclesia Sathani 5:26
4. Montségur 6:03
5. Behold the Heretic Burning 4:57
6. Antichristus 7:11
7. Deus Vult 5:33
8. God’s Trial 6:32
9. Burn The Witches (Venom cover) 3:25
10. Ite Missa Est 1:39

Band members
Frater Arnhwald – vocals
Julius Accusator – lead guitar
The Witchfinder General – rhythm guitar
Frater Ignis Sacer – bass
Pater Hexenhammer – drums
Pater Walkelinus – organ, keyboards

Album Review – Soul Dissolution / Winter Contemplations EP (2020)

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Belgium’s most auspicious Atmospheric Black Metal unity returns with another introspective and brooding work, telling stories of snowy landscapes, raging blizzards, regret and purgatory.

Two years after the release of the breathtaking EP Nowhere, Brussels, Belgium-based Atmospheric Black Metal/Post-Black Metal entity Soul Dissolution is back in action with another fantastic EP titled Winter Contemplations, again an introspective and brooding work, telling stories of snowy landscapes, raging blizzards, regret and purgatory. Recorded, mixed and mastered between July and September 2020 at Blastbeat Productions by Oliver Carell (Heretoir, King Apathy), Winter Contemplations offers us listeners a healthy dose of the band’s signature melodies draped in a thick, ice-cold atmosphere, courtesy of the band’s founder, lyricist, guitarist and bassist Jabawock together with his henchmen Acharan on lead vocals and Threnos on drums.

Just hit play and a slow and atmospheric intro will evolve into a scathing, grim tune entitled La Dernière Tempête, or “the last storm” from French, where Acharan presents all his skills as the talented growler he is while Jabawock brings tons of harmony, melancholy and anguish to the musicality with his razor-edged riffs. Put differently, this is a magnificent voyage through the obscure realms of Black, Doom and Post-Metal, sounding and feeling multi-layered, inspiring and epic until the very last second. Then featuring stunning orchestrations by guest 鬼 (also known as William Melsness) from Unreqvited, Where The Clouds Stand Still… also begins in a Stygian and pensive manner, feeling like it was taken from a movie score, with Jabawock extracting minimalist sounds form his guitar before being accompanied by Threnos’ slow and steady Doom Metal-beats. Furthermore, Acharan once again does a superb job with his harsh, acid vocal lines, resulting in the epitome of Atmospheric Black Metal while changing its shape and form majestically during its captivating 13 minutes, therefore showcasing all the undeniable talent of the guys behind Soul Dissolution.

It’s absolutely impressive how Jabawock and his loyal bandmates are capable of sounding so cohesive, diverse and captivating in all of their creations, it doesn’t matter if their songs have one or twenty minutes in duration, and Winter Contemplations (which is by the way available for a full listen on YouTube) is the perfect representation of their hard work and their evolution in the atmospheric and extreme music genre. Needless to say, you should definitely show your support to those amazing metallers from Belgium by purchasing their new EP from their own BandCamp page, from the Viridian Flame Records’ webstore or from Apple Music, and also by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel and by streaming more of their breathtaking creations on Spotify. As Atmospheric Black Metal has always been a very entertaining and somewhat unexplored style, why not wandering through the somber lands brought forth by Soul Dissolution in their new EP? I’m beyond certain you’ll get lost in your own thoughts and never wish to return to the real world after such unique experience.

Best moments of the album: Where The Clouds Stand Still….

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Viridian Flame Records

Track listing
1. La Dernière Tempête 10:54
2. Where The Clouds Stand Still… 13:10

Band members
Acharan – lead vocals
Jabawock – guitars, bass, additional vocals
Threnos – drums

Guest musician
鬼 (William Melsness) – orchestrations on “Where The Clouds Stand Still…”

Album Review – Walls of Hate / Wall of Hate EP (2020)

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A one-man army from Honduras is ready to share his personal ideas and music influences with the world armed with his fulminating debut EP.

Founded earlier this year by sole member Rizalde Antonio Peralta (Dragon Eyes, Crathos) in San Pedro Sula, a city in the Sula Valley of northern Honduras, aiming at sharing his personal ideas and music influences with the world, Blackened Death Metal one-man army Walls of Hate began his infernal musical path in June with the release of his self-titled debut EP, offering fans of extreme music four original tracks that reek of darkness and devastation. Recorded at Alien Media Prods and mixed and mastered by Juan Ayestas (Acrocosm, Corpse Forest), who’s also featured on the album as a guest vocalist and lyricist, Walls of Hate is a very honest, organic and straight-to-the-point EP, being highly recommended for fans of the music by devilish giants the likes of Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir and Necronomicon, among several others.

In the opening track Involution we already face austere lyrics that couldn’t have been more in line with our harsh reality these days (“World leaders spreading disease across the skies / Hunt for those who reveal the secrets / Governments of the world like to annihilate / They enjoy our painful and slow deaths”), while musically speaking it’s a raw, dirty and no shenanigans display of classic Black and Death Metal by Antonio. Then in the fantastic Xerxes, imposing background sounds enhance the song’s malignancy considerably, with Antonio kicking ass with both his incendiary riffage and crushing beats while Juan barks and roars like a true demonic entity, resulting in top-notch Blackened Death Metal made in Honduras that will please all fans of the genre. And somber elements grow in intensity and are joined by Antonio’s razor-edged guitars in the phantasmagorical Bestiary, with Juan growling deeply and manically in a hybrid of old school Black and Death Metal where the infernal drums by Antonio dictate the song’s pulverizing pace, whereas more of his demented extreme music flows into our damned minds in the mid-tempo Death Metal feast Legions of Truth, showcasing a great work done by Antonio with both his scorching riffs and low-tuned bass.

In summary, despite being short in duration with a little less than 19 minutes of music in total, Walls of Hate is a kick-ass, venomous spawn of extreme music brought forth by a young and talented Honduran musician who loves Black and Death Metal from the bottom of his Stygian heart, and you can show your support to such skillful metaller by listening to the EP in full on YouTube and on Spotify, by following him on Facebook and on Instagram, and obviously by purchasing his debut EP from his own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon. And by doing so we can all rest assured the walls of hate and Blackened Death Metal carefully raised by Antonio will remain strong and imposing for many years to come, proudly displaying the waving flag of Honduran metal high in the sky for all of us metalheads to admire.

Best moments of the album: Xerxes.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Involution 3:54
2. Xerxes 5:25
3. Bestiary 5:00
4. Legions of Truth 4:27

Band members
Rizalde Antonio Peralta – vocals, all instruments

Guest musician
Juan Ayestas – vocals on “Involution”, “Xerxes” and “Bestiary”

Album Review – Sepulchre by the Sea / Conqueror Worm (2020)

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Showcasing an equal passion for all things Post-Black Metal and American author Edgar Allen Poe, this UK-based one-man army is ready to stun you with his debut full-length album.

“Lo! ’t is a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.” – Edgar Allan Poe – The Conqueror Worm (1843)

Formed in early 2019 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ashley “Ash” Shannon with an equal passion for all things Post-Black Metal and American author Edgar Allen Poe, Bristol, UK-based Atmospheric Black Metal one-man army Sepulchre by the Sea has quickly grown from a single idea into a fully-fledged studio project, incorporating many different sounds from atmospheric soundscapes and traditional Black Metal riffing to more eclectic areas such as shoegaze and folk-based pieces. As a matter of fact, the project’s name was inspired by Annabel Lee, the last complete poem composed by Edgar Allan Poe, while another poem, The Conqueror Worm, which by the way is about human mortality and the inevitability of death, was the inspiration for Sepulchre by the Sea’s debut full-length, six-track opus Conqueror Worm, the follow-up to the 2019 demo …And So It Crumbles, creating something larger and more ambitious in scale, spanning nearly an hour and crossing multiple sub genres along the way.

And the project’s Edgar Allan Poe-inspired feast of melancholy and darkness begins in a truly atmospheric way in the opening track I Loved Alone, venturing through the realms of contemporary Post-Metal before Ash begins firing dirty, scorching riffs from his stringed axe and anguished gnarls in paradox with the song’s serene background piano notes. Then Ash hammers his guitar, bass and drums mercilessly in the furious title-track Conqueror Worm, blending the mystery of Atmospheric Black Metal with the violence and heaviness of Black Metal and even Punk Rock, not to mention his growls get even more demonic than before as the music progresses; and you better get ready for 12 minutes of fulminating blast beats, vicious riffs and an endless sense of despair and obscurity in And So It Crumbles, where Ash does an excellent job mixing classic Black Metal with Atmospheric Black Metal and Doom Metal nuances, also presenting Stygian, austere passages that perfectly represent his passion for the work by Edgar Allan Poe turned into extreme music.

Slices of Death is a pensive and enfolding composition by Ash where he focuses on the melody and all small details of the song instead of the usual harshness of extreme music; furthermore, it’s quite easy to sense how personal this harmonious ballad is to him, whereas our talented lone wolf and his Sepulchre by the Sea put the pedal to the metal in the visceral and austere Behind the Walls, enhancing his aggressiveness and rage through his hellish roars and fulminating Black Metal riffage, and ending in the most melancholic way imaginable. And last but (definitely) not least, you better be prepared as Ash will crush your senses for over 17 minutes with the closing tune Plutonian Shores, the icing on the cake in this multi-layered album of Atmospheric Metal where after four minutes of ritualistic sounds Ash comes ripping with his scorching riffage, also showcasing so many breaks, variations, changes in tempo and obscure passages it’s hard to describe the complexity of such grandiose tune in just a few words.

As I like to say, it’s always a pleasure to review the work by one-man bands like Sepulchre by the Sea, mainly because you can easily feel and enjoy all the hard work, all the passion for the music he plays, the musical evolution from song to song and, above all, all his respect and admiration for one of the greatest poets of all time (and the most beloved one by the metal community hands down). Hence, in order to show your support to Edgar Allan Poe’s right-hand man in extreme music, go check what Ash is up to on Facebook, and purchase your copy of Conqueror Worm from his own BandCamp page, from the Anthrazit Records’ BandCamp page, or from Amazon, and don’t forget you can also stream this fantastic display of Atmospheric Black Metal in full on Spotify anytime you want, savoring every single second of it like you would enjoy each word from Poe’s vast collection of amazing tales and poems.

Best moments of the album: Conqueror Worm and Plutonian Shores.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Anthrazit Records

Track listing
1. I Loved Alone 6:40
2. Conqueror Worm 6:40
3. And So It Crumbles 12:07
4. Slices of Death 7:34
5. Behind the Walls 7:49
6. Plutonian Shores 17:14

Band members
Ashley Shannon – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Dreams In Darkness / The Souls Pit (2020)

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A lugubrious fusion of Gothic and Black Metal made in Argentina by “the soul that cultivates melancholy as a way of seeing the world.”

Dealing with delicate topics such as death, depression, fears and loneliness, Gothic/Black Metal act Dreams In Darkness was born back in 2016 in Tucumán, the most densely populated (and the second-smallest by land area) of the provinces of Argentina, inspired by the music by iconic bands the likes of Lacrimosa, Draconian and My Dying Bride, describing themselves as “el alma que cultiva la melancolía como forma de ver al mundo”, which in English translates as “the soul that cultivates melancholy as a way of seeing the world.” After the releases of their debut self-titled album in 2016 and their sophomore effort Dark Silence in 2018, it’s time for lead singer Giselle Stoker, keyboardist and vocalist Martin Tenebris, guitarist and drummer Cristian Bertrand and bassist Gabriel Nonasco to strike again with their third opus, entitled The Souls Pit, continuing the path of darkness, melancholy and solitude they have been paving since their inception a few years ago.

And melancholic, acoustic guitars ignite the obscure Carrion for the Vultures, where all keys and its background atmosphere remind me of the early days of Cradle Of Filth, while Giselle sounds like a true she-demon with her raspy gnarls, grasping like a Black Metal beast. In the excellent Dark Silence… Desolation, a well-balanced fusion of the most mournful form of Gothic Metal with the austerity of Black Metal, we’re treated to lyrics that exhale anguish and pain (“Bleeding, / Wailing, / In a sky so black, / Dark and immense, / That burns my body. / Screaming in the nothingness, / The crying of the soul, / An imposing emptiness, / That destroys my being.”), and after the cryptic and atmospheric interlude titled Spectral Voices the quarter returns in full force with the grim Bleeding, offering our ears a fusion of blast beats and demonic roars with serene key notes and a sense of hopelessness. Furthermore, the music feels very theatrical from start to finish, with Cristian and Gabriel hammering their stringed axes beautifully in what’s perhaps the creepiest of all songs from the album. And once again with Cristian delivering a solid riffage while Martin keeps the ambience as phantasmagorical as it can be, When the Candles Burn is a slow and steady tune presenting elements from Doom Metal, spearheaded by the scorching gnarls by Giselle.

The interesting ¡Oh… Muerte! is a lugubrious composition led by Martin’s melancholic keys and piano notes where Giselle “abandons” her demonic side and cleanly and stunningly declaims the song’s poetic words in her mother tongue, setting the tone for Beyond the Astral Boundaries, a dark, epic and imposing instrumental extravaganza where Cristian delivers at the same time scorching riffs and intricate beats and fills while Gabriel brings the groove with his bass jabs. In The Hunter we face more of their infernal words powerfully vociferated by Giselle (“I found myself, / In the darkness of my fears. / I become my demons. / And like a wild bird, / Into the forest I sheltered.”), with the entire band generating a fantastic hybrid of Symphonic Gothic and Black Metal with classic Doom Metal with their respective instruments, before another round of vampiric metal music penetrates deep inside our damned souls in the title-track The Souls Pit, where Giselle keeps growling nonstop accompanied by the vicious beats by Martin and the always sulfurous guitar lines by Cristian.

If your souls gets darker and your blood flows stronger through your body to the sound of Gothic and Black Metal, you should definitely give Dreams In Darkness a chance by listening to The Souls Pit in full on YouTube and on Spotify, as well as by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, and by grabbing your copy of their newborn spawn from Apple Music or from Amazon, darkening the skies of heavy music even more. It’s not everyday that we have the pleasure of listening to metal bands from Argentina here on The Headbanging Moose, especially ones as obscure and cryptic as Dreams In Darkness, but whenever that happens we’re always happy to see South American extreme music is alive and kicking, proving once again why the continent has some of the craziest and most passionate fans in the world and why we should keep turning our attention to underground bands like those talented Argentinian vampires.

Best moments of the album: Dark Silence… Desolation and The Hunter.

Worst moments of the album: When the Candles Burn.

Released in 2020 Shadows of Death Records

Track listing
1. Carrion for the Vultures 4:43
2. Dark Silence… Desolation 6:08
3. Spectral Voices 1:38
4. Bleeding 7:30
5. When the Candles Burn 7:03
6. ¡Oh… Muerte! 3:12
7. Beyond the Astral Boundaries 4:09
8. The Hunter 8:28
9. The Souls Pit 5:17

Limited Edition CD Jewel Case bonus track
10. The Souls Pit (Demo) 5:20

Band members
Giselle Stoker – lead vocals
Martin Tenebris – keyboards, vocals
Cristian Bertrand – guitars, drums
Gabriel Nonasco – bass

Album Review – Enslaved / Utgard (2020)

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Once again inspired by Norse mythology, one of Norway’s most prominent bands of all time returns with more of their early Black Metal roots infused with experimentations with 70’s Progressive Rock.

Since their inception in the distant year of 1991, Bergen, Norway-based Progressive Black/Viking Metal horde Enslaved has continued to push their sound into new territories and remain fresh and relevant with each one of their records, which is also the case with their brand new opus entitled Utgard, the fifteenth studio album in their undisputed career. Currently comprised of vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson, guitarists Arve Isdal and Ivar Bjørnson, keyboardist Håkon Vinje and drummer Iver Sandøy, the band’s music once again draws heavily on the Viking cultural and religious heritage of their home country for inspiration, with most of the band’s lyrics relating to Norse mythology. Embraced by a somber artwork by Norwegian artist Truls Espedal, Utgard is titled after a location in Norse mythology, even including some Norse lyrics and song titles, while at the same time displaying the band’s early Black Metal roots infused with their experimentations with Progressive Rock from the 70’s, resulting in a very entertaining album for both diehard fans of the band and newcomers to their Viking realm.

Ritualistic vocalizations ignite the flammable and melodic Fires In The Dark, before the acoustic guitars by Arve and Ivar take us to desolate, bitterly cold Norwegian lands in a beautiful depiction of their modern-day Progressive Black Metal. Furthermore, Grutle, Håkon and Iver have a healthy vocal duel with their respective harsh roars and serene clean vocals, increasing the song’s taste considerably. Then leaning towards their more classic Black Metal, but of course also providing their fans elements from their current musical stage, we have Jettegryta, where Iver is on fire with his blast beats and intricate fills while Grutle growls and gnarls in a dark and captivating manner; followed by Sequence, more rhythmic and less visceral than its predecessors, with Grutle’s gnarls being once again effectively supported by his bandmates’ backing vocals. However, the guitar solos seem a bit disconnected from the rest of the music, resulting in a sound that’s not as exciting as expected in the end. Fortunately, in Homebound the band gets back on track, offering our ears beautiful, poetic words vociferated rabidly by Grutle (“When gold blinds / I will see beyond the false torches / The howling will guide us / Walking the plains between worlds / When houses fall / I will be the pillar in the hail / Unmoving we travel / Crossing oceans in mythological dreams”) while the music remains imposing and vibrant from start to finish.

In Utgarđr, a cryptic, hypnotizing interlude presenting deep vocalizations, we face freezing background sounds until Enslaved come ripping once again with Urjotun, blending their raw sonority with modernized and even electronic sounds and tones from 80’s pop music. As a matter of fact, the final result is truly exciting, as if it was taken from a cult action movie from that same decade. And strident riffs and the pounding drums by Iver kick off the grim and furious Flight Of Thought And Memory, a lecture in contemporary Progressive Black and Viking Metal alternating between obscure savagery and melancholic passages, or in other words, a very detailed, multi-layered composition tailored for admirers of the genre. Back to a more straightforward musicality the quintet offers us all the melodic Storms Of Utgard, with the guitars by both Arve and Ivar permeating the air in great fashion, boosted by the song’s galloping beats and celestial keys, and they put a gentle and inspiring closure to the album with Distant Seasons, a semi-acoustic ballad where we’re treated to serene clean vocals infused with tribal and primeval nuances, featuring spot-on backing vocals by guests Inger Sunneva Peersen and Sonja Elisabeth Peerson.

We must all admit it’s a real pleasure to witness Enslaved experimenting and developing new sounds album after album, and in Utgard, which by the way is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, let’s say they nailed it, offering us all a well-balanced mix of their more violent roots with their present progressiveness and harmony. Hence, don’t forget to give those Norwegian metallers a shout on Facebook, to follow them on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and to purchase Utgard from their own BandCamp page (or simply click HERE for all location where you can find the album), and may Enslaved keep on rocking like there’s no tomorrow through the realms of Viking Metal and Progressive Rock for many decades to come in their gorgeous and mythical homeland.

Best moments of the album: Jettegryta, Homebound and Flight Of Thought And Memory.

Worst moments of the album: Sequence.

Released in 2020 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Fires In The Dark 5:59
2. Jettegryta 4:56
3. Sequence 6:39
4. Homebound 5:29
5. Utgarđr 1:51
6. Urjotun 4:21
7. Flight Of Thought And Memory 6:22
8. Storms Of Utgard 4:38
9. Distant Seasons 4:31

Band members
Grutle Kjellson – vocals, bass, keyboards
Arve Isdal – lead guitars, acoustic guitars, backing vocals on “Fires In The Dark”
Ivar Bjørnson – guitars, acoustic guitars, keyboards, effects, backing vocals on “Fires In The Dark”
Håkon Vinje – keyboards, piano, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy – drums, percussion, keyboards, effects, clean vocals

Guest musicians
Martin Horntveth – percussion, glockenspiel, rototoms, tubular bells, keyboards and programming on “Sequence”
Inger Sunneva Peersen – backing vocals on “Distant Seasons”
Sonja Elisabeth Peerson – backing vocals on “Distant Seasons”

Album Review – Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija / The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant! (2020)

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A solitary man on a mission seeking self-emptying and seeing the violent animal within brings to our ears his brand new experimental musical journey.

“You can kill it, but you must see it.”

If you throw  the expression “Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija” into Google Translator just out of curiosity like I did, you’ll see the app recognizes it as Swahili, translating it to “Come on in, take a look and enjoy yourself!” I have absolutely no idea if that was the intention of the mysterious American vocalist and multi-instrumentalist R.P. when he originally named his Experimental Death Metal project Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija, a solitary man on a mission seeking self-emptying and seeing the violent animal within, but just like its name, this extreme music entity offers a weird, uncanny and absolutely experimental musical journey to the listener in its second studio album, beautifully entitled The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant!, following up on all the madness found in the project’s 2014 debut EP 82121 and its 2017 full-length opus Hheoalle. In addition, as you might suspect based on the uniqueness of the project, absolutely everything in the album was done by R.P. himself, giving it an additional touch of lunacy and rawness and, therefore, sounding very organic from start to finish.

A mix of Industrial and Avantgarde Metal kicks off the album in the wicked intro Ripped Apart Under Glimmering Constellations, before R.P. slashes his raw, dirty guitar and crushes his drums like a maniac in the excellent Christ’s Descent Into Hell, and let me tell you that the song’s lyrics couldn’t have been more insane than what they already are (“Words accursed: mutational and eclipsed / Iron disc, zwarte zon / Coma of the soul from death to death / I wring the neck! It’s finished. / Poison diplomacy”). You better leave your mind and ears wide open as rumbling bass punches, cryptic vociferations and a sense of hopelessness and despair permeate the air in Vision Of Spinning Golgotha, uniting the sickness of Industrial Death Metal with the finesse of Progressive Metal, whereas R.P.’s demented riffs and beats are the main ingredients in Predator Reconfigured As Prey, another disruptive, dissident metal extravaganza that will make your head tremble throughout its less than three minutes of intense obscurity. And extracting sheer rage and insanity from his razor-edged guitar, R.P. offers our ears more of his Experimental Death Metal in Lycanthrope Before God, resulting in a headbanging tune tailored for admirers of the genre.

Then eerie noises ignite three minutes of industrialized sounds and tones in the instrumental (and lengthy) aria titled Entry, setting the stage for R.P. to roar venomous words (“If they can see me, I will kill them”) nonstop in They Can See Me, while the music remains as paradoxal to anything that can be called mainstream as possible, making an instant bridge with the also eccentric Murderer Swings The Censer, one of the most progressive of all songs, taking his innovative Death Metal to a whole new level of heaviness and fury and ending in a truly sick manner before R.P. comes ripping once again with his austere riffs and low-tuned bass in Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces. Blending the most visceral elements from Death, Groove and Industrial Metal with tons of feeling and darkness, this is one of the best songs of the album hands down. Lastly, are you ready for another round of sick guitars, pounding drums and wicked background noises? That’s what you’ll get in Do You See Over That Mountain?, sounding like an industrialized and instrumental version of the progressive madness blasted by Mastodon, and morphing into the idiosyncratic Epektasis, starting in an atmospheric and ethereal way before becoming a Progressive Rock and Metal exhibit by R.P. until all fades into the void.

I guess after all is said and done, the aforementioned translation to the project’s name, “Come on in, take a look and enjoy yourself!”, makes total sense, as if R.P. is indeed inviting us all to enter his wicked realm of experimentations and violence, take a very good look (or maybe I should say listen) around, and have a good time to the sound of each one of his multi-layered creations. Hence, in order to do that and show him your support and admiration for the underground, you can start following R.P. and his Kuujeojabenojujanomiashikushija on Facebook and purchase a copy of The Hunting Boar! The Hunting Tyrant! From the project’s own BandCamp page. As R.P. himself likes to cryptically say, “you can kill it, but you must see it”, or in the case of his newborn opus, you can kill “it”, but of course you must listen to his entertaining new album first.

Best moments of the album: Christ’s Descent Into Hell, Predator Reconfigured As Prey and Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces.

Worst moments of the album: Entry.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Ripped Apart Under Glimmering Constellations 1:09
2. Christ’s Descent Into Hell 3:20
3. Vision Of Spinning Golgotha 1:55
4. Predator Reconfigured As Prey 2:45
5. Lycanthrope Before God 2:14
6. Entry 3:00
7. They Can See Me 1:30
8. Murderer Swings The Censer 3:23
9. Scent Trail Under Arched Sconces 4:03
10. Do You See Over That Mountain? 3:13
11. Epektasis 4:33

Band members
R.P. – vocals, all instruments