Tag Archives: blackened doom

Album Review – Serpents Lair / Circumambulating the Stillborn (2015)

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If you’re one of those black metallers who can only live in darkness to survive the downfall of our putrescent society, this album is for you.

Rating4

serpents lair coverLet’s keep the streak of darkness alive and burning at The Headbanging Moose with yet another nefarious, caustic and sulphurous Black Metal brigade, this time hailing from the blazing fires of Sjælland, a large island that’s part of Denmark and that’s home to the capital Copenhagen and to the city of Roskilde, among other smaller towns and villages. The band in question is called Serpents Lair, and they’re bringing forth their debut full-length album entitled Circumambulating the Stillborn, a series of dissonant and kaleidoscopic Black Metal hymns tailored for diehard metallers who chose darkness as their sanctuary.

Formed in 2013, Serpents Lair already took the underworld of metal music by storm in 2014, when they released their demo named MMXIV. What was already evil in that demo became even more heinous in Circumambulating the Stillborn due not only to the refined production of the new album, which can also be seen on the amazing cover art by Misanthropic-Art Illustrations, but mainly to the advancements in their compositions, putting together a classic Black Metal sonority with the heartache and sorrow of Doom Metal and Blackened Doom.

What starts like an aria at the house of worship, named by the band as Epipháneia, suddenly becomes a Black Metal attack entitled Epistemology of Death, sounding cleaner than usual but still putrid and devilish. This 9-minute opus, which was one of their demo tracks, offers the listener winged riffs and beats interspersed with obscure and sluggish passages, always blustering those desperate growls and howls of dark music.

serpents lair photoThe title-track, Circumambulating the Stillborn, an old school Black Metal tune with piercing riffs and unholy lyrics (“We salute thee harbingers of the end of man / Oh ye true nihilists, bringer of empty chalices / For thou shalt be the error correcting itself / As thouest thirst to death / In denial of the nothing you bring”), sounds diabolically mesmerizing especially when it slows down; while Mortui Vivos Docent presents an ominous and ritualistic intro before morphing into a profane mass, displaying a demonic musicality with aggressive vocals and fiendish riffs. Furthermore, it never gets too heavy or too fast, just vile enough to disturb our minds from start to finish.

If you thought things couldn’t get more doomed, Serpents Lair bring you an outstanding ode to torment named The Serpentine Gnosis. It is Blackened Doom breathing sulfur from the pits of hell, with its killer drumming and possessed roars only making things even more gripping. And after an eerie instrumental tune named Dwelling on the Threshold to Tartarus, the band burns our souls with the amazing Devouring Wrathe, an ancient form of Black Metal with the album’s high-end production intensifying its blasphemous words (“Spare no praying man, / As he is not of glorious potential / Invite the odious omnipotence / To descend with divine purpose / Let it revelate itself / Upon the congregations of so called righteousness”), its relentless riffs and a morbid feeling of hopelessness to close the album.

In summary, the doomed Black Metal crafted by Serpents Lair at their unhallowed den undoubtedly deserves a shot, in special if you’re one of those metallers who can only live in darkness to survive the downfall of our putrescent society. With that said, you can listen to their music on their YouTube channel, and find Circumambulating the Stillborn for sale at their BandCamp page, at the Fallen Empire Records webstore (US) or at the Duplicate Records webstore (Europe). Just go for it if you have the guts.

Best moments of the album: Circumambulating the Stillborn and The Serpentine Gnosis.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Hellthrasher Productions/Fallen Empire Records/Duplicate Records

Track listing
1. Epipháneia 1:30
2. Epistemology of Death 9:22
3. Circumambulating the Stillborn 5:17
4. Mortui Vivos Docent 8:30
5. The Serpentine Gnosis 8:57
6. Dwelling on the Threshold to Tartarus 2:55
7. Devouring Wrathe 7:04

Band members
*Information not available*

Album Review – Kult Mogił / Anxiety Never Descending (2015)

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Surrender to all the darkness and derangement bred by this very talented Eastern European cult of graves, one that will definitely not make dying any easier for you.

Rating4

Kult Mogil album cover finalEstablished in October 2014 in the city of Tarnów, Poland (around 300km south of the capital Warsaw), Blackened Death Metal miscreants Kult Mogił are making a significant impact on the Polish metal scene with their idiosyncratic synthesis of all things evil, dark and disturbing into their compositions, provoking the rise of a cult that will surely grow in the coming years. And that cult makes total sense as per the band’s name, which according to Kult Mogił themselves means “cult of graves”, or a “burial place with or without tombstones”.

After the release of their first demo K+M+B in the beginning of 2015, which generated a lot of heat to Kult Mogił, the band returns now at the end of the year with their first full-length album, entitled Anxiety Never Descending, a bold and ambitious praise to darkness and death that will unsettle your soul from start to finish, if you’re brave enough to listen to it in its entirety, of course. “This record will not make dying any easier for you”, the band commented, and I guess that pretty much summarizes what Anxiety Never Descending will do to you.

Although the title-track Anxiety Never Descending might sound extremely raw at first, you’ll notice it’s at the same time very technical, especially its riffs, increasing its overall impact, not to mention singer Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych vociferating his blasphemous lines like an evil troll. The following track, named Threnody, provides the listener top-notch Blackened Doom with a disturbing ambience and lyrics leaning towards the occult (“I am at war / With anxiety / Between the centuries / Cursing my eyes / Lifeless orbs”), with drummer Kalkulator Chronometrażysta dictating the song’s rhythm, alternating from sluggish beats to Black Metal blasts. Put differently, this is a highly recommended opus for diehard fans of the most devilish forms of extreme music available.

Kult_Mogil_foto_001In the also excellent Serene Ponds, Kult Mogił fire another wicked junction of Black and Doom Metal, with highlights to the eerie guitar sounds by both Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych and Thisworld Outof, turning it into a demented aria of despair, and by the time the song is over I bet your heart will be a lot heavier than usual. Początek Wrażeń, which I believe would translate to “first impressions” or something similar to that, is a menacing version of the Blackened Death Metal played by Behemoth sung entirely in Polish, therefore sounding as creepy as possible if that’s not one of the languages you speak fluently. To be fair, instead of just singing, Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych is darkly declaiming the lyrics. And no matter what he’s saying, it shouldn’t be good.

The Width of a Forehead provides such a wicked intro, which by the way goes on for almost two minutes, it’s hard not to feel stunned before it becomes the slowest and most disturbing Doom Metal you can think of, a sonic representation of a descent to hell with no return and no hope in sight. And finally, if you know the song called “Black Snow” by Triptykon you’ll love Palliative Messiah, an ode to the heartless and pitch-black kingdom of Doom Metal with a chaotic ending that will leave a scar on your soul forever, energized by its cryptic lyrics (“Then I met the palliative messiah / I see this meeting / In the greenness of a stunted scrub / Somewhere on a slope / I asked: / What is the sex of death?”).

In order to purchase this Extreme Metal extravaganza entitled Anxiety Never Descending, you can go to the Pagan Records BandCamp page or official webshop (the album is still in its pre-order stage, becoming available on December 24). And then, just then, surrender to all the darkness and derangement bred by this very talented Eastern European cult of graves, one that, as mentioned before, will definitely not make dying any easier for you.

Best moments of the album: Threnody and Początek Wrażeń.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Pagan Records

Track listing
1. Anxiety Never Descending 5:10
2. Threnody 6:51
3. Serene Ponds 6:59
4. Początek Wrażeń 6:24
5. The Width of a Forehead 5:20
6. Palliative Messiah 8:34

Band members
Karmiciel Wszy Zdrowych – vocals, guitars, bass, accordion
Thisworld Outof – guitars, bass
Kalkulator Chronometrażysta – drums

Album Review – Tod Huetet Uebel / Malícia (2015)

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If you let the infernal and malevolent music by this amazing Portuguese duo reach your heart, there’s no coming back.

Rating4

Cover_CDLet’s end this week on a high note with the flammable Black Metal by the talented Portuguese duo Tod Huetet Uebel, and I must assure you that you won’t be the same after listening to what they have to offer. By the way, the name of the band is the German for “death guards evil”, a more than suitable caption for the disturbing music you’ll find in their debut full-length album, entitled Malícia (the Portuguese word for “malice”). If you had no idea of how demonic music can be in Portugal, you better get ready for the heartless war found in this album.

Created from the very essence of hatred in 2012, Tod Hueted Uebel define their music as “a post-traumatic Black Metal experience” that “will leave mental bruises and scars in those who dare listen to the torments that dwell within”. Well said, guys. That perfectly summarizes Malícia, an album that will please fans of the darkest Black Metal you can imagine. Featuring an amazing 6-panel digipak with artwork by French artist/musician Valnoir (Metastazis), the level of wickedness and laceration in the album is not for the ordinary metal fan, making it a demanding listen for those who are not used to the atrocities of extreme music.

In the opening track, eccentrically named XIII (and get used to that, because all songs have names based on Roman numerals), a sinister intro flows into a diabolical sounding built upon modern Black Metal but without losing its traditional viciousness and speed. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel C. is responsible for crafting the music in all tracks, offering singer Marcos M. the perfect ambience for his anguished growls, and let me tell you this dynamic duo will darken your spirit already on the first track of the album (which is always the main goal in Black Metal, of course). And darkness is here to stay based on the nonstop violence and vileness delivered in I, where Marcos M. keeps disgorging his putrid snarling, unnerving your mind in a disquieting 9-minute first-rate aria of malignancy for lovers of classic Extreme Metal with a desolating and melancholic ending that obviously gets back to a sonic havoc before the song is actually over.

Their anger just grows in XII,  where Daniel C. is simply bestial on drums and guitars, delivering sick riffs and demonic beats and fills perfect for the harsh vocals by Marcos M., with another short break for the listener to take a deep breath before diving back into the musical twilight engendered by Tod Huetet Uebel. Moreover, their lyrics in Portuguese are as evil, poetic and awesome as possible (“Quero morrer, ser inverso ao amanhecer / Quero perecer, na demora da tua obra / Sinto-me leve, disperso ao corroer / Do sentimento que vos mantém / Amantes a ninguém”, which would translate to English as “I want to die, be reverse at dawn / I want to perish, in the lateness of your work / I feel light, scattered as I corrode / From the feeling that keeps you / Lovers to no one”), increasing the impact of their music.

XX VIII XXI is an instrumental tune that feels like a fiendish entity penetrating our flesh, working as an intro to the barbaric IX, where the initial scream by Marcos M. sounds inhuman while the instrumental parts continue their onslaught of darkness. It’s sheer Black Metal that will please all fans of the genre, making it extremely easy and interesting to feel all the pain and grief stemming from their ghoulish vocals. III might be the shortest of all tracks, but it surely delivers everything a good Black Metal chant needs, being precise, berserk, melodic and lugubrious, with Marcos M. with his growls and howls and Daniel C. with his lancinating riffs generating an ode to hopelessness and evil.  Besides, when they sing in English their lyrics are no less complex and beautiful, proving how talented this duo is (“Blood Libels of regal contempt / Dichotomy of essence and paragon of woe / The face of things to come / Burn this flesh oh dying light / In thy untold furnace of quintessence / Aether of malignant perfection”). Lastly, presenting elements from Doom Metal and Blackened Doom, the hindmost opus in Malícia, entitled V, is definitely the most nerve-racking of all. This time, Daniel C. focuses on mesmerizing and grievous notes while Marcos C. sounds like he’s being dragged down to hell, and I dare you to survive its 8 minutes without feeling totally uncomfortable or distressed in the end.

In summary, if you consider yourself a genuine adorer of the most perverse and heinous forms of Black Metal, I highly recommend you go after the music by Tod Huetet Uebel, available at their BandCamp and at the Caverna Abismal Records BandCamp. This sharp and impressive duo from Portugal is brilliantly cementing their dark path in the world of Extreme Metal, and in case you let their infernal music reach your heart, I must warn you that there’s no coming back.

Best moments of the album: I, XII and III.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Caverna Abismal Records

Track listing
1. XIII 5:49
2. I 9:00
3. XII 7:20
4. XX VIII XXI 1:15
5. IX 7:05
6. III 5:30
7. V 8:00

Band members
Marcos M. – vocals
Daniel C. – all instruments

Album Review – Goat Torment / Sermons to Death (2015)

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A consecration of extreme music and the occult, not in the name of the Father, nor of the Son, nor of the Holy Spirit.

GT_sermons_to_death_HDForged in the fires of hell in the accursed year of 2008, with the intention to create music as a weapon of mass destruction and to annihilate everything which our so-called society stands for, Belgian Occult Black/Death Metal beasts Goat Torment are back and ready to haunt our souls with their brand new full-length album, the rapturous Sermons to Death. In other words, get ready to have your body and soul crushed by 40 minutes of the most deviant form of extreme music you can think of.

After the release of their debut album Dominande Tenebrae in 2013, and after touring with wicked names such as Enthroned and Black Crucifixion, including their first ever live appearance on American soil at Maryland Deathfest in 2014, this Ghent-based horde is following the steps of their fellow countrymen Enthroned in regards to the savagery stemming from their music and the profanity advocated through their lyrics. All that blasphemy might be an issue for people who are not really into Black Metal, but it’s indeed a dark delectation for diehard connoisseur of the genre.

When a Black Metal intro starts as dark as Opening the Gates, going on for over three minutes, you know there will be blood and torment through the rest of the album, which is confirmed as soon as the blackened storm entitled Bones Aligned comes ripping. The music is so intense and legitimate it doesn’t sound that only two musicians are generating it, with highlights to Kwel, the mastermind behind Goat Torment, for vociferating his vocal lines in a flammable way, and to the tempo changes that end up making the whole song even more memorable. Rising Dominion mixes the hardcore attitude from Slayer to the vileness of Black Metal, with the resonant bass lines and blast beats turning up the heat in this sonic devastation, while Hierarchy of Negligence, the first of their two epic songs, offers seven minutes of a Black, Death and Doom Metal extravaganza boosted by an astounding level of malignancy. Drummer Torturer (Mor Dagor, ex-Bethlehem, ex-Belphegor) lives up to his name and “tortures” the listener with his furious beats, supporting Kwel and his dark and blasphemous riffs and words.

goat tormentWhile some people hate short instrumental tracks like Within the Realm of Darkness, I think they’re essential for telling a good story in a Black Metal album, preparing the listener to what’s next, which in the case of Sermons to Death is the morbid Defloration of the Holy Cunt, one of the “cutest” names I’ve ever seen in my life for a song. You can imagine how nasty and grotesque this anthem is, full of growls, sick riffs and unstoppable drumming that will dilacerate your mortal soul. Do I need to say I loved it? Anyway, Death is Crowned makes it hard to believe Goat Torment are almost a one-man army so complex it is: Kwel is extremely talented, and just like most European musicians he can easily add tons of melody to extreme music, it doesn’t matter if it’s old school Black Metal or if it’s a blend of Blackened Doom and Thrash Metal like what happens in this song.

Showing absolutely no mercy for our souls, The Domineering Profane emanates despair through Kwel’s demonic vocals, perfect for some hellish headbanging, before their second epic song, Of Fire and Brimstone, closes this excellent album. This ode to hell starts as visceral as possible, and as the name of the song suggests, fire and sulphur impregnate the atmosphere, with highlights to the anger Kwel shows during its entirety, making your blood boil until the ominous last part of this sick tune drags us down to hell together with Kwel and Torturer. Or maybe you want to take another listen to the whole album, and another one after that, before joining them in the underworld?

Either way, whenever you’re ready to join the dark side with Goat Torment, simply visit their Facebook page, YouTube channel or SoundCloud page. And don’t forget to buy your copy of Sermons to Death at the Amor Fati Productions webshop or at their BandCamp page, an album that can be considered a consecration of Extreme Metal, not in the name of the Father, nor of the Son, nor of the Holy Spirit.

Best moments of the album: Bones Aligned, Hierarchy of Negligence and Defloration of the Holy Cunt.

Worst moments of the album: The Domineering Profane.

Released in 2015 Amor Fati Productions

Track listing
1. Opening the Gates 3:41
2. Bones Aligned 3:21
3. Rising Dominion 5:46
4. Hierarchy of Negligence 6:49
5. Within the Realm of Darkness 1:28
6. Defloration of the Holy Cunt 2:11
7. Death is Crowned 4:27
8. The Domineering Profane 3:58
9. Of Fire and Brimstone 7:12

Band members
Kwel – vocals, guitars, bass
Torturer – drums

Album Review – Vacivus / Rite of Ascension EP (2015)

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Fill the void you feel within with the Blackened Death Metal crafted by this devilish British horde.

Rating5

Vacivus - Rite of Ascension - coverDealing with the occult, death and transcendence, here comes British Blackened Death Metal band Vacivus and their debut EP entitled Rite of Ascension, an album that has enough power to darken your mind and spirit despite being relatively short. If you are already aware of how impactful both the music and the message generated by other Blackened Death Metal bands in the world such as the iconic Behemoth, Belphegor and Goatwhore are, you might have a pretty good idea of what Vacivus have to offer. If not, you better get ready because things are about to get heavy and atrocious.

However, this promising horde is not emerging from the depths of the UK depending strictly upon the heaviness of their music, but they also rely on their undeniable capability to add feeling and intricacy to a vortex of wickedness, showing beyond doubt their skills as musicians. On a side note, Vacivus seem to be extremely attentive to all details involving their music, as for example what they did with the already sold-out special cassette edition of the EP, releasing it on a special “Noir Void Shell” and inked with the “blood of their enemies”. In other words, they’re another good example of how the fusion of hard work and talent always results in awesomeness.

When you start listening to the opening track, Dark Apotheosis, you’ll feel like you’re descending into the fires of hell, where a dark void of despair is forged through the demonic vocals by Nick Craggs and the sinister guitar lines by Dan Rochester and Ross Oliver. Although this song is primarily raw Death Metal, you can taste the venom brought forth by its Black Metal elements. In the title-track, Rite of Ascension, it’s time for drummer Ian Finley to guide the rhythm with his raw blast beats, helping the musicality flow from faster and harsher moments to primeval Blackened Doom. I don’t know if anyone will agree with me, but the “filthy” production of the EP ends up enhancing the obscurity of their music, and therefore the overall quality of the album.

VacivusAgeless, Nameless starts in a more melodic way before evil dominates the sounding again, with the suffocating growls by Nick reaching a whole new demonic level. It’s dense and ominous, with highlights to the way its last part morphs into melancholic and infernal Doom Metal. And there’s no sign of hope when Hostis Rei (which probably means “the accused enemies” or something similar to that in English) begins, sounding like this song was literally crafted in hell. The whole band keeps delivering darkness and evil in the form of heavy and constant guitar lines as well as reverberating bass lines, turning it into my favorite of all five tracks. And lastly, we have one more solid display of malignancy in Vacivus Aeternum, which are the Latin words for “eternally void” and also the name of the band if you haven’t noticed yet. A lot closer to Black Metal than the other tracks, its nice guitar solo works as a downward spiral back to the original den where the EP started in a somber and effective way.

As aforementioned, the special cassette version of the album (strictly limited to 100 copies) released through Goatprayer Records is already sold out, but you can still purchase a digital copy of Rite of Ascension at the Gotaprayer Records BandCamp page, or wait until later this year to grab your CD version of the album via Hellthrasher Productions. Vacivus can easily help you fill the void you feel within with their Blackened Death Metal, all you have to do is embrace their nocturnal and unearthly aria and let their poisonous and metallic words intoxicate your psyche.

Best moments of the album: Hostis Rei.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Goatprayer Records/Hellthrasher Productions

Track listing
1. Dark Apotheosis 3:51
2. Rite of Ascension 3:57
3. Ageless, Nameless 5:24
4. Hostis Rei 4:37
5. Vacivus Aeternum 5:31

Band members
Nick Craggs – vocals
Dan Rochester – guitars
Ross Oliver – guitars
Dan Jones – bass
Ian Finley – drums

Album Review – Paradise Lost / The Plague Within (2015)

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They’re the most amazing plague within the world of Doom and Gothic Metal, and they’re back with more of their unique dark music.

Rating4

paradise lost-the plague withinWhen the band in question are British Gothic/Doom Metal icons Paradise Lost, we all must forget about that disposable Goth teen attitude that infests thousands of websites, TV programs, YouTube channels and alternative nightclubs. These guys don’t need all those shenanigans to craft the darkest and most melancholic sounding you can think of, and they’ve been doing that with their faces “clean” for decades, releasing masterpieces such as Draconian Times and Icon. This is Doom Metal for grown-ups, and a true pleasure to listen to anytime of the day.

Now once again Mr. Nick Holmes and his crew offer us all their doomed excellence in The Plague Within, the 14th studio album in their stupendous career. Everything in the album was meticulously put together, from the album art to its obscure lyrics, without losing that raw feeling that made them famous worldwide two decades ago. If you think their previous album, Tragic Idol (2012), was a strong release, you’ll probably enjoy this new one as well, as it keeps up with the same level of complexity and deepness, but of course always providing the listener some fresh and exquisite elements to differentiate it from their other albums.

No Hope in Sight is a great tune to open the album, where its first few seconds take us back to the 90’s when Paradise Lost were rising to stardom. I believe everyone, including myself, loves how Nick can deliver some growls and his deep dark clean vocals at the same time, and of course those superb heavy riffs accompanied by the slow beats which are exactly what diehard fans of the band wanted to hear. Speeding up things a bit we have the excellent Terminal, with highlights to its truly obscure lyrics (“I can hope as silence and torture grows / The violence we now condemn infests our inner souls”) and to the amazing guitar duo by Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy, enhancing the musicality to Blackened Doom (with even the vocals by Nick getting darker than usual). In An Eternity of Lies, an orchestral intro turns into a beautiful display of melancholy and hate, and as much as I enjoy guttural vocals, in my opinion Nick’s clean voice sounds simply perfect in this song.

paradise lostThe lyrics from the following song, Punishment Through Time, are perfect for the sounding provided by the band (“Neglect afraid to say / Repentance awaits / Rejected jaded decayed / A vengeance awaits”), and it’s practically impossible not to get thrilled by this tune. I see it as a modern version of the music in Draconian Times, boosted by the awesome riffs and solos by Greg and Aaron. And if you love when Paradise Lost let their doomed side take control of the music you’ll go crazy with Beneath Broken Earth, where Nick’s vocals are so demonic you might even feel disturbed with them, with highlights to the low-tuned bass lines by Steve Edmondson and the constant and dark beats by Adrian Erlandsson. Furthermore, the lugubrious shadow doesn’t give any sign of going away with Sacrifice the Flame, another beautiful composition of sorrow and pain led by the powerful voice by Nick. Long story short, it’s slow and soulful, and that’s all we need from Paradise Lost to have a good time.

When Victim of the Past starts just as somber as the previous tunes, you will notice how dark the second half of the album is, with the atmosphere created by the keyboard notes being amazingly gruesome while the rest of band delivers some solid obscure lines. However, Paradise Lost get a lot faster and heavier in Flesh from Bone, an old school Doom Metal tune with imposing lyrics (“See the righteous fall at the rise of the damned, denied / See others crawl in the hour demand and fight”), and when a band has a superb musician like Adrian on drums they can range from the slowest Doom Metal to the most bestial Black Metal flawlessly. Letting their Stoner Rock/Metal vein arise, Cry Out is an awesome pub-fighting song which will make you headbang and raise your beer to the band for sure, with the addition of an 80’s Gothic touch to make the whole experience even better. And lastly, the masters of the genre deliver the most traditional Doom Metal in Return to the Sun, where its symphonic/choir intro is a work-of-art and every element contained in the entire song is thoroughly connected. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer the harsh vocals by Nick or the funereal drums by Adrian, if you don’t fall in love for this song forget about Doom Metal, because that’s definitely not your cup of tea.

The deluxe edition of this beautiful album comes with three interesting bonus tracks: Fear of Silence, Never Look Away and Victim of the Past (which is a live recording of an orchestral version of the original song, by the way), and you can also enjoy or even study all its lyrics HERE. As long as Paradise Lost keep releasing strong albums like this one, maintaining the fires of darkness alive, they will always be the awe-inspiring plague within the world of Doom and Gothic Metal.

Best moments of the album: Terminal, Punishment Through Time, Sacrifice the Flame and Return to the Sun.

Worst moments of the album: Victim of the Past.

Released in 2015 Century Media

Track listing
1. No Hope in Sight 4:54
2. Terminal 4:28
3. An Eternity of Lies 5:58
4. Punishment Through Time 5:13
5. Beneath Broken Earth 6:09
6. Sacrifice the Flame 4:42
7. Victim of the Past 4:29
8. Flesh from Bone 4:19
9. Cry Out 4:31
10. Return to the Sun 5:44

Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
11. Fear of Silence 3:59
12. Never Look Away 5:17
13. Victim of the Past (Orchestral Version) 5:13

Band members
Nick Holmes – vocals
Greg Mackintosh – lead guitar
Aaron Aedy – rhythm guitar
Steve Edmondson – bass guitar
Adrian Erlandsson – drums

Album Review – Gorgoroth / Instinctus Bestialis (2015)

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One of the most controversial Black Metal bands in the world delivers some truly bestial instincts in the form of gruesome and elaborate extreme music.

Rating4

instinctus bestialisNorwegian Black Metal is more than just a subgenre of Heavy Metal: it’s a renowned and very respectable movement that has been helping redefine the scope of extreme music, expanding its boundaries to a whole new level that’s not comprised of just the music itself, but of a wide variety of contentious topics such as religion, murder and ideology. If you don’t know much about it, I strongly recommend you watch the amazing documentary entitled Until the Light Takes Us (2008) to better understand the importance of this infamous musical subculture to society. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of Black Metal or not, you must listen to Norwegian black metallers Gorgoroth to understand how all that controversy and darkness translates into music.

Formed in 1992 by the only original member remaining, Infernus, and named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor, from J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings, Gorgoroth are releasing now in 2015 their ninth full-length studio album, the venomous Instinctus Bestialis. It’s important to say this is their first album to feature vocalist Atterigner and, more important than that, it’s indeed a solid addition to their polemic career, corroborating their status as one of the most influential Black Metal bands in history.

It’s simply amazing how violently the album starts with the opening track Radix Malorum, with its blast beats crushing our heads from the very first second while Atterigner shows why he was chosen by Infernus to be the new devilish voice of Gorgoroth. Following that ravage we have more infernal Black Metal in Dionysian Rite, with highlights to the great work on guitars by Infernus and to the demonic performances by Atterigner and Asklund with their vocals and drums, respectively. Moreover, I’m pretty sure most of the fans of the music by Gorgoroth will love the ominous Blackened Doom vibe present in the last part of the song.

gorgorothThe blasphemous and devastating Ad Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus can be considered the most complete song of the album, showcasing a touch of melancholy, a beautiful melody, and of course that expected (but always awesome) visceral explosion of Black Metal. Asklund is kicking ass on drums once again, whilst Infernus keeps mastering the art of dark riffs and solos. And when the lyrics include screams such as “Hail Satan!”, you know you’re facing some good deranged music, right? Anyway, the short and direct Come Night is yet another melodic tune that doesn’t forget to be as satanic as Black Metal usually is, and despite not being the most creative song in the world it’s still very enjoyable; followed by Burn in His Light, where hints of Blackened Death Metal and even some progressiveness add a fresh taste to it. Besides, the robust background foundation by Bøddel and Asklund leave plenty of room for infernus to deliver more awesome riffs, increasing the song’s quality.

In one of the top moments of the album, Rage, its heavy guitar lines bring forth a wrathful Blackened Death Metal vibe, reminding me of the superb musicality found in The Satanist, the lasts masterpiece by Behemoth. This is a great addition to Gorgoroth’s weaponry and something they should be doing more in future releases, in my humble opinion. Kala Brahman, which has different meanings in Mithology depending on the culture but it’s usually a sea monster, an evil spirit or the supreme god to bring death and disease to mankind, presents a dense and obscure sonority enhanced by an atmosphere that couldn’t be more perverse and by an avalanche of traditional blast beats by Asklund. And the last track of the album, Awakening, doesn’t slow down at all, once again flirting with Blackened Death Metal and therefore resulting in a very rhythmic and imposing composition.

In summary, after all these years of controversy, depravity and radicalism, Gorgoroth prove they still got it, delivering a consistent work that sounds much more cohesive than many of their previous releases. To be fair, the addition of elements from genres such as Blackened Doom and Blackened Death Metal, rather than just sticking to raw old school Black Metal, was undoubtedly the right decision by Infernus and his horde in this album, truly expressing the most bestial instincts deeply entrenched inside the human being in the form of gruesome and elaborate Extreme Metal.

Best moments of the album: Dionysian Rite, Ad Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus and Rage.

Worst moments of the album: Come Night.

Released in 2015 Soulseller Records

Track listing
1. Radix Malorum 3:14
2. Dionysian Rite 4:05
3. Ad Omnipotens Aeterne Diabolus 5:45
4. Come Night 2:41
5. Burn in His Light 4:02
6. Rage 4:03
7. Kala Brahman 5:23
8. Awakening 2:07

Band members
Atterigner – vocals
Infernus – guitars
Bøddel – bass
Asklund – drums

Album Review – Kafirun / Glorification Of Holy Death EP (2015)

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Welcome to the darkest side of metal music, put forward by a very promising Canadian Black Metal act.

Rating5

KAFIRUN Glorification of Holy Death EPIt’s always a pleasure to review the release by a Canadian band, especially when the band in question is capable of delivering such creative and venomous music to the point it contaminates our deranged minds and souls in the best way possible. That’s what Black Metal band Kafirun has to offer with their brand new EP, the deadly ravage entitled Glorification Of Holy Death.

Brought into being in 2014 and hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, this new breed of Canadian black metallers is releasing their second installment after their debut demo/EP Death Worship, which if you haven’t taken a listen to yet I suggest you do it now by clicking HERE. More than just a sequel to Death Worship, the new EP aims at reaching new levels of perversity and complexity, and Kafirun end up conquering their objectives by stepping up their technique, wrath and malice.

The psychedelic intro, the doom-ish drumming by Corpus Vile and the demonic and desperate vocals by Luzifaust in the opening track, Wings of Malevolence, evoke darkness and welcome all of us to the kingdom of Kafirun. Far from being raw old school Black Metal, this song has a more melancholic and somber sounding with a sustained rhythm perfect for some slow but intense headbanging, while in Salvation Through Sin they speed things up and also blacken their music, delivering some sick riffs, growls and blast beats in a very crude way. This is indeed a very obscure type of Black Metal that fans of the genre will enjoy, with the devilish break halfway through it making the song more interesting to the listener.

kafirun photoThe third track of the EP, Destruction of the Divine Self, showcases more modern and thrashier riffs by guitarist Hanephi before suddenly turning into brutal Black Metal, with vociferations and drums at the speed of evil, followed by another bestial song named Chaos Magnum Opus. The initial scream by Luzifaust says it all: it’s going to be a disturbingly blackened tune, where Corpus Vile violently pounds his drums while Hanephi and Hypnocrotizer brutalize their strings with some wicked lines. You will definitely feel distraught with this malevolent song, no doubt about that.

Last but not least, in Open Veins the band gets back to Blackened Doom, with even the vocal lines getting deeper and more grievous. Its funereal sonority is beyond perfect to close the EP and emphasizes all the disorientation and addiction to the darkest side of metal music put forward by this promising Canadian quartet. With that said, what are you waiting for to succumb to all unholy sins and let the right one in by visiting Kafirun’s official Facebook page and by purchasing their music at their BandCamp page?

Best moments of the album: Destruction of the Divine Self and Chaos Magnum Opus.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Wings of Malevolence 4:07
2. Salvation Through Sin 4:18
3. Destruction of the Divine Self 3:32
4. Chaos Magnum Opus 3:28
5. Open Veins 6:14

Band members
Luzifaust – vocals
Hanephi – guitars
Hypnocrotizer – bass
Corpus Vile – drums