Melodic Black Metal

Canis Dirus – Independence to the Beast Review

By Carcharodon on March 6, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Bindrune Recordings, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 36 comments

“Our sharky hero runs, surgically-repaired legs pumping, swag clutched to his chest. He doesn’t look back. He doesn’t need to. He knows what’s chasing him: a velveteen puppet and a number that is two times six. Eventually, lungs heaving, he sinks down behind a dumpster to study his haul… This, dear reader, is a more a less accurate depiction of what it takes to successfully smuggle something tagged as ‘black folk metal’ out of the promo sump and how I come to be reviewing Minnesotan duo Canis Dirus’ third full-length, Independence to the Beast.” Free beasts and folk thieves.

Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre Review

By Cherd on February 26, 2020 in 2020, Black Lion Records, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Speed Metal, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Speed Metal, 43 comments

“Kvaen is the solo project of Swedish musician Jakob Björnfot (The Duskfall), although he employs a number of guest musicians to flesh out his vision. With The Funeral Pyre, he joins acts like Sun of the Sleepless and Spectral Wound as artists who play throwback melodic black metal with such verve and venom that it sounds as fresh as when it first emerged from the primordial forests.” Higher, higher, feel the pyre!

God Dethroned – Illuminati Review

By Ferrous Beuller on February 11, 2020 in 2020, Death Metal, Dutch Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 32 comments

“The unimpeachable philosophy of famed slam poet Robert Conrad Flynn once posited that “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” If we apply the paradigm to extreme metal, the veracity of the statement becomes rather apparent. All of our favorite genres of metal and, indeed, music are fundamentally stale. This isn’t a bitter take, it’s a fact. While we hungrily await the next morsel of genuine innovation, we sate ourselves with interpretations of reliable constants. Dutchmen God Dethroned have been plying our souls with searing melodic death metal for the best part of thirty years. Their oeuvre consists of scorching blackened passages and an adroit use of melody that never sacrifices suffering for seduction.” When consistency attacks.

殞煞 Vengeful Spectre – 殞煞 Vengeful Spectre Review

By Kenstrosity on January 29, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Chinese Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Pest Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 105 comments

“‘I’ll have to wait,’ says the little voice in my head, ‘until that winter wonderland of Things You Might Have Missed returns at the end of the year.’ Well, it’s fucking January, and I’m not waiting another gotdamn picosecond. I have an album with which you should get yourselves familiar all quick-like, because it’s my favorite release this month.” Patience is for wimps.

Porta Nigra – Schöpfungswut Review

By Carcharodon on January 15, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, German Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Soulseller Records, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 46 comments

“I feel that I have not had the opportunity to review enough stuff from my countryfolk. It was with a certain amount of anticipation, therefore, that I pulled Schöpfungswut (Wrath of Creation), the third full-length by Porta Nigra, from the toxic waste of the promo pit. I had assumed, given their name, that they hailed from Trier, a town that houses the Roman Porta Nigra (Black Gate) and of which I am rather fond. We can safely dispense with the Trier history lesson I was planning to embark on, however, as they are from Koblenz, a city I know nothing about.” Hug your neighbors, then stab them.

Nachtterror – Judgement [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Carcharodon on January 8, 2020 in 2019, Black Metal, Canadian Metal, Hypnotic Dirge Records, Melodic Black Metal, Symphonic Metal, Things You Might Have Missed, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 61 comments

“Earlier this year, I channeled all the might that my status as an exalted AMG writer imbues me with and demanded the promo Maeskyyrn’s Interlude from Hypnotic Dirge (read: I sent a politely-worded email). They obliged and sent not only Maeskyyrn but also Nachtterror. Reviewing schedules being what they are, we couldn’t get to symphonic black metal six-piece Nachtterror’s record in time for its release. And that is a damn shame because Judgement is a seriously good and incredibly varied slab of metal.” Metal cup runeth over.

Empire of the Moon – Εκλειψις Review

By Dear Hollow on January 7, 2020 in 2020, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 18 comments

“Another year has passed us by. As 2019 drifts to memory, I contemplate all the love the AMG community has shown me, a now somewhat less maligned contributor to a respected forum of metal journalism, feeling the love, feeling the camaraderie, feeling the–oh shit, there’s a review due this week?” Better get to it before the Task Monkey gets to you.

Firelink – The Inveterate Fire [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Kenstrosity on December 30, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 68 comments

“Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, the duo peddle the finest wares of the melodic black metal persuasion. Woven deeply into their abyssal constructs is a red-blooded passion for the Dark Souls video game series rife with metallic imagery ideal for musical adaptation.” Soulmass awaits at the Kiln of the First Flame.

Blut Aus Nord – Hallucinogen [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Roquentin on December 20, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Debemur Morti, Experimental Metal, French Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 48 comments

“Whichever the style, the quality of <'sb>Blut Aus Nord output never faltered. They could and have done whatever they wanted. Yet even in such a varied discography, their thirteenth LP Hallucinogen arrives as a sharp and expectedly unexpected detour. An ascendance to a higher celestial plane.” Black trip.

Cattle Decapitation – Death Atlas Review

By Kronos on November 27, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Melodic Black Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 124 comments

“The band are an institution and an interesting force in extreme metal for both their singular creativity and unflinchingly progressive politics in a genre dominated by derivation and incoherent edgelord lyricism. As I said in my review of The Anthropocene Extinction, Cattle Decapitation are just fucking cool.” Meat and greet.