“Originally from Belgium but now firmly ensconced in the Pacific Northwest of the US, one-woman black metal project Hulder caused some ripples with debut LP, Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry, in 2021. Steeped in dark medieval themes and even darker folklore, it channeled both an almost second wave black metal harshness and a folk edge to create a unique sound. Although a little rough around the edges, it promised much for the future.” The future is NOW!
“IIII, the aptly titled fourth album from Denmark’s Solbrud, comprises ninety-four minutes of atmospheric black metal and HOLY SHIT WHERE ARE YOU GOING HOW ARE YOU RUNNING THAT FAST?? Well, anyway. For the die-hards who didn’t immediately flee at the concept of a double LP of atmoblack, I can guarantee a valid reason for why I’m endeavoring to cover this thing at all. I’ve made it no secret that this meandering, often forceless subgenre has not so much a home in my heart as a lean-to fashioned from three sticks and a handful of dental floss.” Three times the atmoblast.
“Less black metal than Trna, and more evocative synths a la Unreqvited, there is no rushing Olhava. Shimmering soundscapes are what they do, albeit that, where Unreqvited has (at least since 2018’s Mosaic I: L’Amour et L’Ardeur) hints of light and promise in the sound, Olhava is all shades of loss and a sense of hopeless grey.” 50 shades of sadboi.
“The sophomore album can be a make-or-break moment. Does a band double-down on what made their first release remarkable, or dilute its impact and fade into obscurity? The Deepening by Vemod is such a record, although comes so long after the debut that the band might as well be new again. 12 years is a long gap and a long time in which a band may reinvent itself. The Deepening finds these Norwegians deepening their own lore through a new take on their original black metal – but has the gap afforded their new sound quality too?” Deep or sunken?
“If there’s anything I could say for certain about Malist, it’s that they can get a hell of a lot of variety out of the superficially simple ‘atmospheric black metal’ subgenre. This variety, spanning melodic, second-wave, and quasi-DSBM styles, has doubtless played a role in Malist’s very positive reception in these halls. At least through 2021’s Karst Relic.” Mal, Maler, Malist.
![Crow Black Sky – Sidereal Light Volume 2 [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Crow-Black-Sky-Sidereal-Light-Vol-2-01.webp)
“Crow Black Sky’s second album, Sidereal Light Volume 1, caught my eye in 2018 for several reasons. Firstly, it received a well-deserved 4.0 on this here blog. Secondly, it came from a band located in my home (and favorite city in the whole world), Cape Town, South Africa. For those unaware, extreme metal is a tough sell in Africa. No established scene, no radio support, few venues, and conservative crowds. Any metal band from Africa faces an uphill battle from the get-go, which makes it all the more astonishing how many cool bands South Africa produces. Crow Black Sky are no exception” Early birds arrive late.
![Dear Hollow’s Prava Kollektiv Collection [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Prava_Kollektiv_Splash_web-768x768.jpg)
Is releasing 5 records at the same time a good idea? Well, when you’re not a band, but rather a “kollektiv”, no one tells you what to do! Dear Hollow is here to fill you in on what you probably missed.
![Antrisch – EXPEDITION II: Die Passage [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Antrisch-Expedition-II-Die-Passage-01-768x768.jpg)
“Back in April—practically a lifetime ago—I interviewed Noise of Kanonenfieber, Leiþa and Non Est Deus fame. Ever the professional, I shamelessly used it as an opportunity to fish for album recommendations for my own enjoyment. In my defense, I did at least deign to share some of them with you ungrateful swine. Unsurprisingly, all of Noise’s recommendations were solid but there was one that really got its frozen claws into me, Würzburg, Germany’s Antrisch and their second record, EXPEDITION II: Die Passage.” In cold blood.
When Panopticon drop a nearly 80-minute magnum opus on us, we impress 2 staffers to share the weight. That means you get a double review of The Rime of Memory.
“You know the type of black metal. Somewhere between floaty atmospherics, and a raw fuzz, where snarling screams ring out over tremolos that are just that bit too indistinct to be straightforwardly driving. Where the energy is uniformly bleak and apathetic, whether you’re hearing blastbeats or no percussion at all. Herein lies Litha, the project of ambient composer and Mizmor collaborator Andrew Black. Unlike his other solo work, Litha is unpolished and angry, as well as differing wildly in the literal musical sense of being black metal. This is deliberate, with Black stating his desire to express his anger and pain through a more appropriate outlet that can do for him what ambient music can’t.” Paintracks.
