Naturmacht Productions

Skuggor – Whispers of Ancient Spells Review

By Dear Hollow on March 9, 2024 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 13 comments

“Skuggor is exactly what you expect it will sound like. Gothic font and grainy nature photo with themes of darkness, mist, and myth? You betcher ass it’s atmospheric black metal. “But I’m sure there’s something unique here, Hollow,” I can hear you say. Have you heard atmospheric black metal? You don’t listen to this shit for the neatest thing since Deftones. You listen cuz you want to be sucked into arcane and forlorn woods of ancient magic and nature untouched by human hands. I mean, duh.” Idiots.

Ofnus – Time Held Me Grey and Dying Review

By Kenstrosity on July 8, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 12 comments

“Hailing from Wales and established in 2021, atmospheric black metal quintet Ofnus don’t even have a page on Metallum, yet are already signed to the well-established Naturmacht Productions. Primed to release their debut record, Time Held Me Grey and Dying, Ofnus aim to tug at the heartstrings and ensconce the listener in vast swaths of despair and grief. Atmospheric black metal is well known as a vehicle for such depressive moods, but we’ve also seen countless albums pass through these halls only to be forgotten entirely, the memory of our experience with them lost to a bottomless void from whence none return.” Get Ofnus my lawn!

Olde Throne – In the Land of Ghosts Review

By Carcharodon on April 5, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 34 comments

“A little over a year ago, New Zealander Harrison McKenzie dropped his debut full-length album as Olde Throne. It was a tight 39 minutes of harsh, cold atmospheric black metal delving into the horrors of An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger, which took place in Ireland between 1845 and 1852 (better known, outside Ireland, as the Irish Potato Famine). Uncompromising and bleak, An Gorta Mór was a strong debut from the then-one-man project. For Olde Throne’s sophomore effort, McKenzie is joined by ex-Tainted drummer Quentin Forster and, together, the two Kiwis traverse the Irish sea, alighting In the Land of Ghosts,” Atmo-boo.

Sammale – Sammale Review

By Carcharodon on January 23, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 10 comments

“Sammale—not to be confused with Sammal, which I also reviewed—is the brainchild of Zannibal, the guy behind Paisaunt and the guitarist, and primary songwriter, for Marrasmieli.” Sam’s club.

Grima – Frostbitten Review

By Carcharodon on July 29, 2022 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 38 comments

“Finally, I have wrested reviewing rights for Russia’s Grima from the grips of the dastardly Cherd of Doom. Not, it should be noted, because he accepts that he underrated the masked duo’s last two albums but because he has other pressing deadlines. Underrate them he did though, in my opinion at least. 2019’s Will of the Primordial and the 2021 follow up, Rotten Garden, were both 4.0s if you ask me (not that Cherd did ask me). Atmospheric black metal powered by the icy winds of the tundra and the exhaled air of a bayan or accordion, Grima is very much my cup of vodka.” Roll out the blizzard barrel.

Marrasmieli – Martaiden Mailta Review

By Twelve on April 7, 2022 in Reviews, 45 comments

“Nostalgia is powerful. As I write here, I’ve found that I can often remember exactly where I was when I first heard a noteworthy promo, and the ability to relive those experiences through music makes me happy. When I first heard Between Land and Sky, the debut full-length release from Finnish Marrasmieli in January of 2020, I was commuting to work, comparatively new employment that I enjoyed, blissfully unaware that we were not all that far away from everything changing. While the year itself turned out to be less-than-great, the album certainly was, and I came back to it a lot as uncertainty took over. Because of this, Between Land and Sky has a special sort of significance to me, and the news that Marrasmieli has returned with a new full-length album was thrilling.” Wistful introspection and pandemic nostalgia.

Firienholt – By the Waters of Awakening Review

By Kenstrosity on June 14, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Dungeon Synth, 19 comments

“Firienholt sound pretty much exactly as you’d expect based solely on this album art. Falling somewhere in the center of a Venn diagram split between atmospheric black metal, symphonic folk-ish metal, and dungeonsynth, By the Waters of Awakening offers an experience that not only relaxes and soothes, but also evokes a desire for bone-chilling winter to return forthwith. Tambourines, flutes, strings, trumpets and French horns, and glistening synths decorate a light dusting of blackened frost across a wondrous landscape of mournful melodies and heartfelt verses. This is not an album for headbanging.” Serenity now!

Disparaître – Urchig Review

By Carcharodon on May 18, 2021 in Reviews, 37 comments

“I’ve moonlighted as a metal reviewer for a couple of years now and I never cease to be amazed that bands – and black metal bands in particular – seem to have a burning wish not to make it easy for fans and reviewers to find them, nor to find out anything about them. Ok, I get it, you might not want your real name out there. I’ll give you that. So maybe you come up with some sort of creepy-weepy pseudonym to go by and, perhaps, splash the cash on a black cloak, maybe some face paint and. if there’s any change from that, possibly some barbed wire to wrap round a good stick that you can waggle about menacingly. Alright, I can get on board. But then there are bands … or projects, I don’t know, like today’s subject Disparaître, where there’s really very little out there. No proper Bandcamp page, no Facebook page that I can find, obviously no website, and even Metal Archives has nothing beyond a nationality: French.” Socially/sonically distant.

Lebensnacht – The Realm Beyond Review

By Doom_et_Al on March 26, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 19 comments

“The Realm Beyond is the second album from Germany’s Lebensnacht, a German duo, which has been active since 2008. They specialize in mid-paced, atmospheric BM, with a heavy emphasis on ethereal synthesizers, like early Wolves in the Throne Room or Lustre. This is all mashed together in an incredibly raw and harsh mix. Where Lebensnacht differs from many other bands is the strong depressive black metal element that pervades its work, providing an ominous air to the music.” Birds in the Mud Room.

Miasmata – Unlight: Songs of Earth and Atrophy Review

By Carcharodon on March 11, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 42 comments

“The epic and atmospheric, fantasy-inspired black metal stylings of Sojourner continue to go from strength to strength, with 2018’s very good outing, The Shadowed Road, matched by last year’s Premonitions, which – if not actually better – was, as Eldritch Elitist said in his List, “a far more consistent effort” than its predecessor. But, wherever Sojourner’s travels take them next, they will be going there without New Zealand bassist, Mike Wilson, who has set off into the back metal wilderness for a sojourn of his own, with his new solo project Miasmata.” Participation atrophy.