Satyricon

Onirik – The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on October 7, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, 29 comments

“In 2015, I had the opportunity to review Casket Dream Veneration; an album I had much love for. But something happened. As I revisit it again, I find myself in love with it even more. It’s a unique experience—spinning an album loved and forgotten, only to cherish it more than ever. As one would expect, this had me excited for follow-up The Fire Cult Beyond Eternity. Not only does G. Rex remain the mastermind behind Onirik but he invited Dirge Rep (drums; The Konsortium, ex-Orcustus, ex-Emperor, ex-Gehenna, and the list goes on forever) and Semjaza (mixing, mastering, and ambient vox; Thy Darkened Shade) to contribute. This is a dream team of underground black metal proportions!” Burning cults.

The Vice – White Teeth Rebellion Review

By GardensTale on August 6, 2020 in Reviews, Hard Rock, 45 comments

“Genres create expectations. That’s largely their purpose. You categorize music into recognizable sounds and that way you know roughly what sort of sound to expect when a band’s genre or combination thereof is explained to you. Black n’ roll, the combination of black metal’s dark intensity and hard rock’s catchiness and swagger, has a broad range of expectations to operate in, from the icy cold of Satyricon to the incomprehensible party anthems of Kvelertak.” Molar express.

Acârash – Descend to Purity Review

By Doom_et_Al on June 11, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Gothic Metal, Hard Rock, 18 comments

“Descend to Purity is the band’s sophomore effort, following 2018’s In Chaos Becrowned. Doc Grier thought that effort was a promising debut, but with songs that tended to meander and ultimately go nowhere. He also nearly started a riot in the comments section by stating that Ghost kinda suck. Now, I have no wish to further inflame a world that has enough tension as is, but whatever your feelings about Ghost, you have to admit that the band members at least sound like they’re having fun. Acârash is aiming for the same aesthetic.” Good metal fun?

Blight – Temple of Wounds Review

By Grymm on June 3, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, 25 comments

“Montreal’s Blight have been around over a decade, having released a slew of EPs and demos, but never a full-length… until now! Temple of Wounds brings the quartet’s Luciferian onslaught to the masses, and in doing so, it made me feel even grimier than before.” Filthy wounds and dirty medicine.

Deliverance – Holocaust 26:1-46 Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on February 18, 2020 in 2020, Black Metal, Deadlight Entertainment, French Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Sludge Metal, 27 comments

“Like Amenra, they have the ability to suck you deep into tension-building ascensions before coming down on the front of your skull like a sledgehammer. But, the biggest difference between Amenra and Deliverance is that the latter prefers the accompaniment of rasping vocals and black-metal song structures. Combining this foundation with Amenra-like builds and Gojira-esque, concrete-cracking riffs, 2020 finds Deliverance releasing their most-impressive work to date. But, good luck looking beyond the haunting artwork, the heart-sickening album title, and a band name that reminds one of hillbilly butt sex. Now, everyone, open your books to the chapter of ‘Holocaust’ and let’s begin.” End times.

Abigail Williams – Walk Beyond the Dark [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Dr. A.N. Grier on January 17, 2020 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Blood Music, Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Black Metal, 67 comments

“Manned by the dark mind of Ken Sorceron, Abigail Williams has come a long way in the last decade. Surviving lineup changes, relocations, and changes in musical directions—as well as fandom—Sorceron pushes on, refusing to settle on a path created for him by others’ expectations. Up ahead is another bend in this path. So, take my hand and let’s Walk Beyond the Dark together.” Abby normal

Negator – Vnitas Pvritas Existentia Review

By Doom_et_Al on October 17, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, German Metal, Massacre Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 16 comments

“You know that feeling when you’ve entrusted someone you don’t know to do a job, and you realize early on that they are capable and competent and that, for this particular task at least, you don’t have to worry? Listening to Negator’s latest effort, Vnitas Pvritas Existensia, is a lot like that. Within the first 5 minutes, you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into: furious, no-nonsense Germanic, occult black metal (with a distinct paucity of U’s in the song titles).” Goats til Sunday!

Stellar Master Elite – Hologram Temple Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 12, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Unholy Conspiracy Deathwork, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 16 comments

“Though everything SME has released is solid, III brought with it a new vocalist and direction. Building atmospheres now reign supreme over the band’s early days of traditional black metal. The result, as I mentioned in my III review, was something spontaneous, borrowing from a variety of black and death metal influences. Though III concluded the trilogy, there’s still loads of fun to be had on Hologram Temple.” Diversity stings.

Paragon Impure – Sade Review

By Lord Doom on November 3, 2018 in 2018, Belgian Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Van Records, Black Metal, 48 comments

“Founding member and driving force Noctiz has only managed one full length release thus far, 2005’s To Gaius! (For the Delivery of Agrippina), with technical and personal setbacks apparently stalling efforts around 2009 to release a follow-up album which was to be titled Fall of Man. That unreleased material has been reworked and incorporated into this—their second full length in thirteen years—Sade. No, not that Sade, the English singer of “Smooth Operator” fame; Sade as in the Marquis de Sade, that cheeky French noble whose sexuality and writings thereof have been an inspiring, deep, rich vein of perversity for metal artists to plunder ad infinitum.” Sade songs say so much.

Vreid – Lifehunger Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on September 27, 2018 in 2018, Black Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Black Metal, 101 comments

“It was June 2006 and I was helping a friend move into a downtown apartment. It was hot and we were scrambling up and down two flights of stairs as fast as possible before a cop could ticket us for taking up half-a-lane of traffic with our truck. When it was finally over, we grabbed lunch and went to my favorite record store down the street. This place had the strangest collection of albums I’d ever seen and a surprisingly large metal section for a town full of hippies and reggae fans. The album I selected that day was something I had heard many things about. From a band that rose from the ashes of Windir.” Vreid it and weep.