“What unifies the uniquely melodic take on funeral doom heard in Drown and the cavernous death metal of Tchornobog? The answer is Ukraine’s Markov Soroka, the multi-instrumentalist behind both projects, and also a third considered today: Aureole. Alunarian Bellmaster represents his third record under this title, but the first in 8 years.” Bells in a warzone.
“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.
2023’s cleaning protocols are finally complete, and here comes the Filter scrappings from November and December. Taste them all, then consult a funeral director.
“Well, well, well. How time flies. On 7 November 2018, my first ever review, under the unassuming alias of Nameless_N00b_17, was posted for The Grand Manifestation by Sweden’s Third Storm. Almost five years on, despite various spates of chronic overrating and hopefully showing some improvement in my writing, I am still here to see Third Storm return with their sophomore album, The Locust Mantra.” Bugnado.
“Yeah, Blackbraid I wasn’t perfect: it sounded a bit like an EP, relied too heavily on its singles, and felt, at times, a bit undercooked. But there was more than enough there to get most fans hyped for the follow-up. Blackbraid, fortunately, hasn’t made us wait long. Blackbraid II is here…” Braid surgery.
“When we think crust punk and in particular its blackened interpretations, it wouldn’t be remiss to think of acts like Young and In the Way, Ancst, or Trap Them – acts defined by violence. Berlin’s Wind in His Hair, named after Rodney A. Grant’s Lakota character in the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves, settles in violence’s wake rather than any assault of its own. Debut Future Primitives is undeniably blackened crust punk, focusing on the earth’s destruction and the marginalization of indigenous peoples throughout.” And the wind whispers… wiolence.
“Say what you will about atmospheric black metal, its popularity is not undue. It was the gentle stream in which I was baptized before giving myself to the rapids, the whispers in the breeze that signaled the storm, and the view of the frigid mountain crest before the cruel ascent. I ventured into unclaimed mysterious wilderness with the likes of Wolves in the Throne Room, Imperium Dekadenz, and October Falls, leading me the cliffs for the view before greeting my plummeting death to the forest floor, laid to rest in the dark soil littered with pine needles. Enisum speaks like the wind in the trees.” Pinecones and pain.
“Australian black metal is strong, and hoping to add their names to the list of Strayan luminaries is Lumen Ad Mortem (The Dying Light). Formed in 2019, Upon the Edge of Darkness is their debut, and promises grim melodies from the “floor of the Australian forest.” The question of whether Australia has forests or not crossed my mind, but over-analysis is rarely a good idea with metal.” Under the Down Under moon.
![Blackbraid – Blackbraid I [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Blackbraid-Blackbraid-I-01.jpg)
“The story of Blackbraid I is a tale as old as the mountains. Unknown artist bursts onto a scene that is crying out for something new and original. Artist brings fresh perspective and everyone gets excited. This is the next big thing. Hype builds with promising singles. Debut album is released. Initial reaction from fans is rapturous. But some new listeners feel let down; the promise has not materialized. Since nuance is dead, camps double down: this is either AotY or boilerplate black music that’s been massively overhyped. Sound familiar? This is the trajectory Blackbraid’s debut album, Blackbraid I, took earlier this year when it was released.” Hype meets reality.
“Certain things just go together. Prawn and avocado. Holdeneye and 4.0s. Ozzy and Black Sabbath. You get the gist. Two of those things are “black metal” and “nature.” From its early pagan roots, black metal has always had a close affinity with the great outdoors, rejecting rigid theism for a more atavistic, mystical spiritualism. It’s why half the shitty black metal videos you see happen in forests or on mountaintops. New Dutch band, Alburnum (another name for “Sapwood”) are therefore trodding well-worn ground; when compatriots, Fluisteraars have an album with flowers all over the cover, you’re going to have a tough time out-naturing the competition.” Play outside!
