“Shit, there’re still albums coming out in 2018? Good ones, too? Yet, with my top ten already complete, it’s easy to write off December. But Madam X‘s watchful eye doesn’t sleep. And thank your lucky stars for that. Because we would have walked right past Rauhnåcht’s newest release, Unterm Gipfelthron.” Nearly missed.
Debemur Morti
In the Woods… – Cease the Day Review
“There have been so many strong comebacks in recent years that it actually seems more notable when one doesn’t go well. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to In the Woods…. In the 1990s, this Norwegian quintet captivated listeners with three albums that ranged in style from black metal to prog rock to avant-garde, all while maintaining an esoteric aura that was somehow only strengthened by their dissolution in 2000. Sadly, after their 2014 reformation, Woods released the disappointing Pure in 2016, a vapid piece of experimental doom metal that probably didn’t even deserve the 2.5/5.0 I gave it at the time.” Comeback redux.
Outre – Hollow Earth Review
“Another day another cryptic European black metal band. I’m certainly not complaining. Between the 90s and today, impulsive, anarchistic satanism has been replaced by the sophisticated, wine drinking sort: we’re all very smart these days, you see. Nature, religion and the occult have been approached with kaleidoscopic freedom in the lyrics and instrumentation of black metal bands for many years, but Poland particularly has spawned many bands of this mysterious, enigmatic variety.” The Polish Hammer.
Archgoat – The Luciferian Crown Review
“Take a look at that cover and imagine for a second what sort of music album artwork like that might be trying to sell you. Can you hear those buzzsaws and blastbeats? Can you hear the imprecations against God, the divine order and all the fools that stand by it?” Can you judge this album by its cover? Eh, probably…
Manes – Slow Motion Death Sequence Review
“The first time I heard the Norwegian oddity known as Manes, I was in grad school. That fateful day, I was grading organic chemistry exams, locked away in that windowless closet of a grading room. With hours of work ahead of me, I took the time to find some new music to ease the pain. After getting caught in the rabbit’s hole of ‘similar artists’ and the ‘who-played-with-who’ links of Metal Archives, I emerged with Manes. And, I figured, this oughta do.” Music for destroying futures.
Hegemone – We Disappear Review
“While all things black, post-, and continental usually fall to the voracious maw of Muppet, every so often there comes a time for more level-headed reviewers to rate these albums below a 4.0. After all, the kid just recently learned of the existence of Throatruiner Records, so he’ll have to take some time to deal with that boon in private. Your guide today is taking time out of a bustling schedule of mediocre death metal to thrash out the merits and demerits of the sophomore offering from Poland’s Hegemone, entitled We Disappear.” Things the Muppet missed.
Eryn Non Dae. – Abandon of the Self Review
“Eryn Non Dae.’s follow-up to 2012’s Meliora is something I’d long dreamt of, and thanks to France and the promo bin I – with humble objectivity and tact – get to demonstrate to you bitches once again why Muppet taste is best taste. Spoiler alert: this album is fucking glorious.” Franks and fiends.
Blut Aus Nord – Deus Saluti Meæ Review
“I’ve bounced back and forth on this review for Deus Saluti Meæ, the 12th studio album by French one-man black metal machine, Blut Aus Nord. As anyone who’s ever listened to them (him) before, the best way I can describe BaN’s discography would be to compare the band to a mighty oak tree. Some of the branches are frozen solid and covered in snow (Ultima Thulee, the Memoria Vetusta trilogy), while another branch is mold-ridden and diseased, looking like it’s moving in an uncomfortable manner (The Work Which Transforms God, MoRT, Odinist), and yet another looks manufactured (like formica), but is still teeming with undeniable living energy.” More bark than bite?
Throane – Plus une main à mordre Review
“In retrospect, Throane’s tantalizing début Derrière-Nous, La Lumière is one of those records whose piercing splinters, given time to gestate, have a tendency to deeply ingrain themselves into thoughts. Almost imperceptible at first, its monochromatic strokes paint uncomfortable rooms of the mind. Rooms filled with anguish and darkness, shaped equally by fears of the void and an existential dread of the mundane. Spaces hidden behind walls upon walls, repressed but always present. The idea of revisiting this world is one that is simultaneously exhilarating and frightening.” Splinters in the mind’s eye.
Dødsengel – Interequinox Review
“How much stock do you place in authenticity? Do you opt for subtitles over the dub? Will you only reach for your wallet if a suit was hand stitched by a broom closet-dwelling tailor in Milan? And even if you can’t believe it’s not butter, do you push it aside for the original, anyway? When it comes to music, when one hears the word “Norway” invariably the next words that follow are “black metal” so it may be comforting to know that Dødsengel — with their own brand of svart metall — hails from the land of frost and cod.” For cod and country.