“Want to hear a bunch of metal bands you probably like chopped up and thrown together in some sort of audial stir fry? The Revenge-y titled Hope Misery Death is here, it’s Pestifere, and now I’m going to write about it.” Black metal salad, anyone?
Melodic Black Metal
Thrawsunblat – Metachthonia Review
“Thrawsunblat is a bit more related to black metal than the last two Woods of Ypres records were, but the late David Gold’s influence is certainly felt here. It’s easy to hear some similarities to Ensiferum along with newer Winterfylleth, but there’s a very Canadian element that sets Thrawsunblat apart.” The Woods live on….
Elderblood – Messiah Review
“I used to live near a funny little Polish deli, and my mother would often buy meats from there because Poland seems to do quite well in that area, especially sausage. I don’t recall my experiences in that place very well (I was probably about ten the last time I was there), but it’s apparently common knowledge that you weren’t exactly treated wonderfully there unless you were obviously Polish. Sounds like a bit of a strange business strategy, but I suppose the free market can always use innovation, no matter how small or eccentric. Elderblood hails from Ukraine, but judging by how they sound on their second full-length Messiah, they could waltz right into that deli and get lavished with attention and sausages.” Raining Sausage!!
Winterhorde – Maestro Review
Winterhorde is why labels want bands to release every two years. Back in September of 2010, I reviewed the band’s album Underwatermoon and really enjoyed their well-composed, interesting melodic black metal. My only complaint was that the lyrical tropes felt a little paint-by-numbers coming from an Israeli band; but the music was incisive and gripping. That was, however, six years ago. In that time Winterhorde got signed by Sweden’s ViciSolum Productions—moving on from being the only good band on their previous label’s roster—turned over four members of their band, have continued to develop their sound. I also managed to forget that they exist in the rush of my everyday life, which is why putting out a new album every six years is probably a bad strategy.
Enthean – Priests of Annihilation Review
“Instead of my usual modus operandi of writing something about food and/or beer and relating it to the band and/or record in question, I’m switching things up a bit and kicking this off with mentioning my biggest issue with American melodic black-ish/death-ish crew Enthean’s new full-length Priests of Annihilation. Writing this review, I kept coming back to G.K. Chesterson’s idea that we don’t have a lack of wonders, but a lack of wonder. This record, as I see it, is a reflection of that.” Is technicality the enemy of wonder?
Ihsahn – Arktis. Review
“Ihsahn is always in motion. Following a storied career in one of the premier black metal bands of all time, he’s released five full-length albums. Nearly all of those records have been critically acclaimed, but only one has been critically acclaimed by me. While I enjoyed The Adversary, Ihsahn’s post-Emperor zenith was angL. Starting with After, however, Ihsahn started to lose me. What made his earlier material so good—riffs, riffs, more riffs, and slick composition (also riffs)—began to be replaced by increasingly abstract compositions. And when songs like “Scarab” started getting replaced with tracks like “M,” I stopped enjoying new Ihsahn albums. Yet Arktis. marks the next phase for Ihsahn, having finally left the Nihilists behind him.” Praise Zarathustra!
