Atmospheric Black Metal

Sacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis Review

Sacrificial Vein – Black Terror Genesis Review

“There’s that strain of black metal, straddling if not disregarding boundaries between atmospheric, post, melodic, dissonant, and second-wave, where the music, true to its occupying the less-mainstream corners of the genre, sits like a shadowy presence in peripheral vision—preoccupying itself not with Lovecraftian horrors, or overt, antagonistic portrayals of Satanism, but with terrors less far-fetched and obscure. An occultism of an introspective, existential bent, premised on the human mind. Sacrificial Vein, comprised of fragmented members of Nothingness, Aegaeon, and a mysterious JU, follow this dark trajectory.” Tapping some veins.

Skuggor – Whispers of Ancient Spells Review

Skuggor – Whispers of Ancient Spells Review

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.

Suldusk – Anthesis Review

Suldusk – Anthesis Review

“Way back in early 2020, Suldusk played the last show I attended before fun was canceled. I was introduced by the non-suspiciously departed Emya‘s excellent TYMHM piece on one-woman debut Lunar Falls. This sort of black metal-inflected atmospheric folk is incredibly My Thing, as you can tell from where Helga landed on my list last year. So Suldusk were a pretty important fixture for me, particularly in the tough early pandemic months. The whole thing has that slight air of unreality you get with memories from around then. Now they’re back—finally—with a full band and signed to Napalm, so the stakes are high for Anthesis.” Dusk throne.

Praise the Plague – Suffocating in the Current of Time Review

Praise the Plague – Suffocating in the Current of Time Review

“Evolution can be a tricky thing for a band to get right. Change too much and risk alienating an existing fan base. Or don’t change enough and risk pigeon-holing oneself, or even boring the audience who want to see some growth. Ever since Praise the Plague stepped onto the scene in 2018, they’ve been subtly shaping their intriguing admixture of doom and black metal. Particularly after sophomore The Obsidian Gate saw them commit to wielding in equal measure the grandiosity of the former with the sinister savagery of the latter, the question of where their approach would go next, as they established themselves, was foremost.” Down with the…Plague.

Litosth – Cesariana Review

Litosth – Cesariana Review

“Despite their frosty, dour tunes, the first comparison I draw when listening to Cesariana is Oubliette’s warm and rich The Passage. The second is Ethereal Shroud’s magnum opus Trisagion. Aesthetically falling somewhere between these two disparate references, Litosth’s style sounds epic without resorting to double-digit song lengths, feels relaxed in pacing without lacking passion, and manages to be memorable without possessing especially unique songwriting tenets.” Black haze.

Aureole – Alunarian Bellmaster Review

Aureole – Alunarian Bellmaster Review

“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.

Hulder – Verses in Oath Review

Hulder – Verses in Oath Review

“Originally from Belgium but now firmly ensconced in the Pacific Northwest of the US, one-woman black metal project Hulder caused some ripples with debut LP, Godslastering: Hymns of a Forlorn Peasantry, in 2021. Steeped in dark medieval themes and even darker folklore, it channeled both an almost second wave black metal harshness and a folk edge to create a unique sound. Although a little rough around the edges, it promised much for the future.” The future is NOW!

Solbrud – IIII Review

Solbrud – IIII Review

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.

Olhava – Sacrifice Review

Olhava – Sacrifice Review

“Less black metal than Trna, and more evocative synths a la Unreqvited, there is no rushing Olhava. Shimmering soundscapes are what they do, albeit that, where Unreqvited has (at least since 2018’s Mosaic I: L’Amour et L’Ardeur) hints of light and promise in the sound, Olhava is all shades of loss and a sense of hopeless grey.” 50 shades of sadboi.

Vemod – The Deepening Review

Vemod – The Deepening Review

“The sophomore album can be a make-or-break moment. Does a band double-down on what made their first release remarkable, or dilute its impact and fade into obscurity? The Deepening by Vemod is such a record, although comes so long after the debut that the band might as well be new again. 12 years is a long gap and a long time in which a band may reinvent itself. The Deepening finds these Norwegians deepening their own lore through a new take on their original black metal – but has the gap afforded their new sound quality too?” Deep or sunken?