Atmospheric Black Metal

Noctule – Wretched Abyss Review

By Dear Hollow on June 3, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 36 comments

Serena Cherry has a knack for melody. In her storied career with Svalbard, the charismatic vocalist and guitarist has co-written and performed a decade of melodic hardcore tinged with post-hardcore, post-metal, and black metal. Now, Cherry tries a little something different in her new solo project Noctule, hoping to “spread her dragon wings and take off in an intriguing musical direction on her own. A labor of love and isolation, Cherry composed and recorded the Noctule debut while in the UK Coronavirus lockdown. Opposed to the melodic hardcore leanings of Svalbard, she now bets it all on black in blackened release Wretched Abyss, an album themed after the popular RPG Skyrim.” Dragon, why do you cry?

Dordeduh – Har Review

By Huck N Roll on May 13, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Progressive Metal, 95 comments

“Until a few months ago I was only peripherally aware of Dordeduh. I had heard their debut album, 2012’s Dar de duh, and thought it was “good” but not really worth revisiting. Similarly, I was aware of the apparent amazingness of Om, Negură Bunget’s 2006 opus, in which Edmond “Huppogrammos” Karban and Cristian “Sol Faur” Popescu played a pivotal role. While that album was stunning in scope, the black metal production values turned me off. Potential, yes: essential, no. Fast forward to 2021, and on a whim I clicked on the first track released from Har, entitled “Descânt.” It was then that I knew I had to not only hear this album, but bring it forth to the Angry Metal Guy faithful.” From Romania with love.

Fyrnask – VII-Kenoma Review

By Akerblogger on May 3, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 21 comments

“When I think of the sprawling extreme metal bands that I admire the most – The Ruins of Beverast, Urfaust, Spectral Lore, Blut Aus Nord and Darkspace a handful – I picture their music as labyrinthine cathedrals: their domes, spires and towers encrusted in shadowy depth; their facades etched in malicious secrets, crafted meticulously over hundreds of years; a visitor’s footsteps echoing minutely against the leering iconography of the interior walls. Using rough raw material, the best bands craft cathedrals of splendor that loom over the scene with menacing authority. Many bands, too many bands, attempt to recreate the fine detail of the best. They try, but the foundation of their place of worship is fractured and cheap to begin with. The finished product stands tall for a brief moment in time, but as the wind changes the structure falls – they lack the intricacy, the balance, the transitions. Another band on the rubble heap. On a plot of land somewhere in the East of Germany another architect lays the first stones of a new creation. Fyrnask has experience.” Building toward destruction.

Nordgeist – Frostwinter Review

By Twelve on April 23, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, 20 comments

“Black metal is a tricky beast to pin down. More, I believe, than many other sub-genres of metal, black metal is about feeling. Of course, they’re all about feeling, but black metal gets points for versatility – some black metal is designed to make you feel angry, some cold, some sad, some alone, some despairing, and the list goes on. Frostwinter, the debut full-length by Serbian single-person (known to us only as “T”) metal crew Nordgeist, is black metal that wants to make you feel something altogether more complicated.” Winter 4 eva.

Spectral Lore – Ετερόφωτος Review

By Doom_et_Al on April 21, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Drone, 44 comments

“It’s no secret that I was a huge admirer of the 2020 Spectral Lore / Mare Cognitum split, Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine. Like an elaborate dance, the ethereal material from Spectral Lore waltzed perfectly with the more grounded, riff-driven focus of Mare Cognitum. I was fascinated to see how each band would follow this with their respective solo albums. Mare Cognitum clearly incorporated the introspective, mournful influence of Spectral Lore to great effect on Solar Paroxysm. The question was how Spectral Lore mastermind, the Greek Ayloss, would approach his latest collection, Ετερόφωτος.” Tales from the basement (sub-floor lore).

Paysage d’Hiver – Geister Review

By Dear Hollow on April 20, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 46 comments

“Paysage d’Hiver is an act with no need for introduction, but I have a word count to meet, so here it is: Paysage d’Hiver is a black metal act from Schwarzenburg, Bern, Switzerland, consisting of sole member Wintherr (also of Darkspace). Technically, Geister is the act’s second full-length, but he’s been cranking out music for twenty-four years.” Right in the Geister!

Plaguewielder – Covenant Death Review

By GardensTale on April 2, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Metal, Sludge, 15 comments

“I reckon most of you are familiar with the phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Some of you may even say the full version is supposed to follow up with “but better than a master of one,” though this is a modern addition, not a historical version. In music, things aren’t so cut and dry. With some bands, the focus brought by doing one thing well serves the music better; other artists seem to think that the more eclectic their influences the better. Plaguewielder seems to be more of a latter mind; searching across the web reveals tags relating the band to sludge, black metal, doom, atmospheric metal, post-metal and so on.” Jack of all plagues.

Lebensnacht – The Realm Beyond Review

By Doom_et_Al on March 26, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 19 comments

“The Realm Beyond is the second album from Germany’s Lebensnacht, a German duo, which has been active since 2008. They specialize in mid-paced, atmospheric BM, with a heavy emphasis on ethereal synthesizers, like early Wolves in the Throne Room or Lustre. This is all mashed together in an incredibly raw and harsh mix. Where Lebensnacht differs from many other bands is the strong depressive black metal element that pervades its work, providing an ominous air to the music.” Birds in the Mud Room.

Fuath – II Review

By El Cuervo on March 18, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 18 comments

“Representing a darker, meaner interpretation of black metal, Andy Marshall, better known for Saor, unleashed his Fuath (Gaelic for hatred) project around now over 5 years ago (fuck me, my life’s getting away from me). I excelled in black atmosphere and understated but sticky melodies and remains one of the decade’s better examples of atmospheric black metal, in a sub-genre full to the brim with mediocrity. It was intended to be a one-off but the inspirationally-entitled II is now primed for release.” Atmo-II: Electric Boogaloo.

Mare Cognitum – Solar Paroxysm Review

By Kenstrosity on March 15, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Melodic Black Metal, 71 comments

“There’s atmospheric black metal, and then there’s Mare Cognitum. Two sides of the same planet. On the former, the sphere is completely devoid of life, eroded by endless recycling of ideas to the point of being uninhabitable. Then you have Mare Cognitum, a one-man force of nature who consistently releases quality material. Mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Buczarski’s side of the atmoblack world thrives against the eroding tides of time.” Renewable energies.