Austere

Austere – Beneath the Threshold Review

By Dear Hollow on April 5, 2024 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 32 comments

“Austere’s third full-length, and first album in fourteen years, was one of my biggest disappointments of 2023. Corrosion of Hearts was listenable as a pleasant form of DSBM, but showcased a unique and legendary act fall into the tropes of the genre. It felt as though depressive black metal moved on while Austere stayed stuck in the past, and I’ll be the first one to admit that expectations were unfairly high for this duo. Austere on To Lay Like Old Bones is no longer – the Austere of now is more important. In many ways, this is what makes Beneath the Threshold even more crucial.” Stoic refits done real fast.

Doom_et_Al’s and Dear Hollow’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By Doom_et_Al on December 28, 2023 in Blog Posts, Lists, 109 comments

Doom_et_Al and Dear Hollow join Listurnalia with big important lists. You may even agree with parts of them.

Kostnatění – Úpal Review

By Dear Hollow on June 3, 2023 in Reviews, Black Metal, 45 comments

“Kostnatění (Czech for “ossification”) is a one-man act composed of a Minneapolis-based artist known only as D.L., also of other acts like Glass Shrine, Hornet Murmuration, and The Outer RIM. While firmly rooted in the icy basin of second-wave black metal, Kostnatění, as its sophomore effort’s moniker suggests, is “a story of the human condition as a function of heat.”” Hot stove, cold music.

Austere – Corrosion of Hearts Review

By Dear Hollow on May 13, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 9 comments

“Atmospheric black metal has long been relegated to the woods and to the peaks – to the frigid north. Neglected has been another form of desolation. While the abyss has many names, whether nature offers its lush arms of shelter or the lament of desolation can be heard across the cruel cityscapes, we think cold and bleak. When fused with the depressive and suicidal musings of life’s cruel hand, we seek shelter in ColdWorld’s snow-laden shores, smell the whiff of Silencer’s smoking gun, or indulge in Lifelover’s melodramatic puppetry. We typically don’t think desert, desiccation, or aridity; Austere does.” Sand-tyricon.

Krvna – Sempinfernus Review

By Dear Hollow on December 6, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, 11 comments

“Ah, black metal, my old friend. While I’ve been spending much of 2021 either trying to get my baby daughter to smile or try to steal as much weird death metal from Kronos as possible, I can’t deny the blackened shred that settles comfortably into the crevices of my soul. I’ve long anticipated a comfortably atmospheric, aptly scathing breed of second-wave shenanigans to sink my teeth into, and there’s no time like the present.” Semper lo-fi.

Temple Nightside – Pillars of Damnation Review

By Mark Z. on August 5, 2020 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 35 comments

“Readers of this site will not find it surprising when I say that I love blackened death metal of the chaotic and brutal variety, with groups like Impiety, Archgoat, and Angelcorpse being some of my favorites. In the last decade, however, a new strain of blackened death metal came to prominence that seemed to prioritize atmosphere and uneasiness above all else. Some of the more notable bands in this category are Portal, Abyssal, and Teitanblood—groups whose work I respect, even if it doesn’t resonate with me as deeply. When I grabbed Pillars of Damnation, the fourth album by Australia’s Temple Nightside, I had no idea what strain of blackened death metal it would be.” Cavern kegger.

Harakiri For The Sky – III: Trauma Review

By Mark Z. on July 19, 2016 in 2016, Art of Propaganda, Austrian Metal, Black Metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Black Metal, 44 comments

“As this site’s self-appointed Angry Metal Bottom Feeder, I take it upon myself to devour all the metalcore, post-black metal, and trendy bullshit that I suspect my more evolved brethren often don’t want to touch. I guess part of me still has fond memories of older albums in these genres and continues to hold out hope that new releases will be just as good. While this means filtering through a lot of mediocrity, occasionally I’ll stumble upon a gem that makes it all worth it.” The AMG catfish may have found gold down there in the muck.

Ill Omen – Æ.Thy.Rift Review

By Mark Z. on March 17, 2016 in 2016, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Nuclear War Now! Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Doom Metal, 20 comments

“Sometimes the right setting is everything for a metal album. Fortunately for myself, through a pretty atypical series of life events I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy several records in environments that bring out their absolute best. I’ve listened to Ahab while snuggled below decks on a three-masted barque sailing in the North Atlantic, I’ve listened to Wolves in the Throne Room while hiking the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest, I’ve listened to Baroness while cruising through the humid towns of southeastern America, and I’ve listened to The Acacia Strain while cleaning my toilet. But Æ.Thy.Rift, the third album from Australian one-man black metal project Ill Omen, isn’t one of those albums that just benefits from a proper listening environment – it demands one.” So…give it up!

Things You Might Have Missed 2015: Macabre Omen – Gods of War – At War

By Mark Z. on December 1, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Epic Metal, Greek Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2015, Van Records, Black Metal, Epic Metal, 31 comments

“I love combining metal with long-distance running. I find that reducing myself to a wheezing heap is a surprisingly effective way to evaluate new music: if an album makes me say “fuck this!” and throw my iPod into the nearest drainage ditch, it probably isn’t worth revisiting. With Macabre Omen’s sophomore effort Gods of War – At War, the effect was quite the opposite.” You missed the battle of the year!

Dynfari – Vegferð tímans Review

By Grymm on March 20, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Code666 Records, Icelandic Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 16 comments

“When it comes to selecting albums to review, I rely on a tried-and-mostly-tr00 method of meticulous selection that’s been proven to garner conversations around water bubblers and soda machines the world over: I sometimes randomly just pick shit from a list and think, “Okay, that’s cool. Let’s give that a shot.” Behold, today’s selection is Iceland’s Dynfari.” In the game of chance, you win some and you lose some. Are the odds in Grymm’s favor this time around?