Black Metal

Thränenkind – King Apathy Review

By Mark Z. on May 4, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Crust Punk, German Metal, Lifeforce Records, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 44 comments

“Sometimes the way you first experience an album is everything. Back in 2013, after finally returning from an extended work trip where I had limited internet access (and thus, no ability to hear new metal releases), Thränenkind’s The Elk took my deprived ears by storm with its Agallochian mix of weepy post-rock and crusty post-black metal. After months of only listening to whatever -core was stored on my iPod at the time, I was captivated, and the German quintet’s debut ended up being one of my favorite albums that year. Three years later sees me in an entirely different set of circumstances.” Stop the presses!

Germ – Escape Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 27, 2016 in 2016, Australian Metal, Black Metal, Post-metal, Prophecy Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 24 comments

“So far this year, I’ve been tasked with reviewing—or simply listening to—a handful of shoegazing, post-black promos from a variety of little-known bands. Some of them are worth their weight in gold, while others are worth their weight in horseshit. For many, this genre petered out in the last decade or so when many o’ band jumped on the WitTR bandwagon, over-weighing the vehicle and driving its wheels axle-deep in the mud.” That navel isn’t going to contemplate itself, you know.

Kawir – Father Sun Mother Moon Review

By Grymm on April 25, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 19 comments

“I’m a sucker for bands who incorporate their country’s cultural sounds into their music. Whether it’s Orphaned Land’s Israeli instrumentation, Chthonic’s weeping erhu-induced Thai melodies, or Nile’s violent riffing recalling the war-torn sand dunes and ancient pyramids of their home country of South Carolina, peppering your music with your country’s native sounds can make things a bit more interesting.” Think globally, listen locally.

Darkestrah – Turan Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on April 25, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Folk Metal, Kyrgyzstan Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 21 comments

“It’s always fun to pick up a promo from a band that you’ve never heard before. Especially one hailing from a country you know diddly shit about. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of researching bands like this is reading about the rich heritage that surrounds the music. And on today’s exotic expedition into the unknown, we will explore Darkestrah, a black-metal outfit from Kyrgyzstan.” Turan the money!

Darkend – The Canticle of Shadows Review

By Madam X on April 23, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Italian Metal, Non Serviam Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 15 comments

“Until recently, I believe Italy’s Darkend promoted the kind of symphonic black metal that chased the coattails of bands like Cradle of Filth. With their fourth release, The Canticle of Shadows, I was unsure of whether to expect more of the same or something entirely new. I succeeded in missing their earlier releases like Damned Woman and a Carcass, Assassine and Grand Guignol, despite them receiving mostly positive reviews.” What the hell is a canticle?

Abhomine – Larve Offal Swine Review

By Al Kikuras on April 23, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, Uncategorized, Black Metal, Death Metal, 28 comments

“Pete Helmkamp’s varied projects over the years have one special unifying quality: there is something unsettling about them all that transcends music and hits the core of your being, reminding you that the world is an immaculately fucked up place and our tenure on it is tentative at best. Larvae Offal Swine, the debut album under the moniker Abhomine, is Helmkamp’s first true solo effort in which he wrote and performed all of the music with the exception of the drums. How does this nigh legendary extreme metal front man stand when on his own?” Offal before swine?

Plebeian Grandstand – False Highs, True Lows Review

By Kronos on April 22, 2016 in 2016, Avante Garde, Black Metal, French Metal, Hardcore, Releases, Reviews, Throatruiner Records, Black Metal, Mathcore, Noise, 38 comments

Plebeian Grandstand is a name destined for immortality. Over the course of two albums – 2011’s How Hate is Hard to Define and 2014’s Lowgazers, the Tolousian group have annihilated any doubt as to their supremacy in extremity. How Hate is Hard to Define’s distillation of noise, black metal and mathcore proved their worth as ‘the angriest band on the planet,’ but the sheer ambition of Lowgazers propelled the group somewhere further.” Prepare to be destroyed.

Retro-Review: December Wolves – Completely Dehumanized

By Grymm on April 18, 2016 in American Metal, Black Metal, Earache Records, Retro Reviews, Black Metal, 12 comments

“1996. Yours truly graduated high school and landed a job at what would end up being GameStop. At the Electronics Boutique I was working at (Rockingham Park, Salem, New Hampshire), I would sometimes be visited by a lanky, long-haired dude wearing various different black metal shirts. One shirt was of a band called December Wolves, and I told him that was an interesting name for a band. He smiled and said, “Thanks, man. I’m the bass player. Check us out sometime.” Yep, that’s my story of how I met Brian Izzi (now best known as the guitarist for crusty grinders Trap Them) and got wind of December Wolves.” Tales of wind and wolves shall trap them all.

Mantar – Ode to the Flame Review

By Saunders on April 13, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Doom Metal, German Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 20 comments

“German duo Mantar stormed the underground, cracking skulls and galloping to glory with their scorching debut album, Death by Burning in 2014. Fusing raucous black metal with spiteful sludge and doomy slogs, Mantar’s punked-up energy, fuck-the-world attitude and an abundance of primal riffs and gnarly hooks kept me gripped and hungry for more. On the back of the album Mantar deservedly scored a deal with Nuclear Blast for the anticipated release of the all important sophomore album. So with the big wigs behind them, can Mantar deliver on the considerable promise they displayed first time round?” So much buzz!

Alkerdeel – Lede Review

By Roquentin on April 12, 2016 in 2016, Belgian Metal, Black Metal, ConSouling Sounds, Drone, Reviews, Black Metal, 30 comments

“Harsh and fairly abstract genres such as drone, noise, and left-field black metal are conceptually subtle, fragile things that require a careful balancing act to pull off properly. There are two ways that successful bands do this. One group of musicians immerses itself fully into the abyss of extremes, slowing down tempos to the point of near immobility and amplifying texture beyond thresholds of painful saturation (Sunn O)))). The other group carefully crafts concoctions that are ultimately dynamic in their repetitiveness and cohesive in their chaos (Aluk Todolo). Belgian four piece Alkerdeel belong to the latter.”This high-wire act is about to get real.