Black Metal

Empire Auriga – Ascending the Solarthrone Review

By El Cuervo on August 5, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Moribund Records, Reviews, Black Metal, 4 comments

“A curious thing occurred while listening to Ascending the Solarthrone for the first time. I was commuting into the city, a monotonous, cramped experience at the best of times, when we were informed by the disturbingly enthusiastic guard that someone had committed suicide on the tracks. I was already noting the record for its depressive and desolate atmosphere, and in that moment, the feeling it produced was quite extraordinary.” Another double secret probationary writer joins the fray as El Cuervo reviews some bleak black metal. It’s getting like a goddamn frat house around the AMG offices!

Bölzer – Soma Review

By JF Williams on August 2, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Death Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Swiss Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 2 comments

“Bölzer know that time is precious and quality cheap in today’s oversaturated music climate. Armed with three songs clocking in at about 23 minutes, the Swiss duo more than charmed the metal community and earned themselves a slot right at the forefront of extreme metal hopefuls dwelling in the underground with their 2013 EP, Aura. Bölzer is back and JF Williams is back with them.

Gnosis of the Witch – Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar EP Review

By Grymm on July 31, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Black Metal, 0 comments

“The summer of 2014 is quickly becoming the Summer of American Black Metal. Between stellar releases from Panopticon, Wolvhammer, and Wolves in the Throne Room, the Land of the Free has been churning out some primo, top-shelf Grade A Black(ened) Angus. Brand-spankin’-new two-piece Gnosis of the Witch are tossing both of their hats into the fiery pits with their second EP (and first for Iron Bonehead Productions), the easy-to-pronounce Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar. Will you be lost in their Thursian black charm, or will there be some work to be done to enslave you to the darkened grasp of Ginnungagap?” American black metal, like Elvis, is everywhere.

Belphegor – Conjuring the Dead Review

By Steel Druhm on July 30, 2014 in 2014, Austrian Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 16 comments

“Hey look, everybody’s favorite necromantically inclined, goat bondage enthusiasts are back from the latex boutique to unleash another wave of blackened death on the tied and naked masses. Austria’s Belphegor are one of the leading voices in mega-extreme music and 2011s Blood Magick Necromance left quiet an impression on my steely cranium, ending up one of my best albums of the year. While these fetish freaks don’t do anything all that different from contemporaries like Behemoth, their simple, utterly savage blend of Morbid Angel pummeling and Marduk like blitzkrieging blackness really resonates with me in a way even the Polish Demigods do not.” Steel doesn’t always listen to blackened death, but when he does, he prefers Belphegor.

Panopticon – Roads to the North Review

By JF Williams on July 29, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Progressive Metal, 12 comments

“With 2012’s Kentucky, Panopticon became among the most interesting black metal projects operating in the U.S. Unlike many USBM lynchpins that stubbornly ape the sound and ethos of their Scandinavian influences, Austin Lunn’s one-man black metal project took a full-fledged approach to the genre as tied to his own home and hearth of Kentucky as that of his Scandinavian forefathers. For those out of the loop, the result was an ambitious, politically-charged concept album centered around Kentucky’s blood-soaked history of coal mining, soundtracked by an unprecedented mix of black metal and bluegrass music.” Black metal and bluegrass sounds as good a mix as peanut butter and mayonnaise, but hey, you gotta try it to know!

Atara / Miserable Failure – Hang Them Review

By Madam X on July 26, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Crust Punk, Death Metal, Doom Metal, French Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Kaotoxin Records, Reviews, Black Metal, Hardcore, 1 comment

“French grind with hardcore and black metal influence that screams of being “the noose that’ll suffocate your dry throat in an auto-erotic maelstrom of hatesphyxiation” – well now, don’t mind if I do!” Madam X can never say no to a nice noose. That’s why she works remotely and not at AMG headquarters.

Vardan – Enjoy of Deep Sadness Review

By Madam X on July 22, 2014 in 2014, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Italian Metal, Moribund Records, Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, 15 comments

“”Do you realize that if you fall into a black hole, you will see the entire future of the Universe unfold in front of you in a matter of moments and you will emerge into another space-time created by the singularity of the black hole you just fell into?” Neil deGrasse Tyson probably didn’t picture those words describing the unfolding, infinity of one-man black metal artist Vardan’s latest journey into heartbreak and isolation, but they certainly do.” Black holes, ESL failures and a one man black metal act with awful corpse paint. It’s all here, folks.

Nidsang – Into the Womb of Dissolving Flames Review

By Madam X on July 21, 2014 in 2014, Black Metal, Pulverised Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Black Metal, 1 comment

“Wearing down, chafing, scraping, being eaten away and flaying; none of these situations sound particularly pleasant truth be told. But when you apply these same conditions across eight blasphemous anthems of pure black rage, you could very well say that suddenly the tables are turned. What wore you down before now pulls you like a magnet and taunts you to dig deeper into a bands discography.” Do you like the feel of chafing? Do you enjoy abrasive things? if so, Nidsang might be just your rub.

Goatwhore – Constricting Rage Of The Merciless Review

By Madam X on July 10, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Metal Blade, Releases, Reviews, Sludge, Black Metal, Death Metal, Sludge Metal, 11 comments

“Dripping savagery and gnashing bared teeth, that can only mean one thing… Goatwhore’s back! For those not familiar with the piss and vinegar thrashing of Blood for the Master or going back a little further the Satanic ritual of The Eclipse of Ages Into Black, Goatwhore are a stewey blackened death “project” with an all American, New Orleans twist that borrows not only members, but also the subtle influence of metal veterans Crowbar, Acid Bath, Soilent Green and Nachtmystium.” Blackened swamp thrash hath returned.

Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestite Review

By JF Williams on July 8, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Black Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 8 comments

“It may be somewhat reasonable to assume a skeptical stance in the face of Wolves in the Throne Room’s decision to embark into purely ambient territories. The Cascadian black metal sibling duo found its niche making hypnotically atmospheric black metal that sprinkled soundscape ambiance with its uniquely life-affirming take on the most unholy of metals, and with disgraced black metal pioneer Varg Vikernes continuing to do his very best to sever the few threads remaining of Burzum’s musical legacy with his excruciating “video game loading screen” music, I don’t think anyone was particularly thrilled at the prospect of the brothers Weaver ditching their black metal signature.” Video game loading music…HA!