Osi and the Jupiter is a folk duo (completed by cellist Kackophonix), coming out of the Appalachian region of eastern Ohio, U.S. and Stave is the project’s fourth album, following 2019’s Nordlige Rúnaskog.” Mind the mountain folk.
Eisenwald Records
Netherbird – Arete Review
“If you look up the phrase “almost great” online, you’re likely to see a picture of Swedish band, Netherbird. These guys having been kicking around since 2004, and have released several quality albums without ever quite reaching the level of “Oh yeah, I know those guys!” in the metal world. If Netherbird were a person, they’d be that fun dude at the party you enjoy hanging out with, but don’t really remember until the next time you see him again. And then you have to ask the host to remind you of his name.” Birds of a nether.
Ungfell – Es grauet Review
“Ungfell launched into life with 2017’s Tôtbringære, an album displaying a singular blend of weird atmospheres with melodic black metal. 2018’s Mythen, Mären, Pestilenz developed this a little but stalled on the potential of the debut, failing to balance the punchy atmosphere with punchy music. A longer gap to write and more time for the music to stew boded well for their sequel, entitled Es grauet (It Is Dreadful) and I was keen to hear how they had progressed. Above all else, their themes and atmosphere are prized by the band but I wanted to hear music to match.” Mood over meat.
Kankar – Dunkle Millennia Review
““Nuclear hot riffs.” A commenter recently wrote beneath another review that the way black metal in 2021 is shaping up, to even begin to stand out, bands need to bring some serious, “nuclear hot,” riffage to the table. They weren’t wrong. We can ramble on all day about clever technical flourishes, dissonant chords, and foreboding atmospheres, but when all is said and done, we metalheads respect the almighty riff. The riff is the period that concludes a sentence, the punch to the jaw at the end of a fight, the incontrovertible law that even Steel bows down before. So what if I told you that a German duo had managed to jam more riffs into its debut release than many other bands in their entire careers?”” Fooked with a Kankar.
Svabhavat – Black Mirror Reflection Review
“Svabhavat is a new duo from the American Pacific Northwest, Black Mirror Reflection their first release. They profess a “cold ‘n cruel” style of traditional second-wave black metal in the ilk of Darkthrone, Mayhem, and especially Katharsis.” Through a mirror blackly.
Uada – Djinn Review
“Uada have captured the hearts of many fans searching for plenty of melody with their fury or Mgła without the controversy. I was (and remain) a huge fan of the tight, energetic debut, but 2018’s Cult of a Dying Sun left me colder. I felt that the band were going through the motions, which concerned me given it was but a sophomore release. Take the essential formula of these two albums, ladle on more melody and add a few pinches of Mgła controversy and you have Djinn.” Djinn and juice.
Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition – Chapter II: Render unto Eden Review
“To prepare myself for the much-anticipated The Suns of Perdition – Chapter II: Render unto Eden, I had to commit an act of Contrition, upgrading my review of The Suns of Perdition – Chapter I: War, Horrid War to a 4.0. The fact that it has only taken this quartet of Canadians a smidge over a year to pen the follow-up to that rampaging, brvtal beast of an album was, I’ll admit, concerning. War, Horrid War combined raw intensity and crvshing riffs with moments of beauty and fragility to such stunning effect that, while I desperately wanted to get my hands on the follow-up, I wondered if Panzerfaust shouldn’t take just a bit more time to pen a worthy successor.” Burning paradise.
Ashtar – Kaikuja Review
“With their cosmic, dense blackened doom, this two-piece seek to conjure a dark Swiss magic. In 2015 they released their debut record Ilmasaari, a psychedelically wrapped piece of doom. Five years later they’ve reemerged from the shadows with Kaikuja.” Swiss mist.
Blaze of Sorrow – Absentia Review
“It’s amazing the things you discover lurking around the Promo Pit. Blaze of Sorrow is not a band that has been on my radar, but between that album art (I mean, look at it), that name (Absentia is such a cool name it nets you twelve band name search results on Metallum), and the promise of “windswept, cascading black metal [that] is undoubtedly melancholic at heart” (I know, I know, marketing copy is marketing copy, but what can I say, it sounded good), I was sold on Blaze of Sorrow’s Absentia before I’d heard a single note.” Grand declaration of expectations.
Velnias – Scion of Aether Review
“Oppressive Rocky Mountain Dirge.” That is the descriptor Velnias uses to describe its music. Sounding more like the slop at the bottom of a bucket than something you would want to spend your time listening to, it nevertheless proves that occasionally we all need to update our bios. While “dirge” may have been Velnias’s original aesthetic when it released its debut, Sovereign Nocturnal, in 2008, the band’s output has evolved considerably since then to incorporate an array of new and different influences. Now it’s back with its third album, Scion of Aether.” Dirge purge.
