“Less black metal than Trna, and more evocative synths a la Unreqvited, there is no rushing Olhava. Shimmering soundscapes are what they do, albeit that, where Unreqvited has (at least since 2018’s Mosaic I: L’Amour et L’Ardeur) hints of light and promise in the sound, Olhava is all shades of loss and a sense of hopeless grey.” 50 shades of sadboi.
“2023 hasn’t been the best year for black metal. With some scattered, notable exceptions—DHG and Manbryne among them—most new releases have been underwhelming, or at least disappointing. Undeterred, I continue to pick promos bearing the ‘black metal’ tag, because I believe the genre, at its best, is captivating in a way others aren’t, and offers a flavor of expression unique to itself. As we approach the sunset of the year, my persistence has paid off with the arrival of Avodah Zarah, the sophomore record from Polish/Italian outfit Amalekim.” Blackened treasures uncovered.
“The concept Of Existential Distortion intrigues me. Does it imply some horrifying limbo state of being? A twisting and defilement of existing things? Úlfúð—pronounced “Ool-wooth” and meaning “animosity”—confirm at least the sentiment of dread with their sinister blackened death. Hailing from the remote and starkly beautiful Iceland, one has a preconception that the music will be likewise harsh and cold, infusing an already bleak subject matter and musical style with extra grimness. Úlfúð don’t necessarily make good on this assumption.” Icelandic warping.
“After submerging myself in copious death metal throughout January and early February, Steel‘s well-seasoned body needed a soak in the soothing tides of funerary doom-death. And so I happened upon the sophomore release by Portugal’s Oak. The side project of Gaerea lead guitarist/vocalist, Guilherme Henriques and featuring various current and former Gaerea members, it attempts a style far afield from what that black metal outfit is known for. This is classic funeral doom death across the boards, though it has a fair amount of blackened elements bubbling up as well. The gimmick here is that Disintegrate is but one 45-minute track.” Counting the rings of tragedy.
Doom_et_Al and Dear Hollow spice up the season with their Top Ten(ish) of 2022. Come for the selections, stay to harass them over same.
“Four mighty contributors shaped Heavy Moves Heavy 2022. Ferox, Thus Spoke, Holdeneye, and Steel Druhm each chose the ten songs released this year that dominated our respective workouts. The resulting playlist is appended to this article. Play it straight through or set it to shuffle; HMH is designed to work either way.” Go heavy because there is no going home.
A new Gaerea opus triggered a rare double review. Can the much anticipated Mirage withstand the harsh light of double exposure?
“TRNA first came to my attention not long ago, when I volunteered to review Istok, their fourth full-length release, without knowing anything about it. I learned that the band describes their own music as “celestial blackgaze” and thought, what could go wrong? Obviously, that answer to that is “everything,” but I was optimistic. As I read about the band’s story, one that drifts away from their Russian homeland to try and capture the spirit of an altogether dreamier, darker, and more abstract place, I grew increasingly intrigued.” Space gaze.
Huck N’ Roll and Eldritch Elitist will now hold court with their well-thought-out Top Ten(ish) lists. Appear or be held in eternal contempt.
Doom_et_Al and Dear Hollow have their big boy lists. Did they use that great power responsibly?
