“It’s mostly G rated, when it’s not violent, sick and twisted. That speaks to the accessibility of what you can expect from Drought Year’s sophomore release – Nothing More Than Worthless.” It’s a dry heat.
Marduk
Merrimack – Omegaphilia Review
“The French are well-known for pushing envelopes in the black metal genre. From Deathspell Omega’s angular tremolo attack to Blut Aus Nord’s atonal warped melodies and bizarre trip-hop rhythms, France has proven to be a fertile breeding ground for innovative black metal. So when Paris’ Merrimack stands out by sounding Scandinavian, well, it’s gonna stick out like a sore thumb.” French missing.
Ofermod – Sol Nox Review
“Twenty-twelve’s Thaumiel got a hell of a lot of praise from Madam X and Angry Metal Guy. And, though, that was only a four-year wait following their debut, we’ve had to endure another five years for Sol Nox. Tiamtü was a great debut, but Thaumiel topped it. And now the question remains: will Sol Nox top Thaumiel?” It’s Black Metal History Month!
Les Discrets – Prédateurs Review
“Prepare to enter the realm of the Non-Metal. Formed in 2003, Les Discrets are a French project started by illustrator Fursy Teyssier as a way of musically expressing the concepts in his visual art. Post-black connoisseurs may recognize Teyssier as having played alongside Alcest’s Neige in depressive rock collective Amesoeurs, in addition to producing artwork for Empyrium, Wood of Ypres, and Alcest themselves.” Be less discreet, dammit!
70000 Tons of Metal: One Man’s Journey
“My friends ask me what happened, but my ability to verbally communicate has been reduced to moaning and a weeping noise that sounds something like a baby panda crying for milk. I wonder how I’m going to make it through the final day of this floating festival. I wonder when the aching will subside. I wonder where my life went so wrong. How did I end up here, on the 7th annual 70000 Tons of Metal cruise, weak with exhaustion and feeling like my body has been bludgeoned with a sledgehammer? My mind drifts back…” Tales from a 70000 ton heavy thing.
Ignis Gehenna – Baleful Scarlet Star Review
“Here’s something to think about… If Darkthrone’s Transilvanian Hunger released today, would it make the same impression it made back in 1994? More importantly, would it get the same reception nowadays that it got in the past?” No chance.
Liber Null – I – The Serpent Review
“Creativity is a fickle beast. On bright days ensconced in melodious excellence, these words bound forth like an ever-flowing stream. Others? A wall of emptiness and muted cinder blocks mortared upon dark grey concrete. We yearn for the music that evokes the former but Liber Null, unfortunately, does not. So here I sit, swilling my scotch, wondering how to convey just what about I – The Serpent fails to strike me.” Drinking scotchy scotch scotch on the job, eh? We approve.
Panphage – Drengskapr Review
“One-man black metal projects are like rats nowadays; you’re never more than a few meters away from one at any given time. Okay, I may have made that up, but there does seem to be quite a surplus of them knocking about at the moment. While this abundance of choice is great for those of us who like our music bleak and wintery, with every man and his dog getting in on the act, cutting through the chaff and finding material actually worth listening to can seem like a pretty mammoth task.” Allow us to separate the wheat from the rats.
Black Hole Generator – A Requiem for Terra Review
“Give this some thought for a second: you’re putting together a black metal dream team, who would it include? I wonder how many of you would arrive at noted producer and Vulture Industries’ frontman – Bjørnar E. Nilsen, and guitar aficionados Arve Isdal (Enslaved, I, Audrey Horne) and Gjermund Fredheim (Taake, Orkan).” Super groups doing stranger things.
Eschatos – The Grand Noir Review
“It’s been said by some that Moldova sucks, but when it comes to metal, Latvia does not! Hailing from Latvia’s capital city (Riga), Eschatos have been constructing their brand of avant-garde/progressive black metal since 2012.” Better black than red.
