Non Serviam Records

Bloodphemy – Dawn of Malevolence Review

Bloodphemy – Dawn of Malevolence Review

“So here we are again. End-of-year shenanigans are nearly upon us, as we AMG folk get geared up and frantically weed out the pretenders and consolidate our end-of-year lists for what is sure to be another actioned-packed and contentious edition of Listurnalia. But let us not get too carried away. Although the primo releases start to dry up as we close in on December, there are usually a handful or more of key releases to fuck up your list preparations. Enter Netherlands band, Bloodphemy.” List breaker or list faker?

Dantalion – Fatum Review

Dantalion – Fatum Review

The fusion of black metal and doom is a finicky one. With a vast repertoire in both reported palettes, the sounds and combinations are as diverse and unique. Spain’s Dantalion specializes in a blend of the Gothic doom enchantments of My Dying Bride or Saturnus and the lightless whimpers of Silencer or Lifelover. Their ninth full-length Fatum is as melancholic and hopeless as its themes suggest: the inevitability of fate.” Doom looping.

Nexorum – Tongue of Thorns Review

Nexorum – Tongue of Thorns Review

Death Unchained should’ve gotten the full Things You Might Have Missed treatment from me back in 2020. Nexorum’s relatively quietly released debut was a massive tour de force of unstoppable riffs, the likes of which complemented perfectly those of Vredehammer’s similarly massive Viperous, released that same year. To add insult to injury, I snubbed both of those awesome records from proper placement on my Top 10. Make no mistake, Death Unchained is an unqualified triumph of blackened death metal with some of the best riffs I’ve heard in the genre ever, and it never relents. Needless to say, I anxiously awaited the follow-up, Tongue of Thorns, to see how it stacked against the Norwegians’ inhuman opening salvo.” Every pose has its thorns.

Omnicidal – The Omnicidalist Review

Omnicidal – The Omnicidalist Review

“If you were deeply saddened by the news of Rimfrost’s demise in 2019, you were not alone. After Dr. Grier spent a week spinning Abigail in a dark room, we had to physically drag him into a cold shower and pay Brittney Slayes to give him a backrub just to get him out his catatonic state. Thankfully, the band changed their minds halfway into the pandemic, and all was right with the world. Sometime during their brief break-up, though, vocalist Sebastian Svedlund had the luminous idea to start Omnicidal, an entirely different band with an entirely different style: old school Swedish death metal with a teaspoon of Gothenburg melodeath.” Dawn of the OmniRim.

Catalyst – A Different Painting for a New World Review

Catalyst – A Different Painting for a New World Review

“I completely forgot about French tech-death upstarts Catalyst. That seems to be happening to me more often lately, and it’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, I get the privilege of experiencing sudden bursts of excitement whenever announcements for a band I haven’t heard from in a while catch me by surprise. On the other hand, it feels like a betrayal by my own mind when a band I was interested in slips out of memory. Nonetheless, Catalyst’s debut The Great Purpose of the Lords was a cool slab of epic tech death, as recent revisits these past couple of weeks confirmed. Let’s see what the follow-up, A Different Painting for a New World, has in store.” Forget me not? Knot?

Thokkian Vortex – Thy Throne is Mine Review

Thokkian Vortex – Thy Throne is Mine Review

Thokkian Vortex has always been a little… odd. Into the Nagual frequently sounded like standard second-wave black metal fare, with few frills and even less fuss. But then, out of nowhere, weird ambient tones would emerge, combined with chanting and strange instrumentation. While it didn’t work particularly convincingly, like great uncle Bob removing his dentures as a party trick at Thanksgiving, it had a peculiar charm.” Throne to the wolves.

Blood of Serpents – Sulphur Sovereign Review

Blood of Serpents – Sulphur Sovereign Review

“Black metal is an incredible source of emotive music disguised in unwavering aggression. The advent of sterling releases from the likes of Gaerea and Sar Isatum, among others, has only reaffirmed that for me. Factor in my implicit trust in Non Serviam’s A&R and here I sit, anxious to give Swedish black-metallers Blood of Serpents their due. From the “deep forests of Småland,” Blood of Serpents follow the same formula scribed by the likes of Marduk and Dissection. Their first album, Black Dawn, showcased mid-paced black metal constructed on a dependable foundation of solid riffs. With sophomore effort, Sulphur Sovereign, the band opted to take their foot and ram it straight through the metal. To describe Sulphur Sovereign as “full speed ahead” would be to commit severe understatement.” Is more always more?

Stahlsarg – Mechanisms of Misanthropy Review

Stahlsarg – Mechanisms of Misanthropy Review

“Our lovable cat-man Grymm described the Brits’ debut Comrades in Death as “frustratingly average,” with perhaps a tilt toward the “frustrating.” The descriptor fit the record’s unevenness snugly, as the offering straddled sublimity and snooze-inducement. Follow-up Mechanisms of Misanthropy smooths out Stahlsarg’s wrinkled edges, but seesaws into “average” territory as well.” The battle for attention.

Nazghor – Infernal Aphorism Review

Nazghor – Infernal Aphorism Review

“Though initially operating in a callous, misanthropic style, Nazghor embraced a full-blown melodic bent with 2016’s Death’s Withered Chants. This turn of events, coupled with increased attention to production standards, resulted in their strongest material to date. Infernal Aphorism is the logical next step in Nazghor’s evolution: an exploration of their newfound abilities and a test of their endurance.” Black metal marathon.

Zornheym – Where Hatred Dwells And Darkness Reigns Review

Zornheym – Where Hatred Dwells And Darkness Reigns Review

“First, a question: do you love King Diamond? If the answer is no, you’re dead to me. If the answer is yes, congratulations; my definitive opinion deems you worthy. If, however, you’ve always been enticed by the inherent fun of the King’s horror-fiction but have never been able to click with Bendix’s unique vocals, or perhaps found the music a little lacking in extremity, then… you’re dead to me. But fear not, fallible one, a saviour crests on this wan-mooned abyss of night. Zornheym, a Stockholm based predator culled from the likes of Dark Funeral, Diabolical, and Facebreaker, have collectively extended their talents into a symphonic project whose oeuvre borrows from both black and death metal.” A one way ticket to the nervous hospital.