“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.
“If there’s anything I could say for certain about Malist, it’s that they can get a hell of a lot of variety out of the superficially simple ‘atmospheric black metal’ subgenre. This variety, spanning melodic, second-wave, and quasi-DSBM styles, has doubtless played a role in Malist’s very positive reception in these halls. At least through 2021’s Karst Relic.” Mal, Maler, Malist.
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“On initial listen, I can tell you that Den Tapte Krigen is no Vi Overlevde. Let that sink in as you consider the consequences of that statement. Is that good or bad? For one, Den Tapte Krigen is a tighter album (only eight tracks) with a formalized theme. There’s fluidity from the beginning to the end of this journey. What about those surprise transitions and standout songs, you ask?” Rejoin the Kult.
![Second to Sun – Nocturnal Philosophy [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Second-to-Sun-Nocturnal-Philosophy-01-768x768.jpeg)
“Of all the black metal names tossed around this site, Second to Sun is one of my favorites. Since giving their amazing record, The Walk, the top spot in 2018, StS have been regular listers for ole Grier. The combination of atmoblack, unsettling dissonance, and crushing riffs is like nothing I’ve ever heard before from a black metal outfit. The band has followed a standard format of digestible track lengths spread evenly over a forty-to-fifty-minute runtime for the last few years. But something dark is hovering over Vlad and co. Nocturnal Philosophy is something different.” Swallow this Sun?
“Finally, I have wrested reviewing rights for Russia’s Grima from the grips of the dastardly Cherd of Doom. Not, it should be noted, because he accepts that he underrated the masked duo’s last two albums but because he has other pressing deadlines. Underrate them he did though, in my opinion at least. 2019’s Will of the Primordial and the 2021 follow up, Rotten Garden, were both 4.0s if you ask me (not that Cherd did ask me). Atmospheric black metal powered by the icy winds of the tundra and the exhaled air of a bayan or accordion, Grima is very much my cup of vodka.” Roll out the blizzard barrel.
“I’ll be honest, my expectations for Dead Language were low. First, wow, that is a terrible name. Second, Inner Missing are a two-person gothic metal band releasing album number nine in twelve years. You have to give them credit for persistence, but nine albums without a breakout isn’t promising. Third, my first impression of the lead single “The Quest” was entirely dominated by the inexplicable near-monotone vastly over-inflected bass vocals. It was not looking good. Expectations and first impressions are funny things, though.” Lost and found in translation.
![Koldovstvo – Ни царя, ни бога [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]](https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Koldovstvo-Ни-царя-ни-бога-Ni-tsarya-ni-boga-01-768x768.jpg)
“Sometimes a thing defies proper indexing or categorization. Tags may be applied to that thing and they may not be incorrect but nor do they properly encapsulate what that thing is. The nominally atmospheric black metal, probably Russian, project Koldovstvo, is just such a thing.” Words fail us.
“Hailing from Russia, Without God formed back in 2008 and have released a pair of full-lengths, the last coming out in 2014. Reemerging in 2021, the band have already released a nice little EP entitled Siberian Tunes: The Green Light and have made the interesting choice to immediately follow it with related LP Siberian Tunes: Purple Clouds. Without God play a big, burly style of doom metal that manages to include a pretty large range of influences.” From Russian with RIFFS!
“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.
