Taake

Wampyric Rites – The Eternal Melancholy of the Wampyre Review

Wampyric Rites – The Eternal Melancholy of the Wampyre Review

“In the night they come, seeking wengeance. Nocturnal creatures bent on destruction, chaos, and wiolence. No matter how much wiolence and wengeance is wrought, they are never sated – they are always wery sad. Such is The Eternal Melancholy of the Wampyre. At least I think it is anyway, because at the risk of sounding like your mother when you showed her that cool new Carcass band with that Heartwork record you just downloaded from Limewire back when you were a teenager, I can’t understand a word of what’s being sung here; it just sounds like wordless screaming. That’s no matter though, as Wampyric Rites aren’t really about the lyrics in my estimation.” I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a wampyre today.

Afsky – Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død [Things You Might Have Missed 2020]

Afsky – Ofte Jeg Drømmer Mig Død [Things You Might Have Missed 2020]

“Every year, the chase is on to find that underground band no one’s ever heard of. The one that you present to everyone who loves music and watch as their expressions change from an unconvinced “Who is this?” to “Holy shit, this is amazing!” Well, folks, for those of you with a taste for pure black metal, unadulterated by frills and ribbons, I have the album for you.” Afsky and answered.

Dark Psychosis – The Edge of Nowhere Review

Dark Psychosis – The Edge of Nowhere Review

“In my year-end haze of short days, lockdown and work-related torpor, I peered nervously into the promo pool for something which may re-energize my sedentary life. An intriguing “experimental black metal” tag caught my eye and it was with this that I embarked on a review of the new album by Michigan’s Dark Psychosis. The Edge of Nowhere represents only their third full-length release since forming in 1999, and it’s a far cry from those black/thrash early days.” Nowhere fast?

Halphas – The Infernal Path into Oblivion Review

Halphas – The Infernal Path into Oblivion Review

“The Germans dropped their debut in the heart of List Season ’17, a rowdy black metal romp that thrived in the darkness of a 4 pm sunset. Two years on and Halphas won’t flinch before the listicle onslaught. Good on them too, because The Infernal Path into Oblivion is a step-up from an already strong debut. Who needs validation when you’ve got riffs?” Riff money.

Lothric – Adversarial Light Review

Lothric – Adversarial Light Review

“Ah, black metal. What storied history, what grimly grand aspirations of defiance, what glorious panda men frolicking in snowy forests! What once began as church burnings and murder and a big “fuck you” to the status quo has expanded into countless internet memes and as many sub-sub-subgenres as there are bands. From the lo-fi quality and the blasphemous shrieks, to enough broken picks per tremolo and blastbeats per minute to make a ladies’ Bible study group collectively gasp, it’s the sound of defiance and harshness. However, it toes a delicate line between shock and schlock, and Athens, Georgia, one-man satanic black metal act Lothric hopes to score a win for the home team with his debut LP Adversarial Light.” Fight the light.

Barshasketh – Barshasketh Review

Barshasketh – Barshasketh Review

“One of the saddest things in music is the “almost there” album. It’s the album that has all the traits of something that should work, and yet it doesn’t. It’s the kid on the soccer team who is bad, but not bad enough to know he’s bad. It’s the guy in the friend group who everyone tolerates, but no one would be sad if he moved away. It’s the hundreds of albums that are released every year, met with a shrug at best, and are swiftly forgotten.” That’s not ominous or anything.

Eisregen – Fegefeuer Review

Eisregen – Fegefeuer Review

“The metal underground has many virtues: ingenuity, a give-no-fucks attitude, and in many cases listener loyalty. How else does one explain a band like Eisregen, who have cranked out album after album over a twenty-year career, while still clinging tightly to the shadows? Fegefeuer marks these Germans’ thirteen release, one shrouded in mystery, teased as it was with a simple ‘Satan loves you.'”

Orkan – Element Review

Orkan – Element Review

“I don’t listen to much Taake (hell, I’m not even sure I pronounce their name right), and this lack of familiarity puts me at an immediate disadvantage for reviewing Orkan. Observant readers will note that “Orkan” is actually the title of a Taake song, but the connection goes beyond that: Orkan actually consists of Taake’s live guitarist and former live bassist, who formed the project in 2008 along with fellow members of Norwegian black metal band Enchanting Darkness.” Taaking it to the streets.

Halphas – Dawn of a Crimson Empire Review

Halphas – Dawn of a Crimson Empire Review

“As Christmas approaches, so too does the easy gushing of TYMHM season. We are in the thick of it now, the best time of the year, the constant f5ing and frantic back-listening, the questions of how you completely and totally slept on that band you’d never heard of until just now. Every day heralds a batch of guaranteed winners determined to kick the certitude of yesterday’s Top Ten down a mine shaft. Halphas kindly reminds you not to ignore the humble review, because Dawn of a Crimson Empire is no less impressive than any of the December delights that have caught your eye.” Did you…overlook this, perhaps?

Deathcult – Cult of the Goat Review

Deathcult – Cult of the Goat Review

“I’m not quite sure how it happens but I always seem to find myself buried in black metal at the end of the year. It’s not like 2015, where Kampfar’s Profan squeezed its way into my top ten at the last second, but there are some last-minute gems from 2017. And two, in particular, involve the infamous Hoest. Last month, there was Taake’s Kong Vinter. This month, there’s the return of Norway’s sibling-driven Deathcult.” Goatloads of fun.