Watain

Sheidim – Shrines of the Void Review

Sheidim – Shrines of the Void Review

By Lord Doom on June 26, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Dark Descent Records, Death Metal, Reviews, Spanish Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 7 comments

“One of the little rituals this modern world has created around music is the five-second Google “research” for whatever relevant info we can find on a new or unknown act. Doing this for Spanish black/death metallers Sheidim pointed me to a wiki-page about the shedim, demons from Jewish tradition that follow death and fly around graves. It also gave me a bunch of names that were as unknown to me as this young group. But there were two repeatedly referenced names that I knew. The first was Watain.” That’s funny, I never knew Watain was Jewish.

Sulphur – Omens of Doom Review

Sulphur – Omens of Doom Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 7, 2016 in 2016, Black Metal, Dark Essence Records, Death Metal, Norwegian Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 47 comments

Sulphur (or sulfur in the States) is ungodly, foul smelling shit. This isn’t exactly news to anyone but you don’t know the half of it until you have actually jousted with the likes of benzyl or ethanethiol. There aren’t many chemicals I’ve worked with that linger on your mustache and penetrate your clothes like sulfur. It’s pungent, it’s offensive, and it’s fucking nauseating. While I’ve had my fair share of encounters with sulfur, I have never encountered its black-metal equivalent—which is odd considering I’ve been a fan of Øyvind Madsen’s other project, Vulture Industries, for years. With a name like Sulphur, I had expected some unsettling, engulfing black metal to match the stomach-turning feelings I get when “sulfur” is mentioned.

Onirik – Casket Dream Veneration Review

Onirik – Casket Dream Veneration Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on November 9, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Portuguese Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, 28 comments

“As suggested by Neige of Alcest, dreams can be a truly inspirational medium to audial art. Personifying places and feelings of the dream world into those of a musical one can produce music that has both character and a buttload of passion behind it (even if the music is shit). Gonius Rex (the man behind Portugal’s Onirik) is another musician that taps into his own REMs for inspiration. In Rex’s case, these dreams manifest themselves into a much darker expression of black metal.” A dream to some, a nightmare to others!

Kaiserreich – Cuore Nero Review

Kaiserreich – Cuore Nero Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on September 10, 2015 in 2015, Black Metal, De Tenebrarum Principio, Italian Metal, Post-metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Post-Metal, 23 comments

“Black metal seems to, borrowing an excellent phrase from Erving Goffman, have been “permanently Wittgensteined” into meaning anything with screeching vocals, tremolo melodies, and blast beats that sounds a little chilly. The indie-black-gaze of Deafheaven, whatever Liturgy is, the poppy trappings of Alcest-core, and a lot of other nonsense seem to land under the umbrella that some of the best releases of the 90s and arguably metal in general built.” Join Diabolus as he tries to prove that black metal is rich and diverse.

One Master – Reclusive Blasphemy Review

One Master – Reclusive Blasphemy Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on July 20, 2015 in 2015, American Metal, Black Metal, Eternal Death, Reviews, Black Metal, 3 comments

“I’m not going to lie. When I got handed the new Reclusive Blasphemy release from New England/New York’s One Master, I immediately assumed they were another one-man outfit nestled firmly in the bosom of pretentiousness, gathering mid-paced black clouds, and smothering the listener in an atmospheric bla(n)ck(et). Not only is One Master a full band, but it also has a sound as raw as sewage.” More black metal fury from New York, because it’s an angry kind of state.

Kommandant – The Architects of Extermination Review

Kommandant – The Architects of Extermination Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on May 4, 2015 in 2015, Aeternitas Tenebrarum Musicae Fundamentum, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 6 comments

“Hailing from Chicago and proclaiming to be the purveyors of “martial black metal,” Kommandant don their Sunday best (consisting of black dress shirts and gas masks), raise banners and wind-torn blackened flags of time-honored propaganda, and set the rhythmic march to the local courthouse. Good thing I’m in no short supply of black button-ups.” Gas masks are very versatile from a fashion perspective.

Kontinuum – Kyrr Review

Kontinuum – Kyrr Review

By Madam X on April 22, 2015 in 2015, Avante Garde, Black Metal, Candlelight Records, Doom Metal, Icelandic Metal, Non-Metal Metal Things, Not Metal, Post-metal, Post-Rock, Reviews, Ambient Metal, Doom Metal, Gothic Metal, Non-metal Metal Things, Post-Metal, Progressive Metal, 37 comments

“The Kontinuum… continues! Not to be confused with the tech death band Continuum reviewed here by Dr. A.N. Grier earlier in the week, Kontinuum are an Icelandic band that plays a multifarious blend of dreamwave and post-rock/metal with some inviting and interesting gothic undertones.” Is Iceland becoming the next Finland?