The most impressive thing about Shade Empire’s new album Sunholy (Candlelight Records) is the range of dynamics it incorporates. However, if you need this to be a Black Metal album you might need to go hunt down the new Taake album or wait for Mayhem’s album to drop, but if you are open to metal that is melodic and offers a great deal of sonic colors then hear me out…
This is one of those one-man Black Metal projects, isn’t it? Figured as much. What gave it away, you ask? Well before even listening to Argenthorn’s The Ravening (Avantgarde Music) the band’s name and record label sort of told me everything I needed to know. That and there’s a track titled ‘I Incursion II A Procession of Spectres.’
Was today the day I realized that blasphemy became played out? Having listened to Angerot’s The Profound Recreant (Redefining Darkness Records) a few times enjoying the volleys of blasts and cacophonous noise I can’t help but wonder if I’ve already heard some of these numbers or themes before. Continue reading
The snow had finally tapered off right when the doors opened for the night’s event at the historic Majestic Theatre. This beloved spot is one of Detroit’s preferred venues to catch a heavy show. Continue reading
From crediting ventriloquist dummies with vocal performances to a former singer whose stage wear involved blue paint and a dress, it’s safe to say that Finnish act …And Oceans has a rather unique history. Starting life as a symphonic black metal act, guitarist and founder member Timo Kontio moved the band towards a more industrial sound before eventually choosing to alter their name accordingly. After releasing one full-length album as Havoc Unit, Kontio returned to the band’s original name and style in 2017, reuniting with former axe partner Teemu Saari along the way.Continue reading
In our latest instalment of Where the Fuck Did All The Time Go? we discover it’s already been twenty-five years since the emergence of Louisiana blackened thrash/death outfit Goatwhore. Formed by guitarist Sammy Duet after the break-up of his previous band, legendary sludge lords Acid Bath, the band’s history can actually be traced back to 1991 when they were known as Kill Gore up until 1997 after Acid Bath, er… dissolved.
Catton Park, United kingdom, 14 Aug 2022, Lamb of God performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine
SATURDAY
Considering most people are already feeling like overcooked baked potatoes wrapped in tin foil, the fact that today is meant to be the hottest day of the festival really isn’t the best news. Still, that certainly doesn’t deter a healthy crowd from shaking off the hangovers and getting on with the business at hand, Baest and Lost Society both grabbing the main stage by the scruff of the neck while Sister Shotgun and Mastiff do the same on the Sophie stage.Continue reading
Hailing from the land of Hans Christian Andersen, Vikings and Lego, Danish melodic death metal act Defacing God exist in the world of witchcraft and the occult, their debut album The Resurrection of Lilith (Napalm Records) a monstrous slab of European extremity with a heavily symphonic touch.
Catton Park, United kingdom, 12 Aug 2022, Behemoth performing on the Ronnie James Dio Stage at Bloodstock Open Air Festival Credit: Rich Price/Ghost Cult Magazine
Main Stage and Sophie Lancaster Stage
THURSDAY
If there are two things we love doing in the UK, it’s complaining about the weather and queuing for things. Well, this year at Bloodstock Open Air, both are freely available and at no extra charge. Not a moment goes by without a comment on the sweltering heat or about having to wait to cross the road to the festival ground. Yes, not content with spending two hours in the main queue, campers have now invented a brand new line to join before even getting that far. For the first time ever, a line has formed for people pulling trolleys and sack carts. Almost a quarter of a mile of people waiting in a surprisingly orderly queue before joining an even bigger queue. England, never change.
With the heat already playing its part, I finally arrive at the Sophie Lancaster Stage in time to catch Italian nutters Nanowar of Steel who send the audience into hysterics with daft costumes and a “Wall of Love” (a traditional wall of death that climaxes with people hugging each other to George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’). Preceding the infuriatingly catchy ‘Norwegian Reggaeton’ with Burzum‘s outdoor recipe for roasted salmon (“you place the freshly caught salmon on a rock and burn down the church next to it”) the band then take the opportunity to use the mighty ‘Valhalleluja’ to build an Ikea coffee table, holding it aloft for the elated crowd. Accompanied by an actual goblin for the duration of their set, US act Nekrogoblikon certainly put on an enjoyable show but find it tough following such a display of irreverent insanity.
It has been a decade since we last received an album from the Southern act Becoming the Archetype. This Georgia-based band is known for their unconventional methods of banging out heavy riffs while proclaiming a positive message. Their last release, I AM was well received with its proggy frills and edgy tech cadences. They gained some attention for their unique ways, so it was a pity when they pressed the pause button in 2013. After taking an indefinite hiatus and going through another lineup change, the boys are now back with their sixth full-length record, Children of the Great Extinction (Solid State Records). Continue reading