On …by the shadows… (Prophecy Productions), Norway’s Trelldom shows how Satan can find subtle ways to drag the listener into hell. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Progressive Black Metal
ALBUM REVIEW: Piah Mater – Under The Shadow Of A Foreign Sun
The answer to the question “What if Opeth were Brazilian and even more progressive?”, Rio de Janeiro act Piah Mater return after a six-year absence with the genre-bending Under The Shadow Of A Foreign Sun (Code666 Records).Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Amiensus – Reclamation
The geography of Minnesota is described as being a largely woodland abundant area and, famously, waters, often referred to as “The land of 10,000 lakes”. Such scenery has become synonymous with Black Metal; in particular some of the genre’s more melodic bands as well as acts such as Amorphis (albeit the latter has only A Thousand Lakes). It is no surprise then that visuals of Minnesota would also create such Black Metal, with Amiensus’ roots being in the state. Also, much like some of their similar sounding peers, the likes of Reclamation (M-Theory Audio) are also a somewhat immersive experience which feels ready for the outdoors.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Moonlight Sorcery – Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle
Most extreme metal fans who survived the mid to late nineties will remember just how crucial Finland became in the emergence of the more melodic and experimental side of black metal. While Norway and Sweden clearly held the upper hand in terms of bigger names, their non-Scandinavian neighbours certainly contributed more than their fair share to this exciting new movement.
ALBUM REVIEW: Dawn Ray’d – To Know The Light
The black metal scene has often, and justifiably, been accused of being overly conservative and restrictive. Attempts to make progress within the style or to fuse it with other kinds of music have been met with resistance. Worse still, the stain of far-right politics that has marred certain bands and fans has never been truly rinsed out.
ALBUM REVIEW: Mork – Dypet
At this point, I’m really not sure if Norwegians are resilient, tough, or just plain masochistic. Three months into a year that has already seen record-low temperatures set across the globe and they seem quite happy to let it stay that way. Forget thoughts of spring or summer, Thomas Eriksen, the mastermind behind black metal act Mork, seemingly wants the world to remain in perpetual winter, grimmer and more frostbitten than your average Immortal video.
ALBUM REVIEW: Enslaved – Heimdal
At this point some thirty years into their illustrious career, Enslaved have truly transcended into their own musical entity. Creating a genre in their own image with a highly unique sound that still stays true to their extreme metal roots, but also blends the darkness with the light of progressive rock, and providing two distinct and opposing vocal styles in a way that no other band does.
ALBUM REVIEW: Tómarúm – Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons
Tómarúm is a band tailor-made for extensive, elaborate compositions, overflowing with equal parts technicality and atmospherics. The Georgia-based progressive black metal group put the general public on notice with their scintillating debut full-length, Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons (Prosthetic). Just as each glance at the album cover (courtesy of Mariusz Lewandowski) presents new findings, so to does each listen trigger new emotions.Continue reading
ALBUM REVIEW: Gaahls Wyrd – The Humming Mountain
Having been involved in making underground music for nigh on thirty years, vocalist Gaahl has amassed a body of work ranging from high voltage Black Metal with Gorgoroth and the less polished Trelldom, to the traditional folk stylings of Wardruna, ramping up his progressive blackened leanings with God Seed, before releasing GastiR – Ghosts Invited (Indie Recordings), the debut offering of current vehicle Gaahls Wyrd, in 2019.
False – Portent
Minneapolis is not a frigid northern waste year-round, but it’s a good stand-in for Scandinavia on a frosty winter day. The music that comes from there often conjures the heartless sounds of the birthplace of Black Metal. While also being home to the funky sex god Prince (RIP), the region has notably given us many great modern USBM bands to hand our hats on. The greatest may very well be False, as the sextet continues to hone their sound to perfection. I won’t event front, I have been a huge fan for some time and while they are “emerging” to mainstream ears, I have been down since the beginning, with several EP’s and splits most prized among my collection. So of course, I was amped for the release of Portent (Gilead Media), their new full-length album, so I got ready to dive in hard. Continue reading