I’m convinced that Vindsval, the figure behind peerless enigmatic Black Metal entity Blut aus Nord, picks which styles they want the next BaN album to sound on a whim. On any album, the listener could face beautiful Atmospheric or Melodic Black Metal, such as on one of the Memoria Vetusta albums or 2019’s Hallucinogen. Always bet on black.
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Deitus – Irreversible Review
Indeed a lot of metal doesn’t riff anymore. Particularly, Black Metal is very willing to completely drop rhythmic interest a lot of the time and become a thick, soupy soundscape of trebly tremolo and monotonous blast beats. But what about Deitus? Are they too slaves to the anti-riff?
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Miserere Luminis – Ordalie Review
So how do Miserere Luminis compare to other bands in this largely meandering, long-winded style of metal? Cosmo sorts out what’s what in the land of the kvlt.
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Serpent of Old – Ensemble Under the Dark Sun Review
Transcending Obscurity certainly knows how to sign and release quality Black Metal. This year alone has seen high tier stuff from Decipher and Burial Hordes. Now, Serpent of Old looks to join that pantheon. A brand new band from Turkey, their debut album Ensemble Under the Dark Sun promises long form excellence, if the promo sheet is to be believed. These sheets can be deceiving, though. Does this snake slither its way to success or does it end up eating its tail instead?
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King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation Review
At times this album sounds like what White Zombie or Ministry might have produced had they tried to make a modern Heavy Metal album. Apocalyptic? The title is, at least.
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Oromet – Oromet Review
Running along to canon-ball the already big pile of Doom albums is Oromet, with their grand debut that seemingly came out of nowhere. Starting things off with a 22 minute song that sounds like an expanded version of Pallbearer’s style on their debut album Sorrow and Extinction, this band show that they are equally adapt at making such long songs. Slow motion cannon-balled.
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Church of Misery – Born Under a Mad Sign Review
Church of Misery eschew the drug obsessed and occult lyrics of most stoner acts, instead focusing on serial killers, cult leaders and general psychopathy. It helps color the music. Stoned serial killers
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Sarmat – Determined to Strike Review
After Sarmat’s debut EP surprisingly contained a Pokémon theme cover (and low-key blew my mind in the process), I had high hopes that the full-length would repeat this in a similarly sneaky way. Would other video game themes be covered, possibly similarly obscure ones? Gotta strike ’em all?
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Nithing – Agonal Hymns Review
Nithing are a side and solo project by Vitriol’s drummer, Matt Kilner. Nithing could fall into a similar category as that band. That’s it. There’s Nithing more to say.
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Crypts of the Unknown: Loss – Horizonless
