“Thyrathen hail from Larissa, the birth place of Achilles, but have elected to honour a different group of the bloody-minded and bloody-handed with their second album, Lakonic. Laconia was home of the Spartans for those who don’t know, and as such, the name suggested I could expect some suitably belligerent, stripped back black metal.” If this is the case, Pete’s ears will rejoice, never to rumble in boredom again… if…
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Eldingar – Lysistrata Review
When Peat see names and album art that suggests a band has an interest in old European history, Peat — after a sad necessity of background checking — takes a look. And when a band, like Eldingar do on their second album Lysistrata, says they’re drawing on black metal, folk, and melodeath, he hits play. You can bait a Peat with melodeath, but can you make him purr?
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Vile Humanity – Disqualified as a Human Review
Deathgrind is a genre that has a lot of sonic variation, despite what someone unfamiliar with it may expect. Vile Species drink from Repulsion’s well, with audible guitars and a focus on fast, nasty riffs with just the right amount of thrash and black metal influence. Will their album live up to the striking cover art and title?
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Kawir – Kydoimos Review
One of the seemingly endless joys of being a metal fan is stumbling across a band that’s old as the hills but somehow new to you. Kawir is a good example. They released their first demo in 1993 and Kydoimos is their eighth studio album. You could say that up until this point, it was all Greek to our poor Anti-Peat.
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Saturday Night Satan – All Things Black Review
All Things Black is more early Ghost than The Devil’s Blood and more Scooby Doo than it is The Omen. Something about the songs can be quite catchy and a lot of it sits in guilty pleasure territory. Deplorable or delicious, or both?
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Varathron – The Crimson Temple Review
The factor that sets Varathron apart from other bands playing a similar style is the catchy, fun sound they give the listener. It’s hard not to pump your fist at “Immortalis Regnum Diaboli”. The Crimson Temple has opened its doors for the faithful. It’s up to you if you choose to worship at this altar or not. The Varathron Witnesses are knocking at your door.
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Burial Hordes – Ruins Review
A pummeled Cosmo lives to tell the tale of these blackened deadly greeks.
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Thy Darkened Shade – Liber Lvcifer II: Mahaprala Review
Ritualistic Black Metal. An instant turn-on for some, an instant “eww, gross” from others. For me, it’s one of my favorite aspects of what Black Metal can be. Thy Darkened Shade has opened its doors once again (after 8 years of nothing save for some splits) with the second part of the grand trilogy Liber Lvcifer. Is it a worthy followup to its predecessor?
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Crypts of the Unknown: Bergraven – Det Framlidna Minnet
