#AtmosphericBlackMetal

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/la-torture-des-tenebres-episode-vii-revenge-of-unfailing-valor-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">La Torture des Ténèbres – Episode VII – Revenge of Unfailing Valor Review</a>By Dear HollowLa Torture des Ténèbres, in spite of the sadistic propensity for aural flaying, offers a unique voice in black metal. A one-woman show with an aesthetic evoking dystopian urban shimmer, decopunk, classic science fiction, and the space age, it conjures images of glittering mile-high cities built on the backs of the impoverished, brave women overcoming the adversity of the stars, the sneaking static cutting through a dictator’s commands through the radio, the jazzy bombasts of the elite’s decadent galas – and the loneliness of it all. There is no overselling just how noisy and jarring this act’s sound is on the ears, but lone mastermind JK has concocted a trademark stew that makes it stand out in nearly every way. Episode VII arrives a mere five months after its predecessor, expressing a fusion of its aesthetics.Episode VII – Revenge of Unfailing Valor deals in a sound that retains La Torture des Ténèbres’ signature style, the vicious rawness and lonely melodic tremolo leads while fusing its two aesthetic influences. 2016 began with the formidably raw and ambient spacefaring canon of Choirs of Emptiness and Acadian Nights,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/la-torture-des-tenebres-episode-vii-revenge-of-unfailing-valor-review/#fn-213887-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> but was reinterpreted by the more dystopian Civilization is the Tomb of Our Noble Gods, which set the tone for the following releases up to <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/la-torture-des-tenebres-v-the-lost-colony-of-altar-vista-things-you-might-have-missed-2024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">last year’s</a> V and The Lost Colony of Altar Vista. In this way, Episode VII – Revenge of Unfailing Valor blends these two themes, dystopian civilizations set amongst the stars, its vast colonies and glorious cities plagued by inequality, sexism, and the hive mind’s whims.La Torture des Ténèbres lives up to Revenge of Unfailing Valor’s description (“VOLITIONAL EXPLOITATION // SMOULDERING HIVES”) by channeling its trademark melodic template and ambient sensibilities into a fuller sound that amps violence while hinting at a tragic heart beneath machinelike mania. Its trademark is intact: the rawness and utter saturation of rawness is ubiquitous, as even its more placid moments of lonely melodies are scathing. However, one distinction is melodic motifs that tie the album into one cohesive whole: an ascending jazzy synth run (“Vast Black Claws Drag Her Back to Space,” “Metropolitan Warfare,” “Out of All the Years We’ve Come…”) and sanguine synth melodies (“The Second Piscean Abyss,” “Angels”). As always, this is communicated through the ebb and flow of three prongs of scathing second-wave blasting/tremolo/shrieking, lonely tremolo, and distorted vintage samples. This arsenal and dynamic are as intriguing as they are jarring, samples and melodies inviting comparisons to classic science fiction (“Vast Black Claws…,” “The Second Piscean Abyss”) and the roarin’ twenties worship of decopunk (“Breathe in the Fucking Sawdust and Die,” “Yes But Can a Camp Girl Do This”). The first act in particular utilizes a bombast of violent second-wave rawness in contrast with an over-the-top sample presence. A grandiosity pervades in a way that recalls predecessor V, but La Torture des Ténèbres‘ fuller sound adds to the assault – tinnitus is guaranteed.The second half of Episode VII finds La Torture des Ténèbres taking risks – the samples are fewer, the melodies are far more tragic and empty, and there is rest to be found. The brutal mid-album climax in “The Second Piscean Abyss” allows for reinterpretation for “Metropolitan Warfare” and beyond, trademark and motifs carrying across in emptier and more tragic melodies and moments (i.e. the release of all sound but tinny tremolo and blastbeats in “Traditions” and total collapses into noise in “Out of All the Years…”). This reinforces the need for bulletproof songwriting rather than reliance on samples and jarring movements to do the heavy lifting, and JK is up to the task. “Angels” is placed perfectly, its minimalist, distorted, and aptly angelic sample providing rest for the weary ears – for the first time in La Torture des Ténèbres’ career.La Torture des Ténèbres will not sway any naysayers of raw black or blackened noise. In fact, many will point to their ringing ears or pinched nerves<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/la-torture-des-tenebres-episode-vii-revenge-of-unfailing-valor-review/#fn-213887-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> and say “See??” after Episode VII concludes with the noise fadeout of “Out of All the Years…”. Those who are willing to endure will find treasures aplenty, an opus of hyper-atmospheric, excessively noisy, and endlessly tragic melodies and motifs. Episode VII – Revenge of Unfailing Valor sweeps you away to a universe yet to be explored; but even in the dead vacuum of space or within mankind’s hive-mind colonies, you can’t escape your humanity. Rating: 4.0/5.0 DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: PCM Label: Self-Released Website: <a href="http://latorturedestenebres.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">latorturedestenebres.bandcamp.com</a> Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/40/" target="_blank">#40</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ambient-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AmbientBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ambient-noise/" target="_blank">#AmbientNoise</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/canadian-metal/" target="_blank">#CanadianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/chaosophia/" target="_blank">#Chaosophia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/episode-vii-revenge-of-unfailing-valor/" target="_blank">#EpisodeVIIRevengeOfUnfailingValor</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/la-torture-des-tenebres/" target="_blank">#LaTortureDesTénèbres</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/mar25/" target="_blank">#Mar25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/noise/" target="_blank">#Noise</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/raw-black-metal/" target="_blank">#RawBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-released/" target="_blank">#SelfReleased</a>

sariashThe debut album Lugburz by Summoning has its 30th birthday today. However, I don't like it, so their latest album ‘With Doom We Come’ from 2018 is <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/NowPlaying" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NowPlaying</a> instead.album.link <a href="https://album.link/i/1326357738" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://album.link/i/1326357738</a><a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/Music" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Music</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/Metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Metal</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/AtmosphericBlackMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/TolkienMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TolkienMetal</a> <a href="https://social.tchncs.de/tags/Summoning" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Summoning</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-january-2025s-angry-misses/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Stuck in the Filter: January 2025’s Angry Misses</a>By KenstrosityWe enter January under the impression that our underpowered filtration system couldn’t possibly get any more clogged up. Those blistering winds that overwhelm the vents with an even greater portion of debris and detritus pose a great challenge and a grave danger to my minions. Crawling through the refuse as more flies in all william-nilliam, my faithful lackeys brave the perils of the job and return, as they always do, with solid chunks of semi-precious ore.And so I stand before you, my greedy little gremlins, in a freshly pressed flesh suit that only the elite like myself adorn, and present January 2025’s Filter finds. REJOICE! Kenstrosity’s Fresh(ish) Finds <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558258028637" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bloodcrusher</a> // Voidseeker [January 9th, 2025 – <a href="https://barfbagrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Barf Bag Records</a>]The sun rises on a new year, and most are angrier than ever. What’s a better way to process that anger than jamming a phat slab of brutal slamming deathcore into your gob, right? Oregon one-man-slammajamma Bloodcrusher understand this, and so sophomore outburst Voidseeker provides the goods. These are tunes meant not for musicality or delicacy but for brute-force face-caving. Ignorant stomps and trunk-rattling slams trade blows with serrated tremolo slides and a dry pong snare with a level of ferocity uncommon even in this unforgiving field (“Agonal Cherubim ft. Jack Christensen”). Feel the blistering heat of choice cuts “Serpents Circle ft. Azerate Nakamura” or “Death Battalion: Blood Company ft. The Gore Corps” and you have no choice but to submit to their immense heft. Prime lifting material, Voidseeker’s most straightforward cuts guarantee shattered PRs and spontaneous combustion of your favorite gym shorts as your musculature explodes in volume (“Slave Cult,” “Sanguis Aeternus,” “Blood Frenzy”). If you ask me, that sounds like a wonderful problem to have. As they pummel your cranium into dust with deadly slam riffs (“Malus et Mortis ft. Ryan Sporer,” “Seeker of the Void,” “Earthcrusher”) or hack and slash your bones with serrated tremolos (“Razors of Anguish,” “Methmouth PSA”), remember that Bloodcrusher is only trying to help.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SkaldrOfficial/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Skaldr</a> // Saṃsṛ [January 31st, 2025 – <a href="http://www.avantgardemusic.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Avantgarde Music</a>]Virginia’s black metal upstarts Skaldr don’t do anything new. If you’ve heard any of black metal’s second wave, or even more melodic fare by some of my favorite meloblack bands like <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/oubliette-the-passage-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Oubliette</a>, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stormkeep-tales-of-othertime-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Stormkeep</a>, and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/vorga-beyond-the-palest-star-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Vorga</a>, Skaldr’s material feels like a cozy blanket of fresh snow. Kicking off their second record, Saṃsṛ, in epic fashion, “The Sum of All Loss” evokes a swaying dance that lulls me into its otherwordly arms. As Saṃsṛ progresses through its seven movements, tracks like the gorgeous “Storms Collide” and the lively “The Crossing” strike true every synapse in my brain, flooding my system with a goosebump-inducing fervor quelled solely by the burden of knowing it must end. Indeed, these short 43 minutes leave me ravenous for more, as Skaldr’s lead-focused wiles charm me over and over again without excess repetition of motifs or homogenization of tones and textures (“From Depth to Dark,” “The Cinder, The Flame, The Sun”). Some of its best moments eclipse its weakest, but weak moments are thankfully few and far between. In reality, Skaldr‘s most serious flaw is that they align so closely with their influences, thereby limiting Saṃsṛ‘s potential to stand out. Nonetheless, it represents one of the more engaging and well-realized examples of the style. Hear it!<a href="https://subterraneanlavadragon.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Subterranean Lava Dragon</a> // The Great Architect [January 23rd, 2025 – Self Release]Formed from members of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/black-crown-initiate-violent-portraits-of-doomed-escape-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Black Crown Initiate</a> and Minarchist, Pennsylvania’s Subterranean Lava Dragon take the successful parts of their pedigree’s progressive death metal history and transplant them into epic, fantastical soundscapes on their debut LP The Great Architect. Despite the riff-focused, off-kilter nature of The Great Architect, there lies a mystical, mythical backbone behind everything Subterranean Lava Dragon do (“The Great Architect,” “Bleed the Throne”). Delicate strums of the guitar, multifaceted percussion, and noodly soloing provide a thoughtful thread behind the heaviest crush of prog-death riffs and rabid roars, a combination that favorably recalls Blind the Huntsmen (“The Silent Kin,” “A Dream of Drowning”). In a tight 42 minutes, Subterranean Lava Dragon approaches progressive metal with a beastly heft and a compelling set of teeth—largely driven by the expert swing and swagger of the bass guitar—that differentiates The Great Architect from the greater pool of current prog. Yet, its pursuit of creative song structure, reminiscent of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/obsidious-iconic-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Obsidious</a> at times, allows textured gradations and nuanced layers to elevate the final product (“A Question of Eris,” “Ov Ritual Matricide”). It is for these reasons that I heartily recommend The Great Architect to anyone who appreciates smart, but still dangerous and deadly, metal. Thus Spoke’s Likeable Leftovers<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BesnaBand/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Besna</a> // Krásno [January 16th, 2025 – Self Release]It was the esteemed Doom et Al who first made me aware of Solvakian post-black group Besna. 2022’s Zverstvá was charming and moving in equal respects, with its folky vibe amplifying the punch of blackened atmosphere and epicness. With Krásno, the group take things in a sharper, more refined, and still more compelling direction, showing real evolution and improvement. The vague leanings towards the electronic play a larger role (“Zmráka sa,” “Hranice”), but songs also make use of snappier, and stronger emotional surges (“Krásno,” “Mesto spí”), the polished production to the atmospherics counterbalanced sleekly by the rough, ardent screams and pleasingly prominent percussion. Krásno literally translates as ‘beautiful,’ and Besna get away with titling their sophomore so bluntly because it is accurate. Melodies are more sweeping and stirring (“Krásno,” “Oceán prachu,” “Meso spí”), and the integration of the harsh amidst the mellow is executed more affectively (“Hranice,” “Bezhviezdna obloha”) than in the band’s previous work. Particularly potent are Krásno’s subtle nods and reprises of harmonic themes spanning the record (“Krásno,” “Oceán prachu,” “Mesto spí”), recurring like waves in an uplifting way that reminds me of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/deadly-carnage-endless-blue-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Deadly Carnage</a>‘s Through the Void, Above the Suns. Barely scraping past half an hour, the beautiful Krásno can be experienced repeatedly in short succession; which is the very least this little gem deserves. Tyme’s Ticking Bomb<a href="https://www.instagram.com/traumabond_/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Trauma Bond</a> // Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone [January 12, 2025 – Self-Released]Conceptualized by multi-instrumentalist Tom Mitchell<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-january-2025s-angry-misses/#fn-212851-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> and vocalist Eloise Chong-Gargette, London, England’s Trauma Bond plays grindcore with a twist. Formed in 2020 and on the heels of two other EPs—’21’s The Violence of Spring and ’22’s Winter’s Light—January 2025 sees Trauma Bond release its first proper album, Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone, the third in a seasonally themed quadrilogy. Twisting and reshaping the boundaries of grindcore, not unlike <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/beaten-to-death-sunrise-over-rigor-mortis-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Beaten to Death</a> or Big Chef, Trauma Bond douses its grind with a gravy boat full of sludge. Past the moodily tribal and convincing intro “Brushed by the Storm” lies fourteen minutes of grindy goodness (“Regards,” “Repulsion”), sludgian skullduggery (“Chewing Fat”), and caustic cantankerousness (“Thumb Skin for Dinner”). You’ll feel violated and breathless even before staring down the barrel of nine-and-a-half minute closer “Dissonance,” a gargantuanly heavy ear-fuck that will liquefy what’s left of the organs inside your worthless skin with its slow, creeping sludgeastation. I was not expecting to hear what Trauma Bond served up, as the minimalist cover art drew me in initially, but I’m digging it muchly. Independently released, Summer Ends. Some Are Long Gone is a hell of an experience and should garner Trauma Bond a label partner. I’ll be hoping for that, continuing to support them, and looking forward to whatever autumn brings. Iceberg’s Bleak Bygones<a href="https://barshasketh.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Barshasketh</a> // <a href="https://barshasketh.bandcamp.com/album/antinomian-asceticism" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Antinomian Asceticsm </a>[January 9th, 2025 – W.T.C Productions]My taste for black metal runs a narrow, anti-secondwave path. I want oppressive, nightmarish atmosphere, sure, but I also crave rich, modern production and technically proficient instrumental performances. Blending the fury of early Behemoth, the cinematic scope of Deathspell Omega, and the backbeat-supported drones of Panzerfaust, Barshasketh’s latest fell square in my target area. The pealing bells of “Radiant Aperture” beckoned me into Antinomian Asceticsm’s sacred space, a dark world populated with rippling drum fills, surprisingly melodic guitar work, and a varied vocal attack that consistently keeps things fresh. With the average track length in the 6-minute territory, repeat listens are necessary to reveal layers of rhythm and synth atmosphere that give the album its complexity. A throwaway interlude (“Phaneron Engulf”) and a drop in energy in the second and third tracks stop this from being a TYMHM entry, but anyone with a passing interest in technical black metal with lots of atmosphere should check this out.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/deussabaothband/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Deus Sabaoth</a> // <a href="https://deussabaoth.bandcamp.com/album/cycle-of-death" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cycle of Death </a>[January 17th, 2025 – Self-Released]Deus Sabaoth have a lot going for them to catch my attention, beyond that absolutely entrancing cover art. Released under the shadow of war, this debut record from the Ukrainian trio bills itself as “Baroque metal,” another tag that piqued my interest. Simply put, Deus Sabaoth play melodic black metal, but there’s a lot more brewing under the surface. I hear the gothic, unsettled storytelling of The Vision Bleak, the drenching laments of Draconian, and the diligent, dynamic riffing of Mistur. The core metal ensemble of guitar, bass and drums is present, but the trio is augmented by a persistent accompaniment of piano and strings. The piano melodies—often doubled on the guitar—are where the baroque influence shines the greatest, echoing the bouncing, repetitive styling of a toccata (“Mercenary Seer,” “Faceless Warrior”). The vocals are something of an acquired taste, mainly due to their too-far-forward mix, but there’s a vitality and drive to this album that keeps me hooked throughout. And while its svelte 7 song runtime feels more like an EP at times, Cycle of Death shows enough promise from the young band that I’ll keep my eyes peeled in the future. GardensTale’s Tab of Acid<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088721422001" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">I Don’t Do Drugs, I Am Drugs</a> // <a href="https://idontdodrugsiamdrugs1.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">I Don’t Do Drugs, I Am Drugs</a> [January 27th, 2025 – Self-released]When you name yourself after a famous Salvador Dalí quote, you better be prepared to back it up with an appropriate amount of weird shit. Thankfully, I Don’t Do Drugs, I Am Drugs strives to be worthy of the moniker. The band’s self-titled debut is a psychedelic prog-death nightmare of off-kilter riffs, structures that seem built upon dream logic, layers of ethereal synths and bizarre mixtures of vocal styles. The project was founded by Scott Hogg, guitarist for Cyclops Cataract, who is responsible for everything but the vocals. That includes all the songwriting. Hogg throws the listener off with an ever-shifting array of Gojira-esque plodding syncopation and thick, throbbing layers of harmonics that lean discordant without fully shifting into dissonance. But the songs float as easily into other-worldly soundscapes (“The Tree that Died in it’s[sic] Sleep”) or off-putting balladry (“Confierous”). BP of Madder Mortem handles vocals, and he displays an aptitude for the many facets required to buoy the intriguing but unintuitive music, his shouts and screams and cleans and hushes often layered together in strange strata either more or less than human. The combined result resembles a nightmare Devin may have had around 2005 after listening too much Ephel Duath. It’s not yet perfected; the ballad doesn’t quite work, and the compositions are sometimes a bit too dedicated to their lack of handholds. But it’s a hell of a trip, and a very convincing mission statement. A band to keep an eye on! Dear Hollow’s Gunk Behooval <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bloodbark/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bloodbark</a> // <a href="https://bloodbark.bandcamp.com/album/sacred-sound-of-solitude" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sacred Sound of Solitude </a>[January 3rd, 2025 – <a href="https://northern-silence.de/en/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Northern Silence Productions</a>]Bloodbark’s debut Bonebranches offered atmospheric black metal a minimalist spin, as cold and relentless as Paysage d’Hiver, as textured as Fen, and as barren as the mountains it depicts, exuding a natural crispness that recalls Falls of Rauros. Seven years later, we are graced with its follow-up, the majestic Sacred Sound of Solitude. Like its predecessor, the classic atmoblack template is cut with post-black to create an immensely rich and dynamic tapestry, lending all the hallmarks of frostbitten blackened sound (shrieks, blastbeats, tremolo) with the depth of a more modern approach. Twinkling leads, frosty synths, and forlorn piano survey the frigid vistas, while the more furious blackened portions scale snowbound peaks, utilized with the utmost restraint and bound by yearning chord progressions (“Glacial Respite,” “Griever’s Domain”). A new element in the act’s sound is clean vocals (“Time is Nothing,” “Augury of Snow”), which lend a far more melancholy vibe alongside trademark shrieking. Bloodbark offers top-tier atmospheric black metal, a reminder of the always-looming winter. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GreatAmericanGhost" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Great American Ghost</a> // <a href="https://www.gag-totc.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Tragedy of the Commons </a>[January 31st, 2025 – <a href="https://sharptonerecords.co/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">SharpTone Records</a>]Boston’s Great American Ghost used to be extremely one-note, a coattail-rider of the likes of Kublai Khan and Knocked Loose. Deathcore muscles whose veins pulse to the beat of a hardcore heart, you’d be forgiven to see opener “Kerosene” as a sign of stagnation – chunky breakdowns and punk beats, feral barks and callouts, and a hardcore frowny face sported throughout. But Tragedy of the Commons is a far more layered affair, with echoes of metalcore past (“Ghost in Flesh,” “Hymns of Decay”), pronounced and tasteful nu-metal influence a la Deftones (“Genocide,” “Reality/Relapse”), and more variety in their rhythms and tempos, reflecting a Fit for an Autopsy-esque cutthroat intensity and ominous crescendos alongside a more pronounced influence of melody and manic dissonance (“Echoes of War,” “Forsaken”). Is it still meatheaded? Absolutely. Are its more “experimental” pieces in just well-trodden paths of metalcore bands past? Oh definitely. But gracing Great American Ghost a voice beyond the hardcore beatdowns does Tragedy of the Commons good and gives this one-trick pony another trail to wander. Steel Druhm’s Detestible Digestibles<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GutsBandOfficial/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Guts</a> // <a href="https://guts3.bandcamp.com/album/nightmare-fuel-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nightmare Fuel</a> [January 31st, 2025 – Self-Release]Finland’s Guts play a weird “caveman on a Zamboni” variant of groove-heavy death metal that mixes OSDM with sludge and stoner elements for something uniquely sticky and pulversizing. On Nightmare Fuel, the material keeps grinding forward at a universal mid-tempo pace powered by phat, crushing grooves. “571” sounds like a Melvins song turned into a death metal assault, and it shouldn’t work, but it very much does. The blueprint for what Guts do is so basic, but they manage to keep cracking skulls on track after track as you remain locked in place helplessly. Nightmare Fuel is a case study into how less can be MOAR, as Guts staunchly adhere to their uncomplicated approach and make it work so well. Each track introduces a rudimentary riff and beats you savagely with it for 3-4 minutes with little variation. Things reset for the next track, and a new riff comes out to pound you into schnitzel all over again. This is the Guts experience, and you will be utterly mulched by massive prime movers like “Mortar” and “Ravenous Leech,” the latter of which sounds like an old Kyuss song refitted with death vocals and unleashed upon mankind. The relentlessly monochromatic riffs are things of minimalist elegance that you need to experience. Nightmare Fuel is a slow-motion ride straight into a brick wall, so brace for a concrete facial.<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/antinomian-asceticism/" target="_blank">#AntinomianAsceticism</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/avantgarde-music/" target="_blank">#AvantgardeMusic</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/barf-bag-records/" 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El Pregoner del MetallWIEDERGÄNGER (Alemanya) presenta nou àlbum: "Stillborn Grace of Liberty" <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Wiederg%C3%A4nger" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wiedergänger</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AtmosphericBlackMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Mar%C3%A72025" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Març2025</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Alemanya" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Alemanya</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Nou%C3%80lbum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NouÀlbum</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Metall" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Metall</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Metal</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/M%C3%BAsicaMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MúsicaMetal</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/MetalMusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MetalMusic</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/aspaarn-oblations-in-atrocity-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Aspaarn – Oblations in Atrocity Review</a>By Dear HollowShockingly, raw black metal isn’t really known for its accessibility. Its cult utilizes the most discordant of black metal’s already discordant approaches, but its worshipers may notice the range of barbed noise to cloaks of fuzz that populate lo-fi productions. Switzerland’s one-man raw black show Aspaarn utilizes both clarity and opacity alike to cast shadows of a dark wilderness worthy of its cover, with just enough reverb to lend a ghostly presence wandering amid the thickets and pines. While the stereotype lands in moonlit purple castles and catacombs of dust and shadows, there’s a distinctly wild and uncharted feeling about Aspaarn.The phrase “raw black” doesn’t always wrap up neatly in a Nattens Madrigal-shaped box, and Aspaarn’s sound reflects this complexity. While reveling in that classic barbed clarity of Ildjarn, its ghostly haze recalls the likes of Revenant Marquis, adding to the disorientation. It ultimately ends up sounding a bit like Kryatjurr of Desert Ahd or El-Ahrairah: classically bleak and morbid black metal chord progressions wildly transfigured into a psychedelic and otherworldly visage. Composed of multi-instrumentalist Solaris Lupus, also of the likeminded Lord Valtgryftåke and Svartokunnighet, the Aspaarn project’s fourth full-length Oblations in Atrocity oscillates between second-wave frigid rawness and atmospheric wherewithal that never forsakes its teeth.In spite of the genre of choice, Aspaarn’s instrumental attack is surprisingly clear, and Lupus’ grasp on songwriting is very firm. Layers of tremolo and bass lead the attack, with the inherent dissonance and minor keys giving Oblations in Atrocity a disorienting feeling (“Duty in Hecatomb,” “Boundless Hunger”), further emphasized by shifting tempos and rhythms, often taking a mad waltz reminiscent of Grave Pilgrim. Drums anchor this sound with precision and reliability, but a sharper trash-can-lid snare graces it a nimbleness that adds a distinct insanity to it as well (“The Order of Fear,” “Memories in Suffering”). Chord progressions are the backbone of every track and are directly rooted in classic Darkthrone’s permafrost soil, allowing its morbid and morose atmosphere to shine in the best possible way. The balance between clarity and opacity is key, as rawness and noise can tend to overwhelm basic musical movement, but Aspaarn’s deft hand manages to keep it surprisingly restrained.While clarity adds that kvlt intensity and relentless attack, the tools guiding opacity in Oblations in Atrocity give it its supernatural lean. Vocals are most obvious right off the bat, with Lupus’ shrieks and roars cloaked in a thick veil of reverb, giving it a far more haunting feeling than many raw black metal stereotypes. When clean vocals are utilized, they take on a choral quality, nearly liturgical, driving home the album’s blasphemous atmosphere (“Silence of the Gods,” “All Reaching Misery”). One thing that puts Aspaarn in distinction is its ability to sound atmospheric without an overreliance on synths or keys, like genre greats Paysage d’Hiver or Lunar Aurora. In fact, there are very few obvious occurrences of “ambient” vestiges apart from the closer, which just drives home the second-wave worship that pervades Oblations in Atrocity.For all the balance and atmospheric prowess Aspaarn offers with Oblations in Atrocity, it remains raw black metal, a particularly divisive and unfriendly take on an already divisive and unfriendly style. The vocals, while contributing to the otherworldly and supernatural feel in ways I saw as a clear highlight, are quite loud and can overwhelm the sound. The jarring tempo and rhythm changes, guided by the feral drumming, are an acquired taste but ultimately guide the labyrinthine panic and uncharted wilderness that course through the album. The first half of closer “All Reaching Misery” feels painfully directionless until the atmospheric passages give them purpose. What can I say, it’s raw black metal. Ultimately, Aspaarn has created an album that won’t change your mind about the style, but offers treats and bounties aplenty for those who like their music more with a generous side of pain. Rating: 3.0/5.0 DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: PCM Label: Self-Released Website: töö kvlt för v Releases Worldwide: February 15th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/30/" target="_blank">#30</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/aspaarn/" target="_blank">#Aspaarn</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/darkthrone/" target="_blank">#Darkthrone</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/el-ahrairah/" target="_blank">#ElAhrairah</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/feb25/" target="_blank">#Feb25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/grave-pilgrim/" target="_blank">#GravePilgrim</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ildjarn/" target="_blank">#Ildjarn</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/kryatjurr-of-desert-ahd/" target="_blank">#KryatjurrOfDesertAhd</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/lord-valtgryftake/" target="_blank">#LordValtgryftåke</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/lunar-aurora/" target="_blank">#LunarAurora</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/oblations-in-atrocity/" target="_blank">#OblationsInAtrocity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/paysage-dhiver/" target="_blank">#PaysageDHiver</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/raw-black-metal/" target="_blank">#RawBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/revenant-marquis/" target="_blank">#RevenantMarquis</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-released/" target="_blank">#SelfReleased</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/svartokunnighet/" target="_blank">#Svartokunnighet</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/swiss-metal/" target="_blank">#SwissMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ulver/" target="_blank">#Ulver</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/grima-nightside-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Grima – Nightside Review</a>By CarcharodonSiberia’s Grima and I are old friends. Even though I only managed to snaffle reviewing rights on their last outing, 2022’s Frostbitten, each of their three releases since I started my indeterminate sentence here at AMG Industries has made my year-end Lists. From the raw, folksy, accordion-driven black metal charms of Will of the Primordial (2019), through the more grandiose (if ever so slightly tropey) atmoblack of Rotten Garden (2021) to pick-of-the-pack Frostbitten, Grima has my number. Keeping runtimes tight (apart from their 2015 debut, always in that 43-48 minute sweetspot), accordions high and temperatures close to absolute zero, brothers Vilhelm and Morbius (also of Second to Sun<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/grima-nightside-review/#fn-212987-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a>) just know how to construct great albums. Since we last saw them, however, Grima has moved away from the great black metal label Naturmacht Productions, to join Napalm Records. While no doubt very good for the band, and deserved recognition of their labors, this left me doing infuriating battle with Napalm’s stream-only version of latest outing, Nightside. Have the repeated pauses and refusals to play<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/grima-nightside-review/#fn-212987-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> dented my enjoyment?At this point, it feels like Grima’s songwriting is quite deliberate. That may feel like an odd thing to say. Isn’t songwriting always deliberate? Well, yes. And no. Perhaps “reflective” would be a better descriptor. What I mean is that it seems like the brothers take time to digest their last work before tweaking the dials to lock in what worked while refining other parts. We saw the ‘atmoblack’ dial being cranked for Rotten Garden, while it was nudged back down again and the ‘speed’ knob twizzled for Frostbitten. For Nightside, the dial marked “accordion/bayan” has had a damn good thrashing (courtesy of Sergey Pastukh, once again) and, if there were an adjustment labelled “urgency,” that has also hit 11. Nightside feels vibrant, alive and dripping atmosphere (“The Nightside”), with guest drummer Vlad in propulsive gear (“Beyond the Dark Horizon”), while Vilhelm and Morbius’ dual guitar attack channels every crystalline, hoarfrost encrusted tremolo we could want (“Where We Are Lost”).Taking everything that was great about Frostbitten, Grima has circled back to sweep up some of the more traditional influences on Will of the Primordial, combining them with liquid smooth pacing that shifts perfectly track to track. It seems unnecessary at this point to note that Vilhelm’s harsh vox are among the best black metal rasps available today, marshalling the iciest of tundra winds to shred your eardrums. On “Impending Death Premonition” and “Curse of the Void,” he is joined by guests Savely Nevzorov and Ilya Panyuko, who contribute deep, clean backing vocals that elevate the sound further. Echoing this vocal feel, in the slower moments of Nightside, there’s something teetering on the edge of a symphonic doom sound (the opening to “Flight of the Silver Storm” and mid-sections of “Skull Gatherers”). While, in the faster passages (including the accordion … riff? … that rears up during instrumental “Intro (Cult)”), there is a sort of rabid intensity that hits peak Grima (front half of “The Nightside” and back half of next track “Where we are Lost,” forming a great arc).Mixed and mastered, as before, by Second to Sun guitarist Vladimir Lehtinen, Grima sound just as good on Nightside as they did on Frostbitten (subject to the caveats around only having a stream, yada yada, etc.). The guitars are quite forward in the mix but their crystalline tone means they don’t dominate, while the accordion is given a lot of space to do its wonderful thing. Vilhelm’s vocals are well-balanced and cut through like the proverbial icy wind, giving the whole an extra bite. Grima’s songwriting continues to progress, and Nightside feels like the most nuanced and best-paced outing to date. If I have one criticism of this record, it’s that I’d like it to just go a little harder in a few places. The one-two of mid-album cuts “The Nightside” and “Where we are Lost” is some of, if not the, best material Grima has ever written, and that is because they go hard.So, did the stream ruin Nightside for me? Well, no, but it tried its bloody hardest. And I do think that, if I’d been able to enjoy this record’s obvious flow without it constantly stopping, refusing to play, and so on, the score could have been even higher than it is. While that may see Steel celebrating, and I hope the new deal serves Grima well, I don’t know why it’s so hard for labels—if they insist on sharing stream-only promo—to make those streams, I don’t know how to put this, um, work? Since it tends to be higher profile bands that are impacted by this, the labels are only harming their most valuable assets. Rating: 4.0/5.0 DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream only Label: <a href="https://napalmrecords.com/english/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Napalm Records</a> Websites: <a href="http://grima.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">grima.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/grimablackmetal" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/grimablackmetal</a> Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/40/" target="_blank">#40</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/feb25/" target="_blank">#Feb25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/folk-metal/" target="_blank">#FolkMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/grima/" target="_blank">#Grima</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/napalm-records/" target="_blank">#NapalmRecords</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nightside/" target="_blank">#Nightside</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/russian-metal/" target="_blank">#RussianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/second-to-sun/" target="_blank">#SecondToSun</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kryptan-violence-our-power-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kryptan – Violence, Our Power Review</a>By TymeAtmospheric black metal band Kryptan is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and thirty-plus-year Swedish metal scene veteran Mattias Norrman. Having spent a decade (1999-2009) as the bassist for Katatonia, Norrman is now most known for his guitar work in October Tide and Moondark. Long influenced and fascinated by black metal, however, especially the Norwegian and Swedish scenes of the nineties, Kryptan represents a passion project, providing Norrman an outlet for yet another avenue of extreme exhibition. Formed in 2020 with fellow October Tide and Moondark vocalist Alexander Högbom, Kryptan released a 2021 self-titled EP with Debemur Morti Productions. Blurbily described by new label Edged Circle Productions as ‘children of the plague and enthusiasts of the sinister,’ Kryptan prepares to offer an official statement of intent with its debut album, Violence, Our Power. Having covered Moondark‘s thirty-years-in-the-making debut album,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kryptan-violence-our-power-review/#fn-210502-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> I was excited to write my first review with some connective tissue on the bone, which left me with only one question: is Kryptan any good?Kryptan‘s black metal comes draped in the heaviest of Swedish shrouds. Full of dissonantly lilting strums that float and sway among trilly leads and punk-edgy riffs (“Det är döden som krävs”), Norrman tosses in a dash of speedy Dissection (“Violence, Our Power”) here and a sprinkle of Shining (“Vägen til’ våld”) there to spice up the chalice of blood you’ll drink from during the full-on Watainic rite that is Violence, Our Power. Leave the noisome, Rabid Death’s Curse-like rawness in the basement, Kryptan wears its Sworn to the Dark heart on its sleeve, reveling in Lawless Darkness levels of sonic worship. A deftly injected dose of keyboards rounds out Kryptan‘s sonic palette, adding compelling synth-phonics without ever spilling over into complete Ihsahn-mode. And while Christian Larsson’s mix doesn’t leave much room for Norrman’s bassinations to surface,<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kryptan-violence-our-power-review/#fn-210502-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> there’s a bottom-heavy warmth to the sound on Violence, Our Power that works, allowing Victor Parri’s capable session drum work to drive the synth-infused riffastation. Mattias Norrman’s trachea-crushing grip on conjuring a swanky Swedish black metal sound means Violence, Our Power is an album full of highlights, and still, Alexander Högbom’s vocal performance elevates the package with voracious variety.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kryptan-violence-our-power-review/#fn-210502-3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3</a> Högbom manifests his inner Erik Danielsson effectively across the entire Violence, Our Powerscape, lending extra menace to the guttural growls of the chorus from “I Hope They Die” to the Kvarforthian wailings of “Vägen til’ våld,” the pain emoted in his languished shouts and howls (“The Miracle Inside” and “Purge”) is all but undeniable. Violence, Our Power is a strong enough album that it would have held its own against anything released in the Swedish scene from 2005 to 2010. While this indicates, nearly fifteen years later, that Kryptan is not at all interested in pushing the boundaries of black metal to new heights, I give them points for executing at such a high level. From the just-enough-to-leave-me-wanting-more runtime of forty minutes to the cover art, a beautifully rendered ink illustration by German occult artist Ikosidio, Violence, Our Power is the total package and would have had me dropping cold hard cash sight unheard back in the day. My critiques, though minor, lie mainly with the unnecessary intro, “The Unheard Plea from Thousands of Broken Hands,” and the sheer derivative veneration of Watain worship on display, which could turn some listeners off.<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kryptan-violence-our-power-review/#fn-210502-4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">4</a> I was so impressed by Violence, Our Power that I wondered why it took Norrman so long to execute his black metal vision. Kryptan has not produced anything so groundbreaking as to land at the top of any year-end lists, but I’ll be damned if it’s not worth your time. Those yearning for that pre The Wild Hunt era Watain sound would be well-advised to listen to Kryptan‘s Violence, Our Power. The super catchy chorus of album closer “Let Us End This” will cling to the synapses of your brain long after the album has ended and what better way to end this review than by citing my favorite song, my eyes and ears sharply peeled for what Kryptan does next. Rating: 3.5/5.0 DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: <a href="https://edgedcircleproductions.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Edged Circle Productions</a> | <a href="https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/violence-our-power" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> Websites: <a href="https://kryptan.bandcamp.com/album/kryptan" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">kryptan.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="https://kryptan.net/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">kryptan.net</a> Releases Worldwide: February 14, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/35/" target="_blank">#35</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/dissection/" target="_blank">#Dissection</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/edged-circle-productions/" target="_blank">#EdgedCircleProductions</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/feb25/" target="_blank">#Feb25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/kryptan/" target="_blank">#Kryptan</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/shining/" target="_blank">#Shining</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/swedish-metal/" target="_blank">#SwedishMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/violence-our-power/" target="_blank">#ViolenceOurPower</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/watain/" target="_blank">#Watain</a>

Your Future ExIt's still <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/BlackMetalMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BlackMetalMonday</a> at <a href="https://metalhead.club/@HailsandAles" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@HailsandAles</a>, so<a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Saor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Saor</a>: Amidst the Ruins<a href="https://song.link/t7kbsfftjpdcb" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/t7kbsfftjpdcb</a><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/AtmosphericBlackMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/FolkMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FolkMetal</a>FFO <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/C%C3%A2nBardd" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CânBardd</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Eldamar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Eldamar</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Winterfylleth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Winterfylleth</a>

Your Future ExFor <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/BlackMetalMonday" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BlackMetalMonday</a> by <a href="https://metalhead.club/@HailsandAles" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">@HailsandAles</a>:<a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Unreqvited" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Unreqvited</a>: The Antimatter<a href="https://song.link/287zmdk6f03qd" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://song.link/287zmdk6f03qd</a><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/AtmosphericBlackMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Blackgaze" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Blackgaze</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/PostBlackMetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PostBlackMetal</a>FFO <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Heretoir" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Heretoir</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/Skyforest" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Skyforest</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/VioletCold" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#VioletCold</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-november-and-december-2024s-angry-misses/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Stuck in the Filter: November and December 2024’s Angry Misses</a>By KenstrositySeeing as how it’s already almost February, you must be wondering why we’re still talking about shit from 2024. Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I didn’t give my minions grueling tasks just so that I could not take the glory for their labors. That wouldn’t embody this blog’s continual aspiration of being terrible capitalists! And so, we press on, searching and rescuing worthy—but not too worthy—pledges for the barbaric, Hunger Games-esque event that is Stuck in the Filter.BEHOLD! Gaze upon these late-year candidates with the appropriate levels of awe, ye ov little consequence! Kenstrosity’s Wintry Wonders <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Caelestra86" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Caelestra</a> // Bastion [December 13th, 2024 – Self Release]Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For this sponge, I know something is beautiful when it ensnares me into otherworldly environments unlike those which mirrors terrestrial mundanity. UK post-metal one-man act Caelestra specializes in such ethereal worlds, with debut record Black Widow Nebula catching my attention under its blazing miasma of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/countless-skies-glow-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Countless Skies</a> lushness, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/astronoid-radiant-bloom-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Astronoid</a>al optimism, and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/dreadnought-the-endless-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Dreadnought</a>-esque compositional vibrancy. Follow-up Bastion treads much the same path, but with an added emphasis on cathartic spells of intensity reminiscent of current <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/irreversible-mechanism-immersion-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Irreversible Mechanism</a> (“Finisterre”), <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/kardashev-liminal-rite-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Kardashev</a> (“Soteria”), or <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/devin-townsend-lightwork-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Devin Townsend</a> (“The Hollow Altar”). Balancing these potentially disparate references, mastermind Frank Harper’s compositions flow with an uncanny smoothness without falling into a pit of homogeny. Bastion thereby represents a varied and textured affair built upon compelling guitar leads, unexpected riffs, multifaceted vocal techniques, and athletic percussive movements (“Finisterre,” “Lightbringer,” “The Hollow Altar”). Choosing the long form as Caelestra’s primary vehicle for this musical journey only deepens the experience, as each act offers a wide spectrum of moods, a rich tapestry of characters, and a lush layering of story to enrich any listener’s journey through Bastion (“Lightbringer,” “Eos”). Yet, the whole coheres tightly into a memorable and accessible forty-eight-minute span, easily replayable and effortlessly enjoyable. That, more than anything, makes Bastion a neat little triumph worth checking out.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/EarthboundMusicUK" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Earthbound</a> // Chronos [November 26th, 2024 – Self Release]I have the honor of claiming this find all to my own—something that hasn’t occurred as often this past year as it has in those preceding. Bristol’s Earthbound offer a particular brand of melodic death metal that I want to love more often than I actually do, but they checked all my boxes here. Occupying a space somewhere between <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amorphis-halo-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Amorphis</a>, Countless Skies, and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/dark-tranquillity-endtime-signals-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Dark Tranquillity</a>, Earthbound’s style is simultaneously effervescent, introspective, and crushing on debut record Chronos. Boasting chunky riffs, soaring leads, classic melodeath rhythms, and buttery-smooth baritone vocals, Chronos throws blow after blow for forty-nine minutes of high-engagement material. Looking at standout tracks “A Conversation with God,” “The Architect,” “Cloudburst,” “Aperture,” and “Transmission,” Earthbound’s compelling songwriting tactics and knack for a killer hook recall underappreciated gems by modern contemporaries <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/rifftera-across-the-acheron-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rifftera</a> and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/svavelvinter-morkrets-tid-things-you-might-have-missed-2018/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Svavelvinter</a>. Some of their most accessible moments almost, but not quite, veer into pop-levels of accessibility, further accentuating Earthbound’s infectious energy (“Change,” “Flight,” “Transmission,” “Chasing the Wind”). This works marvelously in Earthbound’s favor, not only making Chronos a joy to listen to in its own right but also impressing me with how polished and professional the band is with only one full-length under the belt. Don’t let this one fall through the cracks!<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555378127543" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Flaahgra</a> // Plant Based Anatomy [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]WWWWOOOOOORRRRRRMMMHHHHHHOOO… wait, what? Oh, no, this is Flaahgra. But, the riffs sound like my beloved <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wormhole-almost-human-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Wormhole</a>! What’s going on? Oh, well this explains it. Sanil Kumar of Wormhole fame is responsible for Plant Based Anatomy’s guitar work. Rounded out by Tim “Toothhead” Lodge (bass), Chris Kulak (drums), and Anthony Michelli (vocals), this Baltimore quartet concoct a fast-paced, riff-burdened blunderbuss of gurgling vegan slam meatier than the fattest flank this side of Texas. It may be based around plants (and Metroid), but there are enough muscular grooves, neat lead work, and boisterous percussive rhythms here to keep even the most ravenous death fiend stuffed to the stamen (“Blood Flower,” “Toxic Green Fluid,” “Solar Recharge,” “Plant Based Anatomy”). Oversaturated with killer hooks, Plant Based Anatomy feels every bit as headbangable as this group’s pedigree indicates, but their application is delightfully straightforward, allowing Sanil’s standard-setting slams to shine brightest (“Plant Based Anatomy,” “Garden Cascade,” “Venom Weed Atrocity”). At a lean twenty-five minutes, Plant Based Anatomy rips through my system as efficiently as any grease-laden, overstuffed fast-food chimichanga, leaving just as vivid an impression in its wake. If there was ever a quick and easily digestible example of what differentiates really good slam from two-buck upchuck, Plant Based Anatomy is it. FFFLLAAAAHHHHGGGRRRAAAA! Tyme’s Time Turners<a href="https://www.facebook.com/solarwimp/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Solar Wimp</a> // Trails of Light [November 15th, 2024 – Self Release]The richly dense knowledge and tastes of the commentariat here at AMG are a marvel. And despite the long hours of hard work the staff put in writing and keeping Redis at bay, not to mention the gut-wrenching task of pumping the n00b sump pit every Friday<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-november-and-december-2024s-angry-misses/#fn-209724-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> we continue to scour tons of promo to bring you the best and the rest of all things metal(ish). Invariably, some things trickle up from our most precious readers that deserve more attention than a few rando comments and respects. Such is the case with L.A.’s Solar Wimp. It was during my <del>most recent stint in</del><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-november-and-december-2024s-angry-misses/#fn-209724-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">2</a> continued n00bdom that I scoped one of our commenters pimping the Wimp‘s who released, sadly to me now, their last album, Trails of Light, in November. As my ears absorbed the immediately quirky dissonance of the opener, “Entwined with Glass,” I was reminded of how blown away I was upon hearing Jute Gyte for the first time, this more due to my un-expectations than anything else. What followed was a journey I happily embarked on through fields of saxophonic freedom (“Strand and Tether”) and forests of long-form avant-garde brilliance (“Shimmer”). The black(ish) metal vocals and tech-jazz guitar histrionics of Jeremy Kerner, combined with Justin Brown’s bassinations and Mark Kimbrell’s drums, imbue so much passion into the music on Trails of Light, it has me guessing Solar Wimp may have very well saved their best for last. While I’m sure you’re ready to move on from 2024, I’d encourage you to dip back into last year’s well for a bit and give Solar Wimp’s Trails of Light a listen or five. Thus Spoke’s Fallen Fragments<a href="https://www.facebook.com/yothiriaofficial/?locale=en_GB" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Yoth Iria</a> // Blazing Inferno [November 8th, 2024 – <a href="http://www.edgedcircleproductions.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Edged Circle Productions</a>]Yoth Iria’s sophomore Blazing Inferno arrived with little fanfare, which is a shame because they’re very good at what they do. Their brand of Hellenic black metal even <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yoth-iria-as-the-flame-withers-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">charmed a 3.5</a> out of GardensTale with their 2021 debut As the Flame Withers. The new album very much picks up where its predecessor left off, in musical content as well as the fact that Yoth Iria clearly have a thing for giant demonic figures dwarfing human civilization. In a refreshingly to-the-point format, the group<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-november-and-december-2024s-angry-misses/#fn-209724-3" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">3</a> serve up some solid, groovy Satanic triumphalism that belies the relatively diminutive breadth of the songs that contain it. With thundering drums (“In the Tongue of Birds,” “We Call Upon the Elements”), spirited guitar leads (“But Fear Not,” “Mornings of the One Thousand Golds”), and a collection of classic growls, ominous whispers, and cleans, Yoth Iria craft engaging and very enjoyable compositions. Tracks manage to hold atmosphere and presence without detracting from the dopamine-producing tremolo twists and wails of drawn-out melody (title track, “Rites of Blood and Ice,” “Mornings…”) that draw it all together. This is black metal that makes you feel good about allying with the light-bringer. Not in any highbrow way, of course, just with great riffs, the right amount of tension and nuance, and convincingly massive compositions that steer away from the overwrought and cringe-inducing. It’s just plain good.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Verdant.Realm.Botanist/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Botanist</a> // <a href="https://verdant-realm-botanist.bandcamp.com/album/vii-beast-of-arpocalyx" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">VII: Beast of Arpocalyx</a> [December 6th, 2024 – Self-Release]Though recorded all the way back in 2016, the music of Beast of Arpocalyx has not seen the light until now. The seventh installment in the esoteric, botanical saga, VII: Beast of Arpocalyx focuses on plants with mythological animal associations. In comparison to last May’s Paleobotany, this is the solo work of founder Otrebor yet the heart of Botanist’s music has never been compromised. The distinctive tones of hammered dulcimer, make the black metal ring—literally and metaphorically—with playful mysticism when they engage in chirruping and cheerful refrains (“Wolfsbane,” “The Barnacle Tree”) and a weird eeriness when they stray into the dissonant (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “Floral Onyx Chiroptera”). Nothing is substantially different here, but Botanist’s style is an enjoyably quirky one that I, at least, am always happy to indulge in. In many ways, this is not far removed from raw black metal, with the prominent chimes of (not always tuneful) melodicism wrapping snarls and rasps in an iridescent veil that makes the psychedelic turns from whimsical peace to urgent and barbed blastbeat aggression (“The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary,” “The Paw of Anigozanthos”) very compelling, pleasant even. Yeah, it’s kind of weird to hear chorals or synths under blackened rasps and clanging drums, while a dulcimer warbles along. But when the weirdness nonetheless succeeds in developing an atmosphere and inducing a desire to garner a similarly obsessive knowledge of flora, I can’t really complain. Killjoy’s Atmospheric Attractions<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Nishaiar-100067774879707/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Nishaiar</a> // Enat Meret [December 5, 2024 – Self-Release]2024 may technically be over, but there were a few releases in December that keep dragging my attention back to last year. First up is Nishaiar from Gondar, Ethiopia, whose sound resides at the unlikely intersection of traditional Ethiopian music, post-black metal, and Enya-style New Age. Coming off an arduous release schedule that yielded an EP and 5 full-lengths in only 4 years, Nishaiar took some extra time to recharge since Nahaxar in 2021. The results are readily apparent–Enat Meret features some of the punchiest material the band has written to date. “Yemelek” combines folk instruments, vibrant male chanting, and rending screams. An important element that elevates Enat Meret is the addition of a full-time female vocalist, whose moniker also happens to be Enat Meret. Her voice ranges from ethereal (“Idil”) to wistful (“Enat Midir”) to commanding (“Beheke”). There is some bloat—intro track “Semayawi” repeats itself for too long and “Awedal” through “Alem” leans too hard into atmosphere to be suitable for active listening. Even so, this is an album unlike any other you’re likely to hear anytime soon.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/@atravetosus/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Atra Vetosus</a> // Undying Splendour [December 20, 2024 – <a href="https://www.immortalfrostproductions.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Immortal Frost Productions</a>]Next up is Atra Vetosus, who came to me by way of rec-master TomazP. Undying Splendour is a captivating work of atmospheric black metal that tempers the wanderlust of Skyforest with the melodic trem-picked fury of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/mare-cognitum-solar-paroxysm-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mare Cognitum</a>. It’s stuffed with triumphant, uplifting guitar melodies that contrast compellingly with mournful, anguished shouts and screams. Like a flowing stream, the graceful orchestrations smooth out any rough edges in their path, pairing exceptionally well with the rhythm section in the intro of “Forsaking Dreaded Paths.” The brawny bass lines throughout the album add satisfying oomph and the drumming is constantly engaging with lots of fleeting tempo shifts (“This Fallow Heart”) and expansive tom rolls (“Elysian Echoes”). Atra Vetosus have perfected the difficult art of long-form atmoblack—all the proper songs on Undying Splendour are between 7 and 11 minutes long and, crucially, feel purposeful without meandering. Though atmoblack is often maligned, I’ll happily get behind Atra Vetosus as one of the new standard bearers of the genre at its very best.Skagos // Chariot Sun Blazing [December 21, 2024 – Self-Release]They say that good things come to those who wait. Skagos makes an excellent case for this expression with Chariot Sun Blazing, an appropriate title given the tremendous glow-up that the atmospheric black metal group underwent since releasing Anarchic in 2013. While their woodsy black metal has always maintained similarities with the likes of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/wolves-in-the-throne-room-primordial-arcana-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Wolves in the Throne Room</a> (who are also based in Olympia, Washington), this time around the music is infused with a real live string quartet and a two-horn section<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-november-and-december-2024s-angry-misses/#fn-209724-4" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">4</a>. The effects of this additional instrumentation run way more than skin deep; Chariot Sun Blazing feels and flows like an actual symphony. For instance, the combination of the Wagner tuba with guitar plucking in the beginning of “Which in Turn Meet the Sea” evoke a misty morning which gradually warms up with guitar and string crescendos to thaw the leftover frost. The compositions are introspective and intimate, which is refreshing when compared with the usual grandiosity and bombast of symphonic music (metal or otherwise). While there’s nothing wrong with the raspy vocals, this is a rare instance when I would be completely okay if this were an instrumental album. This is an experience absolutely not to be missed. Dolphin Whisperer’s Late-Blooming Bustles <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alarumofficial" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Alarum</a> // Recontinue [November 8th, 2024 – Self Release]So many bands in the progressive and technical lanes forget to have fun. Not long, unheralded Australian prog/thrash/jazz fusion-heads Alarum, though. Truth be told, I had forgotten this band existed sometime before their 2011 release Natural Causes all up until about September of 2024 when I caught wind of this new release, Recontinue. Their oddball, heavily <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-metal-is-olde-cynic-focus/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cynic</a>-inspired 2004 opus Eventuality… had stood the test of time in my archives plenty for its wild fusion antics woven into a riff-tricky, bass-poppin’ technical platform. And here, twenty years later, little has changed at Alarum’s foundation. A few things have shifted for the better, though, namely Alarum finding a more balanced resonance in production brightness and clarity, which helps highlight the flirtatious bass play of tracks like “The Visitor” and “Footprints” come to life. Additionally, this crisp and cutting mix allows the joyous neoclassical shredding escapades to carve a blazing path toward textures and alien warbles with a Holdsworth-ian charm (“Zero Nine Thirty,” “Awaken by Fire”). But, most importantly, Alarum continues to bring an ever-shuffling thrash energy similar to early Martyr works (“Imperative,” “Unheard Words,” “Into Existing”) while continuing to remember to toss in off-the-wall detours, like the funk-wah intro of “A Lifelong Question” or the bossa nova outro of “The Visitor.” Recontinue, as a late-career release from a continual dark horse from the land down under remains a consistent joy for the ears. If you’ve never heard Alarum to this point, and you’ve always wished that a jazzy, Cynic-inspired band would come around with a more metal attitude than the current trajectory of their inspirations, get Recontinue in your ears as soon as possible. And if, like me, you’ve fallen of the righteous path, know that time can correct all sorts of silly mistakes.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/gorging_shade" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Gorging Shade</a> // Inversions [November 11th, 2024 – Self Release]With a sound that is as otherwordly and looming as it is terrestrial and bass-loaded, Gorging Shade has taken a vigorous and shaking progressive death metal form. The proficiency with which every performer weaves disparate melodic lines through echoing, ghastly samples and chaotic, witchy background chatter does not come entirely as a surprise, as the entire roster consists of the members of instrumental progressive act Canvas Solaris. Mood, atmosphere and a bellowing howl, though, separate this incarnation of Georgia’s finest. But the eerie space that Inversions inhabits too has manifested as a collective of talents on display with another offshoot from this act, the dark industrial Plague Pslams (composed of bassist Gael Pirlot and drummer Hunter Ginn, who also currently plays with Agalloch). As an experience layered between the history of sounds these tech wizards have created, Inversions lands dense and challenging. At its core, a rhythmic stomp propels each of its tracks alongside percussive riffs that echo the constant motion of Cynic, the blackened scrawl of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/retro-spective-review-emperor-nightside-eclipse/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Emperor</a>, and the melancholy triumph of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ulcerate-cutting-the-throat-of-god-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ulcerate</a> swells. But in a package uniquely Gorging Shade, a world emerges from each carefully constructed narrative. Sometimes energy rushes forth (“Disease of Feeling, Germed”). At others, noises creaking and crawling lay teasing grounds for careful exploration (“Ordeal of the Bitter Water,” “A Concession of Our City to Modernity”). Whatever the mode of attack, Gorging Shade delivers in a classic and meticulous wall of sound—perhaps a touch too volume-loaded on occasion—that hits first in waves of melodic intrigue, second in aftershocks of plotted and studied efforts. Its later in the year released may have kept Inversions’ treasures more hidden than I would have liked. 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Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/corroding-soul-corroding-soul-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Corroding Soul – Corroding Soul Review</a>By TwelveAtmospheric black metal is a deceptively wide (sub-)genre, and it seems like every time I opt to review some, I end up with something different. The UK’s Corroding Soul has me in a musing mood over this because I’m not sure I’ve heard atmospheric metal quite like it before. The solo project of David Lovejoy, Corroding Soul, formerly Sorrow Plagues, is releasing its debut release under that moniker and plays symphonic, highly atmospheric black metal in a way that once again is making me reconsider what I think about when I hear the atmoblack term. Usually, we like different around here, but it’s no guarantee of anything—so let’s take a listen and see where we end up.Corroding Soul is unquestionably a work of atmospheric black metal, in that it’s got the blast beats, the hazy guitar riffs, and the screaming vocal performances that the style is well-known for. What sets it apart from its contemporaries is the heavy use of symphonic elements that help to give the album a space-themed feel. It reminds me of Enshine, if Enshine went the black metal route, or perhaps if they collaborated with a project like Woods of Desolation. Most melodies are performed through piercing guitar leads and propped up by heavy synths and pads that give Corroding Soul a dream-like texture. I haven’t heard much like it—dreamy, spacey metal, sure, effective atmoblack, sure, but not together. The more I think about it, the more that surprises me because it works quite well here.David Lovejoy is very talented, and his abilities are on full display across Corroding Soul. The guitar leads that act as primary drivers for their songs sound terrific, wistful, and strong, while the rhythm guitars are clear enough to provide genuine heaviness to the album. Opener “Shadow” is a remarkable journey, built around a single, beautiful lead that repeats and shifts, building and releasing tension in a powerful way. “Sapphire” and “Tempest” allow the synths to show off the most, through ringing chords that pair nicely with Lovejoy’s tortured screams (juxtaposing, of course). “Tempest” in particular is beautiful for all its power—and it has plenty of that, bass, guitars, and drums all racing to keep up with each other up to the perfectly-timed interlude halfway through. The sound profile that Corroded Soul aims for has so much potential, and, as a result, there are beautiful, heavy, powerful, and intense moments scattered all across Corroded Soul.The main reason Corroded Soul does not resonate with me the way I feel it should is that those moments are at times few and far between. With four songs stretching thirty-nine minutes, Corroded Soul puts a lot into each track, and leans heavily on repetition to get to the finish line. This means it’s a problem that the primary theme on “Bound” reminds heavily of “Shadow.” On the other side of the fence, “Sapphire” doesn’t really have a singular unifying idea like the other three songs do. Instead, it explores a great many ideas over eleven minutes. Some of these are genuinely great—I love the hopeful keyboard work about halfway through, for instance—but the repetitions and structures make the back half of Corroded Soul feel longer than they are. I can’t say I dislike it, but it doesn’t hold my attention either.I want to like Corroding Soul a lot more than I do. I love its themes, the dreamy blend of sorrowful and hopeful music, and the way everything works so well together to create a cohesive sound. The performances are strong, but the songwriting doesn’t quite resonate with me, particularly in the back half of the album. I will be excited to see what comes next for Corroding Soul, but this debut feels ever-so-slightly lost in space to this listener. Rating: 2.5/5.0 DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3 Label: Self-release Websites: <a href="http://corrodingsoul.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">corrodingsoul.bandcamp.com</a> | <a href="http://facebook.com/corrodingsoulofficial" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">facebook.com/corrodingsoulofficial</a> Releases Worldwide: January 24th, 2025<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2-5/" target="_blank">#25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/british-metal/" target="_blank">#BritishMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/corroding-soul/" target="_blank">#CorrodingSoul</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/enshine/" target="_blank">#Enshine</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jan25/" target="_blank">#Jan25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/self-release/" target="_blank">#SelfRelease</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/sorrow-plagues/" target="_blank">#SorrowPlagues</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/woods-of-desolation/" target="_blank">#WoodsOfDesolation</a>

musicextremeFUNERARIUM RELEASE "VAMPIRIZARE ETERNA" <a href="https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2025/01/funerarium-release-vampirizare-eterna.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2025/01/funerarium-release-vampirizare-eterna.html</a><a href="https://c.im/tags/metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/blackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blackmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/atmosphericblackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#atmosphericblackmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/musicextreme" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#musicextreme</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/headbang" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#headbang</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/guitar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#guitar</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/mosh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mosh</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/extrememusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#extrememusic</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalhead" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalhead</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalmusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalmusic</a>

musicextremeMITOCHONDRIAL SUN RELEASE "MACHINE DIALECTICS" <a href="https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2025/01/mitochondrial-sun-release-machine.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2025/01/mitochondrial-sun-release-machine.html</a><a href="https://c.im/tags/metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/atmosphericblackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#atmosphericblackmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/electronicmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#electronicmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/musicextreme" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#musicextreme</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/headbang" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#headbang</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/guitar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#guitar</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/mosh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mosh</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/extrememusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#extrememusic</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalhead" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalhead</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalmusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalmusic</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-october-2024s-angry-misses/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Stuck in the Filter: October 2024’s Angry Misses</a>By KenstrosityNever fear, the blog’s penchant for <del>deep lateness</del> punctuality persists! It is likely the new year already by the time you see this post, but we’re taking a step back. Way back, into October. I was deep in the shit then, and therefore couldn’t do anything blog-related. And yet, my minions, those very laborers for whom I provide absolutely no compensation whatsoever, toiled dutifully in the metallic dinge that is our Filter. Unforgiving though those environs undoubtedly are, they scraped and scoured until, at long last, small shards of precious ore glimmered to the surface.These glimmers are the same which you witness before you. Some are big, some are small. Some are short, some are tall. But all are worthy. Behold! Kenstrosity’s Belated Bombardments <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cosmic-Putrefaction-331030417723505/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cosmic Putrefaction</a> // Emerald Fires atop the Farewell Mountains [October 4th, 2024 – <a href="http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Profound Lore Records</a>]I was originally slated to take over reviewing duties for Cosmic Putrefaction this year, as Thus Spoke had a prior commitment and needed a buddy to step in. Unfortunately, I was rendered useless by a force of nature for a while, so I had to let go of several items of interest. But I couldn’t let 2024 go by without saying something! Entitled Emeral Fires atop the Farewell Mountains, Cosmic Putrefaction’s fourth represents one of the smoothest, most ethereal interpretations of weird, dissonant death metal. The classic Cosmic Putrefaction riffsets under an auroric sky remain, as evidenced by ripping examples “[Entering the Vortex Temporum] – Pre-mortem Phosphenes” and “Swirling Madness, Supernal Ordeal,” but there lurks within a monstrous technical death metal creature who rabidly chases the atmospheric spirits of olde (“I Should Great the Inexorable Darkness,” “Eudaemonist Withdrawal”). While in lesser hands these distinct aesthetics would undoubtedly clash on a dissonant platform such as this, Cosmic Putrefaction’s particular application of sound and style coalesces in devastating beauty and relentless purpose (“Hallways Engraved in Aether,” “Emerald Fires atop the Farewell Mountains”). Were it not for some instances wherein, for the first time ever, Cosmic Putrefaction threatens to self-plagiarize their own material (“Eudaemonist Withdrawal”), I would likely consider Emerald Fires atop the Farewell Mountains for year-end list status.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/feralswe/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Feral</a> // To Usurp the Thrones [October 18th, 2024 – <a href="https://tometal.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Transcending Obscurity Records</a>]Another one of my charges that I unfortunately had to put down against my will, Swedish death metal fiends Feral’s fourth salvo To Usurp the Thrones deserves a spotlight here. Where <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/feral-flesh-of-funerals-eternal-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Flesh for Funerals Eternal</a> impressed me as my introduction to the band and, arguably, my introduction to modern buzzsaw Swedeath, To Usurp the Thrones impresses me as a singularly vicious record in the style. Faster, meaner, more varied, and longer than its predecessor, Thrones offers the punk-tinged, thrashy death riffs you know and love, with bluesy touches reminiscent of Entombed’s Wolverine Blues adding a bit of drunken swagger to the affair (“Vile Malediction,” “Phantoms of Iniquity,” “Into the Ashes of History”). Absolute rippers like “To Drain the World of Light,” “Deformed Mentality,” “Decimated,” and “Soaked in Blood” live up to the band’s moniker, rabid and relentless in their assault. In many ways, Thrones evokes the same bloodsoaked sense of fun that Helslave’s <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/helslave-from-the-sulphur-depths-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">From the Sulphur Depths</a> conjured, but it’s angrier, more unhinged (“Spirits Without Rest,” “Stripped of Flesh”). Consequently, Thrones stands out as one of the more fun records of its ilk to come out this year. Don’t miss it!<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sunworshipband" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sun Worship</a> // Upon the Hills of Divination [October 31st, 2024 – <a href="https://vendettarecs.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Vendetta Records</a>]Back in 2020, our dear Roquentin offered some damn fine words of praise for Germany’s Sun Worship and their third blackened blade, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/sun-worship-emanations-of-desolation-things-you-might-have-missed-2019/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Emanations of Desolation</a>. It’s been six years since that record dropped, and Upon the Hills of Divination picks up right where Emanations left off. That is to say, absolutely slimy, post-metal-tinged riffs bolstered by dense layers of warm tremolos and mid-frequency roars. Opener “Within the Machine” offers a concrete encapsulation of what to expect: bits and pieces of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hulder-verses-in-oath-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hulder</a>, <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/gaerea-coma-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Gaerea</a>, and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/vorga-beyond-the-palest-star-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Vorga</a> melding together into a compelling concoction of hypnotic black metal. Using the long form to their utmost advantage, Sun Worship craft immersive soundscapes liable to scald the flesh just as quickly as they seduce the senses, leaving me as a brainwashed minion doing a twisted mystic’s bidding unconditionally (“Serpent Nebula,” “Covenant”). Yet, there roils a sense of urgency in these songs, despite many of them occupying a mid-paced cadence, which unveils a bleeding heart willingly wrenched from Sun Worship’s body (“Fractal Entity,” the title track, and “Stormbringer”). This is what sets it apart from its contemporaries, and what makes it worthy of mention. Why it’s gotten so little attention escapes me. It is with the intent of rectifying that condition that I pen this woefully insufficient segment. Dolphin Whisperer’s Duty Free Rifftrocity<a href="https://www.facebook.com/extortednz/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Extorted</a> // <a href="https://extorted.bandcamp.com/album/cognitive-dissonance" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cognitive Dissonance</a> [October 16th, 2024 – Self Release]You don’t need to read this review to know that the Kiwis of Extorted plays pit-whipping death/thrash. Though not adorned with other obvious symbols, like Vietnam War paraphernalia or crushed beer cans, the Ed Repka-penned brain-ripped head figure screams “no thoughts only riff” all the same. With snares set to pow and crashes set to kshhh, Cognitive Dissonance finds low resistance to accelerating early Death-indebted refrains. Vocalist Joel Clark even plays as a dead ringer for pre-Human Schuldiner or Van Drunen (<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/asphyx-necroceros-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Asphyx</a>, ex-<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/pestilence-exitivm-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pestilence</a>) as the torture in many lines grows (on “Infected” and “Ghastly Creatures” in particular). And in a continued tour of Van Drunen-associated sounds, Extorted’s ability to find a push-and-pull cadence that twists the fury of thrash with the cutting drag of death hits that hard-to-nail early Pestilence pocket with studied flair (“Deception,” “Limits of Reality”). Though a considerable amount of the Extorted identity rests in ideas borrowed and reinterpreted, a modern tonal canvas gives Cognitive Dissonance’s rhythms a punchy and balanced low-end weight that doesn’t always present itself in the world of old. Couple that with hooks that reach far beyond the limits of pure homage (“Transformation of Dreams,” “Violence”), and it’s easy to plow through the thirty minutes of tasteful harmonies, bending solos, and spit-stained lamentations that Extorted offers with their powerful debut.<a href="https://brii.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bríi</a> // Camaradagem Póstuma [October 11th, 2024 – Self Release] With Camaradagem Póstuma we enter the hazy, folky world of Caio Lemos’ unique vision of what experimental electronic music can be colored by the underpinnings of atmospheric black metal and jazz fusion. Using terraced melodies like baroque music of old and distant breakbeats like the <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/bong-ra-meditations-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Bong-Ra</a> of recent yesteryears, Brazil’s Bríi represents one man’s highly specific melding that rarely occurs in this space. The guitar lines that do exist play out as textural, slow-developing passages. On tracks “Aparecidos” and “Baile Fantasma” this looping and hypnotic pattern shuffle resembles ambient Pat Metheny or <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/yer-prog-is-olde-king-crimson-in-the-court-of-the-crimson-king/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">King Crimson</a> colors, the kind where finding the end of nylon pluck into a weaving, high-frequency synth patch feels not impossible but unnecessary. And on the more metallic side of things, Lemos cranks programmed blasts that carry his tortured, panning, and shrouded wails as a guide for the melodic evolution of each track, much in the same way a warping bass line would in a progressive house track. But maintaining the tempo of classic drum and bass, Camaradagem Póstuma wisps away in its atmosphere, coming back to a driving rhythm either via pummeling double kick or glitching break. Despite the hard, danceable pulse that tracks “Enlutados” and “Entre Mundos” boast, Bríi does not feel built for the kvlt klvbs of this world, leaning on a gated, lo-fi aesthetic that makes for an ideal drift away on closed cans, much like the equally idiosyncratic <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/amgs-unsigned-band-rodeo-wist-strange-balance/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Wist album</a> from earlier this year. And similarly, Camaradagem Póstuma sits in an outsider world of enjoyment. But if any of this sounds like your jam, prepare to get addicted to Bríi. Thus Spoke’s Rotten Remnants<a href="http://www.facebook.com/livloesband" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Livløs</a> // The Crescent King [October 4th, 2024 – Noctum Productions]Livløs are one of those bands that deserves far more recognition than they receive. With LP three, The Crescent King, they might finally see it. Their punchy intriguing infusion of Swedish and US melodic death metal—though the band themselves hail from Denmark—has a pleasing melancholia and satisfying bite. Here in particular, there’s more than a passing resemblance to <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hath-all-that-was-promised-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hath</a>, to <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/cognizance-malignant-dominion-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Cognizance</a>, and to <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-mourning-the-bleeding-veil-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">In Mourning</a>. Stomping grooves (“Maelstrom,” “Usurpers”) slide in between blitzes of tripping gallops, and electrifying fretwork (“Orbit Weaver,” “Scourge of the Stars”). Mournful, compelling melodies woven into this technical tapestry—some highlights being the title track, “Harvest,” and “Endless Majesty”—turn already good melodeath into great melodeath; melodeath that’s majestic and powerful, without ever feeling overblown. With its relentless, groovy dynamism, the crisp, spacious production seals the deal for total immersion. If this is your first time hearing about Livløs, you’re in for a treat.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sordideband" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Sordide</a> // Ainsi finit le jour [October 25th, 2024 – <a href="https://lesacteursdelombre.net/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions</a>]And So Ends the Day, whilst another begins where I rediscover Sordide. I know not how I forgot their existence despite the impression that 2021’s Les Idées Blanches made upon me, yet all I could recall was the disturbingly simple, <a href="https://sordide.bandcamp.com/album/les-id-es-blanches-2" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">melty art.</a><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/stuck-in-the-filter-october-2024s-angry-misses/#fn-207332-1" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">1</a> Ainsi Finit le Jour arrives with a hefty dose (53 minutes no less) of punky, dissonant black metal that’s even rawer and more pissed-off than their usual fare. “Des feux plus forts,” “La poesie du caniveau,” and the title track stand out as the most vicious, near-first-wave cuts the trio have ever laid down, with manic, group wails, and chaotic, jangling percussion. But as is so often the case with Sordide, perhaps the truest brutality comes in the slower discordant crawls of “Sous Vivre,” “Tout est a la mort,” and the particularly unsettling “La beauté du desastre,” whose creeping, half-tuneful teasing and turns to eerie spaciousness get right under your skin. It is arguably a little too long for its own good, given its intensity, but its impressiveness does mean that, this time, Sordide won’t be forgotten. Dear Hollow’s Droll Hashals <a href="https://www.facebook.com/annihilistmetal/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Annihilist </a>// Reform [October 18th, 2024 – Self Release]What Melbourne’s Annihilist does with flamboyant flare and reckless abandon is blur the lines of its core stylistic choices. One moment it’s chugging away like a deathcore band, the next it’s dripping away with a groove metal swagger, ope, now it’s on its way to Hot Topic. All we know is that all its members attack with a chameleonic intensity and otherworldly technicality that’s hard to pin down. An insane level of technicality is the thread that courses throughout the entirety of this debut, recalling Within the Ruins or <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/the-human-abstract-digital-veil-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">The Human Abstract</a> in its stuttering rhythms and flailing arpeggios. From catchy leads and punishing rhythms (“The Upsend,” “Guillotine”), bouncy breakdowns, clean choruses, and wild gang vocals (“Blood”), djenty guitar seizures (“Virus,” “Better Off”) to full-on groove (“N.M.E.,” “The Host”), the likes of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/lamb-of-god-lamb-of-god-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Lamb of God</a>, early <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/architects-the-here-and-now-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Architects</a>, Born of Osiris, and <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/children-of-bodom-hexed-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Children of Bodom </a>are conjured. Lyrics of hardcore punk’s signature anarchy and societal distrust collide with an instrumental palette of melodeath and the more technical kin of metalcore and deathcore, groove metal, and hardcore. As such, the album is complicated, episodic, and unpredictable, with only its wild technicality connecting its fragmented bits – keeping Reform from achieving the greatness that the band is so capable of. As it stands, though, Annihilist offers an insanely fun, everchanging, and unhinged roller coaster of -core proportions – a roller -corester, if you will. Under Alekhines Gun<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheurgyBDM/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Theurgy</a> // Emanations of Unconscious Luminescence [October 17th, 2024 – <a href="https://newstandardelite.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">New Standard Elite</a>]In a year where slam and brutal death have already had an atypically high-quality output, international outfit Theurgy have come with an RKO out of nowhere to shatter whatever remains of your cerebral cortex. Channeling the flamboyancy of old Analepsy with the snare abuse and neanderthalic glee of Epicardiectomy, Emanations of Unconscious Luminescence wastes no time severing vertebrae and reducing eardrums to paste. Don’t mistake this for a brainless, caveman assault, however. Peppered between the hammiest of hammers are tech flourishes pulled straight from Dingir era <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/rings-saturn-lugal-ki-en-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rings of Saturn</a>, adding an unexpected technical edge to the blunt force trauma. The production manages to pair these two disparaging elements with lethal efficiency. Is it the techiest slam album, or the wettest, greasiest tech album? Did I mention there’s a super moldy cover of <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/devourment-obscene-majesty-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Devourment</a>‘s “Molesting the Decapitated”? It slots right into the albums flow without feeling like a tacked-on bonus track, highlighting Theurgy’s commitment to the homicidal odes of brutality. Throw in a vocal performance that makes Angel Ochoa (Abominable Putridity) sound like Anders Fridén (<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-flames-foregone-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">In </a><a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/in-flames-foregone-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Flames</a>), and you’re left with one last lethal assault to round out the year. Dive in and give your luminescence something to cry about. GardensTale’s Great Glacier<a href="https://www.facebook.com/GhostsofGlaciers/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ghosts of Glaciers</a> // Eternal [October 25th, 2024 – <a href="https://translationloss.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Translation Loss Records</a>]Ghosts of Glaciers’s last release, The Greatest Burden, was a masterclass of post-metal flow and has become a mainstay in my instrumental metal collection since <a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ghosts-of-glaciers-the-greatest-burden-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">my review</a> in 2019. Dropping in tandem with several other high-profile releases, though, I could not give its follow-up the kind of attention it deserves. And make no mistake, it absolutely deserves that attention. The opening duo, “The Vast Expanse” and “Sunken Chamber,” measure up fully to The Greatest Burden, though it takes a few spins for that to become clear. Both use repetitive patterns more than before, but closer listens reveal how subtle variations and evolution of each cycle build gradual tension, so the release becomes all the more satisfying. I’m a little more ambivalent on the back half of Eternal, though. “Leviathan” packs a bigger punch than more of the band’s material, it lacks the swirling and sweeping currents that pull me under and demand full and uninterrupted plays every time. Closer “Regeneratio Aeterna” is a pretty but rather demure piece that lasts a bit longer than it should have. But despite these reservations, the great material outstrips the merely good, and Eternal is a worthwhile addition to any instrumental metal collection.<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/abominable-putridity/" target="_blank">#AbominablePutridity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ainsi-finit-le-jour/" target="_blank">#AinsiFinitLeJour</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/american-metal/" target="_blank">#AmericanMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/analepsy/" target="_blank">#Analepsy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/annihilist/" target="_blank">#Annihilist</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" 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MUSIC EXTREMEU KRONAKH RELEASE NEW SINGLE "NIGHT VISIONS FADE" <a href="https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2025/01/u-kronakh-release-new-single-night.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2025/01/u-kronakh-release-new-single-night.html</a><a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metal</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/atmosphericblackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#atmosphericblackmetal</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/deathmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#deathmetal</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/headbang" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#headbang</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/musicextreme" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#musicextreme</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/extrememusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#extrememusic</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/guitar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#guitar</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/mosh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mosh</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/metalhead" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalhead</a> <a href="https://metalhead.club/tags/metalmusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalmusic</a>

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Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/hesperia-fra-li-monti-sibillini-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hesperia – Fra li Monti Sibillini Review</a>By El CuervoWhat could be better than beginning 2025 with black metal? I’ll tell you what could be better. Beginning 2025 with one-man-band black metal indulging in a level of excess that only an Italian taking 76 minutes over 14 tracks could. Seven prior full-length Hesperia releases have somehow flown under the Angry Metal Radar, so now I pay penance for our sin of ignorance. Fra li Monti Sibillini (Among the Sibillini Mountains) is a record centered around the nature and lore of a mountain range in central Italy. With such an overabundance of material on this record and across a discography that’s been largely ignored, this release should be terrible. But is it?Hesperia brandish a type of black metal that’s fast, heavy, and vibrates with energy. The sharp, sawing riffs recall Immortal while their melodic knack recalls Moonsorrow. But the production has remarkable clarity and eschews the lo-fi aesthetic generally favored in black metal, enabling listeners to pick out all instruments in the mix. Because the guitars are distinct, their riffs and melodies are also distinct and represent some of the stand-out parts of Monti Sibillini. There are a load of highlights. The opening lead on “Il Regno de la Sibilla” has a beefy groove, while the closing lead on “La Fuga/La Salvezza” sounds like an icy howl. Likewise, the first riff on “Mons Daemoniacus: Nero Paese de la Scomunica” cuts like a curiously smart scythe and the passage from 2:15 on “l’Eretico, Il Necromante” swings heavily through a real headbanger. By contrast, the harsh vocals are the muddiest sound in the mix. This balances the clear guitars with something gravelly and wretched. It all fuses into some legitimately powerful black metal.However, this is but one element of the Monti Sibillini sound and is arguably not the most important. Ambience, acoustic passages, and medieval interludes occupy more than half of the record’s run-time. The last of these blends pastoral soundscapes (animals, villagers, festivals) with folkloric instrumentation (strings, whistles, bells) to flesh out the story and themes. These ‘light’ strands aren’t particularly integrated with the ‘heavy’ strands. Transitions from black metal to folk, or vice versa, aren’t sophisticated and generally occur simply by stopping one and starting the other. Given the evident importance of the soundscapes and atmosphere generation to Hesperia, bridging the contrasting sounds more smoothly is an obvious point for future development. Monti Sibillini isn’t folk metal; it’s folk and metal. I further query the purpose of the four medieval interlude tracks when medieval interludes are built into the main songs anyway. They’re evocative but extraneous, adding ten minutes to an album that’s already over-long.But the greater weakness on Monti Sibillini is how Hesperia are seemingly incapable of sticking to one idea. “l’Qrrivo a l’Hostaria” forms an early microcosm for the whole album. It doesn’t give you an opportunity to get your teeth into any of the incisive black metal or the moody synths or the medieval curiosities as the songs flips between each multiple times within its five-minute duration. The black metal teases something dark and aggressive but can’t build momentum because it constantly interrupts itself with intriguing but incessant atmospherics and soundscapes. “Il Regno de la Sibilla” is the first of a few long songs and despite its strong constituent elements, I can’t describe it as strong overall because it chops and changes so frequently. This is undoubtedly exacerbated by the blunt transitions documented above. Monti Sibillini makes for a frustrating experience as its music doesn’t feel as subtle or dynamic as it should be.I sincerely struggled with scoring this review. There’s great quality in Monti Sibillini but it’s buried by annoyingly choppy songwriting. The constituent elements are persistently very good but it’s so fragmented that any enjoyment I glean is fundamentally undermined. It ultimately leaves me asking a question: why couldn’t have Hesperia trusted the listener to not become bored after more than 90 seconds of one sound? Why couldn’t the composite parts be fused together more neatly? Why couldn’t we have more of the black metal? If the band can create an album that doesn’t force me to ask these questions then we could have something great. Rating: 2.5/5.0 DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3 Label: <a href="https://www.hammerheart.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Hammerheart Records</a> Website: <a href="https://hammerheart.bandcamp.com/album/fra-li-monti-sibillini-black-medieval-winter-over-the-sibylline-mounts" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">hesperia.bandcamp.com</a> (managed by Hammerheart Records) Releases worldwide: January 17th, 2024<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2-5/" target="_blank">#25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2025/" target="_blank">#2025</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/folk-metal/" target="_blank">#FolkMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/fra-li-monti-sibillini/" target="_blank">#FraLiMontiSibillini</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/hesperia/" target="_blank">#Hesperia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/immortal/" target="_blank">#Immortal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/italian-metal/" target="_blank">#ItalianMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/jan25/" target="_blank">#Jan25</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/moonsorrow/" target="_blank">#Moonsorrow</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/review/" target="_blank">#Review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/reviews/" target="_blank">#Reviews</a>

Angry Metal Guy<a href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ante-inferno-deaths-soliloquoy-things-you-might-have-missed-2024/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ante-Inferno – Death’s Soliloquoy [Things You Might Have Missed 2024]</a>By Mystikus HugebeardThat was one hell of a November 22nd this year, huh? We had new releases from bands like Múr and Panzerfaust, blog favorites Fellowship and Defeated Sanity, and even the industry titans Opeth. Yes, the metal community ate quite well that day—so well that certain releases might slip through the cracks, such as Death’s Soliloquoy, the third full-length by English four-piece black metal act Ante-Inferno. But I refuse to allow Death’s Soliloquoy to be overshadowed because Ante-Inferno have made one of the most compelling and devastating releases of the year.Ante-Inferno play a sort of misanthropic atmospheric black metal that blends the biting chill of second-wave black metal with an atmospheric, beautiful melodic clarity. The evocatively titled opener, “The Cavernous Blackness of Night,” reveals the two sides of Death’s Soliloquoy’s coin. The first half of the song wallows in an atmosphere of dissonance through aggressive, sawing guitars that grind out a macabre melody, before almost exactly halfway through, the song shifts gears into a more pronounced melancholic beauty. The gnashing tremolos become gentler, but still vital, as the melody grows clearer and stronger. “Cold. Tenebrous. Evil.” delves deeper into the dissonance, while “No Light till Life’s End” leans further towards the side of melody without sacrificing aggression, but both shades of Ante-Inferno are omnipresent and crucial. The stellar production greatly helps this contrast work. The rhythm guitars vibrate with a wintry second-wave buzz, and the atmospheric side is absorbing and dense. The vocals, which range from distant, crestfallen shrieks to hoarse shouts, come from the primary songwriter Kai. Death’s Soliloquoy is inspired by Kai’s own experiences of depression and hopelessness, and her existential misery is felt in every word.That misery is the lifeblood of Death’s Soliloquoy, as the whole album radiates the same black light of sorrow as Kai’s vocals. The shorter tracks (“Cold. Tenebrous. Evil,” No Light till Life’s End”) are aggressive and full of emotion, but the real impact of Death’s Soliloquoy is felt in the longer tracks. The bleak riffs of “The Cavernous Blackness of Night” and “Towards Asphyxiating Darkness” evolve slowly and frequently return, like a lingering sadness that’s impossible to break away from. The subtly repetitive nature of the longer songs, paired with their length, might turn away some less patient listeners, but I think this approach is to the music’s benefit. Across the length of the album, a crushing, hypnotic weight sets in as the density and intensity of the music marches on with a suffocating constancy, and Ante-Inferno iterates upon their riffs and ideas enough to keep the energy high and the pace from dragging. Everything that comprises the nature of Death’s Soliloquoy collides in the genuinely sublime “An Axe. A Broadsword. A Bullet.” Here, dissonance has been cast aside for an assault of riffs that burn with a cold fury, while the melodies, almost crystalline in their clarity, carve a path through the indifferent noise. It commands your attention with paramount urgency, and like Death’s Soliloquoy as a whole, is hopelessly, heartbreakingly bleak.Ante-Inferno have crafted an incredible piece of atmospheric black metal that, for my money, is the best release to come from this historic November 22nd. It’s possible that Death’s Soliloquoy may take some time to fully sink in. I surprise myself by admitting that even I was unimpressed on my first listen, before the slow riff and anguished scream at about 4:55 into “An Axe. A Broadsword. A Bullet.” moved me in such a way that the full album was re-framed in my mind, and now, to this day, every listen is better than the last. Death’s Soliloquoy is everything I love about black metal—it’s heavy, harrowing, and honest.Tracks to Check Out: “The Cavernous Blackness of Night,” “Cold. Tenebrous. Evil,” “An Axe. A Broadsword. A Bullet.”<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/2024/" target="_blank">#2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/ante-inferno/" target="_blank">#AnteInferno</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/atmospheric-black-metal/" target="_blank">#AtmosphericBlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/black-metal/" target="_blank">#BlackMetal</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/deaths-soliloquoy/" target="_blank">#DeathSSoliloquoy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/nov24/" target="_blank">#Nov24</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/things-you-might-have-missed-2024/" target="_blank">#ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2024</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://www.angrymetalguy.com/tag/vendetta-records/" target="_blank">#VendettaRecords</a>

musicextremeANDE RELEASE "DE SCHEMERING VAN WERELDEN" <a href="https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2024/12/ande-release-de-schemering-van-werelden.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2024/12/ande-release-de-schemering-van-werelden.html</a><a href="https://c.im/tags/metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/blackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blackmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/atmosphericblackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#atmosphericblackmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/headbang" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#headbang</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/musicextreme" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#musicextreme</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/guitar" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#guitar</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/mosh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mosh</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/extrememusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#extrememusic</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalhead" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalhead</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalmusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalmusic</a>

musicextremeOFNUS RELEASE "VALEDICTION" <a href="https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2024/12/ofnus-release-valediction.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://musicextreme666.blogspot.com/2024/12/ofnus-release-valediction.html</a><a href="https://c.im/tags/metal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/blackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#blackmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/atmosphericblackmetal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#atmosphericblackmetal</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/headbang" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#headbang</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/musicextreme" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#musicextreme</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/extrememusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#extrememusic</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/mosh" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mosh</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalhead" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalhead</a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/metalmusic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#metalmusic</a>

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