THE TOP 20 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH should be self-explanatory, an ordered ranking of twenty albums that’d resonated most throughout this month. If you’re new to the site, the tendency is heavy and/or surreal music. Choices are selected based on temporal immersion, personal connection, impressive style, point of view, aesthetics and with consideration for the lasting value of each selection. All choices are ultimately personal and come without consideration for populism, nepotism, cronyism, or any outside factors including perceived “relevance”. Writing about music is a passion I afford as much time as is manageable and I am grateful to have so much to choose from. Thank you.
I. For now, the transition from GrizzlyButts.com to MystificationZine.com is complete. Aesthetics will continue to update, features will come and go but the site identity won’t change drastically from this point. — This month included 30 longform album reviews, 37 video reviews/features, 18 short album reviews, 4 entries into the An Exhaustive Study: Melodic Black Metal (~36 releases covered) feature, and I sent out 12 short written interviews with about 4 bands ultimately responding.
II. Mystification fanzine issue #2 “Altered Visions” is available now digitally for $5.00 USD here. Otherwise anyone who donates $5.00+ or more to the website (through the Donate buttons at the bottom of this page) will receive a follow-up e-mail within ~24 hours with a link to download the latest issue. $60.00+ will be added to a list for a full year subscription for all 12 of the 2024 issues. Consider this a soft launch as we hit the reset button this year, future issues will me more ambitious.
III. In 2024 written reviews will now have a video component which will post at the bottom of each review or feature at the end of each week (Thursday or Friday) If you enjoy these please consider following on YouTube. We’ve recently hit 790 (!) subscribers and I’m hoping to hit the thousand mark in 2024.
IV. As always I’d like to express my gratitude for the bands, labels and PR firms who choose to work with me. Thank you.
| #1 | Album of the Month |
|---|---|
| ARTIST: | SOVEREIGN |
| TITLE: | Altered Realities |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Dark Descent Records |
No need for grand-standing testimonial here as I’ve repeatedly touted how impressed and frankly a bit surprised at this debut full-length album from these Norwegian thrashers. Based on their demo tape I figured it’d smoke in terms of riffs but the style wasn’t clearly defined in terms of how the late 80’s thrash and death metal tides would mesh. The challenge of putting together an effective ‘old school’ death metal album with a maniac thrash push behind it is high, variations which deviate often don’t work or quickly become lost in the complex authorship of death/thrash, a realm of strictures ’til mastery arrives.
Through experience and vision they’ve kinda turned out a heavy dose of masterful work here and I don’t mean just riffs but songs that ooze, drip with exaggerations of a style which bands like Sepultura and Pestilence struck gold with in the late 80’s. It is all too rare these days that I can point directly to a record that goes beyond checking all of the quality control boxes and transmits its own realm, strikes upon something timeless and memorable at that. I’m still obsessed with this record after two months of regular listens (had it in mid-December) and I don’t see any reason it would drop from the top ten of my best of in 2024.
“Oslo, Norway-based death/thrash metal quartet Sovereign arrive upon their ancient portal looking-in, a debut full-length album which attacks outwardly in the direction of unknown futurity before its tactical exploration begins to meander in contemplation of what’d been shattered by their volley and what was made real in the midst of their crossing over. From the hailing fire of the opener to the gainfully adrift at sea closer herein ‘Altered Realities‘ is a riff-obsessed trip taken as an extension of the eldest highest standards but not a total space-cased melt outside of time.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #2 | |
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| ARTIST: | DROWNED |
| TITLE: | Procul His |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Sepulchral Voice Records |
German death metal band DROWNED return after ten years with album number two and since they’ve technically been around in some form since ~1991 this is more or less right on schedule. If the reward for the wait is an album as considered and brilliant as ‘Procul His‘ then they can certainly take all the time needed to get their work exactly right. In fact that is how I’d characterize this album, right in the pocket of what they’ve done best since 2010 or so but also incorporating some new and old ideas to keep the album’s eerie movement up to pace.
If you recall their debut ‘Idola Specus‘ (2014) you’ll note that it was probably more of a death/doom metal album up front which eventually revealed a complex web of strong riffcraft. Here on its follow up there is a bit of 80’s death metal speed, plenty of ripping pieces overall, and an improved sense of confidence piled up into the performances here which reeks of mastery of peak death/doom metal and death metal in general. T1’s riffcraft has evolved to an exceptional level with this record and this was ultimately the reward for the wait. A flawlessly repeatable experience which doesn’t miss a beat for my own taste.
“…so reaches out the cello striking gloom-hand of Berlin, Germany-based death metal trio Drowned for a second marbled opus seeking to delve beyond, to push adrift the congestion of the end-time’s slow encroachment. ‘Procul His‘ draws its tangled line of heavy-lidded rhythm in virtuosic abandon, a doomed-and-thrashing vision realized over the course of a decade with their own steadiness of spirit as a strong guiding hand. As a result this sophomore release is untouched by the diseases of time and trend, a classic result of texturally guided obsession and a meandering headspace stretched to the far limits away from the constraints of popular music.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #3 | |
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| ARTIST: | INQUISITION |
| TITLE: | Veneration of Medieval Mysticism and Cosmological Violence |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Agonia Records |
Anytime Seattle, Washington-based black metal band INQUISITION return for another work we can expect absolute consistency of values, a venture through truly vested interest in both black metal craft old-and-new as well as their own long cultivated form of it which has more recently worked to infuse heavy rock movements into their droning mode. Still conjuring weirding hymns to Satan and sporting a unique sense of signature rhythm and vocal affect the big changes here are first found with some melodic bursts, some atmospheric rock sensations conjured, and an overall sense that they’ve returned to their most distinct era of underground black metal style while holding fast to the tuneful side of their work.
This results in a transfixing album which moves quickly through its fusion of ideas, often finding the hook or the hypnotic apex of any one thought and concluding before it wears on the ear. I’d appreciated two things, first, that I couldn’t compare their work to anyone else’s (a huge challenge today) and second, that they’d brought new ideas to their sound and seem to be more inspired than ever.
“Seattle, Washington-area black metal duo Inquisition have smartly sustained outsized growth album over album since the late 90’s to the point we can approach their work on ‘Veneration of Medieval Mysticism and Cosmological Violence‘ knowing it will sum into signature black metallic dread-eared wonderment and resound loudly with their own cursed-mark stamped within its haze ridden atmosphere yet we cannot predict the nuanced direction their search for dark knowledge beyond tradition has taken them in the interim. The unknown, the unexpected and the horrifying distortion of perception still act as the sustenance which has kept their astral form’s levitation whirring on-high for decades and here the machine’s motor is lacking none of its piston action or room-filling cough.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #4 | |
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| ARTIST: | DIPYGUS |
| TITLE: | Dipygus |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Memento Mori |
The third full-length album from Monterey Bay area borne death metal band DIPYGUS continues to develop their own idiosyncratic vision of ‘old school’ sounds and difficult to sum themes. Here I’d felt like they’d gotten the production values just right having grown alongside their consistent relationships with producers and artists, a nice prominent bass guitar sound and incorporation of more analog synth sounds continues to speak to their ever-evolving, weirding sense of self.
I’d found myself listening to ‘Dipygus‘ quite a bit beyond the review process, always a good sign for longevity. I was first drawn to the atmosphere of the record, the riffs and then eventually began musing over the subject of each song. Beyond that I think I’d still recommend this band alongside the same set of references which I’d mentioned in review of prior releases, such as the first few AUTOPSY records, NUCLEAR DEATH’s most estranged side, and the few other bands that’d ever attempted to extend those underground headspaces in a non-literal sense.
“Santa Cruz, California-borne experimental ‘old school’ death metal quartet Dipygus seek out their third level delve into weirding death’s obsession with the exaggerative aplomb of a post-millennial shock site, an old timey anthropological horror creature cabinet, and documentarian history of barbaric human massacres rolled into one mind-boggling joint. We come out of the other side of the neuron-lined feeding tube that is ‘Dipygus‘ thrilled by the textural sweep-and-suckle of their villi, noting their ultra-specific taste for mutations, cross-species implants as well as the doom n’ grind obscuration of ancient death metal and its own anthropological twists per the late 80’s and early 90’s.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #5 | |
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| ARTIST: | COMMAND |
| TITLE: | Resver |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Jawbreaker Records |
This relatively young heavy metal crew who were were initially known as COMMANDO and initially concerned themselves with playing authentically Swedish 80’s heavy metal (see their other band MIDNATT), though this project eventually worked up to a sort of ‘Show No Mercy’ inspired form of heavy/speed metal. For this debut LP they’ve changed their sound and their approach entirely but not necessarily in a more accessible or predictable direction. ‘Resver’ is an Eldritch nightmare, a seamlessly presented full-length which flows through its ~33 minute ride in the way bands like IN SOLITUDE and TRIBULATION had years ago but they are presenting that sense of movement within their own style, still very much an underground heavy metal band. Anyhow the appeal of this record comes down to my own taste in unique, sometimes not so traditional heavy metal and the hypnotic rhythms they’ve introduced into the skeleton of this record. Didn’t see damned near anyone talking about this record for the duration of January and I’d been pretty damned surprised by that. Here’s hoping they continue to develop this path.
“Forgathered in collective summon of a brief yet dramatic rêve lucide Arvika, Sweden-based heavy metal quartet Command feed into the dark-black hallucinatory delirium of solitude on this impressive debut full-length album. A slow-waltzed dream state in escalating speed metallic overtures ‘Resver‘ was prompted by an intensified collaboration of its membership wherein their collective embodiment would became severe enough to preempt not only a name change for the band but also a direct shove to the boundaries of heavy metal as they knew it.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #6 | |
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| ARTIST: | ACERUS |
| TITLE: | The Caliginous Serenade |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Luxinframundis Productions, Nameless Grave Records |
It was great to see far more folks take note of Daniel Corchado‘s (THE CHASM) epic heavy/power metal band ACERUS after their third full-length released back in 2020 and thankfully they’ve done well to reprise the line-up and the quality of the render for this follow-up. ‘The Caliginous Serenade‘ is longer, thrashes a bit harder, features more guitar and vocal harmonies, generally deals with more variety of pacing. There is a sort of three-act structure here loosely stated wherein the power-thrashing MERCYFUL FATE-esque side of the band is in full effect but their 80’s United States power metal influences begin to insist on something more epic, anthemic but still thrashing a la MANILLA ROAD’s late 80’s stuff. If you are a big fan of Michael Jackson-era SATAN and those vocal melodies / expression as well as their current Brian Ross-fronted version since reforming you’ll get a similar effect here on this apocalyptic and debauched epic. Even if it might seem pretty damned long at ~54 minutes I think the album earns it and never falls off.
“For their fourth and most fantastical songbook Chicago, Illinois-borne ‘unorthodox molten’ heavy metal quartet Acerus provide their biggest windowed reveal into our in-process cataclysmic finale, an unmerciful and slow wrought death for humanity. ‘The Caliginous Serenade‘ rings loud in the ears as a mutant outside of time stoked by traditions of epic, power and speed metal in presenting a dark fantasy set on the last sliver of horizon left wherein those haplessly surviving under the ever-burning erosion of survival finally collapse under the weight of our treachery.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #7 | |
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| ARTIST: | DISSIMULATOR |
| TITLE: | Lower Form Resistance |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | 20 Buck Spin |
The folks involved in DISSIMULATOR typically have more to do with post-2010 technical death metal spaces in terms of their resumes, including members of BEYOND CREATION and CHTHE’ILIST, here they’ve managed to work some manner of classic progressive death/thrash metal into their late 80’s adjacent sound a la SADUS but even more related to the Bay Area sound beyond 1989 something closer to the debut LP from MESHUGGAH.
What they do with that sound and style is still related to thrash metal but explores vast atmospheric movement on the first half of the record and leans much harder into progressive and/or technical death-thrash metal on the second half of the album. Thought it’d appeared sort of plain and steadfast compared to more exciting records in this style released lately but around the tenth listen I’d found the charm and the depth of the full listen eventually arrived. Though I didn’t like the album art all that much it hasn’t kept me from enjoying this record well beyond the review stage.
“Montréal, Quebec-based technical thrash-death metal trio Dissimulator jack into the mainframe for the sake of ghosting an unsuspecting hive mind under the veil of transcendence. Sedition through the sloughing of flesh suggests a complex, high-stakes war brewing within the tangled wires of their debut full-length album as ‘Lower Form Resistance‘ manages thrill-a-minute display of oeuvre within several points of interest beyond plain stylized fusion.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #8 | |
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| ARTIST: | BOARHAMMER |
| TITLE: | II: Chemognosis – A Shortcut to Mushrooms |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Naturmacht Productions |
This German duo may very well be shrouded in mystery, and that’ll make it a bit harder to generate hype among the weary, but their chaotic and folk-punkish approach to ‘old school’ or late 80’s cum early 90’s heavy/black metal is inspired. Brilliantly rough in their production values yet conveying a sense of wilding songcraft and a naturalist heavy metal heart there is a sort of fun but also menacing spiritus to their work which I’d found endlessly entertaining. If you are already a fan of the second MASTER’S HAMMER record or bands like HAGZISSA you’ll ‘get’ this band right away while also recognizing they’ve started to develop their own sound and themes. An excellent debut and a band not to be ignored.
“Trained in the arts of alchemy these noisome German magickers Boarhammer arrive loud and brash, given their wild streak by way of entheogenic unlock and hoary temperament as their strange brew is concocted through self-hewn methods of natural philosophic observation and unique conjuration of black metal primitivism. ‘II: Chemognosis – A Shortcut to Mushrooms‘ is decidedly ‘old school’ in the sense that its main actors are dramatists, inebriated and exaggerative as they wield hammer in one hand and over-packed pipe in another.“
>> FULL STREAM <<
| #9 | |
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| ARTIST: | KRVNA |
| TITLE: | The Rhythmus of Death Eternal |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Zazen Sounds |
You won’t typically find an MLP (or, EP) release on my Top 20 list all that often as I tend to reserve space for albums which offer a complete listening experience yet there was no way I could leave out the well-fleshed out and exemplar work of Australian black metal solo project KRVNA with its Nietzschean themes and extended, immersive pieces.
A triad of roughly ~8 minute melodic black metal songs in rousing order, ‘The Rhythmus of Death Eternal‘ should be a major even for knowing fandom and anyone interested in classic early-to-mid 90’s standards for melodicism and pomp (by way of BATHORY) though these songs are constrained to a riff-forward and aggressive mode with long and complete strands of guitar driven melody being their major characteristic. While this is impressive enough on its own part of the major “sell” here is that these songs did ultimately live up to their covers songs (including a fine rendition of circa ’95 ABIGOR cut) nearby. If you are curious about this band and what they are all about this EP does a fantastic job of showcasing what they are capable of while almost underselling the massive highs they’d achieved on their first two LPs. Here’s hoping another record is on the way soon.
“An exploration of the death of God in the future frothing minds of all men in three voluminous acts this latest EP from Sydney, Australia-based black metal project Krvna does well to contain but never hinder the overflowing thought process of the artist who has been on a notably bloody tear these last three or so years. With ‘The Rhythmus of Death Eternal‘ we stare into the zombified sockets of the godhede and trace the gloria of the artist’s melodious intent, just as dramatic and full-fledged as each full-length prior yet deeply focused within the trace of these three arrows shot.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #10 | |
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| ARTIST: | A/ORATOS |
| TITLE: | Ecclesia Gnostica |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Les Acteurs de L’Ombre |
Despite ‘Ecclesia Gnostica‘ finding a fairly simple if not underwhelmed first impression as I outlined the skeleton of their work, A/ORATOS‘ debut LP would eventually sing to me as a brilliant example of French melodic black metal which is conscious of the old ways just as much as it intends to warm and culture those old ideas into their own sophisticated form. A concept album which helps to communicate the major tenets of Gnosticism this album is demonstrative as religious propagandizing should be but aiming to communicate that the search for knowledge should be the quest of mankind and this transcends implications of Christian Gnosticism pretty quickly.
Much as I’d enjoyed my time spent taking an analytical ear to the complex and folken touch of this collaboration between a member of GRIFFON (get ready for their next album early next month!) and maestro/guitarist Wilhelm it was, once again, the time I’d spent simply enjoying the way this record ebbs and flows through its ideas that’d sold me on its presence. The riffs aren’t always perfection and some of their production choices don’t make total sense but overall this was a great record that has since called me back. Also, incredible album artwork/layout from Above Chaos.
“Paris, France-based melodic black metal quartet A/Oratos dictate their forum with deep pressure applied upon the pursuit of divine experience, knowledge gained from grasping at spiritual truths, as a suggested route toward freedom from the diabolic wastreldom created by way of materialism. Their ‘Ecclesia Gnostica‘ seeks to liberate the listener from purposeless, lowered existence per their own example, a complex yet painterly vision of melodic black metal. Their work offers both the spiritual loft and reaving mind one’d expect from subjects intended to be a repeated source of revelation and likewise present a detailed argument made for spiritual intelligence capable of identifying the veil of control placed over all men in modern society.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #11 | |
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| ARTIST: | THIRSTING ALTAR |
| TITLE: | Reclamation |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Self-Released |
After having taken note of this Portland, Oregon-based death metal influenced black/thrash metal bands debut I didn’t go into their latest EP ‘Reclamation’ expecting much though it turned out THIRSTING ALTAR had in fact expanded into a quartet and this’d made all the difference in delivery of their ideas as complexly lain, energetic pieces. There are basically two sides of the band covered here on these four songs, their groove oriented and thrashing headspace which is a bit more typical black/thrash in spirit and their more performative, complexly lain attack which’d recalled a certain era of ABSU upon first listen.
Though their work is not as texturally dense or technical as that’d suggest their compositions are fully of ideas which stand out from the usual tropes of black metal and thrash combinations and, not only because there is a bit of death metal in their step nowadays. Strong bass guitar presence and over the top vocals helped a lot in selling this one but we made quick friends. I’ve not found myself returning to this record as much as I thought I might but that hasn’t dampened my enjoyment of it thus far.
“Portland, Oregon-based black/death-thrashing quartet Thirsting Altar embrace the grey-reactive stew gurgling in their midst as massive death’s horrifying equalizer allows a plagued golem, an avatar of graven renewal to cast a shadow over the future of mankind. ‘Reclamation‘ is a proper mLP-sized event as a four song showcase of the band’s constitution post-pandemic per a conceptual undertaking writ during said period of isolation wherein cutting riffs, smoke-filled rooms and muddy visions generate a freshly feral entity.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #12 | |
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| ARTIST: | DEPARTURE CHANDELIER |
| TITLE: | Satan Soldier of Fortune |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Nuclear War Now!, Occult Antiquities |
The history of Napoleon is impressive for all of the lessons it teaches us in terms of how one can use public and assumed perception for and against a population. I’m not sure what the Montréal and New York-based folks in DEPARTURE CHANDELIER are after in terms of theme here on this latest full-length album, something to do with the false claims of hereditary dynasty to enable a farce of a coronation made real alongside something about looting the pockets of the people on both sides of every war… But I can say that they’ve done a fine job of reprising the sound and first impression of their return when it seems ‘Satan Soldier of Fortune‘ is actually the first new material from the project since 2012 unless I’m mistaken.
Most all of this group’s work was apparently recorded in 2010-2011 and perhaps this will account for somewhat different production values (or lack thereof) as well as vocal cadence which reads a bit more in the realm of raw black metal. In fact darker, simpler black metal grooves and primitive black metal focus overtakes the charming ribaldry of their debut LP enough that this might not appear quite as inspired off hand. I’ll admit I was expecting something a bit more exciting but ‘old school’ black metal is yet a fine place to be.
“…Fields of burning bodies, sacks full of bloody coins, and boastful claims… all imagery which highlights this equally debauched and stoic second full-length album from Montréal, Québec-based black metal trio Departure Chandelier. ‘Satan Soldier of Fortune‘ presents as much of a dichotomy in its core mechanisms, wherein melodious highs and humming chorales frost the tips of an otherwise ruddy and clubbed-out raw black metal experience which barks out a darker, heavier groove on this much anticipated follow-up to their 2019 debut.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #13 | |
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| ARTIST: | VEMOD |
| TITLE: | The Deepening |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Prophecy Productions |
Although it’d be fine enough to call Trondheim, Norway-based group VEMOD‘s style post-black metal or consider their sound a modern vision of atmospheric black metal and post-metal this’d perhaps sidestep both the redeeming nuances of their craft as well as probably too squarely define what they’ve created here with ‘The Deepening‘. I suppose the reason it ended up on this list isn’t so deep, in truth I’d just found this album fairly dramatic, catchy at its best points, and cathartic in its moody and full sound design. There are few points where modern ex-black metal artist ideas are so compelling to me but I’d found the full listen much easier to hang out with than their previous LP (something like twelve years ago) and probably considered less typical than it might’ve without the distance allowed by time.
Post-music, melodic metal, whatever you’d describe this contemplative and majestic record as rarely feels earnest or, conjured from any real place beyond peer plagiarism and incestuous notes taken on technique but in this case VEMOD create something alluring and repeatable enough that I’d never questioned its authenticity or serious nature. Beyond that point I’d found this album a pleasurable experience thanks to a few well-placed guitar hooks and spacious sound design.
“Achieving self-actualization through the challenge of long held beliefs is a matter of divining new truths as we step back into the rare realm inhabited by Namsos, Norway-based atmospheric black metal trio Vemod and begin accessing the indeterminate path forward by way of our dark ethereal guides. On their sophomore full-length album, ‘The Deepening‘, these ‘ready old souls do not race to congest the air with twelve years worth of musing but simply plug back into the machine and record new found wisdom one slow-smoking thought at a time.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #14 | |
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| ARTIST: | MERIDION |
| TITLE: | Caverns |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Iron Blood & Death Corp. |
This avant-garde Chilean death metal band have essentially gone death/doom metal with a heavy emphasis on keyboard accosted atmosphere and bigger, somewhat plain grooves. This is a stark contrast to their debut full-length album from back in 2018 or so and at first I’d felt it was too big of a change. After a number of listens, sure, it’d sounded like a different band at first but once you’ve gotten the gist of both halves of the experience there is enough of both old and new ideas in place that ‘Caverns’ makes good sense in its focus.
When I say “death/doom” I generally mean mid-paced death metal in this particular case though there are a few doom metal inspired riffs which pop up as the album develops its sound. How to define and easily communicate that sound is probably the tough part here as they’ve got an ‘Ethereal Tomb’ era NOCTURNUS vibe going on but also some use of simple groove/death metal movement alongside more technical and chaotic dissonance which only crops up later on and briefly. While I’d initially found this album somewhat plain in terms of its rhythms it’d eventually made its case through repeated listens as an eerie death metal record which did well to represent its obscure themes. Plus hey, the album art was particularly good for my own taste.
“…in approach of ‘Caverns‘, the sophomore full-length album from Santiago, Chile-based death metal quartet Meridion as their already unique fortitudes develop into a deeper array of bizarre chthonic vibrations and display a further enriched palette of occult summoning and surreal twist upon tempo and multi-rhythmic channeling. What we gain from the experience is a trip which arrives steadily and in layers, a journey of both wild abstraction and wizened guidance that eases in slow, enchanting the senses as it gradually horrifies the claustrophobic mind loose of its sanity.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #15 | |
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| ARTIST: | KNOLL |
| TITLE: | As Spoken |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Total Dissonance Worship |
Although I did not review this Murfreesboro, Tennessee-based quintet’s 2022 album ‘Metempiric‘ it was worth a special mention on an Endtymer column I’d written around the time the album was set to release. Most of what I’d had to say about their second album at the time was gibberish because that is what their next-gen FULL OF HELL and WAKE-esque approach to avant-garde death metal, grindcore and experimental noise. For this third album my take on KNOLL is a bit more serious as I felt like ‘As Spoken‘ does well to communicate their interest in bands like PORTAL as well as the groups I’d mentioned prior without sounding like a band stuck staring into the past.
The chaos inherent to the efficacy of a band like this is often just plain annoying to me these days but I’d felt KNOLL‘s butting of many heads amounts to an entertaining ride, there is a curious thought process in mind and a ton of youthful energy spiking across their gig and it seems like their current configuration is yet on the cusp of a breakthrough with the spastic nerd-core and avant-deathgrind crowds. Not as many surprising moments as the new SERPENT COLUMN record has going on but should definitely appeal to a similar listener.
| #16 | |
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| ARTIST: | DOLOROSA |
| TITLE: | Summoning Ancient Bleakness |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Altare Productions, Amor Fati Productions |
My notes on this newer Spanish black metal project from members of GAUA don’t go very deep as the artist is anonymous and I’ve no credits for who did what in terms of this release. DOLOROSA formed somewhere around plague year MMXX intending to tribute and expand upon the classics of Scandinavian black metal sounds of the distant past as it seems everyone is fully back in touch with early 90’s black metal anymore. The artists style in his other project is more similar to bands like SATANIC WARMASTER whereas this album takes copious notes from the guitar and vocal techniques immortalized on MAYHEM’s debut LP to start, eventually touching upon some light (and heavy) nods to DISSECTION and I’m sure the auld references don’t stop there but that is the basic idea before we can start to point out the occult and traditional black metal scenery in Spain where these vocals might translate well to a fan of BALMOG or MYSTAGOS to some degree.
Otherwise I’d mainly returned to this record consistently to enjoy the guitar work, much like NARBELETH the guitarist here got things right on his end before it all came together. Black metal has got to have riffs to hold up for my own taste and this album stands out for its rhythms up front.
“Spanish black metal project Dolorosa use ancient formae and methodology to illustrate their own visions of suffering and contempt. Aiming to create a work purely devoted to advancement of the auld traditions of black metal the challenge and the ultimate boon offered by ‘Summoning Ancient Bleakness‘ is a blend of deeply familiar strokes and the artist’s own exaggerative gesturing. Rather than shattering all classicism and making contemporary abomination of black metal the mold is softened and distorted into imposing shape, creating a stream of uneasy consciousness which drifts and wanes into one miserable sitting.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #17 | |
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| ARTIST: | NARBELETH |
| TITLE: | A Pale Crown |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Folter Records |
Cuban-borne and now based out of the Galicia region of Spain NARBELETH haven’t yet wavered from their own take on classicist Scandinavian black metal, taking equal inspiration from the Norwegian and Swedish sides of things without being entirely blind to the techniques and refinement available to today’s occasionally canonical underground. ‘A Pale Crown’ goes as far as making their case very literal in covering a SATYRICON piece but this only tells us part of the story as they’ve long been quite skilled in terms of presenting melody rich guitar work in a style which fans of classic Swedish and early 2000’s Finnish black metal should immediately appreciate. Otherwise we generally find iteration and refinement beyond the band’s previous LP where they’d first caught my attention. An easy record to fall into immediately as they cut right to the good shit within a minute of the thing starting.
“The lyrics which ferment within this sixth full-length album from Cuban-borne and Galicia, Spain-based black metal duo Narbeleth dictate awe inspiring commune with nature as they explore a more poetically stated case for a necessary immersion away from concrete and plastic. The mind thrilling in observation of the depths of the forest frame ‘A Pale Crown‘ with more than fearsome black metal classicism as these folks use their devotion to Scandinavian wares as scaffolding for their own long-developed points of mastery.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #18 | |
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| ARTIST: | ANCIENT VVISDOM |
| TITLE: | Master of the Stone |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Argonauta Records |
The appeal of simple, straight-forward songcraft with a Satanic or Luciferian twist is not lost upon me as ANCIENT VVISDOM return to reinforce their occult rock and traditional doom metal stoked sound with some not-so typical stoner movements and some remnants of their neofolk past. Their work might still be feasibly set nearby that of groups like GHOST but at this point those old associations have all gone their own way. The main thing to note about this record is that ‘Master of the Stone‘ is the heaviest release from the band to date thanks to some new members and collaborations on the render. We get a more guitar-forward result and songs which seem to take stock of their past and present evolution. A few of these songs are merely good, well set within the overall thread but there are just as many unforgettable moments or simply catchy pieces which’d found me coming back for repeat listens on a daily basis for at least three weeks. I’d eventually burnt out on its stark sound and well choreographed songs, each with fairly simple and repetitive impact but that never quashed the enjoyment I’d managed hanging out listening to this album.
“Invoking the eternal black flame under the skeletal wings of the great redeemer Cleveland, Ohio-based apocalyptic occult heavy/doom-rock duo Ancient VVisdom acknowledge the smoking prison on fire that is our doomed planet on their sixth and most accomplished full-length album. ‘Master of the Stone‘ explores the blissful simplicity of heavy/doom metal infused songwriting as their brand of obsessive worship remains devoted to its adversarial spiritus yet better rounds their oeuvre with a far more potent heavy metal touch to its enlivening extremes.”
>> FULL STREAM <<
| #19 | |
|---|---|
| ARTIST: | MEPHITIC GRAVE |
| TITLE: | Dreadful Seizures |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Memento Mori |
Though ‘Dreadful Seizures‘ wasn’t the most memorable release of January it did end up impressing by way of the work done over the course of time, a big improvement for the overall ‘old school’ death metal dynamism which MEPHITIC GRAVE seem to aim for. They’ve not left behind their grotesque early Finnish death styled lo-fi touch entirely but we do get a bit more brutality, a different approach to drumming, and more varied array of riffs and song types to accompany a slightly sharpened render. Otherwise their work is so straightforward, less-than flashy, and doesn’t bring much of a conversation to the craft to the point that I’d felt like this was at least more than a formative release but likely not an easy sell to the general public. If you are a fan of the raw, realistic spectrum of death metal which employs zero tricks or gimmicks, try this one out.
“…amidst the distant howls of a wounded, many-tongued obscenity beyond as Hungarian ‘old school’ death metal inspired trio Mephitic Grave shove us down the throat of their sophomore full-length album. An experience of markedly rotten tones and intensified pace ‘Dreadful Seizures‘ finds the band iterating upon their debut while identifying and flexing their strengths with a more dynamically stated result which never steps far outside of the pure and simple death metal realm.”
>> FULL REVIEW <<
| #20 | |
|---|---|
| ARTIST: | BOUNDLESS CHAOS |
| TITLE: | Sinister Upheaval |
| RECORD LABEL(S): | Dying Victims Productions |
Though there were quite a few albums I could’ve set here which I’d enjoyed more upon review or might’ve even listened to more often throughout the month I have to admit that ‘Sinister Upheaval‘ this debut LP from German thrash-death metal quartet BOUNDLESS CHAOS has balls and makes some tuneful stuff while swinging them around. While it should be no surprise that death/thrash metal permutations are one of my favorite sub-genre blends what did surprise me is that I could look past some half-formed late 80’s KREATOR riffs and wobbly leads and still appreciate the energetic rush of this debut. When the opportunity came to sit back and enjoy a solid thrash metal record with a raw, rough-edged touch I this one worked as pleasure listening. They’re having fun, sure, but they also give a shit and that’d counted for something too.
“Death is presented as an all-encompassing force of necessary change acting as both catalyst for (and the end result of) progress on this debut full-length album from Reichenbach, Germany-based ‘old school’ inspired death/thrash metal quartet Boundless Chaos. Displaying the most classic traits of the thrash ’til death/thrash metal transmutation common among mid-to-late 80’s riff obsessed crews, ‘Sinister Upheaval‘ offers a clear-cut lesson in morbid defiance, death-atmospheric speed metal with very little flourish or extraneous focus beyond their own mayhemic attack upon corruption and ignorance.“
>> FULL REVIEW <<
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