Alene Misantropie – Abscence of Light (2016)

Author: Crono

Artist: Alene Misantropie

Album: Absence of Light

Label: Damnatio ad Bestias

Genre: Depressive Black Metal

It is now half way through 2016, and I am only now stumbling upon some depressive black metal that I really enjoy. Alene Misantropie is a new duo from Spain, and Absence of Light is their debut album. This album is in competition with Acjétêc by Sadness for best depressive black metal album of the year, although I am still holding patiently for the long-awaited Coldworld release, Autumn. Regardless, if you enjoy depressive black metal, you cannot skip Absence of Light. 

Dark Funeral – Where Shadows Forever Reign (2016

Author: Gay For Gary Oldman

Artist: Dark Funeral

Album: Where Shadows Forever Reign (2016)

Genre: Black Metal

Label: Century Media Records

 

 

 

Dark Funeral have inhabited a somewhat curious position in black metal. Formed in the midst of the second wave in neighboring Sweden, the band survived the turn of the century, when many of the Norwegian torchbearers were either seeking alternative paths or floundering altogether. Dark Funeral, along with countrymen Marduk, took up cleaner production and more conventional, recognizable song structures and acted as a lightning rod for new black metal listeners. Whilst they never delved into the outright commercial properties of Dimmu Borgir, the band nonetheless wrought a fair bit of distain in more experienced circles. They never used keyboards or clean vocals, and their guitar leads were rarely melodic enough to be called “mainstream”. Nothing musical about the band could be called anything less than black metal; nonetheless, Dark Funeral had become far more accessible than many believe black metal has any right to be. 

Gevurah – Hallelujah! (2016)

Author: Crono

Artist: Gevurah

Album: Hallelujah!

Label: Profound Lore

Genre: Black Metal

 

Hallelujah! is the debut album from black metal duo Gevurah, coming hot on the heels of three short demo releases. I had actually heard the release previous to this, Dialogue of Broken Stars, so I had an idea of what I was going to be listening to. What the demo did not prepare me for was how evil and crushing a full-length from Gevurah would be. Hallelujah! is dark, monstrous, and baleful black metal. 

Ashbringer – Yūgen (2016)

Author: Crono

Artist: Ashbringer

Album: Yūgen

Label: Avantgarde Music

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

 

 

Yūgen is the second full-length album from Ashbringer, an atmospheric black metal band from the States. It is another album in a style that is becoming more and more familiar to me as more bands stumble upon it. I believe that Ashbringer shares a similar approach to their music as Amiensus and Oak Pantheon. These three bands (among a few others) share a sound that approaches atmospheric black metal from many different sides, combining progressive song structures with folk, ambience, and epic flourishes. The result is a more energetic atmospheric black metal, less sorrowful and bleak, and Ashbringer navigate that space brilliantly. 

Katavasia – Sacrilegious Testament (2016)

Author: Gay For Gary Oldman

Artist: Katavasia

Album: Sacrilegious Testament

Genre: Black Metal

Label: Floga Records

 

 

A release from earlier in the year, Katavasia’s Sacrilegious Testament was too good to be overlooked for review. This year has been phenomenal for Hellenic black metal; that unique and recognizable strain of black metal originating out of Greece. Caedes Cruenta has brought the original raw passion back in its purest form, and Macabre Omen pushed it into the new century with a majestic and epic album of the warring gods. For those out of the loop, these newer slew of bands owe their style to bands like Rotting Christ and Varathron, who pioneered the Greek scene in the early 90s, which differed from their Norwegian counterparts by the greater emphasis placed on traditional metal lead guitar harmonies and galloping rhythms, often combined with an occultist, religious chanting. 

EP Roundup #1

Author: Goldensundown

Bands: Gruesome, Grave Miasma

Albums: Dimensions of Horror, Endless Pilgrimage

Genres: Death Metal, Black/Death Metal

Labels: Relapse Records, Sepulchral Voice Records

 

This time I’m introducing a new round-up segment. Gonna be separating out the pure EP round-ups from my demo ones so that demos get a fair go. For the first EP round-up its a double offering of death with the new Gruesome and Grave Miasma EP’s.

Alkerdeel – Lede (2016)

Author: Crono

Artist: Alkerdeel

Album: Lede

Label: ConSouling Sounds

Genre: Raw Sludge/Black Metal

Lede is the latest release from Belgian nightmare-masters Alkerdeel. This is their third full length album and it continues to tread the same sound of previous albums. Describing exactly what that sound is can be rather difficult. Alkerdeel plays a raw black metal that incorporates some elements of sludge, notably a heavy focus on bass-leads and extremely crunchy sections. Their songs almost always range on the lengthy side, Lede being a trio of songs, the shortest just under seven minutes, the longest 18 minutes. I was drawn to Alkerdeel for their unique mix of apocalyptic vocals and crushing instrumentals on their previous release, Morinde, and they’ve definitely kept it up on this new release.  

Glorior Belli – Sundown (2016)

Author: Gay For Gary Oldman

Artist: Glorior Belli

Album: Sundown (2016)

Genre: Stoner/Southern/Black Metal

Label: Agonia Records

 

Back in 2013, Glorior Belli rustled the collective jimmies of the black metal underworld by releasing Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls. The bands fifth album drew much criticism and controversy by deviating largely from the black metal sound which they were known for, and crafted what was largely a southern blues-rock and sludge inspired record, steeped in the traditions of Louisiana’s Delta blues music, transported through much of the modern rock-and-metal permutations attempted at creating that divine atmosphere. Essentially, it was more Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and Blackstone Cherry than it was Darkthrone. Much of the criticism was directed at the fact that the band were French, attempting to emulate a tradition made by another race, in another country, at another time. 

Winterlore – Winterlore (2016)

Author: Crono

Artist: Winterlore

Album: Winterlore

Label: Independent

Genre: Epic Black Metal

 

 

Winterlore is the self-titled second album of Utah-based black metal outfit Winterlore. While the band’s full length releases is a short list, they have apparently been together since 2005, releasing their original demo way back then. Winterlore is six tracks totaling to just over 40 minutes, so we have a bunch of medium length tracks, none shorter than six minutes. Each track covers a lot of different ground, as Winterlore reaches for an epic sound for every song, really stretching out the compositions. 

Lord Mantis – NTW EP (2016)

Author: Gay For Gary Oldman

Artist: Lord Mantis

Album: NTW EP (2016)

Genre: Black/Sludge Metal

 

Label: New Density

 

 

 

After dominating so many end of year lists with Death Mask in 2014, one of the last remaining titans of blackened sludge Lord Mantis return with a phenomenal EP, after kinsmen Indian and Coffinworm head to the blacker pastures of the defunct-band realm in the sky. In case you don’t recall the cover art of Death Mask, you should revisit it before learning that this EP is named for the track Nice Teeth Whore. And yes, yes. That is a fucking uterus on the album cover, in all its fallopian fortitude, with the umbilical swarm and all.