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#blackenedthrashmetal — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #blackenedthrashmetal, aggregated by home.social.

  1. The Great Observer – Loss of Transcendence Review By Thus Spoke

    There are few concepts in the Western tradition as misunderstood as that of “the death of God.” It is not a triumphant proclamation, nor a call for apathetic nihilism. What has been coined in recent online discourse as a ‘meaning crisis’ is only barely getting the point. The Loss of Transcendence—some universal, ultimate, mind-independent Truth and set of values—is a beginning, an event that should prompt critical thought and action and confrontation of a human condition that we sedate ourselves out of with belief in a higher power or sense and reason in the universe; hope; or the rescinding of responsibility to the idea that ‘nothing matters.12 The Great Observer seem to have done their homework for the most part, with their debut channeling their thrashy blackened death into a philosophical call to action that blends Existentialism with Stoicism and Epicureanism. Fresh on the scene and immediately going all-in in aggression and storytelling, what can The Great Observer give to us?

    On the face of it, Loss of Transcendence is standard black/death/thrash, with a rotating emphasis on each of those three components. Sticking primarily to up-tempo, gritty riffing in a vein somewhere between Necrophobic, Tomb Mold, and Morbid Angel—though a less flashy iteration—The Great Observer do nonetheless find time to linger in some cavernousness that vaguely recalls Disembowelment. They further emphasise their mean streak with a pervasive vocal echo that adds to the grime of the throaty howls and is compounded during the many instances when such vocals are multi-tracked or delivered as a group. But not all of this energy is used in service of evil; there’s a strong anthemic side to these choruses and a jaunty bombast to many a beat. In many ways, it gives off the aura of classical extreme metal—back when Black Metal was an album title, and ugliness, speed, and aggression were the name of the game in a fundamentally different way to how they are now. And yet, under the layers of dirt and behind the malevolence lie small seeds of nuance, and it is to Loss of Transcendence’s great detriment that they remain scattered seeds alone.

    Loss of Transcendence flirts with many things—intrigue, atmosphere, tenacity—but never quite wins any of them over. Riffs generally check boxes for pugnacity, but even at their most brutish and slick (“The Great Observer,” “Impervious Creation”), they have no edge, no force. At the worst end, guitar lines are entirely blunt thanks to nondescript, generic-sounding melodies and patterns (“Herald of Thorns,” “How Far the Faithless will Venture”). It’s unfortunate that all of the best guitar sits in the record’s back half, with “Impervious Creation” and “The Weight of Being Free” delivering shimmying, sliding shredding capable of winning over the harshest of critics, and the latter track featuring a genuinely beautiful, buttery smooth solo that combines everything great about grimy yet gorgeous extreme metal. The frequent use of group vocals, which sometimes creates an impressive miasma of harrowing calls (“Impervious Creation,” title track), falls awkwardly flat when delivered as rousing shouts (“Sentenced at High Noon,” “At The Summit of Consciousness,” “The Weight…”) thanks to the latter’s surprising corniness. The Great Observer also experiment in an exasperatingly random manner with distortion, with a liquid, Worm-adjacent effect appearing in random snatches never to develop (“Parénklisis (Fallen Into Existence),” “How Far…,” “The Weight…,” title track); and the worst part is that it’s good! The pace, generally high, is also stymied by not one but two synth-heavy instrumentals as “Parénklisis…” opens the album with a gravitas that never appears again, and “Ékstasis (The Lonesome Path)” needlessly presses pause for two minutes of ambience and whispering.

    In reality, Loss of Transcendence feels frustratingly lukewarm. A mix that pushes guitars erratically between the far background and the very forefront, and a baffling decision3 to layer vocal tracks and reverb like lasagna over these riffs (“The Great Observer,” “Sentenced at High Noon,” “The Weight…,” title track) makes what could be decent blackened death sound almost poor. Almost the only time the guitars sound good is when they sound great, soloing in sudden clarity (“Sentenced…,” “Impervious Creation”) and with fluent expressiveness (“The Weight…,”), and these highlights appear exclusively in the second half. Given this, it becomes harder to forgive the swing of strangely upbeat gang shouts (“Sentenced…,” “Herald of Thorns”) and a brusque attitude to riff-writing that tends to shy away from character.

    It’s always a shame when a concept I’m particularly interested in is delivered in mediocre form. Loss of Transcendence strikes as an album that would have had heads spinning and Bibles being reached for in the early 90s but now its grit cannot make up for its shortcomings. Failing to develop their best ideas and sidelining their assets far too often, The Great Observer still haven’t seen how to capitalise on their strengths, and Loss of Transcendence loses more than higher values as a result.

    Rating: Disappointing
    DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: BlackSeed Productions
    Website: Bandcamp | Facebook
    Releases Worldwide: April 30th, 2026

    #20 #2026 #Apr26 #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BlackenedThrashMetal #BlackSeedProductions #DeathMetal #diSEMBOWELMENT #ItalianMetal #LossOfTranscendence #MorbidAngel #Necrophobic #Review #Reviews #TheGreatObserver #ThrashMetal #TombMold
  2. If you need help getting going on a Monday morning, throw some fucking Hellripper on!

    Their brand of blackened speed metal continues to evolve. New track "Hunderprest" is great, and I'm looking forward to the new album "Coronach", out in March.

    youtube.com/watch?v=yQpB78zs138

    #BlackenedSpeedMetal #BlackenedThrashMetal #ScottishMetal #Metal #Music #Albumsof2026

  3. If you need help getting going on a Monday morning, throw some fucking Hellripper on!

    Their brand of blackened speed metal continues to evolve. New track "Hunderprest" is great, and I'm looking forward to the new album "Coronach", out in March.

    youtube.com/watch?v=yQpB78zs138

    #BlackenedSpeedMetal #BlackenedThrashMetal #ScottishMetal #Metal #Music #Albumsof2026

  4. Ultimate revalation vol 1

    Cabaret Foufounes Electriques, Saturday, August 23 at 07:00 PM EDT

    Anr Productions Presents:

    Ultimate Revelation Vol.1

    Performances:

    Stregoneria

    Sarkasm

    Riotor

    Braindown

    Postluven

    7pm doors/portes

    7h30 show

    25$ at the door/à la portes

    20$ online/en ligne

    ticket link:

    https://thepointofsale.com/tickets/0qd250823001

    montreal.askapunk.net/event/ul

  5. ENDSUMMER RITUAL @ Thrashcan - August 15th, 2025

    Thrash Can, Friday, August 15 at 07:00 PM EDT

    ENDSUMMER RITUAL

    Coming up on Friday, August 15th, 2025 at Thrashcan!

    Prepare for an ushering of darkness as Edmonton black metal wizards Sorguinazia and Kings Rot descend upon our fair city for a night of ultimate chaotic debauchery.

    They’ll be joined by black n’ roll warriors Mistwalker, Quebec City noire miscreants Masse d'Armes, melodic Montreal shredders Shroud, and the darkened coldwave and post-punk tidings of Oiseau de Proie

    This is an evening of misery and madness that you DON’T want to miss!

    Sorguinazia:
    https://sorguinazia.bandcamp.com/album/of-lust-and-leeches

    Kings Rot:
    https://kingsrot.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-gates-of-adversarial-darkness

    Masse d'Armes:
    https://massedarmesqc.bandcamp.com/album/masse-darmes

    Mistwalker:
    https://mistwalker.bandcamp.com/album/oceanic-heritage

    Shroud:
    https://shroudmtl.bandcamp.com/track/the-eternal-void

    Oiseau de Proie:
    https://oiseaudeproie.bandcamp.com/album/m-lop-es-dun-ciel-teint

    Friday, August 15th, 2025
    @ Thrashcan (Ask a Punk!)
    Doors @ 7:00 PM
    Show @ 8:00 PM
    $15
    18+

    montreal.askapunk.net/event/en

  6. ENDSUMMER RITUAL @ Thrashcan - August 15th, 2025

    Thrash Can, Friday, August 15 at 07:00 PM EDT

    ENDSUMMER RITUAL

    Coming up on Friday, August 15th, 2025 at Thrashcan!

    Prepare for an ushering of darkness as Edmonton black metal wizards Sorguinazia and Kings Rot descend upon our fair city for a night of ultimate chaotic debauchery.

    They’ll be joined by black n’ roll warriors Mistwalker, Quebec City noire miscreants Masse d'Armes, melodic Montreal shredders Shroud, and the darkened coldwave and post-punk tidings of Oiseau de Proie

    This is an evening of misery and madness that you DON’T want to miss!

    Sorguinazia:
    https://sorguinazia.bandcamp.com/album/of-lust-and-leeches

    Kings Rot:
    https://kingsrot.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-gates-of-adversarial-darkness

    Masse d'Armes:
    https://massedarmesqc.bandcamp.com/album/masse-darmes

    Mistwalker:
    https://mistwalker.bandcamp.com/album/oceanic-heritage

    Shroud:
    https://shroudmtl.bandcamp.com/track/the-eternal-void

    Oiseau de Proie:
    https://oiseaudeproie.bandcamp.com/album/m-lop-es-dun-ciel-teint

    Friday, August 15th, 2025
    @ Thrashcan (Ask a Punk!)
    Doors @ 7:00 PM
    Show @ 8:00 PM
    $15
    18+

    montreal.askapunk.net/event/en

  7. ENDSUMMER RITUAL @ Thrashcan - August 15th, 2025

    Thrash Can, Friday, August 15 at 07:00 PM EDT

    ENDSUMMER RITUAL

    Coming up on Friday, August 15th, 2025 at Thrashcan!

    Prepare for an ushering of darkness as Edmonton black metal wizards Sorguinazia and Kings Rot descend upon our fair city for a night of ultimate chaotic debauchery.

    They’ll be joined by black n’ roll warriors Mistwalker, Quebec City noire miscreants Masse d'Armes, melodic Montreal shredders Shroud, and the darkened coldwave and post-punk tidings of Oiseau de Proie

    This is an evening of misery and madness that you DON’T want to miss!

    Sorguinazia:
    https://sorguinazia.bandcamp.com/album/of-lust-and-leeches

    Kings Rot:
    https://kingsrot.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-gates-of-adversarial-darkness

    Masse d'Armes:
    https://massedarmesqc.bandcamp.com/album/masse-darmes

    Mistwalker:
    https://mistwalker.bandcamp.com/album/oceanic-heritage

    Shroud:
    https://shroudmtl.bandcamp.com/track/the-eternal-void

    Oiseau de Proie:
    https://oiseaudeproie.bandcamp.com/album/m-lop-es-dun-ciel-teint

    Friday, August 15th, 2025
    @ Thrashcan (Ask a Punk!)
    Doors @ 7:00 PM
    Show @ 8:00 PM
    $15
    18+

    montreal.askapunk.net/event/en

  8. Ashbringer, Mistwalker, Murtenscythe

    La Sotterenea, Monday, June 2 at 07:00 PM EDT

    Viridian Cult Productions presents:

    Minnesota false black metal band Ashbringer will be trekking to Montreal, hot off the heels of their performance at Prepare the Ground this year, for a show at La Sotterenea on Monday, June 2nd!

    They will be joined by blackened speed rippers Mistwalker, and progressive death wizards Murtenscythe!

    Monday, June 2nd, 2025
    @ La Sotterenea
    Doors @ 7:00 PM
    Show @ 8:00 PM
    $15
    18+

    Ashbringer:
    https://ashbringermusic.bandcamp.com/.../we-came-here-to...

    Mistwalker:
    https://mistwalker.bandcamp.com/album/oceanic-heritage

    Murtenscythe:
    https://murtenscythe.bandcamp.com/album/vodyanoy

    montreal.askapunk.net/event/as

  9. Ashbringer, Mistwalker, Murtenscythe

    La Sotterenea, Monday, June 2 at 07:00 PM EDT

    Viridian Cult Productions presents:

    Minnesota false black metal band Ashbringer will be trekking to Montreal, hot off the heels of their performance at Prepare the Ground this year, for a show at La Sotterenea on Monday, June 2nd!

    They will be joined by blackened speed rippers Mistwalker, and progressive death wizards Murtenscythe!

    Monday, June 2nd, 2025
    @ La Sotterenea
    Doors @ 7:00 PM
    Show @ 8:00 PM
    $15
    18+

    Ashbringer:
    https://ashbringermusic.bandcamp.com/.../we-came-here-to...

    Mistwalker:
    https://mistwalker.bandcamp.com/album/oceanic-heritage

    Murtenscythe:
    https://murtenscythe.bandcamp.com/album/vodyanoy

    montreal.askapunk.net/event/as

  10. Ashbringer, Mistwalker, Murtenscythe

    La Sotterenea, Monday, June 2 at 07:00 PM EDT

    Viridian Cult Productions presents:

    Minnesota false black metal band Ashbringer will be trekking to Montreal, hot off the heels of their performance at Prepare the Ground this year, for a show at La Sotterenea on Monday, June 2nd!

    They will be joined by blackened speed rippers Mistwalker, and progressive death wizards Murtenscythe!

    Monday, June 2nd, 2025
    @ La Sotterenea
    Doors @ 7:00 PM
    Show @ 8:00 PM
    $15
    18+

    Ashbringer:
    https://ashbringermusic.bandcamp.com/.../we-came-here-to...

    Mistwalker:
    https://mistwalker.bandcamp.com/album/oceanic-heritage

    Murtenscythe:
    https://murtenscythe.bandcamp.com/album/vodyanoy

    montreal.askapunk.net/event/as

  11. Shrine of Denial – I, Moloch Review

    By Thus Spoke

    I’m starting to think there might be something in the water over in Turkey. Not two full years after Serpent of Old and their phenomenal debut Ensemble Under the Dark Sun blew my tiny mind, Shrine of Denial threaten to do the same. Sharing a home country and a label and implying a similar sound to Serpent of Old in their one-sheet, it was easy to go in expecting a carbon-copy of the former. While certain quirks suggest the idea of a native style, Shrine of Denial have more than enough personality of their own, forming I, Moloch with blackened death metal channeled through a sound that feels as old and trve as it does fresh and unique.

    I, Moloch is gritty, fast, and technical. Punchily-delivered vocals and fast, off-beat tempos that almost recall The Black Dahlia Murder, meet with menacing riffwork that mimics a faster Morbid Angel, and is most closely akin to last years’ Keres, and throaty growls barked or roared, often in unison. Lurking about the compositions are tones and some pretensions to atmospheric dissonance that sound—yes—a bit like Serpent of Old (“Climbing Through Nothingness,” “The Mesmer”). But Shrine of Denial eschew eerie ambiguity in favour of straightforward meanness, delivering their discordant harmonies through spidery fretwork and the occasional twisting, piercing line. The low-DR, new-school-old-school production that wraps guitar solos in delicious echo, pushes the percussion to the front and into the golden zone of satisfyingly crisp crashy-bangyness, and emphasises the roughness of the vocals is the perfect packaging. This sounds bloody fantastic.

    Shrine of Denial excel at elevating the elements of their music in a way that injects new vitality and intrigue into old styles, but doesn’t denigrate their unvarnished heaviness. There is much that feels vaguely familiar on I, Moloch, but it is reinterpreted and reinvigorated through impressive performances and idiosyncratic habits that give Shrine of Denial instant individuality. Guitar lines threading through compositions are immediate and hooky (“Oneiros,” “Headless Idol”), but subtly they spin a more complex web that gives the songs depth, and take you almost by surprise as thematic reprise bursts into a thrilling solo (“I, Moloch,” “Pillars of Ice”). The drumwork is far more complex than it needed to be, but the effort pays off in spades, with the compositions becoming exhilaratingly energetic; my jaw was frequently on the floor in appreciation of the flicky precision and kicky fills (especially “A Sanctuary In The Depths Of The Realms,” “Pillars of Ice,” and “Oneiros”). Further, the way Shrine of Denial use syncopation between percussion, vocal delivery, and on-off riff patterns gives them that much more impact, where otherwise they might have shrunken under their technicality (“I, Moloch,” “Temple of the Corpse Misuser”). What few truly melodious passages there are shine when they do appear in the aforementioned solos, or in the hints of grace to certain quite OSDM-sounding refrains; the beauty of their high, cavernous resonance makes it that much more heartbreaking that they are so rare.

    There is precious little wastage on I, Moloch. With a runtime this swift, but songs this compelling, it’s clear that Shrine of Denial are smart songwriters, knowing that to win over their listener, it’s better to leave them a little hungry. These 31 minutes are bursting with slick, thrilling, downright gnarly musicianship, and a presence that belies this brevity. Everything exudes a fresh and snappy approach to disso-death, and blackened death, and whatever subgenres they incorporate, that makes them more approachable, but keeps just enough conventionality, and more than enough brutality and technicality, to satisfy. The main problems, therefore, with I, Moloch are: a) I would like more, and b) I would like them to let their extreme tendencies play out a little further; that is to say—there aren’t any real problems. In seriousness, I, Moloch’s abbreviation and slight camouflage of seeming more straightforward than it is does let Shrine of Denial down a tad; but it’s early days, and I’m more than happy to wait for them to really let loose.

    Really, I, Moloch does everything you could ask it to. It’s punchy and slick, with clear signs of powerful promise waiting to be capitalised upon once Shrine of Denial fully lock in. It’s a bite-sized helping of top-shelf blackened death that gets me very excited for the band’s future career, and it’s another impressive debut to come from a country with a growing reputation of fostering extreme metal talent.

    Rating: Very Good
    DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
    Label: Transcending Obscurity
    Websites: shrineofdenial.bandcamp | facebook.com/shrineofdenial
    Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

     

    #2025 #35 #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BlackenedThrashMetal #DeathMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #IMoloch #Keres #Mar25 #MorbidAngel #Review #Reviews #SerpentOfOld #ShrineOfDenial #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TranscendingObscurityRecords #TurkishMetal

  12. Shrine of Denial – I, Moloch Review

    By Thus Spoke

    I’m starting to think there might be something in the water over in Turkey. Not two full years after Serpent of Old and their phenomenal debut Ensemble Under the Dark Sun blew my tiny mind, Shrine of Denial threaten to do the same. Sharing a home country and a label and implying a similar sound to Serpent of Old in their one-sheet, it was easy to go in expecting a carbon-copy of the former. While certain quirks suggest the idea of a native style, Shrine of Denial have more than enough personality of their own, forming I, Moloch with blackened death metal channeled through a sound that feels as old and trve as it does fresh and unique.

    I, Moloch is gritty, fast, and technical. Punchily-delivered vocals and fast, off-beat tempos that almost recall The Black Dahlia Murder, meet with menacing riffwork that mimics a faster Morbid Angel, and is most closely akin to last years’ Keres, and throaty growls barked or roared, often in unison. Lurking about the compositions are tones and some pretensions to atmospheric dissonance that sound—yes—a bit like Serpent of Old (“Climbing Through Nothingness,” “The Mesmer”). But Shrine of Denial eschew eerie ambiguity in favour of straightforward meanness, delivering their discordant harmonies through spidery fretwork and the occasional twisting, piercing line. The low-DR, new-school-old-school production that wraps guitar solos in delicious echo, pushes the percussion to the front and into the golden zone of satisfyingly crisp crashy-bangyness, and emphasises the roughness of the vocals is the perfect packaging. This sounds bloody fantastic.

    Shrine of Denial excel at elevating the elements of their music in a way that injects new vitality and intrigue into old styles, but doesn’t denigrate their unvarnished heaviness. There is much that feels vaguely familiar on I, Moloch, but it is reinterpreted and reinvigorated through impressive performances and idiosyncratic habits that give Shrine of Denial instant individuality. Guitar lines threading through compositions are immediate and hooky (“Oneiros,” “Headless Idol”), but subtly they spin a more complex web that gives the songs depth, and take you almost by surprise as thematic reprise bursts into a thrilling solo (“I, Moloch,” “Pillars of Ice”). The drumwork is far more complex than it needed to be, but the effort pays off in spades, with the compositions becoming exhilaratingly energetic; my jaw was frequently on the floor in appreciation of the flicky precision and kicky fills (especially “A Sanctuary In The Depths Of The Realms,” “Pillars of Ice,” and “Oneiros”). Further, the way Shrine of Denial use syncopation between percussion, vocal delivery, and on-off riff patterns gives them that much more impact, where otherwise they might have shrunken under their technicality (“I, Moloch,” “Temple of the Corpse Misuser”). What few truly melodious passages there are shine when they do appear in the aforementioned solos, or in the hints of grace to certain quite OSDM-sounding refrains; the beauty of their high, cavernous resonance makes it that much more heartbreaking that they are so rare.

    There is precious little wastage on I, Moloch. With a runtime this swift, but songs this compelling, it’s clear that Shrine of Denial are smart songwriters, knowing that to win over their listener, it’s better to leave them a little hungry. These 31 minutes are bursting with slick, thrilling, downright gnarly musicianship, and a presence that belies this brevity. Everything exudes a fresh and snappy approach to disso-death, and blackened death, and whatever subgenres they incorporate, that makes them more approachable, but keeps just enough conventionality, and more than enough brutality and technicality, to satisfy. The main problems, therefore, with I, Moloch are: a) I would like more, and b) I would like them to let their extreme tendencies play out a little further; that is to say—there aren’t any real problems. In seriousness, I, Moloch’s abbreviation and slight camouflage of seeming more straightforward than it is does let Shrine of Denial down a tad; but it’s early days, and I’m more than happy to wait for them to really let loose.

    Really, I, Moloch does everything you could ask it to. It’s punchy and slick, with clear signs of powerful promise waiting to be capitalised upon once Shrine of Denial fully lock in. It’s a bite-sized helping of top-shelf blackened death that gets me very excited for the band’s future career, and it’s another impressive debut to come from a country with a growing reputation of fostering extreme metal talent.

    Rating: Very Good
    DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
    Label: Transcending Obscurity
    Websites: shrineofdenial.bandcamp | facebook.com/shrineofdenial
    Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

     

    #2025 #35 #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BlackenedThrashMetal #DeathMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #IMoloch #Keres #Mar25 #MorbidAngel #Review #Reviews #SerpentOfOld #ShrineOfDenial #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TranscendingObscurityRecords #TurkishMetal

  13. Shrine of Denial – I, Moloch Review

    By Thus Spoke

    I’m starting to think there might be something in the water over in Turkey. Not two full years after Serpent of Old and their phenomenal debut Ensemble Under the Dark Sun blew my tiny mind, Shrine of Denial threaten to do the same. Sharing a home country and a label and implying a similar sound to Serpent of Old in their one-sheet, it was easy to go in expecting a carbon-copy of the former. While certain quirks suggest the idea of a native style, Shrine of Denial have more than enough personality of their own, forming I, Moloch with blackened death metal channeled through a sound that feels as old and trve as it does fresh and unique.

    I, Moloch is gritty, fast, and technical. Punchily-delivered vocals and fast, off-beat tempos that almost recall The Black Dahlia Murder, meet with menacing riffwork that mimics a faster Morbid Angel, and is most closely akin to last years’ Keres, and throaty growls barked or roared, often in unison. Lurking about the compositions are tones and some pretensions to atmospheric dissonance that sound—yes—a bit like Serpent of Old (“Climbing Through Nothingness,” “The Mesmer”). But Shrine of Denial eschew eerie ambiguity in favour of straightforward meanness, delivering their discordant harmonies through spidery fretwork and the occasional twisting, piercing line. The low-DR, new-school-old-school production that wraps guitar solos in delicious echo, pushes the percussion to the front and into the golden zone of satisfyingly crisp crashy-bangyness, and emphasises the roughness of the vocals is the perfect packaging. This sounds bloody fantastic.

    Shrine of Denial excel at elevating the elements of their music in a way that injects new vitality and intrigue into old styles, but doesn’t denigrate their unvarnished heaviness. There is much that feels vaguely familiar on I, Moloch, but it is reinterpreted and reinvigorated through impressive performances and idiosyncratic habits that give Shrine of Denial instant individuality. Guitar lines threading through compositions are immediate and hooky (“Oneiros,” “Headless Idol”), but subtly they spin a more complex web that gives the songs depth, and take you almost by surprise as thematic reprise bursts into a thrilling solo (“I, Moloch,” “Pillars of Ice”). The drumwork is far more complex than it needed to be, but the effort pays off in spades, with the compositions becoming exhilaratingly energetic; my jaw was frequently on the floor in appreciation of the flicky precision and kicky fills (especially “A Sanctuary In The Depths Of The Realms,” “Pillars of Ice,” and “Oneiros”). Further, the way Shrine of Denial use syncopation between percussion, vocal delivery, and on-off riff patterns gives them that much more impact, where otherwise they might have shrunken under their technicality (“I, Moloch,” “Temple of the Corpse Misuser”). What few truly melodious passages there are shine when they do appear in the aforementioned solos, or in the hints of grace to certain quite OSDM-sounding refrains; the beauty of their high, cavernous resonance makes it that much more heartbreaking that they are so rare.

    There is precious little wastage on I, Moloch. With a runtime this swift, but songs this compelling, it’s clear that Shrine of Denial are smart songwriters, knowing that to win over their listener, it’s better to leave them a little hungry. These 31 minutes are bursting with slick, thrilling, downright gnarly musicianship, and a presence that belies this brevity. Everything exudes a fresh and snappy approach to disso-death, and blackened death, and whatever subgenres they incorporate, that makes them more approachable, but keeps just enough conventionality, and more than enough brutality and technicality, to satisfy. The main problems, therefore, with I, Moloch are: a) I would like more, and b) I would like them to let their extreme tendencies play out a little further; that is to say—there aren’t any real problems. In seriousness, I, Moloch’s abbreviation and slight camouflage of seeming more straightforward than it is does let Shrine of Denial down a tad; but it’s early days, and I’m more than happy to wait for them to really let loose.

    Really, I, Moloch does everything you could ask it to. It’s punchy and slick, with clear signs of powerful promise waiting to be capitalised upon once Shrine of Denial fully lock in. It’s a bite-sized helping of top-shelf blackened death that gets me very excited for the band’s future career, and it’s another impressive debut to come from a country with a growing reputation of fostering extreme metal talent.

    Rating: Very Good
    DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
    Label: Transcending Obscurity
    Websites: shrineofdenial.bandcamp | facebook.com/shrineofdenial
    Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

     

    #2025 #35 #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BlackenedThrashMetal #DeathMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #IMoloch #Keres #Mar25 #MorbidAngel #Review #Reviews #SerpentOfOld #ShrineOfDenial #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TranscendingObscurityRecords #TurkishMetal

  14. Shrine of Denial – I, Moloch Review

    By Thus Spoke

    I’m starting to think there might be something in the water over in Turkey. Not two full years after Serpent of Old and their phenomenal debut Ensemble Under the Dark Sun blew my tiny mind, Shrine of Denial threaten to do the same. Sharing a home country and a label and implying a similar sound to Serpent of Old in their one-sheet, it was easy to go in expecting a carbon-copy of the former. While certain quirks suggest the idea of a native style, Shrine of Denial have more than enough personality of their own, forming I, Moloch with blackened death metal channeled through a sound that feels as old and trve as it does fresh and unique.

    I, Moloch is gritty, fast, and technical. Punchily-delivered vocals and fast, off-beat tempos that almost recall The Black Dahlia Murder, meet with menacing riffwork that mimics a faster Morbid Angel, and is most closely akin to last years’ Keres, and throaty growls barked or roared, often in unison. Lurking about the compositions are tones and some pretensions to atmospheric dissonance that sound—yes—a bit like Serpent of Old (“Climbing Through Nothingness,” “The Mesmer”). But Shrine of Denial eschew eerie ambiguity in favour of straightforward meanness, delivering their discordant harmonies through spidery fretwork and the occasional twisting, piercing line. The low-DR, new-school-old-school production that wraps guitar solos in delicious echo, pushes the percussion to the front and into the golden zone of satisfyingly crisp crashy-bangyness, and emphasises the roughness of the vocals is the perfect packaging. This sounds bloody fantastic.

    Shrine of Denial excel at elevating the elements of their music in a way that injects new vitality and intrigue into old styles, but doesn’t denigrate their unvarnished heaviness. There is much that feels vaguely familiar on I, Moloch, but it is reinterpreted and reinvigorated through impressive performances and idiosyncratic habits that give Shrine of Denial instant individuality. Guitar lines threading through compositions are immediate and hooky (“Oneiros,” “Headless Idol”), but subtly they spin a more complex web that gives the songs depth, and take you almost by surprise as thematic reprise bursts into a thrilling solo (“I, Moloch,” “Pillars of Ice”). The drumwork is far more complex than it needed to be, but the effort pays off in spades, with the compositions becoming exhilaratingly energetic; my jaw was frequently on the floor in appreciation of the flicky precision and kicky fills (especially “A Sanctuary In The Depths Of The Realms,” “Pillars of Ice,” and “Oneiros”). Further, the way Shrine of Denial use syncopation between percussion, vocal delivery, and on-off riff patterns gives them that much more impact, where otherwise they might have shrunken under their technicality (“I, Moloch,” “Temple of the Corpse Misuser”). What few truly melodious passages there are shine when they do appear in the aforementioned solos, or in the hints of grace to certain quite OSDM-sounding refrains; the beauty of their high, cavernous resonance makes it that much more heartbreaking that they are so rare.

    There is precious little wastage on I, Moloch. With a runtime this swift, but songs this compelling, it’s clear that Shrine of Denial are smart songwriters, knowing that to win over their listener, it’s better to leave them a little hungry. These 31 minutes are bursting with slick, thrilling, downright gnarly musicianship, and a presence that belies this brevity. Everything exudes a fresh and snappy approach to disso-death, and blackened death, and whatever subgenres they incorporate, that makes them more approachable, but keeps just enough conventionality, and more than enough brutality and technicality, to satisfy. The main problems, therefore, with I, Moloch are: a) I would like more, and b) I would like them to let their extreme tendencies play out a little further; that is to say—there aren’t any real problems. In seriousness, I, Moloch’s abbreviation and slight camouflage of seeming more straightforward than it is does let Shrine of Denial down a tad; but it’s early days, and I’m more than happy to wait for them to really let loose.

    Really, I, Moloch does everything you could ask it to. It’s punchy and slick, with clear signs of powerful promise waiting to be capitalised upon once Shrine of Denial fully lock in. It’s a bite-sized helping of top-shelf blackened death that gets me very excited for the band’s future career, and it’s another impressive debut to come from a country with a growing reputation of fostering extreme metal talent.

    Rating: Very Good
    DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
    Label: Transcending Obscurity
    Websites: shrineofdenial.bandcamp | facebook.com/shrineofdenial
    Releases Worldwide: March 7th, 2025

     

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