#blackmetal — Public Fediverse posts

Where souls get lost 2
#blackandwhite #photography #woodland #walking #blackmetal :unarist:

https://www.europesays.com/be-nl/143961/ Old Ruins – Mount Arreat #albumreview #Amusement #BE #België #Belgium #BlackMetal #Entertainment #MountArreat #Music #Muziek #OldRuins #SickTasteRecords #ZwareMetalen

https://www.europesays.com/nl/311577/ Old Ruins – Mount Arreat #albumreview #Amusement #BlackMetal #Dutch #Entertainment #MountArreat #Music #Muziek #Nederland #Nederlanden #Nederlands #Netherlands #NL #OldRuins #SickTasteRecords #ZwareMetalen

Listening to different eras of Bathory this morning. Started with a #vikingmetal album then went to their first album which was an early example of #blackmetal Might fuck around and listen to one of their albums from their brief thrash era in the 90s too.

#metal #heavymetal

Listening to different eras of Bathory this morning. Started with a #vikingmetal album then went to their first album which was an early example of #blackmetal Might fuck around and listen to one of their albums from their brief thrash era in the 90s too.

#metal #heavymetal

It only takes the opening 1-2-3-4 salvo of Scour Order to dare believe the eternally divisive Krallice are trying to make a return to their roots. Ever shifting, ever evolving, the dimensional bleed-triggering outfit have spent their entire career contorting black metal into their spacey, math-infused vision of weird. Receiving affirmations as conflicting as “forward thinking,” “genre transcending,” and “pile of unlistenable hipster wankery,” the band have spent the last eighteen years with a constant stream of activity and output, answering to and guided by no one but the calls of their own internal demonic wealth. Album fifteen, Scour Order arrives offering something of a constructional throwback, with the band returning to a two-guitar approach, as co-founder and studio producer extraordinaire Colin Marston returns to the strings after a long stint at the keys. Does this rebuild promise a return to the Cascadian expansiveness of yore, or to still more confusing territories ahead?

In tone and timbre, Scour Order tries to fuse the epic, treble-heavy canvas of Years Past Matter with the slightly thicker progressions of Ygg Huur. Excised are most of the synths and the rawer tones of records like Psychagogue, with the fractal-imploding counterpoint of the returning twin guitars used to immediate effect. Across the album, Colin and fellow guitarist/vocalist Mick Barr carry the listener from diseased harmonies to tense, sudden stutter-start riffing (“Kill the Guardian”, “Her Green Arms”) where certain progressions seem to linger just a few measures longer than they should, bolstered by the fantastic drumming of Lev Weinstein. His performance is of extra note, with the clarity of the mix (particularly after the more traditionally blackened mix of more recent fare) allowing his delightful snare fills (“Grievous Corrector”) and creatively applied cymbal transitions (“Unceasing Path”) real life and energy under the alien soundscapes.

In a broad sense, Scour Order opts for oppressive atmospheres over straight lead-pasta1 or riffy assaults. Many dissonant chord progressions are prolonged with more repetitions than you’d expect from modern Krallice, with a heavy emphasis on tension-building terms which get rode out to the breaking point. Unfortunately, this has the side-effect of rendering the release as more meandering than thrilling, though focused listens allow bright spots to crash through the surface. “Indecipherable Divinities” breaks out the synth for a brief time while the chords seamlessly transition into something almost spaced out and optimistic, having much in common spiritually with Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere in mood if not in form. Title track “Scour Order” manages an excellent fusion of its old-school vastness of vision with modern-day sheen and adventurousness, with vocals which could pass for death metal and an extended instrumental closing which rings of glorious catharsis.

Though the production is unsurprisingly excellent, it does serve to emphasize the album’s weaknesses as well. Bassist Nicholas McMaster is given tons of breathing room for his perpetual twanging to glide under the current of notes, though his own virtuosity can’t save cuts like the needlessly empty and sustained tremming of “Her Green Arms” or the wandering “Unceasing Path.” Krallice is too technically proficient a band to declare something to be “badly composed” without sounding stupid, but much of Scour Order is spent being taken on a journey of musical virtuosity with little in the way of the band’s penchant for lasting impact. Highlights certainly exist; the aforementioned synth in “Indecipherable Divinities”, the crash-out solo closing “Agonal Shining”, the almost mournful ending of “Living Useless Ritual” chief among them. But Krallice at their best exude skill in exhausting, engaging longform journeys, and it’s almost a foreign concept to discuss any of their works in terms of “highlights” and not in terms of songs.

The most stereotypical conclusion here would posit that “If you’re a fan of Krallice, you’ll like this; if you aren’t, this won’t change your mind.” Unfortunately, Scour Order falls well below the peak of the band’s best work in the modern or vintage era, while having enough warts that it might convince those who already don’t like them to like them just a little less. There really is plenty to enjoy for the seasoned fan in terms of familiarity of mood and presentation. Despite this, I cannot escape the fact that while albums like Crystalline Exhaustion (to say nothing of works like Dimensional Bleedthrough) pulled me in by virtue of their pillar-to-post sense of discovery, Scour Order sits in the respectable, yet disappointing tier of “sounds like another Krallice album.” The peaks are very high indeed, and the bookending tracks deserve to be included in playlists for newcomers to the band for the rest of forever. I have too much faith to declare this the first real assault of AMG’s Law of Diminishing Recordings, but time will tell if this is just a fine-tuning of the band’s musical vision for the future, or if future works are doomed to go be forgotten.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

It only takes the opening 1-2-3-4 salvo of Scour Order to dare believe the eternally divisive Krallice are trying to make a return to their roots. Ever shifting, ever evolving, the dimensional bleed-triggering outfit have spent their entire career contorting black metal into their spacey, math-infused vision of weird. Receiving affirmations as conflicting as “forward thinking,” “genre transcending,” and “pile of unlistenable hipster wankery,” the band have spent the last eighteen years with a constant stream of activity and output, answering to and guided by no one but the calls of their own internal demonic wealth. Album fifteen, Scour Order arrives offering something of a constructional throwback, with the band returning to a two-guitar approach, as co-founder and studio producer extraordinaire Colin Marston returns to the strings after a long stint at the keys. Does this rebuild promise a return to the Cascadian expansiveness of yore, or to still more confusing territories ahead?

In tone and timbre, Scour Order tries to fuse the epic, treble-heavy canvas of Years Past Matter with the slightly thicker progressions of Ygg Huur. Excised are most of the synths and the rawer tones of records like Psychagogue, with the fractal-imploding counterpoint of the returning twin guitars used to immediate effect. Across the album, Colin and fellow guitarist/vocalist Mick Barr carry the listener from diseased harmonies to tense, sudden stutter-start riffing (“Kill the Guardian”, “Her Green Arms”) where certain progressions seem to linger just a few measures longer than they should, bolstered by the fantastic drumming of Lev Weinstein. His performance is of extra note, with the clarity of the mix (particularly after the more traditionally blackened mix of more recent fare) allowing his delightful snare fills (“Grievous Corrector”) and creatively applied cymbal transitions (“Unceasing Path”) real life and energy under the alien soundscapes.

In a broad sense, Scour Order opts for oppressive atmospheres over straight lead-pasta1 or riffy assaults. Many dissonant chord progressions are prolonged with more repetitions than you’d expect from modern Krallice, with a heavy emphasis on tension-building terms which get rode out to the breaking point. Unfortunately, this has the side-effect of rendering the release as more meandering than thrilling, though focused listens allow bright spots to crash through the surface. “Indecipherable Divinities” breaks out the synth for a brief time while the chords seamlessly transition into something almost spaced out and optimistic, having much in common spiritually with Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere in mood if not in form. Title track “Scour Order” manages an excellent fusion of its old-school vastness of vision with modern-day sheen and adventurousness, with vocals which could pass for death metal and an extended instrumental closing which rings of glorious catharsis.

Though the production is unsurprisingly excellent, it does serve to emphasize the album’s weaknesses as well. Bassist Nicholas McMaster is given tons of breathing room for his perpetual twanging to glide under the current of notes, though his own virtuosity can’t save cuts like the needlessly empty and sustained tremming of “Her Green Arms” or the wandering “Unceasing Path.” Krallice is too technically proficient a band to declare something to be “badly composed” without sounding stupid, but much of Scour Order is spent being taken on a journey of musical virtuosity with little in the way of the band’s penchant for lasting impact. Highlights certainly exist; the aforementioned synth in “Indecipherable Divinities”, the crash-out solo closing “Agonal Shining”, the almost mournful ending of “Living Useless Ritual” chief among them. But Krallice at their best exude skill in exhausting, engaging longform journeys, and it’s almost a foreign concept to discuss any of their works in terms of “highlights” and not in terms of songs.

The most stereotypical conclusion here would posit that “If you’re a fan of Krallice, you’ll like this; if you aren’t, this won’t change your mind.” Unfortunately, Scour Order falls well below the peak of the band’s best work in the modern or vintage era, while having enough warts that it might convince those who already don’t like them to like them just a little less. There really is plenty to enjoy for the seasoned fan in terms of familiarity of mood and presentation. Despite this, I cannot escape the fact that while albums like Crystalline Exhaustion (to say nothing of works like Dimensional Bleedthrough) pulled me in by virtue of their pillar-to-post sense of discovery, Scour Order sits in the respectable, yet disappointing tier of “sounds like another Krallice album.” The peaks are very high indeed, and the bookending tracks deserve to be included in playlists for newcomers to the band for the rest of forever. I have too much faith to declare this the first real assault of AMG’s Law of Diminishing Recordings, but time will tell if this is just a fine-tuning of the band’s musical vision for the future, or if future works are doomed to go be forgotten.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

It only takes the opening 1-2-3-4 salvo of Scour Order to dare believe the eternally divisive Krallice are trying to make a return to their roots. Ever shifting, ever evolving, the dimensional bleed-triggering outfit have spent their entire career contorting black metal into their spacey, math-infused vision of weird. Receiving affirmations as conflicting as “forward thinking,” “genre transcending,” and “pile of unlistenable hipster wankery,” the band have spent the last eighteen years with a constant stream of activity and output, answering to and guided by no one but the calls of their own internal demonic wealth. Album fifteen, Scour Order arrives offering something of a constructional throwback, with the band returning to a two-guitar approach, as co-founder and studio producer extraordinaire Colin Marston returns to the strings after a long stint at the keys. Does this rebuild promise a return to the Cascadian expansiveness of yore, or to still more confusing territories ahead?

In tone and timbre, Scour Order tries to fuse the epic, treble-heavy canvas of Years Past Matter with the slightly thicker progressions of Ygg Huur. Excised are most of the synths and the rawer tones of records like Psychagogue, with the fractal-imploding counterpoint of the returning twin guitars used to immediate effect. Across the album, Colin and fellow guitarist/vocalist Mick Barr carry the listener from diseased harmonies to tense, sudden stutter-start riffing (“Kill the Guardian”, “Her Green Arms”) where certain progressions seem to linger just a few measures longer than they should, bolstered by the fantastic drumming of Lev Weinstein. His performance is of extra note, with the clarity of the mix (particularly after the more traditionally blackened mix of more recent fare) allowing his delightful snare fills (“Grievous Corrector”) and creatively applied cymbal transitions (“Unceasing Path”) real life and energy under the alien soundscapes.

In a broad sense, Scour Order opts for oppressive atmospheres over straight lead-pasta1 or riffy assaults. Many dissonant chord progressions are prolonged with more repetitions than you’d expect from modern Krallice, with a heavy emphasis on tension-building terms which get rode out to the breaking point. Unfortunately, this has the side-effect of rendering the release as more meandering than thrilling, though focused listens allow bright spots to crash through the surface. “Indecipherable Divinities” breaks out the synth for a brief time while the chords seamlessly transition into something almost spaced out and optimistic, having much in common spiritually with Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere in mood if not in form. Title track “Scour Order” manages an excellent fusion of its old-school vastness of vision with modern-day sheen and adventurousness, with vocals which could pass for death metal and an extended instrumental closing which rings of glorious catharsis.

Though the production is unsurprisingly excellent, it does serve to emphasize the album’s weaknesses as well. Bassist Nicholas McMaster is given tons of breathing room for his perpetual twanging to glide under the current of notes, though his own virtuosity can’t save cuts like the needlessly empty and sustained tremming of “Her Green Arms” or the wandering “Unceasing Path.” Krallice is too technically proficient a band to declare something to be “badly composed” without sounding stupid, but much of Scour Order is spent being taken on a journey of musical virtuosity with little in the way of the band’s penchant for lasting impact. Highlights certainly exist; the aforementioned synth in “Indecipherable Divinities”, the crash-out solo closing “Agonal Shining”, the almost mournful ending of “Living Useless Ritual” chief among them. But Krallice at their best exude skill in exhausting, engaging longform journeys, and it’s almost a foreign concept to discuss any of their works in terms of “highlights” and not in terms of songs.

The most stereotypical conclusion here would posit that “If you’re a fan of Krallice, you’ll like this; if you aren’t, this won’t change your mind.” Unfortunately, Scour Order falls well below the peak of the band’s best work in the modern or vintage era, while having enough warts that it might convince those who already don’t like them to like them just a little less. There really is plenty to enjoy for the seasoned fan in terms of familiarity of mood and presentation. Despite this, I cannot escape the fact that while albums like Crystalline Exhaustion (to say nothing of works like Dimensional Bleedthrough) pulled me in by virtue of their pillar-to-post sense of discovery, Scour Order sits in the respectable, yet disappointing tier of “sounds like another Krallice album.” The peaks are very high indeed, and the bookending tracks deserve to be included in playlists for newcomers to the band for the rest of forever. I have too much faith to declare this the first real assault of AMG’s Law of Diminishing Recordings, but time will tell if this is just a fine-tuning of the band’s musical vision for the future, or if future works are doomed to go be forgotten.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

The Noctambulant – Revival Review

Did you know that black metal could be fun? Southern Florida’s The Noctambulant believe so, and on their…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2026 #3.0 #AmericanMetal #BlackMetal #Blues #Entertainment #review #Reviews #revival #rockabilly #Sep26 #TerminusHateCity #TheNoctambulant #UK #UnitedKingdom
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/773209/

I'm not so used to black metal but why not?

Srpnts - Beneath the Weight of Stars
https://youtu.be/ox4Efj-7AiI?si=WWRp_OBMA8qtpSWy
#music #musicvideo #video #blackmetal #srpnts #gemany

I'm not so used to black metal but why not?

Srpnts - Beneath the Weight of Stars
https://youtu.be/ox4Efj-7AiI?si=WWRp_OBMA8qtpSWy
#music #musicvideo #video #blackmetal #srpnts #gemany

I'm not so used to black metal but why not?

Srpnts - Beneath the Weight of Stars
https://youtu.be/ox4Efj-7AiI?si=WWRp_OBMA8qtpSWy
#music #musicvideo #video #blackmetal #srpnts #gemany

I'm not so used to black metal but why not?

Srpnts - Beneath the Weight of Stars
https://youtu.be/ox4Efj-7AiI?si=WWRp_OBMA8qtpSWy
#music #musicvideo #video #blackmetal #srpnts #gemany

I'm not so used to black metal but why not?

Srpnts - Beneath the Weight of Stars
https://youtu.be/ox4Efj-7AiI?si=WWRp_OBMA8qtpSWy
#music #musicvideo #video #blackmetal #srpnts #gemany

Did you know that black metal could be fun? Southern Florida’s The Noctambulant believe so, and on their third EP, Revival, they mix black metal, rockabilly, and southern gothic to create a potent mix that takes black metal and turns it into something more digestible but not too accessible. Searing speed, catchy choruses, and inspired solos bring to life a record that is as much black metal worship as it is an ode to the band’s southern roots. This mix seems like oil and water, so does The Noctambulant stick the landing or fall flat on their faces?

The Noctambulant come from the depths of what may be the most metal place in the world: Florida. Sweaty swamps, sticky shorts, and an endless stream of prehistoric beasts prowl the ancient subtropical forests. If 102 degrees and 100 percent humidity isn’t metal, I don’t know what is. Even as someone who makes a point of avoiding the southern parts of the US, I can’t help but respect their dedication to living in a perpetual hell. Now take all of that and start a black metal band that works to take down the biggest institutions in the South: organized religion. Despite the anachronistic intro, featuring samples and trap drumming, the rest of the record is a blazing-fast, straightforward piece of what can only be described as blackened-billy. E. Helvete’s vocals are perfectly pitched, from their raspy highs to the roaring lows, and the dual guitar dance of Helvete and Rev. Beaumont leads the record like a two-headed, twisted preacher. Lars G. offers a hellishly thick low end, and in a surprising turn for something so black metal-adjacent, the album is chock full of bass wankery and ripping guitar solos.

Revival bucks trends in other surprising ways, especially with its production. Eschewing the typically raw, borderline unlistenable nature of many smaller blackened acts, The Noctambulant sits somewhere in between. While the production is generally a step above their peers, the treble is too high at times, making the vocals sound ear-splitting in the mix, while the guitars fall by the wayside. Oddly enough, the low end thrums brightly throughout the record, establishing itself as a real highlight across the album. Thanks to a focus on southern roots and rockabilly inspiration, Revival is catchy and bouncing. “Skeleton Key,” “Killing Tree,” and “San Martino” are great examples of The Noctambulant at their best.

The Noctambulant describe their music as inspired by rockabilly, blues, goth rock, and American country. The final product says otherwise to my (albeit amateur) ears. Most of the album plays out as blackened thrash with some slight rockabilly elements; maybe those with a sharper sense for the genre can pick out rhythm and riffs that are truly inspired, but it wasn’t nearly the genre-mashup I was hoping for. As it stands, Revival is fun, if a bit samey, but for those who don’t typically enjoy black metal, The Noctambulant might be the solution. The finale, a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand,” feels like the best representation of Revival’s mission statement, although it immediately reminded me of the soundtrack to 1994’s Dumb & Dumber.

Revival might be a crossover killer for those left wanting by typical black metal, but for us looking for something truly inspired, The Noctambulant keep it surprisingly safe. In a genre so open to experimentation and wild left turns, Revival could have been a real standout record in a crowded year of incredible music. The Noctambulant still bring the southern heat, but they fail to burn the world down. Hopefully their next record will cross that threshold into something truly special; for now, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this interesting, if a little safe, group of blackened-billy adherents.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Terminus Hate City
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Did you know that black metal could be fun? Southern Florida’s The Noctambulant believe so, and on their third EP, Revival, they mix black metal, rockabilly, and southern gothic to create a potent mix that takes black metal and turns it into something more digestible but not too accessible. Searing speed, catchy choruses, and inspired solos bring to life a record that is as much black metal worship as it is an ode to the band’s southern roots. This mix seems like oil and water, so does The Noctambulant stick the landing or fall flat on their faces?

The Noctambulant come from the depths of what may be the most metal place in the world: Florida. Sweaty swamps, sticky shorts, and an endless stream of prehistoric beasts prowl the ancient subtropical forests. If 102 degrees and 100 percent humidity isn’t metal, I don’t know what is. Even as someone who makes a point of avoiding the southern parts of the US, I can’t help but respect their dedication to living in a perpetual hell. Now take all of that and start a black metal band that works to take down the biggest institutions in the South: organized religion. Despite the anachronistic intro, featuring samples and trap drumming, the rest of the record is a blazing-fast, straightforward piece of what can only be described as blackened-billy. E. Helvete’s vocals are perfectly pitched, from their raspy highs to the roaring lows, and the dual guitar dance of Helvete and Rev. Beaumont leads the record like a two-headed, twisted preacher. Lars G. offers a hellishly thick low end, and in a surprising turn for something so black metal-adjacent, the album is chock full of bass wankery and ripping guitar solos.

Revival bucks trends in other surprising ways, especially with its production. Eschewing the typically raw, borderline unlistenable nature of many smaller blackened acts, The Noctambulant sits somewhere in between. While the production is generally a step above their peers, the treble is too high at times, making the vocals sound ear-splitting in the mix, while the guitars fall by the wayside. Oddly enough, the low end thrums brightly throughout the record, establishing itself as a real highlight across the album. Thanks to a focus on southern roots and rockabilly inspiration, Revival is catchy and bouncing. “Skeleton Key,” “Killing Tree,” and “San Martino” are great examples of The Noctambulant at their best.

The Noctambulant describe their music as inspired by rockabilly, blues, goth rock, and American country. The final product says otherwise to my (albeit amateur) ears. Most of the album plays out as blackened thrash with some slight rockabilly elements; maybe those with a sharper sense for the genre can pick out rhythm and riffs that are truly inspired, but it wasn’t nearly the genre-mashup I was hoping for. As it stands, Revival is fun, if a bit samey, but for those who don’t typically enjoy black metal, The Noctambulant might be the solution. The finale, a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand,” feels like the best representation of Revival’s mission statement, although it immediately reminded me of the soundtrack to 1994’s Dumb & Dumber.

Revival might be a crossover killer for those left wanting by typical black metal, but for us looking for something truly inspired, The Noctambulant keep it surprisingly safe. In a genre so open to experimentation and wild left turns, Revival could have been a real standout record in a crowded year of incredible music. The Noctambulant still bring the southern heat, but they fail to burn the world down. Hopefully their next record will cross that threshold into something truly special; for now, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this interesting, if a little safe, group of blackened-billy adherents.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Terminus Hate City
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Did you know that black metal could be fun? Southern Florida’s The Noctambulant believe so, and on their third EP, Revival, they mix black metal, rockabilly, and southern gothic to create a potent mix that takes black metal and turns it into something more digestible but not too accessible. Searing speed, catchy choruses, and inspired solos bring to life a record that is as much black metal worship as it is an ode to the band’s southern roots. This mix seems like oil and water, so does The Noctambulant stick the landing or fall flat on their faces?

The Noctambulant come from the depths of what may be the most metal place in the world: Florida. Sweaty swamps, sticky shorts, and an endless stream of prehistoric beasts prowl the ancient subtropical forests. If 102 degrees and 100 percent humidity isn’t metal, I don’t know what is. Even as someone who makes a point of avoiding the southern parts of the US, I can’t help but respect their dedication to living in a perpetual hell. Now take all of that and start a black metal band that works to take down the biggest institutions in the South: organized religion. Despite the anachronistic intro, featuring samples and trap drumming, the rest of the record is a blazing-fast, straightforward piece of what can only be described as blackened-billy. E. Helvete’s vocals are perfectly pitched, from their raspy highs to the roaring lows, and the dual guitar dance of Helvete and Rev. Beaumont leads the record like a two-headed, twisted preacher. Lars G. offers a hellishly thick low end, and in a surprising turn for something so black metal-adjacent, the album is chock full of bass wankery and ripping guitar solos.

Revival bucks trends in other surprising ways, especially with its production. Eschewing the typically raw, borderline unlistenable nature of many smaller blackened acts, The Noctambulant sits somewhere in between. While the production is generally a step above their peers, the treble is too high at times, making the vocals sound ear-splitting in the mix, while the guitars fall by the wayside. Oddly enough, the low end thrums brightly throughout the record, establishing itself as a real highlight across the album. Thanks to a focus on southern roots and rockabilly inspiration, Revival is catchy and bouncing. “Skeleton Key,” “Killing Tree,” and “San Martino” are great examples of The Noctambulant at their best.

The Noctambulant describe their music as inspired by rockabilly, blues, goth rock, and American country. The final product says otherwise to my (albeit amateur) ears. Most of the album plays out as blackened thrash with some slight rockabilly elements; maybe those with a sharper sense for the genre can pick out rhythm and riffs that are truly inspired, but it wasn’t nearly the genre-mashup I was hoping for. As it stands, Revival is fun, if a bit samey, but for those who don’t typically enjoy black metal, The Noctambulant might be the solution. The finale, a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand,” feels like the best representation of Revival’s mission statement, although it immediately reminded me of the soundtrack to 1994’s Dumb & Dumber.

Revival might be a crossover killer for those left wanting by typical black metal, but for us looking for something truly inspired, The Noctambulant keep it surprisingly safe. In a genre so open to experimentation and wild left turns, Revival could have been a real standout record in a crowded year of incredible music. The Noctambulant still bring the southern heat, but they fail to burn the world down. Hopefully their next record will cross that threshold into something truly special; for now, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this interesting, if a little safe, group of blackened-billy adherents.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Terminus Hate City
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Did you know that black metal could be fun? Southern Florida’s The Noctambulant believe so, and on their third EP, Revival, they mix black metal, rockabilly, and southern gothic to create a potent mix that takes black metal and turns it into something more digestible but not too accessible. Searing speed, catchy choruses, and inspired solos bring to life a record that is as much black metal worship as it is an ode to the band’s southern roots. This mix seems like oil and water, so does The Noctambulant stick the landing or fall flat on their faces?

The Noctambulant come from the depths of what may be the most metal place in the world: Florida. Sweaty swamps, sticky shorts, and an endless stream of prehistoric beasts prowl the ancient subtropical forests. If 102 degrees and 100 percent humidity isn’t metal, I don’t know what is. Even as someone who makes a point of avoiding the southern parts of the US, I can’t help but respect their dedication to living in a perpetual hell. Now take all of that and start a black metal band that works to take down the biggest institutions in the South: organized religion. Despite the anachronistic intro, featuring samples and trap drumming, the rest of the record is a blazing-fast, straightforward piece of what can only be described as blackened-billy. E. Helvete’s vocals are perfectly pitched, from their raspy highs to the roaring lows, and the dual guitar dance of Helvete and Rev. Beaumont leads the record like a two-headed, twisted preacher. Lars G. offers a hellishly thick low end, and in a surprising turn for something so black metal-adjacent, the album is chock full of bass wankery and ripping guitar solos.

Revival bucks trends in other surprising ways, especially with its production. Eschewing the typically raw, borderline unlistenable nature of many smaller blackened acts, The Noctambulant sits somewhere in between. While the production is generally a step above their peers, the treble is too high at times, making the vocals sound ear-splitting in the mix, while the guitars fall by the wayside. Oddly enough, the low end thrums brightly throughout the record, establishing itself as a real highlight across the album. Thanks to a focus on southern roots and rockabilly inspiration, Revival is catchy and bouncing. “Skeleton Key,” “Killing Tree,” and “San Martino” are great examples of The Noctambulant at their best.

The Noctambulant describe their music as inspired by rockabilly, blues, goth rock, and American country. The final product says otherwise to my (albeit amateur) ears. Most of the album plays out as blackened thrash with some slight rockabilly elements; maybe those with a sharper sense for the genre can pick out rhythm and riffs that are truly inspired, but it wasn’t nearly the genre-mashup I was hoping for. As it stands, Revival is fun, if a bit samey, but for those who don’t typically enjoy black metal, The Noctambulant might be the solution. The finale, a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand,” feels like the best representation of Revival’s mission statement, although it immediately reminded me of the soundtrack to 1994’s Dumb & Dumber.

Revival might be a crossover killer for those left wanting by typical black metal, but for us looking for something truly inspired, The Noctambulant keep it surprisingly safe. In a genre so open to experimentation and wild left turns, Revival could have been a real standout record in a crowded year of incredible music. The Noctambulant still bring the southern heat, but they fail to burn the world down. Hopefully their next record will cross that threshold into something truly special; for now, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this interesting, if a little safe, group of blackened-billy adherents.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Terminus Hate City
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

Did you know that black metal could be fun? Southern Florida’s The Noctambulant believe so, and on their third EP, Revival, they mix black metal, rockabilly, and southern gothic to create a potent mix that takes black metal and turns it into something more digestible but not too accessible. Searing speed, catchy choruses, and inspired solos bring to life a record that is as much black metal worship as it is an ode to the band’s southern roots. This mix seems like oil and water, so does The Noctambulant stick the landing or fall flat on their faces?

The Noctambulant come from the depths of what may be the most metal place in the world: Florida. Sweaty swamps, sticky shorts, and an endless stream of prehistoric beasts prowl the ancient subtropical forests. If 102 degrees and 100 percent humidity isn’t metal, I don’t know what is. Even as someone who makes a point of avoiding the southern parts of the US, I can’t help but respect their dedication to living in a perpetual hell. Now take all of that and start a black metal band that works to take down the biggest institutions in the South: organized religion. Despite the anachronistic intro, featuring samples and trap drumming, the rest of the record is a blazing-fast, straightforward piece of what can only be described as blackened-billy. E. Helvete’s vocals are perfectly pitched, from their raspy highs to the roaring lows, and the dual guitar dance of Helvete and Rev. Beaumont leads the record like a two-headed, twisted preacher. Lars G. offers a hellishly thick low end, and in a surprising turn for something so black metal-adjacent, the album is chock full of bass wankery and ripping guitar solos.

Revival bucks trends in other surprising ways, especially with its production. Eschewing the typically raw, borderline unlistenable nature of many smaller blackened acts, The Noctambulant sits somewhere in between. While the production is generally a step above their peers, the treble is too high at times, making the vocals sound ear-splitting in the mix, while the guitars fall by the wayside. Oddly enough, the low end thrums brightly throughout the record, establishing itself as a real highlight across the album. Thanks to a focus on southern roots and rockabilly inspiration, Revival is catchy and bouncing. “Skeleton Key,” “Killing Tree,” and “San Martino” are great examples of The Noctambulant at their best.

The Noctambulant describe their music as inspired by rockabilly, blues, goth rock, and American country. The final product says otherwise to my (albeit amateur) ears. Most of the album plays out as blackened thrash with some slight rockabilly elements; maybe those with a sharper sense for the genre can pick out rhythm and riffs that are truly inspired, but it wasn’t nearly the genre-mashup I was hoping for. As it stands, Revival is fun, if a bit samey, but for those who don’t typically enjoy black metal, The Noctambulant might be the solution. The finale, a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Red Right Hand,” feels like the best representation of Revival’s mission statement, although it immediately reminded me of the soundtrack to 1994’s Dumb & Dumber.

Revival might be a crossover killer for those left wanting by typical black metal, but for us looking for something truly inspired, The Noctambulant keep it surprisingly safe. In a genre so open to experimentation and wild left turns, Revival could have been a real standout record in a crowded year of incredible music. The Noctambulant still bring the southern heat, but they fail to burn the world down. Hopefully their next record will cross that threshold into something truly special; for now, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this interesting, if a little safe, group of blackened-billy adherents.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Terminus Hate City
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

❗Avec l'excellent "Violence, Blasphème et Pourriture", 𝗠𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗲𝘀 reconnecte le Black avec la saleté, les débris de l'Humanité et les squats infectés...

https://www.coreandco.fr/chroniques/miasmes-violence-blaspheme-et-pourriture-11027.html

#review #chronique #blackmetal #france

❗Avec l'excellent "Violence, Blasphème et Pourriture", 𝗠𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗲𝘀 reconnecte le Black avec la saleté, les débris de l'Humanité et les squats infectés...

https://www.coreandco.fr/chroniques/miasmes-violence-blaspheme-et-pourriture-11027.html

#review #chronique #blackmetal #france

Today's noise. https://haldoklcsillagok.bandcamp.com/album/full-discography

#MittwochMetalMix #HaldoklóCsillagok #BlackMetal

Today's noise. https://haldoklcsillagok.bandcamp.com/album/full-discography

#MittwochMetalMix #HaldoklóCsillagok #BlackMetal

Today's noise. https://haldoklcsillagok.bandcamp.com/album/full-discography

#MittwochMetalMix #HaldoklóCsillagok #BlackMetal

Today's noise. https://haldoklcsillagok.bandcamp.com/album/full-discography

#MittwochMetalMix #HaldoklóCsillagok #BlackMetal

Today's noise. https://haldoklcsillagok.bandcamp.com/album/full-discography

#MittwochMetalMix #HaldoklóCsillagok #BlackMetal

FUNERARYA (Filipines) presenta nou àlbum: "A Kingdom Reborn" #Funerarya #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Agost2026 #Filipines #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

FUNERARYA (Filipines) presenta nou àlbum: "A Kingdom Reborn" #Funerarya #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Agost2026 #Filipines #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

KASTIPHAS (Brasil) presenta nou single: "Truculent Astral Magic (Connected with Chaos)" #Kastiphas #DeathMetal #BlackMetal #Agost2026 #Brasil #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

KASTIPHAS (Brasil) presenta nou single: "Truculent Astral Magic (Connected with Chaos)" #Kastiphas #DeathMetal #BlackMetal #Agost2026 #Brasil #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

⚓ "rackete zecca (salvini meningitis)"

by AZugM

is a song about heroine Carola Rackete, who kicked the Italian interior minister's ass in Summer 2019 by simply saving people from drowning.

Being the Nazi asshole he is, he called her a tick ("zecca") afterwards so I wish him a nice meningitis 🖕

Sample means "It's become so wonderfully quiet about the Mediterranean sea, right?"

#Noise #HarshNoise #Metal #DoomMetal #Saturdoom #BlackMetal #CarolaRackete #Migration #Lampedusa #FckNZS #Antifa

⚓ "rackete zecca (salvini meningitis)"

by AZugM

is a song about heroine Carola Rackete, who kicked the Italian interior minister's ass in Summer 2019 by simply saving people from drowning.

Being the Nazi asshole he is, he called her a tick ("zecca") afterwards so I wish him a nice meningitis 🖕

Sample means "It's become so wonderfully quiet about the Mediterranean sea, right?"

#Noise #HarshNoise #Metal #DoomMetal #Saturdoom #BlackMetal #CarolaRackete #Migration #Lampedusa #FckNZS #Antifa

⚓ "rackete zecca (salvini meningitis)"

by AZugM

is a song about heroine Carola Rackete, who kicked the Italian interior minister's ass in Summer 2019 by simply saving people from drowning.

Being the Nazi asshole he is, he called her a tick ("zecca") afterwards so I wish him a nice meningitis 🖕

Sample means "It's become so wonderfully quiet about the Mediterranean sea, right?"

#Noise #HarshNoise #Metal #DoomMetal #Saturdoom #BlackMetal #CarolaRackete #Migration #Lampedusa #FckNZS #Antifa

⚓ "rackete zecca (salvini meningitis)"

by AZugM

is a song about heroine Carola Rackete, who kicked the Italian interior minister's ass in Summer 2019 by simply saving people from drowning.

Being the Nazi asshole he is, he called her a tick ("zecca") afterwards so I wish him a nice meningitis 🖕

Sample means "It's become so wonderfully quiet about the Mediterranean sea, right?"

#Noise #HarshNoise #Metal #DoomMetal #Saturdoom #BlackMetal #CarolaRackete #Migration #Lampedusa #FckNZS #Antifa

⚓ "rackete zecca (salvini meningitis)"

by AZugM

is a song about heroine Carola Rackete, who kicked the Italian interior minister's ass in Summer 2019 by simply saving people from drowning.

Being the Nazi asshole he is, he called her a tick ("zecca") afterwards so I wish him a nice meningitis 🖕

Sample means "It's become so wonderfully quiet about the Mediterranean sea, right?"

#Noise #HarshNoise #Metal #DoomMetal #Saturdoom #BlackMetal #CarolaRackete #Migration #Lampedusa #FckNZS #Antifa

Each writer here in the Hall has their own ritual for fishing new promo from the sump. Some utter incantations to eldritch gods. Some engage in druidic rites under the full moon. Some offer blood sacrifices to our Ape Overlord and heed the direction of the splatters. While my own ritual is a closely guarded secret, I can tell you that Verdun’s genre tag, “blackened dissonant sludge,” bypassed all ritual requirements. I swiped the French four-piece’s third LP so fucking fast I got dizzy. Of course, the genre tags we glean from labels’ promo language have no objective connection to quality or reality. Does Abyssal Womb deliver the promised goods, or is it just another case of hollow hyperbole?

Abyssal Womb marks a substantial departure from Verdun’s earlier work. 2014 debut The Eternal Drift’s Canticles used the same crushing, long-form structures as Cough or Warhorse. In 2019, sophomore effort Astral Sabbath saw the band experiment more heavily with abrasive and blackened textures, but it would take seven years for those elements to be fully realized. On Abyssal Womb, Verdun is still fundamentally a sludge band—and has the groove to prove it—but they’ve dispensed with much of the atmospherics and psychedelia of previous releases in favor of a darker and more direct sound. Roughly 15 minutes shorter than its predecessors, Abyssal Womb gets in, delivers grit, groove, and unease in equal measures, then makes like a tree and fucking leaves.

Where blackened dissonance served as a decoration on Astral Sabbath, it suffuses nearly every second of Abyssal Womb. Whether vocalist David Sadok rasps in French (“La Lame et la Chair,”1 “Les Noces du Néant”2) or in English, he’s malevolently caustic. What surprised me most was how much more terrifying he is in French. The rhythm section often sways between exhausted, blackened plodding (“Silent Witness”), macabre processions (“Funeral of the Cosmic Knight,” “Rise of the Atomic Ghouls”), and sludgy grooves (“He Who Killed the Devil”), but Jay Pinelli’s strident leads curdle blood at every opportunity. Even when I know it’s coming, his dreadful solo in “Funeral of the Cosmic Knight” sends shivers down my spine, reminding me of the primal fear in Primitive Man’s Observance. This is one of my favorite moments on the album, along with the imperious march on the back half of “Rise of the Atomic Ghouls.” Drummer Geraud Jonquet violently punctuates Pinelli’s stomping, palm-muted chugs in a way that feels like I’m ascending the steps to the gallows.

There’s plenty to praise on Abyssal Womb. Unsettling blackened plucking opens “Silent Witness.” Florian Celdran’s bass cleverly caresses the gaps between sustained chords in “La Lame et la Chair,” and Verdun weaves a few surprisingly emotive passages through the album (“Funeral of the Cosmic Knight,” “The Man Behind My Eyes”). “Les Noces du Néant” opens on a powerful sadboi doom riff that resurfaces throughout, and the track serves as a great closer, leaving me suitably unsettled, anxious, and unsafe. There’s less to critique, but there is some. “The Man Behind My Eyes” feels like a low point, failing to coalesce as well as the rest of Abyssal Womb. There’s a bafflingly non-sequitous noir-shaded bass solo in “He Who Killed the Devil,” and several tracks shoot past ideal endings in favor of dedicated outros or reprisals (“Silent Witness,” “He Who Killed the Devil,” “The Man Behind My Eyes”). None of these are dealbreakers—or even close—but they can briefly shake me out of Abyssal Womb’s immersion.

I rolled the dice on Verdun, declining to listen to advance tracks or previous output and trusting in the genre tag alone. This strategy doesn’t normally yield the best results, but it certainly paid off here. Abyssal Womb sees Verdun venturing deep into unknown waters and dredging up something dark and grisly, something that sets the teeth on edge. Abyssal Womb isn’t without its faults, but they’re not calamitous, nor do they overly detract from the band’s exciting new direction. If Verdun’s trajectory is any indication—and I hope it is—Abyssal Womb could be the first few steps toward something buried even deeper in the lightless abyss.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: Official | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

Each writer here in the Hall has their own ritual for fishing new promo from the sump. Some utter incantations to eldritch gods. Some engage in druidic rites under the full moon. Some offer blood sacrifices to our Ape Overlord and heed the direction of the splatters. While my own ritual is a closely guarded secret, I can tell you that Verdun’s genre tag, “blackened dissonant sludge,” bypassed all ritual requirements. I swiped the French four-piece’s third LP so fucking fast I got dizzy. Of course, the genre tags we glean from labels’ promo language have no objective connection to quality or reality. Does Abyssal Womb deliver the promised goods, or is it just another case of hollow hyperbole?

Abyssal Womb marks a substantial departure from Verdun’s earlier work. 2014 debut The Eternal Drift’s Canticles used the same crushing, long-form structures as Cough or Warhorse. In 2019, sophomore effort Astral Sabbath saw the band experiment more heavily with abrasive and blackened textures, but it would take seven years for those elements to be fully realized. On Abyssal Womb, Verdun is still fundamentally a sludge band—and has the groove to prove it—but they’ve dispensed with much of the atmospherics and psychedelia of previous releases in favor of a darker and more direct sound. Roughly 15 minutes shorter than its predecessors, Abyssal Womb gets in, delivers grit, groove, and unease in equal measures, then makes like a tree and fucking leaves.

Where blackened dissonance served as a decoration on Astral Sabbath, it suffuses nearly every second of Abyssal Womb. Whether vocalist David Sadok rasps in French (“La Lame et la Chair,”1 “Les Noces du Néant”2) or in English, he’s malevolently caustic. What surprised me most was how much more terrifying he is in French. The rhythm section often sways between exhausted, blackened plodding (“Silent Witness”), macabre processions (“Funeral of the Cosmic Knight,” “Rise of the Atomic Ghouls”), and sludgy grooves (“He Who Killed the Devil”), but Jay Pinelli’s strident leads curdle blood at every opportunity. Even when I know it’s coming, his dreadful solo in “Funeral of the Cosmic Knight” sends shivers down my spine, reminding me of the primal fear in Primitive Man’s Observance. This is one of my favorite moments on the album, along with the imperious march on the back half of “Rise of the Atomic Ghouls.” Drummer Geraud Jonquet violently punctuates Pinelli’s stomping, palm-muted chugs in a way that feels like I’m ascending the steps to the gallows.

There’s plenty to praise on Abyssal Womb. Unsettling blackened plucking opens “Silent Witness.” Florian Celdran’s bass cleverly caresses the gaps between sustained chords in “La Lame et la Chair,” and Verdun weaves a few surprisingly emotive passages through the album (“Funeral of the Cosmic Knight,” “The Man Behind My Eyes”). “Les Noces du Néant” opens on a powerful sadboi doom riff that resurfaces throughout, and the track serves as a great closer, leaving me suitably unsettled, anxious, and unsafe. There’s less to critique, but there is some. “The Man Behind My Eyes” feels like a low point, failing to coalesce as well as the rest of Abyssal Womb. There’s a bafflingly non-sequitous noir-shaded bass solo in “He Who Killed the Devil,” and several tracks shoot past ideal endings in favor of dedicated outros or reprisals (“Silent Witness,” “He Who Killed the Devil,” “The Man Behind My Eyes”). None of these are dealbreakers—or even close—but they can briefly shake me out of Abyssal Womb’s immersion.

I rolled the dice on Verdun, declining to listen to advance tracks or previous output and trusting in the genre tag alone. This strategy doesn’t normally yield the best results, but it certainly paid off here. Abyssal Womb sees Verdun venturing deep into unknown waters and dredging up something dark and grisly, something that sets the teeth on edge. Abyssal Womb isn’t without its faults, but they’re not calamitous, nor do they overly detract from the band’s exciting new direction. If Verdun’s trajectory is any indication—and I hope it is—Abyssal Womb could be the first few steps toward something buried even deeper in the lightless abyss.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: Official | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

GREASY SPOON (Suècia) presenta nou àlbum: "Spoonking" #GreasySpoon #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Juny2026 #Suècia #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

GREASY SPOON (Suècia) presenta nou àlbum: "Spoonking" #GreasySpoon #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Juny2026 #Suècia #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

FUNERARYA (Filipines) presenta nova demo: "Divine Killer" #Funerarya #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Juliol2025 #Filipines #NovaDemo #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

FUNERARYA (Filipines) presenta nova demo: "Divine Killer" #Funerarya #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #Juliol2025 #Filipines #NovaDemo #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

DVERG (França) presenta nou EP: "Between Two Gates" #Dverg #BlackMetal #DungeonSynth #Juliol2025 #França #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

DVERG (França) presenta nou EP: "Between Two Gates" #Dverg #BlackMetal #DungeonSynth #Juliol2025 #França #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Stuck in the Filter: August and September 2024

By Kenstrosity

I am a stubborn bitch. I work my underlings hard, and I won’t let up until they dig up shiny goodies for me to share with the general public. Share might be a generous term. Foist upon is probably more accurate…

In any case, despite some pretty intense setbacks on my end, I still managed to collect enough material for a two-month spread. HUZZAH! REJOICE! Now get the hell away from me and listen to some of our very cool and good tunes.

Kenstrosity’s Turgid Truncheons

Tenue // Arcos, bóvedas, pórticos [August 1st, 2024 – Self-Release]

Spanish post-black/crust/screamo quartet Tenue earned my favor with their debut record, Anábasis, back in 2018. Equal parts vicious, introspective, and strangely uplifting, that record changed what I thought I could expect from anything bearing the screamo tag. By integrating ascendant black metal tremolos within post-punk structures and crusty attitude, Tenue established a sound that not only opened horizons for me taste-wise but also brought me a great deal of emotional catharsis on its own merit. Follow-up Arcos, bóvedas, pórticos deepens that relationship. Utilizing a wider atmospheric palette (“Distracción”), a shift towards epic song lengths (“Inquietude, and a greater variety of instrumentation (observe the beautiful horns on long-form opener “Inquietude”), and a bluesier swagger than previous material exhibited (“Letargo”), Tenue’s second salvo showcases a musical versatility I wasn’t expecting to complement the bleeding-heart emotional depth I knew would return. This expansion of scale and skillset sets the record apart from almost anything else I’ve heard this year. Even though one or two moments struggle to stick long-term (“Enfoque”), Arcos, bóvedas, pórticos represents an affecting, creative, and ridiculously engaging addition to my listening schedule. And for the low low price of NYP, it ought to be a part of yours as well.

Open Flesh Wound // Vile Putrefaction [August 28th, 2024 – Inherited Suffering Records]

Thicc, muggy slam with a million pick scrapes. Who could ask for anything more? Not I, and so it is with great pleasure that I introduce to my AMG fam Pennsylvania’s very own Open Flesh Wound and their debut LP Vile Putrefaction. Essentially the result of Analepsy’s and Devourment‘s carnal lovemaking, Vile Putrefaction is a nasty, slammy, brutal expulsion of chunky upchuck. Only those with the most caved-in craniums will appreciate the scraping swamp-ass riffs showcased on such slammers as “Smashed in Liquids” and “Cinder Block to the Forehead,” or the groove-laden thuggery of death-focused tracks like the title track, “Fermented Intestinal Blockage” and “Body Baggie.” Vile Putrefaction’s molasses-like production is an absolute boon to this sound as well, with just enough gloss to provide a deliciously moist texture which imparts an unlikely clarity to especially gruesome details in “Stoma Necrosis” and “Skin Like Jelly.” It’s dumb as hell, and isn’t doing anything new, but is an overdose of good, dirty fun. Simple as.

The Flaying // Ni dieu, ni ma​î​tre [September 5th, 2024 – Self Release]

I’ve been singing Canadian melodic death metal quartet The Flaying’s praises for almost six years now. And still to this day not enough people choose to sing with me. Why? Because they wouldn’t know sickeningly fun death metal if it hacked their faces right off. That’s okay, because The Flaying do hack faces right off regardless, and it feels so good to watch the faces of those who don’t heed my call get hacked right off. Third onslaught Ni dieu, ni ma​î​tre proves that once again, The Flaying are an unstoppable force of bass wizardry, riff mastery, and hook-laden songwriting. Opener “Le nécrologiste” perfectly encapsulates The Flaying’s particularly addicting brew of Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, and De Profundis influences, shaken and stirred until the resulting cocktail blooms with a flavor all its own. Technical and brutally fast, follow-up track “L’enclave” continues the deadly rampage, featuring noodly bass lines guaranteed to elicit stank face in the even most prim and proper elite. A trim twenty nine minutes, spread over ten tightly trained tracks, Ni dieu, ni ma​î​tre boasts unbeatable replay value. Highlights “Ni dieu, ni ma​î​tre,” “Les Frondes” “La forge,” and “Noyau sombre” seal the deal by providing sharp hard points and memorable landmarks to which any listener would look forward. Simply put, this record rocks my socks and further proves that I am right about The Flaying, and those who ignore my recommendation are wrong.

Dolphin Whisperer’s All-Seeing Affirmations

Eye Eater // Alienate [August 1st, 2024 – Self Release]

In a post-Ulcerate world, the modern output of atmosphere-minded death metal has grown exponentially. With ringing dissonant chords and slow post-informed builds taking center stage, bands like New Zealand’s unheralded Eye Eater borrow plenty from the Destroyers of All sound. However, while many acts would be content to dial in the space or ramp up the dissonance to try and put their own twist on this growing post-death movement, Eye Eater looks to the laser-precise melodic tones of progressive, core-borrowing names like Fallujah and Vildhjarta to carve an identity into each of Alienate’s album eight sprawling tracks. Swinging sustained brightness in one hand about the grizzly chug-crush of the other, burly bangers like “Other Planets” and “Failure Artifacts” find churning, djentrified grooves that amplify the swell of the blaring melodies that swirl above the low-end clamor. And though the main refrains of “Alienate” and “Everything You Fear and Hope For” sound like loving odes to their Kiwi Forebears, the growth into sonorous and lush-chorded peaks lands much closer to the attraction of turn of the 10s progressive death/metalcore luminaries The Contortionist had they stayed closer to their heavy-toned, hefty-voiced roots. As an anonymous act with little social presence, it’s hard to say whether Eye Eater has more cooking for the future. With their ears tuned to the recent past for inspiration, it’s easy to see how a band with this kind of melodic immediacy—still wrapped in the weight of a brooding, death metal identity—could easily play for the tops of underground charts. To those who have been following the twists and turns of both underground and accessible over the past decade or so, Eye Eater may not sound entirely novel. But Alienate’s familiarity in presence against its quality of execution and fullness of sound makes it easy to ensnare all the same.

Dissolve // Polymorphic Ways of Unconsciousness [September 20th, 2024 – Self Release]

From the sand-blasted, monochrome human escaping the floor of Polymorphic Ways’ cover to the tags of technical, progressive, death that adorn the Bandcamp tags, it’s easy to put a band like Dissolve in a box, mentally. But with the first bent guitar run that sets off “Efficiency Defiled” in a run like Judas Priest more than Spawn of Possession, it’s clear that Dissolve plays by a different set of rules than your average chug and run tech death band. Yet true to their French nature, the riffs that litter Polymorphic Ways of Unconsciousness possess a tangible groove following the footsteps of lesser-known tricksters Trepalium and Olympic titans of metal Gojira (“The Great Pessimistic,”1 “Polymorphic Ways of Unconsciousness,” “Vultures”). And while too Dissolve finds a base in the low-end trem assault of Morbid Angel (“Ignorance Will Prevail”), there’s a thrash and bark energy at play that nets a rambunctious and experimental sound recalling the warped Hetfield-ian (Metallica) scrawl of Destroy Erase Improve Meshuggah, right down to the monstrous bass tone that defines Sonny Bellonie’s (Sanctuary, ODC) growling, extended range performance. As a trio it’d be easy for guitarist Briac Turquety (Smerter, ex-Sideburn) to rely on overdubs for saturation of sound and complexity of layers—and for solo cut-ins he definitely does—but equally as often his choice to let certain chords and notes escape a thrashy muting to ring in distorted harmony against snaking bass lines. And speaking of solos, Turquety’s prowess ranges from bluesy shred (“The Great Pessimistic,” “Ropes of Madness”) to noisy, jazzy explorations (“Polymorphic…,” “Shattered Minds of Evolution”) to Satriani on Slayer whammy abuse (“Bonfire of the Vanities”)—a true treat to lovers of tasteful shred. Turquety, Bellonie, and Quentin Feron (on drums, also of Smerter) sound as if they’ve been playing together for much longer than the year that Dissolve has existed. With a debut this polished, it’s anyone’s guess as to what kind of monster will emerge from the talent that appears so effortless in assembly.

Obsidian Mantra // As We All Will [September 27th, 2024 – Self Release]

Sometimes, a tangled and foreboding cover sits as the biggest draw amongst a crowd of death metal albums alight with splattered zombie remains, illegible logos, and alarm-colored palettes. And in the case of Obsidian Mantra, it doesn’t hurt that lead single “Cult of Depression” possesses a devastating, hypnotic groove that recalls the once captivating technical whiplash of an early Decapitated. However, rather than wrestle with tones that incite a pure and raw violence like that cornerstone act (or similar Poldeath that has followed in its legacy like Dormant Ordeal), Obsidian Mantra uses aggressive and bass-loaded rhythmic forms to erupt in spacious and glass-toned guitar chimes to create an engrossing neck-snapping (“Slave Without a Master,” “Condemned to Oppression”). Whether we call these downcast refrains a dissonant melody or slowly resolving phrase, they grow throughout each track in a manner that calls continual reinforcement from a rhythm section that can drop into hammering blasts at a dime and a vocal presence that oscillates between vicious snarl and reverberating howl. In its most accessible numbers (“Chaos Will Consume Us All,” “Weavers of Misery”), Obsidian Mantra finds an oppressive warmth that grows to border anthemic, much in the way like beloved blackened/progressive acts like Hath do with their biggest moments. As We All Will still never quite reaches that full mountainous peak, though, opting to pursue the continual call of the groove to keep the listener coming back. Having come a long way from the Meshuggah-centered roots where Obsidian Mantra first sowed their deathly seeds, As We All Will provides 30 minutes of modern, pulsating, and venomous kick-driven pieces that will flare easy motivation for either a brutalizing pit or a mightily-thrusted iron on leg day.

Thus Spoke’s Cursed Collection

Esoctrilihum // Döth-Derniàlh [September 20th, 2024 – I, Voidhanger Records]

We complete another orbit around the Sun, and Esoctrilihum completes another album; such are the inalterable laws governing each 365.25 Earth day period in our Solar System. Possessed by some mad, restless spirit, it seems they cannot be stopped. Ever the experimenter, sole member Asthâghul now picks up an acoustic guitar, a nickelharpa, and warms up his throat for more clean vocals to further bizarre-ify his avant-garde black metal. As we travel into the cosmos for Döth-Derniàlh, Esoctrilihumisms abound in the see-sawing strings and echoes of chanted singing and throaty snarls. The addition of more acoustic elements does bring some weird delicacy to moments here and there (“Zilthuryth (Void of Zeraphaël),” “Murzaithas (Celestial Voices)”), and it adds layers of beauty in addition to those already harmonious passages. it’s striking how well these new instruments blend with the overall sound: so well, in fact, that it almost feels like Esoctrilihum hasn’t evolved at all. This isn’t even a bad thing, because Döth-Derniàlh still feels like an improvement. Past albums have always had at least sections of perfection, where the scattered clouds of self-interfering chaos or repetition blow away and the brilliant light of the moon shines strongly. Döth-Derniàlh has more of these than ever, some extending to whole, 16-minute songs (“Dy’th Eternalhys (The Mortuary Renewal),”).2 If you have it in you to listen to one (more) album over an hour long, and you don’t already know you hate Esoctrilihum, sit down with a drink, and maybe a joint, and go where Döth-Derniàlh takes you.

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