#in-solitude — Public Fediverse posts

Do you, like me, ever find yourself missing the sheer metallic perfection of the first few Mercyful Fate albums? Both Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath cast such a brilliantly macabre, occult atmosphere that they surely amplified the already palpable Satanic Panic of the mid-80s. Good things never last, but for a brief time, In Solitude managed to partially fill the dead spot in my heart that longed for more albums like those Fate classics, but all too soon they were gone too. Enter German metal crew The Night Eternal to fill the gap created by In Solitude, if not the yawning chasm left by Mercyful Fate. I discovered them on their 2023 sophomore release Fatale, and was quite impressed. Their sound was like an early, less Satanic Fate strained through a Goth rock filter, and it worked exceptionally well. Now, a few years later, we get the follow-up, Cold Velvet. The basic template is still in place, but this time they’ve gone deeper into the Goth rock doldrums and dulled their heavy metal edge in the process, approximating the Idle Hands / Untoothers material. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ’em.

The Night Eternal’s strengths heard on gems like “In Tartus” from Fatale are still present on opener “Where This World Ends,” as frontman Ricardo Baum’s slick merger of King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Amorphis’ Tomi Joutsen pays big dividends. The pure metal quotient of the backing music feels a touch softer than last time, even approaching Ghost-levels of hard and Goth rock, but the song works and hooks you in. As Cold Velvet plays out, the Goth vibe increases. “Eurydice (Don’t Look Back)” is a polished take on 80s Goth rock, and it has legs and memorability that demand replays. This could have sat on Mana by Idle Hands and fit right in if they added a few werewolf-y grunts and howls. “Caught in a Spell” is a very laid-back piece of Goth flair with an easy breezy charm, and after a few spins it cements itself into your nerve clusters. It even has a vague Wytch Hazel vibe that adds extra charisma points.

The best moments come when The Night Eternal put their foot on the accelerator and dial up the metal. “The Veins of Time” is a throwback to Fatale, hitting the sweet spot between metal and Goth. It’s a bit more urgent and edgy without forsaking the sadboi glumness, and there’s a Sisters of Mercy vibe under the surface. My personal favorite track is “Shape of Sorrow” as it’s the most jacked-up version of the band’s current formula. It’s hardly a face-melter, but it offers more intensity and less moping and feels considerably heavier than the rest of Cold Velvet. Unfortunately, a few tracks, while good, just don’t sizzle enough to excite the grey matter, and when teamed up with the album’s languid vibe, they drag the excitement factor down a few notches. “When the Last Candle Dies” is like a lost modern Ghost track, and it’s okay but not much more, and closer, “Dance on Crimson Ground,” is the longest here at 7 minutes, but it isn’t all that interesting. At 42-plus minutes, Cold Velvet isn’t a challenging listen, but it isn’t the most exciting one either. The Goth influences result in a muted, sometimes drab expanse, and though the writing overcomes the limited color scheme at times, the album merely glides but never soars.

As with past outings, Ricardo Baum is the star of The Night Show. He’s got a big vocal presence that’s hard to resist, and he’s the kind of frontman that elevates everything a band does. He can sound like a youthful King Diamond, but this time he seems much more determined to turn himself into the prototype for an 80s Goth rock hero. He regularly delivers slick vocal hooks and phrasing that add a cool factor to everything the band does. There’s an argument to be made that the music behind Baum is more anodyne than last time. Robert Richter and Heinrich Käseberg can be a potent guitar tandem as they demonstrated on the prior albums, injecting classic metal and NWoBHM influences into their playing. Here, however, they dial things back to more Goth-appropriate levels, sacrificing power for poise. That makes for a less dynamic listen with fewer big, brain-shaking metal moments. Talent abounds, but the material feels overly restrained and held in check, and that’s unfortunate.

The Night Eternal are a very good band capable of delivering solid music that spans several genres. On Cold Velvet, they deliver some high-quality moments, but these highs aren’t as lofty as last time, and they get tangled in a series of less animated moments that sink the album into a Gothy bog. Cold Velvet is plenty classy, but it isn’t bashy enough for its own good. This gives me the sadz in the wrong way. Still worth a listen.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: thenighteternal.bandcamp.com | thenighteternal.com | instagram.com/thenighteternal_official
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

Do you, like me, ever find yourself missing the sheer metallic perfection of the first few Mercyful Fate albums? Both Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath cast such a brilliantly macabre, occult atmosphere that they surely amplified the already palpable Satanic Panic of the mid-80s. Good things never last, but for a brief time, In Solitude managed to partially fill the dead spot in my heart that longed for more albums like those Fate classics, but all too soon they were gone too. Enter German metal crew The Night Eternal to fill the gap created by In Solitude, if not the yawning chasm left by Mercyful Fate. I discovered them on their 2023 sophomore release Fatale, and was quite impressed. Their sound was like an early, less Satanic Fate strained through a Goth rock filter, and it worked exceptionally well. Now, a few years later, we get the follow-up, Cold Velvet. The basic template is still in place, but this time they’ve gone deeper into the Goth rock doldrums and dulled their heavy metal edge in the process, approximating the Idle Hands / Untoothers material. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ’em.

The Night Eternal’s strengths heard on gems like “In Tartus” from Fatale are still present on opener “Where This World Ends,” as frontman Ricardo Baum’s slick merger of King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Amorphis’ Tomi Joutsen pays big dividends. The pure metal quotient of the backing music feels a touch softer than last time, even approaching Ghost-levels of hard and Goth rock, but the song works and hooks you in. As Cold Velvet plays out, the Goth vibe increases. “Eurydice (Don’t Look Back)” is a polished take on 80s Goth rock, and it has legs and memorability that demand replays. This could have sat on Mana by Idle Hands and fit right in if they added a few werewolf-y grunts and howls. “Caught in a Spell” is a very laid-back piece of Goth flair with an easy breezy charm, and after a few spins it cements itself into your nerve clusters. It even has a vague Wytch Hazel vibe that adds extra charisma points.

The best moments come when The Night Eternal put their foot on the accelerator and dial up the metal. “The Veins of Time” is a throwback to Fatale, hitting the sweet spot between metal and Goth. It’s a bit more urgent and edgy without forsaking the sadboi glumness, and there’s a Sisters of Mercy vibe under the surface. My personal favorite track is “Shape of Sorrow” as it’s the most jacked-up version of the band’s current formula. It’s hardly a face-melter, but it offers more intensity and less moping and feels considerably heavier than the rest of Cold Velvet. Unfortunately, a few tracks, while good, just don’t sizzle enough to excite the grey matter, and when teamed up with the album’s languid vibe, they drag the excitement factor down a few notches. “When the Last Candle Dies” is like a lost modern Ghost track, and it’s okay but not much more, and closer, “Dance on Crimson Ground,” is the longest here at 7 minutes, but it isn’t all that interesting. At 42-plus minutes, Cold Velvet isn’t a challenging listen, but it isn’t the most exciting one either. The Goth influences result in a muted, sometimes drab expanse, and though the writing overcomes the limited color scheme at times, the album merely glides but never soars.

As with past outings, Ricardo Baum is the star of The Night Show. He’s got a big vocal presence that’s hard to resist, and he’s the kind of frontman that elevates everything a band does. He can sound like a youthful King Diamond, but this time he seems much more determined to turn himself into the prototype for an 80s Goth rock hero. He regularly delivers slick vocal hooks and phrasing that add a cool factor to everything the band does. There’s an argument to be made that the music behind Baum is more anodyne than last time. Robert Richter and Heinrich Käseberg can be a potent guitar tandem as they demonstrated on the prior albums, injecting classic metal and NWoBHM influences into their playing. Here, however, they dial things back to more Goth-appropriate levels, sacrificing power for poise. That makes for a less dynamic listen with fewer big, brain-shaking metal moments. Talent abounds, but the material feels overly restrained and held in check, and that’s unfortunate.

The Night Eternal are a very good band capable of delivering solid music that spans several genres. On Cold Velvet, they deliver some high-quality moments, but these highs aren’t as lofty as last time, and they get tangled in a series of less animated moments that sink the album into a Gothy bog. Cold Velvet is plenty classy, but it isn’t bashy enough for its own good. This gives me the sadz in the wrong way. Still worth a listen.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: thenighteternal.bandcamp.com | thenighteternal.com | instagram.com/thenighteternal_official
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

Do you, like me, ever find yourself missing the sheer metallic perfection of the first few Mercyful Fate albums? Both Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath cast such a brilliantly macabre, occult atmosphere that they surely amplified the already palpable Satanic Panic of the mid-80s. Good things never last, but for a brief time, In Solitude managed to partially fill the dead spot in my heart that longed for more albums like those Fate classics, but all too soon they were gone too. Enter German metal crew The Night Eternal to fill the gap created by In Solitude, if not the yawning chasm left by Mercyful Fate. I discovered them on their 2023 sophomore release Fatale, and was quite impressed. Their sound was like an early, less Satanic Fate strained through a Goth rock filter, and it worked exceptionally well. Now, a few years later, we get the follow-up, Cold Velvet. The basic template is still in place, but this time they’ve gone deeper into the Goth rock doldrums and dulled their heavy metal edge in the process, approximating the Idle Hands / Untoothers material. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ’em.

The Night Eternal’s strengths heard on gems like “In Tartus” from Fatale are still present on opener “Where This World Ends,” as frontman Ricardo Baum’s slick merger of King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Amorphis’ Tomi Joutsen pays big dividends. The pure metal quotient of the backing music feels a touch softer than last time, even approaching Ghost-levels of hard and Goth rock, but the song works and hooks you in. As Cold Velvet plays out, the Goth vibe increases. “Eurydice (Don’t Look Back)” is a polished take on 80s Goth rock, and it has legs and memorability that demand replays. This could have sat on Mana by Idle Hands and fit right in if they added a few werewolf-y grunts and howls. “Caught in a Spell” is a very laid-back piece of Goth flair with an easy breezy charm, and after a few spins it cements itself into your nerve clusters. It even has a vague Wytch Hazel vibe that adds extra charisma points.

The best moments come when The Night Eternal put their foot on the accelerator and dial up the metal. “The Veins of Time” is a throwback to Fatale, hitting the sweet spot between metal and Goth. It’s a bit more urgent and edgy without forsaking the sadboi glumness, and there’s a Sisters of Mercy vibe under the surface. My personal favorite track is “Shape of Sorrow” as it’s the most jacked-up version of the band’s current formula. It’s hardly a face-melter, but it offers more intensity and less moping and feels considerably heavier than the rest of Cold Velvet. Unfortunately, a few tracks, while good, just don’t sizzle enough to excite the grey matter, and when teamed up with the album’s languid vibe, they drag the excitement factor down a few notches. “When the Last Candle Dies” is like a lost modern Ghost track, and it’s okay but not much more, and closer, “Dance on Crimson Ground,” is the longest here at 7 minutes, but it isn’t all that interesting. At 42-plus minutes, Cold Velvet isn’t a challenging listen, but it isn’t the most exciting one either. The Goth influences result in a muted, sometimes drab expanse, and though the writing overcomes the limited color scheme at times, the album merely glides but never soars.

As with past outings, Ricardo Baum is the star of The Night Show. He’s got a big vocal presence that’s hard to resist, and he’s the kind of frontman that elevates everything a band does. He can sound like a youthful King Diamond, but this time he seems much more determined to turn himself into the prototype for an 80s Goth rock hero. He regularly delivers slick vocal hooks and phrasing that add a cool factor to everything the band does. There’s an argument to be made that the music behind Baum is more anodyne than last time. Robert Richter and Heinrich Käseberg can be a potent guitar tandem as they demonstrated on the prior albums, injecting classic metal and NWoBHM influences into their playing. Here, however, they dial things back to more Goth-appropriate levels, sacrificing power for poise. That makes for a less dynamic listen with fewer big, brain-shaking metal moments. Talent abounds, but the material feels overly restrained and held in check, and that’s unfortunate.

The Night Eternal are a very good band capable of delivering solid music that spans several genres. On Cold Velvet, they deliver some high-quality moments, but these highs aren’t as lofty as last time, and they get tangled in a series of less animated moments that sink the album into a Gothy bog. Cold Velvet is plenty classy, but it isn’t bashy enough for its own good. This gives me the sadz in the wrong way. Still worth a listen.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: thenighteternal.bandcamp.com | thenighteternal.com | instagram.com/thenighteternal_official
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

Do you, like me, ever find yourself missing the sheer metallic perfection of the first few Mercyful Fate albums? Both Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath cast such a brilliantly macabre, occult atmosphere that they surely amplified the already palpable Satanic Panic of the mid-80s. Good things never last, but for a brief time, In Solitude managed to partially fill the dead spot in my heart that longed for more albums like those Fate classics, but all too soon they were gone too. Enter German metal crew The Night Eternal to fill the gap created by In Solitude, if not the yawning chasm left by Mercyful Fate. I discovered them on their 2023 sophomore release Fatale, and was quite impressed. Their sound was like an early, less Satanic Fate strained through a Goth rock filter, and it worked exceptionally well. Now, a few years later, we get the follow-up, Cold Velvet. The basic template is still in place, but this time they’ve gone deeper into the Goth rock doldrums and dulled their heavy metal edge in the process, approximating the Idle Hands / Untoothers material. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ’em.

The Night Eternal’s strengths heard on gems like “In Tartus” from Fatale are still present on opener “Where This World Ends,” as frontman Ricardo Baum’s slick merger of King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Amorphis’ Tomi Joutsen pays big dividends. The pure metal quotient of the backing music feels a touch softer than last time, even approaching Ghost-levels of hard and Goth rock, but the song works and hooks you in. As Cold Velvet plays out, the Goth vibe increases. “Eurydice (Don’t Look Back)” is a polished take on 80s Goth rock, and it has legs and memorability that demand replays. This could have sat on Mana by Idle Hands and fit right in if they added a few werewolf-y grunts and howls. “Caught in a Spell” is a very laid-back piece of Goth flair with an easy breezy charm, and after a few spins it cements itself into your nerve clusters. It even has a vague Wytch Hazel vibe that adds extra charisma points.

The best moments come when The Night Eternal put their foot on the accelerator and dial up the metal. “The Veins of Time” is a throwback to Fatale, hitting the sweet spot between metal and Goth. It’s a bit more urgent and edgy without forsaking the sadboi glumness, and there’s a Sisters of Mercy vibe under the surface. My personal favorite track is “Shape of Sorrow” as it’s the most jacked-up version of the band’s current formula. It’s hardly a face-melter, but it offers more intensity and less moping and feels considerably heavier than the rest of Cold Velvet. Unfortunately, a few tracks, while good, just don’t sizzle enough to excite the grey matter, and when teamed up with the album’s languid vibe, they drag the excitement factor down a few notches. “When the Last Candle Dies” is like a lost modern Ghost track, and it’s okay but not much more, and closer, “Dance on Crimson Ground,” is the longest here at 7 minutes, but it isn’t all that interesting. At 42-plus minutes, Cold Velvet isn’t a challenging listen, but it isn’t the most exciting one either. The Goth influences result in a muted, sometimes drab expanse, and though the writing overcomes the limited color scheme at times, the album merely glides but never soars.

As with past outings, Ricardo Baum is the star of The Night Show. He’s got a big vocal presence that’s hard to resist, and he’s the kind of frontman that elevates everything a band does. He can sound like a youthful King Diamond, but this time he seems much more determined to turn himself into the prototype for an 80s Goth rock hero. He regularly delivers slick vocal hooks and phrasing that add a cool factor to everything the band does. There’s an argument to be made that the music behind Baum is more anodyne than last time. Robert Richter and Heinrich Käseberg can be a potent guitar tandem as they demonstrated on the prior albums, injecting classic metal and NWoBHM influences into their playing. Here, however, they dial things back to more Goth-appropriate levels, sacrificing power for poise. That makes for a less dynamic listen with fewer big, brain-shaking metal moments. Talent abounds, but the material feels overly restrained and held in check, and that’s unfortunate.

The Night Eternal are a very good band capable of delivering solid music that spans several genres. On Cold Velvet, they deliver some high-quality moments, but these highs aren’t as lofty as last time, and they get tangled in a series of less animated moments that sink the album into a Gothy bog. Cold Velvet is plenty classy, but it isn’t bashy enough for its own good. This gives me the sadz in the wrong way. Still worth a listen.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: thenighteternal.bandcamp.com | thenighteternal.com | instagram.com/thenighteternal_official
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

Do you, like me, ever find yourself missing the sheer metallic perfection of the first few Mercyful Fate albums? Both Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath cast such a brilliantly macabre, occult atmosphere that they surely amplified the already palpable Satanic Panic of the mid-80s. Good things never last, but for a brief time, In Solitude managed to partially fill the dead spot in my heart that longed for more albums like those Fate classics, but all too soon they were gone too. Enter German metal crew The Night Eternal to fill the gap created by In Solitude, if not the yawning chasm left by Mercyful Fate. I discovered them on their 2023 sophomore release Fatale, and was quite impressed. Their sound was like an early, less Satanic Fate strained through a Goth rock filter, and it worked exceptionally well. Now, a few years later, we get the follow-up, Cold Velvet. The basic template is still in place, but this time they’ve gone deeper into the Goth rock doldrums and dulled their heavy metal edge in the process, approximating the Idle Hands / Untoothers material. It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for ’em.

The Night Eternal’s strengths heard on gems like “In Tartus” from Fatale are still present on opener “Where This World Ends,” as frontman Ricardo Baum’s slick merger of King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Amorphis’ Tomi Joutsen pays big dividends. The pure metal quotient of the backing music feels a touch softer than last time, even approaching Ghost-levels of hard and Goth rock, but the song works and hooks you in. As Cold Velvet plays out, the Goth vibe increases. “Eurydice (Don’t Look Back)” is a polished take on 80s Goth rock, and it has legs and memorability that demand replays. This could have sat on Mana by Idle Hands and fit right in if they added a few werewolf-y grunts and howls. “Caught in a Spell” is a very laid-back piece of Goth flair with an easy breezy charm, and after a few spins it cements itself into your nerve clusters. It even has a vague Wytch Hazel vibe that adds extra charisma points.

The best moments come when The Night Eternal put their foot on the accelerator and dial up the metal. “The Veins of Time” is a throwback to Fatale, hitting the sweet spot between metal and Goth. It’s a bit more urgent and edgy without forsaking the sadboi glumness, and there’s a Sisters of Mercy vibe under the surface. My personal favorite track is “Shape of Sorrow” as it’s the most jacked-up version of the band’s current formula. It’s hardly a face-melter, but it offers more intensity and less moping and feels considerably heavier than the rest of Cold Velvet. Unfortunately, a few tracks, while good, just don’t sizzle enough to excite the grey matter, and when teamed up with the album’s languid vibe, they drag the excitement factor down a few notches. “When the Last Candle Dies” is like a lost modern Ghost track, and it’s okay but not much more, and closer, “Dance on Crimson Ground,” is the longest here at 7 minutes, but it isn’t all that interesting. At 42-plus minutes, Cold Velvet isn’t a challenging listen, but it isn’t the most exciting one either. The Goth influences result in a muted, sometimes drab expanse, and though the writing overcomes the limited color scheme at times, the album merely glides but never soars.

As with past outings, Ricardo Baum is the star of The Night Show. He’s got a big vocal presence that’s hard to resist, and he’s the kind of frontman that elevates everything a band does. He can sound like a youthful King Diamond, but this time he seems much more determined to turn himself into the prototype for an 80s Goth rock hero. He regularly delivers slick vocal hooks and phrasing that add a cool factor to everything the band does. There’s an argument to be made that the music behind Baum is more anodyne than last time. Robert Richter and Heinrich Käseberg can be a potent guitar tandem as they demonstrated on the prior albums, injecting classic metal and NWoBHM influences into their playing. Here, however, they dial things back to more Goth-appropriate levels, sacrificing power for poise. That makes for a less dynamic listen with fewer big, brain-shaking metal moments. Talent abounds, but the material feels overly restrained and held in check, and that’s unfortunate.

The Night Eternal are a very good band capable of delivering solid music that spans several genres. On Cold Velvet, they deliver some high-quality moments, but these highs aren’t as lofty as last time, and they get tangled in a series of less animated moments that sink the album into a Gothy bog. Cold Velvet is plenty classy, but it isn’t bashy enough for its own good. This gives me the sadz in the wrong way. Still worth a listen.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: thenighteternal.bandcamp.com | thenighteternal.com | instagram.com/thenighteternal_official
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

Morax – The Amulet Review

By Steel Druhm

Way back in 2019 we reviewed the Norwegian thrash act Inculter and lavished much praise upon their Fatal Visions album. We then somehow slept on 2023s Morbid Origin completely because mistakes were made. Now we get the solo project by Inculter guitarist/vocalist Remi Andrè Nygård and it’s an altered beast of a different color. Rather than another crazy thrash attack, Morax is Remi’s one-man, do-it-all-yourself vehicle for exploring his love of classic 80s heavy metal sounds. In particular, that sweet spot where Mercyful Fate rubbed up on NWoBHM and style. Throughout The Amulet you’ll be transported back to 1983-84 and reminded of a variety of early metal acts, but it’s those Fate albums that get the bulk of the hat tips as gloriously catchy old-timey riffs fly left and right. With these caveats, you should know what to expect here. Riffs, and MOAR riffs, all from the golden age of metal.

After a very table setting, 80s-centric intro piece, the real fun begins on “Belial Rising” which is 5-plus minutes of 80s-soaked guitar heroics forced together into an epic song. The riffs here are aces, with one sharp, hooky lead after another as Remi threads the needle between various 80s acts with a rowdy, raucous Mötörhead-adjacent energy bouncing off classy, smooth NWoBHM leads and solos that reek of Satan. It’s a wild ride with so many cool, vintage guitar moments that it’s impossible not to enjoy for seasoned geezers like me. The segment from 3:17 to the end is easily my favorite piece of music this year and it keeps me coming back for more. “A Thousand Names” is also first-rate, full of badass riffs and harmonies as Remi warbles and raves as best he can. You could easily imagine this coming out in the early 80s and it comes from a sincere love for the time period.

Unfortunately, the songcraft is a bit inconsistent as The Amulet plays out. There are a ton of good ideas and slick, memorable Mercyful Fate-esque moments in the 8 minutes of “Seven Pierced Hearts” but it definitely runs too long. Cuts like “The Snake” and “Phantom Sleeper” are good with great moments but can’t rise to the level of the album’s first few cuts. Things improve for the epic denouement “The Descent” which feels like a flight through the In Solitude and The Night Eternal catalogs (i.e. new takes on Mercyful Fate’s classic style). If the writing was just a little more consistently strong, this thing would be a contestant on Steel‘s Best of 2025 Hunger Games Elimination Derby. As it stands, it’s an enjoyable nostalgia bomb with several totally killer tracks. At a concise 40 minutes, The Amulet plays out briskly, with only “Seven Pierced Hearts” bogging things down slightly. Remi’s production is 100% authentic to the era it’s inspired by, and he couldn’t have made it sound any more like a product of the past short of releasing it on 8-track.

Remi handles everything here, from guitars to bass to drums, and does a pretty damn impressive job. His guitar work is the star, of course, and he shows himself to be a true lover of 80s metal, crafting so many smoking riffs I can imagine rocking out to in my bedroom back in 83-84. This is one of those albums worth hearing for the riffs alone, even if they don’t always translate into great songs. He does a lot to invoke the Sherman/Denner dynasty of amazing dual axe warfare but incorporates enough outside influences to keep things a little unpredictable. His vocals are raw and unpolished but mostly get the job done, though he’s limited in his range and ability. He almost sounds like a mix of Brian Ross of Satan / Blitzkrieg and Schmier of Destruction which is a unique spot to land in.

As a veteran of the 80s metal wars, I can’t resist albums like this and I had to fight my worser angels who wanted me to overrate The Amulet just because it was so damn vintage. There are some very good to almost great moments here, but the overall package is just shy of a higher mark. I’ll be returning to this in the future though and those high moments make it a rewarding spin. Morax is onto something cool and I hope this isn’t a one-and-done for Remi. If you want to marinate in the sounds of the past and attend a few dangerous meetings, Morax has the Melissa biscuits you need.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: morax.bandcamp.com/album/the-amulet | facebook.com/morax6669 | instagram.com/moraxmoraxmorax
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025

#2025 #30 #Feb25 #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #InSolitude #Inculter #MercyfulFate #Morax #NorweiganMetal #Review #Reviews #Satan #TheAmulet #TheNightEternal

Morax – The Amulet Review

By Steel Druhm

Way back in 2019 we reviewed the Norwegian thrash act Inculter and lavished much praise upon their Fatal Visions album. We then somehow slept on 2023s Morbid Origin completely because mistakes were made. Now we get the solo project by Inculter guitarist/vocalist Remi Andrè Nygård and it’s an altered beast of a different color. Rather than another crazy thrash attack, Morax is Remi’s one-man, do-it-all-yourself vehicle for exploring his love of classic 80s heavy metal sounds. In particular, that sweet spot where Mercyful Fate rubbed up on NWoBHM and style. Throughout The Amulet you’ll be transported back to 1983-84 and reminded of a variety of early metal acts, but it’s those Fate albums that get the bulk of the hat tips as gloriously catchy old-timey riffs fly left and right. With these caveats, you should know what to expect here. Riffs, and MOAR riffs, all from the golden age of metal.

After a very table setting, 80s-centric intro piece, the real fun begins on “Belial Rising” which is 5-plus minutes of 80s-soaked guitar heroics forced together into an epic song. The riffs here are aces, with one sharp, hooky lead after another as Remi threads the needle between various 80s acts with a rowdy, raucous Mötörhead-adjacent energy bouncing off classy, smooth NWoBHM leads and solos that reek of Satan. It’s a wild ride with so many cool, vintage guitar moments that it’s impossible not to enjoy for seasoned geezers like me. The segment from 3:17 to the end is easily my favorite piece of music this year and it keeps me coming back for more. “A Thousand Names” is also first-rate, full of badass riffs and harmonies as Remi warbles and raves as best he can. You could easily imagine this coming out in the early 80s and it comes from a sincere love for the time period.

Unfortunately, the songcraft is a bit inconsistent as The Amulet plays out. There are a ton of good ideas and slick, memorable Mercyful Fate-esque moments in the 8 minutes of “Seven Pierced Hearts” but it definitely runs too long. Cuts like “The Snake” and “Phantom Sleeper” are good with great moments but can’t rise to the level of the album’s first few cuts. Things improve for the epic denouement “The Descent” which feels like a flight through the In Solitude and The Night Eternal catalogs (i.e. new takes on Mercyful Fate’s classic style). If the writing was just a little more consistently strong, this thing would be a contestant on Steel‘s Best of 2025 Hunger Games Elimination Derby. As it stands, it’s an enjoyable nostalgia bomb with several totally killer tracks. At a concise 40 minutes, The Amulet plays out briskly, with only “Seven Pierced Hearts” bogging things down slightly. Remi’s production is 100% authentic to the era it’s inspired by, and he couldn’t have made it sound any more like a product of the past short of releasing it on 8-track.

Remi handles everything here, from guitars to bass to drums, and does a pretty damn impressive job. His guitar work is the star, of course, and he shows himself to be a true lover of 80s metal, crafting so many smoking riffs I can imagine rocking out to in my bedroom back in 83-84. This is one of those albums worth hearing for the riffs alone, even if they don’t always translate into great songs. He does a lot to invoke the Sherman/Denner dynasty of amazing dual axe warfare but incorporates enough outside influences to keep things a little unpredictable. His vocals are raw and unpolished but mostly get the job done, though he’s limited in his range and ability. He almost sounds like a mix of Brian Ross of Satan / Blitzkrieg and Schmier of Destruction which is a unique spot to land in.

As a veteran of the 80s metal wars, I can’t resist albums like this and I had to fight my worser angels who wanted me to overrate The Amulet just because it was so damn vintage. There are some very good to almost great moments here, but the overall package is just shy of a higher mark. I’ll be returning to this in the future though and those high moments make it a rewarding spin. Morax is onto something cool and I hope this isn’t a one-and-done for Remi. If you want to marinate in the sounds of the past and attend a few dangerous meetings, Morax has the Melissa biscuits you need.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: morax.bandcamp.com/album/the-amulet | facebook.com/morax6669 | instagram.com/moraxmoraxmorax
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025

#2025 #30 #Feb25 #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #InSolitude #Inculter #MercyfulFate #Morax #NorweiganMetal #Review #Reviews #Satan #TheAmulet #TheNightEternal

Morax – The Amulet Review

By Steel Druhm

Way back in 2019 we reviewed the Norwegian thrash act Inculter and lavished much praise upon their Fatal Visions album. We then somehow slept on 2023s Morbid Origin completely because mistakes were made. Now we get the solo project by Inculter guitarist/vocalist Remi Andrè Nygård and it’s an altered beast of a different color. Rather than another crazy thrash attack, Morax is Remi’s one-man, do-it-all-yourself vehicle for exploring his love of classic 80s heavy metal sounds. In particular, that sweet spot where Mercyful Fate rubbed up on NWoBHM and style. Throughout The Amulet you’ll be transported back to 1983-84 and reminded of a variety of early metal acts, but it’s those Fate albums that get the bulk of the hat tips as gloriously catchy old-timey riffs fly left and right. With these caveats, you should know what to expect here. Riffs, and MOAR riffs, all from the golden age of metal.

After a very table setting, 80s-centric intro piece, the real fun begins on “Belial Rising” which is 5-plus minutes of 80s-soaked guitar heroics forced together into an epic song. The riffs here are aces, with one sharp, hooky lead after another as Remi threads the needle between various 80s acts with a rowdy, raucous Mötörhead-adjacent energy bouncing off classy, smooth NWoBHM leads and solos that reek of Satan. It’s a wild ride with so many cool, vintage guitar moments that it’s impossible not to enjoy for seasoned geezers like me. The segment from 3:17 to the end is easily my favorite piece of music this year and it keeps me coming back for more. “A Thousand Names” is also first-rate, full of badass riffs and harmonies as Remi warbles and raves as best he can. You could easily imagine this coming out in the early 80s and it comes from a sincere love for the time period.

Unfortunately, the songcraft is a bit inconsistent as The Amulet plays out. There are a ton of good ideas and slick, memorable Mercyful Fate-esque moments in the 8 minutes of “Seven Pierced Hearts” but it definitely runs too long. Cuts like “The Snake” and “Phantom Sleeper” are good with great moments but can’t rise to the level of the album’s first few cuts. Things improve for the epic denouement “The Descent” which feels like a flight through the In Solitude and The Night Eternal catalogs (i.e. new takes on Mercyful Fate’s classic style). If the writing was just a little more consistently strong, this thing would be a contestant on Steel‘s Best of 2025 Hunger Games Elimination Derby. As it stands, it’s an enjoyable nostalgia bomb with several totally killer tracks. At a concise 40 minutes, The Amulet plays out briskly, with only “Seven Pierced Hearts” bogging things down slightly. Remi’s production is 100% authentic to the era it’s inspired by, and he couldn’t have made it sound any more like a product of the past short of releasing it on 8-track.

Remi handles everything here, from guitars to bass to drums, and does a pretty damn impressive job. His guitar work is the star, of course, and he shows himself to be a true lover of 80s metal, crafting so many smoking riffs I can imagine rocking out to in my bedroom back in 83-84. This is one of those albums worth hearing for the riffs alone, even if they don’t always translate into great songs. He does a lot to invoke the Sherman/Denner dynasty of amazing dual axe warfare but incorporates enough outside influences to keep things a little unpredictable. His vocals are raw and unpolished but mostly get the job done, though he’s limited in his range and ability. He almost sounds like a mix of Brian Ross of Satan / Blitzkrieg and Schmier of Destruction which is a unique spot to land in.

As a veteran of the 80s metal wars, I can’t resist albums like this and I had to fight my worser angels who wanted me to overrate The Amulet just because it was so damn vintage. There are some very good to almost great moments here, but the overall package is just shy of a higher mark. I’ll be returning to this in the future though and those high moments make it a rewarding spin. Morax is onto something cool and I hope this isn’t a one-and-done for Remi. If you want to marinate in the sounds of the past and attend a few dangerous meetings, Morax has the Melissa biscuits you need.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: morax.bandcamp.com/album/the-amulet | facebook.com/morax6669 | instagram.com/moraxmoraxmorax
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025

#2025 #30 #Feb25 #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #InSolitude #Inculter #MercyfulFate #Morax #NorweiganMetal #Review #Reviews #Satan #TheAmulet #TheNightEternal

Morax – The Amulet Review

By Steel Druhm

Way back in 2019 we reviewed the Norwegian thrash act Inculter and lavished much praise upon their Fatal Visions album. We then somehow slept on 2023s Morbid Origin completely because mistakes were made. Now we get the solo project by Inculter guitarist/vocalist Remi Andrè Nygård and it’s an altered beast of a different color. Rather than another crazy thrash attack, Morax is Remi’s one-man, do-it-all-yourself vehicle for exploring his love of classic 80s heavy metal sounds. In particular, that sweet spot where Mercyful Fate rubbed up on NWoBHM and style. Throughout The Amulet you’ll be transported back to 1983-84 and reminded of a variety of early metal acts, but it’s those Fate albums that get the bulk of the hat tips as gloriously catchy old-timey riffs fly left and right. With these caveats, you should know what to expect here. Riffs, and MOAR riffs, all from the golden age of metal.

After a very table setting, 80s-centric intro piece, the real fun begins on “Belial Rising” which is 5-plus minutes of 80s-soaked guitar heroics forced together into an epic song. The riffs here are aces, with one sharp, hooky lead after another as Remi threads the needle between various 80s acts with a rowdy, raucous Mötörhead-adjacent energy bouncing off classy, smooth NWoBHM leads and solos that reek of Satan. It’s a wild ride with so many cool, vintage guitar moments that it’s impossible not to enjoy for seasoned geezers like me. The segment from 3:17 to the end is easily my favorite piece of music this year and it keeps me coming back for more. “A Thousand Names” is also first-rate, full of badass riffs and harmonies as Remi warbles and raves as best he can. You could easily imagine this coming out in the early 80s and it comes from a sincere love for the time period.

Unfortunately, the songcraft is a bit inconsistent as The Amulet plays out. There are a ton of good ideas and slick, memorable Mercyful Fate-esque moments in the 8 minutes of “Seven Pierced Hearts” but it definitely runs too long. Cuts like “The Snake” and “Phantom Sleeper” are good with great moments but can’t rise to the level of the album’s first few cuts. Things improve for the epic denouement “The Descent” which feels like a flight through the In Solitude and The Night Eternal catalogs (i.e. new takes on Mercyful Fate’s classic style). If the writing was just a little more consistently strong, this thing would be a contestant on Steel‘s Best of 2025 Hunger Games Elimination Derby. As it stands, it’s an enjoyable nostalgia bomb with several totally killer tracks. At a concise 40 minutes, The Amulet plays out briskly, with only “Seven Pierced Hearts” bogging things down slightly. Remi’s production is 100% authentic to the era it’s inspired by, and he couldn’t have made it sound any more like a product of the past short of releasing it on 8-track.

Remi handles everything here, from guitars to bass to drums, and does a pretty damn impressive job. His guitar work is the star, of course, and he shows himself to be a true lover of 80s metal, crafting so many smoking riffs I can imagine rocking out to in my bedroom back in 83-84. This is one of those albums worth hearing for the riffs alone, even if they don’t always translate into great songs. He does a lot to invoke the Sherman/Denner dynasty of amazing dual axe warfare but incorporates enough outside influences to keep things a little unpredictable. His vocals are raw and unpolished but mostly get the job done, though he’s limited in his range and ability. He almost sounds like a mix of Brian Ross of Satan / Blitzkrieg and Schmier of Destruction which is a unique spot to land in.

As a veteran of the 80s metal wars, I can’t resist albums like this and I had to fight my worser angels who wanted me to overrate The Amulet just because it was so damn vintage. There are some very good to almost great moments here, but the overall package is just shy of a higher mark. I’ll be returning to this in the future though and those high moments make it a rewarding spin. Morax is onto something cool and I hope this isn’t a one-and-done for Remi. If you want to marinate in the sounds of the past and attend a few dangerous meetings, Morax has the Melissa biscuits you need.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: morax.bandcamp.com/album/the-amulet | facebook.com/morax6669 | instagram.com/moraxmoraxmorax
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025

#2025 #30 #Feb25 #HeavyMetal #HighRollerRecords #InSolitude #Inculter #MercyfulFate #Morax #NorweiganMetal #Review #Reviews #Satan #TheAmulet #TheNightEternal

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
10 Metal Bands That Need To Reunite
Come home, Skeletonwitch.

https://metalinjection.net/lists/10-metal-bands-that-need-to-reunite

#Skeletonwitch #Sybreed #Isis #TheSword #TheBerzerker #EarlyGraves #Kylesa #IKilledThePromQueen #InSolitude #3InchesOfBlood

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
10 Metal Bands That Need To Reunite
Come home, Skeletonwitch.

https://metalinjection.net/lists/10-metal-bands-that-need-to-reunite

#Skeletonwitch #Sybreed #Isis #TheSword #TheBerzerker #EarlyGraves #Kylesa #IKilledThePromQueen #InSolitude #3InchesOfBlood

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
10 Metal Bands That Need To Reunite
Come home, Skeletonwitch.

https://metalinjection.net/lists/10-metal-bands-that-need-to-reunite

#Skeletonwitch #Sybreed #Isis #TheSword #TheBerzerker #EarlyGraves #Kylesa #IKilledThePromQueen #InSolitude #3InchesOfBlood

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
10 Metal Bands That Need To Reunite
Come home, Skeletonwitch.

https://metalinjection.net/lists/10-metal-bands-that-need-to-reunite

#Skeletonwitch #Sybreed #Isis #TheSword #TheBerzerker #EarlyGraves #Kylesa #IKilledThePromQueen #InSolitude #3InchesOfBlood

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
10 Metal Bands That Need To Reunite
Come home, Skeletonwitch.

https://metalinjection.net/lists/10-metal-bands-that-need-to-reunite

#Skeletonwitch #Sybreed #Isis #TheSword #TheBerzerker #EarlyGraves #Kylesa #IKilledThePromQueen #InSolitude #3InchesOfBlood

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By Dr. A.N. Grier

Another year, another top-ten list from ole Grier. Unfortunately, this was a difficult year to make my selections. Typically, I have to narrow my list from twenty to thirty albums, but this year pretty much narrowed down itself. But it wasn’t only because I was too goddamn busy to listen to music and write reviews, it also wasn’t the best year for metal. Of the hundreds of albums I forced myself to listen to this year, even my honorable mentions are pretty fucking slim. I know many will argue that this was a fantastic year for metal, but I don’t like prog or doom enough to enjoy the stupid number of releases in those genres. And you’re all terrible for encouraging this shit to happen. Hopefully, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate will release albums in 2024 so we can get some real music.

But for all the work that’s taken me away from writing reviews (which is pretty much the only thing I live for these days), it’s been a good year for insulting and making fun of everyone. If I can’t have droves of amazing records, at least I have a bunch of idiots with bad taste to rip on. The number of 4.5s that everyone whored out on this site is an abomination. And, again, this is all your fault for encouraging scores twice what they should be! Idiots. But, besides all the incorrect scores, this is a pretty good crew. While I can’t help but glare (my mom says that’s just how my face is), the Zoom calls are fun, the daily bickering is therapeutic, and the horrible Doom_et_Al hot takes make me feel better about myself. Without Steel, Madam X, and Sentynel, this place would never exist. No matter how much I try to derail it. While the mighty AMG is busy as fuck and isn’t always around, we also wouldn’t be here without him. I also have to give a shout-out to olde and new editors, like Holdeneye, Wvrm, Kenny, Dolph, and Maddog for all the hard work, bringing back old AMG specials, and helping the newbies onboard. It’s very much appreciated. As for the readers… you know what I’m going to say/call you.

Now for the best list of the bunch and pretty much the only one you should read. You’ll find many records you forgot about here, or you hated to begin with which makes you an idiot.

#ish. Blackbraid // Blackbraid II – I hate that I agree with Doom that an album is good. Honestly, it physically and emotionally hurts me. But there’s not much to be done about Blackbraid’s Blackbraid II because I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since it came out. I can’t say it’s my perfect style of black metal, but the emotion is there, and it’s quite convincing. In particular, “Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory” is a heart-wrenching piece of staggering beauty. While many complain it’s far too long, it’s only because you expected the follow-up to Blackbraid I to be another measly thirty-five minutes. That isn’t Blackbraid II’s fault. That’s your fault. And please don’t get me started with your opinions on the man’s heritage and if he’s insulting rather than honoring that heritage. Instead, let the soothing acoustic interludes guide you to the engulfing nature of “The Spirit Returns” and “A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn” before “Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood” tears you a new asshole with its crushing, trashing interlude. Blackbraid II is one of the better atmoblack releases of the year and you gotta get over it and accept it.

#10. Mutoid Man // Mutants – Oh, Mutoid Man, you shifty, unpredictable bastard. How you managed to suck me into War Moans is beyond me because, to be frank, this is not typically the type of metal I like. I mean, not that Mutoid Man has ever solidified themselves into a genre. More like ten of them. But the chaos of the songwriting is typically too much for me. However, these purveyors of the perverse can somehow keep the craziness at bay and wrangle everything into a memorable song. That said, Mutants is rather different than its predecessor. While the insanity and wackiness remain, Mutants shortens the leash and keeps them from roaming too far into the street. The result is something a touch more melodic and less thrashy. That said, there are some fucking heavy songs on this record, like “Broken Glass Ceiling” and “Unborn.” But, in the end, this new release is full of feel-good energy that has you smiling far more than pit stomping. Again, something I’d never see myself enjoying but it’s too much fun to ignore. Each spin reveals even more in its construction, inevitably sucking me further into the silly minds of its creators. I do wish for a better master, but it doesn’t stop me from returning again and again.

#9. Omnicidal // The Omnicidalist – Guitarist/vocalist Sebastian Svedlund is one hell of a talented dude. Not only has he been fronting and playing guitar for the stellar Rimfrost, but he’s now formed a new group that is every bit as exceptional as his black metal counterpart. The main difference is that Svedlund flexes his death and thrash metal chops with Omnicidal’s debut record, The Omnicidalist. In a mere forty-one minutes, The Omnicidalist is an entertaining beast of a record. Right out of the gates, “My Knife” cuts you to ribbons and slowly, yet methodically pulls your large intestine from your body. But what makes The Omnicidalist work are the melodic flavorings spattered between their death-thrash attitude. But even that can’t describe the diversity of the record when you run headfirst into the Amon Amarth, melodeath character of “The Passenger” and old-school, Swethrash of the At the Gates-ish “Cemetery Scream.” And like Rimfrost, Omnicidal chose to produce a warm, open, well-rounded master that lets you enjoy every nook and cranny of the band’s performances.

#8. The Night Eternal // Fatale – How Steel caught this at the end of the year before it slipped by, I’ll never know. But, goddamn, am I glad he did. Sending me a private message of its existence, we spent the next 15 minutes in a Mercyful Fate organism. Which is a lot, considering that’s the longest I’ve been able to hold my load. Though not exactly a Mercyful Fate copycat, there are plenty of references that can be made to Fatale. In reality, The Night Eternal reminds me of those recent explorers of the sound created by King Diamond and co. Bands like Attic and In Solitude come to mind as those bands, as well as this one, take the foundation and build their own house on top of it. Steel described Fatale best when he stated that with each new track, you’re pulled deeper and deeper into the album. The two that got me on the first listen were the back-to-back “Prince of Darkness” and “We Praise Death.” With other great songs coming down the line, like “Run with the Wolves” and “Between the Worlds,” my love for the songwriting only strengthened. And it’s been strengthening ever since with each subsequent listen. Let the “Old Man Metal” moniker be damned. This is way better than all your fucking deathgrind cock-core.

#7. Ars Moriendi // Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent – As I write this blurb, I realize my lists are starting to become predictable. Most Grier lists seem to include Second to Sun, Malokarpatan, and Ars Moriendi. But that isn’t my fault. All are prolific and consistent, releasing, if not their best album with each new release, something pretty damn close. Each is also unique in its brand of black metal. The one-person French outfit, Ars Moriendi, is one whose albums are albums in the truest sense. Never have I ever skipped a song or listened to a track without all the others. Like I said in the review for Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent, it’s a journey. Clocking in at fifty-five minutes, these six songs are overlapping nightmares of ambient, progressive black metal. Never settling too long on one idea, each song is packed to the brim with riffs, orchestral atmospheres, organ interludes, and mind-fucking musical landscapes. Still not as popular as they should be, the songwriting coming out of this guy’s fingers, voice, and drumsticks is mind-boggling and surprisingly beautiful. Like previous years, Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent has secured a safe place on Doktor Grier‘s EOY list.

#6. Bizzarekult // Den Tapte Krigen – Bizzarekult is one of the greatest treasures to ever grace us with its presence. Not only is this brand of black metal my thing, but the man behind it is a better AMG commenter than you. Be less you. Be more Bizarre. After the wonderfully moosey Vi overlevde, Den Tapte Krigen bugs out in a serious way. Everything you ever hoped for on this record is there, and more. This time, the progressive elements have greater direction, the riffs hit harder, and the vocal diversity is far superior to the debut album. For example, consider the gorgeous, Green Carnation-like clean vocals of “Du Lovet Meg.” Or, the crushing Carpathian Forest-esque character of “Midt i Stormen.” Not to mention the six-and-a-half-minute closer, “Himmelen er Utilgjengelig,” is one of the band’s most epic pieces. It ebbs and flows through magnificent Enslaved-esque progressiveness, encapsulating every facet of Den Tapte Krigen. But it also hints at more to come. If there’s anything for sure about the band’s wild songwriting approach is that we haven’t heard it all. With each new release, the bizarre factor increases while maintaining a balance of fantastic songs.

#5. Onheil // In Black Ashes – No band this year has incorporated as many influences into their music (and made it work) as this Dutch quintet. Onheil has been absent for nearly a decade, quietly crafting a new record that explores all they’ve done before and pushes further than ever before. Ditching some of the predictable catchiness of 2014’s Storm Is Coming, In Black Ashes shows the band improving their technicality. The performances are a good two rungs higher on the Onheil ladder than the previous record, from the guitars to the bass to the drums. While much of the Amon Amarthian sound of previous releases is gone, they haven’t abandoned those melodeath vibes. Instead, using their Iron Maiden-meets-black/death approach, the result comes out much in the same vein as Mors Principium Est. Vicious, technical, and with headbangable frenzy, In Black Ashes is the band’s clear statement that they aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. And why not? Onheil is one of the few bands that can produce music of this caliber without it becoming a wank fest or—even worse—a jumbled mess of influences that cripples each song and implodes an album. I just hope we hear from them again sooner rather than later.

#4. Malokarpatan // Vertumnus Caesar – Here’s another staple to my (and the legendary Dr. Fisting‘s) year-end lists. Black metal with hellashes character and a shit ton of impressive guitar work. Giving absolutely no fucks about the rules of the genre, this Slovakian outfit tinkers with cathedral harpsichords, unsetting praying and chanting, and mixing the songwriting styles of Mercyful Fate and Iron Maiden. The result is a wild mishmash of styles that, somehow, avoid being a dumpster fire of influences and conclude as meaningful, complete songs. Honestly, Vertumnus Caesar should only exist in a strange, metal, bizarro world. But, this isn’t the first time they’ve been successful in spitting our weird-ass shit and making it work. They always make it work. And this new release is no different. However, it’s difficult to compare their catalog and determine if Vertumnus Caesar is better than previous releases. Mostly because they continue to tinker with their style on each release. While similarities exist, each album is completely different from the other. Malokarpatan is a breath of fresh air in the black metal genre, with characteristics (if not style) that enforce the no-fucks attitude.

#3. Vulture Industries // Ghosts from the Past – Coming off the heels of 2017’s Stranger Times, Vulture Industries’ newest opus has a lot to prove if it hopes to uproot its predecessor. While never quite ripping up that final root, Ghosts from the Past is every bit as good as Stranger Times. But it does it without sounding like a copycat. It’s drastically different in pace—driving along without exceeding the speed limit, Ghosts from the Past alternates between foot-tappin’ grooves and mighty builds. The opener, “New Lords of Light,” combines both elements, cruising you along the highway before ascending the hill to come face-to-face with a monstrous chorus. Its bookend, the nine-minute “Tyrants Weep Alone,” provides one of the best vocal performances on the album as it builds and builds to a gorgeous passage that leaves my knees weak. But it’s the Song o’ the Year, “Right Here in the Dark,” that encapsulates everything that makes up Vulture Industries in a fun, yet crushing way. Ghosts from the Past’s accessible, Arcturusian style makes it the most fun I’ve had all year.

#2. Sodomisery // Mezzaroth – You knew this was coming. Dr. Sodomisery would not let this list go by without repping these mighty Swedes. After 2020’s mediocre The Great Demise, I didn’t lose faith. I knew there was something to the band’s songwriting approach that would bubble to the top. With Mezzaroth came a new approach, emphasizing the black, death, and melodeath with massive orchestration atmospheres. What makes Mezzaroth work so well is that these atmospherics range across many influences. These include the Dimmu Borgir bigness of “Rebuilding,” the Hypocrisy-esque vocal and guitar work of “Demon in Heaven,” and the Mistur somberness of “Delusion.” While each song stands alone, the depressing theme of mental health pulls them together. And, in the time it takes a high schooler to shower, you’ve already experienced this fantastic album twice in full. It’s a ridiculously tight album for all its content, making it one of my most frequented albums of 2023. Not to mention, the master is slick and dynamic, letting you absorb it through your pores. So, do yourself a favor and get over the band name so you can experience one of the best records of the year.

#1. Mephorash // Krystl-Ah – This one surprised me more than anyone. As I stated in the review of the mighty Krystl-Ah, never in my wildest dreams did I expect Mephorash to top 2019’s Shem Ha Mephorash. But, by god, they did. Krystl-Ah contains all the elements that make Shem Ha Mephorash such a great meloblack record. Huge builds and atmospheres, passionate songwriting, and powerful lyrics and vocal performances. But, Krystl-Ah is a more complete album, transitioning seamlessly from song to song as if it were a single track. Using an approach of long runtimes, the band is completely dependent on pulling off that final climax in each song. But, somehow, they’ve pulled it off even better than they ever have before. Songs like “I Am” and “Mephoriam” add a new dimension that doesn’t so much add layers to the builds, but more like they’re adding band on top of band. There’s no other way to describe the passion and pure massiveness of these songs. Round it out with a dynamic master and Krystl-Ah is the most emotionally demanding record I’ve heard all year.

Honorable Mentions

• The Gauntlet // Dark Steel and Fire – No matter how I try, I can not put this little beauty to bed. Combining thrash with Bathorycore, Dark Steel and Fire hits me below the belt and it has never felt so good to have bruised balls.
• Tsjuder // Helvegr – It would be silly not to include Helvegr on my list. For the style, Tsjuder is one of the best out there. And, amazingly, they can continue to release quality black metal with the same aggression as they had back in 2000.
• Electrocutioner // False Idols – For a rando, False Idols was a fun surprise. Playing rather traditional thrash metal, Electrocutioner delivered an album that acts like a live setlist at your favorite dive bar. In a mere thirty-four minutes, you’ll still be plenty drunk and ordering an Uber to haul your ass home.
• Children of the Reptile // Heavy Is the Head – Not only did Children of the Reptile win the award for best band photo, but Heavy Is the Head’s weird mix of heavy metal and thrash was a hell of a good time. Toss in some ridiculous lyrics and you’ll be slapping pig butt all the way to the fair.

Disappointments o’ the Year

• Metallica // 72 Seasons – That’s too many seasons. Way too many seasons. I enjoyed St. Anger more.
• Immortal // War Against All – Last year it was Abbath’s Dread Reaver. Now this? What the fuck?

Songs o’ the Year

• Vulture Industries – “This Hell Is Mine”

This is pretty much how I feel in the AMG office.

• Vulture Industries – “Right Here in the Dark”

Easily one of the best songs of the year. Hooking as a motherfucker and so much fun to put on repeat.

• Sodomisery – “Delusion”

Lots of Mors Principium Est melodeath thrashiness to make my olde noggin bob.

• Mephorash – “I Am”

Like Shem Ha Mephorash’s “Sanguinem,” “I Am” is a quintessential listen for all Mephorash fans.

• Mephorash – “Mephoriam”

Easily the most devastating song I’ve heard all year. While it’s incredible, it fucking cripples me.

#2023 #AmonAmarth #Arcturus #ArsMoriendi #AtTheGates #Attic #Bathory #Bizzarekult #Blackbraid #BlogPosts #CarpathianForest #ChildrenOfTheReptile #DimmuBorgir #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2023 #Electrocutioner #Eleine #Enslaved #GreenCarnation #Hypocrisy #InSolitude #IronMaiden #KingDiamond #Lists #Listurnalia #Malokarpatan #Mephorash #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Mistur #MorsPrincipiumEst #MutoidMan #Omnicidal #Onheil #Rimfrost #SecondToSun #Sodomisery #TheGuantlet #TheNightEternal #Tsjuder #VultureIndustries

Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By Dr. A.N. Grier

Another year, another top-ten list from ole Grier. Unfortunately, this was a difficult year to make my selections. Typically, I have to narrow my list from twenty to thirty albums, but this year pretty much narrowed down itself. But it wasn’t only because I was too goddamn busy to listen to music and write reviews, it also wasn’t the best year for metal. Of the hundreds of albums I forced myself to listen to this year, even my honorable mentions are pretty fucking slim. I know many will argue that this was a fantastic year for metal, but I don’t like prog or doom enough to enjoy the stupid number of releases in those genres. And you’re all terrible for encouraging this shit to happen. Hopefully, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate will release albums in 2024 so we can get some real music.

But for all the work that’s taken me away from writing reviews (which is pretty much the only thing I live for these days), it’s been a good year for insulting and making fun of everyone. If I can’t have droves of amazing records, at least I have a bunch of idiots with bad taste to rip on. The number of 4.5s that everyone whored out on this site is an abomination. And, again, this is all your fault for encouraging scores twice what they should be! Idiots. But, besides all the incorrect scores, this is a pretty good crew. While I can’t help but glare (my mom says that’s just how my face is), the Zoom calls are fun, the daily bickering is therapeutic, and the horrible Doom_et_Al hot takes make me feel better about myself. Without Steel, Madam X, and Sentynel, this place would never exist. No matter how much I try to derail it. While the mighty AMG is busy as fuck and isn’t always around, we also wouldn’t be here without him. I also have to give a shout-out to olde and new editors, like Holdeneye, Wvrm, Kenny, Dolph, and Maddog for all the hard work, bringing back old AMG specials, and helping the newbies onboard. It’s very much appreciated. As for the readers… you know what I’m going to say/call you.

Now for the best list of the bunch and pretty much the only one you should read. You’ll find many records you forgot about here, or you hated to begin with which makes you an idiot.

#ish. Blackbraid // Blackbraid II – I hate that I agree with Doom that an album is good. Honestly, it physically and emotionally hurts me. But there’s not much to be done about Blackbraid’s Blackbraid II because I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since it came out. I can’t say it’s my perfect style of black metal, but the emotion is there, and it’s quite convincing. In particular, “Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory” is a heart-wrenching piece of staggering beauty. While many complain it’s far too long, it’s only because you expected the follow-up to Blackbraid I to be another measly thirty-five minutes. That isn’t Blackbraid II’s fault. That’s your fault. And please don’t get me started with your opinions on the man’s heritage and if he’s insulting rather than honoring that heritage. Instead, let the soothing acoustic interludes guide you to the engulfing nature of “The Spirit Returns” and “A Song of Death on Winds of Dawn” before “Twilight Hymn of Ancient Blood” tears you a new asshole with its crushing, trashing interlude. Blackbraid II is one of the better atmoblack releases of the year and you gotta get over it and accept it.

#10. Mutoid Man // Mutants – Oh, Mutoid Man, you shifty, unpredictable bastard. How you managed to suck me into War Moans is beyond me because, to be frank, this is not typically the type of metal I like. I mean, not that Mutoid Man has ever solidified themselves into a genre. More like ten of them. But the chaos of the songwriting is typically too much for me. However, these purveyors of the perverse can somehow keep the craziness at bay and wrangle everything into a memorable song. That said, Mutants is rather different than its predecessor. While the insanity and wackiness remain, Mutants shortens the leash and keeps them from roaming too far into the street. The result is something a touch more melodic and less thrashy. That said, there are some fucking heavy songs on this record, like “Broken Glass Ceiling” and “Unborn.” But, in the end, this new release is full of feel-good energy that has you smiling far more than pit stomping. Again, something I’d never see myself enjoying but it’s too much fun to ignore. Each spin reveals even more in its construction, inevitably sucking me further into the silly minds of its creators. I do wish for a better master, but it doesn’t stop me from returning again and again.

#9. Omnicidal // The Omnicidalist – Guitarist/vocalist Sebastian Svedlund is one hell of a talented dude. Not only has he been fronting and playing guitar for the stellar Rimfrost, but he’s now formed a new group that is every bit as exceptional as his black metal counterpart. The main difference is that Svedlund flexes his death and thrash metal chops with Omnicidal’s debut record, The Omnicidalist. In a mere forty-one minutes, The Omnicidalist is an entertaining beast of a record. Right out of the gates, “My Knife” cuts you to ribbons and slowly, yet methodically pulls your large intestine from your body. But what makes The Omnicidalist work are the melodic flavorings spattered between their death-thrash attitude. But even that can’t describe the diversity of the record when you run headfirst into the Amon Amarth, melodeath character of “The Passenger” and old-school, Swethrash of the At the Gates-ish “Cemetery Scream.” And like Rimfrost, Omnicidal chose to produce a warm, open, well-rounded master that lets you enjoy every nook and cranny of the band’s performances.

#8. The Night Eternal // Fatale – How Steel caught this at the end of the year before it slipped by, I’ll never know. But, goddamn, am I glad he did. Sending me a private message of its existence, we spent the next 15 minutes in a Mercyful Fate organism. Which is a lot, considering that’s the longest I’ve been able to hold my load. Though not exactly a Mercyful Fate copycat, there are plenty of references that can be made to Fatale. In reality, The Night Eternal reminds me of those recent explorers of the sound created by King Diamond and co. Bands like Attic and In Solitude come to mind as those bands, as well as this one, take the foundation and build their own house on top of it. Steel described Fatale best when he stated that with each new track, you’re pulled deeper and deeper into the album. The two that got me on the first listen were the back-to-back “Prince of Darkness” and “We Praise Death.” With other great songs coming down the line, like “Run with the Wolves” and “Between the Worlds,” my love for the songwriting only strengthened. And it’s been strengthening ever since with each subsequent listen. Let the “Old Man Metal” moniker be damned. This is way better than all your fucking deathgrind cock-core.

#7. Ars Moriendi // Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent – As I write this blurb, I realize my lists are starting to become predictable. Most Grier lists seem to include Second to Sun, Malokarpatan, and Ars Moriendi. But that isn’t my fault. All are prolific and consistent, releasing, if not their best album with each new release, something pretty damn close. Each is also unique in its brand of black metal. The one-person French outfit, Ars Moriendi, is one whose albums are albums in the truest sense. Never have I ever skipped a song or listened to a track without all the others. Like I said in the review for Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent, it’s a journey. Clocking in at fifty-five minutes, these six songs are overlapping nightmares of ambient, progressive black metal. Never settling too long on one idea, each song is packed to the brim with riffs, orchestral atmospheres, organ interludes, and mind-fucking musical landscapes. Still not as popular as they should be, the songwriting coming out of this guy’s fingers, voice, and drumsticks is mind-boggling and surprisingly beautiful. Like previous years, Lorsque Les Coeurs S’assèchent has secured a safe place on Doktor Grier‘s EOY list.

#6. Bizzarekult // Den Tapte Krigen – Bizzarekult is one of the greatest treasures to ever grace us with its presence. Not only is this brand of black metal my thing, but the man behind it is a better AMG commenter than you. Be less you. Be more Bizarre. After the wonderfully moosey Vi overlevde, Den Tapte Krigen bugs out in a serious way. Everything you ever hoped for on this record is there, and more. This time, the progressive elements have greater direction, the riffs hit harder, and the vocal diversity is far superior to the debut album. For example, consider the gorgeous, Green Carnation-like clean vocals of “Du Lovet Meg.” Or, the crushing Carpathian Forest-esque character of “Midt i Stormen.” Not to mention the six-and-a-half-minute closer, “Himmelen er Utilgjengelig,” is one of the band’s most epic pieces. It ebbs and flows through magnificent Enslaved-esque progressiveness, encapsulating every facet of Den Tapte Krigen. But it also hints at more to come. If there’s anything for sure about the band’s wild songwriting approach is that we haven’t heard it all. With each new release, the bizarre factor increases while maintaining a balance of fantastic songs.

#5. Onheil // In Black Ashes – No band this year has incorporated as many influences into their music (and made it work) as this Dutch quintet. Onheil has been absent for nearly a decade, quietly crafting a new record that explores all they’ve done before and pushes further than ever before. Ditching some of the predictable catchiness of 2014’s Storm Is Coming, In Black Ashes shows the band improving their technicality. The performances are a good two rungs higher on the Onheil ladder than the previous record, from the guitars to the bass to the drums. While much of the Amon Amarthian sound of previous releases is gone, they haven’t abandoned those melodeath vibes. Instead, using their Iron Maiden-meets-black/death approach, the result comes out much in the same vein as Mors Principium Est. Vicious, technical, and with headbangable frenzy, In Black Ashes is the band’s clear statement that they aren’t afraid to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. And why not? Onheil is one of the few bands that can produce music of this caliber without it becoming a wank fest or—even worse—a jumbled mess of influences that cripples each song and implodes an album. I just hope we hear from them again sooner rather than later.

#4. Malokarpatan // Vertumnus Caesar – Here’s another staple to my (and the legendary Dr. Fisting‘s) year-end lists. Black metal with hellashes character and a shit ton of impressive guitar work. Giving absolutely no fucks about the rules of the genre, this Slovakian outfit tinkers with cathedral harpsichords, unsetting praying and chanting, and mixing the songwriting styles of Mercyful Fate and Iron Maiden. The result is a wild mishmash of styles that, somehow, avoid being a dumpster fire of influences and conclude as meaningful, complete songs. Honestly, Vertumnus Caesar should only exist in a strange, metal, bizarro world. But, this isn’t the first time they’ve been successful in spitting our weird-ass shit and making it work. They always make it work. And this new release is no different. However, it’s difficult to compare their catalog and determine if Vertumnus Caesar is better than previous releases. Mostly because they continue to tinker with their style on each release. While similarities exist, each album is completely different from the other. Malokarpatan is a breath of fresh air in the black metal genre, with characteristics (if not style) that enforce the no-fucks attitude.

#3. Vulture Industries // Ghosts from the Past – Coming off the heels of 2017’s Stranger Times, Vulture Industries’ newest opus has a lot to prove if it hopes to uproot its predecessor. While never quite ripping up that final root, Ghosts from the Past is every bit as good as Stranger Times. But it does it without sounding like a copycat. It’s drastically different in pace—driving along without exceeding the speed limit, Ghosts from the Past alternates between foot-tappin’ grooves and mighty builds. The opener, “New Lords of Light,” combines both elements, cruising you along the highway before ascending the hill to come face-to-face with a monstrous chorus. Its bookend, the nine-minute “Tyrants Weep Alone,” provides one of the best vocal performances on the album as it builds and builds to a gorgeous passage that leaves my knees weak. But it’s the Song o’ the Year, “Right Here in the Dark,” that encapsulates everything that makes up Vulture Industries in a fun, yet crushing way. Ghosts from the Past’s accessible, Arcturusian style makes it the most fun I’ve had all year.

#2. Sodomisery // Mezzaroth – You knew this was coming. Dr. Sodomisery would not let this list go by without repping these mighty Swedes. After 2020’s mediocre The Great Demise, I didn’t lose faith. I knew there was something to the band’s songwriting approach that would bubble to the top. With Mezzaroth came a new approach, emphasizing the black, death, and melodeath with massive orchestration atmospheres. What makes Mezzaroth work so well is that these atmospherics range across many influences. These include the Dimmu Borgir bigness of “Rebuilding,” the Hypocrisy-esque vocal and guitar work of “Demon in Heaven,” and the Mistur somberness of “Delusion.” While each song stands alone, the depressing theme of mental health pulls them together. And, in the time it takes a high schooler to shower, you’ve already experienced this fantastic album twice in full. It’s a ridiculously tight album for all its content, making it one of my most frequented albums of 2023. Not to mention, the master is slick and dynamic, letting you absorb it through your pores. So, do yourself a favor and get over the band name so you can experience one of the best records of the year.

#1. Mephorash // Krystl-Ah – This one surprised me more than anyone. As I stated in the review of the mighty Krystl-Ah, never in my wildest dreams did I expect Mephorash to top 2019’s Shem Ha Mephorash. But, by god, they did. Krystl-Ah contains all the elements that make Shem Ha Mephorash such a great meloblack record. Huge builds and atmospheres, passionate songwriting, and powerful lyrics and vocal performances. But, Krystl-Ah is a more complete album, transitioning seamlessly from song to song as if it were a single track. Using an approach of long runtimes, the band is completely dependent on pulling off that final climax in each song. But, somehow, they’ve pulled it off even better than they ever have before. Songs like “I Am” and “Mephoriam” add a new dimension that doesn’t so much add layers to the builds, but more like they’re adding band on top of band. There’s no other way to describe the passion and pure massiveness of these songs. Round it out with a dynamic master and Krystl-Ah is the most emotionally demanding record I’ve heard all year.

Honorable Mentions

• The Gauntlet // Dark Steel and Fire – No matter how I try, I can not put this little beauty to bed. Combining thrash with Bathorycore, Dark Steel and Fire hits me below the belt and it has never felt so good to have bruised balls.
• Tsjuder // Helvegr – It would be silly not to include Helvegr on my list. For the style, Tsjuder is one of the best out there. And, amazingly, they can continue to release quality black metal with the same aggression as they had back in 2000.
• Electrocutioner // False Idols – For a rando, False Idols was a fun surprise. Playing rather traditional thrash metal, Electrocutioner delivered an album that acts like a live setlist at your favorite dive bar. In a mere thirty-four minutes, you’ll still be plenty drunk and ordering an Uber to haul your ass home.
• Children of the Reptile // Heavy Is the Head – Not only did Children of the Reptile win the award for best band photo, but Heavy Is the Head’s weird mix of heavy metal and thrash was a hell of a good time. Toss in some ridiculous lyrics and you’ll be slapping pig butt all the way to the fair.

Disappointments o’ the Year

• Metallica // 72 Seasons – That’s too many seasons. Way too many seasons. I enjoyed St. Anger more.
• Immortal // War Against All – Last year it was Abbath’s Dread Reaver. Now this? What the fuck?

Songs o’ the Year

• Vulture Industries – “This Hell Is Mine”

This is pretty much how I feel in the AMG office.

• Vulture Industries – “Right Here in the Dark”

Easily one of the best songs of the year. Hooking as a motherfucker and so much fun to put on repeat.

• Sodomisery – “Delusion”

Lots of Mors Principium Est melodeath thrashiness to make my olde noggin bob.

• Mephorash – “I Am”

Like Shem Ha Mephorash’s “Sanguinem,” “I Am” is a quintessential listen for all Mephorash fans.

• Mephorash – “Mephoriam”

Easily the most devastating song I’ve heard all year. While it’s incredible, it fucking cripples me.

#2023 #AmonAmarth #Arcturus #ArsMoriendi #AtTheGates #Attic #Bathory #Bizzarekult #Blackbraid #BlogPosts #CarpathianForest #ChildrenOfTheReptile #DimmuBorgir #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2023 #Electrocutioner #Eleine #Enslaved #GreenCarnation #Hypocrisy #InSolitude #IronMaiden #KingDiamond #Lists #Listurnalia #Malokarpatan #Mephorash #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Mistur #MorsPrincipiumEst #MutoidMan #Omnicidal #Onheil #Rimfrost #SecondToSun #Sodomisery #TheGuantlet #TheNightEternal #Tsjuder #VultureIndustries

The Night Eternal – Fatale [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Steel Druhm

Sometimes we get a promo and for whatever reason, it languishes in the sump unloved and unexplored, and later on we find out we missed a real gem and feel collective shame. Other times we just don’t get the promo at all. The latter was the issue with Fatale, the sophomore outing by German goth/heavy/occult metal act The Night Eternal. This was really a shame as it’s easily one of the best metal albums of the year and features an irresistible blend of Mercyful Fate, To Die For, Unto Others, and Ghost. Had we received it, I would have lavished a massive score upon it and spent the rest of the year singing its praises to any and all who would listen. This was not to be, but fortunately, I was able to discover it on my own and give it the attention the album deserves.

If pressed to give a fast and dirty description of what the listener is in for on Fatale, I’d point to the sadly defunct Swedish act In Solitude, as the sound and style here are very similar, and opener “In Tartarus” is a top-notch rocker that recalls them quite intensely. That “Mercyful Fate as Goth rock” sound is just so hooky and engaging, and Ricardo Baum’s vocals are perfect for the style, completely sucking you into the album’s dark mood as the music rocks your socks down to the graveyard. Baum sits at the crossroads of a youthful King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis, which is a helluva good place to be. And can the man ever sell a song? “Prince of Darkness” is a first-rate metal anthem that grabs you fast and refuses to let go, and “We Praise Death” is one of the best songs of the year. This one will leave track marks on your grey matter.

There are no weak moments to be found on Fatale and the album as a whole has a great flow and a collection of high-level tracks that will make you hit replay immediately. Just as I manage to escape the thrall of one cut, the next one becomes my new obsession. Getting away from this thing is like trying to extricate yourself from some eldritch tentacle monster that got into a Gorilla Glue factory, and to say this has been on steady rotation in the House ov Steel would be a ridiculous understatement. Try to spin “Run With the Wolves” just once, I dare you. Or try to give short shrift to closer “Between the Worlds” and see how that works out for you.

It’s very easy to focus on Baum’s excellent vocals, but much credit must be given to the guitar work by Rob Richter and Henry Kaseberg. They ground their playing in Goth and trad metal and frequently dot the songs with sweet hooks and slick hooks. They bring a righteous old school charm and flair to every cut, parking the sound in the 80s while somehow making olden tricks sound like fresh dogs. It’s the songwriting that truly brings Fatale home, however. These cats know how to craft a killer tune and punch it directly into your memory centers where it promptly establishes permanent residence. This is a List Killer and it will get to you. You’ve been warned.

Tracks to Check Out: “In Tartarus,” “We Praise Death,” “Between the Worlds”

#2023 #Amorphis #Fatale #Ghost #GothicRock #HeavyMetal #IdleHands #InSolitude #MercyfulFate #TheNightEternal #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023 #ToDieFor #UntoOthers #VanRecords

The Night Eternal – Fatale [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Steel Druhm

Sometimes we get a promo and for whatever reason, it languishes in the sump unloved and unexplored, and later on we find out we missed a real gem and feel collective shame. Other times we just don’t get the promo at all. The latter was the issue with Fatale, the sophomore outing by German goth/heavy/occult metal act The Night Eternal. This was really a shame as it’s easily one of the best metal albums of the year and features an irresistible blend of Mercyful Fate, To Die For, Unto Others, and Ghost. Had we received it, I would have lavished a massive score upon it and spent the rest of the year singing its praises to any and all who would listen. This was not to be, but fortunately, I was able to discover it on my own and give it the attention the album deserves.

If pressed to give a fast and dirty description of what the listener is in for on Fatale, I’d point to the sadly defunct Swedish act In Solitude, as the sound and style here are very similar, and opener “In Tartarus” is a top-notch rocker that recalls them quite intensely. That “Mercyful Fate as Goth rock” sound is just so hooky and engaging, and Ricardo Baum’s vocals are perfect for the style, completely sucking you into the album’s dark mood as the music rocks your socks down to the graveyard. Baum sits at the crossroads of a youthful King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis, which is a helluva good place to be. And can the man ever sell a song? “Prince of Darkness” is a first-rate metal anthem that grabs you fast and refuses to let go, and “We Praise Death” is one of the best songs of the year. This one will leave track marks on your grey matter.

There are no weak moments to be found on Fatale and the album as a whole has a great flow and a collection of high-level tracks that will make you hit replay immediately. Just as I manage to escape the thrall of one cut, the next one becomes my new obsession. Getting away from this thing is like trying to extricate yourself from some eldritch tentacle monster that got into a Gorilla Glue factory, and to say this has been on steady rotation in the House ov Steel would be a ridiculous understatement. Try to spin “Run With the Wolves” just once, I dare you. Or try to give short shrift to closer “Between the Worlds” and see how that works out for you.

It’s very easy to focus on Baum’s excellent vocals, but much credit must be given to the guitar work by Rob Richter and Henry Kaseberg. They ground their playing in Goth and trad metal and frequently dot the songs with sweet hooks and slick hooks. They bring a righteous old school charm and flair to every cut, parking the sound in the 80s while somehow making olden tricks sound like fresh dogs. It’s the songwriting that truly brings Fatale home, however. These cats know how to craft a killer tune and punch it directly into your memory centers where it promptly establishes permanent residence. This is a List Killer and it will get to you. You’ve been warned.

Tracks to Check Out: “In Tartarus,” “We Praise Death,” “Between the Worlds”

#2023 #Amorphis #Fatale #Ghost #GothicRock #HeavyMetal #IdleHands #InSolitude #MercyfulFate #TheNightEternal #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023 #ToDieFor #UntoOthers #VanRecords

Auch so ne Band, die es ruhig hätte länger geben können… #InSolitude 🤘To Her Darkness #metal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Solitude?wprov=sfti1