#krallice — Public Fediverse posts

Being the manager of a large arcade, you’d correctly imagine that summer has been kicking my keister. Consequently, this review is late, and not in a “I had it written, and Steel took his sweet time getting its glory to the masses” way.1 This one is my fault altogether, such that I almost let it slip through the cracks and gave it the TYMHM treatment. And yet, I cannot. International outfit (by way of Sweden and Italy) Feralia have quietly come out with a release which has enticed and enthralled me, warts and all, til I felt spiritually obligated to make sure I spoke of its darkness in a semi-timely manner. Third album Ultima Requies has been released, and while ostensibly black metal, it draws from so many colors within its palette that it makes for a quality and engaging listen.

In a stunning, fist-shaking gesture of defiance to AMG HQ procedures appropriate for my country celebrating the 4th of July, I’m gonna knock the whining out of the way up front. Ultima Requies has a lot of clean vocals, and not all of them stick the landing. Opening track “Ballata Avernale” is the worst offender, where the vocals don’t so much transition as much as startle with an effort at a baritone reminiscent of modern Mayhem but with a much more jarring, disjointed presentation. They do get smoother as the album unfolds; “Defigere” in particular manages to hit a particularly mournful tone about halfway through which fits quite well. Nevertheless, they’re easily the part that takes the longest to warm up to, and Feralia needs to improve their ability to mesh this element in with their overall sound.

The good news is Feralia has such a masterful command of textures that you shouldn’t let this get in the way of your enjoyment. Ultima Requies utilizes an excessive breadth of extra instrumentation ranging from organs (“Ballata Avernale”) to synthy choirs to acoustic guitars to a full-blown Beard-bait-dudgeon-synth-adjacent interlude (“Emperio”), and not one of them feels forced or uncalled for. While there aren’t any riffs here that could be classified as life-changing, the band exercise a mastery of flow from requisite crushing power to melancholic, introspective calm without missing a step. Ultima Requies is an excellent example of an album with a journey, escorting the listener across brief dollops of straightforward Havukruunu charge, and occasional Fell Omen riffs by way of mid-era Immortal tones, assembled between and around calmer moments of introspective peace with the arrangement skill of Nechochwen. Listeners should not come in expecting hellfire and suffering, but also not a lovely waltz through the woods; here there be thunderstorms and toppled statues as much as peace and serenity.

This defiance of easy classification is the most enticing thing about Ultima Requies. It isn’t so overtly assaulting as to be called a blackened slab of violence; nor does it rely on its interludes and peaceful moments enough to properly be classified as atmospheric. It has some whiffs of dissonance, trying to channel the most Omega of Deathspells (“Ver Sacrum”), but these moments collapse into bass-led melody as quick as they appear. Said bass, courtesy of member Krhura is given a lot of spotlight, with the guitars sometimes turned down for him to take complete sonic command in the stylings of more modern Krallice. Occasional leads pop up in the spirit of less flashy Aran Angmar but always with a focus on raw atmosphere and emotion rather than the slaughter of one’s enemies. Despite this constant carousel of mood and tone, Feralia have offered up a cohesive, well-assembled work which refuses to be limited by its genre labels despite working well within its established ideas.

Ultima Requies is a confusing album in the best possible sense. Not content to merely make you headbang, but also not trying to drag you into depression; not so evil as to make you throw horns but hardly giving in to anything that could be considered light and joy, it is a kaleidoscope of sound under a black metal umbrella. Driving home at two in the morning, exhausted from ten hours of exposure to the cacophony of screaming children, it hits different. Feralia have offered a great encapsulation of power spent, of the peace after the storm, with enough sparks of remaining spirit and might to invigorate as much as soothe and relax. That’s a rare treat in the realm of black metal, and in this abominable heat and exhausting season, it’s worthy of your time.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: Lost to time | Format Reviewed: Bandcamp stream
Label: Aeternitas Tenebrarum Musicae Fundamentum
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

Being the manager of a large arcade, you’d correctly imagine that summer has been kicking my keister. Consequently, this review is late, and not in a “I had it written, and Steel took his sweet time getting its glory to the masses” way.1 This one is my fault altogether, such that I almost let it slip through the cracks and gave it the TYMHM treatment. And yet, I cannot. International outfit (by way of Sweden and Italy) Feralia have quietly come out with a release which has enticed and enthralled me, warts and all, til I felt spiritually obligated to make sure I spoke of its darkness in a semi-timely manner. Third album Ultima Requies has been released, and while ostensibly black metal, it draws from so many colors within its palette that it makes for a quality and engaging listen.

In a stunning, fist-shaking gesture of defiance to AMG HQ procedures appropriate for my country celebrating the 4th of July, I’m gonna knock the whining out of the way up front. Ultima Requies has a lot of clean vocals, and not all of them stick the landing. Opening track “Ballata Avernale” is the worst offender, where the vocals don’t so much transition as much as startle with an effort at a baritone reminiscent of modern Mayhem but with a much more jarring, disjointed presentation. They do get smoother as the album unfolds; “Defigere” in particular manages to hit a particularly mournful tone about halfway through which fits quite well. Nevertheless, they’re easily the part that takes the longest to warm up to, and Feralia needs to improve their ability to mesh this element in with their overall sound.

The good news is Feralia has such a masterful command of textures that you shouldn’t let this get in the way of your enjoyment. Ultima Requies utilizes an excessive breadth of extra instrumentation ranging from organs (“Ballata Avernale”) to synthy choirs to acoustic guitars to a full-blown Beard-bait-dudgeon-synth-adjacent interlude (“Emperio”), and not one of them feels forced or uncalled for. While there aren’t any riffs here that could be classified as life-changing, the band exercise a mastery of flow from requisite crushing power to melancholic, introspective calm without missing a step. Ultima Requies is an excellent example of an album with a journey, escorting the listener across brief dollops of straightforward Havukruunu charge, and occasional Fell Omen riffs by way of mid-era Immortal tones, assembled between and around calmer moments of introspective peace with the arrangement skill of Nechochwen. Listeners should not come in expecting hellfire and suffering, but also not a lovely waltz through the woods; here there be thunderstorms and toppled statues as much as peace and serenity.

This defiance of easy classification is the most enticing thing about Ultima Requies. It isn’t so overtly assaulting as to be called a blackened slab of violence; nor does it rely on its interludes and peaceful moments enough to properly be classified as atmospheric. It has some whiffs of dissonance, trying to channel the most Omega of Deathspells (“Ver Sacrum”), but these moments collapse into bass-led melody as quick as they appear. Said bass, courtesy of member Krhura is given a lot of spotlight, with the guitars sometimes turned down for him to take complete sonic command in the stylings of more modern Krallice. Occasional leads pop up in the spirit of less flashy Aran Angmar but always with a focus on raw atmosphere and emotion rather than the slaughter of one’s enemies. Despite this constant carousel of mood and tone, Feralia have offered up a cohesive, well-assembled work which refuses to be limited by its genre labels despite working well within its established ideas.

Ultima Requies is a confusing album in the best possible sense. Not content to merely make you headbang, but also not trying to drag you into depression; not so evil as to make you throw horns but hardly giving in to anything that could be considered light and joy, it is a kaleidoscope of sound under a black metal umbrella. Driving home at two in the morning, exhausted from ten hours of exposure to the cacophony of screaming children, it hits different. Feralia have offered a great encapsulation of power spent, of the peace after the storm, with enough sparks of remaining spirit and might to invigorate as much as soothe and relax. That’s a rare treat in the realm of black metal, and in this abominable heat and exhausting season, it’s worthy of your time.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: Lost to time | Format Reviewed: Bandcamp stream
Label: Aeternitas Tenebrarum Musicae Fundamentum
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

There’s a lot of weird shit floating around the metalsphere, and that includes Voidthrone’s newest addition, Dreaming Rat. The Seattle quartet has been kicking around for a decade, and in that time have released three prior platters of escalating lunacy. Without question, Dreaming Rat is Voidthrone’s most unhinged concoction to date, and a quick look at their Bandcamp credits gives prospective listeners a window into the alchemical ingredients they cook with, including Otamatone, conch shell, jaw harp, vibraslap, digeridoo, spoons, and a fretless bass. Throw in vocalist Zhenya Frolov’s deranged vocal stylings, and you’ve got yourself a bona fide manic expression of dissonant blackened death metal. With so many disparate components in Dreaming Rat’s stew, does Voidthrone soothe the savage beast or unleash a waking nightmare?

Listening to Dreaming Rat is a bit like experiencing an auditory fever dream, where disconnected fragments congeal into lurid, atonal anarchy. Voidthrone didn’t arrive at this sound overnight, though. Debut Spiritual War Tactics whipped and frothed with the restrained vitality of Krallice, and follow-up Kur added jazz-informed touches in the vein of Imperial Triumphant. Physical Degradation evolved Voidthrone’s sound, integrating more unconventional instrumentation and pushing the band’s songwriting past its comfort zone. On Dreaming Rat, Voidthrone takes the blueprint laid out on Physical Degradation and indiscriminately expands the range for strange. The result sees Frolov stretching his vocal performance into frenzied tirades, covering the gamut from Replicant’s vomitous barks to Sigh’s oddball deliveries. The instrumentation also gets exponentially wackier, as it conjures the rabid wrath of Pyrrhon along with the chaotic instincts of Afterbirth, resulting in an unpredictable romp to the end of the world.

At Dreaming Rat’s core, Voidthrone details the life and death of a solar system through bleak eras, segmenting the album into present, past, and future. The arcs are presented in that order, with each one comprised of three songs. The present describes the apex of a civilization, harnessing the promises forged upon the hopes and chaos of the past. Meanwhile, Voidthrone paints a grim outlook for the future, specifically calling out ‘an extinguished, lonely death of the physical, spiritual, and cognitive.’1 The lyrics throughout Dreaming Rat read like the demented ravings of a madman’s manifesto,2 and while I don’t think I could have divined the album’s overarching concept from them alone, reading them amplifies the bedlam Voidthrone has crafted on Dreaming Rat.

Writing music this lawless may seem haphazard, but over repeated listens, I’ve begun to glimpse the method to Dreaming Rat’s madness. Without question, everyone in Voidthrone earns their stripes. Ronald Foodsack’s guitars drench Dreaming Rat with warbling dissonance, perpetually in flux so that there’s never a riff or refrain to inhibit the music’s incessant lurch. Whether moving at frantic paces (“III-I. Surfing the Abyss”) or decelerating to a plodding crawl (“II-II. Morbid Seagull”), Ron’s six-stringed blitz never stalls. Additionally, Gavin Brooks contributes acoustic guitar and solos while manning the glorious fretless bass.3 Technical death metal has hogged the fretless bass for too long, and I’m glad Voidthrone has the stones to add it to disso metal’s tool chest. Tracks like “I-I. Bergen” and “II-I. Homeless Animal” showcase the character the instrument offers, bolstering the ever-shifting nature of Dreaming Rat. Drummer Josh Keifer grounds the band ably, locked into a supporting role that allows the other instruments to take center stage while he keeps things on the rails. Frolov’s feral vocals and the host of unconventional instruments further enrich Voidthrone’s distinctive identity, establishing what sounds like it could be the death throes of the universe.

What Voidthrone accomplishes with Dreaming Rat is fascinating and unique, and merits everyone’s attention. Sure, some songs could be trimmed to make such a scathing album a bit shorter and more palatable, and the three arcs could use some musical cues to distinguish songs thematically from one another, but Dreaming Rat is a crowning achievement for the band. Voidthrone’s psychedelic psychosis makes bold promises on paper and completely delivers in fact, and when I’m in the mood to get really weird with it, this will be the album I reach for.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 8th, 2026

There’s a lot of weird shit floating around the metalsphere, and that includes Voidthrone’s newest addition, Dreaming Rat. The Seattle quartet has been kicking around for a decade, and in that time have released three prior platters of escalating lunacy. Without question, Dreaming Rat is Voidthrone’s most unhinged concoction to date, and a quick look at their Bandcamp credits gives prospective listeners a window into the alchemical ingredients they cook with, including Otamatone, conch shell, jaw harp, vibraslap, digeridoo, spoons, and a fretless bass. Throw in vocalist Zhenya Frolov’s deranged vocal stylings, and you’ve got yourself a bona fide manic expression of dissonant blackened death metal. With so many disparate components in Dreaming Rat’s stew, does Voidthrone soothe the savage beast or unleash a waking nightmare?

Listening to Dreaming Rat is a bit like experiencing an auditory fever dream, where disconnected fragments congeal into lurid, atonal anarchy. Voidthrone didn’t arrive at this sound overnight, though. Debut Spiritual War Tactics whipped and frothed with the restrained vitality of Krallice, and follow-up Kur added jazz-informed touches in the vein of Imperial Triumphant. Physical Degradation evolved Voidthrone’s sound, integrating more unconventional instrumentation and pushing the band’s songwriting past its comfort zone. On Dreaming Rat, Voidthrone takes the blueprint laid out on Physical Degradation and indiscriminately expands the range for strange. The result sees Frolov stretching his vocal performance into frenzied tirades, covering the gamut from Replicant’s vomitous barks to Sigh’s oddball deliveries. The instrumentation also gets exponentially wackier, as it conjures the rabid wrath of Pyrrhon along with the chaotic instincts of Afterbirth, resulting in an unpredictable romp to the end of the world.

At Dreaming Rat’s core, Voidthrone details the life and death of a solar system through bleak eras, segmenting the album into present, past, and future. The arcs are presented in that order, with each one comprised of three songs. The present describes the apex of a civilization, harnessing the promises forged upon the hopes and chaos of the past. Meanwhile, Voidthrone paints a grim outlook for the future, specifically calling out ‘an extinguished, lonely death of the physical, spiritual, and cognitive.’1 The lyrics throughout Dreaming Rat read like the demented ravings of a madman’s manifesto,2 and while I don’t think I could have divined the album’s overarching concept from them alone, reading them amplifies the bedlam Voidthrone has crafted on Dreaming Rat.

Writing music this lawless may seem haphazard, but over repeated listens, I’ve begun to glimpse the method to Dreaming Rat’s madness. Without question, everyone in Voidthrone earns their stripes. Ronald Foodsack’s guitars drench Dreaming Rat with warbling dissonance, perpetually in flux so that there’s never a riff or refrain to inhibit the music’s incessant lurch. Whether moving at frantic paces (“III-I. Surfing the Abyss”) or decelerating to a plodding crawl (“II-II. Morbid Seagull”), Ron’s six-stringed blitz never stalls. Additionally, Gavin Brooks contributes acoustic guitar and solos while manning the glorious fretless bass.3 Technical death metal has hogged the fretless bass for too long, and I’m glad Voidthrone has the stones to add it to disso metal’s tool chest. Tracks like “I-I. Bergen” and “II-I. Homeless Animal” showcase the character the instrument offers, bolstering the ever-shifting nature of Dreaming Rat. Drummer Josh Keifer grounds the band ably, locked into a supporting role that allows the other instruments to take center stage while he keeps things on the rails. Frolov’s feral vocals and the host of unconventional instruments further enrich Voidthrone’s distinctive identity, establishing what sounds like it could be the death throes of the universe.

What Voidthrone accomplishes with Dreaming Rat is fascinating and unique, and merits everyone’s attention. Sure, some songs could be trimmed to make such a scathing album a bit shorter and more palatable, and the three arcs could use some musical cues to distinguish songs thematically from one another, but Dreaming Rat is a crowning achievement for the band. Voidthrone’s psychedelic psychosis makes bold promises on paper and completely delivers in fact, and when I’m in the mood to get really weird with it, this will be the album I reach for.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 8th, 2026

Yellow Eyes – Confusion Gate [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Samguineous Maximus

Romantic sublimity. It’s the idea that something in nature or art can be both wondrous and terrifying. Few bands capture this feeling as vividly as Yellow Eyes. Led by the Skarstad brothers, the New York band has explored this duality across their catalog—from the more straightforward black metal of Silence Threads the Evening’s Cloth (2012) and Sick With Bloom (2015), to the atmospheric and dissonant soundscapes of Immersion Trench Reverie (2017) and Rare Field Ceiling (2019), and even the dungeon synth/dark ambient territory of Master’s Murmur (2023). Throughout these records, their alien guitar work, uncanny melodic sense, ability to craft music that is both beautiful and oppressive, and obsessive attention to aesthetic detail have made Yellow Eyes one of the most exciting contemporary black metal acts. Now, 6 years removed from their last “proper” black metal record, Yellow Eyes have returned with Confusion Gate, a surprise release and one of the last albums on the legendary underground label Gilead Media. They’ve also casually released one of the best black metal albums of the decade.

The best way to describe Confusion Gate is that Yellow Eyes have returned to a more traditional atmospheric black metal sound, but have taken with them all of the lessons from the albums they’ve produced since. Compositions are expansive and built on the standard black metal foundation (blast beats, tremelos, kvlt shrieking) but are imbued with a stunning sense of hypnotic melody from synths, nature sound effects, and layers of luminous guitars. The classic Krallice-like Skarstad guitar work, which defies all conventional logic, appears plenty here, but it’s nested in a sea of gorgeous harmonies. Songs introduce motifs, develop them, and return to them in a way that resembles classical composition, creating a cohesive and deeply textured sonic journey. Confusion Gate captures the Thoreau-tinged naturalism from Cascadian black metal legends Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room, runs them through the kaleidoscopic filter of Trhä, and finishes them with the distinctive melodic dissonance of Yellow Eyes. The result is an immaculate realization of the band’s sound that feels at once familiar and utterly novel.

In many ways, Confusion Gate feels like the full realization of the potential hinted at by Master’s Murmur. Several standout tracks (“Brush the Frozen Horse,” “Suspension Moon,” “I Fear the Master’s Murmur”) interpolate haunting melodies from their 2023 dungeon synth album gorgeously, elevating them to sublime heights at the center of these dynamic and powerful compositions. Combined with a series of subdued interludes, the record takes on the shape of a complete, carefully sculpted work. Across full listens, I find myself lulled into a dark, reflective haze by the album’s more brooding passages (“The Scent of Black Mud,” “A Forgotten Corridor”), only to be jolted awake by moments of startling beauty. For an hour-plus black metal album, there are no pacing issues, just a masterful display of contrast and tension that culminates in the breathtaking, blissful climax of the title track. All of this is rendered with a warm, crunchy analog texture, the result of a fully self-recorded and self-produced effort that defiantly rejects the oppressive polish of so many modern releases. Every synth line, kick drum hit, and ethereal guitar figure feels alive and organic in a way few contemporary records do.

It’s hard for me to adequately convey my thoughts on Confusion Gate because Yellow Eyes has produced a record that transcends the traditional logic that we analyze music with. When I’m listening to this album, I just experience a raw outpouring of feeling and emotion beyond what most art has the ability to convey. It’s a stunning achievement that stands as a testament to the sheer pathos music can conjure and it’s one of the best black metal records of the decade.

Songs To Check Out: “Brush the Frozen Horse,” “The Thought of Death,” “I Fear the Master’s Murmur,” “Confusion Gate”

#2025 #Agalloch #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #ConfusionGate #GileadMedia #Krallice #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #Trhä #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #YellowEyes

Yellow Eyes – Confusion Gate [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]

By Samguineous Maximus

Romantic sublimity. It’s the idea that something in nature or art can be both wondrous and terrifying. Few bands capture this feeling as vividly as Yellow Eyes. Led by the Skarstad brothers, the New York band has explored this duality across their catalog—from the more straightforward black metal of Silence Threads the Evening’s Cloth (2012) and Sick With Bloom (2015), to the atmospheric and dissonant soundscapes of Immersion Trench Reverie (2017) and Rare Field Ceiling (2019), and even the dungeon synth/dark ambient territory of Master’s Murmur (2023). Throughout these records, their alien guitar work, uncanny melodic sense, ability to craft music that is both beautiful and oppressive, and obsessive attention to aesthetic detail have made Yellow Eyes one of the most exciting contemporary black metal acts. Now, 6 years removed from their last “proper” black metal record, Yellow Eyes have returned with Confusion Gate, a surprise release and one of the last albums on the legendary underground label Gilead Media. They’ve also casually released one of the best black metal albums of the decade.

The best way to describe Confusion Gate is that Yellow Eyes have returned to a more traditional atmospheric black metal sound, but have taken with them all of the lessons from the albums they’ve produced since. Compositions are expansive and built on the standard black metal foundation (blast beats, tremelos, kvlt shrieking) but are imbued with a stunning sense of hypnotic melody from synths, nature sound effects, and layers of luminous guitars. The classic Krallice-like Skarstad guitar work, which defies all conventional logic, appears plenty here, but it’s nested in a sea of gorgeous harmonies. Songs introduce motifs, develop them, and return to them in a way that resembles classical composition, creating a cohesive and deeply textured sonic journey. Confusion Gate captures the Thoreau-tinged naturalism from Cascadian black metal legends Agalloch and Wolves In The Throne Room, runs them through the kaleidoscopic filter of Trhä, and finishes them with the distinctive melodic dissonance of Yellow Eyes. The result is an immaculate realization of the band’s sound that feels at once familiar and utterly novel.

In many ways, Confusion Gate feels like the full realization of the potential hinted at by Master’s Murmur. Several standout tracks (“Brush the Frozen Horse,” “Suspension Moon,” “I Fear the Master’s Murmur”) interpolate haunting melodies from their 2023 dungeon synth album gorgeously, elevating them to sublime heights at the center of these dynamic and powerful compositions. Combined with a series of subdued interludes, the record takes on the shape of a complete, carefully sculpted work. Across full listens, I find myself lulled into a dark, reflective haze by the album’s more brooding passages (“The Scent of Black Mud,” “A Forgotten Corridor”), only to be jolted awake by moments of startling beauty. For an hour-plus black metal album, there are no pacing issues, just a masterful display of contrast and tension that culminates in the breathtaking, blissful climax of the title track. All of this is rendered with a warm, crunchy analog texture, the result of a fully self-recorded and self-produced effort that defiantly rejects the oppressive polish of so many modern releases. Every synth line, kick drum hit, and ethereal guitar figure feels alive and organic in a way few contemporary records do.

It’s hard for me to adequately convey my thoughts on Confusion Gate because Yellow Eyes has produced a record that transcends the traditional logic that we analyze music with. When I’m listening to this album, I just experience a raw outpouring of feeling and emotion beyond what most art has the ability to convey. It’s a stunning achievement that stands as a testament to the sheer pathos music can conjure and it’s one of the best black metal records of the decade.

Songs To Check Out: “Brush the Frozen Horse,” “The Thought of Death,” “I Fear the Master’s Murmur,” “Confusion Gate”

#2025 #Agalloch #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #ConfusionGate #GileadMedia #Krallice #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #Trhä #WolvesInTheThroneRoom #YellowEyes

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Exterior Palnet – Haragma II

By Dolphin Whisperer

“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.”

Another year, another chance for the Rodeö to lasso a lurking but worthy buck. We do dirty business here at Angry Metal Guy and Sons, LLC, sifting promo after promo to catch a whiff of glory. But we do it all for the love of music, a love of exploration, and a love of dealing in the currency of informed and accurate opinions. Just ask the wise and appreciative minds of the powerful minds at Rolling Stone—they agree 12 we’re putting in the time!

But enough about us. You want to hear about Exterior Palnet, right? Don’t worry, they know that the word planet exists. These Croatian oddballs prefer to use a related and wholly untraceable word instead. And in that essence, Haragma II, their sophomore release, follows a musical path of likely patchwork influence and cross-genre reverence. Trv to black metal roots, a frosty trem and low-clack blast persists. Yet in tempo-fluid runs, Exterior Palnet finds a progressive, thrashy, and unpredictable attitude that sets their attack galaxies away from their frosty Norwegian forebears. So buckle up and prepare for extreme forces as you wrestle with the words our Cow Folk have for you today. And, if I’ve timed this right, this is the named debut of ascended n00b Owlswald (formerly 87).3 He’s a hoot. – Dolphin Whisperer

Exterior Palnet // Haragma II [January 24th, 2025]

El Cruevo: Exterior Palnet caused a ruckus in the AMG.com break room. “early Dødheimsgard plus [redacted shit-head black metal]4 wrapped in a [redacted shit-head thrash metal] package!” cried one individual. “[The band] is firing on all cylinders!” another gushed. When I was done cleaning their excrement off the ceilings, I learned that neither was wrong; Haragma II offers an avant-garde take on black metal executed with pummeling leads that sometimes wander into thrashy territory. But neither description clarified the reality that Exterior Palnet evoke the sadly-inactive A Forest of Stars; bolstered with additional pace and power, but weakened by a lack of dynamism and curiosity. Although the music has the sinister, inescapable feel of a spider’s web, it’s simply not very memorable or enjoyable. There are solid riffs, sure. And a warped, beastly attitude. Ordinarily these might fuse into something compelling. But I find myself drifting in and out while listening to Haragma II. For a record playing with such dissonance, heaviness and speed, the fact that it barely holds my attention rings the death knell. Now that my time with it is over, I have no interest whatsoever in returning. 2.0/5.0

Dolphin Whipserer: Yes, it will take more than one listen of Haragma II to settle into its particular brand of dreamy chaos. In a reckless manner, Exterior Palnet scatters crumbs of its mission about with twangy, swaggering groove that belies an incessant rhythmic trickery. Playing its hand first with the blasting and beguiling “Haragma” and “Zaphnath-Paaneah” feels like a sleight in the wake of the grandiose and wailing “Behind the Veil.” But understanding how it’s sudden hi-hat shuffle and endless bending mania can feel both natural and striking is key to unlocking the HII universe. Much like the early blackened scrawl of an early DHG—also informed by the progressive, narrative drama of the classic A Umbra Omega—a tangible mysticism lurks around every barked and battered word that escapes through Tomislav Hrastovec’s mic. Whether it’s the Hebrew prayer recital that closes “Beyond the Veil,” the surrealistic depiction of seasonless erosion of “Exoskeleton,” the elemental chant that guides the conclusion of “Haragma,” a shroud of existential disaster carves HII’s every edge—I’d suggest reading along with its words, which are all fully available on the Bandcamp page.5 The world we live in is bizarre, and Exterior Palnet does their very best to make sense of its senselessness through long dissonant resolves, whiplash pneumatic propulsions, and scraggly Voivodian bass drives. And yet, as “Heracleidae” stumbles to the total journey’s conclusion, a heroic melody casts a light of hope. Anecdotal, densely packed, and passing like the flash of a forgotten moment, Haragma II wears a brand of drama that drills shrill melody against swerving tempos in hopes to find a straight line. For some of us, the search is the answer. 3.5/5.0

Icebreg: Exterior Palnet are a tough nut to crack. Their music is dense and mechanical, rarely giving the listener an aural handhold. At first blush Haragma II presents as an unyielding barrage of dissonance layered on top of polyrhythm, sporting stream-of-consciousness style cavernous vocals. Amidst the scaling, wailing guitars and humming synths rages the beating heart of Exterior Palnet; a drummer6 who’s clearly read the mathcore brief. The undisputed star of this show, stuttering hi-hat rhythms and bursts of tom patterns reminiscent of Thomas Pridgen-era The Mars Volta live alongside monolithic blastbeats and wall-of-sound cymbal crashes. But exemplary performances don’t always translate into approachability, and Haragma II will rebuff all but the most determined musical excavators. Like staring into a Magic Eye puzzle, cycling chord structures and melodies appear in “Haragma” and “Exoskeletons,” but only after patient, focused listens. And while eleven-minute epic “Behind The Veil” revels in its noisy climax and grindy bookend riffs, it weights down the middle of an album that already suffers from potential fatigue issues. A break in the chaos appears in the twilight minutes of “Heracleidae,” and while my ears are thankful for the change in texture, the band’s performance doesn’t seem as tight as the rest of the album, making the section seem more mistake than intention. Exterior Palnet unflinchingly adhere to their style of blackened mathcore,7 and execute it well, but the lack of sonic relief here makes it a tough listen for this reviewer. 2.5/5.0

Alekihnes Gun: The “No Regerts” style named Exterior Palnet have descended from space. One look at the cover is an excellent setup for expectations; with its Voivod by way of Refrigerator Art décor, it’s clear something herky and jerky is on the horizon. Exterior Palnet manage to slide between an assembly of treble heavy riffs and melodies which inevitably walk back into more straightforward pummeling. Album centerpiece “Behind the Veil” is the real test for listener appreciation, clocking in at a whopping eleven minutes and managing to make each minute count with an assembly of moments ranging from mood setting sustained plucking scales to proper tremelos over blast beats. Haragma II doesn’t want for a glut of such moments, though the entirety of the album sounds more like a collection via stream of consciousness more than a series of cohesive songs. This is partially the fault of the mix, where the drums are produced so heavily as to drown out some of the clarity of the riffs on display, and the bass is reduced to an atonal rumble rather than function as support for the chord progressions. There’s a really fun atmosphere on display here and whiffs of excellence to be found across the album, if they can tighten the screws on the song writing a bit and get a mix to serve the overall presentation. 2.5/5

Thyme: Exterior Palnet‘s sophomore album, Haragma II, was slightly off-putting on the first listen, but it’s grown on me like some feral space rash. Riffs pinball in every direction, ranging from chaotically dissonant (“Haragma”) to pensively inquisitive (“Zaphnath-Paaneah”) as if tip-toeing through blackened tulips and sparking like schizophrenic flashbangs, recalling the experimental instrumentality of acts like Krallice, DsO, and early Dødheimsgard. It wasn’t until the twangy swing of “Behind the Veil” kicked in, however, that Exterior Palnet‘s claws really dug in. An eleven-minute odyssey and the album highlight, “Behind the Veil,” displays all the tricks in Exterior Palnet‘s bag. Bruno Čavara’s guitars crash and splash against each other in sprays of dissonant mist as he expertly ushers us across tremolodic waters and rifferous wastelands. With emotionally restless desperation, Tomislav Hrastovec’s tortured shouts and screams pair perfectly with Čavara’s intricate guitars and session bassist Vedran Rao Brlečić’s punchy low-end work. While no drummer was credited, programmed or not,8 the drums sound lush and vibrant, keeping the serpentine instrumentation in check, which is no small feat. My biggest gripe with Haragma II lies in the mix, which I find too loud. I know this is black metal, but there are so many interesting things happening here that I think the mix robs the listener, especially the casual ones, of experiencing the material’s full complexity. Ultimately, Exterior Palnet has released an album worthy of your time, and I hope you check it out. 3.0/5.0

Owlswald: My relationship with black metal is complicated. No longer drawn to the forthright tremolo and low-fi discords of old, I now find the genre’s more avant-garde forms satiating. This leads me to believe Croatia’s Exterior Palnet should be right up my alley, as they deliver a chaotic yet grounded sound that both captivates and overwhelms me in equal measure. Haragma II’s strength lies in its ability to generate a palpable sense of unease and restlessness through swarms of dissonant guitars, anguished cries and shifting tempos. Whether conjuring Deathspell Omega anxiety and agitation through its swirling and undulating soundscape (“Heracleidae”) or transmuting its frenetic energy via taut blasts and fills (“Exoskeletons,” “Zaphnath-Paaneah”), Haragama II is all about keeping the listener off-kilter. Despite its often exhausting intensity, Exterior Palnet offers brief but welcome respites, including the Doldrum-esque groovy syncopations within “Haragma” or the unexpected shoegaze-tinged textures ending “Behind the Veil.” Still, Haragma II’s songwriting would benefit from greater balance, as it currently prioritizes pandemonium through a loud, upfront mix. Exterior Palnet reach their peak when atmosphere, groove and prevailing intensity are in equilibrium. Haragma II proves there is still room for growth. Good.

#2025 #AForestOfStars #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo2025 #BlackMetal #CroatianMetal #Dödheimsgard #Doldrum #ExteriorPalnet #HaragmaII #IndependentRelease #Jan25 #Krallice #ProgressiveBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #TheMarsVolta #Voivod

Virtuosity.
#krallice #postblackmetal #avantgarde #postdeathmetal #electronicmusic

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The Weekly Injection: New Releases From WORMED, KRALLICE & More Out Today 7/5
Plus releases from Octoploid, Piah Mater, Sumac, and Visions Of Atlantis!

https://metalinjection.net/upcoming-releases/heavy-new-releases/the-weekly-injection-new-releases-from-wormed-krallice-more-out-today-7-5

#Krallice #Octoploid #PiahMater #Sumac #VisionsOfAtlantis #Wormed #MoorMother #RavenChacon #DanielCordova

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The Weekly Injection: New Releases From WORMED, KRALLICE & More Out Today 7/5
Plus releases from Octoploid, Piah Mater, Sumac, and Visions Of Atlantis!

https://metalinjection.net/upcoming-releases/heavy-new-releases/the-weekly-injection-new-releases-from-wormed-krallice-more-out-today-7-5

#Krallice #Octoploid #PiahMater #Sumac #VisionsOfAtlantis #Wormed #MoorMother #RavenChacon #DanielCordova

Hell yeah, Krallice, always consistently good.

#krallice #blackmetal #nowplaying

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COLIN MARSTON's (KRALLICE, GORGUTS, Etc.) Menegroth Studio Closing, Benefit T-Shirt Launched To Help Fund Moving Costs
The building that housed Menegroth got sold.

https://metalinjection.net/metal-merch/colin-marstons-krallice-gorguts-etc-menegroth-studio-closing-benefit-t-shirt-launched-to-help-fund-moving-costs

#ColinMarston #MenegrothStudio #MetalMerch #ImperialTriumphant #Gorguts #Krallice #Agalloch #Atheist #NYCMetalUnderground #MetalNews

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
COLIN MARSTON's (KRALLICE, GORGUTS, Etc.) Menegroth Studio Closing, Benefit T-Shirt Launched To Help Fund Moving Costs
The building that housed Menegroth got sold.

https://metalinjection.net/metal-merch/colin-marstons-krallice-gorguts-etc-menegroth-studio-closing-benefit-t-shirt-launched-to-help-fund-moving-costs

#ColinMarston #MenegrothStudio #MetalMerch #ImperialTriumphant #Gorguts #Krallice #Agalloch #Atheist #NYCMetalUnderground #MetalNews

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#MetalSucks
10 Bands That Prove Brooklyn Has a Flourishing Metal Scene
Just a single New York City borough is bustling with awesome metal acts.

https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/08/30/10-bands-that-prove-brooklyn-has-a-flourishing-metal-scene/

#BrooklynMetalScene #BayHarborKings #LuminousVault #ADiskOfCircle #Krallice #UnfitEarth #ElderGrave #SheerMag #MountainGod #SadGallic #Vahai

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#MetalSucks
10 Bands That Prove Brooklyn Has a Flourishing Metal Scene
Just a single New York City borough is bustling with awesome metal acts.

https://www.metalsucks.net/2023/08/30/10-bands-that-prove-brooklyn-has-a-flourishing-metal-scene/

#BrooklynMetalScene #BayHarborKings #LuminousVault #ADiskOfCircle #Krallice #UnfitEarth #ElderGrave #SheerMag #MountainGod #SadGallic #Vahai

#UkrainianMetal 6. #AtraMorsKvlt from #Lviv. A little known band, but it's a quite nice mixture of more #gritty #BlackMetal #mayhem and echoes of something #Krallice-ish that they offer. https://atramorskvlt.bandcamp.com/album/the-lance-of-adversity-and-death (I'll also mention here, but not separately post about, 2 other bands: #AnthroHalaust (#Kharkiv) and #Apatia (#Kropyvnytskyi).)