#true-cult-records — Public Fediverse posts

UK antifascist blackened death/thrash trio Tyrannus caught my attention with the be-castled cover art for their upcoming sophomore record, Mournhold. Having never listened to them prior, I gravitated towards the promise of yet another robust hybrid of styles and sounds. With bands like Antiverse and Skeletonwitch to call on as points of comparison, Tyrannus all but guarantee my appreciation. This is the kind of genre-blending that I crave on an hourly basis. Does Mournhold have the goods to satisfy my voracious needs?

Lead single “Reignfall” demonstrates that Tyrannus aren’t fucking around, boasting an adrenaline-fueled cataclysm of riffs, shreds, pummels, and roars. It is an ideal case study for what Mournhold captures, ensaring the icy raze of black, the fiery vitriol of thrash, and the swaggering aggression of death in one fell swoop. Separated from those superficial attributes, it embodies the Platonic ideal of a great metal track. And so, Tyrannus publish their infernal formula, and Mournhold’s multifaceted application of that formula brews excitement and fun at every turn. Tightly packed into 40 minutes, seven tracks tear through a blunderbuss of cool ideas, hooky motifs, and fun deviations from the expected.

Most surprising of these diversions is center cut “Flesh Eternal,” which recalls the gothic swing of Tribulation if they took the ashen path to black/thrash. A really cool song on its own, “Flesh Eternal” more importantly cements Tyrannus as versatile songwriters and shrewd album composers. It resolves the aggressive black metal scorch of the first three songs—the best of which (“Orbus Non Suffict,” “Seizing Stars”) fulfill the gap left by Skeletonwitch after Serpents Unleashed. At the same time, it sets up the second act, beautifully bisecting Mournhold’s story with something a little more rock-oriented as a palette cleanser. That brief reprieve allows me to properly prepare myself for “Reignfall.” A barnburner of devilish nature, “Reignfall” Hellrips my face clean off with speed-metal riffs, righteous dive-bomb solos, and downright ignorant grooves charred by black metal rasps. A second twist that I hoped for but dared not expect, Mournhold’s back half transitions to altogether darker and moodier spaces than the front. “Slower” and longer form compositions (“Mournhold,” “Back to Grey”) reside in those spaces, creating an expanded stage for Tyrannus’ final ideas to land and settle.

This arrangement allows listeners to bask in more instrumental noodling and melodic storytelling as Mournhold comes to a close, but the risk of drag creeps in. “Mournhold” is certainly thrashy and aggressive enough in its second half to offset that inertia, but at six-and-a-half minutes, it rubs against bloat with a cocky smirk. Closer “Back to Grey” toys that line even more salaciously, teasing attention spans to their limit at nearly eight minutes. Luckily, its classic heavy metal gallop and olde-timey meloblack charm make it hard to hate. Like many tight runtimes, though, 40 minutes suffers more noticeably when any one song overstays its welcome; Mournhold’s final couplet gently cross that threshold. Cutting a minute from each—perhaps fewer repetitions of a riff here, and trimming an intro or bridge there—would make them stronger and thus improve the whole in kind.

Mournhold doesn’t need much improving, though, to be an unqualified success. It’s a rip-roaring fun time, with a youthful personality as exuberant as it is infectious. Tyrannus improved in every aspect on the promise of their debut, refining their voice into something highly recognizable and alluring. If this is just the beginning for Tyrannus, I tremble to think of what they might accomplish on future records. That’s a later Ken problem. For now, I’m content and gunning to storm castles and slay eldritch monsters for an eternity with Mournhold. Join me!

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 15th, 2026

UK antifascist blackened death/thrash trio Tyrannus caught my attention with the be-castled cover art for their upcoming sophomore record, Mournhold. Having never listened to them prior, I gravitated towards the promise of yet another robust hybrid of styles and sounds. With bands like Antiverse and Skeletonwitch to call on as points of comparison, Tyrannus all but guarantee my appreciation. This is the kind of genre-blending that I crave on an hourly basis. Does Mournhold have the goods to satisfy my voracious needs?

Lead single “Reignfall” demonstrates that Tyrannus aren’t fucking around, boasting an adrenaline-fueled cataclysm of riffs, shreds, pummels, and roars. It is an ideal case study for what Mournhold captures, ensaring the icy raze of black, the fiery vitriol of thrash, and the swaggering aggression of death in one fell swoop. Separated from those superficial attributes, it embodies the Platonic ideal of a great metal track. And so, Tyrannus publish their infernal formula, and Mournhold’s multifaceted application of that formula brews excitement and fun at every turn. Tightly packed into 40 minutes, seven tracks tear through a blunderbuss of cool ideas, hooky motifs, and fun deviations from the expected.

Most surprising of these diversions is center cut “Flesh Eternal,” which recalls the gothic swing of Tribulation if they took the ashen path to black/thrash. A really cool song on its own, “Flesh Eternal” more importantly cements Tyrannus as versatile songwriters and shrewd album composers. It resolves the aggressive black metal scorch of the first three songs—the best of which (“Orbus Non Suffict,” “Seizing Stars”) fulfill the gap left by Skeletonwitch after Serpents Unleashed. At the same time, it sets up the second act, beautifully bisecting Mournhold’s story with something a little more rock-oriented as a palette cleanser. That brief reprieve allows me to properly prepare myself for “Reignfall.” A barnburner of devilish nature, “Reignfall” Hellrips my face clean off with speed-metal riffs, righteous dive-bomb solos, and downright ignorant grooves charred by black metal rasps. A second twist that I hoped for but dared not expect, Mournhold’s back half transitions to altogether darker and moodier spaces than the front. “Slower” and longer form compositions (“Mournhold,” “Back to Grey”) reside in those spaces, creating an expanded stage for Tyrannus’ final ideas to land and settle.

This arrangement allows listeners to bask in more instrumental noodling and melodic storytelling as Mournhold comes to a close, but the risk of drag creeps in. “Mournhold” is certainly thrashy and aggressive enough in its second half to offset that inertia, but at six-and-a-half minutes, it rubs against bloat with a cocky smirk. Closer “Back to Grey” toys that line even more salaciously, teasing attention spans to their limit at nearly eight minutes. Luckily, its classic heavy metal gallop and olde-timey meloblack charm make it hard to hate. Like many tight runtimes, though, 40 minutes suffers more noticeably when any one song overstays its welcome; Mournhold’s final couplet gently cross that threshold. Cutting a minute from each—perhaps fewer repetitions of a riff here, and trimming an intro or bridge there—would make them stronger and thus improve the whole in kind.

Mournhold doesn’t need much improving, though, to be an unqualified success. It’s a rip-roaring fun time, with a youthful personality as exuberant as it is infectious. Tyrannus improved in every aspect on the promise of their debut, refining their voice into something highly recognizable and alluring. If this is just the beginning for Tyrannus, I tremble to think of what they might accomplish on future records. That’s a later Ken problem. For now, I’m content and gunning to storm castles and slay eldritch monsters for an eternity with Mournhold. Join me!

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 15th, 2026

UK antifascist blackened death/thrash trio Tyrannus caught my attention with the be-castled cover art for their upcoming sophomore record, Mournhold. Having never listened to them prior, I gravitated towards the promise of yet another robust hybrid of styles and sounds. With bands like Antiverse and Skeletonwitch to call on as points of comparison, Tyrannus all but guarantee my appreciation. This is the kind of genre-blending that I crave on an hourly basis. Does Mournhold have the goods to satisfy my voracious needs?

Lead single “Reignfall” demonstrates that Tyrannus aren’t fucking around, boasting an adrenaline-fueled cataclysm of riffs, shreds, pummels, and roars. It is an ideal case study for what Mournhold captures, ensaring the icy raze of black, the fiery vitriol of thrash, and the swaggering aggression of death in one fell swoop. Separated from those superficial attributes, it embodies the Platonic ideal of a great metal track. And so, Tyrannus publish their infernal formula, and Mournhold’s multifaceted application of that formula brews excitement and fun at every turn. Tightly packed into 40 minutes, seven tracks tear through a blunderbuss of cool ideas, hooky motifs, and fun deviations from the expected.

Most surprising of these diversions is center cut “Flesh Eternal,” which recalls the gothic swing of Tribulation if they took the ashen path to black/thrash. A really cool song on its own, “Flesh Eternal” more importantly cements Tyrannus as versatile songwriters and shrewd album composers. It resolves the aggressive black metal scorch of the first three songs—the best of which (“Orbus Non Suffict,” “Seizing Stars”) fulfill the gap left by Skeletonwitch after Serpents Unleashed. At the same time, it sets up the second act, beautifully bisecting Mournhold’s story with something a little more rock-oriented as a palette cleanser. That brief reprieve allows me to properly prepare myself for “Reignfall.” A barnburner of devilish nature, “Reignfall” Hellrips my face clean off with speed-metal riffs, righteous dive-bomb solos, and downright ignorant grooves charred by black metal rasps. A second twist that I hoped for but dared not expect, Mournhold’s back half transitions to altogether darker and moodier spaces than the front. “Slower” and longer form compositions (“Mournhold,” “Back to Grey”) reside in those spaces, creating an expanded stage for Tyrannus’ final ideas to land and settle.

This arrangement allows listeners to bask in more instrumental noodling and melodic storytelling as Mournhold comes to a close, but the risk of drag creeps in. “Mournhold” is certainly thrashy and aggressive enough in its second half to offset that inertia, but at six-and-a-half minutes, it rubs against bloat with a cocky smirk. Closer “Back to Grey” toys that line even more salaciously, teasing attention spans to their limit at nearly eight minutes. Luckily, its classic heavy metal gallop and olde-timey meloblack charm make it hard to hate. Like many tight runtimes, though, 40 minutes suffers more noticeably when any one song overstays its welcome; Mournhold’s final couplet gently cross that threshold. Cutting a minute from each—perhaps fewer repetitions of a riff here, and trimming an intro or bridge there—would make them stronger and thus improve the whole in kind.

Mournhold doesn’t need much improving, though, to be an unqualified success. It’s a rip-roaring fun time, with a youthful personality as exuberant as it is infectious. Tyrannus improved in every aspect on the promise of their debut, refining their voice into something highly recognizable and alluring. If this is just the beginning for Tyrannus, I tremble to think of what they might accomplish on future records. That’s a later Ken problem. For now, I’m content and gunning to storm castles and slay eldritch monsters for an eternity with Mournhold. Join me!

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 15th, 2026

UK antifascist blackened death/thrash trio Tyrannus caught my attention with the be-castled cover art for their upcoming sophomore record, Mournhold. Having never listened to them prior, I gravitated towards the promise of yet another robust hybrid of styles and sounds. With bands like Antiverse and Skeletonwitch to call on as points of comparison, Tyrannus all but guarantee my appreciation. This is the kind of genre-blending that I crave on an hourly basis. Does Mournhold have the goods to satisfy my voracious needs?

Lead single “Reignfall” demonstrates that Tyrannus aren’t fucking around, boasting an adrenaline-fueled cataclysm of riffs, shreds, pummels, and roars. It is an ideal case study for what Mournhold captures, ensaring the icy raze of black, the fiery vitriol of thrash, and the swaggering aggression of death in one fell swoop. Separated from those superficial attributes, it embodies the Platonic ideal of a great metal track. And so, Tyrannus publish their infernal formula, and Mournhold’s multifaceted application of that formula brews excitement and fun at every turn. Tightly packed into 40 minutes, seven tracks tear through a blunderbuss of cool ideas, hooky motifs, and fun deviations from the expected.

Most surprising of these diversions is center cut “Flesh Eternal,” which recalls the gothic swing of Tribulation if they took the ashen path to black/thrash. A really cool song on its own, “Flesh Eternal” more importantly cements Tyrannus as versatile songwriters and shrewd album composers. It resolves the aggressive black metal scorch of the first three songs—the best of which (“Orbus Non Suffict,” “Seizing Stars”) fulfill the gap left by Skeletonwitch after Serpents Unleashed. At the same time, it sets up the second act, beautifully bisecting Mournhold’s story with something a little more rock-oriented as a palette cleanser. That brief reprieve allows me to properly prepare myself for “Reignfall.” A barnburner of devilish nature, “Reignfall” Hellrips my face clean off with speed-metal riffs, righteous dive-bomb solos, and downright ignorant grooves charred by black metal rasps. A second twist that I hoped for but dared not expect, Mournhold’s back half transitions to altogether darker and moodier spaces than the front. “Slower” and longer form compositions (“Mournhold,” “Back to Grey”) reside in those spaces, creating an expanded stage for Tyrannus’ final ideas to land and settle.

This arrangement allows listeners to bask in more instrumental noodling and melodic storytelling as Mournhold comes to a close, but the risk of drag creeps in. “Mournhold” is certainly thrashy and aggressive enough in its second half to offset that inertia, but at six-and-a-half minutes, it rubs against bloat with a cocky smirk. Closer “Back to Grey” toys that line even more salaciously, teasing attention spans to their limit at nearly eight minutes. Luckily, its classic heavy metal gallop and olde-timey meloblack charm make it hard to hate. Like many tight runtimes, though, 40 minutes suffers more noticeably when any one song overstays its welcome; Mournhold’s final couplet gently cross that threshold. Cutting a minute from each—perhaps fewer repetitions of a riff here, and trimming an intro or bridge there—would make them stronger and thus improve the whole in kind.

Mournhold doesn’t need much improving, though, to be an unqualified success. It’s a rip-roaring fun time, with a youthful personality as exuberant as it is infectious. Tyrannus improved in every aspect on the promise of their debut, refining their voice into something highly recognizable and alluring. If this is just the beginning for Tyrannus, I tremble to think of what they might accomplish on future records. That’s a later Ken problem. For now, I’m content and gunning to storm castles and slay eldritch monsters for an eternity with Mournhold. Join me!

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 15th, 2026

UK antifascist blackened death/thrash trio Tyrannus caught my attention with the be-castled cover art for their upcoming sophomore record, Mournhold. Having never listened to them prior, I gravitated towards the promise of yet another robust hybrid of styles and sounds. With bands like Antiverse and Skeletonwitch to call on as points of comparison, Tyrannus all but guarantee my appreciation. This is the kind of genre-blending that I crave on an hourly basis. Does Mournhold have the goods to satisfy my voracious needs?

Lead single “Reignfall” demonstrates that Tyrannus aren’t fucking around, boasting an adrenaline-fueled cataclysm of riffs, shreds, pummels, and roars. It is an ideal case study for what Mournhold captures, ensaring the icy raze of black, the fiery vitriol of thrash, and the swaggering aggression of death in one fell swoop. Separated from those superficial attributes, it embodies the Platonic ideal of a great metal track. And so, Tyrannus publish their infernal formula, and Mournhold’s multifaceted application of that formula brews excitement and fun at every turn. Tightly packed into 40 minutes, seven tracks tear through a blunderbuss of cool ideas, hooky motifs, and fun deviations from the expected.

Most surprising of these diversions is center cut “Flesh Eternal,” which recalls the gothic swing of Tribulation if they took the ashen path to black/thrash. A really cool song on its own, “Flesh Eternal” more importantly cements Tyrannus as versatile songwriters and shrewd album composers. It resolves the aggressive black metal scorch of the first three songs—the best of which (“Orbus Non Suffict,” “Seizing Stars”) fulfill the gap left by Skeletonwitch after Serpents Unleashed. At the same time, it sets up the second act, beautifully bisecting Mournhold’s story with something a little more rock-oriented as a palette cleanser. That brief reprieve allows me to properly prepare myself for “Reignfall.” A barnburner of devilish nature, “Reignfall” Hellrips my face clean off with speed-metal riffs, righteous dive-bomb solos, and downright ignorant grooves charred by black metal rasps. A second twist that I hoped for but dared not expect, Mournhold’s back half transitions to altogether darker and moodier spaces than the front. “Slower” and longer form compositions (“Mournhold,” “Back to Grey”) reside in those spaces, creating an expanded stage for Tyrannus’ final ideas to land and settle.

This arrangement allows listeners to bask in more instrumental noodling and melodic storytelling as Mournhold comes to a close, but the risk of drag creeps in. “Mournhold” is certainly thrashy and aggressive enough in its second half to offset that inertia, but at six-and-a-half minutes, it rubs against bloat with a cocky smirk. Closer “Back to Grey” toys that line even more salaciously, teasing attention spans to their limit at nearly eight minutes. Luckily, its classic heavy metal gallop and olde-timey meloblack charm make it hard to hate. Like many tight runtimes, though, 40 minutes suffers more noticeably when any one song overstays its welcome; Mournhold’s final couplet gently cross that threshold. Cutting a minute from each—perhaps fewer repetitions of a riff here, and trimming an intro or bridge there—would make them stronger and thus improve the whole in kind.

Mournhold doesn’t need much improving, though, to be an unqualified success. It’s a rip-roaring fun time, with a youthful personality as exuberant as it is infectious. Tyrannus improved in every aspect on the promise of their debut, refining their voice into something highly recognizable and alluring. If this is just the beginning for Tyrannus, I tremble to think of what they might accomplish on future records. That’s a later Ken problem. For now, I’m content and gunning to storm castles and slay eldritch monsters for an eternity with Mournhold. Join me!

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 15th, 2026

https://www.europesays.com/uk/495432/ Morke – To Carry On Review #2.5 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Entertainment #Morke #music #Obsequiae #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords #UK #UnitedKingdom

Morke – To Carry On Review

One of my favorite bits in the game Portal 2 comes near the very beginning, when the player…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2.5 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Entertainment #Morke #Obsequiae #Oct25 #review #Reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords #UK #UnitedKingdom
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/195920/

Morke – To Carry On Review

One of my favorite bits in the game Portal 2 comes near the very beginning, when the player…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2.5 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #CA #Canada #Entertainment #Morke #Obsequiae #Oct25 #review #reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords
https://www.newsbeep.com/ca/207737/

Morke – To Carry On Review

By Alekhines Gun

One of my favorite bits in the game Portal 2 comes near the very beginning, when the player is commanded to go stand in front of a piece of art. It’s an okay piece, depicting a lovely mountain overlooking a lakeside cabin where everything looks peaceful, somewhat colorful, and safe. By the end of our momentary study, we are assured we should now feel “mentally invigorated.” Such mental vim and vigor is sought out in more artistic albums, which don’t seek to liquify teeth as much as transport us to other realms and times, whether it be brimming with life and motion or a well-executed snapshot of a mood. Morke, a project spearheaded by sole member Eric Wing, have arrived with self-described “Atmospheric Castle Metal” on display for their fourth album To Carry On, and the question is, will you indeed keep it moving after indulging in its color schemes, or allow yourself to get swept away to times long forgotten?

On first listen, all I could think was “wow, this sounds exactly like Obsequiae.” Turns out my ears are very astute, as Tanner Anderson is credited in the promo as making contributions to the album. The precise degree of his participation isn’t specified, but if you’re a sucker for his band, then there’s plenty for you to feast your ears on here. To Carry On tries its hand at singing its own Palms of Sorrowed Kings while taking a much more streamlined and basic approach. Trimming down the more raw production of previous efforts, Morke spread out the tonal palette to allow leads, leads, and more leads (“Falling Leaves”, “Sublymed Respair”) to carry the bulk of the presentation, with enough clarity in the production for some tasty bass lines (“Ashes of Fuedalism”) to make their presence known.

Much like individual brush strokes coalesce into one whole, To Carry On places pretty much all its emphasis on atmosphere. The bulk of the album is mid-paced, with leads relaxing and guitar tones colorful. The drums are well placed as far as occasional double bass drops go to remind you that this is, in fact, still a metal album, even as the tempo and general vibe never approach anything truly heavy. The uniformity of the tonal palate is the larger philosophical struggle Morke presents: this painting of a flowers-and-fog-drenched castle is well crafted, but there are precious few touches that truly stand out. Mid-album tracks “Coup D’oeil” and “Viola Odorata” flow nicely together with some riffs of genuine memorability. However, bookending the album come tracks which end up starting to sound self-plagiarizing, with similar intervals and scales utilized, which never become boring, unto themselves, but do become familiar far too quickly.

Ultimately, the question of listener enjoyment will come down to expectations. To Carry On doesn’t have the vibrancy and depth of Summoning or the kinetic enthusiasm of Obsequiae. Those bands are atmospheric masters who manage to invoke life into their riffs, the latter with their energy and the former with their creative use of other instruments. What Morke offers up instead is a collection of tracks which play toward the greater whole, where the listener is enveloped in an atmospheric sense without necessarily latching on to any particular highs, lows, or fist-pumping “hell yeah” inducing moments one typically looks for. In fact, other than the aforementioned two-track run in the middle, To Carry On is relatively devoid of highs and lows, instead leaning in on complete and tonal consistency, for better and worse.

This makes administering an appropriate score more challenging than I’d expected. I have been fortunate enough to visit my share of art museums over the years, and no great painting can be appreciated at a mere glance. Color schemes, stroke methods, and materials used all warrant consideration when enjoying the greater whole of the painting before us. And yet, part of me insists that I don’t listen to albums for the same reason I look at paintings, and I feel that holds To Carry On back. If you are looking to get mentally swept up into the moods of knights and serfdom, mentally add an extra half point for yourself and hear an enthusiastic endorsement on the potency and excellence that the atmosphere summoned has to offer. For my own part, I can’t help but hope for more vibrancy and less “still life” going forward. Until then, you will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, you may stare at the art…

Score: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records |
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Morke #Obsequiae #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords

Morke – To Carry On Review

By Alekhines Gun

One of my favorite bits in the game Portal 2 comes near the very beginning, when the player is commanded to go stand in front of a piece of art. It’s an okay piece, depicting a lovely mountain overlooking a lakeside cabin where everything looks peaceful, somewhat colorful, and safe. By the end of our momentary study, we are assured we should now feel “mentally invigorated.” Such mental vim and vigor is sought out in more artistic albums, which don’t seek to liquify teeth as much as transport us to other realms and times, whether it be brimming with life and motion or a well-executed snapshot of a mood. Morke, a project spearheaded by sole member Eric Wing, have arrived with self-described “Atmospheric Castle Metal” on display for their fourth album To Carry On, and the question is, will you indeed keep it moving after indulging in its color schemes, or allow yourself to get swept away to times long forgotten?

On first listen, all I could think was “wow, this sounds exactly like Obsequiae.” Turns out my ears are very astute, as Tanner Anderson is credited in the promo as making contributions to the album. The precise degree of his participation isn’t specified, but if you’re a sucker for his band, then there’s plenty for you to feast your ears on here. To Carry On tries its hand at singing its own Palms of Sorrowed Kings while taking a much more streamlined and basic approach. Trimming down the more raw production of previous efforts, Morke spread out the tonal palette to allow leads, leads, and more leads (“Falling Leaves”, “Sublymed Respair”) to carry the bulk of the presentation, with enough clarity in the production for some tasty bass lines (“Ashes of Fuedalism”) to make their presence known.

Much like individual brush strokes coalesce into one whole, To Carry On places pretty much all its emphasis on atmosphere. The bulk of the album is mid-paced, with leads relaxing and guitar tones colorful. The drums are well placed as far as occasional double bass drops go to remind you that this is, in fact, still a metal album, even as the tempo and general vibe never approach anything truly heavy. The uniformity of the tonal palate is the larger philosophical struggle Morke presents: this painting of a flowers-and-fog-drenched castle is well crafted, but there are precious few touches that truly stand out. Mid-album tracks “Coup D’oeil” and “Viola Odorata” flow nicely together with some riffs of genuine memorability. However, bookending the album come tracks which end up starting to sound self-plagiarizing, with similar intervals and scales utilized, which never become boring, unto themselves, but do become familiar far too quickly.

Ultimately, the question of listener enjoyment will come down to expectations. To Carry On doesn’t have the vibrancy and depth of Summoning or the kinetic enthusiasm of Obsequiae. Those bands are atmospheric masters who manage to invoke life into their riffs, the latter with their energy and the former with their creative use of other instruments. What Morke offers up instead is a collection of tracks which play toward the greater whole, where the listener is enveloped in an atmospheric sense without necessarily latching on to any particular highs, lows, or fist-pumping “hell yeah” inducing moments one typically looks for. In fact, other than the aforementioned two-track run in the middle, To Carry On is relatively devoid of highs and lows, instead leaning in on complete and tonal consistency, for better and worse.

This makes administering an appropriate score more challenging than I’d expected. I have been fortunate enough to visit my share of art museums over the years, and no great painting can be appreciated at a mere glance. Color schemes, stroke methods, and materials used all warrant consideration when enjoying the greater whole of the painting before us. And yet, part of me insists that I don’t listen to albums for the same reason I look at paintings, and I feel that holds To Carry On back. If you are looking to get mentally swept up into the moods of knights and serfdom, mentally add an extra half point for yourself and hear an enthusiastic endorsement on the potency and excellence that the atmosphere summoned has to offer. For my own part, I can’t help but hope for more vibrancy and less “still life” going forward. Until then, you will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, you may stare at the art…

Score: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records |
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Morke #Obsequiae #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords

Morke – To Carry On Review

By Alekhines Gun

One of my favorite bits in the game Portal 2 comes near the very beginning, when the player is commanded to go stand in front of a piece of art. It’s an okay piece, depicting a lovely mountain overlooking a lakeside cabin where everything looks peaceful, somewhat colorful, and safe. By the end of our momentary study, we are assured we should now feel “mentally invigorated.” Such mental vim and vigor is sought out in more artistic albums, which don’t seek to liquify teeth as much as transport us to other realms and times, whether it be brimming with life and motion or a well-executed snapshot of a mood. Morke, a project spearheaded by sole member Eric Wing, have arrived with self-described “Atmospheric Castle Metal” on display for their fourth album To Carry On, and the question is, will you indeed keep it moving after indulging in its color schemes, or allow yourself to get swept away to times long forgotten?

On first listen, all I could think was “wow, this sounds exactly like Obsequiae.” Turns out my ears are very astute, as Tanner Anderson is credited in the promo as making contributions to the album. The precise degree of his participation isn’t specified, but if you’re a sucker for his band, then there’s plenty for you to feast your ears on here. To Carry On tries its hand at singing its own Palms of Sorrowed Kings while taking a much more streamlined and basic approach. Trimming down the more raw production of previous efforts, Morke spread out the tonal palette to allow leads, leads, and more leads (“Falling Leaves”, “Sublymed Respair”) to carry the bulk of the presentation, with enough clarity in the production for some tasty bass lines (“Ashes of Fuedalism”) to make their presence known.

Much like individual brush strokes coalesce into one whole, To Carry On places pretty much all its emphasis on atmosphere. The bulk of the album is mid-paced, with leads relaxing and guitar tones colorful. The drums are well placed as far as occasional double bass drops go to remind you that this is, in fact, still a metal album, even as the tempo and general vibe never approach anything truly heavy. The uniformity of the tonal palate is the larger philosophical struggle Morke presents: this painting of a flowers-and-fog-drenched castle is well crafted, but there are precious few touches that truly stand out. Mid-album tracks “Coup D’oeil” and “Viola Odorata” flow nicely together with some riffs of genuine memorability. However, bookending the album come tracks which end up starting to sound self-plagiarizing, with similar intervals and scales utilized, which never become boring, unto themselves, but do become familiar far too quickly.

Ultimately, the question of listener enjoyment will come down to expectations. To Carry On doesn’t have the vibrancy and depth of Summoning or the kinetic enthusiasm of Obsequiae. Those bands are atmospheric masters who manage to invoke life into their riffs, the latter with their energy and the former with their creative use of other instruments. What Morke offers up instead is a collection of tracks which play toward the greater whole, where the listener is enveloped in an atmospheric sense without necessarily latching on to any particular highs, lows, or fist-pumping “hell yeah” inducing moments one typically looks for. In fact, other than the aforementioned two-track run in the middle, To Carry On is relatively devoid of highs and lows, instead leaning in on complete and tonal consistency, for better and worse.

This makes administering an appropriate score more challenging than I’d expected. I have been fortunate enough to visit my share of art museums over the years, and no great painting can be appreciated at a mere glance. Color schemes, stroke methods, and materials used all warrant consideration when enjoying the greater whole of the painting before us. And yet, part of me insists that I don’t listen to albums for the same reason I look at paintings, and I feel that holds To Carry On back. If you are looking to get mentally swept up into the moods of knights and serfdom, mentally add an extra half point for yourself and hear an enthusiastic endorsement on the potency and excellence that the atmosphere summoned has to offer. For my own part, I can’t help but hope for more vibrancy and less “still life” going forward. Until then, you will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, you may stare at the art…

Score: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records |
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Morke #Obsequiae #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords

Morke – To Carry On Review

By Alekhines Gun

One of my favorite bits in the game Portal 2 comes near the very beginning, when the player is commanded to go stand in front of a piece of art. It’s an okay piece, depicting a lovely mountain overlooking a lakeside cabin where everything looks peaceful, somewhat colorful, and safe. By the end of our momentary study, we are assured we should now feel “mentally invigorated.” Such mental vim and vigor is sought out in more artistic albums, which don’t seek to liquify teeth as much as transport us to other realms and times, whether it be brimming with life and motion or a well-executed snapshot of a mood. Morke, a project spearheaded by sole member Eric Wing, have arrived with self-described “Atmospheric Castle Metal” on display for their fourth album To Carry On, and the question is, will you indeed keep it moving after indulging in its color schemes, or allow yourself to get swept away to times long forgotten?

On first listen, all I could think was “wow, this sounds exactly like Obsequiae.” Turns out my ears are very astute, as Tanner Anderson is credited in the promo as making contributions to the album. The precise degree of his participation isn’t specified, but if you’re a sucker for his band, then there’s plenty for you to feast your ears on here. To Carry On tries its hand at singing its own Palms of Sorrowed Kings while taking a much more streamlined and basic approach. Trimming down the more raw production of previous efforts, Morke spread out the tonal palette to allow leads, leads, and more leads (“Falling Leaves”, “Sublymed Respair”) to carry the bulk of the presentation, with enough clarity in the production for some tasty bass lines (“Ashes of Fuedalism”) to make their presence known.

Much like individual brush strokes coalesce into one whole, To Carry On places pretty much all its emphasis on atmosphere. The bulk of the album is mid-paced, with leads relaxing and guitar tones colorful. The drums are well placed as far as occasional double bass drops go to remind you that this is, in fact, still a metal album, even as the tempo and general vibe never approach anything truly heavy. The uniformity of the tonal palate is the larger philosophical struggle Morke presents: this painting of a flowers-and-fog-drenched castle is well crafted, but there are precious few touches that truly stand out. Mid-album tracks “Coup D’oeil” and “Viola Odorata” flow nicely together with some riffs of genuine memorability. However, bookending the album come tracks which end up starting to sound self-plagiarizing, with similar intervals and scales utilized, which never become boring, unto themselves, but do become familiar far too quickly.

Ultimately, the question of listener enjoyment will come down to expectations. To Carry On doesn’t have the vibrancy and depth of Summoning or the kinetic enthusiasm of Obsequiae. Those bands are atmospheric masters who manage to invoke life into their riffs, the latter with their energy and the former with their creative use of other instruments. What Morke offers up instead is a collection of tracks which play toward the greater whole, where the listener is enveloped in an atmospheric sense without necessarily latching on to any particular highs, lows, or fist-pumping “hell yeah” inducing moments one typically looks for. In fact, other than the aforementioned two-track run in the middle, To Carry On is relatively devoid of highs and lows, instead leaning in on complete and tonal consistency, for better and worse.

This makes administering an appropriate score more challenging than I’d expected. I have been fortunate enough to visit my share of art museums over the years, and no great painting can be appreciated at a mere glance. Color schemes, stroke methods, and materials used all warrant consideration when enjoying the greater whole of the painting before us. And yet, part of me insists that I don’t listen to albums for the same reason I look at paintings, and I feel that holds To Carry On back. If you are looking to get mentally swept up into the moods of knights and serfdom, mentally add an extra half point for yourself and hear an enthusiastic endorsement on the potency and excellence that the atmosphere summoned has to offer. For my own part, I can’t help but hope for more vibrancy and less “still life” going forward. Until then, you will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, you may stare at the art…

Score: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records |
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Morke #Obsequiae #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords

Morke – To Carry On Review

By Alekhines Gun

One of my favorite bits in the game Portal 2 comes near the very beginning, when the player is commanded to go stand in front of a piece of art. It’s an okay piece, depicting a lovely mountain overlooking a lakeside cabin where everything looks peaceful, somewhat colorful, and safe. By the end of our momentary study, we are assured we should now feel “mentally invigorated.” Such mental vim and vigor is sought out in more artistic albums, which don’t seek to liquify teeth as much as transport us to other realms and times, whether it be brimming with life and motion or a well-executed snapshot of a mood. Morke, a project spearheaded by sole member Eric Wing, have arrived with self-described “Atmospheric Castle Metal” on display for their fourth album To Carry On, and the question is, will you indeed keep it moving after indulging in its color schemes, or allow yourself to get swept away to times long forgotten?

On first listen, all I could think was “wow, this sounds exactly like Obsequiae.” Turns out my ears are very astute, as Tanner Anderson is credited in the promo as making contributions to the album. The precise degree of his participation isn’t specified, but if you’re a sucker for his band, then there’s plenty for you to feast your ears on here. To Carry On tries its hand at singing its own Palms of Sorrowed Kings while taking a much more streamlined and basic approach. Trimming down the more raw production of previous efforts, Morke spread out the tonal palette to allow leads, leads, and more leads (“Falling Leaves”, “Sublymed Respair”) to carry the bulk of the presentation, with enough clarity in the production for some tasty bass lines (“Ashes of Fuedalism”) to make their presence known.

Much like individual brush strokes coalesce into one whole, To Carry On places pretty much all its emphasis on atmosphere. The bulk of the album is mid-paced, with leads relaxing and guitar tones colorful. The drums are well placed as far as occasional double bass drops go to remind you that this is, in fact, still a metal album, even as the tempo and general vibe never approach anything truly heavy. The uniformity of the tonal palate is the larger philosophical struggle Morke presents: this painting of a flowers-and-fog-drenched castle is well crafted, but there are precious few touches that truly stand out. Mid-album tracks “Coup D’oeil” and “Viola Odorata” flow nicely together with some riffs of genuine memorability. However, bookending the album come tracks which end up starting to sound self-plagiarizing, with similar intervals and scales utilized, which never become boring, unto themselves, but do become familiar far too quickly.

Ultimately, the question of listener enjoyment will come down to expectations. To Carry On doesn’t have the vibrancy and depth of Summoning or the kinetic enthusiasm of Obsequiae. Those bands are atmospheric masters who manage to invoke life into their riffs, the latter with their energy and the former with their creative use of other instruments. What Morke offers up instead is a collection of tracks which play toward the greater whole, where the listener is enveloped in an atmospheric sense without necessarily latching on to any particular highs, lows, or fist-pumping “hell yeah” inducing moments one typically looks for. In fact, other than the aforementioned two-track run in the middle, To Carry On is relatively devoid of highs and lows, instead leaning in on complete and tonal consistency, for better and worse.

This makes administering an appropriate score more challenging than I’d expected. I have been fortunate enough to visit my share of art museums over the years, and no great painting can be appreciated at a mere glance. Color schemes, stroke methods, and materials used all warrant consideration when enjoying the greater whole of the painting before us. And yet, part of me insists that I don’t listen to albums for the same reason I look at paintings, and I feel that holds To Carry On back. If you are looking to get mentally swept up into the moods of knights and serfdom, mentally add an extra half point for yourself and hear an enthusiastic endorsement on the potency and excellence that the atmosphere summoned has to offer. For my own part, I can’t help but hope for more vibrancy and less “still life” going forward. Until then, you will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, you may stare at the art…

Score: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records |
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Morke #Obsequiae #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #Summoning #ToCarryOn #TrueCultRecords

https://www.europesays.com/uk/348343/ Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer Review #2025 #3.5 #Aug25 #CaelidDogSummer #Darkthrone #Entertainment #FellOmen #Godkiller #GreekMetal #Motörhead #music #Obsequiae #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords #UK #UnitedKingdom

Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer Review

Raw black metal is a tricky proposition. There’s an extremely thin line to walk between production choices designed…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2025 #3.5 #Aug25 #CaelidDogSummer #Darkthrone #Entertainment #FellOmen #Godkiller #GreekMetal #Motörhead #Obsequiae #rawblackmetal #review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords #UK #UnitedKingdom
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/69794/

Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer Review

By Alekhines Gun

Raw black metal is a tricky proposition. There’s an extremely thin line to walk between production choices designed to add mood and atmosphere to compositions via a wall of auditory fog and production choices that sound like someone threw their equipment down a block of concrete stairs and deemed it “artistic.” Countless one-man projects launch all the time to throw their hat in the ring with the Black Cilice’s and Paysage D’hivers of the world, with results ranging from formidable to unlistenable. Hailing from Greece, Fell Omen are newcomers to this arena, with their second album dropping a meagre six months after their first. Such a rapid turnaround implies either a deep creative well or a collection of kiddie-pool shallow ideas, so let’s dive in and see what these dog summer days have to offer.

How raw is raw? Caelid Dog Summer sounds most comparable to …Eternal Hails era Darkthrone. Everything is naturally underproduced, but only just-so, with a clarity in the instruments so all can be heard without sounding shimmery and polished. This gives the sound palate of Fell Omen a punkish and suitably rough-hewn style which suits the somewhat simplistic riff stylings of “Poise On Rune” without swinging into treble-tearing subwoofer-blowing ugliness. The raw-as-atmosphere is elsewhere emphasized in the beautiful runs littered across “Northern Lights Bomb,” where the warbling under-production adds to the piercing melodies without burying them in a haze of noise. While perhaps not quite ugly enough to be straight Cherd bait, Caelid Dog Summer manages to stick the landing with a production which qualifies for the genre label while being clear enough to let its moments of triumph and mood shine through.

As for the mood, the name of the game is fun.1 Fell Omen have assembled a collection of songs into fist-pumping, coke-snorting, beer-swigging sounds of grandeur and delight in complete defiance of stereotype. “Starscourge Phase One & Phase Two” kicks in the doors with straightforward assault which is almost Motörhead-ed in its enthusiasm and glee, with major chord progressions and solos that sound ripped from old school heavy metal trappings in their melodic noodlage and drunkenly shredded exuberance. “The Horrors Persist But So Does Steel” is a short, straightforward whip-cracking assault with some medieval-tinged melodies reminiscent of Godkiller. Those aural fingerprints, as well as the atmospheres of a much more streamlined Obsequiae result in a listen which manages to sound like its lifted from the world of our exhausted knight in not-so-shiny armor without losing its own sense of identity in the process.

Performances are enthusiastic, and while never anything complicated enough to be considered techy, they are delivered with skill. Sole member “Spider of Pnyx” delivers one solo after another without ever devolving into guitar-hero wankery. Closing track “The Fire is Still Warm” pumps the brakes on the tempo at last for a proper album finale, though it does take a little long getting the point across. Other than a few riffs across the album being stretched longer than they need to, songs come complete with identity and personality, well-arranged from atmospheric transitions to quick bursts of energy before collapsing back into a drunken bar brawl solo. His vocals are also excellent, not drowning the music in a blanket of voice but adding emphasis to groove and riff alike with a pitch like he was raised on a steady diet of extra coarse sandpaper. This care in assembly from beginning to end allows the sub-half-hour run time to feel perfect, as the album arrives, says its peace, raids your liquor cabinet, and runs off into the night before you can saddle your nearest horse.

Suffice to say, I’ve had a great time with Caelid Dog Summer. A defiant middle finger to the well-established trope of “No Mosh No Trends No Fun”, Fell Omen have crafted a platter worthy of triggering mosh, bringing back the trend of sexy lads in shining armor, and absolutely oodles of fun. That the album does so without ever devolving into self-parody or trying its hand at out EVILLLLLLing2 genre mates is worthy of commendation. The fact that it also manages to nail the balance between raw atmosphere and approachability elevates it from a simple fun listen to a truly delightful experience. Go grab some beer and dive into the last days of this truly dogged summer.

Rating: 3.5/5
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Website: Official Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 15th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aug25 #CaelidDogSummer #Darkthrone #FellOmen #Godkiller #GreekMetal #Motörhead #Obsequiae #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords

Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer Review

By Alekhines Gun

Raw black metal is a tricky proposition. There’s an extremely thin line to walk between production choices designed to add mood and atmosphere to compositions via a wall of auditory fog and production choices that sound like someone threw their equipment down a block of concrete stairs and deemed it “artistic.” Countless one-man projects launch all the time to throw their hat in the ring with the Black Cilice’s and Paysage D’hivers of the world, with results ranging from formidable to unlistenable. Hailing from Greece, Fell Omen are newcomers to this arena, with their second album dropping a meagre six months after their first. Such a rapid turnaround implies either a deep creative well or a collection of kiddie-pool shallow ideas, so let’s dive in and see what these dog summer days have to offer.

How raw is raw? Caelid Dog Summer sounds most comparable to …Eternal Hails era Darkthrone. Everything is naturally underproduced, but only just-so, with a clarity in the instruments so all can be heard without sounding shimmery and polished. This gives the sound palate of Fell Omen a punkish and suitably rough-hewn style which suits the somewhat simplistic riff stylings of “Poise On Rune” without swinging into treble-tearing subwoofer-blowing ugliness. The raw-as-atmosphere is elsewhere emphasized in the beautiful runs littered across “Northern Lights Bomb,” where the warbling under-production adds to the piercing melodies without burying them in a haze of noise. While perhaps not quite ugly enough to be straight Cherd bait, Caelid Dog Summer manages to stick the landing with a production which qualifies for the genre label while being clear enough to let its moments of triumph and mood shine through.

As for the mood, the name of the game is fun.1 Fell Omen have assembled a collection of songs into fist-pumping, coke-snorting, beer-swigging sounds of grandeur and delight in complete defiance of stereotype. “Starscourge Phase One & Phase Two” kicks in the doors with straightforward assault which is almost Motörhead-ed in its enthusiasm and glee, with major chord progressions and solos that sound ripped from old school heavy metal trappings in their melodic noodlage and drunkenly shredded exuberance. “The Horrors Persist But So Does Steel” is a short, straightforward whip-cracking assault with some medieval-tinged melodies reminiscent of Godkiller. Those aural fingerprints, as well as the atmospheres of a much more streamlined Obsequiae result in a listen which manages to sound like its lifted from the world of our exhausted knight in not-so-shiny armor without losing its own sense of identity in the process.

Performances are enthusiastic, and while never anything complicated enough to be considered techy, they are delivered with skill. Sole member “Spider of Pnyx” delivers one solo after another without ever devolving into guitar-hero wankery. Closing track “The Fire is Still Warm” pumps the brakes on the tempo at last for a proper album finale, though it does take a little long getting the point across. Other than a few riffs across the album being stretched longer than they need to, songs come complete with identity and personality, well-arranged from atmospheric transitions to quick bursts of energy before collapsing back into a drunken bar brawl solo. His vocals are also excellent, not drowning the music in a blanket of voice but adding emphasis to groove and riff alike with a pitch like he was raised on a steady diet of extra coarse sandpaper. This care in assembly from beginning to end allows the sub-half-hour run time to feel perfect, as the album arrives, says its peace, raids your liquor cabinet, and runs off into the night before you can saddle your nearest horse.

Suffice to say, I’ve had a great time with Caelid Dog Summer. A defiant middle finger to the well-established trope of “No Mosh No Trends No Fun”, Fell Omen have crafted a platter worthy of triggering mosh, bringing back the trend of sexy lads in shining armor, and absolutely oodles of fun. That the album does so without ever devolving into self-parody or trying its hand at out EVILLLLLLing2 genre mates is worthy of commendation. The fact that it also manages to nail the balance between raw atmosphere and approachability elevates it from a simple fun listen to a truly delightful experience. Go grab some beer and dive into the last days of this truly dogged summer.

Rating: 3.5/5
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Website: Official Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 15th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aug25 #CaelidDogSummer #Darkthrone #FellOmen #Godkiller #GreekMetal #Motörhead #Obsequiae #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords

Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer Review

By Alekhines Gun

Raw black metal is a tricky proposition. There’s an extremely thin line to walk between production choices designed to add mood and atmosphere to compositions via a wall of auditory fog and production choices that sound like someone threw their equipment down a block of concrete stairs and deemed it “artistic.” Countless one-man projects launch all the time to throw their hat in the ring with the Black Cilice’s and Paysage D’hivers of the world, with results ranging from formidable to unlistenable. Hailing from Greece, Fell Omen are newcomers to this arena, with their second album dropping a meagre six months after their first. Such a rapid turnaround implies either a deep creative well or a collection of kiddie-pool shallow ideas, so let’s dive in and see what these dog summer days have to offer.

How raw is raw? Caelid Dog Summer sounds most comparable to …Eternal Hails era Darkthrone. Everything is naturally underproduced, but only just-so, with a clarity in the instruments so all can be heard without sounding shimmery and polished. This gives the sound palate of Fell Omen a punkish and suitably rough-hewn style which suits the somewhat simplistic riff stylings of “Poise On Rune” without swinging into treble-tearing subwoofer-blowing ugliness. The raw-as-atmosphere is elsewhere emphasized in the beautiful runs littered across “Northern Lights Bomb,” where the warbling under-production adds to the piercing melodies without burying them in a haze of noise. While perhaps not quite ugly enough to be straight Cherd bait, Caelid Dog Summer manages to stick the landing with a production which qualifies for the genre label while being clear enough to let its moments of triumph and mood shine through.

As for the mood, the name of the game is fun.1 Fell Omen have assembled a collection of songs into fist-pumping, coke-snorting, beer-swigging sounds of grandeur and delight in complete defiance of stereotype. “Starscourge Phase One & Phase Two” kicks in the doors with straightforward assault which is almost Motörhead-ed in its enthusiasm and glee, with major chord progressions and solos that sound ripped from old school heavy metal trappings in their melodic noodlage and drunkenly shredded exuberance. “The Horrors Persist But So Does Steel” is a short, straightforward whip-cracking assault with some medieval-tinged melodies reminiscent of Godkiller. Those aural fingerprints, as well as the atmospheres of a much more streamlined Obsequiae result in a listen which manages to sound like its lifted from the world of our exhausted knight in not-so-shiny armor without losing its own sense of identity in the process.

Performances are enthusiastic, and while never anything complicated enough to be considered techy, they are delivered with skill. Sole member “Spider of Pnyx” delivers one solo after another without ever devolving into guitar-hero wankery. Closing track “The Fire is Still Warm” pumps the brakes on the tempo at last for a proper album finale, though it does take a little long getting the point across. Other than a few riffs across the album being stretched longer than they need to, songs come complete with identity and personality, well-arranged from atmospheric transitions to quick bursts of energy before collapsing back into a drunken bar brawl solo. His vocals are also excellent, not drowning the music in a blanket of voice but adding emphasis to groove and riff alike with a pitch like he was raised on a steady diet of extra coarse sandpaper. This care in assembly from beginning to end allows the sub-half-hour run time to feel perfect, as the album arrives, says its peace, raids your liquor cabinet, and runs off into the night before you can saddle your nearest horse.

Suffice to say, I’ve had a great time with Caelid Dog Summer. A defiant middle finger to the well-established trope of “No Mosh No Trends No Fun”, Fell Omen have crafted a platter worthy of triggering mosh, bringing back the trend of sexy lads in shining armor, and absolutely oodles of fun. That the album does so without ever devolving into self-parody or trying its hand at out EVILLLLLLing2 genre mates is worthy of commendation. The fact that it also manages to nail the balance between raw atmosphere and approachability elevates it from a simple fun listen to a truly delightful experience. Go grab some beer and dive into the last days of this truly dogged summer.

Rating: 3.5/5
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Website: Official Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 15th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aug25 #CaelidDogSummer #Darkthrone #FellOmen #Godkiller #GreekMetal #Motörhead #Obsequiae #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords

Fell Omen – Caelid Dog Summer Review

By Alekhines Gun

Raw black metal is a tricky proposition. There’s an extremely thin line to walk between production choices designed to add mood and atmosphere to compositions via a wall of auditory fog and production choices that sound like someone threw their equipment down a block of concrete stairs and deemed it “artistic.” Countless one-man projects launch all the time to throw their hat in the ring with the Black Cilice’s and Paysage D’hivers of the world, with results ranging from formidable to unlistenable. Hailing from Greece, Fell Omen are newcomers to this arena, with their second album dropping a meagre six months after their first. Such a rapid turnaround implies either a deep creative well or a collection of kiddie-pool shallow ideas, so let’s dive in and see what these dog summer days have to offer.

How raw is raw? Caelid Dog Summer sounds most comparable to …Eternal Hails era Darkthrone. Everything is naturally underproduced, but only just-so, with a clarity in the instruments so all can be heard without sounding shimmery and polished. This gives the sound palate of Fell Omen a punkish and suitably rough-hewn style which suits the somewhat simplistic riff stylings of “Poise On Rune” without swinging into treble-tearing subwoofer-blowing ugliness. The raw-as-atmosphere is elsewhere emphasized in the beautiful runs littered across “Northern Lights Bomb,” where the warbling under-production adds to the piercing melodies without burying them in a haze of noise. While perhaps not quite ugly enough to be straight Cherd bait, Caelid Dog Summer manages to stick the landing with a production which qualifies for the genre label while being clear enough to let its moments of triumph and mood shine through.

As for the mood, the name of the game is fun.1 Fell Omen have assembled a collection of songs into fist-pumping, coke-snorting, beer-swigging sounds of grandeur and delight in complete defiance of stereotype. “Starscourge Phase One & Phase Two” kicks in the doors with straightforward assault which is almost Motörhead-ed in its enthusiasm and glee, with major chord progressions and solos that sound ripped from old school heavy metal trappings in their melodic noodlage and drunkenly shredded exuberance. “The Horrors Persist But So Does Steel” is a short, straightforward whip-cracking assault with some medieval-tinged melodies reminiscent of Godkiller. Those aural fingerprints, as well as the atmospheres of a much more streamlined Obsequiae result in a listen which manages to sound like its lifted from the world of our exhausted knight in not-so-shiny armor without losing its own sense of identity in the process.

Performances are enthusiastic, and while never anything complicated enough to be considered techy, they are delivered with skill. Sole member “Spider of Pnyx” delivers one solo after another without ever devolving into guitar-hero wankery. Closing track “The Fire is Still Warm” pumps the brakes on the tempo at last for a proper album finale, though it does take a little long getting the point across. Other than a few riffs across the album being stretched longer than they need to, songs come complete with identity and personality, well-arranged from atmospheric transitions to quick bursts of energy before collapsing back into a drunken bar brawl solo. His vocals are also excellent, not drowning the music in a blanket of voice but adding emphasis to groove and riff alike with a pitch like he was raised on a steady diet of extra coarse sandpaper. This care in assembly from beginning to end allows the sub-half-hour run time to feel perfect, as the album arrives, says its peace, raids your liquor cabinet, and runs off into the night before you can saddle your nearest horse.

Suffice to say, I’ve had a great time with Caelid Dog Summer. A defiant middle finger to the well-established trope of “No Mosh No Trends No Fun”, Fell Omen have crafted a platter worthy of triggering mosh, bringing back the trend of sexy lads in shining armor, and absolutely oodles of fun. That the album does so without ever devolving into self-parody or trying its hand at out EVILLLLLLing2 genre mates is worthy of commendation. The fact that it also manages to nail the balance between raw atmosphere and approachability elevates it from a simple fun listen to a truly delightful experience. Go grab some beer and dive into the last days of this truly dogged summer.

Rating: 3.5/5
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Website: Official Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 15th, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aug25 #CaelidDogSummer #Darkthrone #FellOmen #Godkiller #GreekMetal #Motörhead #Obsequiae #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords

Fell Omen – Invaded by a Dark Spirit Review

By Thus Spoke

If you’re especially in the know, you might already be familiar with the artist behind Fell Omen, Spider of Pynx. Having contributed hurdy-gurdy and electronica skills to two different Spectral Lore records under this moniker, he has also created cover art for Auriferous Flame, Cirkeln, and Μπατουσκα, under the name Gilded Panoply. After years of lurking about the black metal scene, with Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the Spider has the chance to step out of the background and begin their officially ‘metal’ musical arc as Fell Omen.1 Here for a good time, and not a long time, with a runtime barely surpassing 20 minutes,2 Invaded by a Dark Spirit is a lightning round in Fell Omen’s raucous take on black metal.

Invaded by a Dark Spirit is characterized by two main facets: punky attitude and crusty sound—though it’s not exactly crust-punk stylistically. While there are hints of Wormwitch here and there, this is combined with an old Immortal vibe about the riffs and vocals, as well as frequent use of hurdy-gurdy. Rambunctious rhythms and refrains abound (“Dungeon Metal Punks Besieging Digital Castles,” “Warrior Jar,” “In the Poison Swamp”). The record maintains this rough and ready tone throughout: while there is a subtly different flair to individual tracks, there’s not a lot to actually distinguish them. Opener “Don’t Go Hollow, You Have Steel,”3, showcases everything you will hear for the rest of the record, with the exception of vocals, which here are restricted to the occasional snarled “eaaaagh!” The low-fi production which brings the fuzz and distortion, and that faraway washy quality to the vocals, contributes to the album’s coarseness and the sense of a gutsy spirit. But it equally brings the above uniformity into the realm of the problematic, as well as generating some problems of its own.

Rawness itself is not the issue, it’s how this rawness negatively affects Fell Omen’s compositions. Good raw black metal is a biting assault that can be beautiful or brutal. But in the case of Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the grittiness makes everything bland or bothersome. Hurdy-gurdy, sitting right at the front of the mix, wailing its refrain through the cellophane wrapping of the master, like a fucking kazoo, is jarring in a way I had not experienced before. And it is used a lot. That being said, the actual guitar is also prone to flights of wobbly fancy that imitate the hurdy-gurdy’s mannerisms in a way that blurs the line between them. This guitar sound could be cool, and in fact sometimes actually is (“Dungeon Metal…,” “In the Poison Swamp”), but the milquetoast package it comes in saps that coolness away. Programmed and acoustic drums alike sound akin to a stock keyboard ‘drum’ noise and are thus indistinguishable. Pointlessly brief flashes of synth get thrown in for no identifiable reason other than a whim (“Dungeon Metal…,” “Forlorn Knights and Strange Flasks”, tricking the listener into thinking that something interesting might be about to happen. Even setting aside particular noises that might be personal triggers, the songs are boring: monotonous in their vaguely repetitious way and stultified by the veil of grime.

While there are some admittedly catchy grooves sprinkled around Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the above problems block proper enjoyment of them. “In the Poison Swamp” is the closest thing to a “banger” with its infectious rhythms and well-timed “rawwrr”s working well off of the bendy guitar lines. It’s a shame it comes last. Others (“Don’t Go Hollow…,” “Warrior Jar”) can get your head bobbing well enough, and if you strain your ears just right, the whining melodies (hurdy-gurdy or otherwise) sound almost gnarly. Yet nothing is gripping; nothing is sufficiently slick, raw, or savage enough to capitalize on the low-fi sound and make this the rollicking riot it could so easily have been. Rather, it all feels anodyne, distant, and placid.

For an album that only lasts around 20 minutes, Invaded by a Fell Spirit is a drag to get through; unless, that is, you just ignore it, which is relatively easy to do. Fell Omen can craft some fun grooves, and there is some cool stuff going on with the guitar distortion and hurdy-gurdy, but these are superseded by the monotony and paradoxical blandness of it all. You can have a good time with selected tracks, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that Invaded by a Dark Spirit is nothing like the boisterous, epic tale it pretends to be.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2025

#20 #2025 #BlackMetal #Crust #CrustPunk #DungeonSynth #Feb25 #FellOmen #GreekMetal #Immortal #InvadedByADarkSpirit #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords #Wormwitch

Fell Omen – Invaded by a Dark Spirit Review

By Thus Spoke

If you’re especially in the know, you might already be familiar with the artist behind Fell Omen, Spider of Pynx. Having contributed hurdy-gurdy and electronica skills to two different Spectral Lore records under this moniker, he has also created cover art for Auriferous Flame, Cirkeln, and Μπατουσκα, under the name Gilded Panoply. After years of lurking about the black metal scene, with Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the Spider has the chance to step out of the background and begin their officially ‘metal’ musical arc as Fell Omen.1 Here for a good time, and not a long time, with a runtime barely surpassing 20 minutes,2 Invaded by a Dark Spirit is a lightning round in Fell Omen’s raucous take on black metal.

Invaded by a Dark Spirit is characterized by two main facets: punky attitude and crusty sound—though it’s not exactly crust-punk stylistically. While there are hints of Wormwitch here and there, this is combined with an old Immortal vibe about the riffs and vocals, as well as frequent use of hurdy-gurdy. Rambunctious rhythms and refrains abound (“Dungeon Metal Punks Besieging Digital Castles,” “Warrior Jar,” “In the Poison Swamp”). The record maintains this rough and ready tone throughout: while there is a subtly different flair to individual tracks, there’s not a lot to actually distinguish them. Opener “Don’t Go Hollow, You Have Steel,”3, showcases everything you will hear for the rest of the record, with the exception of vocals, which here are restricted to the occasional snarled “eaaaagh!” The low-fi production which brings the fuzz and distortion, and that faraway washy quality to the vocals, contributes to the album’s coarseness and the sense of a gutsy spirit. But it equally brings the above uniformity into the realm of the problematic, as well as generating some problems of its own.

Rawness itself is not the issue, it’s how this rawness negatively affects Fell Omen’s compositions. Good raw black metal is a biting assault that can be beautiful or brutal. But in the case of Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the grittiness makes everything bland or bothersome. Hurdy-gurdy, sitting right at the front of the mix, wailing its refrain through the cellophane wrapping of the master, like a fucking kazoo, is jarring in a way I had not experienced before. And it is used a lot. That being said, the actual guitar is also prone to flights of wobbly fancy that imitate the hurdy-gurdy’s mannerisms in a way that blurs the line between them. This guitar sound could be cool, and in fact sometimes actually is (“Dungeon Metal…,” “In the Poison Swamp”), but the milquetoast package it comes in saps that coolness away. Programmed and acoustic drums alike sound akin to a stock keyboard ‘drum’ noise and are thus indistinguishable. Pointlessly brief flashes of synth get thrown in for no identifiable reason other than a whim (“Dungeon Metal…,” “Forlorn Knights and Strange Flasks”, tricking the listener into thinking that something interesting might be about to happen. Even setting aside particular noises that might be personal triggers, the songs are boring: monotonous in their vaguely repetitious way and stultified by the veil of grime.

While there are some admittedly catchy grooves sprinkled around Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the above problems block proper enjoyment of them. “In the Poison Swamp” is the closest thing to a “banger” with its infectious rhythms and well-timed “rawwrr”s working well off of the bendy guitar lines. It’s a shame it comes last. Others (“Don’t Go Hollow…,” “Warrior Jar”) can get your head bobbing well enough, and if you strain your ears just right, the whining melodies (hurdy-gurdy or otherwise) sound almost gnarly. Yet nothing is gripping; nothing is sufficiently slick, raw, or savage enough to capitalize on the low-fi sound and make this the rollicking riot it could so easily have been. Rather, it all feels anodyne, distant, and placid.

For an album that only lasts around 20 minutes, Invaded by a Fell Spirit is a drag to get through; unless, that is, you just ignore it, which is relatively easy to do. Fell Omen can craft some fun grooves, and there is some cool stuff going on with the guitar distortion and hurdy-gurdy, but these are superseded by the monotony and paradoxical blandness of it all. You can have a good time with selected tracks, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that Invaded by a Dark Spirit is nothing like the boisterous, epic tale it pretends to be.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2025

#20 #2025 #BlackMetal #Crust #CrustPunk #DungeonSynth #Feb25 #FellOmen #GreekMetal #Immortal #InvadedByADarkSpirit #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords #Wormwitch

Fell Omen – Invaded by a Dark Spirit Review

By Thus Spoke

If you’re especially in the know, you might already be familiar with the artist behind Fell Omen, Spider of Pynx. Having contributed hurdy-gurdy and electronica skills to two different Spectral Lore records under this moniker, he has also created cover art for Auriferous Flame, Cirkeln, and Μπατουσκα, under the name Gilded Panoply. After years of lurking about the black metal scene, with Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the Spider has the chance to step out of the background and begin their officially ‘metal’ musical arc as Fell Omen.1 Here for a good time, and not a long time, with a runtime barely surpassing 20 minutes,2 Invaded by a Dark Spirit is a lightning round in Fell Omen’s raucous take on black metal.

Invaded by a Dark Spirit is characterized by two main facets: punky attitude and crusty sound—though it’s not exactly crust-punk stylistically. While there are hints of Wormwitch here and there, this is combined with an old Immortal vibe about the riffs and vocals, as well as frequent use of hurdy-gurdy. Rambunctious rhythms and refrains abound (“Dungeon Metal Punks Besieging Digital Castles,” “Warrior Jar,” “In the Poison Swamp”). The record maintains this rough and ready tone throughout: while there is a subtly different flair to individual tracks, there’s not a lot to actually distinguish them. Opener “Don’t Go Hollow, You Have Steel,”3, showcases everything you will hear for the rest of the record, with the exception of vocals, which here are restricted to the occasional snarled “eaaaagh!” The low-fi production which brings the fuzz and distortion, and that faraway washy quality to the vocals, contributes to the album’s coarseness and the sense of a gutsy spirit. But it equally brings the above uniformity into the realm of the problematic, as well as generating some problems of its own.

Rawness itself is not the issue, it’s how this rawness negatively affects Fell Omen’s compositions. Good raw black metal is a biting assault that can be beautiful or brutal. But in the case of Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the grittiness makes everything bland or bothersome. Hurdy-gurdy, sitting right at the front of the mix, wailing its refrain through the cellophane wrapping of the master, like a fucking kazoo, is jarring in a way I had not experienced before. And it is used a lot. That being said, the actual guitar is also prone to flights of wobbly fancy that imitate the hurdy-gurdy’s mannerisms in a way that blurs the line between them. This guitar sound could be cool, and in fact sometimes actually is (“Dungeon Metal…,” “In the Poison Swamp”), but the milquetoast package it comes in saps that coolness away. Programmed and acoustic drums alike sound akin to a stock keyboard ‘drum’ noise and are thus indistinguishable. Pointlessly brief flashes of synth get thrown in for no identifiable reason other than a whim (“Dungeon Metal…,” “Forlorn Knights and Strange Flasks”, tricking the listener into thinking that something interesting might be about to happen. Even setting aside particular noises that might be personal triggers, the songs are boring: monotonous in their vaguely repetitious way and stultified by the veil of grime.

While there are some admittedly catchy grooves sprinkled around Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the above problems block proper enjoyment of them. “In the Poison Swamp” is the closest thing to a “banger” with its infectious rhythms and well-timed “rawwrr”s working well off of the bendy guitar lines. It’s a shame it comes last. Others (“Don’t Go Hollow…,” “Warrior Jar”) can get your head bobbing well enough, and if you strain your ears just right, the whining melodies (hurdy-gurdy or otherwise) sound almost gnarly. Yet nothing is gripping; nothing is sufficiently slick, raw, or savage enough to capitalize on the low-fi sound and make this the rollicking riot it could so easily have been. Rather, it all feels anodyne, distant, and placid.

For an album that only lasts around 20 minutes, Invaded by a Fell Spirit is a drag to get through; unless, that is, you just ignore it, which is relatively easy to do. Fell Omen can craft some fun grooves, and there is some cool stuff going on with the guitar distortion and hurdy-gurdy, but these are superseded by the monotony and paradoxical blandness of it all. You can have a good time with selected tracks, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that Invaded by a Dark Spirit is nothing like the boisterous, epic tale it pretends to be.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2025

#20 #2025 #BlackMetal #Crust #CrustPunk #DungeonSynth #Feb25 #FellOmen #GreekMetal #Immortal #InvadedByADarkSpirit #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords #Wormwitch

Fell Omen – Invaded by a Dark Spirit Review

By Thus Spoke

If you’re especially in the know, you might already be familiar with the artist behind Fell Omen, Spider of Pynx. Having contributed hurdy-gurdy and electronica skills to two different Spectral Lore records under this moniker, he has also created cover art for Auriferous Flame, Cirkeln, and Μπατουσκα, under the name Gilded Panoply. After years of lurking about the black metal scene, with Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the Spider has the chance to step out of the background and begin their officially ‘metal’ musical arc as Fell Omen.1 Here for a good time, and not a long time, with a runtime barely surpassing 20 minutes,2 Invaded by a Dark Spirit is a lightning round in Fell Omen’s raucous take on black metal.

Invaded by a Dark Spirit is characterized by two main facets: punky attitude and crusty sound—though it’s not exactly crust-punk stylistically. While there are hints of Wormwitch here and there, this is combined with an old Immortal vibe about the riffs and vocals, as well as frequent use of hurdy-gurdy. Rambunctious rhythms and refrains abound (“Dungeon Metal Punks Besieging Digital Castles,” “Warrior Jar,” “In the Poison Swamp”). The record maintains this rough and ready tone throughout: while there is a subtly different flair to individual tracks, there’s not a lot to actually distinguish them. Opener “Don’t Go Hollow, You Have Steel,”3, showcases everything you will hear for the rest of the record, with the exception of vocals, which here are restricted to the occasional snarled “eaaaagh!” The low-fi production which brings the fuzz and distortion, and that faraway washy quality to the vocals, contributes to the album’s coarseness and the sense of a gutsy spirit. But it equally brings the above uniformity into the realm of the problematic, as well as generating some problems of its own.

Rawness itself is not the issue, it’s how this rawness negatively affects Fell Omen’s compositions. Good raw black metal is a biting assault that can be beautiful or brutal. But in the case of Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the grittiness makes everything bland or bothersome. Hurdy-gurdy, sitting right at the front of the mix, wailing its refrain through the cellophane wrapping of the master, like a fucking kazoo, is jarring in a way I had not experienced before. And it is used a lot. That being said, the actual guitar is also prone to flights of wobbly fancy that imitate the hurdy-gurdy’s mannerisms in a way that blurs the line between them. This guitar sound could be cool, and in fact sometimes actually is (“Dungeon Metal…,” “In the Poison Swamp”), but the milquetoast package it comes in saps that coolness away. Programmed and acoustic drums alike sound akin to a stock keyboard ‘drum’ noise and are thus indistinguishable. Pointlessly brief flashes of synth get thrown in for no identifiable reason other than a whim (“Dungeon Metal…,” “Forlorn Knights and Strange Flasks”, tricking the listener into thinking that something interesting might be about to happen. Even setting aside particular noises that might be personal triggers, the songs are boring: monotonous in their vaguely repetitious way and stultified by the veil of grime.

While there are some admittedly catchy grooves sprinkled around Invaded by a Dark Spirit, the above problems block proper enjoyment of them. “In the Poison Swamp” is the closest thing to a “banger” with its infectious rhythms and well-timed “rawwrr”s working well off of the bendy guitar lines. It’s a shame it comes last. Others (“Don’t Go Hollow…,” “Warrior Jar”) can get your head bobbing well enough, and if you strain your ears just right, the whining melodies (hurdy-gurdy or otherwise) sound almost gnarly. Yet nothing is gripping; nothing is sufficiently slick, raw, or savage enough to capitalize on the low-fi sound and make this the rollicking riot it could so easily have been. Rather, it all feels anodyne, distant, and placid.

For an album that only lasts around 20 minutes, Invaded by a Fell Spirit is a drag to get through; unless, that is, you just ignore it, which is relatively easy to do. Fell Omen can craft some fun grooves, and there is some cool stuff going on with the guitar distortion and hurdy-gurdy, but these are superseded by the monotony and paradoxical blandness of it all. You can have a good time with selected tracks, but it doesn’t diminish the fact that Invaded by a Dark Spirit is nothing like the boisterous, epic tale it pretends to be.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 14th, 2025

#20 #2025 #BlackMetal #Crust #CrustPunk #DungeonSynth #Feb25 #FellOmen #GreekMetal #Immortal #InvadedByADarkSpirit #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #TrueCultRecords #Wormwitch