#ulthar — Public Fediverse posts

Les 18 et 19 avril 2026, retrouvez nous aux Paris Montreuil Expo pour parler, jouer et découvrir nos jeux : The Caravan, Les miaulements d'Ulthar, Élestria, TGCQ - le jeu de rôle quantique, Léviathan éditions, Bruno Guerin ....

www.xaviiiier.com

#jdr #ludiverse, #rpg #thecaravan #ulthar #lovecraft #cats #chat #jeuderole

Les 18 et 19 avril 2026, retrouvez nous aux Paris Montreuil Expo pour parler, jouer et découvrir nos jeux : The Caravan, Les miaulements d'Ulthar, Élestria, TGCQ - le jeu de rôle quantique, Léviathan éditions, Bruno Guerin ....

www.xaviiiier.com

#jdr #ludiverse, #rpg #thecaravan #ulthar #lovecraft #cats #chat #jeuderole

Les 18 et 19 avril 2026, retrouvez nous aux Paris Montreuil Expo pour parler, jouer et découvrir nos jeux : The Caravan, Les miaulements d'Ulthar, Élestria, TGCQ - le jeu de rôle quantique, Léviathan éditions, Bruno Guerin ....

www.xaviiiier.com

#jdr #ludiverse, #rpg #thecaravan #ulthar #lovecraft #cats #chat #jeuderole

Les 18 et 19 avril 2026, retrouvez nous aux Paris Montreuil Expo pour parler, jouer et découvrir nos jeux : The Caravan, Les miaulements d'Ulthar, Élestria, TGCQ - le jeu de rôle quantique, Léviathan éditions, Bruno Guerin ....

www.xaviiiier.com

#jdr #ludiverse, #rpg #thecaravan #ulthar #lovecraft #cats #chat #jeuderole

Le 22ème Colloque de Bob aura lieu le 4 avril 2026 de 14h jusqu'à 4h du matin à la Maison de quartier de Doulon de Nantes.

Venez feuilleter, jouer aux Miaulements d'Ulthar et The Caravan.

On vous attend aussi avec @chadow.illustration , @rackham_le_roux @willoillustration

www.xaviiiier.com

#jdr #bobleroliste #rpg #darkfantasy #lovecraft #chtulhu #cats #chat #ulthar

Des tokens pour Les Miaulements d’Ulthar sont désormais disponibles gratuitement !
Parfaits pour vos parties et vos tables virtuelles.
Téléchargez-les, utilisez-les, miaulez-les partout !

https://xaviiiier.com/ulthar/download

#lovecraft #chat #Cthulhu #ulthar #miaulementsdulthar #JDR #rpg

Bonne nouvelle : je viens de recevoir le test de l’écran de jeu des #MiaulementsDulthar ! 🐾
Premières impressions très positives, hâte de recueillir vos avis. Merci pour votre soutien chaleureux.

#JDR #ecranjeu #ulthar #rpg #LOVECRAFT #gameontabletop
#miaou #chat #cats

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

Bonne nouvelle : je viens de recevoir le test de l’écran de jeu des #MiaulementsDulthar ! 🐾
Premières impressions très positives, hâte de recueillir vos avis. Merci pour votre soutien chaleureux.

#JDR #ecranjeu #ulthar #rpg #LOVECRAFT #gameontabletop
#miaou #chat #cats

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

Bonne nouvelle : je viens de recevoir le test de l’écran de jeu des #MiaulementsDulthar ! 🐾
Premières impressions très positives, hâte de recueillir vos avis. Merci pour votre soutien chaleureux.

#JDR #ecranjeu #ulthar #rpg #LOVECRAFT #gameontabletop
#miaou #chat #cats

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

Bonne nouvelle : je viens de recevoir le test de l’écran de jeu des #MiaulementsDulthar ! 🐾
Premières impressions très positives, hâte de recueillir vos avis. Merci pour votre soutien chaleureux.

#JDR #ecranjeu #ulthar #rpg #LOVECRAFT #gameontabletop
#miaou #chat #cats

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

Bonne nouvelle : je viens de recevoir le test de l’écran de jeu des #MiaulementsDulthar ! 🐾
Premières impressions très positives, hâte de recueillir vos avis. Merci pour votre soutien chaleureux.

#JDR #ecranjeu #ulthar #rpg #LOVECRAFT #gameontabletop
#miaou #chat #cats

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

Grande nouvelle ! La version alpha du Livre des Règles des Miaulements d'Ulthar est désormais disponible dans le butin numérique !
Plongez vous dès maintenant dans des aventures félines.
Vos retours seront précieux, un google drive est ouvert pour les coquilles.
Rolistiquement et Miaou à tous

#JDR #cthulhu #ulthar #lovecraft #gameontabletop #chat #miaou #RPG

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

Grande nouvelle ! La version alpha du Livre des Règles des Miaulements d'Ulthar est désormais disponible dans le butin numérique !
Plongez vous dès maintenant dans des aventures félines.
Vos retours seront précieux, un google drive est ouvert pour les coquilles.
Rolistiquement et Miaou à tous

#JDR #cthulhu #ulthar #lovecraft #gameontabletop #chat #miaou #RPG

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

Après le Livre des Règles et l'Écran, un nouvel élément vient compléter les Miaulements d'Ulthar ?
Des idées ?

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#Ulthar #JeuxDeRôle #lovecraft #jdr #cthulhu #gameontabletop

Voilà, réception du premier test d'impression du bestiaire !
Le projet prend vie ..... 30 adversaires contre les Chats d'Ulthar

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#JDR #lovecraft #gameontabletop #ulthar #chat

Les livres A4 sont bien arrivés chez moi !

Si vous souhaitez retirer vos packs à Octogônes, merci de me prévenir avant lundi 6 octobre.

https://www.xaviiiier.com

#JDR #octogones #ulthar #lovecraft #chat #cat #cthulhu

I am reading #unknownkadath comic from #Ablaze I am interested in talking about #lovecraft #dreamlands and the #catsofulthar
#ulthar

Il ne vous reste plus que 8 jours pour profiter du late pledge et embarquer dans l’aventure des MIAULEMENTS D'ULTHAR.

Petit zoom sur le livre des scénarios ....

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#JDR #ulthar #lovecraft #AppeldeCthulhu #rpg #cats #chat

L’écran des Miaulements d'ulthar avance à grands pas.

Les dernières modifications sont en cours avec l’illustratrice (@bleizez_art ): on peaufine les ombres et la taille du chat pour une ambiance parfaite. 🐾

Hâte de vous montrer le résultat !

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#JDR #ulthar #lovecraft #cats #AppeldeCthulhu #cthulhu #rpg

Ruinous Power – EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry Review

By Kenstrosity

As I get older, I grow ever more tired of labels. Yes, it’s helpful to have a baseline frame of reference for what something is, but lately, I find myself abandoning these kinds of single-use terms in favor of something more substantial and descriptive. So, when Canada’s Ruinous Power entered my review rotation, I allowed myself more room than ever before to interpret what they craft outside of the multitudinous boxes in which they could fit. A newer outfit comprised by members of Egregore and Mitochondrion (among many other bands) in 2021, Ruinous Power incubated their debut record EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry until its inevitable escape from the confines of twisted minds into meatspace, where it corrupts all who would encounter it.

Based on the lore and aesthetics of the Warhammer 40k franchise, Prototype Weaponry takes what on the surface sounds like blackened death metal, endows it with a raucous thrall of thrash, and imbues within it an eerie, synth-woven atmosphere. Comparisons to both Mitochondrion and Egregore are apt, placing Ruinous Power comfortably inside that family tree of skronked-up up blackened death pedigree. However, that extra dose of mutated thrash allows a twist of The Outer Limits Voivod to pulse beneath the skin, while Ulthar‘s unearthly, necrotic limb hovers just over Ruinous Power’s writhing flesh. Juggling long-form excursions into the murky abyss with violent expulsions of a much more expeditious nature, Ruinous Power embodies Prototype Weaponry with a restless, anxious energy and equips it with lethal armaments liable to destroy us all.

Prototype Weaponry wields those armaments with aplomb despite its unpredictable nature, expertly balancing impenetrable discordance with highly accessible rhythms and infectious repetition. Ten-minute opening epic “But What of Sacred Mars?” takes tumbling, scraping riffs in stride, sticking the landing with a proggy companion motif that ripples with lean power. Pumping that momentum for five minutes, this track takes its rest and allows a bass-led, Mare Cognitum-esque second act to immerse the listener with lush instrumental developments. In doing this, Ruinous Power prepare the listener for what’s to come, and what’s to come is unchecked destruction. “The Long Game,” “Kneel,” and album highlight “+++ Engine Kill +++” represent Prototype Weaponry’s most vicious salvos. All three toss the listener clear across a dystopian battlefield with tearing leads evoking a sooty and scrawled Portal-ish visage (“The Long Game”), relentless riffs that refuse to adhere to either death metal or thrash metal conventions while still inheriting many of their physical traits (“Kneel,” “+++ Engine Kill +++”), and an uncanny sense of melody that defies Ruinous Power’s inhuman lust for aural obliteration (“The Long Game”). So as to not deprive the listener of a cohesive experience, Ruinous Power stitches these divergent anatomies together with strange, but never unfamiliar, connective tissue in such a way that transitions between seemingly incompatible segments provide the context necessary to justify their positioning at every joint.

In this way, Prototype Weaponry proves that Ruinous Power’s experience with the weird and wild pays dividends even when crafting more straightforward material than their more notable main projects. However, a few nagging concerns remain. Though its myriad riffs and motifs feel fresh and vital in the context of the greater metalverse, Protoype Weaponry also toys with self-plagiarism a little too closely in its album-wide microcosm. “The Descent of the Host” inherits an assortment of its constituent building blocks from the motifs introduced by “But What of Sacred Mars?” and “+++ Engine Kill +++,” and some of the arpeggiated wiggles and runs featured on “Cerebrum Malefice” feel all too familiar to those on earlier cuts like “Kneel.” On a separate note, with an album as tight as Prototype Weaponry—a mere thirty-one minutes, rounding up—instrumental interludes like the title track provide very little outside of superficial atmosphere, taking away from the whole rather than bolstering it.

As the dust clears and the bodies are counted, Prototype Weaponry stands strong and victorious, but the battle left a few weak points exposed. Not to be deterred by mere flesh wounds, Ruinous Power used their extensive past experience crafting dense, oppressive extreme metal to make a bold statement inside a more accessible framework. Thus, Prototype Weaponry earns my overall recommendation. Its riffs break necks as easily as they invite spirited imagination. Its dynamic structures immerse as readily as they immolate. Its presence enthralls as deeply as it terrifies. If that entices you even in the slightest, and you crave EXTREME DANGER, secure yourself some Prototype Weaponry today!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Website: Too Kvlt for Webz
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlackMetal #CanadianMetal #DeathMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #Egregore #EXTREMEDANGERPrototypeWeaponry #Feb25 #I #MareCognitum #Mitochondrion #Portal #Review #Reviews #RuinousPower #ThrashMetal #Ulthar #VoidhangerRecords #Voivod

Ruinous Power – EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry Review

By Kenstrosity

As I get older, I grow ever more tired of labels. Yes, it’s helpful to have a baseline frame of reference for what something is, but lately, I find myself abandoning these kinds of single-use terms in favor of something more substantial and descriptive. So, when Canada’s Ruinous Power entered my review rotation, I allowed myself more room than ever before to interpret what they craft outside of the multitudinous boxes in which they could fit. A newer outfit comprised by members of Egregore and Mitochondrion (among many other bands) in 2021, Ruinous Power incubated their debut record EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry until its inevitable escape from the confines of twisted minds into meatspace, where it corrupts all who would encounter it.

Based on the lore and aesthetics of the Warhammer 40k franchise, Prototype Weaponry takes what on the surface sounds like blackened death metal, endows it with a raucous thrall of thrash, and imbues within it an eerie, synth-woven atmosphere. Comparisons to both Mitochondrion and Egregore are apt, placing Ruinous Power comfortably inside that family tree of skronked-up up blackened death pedigree. However, that extra dose of mutated thrash allows a twist of The Outer Limits Voivod to pulse beneath the skin, while Ulthar‘s unearthly, necrotic limb hovers just over Ruinous Power’s writhing flesh. Juggling long-form excursions into the murky abyss with violent expulsions of a much more expeditious nature, Ruinous Power embodies Prototype Weaponry with a restless, anxious energy and equips it with lethal armaments liable to destroy us all.

Prototype Weaponry wields those armaments with aplomb despite its unpredictable nature, expertly balancing impenetrable discordance with highly accessible rhythms and infectious repetition. Ten-minute opening epic “But What of Sacred Mars?” takes tumbling, scraping riffs in stride, sticking the landing with a proggy companion motif that ripples with lean power. Pumping that momentum for five minutes, this track takes its rest and allows a bass-led, Mare Cognitum-esque second act to immerse the listener with lush instrumental developments. In doing this, Ruinous Power prepare the listener for what’s to come, and what’s to come is unchecked destruction. “The Long Game,” “Kneel,” and album highlight “+++ Engine Kill +++” represent Prototype Weaponry’s most vicious salvos. All three toss the listener clear across a dystopian battlefield with tearing leads evoking a sooty and scrawled Portal-ish visage (“The Long Game”), relentless riffs that refuse to adhere to either death metal or thrash metal conventions while still inheriting many of their physical traits (“Kneel,” “+++ Engine Kill +++”), and an uncanny sense of melody that defies Ruinous Power’s inhuman lust for aural obliteration (“The Long Game”). So as to not deprive the listener of a cohesive experience, Ruinous Power stitches these divergent anatomies together with strange, but never unfamiliar, connective tissue in such a way that transitions between seemingly incompatible segments provide the context necessary to justify their positioning at every joint.

In this way, Prototype Weaponry proves that Ruinous Power’s experience with the weird and wild pays dividends even when crafting more straightforward material than their more notable main projects. However, a few nagging concerns remain. Though its myriad riffs and motifs feel fresh and vital in the context of the greater metalverse, Protoype Weaponry also toys with self-plagiarism a little too closely in its album-wide microcosm. “The Descent of the Host” inherits an assortment of its constituent building blocks from the motifs introduced by “But What of Sacred Mars?” and “+++ Engine Kill +++,” and some of the arpeggiated wiggles and runs featured on “Cerebrum Malefice” feel all too familiar to those on earlier cuts like “Kneel.” On a separate note, with an album as tight as Prototype Weaponry—a mere thirty-one minutes, rounding up—instrumental interludes like the title track provide very little outside of superficial atmosphere, taking away from the whole rather than bolstering it.

As the dust clears and the bodies are counted, Prototype Weaponry stands strong and victorious, but the battle left a few weak points exposed. Not to be deterred by mere flesh wounds, Ruinous Power used their extensive past experience crafting dense, oppressive extreme metal to make a bold statement inside a more accessible framework. Thus, Prototype Weaponry earns my overall recommendation. Its riffs break necks as easily as they invite spirited imagination. Its dynamic structures immerse as readily as they immolate. Its presence enthralls as deeply as it terrifies. If that entices you even in the slightest, and you crave EXTREME DANGER, secure yourself some Prototype Weaponry today!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Website: Too Kvlt for Webz
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlackMetal #CanadianMetal #DeathMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #Egregore #EXTREMEDANGERPrototypeWeaponry #Feb25 #I #MareCognitum #Mitochondrion #Portal #Review #Reviews #RuinousPower #ThrashMetal #Ulthar #VoidhangerRecords #Voivod

Ruinous Power – EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry Review

By Kenstrosity

As I get older, I grow ever more tired of labels. Yes, it’s helpful to have a baseline frame of reference for what something is, but lately, I find myself abandoning these kinds of single-use terms in favor of something more substantial and descriptive. So, when Canada’s Ruinous Power entered my review rotation, I allowed myself more room than ever before to interpret what they craft outside of the multitudinous boxes in which they could fit. A newer outfit comprised by members of Egregore and Mitochondrion (among many other bands) in 2021, Ruinous Power incubated their debut record EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry until its inevitable escape from the confines of twisted minds into meatspace, where it corrupts all who would encounter it.

Based on the lore and aesthetics of the Warhammer 40k franchise, Prototype Weaponry takes what on the surface sounds like blackened death metal, endows it with a raucous thrall of thrash, and imbues within it an eerie, synth-woven atmosphere. Comparisons to both Mitochondrion and Egregore are apt, placing Ruinous Power comfortably inside that family tree of skronked-up up blackened death pedigree. However, that extra dose of mutated thrash allows a twist of The Outer Limits Voivod to pulse beneath the skin, while Ulthar‘s unearthly, necrotic limb hovers just over Ruinous Power’s writhing flesh. Juggling long-form excursions into the murky abyss with violent expulsions of a much more expeditious nature, Ruinous Power embodies Prototype Weaponry with a restless, anxious energy and equips it with lethal armaments liable to destroy us all.

Prototype Weaponry wields those armaments with aplomb despite its unpredictable nature, expertly balancing impenetrable discordance with highly accessible rhythms and infectious repetition. Ten-minute opening epic “But What of Sacred Mars?” takes tumbling, scraping riffs in stride, sticking the landing with a proggy companion motif that ripples with lean power. Pumping that momentum for five minutes, this track takes its rest and allows a bass-led, Mare Cognitum-esque second act to immerse the listener with lush instrumental developments. In doing this, Ruinous Power prepare the listener for what’s to come, and what’s to come is unchecked destruction. “The Long Game,” “Kneel,” and album highlight “+++ Engine Kill +++” represent Prototype Weaponry’s most vicious salvos. All three toss the listener clear across a dystopian battlefield with tearing leads evoking a sooty and scrawled Portal-ish visage (“The Long Game”), relentless riffs that refuse to adhere to either death metal or thrash metal conventions while still inheriting many of their physical traits (“Kneel,” “+++ Engine Kill +++”), and an uncanny sense of melody that defies Ruinous Power’s inhuman lust for aural obliteration (“The Long Game”). So as to not deprive the listener of a cohesive experience, Ruinous Power stitches these divergent anatomies together with strange, but never unfamiliar, connective tissue in such a way that transitions between seemingly incompatible segments provide the context necessary to justify their positioning at every joint.

In this way, Prototype Weaponry proves that Ruinous Power’s experience with the weird and wild pays dividends even when crafting more straightforward material than their more notable main projects. However, a few nagging concerns remain. Though its myriad riffs and motifs feel fresh and vital in the context of the greater metalverse, Protoype Weaponry also toys with self-plagiarism a little too closely in its album-wide microcosm. “The Descent of the Host” inherits an assortment of its constituent building blocks from the motifs introduced by “But What of Sacred Mars?” and “+++ Engine Kill +++,” and some of the arpeggiated wiggles and runs featured on “Cerebrum Malefice” feel all too familiar to those on earlier cuts like “Kneel.” On a separate note, with an album as tight as Prototype Weaponry—a mere thirty-one minutes, rounding up—instrumental interludes like the title track provide very little outside of superficial atmosphere, taking away from the whole rather than bolstering it.

As the dust clears and the bodies are counted, Prototype Weaponry stands strong and victorious, but the battle left a few weak points exposed. Not to be deterred by mere flesh wounds, Ruinous Power used their extensive past experience crafting dense, oppressive extreme metal to make a bold statement inside a more accessible framework. Thus, Prototype Weaponry earns my overall recommendation. Its riffs break necks as easily as they invite spirited imagination. Its dynamic structures immerse as readily as they immolate. Its presence enthralls as deeply as it terrifies. If that entices you even in the slightest, and you crave EXTREME DANGER, secure yourself some Prototype Weaponry today!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Website: Too Kvlt for Webz
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlackMetal #CanadianMetal #DeathMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #Egregore #EXTREMEDANGERPrototypeWeaponry #Feb25 #I #MareCognitum #Mitochondrion #Portal #Review #Reviews #RuinousPower #ThrashMetal #Ulthar #VoidhangerRecords #Voivod

Ruinous Power – EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry Review

By Kenstrosity

As I get older, I grow ever more tired of labels. Yes, it’s helpful to have a baseline frame of reference for what something is, but lately, I find myself abandoning these kinds of single-use terms in favor of something more substantial and descriptive. So, when Canada’s Ruinous Power entered my review rotation, I allowed myself more room than ever before to interpret what they craft outside of the multitudinous boxes in which they could fit. A newer outfit comprised by members of Egregore and Mitochondrion (among many other bands) in 2021, Ruinous Power incubated their debut record EXTREME DANGER: Prototype Weaponry until its inevitable escape from the confines of twisted minds into meatspace, where it corrupts all who would encounter it.

Based on the lore and aesthetics of the Warhammer 40k franchise, Prototype Weaponry takes what on the surface sounds like blackened death metal, endows it with a raucous thrall of thrash, and imbues within it an eerie, synth-woven atmosphere. Comparisons to both Mitochondrion and Egregore are apt, placing Ruinous Power comfortably inside that family tree of skronked-up up blackened death pedigree. However, that extra dose of mutated thrash allows a twist of The Outer Limits Voivod to pulse beneath the skin, while Ulthar‘s unearthly, necrotic limb hovers just over Ruinous Power’s writhing flesh. Juggling long-form excursions into the murky abyss with violent expulsions of a much more expeditious nature, Ruinous Power embodies Prototype Weaponry with a restless, anxious energy and equips it with lethal armaments liable to destroy us all.

Prototype Weaponry wields those armaments with aplomb despite its unpredictable nature, expertly balancing impenetrable discordance with highly accessible rhythms and infectious repetition. Ten-minute opening epic “But What of Sacred Mars?” takes tumbling, scraping riffs in stride, sticking the landing with a proggy companion motif that ripples with lean power. Pumping that momentum for five minutes, this track takes its rest and allows a bass-led, Mare Cognitum-esque second act to immerse the listener with lush instrumental developments. In doing this, Ruinous Power prepare the listener for what’s to come, and what’s to come is unchecked destruction. “The Long Game,” “Kneel,” and album highlight “+++ Engine Kill +++” represent Prototype Weaponry’s most vicious salvos. All three toss the listener clear across a dystopian battlefield with tearing leads evoking a sooty and scrawled Portal-ish visage (“The Long Game”), relentless riffs that refuse to adhere to either death metal or thrash metal conventions while still inheriting many of their physical traits (“Kneel,” “+++ Engine Kill +++”), and an uncanny sense of melody that defies Ruinous Power’s inhuman lust for aural obliteration (“The Long Game”). So as to not deprive the listener of a cohesive experience, Ruinous Power stitches these divergent anatomies together with strange, but never unfamiliar, connective tissue in such a way that transitions between seemingly incompatible segments provide the context necessary to justify their positioning at every joint.

In this way, Prototype Weaponry proves that Ruinous Power’s experience with the weird and wild pays dividends even when crafting more straightforward material than their more notable main projects. However, a few nagging concerns remain. Though its myriad riffs and motifs feel fresh and vital in the context of the greater metalverse, Protoype Weaponry also toys with self-plagiarism a little too closely in its album-wide microcosm. “The Descent of the Host” inherits an assortment of its constituent building blocks from the motifs introduced by “But What of Sacred Mars?” and “+++ Engine Kill +++,” and some of the arpeggiated wiggles and runs featured on “Cerebrum Malefice” feel all too familiar to those on earlier cuts like “Kneel.” On a separate note, with an album as tight as Prototype Weaponry—a mere thirty-one minutes, rounding up—instrumental interludes like the title track provide very little outside of superficial atmosphere, taking away from the whole rather than bolstering it.

As the dust clears and the bodies are counted, Prototype Weaponry stands strong and victorious, but the battle left a few weak points exposed. Not to be deterred by mere flesh wounds, Ruinous Power used their extensive past experience crafting dense, oppressive extreme metal to make a bold statement inside a more accessible framework. Thus, Prototype Weaponry earns my overall recommendation. Its riffs break necks as easily as they invite spirited imagination. Its dynamic structures immerse as readily as they immolate. Its presence enthralls as deeply as it terrifies. If that entices you even in the slightest, and you crave EXTREME DANGER, secure yourself some Prototype Weaponry today!

Rating: Very Good
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Website: Too Kvlt for Webz
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlackMetal #CanadianMetal #DeathMetal #DissonantBlackMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #Egregore #EXTREMEDANGERPrototypeWeaponry #Feb25 #I #MareCognitum #Mitochondrion #Portal #Review #Reviews #RuinousPower #ThrashMetal #Ulthar #VoidhangerRecords #Voivod

Grande nouvelle ! Les premiers cartons des exemplaires imprimés des Miaulements d'Ulthar commencent à arriver ! 🐾

www.xaviiiier.com/ulthar

#JDR #ulthar #lovecraft #cthulhu #jeuderole #chat #miaulementsdulthar

Grande nouvelle ! Les premiers cartons des exemplaires imprimés des Miaulements d'Ulthar commencent à arriver ! 🐾

www.xaviiiier.com/ulthar

#JDR #ulthar #lovecraft #cthulhu #jeuderole #chat #miaulementsdulthar

Grande nouvelle ! Les premiers cartons des exemplaires imprimés des Miaulements d'Ulthar commencent à arriver ! 🐾

www.xaviiiier.com/ulthar

#JDR #ulthar #lovecraft #cthulhu #jeuderole #chat #miaulementsdulthar

Grande nouvelle ! Les premiers cartons des exemplaires imprimés des Miaulements d'Ulthar commencent à arriver ! 🐾

www.xaviiiier.com/ulthar

#JDR #ulthar #lovecraft #cthulhu #jeuderole #chat #miaulementsdulthar

La version bêta du bestiaire des Miaulements d'Ulthar est dispo dans votre butin numérique.

Prêts à enrichir vos aventures dans la Contrée du Rêve ?

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#lovecraft #cats #ulthar #JDR #rpg #chat

Voici la version définitive de l'Écran et de la Couverture des Miaulements d'Ulthar !
Une grande étape franchie, l'univers félin onirique prend pleinement forme.
https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#rpg #lovecraft #cthulhu #JDR #ulthar #chat #cats

Premier test pour l'intégration des illustrations de @Breizez_art suite au déblocage avancé du palier 5 !
Une étape clé franchie, merci à tous pour votre soutien incroyable. Hâte de partager les résultats avec vous.

Miaou à tous !

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#JDR #lovecraft #cthulhu #cats #ulthar #rpg #gamerpg #jeuderole

Mise en page du verso de l'écran pour les Miaulements d'Ulthar.
ça avanceeeeeeeeeeeee.
Miaouuuuuu

Late pledge en cours : https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#jdr #ulthar #rpg #jeuderole #lovecraft #cthulhu #Ecran #cats

Découvrez la première image de la carte des Contrées du Rêve pour #LesMiaulementsDulthar !
Explorez les mystérieux royaumes oniriques où les Gardiens d'Ulthar protègent l'équilibre des mondes.

https://www.gameontabletop.com/cf2771/les-miaulements-d-ulthar.html

#jeuderole #cthulhu #contréesdurêve #lovecraft #jdr #rpg #ulthar

This week on Deep Cuts in a Lovecraftian Vein, we look at the intersection between Lovecraftian fiction and anthropomorphic erotica with Monstrous Lust: The Cat of Ulthar (2017) by E. M. Beastly.

https://deepcuts.blog/2025/02/08/monstrous-lust-the-cat-of-ulthar-2017-by-e-m-beastly/

#lovecraftian #ulthar #furry #review #weirdfiction

Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison Review

By Eldritch Elitist

There are a mere handful of artists whose work I would describe as genuinely transportive. Black Curse is one of them, but instead of sweeping me away into cold space, vast wilderness, or entire fucking battlefields, Black Curse transports me straight to whatever Cenobite hell rewires your pleasure centers. By all accounts, I should not like Black Curse. I don’t even like war metal1. Yet 2020’s Endless Wound clawed and wriggled and scorched its way into my good graces all the same, and upon retrospection feels like one of that year’s most enduring records. Four years on, and those assuredly busy members of Khemmis, Primitive Man, Spectral Voice, and now Ulthar2 have convened again for a follow-up I never dared hope would materialize. The result is Burning in Celestial Poison, a record I can’t quite fully wrap my brain around, other than to gain an incomplete understanding of its brilliance.

Burning in Celestial Poison still very much sounds like Black Curse: sonically akin to a more purely elemental Teitanblood, but with an unmistakably caustic stamp. It’s evident that the members understand that approximately 17% of the Black Curse entertainment factor stems from fucked up guitar squeals and indecipherable shrieking, as those crucial components are ever-present. Yet in contrast to the relative simplicity of Black Curse’s debut, Burning in Celestial Poison’s compositions invoke a puzzle box shrouded in thorns and smoke. Its average track length nearly doubles that of its predecessor, but even its shortest cuts feel unpredictable and disarmingly aggressive. For all its twists and turns, Burning in Celestial Poison is a more immediately visceral Black Curse, with less allowance for doom metal sections or breathing room in general. This is an outright endurance test and an utterly relentless experience, but its density and scope are captivating, ensuring maximum replay value.

In terms of genre composition, Burning in Celestial Poison has shifted the balance of black metal and death metal, giving their blackened side more earth with which to scorch. In fact, the winding compositions frequently remind me of Black Curse’s labelmate Funereal Presence. While Black Curse operates best when they prime their assaults with death metal bluntness, this change represents a better balancing of their elements, and death metal is still frequently granted center stage. “Trodden Flesh” in particular boasts a midsection anchored with disgustingly catchy riffs that feel disconcertingly accessible in the context of this record, uncharacteristically enticing as if concealing an ulterior motive. If I have a critique from the songwriting front, it’s that memorable passages such as these feel somewhat sparse. There are big moments that tower above the madness, feverishly grasping at an even bolder vision, but their hold is fleeting. A greater frequency of these moments could have further elevated an already compelling vision.

Arthur Rizk returns once again as producer, and has engineered Burning in Celestial Poison to be similarly abrasive, with instruments presented in lower fidelity than its predecessor. The performances are further obscured by countless layers of screeching ambience, with every component thoroughly moistened by reverb. I’m of two minds regarding the production on this record. On one hand, its sheer cacophony makes for a listening experience that feels only a few steps removed from inscrutability, making its curious atmosphere all the more maliciously unknowable. On the other, my desire to constantly delve into this record’s depths for a better understanding of its thesis is mildly quelled by the hostility of its engineering. As this uncomfortable feeling is almost certainly Black Curse’s intent, I’m inclined to chalk the production choices up as a net positive. Burning in Celestial Poison is the rare metal record that may come across as legitimately hostile to genre veterans, and one that somehow lives up to the overwrought, hyperbolic pitch presented with its promo sheet.

After living with this album for some time, I came to the realization that Burning in Celestial Poison feels closer to the Black Curse imprinted in my mind following their debut than the Black Curse presented on that debut. It is unquestionably more than the sum of its parts and feels closer to the band’s true vision, one driven by instinct and impulse rather than a discernible, structured order. As for whether I believe this record is actually better than Endless Wound, I believe the answer will only be revealed over time. Endless Wound is more immediately appealing, but something about its execution feels less satisfying now that I know what Black Curse is capable of. Burning in Celestial Poison will almost certainly spark debate; with every spin, it becomes clearer that it is not a safe sequel. Yet this is still a work that sounds like it could only come from one collective of artists, and to me, that signifies a success on all fronts.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Sepulchral Voice Records
Website: blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: October 25th, 2024

Show 2 footnotes

1. It could be argued whether Black Curse qualifies as war metal or is merely war metal-adjacent, but I’m not exactly qualified to weigh in. ↩
2. That band’s Steve Peacock here replaces Blood Incantation’s Morris Kolontyrsky on bass. ↩

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #BlackCurse #BlackenedDeathMetal #BloodIncantation #BurningInCelestialPoison #FunerealPresence #Khemmis #Oct24 #PrimitiveMan #Review #Reviews #SepulchralVoiceRecords #SpectralVoice #Teitanblood #Ulthar

How it began / How it ended
#Cats #Ulthar #Necropants

🔊 #NowPlaying on #KEXP's #SeekAndDestroy

Ulthar:
🎵 Cephalophore

#Ulthar

https://open.spotify.com/track/0XdSpwJBCLs0c04p4oEa5X

https://ulthar666.bandcamp.com/track/cephalophore
#Bandcamp

Cosmic death Sunday night, I dunno.

#Ulthar from Oakland, featuring Steve Peacock from #SpiritPossession on bass and vocals… if you know, you’ll hear it!

https://ulthar666.bandcamp.com/album/anthronomicon-2

Pendant que leurs pantins font les guignols à la #COP28 les vrais maîtres du monde se réunissent en conclave pour décider de l'avenir de cette petite planète.
#Caturday #Ulthar

@AnthonyCollette

The Darks Side of #Ulthar

Hmmm...
What could possibly go wrong?

#Ulthar #Cat #Ouija #Eldritch #Horror

🔊 #NowPlaying on #KEXP's #VarietyMix

Ulthar:
🎵 Cephalophore

#Ulthar

https://open.spotify.com/track/0XdSpwJBCLs0c04p4oEa5X

https://listen.20buckspin.com/track/cephalophore

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#AngryMetalGuy
Ulthar - Anthronomicon Review | Angry Metal Guy
A review of Anthronomicon by Ulthar, available February 17th worldwide via 20 Buck Spin.

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ulthar-anthronomicon-review/

#Ulthar #Antronomicon #BlackMetal #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #ReadersTrending #MusicLovers #NoiseRock #CthulhuMythos #RiffRiot

REVIEW: Ulthar - "Providence" (2020)

"Time and again, Ulthar finds a good idea – a strong riff, a mighty hook, a crushing motif – and has the equally good sense to keep using it."

#deathmetal #Pittsburgh #review #music #Ulthar #providence #metal

https://lownotesmusic.blogspot.com/2020/06/ulthar-providence-2020.html

First Impressions - I try out a new track from Ulthar's forthcoming album, 'Providence', and rather like what I find.

#metal #deathmetal #music #ulthar

https://lownotesmusic.blogspot.com/2020/05/first-reactions-ulthars-furnace.html

El Cuervo’s and GardensTale’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By El Cuervo

El Cuervo

This list represents business as usual in Casa Cuervo. Four albums by bands that have previously hit my Album o’ the Year list. Four albums more-or-less fall into my preferred progressive death metal sub-genre. And one 80s-worshiping retrowave release. Only the very top and very bottom of my list feature acts outside my bailiwick.

You might think this would result in a year that I rate highly for musical releases. Sadly the opposite is true. I found it surprisingly easy to narrow down my list and surprisingly difficult to pick a real number one—both because there too few outstanding options to choose from. It says a lot that I reviewed two of my top three albums but I ‘only’ awarded these a 4.0. I admire all that’s been achieved by the entrants here but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed as we reach the end of 2023. Granted, my 2022 list was topped by two records that would be multi-year winners so the comparison was rough.

And yet, hope springs eternal. While it’s unlikely that 2024 will boast a list fitting so comfortably in my wheelhouse, I remain optimistic for a year full of new musical discoveries. Between now and then, enjoy the holiday season!

#10. Grails // Anches en Maat – Anches en Maat was my favorite music of the year to disconnect from reality and lose myself in a weird and wonderful world. There’s little left from the comparatively direct instrumental rock of early Grails, but their cinematic spectacle makes their recent music all the more intriguing. This one can loosely be bundled into post-rock but its range of influences, from blues to electronica to ambient to TV soundtracks, establishes a sound you won’t hear anywhere else. High-octane, minute-to-minute, and bursting with energy it isn’t. But what you will find is something endlessly evocative and endlessly repeatable in its lilting, laid-back spirit. I’m not a big post-rock nerd but I find everything released by Grails utterly engrossing.

#9. Svalbard // The Weight of the Mask – Svalbard have become more expressive and more creative as their career has progressed. While still firmly rooted in post-hardcore, The Weight of the Mask toys with musical boundaries more than ever. It features more of everything that has previously been a part of the Svalbard sound; from post-metal to post-rock to black metal. But it’s not the musical compositions that make these Brits so good. The emotive weight of their music makes each listen a passion-fuelled journey and I find myself returning for the feels it invokes above anything else. I’m not sure if I like Weight of the Mask more than When I Die, Will I Get Better? But, for those on the fence, it’s at least as good.

#8. Lunar Chamber // Shambhallic Vibrations – Few records from 2023 seemed as custom-built for this Cuervo as Shambhallic Vibrations by Lunar Chamber. Progressive? Check. Death metal? Check. Short run-time? Check. Incredible dynamism? Check. Buddhism?1 Check. Shambhallic Vibrations forges a new path through progressive death metal, leaning heavily on contemplative synths, impressive technicality, and doomy passages, all of which counter-balance the pace and ferocity of its core deathly style. Though shockingly varied for a release just running for 30 minutes, the release is unfailingly cohesive. From the breathy interludes to the brutal blasting, Lunar Chamber harmonizes their sounds into a satisfying whole. It isn’t a prerequisite for progressive albums to run for an hour or more. Shambhallic Vibrations does so much more with so much less.

#7. fromjoy // fromjoy – If you want to hear the coolest thing released in 2023, look no further than the self-titled EP by Houston’s fromjoy. It bottles insanity; conjures madness; flips the musical table. They do this with a fusion of various types of -core (grind, math, break) but streak this with winding, vaporwave synths. If this sounds like an unholy aberration, it is. But this aberration delights and energizes in equal measure. I’ve extracted more joy this year from these 26 minutes than full albums over twice that length. Almost every one of these ten tracks has a unique quirk; from wretched grind to stomping breakdowns to dancing trip-hop to smooth saxophones. fromjoy is a testament to pure creative energy and doing a lot with a little.

#6. Ulthar // Anthronomicon – Though it forms one side of a coin completed by its sister album Helionomicon, it was Anthronomicon that impressed me most of the concurrent release by pan-US collective Ulthar. What strikes me most are the compelling contradictions that Ulthar creates. Anthronomicon’s music is crushingly heavy yet repeatably memorable, while the instrumentation is oppressively other-worldly yet somehow human-performed. Blackened death metal cannot count itself among metal’s most penetrable sub-genres, but something about these warped arrangements hooks me. Ulthar might make strange, atmospheric music but Anthronomicon’s laser focus on outstanding riffs leaves a release I haven’t stopped spinning in nearly a year. It’s one of 2023’s most challenging but most rewarding listens.

#5. Tomb Mold // The Enduring Spirit – Why, after a run of critically acclaimed old-school death metal albums, is The Enduring Spirit the first Tomb Mold record to touch my AotY list? In short, because its music is far more inventive now. Switching out a cavernous aesthetic and unrelenting pace for tidier production and grandiose solos, The Enduring Spirit scratches that prog-death itch better than any other release from 2023. Though Tomb Mold has always been smarter-than-you-first-realize, this record represents a significant leap forward and feels like the next era of the band. Above all, it harmonizes Tomb Mold’s savage roots with newer, cerebral tendencies. While the immaculate transitions go some way to achieving this, the spacious soundstage and perfect instrumental tones ensure the release hangs together to my great satisfaction.

#4. Shadowrunner // Ocean of Time – Rebirth and Oblivion – For the first time, the Ocean of Time duo made me want to dislike a Shadowrunner release. Making the listener buy the same four songs twice in order to access the unique eight ruffled my feathers. But the music here is just so damn captivating that I can’t help but love the two sides nonetheless. Rebirth is as effortless and enchanting as any retrowave act from the last decade, while Oblivion is pure nostalgia bait. Warm synths, driving rhythms, smooth saxophones, and pleasant vocals; all are present and correct. Shameless pleasure and rose-tinted spectacles compel me to consistently choose something synthy for my AotY list and Shadowrunner made the best synth music of 2023. Do not sleep on one of the best acts in the scene.

#3. Sylosis // A Sign of Things to Come – I couldn’t be happier at my rediscovery of Sylosis since 2020’s Cycle of Suffering, and A Sign of Things to Come returns to deliver the goods once again. Despite the flack I took for describing Sylosis as how modern thrash should sound, I stand by that comment. 1986 already exists so go fucking listen to that again if you like. What this album will give you instead is music that fuses thrashy, melodic, technical, and hardcore influences into 10 super-charged tunes. They will fill you with rage, then re-energize you to exorcize that rage. For raw riff-craft, no other record was the match of this one. A sign of more things to come in the future? I fucking hope so.

#2. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Only one other record this year feels as complete as Of Golden Verse. It is a consummate album, expressing its music and thoughts in the exact amount of time it requires. Despite its poignance and emotive qualities, it feels incredibly precise; a work created by masters of their trade. Even with 4 tracks approaching or exceeding 7 minutes, there’s nary a wasted second. That’s a tough feat indeed in the world of prog, and Sermon exemplifies all that is great in the genre. Their undulating songwriting style results in music that ebbs from steely, tense atmospheres and flows to passionate, cathartic explosions. Dramatic, sure; maybe even melodramatic. But exciting and varied as Sermon dabbles in progressive, alternative, and doom metal. Of Golden Verse represents a huge step forward from their debut.

#1. Hasard // Hypnocentrisme – Though Hypnocentrisme wasn’t a clear winner, its complete singularity pushes it above everything else in 2023. Hasard paints stark, abstract images in shades of black; it’s an impenetrable, challenging release, obscuring its immense qualities behind oppressive heaviness and bewildering arrangements. Through the record’s black metal crust hides an accomplished orchestral core that’s just as disturbing—in some ways, more so—as its metal aspects. Purposefully deconstructing the screeching guitars, arhythmic drumming, ominous synths, and erratic counter-melodies delivers the year’s most thought-provoking music. Passively wallowing delivers the year’s most thought-crushing music. While it may not be the most enjoyable record of the year, it is certainly the most striking. No other 2023 record affected me like Hypnocentrisme.

Honorable Mentions

• Myrkur // Spine – Spine is just as sonically varied—arguably inconsistent—as any Myrkur release2 but this time it’s all high quality. From the poppy chorus on “Like Humans,” to the blast beats on “Valkyriernes Sang,” to the gentle folk on “Menneskebarn,” I’m emotionally invested throughout.
  Ahab // The Coral Tombs – Ahab is an indomitable force of doom metal, and The Coral Tombs didn’t miss a step after eight years away. Judicious variety and grand arrangements ensure that this is the best doom of 2023.
  Ne Obliviscaris // Exul – Balancing poignant string sections with crunchy death and black metal, NeO remains a stellar progressive metal band. Exul proves that even a NeO producing their weakest album is better than most others.

Songs o’ the Year

1. Godthrymm – “As Titans”
2. fromjoy – “Helios” / “Icarus”
3. In Flames – “Meet Your Maker”
4. Theocracy – “Return to Dust”
5. Hasard – “Hypnocentrisme”
6. Sermon – “Golden”
7. Angus McSix – “Master of the Universe”
8. Saturnus – “The Calling”
9. Sylosis – “Poison for the Lost”
10. ADMO – “Always”

GardensTale

In previous years, I wrote at least one paragraph about how the year went for me. But for the last 3 years, those have been pretty depressing, so I’m just going to skip that. Let’s talk about the good stuff instead. It’s strange to think that black metal is one of the last genres I seriously got into, around 5 years ago or so. Beforehand, I always thought all black metal was akin to lo-fi second-wave shit that sounds like someone sucked up a marble with the vacuum cleaner. Years before, Belgian unknowns Axamenta3 laid some groundwork to prove my misconception wrong, and Mistur hammered it home. Now the conversion is complete, thanks to a year that’s been absolutely stuffed with quality black metal. I could have made a very respectable list of only black metal records, HMs included. But I still like other genres, too, so it was inevitable a couple of other-minded rascals snuck in for color. At least Doom_et_Al won’t hate my list as much as usual. Probably.

I gotta add though, whilst I’ve heard a lot of praise for this year in metal, I still feel like I am missing a true winner. The order of my top 6 or so feels entirely arbitrary, and I’m not sure an extra month of listening would bring the necessary clarity. I’ve had plenty to love (my shortlist reached 10 albums by March or so, partially thanks to an unusually strong January) but the only albums I have been truly ecstatic about are discoveries that were released before the pandemic and barely metal-adjacent4 But so it goes! Every year is so different, in both life and music. I already had a sneak peek of a likely lister for next year, so I know we’ll be off to a good start in that regard.

I must thank my colleagues and editors for putting up with my slacking ass.5 You are a good bunch and half the reason I’m still pouring my heart and soul into this site. The other half is the free promos. And what’s an end-of-year projectile vomit of thank yous and love yous without addressing the readers? If you’re still here and didn’t just skip through to the list, you have my thanks. If you did skip to the list, you still have my thanks, you just won’t know about it. Even those of you who just check the winners and move on. You are still part of the weird and lovely conglomeration of readers we’ve developed, so thank you as well. And I must give a shout-out to the Discord folks. Though I don’t pop in too often, you’ve made it a lovely and welcoming server, and uncommonly well-behaved! Now, who’s ready for the other half of the worst takes in AMG?

#ish. Xoth // Exogalactic – Xoth is back and thus back in my list, because Xoth remains every bit the cool as hell bunch of motherfuckers it’s always been. It’s a little bit more technical and a little bit less memorable compared to its predecessor, missing a “Mountain Machines” level riff, but I still have a really hard time sitting still in my chair when Exogalactic is playing. Too much bouncy fun and sick solos!

#10. Fires in the Distance // Air Not Meant for Us – I listened to an absolute ton of melodic death metal in my early metal years. I still have a soft spot for the genre, but it also needs to do something different to stand out for me these days. Fires in the Distance fully meets that criterium. The stern, strident tone, doom-adjacent pacing, and tasteful piano make Air an album of aching beauty. I’m reminded in part of Eternal Tears of Sorrow, but far more mature and with great emotional depth. The only reason it didn’t place higher is that it doesn’t keep me coming back somehow, and these lists are nothing if not places to go with my gut.

#9. Leiþa // Reue – Speaking of my gut, Reue was the first full-blown punch it received this year. It amuses me when people claim that all black metal screams sound the same because though the lyrics are as incomprehensible as ever, I feel every ounce of the bottomless pain and despair Noise conjures here. But on top of the throat-ripping gurgles of depression are some very sophisticated melodies and good use of dynamics between quiet passages and all-out raging desperation. Most one-man bands struggle to make one worthwhile project, meanwhile, this guy has Leiþa, Non Est Deus, and Kanonenfieber on his resume. I’d call it unfair if I didn’t love it so much.

#8. Megaton Sword // Might & Power – Traditional metal doesn’t often show up on my year-end list. Maybe Megaton Sword wouldn’t have either, although I do love me a batch of idiosyncratic vocals. But a medical situation in the family made the first half of the year an especially stressful affair, and Might & Power with its simple sense of fun was my main musical comfort in that time. But there’s more to it than that. So many strong melodies with few frills. So many fist-pumping horseback-riding sword-raising shield-carrying moments of triumph and awe. And all tied together by that uncommon voice, acerbically spraying dark heroism over the battlefield. The worst of the family situation is well behind us, but Might & Power still won’t leave my regular rotation.

#7. Carnosus // Visions of Infinihility – Is it unfair to say Xoth got out-Xoth’ed this year? It’s the obvious point of comparison, between the many-faceted vocals, high technical ability, tongue-in-cheek insanity, twisting multi-part riffs, and snaking bass. But if Xoth is the oblique unknowable architecture of cosmic horror, Carnosus is the fleshy depravity of body horror. It theatrically revels in its filth and cackles as the audience turns green around the cheeks. Most of the death metal highlights this year have been of the cavernous or slamarific variety, neither of which does much for me, but Carnosus has been an absolute delight that’s kept up my good cheers.

#6. Walg // III – The vast majority of my music recommendations originate here, but once in a blue moon, my partner will send me a link to something that popped up in her random music feeds and I just get blown away. That’s how I found this independent duo from Groningen, the Netherlands, who, without any black metal experience, started shitting out annual albums in the middle of the pandemic and manage to outdo most of their peers in the process. III is a furious album, with blast beats and histrionic screeching out the wazoo, but is tempered by a bevy of great melodic riffs and the occasional gothic chant. Because the lyrics are in Dutch, which really is not a good language for this kind of horrific imagery, there’s something endearing to the band as well. The combination makes for a very interesting, dark yet catchy experience and one I can well recommend.

#5. Wayfarer // American Gothic – Wayfarer was always one of those bands I kept hearing about and kept not hearing. No particular reason, either; I resolved to listen to them several times and it just didn’t happen. Then I finally heard them, by seeing them live at Roadburn. It was definitely a highlight of the festival, aside from an interlude that was far too long and not nearly interesting enough. Thankfully, American Gothic is more balanced, a perfectly tuned album that calls forth the man in black stalking the prairie on horseback. It’s an album redolent in atmosphere without forgoing a good hook, one that can carry tension on a single banjo string. In short, it has lived up to the hype and then some.

#4. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Pure prog metal often gets a reputation for being wussy and weenie. Sermon does it differently. What attracts me to this album the most is the sense of threat. Sermon looms a great dark ominous wall that swallows the background and casts everything in shade. For an album to hold its breath even while beating you down takes some exquisite songwriting, and Of Golden Verse is jam-packed with it. Closer “Departure” really opens the floodgates, too, for a satisfying and bombastic finale.

#3. VAK // The Islands – I called The Islands one of the flat-out coolest albums of the year and I stand by it. If anything, my appreciation for VAK’s latest has only grown since then. When you’ve listened to a million albums, the ones that really stand out and stick with you are the ones with the strongest personality. If you’d send me an unlabeled song that didn’t make the cut on The Islands I would recognize it as VAK immediately, guaranteed. While so much sludge tries and fails to get under my skin with a hammer, VAK succeeds by taking a shortcut as it pries off my fingernails with a rusty screwdriver. It’s deliciously uncomfortable and I love it.

#2. The Circle // Of Awakening – This was surely the most heinous underrating of the year. The opener alone should earn the band its 4.0, a perfectly tuned piece of proggy black/death. One thing that strikes me is how good The Circle is at finding the right dosages. Every time it feels like one thing has run its course, something replaces or enhances it, from the versatile vocals to the use of symphonics and from blast beats to breathing room. I’ve revisited this one a lot since the summer, and for a while, I thought it was gonna top my list…

#1. Night Crowned // Tales – …until Night Crowned bum-rushed the stage. Whereas many of my listening habits this year have been decidedly un-brutal, in the metal sphere I have found myself drawn to the combination of melodic and intense music, particularly in the second half of the year. Tales is an exemplary album in this regard. The intense blasting and no-holds-barred shrieking always hold a melodic thread that makes it more than a wall of noise, whether it be from extra vocal layers, subtly interweaved symphonics, or a goddamn hurdy-gurdy that works way better than it should. The track where the latter features most prominently, “She Comes at Night,” is what drew me in, but every track has its own face; its deviations make it stand out from the others, like the clean vocals on melodic mid-pacer “Loviatar” or the Dimmu influence on the grandiose closer “Old Tales.” While I would not rank it as highly as the winners of previous years, you owe it to yourself to grab Tales if you haven’t already.

Honorable Mentions

• Aetherian // At Storm’s Edge – Contrary to my point with VAK, this album doesn’t do much particularly new but it’s the embodiment of Finnish style epic melodeath done really, really well.
• Somnuri // Desiderium – Who knew Mastodon-style sludge could be improved with grunge?
• Mutoid Man // Mutants – Wild, reckless fun with more depth than a first glance betrays.
• Genus Ordinis Dei // The Beginning – Narrative albums aren’t easy, but Genus Ordinis Dei has that shit in the bag. Easy to listen to, easy to love, and feels like a complete, well-rounded movie in the guise of an epic metal album.
• Laster // Andermans Mijne – It’s deeply strange and gets at all the bits of my brain that have been gathering dust for years, but I can’t deny its continuous pull.

Disappointment o’ the Year

This is the first paragraph I’m writing this year because it’s the easiest. I always used to like Soen. With Lotus, I even loved them. Imperial was a clear step-down, branching out in the wrong directions, but it was still enjoyable in its own right, just not approaching list material. They put on some good live shows this year, too. But Memorial goes off the deep end like Thelma & Louise. The remaining semblances of progressive rock and metal are gone, replaced by refried alternative rock. Even Joel Ekelöf sounds downright bad, his buttery smooth croon awkwardly squished into a grungy mold that doesn’t suit him. It’s like the band members collectively decided to challenge themselves by trying to make an album without doing any of the things they’re actually good at. The experiment failed, boys.

Song o’ the Year

Last year I discovered Norwegian artsy prog rock outfit Major Parkinson and fell deeply in love with their quirky, bombastic, gloomy aesthetic and thoughtful, varied songwriting. Not long into this year, I found out that enigmatic vocalist Jon Ivar Kollbotn had suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of a concert in October. Though he managed to finish the set, he flatlined backstage. By some miracle, police officers happened to be just outside the building and they managed to restart Kollbotn’s ticker. When he was sufficiently recovered, the band re-wrote and recorded an old live track named “Take the Prescription” to commemorate his survival. The result is as addictive as prescription drugs, an upbeat and offbeat artful piece of prog-pop with an infectious whistled tune, beautiful smooth bass usage, and the band’s signature dark undertone. Kollbotn sounds as coarse and moody as ever, and new permanent member Peri Winkle offers an outside perspective to the frontman’s near-death experience. And even if the track hadn’t been one of the sweetest things I’ve heard this year, it’d still be my favorite track of 2023. If only because he was still around to record it.

#2023 #Aetherian #Ahab #BlogPosts #Carnosus #ElCuervoSAndGardensTaleSTopTenIshOf2023 #FiresInTheDistance #fromjoy #GenusOrdinisDei #Grails #Hasard #Laster #Leitha #Lists #Listurnalia #LunarChamber #MegatonSword #MutoidMan #Myrkur #NeObliviscaris #NightCrowned #Sermon #Shadowrunner #Soen #Somnuri #Svalbard #Sylosis #TheCircle #TombMold #Ulthar #VAK #Walg #Wayfarer #Xoth

El Cuervo’s and GardensTale’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By El Cuervo

El Cuervo

This list represents business as usual in Casa Cuervo. Four albums by bands that have previously hit my Album o’ the Year list. Four albums more-or-less fall into my preferred progressive death metal sub-genre. And one 80s-worshiping retrowave release. Only the very top and very bottom of my list feature acts outside my bailiwick.

You might think this would result in a year that I rate highly for musical releases. Sadly the opposite is true. I found it surprisingly easy to narrow down my list and surprisingly difficult to pick a real number one—both because there too few outstanding options to choose from. It says a lot that I reviewed two of my top three albums but I ‘only’ awarded these a 4.0. I admire all that’s been achieved by the entrants here but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed as we reach the end of 2023. Granted, my 2022 list was topped by two records that would be multi-year winners so the comparison was rough.

And yet, hope springs eternal. While it’s unlikely that 2024 will boast a list fitting so comfortably in my wheelhouse, I remain optimistic for a year full of new musical discoveries. Between now and then, enjoy the holiday season!

#10. Grails // Anches en Maat – Anches en Maat was my favorite music of the year to disconnect from reality and lose myself in a weird and wonderful world. There’s little left from the comparatively direct instrumental rock of early Grails, but their cinematic spectacle makes their recent music all the more intriguing. This one can loosely be bundled into post-rock but its range of influences, from blues to electronica to ambient to TV soundtracks, establishes a sound you won’t hear anywhere else. High-octane, minute-to-minute, and bursting with energy it isn’t. But what you will find is something endlessly evocative and endlessly repeatable in its lilting, laid-back spirit. I’m not a big post-rock nerd but I find everything released by Grails utterly engrossing.

#9. Svalbard // The Weight of the Mask – Svalbard have become more expressive and more creative as their career has progressed. While still firmly rooted in post-hardcore, The Weight of the Mask toys with musical boundaries more than ever. It features more of everything that has previously been a part of the Svalbard sound; from post-metal to post-rock to black metal. But it’s not the musical compositions that make these Brits so good. The emotive weight of their music makes each listen a passion-fuelled journey and I find myself returning for the feels it invokes above anything else. I’m not sure if I like Weight of the Mask more than When I Die, Will I Get Better? But, for those on the fence, it’s at least as good.

#8. Lunar Chamber // Shambhallic Vibrations – Few records from 2023 seemed as custom-built for this Cuervo as Shambhallic Vibrations by Lunar Chamber. Progressive? Check. Death metal? Check. Short run-time? Check. Incredible dynamism? Check. Buddhism?1 Check. Shambhallic Vibrations forges a new path through progressive death metal, leaning heavily on contemplative synths, impressive technicality, and doomy passages, all of which counter-balance the pace and ferocity of its core deathly style. Though shockingly varied for a release just running for 30 minutes, the release is unfailingly cohesive. From the breathy interludes to the brutal blasting, Lunar Chamber harmonizes their sounds into a satisfying whole. It isn’t a prerequisite for progressive albums to run for an hour or more. Shambhallic Vibrations does so much more with so much less.

#7. fromjoy // fromjoy – If you want to hear the coolest thing released in 2023, look no further than the self-titled EP by Houston’s fromjoy. It bottles insanity; conjures madness; flips the musical table. They do this with a fusion of various types of -core (grind, math, break) but streak this with winding, vaporwave synths. If this sounds like an unholy aberration, it is. But this aberration delights and energizes in equal measure. I’ve extracted more joy this year from these 26 minutes than full albums over twice that length. Almost every one of these ten tracks has a unique quirk; from wretched grind to stomping breakdowns to dancing trip-hop to smooth saxophones. fromjoy is a testament to pure creative energy and doing a lot with a little.

#6. Ulthar // Anthronomicon – Though it forms one side of a coin completed by its sister album Helionomicon, it was Anthronomicon that impressed me most of the concurrent release by pan-US collective Ulthar. What strikes me most are the compelling contradictions that Ulthar creates. Anthronomicon’s music is crushingly heavy yet repeatably memorable, while the instrumentation is oppressively other-worldly yet somehow human-performed. Blackened death metal cannot count itself among metal’s most penetrable sub-genres, but something about these warped arrangements hooks me. Ulthar might make strange, atmospheric music but Anthronomicon’s laser focus on outstanding riffs leaves a release I haven’t stopped spinning in nearly a year. It’s one of 2023’s most challenging but most rewarding listens.

#5. Tomb Mold // The Enduring Spirit – Why, after a run of critically acclaimed old-school death metal albums, is The Enduring Spirit the first Tomb Mold record to touch my AotY list? In short, because its music is far more inventive now. Switching out a cavernous aesthetic and unrelenting pace for tidier production and grandiose solos, The Enduring Spirit scratches that prog-death itch better than any other release from 2023. Though Tomb Mold has always been smarter-than-you-first-realize, this record represents a significant leap forward and feels like the next era of the band. Above all, it harmonizes Tomb Mold’s savage roots with newer, cerebral tendencies. While the immaculate transitions go some way to achieving this, the spacious soundstage and perfect instrumental tones ensure the release hangs together to my great satisfaction.

#4. Shadowrunner // Ocean of Time – Rebirth and Oblivion – For the first time, the Ocean of Time duo made me want to dislike a Shadowrunner release. Making the listener buy the same four songs twice in order to access the unique eight ruffled my feathers. But the music here is just so damn captivating that I can’t help but love the two sides nonetheless. Rebirth is as effortless and enchanting as any retrowave act from the last decade, while Oblivion is pure nostalgia bait. Warm synths, driving rhythms, smooth saxophones, and pleasant vocals; all are present and correct. Shameless pleasure and rose-tinted spectacles compel me to consistently choose something synthy for my AotY list and Shadowrunner made the best synth music of 2023. Do not sleep on one of the best acts in the scene.

#3. Sylosis // A Sign of Things to Come – I couldn’t be happier at my rediscovery of Sylosis since 2020’s Cycle of Suffering, and A Sign of Things to Come returns to deliver the goods once again. Despite the flack I took for describing Sylosis as how modern thrash should sound, I stand by that comment. 1986 already exists so go fucking listen to that again if you like. What this album will give you instead is music that fuses thrashy, melodic, technical, and hardcore influences into 10 super-charged tunes. They will fill you with rage, then re-energize you to exorcize that rage. For raw riff-craft, no other record was the match of this one. A sign of more things to come in the future? I fucking hope so.

#2. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Only one other record this year feels as complete as Of Golden Verse. It is a consummate album, expressing its music and thoughts in the exact amount of time it requires. Despite its poignance and emotive qualities, it feels incredibly precise; a work created by masters of their trade. Even with 4 tracks approaching or exceeding 7 minutes, there’s nary a wasted second. That’s a tough feat indeed in the world of prog, and Sermon exemplifies all that is great in the genre. Their undulating songwriting style results in music that ebbs from steely, tense atmospheres and flows to passionate, cathartic explosions. Dramatic, sure; maybe even melodramatic. But exciting and varied as Sermon dabbles in progressive, alternative, and doom metal. Of Golden Verse represents a huge step forward from their debut.

#1. Hasard // Hypnocentrisme – Though Hypnocentrisme wasn’t a clear winner, its complete singularity pushes it above everything else in 2023. Hasard paints stark, abstract images in shades of black; it’s an impenetrable, challenging release, obscuring its immense qualities behind oppressive heaviness and bewildering arrangements. Through the record’s black metal crust hides an accomplished orchestral core that’s just as disturbing—in some ways, more so—as its metal aspects. Purposefully deconstructing the screeching guitars, arhythmic drumming, ominous synths, and erratic counter-melodies delivers the year’s most thought-provoking music. Passively wallowing delivers the year’s most thought-crushing music. While it may not be the most enjoyable record of the year, it is certainly the most striking. No other 2023 record affected me like Hypnocentrisme.

Honorable Mentions

• Myrkur // Spine – Spine is just as sonically varied—arguably inconsistent—as any Myrkur release2 but this time it’s all high quality. From the poppy chorus on “Like Humans,” to the blast beats on “Valkyriernes Sang,” to the gentle folk on “Menneskebarn,” I’m emotionally invested throughout.
  Ahab // The Coral Tombs – Ahab is an indomitable force of doom metal, and The Coral Tombs didn’t miss a step after eight years away. Judicious variety and grand arrangements ensure that this is the best doom of 2023.
  Ne Obliviscaris // Exul – Balancing poignant string sections with crunchy death and black metal, NeO remains a stellar progressive metal band. Exul proves that even a NeO producing their weakest album is better than most others.

Songs o’ the Year

1. Godthrymm – “As Titans”
2. fromjoy – “Helios” / “Icarus”
3. In Flames – “Meet Your Maker”
4. Theocracy – “Return to Dust”
5. Hasard – “Hypnocentrisme”
6. Sermon – “Golden”
7. Angus McSix – “Master of the Universe”
8. Saturnus – “The Calling”
9. Sylosis – “Poison for the Lost”
10. ADMO – “Always”

GardensTale

In previous years, I wrote at least one paragraph about how the year went for me. But for the last 3 years, those have been pretty depressing, so I’m just going to skip that. Let’s talk about the good stuff instead. It’s strange to think that black metal is one of the last genres I seriously got into, around 5 years ago or so. Beforehand, I always thought all black metal was akin to lo-fi second-wave shit that sounds like someone sucked up a marble with the vacuum cleaner. Years before, Belgian unknowns Axamenta3 laid some groundwork to prove my misconception wrong, and Mistur hammered it home. Now the conversion is complete, thanks to a year that’s been absolutely stuffed with quality black metal. I could have made a very respectable list of only black metal records, HMs included. But I still like other genres, too, so it was inevitable a couple of other-minded rascals snuck in for color. At least Doom_et_Al won’t hate my list as much as usual. Probably.

I gotta add though, whilst I’ve heard a lot of praise for this year in metal, I still feel like I am missing a true winner. The order of my top 6 or so feels entirely arbitrary, and I’m not sure an extra month of listening would bring the necessary clarity. I’ve had plenty to love (my shortlist reached 10 albums by March or so, partially thanks to an unusually strong January) but the only albums I have been truly ecstatic about are discoveries that were released before the pandemic and barely metal-adjacent4 But so it goes! Every year is so different, in both life and music. I already had a sneak peek of a likely lister for next year, so I know we’ll be off to a good start in that regard.

I must thank my colleagues and editors for putting up with my slacking ass.5 You are a good bunch and half the reason I’m still pouring my heart and soul into this site. The other half is the free promos. And what’s an end-of-year projectile vomit of thank yous and love yous without addressing the readers? If you’re still here and didn’t just skip through to the list, you have my thanks. If you did skip to the list, you still have my thanks, you just won’t know about it. Even those of you who just check the winners and move on. You are still part of the weird and lovely conglomeration of readers we’ve developed, so thank you as well. And I must give a shout-out to the Discord folks. Though I don’t pop in too often, you’ve made it a lovely and welcoming server, and uncommonly well-behaved! Now, who’s ready for the other half of the worst takes in AMG?

#ish. Xoth // Exogalactic – Xoth is back and thus back in my list, because Xoth remains every bit the cool as hell bunch of motherfuckers it’s always been. It’s a little bit more technical and a little bit less memorable compared to its predecessor, missing a “Mountain Machines” level riff, but I still have a really hard time sitting still in my chair when Exogalactic is playing. Too much bouncy fun and sick solos!

#10. Fires in the Distance // Air Not Meant for Us – I listened to an absolute ton of melodic death metal in my early metal years. I still have a soft spot for the genre, but it also needs to do something different to stand out for me these days. Fires in the Distance fully meets that criterium. The stern, strident tone, doom-adjacent pacing, and tasteful piano make Air an album of aching beauty. I’m reminded in part of Eternal Tears of Sorrow, but far more mature and with great emotional depth. The only reason it didn’t place higher is that it doesn’t keep me coming back somehow, and these lists are nothing if not places to go with my gut.

#9. Leiþa // Reue – Speaking of my gut, Reue was the first full-blown punch it received this year. It amuses me when people claim that all black metal screams sound the same because though the lyrics are as incomprehensible as ever, I feel every ounce of the bottomless pain and despair Noise conjures here. But on top of the throat-ripping gurgles of depression are some very sophisticated melodies and good use of dynamics between quiet passages and all-out raging desperation. Most one-man bands struggle to make one worthwhile project, meanwhile, this guy has Leiþa, Non Est Deus, and Kanonenfieber on his resume. I’d call it unfair if I didn’t love it so much.

#8. Megaton Sword // Might & Power – Traditional metal doesn’t often show up on my year-end list. Maybe Megaton Sword wouldn’t have either, although I do love me a batch of idiosyncratic vocals. But a medical situation in the family made the first half of the year an especially stressful affair, and Might & Power with its simple sense of fun was my main musical comfort in that time. But there’s more to it than that. So many strong melodies with few frills. So many fist-pumping horseback-riding sword-raising shield-carrying moments of triumph and awe. And all tied together by that uncommon voice, acerbically spraying dark heroism over the battlefield. The worst of the family situation is well behind us, but Might & Power still won’t leave my regular rotation.

#7. Carnosus // Visions of Infinihility – Is it unfair to say Xoth got out-Xoth’ed this year? It’s the obvious point of comparison, between the many-faceted vocals, high technical ability, tongue-in-cheek insanity, twisting multi-part riffs, and snaking bass. But if Xoth is the oblique unknowable architecture of cosmic horror, Carnosus is the fleshy depravity of body horror. It theatrically revels in its filth and cackles as the audience turns green around the cheeks. Most of the death metal highlights this year have been of the cavernous or slamarific variety, neither of which does much for me, but Carnosus has been an absolute delight that’s kept up my good cheers.

#6. Walg // III – The vast majority of my music recommendations originate here, but once in a blue moon, my partner will send me a link to something that popped up in her random music feeds and I just get blown away. That’s how I found this independent duo from Groningen, the Netherlands, who, without any black metal experience, started shitting out annual albums in the middle of the pandemic and manage to outdo most of their peers in the process. III is a furious album, with blast beats and histrionic screeching out the wazoo, but is tempered by a bevy of great melodic riffs and the occasional gothic chant. Because the lyrics are in Dutch, which really is not a good language for this kind of horrific imagery, there’s something endearing to the band as well. The combination makes for a very interesting, dark yet catchy experience and one I can well recommend.

#5. Wayfarer // American Gothic – Wayfarer was always one of those bands I kept hearing about and kept not hearing. No particular reason, either; I resolved to listen to them several times and it just didn’t happen. Then I finally heard them, by seeing them live at Roadburn. It was definitely a highlight of the festival, aside from an interlude that was far too long and not nearly interesting enough. Thankfully, American Gothic is more balanced, a perfectly tuned album that calls forth the man in black stalking the prairie on horseback. It’s an album redolent in atmosphere without forgoing a good hook, one that can carry tension on a single banjo string. In short, it has lived up to the hype and then some.

#4. Sermon // Of Golden Verse – Pure prog metal often gets a reputation for being wussy and weenie. Sermon does it differently. What attracts me to this album the most is the sense of threat. Sermon looms a great dark ominous wall that swallows the background and casts everything in shade. For an album to hold its breath even while beating you down takes some exquisite songwriting, and Of Golden Verse is jam-packed with it. Closer “Departure” really opens the floodgates, too, for a satisfying and bombastic finale.

#3. VAK // The Islands – I called The Islands one of the flat-out coolest albums of the year and I stand by it. If anything, my appreciation for VAK’s latest has only grown since then. When you’ve listened to a million albums, the ones that really stand out and stick with you are the ones with the strongest personality. If you’d send me an unlabeled song that didn’t make the cut on The Islands I would recognize it as VAK immediately, guaranteed. While so much sludge tries and fails to get under my skin with a hammer, VAK succeeds by taking a shortcut as it pries off my fingernails with a rusty screwdriver. It’s deliciously uncomfortable and I love it.

#2. The Circle // Of Awakening – This was surely the most heinous underrating of the year. The opener alone should earn the band its 4.0, a perfectly tuned piece of proggy black/death. One thing that strikes me is how good The Circle is at finding the right dosages. Every time it feels like one thing has run its course, something replaces or enhances it, from the versatile vocals to the use of symphonics and from blast beats to breathing room. I’ve revisited this one a lot since the summer, and for a while, I thought it was gonna top my list…

#1. Night Crowned // Tales – …until Night Crowned bum-rushed the stage. Whereas many of my listening habits this year have been decidedly un-brutal, in the metal sphere I have found myself drawn to the combination of melodic and intense music, particularly in the second half of the year. Tales is an exemplary album in this regard. The intense blasting and no-holds-barred shrieking always hold a melodic thread that makes it more than a wall of noise, whether it be from extra vocal layers, subtly interweaved symphonics, or a goddamn hurdy-gurdy that works way better than it should. The track where the latter features most prominently, “She Comes at Night,” is what drew me in, but every track has its own face; its deviations make it stand out from the others, like the clean vocals on melodic mid-pacer “Loviatar” or the Dimmu influence on the grandiose closer “Old Tales.” While I would not rank it as highly as the winners of previous years, you owe it to yourself to grab Tales if you haven’t already.

Honorable Mentions

• Aetherian // At Storm’s Edge – Contrary to my point with VAK, this album doesn’t do much particularly new but it’s the embodiment of Finnish style epic melodeath done really, really well.
• Somnuri // Desiderium – Who knew Mastodon-style sludge could be improved with grunge?
• Mutoid Man // Mutants – Wild, reckless fun with more depth than a first glance betrays.
• Genus Ordinis Dei // The Beginning – Narrative albums aren’t easy, but Genus Ordinis Dei has that shit in the bag. Easy to listen to, easy to love, and feels like a complete, well-rounded movie in the guise of an epic metal album.
• Laster // Andermans Mijne – It’s deeply strange and gets at all the bits of my brain that have been gathering dust for years, but I can’t deny its continuous pull.

Disappointment o’ the Year

This is the first paragraph I’m writing this year because it’s the easiest. I always used to like Soen. With Lotus, I even loved them. Imperial was a clear step-down, branching out in the wrong directions, but it was still enjoyable in its own right, just not approaching list material. They put on some good live shows this year, too. But Memorial goes off the deep end like Thelma & Louise. The remaining semblances of progressive rock and metal are gone, replaced by refried alternative rock. Even Joel Ekelöf sounds downright bad, his buttery smooth croon awkwardly squished into a grungy mold that doesn’t suit him. It’s like the band members collectively decided to challenge themselves by trying to make an album without doing any of the things they’re actually good at. The experiment failed, boys.

Song o’ the Year

Last year I discovered Norwegian artsy prog rock outfit Major Parkinson and fell deeply in love with their quirky, bombastic, gloomy aesthetic and thoughtful, varied songwriting. Not long into this year, I found out that enigmatic vocalist Jon Ivar Kollbotn had suffered a massive heart attack in the middle of a concert in October. Though he managed to finish the set, he flatlined backstage. By some miracle, police officers happened to be just outside the building and they managed to restart Kollbotn’s ticker. When he was sufficiently recovered, the band re-wrote and recorded an old live track named “Take the Prescription” to commemorate his survival. The result is as addictive as prescription drugs, an upbeat and offbeat artful piece of prog-pop with an infectious whistled tune, beautiful smooth bass usage, and the band’s signature dark undertone. Kollbotn sounds as coarse and moody as ever, and new permanent member Peri Winkle offers an outside perspective to the frontman’s near-death experience. And even if the track hadn’t been one of the sweetest things I’ve heard this year, it’d still be my favorite track of 2023. If only because he was still around to record it.

#2023 #Aetherian #Ahab #BlogPosts #Carnosus #ElCuervoSAndGardensTaleSTopTenIshOf2023 #FiresInTheDistance #fromjoy #GenusOrdinisDei #Grails #Hasard #Laster #Leitha #Lists #Listurnalia #LunarChamber #MegatonSword #MutoidMan #Myrkur #NeObliviscaris #NightCrowned #Sermon #Shadowrunner #Soen #Somnuri #Svalbard #Sylosis #TheCircle #TombMold #Ulthar #VAK #Walg #Wayfarer #Xoth

Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison Review

By Eldritch Elitist

There are a mere handful of artists whose work I would describe as genuinely transportive. Black Curse is one of them, but instead of sweeping me away into cold space, vast wilderness, or entire fucking battlefields, Black Curse transports me straight to whatever Cenobite hell rewires your pleasure centers. By all accounts, I should not like Black Curse. I don’t even like war metal1. Yet 2020’s Endless Wound clawed and wriggled and scorched its way into my good graces all the same, and upon retrospection feels like one of that year’s most enduring records. Four years on, and those assuredly busy members of Khemmis, Primitive Man, Spectral Voice, and now Ulthar2 have convened again for a follow-up I never dared hope would materialize. The result is Burning in Celestial Poison, a record I can’t quite fully wrap my brain around, other than to gain an incomplete understanding of its brilliance.

Burning in Celestial Poison still very much sounds like Black Curse: sonically akin to a more purely elemental Teitanblood, but with an unmistakably caustic stamp. It’s evident that the members understand that approximately 17% of the Black Curse entertainment factor stems from fucked up guitar squeals and indecipherable shrieking, as those crucial components are ever-present. Yet in contrast to the relative simplicity of Black Curse’s debut, Burning in Celestial Poison’s compositions invoke a puzzle box shrouded in thorns and smoke. Its average track length nearly doubles that of its predecessor, but even its shortest cuts feel unpredictable and disarmingly aggressive. For all its twists and turns, Burning in Celestial Poison is a more immediately visceral Black Curse, with less allowance for doom metal sections or breathing room in general. This is an outright endurance test and an utterly relentless experience, but its density and scope are captivating, ensuring maximum replay value.

In terms of genre composition, Burning in Celestial Poison has shifted the balance of black metal and death metal, giving their blackened side more earth with which to scorch. In fact, the winding compositions frequently remind me of Black Curse’s labelmate Funereal Presence. While Black Curse operates best when they prime their assaults with death metal bluntness, this change represents a better balancing of their elements, and death metal is still frequently granted center stage. “Trodden Flesh” in particular boasts a midsection anchored with disgustingly catchy riffs that feel disconcertingly accessible in the context of this record, uncharacteristically enticing as if concealing an ulterior motive. If I have a critique from the songwriting front, it’s that memorable passages such as these feel somewhat sparse. There are big moments that tower above the madness, feverishly grasping at an even bolder vision, but their hold is fleeting. A greater frequency of these moments could have further elevated an already compelling vision.

Arthur Rizk returns once again as producer, and has engineered Burning in Celestial Poison to be similarly abrasive, with instruments presented in lower fidelity than its predecessor. The performances are further obscured by countless layers of screeching ambience, with every component thoroughly moistened by reverb. I’m of two minds regarding the production on this record. On one hand, its sheer cacophony makes for a listening experience that feels only a few steps removed from inscrutability, making its curious atmosphere all the more maliciously unknowable. On the other, my desire to constantly delve into this record’s depths for a better understanding of its thesis is mildly quelled by the hostility of its engineering. As this uncomfortable feeling is almost certainly Black Curse’s intent, I’m inclined to chalk the production choices up as a net positive. Burning in Celestial Poison is the rare metal record that may come across as legitimately hostile to genre veterans, and one that somehow lives up to the overwrought, hyperbolic pitch presented with its promo sheet.

After living with this album for some time, I came to the realization that Burning in Celestial Poison feels closer to the Black Curse imprinted in my mind following their debut than the Black Curse presented on that debut. It is unquestionably more than the sum of its parts and feels closer to the band’s true vision, one driven by instinct and impulse rather than a discernible, structured order. As for whether I believe this record is actually better than Endless Wound, I believe the answer will only be revealed over time. Endless Wound is more immediately appealing, but something about its execution feels less satisfying now that I know what Black Curse is capable of. Burning in Celestial Poison will almost certainly spark debate; with every spin, it becomes clearer that it is not a safe sequel. Yet this is still a work that sounds like it could only come from one collective of artists, and to me, that signifies a success on all fronts.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Sepulchral Voice Records
Website: blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: October 25th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #BlackCurse #BlackenedDeathMetal #BloodIncantation #BurningInCelestialPoison #FunerealPresence #Khemmis #Oct24 #PrimitiveMan #Review #Reviews #SepulchralVoiceRecords #SpectralVoice #Teitanblood #Ulthar

Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison Review

By Eldritch Elitist

There are a mere handful of artists whose work I would describe as genuinely transportive. Black Curse is one of them, but instead of sweeping me away into cold space, vast wilderness, or entire fucking battlefields, Black Curse transports me straight to whatever Cenobite hell rewires your pleasure centers. By all accounts, I should not like Black Curse. I don’t even like war metal1. Yet 2020’s Endless Wound clawed and wriggled and scorched its way into my good graces all the same, and upon retrospection feels like one of that year’s most enduring records. Four years on, and those assuredly busy members of Khemmis, Primitive Man, Spectral Voice, and now Ulthar2 have convened again for a follow-up I never dared hope would materialize. The result is Burning in Celestial Poison, a record I can’t quite fully wrap my brain around, other than to gain an incomplete understanding of its brilliance.

Burning in Celestial Poison still very much sounds like Black Curse: sonically akin to a more purely elemental Teitanblood, but with an unmistakably caustic stamp. It’s evident that the members understand that approximately 17% of the Black Curse entertainment factor stems from fucked up guitar squeals and indecipherable shrieking, as those crucial components are ever-present. Yet in contrast to the relative simplicity of Black Curse’s debut, Burning in Celestial Poison’s compositions invoke a puzzle box shrouded in thorns and smoke. Its average track length nearly doubles that of its predecessor, but even its shortest cuts feel unpredictable and disarmingly aggressive. For all its twists and turns, Burning in Celestial Poison is a more immediately visceral Black Curse, with less allowance for doom metal sections or breathing room in general. This is an outright endurance test and an utterly relentless experience, but its density and scope are captivating, ensuring maximum replay value.

In terms of genre composition, Burning in Celestial Poison has shifted the balance of black metal and death metal, giving their blackened side more earth with which to scorch. In fact, the winding compositions frequently remind me of Black Curse’s labelmate Funereal Presence. While Black Curse operates best when they prime their assaults with death metal bluntness, this change represents a better balancing of their elements, and death metal is still frequently granted center stage. “Trodden Flesh” in particular boasts a midsection anchored with disgustingly catchy riffs that feel disconcertingly accessible in the context of this record, uncharacteristically enticing as if concealing an ulterior motive. If I have a critique from the songwriting front, it’s that memorable passages such as these feel somewhat sparse. There are big moments that tower above the madness, feverishly grasping at an even bolder vision, but their hold is fleeting. A greater frequency of these moments could have further elevated an already compelling vision.

Arthur Rizk returns once again as producer, and has engineered Burning in Celestial Poison to be similarly abrasive, with instruments presented in lower fidelity than its predecessor. The performances are further obscured by countless layers of screeching ambience, with every component thoroughly moistened by reverb. I’m of two minds regarding the production on this record. On one hand, its sheer cacophony makes for a listening experience that feels only a few steps removed from inscrutability, making its curious atmosphere all the more maliciously unknowable. On the other, my desire to constantly delve into this record’s depths for a better understanding of its thesis is mildly quelled by the hostility of its engineering. As this uncomfortable feeling is almost certainly Black Curse’s intent, I’m inclined to chalk the production choices up as a net positive. Burning in Celestial Poison is the rare metal record that may come across as legitimately hostile to genre veterans, and one that somehow lives up to the overwrought, hyperbolic pitch presented with its promo sheet.

After living with this album for some time, I came to the realization that Burning in Celestial Poison feels closer to the Black Curse imprinted in my mind following their debut than the Black Curse presented on that debut. It is unquestionably more than the sum of its parts and feels closer to the band’s true vision, one driven by instinct and impulse rather than a discernible, structured order. As for whether I believe this record is actually better than Endless Wound, I believe the answer will only be revealed over time. Endless Wound is more immediately appealing, but something about its execution feels less satisfying now that I know what Black Curse is capable of. Burning in Celestial Poison will almost certainly spark debate; with every spin, it becomes clearer that it is not a safe sequel. Yet this is still a work that sounds like it could only come from one collective of artists, and to me, that signifies a success on all fronts.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Sepulchral Voice Records
Website: blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: October 25th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #BlackCurse #BlackenedDeathMetal #BloodIncantation #BurningInCelestialPoison #FunerealPresence #Khemmis #Oct24 #PrimitiveMan #Review #Reviews #SepulchralVoiceRecords #SpectralVoice #Teitanblood #Ulthar

Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison Review

By Eldritch Elitist

There are a mere handful of artists whose work I would describe as genuinely transportive. Black Curse is one of them, but instead of sweeping me away into cold space, vast wilderness, or entire fucking battlefields, Black Curse transports me straight to whatever Cenobite hell rewires your pleasure centers. By all accounts, I should not like Black Curse. I don’t even like war metal1. Yet 2020’s Endless Wound clawed and wriggled and scorched its way into my good graces all the same, and upon retrospection feels like one of that year’s most enduring records. Four years on, and those assuredly busy members of Khemmis, Primitive Man, Spectral Voice, and now Ulthar2 have convened again for a follow-up I never dared hope would materialize. The result is Burning in Celestial Poison, a record I can’t quite fully wrap my brain around, other than to gain an incomplete understanding of its brilliance.

Burning in Celestial Poison still very much sounds like Black Curse: sonically akin to a more purely elemental Teitanblood, but with an unmistakably caustic stamp. It’s evident that the members understand that approximately 17% of the Black Curse entertainment factor stems from fucked up guitar squeals and indecipherable shrieking, as those crucial components are ever-present. Yet in contrast to the relative simplicity of Black Curse’s debut, Burning in Celestial Poison’s compositions invoke a puzzle box shrouded in thorns and smoke. Its average track length nearly doubles that of its predecessor, but even its shortest cuts feel unpredictable and disarmingly aggressive. For all its twists and turns, Burning in Celestial Poison is a more immediately visceral Black Curse, with less allowance for doom metal sections or breathing room in general. This is an outright endurance test and an utterly relentless experience, but its density and scope are captivating, ensuring maximum replay value.

In terms of genre composition, Burning in Celestial Poison has shifted the balance of black metal and death metal, giving their blackened side more earth with which to scorch. In fact, the winding compositions frequently remind me of Black Curse’s labelmate Funereal Presence. While Black Curse operates best when they prime their assaults with death metal bluntness, this change represents a better balancing of their elements, and death metal is still frequently granted center stage. “Trodden Flesh” in particular boasts a midsection anchored with disgustingly catchy riffs that feel disconcertingly accessible in the context of this record, uncharacteristically enticing as if concealing an ulterior motive. If I have a critique from the songwriting front, it’s that memorable passages such as these feel somewhat sparse. There are big moments that tower above the madness, feverishly grasping at an even bolder vision, but their hold is fleeting. A greater frequency of these moments could have further elevated an already compelling vision.

Arthur Rizk returns once again as producer, and has engineered Burning in Celestial Poison to be similarly abrasive, with instruments presented in lower fidelity than its predecessor. The performances are further obscured by countless layers of screeching ambience, with every component thoroughly moistened by reverb. I’m of two minds regarding the production on this record. On one hand, its sheer cacophony makes for a listening experience that feels only a few steps removed from inscrutability, making its curious atmosphere all the more maliciously unknowable. On the other, my desire to constantly delve into this record’s depths for a better understanding of its thesis is mildly quelled by the hostility of its engineering. As this uncomfortable feeling is almost certainly Black Curse’s intent, I’m inclined to chalk the production choices up as a net positive. Burning in Celestial Poison is the rare metal record that may come across as legitimately hostile to genre veterans, and one that somehow lives up to the overwrought, hyperbolic pitch presented with its promo sheet.

After living with this album for some time, I came to the realization that Burning in Celestial Poison feels closer to the Black Curse imprinted in my mind following their debut than the Black Curse presented on that debut. It is unquestionably more than the sum of its parts and feels closer to the band’s true vision, one driven by instinct and impulse rather than a discernible, structured order. As for whether I believe this record is actually better than Endless Wound, I believe the answer will only be revealed over time. Endless Wound is more immediately appealing, but something about its execution feels less satisfying now that I know what Black Curse is capable of. Burning in Celestial Poison will almost certainly spark debate; with every spin, it becomes clearer that it is not a safe sequel. Yet this is still a work that sounds like it could only come from one collective of artists, and to me, that signifies a success on all fronts.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Sepulchral Voice Records
Website: blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: October 25th, 2024

#2024 #40 #AmericanMetal #BlackCurse #BlackenedDeathMetal #BloodIncantation #BurningInCelestialPoison #FunerealPresence #Khemmis #Oct24 #PrimitiveMan #Review #Reviews #SepulchralVoiceRecords #SpectralVoice #Teitanblood #Ulthar

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