[ALBUM REVIEW] Drowning the Light - Oceans of Eternity

Genre - Black Metal

1. As the Shadows at Dusk Reach Our Enemies Throats
2. Oceans of Eternity
3. The Cataclysmic Cycle of Renewal
4. Oppression & Tyranny
5. The Key Still Not Found
6. The Lunatic Tide
7. Drifting Away in a Sea of Sorrow (part II)
8. The Poison Kiss
9. The Runes are Thrown & the Bones are Spread (A Hymn to the Apocalypse)


There’s one thing you certainly can’t fault Azgorh for and that’s dedication to his work. With Oceans of Eternity now the twelfth full length release in seven years, not taking into account the endless sea of demos and splits as well, Drowning the Light have gradually progressed to become one of the most prolific and controversial black metal acts around at the minute. They’re a band who appear to divide audiences completely, you either love them or you hate them with very little mid way. Regardless of your opinion though, you can’t deny that they have done a commendable amount for the Australian black metal scene in recent years, intentional or not.

Gradually the quality of Drowning the Light’s material has improved from one album to the next, with the early releases patchy, right up to the latest which are formidable pieces of raw, unforgiving black metal that could easily stand up alongside many of their peers. Oceans of Eternity continues the trend and should really remove all doubts as to Azgorh’s motives as this is possibly his most accomplished work yet.

For those who aren’t familiar with Drowning the Light, a disease ridden bastard child of Mutiilation is the initial comparison that comes to mind, specifically the stifling, furnace like mayhem of Remains and you have something which comes pretty close to Oceans of Eternity. Upon delving a little further you can also pick out some Satanic Warmaster and even what I believe at times to be some slight Absurd influences, certainly in the riff structure anyway. The music on display here just oozes evil; Azgorh really has that barbaric underworldly sound down to a tee. Just take “As the Shadows Reach Our Enemies Throats”, it plays out like some mystic satanic war hymn with its pounding drums and surging riffs. There’s only one or two songs from the first half that I would say aren’t quite up to scratch, not poor by any means, just not as lasting as the rest. “The Poison Kiss” and “The Runes are Thrown and the Bones are Spread” are select highlights from what is essentially a constant rain of loosely bound malevolence, something which the production does a lot to enhance. Intentionally manipulating your sound to achieve a shitty production which is effective is a tough thing to do, though Azgorh has had more than enough experience at this.

It must be noted that Azgorh isn’t the most technically gifted on drums; he appears to only have two options at his disposal, a slow one-two beat and very-fucking-fast blasting with nothing in-between. But where his drum work may not be the most inspiring aspect of Drowning the Light, his vocals are absolutely savage, delivered with a manner and force that could tear the dead from their graves and bear more than a passing resemblance to Meyhna’ch. The guitar tone has been buried in so much distortion to the point where at times it resembles a swarm of angry bees in a biscuit tin. No bad thing though as it adds to the overall chaotic vibe, and Azgorh has always had a knack for writing some memorable riffs.

If you like your black metal unrefined and crude while still retaining some form of identity, Oceans of Eternity should be next on your list. It is the very essence of what underground black metal should sound like, although Drowning the Light themselves could hardly be described as being that underground these days, their sound is firmly rooted in it. Utterly unforgiving and stirring black metal from which there’s no respite, and dare I say it Azgorh’s best work yet. He may have his detractors, but when listening to this you can’t help but wonder why.

8.5/10

Originally written for Metalcrypt

[ALBUM REVIEW] Zgard - Spirit of Carpathian Sunset

Genre - Pagan Black Metal

1. Sunset
2. Svarga
3. Invocation
4. Destiny Molphar
5. About Russ
6. Stream of Memory
7. Eruption of Anger
8. Autumn Buried the Ground
9. Spirit of Carpathian Mountains
10. Misty Skyline

Folky Slavic black metal is a vast subgenre in the all encompassing world of black metal, there’s an immeasurable number of bands that tread a precarious line between the unassailable status of Kroda and self parodying cheese . Sifting through the crap can be laborious, but when occasionally coming across a band like Zgard, it does have its rewards.

Spirit of Carpathian Sunset, the first of a duo of albums released by these Ukrainians, and upon first glimpse it’s damn near impossible not to be completely absorbed by the absolutely stunning artwork. One thing’s for sure, it’s certainly a fitting embodiment for the music on display here. Championed as recapturing the early pagan fire of Nokturnal Mortum and being among the finest in Slavic black metal today, it’s an audacious statement of intent for a band so new.

As is standard, the album kicks off with a token scene setting intro containing a menagerie of instruments I’d have severe trouble pronouncing never mind naming them. Such is the case for the whole album, the folky atmospheric aspect is hugely significant in Zgard’s sound, so much so occasionally it seems they’ve altogether forgot about the metal side of things. The folk instrumentation ends up completely overwhelming everything else at times mainly due to the lack of any sort of bass presence whatsoever and the paper thin guitars. The music noticeably suffers from this.

Looking beyond these dilemmas though and Spirit of Carpathian Sunset isn’t without its highs. The extended passages of meandering folk blended with traditional churning tremolo riffs and abrasive (if slightly one dimensional) vocals hark back to Kroda’s classic material and have more than enough for avid fans of the genre to sift through. Tracks like “Svarga” and “Destiny Molphar” are diverse and rewarding listens if given the time but more often than not I found the songs beginning to wander directionless and trailing off without leaving much of a lasting impression. It’s when the band crank the metal up a notch that they really begin to show their colours though, the aptly titled “Eruption of Anger” is just that; flat out brutality to remind you that you’re listening to metal and not some ambient forest sounds CD.

The similarities with early Nokturnal Mortum are there, sans the horribly dated keyboards and crucial hooks. All things considered I can’t help but wonder how much better this would have sounded had a touch more focus been placed upon the metal end of the spectrum, because when they do up the ante it sounds a lot sharper. Regardless, Spirit of Carpathian Sunset for its shortcomings shows a lot of promise and holds the attention more than long enough to fill a gap. As for its staying power though, that remains to be seen.

6.5/10

Originally written for Metalcrypt

[ALBUM REVIEW] The Obscene - The Torment of Sinners

Genre - Death Metal

1. The Storm to Come (Intro)
2. Embrace Oblivion
3. Grim Discovery
4. Beyond the Hold of God
5. Skiprat Jane
6. The Final Silence
7. P.S.A.S.
8. Destroying the Heavens
9. The Man, The Martyr
10. Circle of Despair
11. And the Rivers Ran Black

“The Torment of Sinners” is the debut EP offering by UK Death Metal newcomers THE OBSCENE and is comprised half of new material and half material from the band’s previous incarnation. And if you look past the horrendously uninspiring band name, this actually contains some very competent Death Metal which musically isn’t a million miles off the likes of compatriots BOLT THROWER or MORBID ANGEL. Honestly with a name such as THE OBSCENE I was expecting some tech death or core nonsense, but this is nothing but old school to the bone.

The “The Torment of Sinners” half of the release is essentially six tracks of no-nonsense to the point pulverising Death Metal comprised of chaotic drumming (which thankfully remains from ever becoming overbearing) and an alternating twin vocal onslaught of high pitched scraping and more traditional deep gutturals which adds a welcome touch of variety into an at times otherwise uniform release. The riffing is a thick metallic grinding with a touch of groove (of the good variety of course!), which certainly more than hints at a touch of classic Trevor Peres. And like every self respecting Death Metal band, they make enough room for a good old horror sample. At least they’re better than MORTICIAN though eh?

The latter five tracks are from the bands previous guise, SALUTE TO THE SUN and follow pretty much that same path, with an even worse production but more variation and hooks to get your teeth into. The production certainly isn’t the most refined aspect of “The Torment of Sinners”, everything sounds a little thin and the vocals are slightly overpowering, especially on the first six songs. Regardless of this though, I would have to say I prefer the older tracks, overall they’re noticeably more engaging that the newer ones.

One thing’s obvious for certain though here, all the band members are visibly proficient in their own areas, and show more than a glimmer of promise between them. “The Torment of Sinners” is good for what it is, regulation unforgiving blasphemic brutality. On this evidence, THE OBSCENE are on the right track and with “The Torment of Sinners” have a formidable base on which to build from here on in, but shouldn’t be under any illusions as they have a long way to go before approaching the likes of the current underground UK Death Metal heavyweights CRUCIAMENTUM.

6/10

Orignally written for The Metal Observer

[ALBUM REVIEW] Ildra - Edelland

Genre - Pagan/Black Metal


1. Sweorda Ecgum
2. Rice Æfter Oðrum
3. Hrefnesholt (Dæl I)
4. Esa Blæd
5. Ofer Hwælweg we Comon
6. Nu is se Dæg Cumen
7. Earendel
8. Swa Cwæð se Eardstapa
9. On þas Hwilnan Tid


Not a whole lot is known about this mysterious ensemble from England. ILDRA happen to be one of the very few Black Metal bands who sing in the ancient Anglo Saxon language. A number of bands recently have dipped their toes into ancient English history, most notably those such as WINTERFYLLETH, FOREFATHER and the only other one who I can think of who recorded a full album in Anglo-Saxon, EALDULF. None have really delved into it though to the extent which ILDRA have here on “Edelland”. It’s a welcome variation from the usual ancestral European pagan and celtic beliefs and a window into a history that seldom gets any attention at all in the metal scene.

The music itself is a lot more Black Metal focused than FOREFATHER though, there is a significant mid-period GRAVELAND influence throughout the structure of the material here, and not to forget also a large “Hammerheart” influence to proceedings as well. This is none more obvious than in the vast meandering instrumental passages to many of the songs; the dense surging riffing and the booming coarse vocals driven by the warlike pounding on the drums give the music a real presence of triumph. On top of this there is also that weathered organic sound constantly existent throughout, augmented frequently by some rather illustrious work on the acoustic guitar.

The first proper track, ‘Kingdom After Kingdom’ bursts in with aplomb, like some ancient British war hymn laced with the undulating riffs and thunderous drumming. The vocalist could just as well be the commander barking orders to his men. The accented delivery of the Old English lyrics certainly adds a certain grit to the overall spirit of things. The same could pretty much be said for the rest of the metal tracks here, and the frequent marriage of acoustic and electric guitar passages is incredible, and keeps everything sounding sharp. On top of this “Edelland” is also woven with frequent tact lead work, which can be difficult to achieve in Black Metal. Few bands can pull it off as well as this.

Most of the songs contain extensive brooding instrumental sections which accentuate that earthen, triumphant atmosphere to such an extent it’s pouring out your ear holes. And on the subject if instrumentals, this album has quite a few breaking up the main songs so to speak, and for once on a Black Metal album they complement the overall multi dimensional atmosphere perfectly, stirring that already present tempestuous air further. They pretty much sound like some arcane war tune with their acoustic melodies and menacing drum work.

Some of the rhythms do have a tendency to repeat themselves at times, you’ll be thinking “Did I not hear that riff before?” but thankfully this is only a minor gripe as it doesn’t occur too often to be a major problem. “Edelland” is an extremely mature and accomplished piece of work. It brings a certain degree of welcome inspiration and freshness to an area of Black Metal which is sorely missing something like this of late. Fans of WINTERFYLLETH and GRAVELAND need this, because while GRAVELAND have released some seminal albums, they also have the habit at times of sounding very contrived, especially these days, “Edelland” can easily stand on its own two feet against the best of the genre. And to be totally honest on this evidence, ILDRA aren’t light years away from making a “Thousand Swords” themselves. This will be a tough one to match not just by ILDRA themselves, but by anyone aiming to ply their trade in this area.

9.5/10

Originally written for The Metal Observer

[ALBUM REVIEW] Nekromantheon - Rise, Vulcan Spectre

Genre - Thrash Metal

1. Cast Down to the Void
2. Blood Wisdom
3. Embrace the Oracle
4. Coven of the Minotaur
5. The Usurper Command
6. Rise, Vulcan Spectre
7. Twelve Depths of Hades
8. Raised by Dogs

Hailing from the hometown of none other than black metal legends Darkthrone, Nekromantheon unleash their sophomore effort to the formidable debut of unholy blackened thrash, Divinity of Death. So what would our true metal crusader from Norway make of all this then? Something tells me he wouldn’t at all be disappointed.

Rise, Vulcan Spectre follows where the previous Divinity of Death left off, thrash with a philosophy, and one philosophy only, to play as brutally fast as humanly possible. Only this time the production has been cranked up a gear or two to an acceptable level, clear yet gritty without ever venturing into Sneap territory, allowing all the components and various intricacies to shine yet still retaining an evil primal atmosphere that is required for this type of thrash metal.

An accurate comparison musically would probably be Morbid Saint, or as the sticker on the front said “For fans of old Sepultura, Slayer, Sadus and Sacrifice”. There is also a slight Teutonic influence among things here, certainly in the excessively vicious reverbed vocals of Arild which immediately bring Destruction to mind. The riffing is filthy and aggressive and never lets up for a second in the brief thirty minutes on show here and the leads are volatile and wild, breaking out of the mayhem with the ferocity of a feral dog. The drumming is as relentless as the guitar work and all combine together in what can only be described as a juggernaut of old school thrash which obliterates everything in its path leaving behind devastation and exhaustion. It is a short affair, clocking in at just over thirty minutes but probably no bad decision as thrash such as this does tend to get rather predictable after a while.

Rise, Vulcan Spectre will trample right over you leaving you broken, beaten and bruised. It’s no holds barred thrashing savagery with a pace which never gives. Indeed if you’re a fan of the aforementioned Sadus or Morbid Saint this will be right down your alley. Nekromantheon essentially present what is a big middle finger to the fashion thrash brigade. You can keep your Eviles and Gama Bombs, this is thrash performed the way it was designed to be. Raw, merciless and unsympathetic, and along with the likes of Midnight and Cruel Force who are making huge waves in the same scene as well, could decent thrash finally be making some sort of a push to usurp the current front runners? Let’s hope so.

9/10

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

[ALBUM REVIEW] Midnight - Satanic Royalty

Genre - Black/Speed Metal

1. Satanic Royalty
2. You Can't Stop Steel
3. Rip This Hell
4. Necromania
5. Black Damnation
6. Lust Filth and Sleaze
7. Violence on Violence
8. Savage Dominance
9. Holocaustic Deafening
10. Shock Til Blood


After nine long years, Cleveland based sleaze machine MIDNIGHT finally rise from the mire and unleash their debut album of unkempt and filth laden speed metal upon the rabble, and what an album it is. In short, what is essentially the grime enveloped bastard child of eighties Satan loving shock merchants VENOM. The VENOM influence is so obscene that “Satanic Royalty” could almost be mistaken for a lost recording from the UK legends, and I’d be fairly certain that they’d also be the first to admit that this is nothing but shameless adoration at the altar of Cronos and co. But when it’s as good as this, why the fuck should anyone care?

The album’s title track explodes out of the blocks with the energy of a caffeine soaked cokehead, riffing straight from NWOBHM legends TANK and Athenar’s obnoxious snarling. Hell, Athenar could well be Cronos himself minus the receding hairline. The central hook to the song is absolutely enormous, dragging you into MIDNIGHT’s vortex of bitches, booze and blasphemy before spitting you out a disorientated mess. First impressions were “They can’t keep up such a high level of quality and ferocity throughout can they?” Amazingly they do, every single track on “Satanic Royalty” is nothing but high octane Speed Metal strewn with blistering heavy metal soloing and neck breaking riffing tied together with maniacal vocals.

The lyrics are another thing altogether, they’ve got everything from the divine “Marching out from the catacombs of hell, Kingdom’s falling, Bred to destroy the children of Christ” to the peaceful “Skullz will crack brains explode” and they even manage to make room for a love song in the ever so subtle “Lust Filth and Sleaze”; “You give me lust you give me sleaze, I'm gonna bust when you're down on your knees”. And who says romance is dead eh? If you’re looking for the ultimate leather studded and alcohol soaked soundtrack for 2011, then you can’t look much further than this.

It never deviates from what would be expected of a VENOM worship band but remains surprisingly diverse and so engaging that even after repeated listens it never gets old. This is the hurdle where most others attempting the same fall, and MIDNIGHT overcomes this with spectacular ease. “Satanic Royalty” is nothing but pure unadulterated mayhem manifested from a gutter somewhere in Ohio with no aim other than to defile and disgust. Bursting with the raw energy of the genre progenitor’s DISCHARGE and VENOM’s NWOBHM-esque demonic racket with the vulgarity of Blackie Lawless, MIDNIGHT offer thirty minutes of altogether unholy and thoroughly indecent speed metal which is certain to get the adrenaline flowing and horns throwing. VENOM even released a new album this year as well, but why bother when MIDNIGHT are currently doing VENOM better than VENOM themselves?

Orignally written for The Metal Observer

M8l8th/Nezhegol' - Wotanjugend

Genre - Black/Pagan Metal

1. М8Л8ТХ - Эхо Грядущей Войны
2. М8Л8ТХ - Ран и Крови Пламя
3. М8Л8ТХ - Молот Белого Волка
4. М8Л8ТХ - Стражник Леса
5. Нежеголь - Хель
6. Нежеголь - Солнца Лучи
7. Нежеголь - Маршем Грома в Парад Осенних Ночей
8. Нежеголь - Скрежетом стали мечи запоют!
9. М8Л8ТХ & Нежеголь - Мы с тобой, Брат!


A lot of Eastern European NSBM to me for the most part tends to be nothing but a melee of uncoordinated Darkthrone and Burzum worship. On top of that you have the most extreme bands so transfixed on getting their own personal manifesto across they appear to completely leave all musical ability behind, or as unfortunately often appears to be the case, they never had the talent in the first place. This obviously isn’t true all the time, take the bands from the Blazebirth Hall scene in Russia for example, or acts such as Dark Fury and the Polish Arkona , bands who have the talent as well as a certain semblance of cohesion lacking in so many others. Moloth are one of these bands, they’ve been terrorizing the underground Black Metal scene in Russia for the last ten years or so and have two albums of tenacious and unsympathetic Black Metal bearing a flame of nothing but sheer hatred.

Wotanjugend is a split effort between the aforemented and compatriots Nezhegol’, who upon closer inspection appear to share a few members. It’s clear from the outset, this isn’t Black Metal for the casual or left leaning, the balaclava clad fellow on the cover certainly isn’t off to protest about socialism and the cuts anyway that’s for sure. Moloth kick things off with a steel toe cap right into the militaristic opener with its machine gun drumming and gritty riffing, which while thick and harsh manages to contain an astute sense of melody underneath as well. The vocals have that unmistakable Slavic accent to them and are rather well produced and complement the ‘no prisoners, obliterate all!’ attitude which Moloth are aiming to convey throughout. The next three tracks all follow the same formula and structure somewhat with some exceptionally crushing riffing at times. Though lacking a certain sheen and identity from the first, they still remain highly enjoyable; diversity is something you seldom find in NSBM anyway.

Nezhegol’ I’ve not heard before. They fall on the more pagan side of things, and refrain from being quite as assertive in their presence as Moloth, opting for the more atmospheric approach with their melodic guitar lines and cascading keyboard passages bringing a more ‘traditional European’ feel to proceedings. The clean vocals are unfortunately rather weak and don’t really fit with the style of music, they style of music to which they pertain is much more suited to harsh vocals. It reminiscent at times to Pagan Reign or a poor man’s Temnozor, which is no bad thing as both those bands are essentially benchmarks for the genre, but with a change in vocals they could really be on to something. Take the last song for example on their side, it is just screaming out for a Varrgoth styled vocal performance in place of Aleksander’s vocals. The riffing and drumming is flat out brutal and the keyboard arrangements are nothing short of exquisite, the vocals just prevent it from ever taking that extra leap into the territory occupied by Nokturnal Mortum or Temnozor. The last track is a collaboration between both bands (who are both essentially the same artists anyway?) and has a surprisingly Maiden-esque feel throughout with its riffing and is a glimpse of what could be were Nezhegol’ to take into consideration my previous points. The harsh vocals from the Moloth frontman work exceptionally well with this style of music.

As it stands though Nezeghol’ are nothing more than another slightly above average drop of water in the ocean of pagan metal acts which exist throughout Eastern Europe. Moloth on the other hand have proved themselves many times before, raw and abrasive NSBM which is much more bite than bark. First class musicianship with the attitude of Absurd, the Black Metal equivalent to a fist to the teeth. For those who like their Black Metal ugly and unforgiving, check them out, their debut especially is fantastic. The lyrical themes and band’s notoriety will turn many off, but since when was Black Metal ever about tolerance anyway?

7.5/10

Originally written for Metalcrypt

[ALBUM REVIEW] Peste Noire - L'Ordure A L'etat Pur

Genre - Black Metal

1. Casse, Pêches, Fractures et Traditions
2. Cochon Carotte et les Sœurs Crotte
3. J’avais Rêvé du Nord
4. Sale Famine Von Valfoutre
5. La Condi Hu

‘La Sale Famine de Valfunde’, or Famine as he shall be known from here on in, is somewhat of an enigma. The only way to describe his take on black metal is ‘unique’. He’s done almost it all, from bone grindingly raw to thrashy and Post-Punk to epic neoclassical dirges to eventually now what I can only describe as ’Carnival Black Metal’. “L’Ordure A L’Etat Pur”, the fourth full length to emerge from Famine’s deranged mind couldn’t be further from the magnificent, almost romantic “La Sanie Des Siècles”. This will only further the criticism of those exasperated at the direction Famine has steered the band in since then. Admittedly a return to that album would certainly be well received, but Famine doesn’t appear to be a man for nostalgia, and to these ears it’s almost as if “L’Ordure...” is another ‘fuck you’ to those who try to dictate what PESTE NOIRE should sound like. I don’t think Famine himself knows half the time what he wants them to sound like if this album is anything to go by. So what’s it like then? In short, one of those car crashes where everything is so mangled you can’t take your eyes off it.

The only traits that “L’Ordure...” keep in common with any of the previous PESTE NOIRE albums is the huge amount of nationalism ever present throughout the course of their career. From borrowing various works from French poets to naming your album “Ballad Against the Enemies of France”, it’s something Famine is obviously hugely passionate about. And of course the fact it’s Black Metal, albeit very different from anything they’ve ever really done before. “Casse, Pêches, Fractures et Traditions” sets the ball rolling with some light acoustics and peculiar guitar work before we’re lashed with Famine’s vocals, which if you’ve not heard before can be hard to get your head around initially. They cite themselves as ‘Hooligan Black Metal’, and you can see why when listening to his crude throat scraping howls which at times sound like a drunken Frenchman throwing a tantrum. Initially it doesn’t sound too far off “Ballade...”, and contains some fantastic strong riffing before the freak show comes around; horns, trombones, accordions and various samples including Famine belching and a cockerel proceed to warp what initially sounded like a solid Black Metal tune into something which leaves you with that initial thought of wondering just what the fuck you listened to. If I had to make any sort of comparison at all I’d compare it to a Black Metal carnival on the banks of the Seine full of zombies. I even hear what almost sounds like a French TOM WAITS in there at times. I realise that sounds a little absurd, then again so does half this album.

Now we come to the hard style-esque (yes that’s right) “Cochon Carotte et les Sœurs Crotte” with its incessant horrible thumping drum track and Famine’s demented wailing, it’s like a Black Metal equivalent to the music you’d hear at your local funfair. Only with lots of drugs.

“J’avais Rêvé du Nord” continues with the repressed pulsating electronics with added munitions sampling for around three minutes before transforming into an acoustic, folky passage with our ever enchanting Audrey Sylvain providing her alluring vocals as well as dove impersonations (that’s talent right there!). Eventually we get some welcome unashamed Black Metal after some medieval guitar work, thundering drums, razor wire riffing and slightly less bizarre vocals and the relief floods in that Famine still definitely has it. For a twenty minute song it’s incredibly diverse and engaging throughout, though monotony was never a problem for PESTE NOIRE; one of the attributes that set them apart from the others in the first place.

The final two tracks are more straight forward with the anomalies less frequent, though Famine still sounds as if he’s shouting random incoherent nonsense than singing lyrics more often than not. “Sale Famine Von Valfoutre” still has that melodic yet piercing guitar tone and altogether unattached and chaotic attitude PESTE NOIRE are known for while “La Condi Hu” for me is the highlight of the release. It’s shockingly laid back for PESTE NOIRE never mind the album itself, sounding more like something Neige would release with its light picking coupled with heavily distorted melodic riffs, Famine’s rather distressed vocals and spoken word by Audrey. This showcases Famine’s song writing abilities at their very best, proving that when he’s not fucking around he can write some extremely stirring music.

Casual fans of Black Metal I would suggest avoiding this, for it’s not an easy listen. The first half of the album is basically a menagerie of deranged inspirations and obscenities that Famine has concocted in his bizarre mind and unleashed them onto a disc. The latter half is unique, but still unmistakably PESTE NOIRE as we know them. At times it’s utterly fantastic and immersive, sardonic and brash; others will just end up giving you a headache and the rest will leave you perplexed, bemused and feeling a little bit used. You want a perfect representation of the album? Just look at the cover, their own amusing take on “Liberty Leading the People”. There’s a guy with a fucking toilet seat for a head for god’s sake.

7/10

Originally written for Metal Observer

[ALBUM REVIEW] Satanized/Framferd/Plutonian Shore/Katari - Nocturnal Tyrants

Genre - Black Metal

1. Satanized - Xahhak
2. Satanized - Doctrine Of Thralldom
3. Framferd - Aatseleter
4. Framferd - Med Blottet Nakke
5. Plutonian Shore - Invoking Ereshkigal
6. Plutonian Shore - Lunar Rites
7. Katari - Darkening all
8. Katari - Mutilated and Reversed

Recently out on Turkish label ‘Extreminal Productions’, Nocturnal Tyrants, a split comprised of four up and coming black metal bands of various styles showcases the talent (or lack of) that these artists have to offer. Personally I have never really seen the point of split albums containing any more than two bands, they tend to lack any sort of continuity and end up feeling like some sort of half-assed promo, which is essentially what this feels like.

Satanized actually get things off to a brisk start, from Istanbul they bring to the table a style of Black Metal I’ve only really heard before in Saudi Arabian band Al-Namrood. The ethnic riffing weaves around Angramainyu’s deep deathy gutturals and bolstered by an almost Melechesh-esque atmosphere, Satanized actually sound fairly sharp and promising if these two tracks are anything to go by, which is more than can be said for the next band Framferd.

Out of Norway, the supposed ‘home’ of black metal, you’d probably expect them to be rather more accomplished at this than their Peruvian or Turkish label mates. Far from it in fact, for their two tracks are the weakest on this release. If monotonous raw black metal with horribly uninspired thin guitar riffing is your thing, then fire away. Personally I prefer my black metal with a touch of imagination. Dragging along without ever remotely threatening an interesting riff, you can pass these guys up and not be too worried about missing anything.

Plutonian Shore thankfully raise the quality again with their brand of melodic black metal awash with keys that’s not too far away from latter day Ancient or Swedish band Noctes. The drums are very muffled, though both songs contain some fantastic passages, especially “Lunar Rites” and its triumphant feeling to its guitar riffs. Along with Satanized, they’re definitely the only two who show any promise and any potential longevity.

Katari don’t fare much better than Framferd with their take on the raw end of the spectrum. The vocals are far too weak to have any impact for one, and the riffing thoroughly unremarkable for another, there’s just nothing that stands out and would ever make me want to listen to them again.

In fairness, none of these bands are doing anything revolutionary, but they’re all young enough and there’s plenty of scope for improval there, it’s just that some have a lot more to build upon than others.

5/10

Originally written for Metalcrypt

[ALBUM REVIEW] The Devil's Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre

Genre - Psychedelic Rock

01. Unending Singularity
02. On The Wings Of Gloria
03. Die The Death
04. Within The Charnel House Of Love
05. Cruel Lover
06. She
07. The Thousandfold Epicentre
08. Fire Burning
09. Everlasting Saturnalia
10. The Madness Of Serpents
11. Feverdance


Retro 60’s/70’s psychedelic rock throwback seems to be somewhat on the rise lately. With bands such as GHOST, JEX THOTH, BLOOD CEREMONY and YEAR OF THE GOAT and such you’re spoilt for choice. THE DEVIL’S BLOOD were one of the first to appear on the scene with their sublime debut EP “Come Reap” full of memorable hooks and awash with psychedelia, and they’re back to show everyone how it’s supposed to be done.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last three years, THE DEVIL’S BLOOD are an occult obsessed act from the Netherlands peddling their wares from the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, COVEN, BLACK WIDOW and even HAWKWIND’S school of rock. So basically, expect lyrics which would have your local priest running for his crucifix and traditional rock arrangements supplemented with long meandering passages of abstract psychedelic fuzz.

So onto the music itself, let’s be frank, debut full length “The Time of No Time Evermore” was just above average, only saved by one or two fantastic songs while suffering from a large amount of filler. “The Thousandfold Epicentre” is a vastly different and superior affair. From the utterly majestic and almost ceremonial “On the Wings of Gloria” (Ignoring the throwaway intro) right through to the fifteen minute labyrinth, “Feverdance”, “The Thousandfold Epicentre” almost never lets up the quality.

F., the band’s vocalist is what really sets them out from the crowd though; just take the closing vocal patterns in “On the Wings of Gloria”, they’re absolutely sublime and chillingly seductive. Couple this with the ever increasing sonic tidal wave of scuzzy distortion and compelling bass work and you have something very special indeed. Other highlights throughout include “Cruel Lover” with its initially snappy rhythm and subtle guitar work before descending into three minutes of obscurity. “She” has some fantastic lead work and vocal lines which slowly embed their claws in a little further each listen. “The Madness of Serpents” is probably the strongest track here. A simmering melody that just flat out radiates evil for its backbone and effect laden guitar work shimmering throughout before succumbing to a spacey, chromatic instrumental oddity which almost feels improvised, as a some of this album tends to feel at times, like a live performance without the crowd. “Feverdance” though I just don’t get, half a song of almost inaudible guitar twiddlings and sparse vocals before eventually coming to end with some pretty average instrumental work, what’s the point? Filler for the sake of it.

One thing that certainly can’t be faulted with these guys is the sheer effort put into the packaging. If you were one of the ones who got the 8/9” CD edition will know what I mean. A thirty six page showcase of artwork and lyrics which I must add is fantastic, it really makes this album feel like something special, and it is.

It’s also welcome every once in a while to come across a band in the rock/metal end of the spectrum who don’t solely exist to exploit the fact their vocalist is female. The Devil’s Blood are genuine to the core. They’ve improved vastly upon “The Time of No Time Evermore”, the song writing is more audacious and utilises some great experimentation. Yes a lot of it harks back to bygone times, but at the same time they manage to make it appear fresh and put paid to the claim they’re just a nostalgia act. Maybe before, but the truth is they’re much, much more than that now.

9/10

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