Melodic black metal can be really good, and at times exceptional. On the other hand, since it has the tendency to be the more 'easy to listen to' form of black metal, it can turn out to be rather flat. This usually happens when the purpose of the band is to gather attention, to be more commercially successful. Inexorum play their cards truthfully, focusing on the strength of their compositions, creating songs that are, to be honest, uplifting and more joyfull than I am accustomed to. But, I feel the need to clarify here that I find joy in rather dark and brooding music. To make a comparison here, a friend of mine told me that something that we were listening to sounded really melancholic and dark, while I felt nothing of the sorts. Maybe this is a similar case, cause Inexorum's Equinox Vigil is a joy to listen to.
I assume that their brand will become more familiar in the underground circles as times passes by, since they have been active for only five years now, and, in that little time span, they have already released three full lengths. That is, by it self, and impressive feat, but it is also not uncommon. Being able to create music of top quality however, is more difficult.
Equinox Vigil is the first album from Inexorum that I have been exposed to, and I've only listened to it recenlty, eventhough it has been in my radar since summer. Better late than ever. Equinox Vigil has beautiful riffs, leads and solos, while the rhythm is pretty much relentless throughout the album. What makes it flow with ease are the two factors between the guitar melodies and the rasping voice that sounds more like an aggresive, distant wind. Overall, the album feels like a helping spirit that guides us through the day while we are at the wake of Equinox.
Doom metal is not easy to play. From the drums, where the drummer needs to be able to hold a slow, steady pace, to the riffs that need to be crushing, emotional, heavy, dark, to the voice that has to have something unique and grandiose.
Ultimately, doom metal is about the salvific nature of music, focusing to redemption through suffering. Both the lyrics and the music work together to build a solemn and withdrawn, introverted experience. It is to be enjoyed in solitude.
As Jesus said in Matthew 6:5-6
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
The reference to Christ's teaching is not irrelevant. The Temple have taken the solemnity of the Orthodox Psalms and fused it into doom metal. They play literally Orthodox Doom metal. This form of ecclesiastic aesthetic may not be for everyone and, I must add, it is not for every hour.
When it is time to listen to Of Solitude Triumphant, take off your mask, withdraw from life and sink within, for the lord of light cannot be found without
But the lord of light that we have inside
Discards all the fears and embraces our lies
Of Solitude Triumphant is the most emotional record I've heard in years and, dare I say, one of those albums that will stay with me for a long time.
The revival of certain subgenres is not a bad thing. It brings a fresh approach to an already established style. At the same time, other types of metal start to evolve and expand, but leave me indifferent. Maybe it is because I am getting old and do not get impressed easily, that my explorations of metal usually do not move into territories like Lorna Shore or Archspire for example. I just do not find anything relatable, eventhough they are quite loved, and that is fine. I would have no problem being 60 years old and listening to black metal like Misþyrming, or death metal like Abyssus.
5. Abyssus - Death Revival
As the title suggests, Abyssus have an ambition to bring back to life the classic death metal sound and they succeed delivering an album that is both filled with awesome riffs and growls from the grave. If you like your death metal to be like Leprosy, Cause of Death et.al then this is for you. One of the best death metal albums of the year, along some other great albums from Heaving Earth, Verberis, Immolation, Beyond Mortal Dreams, Hath.
What we have here is a project from Justin DeTore of Sumerlands and Derrick Vella of Tomb Mold, both excellent bands in their own style, with Sumerlands releasing a very good album this year. But what of Dream Unending? This is their second album in two years and last year I just managed to take note of their name. They play atmospheric doom death of the 90's era, the English way, and I am loving it. But I have to add here that the album includes two instrumentals and two long songs, plus a normal one. It feels like a concept, or a continuus movements and at the same time sort in length, eventhough it lasts 43 minutes. Maybe it is just me that wants more.
Right now, Misþyrming are among the best black metal bands in the scene. They have managed to craft a distinct identity, bringing together dissonance and a chaotic sound while maintaining a core rhythm, mainly around the drumming, that helps the experience feel more grounded, as opposed to Deathspell Omega's sound that could never pass my threshold of 'interesting sound'. Their music is powerful, dark and rhyhmic with lead guitars that complement the songs and a voice that is a little below or equal to the rest of the music, making it a very tight production.
As a side note, this album gives away a Funeral Mist vibe. Maybe I am wrong.
It is interesting and maybe a little a sad to see bands delivering great albums but never really getting the acknowledgement they deserve. Maybe this time has come for Darkest Era, since their latest release brings together the best of their artistic abillities to date. What separates them, I believe, from the rest of the similar bands are the vocal melodies, that complement the voice. It is difficult to write this type of vocal lines that make you feel the snog in such a way.
I have been enjoying this album since its release about three months ago and will continue to do so. If you would like a comparison, I would say that their sound is similar to that of mid and later era Primordial. Emotional, hearfelt melodies and a sense of melancholy and fogginess wrapped in epic metal greatness.
There are subgenres of the 90's that are gradually re-emerging from the pits of forgetfulness, thanx to the work of a few bands that feel the artistic need to create music of that sort. It is not a strange return though, since there are cycles in the metal global scene as the generations grow older.
Similarly with the return of traditional heavy metal, we now see and listen to doom/death that is rooted in the English scene of the 90's and progressive metal of the same era. I wouldn't go so far to say that it is a trend but there are some patterns appearing.
10. Inanna - Void of Unending Depths
Inanna play death metal the Lovecraftian way. Because of the work of some bands, like Morbid Angel, cavernous riffs with a thicc, massive production is automatically related, at least in my mind, with the Cthullu mythos and Lovecraft's cosmic horror. But, I wouldn't consider this connection only historical. It is also aesthetically relevant. Death metal feels naturally monstours in a cosmic scale.
I have to admit that I've only known them by name, not by work. It seems that the time has come to change that. Til Klovers Takt is not only the first Kampfar album I've heard, it will also be the entry album to their catalogue, since they are part of the Norwegian black metal scene since 1994. They play Pagan Black metal, which means probably that the 'pagan' refers to the lyrics. They mostly write/sing in their native tongue, which adds to their aesthetic. Focus on the riffs.
Eruption play thrash metal with a modern feel to it. It brings to mind Heathen, Communic, Nevermore both in composition and in vocal delivery. They are already in their fourth release, since these Slovenians have been around since 2004. Better late than never.
I am a sucker for 90's progressive metal of the American school. It is probably the scene from which most of my favorite albums come from. Agenda 21 is a highly enjoyable, adventurous, with great compositions and vocals album from a band that had 14 years to release something new.
Darkspace opened a territory in black metal that when it first came to my attention, my initial response was "Why didn't it happen sooner?' Imagine the movie "Event Horizon" if it was a metal subgenre. Space black metal flows through the music of Vorga as well and they take us, the cosmonauts of out of body experiences, to journeys through the vast voids of eternal woe and awe.
Continuing with the albums that have been in repeat mode more than other releases, I think it would be suitable here to add that as time flies so does my patience. Maybe it is because of lesser free time, maybe it is because of the constant flow of information, maybe I am just old. What I found necessary though was to filter out in a more rapid manner the albums that will stay with me. It only takes a few minutes. The old saying that 'some albums just need to stay with you for a long time before it clicks' sure is true, but there has to be an initial interest, a spark of attraction, enjoument, an impression that may be related to the riff, the voice, the production or the overall aesthetics of it.
15. Darkane - Inhuman Spirits
In this way, Darkane's latest release fits my apetitte for great melodic death thrash of the Swedish school. The production is great and the feeling that the band has fun is being communicated through the music. Good riffs, good vocal lines. Probably this years best release when it comes to melodic death/thrash.
There is an important and distinct duality when it comes to death/thrash. There are two paths, the melodic and the technical. The melodic, as above, tends to be easier to listen to and the difficulty of this subgenre is to write memorable songs with relistenability. On the other hand, the technical death/thrash tries to balance riffs with complexity. This obviously causes less of an immediate impact. However, releases such as Netherheaven cause enjoyment to the cerebral parts of my being.
Now this is the debut album from a bunch of really angry Swedes. The ferocity grabs you instantly and their extreme death metal goes into crust territories. Riffs that bring to mind Morbid Angel, but a very angry, aggresive vocal performance and a tenacius delivery from all the players make an immediate impression, as long as someone finds enjoyment in this type of death metal.
This album has been my favorite black metal release for the first months of 2022. In Aphelion is a newly formed band and Moribund is their debut release, but, two of the members are part of a very experienced similar band, Necrophobic. It is no suprise then that their music is of high quality. Fast paced riffs, great melodic solos, catchy songs.
This is the most 80's thrash metal record I've heard in a while. High Command play thrash the American way, with fantasy lyrics and a vocal performance that usually belongs to more extreme acts. The riffs and the production together make it the best thrash metal album of the years for me.
2022 has not been particularly rich in quality, but it was in quantity. I suppose the amount of releases each year follow some sort of exponential increase, which results of course to a more difficult process of discernement. Maybe this will make metal outlets relative to the scene again, or maybe it won't. Time will tell.
I think the recipe for metalheads is to follow the opposite direction. Expose yerselves to less music. I am reffering here to the diehards explorers of the underground. Those who listen to Sabbaton and consider their music to be of quality, will always remain in this state of mind.
That is not to say of course that mainsteam metal does not have its fair amount of quality releases. Lamb Of God, Slipknot, Rammstein, Korn, Machine Head released above average material this year, some better than others, but the essence of metal is in the underground and the list follows this simple rule.
Having said that, lets dive into The Heavy Globe
20. Negative Plane - The Pact...
Had I listened to this earlier it would be higher on the list. The reason of course is its obscure, occult aesthetic of black metal. Riffs that are sharp are replaced by heavy metal riffs in a rather distinct manner. Its like listening to some lost underground proto metal band that is also time travellers and play something strange, otherworldy.
It is almost imperative to be a one man band in black metal today. In this sense it doesn't raise any eyebrows anymore, since there is a number of this type of bands that release excellent material. Blackbraid plays "Indigenous black metal from the solitude of the Adirondack wilderness" and it is well worth your time.
18. Vital Spirit – Still As the Night, Cold As the Wind
Another indigenous black metal act, only this time they introduce themselves as "Saccharine black metal of the West". The guitars are excellent and the music feels massive, but, if someone finds the vocals off-putting it will be completely understandable. I would say they are too high on the mix, like an aggresive, hostile spirit flying above the lands.
It is releases like this that remind me of the main reason I listen mostly to extreme metal. Aesthetics. It is not just the riffs, or the extremity of the vocals and I stopped reading lyrics a long time ago. What grabs me is the union of all this different intruments, along with the production into one massive entity that feels organic, real. This way, listening to an album becomes an experience. Epitaphe play death metal that is thicc and heavy and massive.
They will probably become mainstream at some point, if they aren't already. They combine country parts with thrash metal and crossover. Imagine Hatebreed/Slayer of the west. No need to overdo it. Simple, in yourface attitude. Fun.
Venom Prison have a rather intriguing name. Why not “Venomous
Prison.”? It may be a slight of the tongue or just a better pronunciation of
the band’s name. On the other hand, it might be the expression of living
circumstances, where life is experienced as a slow, corroding venom that
paralyzes and kills one’s psyche.
I am under the impression that Venom Prison released Erebos under a loose concept and each song
tells a story that deals with abuse, suffering, injustice, oppression, victimization,
through the symbolic lenses of Greek Mythology.
All myths, and I include here the
mythological stories of religions that have survived to this day, contain
within them a narration of the experienced reality that we share, albeit under
a symbolic use of language. This property of myths is what makes them such
great stories. We can find meaning in them, even though our logic cannot fully
grasp and explain.
In this sense, Erebos needs to be experienced and felt
in a similar manner; A story that speaks both directly and indirectly about the
experienced reality. Under the names and stories of the mythological creatures
and deities that appear throughout the album we can find a story of oppression,
misery, rage, fear, power, abuse, war. We can, moreover, get in touch with the
personal experiences of the narrator more easily and feel compassion for them,
even solidary rage and passion, and is exactly this unique property that has
made metal music to be personal and communal at the same time.
In other words, Venom Prison succeed in creating both
compelling compositions with great riffs and intense choruses and at the same
time have lyrics that can be shouted and screamed and make the experience of
the album more complete. I would assume, since I haven’t seen them perform,
that they must have a rather captivating presence on stage.
These past years have been interesting
and intense since communication through internet has started to shape our
reality. One of the main positive attributes of this still forming reality is
that voiceless people now have a voice and get in touch with other people with
similar experiences and pursue connection and change. By making the world
smaller and the distances almost nonexistent, we lost a sense of desire to
connect but at the same time we gained the ability to inform ourselves in a
more complete and multicolored way. Now, lyrics like:
“Trapped in a cycle
of a manic mind hypnosis
Schizophrenia.
Misdiagnosis.
Trapped in a cycle of
a manic mind hypnosis
Who is to blame? The
crimes contested.”
And their meaning is not to be
met solely in the work of Michelle Foucault per se, but to the living person
that is at the same time in another continent and next to us. The voicing
concerns of abuse are not met only in art, but through it we may connect with
individuals that have suffered like us.
Seeing the cover of the album,
designed by Eliran Cantor, we can
feel a sense of imminent danger and at the same time of solidarity between two
women that have woken up inside a mass grave. The woman on top has a motherly
concern in her eyes, showing us that she has been awake for quite some time and
is aware of the circumstances, while the woman below just woke up in a horrible
new reality and her scream is muffled by the more experienced and wiser woman,
purely for her safety. Maybe we see here the fragmented personality of a woman in
the aftermath of her abuse, waking up in a chaotic world called Erebos.
Hence, the music is chaotic,
moving in multiple directions, creating complex compositions that accompany and
bring to the surface the passionate performance of LarissaStupar. But, what
is made clear as the album progresses is that the themes cover a wider, far
more terrifying reality than the personal experience. We are becoming part of a
collective abuse forced down upon the people through means of state control.
Maybe the struggle that is presented
in the cover and can be felt in the album is concluded in the lyrics of the
final song:
“Seek justice or
satisfy public desire?
State killing
ritualised, ritualised.
Seek justice or
satisfy public desire?
State force
manifested.
Manifested.
Somewhere
Deep inside,
Empathy
Is still alive.”
Maybe the terrified young woman
on the cover is our empathy and our humanity that has just woken up in a
horrible reality. Only a question remains:
There is a somewhat small group of doom metal bands that
create a unique sound, combining brooding, heavy riffs and melodies with dreamy
vocals. The first band that I remember gave me this feeling is Subrosa. Eight
Bells move on the same sound, creating a vast soundscape filled with melancholy
and desolation, but in a warm, familiar way. In their third full length, Eight
Bells continue on the same road of doom metal expressionism, creating blurry
visions of a life that is at the same time beautiful and tragic.
Legacy Of Ruin is going to be released on February 25 by
Prophecy records.
Hangman’s Chair – Who wants to die old?
Hangman's Chair is a band that has gradually moved from
a stoner sound in the beginning to the gothic/doom metal style that brings to mind
Type O Negative. That is never a bad thing. The singer is not a baritone, like
Peter Steele, but more etheric, more dreamy. The guitars are heavy and rhythmic,
mixing a rock attitude with doom aesthetics. A loner was released via Nuclear Blast records on 11th February. Check their single: Who wants to die old, below:
Ibaraki – Akumu
Ibaraki is Matthew Kitchi Heafy’s project, were he
collaborates with Ihsahn, Nergal and, I suppose, other guests to manifest a
vision that is to be released on May 6th by Nuclear Blast records.
Akumu is the second single released and it features Behemoth’s
Nergal. This collaboration is more than the names themselves. It is a project
that has been in the making for about a decade.
Listen to both singles below:
Immolation – Blooded
Immolation need no introduction. They are one of the best
and most consistent bands in metal, having a very distinct sound, that anyone
who is acquainted with, will immediately recognize. Nightmarish solos, heavy
riffs that distort reality and turn them into a hellish landscape where the
Christian mythos is being consumed by the rebellious nature of the fallen ones.
Yes, Immolation have a massive, cosmic sound that can easily create hellish,
world ending images.
Acts Of God is now released via Nuclear Blast records, and I
cannot not mention the excellent work of artist Eliran Cantor for the cover of
the album; an artist that is gradually creating a name in the heavy metal scene
through his work and I encourage you to check his gallery over at his website.
Schizophrenia – Divine Immolation
The moment I saw the logo I thought of Sepultura. It is
reminiscent of the band’s logo in the early thrash days, and Belgium’s
Schizophrenia play aggressive thrash with some death metal into it, honoring
their influences and the genre of thrash metal. Recollections Of The Insane is
their debut album and it is released independently, so if you want to get ahold
of it, you need to come directly in touch with the band; though I don’t believe
they are going to be unsigned for a long time now, except if it is a conscious
choice and have a D.I.Y. mentality for their craft. Whichever it is,
Schizophrenia is a band to follow, since good things are going to come from
them. Most likely, I will review their album in the coming weeks.
Véhémence - Au Blason Brûlé
Véhémence is a French black metal band that aims and
achieves to play medieval black metal infused with melody, epicness and great
black metal solos. Their sophomore album in 2019 did cause a stir in the
underground waters of the scene and by listening to this sample, Ordalies is
going to be equally great, if not better. Enjoy the song. Their third full
length comes out on March 8th by Antiq records.
Beginning from the artwork and
the title of the album, we get the primary idea of what we are getting into.
Cosmic black metal, at least for me, is not easy to create, and the reason for
that is simple. It can get stretched into ambience in favor of atmosphere and
get lost in it, creating soundscapes that actually miss the point of cosmic
black metal.
So, what is the point? The best
way to convey the aesthetics of cosmic black metal is, for my part, analogy.
Even though writing about music is like dancing for architecture, as Martin
Mull puts it, the equivalent of cosmic bm is cosmic horror, either in movies or
books, even in video games. The main and core concept behind cosmicism is the
insignificance of humans in the universal, or cosmic, scale. It is built upon
existential dread, nihilism, absurdism. It is, in other words, a subgenre of
black metal that captures the human psyche in its darkest corners of
existential crisis. Man is, and forever will be, subject to powers or gods,
that are way beyond his perception and ability to comprehend in a way that is
scaled within his cognition. It is, in the end, a vehicle of transporting his
soul into the vast void of uncreation, where all that is created has been in a
state of eternal consumption by the great unknown, the beasts that are behind
the blackness of space, where time ceases to have meaning.
That is what Darkspace, Sphere and
now, Vorga can capture with their
music. Each of them, while having commonalities, attributed mainly to Darkspace, take their own galactic road
and invite us to join them on a journey of awe, terror and grandiosity.
Striving Toward Oblivion manages to build upon black metal riffs,
the well-known ‘railway riffs’ of tremolo picking, and a voice that is a little
lower than the music in the mix, the sense of awe and swirling chaos that can
entertain and, at the same time, fulfill the black metaller’s need to escape
reality into a fantasy world.
What separates black metal, and
to be honest all of heavy metal, from the rest of music, is its understanding
of the need of the human psyche to imagine a world beyond the mundane and cruel
reality. A world where beasts, gods, or lesser gods, dimensions and realms of
possibilities exist simultaneously with ours, giving us a way to express
ourselves and unload the negativity and toxicity through art that may be
incomprehensible to most other people, but oh, so familiar and warm to us.
Have you ever noticed that metal
can be extreme in a way that relaxes the senses? This is what Vorga achieve with their debut. They
take us on a journey to the vast unknown, with swirling riffs and black metal
melodies, a voice that is most likely a narration of the last minutes of
humanity while on a journey to find a new world to exploit and destroy.
Oblivion waits at the end of our journey, whether this happens in a few hundred
years or millions of years. One day we shall be the stories of a future species
with cognitive abilities greater than ours, where we will have a place in history
similar to what dinosaurs have in ours. Until that time comes though, let us
enjoy our striving toward oblivion.
Striving Toward Oblivion is released via Transcending Obscurity Records.
Beginning from the title alone,
and after listening just the first few seconds of the first song, Metal of Death, it is made clear that
this record is an homage to classic death metal of the late 80’s, early 90’s.
What is also evident throughout the album is the high quality of the songs and
a meaty production that takes us back to the early days of death metal. At the
end, the feeling that stayed with me was that it is more than just a homage. It
is indeed a death revival.
From the perspective of the
creators, if I am not mistaken, death metal ought to be suffocating,
aggressive, relentless, terrifying, based on great riffs and a growling voice
that comes from the deepest of the deeps. I believe they had the goal of
creating a death metal album that if released in 1991 would now be placed among
the great death metal releases, along with Leprosy,
Cause Of Death, From Beyond et al. and I also believe that they achieved their
goal.
Starting from the cover art, made
by Andreas
Marschall, and moving to the music itself, everything seems to be in its proper
place. The length of the album is just 33 minutes, but they are more than
enough to enjoy riffs upon riffs and to growl along with Konstantinos Analytis about The
Beast Within or our Uncertain Future.
Genocide begins with the pontic lyra
and it is made clear that this song is about the genocide of the Pontics by the
Turks at the beginning of the 20th century (I could mention here
that I am of Pontic descend). The Witch,
a less than 3 minutes song, manages to include everything necessary for a
stomping death metal song. The album closes with the lengthier song, Where Wolves Are Out To Hunt, a slow
paced death metal fog that gradually accelerates to mid paced where Analytis growls
They
are coming for you
They
are coming for you
Watch
out!
Death Revival manages to be among the
best releases of 2022, even if we are still at the beginning of the year. The quality
of the music is top of the line and every metal fan that enjoys death metal
will find here everything they want.
Death Revival was released from Transcending Obscurity records on the
21 of January. There are two things remaining now. Firstly, to see them perform
their material on a show and secondly, to get my hands on the vinyl release.
The 3rd single, Handshake with Hell, from
the upcoming album of Arch Enemy is
now released. The riff, for some reason, reminds me of a Grand Magus song, that I just don’t quite remember the name.
Apart from that, Arch Enemy is a very consistent band
commercially, built up around the two beacons, Mike Amott and Alissa White.
What remains an unanswered question to me is when Jeff Loomis is going to release something new and the same goes for
Spiritual Beggars.
That said, Deceivers is going to be released at the end of July.
Desolate Shrine
Desolate Shrine
is a Finnish death metal band that belongs to the roster of Darkness Descent records; a label that
is at the forefront of underground extreme metal with bands like Lvcifyre, Malignant Altar, Phobocosm
et al.
Desolate Shrine
return after 5 years with their new album, Fires
Of The Dying World and with their brand of blackened death metal. With
cavernous riffs and production they create that suffocating entity of death
metal that can induce cosmic terror.
Listen to The Dying
World below:
Korn
For those of you, like myself,
who didn’t know, Korn just dropped
their new album, Requiem, and you
can listen to it in its entirety via their youtube channel. On my first listen
it gave me a positive impression. In the past few years Korn seem to be rooted firmly on their sound and create solid
releases.
Kreator
The time approaches for a new Kreator album, 5 years after their last
album and it is called Hate Uber Alles.
The first impression that the cover gave me was a Pleasure To Kill vibe. The similarities are evident. Their first
single was released yesterday and it is thrashy a catchy chorus. You can listen
to it below:
Mass Worship
This is a somewhat new Swedish
band that released their debut s/t album back in 2019 via Century Media. Now, in 2022, Portal
Tombs is being released, and Mass
Worship have a massive, bludgeoning sound, that is not easy to create. If
you like death metal that has a hardcore vibe to it and at the same time sounds
like something huge is about to crush on you, then you should try them out.
Orcus Mouth, the second single, features Jonas Renkse of Katatonia
and Jonas Stallhammar of At The Gates, while the first track, Portal Tombs, - the solos of which
remind me of Meshuggah - features
guest vocals from Barney Greenway of
Napalm Death. Mass Worship seem to be giving a promise for an excellent future in
extreme metal.
Saxon
Now we are talking about a
historic band, a very important band in the heavy metal scene, since they are
one of those bands that laid the foundations of heavy metal. Saxon begun in 1979, releasing a number
of classic albums, and are still going strong, since ageing doesn’t seem to
take a toll on them. All the better for us. Carpe Diem is their 25th album. Their 25th! That
is a lot. Let’s listen to the Age of
Steam.
Venom Prison
The first time I listened to Venom Prison was in 2019, with their
sophomore album Samsara. They play
an aggressive and complex style of death metal that brings to mind Misery Index, Dying Fetus etc. but with more melodic breaks. Now, with their
first album with Century Media, they
cultivate their melodicism even more and start moving into a territory that
reminds me of Heaven Shall Burn and
the Goteborg scene of melodic death metal. All these names are used just for
clarification, but since we all can listen to anyone’s music at our own will, please
judge for your selves. I like the road they are walking on. Comfort Of Complicity is the 4th
single from the album Erebos that
was released yesterday.
Voivod
Now here we are talking about a
very important band that created their own sound, their own identity back in
the forming years of metal music and they still move on that weird but, at the
same time, very intriguing and interesting sound. To my ears, Voivod play the soundtrack of an 80’s
science fiction b-movie that became an instant cult classic.
I have to mention here that Chewy is wearing a t-shirt from Virus,
a Norwegian band that, like Voivod,
create weird soundscapes that are just captivating. Listen to them.
Synchro Anarchy is going to be released in February 11th
via Century Media.
Vorga
“Who are Vorga?” you may ask. Well, they are an atmospheric, space black
metal band from Germany and Striving
Toward Oblivion is their debut album, via Transcending Obscurity records. The guitars at times remind me of Darkspace, which is always a good
thing, but Vorga explore space in
their own way. Their music blends the traditional melodicism of the German
black metal scene with space bm aesthetics in a very successful way. Are you
ready for a trip into the eternal void of space?
