Imagine owning two paintings, Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son and Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase. The first would be hung in the living room for all the guests to admire; the second would be hung in the study for special guests to admire. This new disc by Xasthur, if it was a painting, would […]

Amon Amarth has been a favorite of mine for ten years so when the opportunity presented itself to conduct an interview I jumped at it. In the middle of a North American tour, Johan graciously offered some of his time to sit down and answer some questions.

Supreme Death/Black Metal Art part six. Is it black metal? Is it death metal? Does it really matter anymore? Belphegor has been blurring the line for better than a decade. Call them a black metal band that has gone over to the death side or argue they were always a death band with black influences, […]

Candlelight has brought us the first full length recording of Hungarian band Forest Silence. Forest Silence is one of those self released bands that falls into the cracks of obscurity and is probably dismissed without listening by most that see the cd, which is a shame because this is not simply old Norwegian worship as […]

Does the world exist the way we perceive it or do we simplify things for the sake of our sanity. When two people communicate, be it with words or music, they do not use a shared language, but interpret what the other says according to their particular syntax. So the question of what the other […]

Blut Aus Nord comes from Normandy France and have just released their fifth full length recording. Their style is now called “metaphysical extreme metal” by the band. Mort is French for dead. This disc is 47 minutes in duration with eight tracks, no titles. This is mostly instrumental, unstructured ambient noise with electronic effects over […]

When I looked at the promo copy of the new album and saw the first track was “Black Terror Metal” I thought this was a compilation cd, I have a demo tape by that name. It turns out to be a re-recording of the classic song. Luciferin Valo is the 22nd Azaghal release in my […]

For What Once Was… is the premier release for the one man band called Bothildir, formed in 2004. Ardroth is sole creator. Bothildir is based in my home state of Maine. Though Ardroth has only lived here a few years, I’ll still give him home ice advantage even though he is not a true Maineiac. […]

Xasthur is addictive. Never great, often dull, amazingly addictive. Modern Psychedelic US Black Metal is what the Moribund press release calls Xasthur. At least we have finally gotten past the suicidal depressive tag that was always misleading and inaccurate, despite the reappearing noose. They do however use the words despair and dreary. Maybe it is […]

Very superficially this could be described as Hellhammer simplified with samples, noise, electronic loops and droning guitars added. None of which is an improvement on the original. Thralldom hail from New York City and A Shaman Steering The Vessel of Vastness is their third full album. They claim to be dark death metal, more on […]

When metal-archives.com went online I started systematically entering bands in alphabetical order with a few exceptions for some of my favorite bands that no one else had submitted yet. Among the first was Kampfar. I remember where I bought the Kampfar mcd back in 1994, one of those defining moments like where were you when […]

Belenos is back with their 4th crusade of brutal Pagan black metal. Chants de Bataille has been finally released by Adipocere after the last several releases on Sacral Productions. Other than a jump from one French label to another French label, not much has changed. The most obvious change is the inclusion of seven interludes. […]

Helrunar hails from Munster Germany and formed in spring 2001. They play Heathen black metal and Frostnacht is their debut album for a record label, with Gratr being self released. If I was in the habit of offering quick and dirty comparisons to known bands I’d say Enslaved meets Immortal circa 1994 with Frostmoon Eclipse […]

This is the German band named Cerberus, formed in 1998. They play slow to mid paced melodic black metal, like old Hades with a bit of thrash and doom thrown in. Klagelieder – Grabesgesang is their second album and third release. They managed to release a live album before any studio material. The album contains […]

Shed the high profile members, keep the audience. Historically the strength of Keep of Kalessin was drumming and vocals. Both positions changed hands for Reclaim, and both have changed again here, with original drummer Vyl back in the fold where he belongs, replacing Frost. Thebon replaces the pinch hitter Attila, who also jumped on board […]

1349 is easily one of the best new black metal bands out of Norway, but considering the long history the band members have pre 1349 maybe they are not really eligible for the newbie prize. A few years from now, after a few more albums and more tours under their bullet belts, 1349 should be […]

Leviathan is back with another split release. This time the glutton for punishment is Sapthuran. Bands know how tough the situation is, to be the flip side of a Leviathan release has got to be a lot of pressure. Even if you release something utterly fantastic it is still likely to get overpowered by Wrest. […]

This is not a new recording, but a pressing onto cd of the split vinyl release of 2004 by Profound Lore Records. Battle Kommand is offering the material to a wider audience but also to the select few that own the vinyl because of the addition of three bonus tracks by Xasthur and one by […]

When I read that Moredhel, long time Horna guitarist, with the help of Horna drummer Gorthaur, was forming a Tolkien inspired band there was no way I wasn’t going to check it out so I bought the debut album expecting possibly early Summoning, and it was immediately obvious this was not going to be a […]

“Give me some baby blood.” This disc is called Tetragrammatical Astygmata and as I listened for the first time I kept hearing King Diamond’s voice in my head, “Elohim… Adonai… Tetragrammaton.” Averse Sefira returns with new material, the long awaited sequel to 2001’s Battle’s Clarion. The most important issue to me is can this possibly […]

This is Horna, no compromise black metal from Finland, no trends past or present, the Motorhead of black metal. Ignore all trends and be true to your origins is Shatraug’s motto and, like Motorhead, their songs are not as simple as people think. They can masterfully craft simple song structures that are more complex than […]

Think Blasphemy and Conqueror if you are not familiar with Black Witchery, if you are familiar with them think Conqueror. This time out the sound is more streamlined and more monotonous. Think 26 minutes of absolutely mindless savagery done with drums and guitar. Forget songwriting or any pretense at musicianship. This is bash till you […]

The measuring stick for mediocrity has just gotten a little shorter. Charnel Valley has released their opening salvo in what promises to be a short career. Once you get past the lame amateurish cover art you get to hear “epic, raw and imaginative black metal.” I kid you not. Five days from conception to completion […]

Finland’s purveyors of depravity and sickness return one more time. Ten songs thirty seven minutes. My favorite song is the final seven minutes, the title track, even though the words suicide and anno aspera are repeated far too often. Great slow rumbling song, ominous. Vocals are recited trance like in the background and the guitars […]

New blood can rejuvenate. Plague Angel proves this. Arioch is a good choice for Legion’s replacement. When Legion took over vocals I was not won over for awhile. I got used to his style and started to think of him as one of the best of the more deathish black style even overlooking his rather […]