This band plays “brutal and bestial death black metal,” and that is as good a description as I could come up with. This is Carpathian Forest death metal style. Wall of noise type death is on display here, lots of distortion. The vocals are a croaking rumble that is surprisingly understandable. As their album cover […]

It has been five years since Memoria Vetusta, finally we have the next piece from this long standing French act. Three albums in nine years of existence is one way to ensure cult status among the underground faithful, but five years between releases is just as likely to get you forgotten. The Mystical Beast Of […]

This album, Sweden’s Thy Primordial’s first recorded but third released, seems like demo material that has been released years later. Compared to their current material, the musicianship is weak and the production is weak, which is not unusual for a band’s first release, but this is a solid album in its own right. Thy Primordial […]

Bethlehem is one of those bands that I’ve just ignored over the years for various reasons. I know they played a kind of black doom in the past, but they seem to have taken a giant misstep emotionally during their last stay in the mental hospital. My first impression was what the fuck? I’m glad […]

Many will find Finland’s Alghazanth hard not to compare to Dimmu Borgir. Alghazanth formed late in 1995 and, after more than their share of line-up changes, finally released their debut in late 1999. This is their third full-length in little more than two years, – quite prolific for a band plagued by line-up changes, which […]

It is 1987 and you are listening to Mayhem, no it’s 2001 and you are listening to Black Dawn. This is “True Black Metal” according to the band, and one must “only listen to during self-mutilation.” Now that all the obvious Mayhem comparisons are out of the way, what’s left? Musically they sound like early […]

Blodsrit (blood rite) is an old heathen ritual performed by sacrificing blood for better crops. Blodsrit is also a Swedish black metal band with it’s origins in early Darkthrone, Marduk and Carpathian Forest. This is corpse painted satanic black metal written with care and conviction and more precision than most. Originally a one man project, […]

Finland’s Trollheim’s Grott formed in 1997. When I first encountered them they had just released what I believe to be their debut full-length, Kalt Trist Sorg Och DoD. They were a promising viking metal band, with emotional vocals rendered in grim and clean vocal styles. The musicianship was good, not great, but the long songs […]

This band escaped my notice until recently. In the last few weeks I have seen many reviews touting this band as the best of American black metal. That seems lofty praise, but maybe not unwarranted. If not the best, definitely one of the better. One reviewer said “extremely dissonant and chaotic-more unlistenable than DARKTHRONE’s Transylvanian […]

This new black metal band say they play raw and icy black metal, and the song “Earth,” on Opus I- Discipline of the Elements, is a good example of this, but it is not typical raw black metal. The guitars are cleaner and the music is more atmospheric. There is a doom style to the […]

Belphegor released this album in 1995 on Lethal Records and no one noticed. Those that wanted it later could not find it so Last Episode was gracious to re-release it in 1999 complete with six bonus tracks. Mercenary Musik is now re-releasing the original version, according to their web site, with all art work restored. […]

Austria’s masters of “cruel blasphemic hyperblast aggression” get the re-release treatment courtesy of Mercenary Musik. Blutsabbath was originally released in 1997 by Last Episode. For those who already own the original version, read no farther- this is an exact copy. For those new to the band, Belphegor play black/death and can be described as Morbid […]

This old style keyboardless black metal band from the Pacific Northwest has been around for a few years. Warlords of Hell is a successful follow up to Satan’s Wrath. While it might be a stretch to refer to them as maturing, they are definitely more accomplished musically. Where Satan’s Wrath was an interesting if not […]

This Finnish atmospheric black metal band has released a string of demos since 1996, and finally put out a full-length debut. With so many bands vying for position within the atmospheric black sub genre, it seems Finland is cornering the market on top flight talent. Uhrilehto is yet another talented newcomer with good musicianship on […]

Aeba, a German outfit, describe their style as “apokalyptic black metal.” They do have a female keyboardist, but she doesn’t sing. This is atmospheric black, not gothic black – and they are fully corpsepainted, with studs and leather. Rebellion – Edens Asche is a lengthy album and features eight songs and runs 66 minutes. The […]

Italy’s Aborym formed in 1991, released a demo and broke up. The same members reformed the band in 1997 and released their debut album, Kali Yuga Bizarre in 1999. Fire Walk With Us is their second full-length, and the first to feature Attila Csihar, formerly of Mayhem, as permanent vocalist. Thier aim is to break […]

The legendary Horna is back with a vengeance, and even better, back on cd. After releasing seven vinyl only recordings as limited edition 7 inches, they have signed to Woodcut Records and now those of you not into spending money on split seven inches to get a few songs from Horna and a few from […]

ArthemesiA arrived from the ashes of Celestial Agony in February ’98 with their first demo. Devs Iratvs is their self-financed debut full length, which landed them on Native North Records. This Finnish corpse-painted five piece take their name from Arthemesia absinthium, the plant that the drug extract that caused Van Gogh to cut off his […]

This Finnish black metal band play primitive “raw grim black thrash”, and it’s nothing we have not heard before, and usually done better as well. Take the best of Bathory, Darkthrone and Mayhem and remove those aspects of the music, Bloodhammer is what’s left. Advertising such inventive slogans as “play it loud, sucker!!” and “kill […]

Austrian death/black metal band Belphegor is back with their third release, titled Necrodaemon Terrorsathan. This band has been around for nearly ten years and shows no signs of softening their approach. It is still fast brutal technical satanic death at it’s finest. With messages like “keep your country clean, burn your local church,” prominently featured […]

Lands of War is the fifth release by Anhkrehg, the fully corpsepainted brutal war black metal band from Plessisville, Quebec. In their own words, “In early 1993, when black metal was still in the deep underground of America, guitarist Blacknight teamed up with an inspired bass/ vocalist Khayr and hate is born, it’s name, Anhkrehg.” […]

Zorn, a German band, is new to me. I know nothing about them except what I hear on Schwarz Metall. Schwarz Metall is simple, straight-forward brutal black metal. No melody, no keyboards – just extreme, primitive blackness. The guitars really dominate in the mix and the bass guitar is quite prominent compared to most black […]

This Italian darkwave gothic rock band seems to have quite the following, but as soon as I heard that they play a combination of later Katatonia and Dead Can Dance I knew I was in for a tough review. I hate reviewing bands that play a style I can’t stand. While I can appreciate musicianship […]

Thundra, according to their record label, plays “pure black viking metal.” This Norwegian band plays a more brutal, less melodic form than most viking metal bands. While many bands are going more folk, less metal, Thundra is staying true to what I consider viking metal. When I think viking metal I think Enslaved and Einherjer. […]

Tvangeste was formed in 1996 and the line-up was complete some two years later in 1998. They call their music “True Prussian Black Metal.” Damnation of Regiomontum is their debut. It is quite professional and polished for a first recording. Before I get into the music, some background is necessary. Who are/were the Prussians? Prussia […]