Martröð - Transmutation of Wounds (2016)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: USA / Italy

A supergroup of sorts, featuring members of Leviathan, Wormlust and Skaphe.
Although a short EP, the songs are covered in discordance and tremolo riffs.

They plan on dropping a full-length later this year.

FFO: Aosoth, Deathspell Omega, Misþyrming


Download via bandcamp (Name Your Price)

Addaura - Discography

 

Genre: Black Metal 

Country: United States

Addaura is a band I've loved since the very first moment I discovered  them in 2010. Along with Alda, Skagos, and Fauna, Addaura were the front-runners of the burgeoning Cascadian black metal scene that began in the late 2000's. Though the other bands were certainly good, Addaura were always very much my favorite. Their WIITR inspired sound was absolutely perfect, and their demo is one my favorite black metal releases ever. Black metal has always based around nature-worship, and the Cascadian black metal scene took that concept even further. Musically, I love their repetitive ebb and flow, and the very subtle changes their music featured. It all felt so organic and in the spirit of what they were trying to achieve. Although she's now departed, their vocalist at the time Chantal was fantastic, and her hoarse rasp played a huge part in my love for them. It was a shame that she left, but it was still clear that Addaura had a bright future ahead of them. 

In 2012, the group released their first full-length Burning For The Ancient ,and again I was in awe of what they were able to create. It wasn't a departure of their previous sound, but rather a refinement. Though the songs were longer, their sense of flow had improved dramatically, with each track building and building until it hit its epic climax. Once again repetition played a large role, but because the melodies were so strong and the arrangements so tight, there was never a moment where any section felt like it overstayed its welcome. Guitarist Ryan had taken over the role of vocals, and though I was initially a bit scared, upon his first wail he quickly laid those worries to rest. Not only were his shrieks as good as Chantal's but he was able to deliver monstrous gutturals, adding yet another dimension to the group's sound. Once again, Addaura proved to be step ahead of their peers.

This brings us to 2015, and after a seemingly eternal three year wait Addaura dropped their ...And The Lamps Expire EP. At first, I didn't really know what to think of it. However, the more I listened, the more I began to appreciate what they are attempting to do; finally forging their own sound. Though elements of the Cascadian style (and therefore WIITR) still remain, ...And The Lamps Expire is very much Addaura beginning to create a style of their own. To a degree they've abandoned the repetition and subtly of their previous material, but it really fucking works. Rife with more folk and experimental touches, here Addaura displays a sense of dynamics I would have never expected from them. The more furious black metal segments certainly still sound like them, but now they've expanded their sonic palette, accentuating the strength of the more aggressive moments as well as the softer ones. Overall, it's a great release and I'm certainly looking forward to whatever they do next. 

Fuath - I (2016)

 

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Scotland

A few weeks ago I posted the premiere single from Fuath's I, called "Blood"; it was an EXCELLENT atmospheric black metal track that encapsulated winter without sounding like some terrible second-wave rip-off. The full album was finally released yesterday, and no surprise here, it fucking rules. Like I said before, I am not usually a fan of wintry black metal aside from the classics, but this is totally worth it. Beautiful and hypnotic stuff here. 

Winter is Here 

Arizmenda - Stillbirth In The Temple of Venus (2014)

 

Genre: Black Metal

Country: United States 

 Arizmenda is the sound of black metal losing its mind. That's what makes them so ***ING good; the trepidation you can't help but feel when listening to them. That spine-chilling sense of paranoia like something is creeping just behind you. When listening to Arizmenda, you don't feel safe. They wouldn't have it any other way.

For all the bands that deal with matters of mental torment, Arizmenda has, since their 2007 inception, been among the best. Their debut album Within the Vacuum of Infinity... was a harrowing experience of atmospheric black metal. Follow-up Without Circumference Nor Center emphasized the psychedelic subtleties of previous record, igniting that fervor into feverish delirium. After what seemed like an eternal three year wait, The Black Twilight Circle's most notorious band have dropped their most accomplished work to date, Stillbirth In The Temple of Venus.

Building on the foundation provided by 2013's glorious compilation Tliltic Tlapoyauak, Stillbirth In The Temple of Venus dispenses with the free-flowing songwriting of the band's previous full-lengths in favor of a style that's more deliberate and consciously structured. The brilliantly titled "Cum In Your Wound" contrasts blackened psychedelia with claustrophobic atmospheres to create a hallucinogenic effect, while "Innocence and Illness" opens with vibrant melodies before descending into a chasm of anxiety-filled darkness. As a whole, Stillbirth... thrives on the dichotomy between deranged melodies and the band's trademarked discordance. Though the album features much more of the former than ever before, tracks like "Satyriasis" proves its increased implementation only serves to accentuate the insanity of the latter.

It's so relieving to see Arizmenda diversify. For as good as their style was, it would have inevitably become stale. Here, we see them progress without losing the core elements that make them such a unique entity. Stillbirth In The Temple of Venus is a black metal album all fans of the genre absolutely must hear; you'd be crazy not to.

Bandcamp

Eigenlicht - Sacral Regicide (2015)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

This is the kind of raw shit that I love; melodic, muddy, and drenched in grandiose orchestrations. Hailing from Olympia, Washington these guys (for the most part) eschew any kind of association with the Cascadian BM scene, opting instead for a sound more heavily rooted in classic Hellenic black metal a la Agatus, or Deviser. It's fitting considering the lyrical content, which is rife with references to the Minotaur and sporadic uses of Latin. Musically, Sacral Regicide draws the perfect line between filthy and pristine, supplementing the cascading waves of rich atmosphere. The whole of the demo is a wonderful balance of synth heavy and just plain FUCKING HEAVY; when they kick it into overdrive, they are relentless.

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Devouring Ghost - Devouring Ghost Soundtrack (2015)

 Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

In recent years Mark McCoy has imbued raw black metal with a sense of artistry that has allowed him to create some of the most interesting work in the genre. On the surface he offers everything fans of this style could ask for - blackened dirges delivered in succinct bursts of punk-fueled riffage - but conceptually his releases are often far from the simplistic racket of his contemporaries. His Arts project and its Vault of Heaven album contained all the crudity and ugliness of raw black metal while daring to toy with its structural convention. Hallow dissembled BM and noise into an experience wholly more harrowing than the sum of its parts. Even his more "straightforward" projects - Devil's Dung, Ancestors, Haxan - exude a modicum of depth rarely felt within the genre. His newest project Devouring Ghost continues this trend. Created as the musical accompaniment to his latest exhibition, Devouring Ghost is a soundtrack comprised of stripped down black metal tracks that represent "the transience and mutability of a technically-constructed world."

Devouring Ghosts is Armageddon set to a black metal album. It certainly delivers on Mr. McCoy's promises; it's a viscerally driven and bare-bones BM pieces that successfully employs each of the genre's most well known tropes. On a cursory run-through that may be all it seems, and while undoubtedly enjoyable, leaves a bit to be desired as a whole. However, like most of his projects, repeated listens begin to belie how sinister and complex these hymns truly are. An undercurrent of chord progressions and ambient embellishments sneakily move beneath the more pronounced music, lending tracks like "Intamin" and opener "Trail Severed Grain" vast and winding soundscapes that one would not initially expect them to possess. This grandiosity while awe-inspiring, is far from welcoming. Evocative of a world flaming in monochromatic post-apocalyptic destruction, there is something so mechanical about the record's cold tonality that perfectly satisfies its thematic ambitions. Close your eyes and see a gray-tinted wasteland, littered with the mechanisms we are now so heavily reliant on. If Devouring Ghost was meant to portray the ambivalence in which we race to our inevitable destruction, it has done so with frightening accuracy.

Mark McCoy never fails to impress, and his newest project is no different; in fact, it may be one of his strongest yet. If you're not the type who can be bothered with conceptual tom-foolery but are a fan of raw, destructive black metal than you can still find plenty of enjoyment from Devouring Ghosts. For those of you who enjoy a terrifying narrative woven into terrifying music, Devouring Ghosts will be one of your favorite black metal albums of 2015.

Bandcamp

Deviser - Unspeakable Cults (1996)

Genre: Hellenic Black Metal
Country: Greece

Greek black metal back in the 90's was a spectacular departure from its Scandinavian counterparts; instead of cold and alienating, its warm Mediterranean mysticism was very much ahead of the times. More directly inspired by classic metal, Hellenic black metal bands like Deviser relished not just in black metal brutality, but the power of Olympian melodies that their music so often included. Unspeakable Cults is one the best examples of this early scene, as it is the ideal balance between chaos and harmony. Definitely recommended.


Ritual Orgy

Deafheaven - Sunbather (2013)

Genre: Black Metal/Shoegaze/Screamo
Country: United States

 The opening of "The Pecan Tree" leaves me in awe every time I listen to it. The best way it can be described, is a violent euphoria. I can feel it throughout my body; the tingling of my skin, the breathlessness in my chest. I get lost. Lost in the shuddering guitars, the warm smile of the melodies. Lost in a place only Deafheaven can take me. For thirteen minutes, I'm outside of myself, wandering dandelion-filled fields on the most beautiful day spring can offer. That's why I love Deafheaven; that's why I love Sunbather.

It's an album full of these kind of moments. When I listen to the title track, I want nothing more than to lay my head on a tree, and watch as the branches sway back and forth, sunlight piercing through the leafy canvas. For a song that is just as rooted in black metal as it is shoegaze, it is, at times, surprisingly laid back. Sure, there are moments of harshness - halfway through the song its weightless shoegazing melodies fall out of the sky into a pit of cacophonous blastbeat driven black metal - but here, even the cruelty of BM can't stop the album's ecstatic beauty from eventually shining through once more. "Dream House" and "Vertigo" offer more the same; jet-black walls of noise, painted with brushstrokes of shimmering guitars, both dark and beautiful. It's an album that thrives on contrasts.

Deafheaven have crafted a record that shares their inspirations and aspirations all at once. You'll get a pangs of My Blood Valentine and hints of Weakling all within the same breadth; it's a collage of influences that adds up to be a sum greater than its parts. With that in mind, I come back to "The Pecan Tree". That violent euphoria encapsulates the spirit of the band like no other track on Sunbather.  It's lush and gorgeous like shoegaze, grandiose and aggressive like black metal, and sincere like screamo; yet, it is none of these things. It's immediately recognizable and completely unmistakable  -that's why it's the perfect closer. As the album fades into blissful obscurity, it gently whispers three words into your ear; "This is Deafheaven."

Dream On

Arizmenda - Within The Vacuum of Infinity... (2009)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States


If you're an underground black metal fan who hasn't listened to this album, you've been messing up. Released in 2009, Within the Vacuum of Infinity... is the first record from Black Twilight Circle heavyweight Arizmenda, and already a genre classic. Like most BTC-affiliated bands, Arizmenda's sound doesn't reflect the freezing tempest of Scandinavia, but the swallowing spectrum of darkness itself. Arizmenda does this particularly well; musically shattering defenses and lyrically focusing on insanity, Within The Vacuum... is your mental breakdown set to a black metal soundtrack.

There is a certain denseness to Arizmenda's music that no other black metal band has touched before, or been able to replicate since. Claustrophobic is a term frequently used in black metal, and though it is certainly applicable here, it just doesn't do their sound justice. What they evoke is so much more complex than that. Discordant phrases dance to and fro, their intricacies subtlety woven into the performance in completely mesmerizing manner. Occasionally, the music will offer reprieve - beams of melody shining through the gloom- only to retreat back behind the impenetrable darkness, leaving nothing but your outstretched hands and thoughts of hope torn from your grasp. Uneasiness builds in your chest and hair stands to attention on the back of your neck when listening to this album - that is the power of Arizmenda's music.

Lyrically, Mordunbad 's (the sole member of of Arizmenda) words are simple, but equally as effecting. In "Drown In The Pains of Consciousness", he spouts, "Drown in the pain of consciousness/I am lost/ I am lost within the seas of my minds disease/Lost within the seas of my minds disease/ Lost." In reality, those are words that are hard not to relate to; who hasn't experienced self-doubt and loss of direction in the labyrinth that is our mind? His rhetoric may seem overwrought, but in the context of the song, where waves of dissonance crest and crash upon you, it couldn't be said any better.

I have no qualms whatsoever in stating that Within The Vacuum of Infinity... is one of the best black metal albums ever created. The way it creeps under your skin, latching into your every insecurity to perpetuate them further is terrifying, but also unfathomably gratifying. Black metal was always meant to make you feel - whether it was the Arctic temperatures of the second wave, or the sense of mystique embedded in the Les Legions Noires - and Arizmenda unquestionably achieves this throughout the entirety of their debut record. They are now the leaders of USBM scene, and if you ever need to remember why, let Within the Vacuum of Infinity be your reminder.

Those Beaten Path Of Confusion

Volahn/Shataan/Arizmenda/Kallathon - Desert Dances and Serpent Sermons (2015)

Genre: "Western" Black Metal
Country: United States

The Black Twilight Circle have long since been one of my favorite black metal collectives; the quality of their work never ceases to impress. Boasting an impressively diverse roster of bands from all over the extreme metal spectrum, a new Black Twilight Circle release should always make its way immediately to the top of your "Listen Now" listen. The surprise four-way split between Volahn, Shataan, Arizmenda, and Kallathon entitled Desert Dances and Serpent Sermons was released yesterday, and conceptually, it may be the most interesting thing they've ever done.

"As night sets over the horizon across the landscape the full moon signals the start of the fire ceremony.
While the sun sinks further into the haze the sound of harsh winds are howling far off.
Majestic rays soar to the east, watch it set the mountains ablaze.
Remember this moment as darkness follows. Join me in fine spirits during the fire
and listen to the voices of this land as they call to the distant stars.
Leave the tracks behind as a reflection of our journey. Let only the winds erase our trace but let them carry our name. Like the star that burns above, so does our spirit to carry on our song…

Compilation featuring Crepusculo Negro recording artists Volahn, Shataan, Arizmenda, Kallathon.
Capturing 43 minutes of western black metal."

Now the top part, to me, just seems like esoteric nonsense (maybe that was the point?), but what caught my interest was "western black metal". I don't think I've ever in my life heard something so ridiculous. All I can imagine is Immortal in ten gallon hats.However, the end result is much more satisfying. And I guess that makes sense considering where The Black Twilight Circle comes from. They've always been a group of bands who eschew the typically cold atmosphere of most black metal, and here, they perfectly conjure the heat and humidity of a sandy landscape. It's like if the lone ranger played black metal: each band contributes a track that gallops heroically through the barren wasteland, balancing the twang of western music with the grim attitude of black metal. All four tracks are excellent (Volahn's piece may be his best yet), and this is yet another solid addition to the BTC catalog. It's nice to see a genre like black metal can still throw some curves our way.

Howdy

Giddy-Up 

Galloping Shadow - Winters Web (2012)

Genre: Black Metal/Punk
Country: United States of America

Well executed punk-infused black metal made by one half of  Bone Awl. Not dissimilar to Bone Awl either. Extremely raw and fast. Highly recommend.

For fans of Raspberry Bulbs, Ildjarn and of course Bone Awl.

Winters Web

Alle Totmachen! - Demo II (2010)

Genre: Black Metal/Noise
Country: Germany

Hailing from Germany, Alle Totmachen! play a pretty basic, yet enjoyable form of black noise. My favorite part of this release is definitely the deranged, almost feral vocal performance, which rises above the near-indecipherable onslaught of stomping punk-influenced black metal and cacophony of ear-shattering static. This is some seriously abrasive shit, but recommended if you, like myself, are a little off-center.
blakk noiz

Drowning The Light - From The Abyss (2015)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: Australia

Drowning The Light is one of Australia's most prolific black metal artists thanks to two things: the sheer volume of his discography (14 full-lengths, 17 demos, 9 EPs, 13 splits and 6 compilations), but in more recent years, the noticeably rising quality of it. While his work from 2003-2009 was inconsistent at best, everything from that point has really been quite good, and this year's From The Abyss may just be his most accomplished release to date. By expanding beyond his atmospheric/depressive black metal roots, this album allows Drowning The Light to explore heights that seemed previously impossible to reach. On tracks like "Cursed Voyage" harmonized guitars collide with Medieval harmonies creating something breathtaking in the process, while songs such as "Rise! Under Satans Mighty Horns" offers something a bit more visceral. Every track has its own quirk, yet is united through a permeating medieval atmosphere, making this album feel complete without also feeling monotonous. I highly recommend this release.

Also, look at that album art!

Vaura - Selenelion (2012)

Genre: Black Metal, Post-Punk, Post-Rock
Country: United States

This isn't exactly obscure or anything, but it sure is under-appreciated and overlooked. I can see there being a lot of hype for this seeing as this has Toby Driver in the band among others, but it seems people's expectations were a little bit too high because of it. Regardless, this is an excellent release as long as you don't expect it to blow your mind. It sort of has that black metal / shoegaze feel but it's more of an influence more than it is integral to their sound. They also switch between the gruff harsh vocals and the gothic post-punk kind of vocals similar to The Cure. It's a pretty unique in its own right, just don't expect some avant-garde type of thing. It's just good for what it is.

Download

Tardigrada - Widrstand (2012)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Switzerland

With the supposed release of a proper full length in the near future i have been retreading this release recently as part of my building anticipation.  While not being a masterclass by any means this demo shows enough potential to make me think that their first full work could turn out to be something truly special.  A great sense of eb and flow is on display with the compositions feeling very organic and carrying a varying array of emotions, a worthwhile release put out by the awesome us black metal label that is Fallen Empire.

Download (name your price)

Endlichkeit - III - V (2014)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

Endlichkeit came into my consciousness with the release of their first demo on Fallen Empire towards the back end of last year, although not an immediate sort of project this distant hazy black metal feels like a nostalgic recollection of times gone by.  The beauty of this project is the way it stealthily worms it's way into your brain, you suddenly start recalling the hints of melody and nostalgic feeling it creates seemingly out of nowhere.  Definatley a grower kind of release, give this and their debut time and they can turn out to be quite rewarding.

Download (name your price)

Naðra - Eitur (2014)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: Iceland

To be honest, apparently Iceland has a burgeoning black metal... I was, and still am for the most part, completely unaware of whatever that scene consists of. I somehow managed to stumble upon Naðra, and I couldn't be happier. This is pretty straightforward, very melodic black metal. It unabashedly celebrates all the basic tenets of the genre, while featuring a pristine production that very much works for the release. The riffs are super solid, and thanks to some great use of repetition, they are very much drilled into your head. An overall great release.

Bandcamp

Wolvefrost - Barbarian Hellstorm (2013)

Genre: Blackened Crust
Country: United States

Awesome blackened crust from this one man project hailing from Seattle, good blackened caustic madness.

Name your price download

Arizmenda - Without Circumference Nor Centre (2011)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: United States

With the imminent release of Arizmenda' third full length i've been listening to their two previous albums in preparation, although this second full length didn't quite live up to the high standards set by the first (but really what could!?) it is still a brilliant and damn fine black metal release in it's own right.  Maligned by some because of it's bass heavy and at time washy sound and loved by others in equal measure for the same reasons, this version we have here is the pro tape version that was released by dismal cursings.  The difference that hits you when you first listen to it compared to the original release is the clarity of it all, the sound has been cleaned up a touch (not detrimentally) and has in turn breathed new life into what was already and amazing release.  Subtle hints of tortured melodies peak through the darkness of the abyss while the true nature of the compositions and arrangements become more apparent, all of this leads to a new found appreciation of an album that already had been held in such high regard.

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Carved Cross / Sump - Split (2013)

Genre: Raw Black Metal
Country: Australia / England

A great split release here between two awesome bands, Carved Cross open proceedings with two songs of hypnotic no-fi black metal that is as raw as it is trance inducing.  On the flip side, Sump seem to be inspired by Carved Cross' lo-fi aesthetic and opt for an even rawer than usual production style.  Churning out 4 punky black metal stomps that deliver their own charm yet somehow keeping the feel of the split cohesive.  Maybe a bit too raw for some, but if lo-fi/raw black metal is your thing you need to get this in your life.

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