Haustið - Howling, The Sol Above, Nothing Below
black metal
Howling, The Sol Above, Nothing Below is an almost fifteen minutes long EP with two tracks – Howling and Yet All We Grasp is Black Void – by raw black metal act Haustið. A very interesting work, with predominantly slow, pervasive and sinister melodies, these lugubrious symphonies makes use of very melancholic harmonies – that sometimes feels as a profoundly solitary and idyllic despondency – which situates them in a musical territory very close to DSBM.
Despite the fact that there is nothing too exciting or original about their music, these two tracks are executed with a formidable level of seriousness and diligent competence, revealing a band that definitely has a primordial degree of potential inherent to their sound dynamics and structure. This EP definitely might not surprise you, but presents to the audience an intelligent, afflictive, gracefully executed, dense and lancinating black metal, that ostensibly aggregates an efficient, brutal and pungent degree of cohesion into the genre.
Despite the fact that there is nothing too exciting or original about their music, these two tracks are executed with a formidable level of seriousness and diligent competence, revealing a band that definitely has a primordial degree of potential inherent to their sound dynamics and structure. This EP definitely might not surprise you, but presents to the audience an intelligent, afflictive, gracefully executed, dense and lancinating black metal, that ostensibly aggregates an efficient, brutal and pungent degree of cohesion into the genre.
Xkars - The Fog
black metal
The Fog is an EP by Canadian raw black metal project Xkars. Eighteen minutes and fifteen seconds long, the work has seven very concise tracks: The Crying of Werewolves, Forest of Solitude, Through Space and Blood (instrumental version), Sgars, The Fog that Surrounds Us, From the Dusk Until the Dawn and a version of Through Space and Blood with vocals. Somewhat reminiscent of lo-fi quality classic black metal acts like Mayhem, Burzum and Emperor, The Fog is a funeral and resonant EP, that definitely pays an excruciatingly sincere homage to the iconic groups that certainly served as influences to the artist.
Nevertheless, the project from the beginning goes towards a more ambient and introspective direction, delivering atmospheric elements that would situate its style in a more DSBM ground. With virulent mordacity and a highly horizontal obscurity, The Fog – despite its rude and objective simplicity – can be qualified as a competent work, that knows how to capture a diluted scale of sounds, and deliver to the audience as a macabre and dense atmosphere of affliction. There is nothing here that would be too surprising or relevant, but Xkars does a somber and sinister work, that definitely makes The Fog worthwhile of your time.
Nevertheless, the project from the beginning goes towards a more ambient and introspective direction, delivering atmospheric elements that would situate its style in a more DSBM ground. With virulent mordacity and a highly horizontal obscurity, The Fog – despite its rude and objective simplicity – can be qualified as a competent work, that knows how to capture a diluted scale of sounds, and deliver to the audience as a macabre and dense atmosphere of affliction. There is nothing here that would be too surprising or relevant, but Xkars does a somber and sinister work, that definitely makes The Fog worthwhile of your time.
Escapist - The Nihilistic Doctrine: Chapter I
black metal
The Nihilistic Doctrine: Chapter I is the first release by Swedish black metal band Escapist. Thirty minutes long, this marvelous record has seven tracks: Preludium, The Machiavellian Callopsia, Cold Heart Citadel, Towards the Dawnless, Rotting Dreams, Mortality Confirmed and Let Loose the Demons. With a ferocious level of mordacity and sinister aggressiveness, The Nihilistic Doctrine: Chapter I, has all the fundamental qualities necessary for a groundbreaking BM record: lethal and cadenced harmonies, virulent, dissonant and abrasive atmospheres, pungent, consistent and deeply frivolous guitar lines, macabre and fiercely hallucinatory ghostly vocals and darkly elegant despondent melodies. Therefore, Escapist begins its musical journey sensationally – with the right foot –, as the group display all these elements, in abundance. Nevertheless, they cannot avoid sounding monotonously generic in some passages, despite the fact that they are creative and dynamic enough to consolidate a very mature and singular style from the beginning. While The Nihilistic Doctrine: Chapter I is not an excellent album, the work presents more qualities than deficiencies. I would definitely say Escapist is on the right track. They have begun a career with a decent, genuine and exceedingly cohesive release, with the fabulous potential to do promising works in the future.
Is - Escapism
black metal
Escapism is an EP released by Russian black metal project Is, on November 10. Almost nineteen minutes long, the record has three tracks: Frozen stars and cold bright moon, One silent night and Faded lights, howling winds. A formidable EP, that definitely reunites over its fabulous and cohesive musical conjuncture all the essential elements of black metal, Escapism achieves a level of excellence that is closer to a state of the art work. With funereal and sinister atmospheres, solid and exhilarating guitar lines, macabre and lugubrious harmonious despondencies, and a very tempestuous, though moderate and lucid sonorous premise, the work presents a diffuse and dense musical layout, that it is also imperatively proficient on the dark sensitivity of its pervasive and somber sonorous terrain.
With defined boundaries that paradoxically expands its potentialities and sonorous proclivities, Escapism departs from a consistency that is engraved by the orthodoxy of its pungent structure, though the artists’ style is strong enough to compensate for the major limitations of the genre. With an aggrandizing creativity that works from within its primordial musical anatomy, Is unquestionably delivers on Escapism – despite its conciseness – conventional black metal of the highest quality.
With defined boundaries that paradoxically expands its potentialities and sonorous proclivities, Escapism departs from a consistency that is engraved by the orthodoxy of its pungent structure, though the artists’ style is strong enough to compensate for the major limitations of the genre. With an aggrandizing creativity that works from within its primordial musical anatomy, Is unquestionably delivers on Escapism – despite its conciseness – conventional black metal of the highest quality.
Hierarch - Alter Ego
black metal
Alter Ego is an EP released in mid-October, by Spanish black metal project Hierarch. Twenty one minutes long, the record has four tracks: As the last light dies, Pilgrimage to Nowhere, Ceremony and Mourner at the shore. Departing from a conventional musical background – but also stylistically delineating its own signature sound –, Hierarch delves into very authorial territory, establishing its melodic atmosphere with a deeply peculiar, creative and inspired layout. With a ferocious, obscure and aggressive approach, that nevertheless is imperatively dynamic, the four songs present on Alter Ego are well conceived and greatly executed, which showcases a splendid technical security, intrinsic to a formidable level of professionalism from everyone involved in the recording and production of this EP. With a sensational degree of inventive audacity and sinister aggressiveness, Alter Ego is quintessential black metal, primordially driven by a macabre and lugubrious, but lucid atmosphere, reminiscent of the traditional old school acts of the genre. Regardless of their influences, however, this is a tremendously assertive and excruciatingly powerful EP, that not only pays sincere homage, but also displays a sensible amount of talent from the musicians involved, able to craft their own trend within the genre.
Norrhem - Among The Ruins
black metal
Among The Ruins is an EP released on November 18, by Finnish black metal project Norrhem. Only sixteen minutes long, the work is very concise, and has three tracks: Among The Ruins, Tuhannen Vuotta and Lopussa. Flirting abundantly with sensible, but fugacious melodies – adorned by graceful harmonies that abscond the horizons of its own melancholic and exasperated lament – the musical style of Norrhem is sidelined by vast and dynamic arrangements, that perfectly engraves in their music a fatalist, but beautiful redemptive sonorous layout. Like the sentence of a ferocious, but deeply afflictive last breath of agony, the music of Norrhem pulses with the sincere opulence of a disgraced realm that expects its imminent demise. With singular features, a spectacular sense of perceptive artistry and a very creative musical projection, Among The Ruins is an extraordinary EP, that showcases the marvelous qualities of a formidable black metal act, whose restless strength was solid enough to enable them to dilapidate their own majestic and placid signature sound.
Tristitia Nigrum - Obsidian Blut Essence
black metal
Obsidian Blut Essence is an EP released by American black metal act Tristitia Nigrum, from Middletown, New Jersey. With five tracks – Intro, Blut Im Zeitstrom, Blood Essence, Obsidian and Outro – the record can be described as a very morbid, macabre and sinister raw black metal piece. A formidable work that follows closely the most traditional aspects of the genre, there is nothing exceptional here, or something that you haven’t heard before in other works of the genre. Despite the lack of innovation or audacity, Tristitia Nigrum does a competent and lucid work, that has soul and consistence. With excruciatingly rude and brutal guitar lines, and an atmosphere of indulgent, though relegated passion, here you have the conventional devices of the genre played right. Even the bass lines, though subtle, are elegantly displayed here, exhibiting a majesty of modesty and technique that any genre – especially black metal –, should enjoy. With good creative devices, that doesn’t outstand themselves, neither for the better, nor for the worse, certainly you can hear Obsidian Blut Essence with a crude delight. Like I’ve pointed out, you will not be impressed, but will not be disappointed either.
Wagner
Wagner
