DIMHOLT: Epistēmē Release year: 2019Label: self-released Bulgarian Dimholt have a career stretching back to 2003 behind them, but only two full-length albums and a couple of smaller releases to their name. Obviously, rushing things isn’t their thing, and when listening … Continue reading Dimholt’s black epistomology
So, Only Death Is Real has witnessed the first year-end, and it is time to jot down some thoughts as summary for 2019 and a plan of action of sorts for 2020. The site was created in mid-May, and since … Continue reading A year in summation: 2019
BOLG: Plague Vaccine Release year: 2018Label: Hass Weg Productions Bulgarian Bolg were formed already back in 2003, but it took them fifteen long years to finally get an album out. Prior to this album, they’ve only released one demo and … Continue reading Bolg’s black metal plague
APOCRYFAL: Crushing Black Death Release year: 2019Label: Mara Productions With an title such as Crushing Black Death, it’s impossible not to harbour quite a lot of expectations as to what an album should sound like. You’d expect black metal and … Continue reading The doomed black death of Apocryfal
IKU-TURSO: Storm Over Isengard Release year: 2019Label: Wolfspell Records/His Wounds Were it not for the title of the mini-album, Dutch-Finnish Iku-Turso would come across as shamelessly ripping off the entire style of certain classic 90’s Norwegian black metal acts. But … Continue reading Iku-Turso paying homage to Norway
Year: 2019Label: Century Media Some years ago, Norwegian black metal legends Mayhem started playing their iconic album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas live in its entirety, to much acclaim. This resulted in the live album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive (2016), … Continue reading MAYHEM: Daemon
SUN DESCENDS BLACK: EP I Release year: 2019Label: self-released Some years ago, the chaotic, grinding black metal pioneered by the likes of Blasphemy already in the late 80’s/early 90’s, was all the rage, and bands drinking from that particular stream … Continue reading Grinding maelstroms of Sun Descends Black
BEAST OF DAMNATION: Dawn Of The Beast Release year: 2019Label: Black Sunset If you were there in the late 90’s and early noughties, you might remember how large parts of the black metal scene waged a war against all things … Continue reading Beast Of Damnation crushing gothic scum
MAYHEM: Wolf’s Lair Abyss Release year: 1997/2019Label: Misanthropy Records/Soulseller Records Back in 1997, Mayhem’s comeback recordings without guitarist, founder, composer and band leader Euronymous must have seemed like a travesty to many involved in the scene – despite including three … Continue reading A return to Mayhem’s abyss
ALGHAZANTH: Thy Aeons Envenomed Sanity/Promo ’97 Release year: 1999/2019Label: Woodcut Records Alghazanth were one of the countless Finnish black metal groups who crawled out from the woodwork during the mid-to-late nineties to offer their take on the genre. During their … Continue reading Alghazanth’s Stormgrey Visions
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