SERVANT: Aetas Ascensus Release year: 2023Label: MDD Records Servant, the German “black metal sensation”, eh? Promising to deliver an “unmatched black metal experience” on this, their second album, in part due to the “authentic vocals.” Yes, I am once again … Continue reading Ages of ascendancy for the servant
DEIMHAL: The Grand Gathering Release year: 2023Label: self-released One somewhat curious phenomenon is that of black metal projects by middle aged members of bands with more renown. There’s no shortage of these, and typically these projects don’t look to the … Continue reading Deimhal’s grand gathering
TURTUMUS: Jälleenheräävä viha Release year: 2023Label: Misantropia Records Ever since the mid-noughties or so, Finnish black metal has been a pretty dominant and influential thing in the underground. The so-called Finnish sound, a combination of melancholic melodies and uncompromising rawness, … Continue reading From numbness to hate
NIGHTSIDE: Lions Release year: 2023Label: Purity Through Fire Finnish Nightside released a small body of material in the late 90’s and early noughties, the majority of which was compiled on the album-slash-compilation The End Of Christianity (reviewed here), and then … Continue reading New emanations from the nightside
MOON ORACLE: Ophidian Glare Release year: 2023Label: Bestial Burst/Signal Rex Two years after their debut album, Finnish trio Moon Oracle are back with another helping of mystical, doom-ladened black metal. Whilst some things have changed, the core essence of traditional … Continue reading Serpentine stare of the moon oracle
ABYSMAL LORD: Bestiary Of Immortal Hunger Release year: 2022Label: Hell’s Headbangers Imagine, if you will, an alternate reality where seminal Finnish black metal act Beherit never changed their style from their early releases encapsuled on the debut album The Oath … Continue reading Abysmal bestiaries of black blood
COLDNESS/IRAE: We Are The Ashes Release year: 2023Label: Nekrogoat Heresy Productions Portugese black metal and the Portugese black metal sound is something of a thing. I suppose it can be safely called an acquired taste: often leaning towards the incessantly … Continue reading Portugese ashes
MOON ORACLE: Muse Of The Nightside Release year: 2021Label: Bestial Burst/Signal Rex Considering how black metal is supposed to be individualist music, where conformity, adhering to trends and following leaders blindly are tantamount to mortal sin, it’s almost funny how … Continue reading Nightside oracles
UNOHDUS: Niin turhaan tähdet valaisivat meitä Release year: 2023Label: self-released Newcomer Unohdus is – apparently- a one-man project from Finland, who describe their style as a mixture of depressive black metal and atmospheric metal. Well, nails and heads right there, … Continue reading Oblivion under the vain light of stars
LIVE BY THE SWORD: Cernunnos Release year: 2023Label: Rebellion Records If you’ve been following our site, you may have noticed we’ve heaped praise on US-Dutch Live By The Sword in the past, in our reviews of both their debut full-length … Continue reading Ages of Sword and the Horned God
Only Death Is Real 