UNFYROS: Alpha Hunt Release year: 2022Label: Aural Hypnox Empyrean Editions Having found your way to this site, chances are the name Aural Hypnox will ring a bell. It is, after all, a label responsible for many a latter-day classic within … Continue reading The slithering darkness of Unfyros
LUNAR SPELLS: Demise Of Heaven Release year: 2022Label: Northern Silence Productions When the promo sheet states the band are from Greece and mention “old school”, I’m surely not the only one to stop reading and think of Rotting Christ, Varathron … Continue reading Lunar spells bring the demise of Heaven
HERBSTLETHARGIE: Melancholie Im Blattfall Release year: 2022Label: Northern Silence Productions There’s no mistaking it, looking at the cover of German Herbstlethargie’s debut album: atmospheric black metal is the name of the game. And, considering both project title (German for “autumn … Continue reading German autumn lethargy
VERMILIA: Ruska Release year: 2022Label: self-released Some time around the time of Finnish one-woman act Vermilia’s debut album Kätkyt (2018), I saw the project described as “hygge black metal” – a pretty derisory remark in a way, but also apt. … Continue reading Autumn in vermillion colors
SERPENTFYRE: Baptism Of Shadows Release year: 2022Label: Altare Productions I don’t quite remember when I realized that Finnish black metal had become a concept emulated the world over, almost a successor to the Norwegian 90’s sound in terms of impact … Continue reading Baptism of serpent fire
DEMOLYN: Tales Of Demolyn Release year: 2022Label: self-released Remember demos? You know, back in the day, when bands would record self-produced material in their rehearsal room or some cheap studio and release it themselves on tape, later CDr? The advent … Continue reading Tales of Demo-lyn
V/A: The Songs Of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III Release year: 2022Label: My Proud Mountain/Neurot Recordings OK, let’s get one thing straight right away: Townes Van Zandt was one of the finest songwriters, lyricists, singers and performers ever. If you’re … Continue reading Singing the songs of Townes Van Zandt
NUCLEAR CHRIST/VRYKOLAKAS: Twisted Idols For Nihilism/The Anatomy Of The Ungodly Release year: 2022Label: Vrykoblast Productions I’ve always had a thing for split albums. When done right – such as both bands contributing a mini-album worth of tracks or reprinting long … Continue reading Ungodly nihilism
THROMDARR: Midwinter Frost Release year: 2022Label: Svart Records Though the list of legendary names within Finnish extreme metal is both long and illustrious, even longer is of course the list of names who have been largely forgotten, and whose exploits … Continue reading Thromdarrian midwinter
CRYHAVOC: Sweetbriers Release year: 1998/2022Label: Spinefarm Records/Lipposen Levy Ja Kasetti The late 90’s were a great time to be a metalhead in Finland. The scene was active, with lots of new bands popping up, but there was basically no mainstream … Continue reading Cryhavoc and let slip the tits of war
