Tag: Black Metal

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DAWN OF OUROBOROS – The Art of Morphology – REVIEW

 

The San Francisco Bay Area has always been a hot spot for Metal from the early 80’s Thrash scene to today. Dawn of Ouroboros proudly carry on the tradition of bringing fresh and exciting new exteme music to the masses with their debut release, “The Art of Morphology.”

This album is somewhat difficult to review but I do not mean that in any bad way whatsoever. In fact it is quite the opposite as this is an extemely great listen. Let’s start off by taking everything you know about Black Metal and toss it aside. Yes, I know that is a cliche thing to say but that principle completely applies here. From the gentle opening chords of “Revivied Spirits,” the album sets an deep atmospheric tone then hits hard into blast beats, harsh vocals and buzzsaw guitars for the second half of the song. The next song, “Pinnacle Induced Vertigo” also starts in the same kind of matter but this track has a more melodic feel. The clean vocals are really effective here as well. Vocalist Chelsea Murphy has some incredible range and talent. Normally I hate when bands mix vocal styles with a  passion but somehow it the folks in Dawn pull it off.

“Gateway to Tenebrosity” is a short piano instrumental that leads perfectly into “Lunar Cathexis.” Here Murphy blends vocals styles again, going from sweet to demonic on a more Black Metal sounding track. This is the theme throughout the entire album and what leads into it’s difficulty to review. Dawn of Ouroboros are constantly changing their sound and style. The change, however, is never jarring and flows well with the rest of the song. This is a highly recommneded listen as it takes all of your preconceived notions and flips them on their head. I am sure after a few more listens, I will pick up on more subtleties and complexities.

I’ll just close this by saying, “Go forth and listen now!”

 

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ETERNAL ARMAGEDDON – In Light In Dark In Hate – Album Review

 

Black Thrash Bastards is the perfect opening track for this debut album from the Bangladesh trio Eternal Armageddon. It kicks you hard in the teeth from the get go with thrashy guitars, raspy vocals and punishing drumming. They sound and feel like a bunch of Black Thrash Bastards. Seriously. This is pure trashy classic Bay Area inspired Thrash sprinkled with heavy does of Black Metal and cooked to perfection. Fans of Midnight, Venom and Sodom will want to pick this one up quick. Hell, fans of Metal should check these guys out.

Vocals are filthy, guitars are buzzing and drums are blasting, yet this is an extemely captive listen with plenty of octane to keep you coming back for more. Hazam the Black Reaper manages to slow things down for just a moment before going for an early NWOBM sound. It is just as awesome as it sounds. The guitar work for the rest of the album is very heavily Thrash influenced but works oh so well. Once the plague of COVID-19 is over, I can see huge circle pits forming anytime this band takes the stage.

In Light In Dark In Hate is a solid listen from start to finish. Incredible hooks, slick production and enough raw energy to put them at the top of their tier.

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THRONE OF MALEDICTION – Perfect Tragedy – Album Review

If watching Mountain Men has taught me anything, Montana can have some brutal and unrelenting winters that takes a total bad ass to survive. Throne of Malediction are a Blackened Doom Metal band from the Metal as fuck state of Montana fronted by Eric Sartana Horner. Horner is a musical beast who performed Guitars/Bass/Keys and Vocals on all tracks. This EP is a little something old and a little something new. The first three songs are brand new recordings while reminding tracks are demos and covers the group recorded throughout their history.

Legacy of Sorrow is outstanding track with some crunchy riffs, melodic shifts, growling vocals as well as some epic sounding keys. Horner even manages to lay out some clean vocals here that work well and do not feel forced or out of place. The title track, Perfect Tragedy, clocks in at nearly ten minutes that really showcases Throne of Malediction’s Blackened Doom flavor. Horner leads the listener on a darkened path of crooning guitars, melodic riffs and some impressive solos. The vocals are gruesome and on point bringing this epic saga together.

The demos included on this release are also worth checking out for their dirty and raw feeling alone. The covers included are pretty damn good as well. Nailbomb’s Cockroaches has new feel with Horner’s vocals. And speaking of vocals….Horner included a haunting acoustic cover Danzig’s I Don’t Mind the Pain. Danzig is a tough act to follow in the vocal department but not only did Horner nail the cover (with clean vocals!) here he managed to make it his own

 

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3560310662 size=large bgcol=333333 linkcol=ffffff tracklist=false artwork=small]

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ULVKULT – Lupus Occultus – Album Review

Lupus Occultus, like the title suggests is centered around Werewolves. Luckily, this EP is really something you can sink your hungry fangs into. This release is the band’s debut demo which is hard to believe as it feels like anything but. The tracks here feel and sound like they have been laid down by a well seasoned band that has already released a few albums. They guys in UlvKult are clearly well established musicians. The production value on this recording is tight and professional and sounds like they clearly know what they are doing in the studio. Don’t worry, it’s not over produced, this is some killer sounding Trve Black Metal. 

Carpathian War Bells is a great track to start off with it’s crushing guitars, killer bass-lines and intense vocals. The song is relentless and full of classic Black Metal intensity and fury. This three piece stay true to their word of “no trends, no gimmicks, just trve Black Metal.” Full Moon Necrmancy is a killer song with plenty of shattering riffs, blast beats and incredible vocals that will have you screaming along. Wyrd of the Wolves is a great choice for a closing track. It starts of crushing only to slow down into heavy groove with some impressive guitar solos that fade into another fury of intense old school Black Metal. 

If this is their first effort, UlvKult are definitely a band to watch.

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GrimDad – “Hi Trve Kvlt. I’m Dad.”

Just by checking out GrimDad’s logo you can tell that this is not a band that takes itself in a serious matter. Grill spatulas, golf clubs and a wrench hang from a legible logo reminding most listeners to the least metal person they know…their fathers.

With “Hi Trve Kvlt. I’m Dad,” GrimDad takes the concept of dad jokes and pushes it to it’s extreme limits. With song titles such as Welcome to Chili’s, Kickstart my Heartburn and Dungeons and Drag-Dads, GrimDad takes a humorous approach to music genre that is not often depicted this way. The lyrics, like most dad jokes, will either give you a little laugh or cause you to let out a groan. I was surprised by the music itself. For a band that bills itself more or less a parody, they sound and feel like traditional black metal with it’s low fi production, blast beats and shrieking vocals. For me, Welcome to Chilis is the stand out track here and if happen to be a father that has ever attempted to take the family out to dinner, you know how brutal that can be.

If you are looking for something that is different and outside the norm and maybe something to give yourself a little laugh, GrimDad is what you have been waiting for.

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HECATE ENTHRONED

HECATE ENTHRONED Unveils New Song From Upcoming Album ‘Embrace Of The Godless Aeon’

UK Black/Death Metal Act HECATE ENTHRONED Unveils New Song ‘Temples That Breathe’Long-awaited new album ‘Embrace Of The Godless Aeon’ coming January 25, 2019, their first album in five years.

Says bassist Dylan Hughes, “The track is a critique of the Catholic Church for centuries of abuse. It paints the church as a kind of virulent entity that spreads pain and horror, almost as if the church itself is alive – hence, temples that breathe. The stark, menacing stills and imagery within the video create this unnerving miasma, an uneasy feeling like cold, stale secular breath on the back of your neck. The song features epic and sweeping orchestrations, heavy aggressive riffing, breakneck speeds and harmonies with a brutal vocal delivery – all the elements you’d expect from HECATE ENTHRONED, which are contained in abundance on this album, making this track the perfect first release to give you a flavor of what’s to come.”

“Embrace Of The Godless Aeon” – which features cover artwork by Nestor Avalos (Bloodbath, Rotting Christ, The Black Dahlia Murder) can be pre-ordered now on CD and red splatter vinyl at www.m-theoryaudio.com/store. A limited-edition deluxe box set that includes exclusive purple vinyl and cassette editions of the album, a signed photo card and other collectibles is also available. Digital pre-orders on Bandcamp and other platforms include “Temples That Breathe” as an instant download.

One of the UK underground’s longest-running and most respected acts, HECATE ENTHRONED has been praised by the likes of Terrorizer for their “mixture of death metal aggression with black metal atmosphere.” “Embrace Of The Godless Aeon” – their first recording with vocalist Joe Stamps, who joined the band in 2015 – sees the group continue to deftly mix black with death, modern with classic and extreme with symphonic. The album, which features guest vocals on three songs by Sarah Jezebel Deva (Cradle of Filth, Therion, Mortiis), was co-produced by Dan Abela (Voices, The Antichrist Imperium).

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PROFANATICA reveal the new track, PRAYER IN ECLIPSE from forthcoming mini-album, ALTAR OF THE VIRGIN WHORE

PROFANATICA reveal the new track, PRAYER IN ECLIPSE from forthcoming mini-album, ALTAR OF THE VIRGIN WHORE

Underground legends Profanatica reveal the new track “Prayer in Eclipse.” The track hails from the band’s forthcoming mini-album, Altar of the Virgin Whore, which will be released this coming November by Hell’s Headbangers on CD, 12″ vinyl, and cassette tape formats. The mini-album’s release coincides with a European tour alongside Watain and Rotting Christ (dates after the jump). .

Profanatica need no introduction: pioneers of American black metal, masters of barbaric minimalism, desecrators of all that’s pure and clean – and iconoclasts to the very end. Ever since the band’s reformation/re-invigoration with 2007’s Profanatitas de Domonatia, full-length albums have been the preferred format for Paul Ledney and crew. However, going back the band’s beyond-classic Weeping in Heaven in 1991, it could be argued that Profanatica are at their most potent when doing EPs and that’s precisely what Altar of the Virgin Whore is: 20 minutes of cruel ‘n’ crushing sonic defilement that bears all the bulldozing trademarks of the band post-reformation. No need for further fancy words here; this is simply and totally Profanatica, distilled to its short/sharp/shocked essence and rendered in the rudest and rawest form.

The release of Altar of the Virgin Whore shall be joined by long-awaited vinyl reissues of Profanatica‘s first two albums, the aforementioned Profanatitas de Domonatia and 2010’s Disgusting Blasphemies Against God.

In the meantime, hear the new track “Prayer in Eclipse”

Release date and pre-order info for Altar of the Virgin Whore to be announced shortly. Cover art, courtesy of underground legend Chris Moyen, and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Profanatica’s Altar of the Virgin Whore
1. Conceived With Sin
2. Prayer in Eclipse
3. Altar of the Virgin Whore
4. Crucifixion Wounds
5. Thorn King
6. Sacred Code Broken
7. Fuck the Messiah
8. He Has Risen

November 2 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Byhaven Pumpehuset
November 3 – Leipzig, Germany @ Hellraiser
November 4 – Warsaw, Poland @ Progresja
November 6 – Prague, Czech Republic @ MeetFactory
November 7 – Budapest, Hungary @ Barba Negra Music Club, Budapest
November 9 – Munich, Germany @ Backstage
November 10 – Zug, Switzerland @ Chollerhalle
November 11 – Trezzo sull’Adda, Italy @ Live Club
November 12 – Colmar, France @ Le Grillen
November 14 – Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz 2
November 15 – Madrid, Spain @ Changó
November 16 – Limoges, France @ Centre Culturel John Lennon
November 17 – Paris, France @ Le Trabendo
November 18 – Oignies, France @ Tyrant Fest
November 20 – Saarbrücken, Germany @ Garage
November 21 – Mannheim, Germany @ Ms Connexion Complex
November 22 – Berlin, Germany @ Astra Kulturhaus
November 23 – Borgerhout, Belgium @ TRIX Centrum voor Muziek
November 24 – Bochum, Germany @ Matrix
November 25 – Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje

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DEATHHAMMER premiere new track for new album, Chained To Hell

DEATHHAMMER premiere new track for new album, Chained To Hell

Today, blackthrash elite Deathhammer premiere the new track “Threshold of Doom”.The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated fourth album, Chained to Hell, set for international release on October 5th via Hells Headbangers.By now, Deathhammer should need no introduction. For 13 years, this insatiable Norwegian duo have been at the forefront of the burgeoning blackthrash movement. Though blackthrash has seen intermittent surges in popularity over the last few decades, for sole members Sadomancer and Sargeant Salsten, this is a way of life – not a trend. Deathhammer proved as much as with their cult debut album, Phantom Knights, in 2010 and then proved it yet further and more fully – and more furiously and filthily – with 2013’s Onward to the Pits and 2015’s Evil Power, both of which were released by Hells Headbangers to widespread international acclaim. And yet, through it all, the duo kept their wits about them, simply being Deathhammer and taking their irresistible (and irresistibly evil) charm to stages worldwide, including a command performance at Hells Headbangers‘ Hells Headbash 2 in 2015.

With the stage set thusly, Chained to Hell is a statement of intent for Deathhammer: this is who they are, eternally, and there’s no turning back. Everything that’s endeared the duo to legions worldwide – bursting-at-the-seams energy, forever-forward momentum, coiling-yet-catchy songwriting, and that strangely clean ‘n’ clanging guitar tone that’s somehow dirtier than most other blackthrash out there – is here, both in a state that’s blood-red raw and sagely mature. It’s a unique duality that Deathhammer so unselfconsciously exude here, that youthful enthusiasm somehow remaining intact but simultaneously imparting an aeons-old wisdom, the entirety of classic metal history run through a rusty blender. Of course, the firmest foundation still remains that fateful year of 1985, when when Sodom and especially Destruction were releasing their respective, undeniably classic debut EPs – but also of course, Deathhammer possess that elusive charisma that elevates Chained to Hell from lazy pastiche to a crucial component in that blackthrashing continuum.

Some bands age like fine wine, while others are mostly remembered for their early, exuberant energy. With Chained to Hell, Deathhammer prove you can do both!

Hear for yourself with the new track “Threshold of Doom”

Cover and track-listing are as follows:


Tracklisting for Deathhammer’s Chained to Hell
1. Rabid Maniac Force
2. Satans Hell
3. Black Speed Inferno
4. Threshold of Doom
5. Tormentor
6. Into the Burning Pentagram
7. Chained to Hell
8. Evil
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Invocation Spell sets release date for fourth album, Spread Cruelty in the Abyss

Invocation Spell sets release date for fourth album

 

On Friday, Hells Headbangers sets July 27th as the international release date for Invocation Spells‘ highly anticipated fourth album, Spread Cruelty in the Abyss, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

There’s simply no stopping Invocation Spells. One of the hottest bands in the shit-hot Chilean black/death scene, this diabolical duo continues to unleash one punishing slab of filth ‘n’ fury after another, each one more concise and crushing than the next. Spread Cruelty in the Abyss follows hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed The Flame of Hate, released internationally last year by Hells Headbangers. Like that predecessor, Spread Cruelty in the Abyss wastes absolutely no time in igniting a sulfurous conflagration from the first few notes…except this time, it’s more quickly apparent how daresay catchy Invocation Spells have become.

Lest anyone accuse the band of softening or selling out, be aware that Spread Cruelty in the Abyssis simply and 100% Invocation Spells through and through: no compromise, and no quarter. Like The Flame of Hate before it and Descendent the Black Throne before that, Spreads Cruelty in the Abyss possesses a special magick that eludes easy “blackthrash” categorization – namely, through an acute balance between the bestial and more classically speed metal tropes – but the molten, even martial pulse the duo develop further here turns these more deliberately hypnotic spells of possession into veritable anthems of minimalism, spilling poison and black blood in equal measure, and even more endlessly headbanging than before. And with this unselfconscious, even-more-pronounced emphasis on “catchiness” comes an even swifter and stricter sense of economy: Spread Cruelty in the Abyss clangs ‘n’ bangs with absolute authority in a mere 26 minutes. Get in, get out, get fucked.

And just like they have with their songwriting nous, Invocation Spells have all about perfected their production style, once again locating that ever-so-sweet middle-ground between fuck-off raw and clear/cutting, with each incensed-yet-impassioned note ringing out through the humid haze before mangling the mind with quintessentially Chilean diabolism. And now, North America will be able to witness that diabolism in the flesh, as Invocation Spells will be heading out on an 11-date tour alongside fellow Hells Headbangers speed metallers Outline; the CD and tape versions of Spread Cruelty in the Abyss will be available for early sale during the tour (dates after the jump). This summer’s gonna be a hot one, then, so no better time to Spread Cruelty in the Abyss!

Hear for yourself with the album’s opening track, “Ruins of Cemetery,”

Check out Hells Headbangers‘ Bandcamp, where the album can be preordered. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

 

 

1. Ruins Of Cemetery
2. Rotting Sacrifice
3. Victims Of Doom
4. Torment Of Obssessor
5. Old Rites
6. Spread Cruelty
7. Obscure And Evil
8. From The Graves

 

 


INVOCATION SPELLS / OUTLINE USA tour 2018
June 22 – San Diego, CA
June 23 – Los Angeles, CA – L.A. StrikeFest @ Regent Theatre
June 24 – San Francisco, CA
June 25 – Reno, NV @ Shea’s Tavern
June 28 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
June 29 – Baltimore, MD @ Wheaton Lounge
June 30 – Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
July 4 – New York, NY @ Pista Bandas Unidas
July 6 – Houston, TX @ The Concert Pub North
July 7 – San Antonio, TX
July 8 – New Orleans, LA @ Santos Bar

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ABHOR (Italy) Premiere New Track

 

Today, Italian black metal pillars Abhor premiere the new track “Demons Forged From the Smoke” at Decibel magazine’s website. The track hails from the band’s highly anticipated seventh album, Occulta religiO, set for international release on May 25th via Iron Bonehead Productions. Hear Abhor‘s “Demons Forged From the Smoke” in its entirety exclusively HERE.

Abhor are a veritable institution of Italian black metal. Formed in 1995 in the northeast of Italy, the band began with a passion for black metal music and the study of esoteric arts. Less like a band and more like a congregation, Abhor represent a form of global art that embraces musical art, visual art, and literal art. Their first musical manifestation came in 1998, with the first demo tape In Tuo Honori Preparatum. From there, Abhor were off and running, subsequently releasing six albums with a variety of labels, doing honorable underground work. Within their ranks came many musicians, including members of compatriots Evol.

Throughout their sizable and uniformly high-quality discography, Abhor have come to define post-millennial Italian black metal, driving deeply into a self-styled sound of Esoteric Horror Black Metal. Their last two albums, in particular – 2011’s Ab Luna Lucenti, ab Noctua Protecti and 2015’s Ritualia Stramonium, both critically acclaimed – proved that the band have only become more masterful at this more mature stage, and they carry forward that blazing-purple torch with Occulta religiO.

A work of bewitching mysticism and beyond-the-veil secrecy, Occulta religiO is black metal of an unmistakably ancient vintage. Neither regressive nor progressive, Abhor simply conjure a now-trademark sound that ably balances doomed-out traditionalism, sinister textural layering, and impassioned playing. It all reaches a fever pitch on Occulta religiO, where the concepts of occultism, esotericism, alchemy, witchcraft, Satanism, and dark folklore are given flight on leathery wings. Spooky and spelunking, Abhor here create seven spells in a compact 40 minutes, entrancing the listener with seamless ease, indeed vividly capturing the medieval sensations running through such songs as “Black Bat Recalls,” “Engraved Formulas,” “Demons Forged From the Smoke,” and the all-too-telltale opener “Elemental Conjuring.”

Buried by time and dust, Abhor are not. Some spirits just linger through every epoch, and there you will find Occulta religiO. Witness the next spell from Occulta religiO exclusively HERE, courtesy of Decibel, North America’s only monthly metal magazine. The first spell, “Fons Malorum,” can be witnessed HERE at Iron Bonehead‘s Soundcloud. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:

Tracklisting for Abhor – Occulta religiO
1. Elemental Conjuring
2. Fons Malorum
3. Engraved Formulas
4. Demons Forged from the Smoke
5. Exemplum Satanicus
6. Black Bat Recalls
7. Occulta religiO