Agonia Records

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Svarttjern - Towards the Ultimate (2011)

    cover

    Hailing from Norway, today we have Svarttjern and their crushing second full-length release “Towards the Ultimate”. With nine tracks of hectic Black Metal with some Death Metal influences, Svarttjern delivers very powerful blows in each song and has no problems mixing melody into their aural assaults.

    Featuring HansFyrste of Raganarok fame on vocals, Svarttjern will take you for a journey into the bowels of hell with very well crafted songs that do not get too repetitive as the album progresses. In the opener “Breathing Soil”, the band does not waste any time and delivers powerful guitar riffs, hyper-fast drums and hellish vocals. This song reminds us of the good years of Satyricon, and it will leave a great impression on you too.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    The Konsortium – The Konsortium (2011)

    cover

    With all the craptastic Black Metal releases coming from Norway (and around the world) these days, it is very hard to find quality albums such as The Konsortium’s self-titled debut release. In this album, the band relies on catchy Thrash-infused Black Metal riffing overlaid with different styles of vocals in order to create a very effective almost Avant-garde Black Metal sound.

    Only knowing the identity of one of the band’s mysterious members, we can be assured that the riffing quality is top notch since Teloch handles the guitar duties. The opening number “Gasmask Prince” has a very hectic pace and multi-layered guitars that quickly set this band apart from the rest. The ‘Black Metal vocals’ are pretty standard for the genre, but the combination of whispers and clean sections make them very effective and diverse enough to keep the listener engaged.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Forgotten Tomb – Under Saturn Retrograde (2011)

    cover

    After gives us four very bleak and depressive first full-length releases, Forgotten Tomb returns with an equally melancholic release but with a different sonic effect under the name of “Under Saturn Retrograde”. In this album the band moves forward to lands charted by Agalloch, Fen, etc. and creates a very rich listening experience while maintaining some of the dark emotions from the past.

    The opener track “Reject Existence” is both brutal (great harsh vocals) and very melodic due to the majestic guitars and overall pace of the song. The band is not slowing down, and you can hear their earlier influences but they are now polishing their sound in a very interesting way. “Shutter” starts off very aggressive but near the middle of the track the experimentation begins and there are some excellent Doom Metal inspired sections.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Infernal War/Kriegsmaschine – Transfigurations (2011)

    cover

    Usually when we get split albums it means that a label or two bands are trying to push substandard (read: mediocre) music that is never good enough for a full-length release. In “Transfigurations” we find that this is not the case since Infernal War and Kriegsmaschine are two promising Black Metal bands in the Polish BM scene and they are trying to get their stuff out there, and “Transfigurations” it-self is not a bad split at all.

    Infernal War starts off the split with their clear and evil brand of Black Metal that while not revolutionary or anything, it is quite effective in creating crushing songs. With “Primal Degradation” the band sets up the tone for their ‘side’ of the split with a raw and crushing sound that will put all doubters to rest. This song features a hefty amount of powerful riffs, brilliant production and super tight drumming that ask nothing from any of the ‘famous’ Black Metal acts.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Furze - Reaper Subconscious Guide (2010)

    cover

    In the category of the weirdest album we received in 2010, today we have Furze and their “Reaper Subconscious Guide” release. Being the band’s fourth full-length release, “Reaper Subconscious Guide” is full of surprises and a very old-school vibe that will throw most people off, and requires more than a few listens to fully digest.

    As a ‘tribute’ to Black Sabbath, Furze recorded all this tracks in vintage equipment from the 40’s to the 70’s, creating a very interesting sound that we rarely get to appreciate. The band also recorded it and mastered it especially for the Vinyl version of this release, and then mastered digitally for the CD release (the one we reviewed) so rest assured that you will have two different sounding products that will be equally impressive.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Weapon - From the Devil's Tomb (2010)

    cover

    One year after their crushing debut full-length “Drakonian Paradigm”, Canada’s mystical warmongers Weapon return with another brilliant Black/Death Metal assault with “From the Devil’s Tomb”. The band’s rich and multi-textured approach to the genre makes them one of the most devastating bands these days that mixes old-school elements with dynamic songwriting.

    As with the band’s first full-length, “From the Devil’s Tomb” features a highly charged mystical component behind the music in terms of lyrics and concepts, that is greatly brought to life with crushing guitar melodies, powerful riffs, intricate drumming and multi-faceted vocals. The band has greatly matured in one year, making “From the Devil’s Tomb” twice as chilling, and more technically impressive than “Drakonian Paradigm”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Mr. Death - Death Suits You (2010)

    cover

    Featuring two members of the original Tiamat, Mr. Death hails from Sweden and it’s ready to blow you away with their super catchy horror-inspired Death Metal. Featuring a very traditional yet effective approach to Death Metal, “Death Suits You” is an album that will remind you of the days when DM was never overly technical and over produced.

    The band’s musical foundation lies with very catchy riffs and intense drumming that are landmarks of the genre. The tempo changes in the songs are another very solid element of this band’s sound and allow them to never get dull or (too) repetitive. Featuring such experienced musicians, Mr. Death has quickly gathered a following of DM fans and it’s easily understandable since their music is very powerful and effective.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Stench - In Putrescence (2010)

    cover

    With all the uninspired and borings as hell Death Metal releases these days, it comes to us as a shock that Stench’s debut full-length releases “In Putrescence” is as good as it is, especially for a debut album. Hailing from Sweden, the band takes the basics of Death Metal and crafts a very interesting and elaborate sound that makes them sound very unique in comparison to most DM releases these days.

    “In Putrescence” features 8 tracks of highly addictive Death Metal that will have you headbanging for the 30 minutes that the album lasts. This three man band takes a different approach to the chugging riffs of traditional Death Metal and features a wide variety of slow passages that create a very haunting atmosphere when combined with the mournful screams. But they manage to keep a very solid core of catchy riffs, blistering drumming and interesting song structures that never get dull.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Beissert – The Pusher (2010)

    cover

    Coming from Agonia records in late May we have Beissert’s sophomore release called “The Pusher”. Never knowing what to expect from this label we ventured into discovering what Beissert was all about, and we love it, the band combines influences from Crowbar, Pantera, Nevermore and tons of other bands in a rocking way that will leave you speechless.

    Beissert is probably one of the freshest sounding bands that we have heard in quite a while. After several listens to this album, the melodies behind the songs are stuck in our heads, something that does not happen quite often. The band has a very groovy and bombastic rocking sound that will have you headbanging from start to end.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    Nefarium – Ad Discipulum (2010)

    cover

    There have been plenty of Black Metal releases in the last few months, but none of them stick out the way “Ad Discipulum” does. Nefarium is a Black Metal band hailing from Italy, and they have clear Swedish BM influences in their sound. Featuring Garghuf from Enthroned fame, you know you are in for an intense trip down to hell with “Ad Discipulum”.

    For all of you that are tired of watered down BM releases, Nefarium is here to blow you away with this no holds barred album that will surely be on many top 10 Black Metal albums list in 2010. The band captures the Swedish BM essence with perfection and brings it upon us in the most furious way to every come out of Italy.

Pages

Recent Image Galleries