Black Metal

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    Selvans – Clangores Plenilunio (2015)

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    Seemingly coming out of nowhere, today we have one of the most exciting Black Metal bands we have heard in quite a while: Selvans. Hailing from Italy, the band presents us with their crushing and refreshing EP “Clangores Plenilunio” which features around 30 minute of pure atmospheric destruction. The band’s combination of influences into their own unique Black Metal sound will definitely turns some heads and command full attention from listeners.

    As the opener “Lupercale” weaves from atmospheric passages to blistering blast beats and haunting screams, the band perfectly blends killer guitar leads with catchy rhythmical sections. This track showcases the band’s range to their full extent with some many influences present here, but yet their sound is quite distinctive and unique. Things turn Folky with the EP title track, allowing Selvans Haruspex to showcase his multiple talents handling all the Folk elements in this release.

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    Enslaved – In Times (2015)

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    Constantly evolving and maturing over the last 10 years, Enslaved returns with another mesmerizing release with “In Times”. Further developing their Progressive Black Metal sound, the band delivers 53 minutes of impeccable music that will strengthen the band’s legacy and please all Metal fans. If you think the bar was set too high with “RIITIIR”, it has not been obliterated by this new release.

    Opening with a blistering onslaught in the first minute of “Thurisaz Dreaming”, the band masterfully turns the tides around and delivers an elegant piece that perfectly blends aggressive passages with the band’s signature proggy/jazzy melodic passages. Arve Isdal and Ivar Bjørnson do a great job in combining different guitar styles to create intricate song structures for the tracks in this release. With almost everybody pitching in on vocals (Grutle, Ivar, and Herbrand Larsen), the mood majestically changes without always needing elaborate tempo changes like on “Building With Fire”.

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    Vyre – The Initial Frontier Pt. II (2014)

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    After blowing us away with the first part of “The Initial Frontier” back in 2013, this German band comes back with part 2 with great style. Delivering over 45 minutes of expertly crafted Symphonic/Avant-garde Black Metal, the band further develops their unique sound with more atmospheric elements and great riffing onslaughts.

    Opening with the superb “Naughtylus”, the band blasts away with some epic melodic riffs, crushing bursts of aggression and highly melancholic Cello passages. As the futuristic atmospheric keyboards and precise solos close the first track, the band quickly jumps into the intoxicating rhythms of “Diabolum Ex Machina”. This second song feature some quite interesting tempo changes and tribal-esque passages that make this song a magical listening experience.

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    Thulcandra – Ascension Lost (2015)

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    On the days we are feeling nostalgic about the good old times of Dissection and similar bands that created and innovated with melodic riffs and epic songwriting, we turn to Thulcandra and their first two full-length releases. Unleashing “Ascension Lost” in 2015, the band continues to develop their old-school sound and make it their own, greatly improving on all the previous ‘borrowing’ they did from Dissection.

    The album kicks off with the melancholic “The First Rebellion”, a fast-paced piece that is sonically pleasing and very technically proficient. The band’s proficient mixture of melodic riffs and old-school Black Metal is quite solid and songs like “Throne of Will” and “Deliverance in Sin and Death” are a testament to their abilities. Steffen Kummerer and Sebastian Ludwig are a highly skilled guitar duo that carries this release from start to finish with their intensity and creativity.

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    Vyrju – Black (2014)

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    Today we have the one-man battalion Vyrju and its debut EP release titled “Black”. Hailing from Norway, this outfit delivers four tracks and around 22 minutes of catchy and sludgy/doomy Black Metal. With a great emphasis on crushing riffs and demoralizing shrieks, this release is a short but sweet one for fans of the genre.

    Opening with the catchiness of “The Constant Void”, we get a Satyricon-esque vibe with Sludge/Doom elements thrown into the mix. This song has good dosage of Black Metal influences thrown into the mix, making it quite engaging and entertaining.  As a personal favorite “There is no Grave Big Enough to take all my Sorrows”, this track is quite hypotonic and perfectly crafted with the graceful clean vocals of Tim Yatras who plays drums and clean vocals as a session member.

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    At Dusk – Anhedonia (2014)

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    Hailing from the USA, today we have a nihilistic Depressive Black Metal band named “At Dusk”. As you can imagine, this is a one man outfit that delivers waves of mournful screams paired with some pretty solid mid-tempo Black Metal. Featuring four songs and around 59 minutes of music, this debut full-length is one hell of a stepping stone for the band.

    Opening with the oppressive “Anhedonia”, we get around 5 minutes of purely atmospheric passages until the harsh and desolate BM onslaughts start. The band reminds us of a more depressive version of Mortualia with considerably better vocals. The second track, “Agonia”, starts with a barrage of riffs and intense drumming, keeping the tempo quite hectic to deliver a powerful punch to the listeners in the first few minutes.

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    Kalmankantaja - Musta Lampi (2014)

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    One man battalion Kalmankantaja is running for the most productive band of 2014 by releasing four full-length releases in the same year. This time, this prolific Finish outfit presents us with the two-track 41-minute crushing release titled “Musta Lampi”. With a heavy emphasis on a bleak atmosphere, the band’s Black Metal sound is but punishing and demoralizing.

    Opening with “Hiljaisessa Syvänteessä”, the band nicely builds up momentum with several minutes of ethereal instrumental passages before the first distorted guitars appear. The guitar sound is quite metallic and fuzzy, fitting very nicely the bleakness of the atmosphere. As the hellish screams appear, the music elevates to a new level since all elements are perfectly delivered to punish the listener.

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    Grimoire – L'aorasie des spectres rêveurs (2015)

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    Arriving from Canada, today we have the frosty Grimoire and their EP titled “L'aorasie des spectres rêveurs”. Featuring around 25 minutes of melancholic Atmospheric Black Metal, this is a very solid offering from Eisenwald to start 2015.

    From the mastermind behind Csejthe and Forteresse, this one man band delivers four tracks of excellent atmospheric music filled with harsh vocals and traditional Black Metal onslaughts. “Tragédie des ombres” opens the release with superb melodic riffs and extremely melancholic keyboards. Just after a few seconds we immediately feel the oppressive and lush atmosphere created by Grimorie.

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    Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen (2014)

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    Expertly crafted, “Where Greater Men Have Fallen” continues the legacy of Primordial and their unique Celtic infused Folk Metal. Delivering 58 minutes of engaging tracks that need to gimmicks to appeal to the listener, the band does a great job in keeping their sound and legacy intact with a very high quality release. Any fan of the band will be greatly pleased by this album that brings us some memories of the band’s epic: “Spirit the Earth Aflame”.

    The head banging session starts early with the crushing opening of the album’s title track, we love how Primordial has always managed to deliver Folky sounding music with heavy riffs and not a plethora of bagpipes and similar elements. A.A. Nemtheanga’s vocals gracefully lead the band’s musical onslaught with great vocal melodies that perfectly fit the mood of the songs. Make no mistake, there are plenty of heavy sections for the fans that like the harsher side of the band, as we can see on tracks like “Babel’s Tower” and “The Seed of Tyrants”, as well as sprinkled around in between epic melodic passages.

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    Downfall of Gaia – Aeon Unveils the Thrones of Decay (2014)

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    As one of the least conventional bands in Metal Blade, Downfall of Gaia delivers a punishing 60 minute musical experience with their third full-length release “Aeon Unveils the Thrones of Decay”. Perfectly crafting an apocalyptic sound that fuses Black Metal, Post-Metal, and Sludge elements, this band will mercilessly make your speakers pop and have you begging for more.

    Getting down to business with the bestial opener “Darkness Inflames These Sapphire Eyes”, the band spews their message with a brutality and firmness. The Black Metal sections are perfectly craved into the heavy riffing of this track, and the different vocal styles further extend the songs brutality. Just when you things are getting calm, blistering passages change the mood and direction of the songs, like in the epic “Carved into Shadows”. The underlying Doom/Post-Metal elements of tracks like this one and “Ascending the Throne”, make the band’s sound even richer and very diverse, making it harder to pin them down.

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