BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2021: The Tom O’Dell Edition

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Man, what a year.  Somehow despite being once again locked inside for half of it, life was busier than ever –  nevertheless, I managed to cobble together a sufficient number of Black Metal Daily pieces to qualify for a Listcrush article, and as such now, whilst you remain on this page, you exist in a realm where my opinions are mighty, trve, and entirely infallible.*  As ever, my disclaimer stands that these are simply the albums this year that kept me coming back for more, as for me that’s the mark of a great album.  Although this time I did have to deploy a colour-coded spreadsheet in order to quantify exactly what the hell was going on.  I digress…

* … you’ve already closed it, haven’t you

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Listen along whilst you read:

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THE BLACK METAL TOP 10:

10. Miasmata – Unlight: Songs of Earth and Atrophy. (Naturmacht Productions)

I love Blind Guardian and I love black metal; this album takes the melodic leads of the former and harshness of the latter to create a blisteringly triumphant record that doesn’t sound quite like anything else out there at the moment.  And to think this is only the debut – I can’t wait to see what else Miasmata has in store. READ MORE 

• Essential tracks: ‘Artifacts‘, ‘Caverns of Malachite‘

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9. Firienholt – By the Waters of Awakening. (Fólkvangr Records, Naturmacht Productions)

Emerging from paths unknown, the epic black metal trio Firienholt knocked it out the park with their debut full length this year.  It’s Caladan Brood worship of the most faithful variety, right down to the >10min track lengths, but it’s magnificently done in all regards from the writing to the production, and it’s well worth a listen for anyone seeking some epic metal feelings; read Dex’s full review HERE.

• Essential tracks: ‘Ruminations by Starlight‘, ‘The Whispering Shadow‘

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8. Praecantator – Obelisk. (Sonic Transmitter Records)

Praecantator are a relatively local band I’ve followed on Facebook for years; I remember their early work being relatively standard second-wave styled black metal, and in all honesty expected Obelisk to be more of the same when I saw it announced on my feed.  Well, I don’t know what the hell happened to these guys in lockdown, but Obelisk blew my head off with an unexpected assault of blackened death metal riffage, and now I’m firmly at the edge of my seat to see what a full length will look like.

• Essential tracks: ‘Ascent‘, ‘Empyrean‘

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7. Cân Bardd – Devoured by the Oak. (Northern Silence Productions)

Cân Bardd’s story is one of success.  Their first album was exceptionally composed and released to a wave of adoring fans; since that album they’ve only grown and grown, and Devoured by the Oak continues that trend.  Main man Malo Civelli’s writing skills are on top form, as he effortlessly blends layers upon layers of harmony and countermelody.  I’ve critiqued his clean vocals in the past, but on Oak Civelli shows clear signs of improvement that are wonderful to hear.  Cân Bardd are truly titans of the atmoblack world now, and everyone should be paying them due attention.

• Essential tracks: ‘Une couronne de branches‘, ‘Devoured by the Oak‘ 

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6. Mesarthim – CLG J02182-05102. (Avantgarde Music)

Oh boy, this album.  My experience with Mesarthim this year was one of those rare moments where music is discovered at the perfect time.  I’ve not gone back to it as often in the latter months of the year, but there was a time where I simply could not stop listening; such was the moment.  Sticking it on again now whilst writing up this list reminds me of every emotion that inspired the artiest article I’ve ever written, and I stand by it as a heartfelt recommendation to anyone who loves synths and space. 

• Essential tracks: ‘Tidal Warping‘, ‘A Generation of Star Birth, Part 1‘ 

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5. Këkht Aräkh – Pale Swordsman. (Livor Mortis)

Riding straight from one emotional heavyweight to another, Këkht Aräkh’s Pale Swordsman was another album that floored me from the first listen.  I’m used to raw black metal incorporating dungeon synth elements, but usually those synths are used to create creeping horror or a sense of fantastic scale – in contrast, the instrumental elements of Pale Swordsman that fall outside the standard metal curriculum are haunting by way of sadness and solitude.  It’s not angry, but simply mournful and incredibly personal.  And damn, that last track… 

• Essential tracks: ‘Thorns‘, ‘Swordsman‘ 

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4. Ancient Mastery – Chapter One: Across the Mountains of the Drämmarskol. (Ad Victoriam, Pest Productions, Death Kvlt Productions)

Lying somewhere between raw black metal and Summoning-worship, Ancient Mastery’s first chapter is, quite simply, magnificent.  All of it is expertly constructed for the style, but the real showstopper is the synth and keyboard work.  I dare you to listen to 4:35 in “The Passage” without raising a fist to the sky;  you can’t.  Epic stuff. 

• Essential tracks: ‘The Passage‘, ‘The Majesty of Aztara‘ 

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3. Stormkeep – Tales of Othertime. (Ván Records)

I’ve heard this album described as 2021’s Emperor tribute, but in reality it’s so much more than that.  It’s an album every bit as captivating as its majestic cover artwork, spinning tales of classic dungeons and dragons fantasy.  The production is 90s symphonic black perfected and spun through modernity, with magnificent synths, gorgeous interludes adorning the grim black metal core.  Clean vocals by Visigoth’s Jake Rogers rear their head throughout the record too, and, as anyone who knows me can attest, I can never resist anything touched by his perfect baritone.  Tales of Othertime is just so much fun; simply put, it reminds me of everything I loved about black metal when I first discovered the second wave classics in times past. 

• Essential tracks: ‘The Serpent’s Stone‘, ‘Eternal Majesty Manifest‘ 

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2. Wormwood – Arkivet. (Black Lodge Records)

Wormwood’s transition from the folky black’n’roll exhibited on Ghostlands to gloomy Scandinavian atmoblack has never been more prevalent than on Arkivet.  The subject matter is haunting, the melodies are heart wrenching, and the result is a monolith of atmospheric tragedy.  It’s no one trick pony either, with catchy riffs, solos, and ambient instrumentation scattered throughout to keep the listener engaged and immersed in the peaks and troughs of the journey.  Every time I listen, I’m staggered.   

• Essential tracks: ‘Overgrowth‘, ‘End of Message‘ 

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1. Vvilderness – As Above, So Below. (Vvilderness Records)

My initial reaction to this album was that it was more The Witcher 3 soundtrack than metal album.  As a huge Witcher fan, this presents very little issue, and I’ve spun As Above, So Below countless times since it’s November release.  Perhaps controversially for my Black Metal list, it’s not the blackened elements that keep me coming back for more; it’s the expertly constructed folk sections with instruments and layers I can’t even name, it’s the melodies that call the high points of The Jester Race to mind… and it’s the raw feeling of nature that perfectly places the listener in some vast forest in the heart of the Continent.  Of course the blackness is there, used throughout as a required burst of ferocity, but also used with remarkable, expertly crafted restraint.  If you want the most emotive metal album of 2021, this is it.  

• Essential tracks: ‘As Above, So Below‘, ‘All Fires Die Out‘ 

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HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Windfaerer; Grima; Genune; Kauan; Decline of the I; Hulder; Belore; Carathis.

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THE NON BLACK METAL TOP 12:

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12. Knife – Knife. (Dying Victims Productions) 

This was the year I got into fun, dumb speed metal, and whilst most of this was homework on essential listening from earlier years, (looking at you, Bütcher), Knife took the crown for 2021’s trvest speed.  It’s exactly what you want from the genre, with cutting vocals, snarling riffs, and hooks you’ll have stuck in your head for days.  All of it done with absolutely no subtlety, and zero fucks given.  

• Essential tracks: ‘Black Leather Hounds‘, ‘K.N.I.F.E.’ 

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11. Stormtide – A Throne of Hollow Fire. (Metal Hell Records)

Melodic death metal has been around for a hell of a long time now, so it’s vital that new bands seeking to make their name in the genre find some way to keep it fresh.  Stormtide go for the epic approach, implementing eastern instrumentation alongside symphonics and blastbeats to generate a sense of wonder and mystery that pervades through the record.  The vocal delivery leaves a bit to be desired by way of diversity, but there are true moments of excellence where the vocals line up with the instruments – and when Stormtide do hit the mark, it’s damn enjoyable stuff.   

• Essential tracks: ‘Eternal Fire‘, ‘Awakening‘ 

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10. Inferi – Vile Genesis. (The Artisan Era)

Technical death metal had a phenomenal 2021.  Every band in the genre seemed to up their game, and so competition was fierce for spots on this list.  Vile Genesis shows Inferi honing their melodic ability whilst retaining their fearsome technicality, crafting an altogether more digestible but no less impressive album than 2018’s Revenant.  It falls down a little bit in terms of memorability when compared to some later entries in the same genre, but it’s an achievement to be proud of and absolutely worth a listen. 

• Essential tracks: ‘Simian Hive‘, ‘Mesmeric Horror‘ 

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9. Blood Red Throne – Imperial Congregation. (Nuclear Blast)

A pretty late discovery from a band I wasn’t familiar with at all, Imperial Congregation is modern death metal done properly.  As one would expect, it’s filled with sledgehammer riffs that beat you into relentless headbanging, but it’s also got sufficient depth and memorability to keep you wanting to come back for more.  The production is crisp and the songwriting is concise, making it eminently replayable, and the beating it delivers on the tenth play is just as massive as the first. 

• Essential tracks: ‘Conquered Malevolence‘, ‘Transparent Existence‘ 

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8. Ravenous E.H. – Hubris. (Feast Beast Records)

Power metal by way of the American school of heavy metal, Ravenous E.H.’s Hubris is carried largely by a phenomenal vocal talent in R. A. Voltaire, whose mighty baritone is one of my favourite discoveries of the year.  Bolstered by a luscious mix, Hubris is suitably grandiose and theatrical to be the strongest power metal album of 2021.  I’m not sure how it would contend against other North American power/heavyweights – say, if Visigoth, Eternal Champion and Judicator all released in 2021 too.  But I’m excited to see what the future has in store for Ravenous, and if the fortunes of metal are kind, we may see such a contest in the future, and bask in the inevitable trve glory. 

• Essential tracks: ‘Son of Storms‘, ‘Die 1,000 Deaths‘
• https://ravenouseternalhunger.bandcamp.com/album/hubris 

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7. Mental Cruelty – A Hill to Die Upon. (Unique Leader Records)

Anyone who doesn’t think deathcore is one of the most exciting genres in metal at the moment is kidding themselves, and that is a hill I will indeed die upon.  Mental Cruelty take the blackened and symphonic elements utilised by peers like Lorna Shore and craft one of the biggest albums I’ve heard in a while.  The symphonics are majestic, and perfectly offset and compliment the sheer brutality of the riffs and vocals.  My only desire is for an occasional moment of clean vocals, as showcased by bands like Shadow of Intent and Fit For An Autopsy, just to add a touch of diversity in the otherwise mostly relentless assault.  

• Essential tracks: ‘Ultima Hypocrita‘, ‘Abadon‘ 

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6. Interloper – Search Party. (Nuclear Blast)

A surprising entry for my list, Interloper’s brand of progressive metalcore really stuck with me.  Impressively technical yet not to the point of limited accessibility, lead vocalist Andrew Virrueta’s clean tone bears a remarkable similarity to Chester Bennington, which suits the material perfectly.  The hooks are massive, and the progressive songwriting is effective and driving; in many ways, it’s not something I feel I know how to write about, but I cannot recommend Search Party enough.  

• Essential tracks: ‘Idle Years‘, ‘Pathkeeper‘

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5. Rivers of Nihil – The Work. (Metal Blade Records)

A deeply surprising album considering my expectations, The Work falls very much in the category of works that should be listened to in order, in one sitting.  Shuffle play can’t capture the balance between ambient calm and intense deathened fury that the album juxtaposes, and it’s that balance that feels like the record’s greatest strength.  It’s a fairly long album, but if you stick with it, you’ll be rewarded with a journey unlike any other this year. 

• Essential tracks: ‘Terrestria IV: The Work’, ‘The Void from Which No Sound Escapes‘

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4. Ephemerald – Between the Glimpses of Hope. (Inverse Records)

Equal parts modern melodeath and atmospheric metal, Ephemerald struck a chord with me instantly through their songwriting.  It’s an epic album without question, and displays a flair for balancing driving melodeath with synthy ambience.  But it’s not just that I enjoy it; it’s that large parts of it feel like material I would write, and so it feels intimately familiar.  Everything from the synth choices, to the song structures and clean harmonies had me nodding, thinking “yes, they’ve made the right decision there”.  A wonderful album. 

• Essential tracks: ‘Reborn‘, ‘All There Is‘

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3. Archspire – Bleed the Future. (Season Of Mist)

Quite frankly, it’s ridiculous how Archspire are able to write music that’s so inconceivably technical and yet undeniably catchy.  They show off to no end, yet fit it into a concisely edited 30 minute album, clearly knowing that 30 minutes is about the perfect length for this level of intense yet enjoyable audio assault – half the time I don’t have any idea what’s happening, but I know I’m loving it.  Bleed the Future doesn’t quite take the techdeath crown for 2021 for me, but it’s an essential listen regardless.  

• Essential tracks: ‘Drone Corpse Aviator‘, ‘Golden Mouth of Ruin‘ 

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2. Obscura – A Valediction. (Nuclear Blast)

Man, this was an album.  Obscura were the first techdeath band I really got into, with 2009’s Cosmogenesis and 2018’s Diluvium being particular highlights.  With another dramatic lineup change in the build up to A Valediction, I was a little uncertain what to expect.  Would it lean towards the spacey prog, or the overtly technical side of the band’s previous efforts?  The answer – neither.  A Valediction is technical yes, but primarily melodic and furious, and even thrashy.  It’s like if Slaughter of the Soul was delivered by a tech band, and it absolutely rips.  Monster riffs and grooves are layered throughout, and the vocals are delivered with positive rabidness, and it’s just irresistible – I think the ending of “In Adversity” could even be classed as a beatdown.  Obscura haven’t just made the best tech death album of the year, they’ve potentially made the best album of their career. 

• Essential tracks: ‘In Adversity‘, ‘When Stars Collide‘

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1. Lorna Shore – … As I Return to Nothingness. (Century Media)

How can a three track EP be my favourite release of the year, you ask?  Simple – it’s sensational.  Whatever places Lorna Shore went in the short time since 2020’s Immortal must have been imbibed with some kind of magic, as this EP takes every element I loved about that album and dials it to 11.  New vocalist Will Ramos is an exceptional talent, the melodic writing is delicious from the guitar leads to the ever-growing symphonic/blackened influence, and the breakdowns are a whole new level of give-no-fucks fun.  All eyes are on Lorna Shore for the full-length follow up to this, and if the quality is this high again, I can’t see another band coming close to catching them.  

• Essential tracks: All of them, there are only 3! 

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Words of Farewell; VOLA; Edu Falaschi; Fallensun; Ghosts of Atlantis

I also released music this year!  If you’ve got this far, I’m allowed to blow my own horn a little:

Sojourner – Perennial:

Dwarrowdelf – Cold Lie the Ashes:

 

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Black Metal Daily‘s LISTCRUSH returns with The GOS Edition and Dex‘s full-length album Edition soon.

Follow Black Metal Daily on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Bandcamp HERE for more cult sounds and tonal blasphemy.

BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2021: The Dex Edition, Part Two – Demos & EPs

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Greetings and infernal salutations warbrothers and assorted kvltlords. Dex again, this time sharing the list of my favourite EPs and demos (worth more than your life. Is that joke old yet?) from the past twelve months.

Somewhere in the vicinity of three and a half thousand black metal demos/EPs alone were released last year. Of course I didn’t check them ALL out – I do possess at least some vestiges of a life – but this list represents the cream of the crop of what I did spend time with and kept returning to over and over again. Yes, there are an excessive amount of Near Misses. But even they were culled from a towering stack of hundreds more and all of them are worth your time (hell, even I’m surprised some of them didn’t make the cut for the main list). So without further ado… my 30 favourite EPs and demos of 2021. Apologies in advance, I’ll be back before you know it with my full-length albums list. Hails.

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Near Misses:

• Gaahls Wyrd – The Humming Mountain
• Cathedrals In The Night – Demo I
• Selvans – Dark Italian Art
• Grinning Death’s Head – Cataclysm
• Katabasilisk – Sunset Of Solemn Silhouettes
• Sapientia Diaboli – Black Is the Messenger. Black Is the Destiny.
• Stikkersvin – Kælderens Barn
• Vaal – Het Vagevuur
• Lamp Of Murmuur – Punishment and Devotion
• Shades of Vrsaj’kett – What Lies Beneath Gravel & Soot
• Irae – Dangerovz Magick Zpells from the Mesziah of Death
• Sojourner – Perennial
• Mooncitadel – Onyx Castles and Silver Keys
• Merzuul – Gallipoli
• Förgjord – Ruumissaarna Pt. 2
• A Mournful Path – Upon Mounds Of Flesh And Ash
• Ifrinn – Caledonian Black Magic
• Kudlaakh – Beyond A World Of Illusion
• Ŭkcheănsălâwit – Alaskan Escape
• Kampfeswut – Kampfeswut
• Tumultuous Ruin – Demo I
• Sentiero dei Principi – Romantic Black Metal Manifesto
• Sightblinder – Relinquishing Light
• VzörbrëzV – Ébloui De Ténèbres
• Wampyric Rites – The Eternal Melancholy Of The Wampyre / Demo III
• Kamra – Conversing With Ghosts
• Sumerian Tombs – As Sumer Thrones At Night

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30. Dødsferd – Skotos (Transcending Obscurity Records) Greece

Sounds like: “A burning fire both immediate and resonating from times of old. A feeling of being totally lost, yet coming home. Destruction and rebirth. Writhing in eternal torment and bursting with limitless power. A burning, overpowering and obliterating rage… and soaring triumph.” Well, that’s what we said when we premiered a track from this one-two punch from the kings of the Greek underground. It still sounds like that to me now.

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29. Dwarrowdelf – Cold Lie The Ashes (Independent) UK

Sounds like: Nepotism. Nah, I genuinely love what our man Tom does, and here he pushes the Delf sound further than ever. He also completely owns that B-side cover – if you didn’t know, you’d swear it was a Dwarrowdelf track. Really looking forward to the new album he may or may not be recording (and I’m not being obtuse – I really have no idea what he’s doing).

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28. Kerasfóra – Denn Die Todten Reiten Schnell (Templo del Sol Muerto) Chile

Sounds like: Evil red eyes looking at you from the darkness behind that gate on the cover. This sinister blend of DS infused, hypnotically paced, medieval raw black is captivating – the kind of thing everyone should be paying attention to but barely anyone does.

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27. Xirgan – Prolonging The Archaic Slumber (Independent) USA

Sounds like: What you love to stumble across when you’ve been scouring the backwoods of the internet for great new shit but only discovering steaming hot garbage. At least, that was my situation when I discovered Xirgan anyway, and it’s stuck with me ever since. A great collaboration between several raw USBM names that does everything absolutely correct for me, this was released on cassette alongside the also quite nice first demo The Alchemist’s Curse so I could have cheated and thrown them both on here. Start with this one anyway. Side note: it also has a Harry Potter logo on the artwork… do with that information what you will.

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26. Tharagavverug – Vile and Loathsome Discord / Thin Is the Veil Betwixt Man and the Godless Deep (Rat Covenant) Romania

Okay fuck it, I AM going to cheat here, because this tape released by Rat Covenant combines both demos from this Romanian newcomer. Tharagavverug could sound like just another one of the million projects that do this sort of thing and I might have skipped over – if it wasn’t for the way it incorporates ’80s horror movie soundtrack vibes on occasion, and also just plain rips.

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25. Trhä – Inagape (Independent) Unknown

Sounds like: Trhä‘s stunning earlier 2021 demo Ihum Jolhduc parking its ass on my list for basically the entire year… until Inagape dropped right at the death, somehow managing to top even that and leaving my jaw in a gape. I’m not sorry for that joke. Get fucked.

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24. Nächtlich – Bewitched Under Hollow Nightskies (Vinland Corpse) Canada

Sounds like: Well. If you’re not attuned to the wretched delights of these Canadians after how many times I’ve shitted on about them and how often they’ve made my Listcrush in previous years, just listen to this tape and be forever converted. One of the rawest and also best things they’ve done lately, which is saying more than you could imagine.

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23. Hope Drone – Husk (Independent) Australia

Sounds like: An already excellent post-black band experimenting with what they do and coming up with something alternately shattering and breathtaking. I’m sure I said this last time, but come and tour down Melbourne way again soon, lads. Husk is the most accomplished and evolved record you’ve ever done and I need to see this stuff live.

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22. Krvna – Sempinfernus (Seance Records) Australia

Sounds like: “…lush, sanguine grandeur that pays respect to the ancients like Emperor but forges a path all its own. Showcasing top-notch writing and attention to detail, the melodies are sublime, every note dripping in midnight majesty and malice … a perfect paean to the eternal torment and savage will of the immortal beasts of the millennia.” Taken from our interview with main man Krvna Vatra Smrt, that description sums up this utterly sumptuous smorgasbord of vampyric black metal delights quite well. Superlative stuff, salivating for the upcoming debut album.

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21. Carathis – The Amethyst Fortress (Labyrinth Tower) Austria

Sounds like: That glorious album cover given sonic form, with a twist that only preternaturally gifted composer Erech Leleth could provide. He appears in this list twice and genuinely writes some of the most thrilling shit around. Just hook it to my veins.

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20. Sørgelig – Slaves Of Tomorrow (Repose Records) Greece

Sounds like: You know those guys who stand on street corners holding signs saying “the end is nigh” and proselytizing to anyone within earshot? This sounds like that. But the dude is also on fire. And trying to bash your head in with whatever he can get his hands on. Even when they get punkier than usual, Sørgelig remain underrated as fuck and completely incredible.

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19. Jernved – Stormvarsel (Independent) Denmark

Sounds like: The ’90s never left and all those bands you discovered and tapes you traded back then are magically new again. Absolutely top notch stuff; the type of quintessential black metal you can put on at any time and it always hits the spot.

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18. Black Kruud – The Staircase of Interdimensionality (Moonworshipper Records) Canada

Sounds like: fervent nocturnal worship from the otherrealms, by way of throwing a drum kit down twelve flights of stairs. Kidding – but I do absolutely adore the clattering cacophony this side project of Gamzhurm from Nächtlich creates. I could listen to it all day. You should too.

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17. Weathered Crest – Broken Column (Into Endless Chaos Records) Austria

Sounds like: Wandering centuries-old crumbling ruins and feeling the lingering vibrations of those ancient civilizations resonating deep within your soul. The type of raw black metal to leave an indelible mark, you’ll hear from this side project of Vritra from Brånd and Kringa again on my next list.

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16. Inferno Requiem – Vultures (Death Prayer Records) Taiwan

Sounds like: The ineffable Fog doing what he does best whilst bringing his superb Golden Horde saga to a close. Or, “wielding his mastery of classic black metal and bending it to his will to crush the listener underneath and leave us breathless”, as we said in our glowing review.

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15. Hekseblad – The Fall Of Cintra (Fólkvangr Records) USA

Sounds like: The rich and immersive world of The Witcher perfectly translated into black metal form. I rated this 4.5 / 5 when it dropped and it more-or-less managed to hold that score down since. Killer shit. They also just released a follow-up EP that expands on their sound; be sure to bust a nice big suss all over that as well.

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14. Apparition Of Sunlight – Wilt of Rose’s Crimson (Demo MMXXI) (Tour De Garde) USA/Canada

Sounds like: FUN. Which is weird for a demo with such melancholic tendencies, but I’ll state right here and now that it is categorically impossible to listen to this new raw melodic project from members of Fin (RIP), Délétère and Aleynmord and not thoroughly enjoy oneself. Can’t wait for more.

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13. Spiral Staircase – Cellar Dream (Lampshade Tapes) USA

There isn’t a single release since 2017 that Justin (aka Dread of Drekavac, Triangulum and more) hasn’t put out in his latest creative incarnation as Spiral Staircase that I don’t adore, and Cellar Dream keeps that streak going strong. At ten minutes long, the insistent rotting melodies within sounds like the kind of thing I’d leave on repeat for hours on end. Because I did, many times. Absolutely vital raw black metal.

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12. Леший – Поганые сны (Horrible Room) Russia

Sounds like: filthy, filthy dreams. That’s what the cyrillic title of this fucking stupendous demo by Russians Leshiy translates to anyway; one listen to its gnarled and ravenous spiritual rawness and you’ll certainly decide these are the type of dreams you love to have. And I don’t mean it’ll make your night shorts all sticky. Although it probably will.

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11. Somme – Prussian Blood (Death Kvlt Productions, Death Prayer Records) Finland

Sounds like: Being dropped smack-bang into the middle of WWI alongside members of Fallen Forest / Coniferous Myst, who then proceed to provide the perfect soundtrack for the misery, death and agonizingly hard-fought triumphs around you. Pretty much the same as their first EP, only even better.

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10. Etxegiña – Herederos del silencio (AbArt Corruption, Vertebrae) Spain/France

Sounds like: One of the most honest and powerful EPs to see the light of day in 2021, and a remarkably versatile one too. These four tracks each have their own singular mission yet fit together like a hand in a glove; plus, no matter what they do, they’ll stir your blood and get you up out of your seat. Check our previous interviews with main man Waldo for the incredibly affecting story and context behind it all.

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9. Ancient Mastery – The Chosen One (Death Prayer Records, Northern Silence Productions) Austria

Sounds like: Magnificent, hammering epic black metal with more ideas crammed into three tracks than that entire stylistic sub-genre can usually come up with in several years (and our Tom seems to come up with half of those anyway). Erech Leleth‘s other entry on this list. The man is truly unstoppable and this EP is dazzling.

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8. Crucifixion Bell – Astral Famine Chambers (Nithstang, Forgotten Sorcery Productions) USA

Sounds like: Being buried six feet deep in a coffin filled with tiny bloodsucking bats / swirling psychic vampire spirits and frantically trying to dig your way out whilst being fed upon before you’re sucked dry. The black metal tracks on this EP are two of the finest and most creative to appear all year, prolific sole practitioner The Astral Serpent (check out Fåvnesbane and all his other projects if you haven’t) just does not fucking miss.

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7. Krigstjørn – Liv, Død og Mellemvejen (Tour De Garde) Denmark

I can’t remember who shared this when I first saw it, but I owe them a debt – I wasn’t aware of this fresh Korpsånd Circle entity at the time and it ended up being one of my most played demos for the rest of the year. They also dropped another great demo (Skikkelser) later on in November which for whatever reason I haven’t been able to spend that much time with yet, so you should probably check that one out as well.

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6. Ärid – XIII – The Putrefying Rest (Death Hymns) USA

Sounds like: Being dead but your consciousness remains trapped in an eternal nightmare, bound to your decaying body so you’re forced to slowly experience yourself decomposing over endless time. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky in recent years but I haven’t come across much of this sort of thing lately (“thank fuck” I hear most of you say) but the weird magic created by thin, hornet’s nest guitars, absolutely disgusting vocals and tin-can yet creative drumming still hits the spot just as well as it did when I used to hear it done on the regular, and thankfully I still have Ärid to deliver it to me. Everything this project does is fucking great.

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5. Tirgûl – The Victorious Star (Independent) Netherlands

I actually discovered this super late in the year via one of Neill Jameson‘s lists for No Clean Singing (which are also fantastic, check them out if you haven’t) but I’ve listened to it daily since and can’t believe how good it is. I was intrigued when he described it as sounding like something that would have been on Hot Records back in the day; for those of you who don’t know what that means I guess just think of this EP as a spiritual sequel to the original recording of Stormblåst and you’re in the ballpark.

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4. Μνήμα – Spectres Of Oblivion / Gathering Sorcery to the Eternal Portals of the Past PT II / Flesh Prison (Escafismo, Phantom Lure, Crown and Throne Ltd, Hexenkult, AbArt Corruption) Greece

Sounds like: The most messed up, harrowing shit you’ve ever heard in your life. Yeah I’m cheating throwing every EP/demo the mysterious Greek tomb-dweller released this year on here, but no two releases are alike and all of them should be on this list, so deal with it. And listen to them all. Now. The forthcoming full-length Disciples Of Excremental Liturgies will blow your fucking mind, by the way.

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3. Bat Magic – Feast Of Blood (Sore Ear Collective) Unknown

Sounds like: SCREAMING, FLAPPING, FEASTING BLACK SORCERY. The first track I heard from this mysterious new Ordo Vampyr Orientis coven shot through me like a bolt of electricity; the rest of it surpassed all my expectations a zillion times over. Even in the more sedate, mystical, or just plain fun as hell moments it feels like everything about it is redlining to 11 (not least of all the vocals), and it contains probably one of the best riffs of the year to boot (I’ll let you figure out which one) as well as the best conclusion of just about any release anyone put out. The hardest hitting demo / EP to slap me in the face this cycle, by far… I need more. MORE. MORE!!! HAIL THE BAT!!!

“Just remember… you’ll dig two graves instead of one.”

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2. Immortal Forest – Howls From The Primordial Ones (Elderblood Productions) Unknown

You know when you find something that does absolutely nothing new at all, yet seems to do it perfectly? Elderblood Productions‘ 20th release Immortal Forest – Howls From The Primordial Ones is exactly that. As we said in our review: “Attitude, sound and aesthetic all align in a perfect storm encapsulating the quintessence of underground black metal. Even within the boundaries of their sound all elements are near flawlessly balanced. The visceral rawness, vocals like wind roaring bitter and cold through the trees, the melodies ablaze with zealous sorceries atop brittle percussion – despite the razor-sharp abrasion and searing obfuscation of the production these four compositions radiate an ancient and fervorous majesty, largely due to the fact that no amount of distortion can hide the beautiful melodies at play. Each track is a stunning expression of darkness and creates the type of swirling, heady delirium that regular patrons of the label and raw black cult acolytes will no doubt drink up like spilled claret from a jugular vein.”

The title track from this might just be my favourite demo song of the year, but the entire thing is impeccable. If the description above sounds at all within your wheelhouse I highly suggest you immerse yourself in it post-haste. Thou shalt be consumed.

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1. Kêres – Flaming Ash (Terratur Possessions) Finland

It takes no more than sixty seconds once you’ve pressed play on Flaming Ash, the latest EP from Circle Of Ouroboros composer Atvar‘s long running project Kêres, to realise the sheer quality that lies within this release. One minute maximum is all you need to feel that riff sink in; one minute until the vocals begin so soothe your soul. A few people said the last album Ice, Vapour, and Crooked Arrows had somehow lost a little of the Kêres magic – if you were one of those people, put those thoughts right out of your mind because from beginning to end Atvar is firmly back on top of his songwriting game (as if he ever wasn’t, really) and the flow from early Katatonia-esque melancholia to turbulent black storms and back again is nothing short of exquisite.

In this piece I’ve mentioned the best demo riff of the year, demo song of the year. Flaming Ash is without a shadow of doubt the best overall EP of the year. Get yourself a copy now. Hails.

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Listcrush returns with the Tom O’Dell Edition, Gos Edition and Dex full-length album Edition soon.

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