LISTCRUSH 2019: Dex’s Top Full-Length Albums

Okay, so here it is – my list of favoured albums that resonated with me the most over the last twelve months. These are the gems I garnered severe replay value from and that I’ll likely return to many more times in future; the ones that burrowed in deep and sat there, festering away and becoming an irreversible part of me. It may seem like a shitload but I somehow listened to somewhere around 1,200 black metal albums/demos (WORTH MORE THAN YOUR LIFE) over the last twelve months and my original shortlist was around 200 releases long, so cut me some slack here – whittling it down to 66 was hard enough.

It’s a black metal only list and only full-lengths qualify (top EPs/demos list is HERE and splits/collabs list is HERE, if you want more recommendations). Due to the sheer volume of albums I wanted to fit in I’m also being outlandishly pedantic with original release dates and other things this year, so although it’s a fucking outstanding record you won’t see stuff like Musmahhu (digital dropped December 2018 or it would have made it in for sure) or the BEKËTH NEXËHMU – De Fördolda Klangorna re-recording appear (technically first released on tape years ago even though not many heard it). There are also others like the new Mizmor that I really should’ve spent more time with, but I didn’t because I’m an idiot, so they don’t make the list. Anyway, here’s the year that was for me. Hope it was just as good for you, thanks to everyone who read my shit and to every artist either on this list or not for doing what you do with such passion, and keeping this beast known as black metal imbued with eternal life. Hails.

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66. PRIMEVAL WELL – Primeval Well

Ryan described the inspiration behind this to me as (and I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this): “Some sort of alchemical urge to meld things that shouldn’t work together into one singular, organic living creation based upon what I feel is common ground between black metal, certain types of old-time music, and certain types of modern jazz”. Some of the melodies are lifted from actual folk tunes too – you really do need to listen to this to get the full, incredible picture.

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65. HAVOHEJ – Table Of Uncreation

Weird, probably hated by many, but I thought this was a great return for the project and I liked it far more than the last Profanatica. Pure evil.

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64. REVENANT MARQUIS – Polterngeyst

Horrible, abrasive, mind-warping, harrowing, haunting. All apt ways to describe the raw onslaught of Revenant Marquis, the apparent new master of blown-out raw madness that’s as psychologically disturbing as it is suffocating. Will drain your very essence and leave you a hollow shell.

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63. QAYIN REGIS – Doctrine 

Astonishing occultic debut that effortlessly delivered on all the promises made by their great first EP.

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62. MALHKEBRE – Satanic Resistance

Visceral and untainted satanic orthodoxy from these French apostles, who only get better with each release.

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61. DAUÞUZ – Monvmentvm

The miners return with another slab of perfectly executed tremolo glory and fantastic atmosphere.

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60. ASAGRAUM – Dawn Of Infinite Fire

“A massive album of Satanic glory that does everything right and will reignite any black flame to a blazing inferno”. Read the full review HERE.

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59. FÖRGJORD – Ilmestykset

“at once rough and almost riotous, yet inflicted with a deep and forlorn melancholia, and the masterful juxtaposition of these elements is a true delight to listen to. Almost every song walks dusted, long forgotten and crumbling hallways like an ancient Count Orlok from Nosferatu whilst in the same breath tears through the forest like a pack of wolves on a wild hunt”. Read the full review HERE.

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58. IFERNACH – Skin Stone Blood Bone

In a word: Primal. In another word: Excellent. Three more words: Listen to it.

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57. JUTE GYTE – Birefringence

Are you insane? No? If you’re unfamiliar with Jute Gyte you might be after listening to this album. Microtonal braindance madness, and my favourite thing I’ve heard from him in a minute. Which is saying a lot.

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56 LASTER – Het wassen oog

Another strange, beautiful and unique album from a strange, beautiful and unique band. Side note – W. Damiaen‘s other project Nevel also released a stunning album, Leven.

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55. STARLESS DOMAIN – EOS & ALMA

Yes, I’m putting these in together because they’re both equally astonishing and wonderful companion pieces to each other. Listen to them both, and read my interview with the minds behind these hypnotic forays into deep field black metal HERE.

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54. KVELGEYST – Alkahest 

The Helvetic Underground Committee does it again. These alchemical rites were positively thrilling.

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53. VOËMMR – O ovnh intot adr mordrb

“You may find yourself questioning: is this madness, the deterioration of my mental faculties? Nay – just the subterranean wraiths of Voëmmr infecting our reality with all the malignant malevolence usually hidden on the other side. For O ovnh intot adr mordrb isn’t just an album – it’s a portal to another plane of non-existence.” We were lucky enough to premiere this and speak with the Aldebaran Circle members themselves – read the full thing HERE.

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52. WARMOON LORD – Burning Banners Of The Funereal War

This Finnish one man project came out of nowhere for me and surprised me with how often I returned to it. Cold, classic melody – the old-school pretty much perfected.

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51. DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT – Mardom

Speaking of old-school perfected; the ever-reliable Onielar and co. returned with another gem. They’ve never released a bad album and Mardom drew from everything they’ve done before, with a few new twists.

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50. KËKHT ARÄKH – Night & Love

Romantic lo-fi black that probably should’ve been higher up this list due to it’s (relative) uniqueness and how damn well the whole thing is put together. Spellbinding, delicate atmosphere and raw emotion. LP is up for pre-order through Livor Mortis as we speak, by the way.

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49. BLACK CILICE – Transfixion Of Spirits

Not quite as good as Banished From Time… but still fucking great.

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48. MINENWERFER – Alpenpässe

Opening your album with a 17-minute epic is the ultimate power move. US guys singing in German about Prussian involvement in WWI over gorgeous atmoblack never sounded so damned good.

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47. OBSEQUIAE – The Palms Of Sorrowed Kings

Everyone expected this to be amazing. Spoiler alert: they were correct. Medieval bliss.

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46. MYSTAGOGUE – And The Darkness Was Cast Out Into Wilderness

Wessel Damiaen of Laster and Maurice De Jong of Gnaw Their Tongues come together to create an album that “whilst not doing anything radically unheard of, still perfectly balances all of its elements into an experience that will subtly dawn on you with increasing power. Like an ecclesiastical revelation sent from on high… and echoed down below.” Plus, it got even better the more I listened to it. Read the full review HERE.

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45. MYLINGAR – Döda Själar

The final panel of their Döda triptych of albums was just as face-devouring and intense as the last two. Ravenous and fetid. Where do they go from here?

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44. VAAL – Visioen van het verborgen land

Saw the fury toned down a little from previous releases, in favour of a more atmospheric menacing/morose feel – and you know what? It worked a treat. I’ve already liked everything the Dutch hermit has put out prior to this but the thick, ancient vibes conjured through these four lo-fi black tracks and four ambient interludes took the project to an entirely new level.

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43. KALEIKR – Heart Of Lead

This progressive, complex and beautifully crushing album expertly blended psychedelia and dissonant death with the innate dazzling textures of Icelandic black metal; and all whilst being fed through a filter of intense emotional weight. Impacted early and had huge staying power. As a bonus, we also interviewed Kjartan HERE.

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42. OCCELENSBRIGG – Glacial Conjuration

Thus, the enigmatic Aldebaran Circle solo entity returned to us with its second full-length blizzard of raw black hypnosis, Glacial Conjuration. This project hasn’t put a foot wrong yet and the magic summoned by its swirling tremolo winds and clattering drums is no less potent here; this shit will bury you under six feet of snow and you’ll be so transfixed you won’t even bat an eyelid.

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41. HOPE DRONE – Void Lustre

Obliterating atmospheric post-black sludge-infused nihilism. Drown in the relentless devastating waves. I fucking love this band and how they’re evolving; 2020 will be the year I finally catch them when they come back down here (I’ve missed them more times than I care to count). This tape found its way to my deck many, many times.

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40. AKROTHEISM – Law Of Seven Deaths

These orthodox esotericists effortlessly outdid their already solid first album with a cosmic monument of modern black metal. Captivating and transcendent.

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39. THE DEATHTRIP – Demon Solar Totem

Kvohst is back, Thomas from Mork got involved… I was not expecting new The Deathtrip but I’m far from sad we got it. A worthy successor to the superb Deep Drone Master.

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38. CULT OF EXTINCTION – Ritual In The Absolute Absence Of Light

I’ll be honest – a lot of war metal/bestial black death runs the risk of all sounding the same to me. I mean shit, if I want to listen to Blasphemy or Bestial Warlust I’ll just listen to them. The stuff that really makes my pants fit nice is when bands or artists come at it from another angle, injecting their own idiosyncratic weirdness into the equation… which is where Cult Of Extinction come in. Although definitely still taking cues from the legends, the project of prolific German solo artist Void goes one further than those earthly brutalities and sophomore effort Ritual In The Absolute Absence Of Light instead sounds like the world being torn apart by occultic and alien means as all we can do is watch in abject horror. The ferocity on display is far past redlining, the harrowing audio samples only add to the mind-shredding abilities of the carnage vomiting forth from your speakers, the whole thing is almost biblical – just like the Gustave Doré cover art, this is exactly like staring into the Empyrean.

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37. HAGZISSA – They Ride Along

“In their unique robes and with manic fervour they reap madness with their newly polished spells; eight shrieking and howling odes to the primal and otherworldly. It’s music that sounds like it’s been whipped to your ears on laughing winds as you stand in ragged cloth at the crossroads at midnight… Hagzissa really do walk a wild path of ancient wickedness; unfettered from the norms of regular existence, dancing on that gossamer-thin line between this earthly realm… and the other.

Came back to this magical and sinister beast many, many times. I had the immense pleasure of premiering it and interviewing founder B. Moser too; check that out HERE.

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36. PHARMAKEIA – Pharmakeia

Everything Prava Kollektiv put out this year was fantastic… and this slab of oppressive, churning violence was the best. Harrowing.

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35. DWARROWDELF – Of Dying Lights

Hold up – I want to stress this isn’t a “conflict of interest” type thing. Although later on in the year Tom would end up adding his considerable class to our writing team here at BMD, this stunning album was on lock for a spot in my list regardless. Anyway, this is my personal pick for epic black metal album of the year. I also had the pleasure of premiering this album, check that (and a nice chat with the man himself) out HERE.

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34. HUMAN AGONY – Putrescence Of Calvary

Was my favourite bestial black/death release of the year for a while. “A symphony of cruelty. Pure hatred and destruction of the human race“… check the full review out HERE.

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33. GRAFVITNIR – Venenum Scorpionis

“The Swedish occult black metal constellation of Grafvitnir is one of those projects intrinsic to the existence of black metal in general. They sum up the very essence of it, every release surging with the mystical power of forces unseen and calling to things beyond sight and comprehension; a grand maelstrom of hate, worship, violence and hyper-melodic intensity honed to the point where it could slice a hole in the fabric of existence itself.”

A band that has never fallen short of my expectations and this record was no different. I also got to chat with them about it earlier in the year; check that out HERE.

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32. BLUE HUMMINGBIRD ON THE LEFT – Atl Tlachinolli

One of the first albums that caught my attention for the year… possibly even in 2018 because promos came a little early, if I recall correctly. Hype built up over almost a decade to this slab of Aztec / Black Twilight Circle war, and it was worth the wait.

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31. TEITANBLOOD – The Baneful Choir

Slightly more accessible than their recent work and not quiiiiite up to Seven Chalices level, this typically dissonant monstrosity of nightmare-fuel still hit the spot for me. Could listen to the title track all day, which is probably an odd one to pick out of the bunch, but hey.

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30. DRASTUS – La Croix De Sang

Surprisingly this turned out to be a fairly divisive release between those that loved it and those who didn’t understand the hype at all. One guess which camp I’m firmly in.

“A divine conflagration crawling from the primordial core of life, reaching to devour all, and bring only ash” …read the full review HERE.

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29. WAGNER ÖDEGÅRD – Om undergång och de tretton järtekn

Released a pair of great eponymous albums this year but this one he let really rip with the punk influences, so it is therefore superior and takes the chocolates in my books.

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28. IMPAVIDA – Antipode

Returning after eleven years in the abyss with the aptly named He, Who Walketh The Void on vocals, this album is genuinely unsettling as hell. As I said in the full review (HERE), it “…continues the path set out by the first two releases with impressive ease and a natural evolution into even further realms of unfolding terror and darkness. On sheer feeling alone experiencing this record is akin to sitting through some kind of mind-blowingly expansive psychological/occultic horror film. Complete immersion via repeat listens yields immense reward, but be warned; the terror may shatter your fragile synapses, turn your blood to ice… perhaps even burn you alive.”

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27. BETHLEHEM – Lebe dich leer

Onielar’s second appearance on this list hit me even harder than the first – her throat-shredding howls are fucking perfect for the DSBM originators’ inventive compositions.

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26. SÜHNOPFER – Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes

Hyper medieval melodies are king on this glorious monarchial maelstrom. Still blows me away each time I listen to it.

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25. MORK – Det Svarte Juv

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: True Norwegian Black Metal will never die as long as Mork are still around to carry the torch with great albums like this.

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24. YELLOW EYES – Rare Field Ceiling

Immersion Trench Reverie was my 2017 album of the year. This didn’t hit quite the same heights, but is still a near immaculate record.

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23. ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE – Schism Perpetration

This album hits fucking HARD. Riffs ahoy, delivered with punishing force. The track ‘Prime Mover’ alone is insane… I can only applaud.

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22. FUNERAL PRESENCE – Achatius 

I saw this recently described as “taking 10g of dried Hawaiian psilocybin mushrooms in a posessed 16th century convent”, which isn’t too far from the truth. Vital stuff with a pure and irrepressible black metal spark.

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21. VARGRAV – Reign In Supreme Darkness

“What works? Everything. What doesn’t work? Nothing. With his second Vargrav offering V-KhaoZ has surpassed all comparisons to take the throne and reign in the modern era alongside all the old masters. Reign In Supreme Darkness is no mere copy or homage, no tribute album trading on nostalgia… it is Supreme Majestic Black Metal Art. Bow down.”

I was super pumped on scoring the full-stream premiere of this before it fell through at the eleventh hour – but that didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for it one bit. Read the full review HERE.

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20. VANUM – Ageless Fire

Grandiose, powerful, melodic… this irresistible album stayed with me all year. Still love that cover art, too.

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19. ALTARAGE – The Approaching Roar

This approaching roar consumed all in its path, swarming and devouring, leaving only decimation in its wake. Altarage are unstoppable.

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18. KAMPFAR – Ofidians Manifest

After some health problems, the Norwegians are back with serious intent. The breathtaking Ofidians Manifest is their strongest work in a very long time.

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17. SINMARA – Hvísl Stjarnanna

Originally, I was lukewarm on this album… now I cannot get enough of it. Þórir Garðarsson and Garðar S. Jónsson seem to unstitch reality with their riffs. Swirling, bewitching, celestial goodness.

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16. SØRGELIG – We, The Oblivious

“Challenging you to confront and accept the pointlessness of it all, this album is emotional warfare. A mandatory listen for those who will understand. Buy or die, it doesn’t matter… just accept the void.”

This ended up a chronically underappreciated album for the year. Read the full review HERE and then listen to the fucking thing, alright?

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15. BARSHASKETH – Barshasketh

For their fourth album, the UK demons distilled their potent concoction into arguably its most potent form yet. Black metal as a weapon.

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14. STELLAR DESCENT – Moss

I’m sure even the gentlemen that created this incredible moment in art might even be surprised to see it so loftily placed in this list (especially when they released another, more black metal album this year too), but just listen to it and you’ll see why. It still touches me deeply with every mesmerizing spin.

“To fully feel this album, go outside into nature, as far away from anything civilised as you can go, and just sit. Close your eyes, feel the air on your skin and… listen. You’ll sink into an appreciation of the fabric of life, seeing all the threads that make up our existence intertwine together into the intrinsic tapestry that we walk through every day, yet ignore due to the very nature of the world we have created for ourselves. One that we should pay more attention to before it’s too late. This album is a reminder. Don’t miss it.”

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13. GOLDEN ASHES – Gold Are The Ashes Of The Restorer

…and the award for most stunningly coherent holistic expression of vision in 2019 goes to: this magnificent creation. Another project from Maurice of Gnaw Their Tongues, everything here ties in with perfect synergy – the album art, album title, track titles, hell even the project name are the very manifestation of the transcendent music found within, and all create something overwhelmingly beautiful.

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12. BORKNAGAR – True North

Was not expecting this album to stick with me as much as it did; I’ve always liked everything the Norwegians have done, but not loved it like this. Soaring, progressive, wondrous stuff – with a few new members and ICS Vortex back on the mic, this was a revitalized, resounding triumph.

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11. QUALM – Tiefe

I don’t know what I expected from this album when I saw the cover art, but it certainly wasn’t the most raw, miasmic, miserable and mood-altering record of the year. The vibe here is nothing short of incredible as hypnotic waves of slow abrasion induce a trancelike, life-leaving state; the way this album feels speaks deeply to my soul. When this shit gets rolling it makes Xasthur seem like the happiest dude on earth. Drowning, portrayed in the harshest of audio forms.

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10. MISÞYRMING – Algleymi

First listen I quite liked this record, then I went off it a bit. Then one day I chucked it back on and it clicked like never before – it was all I listened to on repeat for days, and has remained in my regular playlist since then. Yeah, it certainly has its flaws, but by taking a totally different approach to their debut the Icelanders have created something stirring and electrifying… and oddly life-affirming. Probably a good one to listen to after Qualm, then.

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9. CULT OF ERINYES – Æstivation

Holy FUCK this album is a monster. Came out of nowhere at the end of the year and forced its way almost immediately to the top tier of this list. Hands down the best thing they’ve put their name to; a career defining release. “…a relentless onslaught that blows away anything they’ve put their name to thus far; it’s more intense yet with deeper textures than ever before, far more abrasive, more epic in composition… more transcendent. Every searing note is another scrape against your soul, slowly scouring it away with growing violence until it is left raw and bleeding.” Read the full review HERE.

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8. DAI-ICHI – dai-ichi

This mysterious duo came from nowhere (Japan? Who knows) with the sleeper hit of the year. It was also the first original vinyl put out by one of BMD‘s favourite cassette labels, Fólkvangr Records – so you should buy one and support. ‘Seishi’ is still one of my top tracks of 2k19 – check out our premiere of it HERE.

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7. AKASHA – Canticles Of The Sepulchral Deity

“Charging d-beat mayhem tears strips off of coruscating raw black, sinks its teeth into heavy metal and drags it flailing and bleeding through the dirt. Right from the get-go the guitar tone alone acts as a conduit for fearful mysticism and visions of arcane electrical storms crackling wildly into the night, off kilter riffage careening along as songs sound inches from flying off the rails… and it’s all deliciously drenched in a virulent strain of howling sanguinary misanthropia and the pungent stench of disinterred tombs.” If you somehow haven’t heard this album yet, fix that immediately – even Shatraug of Sargeist rated this as one of the best of the year. Read our interview with sole practitioner Leech HERE.

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6. DEATHSPELL OMEGA – The Furnaces Of Palingenesia

“We will grant you freedom from freedom”. A controversial inclusion? This is, to me, the best thing they’ve done since Paracletus (which is one of my albums of the decade). Hasjarl really is one of the most creative players out there.

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5. DEPARTURE CHANDELIER – Antichrist Rise To Power

Man, had I been looking forward to a full-length from these guys… and oh man did they deliver, adding to what is one of my favourite slowly growing discographies in black metal with a glorious, almost faultless record. Also took the honors of being one of the most memed bands of 2019. Neat.

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4. RINGARË – Under Pale Moon

In the entirety of 2019 I played no tape in my possession more than I did the Forgotten Centuries hand-dub of Under Pale Moon. It became my go-to for late night writing sessions, its haunting midnight atmospheres and otherworldly synth a catalyst for slipping into transcendent mental realms and inspiring creativity. Am I infinitely grateful Alex finally decided to release this after all these years? Yes, I am.

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3. SAMMATH – Across The Rhine Is Only Death

Don’t get me wrong, I love nuance and subtlety in my black metal as much as the next person. I can get down to some soft stuff when the mood takes. However, a massive part of my listening pleasure is also derived from hearing pure, uncompromising, skull-shattering aggression and holy fucking shit did this album utterly nail that brief for me. The gents in Sammath perfected their formula with an album that was the very sound of war; an obliterating beast of balls to the fucking wall hatred, relentless death and frenzied blood-flecked carnage. I can only salute them in awe. It’s probably also the review I enjoyed writing the most last year, read the full thing HERE.

“Sammath are the boot on your neck, the gun barrel pointed at your face as you cry and piss yourself in the mud. Across The Rhine Is Only Death is the bullet going through your brain as you choke your last breath.

The ultimate war album. Fucking die.“

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2. BLUT AUS NORD – Hallucinogen

This was my number one for the longest time, switching back and forth with Sammath depending on the day. The Frenchmen mutated their sound even further, adding classic and progressive rock elements… resulting in their best work in years. I love albums that do odd things to your head, and this psychedelic trip into worlds unknown definitely does. Ivan did a great review of this which echoes my own sentiments well, so instead of blathering on further I’ll just say: check that out HERE.

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1. NEDXXX – NEDXXX 

I’m sure at least half of you are reading this saying “what the actual fuck? This album dropped extremely late in the year, I didn’t even like it, how the shit could this poser have it at number one?” Well hold onto your Mayhem undies kids, I shall explain.

As I said way back in the intro, I listen to a relatively large amount of music each year (nowhere near as much as some), and often find myself thinking about that age-old edgelord chestnut – is black metal really dying? I mean, look at most of the stuff that gets praised each year. Look at your own favourite albums. Chances are, at the most basic level many if not all are a slightly rearranged or altered copy of something else that you already liked the previous year. And the year before that. And so on. Not only sonically, but in image, album title, the works. Even in extreme metal, all too often everything is expected, everything is safe – in the age of clicking scores of Bandcamp/YouTube links per day, if it’s not immediately familiar with a sound that people already identify with it’s often discarded in favour of the next thing released thirty seconds later. Not always, but often; that’s just how shit is nowadays. Paradoxically, that’s what largely happened with NEDXXX… and that’s what it seems actively designed to challenge.

If NEDXXX is similar to anything, you could say there are shades of the mighty Abigor within, especially the latter day albums. It’s not too much of a stretch to assume TT is somehow involved – I couldn’t think of too many others who would create this. Whoever it is, they’ve seemingly written the album with the intent to tap into something discussed by a voice in the centre of the album – the DIABOLICAL. As the voice states: “What is the diabolic? The diabolic disrupts. It comes from the Greek words Dia and Boli. Diaboli means to tear apart, rip asunder. Anything therefore that breaks pattern. That destroys unity. That corrupts gestalt. Produces discord. That is the diabolic”.

This album is the diabolic manifested, obtaining “evil” through tearing apart all of the safe, expected and endlessly repeated tropes of what you expect from a black metal album and leaving a truly expressive and creative conduit for unspeakable forces. It doesn’t even have a fucking name. I’ve seen many people saying they tried it once or for a track or two but they couldn’t handle the “mathcore” influence/complexity, or it was just noise, or boring. Where were the same old blasts and tremolo lines, or if it was supposed to be some sort of dissoblack, why wasn’t it a DSO copy? It immediately challenged people’s perception of what they expected to hear, it rebelled and attempted to corrupt expectations. For this is not an easy-lisening album – It’s impossibly complex, for starters. Almost Naked City level batshit. It shreds, blasts, switches on a dime at least twenty times in each track, has bongos, dialogue samples, clean proselytizing and distorted roars, takes an immensely intricate approach to composition. It demands attention, investment… and this investment pays off. Peel back the layers, allow its complex patterns to assimilate with your synaptic pathways and a doorway will open – a doorway only true black art can breach, and which all too few artists are attempting to even reach these days, content to release the same old stuff. A doorway to the true diabolic, one of the core tenets of black metal itself.

So yeah, simply put, for me this is the most creative and (yes, I ACCEPT YOUR WRATH) “black metal” album released this year. I’ve listened to it countless times since release, bought the LP and all. Of course, many people hated it. I wholeheartedly recommend you just try it again for yourself, forget about everything else and listen. Absorb.

Open the doorway. Hails.

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Near Misses:

You should also check out the recent albums by Degredo, Ancestral Shadows, Regnans, Arnaut Pavle, Beorn’s Hall, Penance Stare, Wormwitch, Nocturnal Departure, An Isolated Mind, Mizmor, Sutekh Hexen, Frostveil, Nordjevel, Runespell, Djevel, Earth And Pillars, Sun Worship, Arkona, Haunter, Gardsghastr, Örmagna, Keres, Sores, Marras, Ashen Chalice, Waste Of Space Orchestra, Defacement, Revenant Marquis, Witchbones, Gorgon, Vukari, Aegrus, Consummation, Vessel Of Iniquity, Sadisme, Cthonica, all the Prava Kollektiv stuff, Sarke, Schammasch, Mephorahsh, Vástígr, Bednja, Worsen, Wolok and Mo’ynoq. All of these are also fucking great records, and either just missed out or might have made the list if I’d been able to spend more time with them. Oh, and the new Mayhem was solid enough… but we’ve all heard that.

Best Tribute Album: Lords Of The North – A Tribute To Bathory (Fólkvangr Records)

A labour of love from the Fólkvangr stable with a stunning result. Read my full review HERE. Closely followed by the great Devastators Of The Suns (A Tribute To Katharsis) by Bile Noire.

Biggest Letdown: MGŁA – Age Of Excuse

Felt like a largely boring rehash without the spark of previous works, took an entire album to get to the one great song (the last one).

…and that’s it. Listcrush done for another year. Cheers again, maniacs. Hails.

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Email: blackmetaldaily@outlook.com

ALBUM PREMIERE & INTERVIEW: Hagzissa’s ‘They Ride Along’

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Fluids shall furthermore sharpen the blade

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I’m going to cut straight to it here: we have something special for you today. Something far and away from the usual fare; something insidious and untamed. What is that something, I hear you ask? That something is the debut full-length from the mysterious and shadowed Austrian entity of Hagzissa.

Those in tune with such things will recall this enigmatic collection of souls quietly releasing a ripper demo in 2017 under the banner of Iron Bonehead Productions. That demo was raw yet shimmering with an arcane magic; bewitching the few that heard it and leaving them salivating at the thought of further delights. Now, two long years on from that auspicious first conjuration the feverish anticipation is now allayed – the four horsemen return once more through Iron Bonehead with the fully realised and blazing new form of that early work; entitled They Ride Along.

In their unique robes and with manic fervour they reap madness with their newly polished spells; eight shrieking and howling odes to the primal and otherworldly. It’s music that sounds like it’s been whipped to your ears on laughing winds as you stand in ragged cloth at the crossroads at midnight. As the press release states Hagzissa really do walk a wild path of ancient wickedness; unfettered from the norms of regular existence, dancing on that gossamer-thin line between this earthly realm… and the other.

But I don’t want to ramble on about it too much, because here to beckon you along the shadowpath is founder/vocalist/bassist B. Moser himself and he gives us a wonderfully detailed glimpse into the shrouded mysteries of Hagzissa plus the creation of They Ride Along. So free your mind, call forth the spirits, listen to the full intoxicating concoction ahead of its August 23rd release date, and read on below if you dare. Hails.

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Greetings B. Moser! I hope you are well. Your debut album They Ride Along is being premiered in full today, and it’s a wild beast of untamed black metal and diabolical grooves. So, tell us a little about it – what message does it bring, and what does it mean to you?

– First of all, I would like to thank you for the presentation of the whole album and also for the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you here.

The title They Ride Along is short for ‘They Ride Along on the Howling Winds!’ which is, I think, the third complete song I ever wrote for what turned out to be Hagzissa. It must have been sometime between 2012 and 2013 and I always used to wander about in the calm, empty fields of my small home town in absolute darkness. You know, your mind then tends to play some tricks on your senses and while walking for hours, one ultimately starts to hear and see things. Most of the time it has been very cold and moist so the winds really told me stories. But, I am aware that those kind of stories only will be told at night, at pitchest, darkest night. My home town is one of the oldest in Austria and the area is very rich of tales and lore. The devil is no stranger in those tales, but there are many twisted and bizarre figures one might stumble upon when walking all alone. It’s been alluring, a fascinating time for me. I moved away some years ago; but occasionally I go on one of those walks again and instantly recall that savage energy, which still knows how to shake me to my innermost. They truly ride along those winds!

Your 2017 demo introduced a few of these songs to us, but They Ride Along presents those tracks in a new light – the sound is greatly updated, the murk is gone and everything packs a powerful gut-punch. Is this how you always envisioned Hagzissa to sound when you were writing these songs? What was it like seeing them take their final form during the recording process?

– Honestly speaking, when I am writing songs I always rely on a certain feeling. I simply have to, as there are way too many distracting possibilities of letting music sound in a specific way. Think the instrument, playing style, one’s current condition, pedals and amps at hand, little accidents; let alone recording equipment, the room, the person behind the desk – I think you get the point. It just turned out the way it is now, because everybody had that mentioned certain feeling about it. And all that starts with the riff! If you truly feel the riff, you understand everything about it. No more alchemic formulas or mumbling “holy” words of evocation needed for actually summoning the true primal evil that is inhabiting everything around us.

Nevertheless, together we absolutely managed to put it on point. I am very glad how those songs turned out and the result is something I – and all of us – can be proud of.

Let’s head back to the beginnings of the project. Although you gave official life to Hagzissa in 2016 I read that the idea of the project predates even your (and drummer L. Pachinger‘s) other project Kringa, which was formed in 2009. This sounds fascinating, so I’d like to delve a little deeper into the story here: when was the idea for the project actually formulated, and why? Then, after all that time passing, what urges or circumstances finally led to the inception of Hagzissa?

– Well, for that question, please let me travel back in time for a bit: In my teenage years, when I slowly but steadily got obsessed with more and more dark and extreme (black) metal, I also started reading lots of obscure stuff. I have always been into mythology and folklore as to me it always seemed to deliver explanations for the irrational. People used to call it “the unspeakable”, a term that is describing respect, confusion, fear and even curiosity. If I now and then compared it with black metal, it simply meant the same to me – a resonance of the beyond. Wherever, whenever, however that may be! Don’t get me wrong here: I am all but a denier of science and research, but speaking of music, the “unspeakable” is forever to be intertwined with it and that was something I forever found a home in.

My skills though were much too weak to properly express my ideas and feelings in that kind of approach. So, luckily enough, I got to know Vritra and then-drummer Moloch in 2010, who have been jamming for some months and were happy to find a bass player/vocalist. I soon understood that Kringa, although having a similar background of dark mysticism, was bearing a quite different longing, another one and a very powerful one. I was hungry, so together we went on exploring that different kind of the “unspeakable” very thoroughly. When in 2014, L. joined through an unexpected twist of actions by our then second drummer, we sharpened our visions more and more. I never stopped to write songs in that old obsessive way I had before Kringa and eventually took action, when I crossed paths with some other individuals who shared the same madness with me and backbone L. In 2016, I felt ready for really stepping out of the shadows; L. and C. gladfully joined me and here we are.

Hagzissa is clearly steeped in themes of folklore and witchcraft – without reading the lyrics the album still appears to reference everything from The Wild Hunt to casting a circle. Given that They Ride Along is quite a personal album, how do these themes manifest in your daily lives?

– I might have covered that specific question accidentally through most of my other given answers – sorry for waffling.

The only thing I might want to add here is that one’s personal surroundings surely have a distinctive impact on the music you make. We are coming from a very old countryside – also C., who is originally from Northern Italy, the “Land of Mystery” – and if you walk around with open eyes, it is impossible to miss the history around you and take it with you. Between Hallstatt, Bohemia and the Salzburg or Bavarian bishops’ lands a lot of things did happen. Not always necessarily, but mostly of a heinous sort.

The first three tracks each have a sub-title: ‘Die Pforte (A Speech Above the Moor)’, ‘Irrsinnsdimensionen (A Bath Amidst the Wells)’ and ‘Moonshine Glance (An Iron Seed in Sour Soil)’. I know the album as a whole flows quite well, but are these tracks in particular intended to be heard as a kind of three-part interconnected suite? If so, what is it that connects them all?

– Not at all. Each of those 8 songs is intended to speak for itself. Yet, when we started working on them with the intent of creating a full-length, the track listing simply fell into place perfectly. There was no much thinking needed. The story told itself. Back in the working title period, we had a totally different listing.

At the end of ‘Moonshine Glance (An Iron Seed in Sour Soil)’, there’s an intriguing piece of what I assume to be film dialogue. A disembodied voice intones: “In the far dark corners of every human’s soul there lurks a black crouching spectre. The ghost like shadow that waits. A shrouded thing that pulsates with malignant evil. The name of that ghost, is…” …and I can’t catch the last word! So, first – what is the name of the ghost, and what is the significance of this dialogue to the album?

– In all honesty, I also never caught that name correctly. And I never really wanted to know! But it fascinated me. I decided to put that speech between those two songs which are actual curses for the very sake of that itself. To give just a brief insight here: the first one is about wishing somebody spoilage, sicknesses and slowly piercing him to death in a drunken frenzy. The other one is no better intentions, but more focussed and actually based on something that could be described as Middle European Voodoo.

But, back to your question: What we have here is a part of the introduction to a recorded reading by erudite Christopher Lee. The way those words are depicting the ever-lingering subconscious horrors that might drive anyone into sickening madness just resonated with me, if you are bearing those two curses in mind.

Following on from that, are film and/or books something that you would consider to have had a notable influence on the art of Hagzissa at any point? Are there any in particular that you can suggest for people who want to dive further into the vibe and inspirations of They Ride Along?

– Yes, it had. I’d consider literature more important at the first place as it somehow spoke to me on a different level. Biggest early influence is the first part of Faust, the monument by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. There is also a great filming of a theatre play from 1960, produced by Gustaf Gründgens. Other examples: The Sandmann (1816) by E.T.A. Hoffmann, “Zauberstücke” like Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind (The Alpine King and the Misanthrope, 1828) or ugly naturalist stuff like Before Dawn (1889) by Gerhart Hauptmann always kinda fascinated me and speak of another world. Moreover, I would name lesser known author Gustav Meyrink and his Walpurgisnacht (1917) and The Golem (1915).

I then developed a cineastic fascination pretty much later on. Movies like Nosferatu (1922), The Seventh Seal (1958), The Wicker Man (1973), Suspiria (1977) or even November (2017), an Estonian production might also give you an obscure insight. But the main inspiration always remains the true folklore. The subconscious, the fright of peasants and the works of the devil.

Now, the cover art is quite unique. Eschewing traditional black metal tropes, it is instead a hand-drawn image of a bowed warlock or druid, blended with a giant demonic visage. What’s the story behind this? Who is the artist, and what does it signify?

– I agree. We could not be happier about how the cover turned out to be and can not thank Giuseppe enough. He is an acquaintance of C., based in Milan and he knows a thing or two as well in the fields of ancient sorcery. I didn’t send any sketches to him or something like that, I really wanted to let him work totally free, based on my (pretty detailed) explanations on the album and each song. As you can see, he also caught himself a spirit of the night and took some rides with him, returning exhausted yet liberated! So, not only the cover art, but the inner sleeve is laden with free hand nocturnal mysteries that turned out really, really well.

The album will be available on LP and CD on the 23rd August from Iron Bonehead Productions, who also released your demo. How did you first come into contact with this esteemed label, and how has it been working with them so far?

– Well, we never really intended to sell our first promo tape on a broader level as it simply is not perfectly executed at all. Still, it already reflects exactly what we were trying to create and as we wanted to play some violet theatre live, I just uploaded a track for promotion on youtube. Not shortly after, P.K. was stumbling upon it and was asking if we had some more. I said “not enough”, but he was really into it and offered to repress them as an official Demo, heralding an album that was later to come. And here we are! When he heard the first studio recording for the album, he was confused and expecting something different. Nevertheless, he has always given full trust and support. And I gotta say, we are very happy and honoured to work with Iron Bonehead. Onwards!

I‘ve seen some footage of your robed live performances, Hagzissa in the flesh seems to be a powerful proposition and you have been playing quite a few shows. However there is one in particular I’d like to ask about: I believe you’re part of the astonishing lineup of Invicta Reqviem Mass V this year, which is one of the events I simply must attend somehow before I die. What will be in store for attendees from your set, and are there any acts on the lineup that you’re particularly keen to share the stage with? Or – are there any other shows coming up that you’re excited about?

– We haven’t been directly contacted to play, but as it seems to be in a tradition with this festival, a whole group of connected bands has been addressed, so L. and me will also be playing with Kringa and – as a live premiere – Alruna. I think the concept is quite interesting as it brings the possibility of adding an own touch anew each year while still keeping a constant. We are very curious about this event and also a bit surprised about this invitation for Hagzissa. I mean, Invicta Reqviem Mass seems to have been a gathering at deeper level of underground bands, regardless of their intensity or sheer darkness. But of course, we are very much looking forward to it and are thankful for the opportunity to play in Portugal. Also, we are keen to see Hail Conjurer – one of the more interesting among new black metal bands!

And finally – what lies in the misted future for Hagzissa? Have you begun conjuring any new material?

– There is actually some new material and also a split with a close band on the horizon, but I don’t want to go too much into detail here now.

For the moment, we are gladful about the first reviews and feedbacks for They Ride Along but also remain very curious about the further reception of this twisted piece. We shall see.

Furthermore, we have some stages to share with great bands in the nearer future: “Celebrare Noctem Fest” with Blasphemy, Mortuary Drape and Ritual Death among others shall be glorious! And being part of “A Sinister Purpose Fest” in Leipzig is no less of an honour. Some other gigs will be announced in the future.

Sincerest thanks for your time, it’s been a pleasure. Are there any final words or wisdoms you would like to leave us with?

– The pleasure is ours. Final words? Don’t let yourself get tricked by summer’s heat. Any season has its demons. And the acedia that is brought to you by the noonday devil is of a specially awful kind. Thank you.

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They Ride Along releases August 23rd on LP and CD formats via Iron Bonehead Productions.

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