BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2023: The GOS Edition

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By GOS (Order ov the Black Arts / ViaOmega Magazine)

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All my kin at Order ov the Black Arts and Black Metal Daily… It is time. Time for those of us so inclined to agonize in the depths of our own minds and memory, feebly declare war against the inner demons of self doubt and existential futility, and  toil on the very brink of madness in the ever-anticipated and thoroughly Sisyphean of labors: Black Metal albums-of-the-year list and review. The placement of albums here isn’t particularly solid but more generalized with position shifting relative to mood and context.

It is also that time of year when I celebrate the mark of another orbit of Helios, embarking on my 5th decade towards the unknown beyond. Accordingly, it would be my honor to present, as a gift of myself, to you if you will indulge me, 50 albums from 2023 which I felt compelled to address, if briefly. Though the ultimately favored tend to appear towards the end, the specific placement is of only marginal importance, and their positions never stagnant, but ever shifting and relative to mood, activity, and the Hericlitean spirit of fire and eternal flux.  

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TETRAGRAMMACIDE – Typho-Tantric Aphorisms from the Arachneophidian Qur’an [Iron Bonehead Productions]

Orientation: Radical and militant inverters of all that is sacred from India move away from noise and towards death with sophomore full length album. First on the list because it is death metal and not black metal, not because it isn’t badass.

Sounds like: Nostalgic brutal death metal of old, and what I cut my teeth on, such as HATE ETERNAL’s King Of All Kings or NILE’s Black Seeds of Vengeance, but benefiting from some modernization in the mix; needless to say, the fucking drumming is full-onslaught, batshit crazy, and one of the main listening points.

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THE ARCANE ORDER – Distortions from Cosmogogy [Black Lion Records]

Orientation: Death metal adepts from Denmark relinquish their 4th album since 2006 and make the list at the beginning because they are death and not black metal… don’t let that fool you, probably in my top 10 for this year overall.

Sounds like: Self-described as death/thrash but I’m not really hearing that; sounds to me like excellent melodic / progressive DM similar to something like SLUGDGE or HATH or early BLACK CROWN INITIATE with some sparing but fucking great synth and some semiclean vox.

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SULPHUR AEON – Seven Crowns and Seven Seals [VÁN Records]

Orientation: Renowned Lovecraftean blackened (kinda, barely) death metal band  from Germany release much-anticipated 4th album, and it is pretty damn good (but not as good as their last one… or two?).

Sounds like: Patented, fairly unique combination of brooding yet monstrous yet cosmic progressive death metal with a fair amount of lofty echoed cleans; the last track is particularly great.

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TORTURE CHAIN – The Reign of Deimos [Hosptital Productions]

Orientation: Surprisingly developed-yet-unknown project from New York, born in roughly 2008, and composed by one man (Torturer aka Brendan Radigan, who is also in a bunch of other bands which I have never heard of but feel like I should) drops 4th album… and my jaw just a bit, squeaking in on the list in the final hours.

Sounds like: ABIGOR. A LOT; also somewhat less so like FANISK or ELDRIG with the synth at times, but this is more guitar-driven (like ABIGOR); note that this album is huge, clocking in at around 70 minutes. 

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THE COLOR OF RAIN – Oceans Above [Void Wanderer Productions]

Orientation: Progressive black metal trio from the Netherlands pumps out a few singles then promptly delivers a neat debut album, which is colorful in more ways than one; probably belongs somewhere ‘higher’ on my list but I’m not sure where, so here it is.

Sounds like: A combination of postblack like AGRYPNIE, ANOMALIE, or HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY, with acoustic bits not unlike AGALLOCH, and some sort of progressive metal like RIVERS OF NIHIL or FALLUJAH… with a measure of A FOREST OF STARS and even a sprinkle of DSOish dissonance thrown in there, just in case things weren’t eclectic enough. 

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RORCAL – Silence [Hummus Records]

Orientation: Abstruse, wholly pessimistic, and incredibly heavy blackened something-or-other band from Switzerland descends further with sixth album, and I wonder if it should even be included on a black metal AOTY list, it is somewhat irresistible.

Sounds like: blackened post-hardcore/doom/sludge/noise (yeah yeah, I know); heaviness to the point of obliteration, asphyxiating density, with a compressed-yet-crystalline sound which has always been hard to describe; CELESTE (Fra), ANAAL NATHRAKH if they had headed towards noise instead of groove… or … something like that.

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AVDAGATA – The Faceless One [At Dawn Records]

Orientation: Relatively new symphonic/melodic blackdeath trio from Sweden, with members from DARK FUNERAL, NIGHT CROWNED, and REVERORUM IB MALACHT (among others) lays down a good debut full length after buttering us up with a GREAT debut EP in 2021 (Damnatio Cursus, on Black Lion Records).

Sounds like: Well… they USED to sound a lot like little known (but excellent) symphonic blackdeath commanders GLORIA MORTI, but now they have softened slightly to somewhere between that and later OLD MAN’s CHILD; good, with earworm guitar hooks and good blasting.

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BLACK VOID CULT – …Even The Stars Have To Die [self-released]

Orientation: Relatively new black metal trio from Mexico offers up a diverse and solid second album with some interesting musical additions.

Sounds like: Mostly guitar-driven with tight drumming and dual vocals, tends to muscle it’s way in with straightforward blasting, then show off with some damn sweet synth and / or guitar work before jumping back into the pit; kind of a combination of cosmic black metal and blackthrash, while incorporating some elements of symphony and Mexican flavor.

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NORDIC FROST – To Make The Acquaintance Ov Death [Rebel Pyro Musick]

Orientation: Symphonic black metal duo from California delivers 4th album; isn’t blazing any new trails, but targets a specific era of SBM for which I have a particular soft spot.

Sounds like: Contemporary symphonic black metal acts like CRADLE OF FILTH, OLD MAN’S CHILD, and DIMMU BORGIR (moreso), but importantly harnessing the tenuous magic which occurred after the said bands had modernized but before they really took a full nosedive (ie circa 1999-2003); clean, straightforward, well-but-not-overly-produced melodic black metal with piano and synth.

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MØRKT TRE: Зазирни за Обрій [Darker Than Black Records]

Orientation: Avant-garde blackfolk from Ukraine creates an eclectic but confidently cohesive third album incorporating various labyrinthine elements too numerous to mention.

Sounds like: Similar to the likes of ENSLAVED, NEGURĂ BUNGET, DORDEDUH, but inevitably with its own take due to the unpredictable, unique and progressive nature implied with those comparisons; the old world, expanded and extended into the synthy astral future. 

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SORATHIAN DAWN – Radiant Terror [self-released]

Orientation: Australian melodic blackdeath band is unnaturally excellent after waiting 11 years for a second album… and desperately needs to be signed to a solid label, or at least make some damn physicals (take my money!).

Sounds like: Riff-rich with flowing percussion and overall triumphant melody, highlighted by fantastic soaring lead and solos, nuanced synth,  and harsh screamed vocals, toneless and whispery… the one-dimensionality of which are my only real complaint; guitar work is fucking gorgeous. 

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URBAIN – A Soul Purged [Hypnotic Dirge Records]

Orientation: Progressive black metal supergroup from Texas, composed of members of WILLS DISSOLVE, OVNEV, FATHER RUST and GOLGOTHAN, composes a specifically urban-dystopic debut.

Sounds like: A conglomerate of various emotive and conceptual energies such as entropy, sorrow, rage, beauty, pride, power, grandiosity, hubris, suffering, and hopelessness; a surprisingly cohesive mix of very different purveyors of urban destitute: ULVER, VOICES, WHITE WARD, MOURNING BY MORNING, and WORM SHEPHERD. 

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ÚKRYT – 1897 [Starved Light / self-released]

Orientation: Australian partners S (of DÉPARTE) and M (of VERËVKINA) produce an instrumental  full-length opus (after an initial EP, 2019) featuring two 16+ minute tracks. 

Sounds like: An expansive, sprawling, and beautiful odyssey towards the edges of every unknown, both internally and externally, tugging on the spirit with a soft yet deadly undertow, and pulling the listener out to sea upon waves of epic atmosphere which is surprisingly crushing at times.

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FALAISE – After All This Time [Flowing Downward]

Orientation: Italian post-black/gaze project manages to make itself my guilty pleasure with a fourth album full of meandering guitar and piano hooks.

Sounds like: Equal interplay between wonderment, melancholy, and rage; blackened out with periodic volleys of steady double kick and black metal vocals; atmospheric, but distinctly urban; lots of feels; DRAWN INTO DESCENT, AN AUTUMN FOR CRIPPLED CHILDREN, ALCEST

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SÓL ÁN VARMA – Sól án varma [VÁN Records]

Orienation: Authoritative supergroup of Iceland, this is a project originally commissioned back in 2018 and was founded by D.G. and T.I., but also features five (yes fucking FIVE) additional prominant Icelandic artists to produce a near 70-minute triumph.

Sounds like: … fucking ICELAND, it sounds like black metal from Iceland – alas – how could it sound otherwise? MISÞYRMING, CARPE NOCTEM, ÁRSTÍÐIR LÍFSINS, NAÐRA, SVARTIDAUÐI, ANDAVALD, ALMYRKVI.

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FATAL EMBRACE – Manifestum Invernalis [Black Lion Records]

Orientation: Swedish meloblackdeath veterans who have been around since ‘92 and released their debut in 1997 take their time creating a sophomore release… and it was time well spent.

Sounds like: Powerful, modern symphonic black combined with melodic death; aggressive, heavy, polished, similar to …AND OCEANS, but more terrestrial and grants the listener more breathing room, although it is also more brooding and dark.  

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ASAGRAUM – Veil of Death, Ruptured [Edged Circle Productions]

Orientation: Pre-eminent all-female orthodox melodic black metal from the Netherlands fires off with 3rd album and stays relevant as fvck.

Sounds like: Not far off from fairly standard melodic, satanic, mostly Swedish black metal fare (WATAIN, DARK FUNERAL, NECROPHOBIC, NAZGHOR, VALKYRJA, THULCANDRA, KVAEN, FÄUST, etc.) but more dynamic, more interesting, more authentic, or more consistent than the more well-known names. This album utilizes limited dissonance which I have not noticed before.

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ASTWIHAD – Gatha 1: Asto-Vidatu [Ardawahisht Kollective]

Orientation: One of a cluster of fucking fantastic and varied bands from Iran (including Ardwisur, Broken Pillars, Désespéré, Enscelados, Erancnoir, Forelunar [my favorite], and Menakere, among others) which make up Ardawahisht, ASTWIHAD emerges with a debut mini album, possessing an immensity that has nothing to do with its play time.

Sounds like: Incredibly oppressive yet cosmic black metal with some brief Middle Eastern percussive elements; a more savage and overtly demonic (ok to read *better than*) DARKSPACE, and closer to old BORGNE, but even still more monstrous and devastating… yet with a breathtaking synthy beauty.

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ALDAARON – Majestic Heights, Melancholic Depths [Paragon Records]

Orientation: Atmospheric pagan black metal band, founded in 2007, crystalizes a fourth aptly-titled album; from France, but I keep thinking they are from Russia, if that means anything *shrug*.

Sounds like: Gripping, blazing fast, wintery atmospheric black metal with robust production, driven by pretty obvious programmed drums (which add their own endearing aspect), and intermixed with various tidbits of dark ambient, lightly distorted guitar soloing, and martial atmospheric interludes.

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FAUSTIAN – We Come As Angels [self-released]

Orientation: Silly bois from death metal band WEREWOLVES (and a veritable shitload of other bands including THE BERZERKER, THE ANTICRHRIST IMPERIUM, PSYCROPTIC, THE AMENTA, ABREMALIN, and ex-AKERCOCKE) decide to make a black metal album, and it’s pretty damn good!

Sounds like: Competent and suspiciously catchy and quite blasty modern black metal; basically what the new PANZERCHRIST album *should* have sounded like (god dammit), although FAUSTIAN could have mixed in more death metal vocals to get it even closer.

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IRITYLL – Schlafes Bruder [Rebel Pyro Musick]

Orientation: Debut full length duo out of Austria is like a black metal meal with a fuckload of death metal seasoning. Pretty tasty if you don’t mind your food mixing. 

Sounds like: They are using a Boss HM2; deathened the fuck out blackdeath with heavy yet glassy almost deathcoreish mix or production… but still black metal; thicc but sharp and acerbic, almost wintery at times; something like new …AND OCEANS but with less synth, and LOUDER; HORDA, HORRENDA.

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GRAVE GNOSIS – Pestilence Crowned [self-released]

Orientation: Dead-serious occult black metal entity from Florida releases a stone-cold insane third album, so wild that it brushes up against my eccentricity tolerance threshold yet leaves me in awe.

Sounds like: Somebody spiked the blood chalice for the zealous satanic ceremony with a fuckload of LSD; blackened psychedelic fever ritual.

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PANOPTICON – The Rime of Memory [Bindrune Recordings]

Orientation: Still-standing-strong pillar of American black folk, like MEPHORASH (see below), seems to have journeyed away from black metal proper with a massive tenth album focusing on the balance and struggle between life and death. 

Sounds like: Should probably be considered more blackened doom folk than black folk; even when the drums are flying, the entire sensibility of the album, repetition, and pacing is much more aligned with doom characteristics, and the folk elements with extended instrumental sections are more prominent than ever; fantastic when the mood strikes.

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MINENWERFER – Feuerwalze [Osmose Productions]

Orientation: Translation: “Firestorm”; formerly “atmospheric” war-themed black metal duo from California decide to firebomb the atmosphere and focus on obliteration via shrapnel with 4th album.

Sounds like: An aweing level of hysterical black violence that borders on war metal; relentless martial battery delivering pure overt aggression and cutthroat, rabid guitar lead in equal measure; ENDSTILLE, 2000’s ENTHRONED, AD HOMINEM, PRECAMBRIAN

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RINGARË – Of Momentous Endless Night [Avantgarde Music]

Orientation: Two incredibly prolific US BM musicians Alex Poole and Jake Blackburn (both of many bands, including CHAOS MOON, ENTHEOGEN, GARDSGHASTER, SKÁPHE, KRIEG, NATTFÄRD, and more) get with Swedish vocalist Likpredikaren (NATTFÄRD, ARS HMU, MUSMAHHU) to do some great things; Swartadauþuz is surprisingly absent.

Sounds like: Atmospheric symphonic black metal with a distinct emphasis on the drums, almost as if the percussion acts as the lead instrument instead of the guitar, which I can dig because the drums are mind-blowing; vox could be dialed back a bit.

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VVILDERNESS – Path [Beverina]

Orientation: One-man Hungarian post-black / black folk project, releases a 4th album since the debut in 2017… every one of which has had placement on my end-of-year lists, although the first is still the best.

Sounds like: A unique and unmistakable hybrid of black metal, Hungarian folk, progressive metal, and post-rock, with a distinct naturalistic flavor due to use of acoustic guitars, folk influences (read: hurdy-gurdy, talharpa, nyckelharpa), breezy melodies, and a forested aura. 

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OUTLAW – Reaching Beyond Assiah [AOP Records]

Orientation: Brazilian band, notably featuring Tommi “Tomahawk” Tuhkala on drums (MOONLIGHT SORCERY, ONDFØDT, KVAEN, SPELL OF TORMENT) radiates third album of anti-cosmic Luciferian black metal. 

Sounds Like: Taking what WATAIN achieved with apex album Lawless Darkness, and springboarding off of it to create orthodox melodic black metal infused with some subtle post-black tendencies; progressive, more consistently harmonic, and fucking epic. 

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PASSÉISME – Alternance [Antiq Records]

Orientation: Relatively new (founded in 2019) three-piece from Fran – wait… Russia? Russia. Not France? Are we sure?  Ok, from Russia – get my attention with an incredibly talented if quirky sophomore album.

Sounds like: Sounds like it is from fucking France. Like SÜHNOPFER, or AORLHAC, or (to a lesser degree) VÉHÉMENCE or NÉCROPOLE, wherein guitar is just constantly leading in a way that sounds like a non-stop solo. In PASSÉISME’s case it has a wild, mischievous, woodsy, and impromptu character, with the Greek god Pan appropriately adorning the cover art; the straining shouted vox might throw some listeners.

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THE KRYPTIK – A Journey to the Darkest Kingdom [Purity Through Fire]

Orientation: Significantly overlooked black metal duo from Brazil unfurl an ambitious third album, with 7 long tracks clocking in at almost 70 minutes, the shortest one almost 8.

Sounds like: Symphonic black metal that sounds like it should have epic blue cover art… and it does; tends towards more “atmospheric” grandiosity rather than in-your-face orchestration, and strikes a balance between the two, sort of a midline between AEON WINDS (see below) and EVILFEAST.   

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… AND OCEANS – As in Gardens, So in Tombs [Season of Mist]

Orientation: Veteran Finnish dark industrial act releases second album after significant, and much -needed auditory overhaul.

Sounds Like: High-octane, impeccably mixed, full, powerful, and modern symphonic black metal; DIMMU BORGIR-level orchestration with LIMBONIC ART-like cosmic elements, but with aggression more akin to Diabolus/Attera-era DARK FUNERAL or even BELPHEGOR’s blacker edges.

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BLOEDMAAN – Castle Inside the Eclipse [Immortal Frost Productions]

Orientation: One-man upstart from Belgium grabs some deserved attention with a short-but-sweet EP-sized album with undeniable appeal.

Sounds like: Crazy melodic “French” riffs similar to FORTRESSE or FERRITERIUM but a bit more light-hearted and fantasy-oriented like MOONGLIGHT SORCERY or ALDAARON; fucking epic and awesome. 

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ARGENTHORNS – The Ravening [Avantgarde Music]

Orientation: Third solo project from Finnish virtuoso Lord Vechi Vrăjitor, best known for being the sole creator behind both WARMOON LORD and OLD SORCERY adds to the emerging 90’s SBM throwback motif of 2023.

Sounds like: An excellent ode to a fucking army of classic symphonic black metal pillars (in all cases, specifically their early output): EMPEROR, DIMMU BORGIR, LIMBONIC ART, CRADLE OF FILTH, ANOREXIA NERVOSA, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, as well as more oddball flourishes like FINNTROLL, VESANIA, and even OPETH.

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ALBIONIC HERMETICISM – Nova Nativitas Mundi [The Hermetic Order of Ytene]

Orientation: Prolific riff-god O.W.G.A, of Great Britain, sole creator behind this and additional currents (most notably AULD RIDGE, see below), casually drops 8th and 9th full length in the last 3 years (across all projects) and continues to emerge as one of the best contemporary authentic black metal artists in the world.

Sounds like: O.W.G.A.’s unpolished, spontaneous, and wholly authentic foundation, here conceptually focused on occult fantasy and satanic science fiction, with the music appropriately and spectacularly leaning into more avant-garde, cosmic, psychedelic, and progressive rock territory while still being unmistakably black metal. 

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ONDFØDT – Det Österbottniska Mörkret [Black Lion Records]

Orientation: Finnish occult black metal traditionalists offer a savage fourth album, rack another great release up for Black Lion, and spurn, for me, one of those deep and oft expensive dives into the entire historical repertoire. 

Sounds like: Solidly in the camp of King / Ghaal era GORGOROTH, albeit perhaps with slightly more traditional melodic hints like VALKYRJA or SEHTERIAL. Makes me want to mentally add them to what I think of as the subgenre of modern hyperblasting authentic black metal ala NORDJEVEL, AVSLUT, WHORDOM RIFE, DJEVELKULT, etc.

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STARER – Wind, Breeze, or Breath [Snow Wolf Records / Fiadh Productions / Fólkvangr Records]

Orientation: Completely ass-kicking one-man black metal project from Kentucky (with a penchant for covering rock and alternative) and owner of Snow Wolf Records sinks a third full length in as many years. I’m really hoping for a vinyl press at some point.

Sounds like: Surprisingly-hard-to-describe-other-than-”American” symphonic black metal which aggresses up to TSJUDER (etc.) levels, but also leaves space for orchestration, expanse, atmosphere, doomy parts, tasteful clean vocals, groove, and more. Something about it (the mix maybe? the percussive flow?) reminds me of mid-era PANOPTICON (except symphonic instead of folk), but I can’t figure out if that is a legit association or just because *Kentucky*.

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TAUBRĄ – Therizo [Debemur Morti Productions]

Orientation: Swiss offshoot of AARA unleashes debut album of satanic orthodoxy, featuring two AARA members on guitars and drums, and support from T of MALPHAS and R of ILHALUNG on bass and vox, respectively. 

Sounds like: Darker and more violent than AARA. Relatively straightforward blasting modern black metal, with riffwriting reminiscent of the last two MISÞYRMING albums… except, considering mixing/mastering by S.D. (AVERSIO HUMANITATIS) at Empty Hall Studios, predictably cleaner and thicker and less unhinged or feral in production. 

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WAYFARER – American Gothic [Century Media]

Orientation: Black “folk” pioneers from Colorado, after peaking in 2016 or 2018 (in my opinion), recover significantly with 5th album American Gothic, a release notably stronger than 2020’s A Romance With Violence. Noticing while writing this that they jumped labels from Profound Lore to Century Media.

Sounds like: Progressive black metal with the quintessential, distinctive Western-Americana flavor which is their schtick; with every album they seem to stray further from black metal proper and towards a more generalized still-marginally-blackened “progressive extreme Western-metal” sound , which, luckily, they seem to be getting better and better at (although the earlier albums Old Souls and World’s Blood are still my favorites).  

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ERSHETU – Xibalba [Debemur Morti Productions]

Orientation: Two unknown badassess from France and Norway get together to do themed albums which each revolve around death in specific culture. They recruit more renowned badassess (Vindsval aka BLUT AUS NORD, and Lars Nedland of BORKNAGAR) to help out. Debut album Xibalba tackles Mayan lore.

Sounds like: Ritualistic black metal mixed with native South American wood and wind instruments; WARDUNA meets MAQUAHUITL (but the black metal aspect is often more ceremonial, epic, and measured, and less riffy and chaotic); band describes music as cinematic and taking inspiration from film scores.  

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CELESTIAL ANNIHILATOR – Annihilation for Esoteric Nascency [self-released]

Orientation: From South Korea. One-man cosmic black metal project, creator of which is also sole soul behind AMBRIXIAK (also excellent), and guitarist for DARK MIRROR OV TRAGEDY and METAMORPHOSIS. Seems to get better and better with each thing he has his hand in. 

Sounds like: Guitar and percussion-driven cosmic black metal, which sounds exactly like it should. The fact that synth isn’t the main thrust gives it a more aggressive or visceral feel, although still distinctly cosmic. FFO MARE COGNITUM, BEZMIR, NUMEN NOCTIS, INHERITS THE VOID.

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AEON WINDS – Night Sky Illuminations [Avantgarde Music]

Orientation: Established but underrecognized symphonic black metal from Slovakia – with numerous singles, splits, EP’s, etc. filling the space between albums – gusts in with a third full length. 

Sounds like: Synthladen contemporary symphonic black metal with some slight deathy heaviness and groove making it a bit more melancholy than similar ARGENTHORNS and any of the other SBM listed above; forceful and darkly triumphant, often with an almost marching / martial quality and 50-caliber double kick; grandiose yet deliberate.

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ASET – Astral Rape [Les Acteurs de l’Ombre]

Orientation: Occult supergroup of an unknown number of reportedly fluctuating international artists, *some* of which are from ORANSII PAZUZU and SETH, focusing on Egyptian necromantic themes, descends with a debut out of fucking nowhere and turns a bunch of heads for good reason.

Sounds like: A “plunge into the mystical astral” (band’s words); a shockingly masterful apotheosis of aggressive fringe orthodox black metal which is equally immense, ritualistic, and dissonant; imagine a near perfect combination of AKHLYS / AORATOS / NIGHTBRINGER and MEPHORASH and DEATHSPELL OMEGA, also might be compared to FYRNASK and DODECAHEDRON.

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MOONLIGHT SORCERY – Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle [Avantgarde Music]

Orientation: After getting everyone’s attention with two incredible EPs in 2022 and buttering up the hype with a couple of singles, Finnish trio (plus Tommi “Tomahawk” Tuhkala on drums [OUTLAW, ONDFØDT, KVAEN, SPELL OF TORMENT]) flower their debut full length, and it was exactly what we were hoping for.

Sounds like: Fantastical and incredibly addicting black metal mixed with the best parts of power metal, to put it succinctly, overtly and beautifully reveling in the adventure which these two genres have to offer, whilst avoiding the pitfalls (ie no power metal vocals… thank fucking god). STORMKEEP, STORMLORD, blackened CHILDREN OF BODOM.

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MYSTICAL FULLMOON – Hermits Amidst the Marvels of Darkness [Zazen Sounds]

Orientation: Relatively unknown but longstanding (originated 1994) band from Italy verify that they are veterans with an excellent 3rd album of mixed extreme metal.

Sounds like: A mix of symphonic black metal and melodic death metal with classical elements; orchestration so robust that it is cinematic, yet not overbearing in the overall sound, with a somewhat homogenous production; having a hard time figuring out what other SBM band they REALLY sound like, even though it shouldn’t be difficult… perhaps that is some of the appeal; maybe a blacker and MUCH better SEPTICFLESH.

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ΣARΚ – Inumbris [self-released]

Orientation: Mysterious and almost completely unknown one-man project from Greece demonstrates rapid development by unfolding an immense fourth album after three prior since 2021. There is very little information available. Support this person.

Sounds like: Multilayered, massive, crushing black metal with shades of cataclysmic industrial, cavernous atmosphere, hypnotic doom, and eerie dissonance; INCREDIBLY good for how underground it is; *sort of*: ALMYRKVI, RUINS OF BEVERAST, BLUT AUS NORD, but also DEATHSPELL OMEGA and new GRAVENCHALICE (but better).

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HELLERUIN – Devils, Death, and Dark Arts [New Era Productions]

Orientation: One-man black metal riff machine from the Netherlands ignites a second album in jet-black fashion, garners legitimacy points by almost immediately having his Bandcamp profile deleted for no apparent reason.

Sounds like: Ferocious, full melodic black metal with copious tasteful blasting, entirely adequate vocals, and riffs that Just. Don’t. Fucking. Quit. MGŁA, SARGEIST, and TAAKE comparisons seem like low hanging fruit and less on-target than SPECTRAL WOUND, GRAFVITNIR, and DÉLÉTÈRE.

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HASARD – Malivore [I, Voidhanger Records]

Orientation: Debut black metal manifestation of French composer Hazard, best known for grandiose dark experimental neoclassical / extreme avant-garde opera project LES CHANTS DU HASARD; an immediate top contender for AOTY.

Sounds like: The march of an immense doomsday engine combined with the terror of a celestial air raid siren; increasingly orchestrated and industrialized advance dissipating into horror-drenched, brooding, malevolent atmosphere; impossible symmetry of chaos and momentum like the holographic scaffolding of some horrific sonic fractal; pure apocalyptic rapture; AKHLYS / NIGHTBRINGER, DECOHERENCE, early AXIS OF PERDITION, a more violent BLUT AUS NORD, ALMYRKVI, REVERORUM IB MALACHT.

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VAHRZAW – In the Shallows of a Starlit Lake [Bitter Loss (RID), self-released]

Orientation: Death / slightly blackened death metal band from Australia tries their hand at classic 90’s-style symphonic black metal…  and fucking kills it.

Sounds like: Unclean melodicism, slightly muffled blasting, malevolent vocals, flows of synth; an authentic, unvarnished and unequivocal homage to the time-honored sound of Norwegian and Swedish spirits of old; EMPEROR, CRADLE OF FILTH, DARK FUNERAL, SATYRICON, 1349, and GORGOROTH.

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AULD RIDGE – Folklore From Further Out [The Hermetic Order of Ytene]

Orientation: Prolific riff-god O.W.G.A, of Great Britain, sole creator behind these and additional currents, casually drops 8th and 9th full length in the last 3 years (across all projects) and continues to emerge as one of the best contemporary authentic black metal artists in the world. Note: We at Black Metal Daily were honored to get an exclusive interview regarding all of his projects after first completing conversational reviews for 2023 AULD RIDGE and ALBIONIC HERMETICISM albums.

Sounds like: Organic, brilliant, and audacious black metal perfection; heroic folktales provide the album concept and free-flowing, instinctive, metalized folk melodies provide the musical underpinning, particularly in the stone-cold insane improvised guitar lead (think of a more feral WINDIR, sort of), viola, and Irish bouzouki; acoustic folk interludes between each black metal track.

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IMPERIAL DEMONIC – Beneath The Crimson Eclipse [Black Lion Records]

Orientation: Unnaturally engaging and endearing debut EP from Northern Ireland manages to take my AOTY when I am in a certain nostalgic mood… but is excellent enough to induce that nostalgic mood, and marks another (major) win for Black Lion for 2023 in the process. 

Sounds like: Absolutely classic-to-the-core, straight to the point in the vein of early 2000’s Dark Funeral and Naglfar, with some Old Man’s Child and Cruelty era CoF thrown in. Nostalgic as all fuck, bringing me back like 20+ years, when I was first getting into the genre, and I love it; kicks so much ass that it is almost cheesy. 

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MEHPORASH – Krystl-Ah [Shadow Records / Regain Records]

Orientation: Supreme ritualistic occult blackened phenomenon from Sweden continues its trajectory astray from black metal proper with a metaphysicedelic fifth album, and takes AOTY in the process.

Sounds like: While still blackened, MEPHORASH has capitalized on a foundation of traditional Swedish black metal and has steadily transcended the genre with crowning sonic occultism (1557 – Rites Of Nullification, 2015), then prominent doses of ecclesiastical ritualism (Shem Ha Mephorash, 2019),  and now dark ascendant psychedelia; ecstatic elevation, rapturous layers, resonance beyond the auditory; a vast cathedral of consciousness, a battery of kaleidoscopic windows, fractals rotating, effortlessly melts and crumbles, builds, rises, melts and crumbles, over and over and over; material form, mental structure, rational thought caught in the ineffable tide of entropic cosmic connection.

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LISTCRUSH WILL RETURN… MAYBE.

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BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2023: The ALASKAN BERGWANDERER Edition, Part 2

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Yes, it is that time of the year again, where “experts” drop their picks for the best albums of the year. Everyone has their ways of going about such a monumental task, some are very meticulous; tracking plays on Spotify, Bandcamp, and at home with physical media. Then there’s others such as myself, who face existential crisis this time of year, wing a list based on listening habits of the last two or so months, and just hope the picks they present are the *right* picks. Is it the most scientific method to put a list like this together? Absolutely not.

I had thought that 2022 was a difficult year for me to compile a list such as this, in my preferred realm of black(ened) metal, but 2023 proved to be an even more stellar year, with truly great releases being dropped seemingly every single day. This truly is the most difficult time I’ve had putting one of these things together, I cannot stress that enough. And with the onset of certain announcements for January, 2024 looks like it will strive to be better still. What a time to be a music fan!

Anyway, when I put these lists together, these should never be read as any kind of real “order” of best to least best. Well, yes and no. What I mean is, for instance, album #40 isn’t necessarily worse than album #30, and vice versa for which one would be deemed better. Outside of my TOP THREE, the rest of this is a true free for all. Any and all could have occupied another slot on a different day. There were so many killer albums dropped this year that I literally feel bad to not include them all here. Also keep in mind, if I have gone out of my way to buy an album, then chances are I legit liked it. Think of this as a selection of artists I feel are worthy to check out on your own, and worthy of support.

I present to you, the reader, my top 40 picks of 2023:

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THE BEST OF THE REST

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40) OLDE THRONE – In The Land of Ghosts
39) ALBIONIC HERMETICISM – Nova Nativitas Mundi
38) ORDALIE – Mass of Perdition
37) VALRAVN – The Awakening
36) INHERITS THE VOID – The Impending Fall Of The Stars
35) NEBELGRUND – An den Toren von Krieg und Tod…
34) FATHOMAGE – Autumn’s Dawn, Winter’s Darkness
33) SHADOWS OF ALGOL – Transformations Of The Desert Witch
32) WEALD & WOE – For The Good of The Realm
31) VAHRZAW – In The Shallows of A Starlit Lake
30) EMINENTIA TENEBRIS – Rise Of A New Kingdom
29) SCÁTH NA DÉITHE – Virulent Providence
28) TAAKE – Et Hav av Avstand
27) HELLERUIN – Devils, Death, And Dark Arts
26) FOREST THRALL – Amidst Pines
25) TAUBRĄ – Therizo
24) ARIDUS – Serpent Moon
23) KIIRA – Iättömän Sanat
22) SOMBRE HÉRITAGE – Inter Duo Mundi
21) MINENWERFER – Feuerwalze

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AMONG THE BEST

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20) HÄXANU – Totenpass

This is only one of a LOT of insanely high quality black metal releases that emerged from the US scene this year. Alex Poole, multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, was a very busy dude this year. He dropped albums with Nattfärd, Ringarë, and Krieg this year to go along with what was probably the best of his efforts; this very Häxanu album you’re now reading about. This is melodic black metal of very high order, with soaring melodies to go with equally cut throat passages. Subtle synths help guide the music along the 45 minute journey these eight tracks provide. Great drum parts and a great vocal performance by ‘L.C.‘ are exquisite toppings on an already delicious black metal cake.

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19) IMMORTAL – War Against All

Oh, surprised to see this here? To be quite honest, I would have been as well if not for the fact that Demonaz has successfully steered the Immortal brand back to its more vicious heyday, circa Pure Holocaust and Battles In The North. Now, is it actually as *good* as those two classics? Of course not. But you have to admit it is FANTASTIC seeing Demonaz being able to crank out the nasty riffage on an album himself after so many years of tendon injuries brought on by rehearsing the Blizzard Beasts material for multiple hours a day. And to be perfectly honest, I like his vocal approach. Sure, it’s not Abbath‘s trademark croaking that so many seem to get hung up on missing from these most recent efforts, but it absolutely fits the music regardless. The main riff in ‘No Sun’ ranks among the best of Immortal‘s discography. And no Horgh? No problem. Kevin Kvåle, of Gaahl’s Wyrd fame, more than handles the job behind the skins.

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18) LE PROCHAIN HIVER – Talvi

What a unique entry from the always quality Antiq label. At the very core, this is very much French black metal; Swirling, melodic and very emotive guitars in *that* French style to go along with varied tempo changes and harsh vocals that just sound cool in the native tongue. So what makes this album unique? First off, the use of operatic female vocals. That in itself is nothing new, symphonic black metal bands have been at least attempting that for decades now. What Le Prochain Hiver does differently with them is actually use said voice as part of the songwriting process. It doesn’t sound like an afterthought or a gimmick. Ms Dame Pandora even goes into some more primal stuff at the beginning of ‘Facing The First Snows’ that gives off serious Heilung vibes. It’s glorious. The next thing that stands out at times listening to this album, is the synths. They’re used sparingly, but tracks like ‘Ashes’, for instance, have synth parts that sound more fitting for a Dungeon Synth album more so than a black metal album. Again, not unusual in itself, but more the fact that while there are bands that do the Dungeon Synth/Black Metal thing, most of those bands tend to make the synths be the focus above the black metal. This is inverted, where very much Dungeon Synth moments are used in support of the music around it. It does make sense when you realize that main songwriter and vocalist Hylgaryss does in fact have a couple of Dungeon Synth projects in his stable. The atmosphere of this album is very befitting of the band name (which translates to “Next Winter”), the album title (Finnish word for “winter”) and the album art itself: Cold.

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17) DAEMONIAN – The Frost Specter’s Wrath

A damn fine discovery at the very beginning of the year, Japan’s Daemonian, specifically lone member Lord Metal, takes the template laid out by the Swedish black metal scene of the mid ’90s to the early 2000’s, but adds the machine-like technical proficiency that the Japanese metal scene is known for. This is melodic black metal played with absolutely insane focus. The riffs are literal buzz saws, ripping your head off and flaying your skin, but sounding oh-so-beautiful while doing it. This is a prime example of an absolute GEM that sadly flew under far too many radars this year. Of course, the odd decision to remove the full album streams from both YouTube as well as Daemonian‘s own Bandcamp page most certainly did not help. You can find one track online, ‘King Of The Daemons’ and it paints a fine picture of what to expect on this beast. An ultimate teaser, if you will, as it’s not even the best song on the album.

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16) ATHEOSOPHIA – Shadowgate of Winter’s Spirit

More USBM here. It’s hard not to talk about this album and not mention two of three other albums that were released by one musical mastermind Taurus and (I assume) his label Blood And Crescent. This album, Fellwinter‘s The Dawn of Winter, and Gauntlet Ring‘s Beyond The Veil Of The Night are all prime examples of raw, second wave inspired black metal done right. Riffs are ripping and have a sense of melody to go with the obvious intensity. The vocals are primo throat shredding affairs. The bass offers a nice support for the surrounding riffs. So what sets this Atheosophia album apart from the others? Well, Fellwinter‘s album is probably the most raw of the three, with real precise and straightforward drumming by one Mercenary. Gauntlet Ring‘s album is a little more polished in sound (heavy quotation marks on “polished”), and more freewheeling as Mercenary is let off the reins and just goes absolutely bananas on the kit, giving off a sense of chaos. Atheosophia‘s entry is a nice mix of the other two albums, plus has the best overall sound. It’s still raw, but there is a sense of power that can be felt in the music on this one. The only knock is that its programmed drums, as it is 100% a solo effort by Taurus. However, they sound natural enough and have enough of a human feel that it’s not really that much of a deal breaker… obviously. Yet another top tier effort bubbling up from the deeper underground USBM scene, alongside the likes of Forest Thrall, Obsidian Grave, among many others. Quite honestly, this should be a three-for-one type of entry. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

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15) OBSIDIAN GRAVE – Blood Of The Night

Speaking of Obsidian Grave… this album absolutely floored me upon first listen. While a little more on the raw side than I really typically listen to, the almighty RIFF drew me right on in. Much like the Tyrant album that shares the same cover art from last year, there is a heavier emphasis on influence from both the French and Finnish black metal scenes. The guitars carry both the medieval melodic flair of the former to go with the bulldozing wintry tones of the latter. No weak tracks to be found here, every song kicks you in the guts and dumps you headfirst into deep snow drifts. The vocals, in their mainly deeper mid-range levels give the impression of a predatory beast bellowing into the night and letting the winds carry it away. The fact this is on Dark Adversary Productions probably tells you all you need to know about its sound and quality. The USBM scene strikes yet again.

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14) SAMMALE – Finno-Ugric

Hot on the heels of last year’s self titled effort, Zannibal (of Marrasmieli and Paisaunt fame) is back with another offering of his “Finno-Urgric Forest Metal”, which translates to epic and well written melodic black metal that focuses on the old Finno-Ugric languages, culture and history. The first album, while quite good, I felt was a result of leftover Marrasmieli riffs not used for last year’s ‘Martaiden mailta’, but they were quality enough to warrant use *somewhere*. ‘Finno-Ugric’ on the other hand, feels more like proper focus was given to the sound and lore that Zannibal was striving to create. This very much gives off a feeling of finding an isolated group of people living unaware of the world around them deep in a Finnish forest somewhere. I could go as far as to say its deeply “Pagan” in nature, which it surely is, but it’s not Pagan for the sake of having a Pagan title. Use of jaw harps, acoustic guitars and more folk-like arrangements help add to this ambience. Now, there’s no doubt one will find similarities to Marrasmieli, as that project also creates a feeling of being lost in nature, but not as intensely as this Sammale album. Fans of melodic and deeply atmospheric black metal would do no wrong in checking this one out.

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13) ANCESTRAL BLOOD – Forgotten Myths and Legends-Chapter 1

More USBM on the docket. This is one of a number of releases that take melodic black metal and give it a good dash of classic heavy metal sophistication. Or, you have the opening of ‘The Cronos Stone’ which is straight up heavy metal. Unlike bands such as Moonlight Sorcery or Stormkeep, the guitars are the primary source of the melodies and ‘symphonic’ elements, using keys simply for underlying support. The compositions contained in Forgotten Myths… are of a virtuosic nature. Main songwriter Verigo shows off his fretboard technicality all over the aptly named ‘Sky Fortress of Wizardry’, as one prime example of many on this album. Another unique aspect to these proceedings is the fact that there is a female lead vocalist. While it is getting to be more common these days, it’s still not the norm. In fact, had I not double checked the band line-up in listening to this, I would have missed that fact. I did only find one glaring downside to Circe‘s performance, and that was the use of a really shallow, modern Dani Filth-like shrieking on ‘Through the Enchanted Forests of Illusions’. Thankfully, it’s an isolated incident, and ultimately does not take away from enjoying the album as a whole. If I’m being completely honest, *this* is one example of what I had hoped the newest Moonlight Sorcery would have sounded like.

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12) VALDRIN – Throne of The Lunar Soul

Ok, this *has* to be the highest contingent of US bands I’ve ever had on any one of my best of lists. It seems the talent is exploding, and more and more are succeeding in getting their names out there. Valdrin, much like Ancestral Blood before hand, play a very heavy metal infused style of melodic black metal, but leaning heavier on the symphonic side of things. The compositions here are a bit more complex than Ancestral Blood as well, more virtuosic musicians on full display. A lot of wonderful interplay between the guitars and synths that would make any Finnish band proud, though not *quite* as pure-shred heavy in the lead guitars. Interludes ebb in and out of the songs with perfect flow, the energy never subsiding. Now imagine my shock upon discovering that a) this was album number FOUR, as I was completely unaware of this project before this one, and b) that this is another chapter of a continuous fantasy story they’ve been weaving together since the beginning, with ‘Valdrin’ being the name of the titular character in the tale. Ancestral Blood weaved together their own fantasy stories on their album, but it was more like a collection of short stories while Valdrin is putting together a musical equivalent to a Robert Jordan series. Absolutely mindblowing the dedication needed to pull off something like this. This is another example of what I wanted the new Moonlight Sorcery to sound like. You know, black metal with power/heavy metal elements, not the other way around.

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11) ALDAARON – Majestic Heights, Melancholic Depths

For those uninitiated, Aldaaron plays that distinctly French style of almost hyper melodic, high speed black metal. Not as “medieval” as say Sühnopfer, Véhéhmence, or perhaps Aorlhac, but you get the idea in regards to the riffs and intensity of the compositions. The melodies are absolutely infectious, the songwriting strong enough to make songs that range from 7 to 8 minutes on average not feel like a beatdown on your eardrums. A lot of emotion that pours out of every note plucked, every word screamed, and even every programmed drum beat, as cheesy as that may be. What is most shocking about this album, is how much of a step up it is from Arcane Mountain Cult, just released last year. And a very fine album in itself, a list-worthy effort. But the compositions here are tighter, the playing is tighter, and the production is absolutely divine. Some people may be put off by the programmed drums on this, as there are some pretty ludicrous tom fills throughout… but then you realize a former member in drummer Mörkk plays those exact same kinds of fills on Ordalie‘s Mass of Perdition (also released this year), not to mention the first two Aldaaron albums, and it puts into perspective that a human being absolutely could play these parts. Another sticking point may be how they approach their cover of Dawn‘s The Knell & The World. Instead of playing a note for note cover, they instead reimagined it to be a composition that would fit better overall for the album as a whole. Brilliant move, quite honestly. Can’t recommend this one enough.

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THE BEST OF THE BEST, THE BLACK METAL KNIGHTS

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10) AŪKELS – Meddjan sklāit ten

There had to be at least one extremely late season offering… and this had to be that one. Having dropped on Winter Solstice, I’ve listened to this one multiple times pretty much every day, and I knew it deserved a spot in the top 10. Aūkels is one of a few noteworthy black metal projects by the one simply called ‘W.’. You probably know his other bands, which include Wędrujący Wiatr and Stworz. Aūkels is the project that focuses the most on the importance of nature and returning to the wild. Or as he puts it on the Aūkels Bandcamp page: “Anti-civ anti tech black metal”. The previous two albums featured a decidedly monotonous and repetitive approach to atmospheric black metal, in the best way possible. Not unlike a lot of Slavic bands, specifically ones from the Russian or Ukraine scene, its an approach that helps set an almost meditative mood. Or, an approach that allows the depth and layers of any given song to emerge as you simply sit and soak the music in, using subtle changes and builds throughout the track. In the case of Aūkels, the best place to experience this would be deep in the woods or on top of a mountain somewhere, observing the natural world around you. Well, Meddjan sklāit ten *is* a bit similar in approach, but with more variety to each song, a lot more ebb and flow between fast paced black metal to more introspective moments. Quite honestly, this album reminds me a LOT of the more recent Stworz efforts, except in a “nature rules all” kind of way instead of the “Pagan pride” kind of way. Every moment on this album (which clocks in over an hour in play time) is cohesive, everything fitting into place. Each track flows right into the next, no breaks. Field recordings of birds and nature sounds helped to set the “anti-civ anti-tech” aesthetic. Even 16min ambient tracks like the closing title track absolutely fly by, thanks to the impeccable songwriting and slightly different songwriting approach that keeps a listener engaged throughout. To break down the music itself, this is very guitar-driven material, with very emotive riffs and musical moments. They say “third time’s a charm”, and that is certainly the case here, as this is far and away the best of the Aūkels brand to date, and I would put this up against the newest Wędrujący Wiatr to battle for some of the best atmospheric metal music that W has come up with. No joke.

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09) MOURNING FOREST – L’Immonde Fanaison

Modern melodic black metal in the signature French way, plain and simple. Plenty of 2nd Wave inspiration, plenty of *those* French melodies on the guitars, plenty of awesome bass playing, and plenty of fantastic drum work, to go with a vocal performance that is a bit reminiscent of one Attila because of how Balkor uses his voice. And not to mention a rather high quality level of production to ensure everything is heard as intended. This was an album I got into at the beginning of the year, and the holding power it has is for real. Their use of build ups to explode into intense parts is almost unrivaled by many on this list. Almost. More on that one later. This being another rather lengthy album (75 min to be specific), there *are* times that things start hitting a bit of a lull, your attention can start to waver… but then a most glorious and epic riff erupts out of nowhere and brings you right back in. After a few of those moments, I came to the conclusion that this had to be a conscious decision by the band. They knew exactly what they were doing with the songwriting. They knew they would have listeners wrapped around their fingers. The bastards… anyway, this flew under a lot of radars and definitely deserves a lot more attention.

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8) SÜHNOPFER – Nous sommes d’Hier

What can I say about this that I have not already said in my review on this very hallowed site? This is the cream of the crop as far as that baroque style of hyper-melodic and medieval black metal, no doubt. To reiterate a couple points from said review; This is a fine return to form, a true sequel to 2014’s Offertoire. Listening to this truly makes 2019’s Hic regnant Borbonii manes feel like a departure, a side quest if you will, in its exploration of melodies and such that is key to the medieval French province of Bourbon. A fine album in itself, no doubt but Nous… is *the* sound we typically associate with Sühnopfer, and as I said in the original review, this is possibly the best Sühnopfer album to date. Read all my other meandering thoughts (*HERE*).

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7) KRAHNHOLM – Конец Трагедий

Man oh man… this is a band I have greatly appreciated for a few years now, having their full discography to date, and enjoying the progress they have made in their sound over time. Previous efforts, especially 2021’s A Wind In The Cold Night, could be compared to the likes of perhaps Drudkh or Vspolokh and the like, Конец Трагедий (Konets Tragedy) would be something that would appeal to fans of the Blazebirth Hall, at least musically speaking. ‘A Wind…’ had hints of this influence for sure, but had a variety of melodic bridges to change the mood and break things up. Конец Трагедий is lean and mean, very stripped down, not unlike the BBH old guard. Another point of comparison could be Windswept‘s The Great Cold Steppe. In either case, the mood-changing melodic bridges I mentioned earlier are dumped off on the side of the road somewhere and we are left with droning, occasionally melodic riffs that are all instant earworms and just create that vast atmosphere of being lost, standing on a cliff looking over a massive mountain valley. Oh, and a snowstorm is blowing in. Can’t forget that. My favorite moments on this album are ones like the latter part of Тирании Предел (Tyranny’s Limit). We go from a very methodical and plodding pace and suddenly explode into blast beats, while keeping that droning, meditative riff approach. So good. This album is SO GOOD. There are still a very limited number of CD’s available for sale outside of Russia, and I would highly suggest picking one up. And pick up their other albums while you’re at it. This is an unheralded band in a historically great scene!

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6) BLODTÅR – Det Förtegna Förflutna

Ok, explain to me how a label, a reputable label, like Nordvis can release an album like *this* and get little fanfare for it. Right from the get go, opening track ‘En krona av is’ establishes that this is going to be heavy on the Scandinavian folk melodies, not unlike Storm or Isengard. But then tracks like ‘Ur mörker’ and ‘Den fördärvande sorgbundheten’ kick you in the teeth with pure black metal moments delivered with the intensity of a Dark Funeral or classic Thy Primordial. I’ve even referenced this album as Windir played at the intensity of Dark Funeral, in fact. You know what else this reminds me of? Way back in the day, twenty years ago, there was a band from Norway called Ásmegin that released an album called Hin vordende Sod & Sø, and contained therein was a volatile mix of metalized Norwegian folk music with more intense black and death metal moments, with some over the top blast beats and double bass. While it could be a bit jarring when they jumped from one extreme to the other (which really wasn’t as often as you’d think), I feel like it was a template that was established, and now Blodtår emerges with what that mix could be. The transitions between the folk and the fury is smooth as silk, with the guitars leading the way. Carl proves to be yet another top-tier Swedish guitar talent, to go along with his savage vocals and melodic bass playing. But, I think the true star of the show is drummer H. Alarcón C. Until I actually looked on Metal Archives and in the booklet, I had assumed it was programmed drums. We’re talking moments that approach peak Dominator at times, between the blast beats and the fills. All in all, this is a wonderfully varied album that keeps one foot in old Folk Metal traditions while keeping the other in extremely melodic black metal. Superb.

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5) ГРОМОВЕРЖ (GROMOVERZH) – Издревле (Izdrevle)

Do you miss the glory days of Temnozor? Specifically albums like Вольницей в просинь ночей (Folkstorm of the Azure Nights)? Well my friends, have I got news for you! The one and only Stringsskald, perhaps most notable for the one lone Walknut album, wrote a bunch of music between 2001 and 2010 during his time with Temnozor. He started working on doing something with this music in 2015, and some 8 years later we have the GLORY that is Gromoverzh. This truly is a long lost Temnozor record, with everything from the raging Russian black metal riffage on up to the multiple flautists (yes, multiple) laying down enough flute tracks to make Ian Anderson proud. While it is a point of contention for some folks, I for one am all about the use of it. It is such an unusual thing to slap on top of a black metal album, but I love the fact that it’s not a typical instrument for such a record in this genre of music. The songwriting, unsurprisingly, is top notch. Good enough to where they can slap a just about 30 minute track smack in the middle of this album and you really don’t notice the difference. The multiple movements of ‘Меч Вольгаста (в 6-ти частях)’ ( Volgast’s Sword (in 6 parts) ) flow right on into another, and it just… flies by. Somehow the song does not get crushed by its own atmospheric weight, and in fact feels like there really is not much fat to trim off of it. Aside from that one lone (and very long) song, every track here has Stringsskald‘s trademark riff mastery that sounds equally like past black metal relics as well as the modern day sound. One helluva way to get your name back on the scene! No clue if this is something that will be a one and done type of thing, or if the project will continue to push forward with this style of folky, Pagan-themed melodic black metal. We shall see…

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4) TREST – Sorginak

The anonymous Germans returned this year with more tales of wrongfully convicted and executed so-called witches, this time on Sorginak highlighting six victims (by name) of the Basque Witch Trials, at the tail end of the Spanish Inquisition. To musically represent this, I felt that Trest takes a very Slavic approach to their black metal; pummeling drums, droning riffs, atonal melodies, and deeper register vocals that just reek of horror and impending doom. Each time I listened to this, I pulled more finite details out of the murky production. You can read my expanded thoughts in my original review (*HERE*).

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3) WINTARNAHT – Anþjaz

I tried like hell to get people turned onto this one upon its release way back in March, to little avail. Even so-called Dauþuz fans couldn’t seem to be bothered with this, and I could not tell you why. The riffs are quite reminiscent of what you’d hear on a Dauþuz release, the mass variety of vocal delivery is like what you’d hear on a Dauþuz release, and that is no surprise given the main man Grimwald is also one of the main guys *in* Dauþuz. Alas, we are not talking about a Dauþuz album, but instead one of the very best Pagan themed black metal albums of the year. As I originally stated in my review, this is no gimmick. Grimwald dives deep into Germanic history, using the ancient Old High German language and going deeper into Shamanistic atmosphere. No surface level fake shit to be found. Read all about it (*HERE*).  

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THE PRINCE OF THE KINGDOM

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2) STRAHOR – Gde Vukovi Zavijaju

Despite being numero dos on my list for the year, this was quite likely my most listened to album this year. The young buck behind this Serbian based project, Volkh, graced us with a volatile mix of freezing Slavic riffs, second-wave sensibilities, and ran it through a COARSE heavy metal filter, all while not being afraid to inject a little thrash and a little folk and doom elements here and there. Every song was an absolute earworm, with ‘For Those Who Follow The Heart’ easily being my anthem of 2023. Volkh was limited by having to self release this and promote himself best he could via the usual social media means, but this is yet another album GROSSLY underappreciated by the general black metal masses. May Volkh‘s wolves forever howl for years to come. As with all of my top 5 picks, I did write a full review, which can be viewed (*HERE*).

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THE KING OF THE REALM

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1) AULD RIDGE – Folklore From Further Out

I called it. I proclaimed it in the collab review I did with fellow BMD scribe GOS. I said that, and I quote, “O.W.G.A. is standing on a castle turret, awaiting all challengers to come and lay claim to the throne he is currently occupying. The gauntlet has been thrown down”. I said this back in early May, and the prophecy has been fulfilled. Nobody took the throne from O.W.G.A., although Strahor made a good run at it. I mentioned that the Strahor was my most listened to album of the year, so what gives? How did this still be number one? Well, whenever I had any thought of Strahor taking my number one spot, I would throw this guy back on, and it was as clear as day why this wouldn’t budge. Think of the difference between a brash young warrior and a seasoned knight/chieftain/what have you. The brash young warrior has the strength, charisma and power to win duels and battles on his own, sure, but the seasoned one has refined his skills, distilled his art to deadly precision. Strahor has exuberant riffs and a lot of exciting ideas all over the place. Auld Ridge is more calculated, every note of every part in the place it needs to be in to make the entire album as a whole impenetrable and be able to dispatch all comers with far less effort. It’s a level of class that is really difficult to describe except that you can just simply HEAR it in every song. Even the folk tunes are presented with the same level of care as any of the metal tracks, they were not thrown on as gimmicky interludes. This is god-tier stuff.

And, perhaps I’m just simply more vested in this project than any other from this year. Hell, I’m more vested in this *circle* of projects than any other this year, as The Hermetic Order of Ytene puts out truly elite material. I got to do the collab review for this (see it *HERE*), as well as Albionic Hermeticism‘s Nova Navitivas Mundi (which is *HERE*), and also had the opportunity to help GOS with the ONE AND ONLY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW that O.W.G.A. granted this year, which you have to check out. Go *HERE* and be blown away by the thorough and thoughtful responses. It was destiny that this would be my number one, and STAY my number one.

All hail the king, Auld Ridge has claimed the throne of my 2023 Black Metal Albums Of The Year! 

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LISTCRUSH CONTINUES SOON.

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LISTCRUSH 2023: The ALASKAN BERGWANDERER DIGICRUSH Edition

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Greetings, black metal maniacs! This will be the first of two lists I will contribute for the writer’s year-end LISTCRUSH picks, as I was kicking around an idea recently, and I felt this just needed to be its own thing. 

In years past, when putting together my year end lists, I typically reach for the albums that I actually have physical copies of. That means I have neglected TONS of great releases, absolutely list-worthy releases at that. What does this mean? Well, I have decided to also compile a list of really great releases that fall into one of two categories: 

1) Digital exclusive. These will be the releases that you see on Bandcamp, or maybe only streaming on YouTube. The latter usually results from being a band, or a band representing a label, that doesn’t believe in services like Bandcamp. Old school, true underground types. Also, those are the bands that will lend to the next category:

2) Extremely limited physical releases. These will be the bands that will be on some boutique label that does limited runs of 50 to 100 cassettes, or vinyl, or even CDs (one of these picks released all of 25 demo CDs…). The type of labels that have active interest, and if you’re not on the ball on release day (if you even get a notification), you miss the boat. 

The following releases will not be in any kind of particular order – just really great finds as I surf the web for my constant black metal fix. Without further ado, let’s get this started! 

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PYRGOSIA – Times Forgotten

This New Hampshire project just got started this year, but already have established themselves as one of the more exciting projects popping up from the fertile grounds that is the current USBM scene. While this duo seems to concentrate on Hellenic themes of Paganism for their subject matter, musically speaking this is VERY inspired (as it seems to me) by both the French and Quebec scenes. Fast-paced tracks featuring absolutely infectious guitar melodies of the wrist and finger wrecking variety, immediately reminding one equally of most anything from Sühnopfer, Aldaaron and the like, as well as Thèmes pour la rébellion by Forteresse. You know, *THAT* kind of riff work. They’re also not afraid to drop a little bit of heavy metal and thrash influences in the mix as well. The drums are quite competent (though sometimes a bit low in the mix), the vocals are extremely nasty, and the production by one Sanguine of the long running US horde Averse Sefira is equally as raw as it is punchy and powerful… ‘though the drums do tend to get buried at times. It’s a debut, so it’s fine. 

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Уводь (Uvod) – Self Titled & Пламенем прошлого (Flame of the Past)

This new, anonymous Russian entity came out of nowhere in February with a self titled debut EP of nature inspired and atmospheric black metal that only bands from that general part of the world can create; crystal clear riffs that still give off the feeling of being stuck in an icy mist and blasted by glacial winds at the same time. Mid-range vocals that are absolutely another instrument, that don’t overpower the surrounding music. Drums that are perfectly placed, giving off the impression of being programmed at times… but knowing that most drummers from that region like playing along to a metronome for fun and practice every single day, this is highly likely real drums. But as an anonymous entity, its truly hard to say. They sound great regardless. And just when it seems this would go down as a truly great release on its own, Uvod drops a second EP back in November. Flames of the Past picks right up where the first EP left off, the only real difference is a bit more polish in the production. You could absolutely play these EPs back to back to get a full, almost hour long, album experience. 

Upon writing this article, I found out that the self-titled EP did in fact get a proper CD release through Russia’s long running More Hate Productions. However, it does not seem all that easy to just simply order a CD, as it appears there’s an email chain that needs to be established first… so I feel it still qualifies for this list. 

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HORN OF TETRARCH – Marshalling Imperial Terror

Thanks to a notification from the Metal Vault YouTube channel, myself and other subscribers got treated to this two song debut demo of an anonymous force from somewhere in the US. Musically speaking this could be of the slower Hate Forest variety, or perhaps closer to the first couple Aeternus releases. Fierce black metal played at a more moderate pace with bellowing and guttural death metal vocal fury. Triumphant and layered riffs sprawl out like a vast mountain valley. Definitely one to keep an eye on. It appears the Bandcamp page has already been taken down, but given just how recently this dropped (a couple weeks ago as of writing), I think it was a move by the band itself.  

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WIERDE – Thiusa Heim

This one has had some staying power this year. If you missed the glory days of Windir, Storm, Vinterskugge-era Isengard and the like, then this Dutch one man project has the solution for what ails you. I mean, what else is there really to say about this? The melodies are absolutely spot on, the folk elements are spot on, the clean vocals are spot on, the decidedly raw production is spot on, this truly is an album that captures that particular era of Norwegian black(end) metal. 

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IERFEWEARDIAN OÞFEALLAN SNYTRUCRÆFT -:ᚠᚩᚱᛖᛋᛖᚳᚷᚪᚾ ᚠᚩᚱᛋᚹᚩᚱᚳᛖᚾᚾᛖᛋ ᛖᚳᛖ: (Foresecgan Forsworcennes Ece)

From the always mysterious, always rather intimidating Inverse Solar Reqvriem label, comes yet another slab of Anglo-Saxon Heathen inspired blackness. While previous efforts, including 2021’s Deáþscúum was vastly heavy on the ambient/dungeon synth/power electronics side of things, this 2023 demo EP has two extremely solid, borderline avantgarde black metal tracks that are sandwiched between very short synth tracks (the title of the album is comprised of the names of those three specific tracks). Elements of the more experimental side of Mayhem (and other bands I can’t immediately bring to mind) in both riffs and atmosphere. Maybe some Portal in the riffs? I really don’t know. The production gives off a feeling of hearing black metal being played at extreme volumes while you’re underwater. It’s rather disorienting, to be quite honest. Typically this kind of style doesn’t really speak to me, but this particular release certainly did. Apparently this is a sampler for what is to be coming in 2024. One can only hope! (Edit: Coincidentally, the new album just dropped TODAY!)

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МРАКОБЕС (Obscurantist)- Заклинания Против Расколдованного Мира (Spells Against The Disenchanted World)

This one really surprised me. Looking at the kvlt af cover art, looking like a wood block print featuring a hooded robed figure and a wolf, I was expecting some exceedingly raw and noisy, reverb-drenched black metal… but to my shock I found this to be a rather mid-tempo, well produced affair. Far from pristine, mind you, but certainly much more polished than the art would initially lead one to believe. Musically speaking, I hear a fair bit of Darkthrone, but in their more punk or maybe black ‘n roll guise, and just 1990’s second wave in general. The atmosphere is dense, grim and dark. I liked this well enough to drop some serious cash on a long sleeve shirt featuring the sweet cover art. And considering this came out in late January of this year, it’s very highly likely this will have been buried in most people’s Bandcamp libraries and will be forgotten by the end of December. I’m just glad I was turned onto this one rather recently! 

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STRATORUS – Prometheus Rising

Another US entry, this time hailing from Colorado, Statorus is one of a couple projects by the highly talented Bifrost (aka JPS); this one focusing on Pagan and Fantasy themes backed by an epic Viking-era Bathory inspired form of metal, mixed with Slavic black metal tendencies and given a healthy dash of good, old-fashioned heavy metal complexity. Lyrically, this is a singular story that had started with the previous full length, about an epic journey The Stratorus embarks on to retrieve the Sun-wheel from the underworld and to bring it back to the surface. There’s even lore of this fantasy world featured on a few of these tracks. The guitars are the star of the show here, with Bifrost showing great riff and songwriting sensibility and some dextrous fretboard action in the solos that hints at some repressed shred capabilities. The vocals go from a great snarl to clean vocal harmonies, all handled extremely well. This project, along with Void Alchemy are ones that fully deserve everyone’s attention and support. 

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MORT FROIDE – Decieved By The Gods

This is one of two December releases on this list, this one having been released December 9th. That said, it had made QUITE the impression in rather short order. This is a Russian band, with a French name, but musically are closer to the late ’90s/early 2000’s Swedish death metal tinged black metal gold. Granted, that style is not fully realized until track two, ‘Price of Desire’ gets cooking. The guitars rip, shred and chug their way through rather condensed song times. The bass is fully audible, adding a nice CHUG to the low end. The vocals are what you’d expect of a Russian band, staying in that more mid-level gruff snarl. And there’s more than a healthy portion of Slavic atmosphere for good measure. The production is absolutely spot on for the style, sounding like a modern day No Fashion Records release. When I first heard this, I remember thinking to myself “man, I’d love to hear more from this project!”, and then imagine my surprise to find that this was full length album number FOUR, to go along with a couple singles, a couple splits, a demo compilation, and an EP. All of which has been released since the band’s inception in 2020, which makes sense. A literal ton of great projects emerged from those lockdown days, as the absolute onslaught of quality releases from the last couple years can attest to. Anyways, this is some seriously high quality stuff, especially if you’re a fan of those Swedish glory days. 

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LUX LUNA – Sempervirens

This is the newest piece of Atmospheric Black Metal Art from the man behind other one-man projects such as Kaltesblut, Lycanthropic Deathlust, among others. Despite being nature themed and being located in California, don’t confuse R‘s “Sierran Black Metal ” to be like the Cascadian scene further north up the coast. If you needed to make comparisons to any kind of particular project, a good starting place would be Wędrujący Wiatr. Like Wędrujący Wiatr, Lux Luna prefers to give a feeling of being lost in a Redwood forest, the music coming off as murky and mist laden as the cover art would suggest, though far less complex than the Polish greats. But, complexity is not the name of the game here. Repetitive riffs help lull your ears into a hypnotic state, allowing subtle leads and melodic bridges to burrow their way into your psyche and offer some sunny breaks from the fog and misty atmosphere. R is not afraid to ramp up the tempo and intensity, as he does with gusto on the title piece. Simply put, if you’re a fan of the murky, mysterious sounds of bands like the aforementioned Wędrujący Wiatr, or perhaps a far less symphonic Hellveto, among others, then do not pass this one up. 

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ALDHEORTE – Upon Dying Fields

And finally, to close this out, we have the second of the noteworthy December releases (this one dropped on the 2nd), and another entry from California, as it turns out. Aldheorte gets their name from the ‘Memory Sorrow and Thorn’ series of Fantasy novels, and I suspect that perhaps the lyrical content may be inspired by that as well? Regardless, Aldheorte presents a rather classic and extremely well executed take on melodic black metal, pulling inspiration from the Norse, Swedish and dare say French black metal scenes. It has the melodies of the Swedes, the atmosphere of the Norse, and the more frantic string work of the French. It’s a rather volatile combination of pure riff GLORY. The bass keeps pace, offering a nice base to the proceedings, and the programmed drums really have a nice human element to them, even in tones picked for the individual pieces. Vocally, Udun sounds like a mix of Henke Forss and whomever the lead screamer was on those classic Mithotyn albums (I forget, since they essentially had three vocalists…). Sounds familiar, but distinct at the same time. Production wise, this probably has the most sheen among the list participants, everything coming through crystal clear. Thanks to that, the overall atmosphere comes off rather uplifting, inspiring even. I want to go run in a forest and just get lost in these tracks. Part of me is rather shocked that this is a debut EP, and that the two members involved seemingly have not been in any other project… but the level of professionalism and ability on display leads me to believe they have to be seasoned musicians, or at the very least seasoned studio guys. If not, then holy crap, these folks have done their homework. Another band to keep an eye on, as they have the sound and style to do some big things in the future… 

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Hopefully you all found this list useful, and hopefully you all discover something new that you’ll enjoy. At the very least, I hope this reminds you all to go back to your Bandcamp libraries, Wishlists, or saved YouTube videos and re-discover some gems that otherwise are lost in the deluge of releases.

I’ll be back at some point soon with what will be a rather large proper year end LISTCRUSH, naming my picks for best of 2023! 

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BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2023: The Pan Inentropy Edition

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And thus, as 2023 writhes in the final, horrific throes of dying ecstasy, LISTCRUSH season is upon us once again – join with us as each BMD scribe reveals their own respective venerated apotheosis of the last twelve months. First up is our subterranean avant-gardeist of nightmare vision and vitriol, the Centipede Abyss commander… Pan Inentropy.

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TOP NINE

9. Nirrti – Palindromos

Nirrti’s Palindromos marks the beginning of my top 9. Offering up illusory soundscapes that are horrendously disjointed yet in a flowing manner, with what can only be described as sonic recoil throughout. This was one of the first I encountered in the year and the fact that it has stayed in mind for over six months is testament to its well crafted anatomy.

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8. Ôros Kaù – Thanatos

More vivid than the previous outing and can only be described as impactful and monolithic. Harkening to middle-eastern string work, as you’d expect, and doused in doom-meets-drone feels with some beastly vocals, simply put: Thanatos is Ôros Kaù’s best work to date.

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7. Mórnu- The Unearthly Becomes Inherent

Its deceptive introduction has stuck with me, heavily reliant on atmosphere, but with a rough and ready production that assimilates with its dissonant nature instinctively. Passages come and go, the pace changes up, and those death-doom sections can only be described as otherworldly and commanding.

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6. Domhain – Nimue

This one fills my wants for something haunting and reflectively beautiful. Lots of “post” influence on this, with what can only be described as celestial levels of somber epicness, that just instinctively feel as though they could be emanating from the hills and forests themselves.

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5. Turpitude – Une interprétation de la dissolution glaciale en quatre mouvements

There are a lot of progressive elements on this, the way the composition snakes in and out of sections is what really caught my attention. The sound is by no means “clean”, ‘though; this is nasty, feral stuff that occupies the raw black metal space. Fierce, mid-paced throughout and with enough variance and eerie interludes to give it an almost… cinematic quality.

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4. Blacnk – For This Is The Rot Of Existence

Blacnk manages to assimilate the old school sound of 90s BM with a hefty dose of hallucinogens to offer up for this is the rot of existence. I simply adore this drops’ almost playful but sinister nature. This is an album that really toys with your senses, being at once hypnotic and horrifying.

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3. Astwihad – Gatha 1: Asto-Vidatu

This is like listening to yourself being dragged into a never-ending vortex. The way the sound swirls around you is a joy to behold. Powerful, aggressive and – if you look hard enough – surprisingly melodic; but ultimately the soundtrack to plunging down a never-ending chasm.

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2. Sombre Ciel – Sombre Ciel

This sounds… like the album art. There is generous and well thought out use of composition variance here that gives the dissonance on this an ultimately more menacing form. Its wild production and drowned out vocals lend themselves well to the polarity you’ll experience on this album, going from the disjointedly malignant, to the dizzy ambient washes.

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1. Orbyssmal – Abyssom

Anyone remotely aware of my listening habits was probably expecting something like this as my number 1. Orbyssmal has, simply put, unleashed a masterpiece. Have you ever encountered something so disgustingly horrific that you stare at, getting yourself lost in its draw? Edging closer, only to be fascinated more? That is this album. Dense, suffocating and otherworldly… comparisons to Portal are inevitable, but the energy on this is something its own and separate. The relentlessness of each track, the way every instrument merges with the other to form that punishing tone, and the wails that sound as though they are from a manic beast feasting ravenously on something it killed… all awesome.

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STAY TUNED FOR MORE LISTCRUSH IN THE COMING DAYS. HAILS.

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BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2022: The NATHAN HASSALL Edition

Yes, yes – we fucking know. 2022 is by now quite far away in the rear view mirror and growing smaller by the minute. Yet the power and majesty behind the finest last year’s releases is both undeniable, and always worth revisiting… thus, our LISTCRUSH 2022 CONTINUES.

And it continues in spectacular form as our Nathan Hassall (published author, poet and magazine editor) offers us an approach the likes of which has never before been seen splattered across our stained pages. A list, comprised of his most revered, resonant and replayed discoveries of 2022, cocooned within a transcendent fantasy tale woven not only of cues inspired by the themes, cover art and lyrics of each release, but also the tarot. The depth and consideration given to this presentation is in veneration of the skill and passion each artist has infused within their own work; a true mark of respect for the dark art provided to us by these masters.

As noted, a battery of technical issues and the sheer size and scope of the undertaking has already hindered the presentation of this work by several months. So, without further ado or delay, allow us to proudly present…

THE TRAVELLER’S CHRONICLES: A 2022 Black Metal Album of the Year Story

By Nathan Hassall

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The Traveller’s Chronicles is an archetypal story of revenge and enlightenment. It corresponds to my 22 best favorite black metal albums in 2022—with lyrics, atmospheres, themes, and cover art reflected in each section. I chose 22 because it aligns with the journey through 22 Major Arcana trumps of the Tarot, each of which is reflected in each section (plus, 22 in 2022 sounded cool). 

It all starts when the Traveller realizes he’s a fool and an angel appears to him to warn him of his father’s execution. On his journey, he’s tortured by an Alchemist, is guided by angels, finds enchanted weapons, fights demons, and seeks revenge. But his real journey begs the question of which spiritual path the Traveller take—the Enlightened, or Endarkened one?

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22. Гнёт — Кома

The Traveller sits in a near-empty tavern. Condensation drips the edge of his beer glass. Opposite him, a Mystic’s neck drips with beads—obsidian, sapphire, pearl. The candle in the lantern between them flares in her eyes. She offers him a card from her Tarot deck. He pinches one; flips it. 

The Mystic folds her arms. The Fool represents freedom, adventure; new beginnings. The Traveller gulps the last of his bitter-dark beer, crumples his hand into his pocket, and rolls a gold coin across the oak table. It falls into the Mystic’s palm. 

Watch out, the Mystic warns. She presses the coin into the middle of her forehead. Often the Fool thinks he knows more than he does. The Traveller shrugs. Masterful synth atmospherics bite into depressive guitar leads, spiking the hairs on his skin. He throws his coat on and opens the tavern door. The wind’s fingernails rake through his scalp.

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21. Gniew – Konsylium oprawców

The Traveller mounts his horse and darts through the trees. Wind shakes the leaves like cymbals. The moonlight casts shadows onto the path, a distortion of weapons—shields, arrows, battleaxes. Halfway back, clouds converge into rainfall. He kicks his horse to greater speed. Two guitar solos crescendo as he reaches his empty house, beard glistening with tiny pearls of rain. He ropes his horse in the stable. 

The Traveller gathers seven candles in his bedroom and chants the start of a protection spell his father taught him when he was seven. Halfway through, a wind shrills through the house and snaps the flames out.

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20. Sainte Marie des Loups — Obéissance… Jusqu’à la mort !*

A feminine presence grabs the Traveller’s chest and yanks him out of bed. Quick quick, your father’s in danger! 

He throws on his robes. Grabs his rusting sword. Mounts his horse and bolts to the city. They splash through puddles of muck. Heart thumps in his ears. At the city’s walls, the Traveller passes through statues that razor him with whispers, Better listen, young Traveller! Obedience ‘til death!

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19. Vengeance Horde — Vengeance Horde

The Traveller arrives at the sentencing stage—his father’s neck wedged in a stock. A storm of chants thunders from the raucous crowd. An executioner—face half-cloaked in shadow, battleaxe raised—spots the Traveller. Lips curl upwards. He thuds his axe through his father’s neck. His head rolls off the stage and lands at the Traveller’s foot. The Traveller is outmuscled by the crowd, who cheer and beat their barrels and shields. Blood’s scent rusts the air.

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18. Nocturnal Triumph — Nocturnal Triumph

After months of grief, the Traveller enters a marketplace searching for the Black Amulet of Strength. The sounds of bartering wind through the air. Children run barefoot over sand. 

A glint of light catches the Traveller’s eye, and he walks over to one tent; points at a flute with a coiled seal carved into its body. The shopkeeper tells him an older man was raving about a Being with a half-shadowed face. The other half? He says. So bright it’d steal your sight.

As he clasps the flute, the Traveller’s mind resonates with music—a thick of strings, drums thudding the sand like 10,000 anchors. The shopkeeper grabs the mouthpiece. The Flute of Revival’s not for sale. 

The music stops. A voice cannons from the sky. It’s the flute that chooses. The shopkeeper falls to his knees and rambles into prayer. The Traveller stuffs the flute in his pocket.

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17. Serpentfyre — Baptism of Shadows

On his horse once more with the market blurring behind him, the Traveller’s mind explodes with images—a castle stretching to the clouds, a demon hurling fire into an angel’s cannoning light. 

Coming to under a clouded sky, he spots a man draped in holy ropes standing in the middle of the dirt path. The Traveller dismounts his horse, ties him around an oak tree, and steps towards the man. He hovers his right hand over the sword’s handle. 

Light circles the man’s head. I am Lord of the Old School of the Mysteries. A breeze from the west puffs his white sleeves. I hear you have my Flute. The Traveller edges closer and grips his sword’s leather handle. The robed man lifts his hands. Fool!—The Traveller scrapes his blade from its holder—You mess with a man of the Craft! He spheres his hands around each other; an expanding red orb electrics between his fingers. The Traveller drives his sword forward. 

The sword tips through the middle of the robe.

EAT MY FYRE! The man cries.

Before the blade breaks skin, the man volts his palms outwards. The blazing orb thunders the Traveller’s chest. He surges through the air and cracks his spine against a tree. 

The flute rolls from his pocket as the man walks over. Bark falls around the Traveller’s head, a canticle of static to accompany him as he loses consciousness once again.

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16. Revenant Marquis — Milk Teeth

The Traveller awakens in a moonlit graveyard, his body swelling with bruises. He checks his pockets. Empty. He looks through the fog. A spirit stems from a grave’s dirt and swirls into the form of a woman. He tries to get up, but the pain cleaves him back down.

Facing the Traveller, the ghost catches the stream of his inhalation and enters his lung, filling his body with her presence.

A vision erupts like a clump of snow. His horse stomping through black trees. Angels. A dark tower. A light crystallizing the night sky. 

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15. Greve — Follo afv Svavel, Lifvet Dimrida

Outside the graveyard, Traveller hobbles to an abandoned horse and cart. He lies down. The horse kickdrums down a path of dizzying melodicism—crashes through a black gate, then another. A guitar distorts the blurring landscape. The horse storms into a giant door that explodes open; hurls the Traveller onto the dirt.  A cosmic hand reaches from Beyond and drags the Traveller into the dark. 

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14. Trolldom — I Nattens Sken

The world scrapes into a frozen landscape. Ice drip-crystals off branches. The Traveller clasps his coat and battles the elements. 

His hands drain numb as he loses his grip. Coat flails open in the wind. Cold streams his foot. Fingers stop moving. 

He struggles; shivers deeper. 

Wheeling through each successive fixture, he ends at the end of the expanding room. Lucifer appears alongside Seraphiel, who orchestrates the chanting seraphim—Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. The whole Earth is full of His glory. The 72 angels and 72 demons fire the cannons of celestial war. The Traveller goes to pick a side, but his body contorts into a sphere, endlessly orbiting between light and dark.

The cold bites his hips. Chest. Jaw.

Eventually, his head scrapes under the snow. 

The ground breaks open into a gasp of clouds. 

He falls—an endless icicle slitting the sky. 

Wind rushes through his body for hours, days, years. He closes his eyes and begs for death. 

A black amulet falls at eye level, the same velocity. He reaches out. The rope needled through the amulet wraps his arm. 

He presses his palm into the amulet, and glimpses a small etched sword. The sun breaks through the clouds. All the snow melts into rivers before the earth burns dry.

He thuds the earth… 

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13. Scarcity — Aveilut

The Traveller awakens in a strange world of concrete terror. Greys adorn bridges and walls, which strange-painted colorful words and paintings. Colossal buildings of metal and glass scrape the air. 

He gets up in a daze of lights and bleeps. The stench of smoke. Boxes of metal with humans inside gale past him. 

White pieces from an unknown material drip from people’s ears. Little rectangular boxes in their hands flicker their faces blue. Microtones vibrate between the buildings. The Traveller waves for attention, but no one looks at him. Drumbeats pound his chest until he falls on the street.

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12. Mons Veneris — Inversados d’Um Abismo de Podridão**

The Traveller wakes in his bedroom with the Black Amulet of Strength around his neck. 

Seventy-two black candles stretch down the left of the stone room, and 72 white candles burn on the right. He’s rolled out of bed like an endless wheel. Disharmony chars his ears. 

At each meeting of a black and a white candle stands a demon and angel. From the right, an angel links his arm and tells him to trust them, for they will show him the light. From the left, a demon grips his flesh and tells him to trust them, for they will show him the light. 

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11. The Black Mysteries — Blessed Conjuration of Celestial Atrophy

The Traveller splashes through a portal. Slumps at the bottom step of a building. He looks up an ascent of stairs at an Ancient Temple. The sky behind necklaced with stars. 

He climbs the stairs to the entrance. Above him, carved in limestone, the words ad nigrum mysteria, with scales etched below them. He walks into the middle of the temple—gargoyles perched, columns gyrating high, moonlight filtered by stained glass into red and blue hues. 

Four Beings with black cloaks hanging off their bodies crowd him from the cardinal directions. From the East, a rupture of earth waves behind Oriens. From the West, a river swells behind Paymon. Fire helixes behind Egyn blitzing from the North. Amaymon surfs a blazing hurricane from the South. The four forces converge in the Traveller’s forehead. 

The elements explode into the dissonance of organs, growls, and thumping drums. The Traveller’s Spirit bursts from his body and lands in Judgement’s Scale of the Black Mysteries. His scale jitters, plunges to the bottom. Spears to the top. Thunder rumbles, balancing the scales.

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10. Gleichmacher — Krankung Fall Verderben

The Demon-Beings drag the Traveller to his Black Horse and hang him upside down against the back. The Black Horse panics the dry earth to a palette of dust. The Traveller’s head bounces off the ground. A soundtrack of chaos-layered riffs clears a path through a whir of colors—reds, blues, gold. 

The horse stops at the foot of a grand wooden door of a house buried deep in the countryside. The door creaks open, and a man clasps his long white beard with one hand. Taking off his pointed blue hat, he introduces himself as The Alchemist. He unknots the rope tied around the Traveller’s ankle. 

The Alchemist’s eyes burn with bars of brilliant gold.

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9. Kamra — Cerebral Alchemy***

The Traveller sits in the basement of the house full of equipment—beakers, pestle and mortar, half-open books yellowed everywhere. The Alchemist comes down the crumbling staircase and offers a glass. The Traveller looks at it, puzzled. His throat claws with dirt. 

It’s a healing elixir, the Alchemist says. You mortal fools call it water. 

The Traveller wraps his hand around the cool glass and presses it against a cut on his face. 

Drink up, young man. Can’t have you going thirsty.

The Traveller takes a swig. 

Hungry? The Alchemist asks and pulls an apple from his pocket.

The Traveller nods, the blood on his face cutting into and out of the light. 

The Alchemist points a long fingernail a the glass. Finish that first.

The Traveller downs the rest of the glass and reaches for the apple. The Alchemist places it in his hand. It transmutes into a black amulet. 

The room blurs. The Traveller passes out.

The Traveller opens his eyes and goes to stretch. His heart jolts as he realizes he’s inside a bubble trapped in a glass vessel. He makes out the Alchemist’s eyes through the beaker’s prisming curves, performing a blackened-death spiral. 

The Traveller cries for release, but the Alchemist out-chants his cries with a prayer. Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon. The Traveller struggles in his bubble, to no avail. 

The wind carried in its belly. He thrashes his body like a snake, but no strength endures him. 

The nurse is the earth. The Alchemist opens the gas lines and lights a flame beneath the vessel. 

From this shall come marvellous adaptations—cries the alchemist, as light cascades The Traveller’s mind—of which this is the method! 

The Traveller stops begging. A presence shudders his veins. 

The Light of Wisdom? 

It is completed what I had to say—The Alchemist drops the amulet into the mixture—about the operation of the sun. 

God?

The Traveller bursts into liquid.

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8. Doldrum — The Knocking, Or the Story of the Sound that Preceded Their Disappearance****

The Traveller reappears to form in a humble cottage bedroom, closeted inside a trick of light. A question reverberates through the room, shaking the chandelier like a bone. Are you a man who knocks at the doorways of the earth? Are you a spirit of air or mud or salt? 

In a panic, the Traveller barges through door after door. With each room he enters, the house quakes into more of itself. Through the dusty light of the dining room, a portrait of two men gazing upward at the light trembles off the wall. Its glass cracks against the ground. 

The Traveller enters a kitchen. A kettle violently whistles in the air. A spirit ropes the Traveller’s neck and tenses it into a burn. A burst of laughter. The cauroselling house. The whistle blades deeper into the Traveller’s ear.

That same voice—lie down my sons of rock and rot into the pools of dawn! 

An oak tree leans from beyond and scrapes the kitchen window. 

The rope releases its grip, and the Traveller lies on the floor and mutters a prayer. 

A harmony of silence as the room lifts into light, the voice a distancing echo. The rope bursts into a snake that panics out of the room. 

The front door swings open. 

~

7. Moonlight Sorcery — Piercing Through Frozen Eternity

Outside the cottage, the Traveller meets a man with two small horns poking from his head, his face singing a deep red. 

I know where the Axe of Frozen Blasphemy is. The weapon of the Executioner. 

The horned man points towards a castle in the East, swelled with night’s deep blue-purple clouds. He offers the Traveller the rusty blade he had stolen from him by the Lord of the Old School of the Mysteries. 

Before he can ask where he found him, the figure disappears. 

Approaching a castle, the Traveller sneaks beyond the guards, climbs over a ruined wall’s spilled brick, and climbs a ladder. Stalking the walls under the moon, the Traveller is electrified by the purple cloud’s melodic current. 

His body surges through the castle. Slays beast after hungering beast with his rusted blade. He finds the tower and ascends the stairs. Slashing through the ligaments of four skeleton guards, he ascends to the top of the tower, which scrapes through the ethereal clouds into the heavens. 

He stands before a half-angelic, half-demonic being—the Executioner. 

In the open tower courtyard, the Traveller pulls out his rusted blade.

Adrenaline rushes his system. 

One swipe of the Executioner’s wing cuts through the Traveller’s armor and rusted blade, throwing him to the ground. 

The Executioner stands over him, the angelic half sparkling in the moonlight and the other half-caked in darkness. You do realize your dad was a terrible man? 

The Traveller coughs. A clot of blood splats on the brick and glints in the moonlight.

If he didn’t want this trial for you, he’d not have got caught with that Flute… You think mortals like you can withstand the piping of angels?

The Executioner readies his stance for a final blow. 

You greedy—

From the heavens, a Voice thunders and bolts the Axe of Frozen Blasphemy into the Traveller’s grasp. 

The Executioner swipes his wing. The Traveller struggles the Axe against it. 

His father appears in the clouds on top of a Black Horse. The Traveller makes eye contact, and his father’s head slips off its shoulders. 

Every muscle in his body tenses the strength of 10,000 heavens. 

The head drops around him. Then, thousands of heads drop from the clouds and thud around them like clumps of rain. 

The Executioner bursts into laughter, steps away from the embrace, and fashions a thunderbolt. He throws it, and it erupts on the ground as the Traveller rolls out of the way and onto his feet.

The Traveller pulls back the axe and swipes vertically through the Executioner’s cloak, carving the blade through the middle of the being. Revealed is a being of half-red shadow, half-light. The red-half puffs into dust. The sky’s purple is rushed with gold, and the light half of the being ascends. 

The Traveller drops to his knees.

~

6. Crîssäegrîm — Ethêrea

The Traveller turns into a star inside a snow globe. A spell of pure winter magick plucks at his memory in the sphere of glass crusting with snow. Riffs fall softly around him before an avalanche bundles his body toward a forest.

~

5. Verminous Knight — Malignant Descent

O magisterial raw coldness! The moon rusts into a fog of synth. The Traveller transmutes into a darkening flower that waves high in the forest. Flakes of ice scratch the air on their way to earth.

~

4. Vihameditaatio — Metafyysinen Käsitys Itsestä

Wracked with hunger, the Traveller picks a red-brown mushroom jeweled with white stars. He chews the bitter, earthen body. After walking through the trees dappled in light, the forest turns into stained glass—tree by tree, he moves past shards into luminous greens and purples. 

He reaches a stump marked with the blade of an axe. His psyche gently cracks open.

At the end of the forest, he reaches a field of grass, each blade hosting drops of dew that splint the moon. Upon crouching and standing back up, an extraterrestrial presence contorts into view, wearing a scarf of light around its shoulders. It offers a book, which the Traveller tries to grasp, but he drops it on the dirt. He gets on his knees, claws through the dirt, and buries the book. 

The book leaves into the Traveller’s father.

Son, he says. 

The entity boards a ship and poles a light at the Traveller. 

It’s time to rest.

~

3. Gevurah — Gehinnom

A Great Light spirit-cones the Traveller deep into the enveloping folds of darkness. Stars vortex in the distance, swapping places with the infinity of each other. 

I must thunder down the paths I chose.

His body corkscrews unrelentingly, abdominal muscles vining over the liver, animal flesh blood-wrung inside this meteor of bone. 

My mind is a chalice of blood. Oh, have mercy.

On the universe’s horizon, the wound of the Black Sun half-silts on the ocean. It charges its dark rays at the Traveller. They, like an inverted candle flicker, dance in his eyes.

All I am, all I’ve been searching for, all this was for what?

He slowly unravels like a scroll. Darkness robes his body like silence.

Your Presence. I feel it ravening through my veins.

Mars a red eye that pendulums through space—it thumps off the earth like a drum. Riffs reverberate through the dark, glaze off Saturn’s rings. 

May Peace be my War! May War be my Peace!

A throne gold-spirals into view. 

Almighty Sephirot, grant me the Power of Powers. Share with me the secrets of your Flesh Temple!

Judgment—wearing the form of an angel—splits past him and slats him into firewood. 

May I burn for 10,000 eternities.

Fragments of his body collide with the throne. The Traveller explodes into a Great Fire, burns with the presence of the Almighty Nameless, the Unspeakable, the Aching Whisper…

I Am. I Am. I Am. 

~

2. Merihem — Incendiary Darkness

The Flute of Resurrection floats in the occult of space and wind-drags the Traveller through the infernal realms of the Qlipoth. Consciousness blazes sphere by sphere as the matter that makes him divides and descends into Spirit. 

Incense floods the pitch black as the Traveller slows his breathing into a meditative trance. His mind is a corridor of obsidian scales; each hallway thickens with the goldening-red Luciferian gnosis—illumination swells in his veins.

~

1. Trolldom — Av Gudars Ätt…

The Traveller awakens on his feet, planted on the ground earth. The crystal stars spellbound above him. Everything slows the pace of a dream. 

The whole universe above is a piping of majestic riffs that ribbon around the thunder of drums.

A spell of rivers curves down a wind-shuddered mountain—the rushing water bleeding into a colossal wave of darkness that crashes from the East. 

They smash the Traveller onto a stage.

A crowd with shadow-lit faces chants at him. 

The Traveller stands, and the Axe of Frozen Blasphemy appears in the grip of his hands.

In the Name of Me, a voice says. Forgive. 

He looks down, his father’s neck inside a stock, the Black Amulet a pendulum curving the air.  

It is the completion of your work. 

A tear drops from the Traveller’s face onto his dad’s wrinkling scalp. 

There is no other way. 

He tries to fight the force pressing on the axe. 

Kill me, my Son, for you must become! 

His father’s face turns, burns iron-red. The Traveller scans the crowd and sees himself amongst them.

Break the cycle!! 

He carves the air and lands a blow against his father’s neck.

The Traveller—I must break it. I must... 

His body explodes into a Key of Light.

~

Notes

* ‘obedience… until death’ is a translation of the album title from French to English

**The Italics in this passage is what the Seraphim chant. From https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/things-you-didnt-know-about-seraphim.html

*** All italics after the word ‘prayer’ in this passage are quoted from a translation of the Emerald Tablet found in
Brain Cotnoir, Practical Alchemy: A Guide to the Great Work, (2021), Weister Books, p.43.

**** The italics in this passage are littered with lyrics quoted from Doldrum—which are also my ‘black metal lyrics of the year,’ presented in italics. Sourced from the Metal Archives. 

~

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BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2022: THE GOS EDITION

~

Well, fuck. Here we are again.

2022 has been a weird year for me. When I scan my mind for a definitive favorite, an unquestionable AOTY, nothing really stands out as readily obvious enough to take the crown (at least for now, I’ll probably have it figured out by May 2023!). But at the same time black metal has seen such a wide variety of fantastic releases in 2022… enough so that in order to wrap it up I basically just had to sit down and start writing, and really only AFTER I did that was I able to start getting it sorted to the extent that I did. So here’s that narrative, my journey through black metal 2022, although not in chronological order. Things to keep in mind:

[+ I spent more time with these albums]

[++ I spent the most time with these albums]

[*mentions as criticism are in asterisks*]

[AOTY contenders are in BOLD]

~

IMMEDIATE STAND-OUT ALBUMS & EPS

~

Most Difficult To Pinpoint Why It’s So Fucking Good, But It Is: ++ SAIDAN (US) – Onryō II: Her Spirit Eternal

Most Unrecognized On The Top Shelf: ++ ETERNAL HELCARAXE (Irl) – Drown In Ash

Most Earworming: ++ MOONLIGHT SORCERY (Fin) – Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity (ep)

Most What The Fuck Another EP Already?!: MOONLIGHT SORCERY (Fin) – Nightwind: The Conquerer from the Stars (ep)

Most Chiptune: + SKRELLE (US) – Skrelle (ep)

Most Instantly Awesome: ++ SPECTRAL VOID (Fra) – Doomsday (ep)

Most Exclusive Physical: STARER (US) – Remorse Defines Me (ep) [Clear square 8″ lathe cut record from Gorbie Lathe Cuts. Hand numbered edition of 15.]

Most Short But Sweet: ANGELBLAST (Swe/Can) – Throne of Ashes (ep)

Most Album Released By Circle (Order) ov the Black Arts!!!: STRICHT (Aus) – Stricht (ep)

Most Band Name Which Fits The Music: ROSENKREUZGESELLSCHAFT (Twn) – Rosenkreuzgestllschaft (ep)

When considering 2022, the (black metal) albums which tend to come to mind first are SAIDAN’s irresistibly ensnaring and euphoric Onryō II: Her Spirit Eternal and ETERNAL HELCARAXE’s hopelessly catchy, subtly epic and incredibly beautiful Drown In Ash, plus a few others. But my mind immediately considers others and I can’t settle. Then my thought springs to what I have been playing the most and appreciating the longest in 2022. I think that the answer there would have to be MOONLIGHT SORCERY’s mind-blowing symphonic ep Piercing Through the Frozen Eternity, which was shortly followed by a second ep in November called Nightwind: The Conquerer from the Stars. Man, there were a few great eps this year. SKRELLE’s self titled is fucking awesome. SPECTRAL VOID’s Doomsday is fucking awesome too. Also STARER’s Remorse Defines Me, and ANGELBLAST’s Throne of Ashes. Also I was really fucking amped for Order ov the Black Arts’ creative wing/label Circle ov the Black Arts to release the hypnagogic, abberant, self-titled STRICHT ep. Finally, ROSENKREUZGESELLSCHAFT snuck in at the last minute with a wild little self titled flash of well-orchestrated atonality. Though brief, these releases do well to represent a recurring theme to a lot of what I appreciated this year: classic melody, blasting speed, symphonics, and a little bit of avant-garde dissonance.

~

MODERN CLASSICS

~

Most Swedish: + KVAEN (Swe) – The Great Below

Most Swedish But Not From Sweden: + FÄUST (Fra) – Death From Beyond

Most Interludes: ++ STORMRULER (US) – Sacred Rites & Black Magic

Most Half Swedish: IN APHELION (Swe/NL) –  Moribund

Most Emperory: +GEISTLICHT (Ger) – Fading Light

Most Second-Wave Nostalgia: CRYPTOSPITAL (Blr) – The Epitome of Dystopia

Most Better Than I Thought It Would Be: ++ WATAIN (Swe) – The Agony & Ecstacy of Watain

Most Satisfying Return To Form: +BELPHEGOR (Aut) – The Devils

*Most Disappointing But Not Surprising Meh: BEHEMOTH – Opvs Contra Natvram*

Alright, lets talk about that classic melodic black metal, which I mostly associate with a traditional Swedish sound (ie old DISSECTION, SACRAMENTUM, WATAIN, NAGLFAR, DARK FUNERAL, NECROPHOBIC, VALKYRJA, etc.) and which seems to be experiencing resurgence this year with albums like KVAEN’s The Great Below (a rapid follow up to 2021’s The Funeral Pyre), FÄUST’s Death From Beyond, and STORMRULER’s Sacred Rites & Black Magic (a rapid follow up from 2021’s Under the Burning Eclipse). Those were my favorites in this particular vein, but I also enjoyed IN APHELION’s Moribund. GEISTLICHT bore a different sort of classicism with their second album of the year Fading Light, closer to 90’s Norwegian symphonic pillars like old EMPEROR, DIMMU BORGIR, and WINDIR, and thus might also be thought of as 2022’s answer to STORMKEEP. CRYPTOSPITAL returned in short order with The Epitome of Dystopia and their brand of moving raw nostalgia. And of course we can’t forget that WATAIN itself dropped a new album The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain which, while still not reaching the heights of their apex (Sworn to the Dark and Lawless Darkness), still managed to put out their best offering since then. A similar thing can be said for blackdeath titans BELPHEGOR, whose album The Devils is better than at least the previous 5 releases. The same cannot be said for BEHEMOTH. 

~

BLASTERS & DISSONANT / AVANT-GARDE

~

Most Damn Fastest: ++BLACK SHADOW – Last Stage of Transformation

Most Misleading Album Art: VODOEM – Seasons of Silence

Most Relentless: + MISANTHROPÆ (US) – Untitled

Most I Was Forced To Concede: + DEATHSPELL OMEGA (Fra) – The Long Defeat

Most Lovecrafty: BLUT AUS NORD (Fra) – Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses

Most Like A Black Metal Ulcerate, Probably Because JSM Is Drumming: ++ VERBERIS (Ger) – Adumbration of the Veiled Logos

Most …Transformational: ANTECANTAMENTUM – Saturnine December

From BELPHEGOR, segway right in to mentioning a few releases which just fucking annihilate in terms of the aggression, driven primarily by percussion. BLACK SHADOW’s Last Stage of Transformation, for instance. Holyfuck. If anyone hasn’t heard that yet, get on it and at least get through that first solo in the first half of the first track to see just how it wants to burn your soul. Same with the avant-garde industrialesque barrage from VODOEM’s Seasons of Silence, sounding something like one might hear from the likes of REVERORUM IB MALACHT or ENTROPY CREATED CONSCIOUSNESS. The drums are programmed, but I don’t care, that shit annihilates. Even more so with MISANTHRPÆ’s self-titled and more dissonant offering of tireless blasting. Speaking of dissonance, DEATHSPELL OMEGA’s fantastic The Long Defeat won me over more than anything that they have put out since at least Paracletus and perhaps even back to Si Monvmentvm. It also won me over against BLUT AUS NORD’s predictably good Disharmonium – Undreamable Abysses, and usually it’s the other way around. Inthis camp we also find VERBERIS’ Adumbration of the Veiled Logos which essentially sounds like a more blackened version of death metal enigma UCLERATE  (no wonder since both projects have the same drummer) and the decidedly lighter, but incredibly complex, progressive avant-garde wall of sound which is ANTECANTAMENTUM’s Saturnine December.

~

MORE BLASTING!

~

Most Obligatory Mentions: NORDJEVEL (Nor) – Gnavhòl    -&-   NOCTEM (Esp) – Credo Certe Ne Cras

Most Headlining at Legion ov the Black Arts Fest!: BLACK FUCKING CANCER (US) – Procreate Inverse

Most Auditory Eternal Blizzard: + BEKËTH NEXËHMÜ (Swe) – De Dunklas Sorgeakt

Most Listenable Swartadauþuz: GREVE (Swe) – Föllo af Svavel, Lifvets Dimridå

Most At War With Heaven: ++ TROLLDOM (Swe) –  I Nattens Sken (Genom Hemligheternas Dunkel)

Most Like An Owl’s Flight Through A Black Winter Night: + TROLLDOM (Swe) – Av Gudars Ätt…

Most Agonizingly, Fiercely Cathartic: NEAN (Fra) – The Ominous Catharsis

But I digress. About that blasting… There are always the obligatory mentions like NORDJEVEL  with Dominator behind the kit on Gnavhòl, and NOCTEM’s  deathened black battery Credo Certe Ne Cras. And then there’s the 1349-but-heavier-esque BLACK FUCKING CANCER (one of the headliners for our Legions ov the Order fest in July) release Procreate Inverse. Those aside, how can we not mention Swartadauþuz? Dude released NINE albums across seven projects this year, of which I am just starting to scrape the surface. For now I have been most impressed with BEKËTH NEXËHMÜ’s massive, dense, and frigid De Dunklas Sorgeakt, GREVE’s more melodic and accessible Föllo af Svavel, Lifvets Dimridå. But my favorites are TROLLDOM’s duel album drop: the infernal I Nattens Sken (Genom Hemligheternas Dunkel), an AOTY contender with full-on, raging astral symphonic black metal and basically zero restraint within those parameters and with relentless, almost mechanically captivating progressions -and- Av Gudars Ätt…, majestic in a much more “natural” and worldly sense, with drawn out and grandiose movements which focus on atmosphere, emotive variance, and epic soaring. It is entirely worth mentioning that any who may be a fan of that somewhat noisy but epic wall-of-sound approach of Swartadauþuz (particularly BEKËTH NEXËHMÜ) should definitely click on The Ominous Catharsis by NEAN.

~

COSMIC

~

Most Like Slowly Drifting Towards A Black Hole: NUMEN NOCTIS (Aus) – Sanctus Simulacrum

Most Rave Worthy: DÉHÀ (Bel) – Decadanse

Most Like Visiting Space Inside A Cool Spaceship: + VORGA (Ger) – Striving Toward Oblivion

Most Sloooooowwwww But Good: LUNE (Aut) – Hymns to the Lunar Realm

Most Lost Amidst A Vibrant Galaxy: JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS (US) – Infinite Universe, Infinite Death

Most Absolutely Beautiful: FORELUNAR (Irn) – Beloved and a Thousand Seraphim

It seems like a few of the mentions above start to edge near cosmic in sound, so might as well go further and mention the few specifically cosmic acts which caught my attention. NUMEN NOCTIS launched me into empyrean realms late this year, channeling the likes of DARKSPACE and BORGE with sophomore album Sanctus Simulacrum. One of DÉHÀ’s (many) releases this year, Decadance, had a similar sound although distinctly more industrialized, while VORGA’ Striving Toward Oblivion was one of the first things that I heard this year, providing a more traditional melodic cosmic orbit. LUNE’s incredibly grandiose and expansive Hymns to the Lunar Realm, complete with overt symphonics (including brass) and choirs, could only be described as blackened atmospheric funeral doom, whilst JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS graced us with Infinite Universe, Infinite Death, a modern deathened symphonic black metal goliath of galactic proportions. FORELUNAR (my last addition to this list) is technically regional (album is dedicated to women killed in Iran) but the sound is transcendent, celestial, lush, with almost a heavenly drone in its beautiful orchestrated melody, supported by ecclesiastical choirs.

~

REGIONAL

~

Most Cowboy: ++ DARK WATCHER (US) – Frontier (comp)

Most Native American: + VITAL SPIRIT (Can) – Still As The Night, Cold As The Wind

Most Frogs Excellently Used In An Intro: ++ SWAMPBORN (Rus) – Beyond Ratio

Most Siberian Hypothermia: GRIMA (Rus) – Frostbitten

Most Hopelessly Melodic Hooks: + MORGREIM (Pol) – XXII

A handful of releases I enjoyed immensely were quite the opposite of cosmic, regional tomes with specific endemic auditory themes. DARK WATCHER is at the top of my list with Frontier, and I’m cheating a bit here because this ‘debut’ album is really a compilation of previous eps Hymns to a Godless Land and Dark Watcher, but I don’t care because the band’s blatant use of spaghetti western black metal flavor is enough to make WAYFARER blush, and I fucking love it. The slightly deathier VITAL SPIRIT similarly infused Western Americana into their fantastic debut Still As The Night, Cold As The Wind, an ode to Native American decimation and violence. SWAMPBORN came out of nowhere with a fucking AWESOME debut Beyond Ratio, channeling some sort of Slavic ranine marshland gypsy vibes with an incredible array of instrumentation including keys, brass, cello, and accordion. And GRIMA returned once again with Frostbitten, a predictably enjoyable fifth stab at black Siberian folk atmospherics. MORGREIM’s album XXII, while more difficult to pin down a specific local sound, features over the top epic naturalistic melodies (sort of like a blacker, less layered Polish WINTERSUN), submerged screams, and lots of clean female vocals which are pretty good but sound a bit like an anime soundtrack, if one can handle that. 

~

OTHER SUPERIOR ALBUMS

~

Most Powerful Slow Burn: ++ PANZERFAUST (Can) – Suns of Perdition Chapter III: The Astral Drain

Most Mysterious: ++ SKARE (UK? Fra? Aus?) – Skare

Most Ancient Demonic Bloodlust: +SUMERIAN TOMBS (Ger) – Sumerian Tombs

Most Well-Rounded: VANANIDR – Beneath the Mold

Most Portuguese But Better Than Gaerea: ++ ANZV (Prt) – Gallas

*Most Sticky Fingers: GAEREA – Mirage* 

Most Wrenching Vocals: WOODS OF DESOLATION (Aus) – The Falling Tide

Most Grand Finale: + MOURNING BY MORNING (US) – A Step Away From Light; A Step Into Abyss

Most Unsurprisingly Fantastic: + MISÞYRMING (Isl) – Með hamri

Most …National: + HATE FOREST (Ukr) – Innermost

Alright, so where the hell does that leave us? PANZERFAUST, for one. Suns of Perdition Chapter III: The Astral Drain came out this year to wrap up the trilogy, and it is momentous. It is getting overlooked, but there’s a reason (and a remedy). The singles were misleading due to most of the tracks being slower, but there’s enough aggression to balance things out IF the tracks were rearranged and the fairly pointless short interludes were omitted: the order 3 > 9 > 8 > 5 > 7 > 1 is a fully satisfying listen, providing two calm-towards-aggressive waves with the instrumental in the middle and the long epic capstone to conclude. It might also be noted that track 7 is perhaps the best track they have ever written. SKARE’s self-titled debut is a bit of a mystery drop (bandcamp says origin is “France, world”, Encyclopedia Metallum says “Australia”), but an attentive listen convinces me that this is none other than another project from UK prodigy O.W.G.A., the man behind AULD RIDGE and ALBIONIC HERMETICISM, and the Hermetic Order of Ytene label. SKARE is similar in sound to both of those projects albeit slightly more melodic and atmospheric, and I have been absolutely obsessed with all three projects for the last 18 months. SUMERIAN TOMBS returned from the vampiric coffin with a tremendous self-titled tome of contemporary heavy warmth, epic density, and traditional savage and brazen demonic orthodoxy, while VANANIDR’s Beneath the Mold offered up a modern cohesive mix of classic melody, off-kilter savagery, and brooding calculation. 

ANZV dropped debut Gallas hot on the heels of a couple of singles and immediately established themselves for me as absolutely the the most prominent band from Portugal (and one of the most prominent albums worldwide) this year with their ritualistic deathened black metal, far above the likes of their moody, “cathartic”, thieving brethren. If you want catharsis, I recommend WOODS OF DESOLATION’s hotly anticipated opus The Falling Tide. Pioneers of post-black melancholic melodicism, this album is no different and features a vocal delivery which is particularly unhealthy and wrenching but avoids that annoying wailing sound that a lot of DSBM bands seem to employ. MOURNING BY MORNING took me by surprise with a fantastic symphonic black metal offering A Step Away From Light; A Step Into Abyss, which features just a little bit of ‘core heaviness. Finally, a few late releases that could potentially evolve to take AOTY (but at the time of writing this I just have not listened to either of them enough yet). First, MISÞYRMING’s Með hamri, which brings unquestionable and orthodox fury similar in sound to labelmate FUNERAL MIST but with moments which are perhaps even more epic. Upon a cursory listen, I like it more than 2015’s  Söngvar elds og óreiðu, but not as much as 2019’s Algleymi. Lastly, HATE FOREST’s Innermost. I have never really engaged with HATE FOREST up until this point, however Innermost turned the tide with it’s militant blasting, largely gutteral vocal style (with some variety), and engaging melody (which, according to reliable sources is a bit of an evolution with this album and is probably largely the reason that it is sitting so well with me). 

~

“BLACKENED”

~

Most Seems Like It Came Out In 2021, I Have Played It So Much: ++ HATH (US) – All That Was Promised

Most Gratifying Anticipation: ++ AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION (Swe) – Woe

*Most Surprisingly Disappointing: SAOR (Sct) – Origins*

*Most Okay But Disappointing Compared To The Last Album: DISILLUSION (Ger) – Ayam*

Most Ambitious Debut LP: + TÓMARÚM (US) – Ash in Realms of Stone Icons

Most Warm Weather Jam: INEXORUM (US) – Equinox Vigil

Most Mind Fucking Blown In The First Ten Seconds: + FREEDOM OF FEAR (Aus) – Carpathia

Most Difficult To Describe: WAKE – Thought Form Descent

Okay, let’s delve into the margins of black metal and check some of that stuff on the “blackened” periphery. HATH and their form of irresistably catchy, modern, barely-blackened death metal fucking brought it at the beginning of the year with All That Was Promised (I have a feeling that one has a LOT of staying power). But AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION was perhaps my most anticipated release of the year besides SAOR and DISSILLION, and unlike those latter, Woe did not disappoint with their absolutely next level combination of progressive metal, melodic/semi-technical death metal and black metal, shifting seamlessly between elements of technicality, heaviness, darkness, brutality, suffering, and fragility whilst all wrapped up in epic melody to create a complete masterpiece. Same with TÓMARÚM’s debut full length Ash in Realms of Stone Icons, which features many of the same elements mentioned above but with black metal consisting of the foundation instead of progressive death metal, an incredibly ambitious work of maturity, complexity, and depth. INEXORUM flexed their optimistic wind-in-your-hair brand of blackened melodic death metal with Equinox Vigil, while FREEDOM OF FEAR seamlessly melded a greater diversity of upbeat elements of death, thrash, black, and even a touch of power metal with their new album Carpathia. WAKE made some waves with Thought Form Descent and their somewhat difficult-to-pin-down, bristling combination of progressive black metal and melodic grind.

~

DEATH METAL & OTHERS

~

Most Randomly Made Me Obsessed: ++ JADE (Ger/Esp) – The Pacification of Death

Most How TMDC Should Be Sounding – BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS (Aus) – Abomination of the Flames

Most How Gojira Should Be Sounding – NEUROTIC MACHINERY (Cze) – A Loathsome Aberration

Most How Behemoth Should Be Sounding – SIRRUSH (Ita) – Molon Labe

Most Shameworthy Pleasure: ++ LORNA SHORE (US) – Pain Remains

Most Trancelike Experience: ++ HEILUNG (Den/Nor/Ger) – Drif

I got struck with a gnarly recent obsession that has been JADE’s more melodic The Pacification of Death. BEYOND MORTAL DREAMS’ Abomination of the Flames did a damn good job of picking up where THE MONOLITH DEATHCULT has been lacking, NEUROTIC MACHINERY showed me what GOJIRA could have sounded like with A Loathsome Aberration and SIRRUSH’s Molon Labe may hit the spot for those pining for BEHEMOTH’s Demigod era. And then there’s LORNA SHORE’s Pain Remains. Fuck off, okay? I like it. It’s like DIMMU BORGIR took so many steroids that it bro’ed out into deathcore. Reminds me of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE in some ways, although it has the drawback of it’s foundation being deathcore and not brutal death metal. Still though, butween fucking stellar blasting and outlandish orchestration, the engaging guitar hooks, and entertaining vocals, it is enough for me to be willing to tolerate the breakdowns. Special shout out though to the tribal ritualindustrial darkfolk act HEILUNG who dropped new album Drif. True to form, it contains a few tracks on it which are absolutely stunning (tracks 1-3: “Asja”, “Anoana”, and “Tenet”). I was fortunate enough to catch the subsequent tour date in San Francisco and it was one of the best live shows I have seen in years.

Well, that’s it for 2022… until February when I discover too late all those which “got away”. Sincere hails to anyone still reading. Hails to Black Metal Daily and Order ov the Black Arts. Hails to all the great artists and labels out there. Hails to Black Metal!!! Bring on the next round!

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BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2022 WILL CONTINUE.

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

BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2022: The Alaskan Bergwanderer Edition

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All black metal, all day! Everyday! Say it with your chest!

A couple quick things:

1) Anything that has been released in the later part of December is going on a “Best of December” list. I got tired of having something released at the very end of the year tearing up my year end, and giving me that feeling of having to shoehorn something into a list based on name and hype. Hate Forest did it to me two years ago, and now threatened to do it again this year, among other bands. I’m sticking to my guns on this from here on out!

2) I have a lot of favorite EPs for the year, but my list focuses on FULL LENGTH ALBUMS. Why showcase appetizers when I can showcase the full meals? 

3) I had to dig deep on this one this year. As easy as it could have been to thrown the “name bands” on this list, I had to really sit and think about what albums I actually listened to fairly often this year. Not all the name bands got a lot of spins from me. I no longer feel the need to throw all of the “name” bands out there on my list just to echo popular opinion. I hope my list gets people wondering, and hopely you’ll find some new gems for your ears and your collection. 

With that out of the way, here are my personal picks for the top black metal albums of 2022:

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20) TYRANT – Tales of Realms Forgotten

UK purveyors of raw, melodic nastiness.

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19) YMIR – Aeons of Sorrow

A fine sophomore effort by the Finnish Pagan horde, now with Corvus on vocals!

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18) WĘDRUJĄCY WIATR – Zorzysta Staje Oćma

The newest effort from the Polish atmospheric BM gods; a concept album based on Eastern European folktales, and their best work TO. DATE. 

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17) BLOOD COUNTESS – Occulta Tenebris

Something in the water right now in the UK. Absolutely crushing, aggressive Vampyric black metal with riffs for days, and the still not common occurrence of a woman leading the charge and crushing black metal vocal patriarchy with a stellar performance. 

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16) VITAL SPIRIT – Still As The Night, Cold As The Wind

From Vancouver BC we have face melting melodic black metal with tales of anguish of the Native American tribes, with awesome musical moments straight from a Spaghetti Western movie. 

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15) STANGARIGEL – Na Severe Srdca

Let these Slovakians take you on a journey deep into the forests, to mingle with the spirits, and said journey delivered in a musical package that reminds one of The Shadowthrone, For All Tid, Bergtatt, and the like. 

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14) VÉHÉMENCE – Ordalies

The French do Medieval Black Metal juuuust right. This is hyper melodic and blast beat heavy odes to everything mighty and heroic. 

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13) NAHTRUNAR – Wolfsstunde

This Austrian project returns to deliver six new hymns of cold, rather melodic, and dare say uplifting atmospheric black metal. IMO, the best album since Existenz. 

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12) SVELSURDUS – Heathen Chronicles

Don’t let the weird, almost electronica intro fool you, this is by far some of the most well executed Pagan black metal you’ll hear this year, bar none. Musicianship to production is stellar. 

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11) MORIBUND DAWN – Dark Mysteries of Time & Eternity

From the frosty realms of Arizona comes an ode to all things grand about the Swedish melodic black metal scene circa 1994 thru the early 2000’s. They pay homage to Vinterland, Sacramentum, and Unanimated as much as they do Dissection. 

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10) KVAEN – The Great Below

You want riffs? A lot of riffs? A lot of *catchy* riffs? In everything that can be whitewashed in black metal fury? Look no further. Every instrument shreds to pieces on this. 

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09) EOSPHOROS – II

USBM from Portland, Oregon that is severely overlooked. It’s melodic, it’s raw, it’s catchy, it’s some of the best Pagan-themed stuff coming from the US. 

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08) MARRASMIELI – Martaiden mailta

Another great Finnish band, delivering the type of epic as all hell blackened metal that hasn’t hit me this hard since the first few Moonsorrow albums. Nods to Bathory and other greats as well. Music to hike mountains with (speaking from experience). 

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07) LUNAR SPELLS – Demise of Heaven

Savagely melodic and riff forward Greek black metal that pays far deeper homage to the Finnish greats than their classic country mates. If you missed out on this one, I am sorry. 

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06) NUBIVAGANT – The Wheel and The Universe

Black metal this repetitive shouldn’t be THIS DAMN GOOD. And add exclusively clean vocals to the mix, and you have something truly unique and hypnotic. I cannot get enough of this. I expect no less from Italian great Gionata “Omega” Potenti. Dude doesn’t know how to make bad music. 

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05) IKU-TURSO – Into Dawnless Realms

These Finns are here to remind you that aggressive and atmospheric 1990’s Scandinavian black metal is here to stay. Top notch performance all the way around. The perfect companion piece with sister band Korpituli. 

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04) NEBRAN – …Of Long Forgotten Times

This is German black metal on a truly large scale. The pace never goes beyond mid-tempo, but the riffs are furious, and the tone somber. It pulls you in deep and does not want to let go.

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03) FIRN – Frostwärts

This is a relatively new melodic and folk tinged German Pagan black metal project, created by the man behind Heathen folk project Waldtraene, and also involved in Folk rock/metal greats Odroerir. This flew far too far under most radars this year. ‘Epic’ is an overused word in this genre, but sometimes it’s the only one that fits. 

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02) NOCTURNAL TRIUMPH – S/T

This mysterious Swedish project reared its ugly head all the way back in January to bless everyone with a 3rd album of serpentine riffs, blast beats and deep, dark atmosphere to get lost in. These four tracks flow into one another and by no means feels like a 40 min experience. The holding power it had over the year cannot be denied. If not for my #1 coming out a month later, this could have easily taken the crown. 

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01) ELDRITCH – I Shall Raise My Burning Sword

Once again, the UK comes through. I probably have listened to this album the most of any this year, and I still can’t grow tired of it. Raw black metal that draws inspiration from both the Finnish and French black metal scenes, and has an underlying punk aesthetic that sometimes comes fully to light on tracks such as ‘Netherstorm Of Purple-Velvet Khaos’. Absolute perfection. Ask anyone who knows me, they’ll probably tell you I have been incessantly pimping the HELL out of this one, and should surprise absolutely noone to see this on top of the heap. 

BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2022 will continue.

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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 – Full-Length Albums

Not with a whimper, but with a fucking BANG – okay fine, a dull thud at this point, we’re already at least one knuckle deep into 2022 – our long drawn out 2021 LISTCRUSH series finally comes to an end.

Pretty sure I’m the last person anywhere on the planet to publish their albums list each year, but anyway – there were over ten thousand black metal releases vomited forth into the void of rampant consumerism and discogs flipping (or unnoticed and abandoned Bandcamp limbo) throughout 2021. Here I present my 40 favourite full length albums of the thousand-plus I listened to and the couple hundred I shortlisted, a final curation that’s a damn sight slimmer than last year’s overblown top 100 but hey, I’m trying to reign myself in and practice a little restraint. New year, new me and all that (again). Also included are a handful of near misses that I really wanted to make the cut but couldn’t cram in – be sure to hunt them down as well, all of them deserved a spot on the final list.

If you somehow need even more from my curation of superb stygian artistry, seek help, but also feel free to check out my already published TOP 30 DEMOS/EPs and TOP 25 SPLITS lists as well (and scope Tom and Gos‘s lists while you’re at it, they both have impeccable taste). As always, eternal thanks and respect to all artists, labels, reviewers and promoters for keeping the black flame alive. You are all excellent. Support the artists, buy physical copies… aside from that, onwards, ever onwards, forging into the sunset.

Hails.

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NEAR MISSES

• Black Kruud – Delusions Of Gangrene
• Weathered Crest – Blossoming Of The Paths
• Labyrinthine Haze – Descending Into The Deep
• Archgoat – Worship The Eternal Darkness
• Concilium – Desecration
• Ofermod – Mysterium Iniquitatis
• Burden Of Ymir – From Élivágar
• Solipsism – Cruelty & Necrospection
• Nächtlich – Satanas Solum Initium
• Starer – 18° Below The Horizon
• Henbane Chariot – Allpine Séance
• Arazubak – The Haunted Spawn Of Torment
• DSKNT – Vacuum γ-Noise Transition
• Ungfell – Es Grauet
• Yoth Iria – As The Flame Withers
• Ifernach – Capitulation Of All Life
• Norse – Ascetic
• Korpituli – The Ancient Spells Of The Past
• Inferno – Paradeigma
• Lamp Of Murmuur – Submission And Slavery
• Abstracter – Abominium
• Miasmata – Unlight: Songs of Earth and Atrophy

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TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2021

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40. Bræ – A Thousand Ways To End It All (Amor Fati)

Sounds like: a completely anonymous album released with no fanfare at all that zero people paid attention to. Seriously, I saw nobody talking about it, perhaps because at first glance/listen it’s quite nondescript. However, settle in and let this noisy, hypnotic and abrasive monolith of longform depression obliterate your soul and I’m sure you’ll agree: more people should have paid attention to this shit.

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39. Pan-Amerikan Native Front – Little Turtle’s War (Les Fleurs Du Mal / Stygian Black Hand / Nuclear War Now! Productions)

Sounds like: triumph, tragedy and pure grit, passed down through tales and shamanic rituals for eternity. Kurator of War‘s second full-length was the perfect prelude to his astonishing split with Kommodus; this man is never short of a riff.

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38. Firienholt – By The Waters Of Awakening (Fólkvangr Records / Naturmacht Productions)

Sounds like: Caladan Brood, but somehow even more enjoyable. This mysterious horde of UK Tolkien fanatics knocked it out of the park on their first full-length effort. More please.

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37. Nansarunai – Ultimul Rege (Banner Of Blood / Ancient Horror Records / Black Gangrene)

Sounds like: that moment when you’re deep in a tomb filled with the corpses of ancient warriors and kings… and they all suddenly come to life and want to kill you, so you’re torn apart by undead royalty from a bygone era. Something like that. Cold, vicious and powerful raw black metal filled with yearning, this is about to cop an LP release via Black Gangrene. Grab it if you’ve missed every other version, you chump.

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36. Lionoka – Tides Of Triumph (Old Mill Productions)

Sounds like: stunning traditional acoustic instrumentation woven around furious black metal. The naturalistic sound alone of this US First Nations black folk solo project is incredible and will hit you deeper than you could ever have expected.

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35. Nazxul – Irkalla (Seance Records)

Sounds like: vibes. No, seriously – the third album of an almost thirty year expression of darkness from these legendary Australians is less of a “pay attention to the intricacies” type of deal (not that those intricate details aren’t fucking fantastic) and more a just let it wash over you and sear your soul kind of record. Irkalla is an album you FEEL, and it grew on me every time I heard it. The perfect album to have playing in the background as you go about your day – it’ll infect everything you do.

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34. Blurr Thrower – Les Voutes (Les Acteurs de l’ombre)

Sounds like: being lifted out of your corporeal form and dragging your spirit downward; sinking below in a burst of pale light like some kind of transcendent reversed rapture. As I said in my REVIEW, anyway. The kind of album that makes you enjoy it – the choice is not up to you.

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33. Burier – Cremation Of Lingering Hope (GoatowaRex)

Sounds like: MAGGOTS UNDER YOUR SKIN CONSUMING YOUR FLESH but you’re still conscious and can feel every tiny bite but it feels soothing and right and you realise you are one with the earth and this is forever now. This Australian project loves death, dying and being dead, and I love this Australian project.

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32. Lunar Spells – Where Silence Whispers (Northern Silence Productions)

Sounds like new Greek black metal that sounds like old Finnish black metal. Everyone knows I’m a huge fan of albums that make me feel like the last twenty years never happened (shut up, I have a great life) – Where Silence Whispers falls firmly into that category.

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31. Fosso – Solo Amargo (Galafoice / Death Manifestations)

Solo Amargo sounds like witnessing some strange, strange magic at work in the dizzying heat of the deepest, most clandestine forests of Brazil. The synth? Spot on. Bass? Perfection. A remarkable debut that deserves both more attention and a follow up. Stat.

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30. Gorgon – Traditio Satanae (Osmose Productions)

Sounds like: the French pioneers once again showing everyone how it’s done. I rated this 4/5 in my REVIEW and I’d rate it even higher now. If you don’t like this you’re a coward, I don’t make the rules.

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29. Crucifixion Bell – Eternal Grip Of The Nocturnal Empire (Crown & Throne / Dybbuk Productions / Inferna Profundis Records / Black Gangrene Productions / Banner Of Blood)

Sounds like: staring into a mirror as you slice your face open, peeling and tearing back the skin until you’re standing there screaming at yourself with your own bare skull. I said in my Splits Listcrush that Crucifixion Bell is one of the premier raw black projects around today – if you’ve heard his other works and STILL need more proof than this album, there’s no hope for you.

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28. Dødsferd – Suicide And The Rest Of Your Kind Will Follow Part II (Fucking Your Creation Records)

Sounds like PURE FUCKING HATRED OF ALL HUMAN LIFE from the Greek underground legends. The title alone of this album will get you banned on social media, which ironically is just another example of how shit things are and how much we all suck. This record doesn’t suck, though. Read my REVIEW of it if you don’t believe me.

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27. Morte Incandescente – Vala Comum (Signal Rex)

Sounds like: black metal that absolutely does not give a single fuck about you, any current genre trends, or anything else at all. Portuguese legends Vulturius and Nocturnus Horrendus have been in the game since before you stopped shitting in diapers, and it shows. Killer. Bang your fucking head.

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26. Funeral Winds – Gruzelementen (New Era Productions)

This tasty slab of demoncy goes HARD. The word Gruzelementen translates to “smithereens”, and that’s exactly what will be left of your head after it’s been shattered by the sheer orthodox fury of this record – the way it maintains its horrifying hunger throughout is beyond impressive. Whilst other bands try to sound “Satanic”, Funeral Winds, the product of one Dutchman Hellchrist Xul, honour the ancients and achieve it effortlessly. Sounds like: being swallowed by the gaping maw of the dark lord.

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25. Stygian Ruin – The Blackened Temple (Independent)

I discovered this one thanks to Aesop of Agalloch, to whom I owe my gratitude – this Norwegian blend of dungeon synth and black metal surpasses all the usual results of that all-too-common marriage and becomes almost cinematic in scope and execution. Sounds like the soundtrack to the coolest movie you’ve never seen.

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24. Nigrum Pluviam – Eternal Fall Into The Abyss (Signal Rex / Asylum Tenebris)

Sounds like: the abyss staring back into YOU, as I wrote in our PREMIERE of this raw French insanity. This is probably the kind of thing that many of you would skip over in a second, but it’s exactly the type of thing that many of you SHOULD be listening to in order to plumb the wretched depths of the darkness within. You’ll feel better for it, trust me. An all-consuming vortex of primitive negative energy, older than time itself.

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23. Tyrannic – Mortuus Decadence (Seance Records / Iron Bonehead Productions)

This Australian oddity sounds like throwing your head back, howling in rabid, slavering fervour at the moon and diving headfirst in to a reeking open grave. I returned to this far more often than I originally thought I would. A criminally underappreciated band – Tyrannic operates in a space far and away from others of their ilk.

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22. Vahrzaw – The Trembling Voices Of Conquered Men (Transcending Obscurity Records)

Sounds like: me putting this in here because George said he’d break my legs if I didn’t. I kid – album kills. This is the best record these surly Australian black-death bastards have done since the last best record they did, so you should probably buy it. Word is their next one will be a complete change of direction as well… get keen for that.

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21. Крюкокрест – Домовина (Cold Sword Productions)

Sounds like: withering Ildjarn-esque black punk with enough wrath and spite to fuck anyone up. The debut album of these Russian Pleskau Brethren members annihilates their already great first demo and split with Леший from 2020. Here’s hoping they bring the ruckus again in 2022.

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20. Ahulabrum – Daimonic Reality (Atrocity Altar)

Most people will probably hate this, but it sounds like if cryptids made tape montages of themselves terrorizing people and the resulting recorded testimonies of the victims, mashed up like audio scrapbooks. Returning (with old unreleased material, the project is laid to rest) extraterrestrial US raw black/noise/ambient project Ahulabrum quietly released one of the most fascinating and weird tapes of the year. The truth is out there.

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19. Baxaxaxa – Catacomb Cult (The Sinister Flame)

Sounds like: the continuation of a MIGHTY return. The legendary Baxaxaxa keep the flame burning strong with an album of old school purity that does everything right; I hope we get many, many more records from them now that they’re rolling again.

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18. Mork – Katedralen (Peaceville Records)

Sounds like… TRVE NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL. I said it best in the introduction to my INTERVIEW with Thomas: “Katedralen represents a more confident and honed collection of songs than Mork has ever had, at once immediately recognizable as Mork and becoming the natural evolution of the sound Thomas has been building since the inception of the project. These tracks marry a chilling aura of rising nocturnal demoncy with the storming caliginous fire of quintessential TNBM, rocking like a bastard whilst soaring with unmistakeable grandeur and grimness – the perfectly executed juxtaposition of epic, longing elements against primal neck-wrecking riffage ensure tracks ‘Arv’ or my personal favourite ‘Det Siste Gode I Meg’ (and any others really, they’re all fucking fantastic) will remain seared in your memory for an age.”

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17. Sarkrista – Sworn To Profound Heresy (Purity Through Fire / Worship Tapes)

Sounds like even more Finnish black metal perfected (by German transplants). Can you tell I’m partial to classic Finnish melody? Sarkrista are one of my favourites, and for very good reason – their third full-length uses those melodies to immediately plunge into a feeling that does not waver or fail for the entire record. A marvellous achievement from a band that hasn’t fucked up yet, and seemingly never will.

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16. Black Spirit – El Sueño de la Razón Produce Monstruos (His Wounds / Infinite Night Records)

Spanish raw black solo entity Black Spirit has been a regular showing on my Listcrushes of late, but this evocative full-length based on an aquatint by the late Spanish artist Francisco Goya is the sound of main man Javi hitting next level. Just released on vinyl via His Wounds a few days ago, too – order it or hate yourself. The sleep of reason produces monsters indeed.

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15. Misotheist – For The Glory Of Your Redeemer (Terratur Possessions)

Speaking of hitting next level, these Norwegians jumped up another three or four levels with For The Glory Of Your Redeemer. Immense, sprawling, intricate, multi-latered and multi-textured – no matter how many descriptors I spew out, the fact remains that this is purely and simply one of the finest examples of mystically and spiritually resonant black metal to emanate from Scandinavian shores in some time. Oh, and the LP packaging is probably the most luscious I received all year as well. Impressive all around.

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14. Kæck – Het Zwaarte Dictat (Folter Records / Hessian Firm)

Sounds like: a fucking tank (or something equally as heavy) crushing every bone in your body to dust. I REVIEWED this beast from the Dutch destroyers and gave it 4.5/5; in hindsight it probably should have broken the rating system and stood on its own because nothing else released this year was as infused with such ULTIMATE NEGATIVITY. So overwhelmingly bleak and brutal it becomes almost beautiful to witness.

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13. Los Males Del Mundo – Descent Towards Death (Northern Silence Productions)

I first heard this album when I was in intense physical agony whilst walking at night in the rain, and it hit me in such a way that it left an indelible mark on my soul. In fact, I think it ruined every other album of similar style that was released last year – nothing else matched up and all just sounded rather boring. Ergo, I have returned to this many times since and will likely continue to for many years to come. Sounds like: the very essence of trial and tribulation.

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12. Aquilus – Bellum I (Blood Music)

Sounds like: listening to someone far too talented to be creating music within the sphere of extreme metal. Speaking in a compositional sense Australian Horace Rosenqvist is streets ahead of everyone else on this list and Bellum I, unveiled ten years after his last release, is spellbinding as he trips the light fandango through a maze of gorgeous neoclassical or progressive soundscapes and technical blackened brutality with startling ease. I even get more out of tracks like the purely piano ‘Moon Isabelline’ than anything, which is saying a lot.

“What did the music mean to you?”

“I don’t know. It is full of emotion… but it’s not happy.”

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11. Pestilential Shadows – Revenant (Seance Records)

Australian black metal project Pestilential Shadows has been around for quite some time now. The masterful Balam created the project in 2003, and I can say with hand on heart – out of five previous full-length albums and a handful of splits and demos, 2021’s Revenant is, in my humblest opinion, his finest hour with this project. The type of record that needs to be sat and listened to in order to appreciate the depth and spiritual resonance within, this took me completely by surprise – and I already expected it to be good. Just sit and listen. You’ll see.

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10. Koldovstvo – Ni Tsarya, Ni Boga (Fólkvangr Records / Babylon Doom Cult Records / Extraconscious Records)

If you want to understand the magic of this mysterious (possibly Russian?) entity, listen to the second track ‘II’ from their quietly affecting debut album Ni Tsarya, Ni Boga – if the combination of catchy eastern European melodies emanating from ancient aeons past, haunting clean vocals (that somehow remind me of Garm‘s opening cleans on ‘Wintry Grey’ every time I hear them even though they sound absolutely nothing alike) and harrowing shrieks all wrapped up in a delicately crumbling production doesn’t leave your jaw on the floor, you’re either one cold motherfucker or probably dead. The rest of the album is also neat. Will we see more from this enigmatic entity? Here’s hoping.

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9. Reverorum ib Malacht – Not Here (Rubeus Obex)

Sounds like: a biblical depiction of total and complete destruction, obliterating all, from the very mouth and voice of God Himself. I’m going to take a bit of liberty here and say you NEED to also listen to the pseudo-companion piece Svag I döden that was released alongside this record as well, because in my opinion, they are best consumed as a complementary pair. Both albums are impossible to fully explain or quantify in this short paragraph… just read my REVIEW to get an idea, then listen and be blown away.

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8. MOON – Pandimensional Gnosis (Moribund Records)

Sounds like: early Xasthur being sucked into a black hole. Or a k-hole. Or both at the same time. Australian wretch Miasmyr‘s first full-length album in over five years did not disappoint in the slightest and only becomes more and more dysphoric and dissonant the deeper you fall in; I dare you to listen to this and not completely detach from reality. Supreme atmosphere.

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7. Grey Aura – Zwart Vierkant (Onism Productions / Kunstlicht)

Sounds like: ART. Six and a half years in the making, Zwart Vierkant not only is a work of art but deals with it in its subject matter as well. It’s based upon a novel written by founding member Ruben Wijlacker which “tells the story of an early 20th century painter who becomes obsessed with the Russian art movement, Suprematism, which idealises the abstract and rejects traditional artistic concepts” and this synergistic approach seems to inspire great creativity – which includes the disregarding of any elitist-imposed boundaries to carefully construct a dazzling stream of post-modern, almost surreal wonders and ruinous black metal to tell that tale. They take that black metal and wind it around their fingers like a cat’s cradle game, seamlessly incorporating different colored threads from any genre they see fit to create startling patterns; truly genre-bending and unique in the best spirit of the form and proving once again that the Dutch scene is one of the most forward-thinking in the world. An astonishing album that I had the pleasure of PREMIERING and speaking about with its creators, this is a modern classic that made an impact.

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6. Warloghe – Three Angled Void (Northern Heritage)

Sounds like: an album recorded in the ’90s, buried in a box under six feet of soil and only unearthed last year. No matter how eclectic my tastes can be these days as an old fuck, I’ll always remain that teenage elitist deep in my heart – you know, the guy saying black metal should be disgusting. It should be dark as pitch. It should attempt to summon forces beyond our reckoning. It should be the rotting, cancerous tumour destroying the world via sheer force of hatred… it should sound something like Warloghe‘s Three Angled Void.

I didn’t know this legendary Finnish project was busting out another album, but it certainly hit an unexpected and very welcome sweet spot for me. Building on their 2017 comeback EP Lucifer Ascends whilst ironically descending to more horrifying depths than they ever have previously, it might be nothing that people who’ve been around since before the Y2K bug fizzled out haven’t heard before – but it’s probably exactly what those people wanted to hear in 2021 without even realizing it. If Kæck up above was pure negativity, then Three Angled Void is the audio manifestation of loathing personified. Magnificent, and absolutely vile.

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5. Negură Bunget – Zău (Lupus Lounge)

Stright up – I did NOT expect Zău, the final swansong of Negură Bunget and tribute to Negru, to be this damn good. The previous few Negură Bunget records didn’t particularly land with me as they should have, but as soon as I pushed play on Zău I was breathlessly captivated from beginning to end and lost within the realm created by it. I’m listening to it again right now as I type, and still cannot believe how incredible it is. Sounds like: wandering the magical caves, mountaintops and glades of an icy world so pure, crystalline and beautiful you’ll feel your very spirit reinvigorate just by breathing the air of an album so immersive you can almost feel it in your lungs. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect parting note.

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4. Antichrist Siege Machine – Purifying Blade (Profound Lore Records / Stygian Black Hand)

“But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.” – Jude 1:10

You checked out the latest offering from blasphemic US annihilators Antichrist Siege Machine yet? If not, you’re fucking up in a big way because whilst 2019’s debut full-length ‘Schism Perpetration’ was an insane achievement, they’ve outdone themselves here – against massive odds, ‘Purifying Blade’ is a step forward in every aspect. A more razor sharp production means these riffs utterly lacerate your flesh as your bones are pummeled to dust, whilst their relentless savagery is given more dynamism (meaning they can now kill you in 36 different ways before your body hits the floor). Not one track is a dud, the interludes of bible verses are spot on – is it the best war metal release of the year? Yes. Have the piss beaten out of you and witness heaven being torn asunder by the entire thing below, if you don’t believe me. Vicious shit that sounds like… a knife in the very heart of God.

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3. CODE – Flyblown Prince (Karisma Records / Dark Essence Records)

And thus, the mighty and malignant < c o d e > did return. The UK progressive/avant-garde black metallers finally unleashed their wonderfully wretched and weird fifth full-length Flyblown Prince last year, and all I can say is… FUCKING HELL. Coming home to the experimental black venom of their early days yet also utilising some of the same softer-textured approach of their later work when necessary, the record is quite literally astonishing from the very first listen. This dark and dissonant nightmare fantasy was a hair’s breadth from taking out my album of the year slot, and is probably on equal footing with Resplendent Grotesque as my favourite of their works. Stunning.

“We hope you enjoy the album, and that the pain and toil was worth it. You eternally indebted wayside pastors…”

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2. Plebeian Grandstand – Rien Ne Suffit (Debemur Morti Productions)

If Flyblown Prince was a “FUCKING HELL”, Rien Ne Suffit by eschatonic French maniacs Plebeian Grandstand is a “HOLY FUUUUCK”. Idiosyncratic, intense, insane, barely music at times – Rien Ne Suffit cruelly smashes avant-garde black metal, jazz, hardcore, abrasive noise and mangled electronics together into something that sounds like total, ravaging mental torture. This record alternately makes you what to tear your hair out and smash through a fucking wall. You want the most messed up album of the year? This may just be it. And after two of the most mental albums you’ll hear in your life taking up the number three and two positions, we come to…

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1. Djevel – Tanker som rir natten (Aftermath Music / Tour De Garde / Mindscrape Music / Impure Wedding Productions)

…my album of the year. I fell in love with the seventh album from these Norwegian legends from the very first notes; by the time I’d finished my first spin I knew it would be an album that would become part of my musical DNA from that moment forwards. Why? Because this is absolutely quintessential, classic TNBM executed to perfection. The type you can feel. Moonlit magic whirls from these songs and embraces your soul with yearning, the riffs are incredible, hell even the acoustic break of the title track is mesmerizing – I’m not sure if it was the addition of Kvitrim of Mare on vocals/bass that’s made a difference (I certainly enjoy his vocals more, for what it’s worth) but whilst every Djevel album to this point has been great, Tanker som rir natten sounds like a band hitting upon their ultimate, true form. I never reviewed this, but I’d be hard pressed to not give it 5 / 5 and have almost worn the tape out already… if you haven’t listened yet, or you did and it didn’t click at the time, my sincerest advice to you is to give it another try. Majestic in every possible way, and I very, very rarely say this with any degree of seriousness… a modern masterpiece. Hail Djevel.

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BLACK METAL DAILY’S LISTCRUSH 2021: The GOS Edition

Well folks, it’s been a helluva year in black metal. Just like last year. And the one before that… and the one prior, and so on. Seems like a damn near impossible task at this point to keep up with all of the amazing music produced on a weekly basis in our obsidian corner of the metal world, let alone try to sift through and pick out those gems which, for each of us, really stand out and shine with that blackened light. Yet, here we are. End of the year list time again. Aside from borrowing from a handful of reviews I’ve already done this year, I’m just gonna start writing about the shit that I liked. Let’s call it … a memoir. My black metal top 50 memoir of 2021, ready? Here we go.

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ALBUM OF THE YEAR

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CÂN BARDD (Switzerland). My word, do I love that Devoured By The Oak album, currently listening on a daily basis! Came out towards the end of the year (November), but by my third playthrough I knew that it was in serious danger of usurping WINDFAERER for the number one spot of the year, a band which had laid claim to that position since like July or so. And I think it has done that. Not only did Devoured By The Oak manage, to some extent, to shove aside all other 2021 considerations, it also fuckkkking annihilates the previous CÂN BARDD discography, by a considerable degree IMO, reaching the grandiose folky realms already occupied by kings like SAOR, BORKNAGAR and WINTERSUN… and this somewhat sounds like a combination of those bands. Every song is a goddamn epic, and everything is perfectly timed and placed, all the somewhat awkward, clunky aspects of previous albums (which I never really got into at all) completely streamlined, cleaned up, and dialed in, particularly the drums. On top of that, it was released at the perfect time for me, the turn of the season into winter, right when I am in the mood to listen to exactly this sort of thing. It’s. Goddamn. Beautiful. 

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TIER ONE

[five creations of black art]

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And WINDFAERER’s (US, New Jersey) Breaths of Elder Dawns? It is excellent as well, right up there and by far my most listened to album of the year. Kudos to them for damn near achieving, with only violin (and a few extras here and there), the epic levels for which many other bands require an entire orchestra. They went from being a pretty good black metal band with good violin to really taking it to the next level in terms of composition and complexity and weaving it all together. They still very clearly have a black metal foundation, but there’s a lot of artistic, avant-garde elements which really make it massive, make it a masterpiece, yet without getting too off track. I think that with this album they have really broken free and reached a new pinnacle, not only in comparison to their own previous work but in comparison to any relevant subgenres of extreme metal in general: melodic black metal, post black metal, progressive metal, et cetera, with comparisons also to SAOR but additionally acts like NE OBLIVISCARIS, HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY, and PANOPTICON. 

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FUNERAL MIST (Sweden). Can’t fuck with FUNERAL MIST. Surprise release with Deiform at the end of the year, but no surprise at all that it takes a top spot for me. Filled with blazing, unhinged riffs, unparalleled vocal variety, infernal blasting on all aspects of the drum kit, and a healthy dose of the religiously macabre, Mortuus delivers exactly what we would expect of black metal orthodoxy. Perhaps not as hellish as Devilry, not as blasphemous as Salvation, not as twisted and grotesque as Maranatha, not quite as contemplative as Hekatomb. Closest to sound to the previous two, but Deiform is darker and with more fire. It overtakes them on the speed/aggression factor and ultimately probably stands above Salvation as well. You cannot fuck with FUNERAL MIST.

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The atmospheric/symphonic subgenre, like the folk/pagan selections (overtaken by CAN BARDD), was the victim of a late coupe. While ANGUIS DEI had hung on since the beginning of the year, right at the end I became completely infatuated with the complex epic / symphonic / progressive / atmospheric project ETHEREAL SHROUD (England). Trisagion is made up of three massive tracks (four on the physical releases) which total out to almost 65 minutes (closer to 80 on the physical), each of which are comprised of three movements. It is beautiful and powerful, bright and melancholic, creative and devastating, contemplative and expansive all at once. Incredible release that I am just starting to scrape the surface of. 

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ANGUIS DEI’s (Japan) Angeist is a goddamn masterpiece. Man there is a LOT going on.  A ton of variety within an orthodoxically satanic, symphonic, avant-garde scaffold, successfully managing to combine, intentionally or unintentionally, many of the attributes of the very best sounds that symphonic black metal has ever had to offer. It sounds “classic” within the SBM vein, but the staggering amount of variability within that scaffold and overall cohesion is what really makes it a force to be reckoned with. It’s like… when the fucking five Power Rangers come together to make that big fucking robot? This is that robot, the rangers are CRADLE OF FILTH, EMPEROR, VESANIA, ANOREXIA NERVOSA and ROTTING CHRIST and if you are a fan of those bands then this album is essential. Every instrument is masterfully utilized and the vocals are just maniacal. 

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MAQUAHUITL (US, Tennessee) – Con Su Pistola en La Mano [ep] is hard-hitting, galloping, cutthroat southwestern bandido black metal. It’s practically impossible to not fall back on WAYFARER, but best as a contrast instead of a comparison: MAQUAHUITL is faster, dirtier, more focused, more aggressive, and more capital-B-and-M-Black-Metal, and would be better compared in sound to DARK WATCHER or VITAL SPIRIT or, even better, something more orthodox like SKAN or GLORIOR BELLI, yet allowing an even more cross-cultural elements to permeate the music, with Latin guitars, wind instrumentation, and cumbia percussion. The album revolves around the legend of Mexican outlaw and folk hero Gregorio Cortez attacking, killing, and evading American Texas Rangers on the Mexican-American border, June of 1901.

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TIER TWO

[ten creations of black art]

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FERRITERIUM (France) gave us a fucking excellent second album entitled Calvaire, which is very straightforward and clean, but not particularly innovative, original, raw, or any other extreme. Nonetheless, in some sort of way this album is… -perfect-. No frills classic melodic black metal with riffs that literally do not quit, there’s not a single thing about it that I do not like.

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A new discovery for me was the post/progressive WOMAN IS THE EARTH (US, Minnesota), with new album Dust of Forever, which manages to be surprisingly rabid, dynamic, and exalted all at once, achieving a breathtaking level of beauty without using any synth at all, as far as I can tell. The ever-soaring, unrelentingly  dynamic nature of it somewhat reminds me of stuff like SUHNOPFER or AORLAC possibly, although WITE is a bit more… ‘post-black’? At any rate, the melody and somewhat lighter aspect of it helps me keep up with the twists and turns.

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VORTEX OF END’s (France) Abhorrent Fervor is a slightly death-tinged, powerful, rabid yet artistic orthodox black metal album with an array of exciting elements, not least of which the goddamn vocals (handled by no less than three members) accounting for the insane variety of screams, roars, growls, yells, chants, whispers, and cleans. FFOs include other French acts like AOSOTH, ANTAEUS, TEMPLE OF BAAL, and (definitely) ARKHON INFAUSTUS, but also (and maybe even more so) the unabashed horns-in-the-air rocking-fucking-black metal of MISÞYRMING’s Algleymi, a more muscular evolution of ASCENSION (particularly the auditory occult mysticism of Consolamentum), and the infernal, grinding-riff ferocity of Gaahl/King era GORGOROTH. 

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Gonna admit that although I am (still!) having a bit of trouble absorbing it fully, I’m pretty damn intrigued by FYRNASK’s (Germany) new opus VII – Kenoma, which for me falls right in with the likes of the heavily meditative SCHAMMASCH and vividly ritualistic MEPHORASH, although it is more dissonant, dense and abstract than both. 

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VVILDERNESS (Hungary). Significantly more of a banger than previous releases, As Above, So Below nonetheless manages to maintain the sublime Hungarian folk sounds which are completely unique to this band and meld them with a heightened momentum and aggression for a really cohesive listen. Although it is hard to beat the serene natural harmony of Devour the Sun (2018), I do think that I am enjoying this new one even more than 2020’s Dark Waters.

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You know who else got heavier? PANOPTICON (US, Minnesota). Fantastic right? Austin has always had that amazing Americana folk aspect and it’s in full effect with …And Again Into The Light, but as a whole the album is way heavier than I thought it would be, bringing in some doom and death elements, and so massive that I still feel like I’m just beginning to scrape the surface of that one. Fucking huge, and I love it. 

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The INHERITS THE VOID (France) album Monolith of Light is stellar cosmic black metal. I absolutely love the cinematic, epic melodies on top of that speedy percussion, the chaotic swirling on the guitar layers, and the sheer immensity of everything that’s going on, all of the different simultaneous tracks and layers. There’s so many things about this that sound atmospheric, from the keyboards to multiple guitar tracks to the drums… I want to get to know this album well, to find all of those intricacies and nuances that I can tell are there but can’t possibly absorb without more playthroughs. FFO: MARE COGNITUM

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ARISTARCHOS (Scotland) gave us an excellent self-titled debut which, harnessing blackened stormwinds, is more terrestrial but no less catastrophic. Although unrelated, ARISTARCHOS’ sound is directly in line with that perfected by Naas Alcemeth’s projects, specifically NIGHTBRINGER, with a similar layering of falsetto guitar lead, although somewhat less massive and overwhelming in general. Nonetheless, I fucking LOVE the sound and I knew that this album was placing somewhere on my year-end list on the first listen. 

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Kudos to NULL (US, Virginia). I’m actually a little surprised I like Hiraeth so much, considering its immense diversity. It has a black pagan/folk scaffold but that structure is filled in with damn near everything: neofolk, thrash, epic melodeath, rock, spaghetti western, pop punk, humppa, American folk… the list just goes on and on, and every time I listen to it, it seems like I find something else. The double-CD album allows for a ton of FFOs (including FALKENBACH, FINNTROLL, SAOR, WINTERSUN, ELUVEITIE, UNREQVITED, CATAMENIA… shit, even old OFFSPRING!) with 18 tracks and a runtime of about 110 minutes, it’s honestly good fortune that the entire thing is as great as it is. 

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Since I already have so many FFOs flying around here, I might as well get into another fairly obvious parsing together of amazing elements from black metal history and talk about the STORMKEEP (US, Colorado) album Tales of Othertime. Between 90’s era EMPEROR, DIMMU BORGIR, BURZUM, SATYRICON, and WINDIR, there isn’t really much that hasn’t already been done here, but goddamn they put it together SO fucking well and have such masterful songwriting, that this debut LP was born an instant classic. 

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TIER THREE

[twelve creations of black art]

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Near the top of the ‘orthodox’ list is a close-to-my-heart Order ov the Black Arts-born debut which features elements of both cosmic and industrial black metal, but still manages to emit a distinctly demonic air: PALUS SOMNI’s (US/England) Monarch of Dark Matter. Comprised of members of ANCIENT HOSTILITY / ALUDRA, DECOHERENCE, and AKHLYS, it is a debut which is industrialized but raw, vast but dense, measured but chaotic, and progressively driving with increased conviction towards inevitable galactic annihilation. I had the honor of facilitating a bit of networking for the creation of this project, and also the honor of contributing the sigil logo.

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Also hellish but in an entirely different way, MORGAL (Finland) came out of nowhere, amirite?! Nightmare Lord is blazing, beer-drinking black metal combined with a nostalgic NWOBHM classicism… it’s like if you took the ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’ (Iron Maiden) cover by CRADLE OF FILTH, cranked up the ferocity factor a bit, gave it a bunch of cocaine, and then made an entire album out of it. There’s also a sort of more belligerent thrash or almost punky aspect to it, and some parts remind me of TSJUDER or RAVENCULT.

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THERMOHALINE’s (Brazil/Portugal, Belgium, Argentina) mind-blowing avant-garde, ocean-themed album Maelström was the first album that I reviewed this year and it set the bar high. It has a massive, multilayered array of complexity and depth as well as almost baffling progression, disparate approaches, and seamless melding of many different styles and details, including industrial elements. This is avant-garde extreme metal at its best, and it could certainly claim black metal as a central core, but what is being presented with Maelström (apt title) goes way beyond that. 

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Moving from outer realms towards inner depths, we have the particularly hellish and subterranean Paradeigma: Phosphenes of Aphotic Eternity from the ever-evolving INFERNO (Czechia). Notable with this latest and highly anticipated album is the truly cavernous and oppressive direction, not least of which is exemplified by the buried vocals and hallucinatory, esoteric crush of doom-laden black delirium. 

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Then, on to AULD RIDGE (France) and his latest offering of venomous Consanguineous Tales of Bloodshed and Treachery, featuring fantastic fiery riffing, galloping percussion, spiteful vocals, excellent use of menacing, epic synth, folky acoustics, and even some twang once in a while. Think the riff / vocal savagery of GORGOROTH’s Under the Sign of Hell, combined with the bombastic synth grandiosity of LIMBONIC ART’s The Ultimate Death Worship… with some pagan influences thrown in. Somewhat arbitrary to include this album (released in May) or December’s Consanguineous Tales of Faith and Famine.

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MALIGNAMENT’s (Finland) debut album Hypocrisis Absolution, was released in September, but is officially the last album I found which made the list, not discovered until the first week of January, 2022 and sneaking into placement on the last edit. I wish I had found it sooner! It forgoes the typical Finnish top-of-the-mix vocal abrasion for some more subdued and slightly deathened style which includes what comes close to chanting yells at times. Somewhat like PANZERFAUST. Musically it has a similar groove at times but with fiery riffing appropriate for the country, and Viking elements thrown in. Thanks to Hells Headbangers for advertising this one for purchase… don’t mind if I do!

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FRIISK’s (Germany) new album …un torügg bleev blot Sand seems to skate that line between being orthodox but also melodic and atmospheric. What it really reminds me of is the defunct ANTLERS (also from Germany), to the point that I thought it was a continuation of that project, expertly incorporating grandiose melancholy, somewhat subdued vocals, highlighted epic lead guitar, pensive plodding intermixed with driving aggression, and even the use of somewhat martial percussion (ie. compare ‘Mauern aus Nebel’ with ANTLERS’ ‘Hundreds’). Even the logos are similar. At any rate, fantastic stuff. 

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One-man monster KRVNA (Australia), gave us a blasting, stylized, subtly symphonic and precise black metal assault which boasts amazing drums and lead guitar. Dubbed ‘vampyric’ by its creator, Sempinfernus seems to be such in concept alone, and really seems to have sonic roots in 3rd/4th wave clean aggression, sitting somewhere in between turn-of-the-millennium DIMMU BORGIR, DARK FUNERAL, and BEHEMOTH, but the best of all three.

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Another marine-based album which came to the surface only in the last few weeks of 2021 was LHAÄD’s (Belgium) release. Inspired by the depths of the sea, Below ended up being much heavier than I initially assumed it would be, almost death-metalish in some parts, crushing in its fluidity. This surprise (along with the more deathy PANOPTICON), really helped to fill a void for me this year, since there ended up being relatively very little death metal which really caught my ear.

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CRYPTOSPITAL (Belarus)! Damn… Scythe of the Black Death caught me off guard. Fast-paced, unpolished, aggressive, melodic atmospheric black metal with cool as fuck vocals. Takes a minute to get going, but once that first track hits around 2 minutes and 15 seconds, it hits pretty damn hard.  Then holy FUCK! Listen to that part at 6:25 and then even more so at like 6:50, THEN AT 7:10 !!!! This is classic melodic black metal PERFECTION, no joke! And that’s just the first track!

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Man, the new OSSAERT (Netherlands) also kicks ass. Though not described as such, it almost makes sense to think of Pelgrimsoord as a sequel to the debut album Bedenhuis (2020), a surprisingly coherent mix of raw / melodic / progressive / punkened black metal, and exceptional songwriting. Track two, ‘De Val en de Beroering’ is particularly fantastic and contains one of the best progressions of the year, with a ludicrously badass driving progression, intoxicating lead riff, and a repeatedly thrashing, convulsing bassline that I can’t even really begin to describe. 

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AVDAGADA (Sweden) – Damnatio Cursus [ep] is well-produced, aggressive riff-based deathened black metal with nuanced synth and fantastic vocals. FFO GLORIA MORTI, KRYPTAN (see below). Not to get off topic, but GLORIA MORTI happens to be probably my all-time favorite band from Finland, so a comparison is definitely saying something.

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TIER FOUR

[twenty creations of black art]

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THE WOLF GARDEN (England) was a close-to-the-last minute addition that had initially escaped me in the oversaturation of the final months of 2021. It was my brother-in-arms Naph (co-conspirator in our conversational FERVUS CONJUNCTUM reviews at Black Metal Daily) who pointed out the verifiable virtues of Woven of Serpent’s Spines. Almost equal parts nature-inspired emotive atmosphere and driving, elevating post-black melody, I couldn’t help but notice a similarity between it and the also excellent WINDFAERER release (sans violin). An excellent album.

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For FELLED (US, Oregon) the expected Pacific Northwest, Cascadian folk tag is right on target with fantastic melodic passages, soaring guitars, tumbling drums, and an organic mix. The Intimate Earth also wields  imperfection well and embraces a certain looseness, a natural imprecision and unpolished quality which produces an unparalleled sense of grounded earnestness and honesty. 

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KRYPTAN (Sweden) – Kryptan [ep] Is classic ‘third wave’ melodic Swedish badassery with a dash of synth and a good dose of excellent vocals. Another band (read: NORDJEVEL, HORDE OV HEL, AVSLUT) which is doing DARK FUNERAL way better than they are doing it themselves. Also FFO: NAGLFAR, TRIUMPHATOR.

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The release which is more black metal than black metal, from a band which takes orthodoxy quite literally and manages to be often exponentially more demonic sounding than 99% of the scene at any given point of time… despite being devout Roman Catholic: REVERORUM IB MALACHT (Sweden). Though two albums were released at the end of summer simultaneously, it is the more aggressive and grinding Not Here which really caught my attention with its continual percussive battery, massively down tuned bass, terrifying and sublime vocals, and insidious industrial grind. I’ve said it before and it is still relevant: With this project, for me the end result is not *enjoyment* but *awe* instead. 

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SUMERIAN TOMBS (Germany) – As Sumer Thrones At Night [ep]. Far from the romantic or historical vampiric sound of current BM trends, what we have here is a connection to a bloodthirsty source which is more ancient, primitive, pervasive, and infernal… and this is reflected in a more orthodox and demonic sound. 

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RÜBEZHAL’s (US, Alaska) Remnants of Grief & Glory consists of exalted, triumphant black metal melodies gust over layers of deathened, burly vocals, and a harnessing percussion and overall songwriting. Expect fiery riffing, brief but effective guitar hooks and well-placed cascades of irresistible, driving blasting, and tempered sections which build and overflow into more commanding, groovy progressions. Each song provides its own take on this fantastic resonance of exaltation and brutality, utilizing a classic, melodic black metal approach with a weighty application of death metal and even doom elements.

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CARATHIS (Austria) – Hymns to the Tower [ep] is blasting, raw(ish), thrashy, and has riffs that smolder in your brain after just a single listen… just straight up unadorned classic black metal! FFO TSJUDER, RAVENCULT, ASAGRAUM

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SALQIU (Brazil) – Urban Post Black [ep] is a short, avant-garde and somewhat industrial black art offering, fantastically resonant and disorienting EP, the sound of which may be translated into the experience of a perfect, brief soundtrack to urban angst.

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GRAVENCHALICE (US, Florida) dropped another one! I don’t like Samael quite as much as their previous, it’s a bit more methodical and doomy, but still awesome. A concise description would be elements of the dissonant occult gravity and dynamic atonality of DEATHSPELL OMEGA, perfectly conjoined with the sublimely melodic, intractable momentum of MGLA, but better the most recent offerings from both. Finally, a few that are a bit more ‘old school’.

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NOLTEM (US, Connecticut) I perceive as having a heavily water-based sound overall, and Illusions In The Wake is like a lucid, surreal dreamstate, with meandering acoustic recurrence over nonchalant percussion which seems to unfurl in jazzy eddies, delirious distorted strings, and harsh vocals, often with a faint rush of turmoil, building inertia, and apexes which overflow into an expansive, beautiful cascade. It also boasts one of the most unabashedly colorful album covers in recent memory.

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An act that I did not realize was so melodic until I finally caught up with it was this year’s Dy’th Requiem For The Serpent Telepath was ESOCTRILIHUM (France). Mislead by perhaps a faulty perspective on previous releases, I expect oppressive, harsh, dense heaviness, not the pervasive melodic aspect which is present here. I’m talking real melody, classic black metal melody. Not just thrown in amidst a bunch of oppressive dissonant blasting, but instead a melody with emphasis and space created for it which brings to mind shit like old DIMMU BORGIR (think ‘Mourning Palace’), CALADAN BROOD, LIMBONIC ART, and FALKENBACH. 

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DARK WATCHER (US, Arkansas) – Hymns Of A Godless Land [ep] is high energy, horns-in-the-air, spaghetti-western-flavored americana black metal, short and sweet. FFO recent MAQUAHUITL, VOLAHN, and VITAL SPIRIT.

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MORKE’s (US, Minnesota) We Are The River is a must-mention; a very personal, genuine, melancholic, introspective, powerful, beautiful 80-minute release, poignant both from a conceptual and auditory perspective. Truly an ambitious project, which clearly demonstrates that the project needs a good label contract.  

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AGRYPNIE (Germany) graced us with Metamorphosis, boasting a fairly heavy symphonic element, and affixing it into an overall style which is altogether more modern and progressive, resulting in some massive, crystalline, and powerful material. Think HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY but more epic arrangements and less irritating vocals, and also FFO BELTEZ, GAEREA, and VUKARI. 

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With this year’s Arkivet, WORMWOOD (Sweden) went in the direction that I hoped they would. Each song is more in line with what I particularly appreciate from previous works (specifically the PINK FLOYD-esque guitar lead), and each one has nuances that continue to reveal themselves after a few listens. I venture to say that even though Nattarvet’s finish sets the bar for peak WORMWOOD, overall Arkivet is the better album. 

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This would normally be the place I would place the ever-productive UNREQVITED, probably my favorite black ‘post / gaze’ project and a frequent entry on my AOTY lists. However, although it is good (and I still bought it) the ultralite Beautiful Ghosts album didn’t resonate with me as much as the quite similar but darker and more sinister HÆNESY (Hungary). Featuring lush atmospheric delirium, buried and indistinguishable vocals, and excellent black metal drive at times (‘Drowning In The Final Intellect’), Garabontzia certainly put this project on the map for me. 

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GRANDEUR (Austria) – Aurea Aetas is unfancy, violent, but melodic black metal with some fiery lead on top and blasting galore, hitting that prototypical black metal sweet spot and hitting it hard with the backing force of some driving crust/punk inertia! 

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VUKARI (US, Illinois) – Omnes Nihil [ep] is progressive black metal done perfectly: great focus, great balance, great drive, great production, this time a bit heavier than their last album. This band just gets better and better with every new release. FFO BELTEZ, GAEREA

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KAMPFESWUT (Germany) – Kampfeswut [ep] is stripped down, squealing, punky black metal with an AGALLOCH-ish folky acoustic element. 

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DUSK IN SILENCE (Indonesia) also hit a sweet spot with me for reasons which are a little hard to put a finger on other than the fact that Beneath the Great Sky of Solitude’s memorable riffs and outstanding progressions just immediately wormed their way to my mind loop to the point that I grabbed that LP one Bandcamp Friday. 

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HONORABLE MENTION

[not black art]

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To round out 2021 with a solid top 50, I’ve got FALLENSUN (Canada) – The Wake of the Fall. Epic progressive melodic death metal at it’s finest. I have a MAJOR weakness for this sort of stuff and my all-time favorite album (ever) would fall into this description (DISILLUSION – The Liberation). FALLENSON do it near perfectly, a gorgeous melding of deeply moving euphonies and deathened extremity, this debut album elevating them to the heights of fellow aeronauts AN ABSTRACT ILLUSION, NE OBLIVISCARIS, ETERNAL STORM, COUNTLESS SKIES, IOTUNN, IAPETUS, and DESSIDERIUM (who’s 2021 album Aria has at least some potential beat out The Wake of the Fall once I give it a fair shake). 

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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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