The name DWARROWDELF originates from the Tolkien universe as the Westron name for Moria or Khazad-dûm, the bridge of Khazad-dûm being the starting location of the epic battle between Mithrandir and the Balrog. More on this later…
Tom O’Dell is the man behind Dwarrowdelf. I’m always impressed by artists who are able to turn their hands to multiple genres and generate worthwhile music, with names like Jake Rogers and Isaac Faulk coming to mind. Amongst some prior bands, Tom also plays guitar in Battle Born (an Elder Scrolls themed Power Metal band) and forms half of Gimli, Son of Glóin (a Tolkien themed Death Metal / Grindcore band), both of which I highly enjoyed. Involvement in a wide variety of musical styles has clearly influenced Tom‘s writing for Dwarrowdelf and led to the band progressing to what it is today.
Dwarrowdelf commenced as a Tolkien themed Epic Black Metal project, a sub-genre I describe as a blend of Atmospheric Black Metal and Ambient / Dungeon Synth elements. Summoning are the well known originators of this style, however Dwarrowdelf is far from a Summoning clone. The first two albums The Sons of Fëanor and Of Dying Lights have a much lighter approach to the style, similar to that of fellow UK counterparts Firienholt. If Summoning was the cinematic theme to Mordor, these albums are much more suited to the glory days of the great Dwarven Halls. The third album, named Evenstar, signified the first step away from these Epic Black Metal beginnings whilst retaining their roots. The incorporation of some harsher vocals and melo-death elements marked the beginning of a change in direction for Dwarrowdelf, setting the band apart as something truly unique. This change has gone a step further on The Fallen Leaves, with the Tolkien themes being replaced by Elden Ring. So, what does this mean for the music..?
The album opener ‘Within the Ashes, The Ember Still Burns’ commences with ominous synths, pierced by light keys. These two elements merge into a melody that briefly leads you into a dreamy lullaby before fading into the first full length track ‘A Journey to Dawn’. As the harsh vocals commence it is clear that the melo-death influence that crept into Evenstar is here to stay, but pleasingly so is the epic sense of melody. The distance between these two elements during the first part of the track allows both to shine, but the real magic happens when they combine. The melody turns into a guitar riff and the tension built in the beginning of the track between these elements is released.
‘To Dust, We All Return’ sees the epic atmospheric soundscape persist in the backdrop, but the rise and fall of the track is more dominated by the switching up of clean and harsh vocals and the introduction of some crunchier guitar and blastbeats. As with the prior track, all of these components interweave as the track builds, before masterfully combining as the track reaches its crescendo.
‘This Shattered World’ was the first pre-release single for this album, which has already had many listens from me. Out of the gate the melo-death influence on the start of this track is much more pronounced than the preceeding two, but again the track falls away into Epic Black Metal territory before rebuilding its intensity again.
The next three tracks all include momentary surprises which add to the variety of the album. ‘Escape the Dreamspire’ showcases a little more of Tom‘s harsh vocal range pushing the music into new territory. Less than halfway into ‘Deliverance’ we’re treated with an unexpected breakdown, and the track then proceeds with a choral section of multiple vocal layers before its dramatic (and heavy) end. Finally, the album closer ‘The Fallen Leaves’ sees the music descend into a full Dungeon Synth passage before regaining its intensity again.
The strength of this album is in the varied songwriting capability that Tom has crafted over the years. The Epic Black Metal origins form the core of the sound, but Tom has been able to layer other genres onto this base and, more importantly, interweave them. Combine this with a dramatic sense of space and some surprising twists and you end up with something truly unique.
Whilst Dwarrowdelf may have stepped away from Tolkien themes on this latest album, this review certainly hasn’t. In Moria (Dwarrowdelf), Mithrandir fought the Balrog and fell to his demise. He returned the same man, but with more abilities and greater power. Such is the tale of Dwarrowdelf on the ‘The Fallen Leaves’. The same bones are there, but Tom has levelled up his abilities… and isn’t afraid to use them.
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‘
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 OakCivelli 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‘
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.
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.
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.
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.
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‘
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.
1. Lorna Shore – … As I Return to Nothingness. (Century Media)
How can a three track EP be my favourite release of the year, you ask? Simple – it’s sensational. Whatever places Lorna Shore went in the short time since 2020’s Immortal must have been imbibed with some kind of magic, as this EP takes every element I loved about that album and dials it to 11. New vocalist Will Ramos is an exceptional talent, the melodic writing is delicious from the guitar leads to the ever-growing symphonic/blackened influence, and the breakdowns are a whole new level of give-no-fucks fun. All eyes are on Lorna Shore for the full-length follow up to this, and if the quality is this high again, I can’t see another band coming close to catching them.
Essential tracks: All of them, there are only 3!
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Words of Farewell; VOLA; Edu Falaschi; Fallensun; Ghosts of Atlantis
I also released music this year! If you’ve got this far, I’m allowed to blow my own horn a little:
Sojourner – Perennial:
Dwarrowdelf – Cold Lie the Ashes:
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Black Metal Daily‘s LISTCRUSH returns with The GOS Edition and Dex‘s full-length album Edition soon.
Follow Black Metal Daily on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Bandcamp HERE for more cult sounds and tonal blasphemy.
Greetings and infernal salutations warbrothers and assorted kvltlords. Dex again, this time sharing the list of my favourite EPs and demos (worth more than your life. Is that joke old yet?) from the past twelve months.
Somewhere in the vicinity of three and a half thousand black metal demos/EPs alone were released last year. Of course I didn’t check them ALL out – I do possess at least some vestiges of a life – but this list represents the cream of the crop of what I did spend time with and kept returning to over and over again. Yes, there are an excessive amount of Near Misses. But even they were culled from a towering stack of hundreds more and all of them are worth your time (hell, even I’m surprised some of them didn’t make the cut for the main list). So without further ado… my 30 favourite EPs and demos of 2021. Apologies in advance, I’ll be back before you know it with my full-lengthalbumslist. Hails.
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Near Misses:
Gaahls Wyrd – The Humming Mountain
Cathedrals In The Night – Demo I
Selvans – Dark Italian Art
Grinning Death’s Head – Cataclysm
Katabasilisk – Sunset Of Solemn Silhouettes
Sapientia Diaboli – Black Is the Messenger. Black Is the Destiny.
Stikkersvin – Kælderens Barn
Vaal – Het Vagevuur
Lamp Of Murmuur – Punishment and Devotion
Shades of Vrsaj’kett – What Lies Beneath Gravel & Soot
Irae – Dangerovz Magick Zpells from the Mesziah of Death
Sojourner – Perennial
Mooncitadel – Onyx Castles and Silver Keys
Merzuul – Gallipoli
Förgjord – Ruumissaarna Pt. 2
A Mournful Path – Upon Mounds Of Flesh And Ash
Ifrinn – Caledonian Black Magic
Kudlaakh – Beyond A World Of Illusion
Ŭkcheănsălâwit – Alaskan Escape
Kampfeswut – Kampfeswut
Tumultuous Ruin – Demo I
Sentiero dei Principi – Romantic Black Metal Manifesto
Sightblinder – Relinquishing Light
VzörbrëzV – Ébloui De Ténèbres
Wampyric Rites – The Eternal Melancholy Of The Wampyre / Demo III
Sounds like: “A burning fire both immediate and resonating from times of old. A feeling of being totally lost, yet coming home. Destruction and rebirth. Writhing in eternal torment and bursting with limitless power. A burning, overpowering and obliterating rage… and soaring triumph.” Well, that’s what we said when we premiered a track from this one-two punch from the kings of the Greek underground. It still sounds like that to me now.
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29. Dwarrowdelf – Cold Lie The Ashes (Independent) UK
Sounds like: Nepotism. Nah, I genuinely love what our man Tom does, and here he pushes the Delf sound further than ever. He also completely owns that B-side cover – if you didn’t know, you’d swear it was a Dwarrowdelf track. Really looking forward to the new album he may or may not be recording (and I’m not being obtuse – I really have no idea what he’s doing).
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28. Kerasfóra – Denn Die Todten Reiten Schnell (Templo del Sol Muerto) Chile
Sounds like: Evil red eyes looking at you from the darkness behind that gate on the cover. This sinister blend of DS infused, hypnotically paced, medieval raw black is captivating – the kind of thing everyone should be paying attention to but barely anyone does.
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27. Xirgan – Prolonging The Archaic Slumber (Independent) USA
Sounds like: What you love to stumble across when you’ve been scouring the backwoods of the internet for great new shit but only discovering steaming hot garbage. At least, that was my situation when I discovered Xirgan anyway, and it’s stuck with me ever since. A great collaboration between several raw USBM names that does everything absolutely correct for me, this was released on cassette alongside the also quite nice first demo The Alchemist’s Curse so I could have cheated and thrown them both on here. Start with this one anyway. Side note: it also has a Harry Potter logo on the artwork… do with that information what you will.
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26. Tharagavverug – Vile and Loathsome Discord / Thin Is the Veil Betwixt Man and the Godless Deep (Rat Covenant) Romania
Okay fuck it, I AM going to cheat here, because this tape released by Rat Covenant combines both demos from this Romanian newcomer. Tharagavverugcould sound like just another one of the million projects that do this sort of thing and I might have skipped over – if it wasn’t for the way it incorporates ’80s horror movie soundtrack vibes on occasion, and also just plain rips.
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25. Trhä – Inagape (Independent) Unknown
Sounds like: Trhä‘s stunning earlier 2021 demo Ihum Jolhduc parking its ass on my list for basically the entire year… until Inagape dropped right at the death, somehow managing to top even that and leaving my jaw in a gape. I’m not sorry for that joke. Get fucked.
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24. Nächtlich – Bewitched Under Hollow Nightskies (Vinland Corpse) Canada
Sounds like: Well. If you’re not attuned to the wretched delights of these Canadians after how many times I’ve shitted on about them and how often they’ve made my Listcrush in previous years, just listen to this tape and be forever converted. One of the rawest and also best things they’ve done lately, which is saying more than you could imagine.
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23. Hope Drone – Husk (Independent) Australia
Sounds like: An already excellent post-black band experimenting with what they do and coming up with something alternately shattering and breathtaking. I’m sure I said this last time, but come and tour down Melbourne way again soon, lads. Husk is the most accomplished and evolved record you’ve ever done and I need to see this stuff live.
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22. Krvna – Sempinfernus (Seance Records) Australia
Sounds like: “…lush, sanguine grandeur that pays respect to the ancients like Emperor but forges a path all its own. Showcasing top-notch writing and attention to detail, the melodies are sublime, every note dripping in midnight majesty and malice … a perfect paean to the eternal torment and savage will of the immortal beasts of the millennia.” Taken from our interview with main man Krvna Vatra Smrt, that description sums up this utterly sumptuous smorgasbord of vampyric black metal delights quite well. Superlative stuff, salivating for the upcoming debut album.
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21. Carathis – The Amethyst Fortress (Labyrinth Tower) Austria
Sounds like: That glorious album cover given sonic form, with a twist that only preternaturally gifted composer Erech Leleth could provide. He appears in this list twice and genuinely writes some of the most thrilling shit around. Just hook it to my veins.
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20. Sørgelig – Slaves Of Tomorrow (Repose Records) Greece
Sounds like: You know those guys who stand on street corners holding signs saying “the end is nigh” and proselytizing to anyone within earshot? This sounds like that. But the dude is also on fire. And trying to bash your head in with whatever he can get his hands on. Even when they get punkier than usual, Sørgelig remain underrated as fuck and completely incredible.
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19. Jernved – Stormvarsel (Independent) Denmark
Sounds like: The ’90s never left and all those bands you discovered and tapes you traded back then are magically new again. Absolutely top notch stuff; the type of quintessential black metal you can put on at any time and it always hits the spot.
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18. Black Kruud – The Staircase of Interdimensionality (Moonworshipper Records) Canada
Sounds like: fervent nocturnal worship from the otherrealms, by way of throwing a drum kit down twelve flights of stairs. Kidding – but I do absolutely adore the clattering cacophony this side project of Gamzhurm from Nächtlich creates. I could listen to it all day. You should too.
Sounds like: Wandering centuries-old crumbling ruins and feeling the lingering vibrations of those ancient civilizations resonating deep within your soul. The type of raw black metal to leave an indelible mark, you’ll hear from this side project of Vritra from Brånd and Kringa again on my next list.
Sounds like: The ineffable Fog doing what he does best whilst bringing his superb Golden Horde saga to a close. Or, “wielding his mastery of classic black metal and bending it to his will to crush the listener underneath and leave us breathless”, as we said in our glowing review.
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15. Hekseblad – The Fall Of Cintra (Fólkvangr Records) USA
Sounds like: The rich and immersive world of The Witcher perfectly translated into black metal form. I rated this 4.5 / 5 when it dropped and it more-or-less managed to hold that score down since. Killer shit. They also just released a follow-up EP that expands on their sound; be sure to bust a nice big suss all over that as well.
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14. Apparition Of Sunlight – Wilt of Rose’s Crimson (Demo MMXXI) (Tour De Garde) USA/Canada
Sounds like: FUN. Which is weird for a demo with such melancholic tendencies, but I’ll state right here and now that it is categorically impossible to listen to this new raw melodic project from members of Fin (RIP), Délétère and Aleynmord and not thoroughly enjoy oneself. Can’t wait for more.
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13. Spiral Staircase – Cellar Dream (Lampshade Tapes) USA
There isn’t a single release since 2017 that Justin (aka Dread of Drekavac, Triangulum and more) hasn’t put out in his latest creative incarnation as Spiral Staircase that I don’t adore, and Cellar Dream keeps that streak going strong. At ten minutes long, the insistent rotting melodies within sounds like the kind of thing I’d leave on repeat for hours on end. Because I did, many times. Absolutely vital raw black metal.
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12. Леший – Поганые сны (Horrible Room) Russia
Sounds like: filthy, filthy dreams. That’s what the cyrillic title of this fucking stupendous demo by Russians Leshiy translates to anyway; one listen to its gnarled and ravenous spiritual rawness and you’ll certainly decide these are the type of dreams you love to have. And I don’t mean it’ll make your night shorts all sticky. Although it probably will.
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11. Somme – Prussian Blood (Death Kvlt Productions, Death Prayer Records) Finland
Sounds like: Being dropped smack-bang into the middle of WWI alongside members of Fallen Forest / Coniferous Myst, who then proceed to provide the perfect soundtrack for the misery, death and agonizingly hard-fought triumphs around you. Pretty much the same as their first EP, only even better.
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10. Etxegiña – Herederos del silencio (AbArt Corruption, Vertebrae) Spain/France
Sounds like: One of the most honest and powerful EPs to see the light of day in 2021, and a remarkably versatile one too. These four tracks each have their own singular mission yet fit together like a hand in a glove; plus, no matter what they do, they’ll stir your blood and get you up out of your seat. Check our previous interviews with main man Waldo for the incredibly affecting story and context behind it all.
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9. Ancient Mastery – The Chosen One (Death Prayer Records, Northern Silence Productions) Austria
Sounds like: Magnificent, hammering epic black metal with more ideas crammed into three tracks than that entire stylistic sub-genre can usually come up with in several years (and our Tom seems to come up with half of those anyway). Erech Leleth‘s other entry on this list. The man is truly unstoppable and this EP is dazzling.
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8. Crucifixion Bell – Astral Famine Chambers (Nithstang, Forgotten Sorcery Productions) USA
Sounds like: Being buried six feet deep in a coffin filled with tiny bloodsucking bats / swirling psychic vampire spirits and frantically trying to dig your way out whilst being fed upon before you’re sucked dry. The black metal tracks on this EP are two of the finest and most creative to appear all year, prolific sole practitioner The Astral Serpent (check out Fåvnesbane and all his other projects if you haven’t) just does not fucking miss.
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7. Krigstjørn – Liv, Død og Mellemvejen (Tour De Garde) Denmark
I can’t remember who shared this when I first saw it, but I owe them a debt – I wasn’t aware of this fresh Korpsånd Circle entity at the time and it ended up being one of my most played demos for the rest of the year. They also dropped another great demo (Skikkelser) later on in November which for whatever reason I haven’t been able to spend that much time with yet, so you should probably check that one out as well.
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6. Ärid – XIII – The Putrefying Rest (Death Hymns) USA
Sounds like: Being dead but your consciousness remains trapped in an eternal nightmare, bound to your decaying body so you’re forced to slowly experience yourself decomposing over endless time. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky in recent years but I haven’t come across much of this sort of thing lately (“thank fuck” I hear most of you say) but the weird magic created by thin, hornet’s nest guitars, absolutely disgusting vocals and tin-can yet creative drumming still hits the spot just as well as it did when I used to hear it done on the regular, and thankfully I still have Ärid to deliver it to me. Everything this project does is fucking great.
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5. Tirgûl – The Victorious Star (Independent) Netherlands
I actually discovered this super late in the year via one of Neill Jameson‘s lists for No Clean Singing (which are also fantastic, check them out if you haven’t) but I’ve listened to it daily since and can’t believe how good it is. I was intrigued when he described it as sounding like something that would have been on Hot Records back in the day; for those of you who don’t know what that means I guess just think of this EP as a spiritual sequel to the original recording of Stormblåst and you’re in the ballpark.
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4. Μνήμα – Spectres Of Oblivion / Gathering Sorcery to the Eternal Portals of the Past PT II / Flesh Prison (Escafismo, Phantom Lure, Crown and Throne Ltd, Hexenkult, AbArt Corruption) Greece
Sounds like: The most messed up, harrowing shit you’ve ever heard in your life. Yeah I’m cheating throwing every EP/demo the mysterious Greek tomb-dweller released this year on here, but no two releases are alike and all of them should be on this list, so deal with it. And listen to them all. Now. The forthcoming full-length Disciples Of Excremental Liturgies will blow your fucking mind, by the way.
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3. Bat Magic – Feast Of Blood (Sore Ear Collective) Unknown
Sounds like: SCREAMING, FLAPPING, FEASTING BLACK SORCERY. The first track I heard from this mysterious new Ordo Vampyr Orientis coven shot through me like a bolt of electricity; the rest of it surpassed all my expectations a zillion times over. Even in the more sedate, mystical, or just plain fun as hell moments it feels like everything about it is redlining to 11 (not least of all the vocals), and it contains probably one of the best riffs of the year to boot (I’ll let you figure out which one) as well as the best conclusion of just about any release anyone put out. The hardest hitting demo / EP to slap me in the face this cycle, by far… I need more. MORE. MORE!!! HAIL THE BAT!!!
“Just remember… you’ll dig two graves instead of one.”
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2. Immortal Forest – Howls From The Primordial Ones (Elderblood Productions) Unknown
You know when you find something that does absolutely nothing new at all, yet seems to do it perfectly? Elderblood Productions‘ 20th release Immortal Forest – Howls From The Primordial Ones is exactly that. As we said in our review: “Attitude, sound and aesthetic all align in a perfect storm encapsulating the quintessence of underground black metal. Even within the boundaries of their sound all elements are near flawlessly balanced. The visceral rawness, vocals like wind roaring bitter and cold through the trees, the melodies ablaze with zealous sorceries atop brittle percussion – despite the razor-sharp abrasion and searing obfuscation of the production these four compositions radiate an ancient and fervorous majesty, largely due to the fact that no amount of distortion can hide the beautiful melodies at play. Each track is a stunning expression of darkness and creates the type of swirling, heady delirium that regular patrons of the label and raw black cult acolytes will no doubt drink up like spilled claret from a jugular vein.”
The title track from this might just be my favourite demo song of the year, but the entire thing is impeccable. If the description above sounds at all within your wheelhouse I highly suggest you immerse yourself in it post-haste. Thou shalt be consumed.
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1. Kêres – Flaming Ash (Terratur Possessions) Finland
It takes no more than sixty seconds once you’ve pressed play on Flaming Ash, the latest EP from Circle Of Ouroboros composer Atvar‘s long running project Kêres, to realise the sheer quality that lies within this release. One minute maximum is all you need to feel that riff sink in; one minute until the vocals begin so soothe your soul. A few people said the last album Ice, Vapour, and Crooked Arrows had somehow lost a little of the Kêres magic – if you were one of those people, put those thoughts right out of your mind because from beginning to end Atvar is firmly back on top of his songwriting game (as if he ever wasn’t, really) and the flow from early Katatonia-esque melancholia to turbulent black storms and back again is nothing short of exquisite.
In this piece I’ve mentioned the best demo riff of the year, demo song of the year. Flaming Ash is without a shadow of doubt the best overall EP of the year. Get yourself a copy now. Hails.
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Listcrush returns with the Tom O’Dell Edition, Gos Edition and Dex full-length album Edition soon.
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Greetings, infernal warbröethers and all that. After a marathon stretch we’re finally here, hammering the last rusty nail into our 2020 LISTCRUSH series – the full-length albums that resonated most with methroughout 2020. At a cursory glance,Metal Archives has 3146 full-length black metal albums logged as being released last year. Of those, I probably only checked out around a thousand, tops. So remember: this is in no way a definitive list. I’m not the grand arbiter of taste or final word on anything. These are just the records that tickled my own personal blasphemy glands juuuust right.
The original shortlist was over 200 albums long and I’ve (excruciatingly) whittled it down to a hundred of the finest – there is no “near misses” section, because in a year in which we were absolutely spoiled for good music as most had much else better to do in quarantine, there are simply too many that would have very deservedly made the cut.
There are records that immediately blew my mind (number 92, number 2, number 8), records that crept up over time to become firm favourites (number 31), expected hypebeasts (number 4) and records that deserve FAR more attention (59, 63). There were things of beauty (58, 24) and ugliness (49, 38). There are records that I fell asleep to almost every night since they were released (number 3), thrilling new discoveries (95), old masters making a triumphant return (6)… and in the case of number ONE, records that unleashed their black irradiant glories extremely late in the year yet annihilated everything else that had come before.
If any of the album titles are highlighted, clicking that will take you to our coverage of the album (reviews, premieres, interviews and all that good stuff). This list is strictly black/blackened, so if you’d like recommendations for other genres hit me up – for example my top death metal album was Ulcerate, of course, followed by Atræ Bilis. I’d probably give label of the year to the untouchable Debemur Morti Productions and if you want to check out what I consider to be the strongest demos, EPs or Splits I heard last year, readPart 1HERE and Part 2HERE.
That’s it. Have at it, Listcrush is finally done for another year. Hails.
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TOP 100 ALBUMS OF 2020
100. FORTRESS OF THE OLDEN DAYS – Verlassenheit(Worship Tapes / A Pile Of Graves)
1. ABIGOR – Totschläger (A Saintslayer’s Songbook) (World Terror Committee)
I originally intended to keep it simple and wasn’t going to write anything at all about any album on this list, but I simply have to say a few words about this diabolical gem. After TTblew me away at the death of 2019 with the dazzling NEDXXX (well, personnel are still as-yet unconfirmed but I’d bet a solid hundred that he and Rune from Shaarimoth were involved) he’s done it again with Abigor‘s twelfth album, Totschläger (A Saintslayer’s Songbook). I’ve been listening to these nine tracks repeatedly since release and over countless spins each experience brings something new to appreciate and astound – be it tiny details in each intricate composition, or an entirely new favourite track each time. Silenius from Summoning puts in what may be the best performance of his life here, too – I liked Höllenzwang, but this proves Abigor remain at the absolute top of the game. I mean, just check out the final moments of album closer ‘Terrorkommando Eligos’ – what other band would have the testicular fortitude and sheer unbridled ability to pull off what’s ostensibly a minute or two of wild, slavering, black metal drum & bass?
THIS is, hands down, the best black metal album of the year for me. Listen to it. Hail Abigor.
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Ultimate respect to all artists, labels, writers and supporters of the blackarts. You are all lords.
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As with last year, I’ve decided to create two definitive lists recording my favourite discoveries this year – the black metal list to stay on brand for this site, and the non black metal list because I’m really not as kvlt as I should be. These are the albums I kept coming back to for more, the ones that really stuck with me; in my opinion, that’s the mark of a great album. Even if it’s not technically the best thing ever written, if you enjoy the hell out of it and can’t put it down, it’s done something right. So, without further ado…
This year was the year I stuck my head into deep waters of the raw side of black metal, undoubtedly due in no small part to the unrelenting chaos of the world around us. Whilst mostly diving into past releases I’d missed, Ascend Towards the Moon’s debut instantly grabbed me with its beautiful-yet-haunting artwork, chaotic-yet-calming riffing and a pervasive sense of otherworldly mystery; I’ve found myself often returning to it to kick off raw binges as the days continue to grow bleak.
An album I reviewed quite recently, Winterlore earns its place on this list by being a thoroughly satisfying listen time after time. The band isn’t reinventing the wheel, but they certainly don’t hold themselves out as attempting to do. Instead, all the fun and drive of the riffier classics from the second wave (think Immortal) is competently refreshed for the modern day and sprinkled with a touch of epic scope. I do tire a little of the fuzzier production, especially when compared to the shining mixes elsewhere on this list, but it’s totally appropriate for the style and is easily looked past. After all, when the riffs are this fun, why would you complain?
Essential tracks: ‘Eternal Defiance’, ‘Dark Tempest’, ‘Spears of the Dead’
A relatively straightforward melodic black release, Spectres from the Old World really shone for me with its replayability being one of its major assets. Boasting exactly the production you’d want from an album like this – clear and professional without softening any of the bite – Dark Fortress conjure a cold yet catchy landscape that never feels as long as its 58 minute runtime, helped by a variety of sub-textures that support the blackened assault and ensure it doesn’t get stale. Similar releases in the meloblack field (such as Naglfar) failed to grab my attention this year, and in a way it’s quite difficult to quantify why. What is clear is that Spectres is a riff-tastic whirlwind of an album, and it’s a blast every time I listen.
Essential tracks: ‘Coalescence’, ‘Pulling at Threads’, ‘The Spider in the Web’
I wrote up this album back in May, in which I stated that “it’s a record that grows with each listen, new nuances revealing themselves every time”. I am clearly a wise man blessed with exceptional foresight (or just lucky), as my appreciation for Ruadh’s second full length album still continues to grow. My various criticisms still stand, but the fact remains that I’ve gone back to the record time and time again this year, and expect to continue to do so for years to come – and it’s a truly enjoyable experience every time.
Essential tracks: ‘The Rock of the Clyde’, ‘Only Distant Echoes Reign pts 1-2’
Released right at the beginning of this hellspawned year, Between Land and Sky has been an ever-constant presence at the top of my AotY playlist right from its release. Described by many as pagany black metal in the vein of Havukruunu or Moonsorrow, the album may lay its foundations in that world, but develops and builds colossal heights that incorporate influences from beyond any one subgenre. The guitar work is excellent throughout, supported by very natural sounding drums and a variety of organic, subtle folk timbres. It’s an album that feels bigger than the 45 minute runtime, and as such does require a certain mood to want to engage with the story it has to tell – but when that mood is struck, few other releases this year can match it.
Essential tracks: ‘The Ardent Passage’, ‘Karakorum’, ‘Those Who Are Long Gone’
Describing itself as “Quarantine Fraud Metal”, due to being recorded in two swift weeks during the early days of lockdown, you’d be well within your rights to assume that this self-titled debut would be filled with anger, frustration, and haunting loneliness. That, however, couldn’t be further from the truth. A magnificent and triumphant release, the joyous synth layers couple with the (mostly) instrumental atmoblack foundations to create something that brings ambient “nature black metal” bands like Eldamar and Lustre to the mind, but the inherent sense of uplift composed and woven through the production sets the project on its own path and brings hope to the heart; perhaps intended as a reminder to us all that these days of disease will end soon.
Malist are unique. Billed as melodic black metal yet far more ambitious than just that, To Mantle the Rising Sun is a masterclass in creating an atmosphere across an album that sounds truly different to anything else. Sure, there are identifiable influences at play, but the way sole member Ovfrost combines and constructs songs makes a sound that is definitively this band and no one else. It’s an impressive feat for a band that’s released two albums in little over a year since emerging from the shadows, and I predict huge things on the horizon for them.
Essential tracks: ‘The Ultimate Possession’, ‘Tempest of Sorrow’, ‘To Stifle the Fire in the Eyes’
Having been quite underwhelmed with previous full-length Unity, I wasn’t really expecting to enjoy A New Dawn a great deal, but I was curious to see how the band’s debut on Northern Silence Productions had turned out. And how wrong I was. The album is, simply put, gorgeous. The artwork is warm and hopeful, and a perfect mirror to the six songs contained within. There’s a greater emphasis on clean vocals, which are stronger this time around and match the lush textures of the synth and guitars (clean often layered with distorted), which additionally makes the (quite frankly occasional) uses of harsh vocals far more notable. Everything about this album seems purposeful, and intended to invoke a warm feeling of beauty; atmospheric-post-black-gaze has a new champion, and this is their dawn.
Essential tracks: ‘Heart of the Forest’, ‘Along the Waves’, ‘Wanderer’
Another album that’s been pushing for a podium finish since January, this is an exceptional record. I struggle to come up with meaningful comparisons because the truth is that I haven’t heard anything quite like it. The Metal Archives seem to suggest that Saor and Sojourner are the closest to a match, but aside from not shying away from folky instrumentation alongside the metal and ethereal female vocals I’m not sure how accurate the comparisons really are, nor do they do justice to just how special this album is. Dzö-nga truly consolidate their own sound and identity and emerge as a colossal epic titan, triumphantly standing over almost all others.
Essential tracks: ‘The Death of Minnehaha’, ‘The Song of Hiawatha’, ‘Flames in the Sky’
Beaten only by my top choice for non-black metal this year, Winterfylleth’s latest effort struck a massive chord with me. Following on from their controversial acoustic effort in 2018, this album showcases everything I love about the band. From the sombre-yet-savage riffing, to the tender folky interludes, to the mighty man choirs that bring majesty without excessive cheese, it’s somehow truly embodied with a sense of English nature and history that personally resonates with me like few other sounds can. It’s a feat that Winterfylleth have always been able to pull off, but never quite as triumphantly as this.
Essential tracks: ‘Misdeeds of Faith’, ‘A Hostile Fate (The Wayfarer pt. 4)’, ‘In Darkness Begotten’
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HONOURABLE MENTIONS (because this year was too good to fit into 10): Morwinyon; Havukruunu; Forlorn Citadel; Vredehammer; …And Oceans.
Kicking off the non-black metal section come Lorna Shore, who merge earth-shatteringly stupid deathcore breakdowns with… well, black metal. It’s a similar approach to that taken by Carnifex, but in my opinion every element is executed far more effectively here. The tremolos and blasts are frosty when they appear, yet leave centre stage for the catchy hooks and aforementioned massive mega beatdowns (seriously, just try not to laugh during the final section of ‘Death Portrait’). Certainly by no means to everyone’s tastes, I can’t help but love the straightforward “fuck it, let’s be idiots” approach combined with the genuine technical proficiency on show from all the members. A fun album.
Essential tracks: ‘Death Portrait’, ‘This is Hell’
I’ve been waiting for this album since I discovered power metal. Fairyland’s Score to a New Beginning was one of the earliest records in the genre that I truly loved and would listen to religiously, swept up in the symphonic fantasy world. It also served as a springboard into so many other bands in the wider power metal genre, as I realised that I truly do love the cheese. Eleven years after ScoreFairyland are back with another slab of symphonic wonder; and whilst it’s by no means the best thing I’ve ever heard, it’s true and faithful to the classic Fairyland spirit and serves as a worthy companion to that hallowed album.
Essential tracks: ‘Heralds of the Green Lands’, ‘Hubris et Orbis’, ‘Alone We Stand’
This is by no means the perfect release. There are two intro tracks for some reason, an interlude, and a finale. Most of the songs top seven minutes, which is quite odd for big cheesy symphonic power. But when the songwriting and production is as good as this, you can forgive the excessive length. There are some massive choruses throughout the album and the stellar vocals of Tommy Johansson portray the fantastical pirate world perfectly. The album goes a long way in developing the ambitious original concept world that the band have created, and it’s all too easy to slip into the soundtrack and immerse yourself.
Essential tracks: ‘The Land of Xia’, ‘Zera’s Shadow’, ‘Some Day Soon’
Having loved previous album Tarot (the best album of 2017), I was initially quite lukewarm on Redneck Vikings From Hell. The band was leaning a bit more into the tongue-in-cheek aspects of their aesthetic, there were a couple of softer tracks, and closing with an 11 minute instrumental seemed… uh, bold. However, I just kept coming back for more, and essentially realised that I actually just didn’t care about those previous statements. It’s a fun ride through Finnish-styled melodeath territory – as if Wintersun knew how to not take themselves too seriously – and the variety created throughout the album by the inclusion of some softer cuts makes for an interesting and dynamic journey. It’s got big singalong moments, it’s got irresistable headbanger riffs, and it’s got moments of pure, raw emotion. It’s quintessentially Æther Realm, and they’re quite simply a force to be reckoned with.
Essential tracks: ‘Cycle’, ‘Lean into the Wind’, ‘One Hollow Word’
Another band following up on excellent previous albums, I saw a lot of online debate as to whether Unleash the Archers had indeed managed to do that with Abyss. Dousing their melodeathy take on power metal with a heavy dose of slick synths, there’s no questioning that Abyss is potentially the best produced album of the year. The attention to detail is staggering, and the result is deeply enjoyable to listen to. However, it is a surprisingly bottom-heavy album. With a couple of missteps in the first half of the album it falls a little short of the magnificent triumph that was Apex, but some of the cuts on the latter half of the album are just sensational, and I’ve gone back time and time again.
Essential tracks: ‘The Wind That Shapes the Land’, ‘Soulbound’, ‘Carry the Flame’
Whilst I am listing all these new releases, 2020 was really the year I developed an unhealthy obsession with ’90s Blind Guardian (something I’m honestly surprised hadn’t happened sooner). As such, Persuader’s Necromancy came at the perfect time to knock me off my feet. The album just rips, with hard hitting heavy/power riffs and a fantastic vocal performance that isn’t afraid to stray into harsh vocals when the song demands impact. Whilst a little light on the obvious hooky choruses that you might find in the poppier end of power metal, it’s the kind of album that grabs you straight away and has you fired up and headbanging for all 44 minutes.
Essential tracks: ‘Scars’, ‘The Curse Unbound’, ‘Raise the Dead’
Continuing the Hansi worship on this list, Judicator have received a lot of attention for their latest opus, Let There Be Nothing. Previous album The Last Emperor became a strong favourite of mine the moment I heard it, with its slightly hookier approach to that traditional Blind Guardian sound, vocalist John Yelland’s extraordinary voice and harmony writing, and excellently written First Crusade themed lyrics. Let There Be Nothing plays to my historical interests even more strongly with its Byzantine concept and, whilst the individual songs are generally a bit less memorable than on the previous record, it’s a wonderfully immersive concept album. Furthermore, the title track and album closer has to go down as one of the songs of the year – that chorus is absolute weapons grade material.
Essential tracks: ‘Let There Be Nothing’, ‘Gloria’, ‘Let There Be Light’
Whereas I enjoy Lorna Shore’s approach to deathcore primarily due to its sheer stupidity and fun, Viscera earn their place on this list for different reasons; it’s just breathtakingly good. The riffs combine elements from technical death metal and similar areas seamlessly with the deathcore breakdowns; the harsh vocals are solid and well deployed, whilst the clean vocals have no right to be as good as they are; and the 35 minute runtime has forced them to cut out anything unnecessary and still deliver a dynamic, intense experience. It’s yet another example from recent years that proves deathcore is evolving beyond the meaningless chugs into an interesting genre with serious metal credentials – and I’ll die on that hill.
Essential tracks: ‘Delilah’, ‘Immersed in Ire’, ‘Affliction’
If you’re aware of the backstory behind this album, you’ll know it’s a miracle that it managed to come out at all, but the 20 year struggle to bring it into the daylight gifted the band with the opportunity to have Yannis Papadopoulos (Beast in Black) on the mic; and the man delivers the performance of a lifetime. Atop an expansive musical tapestry that varies between trad/heavy power riffs, soft, tender acoustic moments and everything between, Yannis draws us into an emotional journey that captivates the listener entirely. It’s a very different album from the hook-centric singles-orientated metal of his other project, and fans who love singalong power metal probably won’t enjoy this as much. However, if you’re willing and ready to give yourself entirely to the concept and submerge yourself in the musical layers for the runtime, it’s one hell of an experience.
Essential tracks: ‘Damned for All Time’, ‘Lonely Man’, ‘Scared to Cry’
Forgetting musicality for a moment; an album hasn’t made me feel such introspective and deep emotions as this since Asira’s Efference in 2017. Glow is an absolute triumph, merging the moody melodeath leanings of Finnish heavyweights like Insomnium with the atmospheres and dynamic range of post-metal. The songwriting is progressive yet accessible, with huge climaxes and vulnerable, raw moments woven together seamlessly. All the members are clearly highly proficient, but the real star of the show goes to clean vocalist Phil Romeo’s soaring tenor, adding a transcendent quality to the already ethereal nature of the album.
Essential tracks: ‘Tempest’, ‘Zephyr’
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HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Sylosis, Dark Forest, Omnivortex, Fellowship, Bring Me the Horizon, Eternal Champion, Megaton Sword
…and if you’ve made it this far, I released two things this year. I’m bloody proud of both of them, and whilst I can’t put either in my lists (because that’d be frowned upon), I think they’d be absolute contenders if they were by someone else.
Take up arms, and fly through the realm; To war and death we will ride. For our friends, seized by our foes, Lost to the dark of the night.
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Hearken, and hold true! For UK solo act DWARROWDELF hath returned to walk the paths of Tolkien-influenced epic black metal once again. Yes, our man Tom O’Dell is back with the third full-length ‘delf opus, this time entitled Evenstar.
Just as there was notable progression from debut album The Sons of Feanor to last year’s excellent Of Dying Lights, Evenstar continues to push the Dwarrowdelf sound into uncharted realms. Sure, there’s still the lush choruses (‘Undómiel’), deliciously hummable earworm melodies (‘For The Kingdom I Shall Claim’) and soaring epic glories aplenty (pretty much all of it) that we know and love, yet Tom has never been content to simply be another Summoning clone – aside from several adventurous new stylistic influences creeping in, these seven compositions are darker in tone than even The Sons of Feanor. They’re heavier. More immediate. The growls are back in full effect (huzzah!), whilst the production is simply the best he’s had to date. There are flat-out blasts… and what’s more, this time he’s even working with a real drummer!
When blended together with the established Dwarrowdelf sound these new elements create a brilliant tapestry of light and shadow; a wonderfully immersive and transportative experience that isn’t afraid to push forward and go where no elf, dwarf, or man has gone before. It reminds of the last Sojourner opus in its daring disregard for genre norms, but I won’t go into exactly how – seeing as the album is unleashing September 25th via the superlative Northern Silence Productionsand given the fact that Mr. O’Dell writes for us now, we figured it made sense to get him in for an in-depth chat before the wave of promo begins (it should also be noted that he refused to interview himself). So, we at BMD are honoured to help spread the word and present the first opportunity for the man himself to shed some light on what will surely be one of the most talked about epic black metal releases of the year.
Read on, check the gorgeous single ‘Undómiel’ out as well and prepare to wander into the dream that is Evenstar… you’ll not want to leave.
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Hails, Tom! Long time no speak. Now, before we get into it I think we must first address the elephant in the room: how much is the fact that I’m interviewing you a potential sign of the corruption and nepotism running rampant through Black Metal Daily?
– Look, if nepotism is good enough for Oxford University, it’s good enough for us… no, readers should be assured that I’ve insisted there be no special treatment! If anything, I think our existing friendship means you’ll be more comfortable asking the really nasty questions that make me pause before answering…
Definitely. Also noteworthy is the fact that I’ve been a huge fan of your work since long before you began lending your prose to our pages and our beautiful friendship blossomed. Anyway, you’ve got a new record coming out, entitled Evenstar! It utterly slaps of course, but there is some strangeness afoot – what the hell have you done with the Dwarrowdelf sound?
– I suppose I should have seen this one coming! I think in some ways, it’s a continuation of the path that Of Dying Lights was taking away from the Summoning-inspired sound of the debut album. At the same time, it’s definitely a more dramatic shift than Lights was, with shorter, faster songs, riffs out of the Insomnium and Wintersun playbook and of course more harsh vocals. I say it everytime, but I really think this one is unique; I’ve been struggling to pin down a genre name for it! Hopefully it falls under the “pioneering” side of unique, rather than the side of “what the hell are you doing, please stop”.
Perhaps we’re witnessing the embryonic stirrings of Delfcore, cue the myriad imitators. What made you want to head off in this direction?
– Well, they say imitation is the highest form of flattery, so… if anyone does ever find a Delfcore imitator album, please let me know so I can buy it! And as for the direction, so many reasons. Firstly, I really enjoyed doing my Bathory cover for the Fólkvangr Records compilation, and I think that track falls closer to the Evenstar sound than any other Dwarrowdelf release; it was almost like a stepping stone. This direction is also closer to the melodic death metal and traditional heavy metal I’ve been listening to the majority of the past year, so it felt like a more genuine reflection of my current musical identity. I’ve always enjoyed having the feeling that I can do anything with Dwarrowdelf, and hopefully this album will keep proving that.
Honest art is the best art! The most noticeable change for me is actually the guitar sound and overall mix; what’s going on there? Did you get some new gear?
– Good ear! This is the first time I’ve used my 7 string guitar on a Dwarrowdelf album – the first two were recorded on a 6 string in D standard tuning, whereas the 7 string is essentially a E standard guitar with an extra low A. That means I’ve been able to use a much wider range of notes! The guitar was also run through a new amp sim (Mercurial’s U530), which is hands down the best plugin I’ve ever bought. I also mixed the album myself this time, so there’s loads of small changes to things like synth patches and plugins. I’m really happy with the nature of the mix, I think I’ve matched the riffier direction quite nicely.
Nice work on the mixing, it came out fantastic! Anyone looking for someone to mix their album, Tom‘s your man. With all of these changes, I guess the obvious question is: how many salty, salty tears are you expecting to taste from people whose musical appreciation begins and ends with Summoning?
– I think there’s always going to be a few people who are disappointed when a band tries something new, that’s just life. I’d hasten to say that, for the people who do only enjoy that epic black metal sound, those first albums aren’t going anywhere. There’s also plenty of great bands making music that fits more neatly into that genre tag, and so there’s loads of new stuff to checkout. With Dwarrowdelf, there’s two epic black albums before this one that you’ll still be able to listen to, and who knows; give Evenstar a good try and you might just be surprised!
We’re probably selling this as some kind of crazed departure that barely resembles Of Dying Lights or The Sons of Fëanor, but plenty of the epicness we know and love still soars within Evenstar – people are going to dig it. Speaking of those first albums; as everyone who has listened should know by now, Dwarrowdelf wanders within the realms of Tolkien influenced black metal. What’s the story this time around?
– I’ve covered Tolkien’s Elves and Dwarves, so it only seemed natural that this time around I focus on Men. Evenstar is a concept album telling the life story of Aragorn, right from the day his father was killed by Orcs when Aragorn was just a wee lad. The record follows him through some of the various exploits detailed in the Appendices and then the main Lord of the Rings story. I tried to add a bit of complexity to his character through some of the lyrics; he struggles with deep self-doubt and anxiety about his destiny, which I think is a bit more interesting than a hero who is great and brilliant right from day one!
Definitely! So, having covered off those three races, are you now stressing what you’ll write about for the next one?
– I actually have a very rogue and controversial idea for the lyrical themes of the next album but I’ll keep that under wraps for the moment! I’ve not started thinking about the music for that yet and I’ll be pretty busy with the full-length Battle Born album for most of the next year, so it’ll probably be a longer wait this time around. I’m definitely excited to start mapping the idea out though, it’ll be an interesting challenge.
Mate, as long as we get some new Battle Born in the meantime I’m sure everyone will be happy. But focusing on Evenstar, you have some great guests joining you this time around – and a real drummer! How was it working with Joe? Who else do you have on the record?
– Yeah, it’s a real ensemble cast this time around! When I first signed the deal with Northern Silence, Torsten encouraged me to consider using live drums if possible, as he thought it would really benefit the new style – I think it was also a point you mentioned back in the review for The Sons of Fëanor! Joe Bollettiero (Beorn’s Hall, Ancestral Shadows) was keen to jump on the tracks, and utterly smashed it – he’s been great to work with, and really gets the style and approach. I’ll definitely be keen to work with him again!
Additionally, there are also some guest spots through the album: Jeremy from Beorn’s Hall provides a killer traditional heavy metal style guitar solo on track 3; longtime collaborator Mike Lamb (Sojourner) played piano on tracks 3 and 7, and also mastered the album; and finally, there’s live tin whistle on track 5! I’ve never met Kristoffer, but he’s a friend of an old housemate of mine, so I managed to outsource the recording and it came out really well. This was actually the second time Kristoffer’s whistleblowing talents have appeared on a Dwarrowdelf release; he’s also on the Nordland cover!
Absolutely killer cast, the Beorn’s Hall gentlemen are incredible and the live drums totally lift the album to a new level. You mentioned Northern Silence, what led to you signing with them this time? You’ve been quite the journeyman with Dwarrowdelf, jumping from Wolfspell to Flowing Downward, and now Northern Silence… are you an impossibly huge jerk to work with or something?
– Well yeah, got 1000 likes on Facebook and I’ve become the biggest diva in the scene… No, in all seriousness I look back on both previous albums as really positive experiences. The respective deals with those labels were just for those albums though, so nothing was ever agreed for future releases. I still keep an eye on Flowing Downward, I think Andrea’s doing great things with the label and I certainly wish him every success!
When the opportunity came to work with Northern Silence though, I couldn’t really turn it down. I actually pitched The Sons of Fëanor to them before anyone else, but it didn’t work out at the time; nevertheless, I’ve always wanted to work with them. The label has such a great history and prominent status within the underground black metal world, so I saw it as a great opportunity to bring Dwarrowdelf to a wider audience. The deal is for two further albums after Evenstar as well, so it looks like my journeying days are done for now!
Nice! Your presence will certainly bring some additional prestige to the label. I’m assuming the record will at least be out on CD, any tapes or LP on the way as well?
– You’re kind to say so! CD pre orders are available right now, both directly from my Bandcamp and the label store. I’m not sure exactly how much I’m supposed to say, but there are definitely vinyl and cassette plans for the first months of 2021… I think a vinyl collector who’s enjoyed any Dwarrowdelf album will be excited for the full reveal.
Exciting! If I may also say, you always have the most sublime cover art – and this time you’ve absolutely knocked it out of the park, it’s nothing short of stunning. Could you tell us a little about that?
– Well, I can’t really take any of the credit – it’s all the work of the sensational Jordan Grimmer. This is the third release he’s provided artwork for, and he manages to step the game up every time! He’s also provided artwork for the upcoming Ovnev album, which I’d thoroughly recommend to all readers.
My initial idea was a visualisation of an adult Aragorn meeting and falling in love with Arwen in a forested glade called Cerin Amroth. The desire to claim the crown of Gondor and become worthy to marry Arwen is Aragorn’s driving motivation throughout his life and exploits, so this scene seemed like the most appropriate visualisation for the album. That line of thinking also led me to making Undómiel the first single on the album; that song is an ode from the lovestruck Aragorn, dedicating himself to quest for her hand.
That’s… beautiful. If I remember correctly, it might also tie in with why the album is called Evenstar?
– Yep, that’s right! Arwen’s second name, “Undómiel” is Elvish for “Evenstar”, so it seemed like the perfect title. Other contenders were “A Path Entwined With Death” and “Dark is the Path” but they were a little wordy.
Evenstar definitely is the perfect title. I must also second your motion to check out Ovnev, that’s a great album. What else have you been listening to lately? Are you still updating the Spotify playlist?
– I still listen to a real variety of stuff really! I think there was a bit less of the traditional atmoblack in the mix whilst Evenstar was being made, although I’ve been diving back into it all recently. My 2019 Listcrush article certainly had a nice range in it, and early signs look like the 2020 edition will be similar. Currently, Winterfylleth are topping the list; A Reckoning Dawn was everything I wanted it to be and more.
The Dwarrowdelf: Influences playlist is still going strong! I’ve updated it for the album release cycle with a few picks from Ruadh, Visigoth, Sojourner and Omnium Gatherum among others. I also made a Dwarrowdelf: The Essentials playlist for new fans to catch up on the back catalogue – it’s essentially a self-indulgent greatest hits playlist coupled with a posey photo, but I thought why not?
Gotta love a posey photo. One final question to take us out – who is your favourite character in the entirety of Middle Earth and Tolkien’s mythology, and why?
– Tom Bombadil.
Only joking – I’ve always loved Christopher Lee’s Saruman, but I think that’s just because it’s impossible not to love Christopher Lee. I really like Théoden’s redemption arc, and his speech at Pelennor is epic in the films, so I think I’ll go with him. But also it has to be Sam! (Why did you save the hardest question for last, dammit)
Knew that one would get you! Christopher Lee is the man. And now, I think we’re done – sincerest thanks for granting us your time, Tom. Congrats on another triumphant record! Any final words or wisdom for us all?
– Let the label know directly if you’d want vinyl, I’m sure showing keenness won’t hurt! I’ll see you all soon with a new Black Metal Daily review, I’m sure.
Evenstar releases September 25th via Northern Silence Productions.
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Pre-order Evenstar on CD and digital from the Dwarrowdelf Bandcamp HEREor the Northern Silence Bandcamp HERE, or on CD from the Northern Silence webstore HERE.
Okay, so here it is – my list of favoured albums that resonated with me the most over the last twelve months. These are the gems I garnered severe replay value from and that I’ll likely return to many more times in future; the ones that burrowed in deep and sat there, festering away and becoming an irreversible part of me. It may seem like a shitload but I somehow listened to somewhere around 1,200 black metal albums/demos (WORTH MORE THAN YOUR LIFE) over the last twelve months and my original shortlist was around 200 releases long, so cut me some slack here – whittling it down to 66 was hard enough.
It’s a black metal only list and only full-lengths qualify (top EPs/demos list is HERE and splits/collabs list is HERE, if you want more recommendations). Due to the sheer volume of albums I wanted to fit in I’m also being outlandishly pedantic with original release dates and other things this year, so although it’s a fucking outstanding record you won’t see stuff like Musmahhu (digital dropped December 2018 or it would have made it in for sure) or the BEKËTH NEXËHMU – De Fördolda Klangorna re-recording appear (technically first released on tape years ago even though not many heard it). There are also others like the new Mizmor that I really should’ve spent more time with, but I didn’t because I’m an idiot, so they don’t make the list. Anyway, here’s the year that was for me. Hope it was just as good for you, thanks to everyone who read my shit and to every artist either on this list or not for doing what you do with such passion, and keeping this beast known as black metal imbued with eternal life. Hails.
Ryan described the inspiration behind this to me as (and I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this): “Some sort of alchemical urge to meld things that shouldn’t work together into one singular, organic living creation based upon what I feel is common ground between black metal, certain types of old-time music, and certain types of modern jazz”. Some of the melodies are lifted from actual folk tunes too – you really do need to listen to this to get the full, incredible picture.
Weird, probably hated by many, but I thought this was a great return for the project and I liked it far more than the last Profanatica. Pure evil.
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64. REVENANT MARQUIS – Polterngeyst
Horrible, abrasive, mind-warping, harrowing, haunting. All apt ways to describe the raw onslaught of Revenant Marquis, the apparent new master of blown-out raw madness that’s as psychologically disturbing as it is suffocating. Will drain your very essence and leave you a hollow shell.
“at once rough and almost riotous, yet inflicted with a deep and forlorn melancholia, and the masterful juxtaposition of these elements is a true delight to listen to. Almost every song walks dusted, long forgotten and crumbling hallways like an ancient Count Orlok from Nosferatu whilst in the same breath tears through the forest like a pack of wolves on a wild hunt”. Read the full review HERE.
In a word: Primal. In another word: Excellent. Three more words: Listen to it.
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57. JUTE GYTE – Birefringence
Are you insane? No? If you’re unfamiliar with Jute Gyte you might be after listening to this album. Microtonal braindance madness, and my favourite thing I’ve heard from him in a minute. Which is saying a lot.
Another strange, beautiful and unique album from a strange, beautiful and unique band. Side note – W. Damiaen‘s other project Nevel also released a stunning album, Leven.
Yes, I’m putting these in together because they’re both equally astonishing and wonderful companion pieces to each other. Listen to them both, and read my interview with the minds behind these hypnotic forays into deep field black metal HERE.
The Helvetic Underground Committee does it again. These alchemical rites were positively thrilling.
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53. VOËMMR – O ovnh intot adr mordrb
“You may find yourself questioning: is this madness, the deterioration of my mental faculties? Nay – just the subterranean wraiths of Voëmmr infecting our reality with all the malignant malevolence usually hidden on the other side. For O ovnh intot adr mordrb isn’t just an album – it’s a portal to another plane of non-existence.” We were lucky enough to premiere this and speak with the Aldebaran Circle members themselves – read the full thing HERE.
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52. WARMOON LORD – Burning Banners Of The Funereal War
This Finnish one man project came out of nowhere for me and surprised me with how often I returned to it. Cold, classic melody – the old-school pretty much perfected.
Speaking of old-school perfected; the ever-reliable Onielar and co. returned with another gem. They’ve never released a bad album and Mardom drew from everything they’ve done before, with a few new twists.
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50. KËKHT ARÄKH – Night & Love
Romantic lo-fi black that probably should’ve been higher up this list due to it’s (relative) uniqueness and how damn well the whole thing is put together. Spellbinding, delicate atmosphere and raw emotion. LP is up for pre-order through Livor Mortis as we speak, by the way.
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49. BLACK CILICE – Transfixion Of Spirits
Not quite as good as Banished From Time… but still fucking great.
Opening your album with a 17-minute epic is the ultimate power move. US guys singing in German about Prussian involvement in WWI over gorgeous atmoblack never sounded so damned good.
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47. OBSEQUIAE – The Palms Of Sorrowed Kings
Everyone expected this to be amazing. Spoiler alert: they were correct. Medieval bliss.
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46. MYSTAGOGUE – And The Darkness Was Cast Out Into Wilderness
Wessel Damiaen of Laster and Maurice DeJong of Gnaw Their Tongues come together to create an album that “whilst not doing anything radically unheard of, still perfectly balances all of its elements into an experience that will subtly dawn on you with increasing power. Like an ecclesiastical revelation sent from on high… and echoed down below.” Plus, it got even better the more I listened to it. Read the full review HERE.
The final panel of their Dödatriptych of albums was just as face-devouring and intense as the last two. Ravenous and fetid. Where do they go from here?
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44. VAAL – Visioen van het verborgen land
Saw the fury toned down a little from previous releases, in favour of a more atmospheric menacing/morose feel – and you know what? It worked a treat. I’ve already liked everything the Dutch hermit has put out prior to this but the thick, ancient vibes conjured through these four lo-fi black tracks and four ambient interludes took the project to an entirely new level.
This progressive, complex and beautifully crushing album expertly blended psychedelia and dissonant death with the innate dazzling textures of Icelandic black metal; and all whilst being fed through a filter of intense emotional weight. Impacted early and had huge staying power. As a bonus, we also interviewed KjartanHERE.
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42. OCCELENSBRIGG – Glacial Conjuration
Thus, the enigmatic Aldebaran Circle solo entity returned to us with its second full-length blizzard of raw black hypnosis, Glacial Conjuration. This project hasn’t put a foot wrong yet and the magic summoned by its swirling tremolo winds and clattering drums is no less potent here; this shit will bury you under six feet of snow and you’ll be so transfixed you won’t even bat an eyelid.
Obliterating atmospheric post-black sludge-infused nihilism. Drown in the relentless devastating waves. I fucking love this band and how they’re evolving; 2020 will be the year I finally catch them when they come back down here (I’ve missed them more times than I care to count). This tape found its way to my deck many, many times.
These orthodox esotericists effortlessly outdid their already solid first album with a cosmic monument of modern black metal. Captivating and transcendent.
Kvohst is back, Thomas from Mork got involved… I was not expecting new The Deathtrip but I’m far from sad we got it. A worthy successor to the superb Deep Drone Master.
I’ll be honest – a lot of war metal/bestial black death runs the risk of all sounding the same to me. I mean shit, if I want to listen to Blasphemy or Bestial Warlust I’ll just listen to them. The stuff that really makes my pants fit nice is when bands or artists come at it from another angle, injecting their own idiosyncratic weirdness into the equation… which is where Cult Of Extinction come in. Although definitely still taking cues from the legends, the project of prolific German solo artist Void goes one further than those earthly brutalities and sophomore effort Ritual In The Absolute Absence Of Light instead sounds like the world being torn apart by occultic and alien means as all we can do is watch in abject horror. The ferocity on display is far past redlining, the harrowing audio samples only add to the mind-shredding abilities of the carnage vomiting forth from your speakers, the whole thing is almost biblical – just like the Gustave Doré cover art, this is exactly like staring into the Empyrean.
“In their unique robes and with manic fervour they reap madness with their newly polished spells; eight shrieking and howling odes to the primal and otherworldly. It’s music that sounds like it’s been whipped to your ears on laughing winds as you stand in ragged cloth at the crossroads at midnight… Hagzissa really do walk a wild path of ancient wickedness; unfettered from the norms of regular existence, dancing on that gossamer-thin line between this earthly realm… and the other.
Came back to this magical and sinister beast many, many times. I had the immense pleasure of premiering it and interviewing founder B. Moser too; check that out HERE.
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36. PHARMAKEIA – Pharmakeia
Everything Prava Kollektiv put out this year was fantastic… and this slab of oppressive, churning violence was the best. Harrowing.
Hold up – I want to stress this isn’t a “conflict of interest” type thing. Although later on in the year Tom would end up adding his considerable class to our writing team here at BMD, this stunning album was on lock for a spot in my list regardless. Anyway, this is my personal pick for epic black metal album of the year. I also had the pleasure of premiering this album, check that (and a nice chat with the man himself) out HERE.
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34. HUMAN AGONY – Putrescence Of Calvary
Was my favourite bestial black/death release of the year for a while. “A symphony of cruelty. Pure hatred and destruction of the human race“… check the full review out HERE.
“The Swedish occult black metal constellation of Grafvitnir is one of those projects intrinsic to the existence of black metal in general. They sum up the very essence of it, every release surging with the mystical power of forces unseen and calling to things beyond sight and comprehension; a grand maelstrom of hate, worship, violence and hyper-melodic intensity honed to the point where it could slice a hole in the fabric of existence itself.”
A band that has never fallen short of my expectations and this record was no different. I also got to chat with them about it earlier in the year; check that out HERE.
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32. BLUE HUMMINGBIRD ON THE LEFT – Atl Tlachinolli
One of the first albums that caught my attention for the year… possibly even in 2018 because promos came a little early, if I recall correctly. Hype built up over almost a decade to this slab of Aztec / Black Twilight Circle war, and it was worth the wait.
Slightly more accessible than their recent work and not quiiiiite up to Seven Chalices level, this typically dissonant monstrosity of nightmare-fuel still hit the spot for me. Could listen to the title track all day, which is probably an odd one to pick out of the bunch, but hey.
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30. DRASTUS – La Croix De Sang
Surprisingly this turned out to be a fairly divisive release between those that loved it and those who didn’t understand the hype at all. One guess which camp I’m firmly in.
“A divine conflagration crawling from the primordial core of life, reaching to devour all, and bring only ash” …read the full review HERE.
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29. WAGNER ÖDEGÅRD – Om undergång och de tretton järtekn
Released a pair of great eponymous albums this year but this one he let really rip with the punk influences, so it is therefore superior and takes the chocolates in my books.
Returning after eleven years in the abyss with the aptly named He, Who Walketh The Void on vocals, this album is genuinely unsettling as hell. As I said in the full review (HERE), it “…continues the path set out by the first two releases with impressive ease and a natural evolution into even further realms of unfolding terror and darkness. On sheer feeling alone experiencing this record is akin to sitting through some kind of mind-blowingly expansive psychological/occultic horror film. Complete immersion via repeat listens yields immense reward, but be warned; the terror may shatter your fragile synapses, turn your blood to ice… perhaps even burn you alive.”
Onielar’s second appearance on this list hit me even harder than the first – her throat-shredding howls are fucking perfect for the DSBM originators’ inventive compositions.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: True Norwegian Black Metal will never die as long as Mork are still around to carry the torch with great albums like this.
This album hits fucking HARD. Riffs ahoy, delivered with punishing force. The track ‘Prime Mover’ alone is insane… I can only applaud.
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22. FUNERAL PRESENCE – Achatius
I saw this recently described as “taking 10g of dried Hawaiian psilocybin mushrooms in a posessed 16th century convent”, which isn’t too far from the truth. Vital stuff with a pure and irrepressible black metal spark.
“What works? Everything. What doesn’t work? Nothing. With his second Vargrav offering V-KhaoZ has surpassed all comparisons to take the throne and reign in the modern era alongside all the old masters. Reign In Supreme Darkness is no mere copy or homage, no tribute album trading on nostalgia… it is Supreme Majestic Black Metal Art. Bow down.”
I was super pumped on scoring the full-stream premiere of this before it fell through at the eleventh hour – but that didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for it one bit. Read the full review HERE.
After some health problems, the Norwegians are back with serious intent. The breathtaking Ofidians Manifest is their strongest work in a very long time.
Originally, I was lukewarm on this album… now I cannot get enough of it. Þórir Garðarsson and Garðar S. Jónsson seem to unstitch reality with their riffs. Swirling, bewitching, celestial goodness.
“Challenging you to confront and accept the pointlessness of it all, this album is emotional warfare. A mandatory listen for those who will understand. Buy or die, it doesn’t matter… just accept the void.”
This ended up a chronically underappreciated album for the year. Read the full review HERE and then listen to the fucking thing, alright?
I’m sure even the gentlemen that created this incredible moment in art might even be surprised to see it so loftily placed in this list (especially when they released another, more black metal album this year too), but just listen to it and you’ll see why. It still touches me deeply with every mesmerizing spin.
“To fully feel this album, go outside into nature, as far away from anything civilised as you can go, and just sit. Close your eyes, feel the air on your skin and… listen. You’ll sink into an appreciation of the fabric of life, seeing all the threads that make up our existence intertwine together into the intrinsic tapestry that we walk through every day, yet ignore due to the very nature of the world we have created for ourselves. One that we should pay more attention to before it’s too late.This album is a reminder. Don’t miss it.”
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13. GOLDEN ASHES – Gold Are The Ashes Of The Restorer
…and the award for most stunningly coherent holistic expression of vision in 2019 goes to: this magnificent creation. Another project from Maurice of Gnaw Their Tongues, everything here ties in with perfect synergy – the album art, album title, track titles, hell even the project name are the very manifestation of the transcendent music found within, and all create something overwhelmingly beautiful.
Was not expecting this album to stick with me as much as it did; I’ve always liked everything the Norwegians have done, but not loved it like this. Soaring, progressive, wondrous stuff – with a few new members and ICS Vortex back on the mic, this was a revitalized, resounding triumph.
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11. QUALM – Tiefe
I don’t know what I expected from this album when I saw the cover art, but it certainly wasn’t the most raw, miasmic, miserable and mood-altering record of the year. The vibe here is nothing short of incredible as hypnotic waves of slow abrasion induce a trancelike, life-leaving state; the way this album feels speaks deeply to my soul. When this shit gets rolling it makes Xasthur seem like the happiest dude on earth. Drowning, portrayed in the harshest of audio forms.
First listen I quite liked this record, then I went off it a bit. Then one day I chucked it back on and it clicked like never before – it was all I listened to on repeat for days, and has remained in my regular playlist since then. Yeah, it certainly has its flaws, but by taking a totally different approach to their debut the Icelanders have created something stirring and electrifying… and oddly life-affirming. Probably a good one to listen to after Qualm, then.
Holy FUCK this album is a monster. Came out of nowhere at the end of the year and forced its way almost immediately to the top tier of this list. Hands down the best thing they’ve put their name to; a career defining release. “…a relentless onslaught that blows away anything they’ve put their name to thus far; it’s more intense yet with deeper textures than ever before, far more abrasive, more epic in composition… more transcendent. Every searing note is another scrape against your soul, slowly scouring it away with growing violence until it is left raw and bleeding.” Read the full review HERE.
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8. DAI-ICHI – dai-ichi
This mysterious duo came from nowhere (Japan? Who knows) with the sleeper hit of the year. It was also the first original vinyl put out by one of BMD‘s favourite cassette labels, Fólkvangr Records – so you should buy one and support. ‘Seishi’ is still one of my top tracks of 2k19 – check out our premiere of it HERE.
“Charging d-beat mayhem tears strips off of coruscating raw black, sinks its teeth into heavy metal and drags it flailing and bleeding through the dirt. Right from the get-go the guitar tone alone acts as a conduit for fearful mysticism and visions of arcane electrical storms crackling wildly into the night, off kilter riffage careening along as songs sound inches from flying off the rails… and it’s all deliciously drenched in a virulent strain of howling sanguinary misanthropia and the pungent stench of disinterred tombs.” If you somehow haven’t heard this album yet, fix that immediately – even Shatraug of Sargeist rated this as one of the best of the year. Read our interview with sole practitioner LeechHERE.
“We will grant you freedom from freedom”. A controversial inclusion? This is, to me, the best thing they’ve done since Paracletus (which is one of my albums of the decade).Hasjarl reallyis one of the most creative players out there.
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5. DEPARTURE CHANDELIER – Antichrist Rise To Power
Man, had I been looking forward to a full-length from these guys… and oh man did they deliver, adding to what is one of my favourite slowly growing discographies in black metal with a glorious, almost faultless record. Also took the honors of being one of the most memed bands of 2019. Neat.
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4. RINGARË – Under Pale Moon
In the entirety of 2019 I played no tape in my possession more than I did the Forgotten Centuries hand-dub of Under Pale Moon. It became my go-to for late night writing sessions, its haunting midnight atmospheres and otherworldly synth a catalyst for slipping into transcendent mental realms and inspiring creativity. Am I infinitely grateful Alex finally decided to release this after all these years? Yes, I am.
Don’t get me wrong, I love nuance and subtlety in my black metal as much as the next person. I can get down to some soft stuff when the mood takes. However, a massive part of my listening pleasure is also derived from hearing pure, uncompromising, skull-shattering aggression and holy fucking shit did this album utterly nail that brief for me. The gents in Sammath perfected their formula with an album that was the very sound of war; an obliterating beast of balls to the fucking wall hatred, relentless death and frenzied blood-flecked carnage. I can only salute them in awe. It’s probably also the review I enjoyed writing the most last year, read the full thing HERE.
“Sammath are the boot on your neck, the gun barrel pointed at your face as you cry and piss yourself in the mud. Across The Rhine Is Only Death is the bullet going through your brain as you choke your last breath.
This was my number one for the longest time, switching back and forth with Sammath depending on the day. The Frenchmen mutated their sound even further, adding classic and progressive rock elements… resulting in their best work in years. I love albums that do odd things to your head, and this psychedelic trip into worlds unknown definitely does. Ivan did a great review of this which echoes my own sentiments well, so instead of blathering on further I’ll just say: check that out HERE.
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1. NEDXXX – NEDXXX
I’m sure at least half of you are reading this saying “what the actual fuck? This album dropped extremely late in the year, I didn’t even like it, how the shit could this poser have it at number one?” Well hold onto your Mayhem undies kids, I shall explain.
As I said way back in the intro, I listen to a relatively large amount of music each year (nowhere near as much as some), and often find myself thinking about that age-old edgelord chestnut – is black metal really dying? I mean, look at most of the stuff that gets praised each year. Look at your own favourite albums. Chances are, at the most basic level many if not all are a slightly rearranged or altered copy of something else that you already liked the previous year. And the year before that. And so on. Not only sonically, but in image, album title, the works. Even in extreme metal, all too often everything is expected, everything is safe – in the age of clicking scores of Bandcamp/YouTube links per day, if it’s not immediately familiar with a sound that people already identify with it’s often discarded in favour of the next thing released thirty seconds later. Not always, but often; that’s just how shit is nowadays. Paradoxically, that’s what largely happened with NEDXXX… and that’s what it seems actively designed to challenge.
If NEDXXX is similar to anything, you could say there are shades of the mighty Abigor within, especially the latter day albums. It’s not too much of a stretch to assume TT is somehow involved – I couldn’t think of too many others who would create this. Whoever it is, they’ve seemingly written the album with the intent to tap into something discussed by a voice in the centre of the album – the DIABOLICAL. As the voice states: “What is the diabolic? The diabolic disrupts. It comes from the Greek words Dia and Boli. Diaboli means to tear apart, rip asunder. Anything therefore that breaks pattern. That destroys unity. That corrupts gestalt. Produces discord. That is the diabolic”.
This album is the diabolic manifested, obtaining “evil” through tearing apart all of the safe, expected and endlessly repeated tropes of what you expect from a black metal album and leaving a truly expressive and creative conduit for unspeakable forces. It doesn’t even have a fucking name. I’ve seen many people saying they tried it once or for a track or two but they couldn’t handle the “mathcore” influence/complexity, or it was just noise, or boring. Where were the same old blasts and tremolo lines, or if it was supposed to be some sort of dissoblack, why wasn’t it a DSO copy? It immediately challenged people’s perception of what they expected to hear, it rebelled and attempted to corrupt expectations. For this is not an easy-lisening album – It’s impossibly complex, for starters. Almost Naked City level batshit. It shreds, blasts, switches on a dime at least twenty times in each track, has bongos, dialogue samples, clean proselytizing and distorted roars, takes an immensely intricate approach to composition. It demands attention, investment… and this investment pays off. Peel back the layers, allow its complex patterns to assimilate with your synaptic pathways and a doorway will open – a doorway only true black art can breach, and which all too few artists are attempting to even reach these days, content to release the same old stuff. A doorway to the true diabolic, one of the core tenets of black metal itself.
So yeah, simply put, for me this is the most creative and (yes, I ACCEPT YOUR WRATH) “black metal” album released this year. I’ve listened to it countless times since release, bought the LP and all. Of course, many people hated it. I wholeheartedly recommend you just try it again for yourself, forget about everything else and listen. Absorb.
Open the doorway. Hails.
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Near Misses:
You should also check out the recent albums by Degredo, Ancestral Shadows, Regnans, Arnaut Pavle, Beorn’s Hall, Penance Stare, Wormwitch, Nocturnal Departure, An Isolated Mind, Mizmor, SutekhHexen, Frostveil, Nordjevel, Runespell, Djevel, Earth And Pillars, Sun Worship, Arkona, Haunter, Gardsghastr, Örmagna, Keres, Sores, Marras, Ashen Chalice, Waste Of Space Orchestra, Defacement, Revenant Marquis, Witchbones, Gorgon, Vukari, Aegrus, Consummation, Vessel Of Iniquity, Sadisme, Cthonica, all the Prava Kollektiv stuff, Sarke, Schammasch, Mephorahsh, Vástígr, Bednja, Worsen, Wolok and Mo’ynoq. All of these are also fucking great records, and either just missed out or might have made the list if I’d been able to spend more time with them. Oh, and the new Mayhem was solid enough… but we’ve all heard that.
With January bringing some exciting epic black metal offerings in the form of Forlorn Citadel’sAshen Dirge of Kingslain and Belore’s Journey Through the Mountains and Valleys, it’s a perfect time to run through the cornerstones of a genre often written off by sceptics as a scene of copycat artists. Whilst there are some key traits to the subgenre, no strict definition really exists. I’ve therefore selected albums which, to me, evoke a grand sense of scale, whether that be in triumph or sorrow. The top end of the list includes titles utterly essential to any soul wandering the epic realms; the tail end featuring five records I personally find overlooked and deserving of more recognition.
Obviously any list of epic black metal worth the paper it’s written upon will include Summoning. The band that birthed the subgenre, and who for years were untouchable legends. Chances are that if you’ve been interested enough to click on this article, you’ve heard this album, and there’s little need for me to write the endless paragraphs of praise that this record deserves, however much I may want to. For me, Let Mortal Heroes stands above other Summoning albums for several reasons, but the crucial point is that this is the band at their most triumphant. The Dwarven themes running through the album are represented by magnificent horn sections, and the introduction of clean choirs in ‘Farewell’ creates a finale that manages to invoke splendour without cliché.
I mentioned above that Summoning once seemed like untouchable legends. The release of Echoes of Battle, Caladan Brood’s first and only album, shattered that illusion, and arguably paved the way for legions of Summoning-worshipping acts. Echoes of Battle took the more uplifting elements of the Summoning sound and refined them, with expert production and polish. I’d wager that the men behind the project listen to their fair share of power and heavy metal; although by no means a major influence on the album, there’s a slight impression of such bands in some of the choruses. It’s undeniably a cheesier sound than anything Summoning have ever conjured, especially when the manly man choirs are in full flow, but that never feels like a detriment. If you like your epic metal to be triumphant every step of the way, then look no further than Caladan Brood.
Essential tracks: ‘Book of the Fallen’, ‘Wild Autumn Wind’, ‘To Walk the Ashes of Dead Empires’
A band more influenced by the ambient synth leanings of Lustre than any of the others on this list, there is no doubt that the first album from Eldamar is as majestic as any of them. It is far from flawless: the album is probably twenty minutes too long, and has far too many interlude tracks that contribute little to the flow of the record. Some have also criticised the lack of lyrics and use of synthesised clean vocals (although personally, I’ve always found this to benefit the atmospheric nature of the album). However, at its best, The Force of the Ancient Land evokes a feeling of splendour like few other albums can. Bolstered by excellent production the songs rise and fall like a living creature, taking the listener on what is truly a magical journey. Any sceptics should simply listen to the passage starting at the 8 minute mark in album opener ‘Spirit of the North’. Such grandeur cannot be denied.
Essential tracks: ‘Spirit of the North’, ‘Winter Night’
This album is timeless. Truly magical and beautiful, a spectacular artistic vision. The music flows at a glacial pace, letting the tides of warm ambience wash over the listener. The layered synth work is like a mighty creature submerged, with occasional high melodies breaching the water. The distant vocals are the wind, howling with an arctic grace. It seems foolish to speak of epic majesty when this album lives and breathes with the very force of nature itself. Those who have not witnessed The Magic of Nature would do well to embrace it; and prepare to be moved beyond measure.
Essential tracks: ‘In the Snow’, ‘The Magic of Nature’, ‘Last Winter Night’
Popular amongst epic black metal and dungeon synth fans alike, Emyn Muil follow the Summoning mould more closely than any other on this list. Truly evoking the spirit of early Summoning releases, Túrin Turumbar is slick and well produced, with a medieval spirit that certainly captures the Tolkien vision. As with Caladan Brood, Emyn Muil helped to prove that Summoning were not without rivals upon the release of this album, and its impact is undeniable. The haunting chord sequences help to weave the tragic tale of Túrin, doomed to live under the shadow of the curse cast upon his father.
Essential tracks: ‘Arise in Gondolin’, ‘The Sack of Nargothrond’, ‘Death of Glaurung’
Feeling like more of a soundtrack than metal album, The Lost Dimension is a masterful display of texture and atmosphere in music. Despite a relatively short runtime, the record showcases a huge variety in songwriting and moods, with more ambient tracks like ‘Dragons of Forgotten Times’ perfectly offsetting the bombast of epic songs like ‘Beyond the Sun, Beyond the Moon’. Multi-instrumentalist V-Khaoz composes orchestrations more complex than many of his peers, utilising unorthodox percussive and woodwind instrumentation to drive the atmospheres and melodies alongside the strings and brass traditional to the genre. The short runtime feels deceptively longer than it is; a true hallmark of an album that effortlessly immerses the listener in worlds beyond sight.
Essential tracks: ‘Beyond the Sun, Beyond the Moon’, ‘The Shadowborn’
Untamed Land are the most unique band on this list by a country mile. Between the Lands takes that tried and tested epic black metal formula, and applies it to… a spaghetti western concept (I’m pretty sure no one saw that one coming). Elements such as buzzing guitars and big brass sections find themselves alongside western organ solos and cowboy piano motifs. The craziest thing about all this is that it works flawlessly. It knows when to be fun, and it knows when to be massive. A project like this could easily have felt like two halves of vastly different projects crowbarred into one release, but this album really is that black metal soundtrack to cowboy times that no one realised they needed. In a scene dominated by Tolkien fanboys (guilty as charged), Untamed Land have found themselves a true niche, and long may they ride in it.
Essential tracks: ‘In Darkness Awakened’, ‘Ride of Prophecy’, ‘A Voice of Might’
A project steeped in traditional black metal and dungeon synth elements rather than the Summoning model of epic black metal, Keys of Orthanc still righteously deserve a place on this list. Everything about debut album Dush agh Golnauk is epic, from the haunting synth intro, the Nightside Eclipse-inspired guitar/keyboard usage, and the unique vocal effects that give a narrative edge. Hell, look at that cover art and try and tell me it’s not an epic album. Whilst there are subtle orchestrations, the album is far less reliant on them than some epic black metal peers, which I’d argue helps Keys stand out. It’s their refreshing ability to approach black metal in a more old school manner and still imbibe it with the grand scale that is driving the modern epic black metal movement that will help them carve their place among the giants of the genre.
Essential tracks: ‘Ringwraiths’, ‘The White Wizard’
Notorious amongst fans of the genre for its muddy production job, Nature Stays Silent remains a firm favourite of mine due to the exceptional melodic prowess showcased at every turn. The emotional melodies that tug at the heartstrings, the sombre moments of serene ambience, the bombastic symphonic majesty of the highest climaxes; the album is a perfect balance of the key components of any music described as epic. Songwriter Malo Civelli draws from a wide pool of influences, ranging from the folk-black leanings of Saor to the ambient majesty of Elderwind. Crucially, these are but influences; at no point does Nature Stays Silent sound like a rehash of weary ideas. This album is a truly unique masterclass in epic melody, and the fact that it shines above the production proves just how special Cân Bardd are.
Essential tracks: ‘Méditation Glaciale’, ‘Underwater’, ‘A Gift For Nature’
Taking the sorrowful orchestrations of Stronghold-era Summoning and placing it utop a lofi black metal buzz, Sickle of Dust strip down the epic genre from the polish many modern acts bestow. Such a stylistic choice places the songwriting front and centre; this album’s memorability is a testament to the melodic prowess showcased by sole member Ash. This is perfectly showcased in the opening track; the horn sections that run throughout dance beautifully with a string section that rises and falls, allowing the constant tremolo guitars and driving drums to be used as an atmospheric tool. Normally I like my epic metal production with a bit of glisten and sparkle; it’s a sign of Sickle of Dust’s ability that this album is raw and harsh, yet manages to maintain a warmth and majesty that keeps me coming back again and again.
Essential tracks: “In the Wake of the Night”, “The Last Stand”
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Honourable Mentions:
I feel these two bands have a great deal to contribute to the epic black metal world in the near future, and their respective debut EPs are but glimpses of the majesty that they will one day unleash:
Lets be honest: almost every serious metal fan with a modicum of taste likes Bathory (and if you don’t, well, your taste sucks). Over two decades mastermind Quorthon summoned some of the finest and most memorable albums metal has ever seen, and whether you find yourself partial to the project’s early first wave black carnage or the Viking epics of the later period tend to float your langskip a little more, the influence and endurance of the material is unquestionable.
It’s so influential and enduring that decades on many bands are still inspired to release covers of these classics, while over the years several labels have put out compilation albums in tribute (Godreah Records Voices From Valhalla and Hammerheart‘s In ConspiracyWith Satan spring to mind). It’s something that likely will not and should not ever stop, and the latest label to pay homage to the greats is one of the best underground black/pagan/neofolk/dark ambient/dungeon synth curators currently active in the US, and longtime BMD favourites to boot: Fólkvangr Records.
We’ve all heard great covers albums, and we’ve heard some absolute stinkers – so is this collection by artists on the Fólkvangr roster worthy to be sung about in the sagas? I’m sure you know the answer to that already, but let’s take a look at a quick track by track breakdown of Fólkvangr RecordsLords of the North: A Tribute to Bathory anyway… just incase you need a little convincing.
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1) Unreqvited – Song to Hall Up High
Kicking off, Canadian post-black solo artist Unreqvited does what he does best by taking Hammerheart‘s ode ‘Song To Hall On High’ and transforming it into an epic, transcendent instrumental synth piece that portrays the grandeur of the original’s subject matter to a tee. The faint echo of Quorthon‘s vocals to begin the track is a lovely touch, too.
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2) Eskapism – Enter the Eternal Fire
Now we’re really getting stuck into it as Ukranian duo Eskapism tackle Under The Sign Of The Black Mark‘s glorious head-banger ‘Enter The Eternal Fire‘. The duo remain largely faithful to the original but add a few extra layers of tastefully done choral synth that helps the track to soar higher than ever before. The improved modern production leaves it all feeling slightly less visceral but far more powerful, which is in no way a bad thing – you just try to not bang your head to this. Pro tip: it’s impossible.
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3) Beorn’s Hall – Foreverdark Woods
The NHBM duo were always going to be well suited to this compilation and they provide an earthy, emotional and honest take on the Nordland I classic. Vulcan pulls off a solid imitation of Quorthon, and overall I expected no less from these gents. My only qualm… no mouth harp in the intro? I’m kidding, even that little detail is there. This is killer.
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4) Dwarrowdelf – Nordland
When I saw the track listing I knew Tom O’Dell would absolutely nail this, and his cover of the mighty Nordland does not disappoint in the slightest. Capturing the spirit of the original with a little of that trademark Dwarrowdelf magic, this is honestly one of my favourite things I’ve ever heard him do – and consequently one of my favourite tracks on this compilation. Could we look forward to even more of a Bathory influence on the next Dwarrowdelf album, perhaps?
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5) Forefather – Man of Iron
Pagan UK do Forefather were simply built to cover this. Possessed of a deep and resonating integrity, their treatment of the already stunning piece Man of Iron is nothing short of beautiful and will likely bring a tear to your eye. Quorthon would be looking down from Valhalla and smiling.
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6) 1476 – Blood Fire Death
I was intrigued to see what the US duo would bring to the table here, and I have but two eloquent words to describe their rendition of the timeless Blood Fire Death: Holy. Shit. Does the vocal attack match the passion of the source? Does it ever – at around 8:10 I sat up and swore in amazement. With a brighter and cleaner production to elevate it, this is yet another triumph.
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7) Windfaerer – Blooded Shore
US crew Windfaerer take the epic Blooded Shore and give it some teeth, by way of their possibly-triple vocal attack’s vicious throatwork. Your opinion on this will likely depend on how attached you are to the original’s soaring clean tones – I think it’s a fucking great take on an already marvelous tune.
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8) Lóstregos – Un Bo Día Pra Morrer (A Fine Day to Die)
Now, A Fine Day to Die is one of my favourite Bathory tracks, and Lóstregos are one of my favourite pagan black metal bands – so is this a match made by the Gods? You’re damn right is, as the Spanish horde make a great track even more intense by ramping up the BPM a little (at least it feels like it, anyway) and singing all the lyrics entirely in their native tongue. Two words: this rips.
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9) Ulvesang – The Lake
The Canadian duo of Alex and Ana give this already bewitching track an unexpected (for those unfamiliar with their previous art, anyway) neofolk reworking – imagine the introduction of the original carried onwards and became the entire composition and you’re in the ballpark. Gone are the distorted guitars and drums, the entire thing is interpreted on two acoustic guitars with deep, somber vocal intonations that give the song an entirely new vibe. Very well done, and completely captivating.
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10) Funerary Descent – Call From the Grave
And to take us out, probably the cover I was most intrigued to hear on this entire compilation – the immense Call From the Grave, by way of the blackened funeral doom of US demons Funerary Descent. Slow, low and utterly fucking crushing; this fearlessly drags Bathory to miasmic depths of turgid blackness never before seen… and is the perfect way to end this remarkable journey.
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…so, there you have it. To answer the earlier question posed: this is one of the finest tribute compilations I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Over the course of a year this impressive array of likeminded artists and co-conspirators toiled to compile a touching memorial to the legendary Quorthon; they all poured their souls into it and you can feel the love and reverence in every detail, from their interpretations of the music itself to the superb Marc Whisnant cover art. Thanks to the great mastering job by a certain Alex Poole it’s also a remarkably coherent listen that still allows the nucanced idiosyncrasies and strengths of every artist to shine through, too… all up, it’s a wonderful tribute that’s more than worthy, and every single person involved with this should be proud.
Between the CD and tape version there are 500 copies in circulation; grab yourself one today. I’ve got mine. Hail Fólkvangr, hail Quorthon… hail Bathory.
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Purchase Lords Of The North: A Tribute To Bathory digitally on Bandcamp here, or on CD and cassette from the Fólkvangr Records webstore here.
Indulge me for a moment, dear readers, for I must tell a tale. When I first was given the opportunity to listen through the upcoming Dwarrowdelfalbum Of Dying Lights I was exhausted after a particularly trying day, but I simply had to listen. Previous album The Sons Of Fëanor was one of my low-key favourite albums of last year (and epic black usually doesn’t float my boat, so that’s quite the feat) so there was no way I was putting this one off – I started my first playthrough before bed. Naturally, as one is oft to do when extremely tired and safely ensconced amidst downy blankets and soft pillows, I fell asleep.
Now, I always sleep with music on. Every single night and usually the more intensely hyperblasting/drone/trance-like the better. This time, however; something happened that has never, to the best of my memory, happened before.
The music from this album infiltrated my dream. Nay, not infiltrated, as that’s not entirely unusual – it became my dream. As I slumbered I was transported to a realm within the sound, surrounded by these unbelievably stunning melodies, completely entranced as the energy of the audio filled my entire being. It felt like I had by chance discovered the ultimate music, or the perfect song; every note so precisely selected and placed it created an overwhelming, magical sensation. I remember being in tears, a flood of endorphins exploding in my mind simply from experiencing its simple sequence of immaculate notes – total rapture.
Crazy dream, right? Well, imagine my surprise when after waking and dismissing it as the fanciful exaggerations of a consciousness at rest in the arms of Morpheus, I later threw Of Dying Lights on in the car for a second attempt – and the exact melodies and songs that so entranced and intoxicated me in my dreams began to caress my ears. Let me tell you: I almost crashed the fucking car.
It’s always wonderful to experience a project develop from the first demo stages into the more fully realised vision of the artist. It’s even better when the artist happens to be nice guy like Tom O’Dell, and what he has achieved on only the third Dwarrowdelf offering makes me genuinely happy to see and is nothing short of amazing. If his first two releases were finding his sound and perfecting his formula, Of Dying Lights sounds like he is perilously close to achieving his final, ultimate form – everything is more confident, and from the refined songwriting to the fact that he’s made the decision to sing almost entirely in cleans, the aura emitted is one of total control and command over his talents. When opening track ‘Arien‘ kicks into its superb galloping midsection the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, and that is by no means the only time that’ll happen throughout the journey – the album is overflowing with moments that will at least make you sit up and take notice, and at best leave you breathless. This isn’t just another solid improvement, it’s Dwarrowdelf on the verge of becoming completely world class.
But you don’t have to take my word for it – not only are we premiering the second advance track from the album here today in ‘The Line of Thrór‘ (ahead of the full release on March 30th through the twin excellencies of Flowing Downwardand Fólkvangr Records), but our favourite Tolkien fan Tom himself is back to have a chat with us about all things Of Dying Lights. So listen, read, and get ready for another thrilling journey deeper into the ever-expanding lore of Dwarrowdelf.
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Hello again Tom! It’s an absolute pleasure to have you back; I hope this day finds you well.
As we spoke about last time, the theme of the first Dwarrowdelf EP was Dwarves, the debut full-length centered on Elves… this time you’ve stated that your superb new album Of Dying Lights “loosely revolves around themes of light and darkness in Middle Earth”. Does this mean there’s no overarching concept? What sort of tales are touched upon this time?
– Hi Aaron, great to be back! Thanks for having me again, I’ll try not to waffle on for too long… Thematically this album is really just a bit of a variety, to be honest. ‘Where Daylight Dies’ and ‘The Line of Thrór’ are almost a two-part tale of the Dwarves and their expulsion from Erebor, but the others are all standalone. ‘Arien’ is about the sun rising and symbolically representing the Age of Men, ‘Minas Anor’ is almost about the sun “setting” on Gondor, and then ‘The Withering Woods’ is about the plight of the Ents. The Sons of Fëanor was obviously very story driven, whereas this time I decided to just let the lyrics be more thematic and add more to the overall atmosphere than push a narrative.
One of the biggest changes that’s immediately apparent is your vocals – you’ve ‘done an Akerfeldt’ and ditched the growl! In my opinion it sounds fantastic and works exceptionally well with the new material, but what led to the decision to sing almost entirely in cleans for this album – and even get Jack Reynolds (of Asira and Bykürius) in to perform some harsh vox instead of yourself?
– I think I may have mentioned last time how harsh vocals have always been something I’ve done out of necessity; whilst I love listening to them, I’ve never particularly enjoyed doing them! Maybe that’s the classical singer in me… The music I’ve made as Dwarrowdelf has always been intended to be a soundtrack of sorts, and it became apparent quite early on in the writing for this album that I wanted the vocals to be smooth and melodic. Couple that with the fact that most of the reviews of the last album seemed to focus on the singing as a strength, and my mind was all made up!
That’s not to say that Dwarrowdelf will be a totally harsh vocal free zone from now on; the Bathory cover I’ve done for the upcoming Fólkvangr Records compilation album has plenty of them. Being a cover, the last track, needed harsh vocals, and Jack’s been a firm supporter of the project from day one (not to mention awesome vocalist), so I sent him the instrumental to see if he’d be interested. The semi-clean ridiculous/brilliant glam scream before the final chorus was entirely his idea and all blame can be directed squarely at his feet.
The album contains some material written before The Sons of Feanor yet somehow seems like an even larger step up than its predecessor did; it now almost feels like Dwarrowdelf has evolved into its epic final form. In our last chat you sounded like you were already well into the planning stages for this album whilst polishing off the first one – did you purposefully hold that material back for Of Dying Lights, or was it just excess goodness that happened to work well here?
– I think maybe ‘The Withering Woods’ was half written before Sons came out, as well as a song that featured bits of ‘The Line of Thrór’ in a different arrangement. I spent a lot of time honing everything to ensure it all worked; disciplined self editing is an essential task in a solo project, no matter how painful it is. That being said, I really didn’t expect it to come together so quickly! I fully intended to spend a while slowly perfecting the songs, but luckily things just clicked into place.
I absolutely feel like this is a major step forward for the project. In hindsight, Sons relied a little too heavily on Summoning-worship, especially in the first few tracks; these songs feel like I’ve blended my influences in a more unique manner to create a distinct niche in the epic/atmospheric metal pantheon. The all-clean vocals approach probably helps with creating that distinction to be fair! I’ve updated the Dwarrowdelf playlist I curate on Spotify to reflect the different influences that went into this one; hopefully there’s a few surprises on there for people!
I have to say, that cover art is spectacular. You’ve utilized the considerable skills of Jordan Grimmer Art again and it’s almost unbelievable how perfectly emblematic it is of the music itself; before you even hear a note you’re already being helplessly drawn in to the atmosphere of the record. Had he heard the album before creating the piece?
– He hadn’t actually, although maybe I should offer… although I have no idea if he’s into metal! Jordan’s an awesome artist to work with; he’s great at really talking through the designs in detail so that everyone’s on the same page, and absolutely took my vision on board. We discussed how great the play between light and dark is in the imagery of Balin’s Tomb in The Fellowship of the Ring, especially considering the lyrical themes of the album. He then went above and beyond with the details, adding elements of the land of the dead, and his own little details… as you say, it absolutely draws you into the atmosphere of the record!
It turns out Of Dying Lights has a heavy Sojournerconnection – the talented Mike Lamb produced the album and Chloe Bray contributes some beautiful guest vocals to the stunning Where Daylight Dies (one of my personal album highlights). How did these collaborations come about, and what was it like to work with them?
– Mike’s a good friend, and he’s always been super supportive with offering advice for Dwarrowdelf. When he started up his studio (Onieros Studio), I asked if he’d be interested in mixing this album for me, and he jumped on the opportunity! He really understood the vision I was working towards, and was so instrumental in shaping the details of the production… with the amount of layers going on, there was a lot to discuss!
The part in ‘Where Daylight Dies’ where Chloe sings was originally a deep bassy chant, but it just didn’t fit with the ethereal nature of the section. I think Mike suggested Chloe, and I certainly didn’t take much convincing. She rewrote the vocal part, adding some mystical harmonies that I absolutely love! I can’t thank the both of them enough for the support and work they’ve put in, the album wouldn’t be the same without them… I definitely owe them both a drink or three when Sojourner play near me later this year!
Continuing the Sojourner love-in, the album closes with a cover of not one, but two songs rolled into a single composition: Sojourner’s ‘Homeward’ and Summoning’s ‘Land Of The Dead’, seamlessly blended to create the epic journey of ‘Home Of The Dead’. That’s something you don’t see too often; what was your inspiration for this grand alchemy and how did you go about pulling it off?
– Believe it or not, this actually started as a joke… However, after messing about and roughly throwing the two together, I realised that it could actually be an awesome closing track for the album. The two tracks fit together creepily well, albeit with a few note changes here and there, so most of it was quite easy to combine. It was then just a case of figuring out which vocals to put where, and adding little details – I also slipped in a little trill from ‘The Shadowed Road’, but I won’t say where! I’m really hoping people like this one, it’s certainly a different approach to a standard cover and I’m so pleased with how it turned out; Jack’s vocal performance absolutely makes it.
The great Fólkvangr Records is once again handling the tape edition, but this time you’ve also teamed up with Flowing Downward for a digipack CD and shirt release. Given that Flowing Downward is the sub-label of the legendary Avantgarde Music I’d imagine you’d be quite pleased with that! I’m also hoping for a vinyl edition… is there any news on that front?
– I was planning on sending the album to Avantgarde once it was finished, but Andrea from Flowing Downward got in touch about halfway through the mixing phase, asking if I’d be interested in working together! I’d heard great things about the label, and really love some of the releases they’ve been putting out (Abstract Void being a personal highlight; synthwave and black metal have no business working that well together!). Flowing Downward have been great to work with, and I’m confident that it’s only the beginning of a great working relationship!
I hope there’ll be vinyl too – it all depends on how the CD and shirt sales go I believe, so you should all buy many, many copies for you and all your friends.
And finally – we’re premiering the second preview song from the album here today, ‘The Line of Thrór’… tell us a little about this particular track, if you would!
– This is one of my favourites on the album; it was originally a lot slower, but I figured that most of the songs were quite slow and atmospheric. After a major Wintersun binge, I upped the BPM and really brought out the melodeath influences to create a nice change of pace. As mentioned, it goes hand in hand with ‘Where Daylight Dies’ as a story of Dwarven misfortune, although this one is more of a triumphant march!
Sincerest thanks once again for your time, Tom; Of Dying Lights is an absolute triumph. Any final words you’d like to leave us with?
– Thanks again for having me, it’s always a pleasure; your questions always get me talking for ages in the best way! I’m really glad you like the album, and I hope everyone enjoys the new song. Stay tuned for the full release on March 30th!
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Pre-order Of Dying Lights digitally or on CD from the Dwarrowdelf Bandcamp here, on CD from Flowing Downwardhere, or on cassette from Fólkvangr Records here.
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