And thus, as 2023 writhes in the final, horrific throes of dying ecstasy,LISTCRUSH season is upon us once again – join with us as eachBMD scribe reveals their own respective venerated apotheosis of the last twelve months. First up is our subterranean avant-gardeist of nightmare vision and vitriol, the Centipede Abyss commander… Pan Inentropy.
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TOP NINE
9. Nirrti – Palindromos
Nirrti’s Palindromos marks the beginning of my top 9. Offering up illusory soundscapes that are horrendously disjointed yet in a flowing manner, with what can only be described as sonic recoil throughout. This was one of the first I encountered in the year and the fact that it has stayed in mind for over six months is testament to its well crafted anatomy.
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8. Ôros Kaù – Thanatos
More vivid than the previous outing and can only be described as impactful and monolithic. Harkening to middle-eastern string work, as you’d expect, and doused in doom-meets-drone feels with some beastly vocals, simply put: Thanatos is Ôros Kaù’s best work to date.
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7. Mórnu- The Unearthly Becomes Inherent
Its deceptive introduction has stuck with me, heavily reliant on atmosphere, but with a rough and ready production that assimilates with its dissonant nature instinctively. Passages come and go, the pace changes up, and those death-doom sections can only be described as otherworldly and commanding.
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6. Domhain – Nimue
This one fills my wants for something haunting and reflectively beautiful. Lots of “post” influence on this, with what can only be described as celestial levels of somber epicness, that just instinctively feel as though they could be emanating from the hills and forests themselves.
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5. Turpitude – Une interprétation de la dissolution glaciale en quatre mouvements
There are a lot of progressive elements on this, the way the composition snakes in and out of sections is what really caught my attention. The sound is by no means “clean”, ‘though; this is nasty, feral stuff that occupies the raw black metal space. Fierce, mid-paced throughout and with enough variance and eerie interludes to give it an almost… cinematic quality.
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4. Blacnk – For This Is The Rot Of Existence
Blacnk manages to assimilate the old school sound of 90s BM with a hefty dose of hallucinogens to offer up for this is the rot of existence. I simply adore this drops’ almost playful but sinister nature. This is an album that really toys with your senses, being at once hypnotic and horrifying.
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3. Astwihad – Gatha 1: Asto-Vidatu
This is like listening to yourself being dragged into a never-ending vortex. The way the sound swirls around you is a joy to behold. Powerful, aggressive and – if you look hard enough – surprisingly melodic; but ultimately the soundtrack to plunging down a never-ending chasm.
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2. Sombre Ciel – Sombre Ciel
This sounds… like the album art. There is generous and well thought out use of composition variance here that gives the dissonance on this an ultimately more menacing form. Its wild production and drowned out vocals lend themselves well to the polarity you’ll experience on this album, going from the disjointedly malignant, to the dizzy ambient washes.
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1. Orbyssmal – Abyssom
Anyone remotely aware of my listening habits was probably expecting something like this as my number 1. Orbyssmal has, simply put, unleashed a masterpiece. Have you ever encountered something so disgustingly horrific that you stare at, getting yourself lost in its draw? Edging closer, only to be fascinated more? That is this album. Dense, suffocating and otherworldly… comparisons to Portal are inevitable, but the energy on this is something its own and separate. The relentlessness of each track, the way every instrument merges with the other to form that punishing tone, and the wails that sound as though they are from a manic beast feasting ravenously on something it killed… all awesome.
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STAY TUNED FOR MORE LISTCRUSH IN THE COMING DAYS. HAILS.
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I decided to write this as I listen to it, due to the high expectations I have and given the caliber of musicianship involved. The opening first 30 seconds are pretty tense; I’m not sure what to expect, based on that string work. But, I know its going to be murky and brooding; and brooding it is…
There’s a gratifying sense of festering to the sound, exalted by the production choices that allows room for the details to come breathe a little. Opener ‘Nephtys’ is a mighty beast to behold, forever grasping the listener in its jaw and periodically flailing them like a helpless rag doll. I simply love how the riffs come off like a continuous sunrise that just never seems to get to the point of daylight; there’s something almost underworldly yet strangely intimate in the mood this creates… I also love the dissonance that begins to slowly trickle into the track; we’re not talking Portal-esque dissonance, but just enough to please my chaotic needs.
After the initial track, ‘Let Neptune Strike Ye Dead’ sounds a little more buoyant. It still maintains its impressionability in an animated manner; there’s a cyclic nature to this track that exudes a reverent fervor, and, dare I say, borders on feeling psychedelic in places whilst often retreating back into those ritualistic moments. When the chants kick in, this is what I’d imagine Urfaust would have sound like if they had gone down the “blackened death” route… at other times it’s hard to pin down, but I would imagine fans of Vertebra Atlantis, Det Eviga Leendet and Ævangelist would find something they enjoy here.
The third track ‘BAAL’ is full blown, mind bending glory made manifest. I was expecting something a little more orthodox based on the lyrics, but Ôros Kaù surprises me by taking that elated feel of the previous track and slowly passing it through a spiralizer. There are definite Blut Aus Nord vibes on this track, with that star being that invasive, colossal, death soaked riffage, providing a beacon in the hallucinatory desert the song creates. Couple that with a slow burning exit and you have enhanced levels of surreality on this track. ‘Marbas’ injects more shrill elements into the fray; those great psych vibes still haven’t vanished and are washed here in layers of dissonance and compelling arrangements. Again, we find that cyclic feel coming back on this track, giving the whole thing a sickly pendulum feel (in a good way).
The intro to ‘Dawn of Scorpio’ intrigues me, the blend of instrumentation with that “distant vocal chant, meets gurgly shrill, meets guttural bellow” is quite the atmospheric trifecta (something that I think I would hope to be explored a little more on the next one). It really augments that unholy aura to it all. The pace seems somewhat slower on this track, but that atmosphere just trickles through on this at just the right measure… and is really reminiscent of Urfaust meets Blut Aus Nord to me. Then, the final track sounds like a finale. If the previous tracks were all about that hallucinogenic aggression, then this one by comparison would be a film score. Ôros Kaù displays a definitive understanding of building atmosphere within a piece of music, which, when given Czlts other projects, comes as no surprise. Absolutely beautifully driven drony doom feels on this with some of the most feral vocal play I have ever heard. Add in that eastern stringwork and that is just beautiful… and I would say is comparable to a demonic NNMM (which, again, of course is no surprise).
Ôros Kaù has delivered something that has surpassed the previous album here, through vivid exploration of composition, fluid arrangement and atmosphere building… resulting in something that can only be described as cinematic in terms of impact.
Finally, Part Two of my Listcrush series materializes. I’m currently stuck in bed after surgery, high as shit on a cocktail of painkillers and feeling like someone ran over me in a flaming dump truck – what better time to sift through my most personally resonant splits and collaborations of last year? As before, every single one of these comes with my highest recommendations, even the near misses, so be sure to check them out. Stay tuned for thefinal part in the coming days. Hails.
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TOP 20 SPLITS
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20. INFERNO REQUIEM / CZARNOBOG – Fear of Tartarus / Remembrance of the Blood Moon (Death Kvlt Productions)
The two tracks of glorious, grandiloquent evil from the master Fog of Inferno Requiem led me to this split, where I discovered the more somber and synth laden darkness of Czarnobog. Still love the IR side a little more, but both are great stuff.
One of the deepest conceptual splits of the year (probably equal with number two on this list, but in a completely different way) is also noteworthy as having the unchallenged best cover art for 2020. Just look at it… and the music itself is as ambitious and resonant as that art. I was familiar with Precaria, even having interviewed sole practitioner Ianzel a few years back, but Ôros Kaù were a neat new discovery.
This one was a huge surprise for me, as on paper I didn’t expect this pairing to work well at all. No idea why – turns out I was completely fucking wrong and Albionic Hermeticism provide a fitting Yin to Decoherence‘s obliterating Yang. Challenging and immersive.
A fine helping of killer crumbling riffs from Australia’s always-superb Solipsism, but once again Kudlaakh completely steal the show for me. Absolutely cannot get enough of this project.
Two monolithic, sprawling, twenty-plus-minute long soundscapes of Icelandic gold. Carpe Noctem made a welcome tweak to their sound for this split, and Árstíðir Lífsins justcontinued to cement their exalted place as one of my go-to artists when I’m in the mood for this sort of thing.
“Behold, purveyors of the sonic void: now in this era of catastrophe approaches one of the most cohesive splits in recent memory…”
Our man GOS called this meeting of minds “a black/industrial/doom masterwork of devastating proportions” in his reviewback in June. I, of course, wholeheartedly agree – read it. And listen, if you haven’t.
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14. NODUS TOLLENS / CROWN OF ASTERIA – Split (Realm and Ritual)
“Indescribable feelings arise from the combination of depressive black and plaintive viola (wielded by Marisa KayeJanke, ex-Isenordal) with such devastation they would challenge My Dying Bride for sheer emotional weight; feelings that have been ripped from the chest of sole practitioner Cicatrix as he pours his soul from the gaping wound for all to see. Guitars crash and soar as his rasp and roar summons sorrows, sharing the weight that lies heavy upon him, his tribulations and turmoil becoming our own because we recognize ourselves in what his sound is expressing. We are on that rudderless boat, screaming at the world, and nobody can hear it.” …is what I wrote about Nodus Tollens‘ side of this split when I had the sizeable honour of premiering a track back in February; Crown Of Asteria then completes that stunning picture with breathtaking ease.
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13. WARMOON LORD / VULTYRIUM – Pure Cold Impurity (Wolfspell Records)
The ineffable and ruthless Warmoon Lord continue to create ultimate Finnish black metal glory that’s so good (check ‘Victory Of Irreverend Might’, fucking hell) it almost wouldn’t matter if Vultyrium totally shat the bed on their side. Luckily, those sheets remain pristine. More please.
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12. CANDELABRUM / SULPHURIC NIGHT – Death Slumbers Amidst The Ruins (Altare Productions, Black Gangrene Productions)
Entomb yourself in deep catacombs for 300 years. Arise and wander the dank forgotten halls forlorn. Scratch your way to the surface, feeding on the blood of any living thing you can find on the way… then reach the air, and rule the night forever. That’s the overwhelming imagery and feeling provided by this split. Incredible.
A double helping of calls to ancient earthen blood from two old Australian spirits, beautifully entwined into a single harmonious and bewitching whole. Only one way to describe this split: pure magick.
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10. BRÅND / HÄXENZIJRKELL – Split (Amor Fati Productions, Tour De Garde)
One of the first splits to make a big impact on me all the way back in the heady days of January, before the plague really took hold. Perhaps the release of this split even facillitated its spread? I know, I know… but just listen to Häxenzijrkell‘s side in particular and tell me that’s a ridiculous concept.
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9. INVUNCHE / IFERNACH – Split (Tour de Garde)
The shamanic black punk of Invunche placed back to back with Ifernach displaying a more raw punk version of his own sonic warfare results in a compelling experience. This grew on me every time I put it on, and by the end of the year I fucking adored it. Will feature in my listening habits for a long time to come.
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8. HAND OF GLORY / ENSHROUD – S/T (Death Hymns)
I’d already had this astonishingly oppressive split locked into this spot on my list for months and was ready to yell about how good it was into all of your ears, but finding out that Lam of Hand Of Glory / Sanguine Eagle / Zarabanda Moon / Unseen Forest Patriot unfortunately passed through into the next life on 6th January 2021 puts a tragic spin on its inclusion… and makes it all the more fitting. Rest In Power.
Described in a Bandcamp review (by our friend VUK of The Metal Wanderlust, no less) as “wonderfully unusual music”, which sums it up perfectly. Vuur & Zidje‘s debut expression of mystical madness boils away under ethereal female vocals that have haunted me since May, and Impavida is as discombobulating and harrowing as ever – especially on the epic final track Wahn & Stille. One of those splits that creeps under your skin and stays there.
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6. LAMP OF MURMUUR / REVENANT MARQUIS – Split (Death Kvlt Productions, Les Fleurs Du Mal)
Two of the premier names in contemporary raw black on one split? Hype be damned, if you thought this was ever going to be anything less than great, you’re a chump. Or you just appreciate different things, which is also fine. I guess.
HAIL THE ANTIPODEAN TRIUMVIRATE. All three of these projects are the some of the best fresh black art to arise from our sweltering shores, down here in Aus – Forest Temple is the dungeon synth project of Lepidus Plague / Kommodus, which is noteworthy because 1) he (spoiler alert) shows up in this list twice, and 2) it’s the only pure dungeon synth project to surface on any of my lists. This split is the equivalent of being violently abducted and killed by a backpacker murderer (Hinterkaifeck) before your corpse is slowly dismembered and interred in a shallow grave somewhere deep in the tranquil Australian bushland (Forest Temple) then decomposes, rotting away beneath the cold, damp earth for seventeen years (Burier). Nice.
Let it always be remembered that 2020 was when two of the premier cosmic black metal entities of our current era combined their limitless powers – after November 18th, the very fabric of our universe was irrevocably altered by the ravenous black hole created by this split. We will forever live in its terrifying shadow, on the cusp of being sucked in to total obliteration. Life will never be the same. Plus, there’s eurobeat.
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3. HAJDUK / AKANTHA / NIMBIFER / SØRGELIG – Ruins Of Humanity (Repose Records, Not Kvlt Records)
When I first learned of this split from the Sørgelig guys, I was hyped as hell – and I can unequivocally say that it lived up to every expectation I ever had. I mean, if that lineup alone doesn’t excite you, what the fuck else will? Masterful, in every single sense imaginable.
The most monolithic, imposing and expansive conceptual split released last year. Based upon Gustav Holst‘s The Planets – a seven-movement orchestral / symphonic blockbuster suite based upon the personalities of each planet in our solar system – the sheer amount of work put in to this thing is mind blowing, and the result is stunning. We had to team up with Moshpitnation-mi to adequately review it.
“…for this is a split for the ages… humbling in its size and ambition, executed to near perfection.”
And now, the champions. As I’ve waxed lyrical about many times, the mighty Kommodus is the best Australian black metal project active right now and Lord Lepidus Plague just has a knack for writing great riffs that get stuck in your head – Pyrrhic Victory was frequently found ripping through my brain throughout the entirety of December. His side is sheer indomitable ferocity (with a killer Celtic Frost cover) whilst US spirit Valac perfectly complements and continues the fury, adding a devastating Leviathan cover to boot. In a year stacked with incredible splits, Eclipsing Honour and Decay was the irrefutable cream of the crop from two projects at the very top of their game. So criminally good it should be illegal.
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NEAR MISSES: Carved Cross / Torrid Death’s Fire – Split 2020, Lament In Winter’s Night / Black Imperial Blood – Split, Evilfeast / Uuntaar – Ode To Lands Of Past Traditions, FallenForest / BlackImperialBlood – Split, Nyctophilia / Hellmoon – Under the Darkest Sign of Ancient Evil, Reign / Rulum – The Occult
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