Black Metal History Month - Sliver Knife : "s/t"

 I liked this French band's first album, but can't find the view of it to job my memory, so perhaps it did not leave the lasting impression I thought. They are riding the line here between depressive black metal and atmospheric black metal that leans in the direction of black gaze on the first track with the wailing and guitars growing more distant in the tremolo buzz on the second song. By the time we get to the third song, it is obvious this album is not going to be as dynamic as I had hoped as it sounds almost just like the previous song.  The cavernous product is a cool vibe but does not compress things into a more coherent song structure. Instead, it just echoes out into oblivion. Thus serving a sound rather than a song, with the spoken vocal passsage the main thing that distinguishes this from the previous songs. 

"Transfiguration" is riffier, so this allows the more sonic swell of dynamics to work better against it. In many ways, it is more traditional in its approach to black metal recalling bands like Darkthrone. The howl of the vocals is convincingly anguished. Then on "Reticent Paroxysm" they revert back to to variation of what they were doing on the first three songs that is less compelling without the nuance to set this song apart from the blur of tremolo picking that is burying the drums but it does not sound like they are merely blasting. 

The album closes with the almost fifteen-minute sprawl of "Triumph In Tragedy". The this point the vocals are pretty much just howling being consumed by reverb in the distance. There are marginal shifts in intensity, I am unsure what they had planned for all 15 minutes but it appears just to rest on this stagnant drone and scream over it. The change of plans occurs six minutes in when things break down into the strum of a clean guitar sound. This is something that could have been broken up to help the other songs. That reprieve lasts for less than two minutes and they have stirred things back up into the furious tempest of guitars. What they are doing is cool sound-wise, but there is a uniform atmosphere enveloping the album, though I think it's what they set out to do and well done for this kind of black metal so I will give this one an 8.

Black Metal History Month -Diamond in the Rough, King Diamond's "Voodoo"

 It's amazing how much better this album sounds than the previous one and I am surprised that all of that lies in the addition of drummer John Luke Herbert, who only plays on this album and "House of God".  They get off to a more energetic start, which finds King's vocal approach more aggressive to match the energy of the music. There are none of the nods to rock n roll that could be heard on the previous release. This rips in a manner that recalls "Abigail" As far as his 90s output goes this is the album I revisit the most. Whatever helped the making of this record fall in place like it did the songwriting finds a balance of being theatric but very fluid. "Life After Death" is a great example of this. 

There are songs like the title track that stand up against his most classic material and would be a welcome addition to his live set when he chooses to break it up some from what he's been touring with since right before COVID. His choir of ghostly falsettos is very well-layered. Thematically the is more like "The Eye" as it goes back in time to a creepy era of history, this one just as ripe with magic. The ritualistic drummer is impressive for some guys from Europe to capture. Dime Bag drops a solo on this one, but it's not the best solo on the album."A Secret' is more straightforward with less of the voodoo trapping, but it goes pretty hard in the thrashing break it hits.  "Salem" works as a punchy mid-paced chug. The palm-muted breakdown works really well. The effects on his voice are also a nice touch. It's safe to say this is one of his heavier albums. 

"One Down Two to Go" starts off as a dreamy ballad and builds momentum into crunchy thrashing. "Sending of Dead"  finds the keyboards playing a larger role. It simmers on the mood, with the drums sitting back a bit, so perhaps this dude is what is building the intensity, though the drums vary in where they sit in the mix. "Sarah's Night" is more invested in theatrics. It finds the harpsichord sounds becoming more dominant as the story unfolds. They come back stronger with "The Exorcist" which is supported by a hooky guitar melody. They groove this riff more. King sounds great on this one. The guitar solos are also pretty ripping here as well. They have the riffs down on this album making these songs far more memorable than the past couple of albums. 'the Cross of Baron Samedi" is more deliberate in its pace, but its crunch works. Really this is the last song as it's just outro atmosphere after this even with the hidden track. I'll round this up to a 10, it is a solid return to form.

pst78

RWAKE : "The Return of Magik"

Perhaps the collapse of society is going to find sludge returning as the dominant force in metal. This Arkansas-based band is back after 13 years. A more melodic expanse of sound brings elements of Southern rock to the forefront of the opening track as guitar solos cascade around it. Brittany Fugate's scathing vocals provide a counterpoint to the lower ominous vocal tones of Chris Terry. The title track carries a more menacing thunder to its metallic riffing. The vocals snarl back and forth with effective venom. I can already tell this is going to be the sludge album to beat this year, though they may go off on a tangent in the next three songs that follow since one of them sprawls out into almost 14 minutes. 

I am breaking this album up and listening to each song then taking a break, and listening to it with fresh ears, rather than trying to digest it in its entirety in one sitting. Normally I just write it all out in my first listen but there is a great deal going on here. "With Stardust Flowers" kicks off with a more rock n roll-like riff that carries hook and punches in equal measure, the sneer of the vocals bringing in the aggression. I really like how the vocals are produced on this song, the overall mix of this album is stellar so far as well. There is country nuance to the guitar playing. 

"Distant Constellations and the Psychedelic Incarceration" is a fourteen-minute song. There is a slow build in the sway of its darker hypnotic feel that shares some common ground with Swans. The vocals are more spoken than sung. It takes six minutes before it takes on its shape as a song, and then another minute before distorted guitars swell into it. They get into a prog metal territory that is not unlike what Mastodon did in the mid-2000s.  Despite being almost 11 minutes long" In After Reverse" has a more straightforward crusty sludge attack. The album closes with a melodic guitar outro, I'll give this album a 9.5, it rips pretty hard and sludge bands will have to step up their game to beat out this one.This album drops March 14th on Relapse Records.  

pst77

Black Metal History Month - Nyktmyst : "s/t"

 So far this month I have managed to steer clear of bands relying solely on blast beats, and perhaps that is a turn the genre as a whole is taking, though this album does use them at times, but in a dynamic manner. The Dutch Black Metal project has something odd and angular about their method of attack that keeps them from falling into the blasty mc nasty land. Even the opening track has an odd melodic clean guitar passage in the middle of it before the gates are stormed by the momentum you expect from black metal. At times this reminds me a little of Burzum, but less folk-influenced as I am referring to the first two post-prison albums. The vocals are a reverbed-out roar most of the time but there is more of a chant in places. 

Skipping over the interludes as they typically feel like an outro or intro that got edited out. The second song buzzes with more of a col nocturnal feel that you expect from black metal with more of a throaty rasp to it. Apart from the more chanted/sung vocal passages where it slows into more of a halftime throb there is not a great deal of new sounds being brought to the stable, but tried and true black metal tropes, which are well executed for what they are.

"Portal Tomb" closes the album. The chords ring out in more of a Dissection-like manner. It's a more uptempo track. The vocals fall lower in the mix, so they are not as crucial to the song. If they were they would be placed more forward in the mix. The drums also sit back under the drums forming more of a pattern for the guitar to dominate. Things do speed up a great deal to bring a more intense feel to things. I prefer something creepier from my black metal as this is better than a raw blasting sound, but it does play it pretty straight. This also includes the more galloping half-time ending which is very Swedish sounding. To their credit they put effort into the songwriting I will give this album an 8, hopefully after this introduction, they will experiment more for their full-length, Drops on Iron Bonehead March 21st. 

pst76

Iron BoneHead Productions · Nyktmyst - Portal Tombp

pst76

Black Metal History Month -Diamond in the Rough, King Diamond's "The Graveyard"

 I reviewed "The Spider Lullabye" in 2015 so we are moving on to "The Graveyard". This period always feels like an odd one to me, as King assimilated the Texas band Mind Storm into his band. This is where Herb Simonsen, Chris Estes, and Drummer Darrin Anthony came from. 1996 marks a time when had certainly shifted into its own grooving aggression that rejected the trapping of the 80s. Thus they were trying to fund where they fit in. The album is about revenge, mental illness, and superstition rather than the occult. "The Spider's Lullabye" bridged things in this direction, it's a lot like a heavier Alice Cooper, with King's over-the-top vocals as the narrative. Even this remastered version is not doing to original recording a great deal of favors. To their credit, it is punchier and heavier. 

The pace picks up for the second song. This mix is much more compressed which I suppose was more common from metal in 96, as it has a rawer sound than previous albums. I would place the guitar higher in the mix with almost non-existent bass. There is also more of an underlying rock vibe here. The chorus is pretty strong though. "Heads on the Wall" starts off as more of a ballad. I think it builds up well on the chorus, this is really an underrated song. On the flipside "I'm Not a Stranger' could not come out in 2025, as it delves into the creepy child abduction part of the album. "Digging Graves" might be the most noteworthy song on the album. It moves at a doomier pace than what you expect from him. It also has one of the album's best guitar solos. 

"Meet Me at Midnight" is powered by a more aggressive attack. The opening riff might be one of his heaviest. Once again the guitars could have come forward in the mix. "Sleep Tight Little Baby" opens theatrically, the tempo is darker and closer to doom. The chorus leans further into doom. It is not the album's most focused song as some of the storytelling loses momentum, though the solo section is really cool. "Daddy" is sung from an ...um interesting point of view. Another turn to a slower pace, though this one feels like a darker dramatic power ballad. The plus is you get to hear him sing more from his chest register. "Trick or Treat" is a much stronger song, it's mid-pace works of a deliberate syncopation.

"Up From the Grave' is more of a theatrical interlude. The keyboard tone on "I Am" is unfortunate. I guess he was going for more of a Deep Purple sound. The guitar mix hampers the song, and vocal lines are not as focused as what we heard from him on previous albums. The guitar solo on this song is pretty great, but that is not going to make or break the song.  It's been so long since I have listened to this album these are almost like new songs. The Last song "Lucy Forever" finds him trying harder. making this song work. The mix of this album makes me round it down to a 9, there are some strong moments but the bar he set for himself is pretty, though this is still better than what most bands from this era are capable of. 

pst75

Black Metal History Month- Ignis Tellus : "Ode"

 

The French have a rich history of creating avant-garde black metal, let's see if this band falls into that or just blast beats us into oblivion. They start off as being more folky than what typically comes out of France, so suspecting blast beats to follow. The second song begins to conform to my theory as it reminds me of the raw black metal coming out of Finland, think Horna here, but the vocals carry an angrier rasp. Shifting into more of a march feels better to my ears and the vocals drop into a more deliberate growl as they shift gears for a third time in this song. Nothing groundbreaking in the first song, but they are good at what they do and seem to be angry enough. Two minutes in things drop down to the strum of a guitar for a measure and build back up so a few surprises. 

As the album progresses they prove themselves capable of creating a more melodic throb that sometimes adheres to the more conventional aspects of metal. "Je Crois" is more conventional metal with the deliberate gallop it takes on making me think of early Iron Maiden, but with vocals croaking in agony. The more traditional approach to the metallic gallops they ride into victory upon, sets them in a similar stylistic zip code as Immortal, just without the big grandiose production that creates the booming epic nature. By the time it gets to "Orion," I am now always expecting big metal gallops. This makes the more aggressive thrashing of "Contre l'Homme" more jarring until they get saddled back up to storm the gates of Isengard. The guitar is more tremolo-picked which reverts to the more basic confines of black metal. 

Things bubble up from a more minimal melody into an authoritative stomp for "In Ululatis Abyssi." With this, the song carries more form and function, with many headbanging accents. The title track marches off a darker throb while still waving metal's victory flag in an interesting marriage of sounds. All of that was drawn from the first minute of the song.  "Peste Eternelle" rages in a more black metal direction, as they charge forward with an angry cheer. It works well enough, and is a dynamic departure from the more traditional metal sounds they lead us to expect. The last song reflects some of the themes from the opening track, they are run through a more tremolo-picked black metal that is a more wrathful attack with a darker turn. It is not a whole album of this but bookends the album with the more expected tropes of black metal while casting an apocalyptic shadow over things This evolves in variations of this that play off a wider range of metal history,  I'll give this album a 9 it's a fun listen and I appreciate what they are doing here. 

pst74

Black Metal History Month- Diamond in the Rough, King Diamond's "The Eye"

Now we are 5 albums deep into King's solo career. This album is the only one to feature drummer Snowy Shaw of Therion fame behind the kit to replace Mikkey Dee, who left to join Motorhead. The first thing you notice is the thrashing speeds are dialed back and there are darker more deliberate riffs that power the opening track which might as well be the title track. The story is not as laid out with as blatant of a narrative on this song, though the story unfolds as the album progresses. We know witches are involved. The story becomes clearer in "The Trial" or at least the stage is set for the French witch trials. There is a taunt syncopation to the creeping groove of the song. The overall sound on this album evolves to fit the times to some extent. 

"Burn' has become a staple in his live shows over the years, and is certainly one of the album's strongest songs, which feels like it's more akin to the sound from 'Abigail". Though this album feels like a logical progression from "Conspiracy". King's vocals are also toned down a little and less shrill. Listening back to this album it now sounds like "Two Little Girls" is an atmospheric build-up to "Into the Covent" using a similar theatrical dynamic as what was heard at times in "Them". The drumming is solid on this one, and the chorus works pretty well, but it does not have the same fire we heard on the first four albums. It builds most intensely coming out of the solo section. 

The production was kept more in-house than the previous album and I can hear how they are trying to replicate more of a "Them" sound on this one. All things I did not pick up on when this album came out in 1990. I was still in high school and was just happy to have a new King Diamond album though my tastes at the time were leaning in the direction of Pantera, Deicide, and Slayer. "Though I do not recall ever hearing anyone scream for "Father Picard" at a King Diamond show. I think even for the time the guitars could have been beefed up in places. "Behind These Walls" has a great deal going on from harpsichord sounds to a more "Conspiracy' flare for high-stakes storytelling. The fire is also back in the guitar solos. 

There is more of a "Sleepless Nights" feel to "The Meetings". At five albums into his career, it's not surprising that Kind Diamond had begun to slightly settle into a songwriting formula. While it's very played "Insanity" is an instrumental interlude. At times it feels like something Led Zeppelin would have done. "1642 Imprisonment" gets the job done and sounded better on the second pass through not a song I remember from back when I listened to this album on a more regular basis. The album closes with "The Curse" It's very deliberate with a more Dokken feel to the drumming. Not sure if these are King Diamond's hookiest vocal lines. I'll give this album a 9, not his strongest moment but still better than most, the stakes were being raised for the metal in 1990 and he was trying to find where he fit in the shifting tides.

pst73

Black Metal History Month - LABYRINTHINE HEIRS : "s/t"

The vocals are what tip this band in the direction of Black Metal, though these Texans employ more tools of sonic torture than just the weapons of war associated with that genre. The tension of the opening track does hold a gritty feel of the Jesus Lizard, but there are plenty of black metal bands who have experimented well beyond the bounds of the genre, in fact, this track makes me also think of Samael. Dissoance casts a dark shadow over the grooves. The pace picks up in a subtle undercurrent on the second song. A great deal of what sets them apart are the more organic guitar tones, that do not live and breathe of the layers of distortion and reverb. This might paint their sound as being less metallic, but they get to the same place that black metal is striving toward. The renewed bursts of anguish in the rasp of their vocalist aid the cause. They do climax the song in a more sonic explosion. 

After two songs in I am ready for things to switch up dynamically. They get slower and more seething for "The Conceited Determination of Nimrod". Then some of their more deliberate palm muted grooves begin to work their way in. This begins to remind me of a more experimental version of Satyricon's "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" album. This song accelerates more chaotically. These guys do not play as close to the metal rules as Satyricon. There is talk of the dissection of a cow at one part of the song, but that is the extent to which the lyrics make themselves known to me. However later on they say that language is using you again and again before crazed laughter ensues. 

Less form and function move over the murky waters that "Satan's Domain is the Liver". To their credit, this also breaks them away from the palm-muted formula the first few songs were locked in. It is also very dark which I can appreciate. The album closes with "Yaldabaoth Gored to Blindness" which in the title alone makes me pleased as for all the occult imagery used in metal I do not understand why the Gnostic reference to the malevolent creator god is not employed more.  This is compromised a bit with the return to the palm-muted formula. I will give this album a 9, as I really enjoyed how different it is from mainstream black metal and wish more bands would take more chances, even though it leans heavily on a particular formula for songwriting.This drops on I , Void Hanger Records March 26th. 

pst72

Corlyx : "Purple Pain"

We are diving into the new double album from Corlyx who is one of my favorite new "goth" acts. They always deliver though 19 songs require some prolific consistency. Some of these songs were released last year as singles, but we do not really cover singles here so digesting this as a whole body of work. It starts off with a little more rock injected into their trademark smolder. It's on "Up On the Cross" that features Blutengel that showcases their strength of embracing both the past of traditional dark wave and still not shying away from paying tribute to this era, with new sounds, like vibrant synth-wave keyboard lines, and pop-inflected hooks.

"Apocalypsis" bounces with grooves that flavored the 90s output, such as Lords of Acid and My Life With the Thrill Kult once churned out. The sultry attitude of the vocals is a welcome return to a time when music dripped with forbidden temptation. The vocals slither with subtle hooks. There is more of a post-punk growl to the tense bass line of  "Downtown". The chorus pulls the song together, and it's a nice reminder that this kind of music can be organic and made by picking up actual instruments and playing them, rather than relying on the libraries of  Digital Audio Workstations.  Finland's Suzi Sabotage represents how fluidly they can flow back into the new school darkwave with "Kill Cave". The chorus is highly effective on this song. Suzi's voice mainly haunts the background. 

"Psycho Sensual" finds them back in more of a post-punk vein. The chorus reminds me more of 90s alt-pop like Garbage. It's more guitar-oriented than the rest of the songs so far. There is more of a new-wave feel to "Darkness is the Future' which intersects Gary Numan-like synths sounds with modern pop. With "Pretty" They take on a groove that reminds me of KMFDM's more recent material that strays from the militant industrial march to slinky grooves. The first part of this double album closes with "Death is Just the Beginning". This indulges in a more ethereal ambiance. It is more like Switchblade Symphony in its melodic vibes that drift through a cloudy night in your mind. Feels more like an outro than a free-standing song. 

The second album opens with a more organic take on  New Wave. The vocals have pop smarts to them as their knack for hooks remains strong. 'the Sacrifice" rides off a similar beat as the previous song. Leading me to believe this second album is going ride on a more post-punk tension, though they did switch it up a good bit on the first album. "Zombie Kid" works off a similar uptempo tension to support my beliefs regarding the theme of the second album. Her vocals have an urgency to them that might bring Boy Harsher to mind for some listeners. The darker pulse that haunts the 80s music we refer to as goth flows during "Witches Dance' which plays to this band's strengths. 

"Creatures Howl" also dances into the more shadowy side of their sound with Kaitlyn's voice sounding perhaps its strongest and most dynamic. Overall her growth as a singer is evident in these songs. She is certainly now in the upper tiers of female vocalists in modern goth. "Take the Money" sounds like it could have come from the Cleopatra Records heyday. Lyrically it might be the album's best song. "Midnight City' is a dancier take on post-punk. "Our Shadows" finds a more dark wave beat powering it through the neon-lit landscape. The album ends with a balance of atmosphere and seductive throb, with the chant of the chorus creating a memorable anthem. I will give this album a 9.5, it's an ambitious outpouring of songs, that shows their melding of all the varied sub-genres of goth into something familiar without becoming a tribute band as their own unique vision is the lifeblood of these odes to darkness, in all of it's shades and seasons. 

pst71

Hangman's Chair : "Saddiction"

 

The album opens with a sonic pounding counterbalanced by the trademark passion of the vocals, things ebb down into a more depressive introspection as the rollercoaster of the album's dynamic sets in motion. Some interesting production choices in this often reverb-heavy recording are best played loudly through headphones to take this album in with maximum effect. "The Worst is Yet to Come" keeps on foot plant in driving guitars, where they dive deeper into morbid reflection on "In Disguise" which gives you a better taste of Cedric's voice. 

If you had to describe this band to someone whose only context was mainstream music a fitting metaphor might be if A Perfect Circle was a metal band who was obsessed with the things that made them depressed. "Kowloon Lights" is the lead single off the album, which makes more sense in the context of the album, though it is a venture into the more post-punk side of rock n roll with great guitar atmospherics.."2AM Thoughts" features DOOL lending their voice to this brooding song. DOOL takes the second verse, which I did not notice when first saw the video for this song."Canvas" is a bleak ballad that builds in power as it churns forward. 

"Neglect" finds things becoming even more introspective. as this ballad unfolds. A shoe-gazing quality hovers even as they build the song back up with the plodding chug of the guitars. "44YOD" answers the question of what would the Cure sound like if they were a metal band, while still holding fast to the more delay-drenched guitar tones to make shoe-gaze better than Pallbearers' most recent attempts.The question mark at the end of "Healed?" pretty much sums up this album's theme. All the urban images depicting the hopelessness of big cities, and the mental health of today's world, hit in a very real way thyat is heavier than just crunching chords. They continue to meet and exceed expectations.  I will give this album a 10.Out on Nuclear Blast.  

pst70

Black Metal History Month- Diamond in the Rough, King Diamond's "Conspiracy"

One element we have not yet discussed which is more relevant in 2025, and taken for granted during the release of King Diamond's early solo career, is that the albums were produced by the band. Roberto Falcao who is credited as the producer for the album's following "Abigail" which he engineered, was also the band's keyboardist at the time. Granted as engineered my guess here is he set up the mic placement in the studio and handled the technical elements more often associated with a producer, though producers also have some creative input in the recording process, this was clearly King's show, so he was dictating the sounds he wants as Falcao was at the soundboard. Why does any of this matter go into "Conspiracy"? you ask. 

In some ways, the stakes were higher due to the success of  "Them". This explains why they brought in Chris Tsangarides, who was the big metal producer at the time having worked with Thin Lizzy, Ozzy, and Judas Preist. Chris's job aside from mixing the album was to produce the guitar solos. You can hear how he homogenized "Sleepless Nights" into something that had more in common with Ozzy's middle-of-the-road work at the time. From King Diamond's perspective, he worked on the sessions for Priest's "Sad Wings of Destiny album so that meant something. "Sleepless Nights" which was the most focused song of this album, certainly stands the test of time better than the opening track. 

When this came out I was a teenager and King Diamond was my favorite artist so I was just happy to get a new album, so while I loved it and appreciated it was continuing the "Them" story, it hit differently than that album. "Lies" does not crunch or punch like the thrash adjacent to previous work, it is more like arena metal. But lyrically this song was relatable when it came to just telling authority figures what they wanted to hear to not get locked up. Also, something to consider is the time of this album's release things were changing Soundgarden released "Louder Than Love"  and Faith No More changed the game with "The Real Thing" so King Diamond was one of the last defenders of the faith, even Judas Priest dropped "Painkiller" the following year to prove there was no middle ground in metal anymore it was getting heavier or go home to survive the changing tides of music. Meanwhile King Diamond is making creepy power ballads like "Visit From the Dead' in his own vacuum. 

"The Wedding Dream" pushes the story's narrative forward, but in some ways at the cost of the songwriting. "Amon Belongs to Them" might be the album's most underrated song. It packs more of a punch than the bulk of the album. It holds more groove than every song but "Sleepless Nights". I think where some of this album's strengths do lie is the guitar playing is more melodic, but the flipside is that it's also not as heavy. There are some interesting sounds on the instrumental "Something Weird". "Victimized" is a song I had forgotten about until listening back to this album. It's also a little more aggressive than the direction this album was heading, and not unlike what we heard back on "Give Me Your Soul Please".  While he sings the word conspiracy I am not sure why this was not just the title track, but here we are. Weirdly, this album ends with an instrumental. While it still sounds like something in his wheelhouse, feel it's an odd way to end it. I'll give this a 10 as it's an ambitious task and King Diamond did it and kept his momentum, while making an album that bridged him over to mainstream metal audiences that were not already onboard for "Them"

pst69

Black Metal History Month -Moonfall : "Odes to the Ritual Hills"

Seems like when it comes to new black metal, a great deal of EPs are being released, I am not sure if the global economy or the music biz almost dying during Covid factors into a niche like this, but here we are This duo from Finland is comprised of members of Beherit and Ceremonial Torture. They have a lo-fi raw black metal sound that is not trying to just attack you with blast beats, as they seek to bridge sounds from the genre called Dungeon Synth into their take on early black metal. To their credit a growling thump of bass drives the backbone of the first song, which is not something you typically hear in black metal, in fact, the synths are pretty dominant in the mix and the typical static buzz of tremolo-picked guitar is not found in the mix. The drums are felt more than heard here. The only drawback I hear that I am allowing them to change in the songs after this are the vocals which sound like he is violently clearing his throat the entire song.

Things get weirder on the title track which has more atmosphere thanks to the synths playing a larger role in their center stage mix, as the distorted bass seems to wander a bit looking for where the drums went, which accent it more than giving marching orders. For the course of this nine-and-a-half-minute song, they never seem to find the drums. I often feel like black metal bands are less likely to smoke pot than some other genres of metal, but this song puts that theory to the test. The keyboards wander off like they decided to go score an 80s fantasy movie.  

At over five minutes I can't write the last track off as just an outro. It's a synth ambiance that does not really go anywhere and is time that would have been better spent writing another song. As it was the previous song was already testing my limits when it comes to synth dominance. That said I will give this album a 7, I think there are some good ideas and interesting sounds that offer a fresh take on the genre, however, they lean too heavily on the synth sound and could stand to dial them back a bit.

pst -68

Iron BoneHead Productions · Moonfall - Countess Carody

Black Metal History Month- Diamond in the Rough, King Diamond's "Them"

Continuing through the iconic catalog of King Diamond. We are at his third solo album. His storytelling becomes more pronounced, and the production is not as dark and reverb-heavy as the previous album. This album features bassist Hal Patino replacing Timi Hansen. Pete Blakk takes over for Micheal Denner, forcing Larocque to really step it up. Mikkey Dee's drumming steps up with the recognisible fill leading into what is King Diamond's most famous song. The shrill call of "Grandmaaaa..." is his calling card for novice listeners. The bass is not as present in the mix as it was on "Abigail" and the drums are taking more of the spotlight. Rightfully so this is the pinnacle of Dee's playing. Andy also makes his mark with some memorable solos. In some ways, the songwriting brought more thrashing to compete with where the music was going, but the songs are still very hooky.

Dee's playing gives a more urgent drive to the uptempo energy powering "Invisible Guests". Despite the darker gothic melodicism giving the album its theatrical nature, the blood-pumping intensity, kept King Diamond from lagging behind bands like Slayer and Testament who were rising in popularity at this time. He was still just as relevant in the conversations regarding the heavy music of the day. King himself reached a perfect middle ground with his vocals, he can play the characters of the story while still singing aggressively, even with his high falsetto wails. Another example of where his metal yodels do not feel as dated as say Fates Warning. 

"Tea" is the first song that slows down into something more melodic and flowing though the verse riff gets gritty as needed with a powerful chug. the song This is also the song that lays the story out without sounding like an awkward musical narrative. "Mother's Getting Weaker" is punchier, with the riffing getting more aggressive to convey the stakes being raised for Mother. The trade-off between his more baritone moan and his falsetto is well balanced, the phrase "just looking forward" finds him in more of a growl, which would go on to inspire bands like Emperor. "Bye Bye Missy" is also one of King Diamond's most underrated songs, it is understandable why he does not play it outside of the story of the album in a live set with "Welcome Home" the real live staple. But the verse riff to this song is great with its crunch. 

"A Broken Spell" does not hit as hard as the previous songs, but was better than the bulk of shit coming out in 1988. "The Accusation Chair" finds them getting heavier. The vocals lock in more with the guitars than the previous song. When his vocals shift into more of a Gullom-like croak at the end of the song it's very effective at carrying the mood of the story. "Twilight Symphony" continues to play off their songwriting momentum. It is also one of the album's stronger choruses. This is technically the album's last song as it ends with more of an outro. I'll give this album a 10, it's almost a 10.5, given the grandiose nature, but these songs in many ways work best as the larger concept than on their own.

pst67

Black Metal History Month- IZROD : "Ulica, trnje i kamenje"

 

Not sure Bosnia is a hotbed of Black Metal but as war-torn as that region has been over the years, it would make sense that wrathful emotions might manifest in music. "S&P" does find them blasting into a place so aggressively that it almost feels more like death metal. The sonic nuance of the guitars keeps this raw reckless thrashing rooted in black metal. This is only a three-song EP, so while I appreciate the energy expressed in this raw outburst of violent darkness, I am going to need to hear them touch upon a wider range of sonic colors in the other two songs to be convinced they are not a one-trick pony. The guitar solo that surfaces on this song feels like Slayer jamming in the 80s. The vocals have more purpose at some times than others. They basically just give this chaos a voice. 

With a three-song EP, every moment matters. Yes, there are four tracks but the first is just an intro. In the second song, you can hear the more Eastern European influence in chord progressions as some carry a wild gypsy madness to them. In 2025 some idiots think all regions of the world create black metal with equal ability, but white people can't understand rap music, these guys create something unique to the region they are from as it brings the energy of their lives to this music creating a more original whirlwind of chaos than the previous song gave us. This is something these guys should and hopefully will continue to build off of. 

On the last song, it's moments of clean guitar that sell me more than the more metallic thrashing sound, though the guitar did improve on this one since the first song. I appreciate the dynamic loud-to-soft contrast they work off of here. There is a dissonance that haunts the chords giving them more personality which is what all black metal should search for where they stand out as their own unique individual sound rather than being so quick to conform to what black metal "should " sound like. It does build into a more menacing countenance of sound.  I  will give this a 9, for embracing a more original sense of who they are and allowing their region to flow through them. This album drops this week on Signal Rex. 

pst66

Black Metal History Month - Final Dose :"Under the Eternal Shadow"

 

The UK-based band is billed as being Black Metal meets punk, but to my ears, they are more Black Metal than not. Sure there are some crude arrangements with the band going after things with a primitive aggression. To me, Venom always felt more like a punk band than a metal band. The snarl of the vocals is very metal. Are the chord progressions very stripped-down and simplistic? Yes, but the same could be said of Watain or Darkthrone at times. Sometimes what is perhaps their punk influence raises its head up in a manner that sounds closest to perhaps GISM. They write songs more like a grindcore band where they throw in twists and cram as many riffs into the song even if those riffs are simple. There is even singing on "Rite of Spring". Sometimes it is functional chaos coming at you. "Rite of Spring" is the first song that impresses me. 

"Servant" is more of an interlude than a song. There are crude industrial elements in play. Normally raw black metal is not my thing. But this at least does not sound like it was recorded in their garage. A little more punk flows in the veins of the savage thrashing to "Dark Paradise". But this does not sound like some guy recording this all by himself in his bedroom, it's a real band banging this out which goes further with me. It's a fun listen so far. "Wretched' is more blast beat driven in paces, but is straightforward almost like feral rock n roll. This drummer is really laying into his kit and beating the shit out of it. Of course, I will love their detour into death rock for "Locked in the Black Dungeon". 

"Revenge" has some hardcore influence in its angry charge but there is just as much metal flowing in its veins. It's a fund sound, not the most groundbreaking thing I have heard, but you can bang your head to it.  The last track is melodic but more of an outro than a song. I'll give this album a 9, as it won me over, it's better than expected, and while I am not sure how often I will listen to it, it's a worthwhile investment for fans of bands like Devil Master and Midnight, perhaps more black metal than either of those projects. 

pst65

Black Metal History Month- Diamond in the Rough, King Diamond's "Abigail"

A lot was going on when this album was released in 1987. Thrash was kicking things up big time and they had to step up their game here and get heavier to stay current which they did with profound grace on songs like "A Mansion in the Darkness" which is a ripper. This album marks King's committing albums to a full conceptual story arc. LaRocque was writing more marking a new technical sense to the arrangements, not making them complex just to be complex or getting caught up in the math, but very intricate yet organic shifts. King's singing also reaches new heights. His highs are higher and lows are more of a demonic growl. All of this and there is a more aggressive darkness that gives this album an untouchable vibe. 

"The Family Ghost" was oddly one of the singles from this album, despite the title track being the show stealer. This song is still great, there is just nothing as iconic as the song 'Abigail' though it's all far beyond what anyone else in metal could do at the time. The guitar that leads into "The 7th Day of July 1777" is stellar, this is one of the album's stronger songs. The storytelling really unfolds on this one but it never feels lyrically cumbersome. Nor does this album feel dated to me when I listen back to it. That says a lot as I bought this album when it came out 38 years ago and keep returning to it. 

"Omens" is really well written and, in some ways perhaps the most accessible song on the album as the guitar playing is more melodic than aggressive. The tense palm-muted bridge groove creates urgency. When it comes to the most underrated King Diamond songs' "the Possession" should be at the top of the list. The riffing is killer, and the vocals fit like a glove over them. The chords that are picked out leading into the solo section are just great songwriting. "Abigail" should be in the top 10 metal songs of all time. The arrangements are heading in a more progressive direction on this album and the last song is proof of that fact. In some ways, it is like Judas Priest but more nuanced guitar playing. This album is one of the rare legendary occasions where I go beyond the bounds of how I normally rate albums to give the elusive 11. It goes all the way up.

pst64

Grave Infestation : "Carnage Gathers"

Taking a break from black metal to review this Canadian Death Metal band. They take you back to the early days of the genre and feel like a mix of Death and Obituary. I'm sure if you are really into this era of death metal other bands could be a reference point, as I can also hear a little Entombed, but once you get mired down into some of those bands they begin to all sound the same. They like many others focus on hyperaggression and paint their songs with a similar shade of blood red. It works well on the opening track but by the second song, some of the blasting begins to blur. I can make out the word extermination, but the gurgled gutturals are spewed in a manner that just sprays their bile as a layer on the riffing. 

I like the fact they have a very dark sound. "Inhuman Remains" is a little more nuanced and finds the buzz saw guitars grooving more than the previous song. "Black Widow" makes me think of early Slayer but with Tom's vocals replaced by this gurgling growl. It gives this a more putrid mood, but is more dynamically limited than even the vocals on "Show No Mercy".  This song shows they are making more of an effort to write songs than half the death metal bands occupying my inbox. 

There is more of a frantic blitz to "The Anthropophagus". The album's cover art refers to this song, which is about a 17th-century French Cannibal who was a hermit who starved to death. You would think a cannibal would have the sense to live closer to his food source. The growls are not articulated enough to understand the narrative they have chosen to tell this story which is a shame. It is not until the solo section that some melody creeps into the otherwise chaotic barrage of the title track.  The moshing mood of "Drenched in Blood" comes and goes. There is only marginally more form and function than the previous song. 

"Murder Spree" closes the album out. The need for ultra-heavy riffing sometimes makes these guys stray from the foundational elements of metal. This song finds the band trying to balance it out but the need for speed seems to be winning by the halfway mark. What bands need to focus more on is what emotions are they going to be able to convey that will set them apart from the rest of the pack. This is not the area of the band that is most defined though at times they make an effort. I will give this album an 8 more the overall mood and effort the do put in is more than most death metal bands.

pst63

Black Metal History Month- Cross Bringer :" Healismus Aeternus

 

This is the black metal band fronted by the singer from Predatory Void.  They do not follow the conventions of black metal all that closely, which plays to their benefit. This is the band's second album and they remain resolute in their creative vision. Compared to her work in Predatory Void, that band also had members of Amen Ra, so this band has none of that sludge influence. It lashes out in a more blating feral manner. It does not feel as dark as that album either. The opening song has more going on than the second which works off a raw pummelling intensity. 

More melodic layers including her actual singing are brought into "Structural Imbalance". This creates the needed depth to compete with what Predatory Void does. Why does it have to be a competition you ask? Because at the end of the day, things compete for your attention, time is the framework you can invest what you listen to within. Perhaps you work a mundane office job or are forced to listen to music piped in by corporate then the free time you have to listen to music is compressed into tighter time frames making every song count. 

"The Vessel" is more explosive. They are good at creating space with dissonance as the chords collide. The angular way the riffs hit reminds you that they are not solely invested in just being a black metal hand as touches of hardcore intensity flourish. The pounding sounds are interesting but do not hook me in. There is more of this chaos that unfolds on "Perpetual Servantship". By this point in the album, I am beginning to think of them more as a blackened hard-core band than a black metal band. The screamed pattern of the vocals helps to support this. Her sung vocals help to break things up midway into the song. I'll give this album an 8.5, while I prefer Predatory Void, for my personal tastes, this band is still doing some fresh new things with extreme music. 

pst62

Black Metal History Month- Grima : "Nightside"

 

This Russian band's 2021 album "Rotten Garden" ended up in the top 10 Black Metal albums for that year, so expectations are high for them to either meet or exceed their previous success. The first song feels like there is more overt aggression coming from them than I remember from their last album.  There is almost a more Dissection-like layering to the guitar here. The vocals are more anguished with the black metal shriek doubled by a lower death metal growl.  The production is great, it's a stellar mix with nothing buried. For some black metal purists, this might be too much of a sell-out, despite the fact we should be well past that point of contention by now.  But we should thin the heard now because if that is too produced then the atmosphere that seeps into the second song will be a deal breaker for cvltists as well. 

The theme of this album is to honor Taiga the spirit of the Siberian forest. If these guys are from Siberia, I can only wonder what it's like getting to band practice as it's pretty harsh there. This is their 6th album so they have been doing this awhile and it's apparent in how things flow in their playing. "Skull Gatherers" finds things growing darker and colder with the more melodic elements bleeding into the song's attack in a very effective manner. The vocals fall against the guitars more purposefully than you average black metal bands that find the vocals as an obligatory scream that is more of a layer of human hatred expelled than the nuance occurring here. 

"Impending Death Premonition" is more straightforward black metal, with sung vocals chiming in at the end to help break things up sonically. There is a marginally darker touch to the more deliberate throb of the title track that follows which holds more emotional weight. It was "Where We Are Lost' that my attention got lost and I had to go back to give another listen to decipher for the purpose of this review. This one makes me think of what Cradle of Filth might sound like without all the symphonic cheesiness. A dark melodic throb broken up with accents with great purpose. "Curse of the Void" finds a melodic ambiance setting the stage for another dose of very deliberate black metal, which I will take any day over being blast-beaten numb. Even the sung vocals work well here. There is more of a pagan metal feel which works considering the subject matter. They do employ varied folk instruments throughout the album which factor in prominently here. 

The last song "Mist and Fog" is one of the moodier more melodic moments, I would not say this is accessible to non-black metal listeners but it points them in that direction. Six albums in I do not hear them making any drastic changes as far as that goes, but each album feels like the next step intended. The dynamics of 'Mist and Fog" display this. The folk instruments step forward in the mix, making this song more of a summary of where they are heading. I'll give this album a 9.5, it's another step forward for the band and a stunning listen. Drops of Napalm Records. 

pst61

Black Metal History Month - Noctambulist: "Noctambulist II: De Droom"

 

This band's last album was the number-one Black Metal album of 2021.  This means expectations are high for them. They prove on the opening track they have more than enough weapons in their arsenal now to take these expectations on head first. Not shying from taking apart the conventions of black metal to re-shape them to their own liking, there is a brighter more organic sound to the guitars. "Arderlater" is a departure from black carrying an indie rock jangle that gets shifted towards the coming explosion of snarling dynamics. It almost feels more like screamo than black metal. This still works for me as I appreciate their ability to jerk themselves away from conventions. 

This album was written with the entire band fleshing out ideas, so that carries over in this more organic flowing sound. "Godvormig Gat" gets caught up in the kind of stormy blast beats that mark most Black Metal bands. It does make it a little darker than the previous songs. The guitar tones leading into "Lichteter" almost sound more like the Smiths. This makes the cascading shimmer of the guitar that follows it have more in common with "Sunbather' era Deafheaven than not. They continue to use brighter cleaner guitar tones on "Gevoelsmens". More melancholy does creep into this one, as the blasting tempest consumes all sounds surrounding it, and the vocals fall deeper into the mix. The triumphant halftime section touches on themes more common in black-gaze. 

The drumming on this album is impressive. The overall sound is less unique than what I recall from the last album, but in some ways, they have clearly grown as songwriters, as things flow in a very natural way, with post-rock sections seeming like the logical progression rather than a jarring shift. "Vinex" is a very bright blasting that gives way to more melodic chords to ring from it. They take this song in some really interesting places that make me alright without it having to be as dark and depressing as what I normally want from black metal. Things get more serious on the last song finds the album climaxing to a place with greater menace. It does get brighter and overall this album does not sound like these guys are from the Netherlands, this is music I have gotten accustomed to hearing from California, but they are still very effective at what they are doing. I will give this one a 9, meaning it comes close to measuring up to their last album which I also gave a 9 when I first reviewed but by the end of 2021 thought of it as a 9.5, so this album could grow on me as well. 

pst60

Black Metal History Month- Morast : "Fentanyl"

This is what black metal should be. Darkness and misery forged into music. It carries a dreadful throb, that is not what you might think of as depressive black metal, but they succeeded in capturing the despair of junkie in a manner so real we have not heard it since mid-2000s Nachtmystium. I did not know fentanyl was big in Germany, but it's spread worldwide now, as I am sure the trailer parks of Europe in the Eastern Block are spreading it like roaches. There is a denser more deliberate attack on the second song with the vocals dropping into a lower growl. 

It's been a few years since I gave "Ancestral Void" a listen, but it seems they are more committed to the emotional current of black metal on this album. There is less of a death-doom vibe on this one. though they are not pouring on blast beat, and keeping things at a doomy pulse on songs like "Walls Come Closer". The bass has more grit and steps forward in the mix. Once again I beseech all black metal bands to add more bass in the mix as it makes things heavier and here is a case in point. The vocals are at their most articulated, almost reminding me of Entombed. There is a more apocalyptic trudge to the blackened sludge of "A Thousand and More".  The vocals have a similar bark as the previous song. Though their pattern is punchier and catchier. In some ways executed more like a death metal band uses vocals, but the music carries more texture to keep its blackened roots. 

"Akasha" feels like it might have the most interesting lyrics, though the vocals feel more distorted from a production standpoint, as the sweeping riffs provide a more black metal ground for them to howl against. The vocals are used most deliberately on the last song when they lock into the chant of "Rise from the fire, but the fire comes back". Before this, the guitars let the chords hang for the bulk of the song to give the brooding pulse of the song room to breathe. I'll give this album a 9.5, as it works off a uniform murky throb, with nuances to give the songs their identity, as a whole weighing it against perfect black metal albums that might score a 10, those would have more dynamics, but what is offered here makes up for it with the realistic passion for oblivion possessing these songs. 

pst59

SOM : "Let the Light In"

 

With a guitar sound that takes you back to the 90s as it recalls the likes of  Hum and Failure, the androgynous tenor of the vocals adds a lighter layer of emotion, While the dynamics are similar at times this is a brighter more hopeful sound than the early years of Smashing Pumpkins. Influenced by the past there is still a great deal of modern flair to the overall sound. The more emotive ballad-like tenderness that possesses the title tracks as it coasts similarly to Deftones. The vocal coo highlights this fact.  The album is very well produced as it creates space for all the swirling effects coating the vocals and guitar a place to co-exist. 

"Chemicals" might be shoe-gazing pop music but it works well for what it is and shows these guys care about writing songs as much as they do capturing this sound. The shimmer of the guitar takes more dominance in "The Place That I Belong" even though the drums are pounding away under them and the vocals are more of a texture. They return center stage on "Give Blood" which is more of an atmospheric rock song despite the hushed vocals, as the guitar brings an anthemic authority. "Nightmares" floats in on a cloud of ambiance and is not as dark as the title might suggest. This is my only complaint about the overall mood of this album, and it's more of a personal preference, but it could stand to be more melancholy, which is surprising since they released an ep of Depeche Mode covers. 

They do begin to shift into a moodier direction for "Under Streetlights". The guitar has to set the stage in this regard as the vocals pretty much maintain what they have been doing for the bulk of the album. The last song is more dynamic and packs more of a punch when the guitars kick in. I will give this album a 9, and see how it grows on me. I think it should appeal to rock-minded shoe-gaze listeners and appeal to post-hardcore kids who like the poppy side of the genre. This album drops March 14 on Pelagic Records. 

pst58

Dream Theater : "Parasomnia"

I was afraid to check this out but forced myself as I used to like them back in the days of "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence". But what I hate is when they get mired down in these wanky Journey-like power ballads. This is the band's 16th studio album and the first to have Mike Portnoy back in the band since "Black Clouds and Silver Linings". The instrumental that opens the album works well enough but does not wow me. "Night Terror" is one of the album's lead singles and has a more metallic crunch to its mood.  They wind their way into a cooler groove than we have heard from them in some time. Labrie is less annoying though instantly shifts the vibe into something a little more dated. The math of their playing works in a marginally more contrived manner than what newer Tool does. But I can live with this song, though I am skeptical of what is to follow. 

"A Broken Man" ebbs from a heavier sonic flurry into a darker more cinematic sound. When you weigh these guys against a progressive rock band like Gabriel-era Genesis or King Crimson, these guys are still 80s metal wankers, but for what they do this is an improvement over their post-Portnoy output. They are aware of the current state of prog rock with bands like Tool, Opeth, and Meshuggah, and it feels like the vocals are what keeps them rooted in their classic sound for better or for worse, the problem I am hearing is that there is not enough space in the riffing to allow for melodic hooks,  I hear lots of acrobatics but not much that sticks in my head. Going into the 11-minute 'Dead Asleep" I can only imagine what kind of bloat awaits. Right from the start the first minute is unneeded, though they do lock into a pretty decent metal to get things started from there. It's three minutes until the vocals come in, which finds them returning to what they do, the chorus is too bright and layered. When they slap more effects on his voice it sounds better and less like Steve Perry. 

It only makes sense that "Midnight Messiah'' should be darker, though with these guys things could turn into a power ballad at any moment. It feels like they are trying to make more of a metal album since the bulk of their fan base thinks they are one. Halfway into the song it loses most of its metal edge.  "Bend the Clock" gets into the kind of power balladry I do not need from these guys. There are really no occasions I think a 20-minute song is warranted, it's like get over yourself and break it up into two ten-minute songs. Twelve and a half minutes in there is a cool section but they should have just developed a song around that and trimmed the fat. The song is not dark enough to match the lyrics.  I'll give this album an 8, as they made the album they wanted and it put the band back in a better direction. They are all skilled at what they do, but the songwriting leaves something to be desired even when it comes to prog, Opeth did a better job of it with their last album. 

pst57

Black Metal History- Ereb Altor : " Hälsingemörker

This Swedish band has more of a black metal history, than what they do at present. Their last album was great so let's see if they can maintain their creative momentum. They played a blackened pagan metal previously and things are being refined down to a sound that holds more in common with traditional metal on the opening track this time. There are touches of darker aggression. The second song is a more anthemic Viking drinking song, though, to the band's credit where most bands doing this sort of thing, there is too much of a rousing frolic, where they guys keep a darker tension chugging under them. 

"Attestupan" chugs along a middle ground without really breaking into any new sounds for them. It's melodic and works, but does not wow me. More black metal possesses their sound with more overt aggression driving "Vi Ar Morkret" Though it blasts by and even with the cleanly sung vocals being the main narrative of the song it does not really stick to my ears, but seems effective enough. The snarled vocals and more deliberate groove of the drumming really help out "Traldom". "The Wand the Sky, the Pyre" finds the bass taking the reins and giving the song a darker, heavier throb the rest of the band falls behind until building things up intense sonic swell. 

"The Last Step" closes the album with its triumphant gallop. Scowled vocals do come in, and they pass in and out of the album, though the singing is typically the main vocal. When they are locked into this kind of epic gallop it gives things more of a Tyr sound. I'll give this album an 8.5, for my tastes it's not that dark, and bent on being big and epic, but it's well done, and power metal fans who want to pretend they are into black metal might enjoy this. Fans of Pagan metal are the big winners here as that is what they are delivering in full. 

pst56

Black Metal History Month- Revenge :'Violation.Strife.Abominate"

 

The bar is low for these guys. Their last album scored a 6.5, A six is the lowest score that can be considered listenable. They were really heavy, but not the best songwriters however if you were into grind-core sprinkled with blackened rawness, it might have been something you would give a shot. Things are more frantic and feral this time around, but not as heavy thanks to the thin guitar tone that carries a reckless buzzing to the otherwise punk frenzy going down here. I don't remember the drums sounding this bad last time. "Flashpoint Heretic" is just chaos from the onset and sounds like they recorded themselves throwing their equipment down the stairs and overdubbing the meaningless screaming over it afterward. 

When the last album came out I was not into grindcore as much as I am now. But I really loved the last Full of Hell album, which combined black metal with grindcore in a more cohesive fashion, proving you can still be insanely heavy and write a fucking song. The drummer makes more of an attempt to do so three songs in. The vocals work to thwart his trying in this regard. To fight back he goes into a blast beat. There are some lower growls, and the way the vocals are distorted at times brings early Today is the Day to mind. I am a little concerned when I see I have to endure nine more songs of this. Despite the vocals, there seems to be more form and function to "Strife Invocation".  They throw themselves into a crude punk thrashing for "Emaciated Revelation" 

The crude patter of the drums plays against any potential "Mercy Revoked" has, at best felt like early Deicide, but without the hook to the riffing. "Piety Vaporized" falls in line with the conceptual theme. The song itself is a spastic battery of sound.  "Shockwave Iconoclast" is more of the same rapid-fire temper tantrums. "Last Resort" is sadly not a Poppa Roach cover. "Aftermath" blasts by with little attempt to catch my attention. But then when I do pay attention to "Liars Rope" the results are not much better. The last song starts off with a more deliberate pound. I'll give this one a 6, as the production might not grate on the nerves of their fans, who are the only ones who will appreciate this album.For some reason,
Season of Mist is invested in thee guys.  

pst55

Black Metal History Month - Saor : "Admist the Ruins"

Looks like the last time we reviewed this Scottish black metal band it was for their 2nd album. It scored an 8 making it better than most of the atmospheric black metal coming out that year, but not top 10 worthy. There is a more folk-entrenched melody in the music this time around. This feels like the most noted change from what I recall of their earlier work. The vocals are your typical mid-range black metal rasp. They occupy the obligatory space you expected them to. Some cool things are going on musically with woodwinds and synth textures. It gives a misty haunting vibe, though not a dark one. At over twelve minutes it is indeed an epically grandiose way to get things started which is what fans of this kind of black metal are looking for I suppose.

More if riding on the second song "Echoes of the Ancient Land" since this is where I am going to need to hear their ability to do something different than what they did here. There are already too many black metal bands who are one-trick ponies with all their songs sounding the same. It is also what separates a band from just being able to achieve a song to actually being songwriters. They do pivot and get more aggressive, with more double bass driving the sound than blast beats. This works for me as it keeps them from just being a Summoning tribute act. The woodwinds do return to what is almost the stock folk metal intervals. Almost all of this is being pulled off by Andy Marshall, which is impressive to some degree. He does have help with voice to chime in on the sung chorus to this song. The drumming is an impressive display from Carlos Vivas. It just becomes evident midway into this song that their songwriting still is somewhat bloated as the song things begin to drag. 

There is more atmosphere in the melancholy guitar that opens "Glen of Sorror". At least they can live up to the song's name. Though the mood brightens throughout the song into something with a triumphant brightness. The more layered roar of vocals works well. There is more of a hushed folky Agalloch feel to "The Sylvan Embrace" This makes sense given the song's title. The last song indulges in more grandiose pageantry the blast of the drums sits under everything back in the mix. The end of the song goes in an almost Enya-like direction. I'll give this album an 8.5, the songs are long-winded, but the album is well-recorded and sounds great. If bands like Summoning are your thing or you are already a fan of this project it is giving you what you want. Not dark enough for my personal tastes, there a metal heads who are into scented candles and like this sort of thing , they will be stoke. It drops on Season of Mist. 

pst54