Thy Catafalque :"XII: A gyönyörű álmok ezután jönnek"

 12 albums into this project's legacy, things are moving in an even more progressive direction. At one time more of a black metal band, there is not a great deal remaining from those days. Lots of keyboards, with metallic punches when it comes to dialing the dynamics up. This band does sound like they are from Hungary. The exotic scales this album dances around are a testament to that heritage. I mean the scale is even called the Hungarian Minor, so how could it not be the lifeblood of these songs? They speed things up on the second song, which holds more black metal malice to its attack. 

"Vasgyar' finds the drumming propelling things forward in a metal manner. The arrangement jerks you back with the technical riffing. There is a great deal of fire in this aggressive attack, as the vocals take on a menacing snarl, that sounds more death metal than black metal. The song does build into an impressive syncopated groove. "Vilagnak Vilaga" feels more like a heavier take on folk metal. "Niyarfa, Niyirfa" moves in a more hooky fashion, as the vocals have plenty of room to ride the bass line. "Lydianoz" is more of a folk song that still weaves a serpentine charm thanks to the bass. There is nothing metal about the song and that is fine. The synths add more progressive depth to the song. 

"Vakond" features harpsichord sounds that dance around the organ. The album is moving in a more progressive folk direction which works just fine. This is what this album needs to do to retain its identity and not just follow what Ihsahn has laid out for black metal artists crossing over into progressive rock. For an instrumental it succeeds in holding my attention. "Kodkiraly" feels like alternative folk from the 90s. It simmers in the atmosphere but does not have as clear of a direction as the previous song. Midway in the distortion stomps in like a storm cloud. Snarled vocals darken the narrative. 

"Alahullas" wastes no time for the drums to establish the metallic direction it is going in. Synths take the guitar melody. The song has both punch and groove, though the vocals on the chorus are a little dramatic for my tastes. The guitar solo on this one is very effective as it adds to the melodic themes rather than pointless shredding. The last song goes in a more progressive direction. I will give this album a 9, as it cares about the songs, and finds a great dynamic balance while working in the sounds of it's homeland. 

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Svoid : "Neptunian"

I liked this Hungarian band's 2018 EP. Things are being pounded into form in a dark manner that respects the mood they are known to create. I do not remember the vocals having this much of a snarl, but here we are. The black metal roots of the band are not so easily discarded. In fact, there is not much to show me here they are not a black metal band, aside from the tones dialed in with their instruments, but I think that makes them a better black metal band as they are working these elements in and doing their own thing. The sung vocals come in midway into the third song. There is a great deal of punk in their attack, even in the scowl of the vocals. 

The darkness unfolding is not unlike what Watain lets out of their dark closets. The guitars are dancing around the pumpkin patch while the vocals snarl with discontent. Not singing but the vocals are placed very purposefully. "Twilight Draws Night" shuffles along a more shadow-filled palm-muted tension, as the croak of the vocals continues the established narrative. "the Shell' continues along a similar dark path, it's like if Ian Curtis got possessed while recording "Closer". The song does build in its malicious intent.  Things get more melodic, but in a haunted disjointed manner for "All Torn Apart".  "In Sacred Magic" makes you wonder if all black metal sounds like post-punk when you slow it down. The speed this is strummed gets the point across just as well as the tremolo picking. 

The "Moonwise Journey" throb gives room for the vocals to go into a more vampiric croak. This song reminds me of a less folky and darker Agalloch. "Black Hole District" is driven by a more metallic attack without having to get blasty. The last song feels like a fitting summary of the album. I will give this album a 9.5, it is not perfect but comes close, it shows that black metal does not have to adhere to the tired old musical traditions of the genre to get the darkness across, in fact, it sometimes works best this way. 

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Black Metal History Month -vvilderness : "Path"

 This Hungarian black metal band does a great job of incorporating folk elements without brightening their sound or making them sound like Summoning, which would also brighten their sound. They allow for a dynamic ebb and flow as the gaze deeply into the woods and invoke the spirits of their ancestors. They do use some of the more common place sonic tropes of black metal like the tremolo picked guitar. Sometimes the dynamic swells they employ use the half time feel that black gaze bands like Alcest and Deafheaven made popular in the genre. The vocals are snarled with conviction and tend to lean more on the lower side without being death metal. 

"Enter the Storm" is really well written and shows that blast beats alone do not a good song make. Not to say that blast beats are not a tool in their tool box, it is just not ones. These guys find a good balance between creating a sound, while still being song focused. Sung female vocals float in on "Ashes Remain". They work on a soft to loud formula most of the time which is still effective. The use of the folk metal intervals is also present but are not done with more glee than gloom. "Saka' soars along the normal places for black metal of this ilk. The real difference is rather than post rock passages to boreal things up, the turns the songs take towards proggy folk.

The last song is an instrumental that sounds like the kind of music you might here while you were waiting to get a massage. So for the point of this review, I am not going to factor it in when it comes to scoring this album. For this reason I will give this album a 9, as what they do on the last piece might have been interesting to have heard those more melodic sounds worked into the existing body of work presented here. This is very well done and impressive considering this is a one man band. This did what Blackbraid wanted to do better.

Path by vvilderness

the Devil's Trade : 'Iron Peak"

Doom folk or what ever you kinds wnat to call variations on country or neo folk these days has gained seemed in recent years. The first few strains of this hungarian singer song writer, makes me think he used to sing in doom metal bands before this.There is a more romantic longing than country. He clearly has a good voice, but is he a good song writer is what I am wondering in the midst of the dark and droning opening track. While equally haunting the second song comes together with vocals that give you more latch onto . There is also more of a old country feel to it. There are three atmospheric interludes on this album which for the sake of this review I am ignoring. It is dark, though not dark in the same way King Dude is/. King Dude in comparison has more of a Johnny Cash vibe, this has more of a grunge feel to his smooth yodeling tone.  Marko is more about sonic hypnosis than writing songs with hooks you can sing along to. The abundance of acrobatics found in the melodies play into this.

"Expelling of the Crafty Ape" might be a great song title, but the acutal song is some pretty dense meandering . I appreciate the vibes, but I want to be more engaged by the song. Things are starting to run together that this point in the album, though he takes on a more belted tone. Singing in his native tongue does not help the melody to flow any smoother. In fact this song is more consumed by ambiance. I like the guitat accompaniment to " Eyes in the Fire" it reminds me of  a non metal version of "Cemetary Gates" . It also has a melody that is easier to latch your ears onto. So far I would call it one of the album's best moments. "Dreams of the Rot" drifting around like a ghost with finding a clear desination. It becomes more content with atmosphere to have a dynamic direction. And at almost 8 minute there was plenty of time for it to choose.

There is a little more twang to the last. The vocals are a little more focused , perhaps not as much as "Eyes in the Fire" , but more listenable than the previous song. The album's strength is his voice and the dark mood it summons. These two elements are what earns it a more than generous score of 8. Not something I am going to listen to more than a few times, but despite the haunting nature of these songs sometimes keeping them in purgatory if you like dark and doomy folk this is worth your time.Comes out on Season of Mist August 20th.

Black Metal History Month- Cult of Fire : "Moksha /Nirvana"

I am not sold on the whole Buddhist black metal thing, but simply calling it that is over simplifying things I am sure. They are typically good at what they do so I am for giving this a shot. The first song opens with weird ritualistic ambiance before they blast into things. When it comes to the metallic side of what they do , the truth is they are pretty straight forward a less thrash inspired version of Immortal with more snarl and less croak to the vocals. Dressing the songs up with the more ritualistic trappins is their schtick. Here is the crux many band's face, being true to the sounds of their chosen genre, while carving out a sound that is original. My first impression is that I like their 2013 these guys better. They open the second song  with a creeping tension that is darker thus helping them to if not for a moment step away from the perceived problem of their own sound I mentioned earlier. When we get to "(ne)cisty" the opening riff sounds like something from Death Angel's "the Ultraviolence" album. That is before the blast beats come in.

"Harhar MahaDev" is pretty much color by numbers black metal and the only color they are using is black. They sound angry enough to the whole Buddhist  thing must not be working. They keep at the same speed for the first two minutes. They meditate for a few minutes then are back at it again. The title track of the first disk almost sounds like the first track from the second disk, the only difference being the first song from the second disk has little flutes over it to create more of  folk metal atmosphere. They keep blasting away and the songs begin to sound the same.  All of the songs on the second disk are entitled "Buddha" so it's the second one of these that at first seems like it will buck some of the more atypical black metal stylings in favor of a perhaps more classic metal sound, but the need for speed is too great. Two minutes in however they break down into a more melodic direction.

When they slow down and gallop into a more deliberate victory the results are much better. This does not last long before the blast beats once again become their default. It's not until the third song on the second disk that we get something different and more melodic. But how long can it last? ABout as long as their other songs. The last song sounds pretty much like all the others. I will give this album a 7.5 as it all begins to sound the same,. They are good at churning out this sound, but this sound is a little too monochrome and previous releases have shown they have a capacity to do more. 

Black Metal History Month - Leiru : "'Idő"

This band from Hungary throws  many of the black metal conventions out the window, then sews them back together with more  tangible roots in more classic metal. There are sung vocals on the first song rather than the more common place screams. The vocals are moaned in a baritone that makes this feel like a black metal version of the Screaming Trees.Blast beats arrive in the more conventional black metal manner on the title track that follows before smoothing into a more powerful chug. The vocals fall lowered in the mix. Sung but not as crooned . When the do come more to the forefront it's clearer they are being sung in their native tongue.  The riffing is much tighter than the opening track.After a few listens I began hearing how this album fits into black metal than the initial listens that found the more original elements fresher in my head.

 There is more of a that classic metal feel to it , though rough around the edges with a more Dissection like chug, but otherwise the more familiar sounds are blended with the band's sonic vision. This Swedish vibe continues on into the next song as well, but is not overbearing as they are bringing different elements into the proceedings. Midway into things they begin to use blast beats in a more conventional manner. Toward the end of the fourth song the align themselves wit ha more Mayhem like side of black metal both  vocally and musically. The vocals take on a tormented croak. There is the more nuanced approach to song writing of classic metal rather than just droning you into an atmospheric lull.

The last song ends with more of an upbeat gallop. The verse riff is really biting , though the vocals still sing over it rather than the rougher croak. They sing more often than not, it is done in such a way that doesn't detract from the mission of no mercy.  The guitar solos can be haphazardly placed in a manner not unlike what Slayer does. It's like added chaos. I will round this one up to a 9 as I can leave it on and just let it play, which says a great deal about the song writing and the riffs these guys are peddling. Cool riffs does not a good song make, but these guys make songs with cool riffs .  The label has not released any single and does not want anything posted until March so check out the link below to get a taste of what they are about

'Thy Catafalque : " Naiv"

The 9th album from this Hungarian metal project. The guitars touch on black metal , the rest of the sounds swirling around it are more like very proggy folk metal. If you are on the fence about the black metal part they remind you with some blast beats here and there. A harsher snarled vocal comes in at the half way point of this song. Thew second song finds the bass playing really shining. This sets the stage for horns to accent the groove. I know cool riffs alone does not a good song make, but this is done so right that it works. On the 3rd song the more folk elements of the Hungarian roots are brought out, though they still manage to retain metal qualities.

They dip into what sounds like jamming with a chamber orchestra at times . The extoci serpentine nature of the grooves prevails not matter what slant is being applied here. In trying to decide if I should use this for Black Metal History month  it seems like aside from the occasional riff here and there is is more of a progressive metal album. They test this from time to time with mean spirited harsher vocals.The production on this album is just as stunning as the performances. It blends organic sounds like flutes with more electronic elements and captures the more hefty metal sounds well. There are a great deal of instrumental sections on this album. They do not adhere to conventional song structures thus aiding in the more jammy structure. Sometimes of of these sounds in the same song.

When they go into a more straight forward folk metal approach the results are less impressive though highly executed.  The last act of the album finds the band more eager to reclaim their metal status. There is more of a prog slant to balance out the metal leaning with Middle Eastern Scales woven in. Some of the chord progressions remind me of Baroness. The last song is in a more metal gallop, owing more to power metal. There are keyboard solos all over it to add flare as well as a melodic break down. I will give this one a 9.5. A step up for the band , not sure how urgently I am going to feel compelled to listen to this album, but can commend what they have done here.

Gothtober - Svoid : "Stand in Awe"

When I read that a black metal band is crossing over into black metal I am never sure what to expect. What I did not expect was how melodic and almost more indie rock this Hungarian band would get. Things get even darker on "the Very Hours". It is funny they are still wearing corpse paint for this . It's not much different than Voices or Katatonia. Though the vocals are not as strong, it's obvious the singer is still learning to transition over from screaming. Some of the notes are a little flat. But it is almost like how 90s emo singers used their passion to over compensate for lack of pipes letting their voice on notes they just didn't have. If he stayed in a more baritone range I think this guy would be alright. At least he is trying really hard .

"Long I've Gone" opens as a piano ballad. The vocals are still iffy as he continues to reach out of his range. I could use a little more rock on this and certainly more guitar might have filled it out. This feels like an Alice Cooper ballad to me. Its not terrible, but you know I have to listen to every thing with a critical ear. I like this much better than if it was blast beats. The build on this one is subtle. The vocals begin to wear on me a little here. "the Velvet Call" picks up things more. I am all for these guys making the switch over to post-punk, though I never really heard much of their black metal stuff so I'll have to go back and see what I am missing,  I think when you put these guys up against the current crop of pot-punk revival bands they fare pretty well as the song writing is there and the sense of melody is head and shoulders over bands more on the punk side. The punchy hooks going into the chorus show they really have potential.


I'll round this down to a 9, because the vocals on the ballad needed some work , but I can hear where they want to go. I think the first and last song are both the best indicators of the singer being able to pulls this off. I think everything compensates for the vocals as the guitar parts are very smartly written. If you like Voices or Katatonia and wish they leaned more into the goth side of the fence then these guys are really worth your time and I'll keep my ear out as I want to hear what they can do on a full length of this.

Sear Bliss : "Letters From the Edge"

Hungarian metal band Sear Bliss begins to trade it's black metal roots for a touch of death metal. They have always been adventurous. They wander off into melodic passages to provide a wider range of dynamics than your average metal band. They manner in which this goes down on the first song reminds me of 90s bands like Samael or Tiamat. "Seven Springs" gets more symphonic, but this happens in a very organic fashion. This also brings a more romantic element that places it more toward the black metal side of the fence. The melody to "A Mirror in the Forest" carries a majestic march that gives it a more viking metal feel, in it's sense of high fantasy. At the solo it gets a little darker, but darkness doesn't seem to be what this album is about.

This album is colored with a wide range of guitar tones and benefits from excellent production value all the way around that doesn't forsake their edge. As a whole their sound seems to be going in more of an Enslaved direction when they are ready to rock. Low almost spoken vocals wait until the second act of  "Abandoned Peaks"  to come in. These guys get credit for writing very concise songs, only once do they tip the ten minute mark, which is cool because it makes it stand out from the other songs. "Haven" is slower and more straight forward, a step more towards a mainstream metal direction. They go a more straight forward death metal route with plenty of melodic nuances on "the Main Devide" . They stay in this more moderate but dark and heavy almost rock n roll direction for "Leaving Forever Land". This is the ten minute song so there was plenty of time for them to revert to blast beats so that happens. Five minutes in and I am trying to figure out if there is any where else for them to go with this that is more worthwhile. It breaks down into cleaner guitar tones that lead to a more deliberate and melodic section.

The album closes with "Shroud", another song that finds the band stepping down a slicker more stream lined direction. The growled vocals the only thing really anchoring it to being a metal song. The horn section joins in to give an added symphonic kick. This album really excels and shows growth. I am sure some might frown as it is not as cvlt as their old black metal fan base might prefer, but it's good music and that is hard to argue against. I'll give it a 9.

Arkhe : "A"

If you are a fan of the Hungarian ban Sear Bliss then get ready for something that is a big departure from what that band. The whole point of this in the first place was for them to try on sounds they had not been able to delve into with Sear Bliss. Bands such as Sentenced , Opeth and Katatonia can be a reference point for this brand of melodic metal with a progressive edge to it. there are plenty of clean vocals and the angrier vocal tones are not at a full growl rather Celtic Frost like exclamation. Some of the vocal melodies are pretty impressive and then don't come in the most expected places. There is an almost 90's pop industrial tone to "Meditation in the Woods" .  "Ferteg Hava" has more of a an alternative metal feel. It's more of a European thing then a descent into nu-metal, almost like a metal version of Inxs. The chugs that do come in are catchy and well placed.They are more fully committed to industrial on the darker "Lelekolok". The vocals take on a more KMFDM like grit.

The atmosphere on 'Space Derelict" shows this willingness to experiment with different sounds pays of in a big way, even though it's more of an instrumental interlude. It marries jazz to space rock in a very original fashion. The pull of a very interesting cover of "Scum" by Napalm Death. It's much slower than the original and has clean singing rather than rabid barking, the pre-verse riff is really the most recognizable factor from the original. "Eredet" continues this breeding of electronic sounds with melodic metal in a fashion that grows increasingly dark as the album progresses. The trip hoppish ballad " Alom Hava" is not a shabby song it carries a slight Pink Floyd influence, but it is not the album's strongest song. The also close with a similarly paced dream filled ballad. This one is a little closer to Porcupine Tree. I'll give this album a 9 it's darker than most progressive rock coming out these days and melodic in a similar sense as Killing Joke, which puts it right up my alley.

Thy Catafalque : " Sgurr"

This is the brainchild of Tamas Katai a Hungarian mastermind . The album  starts as a blend of Eastern European folk and classical arranged in a very progressive manner it's not until the second song that they begin unveil metallic sounds , namely the guitar the vocals.The drums have an electronic skip to their step, giving the song an almost dancey feel that is counterbalanced by the throaty vocals bringing a very Killing Joke vibe to things. Young Gods would also be another point of reference for this sound. A fifteen minute song it sticks close to this groove for the first six minutes before dropping out for a sample to create an ambient narration. Things come back in way heavier almost to the point of black metal. It drifts off into Pink Floydian krautrock. This sprawling piece is followed up by something that should play in every opium den that hobbits frequent.

Metal surfaces again for "Elo Leny" it has more of a folk metal metal draped over it's  Sepultura meets industrial drumming or programming it's hard to tell, I was going to guess programming which would be almost as impressive as if he had played the drums since he found a pretty organic sound. the more atmospheric parts sounds like something D.J. Shadow mixed together.  The heavier guitar that follows this has an almost nu-metal feel to me. When "Jura" tries to strike out on it's own and be a metal song it sounds like an extension of the previous song.The sixteen minute monster that follows carries on with a very driving brand of thrash that is pretty straight forward until it hits a groove. It eventually lumbers into a more sludge like trudge. At this point we are at the four minute mark and I am wondering where the next 12 minutes could go. Pretty much on the It's a Small World of Metal ride, next they take a taste of something that is a blur of speed that  could be black metal, but much like I stated in another review recently black metal is not about the speed of which you play a blast beat or the way you scream, but the feeling of darkness it invokes. So it's fast but not black metal. The final two minutes finds this ebbing down into something more electronica.

Things are dialed way down for the instrumental interlude "Keringo" which compared to the other compositions feels more like a transitory piece , despite it's post- rock climax that kicks in midway into the song. This could very easily have been on a Godspeedyoublackemperor! album. This album is almost hard to call metal though it has some metal moments, so progressive might be the best call on this one, long winded at times  yet the scope of musicianship invested into this project and the sense of adventured endowed to these songs is impressive so I'll give this genre defying album a 9.