RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://erstwhilebm.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-steel I became aware of this melancholy black metal duo not that long ago thanks to the brilliant and ever-reliable Regimental Records who released the Steeling of a Soul album by Erstwhile on CD. This 3-track EP is hauntingly effective and drenched in an impressively solemn atmosphere that is underlined and…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://corroderofficial.bandcamp.com/album/both-feet-in-the-grave I friggin’ love these maniacal thrash metal bastards from Trondheim, and this vicious new slice of harsh and punishing music of theirs is even better and more focused than anything that came before, which is saying something. As much as I dig the Tombs of Terror EP (and I still…
The latest slice of lo-fi post-rock by the intriguing Picture Ann is out now. Entitled A Careless and Solitary Road and consisting of two darkly seductive and emotive compositions that came about thanks to a bout of insomnia in late March, these tracks revolve around the notion of actually being or simply feeling permanently alone.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://nethermostcaverns.bandcamp.com/album/shadows-of-seclusion-demo This fierce two-track demo by the brand-new US black metal outfit named Nethermost Caverns is one that contains heaps of promise and potential, and I was immediately attracted to its melancholy aura and melodic qualities the very first time I immersed myself in it. While ‘Shrouded in Funereal Grey’ is…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023 BAND URL: https://witheredancient.bandcamp.com/album/ii I stumbled on this evocative and atmospheric black metal opus by the utterly obscure Bulgarian outfit named Withered Ancient while browsing Bandcamp at work the other day, and there was something about it that drew me in and kept me engaged throughout. The stark monochrome album cover and the idea…
RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://synusbm.bandcamp.com/album/wilk Yes, this is just what the good doctor ordered – a raw, efficient, and utterly memorable new output by the skilled US black metal act known as SYN. These ugly fucks deliver a potent and powerful slab of harsh and grim music that harbors both aggression and finesse not to…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: https://codeblackmetal.bandcamp.com/album/lost-signal-remixes The unpredictable geniuses from the UK known as CODE are responsible for some of the most innovative, bone-chilling, and musically adventurous releases these past few decades, and given that 2022 marks their 20th anniversary, they have unearthed and uploaded some wicked gems from their archives for all the fans to…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://gerseydeoful.bandcamp.com/album/autumnal-emanation What we have here is well-played and memorable 4-track rehearsal recording by the US black metal outfit named Gersey Deoful. In case you are wondering, the name is a wordplay on “Jersey Devil” as in the creepy and enigmatic creature from New Jersey folklore. How fucking cool is that?! As…
RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: Undergang | Utflod (bandcamp.com) Thanks to a very cool dude named Ronnie, I got my hands on this superb 4-track EP titled “Undergang” by the Norwegian outfit known as Utflod, and I am forever grateful to him for making sure this musical hand grenade ended up in my mailbox. The quintet…
