Dagor Dagorath – Yetzer Ha’ra Review
[RapidFire]Dagor Dagorath’s symphonic black metal is dealt with manifold force that belies their count of a mere three members. Their debut LP, Yetzer Ha’Ra, benefits greatly from production that obtains a monolithic wall of sound …
Year Of No Light – Ausserwelt Review
Seems there’s no shortage of “post-” in our metal these days, and whether anything new bearing that tag is to be denied credence as it coasts down the descending limb of the sub-genre’s arc of …
Skyforger – Kurbads Review
Although Kurbads is my first experience with Latvia’s Skyforger, a little bit of research taught me that the band has a back-catalog of four full-lengths devoted to pagan folk-inspired black metal. I also learned that …
Celestia – Archaenae Perfectii (L’arche Arcane Des) Review
Celestia embodies the wonderful paradox of melody in black metal as well as any other band, and, at once bleak and beautiful, Archaenae Perfectii (L’Arche Arcane des Parfaits) is a model instantiation of the lately …
The Vision Bleak – Set Sail To Mystery Review
What I loved about The Vision Bleak’s last offering, 2007’s The Wolves Go Hunt Their Prey, was its capture and conveyance of the Gothic spirit at no cost to the essence of Heavy Metal. What …
Sight Of Emptiness – Absolution Of Humanity Review
It’s a pretty safe jaunt just a little ways off the mercilessly beaten path, the Gothenburg melo- meets nameless brootal-death on the second coming of Sight of Emptiness. This is a style I rarely give …
Onheil – Razor Review
I’m all for the hybridization of black metal. Hell, the metal world is already heavily populated with bands artfully fusing black metal with various other sub-genres from psychedelic prog (Enslaved) to death and doom (Withered) …
Corsair – Alpha Centauri Review
Virginia’s Corsair draw liberally from all spheres of 70’s heavy rock for their debut EP, Alpha Centauri, which is a concept album, both varied and cohesive, whose story feels as natural as it is familiar. …