Emeritus
Reviews 161 Approval 95%
Soundoffs 782 News Articles 72 Band Edits + Tags 334 Album Edits 1,121
Album Ratings 3408 Objectivity 68%
Last Active 10-04-22 3:24 pm Joined 10-13-09
Review Comments 30,304
| NOW that's what i call black metal
a black metal mixtape for all the plebs out there. start with the song provided and perhaps branch out to the listen to the whole album... if you dare. will be a decent mix of the classics, raw, melodic and other variants... y'know....diversity and stuff. | 1 | | Dressed In Streams The Search for Blood
"No Atonement" - If you're a black metal fan and haven't heard of Colloquial Sound Recordings at least once in the past few years, I have some news for you - you're doing it wrong! Along with The Black Twilight Circle and the now defunct Rhinocervs, CSR is yet another black metal collective with a constantly growing and impressive catalog of music. Dressed In Streams is one of their more obscure groups who specialize in raw, yet dense black metal. The music is harsh and repetitive with elements of drone and ambient permeating its frosty infrastructure. However, the music is also stirringly melodic, and this song in particular showcases how the band uses these elements in tandem to create a truly epic black metal hymn. Rating: 4/5 | 2 | | In Tormentata Quiete In Tormentata Quiete
"Zeus" - On principle, I do my best to steer clear of folk-tinged black metal (or at least anything that isn't Nokturnal Mortum), but In Tormentata Quiete is a band I have a major soft spot for. Don't get me wrong, In Tormenata Quite can be hella cheesy; they spare no expense in the way of piano flourishes and operatic clean vocals, but somehow, they pull it off. The structuring of "Zeus" is fantastic, and as whole the track demonstrates a perfect dichotomy of scorching black metal instrumentals and sing-along folk choruses. Rating: 4/5 | 3 | | Darkthrone Panzerfaust
"En Vind Av Song" Panzerfaust is another Darkthrone classic that has never really gotten the justice it deserved. Sure, I guess around these parts it's shown a bit more love than the rest of the metal world, but as a whole, it's largely overlooked. "En Vind Av Song" is a glorious continuation of the blasphemous, minimalistic filth Darkthrone excelled at created on Transilvanian Hunger. The song is cold, melodic, and to the point. Nocturno Culto vocals are turned up way in the mix, but this only helps reinforce the frozen tempest the band is trying to create. It also includes some great Bathory inspired grooves, creating some nice diversity within the track.
Rating: 5/5 | 4 | | Vegas Martyrs Harlot Widow
"Harlot Widow" - Another project courtesy of Dominick Fernow (Prurient, Ash Pool, etc...), Vegas Martyrs plays filth-ridden blackened noise. Unlike some other blackened noise projects like Vaccus or Alle Totmachen, the prominence of the noise elements is not overbearing, and really accentuates the cold, repetition of the black metal elements. This song is a simple, focused effort that uses minimalism to great effect.
Rating 3.5/5 | 5 | | Grafvolludr Promo 2014
"II" - A relatively new USBM project that essentially sticks to the tenets set by the second wave. "II" is nowhere near the most original black metal song you've ever heard, but the band's knack for melody definitely helps elevate the enjoyability of the track considerably, Recommended for those of you who like no frills, classic black metal.
Rating: 3.5/5 | 6 | | Akatharsia Demo
"Parasitic Advantage" - Akatharsia is black metal/hardcore hybrid featuring members of Fell Voices and Negative Standards. "Parasitic Advantage" is a vicious romp through both territories, maintaining the basic groove of classic hardcore whilst wrapping itself in the grim chord progressions of black metal. Honestly, there is little in the way of substance here, but it's the perfect song if you're in the mood for a straight up headbanger.
Rating: 3.5/5 | 7 | | Axeman Arrive
"Metnal" - Obviously inspired by Amebix, Axeman is a Black Twilight Circle project that delves into black metal and crust. To cut straight to the point, this song absolutely RIPS. Opening with a deceivingly melodic clean intro, the song soon explodes, go full force into a shredding guitar solo and relentless crust riffage. The instrumentation here is pretty simple, but it's crude persuasion is what really gives this song strength. constantly blurring the line between metal and punk.
Rating: 5/5 | 8 | | Circle of Ouroborus Kuuhun Kahlittu
"Antaa Kaaoksen Tanssia" - Circle of Ourborous are the original post-black metal band, incorporating elements of shoegaze and post-punk into their music well before it became it became the trend. Generally their sound is pretty polarizing, and honestly, I find them to be inconsistent, but this album (and track) rule. The production is nice and gritty, and musically it offers some really great off-kilter melodies that are surprisingly cheery. They mix clean and harsh vocals, but both really have their place within the song, offering some welcome contrast.
Rating: 4/5 | 9 | | Enslaved Eld
"Kvasirs Blod" - Eld represents an interesting point in Enslaved's history as it was right on the cusp of their transition into more progressive territory. On tracks like "Kvasirs Blod" you can almost get a feeling for what they would become. Musically, it really sticks to a straightforward black metal formula, but structurally you can seem them start to dabble with some progressive tendencies, like the start/stop rhythms and weird dynamic changes. These guys have almost been an impressive unit and tracks like this are essential in understanding where they've been and where they were going. | 10 | | Mork Gryning Tusen Ar Har Gatt
"Journey" - For some reason, liking melodic black metal has become something of a taboo within the nether-realms of the genre's fandom, but there's nothing to be "embarrassed" about when it comes to jamming "Journey" because this shit kills. The main melody is absolutely infectious, and despite the fact that this track is easily more palatable than 99% of black metal out there, the intensity of the track is still striking. Think Dimmu Borgir without all the cheese.
Rating: 4/5 | 11 | | Forest Mysticism Demo Collection (2006-2011)
"I" - Forest Mysticism is the much rawer atmospheric side project of D. from Woods of Desolation. The production is some of the rawest I've ever heard, but in my opinion it helps this track reach euphoric atmospheric heights. It's so easy to get lost in the music, which equally grotesque as it beautiful. The vocals are also amazing, pained, distant gasp on one end and haunting clean chants from the other. Raw black metal perfection.
Rating: 5/5 | 12 | | Furdidurke Native
"Native to A Noxious Glow" - Formed by members of the excellent Cirrhus and the underrated Bilirubin, Furdidurke is another black metal/punk hybrid. These guys stick to that blueprint pretty closely, with black metal oriented trems and punky d-beat drumming. It's just some super catchy shit.
Rating: 4/5 | 13 | | Eisenwinter Monumentales Scheitern
"Im Gehorsam Gegen Gott Die Eliminierung An Anderen Leibern Vollziehen
Ammazzalepri" - Say that five times fast! Eisenwinter is one-man Swiss black metal project that blurs the lines between trve and trve ridiculous. A lot of its later material consists of weird poppy melodies played in a raw black metal context, and though some of it is actually pretty cool, most of it is terrible. This track, while melodic, goes back to the basic raw black metal sound with grating guitars and tin-can drumming. For anyone who likes their black metal minimalistic as fuck, this one is for you.
Rating: 3.5/5 | 14 | | Miserere Luminis Miserere Luminis
"The Mist" - I'm not sure how this project isn't more popular. You would think a band featuring the main members of Gris and Sombres Forets would get more attention right? Either way, this is basically exactly what you would come to expect from this duo; highly atmospheric black metal, with a pretty crazy sense of dynamics. Sometimes it seems weirdly influenced by post-hardcore and there is definitely some kind of shoegaze inspired shit going on, but it's really hard to hit the nail on the head with this one. Just know it's dark and depressing in a morbidly beautiful kind of way.
4.5/5 | |
TheSpirit
05.06.15 | My explanations are kind of lacking because I'm rusty as shit, but whatever it's a start to get back into writing. Also damn you Eisenwinter! | Keyblade
05.06.15 | no excuses for effin up album art these days
jk man, sweet list. 1 looks really cool in particular | TheSpirit
05.06.15 | I have major issues with whoever added 13 to the database! And yeah Key, definitely check out 1. That song rules and as a whole, that band is excellent. | zaruyache
05.06.15 | might check some of these later. I love #1 though. They need a full-length super bad. | Parallels
05.06.15 | smh at the list title | oltnabrick
05.06.15 | m/
m/
m/
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m/
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m/ | MoosechriS
05.06.15 | Awesome list dude, one or two of these that i aint heard. Might get the chance to check them out at some point once i clear my backlog of new stuff. Glad to see someone else repping dressed in streams around these parts, their other material is pretty awesome too if you havent heard it already | ShadowRemains
05.06.15 | axeman fucking rules | TheSpirit
05.06.15 | Yeah they do bruh | SpiritCrusher2
05.06.15 | 14 is gorgeous | emester
05.06.15 | Checked out 6 and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
7 slays. Always dug black metal done in that style | MO
05.06.15 | should'nt title be "Now THAT's what...etc" | TalonsOfFire
05.06.15 | Great list, I've been meaning to check 14 | Archelirion
05.06.15 | 14 is an absolute babe of an album. | TheSpirit
05.06.15 | Glad to see some people are getting something out of this :) | InFlamesWeThrash666
05.06.15 | Check Societas Satanas by Thou Art Lord. More like black/thrash/whateveryoucallit but it kicks ass | TheSpirit
05.06.15 | Maybe they'll make it on Vol 2 | Sabrutin
05.06.15 | Glad to see In Tormentata Quiete getting a bit of love. | Dryden
05.07.15 | good list dryden approved | TheSpirit
05.07.15 | Awwww shit | TheSpirit
05.08.15 | Also yeah, glad to see someone else reppin In Tormentata Quiete |
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