BLACK METAL

[Lily The Flesh]

Never really listened to them but the new Lamp of Murmuur sounds good to me. I like the new wave guitars in the mix.

Not a huge fan of their new record unfortunately. Maybe I just need to spend more time with it. I don't know.

Heir Of Ecliptical Romanticism is a tough record to top. So is The Burning Spears Of Crimson Agony. What did you think of the surprise 7" that they dropped to coincide with the new album?

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Maybe it depends on which part of the world you're in.

Most certainly! Example could be things like the fairly recent Steelfest incident. It is possible, that festival like that, wouldn't be possible in many countries. Over here, if you ask people who oppose Black Metal, they may say it should not be possible here either. If you ask within BM crowd or even METALheads, it is quite unlikely you would even find people who think there is something abnormally offensive in the line-up. Just the best of the normal & usual popular Black Metal bands. People getting agitated over Satanic Warmaster, White Death, Graveland, Impaled Nazarene, etc, seems like joke. Like.. its 2021 and getting offended of Impaled Nazarene?

It could be interesting study to see, how and when exactly, Black Metal was hijacked as description of literally anything. It is quite sure that someone will conclude it was already back in late 80's when Venom's ethos had transformed into other things. I am far more curious about moment when you got like anarcho-vegan post-hardcore band or gender confusion themed drone-doom,  who simply decided to label themselves "black metal", instead what they are.

[abstract_trauma]

New Lamp record is decent, his last one was much better imo. Maybe it is a grower.

[Woundfucker]

Pretty blown away by Black Spirit's 'El Sueño de la Razón Produce Monstruos.' Definitely one of my favorite things I've heard in a while.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/xa-l--T6gpc

[seventhcircle]

The new Clandestine Blaze is amazing! BM record of 2021 for sure.

[FallOfNature]

Pretty blown away by Black Spirit's 'El Sueño de la Razón Produce Monstruos.' Definitely one of my favorite things I've heard in a while.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/xa-l--T6gpc

Great band, and massively underrated

[Into_The_Void]

Pretty blown away by Black Spirit's 'El Sueño de la Razón Produce Monstruos.' Definitely one of my favorite things I've heard in a while.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/xa-l--T6gpc

Great band, and massively underrated

Indeed one of the best surprises of this year for me, if it comes to raw "norse" black metal. Unfortunately, the album comes in a pro CD-R format - which I find pretty bad (and I don´t really understand the success it still has in the industrial circuit).

[Mortuary Tapes]

UNGEZIEFER - LEBENSFÄNGER Tape out now. Circa 40 minutes of black metal.

SAMPLES:

https://youtu.be/10GLDlRqWrc
https://soundcloud.com/mortuarytapes/ungeziefer-lebensfanger

DISTRIBUTION:

NORTHERN HERITAGE/FREAK ANIMAL https://www.nhfastore.net/
SWAMP MUSIC https://www.swampmusic.com/index.html
LEVYKAUPPA ÄX https://www.levykauppax.fi/
SAMMAKKA POP https://sammakkapop.com/

CONTACT: mortuarytapes (a) gmail.com

[FreakAnimalFinland]

UNGEZIEFER - LEBENSFÄNGER Tape out now. Circa 40 minutes of black metal.

SAMPLES:

https://youtu.be/10GLDlRqWrc
https://soundcloud.com/mortuarytapes/ungeziefer-lebensfanger

This is very recommended.

To me project originally did not feel that it really Black Metal. As far as I see it, it could be understood as sort of spin-off of SINK (fin. also very recommended!). None of elements are really exclusive to -black metal-. Fast drumming, eerie atonal compositions, slow invocations. You'd drop one of the elements away, and nature of music would change instantly. Different drum beat on sample track, and it would be probably more Skullflower-esque drone rock than BM?

None of this is negative remark. Just elements why I could not see it as part of more.. ehm.. boneheaded black metal, but somewhere in the Ulver -type category, where talented musicians choose to play ultra distorted minimalist dark music. Is it "metal", is up to debate, but compared to former tape, this has more "riffs". It is very dark, atmospheric and compared to ton of "raw bm" things I have heard this year, it has instant captivating quality. It could appeal fans of noise & ambient due distorted production.


On theme of distorted raw Black Metal, yesterday first ever BONE AWL CD came out. New album is really good. Strong riffs, to-the-point, simple and hard hitting. Sound is not as messy and distorted as in early days, but in no way clean!

[HateSermon]

New KAEVUM "Fedrelandets Alter" on Darker Than Black is very good. Not as ferocious and unhinged as "Natur", in my opinion, but still top notch black metal that will receive a lot of plays and praise.

[Into_The_Void]

new Archgoat is a fucking monument of evilness.

[morbid_dyspepsia]

Essential - https://youtu.be/S59s3Wns3m4

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I can't say I would have checked massive amount of new stuff that came, but for example Archgoat album, didn't do much for me. Not bad, but like most thin and polished of their albums, musically replicating pretty much 100% what one can expect?

From good ones, even if I may be a bit biased, WARLOGHE and HELWETTI cd's has very very little of anyone competing their position of best things of year. MORGAL full length I first thought was too clean and nice, but with more listening, I got to say it has a lot of merit too. Especially as live band, they always triumph, but also for studio recordings, it is stuff that clearly is made to work live and it puts it to different category compared to a lot of BM.

Bone Awl "Obelisk..." CD and tape came out 2021, so I guess it qualifies pretty well for this years goodies too. I have always been fan of the good mediocre, no bullshit black metal. Stuff that can not be appreciated by all sorts of blackened this, blackened that crowd. In that category, for example new Shores of Ladon CD's, just work out well.

New Ride For Revenge, certainly went to top 2021 metal albums. Barely made it for this year, but immediately sounds like best RFR for years! Mooncitadel mCD/12", and Sirpinmurtaja CD from earlier 2021 still stand out.  New Graveland was good, new Vothana is basically more the same category, but good album nevertheless. Sure more, but mentioned ones stood out in way that they are remembered at end of year summary, hah..

[Eigen Bast]

I think 2021 was a great year for BM releases. Warloghe is excellent! I'd say a return to form, but they've been consistent forever. Same for Ride for Revenge.

I mentioned it in the recent listening but the new Grizelda CD is fantastic; channels the more obscure currents of polish BM (think Gotyna Kry) with strong intent, also mastered by Harald Mentor to great effect.

The material coming out of the "Blood and Crescent" circle in NY has all been consistently good, Fellwinter LP, Arbor demo, Gauntlet Ring's 2x demos...incredibly hyped up in the US but deservedly so.

Also greatly enjoyed the Eisenwinter/Vothana split. Eisenwinter side is basically...blackened blue grass? It's very strange but very good.

also nice to see Parasyte Curse active again with a few new releases.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

The new Warloghe and new Helwetti albums have been the best releases of the year as far as BM goes for me. I'd been expecting them for years, and they delivered. I'm just holding off for the LP versions. Now I want new riffs, not a release of material written 10 years ago whose instrumental versions were circulating in the underground if possible. And some new Musta Surma music as well.

Hulder's album was also great.