END: “SPLINTERS FROM AN EVER-CHANGING FACE”

 Album Reviews  3 Responses »
Jun 102020
 

 

(This is Andy Synn‘s review of the debut album by END, which was released on June 5th by Closed Casket Activities.)

For years the UK and the USA have enjoyed (and endured) something called a “special relationship”.

This strange, strained, frequently estranged, situation has – for better or worse – resulted in an ongoing, tit for tat, “anything you can do we can do better”, back and forth between the two nations that has led both to the creation of some amazing art… and some pretty terrible political decisions.

The latest entry into this co-dependant cultural exchange is Splinters from an Ever-Changing Face, the debut album from pseudo-supergroup END, a band who seem to have spent quite some time listening to the collective works of Anaal Nathrakh and thinking “oh yeah, we can do that…” Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: END — “VIRGA”

 Premieres  3 Responses »
Aug 172016
 

Torrid Husk-End-Swallow Matewan

 

On September 23, 2016, Baltimore’s Grimoire Records will release a split called Swallow Matewan (with Arcane Angels releasing it on vinyl in Europe). It features three tracks each by two black metal bands we’ve praised at this site before — Torrid Husk from West Virginia and End from Greece. One of Torrid Husk’s tracks (“Carminite”) got its debut at Stereogum last week, and today we bring you a track from the End side called, “Virga“.

This year will mark End’s 14th year of life. But although the band have released three full albums in that stretch of years, the last one coming in 2009, we first discovered their music through another split release that turned out to be one of the best albums released last year. Entitled Moerae (and reviewed here by our Norwegian friend Gorger), it included a long track by End named “Atropos”, as well as brilliant offerings by Awe and Vacantfield (the latter band shares two members with End). Continue reading »

“MOERAE”: A SPLIT BY AWE, VACANTFIELD, AND END

 Album Reviews, SHORT BUT SWEET  4 Responses »
Mar 312015
 

 

(We welcome back guest contributor Gorger, who reviews a new split release by three Greek bands — Awe, Vacantfield, and End. For those with Scandinavian linguistic skills, check out Gorger’s Metal.

Me writing this post was triggered by the fact that this release was leaked more than a week prior to the release date. What kind of a person with actual love for metal would even consider doing such a thing? I can, to an extent, understand why some people download (that is a different discussion altogether). However, I can not understand those who supply others with pirated metal. Is it the need for admiration? To be respected like some generous Santa? At least bloody wait ’til the album’s released, you fucking retard!

But I’m not going to do a lecture on the subject of pirating. Rather, I’m going to promote this split and give three good bands some well-earned attention. What you see above is a marvelous rendition of the Moerae. Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough. It was painted by Vamon VII, who also created the rest of the gatefold paintings.

Three Greek black metal bands with varied years of experience each contribute to present one (approximately) 17-minute-long song. All of them offer rawness, intensity, and suggestion (hypnotic, that is), and the tracks suit each other surprisingly well, despite differences in production, which is something that is also fitting, as they are bonded together by a concept. It feels natural to do this short review, song by song, band by band. Continue reading »