NO CLEAN SINGING

KAMPFAR: “PROFAN”

Nov 042015

(Andy Synn reviews the new album by Norway’s Kampfar.)

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to witness a show-stealing, career-defining performance by Norwegian legends-in-waiting Kampfar, when they stepped out onto the main stage at Inferno Festival and proceeded to deliver a masterclass in true Black Metal power and spirit, ultimately describing their set as one which “will be spoken of for years to come”. And I still stand by that.

Calling the band “legends-in-waiting” is meant as no disservice to them, however. It’s rather an acknowledgement that although the quartet have long since achieved legendary status in certain circles, their wider acclaim has yet to reach the level which should be theirs by right.

Yet, by the same token, it’s startling to realise that now, 20 years into their career, Kampfar are in the midst of an ongoing (and seemingly unstoppable) creative and critical renaissance, which began with 2011’s riveting Mare, continuing through last year’s ravenous Djevelmakt, and leading us, in turn, to Profan, their latest slab of sharp-toothed metallic menace. Continue reading »

AN NCS ALBUM PREMIERE: SERPENTS LAIR — “CIRCUMAMBULATING THE STILLBORN”

Album Reviews, Premieres 6 Responses »

Nov 032015

Last year I reviewed an impressive first demo by a mysterious hooded group from Sjælland, Denmark, named Serpents Lair. Now the band have completed their debut full-length, a seven-track, 43-minute album entitled Circumambulating the Stillborn that becomes available for download and physical pre-order today. In this post you’ll have a chance to stream the entire album for the first time. And if you’d like a preview of what you’re getting yourselves into, read on.

Following an introductory track consisting of beautiful choral voices and the slow, muffled pounding of timpani, Serpents Lair deliver five mostly long songs and an instrumental interlude. The songs are richly textured, dynamic in their pacing, and wholly unsettling. Continue reading »

HOODED MENACE: “DARKNESS DRIPS FORTH”

Album Reviews 9 Responses »

Nov 032015

(Wil Cifer reviews the new album by Finland’s Hooded Menace.)

By my lights, 2015 hasn’t been a big year for doom. Doom releases have been sparse, and when I say doom I am not talking retro stoner crap, but something that crushes your spirit in a mournful manner. I am pleased to say that the Finnish Doom merchants of Hooded Menace continue to bring it.

They come from the more deathly school of doom but their riffs still weep blood, so the death metal influence doesn’t bother me here. Speaking of weep, most bands would bore you to tears with a twelve-minute opener, but these guys suspend time and keep you in the moment. They are not afraid of picking up the pace without losing their grasp of darkness by going into a stoner rock boogie. Even when indulging in weird breakdowns they maintain their momentum. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: INVOCATION SPELLS — “DESCENDENT THE BLACK THRONE”

Premieres 2 Responses »

Nov 032015

Descendent the Black Throne is the name of the second album by the Chilean black metal band Invocation Spells. It’s set for release next month by the mighty Hells Headbangers, and today we’re presenting a stream of the album’s ripping title track.

South American black metal tends to mix savagery with speed, and Invocation Spells deliver that experience in spades. “Descendent the Black Throne” is a galloping romp of speed metal riffs and gut-punching percussion trailing clouds of sulfurous smoke in its wake, capped by venomous vocals nasty enough to wake demons from their slumber. Continue reading »

BEVAR SEA: “INVOKE THE BIZARRE”

Album Reviews 8 Responses »

Nov 032015

(In this post Grant Skelton reviews the new album by India’s Bevar Sea.)

Bevar Sea are from Bangalore, Karnataka, in India. They formed in 2010 and the following year released two demos (Trendslaughter Sessions and Sessions Of Chaos). Those demos, which included covers of Kyuss, Sleep, and Black Sabbath, saw the band gain a following among doom fans worldwide. In 2012 the band recorded an album with Billy Anderson, whose more recent work includes Pallbearer’s Foundations Of Burden and Agalloch’s The Serpent & The Sphere.

Bevar Sea’s self-titled 2012 release led their popularity to spread even further as they played shows with Anathema and Kreator. In 2013 Rolling Stone India awarded Bevar Sea the title of “Best Emerging Band.” Continue reading »

INIQUITOUS DEEDS: “INCESSANT HALLUCINATIONS”

Reviews 4 Responses »

Nov 032015

(Our friend Vonlughlio returns with his second review in as many days, this time singing the praises of the debut album by Iniquitous Deeds.)

Back in 2012 or 2013 when I discovered New Standard Elite, there was a band named on the label named Iniquitous Deeds, with a self-titled EP that displayed amazing musicianship and a killer production that fit well in the BDM genre. Now, flash-forward to 2015 and the release of their debut album Incessant Hallucinations, which saw the light a couple of months ago. With all the BDM releases I’ve been fortunate enough to hear, this album is one of my top choices in the genre.

The band are from California and the members are Matt Kilner (Drums), Niko Kalajakis (Guitars), Mike Simon (Vocals), and Chris Stratton (Bass). They are all top-notch musicians and have simply put out an album that has become one of my favorite debuts, along with Abhorrent Castigation’s from last year. Continue reading »

KAECK: “STORMKULT”

Reviews 5 Responses »

Nov 032015

We might as well cut to the chase about this album, which is only fair, because it will chase you relentlessly from beginning to end: Kaeck’s Stormkult is one of the truly bright stars in the vast constellation of 2015 black metal. At least two qualities make it stand out in a crowded field.

First, in a genre known for its extreme intensity, Stormkult is extremely intense. For almost its entire duration, it’s a raging hurricane of sound — bombastic, terrorizing, and chillingly grim. If you want to be electrified by music, this will do it, and leave your head smoking. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: ÄRA KRÂ, CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC, EVENT RELENTLESS, GOATCRAFT, INFERNÄL MÄJESTY, NO MORE ROOM IN HELL, OUBLIETTE, STURMOVIK

RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 8 Responses »

Nov 022015

There’s a ton of new music in this round-up that I really like, most of which I discovered over the weekend. I thought about dividing up this post and leaving some of the songs until tomorrow, especially since we’ve delivered so much other music to you on this Monday. But I’ve learned the hard way that when I defer something I want to do, sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. So I’m including music from eight bands in this post, and to make it somewhat less daunting I’ve tried to minimize my own linguistic spewing.

I’m presenting the music in alphabetical order by band name. I do hope you’ll find time at least to sample everything.

ÄRA KRÂ

I’m cheating on this first song — because I’ve already written about it, back in May to be precise. But this talented band have just established a Bandcamp page for the self-titled EP on which it will appear, and that gives me an excuse to repeat what I said before (and yes, I’m already going back on what I promised about minimizing linguistic sewage): Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: COMA CLUSTER VOID — “MIND CEMETERIES”

Premieres 9 Responses »

Nov 022015

(Austin Weber introduces our premiere of the title track to the new album by the multinational group Coma Cluster Void.)

In a way it’s very fitting that I’m here today writing about the premiere of the first full Coma Cluster Void song. Because it was Islander himself who first tipped me off to this multinational atonal 10-string death metal band in the first place. At the time he alerted me to them over a year ago, the band only had some very short song snippet clips up. But even those were strong enough to make me realize this band was going to be something special. So as I said, being here today to help premiere the title track from their forthcoming debut album Mind Cemeteries definitely feels like things have come full circle.

As for what the song “Mind Cemeteries” offers your ears, it’s a massive rumbling from the abyss right from the start, heaving with a mechanical, uneven gait that easily induces vertigo. There is a suffocating heaviness to “Mind Cemeteries”, which mercilessly strikes and jabs at you in shrill volleys of noise and disturbing dissonance. Continue reading »

PYROMANCER: “DEMO MMXV”

Reviews 2 Responses »

Nov 022015

(Our old friend Black Shuck provides this guest review of the excellent new demo by Kentucky’s Pyromancer.)

Greetings, denizens of the infernal region. Popping in here once again to put the spotlight on another underground band worth getting to know.

Pyromancer are a two-man black/death metal band from Lexington, Kentucky, consisting of Master of Graveyard Torment on drums and Conquerer Horus on guitars. The band have no bass player, and switch off on vocal duties, with Torment performing the high shrieks while Horus does gutturals. Their first demo tape, Demo MMXV, has been released via Grim Winds Records.

The demo takes the grim, lo-fi atmosphere of second-wave Norwegian black metal bands and combines it with the aggressive bestiality of bands like Archgoat. When Master of Graveyard Torment is shrieking over Conquerer Horus’ tremolo riffs the band sounds very traditionally black metal indeed. However, thanks to Torment’s relentless drumming, the music is fierce and fast rather than gloomy, and when Horus takes a turn on the mic, deep, distinctly un-Norwegian growling fills the air. Continue reading »

Older Entries Newer Entries