 Written by: Bane Ov Silence
Usually when I think of places known for producing great black metal, I think of Scandinavia, particularly Norway, parts of the United States, and random countries in central Europe. Obviously, there are plenty of bands who are exceptions to this rule, but I think if you ask your average metal fan where their favorite black metal band is from, their answer will be one of the aforementioned places. Today however, we are talking about a band from a country not very well known for exporting music, much less black metal, 殞煞Vengeful Spectre, from China. The first thing the listener will notice about 殞煞Vengeful Spectre is that they wear their Asian heritage on their sleeve. They have everything one would expect from a black metal band, such as tremolo picked riffs and blast beats, but they also set themselves apart by incorporating traditional Chinese instruments, making for an amazing mix of Asian folk music and traditional European black metal. The album sounds like a soundtrack to a gritty retelling of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Every song invokes imagery of two massive armies clashing in an open field.
0 Comments
Well. Color me incorrect. It would appear the Captain is pulling his weight after all. - Ed.  Written by: Capt. Graves I woke from my slumber to the sounds of some awesome black metal from SYN, a USBM band out of New Jersey. They say New Jersey is full of shit, and I couldn't agree more. These boys in SYN must have come from another land. No way would The Jersey Shore cast dig this, or maybe they would? I digress. SYN takes those awesome elements of old school black metal and nail it really well. This is a rehearsal demo I'm listening to on cassette. What is it with all these damn dinosaur ways to listen to music making a comeback? Where did you all go wrong with all of the technology at your disposal? Earthlings really are something to behold. I can't wait for these dudes to get me a full length, and because they're so close by, I'm sure you'll see a SYN and Advent Varic show coming soon. It won't be in New Jersey. SYN - Rehearsal Demo was released Aug. 2019  In the metalverse, there is an exceedingly thin line between stereotypes and archetypes when it comes to genre personas. You know the (hyphen-heavy) ones. The bare-chested beer-guzzling wild-eyed thrasher. The smoggy amp-worshipping doomster. The blurry-selfie-in-the-forest bedroom black metallers. And, if you take this latter one step further: the anonymous one-man atmospheric DSBM outfit. In the case of today’s review, this is the intentionally mysterious archetype upon which we land. vide is an enigmatic character, utterly shrouded. All I can report is an affiliation to a variety of other solo projects (All Monsters, Some Dead Bodies, Empty, Anonymous Hands), and what the bio provides: “nobody from the swamps of Louisiana / Texas.” Slim pickings indeed.
 Written by: Cantina
Several things could be said about Bölzer, but beyond any possible connotation, this fascinating swiss duo surely doesn't pander to the herd of formulaic blackened death metal outputs. Furthermore, the artistic relationship between KzR and HzR, the masterminds between this band, seem to be tighter than ever. It's already been three years since the release of their divisive full-length debut "Hero," yet Bölzer have proven yet again to be ready to destroy any opposition by exhuming their most beloved musical format: the EP. Longtime fans may have different perspectives in regards of this, but the band is currently showing NO intention of drifting away from their unconventional yet resolute path. Their unique brand of black/death metal seems to have grown into its fullest form--and with a certain ease, I must add. Our shadowy cabal of scribes has happened upon one of the most wondrous and/or perplexing albums in existence. The following reviews, released over the course of several days, is our humble attempt to decipher that which lays before us. This is the last entry in this ridiculous yet enlightening journey.- Ed.  Ghat, I implore, hasn't already been said about this utterly Godlike album? If you're still unaware as to the depths of insanity one inevitably plumbs in the course of understanding Remmirath and their epic Shambhala Vril Saucers, I highly recommend you read the previous accounts littered in the annals by our brave scribes.
Now then. Do you feel the comforting embrace of clarity? No? Apologies. Such is the scope and impact of Remmirath. Shambhala Vril Saucers is an odd album, to say the absolute least, and in many ways it feels genuinely uncategorizable. It defies genre convention with the kind of smug confidence that indicates a complete disinterest in following the rules, whatever they may be. For this alone, it's a very special album. |
Welcome!Providing thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy, and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a groggy-eyed, highfalutin peasantry. Archives
December 2019
Genre
All
|
RSS Feed