Lmst

By Alekhines Gun

The first time I gave Ordo Diabolicum, the third album from international outfit Aran Angmar, a full listen, I was in the car, ruing an upcoming 12-hour day at work. The sun beat down with mockery, telling me I should be at the beach. The skyline shimmered in radiant beauty, while the birds sang songs about how every day was a day off when you’re unemployed. Suddenly, the absolute bejeebus was scared out of me as an ambulance went screaming by, sirens blasting and throttle abused to such a melodic cacophony that I watched in atypical enthrallment as it careened between the traffic ahead and disappeared behind the second star to the right. Glancing down, I noticed the name of the song escorting the ambulance towards its destination: “Chariots of Death.” I can’t say how much that experience colored my perception of the album, but I can say is this: Aran Angmar delivered an absolute tooth-and-claw-covered beast of a record that is not to be missed.

The Ordo of Diabolicum is immediacy. Across eight tracks, Aran Angmar unleash more hooks than a fisherman’s erotica, with melodic runs, choruses, and catchiness to flay eardrums and boil blood. Eschewing the more tinny, underproduced sound of second wave in favor of a much more immediate, thicccboi Hellenic sound, every cut hits with fist-pumping flair. Using the riff game of older Uada with the vocal stylings of a much more death-inclined band, Aran Angmar offers up an album that, serious artwork aside, sounds far less inclined to the darkness and more bent towards sacrifice and courage. Moments ranging from the vaguely pirate metal crowd calling bop in “Hêlēl ben-Šaḥar”1 to the enticingly heavy carrion splattering chug fest of the title track “Ordo Diabolicum” usher listeners from one slab of glory to another, each delivered with flair and flourish.

Enhancing Ordo Diabolicum is a heavy bent towards Mediterranean and Nordic instrumentation and texture. Surprisingly, this doesn’t come off as a cheap gimmick, but instead lends the choruses and hooks their own flavor. Kickoff track “Dungeons of the Damned” rocks a clean vocal wail of a line2 which has no right to be as infectious as it is, lifting an already mighty chorus to new heights. “Aeon Ablaze” tinkers with Nile-style interludes by way of modern Mystifier ritualistic chants. “Primordial Fire” boasts a host of guest instruments3 which transitions into a bounce reminiscent of Labyrinthus Stellarum doing a folk metal cover. This commitment to diverse instrumentation beyond a mere contrivance for an easy tune pays massive dividends and keeps track after track refreshing and engaging.

All of this would be for naught if the album sounded wack. Mercifully, Aran Angmar avoid such a pitfall, with each performance on Ordo Diabolicum sounding crisp and sharp. The vocals of Lord Abagor are nasty, opting for an unusually guttural approach with a double-tracked higher shriek, channeling the swagger of Amon Amarth (particularly in closing song “Vae Victis”) with the menace of Immolation. Guitar lines from Mahees are piercing and rapturous, with clean tones erupting from hazy blasted trems. Leads are gorgeous and triumphant, with harmonized melodies in “Chariots of Fire” and a beautiful solo in “Hêlēl ben-Šaḥar” standing tall among a litany of sing-along worthy licks and highlights. Alessandro Cupi’s drums are well placed; while never doing anything out of the ordinary, they come with thunder and thunk, adding heft and weight without ever overpowering the music on display.

We’ve arrived at the concluding paragraph, and I suddenly realize I’ve yet to heap scorn on much of anything. I suppose if I squint a bit, some of the atmospheric interludes don’t need to be as long as they are. The intro to “Crown of the Gods” sounds like a bit of an anticlimax compared to the rest of the album’s attention-gathering intros. And yet, I’m not sure I truly believe such ideas. Every time I’ve spun this album I’ve been left with a big dorky grin on my face, invisible oranges clutched firmly in bent palms, utterly and inarguably smitten. Aran Angmar have unleashed an album that has been an absolute joy to listen to, and a first contender for my end-of-year list. Get in on the Ordo while you can.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Soulseller Records
Websites: facebook.com/aranangmar | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025

#2025 #40 #AmonAmarth #AranAngmar #BlackMetal #Immolation #InternationalMetal #LabrinthusStellarum #Mar25 #Mystifier #Nile #OrdoDiabolicum #Review #Reviews #SoulsellerRecords #Uada

Also for @HailsandAles' #BlackMetalMonday:

#HarakiriForTheSky: Keep Me Longing

https://song.link/brgcbxcq6mnsr

#AtmosphericBlackMetal #Blackgaze #PostBlackMetal

FFO #Heretoir #NonEstDeus #Uada

Photos/Review: Devastation on the Nation hits LA with I Am Morbid, Suffocation, and more:

#DevastationOnTheNation #IAmMorbid #Suffocation #Uada #Fulci #Knoll #Mortiferum #LiveReview #LivePhotos #ConcertPhotography #GigReview

https://metalinsider.net/photos/photos-review-devastation-on-the-nation-hits-la-with-i-am-morbid-suffocation-and-more

UADA Kicks Off Devastation on the Nation North American Tour

#iAmMorbid #metal #tour #tourDates #uada

Groza – Nadir Review

By Dear Hollow

Germany’s Groza has always been that 3.0rn in my side. While other bands have toyed with greatness that sends my head for a loop, albums Unified in Void and The Redemptive End have hemorrhaged potential, only to squander it on safe compositions. Owing Mgła just as much for their namesake and as their subtle and interwoven melodic style, while likewise hinting post-black, Groza has been releasing pleasant melodic black metal since 2016. This is part of what makes Nadir a bit of a “make or break” situation: the trio can choose to set out on their own or continue to dwell in Mgła’s shadow.1

Nadir represents a slight stylistic shift. While Groza retains its signature tremolo interwoven with crystalline melody, there is more post-black melody and rawer guitar to drive its darker tones. Featuring six tracks of meditative black metal, highlighted by textures of melodies and vicious vocals, you can expect an evocative listen that sweeps listeners away to a ruined world: scorched, desolate, but undeniably beautiful. Anchored by guitarist U.A.’s powerfully composed guitar leads and layers of melody, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist P.G.’s desperate shrieks and bellowing shouts, and T.H.Z.’s thunderous percussion, it’s consistently and competently built from minimalist foundations. While Groza remains stubbornly “good,” it’s a step in the right direction.

Groza does little to separate from the shadows of Mgła or Uada but Nadir is a far more scathing affair. From the shift of the 4/4 intro “Soul: Inert” to 6/8 “Asbest,” it feels like the second-wave teeth are bared throughout. The best tracks find a balance between the extremes of blackened intensity and melodic serenity. The textured guitars, and layers of melodies, are a conclusion whose build-ups revolve around vicious tremolo guided by manic shrieks, best actualized in tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge.” These feature melodies seared into the brain with nearly melodeath heft, while good uses of spoken word among plucking calmness add charisma and a hush with bated breath. The most traditionally second-wave black metal rears its head in “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” the crystalline plucking granting the track an icy showering quality. Like fellow countrymen Harakiri for the Sky, Groza has an ear for melody, with fluid movement between disharmony and melody giving way to beautiful resolutions. The final track “Daffodils” features the most intense climax of the album, the buildup hitting immense satisfaction thanks to featured guests J.J. and M.S. of Harakiri and Karg, as well as choir provided by the Bandhouse crew. Percussion contrasts with the scathing intensity, providing a thunderous undercurrent that resounds best as mid-tempo dirges. Groza’s rawer sound does Nadir justice.

Nadir’s weakness is inconsistency. Every track aboard Nadir is pleasant, but Groza’s other tracks fall short compared to the highlights. “Asbest,” although its melody is one of the better on the album, jarringly switches to more minor and weaker movements halfway through. While the tasteful second-wave rawness elevates “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” its somewhat protracted length damages its memorability; blurring into a weaker version of “Dysthymian Dreams” by the end. Even the central melody of “Daffodils” is exhausting before the buildup enters to redeem it. Furthermore, while Nadir is ubiquitously pleasant, it remains far too safe. Groza finds itself locked into its own melodies, so any wavering from it feels ultimately damaging in these tracks; its safety is its worst enemy. While the percussion is solid and thunderous, tracks like “Asbest” and “Dysthymian Dreams” can lose blastbeats to the wild tremolo, and we forfeit our tether to the enjoyable cacophony.

Groza is always pleasant and Nadir’s rawer direction does not undermine that trademark. While it vaguely distances itself from the likes of Mgła or Uada and is a step on the right path, it has not escaped that shadow yet. With tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge” leading the charge with the best music being released by this trio yet in their trademark usage of poignant melody, it’s hard to imagine future releases not being the stirring compositions that these guys are so clearly capable of. As it stands, though, Nadir keeps Groza in 3.0-land: good, but awaiting an amplifying adverb.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AOP Records
Websites: groza-blackmetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grozaband
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024

#2024 #30 #AOPRecords #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #Groza #HarakiriForTheSky #MelodicBlackMetal #Mgła #Nadir #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Uada

Wer von euch zappt ebenfalls duster am 2./3.8.? https://www.blacksilence.de/event-details/zappenduster-festival-2024-1

#Uada #UntoOthers #Empyrium #Agrypnie #ChapelOfDisease #TheSpirit #AndOceans #Zappenduster

For #BlackMetalMonday by @HailsandAles:

Seth: Dans le cœur un Poignard

https://song.link/i/1739134824

#BlackMetal #MelodicBlackMetal #Screamo

FFO #Darkenhöld #Nordjevel #UADA

Tour/Festival Updates – 3/26/2024: KoRn, Iron Maiden, Cannibal Corpse, AC/DC, etc:

#Tour #2024Tours #KoRn #Gojira #ACDC #IronMaiden #CannibalCorpse #Uada #SleepingWithSirens #NorthAmericanTour #EuropeanTour #Festivals

https://metalinsider.net/touring/tour-festival-updates-3-26-2024-korn-iron-maiden-cannibal-corpse-ac-dc-etc

there's also new #Uada apparently. did someone at youtube revert suggestions back into being useful

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Here's Everything You Missed Over The Weekend 3/25
New Pantera material, Ozzy's absence from the stage, Nightwish problems, and more!

https://metalinjection.net/the-monday-morning-refresher/heres-everything-you-missed-over-the-weekend-3-25

#OzzyOsbourne #Pantera #Nightwish #StaticX #Metallica #Korn #Hanson #HarmsWay #FourStrokeBaron #Cryptopsy #Uada #Bewitcher #ProtestTheHero #JayWeinberg #SuicidalTendencies #Strychnos #MichaelPoulsen #TheOrchardMetal

Dödsrit – Nocturnal Will Review

By Thus Spoke

It’s not like I really need any convincing, but it’s great when an album comes along and reminds me that black metal is, in fact, fucking fantastic. 2023 was a comparatively dry year for the genre, especially as far as the more straightforward, unadorned variety was concerned. 2024 is already making up for it. Swedish/Dutch four-piece Dödsrit are one of the voices in the scene quietly but confidently proving how effective some no-frills (crust-adjacent) melodic black metal can be. I’ve been a causal fan since 2018’s self-titled debut and was surprised to find they’ve never received a review in these halls. With album number four, Nocturnal Will, we’re changing that. Dödsrit, and in particular, Nocturnal Will, deserve some serious recognition.

Like its predecessors, Nocturnal Will trades in frosty, shimmering guitars, heartfelt, roaring screams, and an explosive, d-beat-infused approach to tempo. Similar to Wormwitch in surface-level grittiness and underlying melancholia, but closer to Uada in energy, the band’s characteristic sound is both furious and gentle, biting and warm. It’s this fiery, but incredibly trve spirit that not only makes Dödsrit a breath of fresh air, but also just makes their music so wonderful to listen to. Nocturnal Will is absolutely no exception. When I tell you that putting this album on unfailingly makes me smile, I’m not exaggerating. Nor am I when I say that on my first playthrough, the solo that ends “Nocturnal Fire”—performed by Lamp of Murmuur’s M—literally caused me to stop working and just listen to it, because it’s so lovely.

Emotional weight is the heart of Nocturnal Will,1 and once again, Dödsrit manifest it through confident, beautiful melodies, all powerfully and tangibly uplifting. The presence of two guitarists, plus a bassist, is brilliantly utilized through swooping, soaring twin refrains (“Utmed Gyllbergens Stig ,” “As Death Comes Reaping,” “Celestial Will”), and layered, flowing chords (“Nocturnal Fire,” “As Death…”). What makes this doubly impactful is the fact that around half of Nocturnal Will is instrumental. Not (only) through wholly vocal-less tracks (“Utmed Gyllbergens Stig”), but with songs whose back (“Nocturnal Fire”) or front (“As Death Comes Reaping”) climaxes and develops perfectly well without them. Letting the instrumentation do the talking for so much of the runtime enhances the ability of both these enveloping themes and the vocals, when they return, to arrest and move the listener. The falling fade soon filled by atmospheric plucks, an escalating of rollovers and tremolo, and finally an ardent roar that comes midway through “Irjala”—fantastic; and who would have thought that a song called “As Death Comes Reaping” would have such a downright inspiriting, even whimsical melodic centerpiece.

Because of how dynamic and energetic so much of the album is, it remains compelling throughout its runtime. While no wheels are being reinvented when it comes to stylistic approach, as far as Dödsrit’s sound goes, what ain’t broke don’t need fixing. Brief moments of stillness (“Ember and Ash,” “Celestial Will”) don’t outstay their welcome and flow naturally from the cascades of tremolo, and crescendos of percussion and screams. It’s arguable that the 45-second “Ember and Ash” doesn’t need to be there, and could instead simply be tacked onto the front of “Utmed Gyllbergens Stig,” which continues its melody anyway. There’s also the creeping feeling that, as stirring and as solid as Nocturnal Will is, it doesn’t do enough to imprint itself in memory steadfastly. Stop spending time with it, and it fades. Only, of course, for it to flood with color again as you return, and remember how great it is.

Black metal, and any offshoot therefrom, doesn’t need to be devastating, insanely complex, or brutal to be effective. Dödsrit, for another consecutive record, prove this with music that wears its musical and emotional heart on its sleeve. Gracefully dynamic and skin-tinglingly thrilling to listen to, Nocturnal Will is pure black metal joy and bittersweet sadness encapsulated. Don’t miss it.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Wolves of Hades
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024

#2024 #35 #BlackMetal #Crust #Dödsrit #DutchMetal #Mar24 #MelodicBlackMetal #NocturnalWill #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal #Uada #WolvesOfHades #Wormwitch

Vale of Pnath and Abigail Williams Announce U.S. Tour Dates https://www.metalsucks.net/2024/03/13/vale-of-pnath-and-abigail-williams-announce-u-s-tour-dates/ #AbigailWilliams #RottingChrist #TourdeForce #ValeofPnath #U.S.tour #News #uada

10 Amazing Black Metal Albums From The 2020s https://metalinjection.net/lists/10-amazing-black-metal-albums-from-the-2020s #plebeiangrandstand #Kanonenfieber #OranssiPazuzu #Blackbraid #Fathomage #featured1 #WhiteWard #liturgy #Gaerea #Malist #Lists #uada

Útgarðar – Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back Review

By Dear Hollow

Norse mythology pervading black metal is nothing new. Due to the style’s Scandinavian origins, it would not surprise me to see Lucifer and Odin taking swigs of Christian blood together in a burning Waffle House in like Tromsø, for instance. Norse Paganism has always been the wingman for anti-Christianity under Metallum’s profile lyrical themes, so the slaughter of Ymir and the rise of Yggdrasil across the yawning void Ginnungagap, the rivalry of Loki and Thor, and the fierce matchups of Ragnarök have long captured the imaginations of the western world. In this way, Útgarðar offers little new, as you’ll find the nine worlds, the great frost-giant Ymir, the trolls, and the formidable ferocity of the wolves Fenrir, Sköll, and Hati all play a part. A tangible thread of storytelling courses through the thirty-two minutes of debut Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back.

You may recognize Útgarðar’s two members, as American instrumentalist Niðafjöll (Nathan Verschoor) is known for his work with recent Uada, Veiled, and Altars of the Moon, while Swedish vocalist/guitarist Seiðr (Andreas Westholm) features a storied discography with acts like Blackest, Seid, and Serpent Omega. Both members offer a distinctly down-tuned sound, heavier guitar tone, and more “deathened” snarls adding to the rotten sound, but Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back is black metal through and through: Útgarðar offers their caustic and vicious interpretation of unholy trinity of blastbeats, shrieks, and tremolo. Refusing to settle into monotony, the duo manages a ritualistic flare and doomed atmosphere that makes it hard to shake, as the frost of the Scandinavian pines and the solemnity of the setting sun are felt in every movement.

Útgarðar utilizes a powerful and simple approach, balancing memorable melody, caustic blackened attacks, and ritualistic doom – tied together into dynamic songwriting. While intro “The Pyres of Utgard” offer the former two in a vicious track whose only reprieve is the haunting clean vocals buried behind slower passages, “Ymir Awakens” and “Trolls of Muspel Trolls of Frost” are clear centerpieces, brimming with tension between its ambient lulls, vicious tremolo, and doom weight – even the ambient passages feature subtle percussion injecting a fire throughout. This continues into the more subdued closers, “Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back” and “Under Soil,” in which ritualistic atmosphere takes front and center, such as in the pulsing percussion and shamanistic chants of the title track or the rotten ambient sprawl of the album closer. While balance is a clear priority for Útgarðar, each cut features a distinct melodic motif that adds to the memorability of the album, as the cleans of the title track or the guitar/vocal melodies of “Under Soil” elevate an otherwise despondent set of tracks.

There are no directly negative tracks within Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back, and largely Útgarðar’s only sin is its inconsistent mood. The contrast between the fiery second-wave of “The Pyres of Utgard” and the shamanistic despair of “Under Soil” is stark. While the best-of-both-worlds “Ymir Awakens” and “Trolls of Muspel Trolls of Frost” smoothen this transition in what would be an album-long dynamic, they settle neatly into three separate approaches instead. The highlights are so because of their haunting blend of energy and atmosphere, while the closing tracks dispel with much of the energy while the opener foregoes atmosphere. In a way, the album then feels like a Viking Venn diagram, with the centerpieces constituting the near-perfect overlap.

That’s not to say that Útgarðar shoots themselves in the foot, because I haven’t quite experienced the haunting and evocative quality of Asatro-themed black metal that actually feels authentic and organic the way Fire Smoked Upon the Wolf’s Back does. It plays it relatively safe in terms of the second wave, but its infusion of doom filth and ritualistic primacy simply adds up to this: a damn good black metal album. While moods are disparate, you won’t care because every one of them is accomplished with rotten grit and otherworldly darkness undergirded by tense Norseman violence. Furious black metal, ritualistic menace, and mammoth weight have a weapon in this particular Ragnarök, and you’ll be glad to die by Odin’s side for Útgarðar.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: ATMF Records
Website: facebook.com/Útgarðar
Releases Worldwide: February 23rd, 2024

#2024 #35 #AltarsOfTheMoon #ATMFRecords #BlackMetal #BlackenedDoomMetal #Blackest #Feb24 #FireSmokedUponTheWolfSBack #InternationalMetal #Review #Reviews #Seid #SerpentOmega #Uada #Útgarðar #Veiled

Sworn – A Journey Told Through Fire [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Carcharodon

Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Sworn have been toiling away in relative anonymity since 2005. Two early, and frankly unremarkable, records were followed by a nine-year gap before the release of 2018’s very good, Dark Stars and Eternity. Melodic black metal with a ton of atmosphere, and sounding more Finnish than Norwegian for much of its run, the album was only really hampered by a slightly questionable mix. There is no question, however, that it represented a real step up in quality for the quartet when compared to their first two outings. Scroll forward to July this year and, still unsigned, Sworn dropped their fourth LP, A Journey Told through Fire.

It’s best to simply ignore the (predictably) cringe-inducing, but thankfully brief, spoken word passage that opens the record on what is otherwise one of the album’s best cuts, the epic “A Godless Domain.” Drummer Tom Ian Klungland sets a furious, propulsive tempo for much of the album, driving it forward in a relentless fashion that reminded me of Vorga. The melodic tremolos from guitarists Goran Hope and Christoffer Kjørsvik recall Necrophobic and Mistur as they swirl and soar but it’s the synths and strings that are introduced as quiet introspective passages, that really elevate what Sworn do. Handled by Kjørsvik, who also plays bass and seems to be the principal songwriter, the synths lend an almost symphonic note in places (back third of “A Godless Domain” and the middle sections of “Grand Eclipse”), giving A Journey Told through Fire a sense of grandeur that I associate more with doom than melodic black metal.

Meanwhile, other parts of the album, like the middle sections of the desperately mournful “Calamity Sea,” see some noodling that has a distinctly power metal feel, before an Insomnium-esque lead drops. Indeed, the Insomnium vibes are strong on “Monumental” also, as some of the earlier pace of A Journey Told through Fire is stripped out, allowing Sworn to indulge themselves a little. In other places, Cult of a Dying Sun-era Uada notes bleed into the guitars, as well as the pacing, particularly on “Visions of Fire” and the title track. Throughout, Max Wilson’s throat-shredding rasps offer up a harsher side to the record, which otherwise has an air of sweet melancholia to much of it. Clocking in at just under 50 minutes, the album is tightly written and beautifully paced, shifting up and down through the gears at will. Pummelling in places, dropping down into somber quasi-doom-death mode in others (back third of the title track), Sworn show themselves to have a deft touch for switching things up at just the right moment.

The guitars have a great sorrowful tone to them, while the issues with the mix on Dark Stars and Eternity, which saw the drums swallowing the guitars, have been fixed. By contrast, A Journey Told through Fire feels rich and, for all its pensive notes, vibrant, while its sound envelops you, making for a surprisingly easy listen. The trajectory from Dark Stars … to A Journey Told through Fire is extremely promising, suggesting the band has found its songwriting groove. Easily the best material of Sworn’s almost 20-year career, I hope this is the record that may finally see them start to get some recognition. I also hope we don’t have to wait another five-plus years for the next entry.

Tracks to Check Out: ”A Godless Domain,” “Monumental” and “A Journey Told through Fire.”

#2023 #AJourneyToldThroughFire #BlackMetal #CultOfADyingSun #DarkStarsAndEternity #Insomnium #MelodicBlackMetal #Mistur #Necrophobic #NorwegianBlackMetal #NorwegianMetal #SelfRelease #Sworn #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023 #TYMHM #Uada #Vorga

#uada

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