Children of the MorgueOut 30th August on Hells Headbangers Ah Deceased, on paper such a straightforward prospect, in practice anything but. One of death metal’s formative recruits in the late 80s, but outside the orbit of the fledging scene’s major hubs, their name never garnered the same cachet as their peers to the South and... Continue Reading →

Tried to do a positive video on metal…didn’t work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYbWTdtcu2E&t=2360s

Aeon Winds: AeonOut 10th August on ATMF Remix of debut demo from this Slovakian symphonic black metal outfit, originally released in 2010. Whilst comparisons to Limbonic Art may be apt, Gnipahålan is the more fitting contemporary reference point. An aggressively compressed mix, one dreads to think how many tracks went into crafting this monolith of... Continue Reading →

Desultory: Darkness Falls (The Early Years)Out 30th April on Darkness Shall Rise Productions Blueprint for the formation of Swedish melodic death metal as a direct descendent of late 80s thrash, specifically the Kreator school. This collection of early material from Desultory (much like the recent Unleashed collection) is instructive in the evolution of European death... Continue Reading →

To celebrate our 100th episode, we sink some beers and chat gatekeeping. We hope you get no enjoyment from this whatsoever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgbFFe03shc

Observances of the Apophatic OrdealOut 28th April, self-released Cathedralist black metal at the intersection of funeral doom, Italy’s Sacrilegious Crown carry the flame lit by Elysian Blaze, and to a lesser extent Les Legions Noire, into a newer, more melodically focused era. Atmosphere is still the dominant ethos, but here it takes on an antagonistic... Continue Reading →

The restored, expanded, and definitive edition By Dayal Patterson The study of history serves the needs of the present. New agendas lead to new interpretations of old facts. New theoretical frameworks reappropriate the meaning behind key events and source materials. Despite being a pre-digital phenomenon, the history of black metal has largely been written in... Continue Reading →

Male Patratis Sunt Atra Theatra ParataOut 28th June, self-released Condemner take a sledgehammer to the already crumbling edifice of death metal, smashing the lavish facades and elaborate archways, vestiges of a genre that has strayed far from the path of lucidity, relevance(?). Selecting only the most essential foundational stones from the rubble, the project of... Continue Reading →

Something that’s often misunderstood about the underground ethos is its desire to stay underground. Success itself is not a source of resentment, but popularity dilutes nuance. This is not simply a case of selling out. Complex works can become immensely popular (the enduring popularity of Morbid Angel and Burzum testify to this). But in this... Continue Reading →

Final Wrath – The Early Hymns of LobotomyOut 13th June on vicrecords In archaeology they use a technique called field walking. It involves systematically walking up and down a field, collecting any fragment that may be of significance, which is later inspected by a finds expert, who will verify if any shards of pottery could... Continue Reading →