At this point it wouldn’t be inappropriate to offer a personal reckoning of the early to mid-2000s. It’s not an era best known for a quality crop of black metal. The artists responsible for its initial explosion had largely dried up or given in by this point. The new generation of extreme metal were yet... Continue Reading →

Into Oblivion: Winds of Serpentine Ascension (out 29th September on Hessian Firm) In a world saturated with voices, all jostling for airtime, all embroiled in a bitter fight to the death for our valuable attention (and clicks), hyperbole is rife. All too often terms such as ‘epic’, ‘legendary’, or ‘ground-breaking’ find their way into contemporary... Continue Reading →

Megalith Levitation/Dekonstruktor: Split (2020) Following a successful debut is notoriously difficult turf; it’s called the difficult second album for a reason. But encased in the experimental cushion afforded by the humble EP, permission to let the experimental side run free is widely granted. Or in the case of Megalith Levitation, permission to elaborate on some... Continue Reading →

Industrial and crust punk: two obscure little underground movements birthed in the early 80s that would orbit metal for some time. Although boasting more trivial output than quality, what worth there was in these genres at their inception should not be underestimated. Both can boast a mightily fruitful period of creativity no matter how short lived.... Continue Reading →

Seeds of Iblis: Morbid Muhammad (2020) ‘Morbid Muhammad’ is the second release from the mysterious Iraqi project known as Seeds of Iblis. If I may drift from my brief for a moment, aside from listening to this album a number of times I know this band only by reputation. Controversies around the subject matter are understandable,... Continue Reading →

Small business founded by well-meaning folk with a relatable desire to make some money? Or insipid, vacuous cynicism? It's time we talked about the ‘Metealhead Box’ and what it means for culture. More specifically, the tiny pocket of Youtubers that make Unboxing Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYRjRM7YFi4 If you're desperate enough to browse through some of these unboxing videos,... Continue Reading →

Whenever I tee-up a pair of post 2000 black metal releases for this feature, I often end up casting classics of the past as mythical tomes of wisdom, and the rare gems of the more recent past as proud bastions against an endless tide of mediocrity, the last outposts of hope. What is the cause... Continue Reading →

Draghkar: At the Crossroads of Infinity (2020) ‘At the Crossroads of Infinity’ – the debut album from Californian death metallers Draghkar – feels like an echo from an alternative dimension, one where death metal took a very different route after the early 1990s. It’s not unprecedented and it has many antecedents, including early Hellenic works... Continue Reading →

The signature Swedish style was defined by combining d-beat punk with NWOBHM melodic sensibilities, and from this solid foundation building grand sweeping pieces of epic metal. Once rendered through the iconic buzzsaw guitar tone, it was a distinctive and instantly recognisable musical statement that became one of the pillars of extreme metal. But as demonstrated... Continue Reading →

Goatcraft/Plutonian Shore: Split (2020) Bringing together new tracks from neoclassical trailblazers Goatcraft and the last recorded material from Texan black metallers Plutonian Shore, this split EP from Hessian Firm offers plenty of food for thought. Over the years Goatcraft have forged new creative spaces between extreme metal’s relationship with dark ambient and neoclassical music that... Continue Reading →