In the current renaissance of extreme metal, it must be hard for older artists to find their voice. Having witnessed so many changes in the world and in the metal scene, staying relevant is a constant challenge. As technology develops exponentially, with cultures and societies barely keeping up with the newest innovations, the scale of... Continue Reading →

Many elements align in the creation of a classic. Spontaneity – which could be characterised as a youthful ignorance of the conventions of one’s elders; that intangible guile that invigorates the young mind – is one such element. But the more I think about spontaneity, the more I change my mind about its significance, and... Continue Reading →

In underground black metal, there are two kinds of people. The reclusive hermit that just wants to hide away from the world and wait for humanity to burn itself out. And the soldier of the revolution who wants to bring about humanity’s destruction as quickly as possible. Ok, maybe there’s three kinds of people if... Continue Reading →

Ah, the innocent days of our death metal youth. It was a simpler time. As Nocturno Culto put it, ‘when you play death metal it's easy...you don’t have to think’. And you certainly don’t have to run around murdering each other. Do we turn back to these early projects in the hopes of finding a... Continue Reading →

Nattsvargr: Night of the Crimson Thirst The latest release from Nattsvargr - ‘Night of the Crimson Thirst’ (2018) - sees them continue in the tradition of minimal, raw black metal straight from the Darkthrone school. In fact the opening riff to ‘At One With Evil’ is so similar to ‘Transylvanian Hunger’ I almost wondered if... Continue Reading →

I’m still having problems with this word ‘folk’ in a metal context. It prima facie means popular music, usually written by an unknown author, transmitted through word of mouth; it forms part of regional identities and traditions. In this strict definition it’s usually simple, catchy, something everyone can play and sing. Much folk is played... Continue Reading →

In pop culture theory, established wisdom has it that nostalgia runs in thirty year cycles. In the 1980s there was a wealth of film and music that referenced the 1950s. The carefree 1990s was a perfect echo of the 60s. The 2000s saw the return of drug fuelled classic rock, flairs, and nihilistic hippies. Although... Continue Reading →

Life is scary. Buy local. Another ten of the best from her majesty’s racket. OND Re-orientate your brain; it’s subversive metal from Leeds. Musically, OND bring me right back to the heyday of sci-fi metal in the late 1980s; Voivod, Watchtower, Coroner. They manage to combine the high-fidelity musicianship expected of progressive thrash, with punk... Continue Reading →

Condemner - Burning the Decadent (August 2018) This is hard hitting old school death metal that leans heavily on traditional speed metal for its cues, think early Slayer put through the blender of Sarcofago and Incantation. Although aesthetically this is death metal, Condemner’s riffcraft is actually heavily informed by primitive black metal such as Profanatica.... Continue Reading →

Death/doom is a tricky one to pin down. Is it just death metal played slow? Or is it a different subgenre entirely? There’s probably too many variations to define it with any certainty. Doom metal proper aside, the tag is often something that happens to other genres, creating doomy versions of themselves. This spans death... Continue Reading →