For many, black metal was ruined long before the hipster got their pale hands on it. The corpse paint cabaret it had become by the mid-1990s eclipsed the musical accomplishments of more serious artists at the time. But I would argue that there is a sweet spot of melodrama and tongue in cheek theatrics that... Continue Reading →

For some black metallers ambient side projects were a mere hobby. A testing ground for ideas, a place to hone the art of crafting atmosphere through synths, or a place of simple joy away from the carnage of black metal’s politics. For other black metallers it became much more than that. What starts as a... Continue Reading →

Let’s raise a glass to the work horses of black metal. Maybe not epoch defining or game changing; just putting out solid work of quality for the sheer grim of it. And looking back to the mid-1990s there’s plenty of such artists to choose from. Vinterland’s sole full length LP ‘Welcome My Last Chapter’ (1996)... Continue Reading →

Physical media: records, cassettes, compact discs, mini-discs(?)….Let’s discuss the different methods of organising a collection. To do that I am forced to make the following outrageous and unfounded claim: for our present purposes, all physical media is created equal. Obviously it’s not true. But for now just pretend that CDs hold the same charms as... Continue Reading →

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that death metal at its finest is some of the most sophisticated contemporary music going. Certainly the most sophisticated rock/metal music. At some point in the mid-1990s it just grew beyond its rock routes. Death metal musicians began to take an increasing interest in classical music,... Continue Reading →

Black metal is a European affair. Yes, Norway may boast the biggest sales, the most intriguing backstory, and a dearth of talented artists, but the Greek scene is just as old, the Austrian scene just as vital, the French just as extreme, and the Polish scene just as questionably racist. Let’s take a look at... Continue Reading →

Genres touting the ‘post’ qualification should be regarded with suspicion. These days ‘Post’ has almost become synonymous with ‘meta’. It is after the thing, beyond, transcendent; packed within in this is the assumption that we are done with the original ‘thing’, whatever it may be; rock, metal, modernism. Whatever is flaunting the ‘post’ adornment is... Continue Reading →

Although now considered to be the trendy face of metal, there was a time when stoner doom was a little bit uncool. In the age of grunge, throwbacks to the 1970s were considered out of step with the post-Cold War zeitgeist. This same era was the heyday of extreme metal, which saw the thrash metal... Continue Reading →

Volume I Recently I have become fascinated with how the internet has changed our interactions with music. Not only how technology is shaping consumption, but how it is shaping the music itself. With instant access to a vast pool of music worldwide, how will this shape regional sounds, artistic influence, musical communities? It is probably... Continue Reading →

To the layperson, blackened death metal may look like a tagline too far. But even a casual sampling of artists tasked with playing this style should make one see the light (or the black). Take the ear candy of melodic death metal, the euphoria or Iron Maiden, add a smattering of gothic melodrama to the... Continue Reading →