Sacrenoir – Comme des revenants parmi les ruines 8.5/10
‘’ Comme des revenants parmi les ruines’’ is the highly anticipated debut of Quebec’s Sacrenoir. Featuring the highly regarded duo of Athros (Brume d’Automne, Fortress) and Monarque (Monarque, Fortress) it is an album that extols in the origins of true black metal from its bleak beginnings.
From ‘’ Portail vampirique’’ through to the might of ‘’ The Blade of Satan’’ Sacrenoir are able to conjure the titans of the genre and faithfully continue the raw elitist spirit that gave the early nineties scene such impetus and, ultimately, reverence. Whilst they are immediately recognisable as flame bearers of true black metal, their music carries the cold flames set ablaze by the Likes of Gorgoroth and Bathory with their original aggression. ‘’ Le puits du diable’’ is utterly pure mid-paced black metal given some of that uncompromising attitude that takes importance over the technical. ‘’ Aux portes de l’enfer’’ continues the raw aggression with touches of punk snobbery that helped shape the initial sound. ‘’Epuration’’ is that mid-paced relentless attack that offers no respite from the dense riffing and barrage of percussion.
Yet it’s not all odes of icy cold darkness ‘’ Parmi les ruines’’ borders on the beautiful with its atmospheric keyboards that codas the album brilliantly, the swirling snow after the storm with its subtlety and majesty.
‘’ Comme des revenants parmi les ruines’’ is the album for true black metal purists created by those pure and loyal to the sensibilities and existence that black metal demands. Steadfast, true and utterly uncompromising.
Craving – Call of the Sirens 8.5/10
German Metallers Craving continues their monumental saga with ‘’Call of the Sirens’’, their fourth offering to the metal gods that continues the epic journey from their previous release, “By The Storm”.
‘’Call of the Sirens’’ is a fully committed, energetic blast of extreme metal that is surprising and deftly crafted. Don’t let the cover art fool you, whilst there is beauty to be found, the intro to ‘’ Mich packt die Wut’’ is subtle and gorgeous before it explodes into a maelstrom of high octane melodic black metal, infused with death metal, throw in some folk flourishes some power, and finish it off with some true heavy metal. Craving are masters of their craft able to combine blinding moments of speed with subtlety and tonnes of power.
More committed to real life rather than fables Craving burn with an intensity that leaves you battered, numb and looking for the repeat button. Written in multiple languages, including German, English, Russian and Ukrainian, it is a worldly offering that is tinged with experience and grandiose soundscapes. “Gods Don’t Negotiate,” is simply killer with its excellent rhythms and percussion that Drives the music, not with reckless abandon but with razor-sharp precision. ‘’ Maiden of the Sun (Дева солнца II)’’ and ‘’ Blood ov Franconia’’ are more explosive moments of utter conviction. To further display their influences and ideas, the cd/download version includes their interpretation of “Shum” by Ukrainian electro-folk band Go_A and “El Diablo” by Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou.
Craving is fully committed to their style of truly epic metal that is downright propulsive, devoid of cliches and excess. Call of the Sirens is possibly the most utterly high-octane metal record of assaulting the senses in a very long time.
Infernal Curse – Revelations Beyond Insanity 8.5/10
From the damnable bowels of hell arise Argentina’s Infernal Curse. Respected, uncompromising and truly brutal, they unleash their third magnum opus, the mighty Revelations Beyond Insanity.
Specialising in the eighties blackened death metal onslaught that borders on the nihilistic, the trio known most famously for a series of splits and EPs expand their anger and vitriol into a full length that burns with intensity rather than technical prowess. This is aggression laid on tape, that captures that unique South American aesthetic that is inherently violent and stripped back to its most vital core. The unholy blasphemy that is ‘’Church Of Perversity’’ and the utterly guttural vocals of Nocturnal is matched by the brief doom-inspired intro of ‘Thy Eternal Tribulation” that explodes into a fury of chaotic percussion that revels in its pure death metal aggression. From its organ intro until its utter metal conclusion that is the thrash-tinged pandemonium of ‘’Aeon of Extinction,” this is a cohesive, driven effort that might not be long, buts its impact is undeniable, primal, leeching into your senses, mangling normal thought and leaving you battered best exemplified by the Epic that is ‘’Void/Rites Of blood and Steel’’.
Revelations Beyond Insanity is not for those with sensitive and discerning dispositions. It is an apologetic onslaught of fury that offers no respite and secures their standing in the underground. It is an undeniable malevolent storm of musical Armageddon!
– Insolence 8.5/10
Insolence is the utterly defiant, disrespectful debut from Greek black metal outfit Median Omega, which is true to the chaos that is extreme music.
From the opening title track through to the magnum opus that is ‘’Nihil”’ Median Omega excel in the symphonic and the rawness that is true black metal, its atmospheric, vitriolic and able to create the soundscapes that offer images of war and battle. The chaos is mingled with large bridges of power and excellent musicianship that is captured by a recording that can display all of the band’s strengths and none of their weaknesses.
Insolence is openly hostile yet not without its atmosphere the ‘’The Descendants ‘’ is the soundtrack to the lineage of violence with massive keys, choirs and blast beats over some excellent riffing that propels the track forward towards the abyss of Armageddon. “Let the mortals Sing our Names’’ is the battle cry of history and legend, its riff incredibly memorable where the speed gives way to a marching rhythm of power and pride. ‘’Prime Meridain”’ carries the most recognizable elements of pure black metal with its caustic riffing and aggressive vocals, the keys a little bit more laid back, able to build the sense of dread and the oncoming storm.
Insolence is a stunning debut able to balance the mighty with the melodic and the downright aggressive with the symphonic. It is uncompromising in its own tagging power of belief and aggression.