black metal

You’d be hard-pressed to describe Finland’s Moonsorrow without using some kind of synonym for “epic,” so the fact that their new LP, Jumalten Aika, out-epics anything they’ve done is nothing short of astounding. We caught up with guitarist/vocalist Mitja Harvilahti to discuss the musical, thematic and personal influences that helped bring this beast of an album to life.

Commencing with the ritualistic application of corpse paint, feature-length documentary Blackhearts shares the stories of three black metal bands from drastically different backgrounds visiting the genre’s birthplace in Norway.

“Only a handful of bands dare to leave the narrow(minded) frame which dictates what is so-called ‘true’ and what earns a negative connotation as ‘hip’. 95% of these traditionalist bands are the copycats of the copycats of the early 90ies Norwegian scene.”

Triangle by the numbers: 100+ minutes, third album, three parts, two visual artists, one video premiere. 

On this week’s Demo:listen, we drag the blade across our palms to pledge our devotion to Finland’s Blood Chalice.

Dublin-based band stabs into the murk with some of the most energized, bleak and ripping blackness we’ve heard in some time.  Hear the album, Heir to Scoria and Ash, here before its April 22 release, and learn more about the band directly in our interview with guitarist L.M.

Waldo goes talon-to-toe with the latest releases from Graves at Sea, Mantar, and Victims.

When it comes to heavy metal collectibles, it doesn’t get much bigger than Blood Music’s Emperor: The Complete Works box set. We caught up with label mastermind J to talk about the logistics of taking this monolith from concept to reality.

The Decibel Tour starts tomorrow. But you can indulge in a new Abbath video today.

Get down to earth and space out (at the same time!) with this song premiere from Woman is the Earth.

The ‘Witch is back! Jam the new Skeletonwitch track right now. 

Värähtelijä
Trance With the Devil
dB Rating: 9/10

Illness mainman Gulnar, of Poland, has advanced his dark agenda several more steps with AHP, and we got caught in the line of fire.  Classically deranged raw black metal speed meets eerie ambient speculation for one hell (you can say that again) of a journey.

Zhrine is an Icelandic black/death metal band that melds the disgusting atonality of Deathspell Omega with the oppressively frigid atmosphere of Svartidauði (guitarist Nökkvi Gylfason is a member), complete with a fetid dusting of sludge as a sickening after-dinner mint. Check out the exclusive premiere of their song “Spewing Gloom,” off their upcoming LP, Unortheta.

Abbath
Still no Vinnie Vincent guest solo
dB Rating: 8/10

Best Underground Metal Tapes of the Year , pt. II, featuring Ghûllzaraën of Necromantic Worship, hidden messages, Eli W. of Spectral Voice, unpronounceable band names, Hansel of Caligari Records, quotes from the underground and so much more! 

This year, French label Les Acteurs de L’Ombre launched Emanations, a division meant to spotlight emerging local talent with limited cassette and CD releases, and several interesting recordings have surfaced as a result.

This Decibel scribe has always fallen horned-head-over-cloven-heels for the frozen-horror lullabies crafted under the Lustre moniker.  In about three weeks, Nachtzeit will release an EP of self-proclaimed regressive black metal that strips any conceit of beauty or complexity from his other work and rages bleakly in the northern darkness.

Unfortunately, we haven’t found an inverted cross tree topper. Yet. 

Autumn Eternal
So… winter isn’t coming?
dB Rating: 9/10

Nechochwen is a West Virginia-based duo that merges black metal with Native American instrumentation, artwork and lyrical themes. We spoke to their eponymous guitarist/vocalist/songwriter about his musical process, artistic philosophy and deep ties to Native American culture.

Tapered Limbs of a Human Star
Yup, I think we found the Queen…
dB Rating: 8/10

Staying true to this breakneck creative pace, Austin Lunn is mere weeks away from dropping Panopticon’s sixth LP, the enthralling and resonant Autumn Eternal. The album is a thematic companion to his two previous LPs, but musically, it eschews the “blackened bluegrass” approach in favor of emotionally charged, mournfully melodic black metal (think Winterfylleth meets early Katatonia). We talked to Lunn about creating Autumn Eternal, taking inspiration from nature and being a musician in the often-disheartening environment of the digital age.

Two weeks ago, you had a chance to listen to Lychgate’s new album, An Antidote for the Glass Pill.  Now hear from the music’s creator about how philosophy and dystopian literature contributed to the organ-saturated black/doom album.

M
One Last Bitter Retreat
dB Rating: 8/10

Gabriele Gramaglia incorporates a love of Converge-heightened, spastic hardcore heaviness into his anguished odes to the great outdoors.  The percussion and vocal rhythms here really set Gramaglia’s solo project apart from the pack.  The music retains black metal’s otherworldly quality without losing the attention of mere mortals like us.

In life, that which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Back in 2013, Blaze of Perdition were traveling through Austria and were involved in a major car accident that left members severely injured and bassist Wojciech “Ikaroz” Janus dead. Uncertain whether to carry on, Blaze of Perdition invoked the power of the Elder Gods—both benign and malign—and asked them one question: should Blaze of Perdition continue to sing the praises of “Luciferian Illumination”? The weak-minded would’ve come away from the confrontation confused and bereft. Not Blaze of Perdition. They respectfully mourned the loss of Janus and vowed, with ensorcelled swords and overflowing blood chalices held high, to return to the lands of the blackest metal, spiritually and physically rejuvenated.

Italy’s Forgotten Tomb may’ve helped spearhead depressive black metal, but they’ve moved on from the group’s early monochromatic, manic styling to emerge as a mature, self-aware black metal act with influences ranging from Burzum to Pitch Shifter to Eyehategod. Forgotten Tomb’s new album, Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love, is massively heavy, penetratingly introspective, and, yes, pitch black dark. From its lyrics (read Ferdinando ‘Herr Morbid’ Marchisio’s response below), its stark cover, to its cross-over black, Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love is Forgotten Tomb’s best work yet.

Untitled
Coming Correct
dB Rating: 9/10

On April 21, 2015, the Bay Area metal scene—and the underground metal scene as a whole—lost a prolific and talented artist named Drew Cook, guitarist for Oakland-based bands Dimesland and Wild Hunt.