Seeking opinions?

[Big Cock Beelzebub]

"Snowland" is great.

"Scarlet Evil Witching Black" and "Black Arts Lead To Everlasting Sins" are the best Necromantia recordings.

"Dans Les Bras Des Immortels" by Frozen Shadows is worth picking up.

[FIAT]

Does anyone have any knowledge on the following bands:

• Frozen Shadows
• Soercier Des Glaces
• Sammath
• Necromentia

I do know of Necromentia fairly well but I was wondering what would be some recommended albums to start out with as I don't have anything by them.  The other bands I have read about in the anus reviews and I have heard some clips but I was looking for more information on them to see if anybody had thoughts and recommendations about those ones.  Thanks.

You can now get Necromantia's first two full length albums "Crossing the Fiery Path" and "Scarlet Evil, Witching Black" on a digipak double cd. It comes with new artwork that is a bit pointless but the lyrics for both albums are included. It is widely available online for 12-13 dollars.

[Blaphbee]

I will fourth the praise for Sorcier des Glaces.

(where are they from, by the way?)

Snowland has a great reliance on melodic structure to carry it, as opposed to brainless bashing and non-stop speed; I find some of the melodies to absolutely soar.

However, when in the mood for melodic black, Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun gets my vote every time. That album is ethereal to me.

[GoddamnElf]

I will fourth the praise for Sorcier des Glaces.

(where are they from, by the way?)

Snowland has a great reliance on melodic structure to carry it, as opposed to brainless bashing and non-stop speed; I find some of the melodies to absolutely soar.

However, when in the mood for melodic black, Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun gets my vote every time. That album is ethereal to me.

SdG are from Canada I believe.

[phantasm]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys.  I can find Necromantia easily at the record store I go to but I know I'm going to run into trouble finding Soercier Des Glaces.  Anybody know where it's being sold on the internet?  I still have to poke around a bit but if someone can point me to a reputable site that might have it for sale it would be much appretiated.

[GoddamnElf]

- Hades Almighty
- Mysticum
- Arckanum

[phantasm]

I'm only familar of Mysticum through this SRP review and some clips I've heard on evilmusic:

Mysticum - Kingdom Comes. Flowing streams of chords doled out in the cutting speed strum of a black metal band with a kickhappy rock beat moving behind screeching vocals that hang rhythms behind riffs and precurse rapid change with violent exclamation. Mostly composed the same way boring death metal is composed, it achieves an interesting atmosphere but lacks the power of individuality to give it the voice it needs for its communicative efforts.

Don't know if that helps or not, perhaps you've already read it.  I only know of their Nordic Metal release and an album titled "In the Streams of Inferno."  What little I've heard sounds pretty good and worthwhile, some of the riffing in the clips I've got reminds me a bit of the Emperor EP.  But I don't know if they always sound like that, it's just a clip.

[phantasm]

Mysticum actually did a split with Ulver and Manes some time back as well and actually that's how I first heard of them, I just remembered (just wanted to note that)

[Big Cock Beelzebub]

- Hades Almighty
- Mysticum
- Arckanum

Dawn of the Dying Sun is superb by Hades Almighty; one of the greatest triumphs of black metal, and possibly the greatest viking-themed album.

Arckanum are ok, I only have "Kampen" and it's nothing special but not horrible by any means. I hear them get quite a bit of praise, so don't dismiss them based on what I'm saying.

[baxter]

both of Frozen shadows's releases are highly recommended.

Has anbody heard Nox intempesta and knows where to get mp3s?

[GoddamnElf]

How about Wyrd?

I thought their demos were more or less, Burzum worship. Huldrafolk was amazing though. I haven't really given any other albums enough attention to make any kind of comment on them.

[phantasm]

Wyrd is good.  Their early stuff was really Burzum worship (not that that's really all that bad) but their later stuff went away from the Burzum worship but kept the core sound and expanded it.  Someone else on this forum put it well, "it's good background music."  I recommend it.  Heathen is their first I believe and the fist I recommend.

[Annihilaytorr]

Helheim(Bergen)
Satyricon
Zyklon
Anaal Nathrakh
Hate Forest

These were listed on the thread on the main anus forum but were not explored fully.

[GoddamnElf]

Helheim(Bergen)
Satyricon
Zyklon
Anaal Nathrakh
Hate Forest

These were listed on the thread on the main anus forum but were not explored fully.

Helheim - don't know
Satyricon - Go for the first two only. They're nothing special but it's their only worthwhile works.
Zyklon - don't know
Anaal Nathrakh - I haven't heard them, but they look pretty worthless.
Hate Forest - I always thought it was pretty boring stuff but I also haven't listened to them very much, so I guess this goes under 'don't know'.

[Big Cock Beelzebub]

Satyricon - Never brought anything new to black metal
Zyklon - Mediocre death metal at best, dire at worst. Drumming pisses off a lot of people.
Anaal Nathrakh - They're the br00thurl band of black metal - brutality for brutality's sake.