Azazel – Witches Deny Holy Trinity (2015)
Werewolf Records
Black metal finally clarified traditionalism for me. There is an inner spirit to things, like a shape that unifies form, and then there is an outer appearance, which is more like material properties and methods. The inner spirit is how you assemble your mind to understand something and roughly how it fits into the broader pattern of the universe.
13 CommentsTags: azazel, Black Metal, traditionalism
This is a song called “A Dark Path” from the nature documentary Det Frysende Nordariket, perhaps one of the highest forms of art that used drums and electric guitars:
No CommentsTags: analysis, Black Metal, ildjarn, Morklat Sti, nidhogg
Artists recovering from the downfall of black metal in 1995 faced a daunting challenge: how to keep aesthetically developing a genre that was based on primitive but elegant melodic and violent music, and how to expand its philosophy past its original primal, nihilistic, naturalistic, and anti-humanist roots.
9 CommentsTags: Black Metal, sorcier des glaces, technical black metal
Notorious violent black metal band Sammath gained a fanbase among the black metal horde for refusing to tone down the intensity of black metal, and instead mixing it with elements of fast technical death metal to achieve an uncompromising sound. Following up on the epic Godless Arrogance, the band faces a massive challenge in exceeding what it has already achieved, but a new demo suggests that this Dutch-German black metal assault has done just that.
6 CommentsTags: Black Metal, death metal, sammath, underground metal
It is a rare phenomenon when two bands merge, and by doing so they transcend each other’s limitations. Indoctrine is an impressive, albeit experimental record, where noisy Revenge members meet Alan Averill from Primordial, aka violent musicians are enthralled into order by clean vocals and an excellent concept.
7 CommentsTags: Black Metal, Blood Revolt, primordial, revenge, War Metal
As a genre less defined aesthetically than on terms of propaganda, NSBM bears the mark of Cain that stigmatizes bands that express a certain ideology. On the basis that music is pure Will, this article focuses on contrasting a split by Der Sturmer, Malsaint and Blutkult with Spear of Longinus on the grounds of understanding and conviction to their ideas, or, to be less dramatic, on how the need to express grander statements creates grander music.
70 CommentsTags: Black Metal, blutkult, Der Sturmer, Malsaint, nsbm, review, spear of longinus, TYONS
Following the peak of John Gelso’s manic laughter melodic sensibility on Thy Kingdom Cum, Profanatica entered artistic decline by releasing the excuse-to-tour Curling Flame of Blasphemy where the riffs were merely those of Disgusting Blasphemy Against God in a lull given a slight boost in populist consonance for the purpose of pleasing crowds. The G.G. Allin of black metal Paul Ledney sounded tired and uninspired which was reflected by the shark-jumping biker bar promotional pictures which were included in the booklet of the album. With Altar of the Virgin Whore we find Profanatica once again selling an excuse to tour only this time it is said plainly.
26 CommentsTags: Black Metal, blasphemy, havohej, john gelso, paul ledney, profanatica
When Profanatica could not finish their unreleased album, the genius and creator of the band Paul Ledney took time away from the noise of other musicians to fully realize his vision in composing a short album that took the best of his influences from all over the underground into creating something that would show the world the extent of the musical genius that this man possessed and that he was much more than an alumnus of a few great bands. In this final piece in the Craft of Metal series, we look at one album that managed to open new branches for what was to remain of the underground as the Death metal movement had just began to explode with bands getting signed by big labels all over the place and leaving the most repulsive bands to grow far from the spotlight.
35 CommentsTags: Black Metal, havohej, paul ledney, profanatica
Hailing from Rhodes, black metal project The One comes to us from the mastermind behind Macabre Omen, who alongside Varathron have been the most consistent artists in the Hellenic scene during the past few years. The One performs a style of black metal that draws from various influences such as Mayhem, Hellhammer, and Bathory, yet it is filtered through the Hellenic prism of longer melodies and warm, ritual atmosphere.
4 CommentsTags: Black Metal, the one, varathron
“Neptune Towers” is a song from Darkthrone’s death metal album, Soulside Journey. In this song the artist’s goal is to paint an alien landscape and tell a story, by intertwining riffs and lyrics until they reach an eldritch keyboard climax, which leaves the listener with a sense of awe for the unknown.
19 CommentsTags: analysis, Black Metal, darkthrone, music theory
