Thoughts on Myrkur's "Mareridt"

As a dedicated Myrkur apologist, the last few years have been a strange journey for me. Unlike Ghost Bath, I can't actually remember a time when I didn't know the woman behind Myrkur was Amalie Bruun, dismissed by some as a "Danish model and pop singer," but better known to fans of underground rap as the creepy falsetto on the hook of Vinnie Paz's "Nosebleed," released with R.A. the Rugged Man back in 2010. But ever since Myrkur was "outed" for the crime of having a life and job outside of black metal, she's been the most controversial figure in the entire genre. If you ask some of the regulars on r/blackmetal, she's a infiltrator and a hack, putting on black metal like a fake patch jacket at a photo shoot. If you ask the true believers, she's one of the most interesting and original musicians in the scene, integrating folk and post-rock in new and interesting ways. Her first album, M, wasn't very different from her excellent debut EP, and tended simply to reinforce already-existing perceptions: she was either a brilliant new artist or a corporate fake making derivative bubblegum black metal for the masses, depending on who you asked.

Then came Mareridt. Based on the singles, "Maneblot" and "Ulvinde," expectations were that Myrkur's second album would be a continuation of the ideas from her first: more folky and melodic, perhaps, but with roots in the black metal tradition nonetheless. That's not what we got.

If Myrkur's first two releases had a weakness, it was their lack of internal cohesion (a sense that the songs on the album could make just as much sense in any order) and related tendency towards musical non-sequiturs (folky songs that violently switched gears into aggressive black metal riffs, etc.) In Mareridt, Myrkur resolved these issues, but created another one in the process: by crafting songs within the songwriting and musical conventions of a single genre, Myrkur released what often feels like a compilation album. There are post-doom songs ("The Serpent," "Funeral"), dark folk songs ("Kaetteren," "Loven"), black metal songs ("Maneblot," "Elleskudt," "Ulvinde") gothic metal songs ("Gladiatrix"), and even a few alt-pop numbers ("Crown," "Death of Days," "Kvendilil"), but no sense of a concrete musical identity. Songs like "Elleskudt" and "Crown" simply don't belong on the same album; the former is a ripping folk metal track with blackened riffs, the latter is strangely evocative of the music of Lana Del Rey with a hint of Evanescence.

In fact, even on some of  the heavier numbers, I found myself comparing Myrkur's vocal performance with Amy Lee of Evanescence and Chibi of The Birthday Massacre, mainly because Myrkur made the very poor decision to perform many of the songs on Mareridt partially or wholly in English. Like it or not, manufactured mystique is part of black metal: one of the reasons people reacted so negatively to the revelation of Myrkur's identity was that a figure who is already famous outside of black metal can never cultivate the sense of mystery that swirls around figures like Wrest, Niklas Kvarforth, or Otrebor. Myrkur's use of her native Danish on her earlier albums gave listeners a sense of distance from the music that they couldn't get from her person. When she sings in English, that distance evaporates, leaving nothing but Amalie Bruun, a thirty-something from Copenhagen who really likes black metal and nordic folk.

It sounds like I'm criticizing Myrkur for being too much of a real person on Mareridt. I guess I am.

But I would be lying if I didn't also say that I was disappointed by the overall direction of Mareridt as well. Too many of the songs don't have anything in common with the beautiful union of nordic folk melodies and black metal frost that I loved in Myrkur's first extended play. "The Serpent" and "Funeral," for instance, are great Jex Thoth songs, but not really what I wanted or expected to hear from a new Myrkur album. "Kvindelil" and "Death of Days" are outtakes from a really cool Lana Del Rey album, but I'm not stitching a Lana Del Rey patch onto my jacket anytime soon.

I freely acknowledge that none of these complaints are faults with the music itself. All of the scooby-doom and alt-pop songs on Mareridt are well-written and have great atmosphere. The same is true of all the folk songs. In fact, there's only one track on the entire record I don't begrudgingly enjoy: Bornehjem, an interlude which features Myrkur giving a bizarre monologue about demons in a little girl's voice. Like much of the record, it feels like it got lost on its way to being on another album; unlike the rest of the record, that other album was probably trash.

Recommended, I guess.

The Thurible Reviews: Ghost - "Popestar"

Ghost aren't so much a band anymore as an unstoppable, unquestionable cultural force—a sort of bizarro Roman Catholic Church in musical form. I think they'd like that comparison. Ghost have been flirting with blasphemy from the very beginning; heck, they even tried to host a concert the same day Pope Francis visited Boston, only shutting it down after they found that the masses of devoted Catholics longing for a glimpse of Frank would so thoroughly clog the city's public transport that Papa's faithful wouldn't make it to his planned anti-Mass. These Nameless Ghouls are showmen (and trolls) through and through. So when Ghost puts out new material, even a short collection of covers, the whole metal world pauses to take a glance.

Ghost may be a larger-than-life musical carnival, but they're still human as well—human enough for a few missteps on the way to their present superstardom. Their last covers EP, If You Have Ghost, was a mixed bag, to say the least. Produced by Dave Grohl (of Dave Grohl fame), it lacked cohesion and often didn't play to the band's strengths, although opener "If You Have Ghosts" was an exceptionally good cover song in every respect and remains a fan favorite. Popestar is a much stronger work overall, but not without a few of the same mistakes and missteps from Ghost's last mostly-covers effort.

"Squared Hammer," Popestar's only original cut, is sugary even by Ghost's standards. With a tight standard song structure and a sing-along chorus, it's a definite step away from the progressive tendencies Ghost displayed on Meliora. It's a not a bad song, but it's solidly B-side or bonus track material. If "Squared Hammer" is, as many suspect, a leftover track from Meliora that didn't make the cut, Papa and the Ghouls make the right call in saving it for what is, let's be honest, a throwaway EP to tide fans over until Ghost's next full-length.

The next three tracks are much stronger. Ghost thrives on the ominous melodies and triple meter of Echo & The Bunnymen's "Nocturnal Me," transforming the original's gothy waltz into a doomy showcase of Papa's sinister charisma. "I Believe" delivers a stripped-down re-imagining of the 2007 minor house music hit, changing the thumping club song into a haunting hymn that's undeniably Ghost. Once again, Papa's vocals take center stage. "Missionary Man" cleaves closest to the style and feel of the original Eurythmics track, down to the country twang and harmonica solo. It's certainly an odd song for Ghost to put a spin on (and put a spin on it they do), but I guess self-proclaimed sex symbol Papa Emeritus III couldn't pass up on the chance to channel actual sex symbol Annie Lennox.

Closer "Bible" is the weakest number of the bunch. Although Ghost's decision to cover the work of fellow Swedes Imperiet isn't at all surprising, their choice to cover the American version of Imperiet's "Bible" is perplexing to say the least. The original Swedish version of the song is lush alternative anthem—a bit heavy on 80s Europeanisms, but a fine song nonetheless. The American version is an utterly forgettable glam rock power ballad, indistinguishable from hundreds of tracks just like it that vied for radio play in the late 80s and early 90s. Even worse, Ghost's interpretation brings nothing to the track aside from modern studio tricks and a fuller sound. Heck, it's barely recognizable as a Ghost song, apart from Papa's slight accent on the verses. It's a disappointing close to an EP that will probably please both casual listeners and fanatical Ghost fans like me, even with its flaws.

Recommended.

Back To Bandcamp: August 6, 2016

Here's your weekly breakdown of the free Bandcamp releases that caught my attention:


Demon's Bell - Demon's Bell EP
(https://demonsbell.bandcamp.com/album/demons-bell-ep-2016)

Heavy metal is a tradition, and for every band that's pushing at the edges of what's accepted, there's another celebrating and reliving metal golden days of the 1980s. Demon's Bell is such a band. Armed with classic riffs, old-fashioned speed, and a vocalist with a King Diamond-esque croon (and wail), Demon's Bell hearken back to the days when songs called "Hell's Eternal Wheels" still made parents recoil in terror, devil horns weren't a sick joke at a Creed concert, and heavy metal was still deeply rooted in rock n roll. Their riffs are crisp and quick, recapturing the head-bobbing quality that nearly every variety of metal has lost since NWOBHM faded away. The songwriting techniques perfectly emulate the glory years of bands like Mercyful Fate and Iron Maiden, delivering that delightful mix of nostalgia and high-quality metal music you can't help enjoying, even if you (like me) were born too late to have lived them.

Recommended.


Grimirg - Night Be My Grave
(https://grimirg.bandcamp.com/album/night-be-my-grave)

Night Be My Grave is slow, elegant, and sorrowful. Making careful use of baleful guitars, atmospheric synths, sparse drums, and the contrast between Aki Klemm's low, throaty growl and M. Vänskä's operatic soprano, Grimirg craft an exceptional work of haunting funeral doom metal. The tight, minimal compositions demonstrate Grimirg's musical mastery and ability to create a forlorn atmosphere without relying on theatricality or gimmickry. These are lengthy, sedate songs, but they hold your attention, like the slow steps of pallbearers carrying an ornate coffin to its final resting place. They're also heavy as a stone crypt and desolate as the dry bones it contains.

Highly Recommended.


Leviathan Cross - Demo
(https://leviathancross.bandcamp.com/album/demo)

"This town will be ours!" bellows Leviathan Cross's James Herrholz on "Delusions." It's an apt summation of the brashness and boldness of this Florida band's debut demo, a record that takes the sludgy hard rock aggression of bands like Mastodon or Baroness and injects it with occult spookiness. Not that esoteric doom or stoner metal is some sort of novelty; Leviathan Cross simply take what bands have been writing about since the dawn of doom and add a healthy helping of stoner rock's crossover appeal and sense of fun. These tracks are anthemic, energetic, and full of groovy chugs and rolls. They're an invitation to headbang. Honestly, for a band with a professed interest in the macabre, they might be too fun.

Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: May 1, 2016

Louisiana Sadness - Swale
(https://louisianasadness.bandcamp.com/album/swale)

Louisiana Sadness (guess where they're from) play some of the fuzziest, murkiest doom around. It's droning, repetitive, and dark; the kind of music that requires full headphone immersion to even hear properly. Basically, it's Electric Wizard sinking slowing into the Louisiana bayou. "Southern Hatred" plods along like the soundtrack to an airboat zombie hunt, drowning the listener in waves of muddy riffs. Opener "Answer," on the other hand, feels stiff and mechanical, and the lack of vocals throughout the record emphasizes the music's repetitive quality—sometimes to the individual songs' detriment. But the interesting production and unique Louisiana feel make up for Swale's repetitive song structures (most of the time), and the riffs are thicker and heavier than swamp muck.

Recommended.


BRÆKKE - Indulgence
(https://braekke.bandcamp.com/album/indulgence)

If experimental or progressive metal has a fault, it's that it rarely feels like a sledgehammer to the face the way good death metal or thrash does. It's more likely to make you look bemused than bang your head, and that's fine, but it's always a pleasure to listen to a band that makes you do both.

Minnesota's BRÆKKE certainly induce both bemusement and whiplash: their hardcore roots come through as chugs and screams on aggressive tracks like "Iscariot" and "Indulgence," but never without progressive melodies and unexpected song structures. The album's extensive line-up of vocalists and guest musicians shines throughout: "The Dead Don't Speak" lumbers along forlornly like one of Giant Squid's doomier numbers, complete with female vocals and appropriately harrowing lyrics, while "Skin On Skin" ventures boldly into indie rock territory before morphing into a symphonic post-rock anthem. If Indulgence has a weakness, it's a lack of focus, but the band explores so many interesting sounds and ideas it's hard to fault them for it.

Highly Recommended.


Sunspell - Memento Mori
(https://sunspell.bandcamp.com/album/memento-mori)

Despite the Sunspell's anything-but-average origins (the project is one of Greenland's four active metal bands, according to the Metal Archives), its brand of atmospheric, post-Leviathan black metal doesn't score high on originality. Memento Mori hits all the usual notes for bedroom black metal: fuzzy guitar riffs, throaty and distorted screams, minimalist production, etc. It does work well occasionally. "Pale Angels" adds an ethereal pad and occasional breaks from the wall of guitar fuzz, and "Upon The Altar of Sacrifice" includes clean vocals and chanting—a welcome change from the otherwise forgettable screams. But in all other regards this project is painfully average.

Not Recommended.

Back To Bandcamp: March 26, 2016

Pyre of Ash - Scattered Toward The Glens
(https://pyreofash.bandcamp.com/album/scattered-toward-the-glens)

It's too soon to fully understand what the legacy of maximalist post-black metal à la Panopticon will be for the genre, but the dynamism of projects like Pyre of Ash gives me a lot of hope. Pyre of Ash layers unrelenting riffs and drums, melancholy synths and strings, and visceral, emotional screams on "Scattered Toward The Glens," creating a sound that's both atmospheric and deeply personal. The subject matter, the death of a father, is perfectly complimented by the song's bleak melodies and sense of isolation. It's really a shame this release is just one song, because Pyre of Ash can clearly craft excellent and evocative post-black soundscapes and I'd love to hear more from him.

Highly Recommended.

Moonspawn - Parasite Dimension
(https://moonspawn.bandcamp.com/album/parasite-dimension)

Poland has been at the top of the black metal world for the past year or so, with great releases from bands like Batushka, Blaze of Perdition, Outre, and Mgła, and when a scene thrives at the top, that creativity and energy tends to trickle down into the underground ranks. Moonspawn was formed in the middle of the Polish black metal Renaissance, but the band doesn't seem interested in aping the dynamic, crisp style of the movement's big names. Instead, Moonspawn crafts walls of dissonant darkness with a slightly industrial flavor. There's a clear Burzum influence here, with synth lines occasionally piercing through the cacophony to form a melody. The riffs are simple, noisy, and repetitive. but work with the band's loud and raw style. "V," the longest track on the album, is one of the strongest, highlighting the best elements of the band.

Recommended.

I'll hopefully have a new full-length review coming out in the next couple days. Also, I'll be embedding tracks with reviews from now on so you can judge the music for yourself.

Back to Bandcamp: March 12, 2016

The North Gate - Center of Homes
(https://thenorthgate.bandcamp.com/album/center-of-homes)

The North Gate are a difficult band to define. They tie together elements of black, death, doom, and hardcore punk, without letting any individual element become their defining aspect. At times, the band feels like a heavier metalcore band—at others, a blackened sludge project. "Filthy Garments," for instance, opens with a black or death metal riff before transitioning into a sludgey bridge and ultimately ending with a dark acoustic passage. The only uniting features of the record, besides the general heaviness, are the prominent doomy basslines and raw, aggressive, punk-inspired vocals—both strong suites of the band. An interesting, if very short (and a little messy) debut from this New York band.

Recommended.

Necrolytic Goat Converter - Demo MMXVI
(https://necrogoatconverter.bandcamp.com/album/demo-mmxvi)

New York has no right to this many great metal artists. This one-man black metal debut has in spades what most releases by scene veterans lack entirely—tight songwriting, catchy riffs, and robust production. Tracks like "Absolution" and "Second Skin" highlight Necrolytic Goat Converter's straighforward and melodic take on black metal, reminiscent of Tribulation's most recent album in the best possible way. This is a true bedroom black metal album—recorded on a single guitar and produced in Garageband—but the drum arrangements are varied and tasteful and C. Voss avoids all the typical self-producing pitfalls, neither smothering the vocals in distortion nor drowning the guitars in reverb. A great debut from a great musician.

Highly Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: February 28, 2016

Appalachian Mudd - Demo
(https://appalachianmudd.bandcamp.com/album/demo)

I wish more American black metal sounded American. Not in a "them dern fereners" sort of way; I just wish more bands made black metal their own in the way that Panopticon or Batushka or Deep Mountains have, adopting and adapting black metal to local themes and influences. You can imagine, therefore, how pleased I was to see a black metal duo from North Carolina calling themselves "Appalachian Mudd"—a name so American it sounds like an awful craft beer.

Appalachian Mudd sound as earthy as their name. Playing a stripped, minimalist version of Cascadian-style atmospheric black metal with depressive-style vocals, Appalachian Mudd evoke the loneliness of the Blue Ridge Mountains' foggy peaks and dense pine woods throughout the 15 minutes of "Cradle Of Forestry///Forks Of Ivy." This is a truly rough demo, with a few noticeable production problems (including a fair bit of clipping and poor mixing), but the riffs and songwriting are solid and the gloomy mood holds well throughout the recording. A promising demo brimming with American wilderness spirit.

Recommended.

Schema - Miasto Nierzeczywiste
(https://schemamuzykakresu.bandcamp.com/album/miasto-nierzeczywiste)

Poland has more than pulled its weight in the black metal scene for the past few years, but you don't come across Polish doom metal all that often. Though this Warsaw band is certainly doom, Schema's take on the genre is far from typical, borrowing from everything from depressive black metal to thrash on "Industria," while crafting a slow, chilling metal ballad on "Bezsenność." Vocalist Filip has a deep, menacing, and raspy bellow that reminded me forcefully of Rammstein's Till Lindemann—perhaps because like Lindemann, Filip snarls in his native tongue instead of English (something I'd love to see more of in metal as a whole, but especially in doom). Schema are a new band, and clearly still nailing down their sound, but Miasto Nierzeczywiste is full of interesting songwriting and a few great ideas.

Recommended.

Just two mini-reviews for this week. I'll be continuing the "How To Metal" series in the next week or so with symphonic and power metal.

Back to Bandcamp: February 20, 2016

Atel / Bastard of Majesty Sin - Atel / Bastard of Majesty Sin
(https://atelblackmetal.bandcamp.com/album/atel-bastard-of-majesty-sin)

Well, at least the minimalist cover art doesn't hurt to look at.

Atel's half of this "primitive/lo-fi black metal" split is almost high school talent-show material, clumsy and repetitive to a fault. It's hard to tell whether the drumming is the work of an extreme amateur or the result of abusing the "humanize" function in a MIDI arranger; it's painfully bad either way, and only distracts from the band's already extremely forgettable riffs. I couldn't even get through Bastard of Majesty Sin's first song, a formless mass of reverberation and distortion. The possibility that this whole split is a stealth parody of the worst excesses of bedroom black metal—from unlistenable "lo-fi" production used to cover up shoddy musicianship to the plainly absurd song titles ("Desekrating The Servants To Jezuz Krist In The Ninth Circle Ov Hell And The Infinite Destruktion Ov The Trinity")—crossed my mind more than once. But in the absence of a knowing wink, I'll have to assume otherwise.

Not Recommended/Possible Poe's Law Violation

Megatherium - Megatherium
(https://hywelpayne.bandcamp.com/album/megatherium)

As an absolute sucker for anything Pleistocene, Megatherium's name and premise drew me in immediately. This short stoner/doom project has a bit of everything, from sludgy aggression on "Haft & Heft" to primordial post-rock soundscapes on "Megatherium" to vocoders and heavy, gloomy blues on "Black Mountain" and "(in search of the) Elephant Bird." The opening and closing tracks are the strongest, but it's a good listen all the way through. It also has a giant ground sloth looking majestic on the cover, so bonus points for that.

Recommended.

Urðarmáni - Njorun
(https://urdarmani.bandcamp.com/album/njorun)

Imagine if Burzum occasionally threw in a brief passage of bittersweet post-black and you've got a pretty good idea of what Urðarmáni (a name that can probably be pronounced by humans) sounds like. Although nominally a depressive black metal band, this Swedish band's spin on Scandinavia's grimmest export is actually much closer to latter-day Varg Vikernes, complete with strong folk influences, medieval melodies, and riffs that sound like they're lifted straight from Fallen. I don't mean that comparison disparagingly, mind you—believably channeling a black metal great through solid musicianship doesn't need an apology, and "originality is definitely overrated" would make a good slogan for the entire black metal scene. Njorun's three tracks are conservative, but they're good black metal all the same. Just know that if you can't stand Burzum's melody-heavy take on the classic Norwegian sound, I promise you won't like Njorun.

Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: February 6, 2016

Behold Darkness - Unholy Filth
(https://psalm88.bandcamp.com/album/unholy-filth)

All too often, the "raw" in "raw black metal" means shrill, disembodied and tinny. And Behold Darkness are having none of it. This little release packs meaty black metal fuzz and riffs frostier than icicles hanging from Gaahl's beard. With piercing shrieks, lo-fi production done perfectly, first-rate musicianship and haunting riffs even Varg Vikernes would give an approving nod before going back to rambling about Odalism, it's hard to believe Unholy Filth isn't the work of a Scandinavian hermit (it's a Californian band, oddly enough). Easily the best traditional black metal release of this year (so far).

Highly Recommended.

Constellation - Constellation
(https://constellation-project.bandcamp.com/album/constellation)

No instruments were harmed in the making of this record, which is surprising considering how much visceral power and manic wildness Constellation packs into barely 10 minutes. Imagine death metal hammered out on an MPC AraabMuzik-style and you'll get a sense of how this experimental project unites the artificial and the energetic using only synths and samples. Short and sweet is usually a good road to take on a debut, but Constellation's six brief tracks of futuristic grind could have definitely been longer without anyone complaining.

Recommended.

Witchcryer - The Preying Kind - Demo MMXVI
(https://witchcryer.bandcamp.com/album/the-preying-kind-demo-mmxvi)

Slow and spooky, Witchcryer deliver more of a doom formula we're familiar with from bands like Mount Salem and Blood Ceremony. So what sets this Austin occult rock/doom trio apart? Not much, at this point. Not that they necessarily need it. Witchcryer craft a gloomy hook and vocalist Suzy Bravo's croon fits the band's retro aesthetic perfectly. Likewise, guitarist and doom metal veteran Jason Muxlow's riffs convey the sense of maturity and mastery necessary in a genre niche built on nostalgia. Certainly a worthwhile listen, especially if you're already into doom bands with "Witch" in their names.

Recommended.

The Thurible Reviews: Mire of Despondency/Omen Ov Torment - "December Winds and Luciferian Mists"

I really, really hated giving Mire of Despondency an unfavorable review last time. I mean, Nokturnus is in high school. Unless your name is Pyha, chances are you're still developing and growing as an artist at that age—I'm certainly glad no one reviewed anything I released in high school. And yet here we are again, reviewing another release from this gloomy Pennsylvania teenager. Why?

Because Mire of Despondency has the makings of a great black metal artist, and I'm going to keep criticizing her until she realizes that potential.

Fortunately, December Winds and Luciferian Mists, a split with San Diego's Omen Ov Tormet, surpasses Loch of the Degenerate Realm by every standard. The musicianship has improved significantly. Mire plays to her strengths much more effectively than on her last split, giving the melancholy melodies and plaintive vocals center stage on tracks like "Todesgalxia" and "Crystalline Castles." The drumming, a major weakness on Loch of the Degenerate Realm, functions much better and feels much more dynamic.

"Demise of Lugubriosity" steals the show, combining beautiful, evocative melodies with Mire's woeful shrieks in an outstanding union of all musical elements. This is a genuinely excellent piece of atmospheric black metal—no caveats or qualifications. It sold me the album.

The production still leaves a little to be desired. The shrieks still occasionally drown out the rest of the mix, and certain instruments (usually keyboards) tend to protrude over the others. Mire of Despondency continues to favor a lofi style on this split, and while it works well for her repetitive, atmospheric style, lofi black metal is an art in itself and Mire has yet to fully master it.

One of the benefits of the shrieking style employed by black metal artists is that you don't have to hear their (usually silly) lyrics. Omen Ov Torment (not to be confused with Oven Ov Torment, a great name for a black metal cooking show) apparently missed the memo on that one, because his very silly lyrics are plainly discernible throughout "Visions of Future Truth." It's not a particularly engaging track overall, and the earnest yet prosaic blasphemies ("Satan has won!") only distract from an otherwise forgettable (and much too long) piece of Leviathan pastiche.

"Luciferian Mists" dials down on the campy speak-screaming and focuses on the frosty riffs for a much stronger result. It's a more traditional, less USBM-influenced track, but still a good one. I'll never pass up a grim and gloomy atmosphere done well.

December Winds and Luciferian Mists certainly has its moments. It's amateurish, to be sure, but we kinda like that in the grim world of Internet black metal. And at $3 for around 40 minutes of black metal, it's not a bad buy. Check it out.

Recommended.

The Thurible Reviews: Show Me Wolves - "The World They Took Over"

If black metal has a weakness, it's a general lack of dynamism. Apart from more experimental acts like Deathspell Omega, most black metal songs revolve around a few menacing riffs repeated over a standard driving drum beat. It's a great formula for creating the haunting atmospheres that black metal fans love, but it doesn't make the listener involuntarily bob their head in the way death, or doom, or nearly every other kind metal does.

Iceland's Show Me Wolves aren't quite black metal. I don't mean that in a disparaging way; they're not "not quite black metal" in the same way that Cradle of Filth are not quite black metal. Rather, Show Me Wolves straddles the line between progressive black metal and metalcore so effectively that to describe the band as either/or would feel dishonest. This Icelandic solo project of Hörður Lúðvíksson delivers the frosty riffs and blast beats fans of black metal expect, but mixes them with the punk energy and big melodies of modern metalcore for a listen that's more accessible than most black metal and grimmer than most metalcore.

The World They Took Over is packed full of thick, fuzzy riffs. Even more conservative tracks like "Exit The Realm Of The Living" deliver meaty guitar and bass work, but it's the head-bobbing chugs on tracks like "Transparent Figures" and "Mother" that set Show Me Wolves apart—this band knows how to write a powerful riff. Lúðvíksson also incorporates metalcore and death metal drum fills into traditional black metal drumming throughout the album, restoring some of the genre's lost punk aggression. Occasionally, as on "Downfall" he even throws in a double bass-infused breakdown.

Some will probably dismiss The World They Took Over as Baby's First Black Metal Album. They've completely missed the point. The end goal of all heavy music is not to make more Darkthrone fans. Show Me Wolves is not a gateway drug to heavier, kvlter black metal—it's a solid crossover act in the vein of Nachtmystium (or, more recently, Panopticon), cobbling together the best bits from progressive black metal, death metal, and metalcore for a record that appeals to fans of all three. If you're craving black metal you can jog to or metalcore that reminds you of bleak northern mountains instead of sweaty mosh pits, Show Me Wolves is well worth the listen.

Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: January 15, 2016

Ghost Witch - demo
(http://ghostwitchdoom.bandcamp.com/album/demo)

Beginning your first demo with an ominous rumble is pretty ballsy, but for Ghost Witch it works brilliantly. By the time the heavy riffs kick in on "Lunar Hymn," the anticipation is at the breaking point, and the soaring, distant vocals make it clear exactly what Ghost Witch are up to. This is beautiful doom, the kind made famous in recent years by Windhand or Pallbearer. The wonderful tension between the ethereal vocals and the stomping, booming guitar riffs makes this style of doom work, and Ghost Witch maintain that tension masterfully throughout this frustratingly short demo. Somebody sign this California doom foursome. We need more of this stuff.

Highly Recommended.

Witte Wieven - Silhouettes of an Imprisoned Mind
(http://wittewieven.bandcamp.com/album/silhouettes-of-an-imprisoned-mind)

Female-fronted North Sea black metal is apparently a thing now. Blame Myrkur. Actually, thank her. The more bands that jump on the Myrkur-pastiche bandwagon (as Witte Wieven clearly have), the better. Ethereal female choral vocals and atmospheric black metal was a union long overdue, and the more bands that flesh out that idea the better.

Witte Wieven take a grimmer and darker approach to Myrkur's musical writing prompt. There's more traditional black metal riffing and less beautiful melodies on tracks like "Faces of Unreality" and "Silhouettes of an Imprisoned Mind." Those who felt Myrkur's debut wasn't grim enough will probably like Witte Wieven better, but those of us who felt that M worked best when the folk and black metal elements were equal partners will probably find Silhouettes of an Imprisoned Mind a little uninspiring at times. Average black metal combined with a good gimmick can make a great black metal record, but Witte Wieven don't use their gimmick to its full potential. However, it's a interesting enough debut, and scratches at a musical itch it's usually hard to remedy.

Recommended.

Elagabalus - _
(http://elagabalus.bandcamp.com/album/-)

To call Elagabalus even experimental black metal doesn't do this Baltimore duo justice. On this unpronounceable EP, Elagabalus play a confused jumble of black metal, progressive metal, hardcore, sludge, and experimental metal, complete with the requisite tempo shuffles, style shifts, and dissonant riffs. Oh, and no guitars. "They Know Nothing Else" alternates doomy plodding and manic blast beats, while "Recede in Light" and "Pure Light Society" throw synth solos into an already cacophonous mix of riffs and shouts. _ is punkier than I like my metal, but the band's aggressive tone fits their frantic, transgressive style, and its rare that an EP feels this raw and lively.

Recommended.

The Thurible Reviews: Rothko Chapel - "...mere belief"

There's a fascinating tension to Rothko Chapel's music.

On the one hand, the band's music is raw, brutal, lo-fi, and decidedly old school black metal. Some of these riffs are as frosty as early Darkthrone, and the EP's production is as artfully janky as any classic 1990s black metal release. On the other hand, there's an experimental, electronic quality to the band's style. It's difficult to precisely pin down: the ultra-high-speed riffs that sound almost like video game music are certainly a major factor, as is the precise, yet somehow also frantic drumming.

The band's tendency to throw in unexpected synths and sound effects probably helps too.

In fact, there's a surprise on nearly ever track of ...mere belief. "Chapter V. Rituals Surmounting the Reign" begins with driving, high-speed black metal before skidding to a halt and launching into a synth and brass interlude a few seconds in. Monks chants spring out of nowhere about a minute into "Chapter IV. A Final Night Befalls the Scores as the Ageless Legion Ascends Sanctuaries Once Defiled," appearing just long enough for the listener to register their cameo appearance before vanishing back into the mix. Yet Rothko Chapel never feel like they're just screwing around–the weirdness works, partially because of the solid musicianship behind it.

Uniting Rothko Chapel's bizarre bag of tricks is a dedication to blindingly fast old-school black metal and over-the-top song titles. Tracks like "Chapter III. Archaic Warrior Blood - Visions of Unhallowed Times" alternate between soaring, synth-backed choruses and high-speed, menacing, masterfully-composed riffs. Unbelievably fast blast beats throughout the EP give it an agitated energy many imitators of old-school black metal lack, and make the band's already breakneck riffs feel even faster.

Black metal fans looking for Blut Aus Nord or Deathspell Omega-level weirdness probably won't be too shocked by any of Rothko Chapel's experimental touches. But for those looking for an original spin on black metal essentials with great riffs, blistering tempos, and top-tier word salad song titles, ...mere belief is a free bandcamp release you'll probably feel like leaving a tip for.

And please do. This Wisconsin black metal trio deserves it.

Recommended.

The Thurible's Top 10 Metal Albums of 2015

1. Obsequiae - Aria of Vernal Tombs

It takes a lot for a band in an overcrowded genre like black metal to carve out a sound so distinct that they're instantly recognizable, and even more for that band to move beyond an attention grabbing gimmick to a complete sound. Yet Obsequiae's Aria of Vernal Tombs does both. Combining gorgeous harp interludes with medieval black metal melodies, this album transports the listener to moss-covered ruins and abandoned monastery gardens on the wings of its delicate riffs. Much like Panopticon's Roads to the North did a year ago, this album blew me away with it originality, mastery, and evocative quality. Aria of Vernal Tombs truly is a journey to ages past.

Favorite Track: "In the Absence of Light"

2. Ghost - Meliora

This is it. This is the defining metal act of our generation. Combining doomy hard rock with new-found progressive sensibilities and the same goofy shtick they've been rocking since day one, Meliora finally perfects these Swedish enigmas' formula and delivers one insidious earworm after another. From the triumphant "Spirit" to the equally exultant "Deus In Absentia," Ghost never miss a beat. Whoever Ghost are (I'm not saying some of them show up on this list again, but Tribulation sure sound Ghost-y at times), it's about time the music lived up to the legend. Hail Papa.

Favorite Track: "From the Pinnacle to the Pit"

3. Panopticon - Autumn Eternal

Austin Lunn of Panopticon concludes his three-album love affair with the vast solitude of the Kentucky wilderness in majestic form. On track after track, Lunn captures the beauty and loneliness of dense mountain woods, black lakes and distant white peaks. While Autumn Eternal lacks the bluegrass instrumentation so prominent in Panopticon previous two albums, the rich, post-rock influenced atmospheres are a very welcome addition. As American black metal continues to develop, Autumn Eternal will likely become a touchstone for bands that unite beautiful post-metal melodies with Norwegian black metal's celebration of frost-covered forests glistening on a late autumn night.

Favorite Track: "Into the North Woods"

4. Dead to a Dying World - Litany

It's rare that black or doom metal feels like a work of genius. After all, heavy metal is an unapologetically derivative genre–deeply committed to paying homage and meeting expectations. And while this means that a good black or doom metal band can deliver a dozen solid albums in career, works that completely floor the listener are hard to come by.

That's what makes Litany so special–it's emotional, visceral, masterfully composed, beautifully performed, and most importantly, highly original. There's not a minute of filler on this momentous work, despite its lengthy songs and numerous instrumental passages. Don't let this metal masterpiece pass you by.

Favorite Track: "Eventide"

5. Myrkur - M

I can't deny that Myrkur's first proper album is amateurish at times–some of the transitions are still awkward, and the screamed vocals buried under heaps of distortion and reverb grate just as much as they did on her debut. Yet Myrkur's inexperience is united to an earnestness and a genuine talent for crafting gorgeous atmospheres and melodies that no other black metal band comes close to capturing. Unlike many self-professed "folk" metal bands, Myrkur's integration of Danish carols into black metal feels completely natural, and unlike many recent post-black metal albums, the M doesn't feel like it's being made beautiful against its will. Let the kvltists weep–this Danish model makes more interesting black metal than most scene veterans, and it can only get better from here.

Favorite Track: "Onde Børn"

6. Tribulation - The Children of the Night

The Children of the Night is Tribulation's answer to a black and death metal scene that's forgotten how to make rock music. Like fellow Scandinavian black 'n' rollers Kvelertak, Tribulation infuse their aggressive sound with punk energy and big hooks, producing extreme metal that's surprisingly listenable and even fun. Unlike Kvelertak, however, Tribulation still deliver plenty of black metal menace and theatrics (not unlike another spooky Swedish band that made this list) with their evident love of classic horror and church organs. Heavy metal you can hum along to is back from the dead.

Favorite Track: "Melancholia"

7. Windhand - Grief's Eternal Flower

I'm embarrassed by how little time I spent listening to this album this year, but what few listens I squeezed in left a huge impression. As the 2010s doom metal revival and corresponding hipster fascination with the genre appears to be winding down, Grief's Eternal Flower likely represents the best of doom metal to come–slow, crunchy, and heavy on melody. There's nothing particularly innovative about Windhand, but this album encapsulates all the best elements of the doom revival, from the haunting vocals to the lumbering drum marches and bluesy riffs. In the year of uplifting black metal, doom got even more gloomy.

Favorite Track: "Forest Clouds"

8. Liturgy - The Ark Work

I really, really wanted to hate this album. It's pretentious, pompous, self-important music made by pretentious, pompous, self-important people for a pretentious, pompous, self-important listening public.

Turns out I'm pretentious, pompous, and self-important too, because I can't stop listening to this ungodly smörgåsbord of trendy hipster tripe.

Favorite track: "Reign Away"

9. Elder - Lore

I've heard Elder described as what you would get if prog band from the seventies had been introduced to Mastodon by a meddling time traveler. It's not a bad comparison–Elder combine modern stoner rock's penchant for rugged riffage with the innovation and ponderous song constructions of 70s prog. By injecting high-energy heavy metal into prog rock's meandering opuses, Elder makes their 10-minute apiece songs surprisingly approachable and brings a much needed straightforwardness to a genre notorious for what is essentially musical wankery. There's still plenty of shredding and possibly drug-induced weirdness, but it comes in a package fans of both Rush and Pallbearer should appreciate.

Favorite Track: "Compendium"

10. Ghost Bath - Moonlover

So Ghost Bath's "depressive black metal band from Chongqing" turned out to be a mix of branding and black metal blogs getting carried away. So what? These North Dakotans (spoiler alert) still play some of the best post-black metal around, and Moonlover is a step up from their already excellent debut. If a good sophomore album is more of the same (but better), Moonlover hits all the right notes: more bittersweet melodies, more desperation, more lonely interludes, and much better shrieks–the only major weakness on Funeral. Don't dismiss this controversial act–they're more than Deafheaven in yellowface.

Favorite Track: "Golden Number"

The Thurible Reviews: Batushka - "Litourgiya"

There's a "doth protest too much" quality to much of traditional black metal's attitude towards religion. The fascination is, after all, very one-sided; Christianity cares about as much about black metal as black metal cares about Katy Perry, and yet anti-religious angst remains a prominent lyrical theme in the genre. Even more suggestive, though black metal may pay lip service to Satan, the monk robes, incense, and general obsession with religious iconography and ritual tells another story. Black metal may loathe traditional religion, but it also envies its antiquity and mysticism; qualities most black metal bands are eager to embrace and that the faux-spirituality of Satanism and neopaganism don't deliver.

Poland's Batushka embrace the tension between traditional black metal and traditional religion on Litourgiya. Combining black and doom metal aggression with the haunting chants of the Russian orthodox church, the band actually captures the ritualism and esotericism many black metal bands lust after. The rich, sonorous vocals give a depth and texture to Litourgiya's ominous atmospheres on tracks like "Yekteniya 1" and "Yekteniya 6." The impressive lower range of Batushka's vocalist shines throughout the album, delivering more than a few moments of startling resonant depth.

Yet the band's unique style isn't perfect. At times, the chants and riffs battle each other for dominance in the mix. This is black/doom with choral vocals, not a harmonious union between black metal hatred and orthodox liturgy. Litourgiya is an album carried by a gimmick; when the band embraces that gimmick, they produce primeval, mystical atmospheres of deepest dread. When they don't, it's little more than standard black/doom with chanting sprinkled on top for flavor. While Batushka prove they are proficient black metal musicians on tracks like "Yekteniya 2," that's not what the audience is here for. The shrieked vocals on the album usually feel unnecessary, and the strongest tracks give the resonant, solemn vocals center stage.

Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: December 5, 2015

Here's your weekly roundup of indie releases:

Blackhand - Death Takes Root
(http://blackhand.bandcamp.com/album/death-takes-root)

If you can't stand the recent fetish for meandering, lumbering, 12-minutes-a-song doom/stoner metal but you're down for unapologetic, occult-infused fantasy and huge hooks, Blackhand should be right up your alley. This Delaware band cranks out earth-shaking riffs and howled choruses on every track on Death Takes Root, combining stoner songwriting sensibilities with old-school doom imagery. From the aggressive sacrilege of "Bound by the Coven" to the supernatural warfare of "Army From the Void," Blackhand unite old-school heavy metal motifs with modern stoner rock head-bobbing for a listen that's both fearsome and fun.

Recommended.

Dead on Both Shoulders - Juggler
(http://deadonbothshoulders.bandcamp.com/album/juggler).

Juggler is a fascinating listen. Progressive metal sensibilities unite this experimental little collection, but little else does. "Neither, Both" and "Without (Everything Will Be Okay)" are hypnotic, jazzy instrumentals with melancholy guitar leads. The short "Juggler" evokes Tool with just a touch of Kid A-era Radiohead. And "ABCADEBCA," perhaps the closest thing to a traditional song, briefly throws in a dash of autotune on the bridge, presumably just to keep the listener guessing. It's quite a trip, and while Juggler never reaches the level of odd that sends headphones flying across the room, it's quirky enough to keep the listener's attention and entertaining enough to make up for its lack of cohesion.

Recommended.

Secrets of the Moon - SUN
(http://secrets-of-the-moon.bandcamp.com/album/sun)

To call Germany's Secrets of the Moon "black metal" frankly borders of the disingenuous. No self-respecting worshiper of Burzum, Mayhem and Darkthrone would write something that sounds as much like an outtake from Mechanical Animals-era Manson as "Dirty Black," or anything as hum-along as "Hole." Secrets of the Moon can brand themselves however they want, but they're about as grim and kvlt as Ghost at this point. Probably a little less, actually.

And that's not a problem: as highly-accessible, listen-with-your-girlfriend goth metal, SUN holds up. Secrets of the Moon still have an edge to them–vocalist Philipp Jonas' shouts are too rough to be radio friendly, and SUN has enough doomy riffs and aggression to interest fans of heavier stuff–but fundamentally, this record has more in common with recent releases from Katatonia or In Flames, and occasionally ventures into post-punk territory on tracks like "Here Lies the Sun." If even the name "In Flames" makes your blood boil, SUN probably isn't your thing. Otherwise, it just might hit the spot if you're craving a lighter heavy listen with a few doom and black metal touches.

Recommended.

Back to Bandcamp: November 21, 2015

Here's your weekly roundup of indie releases:

Turia - Dor
(http://montturia.bandcamp.com/releases)

It speaks volumes for the integrity of these Netherlanders that they opted not to market Dor under the much maligned (and frankly, deeply cynical) female-fronted label. I supposed I've just ruined that for them by mentioning it, but it's the thought that counts.

There are no frills or gimmicks on this atmospheric black metal debut. Frantic blast beats and dense, repetitive riffs drive most of the record, uniting with vocalist T's harsh screams for a bleak and gloomy listening experience. While Turia's raw and earnest performance sets Dor apart from other atmospheric projects on tracks like "Ascese," it's also the band's greatest weakness: Dor lacks variety. Apart from the ambient ending of "Halsstarig de Dood Tegemoet," every track on the record follows essentially the same style and structure—slight variations to a melancholy progression over rapid and cacophonous percussion. Otherwise, its a strong debut, and certainly a worthwhile listen for atmospheric black metal fans.

Recommended.

møl - II
(https://moeldk.bandcamp.com/album/ii)

The term "hipster metal" probably gets tossed around a bit too much. That said, møl's II is triumphant, shoegazy Deafheaven worship of the most unabashed kind. There's not the slightest hint of grimness on this EP; these five Danes play high-energy glasses-and-short-sleeves black metal of the most egregious kind, and they're damn good at it. If huge, soaring melodies and bright, clean production are your thing, you can't do much better than møl's hum-along choruses. If uplifting progressions and bassists wearing baha hoodies make you run for your treasured 1996 cassette of Filosofem, you'll probably hate this slightly less than you hate Hunter Hunt-Hendrix. To each their own.

Recommended.

Akvan - بلک متال آریایی
(https://akvan.bandcamp.com/album/-)

Ready for this?

Akvan play True Ayran black metal; that is, black metal inspired by the music and culture of Iran. If you like your black metal subversive, you can't do much better than this middle finger to racism and Islamaphobia. If you like your black metal folksy, then you'll enjoy Akvan's masterful incorporation of Iranian instruments and scales into traditional black metal aggression, especially on the second track. بلک متال آریایی  runs less than 15 minutes, but it's a quality EP hinting at even greater things to come from this Persian solo project. Good luck telling your friends what your favorite track is.

Recommended.

The Thurible Reviews: Spectral Lore - "Gnosis"

When a black metal band announces a couple of experimental projects before their next album, the fans usually start sweating. Not that anyone thinks that Greece's Spectral Lore, one of the most revered and beloved artists in the scene, is going to go full Mortiis, but fans of Wolves in the Throne Room are still nervous after Celestite, and as Alcest's recent transformation into pure shoegaze demonstrates, there's always the risk that a black metal band flirting with cross-genre influences will fall in love with them.

Fortunately, despite being experimental in concept, Gnosis isn't particularly avant-garde or conceited in execution.

In fact, as a flirtation with eastern folk influences and melodic black metal of the Obsequiae variety (may the gods of metal ever bless their harpstrings), Gnosis holds up exceptionally well. It's very different music from the cold, atmospheric progressive black metal of Spectral Lore's last studio album, and even more different from the instrumental space ambiance of Voyager, the band's last experimental project, yet it lacks the amateurish quality of a band merely "trying on" another style. According the bandcamp blurb, Ayloss deliberately avoided looking too deeply into the eastern influences he channels on Gnosis, hoping to leave himself unencumbered to organically blend black metal and the transcendental quality of oriental spirituality. Or something like that. The songwriting tools Ayloss uses on Gnosis are his own, and while he borrows a few eastern instruments and scales, there's no attempt at cultural authenticity getting in the way of his musical instincts, even on acoustic folk numbers "Averroes' Search" and "For Aleppo."

On the more straightforward black metal tracks, Ayloss builds complex melodies around intertwining guitar and bass riffing, mesmerizing the listener as the various elements dance around each other, fading in and out. While tracks like "Gnosis' Voyage Through the Ages" do include shredding, the melodies on Gnosis are usually subtle and difficult to isolate, partially because of Ayloss' prominent use of dynamic bass guitar harmonies. The drumming, on the other hand, tends to the unobtrusive. Even the more lively drums in the opening of "A God Made Flesh and Consciousness," arguably the heaviest track, remain solidly in the background.

Ayloss made a deliberate decision to bury his screams deep in the mix on Gnosis. For a less meticulous artist and a less competent producer, this decision could have sabotaged the whole record. But Gnosis' dense layers of interweaving guitars, light orchestral elements, traditional eastern instruments, and distant screams are perfectly balanced throughout the record, thanks in part to excellent mastering by Krallice's Collin Marston. The solid production and delicate mix brings Ayloss' mastery as a composer to the forefront, allowing the progressive leanings of the record to shine.

If the record has a weakness, it's closer "For Aleppo," which lacks the engaging quality found on the other tracks. While the song isn't a bad piece of folk ambient, it tests the listener's patience with nine minutes of meandering tanbur arpeggios over an unvarying synth pad. Perhaps the same concept should have been executed in half the time. Overall, however, Gnosis is an excellent piece of melodic black metal that should please Spectral Lore fans and leave them pleasantly engaged until the arrival of Ayloss' next full length release.

But seriously, hurry up.

Highly Recommended.

The Thurible Reviews: UltraSuicide/Mire of Despondency - "Loch of the Degenerate Realm"

God knows what the point of the digital split is, but UltraSuicide and Mire of Despodency, two relative newcomers to the depressive black metal scene, decided the world needs another.

Loch of the Degenerate Realm begins with "Abyssal Depravity," the only collaborative track in the split. Thane of UltraSuicide, who produced the entire effort, captures the traditional black metal rawness effectively on this track with his frenetic drumming and heavily distorted riffs. Thane's screams are harsh and throaty, contrasting with Nokturnus of Mire of Despondency's plaintive shrieks. The mix on "Abyssal Depravity" tends to the cacophonous, and the song's meandering structure starts a trend that continues with the next five tracks. On "Axis of Mind," Thane's clumsy, frantic drumming augments the rawness he's trying to convey, but just as often its first-take quality proves merely distracting. "Seeing Misery" presents a slower and more accessible version of UltraSuicide's sound while still embodying Thane's loosely structured and aggressive style of depressive black metal. The final track on UltraSuicide's half of the split, "Dying Mental Dream," includes an unexpected atmospheric passage before returning abruptly to screeching raw black metal riffs and Thane's discordant howls.

Mire of Despondency's debut album, Sorrow Is A Void, hit all the worst bedroom black metal notes with its shoddy production, synthesized guitars, ambient meandering, and general amateurism. Nokturnus' second stab at black metal benefits from Thane's more competent mixing and a more straightforward songwriting approach, but it still feels green and still suffers from repetitive, manifestly artificial guitar riffs. Nokturnus' shrieks, which have improved significantly, compete with the music on "Apnea," and the problem continues throughout her half of the split. The drums, which often consist of a single kick or snare looped for the entire song, never fit well into the mix, especially on tracks like "Reaping Moon." Nearly every transition includes a jarring shift in production style and quality.

The final three songs of the split measure up much better. Nokturnus can write haunting, beautiful black metal melodies when she doesn't ruin them with artificial guitars and excessive reverb. The keys that drive "Lorn Path" and "Tenebrous Void" communicate Mire of Despondency's potential more effectively than the guitars of "Apnea" or "Pennsylvanian Winter," but there are glimmers of genuinely poignant black metal music on every track. Closer "Celestia" thankfully dispenses with the most aggravating elements of Mire of Despondency's sound in favor of a lone echoing strum to complement Nokturnus' mournful shrieks.

Genre fans of raw depressive black metal might find UltraSuicide's contribution to the split a worthwhile listen. Mire of Despondency's half is more frustrating. Nokturnus has talent as a songwriter, a pretty good shriek, and she composes what could be excellent atmospheric black metal if she could only dispense with the irritating midi guitar riffs, balance the mix, and make better use of synths and keys. As it is, Loch of the Degenerate Realm is a deeply imperfect record, a baffling mix good to average songwriting and very poor production and mixing decisions.

Not Recommended.

The Thurible Reviews: Hegemon - "The Hierarch"

Black metal always leans dangerously on the ridiculous. In a genre where corpse paint and songs about Cthulhu are the norm, orchestral elements (horns, choirs, strings) are the sort of thing that push what's meant to be dark fantasy into the realm of black comedy (see: Cradle of Filth), especially if the record isn't properly mixed. Symphonic black metal isn't easy to get right, and very easy to get hideously wrong.

That's what makes France's Hegemon so exceptional.

Hegemon write great symphonic black metal. Songs like "Interpreting Signs for War: Auspices" and "Elysean Expectations, Earthly Deceptions" combine the band's knack for beautiful guitar darkness with soaring choirs and acoustic arpeggios, creating thick atmospheres of war-hungry malice. The Hierarch is full of exultant choruses and traditional black metal riffs. The orchestral elements always augment the album's aggressive black metal core, complimenting Hegemon's songwriting rather than compensating for the lack of it.

There's nothing shocking on The Hierarch. This is triumphant, symphonic black metal without twists or gimmicks. Vocalist N delivers a dynamic and engrossing performance, ranging from chants to growls to shrieks in the opening of "Atomos: Seed of the Quantic Gods" alone. Varied song structure keeps the familiar black metal tools Hegemon rely on (blast beats, tremolo riffs, menacing chugs) from wearing out their welcome, as does the occasional ethereal interlude on tracks like "Credo Quia Absurdum." On the album closer "Hierarch: The Empire of Zero," Hegemon demonstrate the same masterful amalgamation of growls, chants, foreboding riffs and haunting orchestral keys they did on the opening track. The perfect balance the band achieves between symphonic and black metal elements never falters.

Highly Recommended.