“You might, as I did, roll your eyes humorously at the recurrence of the “‘v’ as ‘u'” trope in the name Sanctvs, which could suggest overeager posturing, especially once you learn that this is a solo project. But Xavier Berthiaume—the one behind Sanctvs—is no noob; he’s the drummer for both Atramentus and Oriflamme, as well as one half of occult/Kabbalistic black metal act Gevurah.” V. No U.
“In a genre defined by trem-picking, unbridled shrieks, and lo-fi, treble-heavy production, Gjendød challenges a paradigm long synonymous with black metal—no bass, no problem. Though unabashedly black metal, Gjendød offers an alternative to typical second-wave stylings while still being recognizably influenced by them. Svekkelse is Gjendød’s sixth LP since founding duo K and KK joined forces in 2015. After releasing I Utakt med Verden in 2022, the Trondheim, Norway twosome enlisted drummer TK and Gjendød signed with Osmose Productions.” Norwegian evolution.
“As a U.S. government employee, I’ve spent way too much time lately thinking about RIFs and not enough time thinking about riffs. Fortunately, Finland’s Urn is here to change that. Helmed by vocalist, bassist, and former guitarist Jarno Hämäläinen (a.k.a. “Sulphur”), this black/thrash troupe raised hell throughout the 2000s via albums like 666 Megatons and Dawn of the Devastation, both of which blasted with reckless abandon and hit with all the subtlety of a hand grenade.” You Urned it!
“Swedeath is one of those games I have zero skin in, but its close overlap with hardcore-influenced death metal and death ‘n roll makes that relationship complicated. Like I could not be bothered by Left Hand Path, but Wolverine Blues is a stalwart among my music collection; Bloodbath is regrettably not an act I return to regularly, but I consider Black Breath one of those rare successful intersections of grind, death metal, and death ‘n roll. My point is, I don’t know where the line is drawn between these styles but I know I like some of it and then can’t be fussed about the rest of it. With Pyre, the jury’s still out.” Gimme fuel, gimme Pyre!
“I’ve been doing this opinion-spewing thing long enough that I’m starting to forget some of my reviews, where even reading the prose I wrote myself is like reading someone else’s. However, this fate will not befall Filii Nigrantium Infernalium. Over 6 years since I wrote up Hóstia, two things still stand out in my mind like burning neon signs: the ludicrously, hilariously offensive cover art, and the unhinged vocals screaming the album title over infectious blackened heavy/thrash. Finally, the Portuguese have risen from their slumber once more, and one look at the album art suggests they haven’t given up on their quest to sweep the ‘offensive cover art’ awards.” Art for the disturbed.
A new album from the influential French death metal act Mercyless requires 2 reviews because history! Welcome to Mercyless 101: Those Who Reign Below.
“Where is the goat and the chariot? Where is the Billy horn that was blowing? The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into the fowl of a Tyrant. 2020 saw the metalverse shaken to its core by the massively infectious sophomore album by Belgian black/trad/thrashers Bütcher. So much rowdy fun was 666 Goats Carry My Chariot that it mattered not a wit that it was entirely composed of well-trod metal tropes. The hyperactive 80s speed with blackened edges was just the right mixture of heavy, catchy, and over-the-top with songs that had teeth. Fast-forward to 2024 and we get the much-anticipated follow-up On Fowl of Tyrant Wing.” On a wing and a swear.
2023’s cleaning protocols are finally complete, and here comes the Filter scrappings from November and December. Taste them all, then consult a funeral director.
“Efraah Enhsikaah. The unpronounceable one-person black metal band without much of any social media presence. My black metal one-sheet bingo card was satisfied for One Thousand Vultures Waiting to be Fed in just 2 sentences. 1000 Vultures will sound familiar to those already close to black metal. The typical features of tremolo-picked guitars, raw guitar tones, and raspy, uncomfortable vocals are present and correct. The exception is blast-beating drums that are surprisingly infrequent due to the record’s mid-pace compared with other blackened bands.” Birds ov a kvlt.
“I’m happy to report that I was able to field-test this record under optimal conditions. I pried it out of the sticky muck in the bottom of the promo bin just before embarking on a four-day solo canoe trip in Northern Minnesota. My first full playthrough of Lagu was while sheltering beneath a small cluster of jack pines on the shore of Sucker Lake. I had spent the first part of the morning canoeing in cold rain and decided it was time to stop for lunch. While the rain continued to drizzle down around me and the early stages of hypothermia crept into my feet, I popped in my ear buds. I was hoping Cainan Dawn would deliver a brutally majestic soundtrack to my harsh but beautiful surroundings and distract me from the damp 50 degree chill.” Nature-tested.
