Raw Black Metal - Tumblr Posts
-Orga- "Demo"
Blackened punk metal from Indiana.
Cassette available from Caligari Records.
Easily one of my favorite releases this year. Fast, furious, but incredibly catchy. Its the optimal soundtrack to a black metal bar brawl- crusty, groovy, and raw. Its 6 tracks of bouncy aggression are superbly executed, with rough vocals, headbanging riffs, and a fantastic drum tempo that keeps the energy boiling over from the first track to the last.
11/10, these fellows will set your aunt's rosebushes on fire in the name of Satan.
Artwork by Warhead Art.
Released Jan. 26, 2018.
Plaguestorm
Eternal Throne EP
Available as Digital, Vinyl, or Cassette from Helter Skelter Productions.
Hailing from Malmö, Sweden, these black metal miscreants have unleashed four tracks of raw traditional black metal that is uniquely their own. From the opening choir transformation into a growling wall of feedback, you know you're in for a wild ride. Furiously paced, yet with beautiful flourishes of musicianship and no shortage of groove, this EP howls from start to finish. The guitarwork is the definite star of this show, going from frigid tremolo picking to wild solos that would be perfectly at home on a Maiden album. And the tone is a banshee wail, utterly perfect for this fiery plague that melts your face from start to finish. Definitely a favorite release of mine this year.
Released July 9, 2018.
Album Artwork- ??
Neill Jameson (Imperial) of US Black Metal band Krieg.
Performing at Red River Family Festival 2017.
Photo by blogger. Barracuda, Austin, TX. Sept. 2017
Highland
Loyal to the Night Sky
Los Angeles, California traditional black metal band.
Fantastic album for fans of the old Norwegian sound, particularly in the style of Darkthrone. Raw and frigid, with biting aggression and fast tempos.
Skáphe
Skáphe
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Reykjavik, Iceland based dissonant, ritualistic, black metal.
Part of Iceland's Mystiskaos black metal group, and one member is Alex Poole of US black metal bands Krieg, Entheogen, and Chaos Moon.
If you want dissonant, disturbed, twisted, and ritualistic black metal this is a band to listen to.
Black Vice
Austin, Texas traditional/ritual black metal.
Photo by blogger. Barracuda, Austin, TX. Red River Family Fest, Sept 2017.
Ováte -Ováte
Available from Soulseller Records.
The debut album from new Norwegian black metal band Ováte, featuring Aindiachaí, live musician for Taake and Gorgoroth, on guitar and bass, and Brodd, live musician for Taake, on drums.
If you enjoy Norwegian Black Metal, this album is worth checking out. Raw and riff heavy, it displays the styles of the associated acts these men play for. I find the Taake sound particularly noticeable, and don't consider that a bad thing. You can definitely headbang to this one, as there is a good bit of melody to the blazing riffs.
The vocal work is good, very traditional for this kind of sound without being overly raw or melodic, and the drumming compliments the guitarwork quite well. There are even some hints at folkish influences, such as the epic choral touches to Morgenstjerne, which I find reminiscent of Havukruunu's stellar Kelle Surut Soi album from last year.
Overall, this is a solid release that hits the right spots, and while it perhaps brings nothing new to the table it is still a superbly executed piece of traditional Norwegian black metal.
Released June 1, 2018
Artwork ???
Evilfeast
Elegies of the Stellar Wind
Polish one man black metal band that recalls the sound of early Emperor. Tasteful synthwork with raw and unapologetic black metal, utilizing an unpolished recording sound, but with little detriment to the quality of the music. This is GrimSpirit's 5th album for his project, and a favorite release from last year.
If you enjoy traditional black metal or symphonic black metal, this is a satisfying release within the genre.
Blitzgeist
Ritual Magic
Portland Oregon based black metal, from Zane, the man behind the stellar Elegiac black metal project. Whereas Elegiac has a rawer, more traditionally agressive tone to it, Blitzgeist is a bit slower with the tempo. A grimier, almost more melodic sound pervades this project, and the vocal work reminds me of Inquisition. As the apt title suggests, there is a ritualistic aspect to the compositions and style.
Pick it up from the musician's personal label, Sacrificial Sounds.
Lathspell; Malum
Luciferian Nights Split
Two Finnish Black Metal powerhouses have just released this split. The Lathspell side has me exceptionally excited, as they are a fiery, aggressive, and crushing black metal band. If raging traditional black metal is your thing, be sure to give this a listen. Finland continues to be one of my current favorite black metal scenes, and bands like this are why.
Black Vice
Austin, Texas based black metal.
Dissonant, raging, anti-cosmic blizzard of hate.
Photo by blogger. Sept. 15, 2018. The Lost Well, Austin, Texas.
Blood Worship
Death's Omnipotence
Released: June 15, 2018
This debut from Stockholm, Sweden based black metallers Blood Worship is one of my top albums this year. Blazing black metal in the traditional Swedish style, this album is precisely on-point, from the riffs to the vocals to the drumming.
If you're a fan of Dark Funeral, Dissection, or Watain, you really need to hear this album. It worships its stylistic forefathers while pummeling you with one fantastic riff after another, sucking you in from beginning to end. Also featured on drums is David Folchitto, newest addition to the mighty death metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse's lineup.
My favorite track is probably Rites of the Inner Shrine, but honestly all four tracks are absolutely killer.
You can pick it up via their bandcamp page.
Haunter/Crawl East Coast Tour 2018
Two of central Texas' finest extreme metal outfits will be touring the East Coast in December.
Haunter are ritualistic black metal with hints of death metal, plowing through the soul and bellowing through the hells. The bassist is also a member of newer supergroup Entheogen.
Crawl is abyssal sludgy blackened noise of hate and despair, a sonic ritual in honor of the failings of mankind. He remains one of the best live acts I've witnessed, offering a transcendental auditory experience for lovers of all things extreme.
Absolutely a tour worth seeing if its coming to a city near you. More information will be made available as the time draws closer.
Woe
New York Black Metallers tore it up at Red River Family Fest III.
Photo by Blogger. Barracuda, Austin, Texas, September 28, 2018. Red River Family Fest III.
Panzerfaust
Canadian militant black metallers at Red River Family Fest III. Absolutely crushing set.
Photo by blogger. Barracuda, Austin, Texas, September 28, 2018. Red River Family Fest III.
Uada
Oregon black metallers played a fantastic live show yet again at Red River Family Fest III
Photo by blogger. Barracuda, Austin, TX. Red River Family Fest III, September 28, 2018.
Reminder this is coming soon!
Haunter/Crawl East Coast Tour 2018
Two of central Texas’ finest extreme metal outfits will be touring the East Coast in December.
Haunter are ritualistic black metal with hints of death metal, plowing through the soul and bellowing through the hells. The bassist is also a member of newer supergroup Entheogen.
Crawl is abyssal sludgy blackened noise of hate and despair, a sonic ritual in honor of the failings of mankind. He remains one of the best live acts I’ve witnessed, offering a transcendental auditory experience for lovers of all things extreme.
Absolutely a tour worth seeing if its coming to a city near you. More information will be made available as the time draws closer.
Uruk
Nihilistic Warfare in Inhuman Realms
Another amazing release from a Texas band this year. These Austin, Texas traditional black metallers have followed up their stellar 2016 debut, Battle Hymns, with an even better album. Nihilistic Warfare in Inhuman Realms is blistering, storming, battle-hardened black metal that sweeps you along for the ride, marching over everything in its path. The drum and bass guitar gallop like wargs, the guitars herald frigid dark doom, and the vocals rage and roar. It sucks you into the fray, sinks its teeth in, and never lets go, from start to finish.
But there's a twist: just when you get comfortable in the saddle, a beautiful folkish passage transpires, a-la Satyricon of old. And the album morphs, continuing its gallop of death, but pulling in an epic and emotional current, melding battle-rage and dark melancholy into a poignant musical blend, successfully evoking the album's title. And that epic whirling battle continues until the last note, tumultuous and powerful, glorious and grim.
The album can be obtained digitally from either the band or Flesh Vessel Records on Bandcamp.
CDs can be obtained from Flesh Vessel Records.
Tapes can be obtained from Red River Family Records.