San Antonio Black Metal - Tumblr Posts
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.
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.
This will be happening Halloween night in San Antonio, Texas. The return of black n' roll masters Black Jackal!
The show is free, so if you're in the area there's no reason not to come.
Black Jackal- Rock N Roll Nightmare
The debut album from San Antonio black thrash n roll speeding death train Black Jackal is probably in my top 5 albums of the year. This album slays. It rocks. Its absolutely awesome. If you like Venom, Weaponizer, Bastardizer, Destroyer 666, etc., you absolutely must try this album. If you want rock n roll, you must try this album. If you love heavy metal, you must try this album.
The riffs are some of the best you will hear, from a master guitarist and his virtuoso nerdtastic rythym- man ripping the heavens asunder. The basslines roar, a groovy undertow pulling everything together, especially on Skeletonize. Top notch drumming keeps you banging your head at breakneck speeds throughout. The vocals are some of my favorite, a raspy growl tearing through the rock and roll din, gruff but discernible in a manner I tend to find rare in many metal releases, towing a perfect line between harsh and clean.
There is a somber aspect to this release, as the rock and roll nightmare himself is no longer with us. The stunning last track is a reminder of what was lost, and a beautiful way to close the album. The band continues to forge ahead, each step forward in honor of a metal maniac, and I await what the future brings with excitement.
Lay down your soul for the God's rock and roll!
You can currently pick up digital copies from Flesh Vessel Records on Bandcamp, and physical copies are coming in the near future.
The Top 20
20)Alkymist - Canada- Spellcraft Ceremony
- This is just good, intricate black metal that is both melodic yet fiery, with great structure and delivery.
19)Trenchant- Martial Chaos
-This is some great new Texas death metal that is simultaneously bludgeoning and melodic, with a smooth delivery to the roar of the music. I need more death metal bands like this.
18)Elegiac- Pagan Storm
- A beautifully melancholic black metal album, raw but slower, with an expansive sound that pulls you in and worships times past. This project keeps growing, incorporating new elements, yet does so well enough that the growth remains organic and delightful.
17)Thy Dying Light- Cold in Death
- This is pure traditional black metal worship from Britain that sounds like it crawled right out of Norway in the 90s, yet instead of sounding cliche it just sounds amazing and fresh. It is awesome.
16) Churchacide- Bilesoaked Blades
- Roaring Texas death metal that will crush you with riffs. Its fast, its fun, it'll blast you off your feet. This was a good year for Texas death metal, and this was my favorite release for it.
15)IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT- Vile Luxury
- Another one of those perfectly titled albums, this thing is amazing. A mixture of the perfect slimey death metal undercurrent, with soaring brass interspersed and stellar musicianship, this album is a pinnacle of art. They're a great live show too.
14)Arketh- 12 Winter Moons Comes the Witches Brew
- This psychedelic, avant-garde black metal release is just so much fun. It's weirdly wonderful in all the right ways, and I listened to it a lot this year.
13)Gary Numan Official- Savage: Songs from a Broken World
- This is an amazing electronic album, and the song "My Name is Ruin" is one of my favorite songs this year. This album should not be overlooked. Another older musician showing the young ones he's still got it.
12)Lord Of The Lost- Thornstar
- This is an excellent album from this band, possibly my favorite of theirs yet. They've solidified their sound and delivered something exceptional.
11)Kvalvaag- Seid
- If I put you on par with Emperor, it means I really like your music. This is one of the few modern black metal bands that for me achieves that chaos made melody sound Emperor specialized in. I love it.
10)Lucifer's Child- The Order
- Its a really good take on the Rotting Christ black metal sound, roaring like a beast from the pits and just not stopping. Plus, riffs.
9)Crawl/Leviathan - Split
-So the Leviathan side of this split is good, but the Crawl side? Holy crap. It's stunning. He remains one of my favorite local musicians for precisely this bone-crushing, soul shattering sound, and this track is immense. And I find that it makes the Leviathan side better, like it feeds off the sound of the Crawl side.
8 )Morok (MOPOK)- Carpathian Fullmoon Ritual
- This is awesome traditional black metal with some of my favorite synth work this year. This is just too awesome for words. If you like black metal, check this project out.
7)Urfaust- The Constellatory Practice
- These guys are another band that get better and better, and they were already amazing. This atmospheric, beautiful black metal swallows you whole for a transcendental experience.
6) Ghost- Prequelle
- Much like Mastodon's Emperor of Sand from last year, here's another album about death that tends towards an upbeat sound. This album is all plague and fire and Eighties. An ode to music heroes now gone, it expertly blends the band's recognizable style with flourishes from said music heroes, and its a ton of fun too. Learn to let loose, but don't forget that you will die.
5) Powerwolf- Sacrament of Sin
- I love these guys, and this album exemplifies how well they've come into their own sound. They're fun, catchy, and just a wonderful music experience, and this album fully displays their range of style perfectly, from goofy good fun to beautiful ballads to even hints of Medieval metal.
4)Uruk- Nihilistic Warfare in Inhuman Realms
- This Austin black metal band took their already awesome black metal and made it even better. A pure inferno at the start, it transforms into something great with the incorporation of folkish passages a-la early Satyricon, and blends itself into a maelstrom of rage and beauty.
3) Zeal & Ardor- Stranger Fruit
- I cannot say enough good things about this album. A fantastic blend of Spiritualism, Americana, Folk, Occult Rock, and Black Metal, this is far and away one of my favorite releases this year. Do yourself a favor, and don't sleep on them like I was.
2) Orga- Demo
- So I spent a good portion of this year not shutting up about this demo, because it slays. Raw blackened punk that decimates everything in its path, while remaining an almost groovey thing. Riffs upon riffs upon riffs, and a fantastic barking vocal delivery that ties the whole thing together. It was a stiff competition.
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1)Black Jackal- Rock N Roll Nightmare
- I consider myself very lucky, having grown up on a farm in bumfuck nowhere South Texas, to now have the opportunity to witness so much amazing music on a regular basis. The reason I've come to constantly hype so many local bands is because THESE BANDS ARE GENUINELY AWESOME, and I am so happy to get to see and hear them. And this year, Black Jackal took the cake. For the first time in a year and a half, I had to work 7 am morning shifts, after growing accustomed to being at work until 12am. This album is how I survived. Its an injection of burning black n roll that is full of energy, spirit, and an indomitable soul. The vocal work is perfect, the bass lines roar, the drumming keeps you headbanging, and the guitarwork, from BOTH guitarists, is fantastic. Its catchy, fun, powerful, and just pure fucking rock n roll. It chewed the competition up and spit it out. I will miss Jesse's godlike guitar playing in the future, but a certain Nerd is doing just fine, and just continues to get better. Overall this band rules, this album rules, and for the billionth time, check them out!
** Hey, you survived this ridiculously long list. Happy New Year, here's to more awesome music in 2019! **
The Ulthar and Scorched tour will be stopping in San Antonio, TX, and support will be the amazing bands Black Jackal, Uruk, and Haunter. If you're in the area this will be a show to see.
March 28th 2019
Limelight, San Antonio TX
$10 cover
"Hunter-Killer"
Black Jackal
My favorite Texas metal band put out a new single late last year, and it's amazing. It's the raw blackened thrash n roll of their debut, but this time with a bass solo. I strongly encourage everyone who enjoys good metal and good fun to check these guys out! I look forward to the hinted upcoming second release.
You can pick the track up on their Bandcamp currently.
"Extermination Front"
Black Jackal
The next single from my favorite Texas band has been released. Half as long as the first single (Hunter-Killer), this is a ripping piece of blackened thrash that is all forward momentum. It evokes classic thrash with the guitar tone, a frantic wild ride with sharp edges. And the guitar solo in the middle is pure old-school heavy metal glory: violent, fast, wailing. To my knowledge there's no established release date yet, but the new album will be titled "Forever War".
You can pick up the single on the band's Bandcamp page, as well as the rest of their material.