At any given moment, there are names in every corner of the metal underground that have gotten attention, received great accolades that are more than deserving, and then silence. It’s an odd phenomenon as plenty of those acts can easily ..read more

It seems as though the last few weeks have been quite bountiful in ways of new talent in my experience. As soon as I sit down to try and find a new creation to find myself within for any sort of a review, it’s before I know it that I’m waist-deep in an effort from a band that cannot be seen as anything short of immensely fresh. From progressive death metal to true heavy metal to instrumental sludgy doom, it feels as though damn near every corner has been covered in the underground. Every corner except folk metal, that is ..read more

When you find yourself immersed in the density of the metal underground, it doesn’t take much in the current landscape to eventually branch out. Whether you’re still in the same sonic neighborhood or challenging yourself to trying a completely fresh style, we’ve seen throngs of musicians make that very transition with grace and aptitude. With a foot already firmly in the insanity of black metal, the guitarist of Noise Trail Immersion sought to accomplish just such a transition with the debut album of Occulta Veritas nothing to underestimate. Dealing in the same general genre but finessing bet ..read more

It’s always fascinating to bear witness to the evolution of any band no matter how big or small they may be. When a band is able to take their sound and morph it into something that is immensely different than where they started out with the line of evolution clear from their beginning. Some bands take their time while others seem to adapt and morph their style in virtually no time at all. Fellwarden is one clearly of the latter with their style certainly receiving a strong foundation with the band’s debut album seven years ago, yet it’s in the relatively short amount of time since ..read more

The clear union between black metal and any number of folk inspirations is nothing new to our ears. We’ve seen plenty of acts come around trying their hand at bringing different veins of folklore to life through all sorts of black metal splendor that leaves one in a world that cannot be likened to much else throughout the vast underground. Whether it’s names like Downfall of Nur, Selvans, Belore, Panopticon, or any of many others, there’s always loads to unpack in any given year when black metal crosses over into this mystical realm where the very rules of our reality fade immediately. Harnes ..read more

At least a handful of times in any given year are we given a piece of black metal that pulls from the more epic, folk-oriented reaches of the sound that manages to shatter expectations and deliver a performance on a scale that leaves nothing but shivers ripping down the spine. For some of us, the names of Downfall of Nur, Cân Bardd, and Dwarrowdelf are of the first that come to mind whenever the style comes to mind. Dwarrowdelf already came around with its own opus this year to set the bar incredibly high for the sound, and I figured it was going to be quite some time before we saw something ..read more

It tends to be that whenever we’re dealing in a band that’s firmly entrenched within the realm of atmospheric black, little to no inspiration from outside styles are incorporated to make the proceeding music multi-dimensional or even interesting in more than a few instances. Thus, when a band comes around that manages to do something even slightly different, it can make for a sound that feels incredibly fresh and engaging. For its first full-length album, Cistvaen sought to bring a little bit of doom to their brand of atmospheric black metal, and the results are simply spectacular. Already is ..read more

Over the years, we have seen a ton of new acts come about that comprise of simply one member with many of them finding homes within the depths of the atmospheric black metal realms and all that they encompass. Many have come up to the plate with their own renditions of the sound that can vary from masterful works of the sound to blatant rip-offs that don’t have much substance to call their own. By and large, Severoth is certainly of the former. It’s been a dominating force in the style whenever it dishes out new material, and that has yet to change with all that splendor, excellence, and bagg ..read more

At any given moment, it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to say that black metal is overflowing with names vying for their own little piece of territory to stake their claims, and that is especially true for the more atmospheric reaches of the sound. The influx of acts new and old seeking to gain some foothold is quite a thing to behold in virtually every capacity, yet there are always a few that rise to the surface while many that tend to thrive in the shadows of the unknowable underground where only a few are able to truly gaze upon their magnificence. With its first full-length alb ..read more

For all that one man can accomplish largely on his own, people’s expectations tend to be tempered to be more reasonable rather than bombastic. It is usually the case that a single person cannot account for the talent necessary to bring an entire album to life be it in a simpler form or one that is magnificently complex in nature. Time and time again, the madman of Markov Soroka has proven to be one of the craziest masterminds in the entirety of the underground with many different acts across several styles showing us just how capable and talented the man is. Whereas some might know him from m ..read more