Growth is always an extremely important part of any band’s adventures through the underground. It’s what keeps things simply moving forward and prevents stagnation from taking place which can oftentimes times be the moment where bands make or break their ..read more

At any given moment, the underground is always ready for the arrival of a new name in black metal that can really inject some life into the sound no matter what the approach may be. Whether it be a straightforward ..read more

For all that black metal has long been capable of, a strong melodic factor is always something that we see the sound return to sooner or later with it being quite constant that there’s some new act out there, however obscure it may be, that manages to deliver on the high potential of the concept. By and large, we’re living in a time where that is quite a common occurrence so long as you’re paying attention. Out of the many that have come out of the woodwork in recent years, Kvaen is hands-down one of the most engaging of the bunch. Just five years after its inception, Kvaen’s rise has been un ..read more

For some bands, excellence seems to come almost as easy as breathing. In the depths of the underground, some are truly able to rise above adversity and any challenges that may come from being a newer name in the scheme of it all to quickly make a name for itself and climb the ranks at a surprising rate. Throughout the underground, we’ve seen a rise of just such acts that are able to tackle many different concepts practically out of the gate thanks to immense pedigree from previously established names. At this point, Oubliette has evolved past being such an act given their already-established ..read more

Quickly can a name rise through the underground should the right circumstances arise, but rarely does everything come together in such a perfect form that offers a magnificent journey the likes of which simply cannot be denied. We’ve seen plenty of names achieve that excellence as they rocket through the very underground, but such a thing tends to take time across many years. On rare occasions, though, we witness a name rise on such a scale that can only be considered meteoric. Out of all the names black metal has been graced with lately, Inherits the Void is certainly one that comes to mind ..read more

I think it’s safe to say that when people take into consideration black metal in general, we tend to think of the sound in its more raw and chaotic forms. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given the landmark releases of the sound across its many different veins that form a tremendous nervous system that’s constantly working off itself, challenging itself, and adhering to its original principles all at the same time. However, that inevitably means some of the sounds are not given the credit they deserve. Thankfully, the rise of melodic black metal is something that cannot be denied with it rea ..read more

And here I thought that I was given my fill of melodic black metal for some time now after experiencing the new Moonlight Sorcery and Inherits the Void in just the past week alone, but the universe had one more offering (at least at this current time) for me to lose myself in before I am to depart from this particular vein of black metal for however long. The very name of Golgata is something that I’ve heard of before and seen multiple times but simply has never been something I’ve found myself in before for no particular reason. Now, though, after experiencing what was brought forth for Golg ..read more

Since the dawn of black metal going into the realms of fantasy and folklore, Tolkien has been the undeniably dominating presence with hundreds if not thousands of bands using his works to propel their brand of black metal into the underground. While there’s no sign of that changing anytime now in the overall scheme, we’ve been able to witness the rise of other works getting representation in black metal. Eastern folklore, in particular, is something that plenty of bands have been more than eager to dig into with the influence of the Witcher series becoming more and more apparent as time goes ..read more

The very voices of the ancient world have long held a place in many corners of metal music, but it is in relatively few instances that we get a performance that succeeds in bringing it all forward in a meaningful capacity with attention to detail and care that such concepts deserve. When it is done competently, we’re constantly given creations that leave the listener astounded and well-impressed no matter if it comes from a new fledgling act or certified veterans. In the case of Olde Throne, we see the New Zealand act come back around quickly after their first full-length album just last year ..read more

When you have a scene that’s as fully realized and stocked as black metal all across the world, quality is all but guaranteed at a certain point. Yet, it’s even in the face of such wonders that are all but destined to come around in time, it can sometimes feel like an eternity before hearing a particular sound done immense justice with a fitting reception from listeners. When it comes to the more melodic sides of black metal, it’s not often enough that we’re able to be gifted a band that checks off all the right boxes while still managing to greatly surpass expectations. In just five tracks w ..read more