FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
Satanic Blasphemies is a collection of tracks from nineties demos Slow Asphyxiation, Unholy Prophecies and the 7” EP The Call. Nine tracks of classic death metal that evoke much ‘grandfather’-esque influence on bands making their mark today.
After seven long years, my most anticipated release of 2009 has finally been unleashed and the big question is does it hold up to all the hype? Well… yes and no.
Overall, there is stuff to appreciate on A Somber Wind from a Distant Shore, but one hopes that Canis Dirus will have lots of time to surprise us with their growth in the coming and changing seasons.
Some albums take some time to get into. Migdal Bavel is one that rewards patience and careful listening.
Music has been incorporated into fashion since, well, forever.
The band t-shirt is a common article of clothing and music edition sneakers are a great way to support your favourite artist in style.
I’ve lost count of every time someone has questioned the indecipherable logo sprawled across my shirt: “Ola, what the hell does that say?” I simply reply “Oh this? Well, it’s Emperor”.
Apparently it’s pretty cold in Murmansk. Less chilly is Death Nord Kult, the latest release from Old Wainds. They hail from northern Russia, and thus it’s not overly surprising that their brand of black metal is all about darkness, the arctic, and geographical isolation.
The Corpse of Rebirth is not always an accessible record, but like many of the deeper novels from the historical period that have clearly influenced the band, the time devoted to it is well spent.
Originally released in 2008 in their homeland, Australian-based Ruins’ Cauldron is a solid cut of minimalist black metal that comes off as being fairly accessible.
With the rise of the blackened death metal sound, this record is a pleasant surprise. These Swedes make it evident that their creativity as a whole was expressed with much ease.
Like Goatwhore, like Crucifist, Black Anvil is not so much preoccupied with the thin-sounding Scandinavian aspect of black metal (although we are privy to the odd melodic movement reminiscent of Dissection) as they are completely obsessed with the mid-1980s first wave of Bathory, Possessed, and early Celtic Frost, the kind of primitive, immediate, old school metal with crust-infused riffs thick enough to stick to your ribs.
Adrien Begrand reviews the fantastic new debut release by NYC black metal/punk trio Black Anvil.