Tag: black metal
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The best uncelebrated metal of 2017
2017 was a solid year for metal, no doubt. I’ve noticed, while perusing “year end” lists, a lot of the same things coming in at the top. Credit where credit is due – some of the metal genre’s best bands released some awesome material – Enslaved coming in with another genre-bending masterpiece; Loss and Bell…
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Beldam – Pasung
For all the sludge metal oozing outta Vancouver, you don’t really hear much of that stuff from its sister city. The bands I know from Seattle lean more toward the Neurosis style of heavy progressive metal. But these recently relocated Virginia transplants bring a whole bunch of that southern-fried piss ‘n vinegar to the Pacific…
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Best CANADIAN Metal of 2017: TOP 15
Our contributors’ submissions for this year’s best of Canadian metal list revealed a surprising amount of consensus and an unsurprising amount of varied tastes. We had so little trouble coming up with a top ten that we expanded the list to our top fifteen. And our numerous honourable mentions indicate how much more great Canadian…
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WarCall – Invaders
Like a black metal Motorhead or the mutant offspring of New Wave of British Heavy Metal legends Tank, WarCall really live up to their name! Indeed the comparisons with Motorhead and Tank are apt as WarCall are a strong power trio. On this, their fourth album (following ‘Demonarchy’, ‘Blood, Guts and Dirt’, and ‘III’), they show…
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Mayhem live in Kitchener, November 2017
Mayhem + Immolation @ Elements in Kitchener, November 4, 2017 Legendary Norwegian black metal heretics Mayhem return to North America for the second time this year, yet again to perform the seminal genre-defining ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas‘ in its blasphemous entirety. For those questioning the objective to seeing this album again, New York death metal…
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Oranssi Pazuzu – Kevät / Värimyrsky EP
Eerily ethereal, beautifully brutal. These are a few bits of dark matter that have slipped through the cracks of Oranssi Pazuzu‘s ever expanding galaxy of recordings. From the band via the 20 Buck Spin website: “Although not ‘new’ in every sense of the word – the first song ‘Kevät’ was recorded during Valonielu sessions in…
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Akercocke – Renaissance In Extremis
When Akercocke broke up in 2012, it was a sad loss for the metal scene, for they are that rarest of beasts, an original band with a unique vision (and I loved the suits!). Thankfully, five years on,Akercocke have returned. It’s difficult to categorize their music, featuring as it does elements of black metal, death metal,…
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Ne Obliviscaris – Urn
The music on this album is massive. But is it good? Do I like it? I have listened to this album on repeat for a few weeks now, and I am still asking myself this. On paper, I should love this. Ne Obliviscaris is an extreme prog metal band with a unique sound and some…
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Aura Noir @ Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, 13 October 2017
Finally, one of the best black thrash metal bands crash lands in Toronto! Norway’s self-proclaimed ugliest band in the world, Aura Noir, are on their maiden North American tour and it feels like a long time coming. Formed in the nastier corners of Oslo in 1993, this three-piece are the masters of blistering bitching black thrash,…
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Acherontas @ 211 Augusta, Toronto, 27 October 2017
Recently, a couple of Greek black metal acts surprise the underground by being fortunate enough to cross the Atlantic and subsequently performing in Toronto, namely Varathon and Kawir. Now it’s time for the mystical horde Acherontas to take over the city for the first time ever. This Hellenic force has been rising rapidly in the…