Darken – Darken (Defiled, 1998)

by Johan Pettersson on September 26, 2019

Although it might disappoint some readers, it’s probably advisable to begin this review by stating that this is not a lost recording by a well-known Polish musician. However, the music does fall somewhere within the black metal sphere. Darken is a three-track EP released by guitar-virtuoso Toby Knapp, presumably conceived as an attempt at writing and performing music in the language of mid-to-late-1990s melodic black metal. Joining the multi-instrumentalist on vocals and as lyrical contributor is a certain Necrotriton, while drums are obviously computer-generated.

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Trench Warfare – Hatred Prayer

by Nicholas Vahdias on August 28, 2019

Trench Warfare finally grace the world with their first full length. Building from the potential of their demo and split, the band finally manage to fuse their War metal with elements of Black and Death metal into creating a highly enjoyable listen that carries a few more subtleties than its aesthetic quality would allow one to assume.

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Polemicist – Zarathustrian Impressions (Fólkvangr, 2019)

by Johan Pettersson on August 6, 2019

In the past, metal journalism used to function mainly as a filtering device; weeding out the bad so that the good stuff would rise to the top. Nowadays, it’s more likely the other way around. We’re now searching for potential in a seemingly endless flow of “interesting” or pleasant-sounding junk. This task often requires time and patience, because those rare and far between releases will often sound similar to their lesser peers on a surface level. One illuminating example would be the Pennsylvanian epic death/black metal act Polemicist and their debut album Zarathustrian Impressions. Their music may not appear spectacular on casual listen, but repeated and concentrated exposure reveal unexpected qualities.

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Sammath – Across the Rhine is only death (2019)

by Brett Stevens on July 30, 2019

Sammath returns to the days of its second and third album with a shredding assault that emphasizes tight, technical riffing that keeps to a simple theme and develops it with precision strumming integrated with exacting percussion. This takes the war metal idea into the technical death metal realm while preserving the black metal sense of melody and epic architectures to unite these alienated and reductive riffs.

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SPEAR OF LONGINUS Release Preview Track for Upcoming Live Album

by Staff on July 21, 2019

Occult Metal renegades from Down Under Spear of Longinus have announced that a live recording of their infamous 2017 Italian performance is due for release later this year.

The LP will be released by Darker Than Black Records, the CD by Totenkopf Propaganda Production, and the Cassette by Final Agony Records.

The cover artwork is by Antichrist Kramer, and the track listing is as follows:

1. Atomika/Egipto
2. Saga
3. Better of Dead
4. Cruel Buddha
5. Cosmic Devastater (Watching the Watcher)
6. Fall of the Rebel Angels
7. YHVH Penis Abominator
8. Rite of Ragnarok
9. The Ibis of My Lost Soul (From Whence I Came)
10. Riders of a Cold and Violent Wind
11. Jarls Quest: Eternal
12. Nebularsia
13. Nazi Occult Metal

Of which, “Fall of the Rebel Angels” has been released as a preview track:

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