Serpent Ascending – Ananku (2016)

Ananku is a term from the Tamil language describing the otherworldly and awesome power of sublime natural places and objects to overwhelm mankind into submission to their will by merely the perception of them. Jarno Nurmi of Serpent Ascending accomplishes this musically on his album of the same name by composing harmonized heavy and black metal style leads atop a death metal rhythmic basic into occult blackened narratives. Riffs are phrased and repeat to numerologically unfold, revealing profound and novel melodic leads as if the petals of a flower gradually blooming into gnostic truth when bathed in unconquered light.

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Veneror – Percussimus Foedus cum Morte (2013)


Article by Lance Viggiano.

Veneror create long, flowing, compositions in the style of Sacramentum which carry a melancholic but sinister emotive pallet through melodious arpeggiated twin guitar harmonies. Structurally these songs cycle in between two or three motifs yet eschews a sense of heightened dynamics while coarse vocals ride atop giving a sense of continuity rather than circularity. This is further reinforced by the chromatic development which carries itself into reprieves which close each section with sparsity before jaunting into the next. The resultant unbroken sequence of phrases is not unlike what Revenant would use to great effect on their infamous and only full length album.

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Darkthrone – Arctic Thunder (2016)


Article by Lance Viggiano

Darkthrone have spent the records FOAD through The Underground Resistance regressing into their pre-Celtic Frost influences. Sensing their customers’ growing unpopularity with this black ‘n’ roll approach, Fenriz and Nocturno Culto try to save face on Artic Thunder by regressing into their own work. The upshot is that nobody but Miller Lite Throne can sell mediocre riffs in cyclical songs as well as these two. The downshift is that they cannot muster enough enthusiasm or energy to play their own ideas with the dedication of a devoted bar-tier cover band.

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Arghoslent Declare Intent To Complete Songs

Arghoslent, a speed metal/black metal hybrid famous for their politically provocative lyrics, have taken notice of criticism of their songs as disconnected bundles of riffs and heavy metal conventions which go nowhere despite having promising beginnings. Those who read the subtext of their statement, “CORRECTION: The band has decided not to write new music since it is ‘merely a collection of riffs and heavy metal wank’,” can infer that the band is re-focusing on their songwriting as a result of those quoted incendiary statements made here at Death Metal Underground.

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White Death Releases “Immortal Hunter Of The Moon” Off Upcoming Eponymous Debut

In anticipation of their eponymous debut, Southern Karelia’s White Death released a track from the album, “Immortal Hunter of the Moon.” This mid-length track instills expectation by improving upon the previous also eponymous two-song EP released in 2014. Where that recording consisted of raw, foot-stomping black metal that was pleasant enough for a listen once in a blue moon, the new track shows an increase in dynamics that lifts the material to a new level of intensity while also –- perhaps more importantly -– giving it a sense of direction.

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Trench Warfare Prepares Split Album Paths to Victorious Perversion

Necrotic war metal band Trench Warfare recorded four songs in late 2016 for appearance on a future split with Goatdusias and Bestial Karnage entitled Paths to Victorious Perversion. The band recruited drummer Lee Fisher (Commit Suicide, Psyopus, Overlord Exterminator) to record percussion for the upcoming release. Titles on the album include “Twisted Lies of a Wretched Pedophile,” “Astral Projection into the Shapeless Abysmal Void” and “Hatred Prayer.”

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Jarno Nurmi Interviewed by Raw War

Jarno Nurmi was interviewed by black metal blog Raw War to promote his one man band Serpent Ascending‘s new album, Ananku. Jarno reveals he has left Desecresy and discusses the Finnish black and death metal scenes along with the mythological, occult, and esoteric motivations behind his latest work, Ananku.

Aṇaṅku is a different concept from ancient Tamil language and the word was chosen because it is widely unused and unknown, in many senses, but also because of it’s meanings of course. This is a nod to my earlier interests towards Indian and Asian esoteric traditions from where the process began though it ended up in something quite different.
The album turned out to have emphasis mostly on Northern European culture and identity from which it seeks to find the hidden sacred force that the word Aṇaṅku symbolises in the context. The album is adoration to Earth’s and Nature’s holiness, soil, blood and death.

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Graveland’s 1050 Years of Pagan Cult Rerecordings Out Now

Graveland‘s 1050 Years of Pagan Cult rerecordings of Rob Darken’s greatest hits from the best of Graveland‘s black metal period is available now for download on Bandcamp. This release appears to be another rerecording for losers with iPhones who want to hear old songs with a modern, less necro production.

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