Ifrinn - Self-Titled (2016)

After a rather long atmosphere, the self-titled album from this one man project fully kicks into gear. The performance we're getting is a sort of musty black/death stuff, with more emphasis on the black metal than the death. It's really tough to tell when the approach is thrown into the mist as it is here, and the decidedly raw production value makes it sound even more like it was recorded somewhere underground. But that's not going to be a problem for you, especially if you like the kind of grim and evil approach that this style of metal embodies. You're going to want it raw and dripping from the bone with that vile sort of muck, the kind that embodies the very spirit of evil. Now I couldn't tell you what he's going on about here, but I can tell you that he seems rather passionate about it and people are going to feel that. With the vocals shoved way in the back and the drums pushed as far forward as can be, you can pretty much get a feel for the listen right then and there. The album is so thick that we're almost glad to hear the synthy interlude, “Sulphurous Oscillations” and the well-needed break that it gives us from the madness. Additionally, it shows us that Ifrinn is capable of more than just misty black/death. Aside from this lengthy piece (as well as the long atmosphere “Descent Into Shining Labyrinths” that I discussed earlier) the band offer three metallic cuts that will more than warrant a purchase, especially if you like the kind of madness that breathes while it causes chaos. Ifrinn's Self-Titled is devious, yet restrained and I feel that's what makes it interesting.

(5 Tracks, 29:00)

7/10

Lucifericon - Brimstone Altar (2016)

Lucifericon hitting us up with two tracks this time around and both of them are rather entertaining, especially if you like progressive/atmospheric black metal stuff. The first one we have is a dual piece entitled “Brimstone Altar/The Jaws Of Time” but it unfortunately doesn't really seem to move into that other piece. There are some short sections of atmosphere, flying solo sections and blasting drums, but nothing that really signifies to me, “Oh, this is a different song now.” It's still good black metal and wouldn't dare knock it by any means, but it could have been fine with just one title and I feel that two seem unnecessarily pretentious. The reason why write new songs, is so that we can give them new titles. As for the second cut (which is actually far longer, nearly heading into twelve minutes) it's entitled “Witch Of The Cosmic Grave” and begins with some rather spooky atmospherics. Musically it also seems to offer more atmosphere and doesn't sound as straight-forward as the prior cut did. There are scowls utilized, but they're not utilized in a fashion that involves verse/chorus or even verse/verse. It seems that they wanted to do something that more or less feels like a soundscape, and they achieved that. This is the kind of song where the vocal element really isn't all that necessary, and if you want me to be honest – it sounds more like a mix of black metal and threatening doom. I also like the fact that this piece in particular really shows the drummer doing something else besides blasting the hell out of the kit, and the piece truly requires much of his skill in order to keep that atmosphere. I don't think some black metal fans will like this, as it doesn't necessary come straight to the face with misanthropic madness, but I'll admit that I'd have been rather bored by this if the record had only featured two songs that sounded the exact fucking same. Let's give Lucifericon some proper recognition here, and commend them for doing something a little more interesting than some acts would offer on similar EP releases. I think this one is pretty solid, and I'd actually recommend you give it an ear. Not literally, of course.

(2 Tracks, 21:00)

8/10

Khanus - Rites Of Fire (2016)

These Finnish occult death metallers made this record rather short so that it could fit an EP and I think there's some Celtic Frost influence here just as much as there might be from occult black metal. The record seems to contain that dark and fearsome feeling that the black metal world is known for, but listening to “Orgone” reminds me so much of Celtic Frost's latter work that it's a bit pathetic. That being said, it's certainly not a bad note for the band either. They're obviously trying to mix ritual in with death metal, much like we've heard from their black metal counterparts, and a sort of growl is replaced with what might be a scowl in the French occult scene. It's a record that contains a lot of atmosphere, but doesn't necessarily break for atmospheric moments. Admittedly, some listeners who don't understand the whole ritualistic chanting ordeal might mistake the vocal approach for drunken muttering in places, and I can see how that might come off unintentionally comical. But we know that that wasn't the point of such an album, yet it feels very condensed and only seems to offer about half of what I think these guys are truly capable of. They're looking for a label to release their forthcoming debut on, which I hope will be a little bit better. Rites Of Fire is nothing bad, it's just not complete. It very much is an appetizer, but in their defense, it was made to fit on a vinyl record. I've still never understood the fascination with vinyls, as they cost more to make than CD's, are extremely overpriced and require several discs for one listen, which I feel is a literal waste of materials. I'd consider them outdated and they very much are, hence why the CD format became more popular. It was easier to produce and didn't require as much material usage. I wouldn't pick this one up and would rather wait until they release the full-length. If you can get a digital version from the band's Bandcamp, you may want to go that route as well. It has promise, but it's only a mere shade of what they can do.

(3 Tracks, 14:00)

6/10

Temple Of Gnosis - De Secretis Nosturae Alchymica (2016)

Some might look at the symbols on the record and automatically assume that this is another one of those occult black metal albums. I thought the same myself, especially after having been thrown hundreds of them last year, few of which did anything for me. I am an occultist myself, but I feel that perhaps the whole “occult black metal” thing is a bit too cliché. Which is why I've rather enjoyed this third full length from the Serbian act, as well as it's more atmospheric doom/death approach to the same subject. De Secretis Nosturae Alchymica is the kind of occult atmosphere that has balls. It really feels like Hellraiser, with the vocalist reminding me an awful lot of Doug Bradley's iconic Pinhead. It even feels like the Coil crafted soundtrack was a part of this listen (but Coil were and still are very deep occultists) which sounds perfectly fine for the atmosphere we're trying to convey. The record is half horror film and half doom/death, which I'm simply delighted by. The vocals on this record are simply unreal and positively jaw-dropping. These filters are positively amazing, and without question something I'd expect to hear while trapped in the abyss. Of course, I've always been the kind of guy to marvel at things like that. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the “how evil can we sound” sort of ideal, which is something I've always loved about this kind of music. So seriously, how damn evil can we make it sound? Well, for me this record is pretty damn close. Though others might think it a little too theatrical and cheesy. Yet I think that ruins all the fun. Temple Of Gnosis personally might look at this review and see that I've called their very deep and mysterious record “fun” but I'm simply enjoying the hell out of this thing.

From a technical standpoint though, we're essentially getting symphonic and heavily atmospheric doom/death which utilizes an amazing vocal filtering software that I would abuse the hell out of had I knew what it was. I can't seriously blame this guy for utilizing it as much as he does and would have to thank the creators of such a program, as we're getting closer and closer to making man sound like the literal embodiment of a demon or perhaps even the devil himself. Temple Of Gnosis is the one record that I think a youth pastor would literally flip out over had a kid brought it in, with the whole congregation following up to the reverend himself. De Secretis Nosturae Alchymica is the living embodiment of what most Christians would believe “devil music” to sound like, and it would very much portray the kind of stereotype of a record that was made in the pits of hell. They might freak out over Marilyn Manson, but he's tame compared to something like this. Quite simply, this album feels to me like Clive Barker's world come to life. I even think that he might enjoy hearing something like this personally, even in his older age; just to know that it exists and that he may have inspired it years ago. Temple Of Gnosis have made the kind of record that seems more birthed in Midian than Cradle of Filth's disc of the same name, as it embodies the demonic underworld mindscape in which few dare to tread.

That being said, it's obvious from the lyrics that several occult topics are being discussed here in a non-joking manner. Though the grim (and I do mean grim) atmospheres are still here, if we took off all the filtering, killed the keyboards and muted the guitars, we might actually get some rather interesting occult philosophy in which to ponder. There's obviously a lot of symbolism here, as is in the best of music I find – and your job would simply be to listen and decipher it's meaning. Is it literal symbolism, or does it mean something else? You're just going to have to pick up De Secretis Nosturae Alchymica for for yourself in order to answer that question. Seriously folks, this is one of the best atmospheric death metal records that I've ever heard in my entire life, and would recommend it to anyone looking for the most “evil sounding shit” possible. This is the kind of music that will freak out most conservative parents and grandparents, it's the complete opposite of what anyone would want their kids to listen to. It's quite fearsome and might even frighten people, which is definitely a plus. I'm not even going to lie here folks, you might just give Granny a heart attack with this thing. In my personal opinion, I feel that De Secretis Nosturae Alchymica is a perfect record. I just can't say enough about how deliciously evil this one sounds. There are very few albums out there that are even remotely like it. Unfortunately, they aren't going to be able to follow this style up if they choose to continue it with another album. I wouldn't want to hear another De Secretis Nosturae Alchymica from these guys and would be very upset if that's what they were to give me in the next few years. In other words, this is literally as good as it gets and I hope they'll be able to floor me with something equally as interesting in the future. No pressure though, right? At any rate, please go pick up a copy of De Secretis Nosturae Alchymica if you're looking for something that sounds truly evil and don't mind something that might come off a little bit cheesy as well. That being said, I love this album and would consider it one of 2016's best by far. Please give it a listen.

(7 Tracks, 46:00)

10/10

Aluk Todolo - Voix (2016)

This is the newest of several instrumental releases by instrumental French occult rockers Aluk Todolo. They've been around for quite a while and have toured with several bands. Though this is the first time I've ever heard their music, it would be safe to say that listeners of the material here will find plenty to like in their previous albums as well. That's a given, as what the listener gets with this record are atmospheres. The record is described as a labyrinth of sounds, and it is truly very transitive. These guys make the kinds of instrumental soundscapes that we love hearing from bands like Tool and Sunn0))) and it comes without the catchy vocal element of the former. It certainly drones, but there's enough to do in the drum work to keep things punchy. I don't feel that there's any life in some of the earlier Sunn0))) that I've heard, with very slow drum work and equally slow guitar drones that sound more like a slumbering giant than a lively explosion of energy. Voix is different, because it gives me precisely what I want to hear, and that would be the kind of active cerebral landscape that I'd almost compare to Steve Roach's more upbeat work. You're getting a polar opposite of the drone that similar acts offer and instead are able to take a literal trip. Possibly even a subconscious one.

This is the kind of record where the musicians themselves and even song titles don't matter. We might as well call them all Banana 1-6 and be done with it, because the listener has come here for the trip and that's exactly what you're getting. To some, this might just sound like one big jam session and it probably is. Though that's the awesome part about it, I think – because it's truly surreal and again, so active compared to other acts that do this stuff. I don't even think the word “act” is the right term for some of those guys, because they're not getting the kind of musical exercise that Aluk Todolo are and it shows. If you don't like rambunctious things, you probably will want to stick with something slower, but since my mind is active 24/7, this seems right up my alley. I'd definitely consider it a solid disc and you'd do well to pick it up, but only if you're willing to forego the droning silence that these atmospheres usually offer. I'd say it's a worthy trade, so get out there and move those legs.

(6 Tracks, 43:00)

8/10

Eldamar - The Force Of The Ancient Land (2016)

Fans of Summoning will want to pick up this debut from Norway's Eldamar almost immediately. Not only is it Tolkien inspired, but it is also atmospheric/ambient black metal by which a female vocalist (uncredited but used quite a bit, is it even a real woman?) performs a heavy degree of chanting/vocalizing amidst the hefty scowls of project mastermind Matthias Hemmingby. The production is especially misty, but feels quite cool due to the use of crystalline keyboard sections. It feels like there might be a real drum kit here, but I'm not real sure and technology is pretty awesome these days, so it's tough to tell. As you might expect, this is a very tough record to sort of walk you through as it doesn't really seem like it's about separate experiences at all. Rather I feel like this album is one large piece, in which several sections seem to comprise the whole.

There are however, a few lighter and atmospheric moments like “Travel In Woods” which reminds me a little of the fairy music from Link To The Past, as well as “Valkyrjur Ancient One” which reminds me of a climb up a frosty mountain. I can literally feel the chill of the wind on my back from listening to this (seriously, did it just get colder in here?) and feel that it captures the atmosphere perfectly. We also have “Galadwen The Eldar” which feels almost romantic in it's ethereal and majestic nature. That's just plain beautiful. Removing those though, we're left with a rather solid mix of raw black metal, female vocalizing (is she an effect?) and the same chilly keyboard pieces – which definitely work in the mix. It does really sound like Summoning if they came from Norway and I think they'd be flattered to see their style passed onto the next generation of musical performers. Once again, if you like Summoning and similar acts, you will definitely want to have a copy of The Force Of The Ancient Land in your collection.

(8 Tracks, 73:00)

8/10

Shroud Of Despondency - The Beast's Desire To Sacrifice (2015)

Though this record came out a little while ago, I'm kind of shocked as to it's existence. As you might remember, the band declared themselves dead after the release of their previous effort and apparent final release, Family Tomb. As you also may recall, I thought Family Tomb was a great send-off for the band and a surefire sign that they've left their mark. Nevertheless, the mere fact that The Beast's Desire To Sacrifice exists, says to me that these gentlemen clearly aren't ready to call it quits yet, nor should they. There's far too much damn talent here, just as this record displays rather well. Make no mistake about it, you're getting a black metal performance with elements of I guess one could say technicality and perhaps even a little bit of melodic death metal. It's just a hodgepodge of extreme, but feels a little closer to the source material. It also has a higher production quality than Family Tomb, which makes we wonder if the band literally recorded that record in such a lo-fi quality just for the heck of it. Even so, you're not getting another Family Tomb with this one. You're getting what I would consider the second step in that evolution. The Beast's Desire... is still Gothic, and it's keyboard usage is still as dreary and forlorn as we might expect. The drums still blast, the tremolos are still as frosty as ever and the vocals are still just as scathing as we'd expect them to be. There are even solo sections to be had, which as you know always work for me when done right. Now these are the kind of rock style solos that you might not expect to hear so much in black metal, but the fact of the matter is that the performance here never claimed to be purely anything and winds up instead being much better than a plethora of bands that would rather stick to one style. Shroud Of Despondency have never been a band to stick with one approach and it's kept their music from becoming stagnant. There are some death growls in use here every once in a while too, which gives us a little more than what could've been a very one-sided vocal approach. Even some clean and spoken word pieces appear on the album, as well as a short instrumental break called “The Hidden” which I'd consider a bit creepy. Keeping that in mind, there's also “To Get All I Need” which sounds like a completely different band altogether. As euphoric synths and piano excursions work to decorate various soundclips, we're definitely getting a taste of something that we surely wouldn't have heard on Family Tomb.

This kind of will to push further beyond the boundaries of what most people consider to be heavy metal, and what most people consider to appear on a heavy metal album is why I have an awful lot of respect for these guys. I have literally met people who feel that certain things should not appear on a heavy metal album, because they listen to heavy metal when they're expecting to hear something heavy. Their argument is that when they want to hear something that isn't heavy, they'll simply listen to another type of music. While that is all well and good, and perfectly acceptable; I still think that a musician should be free to write the kind of music that he wants to write, regardless of whether or not certain people will listen to it or consider it heavy metal. There's obviously enough black and death metal influence here to give the listener a pounding atmosphere, but it leaves room for tea; and In my opinion, there's always room for tea. A few alternate drum mixes comprise the bonus tracks for the album, but for the most part you are getting a memorable performance from Rory Heikkila and Ron Blemberg, just as we received on the previous outing and the one before that. As interesting as the Gust project is, I'm glad to see that these guys haven't closed the book on Shroud Of Despondency yet. I'd still consider this act far superior and can't wait to see what future efforts will bring.

(9 Tracks, 58:00 (Omitting Alternate Mixes)

9/10

Steve Roach - Emotions Revealed (2016)

Atmosphere legend Steve Roach has never been one to sit on his laurels, and yet another one of his magnificent soundscapes is here in the form of this two track recording. Technically, it consists of pieces dating all of the way back to the eighties, and was previously lost. There wasn't even a name on the tape! But due to the magic of technology, these old recordings sound as if they'd been made just a few months ago. That being said, both pieces will require a large degree of observation, such as I will offer here. The first piece is the title track, which is composed of two separate pieces. A basic piece composes the background, whilst something that I would almost liken to a sort of guitar seems to go off in several directions throughout the mix. The reverberation in the simplistic foreground piece seems to serve as a sort of conscious conductor, which seems to hold more of my attention than the artistic wizzums of which I'm being exposed to in the background. But it oddly enough works, because of it's mantric nature. It's like clockwork and feels almost mechanic, yet in an ethereal sense of things. As the piece continues, the background gets a bit louder and mixes in with the foreground mantra, making something that sounds just like we'd expect from Steve Roach. The piece fades out rather quietly, yet still retains it's machine-like atmosphere up until the end.

The next piece we have is called “Firelight” and it's by and large different. Whereas the title cut was very artistic and moving, this piece feels like a trip of sorts. Though we're first assaulted by a rather grim sort of notion, the piece does lighten up a little to a sound which doesn't even feel natural. It feels inhuman, like something completely not of this world. The piece is not overbearing, it feels almost non-existent and almost like the mere ebb and flow of a galaxy. I believe I've heard similar approaches in a visual novel or computer game, especially the very deep ones, where such a piece might benefit the story. There's something ancient, powerful and removed from our world that exists within this piece. It drones for a bit, albeit in a pleasing way, until it finally explodes into what I can describe as a burst of color, where it finally explodes and fades out like a dead star... which still manages to glimmer brightly a few more times before it finally flickers out. All in all, you're getting two drastically different pieces from Roach, which embody everything we've come to expect from him. They're definitely worth your attention and the price of the journey.

(2 Tracks, 51:00)

8/10

Pil & Bue - Forget The Past, Let's Worry About The Future (2016)

This Norwegian duo (Bow & Arrow in English, just in case you were wondering) have been making a real mark in their native country, earning some high spots on the charts as well as loads of radio play. Their single “You Win Again” was also used in a cult film by the name of Dead Snow 2 (I haven't seen the first yet, but it's a Norwegian zombie-flick) so as you can see, they've really got something to offer. After having listened to this record, I'll have to agree. It was in my “Promise Pool” folder for a while before I was commissioned for it, so it's now been bumped up for a review now – and that's a good thing. Because now I remember just how great it is.

The press release says that these guys take from acts like Placebo, Deftones, current Anathema and The Mars Volta (even though I've always hated the vocalist from that act, I love the vocals here) and I can definitely tell. You also might be able to compare them slightly to acts like Tool/A Perfect Circle and Karnivool, as well as Chevelle in some instances. But what we're looking at is a mix of progressive and hard rock music, which has to be no doubt shortened for radio play, especially when the only song on the record that would fit the standard length of "3:30" is “Nevermind” coming in at a little over three minutes, even though you could probably squeeze the chorus heavy opener “No Is The Answer” or “Shakkakakka” down to fit the radio limit as well. These guys really want their songs to breathe, and they do – because you're utterly hit with mounds of atmosphere which in itself seems to contain just a little hint of post-metal. But there's no core, djent or anything really gimmicky to be found here. The record comes off as really memorable progressive hard rock. Now, I'm sure that a few people won't be able to stomach Petter Carlson's vocal approach as it's very glassy and fragile enough to shatter, but those same people probably couldn't get into Chino Moreno's clean tones in Deftones (no pun intended) for the same reason. It's actually a pretty short disc, all things considered – but it's the kind of disc where I think every song stands out in some way or another.

Forget The Past... can sometimes seem like a complete atmosphere, and it's essentially very chilly with slightly warm moments offered within the heat of the guitars. They believe in spontaneity, which I can kind of hear in this record, but there's also a definite choral formula to some of these tracks that make them complete earworms. I think “Afterlife” sees the duo at their most dynamic, as this artistic soundscape finally reaches it's denouement in the form of a post-rocker that really shows their power. They literally ended the disc with a track that doesn't just come right out and deliver the goods, you have to work for it a little bit and the end result is brilliant. If you're looking for an atmospheric hard rock act that you're going to remember a little bit more than some of the other stuff on the radio, then you can't go wrong here.

(6 Tracks, 30:00)

9/10

Old Forest - Dagian (2016)

The UK's Old Forest are back at it again, with another disc of symphonic and rather folky black metal. This would be their third full-length, showing that the steadfast ambitions of James “Mr. Fog” Fogarty (In The Woods..., Jaldaboath, Ewigkeit and several other awesome bands) still hold up just as well as always. Fogarty handles those crystalline synth nodes, as well as some static and other instances that stretch the work of Old Forest far beyond that of other bands. He also handles the vocals, which don't stray too far from the menacing scowl of which we'd expect, even though the cleans when used are quite pleasant. Beleth plays some rather melodic notes, which seem to bring Dagian an almost mesmerizing feel, compared to the darker atmospheres invoked by some of the band's previous records. With the enchanting folk melodies of “Non” and the whirlwinds of symphonic beauty that have been captured in “Tweoneleoht” there's no doubt in my mind that Dagian might be one of the most pleasant black metal records that you'll hear this year. While tremolos and icy cold riff structures still exist here, there's just so much more to be found within this record and I'd recommend it purely to someone who feels that they're tired of the same old thing when it comes to the black metal sound. While still raw, it feels organic even with the symphonic effects. This is the kind of record that really allows one to sit back and explore the atmosphere, see the worlds by which Fogarty has here imagined and put into song. The four tracks that makeup Dagian are very long, but you want them to be. I want them to be. What's the use in making such a mesmerizing atmospheric release if the songs are forgettable due to not being fully fleshed out? These tracks need time to breathe, and they are definitely given it. Now I know that atmospheric pieces like you'll find placed on the disc's final track “Neaht” might be a little too much for some, but if that's the case, then you're merely looking in the wrong category. I'd be a fool to say that this wasn't an experimental effort and a fool to stand against it. Dagian fully embraces black metal, viking/folk metal and atmospheric music all in the same less than an hour listen – and it does it seamlessly. I regret that I don't have enough time to explore this masterpiece as I would have liked, but you are free to do that when you pick up a copy, turn off the lights and drift off into another world entirely. There are other worlds beyond these, and I daresay that Dagian might just be the gateway to one of them.

(4 Tracks, 48:00)

10/10