Tag: Black Metal

Shamash is one of the few (only?) Christian metal bands from Malaysia. Vocalist/guitarist Andre Chiang has a lengthy history with Christian metal going back to the late 90s with thrash/death metal band Necromanicide, and more recently as a member of the transcontinental act Vultures Gathering. Distinct from those bands, Shamash plays in a hybrid style fusing elements of metalcore, death metal, and black metal to interesting and effective results. “Not by My Heart” opens the album with a mix of metalcore and melodic death metal with some blackened vocals on the verses.… Continued →

Indiana’s favorite blackened death metal band, Symphony of Heaven, have released a new single, and now a new video to accompany it. Both the song and the video are incredible. Check it out here!… Continued →

Indiana-based melodic blackened death metal band Symphony of Heaven is preparing to release their third album, Ordo Aurum Archeia. The band promises dynamic songs and will feature guest appearances from Hinayana’s Casey Hurd and Pantokrator’s Karl Walfriddsson. Mixed and mastered by Kevin Butler at Test Tube Audio, the album is ferocious and unrelenting. Inspired by Dimmu Borgir, Hypocrisy, and Wolfheart, the album delivers six new tracks from nearly every member the band has ever housed. With the core lineup of vocalist / guitarist Pathøs, bassist Turadh, and drummer Asaph, this release marks the first album the band has released independently.… Continued →

Possession was a thrash metal band (with speed metal, black metal and death metal tendencies) from Kansas. They released one full-length album and 2 EPs in the mid-90s (as well as a 2-disc compilation of all recordings in 2020), and despite their innovative, genre-bending sound, managed to stay very underground. To evade a controversy with secular metal label Metal Merchant–and some alleged wrongdoing on the part of the label–Possession self-released their recordings, to much critical acclaim but to no commercial success. Ironically, what made them a listener’s and critic’s favorite, yet kept them in the underground, was precisely their unique take on extreme metal.… Continued →

Two raw European black metal bands meet head to head on this new split CD. Both of the ‘bands’ are effectually one-man projects. Duister Maanlicht hail from the Netherlands, while Kärv is from Sweden. The first thing we’ll notice after popping the CD into the player is how well produced this is. The style is raw/primitive or “old school” black metal, but fortunately for the listener, this doesn’t sound like it was recorded in a metal barn. All of the instruments come through clearly, and yet nothing is too polished or over-produced.… Continued →

Impossibly difficult to categorize into any nice, neat genre, Norway’s Drottnar originally formed as Vitality, in 1996. They began playing death metal, but changed names when their sound shifted towards black metal. The band’s sound continued to evolve more and more, incorporating progressive and technical elements into something more avant-garde over time, while still retaining elements of black metal, death metal, and other extreme sounds. It is this level of experimentation and excellence that both sets them apart from their peers musically, and simultaneously makes their music less accessible to the general populace of listeners–even amongst fans of heavy music.… Continued →

The folks at Thumper Punk Records have released a new compilation featuring a staggering 21 tracks! The comp’s contributions range from unsigned/unheard of bands to the mighty prolific, and include multiple subgenres from folk-punk to pop-punk to hardcore and even black metal. Best of all, all proceeds go towards the Valley Churches Together Food Pantry project based in Santa Cruz, California! Download and support the project here: https://thumperpunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/valley-churches-united-food-pantry-benefit-compilation… Continued →

What does black metal have to do with Christianity? I caught up with Asaph and PATHØS of Indiana’s own Symphony of Heaven to find out. IVM: You guys have been playing this style of music for a few years now. How did you get into black metal (or extreme metal in general) and what led you to want to play music in this style? Asaph: So my answer to this is a bit of a journey. I started the metal journey really with Living Sacrifice, which the early stuff would be considered extreme metal.… Continued →

Ukraine’s Holy Blood formed in 1999, originally playing hardcore, before turning to death metal and eventually settling on a folk/black metal fusion. The band has released 6 full-length albums and an EP since 2002, with later releases featuring a strong folk influence. Waves are Dancing is their sophomore release and features a near-perfect fusion of folk metal and extreme metal, with elements of melodic death metal, thrash, and black metal. Most of the bands albums have been released in English versions in addition to recordings in their native Ukrainian tongue.… Continued →

The brutal swedish metal band known as Crimson Moonlight are back with a new single titled “Wings Of Death” (Listen Below) and have announced an upcoming 3 song EP “Abaddon”. The EP drops November 24th! Follow the band at their bandcamp page crimsonmoonlight.bandcamp.com.… Continued →

Grave Declaration is (was?) a symphonic/atmospheric black metal project from Norway. While that’s not so unusual, what set the band apart was its distinct emphasis on worship. Self-touted as “worship metal” the band’s lyrical emphasis was on a praiseworthy connection to the Creator. Their sound is firmly within the atmospheric branch of black metal, as opposed to the more raw, primitive sounds often associated with the genre. With ties to stalwarts Antestor, and underground legends Vaakevandring, Grave Declaration had the pedigree and the chops to prove their worthiness.… Continued →

This Norwegian band formed in 1999, and sadly by 2007 had called it quits. Hailing from Nannestad, just outside Oslo, they played a formed of atmospheric BM that appealed to many who heard them. While their lifespan was short, their impact was huge. You can still read accolades from fans on music-related social media pages, and band members have also been associated with a number of other, more well-known bands including Antestor, Frosthardr, and Grave Declaration. “Some Day” is taken from their 3-song self-titled demo CD, which was also re-issued a few years later by Momentum Scandinavium with an extra song as Vaakevandring.… Continued →

There is an absolute plethora of underground black metal bands in the Christian scene. While this is a fact to be celebrated, at times it is difficult to judge the quality of releases, when there are so many. Antivenom actually managed to escape my attention until recently. This band, like many in the scene, is fairly mysterious. I don’t know where they are from, although one member (whose name will be recognized by Christian bm aficionados) is Armath Sargon (Armath Sargon, Elgibbor, Katumus, Light to Dead, others), who is from Finland.… Continued →

Big news for those into extreme metal. There is a new collaborative band in the war metal/bestial black metal style by the name of Cataclysmic Warfare. Vocals will be handled by Nocturnal Servant (of Goatscorge, Shekinah), and music by E.O.S. (of Marble Tomb, Antiviper). They are currently recording an EP, which they hope to release by mid-2022. The band will release a lyric video in the very near future, but for now they’ve offered this brief teaser. If this sample is any indication of the full EP, then black metal fans definitely have something to look forward to in the new year.… Continued →

Bestial black metal/war metal band Goatscorge has just dropped a new single in advance of their forthcoming EP. The raw sound should appeal to fans of Lucifer Impaled, Elgibbor, and Shekinah. The controversial title will raise some eyebrows for sure, but it’s a direct reference to Isaiah 45:7– “I form the light, and create darkness I make peace, and create evil I the Lord do all these things.” Thus the title is not a reference to moral evil, but rather God’s pronunciation of judgement in His just wrath.… Continued →

Swiss band Morgarten are back with a new full-length album, this time on Inner Wound Recordings. The album is called Cry of the Lost and was released in June. While the band still plays in the folk metal genre overall, the new material is heavier than their debut, and features more prominently the elements of black metal and some of the fantasy/epic battle elements of power metal, as evidenced by the accompanying music video. Slight warning: while the band’s lyrics clearly use battle stories to paint an allegorical picture of spiritual warfare and Christian spirituality, there are some moderately graphic fight scenes in the video.… Continued →

When it comes to black metal, true fans will generally argue that the more raw, the better. And the more underground too. And there’s not much more rare, raw, and underground than Flaskavsae. The band was spearheaded by the mysterious “E” and most of their releases were in limited runs of a few hundred copies. I happened across the band when I was running a distro about 15 years ago specializing in underground metal, hardcore and indie rock (among other things). Their sound, though bleak, brings in bits of atmospheric layers, and at times, downright noisy textures.… Continued →

Zurisadai (Translated from Hebrew: The Almighty is my rock and strength) are a 3 piece Christian Extreme Metal act hailing from Brazil. FFO: Thrash and Black metal. RIYL: Herd, Hating Evil, and A Hill to Die Upon.

Black/death metal band Since the Death have released a new single, “The Black Must Come Out” in advance of their full-length album by the same name. Label home Vision of God Records is offering the single for free download here: https://visionofgodrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-black-must-come-out?fbclid=IwAR3muBU9kJVcfNZYrU25wu9q_-m-jQToaUVmngyqXhyBw7xh8IZ3UDsHNgw… Continued →

This obscure black metal band only issued a handful of releases from 2008-2011, before shunning Christian lyrical themes for their final release in 2014. “Howls of Worship” is taken from their self-titled EP and also appears on the full-length To Known Hell (what is it with extreme metal’s deliberate use of incorrect grammar?), and is a full-on black metal worship anthem: Come let us worship and bow down Let us kneel before the Lord our maker Come let us worship and bow down to our maker While it’s awesome to have a full-on worship song in the extreme metal format, that is not the track’s sole accomplishment.… Continued →

When Extol’s first album came out in 1998, the Christian hard music scene had been dominated by hardcore and the then-developing metalcore sound. This was being spearheaded prominently by labels like Solid State Records (a division of Tooth & Nail), and Facedown Records. Enter Norway’s Extol. No one quite knew what to do with them. Sure, there was still an active underground metal scene, but Solid State had not signed any heavy metal bands yet–only hardcore bands that dabbled in metal. But Burialwas a full-on heavy metal cacophony, bridging subgenres–progressive, black, thrash and death metal–often within one song.… Continued →

Zao had already made a name for themselves, working up from the underground, with a 7″, cassette demo(s) and 2 full-lengths. They were quickly becoming known for taking hardcore in a new direction. I remember a friend telling me that although he loved the riffs on their sophomore effort Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation, he also found them really hard to dance to. With the third album, they would push the metallic limits of hardcore even further. From those opening riffs you knew this was going to be something special.… Continued →

With the development of the black metal genre into an ever-splintering family of subgenres (symphonic black, atmospheric black, blackgaze, folk black, traditional/harsh), there’s been a lot of room for diversity. However, and probably as a result, those artists who take the traditional sound have become fewer and fewer. Hailing from Chile Anima Mortuum take their stylistic nods from Venom and Bathory (instead of Emperor or Pyramids), and seem keen to keep the traditional sound alive. Morbid Temple is a newly released 4-song demo, and it does not disappoint.… Continued →

SPOILER ALERT: This is a fantastic release! 3 different bands playing 3 different styles (sub-sub-subgenres) of black metal. Each band contributes 2 songs, and while it would be logical to assume that 6 songs equals an EP, this album clocks in at 37 minutes, so I’m gonna call that a full-length. First up are TIMŌRĀTUS (from Louisville, KY), who continue to surprise and amaze me! Every album they do is in a different style, and amazingly they somehow manage to do them all well. Previous efforts I’ve heard have been in post-metal or drone metal territory and others have touched on experimental metallic sounds.… Continued →

Cerimonial Sacred, a symphonic black metal band from Brazil, has released a new single for FREE download. The band have been around since the early 00s and have taken this single from their upcoming new full-length album on Vison of God Records. Get the single here: Everything Beautiful is Falling… Continued →

Black metal stalwarts Ascending King are back! They’ve just dropped a new single “Lignum Vitae,” which is a collaborative effort with Sebat Frost from Frost Like Ashes. Whether it’s due to that influence or not is hard to say, but the doomy elements first heard on the Ascending King EP released last year are gone this time in favor of a faster-paced black metal sound. The single can be downloaded for free here: Ascending King – Lignum Vitae… Continued →

I’d like you to check out this black metal band from the Scandinavian underground named Skald in Veum. They have released 2 recent songs – “As Wolves Among Sheep” and “Goatwhore”. Check them both out below. Fans of solid Scandinavian black metal with positive, hopeful, and Christ focused lyrics will love this. If you’d like to purchase the music on Vinyl or CD, click here and order direct from Nordic Mission. They have some other great metal releases so check out their site.… Continued →

All you metal heads looking for some heavy underground music with a real message of hope, check this new 3 way split out. Featuring the bands TIMORATUS, Symphony of Heaven, and Bismoth. You can listen below via Bandcamp and download there for “name your price”. Support independent music.… Continued →

Black metal band Proven Existence have just issued the following press statement: The new black metal project Proven Existence has inked a deal with the up and coming label, The Bearded Dragon Productions. Proven Existence released their track, “No Light, No Compassion”, and immediately received feedback. The project’s founder, Nocturnal Servant, has been a prominent supporter in the underground unblack metal scene, citing himself as a fan of Symphony of Heaven, Children of Wrath, Frost Like Ashes, and many more. “I’ve been friends with the brainchild behind Proven Existence and really hoped he would do something, eventually.… Continued →

Ascending King is a one-man extreme metal project from Texas. Stylistically it’s a straight-up 50/50 mix of raw black metal and funeral doom. What’s strange about that mix is just how incredibly well it works here. Slower tempos overall and crushing heaviness reminiscent of sludge without the leftfield tendencies of that subgenre, but with occasional mid-paced blastbeats? Mid-paced blastbeats you say? That’s an oxymoron! You’re right, it certainly is, but there’s no other way to describe certain sections of the aptly-named Funeral of the Species. Really attentive listeners, and readers-of-liner-notes may recognize the name Ruah (Hebrew for ‘spirit’ or ‘wind’) as a temporary member of Elgibbor, filling in on guitar and BGVs on spot dates for the Polish legends.… Continued →