Tag Archive
Thornspawn / Kill – United in Hell’s Fire Split
Once again we have a split that is very evenly matched. Both band's styles complement the other but offer distinct personality and sound in their own right. We'll begin with the Thornspawn tracks as they are a band new to me. One thing I dislike are intros, especially when they go over about 10 seconds. Thankfully Thornspawn was (excuse the shitty... More »
Panphage – Ursvöl
For the most part tuneful Black Metal is a limp, flaccid undertaking; drooping on the fringes of the underground but mostly whoring itself for mainstream consumption. Rare are the exceptions to this. Taake managed to accomplish it admirably over recent years. Now we have a new contender with a refreshing secret formula proving that it can be done. Sweden's Panphage have... More »
Svartsyn – Wrath Upon The Earth
A few years back I spent some time listening to a demo by Svartsyn. If I remember correctly it was nasty and fierce raw black metal. As this is their sixth full length it seems that once again I have some catching up to do. As there is such a gap in my knowledge of the band I assume they've altered... More »
Kill – No Catharsis
The night sky pisses rain onto the ground. The damp earth rips open, and once again Kill rise up from their dark, steaming hole to deliver undead Black Metal to us all! Finally, the long-awaited No Catharsis is here... The opener, 'Rites of Bestiality' immediately sprays you with its stinking riffs, and you can almost hear the black vomit gurgling... More »
Arckanum – ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ
After 17 years, it's no surprise that Shamaatae continues to experiment and develop Arckanum's style, and it's interesting to hear Black Metal artists who try to create something different. The problem is, despite the efforts and desires of some bands to evolve, the results are often shit. Arckanum are one band that has been successful in their evolution, but has... More »
The Black – Alongside Death
1994 was a vintage year for Black Metal. My speakers strained from repeated plays of the epic albums released that fine year: De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, Pentagram, Transylvanian Hunger, The Shadowthrone, Verwüstung... 1994 was also the year in which Swedish band The Black released The Priest of Satan, their classic debut album - then slowly seemed to vanish into Black... More »
Kill Interview
Fresh off the back of my review of Inverted Funeral I managed to track down Getaz and after much negotiating and the promise of multiple virgins to sacrifice he agreed to visit the Hellfurnace and face our interrorgation. It's been two years since Inverted Funeral came out. On your myspace page you say you have finished recording a new album for... More »
Kill – Inverted Funeral
I found this tucked away in a remote corner of Myspace and after hearing the samples there, Inverted Funeral bullied it's way onto my deathdeck. It has remained there almost constantly for a couple of weeks now. Hailing from Sweden, Kill push a flavour of Black Metal firmly stuck in its own limbo between Black Metal and Black Thrash. They've been... More »
Obitus – March Of The Drones
So, March of the Drones begins. A quiet, tense intro passage.. No build-up... No sign of it ending... Fuck, this intro is long, and I'm getting impatient... Then, finally, Obitus go to war. The bunker roof caves in as Sacrificial Abolishment explodes with thick, fast, rhythmic blasting. Hard, dense and aggressive. This is a band who have not chosen to follow... More »
Styggelse – Bland Ändlösa Fält Av Snusk Och Hor
After the opening 15 seconds I knew I would like this. It begins with a couple of samples that are arranged in such a way that makes Saruman appear to be chatting up that slut from the Exorcist! Wait 'till you hear it and its a certainty that her answer makes him blow his load in his robes. Anyway, a well... More »

Black Metal is dead. In the UK at least. Seeing as though it is the place that gave birth to the genre it is as fuckin’ useless a broke-dick dog. There is no scene to speak of, just the odd one or two equally useless bands trying in vain to mimic some of the more [...]
Opening with a song title of the length Bal Sagoth would be proud of (thankfully that’s as the only comparison to draw), the imaginatively titled ‘A Glimpse of the Image of Lucifer Gleaming Beyond the Subterraneous Black Sun’ marches forth. Mid paced, it stamps away with the precision of a well oiled Black Metal machine [...]