NEST – Nest

Nest – Nest (2016, Tribunal of the Axe Records)

As much as I like a good Black metal record I also get easily into Doom metal even if I kind of can’t keep up with the tremendous number of new releases and underground trend around the genre at the moment. No wonder Black Sabbath is still making music and is on its ‘’Farewell Tour’’ right now.

URGEHAL – Aeons In Sodom

Urgehal – Aeons In Sodom (2016, Season Of Mist)

With the passing of vocalist/guitarist Trondr Nefas in 2012, many believed that the Norwegian Black metal act Urgehal was dead and gone as its leader. It is now widely known that like Piggy, Voïvod’s innovative guitarist, Nefas left completed guitar tracks of the next album of Urgehal. Aeons In Sodom is now the subject of this review.

CARNAC - The Frail Sight [EP]

Carnac - The Frail Sight (2016, Sliptrick Records)

Carnac is a Turkish death metal band from Ankara (Turkey) formed in 2014, their sound is an incendiary blend of eerie, dynamic and modern Death Metal.

HUMANITAS ERROR EST – Human Pathomorphism

Humanitas Error Est – Human Pathomorphism (2016, Satanath Records / Black Plague Records / Abstruse Eerie Radiance)

Straight out of Germany, the same country that the greatest nihilist philosopher Nietzsche is from, the Nihilistic Brutal Black Metal band Humanitas Error Est with its two vocalists (female S. Caedes and male Ghoul) is taking the spot of the most interesting Black metal band coming out of Germany so far in 2016.

ROTTING CHRIST – Rituals

Rotting Christ – Rituals (2016, Season of Mist)

Legendary Greek outfit that is Rotting Christ has been one of the first Black metal band out of Scandinavia to get attention and reach a status of great with their demo Satanas Tedeum in 1989. This album marked some of the greatest Black metal played slow and with their own signature.

WILDERNESSKING – Mystical Future

Wildernessking – Mystical Future (2016, Sick Man Getting Sick Records)

Cape Town, South Africa isn’t your typical location for a Black metal formation to rise and get a worldwide attention. But just as anything, globalization has brought unexpected things all around the globe and we must be grateful for culture to actually cross borders and stereotypes

Record of the Month: January 2016

With the year 2016, the rebirth of Le Mot du Melomaniaque meant more music reviews and a monthly return on the best of the month. So for the first edition of this new feature our winner is:

Remembering MOTÖRHEAD - Bomber

Motörhead – Bomber (Bronze Records, CMC International, Sanctuary Records, 1979)

With the recent passing of Ian Lemmy Kilmister (1945-2015) I’ve decided to revisit the entire Motörhead discography. As an homage but also as a way to mourn this immortal legend of rock and roll.

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE – King

Fleshgod Apocalypse – King (2016, Nuclear Blast Records)

The label Nuclear Blast has been one of the most important Metal labels since a its induction in the records world. Their productions are highly professional and sound almost too good for Metal records. In the case of many bands it may have cause to shifts in their music into a more accessible approach and a too perfect sound.

TURBOCHARGED / RAGEHAMMER – Enlightenment by Bloodletting [Split]

Turbocharged / Ragehammer – Enlightenment by Bloodletting (2016, Godz Ov War Productions)

This split album by Turbocharged from Sweden and Ragehammer from Poland is a sample of each band’s music.

GOHOLOR – In Saeculis Obscuris

Goholor – In Saeculis Obscuris (2016, Symbol Of Domination Prod. / Schattenkult Produktionen)

Slovakian Death metallers of Goholor are presenting their first offering In Saeculis Obscuris as a cruel and dark record which its main themes are torture, religion and wars during the dark ages.

FUATH – I

Fuath – I (2016, Fortriu Productions / Neuropa Records)

Honestly, I was not aware of Andy Marshall, the man from Glasgow, Scotland behind the moniker Fuath (which means hatred in Gaelic) and his other projects (including the more melodic and folksy Saor). But, I must already state that it is a huge discovery for me.

VANAD VARJUD – Dismal Grandeur in Nocturnal Aura

Vanad Varjud – Dismal Grandeur in Nocturnal Aura (2016, Symbol of Domination Prod.)

Coming out of Estonia, Vanad Varjud is a dark ambient/funeral/doom/drone/black metal trio that seems to be trying to make beautiful yet aggressive dark music. Their tremolo guitars riffs are counter balanced by a meditative simplistic piano/keyboard soundtrack and the traditional Black metal chants.

SADISM – Alliance [2015 Blindspot]

Sadism – Alliance (2015, Toxic / Mechanix Records)

Coming out of Santiago, Chile the Death metallers of Sadism are carrying the South American tradition of powerful Metal bands. They have been at the forefront of the scene since the late 1980’s.

TEMPLE OF EVIL – The 7th Awakening

Temple Of Evil – The 7th Awakening (2016, Deathhammer Records)

Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal band from Cyprus, Temple Of Evil are labeled as making unadulterated Black metal by their promo material.

SENESCENCE – Endoomed [EP] [2015 Blindspot]

Senescence – Endoomed (2015, self-released)

This German Industrial Doom metal duo has released an interesting 3-songs EP that shifts at 22 minutes.

STILLBORN – Testimonio De Bautismo

Stillborn – Testimonio De Bautismo (2016, Godz ov War Productions)

Formed in 1997 in Poland, Stillborn are the Death/Black metal incarnation of Satanism and/or Anti-Christianity of Mielec. Stuck in the imagery of the 1980’s Thrash and first wave of Black metal, Stillborn makes a Black metal that could easily be compared to Temple of Baal or early Dark Funeral and early Marduk. Back when Death Black metal was furious, dangerous and evil.

HERSCHER – Herscher

Herscher – Herscher (2015, self-release)

With the tsunami of doom metal outfits releasing more and more albums, the Black Sabbath inspired genre has made so many followers in the likes of Electric Wizard and Windhand.

BOSQUE – Beyond

Bosque – Beyond (2016, Dunkelheit Produktionen)

The new album by the one man band Bosque of DM from Portugal is another entry in the very underground movement that is Funeral Doom metal of slow riffings and analog recordings. Much like Skepticism’s first album, the ‘’natural sound’’ of the production is what makes it more like a band playing in a distant cave with only a few candles lit and lots of loud guitars.