NOISE TRAIL IMMERSION - Womb

Noise Trail Immersion - Womb (2016, Moment of Collapse Records/Triton’s Orbit Distribution)

Lately, here at LMdM (short for Le Mot du Melomaniaque) we have been receiving lots of Italian bands albums. Added to that, the number of Post Black Metal, Black gaze, Atmospheric Black Metal, etc. bands have been growing so fast that we don’t even care to get excited anymore. Well, that is not entirely true but you get the picture. Noise Trail Immersion was the first time we encountered the genre Black Math-Metal in our promotional mountain pile of new records that reach us everyday.

BLACK OATH - Litanies In The Dark EP

Black Oath - Litanies In The Dark EP (2016, Terror From Hell Records)

This four song EP from the Doomsters Italians of Black Oath is a taster of what they have in their bags. It is Doom Metal done right especially with the medley of ‘’Highway Cavalier’’ and ‘’Reincarnation’’ that is rendered in ‘’Reincarnation Of The Highway Cavalier’’ a tribute to the late Terry Jones of Pagan Altar. The moods and atmosphere created by ‘’Funeral Alchemy’’ is spot-on with strong riffs and the right moody arrangements.

TUTTI I COLORI DEL BUIO - Initiation Into Nothingness

Tutti I Colori Del Buio - Initiation Into Nothingness (2016, Bare Teeth Records)

TUTTI I COLORI DEL BUIO began at the end of 2013 in Turin, Italy, from four friends previously involved in such bands as Marmore, Last Minute To Jaffna, and Magdalene, all active and known within the Italian scene.

Powerviolence is a genre that was brought back to somewhat popularity with Nails recently but that is a hybrid of Hardcore Punk, Grindcore, and Crossover. Never far from 1980’s punk and D-beat (obviously think of Discharge), such legendary acts like Spazz have paved the way for further bands like Tutti I Colori Del Buio.

ACHERONTE - Ancient Furies

Acheronte - Ancient Furies (2016, Satanath Records)

The number 7 is the key element of this new album by the Italians of Acheronte and their Black Metal that reminds of Bathory and their Under the Sign of the Black Mark era and Marduk’s Heaven Shall Burn When We Are Gathered. Ancient Furies is composed of seven songs, about seven monarchs for seven furies. In the vein of the second wave of Black Metal and the spirit of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by Mayhem, Acheronte are giving many glimpses of well executed Black Metal.

DARKEND - The Canticle Of Shadows

Darkend – The Canticle Of Shadows (2016, Non Serviam Records)

There seems to have a weirdly forced vibe going around the release of this album with the A-list Black Metal guest performers in the name of Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Niklas Kvarforth (Shining), Sakis Tolis (Rotting Christ), and Labes C (Abysmal Grief) for the release of the Italian Symphonic Black Metal act Darkend’s The Canticle of Shadows. As with any buzz surrounding a movie or a new record I tend to take a step back and wait for the confetti of fandom and trend followers to get down to make a more thoughtful opinion about the thing. With the new Darkend, I wanted to get my review out in time for the release date so I spaced my listens in time and I tried to distance myself from the many promotional emails and rainfall that I had over this new record.

THE CLEARING PATH – Abyss Constellation [EP] [2015 Blindspot]

The Clearing Path – Abyss Constellation EP (2015, Avantgarde Music)

A two songs EP of Italian progressive black metal gets us to think that black metal isn’t limited to the primitive boundaries of its second wave even with all the malignant sides it implies.

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.

HORNWOOD FELL – Yheri [2015 Blindspot]

Hornwood Fell – Yheri (2015, Avantgarde Music)

Coming out of Italy, the Basili brothers of Hornwood Fell are exploring the boundaries of contemporary Black metal with a penchant for a Ved Buens Endesque sonority.

IL VUOTO - Weakness

Il Vuoto - Weakness (2015, Satanarsa Records)

This North Italian one-man project by Matteo Gruppi (Chiral) is a 2015 phenomenon that is in vein with Bell Witch, Skepticism, and other Funeral Doom metal new projects.