STORTREGN - Singularity

Stortregn – Singularity (2016, Non Serviam Records)

If I could have a time capsule and go back to any time in my life as a Metal addicted fan it would be around 1998, the time I got around Black Metal and the extremities of music along with Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore. The new album by the Swiss Melodic Death Metal band Stortregn is almost doing that for me. It took me many listens to actually get it but know the comparison can’t get off my head : Stortregn reminds me of In Flames circa 1998 to 2001. Not the actual melodic Metalcore that they are doing dressed as Metal emos. But to be even more precise, they remind me of the album Whoracle. It’s like a picture where you can see two faces depending on where you are looking; once you can see it you cannot unsee it.

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.