COSTIN CHIOREANU – The Quest For A Morning Star

Music Review : Costin Chioreanu – The Quest For A Morning Star (2015, Avantgarde Music)

Written and recorded to raise funds for the victims of the Bucharest fire that happened on October 30 2015 at the Collective nightclub that killed 60 people and injured 151. The profits of this release will be donated to pay medical bills and funeral expenses of those who have been affected by the fire.

GRAVE FORSAKEN – The Fight Goes On

Music Review : Grave Forsaken – The Fight Goes On (2015, Soundmass)

Just like Iron Maiden and New Wave equal the 1980’s, thrash metal more often than not is the same case if not a nostalgia of a time or a form of music once iconic but now a shadow of itself. In fact, don’t even get me started about power metal. However, when I discover a band worth my notice I won’t stop at its genre or music boundary in any form.

NEURONIA – Under The Same Sky

Music Review : Neuronia – Under The Same Sky (2015, Self-released)

Straight out of Poland, Neuronia have released their third full lenght record on December 14th and are preaching the Heavy/Thrash metal flag high and loud. In the vein of Trial or Trivium, Neuronia makes contemporary thrash metal of short songs and orthodox song structures for the genre.

ECHELON - Indulgence over Abstinence Behind the Obsidian Veil

Music Review : Echelon - Indulgence over Abstinence Behind the Obsidian Veil (2015, Metal Inquisition Records)

With frontman Dave Ingram (ex-Bolt Thrower and ex-Benediction) and Rogga Johansson of numerous projects on all instruments, Echelon is an old-school Death metal monolithic band of grand scale. The familiar Bolt Thrower vocals of Englishman Ingram are one thing that helps the familiarity of the sound of Echelon while Johansson pounds on the drums and plays all the instruments just as good as any four piece band.

MGLA - Exercises in Futility

Mgła – Exercises in Futility (2015, No Solace | Northern Heritage)

While it almost felt into my blindspot category of 2015, the third full length album by Polish black metallers, Mgła, is one of the most celebrated releases of the genre this year. With six intense songs of pure black metal with a melodic undertone of a solid yet typical guitar riffing. Typical but above the rest in contemporary black metal. Exercises in Futility unravels as this complete and dense album that delivers a true to the best of the heritage of the genre but also with a contemporary production that give justice to the grandeur and depth of their music.

SIVYJ YAR – Burial Shrouds

Music Review : Sivyj Yar – Burial Shrouds (2015, Avantgarde Music)

Highly prolific band or one man band, Sivyj Yar (an ancient deity of Slavs) and its sole member Vladimir from Russia, has released five albums since 2009. With lyrics recalling the early times of Varg Vikernes in the infamous Norwegian black metal scene, Sivyj Yar is navigating between thrash metal, black metal, avant-garde, and even post-rock. There’s also a huge sensibility of progressive rock of the 1970’s and a bit of distant shoegazing that the music evokes.

ABSOLUTUS - Pugnare in iis quae obtinere non possis

Music Review : Absolutus - Pugnare in iis quae obtinere non possis (2015, Heidens Hart Records)

Coming out of Belgium, Absolutus are a nihilistic black metal band that has evolve from a traditional black metal sound to a more experimental ensemble creating eerie atmospheres and out of this world darkness. As a contemporary black metal release at 33 minutes this is a concise record. This really pays off as the band shows tenure and a great use of editing.

CRYPT SERMON – Out of the Garden

Crypt Sermon – Out of the Garden (2015, Dark Descent)

Getting into the album Out of the Garden took me a while and despite all the praise and positive buzz around the album, I was not able to complete a listen of the entire album since it came out. So in an attempt to complete my year end lists I revisited earlier releases of 2015 and I fell on Crypt Sermon and saw that Pitchfork, Angry Metal Guy +1, and even Fenriz even put it on their essentials. So like the good sheep that I am I followed those shepherds to finally find what they heard that I didn’t.

HEIMSDALLS WACHT – Der Untergang der alten Welt

Music Review : Heimsdalls Wacht – Der Untergang der alten Welt (2006-2015, Heidens Hart Records)

Rising from the earth of Gemany in 2004, Heimsdalls Wacht are a duo performing solid revivalist black metal from the early 1990’s à la Gorgoroth, Satyricon, and Ulver. Without falling into the corny Darkthrone or Emperor wannabe easy path that too many trve Norwegian black metal acts have fell into, Heimsdalls Wacht have a solid and well produced piece of metal.

CULT LEADER - Lightess Walk

Music Review : Cult Leader -  Lightess Walk (2015, Deathwish)

The label Deathwish of Converge member Jacob Bannon has been releasing iconoclastic underground bands since its debuts. With the latest release of Cult Leader’s Lightless Walk, we are into Converge-like territories of the Jane Doe era. Read here : a hardcore band that is playing on the boundaries of many genres of metal.