BALFOR - Black Serpent Rising Review

Balfor - Black Serpent Rising (2017, Drakkar Productions)

With the coming of 2017, many things are on the way and we have our first review of an album we received way before 2016 ended and we started getting our ears on it since many weeks. Ukraine has been a huge provider of new Black Metal acts and Balfor is one of the front runners of the Barbaric Black Metal coming from Ukraine. Their new album Black Serpent Rising pinpoints every element one must expect from a Melodic Black Metal record. To many, Melodic Black Metal has been defined by Windir, personally Dissection did the original path on this and its best successor is Mgla.

BAHRRECHT - L’Aube Glacée

Bahrrecht - L’Aube Glacée (2016, Ketzer Records)

The Frenchmen of Bahrrecht are in the tradition of their fellow Anorexia Nervosa with a touch of the 1990’s Black Metal. Wanting to sound a lot more melodic than they were on Nuit de Neige back in 2012, L’Aube Glacée is tainted with the influence of Immortal in the latter years, Windir, and of course Dissection. Getting more of the first two for the song structures and the riffing of the third act mentioned, Bahrrecht however never delivers what is promised.

NETHERBIRD - The Grander Voyage

Netherbird - The Grander Voyage (2016, Black Lodge Records)

With the happening of Jon Nodtveidt’s greatest offering to Metal in the form of Dissection’s Storm of the Light’s Bane back in 1995, a multitude of copycats and followers from Sweden took a spin at the blend of Black and Death Metal with melodic guitar riffs and a huge penchant for the epic of Heavy Metal of the 80’s. In this wave of Swedish melodic Black/Death Metal acts, Netherbird is one of the most loyal band in the genre. Back after a short break, between 2014 and 2016, the Swedes made a comeback in full force.

VINDLAND - Hanter Savet

Vindland - Hanter Savet (2016, Black Lion Records)

French Black Metalers are some of the most eviled musicians of Planet Earth. Just look at Les Légions Noires and listen to Mütiilation and Vlad Tepes to gaze the purity of their interpretation of the genre. With the coming of Bleu Blanc Satan, a documentary about the French Black Metal scene of the 90’s, no one is surprised to discover little gems like the subject of this review. The three members of Vindland are presenting their Melodic Pagan Black Metal in the form of their debut album under the name Hanter Savet.

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.

HYPERION - Seraphical Euphony

Hyperion - Seraphical Euphony (2016, Black Lion Productions)

There have been so many copy cats of Dissection since the band released its masterpiece in Storm Of The Light’s Bane that the subgenre of Melodic Black Metal could have been named Jon Nödtveidt. Being compared once again to those Swedish musicians is probably just another walk in the park for Hyperion but they managed to do it so right that they elevated the Dissection heritage to another level.

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.