Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: Beenkerver Country: The Netherlands Label: Vendetta Records Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 Last year we could already enjoy the by no means insignificant ‘Ontaard’, the debut album of this new musical project by Niels “Beenkerver” Riethorst, who we previously…
Artist: Order Of Nosferat / Lunar Spells Country: Germany & Finland / Greece Label: Northern Silence Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Because both bands on this Northern Silence presented split LP released full-length albums fairly recently, with Order…
Artist: Chamber of MirrorsCountry: USALabel: Drakkar ProductionsFormats: LP / Tape / CDYear: 2023 On their second album, US-based Chamber of Mirrors presents a well-crafted mix between raw and symphonic Black Metal. Consisting of the sole member Mortem, ‘Moonlight Decay’ follows…
Artist: NoenumCountry: FinlandLabel: Northern Heritage RecordsFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2023 In late 2022 came the unexpected return of the Finnish duo of Noenum after an absence that lasted well over a decade. However, upon the release of their debut full-length album…
Artist: VoidwindCountry: FinlandLabel: Misantropia RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 Soothing, longing, sorrowful and intriguing: just some words that describe the music of Voidwind on their album ‘Clad in Your Misery’. Besides that it’s released by the Finnish Misantropia Records, not a whole…
Just over a year ago, French Hats Barn released their debut album for Osmose Productions and sixth album in total: ‘Y.a.HW.e.H’. In my review, I described it as an uncompromising mix between Finnish, Polish and, quite naturally, French Black Metal.…
Artist: VictimarumCountry: Finland:Label: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 One look at the corpsepaint pictures in snowclad landscapes might narrow down the options, but all it really takes is just pressing play on the digital ‘Demo 2023’ to realize that Victimarum is…
Artist: Chevallier Skrog Country: Sweden Label: Legion Blotan / Pant Y Meddygon Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2023 The ever-productive MBN is not always making life easy for us; while it is of course pleasing not to have to wait long…
Artist: Blazon RiteCountry: USALabel: Gates Of Hell RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 When the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal exploded in the 80s and conquered the world, not all bands were recognized equally. One such underrated band was Manilla…
Artist: BurgonetCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 Hailing from Finland, Burgonet does not hide their love of the Norwegian Black Metal scene at all. On their first demo simply titled ‘Demo One’, the band professes their adoration for the earliest…
Artist: Undergang / Spectral VoiceCountry: Denmark / USALabel: Extremely Rotten ProductionsFormats: Split LPYear: 2023 A revival of old school Death Metal had been festering in the underground for some years resulting in some essential new wave classics such as ‘Breed…
Artist: KrapylCountry: NorwayLabel: Cold Northern Breeze RecordsFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 Youth is instrumental in the birth and longevity of music scenes. Nearly all extreme metal genres were born out of musical experimentation by teens, trying to find new and unexplored…
Although Wurgilnõ is a completely new addition to the Dutch Black Metal spectrum, its inspirer is no stranger to those who have either been around for a long time or have delved deep enough into the local Black Metal history.…
Artist: Gravavgrav / Bastard Grave Country: Japan / Sweden Label: Behind The Mountain Formats: Split 7″ EP Year: 2023 As a fan of the split 7″ EP format for its (often) musical variety and the 7″ EP in general, it…
Artist: Casket Fesh Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 Whether there will ever be a shortage of gory and zombie-inspired Death Metal is of course only questionable, but if it is up to Casket Flesh that moment…
Artist: Onheil Country: The Netherlands Label: Black Lion Records Formats: CD Year: 2023 As a young metal fan around the turn of the millennium, just taking his first steps into Black Metal, there was one band in the Netherlands that…
Artist: Stenched Country: Mexico Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 There was a time when all muddy Death Metal would be gobbled up like sweet pie by me, around the transition from the 00’s to the 10’s, all over…
Artist: Wurgilnõ Country: The Netherlands Label: Merg & Been / Fetzner Death Records Formats: Cassette tape / CD Year: 2023 Followers of the Dutch Black Metal scene have of course been aware of it for years, but where initially there…
Undeniably one of the most unique Black Metal bands of recent years is Slovakian Krolok. Deeply rooted in their country’s rich history full of folklore and myths, the band treated us with their music to an insight into all the…
From Europe’s Death Metal capital, Copenhagen, there continues to be a never-ending stream of bands that keeps impressing time and again. Okay, most bands do seem to support the same club of musicians all the time, but that should not…
Artist: The River Country: UK Label: Cavernous Records Formats: CD Year: 2023 While The River may not be a typical band that fits easily within the musical scope of most of the other acts reviewed on our pages, it is…
Artist: Dismorfia Country: Peru Label: Gurgling Gore Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 Barbarity from Peru, that’s not exactly new of course. It may not be the purveyor of extreme metal from South American countries, but the country has certainly made…
Artist: Wyvern Country: The Netherlands Label: Heidens Hart Records Formats: CD EP Year: 2023 After the two demo tapes from 2019 and 2020, both of which saw the light of day via Tour de Garde and Zwartkunst Smederij, the mysterious…
Artist: PerfideCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 As part of the never-ending desire to expand their wealth during the golden age, many overseas colonies were added to ‘De Republiek Der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden’ (‘The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands’),…
Artist: Infinity Country: The Netherlands Label: Immortal Frost Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Despite Infinity not being very prolific in their early days after their formation in 1995, the band got a taste for it in the 00s…
Artist: Nights Horn Country: France Label: Self-Released Formats: Demo tape Year: 2023 Of course, it is nonsensical to write an essay on Dissection’s far-reaching influence on today’s extreme metal scene. Almost weekly, we are treated to bands that (sometimes more…
Artist: Ritual Hammer Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 There is little background information to give you any guidance before you turn on ‘Demo 2023’ by Ritual Hammer. But this demo, so far only available as a…
Artist: Weregoat Country: USA Label: Iron Bonehead Productions Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2023 Ahh, Weregoat. The ever-cheerful trio that has been ostentatiously hitting the road since the late 00s is making themselves heard again. Although their previous (and only) full-length…
Artist: Luciferian CeremonyCountry: PolandLabel: Fallen TempleFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 With a clear statement of hate against all Pseudo “Black metal” Luciferian Ceremony certainly isn’t out to make friends. Obviously, deeper down is their pure contempt for the commercialism of Black…
Artist: PestCountry: FinlandLabel: New Era ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2023 It’s 1997. In Norway, the sound of the second wave of Black Metal is shifting to a more symphonic and melodic sound. In Finland, Beherit has taken a completely different electronic direction,…
Artist: LureCountry: FranceLabel: Amor Fati ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2023 In some artists, creativity flows in many shapes and forms. The name of Pierre Perichaud may ring a few bells, but it’s especially the pseudonym Business for Satan (or B.F.S.) that probably…
Artist: Miscreance Country: Italy Label: Season Of Mist Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Although I came across the debut of this Italian Miscreance last summer, I did not get around to giving it a few words at the time.…
Artist: Worm Altar Country: USA Label: Gurgling Gore Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 Last year, one-man formation Worm Altar already delivered a very attractive piece of Doom/Death Metal with a self-titled demo. Although that particular genre has been troubled by…
Artist: DenevérCountry: HungaryLabel: Metal Ör Die RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 ‘Vampír’ was a striking debut by the Hungarian band Denevér. On that album Tibor Terebesi paid homage to his Hungarian heritage, both in telling the story of the blood countess Báthory Erzsébet, as well…
Artist: Sacred OutcryCountry: GreeceLabel: No Remorse RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Sometimes you have to trust your gut and you have to give in to that irresistible urge to buy a record just off of some quick listens. Or maybe…
Artist: Helleruin Country: The Netherlands Label: New Era Productions Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2023 Even for many a seasoned connoisseur, Helleruin’s sudden rising star must have come as a surprise. If I may speak for myself:…
Artist: Sammath Country: The Netherlands Label: Hammerheart Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 The award for most persistent Dutch Black Metal band goes to Sammath without question; ever since their formation in 1994, the band has stuck (for the…
Artist: ShadowsCountry: ChileLabel: Sentient Ruin LaboratoriesFormats: LP / Cassette / CDYear: 2023 Sentient Ruin has struck some pure gold here. Shadows hails from Chile, a country with a small but exceptionally high in quality metal scene. This time it’s not…
Artist: Imperishable Country: Sweden Label: Hammerheart Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 When I stumbled upon Imperishable’s ‘Deathspawn’ demo I was really very much intrigued by the fact that it had been able to get under my radar for…
Artist: Miserere LuminisCountry: CanadaLabel: Sepulchral ProductionsFormats: CDYear: 2023 Miserere Luminis is a band with a bit of a mythical status in the Québécois Metal scene. Formed in 2008, it represented the collaboration of Neptune and Icare of the band Gris…
Artist: Verhinderer Country: Germany Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital demo Year: 2023 With ‘Groschenroman’, we already have Verhinderer’s third demo/EP in our hands, and that in less than a few months, as the band was only started in 2023. This one-man…
Artist: TrépasCountry: CanadaLabel: Sepulchral ProductionsFormats: CDYear: 2023 While some of the members of Trépas have dabbled in Black Metal with their other bands, most people will more likely recognize them from their involvement in the Death Metal acts Outre-Tombe and…
Artist: SacrenoirCountry: CanadaLabel: Sepulchral ProductionsFormats: CDYear: 2023 While both are considered amongst the frontrunners of the Métal Noir Québécois scene, it has been a while since we last saw an album by either Forteresse or Monarque. Forteresse’s fantastic fifth record…
Artist: Cattle Decapitation Country: Terrasite Label: Metal Blade Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Apart from maybe the very first outings (of which some were reissues on 2018’s ‘Medium Rarities’ compilation), Cattle Decapitation were never much of your regular…
Artist: Drowning The Light / Ghosts Of Oceania Country: Australia Label: Dark Adversary Productions Formats: Split CD Year: 2023 Those of you who tend to follow Azgorh’s musical steps in general and that of Drowning The Light in particular, will…
Artist: Moonlight Sorcery Country: Finland Label: Avantgarde Music Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2023 Admittedly, I felt a little let down by Moonlight Sorcery’s second EP, ‘Nightwind: The Conqueror From The Stars’ from December 2022. Although having largely the same ingredients…
Artist: Mournful Congregation Country: Australia Label: Osmose Productions / 20 Buck Spin Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2023 We live in a time where everything happens so fast, where all contacts seem fleeting and there seems to…
Artist: Vomitory Country: Sweden Label: Metal Blade Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Vomitory is such a band that is hard to dislike if you are into extreme metal in general or Death Metal in particular. Although it might…