Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Anyone who delves a little into the caverns of extreme metal knows that beneath the surface of the more well-known bands you can often find the roughest diamonds. If you have ever really put your shovel deep into the Dutch…
Artist: EndstilleCountry: GermanyLabel: Ván RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 You cannot deny a band that released several songs with the title ‘Monotonus’ some sense of self-reflection, and for that matter, consistency. Monotonous isn’t a bad quality anyway, and in case…
Artist: Protrusion Country: USA Label: Unholy Domain Records / Sevared Records / A Sangre Fría Records Formats: Demo Tape / Demo CD Year: 2023 Although Protrusion is a new band at the front, three of its four members have a…
Artist: MardukCountry: SwedenLabel: Century Media RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Five years. There hasn’t been this much time between two Marduk studio albums in the 33 years of their existence. Not that the best rested idly in the intermediate period.…
Artist: Ancestors Blood / Heimdalls Wacht Country: Finland / Germany Label: Heidens Hart Records Formats: Split LP / Split CD Year: 2023 On the verge of the end of winter and the beginning of spring this year, Heidens Hart Records…
Artist: DHG/DødheimsgardCountry: NorwayLabel: Peaceville RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 That Dødheimsgard has been pushing the boundaries of Black Metal has been clear from the earliest works. Perhaps that’s why the influence of their classic albums ‘Kronet Til Konge’ and ‘Monumental…
Artist: Owl Country: The Netherlands Label: Zwaertgevegt Formats: Cassette Tape Year: 2023 Although The Netherlands is a small country, it still hosts an interesting Black Metal scene that manifests itself in the most unexpected places. Take for instance the very…
Artist: Urfaust Country: The Netherlands Label: Ván Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Ever since their inception in 2003, Urfaust has been the most unique entity within the Dutch Black Metal scene – which, on its own, can already…
Artist: RiutujaCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2023 Full of melody and harmony, ‘Kuolonkerjuu’ is the debut album for Riutuja. Sorrowful Black Metal with Varg-like vocal outcries, intensely varying drums and dominant layers of guitar melodies, even within a realm of music…
Artist: NidvinterCountry: NorwayLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 ‘Winter Wars’ is the first EP of the band Nidvinter, an Oslo-based band that arose from the ashes of Hexenkeit in early 2023. It follows an earlier released demo on which the band…
A little over a decade since their previous album, Cruel Force comes back to bring the power back into the Metal. With their latest scorching album ‘Dawn of the Axe’ the band once again professes their adoration for the glory…
Artist: Tempest Country: Mexico Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2023 Under the moniker Tempest, this trio, admittedly with modest experience in extreme metal, puts out a thoroughly enjoyable first EP. ‘Unending Torment’, a self-released 4-tracker with a total length…
Artist: Triclavian Country: Canada Label: Serpents Head Reprisal Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 While this trio from Canada may be a somewhat arcane entity, with all three members appearing only by their initials, the fact that this demo (or EP,…
Artist: DikasterionCountry: BelgiumLabel: Amor Fati ProductionsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2023 Dikasterion’s ‘Demo MMXVIII’ left an immediate mark once I first heard it; a raw fist from the Belgian Underground with its chaos-embodying Black Metal in the spirit of…
One of the most interesting Death Metal albums of recent years was Occulsed’s debut album, released in 2021 by Everlasting Spew Records. It may be a new band, but with only a few demos on their record before the release…
The combination of enchanting atmospheric Black metal and profound lyrics dealing with the Belgian area of Kaggevinne were just a few of the many obvious qualities of the band Oerheks. To delve into what moves the band and what lies…
De combinatie van de bezwerende atmosferische Black Metal en diepgaande teksten over de Belgische streek Kaggevinne waren slechts enkele van de in het oog springende kwaliteiten van de Belgische band Oerheks. Om verder te duiken in wat de band beweegt…
Artist: Chamber Of UnlightCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: CD singleYear: 2023 The 2021 debut album of Chamber of Unlight was quite a hammer blow. The Finnish band was started by Necrosis (Ajatarra, Deathchain, Chaosweaver) and later shaped into a trio by…
Last year, Italy’s Thulsa Doom released their debut album, ‘A Fate Worse Than Death’ via Invictus Productions. The album is a breath of fresh air in a musical landscape in which Death Metal is becoming more and more similar, in…
Artist: Cruel ForceCountry: GermanyLabel: Shadow Kingdom RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette / CDYear: 2023 If you hadn’t heard about Cruel Force before, chances are you missed out. Between 2010 and 2011 the band released two rather stellar albums with ‘The Rise…
Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Wolfspell RecordsFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 With the release of ‘Unohdettu’, Kalmankantaja is up to their third release of 2023. After two full-length albums the latest addition to the discography is an EP, although with a total playing…
Out of the depths of the Dutch underground Black Metal scene crawls Perfide. With a basis of old school Norwegian Black Metal mixed with an atypical bass-oriented sound, the band impressed with their debut album ‘De Republiek der Zeven Verenigde…
Uit de krochten van de Nederlandse Black Metal underground kruipt Perfide. Met een basis van old school Noorse Black Metal vermengd met een atypisch bas georiënteerd geluid maakte de band indruk met hun debuutplaat ‘De Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden’.…
Somewhere in the late 90’s I got some 7” EPs from a much older friend who liked this young kid that was me, devouring just everything that sounded remotely heavy. Amongst those 7” EPs was one of Malediction, ‘Mould Of…
Formed as early as 1997, we can definitely say that Burning Winds is a band that more than deserves the term ‘Cult Band’. Although always at the ultimate underground level, the band has undoubtedly contributed heavily to what we now…
Artist: HedenskfridCountry: FinlandLabel: Hellthrasher ProductionsFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 A cover showing a view through the trees on a lake with far away hills is certainly a captivating sight. And the same nature-inspired approach seems to have taken a deep root…
If you are looking for complete objective reporting, in this case, you better look elsewhere. For me, music in general and metal in particular is not only an art form that is the vital lifeline in my existence, it is…
Artist: StangarigelCountry: SlovakiaLabel: Medieval Prophecy RecordsFormats: 12″ EP / Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2023 After a stunning debut album, Stangarigel returns with their latest EP ‘Metafyzika Barbarstva’. Still strongly influenced by the earliest works of Satyricon and Ulver, the band…
Artist: The ChamberlainCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 With experience in several acts including Aesthus, Malum and Norrhem, it’s no wonder that new Finnish band The Chamberlain sounds far from rookies to the scene. On their first EP ‘Dominus Noctis’…
Over the last few years, Canada’s Grave Infestation have established themselves as a more than interesting band in the current Death Metal landscape. Last year the debut album saw the light of day as well as a compilation album featuring…
The ever-active Grafjammer have been steadily making their way within the Dutch Black Metal scene for several years now. Although new work is always on the way, with some recent reissues on vinyl (via the Zwaertgevegt label, among others) this…
Artist: Chemin De Croix Country: Canada Label: Cosmic Cause Productions Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2023 Over the course over the past two years or so the Pant Y Meddygon label has been issuing an impressing amount of interesting releases. While…
When, after much deliberation, you decide to go solo and then deliver a very good debut album almost unannounced, you can of course be very content. But if you then strike out mercilessly with a rock-solid successor, you can definitely…
Artist: Avulsed Country: Spain Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP / CD EP Year: 2023 One of Spain’s longest running bands is back with this new two-track EP, which is actually the first new material since the 2017 released split…
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…