Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: Hellcrash Country: Italy Label: Dying Victims Productions Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2023 In the review for Hellcrash’s debut album, ‘Krvcifix Invertör’ our chief-editor Ricardo got flabbergasted by the sheer Venom-worship of their music, so I…
Artist: Proselytism Country: Norway Label: Duplicate Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 After the 2020 released debut ‘Blood Of The Deceivers’, the Norwegian duo of Proselytism returns with their sophomore album, again through Duplicate Records. Those who have heard…
Artist: Outlaw Country: Brazil Label: Art Of Propaganda Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 This Brazilian Black Metal band releases their third full-length with ‘Reaching Beyond Assiah’, but due to the low distribution of their previous works, this album will…
Artist: Cemetery LightsCountry: USALabel: Nuclear War Now! ProductionsFormats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 The first and only time Cemetery Lights graced our pages was with their debut EP, ‘Lemuralia’ (2018). In the meantime we are several releases on. This record, ‘Consumption’, is Cemetery…
Artist: DeathcircleCountry: Bosnia and HerzegovinaLabel: Esfinge de la Calavera / Goatowarex / Sinister ShadowFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 One of the very first bands to arise from the Black Plague Circle was Deathcircle, which was formed in…
Artist: ThromvosisCountry: GreeceLabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2023 In fact, a review can be very easy, or even unnecessary. The real connoisseur has of course already seen it: the red/black/white artwork, the logo, the band name and its title. Everything about this…
Artist: Opaque Blue Country: Bosnia And Herzegovina Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 This new Raw Black Metal band was born as a side-project of Black Stem Rust, an interesting but quirky Black Metal act from Bosnia And Herzegovina.…
Artist: CEPCountry: SwedenLabel: Pant Y MeddygonFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 It might not come as a total surprise, but ‘First Tape’ is actually this band’s first release. But while this might be the first offering of the band, at least one…
Artist: ArjenCountry: Bosnia and HerzegovinaLabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 The Black Metal movement originating from Bosnia and Herzegovina called the Black Plague Circle largely owes its existence to the two prolific members O. and H.P. Together, they started the scene in…
Artist: Incandescence Country: Canada Label: Profound Lore Productions Formats: CD Year: 2022 Incandescence, hailing from Montreal, Quebec, Canada hasn’t got much in common with the so-called ‘Metal Noir Quebecois’ movement that has been spawning one great band after another. But,…
Artist: PerfideCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: ZwaertgevegtFormats: LP / Cassette tapeYear: 2023 ‘De Republiek Der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden’ (which translates to ‘The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands’) was a confederation that existed from 1588 to 1795 and covered most of what…
Artist: ArzhaabatCountry: SwedenLabel: Pant Y MeddygonFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 Arzhaabat is a new musical vehicle of the ever-prolific MBN (Chevallier Skrog among other and the person behind the Pant Y Meddygon label). This time, he is once again all alone at the helm, bringing us…
Artist: Blau BlutCountry: SwedenLabel: Pant Y MeddygonFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 Blau Blut is a new band made up of musicians from several countries, including Sweden, Austria and Slovakia. This international company, in which we recognise at least MBN (of Chevallier…
Artist: DoomorderCountry: Finland / SpainLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 After a short promo in 2016, which was released as a part of a split 7” (pressed on a clear lathe disc) in 2017 the duo behind Doomorder returns with a self-released digital full-length album. The…
Artist: TëmorCountry: FranceLabel: Croux RecordsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 In the ever-emerging scene that combines the fury of the old early 80’s anarchist Punk with the depraved sort of bareboned Black Metal, comes this Parisian act Tëmor. It is not completely…
Artist: HersirCountry: SwedenLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital DemoYear: 2023 Five songs totalling nearly 21 minutes is what the Swedish band Hersir presents us on their second demo ‘Hateful Draugar’ that saw its release in March 2023. Musically the band’s Black Metal can…
Artist: Carpathian WrathCountry: Puerto RicoLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 If Puerto Rican Carpathian Wrath have proved anything (besides their own musical prowess, of course), it is how elitist Metal Archives’ arbitrary regime is. Several attempts have apparently been made to include the band…
Artist: Moloch / Wampyric RitesCountry: Ukraine / EcuadorLabel: Inferna Profundus Records / Signal RexFormats: Split LP / Split cassette tape / Split CDYear: 2023 ‘The Serpent Cult Of Darkness’ is the next chapter in the ongoing series of split releases…
Artist: Drowning The LightCountry: AustraliaLabel: Iron Bonehead ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2023 Most bands start in a rather modest way, probing one’s own musical abilities, gaining experience in writing and recording. In short, demo time. The same, of course, applies to Drowning The Light. Although…
Artist: Drowning The LightCountry: AustraliaLabel: Iron Bonehead ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2023 In a long series of vinyl reissues of the impressive Drowning The Light back catalogue, Iron Bonehead Productions also added ‘Oceans Of Eternity’ to its list. Originally released in 2013, ‘Oceans Of Eternity’…
Artist: CountessCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 One of the very oldest Dutch Black Metal bands is Countess, formed in 1992. There may no longer be any original band members in the current line-up and the band took a…
Artist: Venereal BaptismCountry: USALabel: Ascension RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 It has been about four years since this Laredo, Texas, USA based Blackened Death Metal band has released anything. The previous two albums already showed what this duo had in mind when…
Artist: Mystic Circle Country: Germany Label: Fireflash Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Actually, only just recovered from the shock of Mystic Circle’s unexpected return and, subsequently, their first feat in sixteen years, the German duo is already back…
Artist: Mist Of Misery Country: Sweden Label: Non Serviam Records Formats: CD Year: 2022 This Swedish Melodic Black Metal band has been formed back in 2010 and has kept a steady working pace ever since their inception, with ‘Severance’ being…
Artist: BlasfemiaCountry: ColombiaLabel: I Hate Records / To The Death RecordsFormats: LPYear: 2022 What we have here is a vinyl-only release that compiles the Blasfemia tracks from their 2015 release split CDR with Ramón as well as some tracks from…
Artist: AzaxulCountry: GermanyLabel: Misanthrophia DiscosFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Despite both bands having also existed simultaneously and side-by-side for a brief moment, Azaxul only really came to life when Moonblood was carried to its grave in 1999. Only then Azaxul…
Artist: Heáfodbán Country: International Label: Northern Doom Records Formats: Cassette tape Year: 2023 Heáfodbán hail from Seattle, Washington, USA and blend in some folk-induced burst of rage to a firmly chaotic sort of Black Metal. Just to be sure, adding…
Artist: VârcolacCountry: RomaniaLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 ‘Demo II’ marks the return of this, seemingly, one-man Black Metal act from Romania, Vârcolac. Early 2022 saw the release of the band’s debut full-length album, which was digitally released by the band…
Artist: Kalmankantaja / Hadak Ura Country: Finland / USA Label: Death Hymns / Wolfspell Records Formats: Split Cassette / Split CD Year: 2022 Although Kalmankantaja beats Hadak Ura in terms of volume, both acts are quite prolific and dish out…
Artist: WolflustCountry: BrazilLabel: Hammer Of DamnationFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2022 The Brazilians of Wolflust have come out with their second EP, ‘Endless War’, which, with some 16 minutes of material, presents us with a modest bite of unbridled…
Artist: Hadak Ura Country: USA Label: Death Hymns Formats: LP Year: 2022 Hadak Ura, a one-man band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, which, before today, wasn’t featured on our VM-Underground pages but together with the more recent split release with Kalmankantaja…
Artist: Steingrab Country: Germany Label: Astral Nightmare Productions Formats: CD Year: 2022 ‘Fluch Der Ruhelosigkeit’ is Steingrab’s sixth album (not counting, the live and compilation album, nor the first demo), making this one-man quite a prolific one. Though it was…
Artist: Black KnifeCountry: USALabel: Morbid And Miserable RecordsFormats: Cassette tapeYear: 2023 I first picked up the music of Black Knife with the 2017 released split 7” EP with Abigail. That split collaboration already gave away a little what to expect…
Artist: UnohdusCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 With two tracks spanning a total of 8 minutes, Finland’s Unohdus’ arrival on the Black Metal scene is short but sweet. The atmospheric Black Metal in these two songs shows the one-man band…
Artist: Ceremonial Crypt DesecrationCountry: AustraliaLabel: Banner Of BloodFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 This Australian one-man Black Metal band has been featured on our VM-Underground pages a couple of times, it well seems this album will be the last one ever to…
Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: HammerbundFormats: CDYear: 2023 With the arrival of ‘Surun Saattomailla’, the second Kalmankantaja album of 2023 and 24th full-length in total sees its release. Often working with in particular different vocalists, this time we once again find Grim666 taking…
Artist: Cirith GorgorCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Heidens Hart Records / Ketzer RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Almost like no other Black Metal band from the Dutch scene, Cirith Gorgor turned out to be the child of its time. When they put…
Artist: Putrifier Country: Chile Label: Iron Bonehead Productions Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 This EP, that clocks just under the 18 minute mark, is the debut for Chilean Black/Death Metal band Putrifier. The first thing I thought of when I…
Artist: Øde Country: Germany Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Year: 2023 This new band, which emerged from the German Black Metal scene in 2022, is formed by a pair who have already gained some experience in a number of other Black…
Artist: Dawn’s ReflectionCountry: USALabel: Cryptic Shield VaultFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 ‘Demo MMXXIII’ is not only the first demo of this Richmond, Virginia, USA based Black Metal band, but also for its label, Cryptic Shield Vault. Of both entities there is…
Artist: VoidhandCountry: UnknownLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 There is exactly nothing at all on the internet about this new Black Metal act. It is completely unknown where it comes from and its musical origins. What is clear though, given the…
Artist: Fourth Monarchy Country: Italy Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Year: 2023 The history of this Italian Black Metal band dates back all the way to 2002, when the band was founded. In the very first years of their existence they…
Artist: Mystic Veil Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2022 With ‘What Misery Thou Art Fallen’ the duo behind the American Raw Black Metal band Mystic Veil reveal their first offering, a one-track demo with a total playing…
Artist: Paimon Gate Country: USA Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions Formats: LP / Cassette Tape Year: 2022 Last year the debut EP for Paimon Gate was released through Nuclear War Now! Productions on the three most popular physical formats, showing…
Artist: WolvëinCountry: USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2022 Observing the red/black aesthetic of the cover and adding the Dungeon Synth intro, there is really nothing else to expect but Raw Black Metal in the late 90s tradition with a penchant for…
Artist: AzgarathCountry: FranceLabel: ChaoscibelFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 Azgarath’s first EP and debut album were released by France d’Oil Productions, a label run by Dunkel, an active figure in the French Black Metal underground, known among others for Sale Freux, Drakonhail…
Artist: VindalfCountry: ChileLabel: Signal RexFormats: CDYear: 2022 After having released a couple of singles/EP’s Vindalf released its debut album in 2021 and sees its return a year later with no less than two albums that saw the dark of night…
Artist: Reflet Crépusculaire Country: France Label: Canti Eretici Formats: Cassette Tape Year: 2023 The name says it all, of course, but on ‘The Tormented Wanderer Trilogy’, the three separate chapters from the trilogy of ‘The Tormented Wanderer’ are brought together…
Artist: Ieschure Country: Ukraine Label: Self-Released Formats: Cassette single Year: 2023 Hot on the heels of Ieschure’s ‘The Mystic Fields’ EP from early January of this year, Lilita Arndt treats us with yet another new release. This time it is…
Artist: BurialkultCountry: CanadaLabel: Drakkar ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 It has been over a decade since I first and last heard of the Canadian Black/Death Metal band Burialkult. The band released an EP and full-length album in 2012 and 2013…