Sarkom – Doomsday Elite


SARKOM-Doomsday-Elite-cover-new-RGBFollowing the release of sophomore album Bestial Supremacy back in 2008, Norwegian five-piece Sarkom have left a couple of EPs and a split with Urgehal in their wake and whilst this may have temporarily sated the appetites of fans of their depraved and brutish sound, it didn’t keep it at bay for long. So it seems that third full length Doomsday Elite (Dark Essence) could not come soon enough.Continue reading


Temple Of Baal – Verses Of Fire


Temple Of BaalFrench blackened death metal outfit Temple Of Baal have been steadily releasing EPs and albums since their inception in 1998 – 15 years later and their focus has progressively shifted away from black metal and incorporated elements of death, receiving mixed reviews from fans in the process. Fourth studio album Verses Of Fire (Agonia) is a continuation of this departure, however, this time their sound is decidedly more melodic.Continue reading


Throne Of Katarsis – The Three Transcendental Keys


the_three_transcendental_keysThrone Of Katarsis have been active since 2002, however, for those not in the know the fact that two of their four members also play in Gehenna should speak volumes about what to expect from these Norwegians. They are traditional black metal in every sense; from the raw production, to the cold sound, right down to the ethereal and slightly creepy atmosphere created by each of their songs.Continue reading


Arkhamin Kirjasto – Undead Priest Holy Trinity Of Death


arkhamin-kirjasto-undead-priest-of-holy-trinity-of-death-7Finnish duo, Arkhamin Kirjasto, initially recorded these three songs at the same time as their debut Torches Ablaze, which makes it glaringly obvious that these are the tracks that didn’t quite make the cut the first time round, but the band wanted to release them anyway.Continue reading


Ecnephias – Necrogod


ecnephias-necrogod-2013-570x567Italian gothic metallers Ecnephias have been plagued by line-up and label changes since their inception in 1996, alongside not quite knowing their place in the world, and genre hopping more times than most people have had hot meals. However, with a now solid line up and after successfully signing to cult label Code666 it looks like it’s fourth time lucky for the five piece with the release of Necrogod.Continue reading


Laurasia Awaits Us – Apathy Remains Victorious


LaurasiaAwaitsUs-ApathyRemainsVictoriousUnfortunately, we are currently living in an age where it is deemed acceptable by misguided hipsters to take a post rock or even a shoegaze track, add some crackly distortion, growl (badly) over the top of it and, hey presto, you’ve got yourself a ‘black metal’ track! The only thing separating Laurasia Awaits Us from the confused hordes is the fact that they originate from Finland and not the US. The heinous disease is hopping continents.Continue reading


Imperium Dekadenz – Meadows Of Nostalgia


imperiumdek2013cdGerman black metallers Imperium Dekadenz are back with their fourth full length release Meadows Of Nostalgia. The duo possess the unique ability to make traditional BM sound polished and modern without skipping down the path of ‘post-whateveritis’ that causes so many purists to groan and turn their backs.Continue reading