Black Metal – Page 17 – Metal Eclipse Reviews

1349 – The Wolf and The King

Stargazer scholar

Norway’s 1349 has been consistent in proving that maintaining the unholy spirit of Black Metal doesn’t require stagnation. Starting out as self-professed adherents of a more traditionalist approach, the band has since explored Dark Ambient and Thrash, all without compromising its blackened credentials. While some of its work has been divisive—particularly the more experimental, droning side, which received mixed reactions from the genre’s more conservative audience—the band has pressed on with unfaltering zeal and grim determination. At this point in 1349‘s career, one thing is certain: the new opus is dark, uncompromising, and extreme. Its final form, however, remains to be seen, so let’s discover The Wolf and the King together.

Hell is Other People – Moirae

Let’s face it: Post/Black Metal has won the extreme music war. It doesn’t matter where I go; there are at least 20 Post/Black bands making everything around them a valley of tears and sorrow. That brings me to today’s guest, Hell is Other People. With a name clearly inspired by Huis Clos, I couldn’t let it pass! I love my Black Metal existentialist, and that’s what Moirae seemed to promise. Rarely have I been this interested in finding no way out of a painful situation, but that’s what extreme music does to the soul! Anyway, it’s judgment time!

Valetta – Summer

Is it sarcastic to drop an album named Summer in autumn, with that cover art? It sure feels like a provocation for those of us who are about to not see the sun for months. Anyway, we’re here to judge the music, not the sense of humor. Valletta promises something rooted in the past but, at the same time, fresh. The band might be relatively new on the scene, but its members are experienced and ready to show us what dirty Black N’ Roll has to offer. Let’s move!

Death Like Mass – The Lord of Flies

It’s been a while since we covered a debut. You know us—we’re defenders of the deep underground. While I wouldn’t say Death Like Mass comes without some noise, today feels like a low-key moment to talk about some decadent and obscure Black Metal. On another note, when did Poland become the land of Black Metal? Is it the Catholic guilt? Anyway, I digress. With a title like The Lord of The Flies, this release promises something disgusting and maniacal, right? But you know how it is—Black Metal can always find new ways to let you down. That’s why I approach this with open arms, but a cold heart. Let’s dive in.

Winterfylleth – The Imperious Horizon

Stargazer Scholar (follow the scholar here!)

A band doesn’t need to invent a new genre to have an identity. Originality may earn you a paragraph or two in a history book, but at the end of the day, it’s the songwriting that sells records and boosts streaming stats. It’s that special, subtle something that makes you stand out from the crowd and be distinct. Case in point: Winterfylleth, who over the years have managed to carve out a niche within the overcrowded subspace of Melodic and Atmospheric Black Metal. Without being too groundbreaking or experimental, the Mancunians excel at conveying complex emotions with memorable tunes, and their mixture of bludgeoning pagan valor and moving melodicism has become a trademark. But did the band succeed in maintaining its standards with The Imperious Horizon?

Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe

We know that Sweden has Swanö, Finland has Saukonnen, and lately, Germany has Noise—an anonymous artist involved in countless projects, all receiving high critical acclaim. I won’t hide my bias: I want Kanonenfieber to blow me away. Its Menschenmühle had me more than impressed. Sure, the sound the band goes for isn’t exactly new, but the way it uses it, combined with the power of such an authentic and raw narrative, has turned it into one of the most fascinating acts in Black Metal. Excellent! But how about Die Urkatastrophe? Does it honor the dead? Join us in the trenches!

Groza – Nadir

Groza is Germany’s answer to Mgła. They share that traditional rawness, that sense of melancholy, and so far, no major controversies. So, it’s a more guilt-free experience (but we’re all guilty of something, aren’t we?). Album after album, I’ve watched the band evolve from a traditional Black Metal act into a more Post-Black entity. Yet, I always feel like Groza is just one step away from truly finding its own voice on the treacherous path to originality. Is Nadir the album where it finally reaches its full potential? Grab an umbrella, because it’s about to rain tears.

Ævangelist – Perdition Ekstasis Meta

Whoever said that Industrial Metal is boring and commercial has clearly never listened to whatever Ævangelist has been up to. Do they even know what they’re doing? Ever since De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis, the band has developed this bizarre blend of Death, Black, and Industrial Metal, all wrapped in the most lo-fi production possible. It’s such a dense listen that I was genuinely worried I might hate Perdition Ekstasis Meta. Was it because it’s so far removed from anything we might consider enjoyable, or because it lacks something previous it previously had? Either way, I came in ready to give this disturbing album a chance. Let’s go!

EP madness 2: Hammerfilosofi, Emasculator & Grave Sermon

It’s been a while since we paid attention to the leftovers of the Metal world, or in other words, the EPs. As you know, I usually avoid them like the plague, but sometimes it’s good to step out of the comfort zone and try something different. These are a few EPs that managed to keep me awake when all I wanted to do was sleep. That should tell you everything you need to know, right?

Gaerea – Coma

I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I say that in the barren landscape that is pure Black Metal, Gaerea stands as a rare ray of originality. I was there when Unsettling Whispers came out and was just as impressed as anyone else. Then came the crushing and lengthy Limbo, followed by the leaner and more dramatic Mirage. Now, Coma faces the difficult task of continuing a streak of innovation that few other contemporary Metal bands have been able to achieve. Can Gaerea keep us dreaming? Can it replicate the poetic anxiety that has defined its work so far? Come with me and let’s find out.