Suffering so you don't have to!
Metalcatto
There are promos I don’t know how to label. Some would say those are the most interesting ones. I say those are the ones that imply more risk with the crowd. Anyway, Vingulmork sent us Barmhjertighetens Fallitt, an album that first seems to fit the Black Metal mold, but in practice, things get more complicated. Still, fear not, because I’m here to help you figure out if this is worth your time.
Metalcatto
Usually, when I hear Finland and Black Metal, I tremble. Not because the music is bad, but because the scene is a PR nightmare. I don’t have the time or staff to stalk every band on social media. However, Flame is a band I’ve never heard of, and I was a bit puzzled by the promo. Needless to say, a title like Ignis Draconis Daemonicus is over the top enough to catch my attention. Anyway, we’re ready.
Ixone
I am suspecting just a tiny little bit that upon being sent the promotional materials for this album, the choice for this one specifically might just have been a bit personal (opening track “Eigengrau”, I am looking at you). But here I am barely having started the article and already going off on pointless tangents. Flowers of Rust is a project that I have come to know through this album, so I was diving into it with nothing to go off except its description from the previously mentioned material, which, considering my taste lately has been venturing into different corners of black metal, I was a little.. concerned about my capacity of being objective.
Metalcatto
Today I felt like committing traffic suicide, because nothing new is coming out of this band as far as I know. However, some of us still long for Agalloch to return, but let’s be real—we’ll get world peace before that happens. Having said that, never has a top been so competitive and yet so easy for me. You almost know how this is going to go, but you want to be sure, right?
Metalcatto
I don’t meet too many Black Metal bands with a name like Black Door, because that sounds more like a grandpa Rock band than evil Norwegian shrieking. But Shadows of a Funerary Gleam goes more like bathing in a ton of goat blood. That’s more like it, right? So, can these guys impress us in any way? I’ve never heard of them, so it’s not going to be easy. And lately, I don’t feel like giving high scores unless the band really earns it. Yes, I’ve turned cynical. It’s part of the business. Deal with it.
Metalcatto
In my short career as a reviewer, I’ve heard all sorts of weird, excessive, and even funny names for subgenres. However, “Paleolithic Black Metal” is a new one for me. Wyrdstæf is trying to travel in time to return to the times before agriculture. Primordial Bloodlines takes itself rather seriously, and though I’m not a historian, I’m skeptical of all these gimmicks that try to portray old times in some romanticized way. So, bear with me, I’m going to be a total snob here, or not. I slept bad!
Metalcatto
Since you people seemed to somehow care about my Death Metal opinion, I thought why not try with the edgiest niche. However, I’m going to avoid the most obvious albums here. So no Mayhem, Burzum, or Darkthrone. Don’t panic—I’ll still drop a Norwegian classic or two. Let’s go.
Metalcatto
It’s not long since we reviewed Verses in Oath—an album that could easily top the 10 of that year. Hence, the chances of Verbolgen being Hulder‘s next perfect album are next to none. That doesn’t mean we’re just going to give up, even if that means reviewing this thing a few days later. You don’t care—you want someone to either fight with or to validate your lonely feelings. Let’s go.
