Chuck Schuldiner Project

Showing posts with label Black Metal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Metal. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Old Forest - Graveside

 



Old Forest have become one of the UK's longest running black metal projects. 26 years and eight albums into their career they are still delivering some of their best material to date. This new record Graveside is some of their best work to date. It's a record that embraces the more rough and ready old school magic of the early 90s black metal scene and which doesn't worry about perfectly produced offerings. Instead there is a sense here that the band is trying to get back to the youthful core of the genre, with songs that are burgeoning with life and new possibility. This record sees the band executing at a whole new level and thrilling with a vision that is triumphantly atavistic. 

This is the best sort of tribute to the old days of the genre. The group clearly draws from acts like Emperor and Enslaved in order to create something that is deeply engaging and anthemic, that feels like it could have come out in 1992. Old Forest haven't gotten lost in the modern trappings of the genre, instead they have gone back, dug deeper and tried to unveil a layer of madness that few of the bands peers can really lean into. This is a record that perfectly nails the old school side of the genre and it's hard not to be enamored with the larger than life war cries, melodic guitars and buzzing guitars. 

Pre-order your copy: 

https://soulsellerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/graveside

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Gorgon - For Those Who Stay


 

Unrelenting and unrepentant - such has been the magic of Gorgon for over thirty years. This band is one of the core French black metal acts and their upcoming album, For Those Who Stay is some of their most acerbic work to date. It's hard not to be thrilled by the devastating churn and unrelenting, bizarrely macabre charm of this new album. Wrapping up a trilogy of albums that started with 2019's The Veil Of Darkness, Gorgon find a way to consistently melt your face off for the 11 bloodthirsty tracks that have come to define this album. 

For Those Who Stay charms because of its outright stench of evil. Songs like "Despicable Beggars" are blasting paeans to suffering. The tremolo picked firestorm and unrelenting assault that the band brings to the table across For Those Who Stay is delectable and speaks to a group who have a deeper understanding of the genre. It's the kind of understanding that only comes after you've been doing this for a third of a century. Suffice it to say - 7 albums into their career, Gorgon remain great. This is black metal done with a deeper, thrilling understanding of the genre and it's hard to pull yourself away from the devastating and blasphemous vision that Gorgon bring. 

Pre-order the album! 

http://bit.ly/gorgon-shop

Sunday, October 13, 2024

Bloodmoon Eclipse - For I Am Your Death

 



One of the things that I find really interesting about Norwegian black metal is how even with a relatively minimalist format bands have found ways to make the early 90's sound their own for over 30 years now. Such is the magic of Bloodmoon Eclipse, whose new record, For I Am Your Death is a tremolo picked journey through a blizzard. This is black metal done right, with vision, aplomb and a desire to make you suffer. It's easy to get lost in the monolithic wall of sound that Bloodmoon Eclipse bring to the table on For I Am Your Death and to be enamored with the bleak vision they portray for us. 

Monochromatic and uncompromising, Bloodmoon Eclipse is firmly rooted in the influence of bands like Darkthrone and Gorgoroth. While For I Am Your Death is not reinventing the steel by any stretch of the imagination, what they are doing is presenting cripplingly powerful and delectable black metal devastation. The blazing attack of the band is addictive and their dedication to the old ways immeasurable. It's hard not to be charmed by the unrelenting assault that Bloodmoon Eclipse bring to the table and I for one am eager to delve into future releases.

Pre-order the album! 

https://www.purity-through-fire.com/

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Vafurlogi - Í vökulli áþján


 

Now this is an interesting one. Vafurlogi is the brainchild of Þórir Garðarsson, perhaps better known for his work in Sinmara and Svartidaudi. Now with the end of Svartidaudi, he has thrown himself back into bring the masterful, long simmering work of Vafurlogi into the word. The result is a thrilling debut album, Í vökulli áþján that potently brings together various layers of what makes Icelandic black metal so good and shows the songwriting going in new and unexpected directions for an intense and immersive listening experience.

Í vökulli áþján impresses because of the breadth and vision behind the songwriting. These are songs that are able to hint at atmospheric black metal but also embrace more raw and apocalyptic visions. Yet there's so much more to this release, from the thoughtful melodicism to the unyielding heaviness. Vafurlogi has found a path that is distinctly their own which can't help but to thrill listeners and leave them curious to delve one layer deeper into what is being offered here. Even after a few listens I haven't had quite enough of this sorcery. 

Pre-order the album! 

https://www.noevdia.com/product/vafurlogi-i-vokulli-athjan-lp/

Thursday, August 29, 2024

Winterfylleth - The Imperious Horizon


Winterfylleth are back with their first new album in 4 years, and as one might expect, it rules. The band has once more delivered on their brand of surprisingly thoughtful, but still blistering and unrelenting black metal. The Imperious Horizon is a worthy addition to the Winterfylleth canon and seems to only drive forward in the bands quest to create some of the most compelling underground music to have emerged from the UK in the last decade. Nearly twenty years into their career, Winterfylleth have proven that they are still among the best to ever do it. 

There has always been something transcendent about Winterfylleth. (And if we're being honest, the entire family of bands they are associated with.) There is a potent sonic poetry to the soaring guitars of the title track, and the synth backings that pad out the record. The Imperious Horizon is an album you can really get lost in. Almost every song is an engrossing multi part epic benefiting from the inimitable production and mixing of Chris Fielding. The end result is a record that you find yourself getting wholly lost in, a record that shines bright and which will leave listeners in awe of what Winterfylleth have accomplished here. 

Some bands are just a head and shoulder above their peers. Winterfylleth is one such band. There is an elegance to their sound that nicely counterbalances the blast beats and tremolo picking that drives many moments in the music. It's hard not to be entranced with the largesse and scope of The Imperious Horizon. Certain black metal records are meant to stay underground, this is a record that I could see appealing to the masses, even those not used to the vagaries of black metal. This is a one of a kind project and one I see myself coming back too a lot over the years. You need it when it drops September 13th. 

Pre-order the album: 

https://winterfylleth.bandcamp.com/album/the-imperious-horizon-deluxe-edition

Monday, June 24, 2024

Uprising - III


 

This is a wonderfully twisted one. Uprising are a German black metal band on AOP Records who have been crafting thoughtful and intense music for a few years now. Wonderfully melancholic and emotional but rooted in many classic black metal tropes, III is a compelling offering and a record that I think fans of the underground are going to continually find themselves getting lost in. There is a wonderful bitterness and bleak vision that is painted on this record that is hard to distance yourself from.

III represents a net level performance and one that is brilliantly intense and personal. There is a very clear and heartbroken beauty that helps to shape so many of the songs on this record. Tracks like Raise A Glass reflect this sense of melancholy and shroud it in a storm of tremolo picks and blast beats. Monochromatic and powerful, Uprising find a way to make their clear cut black metal resonate with the hearts of their listeners. It's hard to separate yourself from these war cries, they ring tragic. 

Pre-order a copy of the album! 

https://shop.aoprecords.de/gb/aop-releases/7740-uprising-iii-lp-lim99-0766734859771.html?search_query=uprising&results=7

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Limbonic Art - Opus Daemoniacal


 

This is a vicious one. Limbonic Art is the long running black metal project from Norway's legendary Daemon. On their ninth full length, Opus Daemoniacal the band continues down the war path of furious, capital letters BLACK METAL to crush souls once more. The record is raw and angry as we have come to expect from Limbonic Art, leaning into many of the classic black metal tropes and encouraging listeners to delve ever deeper into the mayhem that makes this act so special. 

I think what sets Opus Daemoniacal apart for me is the sheer intensity of the vocal performances, and their diversity. While all the vocals are screamed or growled, Daemon's command of his voice is impressive, ranging from the animalistic to the tightly controlled. The multi layered howlings and the pained utterances speak to the anger of the record and it's hard not to be enamored with the high powered sense of destruction burning through the album. There is something wonderfully cinematic about this record too. It shines through the quality of the production with a stereo guitar and vocal attack that lets you feel fully immersed in the music. 

Opus Daemoniacal is a thriller any way you slice it. It shows the band operating at the highest level and unrepentantly delivering blasphemies at a million miles an hour. This is the sort of black metal record that you can get fully lost in and which you are sure to fall in love with time and time again. There is a glorious sense of being lost in Limbonic Art's unique sound world running throughout this release and letting yourself get lost in the madness is a delight. Grab a copy when it drops at the end of June, it's a scorcher. 


Pre-order the album!

http://lnk.spkr.media/limbonic-art-opus

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Aussichtlos - Schicksaltotschlag

 

Now this is a ripper. Aussichtlos have returned with Schicksalstotschlag. It's a scorcher of a record, unrelenting, fast and furious black metal done with all sort of triumphant melodies and touches of synth padding in order to make for some of the most compelling, exciting and otherworldly black metal that I have heard in a good long while. This is a ferocious, burning and exciting offering, a record that dives into the glorious fury of the genre and has me excited to indulge in more of the madness these guys have crafted.

Schicksaltotschlag shines because of the fury of the music, the burning power of the compositions and the bands ability to consistently delve into ever more twisted visions of the enflamed night. In some ways this record almost sounds to me like if At The Gates wrote a black metal record. The Swedish style riffing is there, but the Austrians in Aussichtlos put a spin on it that is wholly demented and wholly their own. What more is there to want from a group who have such a ferocious release schedule and such a clear vision of our fragile reality? 

This is a rapid speed and delectable record, another fitting offering from Aussichtlos. The band may not be reinventing the steel, but their take on the genre is deeply enjoyable and it's hard not to be enamored with the high speed torment that makes for such compelling listening here. Schiksaltotschlag is going to draw in and enamor devotees to the underground, so indulge in the mayhem and get ready for more, because Aussichtlos are certainly bringing it! 

Pre-order the album! 

https://www.aussichtslos.bandcamp.com/

Monday, May 6, 2024

Heimland - Tronearvingens Doed


Now this is a scorcher. The new 2 song EP from Norway's Heimland is a scorcher. Tronearvingens Doed is 9 minutes of deliciously executed black metal. While they might not be reinventing the steel Tronearvingens Doed is triumphant, showcasing potent atmospheres and thoroughly engaging songwriting. There is a wonderfully transcendent and poetic vision behind the music, with surprisingly intricate guitars and thoughtful song structures. Heimland seek to wash you away in a wave of sound, and it's by giving in that you start to get a sense of just how good they are. So indulge in these tracks today and prepare for black metal absolution. Hopefully this is just an indicator of good things to come from the project.

Pre-order the EP! 

https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/tronearvingens-doed

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Dauþuz - Uranium

 

Dauþuz have held sway on my imagination for years. They are one of the most distinct and potent German black metal bands, and have been for years now. Their sound is influenced by the mines, the world underneath our own that we all rely on but seem to rarely acknowledge. Such is the power of Dauþuz and their new record, Uranium. On their fifth full length the band take their potent sounds to brave new heights and leave devout listeners obsessed with the wizardry of what they have crafted. This is black metal done right. 

I think what impresses me the most with Dauþuz is their ability to blend majesty with dark and transcendent metal. The use of clean vocals throughout this record is potent, a clear step forward for the band. Uranium is a remarkably diverse and well executed record. The vision throughout though remains clear and the bands ambition shines through. This is a truly dynamic and exciting black metal record, an album that acknowledges the monochromatic nature of their sonic ancestors but adds incredibly stirring panoramas of sound. It makes for an all encompassing, mesmerizing and beautiful listen that fans of the underground will fall deeply in love with. 

Uranium is mind blowing at best and excellent at worst. It's a record that showcases just how talented the members of Dauþuz are and encourages me at least to delve back into their discography. There are myriad layers here, but Dauþuz manage to touch on so much of what makes black metal great. This album is wonderfully evil, subterranean and dark, but also cinematic and deeply emotional. Pained and triumphant, tortured and powerful. If you haven't spun it already, you need too, this one is going to start turning heads fast. 

Buy the album! 

https://amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com/album/dau-uz-uranium

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Deathcult - Seven Are They

 

Exactly what I needed for my Tuesday morning, a quick blast of Norwegian evil. Such is the power of the howling wind and the devilish magic of Deathcult. The band has found ways to unveil bitter darkness on their first release in 3 years. Featuring Hoest of Taake along with Thurzur and Skagg of Infernal Manes along countless other projects, this is a sort of Bergen supergroup. This record belies a deep understanding of the Bergen sound, which makes sense given these guys helped to create it. Seven Are They is monochromatic and terrifying. It's the sort of thing that leans into the wonderful twisted misery of the genre and leaves me begging for more. Hopefully a full length, which would mark the bands first in nearly a decade, is on the way. 

Pre-order the album! 

https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/seven-are-they

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Lifvsleda - Evangelii härold

 

Now this is a scorcher. Lifvsleda is an excellent project on the ever wonderful Noevdia label. Their new album Evangelii harold is blazing Swedish black metal. With dense soundscapes, wonderful layers of reverb and unrelenting, blasting drums, Evangelii harold is the sound of a band really coming into their own. There is something undeniable and exciting about what Lifsvleda have conjured up here and the twisted visions that guide forward the morass of darkness on Evangelii harold are spectacular and fascinating to behold. 

Lifvsleda prove they are masters of atmosphere on this album. Tracks like "Tramalningen" are deeply enchanting and create apocalyptic, otherworldly atmospheres that can't help but to thrill. The burning fire behind these songs is chilling. The vocals too are of particular note. They feel torn out of the singer through gnashed teeth. The sense of pain that they communicate throughout the album is impressive, as if the torment of a hundred years was being torn out of them. This is the pain that makes so much black metal so enticing, and Lifvsleda find a way to communicate this struggle with aplomb. What more could you want from a black metal record? 

Evangelii harold is dynamic, exciting and unrelenting. It's a record that showcases performers operating at the top of their game to unveil something truly twisted. Lifvsleda is a mesmerizing offering to say the least and indulging in the darkness is certain to be a delight for those of us who have given our lives over to this music. Let yourself get lost in the flames and gaze upon the hellscape that Lifvsleda have created for us, it's a thriller. 

Pre-order the album! 

https://lifvsleda.bandcamp.com/album/evangelii-h-rold

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Duindwaler - In het Heemskerks duin

 

 
The Dutch black metal scene has been churning out interesting records in recent years. Duindwaler is one of the many projects that color the unique Dutch black metal landscape and their new album In het Hemskerks duin is a masterful offering. This is black metal done wit ha vision for a stripped back, twisted sound, an approach that serves them well as they unveil monochromatic and punishing soundscapes that lure you deep into the most wonderfully dark layers of the bands sound. Duindwaler understand the fundamental power of black metal and their path forward leans into this misery. 
 
There is a chilling sense of anguish that defines a lot of what Duindwaler do on this record. In het Heemskerks duin works because of the raw sense of suffering that bleeds through the music .This is black metal done with a vision to claw at the darkest reaches of our collective sanity. It's hard not to be charmed by the visions they bring to life here with tremolo picked guitars and surprisingly agile basslines sitting underneath some wonderfully vicious, unforgiving vocals.  Duindwaler also inject their music with a fitting sense of bombast, with tracks like "Het duister bestormd" crashing down upon listeners and forcing them to come to terms with the thunderstorm of sounds that Duindwaler control with such aplomb. 

In het Heemskerks duin is a hellishly delightful first full length from this one man black metal project. It's a record that gets wonderfully personal and which understands what iti s to suffocate under a storm of self consciousness. The undeniable and burning fires that fuel Duindwaler are relentlessly compelling and letting yourself get lost in these miserable ministrations is certain to keep listeners in awe and coming back for more.

Pre-order the album!

https://voidwanderer.com/product/duindwaler-in-het-heemskerks-duin-cd/

Monday, March 18, 2024

Lvme - Of Sinful Nature

 


This is a crusher. The ferocious new album from Lvme, Of Sinful Nature is a release that understands the blazing magic of black metal and forces devotees of the underground to come to terms with the vast evil that Lvme wield. This is black metal done right, with a taste for despair, larger than life compositions and an overarching sense that Lvme are emerging from the depths of hell in order to punish us with their devilishly inspired music. Of Sinful Nature is a crusher and it's a delight to let yourself get lost in the morass. 

Of Sinful Nature impresses with its larger than life compositions and grandiose aesthetic. There is something to be said for the potent vision that they are bringing here, but for me its really the immersive nature of the music that gets me excited and curious for more. With this album Lvme are consistently vying towards something transcendent and powerful, belayed by a deep understanding of the aesthetics and visions behind the best black metal. With endless tremolo picking and some surprisingly dreamy melodies, Of Sinful Nature finds a way to balance dark and light. A track like "Into Ashen Stone" is a great example of this with its poetic sonic explorations and counterbalanced black metal fury. 

There is something wonderfully mesmerizing about Lvme's work on this album. As the chants gently kick off "Obenaus und Nirgends an!" the album closer, you get a sense of having come full circle, of having been fully ensconced in a very particular black metal vision. Of Sinful Nature is larger than life, twisted and curiosity inducing. Lvme understand exactly what it takes to bring listeners into the abyss and it's hard to pull yourself away once they have sunk their icy claws into you. Take a journey between dark and light, explore your sinful side. 

Pre-order the album! 

https://www.noevdia.com/shop/

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Alkhemia - Abraxas


 

Now this is a scorcher. Alkhemia is a gnarled new French black metal band emerging froom Lille, a city known for a long history of excellent metal. Their debut album, Abraxas is a stunning offering, a record that seems to tie into so many of the core elements of a side of the genre shaped by artists like Mgla and Naglfar and execute upon them with aplomb. While Alkhemia aren't reinventing the steal, this is definitely a top notch black metal release and one that fans of the French black metal scene are going to find particularly enticing. 

Abraxas is a scorcher. There is something wonderfully undeniable about the bands work, the vision is pointed, the band is clear about their sound from the first, but it's the execution on these ideas that sets them apart. The burning fire that you hear on songs like "Primaveal Pantheon" is inherently enticing and speaks to a band that is going to continue to fight back against modernity. There is something potent about the atavistic vision of the band and their Orwellian vision on man and the sinister effects of industrialization. The fact that they can do this with blast beats and tremolo picking speaks to their capacity as songwriters. 

Alkhemia have a deep understanding of what it means to make black metal and their traditional take on the genre is compelling. You can tell the guys in this band have been through other projects but also that this is a labor of love. Alkhemia have managed to set themselves apart and Abraxas is going to thrill listeners of all stripes as they dig ever deeper into the madness of what has been created here. This is black metal that lifts up the French scene with it and has me curious to hear more from these wonderful blasphemers against modernity. 

Pre-order the album! 

https://alkhemia.bandcamp.com/album/abraxas

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Jordsjuk - Råtner På Rot

 

Jordsjuk are crushers. They play blazing, gritty and unrepentant black metal done in the grand Norwegian style. Featuring members of Djevel, Nordjevel, Urgehal and Koldbrann the pedigree is there, but more importantly the music is too. Jordsjuk is a force and their debut EP, Ratner Pa Rot is compelling, unrelenting and crushing black metal. For those of us looking for ab and who get to the spirit of the genre and lean in to so many of the twisted tropes of what this music can be, then there are few better options in the modern scene. Capturing everything from the frozen atmospheres of the North to the bitter anger that fuels so much of the genre in an EP barely over ten minutes long seems like an impossible task, but Jordsjuk pull it off with aplomb. This is a band to watch.

Pre-order the album!

https://jordsjuk.bandcamp.com/

Friday, January 26, 2024

Lhaad - Beneath

 

Larger than life, hypnotic and in many ways terrifying, Lhaad are a Belgian black metal group whose sound is all of those things and more. The bands hadopelagic wanderings have a certain vast darkness to them that makes the their new album Beneath undeniable. It's the sort of black metal that revels in its own cosmic scope, similar in vein to artists like Darkspace. The undeniable and crushing force of Lhaad is mesmerizing. It speaks to a bitter blackness that few of the bands peers can really delve into. These depths are not for everyone. 

Beneath impresses because of the intensity of the work. As you go deeper and deeper into the release you increasingly get a sense of the bleak scope of what has been created here. It's hard not to be charmed by the grandiose imagery that they bring to the table and the breadth of vision. The undercurrent of oceanic themes is also a refreshing break from the usual obsessions with hell or the cosmos. Instead with Beneath we get a record that is bold, unrelenting and indicative of a much darker and more terrifying world right at our doorstep. While Lhaad aren't necessarily breaking any new ground, Beneath is still a deeply engaging record and one that belies serious songwriting talent. 

Lhaad will draw you in with Beneath and never let you out. This is a record that burns through your soul and consistently reminds listeners exactly why we all fell in love with this type of music in the first place. If you're looking for anthems of darkness that lean into the larger than life and which consistently, unrepentantly drag you down with them then this is the album for you. Lhaad understand what it means to unveil glorious sonic torment and these ocean delving anthems seem to only get more compelling with each passing listen.

Pre-order the album!

https://amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com/

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Hulder - Verses In Oath


Hulder have quickly become one of the leading voices in the world of US black metal. They see to be leaping from peak to peak, and their new album, Verses In Oath coming out just before they embark on the vaunted Decibel Tour is a testimony to all that they have accomplished so far. It's surreal to listen to a US band who so accurately capture a European sound, but such is the nature of the genre right now and Hulder use this record to prove that they are masters of it. Verses In Oath is the bands most compelling work to date and sure to entrance black metal fans of all stripes. 

Verses In Oath is mesmerizing because of the breadth of the compositions and the bands willingness to lean into some most excellent black metal tropes. There is something undeniable about the reverbed out vocals, eerie synths and tremolo picked guitars coming together to make for an even more thrilling and dynamic offering. Verses In Oath stuns with its sonic assault, but it remains a record that is fairly accessible. It's well produced enough that it isn't alienating new fans of the genre but kvlt enough that the average leather jacket clad Beyond the Gates attendee is going to find something to be in love with with what Hulder have done here. 

Usually I'm fairly skeptical of USBM because so often it is a pale imitation of its European or South American counterparts. But in this case, Hulder seem to have found something that transcended any sort of geographic limitations by showcasing a deep knowledge of what makes black metal work. The end result is a fantastically interesting, compelling and strangely fun record that will keep you coming back in search of more. Hulder prove that they are among the greats on Verses In Oath and I see them just getting better with time. 

Pre-order the album!

https://20buckspin.bandcamp.com/album/verses-in-oath

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Nocturnal Sorcery - Captive in the Breath of Life

 

Captive In The Breath Of Life is yet more paradigmatic Finnish black metal emerging from the shadowy gates of Kvlt - one of my favorite underground Finnish labels. Nocturnal Sorcery have been have been blazing a path across the world of black metal since 2011, and this latest offering is another fitting battle cry. It's buzzing and unrelenting black metal, focused on tremolo picking and the classic sorcery that has defined the genre for so long. Captive In The Breath Of Life is an unrelenting assault on the senses, and it is glorious. 

Nocturnal Sorcery fundamentally understand that Finnish black metal is at its best when its monochromatic and blistering. This makes for music that feels like being trapped in a blizzard, watching the snow pour down around you as the moon begins to rise. There are few compromises taken on this album and for those of us who are deeply invested in their unique brand of darkness it's hard not to be thrilled with the twisted blasphemies that guide the band forward time and time again. Captive In The Breath Of Life is a record that tears out throats and hints at deeper layers of darkness, but also one that embodies so much of the magic of the Finnish scene. 

This isn't exactly a record for the faint of heart, it's certainly not an album that new fans of the genre are going to gravitate towards. But for those of us who truly get it, who find these threnodies of human suffering in the most extreme of conditions compelling and speaking to the human experience - it's hard not to be thrilled for all that Nocturnal Sorcery have brought to the table. Captive In The Breath Of Life is a fitting war cry, let yourself get swept up in its flurries of sound and prepare for the next assault.

Pre-order the album!

https://kvlt.fi/

Monday, December 18, 2023

Sad - Black Metal Craft


 

Pure, cold, unflinching, immaculate, the wintry monochromaticism of Sad has risen once more from Greece to impress us all with their new album Black Metal Craft. Sad continue to deliver black metal stripped to the bone and guaranteed to impress. The frozen nature of their sound is wonderfully compelling and it's hard not to be enamored with the driving power of the work they present here. Yes, it's not reinventing the steel, but it is damn good 90s style black metal for those of us who haven't gotten quite chilly enough. 

Black Metal Craft inspires because of the relentless nature of the songwriting and the unflinching attacks that help to make Sad such a compelling band in the first place. The driving nature of a song like "Sickening Euphoria" is hard to deny, and the punishing assault that they continually bring to the table speaks to how much they've managed to consistently grow as a band. This is a record that sees Sad leaning into their strengths, stripped back riffs, blasting drums and an overarching sense that the long winter has at long last settled upon us. In other words it's going to be perfect winter listening when it drops worldwide this Friday. 

Sad are Greek black metal gods at this point. With nearly 20 years of music behind them and a whole litany of releases (This is their eighth full length, to say nothing of countless splits and EP's) they have proven that they are devout to the true underground and won't stop crafting ever more twisted visions until their hearts fully freeze over. Black Metal Craft is the next step in this legacy and it's hard to deny the imposing presence it has upon our souls. Spin it today and find yourself lost once more in the demented time wastes of one of Greece's best bands. 

Pre-order the album!

https://shop.purity-through-fire.com/en/advanced_search_result.php?categories_id=0&keywords=sad&inc_subcat=1