I had pretty much given up on Arckanum after he parted company with Debemur Morti Productions (surely a mistake…) and landed the abysmally inadequate ‘Sviga Læ’ album, but ‘Fenris Kindir’ represents a definite return to form and can stand toe-to-toe with the likes of ‘Kostogher’ and ‘Antikosmos’ in one of Black Metal’s great canons.

All in all, this is a surprisingly-good album with plenty of variety, superb musicianship and undoubted quality throughout. No need to say any more, really.

Evilometer: 555/666

Àrsaidh is a one-man act from Scotland performing atmospheric Black Metal which pays homage to the mysterious history and heritage of the creator’s native Highlands. Three lengthy songs plus one short instrumental add up to a total running time of 50 minutes.

A. boldly incorporates violin, keys, bagpipes (of course) and acoustic guitars into the mix but, alas, his ambition backfires as the folk influences become way too pronounced for my liking and, to my displeased ears, the songs come across as long rather than epic.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal taste and I find ‘Roots’ to be too melodic and lush. I’m sure lots of people will get off on this but I don’t particularly like pagan metal.

Evilometer: 222/666

This split is actually called ‘Arraché à la mort, forcé à vivre et mourir à nouveau’ or ‘Ripped From Death, Forced To Live, And Die Again’ depending on which side you’re referring to. But why nit-pick? ‘Split LP’ will do just fine. Fits better above.

I’m a sucker for Akitsa and can’t get enough of their third and fourth full-lengths, which were re-released on vinyl by World Terror Committee recently, namely ‘La Grande Infamie’ and ‘Au Crépuscule De l’espérance’. If you have yet to hear the epic, 21-minute closing track on the former album, ‘Foret Disparue’, then I can only recommend that you check it out asap.

Anyway, returning to the matter at hand, Akitsa’s side of this split comprises three superb examples of stellar Black Metal art, completely and utterly of the underground – as in beneath a north North American forest – complemented by two instrumentals. Cool-as-fuck stuff.

Ash Pool’s side is noticeably louder, both sound-wise and in terms of the message it conveys. I keep forgetting to adjust the volume after flipping the black wax over. And they are just crazy, too, these guys. Demented and weird lyrics provide the befuddling backdrop to their four offerings of strange and raw but addictive Black Metal magic, completing a really obscure collection of tunes that all fans of the subgenre should at least consider investigating.

Evilometer: 555/666

In a way, what you are reading is probably a pointless review as this edition of the album is limited to one hundred units and may be somewhat difficult to acquire at this stage. However, listening to it again recently, I was quite taken by the underground ethic at work (Xeroxed pictures glued on to each side of the all-black cover), which reminded me that those who are truly passionate about Black Metal can overcome lack of funds with creativity and determination. I wanted to give the labels concerned a thumbs-up, even if it is unlikely to boost their sales…

There’s nothing cheap about this release, however. A historic record from one of my personal favourite bands, ‘Iltzeak’ is definitely not Sentimen Beltza’s best album – but is is  still a whole lot better than the produce of most other Black Metal bands.

Evilometer: 555/666

I was going to say that, apart from the involvement of Vindsval, The Eye doesn’t really have anything to do with Blut Aus Nord … before realising that this would be a dumb statement. So I won’t say it. But I will stress that, musically, there are few comparisons between the two projects. ‘Supremacy’ delivers 40 minutes of almost-epic pagan Black Metal, very melodious and harmonic and bordering on exotic at times.

I found it fascinating to listen along to this alternate visage and I must admit the fact that the composer / executor was only 18 years old when he threw this together is mightily impressive. As ever, the album has been lovingly resurrected by DMP, with a sumptuous gatefold jacket and a fucking fucker of a poster, hehe. The vinyl edition does tremendous justice to the stunning artwork and reverently complements what constitutes a true musical curio as well as a slice of history.

Debemur Morti should have offered a money back guarantee with this record because it is extremely unlikely that anybody will purchase it and regret doing so. (Having said that, there are a lot of mongs in the world.) Worth acquiring; and I believe a follow-up album from The Eye is also imminent.

Evilometer: 555/666

Why not put them all on one double LP for €18? After all, we are in the midst of a global fucking recession! The elite nature of Black Metal was never meant to be due to the fact that people can’t afford it. Fuck me ragged.

Anyway, rant over. I decided to wait and go for the budget option and, as the 2CD also includes ‘The Black Legions’ and ‘Rehearsal’ as bonuses (Is bonus the right word? I mean, if somebody punches you four times and then kicks you twice, are the kicks bonuses?), this was really a no-brainer. Trust me, I’m not dumb enough to put vinyl ahead of compact disc if it’s going to cost me almost €50 extra (including postage – and with less songs) to do so!

Must say, I’d be sickened if I’d bought the records because some of the music on here is total garbage. Quality-wise, ‘Anthologie Noire’ captures (a bit of) the best and (a lot of) the worst of Vlad Tepes, so it’s a fair enough representation of their history. Fluctuating from some utter dross to rare moments of inspiration, this is a triumph for quantity over quality (if for anything – maybe I should say a defeat for quality at the hands of quantity…).

For those who love Vlad Tepes unconditionally (what an unfortunate affliction that would be), it’s a great way to catch up with a bucketload of rare material in one go. For the rest of us, we are at least getting lots of material for the relatively-modest (compared to the vinyl) price of admission (even if much of what we’re getting is – for want of a better word – shit).

Evilometer: 222/666

In a way, it’s almost like the last 20 years didn’t happen at all. Certainly no harm in that… There’s no need to overcomplicated Death Metal (or Black Metal, for that matter) and it’s refreshing to listen to some genuine music untainted by post-this and / or avant-that. (Isn’t post-metal the most abominable development ever?)

This is perfectly-produced, excellently-executed DM and – admirably – it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to unravel the lyrical themes. The record includes a neat A5 booklet with lyrics etc. and looks as impressive as it sounds. If you like good, honest Death Metal then you are sure to appreciate what Krypts are doing on ‘Unending Degradation’.

Evilometer: 555/666

The label namedrops five bands as reference points – Aethyrvorous, Cruciamentum, Encoffination, Vasaeleth and Undergang. Of these five, Encoffination is the only one I’m properly acquainted with and I do detect certain similarities, especially in spirit and tone and also the use of samples, particularly at the start of the excellent fifth track ‘Ageless Shadow’.

While I don’t think ‘Boiled To Death’ is as essential as anything the magnificent Encoffination has released to date, it is nonetheless a worthwhile record, with a generous running time (for an EP) of 35 minutes. The record is well packaged and presented, too, which is always an added bonus.

There’s no real gamble involved, either, as you can listen to the entire album / LP / MLP / EP or whatever you want to call it on the label’s Bandcamp page prior to investing. What more do you want?

Evilometer: 444/666

On this album, my compatriots have remorselessly severed any tenuous link they may have previously had with Black Metal – for the sake of maturity, I imagine – and delivered something altogether different. Something that I can’t even be bothered to explain or describe because I couldn’t give a damn about the sort of pretentiousness found on ‘Teethed Glory And Injury’; Altar Of Plagues is now irrelevant to me and to this website

Evilometer: 000/666

‘Paúrpura Fræovíbôkôs’ is Wulkanaz’s second full-length album and has been released in a limited vinyl edition, which I’m predicting will sell out very quickly and will prove extremely difficult to acquire – and much sought-after – in the future. I wouldn’t be surprised if this doesn’t resurface, either as a tape or a CD. That’s how the underground tends to operate and Wulkanaz is very much of the deepest, deepest underground.

The eponymous project of Tomhet’s driving force, this one-man vehicle from Sweden has been spewing out splits and EPs for a few years now, as well as the debut full-length (cassette) ‘HaglaNaudizEisaz’ last year. I hadn’t heard any of the material prior to now but my curiosity was aroused enough to tempt me to hunt ‘Paúrpura Fræovíbôkôs’ down. I’m delighted I did because this truly is a fabulous slab of occult Black Metal.

Not as psychedelic as I was expecting (thankfully), this is still trippy but essentially evil, erratic, indifferent, pacey and almost punk-y (at times), genuinely-esoteric Black Metal that’s so simple and uncomplicated that it’s bordering on genius. The record also looks absolutely incredible, housed in a sumptuous gatefold sleeve with 12-page booklet glued on.

A fresh and exciting new voice is always most welcome. Make room in your collection for ‘Paúrpura Fræovíbôkôs’ (if you can manage to get your grubby paws on a copy).

Evilometer: 666/666

I’m not a massive fan of the cassette format, if truth be told. In fact, it’s my least favourite of all, some distance behind records and CDs and even less appealing than the MP3 in many respects. But it is kinda cult, I guess, and the reality is that some underground releases are cassette-only – Triskèle’s fourth full-length being a case in point (thus far) – while from time to time it is simply more prudent to opt for the tape as it is cheap.

‘IV’ is limited to just 300 units and I’m confident these will disappear quickly (if they haven’t already) at the giveaway retail price listed. Remember, this isn’t three beans for a shitty-sounding piece of crap; you’re getting a proper album, with a running time of around 55 minutes (including two bonus tracks), decent sound quality and even some lyrics included on the fold-out inlay.

To the value quotient, add in the fact that the Canadians have delivered a very enjoyable – if perhaps tame enough at times – consignment of inoffensive, mid-paced, pagan Black Metal, mostly triumphant and epic in vibe but also more gloomy in parts. If you own a tape deck and like Black Metal and are on a tight budget, there’s no real reason not to buy this.

Evilometer: 555/666

Musically, I was expecting something more. As standard Black Metal goes – or ‘Finnish Black Metal without compromise’ – I can’t find any obvious fault with ‘Silver Veins’ as it does precisely what it says on the tin. However: a quarter of an hour of monotonous, unadventurous, emotionless, banal, authentic BM is all fine and well, but does it really have to be this run-of-the-mill?

Obviously, all Black Metal sounds kind of alike anyway so it’s almost redundant to criticise an album for sounding all-too-familiar but my gripe is not necessarily relating to the monotony; more that this is, erm, let me think … boring, for want of a better word. To my ears, Phlegein are just plodding along, going through the motions, never quite arriving anywhere; directionless and rudderless.

I was expecting so much more from this album that I can’t help but feel disappointed. Having said that, it’s not Phlegein’s fault that I had high expectations of them and, to be fair, ‘Silver Veins’ still provides some good (but hardly great) Black Metal, even if you have heard it all a thousand times before (and often done much better than this).

Solid enough but lacking that x factor that separates the true ghouls from the men. “Nothing much happening here, folks, move along…”

Evilometer: 333/666

Debemur Morti Productions has in recent years become a very natural home for Vindsval, not only releasing Blut Aus Nord’s last three albums (the ‘777’ trilogy, including this and this) and the ‘What Once Was…’ EPs but also reissuing the first three full-lengths on vinyl (including this), with the astounding, trailblazing ‘TWWTG’ in the pipeline, I’m led to believe.

Frankly, ‘Ultima Thulée’ is a remarkable 52+ minutes of stellar, icy, hypnotic, haunting, underground Black Metal with a keen sense of melody but also lashings of aggression and forlorn pathos. If you’re not already familiar with this majestic, cult classic – which sounds every bit as beguiling now as it did 18 years (fuck, really?) ago – then it would be a wise move to hunt it down.

Epic and priceless black art.

Evilometer: 666/666

Here’s an old review I found. I wrote it many years ago for a webzine I used to write for and also posted it on Encyclopaedia Metallum in July, 2008. I haven’t bothered to change or edit it (apart from fixing a grammatical error where I ’d written ‘ abbreviation’ instead of ‘acronym’), even though a lot of water has passed under the bridge in the meantime and I don’t particularly like this rip-off label at all…

The primary attraction of Blut Aus Nord’s music resides in their uncanny ability to continuously challenge the listener. The French philosophers never cease to amaze with their capacity to evolve and reinvent themselves. Imagine, therefore, my surprise to discover that Vindsval and his not-so-merry crew sound as familiar as an old friend on their fifth full-length, ‘MoRT’ (French for dead and also an acronym of Metamorphosis of Realistic Theories).

A harrowing and unrelenting black metal entity on their first three (landmark) albums, Blut Aus Nord carved a new sound on monumental 2003 opus ‘The Work Which Transforms God’ – surely one of the most innovative contributions ever to the BM canon. They travelled further along that same Godfleshian experimental avenue on the subsequent EP ‘Thematic Emanation Of Archetypal Multiplicity’, and the album we’re dealing with here continues to explore a growing fascination with horrific urban terror and horrible industrialisation. These eight chapters are nightmare soundscapes that tremble beneath the concrete jungle erected by modern man.

BAN have not made things easy for themselves; they have stubbornly crafted an album that answers their stone-cold muse. This is the stuff of real nightmare. Nothing to do with demons or trolls or Satan, Blut Aus Nord’s evil dwells closer to home: in the mind. Their output is the soundtrack to inner city strife, towering scaffolds, edifices weighed down by the filth of mankind, overdoses, traffic jams, hopelessness and crushed dreams. You can almost feel the decay setting in as the unsettling rhythms, subterranean chants, primeval gurgles and terrifying emissions take grip of your sanity.

‘MoRT‘ is a very uncomfortable ride and, while the creators do appear to be treading familiar ground at times, Blut Aus Nord’s art remains more compelling than 99% of what’s out there. While I was slightly disappointed that there are no curveballs contained herein (‘MoRT’ could be legitimately dubbed ‘TWWTG II‘), the potency of this trauma-inducing mindfuckery is extraordinary.

Black Metal in the David Lynch vein, ‘MoRT’ would be hailed an absolute classic if Blut Aus Nord hadn’t already outdone themselves on its predecessor. As psyche-shifting, ego-altering and edifying as music gets.

Evilometer: 555/666

The sound on here is ropey and unstable; the music is bland and amateur-ish; the playing is shoddy. It’s just lazy Black Metal that was thrown together with total disregard for the listener and very clearly captures a band that was in interminable decline. Just as well Vlad Tepes called it a day not long afterwards.

Even though it has its (oh so fleeting) moments, I can derive no joy from owning a recording as sloppy and careless as this and the fact that I bought in on the more-expensive vinyl format serves to amplify the insult. Nous sommes Satan, my arse.

Evilometer: 111/666