Alter Era - "In Autumn's Solitary Decline" (Mater Tenebrarum Records)

Genre: Primal/Ambient Black Metal

Location: Slovenia

Band Website: -

Label Website: Mater Tenebrarum

Alter Era is one of those mysterious black metal bands that have the reviewer at a loss for words when trying to talk about their work, because what they do is not only music, but more of a cult, a spiritual thing. I personally find that a few elite black metal bands (including Alter Era) do escape the narrow confines of sociable "heavy music" and cross over to another world, where evoking deep spiritual trances of the darkest hateful feelings becomes the norm.

Throughout In Autumn's Solitary Decline, Alter Era comes at you straight and directly with refined old school black metal that actually gives more of a cold rather than an overtly extreme feeling. The album contains 6 lengthty hymns that are totally true to a very mysterious and - may I say - paganistic nature. Most songs average around the 6,5 minute mark and this provides enough ground for the band to develop their sound, and also envelop the listener in an effort to follow and identify with the totalitarian atmosphere that Alter Era give off in the most unashamed manner.

If you sit down and analyse the specifics of the album, everything suggests that this is black metal and nothing else: violent guitars forge steel in a dark mine of BM dissonance, with catchy but true BM vocals and a blurry exchange of drum tempos (the loud snare is drum loaded with reverb and sounds like the doors of hell). Then again, if you pay closer attention, you certainly realize that this band gives off a very dark and chilling avant garde aesthetic. It's like the soundtrack to an endless fall, to an inevitable trip down a well that leads to nowhere else but Hades. Therefore, what you get is the whole satisfaction of black metal violence combined with a frosty nocturnal feeling that can haunt your mind and accompany your darkest thoughts during those late night hours.

All in all, this is a unique and pretty album which blends black metal with subtle new age elements. Of course, Alter Era have nothing to do with the popular post-black metal movement of our times. And that, is a glorious victory in itself: to manage to bring together different paths and craft a unique black metal sound without copying the popular (and shitty) BM trends of today.

Review: Deafheaven - "Roads to Judah" (Deathwish Inc)

Genre: Post Rock/Black Metal

Country: San Fran, USA

Band Website: Tumblr

Label Website: Deathwish Inc

I believe that is positive to push the boundaries and create something that has your signature on it, not only in music but in everything. Deafheaven are obviously trying to do that. Most of the people characterize their music as black metal, however I think that its more complex and I would like to make some comments about that. Ok, I agree that the drumming and the vocals as well as their sound in general will bring to your mind Norwegian forests and landscapes covered in snow. On the other hand though, when I cleared my mind and focused on the actual riffing and melodies I see a bigger connection to post-rock-metal than in black metal. And this is the controversial and the interesting part somehow. Their music teases your mind and throws it from wildness and roughness to tranquility, leaving you enough space to think wonder and get lost. One friend asked me what kind of music do Deafheven play and my answer was “It’s like Red Sparrows played 10 times faster. Include some torn vocals and now you got a hint”!

Their first official release, called Roads to Judah, contains four tracks only but with duration that approaches 40 minutes. The first song starts with an intro-part that lasts about 5 minutes and it is walking entirely on post-rock paths. Atmospheric, sweet melodies with a visible intention to put you in quite a relaxing mode. But when the noise starts, I don’t see many changes on the actual riffing and melodies. As I said before, the difference is in the drumming which becomes faster (in a black metal motive clearly) and in that someone is yelling blackly at a microphone. The first time I heard a pure black metal riff on the album was on the beginning of the second track and from this part on, riffs like that appear occasionally on the album. Clearly Norwegian influenced black metal at the style of Darkthrone and the “epic” and “winter” aesthetics of early Immortal. The fun part starts when the mixing of these two styles becomes more intense. So as the album goes on, we see an intention of combining black metal and post not only by separating one song in several parts, but in including post/alternative riffs while having their “black metal face” and visa versa. If someone pays some attention to the third and the fourth track I think he/she can also figure that out.

Concluding, I have to admit that I was not entirely fascinated by Roads of Judah, but I definitely found a reason to appreciate it, pay some more attention to it and place it in my music collection. Something is missing in order to make this album more exceptional. I believe that the main reason is that on the “black part” they are missing the black metal feeling and they maybe lack of capability to play this style of music. Increasing speed, buzzsawing on the guitar and putting some black metal vocals does not automatically mean that you have a black metal band or that you are playing black metal. I think that they are doing much better when they put their post uniform on and that is maybe why they cannot easily take it off. However, one certain thing about the album is that it gives a 100% travelling feeling. You will find yourself walking in landscapes, getting lost in forests and you will visualize lakes and colorful horizons. And that is definitely an accomplishment and something not so easy for a band to achieve with their music. Plus, it has its own identity!

Deafheaven have a lot of potential and I think I‘ll bet my money on them.

Nikos Tolis

nikostolis@gmail.com

Demonic Slaughter - "Revelations of Death" (Hellthrasher Prods)

Genre: Black/Thrash Metal

Country: Poland

Band Website: Myspace

Label: Hellthrasher Productions

All hail. What we have here is a dirty rotten piece of old school black metal music for fans of that real nasty and unpleasant horror atmosphere.

Demonic Slaughter pull no punches as they plunge on to the sheer necro debauchery after a quick intro characteristically entitled "Funeral". The sound is a  low-budget, dirty and flat barrage of noise, reminiscent of that gone but not forgetten early BM époque, or even the modern black thrash revival.

There is really nothing modern about the sound of these Polish necro fiends, while they destroy all in sight with this 3rd album of theirs. And even though they have the aforementioned BM worship (early Mayhem, Burzum etc) locked down, that's not all that's going on: Demonic Slaughter manages to sneak in some unholy death/thrash metal influence that is really subtle, but definitely doesn't go unnoticed. The band also layers its sound with lots of intros, samples and weird passages that bring on that real old school horror atmosphere. What we're talking about is not Necrophagia's Lucio Fulci, but the real black & white cvlt horror atmosphere which is also the most effective. The album is spiked with weird sounds, satanic poetry, weird keyboards, cracks, screams, yelps and indiscernible sounds that makes your hair stand up. Real haunted house (check the cover), cemetery, grave-rising atmosphere that will put your thoughts in a loop.

While the aforementioned theatrical atmosphere goes on, there is nothing theatrical about the band's playing, as the drummer produces some crushing BM blasts and the sharp riffs give lessons in old school black thrash violence. The distortions are not huge or anything but that's also the point here, to make a nasty necro sound that is not based on huge amps but on the "right" quality of dirtiness. There are also two kinds of vocals: nasty and super nasty. The plain nasty ones are typical blackthrash screams and they are used as the main singing voice. Then again, the super nasty ones are weaker but definitely more unholy and are used in the aforementioned sick poetry and sometimes during the verses. This double vocal exchange is quite intriguing to the ear that only expects one kind of vocal. All in all, fans of Aura Noir, Cadaver, Desaster and that whole old school thrash black sound will just love this. However, be forewarned that this band is more underground and harsh to listen to (yay!).

Fotis.TYS

Featured Bands: NunFuckRitual (Oslo, Norway)

Fucking hell!

Every now and then I like to throw a little something that derails from the classic hardcore/metal stuff we post on this blog. Above all, we are into heavy music that makes an impact and when I listen to something too good and too extreme, I want to share it with the people who read this blog. Moreover, You have to do what you can to spread the word on bands that are making awesome music. BUT, this is the 1st time I ever post something from the black metal realm on this blog. However, this is totally worth it as it is pioneering, brutal, atmospheric BM that will make the hair at the back of your neck stand up. It's that scary.

NunFuckRitual is a Norwegian BM outfit (from Oslo), which however has nothing to do with the BM tradition of this country (musically at least). The black metal we have here is creepy and atmospheric, maybe even psychedelic. However, it maintains a pretty fucking high level of extremity. Perhaps the whole outcome musically and aesthetically points to something more American BM-influenced. Or maybe the Nordic tribes of BM are at it again, reinventing the whole sound of this genre.

NFRitual has released an album in 2011 called In Bondage to the Serpent, you should check it out if you are into weird, extreme BM. Fucking go for it, listen to something that will creep you out!

https://www.facebook.com/NFRITUAL
http://www.myspace.com/nunfuckritual
http://www.debemur-morti.com/ (label website)