The long-running act return with more polished black ‘n roll, touting The Skies Turn Black as “their most focused and aggressive material to date.” Whether that’s true is up for debate as the singles haven’t reflected that sentiment. “Kraken” is a slow soundtrack piece and the music video for the goth rock track “Loving the Dead” features Chris Pontius in a speedo. Who knows–appearances can deceive, after all.
Qwälen hold true to their country’s signature blend of black metal and punk on their third record, the unfussy and straightforward Veri virtaa edelleen. This is written with the utmost admiration, of course, as this type of unrefined black metal is evergreen despite the lack of innovation.
Bosse-de-Nage says it best on their Bandcamp, “What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it’s no longer the point.” The San Francisco group have spent the eight years since their previous record, Further Still, collaborating with other off-kilter Bay Area musicians who have worked with the likes of Deafheaven and Agriculture. Resultingly, Hidden Fires Burn the Hottest amalgamates post-hardcore, black metal, and post-rock’s penchant for atmosphere, though it’s grittier and more direct than that equation implies.
On their third album, Misere Luminis remain sentimental to an overwhelming degree. “Aux bras des vagues & des vomissures” lays that on thick with pianos inherited from DSBM and a football-field-sized scope. Fortunately, Sidera has more going on under the hood than just sadness, which we’ll explore further in an upcoming feature.
Although black metal has long been a rustic genre, Cogadh’s take is particularly so. It’s not sprawling and boreal but earthy and homebrewed. How this presents is rather subtle, as even lead single “Cromwell’s Curse” is filled with haunted yelps, but Cogadh achieve it by warming up black metal’s sonics to accommodate onlookers rather than shun them.
