Author Andy Pountney
Although both Sweden and Holland have a history of producing black metal bands of the highest order, they might not necessarily seem like a comfortable pairing at first glance. However, what we have here is exactly that and mighty fine… Continue Reading →
Climb on the stage, dive off, hit the floor, repeat……………Back in 2012 I stumbled across a rowdy bunch of thrashers by the name of Nekromantheon laying waste to the cramped confines of Oslo’s John Dee, and as well as being… Continue Reading →
To a lot of people, the word ‘Odal’ is probably best associated with the Elder Futhark rune system and as such has a strong link with history and ancestry. As with all the things, the exact meaning is open to… Continue Reading →
There is something reassuring about Icelandic Black Metal and its oppressive dark embrace. Generally ignoring black metal histrionics, Icelandic black metal opts for a more claustrophobic, crushing style building dense layers of dissonance to great effect. Forsmán are the latest… Continue Reading →
I’d had a bad week and was in a foul mood, in need of release from the claustrophobia of everyday life, desperate for something aggressive to help me let go of some of my angst…….Thankfully Wratheon were near the top… Continue Reading →
Wardruna are something of an enigma. Over recent years, they have grown from a very niche act into an international name regularly selling out large venues with their interpretation of Norse folk (a label which does not really do their… Continue Reading →
Although they only formed in 2018, Swiss atmospheric black metal group AARA are already onto their third album, ‘Triade I : Eos’. This is the first part of a forthcoming trilogy inspired by the Gothic 19th century novel ‘Melmoth the… Continue Reading →
Black metal is about far more than just music. It is about emotion and attitude. It should be provocative, aggressive and confrontational and there should be an intensity, whether that be a brooding claustrophobia or vitriolic aural assault. Of course,… Continue Reading →
Some live albums are bona fide classics that are still revered decades after their release, having captured bands at the absolute peak of the powers with epic performances of rock and metal anthems in front of huge fervent crowds. For… Continue Reading →
In a world of turmoil, it is good to have constants that can be relied upon. Anneke van Giersbergen definitely falls into this category, having been reliably delivering her distinctive vocals over the course of 22 albums prior to the… Continue Reading →
Epica? Being reviewed by Ave Noctum? Surely some mistake? Well actually no….I fully accept that their brand of symphonic metal might be a little too polished for some of our more gnarly readers, but I suspect a lot of hardened… Continue Reading →
Some albums just work. It can be really hard to explain why, but they just have that certain X-Factor (no pun intended). Black metal bands are no exception to this, whether it be keyboard wielding symphonic warriors, Kvlt-er than thou… Continue Reading →