Tag Dark Essence Records
Koldbrann, as many people know, is Norwegian for gangrene, and not, as was suggested to me, the name of a breakfast cereal. You will gather from the name if you don’t know the band already that extreme black metal is… Continue Reading →
The third album from Norwegian band Bismarck, the essential fare here is stoner doom with atmospheric post-rock, and “an uncompromising mix of sludgy riffs and psychedelic nuances”. “Vourukasha” is described as “a metaphysical journey through time and space”. The dark… Continue Reading →
Lethe comprises Anna Murphy, formerly of Eluveitie, and Tor-Helge Skel of Manes and once of Atrox. This project is described as “a melting pot of dark rock, pop, electronic, experimentation and metal, filled with a cold and harsh atmosphere, beautiful… Continue Reading →
Alfahanne return with their sixth album. Known for mixing black metal, classic rock and punk styles along with melodic grooves and bleak atmospheres, “Vår tid är nu” (Our Time is Now) is marketed as their heaviest album so far. A… Continue Reading →
Going back almost 40 years, I was staying in a remote area of Iceland called Lake Mývatn and I saw a glow in the distance from my room. When I enquired about it, I was told there’d been a volcanic… Continue Reading →
This is the second album from Norwegian doomy atmospheric post metal / sludge band Dwaal. Known for their live performances, this album came out following Covid disruption, problems at the recording facilities, and various personal issues. But it’s out now,… Continue Reading →
One of many things I love about metal as a whole, both as a metalhead generally, and specifically as a reviewer, is the infinite and ever-evolving variety and diversity of it. The uninitiated, who tend to hyperfocus on the loudest,… Continue Reading →
Black metal and I have a tricky relationship. On the one hand, I like quite a bit of the output of the bigger “names” in the scene, especially the classic era of Norwegian Black Metal and some of the Black… Continue Reading →
If a band’s looking for a selling point, this is it “This is not elevator music”. That’s their words. They go on: “Trying to perform menial tasks while listening to this album will turn your brain into scrambled eggs”. This… Continue Reading →
Whilst it is true that with all the bobbins associated with Covid-19, whilst some individual days may well drag, for me, who has been fortunate enough to be working full time and getting drowned in overtime, the last two years… Continue Reading →
Dark Essence Records is a Norwegian label that specialises in extreme and black metal, sounds beloved of those wearers of corpse-paint, but subgenres of the music I love that really do not float my boat. As such, for me to… Continue Reading →
Vestindien is the name of Bergen’s last known brothel, the band who took their name from this pleasure palace/oppressive sex slavery den, started as a hardcore band in 2009 and quickly disappeared. Dormant they lay in Norway until recently resurfacing with a new sound… Continue Reading →