Distorted Cognitions - Incipient/Proletariat

Utterly insane industrialized black metal from this mysterious one-man band. This stuff sounds like it was recorded by fucking robots in some post-apocalyptic wasteland; the sound is beyond distorted and filled with earsplitting effects, ugly and utterly brilliant!

2008 - Incipient/Proletariat



download [256kbps]

buy here

Ashdautas

Excellent black metal from this “black twilight circle” band. Dissonant riffs mixed with insane vocals and a raw production that gives it a chaotic feel, great stuff!

2005 - Shadow Plays of Grief and Pain



download: [320kbps / flac 1|2]


2007 - Where the Sun is Silent...



download: [320kbps / flac]

buy here for dirt cheap

Aske - Saatan Legio / Goatfuck

Excellent black metal from Finland; bitchin' riffs, awesome vocals and a fitting raw sound. Recommended!!

2008 - Saatan Legio / Goatfuck



download [320kbps]

buy here

Bloodoline - Storm & Brilliance

One of the more underrated albums out there, released in ’05, this is one of my personal favorites from Spain. The album is full of memorable songs, the riffs are just insanely good and the vocals add a slightly psychedelic feel, everything is just perfectly apocalyptic and reminds me of both early and later Dodheimsgard. An absolutely mandatory listen!

2005 - Storm & Brilliance



download [192kbps]

buy here

Utarm - Minus the Divine

Perfect trance inducing black metal influenced drone, Skullflower meets Abruptum, music to let the mind drift… magnificent!

2009 - Minus the Divine



download [vbr v2]

buy here

Addaura

Debut demo from this new US band playing atmospheric black metal; very much in the vein of other Cascadian bands, so if you’re into that check them out!

2010 - Addaura



download [256kbps]

buy here

Algor Mortis - Die Freiheit des denkenden Geistes

Debut album from this new German band. Powerful black metal with a huge sound, reminds me a bit of Lunar Aurora, incredibly enjoyable release! Be sure to buy it while you can, this is limited to 300 copies and can be purchased directly from the band.

2010 - Die Freiheit des denkenden Geistes



download [320kbps]

buy here

Cascadian BM movie

I recently received an email from a Mr. Charles Spano, who is planing on creating an "experimental documentary" on NWBM. In his own words:

"This short, experimental documentary will combine B&W, slow-motion portraiture of members of the Cascadian Black Metal community with footage of them in wide, color landscapes, and non-digetic interview audio. I DO NOT in any way want to try to analyze or explain Black Metal culture, rather I’d like to give a deeply impressionistic view of members of this community. This will largely be accomplished with the emotive and aggrandizing qualities of portraiture which, using slow-motion, building sound design, and forest and snowy locations will have a genuine epic feeling."

At least it probably won't be as bad as "Until the Light Takes us". So if this is something you wanna see, go to his website and read more on it.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/489619181/cascadian-black-metal

Moon - Apparitions

Atmospheric black metal from Australia; mesmerizing music that pulls you in a world of its own, excellent release!

2008 - Apparitions



download [320kbps]

Triumphator - В частицах памяти

Ugly lo-fi black metal from Russia; decaying soundscapes reminiscent of early Burzum with the catacomb-like production of Defuntos, recommended!

2009 - В частицах памяти



download [320kbps]

Hell

Aptly named, Hell conjure a horrowing and oddly bleak atmosphere with this tape. Mixing black metal, sludge, ambient, and drone, Hell gets your head banging and at other times it gets you holding the sheets tight. The juxtapositions are clear, as one track trudges in a super heavy and dark sludge tone, then goes to long stretches of noises and other effects eventually back to riffs. Black metal in terms of atmosphere, production, and vocals, sludge in terms of structure and guitar playing, and overall droning. This is the USA Hell, from Oregon.

I really like this, very minimal, and a great mixture of sludge/doom and black metal. Similar, but very different than Fleshpress (a lot less sludgey, more attention to atmosphere and all things grim). Highly recommended.

Hell- 2009

Download [128kbps]

Buy

-F

Kathaarsys - Verses In Vain

Second album from this excellent Spanish band. Really well made progressive black / death metal, song-writing and production are both of the highest level; musically sounds like a black metal version of Opeth. They’re currently on a European tour, be sure to support them if they play near you, also for those into technical stuff like Ephel Duath, check out their last album, it’s available for download on their myspace.

2007 - Verses In Vain



download [vbr v2]

Darkwor - Foederati

Some well crafted mid-to-fast paced BM. You can see the corpse paint, spiked gauntlets, and bullet belts through the music. These New England fucks give off the aura of Marduk ass raping Emperor with a nine inch freshwater shark dick, while Mayhem watches and jacks off. This is good shit, well produced.

2010 - Foederati



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Ceremonial Castings - Salem 1692

Frankly, I'm shocked this band isn't somewhere on Attila. They've become somewhat big, or least drawn significant attention, and for good reason. When put down on paper, many attributes of Ceremonial Castings would piss me off: a very digital sounding guitar distortion/vocal effects, female vocals, cheesy synth and faux-orchestral stuff. And yet, Ceremonial Castings is fucking awesome. Yes it's fair to call CC symphonic black metal, but they're cut from the same strain that early Emperor was. Phenomenal guitarwork (interesting leads, riffs, catchy and atmospheric) powers each song as the drums rarely drop below super fast, keyboards are garnishing on the cake and the vocals are delightfully diverse (ranging from black metal shrieks, death metal growls, to mid range post produced tones).

Anyway, I'd hope that my personal vote would do something to persuade you as the only two symphonic bands i like are Emperor and Goat Horns Nokturnal Mortum. The opening track, "Where The Witches Waltz," "Obsidian Spells Of Hysteria," and "Onwards To Gallows Hill" amek the album worth it alone.

Ceremonial Castings - Salem 1692 - 2008

Download [220kbps]

Buy

Nokturnal Forest - Cleansed By The Evil Hand

This is a nice slice of Syrian black metal. Nokturnal Forest is a project of Demon of Darkness, the man behind Syria's first black metal band, Blackspell. Like Blackspell, the vocals can be overpowering at times, but they are mixed (as well as the rest of the instruments) a lot better than the previous Blackspell albums. Musically, its competent repetitive mid to fast paced black metal. Reinventing the wheel, no. Worth listening to and banging your fucking head. Of course.

2010 - Cleansed By The Evil Hand



Download

Buy it.

Endless Dismal Moan - Curse of Underground

Final EDM album, released this year after a long delay. Chaotic nightmarish black metal in the vein of his older works, a bit too short but more then enough considering that this is a posthumous release. The last track is just the perfect ending.

2010 - Curse of Underground



download [320kbps]

buy here

Nord / Boréal - Les Saisons Froides / Songe d'une Nuit d'Hivers

Interesting release from two projects fronted by the same guy; Nord is atmospheric black metal, mostly instrumental with the vocals rarely present, good stuff. Boréal is ambient / acoustic music that perfectly complements the black metal tracks.

2005 - Les Saisons Froides / Songe d\'une Nuit d\'Hivers



download [192kbps]:
part1 / part2

Disguster - Esoterrorism III

The final chapter of Disguster's Esoterrorism trilogy. One long mind raping track of hypnotic black noise. In my mind a perfect way to end these three EP's. When they make all three of these on cassette (which is coming very soon), I'll let you crazy fuckers know.

2010 - Esoterrorism III
Download

And now for something completely different...

Here is a little something I've been working on for a while. I wanted to make a totally Neo/Dark Folk Auspicium album for a while now. After some thought, I formed Field of Spears. If you enjoy DI6, Sol Invictus, Of the Wand and the Moon, and the like, check it out. Astute listeners will notice a few old Auspicium songs laced into this release. I hope you enjoy it

2010 - Field of Spears - The Drunk and the Endless


Download

In Human Form - Chapters I--IV

Ripping melodic (they managed to hold the cheese, thank fuck) black metal, that pays a huge debt to Evil Chuck (rip) and the later Death albums (hell, look at the name) . Great high pitched screams over cutting riffs that change to free flowing leads that sound like the bastard children of later Death and Leviathan. This is great and might unseat the new Hooded Menace lp (which if you death metal fans haven't heard, is the best release of the year so far of the genre) as my musical drug of choice as of late.

2008 - Chapters I-IV



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Akitsa / Total Genocide - Split Tape

While on the subject, here's Akitsa's split with Total Genocide from '08. Akitsa’s material is more in the vein of their older works, raw as fuck with absolutely unreal screams; Total Genocide is good fierce old school raw black metal. Killer release!!

2010 - Akitsa / Total Genocide - Split Tape



download [vbr v0]

Akitsa - Au crépuscule de l'espérance

"If you need a description, you don't need it."

2010 - Au crépuscule de l'espérance



download [320kbps]

buy here / here

Nekros Menteia

Awesome atmospheric and somewhat experimental black metal from Australia, incredibly well made with interesting song structures that remind me a lot of Lurker of Chalice, all the releases are recommended, but I suggest starting with the debut (which, interestingly enough, features guest vocals from The Curator) or the Haunting Resonance split.

2007 - Disiecti Membra Poetae



download [vbr v2]



2008 - The Haunting Resonance (split w/ Moon & Nekrasov)



download [320kbps]



2009 - Spiritual Deconstruction (split w/ Erebus Enthroned)



download [320kbps]



2010 - Deus Otiosus



download [320kbps]

buy here

Xasthur - Portal of Sorrow

I know this is on every other bm blog around but I'm posting it anyway because it's fucking awesome, among of the best (if not the best) albums he released!!

2010 - Portal of Sorrow



LINK REPORTED, will not re-upload

Funereal Moon - Beneath the cursed Light of a Spectral Moon [Reissue]

Classic debut released back in ’96 by Funereal Moon. Fucking awesome ambient black “metal” with a unique occult feel mixed with a healthy dose of straightforward songs all graced with some of the best vocals around!

1996 - Beneath the cursed Light of a Spectral Moon
Reissue w/ three bonus tracks



download [320kbps]

Hypothermia - Skogens Hjärta

Single, instrumental, 69 minute song showing a slightly "lighter" side of Hypothermia. This is self-released and made available for free, you can donate at the link below.

2010 - Skogens Hjärta


(this is not the official cover)

download [320kbps]

donate

Brulvahnatu - Uterine Acid Swishes

Nice, doomy, ambient black metal that isn't afraid to thrash when its needed. Long ass songs that build up and catch you in their nets before you know it. Complete reverb addiction.

2009 - Uterine Acid Swishes


Download
Buy it here

Echtra - A War for Wonder

A very enjoyable ep from Echtra, recorded in '04, the music shows a more melodic side of the band while still maintaining a similar atmosphere of the debut. The acoustic guitar dominates the recording while the black metal pounds in the background, the recording is almost entirely instrumental save for the brief vocal passage on the end of the second song. Like the debut, this requires multiple listens to really sink in but it is well worth the time!

download: [320kbps / FLAC 1|2]

buy here

Niktkolwiek - Bzaurie

An interesting release featuring somewhat experimental atmospheric black metal, most of the music is instrumental, with some exceptions; definitely worth a listen!
This was sent to me by a friend of the guy who did this, apparently he killed himself shortly after the recording...
(The band is/was from Poland)

2009 - Bzaurie



download [vbr v0]

Forest Mysticism / Larmes d'Hivers - Blood of the Woodland / The Fall of Autumn's Leaves

Split demo between Forest Mysticism and Larmes d'Hivers, both from Australia. The material from Forest Mysticism is obviously similar to the second demo, only the sound is a bit clearer, though still very much raw; definitely the better band on this split.
Larmes d’Hiver’s material is quite similar to Austere, slow and despair filled black metal, not bad but quite forgettable.

2007 - - Blood of the Woodland / The Fall of Autumn's Leaves



download [vbr v2]