The revival of a more rock-oriented expression of goth is well overdue in a post-darkwave era; and Die Oberherren may just be an essential aspect of the face of that reinvigoration.
This is Dayv. He writes stuff and makes being an aging goth cool again. Actually, nobody can do the latter, so let’s just stick to him writing stuff. Predominantly about black metal, tattoos and other essential cultural necessities.
He also makes pretty pictures, but that’s just to pay the bills.
Puscifer’s ‘Existential Reckoning: Re-Wired (Alchemy Recordings, BMG) is definitely one of the better remix albums of recent years. The additional effort pays off in a more diverse, insightful auditory journey.
What needs celebrating is how Striborg takes the same machine sounds any number of electronic and industrial producers have employed and makes them feel organic, cerebral and human in their expression.
Hilning’s latest album ‘Råtijinn’ (Suicide Records), conjures up as much shamanistic fervour as it does berserker rage: all in all, an excellent offering and an artist to keep in the crosshairs.
On Dark Funeral’s ‘We Are The Apocalypse’ (Century Media), it is, sadly, only Grá frontman Heljarmadr’s contribution that feels like authentic black metal fury.
Draven’s self-released ‘Abyssal Arcana’ is a really strong introduction to horrorsynth. Strap on your chainsaws, pack your Ouija boards and dive right in.
The self-titled debut from Final Light should really be celebrated for reminding us all of the importance of music, art and creativity in addressing the many wrongs of the world.
Agnes Vein’s ‘Deathcall’ is a rare breed, with cross-genre appeal for death, doom and black metal listeners in its sludge-fuelled songwriting.
‘The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain’ is the dingiest, most elaborate and most ambitious expression of darkness yet from Swedish stalwarts Watain.
In preparation for Carpenter Brut’s latest record, ‘Leather Terror,’ we have only one piece of advice: prepare a palm-sized, flat area of flesh to be assaulted, because this album slaps. Hard!
‘Fehunðyrdauðr,’ the sophomore full-length from Chilean black metal act Gryftigaen, is a strong demonstration of artistic growth and maturity.
The spirit of one-man-metal lives on in the form of ‘Tomb Emanations,’ the latest release from prolific Portuguese artist Black Cilice.
Old Castles deliver ‘Sarcophagical Lament of the Past’ via Inferna Profundus Records; raw black metal the way it should be – straight out of the early ’90s.