Svarttjern remain dedicated to True Norwegian Black Metal and, if anything, are even more steadfast in their delivery of fast, heavy paeans to ancient acts of obscenity and venery on Shame Is Just a Word (Soulseller Records).

Disharmony take us on a trip down Hellenic Black metal memory lane on Messe de Minuit, their latest album on Iron Bonehead: but while the key arrangements may be rooted in the past, their stirring, evocative riffs give hope for the future.

Múspellzheimr remind us on Lunar Apparition and Amor Fati’s re-release of Hyldest til Troldommens Flamme that the frozen north is not just a state, but a state of mind, invoking all that is good an savage about Scandinavian black metal, past and present.

The Infernal Pathway (Season of Mist) is easily 1349’s most complex record yet, but the Norwegian quartet’s iconoclastic virulence is in no way diminished by this stylistic shift, remaining a black metal album full of bombast, splendor and hatred.

1349’s fast, heavy and uncompromising “aural hellfire” approach to Norwegian Black Metal returns on a state-sponsored tribute to the work of artist Edvard Munch, Dødskamp, released by Season Of Mist.

Mardom (out April 12th via War Anthem Records) reinvents no wheels, but the powerful nostalgia it conjures of early 1990s second-wave Scandinavian black metal is a breath of frigid and nihilistic air that does Germany’s Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult proud.

We are privileged in bringing you “Sleep is the Brother of Death”, the newest track from black metal trio Horizon Ablaze.

Day three of Bloodstock and the festival came to a close with a bill that included Cannibal Corpse, Sepultura, Pro-Pain, Black Label Society and a massive set by headliner Rob Zombie. Check out photos here.

More photos from Bloodstock Festival 2015 with day two featuring Napalm Death, 1349, Opeth, Death DTA and headliners Within Temptation amongst the bands playing.

While, from personal experience, I find that most black metal is too much effort to really listen to, occasionally a band comes along that really grabs my attention and Norwegian sonic terrorists 1349 are one of those bands. I mean, come on, the album is called Massive Cauldron Of Chaos, what else could it sound like but absolute hell!?

Norwegian black metal tyrants 1349 (Frost [Satyricon] – drums, Ravn – vocals, Seidemann – bass, Archaon – guitars) have released the first track from their forthcoming Season of Mist album digitally. The track, titled “Slaves”, is available for stream and purchase at Bandcamp. More information on the album’s title and release date will follow.

Recently lead vocalist Ravn from the Norwegian Black Metal band 1349 spoke with me about the band’s new release Demonoir. Demonior is the band’s fifth full-length release and it is an extremely dark, extremely brutal affair that is sure to strike a nerve among listeners. The band has a busy year ahead of them and at the time of this interview, they were preparing to embark on a tour in support of Cannibal Corpse.