Hollow Woods – “Cold Winds Cleave the Earth” (Signal Rex, 2021)

Finland, that "den" of beautiful Black Metal and heretical rot. Fuck me... Beherit for Life, right?! Obviously. Ladies and gentlemen, we return to the icy lands, and this time to immerse ourselves in the sound of another proposal that comes to us via the national label, Signal Rex. Two Demos precede this "Cold Winds Cleave the Earth", and what we have before us is a immensely strong offering of Black Metal, where melody meets with that characteristic sound of Black Metal, that rot that makes this sound, The Sound. The vocals are tremendous, making the tracks bigger at each listening. The pace to which each track develops, constantly growing, the slow moments, the suffering in which the voices rise, and the intensity takes us completely. Although I don't consider Hollow Woods a total, and perfect reflection of the Black Metal of their homeland, it is clear the ability these musicians have, to create beautiful melodies, Finnish style melodies, bearers of that je ne sais quoi so characteristic of the current Black Metal. In a way these Finns manage to create a bridge between Yesterday and Today. Superb...

Waldoede – “Volksmythos” (Demo, 2020)

I have been a Black Metal fan for years. Started with the generic (may I call it generic?) bands that were closer to the Mainstream, in the 90s, and went on from there. Picked up a few lesser-known acts throughout the way and reached the point I am today. I turned out to be very picky when it comes to choosing a new band to check (new to me, at least… this is from 2020), and I filter “my” Black Metal with a comb-like examination. Has border? Has B&W pics? Has guy with point hat? Has freaky logo? But does it have quality? I know of people that “eat” whatever is shown to them as being quality Black Metal, but I tend to suspect the “next big thing”, and “Black Metal single premier”. Premiers in Black Metal? What World do we live in? “What happened to the passion?” (H20) truly fits well with this one, right? I love Black Metal for the emotions that I extract from the music, the approach, how much is put into; does are some of the reasons, and I believe one can smell, at a distance, when some of these elements are missing… Waldoede is a one-man act from Germany, and bloody Hell, these guys know how to Black Metal, right? That sound, unlike the French, that crafted a more Romantic Black Metal (“romantic”), the Germans have this approach to the genre that is more Folkish, more Pagan, more… earthly, whatever that means. “Wolksmythos” means Folk / Popular Myths, in English, and translating the titles of the songs (sorry for my inexistent German), we get the idea that then artist might be talking / singing / focusing on ancient myths, ancient folklore. And how rich is that? Black Metal is a very complete genre. Lyrically, it can be based on supernatural, unearthly events, as well as century old legends. How do you top that? You add this melodic facet to it, because this gentleman here does not go for the Raw Black Metal like many, as he creates a neat web of melodies, and this “weak” mix gives it an enormous strength, as it pushes all the melodic elements, up and forward. Does it sound like what bands? To be honest, I did not even waste my time thinking on FFO, as this is too good to not be heard by a very large number of Black Metal listeners. 11 minutes and 47 seconds was all it took to win me over, and over, and over… it is Raw as it is Melodic, it is Fast as it is Slow and Dense. It is truly top-notch quality. Ufff… we need more.

Fluisteraars – “Gegrepen Door de Geest Der Zielsontluiking“ (Eisenwald, 2021)

Dutch Black Metal tends to push me away. Not that it does not have quality, but Dutch musicians live, most of the times, in a separate, Universe. Their vision of the genre is very particular, very… a bit like what happened to many of the 2^nd wave bands from Norway, that transitioned from a plain, simples, Black Metal scheme, to a renewed, transformed, otherworldly vision of Black Metal. These mates are a perfect example, I dare say. I saw this album listed in multiple sites, magazines, blogs, you name it, but it never appealed. I was then sent the promo for review. “Well, now I must listen to it”, was my first thought. And these cases exist to prove that I have very little time, and that you, Black Metal musicians, have too much spare time on your hands. Pause the creation, please. This thing is amazing! It is Black Metal in its core, but it breaks the dome and flies towards a separate dimension, where there are no restrains, and purists are not allowed. This, is, Black Metal (Butler style)! How can a 20 plus minute track sound so light and easy to go through?! This is a 3-track album, and it does not reach the 40-minute mark! To some of you, that have been following the band for years (they have been around since 2009, geez), my words can sound as those of a mad man, a guy that has been living under the rocks for ages, but I was truly unaware of how these lads sounded, until today. And it comes as a shock, as this almost Autumn like sound appeals so much to me. A bit like what Drudkh does: those dark, green, and red melodies, that seem like a walk through the woods during Winter. The Folk – but not Folk – melodies, intertwined with the deranged vocals, all wrapped up in a perfectly assembled box, take you to a special place. Musically speaking, again, this is Black Metal. It does touch other layers of the musical specter, and that is what makes it so beautiful. It takes you to places where you mind is at ease, resting on a bed made of mold, with Mother Nature softly caressing your face. What a bloody good combo, this is. This is one of the best Black Metal albums of 2021, and I only heard it know… shame on me. Each one of these songs is a crescendo by itself, leading to a so well-designed ending. They make it seem almost effortless. It is, in the end, Atmospheric Black Metal with scents of this and that, but please, do not be fooled by the label, for labels tend to not describe, with exactitude, what Music tries to convey.

Blood Moon Zenith – “Blood Moon Zenith” (Dismal Ruin / Poisonous Sorcery, 2020)

We are all well aware that Black Metal has drifted away from the well-produced, high-production aesthetic to a much more primitive approach. Some will say that the genre has never left the muddy banks of the swamp, statement I agree with, but truth be told, we have never seen such a scenario when it comes to Black Metal. Forget the big names, the ones that have been around for years, headlining the festivals and alike; center your attention in those little (but not lesser known) bands that live the genre, that are the genre (Bane much?). There is still plenty of Black Metal bands that hold way up high the flag of Black Metal. Blood Moon Zenith is one of those cases. Very little is known about this stellar act (although I almost bet it is a North American act), but we came here for the music, and music it is. Raw, disgusting, horrendous, melodic, dense, moldy, claustrophobic… all situations that can easily describe what I feel when spinning this monster of a release! It came out in 2020, and I only had access to it in 2022… what?! It came out on Dismal Ruin, and that is it. The end. No, no, no. “Blood Moon Zenith” came out in 2020, as mentioned previously. 4 tracks, all of them above the 6-minute mark, but what could have been a harsh and painful experience, became a superb one. The intensity of the music, the dark facet of the music, it resembles a haunting scene from an old Hammer Film movie! Superbly scary eheheh and, added to that, the musical creation is top-notch! Very few Black Metal releases resonate, with me, the way this one did. It might seem / sound simplistic, almost weak, but the end result is a massive demonstration that Black Metal, the one that matters, is still alive. Am I overreacting? Exaggerating in any way? I dare say NO… an exquisite Black Metal release, from an artist (or artists) that must give us more of his talent, more of his vision of the genre, more of his melodies. Haunting melodies. 

(All these reviews were originally written for World of Metal and VM-Underground)