Ara
“Blutroter Mond” (Into Endless Chaos Records, 2024)

One very cool thing about this release is that it does not sound like the majority, and that is quite nice for a change. Wait… not this reinvention of the genre, but considering what he has crafted here, we see that this is a bit beyond the genre, at the moment. I have no idea if this was ignored or not, but I find it refreshing, honestly. This came out in February, so it is not that recent. Nonetheless, very solid. I can almost have this Punkish feeling from his music. Not as prominent as, for example, Bone Awl, but you have it there.

In its core, it is Black Metal, and a very… I would say aggressive nor harsh, for it does not “paint” his sound correctly, but it does have spirit and energy, that is completely true. It almost has this Folk and Pagan aura to it, melodic, yet punitive. I do not find it easy to label if I can be honest. Again, not because it is this magnificent record or whatever, but because I do not know what to extract of it. Rites of Pestilence put it very wisely when he mentions Post-Punk. Ok, ok, ok. I tend to take a step back when I read Post-Punk and Black Metal in the same label/sentence, but why not? I can see where he is coming from on this one, and he also mentions the more orthodox approach, which yes, I can hear, yes. And all these labels/sounds fit quite well, and then this pops up.

Black Metal with an edge, I guess… hit that bass like Peter Hook.

ARA Official Bandcamp

Eternity’s Nightfall
“Love & Agony” (2024)

“Love & Agony” was released, through the band, on the 14^th of February of the current year. Ever since it came out, I find the date quite suiting, and not because of the title, no, but because of the overall atmosphere of the release. I have stated this is previous reviews, but I have always found Celestia and Mortifera to have this delicate, passionate thing about their sound, d’you know what I mean?! This romanticized approach to Black Metal, without ever falling into “weak” melodies. To make it clear, I am not comparing Eternity’s Nightfall to any of the mentioned French acts but, I can hear the same mood, the same desire to give the music that melancholic, yet romanticized, element.

“Love & Agony” is the project’s first release, initially released independently, but later to be released by Eye of Rot, from what I have heard. Musically speaking, “Love & Agony” is a slow to mid-pace musical endeavour, a delicate, yet cutting, piece of beautiful Black Metal. This has snippets of DSBM, the harsh side of the Raw Black Metal sphere, the vocals are the sound of desperate man, full of rage and anger. The vocals are wicked and piercing and fit perfectly well with the sound. I have no idea if this release will reach the people, but a lot of people that pollute the Raw Black Metal scene with so many low-quality music should listen to this and learn a bit.

Again, with the vocals: I do enjoy the fact that they are somewhat buried beneath all the rubble and the debris, giving the music this special aura. In global, the sound is very melodic, and that might be the reason I hear different sonic realities in the music… I dare say the duo did not aim for a caustic sound/production, and they could not have been able to pull it off with the melody their music has! Love the production, love the sound. This is Raw Black Metal done correctly! “Clawing at First of Night” has an amazing atmosphere: cold and cutting!

In conclusion, this is a great release. Again, the wheel has not been reinvented, but the task has been very well performed, and the end-result is very good. For Darkness has many shades of black.

Eternity's Nightfall Official Bandcamp

Vanwa
“Vanwa” (Masters of Kaos Productions, 2024)

This one originally came out in 2023 in digital form, and this year MOKP wisely picked it up, and released in a classier way. To kick this off: I read Quorthon and Nödtveidt as inspiration. Those who know me, know my affection for these two craftsmen, and how much their music became sort of the guidelines for the Black Metal and Death Metal I identify with. This is a one-man project from Germany, name unknown, but that matters not. I love that I am starting to discover more and more bands and artists that praise old sounds and melodies, and I have never complained that musicians go back and recapture that old sound and old atmosphere! 

Masters Of Kaos Official Bandcamp

Vanwa got me as soon as the first track started. The atmosphere that started building was nostalgic, and majestic. Very much like Dissection and Bathory: epic and royal. That melodic Black Metal sound that grabs you and leads you towards battle… it does sound a bit absurd. But in short, this is the sound: Melodic and Harsh. Very much like what the Swedes have been doing for decades, and we still love, because we were born in it, right? 

In conclusion: Vanwa is a project one must keep an eye on. Love his approach and the way his sound flows and keeps on building up and up! It has plenty of power and energy, and that is very present in all the moments you get throughout the record. “Through Forests and Mountains” is a clear Quorthon worship, and as a Bathory fan, that hits hard! That melodic – and epic – side of Quorthon, that he implemented at one point in his career, is remarkable, and whenever someone grabs it and takes it as his, I feel it. In conclusion once again: go, just go. Listen to it and love it.