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 Torture Palace Productions

I believe we were all taught that we could trust some specific labels to always provide good music, right? Peaceville and the 90ies was one example, Deathlike Silence Productions, of course, Osmose Productions is another example, Altare in Portugal, and Torture Palace Productions, from the USA. TPP was born in 2023, but its roster is, so far, top-notch.

I did focus on 2 releases that really stood out, in my opinion, and should be more publicized, if this idea is aligned with Black Metal of course (laugh). Here we go: Noctis Bellum, with “The Grandiose Nightsky Requiem”, and Onyxblade’s “Within the Wake of Ashes”. Remaining label bands are Belicose, Nightstorm, Bereft Raven (featured on this Blog in the past) and Sarrasine. I came across this label a few months ago, but left it on “must listen” mode, and only days ago came back to it, and it was by accident, if I can be honest. No shame in that, I guess… YouTube or Instagram, one of them, recommended Noctis Bellum’s Demo, and I decided to give it a go, and glad I did, because it is amazing, and people should read about it, yes. USBM is a strange thing, an odd creature, if I may, and I am yet to understand it ahahah well, the older bands no, I have a pretty established opinion on them (love Judas Iscariot), but I discover US Black Metal on a monthly basis, and most of them are not what I have been looking for.

Take a label like Spiritual Disease, for example. Now that is a bloody good Black Metal label, and everything they put out was – and yes – superb. I dare say, with the possibility of embarrassing myself, that Torture Palace is going down the same line. Example: Noctus Bellum is a USA Black Metal band on the Symphonic, yet harsh, side. Raw and Powerful, it has details that would fit many bands from the 90ies, no doubt. Composed by the same man behind Bellicose, Bereft Raven, Incursion, I risk say this project is an homage to the best Symphonic Black Metal bands/moments from the 90ies, with an added edge, d’you know what I mean? Not the simplest approach to the genre, but not the most complex, Emperor style way. It lives in both worlds. The synth work is very well-placed and structured, giving the music this amazing depth and creating an almost hermetic environment where the listener is taken to an astral plane. I love it and want to hear more from Angeldestruction Von Ravenwing.

Onyxblade’s “Within the Wake of Ashes” is, possibly, the best of these 3 releases. Man, I love it sooo much! One can almost feel the power emanating from the speakers, and I love that small change in volume right in the beginning, it shows the rawness of the whole thing. This Demo was released just a few days ago, on the 5th of May, and it slays, if I may be this basic and Neanderthal. Less than 18 minutes of pure Black Metal. Neither Raw nor extra Melodic, Onyxblade crafted an almost perfect Demo. Love their melodic side, no doubt, and this is a must hear. I believe that without giving it a go it is hard to truly understand it. The guitar on the opening tune is massive, wonderful, flawless, but very simple. No gimmicks, no overexaggerating and such, just the right amount of everything needed. And as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the USBM scene is strange to me, but every now and then we get these pearls, these perfect little doses of Black Metal. Still playing it! Love these lads!

Check the label out, check the bands, learn a bit more about how to craft that special type of Black Metal we love so much, and keep worshiping Satan, for He is the Best.

Torture Palace Productions

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