Utopia Platafórmica

  Kvaen “The Formless Fires” (Metal Blade Records, 2024) I became acquainted in 2022, with the release of “The Great Below”, on Black Lion Records, and immediately was blown away by the melodies. It is a Swedish project, which means that melody is a very important element of their overall structure; but at times you can feel it overly technical and this, I believe, probably comes from Jacob Björnfot’s association with Progressive Metal project Ghost Ship Octavius, and Melodic Death Metal project The Duskfall. Nonetheless, this is a very cool sounding Black Metal project. This is their 3 rd release, and it was released by Metal Blade Records. A cool upgrade, right? I believe their previous one, “The Great Below”, was – and still is – a very good Melodic Black Metal album, and this one goes along the same lines, which is great! The Swedish have a special touch for melody and Extreme Metal, and their ability to create the darkest release with the best melody, the greatest solos, and

  Nidernes “Beyond the Gleam of Nightsky” (Black Gangrene Productions, 2022) Well… is there a real need to describe the Portuguese Black Metal, today? I dare say this is one of the hotbeds for Black Metal in the 21 st century. No, it is in fact one of the hotbeds for Black Metal in the 21 st century, and it embraces me with that overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. We are not just European Football champions; we are also one of the go-to countries in contemporary Black Metal (and I am not even a big fan of Football). This just to show how far we, a small country with an amazing History, great beaches, and superb food, have reached the top of “Mountain Black Metal”. How did we do it? Well, Nidernes will be on that lot in a few years, I reckon. How? By producing devastating Black Metal like the one we got in their – or his – new release: “Beyond the Gleam of Nightsky”. “Darkness Cenotaph”, from 2020, set the bar high, but the collaboration with Obskuritatem just struck me feroci

  Ende “ L'Aube des Anathèmes ” (Immortal Frost Productions 2024) French Black Metal is a very interesting creature. We have the world famous LLN, and very deserved, of course; we have the groundbreaking musicians; we have the French melody that is as ferocious as it is delicate. Ende is no exception, ladies and gents! I was not aware of the duo’s existence, so forgive me if I am missing out on mandatory Black Metal excellency, but I will fix that instantly. “ L'Aube des Anathèmes ” is my introduction to the band, and this sound pretty cool. Well, cool is not a Black Metal term, but this is really cool. I am getting (for a long while now) tired of all the raw and noisy Black Metal we see swirling around, especially on social media – oh the contradiction – and I have always had a thing for melodic Black Metal, so Immortal Frost came in my aid and provides that great Melodic Black Metal doses we all need. Ende has that, as mentioned before, and it grows on you, it is definite

  Tulus “Fandens Kall” (Soulseller Records, 2023) The Norwegian black metal scene is, even for those who don't have in Black Metal their best-known sub-genre of choice, the best known. Unfortunately, the reasons are not the best but, ignoring "small details", I venture say that the legacy of the genre still causes damage. After the well-known events, the growth of popularity of the genre reached levels hitherto never seen. Yes, Black Metal did not pop-up in Norway, and it was not entirely unknown before Varg stabbed the other "elitist kid" and played with matches, but it is undeniable that it was in Viking land that it developed into much of what it is today. Among a long series of bands came Tulus, one of the 895369 Norwegian bands that found themselves sent - perhaps by chance - to a supposed second line of Norwegian Black Metal. "Pure Black Energy", from 1996, is one of those works immensely ignored by the most generalist public (yes, generalist

  Ancestral Blood “Forgotten Myths and Legends, Pt. I” (WormHoleDeath, 2023) I have always associated Black Metal with mythical and fantastic creatures, places, events, etc. This might be due to some of the bands and sounds I started listening to back in the day. Bands like Bal-Sagoth, for example, have always been one of the best examples of how Black Metal can be… fantastic. Horrifying creatures and powerful mages, all gathered around a sound that echoes through the frozen mountains. Imagine Lord of the Rings… and you get Summoning, yes. Well, Ancestral Blood is not related to Summoning, no Sir. Ancestral Blood is much more rooted in the aggressive side of Black Metal but holding tight to that fantastic side of it. No symphonic Black Metal, no. The USBM scene has always been very present in that segment of the genre, and today’s scene has some good examples of a sound indicative of such sights, of which Ancestral Blood is a very valid part. The band has been around since 1999and

  Black Metal Reviews YouTube Channel Edition When I started getting into Heavy Metal music, the radio, and a cousin of mine, were my internet. We used to absorb all Heavy Metal music we were able to clinch our claws in, and it shows, clearly, in the different tapes I used to own. From Power Metal to Death Metal and all in between… it scares me, today, to look at it. Nonetheless, fast forward to 2024, and I want to thank the internet for allowing me to discover, today, records that came out when I was unable to even know they existed. And thank you, YouTube for being that platform. And it is not that I am tired of today’s music or have this feeling that only old releases are worth my time, no! In any way that is the feeling. However, yeah, I still find old releases to be “my thing”. I follow a few YouTube channels related to Black Metal, but there is one in specific that seems to know what I like. Its name is Vlad Tepes , and this mate has a very good ear for Black Metal, especiall