Opus Magorum - “Opus Magorum” (Inferna Profundus Records, 2022)

This Greek duo, that has been around since 2001 - under this moniker - was totally unknown to me, and that is a shame. Normally Greek Black Metal has this characteristic sound to it. Nevertheless, not all bands sound the same, but you can sense that that band is Greek. One of the best things about Greek Black Metal is the fact that they still sound like the 90s. Well, maybe not the 90s exactly, but again… that thing to their sound. I could on and on about bands that crafted that sound, that helped push Greek Black Metal to where it is now, but if you are reading this, you are well versed on this amazing scene. 

Fast forward to 2001, Opus Magorum is created, and only 3 years later a Demo is out. Now, a bigger fast forward to 2022 and we reach the band’s first Full-length, self-titled album. 5 songs and 1 intro, and that is all it takes to prove that no gimmicks are needed to craft the perfect soundtrack for Satan. Artists today search for an old and rotten sound; bands like Forbidden Temple, a favorite of mine, do not need to force themselves to get that sound, and these blokes are very similar. Well, they have the expertise: Ithaqua, Cades Cruenta, and the Gates of Sinn, among others. Their sound is truly not complex. There is no mental extra-exercise to try and reach bloody Nirvana of whatever! This is straight Old-school Black Metal, harsh and cutting! Aggressive vocals, thundering drums, killer riffs! It looks, and sounds, simple, but it is not. Black Metal has fallen, from my perspective, into a whirlpool of mediocracy.  Very little artists and acts accurately replicate a sound that has some sort of feeling. But how do you know that you twat? I do not, that is true, but one that has been around for a few years can have an idea of this and that. This is old man talking ahahah you are probably right, but… 

Opus Magorum has been able to craft a sound that sound old, unpleasant, yet still melodic enough to carry you in its claws and slay you. The melody you get out of “Journey of the Psychonaut”, the closing track, is amazing, really beautiful. This is the Black Metal I enjoy and label as Real Black Metal, whatever that really means, and as arrogant as it sounds. The men behind the project are, as mentioned before, not new to the game, and that shows. It is an effortless path, I reckon. Truth be told, production does help in terms of getting that warm and moldy feeling, and sound. Never mind the how, enjoy the now.

Oppressive Descent - “Spite is my Scepter, Blood is my Crown” (Inferna Profundus Records, 2022)

 

We now jump to the far West, to the USA, and more specifically to Portland, Oregon. Talking about the USBM scene is always a hard task. This scene went from 1 to 2 bands to a million new projects in less than 10 years. Saturation can consume all… and I blame the Count for starting this one-man-thing in the first place. On a serious note, I am joking. Well, Grond Nefarious has been blasting obscenities since 2008, and it seems that there is no way of stopping him. Man of a multitude of projects - Sangre de la Luna being the one I know best - he created Oppressive Descent in 2008, and has been building quite the discography. Funny thing, his first release was a Full length, in 2016. Since then, 2 more Full lengths have been released, as well as plenty of Eps and Splits. 

His approach to Black Metal is a very classical one; no gimmicks or “foreign specimens”, just Melodic Black Metal. Yes, I would not label him as a Raw Black Metal artist. I do not see Raw Black Metal as a “poor” production or solely distortion, and this is a debate I have very often. What exactly is Raw Black Metal?! Sanguine Relic and Decrepitude come to mind, for example, as what I consider to be Raw Black Metal projects/artists. Let us take a track like “Spite is my Scepter, Blood is my Crown”, and listen closely to all the melodic elements in it, that guitar solo, those little details. This is a great track, no doubt. It has the strength of Black Metal, but it does not back down in terms of melody. And melody will never harm any Black Metal music. Not a melody fan? Go listen to Noise, then. Off you go, mate. And this baffles me! Black Metal fans that are over their 40s, and despise all sorts of melody in their Black Metal… Beherit lovers, all of them (love Beherit…). But you know what I mean, right? And the more you listen to this release, the more you notice the complexity of some of these tracks. Nah, I was joking when I said what I said, and this is something you keep finding in most of the rawer projects in USA’s Black Metal scene: melody is very, very present. You hardly find this cacophony of noise and more noise, as there is always this melodic line very much present in their work. A great example of a track that has both the Melodic and the Ferocious vein: “Our Standards Wave Unscathed”. 

I take this release as a very well-balanced one, which is hard to find, from my point of view. It has that charism from the 90s, and the “modern” approach of today. Yeah… I guess that is it: well-balanced.

Trembling Void - “The Burning Question” (Inferna Profundus Records, 2022)

I believe all of us have heard, at least once, the expression “never judge a book by its cover”, correct? I dare say we all do that once in a while, and when it comes to a specific genre as Black Metal, where most of us have this very specific idea of how the genre should look, and sound, it becomes even harder to no fall into that mistake. I have been there many times; choosing A over B just because the cover looked like something I associate with “my” Black Metal. I did not do that, as a kid, as much as I do it now, a grown man with a pickier perspective. But I believe that that is life, and as you maturate, your filters “behave” differently. 

Trembling Void was a “don’t judge the cover” perfect example. Ok, it is not this amazing release, but it has some details that I was not expecting after seeing that cover; I believe we need to address the cover, I am sorry (“Exercise in Futility” is a great song, just mentioning it here for future reference) but we need to… the aesthetic of the genre has reached seriously puzzling levels. Am I overreacting? Perhaps. Do I feel the genre’s visual side has been stolen, played with, and damaged? I do, in a way. But how does that influence the music? Well… it should not, right? Of course not. Prejudice, Danny, prejudice LOL but one thing so that we are clear: the album’s cover is… oh my. It is not the best, let us keep it that way. Now, let us jump into this whirlpool of Darkness and Rotten Sound. Does it sound Raw and Visceral? He made it sound like that, yes; it is a true Raw and truly Visceral sounding record? You never know, right? Nonetheless, this release is full of cool and melodic moments. A mid-pace Black Metal sound, with plenty of melody. “Despair”, for example, is packed with melodic riffs, vocals buried, and a great drum work. The guitar reigns supreme. I sense this addictive groove all around. It might not sound very much Black Metal, but it sounds good. 

Oh, this is the artist’s 2nd release after the 2021 Demo. Again, I was “pushed back” based solely on the artwork. You know what my issue is? They all look the same. It feels like someone conceived a bloody formula for 21st Century Black Metal, and all newcomers are following the guidelines religiously as possible. However, Trembling Void has some great moments; not an AOTY for me, but cool details. “True Abomination” has this structure that sounds good, is has power and all. Overall, “The Burning Question” is a very good release. Will it go down in History is a memorable one? Probably not, but please enjoy it for now.

Inferna Profundus Records Official Bandcamp