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.
Beyond Helvete - “Anthem of Decay” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2022). Immortal Frost Productions has given us 2 tremendous Black Metal works this year: Corpus Christii and Pyra. Both different, but both within the realm of Black Metal (and Death Metal). This work, by Beyond Helvete, is the 3 rd IFP work I have access to, and we again drop into the universe of Black Metal. Slightly different from the already mentioned ones, but still ferocious and full of power. Beyond Helvete has been around since 2007, and Natrgaard, the man behind it, has been delivering the goods. Imagine the strength of a band like Marduk, that endurance, that consistent show of power… Beyond Helvete lives in a similar bubble, although not reaching the quality the Swedes have gathered throughout these many years of presence in the Black Metal Global scene. Nonetheless, it sounds as a good example to describe one of the facets of the German musician without limiting it to A or B. The track that names the alb...
Psychonaut 4 “… Of Mourning” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2024) Psychonaut 4 have been spreading their specific human condition for several years now, 14 to be more precise, and only now have I contacted their sound! The name was well-known, but the music was not. I have never been a fan of the more depressive side of the genre, and these lads live inside that sphere; thing is, their sound has small details that sound differently. There is a different dynamic in all their sound, an almost progressive and psychedelic approach. No, not a Floydian one, ok? They have guitar solos that sound quite cheerful. Wait… are they not on the depressive side of the globe? Maybe they are… The more you listen to this record, the more you are able to hear the different moments the band has crafted. Several emotions and stages of existence. Funny how their sound has these 2 opponent personas: sadness and joyfulness. Well, I can hear and feel moments of clarity and clear skies. But sadness does ...
Kratti “Matka Kohti Kosmista” (Signal Rex, 2024) “Kratti are the ascending newcomers of the bleak fields of Finnish Black Metal!” That is one bold statement, right? You need to be good at something before you go out and say that. Well… let’s find out. Kratti is a 3 man Finnish straight to the throat Black Metal act. They do have a point when they state they are the “…ascending newcomers…”, for their sound is stone cold ripping Black Metal. It is Finnish, and you can almost feel it in your bones. The melodies merged with that Finnish violence – that is not violence, but a harsher approach – that we all love. Come on! It is hard not to enjoy what the Finns have been doing for decades, their mastered sound, their own vision of Black Metal… Kratti goes down that path, successfully, and oh man! I was never into complex music, maybe due to my Hardcore Punk background, so when a band goes straight to the point, I am in for the ride. To say that these lads are doing something tha...
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