Have you ever been so stubborn that
you totally missed out on the most amazing thing? I tend to be like that. In my
case, music is the subject. Truth be told, the amount on Black Metal that pops
up every single day is tremendous, and I do not have the ability to filter A from
B, leaving me with very few releases that do fall on my radar; this means many
more fall under, over, next to, whatever…
However, if social media has one thing
playing for them, is that it “warns” people of things that are going around,
sharpening their appetite for them. I have been aware of the name Djevel for
years, and recall enjoying one of their old releases (an EP, perhaps?), but
losing interest for whatever reason. Yesterday, I saw a publication for their
new release and seriously enjoyed their new logo (I am an aesthetic kind of
music fan). Decided to give it a go today, while working. Djevel has one very
important thing for them: Faust. we do not forget what happened in the Past,
but we cannot (should not, at least) judge him today for what happened years
ago. With that being said, remember how good of a drummer this mate is!
Remember who recorded the drums for Emperor’s initial releases… those releases.
The man has never lost his abilities, and this record shows it very well. He
might be, in fact, one of the Norwegian Old School Black Metal musicians that
has had the best performance after the 90s cycle of craziness, no? Debatable, I
know.
But back to Djevel’s latest offering.
One of the greatest things about it is that it does not stick to the TNBM legacy,
completely. Yes, it lives inside that sphere of influence, but it absorbs so
many more influences - inside the Black Metal genre, of course - that make
their sound so much richer. And this makes complete sense when we look at the
band’s line-up and see bands like Black Majesty, Dark Sorority, Mare, Vemod,
Whoredom Rife, Stigma Diabolicum, Scum… so, the panel is very wide, and it does
not stick to one “version” of the sound. The melodies are an update of what was
done in the Past, with additions of “modernity” (go light on the modernity
idea, please).And where do we find these elements
better? Whenever there is a transition, a change in him pace, in rhythm; there
is where you see that these lads are not just another copycat, that they
understand the genre, work around it, and provided an exquisite example of its
new incarnations, per se.
This album is so easy to listen to, so
effortless to assimilate and identify with. The track that names the album is
just perfect, it is perfect Norway of the 90s, with a little something else.
Beautiful melodies, excellent keyboards, the drumming lets the music breathe,
but gives it that groove to make it flow better, the guitar takes you on this
journey. Pretty words for a blackened record. The 4th track is a call
for Norwegian ancestry, for Viking melodies and, again, 90s melodies.
I end up seeing Djevel as an homage
band; an honest homage to the 90s Norwegian Black Metal scene, without being a
copy of what was done back then. Do I make myself clear? Playing in line with
what the best did, influenced by those days, is the best tribute one could ask
for. Do not want to sound like a prick, and limit the band to A or B, and my
words are immensely positive and appreciative. The fact that a band is able to
display such artistry is amazing.
The acoustic guitars on the 5th
track…I have been drifting away from
the more recent scene, more and more. cannot identify with what many artists
are doing. It seems that the aim is to sound Raw and Rotten, at all costs. Yes,
we do have brilliant exceptions to this statement, but nonetheless I feel more
and more unattached to the way musicians craft their Black Metal. Let us not
“blame” age or time in the scene (“love” this expression and idea), for plenty
of older fans do love and appreciate today’s scene just like they love and
appreciate the 90s scene. It is an emotional thing, I reckon.
Djevel, or how 7 tracks are more than
enough to show me that the 90s are very much alive and well, and that this
sound, this perspective of Black Metal has many more years ahead. Call me old,
call me grumpy, but this is the sound of Black Metal.
Invicta Reqviem Mass Seventh Gathering Well, hello there. Getting close to this year’s finest UG Black Metal gathering, are we? Oh yes, we are! I was quite curious about who would the lads in Signal Rex select for their 7 th Black Mass, and what a nice bill it say, I say. 15 bands will join forces in one of Portugal’s most beautiful, and Black Metal, cities. Porto, Cidade Invicta, will once again receive the label’s annual Black Metal gathering, and let us go through the bands that will be performing. While there is still not a daily line-up, let us almost alphabetically stroll down the corridor and look at newcomers and artists that will be repeating their attendance. So here we go! Starting off with an act composed of musicians from different geographic locations, Burial Moon . Austria, Estonia, and Switzerland, perhaps? If I may be honest, their location is what less interesses me. Musically speaking this is straightforward Signal Rex Black Metal. The hypnotic side of t
Marthe “Further in Evil” (Southern Lord, 2023) I was completely unaware of the existence of this project, and only today stumbled upon it while scrolling on a very famous Black Metal group on Facebook. While reading the description of a photo, I saw The Devil’s Blood and Mediterranean Heavy Metal influences mentioned, as well as Antifascism and Italy. Scrolled down a bit more and read Bathory. Went straight to YouTube and added Tiamat, “Clouds” era (vocals at times), to it. It might sound a bit strange and misplaced, but let me tell you: it bloody works. Marthe is composed of one single musician, Marziona Silvani – stage/artist name, Marzia – and she has been around for some time. From what I understood, Marthe started out while Marzia was still rocking the drums in Ancient Cult, an Italian Heavy Doom band that since then closed the doors on existence. That gave way for Marzia to move forward and blast it all out with Marthe! Marthe is a very curious entity. Sound-wise, it ha
Infernal Angels “Shrine of Black Fire” (Immortal Frost Productions, 2023) 2023 has been, so far – and we are almost done with the year – a splendid year for Black Metal. Strangely enough I have been focusing more on bands and albums that have a deliberate melodic approach to the sound, rather than going for the Raw Black Metal acts. Not that we do not have been infernally blessed with exquisite works of Art, but the well-produced records have been calling for me, and I have answered the call. Immortal Frost is a bit to blame for that. Surtur has released, so far, at least 2 records I believe will be considered some of the best I had the pleasure to listen to this year: Infinity’s “The Untamed Hunger” and Deadspace’s “Unveiling the Palest Truth”; an honorable mention to Azaghal’s “Alttarimme on Luista Tehty”, that shows a band still pushing hard! The label’s latest release is Infernal Angel’s “Shrine of the Black Fire”, and we’ll jump right into the fire to see what we got here!
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