Nethermancy appears in 1996 at the hands J.A. from
Decayed, that mythical Portuguese Black Metal institution, along with a series
of comrades from the Portuguese Heavy Metal scene. After a few entrances and
exits, the band is currently composed of J.A., Angel-O (from Velório) and Aion
(Pedro Pedra, from Grog), and "Worship Evil Sacrifice" is a beautiful
blast of Old-school Black Metal. I am pleased to know that, once again, the band returns,
as we have become accustomed, to keep the spirit of the Old-school Black Metal
alive, bluntly, without modern approaches! To mention that Pedra’s vocals are,
once again, the element that catches my attention the most: they are
"old" in a good sense, obviously. This is one of the beauties of the
band: they go old school without any effort, essentially because they are the
musicians they are, with the bases that are more than known to them. In
summary: Old School people, doing Old School Music!
Black Metal, fast and lacerating, melodious and majestic.
And majestic is also the work created by Angel-O on the keys, proving that this
instrument does not draw a gram of energy and strength to the sound of the
band. "Mood Fo Ssroc" is one of those tracks that is as valid today
as it would have been 30 years ago... This is Black Metal, you bastards! Slow &
dense, fast & agonizing. Do not expect, as stated earlier, that the band
presents you with a modern version of Black Metal, no! Wait exactly the
opposite! Wait For Bathory, Samael, Master's Hammer... wait for the golden age
of Black Metal, Black and Heretical! At a time when we see artists insisting on a raw and
primitive version of the genre, an icy minimalism, it is equally pleasing to
note that there are still those who make it back to the basic sound of the
genre, so dear to so many. A track like "Death Sermon" is a perfect
example on how to create something classic today and was not for production we
would easily be confused with a '90s Black Metal album. What else to say? Little more: classic sound, in 2023, of
immense quality, coming from people who understand the genre and how it should
be played! Blast it loud!
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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