Niden Div. 187 - 1997 - Impergium

Out of Sweden comes this Black Metal project, featuring members from other well known acts in the scene (Dawn, Thy Primordial and A Canorous Quintet). Presented on this album are ten tracks of blasting Black Metal Art at a total running time of just above 26 minutes. The hatred on this disc can almost be compared to the feeling of extreme hatred which permeates all Ildjarn releases. There the similarities stop, however. Musically this reminds me slightly of early Immortal, due to the speed, and Antaeus, though they have a slight Death Metal vibe in their music as well. Some sort of groove that isn't quite typical for Black Metal. Some samples are used, but not in a conventional way.

The vocals are typical for Henke Forss, rather high pitched raspy shrieks, quite like his performance
on later Dawn albums. A mix of Abbath and early Varg Vikernes, perhaps would describe them best.

The soundquality is slightly muffled, however all instruments are heard in the mix. Main focus is

shared between the drums, vocals and guitars. My only complaint would be that this album, as with many albums from the later '90ies, has the volume set rather low, so you need to turn up the volume when you play this album. This is, however, one of my favourite Swedish Black Metal albums. Rereleased together with the bands first MCD in 2004. Well worth checking out!

Stand out tracks are "Genocide", "The Execution" and "Hate".

Saturday August 22 2009, by :Vragh:

Goatlord Corp. - 2003 - Early Beginnings of War

The first release by French Black Metal legion Goatlord Corp. is indeed a work of high quality. Four tracks of mid-paced to fast Black Metal with a groove not too common in this kind of music.
Musically this has some Thrash and Metal influences, while still sounding very much french like Black Metal. They have that specialsound you get from those parts. Reminds me a bit of Antaeus, but
with a fuller sound, similar to their De Principii Evangelicum album. Some Dark Funeral also finds its way into their music.

The soundquality is clear, and the music has been given a dark and murky atmosphere. The vocals are somewhat reminiscent of those of Dark Funeral and Von, sounding very aggressive, almost as if the
vocalist were possessed. Absolutely a band to keep your eyes on. Limited to 999 copies. Don't miss out!

Standout tracks are "Tormentor 666" and "In the Name of the Black Lord".

Wednesday December 29 2004, by :Vragh:

Blessmon - 2007 - Under the Storm of Hate

Out of Austria comes this Black Metal horde with their first album. Nine tracks of fast and aggressive Black Metal is what we are presented with. This is blasting almost from start to finish, similar to bands like Immortal, Marduk and Antaeus, with some interesting breaks and shifts.

The vocals mostly sound like Abbath of Immortal, though less strained and slightly less raspy. There are some similarities to Mannevond of Koldbrann, and Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone at times, as well. The vocals are quite audible, as opposed to quite a few other vocalists out there.

The soundquality is quite good and the instruments can be heard clearly. The vocals are slightly to the front of the mix, followed by the drums. There is a somewhat bass oriented production to this album, a fuller sound than is usually the case when it comes to Black Metal. Crushing guitar sound, I must say. Also released as a limited digipak with extra demo tracks as bonus. Highly recommended!

Standout tracks are "Dark Hordes", "Odessa", "Under the Storm of Hate", "Blood of the Fallen"

and "Irsgarh". 

Sunday August 23 2009, by :Vragh:

Angelgoat - 2005 - Demo

Out of Serbia comes this Black Metal act with their first demo. Three tracks are presented here, and the music is mid-paced to fast. Somewhat towards Von and Goatlord Corp., with a slight Death Metal influence. The drums are rather simplistic, mostly, sounding much like those in Von.

The vocals also remind me somewhat of those in Goatlord Corp., although they are a bit more twisted here. They also remind me of those by MkM of Antaeus, but perhaps being a bit more towards the highpitched spectrum.

The soundquality is somewhat muddled and raw, but you can hear the vocals clearly, and the other instruments can be heard as well. The drums are what comes through most in the mix, with the really aggressive guitar sound being a nice surprise.

Standout tracks are "Armageddemonia" and "The Final Funeral". The last track seems to have been recorded at another time than the two first ones, having a bit better soundquality.

Saturday October 21 by :Vragh: