Vinyl

Opaque Mustard / Black Swirl Vinyl with Insert & A2 Poster  ltd 150
Gurthang is back and ready to unleash their 8th studio album entitled: “Martyrium”. Like the 2 previous albums “Hearts of the Hollow and Ascension”, they keep moving forth in the same direction where they mix Black Metal with Doom Metal and a lot of ambient background effects making their sound original and outstanding from any other band.

Martyrium however, gives more depth on the guitar parts and delivers some excellent leads that have strong chords, melodies and even a couple of solos. The rhythm guitar brings the same filthy vile sound like we’re used to, where the bass is once again very powerful, harsh, yet, even got a few moments to shine on its own on this record. The drums are well-executed and elevate each song to a higher level by its ferocious diversity it lays down throughout the record and the vocals deliver the same haunted screams which kind of marks the sound of the band.

With their 8th album, Gurthang shows us that they’re far from done and still have a lot of cards up their sleeve. A solid album for those who love a good portion of Black / Doom Metal. 

Recommended if you like: Behemoth, Hate, Azarath, Blaze Of Perdition, Ascension, Vader, Infernal War, etc..

A classic death metal album from 1992 repressed!!

Along with Feretrum's From Far Beyond and Necrophiliac's Chaopula: Citadel Of Mirrors, Nest of Affliction is one of the very first death metal albums to come out of Spain.
 

Re-issue with original cover art of the 1st album from '92 by this swedish Death Metal band in the vein of SORCERY, NECROPHOBIC, DISMEMBER, MORPHEUS...

Death metal, atmospheric dissonance, tech brutality and much more from Vancouver band

Follow up to the successful full length debut Apexapien from 2021

For fans of Ulcerate, Suffocation, Gorguts, Afterbirth, Dying Fetus, Decapitated

Uncompromising black/death metal from Copenhagen

The follow-up to 2022’s breakout debut A Mother’s Curse

Features a guest appearance by Michael Poulsen (Volbeat, Dominus)

Odium is a name that hasn't been talked about much in the symphonic black metal scene. Formed in 1994, the Norwegian band didn't release much besides a demo, a single, and their only studio album "The Sad Realm of the Stars". The 1998 album received little recognition when it was first released since it was seen as more of a Limbonic Art knockoff. However, when you give the album a listen, you'll see that it's more than just a cheap ripoff of Limbonic Art. Not only does it expand upon the Limbonic Art sound, but it also stands out in its own ways.

Let's start off with the instruments. As I've stated before, the instrumentals take large inspiration from Limbonic Art, but it does have its own merits. The guitars sound more raw, but still maintain a clean production to fit the symphonic themes. Speaking of which, the symphonic elements are easily one of the strongest elements on this album. The keyboards sound beautiful with its melodic tunes, and gives the overall atmosphere a grand theatrical tone. One instrument I find a bit weak though is the drums. It's decent it terms of the blastbeats it plays, but the production softens the loud banging a bit, so it feels weak. Some of my favorite instrumentals come from the tracks "Towards the Forest Horizon", "Thy Eternal Nightfall", and "The Sad Realm of the Stars", since those tracks execute the symphonic themes the strongest and have some powerful riffs. While the drumming can feel weak, every other instrument does not fail in bringing in an epic and dramatic atmosphere.

Another great thing about the album is the vocals. Sechtdaemon does the vocals here, and he stands out in his own ways. Sechtdaemon's high shrieks sound very angry, and the occasional demonic screams only further enhances the evil personality in him. One of the stronger vocal moments is from the track "Through the Sorrowfilled Forest". The album goes for a more abrasive and chaotic tone, so the guitar riffs have more darker sounds and the symphonic synths have a more grim tone in them. This fits perfectly well with the vocals, as the shrieks flow well to the cold instruments and further execute the grand atmosphere. Sechtdaemon's vocals are excellent in flow and delivery, and his vocal skills are right up there with Ihsahn of Emperor.

Overall, this is an album that will surprise a lot of people, especially since it's a lot more than just Limbonic Art worship. The symphonic elements strengthen the cold and dark atmosphere, and the vocals have a strong delivery and execution. Odium would go on a hiatus shortly after the release of the "Altering the State of Being" single, and they only just recently reignited the band. It's unknown of the band is gonna make new music, but as of now, "The Sad Realm of the Stars" is an album I highly recommend for those seeking an unique take on the Limbonic Art sound.

Slater922, July 8th, 2021 - METAL ARCHIVES

Reprint, 500x heavyweight neon violet 12" in a black poly-lined innersleeve, gatefold jacket full-color printed on 350g carton, all assembled in a plastic overbag.

Reprint, 500x red opaque with heavy white & black splatters 12" (140g) in a microtene innerbag, printed innersleeve, full-color on 220g, jacket, full-color printed on 350g, lyrics sheet, all assembled in a plastic overbag.

Reprint, 700x transparent green in highlighter yellow vinyl (140g), innersleeve full-color on 220g, jacket full-color on 350g, all assembled in a PVC overbag.

The debut album from Belial on Austria's Lethal Records is, without question, one of the heaviest Black/Death Metal albums I have ever heard. It starts off with a creepy little intro, then smashes into a re-recorded version of, in my opinion, Belial's signature track, "The Invocation." This version is much heavier and darker then the one that appeared on their "Gods of the Pit" demo, as Belial added more spoken word interludes and hoarse whispering to the mix. After this, Belial rips through 20 minutes of some of the most intense music in the history of the underground scene. This album just rages along at a breakneck pace, and doesn't let up fast enough for you to catch your breath. My only small complaint is the length of this album, but that is minor in comparison to what Belial does with the little time they have here.
On a side note, this release featured 2 different covers for some reason. The original (which I have, and which is the rarer of the 2) was a rather cheap looking, almost xerox'ed scene of a mountain landscape in the woods, with a black moon hovering in the sky, in black and white, with some blue here and there, and the band's logo in blue in the upper left hand corner, and the album title in the lower right hand corner. The second cover was the hand holding whatever that is in the photo, with the album title in white in the upper right hand corner, and the band logo in red in the lower right hand corner. I have no idea why this was done, other then perhaps only a limited number of copies had the original artwork.
This album has been long out of print, thanks to the thieving bastards that ran Lethal Records. However, I have seen 1 or 2 distros still carrying it (with the second cover artwork), and I'm sure there are a few traders out there with it as well. In any case, pick this up at all costs if you can.