Mourning Of The Heretic "To The Shadows Bethrothed" Album Review

    Back around 2010 in the North East City of Derry would see the inception of the brilliant Gothic/Horror Inspired Black/Dark Metal outfit Mourning Of The Heretic two highly regarded EP's would follow in 2013 & 2016 after the band would go on extended hiatus until just over a year ago with the release of the excellent single Within The Night,fast forward to now and the band are on the cusp of releasing their highly anticipated debut album To The Shadows Bethrothed ,let's delve into the horrors and tales of terror within this phenomenal offering.

   

   The haunting and chilling atmosphere on the opening track The Ghost Who Loved Me combine melodic passages with a dark romanticism while the vocals have the effect of sending spine tingling fear through your thought passages likes some kind of nightmarish tale, the spooky atmosphere on A Heart so Black is both eerie and tense while the lo-fi melodic riffing push all these elements to the fore brilliantly, the piano intro on In My Arms creates a really melancholic and almost tragic atmopshere before launching into extrtmely dark and harrowing passages full of raw and heavy riffs while there's a sinister element running through the vocal delivery,this track offers something different from the previous tracks including at times some sort of burning embers is present in the background, Meridian has plenty of Gothic inspired tragicness running thoughout with a killer fast paced fully sounding melodic riffs that give the track a really majestic vibe.

   When you think you're settling into some sort of familarity we're treated to the absolutely phenomenal My Last Sunrise with has a supremely brilliant atmopshere and relentless riffing that at times reminds me of early Xasthur combined with subtle hints of Cradle Of Filth,this for me is possibly one of the standout offerings on this album,this is like some sort of tragic vampiric tale which adds to the whole horror inspired aura of proceedings, sticking to more atmospheric balck metal passages with the brilliant Possessed once again the guitar playing on this is  absolutely sublime which is further aided by the presence of the key arrangements which add a beautiful symphonic ochestration full of magnificence and bravado, that sort of symphonic majesticness is really prevelent on She Is Death ,the vocals are really pushed to the fore on this while we get even more sublime guitar wizardry,the further you go into this album the darker and more foreboding it becomes, the brilliant closing track Within The Night really implements the Gothic Rock influences within the band,once again that bravado sounding element is implemented to the full extent making this a really memorable and brilliant offering while also having that vampiric theme driving the atmopshere to another level,the lead near the end of the track is brilliantly executed ,possibly the best way to end this magnificent opus.

 

   Despite the seven year hiatus and numerous line up changes not only have Mourning Of The Heretic captured the essence present on the previous releases they've unleashed a really brilliant opus,this is a must listen if you enjoy Tales of tragedy,horror,vampires and a dark and gothic romanticism with subtle odes to Nosferatu, while combining elements of atmopsheric black metal,gothic rock and theatrical pasaages full of pomp and bravado that grabs your undivided attention.

RATING: 8.8/10

  

  FB: https://www.facebook.com/Mourningoftheheretic

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/mourningoftheheretic/

Horrenda "Think On Your Sins" EP Review

  From starting out as a solo project,one of the most intense live bands within the irish Metal Horrenda have become an absolute force of nature over their 10+ years of existence,over the years founding member Darragh "Outis" O'Connor has recruited members to develop a sound so devastating and evil     combining elements of DSBM & Second Wave of Black Metal all layered with themes of Irish History, Horror and other topics ,the last five years have seen the band really up the quality of their material which has culminated in the release of their phenomenal new EP Think On Your Sins.

  

  The opening intro Canto 1:Descent  creates an anticipation and build for the madness and melancholy that's about to be unleashed while combining nice intricate and short guitar parts,it has a really haunting atmosphere that gets inside your head, we treated to some nasty riffage on the brilliant Come And See this track touches on the theme of one of the most tragic parts of our history The Great Famine of 1847 along with the filthy riffs there's also an element of melancholy and treachery(the music video will give you better idea of this), the haunting dark atmosphere of Nun's Tears really stands out as one of my favourite Horrenda tracks not only from this EP but ever,the vocal delivery throughout this is so intense and it almost feels like there's an element of sympathy to how they're executed.

 

 Possibly the most relentless track on this release is the excellent Handprints along with having peak Second Wave BM homages throughout this there's a theme of ancestry and leaving an undeniable mark on our legacy and that of our ancestors creating some sort of dual effect of whether it's a good or bad thing, closing track and title track Think On Your Sins introduces some new elements i've never heard this band utilise which is always a good thing to see happen,it's like they've delved into Atmospheric Black Metal and Post Black Metal territories while still maintaining all the trademarks we enjoy about Horrenda,this is definitely  a huge step up from previous material and long may it continue.

 This band continue to evolve their sound and have become a truly phenomenal force of nature, with Think on Your Sins they've really smashed through the proverbial glass ceiling and then some,without doubt this is very likely to be making my EP of the year list, all the hard work they've put in throughout the years is starting to reap the reward and long may it continue.

RATING: 9/10

  FB: https://www.facebook.com/HorrendaOfficial

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/horrendaofficial/

Atlantic "Black Sands" EP Review

 located on the West Coast of Ireland  the brilliant Post Metal/Atmospheric Black Metal solo project Atlantic takes inpiration form the cruel and treacherous conditions of the atlantic ocean to deliver an absolutely stellar brand of Atmospheric Black Metal, following on from the debut demo Torrents with the sublime new EP Black Sands .

 Instantly the atmosphere on Waves set a tone both epic and full of feeling,the combination of  peak post metal brilliance with a somewhat treacherous aura prevelent within the vocal delivery,there's alot of soundscapes that evoke a feeling of  solitude and time away from civilaisation, the gradual build throughout To Exist(Exit) creates a soundscape both epic and melancholic ,the rawness and melody of the guitars, the vocals have an abrasivenss which gives the overall feeling a touch of aggressiveness while still maintaining that beautiful atmosphere

  

  

   The atmosphere begins to get a little more dark and dreary with the extremely melancholic The Grey this really captures the whole essences within this release,you can hear subtle elements of doominess combinedwith  a dreariness while still staying true to the atmosphere already prevelent,this time we're treated to some clean vocals that feel like you're being brought through some sort of journey into unknown plains, there's epicness abound on the closing track Outro-Rememberance the build on this is a truly is truly magnificient that takes you on many twist and turns while journewying through soundscapes that have both a calm and treacherous atmosphere,this is possibly the best way to close this EP out.

  Overall Black Sands is a massive progression from the Torrents demo,and sets about creating soundscapes full of atmosphere,bleakness,epicness,nostalgia and treachery while drawing inspiration from the atlantic ocean,this really ticks all the right boxes in what it set out to achieve and portray to the listener,it may take numerous listens for this to really hit home with you but it has plenty worthwhile to grab your attention.

RATING:8/10

 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/atlanticband.official/

Bands To Watch(Irish Rock & Metal Community) For 2024(Part 1)

 2023 was full of memorable releases within the Irish Rock and Metal scene including a few new bands making their mark on a thriving community,i will be including a few who unleashed some quality releases in 2023 and a few bands who i think are worth paying attention to in 2024, i'll include links to all their music in this spotlight

URAGH

 The Absolutely mind blowing Progressive Metal Quartet Uragh are an absolute Force of Nature and made a huge ripple within the Irish scene,about a year ago they were releatively unknown that all changed pretty quickly with truly explosive performances in Metal 2 The Masses which saw them eventually make it to The Grand Final and delivered an absolutely devastating performance,they were unlucky not to win the competition but this experience really pushed them to the fore within the scene,not long after the band carried on regardless of not winning the competition with the release of their debut single Decimate which garnered a lot of attention ,near the end of November they unleashed the absolutely monumental single Monarch which was a really huge step forward for this truly talented band,in writing this piece coincidentally i was checking my emails and low and behold there's another absolutely devastating new single entitled The Widening Gyre which is due to be released on 9th February with an accompanying video out on 23rd February,there's was also the announcement that their highly anticipated Debut Album Maelstrom will be released on 19th April, The Storm is Slowly Brewing and i think no one is prepared for the devastation this band are about to unleash.

 FB: https://www.facebook.com/uraghband

  IG: https://www.instagram.com/uraghband/

TERAS

 

Not confined to one specific genre the absolutely brilliant Teras have an aura like no other band ,their live performances are not like your regular gig it's more like an experience were you feel you're in some sort of trance and you feel this addictive urge were you keep wanting more,it's kind of tricky to explain unless you're lucky enough to see them, about a year ago they made an unbelievabke impact within the Northern Ireland Metal community as their first few gigs were in Metal 2 The Masses NI competition culminating in them reaching The Grand Final,this is by no reach of the imagination a phenomenal achievement, after this they continously keep performing at as much shows as possible garnering much deserved attention from more people,before i finally got to see them live i knew there was something special about them and on my second time seeing them they done their first ever Headline show with two established bands in Acid Age & Cursed Sun supporting them in the 7Twenty Bar in Derry, they played an hour+ set at this and were absolutely phenomenal,they ended the year with another headline show in Belfast were they premiered a new song Kill Your Idol this is something that will help to expand their setlist for further live shows,recently it was announced that they'll be playing at Siege Of Limerick for the first time at the end of March,they're also taking part in Metal 2 The Masses NI on March 22nd in Voodoo Belfast, there's also the possibility that they'll be releasing an album in the not so distance future,keep a real close watch on these and if you haven't go see them live.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TerasOffical.ni

IG: https://www.instagram.com/teras_ni/

the 

LAVEIN

    About a Year ago to the day i went to a gig in Fibbers basement for the first Rage Metal Night of 2023,was paying attention to all the bands that night but one in particular stood out that night a newky formed Modern Metallic Hardcore outfit by the name of LaVein, i knew very little about these with the exception that their Drummer Lachlan also plays with Fornoth, it would become apparent really quickly to a number of people that these weren't messing around and had seriously unmatched potential, i now refer to them as "The Glass Ceiling Smasher" with good reason at that,in the midst of all the furore this band achieved a mind blowing story by not only getting to the Grand Final of Metal 2 The Masses Ireland  they also won it, not many bands cna say they formed and about half a year later were told they're going to be playing at Bloodstock Festival,also just before the Grand Final they did release their absolutely devastating Debut EP Fine Failure ,they also got to support one of their favourite bands Kublai Khan TX and played numerous other shows including their first ever time at Siege Of Limerick last October,they're currently working on EP #2 and at the start of March they go on a Five day tour over in the Untied Kingdom

THE BOAT SANK

 This final band in my first round up are an absolutely bombastic Instrumental sludgy groovy heftmonger machine, The Boat Sank are also another act that achieved  alot in such a short space of time,the sludge trio would eventually come together out of a love for Groove laden heavy Riffage in the vein of Crowbar,Down etc,was pure coincidence that the members became aware of each other sharing the same practice space in seperate bands,they eventually would start jamming together(Secretly so i'm lead to believe) ,anyway they developed a reputation for stellar live shows extremely quickly during sets in Metal 2 The Masses NI which would culminate in them getting to The Grand Final,although they are mainly an instrumental band there is version of their tracks with vocals,also should mention the use of samples in their live sets adds to the overall aura/sound of the band,anyone who i've tlked to that's seen them says their drummer is an absolute beast behind the kit and he also has a hilarious sense of humour which you'll come across on some of their social media posts and you tube content, as of now i've yet to see this band live ,this NEEDS to be corrected this year,beofre i close this out i have heard murmurings of a brand new single and they're also going at it again in Metal 2 The Masses NI for Heat 6 on 22nd March,interesting times ahead for this absolutely brilliant Trio.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Theboatsank

IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_boat_sank/

 

Chambercraft "Delirium" Demo Review

     After an almost 20 year hiatus the absolutely brilliant Black Metal project Chambercraft has come back from the deepest darkest abyss to unleash some atmospheric misanthropic anthems in the meantime for the first time ever the 2004 demo Delrium is available online for your listen displeasure lets dissect this stellar piece of art.

     Opening track Full Moon Suicide has a very thrashy aura to it a full on face melting riff fest with grim and nasty vocals ,bit like a mix of Slayer and early Immortal, the proper way to unleash this quality release, The atmosphere gets a little more darker with the Doom Laden and Misanthropic Escapades of Poisoned and Bleeding To Death there's nice subtle Darkthrone-espue elements running thoughout this song,you're given the feeling the further into the track that a slow painful ,and torturous death is been endured, closing track The Throne Room pushes the atmospheric and misanthropic elements into a darker place ,this is my favourite track on the EP and reminds me of early Xasthur and Burzum,there's an eerily frosty aura to this track like you're lost in the wilderness in the depths of an icy and snowbound forest.

  Twenty years later and this EP still sounds extremely relevant in todays realms of Black Metal,you can say it's all about nostalgia,maybe that's true but there's a new generation of bands and artist delving into the true essence of what Balck Metal has always been about,the search for individuality and spirituality,i look forward what Chambercraft have in store for us in 2024.

 

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1vyJS7y2vPSFOOFe7AWPEQ?si=FUfwriEKQTiKgLk927oUbA

BANDCAMP: https://chambercraft.bandcamp.com/track/last-cast

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@chambercraft4092

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ChambercraftSam

INSATGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/chambercraftinsta/

 

Foraoisi Gan Inuichadh "Isolation" Album Review

 

 

   Ever since i discovered this One Man project the undoubted potential has always been there but nothing could prepare almost anyone who's listened to this young man how mind blowing the quality of the material would eventually be, with each release there was always a noticable improvement and with the release of album number two Isolation the level of quality seems to have reach a pinnacle way beyond his years.

 Foraoisi Gan Inuichadh has achieved a level maturity and musical proficiency most Black Metal outfits only dream of, opening track Everything Turns To Black starts out with a really foreboding atmosphere added by some sort of anguished screams before unleashing a flurry of precise riffs with harrowing and melancholic vocals before we're treated to some very atmospheric melodic riffs,half way throught the track the atmosphere becames extremely haunting and pessimistic with the continued barrage of anguished vocals, See The Sun Set has an almost doomy element running throughout the track again the consistent anguished vocals add a very melancholic atmosphere,this pace is maintained until some sort of clear vocal arrangement gives the track soemthing fresh that has never being used on previous releases, Pink Mist has a somewhat similar atmosphere to the previous track with the exception it's has a little bit more pace ,the vocals are more harrowing and anguished on this adding a really raw yet vibrant element to procedings, Sixteen is like an interlude in the album were you hear a phone been dialed at the start then out of nowhere a blood curling and terrifying screams sets a really scary and depressive atmosphere like something terrible has just happened.

  The Awakening is a trademark Black Metal track offering buzzsaw guitar tone,lo-fi atmosphere and a rawness almost similar to early Darkthrone,the vocals seem to be lower in the mix which just gives the whole atmosphere a level of nastiness most BM bands would thrive to create,then some Operatic style vocals add another dimension to the track. the boundaries of atmosphere are really pushed to another level with the absolutely brilliant The Kingdom Will Die this track also has some operatic vocals mixed with the trademark anguished vocals giving another excellent facet to the overall aura of the album, Tomas Hynes Guitar Playing on this is possibly the best piece of song writing he's done since he started such a short time ago, Once again the levels of atmosphere are pushed into another realm with the excellent  The Souls Of The Damned, there's an added level of melancholy with the vocals portraying anger along with the anguish we've become familar with, closing track Epilogue is a fitting way to end the album with the barely audible spoken word at the start and then we're reintroduced to the same kind of vocal arrangement we heard on the second track except this one os alot more prolonged.

  Isolation is a beautifully crafted album by a young man who for all intense purposes is releasing absolutely quality Black Metal on a level some established bands would dream of and at the age of 16 he is undoubtedly going to continue to get better and evolve as a musician, if you haven't already checked out Foraoisi gan Inuichadh you're missing out on something truly amazing.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7peEEPlcqZ9WjyxxMpQ9Ev?si=uOlxQq8ARuWo5bECIIb08g

BANDCAMP: https://unexploredforests.bandcamp.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/unexploredforestsofficial

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/foraoisiganiniuchadh/

Snøgg "Qivitoq" Review

 Hailing from Slovenia Snøgg offer a very unique and experimental approach to Black Metal, featuring two members Ulv(Guitar & Vocals) & Mørke(Drums), the band have released a tour demo & two EP's including this one entitled Qivitoq.

 Combining an atmosphere & rawness similar to the likes of Burzum,Urfaust &  Xasthur there's an uneasiness & torturous element running throughout the EP, Opening track Alien Nation has some sort of radio frequency noise at the start of the track then suddenly the vocals kick in creating a rawness & nastiness i've not heard the like of before.  I've noticed that sometimes the vocals are less prominent then the music/noise effects on most of the tracks on offer, but when there is it adds a somewhat atmospheric element to proceedings.This is a very unique release which may well need numerous listen before it really sinks in, whats on offer is really good,it may well be very experimental but it sure as hell doesn't deter from the fact that there is some quality Black Metal on offer for the listener.

Qivitoq have a really underground ethos and they will surely have a mass cult following for years to come,what they offer is not going to be polished production, generic sounding Black Metal, they are meant to be raw,filthy and a very uneasy sounding band.
 BLACK F***ING METAL!!!!!


CHECK OUT THE PROMO VIDEO FOR THE EP IN THE LINK BELOW
https://youtu.be/vzmhUJqgfik

CHECK OUT THE BANDS FACEBOOK PAGE IN THE LINK BELOW
https://www.facebook.com/Snoggband/

EP AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING & DOWNLOADING IN THE LINK BELOW
https://snogg.bandcamp.com/album/qivitoq-ep

XeroPulse " Beast Of The Moor" Review

XeroPulse is a one man project hailing from Cork who plays an absolutely fantastic brand of Atmospheric Cavernous Black Metal/Synth in the vein of  Xasthur. Burzum & Darkthrone. This is the second release by this project and is by all accounts well worth immersing yourselves in.

 As briefly touched on before this release has all the trademarks of Second Wave of Black Metal, Raw, Atmospheric, Misanthropic & Melancholic, along with an ode to DSBM similar to Xasthur. Kicking off proceedings is As Armies Fall which as well as been extremely atmospheric & depressive has an underlying uplifting vibe like struggling to find your way to the light at the end of a tunnel,this track sets the tone for the rest of the EP brilliantly, there's a nice bango intro thrown in for good effect at the start of the second track Night Dance of The Fire Faeries what follows is utterly fantastic with a homage to Under a Funeral Moon era Darkthrone. Title track Beast of The Moor follows a similar trend to the second track. Mossy Ruins has unbelievably fantastic atmosphere in a similar vein to Filosofem era Burzum, also with the added bonus of an input from Darragh of  Dublin based Black Metal band Horrenda who also offers more stellar input on the EP's final track The Black Gate.

 Have to say this release is absolutely fantastic evoking memories of how groundbreaking and fantastic the much talked about Second Wave of Black Metal was,this EP is in no way copycatting,it's  paying homage to an era that has gone in to the annals of Black Metal history and XeroPulse  have more then contributed to it's legacy.


CHECK OUT THE BANDS FACEBOOK PAGE IN THE LINK BELOW
https://www.facebook.com/xeropulseofficial/?fref=ts

EP AVAILABLE TO STREAM & DOWNLOAD IN THE LINK BELOW
https://xeropulse.bandcamp.com/album/beast-of-the-moor