A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

SHORT REVIEWS FOR SMART PEOPLE

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DARKTHRONE - Pre-Historic Metal As always, I prefer not to delve too deeply into discussing Darkthrone’s music out of reverence for one of the earliest guides in my lifelong Black Metal journey, a band that will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. Anyway, with “Pre-Historic Metal” we witness a return to the Heavy/Black Metal approach of “Arctic Thunder”, with the title track possibly delivering one of the band’s most aggressive songs in years, alongside the presence of captivating instrumental breaks, sometimes enhanced by synths, with a cosmic/psychedelic flavor capable of adding unexpected atmospheric moments to Nocturno Culto’s super-classic yet endlessly fascinating riffing. For the rest, you can probably predict what you’ll hear on a new Darkthrone album even before the duo begin writing it. But despite relying on essentially the same formula for the past twenty years, where only minor shifts determine whether the dominant element leans more toward Heavy, Doom, or Black Metal, despite their current relevance being at an all-time low, despite the return of a god-fucking-damn atrocious cover artwork, and despite the increased presence of Fenriz behind the microphone (which gives some credit to my analysis of Nocturno Culto’s voice in the “It Beckons Us All” review), I have to admit that I found “Pre-Historic Metal” more interesting than many other late-career Darkthrone albums. Key Track: They Found One Of My Graves

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A FOREST OF STARS - Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface The Black Metal foundation and Avantgarde extravagance return with a vengeance on the new A Forest Of Stars album. With “Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface”, we witness a return to the more surreal, erratic, and theatrical soundscapes that have always defined the English band’s identity, now perfectly paired with the darker and more folkish direction explored on the previous “Grave Mounds And Grave Mistakes”. The new material can easily be counted among that elite group of albums and bands that have mastered the art of blending Black Metal with the most disparate influences, creating unparalleled works that are difficult to replicate because they are driven by singular artistic identities. I’m referring to classic acts such as Dødheimsgard and Ved Buens Ende, and more recently to sonic explorers like Hail Spirit Noir, Thy Catafalque, and Ashenspire. “Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface” is a layered and at times complex album, guided by different souls united by the same refined sonic vision. Despite being largely narrated by what sounds like a psychiatric patient, it manages to coherently combine blackened angst, psychedelic progressiveness bordering on avantgarde abstractness, and a profound sensitivity that drifts toward an authorial form of neofolk. It becomes clear, then, that the new compositions form a conglomerate of ideas as elegant as they are eclectic, abstract melodies alternating with dark and theatrical moods, extreme passages merging with emotionally powerful soundscapes, all shaped by a sense of naturalness that leaves the listener spellbound and makes us rediscover a band whose long absence had created a void we likely hadn’t even realized was there. Key Track: Mechanically Separated Logic

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LORN - Searing Blood Almost ten years after “Arrayed Claws”, Lorn return with a new album. A new work that kept me surprised both for its unexpected release and for its stylistic direction, because instead of continuing to explore the dissonant trajectory of its predecessor, also considering how the current extreme scene increasingly seems to embrace that tendency, “Searing Blood” discovers new ground for the Italian band. Rooted in second-wave aesthetics through its abundance of soaring and melodic guitar textures, the new material features some of the longest compositions Lorn have ever written, alternating the most feral interpretation of Black Metal with the genre’s more atmospheric side. This duality is carried primarily by a massive wall of tremolo layers, sometimes contrasting with the warmer, gargling tone of an 8-string guitar, along with the gorgeous addition of old-school synths and occasional acoustic guitar passages. Lorn have never repeated the same album twice, so this new, more emotionally grounded version of the band’s sound feels entirely in line with Radok’s artistic coherence. The only point I feel compelled to criticize lies in the abrupt endings of some songs. The recurring fade-outs, as well as certain short instrumental episodes, create the impression of compositions that were not fully developed, something that has unfortunately affected Lorn’s talent at different stages of their career. Key Track: Threshold’s Tragedy

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DIMMU BORGIR - Grand Serpent Rising I’m not sure how many still hoped for a noteworthy return from Dimmu Borgir. And yet, I believe “Grand Serpent Rising” will leave both fans and detractors somewhat surprised. The extremely pompous pretentiousness of previous works has given way to greater compositional solidity and taste. A “new” stylistic trajectory that tones down orchestrations once grown gargantuan, replacing excess with stronger composition and genuinely evocative soundscapes. The whole is elevated by a context that leans towards a more atmospheric and, at times, almost progressive form of Black Metal, rich in riffs and dynamism, especially when compared to the muscular, stentorian grooves of previous works. Although the singles did not particularly impress me, and despite the album’s unconventional running time, “Grand Serpent Rising” proves to be a remarkably enjoyable listen, effectively bringing Dimmu Borgir back by roughly two decades. Key Track: Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel

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AT THE GATES - The Ghost Of A Future Dead The history of At The Gates is a story that deserved to be told better by the band themselves. Their early years showed a group with its own sound and vision within a Swedish Death Metal scene that was, at the time like today, heavily stereotyped. But change was already looming, and with the departure of the visionary Alf Svensson, At The Gates lost part of their mysterious aura, while remaining an absolute crushing machine. The sound became more melodic, more immediate, more accessible… yet the impact and power remained devastating. “Slaughter Of The Soul” went on to become the defining record of Swedish Melodic Death Metal. The Gothenburg one. An album that would influence every emerging band within the genre, while also contributing to the birth and development of genres/styles whose founders I honestly wish had been distracted back then. But unfortunately, they weren’t. Then came the twenty-year hiatus, the reunion, the lineup changes. All condensed into three albums attempting to keep the legend alive. In truth, “The Nightmare Of Being” tried to steer the band toward a different stylistic direction, embracing more complex and refined territories. It genuinely felt like a new beginning, especially since the following year the mid ‘90s reunion lineup was complete once again. Expectations around At The Gates became enormous. Then suddenly, silence. And when news finally returned, it was to tell us that At The Gates had lost their voice. Like a bolt from the blue came the announcement that Tompa has died. Yet there would still be one final album: this one, recorded by Tomas Lindberg under impossible circumstances, with the awareness that nothing could ever truly be the same again. The title says everything. This is the artistic testament of one of the most iconic musicians within the Swedish scene, one of its most passionate figures since the early tape-trading era of extreme music. A man forever devoted to Death Metal, Hardcore, and Grindcore. Zero glamour. Pure substance. “The Ghost Of A Future Dead” does not continue the path explored by its predecessor, but instead symbolically brings At The Gates, once again in their “Slaughter Of The Soul” lineup, straight back to the sound of those years. Melodic, fast, aggressive, yet atmospheric. Considering everything that happened, I’m not even interested in dissecting whether it fully succeeds or not, although it remains curious how many people forget that “At War With Reality” already featured the ’95 lineup, meaning the true successor to “Slaughter Of The Soul” was actually released more than ten years ago. This makes “The Ghost Of A Future Dead” a farewell monument. Key Track: Det Oerhorda

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EINAR SOLBERG - Vox Occulta Alongside Haken, Leprous have been one of the most important Progressive Metal bands of the last decade. Their style, sound, and technically driven catchiness have influenced countless modern progressive acts. A band composed of extraordinary musicians, yet among them there is one member whose uniqueness simply cannot be replicated by those they inspired: Einar Solberg. His voice is something that goes beyond technique, a truly distinctive gift in a mare magnum of imitators. “Vox Occulta” is Solberg’s second solo album, and this time the bar has been raised considerably. The record is not merely a collection of beautiful songs brought to life through cohesive, mature, and intelligent songwriting, but also a work of remarkable artistic depth, especially considering that half of the compositions are enriched by the presence of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, which grants the material a symphonic, cinematic, and at times surprisingly dark character. This orchestral trajectory inevitably brings to mind Solberg’s mentor, His Majesty Ihsahn, and what he achieved a couple of years ago with his eponymous album. Perhaps an inspiration for “Vox Occulta”? It’s possible, even if the two records are ultimately quite different. What is certain is that Solberg’s music embraces Progressive Metal/Rock trajectories that merge with their direct symphonic counterpart in a way that feels sophisticated and refined, yet also powerful and remarkably catchy. The Norwegian musician’s voice remains the element most capable of inspiring awe, thanks to an astonishing vocal range that carries him from ethereal falsettos to vicious blackened shrieks. And it is precisely through these vocal contrasts, and when the electric component merges with the symphonic one, that the album reaches its highest musical and emotional peaks, the moment when the planets align and Einar Solberg will no longer be regarded as an extraordinarily talented singer, but also as a composer of remarkable substance. Key Track: Grex

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YOTH IRIA - Gone With The Devil Even if I have always been somewhat suspicious of “major label” Black Metal, “Gone With The Devil” stands as a rather convincing example of Hellenic Black Metal done right, still retaining all the epic, melodic, and percussive elements that define the genre’s unmistakable identity. A thunderous yet highly accessible mixture of Melodic Black Metal, symphonic nuances, and ’80s Heavy Metal, that evokes a constant sense of tragedy and grandeur, with hammering rhythmic riffage intertwined with melodic lead guitars and lightning-fast solos. Particularly noteworthy is the dynamic drumming, shifting between epic mid-tempos and double-bass-driven cavalcades, while still making room for a few carefully placed blasting sections. I haven’t particularly appreciated the increased use of clean vocals by He (Rakoth fame), whose delivery occasionally recalls a gothic vibe close to Nick Holmes’ vocal melodies, although his suffocated growl fits this kind of music quite well. Almost every track is also enriched by occasional folkloric elements brought to life through instruments resembling a cross between an aulos and bagpipes, sometimes accompanied by ritualistic percussions, even if my personal eargasmic moment arrives with the choirs in “The Blind Eye Of Antichrist”. Undeniably influenced by legendary Rotting Christ, “Gone With The Devil” proves catchy, memorable, and captivating, evoking the ancient splendor of a genre still gloriously rooted in tradition, yet capable of exuding genuine atmosphere, powerful emotions, and compelling melodies. Key Track: The Blind Eye Of Antichrist

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VARGRAV - Dimension: Daemonium The Finnish maestro of Symphonic Black Metal returns with his fourth opus, and I can say with a fair degree of certainty that Vargrav has lost some of his momentum. A downward trajectory that had already begun with “The Nighthold”, especially when compared to the black monolith that is “Reign In Supreme Darkness”. “Dimension: Daemonium” remains anchored to an old-school Symphonic Black Metal approach, somewhere between Dimmu Borgir and Limbonic Art, driven by pounding double-kick rhythms and granite-like riffing, alternating with glacial tremolo bursts, the main point of contact with second-wave aesthetics, yet often lacking in truly memorable development. The exceptions? “Bleeding Galaxies” and “Unveil The Enslavement of Lunar Prophecies”, and it’s no coincidence that these are among the fastest tracks on the album, allowing the guitars to unleash more malevolent melodic patterns. Of course, given the genre, much of the focus falls on the synth work, which this time, despite its near-constant presence, struggles to be truly decisive from a melodic standpoint. The atmospheres are undeniably majestic, alternating between unsettling soundscapes and more dreamlike passages, displaying epic grandeur in key moments and expanding the sonic spectrum with glorious orchestral flourishes, as in “Starlight Chalice”. Yet, much like the guitar work, the synths only occasionally manage to fully captivate the listener with clearly defined and dominant melodies, more often settling into an atmospheric role, emphasizing the drama of certain passages without truly driving their development. An exception in this regard is “Moonfrost Storms”, a shining example of synths capable of painting entire symphonic galaxies while conveying their emotional weight. Key Track: Moonfrost Storms

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DEVOID OF THOUGHT - Devoid Of Thought Finally, the proper second album by Devoid Of Thought. It seems the eponymous sophomore has surprised many Death Metal maniacs out there, but in all honesty, all the elements that make this record an hallucinatory trip into the most abstract and visionary cosmic Death Metal were already present in “Outer World Graves”, just in different proportions and combinations. The strength of this Italian band lies in their ability to take those initial ideas, push them toward the edge of structural collapse, and adopt the right mindset to venture far beyond their own boundaries, allowing the surreal and chaotic sides to find their own chemistry, while drawing partial inspiration from bands that have earned acclaim for their cosmic and progressive interpretation of the genre. Their blend of frantic, hostile, and dissonant riffs with suffocating vocals, astral-leaning atmospheric soundscapes, and technically proficient interplay, enriched by creative, progressive twists, has been further expanded with psychedelic and unsettling sections, thanks to a compositional approach that embraces deconstruction and leans toward avant-garde sensibilities. Less cohesive than the debut, yet significantly more forward-looking in shaping the band’s next steps. Key Track: Entheogenic Ritual

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MYLINGAR – Ùt “Ùt” marks Mylingar’s fourth chapter and the first part of a new trilogy. If “Döda Själars” already impressed with its 50 minutes of filthy, chaotic Blackened Death Metal, the new material can be seen as a stress test to measure your endurance in the face of a sonic assault of cataclysmic proportions. A manifesto of pure disdain in which dissonance merges with brutality, and malevolence is carried through acidic, unsettling guitar riffs, cacophonous and vomit-inducing growls, and drumming that delivers a dynamically impressive performance, devastating in its pursuit of extreme speed, where traditional blastbeats undergo sudden and lethal accelerations. But the most compelling aspect of “Ùt” is undoubtedly found in the dissonances shaped by labyrinthine riffs and hypnotic arpeggios that seem deliberately crafted to drive the listener into madness. And Mylingar will surely claim victims among those who crave the most punishing and violent forms of Black Metal. Key Track: Jardveginn

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WRANG – Verwording The third installment from Wrang continues the most defining elements of “De Vaendrig” and expands them further. “Verwording” is an immediate, second-wave–inspired Black Metal album, strongly characterized by melodic and triumphant songwriting that emphasizes solemn tremolo textures, interwoven with expressive lead guitar work and a careful use of synths, clearly evident in the anthemic stride of “Nachten In Wahlheim”. While largely accessible, the new album also reveals a rawer side, forged through numerous relentless blasting sections and sporadic Black ’n’ Roll grooves. Moreover, the maritime influences lend a proud and bold character to Wrang’s music, emerging in certain folkloric themes, vocal cadences, and swaggering choirs. An unpretentious yet satisfying voyage in the blood-drenched sea of Black Metal. Key Track: Nachten In Wahlheim

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ARCHSPIRE - Too Fast To Die When Technical Death Metal hits the gym, Archspire answer the call. They remain the undisputed kings of schizophrenic, hyperkinetic Death Metal, driven in large part by one of the most deranged growlers in the genre’s history and a new drummer who devours the kit with insane gravity blasts and unbelievable double-bass precision. The guitar work is still the engine behind apocalyptic yet melodic riffing and neoclassical solos, while the bass frequently surfaces with virtuosic incursions. The ability to shift suddenly from brutal butchery to neoclassical themes, or to linger in ethereal moments of respite, is absolutely otherworldly. And even if the formula is no longer unexpected, “Too Fast To Die” still impresses with the fluidity with which these Canadian musicians handle insane speed, massive power, rigorous technicality, and memorable melodicism within short songs. Recognizable from the very first note, Archspire once again confirm themselves as a unique entity in the mare magnum of excellent Technical Death Metal acts. Key Track: Anomalous Descent

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ULTHA - A Light So Dim After fheir impressive trilogy, culminating in one of the finest Atmospheric Black Metal album of the decade, “All That Has Never Been True”, Ultha return unexpectedly with a new concept album and with a different sonic perspective through which to channel their masterfully evocative art. So dense it conveys a sense of palpable grandeur, so tense it hypnotizes with its dead-end build-ups sections, so diverse that it may leave some longtime fans somewhat disoriented. “A Light So Dim” still embraces an atmospheric, visceral, and “post” approach to the blackened form, but the clearest sign that Ultha have reached a new artistic dimension lies in their expanded palette: manic screams are now interwoven with male and female clean vocals and sporadic growls, while the cold tremolo work is often replaced by goth-tinged arpeggios and mammoth riffs, at times groovy, at others doomy. But Ultha ventures even further, incorporating Post-Punk nuances to craft a monumental blackened Goth Rock piece like “Sister Faith & Sister Chance,” and delivering an emotional Post Rock composition such as “The Quiet Current”, which recalls Anathema on steroids. The synths have also taken on a central role in Ultha’s compositions, not only to evoke obscure landscapes, but to instill an almost ritualistic aura and define a stylistic imprint that, much like the guitar work, underscores a new trajectory clearly leaning toward a gothic language. Yet despite a shift that can be considered “major”, Ultha remain a massive generator of majestic and mysterious sounds, whether in blistering outbursts of triumphant ferality or in emotionally compelling passages of vulnerable introspection… or both as demonstrated in the contrasting “To Part The Abelia Spring”. When two worlds collide. Key Track: Sister Faith & Sister Chance

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GREEN CARNATION - A Dark Poems II: Sanguis The second chapter of the “Dark Poems” trilogy builds upon the foundations laid by “The Shores Of Melancholia”, while shifting its trajectory toward an even more melodic direction. Green Carnation continue to successfully blend progressive structures with Gothic/Doom undertones, giving birth to a collection of songs that sound sophisticated, profound, dramatic, and catchy all at once. Kjetil Nordhus’ voice stands tall in establishing the necessary balance between power, control, and emotional depth, while the guitar work alternates a melancholic stride typical of certain Doom expressions with a weight and instrumental complexity that, supported by a rhythmic approach aimed at exploring less conventional signatures, brings the stylistic coordinates back toward a flexible, wide-ranging form of Progressive Metal. The overall impression is that, this time, the new compositions lean more toward deep atmospheres and a more “immediate” melodic accessibility, while at the same time being subtly arranged with a refined sense of nuance. What is certain is that Green Carnation have now found a clear stylistic trajectory, and even if “Sanguis” sounds less convincing than its predecessor, it speaks a recognizable and well-established musical language. Key Track: Fire In Ice

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VOMITORY - In Death Throes Finally! A legendary Swedish Death Metal band that still proves capable of delivering the genre with the necessary aggression, heaviness, and brutality. Expectations are insanely high after “All Heads Are Gonna Roll”, the incendiary reunion album that gave everyone a ruthless lesson in sheer violence. “In Death Throes” picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, delivering precisely what one would expect from this band. A devastating series of caterpillar-like riffs drives the momentum, locking into manic drumming that alternates orgiastic combinations of pounding mid-tempos and double-time assaults, head-crushing off-beat patterns, and savage blastbeats. This doesn’t mean the album lacks moments of relief, but those melodic passages are wisely placed as brief respites, only to let the punishment resume, even more intense, just seconds later. Far from being a watered-down modern copycat, Vomitory reaffirm themselves as an unstoppable death machine, delivering an effective portrayal of the genre’s most unrelenting side, without introducing new elements to a formula that cannot be altered without losing its essence, but instead amplifying every one of its defining traits. Key Track: Erased In Red

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IMMOLATION – Descent How consistent does a Death Metal band need to be to remain relevant 35 years after its debut? Immolation provide the answer with their twelfth top-tier album, “Descent”, another triumphant statement of the band’s stellar ability to craft colossal songs without ever losing surgical control over each instrument, yet instead shaping their interplay through meticulous arrangements. Brutality, atmosphere, and complexity. This is the stylistic trajectory of “Descent”, a body of work that introduces a few subtle twists to the Immolation formula, particularly within the Vigna & Bouks axis, whose arsenal of riffs is nothing short of impressive. That Vigna stands as the architect behind Immolation’s sulphurous symphonies is self-evident, but the quality of the guitar work here reaches truly grandiose heights. From monolithic, mid-paced grooves, often paired with atmospheric leads and eargasmic solos, to infernal outbursts where complexity and brutality shake hands, passing through a rejuvenated and creative approach to dissonance, “Descent” showcases a formidable range. A display further elevated by Shalaty’s demanding and immersive drumming, absolutely destructive in its fill-driven mid-tempo patterns as well as in its double-bass onslaughts. If you add a supernatural production to crown the entire work, with its clarity allowing every single guitar stroke to shine and each drum element to cut through, “Descent” can truly be seen as a Death Metal triumph, possibly the most jaw-dropping release (in the genre) of the first quarter of the year. And for Immolation, it’s yet another celebration of coherence, consistency, and competence. Key Track: God’s Last Breath

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BEKOR QILISH - Consecrated Abysses Of Dread The visionary level reached by Bekor Qilish’s songwriting on their third offering is nothing short of impressive. The entire album is so carefully crafted, intensely arranged, and uniform in its stylistic language that it feels like a single monolithic entity, with each track sharing so much in common that they come across as extensions of the same body rather than a mere collection of songs. The frantic mosaic shaped by the guitars, the labyrinthine architectures built by the drums, and the surreal textures painted by atemporal synth incursions go beyond expectations for anyone drawn to the triumvirate of cerebrally advanced music: avantgarde solutions, technical proficiency, and the progressive ability to make everything feel coherent, even when pushed far outside the box. Although I’m not entirely convinced by the vocal department, both the “Dagon possessed by a frog spirit” rasps and the abstract, sparsely used cleans, “Consecrated Abysses Of Dread” achieves a kind of master’s degree in geometrical eclecticism, apocalyptic dissonance, jazz-fusion excursions, and spacey soundscapes, right at the crossroads where Krallice, Atheist, and King Crimson seem to converge. Key Track: Fatal Remedy Of The Unyielding Plague