Zwarte Dood – Waanzin [Belgium, Raw Black / Doom / Dark Ambient] (2022)

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Zwarte Dood is one-man raw black metal group that plays an absolutely harrowing mix of raw black and doom metal. Waanzin is the act’s third demo – though it’s remarkably different from the others. Waanzin is one twenty-minute long track that starts in a ghoulish dark ambient aesthetic before evolving into positively catastrophic metal with manic vocal invectives. The man behind this project is also the main creative force behind LVTHN, and it shows in both band’s haywire compositional style. Though Zwarte Dood is far more “off” than LVTHN; I don’t recall LVTHN’s music having a full-on minute of laugh-sobbing. Waanzin is a deeply discomfiting listen but damn if it isn’t powerful as all hell.

Waanzin by Zwarte Dood

Sepulchral Voices – Evil Crusaders [Belgium, Black / Thrash] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-29-20

The Bandcamp for this band states “We are Sepulchral voices and we’re back from the grave” but this should be taken as aesthetic rather than insinuating they are an old band. This is confusing as there is an older band named Sepulchral Voice that plays death thrash. This is not them rather Sepulchral Voices who play black/thrash at the speed of a hurricane which ravages the land. Sepulchral Voices has been around since 2016 and their album covers exude a certain aesthetic of ferocity seen in black/death bands. Evil Crusaders is relentless but not in the grinding concrete style of war metal rather thrash metal that has been possessed by the devil.

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Heinous – Demo [Belgium, Black] (2019)

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Medieval Prophecy Records | 1-10-18

another day, another black and white demo. Jokes aside, this shit rules and it took me a little bit to crack into the depths in which this Belgian act offers. We are also right at the beginning of a career which seems to offer swirling black metal which far from produced is still easily to discern and surprisingly enough easy to approach. With declarative vocals that are gruff and festering but not repellent, this demo might be one of the easier avenues into the grim world of lesser known black metal demos. I could also be wrong and way off course but Ill have a soundtrack to accompany my madness.

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LVTHN – Eradication of Nescience [Belgium, Black] (2016)

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Fallen Empire | 6-6-16

Fallen Empire | 6-6-16

“It seems some citizens were so impatient for our new offering that it got leaked. As the leaked version is an unfinished version, we adjudged to release the final version officially at bandcamp as a ‘name your price’ download. This way, everyone is able to attain it there and give us some backing would they wish so. Zazas, Zazas, Nasatanada Zazas! So, it begins…

It is difficult to keep anything a secret even at this level. What you just heard was the collected gasps of a few but a very excited few. One of those gasps was me as LVTHN represented one of the first Fallen Empire releases for me way back int he days of 2014. At the time their debut demo Adversarialism was a blistering step into clear mid fi black metal with the flirtation with raw lo fidelity but none of the morning after headache. Eradication of Nescience continues this work forged in the 11 minute demo and expanding it to a robust 47.

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Possession – 1585-1646 [Belgium, Black/Death] (2015)

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Iron Bonehead | 6-6-15

Iron Bonehead | 6-6-15

Oh that’s cool. What is that? Is that a child being sacrificed by moonlight among a group of armored and robed deviants. Amazing. Is that a bell tolling over the sound of rumbling thunder for an intro? You had me at thunder. There are sometimes when an album cover can tell a story a thousand pages long. Possession’s 6 minute intro into their 24 minute EP comes with such tension and grand celebration that it is hard not to get excited when everything breaks into complete fucking panic.

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Varen – Varen [Belgium, Black] (2015)

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Self Released | 3-16-15

Self Released | 3-16-15

My sweet lord, what a powerful opening. The first track of Varen’s self titled EP and debut release is a moody sundclip of moans and flies buzzing. This short introduction leads into “Hic Incipit Pestis” ( Here begins the plague) which is particularly fitting seeing as this Belgian duo is more than capable of making music which sounds like the decaying of flesh and the last breathe of masses dying in agony. I could be wrong though, it maybe a little brighter than that. Probably not.

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Gateway – Aeternae [Belgium, Sludge Doom] (2014)

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Self Released | 9-10-14

Self Released | 9-10-14

Oh Holy, God, listen to that tone. That is the sound of the world unraveling internally. Sludge doom is an already effective style which capitalizes on the fact listeners are seeking the heaviest style of music. Add to that a menacing album cover and some unique vocals and one is ready for a harrowing good time in the shell of a burnt out planet. That is right, heavy metal can become cosmically impossible in metaphor.

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Merda Mundi – VI – Khaos [Belgium, Black] (2014)

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Self Released | 7-6-14

Self Released | 7-6-14

It is difficult not to be repulsed by Merda Mundu. This Belgium black metal project takes its name from a Latin translation meaning “shit of the world” and the project’s Bandcamp proudly exclaims songs and albums as “musical excrement.” This, combined with punishing mid fi black metal makes for dynamic terror which has the potential to scare the living. Whatever creator Déhà seems to be doing though is all for a purpose. Whether that purpose is covering the whole world in a mixture of beauty and defilement is a conversation for later.

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LVTHN – Adversarialism [Belgium, Black] (2014)

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Self Released | 1-1-14

Self Released | 1-1-14

I have decided to start tagging record labels as I feel it is important to support ones which put out consistent material. LVTHN is a darkhorse as their existence was unknown to many before a few days ago when the very well liked Fallen Empire put up their debut demo for stream. If one needed any more reason to pay attention to lesser known releases, the two song demo for LVTHN serves as a reminder in the form of a punch to the face.

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