Self Released | 1-17-17
No matter how hard I try, there is always something I miss. 2016 was a great time for heavy metal as well as the year that W released three albums and 1 EP. I do not know why I am just learning about this but let us use the dawn of 2017 to get acquainted with a great black metal project that is buried under six feet of snow.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Self Released | 11-26-15
Convulsing was a surprise this year for many reasons. First of all it came out of nowhere and second of all, this is the first release from an otherwise unknown solo artist from Australia. With a lot of things working against Convulsing, the artists debut is a furious take on black / death with both grooves and horrid abstractions.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Self Released | 10-23-16
The Pacific Northewest is always a place where I like to keep my ear out for up and coming bands. Since the fall out of the Cascadian wave which sort of overtook this area, there have been great developments in black metal which do not rely on album covers with trees and waterfalls. Spektral Hatchery is another wonderful band out of Washington which explores the atmosphere of black metal in hypnotic dissonance.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Caligari Records | 9-11-16
Well, this is it, the time when I finally lose my mind and go howling into the night surrounded by demons and trees. Now I know “Oksennus” is Finnish for “vomit”. I do not know if I wanted to know this but this record beckons one to face certain realities. I do not know if I would even have ran into this mental patient of a record had it not been for Caligari Records. The record label, as said many times in the past, has been an archaeologist of wonderfully horrid music for some years. Because of that however, Oksennus followed me home and now wont stop eating the garbage.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Invictus Productions | 9-23-16
Predatory Light, as an independent entity, has been a bit of a mystery. I believe I first encountered this Northwestern US black metal band on the 2015 Vorde split put together by the very wonderful Psychic Violence records. In fact, the last release from Predatory Light was that split over a year ago. Sometimes bands take their time in making records and by the opening atmosphere of this band’s self titled debut, it was well worth the wait.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Polypus Records | 8-20-16
Fuck yeah! Black / Thrash! Fuck Yeah! There are few things which would deter this record from being great once the image and sound was locked in place. Even though the band and album title are not lock step with an immediate sinister image, the members which make up Kvesta have everything they need with a blazing full length which sounds like the dark one peeling away on a loud motorcycle. If you want an album which will make you stand a few feet taller, It is time to worship the Ibex.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Self Released | 6-20-16
Black metal being played in 2016 is nothing new. In fact,I feel this blog wouldn’t exist if it were not for this fact. Void Omina plays black metal and are from the United States. Again, this is nothing new. In fact, there is nothing really remarkable about Void Omina, on the surface, that would separate them from everything else. Besides a brightly colored album art with space things, this is just black metal played with fierce precision from five guys from Oakland California. Maybe that is why it is receiving a substantial following from people.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Caligari Records | 5-23-16
Ohhhh goodness, my head. It is swirling with madness and chaos. Inculcator is a black / thrash project which looks like it falls in line with the Voivod / Vektor mission of space based thrash. Once you learn that Inculcator is a one man side project for the one man band Abyssal, things become clearer. Oh wait, did I say clearer? I mean more disconnected and crumbling to shambles. That is what I meant. If you ever want to know what it felt like to be hit by an asteroid in zero gravity, please take a step towards Void Abecedary.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Haeresis Noviomagi |6-5-16
I love it when band names are autocorrected in search engines so finding them is even more of an adventure. No worries as I think myself and Iskandr have already met, or atleast have been introduced between friends. Iskandr is a tortured soul from the Netherlands who also does duties in Lubbert Das and Turia both excellent bands with excellent releases in 2015. Where Both previous bands were multiple in nature, the man known as “O” breaks out for a hellish ride through grief and suffering.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.
Ván Records | 5-20-16
Black metal? Yes. Rituals? Yes. Angular structures? Yes. Artsy album cover? Of course. A sensing grip of fear and dread? Hell yes! when finding something like one realizes how well put together all of the elements they enjoy being made into one album.On Bandcamp, this album comes wityh the tag of “Cascadian” which maybe fitting only in the deep sense of nature as Fyrnask has hiked out leagues ahead of where other Cascadian black metal bands have stopped and found that weird shrine with all those bones.
Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.