Italy

Nifheldhur – Of Wolf and Battle [Italy, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 5-15-20

“Nifheldhur is a project born back in 1996 and dispersed over time. 24 years later, it comes back to life, to pay homage to shields and swords, in a concept of 4 acts, divided into the melodies of a single track ……”

I enjoy the flavor of this release. It also helps when the music is in step with the concept. Nifheldhur, for all intents and purposes, is a new band as I could not track down any of the 90’s material but we will assume it existed in some fashion before the wave of the internet. Of Wolf and Battle is the first release in this sword and shield production and is a panaorama of emotion and melodies. The grandeur of the music is restrained by the production though its lo-fi quality makes for interesting dichotomy as it is a wall sized oil painting on paper hung by tacks. Any indication that this is a criticism should be discarded as Nifheldhur achieves the vast escapism in battle scenes made in basements.

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LVA – ΑΣ ΑΡΧΙΣΕΙ Η ΤΕΛΕΤΗ [Italy, Black] (2020)

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Ascension Records | 6-5-20

This release comes to us from Ascension Records which is based in Mexico with an Italian black metal act who seems to have figured out their visual identity. The cover for ΑΣ ΑΡΧΙΣΕΙ Η ΤΕΛΕΤΗ is a grand departure from the bands 2017 debut. Instead of a large white logo, the cover for ΑΣ ΑΡΧΙΣΕΙ Η ΤΕΛΕΤΗ is adorned with subtle black and red occultic imagery. This coincides with the black/red album cover trend which quite frankly works to give the music an ominous quality. While we are not given the full release quite yet, the sheer ferocity of the preview track is enough to make me wait for a few weeks until I can hear the rest of it.

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Vexev – Abyssus Abyssum Invocat [France, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 5-6-20

I know the tag for this record states it is raw black but I would be more comfortable putting it in the mid tier of black metal. This is not to take away from the bare nature of Vexev’s music rather their production is neither claustrophobic nor oppressive rather they have an entire empty cathedral to play in and it is through this space that their music swoops and dives like phantoms rising out of the walls. Abyssus Abyssum Invocat is the band’s deb ut full length and first release which is surprising given the genre. With no demo, EP or rehearsal to precede this, Vexev makes their first declaration and by all accounts it is loud enough to gain attention.

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Sidereal Fortress – The Hermit’s Hole [Italy, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 4-11-20

Probally one of the most interesting aspects about this record is the Angelo Branduardi cover which nestles itself within a magical record of dungeon synth. Angelo Branduardi is an Italian folk singer who saw moderate success in the 1970’s but has since developed a following among woodfolk and like minded people. The instrumental cover of “The Stolen Bride” is transcendental and arcane as it feels apart of the original compositions yet highlighted as the centerpiece of the record. Sidereal Fortress has been releasing music since 2017 yet for anyone like me who is first encountering this woodsy patch of mushrooms, it maybe a great place to start.

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Kobold – The Village In The Frozen mountains [Italy?, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Heimat Der Katastrophe | 4-3-19

I can remember Kobold’s first release on HDK in 2017 as the weirdo OSR dungeon synth release on a seemingly experimental Italian label. Now as HDK enters into the 50’s in terms of release number, my view on this label has not swayed as it is an anomaly of outsider music and niche interest groups. Kobold is apart of a legion of 16 bit focused DS that makes music centered around imaginary adventures that sound like soundtracks to computer games that never existed. Actually, this release, like others, comes with a complete adventure inside the tape as each release is an OSr adventure. TI do not know how developed the system is but Kobold’s releases would not be the first time a game was incorporated into a DS release. Even outside the durability of the game as tape release, the landscape created by Kobold is deserving of attention just with the other three releases on HDK. This release is made for a specific audience on a label that seems odd but you know what, it all seems to be working out.

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Forlorn Kingdom – Northern Spirits Call From Afar [Italy, Dungeon Synth] (2020)

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Self Released | 3-15-120

Dungeon Synth has an air of mystery and sheltered presence. The act of uncovering recordings from the past seems to be part and parcel for a bedroom genre shrouded in cloaks and daggers. Northern Spirits Call From Afar is a rerelease of music made between 2013-2019 and limited to a handful of private cassettes. The music then made it to a compilation which was split, last year, between two releases Walking The Paths Of Old and Distant Apparitions. Now, Dungeons Deep Records presents almost the entire work of Forlorn Kingdom and the mysterious entity known as Grimroth on one record. All of this fanfare frames a wonderfully crafted array of icy castles, ghostly fog and lofi dungeon crawling which is both stately as well as haunted. As of writing this review, there are currently 24 of 150 copies of this tape left and I expect it not to last much longer.

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Tenebro – Demo [Italy, Death] (2019)

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Desert Wastelands Productions | 5-1-19

Allow the reverberations of instinct to take over. I think this is from Italy since the tag indicates it is “Horror Glorifying Death Metal from Fulci’s Land.” This demo comes by the way of Desert Wasteland which also released Astriferous’ demo. If that Costa Rican massacre was any indication then Tenebro is going to be of the same caliber. We will go with that. If the lack of information is offsetting, it is just apart of the luddite style death metal that I have come to love and worship. If any sound was akin to kunckledragging ogres then Tenebro is one of the grossest abominations to stalk the land. Heavy, inattentive, and only concerned with the lust for violence, this is death metal with a 10th grade reading level that dumps intelligence for strength.

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The Clearing Path – Watershed Between Earth and Firmament [Italy, Black / Progressive] (2017)

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I, Voidhanger Records | 12-8-17

I was halfway through reviewing this project’s 2015 debut before realizing it was released in 2015. Because of this, I can now see the scope of The Clearing Path as not just an atmospheric black metal act with more interesting aesthetic rather a black metal project that starts on earth and ascends to the stars.

Watershed Between Firmament And The Realm of Hyperborea follows the project’s debut Watershed Between Earth and Firmament. For anyone confused, Firmament is a cosmological divide between the sky and heaven (sort of) and Hyperborea was the land of Ice Giants according to Greek Mythology. Both of these themes that have been placed in the titles heralds a black metal record bent on exploring the cosmos through shrieks and fretless bass. Though I am not usually into progressive black, The Clearing Path succeeds beyond all measure and creates a record I am sure will be a hit with people needing this type of music. The question is no will anyone hear it. This record is being handled by I, Voidhanger Records which means a good shot for this to be heard by more than less people. The fact it is being released at the end of the year doesn’t bode well for any end of the year list however. Regardless of anything, the pace and focus of The Clearing Path doesn’t seem to follow normal calendrical systems rather something more ancient and astral.

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Totalitarian – De Arte Tragoediae Divinae [Italy, Black / Death] (2017)

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All hail the gloom of tomorrow! It seems odd for an underground band to begin their career with a full length. In a genre full of demos, splits, and EPs, starting with a 56 minute record feels novel in a style where most do not reach that length with their longest releases. Totalitarian is different in the fact they want nothing else than to slowly step on the necks of their listener.

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Messa – Belfry [Italy, Doom] (2016)

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Aural Music | 5-6-16

Aural Music | 5-6-16

Doom can be so hot and accessible. Usually my searches through Bandcamp trawl on on the bottom of the ocean floor looking for new black and death albums with the occasional doom thrown in for good measure. Belfry, the debut album from Italian traditional/stoner doom outfit Messa, has come on the wings of no previous material nor no huge press hype yet it has been 6 days and already it is relativity popular and a hit with certain crowds. Why is this? Well, it is my belief that not only is doom with female vocals backing traditional doom enticing to people but Messa does this formula exceedingly well.

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