Greetings, Decibel readers!
It’s a grand week for a set of grand releases. There’s a consistent thread of eerie and dramatic darkness throughout the records here, from the captivating black metal of Behemoth and Hetroertzen, to the crushing death metal of Dead Void and Necrophilic. Mork is its own secret third thing, as the cool kids say.
If you’re looking for a soundtrack to the emergence of autumn, the best time of the year, and the foreshadowing of winter’s chill, I’ve got you all set to go. Get excited and get to work, enjoy!
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Behemoth – Opvs Contra Natvram
Not sure what’s behind the need to use “v” for “u” in the title, as the first thing I think of is History of the World: Part 1 (“You’re nuts, N-V-T-S, nuts!”). Anyway, Behemoth‘s latest album follows very much in the path of the last two albums, a comfortable groove of theatrical De Mysteriis Dom Santhanas-style black metal with the band’s special twist that winks and nods at their own past of raw black metal and ferocious tech-death. It’s a good form for the band to pursue and perfect over the long term.
Stream: Apple Music
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Dead Void – Volatile Forms
Just lay back and let the groovy darkness envelop you on this one. This is the debut album by this formidable Danish three-piece, and it’s atmosphere of airy brutality makes it an excellent addition to the panoply we’ve come to know and love from Darkness Descends.
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Hetroertzen – Phosphorus
Come to think of it, if you like the direction Behemoth has gone with the last few albums, you’ll probably really like this. You’ll especially dig it if you prefer mid-ranged vocals over the standard screeching, along with dissonant riffs and pounding rhythms that evoke high drama and get the imagination going. I also like how much the singer hams it up in the music video below. No irony, no snobbishness, just going for it.
Stream: Apple Music
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Mork – Den Svevende Festning
Mork embodies two distinct but complimentary energies: devotion to an old style and dedication to his own compositional approach. It’s not quite Darkthrone, not quite Enslaved, not quite Aura Noir, not quite Satyricon, it’s Thomas Eriksen’s own thing. This EP provides a goodie bag of new, redone and live tracks.
Stream: Apple Music
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Phobophilic – Enveloping Absurdity
Good lord below, this is awesome. Yes, there are enough bands out there playing this style of death metal to populate an entirely new country. Over-saturation and all that stuff. But trust me, few bands do it as well as Phobophilic does on this album. It’s also great to see Prosthetic Records give bands like this a boost nowadays. Click play and get addicted to those riffs.
Stream: Apple Music
