Greetings, Decibel readers!
Well, at this late date in 2023 it’s looking to be a banner year for American black metal, with new releases from Profanatica, Krieg, Woe, Wolves in the Throne Room and so many more. Daniel Lake must be furiously taking notes out there for when it comes time to write the preface to the next edition of his book!
Meanwhile, I expect you all to furiously rage to these new albums below!
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Asinhell – Impii Hora
Catchy, groovy death metal from Denmark. The catchiness should come as no surprise, as the band was begun as a side project of Volbeat‘s Michael Poulsen. As for the groove, fans of bands like Desultory, Vader and Jungle Rot will find a lot to like here.
Stream: Apple Music
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Disguised Malignance – Entering the Gateways
Speaking of groove, if you liked the above entry but wished it came with more gutterals, then this crushing work of Finnish fury is for you. The band is particularly adept at mixing melody into it’s brand of interstellar terror. Sweet oblivion, indeed.
Stream: Apple Music
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Terra Builder – Solar Temple
An earnest attempt to bring some fresh energy into death-inspired grind, with putrid infusions of sludge metal and dark echoes of black metal. Regardless of what you call it, it’s brutal and devastating stuff.
Stream: Apple Music
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Woe – Legacies of Frailty
In his Inferno, Dante reserved a special place of torment for sowers of discord, those who seek to turn people against each other. Chris Grigg has his own dark view to share with us, that of the humanity’s perennial propensity for discord and self-destruction. With Woe‘s latest album, Chris comes to us both weary of the world and filled with artistic vigor and passion, a dichotomy that has always been at play with Woe’s evocative take on black metal art.
Stream: Apple Music
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Wolves in the Throne Room – Crypts of Ancestral Knowledge
Or perhaps you’re looking for something more atmospheric and transcendent. Well, you can’t go wrong with Wolves in the Throne Room. And on this EP, the band shows all of its strength, condensed in a brief set of four tracks. It’s an excellent introduction to the band’s dense catalog, and stands tall on it’s own terms — especially “Twin Mouthed Spring.”
Stream: Apple Music
