SERPENTS OATH - Revelation review

 

SERPENTS OATH - Revelation

Odium Records

Honestly when it comes to Belgian black metal I just pull out an ENTHRONED CD and blast the fucker. I've got their catalog so why the hell not. I consider them one of the best black metal bands all around anyways. But now we have a decent addition to that nation's under appreciated black metal scene.  

SERPENTS OATH are not newcomers per say when it comes to playing black metal. This is actually their third full-length since starting out back in 2020. But musically they nail the old ways down. If anything I'd say this five piece act is heavily influenced by the late 90's / early 2000's Swedish BM scene. 

Sound-wise you've got your fast tremolo picked arrangements which are icey to say the least. There's some melodic touches which are more toward the violent side of things. I think the vocals are amazing in that they're more into a gruff / harsh style. The musicianship is absolutely perfect. I'll say they've listened to some MARDUK or DISSECTION in their youth. 

Revelation is twelve cuts in around forty-seven minutes in length. Three of the cuts are instrumentals but they're short impromptu moments to say the least. If I was jaded, and I could be, then I could easily turn around and point to a shelf with hundreds of BM releases from the past which this band could've culled from. But I won't. 

SERPENTS OATH bring fresh life to a BM style that's classic in every sense to a fan of old. This is actually a perfect sounding album. Some young person is gonna hear this release and go apeshit crazy. And they should because the old ones are not around anymore at least most of em. So yeah this album rules in that early on it punishes you and in the end it's uplifting. To me that's damm good.

http://www.odiumrex.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/serpents-oath-revelation

BLACK HATE - Via Pvrgativa review

 

BLACK HATE - Via Pvrgativa

Odium Records

Mexico's BLACK HATE are a band that's been around for a while. Let me explain that in detail. Originally it was a one man black metal project. The one man is B.G. Ikanunna who started out in 2006 and was responsible for everything as is the case. B.G. Ikanunna was actually fairly prolific during this period. (Please note that the guy has been prolific all around as an artist. I mean he's been in a ton of other projects besides BLACK HATE).

So from 2007 to 2011, aside from a seven song debut demo, the guy appeared on a bunch of split EPs as well as releasing some EPs of his own and two full lengths. Then in 2012 B.G. Ikanunna decided to turn BLACK HATE into a real band with him just being responsible for vocals and later on guitars. Once again the band was on a creative spirit with a bunch of splits, EPs and more full lengths. 

Their last release was the 2020 full length Altalith. Now in all honestly that one seemed more like an EP with four actual songs and four short instrumentals. So here we are a few years later. B.G. Ikanunna is back with the same BLACK HATE line-up that's been going for a number of years now. And we have a new album with only one instrumental and it's the opener. 

OK so I like this album a lot mainly because it runs the gambit of blackening everything. Sure you still have the old school BLACK HATE avant-garde arrangements on certain cuts. But there's plenty of death metal groove in places. Add in is some melody and straight up traditional metal style. I mean hell yeah this is cool. And yes the production is still raw as fuck without sounding like crap. 

Aside from the opening instro you get the blistering, fist pumping first cut "Trembling Hands of Sorrow". The song is eight fuckin minutes of blackened insanity. Another highlight is "Luminous Ruins of Death" which is part blackened death n roll and part blackened occult worship. B.G. Ikanunna's vocals on here (as well as every cut on here) are full on filth, horror and hate filled. 

Another cool cut worth mentioning is “Tempestad (o de la transubstanciation)”. It's sung in Spanish, has a sort of tech death riff sequence running rampant and then channels doom as well as thrash. Yeah all in an eight minute time period. The final cut "Dark Night of the Soul" is the eerie cut of the album. It comes off early on sounding like a soundtrack for a Mexican horror/slasher film. But then it pulls out the blackened grandiose stamp of blood spitting filth. 

Yeah like what was mentioned earlier I really like this album. I say that because it's so off the beaten path of black metal proper. Plus it's from an artist who needs recognition to say the least. I guess this is where my bias comes in. My friends in Texas will know this. Mexico has always been a hotbed of extreme metal and with fans who are absolute fanatics. But very few bands from there get the big press afforded to other acts. 

BLACK HATE, especially on this latest one, should be checked out. Now with that said I believe some label should put together a compilation of the early stuff, not the LPs, but the short form releases. Add to that the BLACK HATE 2012 to 2019 catalog wouldn't be a bad idea either. Plus they do have that live album and you can check em out with this performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gCrmLUOnPk

  

https://www.label.odiumrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-hate-v-a-pvrgativa

VARIOUS ARTISTS - 25 Anniversary of Odium Records Compilation

 

VARIOUS ARTISTS - 25 Anniversary of Odium Records Compilation

Odium Records

Wanna hear some great Black Metal? Of course you do and the name Odium Records should not be new to you. I've been a fan of this label for a while. BLACK ALTAR was the band that started me on my journey with em. It doesn't seem like 25 years has passed but that's the way it is and a celebration is in order.

Now for those of you who don't know. Odium Records is a small independent label that started out years ago in Poland. The label was founded by Shadow (aka: Dariusz Sieradzki) from BLACK ALTAR. They would later relocate to England. Their focus early on was to shed some light on Black Metal from the pagan vastlands. Although as time moved on they would showcase acts from other countries. 

Although the label puts out plenty of full lengths. One cool thing about Odium Records is their use of the split EP short form release. In that you pick up the release for the band you do know and get a second you may or may not know but is cool as well. Many labels do this but Odium has done a fairly good job of it in my not so humble opinion.

So with that all said the label is celebrating 25 years since their first release by putting out a free sampler compilation. The comp will be presented in two forms. One form will be a free physical CD with 15 bands. That will be distributed to various magazines in order to include it in their pages as a gift to readers. I don't know which print media that will be. But the sampler CD will also be included with label orders. 

The second format you can check out is on the label's Bandcamp page. On there you'll get a full twenty songs worth of amazing music. The track listing is as follows:

1. Ofermod - "Atavistic Chants of Levitation" 

2. HYL – "Into the Unknown"

3. Vulture Lord – “Bloodbound Militia” 

4. Black Altar – “Via Draconis”

5. Serpents Oath – “Blood Covenant” 

6. Mephorash – “Riphyon- The Tree of Assiyah Putrescent” 

7. Devilpriest – “Adoration/Shem-ham-forash”

8. Acherontas – “Intra Psyche” 

9. Kriegsgott – “H84 All” 

10. HILD – “Hrist” 

11. Vincent Crowley – “La Muerte” 

12. Beastcraft - "Deathcraft and Necromancy" 

13. Enshadowed – “Entropy of Men” 

14.Hell-Born – “Axis of Decay” 

15. Varathron – “Arawn's Reich” 

16. Kirkebrann - "Faux Pas" 

17. Akrotheism - "Take Us to Swine" 

18. Visegard - "Hvor Gausta Rar" 

19. RAUS! - "RAUS!" 

20. Kaoskult - "The New Aeon" 

Now that's a cool line-up of bands. This comp originally came out on December 29, 2023 but is worth talking about now since this is when it'll be distributed. So hey Devoted to the Devil's Music, get it!

https://www.label.odiumrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/25-anniversary-of-odium-records-free-sampler

OFERMOD / BLACK ALTAR / ACHERONTAS – Drakonian Elitism 3 Way split review

 

OFERMOD / BLACK ALTAR / ACHERONTAS – Drakonian Elitism 3 Way split

Odium Records

Here we have a three way split EP with a variety of blackened noise from various places. First up is OFERMOD from Sweden who are a two piece act that's been around for a long time. They started out in the late 90's but have been active throughout the 2000s. Their contribution here is four tracks but their first is an intro. Musically it's in the 90's blackened death realm. 

Next up is Poland's BLACK ALTAR and are the sole reason I wanted to check this release out. I've been a fan of BLACK ALTAR since getting their second album, Death Fanaticism, back in 2008. Their contribution here consists of four cuts and the last one an outro. BLACK ALTAR are just pure fuckin BM that refuse to leave the 1990s and for good reason. They do black metal so well and their sound is always harsh yet beautiful as well as diabolical. 

Finally there's ACHERONTAS who hail from Greece and have been around for a long time as well. Only two cuts by them on this release. Musically this band performs an epic ceremonial style of black metal. It's definitely in the realm of the traditional Greek BM sound with vocals that come across more as being preached from a podium. At least that's on their first track "Intra Psyche". Their second track contribution is an eight minute long ambient electronica track with chanting. 

Personally I think it's a bummer way to end a decent release. If you're a fan of any of these bands then yeah this is a collectible gem. Of course BLACK ALTAR is my favorite act on here, nuff said.  

https://www.label.odiumrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ofermod-acherontas-black-altar-drakonian-elitism

BLACK ALTAR & VULTURE LORD - Deathiah Manifesto Split review

 

BLACK ALTAR & VULTURE LORD - Deathiah Manifesto Split

Odium Records

This is the fourth split release by black metal artists I've had the luxury of checking out in the past four to five weeks now. some of those did not fair so well in my opinion. But here we have two bands of which one I know very well and the other I'm slightly familiar with. 

For starters we have BLACK ALTAR and if you're into Polish black metal then Shadow (their vocalist and mastermind) along with whoever else he has in the band now are pretty much a household name. I got into em back in 2008 with their Death Fanaticism full length. Since then Shadow and company have settled on just doing short form releases (aka: splits and an EP). We're still waiting for that new full length Shadow.

So on this one BLACK ALTAR contributes four cuts unfortunately one's an instro/spoken word incantation intro and the other is an outro. Fans understand the Shadow loves his ominous introductions. As far as the two proper tracks go this is standard melodic second wave BM. It's what you'd expect from BLACK ALTAR but unfortunately after two decent tracks you want a whole lot more, yeah like a full length's worth more. 

VULTURE LORD is a Norwegian act I'm familiar with mainly because they were a side band of guitarist/vocalist Trondr Nefas. I was already a fan of Trondr while he was in URGEHAL and BEASTCRAFT. Unfortunately he passed away in 2012 so the band pretty much was on hold as far as putting out any new material. That hiatus ended last year when the revamped line-up came out with the full length Desecration Rite, which is also on Odium Records. 

So the genre tagline on VULTURE LORD is blackened thrash. But it's kinda more than that. I mean think about it. You've got band members who were in such well known BM acts as BEASTCRAFT, URGEHAL, ENDEZZMA, ORCUSTUS, CARPATHIAN FOREST, and that's just a few names dropped. Sure sound-wise it's thrash based at times but not in the generic sense. 

Of course vocalist Sorath Northgrove, the sole original member, has a cool voice. He's one part blackened savage and one part mean SOB behind the mic. There's great fast paced riffs which you would expect in Norwegian BM. Big surprise are the cool metal soloing shots taken. All in all three of their four cuts on here rip you wide open. Their fourth cut, "Usurper, Thy Name Is Death" is pretty much an instro soundtrack cut which to me is a throwaway song.

So who wins this black metal bout? Ah I think this is an even split. I'm bias for BLACK ALTAR because anything they put out is good for me. As for VULTURE LORD, hey they're an added bonus to this split. Check em out and get their full length from last year. The overall winner is you the black metal fan who'll pick this up.  

https://www.label.odiumrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://blackaltar.bandcamp.com/

HELL-BORN - Natas Liah review

HELL-BORN - Natas Liah

Odium Records

If you were a BEHEMOTH fan back in the 1990's then you might remember that two of their members went off and started a new band HELL-BORN. In the first decade of the 2000's this Polish act was fairly prolific as far as releasing music. From 2001 to 2008 they put out five full lengths. If you ask me I'd say yeah that's pretty damm good as far as producing new music goes.

Now of those five releases I only have one, Legacy of the Nephilim, from 2003. And in all honesty I didn't get it until a few years after it was released. Worse yet I bought it used but hey it's a damm good album. So how do you like me now? But anyways a few years after I finally got into HELL-BORN's music the band went silent. So when I learned that they were coming out with a new album after over a decade since their last album, Darkness from 2008. I was kinda excited. 

You know when most bands return after utter silence after a decade chances are it's not gonna be so good unless you like lying to yourself which I don't. Sure there are exceptions and this new one from HELL-BORN is one of em. Natas Liah is an examination on how to do old school blackened death metal. This one sounds far better than the one I have which came out 17 fuckin years ago. 

What we have here is gruesome and brutal sounding as only the Poles know how to do it blackened fuckin death metal. The vocals come across as sung by a upright and uptight corpse. There's tremolo picked melodies as well as, wait for it, crisp solos. The drum work is held back to more thunderous than pounding. And the overall song structures have these amazing strokes of melody which is shocking. 

The spotlight, according to the PR info, is that NERGAL from BEHEMOTH returns to help out his old friends on a song. That would be the final cut on the album "Blakk Metal". Personally that's not much of a selling point since this whole album is great in every way by this awesome three piece. Natas Liah invites you in, entertains you in a devious way and frankly never lets you go. Perfection in blackened death has been made by these Polish veterans of extreme metal.

http://www.odiumrex.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hell-born-natas-liah

 

BLACK ALTAR / KIRKEBRANN - Split release review

BLACK ALTAR / KIRKEBRANN - Split release

Odium Records




My fan allegiance to Poland's BLACK ALTAR goes back to 2008 when I heard the Death Fanaticism. That was black metal with blasphemy as a religion and their mainman singer/bassist Shadow (aka: Dariusz Sieradzki) as it's anti-priest. It took a few years but I finally got a copy of their self titled debut from 2004. Which by the way is equally as good. Yes I am trying to convert you.


But since then BLACK ALTAR has settled on putting out short form releases, aka: an EP and a couple of splits. Their material from those splits can also be found on the Suicidal Salvation / Emissaries of the Darkened Call compilation which is also on Odium Records. Also the label is run by Shadow.


So here we are in 2020 and BLACK ALTAR starts the decade off with another split release this time with KIRKEBRANN from Norway. On here BLACK ALTAR deliver three cuts although the third one is an atmospheric outro so for argument let's just say there's two. But they are two damm good ones.


"Deus Inversus", which there's a video below of, and "Ancient Warlust" are both contemporary sounding black metal. The production is good. Shadow's vocals, which are like a thunderous rasp, are commanding. The riffs are solid and the rhtyms are of that blitz attack. Maybe that's because Shadow aligned himself with former MARDUK drummer Lars Broddesson and former VADER guitarist Mauser. So of course it sounds great. Am I bias? Yes and fuck you!





Next up on this split are the Norwegians KIRKEBRANN who are new to me. They're a five piece BM act who've been around since the early 2000's. But they never released anything until seven years ago. To their credit their recorded out put prior to this has been a full length and a couple of splits. Musically their four cut contribution on here is decent.


KIRKEBRANN have a black n roll side to em which I like. Their vocalist is a filthy barker. Sound-wise they remind me of MARDUK or FUNERAL MIST, yeah I know go figure. They have the whole assault black metal style down pat on their first two cuts aka: "Begrensa Bevissthet" and "Faux Pas". Third cut, "Et Nederlag" harkens back to the more traditional Norwegian BM style while their final cut, "Ufodte Klarhet" is an instrumental.


As always with split releases I like to pick a winner if possible but for me it's a tie. The BLACK ALTAR side is great and I'm putting my bias aside here. Plus KIRKEBRANN are cool as fuck. Which makes this a perfect split for the BM in you.



http://www.odiumrex.com/

https://blackaltar.bandcamp.com/

ENSHADOWED - Stare Into the Abyss review

ENSHADOWED - Stare Into the Abyss

Odium Records





Although this black metal band hails from Greece their sound on here is pure old school Scandinavian. ENSHADOWED are not a new band at all. The band originally started out back in the late 90's. It wasn't until the 2000's when the band started putting out some official releases, as opposed to demos. 


It wasn't until the mid to late 2000's when the band finally got a cohesive line-up of N.e.c.r.o (aka: Dionysis Dimitrakos) on guitar. Golgotha (aka: George T.) on bass and Serpent on vocals. I'm already familiar with Dionysis Dimitrakos work in another Greek black metal act, BURIAL HORDES. 


Just for the record this is not the first time I've heard a Greek black metal act pay tribute to the Scandinavian hordes of old. Although personally I like the classic Greek black metal sounds of old aka: Hellenic Black Metal. I'm talking about bands like early VARATHRON and ROTTING CHRIST to just name a few. There are so many more on my fave list. 


But here we are with ENSHADOWED's fourth full length and it does conjure up the dead souls or yore. Right from the start you realize you're in for something truly cold and unforgiving. Throughout the album you're treated to sounds reminiscent of early Swedish as well as Norwegian acts. There's plenty of thrashy guitar blasting. You've got your typical blastbeat drum work along with some decent fillers. 


Toss in a vocal performance which is totally harsh some times while doing that speak/chant style. Honestly this sounds like a cross between FUNERAL MIST and MAYHEM. Also I'm thinking more towards the latter as far as influences go. As the title says, Stare Into the Abyss, but for me I've dived in head first. 


http://www.odiumrex.com/

https://enshadowedofficial.bandcamp.com/


https://www.facebook.com/EnshadowedOfficial

BLACK ALTAR / BEASTCRAFT SPLIT review

BLACK ALTAR / BEASTCRAFT SPLIT 

Odium Records




Two great black metal acts on a split release, both of whom I've been a fan of for a while now. First off there's BLACK ALTAR from Poland who I first got into back in 2008 with their Death Fanaticism full length. Secondly there's Norway's BEASTCRAFT who, after the death of bandmate Trondr Nefas in 2012, have kinda called it quits. Although there were a couple of releases out this year by remaining member Sorath Northgrove. 

As far as this goes musically there's twelve cuts total. Now aside from the intro and outro cuts, the BLACK ALTAR portion comes down to three songs. The first "Tophet" is straight up punishing blackened madness. It's the kind of death craft that sets an incredible mood which haunts as well as rips your fuckin head off. Second cut "Winds ov Decay" follows suit, think modern era MAYHEM especially Darek Sieradzki style of vocals. The third one is a cover of BEASTCRAFT's "Petagram Sacrifice".

The BEASTCRAFT portion starts off with another intro but then kicks in with "Deathcraft and Necromancy" from their swansong album of this year, The Infernal Gospels of Primitive Devil Worship. This is BEASTCRAFT AD (aka: after the death of Trondr Nefas). It's a slower yet raw atmospheric track. This is followed up by "Blackwinged Messiah", a golden oldie from this band. There's also a live version of "Burnt at His Altar" which might be from Unpure Invocation of Alastor Nefas live CD. Finally there's also "Ressurection Through Desecration and Churchfires" and an outro. Yeah the BLACK ALTAR portion is the better part but then this release is a celebration their 21st anniversary.


www.odiumrex.com

www.odiumrecords.bandcamp.com

https://odiumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-altar-beastcraft-winds-ov-decay-occult-ceremonial-rites