Tag Archives: black metal

Sweet Heart, Open Ear: August

by Bishop Martin

Rejoice! The Light Has Come – II


If every genre of music is a language, then we can think of bands as authors who write in those respective languages. The first chord of II tells you instantly what language we are speaking.
The language of dissonant black metal has been evolving and becoming more popular in the last decade. Every band has their own formula for writing music like this; their own dialects and slang, their clicks and pops, their interpretations, and their judgments. I trust the clicks and pops and judgments of Rejoice! The Light Has Come.

If you … Read more

Imperial Triumphant, The Callous Daoboys, Schleu, and Jakub Tirco

by Dæv Tremblay

Imperial Triumphant – Spirit of Ecstasy (Century Media)



Alright, we have to talk about the new Imperial Triumphant. That album is truly something else. Not only does it take avant-garde black metal by storm, comparing favourably to the likes of Thantifaxath, but it does so with style and passion, shining the spotlight on many legendary musicians in the process (including Denis Bélanger, singer of Voïvod)! The music is dirty, oppressive, decadent, jumping from one filthy backstreet to another, and occasionally peeping through the window of an ivory tower to hear some fancy jazz being played at a banquet or … Read more

Best of Sludge 2021

by Dæv Tremblay


Best of sludge 2021, you know the drill.

Number Five: Whitehorse – Death Weight


Dissonant, noisy, filthy sludge that takes the life out of you, just what you need!

Number Four: Alkderdeel – Slonk


Slonk is perhaps the most blackened sludge out there, I mean, I might as well put it in the black metal category at this point! As a consequence, this album is remarkably relentless, bleak, and asphyxiating, and I love it.

Number Three: Gralaghorr – The Divine Spectacle of Rebirth


Disclaimer: we signed this album! But, if we didn’t think it’s great, we wouldn’t have done it, … Read more

Best of Post-Metal 2021

by Dæv Tremblay


Post-metal is often slow and atmospheric, somewhat akin to doom metal with riffs, or post-rock with riffs. There’s been a lot of really good post-metal this year, so here are my favourites!

Number Five: Cave Sermon – Memory Spear

Australia’s Cave Sermon released a jaw-dropping debut this year with Memory Spear, an amazing atmospheric post-metal album with a tinge of black metal inked into it, which makes for a marvellous entry into our top 5!

Number Four: Daxma – Unmarked Boxes


Doomgazy post-metal with melodic female vocals over drawn-out chords and slloooww riffs. Is that what you want? Then … Read more

Best of Avant-Garde Black Metal 2021

by Dæv Tremblay

Avant-garde black metal is when expectations are defied, challenged. The listener is a gladiator fighting an arena full of wolves, bears, and lions. So, let’s see which albums managed to kill me this year.

Number Five: Issolei – Devouring Current



Devouring Current was released in two parts, but I’ll take it whole. The album is filled with intricate, banger riffs that are only at home on the fringes. While the album is more in line with the norms of the genre than the others on this list, it does such a good job of it that I could not let … Read more