At this point in time, it’s rather hard to fathom what the metal underground would be like if it were suddenly void of Heathen and Pagan imagery. For those whom are entrenched in underground music, especially black metal, they should be no stranger to the mindsets that are found within these musicians. Black metal, despite […]

“Blessed are the owls, for they shall inherit the mystery and magic of the night.” –Hilary Rubinstein There are many albums, especially in the last 15 or so years of metal, that have approached the theme of the night and nocturnal energies in a less sinister manner than typical in black metal. They often evoke […]

There is design and there is art. Design is the effective visual organisation of information, whilst art is the creation of something which evokes an emotion. I am aware of this on a daily basis in my professional life, and I cannot help but carry this kind of thinking across to my appreciation of music. […]

Eastern Europe seems to swarm with Slavic Pagan Metal acts, from renowned bands such as Drudkh to more obscure settings trying to fight their way through. Paganland is of the latter kind, hailing from Ukraine, taking pride in their ancestry and delivering it into songs from lands of freedom and epic melodies. Founded in 1997 […]

“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” –Albert Einstein War is a horrifying and bleak experience, especially the wars of the last century, yielding millions of casualties, destroyed countries, and bleak futures for the species who created them. It’s […]

One of extreme metal’s greatest dividing conundrums of the past decade came in the form of the UK’s now defunct Akercocke. Polarity is truly the mark of significant art; whether the response is love or hate, there was certainly no indifference. The deeply Satanic, sex-addicted death metal collective never stayed within any confined genre trapping, […]

Now here’s a metal band who know what the hell they’re doing. Ænigma, the third album by Norwegian sextet In Vain, is practically an advertisement for my personal principle that savvy songwriters make genre conventions work for them and not the other way around. There are a thousand and one other bands I might name […]

There are but a few whom have delved deep within the shadows. As memory serves me, Spektr have always been a peculiar act.  This has not changed; they have simply dove deeper into depravity, screaming at us from the abyss. For the first album in seven years, since Near Death Experience, they have had ample […]

Finland’s October Falls have taken a different journey from many. Starting out with making acoustic albums, from their introduction to the musical world in Marras, and onwards for most of their earlier career, the acoustics were always the primary substance. Later on, mastermind Lehto added a bit of metal to the folk, along with some […]

As convivial and approachable as Australians are stereotyped as being, with their hilarious accents and beach parties at Christmas, they certainly seem to have a way with balls-to-the-wall, take-no-prisoners extreme metal. Taking cues from their cult-favourite predecessors Deströyer 666 as well as the recent output of Marduk and Watain, and featuring members from their like-minded […]