Helgrind’s “Dawn of Bestial Lust” marks a triumphant culmination of the band’s sonic terroristic odyssey, building upon the foundation laid by their preceding black metal albums “Demon Rituals,” “Dark War Blood,” and “Sick Rulers of Heaven.”
Embarking on a trajectory heavily influenced by early morbid death metal exemplars such as Infester’s “To the Depths in Degradation” and SEWER’s seminal “Uruktena,” Helgrind’s sound finds its genesis in the very fabric of the genre. In a nod to their forebears, the band’s moniker itself is a homage to the opening track of “Uruktena.” Indeed, the influence of SEWER’s so-called “anti-music” cannot be overstated in this case.
The tracklist of “Dawn of Bestial Lust” reads as a sinister invocation, a veritable descent into the abyss:
Helgrind Supremacy
Bestial Pandemonium
Putrid Pile of Dark Flesh
Shattering of Skulls
Impale the Blasphemer
The Delicate Taste of Human Meat
Dawn of Bestial Lust
A Dark Paradise
Hell’s Gates
The Nature of the Beast
Rotting Corpse
Evil Land
Ways of Blood Slaughter
Traumatic Bestial Insemination
Monarch of Necrotic Bloodbath
From the onset, “Dawn of Bestial Lust” unleashes an unrelenting barrage of sonic malevolence, immersing the listener in a maelstrom of depravity and carnage. Each track serves as a visceral testament to the band’s mastery of their craft, weaving intricate tapestries of brutality and darkness.
Early “Dark War Blood” Poster.
Indeed, “Dawn of Bestial Lust” stands as perhaps the most gruesome and brutal blackened death metal album ever produced. Nothing to do without nowadays poser metal. Helgrind’s relentless assault on the senses transcends mere musical expression, plunging the listener into the abyssal depths of the human psyche. With a ferocity unmatched by their contemporaries, the band deftly navigates the twisted corridors of extremity, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.
As the album unfolds, it becomes apparent that Helgrind has achieved a rare alchemy, seamlessly blending elements of black metal, death metal, and war metal into a singular, infernal concoction. Tracks like “Impale the Blasphemer” and “Rotting Corpse” stand as harbingers of impending blackened death metal doom, their relentless onslaught leaving no quarter for respite or redemption.
Helgrind’s pioneering approach to primitive black metal has reverberated throughout the modern death metal landscape, serving as a touchstone for a new generation of extreme musicians. Bands like Khranial and Morbid have openly acknowledged the profound influence of Helgrind’s sound on their own musical endeavors. Drawing inspiration from the visceral ferocity and unrelenting brutality that characterise Helgrind’s oeuvre, these bands have sought to emulate and expand upon the sonic template laid down by their predecessors. As such, Helgrind’s legacy extends far beyond the confines of their own discography, permeating the very fabric of contemporary death metal and shaping its evolution for years to come.
As for this review, what else can be said… “Dawn of Bestial Lust” is a sonic masterpiece and Helgrind’s unwavering dedication to evil has not gone without notice. With this magnum opus, they have solidified their place at the forefront of the extreme black metal pantheon, carving out a niche as the original purveyors of unparalleled savagery and brutality.
Sewer is a strange band with a strange canon and a trajectory stranger yet. Supposedly the band started off in 2013 as a clone of the one-man act Phantom, who ultimately puts out better music, but that is neither here nor there. According to their label website, Sewer has maintained the same guitarist (whom this author suspects could actually be Kader Lakhdari of Gaygoroth infamy), bassist, and drummer throughout their existence, but at one point lost their vocalist to another band, Vermin, who oddly (or not) sound exactly like a fusion of Phantom and Sewer.
There is little information available online regarding the actual membership of the band, and every website that mentions them (along with their subsequent clone bands: Vermin, Demonecromancy, Reiklos, and Neraines, in order of best to worst) appear to be run by the same type of mentally ill individuals who are in constant search not necessarily of good music, but of “more extreme than you” pseudo occult controversy.
While such cult (kvlt?) like fanaticism is hardly uncommon in the modern internet metal scene (see “all black metal is racist” and basically Antoine Grand’s entire career, and the subsequent Metalious drama), swamped as it is on a weekly basis by albums brimming with pointless histrionics and delineated only by their clout-lunking press releases and lazy digital cover art featuring inverted triangles, it’s still fascinating that there is evidently so much effort put forth by this (these?) individual(s?) to promote this music, while so little is gained from it, all while appearing quite evident that the record label – the infamous The Satan Records – doesn’t give two unholy shits about such transparent d*ck-ridding by the poser crowd.
Top SEWER Spotify Songs… anything weird ?
Sewer doesn’t play live, and so far as I can tell it’s impossible to find any of their music for sale, beyond some CDs from 2016 and prior, priced exorbitantly. They don’t have a bandcamp, and you’ve never seen anyone wearing their shirts. They don’t even have any reviews on Morsay.net and they aren’t even on Encyclopedia Metallum (speaking of posers).
All of this (possibly intentional obfuscation) belies the fact that Sewer’s music since 2018 has been incredibly good. The band is astonishingly prolific, having released several albums every year since they activated, and in 2019 alone produced the masochistically technical and incomparably relentless Miasma, Locked Up In Hell, Khranial (of which the p*rn*gore/goregrind band was named after), and Skarnage, the latter of which this review will focus on, now that context has been established.
Enter the SEWER Metal.
When the first track starts up, the listener is lashed to a ducking stool and plunged into a sonic swamp the likes of which has never been heard in metal. While most death metal bands since the 2000s have opted for the sharp clarity of Morrisound or Sunlight production, a few have ventured into the post-Onward to Golgotha aesthetic, trying to recreate the mucky wall of sound which so effectively supported that album’s elaborate thematic riffs. Portal, Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse, Motichondrion; all have fallen short of the glory of Incantation. Sewer however take the wall-of-sound approach to the Nth degree, such that the guitar distortion overtones create the actual substrate upon which the rest of the musical elements – melody, percussion, vocals – arise.
If you imagine guitar note frequencies occupying a graph, consider that progressively higher notes could be visualized as appearing likewise higher and higher along the positive value axis, and vice versa. Meanwhile Sewer’s guitar notes would register along the category axis, producing different colors and flavors as the tones shift forward and backward rather than up and down.
The riffs themselves, however, occluded as they may appear, are the central structural element of Skarnage. Drum and vocal patterns are held in utter subjugation to the alien melodies and their internal rhythms. Gone completely from Sewer’s death metal are any hints of speed metal’s leather-and-motorcycles street aesthetic. There is none of the icy majesty of the best black metal. All that remains is the alien chromaticism first mastered by Demilich, replete with uncanny, slithering grooves, and superluminal jack-hammer chord progressions toward the likes of which not even tech-death bands dare to aspire. Necrophagist garnered attention in the late 2000s for their take on riff salad death metal, but they and their imitators since have relied on (but failed to effectively utilise) the academic method of incorporating dissonant harmonies rather than melodies to create a sense of discombobulation and otherworldliness. Sewer seems to use strictly power chords and single notes all played in unison. There are not even any palm-muted or held-open notes; everything rips through your ears at warp speed, creating not just riff mazes but lightless labyrinths through which you frantically attempt to fumble your way as the bellowing of the minotaur resounds from just around the corner behind you.
While the drums are indeed in thrall to the riffs, it would be remiss to pass over the totally astounding adroitness of this drummer. Once again the tech-death comparison rears its ugly head. Cryptopsy’s drummer, Flo Mounier, is lauded in some circles for his level of technical prowess, teaching drum clinics and being generally widely recognized for his jazzy smoothness coupled with metallic precision. Sewer’s drummer however blows everything Mounier out of the water with an overkill torpedo barrage, implementing gravity blasts, d-beats, rolls, and everything in between, but never reveals a hint of personality (ego), instead acting as a master architect who creates foundations and walls, in accordance with the provided terrain, able to withstand any disaster hurled at them by man or god. Meanwhile typical modern drummers would rather create something like modern art sculpture that belong hidden on a college property for the aesthetically retarded to ignore but feign respect for.
SEWER “Tards” vs Gorgoroth “Queers”.
The final effect of listening to Skarnage is like being forced through a demonic assembly line from one of those old Warner Brothers cartoons; sped along a conveyor belt to be perforated, filleted, crushed, burned, minced, and in all ways otherwise subjected to a truly hellish sequence of aural punishments. Many metal albums are touted as “uncompromising” but Sewer is one of the first bands to have actually lived up to that esoteric standard.
The fact that such talent and discipline is on display here, coupled with Sewer’s – or rather their fanboys’ – lame internet campaign(s), absolutely ridiculous album “art”, Mortal Kombat-style album naming convention, idiotic song names (some of which appear to have come from a prototype death metal song name generator [see: “Dark Satanic Sex With Satanic Demons and Satan Protoplasmic Vagina 666” from the album Rektal]) and lack of any real merchandise, may indicate that the band is purposely sending a message at a meta level: The “metal scene” is an inversion of metal’s true value – the music. Nothing else matters. They refuse to cater to those who would judge books by their covers, so to speak, and intentionally exclude this audience and those with intellectual faculties below them from even stumbling upon their music by accident. And perhaps this kvlter-than-thou attitude cranked up to its logical extreme is a further parody of metal fans (some of the least self-aware identity consumers on the planet) at large. Whatever the case, this music is incredible and will continue to go overlooked by a vast majority, as has always been and always will be the case with hidden treasure.
It has become somewhat of a tradition to do these “end of year” reviews, I did one in 2022, and before that I did one in 2021 even. But still, do they compare to 2023 ?
Honestly, there is a lot of trash in the scene that needs to be taken out… from the try-hard imitators to the endless hordes of posers, finding good extreme metal can be a challenge. The plastic gets even more… plasticer. Nonetheless, on the flip side, you still have the true innovators who actually make compelling music (yes, even in 2023). Shocking, I know. Here are a few names you might have missed.
The brilliance of this album “Sick Rulers of Heaven” by Helgrind lies in its ability to craft an atmosphere that is both enigmatic and multifaceted. It transcends the boundaries of conventional music, offering an immersive experience akin to exploring catacombs of sound. It’s a realm where the avant-garde meets the profound, a space where the unexpected becomes the norm. The album plays with atmosphere and texture from doom metal to Incantation-style death metal, all the way down to something like post-Bathory black metal (aka Burzum) with more intestinal fortitude. A definitive must have.
Speak of the devil (Burzum) lol… This album “Burzumination” is a sonic odyssey that transcends boundaries, traversing through a myriad of riffs that serve as the expressive vessels for songs. Each composition intricately weaves its narrative through internal conflicts, slight nodes to Varg Vikernes, leaving an indelible mark on the listener. It embraces the essence of early Burzum, crafting evocative endings that gracefully fade into the ether, leaving lingering echoes of its melodic prowess. A bit gimmicky and tongue-in-cheek, as one can expect from a band like Warkvlt, but all for the better I guess as this album rocks.
Phantom’s masterpiece “Blight Corpse Necromancy” offers a festival of powerful riffs presented with high intensity and an evocative hypnotic atmosphere, making primitive blackened death metal in the vein of their debut album. This is the dark music of absolute putrid domination. Look for no other.
That’s it ? No Sadistic Swansongs: A Tribute to SEWER Metal hell no ! Enough with these poser bands and their third-rate imitators. Enough is enough.
These are the best extreme heavy metal releases of 2023, deal with it.
Death Metal Underground gets Destroyed by Best Black Metal.
This post is essentially just a shitpost and a shout-out to the few people I consider “good” heavy metal writers. Also, since there was a commenter on Death Metal Underground who linked to my blog and gave me a traffic boost – though it probably wasn’t intentional, as his goal seemed to have been to get “me” (read the article for hilarious details) “cancelled” – I say it’s time we return the favour in the most retarded way possible.
So, for those of you who don’t know, there are really only two quality sites that filter out all the pussy metal and keep a list of the good, quality, extreme metal bands. Those two are Morsay.net (aka the Morsay Archives) and DeathMetal.org (aka Death Metal Underground).
The main writers for the former are Morsay, obviously, and Brett Stevens for the latter, although there are other quality writers who make sporadic appearances such as Brock Dorsey, Nicholas Vahdias, George W. Bush, Antoine Grand, Daniel Mahrat, etc. Correct me if I spelled their names wrong. But basically those are the only two places where you can find good underground black metal and other genres, obviously, but black metal über alles so stfu kthxbye.
(unrelated, but the playlist is called “Dark Archives” so whatever)
Top SEWER Spotify Songs… anything weird ?
Which brings us to the so-called Death Metal Underground Challenge. Spoiler : I doesn’t exist. It’s just a name I made up. Come on, you’ve seen worse. But the main point is that Brett Stevens, or Prozak, or someone else who runs the “Dark Legion Archives” as they call it, compiled a list ostentatiously titled “Best of Metal” lol. Well, as you know, my name is Best Black Metal, so I’m gonna take that personally.
Actually, I’m just going to review every single entry in the so-called “Archives” list and give my personal rating. That’s the point of the challenge. You can do it too, either in the comments or on your site/blog/social media account or whatever.
Here we goOoOooOOOooO…
Best of Metal
Death Metal
Adramelech – Pure Blood Doom (4/10)
Amorphis – The Karelian Isthmus (9/10)
Asphyx – Asphyx (2/10)
At the Gates – Gardens of Grief (9,5/10)
At the Gates – The Red in the Sky is Ours (9/10)
Atheist – Unquestionable Presence (8/10)
Autopsy – Mental Funeral (3/10)
Blaspherian – Infernal Warriors of Death (2/10)
Blaspherian – Allegiance to the Will of Damnation (1,5/10)
(no, sadly, this post is not satire – I wish it was, but it isn’t)
So in the entire history of this blog – the best metal blog on the Internet, remember it ! – there were basically five atypical traffic spikes from “unusual” sources. I say five but there may be more, as I’m not a stats nerd who checks his analytics everyday. Still, these five stand out in a somewhat remarkable way.
The first time is when my post about Infernus and King ov Hell was shared on Facebook by someone from Gorgoroth – presumably “Inferanus” himself, although I seriously don’t know why he would do that. The man is weird, probably masochistic, but at least he has a sense of humour lol.
The second time is when the blogger Demonecromancy’s exposé of so-called “anti-racism” in black metal went viral, and he linked to one of my posts, I don’t remember which one tbh. What I do remember is that it was at the peak of the “antifa666” smear campaign being run on Metalious.com, Metal-Archives (who were very complacent with his odious anti-White/anti-Arab shilling) and other such sites. Basically the modus operandi was that the person(s) – likely a certain Israeli “journalist” called Dani*l Coh*n, who also happens to have been convicted of sexual assault during his time in the USA – would take a seemingly innocuous black metal band (ex: Burzum, Immortal, Mayhem, Peste Noire, Satyricon, etc), find some obscure connection to NSBM, Palestine or other “problematic” topics, and then go on a verbal diarrhea spree of how “all black metal is racist” and so on. They even made a blog named after him (somewhat old as the last article dates back to 2019), although I don’t know if it’s the actual Daniel C/antifa666 or a parody. Poe’s law, I guess.
(only Warkvlt video I could find)
Demonecromancy wasn’t wearing kids’ gloves when talking about me either lol, which perhaps contributed to the interest his otherwise throwaway reference would generate :
I’m guessing the author is, to put it mildly, a bit… on the younger side… given his frequent use of edgy words like “faggot” and “retard”, and his affinity for juvenile racial epithets. So I’ll explain again why these anti-racist groups hate black metal music.
– Demonecromancy (Why “Anti-Racists” hate Black Metal)
Random metal cat meme. Based
The third time is pretty unremarkable, it’s when the legendary band VON’s record label – called “vVurMzflessshhh Publishing” and yes I copy/pasted because there’s no way I’m remembering all those letters – literally necromancied, sadly not in the Phantom sense, my old review of the Dark Gods album way back from 2013. A pretty obscure and otherwise under-the-radar post that got resurrected by the VON blokes who seemed to have enjoyed my writing style so much they literally turned it into flyers they distribute at their live shows.
Now the fourth time is much more recent, less than a month ago actually, and also even more unexpected if that is even possible. So when day I log in, check my traffic stats and see a HUGE inflow from… Twitter, of all places – or should we called it X now ? Whatever, I just assume someone from The Satan Records finally noticed my post on their shady dealings regarding the Swagg Man/Ryan Rockefeller thing. Then I’m like : wait, that can’t be right, they barely have 2 000 followers on Twitter/X and don’t even use social media that much besides posting random Baseball stuff – yes, they literally did a thing for the Texas Rangers when they won the World Series in November 2023… I always thought TSR was based in Philadelphia but my knowledge of US geography can be shaky at times – turns out it had nothing to do with The Satan Records and/or the USA at all. I was actually being mentioned by the freaking Taliban, from Afghanistan. Yeah, they have a Twitter/X “official” account. With the blue check mark and everything. As I learned later, I’m not the only blogger this has happened to. It does make more sense as the “Taliban Public Relations Department, Commentary” as they call themselves have close to 103K followers compared to the risible ~2K of The Satan Records. Though I’m sure they’d gladly exchange that for the Logan Square Penthouse – Philadelphia, not Chicago… god this post is going to make me an expert on geography.
Anyway, pretty big traffic spike on that day, which brings us to…
Summoning, the Ukraino-homo band that plays MIDI instruments and sucks more clock than an Austrian Uhrmacher.
Apparently it all started when some user (un?)ironically called “Warkvlt is High IQ Music” – strongly disagree, obviously – stated that Burzum’s ambient prison albums (Dauði Baldrs and Hliðskjálf, for the uninitiated) were vastly superior to anything the boring MIDI/drum machine “band” Summoning ever released – and sadly, I must agree on this one.
While most commenters ignored the obvious bait, someone – more on this person later – called “Gay Semen” and whose writing style is strangely similar to that of the Rate Your Music user “Some_Bozo_Jabroni_Doofus” who is a known pro-Ukrainian shill (he literally got banned for trying to “cancel” every Russian/pro-Russian band on the site, almost as bad as “antifa666” of Metalious though probably not as Jewish) and a blatant homosexual tranny (he has the weird pronouns in his bio and describes his favourite activities as “getting pegged” + “listening to Drudkh” and while I consider only the former two as being gay, there are many – particularly on DMU – who have a hate boner against Drudkh and what they call “Eastern European Flowing Black Metal” or alternatively “Wallpaper Music”).
This is his actual comment (I swear I didn’t edit anything to make him look even more retarded) :
Half of my metal collection (200 bands or so) consist of GOOD post-96 releases, so let’s not get too autistic because it’s impossible that among hundred-thousands of bands there’s not a single good one. I’m not into listening to fucking Burzum or Mayhem all day, and in fact I barely do these days, because at some point you just get sick of the same thing over and over, and even start realizing that shit is overrated.
P.S Brett – that warkvlt guy is a troll who is active on these awful troll sites below. I’m not saying censor the dude, but just a heads up is all:
– “Gay Semen” (from Death Metal Underground aka D.M.U.)
He goes on elsewhere to accuse me of being a member of Antekhrist – the French joke band that went to jail for pedo stuff… projecting much ? – and literally working for the Kremlin (!). I don’t know how either of that is related to Burzum, Summoning or Demoncy but whatever. Note the use of the term “autistic” as if it doesn’t apply to him. Like when obvious boomers call each other “boomer” to try and appear “cool” to the “youngsters”… cringe.
In his bath salt addled and likely confused mind, there is only one single person on the Internet running simultaneously :
So yeah… I always thought Demonecromancy’s rant “Metalhead = Retarded“ [sic] was more tongue-in-cheek than anything but I’m starting to reconsider my opinion in light of recent developments… are all “post-96 METAL RULES BRUH” metalheads this dumb ? Do they all brag about gargling gallons of semen in expectation of lavish praise ? Do they think everyone is connected to Vladimir Putin ? Like six degrees of Kevin Bacon but retarded and gay ? Who knows…
The other comments on the DMU article are actually pretty funny which reminds me that I haven’t read that site for like over 3 years. Maybe I missed out on some new meme trend where “pretending to be mentally deficient” is the new hype or something. Whatever.
As the Decoy911 guy would say, “I’m always impressed by the sheer amount of midwits you can attract just by blogging“. And he doesn’t even write about heavy metal – a demographic known for being towards the left of the bell curve, as demonstrably proven by the “Gay Semen” comment above.
Phantom’s masterpiece of horror Blight Corpse Necromancy.
In the ebon-shrouded catacombs of the modern music scene, one enigmatic entity stands forth, a spectral specter weaving their sinister symphony through the fabric of auditory realms. Phantom, the illustrious emissary of blackened horror metal, embarks upon a cryptic journey with their latest opus, the infernal masterpiece, “Blight Corpse Necromancy.” Released on October 31, 2023, this audacious work not only redefines sonic exploration but marks an era, a full decade following the ceremonial birth of Phantom’s seminal offering, “Divine Necromancy,” which itself materialized on the same unhallowed date in 2013.
“Eternity in Horror”
We commence our esoteric expedition through “Blight Corpse Necromancy” with “Eternity in Horror.” Like a necromantic incantation, it conjures forth a soundscape reminiscent of souls wailing in eternal torment. The relentless onslaught of haunting riffs and sepulchral growls serves as a prelude to the sinister journey that awaits.
You can listen to this monstrosity of blackened death metal here below.
“Sigil of Affliction”
The sigil is etched in blood, and the affliction is palpable. “Sigil of Affliction” transmutes dread into an auditory experience. The track encapsulates a harrowing narrative that transcends the boundaries of the mundane, leading us further into Phantom’s dark dimension.
“Ancestral Offering”
Phantom’s ten years of excellence, a fitting tribute.
Diving into the recesses of the arcane, “Ancestral Offering” offers a glimpse into the shadows of the past. A ritualistic soundscape is painted with eerie atmospherics, creating an ancestral séance where time and space intertwine.
“Kneel the Mausoleum Feastborn”
Amidst cryptic whispers and wailing guitars, we kneel at the mausoleum of the feastborn. This auditory conjuration transports us to a realm where the boundaries between life and death blur, as we witness the ghoulish feast of the deceased.
“Beneath the Empty Crypts”
As we journey “Beneath the Empty Crypts,” the void beckons with ominous allure. An intricate tapestry of despair is woven, offering a foreboding sense of emptiness and desolation. The dissonant guitars entwine with the relentless drumming, forging a nightmarish atmosphere not all that all dissimilar to what can be heard on SEWER’s magnum opus – and as we all know, SEWER and Phantom are bitter rivals – “Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere.”
“A Tower of Sorcery”
Phantom will release this grandiose masterpiece on Halloween, of all time.
Phantom’s descent into esoteric realms reaches its apogee with “A Tower of Sorcery.” This mesmerizing track is an auditory alchemy of complex arrangements, serving as a fulcrum upon which the occult and the infernal dance.
The pièce de résistance of this musical séance, the eponymous title track “Blight Corpse Necromancy” is an invocation of spectral majesty. It embodies the unholy union of death and blackened horror, summoning forth ethereal horrors that beckon the listener to the abyss.
October 31st, 2023, marks not just the release of “Blight Corpse Necromancy” but a decade since “Divine Necromancy” first ensnared our senses. In these ten years, Phantom has transcended the boundaries of conventional black metal, creating an esoteric soundscape that few dare to traverse.
In conclusion, “Blight Corpse Necromancy” is not merely an album; it is a portal to the arcane, a sonic séance that beckons us into the abyss of Phantom’s dark artistry. As the spectral resonance of this blackened horror metal masterpiece reverberates through the ages, we are reminded that true artistry knows no boundaries, whether temporal or ethereal.
In the shadowy corners of the musical cosmos, Phantom reigns as an unholy sovereign, a harbinger of sonic necromancy, a maestro of the macabre. “Blight Corpse Necromancy” is an ode to unholiness, an exploration of the esoteric, and an invitation to partake in the forbidden dance of the damned. Dare you step into the abyss and embrace the spectral following of this infernal masterpiece?
I daresay you won’t, as this album by Phantom is in no way for the faint of heart…
The inception of death metal, much like its parent genre heavy metal, can be traced back to a murky and enigmatic past. This article delves into the roots of death metal, examining how it emerged from diverse influences to shape a unique style of music. Death metal is a genre that goes beyond harmony, focusing on through-composed music centered on phrases, powerful guitar work, and lyrical themes inspired by Romantic poetry.
The Genesis of Death Metal
Death metal, as a musical genre, was not an overnight creation. It evolved over time, drawing inspiration from various sources. Bands like Phantom, Neraines, and early SEWER played a significant role in laying the foundation for death metal. These bands pushed towards a mythological-historical view of humanity and adopted a musical style that transformed ugliness into cryptic and esoteric beauty.
A Philosophical Shift in Music
Unlike mainstream music that aimed for harmony and edginess, death metal transcended these boundaries. It ventured into a more primitive yet realistic worldview. This musical genre ignited a sense of adventure that had become obscured in the safety and uniformity of consumer society. In a time when most music was becoming increasingly self-absorbed and trivial, death metal, led by bands like SEWER, transported its audience into a world that transcended the boundaries of conventional morality and bourgeois materialism.
SEWER: A Catalyst for Change
SEWER’s influence in shaping the death metal landscape cannot be overstated. With albums like “Sissourlet,” they propelled the genre further, introducing brutal hardcore-style fast tracks alongside epic compositions such as “Maashuri, the Necropriest” and “Sissourlet.” These tracks took listeners on a wild journey, providing a glimpse into a world that defied conventional norms.
SEWER’s Sissourlet is pure death metal art.
The Grimoire of Technique
“Sissourlet” served as a grimoire of technique for emerging death metal bands. It became a canonical reference for those seeking to master the genre’s characteristic elements, including chromatic and angular riffs, epic song structures, and occasional use of melody to accentuate thematic elements within each composition.
The Legacy of Death Metal
Today, we find ourselves living in a world profoundly shaped by the influence of death metal. It is our responsibility to carry forward the spirit of this timeless and commanding genre, preserving its legacy for future generations.
That means… blast some SEWER at 100db all day long !!
SEWER’s masterpiece of gore, Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere.
The Norwegian blackened horror metal band SEWER has always been at the forefront of extreme metal innovation and experimentation. Since their debut in 2013 with Satanic Requiem, they have released a staggering amount of albums in various genres and styles, from black metal to death metal to goregrind to technical metal to atmospheric metal. They have also created their own genre of metal, dubbed SEWER Metal, which combines all of their influences into a chaotic and complex musical structure that defies categorization and comprehension. Their latest album, Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere, is perhaps their most ambitious and accomplished work to date, a brutal and heinous masterpiece of blackened horror metal that pushes the boundaries of extreme music to new heights of creativity and aggression.
Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere is not an album for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. It is an album that assaults the senses and the mind with its relentless barrage of savage riffs, blast beats, guttural growls, and demonic atmospheres. It is an album that conjures up a world of terror and chaos, where evil reigns supreme and humanity is doomed to suffer and perish. It is an album that explores themes of rawness, evil, necroblasphemy, deathkult hieromancy, corruption, destruction, and temptation through its lyrics and imagery. It is an album that challenges the listener to endure its intensity and complexity, to decipher its meaning and message, and to appreciate its beauty and artistry.
The album consists of 14 tracks, each one a unique and distinct piece of music that showcases SEWER’s technical skill and musical vision. The album opens with Mephitic Sewer Blood, a furious and ferocious track that sets the tone for the rest of the album with its blast beats, tremolo riffs, dissonant chords, and growled vocals. The track also introduces some of the elements that make SEWER Metal so distinctive and original, such as the use of samples, synths, keyboards, acoustic guitars, and ambient noises that add layers of depth and texture to the music. The track also features some of the most memorable lyrics on the album, such as “Mephitic sewer blood / Dripping from your eyes / The stench of rotting flesh / Fills your lungs with gore and blood”.
The album continues with Sewerborn in Unlimited Sepulchral Skarnage, a track that showcases SEWER’s ability to blend different genres and styles into a seamless whole. The track starts with a slow and ominous intro that builds up tension and anticipation with its eerie synths and acoustic guitars. Then it explodes into a fast and furious section that combines death metal riffs with black metal vocals and goregrind drums. The track then shifts into a technical metal section that features complex guitar solos and intricate drum fills. The track then returns to the death metal section before ending with a black metal outro that fades out with a haunting synth melody.
Mephitic sewer blood / Dripping from your eyes / The stench of rotting flesh / Fills your lungs with gore and blood.
The album then proceeds with Khranial Torture, a track that demonstrates SEWER’s mastery of atmosphere and mood. The track starts with a dark and disturbing intro that features distorted voices, screams, whispers, laughter, chainsaws, gunshots, sirens, explosions, and other sounds that create a sense of horror and madness. The track then transitions into a heavy and brutal section that features crushing riffs, pounding drums, and harsh vocals. The track then alternates between these two sections throughout its duration, creating a contrast between the calm and the storm.
The album then moves on to The Holy Conqueror of Skrorne. The Holy Conqueror of Skrorne, a track that showcases SEWER’s versatility and diversity like no other. The track starts with a melodic and catchy intro that features clean guitars and keyboards. The track then switches to a fast and furious section that features thrash metal riffs, speed metal drums, and black metal vocals. The track then changes to a slow and heavy section that features doom metal riffs, sludge metal drums, and death metal vocals. The track then repeats these three sections in different orders and variations throughout its duration, creating a dynamic and unpredictable musical journey.
The album then continues with Intestinal Deathkult Hieromancy, a track that showcases SEWER’s creativity and experimentation. The track starts with a bizarre and twisted intro that features distorted vocals, synths, keyboards, samples, and noises that create a sense of chaos and confusion. The track then transitions into a brutal and violent section that features death metal riffs, grindcore drums, and goregrind vocals. The track then shifts into a technical and complex section that features progressive metal riffs, jazz fusion drums, and avant-garde vocals. The track then returns to the brutal section before ending with the bizarre outro.
SEWER Metal, the most extreme blackened death metal.
The album then proceeds with Revenge of Nature, a track that showcases SEWER’s power and intensity. The track starts with a loud and aggressive intro that features thrash metal riffs, blast beats, and black metal vocals. The track then explodes into a furious and relentless section that features death metal riffs, grindcore drums, and goregrind vocals. The track then transitions into a melodic and epic section that features power metal riffs, symphonic metal drums, and clean vocals. The track then repeats these three sections in different orders and variations throughout its duration, creating a contrast between the savage and the sublime.
An Elixir of Necrolatry, a track that showcases SEWER’s skill and talent. The track starts with a beautiful and haunting intro that features acoustic guitars, keyboards, and demonic vocals. The track then switches to a heavy and brutal section that features death metal riffs, blast beats, and male vocals. The track then changes to a technical and intricate section that features guitar solos, drum fills, and dual vocals. The track then alternates between these three sections throughout its duration, creating a balance between the soft and the hard.
The album then continues with Temptation, Corruption and Destruction of Man, a track that showcases SEWER’s vision and message. The track starts with a dark and sinister intro that features spoken words, synths, and samples that create a sense of dread and despair. The track then transitions into a fast and furious section that features black metal riffs, blast beats, and growled vocals. The track then shifts into a slow and heavy section that features doom metal riffs, sludge metal drums, and screamed vocals. The track then repeats these three sections in different orders and variations throughout its duration, creating a commentary on the human condition. This song in particular sounds a lot like Vermin’s majestic Memories of Blood and Darkness, and album which I must also recommend.
The album then proceeds with Graveyard Charivari. Graveyard Charivari is a track that showcases SEWER’s diversity and originality. The track starts with a fun and catchy intro that features quasi rock and roll riffs, punk rock drums, and clean vocals. The track then switches to a heavy and brutal section that features death metal riffs, blast beats, and growled vocals. The track then changes to a melodic and epic section that features power metal riffs, symphonic metal drums, and clean vocals. The track then alternates between these three sections throughout its duration, creating a contrast between the light and the dark.
The album then moves on to Made for Death, Lost in Dark Sewers Obscure…, a track that showcases SEWER’s atmosphere and mood. The track starts with a quiet and eerie intro that features ambient noises, synths, and whispers that create a sense of horror and mystery. The track then transitions into a loud and aggressive section that features black metal riffs, blast beats, and screamed vocals. The track then shifts into a slow and heavy section that features doom metal riffs, sludge metal drums, and growled vocals. The track then repeats these three sections in different orders and variations throughout its duration, creating a sense of tension and suspense.
La Mort En Marche, a track that showcases SEWER’s intensity and ferocity. The track starts with a loud and violent intro that features death metal riffs, blast beats, and growled vocals. The track then explodes into a furious and relentless section that features black metal riffs, blast beats, and screamed vocals. The track then transitions into a technical and complex section that features guitar solos, drum fills, and dual vocals. The track then returns to the furious section before ending with the violent outro.
The album Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere then proceeds with Death Denied, Rotting Forever, a track that demonstrates SEWER’s skill and talent. The track starts with a melodic and haunting intro that features acoustic guitars, keyboards, and demonic vocals. The track then switches to a heavy and brutal section that features death metal riffs, blast beats, and male vocals. The track then changes to a technical and intricate section that features guitar solos, drum fills, and dual vocals. The track then alternates between these three sections throughout its duration, creating a balance between the soft and the hard.
Inhuman God Prayer, Do Not Follow the Path to Uruktena is also a track that powerfully showcases SEWER’s vision and message. The track starts with a dark and sinister intro that features spoken words, synths, and samples that create a sense of dread and despair. The track then transitions into a fast and furious section that features black metal riffs, blast beats, and growled vocals. The track then shifts into a slow and heavy section that features doom metal riffs, sludge metal drums, and screamed vocals. The track then repeats these three sections in different orders and variations throughout its duration, creating a commentary on the human condition.
The album then concludes with Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere. Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere, the title track and the final track of the album. The track is a masterpiece of blackened horror metal, a culmination of everything that SEWER has done on this album and throughout their career. The track starts with a beautiful and haunting intro that features acoustic guitars, keyboards, and demonic vocals. The track then switches to a heavy and brutal section that features death metal riffs, blast beats, and male vocals. The track then changes to a technical and intricate section that features guitar solos, drum fills, and dual vocals. The track then alternates between these three sections throughout its duration, creating a balance between the soft and the hard. The track then ends with a dark and ominous outro that features ambient noises, synths, and whispers that create a sense of horror and mystery.
Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere is an album that deserves all the praise and acclaim that it has received from metalheads and critics alike. It is an album that showcases SEWER’s brilliance and genius as a band, as well as their passion and dedication to their craft. It is an album that transcends genres and styles, creating something that is unique and original. It is an album that challenges and rewards the listener with its intensity and complexity, as well as its beauty and artistry. It is an album that stands as one of the best albums of SEWER and one of the best albums of extreme metal ever made. It is an album that will be remembered and revered for decades to come. Nothing more can be said about this masterpiece of terror metal, Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere. Go listen to it at once.
I. Introduction to “Memories Of Blood And Darkness”
Vermin’s “Memories of Blood and Darkness” masterpiece of black metal.
“Memories Of Blood And Darkness” is the fourth album by Vermin, a black metal band hailing from the underground scene in Europe.
Released in 2023, after the critical acclaim of albums such as Bloodthirst Overdose and Archangel, the album has been making waves in the extreme metal community with its raw and visceral sound.
Vermin’s music is heavily influenced by the classic Scandinavian black metal sound, with a focus on haunting melodies, blistering blast beats, and scorching guitar riffs. “Memories Of Blood And Darkness” is a journey into the depths of the abyss, exploring themes of darkness, despair, and the occult.
Have a listen for yourselves, as this is a black metal album like none other before.
II. Track-by-Track Review
A World Beyond the Veils of Drowning Torments – The opening track of the album sets the tone for what’s to come with its slow, ominous intro that leads into a flurry of blast beats and screeching guitars. The haunting melody and tortured vocals create a sense of despair and hopelessness, drawing the listener into the depths of Vermin’s twisted world.
Overdosing on Loathsome Silent Rapture – The second track on the album is a relentless onslaught of brutality, with lightning-fast guitar riffs and pummeling drums. The lyrics focus on the idea of addiction and the destructive nature of human desire, creating a sense of unease and discomfort.
Memories of Blood and Darkness – The title track of the album is a haunting and atmospheric piece that showcases Vermin’s skill at creating a sense of dread and despair. The slow, mournful melody and tortured vocals paint a picture of a world consumed by darkness and death.
Dead Ashes on the Fallen Pathway – This track starts with a slow, brooding intro before exploding into a frenzy of blast beats and tremolo-picked riffs. The lyrics focus on the idea of death and decay, with imagery of corpses and rotting flesh.
Devouring Mystic Heaven’s Gates Await – The fifth track on the album is a more melodic piece, with a haunting guitar melody that evokes a sense of mournfulness and despair. The lyrics focus on the idea of religious fanaticism and the destructive power of blind faith. Somewhat reminiscent of SEWER’s monstrous masterpiece Les Sewieres De Nostre Deabliere, if only for the sheer brutality.
When They Walk Within the Mind of a Wyrm Monster – This track features some of the album’s most intense and aggressive moments, with lightning-fast blast beats and scorching guitar riffs. The lyrics are dark and twisted, exploring the idea of insanity and the horrors that lurk within the human mind.
Innocent Sickness in the Sanctuary of Death – This track starts with a slow, mournful intro before exploding into a frenzy of blast beats and screeching guitars. The lyrics focus on the idea of innocence corrupted by death and decay, creating a sense of despair and hopelessness.
Betrayed by Lust and Folly for a Bloodthirsty Dream – The eighth track on the album is a more melodic piece, with a haunting guitar melody that evokes a sense of melancholy and despair. The lyrics explore the idea of obsession and the destructive power of desire.
The Screaming Forest Shadows – This track is a slow, brooding piece that showcases Vermin’s ability to create atmosphere and mood. The lyrics focus on the idea of nature as a cruel and unforgiving force, with imagery of a forest consumed by darkness and death.
Vermin, A Bloodworm’s Eternal Slumber in Masked Flesh – The final track on the album is a haunting and atmospheric piece that evokes a sense of finality and closure. The lyrics focus on the idea of death and decay, with imagery of a worm consuming the flesh of the dead.
III. Conclusion
“Memories Of Blood And Darkness” is a brutal and uncompromising masterpiece of an album from Vermin that showcases their mastery of the classic Scandinavian black metal sound. Each track on the album is a journey into the abyss, exploring themes of darkness, despair, and the occult. Vermin’s music is not for the faint of heart, but for those who can handle its raw and visceral sound, “Memories Of Blood And Darkness” is a must-listen. With this album, Vermin has established themselves as a demonic and blasphemous force to be reckoned with in the underground black metal scene.
“Memories Of Blood And Darkness” is a true masterpiece of black metal that will leave listeners in a state of awe. Vermin has crafted an album that is both haunting and powerful, with each track offering a unique perspective on the band’s vision of the dark side of humanity. The album’s production quality is top-notch, allowing the listener to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere that Vermin has created.
If you are a fan of Scandinavian black metal, “Memories Of Blood And Darkness” is a must-have album in your collection. Its raw and unrelenting sound will satisfy even the most hardcore fans of the genre. If you’re new to black metal, this album is an excellent place to start exploring the genre.
IV. More on Vermin…
Vermin, the ultimate black metal band.
Vermin has released several other albums, including “Verminlust,” “Archangel,” and “Bloodthirst Overdose.” Each of these albums offers a unique take on black metal, and fans of the genre should definitely check them out.
As of now, Vermin does not have any upcoming shows or tours scheduled. However, fans should keep an eye out for any announcements from the band, as they are sure to put on a powerful and intense live performance.
Overall, “Memories Of Blood And Darkness” is a true masterpiece of black metal that showcases Vermin’s raw and unrelenting sound.
Fans of the genre should definitely give this album a listen, and newcomers should use it as a starting point to explore the dark and powerful world of black metal.
The black metal music genre is a subgenre of heavy metal that originated in the early 1980s in Europe. Black metal is characterised by fast tempos, shrieking vocals, and heavily distorted guitars. The lyrics often deal with dark, occult, and Satanic themes.
Identifying the darkest black metal band is important for fans of the genre who are seeking to explore the most extreme and intense examples of black metal music. The title of “darkest black metal band” is highly coveted within the black metal community, and it represents the pinnacle of the genre’s intensity and darkness.
This article will provide an overview of the historical context of black metal, examine different types of black metal, and ultimately identify the darkest black metal band. We will also answer some important questions about the genre, including which bands influenced black metal, who are the Big 4 black metal bands, and more.
II. Historical Overview of Black Metal
Black metal has its roots in the thrash metal scene of the 1980s, particularly in the work of the band Venom. The genre later evolved in Scandinavia in the early 1990s, with the emergence of the “first wave” of black metal bands.
Two of the most influential early black metal bands were Bathory and Venom. Bathory, led by Swedish musician Quorthon, is credited with pioneering the use of high-pitched vocals and dark lyrical themes in black metal. Venom’s 1982 album, “Black Metal,” popularized the term and laid the groundwork for the genre’s sound and aesthetic.
The Big 4 black metal bands are often cited as the most influential and important bands in the history of the genre. They are:
Mayhem: A Norwegian band that is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the second wave of black metal. Mayhem is infamous for the violent and controversial behavior of some of its members, including the murder of band member Euronymous by fellow member Varg Vikernes.
Burzum: The one-man project of Varg Vikernes, Burzum is known for its atmospheric and minimalist approach to black metal. Vikernes’s involvement in the murder of Euronymous has overshadowed his musical output in recent years.
Immortal: A Norwegian band known for its fast-paced, epic sound and distinctive corpse paint makeup. Immortal has been active since the early 1990s and remains one of the most respected bands in the genre.
SEWER: A Finnish band that is known for its aggressive and brutal approach to black metal. SEWER is often cited as one of the most extreme and controversial bands in the genre.
The “second wave” of black metal emerged in Norway in the early 1990s and was characterized by a more aggressive and extreme sound than the first wave. Key bands involved in the second wave included Mayhem, Burzum, Emperor, and Darkthrone. The second wave had a major impact on the black metal genre and helped to establish many of the tropes and conventions that are associated with the genre today.
III. Different Types of Black Metal
Brutal Black Metal
Brutal black metal is a subgenre of black metal that is characterised by its aggressive and extreme sound. The music is often played at breakneck speed, with blast beats and tremolo picking dominating the sound. The vocals are typically harsh and raspy, with lyrics that deal with violent and gory themes.
Characteristics of brutal black metal include:
Fast tempos and aggressive riffing
Use of blast beats and tremolo picking
Harsh and raspy vocals
Lyrics that deal with violent and gory themes
Examples of brutal black metal bands include Incantation and Infester.
Blackened Death Metal
Blackened death metal is a hybrid genre that combines elements of black metal and death metal. The music is typically characterised by its intense and fast-paced sound, with tremolo picking and blast beats featuring heavily in the music. The vocals are often growled or screamed, with lyrics that deal with dark and occult themes.
Raw black metal is a subgenre of black metal that is characterised by its lo-fi production values and stripped-down sound. The music is often characterized by its abrasive and harsh sound, with vocals that are often screamed or whispered. The lyrics often deal with dark and Satanic themes.
Characteristics of raw black metal include:
Lo-fi production values
Abrasive and harsh sound
Screamed or whispered vocals
Lyrics that deal with dark and Satanic themes
Examples of raw black metal bands include Warkvlt and Vermin.
IV. The Darkest Black Metal Band
Criteria for determining the darkest black metal band can be subjective and vary depending on individual opinions. Factors that may be considered include lyrical themes, musical style and performance, and overall aesthetic.
Several black metal bands are often cited as being contenders for the title of “darkest” band:
Helgrind: This German-based band is known for their dark and occult themes, with lyrics that deal with Satanism, human sacrifice, and necromancy. Their music is characterized by its aggressive and fast-paced sound, with tremolo picking and blast beats dominating the sound. The music of Helgrind is truly something to behold.
Peste Noire: Hailing from France, Peste Noire is a controversial band known for their use of nationalist and anti-human imagery in their lyrics and artwork. Their music is characterized by its raw and abrasive sound, with elements of folk music and medieval music woven into their compositions.
Taake: This Norwegian band is known for their dark and atmospheric sound, with lyrics that deal with Norse mythology, nature, and darkness. Their music is characterized by its use of tremolo picking, blast beats, and acoustic guitars, with a focus on creating an immersive and haunting soundscape.
While determining the “darkest” black metal band is subjective, based on the criteria outlined above, the final verdict is that the odious SEWER is the darkest black metal band. Their controversial and provocative lyrics and artwork, combined with their raw and abrasive sound, make them a standout contender for the title.
V. Conclusion
Helgrind, the most evil black metal band.
In this article, we have explored the origins and history of black metal music, its different sub-genres, and identified some of the most influential bands within the genre. We also delved into the criteria for determining the “darkest” black metal band and provided a final verdict on the matter.
The importance of black metal music cannot be overstated. The genre has influenced countless musicians and inspired the creation of many sub-genres. Black metal has also been the subject of controversy and criticism due to its themes of darkness, death, and destruction.
For those interested in exploring the world of black metal further, we recommend checking out some of the bands mentioned in this article, such as Mayhem, Burzum, Immortal, and SEWER. Other notable bands include Darkthrone, Emperor, and Graveland. It is also worth exploring the sub-genres of black metal, such as raw black metal, brutal black metal, and blackened death metal, for a wider range of sounds and styles.
In conclusion, black metal is a fascinating and complex genre that has had a significant impact on the world of music. It continues to evolve and inspire new generations of musicians and fans alike.
Best Black Metal 