Heresiarch - Incursions (2019)

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Heresiarch, man, pure filth. New Zealand's Heresiarch sticks its hand back in the pot of fetid death metal, and I care again, after what felt like a long pause between Death Metal that maintains my interest. It would be a be a bit preemptive of me to say that this is the best Heresiarch have sounded, but this is the best Heresiarch have sounded. Calloused riffs gestating in a cesspit of war-tuned drums and an antediluvian vocal belch that does nothing to diminish its ferocity. I'm still in the getting to know you phase of this album, but I have no doubts this one will garner plenty of spins.

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And then Jesus said "Let thee who doubt my turbulence wake up to moths devouring their only garb, let their words of blasphemy turn into dust in their mouths, let sustenance do nothing to satiate,  and please let night remain night until they beg for the sun to forgive them."

It's up for 1 Euro on bandcamp, so roll up your nickels and pay up.

Heresiarch - Incursions (bandcamp)

Misþyrming - Söngvar elds og óreiðu (2015)

Iceland just might be the most consistent hotbed for churning out bestial sounding black metal. The same way New Zealand and Canada have been without a doubt the birthplace of some of the most venerable and savage sounding bestial death metal, a la; Revenge, Diocletian, Antediluvian, Mitochondrion, Vassafor, Witchrist, Blasphemy, Heresiarch, etc. etc…

Iceland, with a population that is said to be less than the sheep residing there, has been at the top of this gnarled and barbaric totem pole. The proverbial totem pole of bestial black metal. As of late, the island of hard to pronounce volcanoes and delicious hotdogs has seen recent releases from Carpe Noctem, Svartidauði, Wormlust, Sinmara, Mannveira and now the debut by Misþyrming… Which infallibly will be seen in many year-end lists us dweebs like to make, including my own.

All facets of 'Söngvar elds og óreiðu' point to a tumultuous listen; blistering riffs that morph from eviscerating to mesmerizing all the way to riffs that show some panache! Take the song "Söngur uppljómunar"for example, it starts off with a wonky riff reminiscent to something Negative Plane or Peste Noire might do and then unravels into unabashed viking riffing akin to something Kampfar would write. See for yourself.


This album is up for 'Name your price' on Bandcamp (which is by far my favorite way of purchasing music these days), it gives you the chance to pay what you feel is worth it, and if you can't even afford a dollar, type in 0$ for a free download.

Misþyrming (bandcamp/download)

Burialkult - A Call From Beyond The Grave (2013)

I'm really fucking digging this Canadian barbarity thing going on man, this shit sounds filthy and callow (in a good sense), everything you want bestial black metal to be. Over the top with its Luciferian worship and ardently callous and putrid in its atmosphere with a sound strongly rooted in the 80's. There is also a healthy dose of thrash woven throughout A Call From The Grave, arguably earning it blackened thrash, whatever let's not get nit-picky.

Burialkult is by no means an accident or fluke, these dudes know exactly what sound they are going for, and are fully cognizant of the scene around them, letting their influences seep into the music. I can't speak on behalf of members of the band but there are undeniable influences reminiscent to bands like; Sarcófago, Venom, Beherit, Teitanblood, Blasphemophagher, Vulture Lord, Blasphemy, etc.
The lo-fi production is muddy, but not so grim and murky that it's rendered unlistenable, rather it serves as a strong point to the album which only further accentuates the instrumentation and gives it that fuck you charm only welcomed in the sewers of the underground.


Give Burialkult a warm welcome, this is their debut into the realms of fetid scum. (It's worth noting that the drummer used to be in Black Lotus, Harvest of Seasons is still an album I play much too often.)

Burialkult (bandcamp)
A Call From Beyond The Grave (Zippyshare)