Negativa - 04 (2022)

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It's been in black metal's DNA to be dissonant, harsh and cold, but this record takes those fundamentals and beats you over the head with it for 40-straight minutes, which to those of us who beckon punishment, pounce on it like a werewolf.

Spain's Negativa has channeled these characteristics with aplomb throughout their entire discography, and the result of it has amounted to some of the densest black metal around today—Invoking a wall of sound built upon cascading guitar tones that whirr and drone between war hammer drums which favour force over speed and vocals that struggle to penetrate a thick layer of fog and noise.

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It hearkens back to last years output by Voidsphere and Sulpur, both of which released albums in 2021 that were in my top 10—Which might say something about how highly I regard this particular form of black metal, spirit inducing and relentlessly oppressive. Don't sleep on this record, unless you want to be a dummy idiot, then go right ahead.

04 is 'Name your price' on Bandcamp, put that coffee money to something worthwhile and toss these guys (and their label, Mystískaos) a few bucks and help keep the underbelly of metal well lit!

Negativa - 04 (bandcamp)
Download (Zippyshare)

Hässlig - Guillotine (2021)

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Somehow this debut release completely flew under my radar all of last year until a few weeks ago, where I have been over-listening to it ever since. Crude and primitive black metal punk a la a similar attack as Raspberry Bulbs and Bone Awl, with emphasis on raw aggression and a firm grip on how to effectively use unpolished riffs and chord progression to take something simple and make it compelling. I found this through the reliability of the Mystískaos bandcamp page, check it out or forever be a dud!

Hässlig - Guillotine (bandcamp)

Det Eviga Leendet - Reverence (2022)

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The sophomore release by Sweden's hidden treasure, Det Eviga Leendet, came out a few days ago through the impenetrable forces that are Amor Fati and Mystískaos and the result is a potent blast of cold and unwavering black metal. The overall sound is cloaked in a dizzying atmosphere of reverb and transient gain, which is only compounded by a drape of layered guitars that weave in and out of inspired riffs and whirring chords as if it were trying to find the sonic equivalent to hypnosis—Another hallmark of success on Reverence is the way the drums sound, in the way that they are played and in the way that they're mixed, a compelling barrage of dynamic fills and blasts that have great interplay between a wall of tone and timbre.

Det Eviga Leendet - Reverence (bandcamp)

Skáphe & Wormlust - Kosmískur Hryllingur (2019)

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An apt follow up to the Mannveira post is this collaboration album Skáphe and Wormlust put out back in 2019 through Mystískaos and its a cosmic heavy hitter by two enigmatic giants in the genre of forward-thinking metal. If you were to look at the roster that is backing up every sonic decision on this album you would quickly glean that this union might be among the undergrounds most prolific and accomplished assemblage of members—Being comprised by a venerable cast including Misþyrming, Chaos Moon, Naðra, Triumvir Foul, Martoð, Ljáin, Dagger Lust, Almyrkvi, Sinmara, Guðveiki, Momentum (Ask any musician in Iceland and they will remember this band), this is only naming a few…

I'm still amazed this album exists, I can only imagine the writing process was something strange considering members don't all live in the same country let alone city. This is a monolithic two-track album of downward spiralling black/death metal heavy on ambient soundscapes of cosmic psychedelia and the esoteric. A musical equivalent to a family vacation on the abyssal plains. 

"Name your price" on Bandcamp, you can't really go wrong here.

Skáphe & Wormlust - Kosmískur Hryllingur (bandcamp)