Nokturnal Mortum - Голос Сталі

Genre : Folk black metal

I still can't get over how awesome this release is. And still, I had hard times digging it, because of the somehow dissonant sound of some folkish parts in the beginning of the album. Once you get over (and past) this part, everything is impressive here. Not only for the actual folk parts, but the black metal elements featured here are totally stunning. Huge guitar playing, impressive riffs and solos, powerful drumming, strong vocals (even clean ones which are amazing), and on top of all this, such clever songwriting... Moving from song to song is discovering a new masterpiece, or a new all-time classic. Don't believe me, heh? Well, enough words then.

Personal highlights : Україна, Валькирия, Біла Вежа.

Follow Nokturnal Mortum on Facebook.
Buy merch on their website.

Darkenhöld - Echoes from the stone keeper

Genre : Black metal

Darkenhöld returns with their second full-length, and undoubtedly, it's more atmospheric than the debut. In a way, it's also less aggressive, and vocals are not as loud as before in the mix. Whatever. It's still incredibly technical and melodic. Main strength of this album, to me, is how many melodies and dynamic riffs it includes compared to what's usual in the black metal scene. It still has this somehow medieval, mystical touch, probably because of the synth lines... yet the best work lies in guitars and drums. That's quite cool considering how proeminent those instruments are in a black metal track. And thanks God (or anywho else), synths are kept in the background. Therefore, this new release is intense, and it bears no monotony or repetitive parts, and that makes Echoes from the stone keeper a really dynamic, straigthforward, powerful and intense album, even with its many acoustic interludes. You may be a bit sad not having louder vocals here, but you will definitely enjoy it anyway!

Personal highlights : Echoes from the stone keeper, Mesnie Hellequin.

Stream Echoes from the stone keeper on Bandcamp.

Follow Darkenhöld on Facebook.
Buy merch on Bigcartel.

Other reviews from Darkenhöld:

   - A passage to the towers

Djur - В Потоках Хаоса Кровей

Genre : Black metal

Usually, when black metal looses its atmospheric vein, I tend to like it less. However, Djur somehow made something catchy without using acoustic lines. I'm not sure why, but I'd say that the melodic riffs are responsible of this. Or maybe the intense, non-linear drumming style? Probably the agressive, wild and powerful vocals too. Anyway, Djur surely know how to play black metal. Songs deliver an awesome  lot of intensity, everybody does his job quite well, and compositions are nice enough to sublimate the skills. On top of this, add some very nice production, keeping things audible and raw at the same time. Really an album worth a listen if you enjoy agressive stuff.

Personnal highlights : Дивизия Djur, В Потоках Хаоса Кровей.

Follow Djur on Facebook.

Crone - Endless midnight

Genre : Instrumental ambient

Technically, this is drone. But I don't like drone much, and I like this, so it must be a bit different... Probably drone-esque post-rockish instrumental dark ambient or something like that. You're still with me? Right! To tell the truth, Endless midnight was a really good surprise from my first listen. It's relaxing, yet really dark, and it depicts a really dense atmosphere, with some kind of gloomy night, urban landscapes, and a hint of light behind all this. In a way, it's in perfect relation with its artwork, for once. So what can you expect here? Well, apart from guitars and various weird noises, there's almost nothing. That's why it's obviously drone. Yet, as opposed to usual drone, there are many melodic lines, some of which being really worth a clap. Usually, songs just keep building over and over during ten minutes, adding more and more atmosphere as time flies, starting from almost nothing. It's the kind of album you either love or hate, but it's definitely "ethereal soundscapes".

How about a couple listens? Endless midnight and Ghost city set the tone very well, just try. And follow Crone on Facebook.

From oceans to autumn - Return [EP]

Genre : Instrumental post-metal

I've been talking about From oceans to autumn more than once, and I still think they're definitely overlooked. They've been putting out some very good releases recently, and their last EP, Return, is once again a fair proof of their skills. They still follow the same scheme, except that there are no vocal samples this time. Yet, there are once again big, deep ambient soundscapes, and still this subtle mix of guitars, drums and bass, this latter being really audible compared to most post-rock tracks, and in that case, it's a good thing. Return is somehow more coherent than many instrumental releases, since it keeps things in the same atmosphere. It mainly consists in two songs, the first one is more ambient, the second a bit heavier, yet both stay in the same spirit, and the ambient one is definitely intense, with its wavering guitars. A real highlight! Trust me, give that one a shot, you'll be impressed by how it successfully merges everything that make a good instrumental ambient song : sweet layers, deep soundscapes, and ethereal feelings.

Check out Ascending and Descending, the main pieces of the EP. And follow From oceans to autumn on Facebook.

Other reviews from From oceans to autumn :

   - Equanimity

   - The flood / The fall

Panopticon - Kentucky

Genre : Folk black metal

To tell you the very truth, I wasn't really fond of Panopticon before. Sure I enjoyed the last opus, Social disservices, yet... there was something too blackish and not enough atmospheric for me. And that wasn't really "folk black" before, you'd agree. However, Kentucky is a big surprise. A good one. An excellent one! This album is just a masterpiece, because it's so complete. Full of folk, traditional american melodies with a nordic touch, with some top-notch black metal, each sharing its place with the other perfectly. No seriously, aside from any skill, it's just perfectly balanced in every possible way. But skill is there too. Melodies are catchy and awesome, vocals are deep and rich, well... And did I told you about the thematic? Songs just fit so much with each other, and... Please, allow me to stop. I could congratulate this all night long and it'd be pointless, since you're going to listen to it, and love it.

Check out Black soot and red blood and Bodies under the falls, yet be sure you will enjoy the awesome fully folkish interludes in the album. You won't regret. And follow Panopticon on Facebook.

Kroda - Schwarzpfad

Genre : Folk black metal

Kroda is quite popular in the black metal scene, and I would agree to describe it as pagan black. Here, let's consider it as rawer folk metal, just because it doesn't have the melancholic, poetic touch observed in some of the bands I've been talking about here, yet it has some intensity which shouldn't be missed, successfully merged with folky melodies played a great way. Schwarzpfad features both beautiful folk melodies and aggressive black metal, and for a very positive note, those are perfectly arranged together! To me, it's the best aspect in this album, since many pagan black metal tend to play folk and metal quite separately. Hope I make sense. Technically, Schwarzpfad is very nice too! Vocals sure lack some emotion, but they're strong and well-balanced in the mix, melodies are great and avoid the usual "dissonant-pagan-chords" flaw. Pagan choirs are good enough, metal arrangements are totally black metal, and sometimes, it's a real pleasure! Least we can say, is that this is a rich and intense album, which definitely deserves being digged.

Come on, give it a shot. Schwarzpfad I (First snow) or Schwarzpfad II (Heil Ragnarok!) are good picks to start with.