OBSCURITIES – VOLUME V: BLACK METAL IN BLOOM

(We present another one of Dan Barkasi‘s monthly collections of reviews and recommended music, taking stock of 8 records that saw release in April 2024.)

April is in the rear view, but my allergies sure aren’t. Ah, yes, the time of year in Florida when the “winter” time of perfect temperatures has transitioned to sweltering heat and pollen so thick that it will layer upon vehicles left outside. It’d sure be nice to breathe out of my nose again. Don’t get me started about the fucking lovebugs. Nothing like a ton of awesome new tunes to rattle oneself back into the groove.

Maryland Deathfest is also coming up very fast, and while we have tickets for all of the days this year, it’s questionable if we’ll be able to make it. Hopefully the stars align and it happens – just look at that loaded lineup. Bands like Dismember, Fossilization, Altars, Sodom, Crypt Sermon, Ahab, Esoteric, Spectral Voice, Spirit Possession, Imperialist, Severe Torture… well, you get the idea. Here’s to hoping we see a few of you fine folks there! If you can attend, do yourself a favor and make it happen. One of the best fests on this side of the globe.

While I’m sure that the (hopefully) three of you left came to hear me drone on about my problems like our pal George, let us get to the music. It was the most difficult month thus far to narrow my choices down to eight, with a few that were especially painful to cut. But, it’s my column, so the hell with it – Draugnim’s Verum Malum and Fierce Diety’s A Terrible Fate both represent dramatically different genres and characteristics, but each is executed with extreme proficiency, which should earn at least a spin. Now, onto the rest of this month’s selections.

 

Æquorea – Departure

Release Date: April 3, 2024

Californian post-doom merchants Æquorea have a pair of introspective, earthy records in their history via Tellurian and DIM. The latter of which being an intricate piece that exuded a warm calmness, while simultaneously cutting deeply when they ramped up the urgency aspect. Their third, titled Departure, shows a shift towards the harder-hitting side of the band’s sound, whilst not abandoning their post-metal sensibilities.

An uptick in memorable riffs and eventful moments are present on Departure, hitting that difficult balance of soulful atmosphere and heavy blasts to the cranium. “Cursed” quickly grips the listener with crooning melody and weighty rhythm guitars, exuding a vitality that their contemporaries too often miss. At the same time, the song adds balance via subdued moments, melancholically twisting with the more aggressive tones seamlessly. The clean/harsh vocal layering in the peak moments of “Translucent Maze” are pointedly creative, while “Breathing Tower” brings the gargantuan doom riffs along with thoughtful mood progressions throughout.

There’s a real Downfall of Gaia genus of immersiveness – high praise, as they’re a huge personal favorite and one of the top innovators in this style. Æquorea have their most complete release in Departure, and we’re excited for them to continue on this prolific path.

 

Kvadrat – The Horrible Dissonance of Oblivion

Release Date: April 4, 2024

Kvadrat should be a name on more tongues, and with their debut full-length The Horrible Dissonance of Oblivion, that error should briskly be rectified. Their 2021 EP Ψυχική Αποσύνθεση was up there with my top surprises of that year, providing four tracks of swelteringly bleak black/death metal that should have fans of Ulcerate and Verberis salivating. The long-player is proof positive that this Athens, Greece solo project is an undeniable force to be reckoned with.

You want murky, grim discordance, Kvadrat has that taken care of in abundance. Horrible Dissonance of Oblivion is as chilling as it comes – even literally, as the track “-4°C” is as icy and frigid as a glacier in the south pole. Riff after riff is emblazoned upon the listener as the whole record is bathed in horrific darkness. Entries such as “Σηπτική ανυπαρξία” are near-surgical in their precision, though the best element is that of patience. Kvadrat almost never opts for a quick strike, instead choosing a more onerous and ultimately rewarding route. Not to mention an overarching vibe that’s a monolith of sinister, twisted formulations.

It’s of no surprise that Kvadrat find themselves associated with Nightmarer’s Total Dissonance Worship label (Nuclear Winter Records, too, as this was a co-release), with their overarchingly thick, dirty, antagonistic resonance. Also notable is Ivan Agakechagias’ jack-of-all-trades abilities; he handled the writing, instruments, vocals, recording, mixing, even the cover art and the band’s logo. Only the mastering was done by somebody else – Dan Lowndes, who did a bang-up job.

In a time where it’s more commonplace to see single entity projects, Kvadrat stands easily in the upper crust of such acts. The Horrible Dissonance of Oblivion isn’t going away anytime soon, and that’ll settle just fine.

 

Cistvaen – At Light’s Demise

Release Date: April 5, 2024

Introducing misty fog into our springtime forecast, Cistvaen brings us a debut LP in At Light’s Demise that’s equal parts melodic and stinging, many times combining these staples together in a grippingly effective manner, making this release one that leaves an imprint.

Building off of a successful EP in Under the Silent Meadow Skies, we get a fuller realization of the potential displayed on said 2021 release. The melodies are quite the instantly memorable sort, though thankfully the band’s attack is a sharpened blade of chilling riffs and gnarled shrieks. A hint of depressive black metal makes its presence known; though not to the mournful level of the mighty Afsky, it’s still a most welcome piece of Cistvaen’s makeup. Tracks like “Cessation of Hope” are a divine mixture of energetic and morose, whereas “The Epitaph” travels a blackened doom road for significant chunks.

At Light’s Demise ticks plenty of boxes in the black metal pantheon. Plenty of furious segments to tear into, balanced by the depressive and atmospheric to round out a variably effective package. The songs are long, but very well constructed, and there’s plenty of real emotive pieces that leave a mark. Indeed a band on the rise, and we’re here for it.

 

Nimbifer – Der b​ö​se Geist

Release Date: April 12, 2024

The raw side of black metal doesn’t always intrigue these ears, but it typically isn’t as engaging as Nimbifer are. This German duo know when to push the right buttons, creating that all-important aura that is difficult to resist. For another act on their first album, they’ve accomplished what many have not in this particular realm with Der b​ö​se Geist.

There’s a distinctiveness with Nimbifer that sticks out – from their medieval themes and aesthetic to a deft touch of melancholy. Never do they succumb to the trap of a mashed-together pile of indecipherable noise. Rather, the stripped-down sound profile enhances their musical premise, fitting wonderfully with their icy riffs and second-wave ferocity. If you don’t believe me, try “Schlangenmaul” on for size and enjoy being flattened by a stone wall of guitars and crafty progressions. Plenty of evidence abounds that proves the band’s deceptively adept songwriting skills. Other standouts include the hypnotic spell that is “Ruinen” – those freaking tremolos – and the meticulous journey presented by “Auf endlosen Pfaden und haltlosen Strömen.”

Nimbifer exemplify exactly what raw black metal is capable of, and in the modern purview of the style, few ascend to their level. Hell, we’d even challenge that Der b​ö​se Geist is the kind of achievement reminiscent of that which brought so many of the classics such high acclaim. It even surpasses a number of them. It’s that damn good.

 

Subterraen – In the Aftermath of Blight

Release Date: April 12, 2024

Look to the French to have their finger on the pulse of what works within the numerous black metal amalgamations rampaging about these days. In this case, a combination of sludgy doom and a hearty blackened tinge makes up Nantes natives Subterraen. Their sophomore release In the Aftermath of Blight is drenched in nuance that is both poignant and biting.

Subterraen’s compositions overflow with a post-metal insightfulness, adding a delectable flavor that stands out. The riffs aren’t excluded, so take note – tracks like opener “Paving The Way To Oblivion” steamroll with the big guitar pieces that you’d expect, dancing with murkiness and groove in an eclectic fashion. “Poisoned Waters” provides an infectious musicality within its recesses that keep a constant forward motion. Listen closely to how each section builds off of the one previous; always smoothly transforming, yet never losing focus on each small detail that makes such a difference.

A total of four equally harrowing tracks make up the collectively sobering experience that is In the Aftermath of Blight. Subterraen don’t travel the beaten path, and thus far their decision hasn’t led them astray. The proverbial devil is in the details with absolute certainty, and those who relish cerebral tunes will particularly connect with this beauty.

 

Walg – IV

Release Date: April 24, 2024

Melodic black metal can come off as worn. Folk metal, even more so. There are, however, some who take those pieces to concoct an interesting potion. Walg is an act who walks that tightrope – mainly leaning a tad further in the black metal direction, while the previously mentioned influences are clearly present. With IV, the band continues their frenzied approach to epicly satisfying proportions.

Plenty of melodeath lead play is evident, twisted around an incessantly aggressive black metal aesthetic. “Vuurdoop” is a breakneck sprint of slick guitar harmonies and a slight touch of folkiness that doesn’t rudely dominate proceedings. Walg doesn’t lay on the folk-inspired influences too heavily – a humongous peeve that can’t be stated enough. Songs like “Foltering” hold zero back in their sprinting yet exploratory nature, while “Wanneer het glas breekt” and “Geen einde in zicht” take the foot off the accelerator slightly to allow for a welcome change of pace.

Most of all, IV is a great time that also emits the right percentage of subdued moments amongst the fiery briskness where Walg’s music predominantly resides. A fine change of pace from all of the really dreary, downtrodden kind of tunes that we lean towards on most days.

 

Vøidwomb – Spiritual Apotheosis

Release Date: April 26, 2024

Back to the bleak stylizations that my brain typically craves with Vøidwomb and their inaugural album Spiritual Apotheosis. Hailing from Portugal, what we have here is a cavernous void of death metal in a not so discreet black metal wrapper. Real cavernous. We’re talking about music, right? We think ole Earl Haffler would be all about this.

The guitar work on offer often falls in the death metal realm of chunky riffs, while the lead play leans definitively towards the black metal persuasion. Vocalist M.S. Vøid unleashes a mixture of stylizations, from deeper growls to higher-register screams, giving multitudes of flavor to Spiritual Apotheosis. Tracks such as “Metempsychosis” overflow with the meaty crunch that one would expect from a band of this ilk, where “Black Putrescence” and “Vesselvoid” are well more in the black metal realm via dominant and catchy tremolo-focused string work. Others like “Liberation” trend more equally in each direction, providing key notions of balance.

Altogether, Vøidwomb have a high-quality collection of black/death that’s tight and focused, all while also being very easy to lose oneself into. Spiritual Apotheosis should decidedly increase the band’s profile in a crowded mass of contemporaries choosing somewhat similar paths. A real sleeper not to be ignored.

 

Srefa – Solstice

Release Date: April 26, 2024

After a solid EP titled Primal in 2022, Israeli black metal upstarts Srefa (fire in Hebrew) proved that the potential for a strong album was percolating under the surface. Now we have said album, and to say they’ve delivered with Solstice falls in the understatement of the month category.

Choosing a more coarse production that’s less clean than Primal was a judicious decision, spitting out an abrasive experience that enhances their efforts. Listen to the jagged, sandpaper-like onslaught that is “Ensnared and Conquered” and “The Unyielding Fear” as pertinent citations. The tremolos are utterly infectious, the percussion is massive, and the raw emotion in vocalist Dorin Hajon’s screams is magnetic.

The band’s songwriting has also taken multiple steps up in both complexity and diversity, giving us a profound record full of subtleties. “A Dream, Never Ending” exemplifies this notion, providing a deluge of haunting ambience with Hajon (who also created the wonderful cover art) utilizing her clean vocalizations to an esteemed effect. Tracks like “Misdiagnosis” and “The Chase” provide similar vibes cultivated with intense blasts of black metal furiosity.

Srefa have evolved into a burgeoning powerhouse with Solstice – an album with the indelible combination of emotive nuance and acrimonious furor. The black metal scene is enjoying an incredibly vibrant era, duly because of outstanding acts like Srefa dropping poignantly bombastic aural compositions. Take them lightly at your peril.