Our fidelity to the Greek band Burial Hordes is of long standing — not as long as the band’s own existence, which stretches back roughly 22 years, because they were practicing their black craft well before our site came into being in 2009, but we’ve been steadily writing about their music for a decade. And for good reason. Over the course of four albums (with a fifth one on the way) and a handful of shorter releases, they’ve established themselves as premiere purveyors of hellish musical visions, while refusing to just keep doing the same thing over and over again.

The band’s pronounced tendency to use their music as a vehicle for continuing exploration of dark subjects is one reason for our eagerness and sense of intrigue every time they release something new. What’s new now, as mentioned above, is Burial Hordes‘ fifth full-length, Ruins, which is set for release on June 9th by Transcending Obscurity Records. That feels like a long way off, but we already have exciting signs of what the album presents — two songs that have already debuted, and the third one we’re presenting today. Continue reading »

I first happened upon Burial Hordes from Greece last January after discovering their split release with Enshadowed, which is excellent (reviewed here). They have a new album on the way, entitled Incendium, which will be released later this month by the Polish label Hellthrasher Productions. It features cover art by Mark Riddick, production by Devo Andersson (Marduk), and eight tracks of striking music divided into two “chapters” — “Decay” and “Fall”. Today we have the privilege of exclusively premiering the new album’s title song, “Incendium”.

It’s a gripping piece of music, shrouded in darkness and weighted by a choking atmosphere of doom and despair. Deep, ominous riffs accompany hoarse, heartless roars and hair-raising shrieks, while an off-the-chain drum performance infuses the music with powerful energy, and chiming guitar notes create an almost ethereal contrast. Continue reading »