Old Forest are hailing from UK and have been formed in 1998 and this is their new sixth full length opus and it will be out with help of Death To Music Productions. There are eight songs on this one. Music of Old Forest plays is black metal but so much more. In its basis it is no holds barred black metal but has so much melody and atmosphere, only reminding me why I love this music genre so much. Expressing feelings and emotions, battling inner demons and aggression has always been vibe of black metal music. There are also pagan and folk black metal influences in the songwriting of Old Forest. Tyrant Spell begins with atmospheric buildup only to become folk black metal anthem combining superb clean singing and black metal screams with melodic guitar melancholy, mid tempo and doomy passages. The Anvils is nineties old school black metal song reminding me of old Emperor a lot, being complex yet catchy with that haunting guitar melody through the song. Despair Is My Name slows things down again to beautiful mid tempo soundscape backed with nice keyboard work to accompany guitars and vocals screamed and transforming easily to clean and back again. Red Sky In Mourning serves as a kind of intermezzo between two black metal storms. My Haunting Vision is one of my personal favorites, dream like song catching the vibe of nightmare and unease with doom parts, epic melody and clean singing. Solitude Apocalypse is for me the best song on this opus, listen and see if you agree. Shadows Immemorial and A Bitter End finish this album which is for sure one of the best black metal releases this year until now.
Blitzkid were and always be on horror punk throne besides The Crimson Ghosts, The Other, BZFOS and couple of more legendary bands. But Blitzkid boys are the best for me and I was so sad when they split up in 2012 leaving throne of horror punk vacant. Now, in 2021 Argyle Goolsby and TB Monstrosity are back with new live album recorded also as DVD for their Halloween live performance due to covid 19 restrictions. This jewel contains 19 songs that are absolute hits but I would love to see couple of more personal favorites of mine on this record, knowing these songs that I think of were always standards in Blitz´s set list. But all the fan favorites like Starlite Decay, She Dominates, Mary And The Storm, These Walls, Love Like Blood, Hellraiser and many others are here, so we will not be sad or dissatisfied. Blitzkid we wish you a bloody warm welcome and long live the horror!!!!
Germany´s Wolfchant have been active in the scene for almost twenty years now and this is their new opus, seventh full length and I am honored having listened to this magnificent album. There are 14 songs on two discs on this one and every song is a hit. Music of Wolfchant can be described as pagan folk metal with lots of black and melodic death metal influences in the songs, but I can also hear some gothic and some neue Deutsche haerte in some songs, maybe it is only me. Lyrics are mainly in German and since I speak and understand this language I love how this strong language fits perfectly into vocal lines. Besides epic guitar work, aggressive and folk/atmospheric parts in the picture, vocals are one of the main strengths of this band. Singer Nortwin transforms perfectly from death growling to clean singing, black metal screeching and yet remaining understandable. Lyrics are about nature, inner strength, personal, yet pagan and retaining that defiant metal heart vibe in them. My personal highlights are: Der Geist und der Dunkelheit, Jaeger der Nacht and The Flame.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 