Valentine's Day Massacre Edition ( 4 Reviews)

Ashen Horde- Nine Plagues- CD/ Digital ( Mandol )

A One man Blackened metallic force that seems to have a very strong love for bands like Thorns, Saytricon,  Emperor and Ved Buen Ende. He has a that Prog Death metal spirit with symphonic and complex elements going on inside the  icy cold ideals of Northern European Black metal from the late 90's early 00's. The Production is so massive it gives this an almost Industrial Black metal feeling that's why I keep circling back to bands like Thorns or maybe even Aborym . Nine Plagues is one of those albums that is very oppressive in sound and the wall of sonic hatred is what is needed to make it what it's going to be. To many this will be way over the top and too much. What I will say is mastery of how this is all put together is second to none. The vocals vs the very tech prog guitars still with that black metal tone is what is winning me over. The Warm Bass tones and  War machine like drumming really just brings it all together into something just this side of extraordinary. If we the underground can get this into the right hands Ashen Horde will be a major force in the extreme metal world for years to come.

https://ashenhorde.bandcamp.com/album/nine-plagues

Cantique Lepreux- Candres Celestes- CD/Digital ( Eisenwald)

Ethereal meets Ambient Black metal with some very deep occultish meanings that one will need to dig deep into to understand and digest. I know this style is going to grow tired but they are another in the growing realm of what I call Blackgaze and There is a very strong Post Rock/ Shoegazer influence in everything that is coming out of what Cantique Lepreux art. They do take us on a very senses driven adventure and your emotions to sounds and tones will play a major role on how this album comes across to you. I get a calming feeling knowing that I'm not alone out there with the view that old world rituals and beliefs still do matter to a few of us and that maybe the world will come back to values and ideals that will bring mankind back to the clan or tribe structure. Like minded people need to find each other and expand on our traditions and not be forced into beliefs of others. Stunning release for reawakening me into that mindset..

http://www.eisenton.de/

The Unguided-Lust and Loathing- CD/ Digital (  Napalm Records )

We are going to have a love hate moment here as this band has elements I love and then some that are far far to Nu metal/ Screamo for me.  If your a fan of bands like All That Remains, In Flames , The Devil you know and Sonic Syndicate ( which this is ex members of ) then this is going to be Christmas day for you. The Parts I really of of this is more when they stay in Katatonia, Dark Tranquility and Amaranthe territory. The electronic meets Swedish melodic death sound rules. They do get a bit too poppy and screamo and lose the Metallic message that is so good when it's going on. I get lost when you mix alt rock to Death metal . There are moments where this is an amazing Tech/Prog Death metal release and I just want the electronic elements to never leave.  The synths when the clean vocals go all pop is where they lose me. Hardcore works well with metal just not when you go indie/alt rock. So i love 60% of this album and I will end it like that..

http://napalmrecords.com/

Apathy Noir- Across Dark Waters- CD/ Digital ( Artnoir Productions)

Well here is some shocking news. A Duo of Swedes making A Depressive Proggy Doom album that reminds me of stuff like Edge of Sanity, Silent Stream of Godless Elegy , Green Carnation and In the woods. So let's be clear this just kicks some major ass. This is as epic and it is sullen and meloncoly. The tones are deep and bleak but the music is as majesty as anything you can hear in doom.  There are some major mid period November Doom and My Dying Bride elements going on through out this album as well.  I feel like I'm going to over talk this if I keep going on and I would rather you just hear how powerful and delicate an album this is..

https://vjonas.bandcamp.com/album/across-dark-waters