You take the midnight subway train….
You’re callin’ all the shots….
This song has been rotting in my brain and driving me nuts all day, no matter what I play to get it out. Don’t you hate that?
Back with another, although short, update. Jim and his family are on vacation and left me to hold down the fort. Didn’t get as much free time for listening to new releases like I wanted to, but 3 reviews are better than a long cold silence.
But we shall return next week with a bit more for you to consume. In the meantime, hit me with those playlists as I’m always curious to see what I’m missing out on.
You’re struck by lightning’…. you’re in love!!!! There…. now it’s in your head as well. You’re welcome. -Marty
Marty Rytkonen – Playlist
Thulcandra – Ascension Lost
Monstrosity – Millennium
Satanic Warmaster – Fimbulwinter LP
Naglfar – Vittra LP
Astrophobos – Remnants of Forgotten Horrors
Absu – Absu
The Accused – Oh Martha
Immortal – Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism
Angel Corpse – Hammer of Gods
Perdition Temple – The Tempter’s Victorious
Bak De Syv Fjell – S/T
Cemetary – Godless Beauty
Sacrilegium – Wicher
Gorefest – Rise to Ruin
In Flames – The Jester Race
Kenn Nardi – Dancing With the Past (GAH!!!! Rules!)
Leviathan – Scar Sighted
MGLA – Groza
Joy Division – Still 2LP
Worm Gear 
That Perdition Temple hits like a ton of bricks. Still think I’m partial to Angel Corpse though. I’m chomping at the bit for a new MGLA. I read somewhere they were working on a new one.
Royal Thunder – Crooked Doors
House of Atreus – The Spear and the Ichor that Follows
Vargavinter – Frostfödd
Judicator – At the Expense of Humanity
Terra – Untitled
Cardinal Sin – Spiteful Intents
William Elliott Whitmore – Radium Death
Katavasia – Sacrilegious Testament
Crom Dubh – Heimweh
Damn, I NEEEEED that new Kenn Nardi! Been searching online and I guess it’s gonna cost me…
Good to see some Gorefest on that list Marty! And I just ordered a couple Mgła releases, they’re new to me but the samples I’ve heard sound amazing. Must be something in the Polish air, so many great bands there (Morowe, Furia, Throneum, Azarath).
Playlist:
Bölzer – Aura (is there anything more fucking EPIC that the opening riff of Entranced by the Wolfshook? That thing goes straight into my personal Pantheon of Holy Riffs, next to Vision of the Darkside’s twin tremolo and ehm… I’ll think of more later. Suggestions?)
Malthusian – MMXIII Demo (new EP coming, almost…)
Blackdeath – Satan Macht Frei
Stilla – Till Stilla Falla
Sodom – Agent Orange (AUSGEBOMBT!)
Kjeld – Skym (Excellent indeed!)
King Diamond – Fatal Portrait
Proclamation – Messiah Of Darkness And Impurity
Phobocosm – Deprived
Paroxsihzem – S/T and the split with Adversarial
Svartrit – I (didn’t Wormgear once have a feature on Ancient records? Their releases are hard to get by, but very special stuff)
Tarnkappe – Tussen Hun en de Zon (more excellent dutch black metal)
Lie In Ruins – Towards Divine Death (speaking of tons of bricks…)
Ad Hominem – Climax of Hatred
Skogen – I Döden
Kroda – Cry To Me, A River
And now playing: Jean-Yves Thibaudet – Satie: The Complete Solo Piano Music (I needed a break from all the bestial pagan satanism)
Songs stuck in your head … this one has haunted me for more days than would seem normal. Not metal, but it is there, and will not go away. I have always had a major affinity for most things ‘Finnish’, and that extends beyond black/death into things like this:
Eternal Champion
Straightforward ‘dark fantasy metal’. I really dig the unforced (non-acrobatic) vocal delivery … the eldritch pitch (or should we say ‘Melnibonean’ accent?). Cool stuff, and it is great to have their previous demo tacked on as bonus.
Aegrus
Tried and true style. Done quite well, in my opinion.
Ravenmoon Sanctuary
I noticed Sacrilegium on your list, Marty … that is one of my favorites. This particular album from Ravenmoon Sanctuary reminds me of that time/era. Give a listen, if you haven’t already.
While on the topic of great atmosphere … Eoront.
It will kick in around the 45 second mark.
Reminds me of the wilderness-soaked, primal harshness put out by other hermetic wizards like Enmerkar, Imynvokad, etc …
I am a long-time fan of Damnation (Poland). The recent reissue of their demos on CD caught my attention and caused me to dig out all of their albums once again … and then follow suit into some Azarath.
Ha, that Eternal Champion song brings a smile to my face. Will have to look that one up sometime. Aegrus sounds good too, and Drakkar is having a free shipping sale (in Europe) right now, so… I know and love Azaraths Rebel Souls, must admit I have never heard the original.
I definitely agree with you, ikbenfreek, there is undoubtedly something in the polish ‘air/water’. Both Morowe and Furia were some of my highlights last year. I remember hearing Damnation for the first time … maybe back in ’92 or ’94? I have always connected with their sound/style … a bit different than most of the dm at that time. Who couldn’t love/appreciate the forefathers of Azarath, Hell-Born, and the like? Pagan Prayer and Inverted always bring a smile to my face:
If you dig that Eternal Champion, you can probably just grab it from No Remorse. Great distro/label, fast and professional. It seems like the singer always has a Wrathblade t-shirt on. Ha! Another band that I have really been enjoying over the last several months. Check out Graven Rite, or the recently reissued Deaf Dealer and Heathen’s Rage stuff if you have any interest in this kind of stuff.
Thanks for bringing the Kenn Nardi to my attention. Just ordered that sucker! Man, I am ashamed that I haven’t spun my old Anacrusis in a LONG time. Too much great new stuff …
I’ve been listening to Damnation releases last night (on the Wiching Hour bandcamp) and I’m impressed! They have a certain off-kilter rhytmic approach that I really dig and Azarath has too I now realize. Don’t know Hell-Born but I’ve read they’re also considered classic polish death metal. Shit, if you look at Damnation’s complete line up it’s like a who’s who of the polish extreme metal scene (Behemoth’s Nergal once was their bassplayer). I’m ordering a couple of their re-releases on Witching Hour.
BTW, Poland doesn’t only have great bands but also some great labels/distros which I frequently order from; Witching Hour, Selfmadegod, Pagan Records, Hellthrasher, Agonia…
Where did you order that new Nardi? It seems there’s no european distro that has it, so I guess I’ll have to pay shipping cost equal to the price of the cd…
Just visited No Remorse where I found out Manilla Road has a new album out! Aaargh I can’t keep up with all this great music!
I grabbed the Kenn Nardi from Tribunal. I am almost certain they still have copies. The release is a bit pricey, but I also had to remind myself that it is a double CD.
Hell, yes! I have been buying stuff from Pagan Records forever. I have many fond memories from a couple decades ago when I was ravenously picking up things like From the Pagan Vastlands, And the Forests Dream Eternally, DAMNATION ALBUMS, Sacrilegium, Thirst, Profanum, Arkona (Imperium!), North, and a bunch of great MC’s that Tomas would carry from other labels like Nawia, Dangus, Slava, etc … Man, do I sincerely wish someone would reissue those old MC releases on CD format. Perunwit, Winds of Garden, Minas Morgul – Wilderness Shrouded in Winds, etc. I still adore those recordings, and would love to see them ‘preserved’.
I have ordered from Witching Hour in the past six months, but not the others. I must admit that I tend to think of them as simply labels and not distros. I’ll have to change that, and keep them in mind as I am (re)searching for things.
I have seen the new Manilla Road getting some publicity, but have yet to check it out for myself. While I do like their newer work, it hasn’t hit me like my old favorites. I miss the ‘dated’ production of the older albums and do not have much love for Hell Roadie; but in all honesty, I think I miss the drumming of Randy the most. I will definitely give it an interested listen when I get the chance though.
Hahaha fond memories from a couple decades ago… Trying to sound like an old man? Bald, grey beard, walking cane, grandchildren at your feet? 😉 Sorry, let myself go a bit… I guess I usually don’t realize my metal obsession is also spanning multiple decades by now.
Yes, I also had eyes on Tribunal, but it’s that damn ocean between them and me that’s costing so much, not the gorgeous double CD digipack by mr. Nardi. That’s why I’m glad we have labels over here in the old world like the ones I mentioned that double as great distros. I usually visit Pagan and Selfmadegod first when I’m looking for something. Invictus (Ireland) is worth mentioning tooby the way. Sadly none of them carry the new Nardi…
Regarding Perunwit… This might make you happy:
http://witches-sabbath-records.com/perunwit-w-kregu-debow-lp12-gatefold.html
Regarding Manilla Road… I agree. Hiring Hell Roadie as vocalist was a bad idea. Never paid very much attention to the different drummers, I’ll have a listen. Drums on Playground of the Damned are very awful, that I did notice! I love vintage Manilla (everything up to Courts of Chaos is classic in my book) but I think they hit another peak with Atlantis Rising, Spiral Castle and Gates of Fire; less ragged charm and addictive hooks, but even more epicness (eh…?)! After that, hit and miss. I’ll surely give the new one a good listen though.
That Kenn Nardi is something special, hands down my favorite album of last year and I dare say the best thing that he’s ever recorded, which as you all know is saying a helluva lot!
Dodheimsgard – A Umbra Omega (fucking amazing)
Liturgy – The Ark Work (incredibly odd and is really growing on me)
Voices – London
Fortid – 9
Sarpanitum – Blessed Be My Brothers
Husker Du – Metal Circus
Hollenthon – With Vilest of Worms to Dwell
The Stranglers – Feline
Alkaloid – The Malkuth Grimoire
Remmirath – Shambhala Vril Saucers
Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Asmodeus – Past Na Davida Kleinera (the most overlooked album of 2014)
Maple Cross – The 8th Day of Creation (great weird old Finnish progressive thrash)