Bastard Cross--Crossripper CD/LP/CS {Diabolic Might Records/Morbid and Miserable Records}

Hailing from Philadelphia, this is Bastard Cross's first full length after a spate of splits and singles. It's top notch black/thrash that will remind you of classic blackened thrash but with plenty of harsher black metal and cleaner thrash in the mix. It's well-recorded, perfectly produced. The vocals are harsher than with most bands this style, growling away in true black metal style overtop the thrash. Occasionally they dip into death metal territory to add some intensity. High-octane speed is the name of the game here, as is skilled musicianship. They stand head and shoulders above most bands playing this style, on the strengths of their songs and quality of their craft. They put to shame many other bands playing black/thrash, and I'm glad I stumbled across this record. This is fine metal, for metal fans by metal fans.

http://diabolicmightrecords.wix.com/home

https://morbidandmiserable.storenvy.com/collections/1921009-morbid-and

https://bastardcross.bandcamp.com/

Condenados--Condenados CD {Black Legion Records}

This is perhaps the style of black metal I can get behind the most, the black/thrash that worships at the feet of Bathory and Sarcofago. There's no forest-worshipping wimpdom here! This band from Spain has dropped their first full length on Black Legion Records, and it's a mighty one. It's black metal with a heavy dose of thrash that clearly does all it can to remain intense and brutal. I've always loved this style and this band does it well. There's very cool reverb on the vocals that makes the growls sound like they might even belong against a backdrop of war metal. Purely bestial! The band gives the listener no breaks, and just continues to pound you into dust as the album progresses. This is what black metal ought to be. Violence and heads-down evil-sounding riffs!

www.facebook.com/blacklegionrecs

condenados.bandcamp.com

Dungeon Sorcery--Arcane Writ of the Damned Warlock CD {Gladivs Records}

Every once in a while I come across a black metal record that takes me back to the late 1990s when I discovered the Norwegian scene, and felt like I was uncovering a secret. This is one of those records. This is weird black metal with a strange production, warbling like an old tape, with clean vocals in abundance that sound like shouted spells to Satan in the night. They remind me a little of Emperor's clean vocals, and the growls remind me of Watain, but that's where the comparisons stop. This is epic stuff, full of tales of dark magic and evil atmosphere and claustrophobia. There's plenty of heavy metal influence here along with the black metal. This is just totally original and I'm almost at a loss for words as to how to describe it, other than epic, arcane, full of the mists of blackness, and evil. It's like a dark spell come to life. What a record. It's a hundred percent worth the time to track it down, even if only digitally. And they have an incredible band name on top of it all!

gladivsrecords.com

Kaivs--After The Flesh cd&digital{Brutal Rec.}

 

Italy's Kaivs  have released their debut full length titled After The Flesh.is eight tracks of solid well executed old school death metal.The guitars are a mix of fast paced guitar passages that are played with intensity.The guitaris does slow to a more controlled mid paced range throughout a few of the songs.Adding some well performed guitar solo's and patterns.The drumming is done with some hyperspeed blasting drum patterns.The drummer does execute some memorable heavy mid paced drums in a few of the tracks for a nice balance.The vocals are heavy old school death metal growls that are powerful in the delievery.After The Flesh is a solid and well performed release of quality old school death metal,

Kaivs

https://www.facebook.com/kaivsofficial/

https://kaivs.bigcartel.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kaivsband/

Brutal Rec.

https://brutalrecords.com/

https://brutalrecords.bandcamp.com/album/after-the-flesh

https://www.facebook.com/BrutalRecords.USA/

https://www.instagram.com/brutalrecords.official/

Mitternacht--Mitternacht EP.{Self released}

 

Mitternacht is a solo project  coming out of the U.S black metal scene that has released two demo's so far.This is a review of the new self titledEP featuring five tracks.The music presented here is raw and traditional black metal that is both well played with some chaotic passages.The guitars are played with fast paced guitar chords.The drums are played with fast paced drum patterns that are chaotic in the delievery.Both the guitars and drums do slow to a mid paced speed throughout a few of the tracks.The vocals are grim,raw black metal screams.Mitternacht plays a good style of raw,primitive black metal.   Mitternacht

https://mitternachtband.bandcamp.com/music

https://www.facebook.com/mitternachtband/

https://www.instagram.com/mitternachtband

Tabernakel--Antoniusfeuer (CS) {Iconoclasm Conquest Records}

This is yet another German one-man project. It has a raw production, but all the instruments are audible and well played. Some of the riffing reminds me vaguely  of very early Emperor in a few spots, very melodic and cold overall. At times, the guitars utilize quite a bit of dissonance in the riffing, which I hate, but fortunately they stray from that when it runs its course and then deliver proper metal riffs. Even though this is far from being bad, it just feels like I've heard this a million times before by other bands doing it better. After two songs we get an extended atmospheric interlude that makes me think of glaciers breaking apart in the Arctic. It's very evocative. Unfortunately the rest of the record just sort of blends together with its mid-paced melodies, the riffs bleeding into one another and never truly standing out and making me sit up and listen. Unless you're a German black metal completist, I would imagine most will skip over this release.

iconoclasmconquest.com

unholytabernakel.bandcamp.com

Fullmoon Rite--Ad Lucifer Aeternum Gloriam (Digital) {Independent}

From Germany comes this one-man project, now on its second full-length. It's amazing to me that one individual plays all these instruments this well, and the record is impeccably produced. The black metal here is built on cold, repetitive melodies that have a trance-like feel, but not without some aggression. The vocals have some high-end screams that remind me a bit of Dani Filth's Razor-esque screams on the older Cradle of Filth material. I must say that this is not a "bedroom" black metal band. This is properly performed black metal with a vicious edge but also an epic feel in the riffs with a decidedly heavy metal aspect to them. Excellent clean vocals make an appearance in the song "Geisterwald Akt II," and they add to the overall epicness of the music and the melodies. A much more aggressive approach is taken, fittingly, on "Sacrificed to the Devil," with driving riffs and aggressive drums, and I wouldn't be upset if the band went in this direction at all. One criticism I will make is that I'd like for the band to physically release this. Digital is ok in the short run, but the maniacs want physical copies. But aside from that I can say nothing negative about this record. It's a fine release and a fine band.

fullmoonrite.bandcamp.com

Mutilation--Pandemonium Of Egregores CD&LP&Cassette{Osmose Prod.}

 

France's  Mutilation return with a brand new full length.Pandemonium Of Egregores is five tracks of mid paced traditional black metal that is very well executed with some well performed guitars and drum patterns.The guitars seem to be a little more melodic and mid tempoed on this release.Still very well performed with some faster patterns added into the songs but not as many as on previous releases.The drums are played with skillful writing both some faster drums are used as well as more controlled mid paced drum patterns.The vocals are raw black metal screams and some gruff deeper screams and vocals.If you are a fan of Mutilation then do not  miss out on the new release it is a very good black metal release.

Mutilation 

https://www.facebook.com/meyhnach 

Osmose Prod.

https://www.osmoseproductions.com/

https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/album/pandemonium-of-egregores

https://www.facebook.com/osmoseproductions/#

https://www.instagram.com/osmoseproductions/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCec6HGpYKhwU7B0yKFQ5f8g

Disorge--Disorge cd&LP{Pathologically Explicit}

 Disorge was brutal death metal band that originally started in the early 90's and released two demos.Pathologically Explicit has released a complition of the bands two demos.Up first is the 1992 demo Sleeping Prophecies with a short intro and four tracks of  brutal death metal that was played with intensity and vicious brutal death metal guitars and drums.The drums and guitars are played with both fast paced and a more controlled mid paced range,The vocals are brutal death metal growls that are powerful in their delievery,Up next is the 94 demo titled DEMO 94 and consists of intro and three songs.The music on these songs are played with a mix of fast paced guitars and drums passages.The music is still really well played and delievered but seems to be more in the mid paced range which is not a bad thing.The band seemed to be really good  musicians it would have been nice to see what this band would have done if they kept going.Fans of early 90's brutal death metal should defintly check this release out as the music is brutal and powerful but also has some quality musicianship that should please all fans of death metal.                                                                                                                    Pathologically Explicit                                                                                                                                   https://www.pathologicallyexplicitrecords.com/                                                                                           https://pathologicallyexplicit.bandcamp.com/album/disorge-disorge                                                          https://pathologicallyexplicit.bigcartel.com/                                                                                                https://www.facebook.com/people/Pathologically-Explicit-Recordings/100059014693681/#                   

Cryptic Process--Gulps cd{Crypt Of DR.Gore}

 

Cryptic Process is a duo coming out of France who plays a nice mix of relentless fast death metal and some crazed grinding passages.Ugo  handles the guitars and drum programming for the band.The guitars are played with fast and crazed guitar passages.The guitars are played at extreme speeds but their are some well played patterns and even somo solo's are mixed into the music.The drums are programmed and are a barrage of blasting drums.Dam handles the vocals and are brutal death metal growls that are powerful in their delievery.Daam. also uses some isane high pitched screams and growls for a nice mix of vocal passages.Gulps is my first encounter with France's Cryptic Process but is a great release of pure brutal death metal with some grind influences.                                                                  Cryptic Process                                                                                                                                               https://crypticprocess.bandcamp.com/album/gulps-5                                                                                   https://www.facebook.com/crypticprocess                                                                                                   https://www.instagram.com/crypticprocess/                                                                                                 https://www.youtube.com/@crypticprocess                                                                                              Crypt Of DR.Gore                                                                                                                                      https://sites.google.com/view/cryptofdrgore                                                                                                  https://cryptofdrgore.bandcamp.com/music                                                                                                 https://www.facebook.com/cryptofdrgore                                                                                                     https://www.instagram.com/cryptofdrgore/