Albums of the month: February

What a start of the year we’ve had! This years January has probably been the strongest start of a year since I started this blog with loads of great albums coming out and February is just as strong, if not stronger. One band even dropped two great albums on the same day, Cult of Fire with Nirvana and Moksha. While January was a bit short on the black metal front February had that in masses, or what about Faustian Pact, Kvaen, Faidra, YGG, Tombs, Necrowretch, Svart Crown and Cénotaphe (just to name a few even) all dropping albums you need to dig into right now if you haven’t already! Another thing worth noting is that Beneath the Massacre has come back in style with Fearmonger being some of their best material yet, welcome back! Two months in 2020 and we’ve already been offered loads of superb metal, this year is looking very bright.

Album of the month:

Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre

On one of the last days of the month it was unleashed, The Funeral Pyre! Oh does it shine bright as this is some of the best black metal I’ve heard in months. Incredible debut album and has everything I’m looking for, a contender for album of the year in my opinion. You can read the review here.

Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre was released February 28th via Black Lion Records.
Bandcamp – https://kvaen.bandcamp.com/album/the-funeral-pyre
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/1RXqAO2dPkKQGip9qU45pg?si=BjEd_IIpQ8WGwXCq5oj3oA

Runners-up:

Beneath the Massacre – Fearmonger

What a comeback by Beneath the Massacre! Eight years after Incongruous came out they release what I think is their best album yet in Fearmonger. This hits hard!

Beneath the Massacre – Fearmonger was released February 28th via Century Media Records.
Bandcamp – N/A
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/1q7U1NxOyWTzoS3cpqtQpS?si=2e90Jez_Qpu2Xgu3n6zw_A

Plague – Portraits of Mind

I generally don’t see Greece as a death metal country but more into black metal. However Plague has shown there is a lot of life (or death) in the scene there too as Portraits of Mind had me on the hook straight from the start. One of the best death metal albums released so far this year! You can read the review here.

Plague – Portraits of Mind was released February 14th via Redefining Darkness Records (NA) and Nuclear Winter Records (EU).
Bandcamp – https://plague-gr.bandcamp.com/album/portraits-of-mind
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/0u934ElljYYWNif8V6ysuz?si=kwVdxSnKStCxpo5LCNbOIA

The Spirit – Cosmic Terror

The Spirit is one of those bands I feel is underrated because I feel both their debut Sounds from the Vortex and follow-up EP Pillars of Doom were very high quality black/death metal in the veins of Dissection, Sacramentum and Thulcandra. However maybe a bit too close in the sound. With Cosmic Terror though they’ve really come a long way and while the influences are still there they’re finding their own sound more this time around.

The Spirit – Cosmic Terror was released February 7th via Art of Propaganda.
Bandcamp – https://thespiritmetal.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-terror
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/00TpgegQ8rs1WK0hqZDyjd?si=UOuBpr86S5OtHaKaw3LvUg

Night Crowned – Impius Viam

Their EP Humanity Will Echo Out showed a lot of promise and when I reviewed it back in 2018 I thought this band could be the next big melodic black/death export from Sweden. That seems to be the case still as their debut full-length is another step in the right direction and Night Crowned is on the path towards greatness with their apocalyptic heavy style that leaves no prisoners.

Night Crowned – Impius Viam was released February 28th via Noble Demon.
Bandcamp – https://nightcrowned.bandcamp.com/album/impius-viam
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/0xbLmjAA1qgYnm7phVTPUS?si=msBbLB07SDWiun9Yu9G4bg

More great albums of February:

Faustian Pact – Outojen Tornien Varjoissa
Schizogen – Spawn Of Almighty Essence
Slaughter Messiah – Cursed To The Pyre
Shandrazel – Le Paysage De Mes Pensées
Faidra – Six Voices Inside
Hæresis – To Drown​.​.​.
Cénotaphe – Monte Veritá
Abated Mass of Flesh – Not Burned
Necrowretch – The Ones from Hell
Horresque – Chasms Pt. I – Avarice and Retribution
Serpent Noir – Death Clan OD
Svart Crown – Wolves Among the Ashes
God Dethroned – Illuminati
Sepultura – Quadra
Sylosis – Cycle of Suffering
Conjureth – Foul Formations
Neptunus – Planetary Annihilation
Skyforest – A New Dawn
Sentient Divide – Haunted by Cruelty
Artach – Chronicles of a Black Winter
Xenobiotic – Mordrake
Cult of Fire – Nirvana
Cult of Fire – Moksha (yes they released two albums!)
Blåådpalt – Sliced to Perfection
Thokkian Vortex – Thy Throne is Mine
Tombs – Monarchy of Shadows
Infirmum – Walls of Sorrow
Regarde Les Hommes Tomber – Ascension
Innards – Back From The Grave, Straight In Your Face
Ossaert – Bedehuis
Izthmi – The Arrows of Our Ways
Akiavel – V
Deprived Of Salvation – Destination : Decay
YGG – The Last Scald
Ars Veneficium – Usurpation of the Seven
Black Royal – Firebride

The Metal Gamer Songs of the Month Spotify playlist:

Aethyrick – Gnosis (Black Metal)

Finland and black metal goes hand in hand that much is certain. Their love for the occult and satanism has been known far and wide with bands such as Beherit, Horna and Baptism leading the way for many years. Enter the new blood, a band who will carry the torch, Aethyrick. Formed by Gall and Exile on the winter solstice of 2016 the band has been quite productive in spreading their ways of the occult to the masses with two demo albums and a full-length released prior to their latest offering Gnosis.

With great songwriting and incredible guitar play Gnosis gets me hook, line and sinker already on the first track “Will Embodied”. It’s mesmerizing and hauntingly beautiful. It’s basically a lovesong where Finnish black metal meets the Icelandic counterpart and the end result is wonderful. The follow-up “Oneiric Portals” keeps the same quality and mysticism flair to it just as well. Then the third song “Stellar Flash” changes it up with more synths and change of vocal sounds, being even more of the shrieking kind a la Ghost Bath. I personally wasn’t a big fan of this and the vocals put me off quite a bit, as did the synths where I thought they overused here. It quickly put itself back up though when “Your Mysteries” comes on where once again the melodic guitar tone shines brightly pushing the album forward. “Blood Acre” then crushes everything where the introduction of a killer guitar solo sets the pace and never let you go. The atmosphere, energy and emotions here is exactly what I hope Aethyrick brings on each song. The closing songs “Anointed Bones” and “Golden Suffering” are great additions that follows it up well as the album ends on a high note. In fact I would say the last three songs on the album stands out from the rest and if you’re in a rush I would say pick one of those three songs to see if Aethyrick is for you.

While I thought Praxis was a solid debut Aethyrick takes it to a whole new level with Gnosis. Not only with the songwriting but the guitar tone is a massive improvement to me, the use of keyboards is better utilized too, as is the production. Hell I might just say everything has turned to the better (except me not liking “Stellar Flash”), it’s simply a matter of a band that’s taken these two years to jell together as a duo and work hard to reach their goals and it shows. There are still things to work on but they’ve used the time wisely and if Aethyrick keeps this up the more seasoned bands from Finland will have to watch out because there is a new sinister flame coming in hot.

Artist: Aethyrick
Label: The Sinister Flame
For fans of: Cult of Fire & Svartidauði
Release date: January 24th, 2020
Favorite song: Blood Acre
Score: 4/5 Excellent