This will be fun (Witching Hour vs Witching Hour OH BOY)

I've just recently got into the amazing gothic rock band from the UK called Witching Hour. After lurking about their last.fm page a little, I found out there's ALSO a blackened thrash metal band under the same name, formed many years later in Germany.

Like every other last.fm page that's dedicated to numerous, highly different bands under the same name, there's this petty yet never-ending argument between goths and metalheads about which one is better. I haven't found a good statement of why either one is better/worse than the other yet, so I decided to take up the challenge of figuring it out myself.

I'm going to review an album by each band and put them in one post with the conclusion of which one is actually more entertaining for me. This will be an honest review from someone who used to be devoted to black/thrash (..well, still am, in fact, I'm just not a closeminded fuckwit like I used to be) and became quite fond of gothrock, I don't think I've ever said it was purely a metal blog, after all. It's a personal blog about what I like, music being in this case.

Keep an eye for it. Not sure when the reviews will be done, but it'll be considered as soon as I bother finding and listening to any EP/Full length by the German band.

My Top 5 Black Metal of.... now

Been a while since I worked on this heap of shit. I would apologize but I won't because I don't have to, considering you were never obligated to look at this website to begin with. Hell you probably visit this much less than I update on here so who really gives a horse shit? Although I will apologize on the quality of this post considering I'm pretty tired and lethargic, but something has to keep this dismal show going.

Anyhoo, I've been on a huge binge of standard black metal lately. The generic (non blackened death/thrash) black metal with testicles that's worth my time, not the kind of bullshit bands like Dark Funeral and Gorgoroth enjoy pulling out of their arses. Not sure why, maybe I need a break from listening to goat worshipping noise and quality gothic deathrock (it's actually better than metal at the moment so fuck yourselves) for days on end. And tonight I'm gonna write a short list of worthwhile albums to get because after a long break from it, black metal sounds so much better, like any other style of music for me.

#5: Jotunheim - Aldagautr

The first known output by this obscure Swedish duo. Although this and the next demo sound nothing like what would be their first and so far only full length, which itself is ripping raw black metal chaos. This is actually folk-influenced raw black metal... yes, raw black metal with awesome medieval melodies, occasional Isengard-style chanting/singing and even occasional traditional instruments (including a motherfucking flute on the first track that plays along the epic riffs, holy shit). I don't often see "raw black metal" and "folk" in the same sentence and I was incredibly pleased to figure out that they actually can co-exist.

#4: The Absolute of Malignity - The Absolute of Malignity

Sheer rampant anger in this album by this enigmatic band from Japan (now known today as 'Subconscious Evil'). Absolute fucking insanity without retardedness in their riffs and standard-yet-not-shit witching black metal shrieks, from start to end. Definitely a favourite of mine from their realm.

#3: Impiety - Asateerul Awaleen

A very interesting album from who I call "the asian D666". It's far different from their demo output (Abhorer/Blasphemy worshipping bestial blackdeath) or the albums after (clean-cut death/thrash). You get clear, fast-tempo black metal with typical vocals done to the extreme (angry old witch might be a good description) and occasional ambience from all-male chanting choirs (although they really sound synthetic but that doesn't really matter to me). Heavily underrated and somewhat forgotten compared to everything else they did. Check it out.

#2: Vrolok - Resurgence II: Where the Dying Meet the Dead

One of the bleakest black metal albums in existence. Along with eerie ambience and a full acoustic track with Jeremy Christner from Great American Desert, you get burdensome raw "depressing" black metal with dry vocals that are at the very line of suffering and anger, all with the sound production of what reminds me of an eerie silent film. This and Vrolok's/Sangraal's entire discography are definitely worthy listens if you haven't checked it out yet.

#1: Katharsis - Kruzifixxion

The best thing from Germany in my honest opinion, and along with their last two albums my favourite by this german trio. Just straight up old school raw black metal the way it fucking should be. From the start to the end you get sinister and violent black metal with apocalyptic riffs and battery perfectly aligning with them, all molded together by a desolate cathedral-like atmosphere, occasional well-timed ambience and Drakh's amazing and possessed vocals that have made a welcome return from their previous efforts. Everything (what is supposed to be) black metal can be found in this 6 song epic.

Teitanblood : Purging Tongues

'Purging Tongues' by Teitanblood

Rating: 5 / 5

At long last, after years since the world was cursed by Teitanblood's infamously filthy cryptic death metal album Seven Chalices, we are offered an EP by them, entitled Purging Tongues.

The album consists of a single track on one side of a 12" record, crafted with elements of all of their material up to this point, more unsettling atmosphere than ever before and the unholy script of a Spanish doomsayer. All of this has been blended into 15 minutes of some of the most savage bestial black/death metal ever released upon the masses in the dismal year of 2011.

The vocals of Seven Chalices evolve into echoed sadistic verbal cursing straight from the pit and collide with the newly unearthed and more crushing incarnation of the riffs and drumming from the unforgettable Genocide Chants to Apolokian Dawn demo tape. Mix this with the unholy words of blasphemy and doom rolling from the purging tongues of a malignant prophet and you have Teitanblood in their prime.

This is the fucking epitome of whatever can be classified as 'extreme', musically. And I'm positive it will be a long while before I hear anything on par to this. For a single track it was definitely worth waiting for and I look forward to the next rites Teitanblood have planned for humanity.

SUPPORT!!

Norma Evangelium Diaboli
The Ajna Offensive

Finally an original bit of artwork...

A good friend of mine Cyradis finished a very killer piece of artwork specially for this site. I must say it suits it very well, with a stench exhuming straight from the 80's death metal underground; just the way I love it. Cheers, my friend!

Sacreligious Torment : Demos & Extras

'Demos & Extras' by Sacreligious Torment

Rating: 4 / 5

What I've got here is a compilation album of 'Demos & Extras' by the obscure Profanatica-worshipping USBM band called Sacreligious Torment. While they have been quiet/non-existant for a long time, the US-based label Desacration of God Productions sure have put out a wonderful release that caught me by surprise as I was browsing Hell's Headbangers.

From a past binge of mp3s I've found of the band's previous split album with Burning Winds entitled "Of Holy Sacrament And Semen" that was released 9 years before this, which consisted of every track they written previously re-recorded for that release, I knew what to expect of this short 14 minute album immediately: raw and simplistic old school black metal in the vein of Profanatica with disgusting vocals that make me imagine the undead infant cadaver of Christ hissing while gargling black vomit.

It's what compelled me to buy it as soon as I gazed at it. And I was very satisfied. There was absolutely nothing new from what I heard before, just basically everything they put out on the forementioned split album, but in a much rawer sounding mix, with the repetition of two tracks that ended up being even more raw than before. I was not at all disappointed. I was quite happy I was hearing these tracks in a more ugly form as it suited them perfectly.

There's nothing at all original within these recordings, so expecting something mindblowingly indie and avant-garde would leave you disappointed. And due to hearing this before on another release in the past, there's definitely nothing new or refreshing from the band. But If you love the catchy guitar-playing style of Profanatica, with typical yet very imhuman vocals and the decaying quality of your usual 80's death metal demo tapes, then I highly encourage tracking this down. Old school/primitive/raw black metal diehards and lovers of bands like Goatvomit, Prosanctus Inferi, Profanatica and Contrivisti will surely enjoy this; much moreso if you haven't heard the tracks on the split album (which I was addicted to, but not as much as the tracks on this).

4 out of 5. A whole point off simply because I've heard it all before.

SUPPORT!!

Email Desacration of God

Hell's Headbangers

Next reviews planned....

After noticing alot of people enjoyed my review for Surtr's demo, I decided to write more reviews and spread them all on this page. The releases I plan on doing in the hopefully not-too-distant future (will depend on my mood and laziness) are:

-Sacreligious Torment : "Demos & Extras"
-Vrolok : "Resurgence I: Descent Through the Abyss"
-Spear of Longinus : ".......and the Swastikalotus"
-Demoncy : "Joined in Darkness"

First Review Ever - Surtr : Weraldion Testautaz

-Originally posted on Encyclopaedia Metallum entitled "The bestial forces of Surtr will fuck your world", this is a slightly edited and cleaned-up version of that review.-

'Weraldion Testautaz' by Surtr

Rating: 4.5 / 5

This is the first public release from a band of Dark Germanic Heathens hailing from Sweden, branding themselves as Surtr. Although it is fairly different compared to stuff released by other hordes all united in dedication to invoking the resurrection of the primordial void.

I won't say who their influences are, but judging from the white picture/red text, Moyen-esque art direction on the tape's cover, I would say Blasphemy and Beherit are possible influences. The demo's very sound only adds to my assumption of that, which I'll try to detail here:

What we have here is under 15 minutes of raw and punishing old-school black metal (you could call it "bestial blackdeath" or maybe even "war metal" if you wanted to; they work at least). If you're looking for atmosphere, melody or even the usual raw black metal sound of bands in this similar art direction, look elsewhere. The drums are violently struck, not played. The guitar riffs are at least "musical"; not fingered in such speed to create a wall of fuzzy noise to bring up any indication of Blasphemy/Beherit worship (it's about the only element which would only make me wonder if such bands are an influence, not immediately conclude that they are). Yes, it is a rehearsal demo, but the clear coherance of the drums being bashed, very well played guitar riffage and overall murky darkness over the two make up the recording's own atmosphere.

As for the vocals.. well they're my favourite part of the entire demo. They are far from your standard black metal shrieks, nor are they even any form of death metal (that I've heard beforehand) to compensate for the forementioned oldschool death/black metal elements.
In fact, I'm not hearing vocals suited for metal. I'm hearing the carnal warcries and commands of the Black One himself (or maybe even just any other rampant Norse beast in favor of him, eager to bash the visage of a Valkyrie open with a bludgeoning weapon). This is what primarily makes the demo fucking amazing in my honest opinion. I have never heard vocals this inhuman before. So many bands try to pull off trying to sound like a beast of some form or another; this one pulls it off very fucking well.

I grant this amazing demo 4.5 out of 5. Only thing that stopped me from giving it a perfect score was that it's too fucking short and it left me wanting more, playing the demo more times in succession than I would for most other releases. Even another 5 minutes would've done well for it. But it hasn't dumbed down my love for it and the band itself, and if this is but a taste of what's to come in the future, then this horde has my support all the way.

SUPPORT!!

Official Myspace

Scythe of Death Productions