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Billed as "Masters of progressive black metal" by one fan on Bandcamp, Krallice certainly have their own sound on show on their latest release "Ygg huur".  Coming to the band for the first time with this release it's hard to be anything other than astonished by their wild, frenzied, disjointed and often chaotic (yet still technical) sound. Imagine Gorguts on acid and you are getting close.  Thankfully though even in the midst of all the jarring riffs, head mashing drum patterns and demented vocals there is a real sense if accessibility and reason somehow. Take "Over Spirit" for example, a furious session of manic progressive insanity all meshed together with the constant wave of the tremolo entwining the whole track together like some omnipresent serpent. Jute Gyte drops crazy shit like this all the time but his version of spazzing BM has no sense of thought at times and as a result one of his releases can all blend into one.  Sat listening t...

Bands who show a variety of influences in their sound are one thing, but it takes something altogether special to be able to wear those influences on your sleeves and not produce anything more than a confused and disjointed noise that lurches from track to track.  Immortal Bird have an arsenal the size of a Soviet Military Parade and (importantly) just as much punch.  They use their armoury well also, to devastating and impressive effect. There is enough "kblammm", "bifff" and "clang" behind each of the 5 tracks on their debut full length to make Batman and Robin look like cheerleaders.  Whether it is the solid thump of the drums, the buzzing guitars, plonking bass or vocal assault of the lyric delivery, the sheer presence of the band is just undeniable.  Even on closing track "And Send Fire", with it's slower start the power is evident still virtually from the off, humming like connected Marshall stacks waiting to explode with metal frenz...

Today I decided that as well as poorly attempting to keep up with new releases I will every once in a while hit the shuffle function and review the first album that gets selected by the AI of my MP3 player. As luck would have it this has worked out marvellously at first attempt and I can begin this series with the slower paced yet melodic BM release that heralded a change in style for one of the most established BM bands out there. Listen back to "Pure Holocaust" or "Battles In The North" and you simply cannot deny the cold, harsh and blistering fury of the pace across those records.  Relentlessly executed and delivered with real venom each time, they are quite rightly bona fide classics in any BM collection.  What "At The Heart Of Winter" brought was a less frenzied, much more calculated assault.  With it's immediate use of melody from virtually the word go (check out album opener "Withstand The Fall Of Time" from about 3 mins in ...

For anyone unfamiliar with the work of Abyssal I would recommend that they first take the time to seek out their previous two albums before lending an ear to this opus.  "Denoument" and "Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius" are two fine examples of dark, squally DM with just enough tangible structure to set them apart from the Portals, Aevangelists and Impetuous Rituals of this world. For the first two tracks of their third full length "Anitkatastaesis" are pretty much an extension of that earlier style.  Album opener "I Am The Alpha & The Omega" is a frenzied knife attack using a selection of blades of various lengths and sharpness to stab the furious pace of the music into your very being.   Second track "The Cornucopian" then continues this familiar style.  The problem comes with "The Veil of Transcendence" when mid song a sample of what sounds like an ice cream van seeps into the song during a reprise from the fren...