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Not to be confused with the German experimental deathsters of the same name, Negativa hail from Spain and share one member from Atrabilis with whom the majority of their back catalogue they share over three or four splits.  Track by track: "I" - Big drone-esque start, icy and cold before fusing effortlessly into big thick drum and atmospheric shroud of menace.  Ritualistic and shrieking vocals float over the music perfectly. The atmosphere is almost wraith like; surrounding and cloaking you.  The track seems to stop around just over halfway through and some atmospheric noise takes over to haunt you before the riffs come back with marauding, melodic intent. "II" - Solid riff and structure to start, a lot less murky in feel initially than the previous track.  Relentless, almost sludge mentality to the delivery of this track. Vocalist D.R (the Atrabilis member) is on sterling form here. About two-thirds of the way through a melancholic piano takes over with s

If Horna and Bethlehem made and out and had a baby it would be Guignol Noir.  I guess this combination of raw, yet well structured BM and ritualistic/bonkers vocal styles isn't an accidental birth either.  Over two tracks Guignol Noir scorch their way through this EP in a blistering yet controlled manner.  Opening track "Pact" ebbs and flows like a nefarious tide of pure evil, churning up contorted melodies that crash on icy cold shores.  Second track"Await My Order" is a whirlwind of riffs and thundering drums which assaults you for two and a half minutes before slowing down to more of a maul of your very soul; smothering bass and some solid drumming forcing you into submission. The band indicate that every copy of their CD has been "touched by the dead".  Sounds like the dead had more than a quick fumble in the studio too. 4/5 The Link Guignol Noir Bandcamp

"Inanimate" doesn't start off particularly brilliantly. "Thrives" isn't an instant "grab a hold of you" kind of a start to a record.  Slow picked strings give way to a totally predictable monstrous riff.  It does however develop into a thunderous, murky and yet never full on sludge type of an affair.  The solid repetitive riffs and powerful yet never over-imposing drums hold the whole track together really nicely.  All the while the vocals walk that aforementioned thin line between "blackened doom" and "sludge" style. It isn't until track two "Hyele" that these Italians really kick things off though.  A more feedback, hazy ambient intro starts proceedings this time, building nicely into a much more chuggy affair soundwise.  What "Hyele" does more successfully than it's predecessor is combine the perfect amount of "black" with the requisite level of "doom".  Monstrous though the b

Guignol Noir "Ritual ov Initiation" Like Horna covering Bethlehem. Review to follow. Negativa "Untitled I" Atmospheric and black as you like.  Review to follow. Naga "Inanimate" Italian, blackened doom. Fuck yeah! Review to follow.

Music that you just can't escape from is a rare commodity nowadays.  I mean there's the horrible feeling of being trapped in the car with your non-metal appreciating partner playing endless shite on the radio as you undertake an equally endless journey for some "time together", but thankfully there's also occasion when a record actually surrounds you.  Actually, a really good record can suck you into its atmosphere, distract you from reality and make you forget your family, work and social commitments for a few days. The irony of me opening my review in the middle of July of a release that came out in May with lauding the "inescapability" of the record is not lost on me.  I was aware that Sun Worship had released a follow up to their frankly superb "Elder Giants" from 2014 but had somehow failed to get round to listening for a whole two months.  If you have had the pleasure of listening to "Elder Giants" then you will know it to be

Ceremony.  Whether standing in your new frock on "ceremony" or engaged in some sacrificial musings with your Druid friends you need a suitable soundtrack either way.  Thankfully, Black Metal duo Celestial Grave have this covered.  Iron Bonehead Productions have just released this 3 track debut tape and it is grim as fuck whilst being furious and ferocious at the same time. The deep throaty rasp of the vocals, the reverb n roll of the guitars and the creepy atmospheric intros all ball up into one pulsing mass of ritualistic BM ready to burst forth its pustules of filth.  As unapologetic as the delivery is, there is real structure to each track and across the whole three tracks you get a real sense of being creeped out whilst also being totally entertained at the same time. You also get bursts of Occult fuzzy doom guitar work on occasion too (opening track) which works really well with the idea of a frenzied ritual being undertaken with deft, workmanlike hands.  Inevit

I think we can safely call BANs input on this split, not black metal.  Instead we have more dark beats and relentless noise atmospherics than the average Industrial fan can wave a shitty stick at. The title of their part of the split gives it away too "Spectral Subsonic Waves (The Sound Is An Organic Matter)" This isn't a bad thing either.  If there is one group/artist that are on top of their game when it comes to some unsettling articulations of sound then it is BAN.  If you like anything they did with "MoRT" or "Thematic Emanation of Archetypal Multiplicity" then you are onto an absolute winner here. There is a sense for me that things are getting a little too accessible at times, "Infra-Voices Ensemble" being a particular stretch too far with it's almost rave-like beat and plonk that is not sufficiently mired or obscured by the atmosphere and raspy vocals over the top. Onto the Ævangelist track "Threshold of the Miraculous&