Samael – Above
Nuclear Blast Records

(3/5)

With 8 full length albums and 2 EPs previously released, Samael is back with their eleventh overall release Above! Typically, I’m all in for Black metal bands/albums, but Above didn’t quite hit me as well. The overall album is good, but the drums make it really difficult for me to truly enjoy this album. The two main reasons the drums are such an issue fore me are the excessive use of blast beats, and the overall mix for them. When I listen to Black metal, I like a good mixture of styles in the music as the case is with bands like Dimmu Borgir and Satyricon, but when the drummer puts in a lot of blast beast, it becomes too close to Death metal, in my opinion. Now, that’s not a huge issue since I also listen to bands like Behemoth who has a pretty brutal form of Black metal, but the mix does present a bigger problem. In my opinion, the drums on this album are too loud. This may not sound like a big deal, but when the drum track overpower the other tracks on nearly every song, it makes it hard to listen to everything and truly enjoy the album. Despite these issues, Above still is a great album for Samael fans and general Black metal fans alike. Some of the best tracks on the album include “Black Hole” (Track 2), “Earth Country” (Track 4), and “In There” (Track 7). Of those tracks, “In There” is my favorite, providing more difference from the other tracks. All in all, this is a good album by a great band and it helps keep Black metal a dominant force in the Metal world.

Darkane – Demonic Art
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

What do you get when you take a little bit of Black metal, a pinch of Extreme metal, and a healthy portion of Thrash metal and mash it all up into one album? You get Demonic Art by Darkane! This being my first experience with Darkane, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect the first time I put this album in, but I was certainly blown away by what came blaring through my speakers. This album is so intense and extreme, I can’t believe it can be contained within it’s case! I believe this is a particularly intense album because of the way Peter Wildoer (drums/lyrics) put in personal conflicts into the lyrics and every member of Darkane was pushing the limits while firing on all cylinders. With all of the incredible musicianship and lyrics put together with the powerful vocals of Jens Broman, there is no way that Darkane can be ignored any longer by anyone in the far stretches of the Metal world. This being the band’s fifth studio album, they have a solid arsenal of music to back them up, but I believe Demonic Art is the album that will solidify Darkane as an unstoppable force. To prove this, I suggest listening to the tracks “Absolution” (Track 4), “Demonic Art” (Track 3/Title track), and “Sole Survivor” (Track 8). This is only a quarter of the album, but it shows just how powerful this band truly is. Overall, this album is a great album and is one I suggest for your Metal arsenal. With it’s mix of Metal styles, it is sure to be a strong ally to battle against any and all false Metal out there!

Keep of Kalessin – Kolossus
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

Keep of Kalessin has struck again from the land of Black metal! Coming forth from Norway with their fourth full length album entitled Kolossus, KoK is continuing to show the world why Norway is known as the land of Black metal. Incorporating some more Progressive and Electronic elements into their sound, KoK has successfully put out an album that helps show the world that not EVERY Black metal band sounds the same. One prominent element that separates this band from other is the vocal style of Thebon. Rather than using a more high pitched scream most of the time, he uses more of a yelling technique. Another aspect of KoK I like IS the Progressive features they implement. With the collaboration of the Black metal style and Progressive music style utilized by Obsidian Claw (guitars and synth), Wizziac (bass), and Vyl (drums) and Thebon’s vicious vocals, all 9 tracks on Kolossus seem to really pack a punch. On top of that, they seem to flow through time effortlessly, creating a great album to listen to. Honestly, with the way they fit so well together, I really can’t find a favorite track. Each one seems to just be an extension of what has come before it. As far as the overall album goes, I definitely recommend Kolossus to any Black metal fans and anyone looking to get into Black metal!