Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Candlelight Records Cult Series
Format: Digital Promo (Earsplit PR)

In all reality, I didn’t think that Wodensthrone would be able to match their work with their debut album Loss. As it turns out, I was wrong. Not only have they matched Loss, but with Curse they may have even surpassed it.
The band takes traditional, old styled black metal like that of Bathory, Darkthrone, etc., and infuse it with folk-like elements and a serious sense of true British-ness. They remind me of a prettier (but no less vicious) Kampfar, really, but if one were to take the time and truly listen to this album, they would hear a touch of death metal at times and even some classic stuff that brings Judas Priest to mind.
Favorite songs are “Wyrgthu” and “The Name Of The Wind”.
10 out of 10.

Curse Tracklisting:
1. The Remaining Few
2. Jormungandr
3. First Light
4. The Great Darkness
5. Battle Lines
6. Wyrgthu
7. The Storm
8. The Name Of The Wind

Curse Personnel:
Wildeþrýð – Vocals/Guitar
Rædwalh – Vocals/Guitar
Árfæst – Keys/Atmospherics
Gerádwine – Bass
Hréowsian – Drums/Vocals

Wodensthrone on Facebook.

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Panzerfaust Productions

Chaotic black metal in the vein of Marduk, England’s Blooddawn return with Opus Dei. This particular disc has been in my possession for awhile, having been released in 2011, but I haven’t had the opportunity to actually sit down and listen to it, which is how I best enjoy Blooddawn.
Finally, though, I took the time to give this CD-R a couple spins, and I like what I hear. There isn’t much change in sound between the last albums and this, but the song structures and songwriting itself are much stronger. The chaos is palpable; the rage that fills the previous releases has only been fueled, it seems, and it permeates this entire album. Evil tones spew into the ears and almost immediately air bass and headbanging slam my brain around. There is a doomy atmosphere to the tracks at times, especially in the opening of “Adorning the Crown of Flies”, which is probably not coincidentally my favorite track on the album.
8 out of 10.

Opus Dei Tracklisting:
1. Opus Dei
2. When Gods Die
3. Adorning the Crown of Flies
4. Embracing the Theory of Divine Superiority
5. A Great Cleansing
6. Subjugation of the Weak

Opus Dei Personnel:
Donn – Vocals
P – Instruments; Lyrics and vocals on “Embracing the Theory…”

Genres: Black Metal, Grindcore, Progressive Metal
Label: Candlelight Records

Get your boots on kids. We’re definitely stepping out of the comfort zone here, right into some seriously deep what the fuck?
As usual, these two Brits love to push the envelope, and there’s some pretty huge pushes with Passion. They’ve taken their black metal, made it blacker. Taken their grind, made it grinder. And the progressiveness of the album is just all over the place. Some of my favorite clean vocal performances are on this CD, with some amazing riffs that really amp up the general urgency of this music.
Wait. Urgency? In black metal? What? Yes, son. Shit just got real. If you’ve never listened to Anaal Nathrakh before, and your like your black metal TRVE and KVLT, and as boneheadedly barbaric as possible, continue not listening to Anaal Nathrakh. Because your BM world just got another album deeper into thinking man’s territory.
8 out of 10.

Anaal Nathrakh on Facebook.

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Label: Casket Music

Melodic death metal from England, but originally from New Zealand, Monsterworks steps up to fill an interesting void that I didn’t know existed. Inspired by Deicide and Queen, full of melodeath riffage (think early In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and Cynic) and mixed death and classic metal vocals (Cryptopsy, AC/DC), The God Album is a really good listen.
It’s definitely not for everyone (hipsters beware!), as it’s a little bit of a tough-to-digest listen if you’re not fluent in metal. True fans of multiple genres will find this to their tastes I’m sure.
Favorite tracks are “Everything You Believe is a Lie”, “The Enemy of My Enemy”, and the album closer “(Hymn of) Fire”.
7 out of 10.

Monsterworks on Facebook.
Monsterworks on MySpace.

Genre: Black Metal
Label: Candlelight Records

Eastern Front have been around for awhile, and up until now I’ve never heard them, nor have I even heard OF them. Sure seems I was missing out.
When I first started playing the album I was immediately impressed by the pure ferocity of the playing; there is a lot more than just passion being pushed through these guys’ amps.
Extremely aggressive and still retaining a large amount of melody, Eastern Front’s ‘War Torn Black Metal’ (as they call it) brings some elements of death metal, doom, folk, and classical to the blackened aspects and create a new beast.
I was ready to give these guys a high rating, then I saw their MySpace page, and now they’re getting an even HIGHER rating. It’s wonderful to see a black metal band with this kind of professionalism with their MySpace. Band member shots, past shows, band history, reviews, videos, and more, and it’s all so nice and neat. Must be the English in them.
Straight up, this is some of the best black metal I’ve heard out of the UK; right up there with Wodensthrone (but very different), Primordial’s old stuff, and Intra Tenebrae.
8.5 out of 10.

Eastern Front on MySpace.