LANTLOS - AGAPE (2011)

genre : doom/black

similar bands :  Heretoir, Alcest, Fen
origin : Germany

strong spot :production, performance of the band (mainly drummer)

weak spot : songwriting is absent, duration is only 35 mins

Neige: Well, listen to me Herbst, we have to write a new album for Lantlos
Herbst: Do you have anything new in mind, any new tunes?
Neige: Hmm, actually no. but I can write 4 or 5 songs within a couple of days. I'll make them really simple but the fans will love them, the hype you know...
Herbst: Let's put some jazzy shit there to make the songs sound weird!
Neige: Coool! And a really good artwork, a brilliant production and promotion from the label! But fuck, we have no songs now. But who cares?
Herbst:  We can claim  the songs are simple because we are modern and we make minimal music.
Neige: You are on fire!!
Herbst: Well, let's start with B minor and then....hmm no inspiration, help me Neige!!
Neige: And...we end with B minor man! This is minimal!!
Herbst: Awwweeesomeee!!

2 out of 10 goatheads 

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SMOHALLA - RESILIENCE (2011)

genre : psychedelic/atmospheric post-black

similar bands :  Solefald, Transcending Bizarre? (1st album), Kadenzza, Murmuure, H.O.P.E.
origin : France

strong spot : originality,songwriting

weak spot :natural drums would definitely give a boost to the whole album

Here is another band from France that stretches the barriers of conventional music and in this case, black metal.  A mosaic of distorted guitars, choirs, violins, electronic loops, noise, screams and clean vocals, synths etc that sounds more or less unique. Chaotic beauty in simple terms. Imagine it as the background music for the very first minutes of creation, the big bang.

9 out of 10 goatheads 

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ORANSSI PAZUZU - KOSMONUMENT (2011)

genre : psychedelic black

similar bands : -
origin : Finland

strong spot : originality, performance

weak spot : suffers from songwriting

Oranssi Pazuzu was one of my best findings the last years. With their debut album ''Muukalainen Puhuu'', the band managed to craft their own sound and differentiate their style from the rest of the metal bands out there. The recipe was highly successful: psychedelic performance and chord progressions, rock-like distortion, noise used as part of the compositions, repetitive notes in the background and lots of others were characteristic of the band. So, the expectations for their new endeavour were high..but sadly not fulfilled. ''Kosmonument'' is not bad, it has a large dose of psychedelia but it suffers from songwriting. The band wasted this album  in creating repetitive music that would fit as the background sound for a cult movie but fails to stand on its own. Their previous works combined psychedelic repetition with musical themes and their development. Here, if we exclude 2 or 3 tracks, the rest don't serve any other purpose than to manifestate that ''hey, we are a different band''. Sadly...

5 out of 10 goatheads 

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VOID - VOID (2011)

genre : post black

similar bands : Code, DHG, Deathspell Omega
origin : UK

strong spot : production, performance

weak spot : nothing too obvious

Hmm, VOID. The name rings a bell. After a short research I found out that Void used to include members from Satyricon, Dodheimsgard, Aura Noir and tons of others in their line-up. This is their 2nd full length album and it is definitely worth listening from all black metal fans. Dissonant chords, furious blastbeats, paranoid screams, an amazing performance (especially from the drummer) and on top of them a brilliant production, similar to Deathspell Omega's 'Paracletus'. I was not really thrilled by the songwriting but even so, I am sure that lots of fans will love this one.

8,5 out of 10 goatheads 

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IMPERIAL VENGEANCE - BLACK HEART OF EMPIRE (2011)

genre : symphonic black

similar bands : Carach Angren, Transcending Bizarre?, Cradle of Filth
origin :UK

strong spot : songwriting, symphonic orchestrations

weak spot : female vocals (my personal NoNo)

Imperial Vengeance is one of the few bands whose music really captures a dreamy/unearthly atmosphere similar to that from the cinema. The symphonic orchestrations are once again close to perfection and the songwriting combines passion and wrath with beautiful melodies and fairytale-like sounds.  The metal elements fortunately are not put aside but on the contrary constitute the main core of the music (there is also a very clean and solid production). 
 

8,5 out of 10 goatheads 

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WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - CELESTIAL LINEAGE (2011)

genre : funeral/atmospheric doom/black

similar bands :Agalloch, Drudkh, Woods of Desolation, A Forest of Stars, Fen
origin :USA

strong spot : atmosphere

weak spot : compositions could be better

Wolves in the Throne room is no doubt one of the bands that crafted what we today call american black metal. They are also one of the first bands who incorporated post-black and shoegaze black influences in their sound. Lots of bands followed later on. Here is their new endeavour, atmospheric, ritualistic and evocative as always. My objections are the following: 1) we have heard this kind of astral atmosphere in their previous releases, only now the production standards are much higher and 2) There are no actual compositions, meaning chord sequences, diverse tempos, tonalities, changes of scale etc etc, here we have some chords played in a minimalistic manner so as to yield in a ritualistic transcendental atmosphere. Simple as that. If you are up for this kind of styff, this album is really convincing. Regarding me, this is not my cup of tea...

6 out of 10 goatheads 

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