Misotheist – De Pinte Review By Grin Reaper

Ever shrouded in mystery, the enigmatic collective Misotheist emerges from their icy realm to deliver succor to fans of metals black and arcane. De Pinte, the band’s fourth release, roughly translates from Norwegian to ‘The Tormented’ or ‘They Tormented,’1 a fitting appellation given the Trondheim troupe’s fondness for tortured topics and twisted themes.2 At their core, Misotheist takes the oppressive atmosphere of Selbst and merges it with Mayhem’s pummeling impudence, then strategically adorns that union with subtle melodies and naked emotions that remind me of Decline of the I. Mostly, though, Misotheist sounds like Misotheist, and given Doom_et_al’s brazen glazin’ of their last couple albums, that’s not a bad path to walk. Right?

As with prior albums, Misotheist continues exploring the band’s sonic landscape within the context they’ve defined for themselves. Second-wave tempests reign supreme, broken up by leaden crawls and punctuated with antagonistic bouts of dissonance and harmony. Fans of the band won’t be surprised at De Pinte’s mix, once again donning the lo-fi trappings Misotheist is known for and imbuing the songs with buzz and crunch. With four tracks on De Pinte compared to the typical three, Misotheist manages their most accessible album to date by keeping the opening trio trim (for them, anyway) and comprising a tightly written side A. Overall, the refinement on De Pinte signals a keen band that understands the path to greater success is one of degrees.

The first three tracks on De Pinte may be Misotheist’s best material yet, spewing counterbalanced discord and melody over varied paces in concise doses. The guitar twangs in “Unanswered Thrice” drop a wistful anchor of melancholy that tugs at the heartstrings over furious riffing and a bludgeoning drum performance, and “Blinded and Revealed” rumbles at an unhinged gait similar to Panzerfaust, injecting spidery leads over the blackened tumult beneath. It’s “Kjetterdom,” though, that stands out amongst on the A-side of the album, decelerating the momentum to an agonizing plod while the bass plays a pivotal melodic role that offsets serpentine guitar jangles. Throughout, the vocals cut and gut with what sounds like broken glass being ground in the back of someone’s throat, engendering an uncomfortable brutality that works seamlessly with the music. In all, the front half of De Pinte is loaded with great moments and potent songwriting, setting the stage for Misotheist’s longest song to date.

Though the heights of De Pinte surpass its predecessors, Misotheist hits a snag during the album’s last leg. The key to De Pinte comes down to tension, and where the front of the album excels here, “De Pinte” doesn’t quite stick the landing. Swirling, hypnotic trems play over rigidly metered bass drum blasts, and odd cymbal splashes jar proceedings out of orbit and into an exciting, dangerous crash course. The musical dynamics expertly weave to and fro, adventurously shifting the song’s velocity over a twenty-minute run that always shocks me with how fast it slips by. Misotheist’s dedication to atmosphere and tension throughout “De Pinte” is magnificent, and it’s baffling when so much time gets spent forging tension to have De Pinte just… end. There’s no big release. No catharsis. It might have been easier to look past if Misotheist hadn’t committed the same sin at the end of Vessels by Which the Devil Is Made Flesh, too. Despite how great the rest of the album is, the lack of fulfillment leaves me hollow, and the impact is outsized since this is a listener’s final impression.

Make no mistake, Misotheist brings the goods with De Pinte, and any fan of metal should find plenty to like on it. Though I’m disappointed with the lack of a fulfilling climax, I regularly find myself looking for forty minutes to sneak in another listen. Unquestionably great moments permeate the album, and while I’m disappointed with its final, crucial juncture, Misotheist’s latest is a must-listen in a month flush with quality releases. Don’t miss it, or the choice could come back to torment you.



Rating: Very Good!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Terratur Possessions
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026

#2026 #35 #BlackMetal #DePinte #DeclineOfTheI #Feb26 #Mayhem #Misotheist #NorwegianMetal #Panzerfaust #Review #Reviews #Selbst #TerraturPossessions

DECLINE OF THE I (França) presenta nou àlbum: "Wilhelm" #DeclineOfTheI #PostBlackMetal #Febrer2025 #França #NouÀlbum #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Sepulchre by the Sea – Seven Chambers Review

By Dear Hollow

As a high school English teacher in America, it’s actually a crime not to teach Edgar Allan Poe. Dude needs no introduction, his influence felt from basic literature and film, to even the Baltimore’s NFL team mascot, the Ravens – and of course, metal music. As I grumbled my way through middle school and high school English, pursued college work, and hereafter, I became familiar with the gamut, including but not limited to “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Black Cat,” “The Purloined Letter,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, and, relevant to Sepulchre by the Sea’s sophomore effort Seven Chambers, “The Masque of the Red Death.” Will Seven Chambers embrace the undeniably Gothic and insane of the author or die alone and desolate in a gutter in Baltimore?

Sepulchre by the Sea, named after the Poe-m of the same name, is a Bristol-based one-man project masterminded by Ashley Shannon, having released a demo, an EP, and a full-length since its inception in 2019. Straddling the line between post-black and atmospheric black metal, Seven Chambers attempts to distinguish its moods, each of the seven tracks represented by a color. Simultaneously raw and punishing, shimmering melodies and synths shower the proceedings, with a patience that conjures the likes of Envy or So Hideous. Ultimately, Sepulchre by the Sea hints at greatness with Seven Chambers but is hindered by bloat and complicated by rawness.

Seven Chambers is less a sonic reflection of Poe’s work than it first appears. Rather, Sepulchre by the Sea opts for a far more sanguine post-rock template that reflects yearning rather than horror. This thread courses through its seven movements: three lengthy black metal tracks, three instrumentals, and one acoustic conclusion. “Purple Pestilence,” “Orange Opulence,” and “Violet Visions” are tasteful post-black affairs, the guitar tone raw and grungy, rumbling bass audible, and more melodic pieces able to soar above the biting repetition. Shannon utilizes repetition well, as the background vocals add to the yearning baritone he exhibits in acoustic closer “Scarlet Dreams,” the morphing melody of “Purple Pestilence,” the reverb-laden guitar overlays of “Orange Opulence.” Movements are a crucial component of Seven Chambers, as metallic tracks morph from blackened sections to chuggy death metal to melodic sprawls, growling bass tastefully worming through each, with transitions securing each firmly. Shannon’s vocals rely more on a fiery sermonic bark rather than the traditional shriek for the better, injecting an intensity found in post-black’s more aggressive yeasayers like Au-Dessus or Decline of the I. Sepulchre by the Sea benefits from its more raw and self-released nature with a more cutthroat edge amplified by ambient noise and thick bass that recalls both black metal’s kvlt history and the more traditional crystalline melody you expect from post-black or blackgaze.

Sepulchre by the Sea’s most glaring issue is the instrumentals and their protracted length. While opener “Blue Hubris” sets the dual tone with a tasteful crescendo of piano, blastbeats, and tremolo, “Green Bath” and “White Death” are far too lengthy to add to the tone, and instead feel like four minutes of wandering plucking with insufficient dynamics. While Shannon does a good job with the movements and transitions, the rawer template nonetheless robs the seamlessness with somewhat jarring shifts, especially in “Purple Pestilence” between starker tones, or the melodic midsection to the chuggy conclusion of “Orange Opulence.” The more organ-like ambiance of “Violet Visions” feels like a stark departure into Skepticism territory, clashing. While the raw nature does Seven Chambers justice, the more melodic portions clash with the macabre atmosphere of its source material. This is a nitpick at best, but Poe’s work is often sonically captured in bleaker or more gothic stylings, such as symphonic black or death metal. Post-black is an odd choice for its source material, although Sepulchre by the Sea does well for what it’s worth.

Sepulchre by the Sea’s only glaring weakness is also its greatest strength: its rawness. While it adds a heavier edge rarely seen in this particular traditionally optimistic style, it also makes the series of movements feel rather stitched together haphazardly. The tonal differences through Shannon’s songwriting are unique, the performances are solid across the board, and every instrument is audible and singularly punishing. Hindered by excessive interludes and that rawness being a blessing and a curse, we land squarely in the middle. Seven Chambers is not bland and its creator, if nothing else, is loaded with spectacular promise.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Released
Website: facebook.com/sepulchrebytheseamusic | sepulchrebythesea.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: August 2nd, 2024

#25 #2024 #AmbientBlackMetal #AmbientNoise #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AuDessus #BlackMetal #BritishMetal #DeclineOfTheI #Envy #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SepulchreByTheSea #SevenChambers #SoHideous

Ecr.Linf – Belluaires Review

By Dear Hollow

Post-black isn’t a style I would normally associate with themes of viscera or ritualism. Stereotypes and caricatures exist as Deafheaven school of thought, quite cheery affairs with sanguine post-rock melodies atop a foundation of distant blastbeats and shrieks. Ecr.Linf offers no such grace. Belluaires’ breed of post-black offers its full and textured, melody-first approach, but adds an animalistic urgency. Recalling the likes of Decline of the I or The Great Old Ones. Atmosphere is foremost but twisted into the warped image of desperation and intensity. A final cry of humanity is what it promises – does it exit with a roar or a whimper?

Ecr.Linf, the moniker taken from Voltaire’s famous maxim “ecrasons l’infame,”1 in one take translated to “crush the monster,” is a French black metal five-piece with history from acts like Svart Crown, No Return, and Jarell. Their Belluaires debut is a tour-de-force, undeniably French, recalling acts like Celeste and Déluge in its incorporation of hardcore and noise textures. It promises an unlikely combination of post-black and dissonant black, swirling riffs, manic and warlike blastbeats, and desperate barks commanding a dense and thick fog punctuated by moments of clarity. Ultimately, while these newcomers pale in comparison to more seasoned acts, Belluaires nonetheless makes one hell of a statement when it gets going, even if its buildup and on-the-fence compositions temper the hype.

There are two flavors to Belluaires: outright punishment and the ominous build-up to the punishment. Opener “Le Désespoir Du Prophète” and “Missive” offer the latter, that while thick and vicious riffs are in no short supply, spoken word and pulsing percussion indicate more patient crescendos. Meanwhile “Tribunal De L’âme” and “La Danse Des Crânes” are taken from the Celeste playbook, ritualistic percussion colliding neatly with mammoth riffs, plus a symphonic flare and wonky accordion closing out the latter doesn’t hurt. However, it’s not until the second half that Ecr.Linf gets their footing: beginning with the mad waltzing rhythms of “Le Royaume Du Vide,” Belluaires begins capitalizing upon the dissonant portion of their sound. “Ultime Projection” and “Valetaille” are easily the best tracks and comprise a walloping one-two punch. Each deals in more subtle songwriting from warped dissonant clarity to a dark and warming melody of blackgaze, punctuated by sprawling contemplative passages dwelling and shuddering in the wake of the colossus, concluded by dusty breaths of a gentle piano. For a black metal album, Ecr.Linf does a stellar job making Belluaires sound as huge as possible, touching upon post-metal, its density saturating every space within it.

For all its hugeness and formidability, I wish Ecr.Linf made more songs like “Valetaille.” Much like the likewise “dissonant black” genre-mates Sisyphean’s Colours of Faith, too much of Belluaires is spent mingling between post-black warmth and ominous dissonance. I’m grateful that Ecr.Linf arrive in grandiose fashion, but the first five tracks, with the exception of “La Danse Des Crânes,” are simply pleasant blackened affairs with a bigger sound, but little else. “Tribunal De L’âme” is largely forgettable, the spoken word of “Le Désespoir Du Prophète” verges on awkward, and “Feu Pâle” is a completely unnecessary closer, comprised of just a few warbling major chords, after the earthmoving and despondent ending of “Valetaille.” Belluaires comprises a very French sound from the despair to the vicious barks. This palette inevitably pales compared to the similarly built but more experienced offerings of Celeste, Amesoeurs, and Alcest.

Ecr.Linf promises a unique fusion, and only periodically do they deliver. While there’s little blatantly wrong with Belluaires in its punishing ritualistic hugeness, but expectations temper it quite a bit. It finally finds its footing in the second act with tracks “Ultime Projection” and “Valetaille” finding a powerful balance of vicious dissonance and post-black warmth in an undeniably atmospheric but relentlessly punishing sound. Ultimately, although initially I was overwhelmed by its weight and rabid intensity, it ends up neither a whimper nor a roar, but rather a firm tone to signal the end of humanity.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: My Kingdom Music
Website: facebook.com/Ecr.LinfOfficiel
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024

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