Stuck in the Filter: September 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

At last, a burst of cool calms the blood after a brutal summer, and the leaves are turning. Which means I was able to recruit a bunch of grubby little leaf-lookers off the highway to serve as minions to my ever-needy Filter! With a temporarily replenished staff of fools who are unwittingly risking their lives for mere nuggets, I conduct with renewed vigor the search for quality finds.

Today, I bring you those finds, in all of their sparkly glory. WITNESS THEM!

Kenstrosity’s Jaunty Juke

Jordsjuk // Naglet til livet [September 19th, 2025 – Indie Recordings]

The lack of conversation I’ve seen surrounding this Norwegian black metal riff machine is highly disconcerting. Brought to my attention by my wonderfully wise—and devilshly handsome—owlpal1 from… GASP… another blog, Jordsjuk’s debut LP Naglet til livet has my spine whipping to a fro from the onset of ripping opener “Kollaps.” The whiplash doesn’t stop there as thrashy numbers “Grovt skadeverk” and “Skreddersøm” body me against several walls and even a couple of ceilings. For 36 relentless minutes, with only one song pushing the four minute mark, Naglet til livet is an unqualified triumph of editing and tight, effective songwriting. My immediate comparison is 2007-2013 Skeletonwitch, but some of these riffs, like the turbobangers on “Parasitt,” “Rottebitt,” “Klarhet og dybde,” and “Rennestein,” give those hallowed skellybois a serious run for their money. When they aren’t thrashing, Jordsjuk shift into a dour, but still ravenous black metal shadow. Wraiths like “Riv skorpen av såret” and “Svikter din neste” showcase this looming character quite well, and prove Jordsjuk to be dynamic, versatile songwriters. In short, Naglet til livet is a raucous good time for anyone craving black metal with sharp teeth and limitless energy.

Baguette’s Bouncy Blessing

Arjen Anthony Lucassen // Songs No One Will Hear [September 12th, 2025 – Inside Out Music]

A year without an Arjen record would be a much lesser one. It’s not often the crazy Dutchman reuses a non-Ayreon project title, but here we have his fourth solo album becoming the second under the full Arjen Anthony Lucassen name! Dropping 13 years after the previous one, Songs No One Will Hear announces the end of the world is a mere five months away, its tracks depicting the resulting stages of chaos, disarray, and human silliness. It doesn’t fall far off the catchy and melodic Arjen tree but casts a wider net than prior prog rock adventures. Much of the record reflects different eras of Ayreon, including the ’70s prog whimsy of Into the Electric Castle (“Dr. Slumber’s Blue Bus”) and the fun ’80s metal edge of The Source (“Goddamn Conspiracy”). Closing epic “Our Final Song” is a microcosm of his musical breadth, shapeshifting from Jethro Tull flute shenanigans to analog synth ambience to dramatic riff bombast at will. But it’s “The Clock Ticks Down” that steals the spotlight, marking a brief return to the dark, somber grit of Guilt Machine and 01011001. It’s an unusually normal-sized album from Mr. Lucassen as well, the regular, unnarrated version being only 46 minutes and change. A condensed, jovial jack-of-all-trades showcase with many of the usual great guest musician and vocalist selections! And it’s always nice to hear him sing more, too.

Thus Spoke’s Lurid Leftovers

Fauna // Ochre and Ash [September 26th, 2025 – Lupus Lounge/Prophecy Productions]

It’s been 13 years since Cascadian black metal duo Fauna released Avifauna, to quiet yet great acclaim. Given their preoccupation with human prehistory, they might just be operating on a larger timescale than you or I. Ochre and Ash—the two main ingredients used in ancient cave paintings—is an attempt to invoke the spirit of forgotten ceremonies during which the stories of the people were immortalised on stone. Building on an atmospheric black metal base familiar in their better-known exemplars Wolves in the Throne Room and Agalloch, Fauna give Ochre and Ash a distinctive edge by roaming further afield into the experimental. For every metal-dominated track (“Nature & Madness,” “Labyrinths,” “Eternal Return”), there is an ambient, decidedly unsettling counterpart (“A Conjuring,” “Femoral Sun,” “Mockery”), and the latter are not interludes, but integral parts of the ritual. Each infuses skin-prickling drone with eerie chimes and rattles, and uncomfortable vocalisations ranging from moans and wails to laughter and the howling, yipping cries of animals—or humans mimicking them. In their repetition of haunting, hollow sounds, they are both frightening and trance-inducing. Ochre and Ash’s metallic segments are no less ominous, treading as they do between confrontationally turbulent atmoblack2 and diSEMBOWELMENT-adjacent death doom that puts me right back in the void of madness last year’s Spectral Voice generated. This is not a casual listen, and Fauna could have helped it a bit with some editing, as the weirdness combined with an excessive 70-minute runtime makes some longer passages feel tired and could be off-putting to some. Still, it’s an experience I’d recommend trying at least once.

Spicie Forrest’s Sautéed Surplus

Piece // Rambler’s Axe [September 5th, 2025 – This Charming Man Records]

Finding gym metal has always proven difficult for me. It’s not about the fastest or loudest, but about striking a balance between weight and pace. Rambler’s Axe fits the bill nicely. Influenced by the likes of Crowbar and High on Fire, these Berlin-based doomsters peddle raucous and sludgy heavy metal. There’s a bit of Conan in Piece’s DNA, too, making sure to worship each riff long enough for you to make it through any given set. Beefy basslines and aggressive, chiseled drums make it easy to drop into a groove and get your pump on. Faster cuts like “Demigod” and “Rambler’s Axe” go great with chest flies and leg press, but they’ve got tracks for bench press and deadlifts too. “Bastard Sword” and “Owl Eyes” rumble forward like the slow but inevitable rise of the barbell at max weight. Whether marching or running, baritone shouts like tank treads hang over riffs just looking for an excuse to blow off steam. Whatever your reason for visiting the glorious house of gains, Piece has your soundtrack covered.

Heruvim // Mercator [September 12th, 2025 – Self-Release]

As each passing year leaves the almighty Bolt Thrower further in the past, the yearning for that sound grows. I was quite surprised to find a small amount of solace in Heruvim, hailing from Odesa, Ukraine. I say small solace, because debut LP Mercator is more than just a clone. Augmented with the unsettling atmosphere of early Pestilence and the vocal malevolence of Sinister, this platter of old school death metal carves its own niche in a storied scene. Off-kilter leads bubble up and spew out of a murky, tarred rhythm section like prehistoric gases in a primordial soup (“Gnosis,” “Lacrimae Rerum”). Lachrymose, doom-laden passages and violent death threats trade back and forth, anchored by volatile blast beats and percussive assaults in the vein of Cannibal Corpse (“Nulla Res,” “Mercator”). Stitched together with eerie, short-and-sweet interludes, Mercator’s lean 30 minutes fly by and always leave me itching for more. Heruvim riffs on a slew of classic sounds, creating a casual brutality and primal barbarism that is both compelling and uniquely their own.

ClarkKent’s Melodic Monstrosities

Galundo Tenvulance // Insomnis Somnia [September 17th, 2025 – Spiritual Beast Records]

Falling somewhere between symphonic deathcore acts Assemble the Chariots and Grimnis enters Japan’s Galundo Tenvulance. On their second full-length LP, Insomnis Somnia, the sextet demonstrates raw power and frenetic energy throughout its 41-minute runtime. Songs are anchored by catchy melodic leads, atmospheric symphonies, and punishing, relentless kitwork (no drummer is credited, so hopefully it’s not programmed). Galundo Tenvulance’s new vocalist, Sao, delivers the goods, bringing a spirited energy to her performance that elevates the already terrific material. While the symphonics don’t quite elevate the music the same way they do for Assemble the Chariots, it’s the melodic riffs that make these guys stand out. “Noble Rot” is the highlight, with a killer lead riff that uses harmonics to add just that extra bit of oomph. Other highlights include the catchy “Regret Never Sleeps,” evoking Character-era Dark Tranquillity, and “In The Realms of the Unreal,” which demonstrates their ability to transform solos into surprising melodies. This might be too good to have landed in the filter, but with my TYMHM slots filled up, it’s better than nothing.

Mortal Scepter // Ethereal Dominance [September 9th, 2025 – Xtreem Music]

As if we didn’t have enough thrash floating in the filter, French outfit Mortal Scepter finds itself as yet another piece of thrash dredged from the muck. This quartet has been around since 2012, yet Ethereal Dominance is only their second full-length release. Their sound lands somewhere between the melodic thrash of Bloodletter and the mania of Deathhammer—though a touch less zany. The persistent level of energy these bands can maintain never ceases to amaze me. While the constant beat of drum blasts threatens to make thrash songs sound too similar, the variety of melodies Mortal Scepter delivers ensures that things never grow repetitive. They have a raw, blackened sound that feels immediate and in your face. Drummer Guillaume keeps an impressive pace with fresh-sounding, nonstop blast beats, while vocalist Lucas Scellier snarls with enthusiasm, with a voice comparable to Deathhammer’s Sergeant Salsten. However, it’s the guitars by Maxime and Scellier that really bring the band to life, from the noodly melodies to the dynamic, lengthy, and impressive solos on each song. These guys prove they are more than just simple thrash metallers on the epic thrash, ten-minute finale, “Into the Wolves Den,” which uses a mix of tempo shifts and hooky melodies to make the song just fly by. With this second LP under their belts, these guys have proven themselves an exciting newish band on the thrash scene.

Grin Reaper’s Woodland Windfall

Autrest // Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves [September 5th, 2025 – Northern Silence Productions]

Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves merges atmospheric black metal with nature, resuming Autrest’s vision from debut Follow the Cold Path. Like Saor or Falls of Rauros, stunning melodies play across untamed backdrops that stir heartstrings in unexpected ways. Ethereal keys, mournful strings, and rapid-fire tremolos impeccably capture Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves’ autumnal artwork, bringing Autrest’s imagery to life. Harsh vocals sit back in the mix, evoking windswept trees as cool harvest gusts leach branches of color, while sporadic baritone cleans add variation. “Lobos (Offering)” sets the stage with melancholic guitar plucks bolstered by forlorn strings, giving way to a controlled spark as “Ashes from the Burning Embers” ratchets up roiling vigor. Through forty-two minutes, Autrest expertly guides listeners across shifting landscapes that are delightful in their earnestness. Mastermind Matheus Vidor establishes himself as a preeminent architect of mood, channeling transitions from gentle, wonder-filled serenity to unyielding wrath. The dynamic between aggression and introspection is marvelous, permeating the album with emotion. While I could understand a complaint that some songs blur together, the spirit of Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves is never stale or disposable. Rather, Autrest has taken what began two years ago and enriched it, composing an ode to self-discovery and transformation.3 My own experience with the music conjures wilderness’s last hurrah before succumbing to winter’s embrace. As days grow shorter and temperatures drop,4 I encourage you to seek refuge and draw warmth from these Burning Embers.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Very Not Late Novella

Sterveling // Sterveling [September 26th, 2025 – Self Release]

Between the world of atmospheric and post-tinged black metal, there exists a twisted form of progressive music that teeters about brooding moods and crackling tones to explore shrieking sadness and profound sorrow. Michiel van der Werff (Prospectors, Weltschmerz), primary Dutch proprietor of Sterveling, places his expressive guitar runs and lurching rhythm clangs in the company of trusted friends to carry out his tortured, baroque vision of black metal. Against the hissing design of synth maestro and Prospectors bandmate Matthias Ruijgrok, a fullness and warping warmth pervades the spacious amp textures and muscular rhythmic framework of each piece. And through the bloodied cries of Weltschmerz bandmate Hreim, a vocal lightning flashes to illuminate the nooks between pulsing synth lines and deathly bursts of full tremolo assault. In three longform pieces, all still totaling a generous forty-two minutes, Sterveling tints a monochrome narrative with vibrant shades from thoughtful tones and well-timed, emotional escalations. Committed to each careful iteration on a melody, the woven Sterveling web grows ever stickier with every passing moment, none of the ten-minute-plus excursions ever feeling even close to their declared runtimes. And with a sound construction that hits delicate yet forceful, creaking yet incising, it’s easy to wander through several journeys on this debut outing before realizing what time has passed. Fans of equally forlorn acts like Tongues or Andalvald will feel more at home here than others. But with a tonal palette that’s as inviting as it is crushing, Sterveling should attract the ears of fans across the extreme spectrum.

#2025 #agalloch #americanMetal #andavald #arjenAnthonyLucassen #assembleTheChariots #atmosphericBlackMetal #autrest #ayreon #blackMetal #bloodletter #boltThrower #brazillianMetal #burningEmbersForgottenWolves #cannibalCorpse #conan #crowbar #darkTranquillity #deathDoom #deathMetal #deathcore #deathhammer #disembowelment #doomMetal #dutchMetal #etherealDominance #fallsOfRauros #fauna #frenchMetal #galundoTenvulance #grimnis #guiltMachine #heruvim #highOnFire #independentRelease #indieRecordings #insideoutMusic #insomnisSomnia #japaneseMetal #jethroTull #jordsjuk #lupusLounge #melodicBlackMetal #melodicDeathMetal #melodicThrashMetal #mercator #mortalScepter #nagletTilLivet #northernSilenceProductions #norwegianMetal #ochreAndAsh #pestilence #piece #postBlackMetal #progressiveBlackMetal #progressiveMetal #progressiveRock #prophecyProductions #ramblersAxe #review #reviews #saor #selfRelease #selfReleased #sep25 #sinister #skeletonwitch #sludge #sludgeMetal #songsNoOneWillHear #spectralVoice #sterveling #stuckInTheFilter #stuckInTheFilter2025 #symphonicDeathcore #thisCharmingManRecords #thrashMetal #tongues #ukrainianMetal #wolvesInTheThroneRoom

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
AMIENSUS Streaming Cover Of AGALLOCH’s “The Lodge”

https://bravewords.com/black-death/amiensus-streaming-cover-of-agallochs-the-lodge/

#AMIENSUS #AGALLOCH #StreamingCoverOf #TheLodge #blackmetal #newrelease #single #video #musicvideo #streaming #BraveWords #metal

Finnr’s Cane – Finnr’s Cane Review

By Killjoy

Finnr is an Old Norse name that loosely translates to “wanderer” in English. Whether or not this was the inspiration for Finnr’s Cane, it’s an apt moniker for an atmospheric black metal act. Hailing from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, this studio-only group has three prior albums under its belt, the last of which, Elegy, won the overall approval of Ferrous Beuller in 2018. Until now, Finnr’s Cane was a trio consisting of guitarist/vocalist The Bard,1 drummer The Peasant, and cellist The Slave. At some point, The Slave either escaped or was set free, as she no longer appears in the lineup. And now, Finnr’s Cane seems to signal a new era with the release of self-titled album number four.

In terms of overall atmosphere, Finnr’s Cane is more like gray metal than black metal. Its dreary demeanor hews closer to contemplative post-black than the blackened doom metal of Elegy. If the fellow on the album artwork had been so inclined to place a cooking pot over his campfire to make a stew, he might have tossed in melancholic Cascadian black metal ingredients such as Alda, Skagos, and, of course, Agalloch. For seasoning, he might also add a pinch of older Falls of Rauros’ guitarwork and the winking keyboards of Eldamar. Though the release date of Finnr’s Cane doesn’t quite coincide with the autumn temperatures that I long for, it’s been refreshing to listen to throughout August as it mentally transports me to a colder place.

Unfortunately, much of this setting is drab and desolate beyond the typical genre aesthetics. The vocals usually take the form of flat intonations or dispassionate spoken word, sapping the music of energy and emotive impact. Additionally, the instrumentation, while solid, feels like it’s missing a crucial element. Finnr’s Cane has historically distinguished itself by the usage of a cello in place of a bass guitar, and Ferrous acknowledged The Slave’s subtle yet outsized hand in the successes of Elegy. Now, her absence feels like the removal of a linchpin, rendering Finnr’s Cane more nondescript. Granted, the cello is not gone completely—whether taken over by The Bard or previously recorded by The Slave. Its blazing undertones warm up “Awaken the Sleeping Forest” and “The Everwinter Grey” and afford much-appreciated bright spots in the blizzard.

Nevertheless, when the right mood strikes, the winter storm of Finnr’s Cane can be hypnotic and immersive. “In Shadows” uses eerie keyboard sounds and delicate guitar plucks to great effect. The same thick, plucking guitar tone returns with greater enthusiasm and intricacy in the final two tracks, “The Spell of the Change of Seasons” and “Harvest.” However, other promising moments feel awkwardly tacked onto their respective songs. The outros of “Twilight Glow” and “Harvest” abruptly accelerate in tempo and urgency for a few seconds and then end just as quickly, feeling more like a tease than a natural culmination of what came before. This could be due to the fact that The Bard and The Peasant conceive their music through intuitive improvisation but in any case, Finnr’s Cane is mainly concerned with conveying feeling over coherence.

It saddens me to write that Finnr’s Cane mostly left me cold, and not just in its intended way. Even though I was not yet familiar with Finnr’s Cane’s back catalog, I immediately couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. Now having spent time with prior records, I can’t say Finnr’s Cane is wildly different from them, but it seems like an intangible spark was lost sometime between now and Elegy. Maybe it’s just the diminished cello presence but the songwriting also sounds more listless to my ears. I can appreciate many of the disparate components of Finnr’s Cane when I listen in the right state of mind, and other atmoblack fans may derive more enjoyment than I did. For those more willing to become lost in its atmosphere, Finnr’s Cane might just be your companion in the coming months.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Nordvis Produktion
Websites: finnrs-cane.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/finnrscaneband
Releases Worldwide: August 29th, 2025

#25 #2025 #Agalloch #Alda #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Aug25 #BlackMetal #CanadianMetal #Eldamar #FallsOfRauros #FinnrSCane #FractalGenerator #NordvisProduktion #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #Skagos

10-YEAR-THROWBACK: Heute vor 10 Jahren - das Metal-Quartett AGALLOCH aus Portland (USA) präsentiert seine stilistische Einzigartigkeit im Frankfurter Club Nachtleben; Support von C R O W N aus Frankreich. So berichteten wir damals: http://bit.ly/1EdQX5U #Agalloch #Metal

https://www.rockstage-riot-rheinmain.de/agalloch.html

Blackbraid – Blackbraid III Review

By Doom_et_Al

It takes a lot to quicken pulses at AMG Headquarters. Driven to exhaustion by merciless overlords, constant deadlines, and extended periods in the promo sump, the staff often look like—and have the pulse rate variability of—a hoard of unkempt zombies. But even we took notice when Blackbraid burst out of nowhere with some key singles from his first album, 2022’s Blackbraid I. Here was angry, melodic, accessible black metal, infused with Native American spirit and vigor, that did not rely on tired tropes or clichés. What could have been a gimmick instead lent the material majesty and an epic scope. When the debut materialized, it didn’t quite live up to those magic singles, but it had a unique identity, energy, and spirit that turned a lot of heads. Blackbraid II followed in 2023, demonstrating that founder Sgah’gahsowáh (Jon Krieger) was no one-trick pony. It was more consistent, more elaborate, and generally more interesting than its predecessor. Crucially, it expanded the band’s scope, focusing on a more epic, natural sound in place of Blackbraid I’s fury. It paid off. Blackbraid’s preternatural rise was cemented by appearances in the New York Times and cover articles in Decibel. Suddenly, this was a band even normies were taking notice of. With added hype comes added pressure. Can Blackbraid III possibly live up to the enormous expectations placed upon it?

Let’s deal with the elephant in the room. Metal has always hated posers. And with Blackbraid’s prominence, accusations appeared that Sgah’gahsowáh may have been overstating his Native American roots. While he undoubtedly has Indigenous ties, those seem to be weaker than initially presented by the artist. Depending on your perspective, his adoption of a Mohawk name, without clear tribal or reservation affiliation, is either an act of reconnecting with his history or disrespectful appropriation; his embracing of his Native identity is a sincere way of reckoning with his culture, or cynical LARPing. This stuff may not matter to you at all, or it may matter deeply. But it’s worth being aware that Krieger/Sgah’gahsowáh’s relationship with his identity and his past is, like his native land, complex and messy.

Which leads us to Blackbraid III. To my ears, this is Blackbraid’s finest album yet. Like a long ride through a majestic landscape with your best friend, Blackbraid III manages the incredibly difficult task of being both wildly epic and deeply intimate at the same time. It marries the disparate elements of its predecessors into a compelling whole. The basic building blocks are still there: scorching black metal mingled with gentler interludes highlighting nature or Indigenous instruments. But Blackbraid III is no noodly atmoblack with more fuzz than riffs; this thing absolutely rips with memorable earworms. From the opening ferocity of “Wardrums at Dawn on the Day of My Death,” there is a relentless energy and verve to the music, which is indelibly infused with its creator’s vision, without resorting to cringy gimmickry. Other tracks, like “The Dying Death of a Sacred Stag,” are far more intimate, with moments of real emotion and vulnerability folded into the blast beats and rasping yelps. The strong songwriting is evident throughout the album, but “Tears of the Dawn” and “And He Became the Burning Stars” are Blackbraid III’s core and the jewels in its crown. They are epic and melodic in a way that brings to mind the best of Moonsorrow or Agalloch.

Complaints are few, but Blackbraid III’s interludes err on the longer side, which will irritate some. I found them a welcome break from the intensity of the heavier stuff, but there’s no question that they are not as interesting as the main tracks. By my 10th listen, however, I found myself occasionally skipping through them. I also found the sludgy, dense “God of Black Blood” to be weaker, both musically and tonally, than the epic songs that surround it. Finally, the album really should have ended with the giant, majestic, “And He Became the Burning Stars.” The closer, “Fleshbound,” feels tacked on and closes things on a slightly anticlimactic note.

Nevertheless, Blackbraid III makes it three in a row for Sgah’gahsowáh. It is, frankly, everything a fan of either the band or this style of music could possibly want. Like the land that inspires it, it is infused with violence and beauty and complexity. But it’s the ability to combine these disparate concepts with epic scope and intense vulnerability that sets it apart. Blackbraid continues to grow as an artist, and his albums reflect this growth. If you’re able to look past the controversy of his identity, you’ll see that one of metal’s shining stars has, miraculously, again delivered one of the year’s best.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Independent Release
Websites: blackbraid.bandcamp.com | blackbraid.us
Releases Worldwide: August 8th, 2025

#2025 #40 #Agalloch #AmericanMetal #Aug25 #BlackMetal #Blackbraid #IndependentRelease #Moonsorrow #Review #Reviews

Oskoreien – Hollow Fangs Review

By Owlswald

Atmosphere is a hallmark of great black metal, but for California’s Oskoreien it’s only half the story. Composer and multi-instrumentalist Jay Valena’s long-running black metal project serves as an auditory exploration of complex theoretical themes. 2010’s self-titled debut—an earlier EP version AMG Himself lauded—channeled the atmospheric and acoustic black textures of Ulver and Agalloch into a deep contemplation of a nihilistic existence. Six years later, concept album All Too Human found Valena honing his craft, elevating Oskoreien’s sound into a masterful post-black narrative. It unraveled the fallacy of free will through the chilling story of Charles Whitman.1 This bold, forward-thinking approach garnered significant acclaim and firmly positioned Oskoreien on the map. Valena now returns with Oskoreien’s third album, Hollow Fangs, another heavy dose of atmospheric, cerebral black metal after nine long years of silence. And this time, it’s plunging its teeth into the destructive currents of human consciousness and the accompanying anguish of finding meaning within a chaotic, deceptive world.

Hollow Fangs finds Oskoreien refining its sound into a powerful black metal fusion. Strengthened by the addition of guitarist Rashid Nadjib (Wovoka) and bassist Matthew Durkee,2 the trio skillfully marries the visceral force of groups like Spectral Wound with expansive post-black melodies, creating engaging black metal that feels both familiar and distinctly their own. Torrents of wild, tremolo-picked guitars interlock with vigorous blast beats, powering Hollow Fangs’ incisive bite. While recognizable black foundations provide a consistent anchor, Oskoreien employs unexpected deviations to forge rich, dynamic textures that guide the listener through distinct emotional arcs. Attention-grabbing riffs, including head-bobbing melodeath grooves (“Bernalillo Sunrise”), intricate thrash patterns (“Fragments”), and somber, doom-laden chords (“Psychoticism”), give way to waves of cascading, shoegaze-infused guitar leads (“Fragments,” “Bernalillo Sunrise”) that fuel emotional crescendos. Hollow Fang’s compositions smartly transcend their otherwise modest formulas, employing appealing harmonies and intelligent chord progressions to inject the album’s thirty-nine minutes with dynamism and profound emotional weight.

A defining characteristic of Oskoreien’s songwriting is the sophisticated interplay between tension and release, built by the guitars’ dissonant elements to underscore Hollow Fangs’ pervasive sense of turmoil and apprehension. Intense passages culminate in cathartic payoffs which expertly contrast intensity with emotional release and hope. Oskoreien’s poignant guitar melodies convey this. The chaotic and violent tremolo-fueled blast beats in “To Kiss the Viper’s Fang” give way to a somber, arpeggiated bridge with an almost acoustic feel, offering relief before re-engaging with another bout of powerful riffing. “Fragments” and “Prismatic Reason” immediately establish their dark and menacing atmospheres with arpeggiated, anxiety-ridden high guitar runs and washing distortion before transitioning to beautiful guitar leads that inject much-needed liberation and light. Even Durkee’s bass steps forward at times, adding another layer of depth as it ascends into higher registers—a playful counterpoint to Hollow Fang’s dissonant textures (“Fragments,” “Bernalillo Sunrise”).

Hollow Fangs’ production significantly bolsters the strength of Oskoreien’s compositions. Valena’s spectral rasps sound great, prominently featured in the guitar-dominant mix, which amplifies the album’s darker, unsettling moods. Although the programmed drums are largely generic and unexciting, their distinction in the mix is a notable step up. Durkee’s robust bass presence also materially contributes to the album’s expressive effect. Even so, Hollow Fangs still has room for growth. The album’s bookends, “Prismatic Reason” and “To Kiss the Viper’s Fang” feel a bit overlong, with “Prismatic Reason” also lacking the potency of the album’s other tracks. Furthermore, the payoff in the latter half of “Bernalillo Sunrise” lands somewhat flat despite its excellent, tension-building tom transition full of foreboding.

Still, Hollow Fangs stands as unquestionable proof that Oskoreien is alive and well. While some tracks overstay their welcome and the album doesn’t quite take the same evolutionary leap forward as its predecessor, Hollow Fangs nevertheless delivers a hefty dose of quality black metal. The emphasis on dynamic songwriting—achieved through varied tempos, textures, and instrumental interplay—creates moments of crushing ferocity and vast melodic emotional depth, with soaring, triumphant melodies that counterbalance each other perfectly. Almost a decade between releases can rightfully derail bands, but Oskoreien has defied this trend, producing an aggressive yet appealing black metal album that offers fans plenty to sink their teeth into.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: July 18, 2025

#2025 #35 #Agalloch #AmericanMetal #BlackMetal #HollowFangs #Jul25 #MelodicBlackMetal #Oskoreien #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #SpectralWound #Ulver