Best Of MMXV ( With X. From Human Serpent )

This year was full of great releases from all over the world and I'm very proud from the albums that came out from Greece making sure to everyone that we have a hell of a scene with true devoted musicians. I do not have any hopes or goals yet, for the next year, that will come when it's time to come. Live your life as best as you can and fuck the word!
There is no particular order here, just some, because of course I'm sure I forgot a couple, of the best releases this year had to offer.

Ι.      Nigredo - Facets Of Death
ΙΙ.     Human Serpent - Inhumane Minimalism
ΙΙΙ.    Vorum - Current Mouth EP
ΙV.    Creeping - Revenant
V.     Devouring Star - Through Lung and Heart
VI.    Nadirwrath - Circle Of Pest
VII.   Chapel Of Disease - The Mysterious Ways Of Repetitive Art
VIII.  Mgla - Excercises In Futility
IX.     Outre - Ghost Chants
X.      Malthusian - Below The Hengiform
XI.     Awe - Providentia
XII.   Devathorn - Vritra
XIII.  Bastard Grave - What Lies Beyond
XIV.  Balmog - Svmma Fide
XV.   Vermingod - Whisperer Of The Abysmal Wisdom

And this is the list of my friend and mastermind behind Human Serpent, X.

I.       Motorhead - Bad Magic
II.     Drowning The Light - From The Abyss
III.    Necropole - Ostara (Demo)
IV.    Deathhammer - Evil Power
V.     Sentimen Beltza - Atatxa EP
VI.   Cosmic Church - Vigilia EP
VII.  Sacrificium Carmen - Ikuisen Tulen Kammiosa
VIII. My Dying Bride - Feel The Misery
IX.    Marduk - Frontschwein
X.     Drudkh - A Furrow Cut Short
XI.    Sepulchral Zeal - Open  (Demo)

A Guide To Devilish Music Pt II - The Rotten Sounds Of Occult Death Metal

The second part of my guide, now I'm focusing more on Death Metal bands, that have a more raw approach to their music and their theme evolves around Occultism and everything around it.
I'm not going to mention infamous bands of that style such as Kaamos, Repugnant etc because there is no point to it. Everyone who is a fan of this style knows them and respects them.

Invidious - In Death (EP) :
A side project with no informations about their current status with members from In Solitude, Degial and Ensnared. This EP is a really obscure release, that has the raw and raspy production that makes it very unlistenable to someone who is not familiar with this kind of stuff but for those who spent hours on underground blogs searching for underground death/thrash/black metal bands this is a black diamond.
The album contains 4 devilish relentless tracks of pure death. Not going into much details here, if you want your music sharp like a rusty infected razor this is defenitely something worth your time and money. The artwork which is quite explainable for what you will experience through the listening session is made by Erik Danielsson of Watain.

Denouncement Pyre - Almighty Arcanum :
Australian madness from the pulpits of horrors.
Great album, not so much lo fi production going on in here, reminds me a bit of Funeral Mist's Maranatha in some parts which is a good sign.
The line up consinsts of well known australian musicians in the death/black metal scene, Order Of Orias, Nocturnal Grave etc.
Moving on, I had a blast listening to this record, heavy but melodic when needed, with lots of black metal elements, the guitars and the vocals especially.
The lyrics also are written with passion and knowledge above all, offensive yes, but philosophical also, something I find very appealing to any release that may cross my path.
The music is well written, surely not boring but instead there are plenty of interesting riffs here, take for example the song Circle Of Serpents, with that glorious intro building up the anticipation to the listener just like a magician prepares the temple for his work and the crescento almost at the end, such splendour!
Check them out as soon as possible.

Vorum - Poisoned Void :I'm a huge fan of Vorum and their latest EP (Current Mouth) is certainly going on the best records of this year list but I wanted to talk about their previous work, Poisoned Void.
This album is an old school black/death/thrash metal record, or whatever you call it, the point is that it has all the things I like. It has power, it's unforgiving and it's just molesting the listener's softness.
A mix of old Morbid Angel with Sodom and Bathory and ideas of destruction, Satanism and everything that made this genre evil are here in great amounts plus the blasphemy and the torture of your ears.
Aesthically it impresses me also with a wonderfull artwork by Alxander L. Brown (Witchrist, his band)
Needless to say, this album stroke me like a shovel the first time I heard it, and still doesn't feel quite welcoming.

Suspiria - Dawn Of Kezef :
Finally, a demo from a Spanish band called Suspiria which came out this year, called Dawn Of Kezef. The EP/Demo contains only 2 tracks, Devoured Hearts and Dawn Of Kezef.  The tracks are a mix of death/black metal in the vains of Incantation, Morbid Insulter and possibly Teitanblood, with that barbaric feeling going on. Unstoppable monolithic tremolo picking riffs, huge walls of sound like a ready-to-crush elevator, the vocals sound like they have been recorded in a dark, leaching cave and the result is not at all dissapointing. I'm looking forward for their debut album. And make sure you check them out, and if you like them enough buy their Demo.

A Guide To Devilish Music - Die With Your Boots On Pt. I

Rock n roll to me has that special connection to the other side,  thus creating possibilities for spiritual liberation.
With that being said, lots of artists, not just in black metal, have put out records that are liberating, filled with devilish sparks and flames. Haunted vibes and mesmerizing melodies that can put the listener in a state of trance of make him feel like  he is in the deepest vault of Hell.
I will show you some of the records that did this to me over the years. Of course there are some I may forgot to mention.

Watain - Lawless Darkness:For me this is one the best black metal records ever recorded. It is full of great music. Enchanting melodies straight from the Mahapralaya rituals, songs invoking anticosmic primal forces yet many of the listeners have no idea what they hearing when they put the record on.
The lyrics are possibly the most well thought lyrics in black metal, they have a certain feeling that matches excellent with that of the music.
Some songs have a more human aspect to them, more earthly ones if you like, some are celebrating the Gods that put their burning touch in the souls of the musicians to make this happen and some of course glorify Death in a spiritual way that prepares you to say farewell to this mundane existence. And yes, it works like magick.

In Solitude - Sister:Many of you already know this, but for those that are not familiar with In Solitude, this is not a black metal record. Although if you take the feeling and the atmosphere this album offers to the listener it beats a lot of black metal records.
This a really honest piece of art. With the almost forgotten post punk vibe going on doing its magic,
it feels like we're in a trip, through the gothic horror scenes of a 60's horror movie, like Black Sunday, from which the cover art drew its inspiration from. (Barbara Steele)
Lyrically, it has a sinister theme, revolving around Magic and Occultism, but with a more romantic twist sometimes that may suprise a hardcore black metal fan looking for Satan in shallow ways. Amazing music right there.

The Devil's Blood - The Time Of No Time Evermore:
A magnificent occult rock album.
Truly devoted musicians that put their soul and blood into this. Selim has been a huge inspiration for me personally and I admire everything he has done music wise and other wise.
This album contains songs that are catchy as fuck but with a deep meaning laying in the lyrics and the symbolism used. From the sigil in the front cover to that bitter but glorious goodbye in the song The Yonder Beckons, the album is a manifestation of great ideals and the outlaw way of living.
A huge welcome to the Anticosmic Gods and a huge fuck you to the world. Something that all these records mentioned above have common.

Saturnalia Temple - To The Other:
This is heavy, sludgy and dark as the eyes of the Drakon might be.
They have changed a bit since their first record, which I really dig too, but this, this is what a bad trip on DMT might look and sound like. Imagine yourself slipping in a giant spiral, going deeper and deeper while the voices of madness are tearing up your Ego.
After the record is done, you will feel like a huge stone has been lifted off of you. Not kidding.
These band of occultists has made a brilliant record, which is not welcoming the audience in any way. Only those who seek something in their music will find it appealing and love it.
I will not go into details simply because my experience with this release has been very intimate and I absorbed the whole thing as One, so, it's up to you what will you make out of it.

Art As A Vessel Of Liberation

The concept of religion and faith in general has always fascinated me in Black Metal.
I am really interested in the effects Music has upon me especially when the music coming from the artist has been made in order for the listener to achieve a higher connection with the opus.
Religion, is something more than just a large amount of people worshiping a God or many Gods. Religion or Faith, is the basic motive of people for making art sometimes, whether this is painting, like W. Blake, whether it is literature or music, the results quite often are magnificent simply because they represent that complex relationship between the creator and his Gods.
It is not made for any of the earthly desires that most of the artists seek. Not fame, not money, not recognition.
It is the most profound way of showing them their appreciation, love or to be thankful through something that has a physical substance and it's easier, I suppose, for them and the listener, who might have no idea about the purpose of the specific music or painting, to connect with it.
 
Let's talk about black metal as something more than music. More like a vessel or a nexus that has the potential of creating an awaking to those who are able, mentally of course, to go deeper into the music itself, rather than trying to understand what kind of amps or guitar models the band uses.
And of course, the ability of the listener to approach the lyrical themes and shape them into symbols and images beyond the common understanding.


Spirituality in general, is something we come across a lot in many genres. That's because people, need to express their inner self.
This uncontrolable urge to put into words, or images or notes what you hold dear deep inside, this flame of inspiration that keeps you going when the world around us is trying its best to destroy every last bit of spiritualism.
This is the reason why honest and profound art still exists.
Because what many may call a God, or True Self, or Inner Flame gives people the strength and the courage they may lack, in order to find inspiration from the inside not another band or anything.
Pure divine inspiration.
That which may have call the Luciferian Flame, this spark of divinity that awaits in our souls to spread its flames in exstatic ways.

Art is a way of gaining true liberation. To tear the bars of the cosmic prison.
To spread the madness of purity and love for the unknown, for what lays not in light.
To delineate the gift of Life and Death.