Eufori - Humörsvängningar

Artist: Eufori
Release Title: Humörsvängningar
Year: 2016
Label: Black Lion Productions
Genre: Depressive Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Avgrund
2. Det är fan inte värt
3. Humörsvängningar
4. Inget mer
5. Höstdepressioner
6. Insikt
7. Låt snön falla (Vanhelga cover)
8. Eufori

Formed in early 2016 in Stockholm, Swedish depressive black metallers Eufori came together when members of the band Mist of Misery found out that ideas written originally for that band didn’t fit within the context of that sound and formed a separate band to share those releases. Following an EP release earlier in the year, the duo’s full-length debut was released September 30, 2016 on Black Lion Productions.

From the beginning this one makes it pretty clear how much it takes on the depressive nature of this chosen style by really working the simplicity of the structures quite well. The droning, chilling tremolo riffing here and the hauntingly slow, simple arrangements here alongside the one-note drumming makes for a loose, solitary experience wherein the cold nature of the material makes for a fine atmospheric vibe within here. That atmosphere, aided alongside with the swirling riff-work in massive, sprawling methods with plenty of endless simple-minded acoustic strumming or just straightforward simplistic riffing here repeating the same rhythm on repeat for long stretches of time gives this more of an atmospheric feel here that goes well in hand with the hoarse, shrieking vocals which further tie this one into the depressive realm as they mesh perfectly with the cold, isolated riff-work. While there’s an outburst of somewhat lighter and less depressive riffing throughout here, this is only done on several occasions and really sticks out here as being too out-of-tune with what’s being attempted here as this bouncy material goes against the solitary, lonely atmosphere of the rest of the tracks. The overly simplistic vibe throughout here might be quite troubling for some here as there’s just not all that much variation here beyond a wholly simple-minded approach which generates quite a one-note feeling in here in regards to plenty of others out there which show some slightly more dynamic approaches against this one.

Though the simple-minded approach found here does give this one a rather rudimentary feel in the genre, there’s more than enough solid points of interest here that it remains quite a worthwhile listen for fans of the members’ other project or the depressive/suicidal genre in general though those looking for something more dynamic in the genre should heed caution.

Score: 78/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://euforilblacklion.bandcamp.com/album/hum-rsv-ngningar

Abandoned by Light - Broken Mirrors to the Stars

Artist: Abandoned by Light
Release Title: Broken Mirrors to the Stars
Year: 2016
Label: Self-Released/Independent
Genre: Depressive Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Broken Glass Trail
2. Seven Tears Are Flowing to the River (Nargaroth cover)
3. Frost Tinted Rose in the Sleeping Fields
4. Nackskott (Lifelover cover)
5. Death of a Silent God
6. Sterile Nails & Thunderbowels (Silencer cover)
7. The Eternal Sleep of the Dead
8. Don't Go (Happy Days cover)
9. Tearing Away the Veil of Night...
10. ...to Expose the Face of the Deep
11. Broken Mirrors to the Stars
12. .M.K.
13. Violating the Soulless Shrine of Failure
14. Nostalgia (Nocturnal Depression cover)
15. Abandoned by Light
16. Lost Wisdom (Burzum cover)
17. The Shimmering Radiance of the Dawning Horizon

One of the scenes’ more prolific artists, UK-based one-man depressive black metal act Abandoned by Light have carried on the style of their forebearers by pumping out numerous releases throughout the calendar year. Placed alongside several splits already, the groups’ second full-length of the year and eighth overall in just three years of existence is independently released September 10, 2016.

As is part of their heritage, the fact that this one here is such a cold, raw experience is the album’s main selling point as it offers up plenty of the genres’ typical output. This is typified by the excessively long, drawn-out riffing that utilizes ultra-simplistic plodding tremolo patterns that go about in many slight variations of the same tempo which creates an overall feeling of sameness throughout the album. This goes alongside the cold, plodding rhythms that are featured here which enhance the experience even more by leaving a lonely feel to the riffing and letting it carry on throughout a repetitive cadence that truly makes for an enhanced feeling of sorrow and despair in the arrangements. With the low-level vocals and drumming in the overall mix of the album letting the swirling riff-work at the forefront to be the biggest contributor to the album’s prevailing theme of sadness and loneliness. Still, that doesn’t take into account several other determining factors present in the album, too of which come together just simply by looking at the tracklist. The number of tracks comprising this official release is a gaudy amount that offers up severe resist from most simply on that scale along as the total number of just under twenty tracks is a daunting challenge to undertake. Even greater is the fact that a vast majority of these tracks challenge the ten-minute mark and several actually cross over into even greater lengths which together make this one of the most exhaustive listens in the genre as this is a near-impossible album to sift through in one sitting. Taking into account the droning, repetitive nature of the material which is so utterly effective at generating that type of sad, introspective experience here makes this an album that really struggles to remain listenable throughout it’s entirely as the two-and-a-half hour running time. Likewise, the need for so many covers on here is a slightly questionable choice as the possibility of removing several of them would help quell that somewhat, but still this is a very effective but daunting album to undertake.

Setting out to accomplish what it wants to manages to earn this one some rather strong marks, yet the other underlying factors present here in which the sheer draining, exhaustive nature of the album as a whole both in volume and concept of the material makes this one strictly for the most devout depressive black metal fanatics only.

Score: 64/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://perpetua.bandcamp.com/album/broken-mirrors-to-the-stars-4th-lp

The Projectionist - The GallowForest Eulogy EP

Artist: The Projectionist
Release Title: The GallowForest Eulogy EP
Year: 2016
Label: Appalachian Noise Records
Genre: Depressive Black Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The GallowForest Eulogy
2. Automaton Stare
3. Apex of the Void
4. Wyvern Termite
5. Imagined Fortress Made to Give Way

Coming together just last year, Canadian black metallers The Projectionist have quickly set-up themselves to be a prolific act in the genre with not only a full-length album but this new EP to be released shortly afterward. Carrying on their unique brand of depression and solitude to the traditional black metal aesthetic, this is officially released August 6, 2016 on Appalachian Noise Records.

This here is quite a decent and overall fine if minimalist black metal effort. A lot of this one is based around the repetitious and droning riff-work where it’s mostly based around light strumming with a decidedly raw edge to things, making for a simplistic edge with this one taking the same general arrangement on throughout the entire effort. The minimalist nature and plodding tempos here really tend to highlight the album’s depressive tone and arrangements quite well, going for the helpless, atonal vibe that’s been a consistent part of what they’ve been about from the beginning, which really carries on with the squealing, wailing vocals that really add to the whole depressed and lonely atmosphere typically found in the genre. That in itself is the biggest advantage and problem associated with this one, as there’s not much else on display here beyond this slow, plodding and somewhat lifeless melancholic material that expresses such a misanthropic nature that might not be for everyone. This is such a strictly limited appeal effort that it’s relatively impossible not to get others into what’s going on here, generating little else to others beyond what is there only for the genre’s die-hard fans that it’s likely going to be a dull, rather bland effort for most.

Though there’s some generally appealing material on display, the fact that it’s such a rather one-sided affair with little else worthwhile here for others that in this sense the only appeal here to be found is for the depressive black metal fanatic while all others should heed caution or outright avoidance in this case.

Score: 65/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://thetrueprojectionist.bandcamp.com/releases

Pergalė - Antropologija

Artist: Pergalė
Release Title: Antropologija
Year: 2016
Label: Inferna Profundus Records
Genre: Depressive Black'n'Roll
Tracklisting:
1. A Boy's Night Out
2. Estonian Lesbians
3. Durnius
4. Viskis II
5. Les yeux rouges
6. Gabriel the Norwegian

Continuing to spread their mission throughout the underground, Lithuanian depressive black’n’rollers Pergalė showcases a further refining and honing in on their signature upbeat and bright sound. Finally arriving five years after their last effort, this second full-length album was released March 8th, 2016 on Inferna Profundus Records.

As befits their signature sound, the music here is decidedly non-black metal with their bouncy, hard rock-based riff-work that doesn’t really descend into the traditional strains of most black metal bands as the swirling tremolo rhythms are dropped in favor of these particular rhythms. When especially compared against the simplistic, straightforward drumming that really does showcase more of a rocking backbeat here with the simplistic patterns and total lack of blastbeats, this really showcases itself as a truer rock act that does bring in a few occasions of chugging rhythms for heavier accents than would normally be expected which at times is a nice breath of fresh air in the genre. In other times, this mere facet is infact the bands’ greatest weakness as the tracks where it does descend into propulsive drumming and swirling rhythms just sound so out-of-place here that the effect is more jarring than anything and doesn’t really reach any kind of intended effect throughout here as it’s just simply too extreme to really make an impression on the lighter, more bouncy material featured here for the most part. They’re just not featured enough to really get the full impact of their inclusion which just sounds so oddly placed into the tracks without any kind of real build-up that the effect becomes mostly one of confusion as if one they’ve been placed from another band into the track for shock value as it just completely clashes with the jaunty hard rock-inspired beats present here. Likewise, the series of overlong, extended segments where it’s simply ethereal, atmospheric music presented is quite oddly inserted and really doesn’t do much but make the album sound longer than it really is. Even still, the hard part about all this is that the black metal aesthetics and the hard rock elements are both so competently played and performed that this factor here can overcome the other difficulties featured here.

By no means is this a flawless effort, this here is at times such a jarring and schizophrenic effort that it’s nearly impossible to tell what audience is going to find appeal with it due to the extreme of influences presented, though the competency of the effort as a whole makes this worth checking out for adventurous metal fans or those looking for more than just generic extreme metal.

Score: 68/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://infernaprofundusrecords.bandcamp.com/album/antropologija