The cold begins. Frost covers the once green ground. Leaves wither, falling chaotically to their deaths. Storm clouds cover the mountains. Snow and ice descend. Winter approaches.
Oh yeah, baby. Let’s go.
It’s black metal season here at HBIH, and what better way to celebrate than with another edition of Kvlt Kolvmn! To be frank, our listening breadth in the genre has been lighter as of late. But that doesn’t mean our picks from the last few months are any less quality. Feast your ears on some wintry goodness and prepare your bodies for the cold to come.
Stay frosty, friends.
-Jonathan Adams
Winter’s Crown
Spectral Wound - Songs of Blood and Mire
Of all the young metal bands of the past decade who have generated loads of hype in a short period of time, there are few that have so swiftly reached peak insanity as quickly as Spectral Wound. Up there with bands like Undeath, Horrendous, Tribulation, and Blood Incantation in terms of popular scope, the Montreal outfit has over the span of four albums (the last few coming in relatively swift succession) cemented themselves as one of the most universally loved black metal bands on earth. It’s not hard to see why. Focusing more heavily on catchy, melodically powerful riffs than most bands in the genre, it’s not particularly difficult to get into a Spectral Wound album, at least by genre standards. Their fourth full-length record Songs of Blood and Mire continues their established tradition of creating infinitely listenable compositions that feel both bound to tradition and unmistakably fresh in approach. It’s a formula the band have perfected, and Songs of Blood and Mire may be their stylistic and performative apex.
While certainly a more recognizable name among the underground black metal hoard, Spectral Wound has no interest in becoming the next Deafheaven. To the contrary, one of Spectral Wound’s hallmarks is their uncompromising black metal aesthetic. This music isn’t a -gaze or post- of anything. It’s a modern interpretation of the kind of melodic black metal that made Emperor and Dimmu Borgir household names among the black metal faithful, with a clean and chunky production aesthetic that eschews the traditional distant coldness of most genre audio for a much more robust and clear sound. It’s trad melodic black metal on steroids, bringing every titanic snare slap and tremolo pick front and center. The results are, to a fault, glorious.
In a similar vein to Kvaen, Spectral Wound write songs that go straight for the jugular. and have over time honed their craft to its simplest and most destructive nature, churning out a constant string of bangers that display practically no weaknesses. Whether it’s the 80s radio aesthetic of the guitars in “Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal” or the gargantuan melodic builds of “Fevers and Suffering”, Spectral Wound have become masters of finding their way to the most impactful manner in which to unfold a composition, placing their songwriting prowess in that hallowed tier of bands that you wish would let their tracks stick around just a little longer. But not too much longer. At 43 minutes Songs of Blood and Mire takes up just the right amount of space, giving the band time to breathe without hanging around without purpose. It’s just right.
As always, the performances are fantastic. The songwriting is meaningful and effective, and the aesthetic is one that both the trvest black metal fans and most blackgaze-centric folks can enjoy. Which is a rare feat in a genre this stylistically polarized. There’s a reason Spectral Wound have become as popular as they are this quickly, and it isn’t due to luck or a cultural moment. It’s based on a tireless effort to perfect their craft, resulting in records as masterful and infinitely listenable as Songs of Blood and Mire. Another stirring entry in an already stratospheric career chock full of them.
-JA
Best of the Rest
Black Raptus - Like A Sharp Blade
I love it when an album’s title describes exactly what the album sounds like and that is definitely the case in Black Raptus’ case. Like A Sharp Blade is a slab of cold, punishing, and incisive black metal, injected with just the right amount of punk and thrash sounds to supercharge its melodic tendencies. This means that most tracks are fueled by fast, meaty riffs that act as a foil for more flowery and expressive lead guitars. Those riffs are also underpinned by some of the best bass I’ve heard on a black metal album this year, present and yet subtly produced, blending with the furious dreams in a very pleasing and smart way. The vocals reintroduce the aggressive tones found on the leading riffs, re-enhancing the “coldness” of the sound as a counterpart to the warmer groove sections.
The album also has great structure, utilizing both shorter, faster tracks, and longer, more expansive ones. “Sound of Death”, closer to the album’s end, is a great example of that more contemplative, atmospheric mode. The main riff is still quite fast, albeit slower than something like the momentum on the album opener. But it’s also accompanied by more atmospheric passages on either side, as well as slower, more “declarative” vocals that do much to shift the tone of the track. Bookended by the track before it, and especially after it with the excellent “Rotten Meat”, “Sound of Death” is like an unexpected and welcome change in a dance.
Bundle all of that up with some great artwork and you’ve got yourself a winner, a real step up for this Italian band. Like A Sharp Blade knows exactly what it wants and set out to get, namely corrosive, in your face black metal that is well balanced with the melodic proclivities that the genre is famous for.
-Eden Kupermintz
Nythgraph - Entombed Ardor
Black metal generally doesn’t need any help delivering eerie, haunting, or disturbing tones. But the addition of the right influences, the right genres, can have a transformative effect on metal’s darkest strain. Colorado-based solo project Nythgraph creates a potent argument for the hybrid approach with their signature blend of depressive black metal and atmospheric dungeon synth.
Released on Oakland’s own Transylvanian Recordings, Entombed Ardor feels like a blustery walk through the snow on a quiet winter night. On one hand, the stillness of the winter wonderland feels restorative, a rare moment of peace in nature. On the other, the stark landscape serves as a grim reminder of isolation as a cutting wind chills the bones.
Glimmering synths create a soothing and meditative soundscape juxtaposed against snarling vocals, transporting the listener to a distant realm of myth and magic. The pacing is deliberate, echoing a march to a battle already lost. Nythgraph never seeks to overwhelm with a rapid-fire assault on the senses, but rather invites the listener on a somber journey with echoes of medieval melodies and sorrowful howls. With fantastical synths, Entombed Ardor manages to find a surprising new level of darkness for black metal.
-Bridget Hughes
Sur Austru - Datura Străhiarelor
Yes, technically Datura Străhiarelor came out on August 30th, but the latest from Romanian folk/progressive black metal band Sur Austru is a fully fall album. Marrying the ritualistic traditions of Heilung with vicious black metal, the album is the ideal soundtrack for midnight invocations.
Sur Austru lean even further into their roots with Datura Străhiarelor, creating a concept album inspired by an apocalyptic tale from Romanian mythology. Filled with haunting twists and turns, razor-sharp guitars and proggy pacing convey the story with a universal language that drags all listeners to the end times, even if they don’t speak Romanian. Lyrics composed by poet Călin Miclaus come to life with Sur Austru’s primal delivery, echoing the oral tradition of mythology and religious practice from a bygone era.
Datura Străhiarelor feels almost like the next iteration of religious ceremony, embracing a creative and maximalist interpretation of black metal that includes ambient flute passages, soaring symphonies, and wicked riffs to illustrate the end of humanity. Settle in for an epic tale of horror, ritual, and intricate songwriting that satisfies all haunted cravings.
-BH