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Chuck Foster: August 23, 2009

The New Wave of Unholy Black Metal

These are black metal bands whose primary work has been recorded since 2000.

  1. AyatAl Nabi Moujrem, Moughtaseb, Dajjal EP (Sardonic Wrath) & Six Years of Dormant Hatred (Moribund)

    Hands down, Lebanon’s Ayat produce the filthiest, nastiest black metal I’ve heard from anyone anywhere. While the EP is an exercise in demonic possession, the full-length album is a relentless aural assault that transforms the band into the black metal version of Brainbombs. Not for the meek.

  2. CraftTotal Soul Rape (Moribund), Terror Propaganda (Moribund) & F*** the Universe (Southern Lord)

    Sweden’s Craft mix things up by juxtaposing ultra-fast blast-beats and riffs with slow, heavy, Black Sabbath-y parts. They’re almost the Melvins of black metal, only with a little less feedback.

  3. MerrimackAshes of Purification (Nightmare), Of Entropy and Life Denial (Moribund) & Grey Rigorism (Moribund)

    This French band got me listening to black metal again when I reviewed Of Entropy for Under the Volcano. I’ve since become a huge fan of their technical, yet song-oriented, evil approach.

  4. Xasthur – everything (various labels)

    Malefic‘s depressive, psychedelic black metal attack is as brilliant as Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, in my humble opinion.

  5. BehexenMy Soul For His Glory (Moribund)

    This Finnish band combines the technical onslaught of Merrimack with the tempo-shifting attack of Craft for a loud, heavy, brutal sound of their own.

  6. EquimanthornNindinugga Nimshimshargal Enlillara (Metalhit.com) & Lectionum Antiquarum (Metalhit.com)

    The black metal version of Throbbing Gristle. Need I say more?

  7. LeviathanThe Tenth Sub Level of Suicide (Moribund Cult)

    Wrest‘s first album is pure manic depression set to music.

  8. SargeistSatanic Black Devotion (Moribund) & Disciple of the Heinous Path (Moribund)

    These Fins completely worship Darkthrone‘s early catalog, but that’s not a bad thing.

  9. NargarothSemper Fidelis (No Colours)

    German lo-fi, dirty black insanity!

  10. 13491349 (Holycaust)

    Torchbearers of true Norwegian black metal.