AMBROTOS – TRANSCENDENTAL MASTERY ( Review by Varg The Mighty )

Today’s review is of Greek Black Metal band Ambrotos’ new album.

This release has the same sonority and a similar vocal performance to the classic Hellenic Black Metal bands, especially Varathron, but they combine this marvellous and characteristic sound with a modern approach that gives them their own personality.

The album is generally faster-paced than your usual releases of the subgenre, but its auras leave similar impressions. Although some songs feel as if they’re too long, there’s also some brave elements of experimentation that offer mixed results, though mostly these are positive. Any fan of the genre should check this out if they enjoy the inherent mysticism that is found in Greek albums, and listeners of Black Metal with modern dissonant flairs may also like it. My personal highlights are the title track and “Aeras The Infinite”.

I recommend this album to fans of Hellenic Black Metal. My rating is of 8,5/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY

 

WORMQUIZITOR – SICKNESS DEFINES SOCIETY (Review by Varg The Mighty )

 

Today’s review is of Belarussian Black Thrash Metal band Wormquizitor’s debut album.

This release offers some straightforward and old-school Metal that will surely appeal to any fan of dark and violent Extreme Metal. With a nice bass guitar prevalence and a great vocal performance that reminds of Cadaver if it was Black Thrash, this is a decent album that displays the potential of an emerging band despite the expected bits of roughness from a debut.

Besides the tremolo picked assaults and occasional breakdowns, there’s also some slower bits with a higher melodic presence that incorporates some epic bits in their mix without sounding out of place. They seem to combine depth and superficial aggression in just the right way for the genre. My personal highlights are “Decided Destiny” and “Human Hunter”.

I recommend this album to fans of Black Thrash Metal and Blackened Death Metal. My rating is of 8,5/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY 

 

HELIOSS – CONTRE MA LUMIÈRE (Review by Varg The Mighty )

 

Today’s review is of French Symphonic Blackened Death Metal band Helioss’ new album.

This release offers long and complex songs whose approach may also appeal to fans of Melodic Black Metal and Progressive Black Metal, although at its core it also incorporates Symphonic elements that add a layer of grandeur.

While the atmosphere created is intrinsic, it doesn’t fuse to well with the vocal performance, which at times doesn’t sound too well-implemented. It’s also notable to point out the great piano layers that give a neoclassical feeling to some songs. This album is surely not recommendable to fans of old-school Extreme Metal, but listeners of modern directions which add Progressive twists to create their own sound may enjoy this. While the result is interesting, it may not be the best implementation of Progressive elements into Black Metal subgenres neither. My personal highlights are “La Chute Du Tyran” and “Leurs Serments Inconsistants”.

I recommend this album to fans of Symphonic Blackened Death Meta, Melodic Black Metal and Progressive Black Metal. My rating is of 7,5/10.

VARG THE MIGHTY