Greetings, Decibel readers!
And now for my favorite post of the year, a chance to impose my glaring editorial bias for raw, straightforward black metal (and Esoctriliuhum, which is kind of its own [totally insane] thing).
2023 brought us another abundant crop of black metal, much of it mediocre and middling as all things are, but with that quantity comes inevitable quality — provided you know where to look. If you’ve had trouble keeping up, you’re not alone. It was hard enough in 2003 when it was still a challenge to find things without the right people to connect you to the scene. Now, everything is lost in plain sight. The list below should give you a good start.
Also, don’t sleep on the 2023 albums from Demoncy, Lamp of Murmuur, Ebony Pendant, One Master, Ritual Clearing, Ringare, and Fugitive Wizard if you want more where this came from.
Happy new year!
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Calderum – Lord Cramridor
Spain’s Calderum returned this year with a dark spirit of vengeance, unleashing six tracks of raw black metal brilliance with Lord Cramridor. And this is no typical vampiric-sounding release, it even has trumpets on “Forging Black Steel”! And I usually am not a fan of brass instruments, so Lord Mortuorum deserves a medal just for that alone. Otherwise, the album perfectly captures what people mean by “medieval black metal.” It has enough atmosphere to evoke images of the high middle ages, but not so much that it feels like a Ren Faire (yes, I will keep making that comparison, deal with it).
Stream: Apple Music
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Esoctrilihum – Astraal Constellations of the Majickal Zodiac
Including this album is kind of cheating, since it’s a triple release. But to hell with it, everything here is so good and the man’s output is so incredible (he also put out the fantastic Funeral as well, which could easily qualify for inclusion here) that I feel like I have no choice. However, if I was going to single out one of the three LPs, the first (the most conspicuously “black metal” one) would easily take precedence. Pay special attention to “Atlas Eeïm” and “Tȃimonh Ѳx,” as I’m not sure Asthâghul can ever top what he’s achieved on those two songs. Then again, he’ll probably put out like four albums in 2024 that will prove me wrong.
Stream: Apple Music
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Grot – Beneath the Waves of Eternity
Black metal, like all metal music, is fundamentally a guitar-driven style. Thus, it vacillates between reliance of riffs or chord arrangements for its narrative hook. Grot‘s phenomenal album lies squarely in the former camp, as Beneath the Waves of Eternity presents the listener with vast oceans of riffs. But Houston’s talents don’t stop there — her vocal delivery is picture perfect and compliments her excellent ear for composition. These are the kinds of songs that stay with you for hours and demand repeat listens. And that guitar tone totally nails it! I can’t get enough of this album, and can’t wait to hear what Houston and Hunter do next.
Stream: Apple Music
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Immortal – War Against All
Although I’m well aware of the mathematical challenge faced when compiling Decibel‘s end of year list, I did find myself saying “Wait, no Immortal!?” Alas, that is how things shook out. However, Demonaz and his team of session musicians have done such a phenomenal job of carrying the Immortal legacy forward that I couldn’t let this omission stand. Oftentimes, when a legendary band breaks into multiple competing parts (and when there’s a legal fight over the licensing rights to the business entity name), the shattered remains tend to produce uneven or sub-par work from that point onward. But that has been totally the opposite in the case of the two sides of post-All Shall Fall Immortal. War Against All shows that all sons of northern darkness will have reason to celebrate for years to come.
Stream: Apple Music
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Krieg – Ruiner
As I said back in October:
Time for some hyperbole: I think this is Krieg‘s best album. I know The Black House will probably always be the record most people associate with the band, but Ruiner takes the band’s strengths from across its catalog and pushes them to their highest level. The guitars are the driving force here, guiding the listener with melodic and melancholy riffs that play off each other, especially on songs like “Solitarily, A Future Renounced” and “No Gardens Grow Here.” Neill is at his best here as well, his hoarse vocals taken to their absolute limit on some songs, bracing you and demanding your attention. Anyone who denied Krieg’s place in American black metal before today should stand firmly corrected.
Stream: Apple Music