I don't know why, but the UK isn't really a place I would instantly associate with black metal. Yes, I know about Venom. I know they exist thank you. I'm also somewhat familiar with others; Cradle of Filth, Winterfylleth, Akercocke, Anaal Nathrakh, The Meads of Asphodel, and a few others. It still feels like a very small scene with few established acts. With this third album being released by 20 Buck Spin, we absolutely need to add Wode to that list. If you already had Wode up there as one of the best black metal acts to come out of the UK, then you probably think you know exactly what to expect. Shit, you've probably pre-ordered the vinyl and tell everyone you saw them playing a pub in Machester in 2016 before the first album came out. Nerd. You're also probably wrong. Burn In Many Mirrors is still recognisable as a work of Wode, but feels a lot like a band getting comfortable enough in their leather jackets that they can start adding less kvlt patches and showing ...
I hate corporate talk and jargon. I'm sure you do too. But when you want to make an organisation successful it really does help to have some sort of mission statement: who you are and what you want to be. Take Unique Leader for example. It's not by accident that they are blowing fire up the arses of the industry's standard purveyors of heavy music. It's a shared vision and focus. I imagine they have a "live/love/laugh" style wall vinyl in the office that reads "go harder" because every release seems to be competing to be the heaviest thing I hear that month. Osiah is the latest band to fight that battle with Loss, their third full-length and second with Unique Leader. The band are looking to build on the reputation they have gained among deathcore fans during tours with Cattle Decapitation and The Faceless by bringing in genre heavyweights Jason Evans (Ingested) and Ben Duerr (Shadow of Intent) for guest spots. The band note: "Loss is Osiah ’s...
A lot is made of the idea that metal, specifically black metal, should be dangerous. Those who talk the talk but shy away from walking the walk are branded as posers, merely adopting the aesthetic and notoriety of others; the true believers, the church burners, the blasphemers. The kvlt. After that first wave, not much has been truly dangerous in black metal. Sure, you might see Adam from Behemoth accused of blasphemy in deeply Catholic Poland (does this coincide with Behemoth announcements?), and then there are those who flirt with or fully believe in neo-Nazi or fascist ideology who see this as forbidden knowledge and thus dangerous. But being told to stop saying stupid shit isn't the same thing as being dangerous. Back in September I bought an album titled Eternal War on Bandcamp by an Iranian blackened death band, Death Squad. Yes, the same Iran that sees musical instruments as haram - banned. Metal musicians have previously faced blasphemy charges in Iran, for which one of the...
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