94th part of the short reviews.
STANGARIGEL – Na severe srdca
Year: 2022
Label: Hexencave Productions
Rating: 8,2 / 10
Recently, the Slovak band STANGARIGEL, where Adam, the head of the magnificent MALOKARPATAN, plays, has been gaining popularity in the dark circles of the underground. Unlike the rather intense and multi-vector MALOKARPATAN, this project is much more straightforward, but it has enough depth to make you want to listen to it over and over again. The early works of SATYRICON and ULVER are taken as the foundation here, so, as you can imagine, this is atmospheric old-fashioned metal with a huge number of acoustic and keyboard parts (including majestic symphonic ones). I strongly advise all lovers of the old dark romanticism to give it a listen.
TZANTZA – This World Is Crunchingly Insane
Year: 2023
Label: self-release
Rating: 6,7 / 10
TZANTZA is the creation of an old acquaintance of mine, who, just between us, at one time had a cult (in very narrow circles) NS project named REICHSBLOOD, and even suffered for it, like a real prisoner of conscience! Since 2011, he has been engaged in TZANTZA, where everything, on the one hand, is more traditional, and on the other - not quite, which is demonstrated by this EP. The main idea of the release is that the world is fucked up, and it sounds accordingly, having unconventional structures, various broken constructions and so on. I don't want to call it "avantgarde", since it's different somehow. It's just a fucked up music - in a good way. You just have to understand that it was recorded by a person who, for one reason or another, remains in an amateur environment all his life, and this entails certain diseases – for example, a lame sound and not really outstanding quality of performance. But it should be noted that everything here is real, including the drums, and this is a plus. In general, this kind of music is not for me, but those searching for something new will like it, I guess.
SORGETID – Natt av tusen dödsfall
Year: 2022
Label: Werewolf Records
Rating: 8 / 10
The ingenious V-Khaoz continues to create new projects, and although they revolve around more or less the same ideas, each has distinctive features. SORGETID once again offers traditional black metal, which this time relies primarily on a traditional set of instruments (minimum of keyboards). The music is very atmospheric and has this specific wintry melodics - it resembles heavily romanticized DARKTHRONE of "Total Death" and "Ravishing Grimness" era, or the second album of DIMMU BORGIR. By the way, the entire textual component of the album is performed in Norwegian, so the road signs here are quite obvious. Fine work.
MOURNFUL CONGREGATION – The Exuviae of Gods – Part II
Year: 2023
Label: Osmose Productions
Rating: 7 / 10
The music of famous Australians MOURNFUL CONGREGATION has always been the canonical Funeral Doom Metal, and this style is perhaps the most monotonous and suffering from the sever lack of ideas. However, somehow this particular band has been able to pull a certain conventional line through their music for 30 years, which forces the listener to remain interested throughout long tracks. Somehow, MC's songs, even if composed of standard motifs and movements, still work, while, say, the music of PROFETUS only makes you want to sleep, because all these recycled riffs and solos don't contain a single minute of what you haven't heard before. It's magic, I guess. This EP is not the best release of the Australians, but it remains an elite-level Funeral Doom that is worth paying attention to.
BLOOD OATH – Lost in an Eternal Silence
Year: 2023
Label: Raise the Dead Records
Rating: 8,4 / 10
Hell if I know how many times I wrote these words... Great release from Chile! Death Metal with an authentic sound a la the early 90s, dedicated to various cosmic horrors and fear of the unknown. As befits Death Metal with such aesthetics, it has rather tricky structures with many unexpected twists and, of course, a predominating atmosphere of otherworldly evil. Well, what can I say? Praise Chile! Again.
English (UK) 
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