Greetings, Abyss! So you've been busy, I've been busy- even the Editor has been busy doing super important Editor things that still don't involve getting me Pizza Combos. You know who's been busier than the lot of us, Canada's atmospheric, post-black metal one-man-composer Unreqvited. On the heels of two lush and disarming ambient EPs, Rain and River, released in February and July of 2019, respectively, the Ottawa native has, oh nothing, already released two LPs and an EP

Greetings Abyss! There are a few things here at Metal Abyss HQ that we're passionate about. Supporting underground metal is certainly at the top of that list, as there are roughly 14 quadrillion bands, artists and projects that receive no attention from the metal media. While The Editor may feel differently than me (oddly enough, we've never had this conversation) I'm a strong proponent of purchasing physical copies of albums. Blame it on my age, but whether it's a recor

I'm a black metal snob, there is no doubt. I know what I like and what I don't, so when I get submissions from black metal bands I get a tad nervous as to what may be awaiting my heavy metal saturated ear holes. Not so long ago I received an email from St. Louis, MO's Xaemora, who describe themselves as, "melancholic brand of black metal, full of melodic, atmospheric, and symphonic elements influenced by some of the greats such as Emperor, Dissection, Dark Funeral, and 1349".

Ukrainian female-fronted black metal band, Devildom, have released a video for the single "No One", which is taken from their debut album "Curse Of Flesh". The album was released in January and has been receiving positive reviews across the board. "'No One' was inspired by concept of loneliness of any human being and state of mind when the acceptance comes. That stage is an essential part of our lives so it fits fine into the general concept", according to the band's statemen

Underground label Casus Belli Musica has officially announced several much anticipated album releases this month as well as next. The first of which is Australian progressive black metal band, Claret Ash, who will be releasing their new album 'The Great Adjudication' on April 30th, 2018. The album will be over 75 minutes of intense black metal with plenty of hooks, melody, and traditional BM elements. It will be available via download on the band's bandcamp page as well as ph

I've got a special place in my heart for Black Metal, not only did I play in a BM band called Darkside Chapel, but the genre has always had something that spoke to me in a way that other sub-genres never have. The problem with BM is the over saturation of the same old tired bullshit. To me, a Black Metal band either has it, or they don't. There's not much in between. It's either heart felt TRVE (yeah, I had to break that one out) black metal, or muddled, repetitious garbage

Ex-Sort Vokter Bassist/Guitarist/Vocalist Heiinghund is planning to release a new album titled "Draugkvad" on April 13th, 2018. Fans of raw, cold, and unforgiving Norwegian Black Metal will surely enjoy the efforts of Heiinghund, who has released one previous album in 2017, "Vargmaane". Heiinghund commented on the upcoming album, "It really demands the listener to dedicate himself. This is definitely not music for company, rather than be listened to in a dark forest. The insa

One of my new favorite words is homogenization. Mr. Google Man defines it as "The process of making things uniform or similar," and I think it's germane (perhaps my all-time favorite word) to the discussion of metal in 2018. As our friends in Karpathian Relict pointed out in an interview I did with them several months back, the amount of homogenization, or bands sounding far too similar to one-another, is a legitimate concern these days. KR distinguished themselves by not o

At some point, the labels we apply to bands to describe which sub-genre of metal they might fall under become both cumbersome and limiting. Take Parisian six-piece Promethean, for example. I could tell you that their 2017 debut EP, ‘Aloades,’ currently available on Bandcamp, is a "Blackened symphonic death metal record with touches of tech and thrash, and lyrics that center around Greek mythology". That’s 18 words and some punctuation that might give you an idea of what th

I've been a metal head for a very, very long time. Like many things in life your excitement level for something when you first start out is at max level. The "11" on the volume knob of thrill. But over the years, while you still love it, things just don't excite you the way they once did. So, when I stumbled on to Amidst The Withering I figured I would probably enjoy it but not be overly excited about what I was about to hear. Fucking hell was I wrong. Amidst The Withering is

Raw, cold, unforgiving black metal. It is the stuff of legends. If I said "one man" black metal band, you would probably say, "It's been done, got the tshirt". However, if I said "one woman" black metal band..now that is something pretty fucking unique. There are many all woman bands, or, in the case of Arch Enemy, Once Human, etc, many more woman fronted bands. Girls can do anything guys can do and just as good, but I have to be honest, when I hit the play button on Blizzar

If it's atmospheric Black Metal you're looking for, then look no further than the band from the UK, Dawn Ray'd. They have released their first full-length album through Prosthetic Records titled, "The Unlawful Assembly". So far The Unlawful Assembly has been getting good reviews across the board. Dawn Ray'd formed in Liverpool, England in 2015, which is the same year they released their EP, "A Thorn, A Blight". #blackmetal

Russian Black Metal trio Veter Daemonaz have officially signed with Osmose Productions. The band stated "From the very foundation Osmose Productions has been a place for the most powerful metal music acts, many of which influenced us as people and musicians. Therefore, we are particularly grateful for the opportunity to spread the Word under its banners". V.D formed in 2009 and has not yet issued a full length album. They released an EP entitled "Trivmph" November 11th, 2016.

Peaceville Records will release The True Mayhem's "Live in Jessheim" on green vinyl, November 03rd, 2017. From the label- "This green vinyl edition of Live in Jessheim features audio taken from a new source. The release includes an 8 page booklet containing rare photos, extensive interviews with figures such as Snorre Ruch (Thorns, ex-Mayhem) and Maniac (ex-Mayhem), plus information on the events surrounding the show (which took place on 03/02/1990 and featured timeless Mayhe

Season Of Mist announced the official signing of Norwegian band Vreid. The band commented on the signing, "we are extremely pleased to get signed by Season of Mist. Like us, they have been around for years, and we have a strong relationship to their people and admiration for their work. We are well on our way with our new album, and are very proud to have Season of Mist as a partner when we will launch the upcoming beast." Vreid, which means "wrath" in Norwegian, is a by-pro

Finnish black metal band TotalSelfHatred have given their fans an update on their upcoming release, which will be pressed by Osmose Records. The band stated "Our third album has finally been mixed and mastered, which means that it will probably be out relatively soon. Something to sink into during this darkest time of the year. Five songs in a full LP length (that's a bit over 40 minutes for you digitally inclined people)." The immediate question we wall have is, "when is the

The Swiss black metal/avant-garde band, Schammasch, is among nine bands who have been nominated by a jury of the Basel Pop Awards. This will be the second nomination for the band. You can vote for them by going to https://www.bzbasel.ch/basel/basel-stadt/schammasch-131790619 Schammasch was formed in 2009 in Switzerland and is currently signed with Prosthetic Records. Their latest release is titled "Triangle", which was released April 29th, 2016. The album features sixteen son

Marduk's second studio album, "Those Of Unlight", was released on this day in 1993. If you're bad at math, like me, that's 24 fucking years ago. Let that sink in a minute. It was released by Osmose Productions, and mixed by the ultra-legendary Dan Swano. Joakim Göthberg assumed drum and vocal duties on this album. The first Marduk album I bought was actually Opus Nocturne, so I was late in getting "Those Of Unlight". It has been a very long time since I listened to this recor

There is no doubt that when one thinks of Norwegian Black Metal Satyricon is one of the bands that comes to mind. The legendary band has released it's newest album "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" on Sept 22nd, 2017 via Napalm Records. Get the hard copy HERE and the iTunes Here To celebrate the release Satyricon invited 300 loyal fans to the roof of KLP building in Oslo, Norway. They also live streamed the event via their official Facebook page. For those of us who couldn't make the

Black metal band Aosoth will release a new album on November 17th, 2017 through Agonia Records. The album is title " V: The Inside Scriptures" The band stated in a release: "V: The Inside Scriptures is a closing chapter of Aosoth's musical and lyrical concept. Distinctive and downright suffocating, the album shows many differences to III & IV: Arrow In Heart, the two previous full-length releases, especially in terms of atmosphere. The recordings took nearly three years and w