Black metal publications

i did an entry on the ultra damaged zine, because it also featured a signature from maniac and was a truly good read. i have many more books and magazines, though, and i thought i would share them here, because it's a quite big and interesting collection :)

secrets of my kingdom, the first and only book of mortiis in its rereleased form. i also have the original one in my collection. this is based on mortiis' imaginary world, a very bleak and hostile environment. it's like a collection of short stories entered around this world and our main character. this is very important to understand era 1 and the whole lore around it. the rereleased edition is absolutely gorgeous, with huge prints, interviews and a great cover, by david thierree.

and that is the second book, a book about david thierrees art, which has been used by many black metal artists. beautiful, very nature oriented and dark art.

the death archives has been collected and written by necrobutcher. a truly amazing collection of pictures from mayhem's most notorious time. also stories that show you this truly chaotic time, the time of mayhem.

black metal - hellenic cult was written by lord marganor, the owner of mexican azermedoth records. this was the first book i could find solely dedicated to hellenic black metal, and it's written by a mexican! this is self-released, but a work of dedication and love for black metal. so glad i found this.

blasphemous the book is the fanzine of the magus, best known for necromantia. i just had to get this, since this is a fanzine from greece and i wanted to see how the scene was here back then, what bands were known here etc. really interesting read and great effort from the magus.

the slayer mag diaries. do i have to say much even? this is a huge tome, it's massive. 20 issues of the zine, a book to kill people with, haha! metalion must be one of the most dedicated people to black metal. i don't always agree with his views and he later on started to mostly write about trash metal, not black metal, but this book is just written history. legendary.

letters from the dead was written by the old nick. he wrote letters to dead, mainly for business purposes. but dead opened up to him about many things that interest him. this shows well how troubled dead really was, how much he felt lost and in the wrong place on earth. very insightful small book.

the metal chapters is a greek project, combining songs with short stories. this features only greek bands, one of them being rotting christ. what a nice idea!

pirunkehto is the story of Finnish black metal. when i saw that there will be a book about this, i just had to get it. it's a massive tome and it was so interesting to read. loved every page of this.

masters of metal is a greek book about metal in general, but also featuring enough black metal bands. every band is introduced with a small text, but the focus is on pictures. i got this very cheap on sale, and it's nice to have it!

behemoth! here we have the biography of behemoth as well as nergal's personal book, dealing much with his struggle agains leukaemia. both of these books were fantastic and i enjoyed them immensely. makes me so happy to have seen them live and gotten to know so much through them.

the cult never dies series by dayal patterson is something truly inspiring. he released his first book on black metal, which has been translated in many other languages until now and gave him motivation to continue. people were hungry for this. and since then there have been countless new publications. here are the four i have, as well the first two pictures in this post, which have been published by dayal, too.

Death to light, to law, to love

Cursed be moon and stars and stars above

May darkness the everlasting old

Drown Manwë, Varda and the shining sun

-Daedin

Annual best of lists

at the moment i can't go to shows since i'm pregnant, so for something else now :) my two best of lists from 2016 and 2017, which i published on facebook, but decided to put them here now, too.

Best albums of 2016

I decided to do this one and list my favourites of this year. There will follow some honorary mentions, because they are either tribute albums, EPs or singles/splits or a live album and I cannot count them fully. So here it is, my top 10 this year. Musically it was a great year guys!

Mortiis - The Great Deceiver

What can I say.. did we fans ever think to hear this one? nope! I remember in 2011 when it was announced and it took some fucking 5 years to come out, haha! Needless to say I was ecstatic and I still am.

Abbath - Abbath

Black metal rock’n roll in your face! Just awesome.

Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä

This band always surprises you, mostly live, where they are an assault to all your senses, a positive but disturbingly beautiful assault, mind you! This is excellent Finnish metal.

Black Tomb - Black Tomb

Now this is some heavy heavy doomy shit and I love it.

Deadspace - Gravity/In Ecstatic Sorrow

Deadspace gave us two releases this year, one being older recordings and one the new album. Both are awesome. Both are depressed, dark, deep.

Grá - Ending

My personal surprise this year! Awesome band live, works perfectly on CD, too. Blasphemy, dark black metal tunes, great stuff.

Rotting Christ - Rituals

This is exactly what I want. Ritualistic, driving music, full of haunted sounds, chants, dark vibes.. Satanic lyrics, powerful, pounding.

Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

Moonsorrow, just like Oranssi Pazuzu sing in Finnish and I appreciate this a lot. Most bands sing in english for commercial reasons, but not those two! Well done! This album is amazing, epic, mesmerising.

Eldamar - The force of the ancient land

Norwegian epic black metal. One of the best I have heard, exactly what I love and want when thinking of Tolkien black metal.

Kalmankantaja -Tyhjyys

Depressing Finnish music. I just realise the third band in my top ten with finnish lyrics, great! This band is simply amazing and fulfil my need for depressed, suicidal, funeral music..

Now the honorary mentions..

DreamLongDead - 4 band split

Awesome greek band, pretty underground, playing a vicious mix of doom, black, and.. death? punk? no idea.. xD Their song on this split, Vomit Earth, is genius stuff.

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive

Mayhem Alive!! Perfect album there, cannot wait to see them live in Athens. This is the right way to celebrate this album..

Tribute to Emperor - In honour of Icon E

Awesome tribute with quite known bands like Taake and Horna.

Solstice - To Sol A Thane

I cannot wait for Solstice to give us the whole album. This is the little taste they give us of what is to come. Finest british doom.

In Mordor where the shadows are - Homage to Summoning

What an album! Summoning are basically my heroes in epic, Tolkien black metal and I’m surely one of thousands who think the same. Finally a worthy tribute with so many awesome bands participating that I love myself, too.

Ghost - Popestar

This EP is genius and so so good! Ghost.. I cannot even say much about them, they are so unique and so perfect. Waiting for the new album!

Best albums of 2017 (plus concerts)

another year went by, with awesome music! last year was the first year i did this, because i became so obsessed with finding new underground music, which has probably never happened on this scale before in my life. and this year has been even more fruitful! so here we go, my best of 2017 full lengths, plus some extras like EPs, remix, demos etc.

edit: included a top ten of concerts and the song of the year, too

mortiis - unraveling mind

Mortiis has to be number one again, haha! and in 2017 he even threw three releases into the screaming masses, haha! (two more further down) unraveling mind is an old recording, but only now released. it’s the closest to era one he has done in years and it’s absolutely stunning. i have the LP, but not the digital files and i told him two times already but he is reluctant to release it. DAMN! xD

satyricon - deep calleth upon deep

what can i say.. one of the first black metal bands i listened to, back in 2002.. and their new release is so good. the cover made headlines and this just shows how uncompromising they are. well done, you are the true northern black spirit!

insanity cult - of despair and self destruction

a friend of mine introduced these greek masters of depressive black metal to me. really great music and absolutely to my liking.

kalmankantaja - demonwoods / routamaa

these Finnish depressive masters are the most productive band i know. they use to release two full lengths a year and here we talk about quality and quantity! what a band indeed.

nargaroth - era of threnody

this band should be known to any black metal fan. they introduced the term “black metal ist krieg” and also have the most iconic song “the day burzum killed mayhem” in their repertoire. after a long absence nargaroth is back and it’s a great return.

carach angren - dance and laugh amongst the rotten

also dutch horror symphonic black metal trio carach angren gave us a new album and it’s like its predecessors a work of beauty and horror in one. awesome.

the order - lex amentiae

the order hail from norway and consist of ex-mayhem members. can only be good, right? right! it sure as hell is.

emyn muil - elenion ancalima

tolkien black metal, ahhh beautiful! i cannot get enough of this kind of music and emyn muil once again deliver with their second full length. mesmerising!

aherusia - prometheus

greek folk black metal band, if you will. i saw the theatre for their newest album and it was a great experience, although hard to understand since they sing in an ancient greek dialect of alexandria. i bow to aherusia for this idea and their vision!!

hexer - cosmic doom ritual

hexer from germany, ruhrpott area! awesome doom and if i remember right, their first full length album. awesome debut!

havukruunu - kelle surut soi

another Finnish depressive black metal band that sings in Finnish and makes my heart rejoice, for i truly miss the Finnish darkness, despair and melancholy.

tuhonsiemen - ajaton, nimetön, kasvaton

on we go.. with more finns! it seems i found more and more from my second most beloved home, finland. they also deserve more recognition..

nergal - ΝΥΚΤΑ ΓΕΜΑΤΗ ΘΑΜΑΤΑ-ΝΥΚΤΑ ΣΠΑΡΜΕΝΗ ΜΑΓΙΑ

greek classic black metal outfit nergal! they are one of the oldest greek black metal bands and they show that they have still more to give. a great album, full of that black magick we all crave!

Eldamar - A dark forgotten past

my favourite norwegian tolkien/epic black metal band! this is his second full length and it’s just as good as the first. beautiful music, enchanting!

Our Banshee - 4200

and now for something completely different! this is my colleagues band and yes, this has nothing to do with the other black metal acts.. but this is awesome music to sing along and dance!  after so many years, finally the debut is out

Kawir - ΕΧΙΛΑΣΜΟΣ

why did i last year not speak at all about ΠΑΤΕΡ ΗΛΙΕ ΜΗΤΕΡ ΣΕΛΑΝΑ? last year i tried to do a top ten, which i discard now and list all of them, because kawir should have been there for sure! because they are a great band and i love them! one of the oldest greek black metal bands, specialising in pagan/folk black metal. and well.. my former colleague plays drums in this band  you see how musically fruitful my workplace is, hehe!

Lleuad - I pass into the stars/Wildered against the gloom

one could count these as two full lengths albums, both are more than 30min long. Lleuad is from wales, finally i can include a welsh black metal band here, yay!! and a very productive project with two releases in the span of three months. this is exactly my stuff, ambient, melancholic, atmospheric, but also fierce, raw and powerful. nice work! will for sure continue to follow this guy.

Nortt - endeligt

this will be probably the last entry this year, because it was just released before the end of the year. after 10 year silence, Nortt is back. this danish one-man-project has brought forth some of the finest funeral doom available and the new album does not fall short. it’s grand, it’s depressing, it’s the soundtrack for a night in a mausoleum.

Extras - EP, demo, remix, split, live

Mortiis - the great corrupter

remix album of last year’s the great deceiver. it’s just not a bunch of remixed songs, this is a masterpiece and i almost listen to it more than to the deceiver. the involved bands explain all.. die krupps, godflesh, apoptygma berzerk, in slaughter natives, wumpscut.. only the finest!

VOND - AIDS to the people

what a charming name! mortiis’ side project had three full length releases as well as one EP. this second EP was never released though and in 2017 it was finally lifted from its grave. mortiis’ depressed side project, a mixture of depression and dungeon synth.

Icewind forest - the approach of winter

this is a demo and it promises much! let’s see if this will be the next epic black metal sensation for me.. (edit: i actually later found out that this project changed its name to -22 Celsius to reflect the change to a much grittier, guitar orientated black metal sound, moving away from the previous epic synth sound. too bad, i would have loved to hear a debut album in the same style as the demo.)

Ghost - Ceremony and Devotion / He is EP

so here i though that we will have to wait for the new year and then ghost all of a sudden release a live album as well as an EP! so so awesome. the EP does not feature anything new but is highly entertaining. the live album reminds me of manchester, where i saw them live together with my sister. unforgettable moments 

Liittouma - Oleva

awesome EP, this is yet another Finnish black metal band and what would be Finnish black metal without depression!!

Wedard/Wintergeist - Schnee und Eis (split full length)

wedard are from almost my home area and when i found about this project, i had to support it. awesome to see that quality suicidal black metal can also come from this area that is not really famous for metal acts.. ^^

AkizzBeatz - Ramal EP

this is yet another colleague of mine and he’s a DJ, also composing his own music. this is world music, taking influence from african rhythms, latin american vibes and much more! last year he released the “i’m an african” EP, another awesome release, and this year he got this EP out which surely makes your butt swing!

Honorary mention

Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder

this was released in 2016 but late in the year and i bought the album too late to include it in last years best of list. what a big mistake! i came to love this album very much. darkthrone are true legends and i of course love their black metal trilogy. in between they went towards a style that is not really mine, but with this album they kind of found their way back to the bleakness of norwegian landscape and i truly love it!

Favourite track of the year

Satyricon - Black wings and withering gloom

what a black metal hymn! i did not expect this at all. i was hoping the new album would be good, but for it to feature this kind of a song, that makes you want to scream along, shake your fist, headbang yourself into oblivion and roar to the mighty freezing norwegian winds that you can almost feel while listening to this song.. glorious!

TOP TEN CONCERTS

Mgla - The dead creed

the main act actually was akercocke, but i was not really interested and the place Kyttaro was so packed, i decided to skip them. i anyway got all i wanted with mgla and the dead creed. both of them were brilliant and mysterious in their own ways.

Mortiis

actually this was going to be the last show of mortiis in its then current lineup, although i did not know that then. mortiis, levi and tim played their last show in london and it was awesome! so much dancing and singing, headbanging and meeting all the band. perfect! now mortiis will for the time being concentrate on era 1 shows where he alone hits the stage.

Rotting Christ at piraeus academy and rockwave

they played at piraeus academy and it was a 2,5 hours set. that was SO massive, i’m still so happy i witnessed that. it was my first time seeing rotting christ and i loved every second of it. i saw them just a few months later at rockwave once more and then i was really close to the stage. i headbanged myself into oblivion since there was enough space and it was SO good, i cannot begin to describe it!!

Ghost

ever since i got to know them i wanted to see them live. since my sister got into them, too, we decided to go see them in manchester. it was spectacular and surely one of the best shows i ever saw.

Zeal and Ardor

they played in a smaller club in athens called ilion plus. the place filled up quickly and the show was phenomenal. the rhythmic slave music together with pounding black metal.. genius! it was like a ritual you witness and feel like your soul has vibrated and you have changed.

Aherusia

not really a concert to be honest, but actually a theater for their new album prometheus. since it featured all the album played live by the band in the background, i count it here, too. it was a very different experience, not easy due to the ancient alexandrian dialect used, but very remarkable!

Diamanda Galas

wow. this woman is amazing. she is the opposite of easy listening, her concerts bring you to the edge of what you can sonically endure. and this has nothing to do with loud speakers, it’s her voice alone! but she is the embodiment of avantgarde darkness and despair. was great to meet sakis tolis of rotting christ after the concert at the megaron mousikis

Mayhem

what can i say?? do i have to say much? the fathers of the second wave of black metal, if you will, the majestic mayhem in athens and it was breathtaking. they played the whole de mysteriis dom sathanas album. the place was more than packed. legendary show. just to hear freezing moon live was something that is hard for me to describe.

Ulver

one of the few legendary norwegian black metal bands that are still around, although they moved away from black metal after only three albums. but they are so awesome in their recent format, too! it was a feast for your ears and eyes, they played their whole new album “the assassination of julius ceasar” plus one song more.

Apocalyptica

they came around to celebrate their first album, “plays metallica by four cellos”. for that reason antero joined their ranks again. the first part was the complete first album, the second part compromised of other metallica songs they covered. i loved them so much, before they had singers and the cellos lost their significance. so it’s hard for me to describe how awesome this was. the audience was singing and replaced the singer. it was fantastic. i wish apocalyptica would return to that.