My Metal Journey So Far (Part 3)

Welcome back to another article detailing my metal exploration over the past year! Now, as I continue to tumble down this rabbit hole, uncovering the music of extreme emotion and passion, today marks my fourth year of membership in this Metal Storm community. After enjoying a broad range of genres, from thrash and death to sludge and post metal, I find my taste focusing on black and doom metal. Join me as I walk through this gallery of my latest discoveries, and maybe I’ll succeed in convincing you to give at least some of these albums your undivided attention.

Raw and Psychedelic Black Metal

My first stop in this deeper dive is a compilation of Urfaust, recommended to me by Roman Doez. Urfaust stands out among raw black metal bands, primarily because of the vocals. For one thing, the singing is performed in a clean, melodramatically operatic way, quite unlike the raspy shrieks that 99.99% of black metal bands use. For another, the vocals of Urfaust are sung in a totally invented language, which makes it truly one of a kind among metal bands, as far as I know. The fact that the singing is so clearly enunciated, yet wholly alien in meaning, gives the whole composition an increased sense of mystery. I imagine a shaman standing amidst a ring of stone monoliths, bellowing pagan chants that float on the night wind through ancient pine tree forests. With droning experimentation on “Verächtung Wird Einen Messertragenden Schatten”, the groovy riffs of “Des halbtoten Dichters Schein-Existenz”, or the epic, melancholic “Unter Töchtern der Wüste”, I’m now convinced this compilation is not only the quintessential Urfaust experience, but one of the most unique black metal records ever.

I kept seeing Lurker Of Chalice praised as a classic among the underground black metal scene, and, after initial listens, I didn’t quite get the hype. The musicianship isn’t anything impressive, the song structure is simple. What’s so special?

But, one day, something clicked. I realized that its simplicity is exactly what makes it so awe-inspiring. There is no complex, crazy technical guitar-work, no vocal chords reaching their limit. But, as the music drones on at a patient pace, every subtle synth melody, every rumbling guitar note, every distorted growl, they all inexplicably work together to create a unique atmosphere that perfectly embodies ominous, unsettling emotions of pain, of sorrow, of utter loneliness and emptiness. These feelings are further enhanced by the great choice in audio samples, especially the Antichrist prophecy spoken on “Spectre as Valkyrie Is” and the unforgettably haunting Gwenyth Paltrow monologue on “This Blood Falls as Mortal”. Most of the album presents a nicely morbid atmosphere, and I’m particularly a fan of the droning doom on “Minions”. But, for all its experimentation and ambience, my favorite track is admittedly the most straightforward black metal song, “Piercing Where They Might”, with its catchy, high-speed drumming and the palpable malice in the undulating riffs and the whispered vocals that launch me straight to the bowels of the Sun.

In my last article, I detailed my experience with the debut album of Arizmenda, Within The Vacuum Of Infinity…, describing it as the perfect soundtrack for falling into Hell. Well, if that’s the case, then Stillbirth In The Temple Of Venus is the music the goat-legged DJ plays in Satan’s throne room. With its piercing screeches, drawn-out wails, and unforgettable melodies, the high-pitched lead guitar acts as the shining star of this morbid show, guiding the listener like an alluring beacon onto the blasphemous dancefloor, where demons revel in mindless ecstasy. The pulsating rhythm of the bass rumbles juicily under the surface, while the hoarse cries of twisted, sexual lyrics echo against the backdrop of unrelenting percussion. All these elements coalesce into an intoxicating atmosphere that’s not of this world, leaving me trapped and content within this addictive, sensual storm of riffs.

As I continued to research about Arizmenda, I discovered that the one-man project was part of a greater collection of American bands, known as Crepúsculo Negro, or the Black Twilight Circle. I picked out this compilation to get a better overview of the different bands. Bookended by folk instrumentation that creates a properly eerie Mesoamerican ambience, most of the music here is in a similar style of chaotic, raw black metal. However, diving further, I was pleased to find that all of these projects do offer distinctive approaches. For example, while The Haunting Presence’s charging brutality is reminiscent of swampy death metal, other bands like In Lakech Ala Kin and Kampilan start off their songs with a slower, contemplative approach, almost leaning into the doom genre, before diving back into frenzied black metal.

While almost all songs have something interesting to offer here, I do have four favorite tracks that I always come back to: First, the opening song by Kuxan Suum with its immersive atmosphere of flutes, tribal drums, and maracas that evolves into an immensely entertaining riff-fest; Second, the excellent drumming featured on Muknal’s death metal-esque song; Third, Dolorvorte’s impressive ensemble of groovy, screeching riffs delivered in a high-speed, blackened fashion. Lastly, I was especially impressed by the concluding track “Ride Into The Night”, performed by Axeman. Its style is the most distinctive and catchy on this compilation, embodying a mix of traditional heavy metal, blackened thrash, and crust punk. My favorite moment is around the 7:20-minute mark, where the vocals suddenly switch to clean vocal screams à la Rob Halford. I wish they used that vocal style more often (no surprise, since I’m such a Judas Priest fan), but sadly it seems that moment was unique on “Ride Into The Night”, as I can’t find it on any of their other releases…

Besides Arizmenda, the most prolific band of the Black Twilight Circle is Volahn. In fact, Volahn‘s debut album, Dimensiónes Del Trance Kósmico released in 2008, was the very first release of the Black Twilight Circle collective. And while that is one banger of an album, with great highlights like the eponymous “Crepúsculo Negro”, the band truly goes next-level on their 2015 sophomore work Aq’Ab’Al. It’s a lengthy album, clocking in at a one-hour runtime, full of vibrant guitar-work that exudes so much fun, addictive, positive energy. For a genre named after its typically dark and cold sound, Volahn’s black metal here is unusually bright and warm. In addition to the nicely intense, fast-paced riffing, what makes Aq’Ab’Al particularly stand out to me are the frequent calm passages dominated by elegant acoustic guitar playing. Plus, I was especially impressed by the insanely furious drumming skills of one session musician: Daniel Tia, who plays on “Halhi K’ohba” and “Koyopa”, making these my favorite tracks of the album.

Lovecraftian Metal

It’s no secret that a lot of metal takes inspiration from literature. In fact, Plattner made a whole list documenting this, showing that, after J.R.R. Tolkien, cosmic horror author H.P. Lovecraft takes second place for most band name inspirations. Of course, besides band names, many metal projects incorporate lyrics from Lovecraft’s works and try to replicate that fear of the unknown in musical form.

In a way, there are two kinds of Lovecraftian metal bands. On the one hand, you have bands that only occasionally make references in select songs, such as Metallica’s “Call of Ktulu”, Electric Wizard’s “Weird Tales”, Nile’s “Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten”, and High On Fire’s “Death Is This Communion”. On the other hand, you have bands whose entire identity is based on Lovecraft. After delving into bands of this category—enjoying the catchy death metal hymns of Sulphur Aeon and getting crushed within the morbid funeral doom soundscapes of Catacombs and Tyranny—I was eager to discover more examples, using the opportunity to continue reading Lovecraft’s original works in parallel.

H.P. Lovecraft is best known for his short stories and novellas, and less for his poetry. But, in fact, he was an incredibly prolific writer of letters and poetry, being of the opinion that sonnets were “preeminently the medium for complete ideas”. These sonnets served as the main source of inspiration for Fungoid Stream for most of their discography, taking all of their lyrics directly from Lovecraft’s poems, many of which are included in his sonnet cycle “Fungi From Yuggoth” (which I highly recommend reading). While other Lovecraftian doom bands like Catacombs or Tyranny create a suffocatingly dense atmosphere, Fungoid Stream sounds quite light in comparison. With a hypnotic ebb and flow of riffs and alternating rumbling growls and whispered vocals, the music takes on a dreamy quality, yet with an ever-present, subtle feeling of uneasiness. A fitting combination, since many of Lovecraft’s poems are derived from his own dreams and nightmares. Unfortunately, I don’t seem to have much luck with doom metal bands. The moment I find my new favorite band, they disband! It happened with Lucifer’s Fall, with Kypck, and now with Fungoid Stream! But, I’m glad I found them anyway, as now I get to enjoy their psychedelic doom atmosphere together with my newly discovered treasure trove of Lovecraftian poetry.

For whatever reason, it’s typically older albums that have been the most influential for my evolving taste in music. But, once in a while, I do encounter a recent album that has a huge impact on me. The Great Old Ones’s Kadath is such a case. Of course, the music here is exceptional: a fast-paced, unrelenting black metal assault, spiced up with catchy riffs and culminating in an excellent instrumental track. But, for the most part, this album holds a special place in my heart because it motivated me to read what I now consider to be my favorite story by H.P. Lovecraft: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. While most of Lovecraft’s stories are rooted in the real world (typically in his homeland of New England), Kadath is set in the dream world, where Lovecraft lets his imagination truly run wild, introducing an endless stream of exotic locations and creatures, establishing mysteries and delivering rewarding pay-offs, all the while combining cosmic horror and mind-bending fantasy. In short, the perfect adventure story, cunningly adapted by The Great Old Ones in an equally exhilarating black metal opus.

(For a more detailed description of the album, see my review!)

After reading The Shadow Over Innsmouth, a desire for more Lovecraftian metal overcame me once again. I quickly found a fitting specimen to satisfy my hunger: Obed Marsh’s debut album, Innsmouth. Named after the infamous sea captain of Lovecraft’s story, this Australian duo present tales of creeping dread, told from the perspective of an amphibian Deep One. The obvious stand-out element here are the vocals, which give off an especially slimy, squelching tone that fits perfectly to the aquatic setting. As the lyrics describe a town being overrun by wicked creatures of the marine abyss, the ponderous funeral doom instrumentation creates an overall mood that’s both unsettling and extremely melancholic, adding almost a tragic air. In the end, Innsmouth is an exquisite example of Lovecraftian metal, perfectly capturing the essence of a lurking, nameless fear of the unknown.

For the longest time, I disregarded and essentially ignored the demos of bands. The occasional listens I gave to the earliest recordings and jam sessions of thrash, black, or death metal bands were certainly raw and “trve”, but they were always easily overshadowed by subsequent full-length studio albums, both in terms of production and songwriting.

Catacomb, not to be confused with Catacombs, are a French death metal band that have turned this worldview of mine upside-down. Their 1993 demo/EP In The Maze Of Kadath took me completely by surprise, presenting cunning compositions and an incredibly engaging vibe that has instantly gotten me addicted. What might seem at first like a standard old-school death metal release is much more unique, and not just because of the Lovecraftian lyrics that I adore. Submerged within a murky, cavernous sound, the music offers a surprisingly diverse assortment of approaches: enchanting keyboard playing (that sounds like it could have inspired Amorphis’s “Thousand Lakes” of the following year!), blistering guitar solos, enticing bass lines, melodic riffs, all accompanied, of course, by distorted growls belting vivid Lovecraftian imagery. At times haunting and atmospheric, at times catchy and heavy, at times dungeon synth soundtrack, at times groovy death metal. This incredibly entertaining combination makes me perpetually press the replay button, tumbling through forgotten aeons as the hours pass with repeated listens, until the realization hits me—I am trapped In the Maze of Kadath, and I don’t ever want to leave!

Written on 08.06.2025 by The sign of good music is the ability to both convey and trigger emotion.