Deus Ignotus - Procession of an Old Religion (2014)

   Similar to most Mediterranean and Greek black metal bands, Deus Ignotus also sounds way more heavier and brutal than usual. Even though they've been sorted as a black metal band, it wouldn't be a big mistake to call their music as black/death metal. And most probably it would be more accurate that way.
   On the side of a frequently returning blackened lead, the structures of their songs are also reflecting the basics of black metal, but their sound is just as heavy and noisy as death metal supposed to be, not to mention the deep growling vocal style. Even if this combination is not intentional, but more like the result of an experiment to sound wilder and more aggressive than how ordinary black metal sounds like, or to give an easily distinguishing feature to their local scene - since it's a common enough to call it as a specific local trend -, the whole thing ends up exciting and interesting enough to catch the listener's attention. Probably the fans of the the traditional blackened sound might not find their countings in Deus Ignotus' music, since atmosphere has reduced role, and instead overwhelming heaviness is in the band's focus. However, by the black metal basics the music is easier to go into, since it's more melodic than if it was ordinary death metal, and this combination is pretty enjoyable in general. 

Soulskinner - Crypts of Ancient Wisdom (2014)

   Soulskinner was formed and debuted in the early '00s, in an era, when death metal didn't only lacked any attention or popularity, but the genre was nearly forgotten. The band's first 2 albums included the typical features of '00s death metal bands from modern sound to strong brutal death and splatter topic orientation. By their third record "Crypts of Ancient Wisdom" the band switched to a slightly different perspective.
   The analogy with their previous works is that "Crypts of Ancient Wisdom" also followed the actual trends of the underground. Since the second album old school death metal had a Renaissance, and the band have returned with way more basic and filthy themes than usual. By tempo their songs also slowed down so much, that some are just a step away from death/doom. This album also became way more diverse, cause on the side of nearly death/doom-like slow downs and old school death hammering, melodic death features also showing up, and as the album goes on, they slowly taking the lead. If the first 2 albums reflected the actual trends of their time, the third one is like a summary of the band's early influences. The slow downs and the melodic death switch are like references to the late '90s, when bands like Paradise Lost, Sentenced, Tiamat, Moonspell or Katatonia lived their golden age. The thrashing death basics are still there, and in higher amount than at the mentioned bands, but their dominant influence left their mark behind. In total, "Crypts of Ancient Wisdom" is like a late '90s album embedded into the early '10s. Could be sorted to old school death, but it's something way more complex than how first it seems (or sounds) like. 

Nocturnal Vomit - Cursed Relics (2012)

   Since their formation in 1999 Nocturnal Vomit had a long line of demo records and split releases until their full-length debut came out. 

   Their definitely old school music was mainly inspired by Asphyx on a probably quite high level, like they sound like they've listened to Asphyx from day to night. On the side of the suffocating vocal style and the strong doom influences, there are even themes to find that are almost exactly the same that could be heard on "The Rack" or on "Last One On Earth". However, by the sound they didn't reproduce the same dirty-noisy touch, it's more like a bit dull, but pretty vintage sound, that supposed to recall the feeling of the early '90s. Despite the quite evident rip offs, the songs are well made, enjoyable, and as the album goes on, there endeavors could be sensed do deploy their own imaginations. The contrast they've tried to create by speed switches aren't too effective as they've probably intended to be, cause it could be sensed, that for the drummer it was difficult to play as fast as it was desired, also to keep up with a faster tempo. But since the music was strongly doom influenced, the whole thing has less importance, cause slow, heavy, ominous themes dominating the record. The solo themes are well made, and fitting to the mournful main impression. Strongly recommended to the most obsessed fans of Asphyx. 

Unholy Archangel - Obsessed by War (2010)

   Unholy Archangel belongs to the veterans of black/death or war metal, since they're haunting the depths of the underground since the middle '90s.
   Their name might be not so familiar for the target audience partly because playing this style didn't offer many opportuniteis in that region, and it took time until the scene got materialized. And partly because "Obsessed by War" was only their first full-lenght album. Their previous activity that means a couple of EPs, demos and split album appearences were re-released afterwards on compilations. Their definitely raw and disharmonic approach reminds to Blaspemy, but there are also other references to find, that might tell about further influences. Similar to the Northern tendencies, on the side of the evident anti-Christian concept they've also gained inspiration from their own cultural heritage, so the war based events of Greek mythology became a returning topic. At the most exaggerated bands of the style who are building up disharmony by randomness instead of coming up with exact themes that could give some character to their music, song lenghts are shortening down sometimes drastically, and that leads to an analogy with old grindcore bands. It's usually not quite clear if it's a direct influence, or the same limits have been reached from another musical approach. However, it might be folly to expect any melodies, atmosphere, or catchy themes from Unholy Archangel, since the band seemed determined to go in extremities as far as possible. Therefore their music could be enjoyable only for the fans of the rawest, noise based aspect of war metal.

Embrace of Thorns - Atonement Ritual (2009)

   From the late '00s Greece became known as a possible source of the most extreme style of black metal. More and more bands formed there who played raw black, or war metal, and unlike Rotting Christ, which is the most known and notorious band of that scene, not their name is their most brutal feature, but their music. 

   As it was mentioned before, Embrace of Thorns was one of the first one of these bands, and their second full-lenght album definitely worths to be mentioned. Compared to their debut, they've drifted closer to the sound of war metal, and the atmospheric effects disappeared. The dirty, noisy sound was brought into focus, that increased the effectiveness of their raw, simple, but quite ominous themes. This way their music sounds way more aggressive and compromiseless. Basically a kind of small sound switch could change many things in this style. While the first album was more old school and tradition follower, by "Atonement Ritual" the band definitely unleashed the most obscure musickness. Even though intensity is one of the main features in their music, it's not an ordinary mindless black/death brutality, the Netherworldic obscurity gets fulfilled in their slower themes and by the short, demoralizing solo parts. Strongly recommended black/death masterpiece.

Dead Congregation - Graves of the Archangels (2008)

   Dead Congregation's full-lenght debut gained wide attention fast and their name became well known and notorious in the extreme underground scene.
   The album starts with an ominious melodic instrumental intro that could sound misleading, since in the followings they are definitely not even trying to pick up the same line. Their blasphemous brutal music hits like a raw, unexpected punch that could easily be a knockout for the unsuspicios listener. On the side of the noisy, heavy impression, the deep growling vocal style and the main concept; the guitar themes often referring to Incantation, if the previous features didn't serve enough well as a hint. This is a quite characteristic way how nobody else played before but Incantation, and similar slow downs are also common. Still, Dead Congregation's music is easier to go into, because melodies having bigger role at them, and theme changes aren't so frequent. There is a leading melody that creates to a massive whole with the noisy themes like in ordinary black metal, except in this case the heaviness is having exclusive role. Incantation also showed similar tendencies, but in this case it became a main direction, therefore Dead Congregation might sound audience-friendlier. Basically it's an excellent record, recommended for the fans of blasphemous brutal death metal.

Embrace of Thorns - ...for I See Death in Their Eyes (2007)

   Embrace of Thorns belongs to those bands who could be found responsible in first line for the notoriety of Greek black metal.
   Their music is also death metal influenced that's represented in the noisy sound, in the vocal style, that's somewhere between black and death with a very strong echo effect, and in the complete lack of atmosphere. Maybe the noise and the echoing together can be explained as a sort of atmosphere, but these only gave similar impression that's usual at putrid sounding death metal bands. Like if the album was recorded in some deep underground dungeon. The guitar themes kept their strong blackened influence, almost non-stop intensely hammering drumms gave a raw perspective to the main view, and short, noisy solos completing the endlessly deviant circle of putrefaction. Their music is strongly related to the Blasphemy influenced black/death metal, but a more unified, obscure sound is in their focus instead of the complete chaotic insanity. The band is not in a hurry though they usually play very fast, middle speed slow downs are common to find, and the tempo switches are sudden. Still, the album is far from spontaneity, all parts are well composed in Embrace of Thorns' dark, deeply sick vision.

Ravencult - Temples of Torment (2007)

   Ravencult's full-lenght debut starts with some (probably) Orthodox mass detail and ends the same way. This introduction somehow fits to the blasphemous rampage that follows, and gives a frame to the album that suspects a higher level of defilement of the sacred.
   And to defile they do with the same aggressive and dirty sound as it's usual from Greek black metal. But the intense and effective start doesn't reflect completely the spirit of the album, cause the band also preferred old school themes with middle speed. These switching with the insane hammerings when there's some need for rageful insanity. Catchy, but typically blackened melodies are repeating frequently to plant a deeply ominous feeling in the listener, that's partly emotion related, partly foretelling the inevitable grim end that may come. But because of the noisy sound and the band's quite aggressive tone there's barely any atmosphere to form, only the repetitive ominous melodies creating some. The main feeling may remind to old Bathory, and to the early period of Darkthrone. "Temples of Torment" might be a very enjoyable album for the fans of old school styled black metal, offered by the same intense swing that could be expected from the bands of the Mediterraneum.

Astarte - Demonized (2007)

   Astarte was formed when black metal was in a changing period, and during their existence their music went it's own way of change too. Genres in first round after everything possible was made inside the borders of their specific features, starting to become more melodic, audience friendlier, and later involving different influences and/or turning progressive.
   The same has happened with Astarte too. On their last album there are still style features to find that may remind to their debut, like occasionally the intense blackened themes are returning, the vocal style is the same, and they've still wrote Greek mythology influenced lyrics, but it's a different story now. Their music became far more melodic, lost it's dark, depressing old school atmosphere, the themes are strongly melodic death influenced, and partly mixed with classic heavy metal features too. The harmony wasn't lost, but represented differently (in the way of literal meaning). By the melodic death influences and the clear sound the focus has switched from down breaking passive suffering to a more aggressive direction, that is also more generic the same time. Still a remarkable emotional effect remained in their music, since it's the concomitant of the combination of these styles, but it's less effective. "Demonized" is still a great album according to it's style, and fits into the musical voyage of the band, but it may leave behind a feeling that something's missing. Such in the case of the band's split-up because of Miss Tristessa's unfortunate pass (R.I.P.).

Overcast - Under the Face of Chaos (2003)

   From the late '00s more and more bands showed up with such an old school style that reminded so much to the extreme scenes of the '80s and early 90s, that only their sound quality was a suspicious sign. At the beginning of the decade similar bands were more rare and less successful, but they could count as their forerunners.
    Overcast guides the listener for a time travel back to the '80s by their traditional old school thrashing. In their music the influences of the Bay Area and the German thrash scenes could be sensed the most. They preferred to stay at a less aggressive sound, but therefore they created more complex song structures. By the latest move they avoided the monotone effect of their music, but it became less unified the same way too. Plenty of theme changes and catchy melodies are interrupting the fast speed that their music dictated. With fresh, modern sound quality, but by following the old recipes they introduced the wildest musical manifestation of social criticism. For fans who find enjoyable the mix of the '80s style and the more technical metal, "Under the Face of Chaos" is strongly recommended. Would a unified musical composition had sense in the case of chaos? It's the listener's job to decide.

Into the Gore - Pain Must Be Amplified (2001)

  Into the Gore was one of the few bands of the early '00s, who were completely unattached from the actual tendencies of both the mainstream and underground metal scenes.
   While the metal scene in general seemed exhausted and lost the attention of the masses, nu metal took over the mainstream, and the second wave of black metal ruled the remains of the underground. Meanwhile the border of mainstream and underground became blurry by the increasing popularity of new melodic and symphonic black metal bands. Some brutal death bands kept dong their technical and progressive experimentings since the '90s, that became a trend eventually, while others started to mix styles already. Into the Gore's music was somewhere between the two. Their sound definitely reflected the brutal death bands of the era, while they mixed death metal with grindcore elements. The band mainly relied on the combination of intensity and weird theme switches and effects.The appearance of a second, higher toned (in this case also artificially distorted) vocal style was also a typical feature of  '00s death metal bands. Similar to the newbies of that time, their music sounded like a reinterpretation of extremity by trying to find new borders to cross. This means weird sound effects and experimenting song structures to rely on surprise. Because the newbies basically had to face with the impossible task: to create something new that haven't been done before, on the side of unusual style combinations, unexpectedness became the essential part of their formulas. Into the Gore was one of the early heralds of the technical brutal death and death/grind bands that became widespread from the middle of the decade. 

Astarte - Doomed Dark Years (1998)

   Black metal went through simililar development like any other genres, only it's method was slower. The '90s was the time when different aspects started to show up, but these still strictly kept the main features of the style.
   Astatre was the first black metal band with female line-up. This came kind of late according to the strong emotional load of the style, but didn't disappoint the expectations. The band debuted with "Doomed Dark Years" and they were engaged to play the traditional Norwegian style. With extended song lenghts they guiding the listener into the blackened swamp to merge. The long term repetitive (and basically simple) themes having the same depressing influence like in the case of doom metal, even if they played quite fast and involved a little bit more melodies than it was usual. Keyboards assisting meanwhile to create a strong atmosphere, and help to result an emotianal collapse. That's somehow similar to what symphonic black metal bands did lately, but this sound does not count as some modernizing ambition, but reminds to the '80s gothic sound, and fits well to the blackened sizzling. The combination is not even leading to any contrast in the sound, but surprisingly to dark, deeply depressed harmony. The vocals are not much different like if a male vocalist performed them (for women it's even easier to do this kind of cawing vocal than to growl, even if not many are trying). As in Northern black metal references to Nordic mythology and pagan faith are common to find, the band did the same, but they've referred to antic Greek mythology. Even though the album is not so widely known, it counts as masterpiece and a new milestone in black metal.