Primal Cult - Dark Passage (Northern Silence Productions)
Eve Alchemy and Aro Raven formed Primal Cult in 2012 and since then they've become a melodic black metal force in the Hellenic extreme metal world. Their music has "themes connected to nature, inner conflict and ancient imagery" as the duo combine ferocity and atmosphere like so many of the leaders in the genre from their country.
Tremolo guitar, keys, melodic passages and blast beats all at the heart of the this cult. Their debut came out in 2018 so has this gap between releases changes anything? Well no, maybe there's something that's a bit more refined on this one, the creative mind of Eve Alchemy composing songs that are still carry a significant black metal darkness but offer glimmers of light with the clean guitars and synths.
There's also cello, piano (Shore Of Echoes) and more textures to broaden the sonic appeal of this record, spoken word parts and traditional Greek instruments come on the title track while there are acoustics that begin Below The Wave. Dark Passage keeps Primal Cult firmly in the grip of the Hellenic extreme metal world, not about speed but about power and cinematics. 7/10
Medusa's Wrath - The Seventh Plague Of Babylon (Sleaszy Rider Records)
The second album from Medusa's Wrath doesn't change the formula of their debut, Pavor Exitium Mors too much. You can expect epic, US styled heavy metal which reminds me of the early records from Iced Earth when the vocals were overall a bit harsher, but the music still retained that classic heavy metal goes thrash style.
With lyrics inspired by history this Athenian five piece still carry that epic heavy metal flag of Manilla Road (Shadows Dance), Iron Maiden (Eternal), Mercyful Fate (Breaking The Spell), Judas Priest on We Cannot Breathe and Lament Of The Serpent with more than a dash of Sabaton too.
Medusa's Wrath do what they do, playing heavy metal which merges that robust US version with the speedier UK one. The Seventh Plague Of Babylon is a decent follow up to their 2024 debut. 7/10
Pulsar1081 - L’inizio Della Fine (FYC Records)
Ok let's get into this one yeah? Pulsar1081 are a duo who have caught the ear of D.I.Y label FYC Records. Always having an ear to the ground and penchant for the creative FYC area perfect home for the ambient industrial soundscapes of Eterno and Momento.
Between them they use keys, guitars, synths, samples, noises, takes and even some vocals to create these layered pieces of music where the synthetic and analogue instrumentation are blended with chants (Darkness), making a seven recordings that have an unnerving sense of dread that flows through all these pieces.
I say pieces as they aren't really songs, they're soundtracks of a film that doesn't exist but you know would be psychologically terrifying. This isn't a metal album but then FYC has always been a place for the experimental underground and Pulsar1081 is very experimental. 7/10
Chants Ov Obscurity - Bloodstained Monuments (Self Released)
Some blackened deathcore now from Thessaloniki based Chants Ov Obscurity, with influences of Abigail Williams, Ov Sulfur and Cabal, this is fast, furious stuff, the grunt of death metal with the rage of black metal.
Bloodstained Monuments low guttural vocal croaks/screams (Demios Sam), heavy breakdowns (Kostas Oiko) and symphonic elements (Maria Brkc) but ultimately doesn't do too much different from those bands I mentioned.
I felt like most of the song bled into another but then deathcore is not always my preference, still fans will be chomping at the bit to pit to these tracks I'm sure, for me it's the Reincarnation In Blasphemy that's stands out as the best on the EP.
As I said blackened death if you're a fan you'll like it if not, then it won't convince you. 6/10
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