Extreme Underground Metal rarely addresses well-known groups, but exceptions have been made to honor the fallen and to welcome the return of black metal deity. Two dynamic, and very different, new releases from Scandinavian legends ride the tailwinds to a new dawn.
Eternal Hails… by Darkthrone
Thirty years after igniting death metal crude with their debut album Soulside Journey, and subsequently becoming synonymous with the Norwegian Black Metal Scene through their “Unholy Trinity” of records, drummer (and seminal metal historian, see below) Fenriz and lead vocalist/guitarist Nocturno Culto of Darkthrone show no signs of repenting for their perpetual ravenous arsonic spree. Eternal Hails… is an unapologetic deviation into the world of doom for the black metal legends, black-hole-heavy and mid/slow-tempoed throughout its more than forty minute run time. Cryptic musical passages, smoldering lyrics, and some of the most desolate cover art since 1995’s Panzerfaust make this a worthwhile listen for any fan of extreme metal.
Paint the Sky with Blood by Bodom After Midnight
Finnish frontman and guitar virtuoso Alexi Laiho passed away in December of 2020, mere months after the dissolution of renowned melodic death metal band Children of Bodom. Before reaching Valhalla, Laiho blessed us mortals with two new crushing tracks as Bodom After Midnight (both brimming with Laiho’s signature exquisite riffing and untenable aggression) as well as a remarkable cover of Dissection‘s “Where Dead Angels Lie.” Children of Bodom previously stuck to covers of pop rock songs with moderate success, but to hear Laiho lead Bodom After Midnight in an immaculate rendition of a black metal masterpiece is to experience an emotional swansong befitting a master at his peak. RIP Alexi Laiho (1979 – 2020).