Wraith - Unending Lands

Artist: Wraith

Album: Unending Lands

Label: Self-Released

Limitation: 10 Copies

Country: Canada

Genre: Cascadian Black Metal

Year: 2010

Shambling, autumnal black metal from Ian Campbell of Harrow and Crooked Mouth. Limited to 10 hand-numbered copies on cassette.

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Elu Of The Nine

Artist: Elu Of The Nine

Album: Elu Of The Nine

Label: Woodsmoke (CANTO 015)

Limitation: 99 Copies

Country: US

Genre: Drone/Doom Metal

Year: 2009

Dark, blackened drone from the void on Woodsmoke. Members of Hell, Merkstave and Soleil Noir, featuring 'Romanian' harsh noise artist, Albino. Highest possible recommendation.

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Bosse-De-Nage - Demo I

Artist: Bosse-De-Nage

Album: Demo I

Label: The Funeral Agency

Limitation: 100 Copies

Country: US

Genre: Post Black Metal

Year: 2006

The divisive Bay Area band's first recorded output, released on Aesop Dekker's (Agalloch, Ludicra, Worm Ouroboros) now defunct cassette-only record label.

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Boreal - The Battle Of VOSAD

Artist: Boreal

Album: The Battle Of VOSAD

Label: Eternal Warfare (322 02)

Limitation: 300 Copies

Country: US

Genre: Ambient/Black Metal

Year: 2009

Originally known as A Sombre Boreal. Excellent ambient leaning, acoustic tinged black metal from a member of Twilight Falls and Stellar Descent. Released on the unimpeachable Eternal Warfare Records.

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Sorcier Des Glaces - Monuments Anciens

Artist: Sorcier Des Glaces

Album: Monuments Anciens

Label: Les Productions Heretiques (HER 015)

Limitation: Unknown

Country: Canada

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Year: 2012

An outstanding collection of demos and older recordings by Sorcier Des Glaces, a long running institution of the stellar French-Canadian scene. Cold, atmospheric, and highly melodic black metal conjured by the Wizard of Ices. Recommended.

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Merkstave - Lament For Lost Gods

Artist: Merkstave

Album: Lament For Lost Gods

Label: Self-Released

Limitation: Unknown

Country: US

Genre: Funeral Drone/Doom

Year: 2011

"No contact. No thanks. Only doom (is real)."

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Quincunx

Artist: Quincunx

Album: Quincunx

Label: Colloquial Sound Recordings (CSR 026)

Limitation: 24 Copies

Country: US

Genre: Black Metal/Crust

Year: 2013

A super limited release on the always excellent Colloquial Sound Recordings imprint, sold out almost immediately from the label. Little to no information is available on these guys, but it is, as always, highly recommended.

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Owl's Blood - Lunar Equilibrium

Artist: Owl's Blood

Album: Lunar Equilibrium

Label: Master Of All Evil

Limitation: 100 Copies

Country: Spain

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Year: 2011

Old-school, atmospheric black metal from Basque Country, Spain, featuring members of Ostots and Sentimen Beltza. This region is a hotbed of amazing talent right now and Owl's Blood stands tall among them. Expect the vinyl version to be issued soon on Dead Section.

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Ephemer - Guerre Et Gloire

Artist: Ephemer

Album: Guerre Et Gloire

Label: Spectre Sinistre (SSPH 01)

Limitation: 100 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: Canada

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Year: 2011

A co-release of Spectre Sinistre and the mighty Les Productions Heretiques with members of Csejthe, Forteresse and Monarque. Featuring a stunning vocal performance reminiscent at times of the madman behind Urfaust. 

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Arnaut Pavle

Artist: Arnaut Pavle

Album: Arnaut Pavle

Label: Vlad Tapes (VLAD 02)

Limitation: 53 Copies (1st Press)

Country: Finland

Genre: Raw Black Metal

Year: 2013

Strange and ugly Finnish black metal on upstart label Vlad Tapes. One of my favorite demos of the year thirteen.

***UPDATE*** Repress via Fallen Empire Records.

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Dolorvotre

Artist: Dolorvotre

Album: Dolorvotre

Label: Crepusculo Negro (CN 13)

Limitation: 100 Hand-Numbered Copies (1st Press)

Country: US

Genre: LSD Black Metal

Year: 2011

Dolorvotre is one of the better known entities within the Black Twilight Collective of bands hailing from southern California. The brainchild of Eduardo Ramirez, a.k.a. Volahn, this album is a harrowing portrayal of the (not so) slow descent into insanity via narcotic fueled hallucinations. More Black Twilight Collective rips coming soon courtesy of c l o t h b o d i e s.

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Chatiment - Sang Des Carpathes

Artist: Chatiment

Album: Sang Des Carpathes

Label: Self-Released/Distributed by Spectre Sinistre

Limitation: 100 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: Canada

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Year: 2012

First demo of raw, proud and medieval sounding black metal from the fertile, dusty moors of Quebec. Sold out almost immediately after being revealed, this demo now fetches relatively high collector's prices within the underground ranks. Truly outstanding among the current Canadian elite.

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El-Ahrairah - Demo 2009

Artist: El-Ahrairah

Album: Demo 2009

Label: A-Terre (AT 01.5)

Limitation: 50 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: US

Genre: Raw Black Metal

Year: 2009

Beautiful and cacophonous black metal named after the "Prince With A Thousand Enemies" from Richard Adams' amazing 1972 novel, Watership Down.

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Torture Chain - Across Great Landscapes To A Legacy Of Blood

Artist: Torture Chain

Album: Across Great Landscapes To A Legacy Of Blood

Label: Self-Released

Limitation: Unknown

Country: US

Genre: Raw Black Metal

Year: 2010

Across Great Landscapes To A Legacy Of Blood is the third album by the mighty Torture Chain, a reflection on hatred, death and battle in four parts. While you'll probably have a hard time finding this release on it's original format, Yersinia Pestis has beautifully reissued vinyl copies still available.

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Monvment - I

Artist: Monvment

Album: I

Label: Sol Y Nieve (SYN 001)

Limitation: 50 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: US

Genre: Experimental Black Metal

Year: 2010

The first release on Chicago's excellent Sol Y Nieve imprint was birthed by Noah Coleman, the mastermind behind the label and also a member of heavy-as-fuck black/doom act Oyarsa. Creeping, lo-fi, murky and hypnotic with long stretches of trance-like mantras. One of the most unique releases in recent memory.

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Soleil Noir

Artist: Soleil Noir

Album: Soleil Noir

Label: Woodsmoke (CANTO 002)

Limitation: 200 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: US

Genre: Experimental Black Metal

Year: 2007

One 20 minute long track of atmospheric, melodic black metal from Kellermord, the mind behind Kerker, Destruction Ritual, and the mighty Elu Of The Nine. Long out of print, but there does seem to be a few copies on Discogs right now at (fairly) reasonable prices. As with all Woodsmoke releases, this gets the highest possible recommendation.

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Llyr - Undying Soldier

Artist: Llyr

Album: Undying Soldier

Label: Brotherhood Of Light Recordings (BHOL 29)

Limitation: Unknown

Country: US

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Year: 2013

Atmospheric black metal with members of the San Francisco collective, Brotherhood Of Light. According to the label page it's an "old project reintroduced with added keys to lost recordings/unreleased albums." Originally recorded 10 years ago.

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Sadhaka - Terma

Artist: Sadhaka

Album: Terma

Label: Sick Man Getting Sick Records (SIM 009)

Limitation: 200 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: US

Genre: Cascadian Black Metal

Year: 2013

More black metal from the Pacific Northwest "uncovered in solitude from a remote mountain hermitage in the wild highlands of the Columbia River Gorge, central Cascadia." This time with members of the mighty Fauna. Sweeping and melancholic.

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Wake - Discography

Artist: Wake

Album: Discography

Label: Einsamkeit (EINSAMKEIT 007)

Limitation: 300 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: US

Genre: Cascadian Black Metal

Year: 2013

Eternal Warfare related cascadian black metal with members of Huldrekall. Still available and absolutely recommended.

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Ziel Bevrijd

Artist: Ziel Bevrijd

Album: Ziel Bevrijd

Label: Les Productions Heretiques (HER 012)

Limitation: 100 Hand-Numbered Copies

Country: Canada

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Year: 2011

I thought I'd start this blog off with one of my favorite releases from one of my favorite labels. This album is unfortunately long out of print, but you might be able to score one off Discogs if you're diligent. Listening links will be updated in the next 24 hours. Think of this post as a trial run...

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