The Temple of Sharkuel

Summoning and Alcest had a baby in the Woods 90% The ambient black metal genre has so much potential that sometimes we get surprised by the most fascinating works. This one is one of those cases. I see that some people tend to dislike the overusage of synths and MIDI, but this is where the musical composition shines the most. This is a bright colored album, not just by it's cover, but the music is also more uplifting, and it gives constantly the feeling of uprising, either emotional, or nature-wise. The tracks are similar sound-wise, but they are quite distinct in their structure. The songs "A Graceful Spirit" and "Autumnal Embrace" rely mostly on string guitars and ambient synths with some folk hints like violins and flutes. Aside from the harsh vocals (that resemble a lot Coldworld), there is also some clean vocals. The cleans aren't that bad. Okay they are bland, but he manages to make them fit in the song structure. I actually praise ar...

If you aren't aware of how metal concerts work here in Portugal, well let me break it up to you right out of the bat: - We only get mostly mainstream bands here - We have festivals that are backed by large companies that use the fests to promote themselves - Here in Portugal people are mostly Thrashers and Deathmetal heads, therefore the Black Metal scene here is pretty slim. So when we have the True Mayhem visit twice on the same year our small patch of land near the Atlantic, then this is "godsend". We have a major festiva here that is more "Underground" called SWR Barroselas. It is a festival that I go quite often since it attends to my musical taste. It has a great atmosphere and aura to it, since it happens in the middle of a forest in the northest reaches of Portugal. Makes sense that Mayhem would come here to celebrate it's 20th edition, even though they had their name mentioned before in previous editions of the festival where they ...

Hilarious cover art vs Serious black metal 100% I will start this review with a honest observation from my part. The cover art of this album is quite something different. When I saw this, I though it was a meme. Then I saw this in the black metal hipster channel, where they made fun of this. But since they aren't a credible channel for music review (considering the hate that is around both Myrkur and Deafheaven, such hate highly promoted by them), I went to the guy's bandcamp and gave a listen. Boy was I blown away. This record starts hard and fast, with "Cleave the Alicorn" blasting away. It is quite fast tempo, and the heavily distortion and reverb gives the whole sound scape a unique character. I also love the vocals. They invoque a particular pain that goes in great contrast with the album cover, since he looks so chilled and smiling. Perhaps that's the gimmick. The second track keeps up the same pounding rhythm, until it slows down to Eternal...

Hello readers and followers of my blog. First of all, sorry for my absence. I am not done with my blog as some may approached me about it. I have been sick lately, and had been in the Hospital doing some exams and stuff. But I am all better now, and I am back to share some more stuff with you. I am going to share a project of mine that I have with a friend. It is a black metal act named Daemon Forest. I play drums, and the band is made out of two members: Sharkuel (Me) and Azazel. Azazel handled the lyrical work, as well the vocals and the guitar. Honestly he is the main creative force behind the project. I was the drummer in this project, and also I handled the recording, mixing and master of the EP. We released our 1st EP on April the 24th, and we are selling some physical copies of it. We have a limited, hand numbered, tape edition if you are interested on our project. If you desire a physical copy, we can arrange it if you send us a request through the band's e-mail ad...

Grab your bike, your beer, and your inverted cross boys!!! 95% Black n'Roll. Never in my life I was happy for having something that I didn't even knew I wanted it. Okay, this up there may be one hell of a hyperbole, but truth is that I always loved when black metal bands implement rock influenced riffs and rhythms into their song writing. Darkthrone did it. And so did Carpathian Forest, and even Craft. This dude take the whole rocky black metal to a new level. Plaag is different. It is a one-man black metal act from a guy that is known as "Somber". He decided to give his own twist in the genre by including some rock n'roll guitars, punk drumming, and lyrical content that is not common in the overly serious genre that is black metal. Haven't seen a twist so interesting to the black metal genre since Lifelover decided to include some indie rock in their depressive black metal. The opener starts strong, with a cool guitar shred and then blast...

A good amalgamation of ideas that fall short at the end 70% So, Morvheim. I actually found this one-man-band via Youtube suggestions, listened to this, and the previous album. And the previous one, due to it's production, I simply can't get into it. And I feel that I miss a lot. But this album makes me appreciate what is in the mind behind the album to some extend, and I gotta say, there are some neat ideas here. This is a melodic death metal act that resembles more of a melodic black band with some pop influenced melodies. You have pretty and catchy melodic keyboard sections, and clean vocals. The instrumental side of the album is quite creative and original, within the standard melodic deathmetal scene. This album has a great opener, I love the build up it has, and his voice is superb. Also, the violin effects, though quite evident they are VST or some low quality keyboard, it gives a sense of magic and supernatural. The harsh vocals, also very cool, they have mo...

Okay, so today I decided to go a bit off the album review pattern, and decided to embrace a topic that goes along with one of the many things that I love: Anime. But fear not, my fellow followers, this is not too much out topic. Today I will post about one of the most funny, and yet, genius anime I ever saw in recent years: Detroit Metal City. Mainly, the plot revolves around Soichi Negishi, who moved to Tokyo to chase his dream of becoming a musician playing stylish, Swedish-style pop. Instead, he finds himself leading the death metal band Detroit Metal City, or DMC, as the costumed and grotesquely made-up "demon emperor" Johannes Krauser II. Although he hates the role and the things he has to do as a member of the band, he has a definite talent for it.  The Anime is made of 12 episodes, and each episode has a length of 12 minutes or so, but each ep is so full of content that you will not believe how can anything be so rich with such a low time spam. The animat...

Darkness, Machinery and Human Disgust - 95% This review came as a request by Rachid Abdel Ghafour, the man behind Zebulon Kosted. He sent his request by e-mail, asking me if I could review his last album "You Have No Race You Have No Culture", released in June 6th, 2017. I only have good things to say about this record.  This album is, as a matter of fact, a taste of black metal of a strong flavor. This is epicurean music, and one must have a special mood to digest this. Once you get through the superficial layers of the album's structure, you can achieve the subliminal paths that Rachid wrote within this masterpiece. I gave this album two runs. One I listened while working, and the other I took my cellphone and listened with my headphones while I traveled through Lisbon, in circles, on the suburban bus. Why? Because this is an absolute tone setting album, and is better that you prepare your own setting to truly appreciate this piece of work. The a...

A beautiful album to die for - 95% This is a warning, if you are used to Blazing Eternity with growls, like I was, this isn't the album for you. This is a different kind of beast. Why such warning, you may ask? Simple. This isn't a doom metal album. But a depressive rock one. Shocker, isn't it? But wait. This is the first physical copy that I got from them. I knew what they were about and when I found this album on sale, I had to buy it (actually, it was my brother who purchased, I was only 16 at the time), and I didn't expect this. I simply adore this album, and it is a shame they didn't follow up this route and are now on hold. (at least, at the time this review was written). They did okay doom metal, they didn't bring nothing new to the mix, aside from the melancholy and sadness that is constantly present in their atmosphere. I like sad music, and they deliver in that regard. But "A World to Drown In" is a different kind of heavy. Not h...

Blackthrash with that Latin fire we all love - 85% This review came as a request by Karl L., Guitarist of the band. He approached me via e-mail, after he checked some of my reviews in Metal Archives, and asked if I could review them. I happily complied.   I gave a brief listen to their second demo "Maldita Nacion", and boy, it got me hooked.  Gotta be honest here, I have a thing for Latin American bands, due to their combination of melody and heaviness on whatever they compose metal related.  This fits the description of your typical "latinoamericano" metal. Letal Cross just drips oldschool thrash, with some cool hints of heavy, all drenched in the darkness mass that only black metal can provide.  First thing that will get to you is the vocals. They are harsh and high pitched. I can only imagine some mad men galloping on a black mare from hell, with a baseball bat, cracking heads and screaming is lungs of out of satisfaction. And that horse gal...

A very tired, forced SYL - 75% For years I digest every-freakin-thing Devin Townsend puts out into the public eye. I have an adoration for this man that almost achieves the godhood status, maybe even gay level. Both SYL and his solo projects are high quality music, and Devin has spoiled us with it. When he releases music that isn't along with his quality standards, one scratches his head in confusion. But this isn't a bad metal album, it is just... Meh  SYL is one of those bands that you can run through a full album and still consider a respin of the same album. Okay, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing is a weird one, it was their first and it is also a curious ride. With the New Black, it happened. I changed tracks. And this isn't common in a Devin Townsend album, because he likes to build albums as a whole, and make the experience as most sequential as possible.  The opener is unimpressive. It lacks the typical buildup in the past albums. The second track ...

When you step up the game on a whole music genre - 100% Shadow of Intent is an particular case.  A band that was born due to a group of young, talented individuals that love to play Halo, and decided to create a band that would pay homage to the games, and books. Their first album was more centered in the lore of the books, and this album focuses itself more on the path the Arbiter has on Halo 2.  Like Soulmass, the Dark Souls lore based band, these fellows though like to play video games, they are quite talented individuals.  The first thing a person who listens SoI for the first time must have the impression that the vocalist must have a gate of hell connected to is throat, because Ben Duerr has one of the most versatile, harsh and yet perceptive vocals I ever listened in the genre. Though sometimes he can achieve both impressive low and high notes, you can understand the lyrics without reading them, and that's something that is quite impressive. ...

Salutations! This blog was created as a source to expose my written work, either being some texts I write, written reviews that I make of videos in my youtube channel, and overhall thoughts and information that I will share with you guys, in a written platform. At this stage, I am building my various online platforms, and adapting some content to put available. But I can start to share all my channels if you want to start and support me. It would speed up my production rates quite faster. I have a Patreon profile that you can check out and offer your support. I will update my pages with given time, considering that now I am a bit coupied with University and all that stuff. I will also share my projects here in my blog, so I hope you enjoy the content that I have to share.