Season Of Mist

It would be a waste of time to spent my time and energy in writing a biography / discography about one of Portugal’s best known and most notorious bands. Personally, I do follow Corpus Christii as from their debut Saeculum Domini, more than two decades ago (though, I admit that I do not have all of their releases in my collection (yet), apparently). And now they have returned with a ninth full-length album after signing to Immortal Frost Productions, a Flemish label with a limited yet enormously cool roster.

About nine years ago, two friends joined forces under the banner of Lichtblick. In 2015, founding members M. and A. and newly recruited musicians J. and D. recorded and released their debut, i.e. the independently released EP Feel Free To Lose Your Life. Some line-up changes happened, but with a renewed stable line-up, Lichtblick released their first full-length in 2018. Phrenesis too was independently released by the band itself.

I won’t go too deep at all into this band’s biography / discography, because you do know this Italian act for sure (in two years, these guys will celebrate their three decades of existence!), and it would bring me too far. I’ll go to the content immediately, and this time it deals with a compilation, actually, i.e. a collection of new and live tracks gathered as Rustworn.

Introduction: after a very long time of abyssal emptiness and silentium, Muert finally come back with a fourth full-length album; the first new studio release after 2017’s Ye Canariae Abezan (released via the mighty and quite ‘old’ Dutch Extreme Metal label Hammerheart Records).

Despite having some Gotmoor members in its ranks, it would be too easy (and incorrect) to consider Darkest Mind as a side-project of aforementioned top-act. The story started in 2014 or so, when Yuri ‘Y’ started this outfit as a solo-expression of the ideas he had. Actually, he wasn’t part of Gotmoor’s line-up yet, back then, which proves my former statement (about the ‘side-project’-thing).

When it comes to the name ‘Gurthang’ in terms of Tolkien worship, I won’t go too deep into the matter this time. ‘Gurthang’ was a legendary sword owned by Túrin Turambar, hero and protagonist in a tragic story – but even-though I am a dedicated Tolkien-fan, this review does not deal with the great books of that writer.

I know that Sentient Ruin Laboratories do not release catchy or poppy stuff, and once again this Californian label figuratively hits, and crushes, my (beautifully-shaped) skull with a rusty pickaxe. Resigner is the name of that rabid monster, that unleashed vehicle by one-man-army 8 Hour Animal.

I will not go too deep within this Flemish band’s history this time; I’d rather like to refer to one of the reviews I did write for their former full-length releases – see below for the links on Burden (Satanath Records, 2015) and Bleakness (Symbol Of Domination Productions, 2018). So, I will go almost immediately to the aural content of this newest effort by this act from Antwerp-based soil. But first a small introduction…

The Nordic-styled genre might be one of the most ‘popular’ subgenres within the Black Metal scene (with exception of some pathetic semi-commercial Pop-Black trends, which make me puke’n’vomit; but that’s another story). Nordic-oriented Black Metal has its origins within the Second Wave and somehow remained true to the roots of the ‘general’ Black Metal scene.

Belgium in general (and Flanders more specific) might not be that ‘huge’ as, let’s say, Norway, the U.S., Poland, Sweden or Botswana when it comes to ‘true’ or ‘orthodox’ Black Metal. However, this country houses so many excellent acts for sure. That’s the case right now, as it was in the past. It would be a stupid thing to sum up all bands and projects that deserve to be mentioned, but as part of that (unlimited) list, Thronum Vrondor must be added for sure.