The final days of May greet us with a plentitude of releases by both new and esteemed bands. Once again, the darker regions of the genre supply a set of high-quality releases. The stream of anticipated albums won’t let up for the rest of the month but for now this little selection shall do. More is to come in the next issue of Metal in May.
Deathspell Omega – The Furnaces of Palingenesia
Three years after the impetuous Synarchy of Molten Bones, black metal revolutionaries Deathspell Omega return with The Furnaces of Palingenesia. Putting aside the social media outrage over the supposed fascist progaganda in the lyrics, The Furnaces of Palingenesia presents itself as a curious entry to the band’s discography. Less abrasive and by-the-numbers than Synarchy of Molten Bones, the album features less chaos, more songwriting and the best mix of any Deathspell album to date. Understandably so, considering the album was recorded live in the studio.
Misþyrming – Algleymi
Four years ago, Söngvar elds og óreiðu catapulted Misþyrming to the top of both the icelandic scene and black metal in general. For years the band had been playing new material live, so it was strange for the album to take this long to come out. As founding member D.G. recently revealed, the album had to be recorded from scratch after the initial recordings turned out to be unsalvageable. But the wait was worth it, Algleymi proves that the success of Misþyrming was not a fluke. More ambitious and memorable than its predecessor, Algleymi is sure to conquer many top lists of 2019.
Gaahl’s Wyrd – GastiR – Ghosts Invited
Known for his contributions to Gorgoroth and God Seed among others, Gaahl now debuts a new project with Gaahl’s Wyrd. Channeling late 2000s Enslaved influences, the music on GastiR – Ghosts Invited is a mix of progressive and melodic black metal. With harsh and clean vocals and everything in between, Gaahl adds a versatile voice to the music.
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