Time Signature Oppressive light...

Genre: black metal

French black metallers Moonreich strike back with another barrage of black metal mayhem. As with their previous releases, while a lot of black metal is raw or atmospheric, Moonreich represent the more brutal variety of black metal.

Thus, "Terribilis Est Locus Este" offers one onslaught after another of blastbeat-accompanied brutal guitar figures with harsh vocals on top. Also, while a lot of black metal is characterized by a fuzzy and atmospheric production applied to primitive tremolo-picked figures, Moonreich's music on this release has much more definition and substance to it. The production is pretty clear and has a brutal low end, and this goes very well together with the fact that Moonreich on more than one occasion make use of defined riffage - a lot of which ventures into death metal territory.

Fast and brutal black metal "Terribilis Est Locus Iste" should appeal to fans of Mayhem, Svartjern, and Tsjuder as well as the more blackened of the blackened death metal bands our there.

Time Signature Slay the prophet...

Genre: black metal

Belonging to the more brutal end of the black metal genre, French metallers Moonreich's latest EP "Curse Them" is a lesson in pure black metal evil.

There are blastbeats galore on this album accompanied by plenty of tremolo picking and tense harmonies - so the black metal genre conventions are definitely observed on this release. But, in terms of production, the sound, while displaying the coldness that characterizes black metal in general, there is more of a brutal edge to it, and Moonreich have also opted for a sound that is not characterized by underproduction. In addition to the production, and a lot of the riffage itself, the vocals constitute an important generator of brutality, as they are closer to growling than your typical black metal screaming.

While brutal and aggressive, Moonreich do incorporate a considerable amount of melodic into their music, and the title track also also features some sludge-like elements not unlike Glorior Belli's recent releases. It should be mentioned that the most melodic tune of the EP is a cover track in which Moonreich offer their own spin on deathrockers Chirstian Death's 'Deathwish'.

Fans of more brutal black metal acts like Tsjuder and Svarttjern as well as Glorior Belli should definitely check out this EP.