1) Arđ - Take Up My Bones

Release Date: 2/18/2022 | Label: Prophecy Productions | Genre: Atmospheric Doom Metal

Arđ is a one-man project spearheaded by Winterfylleth’s Mark Deeks. Take Up My Bones is the band’s debut full-length, and it is a spectacularly fresh take on the doom metal genre. According to the Bandcamp page, Deeks describes the band’s sound as “Monastic Northumbrian Doom,” a description that accurately captures the atmosphere invoked by the vocal style and instrumentation heard herein. Choral chanting makes up the majority of the vocals on this album, which lends itself to the deeply sorrowful and guilt-ridden vibe created by the dark Medieval Christian themes. Musically, Take Up My Bones effectively contrasts both sides of the dynamic range to give the soft sections a deep sense of introspection and mystery, and the heavy sections an overwhelming feeling of cathartic release. Boughs Of Trees, the record’s instrumental track, is a perfect example of this with its central piano theme that builds up into a cascading climax that is accented by cello and tremolo-picked guitar leads. Take Up My Bones is an impressive debut for Arđ, and one that should definitely be considered essential listening for metal in 2022 so far.

Full review: https://www.mountainofmetal.com/ard-take-up-my-bones-review/

2) Shape of Despair - Return to the Void

Release Date: 2/25/2022 | Label: Season of Mist | Genre: Funeral Doom Metal

Finnish funeral doom masters, Shape of Despair, return to drag listeners back down into the depths with Return to the Void. Ever since their debut in 2000 this band has been putting out some of the most soul-crushing music in the funeral doom genre, with the more recent releases being the best of their career. 2015’s Monotony Fields was one of the best records of that year, and now Return to the Void follows it up with a slightly more condensed and refined approach. All of the usual elements to the band’s sound are present on this release, with devastating rhythm guitars and bass, monolithic drums, bellowing growls, and ethereal singing to top it off. The songwriting here is compelling and evocative, as Shape of Despair are experts at conveying feelings of dread and misery through their craft. While this release isn’t quite as gripping as Monotony Fields was, it is still a worthy successor and one of the best releases of the month.

3) Pure Wrath - Hymn to the Woeful Hearts

Release Date: 2/18/2022 | Label: Debemur Morti Productions | Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Pure Wrath is a one-man atmospheric black metal band from Indonesia that has released its third full-length with Hymn to the Woeful Hearts. Ryo, the band’s sole proprietor, takes a more streamlined approach to the genre, as the atmosphere is built with layers of guitar rather than relying on keyboards and other embellishments. This works well within the scope of the album because it helps the keyboards and orchestrations feel more substantial and intentional when they are used. The production on this record fits the style perfectly as well, as the guitar tone strikes a balance between fullness and high-end fizz that allows the mix to feel dense without sacrificing the washed out sound that is essential to the genre. Ryo’s screams on this release are another highlight, as his voice seethes with the anguish and agony that he is expressing through his art. Hymn to the Woeful Hearts is a sublime example of atmospheric black metal that is filled with the striking melodies and heartfelt passion that makes it one of February's best releases.

4) Sepulchral - From Beyond the Burial Mound

Release Date: 2/25/2022 | Label: Soulseller Records | Genre: Death Metal

For those who prefer their metal to leave atmosphere and emotion aside in favor of no-frills brutal riffing and straightforward songwriting, Sepulchural’s From Beyond the Burial Mound is the record for you. Acting as the band’s debut full-length, this release is a stripped back affair full of bone-grinding riffs that are crusted over with a healthy dose of HM-2. The guitar tone on this thing is absolutely filthy, especially at the lower end of its range where it becomes an impenetrable barricade of murky sludge. Even though the formula here is basic, this record remains interesting across its 40-minute runtime by throwing surprising curve balls into the frenzy to keep listeners engaged. Many of these songs contain shifting tempo changes and jarring transitions between riffs that keep the energy going throughout. Sepulchral’s From Beyond the Burial Mound is a banger of an album that brings out the best of the death metal genre.

5) Vorga - Striving Toward Oblivion

Release Date: 2/4/2022 | Label: Transcending Obscurity Records | Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal

Yet another full-length debut on this list, Vorga’s Striving Toward Oblivion is an atmospheric black metal journey through the dark depths of space. Much like the aforementioned Pure Wrath record, this release relies on a dense array of guitar layers to create its atmosphere. This time, though, there are no keyboards to be found. Instead, Vorga adorns their instruments with a natural warmth that allows the overall mix to feel like a cloud of solar plasma where nothing sticks out distinctly. The band draws obvious inspiration from cosmic black metal trendsetter, Mare Cognitum, which can be heard in the production style and approach to songwriting. Most notably is the way that these tracks implement chunky palm-muted riffs, which is not an obvious facet of atmo-black. Frequently topping off the band’s sound is a meandering guitar lead that provides the compositions with an additional layer of harmonic interest. While the riffs tend to feel a bit too repetitive and formulaic at times, the hazy totality of these elements together still make for an engaging listening experience. Vorga has definitely started off strong with this debut.

Written for The Metalheads Podcast by Joshua Landau