Similarly, the death/black scene from whence Nergal emerged has grown past the simplistic Satanic and neo-pagan obsessions of its early days - a fact exemplified by Krakow's Outre. Anchored by a drum performance that's meticulous in its blanketing assault, Hollow Earth employs eerie melodies and unsettling dischordance without losing the pure venomous speed that gave black metal's second wave its cachet. [€7 EUR]
From their earliest recordings, Entropia declared themselves explorers on the vanguard of extremity - but they've outdone themselves with their latest release. Vacuum stretches its blackened wings into post-punk and kraut rock domains, breaking up its bleak atmosphere with jangly guitars, new wave keyboards and funky drums. Rivaling Dodheimsgard for genre-blending audacity, this is the most adventurous black metal album of 2018. [€7 EUR]
With members of Dutch veterans Pentacle in its ranks, it goes without saying Lucifericon know a thing or two about death and evil. Restrained in terms of pure speed, Al-Khem-Me nonetheless is uniformly sinister in its melange of mid-paced death/black/thrash. Proof that blasphemy works without blastbeats. [€6.66 EUR]