We're excited to announce the proud return of a Terminus tradition- a carefully crafted, thematic episode that TDMG ruins with a random grind record. Who would have thought? Before we dive into two contrasting takes on traditional French black metal, TDMG regales us with the tale of Thai grinders Smallpox Aroma's debut full-length, a sub-20 minute record of blistering, oldschool grindcore with a technical edge and instrumental performances worthy of involuntary psychiatric commitment.
Over in Europe, though, things are different, starting with the return of the mighty Nécropole (sure, it was released in the last week of 2022, but who's counting?) The half decade since the band's debut record has tempered the style into something colder and more remote but no less ferocious and mystical. Nécropole finds a fine midpoint between the more technical work seen by Orthodox-influenced artists and the chivalric storming of the Antiq bands, making for a record kingly in its disposition but wolflike in its execution.
On the other side is Heresie, a young band reaching toward the traditions of French black metal ruralism but with the added bite of early Graveland and some of the meanest edges of the second wave. Deliberately primitive songs thrive on the high contrast of bloodthirsty aggression and aching longing while bass guitar freely floats around the stark, rewilded soundscape. Heresie finds itself in a strange place, somewhere between Pagan Hellfire and primitive CDr black metal of the 00s, but presents itself with a clarity of vision very few can achieve.
0:00:00 - Intro/Smallpox Aroma - Festering Embryos of Logical Corruption (Inhuman Assault Productions)
0:14:30 - Nécropole - Yoga (Northern Heritage)
1:11:57 - Interlude - Lutomysl - “Без вогню провідної зорі (Without the Light of the Guiding Star)” fr. Ecce Homo (2018, Drakkar Productions)
1:18:03 - Heresie - Heresie (France Black Death Grind)
2:01:42 - Outro - Graveland - “The Dark Battlefield” fr. Thousand Swords (Lethal Records, 1995)
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