Arx Atrata is a name not known to me until recently and I yearn to know it very well now. Stumbling upon The Path Untraveled, I am left in awe. Though I have yet to delve into the previous two albums, this newest release also sets me down a path, of exploration and discovery. Atmospheric. Blackened. Frost laden. Every track within this album is sorrowfully stunning.
You know the best part of this album? The final track is aptly named The Wraith, which is a term I use to refer to black metal artists in general. 'Tis a sign, I tell you. And yes, it is a stellar track. I honestly have a hard time picking a favorite on this album. Each piece offers something I enjoy. Along with the CD and its haunting boreal artwork, I could not resist obtaining and doning the bone-coloured Wraith shirt. I have to carry the Metal beckon in this remote land I wander, for there are so many who do not appreciate the sounds within such albums.
As for the track breakdown, it begins with MCMLXXVII *nods in approval of the numeral usage*. This is the intro leading into To Be Reborn although separated and allows the track to work with or without it. Thundering off with power, To Be Reborn does not stop nor is there any specific point I can recommend to point out since the whole damn track offers something astounding in each second. The only available upload so far, An Undying Verse thrums into existence and shortly goes to work. The chorus in the track has to be one of my favorites, the vocals and instruments work so well together, each complementing one another. Next up, The Untraveled Path. Flowing back and forth between instruments and vocals being prominent, this beyond ten minute track showcase the prowess of this artist. As for the next track, which may have my favorite opening, Elmet emerges with the sweet melody of a fire crackling, birds chirping, and the sweet allure of a guitar. The entire track rises and falls with wicked energy however from 7:18 to the end is utterly enthralling. Second to last, Brethren and Betrayer lulls you in with a piano before sundering the air and not slowing until the end where it returns to where it began. I'd say the intro into the first portion of vocals is what always hooks me with this track. Lastly, we have The Wraith. Setting off with drums followed by intense guitar work, this track gallops and grows, assailing you with no escape. Over ten minutes as well, I found this track to catch me the most. There is a portion that is familiar yet I cannot remember what it reminds me of and it leaves me agitated but excited for more listens and causing me to chase back into my collection for answers. This track has some killer guitar work in it and the structure is fantastic. A mighty track to end such a riveting album.
An awesome album to usher in the end of October. Give Arx Atrata a listen as the cold creeps in and you stare out the window, haunted by The Path Untravelled before you. /,,/

​https://arxatrata.bandcamp.com/album/the-path-untravelled

D'un Autre Temps... another time where humanity is about to cease to exist, no longer to reign over this world. Nos Memoires is a magnificent album, a wonder and a surprise find. Atmospheric Black Metal brought by and enigmatic artist from the depths of Canada. I don't know much french so this is about the extent of what I can tell you however listen to this album and you will fully understand the allure and gravity of this concept. Starting off with Vers Notre Perte should be enough to hook you yet the next track, Entre Deux Mondes, holds equal power and will only magnify the briliance of this artis. 
Let this week be haunted by the remnants of a time where we are all but lost, ghosts of time when we were giants. Stay tuned next week for something particularly wicked. /,,/
​https://apileofgraves.bandcamp.com/album/nos-m-moires

Due to unforeseen events, my entire routine has been disturbed leaving me unable to post some sweet, sweet metal for this now metal less Monday (not to mention the Weebly app was very frustrating and not allowing me to even post a simple update). It only compounds the current strain from this wicked upheaval yet it is temporary so let us each revisit old favorites, those tracks that serenade us when in troubled waters. I shall list a few gems below to at least satiate your appetite and perhaps rekindle the embers of yore.
​
Gwynbleidd - Amaranthine EP (All Four Tracks)
Be’Lakor - Aspect
​Wayfarer - Skysong
Agalloch - Bloodbirds
​Falls of Rauros - Banished

These tracks will call to you, hold you until my return, and upon it I shall deliver a splendor of material. /,,/

Overworked and no longer plague ridden, I return! (Yes, I fixed the roman numerals from my walking death state last week).
With a new week comes new metal and this week is in dire need of some fury. Wandering down on a cold wild from the mountains of Canada, Arctos brings a piercing chill to these dark halls. Beyond The Grasp Of Mortal Hands has been unleashed and we are in need of this melodic black metal beast to shake summers wretched grip loose and usher in autumn with a proper wail from these looming wraiths.
Though I am recovered and back to normal I am horribly behind on many things which means I have to cut this post short. However, Arctos doesn't need my mad ramblings to effectively draw you in, no it has it's own wild call that is powerful and shattering. This weeks showcase will be the fitting and fiendish track called Autumn's Herald...Interitus. Out the gate this track is wicked good and keeps you hooked all the way to the end with impressive guitar work, riveting vocal, and some surprising atmospheric/melodic components to fire things up. Yet, a few notable tracks to check out are The Light Beyond The Sky (The Passage II) and The Ancestors Path (both beginning and ends are super strong to this album) but check out the beginning and end run of A Realm Beyond for some slick work.
Overall, I heavily enjoy this find and welcome Arctos to this place any time, keeping my clawed fingers crossed that they produce more in the years to come. So, allow Arctos and their dark fury to bring a cold wind to your week, a metal album so strong I believe it actually forced summer to flee. /,,/

I am afflicted by some blight and am left weak and tired so I must keep this short. This week we have the enigmatic, blood wraith Erythrite Throne. Vampyric Burial Shroud is but a black step to climb on the mountain of releases this artist has unfurled. The showcase track for this week will be the haunting and wicked piece called Ancient Vampyric Burial Rites which should leave you in awe and horror...beckoning for more. I am sad to not be able to give this week more effort but I am overworked and sick from some unknown source. All the more reason I need to find that apprentice. Perhaps, this weeks showcase piece will offer me a solution to my affliction, perhaps indeed a blood ritual is needed to correct my waning bond. We shall see if I return next week... /,,/

As the first autumn wind blows there comes a howl on the wind, a cold chill from Ukraine known as Eskapism. Hailing from a place I have come to love for their black metal prowess, Eskapism echoes through the dank, dark halls of my crypt, resonating out into the lands abound, wailing across the plains like a wraith.
This week we listen to Ancient Songs Of The Wind, an eight track gale that will leave you clamoring for warmth as it leaves your body wracked with hoarfrost and wind scars. As that sweet, sweet album art implies, this is a mountainous release, one to be weathered and scaled by those familiar to the blackened trees that await, yet those that reach that dark peak will hear the ancient song of the wind and see the lost land.
As I am a sucker for birds and the freedom they possess, the first track Revival starts simple yet rises and soars through the air, changing pace at 5:40 to lull you back in with a beautiful atmospheric portion before shattering the sky at 6:30 with the a wail and riveting guitar work before coming to a close. Moving onto our showcase trask, The Last Words Of The Wind, Eskapism kicks it off and keeps a wicked pace throughout until 2:25 when a howl transforms the track, strings stirring the air, with spoken words to follow building into a return to pace at 3:52 yet at 4:32 it morphs, swelling and surging into a magnificent end to one powerful track. Autumn Sorrow (which is really the song of the day) starts off with a whimsical wind and tune before beginning the sorrow song at 1:12 until 5:43 when it really sets in with weight and wonder through the end. The Cold Breath Of North is a furious incarnation, a damnable blizzard of a track. Survive from 1:46 to 2:55 and you might as well be a frost fiend for doing so. Next, Dead Willow kicks off with a mighty beginning in both vocals and instruments immediately pulling you in for a listen. When you get to 1:23 (and you will) then steel yourself for what lays ahead as these wood wraiths lure you in with even more impressive work until 3:06 when it surges and grows even stronger. Yep, 7:20 of a wild ride. After surviving that track it's no wonder we end up in a Lost Land. I don't care what you do but listen to this piece. Hands down it will hook you, swallow you like a maelstrom, shatter your body and have you crawling back for more. Make it until 5:24 and then... JUST LET IT GO! /,,/ (Cheat and go to 6:32 if you really want the goods). One of the most astounding parts of the entire album and that scream at 7:27 is epic /,,/. Yeah, I know, this album is something else and by this point I am amazed you made it but we still have two more to go and you can't quit now. De Planctu Naturae (The Complaint of Nature) is an unfamiliar term to me yet, as usual, the clever Metal artists once again teach me something new. If you are intrigued about the origin then do like into it. This piece contains the last amount of thundering weight before calming and dissipating with Wind From Niflheim. Oddly, Niflheim is a word I do so recognize being enthralled by the old Norse ways and tales. It is a fitting, frigid track to leave on with such a powerful album, showing the creativity and ability of this artist. 
Well, now that we are all properly exhausted by Eskapism, it is time we let this week be owned by Ancient Songs Of The Wind, carrying the words and wisdom of old to help guide us through these chaotic times. Travel fare, soar strongly, and fly mad this week. /,,/
​https://eskapism.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-songs-of-the-wind

Got too much to say so there will be an audio bonus for this Monday showcase. I know, it is as rare as that recent micro harvest moon we witnessed yet aren't all of the best things wild and unexpected? 
Though, I thought "The Siberian Summer" was already ending per my collection this 2019 run, I find myself quite shocked (and elated) to showcase yet another band hailing from the cold reaches of Russia. Through The Spatial Dimensions is a very recent find and has left me just as astounded as Path, Grima, and Ultar have left me. To be honest, I am surprised I survived either the heat of summer or the frigid Metal from Russia, both assailing me for months with fury and relentless energy. Yet, as the summer relinquishes its grip, another wraith looms from the cold timber, wailing and calling me to listen.
Through The Spatial Dimensions is black metal up front yet laying within each track is a haunting atmospheric quality that is used in a beautiful way. Right out the gate, ...Under The Moonlight thunders into the cold fog of the swamps as witches congregate for their master (4:09 marks an epic atmospheric build up). Somewhere Without Time follows with an unstoppable pace that tells of a place beyond where those before may remain. Rites of Contempt thrums in with powerful drums and guitarwork and sets off with a brutal pace momentarily, the song riddled with pain and desolation, continuing throughout with impressive spots of atmosphere and instrumentation use. Wisdom of Old Forest immediately grabbed my attention without even playing it, thinking on our beloved and frequent artist of old, Old Forest. Thought not as atmospheric, this track is rife with clever words such as "Lucifire" and usage of "the morning star." It's got some wicked cool lyrics and a devilish pace. As the sweet release comes, a soul takes flight upon the back of an ebony beast into the stars and hidden realms beyond (2:58-4:00 is a solid atmospheric portion worth a listen) all encompassed within a track called Flying Away Into The Reign of Destiny. In Dominion of Eternal Silence is vocally impressive throughout and tells of cold recesses that are never ending and ever holding. Lastly, Tissues Of The Shadows warns of a firey end, of screaming damnation, and how it all turns to ash. About 1:09 to 1:52 is a wild combo of vocals and instrumentation while 2:50 comes back with wails and keys that really set the mood setting us for the epic end of this track, the album, and the end of world. /,,/
Solid Metal to end this final week of "The Siberian Summer" leading us into the next phase, more awaiting us on the horizon. Keep listening, read the words, and let the madness take you. /,,/
​https://throughthespatialdimensions.bandcamp.com/album/through-the-spatial-dimensions

https://apileofgraves.bandcamp.com/
​Check these out^

...Under The Moonlight
​
Wandering in the swamps under the moonlight,
I see the stars light up in the sky.
One by one - Eyes of emptiness,
Flicker in darkness Like frozen tears.
Cold water surface,Reflecting the sky,
Is disturbedBy the breath of the wind.
Under the mourning moonlight, Ripples sparkle,
Covered with a glare of stars Taking away the warmth of the passing day, the fog is smoothly drifting over cooled ground cold stones as a downy carpet, covering swamps with grey blanket. The fire flared up in the forest afar.
One by one along the starry sky witches as shadows flock together to it.
To twirl in diabolical dance under the moon. To hold orgies on the wet grass under the cover of fog stunning the forest.
The horned master, frozen in dark, takes their souls

A feeling
The weight of pain
That piecing flame
Searing ones spine

An old friend
Visiting once more
Summoned by folly
To teach once more

Wallowing
Torn by being driven
Injured with a want
Laying broken on the floor

It is imperative
Regardless of damage
To stay afloat
Stoking the coals yourself

Let not fear
Deter the journey
Threat and danger
Will find their way

Rest a moment
Staring from the cave
Hobbling in the dark
For this is temporary

Gaze upon earth
Trees battered by storms
Rocks cut by streams
Water frozen solid

Ruin is the gateway
The path of strength
Weather it
And be renewed

Immortalised In Death is in honor of a fallen brother of band Deadwood Lake and it as album of sorrow yet of love. The instrumentation, work, and energy brought together in this album shows how much these wandering wraiths cared for person so dear to them. We would all be so fortunate to have individuals like these in our lives. I may not know the relation however I understand the lengths I would go for a select few, those that have impacted my life or emboldened it by their presence alone.
Deadwood Lake is new to my collection but have already grabbed my attention and impressed me beyond expectation with this release. I would assume any who wander this site have most likely known deep sorrow, deep loss, for it binds those lost souls to one another, calls them to seek one another, if not for a moment. So, I say this, give this album your attention, at least a few select tracks, because Deadwood Lake too knows how impossible of a whole it is to fill from the likes of someone this important, a person whose energy is now returned to the black earth. 
To be fair, and I keep saying this lately (because I keep finding absolutely stellar Metal), that the every track on this album is great. However, in a row, I feel the best bits are tracks 3 through 6. Immortalised In Death starts off with spoken words tells of the theme of the album before kicking off with utterly enchanting guitar work and vocals. Followed up by Guidance (my favorite), starts off very melodic and heavy yet it is nothing compared to the later part (start at 3:04 but keep your eye on 3:20 which is when the guitar work and vocals explode together into a riveting portion). My Ashes Will Remain will hook you as you listen (especially if you read the lyrics) pulling you along, singing and strumming as a soul escape the embers. Alone I Fly begins with elegant guitar work until it thunders into the sky, unyielding in its power in pursuit of a lost brother. As for the other tracks, Visions From The Faded Years has some of my favorite work from 2:33 to 3:27 (build up), while The March Of Time will pull you in from 1:50 to 3:27 with brilliant guitar work. Drowning Reality has a chorus and verse portion that will leave you haunted. Lastly, the last two minutes of Vigils harbors a gem of an outro and breakdown.
It is an honor to showcase a band such as Deadwood Lake. Immortalised In Death leaves this week to be one of remembrance and to honor those lost to us along this journey on earth. Here are some horns for those who can no longer throw them up /,,/ /,,/ /,,/
​https://deadwoodlake.bandcamp.com/album/immortalised-in-death

Not sure what's going on in Russia but the metal creeping into my collection this year has been astounding. I think I am dubbing this summer "The Siberian Summer" since I have spent a good portion of it listening to Grima, Path, and now... ULTAR! First off, big thanks to Maxim Sysoev (https://www.instagram.com/max_ultar/) for his like on my silly little Grima album clip I had posted. I checked out his bio on a whim and curiosity lead me to PANTHEON MMXIX. Without that single gesture, I may have been oblivious to an artist that has now left me in awe, reeling in my car with busted speakers and shattered ear drums from cranking this masterpiece as high as I could get it.
Now, the album name leaves you wondering what may lie within, well let me tell you: A blackened, thundering creation with looming Lovecraftian creations and mountainous shrieks. I have been saying this lately (and it is wholly true) that I can select any track on this album for a showcase piece and be utterly pleased. The first track I had listened to was Worms. Slow and simple to start, this track builds and builds into a monstrous, wailing monolith. Au Seuil is what I can only describe as an ominous horror creeping ever closer until it is upon. An atmospheric giant of a track. This leads into Beyond The Wall Of Sleep and keeps that haunting presence and weight as it winds and wanders with strength and sorrow. Laying at the end is Swarm. Equally powerful in pace and lyrics, this track flutters and then fires into a hellish ride. At 3:45 is one wild wail that bears a single screech that sets into the remaining track with a fury and leaves you awestruck. 
No, I did not forget about the first three tracks, I'm just being weird in my appreciation. Father Dagon kicks off this album (epic video below) with lapping waves that harbor a mother and father within, seeking guidance and answers. The guitar work and vocals alone would hook and drown any willing to listen, dragging them into the watery deeps of ULTAR. And there it is, the showcase track selected due to its overall pace, intro, and for leaving me wanting after each listen for another. Shub-Niggurath. Right out the gate this track means business and does not let up until the very end, pulling you along with great vocal range and amazing guitar work. However, there still remains Yog-Sothoth, the track that almost was the showcase as well. It still is one of my top favorites yet it is a slower burn in the beginning, amassing into a ten minute long (one of my weaknesses is lenghty tracks) work with a sundering effect. About 5:45 it begins to build into another range, beckoning you for more as the vocals build and swell. But! 8 minute mark on, you better turn that dial up and prepare your bones to be turned to dust once it kicks into gear.
I cannot say enough about Ultar, this album, and even the lone band member that caused such a huge impact on me. Their work and love shows by how well designed this album turned out. If I had to pick an album of the year, I would give it ULTAR for PANTHEON MMXIX. Magnificient work! Now, let us listen to this album as we tackle this week with seven songs of immense power, one for every day of the week! /,,/
​https://ultar.bandcamp.com/album/pantheon-mmxix