On their third full-length, Black Flame Eternal, Cloak explore a nuanced blend of melodic black metal and black 'n' roll, echoing their previous work but with subtle shifts. The album maintains a dark, gothic atmosphere, primarily conveyed through melodic guitar lines and vocal variety, ranging from whispers and clean singing to choirs and spoken passages. The melodic side leans toward a more riff-centric approach akin to Dissection rather than the playful vibe of their earlier work reminiscent of Wormwitch, Tribulation, and Slægt. Cloak adeptly weave disparate influences, incorporating hints of acoustic folk and traditional heavy metal, as well as pummeling D-beat rhythms and outbursts of fierce riffage and blackened shrieks. Black Flame Eternal stands out as well-crafted melodic black metal with a strong gothic feel, skillfully navigating between atmosphere and aggression, but there's another reason why you should give it a listen as soon as possible: once Tom G. Warrior’s realizes that his unmistakable signature sound has been used, this album may be banned from the (digital) shelves before Cloak's Scott Tysom can yell 'Ugh!' into the microphone even one more time.

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Malokarpatan are never willing to divulge whether they’re writing for a giallo score or a woodland ritual or a gig opening for Mercyful Fate. It’s up to you to figure out whether you’re supposed to be hypnotized or perturbed, rocking along or burning something. That’s a lot of the fun: the many flavors of keyboard push the band from the evil to the ecclesiastical from one song to the next, with the speed-freak drum fills and ancient NWOBHM riffs zipping back in to remind you about your obligations to evil before you get too comfortable spacing out in the world’s weirdest-smelling art museum. Malokarpatan is one of those rare bands that can capture a distinct retro flavor without sounding like a tribute: first-wave black metal it sounds like, but in Malokarpatan’s own obscure, warped, and horror-addled fashion.

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Krystl-Ah is a doom-laden dive into a world of the occult, with an atmosphere of mysticism that is ever-present and fully enveloping. Sounding like a collaboration of Schammasch and Cult Of Fire with Wolvennest, it is impossible not be carried away by its multiple sonic layers, the choir of fallen angels, the wailing lead guitars, the ritualistic aura, the psychedelic and distantly Pink Floyd-esque feel, and the general mood of the album that feels ominous and beautiful at the same time. Mephorash were onto something remarkable with Shem Ha Mephorash, but Krystl-Ah is lifting the band even higher toward the realm of pioneering creativity, being a meditative ceremony of out-of-the-box black metal brilliance.

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Noise, the one man mastermind behind Non Est Deus, Kanonenfieber, and Leiþa, shouldn't need any further introduction by now. With his fourth release under his initial project, Noise has taken the stories of the Old Testament and removed God from them. So instead of people getting saved by angels, horror and despair befall upon them, they get raped and murdered, and the Ark is sunk. With such sinister lyrics, delivered with anger and disgust, this is still some highly melodic black metal full of memorable riffs, making the album sound both uplifting and bleak at the same time. Even though they're often compared to Mgła, it's high time to praise Non Est Deus on its own merits, as this is one of the most enjoyable albums of 2023.

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Here's some of the most exhilarating meloblack of the highest standard released in 2023, brought to you by a band Sworn to take you on A Journey Told Through Fire. This is the Norwegian meloblack band's fourth full-length (and arguably best) release to date. Brimming with mesmerizing atmospheric interludes, enchanting cosmic soundscapes, memorably epic riff melodies, captivating songwriting, and a devilishly outstanding all-round performance, this latest offering by Sworn has all the makings of a modern meloblack classic, and will surely help this remarkable band gain the recognition they truly deserve.

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Coinciding with the band's 35th anniversary, The Crimson Temple sees Varathron pushing even further into the melodic path they've been walking for nearly two decades; while still sitting at the border between black metal that's melodic and melodic black metal, this one feels like it took a deciding step towards the latter. Rawness and gnarl remain, but the riffing sounds almost Iron Maiden-inspired at times, the synths and chants are properly orchestral, and folk melodies ornament the music. The melodies themselves somehow manage to strike a balance between being upbeat, intricate, and enchanting.

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For a long time, there was widespread prejudice against American black metal; it was seen as inauthentic, imitative, tawdry. Metal fans have long since moved past that mindset on the whole, but even with all the outstanding black metal artists who have emerged from the United States over the decades, it is still rare to come across any who evoke the natural landscapes of their homelands the way Scandinavian metal bands are so well-known for, and so often that is a crucial element of building both personality and credibility within a black metal context. Wayfarer is the proud champion of black metal that embraces the unique history, geography, and culture of the American West: the mountains, the plains, the covered wagons, and the cattle trains. Infusions of country/western music strengthen the roots of these dark clouds looming over Colorado territory. This is a new kind of national epic: the kind of black metal Washington Irving could be proud of: a new American Gothic.

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