Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Black Earth - Diagrams of A Hidden Order [Malignant Records - 2016]

‘Diagrams of A Hidden Order’ is the follow up to 2014’s well received debut cassette ‘A Cryptic Howl of Morbid Truth’. This latest release features three tracks of blackened noise, featuring elements of death and black metal and dark ambient. This is Black Earth’s first CD/digital release. The CD has been released in a limited-edition digipack of only 500 copies on Malignant Records.

Opening track ‘Mantric Resonances Along Fields of Dissolution’ is a vicious blast of lo-fi blackened noise. Brutal vocals interplay with ultra-heavy drones and some filthy, scuzzy guitars to create something not too dissimilar to blackened noise masters ‘Gnaw their Tongues’.  This track acts as a great introduction to the band.

Second track ‘Upon Labyrinths of Broken Mirrors’ is a multi-textured nightmare of dark ambient scuzz. Heavy drones intertwine with creepy samples as the track builds to nightmarish proportions before eventually fading down in preparation for the final assault. The track also features several really soundtracky synth lines buried in the mix. You really do hear something new with each listen as things weave in and out of the mist.

That final assault comes in the shape of ‘To Cloak a Nebulous Sun’ a six-and-a-half-minute track that fits somewhere between the two previous ones in terms of style.  Again, this is so layered that each subsequent listen reveals new and interesting levels of dread. Chaotic, cacophonous, and downright brutal, this is the most intense track on the album and really pushes the boundaries.

Overall, this is as brutal and chaotic an experience as one could hope for. The album runs for a mere 18 minutes, and whilst I would have liked to hear more, I can also appreciate this is as intense an experience as one can hope for.  It perhaps wouldn’t benefit from being too long as that would dilute the intensity levels. A short sharp blast of an album can often be a good thing, just remember ‘Reign in Blood’ remains the perfect brutal thrash metal record at a mere 28 minutes. This may not be the blackened noise version of that album; however, it remains a wonderful, interesting, intense, and chaotic experience.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Darren Charles
Latest Reviews

Black Earth - Diagrams of A Hidde...
‘Diagrams of A Hidden Order’ is the follow up to 2014’s well received debut cassette ‘A Cryptic Howl of Morbid Truth’. This latest release features...
241225   Wrathchild America - Climbin'...
241225   Rushab Nandha - Tear
241225   Hitcher-Hiker - Hitcher-Hiker...
231225   Devil Fetus - Devil Fetus (B...
221225   Zoltán Huszárik-1963- 1979 ...
201225   Re-Animator - Re-Animator( Bl...
191225   Venus DIE-trap - Venus DIE-tr...
191225   Coyotes - Coyotes(VOD/ Blu Ray)
181225   Various Artists - Santa Is Ro...
181225   Death Ride - Death Ride( DVD)
Latest Articles

Creepy Images Books - Killer Art
Of all the cult/exploitation genres, Giallo stands as one of the more visually & art-based- be it with the grand/ dramatic location, choreographed murder...
231225   Creepy Images Books - Killer Art
221225   Best Of 2025 - Music, Sound &...
041225   The Spectral Sounds of The Pr...
281025   Michael Hurst Interview - Unb...
071025   Xiphos - The Rise And Fall Of...
030925   Third Window Films - A Label ...
130825   HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th Apr...
250725   Raté interview - Walled-in F...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom