If you’ve been with the Black Metal Archives since we first crawled out of the abyss nearly a year ago, you’ll know why I started this thing of ours. It wasn’t for the clout, and it certainly wasn’t for the endless stream of PR emails now flooding my inbox — though who the fuck complains about free music?
No, the original spark behind this site was to give a spotlight to those bands and artists who are truly independent. The ones so far underground they’re basically tunnelling toward the molten core of the Earth. The ones clawing their way through obscurity with nothing but sheer will and a handful of riffs sharp enough to draw blood.
The mission has stayed the same, even if the site has grown. The underground is still the heart and soul of this place, and every so often I get a record that reminds me why I do it in the first place. Agony Grimoire by Blood Howl is one of those records.
Now, I’ve covered Blood Howl before, and I’ll be upfront: I’m already a fan. But there’s always that small fear when you press play on a new release — will they still hit the same way, or will they stumble trying to chase something different? With Agony Grimoire, there’s no stumble, no hesitation. This record does nothing but solidify my love for what Blood Howl brings to the table.
What you get here is a fantastic slice of Black Metal that strikes the balance between raw chaos and deliberate craft. The production is exactly where it needs to be: grim and abrasive enough to feel authentic, but not so muddy that the riffs dissolve into static. Every tremolo-picked passage slices through like a serrated blade, every blast beat lands with the force of a hammer, and the slower, heavier sections drag like chains being pulled across a dungeon floor.
The real weapon here, though, is atmosphere. Blood Howl doesn’t just write songs — he conjures environments. One moment you’re caught in a whirlwind of fury, riffs flying at you like shrapnel, the next you’re buried under a suffocating wall of sound so heavy it feels ritualistic. It’s Black Metal that remembers it’s not just about aggression; it’s about evoking something primal and unsettling.
The vocals deserve special mention. They don’t just scream — they tear. This isn’t the sound of someone putting on a performance; it’s the howl of a tortured soul, the kind of raw-throated delivery that makes you believe every word was dragged out of a wound. It’s unpolished, ugly, and absolutely perfect for the atmosphere Blood Howl is summoning.
What makes Agony Grimoire stand out in a crowded underground is that it manages to be both varied and cohesive. Too many one-man projects fall into the trap of monotony, every track blurring into the next. Not here. There’s speed and fury, there’s weight and dread, and the record knows when to switch gears before one mood overstays its welcome. It feels alive, shifting and writhing as it unfolds.
This isn’t Black Metal meant for pristine polish. This is music meant to wound, to scar, to remind you why this genre crawled out of the grave in the first place.
At the end of the day, Agony Grimoire is everything I look for when I dive into the underground: passion, rage, and an uncompromising vision. Blood Howl is the real deal, and if you’re sleeping on this project, you’re missing out on one of the most exciting voices in the shadows right now.
Agony Grimoire is available now from Bandcamp.
CHOICE CUT: Anemoia
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5
RATING SYSTEM
- 0: Fucking Shit
- 1: Shit
- 2: Not Bad Shit
- 3: Pretty Good Shit
- 4: Amazing Fucking Shit
- 5: The Best Shit You Will Ever Hear
