Ahh, black metal. One of the most intense and hardcore genres in the metal universe right behind death metal, but awesome in plenty of cases nonetheless. And right here is one of my absolute favorite black metal albums to come from anywhere across the globe of this year. “The Second Age” from the Australian act of Hybrid Nightmares is an amazing album that is the second installment of a 4-album saga that tells of the downfall of mankind to the very end. Along with the addition of enough melody to add heaps of awesomeness to the mix that carries out throughout all 5 tracks of the album. The vocals are just what you’d expect from a black metal album with them being raspy as all hell, yet being able to be understood if you’re reading the lyrics or you’re just that good at understanding black metal vocals. Then the guitars are just absolutely amazing along with the drums which both have an excellent sound through all the songs that are entrancing to say in the least. There are also two tracks that are composed of acoustic guitars which are both done very well. Just everything about this album from the tone to the sound to the cover art is done absolutely spot on and makes “The Second Age” an absolute must for any black metal fan out there who’s looking for something awesome and new.
You can stream “The Second Age” on Bandcamp here and purchase it via iTunes here.
