Fallen Empire Records is a small label from New Jersey USA, dedicated to releasing black metal on cassette and vinyl. Fallen Empire Records have no need for a label sampler, as all releases on their Bandcamp is available as free downloads. It functions as the try before you buy section of their webshop. Recently Fallen Empires added a slew of new releases, below are my short notes on two of them; two very different takes on underground black metal.
Death Fortress - Pulling Ancient Stone. Unforgiving black metal. Interesting mix of screams and growls for the vocals. Both pummeling and melodic. Production is in your face, your hear the hiss of electricity, the hum of the amplifiers, and every raw crunch of the guitars.
[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]
Kaxan Suum. Selftitled compilation of their two previously recorded works. Part of the Black Twilight Circle. While still pretty raw, this is much more abstract black metal. First track is a little too guitar droney for me, the second (featured below) is an black metal epic, that effortlessly combines ambient parts, noise freakouts, heavy riffing, and almost progressive chord progressions. Amazing. Now go to the Bandcamp to download this.
[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]