A mindbending, bizarre collection of black metal from China’s premier b.m. label, Pest Productions. This is definitely a difficult disc to wrap one’s head around, but it’s worth the effort. Metal is, after all, a worldwide subculture, and that should never be ignored. Second only to doom and drone, black metal is arguably the most “bladerunnercore” subgenre in metal, and this disc proves that. There’s harsh screeching and blastbeats that blatantly hail the Scandinavian masters, but also elements of somber, pensive shoegaze that has been a fixation for black metal bands in the new millennium. Equal parts demonic evil and crepuscular bliss—you don’t want to miss out on this one.
FCC clean. Tracks 1, 4, 7 and 12 are sort of shoegazey to various extents and will please the late-night crowd; the rest is a mixed bag, but any track should please fans of second-wave black metal.

1. (7:33) Bauda (China) Gentle piano and somber, melodic guitar strumming minor arpeggios--a Mogwai-esque lullaby, perhaps
2. (7:18) Heretoir (Germany) Bleak, midpaced wintry march through ice-cold depression.
3. (6:20) Dense folk-black metal with epic harmonies reminiscent of Taake.
4. (7:25) Dopamine (China) Chill and ultimately forgettable post-rock meandering for the most part; midway through it barrels into a black-metal tempo, though the guitar is no less post-rock.
5. (4:09) Skeletal Augury (China) Sample from an old horror movie intro. At 1:05 the song abruptly begins: totally rockin' thrash madness in the vein of Midnight or Impaled Nazarene.
6. (4:00) In the Abyss (China) Ugly, bleak wintry madness, reminds me of Immortal's first few albums
7. (4:14) Vergissmeinnicht (China) Gentle water droplets and lush neo-folk acoustic guitar eventually joined by slow percussion
8. (7:41) Hinsidig (Nor/Ger) Intricately harmonized, harsh wintry black metal with orchestral synth. Epic and majestic like a blizzard, reminds me of Emperor's first album.
9. (6:35) Dysthymia (Iceland) Gothic synth intro gives way to insane, despairing black metal with Burzum-esque vocals and orchestral synth, fades away into eerie piano and echoing howls. A succinct microcosm of modern black metal.
10. (7:12) Dark Fount (China) Dark, plodding lo-fi INSTRUMENTAL, cold and nihilistic like Burzum's "Filosofem"
11. (7:16) Zuriaake (China) Eerie keyboard intro gives way to absolutely filthy and wretched (mid-paced) black metal madness, production slightly above post-apocalyptic bomb-shelter quality.
12. (3:39) Midwinter (China) A gorgeous crescendo of frigid harmonies, like a concise instrumental nod to Wolves In the Throne Room.