Hail spirit noir - Oi Magoi (2014)

Hail spirit noir from Greece are releasing with Oi Magoi their first full lenght album. after their excellent and original EP Pneuma in 2012 we were many waiting for that (well, many is maybe too much, probably I should say, me and some other bloggers dwelling in the undergound..). and let's say it straight, they didn't disappoint!   Oi Magoi is another fascinating gem, blending with taste progressive 70' rock and black metal. you have the vintage keyboard sound, some atmosphere and rythms reminding King crimson, clean singing, but also black metal singing, a few blast beats here and there and dark occult vibrations. they remind a bit a band like Solefald, but are less going in every direction I would say, they sound more focused. but comparing them is a bit silly anyway, they really have their own unique sound and identity.
highly recommended!

their lastfm page.

Hail spirit noir - Pneuma (2012)

we get used to black metal bands adding a touch of psychedelia / prog elements like Enslaved does for exemple, but with the greek duo Hail spirit noir it's a different dosage, we could say their first release Pneuma is equal part black metal and prog rock (think King crimson or even..Yes!) so it's something different, and maybe more exiting. and what's best is that the result is brilliant due to an excellent songwriting. the vocals are sometimes black metal sometimes clean and the metal riffing is balanced by the sound of vintage keyboards (mellotron, stuff like that) and guitar melodies, the drumming goes from blast beats to post-punk patterns (especially the song called against the curse, we dream has a post punk flavour, along with the prog and black metal elements). It's extremely well crafted and pleasing and I could listen to the four songs countless times. well, that's the only problem, it's just four songs, less than twenty minutes for the whole thing. and it let's you hungry for more. but the good thing is that, as I write, their second release is nearly recorded.

check it on BC.