Band of the week 44/2025
Origin: Malmö/Skåne, Sweden
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Hier geht’s zur deutschen Version.
The band about itself:
„Atmospheric Black Metal duo from Southern Sweden. Antifascist & Vegan“
Editorial commentary:
I first came into contact with Black Birch in the autumn of last year, when their debut album was released. Shortly after the release, there was a veritable storm of enthusiasm on social media. Instagram was overflowing with praise, and I, too, became curious. As soon as I had listened to the album, it played on repeat for a whole week – and shortly afterwards, a patch of the band adorned my vest.
From the very first moment, I was fascinated by their sound. Atmospheric black metal, raw and unadorned, with a chillingly cold soundscape that got deep under your skin. The songs were not sprawling, playful soundscapes, as one might know them from the French scene, but compact, raw storms of riffs and emotion. Sometimes the songs came dangerously close to raw black metal – and it was precisely this fine line that made their sound so appealing to me.
A whole year was to pass before I finally got to see the band live. The occasion was the release of Haeresis‘ new album, for which Black Birch were invited as the after-headliners – and indeed, they became the proverbial (black) cherry on the cake.
It was the Swedes‘ first appearance in Germany, at Urban Spree in Berlin – a small venue that was transformed into another world that evening. Bones, branches and dried flowers adorned the stage, lending the scene an archaic, almost sacred feel. Then the music began – and it settled over the audience like an ice-cold bell.
In the front row, a storm of swirling hair raged, while the audience behind stared motionless, almost trance-like, towards the stage. Every note, every riff seemed to hang in the air. When the last song faded away, there was a moment of complete silence – until a woman standing right in front of me burst into tears, overwhelmed by the intensity of the experience.
I left the room as if someone had torn me from a dream – dazed, moved, fulfilled. That evening, Black Birch created something that went beyond music: an emotional state of emergency, a return to the cold, to the depths, to the very essence of black metal.
For me, it was one of the most impressive concert moments of the year – and reason enough to name Black Birch my band of the week.
The band at Dark-Art:
Music recommendation:
Upcoming live dates:
06.-07. December 2025 – Skurup, Skurup Slaughter
Links:
Linktree
Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
YouTube
Band of the week is our weekly posting about a band we recommend and is posted every Tuesday at 8pm (CET). These are bands that are just at the beginning of their career and that we think should receive more attention.
You can also find all the bands we’ve featured this year in our playlist on Spotify!
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