Black Flame is an Italian black metal trio that holds the distinction of being one of the first bands signed to Forces of Satan Records, a label created by Gorgoroth founder and guitarist Infernus. Now, the future of Gorgoroth may be uncertain, at least until there's a ruling on who owns the rights to the name, but the future and agenda of Forces of Satan Records couldn't be more clear. Their mission statement is to provide pure, unfiltered true black metal with no exceptions. This is more difficult than it sounds. Black metal is not exactly a cash-cow enterprise. There's a reason why other labels may have started out as "black" and then branched out to other, more lucrative genres. I say lucrative, but extreme forms of metal is most emphatically not money making music. There's a certain unyielding commitment to the genre that even if you're diametrically opposed to the views expressed within the music, you have to admire.
Black Flame is most certainly the band to kickstart Forces of Satan Records. The music is proof positive that you can be raw in your sound and execution without sacrificing any of the power. This sounds like more than a trio, for sure. There's an underground kind-of-feel to Black Flame and it serves the music and its label well. Sure, the more theatrical and operatic metal bands might get more glory, but the blue-collar bands like this deserve just as many accolades. The riffs are crushing. Vocals as evil as they should be and nothing is hidden under that production sheen. This isn't the band's first album, but now, together with Forces of Satan, a collaboration forged in fire should make Black Flame a band to remember.
