Review by Greg on December 11, 2025.

As always, supergroups are a tricky matter, but for every Category 7 or Nefarious you might come across, it's refreshing to see something like this. Scour's Bandcamp bio, for once, is bluntly honest when it lists the members' (illustrious) experiences, and then concludes claiming that this one 'surprisingly sounds nothing like any of the aforementioned bands'. We're talking about accomplished musicians that still find the courage to go outside of their comfort zone, instead of simply releasing less inspired rehashes of the stuff that made them famous in the first place. I don't know if you think that isn't much to write home about, but I don't.

Scour, finally releasing their long-awaited first LP Gold, play US-styled black metal that I'm sure will turn many purist blacksters off, trading atmosphere and subtlety for frontal aggression and violence, and adding a vaguely industrial approach in its mesmerizing blind fury (think Anaal Nathrakh). No 18-minute songs about how cold Switzerland is (Paysage d'Hiver, I'm looking in your direction), the longest here is exactly 4 minutes long, and they're all blasted at insane levels of adrenaline. Adam Jarvis (Misery Index) makes it possible with his lightning-fast blast beats, just a tad too quiet in the mix, but it's not like the genre is renowned for loud drum kits. The guitar work isn't anything out of the ordinary, but there's the odd thing or two, like the beautiful melodic solo in the great 'Infusorium', one of the first songs being released, quite deservedly I'd say. I dig this, a lot, even if it's not always all roses – 'Blades' or 'Coin' are more concerned with blunt force than riff quality, which reaches a low here. Luckily, the latter is salvaged by Gary Holt's immaculate guest spot. There are some very rare slowdowns, strategically placed, which still aren't welcoming in any way (check out the chorus of 'Invoke').

Of course, the frontman deserves his own paragraph, being a certain Phil Anselmo. He is, and always will be, one of the most polarizing personalities in the metal world, as well as one of the most discussed, both from a personal standpoint and on his musical career. I don't want to change anybody's mind on any of these topics. Nevertheless, this man has lived, eaten, and breathed metal for three decades, and he apparently has no intention to stop right now, as he's really what sells the album for me. I don't really care how much studio magic there is behind it – vocal effects are a bit too evident at times – he puts in a monstrous performance made up of growls, shrieks, and more stuff I've never heard him do before Scour's birth, and I can't think of many other legendary vocalists that could undergo such a metamorphosis. This man is an undeniable talent, who's certainly made bad choices throughout the years. Hell, some are even here, with a couple of tracks featuring snippets of spoken vocals, the only instances when he's recognizable.

I'm pretty sure there's somebody out there complaining about the song titles, all made up of single words, and to be honest I'm the first to admit that a black metal album containing a song called 'Evil', which is immediately followed by 'Devil', isn't exactly storytelling at its finest, but hey, it's so absurd it has to be a conscious choice, to let the listener focus on the music or whatever. I believe it would be stupid to lower the rating for this anyway – I mean, would 'Cross' be cooler if it was called 'Beneath the Snowstorm Falling over the Norse Winterforest Where the Wolves Howled at Ten Past Midnight' or stuff like that? Let's be practical. Of course, you're free to skip this one if you think it goes against what black metal is about. I, for one, liked it, and I'm sure I'll return to it. That's enough for me.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Greg on December 11, 2025.

As always, supergroups are a tricky matter, but for every Category 7 or Nefarious you might come across, it's refreshing to see something like this. Scour's Bandcamp bio, for once, is bluntly honest when it lists the members' (illustrious) experiences, and then concludes claiming that this one 'surprisingly sounds nothing like any of the aforementioned bands'. We're talking about accomplished musicians that still find the courage to go outside of their comfort zone, instead of simply releasing less inspired rehashes of the stuff that made them famous in the first place. I don't know if you think that isn't much to write home about, but I don't.

Scour, finally releasing their long-awaited first LP Gold, play US-styled black metal that I'm sure will turn many purist blacksters off, trading atmosphere and subtlety for frontal aggression and violence, and adding a vaguely industrial approach in its mesmerizing blind fury (think Anaal Nathrakh). No 18-minute songs about how cold Switzerland is (Paysage d'Hiver, I'm looking in your direction), the longest here is exactly 4 minutes long, and they're all blasted at insane levels of adrenaline. Adam Jarvis (Misery Index) makes it possible with his lightning-fast blast beats, just a tad too quiet in the mix, but it's not like the genre is renowned for loud drum kits. The guitar work isn't anything out of the ordinary, but there's the odd thing or two, like the beautiful melodic solo in the great 'Infusorium', one of the first songs being released, quite deservedly I'd say. I dig this, a lot, even if it's not always all roses – 'Blades' or 'Coin' are more concerned with blunt force than riff quality, which reaches a low here. Luckily, the latter is salvaged by Gary Holt's immaculate guest spot. There are some very rare slowdowns, strategically placed, which still aren't welcoming in any way (check out the chorus of 'Invoke').

Of course, the frontman deserves his own paragraph, being a certain Phil Anselmo. He is, and always will be, one of the most polarizing personalities in the metal world, as well as one of the most discussed, both from a personal standpoint and on his musical career. I don't want to change anybody's mind on any of these topics. Nevertheless, this man has lived, eaten, and breathed metal for three decades, and he apparently has no intention to stop right now, as he's really what sells the album for me. I don't really care how much studio magic there is behind it – vocal effects are a bit too evident at times – he puts in a monstrous performance made up of growls, shrieks, and more stuff I've never heard him do before Scour's birth, and I can't think of many other legendary vocalists that could undergo such a metamorphosis. This man is an undeniable talent, who's certainly made bad choices throughout the years. Hell, some are even here, with a couple of tracks featuring snippets of spoken vocals, the only instances when he's recognizable.

I'm pretty sure there's somebody out there complaining about the song titles, all made up of single words, and to be honest I'm the first to admit that a black metal album containing a song called 'Evil', which is immediately followed by 'Devil', isn't exactly storytelling at its finest, but hey, it's so absurd it has to be a conscious choice, to let the listener focus on the music or whatever. I believe it would be stupid to lower the rating for this anyway – I mean, would 'Cross' be cooler if it was called 'Beneath the Snowstorm Falling over the Norse Winterforest Where the Wolves Howled at Ten Past Midnight' or stuff like that? Let's be practical. Of course, you're free to skip this one if you think it goes against what black metal is about. I, for one, liked it, and I'm sure I'll return to it. That's enough for me.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Jeger on March 1, 2025.

Scour - defined as a supergroup even though the only big time heavyweight in the band happens to be one Philip H. Anselmo. They've been labeled ridiculous things like blackened grindcore, and I don't believe that they're getting the love they deserve from the black metal community. Few reviews I see for their new album and you won't see many of their patches on any battle vests. And what an under-spoken fucking talent is Phil, man. Voice like a vintage. Guy can't hit the high notes anymore, but his growls are top shelf. In some ways, I'd proclaim that Scour's music is exactly how USBM should sound: torque, horsepower and heavy as several sledgehammers. These fellas are onto something. Give me Inquisition over them any day, because I'm one of those true black metal assholes, but I happen to also be enthused over black metal in its more brutal forms. Wuldorgast anyone? And that's when Scour come in like harbingers of darkest days - foreshadowing a most vile future for humanity, all the while as their wretched blasphemies soak into your soul; extinguishing the light and igniting diabolism's flame. On February 21, Scour released Gold via Nuclear Blast.

Black metal people enjoy discussing online all the obscure cult bands they support, and I happen to enjoy writing about underground BM more than anything else as well, because that's where the integrity is. Do I want to listen to another Blashyrkh Immortal album or Hell forbid another Satyricon tragedy? I'm of the mind that most mainstream black metal bands are embarrassments, so you'd think I'd feel the same about our guys here, but I do not. This is what you call a rarity - a mainstream black metal album that one can confidently label as an example of genre-trueness. It's in the energy… There's passion ablaze for Satan along with this perpetual feeling of dread that accompanies a hopeless sort of sinking sensation to be discovered here. And into the scourge we rush now as "Cross" - in a most Watain-like semblance - delivers "The Howling" type aggression in riffing. Streamlined and lethal. Destroying the cross… Dig it…

Phil utilizes the fiend vs. brute approach to Vox, but you'll also take in sinister spoken word assurances of damnation. And what a nice balance in mixing. Everything in its place with enough of a berth surrounding each phase as to assure that nothing is lost in the mix. Engineering perfection. And that solo in "Infusorium"? You're welcome… An almost Impaled Nazarene kind of momentum but also grime to absorb during "Coin": sludgy riffs giving way to ominous guitar effects; compounded by pulsating progressions and brutish gutturals. As far as brutality is concerned, you can definitely place Scour in with the Archgoats and the Profanaticas of the scene. There just happens to be so much more going on here in the dynamics department. Nothing over-the-top, just a youthful level of passion/explosiveness that translates well into the overall velocity of the music.

Bow to your Senseis, bitches… Imagine a group of elite veterans with an obvious collective hard-on for the art of black metal coming together with the idea of creating BM that is not only redeemable but also just fucking badass like Gold here. Well, here you have it. Pure concentrated evil that packs a punch but finishes smooth as sex.

Phil's stock continues to rise and Scour happens to be a real admirable black metal endeavor. That guy from Pantera? Much more than that is Phil Anselmo - an extreme metal renaissance man who stands proudly under the sign of the Black Mark with Scour - black metal with balls… Remember when people were laughing at Scour when they first hit the scene? Listening… Yeah, crickets. The real thing, the real deal, black metal done the true way. Is it bullet belts, corpse paint and swords? Doesn't have to be. With Scour, the music speaks for itself, and in this instance, the music as it stands is intimidating enough. Black metal, at the end of the day, is much about the spreading of evil if nothing else. Consider Gold a wicked infection of pandemic proportions. At least do yourself a favor and stick around for the solos. Not a Scandinavian carbon copy but a genuine artistic entity of its own is Scour. This is real leadership in genre purity/refinement bolstered by an authentic vision for modern American black metal.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Jeger on March 1, 2025.

Scour - defined as a supergroup even though the only big time heavyweight in the band happens to be one Philip H. Anselmo. They've been labeled ridiculous things like blackened grindcore, and I don't believe that they're getting the love they deserve from the black metal community. Few reviews I see for their new album and you won't see many of their patches on any battle vests. And what an under-spoken fucking talent is Phil, man. Voice like a vintage. Guy can't hit the high notes anymore, but his growls are top shelf. In some ways, I'd proclaim that Scour's music is exactly how USBM should sound: torque, horsepower and heavy as several sledgehammers. These fellas are onto something. Give me Inquisition over them any day, because I'm one of those true black metal assholes, but I happen to also be enthused over black metal in its more brutal forms. Wuldorgast anyone? And that's when Scour come in like harbingers of darkest days - foreshadowing a most vile future for humanity, all the while as their wretched blasphemies soak into your soul; extinguishing the light and igniting diabolism's flame. On February 21, Scour released Gold via Nuclear Blast.

Black metal people enjoy discussing online all the obscure cult bands they support, and I happen to enjoy writing about underground BM more than anything else as well, because that's where the integrity is. Do I want to listen to another Blashyrkh Immortal album or Hell forbid another Satyricon tragedy? I'm of the mind that most mainstream black metal bands are embarrassments, so you'd think I'd feel the same about our guys here, but I do not. This is what you call a rarity - a mainstream black metal album that one can confidently label as an example of genre-trueness. It's in the energy… There's passion ablaze for Satan along with this perpetual feeling of dread that accompanies a hopeless sort of sinking sensation to be discovered here. And into the scourge we rush now as "Cross" - in a most Watain-like semblance - delivers "The Howling" type aggression in riffing. Streamlined and lethal. Destroying the cross… Dig it…

Phil utilizes the fiend vs. brute approach to Vox, but you'll also take in sinister spoken word assurances of damnation. And what a nice balance in mixing. Everything in its place with enough of a berth surrounding each phase as to assure that nothing is lost in the mix. Engineering perfection. And that solo in "Infusorium"? You're welcome… An almost Impaled Nazarene kind of momentum but also grime to absorb during "Coin": sludgy riffs giving way to ominous guitar effects; compounded by pulsating progressions and brutish gutturals. As far as brutality is concerned, you can definitely place Scour in with the Archgoats and the Profanaticas of the scene. There just happens to be so much more going on here in the dynamics department. Nothing over-the-top, just a youthful level of passion/explosiveness that translates well into the overall velocity of the music.

Bow to your Senseis, bitches… Imagine a group of elite veterans with an obvious collective hard-on for the art of black metal coming together with the idea of creating BM that is not only redeemable but also just fucking badass like Gold here. Well, here you have it. Pure concentrated evil that packs a punch but finishes smooth as sex.

Phil's stock continues to rise and Scour happens to be a real admirable black metal endeavor. That guy from Pantera? Much more than that is Phil Anselmo - an extreme metal renaissance man who stands proudly under the sign of the Black Mark with Scour - black metal with balls… Remember when people were laughing at Scour when they first hit the scene? Listening… Yeah, crickets. The real thing, the real deal, black metal done the true way. Is it bullet belts, corpse paint and swords? Doesn't have to be. With Scour, the music speaks for itself, and in this instance, the music as it stands is intimidating enough. Black metal, at the end of the day, is much about the spreading of evil if nothing else. Consider Gold a wicked infection of pandemic proportions. At least do yourself a favor and stick around for the solos. Not a Scandinavian carbon copy but a genuine artistic entity of its own is Scour. This is real leadership in genre purity/refinement bolstered by an authentic vision for modern American black metal.

Rating: 9 out of 10