Album Review – Burned in Effigy / Tyrannus Aeternum (2025)

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This Chicago-based Neoclassical and Melodic Death Metal beast is ready to attack armed with the 11-track onslaught found in their sophomore offering.

Rising from the heart of the Midwest metal scene, Chicago, Illinois-based Neoclassical/Melodic Death Metal outfit Burned in Effigy is set to unleash their newest razor-edged assault, their sophomore opus titled Tyrannus Aeternum, or “the eternal tyrant” from Latin. Recorded at Beal Audio and Bricktop Recording, with production, engineering and mixing by Jordan Beal, and displaying a classy artwork by Timon Kokott, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Rex Mortem sees the band formed of Mark “Smedy” Smedbron on vocals, Steve Bacakos and Mike Hisson on the guitars, Matt Watkins on bass, and Eddie Dec on drums sharpen their sound to a lethal edge, delivering their most aggressive album to date while remaining loyal to their neoclassical and melodic foundations.

The band wastes no time and begins their metallic attack in Befouled Benefaction, led by the demented vocals by Mark and Eddie’s intricate and heavy-as-hell beats and fills, and the acoustic guitars by Steve and Mike will penetrate deep inside your soul before their absolute heaviness comes crushing in Retribution, a solid display of modern-day melodeath by those guys. Masquerade is a song perfect for slamming into the pit, sounding fast, heavy and caustic just the way we like it thanks to another amazing job done by Eddie on drums; whereas the Flamenco-infused interlude Procession puts us to dance and warms us up for Wage of Exile, a lecture in shredding and violence by the band, with their neoclassical vein clashing beautifully with their Death Metal approach.

The second half of the album kicks off with the hard hitting Sacrificial Seance, with Steve and Mike shredding their stringed axes mercilessly for our total delight while also presenting some dark, sinister passages. Monstrosity Reborn, perhaps the song with the most charming name of the album, again showcases Mark’s rabid vocals amidst a thrilling fusion of neoclassical sounds and pure heaviness. Then the second interlude of the album, titled Gallows Hymn, focuses on a classical music-like vibe, setting the stage for The Racking, a pulverizing tune that transpires Swedish Melodic Death Metal (made in Chicago, of course), with the band’s guitar duo once again sounding brutal yet very melodic. Crown Crusher is slightly generic if compared to the rest of the album, albeit presenting the band’s characteristic sounds, whereas Citadel closes the album on a high and very technical mode, with all band members being on total fire with their mix of intricacy and rage.

An 11-track onslaught that blends the band’s skillful musicianship and technicality with volcanic brutality, Tyrannus Aeternum is a must-listen for fans of extreme music with a strong melodic edge, and if you want to put your hands on such an imposing and vibrant album you can purchase a copy of it from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Don’t forget to also show your support to those beyond talented musicians by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, including their tour dates, and to stream their vicious creations on any streaming platform like Spotify. Because the tyrant might be ternal, but so is heavy music, and Burned in Effigy are proudly carrying the flag of a new generation of bands that surely know how to blend violence with the most epic and enfolding sounds you can imagine.

Best moments of the album: Masquerade, Wage of Exile and Citadel.

Worst moments of the album: Crown Crusher.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Befouled Benefaction 4:29
2. Retribution 4:37
3. Masquerade 3:06
4. Procession 1:24
5. Wage of Exile 4:09
6. Sacrificial Seance 4:49
7. Monstrosity Reborn 5:49
8. Gallows Hymn 1:04
9. The Racking 5:05
10. Crown Crusher 5:38
11. Citadel 5:03

Band members
Mark “Smedy” Smedbron – vocals
Steve Bacakos – guitar
Mike Hisson – guitar
Matt Watkins – bass
Eddie Dec – drums

Guest musician
Graham Southern – orchestrations, keyboards

Album Review – Malakhim / And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings (2025)

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Let the devil sing inside your dark and evil heart to the sound of the sophomore album by this up-and-coming Swedish Black Metal horde.

“You may claim to not know or believe in the Devil, but rest assured that the Devil knows you…”

From their formation in 2016 onward, the ascent of Umeå, Sweden’s own Black Metal horde Malakhim has been both steady and swift, from their first demo Demo I, to their first EP II, to their first full-length album Theion, culminating now in 2025 with the release of their sophomore opus, beautifully and poetically entitled And in Our Hearts the Devil Sings. Once again engineered by the band’s longtime friend and co-conspirator Marcus E. Norman (aka Vargher of Naglfar, Bewitched, Ancient Wisdom), with an ominous artwork by Kristina Pavleska of Mors Ultima Ratio Art (and additional booklet artwork by longtime friend Karmazid), the new offering by vocalist E, guitarists AK and AN, bassist TK and drummer VT isn’t strictly a concept album per se, as its lyrical themes are nevertheless deep, loosely based on the ideas of Yetzer Hara (Hebrew for “evil inclination”), a concept in Jewish thought that represents the innate human tendency to do evil, commit sins, or act against moral principles.

The album kicks off with the seven-minute black mass entitled And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings, exploding into sheer madness to the crushing drums by VT and the demonic vociferations by E, while Solar Crucifixion also starts in a Stygian, cryptic manner before all hell breaks loose to the scathing riffage by AK and AN, not to mention how piercing E’s vocals sound. Then investing in a more straightforward Black Metal sonority we face A New Temple, simply reeking of all elements that make the genre so compelling; and E’s demonic roar sets the tone in the electrifying, venomous Into Darkness We Depart, with TK and VT shaking the foundations of our rotten planet with their infernal kitchen. The pounding drums by VT will smash your cranial skull in Angel of the Bottomless Pit, again presenting the band’s trademark devilish riffs and otherworldly vocals, while Hearts Ablaze presents a classic Black Metal vibe, albeit it sounds a bit convoluted or too chaotic at times. Lastly, they get back on track with eight minutes of total darkness in the form of The Firmament Submits, where AK and AN sound ruthless with their striking riffs and solos before the song reaches its climatic, atmospheric ending.

Showcasing a concertedly more melodic and majestic Malakhim, offering the band’s trademark orthodox Black Metal with a death and doom vein, And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings is undoubtedly the band’s strongest effort to date, and you can join their sinister cult by purchasing a copy of the album from their own BandCamp, or from the Iron Bonehead Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. You can also find more information about such a talented horde on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their discography on any available platform like Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Malakhim. Because if the devil truly sings deep inside our blackened hearts, we can all rest assured he’s singing the songs found in the new album by Malakhim.

Best moments of the album: And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings, Into Darkness We Depart and Angel of the Bottomless Pit.

Worst moments of the album: Hearts Ablaze.

Released in 2025 Iron Bonehead

Track listing
1. And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings 7:44
2. Solar Crucifixion 6:12
3. A New Temple 5:27
4. Into Darkness We Depart 5:50
5. Angel of the Bottomless Pit 5:32
6. Hearts Ablaze 4:30
7. The Firmament Submits 8:20

Band members
E – vocals
AK – guitars
AN – guitars
TK – bass
VT – drums

Concert Review – Lorna Shore (Great Canadian Toronto, Mississauga, ON, 10/27/2025)

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Fans from all over Ontario and the rest of Canada felt the everblack festering within them in one of the heaviest and most emotional performances of the year in the entire country.

OPENING ACTS: Shadow of Intent and The Black Dahlia Murder

I don’t think there’s another way to start this review without stating my profound disappointment (and I’m sure everyone else who attended the show also feels the same) for not having PEELINGFLESH as one of the opening bands for LORNA SHORE this Monday night at Great Canadian Toronto during their North American Tour 2025. I mean, SHADOW OF INTENT and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER were both phenomenal guests, but I strongly believe the raw energy emanating from the Brutal Death Metal blasted by PeelingFlesh would have been beyond welcomed by the crowd. We should have had the pleasure of witnessing the unstoppable Damonteal Harris and his henchmen mercilessly kicking our asses onstage like when they opened for Aborted a few months ago in Toronto, and although I don’t want to start with any politics bullshit, I’ll never understand why a band that simply wants to play their music in any city in Canada during their US and Canadian tours has their entry denied into the country. I wish I could say more about it, but I’ll try to remain calm, and blast some of PeelingFlesh’s sickest tunes on Spotify to lighten up my mood. Well, at least before the other bands started I was able to try Slayer Burger’s new creation In Darkness, and I must say it’s by far their best burger to date. Hopefully they’ll get a lot of positive feedback from fans and keep it as part of their regular menu for a while, because that burger is indeed absurdly tasty.

Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was also pissed off he wasn’t going to take some crazy photos of PeelingFlesh, but of course he was more than ready to fire his camera during the brutal performance by Connecticut, United States-based Symphonic Deathcore beast SHADOW OF INTENT. The second “low point” of the night was the fact their frontman Ben Duerr didn’t make it to the show in Toronto as he went back to the US to join his wife for the birth of his second child (congratulations to both!), but his replacement Adam Mercer, former vocalist of the also killer Deathcore entity A Wake in Providence, did a superb job and inspired all fans at the venue for some wild headbanging and mosh pit action. Having recently released the pulverizing Imperium Delirium, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band put on a demonic concert, with their heaviness, breakdowns, and the gruesome guttural by Adam making the entire venue tremble like in the best song of the night, the demented hymn Vehement Draconian Vengeance. I can’t wait for Shadow of Intent to visit Canada again, but of course next time I want to see them with Ben Duerr on vocals (despite having enjoyed Adam on the mic a lot). So please, Ben, no more babies during your next Canadian shows, alright?

Setlist
Prepare to Die
Flying the Black Flag
Mechanical Chaos
Vehement Draconian Vengeance
Infinity of Horrors
Feeding the Meat Grinder
The Heretic Prevails

Band members
Adam Mercer – vocals
Chris Wiseman – guitars, samples, backing vocals
Andrew Monias – bass
Bryce Butler – drums

I guess each band on the bill had at least two or three massive walls of death with mosh pits right after during their shows, and of course Detroit, Michigan’s own Melodic Death Metal masters THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER made sure their fans had a great time while inside such a unique experience only available at extreme music concerts, one of them offered as a “birthday gift” to one of their guitarists, by the way. The band now spearheaded by the charismatic Brian Eschbach was also on fire from start to finish, blending songs from their entire career with their latest album Servitude, released in 2024 (all also available on BandCamp and on Spotify), inspiring everyone who still had enough stamina left to slam like a maniac inside the pit. The gorilla with a giant inflatable banana during Statutory Ape was a nice touch to their already incendiary show, and I just wish their sound, in special the vocals, was a little bit better as it sounded muffled at times. Anyway, those guys put on a tremendous warmup for Lorna Shore, and I’m sure they’ll keep blasting their undisputed blend of melodeath for many years to come, always in honor of our beloved Trevor Strnad (RIP).

Setlist
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
Everything Went Black
Nightbringers
A Vulgar Picture
Warborn
Statutory Ape
Cursed Creator
Unhallowed
Funeral Thirst
Deathmask Divine

Band members
Brian Eschbach – vocals
Ryan Knight – guitars
Wes Hauch – guitars
Max Lavelle – bass
Alan Cassidy – drums

LORNA SHORE

Finally after a short break it was time for New Jersey’s own Deathcore behemoth LORNA SHORE to kick off one of the heaviest performances of the year in Canadian lands. Blending songs from their three releases with Will Ramos on vocals, those being their 2021 EP …and I Return to Nothingness, their 2022 masterpiece Pain Remains, and their recently released beast I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band was on absolute fire from start to finish, already hypnotizing the entire crowd from the very first notes in Oblivion. They made sure their show was not only a lecture in Deathcore, but also visually appealing, with the big background screen and the lights adding an extra touch of electricity to their already insane performance.

Songs like Unbreakable, Sun//Eater, Cursed to Die, Into the Earth, and the extremely emotional Glenwood reached deep inside our hearts and souls, but I must say as a fan of really heavy music I had a total blast with Prison of Flesh and To the Hellfire. Those breakdowns were demented, plus of course the inhumane guttural by Will and the crushing blast beats by Austin Archey, igniting some of the wildest mosh pits of the entire night. Everyone was having a great time, including our lord and savior Jesus Christ, leaving the doors open for another concert by those guys in Canadian lands in a not-so-distant future. The highlight of the night was obviously their three-part masterpiece Pain Remains during the encore, and until today I can’t decide which one is my favorite. Sometimes it’s Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames, sometimes Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear, and sometimes Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire, like this Monday night. Those were flawless, and I bet several fans were crying of joy during such an intense part of their set.

On a side note, a few minutes before the first band hit the stage, when I was eating the In Darkness Burger at the Slayer Burger food truck, I met a very young and cool guy (and I’m so sorry, I forgot his name just because I’m terrible with names) who flew from Saskatoon to Toronto only for the show, and if you know the geography of Canada you have a very good idea of how lengthy and exhausting that journey can be. He said he was beyond excited to see his favorite band of all time live for the first time ever, and I bet he was on cloud 9 after the show was over. Furthermore, that’s a good indication of how big Lorna Shore are getting to the point people are going out of their way to see them live, just like Iron Maiden and Metallica fans do all the time. Another guy, for instance, was flying to Montreal the next morning to see Lorna Shore again. Because Lorna Shore are simply awesome, and as long as they’re around, heavy music will remain.

Setlist
Oblivion
Unbreakable
Of the Abyss
Sun//Eater
Cursed to Die
Into the Earth
Glenwood
Prison of Flesh
To the Hellfire

Encore:
Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames
Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear
Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire

Band members
Will Ramos – vocals
Adam De Micco – guitar
Andrew O’Connor – guitar
Michael Yager – bass
Austin Archey – drums

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Album Review – Cemican / U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj (2025)

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These unrelenting Mexican metal warriors are back with their breathtaking fourth studio album based on Mayan ideology, worldview, mysticism, and the universe.

Incorporating elements of the legends, mysticism and ideologies of ancient Mexican culture, being compared by Revolver to “Slipknot scoring Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto” by combining the modern instrumentation of a metal band with traditional pre-Hispanic instruments, Guadalajara, Mexico’s own Progressive Power/Thrash/Folk Metal tribe Cemican (or “The Duality of Life and Death” in the Mexican language Nahuatl) brings forth more of their unique music in their fourth studio opus entitled U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj, translated as “the Mayan Resistance”, following up on their 2019 critically acclaimed album In Ohtli Teoyohtica In Miquiztli. Showcasing a stunning artwork by the band’s own Tlipoca (aka Alejandro Guzmán), depicting the great creation of the Mayan universe and the elements of life – water, fire, wind, and earth – by the great supreme Itzamnaaj, raising the great Temple of Kukulkan for the worship of the Mayan people, the new album by vocalist and guitarist Tecuhtli, bassist Ocelotl, drummer Tlipoca, and the tribalistic ensemble of Xaman Ek, Yei Tochtli, Mazatecpatl, and Itzcoatl is based on Mayan ideology, worldview, mysticism, and the universe. It contains various legends and stories of ancestral gods, the duality of life and death, as well as stories based on the band members, transformed with that touch that identifies us.

Kukulkán Wakah Chan (likely combining the Maya deity name Kukulkán, meaning “Plumed Serpent”, with the Nahuatl phrase Wakah Chan, meaning “Sacred Tree” or “Milky Way”) sounds utterly ritualistic and folk from its very first moments, with their wind instruments echoing through the air before exploding into an amalgamation of Thrash, Death and Groove Metal led by Tlipoca’s crushing beats and fills; whereas Tán tí le Xibalba, the second single of the album, speaks of the god of dead in the Mayan culture while keeping their heaviness clashing with the culture of their ancestors in a majestic way, being therefore an excellent choice for their live concerts. In El Niño Que Contemplaba A Las Estrellas (“the boy who gazed at the stars” from Spanish), the guitars by Tecuhtli lean towards classic Heavy Metal, as well as his vocals, followed by Viaje Astral Del Quetzal De Fuego (“astral journey of the fire quetzal”), sounding atmospheric and embracing from start to finish, with the bass by Ocelotl and the drums by Tlipoca being absolutely thunderous. Xaman Ek, Yei Tochtli and Mazatecpatl bring the glory of the past through their wind instruments in the tribal dance Horizonte De Almas (“horizon of souls”), exploding into an epic song that will inspire you to raise your horns for those beyond talented Mexicans, while El Castigo De Los Dioses (“the punishment of the gods”) is another song where the modern, electrified vibe of metal music makes a killer paradox with their cultural and folk sounds.

The howling wind invites us to another journey through Mayan lands in Tak Ti Ulaák Íin, one of the most ritualistic of all songs, where the band delivers their most primeval sounds of the album. Then the massive riffs by Tecuhtli ignite the imposing, multi-layered Los Guardianes De La Tierra (“guardians of the earth”), a lecture in Symphonic and Melodic Death and Black Metal that feels like it was taken from the most climatic moment of a period drama; and the band offers another blast of harsh and pounding sounds in Hun-Came, meaning “One Death”, the name of the senior of the two principal death gods in the Maya underworld Xibalba, with all vocals and backing vocals giving it an extra kick while Tlipoca hammers his drums mercilessly. ¿Donde Estas? (“where are you?) is some sort of power ballad entirely sung in Spanish by a mysterious guest female musician, a bit too generic compared to the other songs; while back to their trademark tribal sonority infused with the power of Heavy Metal we have Yóok’ ol Kaáb Maya, sounding and feeling epic and vibrant until the very end. Lastly, closing the album we’re invited to one final ritual by Cemican entitled Bolom Octé, a stunning sonic voyage back to the glory yet somber days of their ancestors.

Offering a sound that embodies that language of music with ancestral instruments that Cemican have achieved as its own unique and hallucinatory sound, fused with lyrics that blend Spanish with Yucatecan Mayan, U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj is a tribute to their ancestral people, their stories and their customs, giving a valuable message of their language and their ancestral glory. Hence, you can enjoy the dark and aggressive atmosphere found in U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj by purchasing the album from their own BandCamp, from the M-Theory Audio webstore, or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and stream their amazing albums on Spotify. Because U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj is a way to revive what their warriors and their Mayan people were, honoring the great Mayan culture and representing the worldview and mysticism of their great ancestral empire.

Best moments of the album: Tán tí le Xibalba, Horizonte De Almas, Los Guardianes De La Tierra and Hun-Came.

Worst moments of the album: ¿Donde Estas?.

Released in 2025 M-Theory Audio

Track listing
1. Kukulkán Wakah Chan 5:45
2. Tán tí le Xibalba 4:01
3. El Niño Que Contemplaba A Las Estrellas 6:44
4. Viaje Astral Del Quetzal De Fuego 8:31
5. Horizonte De Almas 6:31
6. El Castigo De Los Dioses 5:26
7. Tak Ti Ulaák Íin 4:39
8. Los Guardianes De La Tierra 5:13
9. Hun-Came 5:29
10. ¿Donde Estas? 4:23
11. Yóok_ ol Kaáb Maya 5:45
12. Bolom Octé 4:30

Band members
Tecuhtli – vocals, guitars, wind instruments
Ocelotl – bass
Tlipoca – drums, percussion, wind instruments, backing vocals
Xaman Ek – wind instruments, backing vocals
Yei Tochtli – wind instruments, backing vocals
Mazatecpatl – wind instruments
Itzcoatl – choir vocals

Album Review – Aduanten / Apocryphal Verse EP (2025)

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This up-and-coming Melodic Death Metal outfit is unleashing a striking new EP, weaving a narrative of decay and despair driven by a maelstrom of intricate guitar work and a pummeling rhythm section.

An up-and-coming Melodic Death Metal entity based in Austin, Texas, featuring members of Obsequiae, Vex, Panopticon, and Horrendous, Aduanten are unleashing their full power on their new EP, entitled Apocryphal Verse. Recorded in the cities of Austin, Arlington, Boston, Chicago, and Dublin, mixed by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios, and mastered by Adrian Benavides, the follow-up to their 2021 debut EP Sullen Cadence sees the band formed of Ciaran McCloskey and Mike Day on the guitars and synths, and Eoghan McCloskey on drums and synths, with the support of guest musicians Tanner Anderson (Obsequiae, Panopticon) and Damian Herring (Horrendous) on vocals, Joel Miller on bass, and Adrian Benavides on percussion and synths, masterfully blend the searing aggression of classic Death Metal with the atmospheric introspection of Melodic Black Metal, weaving a narrative of decay and despair driven by a maelstrom of intricate guitar work and a pummeling rhythm section.

Cerulean Dream sounds experimental, avantgarde and grim from the very first second, with the devilish vocals by Tanner and Damian matching perfectly with the guitar lines by Ciaran and Mike, whereas they invest in a more progressive blend of Melodic Death Metal in Decameron, with the stylish riffs by the band’s guitar duo walking hand in hand with Eoghan’s melodic yet fierce beats and fills. Then bringing forward elements from the Melodic Death Metal played by giants the likes of Insomnium we have Grace of Departure, while also sounding a bit Melodic Black Metal thanks to all of its Stygian vociferations; and the crushing bass by Joel adds even more energy to The Weakening Sovereign, a galloping, intricate and scorching creation by the band, with their guitars once again breathing fire.

Fans of Dissection, Sacramentum, and Obsequiae will find the new offering by Aduanten to be an phenomenal addition to their collection, as the album is not only extremely heavy just the way we like it, but its lyrical themes of destruction, sorrow, and hopelessness are also perfectly mirrored in its dynamic and emotionally charged soundscapes. Those beyond talented musicians are waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram, on YouTube, and on Spotify with news, tour dates, and more of their striking music, and of course you can show them your utmost support and purchase their new EP from BandCamp. The Melodic Death Metal presented by Aduanten in Apocryphal Verse is as aggressive and vibrant as it is intricate and detailed, and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from those guys in the near future based on the high quality of their music.

Best moments of the album: Grace of Departure and The Weakening Sovereign.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Nameless Grave Records

Track listing
1. Cerulean Dream 5:16
2. Decameron 4:34
3. Grace of Departure 4:36
4. The Weakening Sovereign 5:00

Band members
Ciaran McCloskey – guitars, synths
Mike Day – guitars, synths
Eoghan McCloskey – drums, synths

Guest musicians
Tanner Anderson – vocals (session)
Damian Herring – vocals (session)
Joel Miller – bass (session)
Adrian Benavides – percussion, synths (session)

Album Review – Eldur / Rituals of Death and Necromancy (2025)

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This Icelandic Black Metal entity will take you on a journey that goes beyond simple listening in his debut album, a visceral and dense universe where chaos and harmony merge to create something truly unique.

After having sparked interest with a split CD and an EP, Reykjavík, Iceland-based Black Metal entity Eldur (aka Einar Thorberg Guðmundsson), who has been active since 1994 with bands such as Thule, Potentiam, Curse, Fortíð, and Katla, is finally ready to make his official debut with Rituals of Death and Necromancy, the first part of a series called Proscribed Chronicles of Niðavellir. A sonic wall of epicness and pure Black Metal, with Eldur’s usual heavy dose of 90’s influence and even Post-Black Metal nuances, Rituals of Death and Necromancy will take you on a journey that goes beyond simple listening, a visceral and dense universe where chaos and harmony merge to create something truly unique.

The opening track Exiled flirts with Symphonic Black Metal so imposing and epic it sounds, a lecture in darkness by Eldur with his vile roars and strident riffs sounding simply amazing from start to finish. Then an ominous intro to the sound of the howling wind sets the tone in Flight of Níðhöggr (a Germanic dragon in Norse mythology who is said to gnaw at the roots of the World Tree, Yggdrasil) before morphing into another Black Metal attack by our lone wolf who crushes his drums in the name of the dark arts; and every single time a song is called Shapeshifter we can rest assured it’s going to be heavy, violent and obscure, and Eldur brings to our ears exactly that Stygian vibe, whereas Murder and a Curse keeps the flames of Black Metal burning to Eldur’s evil vociferations and scathing riffs, albeit not as exciting as the rest of the album.

Svartálfaheimr (“world of black-elves”) is one of the Nine Realms in Norse mythology, and musically speaking Eldur kicks our asses mercilessly in a lecture in Black Metal infused with Nordic sounds, where his sometimes ruthless, sometimes sluggish beats bring extra flavors to the overall result. Eldur then speeds things up in the infuriated Black Metal chant Second Life, Second Death, offering a galloping, demonic sonority perfect for worshiping absolute darkness. The last couple of songs of the album surpass the six minute mark, starting with The Dark Mountains, as sinister and imposing as it can be, exploding into total insanity to his vile roars supported by the song’s phantasmagorical background keys, and closing the album we have the stunning Undead where Eldur’s visceral gnarls, riffs and blast beats live up to the legacy of the style, resulting in what’s perhaps the strongest song of the album and a good indication as to what’s next in his dark path.

An album brought into being not only for metal fans, but also for those who seek something deeper and more introspective in a musical landscape that, while rich in offerings, often feels repetitive, Rituals of Death and Necromancy can be purchased from BandCamp or from Metal Odissey’s webstore in the US or in the EU/UK, adding tons of depth, heaviness and power to your private collection. In the end, Eldur brings fresh energy to a scene that needs new impulses armed with the excellent Rituals of Death and Necromancy, challenging the listener to dive into their intricate sonic web and lose themselves in it.

Best moments of the album: Exiled, Svartálfaheimr and Undead.

Worst moments of the album: Murder and a Curse.

Released in 2025 ATMF

Track listing
1. Exiled 4:28
2. Flight of Níðhöggr 5:22
3. Shapeshifter 4:53
4. Murder and a Curse 6:23
5. Svartálfaheimr 5:24
6. Second Life, Second Death 4:50
7. The Dark Mountains 6:37
8. Undead 6:22

Band members
Eldur – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Naraka / Born In Darkness (2025)

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One of the most promising modern acts emerging from France returns with their hellish, incendiary sophomore offering.

Founded in 2019 by guitarist Jean-Philippe Porteux, French Melodic Death Metal outfit Naraka (a term that generally refers to the realm of hell or a place of torment in Indian religions) is back with their mix of Modern Metal and Death Metal with symphonic and sometimes even electro touches in their sophomore album, titled Born in Darkness. Recorded at Hybreed Studio, Serial Drummer Studio, and At The Gates Ov Hell Studio, mixed and mastered at Darth Vader Studio, produced by Logan Mader, and adorned by a devilish artwork by Andreas Bathory, the follow-up to their 2021 debut In Tenebris continues to pave the path started by the band in their inception, creating a dramatic and atmospheric experience without losing focus on their core instrumentation and, therefore, positioning the band currently formed of vocalist Théodore Rondeau, guitarist Jean-Philippe Porteux, bassist Pierre-André Krauzer, and drummer Franky Costanza as one of the most promising modern acts emerging from France’s always exciting metal scene.

The album kicks off with the cinematic intro Apocalypsis Diem, where the band invites us all to their dark and sinister world before all hell breaks loose in Born In Darkness, offering our avid ears a solid and thrilling fusion of Black, Death and Groove Metal led by the Lamb of God and Machine Head-inspired screams by Théodore. Franky then pounds his drums in great fashion in the heavy-as-hell Something Woke Up, supported by the slashing riffs by Jean-Philippe and all of the song’s wicked background sounds, whereas Jean-Philippe revs up the band’s Blackened Death Metal engine in Blazing Sun, also showing elements from Gothic Rock and Metal. With a title like Hellhound the only thing we could expect was pure doom, and we get it straight from Pierre-André’s bass and the song’s haunting background choir, followed by Tyrants, another hard hitting tune of melodeath with groove and blackened nuances, with Franky taking the lead with his fierce beats.

Then leaning towards Symphonic Black and Death Metal those French metallers fire an adrenaline-fueled beast named Sorcerer, where the harsh vocals by Théodore walk hand in hand with all keys and orchestrations; and like the soundtrack to a horror movie, the climatic interlude Deus Belli sees the band arise from the netherworld in Lost, again venturing through the realms of Gothic Metal, in special in the song’s dark, deep vocals and sluggish beats. The Reign In Red is one more devilish creation by Naraka, evolving into a Symphonic Black Metal aria spearheaded by Franky’s crushing drums, also featuring Sotiris Anunnaki V of SepticFlesh on guest vocals. Parasite is a modern and visceral display of Dark Metal that goes straight into your mind, with Jean-Philippe’s riffs crawling under your skin like a creepy centipede, followed by The Last Day On Earth, a phantasmagorical composition where all background keys add an extra dosage of heaviness to the already vile riffage by Jean-Philippe. Lastly, we face an acoustic version of Lost, not as good as the electrified version, and a bit unnecessary as the album is already grandiose without it.

Although the name Naraka has only been around for less than a decade, the band members are seasoned veterans of the French scene, bringing a powerful and sophisticated sound to the table in their new album Born In Darkness, which is by the way available from the Art Gates Records webstore as a digipak + shirt bundle, a digipak + shirt + hoodie bundle, or a digipak + shirt + hoodie + mug bundle. Don’t forget to also follow such a promising band on Facebook and on Instagram, as I’m sure their live performances are incendiary to say the least, and stream their music on any platform out there like Spotify. If you’re looking for modernity in heavy music while also deeply rooted in classic extreme sounds, Naraka will certainly fulfill your needs with Born In Darkness, keeping the fires of French music burning bright and inspiring those talented musicians to keep melting our faces with album number three in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Something Woke Up, Hellhound and Parasite.

Worst moments of the album: Lost (Acoustic Version).

Released in 2025 Art Gates Records

Track listing
1. Apocalypsis Diem 1:41
2. Born In Darkness 5:29
3. Something Woke Up 4:38
4. Blazing Sun 5:08
5. Hellhound 3:57
6. Tyrants 4:12
7. Sorcerer 4:01
8. Deus Belli 3:32
9. Lost 4:25
10. The Reign In Red 5:18
11. Parasite 3:31
12. The Last Day On Earth 5:51
13. Lost (Acoustic Version) 3:55

Band members
Théodore Rondeau – vocals
Jean-Philippe Porteux – guitar
Pierre-André Krauzer – bass
Franky Costanza – drums

Guest musician
Sotiris Anunnaki V – vocals on “The Reign In Red”

Album Review – Centinex / With Guts and Glory (2025)

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These Swedish legends return to their roots with a sound that combines the ferocity of early Death Metal with the urgency of Punk Rock in their new album.

Stripping away atmospheric frills and polished production, Swedish Death Metal legends Centinex return to their roots with a sound that combines the ferocity of early Death Metal with the urgency of Punk Rock and elements from Death N’ Roll in the form of their new album, titled With Guts and Glory, their most ferocious and uncompromising offering yet. Following up on their 2020 album Death in Pieces, the new album by Henrik Andersson on vocals, Jörgen Kristensen on the guitars, Martin Schulman on bass, and Florian Rehn on drums is a raw, high-energy album that ditches the excess and focuses on what matters, blasting our faces with unrelenting riffs, d-beats, and thrash-infused aggression.

The album kicks off in full force with the Death and Thrash Metal extravaganza titled Becoming, with Jörgen slashing his axe while Henrik vomits the song’s words like a true beast, and you gotta love the dirty riffs by Jörgen in the excellent fusion of Death and Thrash Metal with Hardcore and Punk Rock elements titled Your Religion Dies Tonight, always supported by the classic beats and fills by Florian. Then the bass by Martin will crush your skull mercilessly in the hard hitting tune Gods Of Guilt, proving extreme music doesn’t need to be played at the speed of light all the time. And back to a more demolishing sonority we face I Am The Way, inspired by old school Death Metal while also presenting hints of the thrash attack by Slayer and Exodus.

A Masterpiece In Flesh is a Motörhead-infused metal onrush by the quartet where once again Florian dictates the pace armed with his unstoppable beats and fills for our absolute delight, whereas they offer a more direct Death Metal sound in In My Dreams, with Jörgen extracting sheer hatred and violence from his guitar while Henrik screams and roars like a demented creature. Symphony Of Screams carries a charming title for a heavy-as-hell, rumbling tune by Centinex, with Martin pounding his bass like there’s no tomorrow; and in order to properly conclude the album the quartet fires another round of aggressiveness and speed titled Sorrowtears, perfect for slamming inside the pit with your good friends.

Forget atmospheric trends, as Centinex keep it raw, fast, and filthy in their newborn spawn, inviting us all to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow to the sound of their frantic and caustic creations. You can find more details about the band, their tour dates and their music on Facebook and on Instagram, or simply by clicking HERE, bang your goddamn heads to their wicked discography on Spotify, and obviously support those hardworking guys by purchasing their excellent new album by clicking HERE. With Guts and Glory is not pretty. It’s not supposed to be. It is pure, raw aggression made in Sweden, and it’s exactly what the underground has been craving.

Best moments of the album: I Am The Way, A Masterpiece In Flesh and Sorrowtears.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Black Lion Records

Track listing
1. Becoming 3:55
2. Your Religion Dies Tonight 3:27
3. Gods Of Guilt 3:44
4. I Am The Way 3:08
5. A Masterpiece In Flesh 3:14
6. In My Dreams 3:47
7. Symphony Of Screams 4:10
8. Sorrowtears 3:32

Band members
Henrik Andersson – vocals
Jörgen Kristensen – guitar
Martin Schulman – bass
Florian Rehn – drums

Album Review – Scorching Tomb / Ossuary (2025)

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This ruthless Death Metal ensemble from Canada will kill armed with their debut album, a delight for the lovers of bone-crushing rhythms and inhuman gutturals.

A delight for the lovers of bone-crushing rhythms and inhuman gutturals, the hard hitting Ossuary, the debut album by Montreal, Canada-based Death Metal ensemble Scorching Tomb, is an album definitely not for the weak, offering fast, hard and heavy pummeling riffs, punishing mosh parts and skull crushing vocals that follow the path laid down by the 2023 split Primal Tomb (by Primal Horde and Scorching Tomb). Recorded, mixed and mastered by Dominic Grimard, with drums engineered by Christian Donaldson of Cryptopsy, the full-length debut by Vincent Patrick Lajeunesse on vocals, Philippe Leblanc on the guitars, Miguel Lepage (Blind Witness, Obey the Brave) on bass, and Émile Savard (Profane Order, Malebranche) on drums brings the grinding heavy, being highly recommended for fans of both old school and modern-day harsh, scorching Death Metal.

The opening tune Stalagmite Impalement offers a no shenanigans, in your face and ruthless start to the album, with the pounding drums by Émile exhaling of pure old school Death Metal. Then we have the vicious Skullcrush, featuring the demented guest vocals by Devin Swank of Sanguisugabogg, with Miguel’s menacing bass bringing absolute heaviness to their core sound in a lecture in modern-day Death Metal. Émile takes the lead once again in the pulverizing Diminished to Ashes, while Vincent barks and roars like a rabid creature, followed by Sanctum of Bones (Ossuary), another bludgeoning tune by the quartet with the caustic, harsh riffs by Philippe inspiring us all to headbang like true maniacs. Philippe then ignites the hammering Sentenced to Rot, sounding slow and absolutely evil from start to finish, with Vincent’s guttural sounding even more visceral. Feel the Blade, featuring guest vocals by Alex Cloutier of Primal Horde, presents classic Death Metal in the vein of Immolation and Unleashed, keeping the album at a hellish level of heaviness; and get ready to break your damned neck headbanging to Bloodlust Sacrifice, with all riffs, bass lines and beats providing Vincent with exactly what he needs to bark like a beast. And lastly, they showcase a Cannibal Corpse-inspired vibe in Expired Existence, living up to the legacy of such an amazing genre.

Striving to follow in the footsteps of Cryptopsy, Quo Vadis and Despised Icon, Scorching Tomb seek to show the world that Montreal is still to this day an unrelenting force of Death Metal armed with their debut album, available from BandCamp or from the Time To Kill Records webstore. Not only that, go check what those Quebec metallers are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, including of course their demented live performances, and get into the pit to their sick creations by streaming them all on Spotify. Ossuary is Canadian Death Metal at its finest, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in the promising career of Scorching Tomb in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Skullcrush, Sanctum of Bones (Ossuary) and Bloodlust Sacrifice.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Time To Kill Records

Track listing
1. Stalagmite Impalement 2:58
2. Skullcrush 3:46
3. Diminished to Ashes 3:41
4. Sanctum of Bones (Ossuary) 3:53
5. Sentenced to Rot 2:32
6. Feel the Blade 4:08
7. Bloodlust Sacrifice 4:05
8. Expired Existence 3:27

Band members
Vincent Patrick Lajeunesse – vocals
Philippe Leblanc – guitars, backing vocals
Miguel Lepage – bass
Émile Savard – drums

Guest musicians
Devin Swank – vocals on “Skullcrush”
Alex Cloutier – vocals on “Feel the Blade”

Album Review – Drofnosura / Ritual of Split Tongues (2025)

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A strange beast that’s absolutely comfortable in its own iridescent, translucent skin, this Canadian entity will stun us all with their expansive, stirring, and dissonant new album.

A strange beast that’s absolutely comfortable in its own iridescent, translucent skin, Toronto, Canada-based Blackened/Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal entity Drofnosura has been taking elements from multiple styles since their inception back in 2010, finely grounding them, and using the material to sculpt a new body entirely, just like what they have to offer in their sophomore opus Ritual of Split Tongues, following up on their scathing 2019 debut Voidfever. Showcasing a beyond menacing, disturbing artwork by Dusty Ray Art, the new album by W.L.F. on guitars, vocals, and synthesizers, M.A.D. on bass, vocals and synthesizers, and D.A.S. on drums, percussion, vocals and synthesizers sees the band traversing various realms, with a few songs surpassing the 15-minute mark, putting the emphasis on creating a meditative, transcendent atmosphere more than anything else.

Like a vile creature arising from the pits of the netherworld, the trio comes crushing our cranial skulls mercilessly in Selection of a Corpse, with the hammering drums by D.A.S. and the visceral guitars by W.L.F. complementing each other in great fashion. Then in the context of Hindu cremation, Kapala Kriya is a ritual where the skull of the deceased is pierced with a stick during the cremation process, while in heavy music it’s a ten-minute demented creation by Drofnosura where their venomous, minimalist vocal lines will haunt your damned souls for all eternity, sounding almost like the actual Hindu ritual. Then the title-track The Ritual of Split Tongues brings to our putrid ears over 15 minutes of primeval, sinister Doom Metal with Post-Black Metal elements led by the once again slow but fierce beats by D.A.S., followed by ἐγείρω (egeirō), a Greek verb that primarily means to raise, awaken, or stir up. It can also mean to wake up from sleep or to be awakened, as well as it can refer to the act of resurrecting or raising someone from the dead, resulting in a ritualistic interlude that sets the tone for The Well of Seven Heads, where the band shows absolutely no mercy for our damned minds and bodies while their Atmospheric Sludge Metal vein pulses harder than ever during its venomous 12 minutes, flowing into the also atmospheric, gloomy and dissonant Desounen, putting a Stygian ending to an album not recommended for the lighthearted.

Highly recommended for admirers of the music by Blut aus Nord, Devenial Verdict, Eibon, Amenra, Lurk, Isis, Pillar of Light, and The Angelic Process, among others, Ritual of Split Tongues is an astounding album where multiple influences converge to create music that’s at once expansive, stirring, and dissonant, and lingers on in the mind for longer than one would think, with the music naturally evolving within each of the songs as they progress, and it isn’t fatiguing just because it’s done in such an intuitive manner. You can get more details about Drofnosura, their music, live concerts and so on by checking what they’re up to on Facebook and on Instagram (or by clicking HERE), stream their cryptic creations on Spotify, and of course show your support to those talented Canadians by purchasing their bestial new album from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. In the end, Ritual of Split Tongues is certainly not an album for the lighthearted as mentioned, but let’s face it, that’s exactly what Drofnosura wanted to achieve with their multi-layered, grim and absolutely stunning new album.

Best moments of the album: The Ritual of Split Tongues and The Well of Seven Heads.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Selection of a Corpse 6:23
2. Kapala Kriya 10:22
3. The Ritual of Split Tongues 15:27
4. ἐγείρω 3:48
5. The Well of Seven Heads 12:28
6. Desounen 15:01

Band members
W.L.F. – guitars, vocals, synthesizers
M.A.D. – bass, vocals, synthesizers
D.A.S. – drums, percussion, vocals, synthesizers