Tag Archives: atmospheric black metal

Album Review – Eminentia Tenebris / Whispers of the Undying (2025)

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This French Black Metal entity returns with its fourth studio album, formed of eight epic and melodic pieces centered around the exaltation of heroism and bravery within an ancient and mythical war-torn universe.

Founded in Le Mans, Pays de la Loire, France in 2020 as a one-man band by Cryo, Atmospheric/Melodic Black Metal entity Eminentia Tenebris is unleashing its highly anticipated fourth album, Whispers of the Undying, following up on its 2023 album Rise of a New Kingdom. Whispers of the Undying, which marks the arrival of Erroiak on vocals and Daeris as the lyricist, as well as Septev handling all mixing, mastering, and layout, and displaying a classy artwork by Rein Van Oyen, is formed of epic and melodic pieces centered around the exaltation of heroism and bravery within an ancient and mythical war-torn universe. The album title should be interpreted as a metaphor for a timeless force that endures through eternity (via “whispers”), representing the survival of heroic deeds in collective memory over time (and thus never dying, or “undying”).

The duo’s cryptic Black Metal attack begins in full force in Forever Etched, an extended intro that works majestically, warming us all up for Echoes of Triumph, where Cryo delivers striking riffs, bass lines and blast beats nonstop, therefore boosting Erroiak’s visceral roars to a whole new level, sounding vile while at the same time absolutely epic. The galloping pace crafted by Cryo sounds and feels truly inspiring in The Great Betrayal, with all background elements adding an extra touch of obscurity to the music, and after such a demonic metal attack the duo offers a delicate start in Beneath the Moon, gradually morphing into another Black Metal extravaganza led by Cryo’s venomous riffage.

Through Chaos and Shadow is a first-class explosion of Melodic and Atmospheric Black Metal by Eminentia Tenebris, with Erroiak proving why he was chosen by Cryo to be the new voice of the band; followed by Embers of Glory, presenting another gentle, serene intro that will embrace our blackened souls, an ode to heroism and glory, with Erroiak roaring amidst a fusion of Epic and Black Metal. Then we have Marching as One, bringing forward another round of their darkened, epic sounds, with Cryo’s riffs and blast beats walking hand in hand with Erroiak’s desperate gnarls; and lastly, the duo will head into the battlefield one final time to the sound of Time’s Cruel Reign, with Cryo’s Black Metal beats enhancing the song’s heaviness to a whole new level.

Ultimately, Whispers of the Undying questions the legacy one wishes to leave behind and pays tribute both to heroic figures and to the power of nature, before which humankind must remember to remain humble. Hence, if you want to experience such a harsh, detailed and multi-layered album of extreme music in all of its glory, you can purchase a copy of it from the project’s own BandCamp or from the Antiq Records webstore, and don’t forget to also check what Cryo and his Eminentia Tenebris are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream more of the project’s idiosyncratic creations on YouTube and on Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Eminentia Tenebris. As the album progresses, the narrator transforms from a triumphant protector to a tormented soul, whose powerlessness in the face of time’s ravages leads him to self-reflection at the moment of death, and there’s nothing better than the first-class fusion of Atmospheric and Melodic Black Metal by Eminentia Tenebris to support his dark and infernal path.

Best moments of the album: Echoes of Triumph, Through Chaos and Shadow and Marching as One.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Antiq Records

Track listing
1. Forever Etched 1:43
2. Echoes of Triumph 4:26
3. The Great Betrayal 4:20
4. Beneath the Moon 5:21
5. Through Chaos and Shadow 4:35
6. Embers of Glory 5:05
7. Marching as One 4:44
8. Time’s Cruel Reign 5:04

Band members
Erroiak – vocals
Cryo – guitars, bass, drums

Album Review – Deciduous Forest / Fields of Yore (2025)

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Behold the debut offering by this Australian lone wolf, guiding listeners on a richly atmospheric journey through memory, emotion, and myth.

As the creative vessel for Brisbane, Australia-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Snjór, the stunning Atmospheric Black Metal entity Deciduous Forest guides listeners on a richly atmospheric journey through memory, emotion, and myth, offering deeply captivating immersive soundscapes where melancholy and grandeur coexist, weaving together elements of Atmospheric Black Metal, Neofolk, and cinematic ambient music. Recorded by Adam Merker at Anders Debeerz, mastered by Chris Themelco at Monolith Studios, featuring guest drummer Chris Chapman, and with photography by Snjór, layout by David Mir, and logo by Luke Mills, the enfolding Fields of Yore is the debut album by Snjór’s newborn solo endeavor, offers inspiring and emotionally charged music that stands firmly among the genre’s most evocative storytellers, being therefore perfect for fans of Agalloch, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Midnight Odyssey.

The Formless Dark is undoubtedly an imposing and enfolding tune by Snjór, with his keys adding an extra touch of epicness to the sound while Chris brings sheer heaviness through his beats, whereas Ghost Of Lies continues to pave the album’s darkened path, with Snjór’s visceral riffs and deep vociferations hammering our cranial skulls in the name of Atmospheric Black Metal, sounding even more Stygian than the opening tune. The song that carries the name of the album, Fields Of Yore, lives up to the legacy of Atmospheric Black Metal, sounding impressive from start to finish with its ethereal rhythm and classy keys, a multi-layered, dynamic and charming tune that will beautifully darken the skies for all eternity; followed by Ages Past, the longest song of the album, also offering an array of layers, striking roars and riffs, epic keyboards and Doom Metal-infused drums, dragging us into Snjór’s cryptic lair and embracing us in pitch black darkness. Lastly, Snjór brings some peace to our blackened hearts with Anemoia, starting in a beyond ethereal manner before morphing into a Blackened Doom-inspired aria.

In a nutshell, Fields of Yore is a richly textured and absolutely vibrant journey, sounding at the same time haunting and luminous, with the introspective beauty of the aforementioned Agalloch, the expansive bleakness of Wolves in the Throne Room, and the cosmic scope of Midnight Odyssey being all woven into one evocative sonority. Hence, you can get more details about Snjór and his Deciduous Forest from the project’s official Instagram, and of course grab a copy of such a unique and immersive album from BandCamp. If this is just the debut album by Deciduous Forest, I can’t even imagine what’s next in Snjór’s musical path, leaving us eager for more as we wander through his vast fields of yore.

Best moments of the album: Fields Of Yore and Ages Past.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Gutter Prince Cabal

Track listing
1. The Formless Dark 6:34
2. Ghost Of Lies 9:24
3. Fields Of Yore 12:16
4. Ages Past 13:25
5. Anemoia 5:08

Band members
Snjór – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards

Guest musician
Chris Chapman – drums (session)

Album Review – Cromlech / Of Owls and Eels (2025)

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A Teutonic entity arises from the underworld once again with its sophomore offering, transcending the limitations often associated with solo Black Metal projects.

Forged in the fires of Berlin, Germany back in the already distant year of 1994 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Impurus (aka Eugen Herbst), of bands like Albez Duz, Dies Ater and Cryogenic, but remaining dormant for nearly 30 years until the release of its 2023 debut Cold and Stiff, the venomous Black Metal entity known as Cromlech (which means a megalithic construction made of large stone blocks) arises from the underworld once again with its sophomore offering, entitled Of Owls and Eels. While musically and atmospherically definitely being a Black Metal album, Of Owls and Eels is also a daring effort of a seasoned musician expressing himself in an authentic way without paying attention to genre conventions, bringing forth seven songs that completely transcend the limitations often associated with solo Black Metal projects.

The beyond cryptic and Stygian intro Old Incineration Hymn will embrace your soul in darkness before Impurus distills his venomous sounds in Past Forever, starting in a more than atmospheric way and surgically evolving into a Black Metal monster exhaling sheer darkness, with the eerie sounds and noises crafted by Impurus sounding truly unsettling. The title-track Owls in the Fog also brings forward Impurus’ trademark fusion of classic Black Metal with Atmospheric and Symphonic Black Metal, with his scathing riffage living up to the legacy of the genre. Impurus continues to growl in the name of extreme music in Ice Curse, also showcasing a potent amount of epicness and obscurity in his music; and then it’s time for an eerie interlude titled Eels (Part I), a bit too lengthy despite its introspective, cinematic vibe, flowing into The Quiet Witness, where Impurus goes full Blackened Doom, sending shivers down our spines while he extracts pure malignancy from his guitars, bass and drums, all boosted by his otherworldly keyboards, prepping us all for his final strike entitled Mordlust, a lecture in Black Metal where his vocals and keys once again clash in a beautiful way, sounding absolutely devastating until the very last second.

Dynamic, unpredictable, and unmistakably quirky, Of Owls and Eels proves that Germany is still fertile soil for Black Metal excellence, an album where cold blackened riffs and high-level drumming merge seamlessly with eerie keyboards and surreal, almost hallucinatory soundscapes, resulting in a journey through shadow, memory and dream. Just listen for yourself by purchasing the album from the Darkness Shall Rise Productions’ BandCamp or webstore, and don’t forget to also follow Impurus and his caustic Cromlech on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream his creations on Spotify, keeping the fires of Teutonic Black Metal burning through the ages, as Impurus continues to pave the darkened path he started with this new album by Cromlech almost three decades after the project was born.

Best moments of the album: Owls in the Fog, Ice Curse and Mordlust.

Worst moments of the album: Eels (Part I).

Released in 2025 Darkness Shall Rise Productions

Track listing
1. Old Incineration Hymn 2:00
2. Past Forever 7:09
3. Owls in the Fog 6:35
4. Ice Curse 5:44
5. Eels (Part I) 3:51
6. The Quiet Witness 7:19
7. Mordlust 6:36

Band members
Impurus – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Khôra / Ananke (2025)

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Behold this lecture in Atmospheric and Progressive Extreme Metal infused with grandiose orchestrations, endless darkness and energy, and beautiful musicianship.

What started in 2012 in Germany by multi-instrumentalist Ole (of bands like Autokrator, Lycanthropy and Deathstruck) as a one-man project has now turned into a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music scene worldwide. Currently located in Dublin, Ireland, Atmospheric and Progressive Black/Death Metal entity Khôra (in Plato’s account, Khôra is neither being nor nonbeing but an interval between in which the “forms” were originally held) has just unleashed their sophomore opus, entitled Ananke, a more-than-worthy follow-up to their 2020 debut Timaeus. Recorded at Studio Henosis (vocals), Perdition Studio (guitars), Stemcellar Studio (bass), Trackmix Studio (drums), and Steamsaw Studio (orchestrations), mixed and mastered by Frederic Gervais at Studio Henosis, and showcasing a darkly hypnotizing artwork by Simon Chognot of Cold Mind Art, the new album by Ole on the guitars and drums alongside Frédéric (Orakle) on vocals, Göran (Setherial, Svartghast) on bass, and Kjetil (Profane Burial, Haimad) on keyboards and orchestrations, plus an array of special guests including Rune ‘Blasphemer’ Eriksen (Mayhem), Kristian Niemann (Therion), Wolfgang Rothbauer (Thirdmoon), and André ‘Cosmocrator’ Søgnen (The Wretched End), among others, is a lecture in Extreme Metal infused with grandiose orchestrations, endless darkness and energy, and beautiful musicianship, or in other words, a must-listen for fans of the genre.

Featuring a guest guitar solo by Blasphemer (Aura Noir, Vltimas), atmospheric and captivating sounds permeate the air in Empyreal Spindle, exploding into a dark yet very technical feast of Progressive Black Metal led by Ole’s intricate beats and fills. Then we have Legion of the Moirai, with guest vocals by Arnhwald R. (Deathcode Society), sounding even more imposing and somber, with all background orchestrations blackening the skies while Frédéric roars and barks manically nonstop; followed by Wrestling with the Gods, featuring a guest guitar solo by Kristian Niemann (Sorcerer), another striking fusion of Progressive Black and Death Metal where the riffs and bass by Ole and Göran, respectively, exhale aggressiveness, melody and groove. And guest Bill Kranos (Arkhangelsk, Savaoth) delivers striking vocals and a wicked guitar solo in In the Throes of Ascension, a slab of sheer brutality and darkness with Ole stealing the spotlight with his inhumane drumming.

The band then fires a beyond cryptic and epic interlude titled Arcane Creation, setting the stage for the unrelenting On a Starpath, with the harsh vocals by guest Wolfgang Rothbauer (In Slumber, Thirdmoon) crushing your spinal cord mercilessly while the clean vocals by Frédéric and the keys by Kjetil are a lecture in Progressive Metal. It’s pedal to the metal in the infuriated The Sentinel, spearheaded by Ole’s demented vocals and infernal beats while Göran keeps hammering his bass in the name of heavy music; and their Black Metal vein pulses even harder in Supernal Light, with Kjetil  embellishing the airwaves with his keys and orchestrations. The last song of the album, entitled Crowned, offers more of the bands Stygian sounds infused with tons of progressiveness and heaviness, even presenting elements from Doom Metal, a stylish and embracing aria by Ole and his henchmen flowing into the cinematic outro Q.E.D, which puts a sinister, Mephistophelian ending to such a fantastic opus.

You can enjoy this precious gem of the underground metal scene in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course show your total support to Khôra by purchasing the album from the Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. The guys from Khôra, who are also waiting for you on Facebook with more nice-to-know information about the band, simply nailed it with Ananke, raising the bar high for their upcoming releases without a shadow of a doubt, and positioning their newborn spawn as one of the best and most diverse and dynamic albums of the year.

Best moments of the album: Legion of the Moirai, In the Throes of Ascension, The Sentinel and Crowned.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions

Track listing
1. Empyreal Spindle 5:18
2. Legion of the Moirai 4:39
3. Wrestling with the Gods 3:57
4. In the Throes of Ascension 3:54
5. Arcane Creation 2:33
6. On a Starpath 4:08
7. The Sentinel 4:01
8. Supernal Light 4:33
9. Crowned 6:47
10. Q.E.D 1:19

Band members
Frédéric – vocals, additional effects
Ole – guitars, drums, vocals on “The Sentinel”
Göran – bass
Kjetil – keyboards, orchestrations, effects

Guest musicians
Blasphemer – guitar solo on “Empyreal Spindle”
Daniel Müller – bass on “Empyreal Spindle” and “Legion of the Moirai”
Cosmocrator – effects on “Empyreal Spindle” and “Q.E.D”
Arnhwald R. – vocals on “Legion of the Moirai”
PJ O’Connell – guitar solos on “Legion of the Moirai”, “On a Starpath” and “Supernal Light”
Kristian Niemann – guitar solo on “Wrestling with the Gods”
Bill Kranos – vocals on “In the Throes of Ascension”, effects on “Wrestling with the Gods”, guitar solos on “In the Throes of Ascension”, “The Sentinel” and “Crowned ”
Wolfgang Rothbauer – harsh vocals on “On a Starpath”

Album Review – Vyr Muk / Crimson Fields of Sorrow (2025)

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This dauntless Ukrainian lone wolf returns with a harsh and visceral new album, a raw and atmospheric journey through desolation, sorrow, and the decaying remnants of civilization.

A musical project of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vladyslav Blizniuk from Kharkiv, Ukraine which debuted in 2023, Black/Death Metal entity Vyr Muk, or “whirlpool of torment” from Ukrainian, focuses on dark, deep themes including suffering, personal struggles, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, making it a very personal and intimate project. Mixed and mastered at Anti Social Riddim Studios, and displaying a sinister artwork by Oleksandr Koval, the project’s brand new opus, titled Crimson Fields of Sorrow, is a logical continuation to its 2024 EP Shadows Falling on The Dead Cities, offering us all a raw and atmospheric journey through desolation, sorrow, and the decaying remnants of civilization, immersing the listener in a sonic battlefield where each track is a blade forged from chaos, cutting through the veil of illusion and apathy.

The visceral riffs by Vladyslav will cut your skin deep in Voracity / Ненажерливість, already offering a phantasmagorical, haunting blend of Black Metal boosted by his devilish gnarls and endless obscurity; whereas after a serene yet dark piano intro we’re treated to a Melodic and Atmospheric Black Metal aria titled Cold Steel / Холодна сталь, again translating his personal struggles into captivating extreme music. The harsh vociferations by our lone wolf set the tone in The Era of Rot / Епоха гнилі, where once again he invests in a sharp, austere sonority led by his scorching riffs and blast beats. And get ready for a nine-minute voyage through the realms of darkness and solitude to the sound of Bitterness of Loss / Горіч втрати, starting in an enfolding and melancholic manner, presenting elements of Doom Metal added to its drums and cadaverous guitar lines. Vladyslav’s horror movie-inspired keys darken the skies in the closing tune Oh How It Was / Ой як же було, an instrumental feast of Symphonic Black Metal that sounds as epic as it is cinematic.

Exploring themes of war, existential decay, and inner torment, with lyrics presented in Ukrainian, Crimson Fields of Sorrow (already available in full on YouTube and on Spotify) is a ritual of grief and defiance, a hymn for the fallen and a curse upon the void, and you can put your damned hands on such a personal and acid album by purchasing it from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Don’t forget to also follow the multi-talented Vladyslav and his Vyr Muk on Instagram, showing your support not only to Ukrainian extreme music, but to Ukraine as a whole during such difficult times to their citizens. Because Crimson Fields of Sorrow is not just music. It is a howl from the void. It is struggle, grief, and truth, and you should definitely give it a listen to be part of that harsh yet unique sonic experience.

Best moments of the album: Voracity / Ненажерливість, The Era of Rot / Епоха гнилі and Bitterness of Loss / Горіч втрати.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Voracity / Ненажерливість 6:04
2. Cold Steel / Холодна сталь 6:28
3. The Era of Rot / Епоха гнилі 6:32
4. Bitterness of Loss / Горіч втрати 9:00
5. Oh How It Was / Ой як же було 4:37

Band members
Vladyslav Blizniuk – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Spiritwood / The Apparition of Horns (2025)

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This Finnish Black Metal entity arises once again with a sulfurous new album, a deep plunge into the experimental and avantgarde abyss, where every note is a lament and every silence, an omen.

From the deepness of the eternal night, Finnish Atmospheric Black Metal entity Spiritwood rises from the underworld with a brand new album titled The Apparition of Horns, the project’s sixth studio album delivering an aural ritual of isolation and decay enfolded by an avantgarde fusion of Atmospheric Black Metal with Doom Metal and occult mysticism, all masterfully crafted by the lone wolf known as Mr. Spiritwood. A deep plunge into the experimental and avantgarde abyss, where every note is a lament and every silence, an omen, the album is highly recommended for fans of Burzum, Blut Aus Nord, Shining, Dolorian, Leviathan, Gehenna, and Darkspace, among others, intertwining the coldness of nature with echoes of suffocating anguish.

Mr. Spiritwood wastes no time and fills every single space in the air with his vile gnarls and atmospheric sounds in Woodland Meditation, as raw and phantasmagorical as it can be, followed by the title-track The Apparition of Horns, a lecture in classic Black Metal with atmospheric and doom influences, with the dirty guitars by our lone wolf exhaling sulfur. Harbinger of Scourges sounds even more sluggish, grim and devilish, with the pounding drums by Mr. Spiritwood smashing our souls mercilessly, whereas in The Circle we’re treated to truly cryptic, haunting lyrics (“It accentuates the rotting bodies / And their pervasive aura of death / Eventually tightening the grip like the beast on it’s prey / Call to erase the memories of those already abandoned / Fell whispers that brought you and your kind here / Nothing but carrion under the veil of dusk / Succumbed and quiet empty souls / Haunting in oblivion”) amidst a Stygian wall of sounds. Such a demonic being speeds things up in Ascending Through the Contours of Emptiness, also vociferating with tons of anguish and darkness in his heart, flowing into the obscure and piercing closing tune Diagrams of the Dying Multiverse, with his visceral riffs and drums matching perfectly with his devilish gnarls.

A dreadful atmosphere where philosophy and wilderness collide in pure, unearthly darkness, the follow-up to the project’s 2023 album Plaguescape Dimensions definitely showcases a macabre evolution in the music by Mr. Spiritwood, who’s awaiting for you at his lair on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course you can join him in absolute darkness by purchasing his excellent new album by clicking HERE. Grim, obscure and eerie sounds set the tone throughout The Apparition of Horns, spreading sulfur across the earth and, consequently, inspiring Mr. Spiritwood to drag more and more unbelievers to the darkest side of music with his creations.

Best moments of the album: The Apparition of Horns, The Circle and Diagrams of the Dying Multiverse.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Loudriver Records

Track listing
1. Woodland Meditation 6:44
2. The Apparition of Horns 7:48
3. Harbinger of Scourges 7:02
4. The Circle 5:32
5. Ascending Through the Contours of Emptiness 8:35
6. Diagrams of the Dying Multiverse 9:24

Band members
Mr. Spiritwood – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Listless / Listless (2025)

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Behold the debut opus by this one-man Depressive Black Metal project from Canada, aiming to capture an isolated sense of solitude through melancholic introspection.

A solo Depressive Black Metal project based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, from the mind of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Aidan Crossley, the vocalist and guitarist for the excellent Atmospheric Black Metal band Liminal Shroud, Listless aims to capture an isolated sense of solitude through melancholic introspection. Recorded and mixed by Aidan himself, who was also responsible for all visual design, mastered by Cody Baresich at Circle A Studios, and with photography by Rob Hehr, the project’s self-titled debut aims to hypnotize listeners into a dark, endless oblivion with its emotionally resonant guitars, desperate howls, and sorrowful keys, being highly recommended for fans of Austere, Woods of Desolation, Coldworld, None, and Gris, among others.

Devoid starts in a lugubrious, grim manner to the minimalist guitar lines by Aidan, gradually evolving into a dense display of Depressive Black Metal while at the same time exploding into his anguished gnarls; and Aidan speeds things up in Burning Sky, blending his core Depressive Black Metal with Post-Metal elements, and the final result is simply amazing. Then we have Bloodstained Memories, back to a more introspective mode, with Aidan extracting minimalist sounds from his guitar, sounding caustic and despondent until the end. Aidan keeps dragging us down to his Stygian lair in Futility, an interlude that sounds bitterly harsh before we face Absence, one of the darkest, most depressive of all songs, with Aidan once again extracting unsettling sounds from his instruments while also gnarling deeply. Passerine, the longest song of the album, also brings to our avid ears a harsh onrush of Depressive and Atmospheric Black Metal, with his guitar lines and drums exhaling melancholy, whereas lastly, Aidan brings forward A Final Yearning Breath, a serene, grim outro that will darken our hearts for all eternity.

In summary, Listless channels the songwriting, intensity, and surging expansiveness of Liminal Shroud while focusing more on emotive aspects of musical expression in its debut album, resulting in a must-listen opus for admirers of contemporary Depressive Black Metal. You can check what Aidan and his Listless are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and grab a copy of its caustic debut offering from the Hypnotic Dirge Records’  BandCamp, worldwide store or Canada/US store (CD only), letting the project’s harsh and atmospheric music penetrate deep inside your soul. There’s always some controversy surrounding Depressive Black Metal as a whole, but when the artist is question is as talented and focused as Aidan, bringing to us the striking sounds of Listless, any type of preconception should be ignored, simply letting the music do its wonderful job.

Best moments of the album: Burning Sky and Absence.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Hypnotic Dirge Records

Track listing
1. Devoid 5:41
2. Burning Sky 4:00
3. Bloodstained Memories 6:21
4. Futility 3:31
5. Absence 7:41
6. Passerine 8:29
7. A Final Yearning Breath 3:12

Band members
Aidan Crossley – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Wurmian / Immemorial Shrine (2025)

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Enter the shrine of first-class Melodic Death and Doom Metal crafted by this one-man project from France, and let the echoes from his debut album guide you on a brooding and immersive journey through sorrow, introspection, and existential desolation.

Founded in 2024 by Antoine Scholtès, the mastermind behind Atmospheric Black Metal project Inherits The Void, Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France-based act Wurmian emerges with a mission to resurrect the essence of classic Melodic Death and Doom Metal. Drawing inspiration from the melancholic and introspective tones of bands like October Tide, Horrified, and Edge of Sanity, the project’s debut offering, titled Immemorial Shrine, embraces the duality of soaring melodies and crushing heaviness. Mastered by Simon Da Silva at The Empty Hall Studio, and displaying a classic logo by Dipayandas Art and a stunning, doomed artwork by Silvana Massa, Immemorial Shrine is a somber odyssey into solitude and decay, a brooding and immersive journey through sorrow, introspection, and existential desolation, turning it into a compelling listen for fans of both classic and modern death and doom.

Antoine begins embellishing the airwaves with his melodious guitar lines in Aeon Afterglows, reminding me of both old school and contemporary Paradise Lost with a harsher twist; whereas in the title-track Immemorial Shrine he showcases all his passion for Black and Death Metal without forgetting to add a good share of Doom and Gothic Metal to his sound, and the final result is simply beautiful. His Melodic Doom Metal attack goes on in Haven, with his guttural vocals and pounding drums being perfect for some sick headbanging, and our lone wolf speeds things up in Spires of Sorrow, offering a rawer, more direct Death Metal attack led by his classic beats and fills. Then back to a more pensive, melancholic sonority, Antoine roars with tons of anguish in Yearning Unseen, also delivering piercing, sharp riffs, followed by Sleeping Giants, another stunning composition by this multi-talented French musician that overflows Atmospheric Black and Death Metal for our total delight. And the closing song of the album, The Everflowing Stream, is another lecture in Doom Metal, with Antoine enhancing the acidity of his riffs and the depth of his Stygian roars for our vulgar delectation.

In the end, prepare to embark on a melancholic odyssey that echoes the spirit of the 90’s Death and Doom Metal while forging a path into the present in Immemorial Shrine, already available in full on YouTube and on Spotify. Hence, don’t forget to follow the project on Facebook and on Instagram for news, and maybe some live performances in the future in case Antoine assembles a live band for his shows, and above all, to purchase  Immemorial Shrine from  Wurmian’s own BandCamp or from the Pest Records’ BandCamp, or simply by clicking HERE. After all is said and done, simply enter the shrine of first-class Melodic Death and Doom Metal crafted by Wurmian. Let the echoes guide you.

Best moments of the album: Immemorial Shrine, Haven and Sleeping Giants.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Pest Records

Track listing
1. Aeon Afterglows 4:55
2. Immemorial Shrine 4:54
3. Haven 6:33
4. Spires of Sorrow 4:36
5. Yearning Unseen 5:27
6. Sleeping Giants 5:21
7. The Everflowing Stream 7:19

Band members
Antoine Scholtès – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Vermilia / Karsikko (2025)

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Let your soul wander through the forest to the sound of the stunning third full-length offering by this one-woman Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal entity from Finland.

In the Finnic religion, a “karsikko” was a set of markings made on a tree somewhere between a deceased person’s home and the burial site, which was believed to prevent the individual’s spirit from coming back. In heavy music, Karsikko is the stunning third full-length offering by one-woman Atmospheric Pagan/Black Metal entity Vermilia, following up on her 2018 critically acclaimed debut Kätkyt and her also amazing 2022 opus Ruska. Since 2017, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vermilia has been playing a beautiful hybrid of Epic Pagan Metal and sweet, raw and melancholic vocal harmonies with lyrics in her native language, and in Karsikko she has outdone herself with her strongest effort to date, a charming yet visceral album that lives up to the legacy of extreme music while at the same time it pays homage to her beautiful culture and roots.

The charming piano by Vermilia kicks off the dancing Pagan Black Metal title-track Karsikko, with her powerful, penetrating vocals matching perfectly with the song’s stunning wall of sounds. Vakat is the name of a traditional Finnish pagan festival, and that’s exactly what we get from Vermilia in this excellent song, perfect for dancing around the fire and raising our horns high in the sky. Then we have Kivutar, a Finnish goddess of pain and suffering whose name translates to “Lady of Pain”; musically speaking, Vermilia once again delivers an overdose of blast beats, scorching Black Metal riffs, and her fusion of clean vocals and harsh roars. And her classic drums and whimsical keys set the tone in Suruhymni, or “an anthem of mourning” from Finnish, embracing us in pitch black darkness in the middle of the forests of Finland.

Then the atmospheric, enfolding sounds crafted by Vermilia will penetrate deep inside your soul in Koti, or “home”, offering us all a well-balanced fusion of Black and Pagan Metal while again presenting her hypnotizing vocalizations; and in Veresi, or “your blood”, the name of the song says it all, demanding a heavier, more visceral sonority, and our lone she-wolf brings it while also sounding haunting thanks to her Doom Metal-inspired riffs and beats, presenting a fantastic rhythm, crisp instrumental and spot-on vocal lines. In Talven Jälkeen, or “after the winter”, we’re treated to more of her hybrid of harsh sounds and whimsical, embracing passages, with her work on the guitars and drums sounding utterly vibrant. Lastly, Vermilia ends the album on a high note with the dark and heavy Kansojen Kaipuu, or “the longing of nations”, where she gnarls like a creature of the forest for our total delight amidst sounds of pure Atmospheric Black Metal magic.

You can experience Karsikko in all of its glory on YouTube, on Spotify, or on any other streaming service, but of course in order to support the beyond talented Vermilia you can purchase her newborn beast from her own BandCamp or webstore, or by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to join her pagan festivities by following her on Facebook and on Instagram (including her unique, mesmerizing live performances), and by subscribing to her official YouTube channel, letting her fascinating music penetrate deep inside your mind, as your soul wanders freely through the darkly peaceful forests of her homeland. Karsikko is one of those albums that gradually takes over your spirit with each and every listen, a precious gem of the underground that will surely feature among the best albums of the year, inspiring Vermilia to continue her amazing path of Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal for many years to come, as her connection with her pagan roots get stronger and stronger with each album released.

Best moments of the album: Karsikko, Suruhymni, Veresi and Kansojen Kaipuu.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Karsikko 4:44
2. Vakat 7:07
3. Kivutar 4:32
4. Suruhymni 5:08
5. Koti 3:28
6. Veresi 6:39
7. Talven Jälkeen 3:46
8. Kansojen Kaipuu 6:01

Band members
Vermilia – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Exiled Hope / Apocrypha (2025)

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A lone she-wolf of Symphonic and Blackened Power Metal returns with the third and exciting installment of her ongoing musical narrative.

Formed in 2019 in Maryland, United States, Symphonic/Blackened Gothic/Power Metal one-woman army Exiled Hope is set to unleash the project’s third installment of its ongoing musical narrative, entitled Apocrypha. Drawing musical inspiration from the likes of Avantasia, Nightwish, Kamelot and Cradle of Fitlh, to name a few, the lone she-wolf Sofia Frasz is back in action with a twelve-track album that follows a new protagonist who seeks guidance from familiar (yet otherworldly) forces as he uncovers the truth about the path to success laid out before him, further expanding the story Sofia and her Exiled Hope have crafted through the years.

Sofia kicks off the album to the soothing sound of the piano in The Summoning, already showcasing her passion for dark and melancholic music, exploding into Blackened Gothic Metal to the sound of her she-demon gnarls; and our diva strikes again in full force with her classic riffs, low-tuned bass and deep vocals in The Day Will Come, offering a darker version of contemporary Symphonic Metal. She then puts the pedal to the metal in the rockin’ tune Blood Of The Ancients, showcasing all her dexterity behind the drums, whereas she makes a passionate vocal duet with guest Metal Matt in Dreamwalker, a soothing ballad that sounds truly powerful from start to finish. Then we face Over For You, leaning towards the early days of Nightwish with a darker twist, with Sofia kicking some ass with her potent vocal reach and classic riffs; and featuring guest vocalist Imperator Mortem we have Altar Of Moloch, with both Sofia and Imperator Mortem sounding like obscure creatures from the underworld in a lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal.

In The Silence Is Deafening she switches gears to a more Doom Metal-inspired sound with Gothic and Symphonic Metal nuances, once again hypnotizing us all with her vocals, followed by Behold My Shattered Skies, the second ballad of the album, sounding as enfolding as the first one and with Sofia’s deep vocals walking hand in hand with the song’s ambience. After that, we’re treated to Deathslayer, bringing forward over eight minutes of first-class heavy yet delicate music, a trademark sound by Sofia and her Exiled Hope, with her striking riffage, blast beats and devilish growls adding an extra touch of insanity to the music, exploding into a melodic attack of Blackened Power Metal led by her classic guitar lines and crushing drums entitled Lightborn. She then offers another Ambient track titled Remnants, maybe a bit too long for an instrumental interlude, while closing the album we have Forbidden Majesties, where once again Sofia showcases both her delicate and demonic sides at the same time.

“The release of Apocrypha represents three years of practice, exploration, trial and error, learning, and a lot of overthinking,” commented Sofia about her newborn baby. “Apocrypha feels detailed and relatable, yet larger-than-life, and I hope you enjoy the journey of listening to it as much as I enjoyed the journey of creating it. Creating music is about the journey as much as it is about the destination, or the final product.” After such beautiful words by our dauntless diva, you should definitely go check what she’s up to on Facebook and on Instagram, listen to her music on YouTube and on Spotify, and grab a copy of Apocrypha from BandCamp or by clicking HERE, allowing Sofia’s music to penetrate deep inside your soul on another exciting journey by one of the most creative names of the current metal scene.

Best moments of the album: The Day Will Come, Dreamwalker, Deathslayer and Lightborn.

Worst moments of the album: Remnants.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. The Summoning 3:19
2. The Day Will Come 3:46
3. Blood Of The Ancients 4:08
4. Dreamwalker 3:40
5. Over For You 4:20
6. Altar Of Moloch 4:25
7. The Silence Is Deafening 4:28
8. Behold My Shattered Skies 4:57
9. Deathslayer 8:11
10. Lightborn 5:27
11. Remnants 3:52
12. Forbidden Majesties 4:25

Band members
Sofia Frasz – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Metal Matt – vocals on “Dreamwalker”
Imperator Mortem – vocals on “Altar of Moloch”