Tag Archives: avantgarde black metal

Metal Chick of the Month – Vanessa Funke

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I’m always on my own… Even in my dreams I die alone… Loneliness is a garment… Made of shadows hanging above…

There’s nothing better than kicking off the short but always freezing cold month of February than with an ultra talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who personifies the underground like our metal lady of this month, setting fire to the atmosphere with her undisputed blend of Extreme Metal. Known for her involvement with some amazing underground bands the likes of Zion Code and Cordiscord Elysium, and more recently for her undisputed solo career, releasing an array of first-class albums, she brings the noise directly from Germany to The Headbanging Moose, taking no prisoners in her quest for heavy music. Her name is Vanessa Funke, and after knowing more about her life and her career, I’m sure you’ll get addicted to her fusion of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal with an overdose of raw emotions and, therefore, feel beyond eager to get caught in a mosh while she kicks some serious ass both in the studio and onstage.

Hailing from Finnentrop, a municipality in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Vanessa said in one of her interviews that music has been all around her basically her entire life, mentioning she remembers hearing the intro to Thin Lizzy‘s version of Whiskey In The Jar as a child and imagining that she would play it herself. “It took a while for me to pick up an instrument though, which was about 2009. I was absolutely fascinated with Mike Oldfield around that time, especially that he can play all those different instruments and basically creates albums almost on his own. That really was the impulse that led me to playing guitar and later keyboards. When I got into metal about two years later, I started to play it myself too.”

She believes the first ever metal song she learned on the guitar was Weather The Storm, by Finnish melodeath masters Insomnium, becoming the rhythm guitarist shortly after for a band named Storm Unleashed, which was basically her first step into the music business, naturally evolving more and more even after she decided to pursue her solo career. Clearly a huge fan of the Melodic Death Metal from the 90’s and 2000’s, she also started incorporating elements from Gothic Metal into her music, giving it even more depth, which consequently allowed her to explore darker emotions in her compositions.

Speaking of her solo career, it all began in 2017 when she started recording a few demos, which only came to light in 2022 as a compilation encompassing those demos from 2017 until 2021. After that, she kept firing her own blend of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal through the 2022 EPs Sorted Out and Broken, followed by the split Ode to Hopelessness (alongside French Depressive Black Metal act Angel of Suicide), her first full-length album Solitude, plus the splits Nothing Left… (with UK-based Black Metal outfit Black Apathy) and Anthems of Gomorrah / Vanessa Funke (with Pinellas County, Florida-based Black/Death Metal horde Anthems of Gomorrah), all also in 2022.

Then in 2023 she released the EP Reflections, the splits Lonely Suicide (with American Atmospheric Black Metal creature Nymphrenia), In the Shadow of the Lights (with a band named Luroga), A Road to Nowhere (with Panama’s own Black Metal entity The Last Weapon), and Barely Living on the Edge…​ (with the bands Nymphrenia, Black Apathy, Shallow Existence, and Have a Nice Life…), and her sophomore full-length opus entitled Dawn. In 2024, the EP Lament and the full-length Void saw the light of day, while in 2025 she brought into being the split Locomotion of Escape (with a band called Tachanka), and her fourth full-length installment, titled Requiem. All of those releases can be found on BandCamp and on Spotify, and on her official YouTube channel you can also find her official videos for songs such as Worthless, Broken Ground, Infelicity, and I Need You Tonight, among several others. Not only that, her music is also featured in a few interesting compilations, including the songs Solitude on the  LDP Smörgåsbord Series #2 (released by Liminal Dread Productions in December 2023), Sorrow on Mind Over Metal 4: Volume 1 (released by Cave Dweller Music in May 2024), Buried on Black Metal Against Blackout (released in January 2024), and Dead Souls on Heavy for the Hollers (released by Liminal Dread Productions in November 2024).

One very interesting fact about her solo albums is that all of them have just one word in the title (Solitude, Dawn, Void, and Requiem), not to mention she keeps an impressive streak of one album per year. “I actually try to keep up the pace with one full length release every year. I’ve written so many songs that I have enough material for at least another album right now and several rough sketches and demos. When I get into this certain creative flow, I try to let it all out. Later I come back to these ideas and refine them. Having just one word as the title wasn’t something I planned. I released an EP called Broken in 2022, after that my first album Solitude followed and I basically just stayed with those one word titles since then. Fun fact: the album title never appears as a song title on the same album, but I do tend to use it later. For example, Solitude is the title of my first album, but also the title of the first song on Requiem,” explained our unstoppable metal diva.

Furthermore, she also explained the reason why the song titles in her latest album Requiem also have just one word, like Useless, Worthless, Sorrow, Death, and Buried, but that doesn’t mean her music should be labeled as Depressive Black Metal. “On this album I came up with the song names before I had the music. I wanted to be inspired by those simple words, like what do I feel when thinking about them and translate that feeling to music. Of course reading those titles can definitely imply something depressive, which is partially true because of the story behind it. But the music isn’t depressive black metal in my opinion, more a mixture between atmospheric black metal and funeral doom. The melodic death and gothic influence isn’t that strong here.”

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Apart form her undisputed solo career, Vanessa is (or was) also part of an interesting music project assembled to celebrate the 36th birthday of Alicia Cordisco (of Arizona’s own Thrash Metal beast Transgressive), with its collaborators spanning countries across three continents, including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The name of such a unique project is Cordiscord Elysium, a Melodic Death and Power Metal outfit with several guest musicians from different underground bands, and that released their debut EP titled Alicia Cordisco’s Amazing Birthday, in 2025, followed by the EP Alicia Cordiscord Autumnal Ball, and the single All Carols are Bangers, both also from 2025, and all available on BandCamp. From all songs recorded so far by the project, the most interesting one is hands down their cover version for Eagle Fly Free, by Helloween.

Prior to flying solo, Vanessa was a member of a Zanesville, Ohio-based Progressive Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore band named Zion Code, taking care of their vocal duties from 2022 to 2024, plus playing guitars, bass and keyboards for the band between 2023 and 2024. Formed in 2021 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Mitchell, the band has already released seven full-length albums and two EPs, with Vanessa being part of the 2023 albums Zion Code and Festung, and the 2024 albums Apocrypha and New Dawn Rising. Curiously enough, nothing is available on BandCamp nor on Spotify anymore for reasons beyond our knowledge. Anyway, apart from recording vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and drums in those albums, Vanessa was also responsible for the production, mixing and mastering, and even the artwork for the 2023 album Festung. I’m curious to listen to Zion Code as I haven’t had a chance yet, but apparently there’s nothing available anywhere, not even unofficial videos uploaded on YouTube by random users.

She can also be found as a guest musician for some very interesting bands and projects. For instance, she recorded vocals for the 2025 album The Burden of I, by Tucson, Arizona’s own Melodic Black/Death Metal musician Alicia Cordisco; vocals for the 2023 single We Can Win, by California-based Avantgarde Black/Power Metal act Black Stag Rising; the dialogue on the song Lebenssinn, from the 2023 EP Die Welt schl​ä​ft ein, by French Black Metal entity Myrkyttää; additional vocals on the song Remember Me, from the 2025 album Down the Drain, by American Depressive/Atmospheric Black Metal act Nymphrenia; and additional vocals on the song Writhing in Agony I: Reopening Wounds I Have Once Forgotten, from the 2023 EP Writhing in Agony, by UK’s Depressive Black Metal act Shallow Existence. Not only that, Vanessa was also responsible for the artwork for the 2023 album Broken Cleansing and the 2023 EP Afuckt Up Mess, both by American Metalcore/Technical Death Metal act A Karmic Gray, and for the artwork for the 2023 EP Chaos Undivided, by Ohio’s own Death Metal brigade Bloodthirster.

When asked about how she feels having the drum arrangements (as well as the mixing and mastering) done by Michael Easley for her latest album Requiem, she said that it was an exception under her one-woman band project. “I usually do everything myself. This one album is actually the exception. I used a pretty old drum plugin initially, which lacked some human feel. As Michael is a drummer, he offered me to change it a bit and put a bit more life into it, which I gladly accepted. But nothing was done without my approval of course. Also a lot of the music was recorded at a time where my mixing skills weren’t that good. So Michael basically polished it to make it sound similar to my previous albums. For the next album I already have a higher standard I set for myself, so I’m pretty sure right now that if I get it right the way I imagine it, there’s no need for changes afterwards.” Furthermore, she also shared a few words about her writing and composing style. “When I start to write a song, I only have one chords progression or a melody from which I build up the whole song. So most things actually just happen during the recording process. There’s not much planning ahead usually.”

One very interesting thing about her album Requiem is that it is based on her own experiences as a teenager. “If you look at the album in two different sides (songs 1-5 and songs 6-8), there are two different things I wrote about: the first side deals with the feeling of spiraling deeper into depression, while the second side deals with intrusive thoughts. I couldn’t be completely neutral, but I still tried to keep things vague enough so others can find their own story in this. For me personally this story is deeply tied to dysphoria, something that was really strong when I was younger, the fear of coming out and not being able to live as myself. Even if I’ve come a long way since then and it isn’t that bad anymore, I still felt the need to have an outlet for all these emotions.”

Last but not least, Vanessa is not the type of person that’s very active in social media. “I do use Instagram and Bluesky apart from Bandcamp, but generally I’m not that good in this social media game, so my accounts there are definitely not as professional as bands often have them. But I generally don’t feel the need to change that, as it feels more comfortable for me like this,” she commented, and we must all agree she’s doing the right thing. Focusing on her music, on the quality of her final product, is way more important to us listeners than having an active Facebook or Instagram account. And don’t worry, Vanessa, because your music is so good we can take care of the social media posting on your behalf, spreading your emotional music to the four corners of the earth. Because, in the end, that’s what good music is all about.

Vanessa Funke’s Official Instagram
Vanessa Funke’s Official YouTube channel
Vanessa Funke’s BandCamp
Vanessa Funke’s Spotify

Album Review – Gorrch / Stillamentum (2026)

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This two-headed Black Metal beast arises from its lair in Italy with a new full-length opus, pushing further into darkness with an unwavering commitment to raw emotion and existential dread, crafting a labyrinth of shadows and pain.

Formed in 2010 in Northeastern Italy as a duo composed of brothers Chimsicrin (on vocals, drums and keyboards) and Droich (on the guitars and bass), the uncanny Black Metal beast known as Gorrch has been carving their niche in the Italian underground with a singular, uncompromising vision of Black Metal, from the feral intensity of their 2013 self-titled EP and the 2015 full-length Nera Estasi, to the more experimental, dissonant, and atmospheric textures of their 2020 EP Introvertere. Now in 2026 such a ruthless two-headed creature returns in full force with Stillamentum, a full-length album steeped in claustrophobic intensity, dissonant chord structures, and relentless sonic tension. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Andrea Petucco and Gorrch, the album sees the duo push further into darkness with an unwavering commitment to raw emotion and existential dread, crafting a labyrinth of shadows and pain.

Nimbus brings forward absolute chaos and darkness from the very first second, with Chimsicrin sounding inhumane on drums while his devilish vociferations will send shivers down your spine. Droich continues to exhale sheer adrenaline and violence from his riffs and bass in Vorago, just as demented and detailed as its predecessor, always in the name of Italian Black Metal; and the duo shows no mercy for our impious souls in Larvæ, crushing us all like insects with their fusion of Experimental, Dissonant and Avantgarde Black Metal. There’s no time to breathe as their sulfurous sounds continue to permeate the air in Cryptæ, with the acrid stench flowing from Droich’s riffage living up to the legacy of the genre; whereas Angor is even more dissonant and visceral, spearheaded by the ruthless Black Metal blast beats by Chimsicrin. Needless to say, the duo is on total fire until the very last note of the song. Finally, they end such a demonic album just like how it started with Phlegma, oozing a vile blend of Black Metal that will melt your face to the scorching riffs by Droich until all that insanity fades into nothingness.

Always carrying an aura of mystery, which have helped them build a cult following among the followers of extreme, chaotic Black Metal, Gorrch channels their own obsession with sound as ritual and catharsis in Stillamentum, something that can be easily noticed from its punishing tremolo riffs and blasting drumming to its cavernous production that evokes suffocating atmospheres. Gorrch are another band that decided to stay away from all types of social media, but of course you can still find their music online available on Spotify, and purchase Stillamentum from their own BandCamp, from Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp, or from Sound Cave as a CD or an LP. Stillamentum is not an album for the lighthearted, nor for the average listener. This is the union of Black Metal and absolute chaos, and you’ll soon find yourself immersed in the turbulent and dark waters ruled by Chimsicrin and Droich in their excruciating new opus.

Best moments of the album: Nimbus and Phlegma.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Avantgarde Music

Track listing
1. Nimbus 6:24
2. Vorago 6:33
3. Larvæ 5:30
4. Cryptæ 6:13
5. Angor 5:03
6. Phlegma 7:35

Band members
Chimsicrin – vocals, drums, keyboards
Droich – guitars, bass

Album Review – Death Obvious / Death Obvious (2025)

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Behold the debut opus by this uncanny duo from Finland, offering a harrowing albeit intriguing sound that’s strangely both alarming and comforting in parts.

Hailing from the darkest and most mysterious corners of Finland, the uncanny duo known as Death Obvious came out of nowhere to release a debut album that coalesces elements of Avantgarde Black, Death and Doom Metal to create a harrowing albeit intriguing sound that’s strangely both alarming and comforting in parts. Showcasing a straightforward, grim artwork by Petri Kiviniemi, the debut offering by Lea LaVey on vocals and Sima Sioux on guitars, bass, keyboards and drums brings to our avid ear eight songs that sound like excursions into pitch-black darkness, not knowing what’s coming next, while the listener remains terrified, haunted by monstrous and spectral voices coming and going, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Thantifaxath, Dodecahedron, Veilburner, Lurk, Blut aus Nord, Hexrot, and Deathspell Omega.

Mercury Off Axis is absolutely dissonant, disturbing and grim from the very first second, gradually adjusting its shape and form to a hammering Sludge Metal beast led by the rumbling bass and riffs by Sima, who keeps pounding his drums until a storm of blackened sounds comes crushing our damned souls in Santuario, with Lea barking and roaring rabidly in the name of total fucking darkness. The Great Gate Theory sounds even more sluggish and introspective, with the bass by Sima once again reverberating beautifully while Lea’s vocals transpire insanity; and it’s pedal to the metal in the Experimental Black Metal attack entitled Total Heavenly Desolation, with Lea sounding demented on vocals while Sima crafts the most caustic sounds imaginable armed with his riffs, bass and drums.

Then leaning towards a more visceral, direct form of Black Metal we face The Third Eye Burning, as primeval as it can be, again offering our putrid ears the absolutely dissonant sounds blasted by the duo, whereas after such an insane display of extreme music the duo brings forward the Stygian tune Suffer The Spectacle, starting in a cryptic manner before Lea begins barking like a venomous beast. Their Sludge and Doom Metal vein pulses harder than ever in As Absence Expands Over Everything, perfect for some vigorous headbanging in absolute obscurity; and lastly, it’s time for the chaotic, ruthless Catechismus For The Plagued, presenting eight and a half minutes of first-class Avantgarde Black and Death Metal spearheaded by the demolishing beats by Sima, ending in utter insanity and violence.

In summary, the Finnish death dealers of Death Obvious are clearly onto something in their first full-length opus, having created an exceptional and mature release right off the bat, one that deserves as much attention as it can possibly get before it gets lost in the annals of history. Hence, you can get to know more about such a promising new entity of the Finnish scene on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their wicked music on Spotify, and of course purchase their caustic album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Because Death Obvious is not a rebirth, but a necessary resuscitation.

Best moments of the album: Total Heavenly Desolation, The Third Eye Burning and Catechismus For The Plagued.

Worst moments of the album: Suffer The Spectacle.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Mercury Off Axis 5:38
2. Santuario 5:13
3. The Great Gate Theory 5:16
4. Total Heavenly Desolation 4:45
5. The Third Eye Burning 5:56
6. Suffer The Spectacle 6:51
7. As Absence Expands Over Everything 5:53
8. Catechismus For The Plagued 8:30

Band members
Lea LaVey – vocals
Sima Sioux – guitars, bass, keyboards, drums

Album Review – Veilburner / Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy (2025)

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The eighth opus by this uncanny Death and Black Metal creature sees the duo continue to suffer like two dragons consuming one another in a serpentine-like fashion until one can no longer consume the other, frozen in the shape of infinity.

Only one year after the release of their critically acclaimed album The Duality of Decapitation and Wisdom, Pennsylvania, United States-based Avantgarde Death/Black Metal creature Veilburner returns with their eighth full-length album, poetically titled Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy. Displaying another Stygian artwork by Luciana Nedelea, the new opus by Chrisom Infernium on vocals, lyrics and design, and Mephisto Deleterio on all instruments and production sees the duo continue to suffer like two dragons consuming one another in a serpentine-like fashion until one can no longer consume the other, frozen in the shape of infinity (∞) and numerologically represented by the digit eight (8). Samael (the “poison of god” and the eighth sphere of the Qlippoth), as well as Choronzon (the dweller of the threshold) and the Ouroboros all correlate with this symbol of infinity and exist in Veilburner’s lore as the antagonistic and immutable eternity, which if confronted can lead to self-destruction and the finality of manifestation, permanently breaking the loop.

Like the beginning of a black mass, the duo ignites their festivities with Longing for Triumph…, with the marching drums by Mephisto suddenly evolving into pure Black Metal madness while Chrisom roars like a demented entity from the abyss; and Mephisto keeps slashing his scorching axe in Pestilent Niche, delivering fierce, metallic riffs for our total delight, as experimental as it is progressive, sounding like two or three songs in one. Then venturing through Atmospheric Black Metal lands with a pinch of Doom Metal we face Rigor & Wraith, with the cryptic vociferations by Chrisom sounding truly haunting, whereas back to a ferocious Black Metal sonority they offer us That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur, where all instruments by Mephisto sound absolutely demonic, adding an extra dosage of insanity and sulfur to the overall result. Da’ath Ye Shadow Portrait is another excellent display of Avantgarde Death and Black Metal by the duo, with Chrisom once again barking rabidly nonstop, followed by Ouroboreal Whorl, the least Black Metal of all songs, maybe a bit too experimental for my taste, never sounding truly heavy. They get back on track with Matter o’ the Most Awful of Martyrs, blasting their trademark blend of demented Black and Death Metal sounds, with Mephisto sounding ruthless armed with his riffs, solos and blast beats until the very last second; and lastly, we have …Reeking of Tragedy, the “conclusion” of the opening track, therefore forming the title of the album, which couldn’t have sounded more inhumane and sinister, with the duo firing their devilish roars and eerie riffs nonstop.

In the spirit of striking while the iron is hot, this eighth evolution of the Veilburner story capitalizes on momentum while simultaneously achieving new heights in their song-crafting and story-telling, leading their characters on a journey in which they cannot recognize triumph without tragedy, and sees them residing somewhere between the abyss and their devotion to mortal re-occurrence, that which seems to attract death, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Blut aus Nord, Imperial Triumphant, Deathspell Omega, Hexrot, Oranssi Pazuzu, Akhyls, and Akercocke. You can dive into the dark realms ruled by Veilburner by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their unique creations on Spotify, and of course by purchasing their new album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. In Longing for Triumph, Reeking of Tragedy, Chrisom Infernium and Mephisto Deleterio face not just any death, but the kind in which they are bound to an infinite loop of reincarnation, and destined to repeat the same traumas and failures as before.

Best moments of the album: Pestilent Niche, That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur and Matter o’ the Most Awful of Martyrs.

Worst moments of the album: Ouroboreal Whorl.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Longing for Triumph… 7:00
2. Pestilent Niche 6:19
3. Rigor & Wraith 5:26
4. That Which Crypts Howls Grandeur 6:19
5. Da’ath Ye Shadow Portrait 7:04
6. Ouroboreal Whorl 6:29
7. Matter o’ the Most Awful of Martyrs 6:00
8. …Reeking of Tragedy 7:14

Band members
Chrisom Infernium – vocals
Mephisto Deleterio – all instruments

Album Review – Esoctrilihum / Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm (2025)

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One of the most innovative names of the Avantgarde Black Metal scene worldwide returns with his tenth opus, a concept album telling the ritual stages in the long journey of dead souls towards the jaws of the eight-eyed psychopomp Abxulöm.

Often accused of having no sense of measure, French artist Asthâghul churns out a new double album that is grandiose, symphonic, psychedelic, liturgical, and delirious under his Avantgarde Black Metal alter-ego Esoctrilihum. Beautifully titled Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm, his tenth studio album is a prism that reflects every single nuance of the project’s sound, from bombastic Black and Death Metal, to Death and Doom Metal deviations, up to his recent Psych-Folk Metal explorations. Conceptually divided into four chapters, each of which telling a ritual stage in the long journey of dead souls towards the jaws of the eight-eyed psychopomp Abxulöm, who will finally deliver them to eternal nothingness, the new album by Asthâghul on vocals, guitar, bass, drums, synth, organ, theremin, harp, kantele, hammered dulcimer, and nyckelharpa, with “ultra-dimensional high vocals” by guest Esthurïelh, is a must-listen for fans of Leviathan, The Ruins Of Beverast, Inquisition, Xasthur, all adorned by a wicked artwork named “Youth Of The Beast” by Alan Brown (aka Medusawolf), with photography by Aylowenn Aëla, and visual design by Francesco Gemelli.

In the opening track Hark! The Bewitched Trumpet of the Red Harbinger Is Calling the Dead to Gather, there’s no intro nor any build up. It goes straight to your jugular with Asthâghul’s demented beats and creepy keyboards sounding fantastic from start to finish; and his fusion of Avantgarde Black Metal with the church-like sounds from his organ result in an imposing wall of sounds in Kneeling Before the Keeper of the Golden Key to the Absolute Void, followed by At the Mercy of the Flaming Spear of the Bestial Hierophant, also presenting Asthâghul’s demented vision in the form of his own blend of Black Metal. His sonic onrush continues in full force in Flesh Pierced by the Blades of Thritônh, Eyes Devoured by Vulth Suidarl, The Giant Fly, leaning towards Atmospheric Black Metal at times thanks to the dark and dense vibe boosted by his deep, desperate roars, and the way he blends the sounds of all instruments in such a cohesive manner in Hypnotic Danse Macabre of the Blind Noctivagants is outstanding, resulting in a ritualistic Black Metal celebration.

Orgiastic Sacrificial Mass to Conjur Abxulöm, Psychopomp Supreme presents even elements from Industrial Black Metal, giving the whole song an even harsher vibe, with his demonic vocals and blast beats living up to the legacy of the genre. Then it’s absolute chaos, madness and despair in Saturnal Towers of the Mighty Scarlet Moon Upon the Black Universe, bringing forward another blast of scorching riffs and phantasmagorical keys by our multi-talented Asthâghul, who then goes full Experimental Death Metal in The Cosmic Deathbringer Comes, Riding a Bloody Horse of Goshenite, with his deep guttural and screeching riffage hitting us hard in the head. In Mauled, Swallowed and Dissolved into Nothingness by the 8-Eyed Psychopomp we see our lone wolf pounding his drums with tons of anger while his vocals lines sound absolutely ritualistic. It’s a weird song, though, maybe a bit too much, but still enjoyable, flowing into the atmospheric and creepy outro Supplication of the Veiled Saint from the Secret Book of the Ghostigmatah Rites where we face one final Black Metal attack to conclude the album on a visceral mode.

A post-mortem ritual that is told in the secret grimoire of the Ghostigmatah, a sort of modern Necronomicon that constitutes another piece in Esoctrilihum’s phantasmagorical visionary world, Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm is a nightmarish, mystical dimension of death beyond time and space, inhabited by an artist who, through his music, fearlessly lets its dark light filter into our reality. And even if nothing of this massive explanation makes any sense to you, you should definitely go check all albums by the multi-talented and unstoppable Asthâghul and his Esoctrilihum on Spotify, and grab a copy of his new nightmare-fueled album from the I, Voidhanger Records’ BandCamp or from Metal Odissey as a CD (EU or US) or as an LP (EU or US). Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm might not be an album recommended for the average listener or for the lighthearted, but once you dive deep into the experimental realm ruled by Asthâghul like what he has to offer in his new album, you’ll realize you’re in front of one of the leading beasts of the Avantgarde Black Metal movement worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Hark! The Bewitched Trumpet of the Red Harbinger Is Calling the Dead to Gather, Orgiastic Sacrificial Mass to Conjur Abxulöm, Psychopomp Supreme and Saturnal Towers of the Mighty Scarlet Moon Upon the Black Universe.

Worst moments of the album: Mauled, Swallowed and Dissolved into Nothingness by the 8-Eyed Psychopomp.

Released in 2025 I, Voidhanger Records

Track listing
1. Hark! The Bewitched Trumpet of the Red Harbinger Is Calling the Dead to Gather 9:47
2. Kneeling Before the Keeper of the Golden Key to the Absolute Void 9:06
3. At the Mercy of the Flaming Spear of the Bestial Hierophant 7:46
4. Flesh Pierced by the Blades of Thritônh, Eyes Devoured by Vulth Suidarl, The Giant Fly 8:39
5. Hypnotic Danse Macabre of the Blind Noctivagants 7:28
6. Orgiastic Sacrificial Mass to Conjur Abxulöm, Psychopomp Supreme 8:34
7. Saturnal Towers of the Mighty Scarlet Moon Upon the Black Universe 9:36
8. The Cosmic Deathbringer Comes, Riding a Bloody Horse of Goshenite 8:36
9. Mauled, Swallowed and Dissolved into Nothingness by the 8-Eyed Psychopomp 9:16
10. Supplication of the Veiled Saint from the Secret Book of the Ghostigmatah Rites 5:04

Band members
Asthâghul – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, synth, organ, theremin, harp, kantele, hammered dulcimer, nyckelharpa

Guest musician
Esthurïelh – additional vocals

Album Review – Hasard / Abgnose (2025)

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The sophomore album by this talented French musician sees him dive deeper into nightmarish atmospheres, twisted harmonies and the interaction between orchestra and a typical metal instrumentation.

A spin-off project of Les Chants du Hasard, committed to deliver the darkest and most dissonant Black Metal in the fertile ground on which fascinating orchestral melodies with a dark, melancholic and resigned mood flourish, Paris, France-based Avantgarde Black Metal entity Hasard returns with its sophomore opus, entitled Abgnose. Mastered by Olivier Prouvost, and displaying a sinister artwork by Roy de Rat, the follow-up to the project’s 2023 album Malivore sees vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Hazard dive deeper into nightmarish atmospheres, twisted harmonies and the interaction between orchestra and a typical metal instrumentation, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Akhlys, Aoratos, Blut Aus Nord, and Wreche.

Just like in his previous album, our lone wolf blends the finesse of classical music and opera with the harshness of Avantgarde Black Metal in Oniritisme, with his Stygian vocals walking hand in hand with his haunting riffs and blast beats. Senestral continues to breathe darkness into our already blackened hearts and souls, sounding as the soundtrack to a true psychological horror movie while Hazard’s drumming reeks of classic Black Metal for our total delight; and there’s no time to breathe as Hazard’s nightmarish sounds will penetrate deep inside your rotten mind in Negascendance, a lecture in Avantgarde Black Metal with elements from Post-Black Metal and progressive nuances. Antienne Estrale, the longest of all songs, is also the most detailed, dynamic and multi-layered, not to mention it is creepy and grim as hell, growing in intensity and fire until all fades into oblivion in a lesson in  experimental and extreme music, whereas finally,  the title-track Abgnose closes the album on a high note, with Hazard not only delivering venomous riffs and sluggish beats, but his keys are also phantasmagorical.

The last remnant of the 19th century romanticism had a few words to say about his newborn spawn. “Abgnose is a testament to the greater force that governs our lives, neither a god or a devil, but only pure chance. There is no greater entity sitting in the sky or below the earth, who watches with interest our petty lives. Only pure chance and random events. We spend a short amount of time as a small point on an equally small planet lost somewhere in the universe and we die, only for our futile achievements to be forgotten as fast as we’re replaced. Just count the here and now, as there’s no afterlife. Abgnose stands for removing the idea of the divine, thus leaving only the despair of having to live and not be rewarded for our actions in this world.” Hence, you can get in touch with such a talented musician via Facebook and Instagram, stream his music on Spotify, and of course purchase Abgnose from BandCamp or from Metal Odissey as a CD (EU and US) or LP (EU or US).  Always deeper into nightmares, always further into despair. To what end? That’s a question Hazard keeps asking at every note in his excellent new album.

Best moments of the album: Senestral, Negascendance and Antienne Estrale.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 I, Voidhanger Records

Track listing
1. Oniritisme 8:24
2. Senestral 7:02
3. Negascendance 8:34
4. Antienne Estrale 10:06
5. Abgnose 9:50

Band members
Hazard – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Hexrot / Formless Ruin of Oblivion (2025)

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The first full-length opus by this American duo flows continuously across seven tracks, maintaining a constant tension between the harmony and dissonance of its ever-shifting web of musical ideas.

Combining a dense stylistic mélange of Death, Black, and Thrash Metal with inventive electronic experimentation and a keen sense of structure, Formless Ruin of Oblivion is the brand new offering by Massachusetts, United States-based Avantgarde Death/Black/Thrash Metal duo Hexrot, following up on their 2022 debut EP Gloomwrought. Mastered by Colin Marston at Menegroth – The Thousand Caves, and displaying a stunning artwork from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch, with logo by Nat Lacuna, the 35-minute first full-length opus by Arkain on vocals, guitars and bass, and Melmoth on vocals, drums and electronics flows continuously across seven tracks, maintaining a constant tension between the harmony and dissonance of its ever-shifting web of musical ideas. Seamlessly interwoven, a bed of modular synthesizer and other digital flourishes run the gamut from clangorous and industrial to warm and ethereal, being therefore recommended for fans of Felgrave, Construct of Lethe, Deathspell Omega, Blut aus Nord, Death, Ulcerate, and Veilburner.

What Lies Veiled is simply ethereal and enigmatic from the very first second, gradually morphing into an experimental beast led by the intricate drumming by Melmoth while Arkain shreds his axe in the name of insanity, flowing into Heavenward, a lecture in Avantgarde and Progressive Death Metal where their experimentations reach a whole new level, all boosted by the the duo’s demented vociferations; again seamlessly connecting with Consecrating Luminous Conflagration, where they keep blasting their demented sounds led by the wicked riffage by Arkain. Then we have the otherworldly interlude Ghostly Retrograde I, setting the stage for Hexrot to crush our souls and dreams with Clandestine Haunt, with Arkain’s caustic guitars matching perfectly with Melmoth’s frantic beats and fills in another explosion of demented Death Metal, once again changing its shape and form into the interlude Ghostly Retrograde II, another atmospheric and embracing instrumental piece that works perfectly as the warmup for the title-track Formless Ruin of Oblivion, a 15-minute creature from the abyss of extreme music, starting in the most phantasmagorical manner before the duo begins peeling our flesh mercilessly with their chaotic and visceral sounds, exhaling madness to their wicked riffs, bass lines and cryptic drums, as if there were three or four songs clashing in great fashion inside of it, consequently setting fire to the ambience until its climatic yet vile finale.

In addition to all that, the immediacy of a live studio recording gives Formless Ruin of Oblivion a high level of authenticity and power, but careful production ensures you’ll still be discovering new things multiple listens in. Hence, you can get to know more about such a promising duo hailing from the United States through their official Facebook and Instagram, stream their debut EP and soon their newborn opus on Spotify or any other streaming service, and purchase a copy of the album from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. It’s truly impressive how only two musicians were capable of putting together such a detailed, bold and complex album, sounding like a multi-headed beast of extreme music while remaining loyal to their foundations and absolutely humble, working hard to keep crafting high quality music for us avid metalheads. No idea what’s next for those two beyond talented guys, but if their next album is just as half as good as Formless Ruin of Oblivion, we’ll have a very good reason to keep a huge smile on our faces while headbanging manically.

Best moments of the album: Heavenward, Clandestine Haunt and Formless Ruin of Oblivion.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. What Lies Veiled 3:49
2. Heavenward 5:26
3. Consecrating Luminous Conflagration 4:05
4. Ghostly Retrograde I 1:10
5. Clandestine Haunt 3:06
6. Ghostly Retrograde II 1:52
7. Formless Ruin of Oblivion 15:53

Band members
Arkain – vocals, guitars, bass
Melmoth – vocals, drums, electronics

Album Review – Felgrave / Otherlike Darknesses (2025)

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This one-man project from Norway breaks the mould and offers three lengthy tracks that flow in an intuitive, undulating, almost whimsical manner, touching upon several styles and effortlessly shape shifting through them all.

After dropping its well-received debut album A Waning Light back in 2020, Viken, Norway-based entity Felgrave has crafted an ingenious album melding influences of Avantgarde Black, Death and Doom Metal in a way rarely done before, entitled Otherlike Darknesses, breaking the mould and offering three lengthy tracks that flow in an intuitive, undulating, almost whimsical manner, touching upon several styles and effortlessly shape shifting through them all. Mixed by the project’s mastermind, vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist M. L. Jupe, mastered by Brendan Sloan, featuring session drummer Robin Stone (Evilyn, Norse), and displaying another beautiful artwork by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, Otherlike Darknesses is a multi-faceted opus and yet has a fairly cohesive sound with exceptional song writing, always engaging while also being unpredictable.

M. L. Jupe ignites his blackened machine armed with his scorching riffs and a menacing atmosphere in Winds Batter My Keep, sounding disturbing, avantgarde and addictive all at once, with the puissant drums by Robin adding an extra dosage of heaviness to the music, resulting in a sonic creature arising from the underworld ready to consume us all. After such a bludgeoning beast we face Pale Flowers Under an Empty Sky, the “shortest” song of the album (which still surpasses the 12-minute mark), beginning in a sinister manner until all morphs into an experimental, dissonant display of Black and Death Metal led by M. L. Jupe’s visceral growls and infernal riffage, also showcasing ethereal, soothing passages; building an instant bridge with the colossal title-track Otherlike Darknesses, offering us all mere mortals 18 minutes of grandiose Avantgarde Black and Death Metal. Futhermore, M. L. Jupe and Robin are on fire during the entire song, demolishing our senses and piercing our minds with their wicked vociferations, incendiary riffs and pulverizing drums, while also bringing forward so many breaks, variations and cryptic moments it feels like countless songs in one in the end.

“I’m super glad to have found a label so excited to release Otherlike Darknesses, an album of experimental, avantgarde extreme metal with many diverse influences, namely 20th century classical music, 70s symphonic prog rock, and the weirder side of 90s black and death metal. The music herein is a meticulously crafted dark yet colourful tapestry that goes far beyond anything I’ve done before, and will reward diligent and attentive enjoyers of unique extreme metal for countless repeats,” commented M. L. Jupe about his newborn spawn and his partnership with the always amazing Transcending Obscurity Records, and you can put your damned hands on such a unique album of extreme music by purchasing it from the label’s Bandcamp, main store, Europe store, or US store, keeping in mind it comes as a hand-numbered eight-panel digipak with full color printing and a metallic effect throughout, in addition to gloss raised UV lamination done on parts of the artwork, a download code and transparent logo stickers. Don’t forget to also see what M. L. Jupe and his Felgrave are up to on Facebook while listening to his new album, embarking on a multi-layered, classy and embracing journey across an array of music styles, all masterfully brought into being by a Norwegian lone wolf that definitely knowns how to turn music into a work of art.

Best moments of the album: Otherlike Darknesses.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Winds Batter My Keep 18:09
2. Pale Flowers Under an Empty Sky 12:29
3. Otherlike Darknesses 18:00

Band members
M. L. Jupe – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, programming

Guest musicians
Robin Stone – drums (session)

Album Review – In The Woods… / Otra (2025)

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These Norwegian Avantgarde Metal veterans are ready to take us on a musical journey down the river that crosses their beautiful homeland in their seventh studio album.

Formed in late 1991 by members of the original lineup of Green Carnation, whom they are a continuation of, Kristiansand, Agder, Norway’s own Avantgarde/Progressive Black/Gothic Metal act In The Woods…, one of the first bands to use the name “Pagan Metal” as a description for their style, is ready to stun us all once again with their seventh studio album, titled Otra, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2022 opus Diversum. Recorded at In The Woods Homestudio (vocals, guitars, bass), and by John Ronny Bøe at Krutt Studio (drums), mixed and mastered by Frédéric Gervais at Studio Henosis, and with a stylish artwork and layout by Seiya Ogino of Ogino Design, the new album by Bernt Fjellestad on vocals, Kåre André Sletteberg on the guitars and keyboards, Bernt Horne Sørensen also on the guitars, Nils Olav Drivdal on bass, and Anders Kobro on drums is a must-listen for fans of Ulver, Shores of Null, Saturnus, and Dødheimsgard, among others, with all songs revolving around stories connected to the eponymous river that winds for 245 kilometers through the South of Norway and spills into the Skagerrak, the strait that separates the country from Denmark and Sweden, at the band’s home in Kristiansand.

Melancholy and doom flow from the vocals by Bernt Fjellestad in The Things You Shouldn’t Know before the whole band begins their darkened attack led by the pounding drums by Anders. In addition, Kåre also sounds sharp on keyboards, resulting in over eight minutes of majestic avantgarde music. The classic Scandinavian riffs by Kåre and Bernt Horne Sørensen will inspire you to bang your head nonstop in A Misrepresentation of I, again boosted by the deep vociferations by Bernt Fjellestad; whereas the next song, titled The Crimson Crown, also brings forward a pensive, grim start that evolves into a melodic and progressive fusion of Doom and Gothic Metal, with Nils making our heads tremble with his metallic bass lines. The album continues on a serene yet Stygian mode in The Kiss and the Lie, where Nils and Anders once again generate a dense atmosphere perfect for Bernt Fjellestad’s deep clean vocals, followed by Let Me Sing, another solid fusion of Avantgarde and Doom Metal, sounding heavy on bass thanks to the energy Nils puts into his playing. Come Ye Sinners is by far the heaviest and therefore the most exciting of all songs, with their riffs and beats transpiring doom while also living up to the legacy of Avantgarde and Progressive Death Metal; and lastly, it’s sheer melancholy in The Wandering Deity, with Anders dictating the song’s pace supported by the whimsical riffage by Kåre and Bernt Horne Sørensen, ending the album on a climatic and dark vibe.

Demonstrating the strength and artistic maturity of the Norwegians’ third incarnation, Otra is indeed an enticing and highly pleasurable album to listen to, respecting the band’s past while at the same time also breaking new ground. Hence, if you want to be part of this new musical journey by In The Woods… down the river that crosses their beautiful homeland, you can follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice to know details about the band, stream their classic creations on Spotify, and of course purchase Otra from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In The Woods… are always evolving, always expanding their horizons, and Otra is the ultimate depiction of their creativity, leaving us eager for more from those Norwegian trailblazers in the coming years without a shadow of a doubt.

Best moments of the album: The Things You Shouldn’t Know, A Misrepresentation of I and Come Ye Sinners.

Worst moments of the album: Let Me Sing.

Released in 2025 Prophecy Productions

Track listing
1. The Things You Shouldn’t Know 8:32
2. A Misrepresentation of I 6:11
3. The Crimson Crown 6:21
4. The Kiss and the Lie 5:31
5. Let Me Sing 7:01
6. Come Ye Sinners 7:16
7. The Wandering Deity 5:57

Band members
Bernt Fjellestad – vocals
Kåre André Sletteberg – guitars, keyboards
Bernt Horne Sørensen – guitars
Nils Olav Drivdal – bass
Anders Kobro – drums

Guest musicians
Alf Erik Sørensen – addditional keyboards
Hector Montero – additional synths

Album Review – Lord Agheros / Anhedonia (2025)

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One of the leading Atmospheric and Avantgarde Black Metal names in Italy returns with its cinematic, emotional and dramatic seventh studio album.

One of the leading Atmospheric and Avantgarde Black Metal names in Italy, Catania, Sicily-based entity Lord Agheros takes us into a musically extreme world that mixes Nordic-style Black Metal with ancient and melancholic atmospheres linked to symphonic and ambient elements in its newborn spawn Anhedonia, the seventh studio album in its brilliant career. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Lord Agheros at Molon Labe Studio, with graphic project and layout by Federico De Luca, the new album by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gerassimos Evangelou offers a beautiful slab of what he likes to call “Atmospheric Emotional Black Metal”, bringing forward the cinematic essence of Ulver, the Avantgardism of Ihshan, the strength of Wolves In The Throne Room, the Mediterranean touch of Moonspell, and the dramatic elements of Empyrium.

A melancholic, soothing start evolves into a deep feast of harsh and ethereal vocalizations that lasts for over six minutes in Lament of the Lost, flowing into Harmony of Despair, which also starts in a serene manner before Gerassimos delivers devilish riffs and beats boosted by a grandiose backdrop, also presenting delicate piano notes and endless fire. Eclipse of Hope offers another enfolding dosage of his emotional version of Atmospheric Black Metal, alternating harsh, visceral moments and delicate passages, whereas a reverberating sound will enfold you in darkness in Lost Dreams Ritual, taking too long to take off despite its interesting tribalistic vibe.

Sorrow’s Shroud is a lot heavier, more introspective and somber than its predecessors, with Gerassimos kicking some ass with both his harsh vociferations and serene, soothing instrumental passages; flowing into the beyond atmospheric Soul’s Descent into the Void, with its piano notes matching beautifully with the female vocals by a mysterious guest vocalist, also connecting with the melodic track Tears in the Silence, where Gerassimos focuses on the ethereal sound of his acoustic guitar alongside the gentle sound of the piano, and ending with the Avantgarde Metal feast named Ancient Echoes, with all vocalizations and ambient elements putting a pensive conclusion to the album.

In a nutshell, Anhedonia is a sort of musical journey between esoteric and oriental sounds, Ambient-wave elements and references to Nordic musical traditions, but without losing the identity of the project made by the beauty of the atmospheres that blend inextricably with the sonic extremism of Black Metal. Hence, don’t forget to follow Gerassimos and his Lord Agheros on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream his music on Spotify, and of course to buy a copy of his striking new album from BandCamp or from My Kingdom Music’s BandCamp or webstore. As it is for years now, always expect the unexpected. Because this was, is, and will always be the main path of Lord Agheros.

Best moments of the album: Harmony of Despair, Sorrow’s Shroud and Soul’s Descent into the Void.

Worst moments of the album: Lost Dreams Ritual.

Released in 2025 My Kingdom Music

Track listing
1. Lament of the Lost 6:30
2. Harmony of Despair 3:46
3. Eclipse of Hope 4:34
4. Lost Dreams Ritual 5:02
5. Sorrow’s Shroud 5:50
6. Soul’s Descent into the Void 4:44
7. Tears in the Silence 5:12
8. Ancient Echoes 4:13

Band members
Gerassimos Evangelou – vocals, all instruments