Tag Archives: black metal

Metal Chick of the Month – Veronica Bordacchini

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Catching the light with every stroke… Bringing to life the soul trapped in stone… Carving your name into eternity!

After witnessing her latest breathtaking live performance in Toronto last month, let’s say that the our metal lady of this month of June on The Headbanging Moose climbed up to the top of the list in terms of priority. She was simply fantastic onstage together with her also amazing band, hypnotizing every single person at the venue with her undeniable talent, incredible voice, and stunning looks. A dramatic soprano better known as the Opera singer of Italian Symphonic Death Metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse, she can sing pretty much any type of music, from Opera to Heavy Metal, from modern rock music to pop, and so on, and whenever she has some free time from music she’s also a PC gamer geek. I’m talking about the beyond talented Veronica Bordacchini, and I’m sure after knowing more about her life and career you’ll definitely get addicted to her beautiful vocals and music.

Born on July 9, 1988 in Todi, a town and “comune” (or municipality) of the province of Perugia, in the region of Umbria in central Italy, Veronica was a fan of games like hide-and-seek and playing cards during her childhood. “I was lucky enough to have been born in a country area, just a few kilometres from the historic centre of my little town, Todi, in the province of Perugia. I grew up in this building with five families. All five families had at least one child my age, so we went to kindergarten, elementary, and middle school together. From the first to the last day of summer vacation always under the house playing hide-and-seek and then cards because I’m old at heart. I was already playing cards when I was 12 years old, it’s wonderful. I still enjoy it. So ‘briscola’ (a typical Italian game cards) with friends of the same age was another game,” she mentioned in one of her interviews.

Speaking about her career with Italian cult metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse, the band had already been active for a few years before she joined them first as a guest musician, and then as a permanent member of the band. Fleshgod Apocalypse were formed back in April 2007 by Francesco Paoli, formerly frontman of the band Hour of Penance, releasing their debut opus Oracles in 2008, and a few years later, more specifically in 2011, it was when Veronica started singing with the band both in the studio as a guest vocalist in a few songs per album, as well as a touring musician, always as a soprano. Her first songs with the band were Temptation and The Egoism, both from their 2011 album Agony, followed by Kingborn, Towards the Sun, Warpledge and Epilogue, from their 2013 album Labyrinth; Cold as Perfection, Paramour (Die Leidenschaft bringt Leiden) and Syphilis, from their 2016 album King; and finally doing all soprano vocals in their 2019 album Veleno, still as a guest musician, like in the songs Sugar and Carnivorous Lamb.

It was back in 2020 when Veronica became a permanent member of the band, doing both soprano and clean vocals in a few singles, those being The Day We’ll Be Gone, No, Blue (Turns To Red), and Pendulum, before recording with them in 2024 the superb full-length opus Opera, definitely marking another step forward for the band, incorporating new suggestions into that unique blend they’re renowned for, such as sheer violence, majestic orchestrations, and soaring melodies. Not only that, the cover art portrays Veronica as Music, a superior entity that defeats the social and artistic decay of modern age, and the music found in the album is simply stunning as you can enjoy in songs like Morphine Waltz, I Can Never Die, and Bloodclock. All of their creations with (and without) Veronica are available on Spotify, as well as all of their official videos can be found on YouTube. Currently formed of Francesco Paoli on lead vocals, rhythm guitar and bass, Francesco Ferrini on the piano, string arrangements and orchestral effects, our diva Veronica Bordacchini on operatic and clean vocals, Fabio Bartoletti on lead and rhythm guitars, and Eugene Ryabchenko on drums, Fleshgod Apocalypse are reaching new heights with Opera, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for the band in the world of music.

Veronica is (or was) also the vocalist for a Perugia, Italy-based Symphonic/Gothic Metal band named In Tenebra, which doesn’t have anything released after their 2009 demo Introspection, a 2012 two-song promo, and a 2014 five-song promo including the two tracks from their 2012 promo, one from their debut demo, and two new songs. The songs from Introspection are available on YouTube, which means you can enjoy some pre-Fleshgod Apocalype Veronica in the songs Against Myself, The Promise, and My Perfect Evil, but that’s it. She was also part of a Gothic/Industrial Metal duo named Wisteria over ten years ago under the moniker ValchiReA, alongside multi-instrumentalist Stefano Urbani (aka AtoragoN), not only recording the vocals for their 2010 demo Mechanical Phoenix and their 2014 album Under an 8-Bit Moon, but also taking care of the layout for the 2014 release. You can enjoy some of the coolest songs of their 2014 album on Youtube, those being R’Lyeh (The Call of the Cthulhu), Cenobite (Hellraiser), and their cover version for Eleanor Rigby, by The Beatles.

She can also be found as a guest vocalist in a variety of songs and albums from bands from different styles, those being the song What She Creates, She Will Destroy, from the 2021 EP The Holocene Termination, by Indian Death/Black/Thrash Metal machine Demonstealer; all female vocals in the 2022 album Decade of Silence, by Finnish Symphonic Death/Doom Metal band Depressed Mode; the song The Great Tribulation, from the 2022 EP The Alchemy Project, by Dutch Symphonic Metal masters Epica; the song Tartarus Rising, from the 2025 album Tomb of the Tormentor, by International Symphonic Deathcore act Hate Within; and the song Holographic Webs We Weave, from the 2019 album Lamentations: Of Deceit & Redemption, by Australian Technical Black/Death Metal band In the Burial. Let’s say it was more than obvious that we would see Veronica contributing to countless bands, because you know, her vocals are simply perfect for any type of music.

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In some of her interviews, Veronica discussed her life on the road, not only talking about how demanding touring can be, but also about some of her favorite places to play, as well as the weirdest ones. When asked about the weirdest venue she’s ever played at, her answer was a boat named Petit Bain in Paris. “Because it’s a very small boat, even though it’s a full-fledged venue inside. But when the audience does the wall of death, circle pit, or moshpit, the boat moves, and you’re there saying, ‘Oh my God.’ But on the other side, the 70,000 Tons of Metal was twice the best experience of my life, just because of the concept,” commented Veronica, who also prefer long tours with 30 or more shows in a row than smaller ones. “You come back home after three days, then you have to leave for other 3 days, then again you go home, then you leave again and so on. Usually you feel good when you have to face really long tours, even with a hostile weather, even if I have to say that the first week is always a bit tougher, then you go with the flow and you get used to it.”

She also mentioned that although it might be a bit harder for women to be part of a metal band, once you’re in you end up getting all the necessary support from the rest of the band, as well as from fans and even other musicians. “I consider myself lucky because those guys with whom I share so much of my life are brothers,” she said, mentioning all the support she’s been receiving from Francesco from day one. In addition, she also commented about the confidence she now has thanks to the one and only George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of Cannibal Corpse, who went to see Fleshgod Apocalypse once in Berlin. He hugged her after the show and said “this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen,” and Veronica replied “I have like all your records, I’ve been a fan of yours since I was a little girl,” because she said she grew up listening to Grindcore and Deathcore. Then she told him she was afraid of his judgment, to which he replied “are you kidding? I mean, it’s well done, it’s beautiful. You’re beautiful and good.”

Veronica also loves to play in the United States and Canada, saying the band has even gotten bigger in those countries than in her homeland Italy, because in her opinion the North American fans are always willing to drive longer distances to see concerts, and buy a lot more merchandise during those concerts. “I still remember when I was the merch chick for Fleshgod Apocalypse. I remember a guy who came to get a copy of the album and he told me that he already had a copy at home, he had also t-shirts and he told me that he wanted to buy even more because he wanted to give us his complete support.” The band has already headlined a few tours across the United States and Canada, all very successful with lots of sold out concerts, which proves Veronica is not wrong at all when she praises her North American fans.

As a very active person in different social media platforms, Veronica believes the internet has done more good than bad to most bands and music in general. She said in one of her interviews that the internet allowed people from the most remote corners of the earth to get to know bands from all across the globe, as well as several kids started playing instruments because of online tutorials and lessons, also mentioning that, on the other hand, the human contact between teacher and student might have been lost a little bit. The internet also played a nice part in the life of Veronica back in January 2023, as she was taken by surprise when her partner asked her to marry him onstage during one of their shows in Madrid, Spain. Her then boyfriend, Alessandro Salari, came out from behind the stage holding the ring box behind his back, approached her, showed her the box and knelt down, and of course she nodded “yes,” and the couple hugged as the crowd cheered wildly. The internet played a huge part in it as she was able to share such a special moment in her life with the entire world via her official Instagram account. “I know this might sound cheesy, but words can’t describe my feelings at all right now. The sacrifices this guy made just to get to Madrid and propose in front of the whole venue are remarkable. I can’t be happier to share my everything with the best person I’ve ever met in my whole life. I know you’ll make me the happiest wife ever and I promise I’ll try to do the same for you. I love you.” Not sure if it was the adrenaline and happiness that took her entire body and soul at that moment, but after that her vocals got even more powerful, touching and emotional both in the studio and on stage. Is it the power of love, of the power of metal? I would say both, and may she continue her incredible path in heavy music for many decades to come, always hypnotizing us all with her undeniable talent and charisma.

Veronica Bordacchini’s Official Facebook page
Veronica Bordacchini’s Official Instagram
Fleshgod Apocalypse’s Official YouTube channel
Fleshgod Apocalypse’s Official Facebook page
Fleshgod Apocalypse’s Official Instagram
Fleshgod Apocalypse’s Official YouTube channel

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 – Anzv / Kur (2025)

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The world of the dead is calling us all to the sound of the newborn spawn by this mysterious Portuguese horde, opening our ears and hearts to the underworld of nihilism and despair.

Taking their name from the Mesopotamian monster figure Anzû, described as a divine storm bird who could breathe fire and water or in some descriptions as a lion-headed eagle, while also considered as the personification of the southern wind and the thunder clouds, Porto, Portugal-based Death/Black Metal beast Anzv is challenging the spiritual possibilities of seeing beyond the void and into the nothingness of nothing in their sophomore opus, entitled Kur, opening your ears and hearts to the underworld of nihilism and despair. Written, produced, and conceptualized by the band’s own guitarist M., mastered by M. and Bruno Silva, and displaying an ominous artwork by vocalist A. (of Dantas Inferno), the follow-up to their 2022 album Gallas continues to blend Portugal’s dark musical side with the Sumerian underworld, resulting in extra creepy, hostile and mysterious soundscapes masterfully crafted by the aforementioned A. and M. alongside guitarist N., bassist T., and drummer E.

In Sumerian, Ekur means “mountain house” and refers to the sacred temple of the god Enlil in the city of Nippur, while musically speaking it’s a devilish and harsh display of Black Metal, with the guitars by M. and N. exhaling sulfur. Then we have Imdugud, which in ancient Mesopotamian religion refers to a monstrous bird, often depicted as a lion-headed eagle or griffin, with A. continuing to vociferate like a demonic entity supported by the rumbling kitchen by T. and E.; followed by Alû, a vengeful, nocturnal spirit in Akkadian and Sumerian mythology, often described as a shadow demon or evil spirit that terrifies people in their sleep and can cause nightmares, with the band showcasing their trademark fusion of Black and Death Metal with Sumerian mythology. Sahar, of Arabic origin, meaning “dawn” or “the time before dawn”, is a two-minute aria of darkness with their riffage penetrating deep inside our skin; and Shamash, a  Hebrew word (שמש) that means “servant” or “helper”, is a lecture in Melodic Black Metal where the vocals by A. will send shivers down your putrid spine.

An Edimmu in Mesopotamian mythology refers to a type of spirit often associated with the ghosts of those who died and did not receive a proper burial, with the music sounding devilish and grim from the very first second while M. and N. fire pure darkness form their axes, followed by Etemenanki, meaning “House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth” in Sumerian, the name of a ziggurat (stepped temple) dedicated to the god Marduk in ancient Babylon, sounding as venomous as its predecessors, all boosted by another visceral vocal performance by A. Then in Ancient Mesopotamian religion, Namtaru is a deity who personifies death and destiny, and that’s exactly the feeling in this vile aria, offering an overdose of caustic Black Metal to our avid ears. Lamashtu is the most terrible of all female demons in Mesopotamian religion, the daughter of the sky god Anu, and the band needs less than two minutes to pulverize our souls with their hellish sounds, before all comes to an end with Anzû, a monster in several Mesopotamian religions, where A. keeps roaring darkly while E. hammers his drums nonstop.

In the context of Sumerian mythology, “kur” refers to the underworld or the world of the dead, and each song in Kur is deeply rooted in that thematic, either representing a lion-headed, winged eagle monster, a class of spirits, or a demonic deity depicted as a hybrid creature with lion, bird, and human features, among others, and it’s that additional touch of obscurity and mystery that truly elevates the album’s power and energy to a whole new level. You can find more information about such a brilliant Portuguese horde on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their Stygian creations on Spotify, and put your damned hands on Kur by clicking HERE or HERE. In the end, the world of the dead is calling us all to the sound of Anzv’s newborn spawn, dragging us all into eternal darkness in the name of our beloved Black Metal.

Best moments of the album: Imdugud, Shamash and Namtaru.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Edged Circle Productions

Track listing
1. Ekur 5:21
2. Imdugud 5:03
3. Alû 4:05
4. Sahar 3:55
5. Shamash 4:56
6. Edimmu 6:25
7. Etemenanki 5:09
8. Namtaru 4:02
9. Lamashtu 3:15
10. Anzû 2:57

Band members
A. – vocals
M. – guitars
N. – guitars
T. – bass
E. – drums

Album Review – …And Oceans / The Regeneration Itinerary (2025)

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These iconic Finnish extremists are back with their seventh studio opus, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.

Chaos chameleons. Nocturnal shapeshifters. The skyward trajectory of idiosyncratic Finnish extremists …And Oceans has been serpentine and sublime, appealing to diehard fans of bands the likes of Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Samael with their unique blend of Experimental, Industrial, Electronic and Symphonic Black Metal. Recorded at Inka Studio and at SoundSpiral Audio, produced and engineered by Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio, and displaying a visually stunning artwork by Adrien Bousson, The Regeneration Itinerary is the seventh studio album by this unstoppable band currently formed of Mathias Lillmåns on vocals, Teemu Saari and Timo Kontio on the guitars, Pyry Hanski on bass, Antti Simonen on keyboards, and Kauko Kuusisalo on drums, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.

Otherworldly, cryptic sounds suddenly explode into a hybrid of Experimental and Symphonic Black Metal entitled Inertiae, with Mathias’ deep roars matching perfectly with the striking keys by Antti, followed by Förnyelse i Tre Akter, or “renewal in three acts” from Swedish, even darker than the previous song thanks to the visceral riffage by Teemu and Timo while Kauko shows no mercy for his drums, delivering his own blend of Black and Death Metal violence. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics carries a poetic name for a hard hitting creation by …And Oceans, where their caustic riffs will pierce your mind in great fashion, while their experimental and symphonic sides clash beautifully in The Form and the Formless, once again led by the massive beats and fills by Kauko. Prophetical Mercury Implement showcases massive Stygian lyrics (“Injecting the mirrorlike waters / Feeling it flowing within / Floating on its waves / Observing how it unfolds / Now, / I am the medium / I am the stream”) amidst a beyond enfolding and atmospheric sonority, whereas in The Fire in Which We Burn we face an overdose of heaviness, sulfur and darkness blasted by the band in the best Behemoth style, spearheaded by the inhumane roars by Mathias.

The Ways of Sulphur lives up to the legacy of Industrial Black Metal, with Antti stealing the show with his phantasmagorical keys; and I Am Coin, I Am Two offers a more introspective sound inspired by Melodic Black, Death and Doom Metal, while still presenting their trademark ferocity. Then back to a more visceral mode we have Towards the Absence of Light, with their riffs and the bass lines by Pyry being boosted by Antti’s whimsical keys. The last song of the regular edition, The Terminal Filter, brings to us all another humongous dosage of Black Metal infused with experimental and industrial nuances, resulting in an epic ending to the album, and if you go for the deluxe edition of the album (a digipak with extended 20-page booklet + exclusive gold coloured metal coin symbolizing an adviser through opposites + 2 exclusive bronze coloured acrylic coaters symbolizing the coming together of opposites in clamshell box with alternative cover, hand-numbered and limited to 500 copies worldwide) you’ll get two bonus tracks, Copper Blood, Titanium Scars and The Discord Static, both sounding absolutely insane and worth every single penny invested in it.

…And Oceans The Regeneration Itinerary Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition

Exploring the interplay between darkness and light, chaos and order, spiritual and material realms, with each song embodying an experience for the mind and body, finally navigating a passage to the present moment, The Regeneration Itinerary is definitely the band’s most experimental album to date. “The new album can be seen as a synthesis of our entire back catalogue,” suggests frontman Mathias Lillmåns. “But there are new levels of extremity, too, ones that we’ve never reached before. These songs simply demanded harsher vocals. The riffs commanded it, and who am I to disobey?” Hence, you can get to know more about …And Oceans, their new album, tour dates, plans for the future, and support them by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and by purchasing their awesome new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In the end, those Finnish metallers will keep pushing their own boundaries, experimenting with new sounds and nuances and, therefore, delivering more striking albums like The Regeneration Itinerary in the coming years, proving why they’ve become a reference and a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music scene worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Förnyelse i Tre Akter, The Fire in Which We Burn and Towards the Absence of Light.

Worst moments of the album: I Am Coin, I Am Two.

Released in 2025 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Inertiae 4:30
2. Förnyelse i Tre Akter 5:07
3. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics 4:29
4. The Form and the Formless 3:32
5. Prophetical Mercury Implement 6:57
6. The Fire in Which We Burn 3:04
7. The Ways of Sulphur 4:17
8. I Am Coin, I Am Two 4:25
9. Towards the Absence of Light 4:49
10. The Terminal Filter 5:22

Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
11. Copper Blood, Titanium Scars 4:14
12. The Discord Static 3:35

Band members
Mathias Lillmåns – vocals
Teemu Saari – guitar
Timo Kontio – guitar
Pyry Hanski – bass
Antti Simonen – keyboards
Kauko Kuusisalo – drums

Album Review – Antropomporphia / Devoid of Light (2025)

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These Dutch death deallers return from the underworld with their newborn beast, combining a wide variety of harsh musical textures and emotions into dark and oppressive soundscapes.

Six years after their 2019 acclaimed studio album Merciless Savagery, the ruthless Tilburg, Netherlands-based death dealers Antropomporphia return with their darkest and most brutal record so far, aptly entitled Devoid of Light. Recorded and mixed by the band’s own drummer Marco Stubbe at Aftermath Studio, with further recording by Daan Janzing at Pitchfork Studio, mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound, and showcasing a Stygian cover art by Richard Schouten, the new beast by Ferry Damen on vocals and guitar, Jos van den Brand also on the guitar, Jeroen Pleunis on bass, and Marco Stubbe on drums combines a wide variety of harsh musical textures including fanatical, white-eyed aggression, misanthropic and nihilistic lyrics, and dark emotions such as anger, despair, and pain among many others into dark and oppressive soundscapes.

The gates of the underworld are wide open to the sound of the evil guitars by Ferry and Jos in The Withering Stench of Hope, igniting a headbanging beast of Black and Death Metal followed by the title-track Devoid of Light, sounding and feeling even more obscure than the opening track, with the unstoppable drums by Marco matching perfectly with Ferry’s hellish Death Metal roars. Funeral Throne is another sulfurous, unrelenting attack by the quartet where their pulverizing riffage walks hand in hand with the pounding bass by Jeroen; and then adding elements from Doom Metal to their acid essence, the band fires the even heavier and more menacing In Writhing Rapture, led by the steady and vile beats by Marco in an ode to obscurity.

The second half of the album begins in full force with a demented Blackened Death Metal creature named Cancerous Bane, spearheaded by the always demonic guttural by Ferry; and the band continues to haunt our damned souls with their blend of Death and Black Metal in Unending Hunt, with Jeroen’s bass lines sounding utterly brutal, all boosted by a striking guitar solo. After that, the crushing drums by Marco kick off the venomous Ash Drapes the Earth, accompanied by the blackened riffs by Ferry and Jos, resulting in a lesson in extreme music; whereas In the Shade of the Devils Horns carries a beautiful name for another explosion of infernal Death Metal by such an amazing Dutch horde. And last but not least, the band goes full Doom Metal in Triumphant Death, sounding haunting, evil and melodic, albeit lacking the same punch as the rest of the album.

In a nutshell, Devoid of Light shows the world that Antropomporphia are still hungry to push the limits of both themselves and of the Death Metal scene to new frontiers, inviting us all to crank the volume up to 10 and simply let the album rip, which is quite easy to do as you can grab a copy of this sulfurous opus from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. You can also join such an amazing Dutch horde in total darkness by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, keeping an eye on their tour dates, and staying loyal to the foundations of extreme music while also renouncing all light, exactly like what the band wants you to achieve to the sound of their excellent newborn spawn. And if you have what it takes to face Devoid of Light, you’ll certainly have a very good time together with those bringers of Dutch darkness.

Best moments of the album: Devoid of Light, Cancerous Bane and Ash Drapes the Earth.

Worst moments of the album: Triumphant Death.

Released in 2025 Testimony Records

Track listing
1. The Withering Stench of Hope 5:05
2. Devoid of Light 5:17
3. Funeral Throne 3:28
4. In Writhing Rapture 5:04
5. Cancerous Bane 3:37
6. Unending Hunt 5:32
7. Ash Drapes the Earth 3:47
8. In the Shade of the Devils Horns 4:53
9. Triumphant Death 5:58

Band members
Ferry Damen – vocals, guitar
Jos van den Brand – guitar
Jeroen Pleunis – bass
Marco Stubbe – drums

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 – Solfatare / Asservis par l’espoir (2025)

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This incandescent Black Metal entity from Belgium will burn your soul with their debut offering, exploring the depths of existential anguish and plunging into humanity’s long-lasting quest of meaning, only to find none.

Trapped between barren cobblestones and leaden sky, Belgian Black Metal entity Solfatare (a name that finds its origin in a specific volcano from the Phlegraean Fields region of Italy, believed by ancient Romans to be a mythological entrance to the underworld) emerges from the sullen maze of the Brussels region armed to the teeth with their debut full-length opus, entitled Asservis par l’espoir, or “enslaved by hope” from French. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jeremie Bezier at Black Out Studio, the new album by T.S.G.H. on vocals and guitars, N.C.P.M. on bass, and T.G.T.H. on drums explores the depths of existential anguish and plunges into humanity’s long-lasting quest of meaning, only to find none, defiantly embracing the absurd and wielding French poetry as a weapon of absolute lyricism, in an attempt to adorn our torment.

The trio arises from the underworld like demonic creatures in Des monarques anhedoniques (or “anhedonic monarchs” from French), suddenly exploding into a fulminating Black Metal onrush led by T.G.T.H.’s crushing drums; and T.S.G.H. delivers haunting, desperate vocals and grim riffs in D’Hommes et d’Isopteres (“of men and isoptera”), a detailed, multi-layered tune tailored for fans of the genre. Their Stygian sounds keep permeating the air like an evil creature lurking in the shadows in Du deuil affaire (“of mourning”), with the bass and drums by N.C.P.M. and T.G.T.H. transpiring hatred; whereas the piercing riffs by T.S.G.H. sound even more metallic in Ozymandias, offering more of the band’s unrelenting modern-day Melodic Black Metal. It’s then pedal to the metal in the ruthless Sous des Cieux absents (“under absent skies”), offering more of T.G.T.H.’s pulverizing yet intricate beats, and this talented Belgian squad ends the album with the breathtaking, suffocating Quand ton cerveau te surine le crâne (“when your brain is gnawing at your skull”), with all instruments sounding as enfolding and obscure as possible.

Drawing from the roots of traditional Black Metal while embracing a more avantgarde touch, weaving dissonance, glorious melodies, and visceral riffs into an unrelenting journey toward the heights of despair, Asservis par l’espoir invites us all to “enslave ourselves”, which you can do by simply start following the band on Facebook, and of course by purchasing a copy of the album from the Signal Rex’s BandCamp. In the end, Solfatare will submerge you in the fervent magma of chaotic, visceral Black Metal found in Asservis par l’espoir, leaving you eager to have your entire body and soul consumed again and again by their eternal fire, just the way we love it in modern-day Black Metal.

Best moments of the album: D’Hommes et d’Isopteres, Sous des Cieux absents and Quand ton cerveau te surine le crâne.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Signal Rex

Track listing
1. Des monarques anhedoniques 6:45
2. D’Hommes et d’Isopteres 7:07
3. Du deuil affaire 7:16
4. Ozymandias 5:09
5. Sous des Cieux absents 7:16
6. Quand ton cerveau te surine le crâne 8:48

Band members
T.S.G.H. – vocals, guitars
N.C.P.M. – bass
T.G.T.H. – drums

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 – Amalekim / Shir Hashirim (2025)

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This obscure horde from Italy and Poland returns with their caustic third studio offering, encasing more dissonant sounds while embracing once again the occult, the profane, and the hermetic.

Formed in 2020 by vocalist and guitarist Mróz, Italian/Polish Black Metal horde Amalekim (by the way, Amalek was a nation that harassed the rear caravan of Israelites during the Exodus, seen as the absolute nemesis of the Jews) continues to trace their obscure path in 2025 with their third full-length offering, titled Shir Hashirim, or “שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים‎”, a Hebrew phrase that translates to “Song of Songs”, the follow-up to their 2023 opus Avodah Zarah. Mixed and mastered by the band’s own bassist Azghâl, with a stunning cover illustration once again painted by Igor Datkiewicz, the new album by the aforementioned Mróz and Azghâl alongside guitarist Atanor and drummer Ktulak walks a more innovative path, encasing more dissonant sounds while embracing once again the occult, the profane, the hermetic, not only in the music, but also in the concept and lyrics. The parable of the two mothers and Solomon, as shown on the cover, lends itself to a complex interpretation, such as the role of power and the choice to submit to it, dogmatic authority, divine law, and how these references, crystallized and widespread in everyday existence, are in reality fragile and not so unshakeable.

Their devilish Black Metal mass begins with the beyond phantasmagorical Chant I: Ra’al Zorem, offering an overdose of blast beats, venomous gnarls and an endless sense of hatred and despair; whereas as imposing as the opening tune, the title-track Chant II: Shir Hashirim will demolish your senses to the slashing riffs by Mróz and Atanor while also presenting haunting background sounds and vocalizations, flowing into Chant III: Mesharet HaShilton, which after a serene, eerie start explodes into an overdose of Black Metal led by Ktulak’s hammering drums. And their fourth offering, entitled Chant IV: Sodot HaYekum, exhales a humongous amount of darkness and sulfur, with Mróz roaring with tons of anger and anguish in his blackened heart.

Mróz and his henchmen continue to crush our putrid bodies in Chant V: Tanur Nitzchi, with Azghâl and Ktulak bringing forward their caustic Marduk-inspired kitchen; and there’s no sign of peace or hope in Chant VI: Tisha Daltot, with the visceral riffage by Mróz and Atanor walking hand in hand with Ktulak’s unstoppable blast beats in the name of Black Metal. Then such an amazing horde presents their most demonic side in Chant VII: Haka’as HaNachash, a lecture in old school and modern-day Black Metal where Mróz sounds deeply infuriated on vocals. Lastly, the album ends on a high and Mephistophelian note with Chant VIII: Mishteh Malkhuti, a slab of devilish Black Metal magic spearheaded by the always demented drums by Ktulak.

As in their previous work, the biblical metaphor is at the heart of Shir Hashirim, while the music remains as caustic, venomous, occult and devilish as it has been a constant in the music by Amalekim. There are so many layers and different ways to interpret their music it’s hard to put all that into words; however, you can always check what the band’s up to on Facebook and on Instagram to get to know more about them, their music, beliefs and ideas, as well as their tour dates, and not only stream their unique creations on Spotify, but also show them your utmost support by purchasing their newborn spawn from their own BandCamp, from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp, or from Sound Cave. The music found in Shir Hashirim might not be an easy listen for the average rock and metal fan, but once you dive deep into their world of harsh and occult Black Metal, you won’t ever want to come back.

Best moments of the album: Chant II: Shir Hashirim, Chant IV: Sodot HaYekum and Chant VII: Haka’as HaNachash.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Avantgarde Music

Track listing
1. Chant I: Ra’al Zorem 5:14
2. Chant II: Shir Hashirim 4:33
3. Chant III: Mesharet HaShilton 4:03
4. Chant IV: Sodot HaYekum 4:56
5. Chant V: Tanur Nitzchi 4:55
6. Chant VI: Tisha Daltot 4:23
7. Chant VII: Haka’as HaNachash 4:17
8. Chant VIII: Mishteh Malkhuti 5:50

Band members
Mróz – vocals, guitars
Atanor – guitars, backing vocals
Azghâl – bass, backing vocals
Ktulak – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Valis Volkova

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I plan to polymerise your flesh and bone… With fire and void to best serve me!

Our metal lady of this month of May will definitely burn your hearts. She is an English singer, keyboardist, actress, and model, combining her stunning looks, undeniable charisma and a powerful voice to provide us with a unique sensorial experience. Better known as the vocalist and keyboardist for London, England-based Symphonic Deathcore outfit She Must Burn, she might be one of the most talented classically trained vocalists and performing artists of the current metal scene worldwide, always showcasing her deep passion for heavy music and for all things dark. Her name is Portia Valis Volkova (born Portia Victoria Graham-Jones), or simply Valis Volkova, and once you get to know more about her and her music, you’ll certainly get addicted to her Stygian and hypnotizing universe.

Born on September 22, 1993 in Liverpool, the hometown of The Beatles and a port city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England, Valis trained as an opera singer at The Royal Northern College of Music from the age of 12, later joining the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company, where she appeared on BBC Songs of Praise and Aled Jones MBE’s New Horizons album, released in 2005. After finishing her studies at the RNCM, she trained in musical theatre at The Elliott-Clarke Performing Arts, where she developed her acting and dance skills. She diversified her knowledge by studying popular music performance and music business at BIMM University in 2021. Valis excels in creating her own backing vocals and layered choral harmonies, blending classical and popular vocal techniques to shape her distinctive sound. She thrives on collaboration, offering guest vocals and songwriting services for artists spanning rock, metal, synth wave, and goth genres.

Known for her solo performances worldwide, Valis then joined Symphonic Deathcore sensation She Must Burn back in 2017. She Must Burn had been formed a few years before that, back in 2014, having released the EPs Under the Shadows (2014) and She Must Burn (2015), plus the full-length album Grimoire (2017), before the addition of Valis to their lineup. Delivering a lethal blast of Deathcore, Symphonic, Gothic, and Black Metal that invokes names like Cradle of Filth, Bleeding Through and Make Them Suffer, the band currently formed of Valis on vocals and keyboards alongside vocalist Kyle Lamb, guitarists James Threadwell and Jack Higgs, bassist Frankie Keating, and drummer Steve Padley released back in 2022 their sophomore opus Umbra Mortis, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, earning a nomination for “album of the year” and securing a spot in the Top 50 metal albums of 2022 by Metal Hammer UK readers.

The paradox between Kyle’s harsh growls and Valis’ clean vocals really stands out in the music by She Must Burn, bringing a more than welcome balance to their music and, therefore, adding extra layers to their core sound, turning the band into a must-listen for fans of the violence of Deathcore with the finesse of classical and symphonic music, as you can enjoy in the stunning videos for the songs Incantation, Misery Eternal, Eulogy, and Of Blood & Bone, plus you can also watch an Interview with She Must Burn for Rockflesh at Tech Fest 2023 to know more about Valis and the band backstage. A band that Valis was part of is called Dead Dolls, also known as Glamorous Ghouls, UK’s original rock and metal-goes-vintage vocal duo formed of Valis and Katja Macabre until 2024. “This project is in addition to She Must Burn and is a completely separate project. I’m a firm believer that we all need multiple channels to stream our creativity in different ways,” commented Valis, who joined the project back in 2022. Unfortunately we won’t see Valis singing together with Katja anymore, but back in 2022 they released two excellent videos for the songs I’m Not Okay, by My Chemical Romance, and Misery Business by Paramore, which will certainly warm up your darkened hearts and souls.

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Valis is also an accomplished actress, working regularly in theatre, TV and film, performing on stages all over the world including Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and The Hippodrome in London’s West End, and having already made cameo appearances in television and film, including seasons 5 and 6 of HBO’s Game of Thrones, season 2 of Hulu’s The Great, and the 2022 indie thriller film Graphic Desires. Furthermore, she was only 17 years old when she played the role of Ariel in a touring production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest back in 2011, saying that Ariel has always been a “dream role” of hers since she was a little girl, and she’s also featured in the music videos for the songs The Hand is Quicker Than The Eye, by Inferno; Loops, by Amber States; So Automatic, by Jupiter In Velvet; Fun Gun, by Chemia; and Dirty Little Secret, by Massive Wagons.

Not only that, she was also featured in the stage play of The Swell Mob, playing Madame Vestris, at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in in 2019 in South Australia; and in Magic Mike Live, playing ‘closer performer’ at The Hippodrome in Leicester Square, in London, UK, from October 2018 to October 2019. She also won the public vote and the title “Miss Popularity – London” after competing in Miss England 2019, fundraising for Beauty With A Purpose, and placed 3rd runner up in Miss Cheshire 2019 (a regional heat for Miss Great Britain), despite living in London at the time, and can be found in several magazines including the cover of Olympus Magazine (UK) in May and in December 2015, Liverpool Echo (UK) in April 2015, Scratch (UK) in November 2013, and Casting Magazine Paris (France) in September 2013.

Lastly, Valis was also crowdsourcing a few years ago to fund an alien horror movie called The Spawning, to be filmed in Liverpool (and later released in 2017), teaming up with her partner, Simon Riley. Simon, who’s from St Helens, wrote and directed the movie, while Valis produced and had a small role in it. “We want to create a genuinely frightening and original full-length horror feature film,” commented Valis during the crowdfunding campaign. “Everyone on the team is a huge horror fan, but few of us can remember a recent horror film that actually left us wanting to hide under our bed covers at night with the lights on! We want to change that and make a film that really gets under your skin and leaves you terrified and shaken to the core.” I still have to find a way to watch the movie, but one thing is certain even before doing that, and that’s the undeniable talent of a woman who’s not only an amazing musician, but also a great performer and artist, always sharing her passion for heavy music and the dark arts with us fans and, therefore, making the world a much better and more exciting place to live.

Valis Volkova’s Official Facebook page
Valis Volkova’s Official Instagram
She Must Burn’s Official Facebook page
She Must Burn’s Official Instagram
She Must Burn’s Official YouTube channel

““I’m a firm believer that we all need multiple channels to stream our creativity in different ways.” – Valis Volkova