The horrors of reality are the proof of your existence, and this uncanny Black Metal trio from Finland is going to expose you to that harshness to the sound of their debut album.
A Finnish Black Metal trio born somewhere in time during a recording session that includes members from Moonlight Sorcery and Ondfødt and consider themselves influenced by bands like Gris, Silencer, Lifelover, Coldworld and Austere, Void of Hope are set to unleash their debut album, titled Proof of Existence. Composed and recorded in five days in the studio with -30°, -35° outside and in complete darkness for most of the day (with all screams taking place later and being recorded in two days), Proof Of Existence is a journey through mental health and depression, the outcome of which may be triumph or giving up, having started as Depressive Black Metal, but growing into much more.
The gentle, serene start in Gift of Life quickly morphs into a sluggish and pounding feast of Atmospheric Black Metal, with their riffs and beats sounding truly imposing, not to mention its devilish creature-like vociferations. Then fierce, hammering drums and caustic guitar lines set the tone in the title-track Proof of Existence, offering us all almost seven minutes of first-class, modern and ruthless Black Metal; and it’s now time for the skies to get as dark as a raven with 11 minutes of undisputed Black Metal in The Hollow Hymn, sounding and feeling absolutely haunting, multi-layered and penetrating from the very first second.
Then the delicate yet eerie interlude Inner Peace will prepare your putrid souls for total darkness in T.E.T.L., presenting seven minutes of blast beats, ruthless riffs and hellish gnarls not recommended for the lighthearted, a very detailed and impactful creation by such an uncanny Finnish trio, blending elements from different styles into their core Black Metal magic. The last act in Proof of Existence, entitled Decaying Years, sounds as haunting and mysterious as it can be, with its background piano notes walking hand in hand with its sluggish, Doom Metal-inspired beats, therefore ending the album on a high and devilish note.
Void of Hope are not an anonymous band, yet they do not consider their identities relevant, as regardless of what names are printed in the album, the music is all that matters. Void of Hope can be a place or a state of mind, and their debut album will simply show you that the horrors of reality are the proof of your existence. Although there isn’t much information online about the band apart from their recently created profiles on Facebook and on Instagram, you can put your damned hands on their newborn beast via the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page or from Sound Cave, and perhaps we’ll get to know more about those mysterious Finnish metallers as they spread their blackened wings upon humanity to the sound of their austere, grim and, therefore, more than necessary album.
Best moments of the album:Proof of Existence, The Hollow Hymn and T.E.T.L.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Avantgarde Music
Track listing 1. Gift of Life 06:35
2. Proof of Existence 6:51
3. The Hollow Hymn 11:10
4. Inner Peace 1:55
5. T.E.T.L. 7:20
6. Decaying Years 8:20
Your body and soul will burn to the new opus by this Swedish Black Metal horde, a haunting exploration of despair and wrath inspired by Sweden’s witch trials during “Det stora oväsendet” (1668–1676).
After their successful 2022 debut Doomed Before Time, Umeå, Sweden’s own Black Metal horde Scitalis returns with their sophomore opus, entitled Maledictum, a haunting exploration of despair and wrath inspired by Sweden’s witch trials during “Det stora oväsendet” (1668–1676). The band’s evolving lineup is reflected throughout the entire album, with newcomers W on drums and L on rhythm guitars joining vocalist and bassist A and lead guitarist S, resulting in a raw, emotional record that captures the agony and anger of the time while showcasing the band’s growth and uncompromising approach to our beloved Black Metal.
W already showcases his welcome card with his demented blast beats in Reborn, an old school, in-your-face Black Metal beast with A gnarling nonstop for our total delight, followed by Suffering, an avalanche of ruthless, sulfurous Black Metal for the masses led by the scorching riffs by S and L, showcasing over six minutes of absolute darkness for admirers of the genre. Seven Years Ov Blood is another bold, multi-layered creation by such an uncanny horde, with the strident riffs by S and L matching perfectly with A’s devilish vociferations; flowing into the also harsh and impious Trial, presenting hints of Blackened Doom in its sluggish beats and low-tuned bass.
This unyielding Swedish horde comes ripping once again in Burn Before Dawn, another savage composition blending the fury of classic Black Metal with the hypnotizing passages of Melodic Black Metal; and the guitars by S and L transpire pure evil in Ashes After The Fire, being gradually accompanied by the massive beats by W and the always visceral roars by A, resulting in a monumental aria of darkness and blasphemy. There’s time for one final breath of evil by Scitalis, entitled Endless Wrath, with the reverberating bass by A and his always menacing gnarls haunting our damned souls for all eternity, all boosted by another violent performance by W on drums.
After all is said and done, you’ll realize the Black Metal feast blasted by Scitalis in Maledictum (available in full on YouTube and on Spotify) is a more than perfect choice for representing the horror of the witch trials in Sweden in the 1600’s, and you can know more about the band, their music and the whole concept behind their pulverizing new album by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their wicked creations on Spotify, and by grabbing a copy of the album on BandCamp or by clicking HERE or HERE. The burning of witches has always been a constant topic discussed by countless bands from all genres and subgenres of metal music, but it’s when you face a band like Scitalis that you can feel the fires burning your body and soul while they keep filling every single space in the air with their caustic music, exactly like what’s found in the incendiary Maledictum.
Best moments of the album:Suffering, Burn Before Dawn and Ashes After The Fire.
Worst moments of the album:Trial.
Released in 2025 Vendetta Records
Track listing 1. Reborn 4:16
2. Suffering 6:21
3. Seven Years Ov Blood 5:59
4. Trial 7:13
5. Burn Before Dawn 5:44
6. Ashes After The Fire 6:20
7. Endless Wrath 6:31
Band members A – vocals, bass
S – lead guitars
L – rhythm guitars
W – drums
Get ready for 23 minutes of timeless, medieval darkness masterfully crafted by one of the most sulfurous names of the Portuguese Black Metal scene.
A member of the infamous “Black Circle” together with Decrepitude, Mons Veneris, Rainha Cólera and Vetala, Lisbon, Portugal-based Black Metal entity Irae is unleashing upon humanity a sulfurous new EP titled Promiscuous Fire, following up on its critically acclaimed 2022 opus Assim na Terra como no Inferno. In Promiscuous Fire, the lone wolf Vulturius on “fires of tradition and demonic vengeance” (aka vocals, guitars and bass) is joined by guest J Goat on “apocalyptic beats, necromantic creations and doom” (aka bass, additional vocals and drum programming), plus guest vocals by Obskuritatem on two of the four songs, spreading pitch black darkness that only gets even more obscure to the venomous mastering by D.S. at Noise Portrait Recordings and the Stygian artwork by Ainul Iblis.
It’s pure old school Black Metal from the very first second in The Curse of Lael, led by the demonic gnarling by Vulturius, who’s also ruthless armed with his sulfurous axe, delivering caustic, visceral riffs nonstop; followed by Vinho de Gólgota, another fulminating explosion of Black Metal madness by Vulturius supported by J Goat and his thunderous bass. Furthermore, Vulturius vocals couldn’t have sounded more demonic, sending shivers down our spines throughout the entire song. Porco de Satanás continues to showcase Vulturius’ deep passion for extreme music and the dark arts, with the additional vocals by guest Obskuritatem bringing a welcome touch of dementia and evil to the overall result, whereas Endless Circle sounds and feels as disturbing, evil and thunderous as the other songs of the EP, with Vulturius being a beast incarnate on vocals once again to properly end the album on a high and demonic note.
For those who think Irae is “just” a raw Black Metal band, Promiscuous Fire will prove to be quite a reckoning. While by no means “polished” per se, there’s a decidedly refined amalgamation of cleaner tones and classic Black Metal songwriting in a Second Wave style, or in other words, it’s simply 23 minutes of timeless, medieval darkness, and you can savor all that by streaming the EP and all of the band’s previous releases on Spotify, and of course by purchasing a copy of the EP from BandCamp or from Signal Rex. Vulturius shows no mercy for our putrid, useless souls in his newborn opus, forged in the fires of the beautiful Lisbon, ready to spread his dark wings upon humanity and to keep carrying the torch of old school Black Metal for many years to come under his diabolical beast Irae, and I bet all fans of the darkest side of music will love to hear more from him sooner than later as his new EP is indeed amazing.
Best moments of the album:Vinho de Gólgota and Porco de Satanás.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Signal Rex
Track listing 1. The Curse of Lael 6:06
2. Vinho de Gólgota 5:10
3. Porco de Satanás 6:30
4. Endless Circle 4:56
Band members Vulturius – vocals, all instruments
Guest musicians
J Goat – bass, additional vocals, drum programming
Obskuritatem – additional vocals on “Porco de Satanás” and “Endless Circle”
An up-and-coming UK Death Metal duo is ready to unleash hell with their first full-length album, taking the listener to the darkest corners of the human soul.
A blastbeat-driven Death Metal band originating from Birmingham, England, the infernal duo known as Infested Angel has honed their sound even further in their new album Threnodies to Eternal Despair, embracing intense, brutal riffs that pulse with a powerful, sorrowful melody, working as the perfect follow-up to their 2021 EP Nourish Me, Satan and their 2022 EP Submit to Death. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios, and crafted with raw rage and sorrow by vocalist and guitarist Andrew “Mick” Bryan and drummer Patryk “Pat” Kaczmarek, the album promises to take you to the darkest corners of the human soul during its intense 11 songs.
The opener No Time for Despair portrays a story of the imminent and absolute loss of all humankind in an extinction event, reflected in its devilish lyrics (“Finally, the day has come, / Incinerate, she burns the sun, / All we had plundered, / All we had framed, / No Time for Despair, / No time to revere, / Submit to Death, / Our ending is here”), while the duo offers us all six (six six) minutes of absolute darkness and hatred in the form of ass-kicking Death Metal in To Never Return. Then we have Euphony of Dismay, with its lyrics roared by Andrew dealing with a chaotic personal self-reflection on experiencing suicidal depression (“On taking my life, / Of aching and strife, / Oh how could I wish it to be, / Forced into pain, / With cowing and shame, / A ruinous ending foreseen”) in an incendiary fusion of Black and Death Metal; and it’s impressive how two guys only can make so much noise like in Dread Incorporeal, with the blast beats by Patryk sounding truly chaotic and vile.
The acoustic, introspective interlude Fields of Ashes sets the stage for the duo to kill again in Control of Fear, sounding demolishing form start to finish, with Andrew slashing his axe while he also growls rabidly until the very end. Then we have The Lost Battle, featuring composer, sound design and pianist Nathaniel Coxon, with his gentle piano notes beautifully permeating the air until all hell breaks loose to the venomous roars by Andrew and the crushing beats by Patryk; and after such a dense tune, they keep firing sulfur and darkness in Misanthropic Elegy, with Patryk once again delivering bestial yet intricate beats. Darkness Envelops is not as exciting as the previous tunes, despite its heaviness and fury, while Suffering and Retribution is another hammering slab of Death and Black Metal where Andrew delivers his most inhumane guttural of all. Nathaniel Coxon returns in Into the Night’s Embrace, a serene outro that brings some peace to our hearts to conclude the album; however, there’s still time for two bonus tracks titled The Bastard Will Materialise and Unholy Decay, both utterly vile and heavy-as-hell.
Charging depictions of tragedy, loss and existential suffering straight to the heart of the listeners that have been subject to their inimitable style, Infested Angel sound merciless throughout their newborn beast Threnodies to Eternal Despair, which you can purchase from the Art Gates Records webstore as a CD + shirt bundle, a CD + hoodie bundle, or a CD + shirt + hoodie bundle, and don’t forget to also give the duo a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their music on Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Infested Angel. Put differently, subsume yourself now into the Infested Angel cult and submit to death, letting the music found in their new album be the ultimate soundtrack to your eulogy.
Best moments of the album:To Never Return, Euphony of Dismay and The Lost Battle.
Worst moments of the album:Darkness Envelops.
Released in 2025 Art Gates Records
Track listing 1. No Time for Despair 3:59
2. To Never Return 6:06
3. Euphony of Dismay 5:11
4. Dread Incorporeal 6:46
5. Fields of Ashes 1:32
6. Control of Fear 4:58
7. The Lost Battle 6:44
8. Misanthropic Elegy 3:52
9. Darkness Envelops 5:14
10. Suffering and Retribution 3:58
11. Into the Night’s Embrace 2:33
Bonus tracks
12. The Bastard Will Materialise 3:47
13. Unholy Decay 5:21
Band members Andrew “Mick” Bryan – vocals, guitars
Patryk “Pat” Kaczmarek – drums
Guest musician
Nathaniel Coxon – piano on “The Lost Battle” and “Into the Night’s Embrace”
An uncanny Ukrainian Black Metal horde is ready to attack armed with their debut opus, inviting listeners to confront the idea that, in death, humanity is ultimately isolated, no matter the illusion of belief.
Playing Melodic Black Metal with elements of doom inspired by classic Baroque music, especially the works of J.S. Bach, Ukraine-based horde Deus Sabaoth, a phrase that translates to “The Lord of Hosts”, is unleashing upon us their highly anticipated debut full-length album, Cycle of Death, which was carefully mixed and mastered by Anton Vorozhtsov. Reflecting in its lyrics different perspectives on religion and the existential concerns of those who confront their mortality while rejecting any religious beliefs, delving into a personal, internal struggle, exploring the complex emotions and conflicts faced by those who question the very nature of existence, Cycle of Death is a beautiful display of extreme music by this uncanny band, pointing to a bright future ahead of them, offering us fans of the darkest side of music another beautiful creature to listen to and admire.
Massive beats and rumbling bass lines will hammer your impious souls in The Priest, with their devilish gnarls adding a touch of malignancy to the overall result, flowing into Mercenary Seer, which starts in a soothing manner before evolving into a bestial Black Metal creature with all background elements enhancing the power of their riffage. Following such bestial tune, gentle piano notes ignite Cycle of Death, offering our avid ears a melodic yet devilish fusion of Doom and Black Metal with atmospheric elements, whereas Executioner continues with the sluggish and grim vibe from its predecessor, with its slow and steady beats inspiring us for some vigorous headbanging in total darkness.
The Blind is a gripping, modern-day Melodic Black Metal extravaganza with hints of Atmospheric Black Metal, presenting penetrating yet very gentle riffs, whereas Faceless Warrior is by far one of the most detailed of all songs, with the harsh vociferations by the band’s uncanny vocalist bringing sheer darkness to the music, not to mention how grandiose all background elements (like their piano notes) sound and feel. And lastly, it’s time for one final onrush of Black Metal with doom and atmospheric elements entitled Beginning of New War, with its cryptic passages and visceral, harsh moments clashing beautifully, therefore putting a Stygian ending to the album.
“Cycle Of Death is a journey through the bleak and twisted minds of its characters, captured across seven intense tracks. The album delves deep into the contrasts between the architects of faith and the consumed followers, revealing the dark interplay between belief, manipulation, and desperation,” commented the band about their debut opus, and you can get in touch with those mysterious Ukrainian metallers via Facebook and Instagram, listen to their wicked creations on Spotify, and purchase a copy of their sulfurous album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Deus Sabaoth invites listeners to confront the idea that, in death, humanity is ultimately isolated, no matter the illusion of belief, and their debut album will provide us all with the perfect soundtrack to that eternal void.
Best moments of the album:Mercenary Seer, The Blind and Faceless Warrior.
Worst moments of the album:Cycle of Death.
Released in 2025 Independent
Track listing 1. The Priest 4:39
2. Mercenary Seer 4:24
3. Cycle of Death 4:28
4. Executioner 3:44
5. The Blind 4:05
6. Faceless Warrior 5:36
7. Beginning of New War 4:01
Behold the last recorded testimony before the war is over for one of the most important Blackened Thrash Metal bands of all time.
The moment you hear it, you know it’s Necrodeath. Formed back in 1984 in the Italian city of Genoa, this unrelenting act is one of the real iconic Blackened Thrash Metal bands of all time, helping to shape the Italian metal scene and the international underground as it is today throughout their 40 years of existence. However, as all good things must come to an end, the band formed of Flegias on vocals, Pier on the guitars, GL on bass and Peso on drums is set to release their last recorded testimony before the definitive dissolution of the band, entitled Arimortis, followed by a farewell tour which will last throughout 2025, and after which the curtain will fall. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Pier Gonella, and featuring a sinister artwork by Max Bottino, Arimortis is everything you’ve learned to love in the music by Necrodeath and more, representing a beyond amazing conclusion to the band’s demolishing and thrilling path.
The quartet wastes no time and invites us all for one last wild ride inside the pit in Storytellers of Lies, with Flegias sounding like a demented beast on vocals, or in other words, this is how anyone should start a Thrash Metal album. Then a sinister start evolves into another blackened attack by the band titled New God, spearheaded by the Slayer-inspired riffs by Pier; and Peso puts the pedal to the metal in Necrosadist, offering our putrid years another explosion of visceral Thrash Metal perfect for some mosh pit action, whereas Arimortis is another song with a sinister, atmospheric intro that quickly morphs into their undisputed thrashing madness, with Flegias roaring manically supported by the pounding drums by Peso. And to make things even more infernal we have Near-Death Experience, the perfect soundtrack for (guess what?) almost dying, with Pier once again delivering sheer animosity through his riffage.
Necrodeath still have a lot more fuel to burn in Arimortis, starting with Alien, with the creepy vociferations by Flegias exhaling pure Black Metal, followed by No More Regrets, a cadenced, grim and melodic creation by the quartet that will sound great during their upcoming last tour. It’s then time for over seven minutes of first-class, no shenanigans Thrash Metal the likes of Exodus and Anthrax entitled Metempsychosis (part two), inspiring us all to bang our heads nonstop to the demolishing beats by Peso, while Hangover sounds even more ferocious and thunderous thanks to the rumbling bass by GL and the always hammering drums by Peso, putting a demented ending to the album and to their entire discography.
“Arimortis is a term of Latin origin which indicates the end of a war, the moment in which the fallen are honoured and altars are erected in their name (‘arae mortis’, the altars of death). Even today in some parts of Italy the term ‘arimo’ is used to declare the end of the games. We wanted to use this allegory to seal a path that lasted forty years, full of satisfactions, disappointments and revenge. The songs that make up the album contain several references to our long career,” commented Flegias, and you can fight alongside Necrodeath in their last crusade by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their evil music on Spotify or any other streaming service, and of course by purchasing their final beast from BandCamp or from Time To Kill Records, or by clicking HERE. And as their blackened war nears the end, may their putrid souls rest in pieces.
Best moments of the album:Storytellers of Lies, Necrosadist and Hangover.
Worst moments of the album:Alien.
Released in 2025 Time To Kill Records
Track listing 1. Storytellers of Lies 3:37
2. New God 3:12
3. Necrosadist 3:57
4. Arimortis 3:39
5. Near-Death Experience 3:07
6. Alien 4:21
7. No More Regrets 5:37
8. Metempsychosis (part two) 7:21
9. Hangover 3:46
Band members Flegias – vocals
Pier – guitars
GL – bass
Peso – drums
This Scotland-based Black Metal beast returns with their first full-length in five years, their most direct album to date evoking authentic, purple-blue visions of the late 90’s.
It’s been a long and winding road for Black Metal beast Barshasketh from their earliest days in 2007 as a solo project of KG aka Krigeist in his native Wellington, New Zealand on to his relocation to Edinburgh, Scotland and building an actual band, from breakout third album Ophidian Henosis in 2015 on to the even-mightier Barshasketh in 2019, but even amidst all the lineup shuffles and geographical distance covered, one fact has remained firm, and that’s purest Black Metal, intentionally free of genre cross-pollination, chiseled and refined with patience and persistence, which is also the case with their newborn spawn Antinomian Asceticism, their first full-length in five years. Recorded by the band’s guitarist GM at Sonorous Studio and Necromorbus Studio, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio, and displaying a beautifully sinister artwork by Rodrigo Pereira Salvatierra (with additional illustrations and layout by Fenomeno Design), the new album by the aforementioned KG on vocals, guitars and keyboards, GM on the guitars, BB on bass, and MK on drums, vocals and keyboards is their most direct and concise record in many a year, with its melding of mysticism and might evoking authentic, purple-blue visions of the late 90’s as soundly as it stands upon palatably modern ground.
The bells tolling warn the listener of the brutal Black Metal attack that’s about to come in Radiant Aperture, with the devilish vocals by KG sounding truly haunting and evil; and KG and GM sound ruthless with their piercing, caustic Black Metal riffage in Nitimur in Vetitum, supported by the rumbling bass by BB. Lebenswelt Below is a Blackened Doom extravaganza where MK hammers his drums in absolute darkness, exploding into sheer savagery made in the pits of the underworld, whereas they continue to evoke the fires of the netherworld in Charnel Quietism, a classic Black Metal feast where KG once again vociferates like a demonic entity.
Phaneron Engulf is another song with a beyond sinister start, darkening our minds and hearts to the minimalist guitar lines by KG and GM, but the fact it’s an instrumental piece takes away a bit of its strength; followed by the title-track Antinomian Asceticism, keeping the album’s overall vibe grim and vile with MK’s sluggish, visceral beats inspiring us all to headbang in the name of evil. And the album ends with the fulminating Black Metal aria Exultation of Ceaseless Defiance, again presenting the band’s trademark riffs, beats and the always infernal gnarls by KG.
Torches ablaze, hearts enflamed. Eternal strife is the fuel. Barshasketh, which by the way derives from the Hebrew term Be’er Shachat, roughly translating as “pit of corruption”, are on absolute fire throughout their entire new album, proving that the five-year wait for new material from such an amazing horde was absolutely worth it. You can get more information about them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify or on Apple Music, and of course purchase a copy of the caustic Antinomian Asceticism from BandCamp or from the W.T.C.Productions webstore, fueling the band’s Black Metal machine to keep roaring in the name of pure darkness and evil for all eternity from the bottomless pit with more amazing albums like their demented new offering.
Best moments of the album:Radiant Aperture, Lebenswelt Below and Antinomian Asceticism.
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
Another year begins, another badass bassist arrives at The Headbanging Moose to kick your goddamn ass mercilessly! A true she-demon who masters the dark arts of Black, Death and Doom Metal, she’s not only a beast armed with her bass, but she’s also a guitarist, a tattoo artist, a body artist and an illustrator with a massive portfolio. Her name is Laura Nardelli, also known as Aura Negativa or Daphoene, the bassist for Italian Black/Death Metal horde Askesis, who’s also part of the bands Bottomless, and who was also involved in a very interesting project named Ponte del Diavolo under the moniker Laurus. Oh Yeah, Laura is an unstoppable force of extreme music, and you’re certainly going to be mesmerized by her undeniable talent both as a musician and as an artist, darkening our hearts in the best way imaginable.
Born on January 25, 1993 in Italy, which means our humble tribute to her contributions to the world of heavy music will also be our birthday gift to her, Laura seems to be quite reserved in terms of her personal life, letting her music and her art speak on her behalf. There aren’t any interviews with her available anywhere, which makes it difficult to talk about her origins, her idols and influences, and even her opinion in non-music or arts subjects, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve to be feature on The Headbanging Moose; quite the contrary, it will be a true pleasure reviewing her amazing career so far, starting with her main band, the sulfurous Askesis.
Forged in the fires of Venice in 2013, the ruthless entity Askesis, or ἄσκησις, meaning “ascetism” or “self-discipline” in Ancient Greek, has been blasting a beyond caustic mix of Black and Death Metal in their sound, delivering a listening experience that is raw and violent while simultaneously captivating and hypnotic. Since the band’s genesis, the core lineup has featured Laura Nardelli on bass (as well as on the guitars from 2018 to 2022) and Samuele Scalise on drums, who have been joined by vocalist Nico Fabbri and guitarists Gregorio Di Angilla and Juri Vatova in 2022. Their songs are linked by an existentialist theme that takes up concepts from Ancient Greek myths, projecting them into today’s world. The band invites the listeners to confront their own fears, contradictions, and desires, encouraging introspection and contemplation on the complexities of existence.
Under the moniker of Aura Negativa, Laura has released with Askesis the EP The Path to Absence, in 2016, followed by a 2018 demo titled Black Ontology, and more recently their 2023 debut full-length opus Beyond the Fate of Death, this one in particular drawing inspiration from The Myth Of Sisyphys by Albert Camus to express their personal visions of our “non-existence”, plus a split with Italian Black Metal band Nox Interitus titled Wrecks from Cosmos (which you can listen in full HERE and HERE), released in 2016.
As aforementioned, the band’s name, meaning “asceticism” from Ancient Greek, is “man’s horror of the being of which his own phenomenon is an expression, of the will to live, of the core and essence of a world recognized as full of pain,” and you can experience all that in their music by streaming or purchasing their albums on BandCamp and on Spotify, plus you can also enjoy some live footage of the band like this full show at Summer Metal Festival in Codroipo, Italy, in 2019, or simply click HERE for all things Askesis, letting their blackened sounds penetrate deep inside your psyche.
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Laura is also the bassist for two other amazing bands, Bottomless and Restos Humanos. Bottomless are an Italian Doom Metal band hailing from Treviso, Veneto and Bologna, Emilia-Romagna formed in 2016 by drummer David Lucido, vocalist and guitarist Giorgio Trombino, and bassist Sara Bianchin, with Sara being replaced by Laura in 2023. The band already had two albums released when Laura joined them, but in 2024 they released a split named Graveyard Thunder together with Brazilian Doom Metal band Witching Altar, with each band recording three songs for the split, and you can enjoy all six songs on BandCamp and on Spotify, with the songs by Bottomless being titled Burning of the Vampire, Lightning in the Realms of Death, and Shadows Call. If the music by Bottomless is dark and sluggish, Italian/Colombian act Restos Humanos play a visceral fusion of Death Metal and Grindcore, and while Laura was part of the band in the mid-2010’s (replacing Sara Bianchin as their bass player on stage in a few concerts) they recorded the live album Grindin’ the Garage, in 2016, available in full on BandCamp.
Apart from those, you can also find her contributions to a phenomenal Italian Blackened Doom Metal band named Ponte del Diavolo, which means means “devil’s bridge” in Italian, formed in the winter of 2020 in a jam involving members of Feralia, Inchiuvatu, Abjura and Askesis. Laura, who went by the monicker of Laurus during her period with the band from 2020 until 2024, played bass in three of their EPs, those being Mystery of Mystery (2020), Sancta Menstruis (2022), and Ave Scintilla! (2022), and in their 2024 full-length album Fire Blades from the Tomb. You can enjoy all of those albums on Spotify or any other streaming service, as well as the official videos for the songs Demone, Covenant and Nocturnal Veil.
As aforementioned, Laura is also an accomplished dark and esoteric tattoo and body artist, specializing in black work, dotwork, linework, medievale, sketchy, and hatching, working at Iguana Tattoo, while she’s also responsible for several artworks for different metal bands out there, always under her darkly beautiful nickname Aura Negativa. For instance, she took care of the artwork for the 2016 EP The Path to Absence, by her band Askesis; of the artwork for the 2024 single Moth to a Flame, by Italian Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal band Bloody Unicorn; of the artworks and logos of all her releases with Ponte del Diavolo, those being Mystery of Mystery, Sancta Menstruis, Ave Scintilla! and Fire Blades from the Tomb; or the artwork for the 2020 album Necrofagia, by Italian Avantgarde Black Metal band Prometeus; of the artwork for the 2020 single The Hanged Ballad and the 2021 EP Dark Italian Art, by Italian Progressive Black/Heavy Metal horde Selvans; and last but certainly not least, of the design for the 2023 album Helvegr, by Norwegian Black Metal masters Tsjuder. She’s indeed a determined, inexorable she-wolf of heavy music as you can see, and I honestly can’t wait to witness the next steps in her already solid and vibrant career both as a musician and as an artist.
“Fans still compare me to Bruce Dickinson. I have people coming up to me and saying, Don’t you know that could’ve been you? And I tell them, That was me! I just didn’t want it..” – Paul Di’Anno
It’s hard to put into words the loss of our beloved Paul Andrews (17 May 1958 – 21 October 2024), better known by his stage name Paul Di’Anno, one of the most iconic musicians in the history of heavy music, helping Iron Maiden be what they’re today by giving that edgier vibe to the albums Iron Maiden and Killers, therefore influencing all future generations of musicians not only in Heavy Metal, but also in Punk Rock and Rock N’ Roll. He was a legend and will be sorely missed by anyone who loves good music. There’s not much we can do at The Headbanging Moose to honor his life and work, but we’ll keep celebrating heavy music in his name for as long as we can. I wish he could have played one final show in Toronto so Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I could have registered such a unique moment in the city, but unfortunately time is not always in our favor. Anyway, it might be a very sad year to the metal community worldwide with an irreplaceable loss like that, but heavy music lives on, and that’s why here we have once again The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2024, excluding EP’s, best of’s and live albums, to keep the spirit alive and keep raising our horns to countless metal musicians like our great Paul Di’Anno.
1. Judas Priest – Invincible Shield (REVIEW) Nothing can stand in the way of the Metal Gods as they raise the invincible shield of Heavy Metal.
Best song of the album: The Serpent and the King
2. Werewolves – Die For Us (REVIEW) Australia’s most savage beast is back with their fifth studio opus, a lecture in Death Metal perfect for beating anyone back to life.
Best song of the album: Spittle-Flecked Rant
3. Aborted – Vault of Horrors (REVIEW) These Death Metal and Deathcore beasts open their demonic vault of horrors to bring brutality, gore and evil to our damned souls.
Best song of the album: Death Cult
4. Necrowretch – Swords of Dajjal (REVIEW) This French Blackened Death Metal horde returns blacker than ever with a magnificent opus dedicated to the Islamic Antichrist.
Best song of the album: Vae Victis
5. Gaerea – Coma (REVIEW) The torchbearers of present-day Black Metal arise again, erupting with intensity, casting forth black ashes over the world.
Best song of the album: Coma
6. Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere (REVIEW) Blood Incantation offer us all two sensational compositions that are as confounding as they are engaging in their scope.
Best song of the album: The Stargate [Tablet I]
7. Benighted – Ekbom (REVIEW) Let’s dive into the auditory abyss with this Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore entity armed with their newborn beast.
Best song of the album: Fame of the Grotesque
8. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Opera (REVIEW) One of the torchbearers of Symphonic Death Metal worldwide returns with their strongest opus to date.
Best song of the album: I Can Never Die
9. Arhat – Secrets of Ancient Gods (REVIEW) The newborn spawn by this Ukrainian horde will take you on a journey into the world of ancient gods and mysterious rituals.
Best song of the album: Abyss of Flame
10. Grand Magus – Sunraven (REVIEW) Sweden’s own Heavy and Doom Metal institution is back with a new collection of battle hymns inspired by the tale of Beowulf and Grendel.
Best song of the album: Skybound
And here we have the runner-ups, completing the top 20 for the year:
11. Ecclesia – Ecclesia Militans (REVIEW)
12. The Last of Lucy – Godform (REVIEW)
13. Rotting Christ – Προ Χριστού (Pro Xristou) (REVIEW)
14. Rage – Afterlifelines (REVIEW)
15. Ingested – The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams (REVIEW)
16. Blaze Bayley – Circle of Stone (REVIEW)
17. Striker – Ultrapower (REVIEW)
18. Kerry King – From Hell I Rise (REVIEW)
19. Accept – Humanoid (REVIEW)
20. Hiraes – Dormant (REVIEW)
In addition, as I always like to say, sometimes a band doesn’t need to release a full album to kick some ass, and that’s why we also have our Top 10 EP’s of 2024 to show that sometimes less is more, or maybe I should say, less is heavier!
1. Rifftera – Coda (REVIEW)
2. Trollwar – Tales from the Frozen Wastes (REVIEW)
3. Atavistia – Inane Ducam (REVIEW)
4. Ways. – Are We Still Alive? (REVIEW)
5. Enforced – A Leap Into The Dark (REVIEW)
6. Gutvoid – Breathing Obelisk (REVIEW)
7. Onslaught Kommand – Visions of Blood and Gore (REVIEW)
8. Golgothan Remains – Bearer of Light, Matriarch of Death (REVIEW)
9. Infernalivm – Conquering the Most High (REVIEW)
10. Dragoncorpse – Fall of House Abbarath (REVIEW)
Do you agree with our list? What are your top 10 albums of 2024? Also, don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday at 10pm BRT on Rádio Coringão to enjoy the best of classic and underground metal with Jorge Diaz and his Timão Metal, and every Thursday at 8pm UTC+2 on Midnight Madness Metal e-Radio for the best of underground metal with The Headbanging Moose Show!
Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2025!
In the end, there’s no Christmas-inspired song this year, nor anything festive like that, but I’ll leave you with the official video for one of the most important songs ever recorded by Iron Maiden, one with a strong punk and thrash vibe, with the one and only Paul Di’Anno on vocals. Let’s raise our horns to him forever and ever, my fellow metalheads! RIP legend!
A Finnish Black Metal trio born somewhere in time during a recording session that includes members from Moonlight Sorcery and Ondfødt and consider themselves influenced by bands like Gris, Silencer, Lifelover, Coldworld and Austere, Void of Hope are set to unleash their debut album, titled Proof of Existence. Composed and recorded in five days in the studio with -30°, -35° outside and in complete darkness for most of the day (with all screams taking place later and being recorded in two days), Proof Of Existence is a journey through mental health and depression, the outcome of which may be triumph or giving up, having started as Depressive Black Metal, but growing into much more.
Void of Hope are not an anonymous band, yet they do not consider their identities relevant, as regardless of what names are printed in the album, the music is all that matters. Void of Hope can be a place or a state of mind, and their debut album will simply show you that the horrors of reality are the proof of your existence. Although there isn’t much information online about the band apart from their recently created profiles on Facebook and on Instagram, you can put your damned hands on their newborn beast via the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page or from Sound Cave, and perhaps we’ll get to know more about those mysterious Finnish metallers as they spread their blackened wings upon humanity to the sound of their austere, grim and, therefore, more than necessary album.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 