This one-man project from Norway breaks the mould and offers three lengthy tracks that flow in an intuitive, undulating, almost whimsical manner, touching upon several styles and effortlessly shape shifting through them all.
After dropping its well-received debut album A Waning Light back in 2020, Viken, Norway-based entity Felgrave has crafted an ingenious album melding influences of Avantgarde Black, Death and Doom Metal in a way rarely done before, entitled Otherlike Darknesses, breaking the mould and offering three lengthy tracks that flow in an intuitive, undulating, almost whimsical manner, touching upon several styles and effortlessly shape shifting through them all. Mixed by the project’s mastermind, vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist M. L. Jupe, mastered by Brendan Sloan, featuring session drummer Robin Stone (Evilyn, Norse), and displaying another beautiful artwork by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, Otherlike Darknesses is a multi-faceted opus and yet has a fairly cohesive sound with exceptional song writing, always engaging while also being unpredictable.
M. L. Jupe ignites his blackened machine armed with his scorching riffs and a menacing atmosphere in Winds Batter My Keep, sounding disturbing, avantgarde and addictive all at once, with the puissant drums by Robin adding an extra dosage of heaviness to the music, resulting in a sonic creature arising from the underworld ready to consume us all. After such a bludgeoning beast we face Pale Flowers Under an Empty Sky, the “shortest” song of the album (which still surpasses the 12-minute mark), beginning in a sinister manner until all morphs into an experimental, dissonant display of Black and Death Metal led by M. L. Jupe’s visceral growls and infernal riffage, also showcasing ethereal, soothing passages; building an instant bridge with the colossal title-track Otherlike Darknesses, offering us all mere mortals 18 minutes of grandiose Avantgarde Black and Death Metal. Futhermore, M. L. Jupe and Robin are on fire during the entire song, demolishing our senses and piercing our minds with their wicked vociferations, incendiary riffs and pulverizing drums, while also bringing forward so many breaks, variations and cryptic moments it feels like countless songs in one in the end.
“I’m super glad to have found a label so excited to release Otherlike Darknesses, an album of experimental, avantgarde extreme metal with many diverse influences, namely 20th century classical music, 70s symphonic prog rock, and the weirder side of 90s black and death metal. The music herein is a meticulously crafted dark yet colourful tapestry that goes far beyond anything I’ve done before, and will reward diligent and attentive enjoyers of unique extreme metal for countless repeats,” commented M. L. Jupe about his newborn spawn and his partnership with the always amazing Transcending Obscurity Records, and you can put your damned hands on such a unique album of extreme music by purchasing it from the label’s Bandcamp, main store, Europe store, or US store, keeping in mind it comes as a hand-numbered eight-panel digipak with full color printing and a metallic effect throughout, in addition to gloss raised UV lamination done on parts of the artwork, a download code and transparent logo stickers. Don’t forget to also see what M. L. Jupe and his Felgrave are up to on Facebook while listening to his new album, embarking on a multi-layered, classy and embracing journey across an array of music styles, all masterfully brought into being by a Norwegian lone wolf that definitely knowns how to turn music into a work of art.
Best moments of the album:Otherlike Darknesses.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Winds Batter My Keep 18:09
2. Pale Flowers Under an Empty Sky 12:29
3. Otherlike Darknesses 18:00
Band members M. L. Jupe – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, programming
Enter the shrine of first-class Melodic Death and Doom Metal crafted by this one-man project from France, and let the echoes from his debut album guide you on a brooding and immersive journey through sorrow, introspection, and existential desolation.
Founded in 2024 by Antoine Scholtès, the mastermind behind Atmospheric Black Metal project Inherits The Void, Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France-based act Wurmian emerges with a mission to resurrect the essence of classic Melodic Death and Doom Metal. Drawing inspiration from the melancholic and introspective tones of bands like October Tide, Horrified, and Edge of Sanity, the project’s debut offering, titled Immemorial Shrine, embraces the duality of soaring melodies and crushing heaviness. Mastered by Simon Da Silva at The Empty Hall Studio, and displaying a classic logo by Dipayandas Art and a stunning, doomed artwork by Silvana Massa, Immemorial Shrine is a somber odyssey into solitude and decay, a brooding and immersive journey through sorrow, introspection, and existential desolation, turning it into a compelling listen for fans of both classic and modern death and doom.
Antoine begins embellishing the airwaves with his melodious guitar lines in Aeon Afterglows, reminding me of both old school and contemporary Paradise Lost with a harsher twist; whereas in the title-track Immemorial Shrine he showcases all his passion for Black and Death Metal without forgetting to add a good share of Doom and Gothic Metal to his sound, and the final result is simply beautiful. His Melodic Doom Metal attack goes on in Haven, with his guttural vocals and pounding drums being perfect for some sick headbanging, and our lone wolf speeds things up in Spires of Sorrow, offering a rawer, more direct Death Metal attack led by his classic beats and fills. Then back to a more pensive, melancholic sonority, Antoine roars with tons of anguish in Yearning Unseen, also delivering piercing, sharp riffs, followed by Sleeping Giants, another stunning composition by this multi-talented French musician that overflows Atmospheric Black and Death Metal for our total delight. And the closing song of the album, The Everflowing Stream, is another lecture in Doom Metal, with Antoine enhancing the acidity of his riffs and the depth of his Stygian roars for our vulgar delectation.
In the end, prepare to embark on a melancholic odyssey that echoes the spirit of the 90’s Death and Doom Metal while forging a path into the present in Immemorial Shrine, already available in full on YouTube and on Spotify. Hence, don’t forget to follow the project on Facebook and on Instagram for news, and maybe some live performances in the future in case Antoine assembles a live band for his shows, and above all, to purchase Immemorial Shrine from Wurmian’s own BandCamp or from the Pest Records’ BandCamp, or simply by clicking HERE. After all is said and done, simply enter the shrine of first-class Melodic Death and Doom Metal crafted by Wurmian. Let the echoes guide you.
Best moments of the album:Immemorial Shrine, Haven and Sleeping Giants.
Let your soul wander through the forest to the sound of the stunning third full-length offering by this one-woman Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal entity from Finland.
In the Finnic religion, a “karsikko” was a set of markings made on a tree somewhere between a deceased person’s home and the burial site, which was believed to prevent the individual’s spirit from coming back. In heavy music, Karsikko is the stunning third full-length offering by one-woman Atmospheric Pagan/Black Metal entity Vermilia, following up on her 2018 critically acclaimed debut Kätkyt and her also amazing 2022 opus Ruska. Since 2017, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vermilia has been playing a beautiful hybrid of Epic Pagan Metal and sweet, raw and melancholic vocal harmonies with lyrics in her native language, and in Karsikko she has outdone herself with her strongest effort to date, a charming yet visceral album that lives up to the legacy of extreme music while at the same time it pays homage to her beautiful culture and roots.
The charming piano by Vermilia kicks off the dancing Pagan Black Metal title-track Karsikko, with her powerful, penetrating vocals matching perfectly with the song’s stunning wall of sounds. Vakatis the name of a traditional Finnish pagan festival, and that’s exactly what we get from Vermilia in this excellent song, perfect for dancing around the fire and raising our horns high in the sky. Then we have Kivutar, a Finnish goddess of pain and suffering whose name translates to “Lady of Pain”; musically speaking, Vermilia once again delivers an overdose of blast beats, scorching Black Metal riffs, and her fusion of clean vocals and harsh roars. And her classic drums and whimsical keys set the tone in Suruhymni, or “an anthem of mourning” from Finnish, embracing us in pitch black darkness in the middle of the forests of Finland.
Then the atmospheric, enfolding sounds crafted by Vermilia will penetrate deep inside your soul in Koti, or “home”, offering us all a well-balanced fusion of Black and Pagan Metal while again presenting her hypnotizing vocalizations; and in Veresi, or “your blood”, the name of the song says it all, demanding a heavier, more visceral sonority, and our lone she-wolf brings it while also sounding haunting thanks to her Doom Metal-inspired riffs and beats, presenting a fantastic rhythm, crisp instrumental and spot-on vocal lines. In Talven Jälkeen, or “after the winter”, we’re treated to more of her hybrid of harsh sounds and whimsical, embracing passages, with her work on the guitars and drums sounding utterly vibrant. Lastly, Vermilia ends the album on a high note with the dark and heavy Kansojen Kaipuu, or “the longing of nations”, where she gnarls like a creature of the forest for our total delight amidst sounds of pure Atmospheric Black Metal magic.
You can experience Karsikko in all of its glory on YouTube, on Spotify, or on any other streaming service, but of course in order to support the beyond talented Vermilia you can purchase her newborn beast from her own BandCamp or webstore, or by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to join her pagan festivities by following her on Facebook and on Instagram (including her unique, mesmerizing live performances), and by subscribing to her official YouTube channel, letting her fascinating music penetrate deep inside your mind, as your soul wanders freely through the darkly peaceful forests of her homeland. Karsikko is one of those albums that gradually takes over your spirit with each and every listen, a precious gem of the underground that will surely feature among the best albums of the year, inspiring Vermilia to continue her amazing path of Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal for many years to come, as her connection with her pagan roots get stronger and stronger with each album released.
Best moments of the album:Karsikko, Suruhymni, Veresi and Kansojen Kaipuu.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Independent
Track listing 1. Karsikko 4:44
2. Vakat 7:07
3. Kivutar 4:32
4. Suruhymni 5:08
5. Koti 3:28
6. Veresi 6:39
7. Talven Jälkeen 3:46
8. Kansojen Kaipuu 6:01
One of the most promising hordes hailing from France attacks with a beyond stunning fusion of Black, Death, Doom and Post-Metal, exploring the depths of the human soul.
Since their inception back in 2018, Paris, France-based horde Usquam (also stylized in capital letters as USQUAM, a Latin adverb that means “anywhere” or “in any place”) has been shaping their own version of “blackened metal music” by combining Black, Death, Doom and Post-Metal, always with endless violence and melancholy. Now in 2025 the band formed of newcomer Jessy “Christ” Vignolle on vocals alongside guitarists Etienne “Eithenn” Gonin and Jonathan “Draugr”, and bassist Alain “Alwan” Nicolle has just unleashed upon us their first full-length opus, entitled Ex Nihilo, following up on their 2021 EP Reborn. Produced, mixed and mastered by Fred Gervais at Studio Henosis, the album showcases a central concept related to the ”Primordial Tradition”, a fundamental human experience that some believe contains all truths of all religions. Add to that the fact their lyrics explore the depths of the human soul in French, English and Latin, and there you have a bold, dense, detailed and captivating album of extreme music that’s at the same time meaningful and haunting.
Altar Egosounds utterly atmospheric and enfolding from the very first second, with the band’s Post-Black Metal vein pulsing majestically, led by the deep, anguished roars by Jessy; whereas Etienne and Jonathan sound inhumane armed with their caustic riffs in Axis Mundi, offering us all a crushing, scorching fusion of Black and Death Metal. Then we’re treated to Athanor with its over six minutes of absolute darkness, sending shivers down our spines in the best Blackened Death Metal way possible while Alain pounds his bass with endless fury and dexterity; and a sinister, ritualistic intro explodes into an overdose of violence and obscurity led by the demented harsh screams by Jessy in Ego Sum (Qui Sum), while Alain once again destroys his bass, all spiced up by a striking solo by Etienne. And investing in a more lugubrious Doom Metal sonority we have Arcana Nox, with the cryptic sounds of Post-Black Metal adding a welcome extra dosage of heaviness to the overall result.
Their venomous sounds keep permeating the air in Egocide, with its more symphonic background enhancing its epicness, all while Jessy continue to growl like a true she-demon, followed by the thunderous The Mast, the most complex, intricate and multi-layered of all songs, a lecture in Blackened Death, Doom and Post-Metal with a melancholic, atmospheric start morphing into a pulverizing attack by the band. Moreover, whoever played drums in this album is indeed a headbanging beast. There’s still time for another melodic yet vile creation by Usquam titled Symbol, with the metallic, in-your-face bass lines by Alain hitting our cranial skulls mercilessly, and closing the album it’s time for a full Post-Black Metal aria entitled Persévérance, a majestic composition where Jessy sounds so anguished and desperate on vocals it’s beautiful and disturbing at the same time.
A melodic, symphonic and modern feast of Black Metal embraced by careful arrangements in which spirituality and philosophy are expressed, Ex Nihilo will certainly appeal to fans of bands the likes of Naglfar, Dimmu Borgir, Dark Funeral, and Gaerea, among many others, positioning Usquam as a force to be reckoned with in the underworld of extreme music. You can enjoy Ex Nihilo in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, as well as on other streaming platforms, get to know more about such a unique band of the French scene by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and of course purchase a copy of this precious gem of heavy music from the Source Atone Records’ webstore as a digipak CD + booklet or as a very special digipak CD + booklet + shirt combo (or simply click HERE for all things Usquam). “Ex nihilo” is a Latin phrase meaning “out of nothing”, referring to “creatio ex nihilo”, the belief that matter is not eternal, but had to be divinely created; having said that, what are you waiting for to join one of the most promising names of the metal scene worldwide in their metallic studies of the human soul?
Best moments of the album:Axis Mundi, Ego Sum (Qui Sum), The Mast and Persévérance.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Source Atone Records
Track listing 1. Altar Ego 5:07
2. Axis Mundi 4:32
3. Athanor 6:06
4. Ego Sum (Qui Sum) 3:28
5. Arcana Nox 4:19
6. Egocide 3:04
7. The Mast 5:31
8. Symbol 4:20
9. Persévérance 5:38
Band members Jessy “Christ” Vignolle – vocals
Etienne “Eithenn” Gonin – lead guitars
Jonathan “Draugr” – guitars
Alain “Alwan” Nicolle – bass
Japan’s own Melodic Death Metal beast returns with their stunning fifth opus, exploring the fragility of life, the complexities of human emotions and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.
Having carved their place in the Melodic Death Metal scene worldwide for almost 15 years, Tokyo, Japan-based Symphonic/Melodic Black/Death Metal outfit Serenity In Murder continues to push boundaries in 2025 with their latest masterpiece, entitled Timeless Reverie, their fifth studio album and the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 opus Reborn, further refining their signature blend of raw aggression and symphonic beauty. Navigating a dark and emotional landscape, taking listeners on a journey through themes of time, destiny, inner turmoil and personal revolution, the new album by frontwoman Ayumu, guitarists Freddy and Ryuji, bassist Yu-ri and drummer Allen seamlessly weaves complex melodies, atmospheric symphonic elements, and crushing heaviness, exploring the fragility of life, the complexities of human emotions and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.
The band needs less than two seconds to already crush our souls in God Forsaken, as imposing, complex and heavy as it can be, led by the masterful drumming by Allen while all symphonic elements take its epicness to a whole new level; flowing into the also melodic yet visceral Matrix, reminding me of the sounds blasted by Soilwork, Children of Bodom and In Flames but with the band’s own technical Japanese twist. Freddy and Ryuji are on fire in Blue Roses Gracefully Fall, blasting sheer electricity through their lancinating riffs while once again the background orchestrations sound majestic, and it’s pedal to the metal in the melodeath feast entitled And the World Awake, where their guitars transpire heaviness supported by the rumbling kitchen by Yu-ri and Allen. Allen keeps hammering his drums nonstop in Never Defiled, while Ayumu roars and gnarls like a true she-demon for our total delight.
A Dance of Sorrow lives up to the legacy of Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal, with Ayumu once again stealing the spotlight with her piercing screams, whereas the band sets fire to the atmosphere in The Flames Ablaze, where the riffs and solos by Freddy and Ryuji will electrify your mind in great fashion. Revolt definitely sounds more modern than its predecessors, yet still raw and violent, with its vocal lines alternating between Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore, followed by the serene interlude Past: Timeless Reverie, bringing peace to our hearts before their new version of the song Noticed This Is the Betrayal, originally released in the 2015 album The Highest of Dystopia, sounding sharp and infuriated just the way we like it in melodeath, with Ayumu bursting her lungs by barking rabidly until the very end. Lastly, we have Hope: Timeless Reverie, a lengthy outro that despite sounding detailed and cinematic, takes away a tiny bit of the album’s punch due to its duration. It might have worked better if shorter or if it had vocals, but nothing to worry about as it’s still a good song.
After all is said and done, Timeless Reverie, which is by the way available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, showcases a band at the peak of their creativity and form, hopefully expanding their reach beyond their homeland and letting them spread their wings over other parts of the world like North America and Europe. Timeless Reverie is undoubtedly one of the precious gems of heavy music in 2025, and if you want to know more about the band and their music, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and of course purchase a copy from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. The paradox between light and darkness (and no, I’m not talking about “Olbers’ paradox” in astronomy) seems to be a constant in heavy music, but few bands are capable of translating it into first-class, captivating music like what Serenity In Murder has to offer in their new album, turning it into a must-listen for anyone, and I mean anyone, who enjoys good music anywhere in the world.
Best moments of the album:God Forsaken, And the World Awake, Never Defiled and The Flames Ablaze.
Worst moments of the album:Hope: Timeless Reverie.
Released in 2025 Apostasy Records
Track listing 1. God Forsaken 4:13
2. Matrix 3:46
3. Blue Roses Gracefully Fall 4:08
4. And the World Awake 3:34
5. Never Defiled 4:40
6. A Dance of Sorrow 3:48
7. The Flames Ablaze 3:06
8. Revolt 3:18
9. Past: Timeless Reverie 1:25
10. Noticed This Is the Betrayal 3:28
11. Hope: Timeless Reverie 6:04
Band members Ayumu – vocals
Freddy – guitars, clean vocals
Ryuji – guitars
Yu-ri – bass
Allen – drums
These Norwegian Avantgarde Metal veterans are ready to take us on a musical journey down the river that crosses their beautiful homeland in their seventh studio album.
Formed in late 1991 by members of the original lineup of Green Carnation, whom they are a continuation of, Kristiansand, Agder, Norway’s own Avantgarde/Progressive Black/Gothic Metal act In The Woods…, one of the first bands to use the name “Pagan Metal” as a description for their style, is ready to stun us all once again with their seventh studio album, titled Otra, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2022 opus Diversum. Recorded at In The Woods Homestudio (vocals, guitars, bass), and by John Ronny Bøe at Krutt Studio (drums), mixed and mastered by Frédéric Gervais at Studio Henosis, and with a stylish artwork and layout by Seiya Ogino of Ogino Design, the new album by Bernt Fjellestad on vocals, Kåre André Sletteberg on the guitars and keyboards, Bernt Horne Sørensen also on the guitars, Nils Olav Drivdal on bass, and Anders Kobro on drums is a must-listen for fans of Ulver, Shores of Null, Saturnus, and Dødheimsgard, among others, with all songs revolving around stories connected to the eponymous river that winds for 245 kilometers through the South of Norway and spills into the Skagerrak, the strait that separates the country from Denmark and Sweden, at the band’s home in Kristiansand.
Melancholy and doom flow from the vocals by Bernt Fjellestad in The Things You Shouldn’t Know before the whole band begins their darkened attack led by the pounding drums by Anders. In addition, Kåre also sounds sharp on keyboards, resulting in over eight minutes of majestic avantgarde music. The classic Scandinavian riffs by Kåre and Bernt Horne Sørensen will inspire you to bang your head nonstop in A Misrepresentation of I, again boosted by the deep vociferations by Bernt Fjellestad; whereas the next song, titled The Crimson Crown, also brings forward a pensive, grim start that evolves into a melodic and progressive fusion of Doom and Gothic Metal, with Nils making our heads tremble with his metallic bass lines. The album continues on a serene yet Stygian mode in The Kiss and the Lie, where Nils and Anders once again generate a dense atmosphere perfect for Bernt Fjellestad’s deep clean vocals, followed by Let Me Sing, another solid fusion of Avantgarde and Doom Metal, sounding heavy on bass thanks to the energy Nils puts into his playing. Come Ye Sinners is by far the heaviest and therefore the most exciting of all songs, with their riffs and beats transpiring doom while also living up to the legacy of Avantgarde and Progressive Death Metal; and lastly, it’s sheer melancholy in The Wandering Deity, with Anders dictating the song’s pace supported by the whimsical riffage by Kåre and Bernt Horne Sørensen, ending the album on a climatic and dark vibe.
Demonstrating the strength and artistic maturity of the Norwegians’ third incarnation, Otra is indeed an enticing and highly pleasurable album to listen to, respecting the band’s past while at the same time also breaking new ground. Hence, if you want to be part of this new musical journey by In The Woods… down the river that crosses their beautiful homeland, you can follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice to know details about the band, stream their classic creations on Spotify, and of course purchase Otra from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In The Woods… are always evolving, always expanding their horizons, and Otra is the ultimate depiction of their creativity, leaving us eager for more from those Norwegian trailblazers in the coming years without a shadow of a doubt.
Best moments of the album:The Things You Shouldn’t Know, A Misrepresentation of I and Come Ye Sinners.
Worst moments of the album:Let Me Sing.
Released in 2025 Prophecy Productions
Track listing 1. The Things You Shouldn’t Know 8:32
2. A Misrepresentation of I 6:11
3. The Crimson Crown 6:21
4. The Kiss and the Lie 5:31
5. Let Me Sing 7:01
6. Come Ye Sinners 7:16
7. The Wandering Deity 5:57
Band members Bernt Fjellestad – vocals
Kåre André Sletteberg – guitars, keyboards
Bernt Horne Sørensen – guitars
Nils Olav Drivdal – bass
Anders Kobro – drums
Miten teillä menee, rakkaat metallipäät? If you have no idea what this means, maybe we could ask our metal lady of the month of April here on The Headbanging Moose to help us with the translation, as not only it’s in her mother tongue, but she also uses this language in one hundred percent of her lyrics. Not only that, she’s more than just a singer, being responsible for all instruments in her one-woman Black Metal project. Owner of a mesmerizing voice, she will stun us all with her undisputed fusion of Pagan Black Metal with Nordic and Scandinavian melodies, offering us all beautiful lyrics in the form of poems about life, death and nature in her native language. Her name is Julia Mattila, usually referred to as her alter-ego Vermilia, a very creative woman and a free soul from the land of ice and snow who has a vision and a deep passion for music inside her head, always ready to let everything out in the form of her unique sounds.
Born and raised in Hämeenlinna, a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme, located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi, Vermilia has been crafting music basically since she was born, having done everything from classical music to folk singing to metal and everything between that. She grew up in a very musical family, which means making music has always been very natural to her. Moreover, she is also an audio engineer, always listening to different genres to find new ideas for her own sound and production, therefore keeping her music as fresh and unique as possible with each album released.
Her one-woman project Vermilia was founded back in 2017, blending Pagan Black Metal with Scandinavian and Nordic melodies, clean, harsh and melancholic vocal harmonies, and lyrics in the form of poems about life, death and nature, always singing in her mother tongue Finnish, and always responsible for not only all vocal duties (including some amazing harsh growls), but also for all instruments (including even shaman drums), graphics and videos, recording, producing, mixing and mastering of all of her albums, plus all the artworks and photography. Shortly after forming Vermilia, she released her debut album Kätkyt (which means “cradle” in English), in 2018, which ended up being one of the most best selling metal albums on BandCamp during the weekend of its pre-release announcement, receiving a huge amount of praise from a variety of critics, magazines and webzines, and of course from fans from all over the world.
Right after the enormous success of Kätkyt, she released on March 1, 2019 her cover version for a Finnish classic song called Täällä Pohjantähden Alla, originally released by Petri Laaksonen in 1994 (and you can check the original version HERE). Vermilia’s atmospheric version became a huge success on Spotify, jumping straight to number #1 of the most viral songs in Finland on the official Spotify charts. After such a wild feedback from music lovers from all four corners of the earth, it was more than natural for Vermilia to keep her momentum going with the 2020 four-track EP Keskeneräisiä Tarinoita, which translates as “unfinished stories”, also getting tons of positive feedback from all types of metal and non-metal fans.
Then after reaching almost two million streams on Spotify, it was time for Vermilia to unleash upon humanity her highly anticipated sophomore opus, entitled Ruska, or “autumn foliage”, the process of leaves turning to various shades of yellow, orange, red and brown as the trees get ready for winter. The evolution in her music was beyond clear in Ruska, with her always evolving blend of Atmospheric, Pagan and Black Metal getting more personal, tighter and more compelling, culminating now in 2025 with the release of her strongest album to date, the breathtaking Karsikko, an expression that represents a set of markings made on a tree somewhere between a deceased person’s home and the burial site in the Finnic religion, which was believed to prevent the individual’s spirit from coming back. Her visuals are also a crucial part of her music, and you can savor that in all of her official videos on YouTube, including Veresi, Kansojen Kaipuu, Marras, Tuonen Joki, Hautavajo, Ruska, Hauras, Kuollut, Kaunis, and Äiti Maa. All of them are definitely worth a watch, and all of her albums are certainly worth purchasing from BandCamp, and you can also click HERE for all things Vermilia, including her mesmerizing live performances.
Apart from Vermilia, you can find our she-wolf (under her name Julia Mattila) as part of the bands Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä and Seele, and as the vocalist for a now defunct project named The Passion of Our Souls. As a matter of fact, Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä and The Passion of Our Souls are basically the same band, with the main difference being the type of music they play. In Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä, it looks like Julia and Samuli play (or used to play, who knows) cover songs in a sort of folk style, while in The Passion of Our Souls the style was a fusion of Melodic Death Metal with Metalcore with nuances of symphonic and gothic music, having released back in 2015 their first and only record, the EP Soulmates, as you can see in the song Give Me Your Soul.
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Her other band, named Seele, is an Alternative Rock/Electronic Pop band from Finland with whom Vermilia released the album Jos Vain Kaiken Jättäisin (which means “If Only I Left Everything” in English), in 2016, but that was it. Furthermore, you can also find her doing backing vocals on the song Peikonmieli, from the 2017 album Saatto, and vocals on the song Ikarus, from the 2019 album Valo, both released by the now defunct Finnish Melodic Black/Gothic Metal band Mustan Kuun Lapset, another band from Finland that always used their mother tongue to keep their connection to their roots intact and always present in their music.
In regards to Vermilia’s idols and influences, she always mentions in her interviews that her biggest inspirations are nature, sadness, darkness, autumn rain and mythology. “Everything I compose or write happens without bigger plans. I just let the creativity fly and move forward with the feelings I have in that moment,” she commented, complementing by saying that musically speaking she’s influenced by Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal, as well as by folk music, which in her opinion represents freedom of art and freedom of mind. Furthermore, although her music is sometimes compared to Myrkur, Ulver and Moonsorrow, all bands she respects and admires, she mentioned she still thinks that their music is different from Vermilia, saying that any similarities might come from her subconscious or something like that.
As mentioned before, Vermilia is a skilled singer who can do both clean and harsh vocals, and she commented already in an interview how much her vocals have evolved with time. “I have studied different vocal techniques, which has helped me find all my voices. I love using my voice in many ways, and it’s my favourite instrument.” On a side note, when playing live of course she ends up needing support from other musicians to be able to bring her creations to life. “I do every single vocal by myself. There is no other vocalists on the album. But for example in the live shows I can’t do all at the same time, so there needs to be some compromises, like someone to double the growls in some parts of the songs when I do the clean vocals.” Furthermore, she also has a very good explanation for singing pretty much all the time in Finnish. “The Finnish language is very rich and there are so many metaphors in my lyrics that it’s kind of hard to translate these songs. I have done some lyrics in English in the past before Vermilia, but I am a so much better writer in Finnish so at this point I will keep doing this in Finnish because it fits perfectly to this, but you know, never say never.”
Vermilia also has a strong opinion about all the discrimination and disrespect towards women, both in the music industry and in everyday life. “I think we are going in a better direction, but we are still very far away from a solution for this.” In addition, she also thinks the new wave of women in Black Metal and other styles of extreme music is awesome, showing a lot of respect for bands like Myrkur and Sylvaine. “I think it is awesome that women are rising and doing their own music in their own way.” And of course, as she was born in Finland, a country considered by many as the epicenter of the best heavy music on the planet, she had some nice words to say about her homeland. “I love Finnish music in many genres, not just metal. I guess it’s so cold and dark here that we have to be creative and keep our brains warm by doing metal. For me Finland is a calming place where my mind is clear and my soul is resting. We have so many forests and lakes that you really don’t have to see other people if you don’t want to. Peace of nature is inspirational. I love to write and compose here.”
There are also countless interviews and videos online with Vermilia, like this nice one for a podcast from Latvia named Metālkāsts LV, where she talks about why she decided to fly solo in her career, her songwriting ritual, the importance of writing and singing in her native Finnish language, her favorite season of the year, and more, showing she’s not just a very talented musician, but also a very down to earth woman who will keep working hard and releasing new albums for our total delight, always following her passion for music, always inspired by nature, and always remaining true to her Finnish roots. And do you know her motto? Well, that’s a very simple yet powerful one that all of us should carry inside our hearts. “Be thankful for what you have right now, and don’t take anything for granted.”
“I love Finnish music in many genres, not just metal. I guess it’s so cold and dark here that we have to be creative and keep our brains warm by doing metal. For me Finland is a calming place where my mind is clear and my soul is resting. We have so many forests and lakes that you really don’t have to see other people if you don’t want to. Peace of nature is inspirational. I love to write and compose here.” – Vermilia
A newborn Symphonic Black Metal beast will tell the story of Zarathustra’s corruption and insanity in its debut opus, utilizing symphonic elements combined with oriental and traditional classical instruments.
A Symphonic Black Metal project founded by Egyptian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mohamed Baligh “Aswad”, who’s currently located in the United States, utilizing symphonic elements combined with oriental instruments like the naey and traditional classical instruments such as the violin and cello, Belnejoum is unleashing upon humanity its debut album, entitled Dark Tales of Zarathustra. Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordstrom at Studio Fredman, and featuring an array of more-than-special musicians the likes of Fabio Bartoletti (Fleshgod Apocalypse) and Ehab Sami on the guitars, Rich Gray (Annihilator) on bass, Francesco Ferrini (Fleshgod Apocalypse) on all orchestral arrangements, George Kollias (Nile) on drums, and Tamara Jokic on Melisma vocals, as well as guest musicians Hany El-Badry on the naey, Mohamed Medhat on the violin, tenor Christian Correra on vocals, and Jeremy Garbarg on the cello, Dark Tales of Zarathustra tells the story of Zarathustra’s corruption and insanity, his journey to the underworld on the back of a demon named Aeshma, the witnessing of the horrors of Hell, and his suicide as his final act, as he no longer sees a purpose for living.
The opening track Prophet of Desolation couldn’t have sounded more atmospheric, cryptic, doomed and multi-layered, with George sounding inhumane on drums while Aswad roars deeply in the name of Black Metal. Not only that, all background orchestrations elevate the song’s epicness to a whole new level. The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark is more like an interlude than a song per se, darkening the skies before we face Tower of Silence, where the guitars by Fabio and Ehab match perfectly with the orchestral sounds crafted by Francesco; whereas the crying violin by Mohamed will penetrate deep inside your soul in On Aeshma’s Wings, a ruthless, imposing Black Metal aria where George once again steals the show with his fulminating beats and fills.
Guest Jeremy Garbarg recorded Elegie using a rare cello made by Rugieri in Cremona, Italy in 1695, resulting in a somber tune where Tamara’s minimalist vocals sound absolutely enfolding, flowing into the Symphonic Black Metal beast In Their Darkest Aquarium, with once again their orchestrations, riffs and drums generating a massive wall of sounds tailored for lovers of the genre. Then the melancholic piano by Aswad returns in As She Drowns, warming us up for Upon the Mortal Blight, a ten-minute Black Metal creature where their Cradle of Filth and Fleshgod Apocalypse vein pulses harder than ever, all boosted by another amazing vocal performance by Aswad. The Flames, the Prophet, the Tears is another piano-infused composition by Aswad, soothing our souls and preparing us all for the outro Zarathustra’s Last Requiem, a climatic track overflowing classic sounds, sealing the fate of Zarathustra.
Totaling 52 minutes across ten tracks, Dark Tales of Zarathustra is a stunning musical voyage led by Aswad that will surely take the name of Belnejoum to new heights, and if you want to know more about such an amazing project made in the United States but with pure Egyptian blood you can find all details about it on Facebook and on Instagram, stream its amazing debut on Spotify pretty soon, and above all that, purchase the album from Antiq’s BandCamp or webstore. Zarathustra’s descent into madness couldn’t have been better depicted than through the top-of-the-line Symphonic Black Metal by Belnejoum, offering several layers and nuances that definitely make the whole story even more compelling, and may Aswad and his extreme music beast keep delivering amazing albums like Dark Tales of Zarathustra to us all in the coming years, always sounding unique while remaining loyal to the foundations of Black Metal.
Best moments of the album:Prophet of Desolation, On Aeshma’s Wings and Upon the Mortal Blight.
Worst moments of the album:The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark.
Released in 2025 Antiq
Track listing 1. Prophet of Desolation 10:14
2. The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark 2:49
3. Tower of Silence 5:03
4. On Aeshma’s Wings 5:43
5. Elegie 3:39
6. In Their Darkest Aquarium 6:17
7. As She Drowns 3:17
8. Upon the Mortal Blight 10:28
9. The Flames, the Prophet, the Tears 2:01
10. Zarathustra’s Last Requiem 2:36
Band members Mohamed Baligh “Aswad” – vocals, piano
Fabio Bartoletti – guitars
Ehab Sami – guitars
Rich Gray – bass
Francesco Ferrini – orchestral arrangements
George Kollias – drums
Tamara Jokic – Melisma vocals
Guest musicians
Hany El-Badry – naey
Mohamed Medhat – violin
Christian Correra – tenor
Jeremy Garbarg – cello
Playing a harmonious blend of Atmospheric Black and Death Metal since their inception, this Ukrainian creature returns with their incendiary third opus.
Playing a harmonious blend of Atmospheric Black and Death Metal since their inception in 2020, with lyrics predominantly dedicated to the raw mysticism of the Carpathian Mountains and events of ancient times, Chernivtsi and Lviv, Ukraine-based creature U Kronakh has just unleashed their third full-length offering, titled The Archaic Dance of Winds (or “Архаїчний Танець Вітрів” in their mother tongue), following up on their 2024 opus Night Devours Being (or “Ніч Поглинає Буття”). Mixed and mastered by Roman “Morvudd” Sapozhnikov, and once again featuring a grim artwork by Ksenia Vasylevska (aka Wintersomnia), the new album by Wormwood on vocals, Voidger on the guitars and bass, and Lycane on drums showcases more of the project’s experimentations with an array of styles, resulting in a unique blend that doesn’t follow any rules nor fit into any specific music genre, as the band believes creativity exists precisely for such freedom.
The melancholic guitar lines by Voidger kick off the nine-minute atmospheric tune titled Black Mountain, offering an overdose of Post-Black Metal sounds as part of their core Atmospheric Black and Death Metal. Then investing in a more direct Black Metal sound with Death Metal nuances we have The River Named Opir, with Wormwood’s harsh vociferations exhaling hatred and obscurity while Lycane hammers his drums with tons of energy and fury. Into Lightless, Uncharted Depths keeps the atmosphere dense and pensive while adding an extra touch of melody to their core Atmospheric Black Metal thanks to the striking riffs and solos by Voidger; and the trio sounds in total and absolute sync in Night Visions Fade, breathing fire and darkness through their sonic weapons, with the lancinating roars by Wormwood reeking of insanity. Lastly, it’s time to break our necks headbanging to the closing tune About Those Who Are Silent Now, with Voidger and Lycane building a Stygian ambience perfect for Wormwood’s devilish gnarls.
Fans of bands the likes of Ezkaton, Silvern, Harakiri For The Sky, Ellende, and Moonsorrow, among several others, will have an absolute blast listening to Archaic Dance of the Winds, another solid step forward in the dark and exciting path taken by U Kronakh in their short but extremely prolific career so far. The uncanny musicians behind U Kronakh are waiting for you armed with their atmospheric sounds on Facebook and on Instagram, and don’t forget to also stream their entire discography on Spotify (or any other streaming service), and above all that, to purchase Archaic Dance of the Winds from BandCamp, or click HERE for all things U Kronakh. Their music is just as mysterious and distinctive as their name, and I’m sure it won’t take long for the band to stun us all once again with the successor of Archaic Dance of the Winds, because if there’s one thing that the guys from U Kronakh know how to do, that’s to keep working hard and crafting high quality grim music nonstop.
Best moments of the album:The River Named Opir and Night Visions Fade.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Archivist Records
Track listing 1. Black Mountain 9:15
2. The River Named Opir 6:17
3. Into Lightless, Uncharted Depths 9:08
4. Night Visions Fade 7:31
5. About Those Who Are Silent Now 7:44
Band members Wormwood – vocals
Voidger – guitars, bass
Lycane – drums
One of the strongest bands of the current American extreme music scene is back with a demolishing new album, solidifying themselves as a force to be reckoned with.
Having captivated and crushed those they have encountered with a ferocious, relentless and intricate formula of Melodic and Blackened Death Metal all their own since their inception back in 2014, Jackson, Michigan’s own four horsemen Throne are back with their most focused effort to date, poetically titled That Who Sat Upon Him, Was Death, the follow-up to their 2021 opus Pestilent Dawn, solidifying themselves as a force to be reckoned with, emerging as true contenders in the ever growing American Death Metal scene. Recorded at Bricktop Studios, engineered and mixed by Andy Nelson, mastered by Bradley Boatright at Audiosiege, and displaying a sinister artwork by Brian Sheehan, the new album by Nathan Barnes on vocals and guitars, Tim Kenefic on the guitars, Leslie Drake on bass, and Kollin Perpignani on drums is a lesson in brutality whilst continuing their descent with a heavy blackened lean, sure to satisfy the arm-crossed Suffo-crowd, while at the same time tickling those that worship at the altar of Behemoth.
Nathan and Tim’s wicked riffs kick off the band’s infuriated metal feast in Disentombed, supported by the bestial drums by Kollin in a lesson in vicious extreme music, flowing into the just as demonic To Breathe the Unknown, with Nathan’s devilish Brutal Death Metal-like growls matching perfectly with the demented bass and drums by Leslie and Kollin. They need less than three minutes to crush us mercilessly like putrid insects in Blasphemous Perversion, followed by the also infernal tune Realm of Immolation, where all band members sound like creatures from the netherworld, in special Kollin armed with his demonic blast beats.
Once again venturing through the realms of Brutal Death Metal, it’s time for a no shenanigans, ruthless display of aggression and fury by the quartet entitled Human Frailty, led by the inhumane screeches and roars by Nathan; and the same level of insanity is blasted in the utterly demented, bludgeoning composition titled Upon Deathless Winds, with the caustic riffs by Nathan and Tim walking hand in hand with Kollin’s stone crushing drums. The band still has a lot of fuel to burn, as we can clearly notice in Behold Impurity, offering a boisterous fusion of Black and Death Metal overflowing rage and despair, whereas lastly let’s get pounded into dust by Throne to the sound of Where Angels Cower in Fear, with Nathan’s scorching roars and the thunderous beats by Kollin putting a beyond violent ending to the entire album.
After all is said and done, you’ll find yourself suffocated by the blackened sounds crafted by Throne in their newborn spawn, pointing to a bight future ahead of those American metallers without a shadow of a doubt. Hence, if you want to know more about the band, their music, tour dates and so on, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their sick creations on Spotify or any other streaming service, and to purchase a copy of their sulfurous new album from BandCamp or from the Redefining Darkness Records’ webstore in the US or in the EU and UK. Because in the end, that who sat upon him was Death, to the sound of the new opus by one of the most promising bands of the current extreme music scene worldwide.
Best moments of the album:Realm of Immolation, Upon Deathless Winds and Where Angels Cower in Fear.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Redefining Darkness Records
Track listing 1. Disentombed 4:02
2. To Breathe the Unknown 3:37
3. Blasphemous Perversion 2:54
4. Realm of Immolation 3:43
5. Human Frailty 3:19
6. Upon Deathless Winds 4:22
7. Behold Impurity 4:34
8. Where Angels Cower in Fear 3:38
Band members Nathan Barnes – vocals, rhythm guitars
Tim Kenefic – lead guitars
Leslie Drake – bass
Kollin Perpignani – drums
After dropping its well-received debut album A Waning Light back in 2020, Viken, Norway-based entity Felgrave has crafted an ingenious album melding influences of Avantgarde Black, Death and Doom Metal in a way rarely done before, entitled Otherlike Darknesses, breaking the mould and offering three lengthy tracks that flow in an intuitive, undulating, almost whimsical manner, touching upon several styles and effortlessly shape shifting through them all. Mixed by the project’s mastermind, vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist M. L. Jupe, mastered by Brendan Sloan, featuring session drummer Robin Stone (Evilyn, Norse), and displaying another beautiful artwork by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, Otherlike Darknesses is a multi-faceted opus and yet has a fairly cohesive sound with exceptional song writing, always engaging while also being unpredictable.
“I’m super glad to have found a label so excited to release Otherlike Darknesses, an album of experimental, avantgarde extreme metal with many diverse influences, namely 20th century classical music, 70s symphonic prog rock, and the weirder side of 90s black and death metal. The music herein is a meticulously crafted dark yet colourful tapestry that goes far beyond anything I’ve done before, and will reward diligent and attentive enjoyers of unique extreme metal for countless repeats,” commented M. L. Jupe about his newborn spawn and his partnership with the always amazing Transcending Obscurity Records, and you can put your damned hands on such a unique album of extreme music by purchasing it from the label’s Bandcamp, main store, Europe store, or US store, keeping in mind it comes as a hand-numbered eight-panel digipak with full color printing and a metallic effect throughout, in addition to gloss raised UV lamination done on parts of the artwork, a download code and transparent logo stickers. Don’t forget to also see what M. L. Jupe and his Felgrave are up to on Facebook while listening to his new album, embarking on a multi-layered, classy and embracing journey across an array of music styles, all masterfully brought into being by a Norwegian lone wolf that definitely knowns how to turn music into a work of art.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 