Tag Archives: black metal

Metal Chick of the Month – Luciana Catananti

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Demons from the war now lives… Rain down explosions upon us… Terror in the air!

As we’re heading to the end of another hot and humid summer, let’s keep the temperatures as warm as possible with our metal lady of this month of September, and you better be prepared as she will breathe fire into your damned soul with her scorching guttural. She’s the unrelenting frontwoman for an amazing Italian Technical Death Metal band named Mechanical God Creation, and since mid-2024 she has also become a vocalist for a ruthless Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow. As you can see, she takes no prisoners in her quest for extreme music, and I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast listening to the amazing music crafted by her bands. Her name is Luciana Catananti, a talented she-wolf that will kick your ass mercilessly, keeping the fires of Death and Black Metal burning brighter than a thousand suns in her beautiful homeland.

Born on May 2, 1985 in Bergamo, an Italian city northeast of Milan, in the Lombardy region, Luciana was part of a band named Art of Mutilation when she lived in the UK, and also a member of a band called The Anger back then, but there isn’t much information about The Anger anywhere. Well, at least we know that Art of Mutilation was a Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band based in Birkenhead, England in its early days, then moving to Wrexham, Wales, and the band lasted between 2002 and 2011 before splitting up. Luciana was only part of the band in the year of 2005, having recorded with them the demo Mortality that same year. The demo had only three songs, those being Eviscerated, Blackened Sculpture, and Cabal, and as you can see by the only two songs available on YouTube, Luciana and the boys were a really promising band (which unfortunately is no more), and her vocals were already ruthless.

It was then in 2006 in the charming Italian city of Milan when Luciana founded Mechanical God Creation alongside guitarist Simo, and quickly adding bassist Andrea “Veon” Marini, guitarist Andrea “Runza” Galdi, and drummer Mattia Jay “Jambra” Giambini to their lineup; however, as all four already left the band after a few years, she remains as the only member of the original lineup. Their music also morphed from Melodic Death Metal the likes of Arch Enemy in their early days, hence the name of the band (taken from their 2005 masterpiece Doomsday Machine), to a more visceral, brutal and infernal form of Technical Death Metal, even adding hints of modern-day Death Metal and Progressive Death Metal to their core sound, as you can se in the evolution of their music from their 2007 demo …and the Battle Becomes War, to their 2010 debut Cell XIII, followed by their 2013 sophomore Artifact of Annihilation, and finally their 2019 album The New Chapter, all available for streaming in most streaming services like BandCamp, YouTube and Spotify, except for their demo, and you can also enjoy a lot of official videos like Terror In The Air and I Am The Godless Man, and lots of cool live footage including Walking Dead live in Russia in 2014, on their official YouTube channel.

Although Mechanical God Creation haven’t released any new material since 2019, we can also enjoy our dauntless growler as the new frontwoman for an Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow since July 2024, under the moniker Vexa (maybe taken from a half-troll from Dungeons & Dragons, who knows). Playing what they like to label as “Alpine Black Metal”, the band currently formed of our beloved Luciana, or if you prefer, Vexa on vocals alongside Vastis also on vocals, Astaroth and Tohrus on the guitars, Zedar on bass, and Wraith on drums has been making a name for themselves since 1997, having already released the demo Hell on Earth (2000), the EP Wounded Skies (2004), and the full-length albums Disposition to Tyranny (2012), Face the Giant (2019), and more recently Path to Ascension (2024), all available on BandCamp and on Spotify. Furthermore, although Luciana has only been playing live with the band for now, with no participation in any of the band’s albums, not only you should still listen to all of their discography as their music is awesome, but it will also give you a very good taste of what Luciana has to offer when hitting the stages together with her new horde (and stay tuned as their 2026 European dates are coming soon).

Apart from Mechanical God Creation, Stormcrow, The Anger, and Art of Mutilation, you can also find Luciana as a guest vocalist for the song Urban Massacre, from the 2019 album 1996, by an Italian Death Metal/Grindcore band named Abbinormal. It’s a one-minute song, which might be very short for us metalheads eager for more of Luciana’s vocals, but enough already to show how violent she can sound. She has also recently contributed with her powerful vocals to a track titled Portals, on the new album by legendary Dutch Death Metal band Pestilence that should see the light of day sometime still in 2025 (or maybe only in 2026). In addition, you can also find on YouTube a cover version for Lamb of God’s Walk With Me In Hell by Luciana alongside Italian guitarist and bassist Francesca Mancini, of bands like Chaos Rising, Necrosy, and Sudden Death, and let me tell you that such an incredible female duo kicked some serious ass with their rendition of one of the best songs by Randy Blythe and his crew.

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Highly influenced by bands the likes of Morbid Angel, Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse and Deicide, just to name a few, Luciana enjoys writing caustic, harsh lyrics that reflect the daily reality and the problems we all face in the time we’re living that is so full of very important and sudden changes from the cultural, political and technological point of view. Moreover, apart from heavy music, Luciana also enjoys listening to bands and artists like David Bowie, Adele, Coldplay, and Amy Winehouse, showing her eclectic music taste, and when asked which was her first ever live concert and the very first album she bought, she mentioned the always controversial Marilyn Manson (saying it was a great show and that he is a good frontman, but also pointing out she doesn’t listen to him anymore), and probably a Metallica album as far as she remembers.

Having already played at some of the biggest festivals in Europe with heavy music giants including Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Megadeth, Graveworm, Meshuggah, and Amon Amarth,  just to name a few, Luciana also mentioned in one of her interviews that she really enjoys a festival in Slovenia named Metalcamp, saying that although it’s not as big as Wacken Open Air, it’s a very nice festival in the midst of nature. I really wish both Mechanical God Creation and Stormcrow would cross the pond and come play a few shows in Canada and in the United States, but I understand it’s not easy nowadays to tour the world due to the high touring costs. Well, maybe I can catch them at an European festival next year, right?

Despite being a proud Italian, while at the same time of course having her own constructive feedback about the current political and social landscapes in her homeland, Luciana is not very involved with the Italian underground scene. She mentioned in one of her interviews that she obviously knows bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse are proudly carrying the Italian flag everywhere they go, and she feels very happy for them despite not being a true fan of their music.

Currently working in the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) department of WormHoleDeath and Epictronic, Luciana mentioned in an interview that one of her biggest mistakes in music was having stopped to play the piano after years playing it, as it certainly helped her to feel calm. However, if you think she enjoys movies that would also make her calm down and relax, you’ve got another thing coming as her favorite flicks are horror movies with zombies or exorcisms, with her favorite one being the classic Dawn of the Dead. Maybe one day we’ll see Luciana joining the cast of a horror movie, playing some sort of she-demon, screaming at our faces, and sending shivers down the spines of the lighthearted. Because she’s a true extreme music diva, and she will show no mercy for your soul armed with her phenomenal vocals and badass attitude.

Luciana Catananti’s Official Facebook page
Luciana Catananti’s Official Instagram
Mechanical God Creation’s Official Facebook page
Mechanical God Creation’s Official Instagram
Mechanical God Creation’s Official YouTube channel
Stormcrow’s Official Facebook page
Stormcrow’s Official Instagram
Stormcrow’s Official YouTube channel

Album Review – Tine / A Winter Horrorscape (2025)

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This unrelenting entity returns from the bowels of Appalachia with its third studio album, featuring eight crushing songs of pure Symphonic Black and Death Metal.

Forged of cold, wrought iron from the bowels of Appalachia back in 2011 by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and composer Count Murmur, combining the sinister aggression of Black Metal, the power and ferocity of Death Metal, and the sweeping passion of orchestra and symphony to create a truly unique sound, one-man Symphonic Black/Death Metal entity Tine is unleashing upon humanity its third full-length opus, titled A Winter Horrorscape, following up on its 2022 sophomore Mergae Maris Profundi. Produced, mixed and mastered by session drummer Nikola Dušmanić alongside Count Murmur at Ezoterik Studio, with guitar Tones and re-amping by Rodoljub Raičković at Vortex Studio, showcasing a chilly, despondent artwork by James Hutton, and featuring guests Samantha Bounkeua on piano, strings and choir vocals, Peter Ferguson on guitar solos on a few of the songs, and Mark DiAngelo with wind sounds on the title-track, A Winter Horrorscape features eight crushing songs of pure Symphonic Black and Death Metal, proving why the uncanny Count Murmur has already become a reference in the genre.

Guest musician Samantha Bounkeua creates an enfolding, whimsical ambience in Winter Comes, captivating our senses before Count Murmur crushes our souls with A Feather from Lucifer’s Wing, melting our faces and burning our hearts with his visceral gnarls, offering a beautiful and austere explosion of classic Black Metal for lovers of the genre; followed by A Path Through Frozen Woods, which also presents Count Murmur’s trademark roars and Stygian riffage, always supported by the crushing drums by Nikola. And featuring a guest guitar solo by Peter Ferguson, Count Murmur ignites another darkened mass with his devilish vocals entitled Ex Cathedra, bring forward eight minutes of bitterly acid Black Metal madness.

Return to the Black Forest in Winter is a beyond cinematic composition, with all background elements and choir adding an extra touch of obscurity to its vibe. It’s not the most exciting of all songs, though, but still very enjoyable; and continuing with the album’s phantasmagorical energy we have The Scathing Blizzard, this time with Count murmur vociferating rabidly nonstop while also firing scathing riffs, supported by another guest solo by Peter Ferguson. Then our lone wolf keeps blackening the atmosphere with another eight-minute aria titled Triumph at Nineveh, where both his clean and harsh vocals add even more depth to his already multi-layered music; and lastly, the title-track Winter Horrorscape, featuring Peter Ferguson on a guitar solo and Mark DiAngelo on wind sounds, will embrace you in pitch black darkness, putting a stunning and climatic ending to the album like the soundtrack to a horror movie.

As the songs began to take on a wintry and cold feel in A Winter Horrorscape, Count Murmur decided this would be the theme of the album, with the enlisting of the skills of all aforementioned session musicians broadening the breadth and scope of the music considerably. In the end, Count Murmur and his Tine were capable of crafting a piercing, frostbitten piece of extreme music that deserves to be listened to on all four corner of the earth, and you can show your support to such a talented and hardworking metaller by following Tine on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to the project’s YouTube channel, by streaming its music on any streaming platform such as Spotify, and above all that, by purchasing a copy of A Winter Horrorscape from BandCamp. The blend of Symphonic Black and Death Metal by Tine is undoubtedly a thing of beauty, with A Winter Horrorscape representing another fantastic step in the career of the unstoppable Count Murmur, a loyal servant of the darkest of arts.

Best moments of the album: A Feather from Lucifer’s Wing, Ex Cathedra and Triumph at Nineveh.

Worst moments of the album: Return to the Black Forest in Winter.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Winter Comes 2:20
2. A Feather from Lucifer’s Wing 5:11
3. A Path Through Frozen Woods 4:23
4. Ex Cathedra 8:05
5. Return to the Black Forest in Winter 3:41
6. The Scathing Blizzard 3:44
7. Triumph at Nineveh 7:58
8. Winter Horrorscape 6:42

Band members
Count Murmur – vocals, guitars, bass

Guest musicians
Nikola Dušmanić – drums (session)
Samantha Bounkeua – piano, strings, choir vocals, everything on “Winter Comes”
Peter Ferguson – guitar solos on “Ex Cathedra”, “The Scathing Blizzard” and “Winter Horrorscape”
Mark DiAngelo – wind sounds on “Winter Horrorscape”

Album Review – Imperialist / Prime (2025)

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Sounding tighter and more intricate than ever before, this American Sci-Fi Black Metal beast will take you on a journey to outer space to the sound of their breathtaking new album.

Having spent the years honing their craft while keeping their Death Metal-touched Sci-Fi Black Metal sound intact, Monrovia, California’s own beast Imperialist returns with their long awaited third studio album Prime, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 sophomore offering Zenit and their 2023 EP Quantum. Recorded by Charles Elliott at Tastemaker Audio, mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound, and displaying a stylish artwork by Eliran Kantor, the new album by vocalist and guitarist Sergio Soto, guitarist Bryant Quinones, bassist Joshua Alvarez, and drummer Rod Quinones sounds tighter and more intricate than ever before, reinforced further with Thrash Metal elements while also showcasing the darkness and menace displayed on the previous EP but also the maturity in songwriting, being highly recommended for fans of Dissection, Emperor, Valdrin, Vektor, Frozen Dawn, Abigor, and Immortal.

The album kicks off in full force with Starstorm, a demonic display of Technical Black Metal where the guitars by Sergio and Bryant sound as heavy and electrified as imaginable, followed by Beneath The Sands Of Titan, and as a poetic song name deserves a true metallic, no shenanigans sound, that’s exactly what the band delivers, with Rod crushing his drums in great fashion. Their flammable riffs, accompanied by the pure Black Metal bass by Joshua, will darken the skies in Depravity Beheld, while Sergio continues to gnarl like an evil creature; and in I A.M. the dauntless Sergio darkly gnarls the song’s devilish words (“They were naive to think / I would be the one / The prevent their world’s decay / I think therefore I am / Artificially intellegant / Disdain for flesh and blood / Now dominates my world”) amidst a furious Melodic Black Metal sonority for our total delight.

Then after such an insane metal attack we’re treated to the ethereal interlude Heavens Sunder, setting the tone for Final Hours, a ruthless and extremely vile Black Metal extravaganza where Sergio and Bryant deliver some of their most melodic riffs of the whole album, while Rod makes sure the humongous level of heaviness in the song remains intact. Union Of The Swarm sounds as strident and piercing as its predecessors thanks to the caustic riffage by the band’s guitar duo once again, while Rod’s drums sound at the same time rhythmic and apocalyptic, whereas the same Rod speeds things up in the sulfurous Nocturnal Eon, a lesson in contemporary Black Metal where Sergio’s vocals live up to the glory of such an important music genre created in Norway in the 90’s. Last but definitely not least, let’s enjoy seven minutes of first-class Melodic Black Metal in A Ghost Abandoned, led by the rhythmic drums by Rod and the always venomous growls by Sergio.

The music found in Prime oozes passion and dedication at every level, and every listen will prove to be a testament to that. This could very well be the best Imperialist album to date and given their faultless discography to date, that is saying something. You can experience all that by purchasing the album from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, or click HERE for all things Imperialist. In other words, as their sci-fi obsession has been taken to the next level in Prime, Imperialist are inciting us all to a wild and thrilling metal journey to outer space to the sound of their breathtaking new album, a one-way trip that will surely crush your minds and thoughts in the name of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Beneath The Sands Of Titan, Final Hours and Nocturnal Eon.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Starstorm 5:09
2. Beneath The Sands Of Titan 5:47
3. Depravity Beheld 5:14
4. I A.M. 4:30
5. Heavens Sunder 1:56
6. Final Hours 4:46
7. Union Of The Swarm 5:27
8. Nocturnal Eon 4:39
9. A Ghost Abandoned 7:22

Band members
Sergio Soto – vocals, guitar
Bryant Quinones – guitar
Joshua Alvarez – bass
Rod Quinones – drums

Album Review – +MROME+ / Boneyard Twist (2025)

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Poland’s own uncanny force is back with its fourth studio opus, offering nine raw tracks that represent a return to the project’s dark roots from the mid 90’s.

Reaping the harvest on scorched soil since their inception in the already prehistorical year of 1995, Andrychów, Poland’s own Black/Death Metal entity +MROME+ is back three years after Barbaric Values with their fourth installment, entitled Boneyard Twist. Recorded live in studio during a one-day session on November 18, 2023 at Heaven’s Sound Studio under the ear of Marcin Piekło, who also worked out the final sound of the album, with vocals recorded in February 2024 at Piekłoniebo, and adorned by a painting by Mateusz Gawęda, the new album by Ataman Tolovy on vocals and synths, Key V on the guitars, and P on drums contains nine raw tracks that represent a return to their dark roots from the mid 90’s, inspired by the First Wave Black Metal and complemented by hard-shell lyrics dealing with grave residents, history, disabilities of body and mind, necromancy, and even monks exploding.

The party begins in full force with Figures, with their experimental, idiosyncratic blend of Black and Death Metal being boosted by the venomous roars by Ataman Tolovy. Key V then delivers his trademark scathing riffs in Hypercarnivore, accompanied by the Doom Metal-infused drums by P, and of course the final result is a haunting beast of extreme music; and the harsh vociferations by Ataman Tolovy will send shivers down your spines in Mind upon Matter, another blast of primeval Black and Death Metal by the trio. Aristocrat, the first single of the album, also presents the heavy-as-hell riffage by Key V while P dictates the song’s Stygian pace behind his drums, followed by Pigheart, a hammering tune by such an uncanny trio, with Ataman Tolovy’s vocals sounding even more enraged and sinister.

Then rumbling, metallic sounds are the main ingredients in Of Man and Lamb, offering an avalanche of raw, cryptic Black and Death Metal where Ataman Tolovy roars and screams manically nonstop, flowing into the disruptive (yet a bit lengthy) interlude Bonemass, which sets the tone for the beautifully titled Embarrassment of Whores, leaning towards a fusion of Death and Doom Metal, with the sluggish beats by P matching perfectly with the vile guitar lines by Key V, resulting in a lecture in extreme music by those Polish metallers. And lastly, we’re treated to the also venomous The Opening Bat, which starts in a horror movie-like mode before morphing into a rockin’ feast spearheaded by Key V’s slashing riffage.

+MROME+ continue to entirely be a studio project focused on creative process and concepts behind the music, lyrics and graphics in Boneyard Twist (which is by the way available in full on YouTube), staying away from any type of social media except for their presence on BandCamp and on Spotify (although their new album is not available there yet), and that Stygian approach matches perfectly with the music found in their newborn spawn. Boneyard Twist is raw and unique, devilish and caustic, and while those mysterious musicians from Poland keep breathing, we can rest assured the world will have to face more scathing albums like that in the coming years, and that’s simply awesome.

Best moments of the album: Hypercarnivore, Pigheart and Embarrassment of Whores.

Worst moments of the album: Bonemass.

Released in 2025 NRA

Track listing
1. Figures 4:39
2. Hypercarnivore 4:04
3. Mind upon Matter 2:49
4. Aristocrat 3:39
5. Pigheart 3:57
6. Of Man and Lamb 3:22
7. Bonemass 2:39
8. Embarrassment of Whores 5:24
9. The Opening Bat 4:43

Band members
Ataman Tolovy – vocals, synthesizer
Key V – guitar
P – drums

Album Review – KHNVM / Cosmocrator (2025)

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These unrelenting Blackened Death Metal brainiacs return with their fourth studio album, entering a downward spiral into the abyss of the human experience.

Exploring the crossroads of psychology, philosophy, and spirituality while entering a downward spiral into the abyss of the human experience, Germany/Bangladesh’s own Blackened Death Metal brainiacs KHNVM (pronounced as ‘Khaa-nooom’) are unleashing upon us their fourth studio album, titled Cosmocrator. Recorded by the band’s mastermind, vocalist, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist Obliterator at Obliterator Studio (vocals, guitar, bass) and by drummer M. at Studio Usama Siddiqui (drums), with guitars and bass re-amping, mixing and mastering by Ekaitz Garmendia at BlackStorm Studio, and displaying a Stygian artwork by Khaos Diktator Design (with layout by Ulf Binder), the follow-up to their 2023 album Visions of a Plague Ridden Sky draws powerful inspiration from Christopher Hitchens’ scathing account God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything and Carl Jung’s Mysterium Coniunctionis to explore themes surrounding the tension between rationality and mysticism, while challenging conventional beliefs.

The howling winds of Black Metal kick off the Stygian tune Purgatorial Pyre, with Obliterator delivering his trademark evil vociferations while also building a darkened wall of sounds with his riffs, bass and synths. Fetid Eden is another onrush of blackened sounds by Obliterator supported by the Death and Doom Metal beats by M., perfect for some sick headbanging while he growls like a demonic entity; whereas investing in a more direct Death Metal sonority we have Mercurial Remnants, with Obliterator roaring like a beast while also firing some scorching riffs, followed by the haunting interlude Fathomless Enigma, transporting us to a dark and evil world ruled by Obliterator entitled Cosmocrator, a very experimental and progressive slab of Death Metal showcasing the project’s classic guitar lines and devilish vocals. Then featuring Ekaitz Garmendia (of Sijjin) on a guest guitar solo, Venom Spawn ventures through even more progressive lands, bringing nuances of sounds from Obliterator’s homeland while also melting our faces with his undisputed Death Metal violence, and last but definitely not least, the duo delivers their most Stygian fusion of Death and Doom Metal in Haunting Blight, and the final result is simply phantasmagorical.

With the album title carrying a dual significance, symbolizing the “Ruler of the World” and also standing for “Satan” within religious vocabulary, this reflects its exploration of common phenomena, expressed through an adrenaline-fueled artistic lens. Obliterator and his KHNVM are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their music, news and tour dates (and yes, they do play live, with Chasmist on bass and J. on drums), and you can also stream their music on Spotify, and purchase a copy of Cosmocrator from BandCamp or by clicking HERE, or you can also click HERE for all things KHNVM. With the thought-provoking lyrics and harsh yet to the point musicality of Cosmocrator, KHNVM promise not to just deliver on musical terms, but also to captivate those who are drawn to complex narratives and philosophical depth, all of course embraced by high quality, harsh and obscure heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Fetid Eden, Venom Spawn and Haunting Blight.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Testimony Records

Track listing
1. Purgatorial Pyre 6:23
2. Fetid Eden 7:20
3. Mercurial Remnants 4:03
4. Fathomless Enigma 1:29
5. Cosmocrator 4:07
6. Venom Spawn 7:38
7. Haunting Blight 5:41

Band members
Obliterator – vocals, guitars, bass, synths
M. – drums

Guest musicians
Ekaitz Garmendia – guitar solo on “Venom Spawn”
Chasmist – bass (live)
J. – drums (live)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

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

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

Album Review – Panzerchrist / Maleficium – Part 2 (2025)

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This ruthless Danish beast is completing their ambitious double concept album, centering around the theme of witchcraft with a blistering new chapter of Blackened Death Metal brutality.

Rooted in the legacy of the 90’s Scandinavian Death Metal underground, Aarhus, Denmark-based Blackened Death Metal beast Panzerchrist is completing their ambitious double concept album Maleficium with Maleficium – Part 2, the follow-up to their 2024 demolishing opus Maleficium – Part 1 and a blistering new chapter of Blackened Death Metal brutality. Produced, mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studios, the newborn spawn by Sonja Rosenlund Ahl on vocals, Frederik O’Carroll and Danny Bo Pedersen on the guitars, Rune V Wasmer on bass, and Ove Lungskov on drums sees the band expand their sonic palette with explosive tempos, melodic synth textures and apocalyptic doom passages, forging a sound that is both savage and cinematic, while its lyrical concept once again centers around the theme of witchcraft, this time diving deeper into narratives of persecution, grief, moral corruption, and their reflection in today’s world.

The second part of their phenomenal concept double album about witch hunts and trials begins in full force with Witchfinder General, with its haunting intro exploding into modern-day, caustic Blackened Death Metal led by the piercing roars by Sonja, whereas in Harmbidder the band continues to kick us hard in the head to the brutal beats and fills by Ove, while Frederik and Danny deliver pure Death Metal from their axes. Needless to say, it should sound fantastic if played live. Sonja sounds even more infuriated in Catalyst Of Chaos, delivering her trademark she-devil roars supported by the thunderous, vicious music blasted by her bandmates, followed by Hex Maleficium Pex, another song that goes absolutely heavy on the blast beats by Ove while Rune fires metallic, ruthless bass lines for our total delight, sounding perfect for breaking our necks headbanging. Or in other words, as Sonja herself says in the song, “the only good witch is a dead witch.”

Then the most cryptic and vile intro of all songs warns us all for the feast of darkness and brutality that’s about to come in Suffer My Fury, the most demented composition of the entire album, with Ove once again demolishing his drums in the name of violence and hatred. The quintet has simply mastered the art of crafting a sinister, visceral hybrid of Black and Death Metal, which is exactly the case in the menacing On Walpurgis Night, again led by the scorching riffs by the band’s unrelenting guitar duo. It’s time to dance with the witches, no doubt about it. The second to last burst of aggression by Panzerchirst is offered in the form of Black Mirror, with the deep gnarls by Sonja walking hand in hand with the demonic riffage by Frederik and Danny; and last but certainly not least, let’s join the band’s demonic coven one last time to the sound of The Descent, putting a climatic and melodic ending to such a magnificent album.

Delivering one of the most extreme and refined statements of their career, a release that marks a new high point for one of Denmark’s most enduring names in Death Metal, Panzerchrist are at the peak of their form with Maleficium – Part 2 (available in full on YouTube and on Spotify). “The songs on Maleficium reach a new level of depth and rawness, which has given me the opportunity to experiment with both lyrics, wordflow and vocal techniques. I am honestly so proud of the result,” commented the ultra talented growler Sonja. “Maleficium – Part 2 completes the work that was started with part one. Together, perhaps the best collection of songs from the band,” complemented Frederik, and if you want to know more about one of the most unrelenting names in the history of Danish metal you can find the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase the phenomenal Maleficium – Part 2 from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. The time of the witches is upon us, and Panzerchrist are among us to make sure it’s going to be a savage and furious era to the sound of their incendiary new album.

Best moments of the album: Witchfinder General, Harmbidder, Suffer My Fury and On Walpurgis Night.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Emanzipation Productions

Track listing
1. Witchfinder General 4:53
2. Harmbidder 4:10
3. Catalyst Of Chaos 4:03
4. Hex Maleficium Pex 7:19
5. Suffer My Fury 4:01
6. On Walpurgis Night 6:01
7. Black Mirror 3:45
8. The Descent 6:58

Band members
Sonja Rosenlund Ahl – vocals
Frederik O’Carroll – guitars
Danny Bo Pedersen – guitars
Rune V Wasmer – bass
Ove Lungskov – drums

Album Review – Kratornas / God of the Tribes (2025)

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This Canada-based Black Metal entity returns from the underworld with its highly anticipated fourth studio album, representing a significant shift in its approach by focusing on build-up and atmosphere.

Originally a three-piece band, but only for a short time in early 1995 when the project was still located in Cadiz, Western Visayas, in the Phillipines, the now Saskatchewan, Canada-based Black Metal creature Kratornas is set to unleash hell on earth with God of the Tribes, the fourth studio album in their career, and the follow-up to their 2016 opus Devoured by Damnation. Mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound, and displaying a striking artwork that perfectly complements the thematic elements of the record (drawing heavily from apocalyptic imagery and ritualistic concepts), the newborn spawn by the iconic Zachariah on vocals, guitars and bass, supported by GB Guzzarin on drums, is unlike any of the previous Kratornas releases known for their superfast brutality, representing a significant shift in their approach by focusing on build-up and atmosphere, therefore showcasing a significant evolution in their sound.

Zachariah’s devilish, Stygian feast begins in a beyond haunting manner in Cursed Sky Serpent, a 15-minute behemoth from the netherworld in the form of primeval Black Metal, sounding very experimental and dissonant until the very end while always supported by the wicked beats and fills by GB Guzzarin. Then after such a multi-layered aria, Zachariah offers us all the three-minute beast titled Evil and Plunder, where his guitar lines and bass sounding utterly demonic while also exploring new sounds and nuances. Ravaged by Hurakaan blends elements from Dissonant Death Metal to the project’s core sonority, with the beats and fills by GB Guzzarin enhancing the song’s insanity to a whole new level; whereas lastly we face another long and detailed song titled Novena para Guerra, and that’s when Zachariah truly thrives, blasting wicked guitar lines, metallic bass jabs and inhumane roars for our total delight.

“This album marks a turning point for Kratornas. Not because it tries to be ‘different’ but because it couldn’t have come out any other way. Every part of this release came together naturally. The sound, the pacing, the tension… it wrote itself, shaped by instinct and intention. This album is unlike the usual Kratornas so to anyone expecting it to sound like ‘early Kratornas’ will be disappointed,” commented the project’s heart and soul Zachariah, and if you have what it takes to face him and his Kratornas, you can find the project on Facebook, stream all of their sulfurous creations on Spotify, and of course grab a copy of God of the Tribes from BandCamp. But be warned that Kratornas is definitely not an easy listen for the average metalhead, it doesn’t matter if it’s the project’s more visceral old material, or if it’s the darkly atmospheric sounds found in the new album. Kratornas will forever bring forth a primeval form of Black Metal, darkening our thoughts and minds while at the same time preparing us all for our inevitable end.

Best moments of the album: Cursed Sky Serpent and Novena para Guerra.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Grathila Records

Track listing
1. Cursed Sky Serpent 15:00
2. Evil and Plunder 3:00
3. Ravaged by Hurakaan 7:00
4. Novena para Guerra 11:00

Band members
Zachariah – vocals, guitars, bass
GB Guzzarin – drums

Album Review – Visitant / Rubidium (2025)

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A newborn Blackened Death Metal beast from Florida is ready to kill to the sound of their debut offering, embodying the bleakest parts of being human.

Formed in February 2022 in Pensacola, Florida, in the United States by guitarist Taylor Tidwell (Unaligned, Withered Throne) and vocalist Chelsea Marrow (Voraath, The Monster Factory), Visitant are a Blackened Death Metal band that weaves ethereal elements into a soundscape that is as haunting as it is aggressive. Lyrically and musically, the band crafts immersive dreamscapes, ritualistic and unrelenting, that channel the essence of restless, vengeful spirits. Recorded by Taylor Tidwell and Anthony Lusk-Simone, produced and mixed by Anthony Lusk-Simone, mastered by Jason Fisher at Exitus Stratagem Records, and displaying a stylish artwork by Chelsea Marrow (with layout and logo by Maxwell Aston), Rubidium is the debut album by the aforementioned Taylor Tidwell and Chelsea Marrow alongside bassist Kilian Duarte (Abiotic, Lattermath, Felix Martin, Scale the Summit), and drummer Anthony Lusk-Simone (Abiotic, Lattermath, Pathogenic), embodying the bleakest parts of being human while dealing with the darkest emotions such as grief, loss, betrayal, vengeance, time lost, and regret.

Chelsea already showcases all her vocal depth and rage in the opening tune Unworldly, an imposing Black Metal aria where Anthony’s pounding drums and background orchestrations sound absurdly heavy, followed by Briars, offering another whimsical, atmospheric start to the band’s minimalist sounds before Taylor and Killian fire piercing, monumental sounds from their axes supported by the Black and Death Metal drumming by Anthony. Visitant then bring to our avid years another avalanche of cinematic and obscure sounds in Starless, where Chelsea’s gnarls walk hand in hand with Anthony’s drums, followed by the demolishing Rubidium, keeping the atmosphere as heavy and dense as possible. In Fodder, Chelsea keeps screaming the song’s devilish words (“A cold eclipse / An opening amidst flame / Your being, engulfed / I never thought I’d see your face beyond the light”) while her bandmates generate the most sulfurous and evil Blackened Death Metal sound imaginable. Then blasting a gripping fusion of Symphonic Black Metal with Post-Black Metal elements we have Envies Lament, with the riffage by Taylor sounding acid and vile; and last but not least, we face one final Black Metal attack by the quartet entitled Moon Bathe, with Taylor stealing the spotlight with his infernal, caustic riffage.

In a nutshell, fans of Gojira, Opeth, Naglfar, and Between the Buried and Me will certainly have a blast with the visceral experience that transcends genre boundaries offered by Visitant in Rubidium, placing the band under the radar of most metalheads across the world who enjoy a solid and professional fusion of aggressiveness, violence, harmony, obscurity and rage. You can get more details about this up-and-coming horde hailing from Florida by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, keep an eye on their official videos on their YouTube channel, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of their flammable debut by clicking HERE. Chelsea, Taylor & Co. are summoning a beast from the abyss in their first ever full-length offering, darkening the skies and haunting our souls mercilessly and, therefore, already getting us all hyped for whatever comes next in their exciting career in the upcoming years.

Best moments of the album: Unworldly, Fodder and Envies Lament.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Exitus Stratagem Records

Track listing
1. Unworldly 4:48
2. Briars 5:20
3. Starless 5:07
4. Rubidium 5:24
5. Fodder 4:37
6. Envies Lament 4:56
7. Moon Bathe 2:38

Band members
Chelsea Marrow – vocals
Taylor Tidwell – guitars
Kilian Duarte – bass
Anthony Lusk-Simone – drums, orchestration

Album Review – Old Machines / The Cycles of Extinction (2025)

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This Symphonic Black Metal entity from Portland will attack with their concept debut album, a monolithic fusion of bombastic brutality and cosmic dread.

Astral warlords and celestial leviathans, Portland, Oregon-based  Symphonic Black Metal entity Old Machines emerge from the void with their cataclysmic concept debut album, titled The Cycles of Extinction, a monolithic fusion of bombastic brutality and cosmic dread. Recorded and mixed by the band’s own guitarist Brian Rush, mastered by Stephen Hoffman at Acid Dump Studios, and displaying a futuristic, dystopian cover art by Alexander Preuss, the debut offering by Gary Reavis on vocals, Brian Rush on the guitar and bass (the band was joined by Joel Henigson on bass shortly after the album was recorded), Devon Miller also on the guitar, Jason Stares on keyboards, and Chris Craven on drums heralds a new chapter in Extreme Metal where ancient engines of annihilation awaken once more.

You know a band is always aiming at pushing their boundaries when they kick off an album with an 11-minute song like Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First, sounding utterly atmospheric and whimsical, evolving into a Progressive Death Metal beast led by Gary’s striking vocals; and their symphonic wall of sounds goes on in full force in Cycles of Extinction, with the keys by Jason elevating the song’s epicness to a whole new level. Those guys definitely know how to name their songs, like in Extinguishing the Light of the Preludian Empire (Upon the Apex of their Glory), where Brian and Devon deliver an imposing riff attack accompanied by the massive beats and fills by Chris in a complex and vibrant blend of Symphonic and Progressive Black Metal; whereas Dark Space and Beyond – The Continuing of the Evolution of the Final Cycle is a beyond ethereal, enfolding composition, almost venturing through the lands of Shoegaze.

Crescendo of Carnage – Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I) takes the band back to a more metallic and piercing mode, where Chris hammers his drums supported by the always electrifying keys by Jason, offering Gary exactly what he needs to shine on vocals. And it’s pedal to the metal in the infuriated The Sundering of the Irradiated Suns, and the Rebellion Sparked by the Gene-Plague, with the guitars by Brian and Devon penetrating deep inside our rotten minds. Then a cinematic intro explodes into sheer madness, rage and first-class Symphonic Black Metal in They are Legion – The Tragic Exodus of the Veiled Creators, where their guitar lines are absolutely insane and demented. And finally, we face their last metal attack entitled Glory to the Terrans of the First Contact War, even more symphonic than its predecessors while Chris sounds ruthless behind his drums.

In a nutshell, the tales of horror, war, and genocide found in The Cycles of Extinction, spanning eight tracks for one hour of music which can be described as Extreme Cosmic Metal, combining elements of Thrash, Death, Black, and Power Metal, will certainly appeal to fans of heavy music with a strong background storyline, and you can get to know more about Old Machines, their music, tour dates and other details on Facebook and on Instagram, and grab a copy of the album from their own BandCamp, from the Pale Magus Productions webstore, or by clicking HERE. From the darkest depths of the oceans of time and space comes a legend over two billion years old, which has spawned a multitude of harrowing galactic sagas, with The Cycles of Extinction being just the first in a series of concept albums by the band. There will be more of such epics in this fashion because, as you know, extinction is only the beginning.

Best moments of the album: Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First, Crescendo of Carnage – Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I) and The Sundering of the Irradiated Suns, and the Rebellion Sparked by the Gene-Plague.

Worst moments of the album: Dark Space and Beyond – The Continuing of the Evolution of the Final Cycle.

Released in 2025 Pale Magus Productions

Track listing
1. Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First 11:14
2. Cycles of Extinction 6:41
3. Extinguishing the Light of the Preludian Empire (Upon the Apex of their Glory) 6:18
4. Dark Space and Beyond – The Continuing of the Evolution of the Final Cycle 8:39
5. Crescendo of Carnage – Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I) 6:51
6. The Sundering of the Irradiated Suns, and the Rebellion Sparked by the Gene-Plague 7:15
7. They are Legion – The Tragic Exodus of the Veiled Creators 6:03
8. Glory to the Terrans of the First Contact War 7:25

Band members
Gary Reavis – vocals
Brian Rush – guitar, bass
Devon Miller – guitar
Jason Stares – keyboards
Chris Craven – drums