One of the most ruthless beasts of Occult Black Metal returns with their twelfth opus, emerging as both an autopsy and a resurrection, a descent into spiritual death followed by the sublimation of rebirth.
With the release of their twelfth full-length album, entitled Ashspawn, the iconic beast Enthroned marks a new chapter in their three-decade reign of ritualistic and occult Black Metal. Conceived across six years of deliberate creation, the album emerges as both an autopsy and a resurrection, a descent into spiritual death followed by the sublimation of rebirth. Recorded at Ophiussa Studio, produced by the band’s own drummer Menthor, mixed by Stefano Santi at SPVN Studio, mastered by Phil Bashford at The Hive Rooms, displaying a beyond devilish artwork by Jose Gabriel Alegria Sambogal, and written in close collaboration with Gilles de Laval (an occult author known for his works on ceremonial magic and grimoires, such as Sacerdotium Umbrae Mortis and Black Magic Evocation of the Shem ha Mephorash), the new opus by Nornagest on vocals and samplers, T. Kaos on the guitars and bass, and Menthor on drums and percussion channels arcane praxis, metaphysical calculus, and esoteric mapping into a work that is as much ritual invocation as it is music. In other words, it is the culmination of Enthroned’s uncompromising vision, a weapon of transformation forged in fire and darkness.
The gates of the underworld are wide open, and Enthroned are ready to arise from the burning fires of hell and consume our souls in Crawling Temples, with the demented vociferations by Nornagest exhaling pure Black Metal magic. Menthor continues to hammer his drums with endless fury and hatred in Basilisk Triumphant, offering an overdose of the band’s trademark fusion of violence and darkness; whereas T. Kaos fires sheer aggressiveness and sulfur from his axe in Stillborn Litany, another ruthless, old school Black Metal extravaganza that lives up to the band’s own legacy, followed by the title-track Ashspawn, a lecture in classic Black Metal with the inhumane roars by Nornagest walking hand in hand with the infernal drums by Menthor.
T. Kaos will cut our skin deep with his scathing riffage in Raviasamin, while the song’s ritualistic, occult background elements give it an even more Stygian vibe and feel in the name of absolute obscurity. Then the scathing guitar lines by T. Kaos continue to reverberate in the netherworld in Sightless, as evil and visceral as Black Metal can be; and a vile, gruesome scream by Nornagest sets the tone in the just as malignant Chysalid, flowing like a devilish entity running in the dark until its somber ending. That grim atmosphere continues in Ashen Advocacy, presenting almost eight minutes of the blackest of Black Metal by bringing forward the most bludgeoning elements from Doom Metal to spice things up considerably. And last but not least, get ready to be dragged to pitch-black darkness to the sound of Assertion, with the despair and wrath flowing from Nornagest’s roaring sending shivers down our spines.
A true giant of European Occult Black Metal alongside Marduk, Dark Funeral, Gorgoroth and 1349, among others, Enthroned offer their most ambitious and personal statement to date with Ashspawn, embodying a total unity of vision where ferocious blast beats, oppressive mid-tempos, and progressive structures collapse into one another. You can feel the fire blasted by such an infernal horde by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by streaming their caustic black masses on Spotify, and of course, by purchasing Ashspawn from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In the end, Ashspawn is the testimony of the band’s obscure alignment, a ritual weapon that rejects nostalgia and compromise. It is a resurrection of spirit through suffering, and a reaffirmation of Enthroned’s place among Black Metal’s most visionary entities.
Best moments of the album:Basilisk Triumphant, Ashspawn, Raviasamin and Ashen Advocacy.
This incandescent Black Metal entity from Belgium will burn your soul with their debut offering, exploring the depths of existential anguish and plunging into humanity’s long-lasting quest of meaning, only to find none.
Trapped between barren cobblestones and leaden sky, Belgian Black Metal entity Solfatare (a name that finds its origin in a specific volcano from the Phlegraean Fields region of Italy, believed by ancient Romans to be a mythological entrance to the underworld) emerges from the sullen maze of the Brussels region armed to the teeth with their debut full-length opus, entitled Asservis par l’espoir, or “enslaved by hope” from French. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jeremie Bezier at Black Out Studio, the new album by T.S.G.H. on vocals and guitars, N.C.P.M. on bass, and T.G.T.H. on drums explores the depths of existential anguish and plunges into humanity’s long-lasting quest of meaning, only to find none, defiantly embracing the absurd and wielding French poetry as a weapon of absolute lyricism, in an attempt to adorn our torment.
The trio arises from the underworld like demonic creatures in Des monarques anhedoniques (or “anhedonic monarchs” from French), suddenly exploding into a fulminating Black Metal onrush led by T.G.T.H.’s crushing drums; and T.S.G.H. delivers haunting, desperate vocals and grim riffs in D’Hommes et d’Isopteres (“of men and isoptera”), a detailed, multi-layered tune tailored for fans of the genre. Their Stygian sounds keep permeating the air like an evil creature lurking in the shadows in Du deuil affaire (“of mourning”), with the bass and drums by N.C.P.M. and T.G.T.H. transpiring hatred; whereas the piercing riffs by T.S.G.H. sound even more metallic in Ozymandias, offering more of the band’s unrelenting modern-day Melodic Black Metal. It’s then pedal to the metal in the ruthless Sous des Cieux absents (“under absent skies”), offering more of T.G.T.H.’s pulverizing yet intricate beats, and this talented Belgian squad ends the album with the breathtaking, suffocating Quand ton cerveau te surine le crâne (“when your brain is gnawing at your skull”), with all instruments sounding as enfolding and obscure as possible.
Drawing from the roots of traditional Black Metal while embracing a more avantgarde touch, weaving dissonance, glorious melodies, and visceral riffs into an unrelenting journey toward the heights of despair, Asservis par l’espoir invites us all to “enslave ourselves”, which you can do by simply start following the band on Facebook, and of course by purchasing a copy of the album from the Signal Rex’s BandCamp. In the end, Solfatare will submerge you in the fervent magma of chaotic, visceral Black Metal found in Asservis par l’espoir, leaving you eager to have your entire body and soul consumed again and again by their eternal fire, just the way we love it in modern-day Black Metal.
Best moments of the album:D’Hommes et d’Isopteres, Sous des Cieux absents and Quand ton cerveau te surine le crâne.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Signal Rex
Track listing 1. Des monarques anhedoniques 6:45
2. D’Hommes et d’Isopteres 7:07
3. Du deuil affaire 7:16
4. Ozymandias 5:09
5. Sous des Cieux absents 7:16
6. Quand ton cerveau te surine le crâne 8:48
Band members T.S.G.H. – vocals, guitars
N.C.P.M. – bass
T.G.T.H. – drums
Depuis les lumières… Vers les ténèbres… La République est en marche!
March might still be a very cold month, maybe not as cold as January and February, but absolutely freakin’ cold if you live in the Northern Hemisphere in places like Canada, Finland, Russia and Belgium. And why did I mention Belgium instead of other colder countries, one might ask? Well, let’s say our metal lady of the month of March might have been born in a warm country, but she currently resides in Belgium, bringing some very welcome heat to “the Battlefield of Europe” with her powerful growls and badass attitude. Her name is Lorena Moraes, the frontwoman for an amazing Belgian Technical Death Metal entity known as Triagone, and I’m sure after this short and sweet tribute to her career in heavy music you’ll develop a strong craving for more of her music.
As aforementioned, Lorena wasn’t born in Belgium, but in the sunny and warm country of Brazil, more specifically in the capital city of Brasília, located in the Brazilian highlands in the country’s Central-West region, and the seat of government of the Federal District. A former photographer at Escola do Futuro de Goiás em Artes Basileu França, located in Goiânia, the capital of Goiás state in central Brazil, Lorena studied at Faculdade Cambury in Brazil, before relocating to Brussels, Belgium’s capital and home to the European Union headquarters, expanding her photography skills by studying at Ecole de Photographie et de techniques visuelles – Ville de Bruxelles while also taking her first steps through the vast lands of Extreme Metal.
It was back in 2019 when Lorena, alongside vocalist and guitarist Lou-Indigo Caspar, guitarist Lucas Lembert, bassist Leonard Ivanciu and drummer Lorenzo Vissol formed the Technical Death Metal beast that goes by the stylish name of Triagone, with roots in Brazil, Italy, France and Belgium, and the explanation to the name chosen is indeed very interesting. According to the band itself, the word “triagone” is a hybrid word inspired by the ancient Greek word “agôn” (ἀγών), which means contest, competition, or disputation (and can refer to a physical or mental contest, or to a dramatic conflict in literature), and a direct reference to the Greek name “trigone”, which means three angles, or the triangle, in parallel with the band’s inspiration by the connection between mathematics and music, like certain demonstrations of trigonometric relations that can be found in the circle of fifths, the demonstration of the C major scale granted to Pythagoras and his demonstrations on triangles, among others. In the end, the fusion of those two Greek words gives the band’s name a third way of understanding the music played by Lorena and the boys. Furthermore, another topic mentioned by the band regarding their name is their message against the pyramid structure our society adopted, an analogy where we’re pretty much slaves building a pyramid stone by stone, trying to climb the ranks of society, with all inequality bringing a lot of disadvantage for the oppressed against the oppressor.
It was in the beginning of 2023 when Triagone released their debut effort, a six-track EP titled Sem Papyrvs, a play on words between Latin and Portuguese, as “sem” means without and “papyrvs” means paper, referring to anyone in a difficult or precarious situation, anyone without an identity, without wealth, without history, or without a diploma, with its 26 minutes of Brutal and Technical Death Metal inspired by classic metal music, baroque, and even Mesopotamian music, also featuring hints of Latin American music rhythms, and all sprinkled with a blend of male and female guttural voices in ancient Greek and Latin and modern Latin and Germanic languages. The names of the songs in Sem Papyrvs are a thing of beauty, starting with Novvs Ordo Seclorvm (“The New Order of the Ages”), followed by Abyssvs Abyssvm Invocat (“The Abyss Calls the Abyss”), Ad Mortem Sem Papyrvs (“To Death Without Paper”), Nvlla Regvla Sine Exceptione (“The New Rules Without Exception”), De Beata Vita (“The Blessed Life”), and Imperivm in Imperio (“Empire in Empire”).
One of the most compelling features in Triagone is the electrifying vocal duet comprised of Lorena and Lou-Indigo, which allows the band to explore new patterns and nuances, as well as the aforementioned lyrics in multiple languages, thanks to the undisputed combined talent of the duo. They can sound at the same time visceral and melodic, dissonant and cryptic, captivating and menacing, purely mathematical and extremely violent, and you can enjoy all that on most streaming services, like Spotify. As a matter of fact, Lou-Indigo explained in an interview that the band had to rework some of the rhythms, textures and timbres (mainly because he mocks up everything with his own voice) after Lorena joined the band, as they wanted her voice to be more present in the final product. Also, although she’s not responsible for all vocal parts nor for all lyrics, this is something Lou-Indigo wants to change in the near future, giving her more singing time, more flexibility, and therefore let her be the main vocalist of the band.
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Before joining Triagone, Lorena was the vocalist for a Brazilian Death/Thrash Metal band named Suttura, and another one named Erinyes, both from the city of Goiânia. Suttura was formed back in 2010 by Lorena alongside drummer Sílvio, bassist Thiago and guitarist Rildo, and although there isn’t a lot of information online about the band, you can stream some of their creations on YouTube, including the excellent songs Need of War, Overlook, and Villas Boas Incident. Furthermore, back in 2015 the band played at the 21st edition of a Brazilian rock and metal festival named Goiânia Noise Festival, at a venue named Centro Cultural Martim Cererê, together with renowned acts the likes of Nervochaos and Ratos de Porão, and countless amazing underground bands from Brazil and other parts of the world, and before that in 2013 they played at the 11th edition of Headbanger’s Attack Festival, held at Círculo Operário do Cruzeiro Velho in Brasília, with each of the eight bands from that specific festival having at least one woman in their lineup as a tribute to the bands Valhalla and Flammea. Apart form Suttura, the festival also featured the bands Soror, Sound’n’Rage, Gulag, Armum, Decimator, Roasting and No Sense. On the other hand, unfortunately there isn’t much online about her previous band Erinyes, except for this nice cover version of AC/DC’s all-time classic TNT live back in 2007, but it’s enough to see she has been developing her vocals in great fashion through the years.
It was when Lorena was still a member of Suttura that she and Lou-Indigo met for the first time, when Lou-Indigo’s former band Dehuman was touring in Brazil, as Lorena was playing with Suttura at the same festival as them. After Lorena moved to Belgium together with Lou-Indigo, they did some Cannibal Corpse covers together, and after he showed those to Lorenzo and Leonard they decided to recruit her to be their frontwoman, as they loved her voice and charisma. Speaking of her relocation to Belgium, Lorena mentioned in one of her interviews that she believes there are more possibilities in Belgium to make a musical project live and grow, that music is taken more seriously there if compared with the metal scene in Brazil, her native country. “In Brazil,” she explains, “each band needs a lot of financial investment and a lot of time, and I think there is more openness here in this regard.”
Apart from her work with Triagone, as well as with the previously mentioned bands Suttura and Erinyes, Lorena was a guest vocalist in the song Arterial Red, from the album Crusher of Souls, released in 2024 by Belgian Brutal Death Metal act Storm Upon the Masses. It’s a great album of sheer brutality and rage, by the way, and Lorena’s contribution to the aforementioned song only makes the whole experience of listening to it even more compelling, proving she a beyond versatile vocalist with a wide arsenal of vocal styles, always ready to stun us all in the name of extreme music. I personally can’t wait to see what’s next for Lorena as a metal vocalist, and for Triagone as a band, again proving how badass women can be in heavy music.
““Everyone in the band is very talented and committed to making the band evolve. I have a lot of admiration for them. My goal is to continue singing, improve my vocal technique and establish more contact with the audience. I hope that Triagone will record an album soon and that we can show our music to more people.” – Lorena Moraes
Belgium’s most auspicious Atmospheric Black Metal unity returns with another introspective and brooding work, telling stories of snowy landscapes, raging blizzards, regret and purgatory.
Two years after the release of the breathtaking EP Nowhere, Brussels, Belgium-based Atmospheric Black Metal/Post-Black Metal entity Soul Dissolution is back in action with another fantastic EP titled Winter Contemplations, again an introspective and brooding work, telling stories of snowy landscapes, raging blizzards, regret and purgatory. Recorded, mixed and mastered between July and September 2020 at Blastbeat Productions by Oliver Carell (Heretoir, King Apathy), Winter Contemplations offers us listeners a healthy dose of the band’s signature melodies draped in a thick, ice-cold atmosphere, courtesy of the band’s founder, lyricist, guitarist and bassist Jabawock together with his henchmen Acharan on lead vocals and Threnos on drums.
Just hit play and a slow and atmospheric intro will evolve into a scathing, grim tune entitled La Dernière Tempête, or “the last storm” from French, where Acharan presents all his skills as the talented growler he is while Jabawock brings tons of harmony, melancholy and anguish to the musicality with his razor-edged riffs. Put differently, this is a magnificent voyage through the obscure realms of Black, Doom and Post-Metal, sounding and feeling multi-layered, inspiring and epic until the very last second. Then featuring stunning orchestrations by guest 鬼 (also known as William Melsness) from Unreqvited, Where The Clouds Stand Still… also begins in a Stygian and pensive manner, feeling like it was taken from a movie score, with Jabawock extracting minimalist sounds form his guitar before being accompanied by Threnos’ slow and steady Doom Metal-beats. Furthermore, Acharan once again does a superb job with his harsh, acid vocal lines, resulting in the epitome of Atmospheric Black Metal while changing its shape and form majestically during its captivating 13 minutes, therefore showcasing all the undeniable talent of the guys behind Soul Dissolution.
It’s absolutely impressive how Jabawock and his loyal bandmates are capable of sounding so cohesive, diverse and captivating in all of their creations, it doesn’t matter if their songs have one or twenty minutes in duration, and Winter Contemplations (which is by the way available for a full listen on YouTube) is the perfect representation of their hard work and their evolution in the atmospheric and extreme music genre. Needless to say, you should definitely show your support to those amazing metallers from Belgium by purchasing their new EP from their own BandCamp page, from the Viridian Flame Records’ webstore or from Apple Music, and also by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel and by streaming more of their breathtaking creations on Spotify. As Atmospheric Black Metal has always been a very entertaining and somewhat unexplored style, why not wandering through the somber lands brought forth by Soul Dissolution in their new EP? I’m beyond certain you’ll get lost in your own thoughts and never wish to return to the real world after such unique experience.
Best moments of the album: Where The Clouds Stand Still….
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2020 Viridian Flame Records
Track listing 1. La Dernière Tempête 10:54
2. Where The Clouds Stand Still… 13:10
Band members Acharan – lead vocals
Jabawock – guitars, bass, additional vocals
Threnos – drums
Guest musician 鬼 (William Melsness) – orchestrations on “Where The Clouds Stand Still…”
A mix of dark pop and ambient with a touch of synthetic nostalgia from the 80’s by a Belgian duo not afraid of experimenting in music, giving us a hint of the concepts and harmonies to be feature on their upcoming album.
Brought into being in early 2018 in the city of Brussles, Belgium by vocalist Michelle Nocon (Bathsheba, Leviathan Speaks, Serpentcult) and multi-instrumentalist Olivier Lomer-Wilbers (Enthroned, Emptiness), Avantgarde Noir Rock project Of Blood and Mercury is not exactly what you would expect from the fusion of musicians from extreme bands such as Enthroned, Pro-Pain, Bathsheba and Luminance, but that doesn’t mean it’s bland or tiresome. Quite the contrary, Michele and Olivier united their creativity in a very vibrant and detailed musical style that could be described as a mix of dark pop and ambient, with a touch of synthetic nostalgia from the 80’s.
As their first adventure through the realms of avantgarde music, Of Blood and Mercury are offering us an enthralling three-track EP entitled Strangers, where Michelle and Olivier have the support of bassist David Alexandre Parquier (Soror Dolorosa) and drummer Jonas Sanders (Emptiness, Pro-Pain, Resistance) to help them give life to their very distinct project. Recorded in the caves of Brussels’ Blackout Studio, Strangers gives us a hint of the concepts and harmonies to be feature on their upcoming 10-track album to be released later this year, with the melancholic tones of Michelle’s voice beautifully depicting the shadows that drag the wonders of nature to their ghostly forms.
Ethereal sounds ignite the mesmerizing Strangers, where you’ll feel embraced by Michelle’s vocals while she recites the song’s delicate lyrics (“Dusty words remember a lost cause. A feeling of a half filled glass. / Half poison, half wine. Half bitter, half sweet. some steel, some rust, some victory.”), with an extra kick added to the musicality thanks to the precise drums by Jonas. Put differently, this is first-class heavier-than-usual Dark Wave penetrating deep inside our hearts and souls, which can also be said about the following tune, titled Walk the Void. Inspired by the music by Enya with a modern and melodic twist, Of Blood and Mercury generate an inebriating atmosphere throughout the entire song, with Olivier doing a great job with his precise synths, keys and guitar lines. Furthermore, it definitely feels like the band is focusing a lot more on the atmosphere rather than just the music itself, and the final result is absolutely amazing. And the last song of the EP, Estranged, continues to wander between the rock and electronic genres in a very gentle and serene way, inviting us to simply close our eyes and let the hypnotic waves crafted by Michelle, Oliver & Co. invade our senses. In addition, some people like to say that musicians are the poets of the modern era we’re living in, and based on the lyrics crafted by Michelle and Olivier that statement is more than valid (“Estranged one, / in oblivion. / The disease has sprung. / Wear the mask of Cain. / ‘Cause you still haven’t learned to exit the dream. / And I still feel numb. / Estranged one, / in oblivion. / Symmetry gone wrong, / infertile brain.”).
You can listen to the entire EP by clicking HERE, follow Of Blood and Mercury on Facebook, and obviously show your true support to this classy duo by purchasing their debut EP directly from their BandCamp page. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for a full-bodied release by Of Blood and Mercury in the coming months, and until then we can satisfy our craving by listening to Strangers again, again and again, letting our minds and souls wander through the vast and melancholic lands of the distinct Avantgarde Noir Rock presented to us all by two veterans of the extreme music scene who are not afraid of experimenting and trying new musical styles and nuances, consequently showing the world there is no such thing as boundaries for musicians who create music from the bottom of their hearts.
Best moments of the album:Strangers.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2019 Independent
Track listing 1. Strangers 4:54
2. Walk the Void 5:30
3. Estranged 4:58
Band members Michelle Nocon – vocals, programming
Olivier Lomer-Wilbers – guitars, keyboards, programming
Guest musicians
David Alexandre Parquier – bass
Jonas Sanders – drums, percussion
A crushing and intricate album of “Organic Dissident Death Metal” made in Belgium, heavily influenced by esoteric, alchemical principles and alternative history.
There’s nothing better than some high-quality “Organic Dissident Death Metal” made in Belgium to warm up a cold December day, right? If what I’m saying to you makes no sense, wait until your let your ears be flooded with the craziness, intricacy and rage blasted by Brussels-based Progressive Death Metal quartet Moss Upon The Skull, who are ready to crush mankind with their brand new opus titled In Vengeful Reverence. After two promising EP’s, the band is back with a revelatory first full-length, heavily influenced by esoteric, alchemical principles and alternative history, as put forward by luminaries like Michael Tsarion, Terrence McKenna, Aleister Crowley and John Dee. “The album title refers to dealing with frustration, hardship or threat, not in an emotional way but with serene rationality, in order to overcome the adversity and remove the cause of the challenge,” explains singer and guitarist Jef Van de Weghe. “The blue flame concept informing the album represents the release of anger and frustration in a constructive and creative way. It makes sense to channel these energies into manipulating the world around us to serve our purpose, call it magick or willpower.”
Brought into being in 2010 from the same swamps on which Brussels was founded, with the intent of playing unconventional Progressive Death Metal with a strong focus on philosophy, spiritualism, decay, and the mysteries of nature and the after-life, the band comprised of Jo Willems on lead vocals, the aforementioned Jef Van de Weghe on vocals and guitar, Mathijs Provoost on bass and vocals, and Jense Philips on drums enrich the intricate structures of their music with Black Metal nuances and unique melodic flourishes, while a superlative and overtly technical rhythm section works in unison with inventive guitars, aggressive growls and sporadic dark synths. Featuring a minimalistic and very stylish cover art by JF Lemay Illustration, In Vengeful Reverence has everything it takes to become a cult album in the underground extreme music scene, hitting you hard with an avalanche of the esoteric and pulverizing music by those Belgian metallers.
Groovy and rumbling waves permeate the air in the opening track Reverse Celebration before Jo begins growling deeply and Jense starts smashing his drums in a precise and progressive manner, not to mention the Cannibal Corpse-inspired riffs by Jef. Leaning towards classic Death Metal, Disintegrated brings forward an entertaining fusion of the crushing sonority blasted by bands like Gojira, Deicide and Unleash, among others. Furthermore, Jo doesn’t get tired of roaring the song’s old school lyrics like a beast (“In submission disaffected / Forever they scorn defeat / Through fire resurrected / No longer their pride must bleed / Raging essence / Conceiled within / Released once more /Consumed by sin”); whereas Impending Evil exhales pure Progressive Death Metal, with highlights to the sonic extravaganza delivered by Jense on drums and the always intricate and cutting riffs and solos by Jef.
Back to a more straightforward and aggressive sonority, the quartet fires huge dosages of rage and insanity through their incendiary riffs and beats in Lair Of The Hypocrite, with Jo leading his horde by growling deeper and deeper as the music progresses. And how about more dissident, obscure and visceral Death Metal for your avid ears? That’s what the band offers in Serving The Elite, with Jef firing his classic, complex riffs and solos while Mathijs makes sure the atmosphere remains dense and thunderous with his bass lines; and they get even more wicked and progressive in Peristalith, with the stringed duo Jef and Mathijs hammering their instruments mercilessly, also presenting some of the most complex drumming of the whole album.
The title-track In Vengeful Reverence keeps the level of dementia and electricity extremely high, with Jo once again effectively delivering his harsh gnarls while Mathijs and Jense are bestial with their respective bass punches and demonic beats. Then we have The Serpent Scepter, slower and more introspective, bringing elements from Sludge Metal and Post-Metal, and albeit not as compelling as its predecessors, it’s still solid and heavy-as-hell, also presenting austere lyrics (“Deception / The treachery runs deep / Caduceus / Sends the awake to sleep / Announcing their demise / Mercury about to rise / Announcing their demise / Silencing their cries”), and Spheres Of Malevolence, the shortest of all tracks and a lesson in Progressive Death Metal, brings forward rumbling bass lines, detailed and piercing riffs and beats, and another rabid performance by Jo on vocals. Lastly, it’s time for the quartet to deliver one final onrush of progressiveness, rage and lunacy entitled Unseen, Yet Allseeing, with Mathijs and Jense dictating the song’s frantic rhythm beautifully.
In a nutshell, although Belgium might be a small country compared to behemoths like the United States, France and Germany, they’re surely a beyond prolific country when it comes to heavy music, with Moss Upon The Skull being another amazing depiction of what Belgian metal is all about. Hence, don’t forget to show your utmost support to those four talented metallers hailing from “le pays du surréalisme” by following them on Facebook, and by purchasing In Vengeful Reference (available for a full listen on YouTube) from the I, Voidhanger Records’ BandCamp page, from the Season of Mist’s webstore (US and Europe), or from Amazon, letting their Organic Dissident Death Metal penetrate deep inside your mind and, therefore, generating some nice and fresh moss upon your own skull.
Best moments of the album:Disintegrated, Lair Of The Hypocrite and Spheres Of Malevolence.
Worst moments of the album:The Serpent Scepter.
Released in 2018 I, Voidhanger Records
Track listing
1. Reverse Celebration 4:16
2. Disintegrated 3:21
3. Impending Evil 4:59
4. Lair Of The Hypocrite 4:30
5. Serving The Elite 4:21
6. Peristalith 3:55
7. In Vengeful Reverence 3:49
8. The Serpent Scepter 5:22
9. Spheres Of Malevolence 2:46
10. Unseen, Yet Allseeing 5:33
Band members Jo Willems – vocals
Jef Van de Weghe – guitars, clean/backing vocals
Mathijs Provoost – bass, clean/backing vocals
Jense Philips – drums
This unstoppable Belgian duo returns with a brand new EP only six months after their latest full-length album, offering the listener 24 minutes of classy extreme music rooted more firmly in the Post-Black territory.
Formed in December 2012 in the city of Brussels, Belgium mostly influenced by bands such as Agalloch, Drudkh, Alcest and the early days of Katatonia, the talented Atmospheric Black Metal duo that goes by the name of Soul Dissolution returns only six months after their critically-acclaimed opus Stardust with a brand new 2-track EP simply titled Nowhere, offering the listener 24 minutes of classy extreme music rooted more firmly in the Post-Black territory, drawing additional inspiration from bands like Harakiri For The Sky, Heretoir and Anomalie while still retaining the core atmosphere, dynamics and melodies from their previous material.
Comprised of Acharan on lead vocals and Jabawock on guitars, bass and additional vocals, Soul Dissolution are one of those underground acts that are not afraid of experimenting with different sounds and nuances, but always true to their origins, and that’s perhaps what makes Nowhere so compelling and vibrant form start to finish. Featuring a grim cover picture taken by Jabawock on a misty morning in the Vosges region in France, and presenting Celestial as their session drummer for the first time (in addition to him being a part of the band’s live lineup), Nowhere will take you on a journey full of epicness and melancholy, all enhanced by the album’s crystal clear overall production, paving an exciting path for Soul Dissolution to keep mesmerizing us all with their music in a not-so-distant future.
Melancholic guitar lines kick off the first of their two “musical voyages”, entitled Road to Nowhere, a lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal where the beats by Celestial are at the same time fierce and delicate while Jabawock slashes his guitar strings majestically, piercing our ears and minds with his whimsical riffs and solos. Furthermore, all elements from Melodic Black Metal found in the musicality bring an extra taste to their core Atmospheric Black Metal, majestically flowing like a wild river, not to mention the song’s captivating lyrics growled by Acharan in a truly anguished manner (“Under the moonlit sky/ Winds carry new words / For songs yet to come to life / Under the moonlit sky / Winds carry my steps / Pushing me forward on my road to nowhere”). Then even more obscure than its predecessor, Fading Darkness presents hints of Blackened Doom and Doom Metal in its core sound, with Soul Dissolution mesmerizing our senses with their deep gnarls, solid string work and precise drumming, bulding the perfect ambience for the poetry flowing from the song’s introspective words (“These thick, black woods / With trails long overgrown / This journey I started many years ago / The last time I saw the sun / This mountain on which I roam / Constantly surrounded by thick fog / Its sinister presence all around / Drains all life therein to be found”).
The full EP is available for a detailed listen on YouTube, and you can show your true support to Soul Dissolution by following them on Facebook, by listening to their music on Spotify, as of course by purchasing Nowhere from their own BandCamp page, from the GS Productions’ BandCamp or webstore, from iTunes or from Discogs. If the music found in Nowhere points to what we can expect from Soul Dissolution in their future releases no one knows for sure, as Acharan and Jabawock love to explore new grounds and nuances, but if there’s one thing we can be certain about is that the duo will keep delivering first-class atmospheric music for our total delight in the coming years, always surprising us in a very positive way and always loyal to their foundations.
Inspired by the Roman Emperor Tiberius, here comes a ruthless Belgian Ritualistic Black Metal horde with their brand new and utterly fantastic concept album.
One of the most talented and prominent bands of the Extreme Metal independent scene in Europe, Belgian Ritualistic Black Metal horde Cult of Erinyes, is back with their unsparing music in the form of a concept album titled Tiberivs, inspired by the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who ruled one of the greatest empires of mankind from 14 AD to 37 AD. It doesn’t matter if you’re a newcomer to the dark world of this Brussels-based band or if you’re already a fan of works such as A Place to Call My Unknown, Blessed Extinction and their latest EP Transcendence, the music found in Tiberivs will leave scathing scars on your skin and poison your blood, leaving you eager for more of the band’s mordant creations.
As commented by the band’s mastermind Corvus, “I always perceived Cult of Erinyes as a portal that allows my mind to connect with different universes. I had, from the very beginning of the creative process, to immerse myself in a definite time period – the Ancient Roman Empire, Tiberius era. Each song, melody, and riff had to refer to a variation of emotions forgotten by time itself. What sounded like a fantastic challenge ended as a nightmare where my subconscious got lost. Desperation, frustration, and madness raised dangerously. This third album is our most progressive effort so far, but also contains radical and intense parts sublimed by Mastema’s urges for ferocity. We both went as far as we could on this album and were lucky to be helped in our task by longtime devoted musicians Algol (bass, additional guitars), Baron (lead guitars, artwork), and Déhà, who handled the drums, some guitars/keys, and the the mix/mastering process. Last but not least, Alex (Kall, Hypothermia, Craft) offered us a five-star bass-line on the intro and Marc DeBacker, my brother in Wolvennest, added some crystal-clear guitar sounds on the end of the album. This album also marked the end of my longtime musical and spiritual journey with Mastema. I can only but respect his decision and salute the energy he shared on Tiberivs. This concept album was his idea, and I’m glad we end our collaboration on this high and digressive note. He will be replaced for future live and recording duties by the most extreme and mentally extreme singer I know, Déhà, who is known for his work with Yhdarl, Maladie, We All Die (Laughing), and shitloads of other good projects. For all those reasons, I will hate and cherish this album. For Centuries To Come.”
In the opening track, titled Archaea, 41 B.C., fires burn amidst some eerie voices and moans, being slowly joined by the band’s atmospheric instrumental and topped off with a narration about how Romans were raised by wolves and that wolves are born to hunt and kill, resulting in a beyond ominous intro to the devastating Nero (Divine Providence), offering the listener the band’s old school Black Metal with their traditional ritualistic twist in the form of a sensational tempest of slashing guitars and blast beats. Moreover, not only Mastema sounds more devilish and brutal than ever, but the song’s frantic sounds are effectively blended with its ambient passages, turning it into a full-bodied blackened experience that’s definitely worth a listen. And in Casvs Belli, which means “an act or situation provoking or justifying war”, we’re treated to an explosion of extreme music with the demonic riffs by Corvus together with Algol and Baron generating a truly belligerent atmosphere, all enhanced by the infernal growls by Mastema and the obscure keys by Corvus.
Bred for War connects instantly and perfectly with the previous song to the point they can even be considered one major composition split in two, with sheer bestiality flowing from the awesome drumming by Déhà. In other words, this is straightforward Black Metal perfect for Corvus and his horde to tell the story proposed in the album; followed by Loner, a song that kicks off like a raging bull, smashing everything through the blast beats by Déhà and the fast and cutting guitars by Corvus, with Algol strengthening the song’s melody with his bass lines. The final result couldn’t sound more amazing, a furious and occult creation by Cult of Erinyes with an excellent job done by Mastema giving life to the song’s dark lyrics. Germanicvs, with its almost 8 minutes of blackened sounds and a demonic aura, keeps up with the foundations of Black Metal, being one of the most obscure and dense of all songs of the album led by the sustained drums by Déhà and spiced up by dark vociferations by Mastema.
An eerie, dark intro ignites another menacing creation by this talented Belgian horde, titled First of Men, a hybrid of Atmospheric and Ritualistic Black Metal with hints of Blackened Doom. Moreover, although it doesn’t show the same fury that emanates from the rest of the album, it’s still essential for the storyline. In Damnatio Memoriae (or “damnation of memory” in English), the music grows in intensity and darkness until after one minute it becomes a feast of Blackened Doom sounds enfolding the demented gnarls by Mastema, remaining rhythmic and dynamic thanks to the excellent job done by Déhà on drums until its thrilling Stygian ending; whereas For Centuries to Come is an 11-minute aria where Corvus showcases all his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist, while Mastema elevates his evil growls and screams to a whole new infernal level. This is by far the most complete and detailed of all songs, with its second half being a work-of-art of extreme music, not to mention its atmospheric elements beautifully complementing the piercing guitar riffs and solos, flowing into a fantastic and climatic conclusion to the album.
In a nutshell, the implacable Cult of Erinyes sounds stronger and more menacing than ever in Tiberivs (which can be enjoyed in its entirety HERE) and, despite being their ultimate album with the demonic Mastema on vocals, I’m sure the band will still provide us a lot of amazing material like this in the future. Furthermore, this brilliant concept album can be purchased at the band’s own BandCamp page, at the Caverna Abismal Records’ BandCamp or webstore, and at the Aural Music Webstore, as well as on iTunes, Amazon and Discogs. The roots to the greatest empire in the history of mankind are deeply connected to the lives of wolves, and there’s nothing better than the austere extreme music by Cult of Erinyes to show you how harsh, ruthless and vicious wolves can be.
Best moments of the album: Nero (Divine Providence), Loner and For Centuries to Come.
Worst moments of the album:First of Men.
Released in 2017 Caverna Abismal Records
Track listing 1. Archaea, 41 B.C. 2:40
2. Nero (Divine Providence) 7:42
3. Casvs Belli 6:24
4. Bred for War 3:52
5. Loner 4:27
6. Germanicvs 7:40
7. First of Men 5:49
8. Damnatio Memoriae 6:04
9. For Centuries to Come 10:59
Band members Mastema – vocals
Corvus – lead and rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards
Algol – bass, rhythm guitar
Baron – lead guitar
Déhà – drums, additional guitar & keyboards
Guest musicians Alex – bass on “Archaea, 41 B.C.”
Marc DeBacker – additional guitar on “For Centuries to Come”
With the release of their twelfth full-length album, entitled Ashspawn, the iconic beast Enthroned marks a new chapter in their three-decade reign of ritualistic and occult Black Metal. Conceived across six years of deliberate creation, the album emerges as both an autopsy and a resurrection, a descent into spiritual death followed by the sublimation of rebirth. Recorded at Ophiussa Studio, produced by the band’s own drummer Menthor, mixed by Stefano Santi at SPVN Studio, mastered by Phil Bashford at The Hive Rooms, displaying a beyond devilish artwork by Jose Gabriel Alegria Sambogal, and written in close collaboration with Gilles de Laval (an occult author known for his works on ceremonial magic and grimoires, such as Sacerdotium Umbrae Mortis and Black Magic Evocation of the Shem ha Mephorash), the new opus by Nornagest on vocals and samplers, T. Kaos on the guitars and bass, and Menthor on drums and percussion channels arcane praxis, metaphysical calculus, and esoteric mapping into a work that is as much ritual invocation as it is music. In other words, it is the culmination of Enthroned’s uncompromising vision, a weapon of transformation forged in fire and darkness.
A true giant of European Occult Black Metal alongside Marduk, Dark Funeral, Gorgoroth and 1349, among others, Enthroned offer their most ambitious and personal statement to date with Ashspawn, embodying a total unity of vision where ferocious blast beats, oppressive mid-tempos, and progressive structures collapse into one another. You can feel the fire blasted by such an infernal horde by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by streaming their caustic black masses on Spotify, and of course, by purchasing Ashspawn from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In the end, Ashspawn is the testimony of the band’s obscure alignment, a ritual weapon that rejects nostalgia and compromise. It is a resurrection of spirit through suffering, and a reaffirmation of Enthroned’s place among Black Metal’s most visionary entities.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 