Brazil’s own death and doom creature returns with its sophomore beast, a summoning of despair that drags the listener into a chasm where brutality and anguish entwine.
Emerging once again from the abyssal depths of the underground, São Paulo, Brazil-based Death/Doom Metal creature Fossilization returns with their sophomore opus entitled Advent of Wounds, a work of sheer ferocity and oppressive gloom, following up on their critically acclaimed 2023 debut Leprous Daylight. Produced by the band’s own vocalist, guitarist and bassist V. (aka Thiago “Vakka” Oliveira of Sludge/Death/Doom Metal band Jupiterian) and guitarist Z. (aka Fernando “Zozi” da Silveira of Thrash Metal band Blackning), engineered by Marcos Cerutti at Hellspass Studio, mixed and mastered by Gabriele Gramaglia at Crepuscular Sound Studio, featuring guest musician F. on drums, and displaying a cadaverous artwork by Chinese artist Guang Yang, Advent of Wounds is a relentless onslaught where its frantic and inexorable rhythms hammer with suffocating intensity, while riffs coil like sepulchral invocations in a maelstrom of death, doom, and blackened chaos highly recommended for fans of Dead Congregation, Krypts, Spectral Voice, and Antaeus.
Cremation of a Seraph already kicks off like a bulldozer, demolishing everything and everyone that dares to cross their path, with V.’s abyssal, deep guttural matching perfectly with the infernal drums by F., whereas Disentombed and Reassembled by the Ages is just as demonic and devastating as the opening tune, an overdose of Doom Metal-infused death madness where V. and Z. deliver the most scathing riffs imaginable. Scalded by His Sacred Halo, featuring guest vocalist Justin Stubbs, portrays a very poetic name for another ruthless aria of darkness by Fossilization where F. once again hammers his drums like there’s no tomorrow; followed by Terrestrial Mold, the sonic representation of total Armageddon, or a top-of-the-line Death and Doom Metal beast where V. vociferates like a creature from the netherworld. Then in Servo a Stygian start gradually morphs into a rumbling sonority not recommended for the faint at heart, while While the Light Lasts offers an even stronger Doom Metal vibe, as dark as the night, with the riffs by V. and Z. being boosted by the pounding drums by F. Lastly, Temple of Flies and Moss might be the shortest of all songs, but its incandescent violence makes it look like a true giant, ending the album on the most obscure note you can think of.
“From the start, my goal was to make an album even more brutal than Leprous Daylight, from sheer death metal brutality to the miserable melancholy of the doom-laden spirit of early Anathema, Paradise Lost, and early Katatonia. You can also hear many of black metal influences across the record, the opening riff of ‘Disentombed and Reassembled by the Ages’ is a direct nod to one of my all-time favorite bands, Antaeus,” commented V., and you can get in touch with him and his Fossilization via Facebook and Instagram, stream their obscure music on any platform such as Spotify, and of course purchase Advent of Wounds via mailorder or from BandCamp. Bleak, crushing and claustrophobic, Advent of Wounds is a summoning of despair that drags the listener into a chasm where brutality and anguish entwine. A suffocating testament to extremity that confirms Fossilization as one of the most formidable forces in contemporary Death and Doom Metal.
Best moments of the album:Cremation of a Seraph, Terrestrial Mold and Temple of Flies and Moss.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Everlasting Spew Records
Track listing 1. Cremation of a Seraph 5:11
2. Disentombed and Reassembled by the Ages 5:34
3. Scalded by His Sacred Halo 4:20
4. Terrestrial Mold 5:51
5. Servo 5:08
6. While the Light Lasts 5:52
7. Temple of Flies and Moss 3:57
Band members V. – vocals, guitars, bass
Z. – guitars
Guest musicians
F. – drums (session)
Justin Stubbs – vocals on “Scalded By His Sacred Halo”
This Chilean unrelenting outfit offers in their third album a true Book of Death forged in sound, channeling the death drive into a relentless exploration of human rituals, mortality, and cultural collapse.
Expanding their fierce Chilean/American identity, channeling the death drive (Thanatos) into a relentless exploration of human rituals, mortality, and cultural collapse – a true Book of Death forged in sound – Santiago, Chile and Boston, Massachusetts-based Progressive/Technical Death/Thrash Metal beast Overtoun returns in full force with their third offering, entitled Death Drive Anthropology, the follow-up to their 2021 sophomore This Darkness Feels Alive. Recorded at Estudio del Sur, and produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Martín Furia at Somma Productions, the new album by Yoav Ruiz-Feingold on vocals, Matias Bahamondes on the guitar, Matias Salas on bass, and Agustin Lobo on drums further cements the band as one of the most compelling and forward-thinking forces emerging from the Latin American metal landscape. Rooted in the primal force of 90’s death-thrash yet sharpened by a modern, incisive edge, the album fuses Latin rhythms, folk-tinged guitars, and razor-tight riffs, being therefore a must-listen for admirers of the music by Carcass, Atheist, and Revocation, among others.
The album couldn’t have started in a better and more demented way than with What Unites All, featuring guest vocalist Max Phelps (Cynic, Death to All), with Matias Salas and Agustin sounding absolutely mental with their heavy-as-hell, groovy kitchen. Yoav keeps roaring like a beast in the very technical, melodic yet brutal The Final Beat, blending the most caustic elements from Death and Thrash Metal, and after a cryptic intro the music evolves into another feast of progressive violence in Memento Mori, featuring guest vocalist Enrico H. Di Lorenzo (Hideous Divinity), where Agustin once again dictates the pace while Matias Bahamondes slashes his axe nonstop. Their wicked riffs and pounding drums are the main ingredients in the electrifying Dur Khrod, inviting us all to slam into the pit in the name of our good old Death and Thrash Metal; whereas their progressive vein pulses even harder in Jade, Gold, Obsidian, led by the intricate and flammable riffage by Matias Bahamondes. And in Yūrei they offer a more modern side of their core musicality, alternating between groovy moments and extreme aggression.
Matias Salas beautifully steals the spotlight with his metallic bass in Weeping, as if Sepultura, Dream Theater and Machine Head had a bastard son (who loves Death Metal), which of course translates into total sonic brilliance. Guest Shantanu Vyas (Hazing Over) lends his desperate vocals to the band in Wind and Water, keeping the album at an extreme level of violence and progressiveness; and we then face a killer three-part extravaganza, starting with the 30-second intro The Waves Suite: Siren, setting the stage for The Waves Suite: Ocean, where the band goes almost full tribal with their ruthless sounds, flowing like an arrow on fire in the dark until The Waves Suite: Caleuche puts a very melodic ending to such an interesting aria. The band still has the icing on the cake to offer in the album, the title-track Death Drive Anthropology, inviting us all to slam one last time with them to the sound of the demonic roars by Yoav.
As mentioned, Death Drive Anthropology aims at channeling the death drive into a sonic Book of Death that examines how different cultures confront mortality, violence, collapse, and rebirth through ritual and art, and if you want to feel part of such an exciting metallic ritual, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their amazing music on YouTube or on Spotify, and above all that, grab a copy of the album from the band’s own BandCamp, as well as from the Time To Kill Records’ webstore. In other words, simply open the Book of Death written by these talented Chilean metallers, and let their sounds bring to your soul the always exciting duality between life and death.
Best moments of the album:What Unites All, Weeping and Death Drive Anthropology.
Worst moments of the album:Wind and Water.
Released in 2026 Time To Kill Records
Track listing 1. What Unites All 5:23
2. The Final Beat 4:46
3. Memento Mori 6:38
4. Dur Khrod 3:54
5. Jade, Gold, Obsidian 4:00
6. Yūrei 5:25
7. Weeping 5:28
8. Wind and Water 4:05
9. The Waves Suite: Siren 0:23
10. The Waves Suite: Ocean 4:11
11. The Waves Suite: Caleuche 1:42
12. Death Drive Anthropology 4:23
Band members Yoav Ruiz-Feingold – vocals
Matias Bahamondes – guitar
Matias Salas – bass
Agustin Lobo – drums
Guest musicians
Max Phelps – vocals on “What Unites All”
Enrico H. Di Lorenzo – vocals on “Memento Mori”
Shantanu Vyas – vocals on “Wind And Water”
Drawing influence from Black, Death, and Thrash Metal, this unrelenting Atlanta horde wrestles with themes such as politics, drug use, existentialism, perseverance, and the lasting consequences of one’s choices in their debut opus.
Drawing influence from Black, Death, and Thrash Metal, the unrelenting Atlanta, Georgia-based visionaries Malefic are unleashing upon us their debut offering, entitled Impermanence. Having roared onto the Atlanta metal scene in 2007 with ambitions to modernize the Black Metal genre, the band currently formed of Aaron Baumoel on vocals and drums, Jason Davila and Sam Williams on the guitars, and Andy McGraw on bass wrestles with themes such as politics, drug use, existentialism, perseverance, and the lasting consequences of one’s choices in their debut opus, being therefore highly recommended for fans of bands the likes of Old Man’s Child, Carcass, Testament, Dissection, and Opeth.
Jason and Sam rev up the band’s malefic engine with their scathing riffs in Blood of the Throne, evolving into a blackened feast of Thrash Metal led by Aaron’s raspy roars and unstoppable beats and fills; and he keeps hammering his drums in In Darkest Dreams, accompanied by the caustic riffs and rumbling bass lines by Jason, Sam and Andy, resulting in the perfect excuse for some wild mosh pit action. Of Gods and Man presents a more sinister, introspective start, before exploding into a demented Black Metal extravaganza, and let’s bang our heads nonstop to the sound of Idiocracy, spearheaded by the always rhythmic drumming by Aaron. After that, it’s time for some insane slamming to the sound of Deserter, where their strident riffs give it an even edgier vibe.
The second half of the album kicks off to the sound of acoustic guitars in Disembodiment before all hell breaks loose in another display of caustic Blackened Thrash Metal madness, followed by Obsidian Earth, one of the most detailed and sulfurous songs of the album, with Aaron stealing the show with his demonic gnarls and killer blast beats. After such an infernal display of extreme sounds the band brings forward Echoes of Silence, starting again in an acoustic manner and evolving into a bestial sonic devastation as expected from such a talented and enraged ensemble. Lastly, the album closes with the first single released, It Haunts, blasting our ears with their Skeletonwitch-inspired ferocity and the always venomous roaring by Aaron.
Offering a fresh, modern take on metal that is unrivaled in the United States, Impermanence represents the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication, along with a deep love for music beyond strict genre boundaries, and if you want to know more about such an unstoppable force of extreme music, you can follow Malefic on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream their music on most platforms like Spotify, and of course grab a copy of their flammable debut from Terminus Hate City’s BandCamp or webstore. The year of 2026 is definitely going to be a blast for admirers of Blackened Death and Thrash Metal, and the first full-length album by Malefic will undoubtedly fuel our inner demons to keep slamming into the pits of the underworld, always in the name of the most extreme of extreme music.
Best moments of the album:Blood of the Throne, Deserter and Obsidian Earth.
Worst moments of the album:Of Gods and Man.
Released in 2026 Terminus Hate City
Track listing 1. Blood of the Throne 3:16
2. In Darkest Dreams 3:44
3. Of Gods and Man 3:54
4. Idiocracy 3:56
5. Deserter 3:53
6. Disembodiment 4:39
7. Obsidian Earth 4:14
8. Echoes of Silence 4:45
9. It Haunts 5:33
Band members Aaron Baumoel – vocals, drums
Jason Davila – guitar
Sam Williams – guitar
Andy McGraw – bass
The Day of the Beast is upon us once again to the sound of their infuriated fifth opus, undoubtedly their heaviest, darkest and most dynamic record to date.
Combining elements of Death, Thrash and Black Metal into their core sound, Virginia’s own Blackened Thrash Metal creature The Day of the Beast returns from the pits of the underworld with their infuriated fifth studio offering, titled Nightspawn Descendants, following up on their venomous 2021 album Indisputably Carnivorous. Mixed by Ricardo Borges and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, the newborn spawn by vocalist Steve Harris, guitarists Steve Redmond and Bobby Phippins (by the way, Bobby sadly passed away back in 2024, which means Nightspawn Descendants is his “swan song”), Justin Shaw on bass, and Jeremy Bradley on drums is undoubtedly the band’s heaviest, darkest and most dynamic record yet, sounding massive and pummeling from start to finish.
The breathtaking With Drakkonian Force offers us all a bestial start to the album, with Steve Harris roaring and barking like a rabid beast supported by the fulminating riffs by Steve Redmon and Bobby, and there’s no time to breathe as those death dealers will crush your spinal cords with A Leering Grotesqueness, with Jeremy bringing an overdose of Thrash Metal to their Stygian core with his ruthless beats and fills. Fangbearer, themed around a Clive Barker short story called Rawhead Rex, continues their path of Blackened Thrash Metal led by the unstoppable drums by Jeremy, whereas in Exsanguination we face infernal lyrics barked by Steve Harris (“Forsaken flesh upon the earth / Derelict anomalies perceive this harsh reality / inner sanctum in a state of mystified perplexity / taste the filth, inhale the void / in misanthropic ecstacy / Unending dissection / of all attempts to reason / Scratching and clawing the path to unconsciousness / Paranoid deception / Terminate sympathy / Feast with the spawning shadows in your heart”) amidst an overdose of dark and ruhless Extreme Metal madness; followed by Revocation of the Black Talons, less vicious but extremely heavy and vile, with Justin and Jeremy making the earth tremble with their demonic kitchen.
The band shows no sign of slowing down at all, as Steve Redmond and Bobby slash their axes like true metallic beats in Their Flesh to the Father, sounding fast, furious and, therefore, perfect for slamming into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. Jeremy keeps demolishing everything and everyone that crosses his path in To the Edge of Abyss, enhancing the song’s violence while their guitars exhale harmony and electricity, all boosted by another bestial vocal performance by Steve Harris. Then we have Dire Omens, one of the last tracks Bobby wrote for The Day of the Beast, which means let’s honor him by letting it rip through our speakers, sounding as hellish and grim as its predecessors; and the band shows no mercy for our frail bodies in Embodiment, with Steve Harris delivering some of his deepest, most demonic vocals of the entire album while the drums by Jeremy sound inhumane from start to finish. Last but certainly not least, we face the massive, Stygian and somber title-track Nightspawn Descendants, with Steve Harris roaring nonstop accompanied by the slashing riffage by the band’s guitar duo and the always thunderous kitchen by Justin and Jeremy.
Crafting their own brand of apocalyptic Extreme Metal that shines a light on the darkest, filthiest corners of the human psyche since their inception back in 2006, The Day of the Beast are definitely going to reach new heights with Nightspawn Descendants, hopefully fueling them to take their music to stages all across the world including places like the UK, the EU, Japan, Brazil, and of course, Canada. Hence, you can stay up to date with all things The Day of the Beast and tell them how much you want to see them live on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their caustic creations on Spotify, and of course put your damned hands on Nightspawn Descendants by purchasing it from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Nightspawn Descendants is heavy, dark, and sulfurous. It’s an ode to Black, Death and Thrash Metal. and above all that, it’s a tribute to Bobby, a man who lived and breathed heavy music until the very end. Horns up for Bobby, and bang your heads nonstop to Nightspawn Descendants.
Best moments of the album:With Drakkonian Force, Exsanguination, Their Flesh to the Father and Embodiment.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Prosthetic Records
Track listing 1. With Drakkonian Force 5:04 2. A Leering Grotesqueness 3:52
3. Fangbearer 4:06
4. Exsanguination 4:52
5. Revocation of the Black Talons 6:41
6. Their Flesh to the Father 4:36
7. To the Edge of Abyss 3:49
8. Dire Omens 3:09
9. Embodiment 5:00
10. Nightspawn Descendants 9:43
Band members Steve Harris – vocals
Steve Redmond – guitars
Bobby Phippins – guitars
Justin Shaw – bass
Jeremy Bradley – drums
This forward-thinking Canadian band continues to give their own interpretation to the Death Metal style in their new EP, alternating between throbbing discordant blasts and soothing passages, traversing worlds hitherto unexplored.
“Mors verum” does not have a direct, standard meaning in Latin, but likely combines two separate words, “mors” (death) and “verum” (truth). The intended meaning is probably “truth or death,” or perhaps a variation of a phrase like “nihil verum nisi mors” (“nothing is true but death”), or the concept of “the only truth is death”. It is often used in the context of “truth or death” to imply one would rather die than not have the truth. In heavy music, Mors Verum are a forward-thinking Canadian band who are giving their own interpretation to the Death Metal style, creating music that is simultaneously dissonant, progressive, and atmospheric. Recorded at by Sean Pearson at Boxcar Studio, mixed by Mrudul Kamble at Erb Street Recording, mastered by Topon Das at Apartment 2, and displaying an ass-kicking artwork by Arifullah Ali of KanvasKarat, the new EP by Lyndon Quadros on vocals, Mrudul Kamble on the guitars, Spencer Mitchell on bass, and Greg Carvalho on drums, entitled Canvas, offers exactly that captivating blend of Dissonant and Progressive Death Metal, alternating between throbbing discordant blasts and soothing passages, traversing worlds hitherto unexplored.
The quartet wastes no time and kick off their idiosyncratic party with the progressive extravaganza Bloodied Teeth, with the pulverizing, demented drumming by Greg adding even more insanity to their already maniacal sounds. Mrudul’s visceral riffage is boosted by the bludgeoning bass by Spencer in Your Apocalypse, resulting in seven minutes of Dissonant Death Metal not recommended for the lighthearted; and Lyndon keeps barking and roaring like a beast in Serenade, with the music alternating between absolute savagery and more melodic, groovier moments. Then we face the grim title-track Canvas, offering a hybrid of the sluggish sounds of Blackened Doom with the band’s core Progressive Death Metal essence. Needless to say, Mrudul, Spencer and Greg are phenomenal with their sonic weapons; and they’ll finish burying you six feet deep with their undisputed extreme music in Mortal, again presenting the visceral guttural by Lyndon while Greg sounds inhumane on drums.
Following up on their 2015 EP Indoctrination, their 2019 full-length Deranged, and their 2021 EP The Living, Canvas brings to our avid ears lengthier song which never feel tedious as the band embarks on their newfound path with relative ease and confidence. On Canvas, they have adopted a fascinating approach to the style, one that is beautifully tempered yet adventurous enough to excite, being highly recommended for fans of Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Norse, Ulcerate, and Saevus Finis, among others. Those talented and creative guys are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram, and don’t forget to also stream their unique music on Spotify, and of course to purchase Canvas from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. In the end, the experience of listening to Canvas feels at once liberating and cathartic, leaving us eager for more of their music in the near future, perhaps in the form of their sophomore full-length offering, and I bet you’ll be more than excited for that after their short but incendiary new offering.
Best moments of the album:Bloodied Teeth and Canvas.
A seasoned duo hailing from Italy will darken your soul armed with their debut offering of arcane, devilish and dramatic Atmospheric Black Metal.
Led by vocalist, guitarist and bassist Max Havler (Ophidian, Shrivel), with Davide Billia (Antropofagus, Beheaded, Vomit the Soul) taking care of additional vocals, drums and keyboards, Milan, Italy-based Atmospheric Black Metal entity Evoked Eclipse has its sound closely tied to the Scandinavian Black and Death Metal scene, primarily Swedish, with references to Dissection and Naglfar, but also the Melodic Death Metal of Dark Tranquillity and Opeth and the melancholic Doom and Gothic Metal elements of early Katatonia. Recorded and mixed by Davide Billia at MK2 Recording Studio, mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, showcasing a cryptic artwork by the beyond talented Gogo Melone (presenting the album’s visual representation in its most arcane, dark and dramatic essence), and with layout by Francesco Palumbo of MKM Graphix, their debut effort The Cries Of Evil represents a new vision of extreme music, positioning the project as one of the must-see names of the new scene worldwide.
The ethereal intro Enchantment will transport us all to the Stygian realm ruled by Evoked Eclipe, flowing into the title-track The Cries Of Evil, where Max roars with tons of anger in his blackened heart while Davide delivers a mix of Black Metal blast beats and sluggish Doom Metal sounds. After that we have Land Of The White Spirit Lady, featuring guest vocals by Kyrah Aylin (of Aresea and Elegy of Madness), a beautiful, dark ballad of Blackened Doom, with their riffs and drums matching perfectly with Kyrah’s stunning vocal lines; and then we face the melancholic, grim interlude Mournishments, setting the stage for The Watch Of Spirits, with Max delivering sharp, crisp riffs and bass lines while Davide continues to hammer his drums mercilessly. In Drops Of Blood we see the band adding hints of Progressive Metal to their core Atmospheric Black Metal sonority, showcasing more of their fiery riffage, followed by Illusions Of The Life, another classic blast of atmospheric madness, sounding as dark and visceral as it can be, morphing into the outro Ascension, feeling utterly epic and leaving us eager for more of their stylish music in the near future.
Max and Davide are waiting for you with their Evoked Eclipse on Facebook and on Instagram, including news, more of their music, and who knows, maybe some live performances in a not-so-distant future, stream the album in full on Spotify, and of course you can put your hands on the excellent The Cries Of Evil from Club Inferno’s BandCamp, from My Kingdom Music, by clicking HERE, as well as from several other online retailers such as MDV Shop, Waterloo Records, and Groovespin.com. The fusion of Atmospheric and Melodic Black Metal with Death, Doom and Gothic Metal nuances found in The Cries Of Evil will certainly darken your already blackened heart even more, fueling the duo to keep blasting their undisputed extreme music for many years to come under their sinister, grim Black Metal eclipse.
Best moments of the album:The Cries Of Evil, The Watch Of Spirits and Illusions Of The Life.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Club Inferno Ent./My Kingdom Music
Track listing 1. Enchantment 1:11
2. The Cries Of Evil 4:17
3. Land Of The White Spirit Lady 5:58
4. Mournishments 1:25
5. The Watch Of Spirits 7:01
6. Drops Of Blood 5:48
7. Illusions Of The Life 5:17
8. Ascension 2:15
Band members Max Havler – vocals, guitars, bass
Davide Billia – vocals, drums, keyboards
Guest musician
Kyrah Aylin – female vocals on “Land Of The White Spirit Lady”
The Scandinavian war machine rolls on, as these Swedish Death Metal beasts still sound adrenalized, bloodstained and glorious in their demolishing album number fourteen.
The Scandinavian war machine rolls on. After twenty seven years, thirteen full-length studio albums and an ever growing brood of EP’s, split releases, live albums and compilations, Swedish Death Metal beasts Paganizer still sound adrenalized, bloodstained and glorious in their album number fourteen, beautifully titled As Mankind Rots. Mixed and mastered by long term collaborator Ronnie Björnström, with the package completed by the haunting artwork of Ivan Bragin (The Gathering, October Tide, Woods Of Ypres), the new opus by the unstoppable Rogga Johansson on vocals and guitars, Dennis Blomberg on lead guitars, Martin Klasén on bass, and Matthias Fiebig on drums is an unmissable Death Metal treat for fans of Entombed, Ribspreader, Grave, and Vomitory.
Rogga and Dennis present their violent business card right from the beginning in As Mankind Rots, offering an overdose of Death and Thrash Metal riffs with a Punk Rock attitude, therefore inviting us all to slam into the pit like true bastards. Then it’s Matthias who shows no mercy for our putrid bodies in Devoured, hammering his drums and, consequently, our cranial skulls in the name of extreme music; followed by Aftermath Bleeder, leaning towards the more cadenced but absurdly heavy Death Metal blasted by giants like Unleashed, sounding as visceral as it can be. It’s pedal to the metal in the infuriated Only Maggots, offering our avid ears an avalanche of Death Metal riffs and blast beats perfect for some wild headbanging; and I simply love how they add hints of Crust to their core sound like in Put on Your Gasmask, making it even more demented, with Rogga’s roars sounding deep and evil. And there’s just no sign of slowing down or selling off in Hollow, as it’s pure, unfiltered Death Metal where Martin and Matthias’ kitchen sounds like an earthquake of heavy music.
The band then brings forward a mid-tempo, haunting tune titled A Testament to Madness, with Rogga again vomiting the song’s vile words mercilessly; whereas like a rabid creature from the abyss, the quartet comes ripping with Afterworld, where the guitars by Rogga and Dennis exhale hatred and obscurity. The Rotting End is another song where a melodic start morphs into absolute chaos and madness spearheaded by the ruthless beats and fills by Matthias, followed by One Way to the Grave, perhaps the most destructive of all songs (from an already destructive album), with Matthias crushing his drums mercilessly while Rogga barks and roars like a demented beast of Death Metal. Lastly, we’re treated to a new recording of Vanans Makt (a Swedish phrase that translates to “the power of habit”), which appeared on the Compiled Ammunition compilation back in 2020, with guest vocals from Bulten of Swedish Punk Rock band Lastkaj 14, and this new rendition is the perfect example of Death Metal meets Punk Rock.
There’s no intro, no samples, nor anything like that in As Mankind Rots. The album is simply headfirst into riffs and mayhem, offering us all avid metalheads pure Swedish Death Metal magnificence, and you can add such an incendiary album to your private collection by purchasing it from the Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore. You can also start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course stream their ruthless discography on any platform like Spotify. As mankind rots, Paganizer keep blasting our ears with their undisputed blend of old school Death Metal, with their new album perfectly depicting the current state of our rotten and decaying society.
Best moments of the album:As Mankind Rots, Only Maggots and One Way to the Grave.
Worst moments of the album:A Testament to Madness.
Released in 2026 Xtreem Music
Track listing 1. As Mankind Rots 3:15
2. Devoured 3:51
3. Aftermath Bleeder 3:14
4. Only Maggots 3:48
5. Put on Your Gasmask 2:46
6. Hollow 3:23
7. A Testament to Madness 4:32
8. Afterworld 3:53
9. The Rotting End 3:16
10. One Way to the Grave 3:39
11. Vanans Makt 3:38
Band members Rogga Johansson – vocals, guitars
Dennis Blomberg – lead guitars
Martin Klasén – bass
Matthias Fiebig – drums
Behold the first full-length opus by this ruthless Polish entity, offering nine anthemic hymns of destruction for admirers of the darkest side of Death and Thrash Metal.
After the releases of their debut EP The Curse of Ferrius, in 2022, and the live album Resurrection Clarity (Live at 2 Koła ’24), in 2024, Gdańsk, Poland-based Blackened Death/Thrash Metal duo Büddah are ready to crush our frail bodies and souls with their first ever full-length installment, entitled Amyotrophy (a progressive wasting of muscle tissues). Recorded by Damian Bednarski (of Unborn Suffer), produced by the same Damian Bednarski alongside Marcin Skowroński (of Fatigue), who was also responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album, and displaying a killer artwork and layout by vocalist Julian Schutta, the new album by Julian Suchtta on vocals and Marek Gross on vocals, guitars and bass, with the support of session drummer Igor Jażdżewski, takes no prisoners in their quest for extreme, ruthless music, offering nine anthemic hymns of destruction for admirers of the darkest side of Death and Thrash Metal.
The duo wastes no time and kick off their demented festivities with Amyotrophy I, with their devilish gnarls and the ruthless blast beats by Igor sounding absolutely explosive; whereas Bowel Fane presents cryptic, vile words vociferated by the duo (“Awakened in the cryptic maze / Helpless cries shove off the walls / My blind soul tries to find the exit”) amidst a devastating Blackened Thrash Metal sonority. Then they invest in a pure Death Metal sound in Waste of Flesh, with the dirty, slashing riffage by Marek walking hand in hand with their raspy guttural; and a song title like Disfigured Ones reeks of Death Metal, and Julian and Marek make sure the music also lives up to the genre with their demolishing roars and riffs, supported by Igor’s demented drumming. After that, Fiend then presents hints of Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Crust, perfect for slamming into the pit like there’s no tomorrow.
The rumbling bass by Marek ignites another display of undisputed Death Metal in Mouth Full of Bones MMXXV, with the old school beats and fills by Igor adding an even more primeval touch to the song. Then we face the dark, sinister interlude Law of the Snake, setting the stage for Büddah to destroy our senses with Serpent’s Scourge, by far the heaviest of all songs, featuring guest vocalists Damian Bednarski and Łukasz Pieszczyński, and with its cryptic lyrics (“I faced the mask of thousand tongues / with eyes surrounding its mouth / It’s lurking voice crawling under my nails / oviposited on my bearing / On my bearing…”) matching perfectly the sonic savagery blasted by Julian and Igor. Finally, they go full circle with the second “part” of the album title, Amyotrophy II, where Marek does an amazing job with both his riffs and solos, going experimental halfway through it before ending on a melodic, introspective manner.
Julian and Marek need a little less than 40 minutes in Amyotrophy to show the entire world of heavy music that the name Büddah is already a reality, blasting our speakers and melting our faces with their undisputed fusion of extreme music genres and subgenres in the best Polish style imaginable. Furthermore, if you want to show such a hardworking duo your admiration and support, you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their caustic compositions on any available platform such as Spotify, and above all that, purchase their incendiary debut offering from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. Amyotrophy is the strongest effort to date by such an up-and-coming duo hailing from the fires of Poland, and based on the quality of the music found throughout the album, we can rest assured we’ll hear a lot more from them in the foreseeable future.
Best moments of the album:Amyotrophy I, Disfigured Ones and Serpent’s Scourge.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Godz ov War Productions
Track listing 1. Amyotrophy I 5:33
2. Bowel Fane 2:41
3. Waste of Flesh 3:27
4. Disfigured Ones 4:41
5. Fiend 5:11
6. Mouth Full of Bones MMXXV 4:33
7. Law of the Snake 1:34
8. Serpent’s Scourge 4:26
9. Amyotrophy II 6:58
Band members Julian Suchtta – vocals, djembe on “Serpent’s Scourge”
Marek Gross – vocals, guitars, bass, shakers on “Serpent’s Scourge”
Guest musicians
Igor Jażdżewski – drums (session)
Damian Bednarski – vocals on “Serpent’s Scourge”
Łukasz Pieszczyński – vocals on “Serpent’s Scourge”
I’m always on my own… Even in my dreams I die alone… Loneliness is a garment… Made of shadows hanging above…
There’s nothing better than kicking off the short but always freezing cold month of February than with an ultra talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who personifies the underground like our metal lady of this month, setting fire to the atmosphere with her undisputed blend of Extreme Metal. Known for her involvement with some amazing underground bands the likes of Zion Code and Cordiscord Elysium, and more recently for her undisputed solo career, releasing an array of first-class albums, she brings the noise directly from Germany to The Headbanging Moose, taking no prisoners in her quest for heavy music. Her name is Vanessa Funke, and after knowing more about her life and her career, I’m sure you’ll get addicted to her fusion of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal with an overdose of raw emotions and, therefore, feel beyond eager to get caught in a mosh while she kicks some serious ass both in the studio and onstage.
Hailing from Finnentrop, a municipality in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Vanessa said in one of her interviews that music has been all around her basically her entire life, mentioning she remembers hearing the intro to Thin Lizzy‘s version of Whiskey In The Jar as a child and imagining that she would play it herself. “It took a while for me to pick up an instrument though, which was about 2009. I was absolutely fascinated with Mike Oldfield around that time, especially that he can play all those different instruments and basically creates albums almost on his own. That really was the impulse that led me to playing guitar and later keyboards. When I got into metal about two years later, I started to play it myself too.”
She believes the first ever metal song she learned on the guitar was Weather The Storm, by Finnish melodeath masters Insomnium, becoming the rhythm guitarist shortly after for a band named Storm Unleashed, which was basically her first step into the music business, naturally evolving more and more even after she decided to pursue her solo career. Clearly a huge fan of the Melodic Death Metal from the 90’s and 2000’s, she also started incorporating elements from Gothic Metal into her music, giving it even more depth, which consequently allowed her to explore darker emotions in her compositions.
Speaking of her solo career, it all began in 2017 when she started recording a few demos, which only came to light in 2022 as a compilation encompassing those demos from 2017 until 2021. After that, she kept firing her own blend of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal through the 2022 EPs Sorted Out and Broken, followed by the split Ode to Hopelessness (alongside French Depressive Black Metal act Angel of Suicide), her first full-length album Solitude, plus the splits Nothing Left… (with UK-based Black Metal outfit Black Apathy) and Anthems of Gomorrah / Vanessa Funke (with Pinellas County, Florida-based Black/Death Metal horde Anthems of Gomorrah), all also in 2022.
Then in 2023 she released the EP Reflections, the splits Lonely Suicide (with American Atmospheric Black Metal creature Nymphrenia), In the Shadow of the Lights (with a band named Luroga), A Road to Nowhere (with Panama’s own Black Metal entity The Last Weapon), and Barely Living on the Edge… (with the bands Nymphrenia, Black Apathy, Shallow Existence, and Have a Nice Life…), and her sophomore full-length opus entitled Dawn. In 2024, the EP Lament and the full-length Void saw the light of day, while in 2025 she brought into being the split Locomotion of Escape (with a band called Tachanka), and her fourth full-length installment, titled Requiem. All of those releases can be found on BandCamp and on Spotify, and on her official YouTube channel you can also find her official videos for songs such as Worthless, Broken Ground, Infelicity, and I Need You Tonight, among several others. Not only that, her music is also featured in a few interesting compilations, including the songs Solitude on the LDP Smörgåsbord Series #2 (released by Liminal Dread Productions in December 2023), Sorrow on Mind Over Metal 4: Volume 1 (released by Cave Dweller Music in May 2024), Buried on Black Metal Against Blackout (released in January 2024), and Dead Souls on Heavy for the Hollers (released by Liminal Dread Productions in November 2024).
One very interesting fact about her solo albums is that all of them have just one word in the title (Solitude, Dawn, Void, and Requiem), not to mention she keeps an impressive streak of one album per year. “I actually try to keep up the pace with one full length release every year. I’ve written so many songs that I have enough material for at least another album right now and several rough sketches and demos. When I get into this certain creative flow, I try to let it all out. Later I come back to these ideas and refine them. Having just one word as the title wasn’t something I planned. I released an EP called Broken in 2022, after that my first album Solitude followed and I basically just stayed with those one word titles since then. Fun fact: the album title never appears as a song title on the same album, but I do tend to use it later. For example, Solitude is the title of my first album, but also the title of the first song on Requiem,” explained our unstoppable metal diva.
Furthermore, she also explained the reason why the song titles in her latest album Requiem also have just one word, like Useless, Worthless, Sorrow, Death, and Buried, but that doesn’t mean her music should be labeled as Depressive Black Metal. “On this album I came up with the song names before I had the music. I wanted to be inspired by those simple words, like what do I feel when thinking about them and translate that feeling to music. Of course reading those titles can definitely imply something depressive, which is partially true because of the story behind it. But the music isn’t depressive black metal in my opinion, more a mixture between atmospheric black metal and funeral doom. The melodic death and gothic influence isn’t that strong here.”
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Apart form her undisputed solo career, Vanessa is (or was) also part of an interesting music project assembled to celebrate the 36th birthday of Alicia Cordisco (of Arizona’s own Thrash Metal beast Transgressive), with its collaborators spanning countries across three continents, including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The name of such a unique project is Cordiscord Elysium, a Melodic Death and Power Metal outfit with several guest musicians from different underground bands, and that released their debut EP titled Alicia Cordisco’s Amazing Birthday, in 2025, followed by the EP Alicia Cordiscord Autumnal Ball, and the single All Carols are Bangers, both also from 2025, and all available on BandCamp. From all songs recorded so far by the project, the most interesting one is hands down their cover version for Eagle Fly Free, by Helloween.
Prior to flying solo, Vanessa was a member of a Zanesville, Ohio-based Progressive Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore band named Zion Code, taking care of their vocal duties from 2022 to 2024, plus playing guitars, bass and keyboards for the band between 2023 and 2024. Formed in 2021 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Mitchell, the band has already released seven full-length albums and two EPs, with Vanessa being part of the 2023 albums Zion Code and Festung, and the 2024 albums Apocrypha and New Dawn Rising. Curiously enough, nothing is available on BandCamp nor on Spotify anymore for reasons beyond our knowledge. Anyway, apart from recording vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and drums in those albums, Vanessa was also responsible for the production, mixing and mastering, and even the artwork for the 2023 album Festung. I’m curious to listen to Zion Code as I haven’t had a chance yet, but apparently there’s nothing available anywhere, not even unofficial videos uploaded on YouTube by random users.
She can also be found as a guest musician for some very interesting bands and projects. For instance, she recorded vocals for the 2025 album The Burden of I, by Tucson, Arizona’s own Melodic Black/Death Metal musician Alicia Cordisco; vocals for the 2023 single We Can Win, by California-based Avantgarde Black/Power Metal act Black Stag Rising; the dialogue on the song Lebenssinn, from the 2023 EP Die Welt schläft ein, by French Black Metal entity Myrkyttää; additional vocals on the song Remember Me, from the 2025 album Down the Drain, by American Depressive/Atmospheric Black Metal act Nymphrenia; and additional vocals on the song Writhing in Agony I: Reopening Wounds I Have Once Forgotten, from the 2023 EP Writhing in Agony, by UK’s Depressive Black Metal act Shallow Existence. Not only that, Vanessa was also responsible for the artwork for the 2023 album Broken Cleansing and the 2023 EP Afuckt Up Mess, both by American Metalcore/Technical Death Metal act A Karmic Gray, and for the artwork for the 2023 EP Chaos Undivided, by Ohio’s own Death Metal brigade Bloodthirster.
When asked about how she feels having the drum arrangements (as well as the mixing and mastering) done by Michael Easley for her latest album Requiem, she said that it was an exception under her one-woman band project. “I usually do everything myself. This one album is actually the exception. I used a pretty old drum plugin initially, which lacked some human feel. As Michael is a drummer, he offered me to change it a bit and put a bit more life into it, which I gladly accepted. But nothing was done without my approval of course. Also a lot of the music was recorded at a time where my mixing skills weren’t that good. So Michael basically polished it to make it sound similar to my previous albums. For the next album I already have a higher standard I set for myself, so I’m pretty sure right now that if I get it right the way I imagine it, there’s no need for changes afterwards.” Furthermore, she also shared a few words about her writing and composing style. “When I start to write a song, I only have one chords progression or a melody from which I build up the whole song. So most things actually just happen during the recording process. There’s not much planning ahead usually.”
One very interesting thing about her album Requiem is that it is based on her own experiences as a teenager. “If you look at the album in two different sides (songs 1-5 and songs 6-8), there are two different things I wrote about: the first side deals with the feeling of spiraling deeper into depression, while the second side deals with intrusive thoughts. I couldn’t be completely neutral, but I still tried to keep things vague enough so others can find their own story in this. For me personally this story is deeply tied to dysphoria, something that was really strong when I was younger, the fear of coming out and not being able to live as myself. Even if I’ve come a long way since then and it isn’t that bad anymore, I still felt the need to have an outlet for all these emotions.”
Last but not least, Vanessa is not the type of person that’s very active in social media. “I do use Instagram and Bluesky apart from Bandcamp, but generally I’m not that good in this social media game, so my accounts there are definitely not as professional as bands often have them. But I generally don’t feel the need to change that, as it feels more comfortable for me like this,” she commented, and we must all agree she’s doing the right thing. Focusing on her music, on the quality of her final product, is way more important to us listeners than having an active Facebook or Instagram account. And don’t worry, Vanessa, because your music is so good we can take care of the social media posting on your behalf, spreading your emotional music to the four corners of the earth. Because, in the end, that’s what good music is all about.
This uncanny Belarusian Death Metal creature will unleash hell in its third studio opus, offering nine independent compositions united by the idea of searching for inner support in an era of turbulence.
Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum, the Minsk, Belarus-based Technical/Brutal Death Metal entity whose name is usually shortened to simply Eximperitus, has acquired quite some attention not only for their 51-letter long name, but also for their austere, no shenanigans blend of extreme music. Famously secretive, with their members using pseudonyms like Dave 1 (guitars), Dave 2 (bass), Dave 3 (drums), and potentially Dave 4 (vocals), as they intentionally keep their identities hidden, making it nearly impossible to find personal details and, therefore, essentially making them “the Daves” of Belarusian metal, Eximperitus are unleashing upon humanity their third studio album, titled Meritoriousness of Equanimity, following up on their 2021 sophomore Šahrartu. Containing nine independent compositions united by the idea of searching for inner support in an era of turbulence, the album offers an acid exposure and scourging of social dogmas and morbid tendencies on the ruins of the old world, continuing to pave the band’s dark path which started in the already distant year of 2009.
The album couldn’t have started in a more demented mode than with One Step Long Infinity, an avalanche of vile riffs and blast beats not recommended for the lighthearted; followed by Contemplation of the Plastic Fibers of Perfection at the Second Level of Reality, carrying a beautiful name for a feast of Brutal Death Metal magic while also offering our avid ears razor-edged riffs and those evil guttural vocals we all love so much. Then after the whimsical interlude Twelve Centuries of Triumph of the Third Kingdom… we face Finding Consistency in the Fourth Quadrant of Eternity, where their Blood Incantation side blends with their core brutality and their guitar riffs and solos penetrate deep inside our souls; followed by the absolutely mental The Untimely Fruit of the Unsaid, bringing forward more of the band’s austere, visceral fusion of extreme music sounds, not to mention how heavy and groovy their bass and drums feel.
Golden Chains for the Construction of Individual Greatness is another ruthless explosion of their Technical and Brutal Death Metal madness, offering those demented blast beats perfect for some good slamming inside the pit; and after another ethereal, cosmic interlude entitled Molecular Disintegration of an Unattainable Solitary Will in a Vessel of Wisdom…, we’re treated to the venomous Chalkionic Wandering Among the Wreckage of the Future, where their crying guitars clash with their deep guttural in a striking metallic paradox. And before all is said and done, those uncanny Belarusian metallers bring forth Standing at the Skirt of the Ruins of Human Nature (…on the Other Side of Man and Time), an extensive outro that could have been a bit shorter, and maybe even less experimental, but that still puts an otherworldly ending to the album.
“In times when despair overflows human hearts… when the chasm of strife between civilizations widens… when loyalty to ideologies tears blood ties apart… when the world stands still, poised for the final leap of prolonged self-destruction… We can draw strength solely from internal sources, which are filled only by the multifaceted power of Death Metal…,” commented the band, as cryptic as their own members, and you can be part of their unique metal cosmos by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by streaming their sick creations on Spotify, and of course by ordering their demented new album from BandCamp or from Willowtip Records. Because it doesn’t matter if you have no idea how to pronounce Eximperituserqethhzebibšiptugakkathšulweliarzaxułum – those Belarusian death dealers are among us to crush our damned souls with their music, and their newborn spawn Meritoriousness of Equanimity will surely keep their insanity burning for many years to come, darkly reverberating through the fours corners of the earth.
Best moments of the album:Contemplation of the Plastic Fibers of Perfection at the Second Level of Reality, The Untimely Fruit of the Unsaid and Chalkionic Wandering Among the Wreckage of the Future.
Worst moments of the album:Standing at the Skirt of the Ruins of Human Nature (…on the Other Side of Man and Time).
Released in 2026 Willowtip Records
Track listing 1. One Step Long Infinity 2:26
2. Contemplation of the Plastic Fibers of Perfection at the Second Level of Reality 5:05
3. Twelve Centuries of Triumph of the Third Kingdom… 1:24
4. Finding Consistency in the Fourth Quadrant of Eternity 5:13
5. The Untimely Fruit of the Unsaid 5:41
6. Golden Chains for the Construction of Individual Greatness 4:07
7. Molecular Disintegration of an Unattainable Solitary Will in a Vessel of Wisdom… 1:39
8. Chalkionic Wandering Among the Wreckage of the Future 3:29
9. Standing at the Skirt of the Ruins of Human Nature (…on the Other Side of Man and Time) 4:52
Band members Dave 4 – vocals
Dave 1 – guitars
Dave 2 – bass
Dave 3 – drums
Emerging once again from the abyssal depths of the underground, São Paulo, Brazil-based Death/Doom Metal creature Fossilization returns with their sophomore opus entitled Advent of Wounds, a work of sheer ferocity and oppressive gloom, following up on their critically acclaimed 2023 debut Leprous Daylight. Produced by the band’s own vocalist, guitarist and bassist V. (aka Thiago “Vakka” Oliveira of Sludge/Death/Doom Metal band Jupiterian) and guitarist Z. (aka Fernando “Zozi” da Silveira of Thrash Metal band Blackning), engineered by Marcos Cerutti at Hellspass Studio, mixed and mastered by Gabriele Gramaglia at Crepuscular Sound Studio, featuring guest musician F. on drums, and displaying a cadaverous artwork by Chinese artist Guang Yang, Advent of Wounds is a relentless onslaught where its frantic and inexorable rhythms hammer with suffocating intensity, while riffs coil like sepulchral invocations in a maelstrom of death, doom, and blackened chaos highly recommended for fans of Dead Congregation, Krypts, Spectral Voice, and Antaeus.
“From the start, my goal was to make an album even more brutal than Leprous Daylight, from sheer death metal brutality to the miserable melancholy of the doom-laden spirit of early Anathema, Paradise Lost, and early Katatonia. You can also hear many of black metal influences across the record, the opening riff of ‘Disentombed and Reassembled by the Ages’ is a direct nod to one of my all-time favorite bands, Antaeus,” commented V., and you can get in touch with him and his Fossilization via Facebook and Instagram, stream their obscure music on any platform such as Spotify, and of course purchase Advent of Wounds via mailorder or from BandCamp. Bleak, crushing and claustrophobic, Advent of Wounds is a summoning of despair that drags the listener into a chasm where brutality and anguish entwine. A suffocating testament to extremity that confirms Fossilization as one of the most formidable forces in contemporary Death and Doom Metal.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 