Tag Archives: doom metal

Album Review – Drudkh / Thaw EP (2026)

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Ukraine’s own Black Metal entity returns with an introspective three-track EP, continuing to illuminate the path for those who dare to wander, to question, and to dream.

Born from the whispering winds and the brooding landscapes of Ukraine, a realm steeped in history and draped in the enigma of folklore, emerges Drudkh, a beacon of profound expression in the vast expanse of Black Metal. In the wake of their 2025 full-length album Shadow Play (or “Гра тіней” in their mother tongue), the band formed of Thurios on vocals, guitars and keyboards, Roman Saenko on the guitars and bass, Krechet on bass and keyboards, and Vlad on drums and keyboards extends this same creative breath with Thaw, or “Відлига” in Ukrainian, a three-track EP recorded during the album’s sessions and conceived within the same emotional horizon. If the album traced the tension between shadow and illumination, Thaw inhabits the fragile interval between stillness and movement, where change begins almost imperceptibly beneath a frozen surface, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Hate Forest, Windswept, and Agalloch.

The first song of the EP, titled Пам’ять (Memory), already brings to our avid ears the band’s harsh and piercing sounds, with Thurios delivering Stygian vociferations while Roman slashes his guitar and bass in great fashion; followed by the also obscure and harsh tune Десь, колись (Somewhere, Sometime), which begins in an introspective manner before morphing into a feast of Atmospheric Black Metal led by the caustic riffage by Roman. And last but certainly not least, Мить у вічності (A Moment in Eternity) is a full-bodied Black Metal attack by Drudkh, blasting our ears and minds with their devilish roars, scathing riffs and hammering drums while also presenting a good dosage of Doom Metal to give the whole song an even darker vibe, closing the EP on a visceral note.

Drudkh’s journey is one of introspection, seeking to create music that evokes a profound emotional resonance that stirs the depths of the human experience. In Thaw, they continue to illuminate the path for those who dare to wander, to question, and to dream, and you can easily follow such an exciting path by checking what the band is up to on Facebook, by streaming their unique creations on Spotify, and of course by purchasing their new EP from Bandcamp, from Season of Mist, or by clicking HERE. Thaw is a very complex and multi-layered EP, overflowing all types of emotions during its 20 minutes of music, and we can rest assured we’ll hear a lot more from Drudkh in the near future with another blast of excellence like what’s found in their striking new release.

Best moments of the album: Мить у вічності (A Moment in Eternity).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Season of Mist: Underground Activists

Track listing
1. Пам’ять (Memory) 7:07
2. Десь, колись (Somewhere, Sometime) 5:51
3. Мить у вічності (A Moment in Eternity) 7:02

Band members
Thurios – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Roman Saenko – guitars, bass
Krechet – bass, keyboards
Vlad – drums, keyboards

Album Review – Muerto / Eclipsed Realms (2026)

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A Stygian Mexican entity returns with their third album, offering a well-balanced blend of Black Metal with Doom and Post-Metal, with its atmosphere pressing down on the listener like a hand to the throat.

Against the backdrop of harrowing, plaintive music are the hollow echoes of an aggrieved, possessed-sounding woman, adding more malice to the music than anything possibly contrived. Eclipsed Realms, the third studio album by San Juan del Río, Mexico-based Black Metal entity Muerto (the Spanish word for “dead”), is a worthy follow-up to their 2023 sophomore Dust Fire Dust. Displaying a Stygian artwork by Ricardo González, the new opus by Penelope Matamoros on vocals and bass, Juan Mondragon (Necronos, Castleumbra) on the guitars, and Eddel Jared on drums offers a well-balanced blend of Black Metal with Doom and Post-Metal, as well as avantgarde touches, with its atmosphere pressing down on the listener like a hand to the throat, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Amenra, Emptiness, Opera IX, and Deathspell Omega, just to name a few.

Penelope begins distilling her venomous gnarls in Serpentine Echoes, while Juan and Eddel fire a scathing fusion of Black and Death Metal with Post-Metal nuances, sounding chaotic, cryptic and vile from start to finish. Then the minimalist and somber guitars and bass by Juan and Penelope set the tone in Veil of Desolation, evolving into a sluggish beast of Blackened Death and Doom Metal that will haunt your souls for all eternity; followed by Burning Shadows, as acid and visceral as its predecessors, with Penelope once again roaring like a true she-demon while Eddel smashes his drums with zero mercy for anyone who dares to cross his path. He keeps demolishing our putrid bodies in Wilderness, while the strident riffage by Juan couldn’t have sounded more obscure; and in Decay a Post-Black Metal start gradually evolves into a sinister feast of otherworldly sounds, keeping the album as dark and sulfurous as possible. Lastly, get ready for total annihilation with the eight-minute beast entitled Radiance, led by Penelope’s devilish vociferations and the always scorching Black Metal guitar lines by Juan.

Masterfully juggling various emotions in an aura of suffocating darkness, the new offering by Muerto presents a refreshing rawness in a time of overly processed music, and if you want to experience such a thrilling fusion of raw and dark sounds you can purchase the album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store, as well as stream it as many times as you want on any platform like Spotify. Don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with all things Muerto, therefore darkening your minds and souls even more. The music presented by those Mexican metallers in Eclipsed Realms is truly embracing, harsh and hypnotizing, leaving us eager for more of their suffocating sounds in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Serpentine Echoes and Radiance.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Serpentine Echoes 4:46
2. Veil of Desolation 6:48
3. Burning Shadows 4:55
4. Wilderness 4:36
5. Decay 6:31
6. Radiance 8:23

Band members
Penelope Matamoros – vocals, bass
Juan Mondragon – guitars
Eddel Jared – drums

Album Review – Unearthly Rites / Tortural Symphony of the Flesh (2026)

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Delivering filthy, mold-ridden Death Metal, this Finnish brigade explicitly calls for action in defense of nature and the rights of ethnic, gender and sexual minorities in their breathtaking new album.

Delivering filthy, mold-ridden Death Metal deeply rooted in the muddy sewers of the Finnish DIY Punk Rock and Hardcore scene, Finland’s own horde Unearthly Rites is unleashing another slab of raw old school Death Metal, Grindcore, and Crust in their sophomore album, titled Tortural Symphony of the Flesh. Presenting a total meltdown of nature, humanity, and machine, and of transgression, lust and power, the follow-up to their 2024 album Ecdysis advances the band’s crushing riffs and characteristically moldy grimness toward a more malicious and brutal soundscape, documenting the atrocities of capitalist society while also explicitly calling for action in defense of nature and the rights of ethnic, gender and sexual minorities, all masterfully crafted by Sisli (they/them) on vocals, Simo (he/him) and Santtu (he/him) on the guitars, Jennika (she/her) on bass, and Tapio (he/him) on drums.

The opening track Tuonen tulijat, manan menijät, or “those who come here, those who go there” from Finnish, already presents the trademark low-tuned, evil sounds blasted by the band, blending their core sonority with sheer Doom Metal, followed by Sokli Fields Forever / A Radiative Picnic, a primeval form of Death Metal where Sisli’s guttural is not recommended for the lighthearted so demonic it sounds. Simo and Santtu, supported by the rumbling bass by the she-demon Jennika, offer an overdose of wrath and darkness in Solstice, as doomed and vile as it can be; whereas A Stygian Winterscape is an atmospheric interlude that could have been slightly shorter to keep the vibe of the album more incendiary, setting the stage for the band to kill in Tortural Symphony of the Flesh, with Simo and Santtu giving a lecture in insanity with their caustic riffs and sick solos while Sisli keeps barking in the name of darkness.

Ignis fatuus, the elusive blue flames also known as a “Will-o’-the-Wisp” or “corpse-candle,” a glowing atmospheric phenomenon which has a reputation for causing mischief and even death, is the perfect title for a song by Unearhtly Rites, with the music transpiring the mystery and obscurity of that light, and with Tapio crushing his drums like a true beast in a Finnish Grindcore avalanche. Metalli, liha, kone, or “metal, meat, machine,” showcases another killer blend of Death Metal, Grindcore and other demented sounds, with Jennika and Tapio showing no mercy for our damned souls, followed by Absurd Transgression, as chaotic and dissonant as its predecessors, where their piercing guitars exhale hatred supported by Sisli’s deep roars. Then the quick and eerie interlude Not for the Weak warms us up for their coup-de-grace in The Notion of Emerging Totalitarianism, led by Jennika’s thunderous bass, leaving us completely disoriented after all is said and done while Sisli sounds inhumane, demented and furious on vocals once again.

“Tortural Symphony of the Flesh deepens our critique of capitalist oppression as a force that devastates nature through ecocide, erodes minority rights, and promotes conservationist ideology that ultimately reinforces colonialist power. Nature and humanity are inseparably fused in imagery of metal, roots, mud, flesh, and ice, forming a visceral rejection of fossil-industrial society. Queer BDSM lust and the words of William Blake are offered as an antidote to the christofascist trajectory,” commented the band, and you can join them in such an important mission by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their acid music on Spotify, and by purchasing their excellent new album from BandCamp or from Svart Records. Because the unstoppable Unearthly Rites are not just a Death Metal band. Their music has a deep and important message for all of us, metalheads or non-metalheads, and their new album definitely deserves our total attention in our rotten and decaying society.

Best moments of the album: Sokli Fields Forever / A Radiative Picnic, Tortural Symphony of the Flesh and The Notion of Emerging Totalitarianism.

Worst moments of the album: A Stygian Winterscape.

Released in 2026 Svart Records

Track listing
1. Tuonen tulijat, manan menijät 3:33
2. Sokli Fields Forever / A Radiative Picnic 3:33
3. Solstice 4:04
4. A Stygian Winterscape 2:53
5. Tortural Symphony of the Flesh 3:31
6. Ignis fatuus 7:21
7. Metalli, liha, kone 3:32
8. Absurd Transgression 3:48
9. Not for the Weak 0:35
10. The Notion of Emerging Totalitarianism 7:12

Band members
Sisli – vocals
Simo – guitar
Santtu – guitar
Jennika – bass
Tapio – drums

Album Review – Cryptworm / Infectious Pathological Waste (2026)

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A prolific entity hailing from the always visceral and grim UK Death Metal scene returns with their third studio album, pulling the listener into a sea of absolute disgust and violence.

A prolific entity hailing from the always visceral and grim UK Death Metal scene, Bristol, England-based horde Cryptworm is sinking their teeth into us all with their third studio album Infectious Pathological Waste, following up on their 2023 sophomore Oozing Radioactive Vomition while refining their sound to an unstoppable force of blunt-force trauma. Displaying a beyond gory and vile artwork by Skaðvaldur, the new offering by Tibor Hanyi on vocals and guitars, Joss Farrington on bass, and Jamie Wintle on drums pulls the listener into a sea of absolute disgust and violence, as the convulsing spew of guitars and regurgitating vocals flow like molten rot atop a crushing drum performance, being therefore a must-listen for fans of the sickest form of Death Metal.

It’s a morbid feast of gore and violence from the very first second in Gallons of Molten Hominal Goo, with Tibor’s inhumane guttural adding an extra dosage of insanity to their already vile music, whereas Maimed and Gutted lives up to the legacy of Death Metal giants the likes of Cannibal Corpse, with Jamie delivering sheer heaviness and fury through his pounding drums, being therefore perfect for headbanging and slamming nonstop. Their Death Metal machine keeps demolishing everything in their path in Drowning in Purulent Excrementia, with Joss delivering those primeval bass lines we all love in old school extreme music; and it’s time to slow things down an invest in absolute heaviness and groove in Infectious Pathological Waste, a worthy sound to carry the name of the album.

Embedded with Parasitic Larvae brings to our avid ears five minutes of nonstop savagery by the trio, with the scathing riffage by Tibor matching perfectly with the hammering drums by Jamie in a lecture in Death Metal; followed by Emanations of Corporeal Pyosis, flirting with Brutal Death Metal albeit there’s something missing in the final result, like heavier drums or crazier riffs. The trio gets back on track with the infuriated Gastrointestinal Seepage, inviting us all to dive deep into the circle pit like headbanging bastards, all led by another gruesome vocal performance by Tibor, and lastly, we see the band delivering a striking fusion of Death and Doom Metal in Encephalic Feast, ending the album on a gory, disturbing mode not recommended for the lighthearted.

Powerful drum-fills and autopsy-invoking riffs are something this band has seemingly mastered creating, because there is no shortage of this magnificent mutilating music flowing forth from the speakers to maim you in their ruthless new album, and if you want to be smashed by their music you can find the band on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can stay up to date with everything surrounding the band (including their killer live concerts), stream their putrefying creations on any platform such as Spotify, and of course purchase the venomous Infectious Pathological Waste from the Me Saco Un Ojo Records’ BandCamp or webstore (CD or LP). Because this is how primeval Death Metal should be done. Gory, violent, evil, and above all, relentless.

Best moments of the album: Maimed and Gutted, Embedded with Parasitic Larvae and Gastrointestinal Seepage.

Worst moments of the album: Emanations of Corporeal Pyosis.

Released in 2026 Me Saco Un Ojo Records/Extremely Rotten Productions

Track listing
1. Gallons of Molten Hominal Goo 3:06
2. Maimed and Gutted 4:40
3. Drowning in Purulent Excrementia 5:58
4. Infectious Pathological Waste 4:41
5. Embedded with Parasitic Larvae 5:16
6. Emanations of Corporeal Pyosis 2:57
7. Gastrointestinal Seepage 4:09
8. Encephalic Feast 4:36

Band members
Tibor Hanyi – vocals, guitars
Joss Farrington – bass
Jamie Wintle – drums

Album Review – Cenotafio / La Escisión Acausal: Por La Vía Inversa Hacia La Descarnación (2026)

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This stormy and wrathful Black and Death Metal duo reveals themselves as a banner as well as an alliance with their long-awaited, scathing third album.

Hailing from the frontiers of southern Chile in a bloody transfixion that decomposes and darkens the veins of everything created under the stormy and wrathful Black and Death Metal that’s been inoculated all along the last decade, Temuco, Araucania-based entity Cenotafio reveals themselves as a banner as well as an alliance with their long-awaited third album, titled La Escisión Acausal: Por La Vía Inversa Hacia La Descarnación, English for “the acausal cleavage: through the inverted way to the fleshing out,” the follow-up to their 2019 sophomore opus Larvae Tedeum Teratos. Across the 43-minute album’s six tracks, the duo formed of Daniel Hermosilla on vocals, guitars and bass, and Patricio Kusnir on drums and vocals lays bare a supremely sepulchral landscape where genre delineations become irrelevant. Black Metal devours Death Metal, then vice-versa, all while a roiling undercurrent of Doom Metal provides the rhythmic sturm under drang that’s seemingly scattershot but eventually reveals its restless genius.

Atrabilis Taenia Solivm carries a cadaverous name for a song, starting in the most Blackened Doom manner imaginable before exploding into a chaotic blend of Black Metal led by their demonic vociferations and the ruthless drums by Patricio. Speaking of sluggish doom, I love it when a band that’s known for long, doomed songs decides to blast our faces with a sharp and shorter-than-usual tune like Osario, with Daniel delivering an overdose of insanity through his riffs and bass lines, resulting in a song not recommended for the faint at heart. And Nigredo Transfixión keeps the atmosphere as grim and unfriendly as possible, another caustic fusion of Black, Death and Doom Metal by the duo where Patricio steals the spotlight with his demented blast beats.

They continue to darken our minds and thoughts with the bludgeoning Acausal Escisión, presenting a caustic, visceral slab of Blackened Death Metal; and it’s time to enter a pit of deadly snakes in Viperidarium, offering our putrid ears a massive wall of sounds which end up boosting their Mephistophelian guttural to a whole new level of obscurity. And as the icing on their dark cake, we have Orbis Coagula, a multi-layered, evil, Stygian and brutal aria presenting the darkest elements of Doom Metal intertwined with the most vicious Black and Death Metal sounds, with Daniel ‘s riffs sounding absolutely disturbing and evil until the song’s climatic, vile end, sending shivers down our spines.

After immersing yourself into the dark and doomed waters of La Escisión Acausal: Por La Vía Inversa Hacia La Descarnación, you’ll quickly notice the wait for a new album by Chile’s monster Cenotafio was absolutely worth it. Buried under miles of Blackened Death and Doom Metal ash, the duo sounds on fire from start to finish, and if you want to show them your utmost support you can find those talented musicians on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their caustic music on Spotify, and purchase their sulfurous new album from their own BandCamp or from the Demoniac Productions’ BandCamp. Cenotafio are among us to spread sheer obscurity, blackening their Death Metal sounds while also turning their Black Metal vein even deadlier, with La Escisión Acausal: Por La Vía Inversa Hacia La Descarnación embracing us all in absolute darkness.

Best moments of the album: Osario and Orbis Coagula.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Demoniac Productions

Track listing
1. Atrabilis Taenia Solivm 8:47
2. Osario 5:11
3. Nigredo Transfixión 7:30
4. Acausal Escisión 5:58
5. Viperidarium 5:13
6. Orbis Coagula 10:17

Band members
Daniel Hermosilla – vocals, guitars, bass
Patricio Kusnir – drums, vocals

Guest musician
Jimmy Henríquez – bass (live)

Album Review – Foetorem / Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot (2026)

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Erupting from the depths of Denmark with a new onslaught of putrid Death and Doom Metal, this ruthless creature will unleash hell armed with their debut full-length offering.

Erupting from the depths of Kolding, Denmark with a new onslaught of putrid Death and Doom Metal, sounding heavier, darker and more merciless than before with riffs dripping decay, drums pounding like collapsing stone and vocals dredged from the deepest rot, the ruthless creature known as Foetorem (which translates to “stench of decay”) is unleashing hell with their debut full-length opus, poetically titled Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot. Recorded, mixed and produced by the band’s own Daniel Farre and Claus Andersen, mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, and displaying a sinister artwork by N. Zuki of Belial NecroArts, with logo by Giancarlo Melgar and layout by Alice Mingotti and Giorgio Spewo, the newborn spawn by the aforementioned Claus Andersen and Daniel Farre on vocals and guitars, alongside Ric Broe Goldschmidt on bass and Geistaz on drums, spews psalms of death that drag the listener into miasmic landscapes, conjuring abhorrent visions of human ruination, becoming a must-listen for fans of Spectral Voice, Krypts, Mortiferum, and Hooded Menace, just to name a few.

The quartet shows no mercy for our putrid bodies and kick off their soul devouring feast with Reeks of Moldy Guts, where the vocals by Claus and Daniel are absolutely haunting from start to finish, and their violent Death Metal vein explodes in Escalating Rot, led by the caustic riffage by Claus and Daniel while Geistaz sounds like a stone crusher on drums. In Oozing With Pustulent Fluids the sound is just as carnivorous as the title, with the menacing bass by Ric walking hand in hand with another ruthless drumming by Geistaz in a lecture in extreme music made in the beautiful Denmark; followed by Mors Viaturis – the Death Traveler, perhaps the most Doom Metal of all songs, as sluggish and grim as it can be albeit a bit tiresome in the end.

Then after the cryptic interlude Grotesque Decomposition we face a wall of brutality and hatred in the form of Rebirth in Morbid Disgust, alternating between the sheer savagery of Death Metal and the gloomy heaviness of Doom Metal, all spiced up by another cadaverous vocal performance by Claus and Daniel. After that, it’s time for the skies to go pitch black to the sound of Tapestries of Misery, offering total doom annihilation to our putrid ears while Geistaz dictates the pace with his devilish beats. Claus, Daniel and Ric’s stringed attack bring forward their most deranged, metallic and thunderous sounds in Decay of the Flesh, sounding brutal and relentless from start to finish, followed by Peeled Face Mask, presenting one last blast of their ass-kicking hybrid of Death and Doom Metal, and leaving us completely disoriented after all is said and done.

A suffocating surge of filth sharpened into pure ruin, showcasing no light, no hope, only the stench of inevitable collapse rising, Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot can be purchased via mailorder or BandCamp, and you can also join Foetorem in absolute darkness on Facebook and on Instagram, and stream their obscure music on any platform like Spotify. Foetorem stand on the verge of their most defining chapter yet, promising to expand their oppressive sonic palette, delving deeper into the putrid atmospheres and melodic decay that have become their signature, and if you nurture a deep passion for extreme music, you’re certainly in for a treat.

Best moments of the album: Escalating Rot, Rebirth in Morbid Disgust and Decay of the Flesh.

Worst moments of the album: Mors Viaturis – the Death Traveler.

Released in 2026 Everlasting Spew Records

Track listing
1. Reeks of Moldy Guts 5:13
2. Escalating Rot 4:44
3. Oozing With Pustulent Fluids 4:26
4. Mors Viaturis – the Death Traveler 5:35
5. Grotesque Decomposition 0:31
6. Rebirth in Morbid Disgust 5:15
7. Tapestries of Misery 5:10
8. Decay of the Flesh 3:55
9. Peeled Face Mask 5:38

Band members
Claus Andersen – vocals, guitars
Daniel Farre – vocals, guitars
Ric Broe Goldschmidt – bass
Geistaz – drums

Album Review – Defacing God / Darkness Is My Crown (2026)

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These Symphonic Black Metal visionaries are back with their stunning sophomore opus, this time with a strong focus on inner conflict, loss, transformation and resilience.

After the more-than-positive feedback received with the release of their 2022 breathtaking debut The Resurrection of Lilith, Aalborg, Denmark-based Symphonic Black/Gothic Metal visionaries Defacing God return from the underworld with their most personal and intense album to date, titled Darkness Is My Crown. Mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studios, and showcasing a visceral artwork by Leoncio Hrmr (capturing the darker, more intense, and complex atmosphere developed for the album), the newborn spawn by frontwoman Sandie “The Lilith” Gjørtz and her horde formed of guitarists Jakob Batten and Christian Snapholt Nielsen, bassist Rasmus “Kalke” Munch Nielsen, and drummer Michael Olsson sees the band once again fuse Blackened Death Metal, symphonic darkness and occult atmosphere, this time with a strong focus on inner conflict, loss, transformation and resilience, an unfiltered reflection of confronting darkness head-on and reshaping it into strength, identity and purpose.

An ominous intro drags us all to the Stygian lair ruled by The Lilith and her henchmen in Nocturnal Vestige, sounding and feeling very melodic, harsh and piercing, with Jakob and Christian firing their scathing riffs nonstop. Malediction Manor already kicks off in full force to the hammering drums by Michael, evolving into a bestial display of Symphonic Black Metal for the delight of all fans of the darkest side of music; whereas in It Comes at Night the band slows things down and brings to our avid ears an overdose of dark sounds led by the devilish guitars by Jakob and Christian. Then offering another cryptic intro we face I See Shadows, evolving into a headbanging, grim aria blending Black and Doom Metal in a compelling way, followed by Nefarious Enclave, one of the most venomous songs of their career, an onrush of Black Metal sounds with a rebellious thrashing twist where The Lilith roars and barks like a she-demon unleashed into humanity and avid for blood.

The second part of the album begins with the absolutely obscure Hymns of the Memoir, sounding like a devilish ceremony led by the vile vociferations by The Lilith, therefore getting us ready for the Symphonic Black Metal beast entitled There Is No Light, where its background keys add an extra touch of epicness to their sound while Rasmus and Michael bring the groove armed with their respective bass and drums. Your Presence Lingers Here, one of the first singles released, follows a similar pattern as the previous song but with more enraged riffs and the utterly venomous roars by The Lilith; and the album keeps its imposing, bold and dense atmosphere flowing in Transition, with their guitars and drums walking hand in hand with its once again killer background keys, offering different layers and nuances until its excellent finale. Lastly, the icing on the cake comes in the form of the blasphemous, visceral The Last Revelation, where The Lilith leads her vicious horde in another metallic journey through the lands of modern-day Symphonic Black Metal.

Defacing God are on another level after the release of Darkness Is My Crown. They not only sound heavy, dark and relentless, but the message behind their music has tons of depth, multiple layers, and a sense of hope during such difficult times to basically everyone alive. Sandie and the boys deserve our total admiration and recognition for their efforts to make our dark world a better place through their Black Metal magic, and we can all see what they’re up to on Facebook and on Instagram, including their undisputed tour dates, and don’t forget to also stream their music on Spotify, and to put your damned hands on their new album from their own BandCamp or by clicking HERE. From darkness they’ve arisen, and in darkness they’re now crowned the new torchbearers of Symphonic Black Metal.

Best moments of the album: Malediction Manor, Nefarious Enclave, Your Presence Lingers Here and The Last Revelation.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Apostasy Records

Track listing
1. Nocturnal Vestige 4:29
2. Malediction Manor 3:11
3. It Comes at Night 3:54
4. I See Shadows 3:56
5. Nefarious Enclave 3:25
6. Hymns of the Memoir 3:51
7. There Is No Light 3:40
8. Your Presence Lingers Here 4:08
9. Transition 4:28
10. The Last Revelation 3:33

Band members
Sandie “The Lilith” Gjørtz – vocals
Jakob Batten – lead guitars
Christian Snapholt Nielsen – rhythm guitars
Rasmus “Kalke” Munch Nielsen – bass
Michael Olsson – drums

Album Review – Putred / Blestemul Din Adânc (2026)

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Delivering slow-decaying, putrid Death Metal with a raw and rotting intensity, this Romanian entity will spread “the Curse of the Deep” with their ruthless new opus.

Delivering slow-decaying, putrid Death Metal with a raw and rotting intensity since their inception back in 2020, Transylvania, Romania’s own zombie horde Putred returns from the grave with their third full-length opus, titled Blestemul Din Adânc, or “the curse of the deep” from Romanian. Recorded and mixed by the band’s own Uriel Aguillon at Natorum Demonto Studio, mastered by Gabbi at Spatial Mastering Studios, and displaying a cadaverous artwork by Colombian artist Julian Mortuus, the follow-up to their 2025 devastating sophomore Megalit al putrefac​ț​iei sees the band currently formed of Filip Garlonta on vocals, Uriel Aguillon and Denis Bucur on the guitars, Corina Elena on bass, and Andrei “Ficus” Orha on drums take the brutality of their rotten sound to a whole new level, placing them as a must-see name of the current European Death Metal scene.

The cryptic intro Pandemonium is a very relaxing and soothing one despite its name, like the calm before the storm that’s about to come in Sfâșiat… Stigmatizat (“torn… stigmatized”), a doom-soaked Death Metal aria where Filip’s deep, inhumane guttural guides the listener to the pits of the underworld, followed by the haunting title-track Blestemul din Adânc, offering an avalanche of cold, visceral Death Metal in the vein of the mighty Frozen Soul. Corina and Ficus hammer their respective bass and drums in Întâlnirea Mortală (“the deadly encounter”), keeping the atmosphere as dense and evil as possible, whereas Cripta Vrăjilor (“the crypt of spells”) sounds and feels groovy, evil and heavy-as-hell, with the venomous vociferations by Filip matching perfectly with the riffs and solos by Uriel and Denis.

Then a very poetic name and a sinister start warns us all of the Death and Doom Metal beast that’s rising from the underworld in Devorat de Întuneric (“devoured by darkness”), offering a massive wall of aggressive sounds by the band, whereas a demented scream by Filip ignite the also doomed and vile Groapa Oaselor (“the pit of bones”), with Ficus crushing our souls with his demonic beats. Uriel and Denis’ riffage then rev up the band’s deadly engine in Catacombe Sângerii (“the catacombs of blood”), a lecture in primeval Death Metal for diehard fans of the style. Ultimul Clopot (“the last bell”), the last original song of the album, reeks of putrid Death Metal, led by the rumbling kitchen by Corina and Ficus, also showcasing those demented solos we love in this type of music; and lastly, we face their cover version for Benediction’s Subconscious Terror, from their 1990 classic Subconscious Terror (check the original version HERE), as visceral and inhumane as the original, and certainly not recommended for the lighthearted.

Always forging sacred walls of sound built on decaying guitars and guttural vocals steeped in decomposition and ruin, Putred are on absolute fire (and sulfur) in their breathtaking new album Blestemul Din Adânc, a suffocating overdose of doom-infused Death Metal tailored for admirers of the darkest and heaviest form of extreme music. Even if you don’t speak any Romanian at all, you’ll have an excellent time listening to Blestemul Din Adânc, and you can show the band your total support by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their demonic creations on Spotify or any other platform, and of course, by purchasing their infernal new opus from their own BandCamp, as well as from the Awakening Records’ BandCamp or Big Cartel. In the end, “the Curse of the Deep” is upon us all, and there’s nowhere to run nor hide from the bludgeoning blend of Death Metal by these Romanian marauders.

Best moments of the album: Blestemul din Adânc, Cripta Vrăjilor and Catacombe Sângerii.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Futhark Records/Awakening Records/Iron Forest Records

Track listing
1. Pandemonium (intro) 1:45
2. Sfâșiat… Stigmatizat 5:16
3. Blestemul din Adânc 4:55
4. Întâlnirea Mortală 4:42
5. Cripta Vrăjilor 3:11
6. Devorat de Întuneric 3:50
7. Groapa Oaselor 4:18
8. Catacombe Sângerii 3:25
9. Ultimul Clopot 4:37
10. Subconscious Terror (Benediction cover) 3:40

Band members
Filip Garlonta – vocals
Uriel Aguillon – guitars, vocals on “Subconscious Terror”
Denis Bucur – guitars, everything in “Pandemonium”
Corina Elena – bass
Andrei “Ficus” Orha – drums

Album Review – Qwälen / Veri Virtaa Edelleen (2026)

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This ruthless Finnish Black Metal horde returns with their third opus, delving into the rottenness of human reality, the abolition of kings and gods, and the bleak, habitual cycle of fraternal violence.

Blood continues to flow as Veri Virtaa Edelleen (or “the blood still flows” in English), the third statement by Oulu, Finland-based Black Metal horde Qwälen, delves into the rottenness of human reality, the abolition of kings and gods, and the bleak, habitual cycle of fraternal violence, concepts that mean nothing to the band, and yet embody everything they express. Tracked and mixed by Mikael Neves at Waiting Room Recording Studio, mastered by  Jack Control at Enormous Door, and with a sinister artwork and layout by the always formidable Jussi Pohjanen, the new beast by vocalist Eetu Viita, guitarists Samuli Similä and Antti Kannisto, bassist Ville Jylhä, and drummer Henri Kaarre fully embraces the decay of human reality, turning it into a must-listen for fans of the genre.

The melodic guitars by Samuli and Antti ignite the band’s darkened feast in Hunnutettu maa (“the veiled land” from Finnish), before all hell breaks loose to the demented vociferations by Eetu, whereas Matala hauta huutaa (“the shallow grave screams”) sounds absolutely mental form start to finish, presenting a beyond demonic performance by Henri behind his drums. Eerie sounds ignite the just as dark Kahleet (“the shackles”), venturing through Doom Metal lands while keeping the band’s Black Metal core intact; and Henri then invites us all to slam into the pit in Uusi nahka (“new skin”), where Eetu’s infernal vociferations will penetrate deep inside your skin in the name of violent, no shenanigans extreme music.

The band still has a lot of fuel to burn in Veri Virtaa Edelleen, and Kiviä ja luita (“stones and bones”) is a great example of how they can sound modern yet rooted in classic Black Metal, offering a high dosage of Black N’ Roll led by Henri’s striking beats and fills. Then back to a more traditional Black Metal sonority we have Pirujen illallinen (“the devils’ dinner”), with Samuli and Antti once again firing their trademark scorching riffs nonstop; followed by Veri vastaa (“blood answers”), which takes a bit too long to properly kick off, and it doesn’t offer anything truly outstanding in the end despite the band’s efforts. Fortunately, their last breath of demented Black Metal comes in the form of Kuolleet jumalat (“dead gods”), where Henri sounds out of control on drums, providing Eetu with exactly what he needs to gnarl like a creature from the underworld.

Gods live only if we allow them. Death becomes the final insult, the ultimate raised middle finger when all is reduced to rocks and bones – the black serpent within, the black flame of rebellion, and it’s that exact serpent who becomes the centerpoint in Veri Virtaa Edelleen. You can find more details about those Finnish black metallers on Facebook and on Instagram, including their sulfurous live performances, stream their creations on any platform like Spotify, and of course put your damned hands on their new offering by purchasing it from BandCamp or from Time To Kill Records. Because, in the end, Qwälen are exposing the nasty truth about humanity in their newborn opus, and there’s no escape from such a harsh reality. Hail Satan. Blood continues to flow.

Best moments of the album: Matala hauta huutaa, Uusi nahka and Kiviä ja luita.

Worst moments of the album: Veri vastaa.

Released in 2026 Time To Kill Records

Track listing
1. Hunnutettu maa 5:21
2. Matala hauta huutaa 5:00
3. Kahleet 7:19
4. Uusi nahka 3:31
5. Kiviä ja luita 5:17
6. Pirujen illallinen 5:44
7. Veri vastaa 5:48
8. Kuolleet jumalat 6:57

Band members
Eetu Viita -vocals
Samuli Similä – guitars, backing vocals
Antti Kannisto – guitars, backing vocals
Ville Jylhä – bass
Henri Kaarre – drums

Album Review – Olhava / Memorial (2026)

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This unstoppable Russian Blackgaze duo is back with their sixth studio album, moving through remembrance toward letting go and acceptance, a quiet reconciliation with what cannot be carried further.

After the burning, there is stillness. Continuing the path opened by their 2024 opus Sacrifice, Saint Petersburg, Russia’s own Atmospheric/Post-Black Metal/Blackgaze duo Olhava is back with their sixth studio album, entitled Memorial. Produced, mixed and mastered by Mikhail Kurochkin, and displaying a darkly captivating artwork by Margot Makletsova, the new offering by Andrey Novozhilov on vocals, guitars, bass and synthesizers, and Timur Yusupov on drums moves through remembrance toward letting go and acceptance, a quiet reconciliation with what cannot be carried further, a shared human state shaped by loss, exhaustion, love, and the fragile will to endure.

The first of the “Ageless River” instrumental tracks, Ageless River X, is a Blackgaze beast that goes on for almost five minutes, hypnotizing us all before we face After I’m Gone and its 14 minutes of atmospheric passages, blackened sounds and the anguished roars by Andrey, while Timur simply crushes his drums in the name of extreme music. Moreover, it completely switches from its core ferocity to a more ethereal sound halfway through it. When the Ashes Grow Cold, featuring a guest “screwdriver solo” (or whatever that is) by Artyom Selyugin (of bands like Show Me A Dinosaur, Somn, and hopeyouwell), is a multi-layered, otherworldly composition that lasts for over 20 minutes for our absolute delight, with its whimsical passages exploding into another round of the duo’s majestic dark music.

Then we have the next Blackgaze instrumental piece, Ageless River XI, heavier and more obscure, as if warning us all about the storm that’s about to begin in the title-track Memorial, where Andrey’s enfolding synths clash with his visceral vocalizations and the Doom Metal drums by Timur, evolving into a full-bodied beast of Post-Black Metal where the anguish flowing from Andrey’s roars is outstanding. Ageless River XII is maybe a bit too long for such a monotone sound, albeit it still builds the ambience for The River Wakes, where their Post-Black Metal vein pulses harder than ever without forgetting their Atmospheric Black Metal essence, and the result is simply superb, with its second half exhaling anger and despair from Andrey’s vociferations. And all comes to an end with Ageless River XIII, the last Blackgaze composition, putting a beyond climatic, eerie and suffocating finale to the album.

Dedicated to more than one loss, Memorial holds space for the dead, for love that has outlived itself, for time that cannot be returned, for friends forced to flee, and for selves left behind. Hence, you can get in touch with the duo and let their music embrace you by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing Memorial from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp, from Sound Cave, or by clicking HERE or HERE. Memorial offers Olhava’s sonic representation of countless dark emotions like loss, exhaustion, and love, touching deep inside our hearts and souls while speaking the language of atmospheric, melancholic and visceral heavy music.

Best moments of the album: After I’m Gone, When the Ashes Grow Cold and The River Wakes.

Worst moments of the album: Ageless River XII.

Released in 2026 Avantgarde Music

Track listing
1. Ageless River X 4:56
2. After I’m Gone 14:16
3. When the Ashes Grow Cold 20:21
4. Ageless River XI 5:33
5. Memorial 13:24
6. Ageless River XII 6:33
7. The River Wakes 7:29
8. Ageless River XIII 5:46

Band members
Andrey Novozhilov – vocals, guitars, bass, synthesizers
Timur Yusupov – drums

Guest musician
Artyom Selyugin – screwdriver solo “When the Ashes Grow Cold”