Tag Archives: doom metal

Album Review – Vermilia / Karsikko (2025)

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Let your soul wander through the forest to the sound of the stunning third full-length offering by this one-woman Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal entity from Finland.

In the Finnic religion, a “karsikko” was a set of markings made on a tree somewhere between a deceased person’s home and the burial site, which was believed to prevent the individual’s spirit from coming back. In heavy music, Karsikko is the stunning third full-length offering by one-woman Atmospheric Pagan/Black Metal entity Vermilia, following up on her 2018 critically acclaimed debut Kätkyt and her also amazing 2022 opus Ruska. Since 2017, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vermilia has been playing a beautiful hybrid of Epic Pagan Metal and sweet, raw and melancholic vocal harmonies with lyrics in her native language, and in Karsikko she has outdone herself with her strongest effort to date, a charming yet visceral album that lives up to the legacy of extreme music while at the same time it pays homage to her beautiful culture and roots.

The charming piano by Vermilia kicks off the dancing Pagan Black Metal title-track Karsikko, with her powerful, penetrating vocals matching perfectly with the song’s stunning wall of sounds. Vakat is the name of a traditional Finnish pagan festival, and that’s exactly what we get from Vermilia in this excellent song, perfect for dancing around the fire and raising our horns high in the sky. Then we have Kivutar, a Finnish goddess of pain and suffering whose name translates to “Lady of Pain”; musically speaking, Vermilia once again delivers an overdose of blast beats, scorching Black Metal riffs, and her fusion of clean vocals and harsh roars. And her classic drums and whimsical keys set the tone in Suruhymni, or “an anthem of mourning” from Finnish, embracing us in pitch black darkness in the middle of the forests of Finland.

Then the atmospheric, enfolding sounds crafted by Vermilia will penetrate deep inside your soul in Koti, or “home”, offering us all a well-balanced fusion of Black and Pagan Metal while again presenting her hypnotizing vocalizations; and in Veresi, or “your blood”, the name of the song says it all, demanding a heavier, more visceral sonority, and our lone she-wolf brings it while also sounding haunting thanks to her Doom Metal-inspired riffs and beats, presenting a fantastic rhythm, crisp instrumental and spot-on vocal lines. In Talven Jälkeen, or “after the winter”, we’re treated to more of her hybrid of harsh sounds and whimsical, embracing passages, with her work on the guitars and drums sounding utterly vibrant. Lastly, Vermilia ends the album on a high note with the dark and heavy Kansojen Kaipuu, or “the longing of nations”, where she gnarls like a creature of the forest for our total delight amidst sounds of pure Atmospheric Black Metal magic.

You can experience Karsikko in all of its glory on YouTube, on Spotify, or on any other streaming service, but of course in order to support the beyond talented Vermilia you can purchase her newborn beast from her own BandCamp or webstore, or by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to join her pagan festivities by following her on Facebook and on Instagram (including her unique, mesmerizing live performances), and by subscribing to her official YouTube channel, letting her fascinating music penetrate deep inside your mind, as your soul wanders freely through the darkly peaceful forests of her homeland. Karsikko is one of those albums that gradually takes over your spirit with each and every listen, a precious gem of the underground that will surely feature among the best albums of the year, inspiring Vermilia to continue her amazing path of Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal for many years to come, as her connection with her pagan roots get stronger and stronger with each album released.

Best moments of the album: Karsikko, Suruhymni, Veresi and Kansojen Kaipuu.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Karsikko 4:44
2. Vakat 7:07
3. Kivutar 4:32
4. Suruhymni 5:08
5. Koti 3:28
6. Veresi 6:39
7. Talven Jälkeen 3:46
8. Kansojen Kaipuu 6:01

Band members
Vermilia – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Grey Mountain / Grey Mountain (2025)

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A transatlantic metal project featuring members of several renowned acts strikes with their debut offering, a crushing fusion of Heavy, Death and Doom Metal with Post-Metal and other discordant influences.

A transatlantic metal project featuring members of Monsterworks, Bull Elephant, Construct of Lethe, and Black Harvest, Grey Mountain are unleashing upon us their self-titled debut opus, offering our avid ears a crushing fusion of styles from Heavy, Death and Doom Metal to Post-Metal and other discordant influences. Recorded by the band itself, mixed by vocalist and guitarist Jon Higgs (Thūn, Moose Cult), mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound, and displaying a stylish artwork by guitarist and bassist Kishor Haulenbeek (Black Harvest, Construct of Lethe, In Human Form), the debut album by the aforementioned Jon and Kishor, alongside drummer James Garnett (Monsterworks), will hit you right in the jugular without a single drop of mercy, proving those three talented musicians are not fooling around with their new partnership.

The minimalist guitar lines by Jon and Kishor and the sluggish beats by James set the tone in Grey Mountain, offering a sharp fusion of Doom and Post-Black Metal, or in other words, the music couldn’t have represented better the name of the song (and also of the band). Perpetual Imbalance might be shorter in duration, but it’s as harsh and visceral as the opening track, with James hammering his drums in the name of modern-day Sludge Metal; followed by A Universal Evil, another melodic yet grim creation by the trio, offering a dynamic guitar duel between Jon and Kishor, being therefore perfect for breaking your neck headbanging. Then presenting a pure Post-Metal sonority we have Hermitage, with Jon’s anguished roars sounding beautifully haunting; whereas Many Shades, A Storm starts in a more introspective, serene manner before evolving into a not-so-exciting Post-Metal feast led by James’ classic beats. It’s time for the trio to crush their instruments in Decline and Fall, with Jon roaring like a beast amidst a modern-day fusion of Post-Metal with Doom and Sludge Metal, and the band fires one last breath of heavy and melodic sounds in the form of Living Mythology, with their riffs and solos sounding caustic and piercing until the very end.

Having already a second album planned in a not-so-distant future, Grey Mountain deliver an overdose of heaviness in their self-titled debut offering, which you can purchase from Ampwall or from BandCamp. Also ,although the band itself doesn’t have any official social media yet, you can get more details about the whole project as well as other projects from Jon’s Instagram, and who knows, maybe sooner than we can say “metal” we’ll see those guys hitting the stage together as Grey Mountain. Based on the quality of the music found in their debut, I think we all agree we need that to happen.

Best moments of the album: Grey Mountain, Hermitage and Living Mythology.

Worst moments of the album: Many Shades, A Storm.

Released in 2025 Eat Lead and Die Music

Track listing
1. Grey Mountain 6:39
2. Perpetual Imbalance 3:39
3. A Universal Evil 7:27
4. Hermitage 6:35
5. Many Shades, A Storm 4:30
6. Decline and Fall 3:52
7. Living Mythology 5:48

Band members
Jon Higgs – guitars, vocals
Kishor Haulenbeek – guitar, bass, vocals
James Garnett – drums

Album Review – Usquam / Ex Nihilo (2025)

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One of the most promising hordes hailing from France attacks with a beyond stunning fusion of Black, Death, Doom and Post-Metal, exploring the depths of the human soul.

Since their inception back in 2018, Paris, France-based horde Usquam (also stylized in capital letters as USQUAM, a Latin adverb that means “anywhere” or “in any place”) has been shaping their own version of “blackened metal music” by combining Black, Death, Doom and Post-Metal, always with endless violence and melancholy. Now in 2025 the band formed of newcomer Jessy “Christ” Vignolle on vocals alongside guitarists Etienne “Eithenn” Gonin and Jonathan “Draugr”, and bassist Alain “Alwan” Nicolle has just unleashed upon us their first full-length opus, entitled Ex Nihilo, following up on their 2021 EP Reborn. Produced, mixed and mastered by Fred Gervais at Studio Henosis, the album showcases a central concept related to the ”Primordial Tradition”, a fundamental human experience that some believe contains all truths of all religions. Add to that the fact their lyrics explore the depths of the human soul in French, English and Latin, and there you have a bold, dense, detailed and captivating album of extreme music that’s at the same time meaningful and haunting.

Altar Ego sounds utterly atmospheric and enfolding from the very first second, with the band’s Post-Black Metal vein pulsing majestically, led by the deep, anguished roars by Jessy; whereas Etienne and Jonathan sound inhumane armed with their caustic riffs in Axis Mundi, offering us all a crushing, scorching fusion of Black and Death Metal. Then we’re treated to Athanor with its over six minutes of absolute darkness, sending shivers down our spines in the best Blackened Death Metal way possible while Alain pounds his bass with endless fury and dexterity; and a sinister, ritualistic intro explodes into an overdose of violence and obscurity led by the demented harsh screams by Jessy in Ego Sum (Qui Sum), while Alain once again destroys his bass, all spiced up by a striking solo by Etienne. And investing in a more lugubrious Doom Metal sonority we have Arcana Nox, with the cryptic sounds of Post-Black Metal adding a welcome extra dosage of heaviness to the overall result.

Their venomous sounds keep permeating the air in Egocide, with its more symphonic background enhancing its epicness, all while Jessy continue to growl like a true she-demon, followed by the thunderous The Mast, the most complex, intricate and multi-layered of all songs, a lecture in Blackened Death, Doom and Post-Metal with a melancholic, atmospheric start morphing into a pulverizing attack by the band. Moreover, whoever played drums in this album is indeed a headbanging beast. There’s still time for another melodic yet vile creation by Usquam titled Symbol, with the metallic, in-your-face bass lines by Alain hitting our cranial skulls mercilessly, and closing the album it’s time for a full Post-Black Metal aria entitled Persévérance, a majestic composition where Jessy sounds so anguished and desperate on vocals it’s beautiful and disturbing at the same time.

A melodic, symphonic and modern feast of Black Metal embraced by careful arrangements in which spirituality and philosophy are expressed, Ex Nihilo will certainly appeal to fans of bands the likes of Naglfar, Dimmu Borgir, Dark Funeral, and Gaerea, among many others, positioning Usquam as a force to be reckoned with in the underworld of extreme music. You can enjoy Ex Nihilo in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, as well as on other streaming platforms, get to know more about such a unique band of the French scene by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and of course purchase a copy of this precious gem of heavy music from the Source Atone Records’ webstore as a digipak CD + booklet or as a very special digipak CD + booklet + shirt combo (or simply click HERE for all things Usquam). “Ex nihilo” is a Latin phrase meaning “out of nothing”, referring to “creatio ex nihilo”, the belief that matter is not eternal, but had to be divinely created; having said that, what are you waiting for to join one of the most promising names of the metal scene worldwide in their metallic studies of the human soul?

Best moments of the album: Axis Mundi, Ego Sum (Qui Sum), The Mast and Persévérance.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Source Atone Records

Track listing
1. Altar Ego 5:07
2. Axis Mundi 4:32
3. Athanor 6:06
4. Ego Sum (Qui Sum) 3:28
5. Arcana Nox 4:19
6. Egocide 3:04
7. The Mast 5:31
8. Symbol 4:20
9. Persévérance 5:38

Band members
Jessy “Christ” Vignolle – vocals
Etienne “Eithenn” Gonin – lead guitars
Jonathan “Draugr” – guitars
Alain “Alwan” Nicolle – bass

Album Review – Damon Systema / Ate (2025)

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Behold the debut offering by this Hellenic Melodic Dark Metal beast, drawing inspiration from the ancient Greek cycle of Hybris, Ate, Nemesis, and Tisis.

A Melodic Dark Metal band formed in 2009 in Athens, Greece by guitarist Akis Pastras, but that remained dormant until 2020, Damon Systema are unleashing upon humanity their first ever sonic offering, simply titled Ate. Produced, recorded, and mixed by Akis Pastras at 3rDi Lab-Station, mastered by George Nerantzis, and displaying a stunning artwork by Okim Tulal, the debut album by Ruby Bouziotis and Nick Vlachakis on vocals, Akis Pastras on the guitars and bass, and The Goat on drums offers a striking fusion of Progressive Death, Doom and Heavy Metal, drawing inspiration from the ancient Greek cycle of Hybris, Ate, Nemesis, and Tisis, exploring the timeless themes of pride, calamity, divine punishment, and ultimate reckoning, being highly recommended for fans of The Agonist, Arch Enemy, Aephanemer, Aversed, and Dark Oath, among others.

The sinister guitars lines by Akis kick off the eight minute extravaganza titled Moirae, a song about the inescapable grip of destiny, with the harsh roars by Nick creating a visceral paradox with Ruby’s hypnotizing clean vocals. Then The Goat takes the lead with his pounding drums in Lady Discordia, an incendiary, headbanging metal feast mirroring the strife and turmoil sown by the goddess of discord, where Ruby shines once again with her striking vocals; followed by Harvest of Tears, which channels the lament of Aeschylus’ The Persians, with devastating crescendos capturing the weight of loss and where once again Akis slashes his stringed axe in great fashion, offering a flammable fusion of Melodic Death Metal with Doom and Gothic Metal elements.

Akis then brings the groove armed with his bass in the title-track Ate, embodying the blinding madness inflicted by the goddess herself, flowing smoothly until its dark and piercing finale. Ruby then presents her deepest, most penetrating vocal lines in Adrasteia, an epic journey into Nemesis’ unyielding grip, supported by the massive beats by The Goat and a razor-edged guitar solo by Akis, before all comes to an end with Poenas Dare, delivering the crushing reckoning of Tisis, a punishing yet cathartic conclusion that resonates with the eternal struggle for atonement. Musically speaking, it’s the perfect Melodic Dark Metal tune to conclude the album, with the entire band sounding tight and on fire, with Nick screaming with tons of anger and hatred in his blackened heart, being complemented by another mesmerizing performance by Ruby while Akis continues to deliver sheer adrenaline through his riffs.

In summary, brace yourself for an odyssey of crushing riffs, haunting melodies, and timeless allegory in Ate, bridging the ancient and the modern, the mythological and the visceral, creating a sonic experience that lingers long after the final note fades. Those amazing Greek musicians are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their fusion of extreme music and Greek mythology, and you can grab your copy of the excellent Ate from the Theogonia Records’ webstore or BandCamp. Or in other words, simply face your inner calamity, embrace Ate, and let the powerful music by another fantastic Hellenic metal band penetrate deep inside your darkened soul.

Best moments of the album: Lady Discordia, Ate and Poenas Dare.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Theogonia Records

Track listing
1. Moirae 8:16
2. Lady Discordia 6:25
3. Harvest of Tears 6:55
4. Ate 7:14
5. Adrasteia 8:22
6. Poenas Dare 7:25

Band members
Ruby Bouziotis – vocals
Nick Vlachakis – vocals
Akis Pastras – guitars, bass
The Goat – drums

Album Review – Crypts of Despair / We Belong In The Grave (2025)

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Lithuania’s most infernal band is back with their third album, offering more of the their fierce, ruthless and ball-bustingly fusion of Dissonant, Blackened and Brutal Death Metal.

Four years after their demolishing sophomore opus All Light Swallowed, Kaunas, Lithuania’s own Death Metal beast Crypts of Despair returns with their third full-length installment, entitled We Belong In The Grave. Mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson, and displaying a funereal, grim artwork by Vainius “Anomaly” Česnauska, the new album by a now five-piece band formed of Jonas Kanevičius on vocals, Dovydas Auglys and Tautvydas Kartanas on the guitars, Simonas Jurkevičius on bass, and Henri Mäll on drums offers more of the their fierce, ruthless and ball-bustingly fusion of Dissonant, Blackened and Brutal Death Metal, being highly recommended for fans of Ulcerate, Replicant, Obscureviolence, Dead Congregation, and Saevus Finis, among several others.

The album kicks off with a beyond cryptic intro in We Belong In The Grave before Henri and Jonas decimate our ears ruthlessly armed with their demented drums and visceral roars, respectively, and after such a boisterous start it’s time to get even heavier and darker in Terminal Dais, with the riffage by Dovydas and Tautvydas sounding absolutely demolishing. Their brutality keeps flowing in Obliteration Of The Impure, where the band invites us all to headbang like demonic beasts nonstop; and their furious blend of Death Metal will hit us hard in the head in Expulsion To Purgatory, spearheaded by the vile, deep guttural by Jonas. Then we face Undisillusioned, which carries a poetic name for an unrelenting, no shenanigans Death Metal onrush by the best metal band ever from Lithuania. Needless to say, it will sound majestic during their live performances.

Seizures starts in a more obscure, atmospheric way thanks to the sluggish beats by Henri, while also presenting hints of Deathcore and Doom Metal added to its core essence. It’s absolutely heavy, despite never really taking off; and the band gets back on track in Precipitous, crushing our damned souls with their ruthless sounds, with Jonas barking like a rabid beast accompanied by the metallic riffs by Dovydas and Tautvydas. There’s still time for more heaviness and violence in the form of Gaze Of The Adversary, with Simonas blasting his bass alongside Henri and his pounding beats, all spiced up by Jonas’ deep gnarls and a beyond grim atmosphere, before the album ends with the epic instrumental outro Burial Of The World, dragging us all to absolute darkness together with the band for all eternity.

In a nutshell, We Belong In The Grave is a bold step ahead for Crypts of Despair, maintaining the band’s high standards while updating the sound for maximum impact and utter devastation, and you can put your damned hands on such an amazing album of extreme music made in Lithuania by purchasing it from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ Bandcamp, main store, US store, or EU store. Don’t forget to also give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, and to click HERE for all things Crypts of Despair, including their tour dates. As we all belong in the grave, Crypts of Despair definitely belong amongst the cream of the European Death Metal elite based on the high quality of the music found in their new album, carving their name in the scene worldwide and, consequently, leaving us eager for more Lithuanian brutality in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Terminal Dais, Undisillusioned and Gaze Of The Adversary.

Worst moments of the album: Seizures.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. We Belong In The Grave 5:05
2. Terminal Dais 4:29
3. Obliteration Of The Impure 4:24
4. Expulsion To Purgatory 4:19
5. Undisillusioned 3:48
6. Seizures 4:07
7. Precipitous 3:11
8. Gaze Of The Adversary 3:11
9. Burial Of The World 2:07

Band members
Jonas Kanevičius – vocals
Dovydas Auglys – guitars
Tautvydas Kartanas – guitars
Simonas Jurkevičius – bass
Henri Mäll – drums

Album Review – In The Woods… / Otra (2025)

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These Norwegian Avantgarde Metal veterans are ready to take us on a musical journey down the river that crosses their beautiful homeland in their seventh studio album.

Formed in late 1991 by members of the original lineup of Green Carnation, whom they are a continuation of, Kristiansand, Agder, Norway’s own Avantgarde/Progressive Black/Gothic Metal act In The Woods…, one of the first bands to use the name “Pagan Metal” as a description for their style, is ready to stun us all once again with their seventh studio album, titled Otra, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2022 opus Diversum. Recorded at In The Woods Homestudio (vocals, guitars, bass), and by John Ronny Bøe at Krutt Studio (drums), mixed and mastered by Frédéric Gervais at Studio Henosis, and with a stylish artwork and layout by Seiya Ogino of Ogino Design, the new album by Bernt Fjellestad on vocals, Kåre André Sletteberg on the guitars and keyboards, Bernt Horne Sørensen also on the guitars, Nils Olav Drivdal on bass, and Anders Kobro on drums is a must-listen for fans of Ulver, Shores of Null, Saturnus, and Dødheimsgard, among others, with all songs revolving around stories connected to the eponymous river that winds for 245 kilometers through the South of Norway and spills into the Skagerrak, the strait that separates the country from Denmark and Sweden, at the band’s home in Kristiansand.

Melancholy and doom flow from the vocals by Bernt Fjellestad in The Things You Shouldn’t Know before the whole band begins their darkened attack led by the pounding drums by Anders. In addition, Kåre also sounds sharp on keyboards, resulting in over eight minutes of majestic avantgarde music. The classic Scandinavian riffs by Kåre and Bernt Horne Sørensen will inspire you to bang your head nonstop in A Misrepresentation of I, again boosted by the deep vociferations by Bernt Fjellestad; whereas the next song, titled The Crimson Crown, also brings forward a pensive, grim start that evolves into a melodic and progressive fusion of Doom and Gothic Metal, with Nils making our heads tremble with his metallic bass lines. The album continues on a serene yet Stygian mode in The Kiss and the Lie, where Nils and Anders once again generate a dense atmosphere perfect for Bernt Fjellestad’s deep clean vocals, followed by Let Me Sing, another solid fusion of Avantgarde and Doom Metal, sounding heavy on bass thanks to the energy Nils puts into his playing. Come Ye Sinners is by far the heaviest and therefore the most exciting of all songs, with their riffs and beats transpiring doom while also living up to the legacy of Avantgarde and Progressive Death Metal; and lastly, it’s sheer melancholy in The Wandering Deity, with Anders dictating the song’s pace supported by the whimsical riffage by Kåre and Bernt Horne Sørensen, ending the album on a climatic and dark vibe.

Demonstrating the strength and artistic maturity of the Norwegians’ third incarnation, Otra is indeed an enticing and highly pleasurable album to listen to, respecting the band’s past while at the same time also breaking new ground. Hence, if you want to be part of this new musical journey by In The Woods… down the river that crosses their beautiful homeland, you can follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and other nice to know details about the band, stream their classic creations on Spotify, and of course purchase Otra from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In The Woods… are always evolving, always expanding their horizons, and Otra is the ultimate depiction of their creativity, leaving us eager for more from those Norwegian trailblazers in the coming years without a shadow of a doubt.

Best moments of the album: The Things You Shouldn’t Know, A Misrepresentation of I and Come Ye Sinners.

Worst moments of the album: Let Me Sing.

Released in 2025 Prophecy Productions

Track listing
1. The Things You Shouldn’t Know 8:32
2. A Misrepresentation of I 6:11
3. The Crimson Crown 6:21
4. The Kiss and the Lie 5:31
5. Let Me Sing 7:01
6. Come Ye Sinners 7:16
7. The Wandering Deity 5:57

Band members
Bernt Fjellestad – vocals
Kåre André Sletteberg – guitars, keyboards
Bernt Horne Sørensen – guitars
Nils Olav Drivdal – bass
Anders Kobro – drums

Guest musicians
Alf Erik Sørensen – addditional keyboards
Hector Montero – additional synths

Album Review – Exiled Hope / Apocrypha (2025)

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A lone she-wolf of Symphonic and Blackened Power Metal returns with the third and exciting installment of her ongoing musical narrative.

Formed in 2019 in Maryland, United States, Symphonic/Blackened Gothic/Power Metal one-woman army Exiled Hope is set to unleash the project’s third installment of its ongoing musical narrative, entitled Apocrypha. Drawing musical inspiration from the likes of Avantasia, Nightwish, Kamelot and Cradle of Fitlh, to name a few, the lone she-wolf Sofia Frasz is back in action with a twelve-track album that follows a new protagonist who seeks guidance from familiar (yet otherworldly) forces as he uncovers the truth about the path to success laid out before him, further expanding the story Sofia and her Exiled Hope have crafted through the years.

Sofia kicks off the album to the soothing sound of the piano in The Summoning, already showcasing her passion for dark and melancholic music, exploding into Blackened Gothic Metal to the sound of her she-demon gnarls; and our diva strikes again in full force with her classic riffs, low-tuned bass and deep vocals in The Day Will Come, offering a darker version of contemporary Symphonic Metal. She then puts the pedal to the metal in the rockin’ tune Blood Of The Ancients, showcasing all her dexterity behind the drums, whereas she makes a passionate vocal duet with guest Metal Matt in Dreamwalker, a soothing ballad that sounds truly powerful from start to finish. Then we face Over For You, leaning towards the early days of Nightwish with a darker twist, with Sofia kicking some ass with her potent vocal reach and classic riffs; and featuring guest vocalist Imperator Mortem we have Altar Of Moloch, with both Sofia and Imperator Mortem sounding like obscure creatures from the underworld in a lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal.

In The Silence Is Deafening she switches gears to a more Doom Metal-inspired sound with Gothic and Symphonic Metal nuances, once again hypnotizing us all with her vocals, followed by Behold My Shattered Skies, the second ballad of the album, sounding as enfolding as the first one and with Sofia’s deep vocals walking hand in hand with the song’s ambience. After that, we’re treated to Deathslayer, bringing forward over eight minutes of first-class heavy yet delicate music, a trademark sound by Sofia and her Exiled Hope, with her striking riffage, blast beats and devilish growls adding an extra touch of insanity to the music, exploding into a melodic attack of Blackened Power Metal led by her classic guitar lines and crushing drums entitled Lightborn. She then offers another Ambient track titled Remnants, maybe a bit too long for an instrumental interlude, while closing the album we have Forbidden Majesties, where once again Sofia showcases both her delicate and demonic sides at the same time.

“The release of Apocrypha represents three years of practice, exploration, trial and error, learning, and a lot of overthinking,” commented Sofia about her newborn baby. “Apocrypha feels detailed and relatable, yet larger-than-life, and I hope you enjoy the journey of listening to it as much as I enjoyed the journey of creating it. Creating music is about the journey as much as it is about the destination, or the final product.” After such beautiful words by our dauntless diva, you should definitely go check what she’s up to on Facebook and on Instagram, listen to her music on YouTube and on Spotify, and grab a copy of Apocrypha from BandCamp or by clicking HERE, allowing Sofia’s music to penetrate deep inside your soul on another exciting journey by one of the most creative names of the current metal scene.

Best moments of the album: The Day Will Come, Dreamwalker, Deathslayer and Lightborn.

Worst moments of the album: Remnants.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. The Summoning 3:19
2. The Day Will Come 3:46
3. Blood Of The Ancients 4:08
4. Dreamwalker 3:40
5. Over For You 4:20
6. Altar Of Moloch 4:25
7. The Silence Is Deafening 4:28
8. Behold My Shattered Skies 4:57
9. Deathslayer 8:11
10. Lightborn 5:27
11. Remnants 3:52
12. Forbidden Majesties 4:25

Band members
Sofia Frasz – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Metal Matt – vocals on “Dreamwalker”
Imperator Mortem – vocals on “Altar of Moloch”

Album Review – Fleshspoil / The Beginning of the End (2025)

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A new force in Blackened Death Metal emerges from New York, blasting our faces with the 37 minutes of music found in their pulverizing debut offering.

A new force in Blackened Death Metal has emerged to lay waste to 2025. Featuring veterans Jeff Andrews (The Final Sleep, Armor Column, Hush, Ironweed) on vocals and guitars, Dan Saltzman (Illucinus, The Hunt) on bass, and Mike Van Dyne (Arsis, The Final Sleep) on drums, Troy, New York-based Fleshspoil are set to release their debut album, poetically titled The Beginning of the End. Produced, mixed and mastered by Brett Portzer at White Lake Music & Post, and displaying a darkly beautiful cover art titled “L’Umana Fragilità”, by Salvator Rosa (1656), The Beginning of the End consists of six pulverizing tracks clocking in at 37 minutes, offering us all the creative vision of Jeff Andrews and Mike Van Dyne in the most violent and grim form.

Featuring a guest guitar solo by Kyle Chapman (Aethereus, Blighted Eye) and John Judkins of Rwake on lap steel guitar, the band offers us all seven minutes of intricate sounds in Bleed Through This Life while also sounding haunting and devilish, flirting with Dissonant Death Metal at times. John Judkins also features in Skies Turn To Graves, which starts in a more melodic manner while offering even hints of Post-Metal before all explodes into another slab of brutality, with Mike kicking some serious ass on drums. Then a visceral roar by Jeff ignites the demented Fleshspoil, where their progressive vein clashes with an overdose of heaviness in the best way imaginable, not to mention how infernal the drums by Mike sound. After that, guest guitarist Petr Oplatka of Illucinus fires a sick guitar solo in Walking Dead, a more straightforward, in-your-face tune where Mike once again sounds ruthless on drums. Then a dark and sinister intro evolves into a grim fusion of Death and Doom Metal in A Frail Demise, with Jeff sounding inhumane on vocals while also firing some hellish riffs; whereas lastly, the trio offers our avid ears Born Into Despair, beginning in a gentle, melodic way and evolving into a more introspective tune that could have been a bit heavier in the end.

Highly recommended for fans of classic Death, Black, and Doom Metal, Fleshspoil deliver a haunting and aggressive soundscape during the entire The Beginning of the End, resulting in a very exciting start to the band and, therefore, pointing to a bright future ahead of them. I’m sure we’ll soon hear more from the band, which means you can start following them and stay up to date with their news and tour dates on Instagram, and show them your absolute support by grabbing a copy of the caustic The Beginning of the End from their own BandCamp, letting such an amazing trio from New York crush your spinal cord with their undisputed fusion of savagery and melody.

Best moments of the album: Bleed Through This Life, Fleshspoil and Walking Dead.

Worst moments of the album: Born Into Despair.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Bleed Through This Life 7:17
2. Skies Turn To Graves 6:36
3. Fleshspoil 7:12
4. Walking Dead 3:19
5. A Frail Demise 7:40
6. Born Into Despair 4:18

Band members
Jeff Andrews – vocals, guitars
Dan Saltzman – bass
Mike Van Dyne – drums

Guest musicians
Kyle Chapman – guitar solo and additional chaos on “Bleed Through This Life”
Petr Oplatka – guitar solo on “Walking Dead”
John Judkins – lap steel guitar on “Bleed Through This Life” and “Skies Turn To Graves”

Album Review – Helvitnir / Wolves of the Underworld (2025)

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Prepare to be engulfed by the icy fury of this Norwegian Black Metal horde as their debut album storms into the metal scene.

Forged in the icy depths of Norway back in 2023, the ruthless Black Metal horde known as Helvitnir is unleashing upon humanity their highly anticipated debut album, titled Wolves of the Underworld. Paying homage to the cold, primal energy of their predecessors while pushing boundaries, introducing dynamic shifts, melodic textures, and a powerful sense of narrative, the band currently formed of Hellcommander Vargblod on vocals and bass, Ihizahg and Bjarkan on the guitars, and Hellhammer on drums is on absolute fire throughout their entire debut offering, a brutal and evocative work that promises to leave an indelible mark on the Black Metal landscape that will surely position the band as torchbearers of the genre’s next chapter.

The opening aria Throes Of Transformation sounds as infernal as Norwegian Black Metal can be, with Hellhammer already showing his dexterity and passion for the dark art behind his drums, and the winds of violent and evil Black Metal keep howling in Black Flame Triad, with Ihizahg and Bjarkan firing razor-edged riffs for our total delight. Helvitnir, the song that carries the name of the band, couldn’t have sounded more infernal, with Hellcommander Vargblod leading his horde with his demonic roars and thunderous bass; whereas Hellhammer keeps pounding his drums in the name of darkness in Void Of Emptiness, another classic Black Metal extravaganza where Hellcommander Vargblod vociferates like a true demon until the very last second.

There’s no sign of the band slowing down or sounding less caustic or demonic, offering our putrid ears Imagery Of Deceit, with Hellcommander Vargblod gnarling rabidly during the song’s unrelenting four minutes, followed by Odinsbane, the weirdest of all songs, where the Doom Metal elements don’t work as expected, in special its background keys. Then back to a much stronger, more visceral sonority we have Dread Biter, a song that reeks of Norwegian Black Metal thanks to the scorching, piercing guitar lines by Ihizahg and Bjarkan, and this unstoppable Norwegian horde will crush us all once again with Helheim’s Throne, a demolishing metal hymn showcasing the unrelenting drumming by Hellhammer. Lastly, of course the album ends like it started, with a fulminating onrush of Black Metal titled Draugr, spearheaded by the scorching riffs by Ihizahg and Bjarkan, before all fades into the void.

Prepare to be engulfed by the icy fury of Helvitnir as Wolves of the Underworld storms into the metal scene, a sonic journey through bitterly cold wastelands and infernal depths, where every track resonates with a visceral, unrelenting energy. Hence, you can join this amazing Norwegian horde on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their sulfurous music on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course grab a copy of the fiery Wolves of the Underworld from Dusktone’s BandCamp or webstore, or simply by clicking HERE. In the end, Helvitnir are definitely a force to be reckoned in the world of extreme music, and Wolves of the Underworld masterfully depicts what they’re capable of in the foreseeable future.

Best moments of the album: Throes Of Transformation, Helvitnir and Dread Biter.

Worst moments of the album: Odinsbane.

Released in 2025 Dusktone

Track listing
1. Throes Of Transformation 5:01
2. Black Flame Triad 4:46
3. Helvitnir 4:36
4. Void Of Emptiness 5:18
5. Imagery Of Deceit 3:50
6. Odinsbane 4:59
7. Dread Biter 5:17
8. Helheim’s Throne 4:24
9. Draugr 4:12

Band members
Hellcommander Vargblod – vocals, bass
Ihizahg – guitars
Bjarkan – guitars
Hellhammer – drums

Album Review – Ritual Ascension / Profanation of the Adamic Covenant (2025)

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This cryptic American Abstract Death/Doom Metal outfit will drag you further down the abyss to the sound of their anti-religious and blasphemous concept debut full-length monstrosity.

Coalesced around 2023, after Minneapolis, Minnesota’s own Death/Doom Metal beast Aberration completed their debut album, when three of its members, D.H. (Silurian, Suffering Hour) on vocals, J.H. (Annihilation Cult, Feral Light, Void Rot) on the guitars and bass, and E.C. (Annihilation Cult, Feral Light, Umbral Twilight) on drums and percussion, reconvened to continue creating together and to keep pushing their deviant ideas forward, American Abstract Death/Doom Metal outfit Ritual Ascension is unleashing upon us all their horrendous debut full-length monstrosity, Profanation of the Adamic Covenant. Recorded by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Recording, mixed by D.H. at Black Dust Studios, mastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios, and displaying a cryptic, grim artwork by Belial NecroArts, the album takes the masterful death-doom horror of early Temple Nightside and Grave Upheaval, and transfigures it further into the darkest abysses of surrealism.

The bells are tolling in the name of obscure music, opening the gates of the underworld to the gargantuan, venomous gnarls by D.H. in Womb Exegesis, a Blackened Doom aria where E.C. hammers his drums like a demonic entity. The same devilish aura from the opening track permeates the air in Pillars of Antecedence, even more sluggish and grim thanks to the slow and steady beats by E.C. while J.H. extracts minimalist yet visceral riffs from his axe, followed by Cursed Adamic Tongues, the shortest song of the album, and also the most punishing, violent one, with D.H. gnarling like a true demon while J.H. and E.C. build a beyond ruthless atmosphere. Then like the soundtrack to a black, sulfurous cult, the trio delivers the disturbing Consummation Rites, offering us all over ten minutes of apocalyptic passages, somber riffs, vile roars and endless despair; and last but definitely not least, Ritual Ascension will take us on a one-way trip to the netherworld in Kolob (At the Throne of Elohim), a massive wall of Doom and Death Metal masterfully crafted by the trio, spearheaded by the always caustic, austere riffs by J.H. armed with his venomous axe.

Not only the music by Ritual Ascension is harsh and disturbing, but Profanation of the Adamic Covenant is also an anti-religious, blasphemous, behemoth concept album dealing with some of the darkest and most sinister aspects in the history and theology of the so called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as the Mormon Church), and shaped by direct experiences by some of the band members themselves within said religious movement as well, inviting the listeners to a wild, sinister musical journey while casting them further down the abyss, into a bottomless sepulcher of confusion and of complete chthonic torment. Having said all that, you can find more information about such a distinct trio of death and doom on Instagram, and purchase a copy of their caustic debut from the Sentient Ruin Laboratories’ BandCamp or webstore, feeding your inner demons with their chaotic music while you enjoy your eternal descent into the abyss.

Best moments of the album: Pillars of Antecedence and Kolob (At the Throne of Elohim).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Sentient Ruin Laboratories

Track listing
1. Womb Exegesis 9:02
2. Pillars of Antecedence 8:58
3. Cursed Adamic Tongues 5:24
4. Consummation Rites 10:52
5. Kolob (At the Throne of Elohim) 13:22

Band members
D.H. – vocals
J.H. – guitars, bass
E.C. – drums, percussion