Tag Archives: experimental black metal

Album Review – Venomous Echoes / Ŋvęŧş: Violator Of Mater (2026)

Posted on by
Reply

This Avantgarde and Blackened Death Metal beast returns with its fourth studio opus, continuing the exploration of terrifying interior worlds.

Hailing from Kettering, Ohio, Avantgarde/Blackened Death Metal beast Venomous Echoes, the brainchild of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ben Vanweelden, returns with Ŋvęŧş: Violator Of Mater, the project’s fourth work of experimental, dissonant extreme music in which he continues the exploration of terrifying interior worlds. Produced, mixed and mastered by Stephen Knapp, who also contributed to the album with additional guitars and drum programming, the follow-up to the scathing 2025 album Dysmor mercilessly (and with immense courage) reveals even deeper and more unspeakable traumas than the fears and anxieties described in the previous albums related to the body dysmorphia that afflicts the band’s mastermind, which have shaped the artist himself into the “creation” at the center of his stories and on the beautiful cover by 0ndes. Musically, Ben does what he does best in his new album, building twisted and schizophrenic songs which oscillate chaotically between ferocious black and death accelerations and doom slowdowns, entrusted to distorted and oppressive sounds. A cathartic nightmare, telling a true story of pain and abuse.

The Stygian, spine-chilling intro Dysmor Opens will drag our putrid souls to Venomous Echoes’ lair in Malcloid, as dissonant and disruptive as it is atmospheric and multi-layered, with Ben roaring manically nonstop while he gets the help of Stephen to deliver truly menacing riffs until the very end. Æhɔɲ starts in a very sinister mode, growing in intensity and madness until all hell breaks loose in a lecture in modern-day Experimental Black and Death Metal; whereas Çịrẹ offers a more direct take on Blackened Death Metal, with its hammering drums and chaotic guitars sounding truly disturbing and, therefore, turning the whole song into a wild and caustic musical journey, sounding grandiose, perturbing, nightmarish and captivating from start to finish.

Then after the phantasmagorical interlude Monolith Of Purity we face another harsh and cryptic tune titled Ẅęrð, where Ben and Stephen deliver an avalanche of scorching riffs for our total delight, keeping the album at a high level of insanity; followed by Mater, the most experimental and atmospheric of all songs, sometimes only sounding like an interlude and lacking an extra kick in the end. L·Lrąç, featuring vocals by Stephen, also kicks off in an atmospheric manner but gradually evolves into another massive Dissonant Black Metal beast, and lastly, the title-track Ŋvęŧş is a lecture in the genre, with Ben melting our faces with his haunting synths, sampling and noises, morphing into a climatic, disruptive and venomous vibe before its ethereal ending.

“In Ŋvęŧş: Violator Of Mater, the creation has been broken down by the wall of Dysmor and has entered the world of Malcloid, the Realm of Despair, where he faces the Pillar of Light and Purity that holds the essence of his own mother,” explained Ben. “This is where he must face his real life abusers that create the beast that is Ŋvęŧş, the violator of the innocent. He was broken to enter the world. Now he must witness the ones he loves become broken and destroyed to progress to the final trial. Each appendage of the beast represents my real life abusers, in a way to cope with the events.” If you’re a fan of bands such as Portal, Altarage, and Thantifaxath, then Ŋvęŧş: Violator Of Mater is a must-listen, which can be done via Spotify or any other platform available, and of course, you can purchase the album from the I, Voidhanger Records’ BandCamp or from Metal Odyssey, and don’t forget to also get in touch with Ben and his Venomous Echoes via Facebook and Instagram. Ben is opening up his heart to us all in Ŋvęŧş: Violator Of Mater, facing his deepest demons with all of his strength, and we metalheads must show him all our support by blasting his music as loud as his traumas are obscure.

Best moments of the album: Æhɔɲ, Çịrẹ and Ŋvęŧş.

Worst moments of the album: Mater.

Released in 2026 I, Voidhanger Records

Track listing
1. Dysmor Opens 0:54
2. Malcloid 6:43
3. Æhɔɲ 5:33
4. Çịrẹ 6:10
5. Monolith Of Purity 1:24
6. Ẅęrð 5:33
7. Mater 6:55
8. L·Lrąç 7:52
9. Ŋvęŧş 11:07

Band members
Ben Vanweelden – vocals, guitars, bass, programming, synths, sampling, noise

Guest musician
Stephen Knapp – guitars, drum programming, vocals on “L·Lrąç”

Album Review – Sigh / Goh-ka (2026)

Posted on by
Reply

These Avantgarde Black Metal masters from Japan are back with a breathtaking new album, openly showing the harsh reality that no matter how beautiful you are, you’ll be dead and rot sooner or later.

A new highlight of atmosphere, technical mastery, and meticulously arranged epics of metallic grandeur, Goh-ka, a title with a triple meaning (業火 infernal fire scorching sinners, 劫火 a huge fire that burns down the world at the end of time, and 業果 karma), is the new opus by the mighty Tokyo, Japan-based Avantgarde/Experimental Black Metal institution Sigh, the follow-up to their 2022 album Shiki. Recorded across multiple studios, once again mixed and mastered by Lasse Lammert at LSD Studios, and displaying a stunning artwork by Maciej Kamuda, the new offering by Mirai Kawashima on vocals, Dr. Mikannibal on vocals and saxophone, Nozomu Wakai on the guitars, and with the support of session musicians Frédéric Leclercq (Kreator) on bass and Mike Heller (Raven, Malignancy) on drums, has as its primary theme the Kuso-zu, a series of Buddhist paintings or illustrations depicting the nine stages of a human body’s decomposition after death, created to encourage meditation on the impermanence of life, the inevitability of death, and the detachment from physical beauty and worldly attachment. It openly shows the harsh reality that no matter how beautiful you are, you’ll be dead and rot sooner or later.

Kuso-shi 1, 2, and 3 is utterly ethereal and cinematic from the very first second, evolving into an experimental beast led by the dual vocal attack by Mirai and Dr. Mikannibal; while the guitar lines by Nozomu will pierce our minds in Jigoku-Zoshi 1: Unkamusho, with the thunderous kitchen crafted by Frédéric and Mike making the earth tremble. Then we face the ritualistic Anzenshokon, morphing into a sluggish beast infused with Doom and Sludge Metal elements, followed by Kuso-shi 4, 5, and 6, another song that sounds like three distinct tunes in one, with its epic last part being boosted by the demonic gnarls by Mirai. And after the cryptic interlude Shoso we’re treated to the infernal and captivating Unputenpu, featuring a guest guitar solo by the one and only Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth. The riffs by Nozomu transpire Progressive Rock and Metal, supported by the always solid beats and fills by Mike, not to mention its background keys are beautifully haunting.

Jinmenjushin brings to our avid ears another blast of their trademark blend of Avantgarde and Experimental Black Metal, alternating between more progressive moments and ethereal vocalization passages; and Mike then hammers his drums in the best Black, Thrash and Death Metal style in Jigoku-Zoshi 2: Tokatsujigoku, offering Mirai and Dr. Mikannibal exactly what they need to growl like rabid creatures. Kushukankyo is by far one of the most Japanese culture-infused tracks in the history of heavy music, flowing into the (unnecessary) atmospheric track Kuso-shi 7, setting the stage for the band to kill again with Kuso-shi 8 and 9 / Mettaijakujo, bringing forward 11 minutes of insanity, darkness, fury and progressiveness, feeling almost like the score for a Japanese horror flick, therefore putting a wild ending to the album.

From a musical perspective, if you were to place the main ingredients of Celtic Frost, Voivod, Black Sabbath, horror movies and Japan into a cauldron and stir it, you will get Goh-ka. Numerous additional spices such as Psychedelic and Progressive Rock, as well as classical music, are also evident over the album’s close to one-hour duration, resulting in a must-listen for admirers of the insanity blasted by renowned acts the likes of Arcturus, Dødheimsgard, Imperial Triumphant, Enslaved, Ved Buens Ende, Dir En Grey, and Ningen Isu. Moreover, Sigh are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, tour dates and more of their unique music, and you can stream their vast discography on Spotify or Apple Music. Don’t forget to also grab a copy of Goh-ka from the Peaceville Records’ Bandcamp, letting their weird and captivating sounds penetrate deep inside your rotten soul. We’ll all be dead sooner or later anyway.

Best moments of the album: Jigoku-Zoshi 1: Unkamusho, Unputenpu and Kuso-shi 8 and 9 / Mettaijakujo.

Worst moments of the album: Kuso-shi 7.

Released in 2026 Peaceville Records

Track listing
1. Kuso-shi 1, 2, and 3 9:11
2. Jigoku-Zoshi 1: Unkamusho 3:55
3. Anzenshokon 6:24
4. Kuso-shi 4, 5, and 6 7:21
5. Shoso 0:56
6. Unputenpu 5:41
7. Jinmenjushin 6:14
8. Jigoku-Zoshi 2: Tokatsujigoku 3:06
9. Kushukankyo 1:47
10. Kuso-shi 7 1:56
11. Kuso-shi 8 and 9 / Mettaijakujo 11:23

Band members
Mirai Kawashima – vocals
Dr. Mikannibal – vocals, saxophone
Nozomu Wakai – guitars

Guest musicians
Frédéric Leclercq – bass (session)
Mike Heller – drums (session)
Mikael Åkerfeldt – guitar solo on “Unputenpu”

Album Review – Ater Era / Sinistria (2026)

Posted on by
Reply

Prepare for a descent into blackened decay through the down-tuned, crushing Black Metal offered by this ruthless Slovenian horde in their incendiary new opus.

Bastard-born in a land of fractured identities, the venomous Slovenian Black Metal horde Ater Era channels the red soil of their homeland Istria as it rots, darkens, and transforms into something else entirely in their newborn spawn, titled Sinistria, the combination of the words “sinister” and “Istria.” Showcasing a blackened, oppressive, mid-tempo, riff-driven sound with weight and atmosphere, with lyrics in English, Istrian dialect and Slovenian, the follow-up to their 2017 album Clades represents a descent into blackened decay through down-tuned, crushing Black Metal with elements of Doom and Death Metal, embodying a sound that is oppressive and uncompromising, all masterfully brought into being by S.S. (aka Samuel Simonovič) on vocals and guitars, Eva Hreščak on bass, and J.G. (aka Jure Svarog Gams) on drums.

Grim, minimalist guitar and bass sounds permeate the air in Gorging On Devilries, being gradually joined by the pounding drums by J.G. and, therefore, crafting a dense and heavy atmosphere not recommended for the lighthearted; and the band ventures through the lands of Avantgarde and Experimental Black Metal in Terra Rossa, featuring guest musician Igor Pavletič on the trombone, with the riffs by S.S. and the rumbling bass by Eva making the earth tremble. The trio goes full Black Metal in Tema Trma, with the harsh vociferations by S.S. matching perfectly with the nonstop beats and fills by J.G., inviting us to join them in absolute chaos and darkness; while S.S.’s strident riffs ignite the band’s blackened engine in Bastard Born, filling every single space in the air with their Stygian sounds, not to mention his vociferations are also truly demonic, also presenting haunting, atmospheric passages to give it an extra taste. Lastly, we face the ten-minute aria of darkness titled Um Na Dnu, a phrase that translates directly to “mind at the bottom,” often used metaphorically in psychological or meditative contexts referring to exploring the deepest, subconscious, or foundational levels of one’s mind. Musically speaking, it’s a multi-layered display of contemporary Black Metal, ending the album on a vile and pensive mode.

Much like the land that inspired it, Sinistria exists in a state of tension between multiplicity and negation, origin and dissolution without seeking to reconcile these oppositions, but to inhabit them. Furthermore, while the core of Ater Era remains rooted in a primal Black Metal approach, their sound continues to expand into slower, more oppressive territories, adding multiple layers to their already dark and deep sonority. If you want to let their darkness embrace you, you can find Ater Era on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their Stygian music on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course grab a copy of their killer new opus from BandCamp or from On Parole Records. But you better be prepared as once you start your descent into total darkness together with Ater Era, there’s no turning back.

Best moments of the album: Gorging On Devilries and Um Na Dnu.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 On Parole Productions

Track listing
1. Gorging On Devilries 8:15
2. Terra Rossa 7:01
3. Tema Trma 7:41
4. Bastard Born 9:25
5. Um Na Dnu 10:08

Band members
S.S. – vocals, guitars, production
Eva Hreščak – bass
J.G. – drums

Guest musicians
Igor Pavletič  – trombone on “Terra Rossa”
Eva Brajkovič – backing vocals on “Gorging on Devilries,” “Bastard Born,” and “Um Na Dnu”
Steve Broy – backing vocals on “Bastard Born”
Mitja Rupel – backing vocals on “Bastard Born”
Kariti – backing vocals on “Terra Rossa”

Concert Review – Belphegor (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 02/22/2026)

Posted on by
Reply

Metalheads from all across Toronto gathered this Sunday night to praise the beast together with one of the most influential Blackened Death Metal bands of all time.

OPENING ACTS: Narcotic Wasteland, Hate and Incantation

In the middle of what’s perhaps the harshest winter in the past few decades in Toronto, NARCOTIC WASTELAND, HATE, INCANTATION and BELPHEGOR brought to Lee’s Palace some welcome heat this Sunday night with their infernal Praise the Beast North America Tour 2026, another massive event organized by the mighty Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such a feast of heavy sounds. There were also two bands billed to play in “The Cave” (aka the room upstairs at Lee’s Palace), those being Nashville, Tennessee’s own Experimental Folk/Black Metal band Primeval Well, who released back in 2021 the excellent album Talkin’ in Tongues with Mountain Spirits (available on Spotify), and Hamilton, Ontario-based Progressive Death Metal act Cryophilic, who released in 2023 their sophomore opus Damned and Decayed (also available on Spotify). The only issue is that due to some delays they ended up playing pretty much at the same time as Incantation and Belphegor, so I have absolutely no idea if anyone was able to watch their performances.

The night started with the awesome performance by South Carolina-based Death Metal trio NARCOTIC WASTELAND, who kicked some ass onstage with their undisputed energy and heaviness. Mixing songs from their two albums with newer singles like the brutal Barbarian, all available on Spotify, the band formed of Dallas Toler-Wade, Kenji Tsunami (who’s not only a phenomenal bassist, like a Death Metal version of Dream Theater’s own John Myung, but his bass is also a thing of beauty) and Austin Vicars took no prisoners in their quest for pure Death Metal, and after they finished playing the closing song of their short but very sweet set, Introspective Nightmares, we were all left wondering when we’ll be able to see those guys live again, perhaps with a bigger set. You can get more details about such a fun extreme music act by clicking HERE, and if they ever take your city by storm, don’t miss the chance of seeing those excellent musicians live.

Setlist
Morality and the Wasp
Faces of Meth
Barbarian
Delirium Tremens
Keeping Up with the Jones
We Agnostics
Introspective Nightmares

Band members
Dallas Toler-Wade – vocals, guitars
Kenji Tsunami – bass, vocals
Austin Vicars – drums

Poland’s own Blackened Death Metal institution HATE also had a very short set, but that didn’t mean the concert by Adam “ATF Sinner” Buszko, Dominik “Domin” Prykiel, Tomasz “Tiermes” Sadlak, and the stone crusher Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski (who returned later that night drumming for the mighty Belphegor) was not heavy enough. Quite the contrary, they made sure they used their limited time to deliver a ruthless, no shenanigans performance for our total delight. Having released the excellent Bellum Regiis in 2025, available on both BandCamp and Spotify, the quartet proved once again why Polish extreme music is so marvelous, leaving us completely disoriented after all was said and done. The mosh pits were already getting out of control, the temperature inside the venue was getting scorching, and the horns were being raised high, all thanks to the fires of Black and Death Metal by one of the heaviest bands to ever arise from the stunning Poland. Toronto wants more Hate. We deserve more Hate. And hopefully they won’t take long to return to the city with another pulverizing concert.

Setlist
Intro
Sovereign Sanctity
Erebos
The Wolf Queen
Bellum Regiis
Iphigenia

Band members
Adam “ATF Sinner” Buszko – vocals, rhythm guitar
Dominik “Domin” Prykiel – lead guitar
Tomasz “Tiermes” Sadlak – bass
Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski – drums

There were a few delays during the entire night, not sure if due to sound issues or something else, which ended up extending the whole event a lot longer than previously planned. Good thing that there’s no curfew at Lee’s Palace, and even better that when the next attraction is Pennsylvania’s Death Metal masters  INCANTATION, it never feels too late to get caught in some of the wildest mosh pits of the entire fest. Their latest releases Unholy Deification, from 2023, and Onward to Golgotha Live, from 2025 (both available on BandCamp and on Spotify) are very good sources if you want to familiarize yourself with their setlist, with songs like Golgotha and Impending Diabolical Conquest sounding sensational live, and of course, it’s always a true pleasure witnessing the talent, passion and charisma of the one and only John McEntee onstage. He’s a true metal warrior, no doubt about it. Furthermore, one very interesting fact about the show in Toronto was the amount of girls doing crowd surfing and stage diving during their concert. I think it was easily over 10 different girls doing those during one of the songs, with one even showing her athleticism and flexibility by doing a few splits onstage, which was pretty badass. Let’s see when Incantation return to Toronto if those girls will have other nice tricks to prove once and for all who runs the world.

Setlist
Golgotha
Carrion Prophecy
Emaciated Holy Figure
Iconoclasm of Catholicism
Concordat (The Pact) I
Blissful Bloodshower
Profanation
Vanquish in Vengeance
The Ibex Moon
Impending Diabolical Conquest

Band members
John McEntee – vocals, guitars
Luke Shively – guitars
Chuck Sherwood – bass
Kyle Severn – drums

BELPHEGOR

Sunday is always a day for regular people to go to the church, but for us metalheads it’s the perfect day to do the exact opposite, and let’s say Austrian Blackened Death Metal beast BELPHEGOR more than helped us succeed in such a blasphemous activity with one of the darkest and heaviest concerts of the past few months in Toronto. Playing a mix of their entire discography with their latest album The Devils, from 2022, plus their two fantastic new singles Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus and Scarlet Beast-Leviathan (a beautifully haunting song, by the way), all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, such a malevolent horde led by the unrelenting Helmuth Lehner was breathing fire and sulfur during their entire show, and if you were on the left side of the stage you would also feel everything tremble to the demented drums by Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski. It was a really fun experience to be honest, despite the fact the trembling got way too heavy at times.

I wonder what some fervent Catholics would say about Belphegor’s music and live performances. Those guys almost cracked the earth in half with their music, allowing Satan himself to arise from the underworld. The mosh pit was like a cauldron of fire, their demonic vocals and reefs exhaled sulfur and blasphemy, and it was easy to see all faces in awe during their satanic and cathartic mass. After their black mass was over, I noticed one girl that’s in pretty much every extreme music show in Toronto with a busted lip and some blood down her chin, and based on her happy face she was more than fine with that. She’s a total badass, she doesn’t fear any mosh pit, and she’s the perfect depiction of the love of Toronto for Black and Death Metal. Belphegor more than deliver it in both genres, usually at the same time, and if they provde us with half of the darkness and electricity from this Sunday next time they visit Toronto, I bet we’ll see more happy faces and busted lips around the venue. Praise the beast, praise all ladies who make heavy music a much better place, and praise the almighty Belphegor.

Setlist
The Procession
Baphomet
The Devil’s Son
Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus
The Devils
Stigma Diabolicum
Pactum in Aeternum
Lucifer Incestus
Virtus Asinaria – Prayer
Scarlet Beast – Leviathan
Totentanz – Dance Macabre

Encore:
Belphegor – Hell’s Ambassador

Band members
Helmuth Lehner – vocals, guitars
Wolfgang Rothbauer – guitars
Chris Bonos – bass, backing vocals
Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Death Obvious / Death Obvious (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Behold the debut opus by this uncanny duo from Finland, offering a harrowing albeit intriguing sound that’s strangely both alarming and comforting in parts.

Hailing from the darkest and most mysterious corners of Finland, the uncanny duo known as Death Obvious came out of nowhere to release a debut album that coalesces elements of Avantgarde Black, Death and Doom Metal to create a harrowing albeit intriguing sound that’s strangely both alarming and comforting in parts. Showcasing a straightforward, grim artwork by Petri Kiviniemi, the debut offering by Lea LaVey on vocals and Sima Sioux on guitars, bass, keyboards and drums brings to our avid ear eight songs that sound like excursions into pitch-black darkness, not knowing what’s coming next, while the listener remains terrified, haunted by monstrous and spectral voices coming and going, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Thantifaxath, Dodecahedron, Veilburner, Lurk, Blut aus Nord, Hexrot, and Deathspell Omega.

Mercury Off Axis is absolutely dissonant, disturbing and grim from the very first second, gradually adjusting its shape and form to a hammering Sludge Metal beast led by the rumbling bass and riffs by Sima, who keeps pounding his drums until a storm of blackened sounds comes crushing our damned souls in Santuario, with Lea barking and roaring rabidly in the name of total fucking darkness. The Great Gate Theory sounds even more sluggish and introspective, with the bass by Sima once again reverberating beautifully while Lea’s vocals transpire insanity; and it’s pedal to the metal in the Experimental Black Metal attack entitled Total Heavenly Desolation, with Lea sounding demented on vocals while Sima crafts the most caustic sounds imaginable armed with his riffs, bass and drums.

Then leaning towards a more visceral, direct form of Black Metal we face The Third Eye Burning, as primeval as it can be, again offering our putrid ears the absolutely dissonant sounds blasted by the duo, whereas after such an insane display of extreme music the duo brings forward the Stygian tune Suffer The Spectacle, starting in a cryptic manner before Lea begins barking like a venomous beast. Their Sludge and Doom Metal vein pulses harder than ever in As Absence Expands Over Everything, perfect for some vigorous headbanging in absolute obscurity; and lastly, it’s time for the chaotic, ruthless Catechismus For The Plagued, presenting eight and a half minutes of first-class Avantgarde Black and Death Metal spearheaded by the demolishing beats by Sima, ending in utter insanity and violence.

In summary, the Finnish death dealers of Death Obvious are clearly onto something in their first full-length opus, having created an exceptional and mature release right off the bat, one that deserves as much attention as it can possibly get before it gets lost in the annals of history. Hence, you can get to know more about such a promising new entity of the Finnish scene on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their wicked music on Spotify, and of course purchase their caustic album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Because Death Obvious is not a rebirth, but a necessary resuscitation.

Best moments of the album: Total Heavenly Desolation, The Third Eye Burning and Catechismus For The Plagued.

Worst moments of the album: Suffer The Spectacle.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Mercury Off Axis 5:38
2. Santuario 5:13
3. The Great Gate Theory 5:16
4. Total Heavenly Desolation 4:45
5. The Third Eye Burning 5:56
6. Suffer The Spectacle 6:51
7. As Absence Expands Over Everything 5:53
8. Catechismus For The Plagued 8:30

Band members
Lea LaVey – vocals
Sima Sioux – guitars, bass, keyboards, drums

Album Review – Unsouling / Outward Streams of Devotional Woe (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

This Minneapolis, Minnesota-based one-man project returns with his excellent sophomore opus based on loss, grief, and a longing to bring back connection via spiritual or even metaphysical reach.

After the dissolution of Feral Light, Minneapolis, Minnesota-based frontman and songwriter A.S. (aka Andy Schoengrund) wasted no time in channeling his artistic flair into a new project, the Experimental Black/Death Metal creature known as Unsouling. The project’s 2024 debut, Vampiric Spiritual Drain, laid the foundation for a new stylistic approach that is now fully realized on Outward Streams of Devotional Woe, its sophomore release. Conceived and recorded by A.S. at The Crypt, mixed by Sanford Parker at Hypercube Studios, mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Recording, and displaying an eerie artwork by Luciana Nedelea (with layout by Francesco Gemelli, known as Unexpected Specter), Outward Streams Of Devotional Woe is based on loss, grief, and a longing to bring back connection via spiritual or even metaphysical reach, and how this can bring great comfort.

The album starts with the cryptic, obscure Immaterial Entrance, where A.S. delivers minimalist riffs, bass lines and beats before morphing into an Atmospheric Black Metal beast, with its second half turning into sheer chaos and violence. Then investing in a more Doom Metal-inspired sonority it’s time for Your Momentary Passing, showcasing his harsh, anguished roars and sluggish drums, as well as a wall of experimentations. And presenting nuances of the Melodic Death Metal played by bands like Insomnium we have To Come Unbound, sounding utterly chilling and obscure until the end; whereas Grief Reconfigured is a lecture in Black Metal where A.S. puts the pedal to the metal and delivers his heaviest and most demonic side while also bringing forward pensive and visceral Blackened Doom moments. His metallic bass sets the tone in Towering Black Wave, another hybrid of Doom Metal with atmospheric and melodic passages, and it’s then time for the two-minute introspective interlude Passages, where his stylish sounds permeate the air until all comes to an end with Dissolved in Spiritus, crushing our minds and souls to A.S.’s vile gnarls and Post-Black Metal riffs, with its countless layers and tempo changes giving the whole song a hypnotizing vibe.

“The album differs from its predecessor in that the meandering exploration of Vampiric Spiritual Drain has been replaced with a more sure-footed and focused journey,” explained A.S. “The anchor of black metal with its bleed into gothic, dark wave, and death metal influences is still very much present, but it is more reigned in and pointed.” In terms of the themes covered, Unsouling remain faithful to the poetics of its debut, but, if possible, accentuate its existentialist vein, being therefore highly recommended for admirers of Sacramentum, Grave, Morgion, and Feral Light, just to name a few. You can also connect with A.S. and his Unsouling via Instagram, stream his unique music on Spotify, and above all that, grab a copy of Outward Streams of Devotional Woe from the project’s own BandCamp, from the I, Voidhanger Records’ BandCamp, or from Metal Odissey (in the US or in the EU/UK), or simply click HERE for all thing Unsouling. In the end, loss and grief are always extremely difficult to process inside our minds and hearts, and the music blasted by Unsouling in Outward Streams of Devotional Woe perfectly depicts that excruciating challenge, always supported by the dark beauty of extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Immaterial Entrance and Dissolved in Spiritus.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 I, Voidhanger Records

Track listing
1. Immaterial Entrance 6:02
2. Your Momentary Passing 4:58
3. To Come Unbound 5:22
4. Grief Reconfigured 5:18
5. Towering Black Wave 6:23
6. Passages 2:04
7. Dissolved in Spiritus 5:35

Band members
A.S. – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Kamra / Unending Confluence (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

This uncanny Slovenian Black Metal beast will attack your senses with a complete madness of riffs, intricate drumming, flowing bass and multifaceted vocals, allowing you to dream of death.

Touching the borders where Black Metal has experimented in the 90’s but daring to go further with combining that with fleshy parts of Death Metal within a truly dark atmosphere, Unending Confluence, the new offering by Slovenian Atmospheric/Experimental Black Metal entity Karma, is unrelenting, brutal, beautiful and mentally unstable. Recorded at MH Dungeon, mixed by Anže Čanžek, mastered by Gabriele Gramaglia at Crepuscular Sound Studio, and displaying a stunning artwork painting by Jeff Christensen, with layout and design by Nik Košar and Tryfar, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Cerebral Alchemy showcases an overdose of darkness and madness by N.K. on vocals and keyboards, M.D. on the guitars and keyboards, J.B. on the guitar, L.B. on bass, and D.K. on drums, a true celebration of life and death through six unrelenting songs.

When an album starts with a song that surpasses the eight-minute mark like Unlightment you know you’re in for a treat, and such an insane Slovenian cult makes sure they slowly build up the atmosphere before starting their obscure mass, with D.K. demolishing his drums in the name of Black Metal. Then the raspy, demonic vociferations by N.K. and the Stygian riffage by M.D. and J.B. will darken your minds and thoughts in Cavernal Rebirth of Ends, another multi-layered aria of total fuckin’ darkness. After two intense tunes it’s time for the serene Owlgrowth, with parts of it being recorded in May 2020 in forests of Bled, creating a dark embrace to capture our souls forever before they crush our damned bodies once again with Weaver’s Bane, where the cryptic, gnarling vocals by N.K. sound even more demented. Of Pillars, Walls and Mutilation is one of the most insane and experimental creations of the current Black Metal scene worldwide, with the bass and drums by L.B. and D.K., respectively, oozing of obscurity and sulfur, and the album ends with the disruptive, dissonant Dreams of Veiled Veins, where the band’s fusion of Black and Death Metal with avantgarde elements works majestically.

A complete madness of riffs, intricate drumming, flowing bass and a multifaceted vocals, Unending Confluence allows you to dream of death. Hence, you can get to know more about such an uncanny five-headed creature on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their idiosyncratic creations on Spotify, and of course add their new black mass to your private collection by purchasing it from their BandCamp, as well as from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp or from Sound Cave. Unending Confluence is dark, heavy, atmospheric, mysterious and diverse, while at the same time keeping a raw and primeval vibe exactly like we enjoy in such a distinguished genre, and after two incredible albums we can rest assured the voices of Kamra will keep echoing to all four corners of the earth for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Unlightment, Cavernal Rebirth of Ends and Of Pillars, Walls and Mutilation.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Avantgarde Music

Track listing
1. Unlightment 8:58
2. Cavernal Rebirth of Ends 8:40
3. Owlgrowth 3:07
4. Weaver’s Bane 6:54
5. Of Pillars, Walls and Mutilation 7:04
6. Dreams of Veiled Veins 6:02

Band members
N.K. – vocals, keyboards
M.D. – guitar, keyboards
J.B. – guitar
L.B. – bass
D.K. – drums

Guest musicians
David Kocmur – additional keyboards

Album Review – …And Oceans / The Regeneration Itinerary (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

These iconic Finnish extremists are back with their seventh studio opus, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.

Chaos chameleons. Nocturnal shapeshifters. The skyward trajectory of idiosyncratic Finnish extremists …And Oceans has been serpentine and sublime, appealing to diehard fans of bands the likes of Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Samael with their unique blend of Experimental, Industrial, Electronic and Symphonic Black Metal. Recorded at Inka Studio and at SoundSpiral Audio, produced and engineered by Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio, and displaying a visually stunning artwork by Adrien Bousson, The Regeneration Itinerary is the seventh studio album by this unstoppable band currently formed of Mathias Lillmåns on vocals, Teemu Saari and Timo Kontio on the guitars, Pyry Hanski on bass, Antti Simonen on keyboards, and Kauko Kuusisalo on drums, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.

Otherworldly, cryptic sounds suddenly explode into a hybrid of Experimental and Symphonic Black Metal entitled Inertiae, with Mathias’ deep roars matching perfectly with the striking keys by Antti, followed by Förnyelse i Tre Akter, or “renewal in three acts” from Swedish, even darker than the previous song thanks to the visceral riffage by Teemu and Timo while Kauko shows no mercy for his drums, delivering his own blend of Black and Death Metal violence. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics carries a poetic name for a hard hitting creation by …And Oceans, where their caustic riffs will pierce your mind in great fashion, while their experimental and symphonic sides clash beautifully in The Form and the Formless, once again led by the massive beats and fills by Kauko. Prophetical Mercury Implement showcases massive Stygian lyrics (“Injecting the mirrorlike waters / Feeling it flowing within / Floating on its waves / Observing how it unfolds / Now, / I am the medium / I am the stream”) amidst a beyond enfolding and atmospheric sonority, whereas in The Fire in Which We Burn we face an overdose of heaviness, sulfur and darkness blasted by the band in the best Behemoth style, spearheaded by the inhumane roars by Mathias.

The Ways of Sulphur lives up to the legacy of Industrial Black Metal, with Antti stealing the show with his phantasmagorical keys; and I Am Coin, I Am Two offers a more introspective sound inspired by Melodic Black, Death and Doom Metal, while still presenting their trademark ferocity. Then back to a more visceral mode we have Towards the Absence of Light, with their riffs and the bass lines by Pyry being boosted by Antti’s whimsical keys. The last song of the regular edition, The Terminal Filter, brings to us all another humongous dosage of Black Metal infused with experimental and industrial nuances, resulting in an epic ending to the album, and if you go for the deluxe edition of the album (a digipak with extended 20-page booklet + exclusive gold coloured metal coin symbolizing an adviser through opposites + 2 exclusive bronze coloured acrylic coaters symbolizing the coming together of opposites in clamshell box with alternative cover, hand-numbered and limited to 500 copies worldwide) you’ll get two bonus tracks, Copper Blood, Titanium Scars and The Discord Static, both sounding absolutely insane and worth every single penny invested in it.

…And Oceans The Regeneration Itinerary Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition

Exploring the interplay between darkness and light, chaos and order, spiritual and material realms, with each song embodying an experience for the mind and body, finally navigating a passage to the present moment, The Regeneration Itinerary is definitely the band’s most experimental album to date. “The new album can be seen as a synthesis of our entire back catalogue,” suggests frontman Mathias Lillmåns. “But there are new levels of extremity, too, ones that we’ve never reached before. These songs simply demanded harsher vocals. The riffs commanded it, and who am I to disobey?” Hence, you can get to know more about …And Oceans, their new album, tour dates, plans for the future, and support them by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and by purchasing their awesome new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In the end, those Finnish metallers will keep pushing their own boundaries, experimenting with new sounds and nuances and, therefore, delivering more striking albums like The Regeneration Itinerary in the coming years, proving why they’ve become a reference and a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music scene worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Förnyelse i Tre Akter, The Fire in Which We Burn and Towards the Absence of Light.

Worst moments of the album: I Am Coin, I Am Two.

Released in 2025 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Inertiae 4:30
2. Förnyelse i Tre Akter 5:07
3. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics 4:29
4. The Form and the Formless 3:32
5. Prophetical Mercury Implement 6:57
6. The Fire in Which We Burn 3:04
7. The Ways of Sulphur 4:17
8. I Am Coin, I Am Two 4:25
9. Towards the Absence of Light 4:49
10. The Terminal Filter 5:22

Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
11. Copper Blood, Titanium Scars 4:14
12. The Discord Static 3:35

Band members
Mathias Lillmåns – vocals
Teemu Saari – guitar
Timo Kontio – guitar
Pyry Hanski – bass
Antti Simonen – keyboards
Kauko Kuusisalo – drums

Album Review – Nachtmystium / Blight Privilege (2024)

Posted on by
Reply

Behold the caustic new album by this iconic Black Metal musician who has clawed himself back from the abyss of a most extreme life imaginable.

San Clemente, California-based Experimental/Psychedelic Black Metal outfit Nachtmystium has returned, and after all that was said and done, mastermind Blake Judd (aka Azentrius) is still standing. Not only that, but he has clawed himself back from the abyss of a most extreme life imaginable to a much more quiet, observant, and matured artist and person. In case you know nothing about him, Blake was a prolific scammer who collected money for Nachtmystium merchandise and other goods which he did not send, being arrested and retained on grounds of theft in October 2013, but those dark days seem to be dead and gone as Blake and his Nachtmystium are back in action with their ninth studio album, titled Blight Privilege. Recorded and engineered by Blake himself with assistance by Andrew Markuszewski, with drums engineered and recorded by Jacopo Pettini at Virus Studio, mixed and mastered by Ken Sorceron at Sorceron Sound, and displaying a demonic artwork and layout by Alex Trinkl of Irrwisch Artdesign, the new album by Blake on vocals, guitars and keyboards alongside Matt Thomas also on the guitars, Ken Sorceron on bass and Francesco Miatto on drums offers everything fans have learned to love (or hate) in the music by Nachtmystium, from its harsh, rasping vocals to the fierce hum and whirr of guitars burning with an ice cold fire, and of course moments of ecstatic and exalted beauty in hellish soundscapes, like what’s found in the project’s (in)famous trilogy formed of Instinct: Decay (2006), Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. I (2008), and Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II (2010).

And one of those sinister, cryptic spoken excepts kicks off the opening tune, entitled Survivor’s Remorse, being gradually joined by the crisp riffs by Blake and Matt, therefore resulting in a song perfect for darkening your putrid souls for all eternity; followed by Predator Phoenix, an exciting, thrilling and vibrant Black Metal extravaganza by Blake and his horde where his harsh vocals sound fantastic, not to mention the fierce but intricate beats by Francesco, and of course the fact Blake simply exposes his dark past in the song’s official video. Then investing in a more melodic, cadenced sonority, it’s time for the Melodic Black Metal aria A Slow Decay, with their strident riffs penetrating deep inside our minds, whereas Conquistador is another straightforward Black Metal song with melodic and atmospheric nuances, with Blake roaring with tons of anger until the very end. Moreover, its imposing background also brings an extra touch of obscurity to the overall result.

There’s no time to breathe as Blake continues to haunt our souls in Blind Spot, supported by the rumbling kitchen by Ken and Francesco. In other words, it’s a great song for some vigorous headbanging or for some decent circle pit action during their live shows, no doubt about that. The Arduous March is an eerie, phantasmagorical creation by Nachtmystium, overflowing anguish and darkness to the melodious riffs by Blake and Matt, sounding doomed at times and flowing majestically until its climatic finale; and last but definitely not least, Blake will melt our faces with his Melodic Black Metal in the title-track Blight Privilege, with Francesco enhancing the song’s punch considerably with his classy beats and fills, turning it into a superb way to close the album and welcome Blake back to the world of metal (even if a lot of people don’t wanted it to happen).

Blake and his alter-ego Nachtmystium can only be found on X (or Twitter) of all social media, maybe due to all of his past issues, but you can surely enjoy his music on YouTube and on Spotify. Also, you can purchase a copy of the excellent Blight Privilege from the project’s own BandCamp, from the Prophecy Productions webstore, or by clicking HERE or HERE, and as Blake seems to be a new person now let’s say nobody expects him to not deliver his album to whoever purchases it. A troubled past, an undeniable talent, a deep passion for Black Metal, and the courage to start again. That’s what makes the new album by Nachtmystium so compelling, therefore representing just the first step (towards the right direction) in this new phase of his controversial but striking career.

Best moments of the album: Predator Phoenix, Conquistador and Blight Privilege.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Lupus Lounge

Track listing
1. Survivor’s Remorse 7:35
2. Predator Phoenix 4:32
3. A Slow Decay 6:33
4. Conquistador 5:11
5. Blind Spot 6:35
6. The Arduous March 7:30
7. Blight Privilege 6:26

Band members
Blake Judd – vocals, guitars, keyboards

Guest musicians
Matt Thomas – guitars
Ken Sorceron – bass
Francesco Miatto – drums

Album Review – Anthropovore / Parthénogenèse (2024)

Posted on by
Reply

This French two-headed Black Metal beast returns with its sophomore album, sounding utterly experimental, dissonant and austere from start to finish.

Forged in the fires of Paris, France inspired by old school titans the likes of Darkthrone and Marduk, among others, with the goal to return to the origins of a primary, anxiety-inducing, angry and hateful Black Metal, the two-headed beast known as Anthropovore is back from the underworld with their sophomore offering, beautifully titled Parth​é​nogen​è​se, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Boogeyman. The album title is French for “parthenogenesis”, or “virgin birth”, a form of reproduction in which an egg can develop into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm, and that weird concept is translated into the most experimental, dissonant and austere music you can think of thanks to the amazing job done by the band’s duo comprised of Simon Perrin (Demande à la Poussière, Muertissima, MUD, WeedBringer) on vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drone and machine sounds, and Stéphane Prados (Muertissima) on lead guitars and harsh screams, supported by the more-than-special guest vocals by Adsagsona (aka Adèle Adsa, the talented frontwoman of French Black Metal horde Hule).

Notre père, or “our father”, starts with a narration in French before their dirty riffs and low-tuned bass fill out every single space in the air, with Simon and Stéphane making an amazing duet with their clean vocals and demonic roars, flowing in a disturbing and devilish way until the very last second. Their wicked experimentations go on in Transmigre-moi (“transmigrate to me”), another sulfurous fusion of traditional Black Metal with Atmospheric and Experimental Black Metal, sounding dissonant and furious, with the mechanized sounds generated by Simon being infernal; whereas a demented start evolves into a feast of blackened, caustic sounds in Castigo, a Portuguese/Spanish word that means “punishment”, where Simon and Stéphane deliver sheer aggressiveness through their axes while also blasting sick vociferations in the name of darkness. And the title-track Parthénogenèse offers more of their idiosyncratic, devilish sounds where the guitars and bass feel utterly demonic while the duo keeps blasting endless obscurity through their visceral growls, followed by Souffrir, or “to suffer”, another explosion of Experimental Black Metal by the duo with all background noises and sounds adding an extra touch of insanity to the overall result.

They keep hammering our cranial skulls and decimating our damned souls in Mal dedans (“bad inside”), again showcasing their characteristic harsh roars, machine-like drums, and a reverberating sense of despair; then investing in a more brutal and thunderous sound, they will smash us all in Ternir, or “to tarnish”, offering their most demonic vocals, sounding almost like the screeches of an evil goblin, while the instrumental pieces generate a darkly disturbing atmosphere. Déconstruit (“deconstructed”) keeps the album at an insane level of animosity and rage by blending elements from Industrial Metal with their core Black Metal essence, while rumbling bass lines and massive beats set the tone in the heavy-as-hell Mangez-moi, or “eat me”, the duo’s second to last spawn of evil in the album, where they once again burst their lungs screaming like demonic creatures. Finally, Anthropovore kill whoever is still alive with the violent and grim Better Off Alive, ending the album on a high note to the sound of their inhumane harsh roars, caustic riffs and mechanized background sounds.

Such dissonant, devilish album is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course you can add it to your demonic collection by purchasing it directly from the band’s own BandCamp page or from the France Black Death Grind webstore, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more of their wicked music. Parth​é​nogen​è​se exhales pure evil, hatred and darkness just the way we like it in Black Metal, strengthening the band’s name in the scene and inspiring them to keep blasting sheer obscurity for many years to come, always trying new experimentations while staying true to their roots, something really hard to do nowadays but that those French metallers are learning how to master, I might say.

Best moments of the album: Transmigre-moi, Parthénogenèse and Ternir.

Worst moments of the album: Souffrir.

Released in 2024 France Black Death Grind

Track listing
1. Notre père 8:12
2. Transmigre-Moi 5:59
3. Castigo 5:50
4. Parthénogenèse 9:06
5. Souffrir 5:22
6. Mal dedans 9:25
7. Ternir 5:09
8. Déconstruit 5:35
9. Mangez-Moi 4:48
10. Better Off Alive 5:32

Band members
Simon Perrin – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drone and machine sounds
Stéphane Prados – lead guitars, harsh screams

Guest musician
Adsagsona – additional vocals