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Metal Chick of the Month – Olga Kann

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Tomorrow’s song will never sound again… Silence reigns in the hall of the dead…

Let’s set fire to the always vibrant month of May here on The Headbanging Moose with a multi-talented lady that lives and breathes music and arts in general. Just like Midas, it looks like everything she touches turns into gold, or maybe I should say Heavy Metal gold, as all of her bands, projects and contributions sound, look and feel phenomenal. She’s the face of the amazing extreme bands Withered Land and Monumentum Damnati, while also involved in several other musical projects, not to mention she also produces music videos, album artworks and booklets, and she plays most of the instruments used within her genres. You’ll be absolutely stunned after knowing more about Olga Kann, also known as Ольга Канн or Volha Aleksandrovna Kandziuryna, an unstoppable Belarusian artist who surely makes the world of heavy music a much better, more fun and more interesting place.

Born on April 21, 1992 in Minsk, the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha rivers, the beyond talented Olga creates music that is both beautiful and chilling to the listener, never following the same formula nor sticking to any specific metal or non-metal genre or subgenre. It was in the year of 2020 when Olga founded her main project, the stunning Epic/Symphonic Black/Doom Metal entity Withered Land, an original blend of extreme music styles inspired by the achievements of the Scandinavian scene, the atmosphere of Summoning’s music, folk, and a fantasy world ambiance. As the sole member of Withered Land, Olga can not only sing, but she also plays bass, keyboards, kantele, tagelharpa, and she’s also responsible for all songwriting, lyrics, artworks, designs and booklets, with only the guitars and drums being played by guest musicians in her albums.

When asked about what inspired her to start Withered Land, she said that some developments were many years old, but basically the conceptual canvas was completed in a relatively short time. “I’m a big fan of ‘depressive seasons’. Ordinary life falls asleep and archaic creativity awakens. So, one Autumn/Winter I again had an irresistible feeling that it was time to bring this project to light. Cold, lifeless gusts of wind swaying the twisted branches of trees on the devastated ground. I looked again at the devastating motives, and melodies swarmed in my head. Walking through the snow-covered, fluffy snow-white forests, epic-ness was added, and sublime feelings took me far from here in my thoughts,” commented our Queen of Snow. “This is not my first project (and not my last). But it is special to me in many ways. Here, as in no other place, the burden of choice rests solely with me. What can I say? Art is my gift and my curse. If you objectively look at the world, I live a little, I constantly create. For yourself or for others. This is my Sisyphean stone I constantly raise uphill.”

To date, Olga and her alter-ego Withered Land have unleashed upon us mere mortals two full-length albums, plus a few singles before the official album release dates. In 2021 her debut full-length offering, entitled The Endless Journey, saw the light of day (or the dark of night, whichever you prefer), with songs like Over Distant Shores embracing us all in absolute darkness. In it, a fearless but wounded warrior fights in his main battle, for his life, being on his own kind of esoteric journey on the other side of consciousness. On his way he will meet the mighty mountains, cold rocks and distant shores, but no one knowns if his spirit will be able to return to the world of the living. “I was waiting for that moment in my life when my experience, accumulated over the years, will allow me to create those arrangements, go to that production to release this material. I don’t think it’s the perfect version of that album, but it’s definitely perfect for that moment. With all its shortcomings and virtues, this is selfless love like between mother and child.”

Regarding her sophomore album, Hall of the Dead takes the listener to a world of fantasy, presenting rich, monumental arrangements reminiscent of Summoning, being neatly crafted and forming a cohesive whole. “The album was originally conceived as a concept album. I try to make all my albums, including the albums for other projects, not as a best-of collection, but as a complete work, united by a concept or a single narrative. This is a powerful source of inspiration, allowing you to experience the music and lyrics from beginning to end, making the story as honest as possible. On the other hand, this can impose certain limitations. But I think a concept, or at least a general mood, is important for an album as a format; otherwise, it would simply be a compilation album, in my opinion,” she commented. “The album’s overall concept revolves around death, about the inevitability of fate, the suffering of a wandering warrior. About the cycle of things in nature and the cyclical nature of existence. About the fate of kings and simple beggars; the hall of the dead awaits everyone.”

According to Olga, while the debut album by Withered Land featured more of a journey, a prologue of sorts, Hall of the Dead is undoubtedly a descent. Furthermore, her sophomore album also represents a much richer, more textured offering by our she-wolf, with her core Black Metal being enriched with touches of Dungeon Synth and Viking Metal, for example. “It’s very important to me to make the material not standard black metal, but to introduce various elements that will help immerse you in the story in a more engaging way. To combine new combinations, without regard for fashion or tradition. I love the atmosphere of dungeon synth, as well as the melodic/pagan feel reflected in Viking stuff. In general, an idea or concept is born first, and then the style is formed. It would be wrong to box myself in and limit my creative imagination. I follow what comes from within.”

One of the best songs in Hall of the Dead is undoubtedly All Dead, All Rotten, inspired by the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. ‘’This is the only track on this album focused on Tolkien’s worlds, specifically the history of the Dead Marshes. It shares a common theme with the other tracks: tragic deaths, desolation, and devastation. Echoes of a bitter past hang in the air as the listener slowly wanders through a hazy halo. The bitter fate of people, warriors, no matter who won the battle, the price was high, and in the end, none of it mattered. Such things should never happen again, but they always do,” commented our talented she-demon. Other amazing songs from the album are the title-track Hall of the Dead, Through the Winterhold’s Blizzard, and Dark Pale Winter, and don’t forget to check Withered Land on BandCamp and Spotify as well to enjoy all of the project’s other songs.

After the release of Hall of the Dead, fans worldwide started to ask if Olga and her Withered Land would bring the power and darkness of the studio to the stages, and everyone was extremely excited when she confirmed she already had a live lineup and was planning some shows. However, she confirmed she wouldn’t be doing any extensive or exhausting tours. “I’m quite a flighty person, and given the right amount of energy, health, and desire, I can take on many adventures. But for now, I’d like to focus on studio work, streaming, building a community around my work, playing concerts in my country, and, if possible, going to major festivals abroad.”

Olga is also involved with another amazing project, the international Melodic Doom/Death Metal act named Monumentum Damnati, a Latin phrase that roughly translates to “Monument of the Damned,” alongside the mysterious vocalist Thanatos. Olga, who goes by the moniker Abhoth in this case, takes care of all guitars, bass, keyboards and drums in Monumentum Damnati, as well as the artworks and booklet layouts, focusing on horror, philosophical themes, mythology, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, and more, having released with the band so far the albums In the Tomb of a Forgotten King, in 2020, when she only played bass, and From Beyond, in 2025, already taking care of the guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and kantele, not to mention she’s also responsible for the songwriting and lyrics on both albums.

In addition, she has also started to put more focus on her solo career as well, and you can already find on BandCamp and on Spotify her very first album of covers dedicated to some of the biggest names of the genre in history (played on unusual, old instruments from Northern Europe, such as the kantele, tagelharpa, and flute), titled Ethnic Black Metal vol. 1, including her personal and heartfelt rendition of the songs For All Tid by Dimmu Borgir, The Legend of the Master-Ring by Summoning, Dunkelheit by Burzum, Nostalgia by Nocturnal Depression, Sterile Nails and Thunderbowels by Silence, Expandera by Lifelover, Freezing Moon by Mayhem, and Längtar Bort Från Mitt Hjärta by Shining. “To be honest, recording covers always seemed like a wild idea to me. However, it turned out to be a fun and interesting experience, at the very least. I also managed to create unique arrangements rather than rerecording identical to the original material. I wanted to give myself a break from my own material and return with a renewed mindset. And perhaps one of the best ways to do this was to use ethnic instruments.”

Another one of her bands is Bleeding Malice, a Dark Deathcore project formed at the beginning of 2020 by Olga Kann on bass and Alex Rabets on vocals, combining elements of Hardcore, Deathcore and Metalcore while the lyrics contain social issues, philosophy and religion, and psycho-emotional experiences. To date, the duo has unleashed upon humanity the 2021 album Thy Kingdom Come, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and you can enjoy some of their videos on YouTube including Thy Kingdom Come, Stillborn Hope, and The Last Prayer. There’s also a very cool footage of The Last Prayer live at Cerberus Fest in 2024, where you can see how badass Olga is onstage armed with her bass and vocals.

As if Withered Land, Monumentum Damnati and Bleeding Malice weren’t enough, Olga also formed another project named Cryo Depth in 2020, blending Dark Ambient with Drone, vintage horror, neoclassical, cinematic and space music, inspired by games such as Stalker, Resident Evil 4, Outlast, Clive Barker’s Undying, Amnesia, Scratches, Silent Hill, Penumbra, and Sublustrum, having released so far three full-length albums, those being Monolith (2020), The Haunted Stories (2021), and Gravedigger’s Diary: The Lurking Fear (2023), plus a few more recent singles, all available on YouTube, on BandCamp and on Spotify. If you want to check her latest singles, you can check the official videos for Witnesses Of Our Decay and Dead Whispers, both featuring Shane Beck (The Last American Poet) on vocals. But wait, as there’s more, as she’s also the mastermind behind Symphonic/Technical Death Metal band Life for Ner’zhul, having founded the project in 2025. Labeling Life for Ner’zhul as “Warcraftian Extreme Metal,” she released the debut single The Scourge Of Lordaeron in the middle of 2025, but nothing else since then. And as a guest musician, she recorded the kantele in the single Живое (Alive) together with Russian Melodic/Progressive Power Metal band Winteria. All of her bands and projects can be found by clicking HERE, and I bet we’ll see a lot more from Olga in several other interesting musical endeavors in the near future.

As already mentioned, Olga is also an accomplished and extremely creative designer and artist, having already taken care of countless artworks, booklets and even music videos for an array of very distinct bands. Just to give you an idea of how awesome she is as a designer, among some of her best works you’ll find the artworks for the 2025 album The Embracing Light of Rarohenga, by German Melodic Death Metal band Aeon of Awareness; the 2023 albums I – These Bones Became the Roots of the Forest… and II – On These Shores Where Nothing Now Stands, by British Pagan/Atmospheric Black Metal act Blencathra; the 2026 album Ablution, by American Black Metal band Elseetoss; the 2021 album Eternal, by Scottish Atmospheric Folk/Black Metal band Ruadh; and the 2022 album Memoriae, by Italian Atmospheric/Post-Black Metal act Vesperhymn, among countless others. “Creating art, videos, and booklets is my main and only job, just like music. I’ve been working towards this for a long time. I didn’t want to work a regular job, in a group setting. I’m a completely unsociable person in life, with my own work/activity/rest schedule. Some things come out more sincere, others are a little more a result of self-discipline. But each time it’s a search, a look within. Inspiration comes or doesn’t, but the main thing is the idea. You can feed it with anything, the main thing is to have a strategy and stick to it. My main inspiration is to never go back to an office job, haha. But seriously, all this art in its various forms is pieces of my puzzle that bring me together and make me who I am. This whole journey is something akin to finding and maintaining integrity, self-identity.”

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Speaking of what inspired her to begin creating music and art, her idols and influences, Olga said it’s actually hard to remember when it all started. “From a very early age, I was exposed to hard rock, glam, and art-rock; my father is a big fan of all of them. When I was about 10, I first heard Megadeth and thought they were powerful. During summer vacations, my cousin and I would wake each other up with Sepultura songs; their extreme vocals were a great way to stay awake during fishing trips or early morning hikes. We’d play them on cassette tapes. I remember with great inspiration those times when we’d rewind cassette tapes with pencils. We didn’t skip songs, listening to albums in their entirety was magical,” she commented, also having some very nice words to say about her very first major influence. “My favorite band since childhood was Iron Maiden. I loved literally everything about them: the bassist/leader, the unique lyrics, the original mascot, the memorable vocals, the three guitars, and their signature drums. It was largely thanks to this band that I wanted to start my own band. Even back then, I was drawing logos for potential projects. However, I never wanted to play heavy metal. I didn’t have any strategy.”

Then closer to finishing school she discovered Black and Death Metal, including a lot of bands from the Scandinavian scene, especially Finnish bands, as well as Melodic Death and Power Metal. “I loved the combination of keyboards, symphonic orchestrations, and heavy riffs. I loved the combination of clean male vocals and extreme sounds. I wanted to play that. My first bands were inspired by doom, the gothic scene, and some melodic death. Regarding Withered Land, the idea of ​​playing black metal came to me quite late; I’d never really wanted to write black metal specifically. A lot has changed since I heard Caladan Brood. It’s still the kind of album you could easily add to your funeral playlist. You can listen to it again and again in any mood, or when you’re not sure what you want to listen to. Of course, Summoning, Bathory, Thyrfing, Amon Amarth, Finntroll and a number of other projects inspired me with their themes and epicness.”

Not only that, Olga is also highly inspired by fictional worlds such as The Lord of The Rings, nature (especially during its “depressive seasons”), esoteric and sacred worlds, literature, video games, and films. “I am a psychologist by education. Perhaps this fact also influenced the sources of my inspiration in some way. I love hidden meanings, complex characters, their contradictions, doubts, decisions, and actions. My graduate thesis was related to the concept of death in different cultures. Many years have passed, but this topic does not leave me in my art. One of the most sacred things, like the sacrament of birth, so the sacrament of passing beyond life is the most interesting object of study,” she complemented, also saying how important nature is in her life in general. “The earth remembers everything: bloody battles, the fall of great cities, the creation of the greatest buildings, and their destruction. In a sense, the earth is time. Ruthlessly all-consuming, but invariably bestowing in return. Flowers will sprout on the remains of the fallen warrior’s bones and provide food for thirsty bees. Is this not the true poetics of metaphysics?” That also explains her openness to create something new with each project and album, experimenting with an array of styles such as Dungeon Synth, Folk and Viking Metal, Doom and Gothic Metal, and so on.

In regards to her extreme vocal technique, she mentioned that she studied extreme vocals with teachers for a while, but she was not entirely happy with the results because there aren’t many professional extreme vocal teachers, at least in her homeland, and online classes aren’t exactly convenient for her. “Now I devote a lot of time to practicing clean vocals with my coach and occasionally extreme vocals. I still have a lot to learn, but I’m making steady progress, following the goals of my projects. I don’t have a goal of becoming the best vocalist or the best bassist; I don’t dedicate much time to one thing, and I don’t do musical sports. I’m a multitasker who makes music first and foremost. I enjoy creating music, visuals, and lyrics, and singing my own lyrics is even more enjoyable than listening to someone else. In reality, anyone can learn; it’s just a matter of how much they’re willing to put in and how much they want to. I don’t want that as much as I want the joy of creating music itself, so I don’t expect any particular heights. But a highly motivated person usually learns quickly. It’s definitely not something you’re born with; it’s something you train yourself to have.”

As one of the torchbearers of Belarusian heavy music and arts in general, Olga said that unfortunately she can’t support the current state of her homeland, in special with the mood of the post-Soviet communist abyss. She also mentioned that despite the fact the metal scene in Belarus is not as big as in other countries, she still had a lot of fun and learned a lot during her early days. “In comparison with the advanced countries, our metal scene was not so developed. But the years of youth were nonetheless truly interesting. I was able to make interesting acquaintances, attend interesting events, concerts, theater performances, and all that. Being young, inexperienced, but ambitious guys, we gathered at music studios. I don’t even remember how many people I had a chance to play with in my whole life – a lot. We organized concerts, gatherings, participated in the activities of webzines. Well, it’s not something unique. But I am still grateful to any environment, whatever it may be. I know friends who have a metal scene in much worse situations. Well, in any case, I believe that it is not the place that makes the person beautiful, but the person make the place beautiful. Too many negative thoughts when I think about it.”

According to Olga, one of the biggest issues in music and arts worldwide, if not the biggest issue of all, is the overuse of AI. She said that the whole essence of art has been wiped out by the AI phenomenon, and this isn’t like when computers first appeared and people screamed that music and arts in general were finished. “I think humanity will lose its meaning completely when art can be created not only with words and prompts, but simply by the power of thought, and a special device will produce a finished product straight from the brain. Does anyone want to experience that time? A madness in which the entire essence of life and the creative process is devalued.” Furthermore, when it comes to our “classic” problems, it gets even worse. “Civilized societies continue to experience military conflicts, the global pandemic crisis has hit hard, economic sanctions and total isolation, the Cold War, genocide, the incitement of religious and gender conflicts, animal abuse, environmental disasters, social inequality… If you look deeply at the world, look into this abyss, the abyss will look back at you. I’m a pessimist by nature, and if I think too much, it’s scary. Art is one way to save ourselves from the monstrous reality around us and in the world at large,” she commented.

When asked if she’s a spiritual person, she said that can be said about her, but only in the sense that she believes in a certain Absolute, or wants to believe in it. “I do not recognize religions in the form in which they are in their pure form. I am impressed by the ideas of ancient Greek philosophy and Roman philosophy. In terms of interaction with the outside world, the ideas of Buddhism are close to me more, I suppose. From each idea, I want to take a little bit of everything, and brush aside something.” She complemented her thought with her view of our present-day society and world in general. “I would like to believe in a higher good, but every day I look around and see different things. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I tend to notice one thing and try to block unpleasant information. However, here it is difficult. This evil corrodes everything around. Yes, there is no light without darkness. Nevertheless, it seems that now the balance is upset, the world is again going in the wrong direction, and it is sad to realize this. Probably not only the vision of the beautiful, but also the terrible has driven artists from time immemorial. As they say in the dramaturgy, every performance should have a problem/conflict, otherwise the action impossible. So, I think the imperfection of the world and its perfection in separate things at the same time attracts the artist, me in particular.”

Last but not least, as you might have noticed, our metal lady of the month never stops, letting her creativity flow majestically and, therefore, continuing to grow as a musician and an artist. “In any case, the more you practice, the better you get. For someone who loves composing music and dedicates a significant part of their life to it, everything happens naturally. Regular practice is essential. I play quite a few instruments and also practice both extreme and pure vocals. It’s a lot of work, and of course, I could choose one and become a virtuoso in it, but I wouldn’t be interested in it without everything else,” she commented. “The life of a multi-instrumentalist composer is never boring.” She also strongly believes presenting a true expression of oneself through music, letting all emotions and message flow organically and with originality, will always be more important than simply following a traditional song structure. “There’s no point in doing what someone else, or even yourself, has already done. I add different stylistic elements, different themes, and change my approach to arrangements. I’m very grateful that listeners embrace this and enjoy experimenting with me.” As you can see, Olga is an unstoppable force of heavy music, always ready to stun us all with her innovative mind and approach, and may she keep melting our faces with her undisputed talent and scorching music for many years to come.

Olga Kann’s Official Facebook page
Olga Kann’s Official Instagram
Olga Kann’s Official YouTube channel
Withered Land’s Official Facebook page
Withered Land’s Official Instagram
Withered Land’s Official YouTube channel
Monumentum Damnati’s Official Facebook page
Monumentum Damnati’s Official Instagram
Monumentum Damnati’s Official YouTube channel

“My favorite band since childhood was Iron Maiden. I loved literally everything about them: the bassist/leader, the unique lyrics, the original mascot, the memorable vocals, the three guitars, and their signature drums. It was largely thanks to this band that I wanted to start my own band.” – Olga Kann

Album Review – Cnoc An Tursa / A Cry For The Slain (2026)

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One of the most interesting acts of the Scottish metal scene returns with an evocative tribute to the history, the folklore, and the unique magic of their homeland in the form of their third album.

“Let warlocks grim an’ wither’d hags
Tell how wi’ you on ragweed nags
They skim the muirs an’ dizzy crags
Wi’ wicked speed;
And in kirk-yards renew their leagues,
Owre howket dead.” – Robert Burns – Address To The Devil

Eight years on from their last album, titled The Forty Five, Falkirk, Scotland’s own Blackened Folk Metal warriors Cnoc An Tursa (or “Hill of the Standing Stone” in Scottish Gaelic) returns with an evocative tribute to the history, the folklore, and the unique magic of their homeland in the form of their third album, entitled A Cry For The Slain. With the intuitive mastering of Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios bringing depth and vigor to every note, and with all the emotion and secrets of its narrative captured in the evocative artwork of the unstoppable Olga Kann, the newborn opus by Alan Buchan on vocals, Rene McDonald Hill on the guitars and keyboards, and Bryan Hamilton on drums is a breathtaking album for fans of Primordial, Winterfylleth, Saor and Forefather, a beacon burning in the night of mundane modernity, calling to those of us who want more than we’ve been sold.

Na Fir Ghorma, which translates from Scottish Gaelic as “the blue men,” referring to mythical, human-sized, blue-skinned creatures in Scottish folklore, is a mysterious, atmospheric intro that warms us up for The Caoineag, a female spirit in Scottish Highland folklore, acting as a “weeper” or specialized banshee that foretells violent death, with Bryan hammering his drums mercilessly in a lecture in Scottish extreme music. Cailleach And The Guardians Of The Seven Stones refers to a deeply rooted Scottish and Irish mythological tradition centered on the Cailleach (the “Veiled One” or “Queen of Winter”) and a ritualistic, seasonal relationship with sacred stones that represent her family, while the music showcases Rene’s striking, primeval riffage matching perfectly with Alan’s soaring vocals; followed by Baobhan Sith, a malevolent, vampiric fairy from Scottish Highlands folklore, often described as a “fairy witch” or “fairy woman,” while the music leans towards classic Folk Metal, with its mysterious female backing vocals sounding simply stunning.

Rene and Bryan build a dancing atmosphere in Am Fear Liath Mòr, translated from Scottish Gaelic as “big grey man”, referring to a legendary, cryptid creature said to haunt the summit and passes of Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms, Scotland’s second-highest peak. Musically speaking, it reminds me of some of the thrilling songs by the mighty UADA; whereas in Alba In My Heart (where “Alba” is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland) the band makes sure they add all their admiration and love for their country to the music, with their riffs, drums and roars exhaling pride and power. Address To The Devil – 1786, a satirical poem that mocks the Calvinistic, fear-based religious teachings of 18th-century Scotland by treating the Devil (“Auld Hornie”) as a familiar, almost comedic figure rather than a terrifying entity, presents a more straightforward fusion of Black and Folk Metal led by Alan’s demonic growling, also displaying an ethereal passage with the same mysterious woman back on vocals; flowing into the piano-driven outro The Nine Maidens Of Dundee, a Scottish legend about a farmer’s nine daughters killed by a dragon near Pitempton, subsequently avenged by a hero named Martin.

“With this new album we feel like we are going back to our roots with a more guitar driven style and bringing back some of the folk elements musically and lyrically which was the original inspiration for the band,” commented the guys from Cnoc An Tursa, and by looking back they have found their way forward, reigniting their fire and forging an album that will resonate through the years to come. Alan, Rene and Bryan are waiting for you with their striking fusion of Scottish folklore and heavy music on Facebook and on Instagram, and don’t forget to also stream their unique creations on Spotify and, above all that, to purchase the excellent A Cry For The Slain from the Apocalyptic Witchcraft’s BandCamp or webstore. Cnoc An Tursa undoubtedly have Alba in their hearts, translating that passion for their homeland into first-class extreme music in their new album and, therefore, keeping the fires of their unparalleled culture burning bright for many decades to come.

Best moments of the album: The Caoineag, Baobhan Sith and Alba In My Heart.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Apocalyptic Witchcraft

Track listing
1. Na Fir Ghorma 2:28
2. The Caoineag 7:40
3. Cailleach And The Guardians Of The Seven Stones 4:58
4. Baobhan Sith 6:39
5. Am Fear Liath Mòr 4:42
6. Alba In My Heart 7:20
7. Address To The Devil 7:32
8. The Nine Maidens Of Dundee 3:00

Band members
Alan Buchan – vocals
Rene McDonald Hill – guitars, keyboards
Bryan Hamilton – drums

Album Review – Melechesh / Sentinels Of Shamash EP (2026)

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The “Kings of Fire” of Blackened Death Metal return after over a decade with a scorching new EP, burning with the tension between chaos and sacred order, ruin and restoration, mortal defiance and divine decree.

The indomitable Melechesh, the “Kings of Fire” of Blackened Death Metal with Middle-Eastern and Folk Metal influences, who also label themselves as “Sumerian Thrashing Black Metal Pioneers,” are finally back into the battlefield over ten years after their last opus Enki with a fulminating three-track EP entitled Sentinels Of Shamash. Recorded and mixed by Kristian Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studio, with vocals recorded at Neverworld Recordings and Kingsize Soundlabs, with additional sessions at Forneus Studio, and displaying a classy artwork by Néstor Ávalos, the newborn spawn by Melechesh Ashmedi on vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano and folk instruments, Lord Curse on drums and percussion, Moloch on the guitars, backing vocals and folk instruments, and featuring the iconic Rob Caggiano as a guest bassist bass, Sentinels Of Shamash sees the band enter a ceremonial descent into ancient law, fire, and cosmic vigilance. Rooted in the solar authority of Shamash, god of truth and justice in Mesopotamian cosmology, the EP burns with the tension between chaos and sacred order, ruin and restoration, mortal defiance and divine decree.

Sharp, metallic guitar riffs set fire to the atmosphere in The Seventh Verdict, featuring guest Jessica Pimentel on vocals, boosted by hard hitting drums and Ashmedi’s infernal vociferations, inspiring us to headbang like true metalmaniacs in an overdose of Middle-Eastern Black Metal magic. The rumbling bass by Rob and the massive beats by Lord Curse offer Ashmedi and Moloch exactly what they need to cut our skin deep with their infuriated riffs in In Shadows, In Light, a rebellious and visceral Black Metal extravaganza by the band; and it’s pedal to the metal in the closing song Raptors of Anzu, offering our avid ears over six minutes of darkness, chaos, heavy-as-hell guitars, and the always piercing, hellish gnarls by Ashmedi, ending the EP on a beyond atmospheric, tribal and venomous mode.

In the end, Sentinels of Shamash stands as a mythological statement shaped in flame and discipline, a work of vigilance, a declaration that truth remains luminous even in eras of shadow. You can get to know more about the mighty Melechesh and show the band your utmost support by following the project on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by streaming their unique creations on most platforms such as Spotify, and of course by purchasing the EP from the Reigning Phoenix Music webstore (EU, US or UK), or simply by clicking HERE. The sentinels do not sleep. The sun does not close its eye. And through relentless sonic force, Melechesh remind us that judgment is eternal, and order, though challenged, will rise again in fire. All hail Melechesh and the Sentinels Of Shamash, and may their Extreme Metal fire keep burning for many centuries to come.

Best moments of the album: In Shadows, In Light.

Worst moments of the album: The fact that it’s only a three-song EP.

Released in 2026 Reigning Phoenix Music

Track listing
1. The Seventh Verdict 6:23
2. In Shadows, In Light 8:26
3. Raptors of Anzu 6:12

Band members
Melechesh Ashmedi – vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano, folk instruments
Lord Curse – drums, percussion
Moloch – guitars, backing vocals, folk instruments

Guest musicians
Jessica Pimentel – vocals on “The Seventh Verdict”
Rob Caggiano – bass (session)

Album Review – Velothian / Mythic Dawn (2026)

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This up-and-coming Portland, Oregon-based five-piece Post-Black Metal band will stun us all with their “musical tribute” to the lore of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

An up-and-coming five-piece Post-Black Metal band from Portland, Oregon, the thrilling Velothian, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Daren Walker, blends elements of Post-Metal, Folk Metal and Shoegaze (often with the inclusion of instruments like horns, synth, cello, and hand drums) in their music, drawing inspiration from nature, science fiction and fantasy. After the release of their 2024 debut EP Path of the Incarnate, the band currently formed of the aforementioned Daren Walker on the guitars alongside Juniper Ashford on vocals, Shawn Brannon on the guitar, Ethan Miller on bass, and Ryan Chappell on drums in unleashing upon humanity their first full-length opus, titled Mythic Dawn. Mixed and mastered by Daren Walker himself, the album is a “musical tribute” to the lore of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, following Path of the Incarnate, which focused on Morrowind. Moreover, the album title refers to the Mythic Dawn, a secretive Daedric cult in The Elder Scrolls universe that worships Mehrunes Dagon and instigated the Oblivion Crisis.

Their epic battle begins in full force with The One From My Dreams, where Juniper’s devilish gnarls are properly boosted by the scathing riffs by Daren and Shawn, also presenting ethereal passages to give the song even more depth. In Forgotten Ruins, Juniper roars the song’s dark words (“Keepers of the fire / Sigils of ancient glass / Guardians of this mortal plane / Now a scattered memory / Eyes of pale fire / The Children of the sky”) amidst a doom-ish and enfolding blend of Symphonic Black Metal; while the journey continues with The Great Forest, venturing through the realms of Atmospheric Black Metal, with the guitars by Daren and Shawn exhaling obscurity. Night Mother is another sinister and Stygian creation by Daren and his henchmen, with the massive beats by Ryan adding an extra dosage of heaviness to their music; and Ryan keeps pounding his drums supported by the rumbling bass by Ethan in Deadlands, keeping the album at a demonic level of darkness. The band then goes full Symphonic Black Metal in Mania, led by the vile vociferations by Juniper, flowing into the incendiary and intricate closing song Dragonfires, where Daren and Shawn breathe fire from their axes in the name of extreme music.

With songs focusing on both nostalgia from the game itself while also dealing with original stories and scenarios from the role playing experience, Mythic Dawn offers the listener epic, triumphant, and adventurous blackened extreme music, and if you want to join Daren and his horde in such a heavy and dark adventure, you can start following Velothian on Facebook, and of course grab a copy of the excellent Mythic Dawn from the project’s own BandCamp. Extreme Metal has always been the perfect type of music to represent the passion and perils found in role playing games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, even more than the usual Power Metal bands, and I’m sure Velothian will soon return with another exciting and utterly metallic journey the likes of Mythic Dawn for our absolute delight.

Best moments of the album: Forgotten Ruins, Night Mother and Dragonfires.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Independent

Track listing
1. The One From My Dreams 4:19
2. Forgotten Ruins 5:05
3. The Great Forest 6:16
4. Night Mother 6:19
5. Deadlands 5:53
6. Mania 4:51
7. Dragonfires 6:51

Band members
Juniper Ashford – vocals
Daren Walker – guitar
Shawn Brannon – guitar
Ethan Miller – bass
Ryan Chappell – drums

Album Review – Epinikion / The Force of Nature (2026)

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Hailing from the Netherlands, this up-and-coming Symphonic Metal band continues their path to stardom with their striking sophomore album.

Hailing from the Netherlands, former athletes Renate de Boer and Robert Tangerman initially started an ambitious project to write a rock opera album, the Epic and Symphonic Metal band Epinikion, or “ἐπινίκιον,” which means “hymne for the winner” in Greek (in Ancient Greece, the heroic stories of athletes were sung in an epinikion after their victories at major events, a fitting band name for musicians rising from the ashes of their former sports careers, as reflected by the phoenix in the band’s logo). With no musical background to speak of, but with incredible talent, inspiration, and sheer will, the critically acclaimed debut Inquisition came to life in 2022. Now in 2026 the band currently formed of the aforementioned Robert Tangerman on the guitar and Renate de Boer on keyboards, alongside vocalist Kimberley Jongen, guitarist Maarten Jungschläger, bassist Rutger Klijn, and drummer Michal Gis, is unleashing upon us their sophomore opus, titled The Force of Nature. Mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, with vocals recorded by Erwin Hermsen at Toneshed Music Production, and displaying a stylish artwork by Giannis Nakos of Remedy Art Design, the album reflects the band’s conscious decision to commit and go big, and it promises to be a blast of a successor to their debut.

The cinematic intro The Moon, the Sun and the Stars transports us all to the ethereal realm ruled by Epinikion, setting the stage for the band to shine brighter than the sun in the title-track The Force of Nature, where Michal’s beats clash beautifully with Renate’s whimsical keys, generating the perfect Symphonic Power Metal ambience for Kimberley to hypnotize us with her striking vocals. In Lessons in Life (Are for Free) we see the band venturing through more modern lands, with the guitars by Robert and Maarten bringing sheer electricity to their core sound; and such a talented guitar duo continues to spread their metallic riffs across the sky in Come into My World, while Kimberley declaims the song’s lyrics in great fashion. Then the low-tuned, dark bass by Rutger kicks off the also enfolding Your Ultimate Joy, evolving into a powerful feast of Symphonic Metal with an epic touch, followed by I Thought You Were on My Side, a charming ballad where the entire band still sounds heavy while also keeping the atmosphere as delicate as possible.

Don’t Wake Up the Dead carries a poetic name for a song, working more like an interlude albeit it feels like a ballad at times, flowing into the hard hitting, epic Monsters in My Head, with Michal crushing his drums in great fashion while the keys by Renate add even more fuel to the incendiary riffage by Robert and Maarten in over nine minute of symphonic awesomeness. The band then brings forward their most passionate ballad of all, entitled Two Hearts, with Kimberley stealing the spotlight with her deep, melodic vocals; and it’s time to bring a Folk Metal vibe to their core symphonic sounds in Run with the Wolves, led by the galloping rhythm crafted by Rutger and Michal. Despite it’s weird title, What Goes Up Must Come Down lives up to the legacy of the style, with Renate once again hitting us in the face with her stylish keys, whereas lastly, let’s embark on an Epic Metal journey one final time to the sound of Eyes Will Glow, where Kimberley’s gentle vocals walk hand in hand with the song’s melodious riffs and pounding drums.

With The Force of Nature, such an up-and-coming Dutch Symphonic Metal band takes their music a step further compared to their 2022 debut, blending the musical influences and creativity from each member of the band into a unique and refreshing sound that will certainly appeal to fans of  renowned acts the likes of Epica, Kamelot, Nightwish, Delain, After Forever, Within Temptation, Serenity, Xandria, Rhapsody of Fire, Two Steps From Hell, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Symphony X, and many more. You can find those unstoppable metallers from the Netherlands on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase the excellent The Force of Nature from BandCamp, from their own webstore, or simply click HERE for all things Epinikion. In summary, the band has all it takes to make it to the big stages of the world, and their new album The Force of Nature is definitely turning them into a force to be reckoned with in the Symphonic Metal realm.

Best moments of the album: The Force of Nature, Monsters in My Head and Run with the Wolves.

Worst moments of the album: Don’t Wake Up the Dead.

Released in 2026 Independent

Track listing
1. The Moon, the Sun and the Stars 2:09
2. The Force of Nature 4:22
3. Lessons in Life (Are for Free) 3:58
4. Come into My World 4:09
5. Your Ultimate Joy 4:42
6. I Thought You Were on My Side 5:18
7. Don’t Wake Up the Dead 5:54
8. Monsters in My Head 9:19
9. Two Hearts 4:33
10. Run with the Wolves 4:35
11. What Goes Up Must Come Down 5:36
12. Eyes Will Glow 3:59

Band members
Kimberley Jongen – vocals
Robert Tangerman – guitar
Maarten Jungschläger – guitar
Rutger Klijn – bass
Renate de Boer – keyboards
Michal Gis – drums

Album Review – Weft / The Splintered Oar (2025)

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Behold the striking debut album by this new Atmospheric Black Metal entity from Texas, a vessel of exploration set adrift in a vibrant storm of metal intensities.

A new musical project by Charlie Anderson, who is a violinist and composer from the United States known for his work with the band Panopticon, Huston, Texas-based Atmospheric Black Metal entity Weft is ready to unleash upon us its debut opus, entitled The Splintered Oar. Recorded and mixed by Charlie himself (with contributions by Austin Lunn, Andrea Morgan and Jordan Day, who are also guest musicians in the album), mastered by Spenser Morris, and displaying a stylish artwork by Austin Lunn, The Splintered Oar is a vessel of exploration set adrift in a vibrant storm of metal intensities, a very adventurous and exciting album that perfectly represents Charlie Anderson’s vision and passion right from its very first notes until its climatic ending.

Leaves sounds absolutely melancholic and delicate from the very first second, with the crying violin by Andrea walking hand in hand with Charlie’s minimalist acoustic guitar, flowing into False Kingdoms, which also begins in a cinematic manner, evolving into a feast of contemporary Atmospheric Black Metal led by Charlie’s anguished gnarls and his flammable, piercing stringed weapons. The striking violin by Andrea returns in full force in The Hull, clashing with the Black Metal blast beats by Austin and, therefore, resulting in a superb aria of darkness where Charlie keeps vociferating like a demonic entity for our total delight. Then Charlie and his crew continue to embellish the airwaves with their blend of Atmospheric Black Metal madness in Red Dawn, with his guitars and synths adding an extra touch of insanity to the overall result; whereas lastly we’re treated to the longest of all songs, entitled Dream of Oaks, an acoustic display of Black and Folk Metal that morphs into some sort of Blackened Doom insanity during its second half, presenting different layers carefully crafted by our multi-talented Charlie and his crew.

They say that it takes a band or musician their entire life to create their first album, and on the weathered, atmospheric, and truly adventurous The Splintered Oar, it sounds like every note has indeed a lifetime of exploration, joy, loss, and growth behind it. Hence, you can put your hands on such a unique, multi-layered album of extreme music via the project’s own BandCamp, as well as from the Bindrune Recordings’ BandCamp or webstore as a CD or an LP, and I’m sure we’ll soon see Charlie and his Weft take other virtual realms by storm such as Facebook, Instagram and Spotify. In the end, Charlie Anderson is Weft, and Weft is Charlie Anderson, with The Splintered Oar beautifully representing the fusion of body, soul and extreme music by such an amazing new entity of the current American scene.

Best moments of the album: False Kingdoms and The Hull.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Bindrune Recordings

Track listing
1. Leaves 5:04
2. False Kingdoms 9:12
3. The Hull 10:25
4. Red Dawn 6:36
5. Dream of Oaks 12:11

Band members
Charlie Anderson – vocals, guitars, bass, strings, electric violin, synth, piano, additional percussion

Guest musicians
Austin Lunn – drums
Andrea Morgan – violin and vocals on “Leaves”, “The Hull” and “Dream of Oaks”
Jordan Day – vocals on “Dream of Oaks”

Album Review – Cemican / U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj (2025)

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These unrelenting Mexican metal warriors are back with their breathtaking fourth studio album based on Mayan ideology, worldview, mysticism, and the universe.

Incorporating elements of the legends, mysticism and ideologies of ancient Mexican culture, being compared by Revolver to “Slipknot scoring Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto” by combining the modern instrumentation of a metal band with traditional pre-Hispanic instruments, Guadalajara, Mexico’s own Progressive Power/Thrash/Folk Metal tribe Cemican (or “The Duality of Life and Death” in the Mexican language Nahuatl) brings forth more of their unique music in their fourth studio opus entitled U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj, translated as “the Mayan Resistance”, following up on their 2019 critically acclaimed album In Ohtli Teoyohtica In Miquiztli. Showcasing a stunning artwork by the band’s own Tlipoca (aka Alejandro Guzmán), depicting the great creation of the Mayan universe and the elements of life – water, fire, wind, and earth – by the great supreme Itzamnaaj, raising the great Temple of Kukulkan for the worship of the Mayan people, the new album by vocalist and guitarist Tecuhtli, bassist Ocelotl, drummer Tlipoca, and the tribalistic ensemble of Xaman Ek, Yei Tochtli, Mazatecpatl, and Itzcoatl is based on Mayan ideology, worldview, mysticism, and the universe. It contains various legends and stories of ancestral gods, the duality of life and death, as well as stories based on the band members, transformed with that touch that identifies us.

Kukulkán Wakah Chan (likely combining the Maya deity name Kukulkán, meaning “Plumed Serpent”, with the Nahuatl phrase Wakah Chan, meaning “Sacred Tree” or “Milky Way”) sounds utterly ritualistic and folk from its very first moments, with their wind instruments echoing through the air before exploding into an amalgamation of Thrash, Death and Groove Metal led by Tlipoca’s crushing beats and fills; whereas Tán tí le Xibalba, the second single of the album, speaks of the god of dead in the Mayan culture while keeping their heaviness clashing with the culture of their ancestors in a majestic way, being therefore an excellent choice for their live concerts. In El Niño Que Contemplaba A Las Estrellas (“the boy who gazed at the stars” from Spanish), the guitars by Tecuhtli lean towards classic Heavy Metal, as well as his vocals, followed by Viaje Astral Del Quetzal De Fuego (“astral journey of the fire quetzal”), sounding atmospheric and embracing from start to finish, with the bass by Ocelotl and the drums by Tlipoca being absolutely thunderous. Xaman Ek, Yei Tochtli and Mazatecpatl bring the glory of the past through their wind instruments in the tribal dance Horizonte De Almas (“horizon of souls”), exploding into an epic song that will inspire you to raise your horns for those beyond talented Mexicans, while El Castigo De Los Dioses (“the punishment of the gods”) is another song where the modern, electrified vibe of metal music makes a killer paradox with their cultural and folk sounds.

The howling wind invites us to another journey through Mayan lands in Tak Ti Ulaák Íin, one of the most ritualistic of all songs, where the band delivers their most primeval sounds of the album. Then the massive riffs by Tecuhtli ignite the imposing, multi-layered Los Guardianes De La Tierra (“guardians of the earth”), a lecture in Symphonic and Melodic Death and Black Metal that feels like it was taken from the most climatic moment of a period drama; and the band offers another blast of harsh and pounding sounds in Hun-Came, meaning “One Death”, the name of the senior of the two principal death gods in the Maya underworld Xibalba, with all vocals and backing vocals giving it an extra kick while Tlipoca hammers his drums mercilessly. ¿Donde Estas? (“where are you?) is some sort of power ballad entirely sung in Spanish by a mysterious guest female musician, a bit too generic compared to the other songs; while back to their trademark tribal sonority infused with the power of Heavy Metal we have Yóok’ ol Kaáb Maya, sounding and feeling epic and vibrant until the very end. Lastly, closing the album we’re invited to one final ritual by Cemican entitled Bolom Octé, a stunning sonic voyage back to the glory yet somber days of their ancestors.

Offering a sound that embodies that language of music with ancestral instruments that Cemican have achieved as its own unique and hallucinatory sound, fused with lyrics that blend Spanish with Yucatecan Mayan, U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj is a tribute to their ancestral people, their stories and their customs, giving a valuable message of their language and their ancestral glory. Hence, you can enjoy the dark and aggressive atmosphere found in U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj by purchasing the album from their own BandCamp, from the M-Theory Audio webstore, or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and stream their amazing albums on Spotify. Because U k’u’uk’ankil Mayakaaj is a way to revive what their warriors and their Mayan people were, honoring the great Mayan culture and representing the worldview and mysticism of their great ancestral empire.

Best moments of the album: Tán tí le Xibalba, Horizonte De Almas, Los Guardianes De La Tierra and Hun-Came.

Worst moments of the album: ¿Donde Estas?.

Released in 2025 M-Theory Audio

Track listing
1. Kukulkán Wakah Chan 5:45
2. Tán tí le Xibalba 4:01
3. El Niño Que Contemplaba A Las Estrellas 6:44
4. Viaje Astral Del Quetzal De Fuego 8:31
5. Horizonte De Almas 6:31
6. El Castigo De Los Dioses 5:26
7. Tak Ti Ulaák Íin 4:39
8. Los Guardianes De La Tierra 5:13
9. Hun-Came 5:29
10. ¿Donde Estas? 4:23
11. Yóok_ ol Kaáb Maya 5:45
12. Bolom Octé 4:30

Band members
Tecuhtli – vocals, guitars, wind instruments
Ocelotl – bass
Tlipoca – drums, percussion, wind instruments, backing vocals
Xaman Ek – wind instruments, backing vocals
Yei Tochtli – wind instruments, backing vocals
Mazatecpatl – wind instruments
Itzcoatl – choir vocals

Album Review – Alterium / Stormrage EP (2025)

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The new EP by this up-and-coming Italian band captures the essence of classic Power Metal while pushing their sound into exciting new territories.

Further cementing the band’s place among the most promising names in the new wave of European Power Metal, Stormrage is the brand new EP by Italian Symphonic/Melodic Power Metal warriors Alterium, a powerful chapter that bridges their acclaimed 2024 debut Of War And Flames and their upcoming full-length album. Formed of Nicoletta Rosellini on vocals, Paolo Campitelli on the guitars and keyboards, Alessandro Mammola also on the guitars, Luca Scalabrin on bass, and Dario Gozzi on drums, the band continues their tradition of blending agile riffs, epic atmospheres, and battle-hardened energy in Stormrage, capturing the essence of classic Power Metal while pushing the band’s sound into exciting new territories.

The whimsical, epic keys by Paolo will embellish the airwaves and invite you on a symphonic journey in the title-track Stormrage, accompanied by the classic drumming by Dario and the melodic and powerful vocals by Nicoletta; whereas Sui starts in a more melodic manner, sounding almost like a Folk Metal ballad, before Paolo and Alessandro strike us all with their scorching Heavy Metal riffs in a very detailed, imposing and electrifying feast of Symphonic and Melodic Power Metal. The CD version of the EP comes with two amazing bonus, the first one being their cover version for the classic by Symphony X titled Paradise Lost (check the original version from their 2007 album Paradise Lost), and Alterium’s version is just as magical and enfolding, with Nicoletta’s powerful vocal lines being flawlessly supported by Paolo’s keys and the low-tuned, groovy kitchen crafted by Luca and Dario. And closing the CD version of the EP we have the orchestral version of Of War and Flames, a cinematic rendition of the original version from their own 2024 album Of War and Flames, where all orchestrations walk hand in hand with Nicoletta’s epic, soaring vocals.

In summary, this new chapter sees the band sharpen their songwriting and deliver a fresh burst of adrenaline that both longtime fans and newcomers will appreciate, reaffirming their mission to carry the torch of European metal with pride and power. Hence, you can get in touch with those Italian metallers via Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase their new EP from Big Cartel. As aforementioned, Stormrage works as a bridge between their 2024 album and their future endeavor, and based on the high energy and quality of the music found in their new EP, we can rest assured the future looks extremely promising for such an amazing up-and-coming band.

Best moments of the album: Sui and Paradise Lost.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Stormrage 4:16
2. Sui 5:27

CD Version bonus tracks
3. Paradise Lost (Symphony X cover) 6:45
4. Of War and Flames (Orchestral version) 3:40

Band members
Nicoletta Rosellini – vocals
Paolo Campitelli – guitars, keyboards
Alessandro Mammola – guitars
Luca Scalabrin – bass
Dario Gozzi – drums

Album Review – Krigsgrav / Stormcaller (2025)

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A storm is brewing in the form of the eight studio album by this phenomenal Blackened Doom band hailing from the United States.

A storm is brewing. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, the unrelenting Black/Death/Doom Metal cult known as Krigsgrav returns two years after their critically acclaimed album Fires in the Fall with a brand new offering of absolute doom titled Stormcaller, the eight studio album in their solid career. Mixed and mastered by Owe Inborr at Wolfthrone Studios, with drums recorded by Sam Paquette at S.A.M. Studios, additional engineering by Cody Daniels, a Stygian cover art by the beyond talented Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, and album layout and design by Randi Matejowsky, the new opus by vocalist and guitarist Justin Coleman, guitarist Cody Daniels, bassist Wes Radvansky, and drummer and vocalist David Sikora is another lecture in Blackened Doom by one of the most prominent names of the scene worldwide, bringing sheer darkness and heaviness to our obscure hearts and souls.

Huntress of the Fire Moon, featuring guest vocals by Jens Rydén (of Swedish Viking/Black Metal band Thyrfing), is a very detailed and complex composition from the very first second, with the guitars by Justin and Cody exhaling epicness, whereas the harsh vociferations by Justin sound even darker in Stormcaller, while David keeps blasting his drums in great fashion. The quartet lets their Viking and Folk Metal vein pulse harder than ever in Twilight Fell, spearheaded by the pounding drums by David, and the final result is as epic as it is inspiring. And get ready for over seven minutes of harsh and obscure sounds in None Shall Remember Your Name, led by the always grim roars by Justin while their guitars exhale absolute darkness.

The second half of the album begins with more of their trademark fusion of Black, Death and Doom Metal with epic elements in the form of Bay of the Barghest, where their guitars sound striking and vibrant until the very end; and Cody fires a thrilling solo to kick off the excellent The Tonic of Wilderness, once again morphing into a bestial tune of Blackened Death and Doom Metal supported by the classic beats and fills by David. Ghosts is another six-minute beast of absolute doom, with their riffs and beats walking hand in hand, overflowing epicness and heaviness, and flowing into the grand finale entitled Womb-Death-Dawn, an explosion of Death and Doom Metal where Justin barks and roars like a creature from the abyss, resulting in a sinister, harsh conclusion to such a powerful and compelling album.

“When we started writing the songs that would make up Stormcaller, our intention was to create the most complete Krigsgrav album that took something from every era of the band, while still pushing our sound forward. A culmination of the blackest hues, doomiest of dirges, and most soaring of lead guitars. We think we achieved that, but we also wrote the best album of our career thus far. We trust that when you hear it, you’ll agree,” commented the band, and you can start following those amazing musicians on Facebook and on Instagram, enjoy their fantastic discography in full on Spotify, and of course purchase Stormcaller from BandCamp or from the Willowtip Records webstore, or simply click HERE for all things Krigsgrav. The band’s storm of absolute doom found in their new album is upon us, and once you’re embraced by their heavy sounds, there’s no way out.

Best moments of the album: Huntress of the Fire Moon, Twilight Fell and The Tonic of Wilderness.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Willowtip Records

Track listing
1. Huntress of the Fire Moon 5:44
2. Stormcaller 5:37
3. Twilight Fell 5:38
4. None Shall Remember Your Name 7:33
5. Bay of the Barghest 6:21
6. The Tonic of Wilderness 6:19
7. Ghosts 6:10
8. Womb-Death-Dawn 8:33

Band members
Justin Coleman – harsh vocals, guitar
Cody Daniels – lead guitar
Wes Radvansky – bass
David Sikora – clean vocals, drums

Guest musician
Jens Rydén – additional vocals on “Huntress of the Fire Moon”

Metal Chick of the Month – Vermilia

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Vastaan kulkee kuu kasvot kutsuen…

Miten teillä menee, rakkaat metallipäät? If you have no idea what this means, maybe we could ask our metal lady of the month of April here on The Headbanging Moose to help us with the translation, as not only it’s in her mother tongue, but she also uses this language in one hundred percent of her lyrics. Not only that, she’s more than just a singer, being responsible for all instruments in her one-woman Black Metal project. Owner of a mesmerizing voice, she will stun us all with her undisputed fusion of Pagan Black Metal with Nordic and Scandinavian melodies, offering us all beautiful lyrics in the form of poems about life, death and nature in her native language. Her name is Julia Mattila, usually referred to as her alter-ego Vermilia, a very creative woman and a free soul from the land of ice and snow who has a vision and a deep passion for music inside her head, always ready to let everything out in the form of her unique sounds.

Born and raised in Hämeenlinna, a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme, located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi, Vermilia has been crafting music basically since she was born, having done everything from classical music to folk singing to metal and everything between that. She grew up in a very musical family, which means making music has always been very natural to her. Moreover, she is also an audio engineer, always listening to different genres to find new ideas for her own sound and production, therefore keeping her music as fresh and unique as possible with each album released.

Her one-woman project Vermilia was founded back in 2017, blending Pagan Black Metal with Scandinavian and Nordic melodies, clean, harsh and melancholic vocal harmonies, and lyrics in the form of poems about life, death and nature, always singing in her mother tongue Finnish, and always responsible for not only all vocal duties (including some amazing harsh growls), but also for all instruments (including even shaman drums), graphics and videos, recording, producing, mixing and mastering of all of her albums, plus all the artworks and photography. Shortly after forming Vermilia, she released her debut album Kätkyt (which means “cradle” in English), in 2018, which ended up being one of the most best selling metal albums on BandCamp during the weekend of its pre-release announcement, receiving a huge amount of praise from a variety of critics, magazines and webzines, and of course from fans from all over the world.

Right after the enormous success of Kätkyt, she released on March 1, 2019 her cover version for a Finnish classic song called Täällä Pohjantähden Alla, originally released by Petri Laaksonen in 1994 (and you can check the original version HERE). Vermilia’s atmospheric version became a huge success on Spotify, jumping straight to number #1 of the most viral songs in Finland on the official Spotify charts. After such a wild feedback from music lovers from all four corners of the earth, it was more than natural for Vermilia to keep her momentum going with the 2020 four-track EP Keskeneräisiä Tarinoita, which translates as “unfinished stories”, also getting tons of positive feedback from all types of metal and non-metal fans.

Then after reaching almost two million streams on Spotify, it was time for Vermilia to unleash upon humanity her highly anticipated sophomore opus, entitled Ruska, or “autumn foliage”, the process of leaves turning to various shades of yellow, orange, red and brown as the trees get ready for winter. The evolution in her music was beyond clear in Ruska, with her always evolving blend of Atmospheric, Pagan and Black Metal getting more personal, tighter and more compelling, culminating now in 2025 with the release of her strongest album to date, the breathtaking Karsikko, an expression that represents a set of markings made on a tree somewhere between a deceased person’s home and the burial site in the Finnic religion, which was believed to prevent the individual’s spirit from coming back. Her visuals are also a crucial part of her music, and you can savor that in all of her official videos on YouTube, including Veresi, Kansojen Kaipuu, Marras, Tuonen Joki, Hautavajo, Ruska, Hauras, Kuollut, Kaunis, and Äiti Maa. All of them are definitely worth a watch, and all of her albums are certainly worth purchasing from BandCamp, and you can also click HERE for all things Vermilia, including her mesmerizing live performances.

Apart from Vermilia, you can find our she-wolf (under her name Julia Mattila) as part of the bands Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä and Seele, and as the vocalist for a now defunct project named The Passion of Our Souls. As a matter of fact, Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä and The Passion of Our Souls are basically the same band, with the main difference being the type of music they play. In Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä, it looks like Julia and Samuli play (or used to play, who knows) cover songs in a sort of folk style, while in The Passion of Our Souls the style was a fusion of Melodic Death Metal with Metalcore with nuances of symphonic and gothic music, having released back in 2015 their first and only record, the EP Soulmates, as you can see in the song Give Me Your Soul.

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Her other band, named Seele, is an Alternative Rock/Electronic Pop band from Finland with whom Vermilia released the album Jos Vain Kaiken Jättäisin (which means “If Only I Left Everything” in English), in 2016, but that was it. Furthermore, you can also find her doing backing vocals on the song Peikonmieli, from the 2017 album Saatto, and vocals on the song Ikarus, from the 2019 album Valo, both released by the now defunct Finnish Melodic Black/Gothic Metal band Mustan Kuun Lapset, another band from Finland that always used their mother tongue to keep their connection to their roots intact and always present in their music.

In regards to Vermilia’s idols and influences, she always mentions in her interviews that her biggest inspirations are nature, sadness, darkness, autumn rain and mythology. “Everything I compose or write happens without bigger plans. I just let the creativity fly and move forward with the feelings I have in that moment,” she commented, complementing by saying that musically speaking she’s influenced by Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal, as well as by folk music, which in her opinion represents freedom of art and freedom of mind. Furthermore, although her music is sometimes compared to Myrkur, Ulver and Moonsorrow, all bands she respects and admires, she mentioned she still thinks that their music is different from Vermilia, saying that any similarities might come from her subconscious or something like that.

As mentioned before, Vermilia is a skilled singer who can do both clean and harsh vocals, and she commented already in an interview how much her vocals have evolved with time. “I have studied different vocal techniques, which has helped me find all my voices. I love using my voice in many ways, and it’s my favourite instrument.” On a side note, when playing live of course she ends up needing support from other musicians to be able to bring her creations to life. “I do every single vocal by myself. There is no other vocalists on the album. But for example in the live shows I can’t do all at the same time, so there needs to be some compromises, like someone to double the growls in some parts of the songs when I do the clean vocals.” Furthermore, she also has a very good explanation for singing pretty much all the time in Finnish. “The Finnish language is very rich and there are so many metaphors in my lyrics that it’s kind of hard to translate these songs. I have done some lyrics in English in the past before Vermilia, but I am a so much better writer in Finnish so at this point I will keep doing this in Finnish because it fits perfectly to this, but you know, never say never.”

Vermilia also has a strong opinion about all the discrimination and disrespect towards women, both in the music industry and in everyday life. “I think we are going in a better direction, but we are still very far away from a solution for this.” In addition, she also thinks the new wave of women in Black Metal and other styles of extreme music is awesome, showing a lot of respect for bands like Myrkur and Sylvaine. “I think it is awesome that women are rising and doing their own music in their own way.” And of course, as she was born in Finland, a country considered by many as the epicenter of the best heavy music on the planet, she had some nice words to say about her homeland. “I love Finnish music in many genres, not just metal. I guess it’s so cold and dark here that we have to be creative and keep our brains warm by doing metal. For me Finland is a calming place where my mind is clear and my soul is resting. We have so many forests and lakes that you really don’t have to see other people if you don’t want to. Peace of nature is inspirational. I love to write and compose here.”

There are also countless interviews and videos online with Vermilia, like this nice one for a podcast from Latvia named Metālkāsts LV, where she talks about why she decided to fly solo in her career, her songwriting ritual, the importance of writing and singing in her native Finnish language, her favorite season of the year, and more, showing she’s not just a very talented musician, but also a very down to earth woman who will keep working hard and releasing new albums for our total delight, always following her passion for music, always inspired by nature, and always remaining true to her Finnish roots. And do you know her motto? Well, that’s a very simple yet powerful one that all of us should carry inside our hearts. “Be thankful for what you have right now, and don’t take anything for granted.”

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“I love Finnish music in many genres, not just metal. I guess it’s so cold and dark here that we have to be creative and keep our brains warm by doing metal. For me Finland is a calming place where my mind is clear and my soul is resting. We have so many forests and lakes that you really don’t have to see other people if you don’t want to. Peace of nature is inspirational. I love to write and compose here.” – Vermilia