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Album Review – Scalpture / Landkrieg (2025)

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Here comes the German Death Metal tank again armed with their fourth album, revolving around the 30 Year War that devastated the German lands from 1618 until 1648. 

Here comes the German Death Metal tank Scalpture again, crushing and smashing, bulldozing all resistance into oblivion and breaking through the lines. Founded in 2009 in Bielefeld, a German city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, the band currently formed of Thorsten Pieper on vocals, Tobias Aselmann and Felix Marbach on the guitars, Niklas Neuwöhner on bass and Moritz Nixdorf on drums delivers their fourth album, titled Landkrieg, which means “land warfare” in German, with deadly precision and an ambitious mission statement to conquer the world. Recorded, produced and mixed by Marco Brinkmann at Hellforge Studio, mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Rorysound Studios, and displaying a stylish artwork by world renowned artist Eliran Kantor (with layout by Irrwisch Artdesign), Landkrieg brings forward ten songs of pure old school Death Metal, with each song revolving around the 30 Year War that devastated the German lands from 1618 until 1648, being therefore perfect for fans of Hail of Bullets, Bolt Thrower, Obituary, Gatecreeper, Dismember and Jungle Rot.

The serene intro The Fall works as the calm before the storm, as the band heads into the battlefield in Into Catastrophe, with Moritz bringing the heavy artillery by hammering his drums nonstop while Thorsten roars deeply and with tons of anger. Then we have Til Jeret Undergang, or “until the end”, another blast of classic 90’s Death Metal where the bass by Niklas sounds utterly heavy and metallic, turning the song into the perfect choice for some action inside the pit. Landsknecht, an expression that represents a mercenary foot soldier in late 15th-, 16th-, and 17th-century Europe, is a tormented display of Death Metal led by the crushing riffs by Tobias and Felix; followed by Wallenstein, a military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the 30 Year War, sounding considerably darker thanks to all of its elements of Doom Metal.

Den Mörka Nattens Lejon, or “lion of the dark night” from Swedish, indeed sounds like a devilish lion thanks to another bestial performance by Thorsten on vocals while Moritz speeds things up with his demolishing beats, and the hammering bass and drums by Niklas and Moritz set the tone in Of Siege and Besieged, a neck-breaking, infernal aria by the band. After that we face Schwedentrunk, a method of torture and execution in which the victim is forced to swallow large amounts of a foul liquid, such as excrement, leaning towards modern-day Melodic Death Metal while still sounding raw and evil; and it’s pedal to the metal with the infuriated Hells Choirs Chant, where their caustic riffs and blast beats match perfectly with Thorsten’s guttural roars. Finally, Bellum Se Ipsum Alet, or “war feeds itself” from Latin, puts a dark and sinister conclusion to the album, with the band’s Death and Doom vein pulsing harder than ever.

After all is said and done, it’s clear that Scalpture stayed true to their deadly roots in Landkrieg, building their music and lyrics on detailed historical research and portraying the horrors that the abyss of war has caused in some of the darkest hours of humankind. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram to keep updated with all things Scalpture, to stream more of their warlike compositions on Spotify, and of course to purchase Landkrieg from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. As the band unleashes their new album upon us, that leaves us with only two choices, to run for cover or to bang our Death Metal heads hard, and based on the high quality of the music found in the album I’m sure we’ll all go for the second option.

Best moments of the album: Til Jeret Undergang, Den Mörka Nattens Lejon and Hells Choirs Chant.

Worst moments of the album: Wallenstein.

Released in 2025 Testimony Records

Track listing
1. The Fall 1:23
2. Into Catastrophe 3:46
3. Til Jeret Undergang 5:09
4. Landsknecht 4:21
5. Wallenstein 5:32
6. Den Mörka Nattens Lejon 3:22
7. Of Siege and Besieged 6:07
8. Schwedentrunk 3:28
9. Hells Choirs Chant 3:46
10. Bellum Se Ipsum Alet 5:49

Band members
Thorsten Pieper – vocals
Tobias Aselmann – guitar
Felix Marbach – guitar
Niklas Neuwöhner – bass
Moritz Nixdorf – drums

Album Review – Unreqvited / A Pathway To The Moon (2025)

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One of the most respected Post-Black Metal acts in Canada returns with its eighth studio album, emerging as a new creature with luminous, polychromatic wings and ready to soar into stellar space.

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist 鬼 (Ghost), the mastermind behind Ottawa, Ontario’s own Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze/Ambient entity Unreqvited, has a penchant for beautiful musical creations that reveal their claws and fangs only at closer inspection after spending some time on them. This solo project is firmly rooted in Blackgaze sonic soil but has also out sent tendrils into Ambient, Post-Rock, Post-Black Metal, and other related stylistic strata, with its seventh studio album, titled A Pathway to the Moon, taking an impressive evolutionary leap. Recorded by 鬼 at Unreqvited Studio, mixed by Benjamin V. Cooligan at New Alchemy Audio, mastered by Bogdan Makarov at NƎkkomix, and with cover artwork by Bérénice (Noirs Dessins) and layout by Irrwisch Artdesign, A Pathway to the Moon emerges as a new creature with luminous, polychromatic wings and ready to soar into stellar space; yet still it bears claws and fangs, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Alcest, Harakiri For The Sky, Deafheaven and Heretoir, among others.

The soothing, ethereal intro Overture I: Disintegrate will transport the listener to Unreqvited’s emotional journey starting with The Antimatter, offering ten minutes of beautiful yet dark passages blending the venomous side of classic Black Metal with the more modern nuances of Post-Metal, while the vocals by our lone wolf 鬼 exhale despair and obscurity. The other single released, titled The Starforger, begins in a calming, enfolding manner to the minimalist guitars by 鬼 while his vocalizations also bring melancholy and peace to our hearts; followed by Void Essence / Frozen Tears, a beautifully dark composition by Unreqvited that will surely take you to the stars to the sound of its melodious guitars and stylish piano notes. Into the Starlit Beyond sounds and feels even more spiritual and pensive than its predecessors, perhaps a bit too much albeit sounding very comforting, whereas Celestial Sleep brings forward two minutes of first-class Blackgaze, with 鬼 thoroughly putting together elements from several types of music, flowing into Departure: Everlasting Dream, a beyond atmospheric track that puts a charming yet somber conclusion to the album.

In a nutshell, A Pathway to the Moon takes Unreqvited closer to a traditional rock and metal album based on its songs than ever before – yet it is also the soundtrack of a most beautiful sonic journey, and you can join our mysterious lone wolf in his musical voyage by following the project on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to its YouTube channel, and of course by purchasing the album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE, available as a stunning 36-page hardcover CD-artbook including a cover version for Cornfield Chase by Hans Zimmer (from the 2014 movie Interstellar) as a bonus track, as a black vinyl LP, and as a limited ash-grey marbled vinyl LP. Having said all that, it’s time to let the luminous creature known as Unreqvited soar high to the sound of its striking new album, elevating Canadian Blackgaze to new and exciting heights.

Best moments of the album: The Antimatter, The Starforger and Void Essence / Frozen Tears.

Worst moments of the album: Into the Starlit Beyond.

Released in 2025 Prophecy Productions

Track listing
1. Overture I: Disintegrate 2:19
2. The Antimatter 10:34
3. The Starforger 8:04
4. Void Essence / Frozen Tears 9:08
5. Into the Starlit Beyond 5:23
6. Celestial Sleep 1:49
7. Departure: Everlasting Dream 5:48

CD-artbook bonus track
8. Conrfield Chase 2:07

Band members
鬼 (Ghost) – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Benjamin V. Cooligan – guitar solos on “The Antimatter” and “Into the Starlit Beyond”
Jamie Turton – additional orchestration on “Overture: I Disintegrate”, “Frozen Tears” and “Cornfield Chase”

Album Review – Nachtmystium / Blight Privilege (2024)

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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