A debut EP of classic Death Metal made in Italy, paying tribute to the elephant trunks of interstellar gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula photographed by the Hubble Telescope from NASA on April 1, 1995.
Created by two old time friends sharing a passion for Extreme Metal, with its name taken from “Enceladus”, the sixth largest moon of Saturn, Italian Death Metal duo Encelado is set to unleash upon us their debut EP, entitled Pillars of Creation. Recorded and mixed at Umbra Studio, with band logo and album artwork designed by the band’s own Damien, and featuring guest drummers Max and Devin, the new EP by the aforementioned Damien on the guitars, bass, synths and backing vocals alongside Simone on vocals pays tribute to the elephant trunks of interstellar gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula photographed by the Hubble Telescope from NASA on April 1, 1995, with lyrics dealing with topics including space exploration, artificial intelligence, human consciousness, and death, while the music displays a solid mix of Aborted, All Shall Perish, Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, and Suffocation.
Simone’s deep, otherworldly guttural will send shivers down your spine in Dark Nebulas, while Damien fires some sick Death Metal riffs and metallic bass lines and guest Max demolishes his drums mercilessly. Gravety, the second song of the EP, keeps the atmosphere dense and grim, with the bass lines by Damien sounding truly menacing, all boosted by the devilish guest drums by Devin. Then an overdose of hammering drums, visceral growls and classic Death Metal riffs will smash you like an insect in Fragments Of Fear, perfect for some wild headbanging, and the EP ends on a high note with the title-track Pillars Of Creation, where Simone’s deep, vile gnarls match perfectly with the brutal yet technical sounds crafted by Damien and Max, beautifully depicting their passion for Death Metal and, therefore, leaving us eager for more of their music in a not-so-distant future.
Pillars of Creation, which is available for purchase from the band’s own Big Cartel, might be short in duration, with only four songs in total, but it’s indeed an amazing debut by the duo formed of Simone and Damien, and a very good indication of where they’re headed to with Encelado. Who knows, maybe they’ll reach an unknown constellation in the near future with new music, right? And if you want to get in touch with the boys, you can find them on Instagram, as I’m sure they would love to hear what you have to say about their cosmic Death Metal music. I don’t think it will take long for them to release their first full-length album, and if it’s just half as good as Pillars of Creation, we’ll surely be very happy Death Metal fans.
Best moments of the album:Dark Nebulas and Pillars Of Creation.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Regenerate Records
Track listing 1. Dark Nebulas 4:11
2. Gravety 3:25
3. Fragments Of Fear 3:34
4. Pillars Of Creation 2:58
Band members Simone – vocals
Damien – guitar, bass, synths, backing vocals
Guest musicians
Max – drums on “Dark Nebulas”, “Fragments Of Fear” and “Pillars Of Creation”
Devin – drums on “Gravety”
Behold the triumphant return to action by this Italian horde armed with their third full-length album, continuing their journey into the world of Folk and Symphonic Metal.
Forged in 2010 in the city of Venice, Italy, Folk Metal horde Vallorch, a name taken from a small Cimbrian village on the Cansiglio plateau, continues their journey into the world of Folk and Symphonic Metal with their third full-length installment, entitled The Circle, the follow-up to their 2015 album Until Our Tale Is Told, and a triumphant return to action by the band. Reborn from the ashes of their former selves, frontwoman Sara Tacchetto, vocalist and bassist Leonardo Dalla Via, guitarist Mattia Buggin, vocalist and keyboardist Marco Povolo, and drummer Massimo Benetazzo, supported by guest violinist Serena Zucco (of Adgarios) are ready to take the world by storm once again, inviting us all to join them in the battlefield or to simply party at a cozy and loud inn.
It’s a prancing Folk Metal party right from the start in To the Silver Summit, with Leonardo and Massimo dictating the song’s galloping pace while Sara distills her mesmerizing vocals nonstop, whereas Hellpath continues to showcase their upbeat folk sounds, with the bouzouki by Marco adding an extra touch of finesse to the overall result. Circle of the Moon is one of those songs born to be played live, where all riffs, bass lines and drums match perfectly with the uniqueness of the bouzouki, bagpipe and violin, followed by Drink Some More!, a raucous celebration of music, camaraderie, and revelry, where Mattia kicks some ass armed with his stringed axe; and the Celtic harp by guest Glorya Lyr (of Eard) brings a charming aura to the delicate ballad Antermoia, led by the always passionate vocals by Sara (not to mention the striking, soulful guitar solo by Mattia).
Their metallic party goes on in Röte Löon, which should translate as “red lion” from German, another captivating tune by such an amazing Italian horde, with Sara and Leonardo making an absolutely stunning vocal duet. Then back to a more Heavy Metal inspired sound, it’s time for the fierce battle hymn Salbanéo, recommended for fans of Folk Metal masters Korpiklaani, with Leonardo sounding amazing with his harsh vocals; whereas The Wild One is by far the most generic of all songs, not as captivating as the rest of the album, albeit the vocals by Sara still sound powerful. And lastly, we face Dyssomnia, the most epic and detailed of all songs (thanks in part to its duration), with the entire band sounding sharp, in special Marco armed with his keyboards and bouzouki, all spiced up by a thunderous performance by Massimo on drums.
Fans of Eluveitie, Alestorm, Wind Rose, and Korpiklaani, among others, will find much to love in the vibrant fusion of folk instrumentation and symphonic power found in The Circle, and you can be part of their sonic celebration by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their inebriate creations on Spotify, and of course by grabbing a copy of The Circle from Rockshots Records, or by clicking HERE or HERE. In other words, it’s time to raise our glasses, let the music by Vallorch take over, and drink some more with those Italian metallers as they unleash their most refined and exhilarating work to date upon us all.
Best moments of the album:Circle of the Moon, Drink Some More! and Salbanéo.
Worst moments of the album:The Wild One.
Released in 2025 Rockshots Records
Track listing 1. To the Silver Summit 3:53
2. Hellpath 3:52
3. Circle of the Moon 3:34
4. Drink Some More! 3:42
5. Antermoia 5:00
6. Röte Löon 4:39
7. Salbanéo 3:59
8. The Wild One 4:10
9. Dyssomnia 9:08
Band members Sara Tacchetto – vocals, choirs, tin whistle, bagpipe
Leonardo Dalla Via – vocals, harsh vocals, choirs, bass, programming
Mattia Buggin – electric and acoustic guitars
Marco Povolo – vocals, choirs, keyboards, bouzouki, programming
Massimo Benetazzo – drums
Guest musicians Serena Zucco – violin
Glorya Lyr – Celtic harp in “Antermoia”
One of the very first Black Metal acts featuring lyrics in Sardinian Campidanese language returns with a magnificent opus dedicated to the occultism and folk superstitions of their homeland.
Aggressive, unmerciful and fast-paced, showcasing intriguing riffs and a certain degree of dark violence, Portoscuso, Sardinia, Italy’s most devilish Black Metal horde Vultur, one of the very first Black Metal acts featuring lyrics in Sardinian Campidanese language, with themes about Sardinian occultism and folk superstitions, returns to the battlefield with their third full-length opus, entitled Cultores de Perdas e Linna, following up on their critically acclaimed 2014 album Ogu Liau. Recorded by Alberto Bandino at Cut Fire Mixing Studio, and displaying a grim artwork by the band’s own bassist Maristella Spanu (taking inspiration from the Sardinian popular mask “Su Boe”, one of the most important characters of Sardinian Carnival tradition), Cultores de Perdas e Linna, which means “stone and woods worshippers” (which is how Christians derogatorily defined the ancient Nuragic population), features eight songs overflowing darkness, brutality and, of course, Sardinian occultism and folklore, all masterfully brought into being by vocalist and guitarist Nicola Fulgheri (aka Attalzu), guitarist Nicola Spaziani, bassist Maristella Spanu, and drummer Lorenzo Balia.
Attalzu wastes no time and begins vociferating rabidly from the very first second in Su Frastimu, a pulverizing, sinister Black Metal onrush that gets even more cryptic thanks to its words in Sardinian Campidanese; and Maristella and Lorenzo fire a Marduk-like evil kitchen in Eternu Trumentu, again darkening the skies in the name of classic Black Metal. The band shows absolutely no signs of slowing or toning down their music in Su Spegu, with Lorenzo smashing his drums like a beast accompanied by the visceral riffage by Attalzu and Nicola. And Maristella continues to hammer her ruthless bass in Femina Mala, while Attalzu summons absolute darkness through his devilish growls.
After such a hurricane of Black Metal, we have the atmospheric interlude Arestis, setting the stage for Vultur to crush our damned souls in Cultores Lapides et Lignea, with the deep, imposing vociferations by Attalzu sending shivers down our spines while Lorenzo once again sounds demonic behind his drums, not to mention the scorching riffage by Nicola transpires Black Metal magic. Then adding the heaviest elements from Death Metal to their core sonority, its time for a deep, infernal tune by the quartet named Umbras, where all instruments sound as austere as possible, in special the demented drums by Lorenzo, flowing into the beyond atmospheric Nemini Parco, starting in a somber Gregorian chant manner before exploding into one final blackened attack by the band, led by the infuriated riffs and bass by Nicola and Maristella, respectively.
Sardinia is the island whose ancient population dates back to the Bronze Age, featuring a rich archaic history and culture, and whose folklore still breaths nowadays within its fond population. Having said that, it’s truly amazing that a band like Vultur also helps to keep that spirit alive through Black Metal, which is in my humble opinion the perfect music genre to represent any form of folklore or occultism, and Cultores de Perdas e Linna is a flawless depiction of the band’s talent and devotion to their homeland, being highly recommended for fans of Satyricon, Marduk, Mayhem, Immortal, Dissection, and Rotting Christ, among others. You can find those Italian creatures on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and above all that, purchase their new album from the Masked Dead Records’ BandCamp or webstore as a CD or as a very special Cultores de Perdas e Linna CD + Unholy Impurity CD bundle. Sardinian folklore has always been a very interesting and vibrant topic, but let’s say Vultur definitely know how to spice it up considerably armed with their breathtaking Black Metal attack.
Best moments of the album:Su Frastimu, Cultores Lapides et Lignea and Umbras.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Masked Dead Records/Sulphur Music
Track listing 1. Su Frastimu 4:11
2. Eternu Trumentu 5:30
3. Su Spegu 3:53
4. Femina Mala 4:33
5. Arestis 2:25
6. Cultores Lapides et Lignea 5:20
7. Umbras 4:01
8. Nemini Parco 5:20
Band members Nicola Fulgheri – vocals, lead guitars
Nicola Spaziani – guitars
Maristella Spanu – bass
Lorenzo Balia – drums
Guest musician
Federico Ruggiu – acoustic guitar and bass, effects
Depuis les lumières… Vers les ténèbres… La République est en marche!
March might still be a very cold month, maybe not as cold as January and February, but absolutely freakin’ cold if you live in the Northern Hemisphere in places like Canada, Finland, Russia and Belgium. And why did I mention Belgium instead of other colder countries, one might ask? Well, let’s say our metal lady of the month of March might have been born in a warm country, but she currently resides in Belgium, bringing some very welcome heat to “the Battlefield of Europe” with her powerful growls and badass attitude. Her name is Lorena Moraes, the frontwoman for an amazing Belgian Technical Death Metal entity known as Triagone, and I’m sure after this short and sweet tribute to her career in heavy music you’ll develop a strong craving for more of her music.
As aforementioned, Lorena wasn’t born in Belgium, but in the sunny and warm country of Brazil, more specifically in the capital city of Brasília, located in the Brazilian highlands in the country’s Central-West region, and the seat of government of the Federal District. A former photographer at Escola do Futuro de Goiás em Artes Basileu França, located in Goiânia, the capital of Goiás state in central Brazil, Lorena studied at Faculdade Cambury in Brazil, before relocating to Brussels, Belgium’s capital and home to the European Union headquarters, expanding her photography skills by studying at Ecole de Photographie et de techniques visuelles – Ville de Bruxelles while also taking her first steps through the vast lands of Extreme Metal.
It was back in 2019 when Lorena, alongside vocalist and guitarist Lou-Indigo Caspar, guitarist Lucas Lembert, bassist Leonard Ivanciu and drummer Lorenzo Vissol formed the Technical Death Metal beast that goes by the stylish name of Triagone, with roots in Brazil, Italy, France and Belgium, and the explanation to the name chosen is indeed very interesting. According to the band itself, the word “triagone” is a hybrid word inspired by the ancient Greek word “agôn” (ἀγών), which means contest, competition, or disputation (and can refer to a physical or mental contest, or to a dramatic conflict in literature), and a direct reference to the Greek name “trigone”, which means three angles, or the triangle, in parallel with the band’s inspiration by the connection between mathematics and music, like certain demonstrations of trigonometric relations that can be found in the circle of fifths, the demonstration of the C major scale granted to Pythagoras and his demonstrations on triangles, among others. In the end, the fusion of those two Greek words gives the band’s name a third way of understanding the music played by Lorena and the boys. Furthermore, another topic mentioned by the band regarding their name is their message against the pyramid structure our society adopted, an analogy where we’re pretty much slaves building a pyramid stone by stone, trying to climb the ranks of society, with all inequality bringing a lot of disadvantage for the oppressed against the oppressor.
It was in the beginning of 2023 when Triagone released their debut effort, a six-track EP titled Sem Papyrvs, a play on words between Latin and Portuguese, as “sem” means without and “papyrvs” means paper, referring to anyone in a difficult or precarious situation, anyone without an identity, without wealth, without history, or without a diploma, with its 26 minutes of Brutal and Technical Death Metal inspired by classic metal music, baroque, and even Mesopotamian music, also featuring hints of Latin American music rhythms, and all sprinkled with a blend of male and female guttural voices in ancient Greek and Latin and modern Latin and Germanic languages. The names of the songs in Sem Papyrvs are a thing of beauty, starting with Novvs Ordo Seclorvm (“The New Order of the Ages”), followed by Abyssvs Abyssvm Invocat (“The Abyss Calls the Abyss”), Ad Mortem Sem Papyrvs (“To Death Without Paper”), Nvlla Regvla Sine Exceptione (“The New Rules Without Exception”), De Beata Vita (“The Blessed Life”), and Imperivm in Imperio (“Empire in Empire”).
One of the most compelling features in Triagone is the electrifying vocal duet comprised of Lorena and Lou-Indigo, which allows the band to explore new patterns and nuances, as well as the aforementioned lyrics in multiple languages, thanks to the undisputed combined talent of the duo. They can sound at the same time visceral and melodic, dissonant and cryptic, captivating and menacing, purely mathematical and extremely violent, and you can enjoy all that on most streaming services, like Spotify. As a matter of fact, Lou-Indigo explained in an interview that the band had to rework some of the rhythms, textures and timbres (mainly because he mocks up everything with his own voice) after Lorena joined the band, as they wanted her voice to be more present in the final product. Also, although she’s not responsible for all vocal parts nor for all lyrics, this is something Lou-Indigo wants to change in the near future, giving her more singing time, more flexibility, and therefore let her be the main vocalist of the band.
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Before joining Triagone, Lorena was the vocalist for a Brazilian Death/Thrash Metal band named Suttura, and another one named Erinyes, both from the city of Goiânia. Suttura was formed back in 2010 by Lorena alongside drummer Sílvio, bassist Thiago and guitarist Rildo, and although there isn’t a lot of information online about the band, you can stream some of their creations on YouTube, including the excellent songs Need of War, Overlook, and Villas Boas Incident. Furthermore, back in 2015 the band played at the 21st edition of a Brazilian rock and metal festival named Goiânia Noise Festival, at a venue named Centro Cultural Martim Cererê, together with renowned acts the likes of Nervochaos and Ratos de Porão, and countless amazing underground bands from Brazil and other parts of the world, and before that in 2013 they played at the 11th edition of Headbanger’s Attack Festival, held at Círculo Operário do Cruzeiro Velho in Brasília, with each of the eight bands from that specific festival having at least one woman in their lineup as a tribute to the bands Valhalla and Flammea. Apart form Suttura, the festival also featured the bands Soror, Sound’n’Rage, Gulag, Armum, Decimator, Roasting and No Sense. On the other hand, unfortunately there isn’t much online about her previous band Erinyes, except for this nice cover version of AC/DC’s all-time classic TNT live back in 2007, but it’s enough to see she has been developing her vocals in great fashion through the years.
It was when Lorena was still a member of Suttura that she and Lou-Indigo met for the first time, when Lou-Indigo’s former band Dehuman was touring in Brazil, as Lorena was playing with Suttura at the same festival as them. After Lorena moved to Belgium together with Lou-Indigo, they did some Cannibal Corpse covers together, and after he showed those to Lorenzo and Leonard they decided to recruit her to be their frontwoman, as they loved her voice and charisma. Speaking of her relocation to Belgium, Lorena mentioned in one of her interviews that she believes there are more possibilities in Belgium to make a musical project live and grow, that music is taken more seriously there if compared with the metal scene in Brazil, her native country. “In Brazil,” she explains, “each band needs a lot of financial investment and a lot of time, and I think there is more openness here in this regard.”
Apart from her work with Triagone, as well as with the previously mentioned bands Suttura and Erinyes, Lorena was a guest vocalist in the song Arterial Red, from the album Crusher of Souls, released in 2024 by Belgian Brutal Death Metal act Storm Upon the Masses. It’s a great album of sheer brutality and rage, by the way, and Lorena’s contribution to the aforementioned song only makes the whole experience of listening to it even more compelling, proving she a beyond versatile vocalist with a wide arsenal of vocal styles, always ready to stun us all in the name of extreme music. I personally can’t wait to see what’s next for Lorena as a metal vocalist, and for Triagone as a band, again proving how badass women can be in heavy music.
““Everyone in the band is very talented and committed to making the band evolve. I have a lot of admiration for them. My goal is to continue singing, improve my vocal technique and establish more contact with the audience. I hope that Triagone will record an album soon and that we can show our music to more people.” – Lorena Moraes
Get ready for a sonic onslaught that delves into the darkest depths of existence in the form of first-class Death Metal made in Italy.
Labeling their style as “Shove Metal”, Bologna, Italy-based Death Metal outfit Across The Swarm has been unleashing their fury in concerts, festivals, and tours across Italy and Europe since their inception in 2013, culminating in 2025 with the release of their sophomore full-length opus, titled Invisible Threads. Recorded at Art Distillery Studios, mixed and mastered at SPVN Studios, and displaying a sinister artwork by SNEM, the new album by vocalist Francesco A. Flagiello, guitarists Marco Lambertini and Luca Sammartino, bassist Mirco Diana and drummer Davide Tomadini is a sonic onslaught that delves into the darkest depths of existence, exploring human degradation, unspoken fears, and wars that ravage both bodies and minds, a fierce manifestation of Death Metal that pummels the listener with an unrelenting impact from the first track to the last recommended for fans of Misery Index, Decapitated, Meshuggah, Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, Lamb of God, Voivod and Carcass.
The rumbling, cinematic intro Intravenous will open the gates of hell for Across the Swarm to crush our frail bodies in Vertebrae, a demented display of classic Death Metal where Francesco sounds infernal on vocals, as well as Davide with his inhumane drumming. Every Day Is Like A Stab In The Chest offers our putrid ears three minutes of brutality and rage with the guitars by Marco and Luca sounding truly acid, and in Nothing Left they keep hammering our souls with their undisputed Death Metal and psychological lyrics (“I can’t live anymore, don’t you see? / Don’t pretend you didn’t see / Right in front of your eyes / They are crawling under the collapsed walls / Scrap iron, destroyed buildings / Pulling out their mutilated children”). Following such violent tune, the metallic bass by Mirco will punch you in the head in the best Groove Metal style in Red Waters, perfect for some wild Corpsegrinder-inspired headbanging.
The band shows no sign of slowing down at all; quite the contrary, they deliver a beyond bestial tune titled Scava Veloce, led by the massive drums by Davide and the always deep guttural by Francesco. It looks like they have mastered the art of crafting three-minute Death Metal attacks, and Dry Eyes couldn’t have been any different. Then Davide keeps pounding his drums mercilessly in Liquefy, offering another very good reason for us all to dive into the mosh pit; whereas Until You Bleed, the second to last song of the album, sounds just as infernal and visceral, living up to the legacy of classic Death Metal, not to mention how demonic the growling by Francesco sounds. Finally, the album ends with the pulverizing title-track Invisible Threads, where Marco and Luca sound ruthless armed with their stringed axes in a lecture in modern-day Death Metal by those Italian bastards.
“We wanted to capture the essence of the shadows that dwell within each of us,” explains frontman Francesco. “The composition of Invisible Threads was a brutal and visceral process. Every note, every word is an invisible thread connecting these shadows to the reality around us. Additionally, SNEM was fully involved in the creative process, visually translating the album’s concept into artwork that amplifies and reflects both the music and the lyrics. This album is an invitation to confront your innermost self and dive deep, all the way to the bottom.” After such beautiful words, if you have what it takes to face the band’s undisputed brutality, go check what they’re up to on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream their sick creations on Spotify, and purchase the venomous Invisible Threads from BandCamp or from Time To Kill Records, diving into the darkest depths of our putrid existence together with one of the most promising names of the Italian extreme music scene.
Best moments of the album:Vertebrae, Red Waters and Invisible Threads.
Worst moments of the album:Liquefy.
Released in 2025 Time To Kill Records
Track listing 1. Intravenous 0:52
2. Vertebrae 3:19
3. Every Day Is Like A Stab In The Chest 3:15
4. Nothing Left 3:34
5. Red Waters 4:12
6. Scava Veloce 3:52
7. Dry Eyes 3:13
8. Liquefy 3:10
9. Until You Bleed 4:07
10. Invisible Threads 4:12
Band members Francesco A. Flagiello – vocals
Marco Lambertini – guitars
Luca Sammartino – guitars
Mirco Diana – bass
Davide Tomadini – drums
Behold this dark and cinematic portrait of our crumbling society by one of the most important bands in the history of Alternative Rock and Metal.
If you know Italian Alternative/Gothic Rock/Metal band Lacuna Coil, then you’re already aware that every album entry in their storied career is more than just a sound. Each one is a richly textured soundtrack to a specific time and a place. With Sleepless Empire, that place is dark, cinematic, and unmistakably true to the unique characteristics that have given Lacuna Coil such a celebrated entry in the annals of heavy music. Recorded at SPVN Studio, produced by the band’s own Marco Coti Zelati, mixed by Stefano Santi, mastered by Marco D’Agostino, and displaying a dark, sinister artwork by Roberto Toderico, the new opus by vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, guitarist, bassist and keyboardist Marco Coti Zelati, and drummer Richard Meiz will take you on an obscure, thrilling and vibrant musical journey, proving once again why the band has become a staple in the Alternative Rock and Metal scene worldwide.
The album starts in an atmospheric way with The Siege, quickly exploding into the band’s trademark fusion of Alternative Metal with gothic and dark sounds, and with Cristina and Andrea already kicking some ass as the band’s unparalleled vocal duo. Oxygenthen offers an onrush of their wicked lyrics (“Stop wasting my time / Fight / When I look for confrontation / You hesitate, run away / Isolation like prison / Inner self to escape / Inhale / Ready to dive”) amidst metallic and very exciting sounds, and the guitars and bass by Marco sound absolutely groovy and sharp in Scarecrow, sounding beyond perfect for their live performances. Gravity feels even more modern than its predecessors, with Richard pounding his drums while the music remains eerie and electrifying, followed by I Wish You Were Dead, a good song but maybe too pop if compared to what the band is capable of. And featuring the iconic vocalist Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, who brings his share of heaviness and hatred to the band’s striking Alternative Metal, we have Hosting The Shadow, which will most probably be played live during their upcoming tour due to its endless energy.
In Nomine Patris follows the same pattern as some of the most recent Lacuna Coil albums, with a strong ambience working as the background for Cristina and Andrea to stun us all with their fiery vocals; whereas in the title-track Sleepless Empire we’re hit hard in our faces by the thunderous, metallic bass by Marco, providing his bandmates with exactly what they need to blast another ode to darkness in the form of Alternative and Gothic Metal. The guitar lines by Marco are then quickly joined by the fierce yet melodic beats by Richard in the reverberating Sleep Paralysis, perfect for Cristina to shine with her stylish vocals; and featuring guest vocals by Ash Costello of New Years Day and The Haxans we’re treated to In The Mean Time, perhaps the heaviest of all songs thanks to the hammering drums by Richard, with Cristina’s soaring vocals also bringing tons of stamina to the music. Finally, the band brings to our avid ears Never Dawn, one last blast of alternative and modern sounds, feeling heavy and vibrant until the very end.
“Our sound is dark because it reflects the society we’re living in – it’s a portrait of our times,” commented Andrea. “We’re from a unique generation that remembers the analog world but lives in the digital one, we’re the first generation that’s lived through both so we’ve been witnesses the change to our society and that’s the Sleepless Empire. Everyone is always on their phone, always scrolling, always doing something – morning to night, it just never stops.” Ironically, all that digital darkness described by Andrea can be better discussed with the band on their Facebook and Instagram, where you can also stay updated with their tour dates, and you can also find more of their amazing music on YouTube and on Spotify and, above all that, put your dirty hands on their new album by clicking HERE. Lacuna Coil will always be one of those bands with an endless source of creativity due to exactly what Andrea explained, as they always draw inspiration from the darkest side of human nature, which means they’ll fortunately keep offering us high quality albums like Sleepless Empire in the foreseeable future because, as you know, we humans are definitely dark beings.
Best moments of the album:Oxygen, Scarecrow and In The Mean Time.
Worst moments of the album:I Wish You Were Dead.
Released in 2025 Century Media Records
Track listing 1.The Siege 4:25
2. Oxygen 3:46
3. Scarecrow 4:49
4. Gravity 4:04
5. I Wish You Were Dead 2:52
6. Hosting The Shadow 4:19
7. In Nomine Patris 4:54
8. Sleepless Empire 4:02
9. Sleep Paralysis 5:20
10. In The Mean Time 3:33
11. Never Dawn 4:50
Band members Cristina Scabbia – vocals
Andrea Ferro – vocals
Marco Coti Zelati – guitars, bass, keyboards
Richard Meiz – drums
Guest musicians
Randy Blythe – vocals on “Hosting The Shadow”
Ash Costello – vocals on “In The Mean Time”
Behold the last recorded testimony before the war is over for one of the most important Blackened Thrash Metal bands of all time.
The moment you hear it, you know it’s Necrodeath. Formed back in 1984 in the Italian city of Genoa, this unrelenting act is one of the real iconic Blackened Thrash Metal bands of all time, helping to shape the Italian metal scene and the international underground as it is today throughout their 40 years of existence. However, as all good things must come to an end, the band formed of Flegias on vocals, Pier on the guitars, GL on bass and Peso on drums is set to release their last recorded testimony before the definitive dissolution of the band, entitled Arimortis, followed by a farewell tour which will last throughout 2025, and after which the curtain will fall. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Pier Gonella, and featuring a sinister artwork by Max Bottino, Arimortis is everything you’ve learned to love in the music by Necrodeath and more, representing a beyond amazing conclusion to the band’s demolishing and thrilling path.
The quartet wastes no time and invites us all for one last wild ride inside the pit in Storytellers of Lies, with Flegias sounding like a demented beast on vocals, or in other words, this is how anyone should start a Thrash Metal album. Then a sinister start evolves into another blackened attack by the band titled New God, spearheaded by the Slayer-inspired riffs by Pier; and Peso puts the pedal to the metal in Necrosadist, offering our putrid years another explosion of visceral Thrash Metal perfect for some mosh pit action, whereas Arimortis is another song with a sinister, atmospheric intro that quickly morphs into their undisputed thrashing madness, with Flegias roaring manically supported by the pounding drums by Peso. And to make things even more infernal we have Near-Death Experience, the perfect soundtrack for (guess what?) almost dying, with Pier once again delivering sheer animosity through his riffage.
Necrodeath still have a lot more fuel to burn in Arimortis, starting with Alien, with the creepy vociferations by Flegias exhaling pure Black Metal, followed by No More Regrets, a cadenced, grim and melodic creation by the quartet that will sound great during their upcoming last tour. It’s then time for over seven minutes of first-class, no shenanigans Thrash Metal the likes of Exodus and Anthrax entitled Metempsychosis (part two), inspiring us all to bang our heads nonstop to the demolishing beats by Peso, while Hangover sounds even more ferocious and thunderous thanks to the rumbling bass by GL and the always hammering drums by Peso, putting a demented ending to the album and to their entire discography.
“Arimortis is a term of Latin origin which indicates the end of a war, the moment in which the fallen are honoured and altars are erected in their name (‘arae mortis’, the altars of death). Even today in some parts of Italy the term ‘arimo’ is used to declare the end of the games. We wanted to use this allegory to seal a path that lasted forty years, full of satisfactions, disappointments and revenge. The songs that make up the album contain several references to our long career,” commented Flegias, and you can fight alongside Necrodeath in their last crusade by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their evil music on Spotify or any other streaming service, and of course by purchasing their final beast from BandCamp or from Time To Kill Records, or by clicking HERE. And as their blackened war nears the end, may their putrid souls rest in pieces.
Best moments of the album:Storytellers of Lies, Necrosadist and Hangover.
Worst moments of the album:Alien.
Released in 2025 Time To Kill Records
Track listing 1. Storytellers of Lies 3:37
2. New God 3:12
3. Necrosadist 3:57
4. Arimortis 3:39
5. Near-Death Experience 3:07
6. Alien 4:21
7. No More Regrets 5:37
8. Metempsychosis (part two) 7:21
9. Hangover 3:46
Band members Flegias – vocals
Pier – guitars
GL – bass
Peso – drums
One of the leading Atmospheric and Avantgarde Black Metal names in Italy returns with its cinematic, emotional and dramatic seventh studio album.
One of the leading Atmospheric and Avantgarde Black Metal names in Italy, Catania, Sicily-based entity Lord Agheros takes us into a musically extreme world that mixes Nordic-style Black Metal with ancient and melancholic atmospheres linked to symphonic and ambient elements in its newborn spawn Anhedonia, the seventh studio album in its brilliant career. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Lord Agheros at Molon Labe Studio, with graphic project and layout by Federico De Luca, the new album by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gerassimos Evangelou offers a beautiful slab of what he likes to call “Atmospheric Emotional Black Metal”, bringing forward the cinematic essence of Ulver, the Avantgardism of Ihshan, the strength of Wolves In The Throne Room, the Mediterranean touch of Moonspell, and the dramatic elements of Empyrium.
A melancholic, soothing start evolves into a deep feast of harsh and ethereal vocalizations that lasts for over six minutes in Lament of the Lost, flowing into Harmony of Despair, which also starts in a serene manner before Gerassimos delivers devilish riffs and beats boosted by a grandiose backdrop, also presenting delicate piano notes and endless fire. Eclipse of Hope offers another enfolding dosage of his emotional version of Atmospheric Black Metal, alternating harsh, visceral moments and delicate passages, whereas a reverberating sound will enfold you in darkness in Lost Dreams Ritual, taking too long to take off despite its interesting tribalistic vibe.
Sorrow’s Shroud is a lot heavier, more introspective and somber than its predecessors, with Gerassimos kicking some ass with both his harsh vociferations and serene, soothing instrumental passages; flowing into the beyond atmospheric Soul’s Descent into the Void, with its piano notes matching beautifully with the female vocals by a mysterious guest vocalist, also connecting with the melodic track Tears in the Silence, where Gerassimos focuses on the ethereal sound of his acoustic guitar alongside the gentle sound of the piano, and ending with the Avantgarde Metal feast named Ancient Echoes, with all vocalizations and ambient elements putting a pensive conclusion to the album.
In a nutshell, Anhedonia is a sort of musical journey between esoteric and oriental sounds, Ambient-wave elements and references to Nordic musical traditions, but without losing the identity of the project made by the beauty of the atmospheres that blend inextricably with the sonic extremism of Black Metal. Hence, don’t forget to follow Gerassimos and his Lord Agheros on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream his music on Spotify, and of course to buy a copy of his striking new album from BandCamp or from My Kingdom Music’s BandCamp or webstore. As it is for years now, always expect the unexpected. Because this was, is, and will always be the main path of Lord Agheros.
Best moments of the album:Harmony of Despair, Sorrow’s Shroud and Soul’s Descent into the Void.
Worst moments of the album:Lost Dreams Ritual.
Released in 2025 My Kingdom Music
Track listing 1. Lament of the Lost 6:30
2. Harmony of Despair 3:46
3. Eclipse of Hope 4:34
4. Lost Dreams Ritual 5:02
5. Sorrow’s Shroud 5:50
6. Soul’s Descent into the Void 4:44
7. Tears in the Silence 5:12
8. Ancient Echoes 4:13
Band members Gerassimos Evangelou – vocals, all instruments
Another year begins, another badass bassist arrives at The Headbanging Moose to kick your goddamn ass mercilessly! A true she-demon who masters the dark arts of Black, Death and Doom Metal, she’s not only a beast armed with her bass, but she’s also a guitarist, a tattoo artist, a body artist and an illustrator with a massive portfolio. Her name is Laura Nardelli, also known as Aura Negativa or Daphoene, the bassist for Italian Black/Death Metal horde Askesis, who’s also part of the bands Bottomless, and who was also involved in a very interesting project named Ponte del Diavolo under the moniker Laurus. Oh Yeah, Laura is an unstoppable force of extreme music, and you’re certainly going to be mesmerized by her undeniable talent both as a musician and as an artist, darkening our hearts in the best way imaginable.
Born on January 25, 1993 in Italy, which means our humble tribute to her contributions to the world of heavy music will also be our birthday gift to her, Laura seems to be quite reserved in terms of her personal life, letting her music and her art speak on her behalf. There aren’t any interviews with her available anywhere, which makes it difficult to talk about her origins, her idols and influences, and even her opinion in non-music or arts subjects, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve to be feature on The Headbanging Moose; quite the contrary, it will be a true pleasure reviewing her amazing career so far, starting with her main band, the sulfurous Askesis.
Forged in the fires of Venice in 2013, the ruthless entity Askesis, or ἄσκησις, meaning “ascetism” or “self-discipline” in Ancient Greek, has been blasting a beyond caustic mix of Black and Death Metal in their sound, delivering a listening experience that is raw and violent while simultaneously captivating and hypnotic. Since the band’s genesis, the core lineup has featured Laura Nardelli on bass (as well as on the guitars from 2018 to 2022) and Samuele Scalise on drums, who have been joined by vocalist Nico Fabbri and guitarists Gregorio Di Angilla and Juri Vatova in 2022. Their songs are linked by an existentialist theme that takes up concepts from Ancient Greek myths, projecting them into today’s world. The band invites the listeners to confront their own fears, contradictions, and desires, encouraging introspection and contemplation on the complexities of existence.
Under the moniker of Aura Negativa, Laura has released with Askesis the EP The Path to Absence, in 2016, followed by a 2018 demo titled Black Ontology, and more recently their 2023 debut full-length opus Beyond the Fate of Death, this one in particular drawing inspiration from The Myth Of Sisyphys by Albert Camus to express their personal visions of our “non-existence”, plus a split with Italian Black Metal band Nox Interitus titled Wrecks from Cosmos (which you can listen in full HERE and HERE), released in 2016.
As aforementioned, the band’s name, meaning “asceticism” from Ancient Greek, is “man’s horror of the being of which his own phenomenon is an expression, of the will to live, of the core and essence of a world recognized as full of pain,” and you can experience all that in their music by streaming or purchasing their albums on BandCamp and on Spotify, plus you can also enjoy some live footage of the band like this full show at Summer Metal Festival in Codroipo, Italy, in 2019, or simply click HERE for all things Askesis, letting their blackened sounds penetrate deep inside your psyche.
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Laura is also the bassist for two other amazing bands, Bottomless and Restos Humanos. Bottomless are an Italian Doom Metal band hailing from Treviso, Veneto and Bologna, Emilia-Romagna formed in 2016 by drummer David Lucido, vocalist and guitarist Giorgio Trombino, and bassist Sara Bianchin, with Sara being replaced by Laura in 2023. The band already had two albums released when Laura joined them, but in 2024 they released a split named Graveyard Thunder together with Brazilian Doom Metal band Witching Altar, with each band recording three songs for the split, and you can enjoy all six songs on BandCamp and on Spotify, with the songs by Bottomless being titled Burning of the Vampire, Lightning in the Realms of Death, and Shadows Call. If the music by Bottomless is dark and sluggish, Italian/Colombian act Restos Humanos play a visceral fusion of Death Metal and Grindcore, and while Laura was part of the band in the mid-2010’s (replacing Sara Bianchin as their bass player on stage in a few concerts) they recorded the live album Grindin’ the Garage, in 2016, available in full on BandCamp.
Apart from those, you can also find her contributions to a phenomenal Italian Blackened Doom Metal band named Ponte del Diavolo, which means means “devil’s bridge” in Italian, formed in the winter of 2020 in a jam involving members of Feralia, Inchiuvatu, Abjura and Askesis. Laura, who went by the monicker of Laurus during her period with the band from 2020 until 2024, played bass in three of their EPs, those being Mystery of Mystery (2020), Sancta Menstruis (2022), and Ave Scintilla! (2022), and in their 2024 full-length album Fire Blades from the Tomb. You can enjoy all of those albums on Spotify or any other streaming service, as well as the official videos for the songs Demone, Covenant and Nocturnal Veil.
As aforementioned, Laura is also an accomplished dark and esoteric tattoo and body artist, specializing in black work, dotwork, linework, medievale, sketchy, and hatching, working at Iguana Tattoo, while she’s also responsible for several artworks for different metal bands out there, always under her darkly beautiful nickname Aura Negativa. For instance, she took care of the artwork for the 2016 EP The Path to Absence, by her band Askesis; of the artwork for the 2024 single Moth to a Flame, by Italian Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal band Bloody Unicorn; of the artworks and logos of all her releases with Ponte del Diavolo, those being Mystery of Mystery, Sancta Menstruis, Ave Scintilla! and Fire Blades from the Tomb; or the artwork for the 2020 album Necrofagia, by Italian Avantgarde Black Metal band Prometeus; of the artwork for the 2020 single The Hanged Ballad and the 2021 EP Dark Italian Art, by Italian Progressive Black/Heavy Metal horde Selvans; and last but certainly not least, of the design for the 2023 album Helvegr, by Norwegian Black Metal masters Tsjuder. She’s indeed a determined, inexorable she-wolf of heavy music as you can see, and I honestly can’t wait to witness the next steps in her already solid and vibrant career both as a musician and as an artist.
This unrelenting Italian horde returns with a concept album that delves into the fleeting nature of humanity against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces.
A concept album that delves into the fleeting nature of humanity against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces, drawing inspiration from the myths and tragedies of the Archaic and Classical Greek eras, Apotheosis, the brand new album by Italian Melodic Black/Death Metal horde Ārdeat, is the more-than-perfect follow-up to their 2021 debut EP Exitium. The album explores themes of man’s struggle for power, knowledge, and ultimately, his place in the universe, all wrapped up by the dynamic and powerful music by Enrico Pinelli on vocals, Cristian Della Noce and Julian Polonioli on the guitars, Riccardo Cremaschini on bass, and Andrea Adriano Salvagni on drums, turning it into a must-listen for fans of extreme music with a strong storyline behind it.
The album begins with the grim and obscure Sic Transit Gloria Mundi, a Latin phrase that means “thus passes the glory of the world”, with the sinister guitar lines by Cristian and Julian setting the tone for Hyperion, a fulminating Black Metal aria by the band overflowing heaviness, led by the intense beats by Andrea while Enrico barks and gnarls manically, also presenting soothing moments leaning towards Progressive Metal. Cristian and Julian show no mercy for their axes in Ignis Fatum, a Latin term that means “foolish fire”, offering more of the band’s melodious yet visceral sounds, with Enrico investing into deeper, more demonic vocals; and get ready for 11 minutes of a caustic fusion of Black and Death Metal in Nell’Ora dell’Epilogo, or “in the hour of the epilogue” from Italian, with Andrea stealing the spotlight with a phenomenal performance behind his drums in the most complete and dynamic of all songs.
In Hekate, Ārdeat showcase their most traditional Black Metal side thanks to the venomous roars by Enrico and the always fierce drumming by Andrea, with the band’s guitar duo once again delivering a striking riff attack; whereas the title-track Apotheosis brings to our avid ears nine minutes of intricacy, rage, heaviness and the glory of Black Metal, with the entire band having a fantastic performance armed with their sonic weapons, flowing into the outro Et in Arcadia Ego, or “also in Paradise I am”, a phrase meant as a warning that, even in Arcadia/Paradise, death is always present. And as a bonus track we have Atlantide, their cover version for a song by Franco Battiato released in the 1993 album Caffè de la Paix (check the original version HERE), resulting in a beautiful, atmospheric rendition by those Italian metallers of a non-metal song.
Through tales of gods and war, Ārdeat paint a vivid picture of humanity’s desperate attempts to transcend its limitations, a quest that often leads to devastating consequences, and you can experience all that by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing their breathtaking new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In a nutshell, the war of the gods is coming, and the music by Ārdeat is exactly what we need to head into the battlefield either alongside those gods, or against them, always aware that it doesn’t matter which side you choose, death is inevitable.
Best moments of the album:Hyperion, Nell’Ora dell’Epilogo and Apotheosis.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2024 WormHoleDeath
Track listing 1. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi 3:15
2. Hyperion 8:00
3. Ignis Fatum 5:56
4. Nell’Ora dell’Epilogo 11:28
5. Hekate 9:27
6. Apotheosis 9:22
7. Et In Arcadia Ego 1:19
Created by two old time friends sharing a passion for Extreme Metal, with its name taken from “Enceladus”, the sixth largest moon of Saturn, Italian Death Metal duo Encelado is set to unleash upon us their debut EP, entitled Pillars of Creation. Recorded and mixed at Umbra Studio, with band logo and album artwork designed by the band’s own Damien, and featuring guest drummers Max and Devin, the new EP by the aforementioned Damien on the guitars, bass, synths and backing vocals alongside Simone on vocals pays tribute to the elephant trunks of interstellar gas and dust in the Eagle Nebula photographed by the Hubble Telescope from NASA on April 1, 1995, with lyrics dealing with topics including space exploration, artificial intelligence, human consciousness, and death, while the music displays a solid mix of Aborted, All Shall Perish, Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse, and Suffocation.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 