Rooted in the classic language of Finnish Death Metal, this unrelenting quartet is ready to strike armed with their first full-length album.
After introducing their vision with their 2022 debut EP Utter Darkness, Tampere, Finland-based Death Metal horde Hekatoxen is ready to strike with their first full-length album, titled Obsidian Majesty. Rooted in the classic language of Finnish Death Metal, the new album by Jussi Rinta-Kiikka on vocals, guitars and synthesizers, Niko Talpio also on the guitars, Risto Räkköläinen on bass, and Vesa Nikkinen on drums does not rely on mere repetition of familiar formulas, moving through a landscape of razor-edged riffs, where heaviness never comes at the expense of movement. The songs hit hard, but they also breathe, shift direction and reveal a band with a clear understanding of dynamics.
The band wastes no time and kicks off their deadly festivities with Lost Souls Epitome, where Vesa already crushes his drums mercilessly in the best and most primeval Death Metal style, and Jussi and Niko keep delivering sheer animosity through their dirty, scathing riffs in I Am Them, while the same Jussi roars deeply like a creature from the abyss. Spawns of Darkness carries a poetic name for another bestial devastation of absolute Death Metal madness, inviting us all to slam into the pit to the gory, rumbling bass and drums by Risto and Vesa; whereas their strident, visceral guitars will penetrate deep inside your mind in Haunting Ceremony, perfect for some vigorous headbanging.
Domus Vilomaxus, which translates as “House of the Order,” combining a Latin word for home with a fictional term from the cultist language featured in the classic video game Blood, again presents the demonic vociferations by Jussi, followed by Grave Reveries, a solid Death Metal tune albeit a bit generic compared to the other sick creations by the quartet. Then after the obscure interlude At Hellsrivers Pathway we face another blast of sheer destruction by the band titled Vanguard the Dark, where the guitars by Jussi and Niko reek of putrefaction, not to mention the band’s demonic kitchen formed of Risto and Vesa is once again thunderous, putting a venomous ending to such a heavy and evil album.
Avoiding unnecessary complexity, Hekatoxen embrace the power of well-crafted songwriting, and Obsidian Majesty certainly captures a band refining its identity, balancing old school instincts with a contemporary edge and proving that tradition can still cut deep when handled with conviction, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Demigod, Adramelech, Sentenced, and Funebrarum. You can find those Finnish bastards on Facebook and Instagram, stream their sick creations on Spotify, and of course, put your putrid hands on Obsidian Majesty via their own BandCamp, as well as from the Nuclear Winter Records’ BandCamp or webstore. If their first strike in 2022 was deadly, their new onrush now with Obsidian Majesty is even deadlier. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
Best moments of the album: Lost Souls Epitome, Spawns of Darkness and Vanguard the Dark.
Worst moments of the album: Grave Reveries.
Released in 2026 Nuclear Winter Records
Track listing
1. Lost Souls Epitome 6:02
2. I Am Them 3:38
3. Spawns of Darkness 4:04
4. Haunting Ceremony 5:44
5. Domus Vilomaxus 4:45
6. Grave Reveries 3:26
7. At Hellsrivers Pathway 1:48
8. Vanguard the Dark 5:43
Band members
Jussi Rinta-Kiikka – vocals, lead & acoustic guitars, synthesizers
Niko Talpio – rhythm guitars
Risto Räkköläinen – bass
Vesa Nikkinen – drums
