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Album Review – Scitalis / Maledictum (2025)

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Your body and soul will burn to the new opus by this Swedish Black Metal horde, a haunting exploration of despair and wrath inspired by Sweden’s witch trials during “Det stora oväsendet” (1668–1676).

After their successful 2022 debut Doomed Before Time, Umeå, Sweden’s own Black Metal horde Scitalis returns with their sophomore opus, entitled Maledictum, a haunting exploration of despair and wrath inspired by Sweden’s witch trials during “Det stora oväsendet” (1668–1676). The band’s evolving lineup is reflected throughout the entire album, with newcomers W on drums and L on rhythm guitars joining vocalist and bassist A and lead guitarist S, resulting in a raw, emotional record that captures the agony and anger of the time while showcasing the band’s growth and uncompromising approach to our beloved Black Metal.

W already showcases his welcome card with his demented blast beats in Reborn, an old school, in-your-face Black Metal beast with A gnarling nonstop for our total delight, followed by Suffering, an avalanche of ruthless, sulfurous Black Metal for the masses led by the scorching riffs by S and L, showcasing over six minutes of absolute darkness for admirers of the genre. Seven Years Ov Blood is another bold, multi-layered creation by such an uncanny horde, with the strident riffs by S and L matching perfectly with A’s devilish vociferations; flowing into the also harsh and impious Trial, presenting hints of Blackened Doom in its sluggish beats and low-tuned bass.

This unyielding Swedish horde comes ripping once again in Burn Before Dawn, another savage composition blending the fury of classic Black Metal with the hypnotizing passages of Melodic Black Metal; and the guitars by S and L transpire pure evil in Ashes After The Fire, being gradually accompanied by the massive beats by W and the always visceral roars by A, resulting in a monumental aria of darkness and blasphemy. There’s time for one final breath of evil by Scitalis, entitled Endless Wrath, with the reverberating bass by A and his always menacing gnarls haunting our damned souls for all eternity, all boosted by another violent performance by W on drums.

After all is said and done, you’ll realize the Black Metal feast blasted by Scitalis in Maledictum (available in full on YouTube and on Spotify) is a more than perfect choice for representing the horror of the witch trials in Sweden in the 1600’s, and you can know more about the band, their music and the whole concept behind their pulverizing new album by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their wicked creations on Spotify, and by grabbing a copy of the album on BandCamp or by clicking HERE or HERE. The burning of witches has always been a constant topic discussed by countless bands from all genres and subgenres of metal music, but it’s when you face a band like Scitalis that you can feel the fires burning your body and soul while they keep filling every single space in the air with their caustic music, exactly like what’s found in the incendiary Maledictum.

Best moments of the album: Suffering, Burn Before Dawn and Ashes After The Fire.

Worst moments of the album: Trial.

Released in 2025 Vendetta Records

Track listing
1. Reborn 4:16
2. Suffering 6:21
3. Seven Years Ov Blood 5:59
4. Trial 7:13
5. Burn Before Dawn 5:44
6. Ashes After The Fire 6:20
7. Endless Wrath 6:31

Band members
A – vocals, bass
S – lead guitars
L – rhythm guitars
W – drums

Album Review – Avtotheism / Reflections Of Execrable Stillness (2024)

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A Death Metal work-of-art consisting of two parts, the first revolving around the relationship between Man and Nature, while the second focuses on the connection between Man and God.

“We are entangled in illusions of movement
Lying into incarnations of hush”

Formed in Brescia, Italy in 2016, Technical Death Metal horde Avtotheism crafts a unique blend of Death Metal by adding sulfurous, atmospheric and dark ambient elements to their sound, which is exactly what you’ll get in their newborn beast titled Reflections Of Execrable Stillness, the follow-up to their 2021 debut The Sleeper Awakens. Displaying a beautiful painting by Vama Marga, the new album by P on vocals, R on the guitars, L on bass and N on drums consists of two parts, with the first four tracks being brand new, unreleased material composed in 2022, while the second part is a single, challenging 17-minute song written between 2016 and 2017, and while these two parts deal with different topics, yet they’re inherently linked, as the first is a concept revolving around the relationship between Man and Nature, the cyclic nature of time and events, while the second, on the other hand, is a monolithic song focusing on the connection between Man and God.

Multitudes Of The Sand I is utterly experimental and progressive during a good part of its intro before razor-edged riffs and blast beats fill every single space in the air in a beautiful feast of Technical Death Metal, all boosted by the cadaverous roars by P, whereas Multitudes Of The Sand II already begins in full force to the massive drums by N, flowing majestically until the very last second with tons of intricacy and rage bursting from N’s classic drums, therefore resulting in one of the strongest songs of the album. Then we have Incarnations Of Hush, as heavy and infuriated as it’s phantasmagorical and progressive, and definitely not recommended for the lighthearted, with the guest solo by Matteo Gresele (Ad Nauseam) bringing an extra touch of insanity to the music; connecting with the atmospheric, ethereal Upon Wrecks Of Desolation, one of those cryptic instrumental tunes that puts an end to the first part of the album before the band attack all of our senses with 17 minutes of uncanny Death Metal entitled Dogma Sculptured In The Flesh, a venomous, thunderous creation by the band overflowing violence, hatred and obscurity where the guitars by R sound absolutely austere and evil, not to mention how deep, enraged the growls by P are during the entire song. Put differently, it’s like multiple songs in one, a metallic and experimental sonic voyage that ends in a beyond atmospheric way for our total delight.

The name Avtotheism is used to describe both sacredness and iconoclasm, the elevation of the self beyond religion and divinity, and add to that the band’s lyrics dealing with philosophical concepts of the end of times and human annihilation and you have a bold, caustic blend of Death Metal perfect for the apocalypse. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their wicked music on Spotify, and to purchase the excellent Reflections Of Execrable Stillness from Avantgarde Music or from Sound Cave, strengthening your connection with Nature, with God and, consequently, preparing your soul for the inevitable end of our decaying world.

Best moments of the album: Multitudes Of The Sand II and Dogma Sculptured In The Flesh.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Unorthodox Emanations

Track listing
1. Multitudes Of The Sand I 6:55
2. Multitudes Of The Sand II 5:40
3. Incarnations Of Hush 4:56
4. Upon Wrecks Of Desolation 3:26
5. Dogma Sculptured In The Flesh 17:06

Band members
P – vocals
R – guitars
L – bass
N – drums

Guest musician
Matteo Gresele – guitar solo on “Incarnations Of Hush”

Album Review – Bhleg / Fäghring (2022)

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This unstoppable Swedish duo returns with their most ambitious recording to date, the fourth and closing part of the album tetralogy “Ár”.

After the blackest night comes the most radiant dawn; the spark of life illuminates all that which was swallowed by shadows. Fäghring, or “florescence” in English, bears the gift of rebirth both in nature and for Västra Götaland, Sweden-based Black/Folk Metal entity Bhleg. The fourth and closing part of the album tetralogy “Ár”, with the other three parts being Solarmegin (2018), Äril (2019) and Ödhin (2021), is the most ambitious Bhleg recording to date, with its metal parts being saturated with both primal ferocity and majestic atmosphere, while the ambient interludes from their early works are still present, but now conveyed mostly through analogue recordings. Tracked and mixed using the band’s own recording setup at Studio Asu, mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studios, displaying custom photography as well as illustrations and calligraphy by T. Väänänen, and featuring guest vocalists specialized in different aspects of the Scandinavian folk tradition the likes of Andreas Pettersson of Saiva, Êlea of Noêta, and Swedish author Lars Magnar Enoksen, Fäghring is undoubtedly the strongest album to date by vocalist L. and multi-instrumentalist S., this time supported by drummer H.

Vårdträdet (or “the warden tree” from Swedish) works as an extended intro that will transport your soul to the ethereal realm ruled by Bhleg, with S. being on fire with both his riffs and his tribalistic sounds, flowing into the 10-minute aria Grönskande gryning (“verdant dawn”), where L. begins screaming like a demonic entity in a brilliant fusion of Black and Folk Metal. Furthermore, S. once again is bestial with his riffage while H. hammers his drums with tons of passion and feeling, alternating between sheer heaviness and mesmerizing passages, not to mention how awesome all additional instruments by S. sound and feel. The piercing Black Metal riffs by S. set the tone in Alyr i blom (“Alyr in bloom”), with H.’s beats dictating the song’s frantic pace amidst over 12 minutes of insanity, darkness and a deep connection with nature, with S. darkening the skies with his sick guitar lines and low-tuned bass jabs, therefore resulting in one of the band’s most complex and detailed compositions to date.

Birds chirping ignite the and melancholic Befruktad jord (“nourished soil”), evolving into a massive wall of ethereal and harsh sounds and tones for our total delight while also bringing forward wicked vocalizations, flammable riffs and H.’s pounding drums. Then the sounds of nature will put you in a trance in Solvigd “(solar wedlock”), a beautiful, enfolding tune showcasing primeval elements intertwined with whimsical female vocals, before Bhleg comes crushing with Frö (“seed”), a 12-minute onrush of Black and Folk Metal that will decimate your senses with L. delivering his most infernal and anguished vocals of the entire album supported by the always venomous beats by H., blackening the ambience more and more as the music progresses to the razor-edged riffs by S. and ending with eerie, grim vociferations that build an instant connection with the atmospheric outro Fagna sumrí, (“celebration of summer”), which goes on for too long despite being very delicate and smooth. It’s still a very decent conclusion to the album, of course.

“From death springs life – stronger, wiser, and alive. Fäghring, our homage to the glorious spring, signifies the part of the natural process where life is reborn. The album is dedicated to life and its triumphs over death; it is the fourth and last album in this cycle,” commented the duo. And if you want to join Bhleg in their quest for Black and Folk Metal you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream all of their creations on Spotify, and soon purchase your copy of the stunning Fäghring from their BandCamp page, from Nordvis Produktion, or click HERE for all places where you can buy or stream the album. This cycle might be closed, as mentioned by L. and S., but the duo is far from calling it quits; quite the contrary, Bhleg will be reborn again and again, for the delight of all fans of first-class extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Grönskande gryning, Alyr i blom and Frö.

Worst moments of the album: Fagna sumrí.

Released in 2022 Nordvis Produktion

Track listing
1. Vårdträdet 2:40
2. Grönskande gryning 10:41
3. Alyr i blom 12:06
4. Befruktad jord 8:52
5. Solvigd 3:30
6. Frö 12:22
7. Fagna sumrí 4:11

Band members
L. – lead vocals
S. – guitar, bass, lyre, hurdy-gurdy, mouth harp, keyboards, bullroarer, birch trumpet, frame drums, birch sticks, stones, vocals

Guest musicians
H. – drums (session)
Andreas Pettersson – vocals
Êlea – vocals
Lars Magnar Enoksen – vocals

Album Review – Bhleg / Ödhin (2021)

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One of Sweden’s most talented extreme music duos returns with six epic tracks of pure channeling of forceful darkness in their third full-length opus.

Inevitable, as the spreading twilight and turmoil when the blackness of winter swallows the sun, the massive and multi-layered Ödhin, the third full-length album by Swedish Black/Folk Metal act Bhleg, sweeps the world with icy winds and drowns it in the beautiful colors of the night. Enswathed in ancient Scandinavian wisdom, this blackened metal offering muses on the endtimes, as the Norns’ twines of fate have never resounded clearer or with more vigor. Hailing from Västra Götaland, a county or län on the western coast of Sweden, Bhelg are a musical and spiritual journey spearheaded by vocalist L. and multi-instrumentalist S. that began in 2007, but which would not take shape until 2013, having released their debut opus Draumr Ást in 2014 and their sophomore effort Solarmegin in 2018. However, it’s now in 2021 that the duo, supported by session drummer A., sounds sharper than ever, offering in Ödhin six epic tracks of pure channeling of forceful darkness, showcasing vicious outbursts of savagery, reflective moments of melancholy and a primal strength with roots in all three worlds, mesmerizing us with a message as ancient as time that, in the end, our fate shall come for us all.

Obscure vociferations emerge from the pits of the underworld in the raw and epic Vyss, where A. delivers top-notch, old school Black Metal blast beats while S. hammers his stringed weapons mercilessly, all of course boosted by the demonic gnarls by L.; and continuing their darkened path of Folk and Black Metal we’re treated to Alyr III, another bold and dense extravaganza thoroughly crafted by L. and S., with endless epicness and melancholy flowing from all background elements (not to mention its atmospheric, acoustic passages). Then it’s time to wake up and join Bhleg in the eerie, cryptic interlude Gyllene Gal (or “golden gal” in English), tailored for embracing your soul and captivate your senses, albeit a bit too long, before the band comes crushing once again in Slukad Sol (“swallowed sun”), with A. pounding his drums in great fashion while S. keeps extracting razor-edge, piercing riffs form his guitar, resulting in a vicious onrush of Blackened Folk Metal that will please all fans of the genre. Moreover, L. is once again bestial with his enraged roars, making this marvelous musical voyage offered to us by such talented Swedish horde even more gripping. It’s impressive how they’re capable of blending the fury of Black Metal with the epic ambience and all acoustic and tribal elements from Folk Metal, which is exactly the case in the multi-layered tune Ödet (“fate”), whereas minimalist acoustic guitars permeate the air in the pensive outro Drömmen Om Vårdträdet (“the dream of the memorial tree”), where the subtle sound of the bitterly cold wind puts a beautiful ending to the album.

There are countless places where you can put your dirty hands on such amazing album of Black and Folk Metal, such as Bhleg’s own BandCamp page, the Nordvis Produktion webstore, the Sound Pollution webstore, Season of Mist, Napalm Records, Nuclear Blast, EMP, Apple Music, Amazon, and so on. As you can see, there’s no excuse to not support such talented underground act, and you can also follow them on Facebook and stream more of their music on Spotify to get even more immersed in their obscure, folk-infused realm. And until our fate comes for us all, we have a very good reason to keep banging our heads to the sound of Bhleg’s undisputed music.

Best moments of the album: Vyss and Slukad Sol.

Worst moments of the album: Gyllene Gal.

Released in 2021 Nordvis Produktion

Track listing
1. Vyss 9:16
2. Alyr III 8:56
3. Gyllene Gal 5:12
4. Slukad Sol 10:18
5. Ödet 8:36
6. Drömmen Om Vårdträdet 4:34

Band members
L. – lead vocals
S. – guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals

Guest musician
A. – drums (session)