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Album Review – Verdun / Abyssal Womb (2026)

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Emerging from the depths of France after a prolonged gap of seven years, this uncanny entity has evolved into a Blackened Sludge and Doom Metal beast with a dissonant edge in their visceral new album.

Emerging from the depths of Montpellier, France after a prolonged gap of seven years, armed with a sound more potent and lethal than ever before, the uncanny entity Verdun has evolved into a Blackened Sludge and Doom Metal beast with a dissonant edge, culminating now in 2026 with the release of their third studio effort, titled Abyssal Womb, following up on their 2019 sophomore Astral Sabbath. Showcasing a cadaverous artwork by the band’s own vocalist David Sadok (aka Jaxartattooer), the album sees David alongside guitarist Jay Pinelli, bassist Florian Celdran, and drummer Geraud Jonquet deliver a riff-driven sound through and through. Without wasting time on ambience or buildup, they go straight for the jugular and leave things filthy.

David begins vociferating rabidly in the harsh and doomed Funeral of the Cosmic Knight, accompanied by the sluggish drums by Geraud and the vile riffage by Jay, whereas Silent Witness keeps the atmosphere utterly dense and heavy, with Jay’s Stygian guitar lines blackening the skies in an ode to obscurity by the quartet. Their Mastodon vein arises in He Who Killed the Devil, adding progressiveness and insanity to their already caustic sound led by Geraud’s hammering drums, followed by La Lame et la Chair, or “the blade and the flesh” from French, where Jay and Florian pound their axes nonstop, generating reverberating sounds that permeate the air until the very end. Rise of the Atomic Ghouls is as infernal as its title, with the devilish roars by David sending shivers down our spines, and the band still has a lot of fuel to burn in the album, starting with The Man Behind My Eyes, where the heaviness flowing from their vocals, riffs, bass and drums is an ode to Blackened Sludge Metal. Lastly, Les Noces du Néant, or “the wedding of nothingness,” is even more sluggish and phantasmagorical, spearheaded by another visceral performance by Geraud on drums.

In the end, Abyssal Womb doesn’t drag on and seems to end sooner than later but only after exploring various aspects of the band’s sound that keep it engrossing and thoroughly satisfying, resulting in a fine representation of the style, having a sublime sound and faultless execution, and more importantly, staying with you long after it is over, being highly recommended for admirers of the harshness blasted by bands the likes of Drofnosura, Coffinworm, Thou, and Indian, just to name a few. You can find those Stygian French metallers on Facebook and on Instagram, including their pounding, ruthless live concerts, stream their grim creations on Spotify, and of course purchase Abyssal Womb from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Because, in the end, Abyssal Womb is top-of-the-line Blackened Sludge and Doom Metal, darkening our minds and thoughts just the way we love in the style, and leaving us eager for more.

Best moments of the album: He Who Killed the Devil and Rise of the Atomic Ghouls.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Funeral of the Cosmic Knight 5:11
2. Silent Witness 5:53
3. He Who Killed the Devil 6:39
4. La Lame et la Chair 4:54
5. Rise of the Atomic Ghouls 4:43
6. The Man Behind My Eyes 5:37
7. Les Noces du Néant 6:15

Band members
David Sadok – vocals
Jay Pinelli – guitars
Florian Celdran – bass
Geraud Jonquet – drums

Album Review – Aephanemer / Utopie (2025)

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France’s own Symphonic and Melodic Death Metal powerhouse strikes back with their fourth studio offering, an ambitious, razor-sharp assault of epic melodies, relentless speed, and philosophical depth.

Following the roaring success of their previous albums Memento Mori (2016), Prokopton (2019), and A Dream Of Wilderness (2021), Toulouse, France-based Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal powerhouse Aephanemer strikes back with their fourth studio offering, entitled Utopie, or “utopia” in English, an ambitious, razor-sharp assault of epic melodies, relentless speed, and philosophical depth. Mixed by Dan Swanö at Unisound, mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, with vocals recorded by Yannick Tournier at Waïti Studios, and displaying a stylish artwork by Niklas Sundin, the newborn beast by Marion Bascoul on vocals, Martin Hamiche on the guitars, bass and orchestrations, and Mickaël Bonnevialle on drums surges with heavier classical influences, blistering riffage, Slavic folk undertones, and majestic orchestrations, shaping a sound that feels both ancient and forward-looking while engaging with the concept of utopia not as escape, but confrontation, questioning ideals through the sheer force of sonic precision, and the quest for a world of harmony between living beings.

The album starts in a serene manner with Échos d’un Monde Perdu, or “echoes of a lost world” in English, a cinematic intro that warms us up for Le Cimetière Marin (which title and a couple of verses were borrowed from a poem by Paul Valéry), or “the graveyard by the sea”, with Marion’s harsh vocals walking hand in hand with the striking riffs, keys and orchestrations by Martin. Then Mickaël sounds ruthless behind his drums in La Règle du Jeu, or “the rules of the game”, offering Marion exactly what she needs to kick some ass on vocals in a lecture in Symphonic Death Metal; and their metallic feast goes on in full force in Par-delà le Mur des Siècles, or “beyond the wall of ages”, again presenting intricate, melodic and absolutely electrifying guitar lines and orchestrations by Martin. After such a magnificent tune we have Chimère, the French word for “chimera”, another epic, no shenanigans tune by those French metallers, with Mickaël stealing the spotlight again with his unstoppable beats and fills.

The band shows no sign of slowing down at all in Contrepoint, or “counterpoint”, delivering a breathtaking fusion of Melodic and Symphonic Death Metal led by the venomous roars by Marion and the always incendiary riffs by Martin, whereas La Rivière Souterraine, or “the underground river”, starts like the score to an epic movie thanks to the amazing job done by Martin with his orchestrations, before exploding into eight minutes of sheer instrumental brilliance. Lastly, we’re treated to the album’s phenomenal two-part title-track, starting with Utopie (Partie I), where their cinematic vein pulses harder than ever before Marion comes ripping with her deep, inhumane harsh vociferations, flowing majestically into Utopie (Partie II), where the imposing wall of sounds crafted by Martin and Mickaël surpass all barriers of epicness, all of course spiced up by another thrilling performance by Marion on vocals, ending the album on an atmospheric, climatic and beautiful way.

In a nutshell, Aephanemer continue to carve their own path in the Symphonic and Melodic Death Metal landscape with Utopie, sounding faster, more epic, brutal and classical than ever, and you can join those beyond talented French metallers in their quest for heavy music via Facebook and Instagram, stream their awesome discography on Spotify, and of course purchase Utopie from their own BandCamp or webstore, as well as from Napalm Records or by clicking HERE or HERE. Utopie is more than just an album, it’s a storm of sound, a philosophical reckoning, and a powerful new chapter from one of Europe’s most vital and visionary metal bands, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in their striking career after such an amazing lecture in modern-day Melodic Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: La Règle du Jeu, Par-delà le Mur des Siècles, Contrepoint and Utopie (Partie II).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. Échos d’un Monde Perdu 1:16
2. Le Cimetière Marin 5:30
3. La Règle du Jeu 3:53
4. Par-delà le Mur des Siècles 5:14
5. Chimère 4:22
6. Contrepoint 4:31
7. La Rivière Souterraine 8:29
8. Utopie (Partie I) 7:55
9. Utopie (Partie II) 9:38

Band members
Marion Bascoul – vocals
Martin Hamiche – guitars, bass, orchestrations
Mickaël Bonnevialle – drums

Album Review – Aephanemer / Prokopton (2019)

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Blending the fury and harmony of Scandinavian metal with symphonic elements, here comes a French Melodic Death Metal unity ready to show the world what they got with their sophomore album.

If you’re a fan of modern-day Melodic Death Metal the likes of Arch Enemy, The Agonist, In Flames and Soilwork, I’m sure you’ll love the music found in Prokopton, the sophomore full-length album by French metallers Aephanemer. Blending the fury and harmony of the traditional Scandinavian sound from the Gothenburg scene with several distinct symphonic and epic elements, this talented French four-piece army will captivate your senses with the potency, speed and intricacy found in each one of the eight tracks of their brand new opus, positioning them as one of the most interesting and promising names not only of the current metal scene in their homeland France, but anywhere else in the world where the modernity and specially the intensity of Melodic Death Metal are truly appreciated.

Formed in 2013 in Toulouse, capital of France’s southern Occitanie region, as a one-man band by guitarist Martin Hamiche to release six instrumental pieces inspired by his Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal heroes (with the 2014 EP Know Thyself being forged of those six songs), Aephanemer, which is the merger of the French words “éphémère” (ephemeral) and “fânée” (folded), have been making a name for themselves since becoming a full-bodied group in 2015 when vocalist and guitarist Marion Bascoul, bassist Anthony Delmas (replaced by Lucie Woaye Hune in 2017) and drummer Mickaël Bonnevialle joined Martin in his quest for heavy music. Featuring a classy artwork by Niklas Sundin (Cabin Fever Media), mixed by Dan Swanö (Unisound AB) and mastered by Mika Jussila (Finnvox Studios), Prokopton is an amalgamation of everything the band stands for and what we can expect from them in the future, sounding as exciting as it can be from start to finish.

An epic, Arch Enemy-inspired intro morphs into a more symphonic version of Melodic Death Metal led by Martin’s razor-edged riffs and Marion’s demonic roars in the title-track Prokopton, flowing flawlessly like an arrow high in the sky until its grand finale; whereas  background orchestrations set the tone for the also inspiring The Sovereign, where Mickaël dictates the rhythm with his precise beats while Marion, Martin and Lucie offer the listener a feast of flammable sounds. Epicness keeps flowing from their music in Dissonance Within, another dense, multi-layered composition bringing the best elements from Symphonic and Melodic Death Metal where Marion growls its rebellious lyrics like a she-demon (“Time to fight, no backing down / For I will have no rest until my skill prevails / Disembodied, a whistling sound / The singing of my blade ravages the plain”), and flirting with Symphonic Black Metal at times, Snowblind is a fun headbanging extravaganza with highlights to the pounding drums by Mickaël and another thunderous performance by Marion on vocals, not to mention the song’s majestic atmosphere.

At Eternity’s Gate is an instrumental bridge the likes of Gamma Ray and Arch Enemy that sets the stage for the thrilling Back Again, perfect for slamming into the pit and enjoying a cold pint of beer while the quartet crushes our heads with their instruments, with the band’s stringed trio being in absolute (and totally awesome) sync. In the very progressive, intricate and exciting Bloodline, Marion takes the lead with her Black Metal-like gnarls while the rest of the crew doesn’t let the electricity go down, firing stunning guitar riffs and solos, thunderous bass punches and smashing beats. And last but not least, in the dark and imposing If I Should Die poetry flows majestically form its lyrics (“Maybe it is going to take me nowhere / But I reckon not having to go anywhere / I don’t keep any illusion to hold dear / I just need to be ready to disappear / Void comes from the self alone / Fear from what we believe we own / Stoics across time give an advice / May death be daily before our eyes”) while all band members showcase their refined skills, resulting in a hybrid of a metal opera with the devastation of extreme music.

In a nutshell, Aephanemer are ready to take you on a fun and thrilling music journey through the realms of contemporary Melodic Death Metal with Prokopton, and all you have to do to join them is following the band on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and obviously purchase their new album directly from their BandCamp page or from iTunes or Amazon, where by the way the album comes with instrumental versions for each and every song as a beyond special bonus from the band to you. Mr. Martin Hamiche had a dream when he started Aephanemer, and now based on the high quality of the music found in Prokopton we can say without a shadow of a doubt that dreams not only do come true, but sometimes they also kick some serious ass for our total delectation.

Best moments of the album: The Sovereign, Dissonance Within and Bloodline.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2019 Primeval Records

Track listing
1. Prokopton 5:13
2. The Sovereign 5:17
3. Dissonance Within 6:12
4. Snowblind 4:24
5. At Eternity’s Gate 2:55
6. Back Again 5:50
7. Bloodline 5:29
8. If I Should Die 9:08

Band members
Marion Bascoul – vocals, rhythm guitar
Martin Hamiche – lead guitar
Lucie Woaye-Hune – bass
Mickaël Bonnevialle – drums