One of the most promising prog and tech death bands of the current scene is finally back with their sophomore opus, showcasing a staggering progress from their debut.
Hailing from Besançon, a city in eastern France, near the border with Switzerland, the up-and coming Progressive/Technical Death Metal outfit The Scalar Process showed a lot of promise on their 2021 debut album Coagulative Matter as a young band. Fast forward five years and vocalist Mathieu Lefevre, guitarists Eloi Nicod and Lucas Martinez, bassist Vincent Amar, and drummer Thomas Giroud are finally back with their sophomore opus, entitled Agnomysticism, showcasing a staggering progress from their debut. The music seems to have taken an ethereal form, soaring above and raining down thundering riffs followed by shards of piercing melodies, all embraced by the striking artwork by Celest C. and featuring the very special guests Andy Thomas (Rivers of Nihil) and Justin Mckinney (The Zenith Passage), being therefore highly recommended for fans of bands like Fallujah, The Zenith Passage, and Rivers Of Nihil.
After an ethereal, otherworldly intro the music evolves into pure Progressive Death Metal madness in Physical Conquest, where Thomas showcases all his dexterity supported by the rumbling bass by Vincent. Mathieu’s deep guttural matches perfectly with the striking riffage by Eloi and Lucas in Far From The Flesh, a lecture in Technical Death Metal by those talented musicians that will surely smash your spine like a vile creature, followed by Incessant Continuum, featuring guest Andy Thomas on clean vocals, where another whimsical start that morphs into sheer madness led by Thomas’ relentless beats and fills. And guest Justin Mckinney delivers a killer guitar solo in Illness, while Mathieu continues to fire his deep, devilish roars nonstop, flowing manically until its grand finale.
Then after the enfolding instrumental interlude Affluent Marea, showcasing their crying guitars and dense atmosphere, we face A Breathing Moment, absolutely visceral and aggressive from the very first second while also presenting the band’s trademark progressive and intricate sounds. The title-track Agnomysticism will penetrate deep inside your soul and drag you to a different dimension to the sound of the metallic bass by Vincent and the hammering drums by Thomas, while Lack Of Colors continues from where the previous song left off, with Eloi and Lucas once again delivering absolute insanity from their axes. The electronic interlude Sigil feels too lengthy in the end as it takes away part of the rage from all previous songs, but fortunately the album comes to an end in style with In A Light Frame, where Mathieu’s deep vociferations walk hand in hand with the pulverizing wall of sounds crafted by his bandmates, with all riffs, solos and relentless drumming sounding majestic.
After all is said and done, you’ll realize Agnomysticism is a highly accomplished album, taking the sound of the band forward and elevating it beyond the ordinary, and if you’re curious to know more about such a promising band of the prog and tech death scene you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their classy music on any platform like Spotify, and purchase their striking new album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store (or simply click HERE for all things The Scalar Process). Agnomysticism is not an album for the average listener. It’s a lecture in Progressive and Technical Death Metal, and once you’re dragged into the world of The Scalar Process, there’s no turning back.
Best moments of the album:Far From The Flesh, Incessant Continuum and In A Light Frame.
Worst moments of the album:Sigil.
Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Physical Conquest 6:00
2. Far From The Flesh 4:47
3. Incessant Continuum 5:41
4. Illness 3:51
5. Affluent Marea 3:04
6. A Breathing Moment 4:02
7. Agnomysticism 6:58
8. Lack Of Colors 2:25
9. Sigil 4:20
10. In A Light Frame 4:39
Band members Mathieu Lefevre – vocals
Eloi Nicod – guitars
Lucas Martinez – guitars
Vincent Amar – bass
Thomas Giroud – drums
Guest musicians
Andy Thomas – clean vocals on “Incessant Continuum”
Justin Mckinney – guitar solo on “Illness”
Continuing to break the barriers of Progressive Death Metal, this unstoppable trio returns with their fourth studio album, sounding wildly diverse and refreshing while retaining their core sound.
Continuing to break the barriers of Progressive Death Metal since their 2009 debut Wax, Oslo, Norway-based Russian entity Defect Designer is back with their fourth studio album, titled Depressants, following up on their 2024 opus Chitin. Displaying a uniquely colorful artwork by Ian Miller, the demented new opus by Dmitry Sukhinin (Diskord) on vocals and guitars, Martin Storm-Olsen on bass and vocals, and Eugene Ryabchenko (Fleshgod Apocalypse) on drums is wildly diverse and refreshing while retaining their core sound, remaining loyal to their Death Metal foundations while at the same time reverting back to it after unabashedly exploring various sounds and imbibe influences from so many unrelated and unexpected styles, turning it into a must-listen for fans of Diskord, Februus, Demilich, Contrastic, Swelling Repulsion, and Disharmonic Orchestra.
Daily Dose of Gloom is absolutely demolishing and intricate from start to finish, with the ultra-talented Eugene delivering ruthless beats and fills for our absolute delight; followed by the curiously titled Butterfly Juice Straws. What a weird name for a song, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad; quite the contrary, the Dissonant Death Metal vocals by Dmitry sound insanely good. Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer is as complex as it is demolishing, with the striking riffs by Dmitry and the reverberating bass by Martin punching us hard in the head; while Carte Blanche is just as insane as its predecessors, offering a Progressive Death Metal attack not recommended for the lighthearted. In Expiration Deferral Request Denied they tried to be more Stoner Rock than Death Metal, and it gets confusing at times; whereas in Scorching The Rival Pogonomyrmex Burrows they get back to a more pulverizing sonority, with Eugene once again destroying everything and everyone that crosses his path, followed by Body Count Of My Cow Tail, another extremely experimental tune, but this time their sonic madness works really well.
Then venturing through Doom Metal lands without forgetting their enraged essence we face I Heard Robespierre Screamed Like A Bitch, and whatever they mean with that song title, it’s really cool. Dmitry sounds utterly furious with his demonic vociferations in Peons Before My Drabbing Wings, absolutely heavy, dark and demented until the end; and the trio continues to hammer their instruments with tons of precision and rage in AsThe Terracotta Dust Settles, with the drumming by Eugene making the earth crack in half. Awaiting The Return Of The Golden Age is perhaps the most direct Death Metal tune of all, led by Dmitry’s venomous guttural and visceral riffs; and the band then goes full experimental (with emphasis in “mental”) in The Inevitable Mad Composite, where Dmitry is simply on fire armed with his axe. After such a demolishing tune we face Wrong Future Forecast, an ominous outro to the album, with its background heaviness embracing our souls mercilessly.
Depressants is decidedly their most ambitious album to date, and they’ve outdone themselves on this one to offer a singular, exhilarating experience for the true prog-minded fans of the style. With the music on Depressants being as colourful as its artwork, it is anything but what the album title suggests – that’s just the classic tongue-in-cheek Defect Designer for you. Having said that, if you want to know more about such a hardworking and creative ensemble, you can find those guys on Facebook and on Instagram, listen to their idiosyncratic creations on Spotify, and of course purchase Depressants from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Put differently, more than just a Progressive Death Metal album, this is an anti-depressant for metalheads looking for something fresh and unique in the world of heavy music.
Best moments of the album:Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer, Carte Blanche, I Heard Robespierre Screamed Like A Bitch and Awaiting The Return Of The Golden Age.
Worst moments of the album:Expiration Deferral Request Denied.
Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records
Track listing 1. Daily Dose of Gloom 3:26
2. Butterfly Juice Straws 5:03
3. Repeated Aversive Stimuli Inducer 5:07
4. Carte Blanche 4:39
5. Expiration Deferral Request Denied 4:10
6. Scorching The Rival Pogonomyrmex Burrows 3:40
7. Body Count Of My Cow Tail 4:50
8. I Heard Robespierre Screamed Like A Bitch 4:07
9. Peons Before My Drabbing Wings 4:45
10. As The Terracotta Dust Settles 4:57
11. Awaiting The Return Of The Golden Age 3:48
12. The Inevitable Mad Composite 3:40
13. Wrong Future Forecast 4:10
Band members Dmitry Sukhinin – vocals, guitars
Martin Storm-Olsen – bass, vocals
Eugene Ryabchenko – drums
This American blackened band returns with their most immersive and conceptually daring work to date, unveiling a descent into dream consciousness.
Hailing from the pits of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Progressive/Melodic Black/Death Metal entity IATT(which stands for “I Am The Trireme,” an ancient maritime vessel, representing a shift in their musical style from their early Metalcore days) returns with their most immersive and conceptually daring work to date, entitled Etheric Realms of the Night. Mixed and mastered by Marcos Cerutti (co-founder of Black Lion Productions), the newborn spawn by Jay Briscoe on vocals and bass, Joe Cantamessa on lead guitars, Alec Pezzano on rhythm guitars and orchestral arrangements, and Paul Cole on drums and percussion is a worthy follow-up to their 2022 album Magnum Opus, unfolding as a continuous narrative that explores the fragile boundary between sleep and oblivion, consciousness and illusion, life and whatever waits beyond it, unveiling a descent into dream consciousness.
In the opening tune Drift Away the music gradually builds into a wall of Progressive Death Metal sounds led by Jay’s visceral screams, while Paul delivers an overdose of crushing beats and fills that transpire Black Metal; followed by To Lie Beneath, a nine-minute aria of darkness where the guitars by Joe and Alec breathe fire, supported by the always thunderous drums by Paul. Put differently, it’s like Opeth on steroids. Somniphobia already begins in full force, with all of its progressiveness clashing beautifully with its fury, not to mention its melodeath and dissonant riffs sounds amazing, whereas Pavor Nocturnus is one of the most Black Metal songs of the entire album, where its haunting atmosphere and intricate riffage and drums bring sheer joy to our blackened hearts. In the cryptic Quietus, the symphonic elements bring an avalanche of epicness to the overall result, with Jay once again barking and roaring nonstop, and their metallic dreams go on in Walk Amongst, another very detailed and multi-layered aria of Symphonic and Melodic Death Metal where Joe and Alec are again flawless on the guitars, before all fades into nothingness in the ethereal outro Hypnos.
With Etheric Realms of the Night, IATT venture deeper into psychological and conceptual territory, shaping a work that feels immersive, unsettling, and profoundly human, tracing the path from surrender to transformation, where dreams deepen into realms that no longer fade with morning light. Across its 48 minute runtime, the album unfolds with cinematic scope, guided by atmosphere, symbolism, and emotional momentum, and if you want to join IATT on such a unique voyage you can find those guys on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify, and of course purchase Etheric Realms of the Night from BandCamp, from their merch store, or by clicking HERE. Orchestral elements, unusual instrumentation, constantly shifting sonic landscapes, and the sense of a single story told in seven movements. That’s what IATT offer in their new album, inviting you to dream together with them while fully awake.
Best moments of the album:To Lie Beneath, Pavor Nocturnus and Walk Amongst.
Band members Jay Briscoe – vocals, bass
Joe Cantamessa – lead guitars
Alec Pezzano – rhythm guitars, orchestral arrangements
Paul Cole – drums, percussion
Resurfacing from the dark pits of Phoenix after eight years of silence, this unrelenting Death Metal beast returns with their third studio album, a dense and suffocating descent into lacerating and surgically cold darkness.
Resurfacing from the dark pits of Phoenix, Arizona after eight years of silence, the unrelenting Death Metal beast known as Lago attacks again with their third full-length opus, entitled Vigil, following up on their 2018 sophomore offering Sea of Duress. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band’s own Brian Miller, and showcasing a sinister artwork by the always amazing Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, the new opus by vocalist and guitarist Cole Jacobsen, guitarist Gus Barr, bassist Garrett Thomas, and drummer Brian Miller is a dense and suffocating descent into lacerating and surgically cold darkness, channeling the weight of dissonant and modern Death Metal while carving deeper into their own bleak and atmospheric sound.
The vicious guitars by Cole and Gus will penetrate deep inside your skin in the opening tune Behold, Ruin, offering an overdose of melodic yet feral Death Metal while Brian brings tons of groove to the music with his intricate beats and fills. Fodder presents another avalanche of heaviness and fury by Lago where Cole’s cadaverous guttural matches perfectly with the primeval kitchen blasted by Garrett and Brian, not to mention Gus’ guitar solos are utterly electrifying; and Lago are a band who loves to add elements of Progressive and Technical Death Metal into their music, which is exactly what we get in Procession Into Slaughter, with Brian once again taking the lead with his unrelenting drums. Initiation Rite is a song tailored for admirers of some good old headbanging thanks to the massive riffs by Cole and Gus, and it should become a fan-favorite if played live, whereas their raging riffs continue to crush our bodies and souls in In A House Of Ill Repute, also presenting hints of Doom Metal to give it an even darker vibe. After such a demented tune, Garrett and Brian are in total sync and on absolute fire in the hard hitting Kingdom Without Pulse, a lecture in Death Metal by those relentless guys; and finally, we’re invited for one last mosh pit with the detailed and multi-layered The Land Was A Desert, with Cole’s enraged roars elevating the song’s ferocity to a whole new level.
“The writing for Vigil began in 2023 and found the band rebuilt after a few years of relative silence and this also marks the first time we as a band have completely handled all aspects of the production ourselves. Expect the next step as we build upon our previous releases, calling upon influences from legends Morbid Angel, Immolation and Gorguts. Vigil will be out most focused release to date,” commented the band, and those talented metallers from Arizona are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their music, news and tour dates. Don’t forget to also stream their ruthless music on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase their extremely vile and aggressive new album via mailorder or from BandCamp. The guys from Lago are hungry for your blood armed with their visceral new opus, and hopefully it won’t take another eight years for them to strike again with a new album as devastating and sharp as Vigil.
Best moments of the album:Fodder and Kingdom Without Pulse.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Everlasting Spew Records
Track listing 1. Behold, Ruin 6:12
2. Fodder 5:59
3. Procession Into Slaughter 5:29
4. Initiation Rite 4:46
5. In A House Of Ill Repute 7:46
6. Kingdom Without Pulse 5:44
7. The Land Was A Desert 6:12
Band members Cole Jacobsen – vocals, guitars
Gus Barr – lead guitars
Garrett Thomas – bass, additional vocals
Brian Miller – drums
These monsters of Melodic Thrash and Death Metal are back with a ruthless new offering, a four-track concept EP that fuses cinematic horror, crushing riffs, and lyrical dread into a singular apocalyptic vision.
Hailing from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Melodic Thrash/Death Metal unit Dissentience returns with their most conceptually ambitious and sonically punishing release to date, the EP Kaiju, following up on their 2022 full-length Empire Anatomy. Produced by Corey Pierce and Dissentience, engineered by Matt Menafro at Peach Pie Sound, mixed by Zeuss, mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music, and displaying an apocalyptic artwork by Matt Stikker, the new offering by Connor Valentin on vocals and guitar, James Vitale also on the guitar, Sean Langer on bass, and Nick Scherden on drums is a four-track concept EP that fuses cinematic horror, crushing riffs, and lyrical dread into a singular apocalyptic vision. Drawing inspiration from classic Japanese monster films and the unknowable terrors of Lovecraftian mythology, the record explores the narrative of a colossal, nameless beast as it decimates a city, and rather than paying tribute to kaiju lore in name alone, the band builds a world where riffs, lyrics, and production align to place the listener in the path of annihilation.
The opener Obsidian Tomb captures the initial moments of catastrophe, and just like in an apocalyptic movie the song starts in a serene, dark manner before turning into a pulverizing Thrash and Death Metal attack, with Connor’s vocals exhaling hatred and fury. Then we have Chaos Absolute, focusing on the political and social collapse that follows the attack, transpiring progressiveness and intricacy while also showcasing an overdose of violence flowing from all instruments. In addition, Nick’s drumming is a thing of beauty throughout the entire song. The title-track Kaiju then represents the climax of the EP, unleashing a relentless barrage of violence and devastation while the metallic bass by Sean crushes our damned souls accompanied by the ultra sharp riffs by James in a lecture in Progressive Death Metal; whereas Death Shroud transitions into the aftermath, a landscape of ash, grief, and existential dread, and that dreadful vibe is perfectly depicted in the grim riffage by James and the hammering drums by Nick, before a killer solo by James concludes the EP on a visceral mode.
With Kaiju, Dissentience have crafted a fully realized conceptual journey that pushes their sound further into new territory, refusing to imitate the past by forging a sound that avoids the trappings of nostalgia, drawing from influences like Trivium, Revocation and Lamb of God. You can get in touch with such an amazing new name of the current metal scene via Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, listen to their music on Spotify, and put your monster-like hands on Kaiju from the band’s BandCamp or webstore. Where others nod to monsters, Dissentience gives them voice, weight, and consequence like in Kaiju, sounding and feeling as heavy and thunderous as the giant creatures depicted throughout the entire album.
Best moments of the album:Chaos Absolute and Kaiju.
Metalheads from all across Toronto gathered this Sunday night to praise the beast together with one of the most influential Blackened Death Metal bands of all time.
In the middle of what’s perhaps the harshest winter in the past few decades in Toronto, NARCOTIC WASTELAND, HATE, INCANTATION and BELPHEGOR brought to Lee’s Palace some welcome heat this Sunday night with their infernal Praise the Beast North America Tour2026, another massive event organized by the mighty Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such a feast of heavy sounds. There were also two bands billed to play in “The Cave” (aka the room upstairs at Lee’s Palace), those being Nashville, Tennessee’s own Experimental Folk/Black Metal band Primeval Well, who released back in 2021 the excellent album Talkin’ in Tongues with Mountain Spirits (available on Spotify), and Hamilton, Ontario-based Progressive Death Metal act Cryophilic, who released in 2023 their sophomore opus Damned and Decayed (also available on Spotify). The only issue is that due to some delays they ended up playing pretty much at the same time as Incantation and Belphegor, so I have absolutely no idea if anyone was able to watch their performances.
The night started with the awesome performance by South Carolina-based Death Metal trio NARCOTIC WASTELAND, who kicked some ass onstage with their undisputed energy and heaviness. Mixing songs from their two albums with newer singles like the brutal Barbarian, all available on Spotify, the band formed of Dallas Toler-Wade, Kenji Tsunami (who’s not only a phenomenal bassist, like a Death Metal version of Dream Theater’s own John Myung, but his bass is also a thing of beauty) and Austin Vicars took no prisoners in their quest for pure Death Metal, and after they finished playing the closing song of their short but very sweet set, Introspective Nightmares, we were all left wondering when we’ll be able to see those guys live again, perhaps with a bigger set. You can get more details about such a fun extreme music act by clicking HERE, and if they ever take your city by storm, don’t miss the chance of seeing those excellent musicians live.
Setlist Morality and the Wasp
Faces of Meth
Barbarian
Delirium Tremens
Keeping Up with the Jones
We Agnostics
Introspective Nightmares
Band members Dallas Toler-Wade – vocals, guitars
Kenji Tsunami – bass, vocals
Austin Vicars – drums
Poland’s own Blackened Death Metal institution HATE also had a very short set, but that didn’t mean the concert by Adam “ATF Sinner” Buszko, Dominik “Domin” Prykiel, Tomasz “Tiermes” Sadlak, and the stone crusher Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski (who returned later that night drumming for the mighty Belphegor) was not heavy enough. Quite the contrary, they made sure they used their limited time to deliver a ruthless, no shenanigans performance for our total delight. Having released the excellent Bellum Regiis in 2025, available on both BandCamp and Spotify, the quartet proved once again why Polish extreme music is so marvelous, leaving us completely disoriented after all was said and done. The mosh pits were already getting out of control, the temperature inside the venue was getting scorching, and the horns were being raised high, all thanks to the fires of Black and Death Metal by one of the heaviest bands to ever arise from the stunning Poland. Toronto wants more Hate. We deserve more Hate. And hopefully they won’t take long to return to the city with another pulverizing concert.
Setlist Intro
Sovereign Sanctity
Erebos
The Wolf Queen
Bellum Regiis
Iphigenia
Band members Adam “ATF Sinner” Buszko – vocals, rhythm guitar
Dominik “Domin” Prykiel – lead guitar
Tomasz “Tiermes” Sadlak – bass
Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski – drums
There were a few delays during the entire night, not sure if due to sound issues or something else, which ended up extending the whole event a lot longer than previously planned. Good thing that there’s no curfew at Lee’s Palace, and even better that when the next attraction is Pennsylvania’s Death Metal masters INCANTATION, it never feels too late to get caught in some of the wildest mosh pits of the entire fest. Their latest releases Unholy Deification, from 2023, and Onward to Golgotha Live, from 2025 (both available on BandCamp and on Spotify) are very good sources if you want to familiarize yourself with their setlist, with songs like Golgotha and Impending Diabolical Conquest sounding sensational live, and of course, it’s always a true pleasure witnessing the talent, passion and charisma of the one and only John McEntee onstage. He’s a true metal warrior, no doubt about it. Furthermore, one very interesting fact about the show in Toronto was the amount of girls doing crowd surfing and stage diving during their concert. I think it was easily over 10 different girls doing those during one of the songs, with one even showing her athleticism and flexibility by doing a few splits onstage, which was pretty badass. Let’s see when Incantation return to Toronto if those girls will have other nice tricks to prove once and for all who runs the world.
Setlist Golgotha
Carrion Prophecy
Emaciated Holy Figure
Iconoclasm of Catholicism
Concordat (The Pact) I
Blissful Bloodshower
Profanation
Vanquish in Vengeance
The Ibex Moon
Impending Diabolical Conquest
Band members John McEntee – vocals, guitars
Luke Shively – guitars
Chuck Sherwood – bass
Kyle Severn – drums
Sunday is always a day for regular people to go to the church, but for us metalheads it’s the perfect day to do the exact opposite, and let’s say Austrian Blackened Death Metal beast BELPHEGOR more than helped us succeed in such a blasphemous activity with one of the darkest and heaviest concerts of the past few months in Toronto. Playing a mix of their entire discography with their latest album The Devils, from 2022, plus their two fantastic new singles Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus and Scarlet Beast-Leviathan (a beautifully haunting song, by the way), all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, such a malevolent horde led by the unrelenting Helmuth Lehner was breathing fire and sulfur during their entire show, and if you were on the left side of the stage you would also feel everything tremble to the demented drums by Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski. It was a really fun experience to be honest, despite the fact the trembling got way too heavy at times.
I wonder what some fervent Catholics would say about Belphegor’s music and live performances. Those guys almost cracked the earth in half with their music, allowing Satan himself to arise from the underworld. The mosh pit was like a cauldron of fire, their demonic vocals and reefs exhaled sulfur and blasphemy, and it was easy to see all faces in awe during their satanic and cathartic mass. After their black mass was over, I noticed one girl that’s in pretty much every extreme music show in Toronto with a busted lip and some blood down her chin, and based on her happy face she was more than fine with that. She’s a total badass, she doesn’t fear any mosh pit, and she’s the perfect depiction of the love of Toronto for Black and Death Metal. Belphegor more than deliver it in both genres, usually at the same time, and if they provde us with half of the darkness and electricity from this Sunday next time they visit Toronto, I bet we’ll see more happy faces and busted lips around the venue. Praise the beast, praise all ladies who make heavy music a much better place, and praise the almighty Belphegor.
Setlist The Procession
Baphomet
The Devil’s Son
Sanctus Diaboli Confidimus
The Devils
Stigma Diabolicum
Pactum in Aeternum
Lucifer Incestus
Virtus Asinaria – Prayer
Scarlet Beast – Leviathan
Totentanz – Dance Macabre
Encore:
Belphegor – Hell’s Ambassador
Band members Helmuth Lehner – vocals, guitars
Wolfgang Rothbauer – guitars
Chris Bonos – bass, backing vocals
Daniel “Nar-Sil” Rutkowski – drums
This Chilean unrelenting outfit offers in their third album a true Book of Death forged in sound, channeling the death drive into a relentless exploration of human rituals, mortality, and cultural collapse.
Expanding their fierce Chilean/American identity, channeling the death drive (Thanatos) into a relentless exploration of human rituals, mortality, and cultural collapse – a true Book of Death forged in sound – Santiago, Chile and Boston, Massachusetts-based Progressive/Technical Death/Thrash Metal beast Overtoun returns in full force with their third offering, entitled Death Drive Anthropology, the follow-up to their 2021 sophomore This Darkness Feels Alive. Recorded at Estudio del Sur, and produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Martín Furia at Somma Productions, the new album by Yoav Ruiz-Feingold on vocals, Matias Bahamondes on the guitar, Matias Salas on bass, and Agustin Lobo on drums further cements the band as one of the most compelling and forward-thinking forces emerging from the Latin American metal landscape. Rooted in the primal force of 90’s death-thrash yet sharpened by a modern, incisive edge, the album fuses Latin rhythms, folk-tinged guitars, and razor-tight riffs, being therefore a must-listen for admirers of the music by Carcass, Atheist, and Revocation, among others.
The album couldn’t have started in a better and more demented way than with What Unites All, featuring guest vocalist Max Phelps (Cynic, Death to All), with Matias Salas and Agustin sounding absolutely mental with their heavy-as-hell, groovy kitchen. Yoav keeps roaring like a beast in the very technical, melodic yet brutal The Final Beat, blending the most caustic elements from Death and Thrash Metal, and after a cryptic intro the music evolves into another feast of progressive violence in Memento Mori, featuring guest vocalist Enrico H. Di Lorenzo (Hideous Divinity), where Agustin once again dictates the pace while Matias Bahamondes slashes his axe nonstop. Their wicked riffs and pounding drums are the main ingredients in the electrifying Dur Khrod, inviting us all to slam into the pit in the name of our good old Death and Thrash Metal; whereas their progressive vein pulses even harder in Jade, Gold, Obsidian, led by the intricate and flammable riffage by Matias Bahamondes. And in Yūrei they offer a more modern side of their core musicality, alternating between groovy moments and extreme aggression.
Matias Salas beautifully steals the spotlight with his metallic bass in Weeping, as if Sepultura, Dream Theater and Machine Head had a bastard son (who loves Death Metal), which of course translates into total sonic brilliance. Guest Shantanu Vyas (Hazing Over) lends his desperate vocals to the band in Wind and Water, keeping the album at an extreme level of violence and progressiveness; and we then face a killer three-part extravaganza, starting with the 30-second intro The Waves Suite: Siren, setting the stage for The Waves Suite: Ocean, where the band goes almost full tribal with their ruthless sounds, flowing like an arrow on fire in the dark until The Waves Suite: Caleuche puts a very melodic ending to such an interesting aria. The band still has the icing on the cake to offer in the album, the title-track Death Drive Anthropology, inviting us all to slam one last time with them to the sound of the demonic roars by Yoav.
As mentioned, Death Drive Anthropology aims at channeling the death drive into a sonic Book of Death that examines how different cultures confront mortality, violence, collapse, and rebirth through ritual and art, and if you want to feel part of such an exciting metallic ritual, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their amazing music on YouTube or on Spotify, and above all that, grab a copy of the album from the band’s own BandCamp, as well as from the Time To Kill Records’ webstore. In other words, simply open the Book of Death written by these talented Chilean metallers, and let their sounds bring to your soul the always exciting duality between life and death.
Best moments of the album:What Unites All, Weeping and Death Drive Anthropology.
Worst moments of the album:Wind and Water.
Released in 2026 Time To Kill Records
Track listing 1. What Unites All 5:23
2. The Final Beat 4:46
3. Memento Mori 6:38
4. Dur Khrod 3:54
5. Jade, Gold, Obsidian 4:00
6. Yūrei 5:25
7. Weeping 5:28
8. Wind and Water 4:05
9. The Waves Suite: Siren 0:23
10. The Waves Suite: Ocean 4:11
11. The Waves Suite: Caleuche 1:42
12. Death Drive Anthropology 4:23
Band members Yoav Ruiz-Feingold – vocals
Matias Bahamondes – guitar
Matias Salas – bass
Agustin Lobo – drums
Guest musicians
Max Phelps – vocals on “What Unites All”
Enrico H. Di Lorenzo – vocals on “Memento Mori”
Shantanu Vyas – vocals on “Wind And Water”
This forward-thinking Canadian band continues to give their own interpretation to the Death Metal style in their new EP, alternating between throbbing discordant blasts and soothing passages, traversing worlds hitherto unexplored.
“Mors verum” does not have a direct, standard meaning in Latin, but likely combines two separate words, “mors” (death) and “verum” (truth). The intended meaning is probably “truth or death,” or perhaps a variation of a phrase like “nihil verum nisi mors” (“nothing is true but death”), or the concept of “the only truth is death”. It is often used in the context of “truth or death” to imply one would rather die than not have the truth. In heavy music, Mors Verum are a forward-thinking Canadian band who are giving their own interpretation to the Death Metal style, creating music that is simultaneously dissonant, progressive, and atmospheric. Recorded at by Sean Pearson at Boxcar Studio, mixed by Mrudul Kamble at Erb Street Recording, mastered by Topon Das at Apartment 2, and displaying an ass-kicking artwork by Arifullah Ali of KanvasKarat, the new EP by Lyndon Quadros on vocals, Mrudul Kamble on the guitars, Spencer Mitchell on bass, and Greg Carvalho on drums, entitled Canvas, offers exactly that captivating blend of Dissonant and Progressive Death Metal, alternating between throbbing discordant blasts and soothing passages, traversing worlds hitherto unexplored.
The quartet wastes no time and kick off their idiosyncratic party with the progressive extravaganza Bloodied Teeth, with the pulverizing, demented drumming by Greg adding even more insanity to their already maniacal sounds. Mrudul’s visceral riffage is boosted by the bludgeoning bass by Spencer in Your Apocalypse, resulting in seven minutes of Dissonant Death Metal not recommended for the lighthearted; and Lyndon keeps barking and roaring like a beast in Serenade, with the music alternating between absolute savagery and more melodic, groovier moments. Then we face the grim title-track Canvas, offering a hybrid of the sluggish sounds of Blackened Doom with the band’s core Progressive Death Metal essence. Needless to say, Mrudul, Spencer and Greg are phenomenal with their sonic weapons; and they’ll finish burying you six feet deep with their undisputed extreme music in Mortal, again presenting the visceral guttural by Lyndon while Greg sounds inhumane on drums.
Following up on their 2015 EP Indoctrination, their 2019 full-length Deranged, and their 2021 EP The Living, Canvas brings to our avid ears lengthier song which never feel tedious as the band embarks on their newfound path with relative ease and confidence. On Canvas, they have adopted a fascinating approach to the style, one that is beautifully tempered yet adventurous enough to excite, being highly recommended for fans of Gorguts, Morbid Angel, Norse, Ulcerate, and Saevus Finis, among others. Those talented and creative guys are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram, and don’t forget to also stream their unique music on Spotify, and of course to purchase Canvas from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. In the end, the experience of listening to Canvas feels at once liberating and cathartic, leaving us eager for more of their music in the near future, perhaps in the form of their sophomore full-length offering, and I bet you’ll be more than excited for that after their short but incendiary new offering.
Best moments of the album:Bloodied Teeth and Canvas.
I’m always on my own… Even in my dreams I die alone… Loneliness is a garment… Made of shadows hanging above…
There’s nothing better than kicking off the short but always freezing cold month of February than with an ultra talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist who personifies the underground like our metal lady of this month, setting fire to the atmosphere with her undisputed blend of Extreme Metal. Known for her involvement with some amazing underground bands the likes of Zion Code and Cordiscord Elysium, and more recently for her undisputed solo career, releasing an array of first-class albums, she brings the noise directly from Germany to The Headbanging Moose, taking no prisoners in her quest for heavy music. Her name is Vanessa Funke, and after knowing more about her life and her career, I’m sure you’ll get addicted to her fusion of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal with an overdose of raw emotions and, therefore, feel beyond eager to get caught in a mosh while she kicks some serious ass both in the studio and onstage.
Hailing from Finnentrop, a municipality in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Vanessa said in one of her interviews that music has been all around her basically her entire life, mentioning she remembers hearing the intro to Thin Lizzy‘s version of Whiskey In The Jar as a child and imagining that she would play it herself. “It took a while for me to pick up an instrument though, which was about 2009. I was absolutely fascinated with Mike Oldfield around that time, especially that he can play all those different instruments and basically creates albums almost on his own. That really was the impulse that led me to playing guitar and later keyboards. When I got into metal about two years later, I started to play it myself too.”
She believes the first ever metal song she learned on the guitar was Weather The Storm, by Finnish melodeath masters Insomnium, becoming the rhythm guitarist shortly after for a band named Storm Unleashed, which was basically her first step into the music business, naturally evolving more and more even after she decided to pursue her solo career. Clearly a huge fan of the Melodic Death Metal from the 90’s and 2000’s, she also started incorporating elements from Gothic Metal into her music, giving it even more depth, which consequently allowed her to explore darker emotions in her compositions.
Speaking of her solo career, it all began in 2017 when she started recording a few demos, which only came to light in 2022 as a compilation encompassing those demos from 2017 until 2021. After that, she kept firing her own blend of Melodic Death and Gothic Metal through the 2022 EPs Sorted Out and Broken, followed by the split Ode to Hopelessness (alongside French Depressive Black Metal act Angel of Suicide), her first full-length album Solitude, plus the splits Nothing Left… (with UK-based Black Metal outfit Black Apathy) and Anthems of Gomorrah / Vanessa Funke (with Pinellas County, Florida-based Black/Death Metal horde Anthems of Gomorrah), all also in 2022.
Then in 2023 she released the EP Reflections, the splits Lonely Suicide (with American Atmospheric Black Metal creature Nymphrenia), In the Shadow of the Lights (with a band named Luroga), A Road to Nowhere (with Panama’s own Black Metal entity The Last Weapon), and Barely Living on the Edge… (with the bands Nymphrenia, Black Apathy, Shallow Existence, and Have a Nice Life…), and her sophomore full-length opus entitled Dawn. In 2024, the EP Lament and the full-length Void saw the light of day, while in 2025 she brought into being the split Locomotion of Escape (with a band called Tachanka), and her fourth full-length installment, titled Requiem. All of those releases can be found on BandCamp and on Spotify, and on her official YouTube channel you can also find her official videos for songs such as Worthless, Broken Ground, Infelicity, and I Need You Tonight, among several others. Not only that, her music is also featured in a few interesting compilations, including the songs Solitude on the LDP Smörgåsbord Series #2 (released by Liminal Dread Productions in December 2023), Sorrow on Mind Over Metal 4: Volume 1 (released by Cave Dweller Music in May 2024), Buried on Black Metal Against Blackout (released in January 2024), and Dead Souls on Heavy for the Hollers (released by Liminal Dread Productions in November 2024).
One very interesting fact about her solo albums is that all of them have just one word in the title (Solitude, Dawn, Void, and Requiem), not to mention she keeps an impressive streak of one album per year. “I actually try to keep up the pace with one full length release every year. I’ve written so many songs that I have enough material for at least another album right now and several rough sketches and demos. When I get into this certain creative flow, I try to let it all out. Later I come back to these ideas and refine them. Having just one word as the title wasn’t something I planned. I released an EP called Broken in 2022, after that my first album Solitude followed and I basically just stayed with those one word titles since then. Fun fact: the album title never appears as a song title on the same album, but I do tend to use it later. For example, Solitude is the title of my first album, but also the title of the first song on Requiem,” explained our unstoppable metal diva.
Furthermore, she also explained the reason why the song titles in her latest album Requiem also have just one word, like Useless, Worthless, Sorrow, Death, and Buried, but that doesn’t mean her music should be labeled as Depressive Black Metal. “On this album I came up with the song names before I had the music. I wanted to be inspired by those simple words, like what do I feel when thinking about them and translate that feeling to music. Of course reading those titles can definitely imply something depressive, which is partially true because of the story behind it. But the music isn’t depressive black metal in my opinion, more a mixture between atmospheric black metal and funeral doom. The melodic death and gothic influence isn’t that strong here.”
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Apart form her undisputed solo career, Vanessa is (or was) also part of an interesting music project assembled to celebrate the 36th birthday of Alicia Cordisco (of Arizona’s own Thrash Metal beast Transgressive), with its collaborators spanning countries across three continents, including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The name of such a unique project is Cordiscord Elysium, a Melodic Death and Power Metal outfit with several guest musicians from different underground bands, and that released their debut EP titled Alicia Cordisco’s Amazing Birthday, in 2025, followed by the EP Alicia Cordiscord Autumnal Ball, and the single All Carols are Bangers, both also from 2025, and all available on BandCamp. From all songs recorded so far by the project, the most interesting one is hands down their cover version for Eagle Fly Free, by Helloween.
Prior to flying solo, Vanessa was a member of a Zanesville, Ohio-based Progressive Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore band named Zion Code, taking care of their vocal duties from 2022 to 2024, plus playing guitars, bass and keyboards for the band between 2023 and 2024. Formed in 2021 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Mitchell, the band has already released seven full-length albums and two EPs, with Vanessa being part of the 2023 albums Zion Code and Festung, and the 2024 albums Apocrypha and New Dawn Rising. Curiously enough, nothing is available on BandCamp nor on Spotify anymore for reasons beyond our knowledge. Anyway, apart from recording vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and drums in those albums, Vanessa was also responsible for the production, mixing and mastering, and even the artwork for the 2023 album Festung. I’m curious to listen to Zion Code as I haven’t had a chance yet, but apparently there’s nothing available anywhere, not even unofficial videos uploaded on YouTube by random users.
She can also be found as a guest musician for some very interesting bands and projects. For instance, she recorded vocals for the 2025 album The Burden of I, by Tucson, Arizona’s own Melodic Black/Death Metal musician Alicia Cordisco; vocals for the 2023 single We Can Win, by California-based Avantgarde Black/Power Metal act Black Stag Rising; the dialogue on the song Lebenssinn, from the 2023 EP Die Welt schläft ein, by French Black Metal entity Myrkyttää; additional vocals on the song Remember Me, from the 2025 album Down the Drain, by American Depressive/Atmospheric Black Metal act Nymphrenia; and additional vocals on the song Writhing in Agony I: Reopening Wounds I Have Once Forgotten, from the 2023 EP Writhing in Agony, by UK’s Depressive Black Metal act Shallow Existence. Not only that, Vanessa was also responsible for the artwork for the 2023 album Broken Cleansing and the 2023 EP Afuckt Up Mess, both by American Metalcore/Technical Death Metal act A Karmic Gray, and for the artwork for the 2023 EP Chaos Undivided, by Ohio’s own Death Metal brigade Bloodthirster.
When asked about how she feels having the drum arrangements (as well as the mixing and mastering) done by Michael Easley for her latest album Requiem, she said that it was an exception under her one-woman band project. “I usually do everything myself. This one album is actually the exception. I used a pretty old drum plugin initially, which lacked some human feel. As Michael is a drummer, he offered me to change it a bit and put a bit more life into it, which I gladly accepted. But nothing was done without my approval of course. Also a lot of the music was recorded at a time where my mixing skills weren’t that good. So Michael basically polished it to make it sound similar to my previous albums. For the next album I already have a higher standard I set for myself, so I’m pretty sure right now that if I get it right the way I imagine it, there’s no need for changes afterwards.” Furthermore, she also shared a few words about her writing and composing style. “When I start to write a song, I only have one chords progression or a melody from which I build up the whole song. So most things actually just happen during the recording process. There’s not much planning ahead usually.”
One very interesting thing about her album Requiem is that it is based on her own experiences as a teenager. “If you look at the album in two different sides (songs 1-5 and songs 6-8), there are two different things I wrote about: the first side deals with the feeling of spiraling deeper into depression, while the second side deals with intrusive thoughts. I couldn’t be completely neutral, but I still tried to keep things vague enough so others can find their own story in this. For me personally this story is deeply tied to dysphoria, something that was really strong when I was younger, the fear of coming out and not being able to live as myself. Even if I’ve come a long way since then and it isn’t that bad anymore, I still felt the need to have an outlet for all these emotions.”
Last but not least, Vanessa is not the type of person that’s very active in social media. “I do use Instagram and Bluesky apart from Bandcamp, but generally I’m not that good in this social media game, so my accounts there are definitely not as professional as bands often have them. But I generally don’t feel the need to change that, as it feels more comfortable for me like this,” she commented, and we must all agree she’s doing the right thing. Focusing on her music, on the quality of her final product, is way more important to us listeners than having an active Facebook or Instagram account. And don’t worry, Vanessa, because your music is so good we can take care of the social media posting on your behalf, spreading your emotional music to the four corners of the earth. Because, in the end, that’s what good music is all about.
Whipping up a firestorm of grit, swagger and grandiosity, the new opus by this UK entity snarls hardcore, extreme inflections, and a strong sense of Heavy Metal’s inherent classicism.
Whipping up a firestorm of grit, swagger and grandiosity, Setting Fire to the Sky, the brand new album by UK’s own Stoner/Sludge Metal/Metalcore cult act Urne, snarls hardcore, extreme inflections, and a strong sense of Heavy Metal’s inherent classicism, all burn together within their own burial chamber, propelling the band forward. Recorded and produced by SikTh co-vocalist Justin Hill, mixed by Johann Meyer at Silvercord Studios, and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studio, the follow-up to their 2023 album A Feast on Sorrow sees vocalist and bassist Joe Nally, guitarist Angus Neyra, and drummer James Cook expand their sound to even further lands, sounding and feeling heavier, tighter and more captivating than ever.
The acoustic guitars by Angus ignite the band’s festivities in Be Not Dismayed, suddenly exploding into a Progressive Sludge Metal aria where Joe’s vocals sound dark and visceral just the way we like it in extreme music; and James hammers his drums mercilessly in Weeping to the World, with their Mastodon-inspired riffs and bass punching us hard in the head while the music alternates between more introspective moments and sheer heaviness. Joe’s rumbling bass walks hand in hand with the pounding beats by James in the headbanging The Spirit, Alive, a serious candidate for becoming a permanent part of their live concerts, whereas the title-track Setting Fire to the Sky brings to our ears a sinister, grim intro that gradually morphs into a Doom and Sludge Metal creature, with James taking the lead armed with his undisputed, intricate and pulverizing beats and fills, followed by The Ancient Horizon, a more cadenced (yet still heavy-as-hell) creation by the trio, offering an overdose of caustic riffs by Angus.
We’re then treated to the also obscure Towards the Harmony Hall, carrying a poetic name for a hard hitting Progressive Metal beast where Angus’ carnivorous riffs clash in great fashion with the brutality blasted by James on drums. Then featuring the indomitable Troy Sanders of Mastodon as a guest vocalist, Urne will melt our faces with nine minutes of absolute metal magic in Harken the Waves, presenting several distinct layers that together form the most detailed of all songs, where melody and violence unite in the name of heavy music. Cellist Jo Quail adds pure melancholy to the band’s already deep and dark sonority in Breathe, providing Joe with exactly what he needs to shine with his introspective vocals, and as a CD and digital only bonus track we have Nocturnal Forms, certainly worth the investment in those formats as it’s another excellent song of no shenanigans Progressive Death and Sludge Metal.
“I feel like I’m in Metallica in 1988 with what we do,” commented Joe about the current state of Urne, and of course about the music found in Setting Fire to the Sky. You can also set fire to your music collection by purchasing such an amazing album from their own Big Cartel, from Rough Trade, or simply by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also follow Urne on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with their news and tour dates, and to stream their massive creations on any platform like Spotify. As aforementioned, Urne are moving forward with their newborn opus, leaving us eager for more in the near future by one of the most captivating band’s of the current British scene.
Best moments of the album:The Spirit, Alive, Setting Fire to the Sky and Harken the Waves.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2026 Spinefarm Records
Track listing 1. Be Not Dismayed 5:54
2. Weeping to the World 3:42
3. The Spirit, Alive 3:52
4. Setting Fire to the Sky 6:38
5. The Ancient Horizon 4:41
6. Towards the Harmony Hall 7:14
7. Harken the Waves 9:23
8. Breathe 4:19
CD and Digital bonus track
9. Nocturnal Forms 3:54
Band members Joe Nally – vocals, bass
Angus Neyra – guitars
James Cook – drums
Guest musicians
Troy Sanders – vocals on “Harken the Waves”
Jo Quail – cello on “Breathe”
Hailing from Besançon, a city in eastern France, near the border with Switzerland, the up-and coming Progressive/Technical Death Metal outfit The Scalar Process showed a lot of promise on their 2021 debut album Coagulative Matter as a young band. Fast forward five years and vocalist Mathieu Lefevre, guitarists Eloi Nicod and Lucas Martinez, bassist Vincent Amar, and drummer Thomas Giroud are finally back with their sophomore opus, entitled Agnomysticism, showcasing a staggering progress from their debut. The music seems to have taken an ethereal form, soaring above and raining down thundering riffs followed by shards of piercing melodies, all embraced by the striking artwork by Celest C. and featuring the very special guests Andy Thomas (Rivers of Nihil) and Justin Mckinney (The Zenith Passage), being therefore highly recommended for fans of bands like Fallujah, The Zenith Passage, and Rivers Of Nihil.
After all is said and done, you’ll realize Agnomysticism is a highly accomplished album, taking the sound of the band forward and elevating it beyond the ordinary, and if you’re curious to know more about such a promising band of the prog and tech death scene you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their classy music on any platform like Spotify, and purchase their striking new album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store (or simply click HERE for all things The Scalar Process). Agnomysticism is not an album for the average listener. It’s a lecture in Progressive and Technical Death Metal, and once you’re dragged into the world of The Scalar Process, there’s no turning back.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 