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Album Review – Perishing / Malicious Acropolis Unveiled (2025)

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This Costa Rican entity will attack with their debut opus, an extension of their style of playing slow, torturous, dread-filled Death and Doom Metal where every note carries weight, and with it, deathly implications.

Formed in 2023 in San José, Costa Rica, boasting members of Astriferous, Mortual, Candarian, Bloodsoaked Necrovoid, and Necroferum, and following a sensational demo titled Lutum in 2024, Death/Doom Metal creature Perishing is back with their much awaited debut full-length offering, beautifully titled Malicious Acropolis Unveiled. Mixed by Andrew Oswald, mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, and showcasing a vile, grim artwork by the phenomenal Belial NecroArts (Undersave, Hierarchies), the debut opus by J. Antonio Salas on vocals, Justin Sánchez on the guitars, José Pablo Phillips on bass, and JM Arrea on drums is a must-have for admirers of Disembowelment, Rippikoulu, Mortiferum, Winter, Thergothon, and Inverloch, offering us all an extension of their style of playing slow, torturous, dread-filled Death and Doom Metal where every note carries weight, and with it, deathly implications.

The pounding drums of apocalyptic doom by JM ignite the devilish Autolysis (I. Imago Fluidus Macula), accompanied by the otherworldly bass by José Pablo, whereas Autolysis (II. Fatum Cursed by Nature) sounds even more sluggish and grim than the opening tune, evolving into a demonic beast led by the deep gnarls by J. Antonio. The Stygian riffs by Justin walk hand in hand with the low-tuned, venomous bass by José Pablo in Castle of the Leached Body, a lecture in Blackened Doom made in Costa Rica, and another cryptic start will haunt our damned souls in Las Ruinas del Palacio, before all explodes into a doomed wall of sounds guided by JM’s visceral drums. Osedax (Devoured by the Cavernous Worm) is a lecture in Death and Doom Metal by the quarter, with J. Antonio’s hideous roars being boosted by the demonic guitars by Justin; whereas their coup-de-grace comes in the form of Acropolis of Malignancy, sounding and feeling as infernal, heavy and disturbing as it can be, with the whole band delivering pure, unfiltered doom until the end.

Maintaining a suitably organic sound and being selective with their tunes to create the best impression, Perishing have created an album that fans of this kind of punishing, slow blend of death and doom music will find impossible to resist. You can get in touch with those ruthless Costa Rican metallers via Instagram, and I’m sure if you’re planning a visit to their homeland you might be able to see them live, stream their heavy-as-hell chants on Spotify, and add a copy of their newborn beast to your devilish collection by purchasing it from BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. The Costa Rican extreme scene has never been stronger and more prolific, and it’s with albums like Malicious Acropolis Unveiled that we can rest assured those blackened, evil sounds will keep reverberating across the entire world for man years to come.

Best moments of the album: Castle of the Leached Body and Osedax (Devoured by the Cavernous Worm).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Autolysis (I. Imago Fluidus Macula) 5:24
2. Autolysis (II. Fatum Cursed by Nature) 6:18
3. Castle of the Leached Body 8:58
4. Las Ruinas del Palacio 7:27
5. Osedax (Devoured by the Cavernous Worm) 9:21
6. Acropolis of Malignancy 7:35

Band members
J. Antonio Salas – vocals
Justin Sánchez – guitars
José Pablo Phillips – bass
JM Arrea – drums

Album Review – Ancient Torment / Follow the Echo of Curses (2025)

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The leading torchbearer of New England’s Black Metal will attack armed with their debut offering, an immersive, introspective journey through the shadows of abysmal suffering and mysteries of death’s embrace.

From the coastal reaches of New England, Rhode Island-based Ancient Torment emerged in 2016 as a leading torchbearer in the region’s Black Metal underground. Now, nearly a decade after their inception, the band formed of Stygal on vocals, Tormentum and Apparition on the guitars, Czarnobóg on bass, and Zealot on drums is prepared to unleash their first full-length, aptly titled Follow the Echo of Curses. Recorded at Distorted Forest Studio, mixed by Josh Welshman at Flux Studios NYC, mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, and displaying a Stygian artwork by David Thiérrée, the band’s debut album is an immersive, introspective journey through the shadows of abysmal suffering and mysteries of death’s embrace, always taking influence from the gloomy darkness of the Finnish scene and triumphant misery of their Québécois neighbors to the north.

The band will destroy your senses right from the very first second in Hanging from a Dead Star, with Stygal already roaring like a beast for the delight of admirers of the darkest side of music while their riffage sounds absolutely sulfurous. Zealot shows no mercy for our putrid bodies in Spectre at the Crossroads, smashing us like insignificant insects while Czarnobóg sounds like an animal pounding his bass nonstop; whereas bringing sheer doom to our blackened minds it’s time for Sorrow Verses, with Tormentum and apparition firing their most obscure riffs of the whole album. In Dejected Dreams Molested in Purgatory, the music certainly lives up to the song’s poetic name, a Black Metal aria exhaling rage and darkness with Zealot once again making the earth tremble with his drums, followed by Under the Guise of Virtue, another long and detailed black mass by Ancient Torment where the demonic screeches by Stygal will send shivers down your spine while the music remains violent, deranged and thrilling until the very end. And finally, let’s open the gates of the underworld to the sound of the nine-minute aria Rotting Temperament, with their Black Metal magic flowing majestically to the scathing riffage by Tormentum and Apparition.

Within a duration of 42 minutes, Follow the Echo of Curses is a testament to the mysteries of true death worship, driven by nuanced aggression and drenched in cold melodies, covering themes that span the swirling depths of depravity, suffering, and infernal release. In other words, Ancient Torment have at last arrived to reclaim bloodied ground, and you can join their dark army by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their wicked music on Spotify, and of course by putting your damned hands on such a sulfurous album on BandCamp. Ancient Torment offer pure, unfiltered Black Metal in their debut offering, mastering the craft of the dark arts while remaining loyal to the foundations of the style, resulting in a must-listen for any worshiper of the darkest side of music.

Best moments of the album: Hanging from a Dead Star and Under the Guise of Virtue.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Eternal Death

Track listing
1. Hanging from a Dead Star 6:44
2. Spectre at the Crossroads 5:47
3. Sorrow Verses 7:04
4. Dejected Dreams Molested in Purgatory 5:08
5. Under the Guise of Virtue 7:31
6. Rotting Temperament 9:00

Band members
Stygal – vocals
Tormentum – guitar
Apparition – guitar
Czarnobóg – bass
Zealot – drums

Album Review – Mörtual / Altar of Brutality (2025)

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Rising from the oppressive crypts of Central America, this Death Metal horde is ready to deliver their most unrelenting statement of intent yet, spawned in the black rain and pestilent winds of their homeland.

Rising from the oppressive crypts of Central America, San José, Costa Rica-based Death Metal horde Mörtual, the combination of the Latin word “mort” (“death”) and “ritual”, therefore meaning “ritual of death”,  is ready to kill armed with their most unrelenting statement of intent yet following a trilogy of celebrated EPs. Spawned in the black rain and pestilent winds of their homeland, and mixed and mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, their debut full-length opus, entitled Altar of Brutality, is a declaration of total spiritual negation featuring eight impure hymns steeped in decay, fanatic violence and the iconoclastic hunger to desecrate all that is sacred, being therefore tailored for admirers of Deicide, Mortem, Sadistic Intent, and Monstrosity, among others.

The trio shows no mercy for our rotten souls in Mortuary Rites, smashing their instruments nonstop in great Death Metal fashion, with Justin and Juan delivering an overdose of demented growls and riffs, followed by Necromancy Ritual, an avalanche of heaviness and guttural roars with Chalo dictating the song’s demented pace behind his drums. Then adding hints of the devilish music played by Slayer to their Death Metal core, the trio will pulverize us all in Divine Monstrosity, with the guitars by Justin and Juan exhaling sulfur. And Mörtual will attack once again with a six-minute feast of first-class Death Metal entitled Dominion of Eternal Blasphemy, sounding utterly demonic until the very end.

The band continues their path of devastation and hatred in Fiendish Visions, again blasting wicked, demented guttural vocals intertwined with visceral riffs and nonstop beats and fills, and their passion for all things Death Metal goes on in full force in Skeletal Vortex, again presenting that ruthless, unrelenting vibe we all love so much, perfect for slamming into the pit. Altar of Brutality, the song that carries the name of the album, is simply infernal from start to finish, with their demented, deep roaring and the crushing drums by Chalo turning it into a must-listen for fans of the genre, before we face the atmospheric outro Ecstasy of Death, which takes away a bit of the album’s punch despite being sinister and phantasmagorical, but nothing to really worry about.

Carrying forward the cursed legacy of their previous EP Evil Incarnation, Mörtual reach deeper into the void, channeling a darker, more oppressive sound, dripping with heretical intent and sharpened through years of relentless underground devotion. However, this is not a reinvention, but a declaration, a brutal affirmation of Death Metal’s primal force. With Altar of Brutality, available for purchase on BandCamp, Mörtual summon a vision of spiritual ruin and corporeal decay, wrapped in chains of riffs, blasts and unwavering intensity, and you can join them in their tribute to all things heavy and dark by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, or simply by clicking HERE for all things Mortual. This is extreme music made in Costa Rica at its finest, or maybe I should say at its heaviest, and if you dare to cross the band’s path, be prepared to be demolished to the sound of their undisputed Death Metal attack.

Best moments of the album: Mortuary Rites, Divine Monstrosity and Altar of Brutality.

Worst moments of the album: Ecstasy of Death.

Released in 2025 Nuclear Winter Records

Track listing
1. Mortuary Rites 5:24
2. Necromancy Ritual 4:32
3. Divine Monstrosity 4:57
4. Dominion of Eternal Blasphemy 5:59
5. Fiendish Visions 4:12
6. Skeletal Vortex 4:11
7. Altar of Brutality 4:02
8. Ecstasy of Death 1:56

Band members
Justin Sánchez – vocals, guitars
Juan Salas – vocals, guitars
Chalo – drums

Album Review – Invocation / The Archaic Sanctuary (Ritual Body Postures) (2024)

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This ruthless Chilean horde returns with more of their “Ritualistic and Hypnotic Black and Death Metal”, canvassing past, present, and future in their first full-length offering.

At long last, nearly a decade after their formation, Valparaíso, Chile-based Black/Death Metal horde Invocation are unleashing their first full-length opus, beautifully entitled The Archaic Sanctuary (Ritual Body Postures), the follow-up to their 2020 EP Attunement to Death. Recorded and mixed by E. Brisso at Equinox Studio, mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, and displaying a Stygian artwork by Abomination Hammer, the new album by Sense of Premonition on vocals and guitars, Sense of Clairvoyance on bass, and Sense of Clairaudience on drums offers us all more of what the band likes to call “Ritualistic and Hypnotic Black and Death Metal”, canvassing past, present, and future and fittingly framing it with another gritty analog recording rich with sulfurous fire and sepulchral echoes.

Extreme aggression and obscurity flows from all instruments in Ecstatic Trance, where you can sense the fumes emanating from the deep roars by Sense of Premonition, who’s also infernal armed with his stringed axe, followed by The Serpent of Faardal, just as hellish and grim as the opening track, with the rumbling sounds blasted by Sense of Clairvoyance and Sense of Clairaudience showcasing a spot-on balance between Death and Black Metal. Opium Thebiacum (Somniferum) again presents the darkest elements of Black Metal while Sense of Premonition’s primeval gnarls exhale old school Death Metal; and it’s pedal to the metal as the trio will crush our cranial skulls to pieces in Metamorphosis, a vile, demonic attack where the hammering drums by Sense of Clairaudience sound truly evil.

The band shows absolutely no mercy for our rotten souls in Horn of Colima, again blasting sheer Black and Death Metal madness through the scorching riffs by Sense of Premonition and the thunderous, low-tuned bass by Sense of Clairvoyance, and there’s still a lot of fuel to burn, starting with The Psicopompos, offering more of the band’s trademark extreme sounds, with Sense of Clairaudience stealing the spotlight with his unstoppable blast beats. There’s no sign of the trio slowing down or playing any type of mellow music; quite the contrary, they offer the sulfur-infused aria Venus of Laussel, another blast of the underground led by the gruesome vociferations by Sense of Premonition, whereas last but not least the trio will evoke the powers of the underworld in Hypnosis, sounding absolutely harsh, raw and demonic.

It was only a matter of time before Invocation delivered a debut album to capitalize on the massive potential they displayed on their short-lengths, and with The Archaic Sanctuary (Ritual Body Postures), they now can enter the hallowed ranks of fellow cult countrymen Force of Darkness, Slaughtbbath, and the sorely missed Hades Archer, among others, for standard-bearers of classic South American madness. Hence, if you want to feel that metal madness flowing through your veins, you can find more about the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and above all that, purchase their sulfurous newborn spawn from their own website or from their BandCamp page, inspiring Invocation to keep spearheading the Chilean underground with their endless rage, blasphemy and heaviness for all eternity.

Best moments of the album: Ecstatic Trance, Metamorphosis and The Psicopompos.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Iron Bonehead

Track listing
1. Ecstatic Trance 3:49
2. The Serpent of Faardal 3:31
3. Opium Thebiacum (Somniferum) 3:54
4. Metamorphosis 4:07
5. Horn of Colima 3:57
6. The Psicopompos 4:17
7. Venus of Laussel 4:52
8. Hypnosis 5:36

Band members
Sense of Premonition – vocals, guitars
Sense of Clairvoyance – bass
Sense of Clairaudience – drums

Album Review – Reincarnated / Of Boötes Void Death Spell (2022)

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Submit to the sonic onslaught found in the debut album by this infernal death and doom horde from Thailand, sounding absolutely gutted, ghastly and knuckle-dragging.

Diehard fans of bands the likes of Disma, Undergang, Funebrarum, Grave Miasma and early Necros Christos, among others, are wholeheartedly encouraged to submit to the sonic onslaught crafted by Thailand’s own Death/Doom Metal entity Reincarnated in their debut album, the infernal Of Boötes Void Death Spell. Recorded at Dee Music Studio, Nuclear Bomb Studio and TNT Music Productions, mixed at Nuclear Bomb Studios, mastered by Dan Lowdes at Resonance Sound Studio, and displaying a sick logo by Nox Fragor Art, layout and illustrations by Sickness 666 and a devilish booklet artwork By Festeringphlegm, Of Boötes Void Death Spell is basically a Death Metal maniac’s record recorded by the Death Metal maniacs NB on vocals, Patiwat and Saran on the guitars, Chester on bass and Thinnarat on drums, all skillful veterans of the Thai metal underground.

A short and sinister intro welcomes us all to the dark world ruled by Reincarnated in Ophiuchus Crypt, where Patiwat and Saran bring forward sheer doom armed with their riffs in a Blackened Doom feast with elements from Death Metal to make things even more menacing. Then NB’s haunting vocals will send shivers down your spine in Quasar God Oration, a lecture in modern-day Death and Doom Metal while also showcasing an amazing old school feeling, with Thinnarat inviting us all to break our necks headbanging to his devilish beats; whereas the venomous guitars by Patiwat and Saran generate a Stygian atmosphere in Proxima Hibernation, supported by the rumbling bass by Chester and another hammering performance by Thinnarat behind his drums. Triumphant Dead Comet is an avalanche of crushing doom for our total delight, with all infernal beats, riffs and bass lines offering NB exactly what he needs to vociferate like a creature form the underworld; and the sulfurous Tomb of Boötes Void puts a beyond demonic ending to the album, with Thinnarat pounding his drums mercilessly while NB roars and growls from the bottom of his blackened heart in another visceral hybrid of classic Death and Doom Metal.

In a nutshell, let’s say Reincarnated more than succeeded in achieving their goal of playing only the darkest and most doomed-out style of death in their debut full-length opus, sounding absolutely gutted, ghastly and knuckle-dragging until the very last second, with no room for innovation or progression. Hence, in order to show them all your admiration for their services to the underworld, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course purchase your copy of their venomous newborn beast from the Inhuman Assault Productions’ BandCamp page or webstore. Extreme music made in the scorching hot Thailand has never been more demonic and evil, and thanks to the talented and hardworking guys from Reincarnated we can rest assured darkness will forever emanate from their homeland.

Best moments of the album: Quasar God Oration and Triumphant Dead Comet.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Inhuman Assault Productions

Track listing
1. Ophiuchus Crypt 7:27
2. Quasar God Oration 7:04
3. Proxima Hibernation 6:48
4. Triumphant Dead Comet 4:55
5. Tomb of Boötes Void 4:33

Band members
NB – vocals
Patiwat – guitars
Saran – guitars
Chester – bass
Thinnarat – drums

Album Review – Sisyphean / Colours of Faith (2022)

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A massively ambitious yet sincere album that ought to be regarded as a landmark album in Dissonant Black Metal, carefully brought into being by an uncanny Lithuanian horde.

Intense as well as atmospheric, Vilnius, Lithuania-based Dissonant Black Metal entity Sisyphean has the perfectly tempered sound for this style of music by crafting thrilling and engaging songs that are both coherent and fulfilling, which can be appreciated in all of its glory in their brand new opus, entitled Colours of Faith. Mixed by Satanic Audio, mastered by Resonance Sound Studio, and displaying a stylish cover artwork by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, Colours of Faith is a massively ambitious yet sincere album that ought to be regarded as a landmark album in the style, showcasing all the talent of Dainius P. on vocals, Adomas V. and Kamil U. on the guitars, guest Andrius B. on bass, and Mantas D. on drums, appealing to admirers of the music by Svartidaudi, Deathspell Omega, Blut aus Nord, Mgla and Svartulven, just to name a few.

The dissonant, futuristic intro Before the Light warms up the listener for the pulverizing aria Scorched Timeless, with Adomas and Kamil showing absolutely zero mercy for their stringed axes accompanied by the rumbling bass by Andrius, all spiced up by the demonic vociferations by Dainius. Then investing in a more straightforward, no shenanigans Black Metal sonority, the band will darken your thoughts to the sound of Hearts of Mercury, again showcasing visceral riffs boosted by the infernal blast beats by Mantas, whereas strident guitar lines ignite the multi-layered Black Metal extravaganza titled Sovereigns of Livid Hope, offering our avid ears seven minutes of total chaos and darkness where Dainius roars in anger while Mantas adds a good dosage of intricacy to the overall result with his wicked drums.

After 25 seconds of ethereal sounds in the interlude The Descent the band comes crushing our senses with the beyond Stygian and heavy-as-hell Exiles, where the riffage by Adomas and Kamil will penetrate deep inside your psyche while Andrius and Mantas keep shaking the foundations of the earth with their respective bass and drums, resulting in a classic Black Metal tune with modern nuances. Their second to last explosion of evil sounds comes in the form of Open Wounds, a somber tune with Doom Metal hints that reminds me of some of the most recent creations by the almighty Watain; and lastly, it’s time for almost 10 minutes of insanity and chaos titled Conqueror, starting in a more than obscure manner before evolving into a sluggish, visceral feast of our beloved Black Metal where Mantas dictates the song’s hellish pace while Dainius keeps vociferating rabidly like there’s no tomorrow, with its second half becoming the soundtrack to a sinister horror movie until all fades into the unknown.

You can reach out to those Lithuanian metallers through Facebook and Instagram, letting them know how much you love their music, and also purchase Colours of Faith (which is also available for a full listen on Spotify) from their own BandCamp page or from the Transcending Obscurity Records webstore in the US (as a digipak CD or as a gatefold LP) or in Europe (also in CD or LP format). A brilliantly written and arranged album, Colours of Faith provides for intuitive undulations of extremity and emotions, not only captivating your attention throughout but also moving you, and that’s exactly the beauty of the music played by Sisyphean, delivering much more than just plain Black Metal by creating an enfolding atmosphere that will last for all eternity and, therefore, allowing the band to continue exploring the darkest side of music for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Hearts of Mercury, Sovereigns of Livid Hope and Exiles.

Worst moments of the album: Open Wounds.

Released in 2022 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Before the Light 0:58
2. Scorched Timeless 6:43
3. Hearts of Mercury 5:18
4. Sovereigns of Livid Hope 7:02
5. The Descent 0:26
6. Exiles 5:49
7. Open Wounds 4:58
8. Conqueror 9:45

Band members
Dainius P. – vocals
Adomas V. – guitars
Kamil U. – guitars
Mantas D. – drums

Guest musician
Andrius B. – bass (session)