Album Review – Inherits The Void / The Silent Abscission (2026)

Conceived as a journey through eight visions, the new offering by this amazing Atmospheric and Melodic Black Metal entity from France is a thrilling concept album about erasure, cosmic implosion, and isolation.

Inspired by the frozen visions of Vinterland, the incantatory fury of Misþyrming, and the melodic intensity of Dawn, the idiosyncratic Clermont-Ferrand, France-based Atmospheric/Melodic Black Metal entity Inherits The Void, the brainchild of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Antoine Scholtès, has established itself as a singular voice within the modern French Black Metal scene since its inception in 2020, culminating in 2026 with the release of its fourth studio offering, titled The Silent Abscission. Mastered by Simon Da Silva at The Empty Hall Studio, ensuring a sound both dense, dynamic, and abyssal, and featuring session musicians Romain Negro (Apolaustic, Stortregn) on vocals and Nicolas Müller (Akiavel, Artefact, Svart Crown) on drums, the album is a true turning point, a concept album about erasure, cosmic implosion, and isolation. Conceived as a journey through eight visions, it moves between incantatory convulsions and silent abysses, leading to an inevitable and overwhelming resolution, continuing to pave the project’s path from its previous releases Monolith of Light (2021), The Impending Fall of the Stars (2023), and Scars of Yesteryears (2024).

The album begins in full force with The Sepulcher of Time, with the riffs by Antoine walking hand in hand wit the harsh vociferations by Romain in sheer Black Metal madness; and Nicolas crushes his drums like a true beast from the abyss in The Dawn over Ruins, offering Romain exactly what he needs to roar manically in a lecture in Atmospheric and Melodic Black Metal. The Silent Abscission sounds as destructive and harsh as its predecessors, with the guitars by Antoine exhaling fury and obscurity, whereas In the Shadow of the Falling Star brings forward another blast of absolute Black Metal excellence by Inherits The Void, with the riffs by Antoine and the beats and fills by Nicolas sounding incendiary until the very end.

The second half of the album begins in a visceral mode as well, with the venomous riffage by Antoine in Wrath of the Endless Sea transpiring modern-day Black Metal while also presenting introspective, Jazz-like passages. The Last Cry of Cosmos kicks off in a more melodic manner to the classy riffage by Antoine and the rhythmic drumming by Nicolas, again presenting multiple layers and nuances, followed by A World Unmade, a solid composition by Antoine and his henchmen despite lacking the same dynamism of the other songs of the album. Lastly, Inherits the Void, the song that carries the name of the band, couldn’t have sounded more majestic, offering us all almost nine minutes of contemporary Melodic Black Metal where the harsh vocals by Romain bring even more obscurity to their music.

A total Black Metal experience where matter and spirit are consumed within the same incantation, standing at the frontier between despair and eternity, The Silent Abscission might be Inherits The Void’s most ambitious and complete work to date, and you can get more information about the album, as well as about Antoine Scholtès and his Inherits The Void, by following the project on Facebook and on Instagram, and don’t forget to also stream his albums on Spotify, and to grab a copy of the album from BandCamp or from Sound Cave. The cosmic and Stygian path paved by the indomitable Antoine Scholtès until today is a thing of beauty, and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more form such an amazing musician in the near future as The Silent Abscission is indeed fantastic, and a must-listen for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in pure Black Metal magic.

Best moments of the album: The Dawn over Ruins, In the Shadow of the Falling Star and Inherits the Void.

Worst moments of the album: A World Unmade.

Released in 2026 Avantgarde Music

Track listing
1. The Sepulcher of Time 4:27
2. The Dawn over Ruins 5:15
3. The Silent Abscission 5:56
4. In the Shadow of the Falling Star 6:59
5. Wrath of the Endless Sea 4:41
6. The Last Cry of Cosmos 6:00
7. A World Unmade 5:22
8. Inherits the Void 8:37

Band members
Antoine Scholtès – guitars, bass

Guest musicians
Romain Negro – vocals (session)
Nicolas Müller – drums (session)

Album Review – Apolaustic / No Plenitude Without Suffering (2026)

Behold the heartfelt, meticulously put together, pristine-sounding debut from a veteran musician that is bound to stand the test of time if only on the basis of the sheer quality of melodies contained within.

Brought into being by former Stortregn vocalist and guitarist Romain Negro as an outlet for him to express his personal vision, Switzerland-based Melodic Black/Death Metal entity Apolaustic (an adjective describing someone or something entirely devoted to enjoyment, pleasure-seeking, or self-indulgence) is ready to unleash hell with their debut offering, titled No Plenitude Without Suffering. Displaying a grim, caustic artwork by Romain Negro himself, and featuring session musicians Merlin Bogado (Dyssebeia) on the guitars and bass, and Nicolas Muller (Akiavel) on drums, No Plenitude Without Suffering is a heartfelt, meticulously put together, pristine-sounding debut from a veteran musician that is bound to stand the test of time if only on the basis of the sheer quality of melodies contained within.

Devouring the Past is absolutely infuriated, grim and vile from the very first second, with Nicolas sounding inhumane on drums, therefore offering Romain exactly what he needs to vociferate like a demonic entity. They keep the atmosphere as dense and devilish as possible in Fragments from a Misty Journey, a lecture in Melodic Black Metal by Romain and his henchmen, followed by Testimony of an Obsolescent World, which starts in a serene, melancholic manner before the trio destroys our souls mercilessly, with Merlin’s riffs and solos exhaling sulfur and hatred. And Romain and his horde go full Black Metal in Shining Amidst the Lights, offering a demonic wall of sounds led by the massive beats and fills by Nicolas, perfect for some wild headbanging in pitch black darkness.

After such a demolishing sonority, the trio offers the nocturnal, doom-ish interlude Smells Like Dead Autumn Fire, setting the tone for Black Flame Reviver, a seven-minute journey through the realms of Melodic Black and Death Metal presenting multiple layers and nuances, spearheaded by Romain’s devilish vociferations. De Feu et de Cendre, which translates to “of fire and ash” (a French phrase describing destruction, rebirth, or remnants left behind by fire) is another bold and detailed aria of extreme music by Apolaustic, with Merlin stealing the spotlight with a flawless guitar performance; before we face Peregrination Towards Childhood Memories, showcasing one final breath of demonic sounds by the band, closing the album on a venomous and climatic mode.

Described as a mix of profound, emotional melodies and “blackened extremity,” Apolaustic’s aesthetic and music aim for a balance of intensity and depth, often featuring intricate, melodic, and atmospheric passages alongside faster, more aggressive Black Metal sections, being therefore perfect for admirers of the classy music blasted by renowned acts the likes of Dissection, Naglfar, Sacramentum, Unanimated, Thulcandra, Stortregn, and Dyssebeia. You can get in touch with Romain and his fantastic new project via Facebook and Instagram, staying up to date with their news, plans for the future and so on, stream their phenomenal creations on Spotify, and put your putrid hands on No Plenitude Without Suffering from their own BandCamp, from Big Cartel (including some superb merch items), or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. In the end, it’s safe to say that No Plenitude Without Suffering will feature among the best underground albums of 2026, and I can’t wait for more of the blackened magic crafted by Romain in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Fragments from a Misty Journey, Shining Amidst the Lights, Black Flame Reviver and De Feu et de Cendre.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Devouring the Past 5:42
2. Fragments from a Misty Journey 5:14
3. Testimony of an Obsolescent World 5:03
4. Shining Amidst the Lights 5:50
5. Smells Like Dead Autumn Fire 0:57
6. Black Flame Reviver 7:02
7. De Feu et de Cendre 6:29
8. Peregrination Towards Childhood Memories 4:35

Band members
Romain Negro – vocals

Guest musicians
Merlin Bogado – guitars, bass (session)
Nicolas Muller – drums (session)