These Modena-based melodeath masters explore the psychological and existential void behind real acts of Italian murder and madness in their obscure sophomore opus.

With a career stretching from their early beginnings in 2005 to their present incarnation, Modena-based act Karmian has become one of the most distinctive voices of Italian Melodic Death Metal, known for merging aggression, drama, and conceptual storytelling. Their musical evolution culminates now in 2026 in their most ambitious work to date, their sophomore opus Horror Vacui, following up on their critically acclaimed 2018 debut Surgere et Cadere. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Luca “Cocco” Cocconi and Simone Sighinolfi at Audiocore Studio, and displaying a stunning artwork by Sheila Franco, the newborn spawn by vocalist Andrea Bertolazzi, guitarists Andrea Baraldi and
Michele Perla, bassist Luca Marmi, and drummer Nicholas Badiali explores the psychological and existential void behind real acts of Italian murder and madness, transforming nine true-crime cases into allegorical portraits of emptiness, collapse, and human frailty, being therefore a must-listen for admirers of the music by Kataklysm, Heaven Shall Burn, At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity, and In Flames.

It doesn’t take long for the band to crush our skulls with their violent blend of melodeath in One Thousand Shining Bubbles, featuring guest Nicole Pisani on the talharpa (a traditional, ancient Northern European bowed lyre), with Andrea Baraldi and Michele delivering a striking axe duet for our total delight. Beastmaster of the Void sounds even more infuriated thanks to the ruthless beats and fills by Nicholas while Andrea Bertolazzi growls and roars like a rabid beast; followed by Gott mit Uns nicht, where “Gott mit uns” (“God [is] with us”) is a phrase commonly used in heraldry in Prussia (from 1701) and later by the German military, but their version “God is not with us” exhales pure melodeath led by their caustic riffs and relentless drums. And after a doom-ish intro the band blasts more of their trademark sonority in The Call of the Abyssal Bell, with their guitars walking hand in hand with Andrea Bertolazzi’s guttural.

Black Magical Soap Opera has a very cool name for a metal song, offering more of our beloved Gothenburg sound (but made in Italy, of course), sounding heavy-as-hell and even presenting elements from classic Death Metal; while Temple of the Fleshless Goddess is an excellent option for headbanging like a maniac during their live performances, with Luca and Nicholas generating a metal earthquake armed with their respective bass and drums. Libido et Mors, or “lust and death” from Latin, sees Andrea Baraldi and Michele once again shred their axes in great fashion, resulting in a lesson in modern-day Melodic Death Metal, whereas Beyond the Dream Gate of Fear keeps the album at a high level of aggression without forgetting the band’s trademark harmony. Furthermore, Andrea Bertolazzi sounds inhumane as usual on vocals, bringing an extra dosage of rage to their music. And lastly, Maker of Angels reminds me of Amon Amarth at times, which is obviously great, closing the album with an overdose of evil roars, visceral riffs, and hammering drums.

Whether navigating historical epics or psychological abysses, the work by Karmian is defined by a commitment to exploring the deeper forces that drive human behavior, such as resistance, decline, obsession, and the void within, and Horror Vacui stands as the culmination of this journey, a mature, uncompromising statement of artistic vision, philosophy, and Melodic Death Metal identity. If you want to know more about the band, their music, and obviously their incendiary live concerts, you can find them on Facebook and on Instagram, get caught in a mosh by listening to their high-octane songs on Spotify, and purchase the excellent Horror Vacui from Rockshots Records. Karmian definitely know how to transform the cases of murder, insanity and violence from their homeland into first-class heavy music, and their new opus is there to prove how precise they are in such a unique and devilish art.

Best moments of the album: Beastmaster of the Void, Black Magical Soap Opera and Libido et Mors.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Rockshots Records

Track listing
1. One Thousand Shining Bubbles 6:38
2. Beastmaster of the Void 3:21
3. Gott mit Uns nicht 4:38
4. The Call of the Abyssal Bell 6:17
5. Black Magical Soap Opera 3:54
6. Temple of the Fleshless Goddess 3:23
7. Libido et mors 3:40
8. Beyond the Dream Gate of Fear 4:16
9. Maker of Angels 4:43

Band members
Andrea Bertolazzi – vocals
Andrea Baraldi – guitars
Michele Perla – guitars
Luca Marmi – bass
Nicholas Badiali – drums

Guest musicians
Nicola Pisani – talharpa on “One Thousand Shining Bubbles”
Luca “Cocco” Cocconi – keyboards on “One Thousand Shining Bubbles” and “The Call of the Abyssal Bell”
Simone Sighinolfi – keyboards on “One Thousand Shining Bubbles” and “The Call of the Abyssal Bell”