A newborn Blackened Death Metal beast from Florida is ready to kill to the sound of their debut offering, embodying the bleakest parts of being human.
Formed in February 2022 in Pensacola, Florida, in the United States by guitarist Taylor Tidwell (Unaligned, Withered Throne) and vocalist Chelsea Marrow (Voraath, The Monster Factory), Visitant are a Blackened Death Metal band that weaves ethereal elements into a soundscape that is as haunting as it is aggressive. Lyrically and musically, the band crafts immersive dreamscapes, ritualistic and unrelenting, that channel the essence of restless, vengeful spirits. Recorded by Taylor Tidwell and Anthony Lusk-Simone, produced and mixed by Anthony Lusk-Simone, mastered by Jason Fisher at Exitus Stratagem Records, and displaying a stylish artwork by Chelsea Marrow (with layout and logo by Maxwell Aston), Rubidiumis the debut album by the aforementioned Taylor Tidwell and Chelsea Marrow alongside bassist Kilian Duarte (Abiotic, Lattermath, Felix Martin, Scale the Summit), and drummer Anthony Lusk-Simone (Abiotic, Lattermath, Pathogenic), embodying the bleakest parts of being human while dealing with the darkest emotions such as grief, loss, betrayal, vengeance, time lost, and regret.
Chelsea already showcases all her vocal depth and rage in the opening tune Unworldly, an imposing Black Metal aria where Anthony’s pounding drums and background orchestrations sound absurdly heavy, followed by Briars, offering another whimsical, atmospheric start to the band’s minimalist sounds before Taylor and Killian fire piercing, monumental sounds from their axes supported by the Black and Death Metal drumming by Anthony. Visitant then bring to our avid years another avalanche of cinematic and obscure sounds in Starless, where Chelsea’s gnarls walk hand in hand with Anthony’s drums, followed by the demolishing Rubidium, keeping the atmosphere as heavy and dense as possible. In Fodder, Chelsea keeps screaming the song’s devilish words (“A cold eclipse / An opening amidst flame / Your being, engulfed / I never thought I’d see your face beyond the light”) while her bandmates generate the most sulfurous and evil Blackened Death Metal sound imaginable. Then blasting a gripping fusion of Symphonic Black Metal with Post-Black Metal elements we have Envies Lament, with the riffage by Taylor sounding acid and vile; and last but not least, we face one final Black Metal attack by the quartet entitled Moon Bathe, with Taylor stealing the spotlight with his infernal, caustic riffage.
In a nutshell, fans of Gojira, Opeth, Naglfar, and Between the Buried and Me will certainly have a blast with the visceral experience that transcends genre boundaries offered by Visitant in Rubidium, placing the band under the radar of most metalheads across the world who enjoy a solid and professional fusion of aggressiveness, violence, harmony, obscurity and rage. You can get more details about this up-and-coming horde hailing from Florida by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, keep an eye on their official videos on their YouTube channel, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of their flammable debut by clicking HERE. Chelsea, Taylor & Co. are summoning a beast from the abyss in their first ever full-length offering, darkening the skies and haunting our souls mercilessly and, therefore, already getting us all hyped for whatever comes next in their exciting career in the upcoming years.
Best moments of the album:Unworldly, Fodder and Envies Lament.
This Symphonic Black Metal entity from Portland will attack with their concept debut album, a monolithic fusion of bombastic brutality and cosmic dread.
Astral warlords and celestial leviathans, Portland, Oregon-based Symphonic Black Metal entity Old Machines emerge from the void with their cataclysmic concept debut album, titled The Cycles of Extinction, a monolithic fusion of bombastic brutality and cosmic dread. Recorded and mixed by the band’s own guitarist Brian Rush, mastered by Stephen Hoffman at Acid Dump Studios, and displaying a futuristic, dystopian cover art by Alexander Preuss, the debut offering by Gary Reavis on vocals, Brian Rush on the guitar and bass (the band was joined by Joel Henigson on bass shortly after the album was recorded), Devon Miller also on the guitar, Jason Stares on keyboards, and Chris Craven on drums heralds a new chapter in Extreme Metal where ancient engines of annihilation awaken once more.
You know a band is always aiming at pushing their boundaries when they kick off an album with an 11-minute song like Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First, sounding utterly atmospheric and whimsical, evolving into a Progressive Death Metal beast led by Gary’s striking vocals; and their symphonic wall of sounds goes on in full force in Cycles of Extinction, with the keys by Jason elevating the song’s epicness to a whole new level. Those guys definitely know how to name their songs, like in Extinguishing the Light of the Preludian Empire (Upon the Apex of their Glory), where Brian and Devon deliver an imposing riff attack accompanied by the massive beats and fills by Chris in a complex and vibrant blend of Symphonic and Progressive Black Metal; whereas Dark Space and Beyond – The Continuing of the Evolution of the Final Cycle is a beyond ethereal, enfolding composition, almost venturing through the lands of Shoegaze.
Crescendo of Carnage – Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I) takes the band back to a more metallic and piercing mode, where Chris hammers his drums supported by the always electrifying keys by Jason, offering Gary exactly what he needs to shine on vocals. And it’s pedal to the metal in the infuriated The Sundering of the Irradiated Suns, and the Rebellion Sparked by the Gene-Plague, with the guitars by Brian and Devon penetrating deep inside our rotten minds. Then a cinematic intro explodes into sheer madness, rage and first-class Symphonic Black Metal in They are Legion – The Tragic Exodus of the Veiled Creators, where their guitar lines are absolutely insane and demented. And finally, we face their last metal attack entitled Glory to the Terrans of the First Contact War, even more symphonic than its predecessors while Chris sounds ruthless behind his drums.
In a nutshell, the tales of horror, war, and genocide found in The Cycles of Extinction, spanning eight tracks for one hour of music which can be described as Extreme Cosmic Metal, combining elements of Thrash, Death, Black, and Power Metal, will certainly appeal to fans of heavy music with a strong background storyline, and you can get to know more about Old Machines, their music, tour dates and other details on Facebook and on Instagram, and grab a copy of the album from their own BandCamp, from the Pale Magus Productions webstore, or by clicking HERE. From the darkest depths of the oceans of time and space comes a legend over two billion years old, which has spawned a multitude of harrowing galactic sagas, with The Cycles of Extinction being just the first in a series of concept albums by the band. There will be more of such epics in this fashion because, as you know, extinction is only the beginning.
Best moments of the album:Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First, Crescendo of Carnage – Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I) and The Sundering of the Irradiated Suns, and the Rebellion Sparked by the Gene-Plague.
Worst moments of the album:Dark Space and Beyond – The Continuing of the Evolution of the Final Cycle.
Released in 2025 Pale Magus Productions
Track listing 1. Twilight of the Old Gods, and the Dawning of the First 11:14
2. Cycles of Extinction 6:41
3. Extinguishing the Light of the Preludian Empire (Upon the Apex of their Glory) 6:18
4. Dark Space and Beyond – The Continuing of the Evolution of the Final Cycle 8:39
5. Crescendo of Carnage – Warsong of the Singing Swarm (Swarm Wars I) 6:51
6. The Sundering of the Irradiated Suns, and the Rebellion Sparked by the Gene-Plague 7:15
7. They are Legion – The Tragic Exodus of the Veiled Creators 6:03
8. Glory to the Terrans of the First Contact War 7:25
Band members Gary Reavis – vocals
Brian Rush – guitar, bass
Devon Miller – guitar
Jason Stares – keyboards
Chris Craven – drums
This mysterious Symphonic Black/Death Metal cult returns with a scorching new EP presenting five “sermons” conjuring both the epic power of a cosmic battle and the grim reality of its earthly implications.
Following on quickly from their 2024 debut album The Prophecy of Karnifor, the mysterious Calgary, Alberta-based Symphonic Black/Death Metal cult Necht returns with a brand new EP, entitled TheInevitable Suffering. Operating jointly from the frozen wastelands of Canada and the damp gloom of Northern Ireland, the cult formed of Zenith Maharg on vocals, Ascendant Zhargor on the guitars, Ascendant демон on bass, and Ascendant Vlasfimos on drums presents in The Inevitable Suffering five “sermons” of Atmospheric Black Metal conjuring both the epic power of a cosmic battle and the grim reality of its earthly implications, each based on the myths and history of the Enkari – the early civilization from which the cult arose – as told in the controversial Enkari-B’ahn Scolls.
Like a creature arising from the underworld, the imposing, epic intro Over Ten Thousand Spears, B’ahn Rises Red kicks off Necht’s black mass before we face The Night That Knows No Dawn, starting in a cinematic manner and quickly exploding into the band’s trademark darkness led by the demented drumming by Ascendant Vlasfimos and the haunting gnarls by Zenith Maharg. Dread Is the Consort of the Dark is another harsh and infuriated display of Symphonic and Melodic Black Metal spearheaded by the Stygian riffage by Ascendant Zhargor, sounding perfect for a ceremonial black mass; and the visceral guitar lines by Ascendant Zhargor are boosted by the rumbling bass and drums by Ascendant демон and Ascendant Vlasfimos in As Oars Through Blood, offering Zenith Maharg exactly what he needs to darkly declaims the song’s impious words, morphing into the phantasmagorical outro …and so Across the Bloody Lake We Did Sail in Silence, putting a beyond obscure ending to one more successful gathering of the cult of the sun.
Such an amazing cult from the underground nailed it once again with The Inevitable Suffering, which is available for purchase from BandCamp or by clicking HERE, and for streaming on Spotify, and you can always join Necht and worship the sun together with them by following the cult on Facebook and on Instagram. “The Cult believed themselves to be spiritually bound to their sun-god, B’ahn, who was locked in a ceaseless battle for survival against His all-powerful mother, the Dragon Karnifor, as She sought to swallow Him and the world. The souls of dead Cultists could rise to join B’ahn in His struggle on the cosmic plains – and thus hold the Dragon back for just a little longer – but only if those Cultists died in battle. Thus, to the Cult, the only means to prevent the Apocalypse of the Dragon was, ironically, to prosecute an endless war on earth, which of course resulted in great misery for their people,” explained Zenith Maharg, leader of the Temple. “Thus, The Inevitable Suffering – for the Cult believed the suffering of war was fundamentally to be embraced as the only means of saving humanity.”
Best moments of the album:The Night That Knows No Dawn and Dread Is the Consort of the Dark.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Independent
Track listing 1. Over Ten Thousand Spears, B’ahn Rises Red 2:04
2. The Night That Knows No Dawn 6:08
3. Dread Is the Consort of the Dark 6:12
4. As Oars Through Blood 4:18
5. …and so Across the Bloody Lake We Did Sail in Silence 1:18
Band members Zenith Maharg – vocals
Ascendant Zhargor – guitars, choir
Ascendant демон – bass, choir
Ascendant Vlasfimos – drums
A Teutonic entity arises from the underworld once again with its sophomore offering, transcending the limitations often associated with solo Black Metal projects.
Forged in the fires of Berlin, Germany back in the already distant year of 1994 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Impurus (aka Eugen Herbst), of bands like Albez Duz, Dies Ater and Cryogenic, but remaining dormant for nearly 30 years until the release of its 2023 debut Cold and Stiff, the venomous Black Metal entity known as Cromlech (which means a megalithic construction made of large stone blocks) arises from the underworld once again with its sophomore offering, entitled Of Owls and Eels. While musically and atmospherically definitely being a Black Metal album, Of Owls and Eels is also a daring effort of a seasoned musician expressing himself in an authentic way without paying attention to genre conventions, bringing forth seven songs that completely transcend the limitations often associated with solo Black Metal projects.
The beyond cryptic and Stygian intro Old Incineration Hymn will embrace your soul in darkness before Impurus distills his venomous sounds in Past Forever, starting in a more than atmospheric way and surgically evolving into a Black Metal monster exhaling sheer darkness, with the eerie sounds and noises crafted by Impurus sounding truly unsettling. The title-track Owls in the Fog also brings forward Impurus’ trademark fusion of classic Black Metal with Atmospheric and Symphonic Black Metal, with his scathing riffage living up to the legacy of the genre. Impurus continues to growl in the name of extreme music in Ice Curse, also showcasing a potent amount of epicness and obscurity in his music; and then it’s time for an eerie interlude titled Eels (Part I), a bit too lengthy despite its introspective, cinematic vibe, flowing into The Quiet Witness, where Impurus goes full Blackened Doom, sending shivers down our spines while he extracts pure malignancy from his guitars, bass and drums, all boosted by his otherworldly keyboards, prepping us all for his final strike entitled Mordlust, a lecture in Black Metal where his vocals and keys once again clash in a beautiful way, sounding absolutely devastating until the very last second.
Dynamic, unpredictable, and unmistakably quirky, Of Owls and Eels proves that Germany is still fertile soil for Black Metal excellence, an album where cold blackened riffs and high-level drumming merge seamlessly with eerie keyboards and surreal, almost hallucinatory soundscapes, resulting in a journey through shadow, memory and dream. Just listen for yourself by purchasing the album from the Darkness Shall Rise Productions’ BandCamp or webstore, and don’t forget to also follow Impurus and his caustic Cromlech on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream his creations on Spotify, keeping the fires of Teutonic Black Metal burning through the ages, as Impurus continues to pave the darkened path he started with this new album by Cromlech almost three decades after the project was born.
Best moments of the album:Owls in the Fog, Ice Curse and Mordlust.
Worst moments of the album:Eels (Part I).
Released in 2025 Darkness Shall Rise Productions
Track listing 1. Old Incineration Hymn 2:00
2. Past Forever 7:09
3. Owls in the Fog 6:35
4. Ice Curse 5:44
5. Eels (Part I) 3:51
6. The Quiet Witness 7:19
7. Mordlust 6:36
These iconic Finnish extremists are back with their seventh studio opus, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.
Chaos chameleons. Nocturnal shapeshifters. The skyward trajectory of idiosyncratic Finnish extremists …And Oceans has been serpentine and sublime, appealing to diehard fans of bands the likes of Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Samael with their unique blend of Experimental, Industrial, Electronic and Symphonic Black Metal. Recorded at Inka Studio and at SoundSpiral Audio, produced and engineered by Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio, and displaying a visually stunning artwork by Adrien Bousson, The Regeneration Itinerary is the seventh studio album by this unstoppable band currently formed of Mathias Lillmåns on vocals, Teemu Saari and Timo Kontio on the guitars, Pyry Hanski on bass, Antti Simonen on keyboards, and Kauko Kuusisalo on drums, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.
Otherworldly, cryptic sounds suddenly explode into a hybrid of Experimental and Symphonic Black Metal entitled Inertiae, with Mathias’ deep roars matching perfectly with the striking keys by Antti, followed by Förnyelse i Tre Akter, or “renewal in three acts” from Swedish, even darker than the previous song thanks to the visceral riffage by Teemu and Timo while Kauko shows no mercy for his drums, delivering his own blend of Black and Death Metal violence. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics carries a poetic name for a hard hitting creation by …And Oceans, where their caustic riffs will pierce your mind in great fashion, while their experimental and symphonic sides clash beautifully in The Form and the Formless, once again led by the massive beats and fills by Kauko. Prophetical Mercury Implement showcases massive Stygian lyrics (“Injecting the mirrorlike waters / Feeling it flowing within / Floating on its waves / Observing how it unfolds / Now, / I am the medium / I am the stream”) amidst a beyond enfolding and atmospheric sonority, whereas in The Fire in Which We Burn we face an overdose of heaviness, sulfur and darkness blasted by the band in the best Behemoth style, spearheaded by the inhumane roars by Mathias.
The Ways of Sulphur lives up to the legacy of Industrial Black Metal, with Antti stealing the show with his phantasmagorical keys; and I Am Coin, I Am Two offers a more introspective sound inspired by Melodic Black, Death and Doom Metal, while still presenting their trademark ferocity. Then back to a more visceral mode we have Towards the Absence of Light, with their riffs and the bass lines by Pyry being boosted by Antti’s whimsical keys. The last song of the regular edition, The Terminal Filter, brings to us all another humongous dosage of Black Metal infused with experimental and industrial nuances, resulting in an epic ending to the album, and if you go for the deluxe edition of the album (a digipak with extended 20-page booklet + exclusive gold coloured metal coin symbolizing an adviser through opposites + 2 exclusive bronze coloured acrylic coaters symbolizing the coming together of opposites in clamshell box with alternative cover, hand-numbered and limited to 500 copies worldwide) you’ll get two bonus tracks, Copper Blood, Titanium Scars and The Discord Static, both sounding absolutely insane and worth every single penny invested in it.
…And Oceans The Regeneration Itinerary Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition
Exploring the interplay between darkness and light, chaos and order, spiritual and material realms, with each song embodying an experience for the mind and body, finally navigating a passage to the present moment, The Regeneration Itinerary is definitely the band’s most experimental album to date. “The new album can be seen as a synthesis of our entire back catalogue,” suggests frontman Mathias Lillmåns. “But there are new levels of extremity, too, ones that we’ve never reached before. These songs simply demanded harsher vocals. The riffs commanded it, and who am I to disobey?” Hence, you can get to know more about …And Oceans, their new album, tour dates, plans for the future, and support them by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and by purchasing their awesome new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In the end, those Finnish metallers will keep pushing their own boundaries, experimenting with new sounds and nuances and, therefore, delivering more striking albums like The Regeneration Itinerary in the coming years, proving why they’ve become a reference and a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music scene worldwide.
Best moments of the album:Förnyelse i Tre Akter, The Fire in Which We Burn and Towards the Absence of Light.
Worst moments of the album:I Am Coin, I Am Two.
Released in 2025 Season of Mist
Track listing 1. Inertiae 4:30 2. Förnyelse i Tre Akter 5:07
3. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics 4:29
4. The Form and the Formless 3:32
5. Prophetical Mercury Implement 6:57
6. The Fire in Which We Burn 3:04
7. The Ways of Sulphur 4:17
8. I Am Coin, I Am Two 4:25
9. Towards the Absence of Light 4:49
10. The Terminal Filter 5:22
Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition bonus tracks 11. Copper Blood, Titanium Scars 4:14
12. The Discord Static 3:35
Band members Mathias Lillmåns – vocals Teemu Saari – guitar
Timo Kontio – guitar
Pyry Hanski – bass
Antti Simonen – keyboards
Kauko Kuusisalo – drums
This dauntless Ukrainian lone wolf returns with a harsh and visceral new album, a raw and atmospheric journey through desolation, sorrow, and the decaying remnants of civilization.
A musical project of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Vladyslav Blizniuk from Kharkiv, Ukraine which debuted in 2023, Black/Death Metal entity Vyr Muk, or “whirlpool of torment” from Ukrainian, focuses on dark, deep themes including suffering, personal struggles, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, making it a very personal and intimate project. Mixed and mastered at Anti Social Riddim Studios, and displaying a sinister artwork by Oleksandr Koval, the project’s brand new opus, titled Crimson Fields of Sorrow, is a logical continuation to its 2024 EP Shadows Falling on The Dead Cities, offering us all a raw and atmospheric journey through desolation, sorrow, and the decaying remnants of civilization, immersing the listener in a sonic battlefield where each track is a blade forged from chaos, cutting through the veil of illusion and apathy.
The visceral riffs by Vladyslav will cut your skin deep in Voracity / Ненажерливість, already offering a phantasmagorical, haunting blend of Black Metal boosted by his devilish gnarls and endless obscurity; whereas after a serene yet dark piano intro we’re treated to a Melodic and Atmospheric Black Metal aria titled Cold Steel / Холодна сталь, again translating his personal struggles into captivating extreme music. The harsh vociferations by our lone wolf set the tone in The Era of Rot / Епоха гнилі, where once again he invests in a sharp, austere sonority led by his scorching riffs and blast beats. And get ready for a nine-minute voyage through the realms of darkness and solitude to the sound of Bitterness of Loss / Горіч втрати, starting in an enfolding and melancholic manner, presenting elements of Doom Metal added to its drums and cadaverous guitar lines. Vladyslav’s horror movie-inspired keys darken the skies in the closing tune Oh How It Was / Ой як же було, an instrumental feast of Symphonic Black Metal that sounds as epic as it is cinematic.
Exploring themes of war, existential decay, and inner torment, with lyrics presented in Ukrainian, Crimson Fields of Sorrow (already available in full on YouTube and on Spotify) is a ritual of grief and defiance, a hymn for the fallen and a curse upon the void, and you can put your damned hands on such a personal and acid album by purchasing it from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Don’t forget to also follow the multi-talented Vladyslav and his Vyr Muk on Instagram, showing your support not only to Ukrainian extreme music, but to Ukraine as a whole during such difficult times to their citizens. Because Crimson Fields of Sorrow is not just music. It is a howl from the void. It is struggle, grief, and truth, and you should definitely give it a listen to be part of that harsh yet unique sonic experience.
Best moments of the album:Voracity / Ненажерливість, The Era of Rot / Епоха гнилі and Bitterness of Loss / Горіч втрати.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Independent
Track listing 1. Voracity / Ненажерливість 6:04
2. Cold Steel / Холодна сталь 6:28
3. The Era of Rot / Епоха гнилі 6:32
4. Bitterness of Loss / Горіч втрати 9:00
5. Oh How It Was / Ой як же було 4:37
Band members Vladyslav Blizniuk – vocals, all instruments
Japan’s own Melodic Death Metal beast returns with their stunning fifth opus, exploring the fragility of life, the complexities of human emotions and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.
Having carved their place in the Melodic Death Metal scene worldwide for almost 15 years, Tokyo, Japan-based Symphonic/Melodic Black/Death Metal outfit Serenity In Murder continues to push boundaries in 2025 with their latest masterpiece, entitled Timeless Reverie, their fifth studio album and the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 opus Reborn, further refining their signature blend of raw aggression and symphonic beauty. Navigating a dark and emotional landscape, taking listeners on a journey through themes of time, destiny, inner turmoil and personal revolution, the new album by frontwoman Ayumu, guitarists Freddy and Ryuji, bassist Yu-ri and drummer Allen seamlessly weaves complex melodies, atmospheric symphonic elements, and crushing heaviness, exploring the fragility of life, the complexities of human emotions and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.
The band needs less than two seconds to already crush our souls in God Forsaken, as imposing, complex and heavy as it can be, led by the masterful drumming by Allen while all symphonic elements take its epicness to a whole new level; flowing into the also melodic yet visceral Matrix, reminding me of the sounds blasted by Soilwork, Children of Bodom and In Flames but with the band’s own technical Japanese twist. Freddy and Ryuji are on fire in Blue Roses Gracefully Fall, blasting sheer electricity through their lancinating riffs while once again the background orchestrations sound majestic, and it’s pedal to the metal in the melodeath feast entitled And the World Awake, where their guitars transpire heaviness supported by the rumbling kitchen by Yu-ri and Allen. Allen keeps hammering his drums nonstop in Never Defiled, while Ayumu roars and gnarls like a true she-demon for our total delight.
A Dance of Sorrow lives up to the legacy of Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal, with Ayumu once again stealing the spotlight with her piercing screams, whereas the band sets fire to the atmosphere in The Flames Ablaze, where the riffs and solos by Freddy and Ryuji will electrify your mind in great fashion. Revolt definitely sounds more modern than its predecessors, yet still raw and violent, with its vocal lines alternating between Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore, followed by the serene interlude Past: Timeless Reverie, bringing peace to our hearts before their new version of the song Noticed This Is the Betrayal, originally released in the 2015 album The Highest of Dystopia, sounding sharp and infuriated just the way we like it in melodeath, with Ayumu bursting her lungs by barking rabidly until the very end. Lastly, we have Hope: Timeless Reverie, a lengthy outro that despite sounding detailed and cinematic, takes away a tiny bit of the album’s punch due to its duration. It might have worked better if shorter or if it had vocals, but nothing to worry about as it’s still a good song.
After all is said and done, Timeless Reverie, which is by the way available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, showcases a band at the peak of their creativity and form, hopefully expanding their reach beyond their homeland and letting them spread their wings over other parts of the world like North America and Europe. Timeless Reverie is undoubtedly one of the precious gems of heavy music in 2025, and if you want to know more about the band and their music, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and of course purchase a copy from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. The paradox between light and darkness (and no, I’m not talking about “Olbers’ paradox” in astronomy) seems to be a constant in heavy music, but few bands are capable of translating it into first-class, captivating music like what Serenity In Murder has to offer in their new album, turning it into a must-listen for anyone, and I mean anyone, who enjoys good music anywhere in the world.
Best moments of the album:God Forsaken, And the World Awake, Never Defiled and The Flames Ablaze.
Worst moments of the album:Hope: Timeless Reverie.
Released in 2025 Apostasy Records
Track listing 1. God Forsaken 4:13
2. Matrix 3:46
3. Blue Roses Gracefully Fall 4:08
4. And the World Awake 3:34
5. Never Defiled 4:40
6. A Dance of Sorrow 3:48
7. The Flames Ablaze 3:06
8. Revolt 3:18
9. Past: Timeless Reverie 1:25
10. Noticed This Is the Betrayal 3:28
11. Hope: Timeless Reverie 6:04
Band members Ayumu – vocals
Freddy – guitars, clean vocals
Ryuji – guitars
Yu-ri – bass
Allen – drums
A newborn Symphonic Black Metal beast will tell the story of Zarathustra’s corruption and insanity in its debut opus, utilizing symphonic elements combined with oriental and traditional classical instruments.
A Symphonic Black Metal project founded by Egyptian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mohamed Baligh “Aswad”, who’s currently located in the United States, utilizing symphonic elements combined with oriental instruments like the naey and traditional classical instruments such as the violin and cello, Belnejoum is unleashing upon humanity its debut album, entitled Dark Tales of Zarathustra. Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordstrom at Studio Fredman, and featuring an array of more-than-special musicians the likes of Fabio Bartoletti (Fleshgod Apocalypse) and Ehab Sami on the guitars, Rich Gray (Annihilator) on bass, Francesco Ferrini (Fleshgod Apocalypse) on all orchestral arrangements, George Kollias (Nile) on drums, and Tamara Jokic on Melisma vocals, as well as guest musicians Hany El-Badry on the naey, Mohamed Medhat on the violin, tenor Christian Correra on vocals, and Jeremy Garbarg on the cello, Dark Tales of Zarathustra tells the story of Zarathustra’s corruption and insanity, his journey to the underworld on the back of a demon named Aeshma, the witnessing of the horrors of Hell, and his suicide as his final act, as he no longer sees a purpose for living.
The opening track Prophet of Desolation couldn’t have sounded more atmospheric, cryptic, doomed and multi-layered, with George sounding inhumane on drums while Aswad roars deeply in the name of Black Metal. Not only that, all background orchestrations elevate the song’s epicness to a whole new level. The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark is more like an interlude than a song per se, darkening the skies before we face Tower of Silence, where the guitars by Fabio and Ehab match perfectly with the orchestral sounds crafted by Francesco; whereas the crying violin by Mohamed will penetrate deep inside your soul in On Aeshma’s Wings, a ruthless, imposing Black Metal aria where George once again steals the show with his fulminating beats and fills.
Guest Jeremy Garbarg recorded Elegie using a rare cello made by Rugieri in Cremona, Italy in 1695, resulting in a somber tune where Tamara’s minimalist vocals sound absolutely enfolding, flowing into the Symphonic Black Metal beast In Their Darkest Aquarium, with once again their orchestrations, riffs and drums generating a massive wall of sounds tailored for lovers of the genre. Then the melancholic piano by Aswad returns in As She Drowns, warming us up for Upon the Mortal Blight, a ten-minute Black Metal creature where their Cradle of Filth and Fleshgod Apocalypse vein pulses harder than ever, all boosted by another amazing vocal performance by Aswad. The Flames, the Prophet, the Tears is another piano-infused composition by Aswad, soothing our souls and preparing us all for the outro Zarathustra’s Last Requiem, a climatic track overflowing classic sounds, sealing the fate of Zarathustra.
Totaling 52 minutes across ten tracks, Dark Tales of Zarathustra is a stunning musical voyage led by Aswad that will surely take the name of Belnejoum to new heights, and if you want to know more about such an amazing project made in the United States but with pure Egyptian blood you can find all details about it on Facebook and on Instagram, stream its amazing debut on Spotify pretty soon, and above all that, purchase the album from Antiq’s BandCamp or webstore. Zarathustra’s descent into madness couldn’t have been better depicted than through the top-of-the-line Symphonic Black Metal by Belnejoum, offering several layers and nuances that definitely make the whole story even more compelling, and may Aswad and his extreme music beast keep delivering amazing albums like Dark Tales of Zarathustra to us all in the coming years, always sounding unique while remaining loyal to the foundations of Black Metal.
Best moments of the album:Prophet of Desolation, On Aeshma’s Wings and Upon the Mortal Blight.
Worst moments of the album:The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark.
Released in 2025 Antiq
Track listing 1. Prophet of Desolation 10:14
2. The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark 2:49
3. Tower of Silence 5:03
4. On Aeshma’s Wings 5:43
5. Elegie 3:39
6. In Their Darkest Aquarium 6:17
7. As She Drowns 3:17
8. Upon the Mortal Blight 10:28
9. The Flames, the Prophet, the Tears 2:01
10. Zarathustra’s Last Requiem 2:36
Band members Mohamed Baligh “Aswad” – vocals, piano
Fabio Bartoletti – guitars
Ehab Sami – guitars
Rich Gray – bass
Francesco Ferrini – orchestral arrangements
George Kollias – drums
Tamara Jokic – Melisma vocals
Guest musicians
Hany El-Badry – naey
Mohamed Medhat – violin
Christian Correra – tenor
Jeremy Garbarg – cello
It’s time to live deliciously to the sound of the screaming Valkyries found in the fourteenth studio album by one of the most revolutionary bands in the history of extreme music.
Reigning supreme as one of the most revered, formative and notorious names in music, from the depths of the Extreme Metal underground to the peaks of mainstream pop culture itself, Suffolk, England’s ultimate blasphemers Cradle of Filth are back from the netherworld armed with their arrestingly catchy fourteenth studio album, The Screaming of the Valkyries, the follow-up to their 2021 beast Existence Is Futile. Produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studio, and displaying a beyond sinister artwork by Roberto Diaz (aka Arte del Caos), the new album by the iconic frontman Dani Filth, guitarists Marek ‘Ashok’ Smerda and Donny Burbage, bassist Daniel Firth, keyboardist Zoe Marie Federoff and drummer Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka is a succinct summation of the ghosts of the band’s past and a bold step into the future, offering Dani’s unparalleled screams and equally identifiable growls alongside twin guitar attacks, symphonic flourishes, and an explosive rhythm section for the delight of all diehard fans of the band or newcomers to their sinister lair.
The opening aria To Live Deliciously is cryptic and atmospheric from the very first second, erupting into an overdose of Extreme Metal magic led by Mathus’ hammering drums, with Dani gnarling like a true servant of darkness. Then we have Demagoguery, bringing to our putrid ears over six minutes of absolute madness where the Stygian keys by Zoe match perfectly with the riffage by Ashok and Donny, also presenting the band’s characteristic haunting passages; and an avalanche of guitar shredding and epic keys permeates the air in The Trinity Of Shadows, offering us the past, present and future of Cradle of Filth in an exciting and compelling manner. Non Omnis Moriar, a Latin phrase that means “not everyone will die”, is a more cadenced yet heavy and caustic creation by the band, with Zoe’s operatic vocals bringing an extra touch of finesse to the music, whereas White Hellebore presents an overdose of Dani’s damned words (“Plucked from the grave on a moonless midnight / Sucking on staves, she was noted for fight / Intoxicated, I fell in love / With this curse and a cure for my rabid dementia”) amidst a sharp, devilish and classic display of Symphonic Black Metal.
The band’s guitar duo continues to fire their phantasmagorical riffs in You Are My Nautilus, offering more of Cradle of Filth’s undisputed, wicked sounds, with Marthus once again showcasing endless dexterity and heaviness behind his drums, followed by Malignant Perfection, showcasing a beautiful fusion of Gothic music with heavier styles, plus of course another dosage of their darkly poetic lyrics (“Kindred may I introduce / Upon the mortal fools / The evil that has shaken loose / From bondage to now rule / She walks at dusk to tragic serenades / As the river shivers at her passing darkness”). Ex Sanguine Draculae, which is Latin for “from the blood of Dracula”, carries a name that perfectly suits the band’s music and history, starting in an imposing, sinister way to Dani’s demonic roar while the guitars by Ashok and Donny transpire Black Metal magic; and last but not least, we have another long, multi-layered, detailed and vicious tune entitled When Misery Was A Stranger, with its cinematic intro reeking of Cradle of Filth before exploding into a frantic onrush of Symphonic Black and Gothic Metal led by Dani’s vicious gnarls, putting a beyond infernal and climatic ending to the album.
In a nutshell, The Screaming of the Valkyries beckons the brave into a new era of Cradle of Filth misadventure, celebrating massive melancholic melody, blackened thrash, and apocalyptic existential dread with a grinning smattering of unbridled revelry. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news and tour dates (like their upcoming Chaos & Carnage tour in North America alongside Dying Fetus, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and other demented bands), to stream their music on Spotify, and of course to grab a copy of their impious new album from BandCamp or from Napalm Records by clicking HERE or HERE. It’s time to live deliciously to the sound of the screaming Valkyries that live inside the new album by the one and only Cradle of Filth, keeping the fires of extreme music burning bright until our decaying world comes to its inevitable end.
Best moments of the album:The Trinity Of Shadows, White Hellebore,Ex Sanguine Draculae and When Misery Was A Stranger.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2025 Napalm Records
Track listing 1. To Live Deliciously 5:32
2. Demagoguery 6:17
3. The Trinity Of Shadows 6:23
4. Non Omnis Moriar 5:06
5. White Hellebore 5:04
6. You Are My Nautilus 7:39
7. Malignant Perfection 6:46
8. Ex Sanguine Draculae 7:10
9. When Misery Was A Stranger 6:21
Band members Dani Filth – vocals
Marek ‘Ashok’ Smerda – guitars
Donny Burbage – guitars
Daniel Firth – bass
Zoe Marie Federoff – keyboards, vocals
Martin ‘Marthus’ Skaroupka – drums
As the heat is definitely on in the Northern Hemisphere, there’s nothing like icy cold blood to cool us all down, and that’s exactly what our amazing metal lady of this month of July has to offer with her undeniable talent, charisma and passion for heavy music. Not only that, July 1 is Canada Day, which means having a metal lady hailing from Canada makes things even better here on The Headbanging Moose. Owner of a powerful yet delicate voice, she’s the vocalist and keyboardist for a Montreal, Quebec-based Melodic/Symphonic Death/Gothic Metal band known as Sanguine Glacialis, as well as a growler for Growlers Choir (the world-famous choir of metal vocalists) and a voice actress and administrative assistant for La Fabrique de Monstres (or The Monster Factory). She can play the violin too, and she’s also a teacher and a model. Her name is Maude Théberge, and I’m sure that after knowing more about her life and career, you’ll get addicted to her voice, to her music, and be more than ready to dance “la valse des condamnés.”
Born and raised in the stunning Canadian city of Montreal, Maude has been a singer for more than 15 years, having already acquired two music degrees in classical piano interpretation and music teaching. Apart for being a sensational growler, she’s a soprano singer who can sing a wide variety of styles such as classical, jazz and pop, she can write and sing in French and English, and she’s also a composer and arranger who has her own studio at home, allowing her to write, compose, record ad edit her own parts, including midi instruments and orchestrations for any project with a specialty in string sections, as she’s also a pianist, keyboardist and violinist as already mentioned.
Our metal diva started started playing the piano at the age of 12 and the violin at the age of 13, continuing her studies at Cégep de St-Laurent, where she also had the opportunity to play jazz piano, classical violin and sing in a classical choir, obtaining her DEC in classical piano interpretation in 2012. Maude continued her studies at UQAM in music education (classical piano), where she still played classical violin, jazz choir, wind instruments and percussions, obtaining her Baccalaureate and her teaching certificate in 2016. Subsequently, she did a DESS in Management at UQAM and obtained her diploma in 2019. Finally, she took an acting and dubbing course in 2020 with French-Canadian director, dubbing director and acting coach Sergine Dumais.
It was in 2011 when Maude joined Sanguine Glacialis, in which she played the keyboards and did some backing vocals, taking over the reins of the band in 2016, being the only remaining member, rebuilding the project with new musicians, and becoming the lead singer of the band. Sanguine Glacialis have become her biggest project in life for over a decade already, allowing her to develop many skills such as classical and pop singing and growling as well as studio recording at home, in addition to developing managerial skills including production of albums, music videos and over 100 shows across Canada. Having already shared the state with renowned acts the likes of Dark Tranquility, Omnium Gatherum, Delain, Necronomicon, Unexpect and Anonymus, just to name a few, the band experiments with multiple musical styles, such as Jazz, Classical, folkloric music, Latin music, and so on, while keeping a very strong Melodic Death Metal accent.
Since their inception, the band has already released three full-length albums, those being Dancing with a Hanged Man, in 2012, Hadopelagic, in 2018, and Maladaptive Daydreaming, in 2023, plus the EP Pitch Black Sight, in 2016, and from those she did keyboards and backing vocals only in their debut album and their EP, becoming their frontwoman while still playing keyboards as aforementioned starting with their 2018 album. currently formed of Maude alongside Alexandre Lépine on the guitars, Marc Gervais on bass, and Jérémy Racine on drums, the band is in great shape and form, as you can see in this footage live in Quebec in 2023, and you can also enjoy all of their creations on BandCamp, on Spotify and on YouTube, including their ass-kicking official videos for the songs Kraken, Welcome, and Monsters, and you can also click HERE for all things Sanguine Glacialis.
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Apart from her amazing years with Sanguine Glacialis, Maude has also been the vocalist for a Melodic Death Metal band from Toronto named Terminalcurse together with multi-instrumentalist Kirill Zorin (ex-Nachtmuse), having released with the project their self-titled debut EP in 2022. The EP is available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and you can also find all links and information about the duo by clicking HERE. Also, between 2017 and 2024, she was also the violinist for Montreal’s own Melodic Black/Folk Metal horde Valfreya, having recorded with them the excellent album Dawn of Reckoning, released earlier this year.
Maude can also be seen as a guest musician in distinct bands and projects; for instance, she did choir vocals for the song Dissociation, from the 2023 EP Survival Mode, by Canadian Avant-garde Death metal band Disorientation; also did vocals for the song Mordrake I – Birth, from the 2014 album Mordrake, by Canadian Symphonic/Melodic Black/Death Metal band Hollow; and recorded two albums with Canadian Symphonic Metal project Nachtmuse as their lead vocalist, backing vocalist or doing choir vocals, those being the 2022 release Solemn Songs of Nightsky & Sea, and the 2023 EP Darker Skies. Not only that, in 2018 she also released her debut album as a solo artist, titled The Simplest Expression, which is by the way an acoustic album. Furthermore, everything about Maude can be found HERE, by the way.
In March 2020, just before the COVID pandemic, Maude appeared on the show Tout le monde en parle, the biggest talk show in Quebec, to talk about the band and Le FestEvil – Quebec City Women Metal fest part 1, which was not only an important event for metal music in Quebec in 2020, but one that also provided women in metal with tons of support, with its first edition featuring the bands Your Last Wish, Valfreya, Sanguine Glacialis, Merkabah, Uriel, Within Embers and Fall Of Stasis, all amazing bands from the Quebec scene with very talented women like Maude in their lineups. Unfortunately, I don’t think the festival exists anymore, mainly due to the pandemic crushing any plans of live events anywhere in the world, but it would be amazing if we could see more festivals like that in Canada for sure, of course spearheaded by Maude and her Sanguine Glacialis.
Last but not least, Maude is also a pet lover, nurturing a deep passion for cats. In one of her interviews, she said that she had four cats, Jack (for Jack Black), Amélie (for Amélie Poulin), Vévé (because she has a V shape pattern on her forehead) and Gizmo (like the Gremlin), but unfortunately Vévé and Amélie have passed away since that, also talking a little about how she manages to take care of all of them while also continuing with her career in music, as for example saying her boyfriend or parents take care of them when she’s on tour. Also, when asked how they behave when she’s practicing at home, her answer was quite funny and curious. “All the cats, but especially the male cats, HATE my violin. They complain the whole time I’m trying to practice. I can growl all I want and they don’t care, but the violin.” Well, maybe they’re more into extreme music, right? So I believe as long as she keeps playing the awesome music by Sanguine Glacialis to them, she’ll surely keep four cats extremely happy, and of course countless happy metalheads worldwide.
Formed in February 2022 in Pensacola, Florida, in the United States by guitarist Taylor Tidwell (Unaligned, Withered Throne) and vocalist Chelsea Marrow (Voraath, The Monster Factory), Visitant are a Blackened Death Metal band that weaves ethereal elements into a soundscape that is as haunting as it is aggressive. Lyrically and musically, the band crafts immersive dreamscapes, ritualistic and unrelenting, that channel the essence of restless, vengeful spirits. Recorded by Taylor Tidwell and Anthony Lusk-Simone, produced and mixed by Anthony Lusk-Simone, mastered by Jason Fisher at Exitus Stratagem Records, and displaying a stylish artwork by Chelsea Marrow (with layout and logo by Maxwell Aston), Rubidium is the debut album by the aforementioned Taylor Tidwell and Chelsea Marrow alongside bassist Kilian Duarte (Abiotic, Lattermath, Felix Martin, Scale the Summit), and drummer Anthony Lusk-Simone (Abiotic, Lattermath, Pathogenic), embodying the bleakest parts of being human while dealing with the darkest emotions such as grief, loss, betrayal, vengeance, time lost, and regret.
In a nutshell, fans of Gojira, Opeth, Naglfar, and Between the Buried and Me will certainly have a blast with the visceral experience that transcends genre boundaries offered by Visitant in Rubidium, placing the band under the radar of most metalheads across the world who enjoy a solid and professional fusion of aggressiveness, violence, harmony, obscurity and rage. You can get more details about this up-and-coming horde hailing from Florida by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, keep an eye on their official videos on their YouTube channel, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of their flammable debut by clicking HERE. Chelsea, Taylor & Co. are summoning a beast from the abyss in their first ever full-length offering, darkening the skies and haunting our souls mercilessly and, therefore, already getting us all hyped for whatever comes next in their exciting career in the upcoming years.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 