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Album Review – Malakhim / And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings (2025)

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Let the devil sing inside your dark and evil heart to the sound of the sophomore album by this up-and-coming Swedish Black Metal horde.

“You may claim to not know or believe in the Devil, but rest assured that the Devil knows you…”

From their formation in 2016 onward, the ascent of Umeå, Sweden’s own Black Metal horde Malakhim has been both steady and swift, from their first demo Demo I, to their first EP II, to their first full-length album Theion, culminating now in 2025 with the release of their sophomore opus, beautifully and poetically entitled And in Our Hearts the Devil Sings. Once again engineered by the band’s longtime friend and co-conspirator Marcus E. Norman (aka Vargher of Naglfar, Bewitched, Ancient Wisdom), with an ominous artwork by Kristina Pavleska of Mors Ultima Ratio Art (and additional booklet artwork by longtime friend Karmazid), the new offering by vocalist E, guitarists AK and AN, bassist TK and drummer VT isn’t strictly a concept album per se, as its lyrical themes are nevertheless deep, loosely based on the ideas of Yetzer Hara (Hebrew for “evil inclination”), a concept in Jewish thought that represents the innate human tendency to do evil, commit sins, or act against moral principles.

The album kicks off with the seven-minute black mass entitled And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings, exploding into sheer madness to the crushing drums by VT and the demonic vociferations by E, while Solar Crucifixion also starts in a Stygian, cryptic manner before all hell breaks loose to the scathing riffage by AK and AN, not to mention how piercing E’s vocals sound. Then investing in a more straightforward Black Metal sonority we face A New Temple, simply reeking of all elements that make the genre so compelling; and E’s demonic roar sets the tone in the electrifying, venomous Into Darkness We Depart, with TK and VT shaking the foundations of our rotten planet with their infernal kitchen. The pounding drums by VT will smash your cranial skull in Angel of the Bottomless Pit, again presenting the band’s trademark devilish riffs and otherworldly vocals, while Hearts Ablaze presents a classic Black Metal vibe, albeit it sounds a bit convoluted or too chaotic at times. Lastly, they get back on track with eight minutes of total darkness in the form of The Firmament Submits, where AK and AN sound ruthless with their striking riffs and solos before the song reaches its climatic, atmospheric ending.

Showcasing a concertedly more melodic and majestic Malakhim, offering the band’s trademark orthodox Black Metal with a death and doom vein, And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings is undoubtedly the band’s strongest effort to date, and you can join their sinister cult by purchasing a copy of the album from their own BandCamp, or from the Iron Bonehead Productions’ BandCamp or webstore. You can also find more information about such a talented horde on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their discography on any available platform like Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Malakhim. Because if the devil truly sings deep inside our blackened hearts, we can all rest assured he’s singing the songs found in the new album by Malakhim.

Best moments of the album: And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings, Into Darkness We Depart and Angel of the Bottomless Pit.

Worst moments of the album: Hearts Ablaze.

Released in 2025 Iron Bonehead

Track listing
1. And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings 7:44
2. Solar Crucifixion 6:12
3. A New Temple 5:27
4. Into Darkness We Depart 5:50
5. Angel of the Bottomless Pit 5:32
6. Hearts Ablaze 4:30
7. The Firmament Submits 8:20

Band members
E – vocals
AK – guitars
AN – guitars
TK – bass
VT – drums

Album Review – Scitalis / Maledictum (2025)

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Your body and soul will burn to the new opus by this Swedish Black Metal horde, a haunting exploration of despair and wrath inspired by Sweden’s witch trials during “Det stora oväsendet” (1668–1676).

After their successful 2022 debut Doomed Before Time, Umeå, Sweden’s own Black Metal horde Scitalis returns with their sophomore opus, entitled Maledictum, a haunting exploration of despair and wrath inspired by Sweden’s witch trials during “Det stora oväsendet” (1668–1676). The band’s evolving lineup is reflected throughout the entire album, with newcomers W on drums and L on rhythm guitars joining vocalist and bassist A and lead guitarist S, resulting in a raw, emotional record that captures the agony and anger of the time while showcasing the band’s growth and uncompromising approach to our beloved Black Metal.

W already showcases his welcome card with his demented blast beats in Reborn, an old school, in-your-face Black Metal beast with A gnarling nonstop for our total delight, followed by Suffering, an avalanche of ruthless, sulfurous Black Metal for the masses led by the scorching riffs by S and L, showcasing over six minutes of absolute darkness for admirers of the genre. Seven Years Ov Blood is another bold, multi-layered creation by such an uncanny horde, with the strident riffs by S and L matching perfectly with A’s devilish vociferations; flowing into the also harsh and impious Trial, presenting hints of Blackened Doom in its sluggish beats and low-tuned bass.

This unyielding Swedish horde comes ripping once again in Burn Before Dawn, another savage composition blending the fury of classic Black Metal with the hypnotizing passages of Melodic Black Metal; and the guitars by S and L transpire pure evil in Ashes After The Fire, being gradually accompanied by the massive beats by W and the always visceral roars by A, resulting in a monumental aria of darkness and blasphemy. There’s time for one final breath of evil by Scitalis, entitled Endless Wrath, with the reverberating bass by A and his always menacing gnarls haunting our damned souls for all eternity, all boosted by another violent performance by W on drums.

After all is said and done, you’ll realize the Black Metal feast blasted by Scitalis in Maledictum (available in full on YouTube and on Spotify) is a more than perfect choice for representing the horror of the witch trials in Sweden in the 1600’s, and you can know more about the band, their music and the whole concept behind their pulverizing new album by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their wicked creations on Spotify, and by grabbing a copy of the album on BandCamp or by clicking HERE or HERE. The burning of witches has always been a constant topic discussed by countless bands from all genres and subgenres of metal music, but it’s when you face a band like Scitalis that you can feel the fires burning your body and soul while they keep filling every single space in the air with their caustic music, exactly like what’s found in the incendiary Maledictum.

Best moments of the album: Suffering, Burn Before Dawn and Ashes After The Fire.

Worst moments of the album: Trial.

Released in 2025 Vendetta Records

Track listing
1. Reborn 4:16
2. Suffering 6:21
3. Seven Years Ov Blood 5:59
4. Trial 7:13
5. Burn Before Dawn 5:44
6. Ashes After The Fire 6:20
7. Endless Wrath 6:31

Band members
A – vocals, bass
S – lead guitars
L – rhythm guitars
W – drums

Album Review – Naglfar / Cerecloth (2020)

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One of Sweden’s most infernal Black Metal hordes has finally returned from their respite, ferocious and hungry with their seventh full-length opus.

It has been eight long years between releases for Umeå, Sweden’s Black Metal nihilists Naglfar, but despite the wait the band hasn’t been resting on their laurels. Like any slumbering beast, Naglfar have returned from their respite, ferocious and hungry with their seventh full-length album Cerecloth, bringing their usual destruction to fans all around the world. Recorded and mixed by the band’s own guitarist Marcus E. Norman at Wolf’s Lair Studio, mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound, and featuring a cadaverous artwork by Jan Kristian Wåhlin, the underlying musical and lyrical themes of Cerecloth were succinctly and confidently described by guitarist Andreas Nilsson as “the usual death and destruction”. Currently formed by the aforementioned guitarists Andreas Nilsson and Marcus E. Norman, as well as frontman Kristoffer W. Olivius and guests A. Impaler (aka Alex Friberg) from Firespawn on bass and Efraim Juntunen from Guillotine and Persuader on drums, Naglfar sound tighter and more Stygian than ever in Cerecloth, positioning the album as one of the best releases of the year in the world of extreme music.

Cryptic, eerie noises from the depths explode into Naglfar’s infernal Black Metal in the opening track Cerecloth, where Efraim proves why he was chosen to join the band in this album while Kristoffer vociferates from the bottom of his blackened heart nonstop. In other words, what a fantastic start to the album, and continuing to pave their path of obscurity and horror the band fires the classic Norwegian Black Metal hymn titled Horns, with both Andreas and Marcus sounding utterly hellish with their riffs and solos while A. Impaler’s bass punches darkly reverberate in the air. Then thunderous bass sounds and a phantasmagorical atmosphere kick off the heavy-as-hell Like Poison for the Soul, where the acid words growled by Kristoffer will burn your ears (“So my path is chosen / No more false affinity / The time has come to leave / Your worth are the equivalent of a dead insect to me / Indifference be my name”) in a lesson in old school Black Metal with melodic nuances.

Vortex of Negativity is another hurricane of darkened riffs, blast beats and endless violence led by the strident guitars by Andreas and Marcus, supported by the pulverizing drums by Efraim and, therefore, being tailored for fans of the genre, whereas in Cry of the Serafim the band blends the piercing sounds of the early days of Norwegian Black Metal with contemporary Melodic Black Metal, with Kristoffer sounding inhumane with his gnarls and roars, all boosted by the intricate beats by Efraim. After such demonic onrush of sounds we have The Dagger in Creation, a bestial tune offering us all pure, undisputed Black Metal that will pulverize your senses spearheaded by the razor-edged riffs by the band’s infernal guitar duo, while A. Impaler and Efraim generate a sonic earthquake with their respective weapons.

A Sanguine Tide Unleashed brings to our putrid ears one more round of infuriated lyrics (“Men of Isa / Your end is fucking nigh / Like a surging wave we come for you / With murder in our eyes / Vermin filth / Bastard sons of the virgin whore / You’re the plague that walk upon this earth / And we are the cure / A sanguine tide unleashed”) while the music follows that same austere and aggressive pattern, with the metallic riffs and bass punches blasted by the band providing Kristoffer all he needs to thrive with his visceral growling. Then doomed guitars and the anguished gnarls by Kristoffer are the main ingredients in the sluggish and obscure Necronaut, slightly below the rest of the album in terms of punch and creativity, followed by the closing chant Last Breath of Yggdrasil with its over six minutes of utterly demolishing and darkened sounds, with all band members putting their damned hearts and souls into this Black Metal extravaganza, resulting in a one-way voyage to the pits of the underworld and also ending in the most disturbing way possible.

It’s indeed a dark pleasure to see that veterans like Naglfar still have so much electricity, darkness and passion for Black Metal inside them, not selling out nor sounding weak or uninspired at all. Quite the contrary, what they accomplished in Cerecloth truly deserves our appreciation, turning the album into one of the best Black Metal releases of 2020 as already mentioned without a shadow of a doubt. Hence, don’t forget to follow such distinguished Swedish horde on Facebook and on Instagram, and to grab your desired copy of Cerecloth by clicking HERE. Andreas couldn’t have been more spot-on when he said the album would bring forward Naglfar’s usual death and destruction, exactly the way we all like it in extreme music, and may the absolute awesomeness of Cerecloth fuel this Swedish institution to keep burning our souls with their undisputed Black Metal sooner than we can imagine, as I don’t think fans of Black Metal have what it takes to wait for another eight excruciating years for a new Nagflar’s album.

Best moments of the album: Cerecloth, Like Poison for the Soul, A Sanguine Tide Unleashed and Last Breath of Yggdrasil.

Worst moments of the album: Necronaut.

Released in 2020 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Cerecloth 4:05
2. Horns 4:38
3. Like Poison for the Soul 6:31
4. Vortex of Negativity 5:02
5. Cry of the Serafim 4:25
6. The Dagger in Creation 5:07
7. A Sanguine Tide Unleashed 3:54
8. Necronaut 3:29
9. Last Breath of Yggdrasil 6:30

Band members
Kristoffer W. Olivius – vocals
Andreas Nilsson – guitar
Marcus E. Norman – guitar

Guest musicians
A. Impaler – bass (session)
Efraim Juntunen – drums (session)