RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/ Norwegian black metal does not get much better than this. Formed in 2018 and having quickly gained a well-deserved following in the underground, these skilled chaps are the real deal when it comes to churning out meticulously crafted songs of impassioned, bleak splendor. Like a swirling mass of all-consuming negativity that…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://doublemute.bandcamp.com/album/corporate-culture-ceo-edition This twisted and hugely enjoyable little gem came out roughly two months ago, so I shall keep it relatively short and concise here and merely sum up in a few sentences why it deserves your time and attention. First things first, the enigmatic entity Double Mute is never boring and about…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://linktr.ee/cairiss Formed back in 2013 and having released a well-received demo the following year and then an EP two years later, this intriguing debut album of theirs may be said to have been a long time coming – ten years to be exact – and the term blackgaze is most definitely an…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/twilight-of-the-golden-star Polish post-black metal executed with precision and discipline is what is on the agenda for today, and few bands pull that off better than Zørza do. Somewhat comparable to MGLA and Kriegsmaschine in terms of riffs and sonic punch yet more despairing and agony-filled with respect to atmosphere, Zørza weave together…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://www.dimmu-borgir.com/ Norwegian legends Dimmu Borgir have returned with a new studio offering, and the good news is that it has been worth the eight-year wait. What immediately becomes obvious upon spinning the disc and digesting the whole of the splendid Grand Serpent Rising is how much thought and creative energy these chaps…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://linktr.ee/drawnintodescent The Belgian black metal squadron Drawn Into Descent (whose harrowing musical resume is rather impressive in terms of quality, I might add) have returned and unleashed a punishing new opus entitled Onrust, which sees the outfit exploring even darker and more unnerving territory than previously. From the epic howl of suffering…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://norwegianmalum.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-voids Considering the many fabulous aspects and overall quality of the harrowing EP titled Towards Nothingness (2025) and the full-length assault In Nauseum (2023) by the Norwegian black metal entity known as Malum, it should come as no surprise that many of us have eagerly awaited and looked forward to the group’s…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://viadoloris.bandcamp.com/album/guerre-et-paix Conceived, meticulously crafted, and perfectly nursed in solitude, this majestic and heartfelt opus by Via Doloris, which is the brainchild of former Satyricon live guitarist Gildas Le Pape, is a most welcome surprise. Across seven inspired compositions and forty-eight thrilling minutes, Le Pape and renowned drummer Frost (1349, Satyricon) guide us…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://edgedcircleproductions.bandcamp.com/album/psychodelic-darkness What we have here is a most interesting musical proposition. Hailing from Chile and nursed in oppressive gloom by mastermind (and multi-instrumentalist) Witchfucker and drummer Thoth, this short and concise slab of hellish black metal infused with speed metal influences titled Psychodelic Darkness is nothing short of a perverted musical feast…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://ihxhi.bandcamp.com/album/unheeding-sun The talented multi-instrumentalist L.R. Måløy (If Nothing Is, Dødheimsgard) teamed up with drummer Jens Noteng and vocalist Kjersti Marie Seiersten a while back, which resulted in the intriguing and musically adventurous prospect known as IHXHI. They released a self-titled EP last year, and just a few days ago the mysterious entity…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://koldbrann.bandcamp.com/album/den-klandestine-kjerne-eons-in-oblivion I hardly ever review singles as life is just too short for that kind of thing, but once in a while one has to make an exception to the rule – a case in point being this split 7-inch vinyl featuring two brand-new and deeply unnverving tracks by two of my…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://lnk.to/sidious The intriguing black metal horde from the UK sporting the moniker Sidious is an interesting proposition. Malefic Necropolis is inspired and relentlessly vicious music from the vilest pits of misanthropy known to man, and these chaps have got a firm grip on how to write engaging and propulsive songs of darkness…
RELEASE YEAR: 2026BAND URL: https://centurymedia.bandcamp.com/album/liturgy-of-death-24-bit-hd-audio Legendary Norwegian black metal pioneers Mayhem surely need no introduction as these charismatic and chimeric entities have been at the vanguard of forward-thinking music for decades now. Renowned, infamous, musically exceptional, and nothing less than wholly captivating are words and phrases that seem relatively apt here with respect to their back…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://lnk.to/vampyricwarinblood The Flemish entity known as Bloedmaan impressed this scribe greatly two years ago when mastermind Ronarg (Antzaat, Ars Veneficium) unleashed the epic-sounding and surprisingly catchy Castle Inside the Eclipse via the rock-solid Immortal Frost Productions, which has proven to be one of those uniquely crafted black metal releases that I find myself…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://lnk.to/kletva The Serbian purveyors of brooding black metal collectively known as The Stone quite literally blew this scribe away back in 2021 when they unearthed the near-flawless and deeply atmospheric gem titled Kosturnice, and so naturally, this latest opus of theirs released in late November this year was a most welcome addition…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://gerseydeoful.bandcamp.com/album/november-ending-fire Immensely raw and unfiltered yet soaked in an autumnal atmosphere and possessing a strangely appealing sense of twisted grandeur, this wicked little 5-track EP by the US black metal force known as Gersey Deoful, which contains a handful of covers of Glenn Danzig-penned songs from the Samhain days, sees the band…
US black metal heavyweights, Gersey Deoful, recently released their new EP, November Ending Fire. The title is a deliberate nod to Samhain’s seminal album, November Coming Fire, reflecting the EP’s core content: a powerful set of five classic Samhain covers. November Ending Fire sees Gersey Deoful bringing their unique intensity to some of Samhain’s most…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://orcd.co/enthronedashspawn The Belgian black metal trailblazers known as Enthroned have been rather prolific since the band’s inception back in 1993, and the remarkable thing about this most unholy and impenetrably dark outfit is that they are getting better and better with time. With that in mind, let us take a closer look…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://1349som.bandcamp.com/album/winter-mass Captured for posterity four years ago at the Parkteatret in Oslo, this ungodly conjuring of Norwegian black metal by long-running ensemble 1349 is an exciting live document that shows how well their compositions translate to the stage, and the fact that they performed on home turf in front of an appreciative…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://doublemute.bandcamp.com/album/corporate-culture-final-v2 One of the most unique entities out there today is undoubtedly the deeply intriguing Double Mute and their highly eclectic and delightfully twisted on all things progressive. Also, for the sake of clarity, let there be no doubt that main man Jake Rosenberg is a musical genius whose ideas and visions…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/ This is my first encounter with the Polish black metal entity known as Königreichssaal, and I must say that I am impressed with (and rather intrigued by) this splendid little 4-track EP of theirs, which is frontloaded with stellar ideas and thick, impenetrable atmospheres of the moody and contemplative variety. …
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://lnk.to/theaphoticvortex Spawned in Austria nearly twenty years ago and having undergone quite the interesting musical evolution since then, Asphagor recently unleashed their fifth full-length onslaught via Immortal Frost Productions, and it just so happens that The Aphotic Vortex ticks pretty much all the right black/death metal boxes and delivers plenty of chills…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://zakaz.bandcamp.com/album/merki-s-lar-2 The Icelandic entity known as Zakaz recorded this bleak, blood-chilling opus a few years ago, and thanks to the good people over at Gymnocal Industries, the utterly compelling and frighteningly dark gem is now available on physical media and will hopefully reach a wide audience. Rooted in icy and windswept black…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/czarne-obrazy Godz ov War Productions have an uncanny talent for unearthing some of the best and most musically interesting extreme metal bands hailing from the underground, and the Polish quintet known as Pogarda is a prime example of just that. This 5-track EP of theirs was released just a couple of days…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://ffm.to/vagrantheimland Fresh off a successful tour with Taake and Asagraum, the purveyors of melancholy Norwegian black metal known as Heimland unleash yet another impressive, emotionally charged torrent of well-composed material that reeks of longing and desolation. Edged Circle Productions undoubtedly have a keen ear for quality metal with soul, passion, and longevity…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://lnk.to/astimeretreats Long-running Italian black metal stalwarts Frostmoon Eclipse embarked on something that felt like a new chapter (or even a new era of sorts, if you will) back in 2019 when they released the near-flawless and brilliantly evocative Worse Weather to Come via Immortal Frost Productions. Its follow-up, namely the thoroughly solid…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://asira.bandcamp.com/ What we have here is a highly interesting and uniquely crafted release that displays passion and ambition in equal measure. Somewhere between post-black metal, modern progressive rock, and experimental shoegaze lies this epic and emotionally intense opus titled As Ink in Water by the Reading-based outfit intriguingly named Asira. Sweeping melodies,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/vintersorganic/ The first time I came across Vintersorg main man Andreas Hedlund’s fabulous singing was when I saw Borknagar perform live in Aalborg, Denmark, on the back of their splendidly melodic Quintessence album in what seems like another lifetime. But that was then, this is now, and the first new material by…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://lnk.to/nihilist Following a rather obnoxious and pointless intro piece, the French underground black metal constellation known as Myrkvid launches into a full-frontal attack on the senses and delivers its potently bleak and destructive old-school madness in a convincing manner. What we have here is called Nihilist and harkens back to the mid-90s in terms…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://lnk.to/swordofvengeance The Swedish horde known as Mara impressed this scribe greatly with their Loka Mær offering from 2022 (also released by the ever-reliable Immortal Frost Productions), and Sword of Vengeance, which is their fifth full-length assault overall, sounds like the natural successor to what came before, which is a good thing as you…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://linktr.ee/allmenuntome Once in a while one encounters and experiences an album that transcends genres and conventions while also being transcendental. All Men Unto Me, which is a swirling mass of pitch-black musical brilliance spawned by the man known as Rylan Gleave, is unarguably one of the most unique and moving outputs we…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://www.isiliel.com/ Isiliel is the solo project of Himari Tsukishiro – known from her work with Necronomidol. With Isiliel, she’s built a sound that blends black metal, power metal, gothic atmosphere, and synth-heavy idol pop. Her debut set the foundation – Moonbow Rebellion builds on it with sharper production, more dynamic arrangements, and…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://helheim.bandcamp.com/album/hrabnar-ad-vesa It is a thrillingly peculiar thing when one receives a promotional disc for a new album by Viking metal legends Helheim in the sense that you never quite know to expect from them except for all-out quality, which is a great thing, because these veterans never fail to amaze this scribe…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://afargang.bandcamp.com/album/andvake Afargang, which is a relatively new and exciting addition to the Norwegian progressive scene, offers plenty of atmosphere and evocative qualities on this unique-sounding debut album of theirs. Spearheaded and masterminded by fiddle player and harpist Olav L. Mjelva, this talented ensemble merges folk music, forward-thinking black metal, and prog metal…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://gravewithaview.bandcamp.com/ Admittedly, I review so few black metal albums that one may think I’m not a fan of the genre because it has the highest percentage of Satanic bands. However, that is not exactly so. For one thing, black metal is the closest metal genre to classical music, for another,…
The 2-track EP titled Descending Upon Ruins Again by the musically deviant post-rockers/ambient experimentalists Picture Ann is out now via Floodgate Moods Productions and is guaranteed to leave you in either a foul or reflective mood. The overall theme revolves around the notion of failing in every sense of the cursed word, and whereas the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://scourofficial.bandcamp.com/album/gold Following a string of impressive EPs titled Grey, Red, and Black respectively, the immensely talented quintet known as Scour recently graced us with a proper full-length assault on the senses intriguingly titled Gold. It is a rather fitting name for this LP in that there are plenty of meaty bits and evocative passages to whet your…
RELEASE YEAR: 2025BAND URL: https://floodgatemoodsproductions.bandcamp.com/ To Leave One Living Thing, the latest 2-track EP by Danish/Norwegian post-rockers Picture Ann, is out now via all the usual digital shops and retailers including Bandcamp and Spotify. The two tracks that constitute this hypnotic gem explore the notion of legacy and what each one of us leaves behind, be…
Full photo gallery from the concerts can be seen here: – VENUE: Rockefeller – DATE: 8th of March 2025 – ORGANIZER: All Things Live Some concerts are merely performances, while others feel like full-fledged rituals. The collaboration between “Witch Club Satan” and “MoE” was unmistakably the latter. From the moment the first notes rang out,…
Last year I had the great pleasure of witnessing the hard-hitting Norwegian metal quintet known as Tessia live on stage in Bergen when they were competing in the Wacken Metal Battle semi-finals, and it was a night to remember. Not only was it a hugely memorable performance with the band firing on all cylinders and…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://doublemute.bandcamp.com/album/corporate-culture I can honestly say that I have never come across anything that sounds quite like Double Mute does, and I am absolutely loving that! How to even explain or describe such a unique sound as that of this Norwegian-based entity whose sonic experiments take in noise rock, electronica, avantgarde music,…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://open.spotify.com/album/77WTLOCAmi8iysa1VuxNuX?si=FU3Huoz3TfaFebp8TSdHwA Udenfor, the latest 2-track EP by Danish/Norwegain post-rockers Picture Ann, is out December 18. The title track came about one late afternoon when walking through a wintry cityscape, pondering the impact of Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist on yours truly and how that overlooked literary gem eloquently and elegantly thematizes…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/malignancy Malignancy is quite possibly one of the most inhuman and raw-sounding musical documents that I have come all year, and I am perfectly okay with that, thank you very much. The guitar tone is akin to slime and immediately establishes an atmosphere that can only be described as utterly unpleasant.…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-monolithic-cult-of-death Leave it to Godz ov War to unearth some of the most captivating underground acts and releases and bring them to light – a case in point being this incredibly dynamic and consistently interesting 35-minute output by Deamonolith, which is as unearthly and disquieting as they come. Blackened death metal…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-glorious-persecution The Turkish casket removers known as Persecutory are back with a stellar new output, namely this 3-track EP titled The Glorious Persecution, and it marks their finest hour yet in terms of songwriting and atmosphere. Raw and slime-soaked black metal coupled with pulverizing death metal is the name of the…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://floodgatemoodsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/disquiet-2024-remaster-2 Although laid to rest many years to go, the murky lo-fi ambient entity known as Vornoff has occasionally made its presence felt in the charcoal-stained underground by means of unearthing various previously songs and recordings from the vault – one of which is the bleak twelve-minute musical odyssey through a…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://borknagar.com/ For one of the three major Norwegian black metal institutions, next to Emperor and Enslaved, Borknagar have comparatively only briefly dealt pure genre, from their 1994 inception through the eponymous¹⁹⁹⁴ and, maybe even the now legendary The Olden Domain¹⁹⁹⁷, only to deviate into then unknown and uncharted territory with…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: https://open.spotify.com/album/0yLSPVbADe1jMVUWjebilM?si=1jfRgj-NROe6ddzsqJwGaw Unfortunately, there is just no stopping the annoyingly productive purveyors of all things dark and melancholy known as Picture Ann, i.e. the exponents of lo-fi post-rock and dark ambient drones of the rather dense variety. The latest output titled Promising Oddities is essentially an odds-and-sods collection of tracks and ideas…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024BAND URL: http://lnk.to/thelurkingshadowofdeath Ars Veneficium is about as trustworthy as a dark roast coffee on an early Sunday morning, which means fucking excellent, solid, and massively potent in every sense of the word. While I have enjoyed their previous albums and outputs immensely, their latest offering is undoubtedly their most remarkable and accomplished…
RELEASE YEAR: 2024 BAND URL: https://lnk.to/laubedesanathemes The French black metal horde known as Ende is not one that I had encountered prior to this, but they have been quite prolific ever since the band’s inception in 2010, and I must say that this seven-track opus of theirs is oftentimes rather spellbinding and a perfectly melancholy listen.…
