RITUALS OF THE DEAD HAND – The Wretched and the Vile

RELEASE YEAR: 2024  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/thewretchedandthevile The crushing metal outfit sporting the wicked moniker Rituals of the Dead Hand recently unleashed a six-track torrent of harsh and cynical soundscapes that fall somewhere between doom metal, sludge, black metal, and even death metal at times. Does it work? You can bet your saggy ass that it works!…

BLOEDMAAN – Castle Inside the Eclipse

RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/castleinsidetheeclipse Boasting some incredibly evocative and darkly fascinating artwork and housed in a beautiful digipak, this deeply atmospheric and melodically strong effort by Bloedmaan is nothing short of fantastic and I am finding it hard to believe that it is the intriguing entity’s debut album. By Odin, this is some fucking…

INFERNAL ANGELS – Shrine of Black Fire

RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/shrineofblackfire This is my first encounter with the ceaseless barrage of occult black metal spawned by the horde known as Infernal Angels, and having explored its content for the umpteenth time I must say that I find the unsettling offering a cohesive, sufficiently layered, and intriguingly dark piece of work that…

CRYFEMAL – La Gran Victoria del Mal

RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/lagranvictoriadelmal The manic and maniacal brand of fiercely intense black metal spawned by Cryfemal rarely fails to excite me. As with the solid and morbidly entertaining 2020 offering titled Eterna Oscuridad, this upcoming 30-minute shroud of musical darkness delivers a proper kick to the abdomen and sounds outright vicious and insane.…

DEADSPACE – Unveiling the Palest Truth

RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/unveilingthepalesttruth Infinitely bleak and outright oppressive soundscapes envelop the mind when digesting the ominous content that makes up the latest offering by the Australian black metal duo known as Deadspace, and we might as well establish the fact that this is one of the year’s most captivating releases. Now that we…

INFINITY – The Untamed Hunger

RELEASE YEAR: 2023  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/theuntamedhunger To be perfectly frank, it has been a long time since I last listened to this highly potent and efficient black metal duo from the Netherlands, which makes very little sense as I was really into their Enter Thy Labyrinth of Hell assault from 2005, but I am thrilled that…

AZAGHAL – Alttarimme on Luista Tehty

RELEASE YEAR: 2023BAND URL: https://lnk.to/alttarimmeonluistatehty The Finnish black metal horde known as Azaghal is undoubtedly a known and familiar name to many of you underground freaks out there, and the band are veterans of the scene and have been at it for many years now. Their latest album is a scorching and razor-sharp opus that…

BEYOND HELVETE – Anthem of Decay

RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/anthemofdecay MMXX by the vile black metallers known as Beyond Helvete was an impressive and hauntingly dark affair that flushed my day right down the toilet when it was released back in 2020 – in the best way possible. It was therefore quite interesting to receive a promotional copy of their…

PYRA – Pyra

RELEASE YEAR: 2022BAND URL: https://lnk.to/pyrapyra I was ridiculously excited about receiving and reviewing this suffocatingly dark and utterly bleak debut EP by the recently conceived black/death metal outfit from Italy named Pyra. The early press releases sounded most promising and enticing, but did the actual musical entity live up to my expectations and where exactly…

LIBER NULL – For Whom Is the Night

RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/forwhomisthenight The intriguing International black metal ensemble known as Liber Null is back, and this sophomore effort of theirs has not only surpassed the debut offering but also exceeded my expectations. Cold and punishing metal with a hauntingly bleak tone running through it is what lies in store for you but…

CORPUS CHRISTII – The Bitter End of Old

RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://lnk.to/thebitterendofold The long-running Portugese purveyors of deep-seated melancholy is undoubtedly one of the most noteworthy bands in the black metal underground today, and their upcoming LP titled “The Bitter End of Old” marks yet another step forward in the determined duo’s ongoing journey. The 9-track record is a bone-chilling affair and…

FROSTMOON ECLIPSE – Rustworn

RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: https://smarturl.it/rustworn This sparkling new EP by the Italian black metallers Frostmoon Eclipse is a deeply atmospheric gem, and it is fabulous to see that their uniquely evocative brand of contemplative, pitch-black melancholy remains intact. I was thoroughly impressed with “Worse Weather to Come” (2019) and “Rustworn”, which contains two new songs…

MARA – Loka Mær

RELEASE YEAR: 2022 BAND URL: MARA – LOKA MÆR (smarturl.it)   The Swedish quartet known as Mara is one of the more intriguing and noteworthy acts to be found in today’s black metal scene, and these purveyors of blistering darkness are about to unleash a 6-track album that blends precision, atmosphere, and majestic melodies to…

LICHTBLICK – Abkehr

RELEASE YEAR: 2022  BAND URL: LICHTBLICK – ABKEHR (smarturl.it) I have never previously encountered this Austrian quartet but what I can tell you is that their brand of bleak and melancholic black metal with an emphasis on trance-inducing riffs and tortured vocals that reek of despair and existential angst is a noteworthy one.  There is a subtle sense of beauty…