Мещера – Ritual- Sisters 9/10 Dark atmospheric pagan Black metal artists Meschera (Мещера) have unleashed their latest offering Ritual. A track that begins with its native group chant and summoning of winters embrace. In this instance the band has fully embraced the roots of the inno-Ugric tribe whilst being able to continue the delicate balance between the traditional and the modern. It is a heavy vocal offering and as always, the evocative and commanding voice of Alex

Saor – Caledonia 8.5/10 SAOR (Gaelic and Scottish for free) is the creation of Andy Marshall that since 2013 has ushered in the style of Caledonian (Scotland) Black Metal that merges the traditions of folk and Gaelic with the modern fury of extreme metal.’’ Caledonia’’ is not a new album per se but a reconstruction of five classic tracks from the Roots, Aura, and Guardians eras recorded the way they were always originally intended with the proper resour

Otras - Na Kridlach Morivida 8.5/10 Košice Slovakia madmen Otras return with their only second full-length album after 2024s Čas karhať. The new album ‘Na Kridlach Morivida’ ("On the Wings of the Plague") is the highly aggressive combination of raw speed metal, furious black metal, combined with punk delivered at insane speeds At a mere 32 minutes Na Kridlach Morivida is an album delivered with incredible and the upmost intensity, from the subtle intro to the vibrant speed

Theosophy – Line Before The Event Horizon 8/10 Hailing from the Altai Krai region of Barnaul is Siberia’s Theosophy. They have terrorised the underground since 2004 with their all-out assault of Black Metal. Their seventh album Line Before the Event Horizon continues the mayhem. From the opener, ‘’Path to the Void,” and its full-on attack it is proof that Theosophy excels in crafting well-executed black metal that is raw, icy cold, tempered by manic time changes and frantic

Flame – Ignis Draconis Daemonicus 7.5/10 Finland’s Flame are the flag bearers of blasphemous speed infused blackened thrash. Their third release Ignis Draconis Daemonicus marks their return after fifteen years and carries all their hallmarks that are part traditional/ part modern yet all pure metal Flame indulges in old school speed terror; its rapid two four timing and harsh vocals set against a clean sound that is reminiscent of the eighties masters. ‘’Sethanic Sorcery’’

Behemoth – I, Scvlptor 8/10 Poland’s Behemoth are titans within the black metal genre. With such popularity comes criticism. Accusations that their last album saw the band merely coasting plagued its release. Less than a year later is the new album I, Scvlptor Described by Nergal (Guitars Vocals) “an autonomous work that bridges our past with what is new and fresh” I, Scvlptor is not just a “compilation” but a glimpse into their future.’’ I, Scvlptor’’ is a track that is a

Faustian – Parable Of The Sewer 9/10 There are those who claim to be blasphemous and there are those who embody it. Australia’s Faustian is one such act, a supergroup if you will (featuring members of Werewolves) that represent the utter nihilism within. Their second release is the utterly defiant Parable Of The Sewer A sacrilegious interpretation of the parable of the Sower (the trade of the soul for knowledge or power) the exchange in this instance is the convergence of t

Valkyrie’s Fire - Out of Darkness 9/10 Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee one of the unlikeliest locations for Symphonic Power Metal is Valkyrie’s Fire. with several singles and an Ep under their belt their debut album is the truly Epic Out of Darkness. Strap self in, Out of Darkness is colossal, truly colossal, thirteen tracks at over seventy-two minutes, it is grandiose, cinematic, and majestic with its wonder and alluring charm. It is also incredibly metal with some of the

Skjult – A Perfect Devouring Light 8/10 From 2015 Cuban Conspirator (vocals/ all instruments) has led Skjult with such an uncompromising vision that its intensity is felt throughout his interpretation of modern black metal. Its fast frenetic yet multilayered and the fifth full length release ‘A Perfect Devouring Light’ is a deconstruction of ideals where light is not the revelation but a violent penetrative force. Musically excellent, this is a feverish rejection of the acc

Myrkviðr – Harmur 8.5/10 Myrkviðr (Black Forest) are an Icelandic Conglomerate that explore the darkest corners of faith, violence, and the human condition. Their debut release is the raw and chaotic Harmur (Sorrow) four tracks performed in the native Icelandic that encapsulates the bans steadfast vision, that is intense and uncompromising. Harmur is blessed with an atmosphere that is so deeply imbedded it is a natural part of their style. When it does explode it is a lit

Firtan Helios 9.7/10 The fifth album from Germanys Firtan is a masterwork of atmospheric black/ death metal that incorporates the classical to create a truly uncompromising, steadfast piece of art. Much Like its namesake Helios it is a conquest over darkness, the shining sun over brutal enslavement to create the strongest personification of self. After the melancholic intro of "Himsa" and its beautiful strings every Firtan album is blessed with an incredible opening riff a

Exitium Sui- Unravelling 9/10 The third full length release from Exitium Sui is Unravelling, an album that explores the disturbing reflection of experience. Its sole creator E.S. has delivered a masterclass of atmospheric doom-laden black metal. At times Unravelling feels like a nightmare of epic proportions, its tormented howls punctuated by frantic screams that is a cathartic release of anxieties and nightmares. Its atmosphere is dense and cloying, at times inescapable, a

Tir – Vengeance/ Possessed 8.5/10 Tir is the creation of solo instrumentalist Oytun Bektas. A progener of the modern dungeon synth movement. With over fifteen releases in ten years, it is an accomplished body of work that is rich and sweeping with its textures that is vivid and emotive. Tir’s latest release are the Vengeance and Possessed singles. Vengeance is a slowly building crescendo born of dread and darkness, its horn like

Hulder – Verbolgen 9/10 Pennsylvania’s Hulder have developed a formidable reputation for not only their uncompromising black metal, but their underground heritage and ability to surprise with every new release. No longer a solo act, Hulder (Vocals /guitars /keys) has welcomed Necreon (Bass /vocals) into her inner circle as a creative partner. Verbolgen is the result of this partnership, their third full-length release (Separate from the collectable Eps and

Argul - Soledad and Orgullo 8.5/10 Formed in Peru in 2014 by guitarist Mauricio Guerrero and drummer Jose María Venturi, the road to their debut album has been a long one. Soledad and Orgullo is that debut and it is a celebration of the undeniable power of traditional doom merged with flourishes of psychedelia and stoner. From the opening note with its dual guitar passages Soledad and Orgullo is an ode to Traditional doom, the style purely emotional without any of the mo

Blodtar – Monark 8.5/10 The Stockholm based duo that is Blodtar have returned with their third release, the incredible Monark. An album created in tragedy and the urgency to create and release it, yet without a sense of optimism and hope. Created in darkness yet yearning for light. The self-titled Blodtar reflects the urgency of this album’s creation. It is melodic yet quintessentially black metal, carrying a vitality and a tangibility this is undeniab

A Grave Ascent - Lumen Ad Mortem 9/10 Hailing from what is undeniably the extreme metal state of South Australia Is Lumen Ad Morten. Following up from their debut 2023 release ‘Upon the Edge of Darkness’ is ‘A Grave Ascent’, an album of atmospheric black metal that is so utterly uncompromising displaying their immense musical capabilities and depth. A Grave Ascent is an album of contrasts. Its overwhelming sense of melancholy is marked by extreme tremolo and temp

Finsterforst- Still 9/10 For those uninitiated, the sixth full length album by Germanys Finsterforst is a celebration of their black forest metal and the crossing of genre boundaries. Dynamic and steeped in tradition, the result is an album that celebrates life and exemplary musicianship. From some simply beautifully clean guitar sections to the simply huge riff that is ‘Obduktion’’, the pacing is tempered and sparse to allow everything to fully overwhelm the senses with a s

Valfurlogi – Gneisti af eldi Guðs 8.5/10 Gneisti af eldi Guðs (A spark of God's fire) is the second album from Iceland’s Valfurlogi. It is a masterclass in modern melodic black metal that is as experimental as it is uncompromising and extreme. Gneisti af eldi Guðs reeks of a maturity that comes for compositions created over a twenty-year period. For all the chaos of the title track there is a methodical almost mathematical urgency to the riff that threatens to spin out of c

Duir- Catarsi 7.5 /10 The Second album from the faceless collective that is Italy’s Duir, Catarsi is an ambitious WWI concept record exploring the psychological despair of a soldier, the result is desolate and haunting expressed through raw folk infused black metal. From the opener of Manifesto and its grim settings the hurdy gurdy and guitar stand at equal footing, and the result is a sound that is recognizable yet also unique, it is a vast cinematic infused style that capt