Posts Tagged ‘black metal’

Dymna Lotva – Vyraj

Posted: 5 August 2026 in Albums, Reviews
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Prophecy Productions – 7th August 2026

Christopher Nosnibor

Earlier this year, we received news that Belarus metal band Dymna Lotva were in some bother when some of their music videos were declared by a court in their home country to constitute ‘extremist materials’. As vocalist Katsiaryna “Nokt Aeon” Mankevich explained at the time, “This means that fans from our home country, who liked, reposted or commented on these videos in the past are now facing a real risk to disappear into a prison. The rule of law does not apply in Belarus. Just one like under a video that has only now been designated as ‘extremist material’ might mean time in jail”.

Having fled the country, they’ve continued to work, and work hard, and are now unveiling their fourth full-length album to the world, following a succession of killer singles, including ‘The Boat of Despair’ , featuring Aaron Stainthorpe, formerly of My Dying Bride.

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And now, on the eve of the new album’s release, Mankevich has been charged with ‘extremist activity’, ‘financing terrorism’, and three more criminal charges in her home country. The Investigative Committee of the Sovietsky District of Minsk officially opened a case against Mankevich, who lives in exile in Poland, in June. She has now been summoned to appear in the Minsk City Court for a hearing on August 14th.

Mankevich explains how this has come about, and remains defiant, writing ‘It is clearly connected to my participation in protests against the regime and to my support for Ukraine. To me, it feels even somewhat flattering that this regime is still keeping an eye on us six years after the protests and five years after I was forced to leave Belarus. This confirms that I am on the right path and also provides me with a strong motivation to keep going. Please do not worry about me. Poland has granted me international protection status because of such political persecution. As a result of this trial, Belarus could seize all my properties still remaining in the country. Well, spending my money on creating music turned out to be a great idea after all. And to the Investigative Committee of the Sovietsky District of Minsk I say: Kiss my extremist ass!’

Some say that politics has no place in music or the arts. Those people are ignoramuses. Even as far back as Shakespeare, art has been the vehicle by which political commentary – and dissent – has been disseminated, often via coded or allegorical means. And this context is essential in understanding the band, what they stand for, and why. And, within this context, the arrival of Vyraj is an achievement which is nothing short of phenomenal.

Dymna Lotva are staunch in their rebellious, dissident stance: as their bio states, ‘their name means “Swamp in Smoke”, which relates to the atrocities surrounding the burned villages of Paliessie, which has endured bloody massacres and brutal conflict in the past. Their lyrics are often based on Belarusian tales filled with accounts of sorrow gleaned from historical archives, folklore, and new horrors that are committed in their home country at the present’.

Black metal is clearly an appropriate medium for all of this, but they describe Vyraj as ‘a musical kaleidoscope’, a work which pushes far in myriad stylistic directions, and it’s not an album built around protest and anger, but an exploration of what they call ‘Belarusian ethno-astronomy,’ explaining that ‘in Slavonic legends, the starry sky is associated both with the afterlife and with journeys, which becomes closely intertwined with the musicians’ personal experience of forced emigration’.

The album itself delivers on everything it promises, and more. The first track, ‘Zory’ begins gently before sliding into an almost Swans-like hypnotic groove, before finally the black metal blast powers in. But there’s a twist: the demonic howls and thunderous drums are paired with a sense of expanse that offers hints of prog bombast and symphonic glory. incredibly, it not only works, but is a complete rush.

‘Veha’, which clocks in at over seven minutes, is a multi-faceted epic in every sense, with some dainty chiming notes offering a melodic delicacy which contrasts significantly with the blistering guitars and throat-ripping vocals, finally yielding to a softer closing passage which borders on the ambient.

The aforementioned ‘The Boat of Despair’, which bears one of only two titles in English, is a definite standout, not least of all because it represents such a stylistic shift, introducing hunts of post-metal alongside hints of Amenra, and offers so much emotional depth.

It’s the range and dynamics of Vyraj which make it such a gripping listen, as you find yourself wondering what the next twist or turn will be, and amidst the flaming fury, there are moments or transcendental beauty which are truly elevating. There are still plenty of rabid, raving black metal blastout passages on offer here, and when they go all out, Dymna Lotva really do go all out with face-melting ferocity. But ‘Niamah Darohi’, with its sweeping operatic vocal contrasting with a hellish howl, a rolling piano paired with shuddering rapidfire kick drum is exemplary of the album’s immense range and the remarkable vision when it comes not only to the songwriting, but its execution.

The closer, the eight-minute ‘Return My Coffin Home’ is the very definition of ‘epic’, and reminds us that this may be the only way they will ever return home, at least as long as the current regime is in place. That they have produced such a remarkably detailed, intricate, and impactful work against all the odds is testament to the artistic spirit. Long may it continue to represent the instinct for survival. Whatever happens next, with Vyraj, Dymna Lotva have determined their legacy as innovators within the sphere of black metal.

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Old Corpse Road / Miško Boba / Evil Dungeon Crawler / Aubzagl – The Fulford Arms, York, 5th July 2026

Posted: 6 July 2026 in Live, Reviews
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Christopher Nosnibor

Like many places, York may have lost a fair few venues through the years, but its live music scene is positively buzzing right now – especially when it comes to alternative music. And so it is that today sees day three of the tenth annual Swinefest – ostensibly a punk festival, but a broad church which offers a celebration of all kinds of weird, even down to The Masochists playing a set of covers of Rudimentary Peni songs – on Millennium Fields in the afternoon, while in the evening The Fulford Arms promises a smorgasbord of the darkest, most extreme metal. My daughter and I swing by the Fields for a bit in the afternoon, passing The Dark Horse coffee shop which has a (very loud) acoustic performer playing outside on the way, and catch The Sex Cripples’ set before hayfever drives us home. And then the evening, once the pollen has descended, I’m able to venture out safely without wanting to tear my eyes from their sockets. It’s bliss. Entering the dark venue, already murky with smoke, I find myself immediately at ease, and a pint of Vocation Heart & Soul is a winner.

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The Sex Cripples (Because I have to document every act I see, regardless)

I’m here first and foremost for Miško Boba, a band so powerful live they’re probably addictive, but The Fully has a record of hosting some quality metal gigs, and this one, curated by Steelheart Promotions, proves to be one of them.

Oftentimes, black metal can be a bit hit and miss, and in particular the openers can be a bit rough and ready, but while Leeds’ Aubzagl – purveyors of ‘antifascist blackened metal’ may not quite have their image down, but their sound is definitely there, with their twin vocals –guttural growling from the guy who also plays keyboards, a higher, screaming howl from the flame-haired, mask-wearing bassist/lead vocal who’s centre stage, and quite a presence. One of the guitarists is wearing a PWEI T-shirt, which seems a bit incongruous, but apart from the aforementioned bassist, they’re all in shorts and T-shirts and thrash hard. It’s a meaty racket alright. There’s a cover towards the end of the set which they say is a 90s song that influenced them, and it takes me a bit to recognise that it’s an adaptation of Nirvana’s ‘Tourettes’. They play hard, and fast. Very fast, and have songs about killing nazis and hating billionaires. Easy targets, but YES! With 5-string bass and 7-string guitar, they’ve got density. They call up their former bassist, Luke, whose birthday it is (he’s defected to Miško Boba, but all seems amicable) , to join them, and as a 6-piece they’re absolutely phenomenal as they bring the set to a ferocious finale.

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Aubzagl

Evil Dungeon Crawler is a name that sounds like it came from a black metal band name generator, but what does it matter when the logo is a classic spiky pile of sticks? They’re committed to the look alright, with all the hair, spikes and the most elaborate face paint, but how to they sound? Dark and deranged, and as if dragged from flaming purgatorial pits. Their set is a brutal, fierce, and relentlessly hellish half hour, delivered with captivating showmanship, through a whorl or twirling hair. So much hair… Would see again.

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Evil Dungeon Crawler

There’s perhaps a bit much bass and not quite enough guitar to begin with, but Miško Boba are as fierce as ever. And as the set progressed, so the sound improved, and the detail of the interplay between the two guitars and the folkier aspects of their compositions came through. The atmospheric, melodic passages render the returning riffs even more powerful. And perhaps around halfway through he set, I realise just how devastatingly loud they are. And I say that having seen Sunn O))) earlier in the week. It’s a different kind of volume intensity, of course, and with more treble, but in a low-ceilinged small venue, their sonic impact is significant.

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Miško Boba

There’s something ancient and earthy ingrained within their sound which sets them apart. It’s as though the black metal ferocity systems from prehistory, something primal, and every song manifests as a purging from the pain of past lives. They close the set with a new song about a massacre which took place outside Lithuanian capital. It’s the heaviest thing yet. Holy shit. If it’s in any way representative of the forthcoming album, then their best is very much yet to come.

Old Corpse Road boast two guitarists, one of whom looks like Uncle Fester exhumed, a bassist who resembles Giant Haystacks – also exhumed – and a hooded singer who doesn’t look too menacing despite the corpse paint. But shit, they’re heavy from the first bar. Sonically, it doesn’t get much darker or more black metal than this.

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OId Corpse Road

Theirs it truly the sound of souls shrieking as they incinerate in hell. It hurts. The droning, sepulchral synths add layers of menace to a sonic assault which is relentless in its punishing ferocity. My notes are scant because I’m completely enthralled. When done half-arsed, black metal can be lame cosplay, but at its best, it’s nothing short of terrifying and utterly ruinous. Old Corpse Road are firmly in the latter category, and tonight’s set is gloriously brutal.

Watch: ‘Aux inutiles’ my Mourir

Posted: 30 June 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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French quartet Mourir release their second full-length studio album, Nous, le venin, this summer via Pelagic Records. Their forward-thinking take on black metal and uncompromising approach to their work marks them out as ones to watch when they present this new material live at festivals across Europe including Hellfest, Rock In Bourlon and Resurrection festival in the months to come. 

Ahead of the release of their new album Mourir, have shared 3rd single ‘Aux inutiles’, which according to the band, “Pays tribute to those who live out of sync — the sick, the depressed, the ones who see too clearly. It is the cry of those whom modern society casts into the shadows, consumed by such deep self-depreciation that it eventually destroys them. The track reflects the depression inherent to a disillusioned West — the weariness of living in a world saturated with meaning yet stripped of genuine emotion.Musically, it is more direct, fast-paced, intense, and filled with frustration. It conveys urgency and inner turmoil.”

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With a demo, an album and an experimental EP to their name, the four-piece retreated to the studio at the end of 2025 to write the music for Nous, le venin. Recorded in January 2026 with Amaury Sauvé (Birds in row, Igorrr, Pneu) at The Apiary Studio in Laval, France, the six tracks are the very embodiment of Mourir’s approach to black metal. Although they draw inspiration from many artists in the old-school black metal world, they opted to lean into a more modern sound – one that would allow the depth of their sonic choices to shine. Blending elements of sludge and post-metal to the rawness of their black metal sound, and combining this with a mix that gives space to both the low frequencies and the high-octane viscerality, Mourir have created something both distinctive and captivating, which is demonstrated on epic first single and album title track, ‘Nous, le venin’.

Thematically, the band turns their detached gaze towards an ever-more untethered modern society, one that is inhospitable to those seeking meaning in the cruelty and absurdity of a seemingly senseless world. Yet within these tracks exists slivers of light, of hope and of luminosity – a belief that something better is possible is woven throughout the melodic passages and most celestial, ecstatic elements of their sound. The evocative cover art by Thomas Davezac captures the feeling of disconnection that permeates the album.

Mourir have recorded an album that cements their place among underground greats who deftly eschew the nostalgic trappings of black metal convention and breathe new life into the genre. Nous, le venin is imbued with raw emotion that is perfectly complemented by stylistic choices that echo the sentiment of being freed from the chains of the past.

Nous, le venin by Mourir will be released via Pelagic Records on 10th July.

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Mourir by Jodie Roszak

Darkthrone – Pre-Historic Metal

Posted: 29 June 2026 in Albums, Reviews
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Peaceville – 8th May 2026

Christopher Nosnibor

The arrival of Pre-Historic Metal marks forty years of Fenriz and Nocturno Culto’s musical collaboration, initially as Black Death, the album’s back cover proudly boasting ‘No metronome since 1987’. The images which accompany the lyrics in the CD’s booklet depict damp logs, thick, verdant moss, and the centrepiece is a misty shot of what appears to be the remains of a stone circle – or just a rocky clearing – in a forest, where the band are lurking, shadowy figures in the background. It’s all a fair indication – or forewarning – of what Pre-Historic Metal, an album pitched as ‘the new studio album of primitive metal from the Norse cavemen’ is all about.

As Fenriz himself proclaims of the title’s symbolic origin, “Prehistoric is a loose term. I just figure it’s our VIBE, our take on things and it’s more a statement that we use old style to create something new”. It sets their stall out nicely, and prepares the listener for precisely what Darkthrone deliver, which is, quite simply, forty-one minutes of relentless, riff-driven metal.

There are twists and turns galore during each and every song, opener ‘They Found one of My Graves’ packing in some well-placed breakdowns and flourishes into its five and a quarter minutes, wedging these moments tight between the thunderous overdrive and gnarly guttural vocals, drawing together elements of Black Metal and Thrash in a completely natural fashion. The title is a hell-for-leather blast of blistering overload, which suddenly becomes a doomy pagan ritual, the commanding vocals booming through cavernous reverb amidst a chthonic growl of barbarically brutal guitar.

The seven-minute ‘Siberian Thaw’ takes the basic principles of a grunge riff and slows it to a glacial crawl, adding some Sabbath-influenced doom drone to its sludgy trudgery. And yes, they do the thing of picking up the pace to that of a solid headbang before bringing the riff back slow and low and denser than before. It’s a tried and tested template, and they play it to perfection, spinning a meandering prog mid-section before blasting in with the pulverizing grind segment that makes you go ‘hell yes!’ before, of course, finally, going back to the starting point.

The album’s second six-minute epic, ‘The Dry Wells of Hell’ plays out a delicate, atmospheric intro, and strikes a more theatrical stance all round, pitching some bold, soaring vocal melodic moments amidst the demonic snarling and the vibe is unmistakably and unashamedly vintage. But the joy of Pre-Historic Metal is that it’s not specifically one thing or another, but a curated catalogue of metal. And they don’t put a foot wrong.

Sure, if you’ve listened to enough metal, you’ve heard it all before, in various permutations, but that’s the point. Pre-Historic Metal is about execution rather than innovation, and every single riff lands in a way that absolutely hits the spot.

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Watch: ‘Nous, le venin / Feu d’un regard’ by Mourir

Posted: 3 June 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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French quartet Mourir recently announced the release of their second full-length studio album, Nous, le venin, this summer via Pelagic Records. Their forward-thinking take on black metal and uncompromising approach to their work marks them out as ones to watch when they present this new material live at festivals across Europe including Hellfest, Rock In Bourlon and Resurrection festival in the months to come. 

To mark the release of Mourir’s second single ‘Feu d’un regard’, the band is unveiling a live video filmed during the recording sessions for the album Nous, le venin last January. It’s a way for the band to document the album’s recording and showcase the first two singles, ‘Nous, le venin’ and ‘Feu d’un regard’ live.

The video stays true to the rest of the album, which was recorded live at The Apiary in Laval by Amaury Sauvé, mixed by Clément Libes at La Tanière in Copenhagen, and mastered in Paris by Adrien Pallot at Chab Mastering.

Filmed and edited by Clara Griot and Emma Mari, this behind-the-scenes look at the recording of Mourir’s second full-length album gives a glimpse of what awaits fans who cross paths with the Toulouse-based band this summer.

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With a demo, an album and an experimental EP to their name, the four-piece retreated to the studio at the end of 2025 to write the music for Nous, le venin. Recorded in January 2026 with Amaury Sauvé (Birds in row, Igorrr, Pneu) at The Apiary Studio in Laval, France, the six tracks are the very embodiment of Mourir’s approach to black metal. Although they draw inspiration from many artists in the old-school black metal world, they opted to lean into a more modern sound – one that would allow the depth of their sonic choices to shine. Blending elements of sludge and post-metal to the rawness of their black metal sound, and combining this with a mix that gives space to both the low frequencies and the high-octane viscerality, Mourir have created something both distinctive and captivating, which is demonstrated on epic first single and album title track, ‘Nous, le venin’.

Thematically, the band turns their detached gaze towards an ever-more untethered modern society, one that is inhospitable to those seeking meaning in the cruelty and absurdity of a seemingly senseless world. Yet within these tracks exists slivers of light, of hope and of luminosity – a belief that something better is possible is woven throughout the melodic passages and most celestial, ecstatic elements of their sound. The evocative cover art by Thomas Davezac captures the feeling of disconnection that permeates the album.

Mourir have recorded an album that cements their place among underground greats who deftly eschew the nostalgic trappings of black metal convention and breathe new life into the genre. Nous, le venin is imbued with raw emotion that is perfectly complemented by stylistic choices that echo the sentiment of being freed from the chains of the past.

Nous, le venin by Mourir will be released via Pelagic Records on 10th July.

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Mourir

Listen: ‘I Speak Forgotten Voices’ by Trelldom

Posted: 14 May 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Iconic Norwegians TRELLDOM, founded by legendary vocalist Gaahl, now reveal the eerie advance single ‘I Speak Forgotten Voices’ as the final track selected from their forthcoming new full-length: …by the word…

…by the word… has been chalked up for release on May 29, 2026.

TRELLDOM do neither comment on their music nor explain their art.

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With …by the word…, TRELLDOM are pushing forward hard into their new musical era that was ushered in by the previous full-length …by the shadows… (2024), which ended a 17-year hiatus of the Norwegian band.

Mastermind Kristian Eivind Espedal aka Gaahl and his diligently selected collaborators have gone even beyond the complex yet sinister sound that they established with …by the shadows… The exponentially grown confidence and hard-gained experience of joining together seemingly quite different musicians is reflected clearly in each track of …by the word…
TRELLDOM have concluded the process of escaping the narrowest definition of black metal without compromising their artistic mission. Their music does not only stay loyal to the spirit of their black metal roots, but the Norwegians are making a solid point that their new sound is even more dark and fierce than ever before – just in more twisted and unhinged ways.
…by the word… is the result of Espedal expanding the immense range of his vocals even further into unexplored territories. And it should be noted that this was partly achieved by his return to the famous Grieghallen Studios in Bergen to work again with legendary producer Eirik Hundvin aka Pytten, who was instrumental in the creation of the ‘Norwegian black metal’ sound.

Although Espedal remains firmly at the helm of TRELLDOM, the current line-up plays a massive part in the fresh exploration of musical extremes. Guitarist Stian “Sir” Kårstad (formerly also in DJERV) guarantees a form of continuity as he already contributed to the second and third album of the band. Furthermore, the new constellation features renowned percussionist Kenneth Kapstad, formerly of MOTORPSYCHO and hammering the drums in SPIDERGAWD, MØSTER!, and THORNS. Kapstad brought the internationally acclaimed jazz musician and saxophone player Kjetil Møster (MØSTER!, RÖYKSOPP, THE END) along. Bass player Eirik Øien is the latest addition to the cast of characters.

TRELLDOM were founded by Gaahl in Sunnfjord, Vestland in 1992. The band’s early trilogy of albums, Til evighet… (1995), Til et annet… (1999), and Til minne… (2007) are all regarded as underground milestones of black metal history. Espedal is widely accepted as one of the leading figures of the Nordic black metal scene. The enigmatic vocalist joined the notorious Bergen outfit GORGOROTH in 1998 but soon contributed to a wider range of projects that include Einar Selvik’s WARDRUNA, GOD SEED, and in 2015 he also launched his new band GAAHLS WYRD.

TRELLDOM continue in the tradition of all of Espedal’ art, which asks to always expect the unexpected. With …by the word… the exploration of avant-garde dissonance, wicked rhythm patterns, and wild ideas again destroys preconceptions and demands intense listening. Better prepare to be challenged by every note!

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A Forest of Stars – Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface

Posted: 4 May 2026 in Albums, Reviews
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Prophecy Productions – 8th May 2026

Christopher Nosnibor

I seem to be on something of an inadvertent black metal trip this bank holiday weekend, and, peculiarly, one devoted to black metal forged on this small island, for following my review of Hellripper’s Coronach – black metal that’s staunch in its Scottishness – we have Prophecy Productions pitching the new album from West Yorkshire (Leeds, of course, where else) act A Forest of Stars as being uniquely British in their branding.

It’s tempting to unpack the importance of national identities here, particularly at a time when ‘British’ identity – at home, far more than away – carries some toxic connotations, and the majority of Scots are keen to claim independence from the government of the United Kingdom – in short, to become dis-united, but this is such complex and boggy terrain that there simply isn’t the time or space, even if it were appropriate here. And so I will return to the seemingly flippant word selection concerning ‘British branding’, for while – as is a central trope of black metal – A Forest of Stars’ album titles are strewn with corpses, death, and decay (their debut was entitled, perhaps somewhat oxymoronically, The Corpse of Rebirth, while their last was called Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes, which sounds probably more humorous in its punning wordplay than intended), Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface sounds like corporate speak. If a there was multinational corporation that dominated the industry of funeral directors, Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface could well be the title of a report for the executive committee. Or perhaps Pure Cremation have already written it and had that meeting concerning their strategy in the event of another pandemic, replete with an array of graphs and graphics, pie charts and flow charts, costings and projections. Because capitalism exploits everything there is to exploit.

As such, the language of capitalism sits very much at odds not only with a metal band, but a band so immersed in art and poetry, whose biography goes to significant effort to point out that ‘in his recitative mode, vocalist Curse is even reminiscent of electro poet Anne Clark – after a steady diet of prescription drugs and rusty nails. On the other hand, his singing voice evokes memories of a young Martin Walkyier. The impressive command of the English language by that great metal bard, his plentiful plays on words and subtle multi-layered meanings also have a place in the poetic lyrics of A FOREST OF STARS – yet in different, often far more neo-dadaist ways, in which tiny twists of spelling can have surprisingly dark effects’ (suggesting, at the same time, that the wordplay of Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes was entirely intentional after all).

The regular release of the album contains six songs, the shortest of which is the opener, ‘Ascension of the Clowns’ at a hefty nine minutes, and with the last two stretching beyond the fifteen-minute mark. The deluxe edition adds three more tracks – by most standards, an additional EP, or even an album of bonus material.

‘Ascension of the Clowns’ is grand and theatrical: Curse brings the metal fury, but emotes and enunciates, his words not only audible but clear above the spacious guitar work – which, over the course of the album’s expansive compositions – are accompanied by an array of instruments from piano to violin, as well as acoustic guitar. There’s a strong orchestral leaning – not to mention folk elements – to incredibly ambitious work, and it’s hard to fault the musicianship or arrangements, although the instrumentation is often dialled down to accompany the vocals, rather than the elements merging to create a sonic whole.

There are obvious reasons for this: Stack Overflow in Corpse Pile Interface is as much like a musical as it is a metal album. Without wishing to sound in any way mocking, one can almost picture Curse lofting a skull and affecting his most dramatic Hamlet-inspired gushings as he proclaims in the most thespy rendition of anguish, “Shit of that shit! The enshitenment!” on ‘Street Level Vertigo’. Yes, he knows his words and wordplay, and clearly revels in the way words reverberate and resonate and rub against one another to conjure layers of meaning and heightened drama.

‘Mechanically Separated Logic’ references the processes of the meat industry, applied to the psychology of late capitalism, and while the instrumentation is subtlety detailed and softly picked for the most part, only bursting into cathedrals of sound in places, again, the vocals are pure theatre, bold, exaggerated, and it’s hard to know quite how to take it, to deduce how serious this preposterously excessive style is. But even assuming there is a knowingness, a joyful revelling in the absurdity of all of this, it feels more like a work to respected and admired rather than enjoyed. No, that’s not entirely accurate: it’s enjoyable, even entertaining, particularly with its folk flourishes and revelling in the excremental, but it’s enjoyable as a performance, rather than as a set of songs which resonate on an emotional level.

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Hellripper – Coronach

Posted: 3 May 2026 in Albums, Reviews
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Century Media – 27th March 2026

Christopher Nosnibor

Pentagram-shaped goat heads adorn Hellripper’s website and Bandcamp. “All hail the goat” is a band slogan of sorts, and is emblazoned on the body of the compact disc, which depicts a goat in an approximation of a lion rampant stance, thus combining James McBain’s strongly Scottish identity (the album comes in ‘Wild Thistle’ pink, ‘Saltaire’ blue, ;’Highland Mist’ grey and ‘Black Cuillin’ vinyl editions’ and Baphomet, adopted as something of a mascot within the black metal community since the dawn of the genre with Venom’s Black Metal in 1982, and Bathory’s genre-defining eponymous debut in ’84. there’s a giant goat forged from mist and cloud on the moody, mountainous cover art, too.

The ‘one-man black/speed metal band formed by Scottish musician James McBain in 2014’ has been crowned ‘Scotland’s King of the arcane mosh’ by Metal Hammer magazine, with a style which is very much rooted in 80s black metal, and, as the Hellripper website states, ‘heavily inspired by witchcraft and the supernatural, Hellripper is also deeply rooted in its Scottish origins, using the landscape and historical events as a backdrop for its lyrics and imagery’.

Coronach is Hellripper’s fourth full-length album, and features eight riff-ripping songs with a total run time of forty-four solo-centric minutes. The instant ‘Hunderprest’ powers in at a hundred miles an hour, McBain is straight in with the flamboyant fretwork, and some of it is just wildly excessive. ‘Less is more’ is not a motto Hellripper abide by. But the riffs themselves are killer, and she snarling, rasping vocals may be of the genre, but add to the gnarliness of the dark whirlwinds which blast through each and every song. The pace is relentlessly fast and furious and the style cohesive throughout.

That said, as much as I say that this is ‘of the genre’, Coronach does show ambition and awareness when it comes to composition and arrangement: ‘The Art of Resurrection’ starts with a delicate, atmospheric piano passage, while the title track includes Sir Walter Scott’s poem of the same title (Scott was Scottish) and bagpipes (of course).

‘Baobhan Sith (Waltz of the Damned)’, the first of the album’s two bona fide epics, with a span of six and a half minutes, rounds of the first half, and with the fancy fretwork reined in (a bit, at least) in favour of driving riffery, it’s a powerful, pounding beast of a tune, while the title track, which draws the curtain on the album, is a towering, monumental nine-minute monster which goes all-out anthemic and which flies the flag of tartan black metal with pride.

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Watch: ‘The Blackest of Days’ by Since The Death

Posted: 7 April 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Swedish extreme metal project Since The Death have unveiled a brand new video for ‘The Blackest of Days’, taken from their upcoming album Entangled, due out on April 24 via Nordic Mission.

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Founded in 2016 in Linköping by multi-instrumentalist Oscar Rask, Since The Death has operated as a singular studio vision, blending the ferocity of death, thrash, and black metal into a sound that is both razor-sharp and overwhelming.

With Entangled, the project reaches a new level of intensity and precision, pushing its fusion of extreme genres into darker, more intricate territory. ‘The Blackest of Days’ offers another glimpse into this evolution, relentless, aggressive, and tightly controlled, while still carrying a strong sense of atmosphere and tension.

The upcoming release also marks a new chapter for Since The Death, as the project prepares to step out of the studio and onto the stage for the first time, with a full live lineup and a confirmed appearance at Light The Dark.

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Watch: ‘Abject Sacrifice’ by Non Serviam

Posted: 1 April 2026 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
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Deeply rooted in industrial experimentation and the rawness of black metal, French avant-garde collective Non Serviam have forged a singular style that blurs the boundaries between extreme genres while preserving their intensity through a radical and uncompromising artistic approach.

The collective now announces their third full-length album, La Lune Dont Mon Âme Est Pleine, set to be released on June 12 through a new alliance between Non Serviam and Lay Bare Recordings. Alongside the announcement, the band unveil the video for the new track ‘Abject Sacrifice’.

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Five years after Le Cœur Bat (2021), and more than a decade after Un Petit peu d’amour Pour la Haine, this new album stands as a major step forward in the band’s evolution. After a prolific run of EPs, splits, and mini-albums, Non Serviam return with a full-length work that pushes further the sonic and aesthetic direction unveiled on Le Cœur Bat, now refined through experimentation and artistic evolution.

La Lune Dont Mon Âme Est Pleine is a symbolist concept album centered on the myth of Diana and Actaeon, exploring themes of the desire for the absolute, the violence it engenders, and the melancholy that follows. These ideas permeate the album’s compositions, shaping both the music and the lyrical narratives. Beyond the metamorphosed and tormented figure of Actaeon, the album also draws on historical and mythological figures such as Émile Henry, the late-19th-century French anarchist, and the apocalyptic goddess Kali, invoked through a powerful vocal appearance by Mirai Kawashima (Sigh).

With La Lune Dont Mon Âme Est Pleine, Non Serviam continue their artistic trajectory, delivering a work that is ambitious, confrontational, and emotionally intense, further pushing the boundaries between extreme music, experimental composition, and avant-garde art.

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