Album Reviews

Dyscordia, a melodic metal band from Kortrijk, Belgium, has released their fourth album 'The Road to Oblivion' on April 17, 2024. Dyscordia has earned their spot on the line-up of bigger festivals like Summerbreeze over the years. This year they get to play a massive hometown show opening Alcatraz festival in August, one of Belgium's top metal festivals. Let's check out the new album!
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From the ancient Norse and Viking myths, the international pagan black metal trio Árstíðir Lífsins, which translates to "Seasons of Life", have been one of the few bands to dive into Icelandic literature and medieval history. Musically Árstíðir Lífsins songwriting and composition have deepened with time and the sixth album “Aldrlok” released via Ván Records on May 31st, 2024, marks a significant innovation for the band.
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Among the most revered doom metal acts in the sub-genre is the Russian epic doom metal band Scald. Formed in 1993 by bassist Velingor and was joined by other members still present in the lineup, such as drummer Ottar and guitarist Harald. The band released its demo “North Winds” a year later, the inspiration to Viking and epic metal did not halt the band from creating a masterpiece in 1997 with the first full-length album “Will of God Is a Great Power” was regarded as one of the best epic doom metal albums in the era of 90s, and this because their vocalist Agyl (a.k.a. Maxim Andrianov R.I.P.) who gave an unforgettable performance, sadly the singer died before the release of the album.
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Bordeaux-based symphonic black metal outfit Seth has returned with their seventh grand opus entitled 'La France des Maudits', out via Season of Mist since July 14th, 2024. The French sextet is fronted by the original members Heimoth (guitars) and Alsvid (drums) with as returning members, notably Saint Vincent (vocals), Drakhian (guitars), Pierre Le Pape (keyboards) and Esx Vnr (bass) as they continue to define their sophisticated craftsmanship.
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Denmark and Türkiye might not have so much in commen, except then perhaps for the death metal band Hyperdontia. The four-piece group is comprised of Mathias Friborg (guitars, vocals), Mustafa Gürcalioğlu (guitars), Tuna (drums) and Malik Çamlica (bass guitar). 'Harvest of Malevolence' is the third album out via Me Saco Un Ojo Records and Dark Descent Records in the band’s discography and can be regarded to be just as brutal and filthy as the 2021 sophomore 'Hideous Entity'. Hyperdontia became one of the staples of the Danish underground scene with bands like Phrenelith and Chaotian. Needless to say, they have upped their slab of death metal.
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Four years ago, Swedish melodic black metal band Kvaen took the underground scene by storm with the release of the debut full-length album 'The Funeral Pyre'. Multi-instrumentalist Jacob Björnfot transcended his work on the follow-up album 'The Great Below'. And now he returns with the third album The Formless Fire' which features a respected session guest musician within the Swedish black metal scene such as Sebastian Ramstedt (Necrophobic, In Aphelion), alongside Fredrik Andersson (Amon Amarth, A Canorous Quintet) as the new drummer.
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Three years since the release of their fifth album 'At One with None' Swedish heavy metal stalwarts Portrait return for a follow-up album: 'The Host' is out via Metal Blade Records since June 21st, 2024. For a long time now the Swedes have been wearing influences on theor sleeve of Iron Maiden and Mercyful Fate. Unlike on its predecessor Portrait upped the pace on the newest record as the quintet of Per Lengstedt (vocals), Christian Lindell (guitars), Karl Gustafsson (guitars), Fredrik Petersson (bassist) and Anders Persson (drummer) embarked on a journey of a typical old school heavy/power metal and took steps to achieve a vintage sound.
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The fourth opus 'House of the Black Geminus' by the Colorado-based black metal formation Akhlys embodies the ultimate work of Naas Alcameth (guitars, vocals, keyboards and songwriting). The blazing inferno erupts in a rather frenzy fashion, bringing the fascination of a soul-stirring experience and verging to spectral surrealism with six ominous cuts. The dark abrasive sound of Akhlys has always been raw, still it leaves the industrial/electronic atmosphere sweeping through the constant barrage of riffs, hence interlocking the bizarre horror tone of the album.
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Kings of Hungarian black metal Sear Bliss has returns with the ninth studio album “Heavenly Down” out via Hammerheart Records on June 28, 2024. Formed in 1993 by the founding member András Nagy (guitars, vocals, percussion, and synthesizer). Sear Bliss extinguished itself as one of the first bands to use the trombone instrument in their music. The unique trademark of the band put the country on the map with their early albums such as “Phantoms”, “The Haunting” and “Forsaken Symphony” which remains my favorite work from this band.
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Your average bare-footed hobbit or dwarf might have a jolly ol’ time listening to hippie folk tunes or polka metal with songs about digging holes and drinking ale, but that won’t get you very far in the land of Mordor. In that dark realm, they play real metal.

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