Finnish symphonic black metal duo Pestilent Hex unveiled ‘Through Mirrors Beyond’, a second track from their upcoming album ‘Sorceries of Sanguine & Shadow’, set for release via Debemur Morti Productions at the end of this month!
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News Posts
German melodic black metallers Apostasie announced their debut album ‘Non Est Deus’ to be released on November 29th via Trollzorn Records and shared the single ‘Theotókos’ with a lyric video!
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Finnish folkloric black metallers The Mist From the Mountains revealed the new track ‘Sáiva’, the second one brought into the world from their highly anticipated upcoming album ‘Portal – The Gathering of Storms’, set for release on October 11th via Primitive Reaction!
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The esteemed Dutch metal band Slechtvalk signed with MDD Records for the release of their upcoming album this fall, the first after an 8-year hiatus since their last release!
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Rotting Christ pledge unyielding pagan might on ‘Saoirse’, another track from their highly anticipated upcoming new album ‘Pro Xristou’, set for release in May via Season of Mist!
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Earlier this week, Metal Blade Records announced the worldwide signing of the popular Swedish melodic death/black metallers Kvaen!
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Finnish folk metal outfit Folkrim shared their new single ‘Suoherran Hovi’, a track from their anticipated new album ‘Embers’, set for release in April via Rockshots Records!
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Greek extreme metal legends Rotting Christ shared a first single ‘Like Father, Like Son’ from their upcoming new album ‘Pro Xristou’, set for release in May via Season of Mist!
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Progressive extreme metal outfit Winterhorde announced their new album ‘Neptunian’ to be released in December via Noble Demon and shared the first video single ‘The Spirit Of Freedom’!
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Finnish extreme metal band i Helvete released the new single ‘Paratiisi’, another track from their upcoming concept album ‘Yksi Yhteinen Yhteiskunta’, set for release via Inverse Records at the end of next month!
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Album Reviews
In the fires of Mount Doom, deep in the lands of Mordor, Morgul Blade forged another album, their sophomore record ‘Heavy Metal Wraiths’. Out on No Remorse Records.
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Cincinnati, Ohio based melodic black metal outfit Valdrin is back with a bombastic symphonic offering inspired by fictional magical realms and magic. “Throne Of The Lunar Soul” is out now via Blood Harvest.
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Finnish melodic black metal stalwarts Moonlight Sorcery paint shimmering landscapes of winter on their first studio album “Horned Lord of The Thorned Castle” which amalgamate the fantasy style of Scandinavian melodies with a sense of fantasy. Out now via Avantgarde Music!
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Mastermind V-Khaoz of Vargrav continues to carve his sonic art in the footsteps of the Norwegian masters Emperor, the new EP output “Encircle the Spectral Dimension” emphasizes the majestic art of symphonic black metal. Out via Werewolf Records.
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On their seventh album “Katharsis” Keep of Kalessin unfolds a formidable array of blazing riffs, majestic symphonic arrangements and epic song structures combined with rapid ferocity, mastermind Obsidian Claw may have delivered his best outing since the band’s 2006 album “Armada”. Out via Back on Black!
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Mystic Circle’s 9th album “Erzdämon” is a real work of menace, and it is as fierce and brutal as its predecessor. But this time the duo has injected tons of melodic hooks while staying true to their sound, the album is highly recommended for fans of Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Old Man’s Child. Out via Fireflash Records!
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Moonlight Sorcery has achieved greatness with the latest EP: the guitar work stems from the neoclassical style of Yngwie Malmsteen combined with the blistering velocity melodic black/death metal. ‘Nightwind: The Conqueror From The Stars’ is highly recommended if you listen to bands like Children of Bodom, Ensiferum, and melodic black metal of the 00s. Released via Avantgarde music on January 13th, 2023.
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Swiss black metal duo Ateiggär on the first studio album “Tyrannemord” incorporates something rare that makes their music one of a kind, this is a great Nordic-inspired piece of a symphonic black metal that comes similar to bands like Kvist. Out via Eisenwald.
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Ymir’s sophomore release “Aeons of Sorrow” invokes the cold icy melodies of the mid-nineties Finnish black metal, mastermind Vrasjarn maintains the characteristic sound of the band and for this reason, the new album will appeal to many fans of the genre. Released via Werewolf Records.
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Finnish renowned veterans L.L. (all instruments), and M.M. (Vocals and lyrics) present their symphonic oeuvre under the moniker of Pestilent Hex. Debut album “Ashen Abhorrence” finds its way into the magical hallmarks of melodic/symphonic black metal of the early nineties and was released with Debemur Morti Productions.
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Lists
Our resident extreme metal reviewer Mazen has a selection of stellar (mostly) black and death metal releases as his favorite of the year with Sulphur Aeon, Varathron, Moonlight Sorcery, Cruciamentum, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Asphodelus, Marduk, …And Oceans, and Cirith Ungol!
As usual, Mazen’s top albums are a mix of death metal, black metal and a touch of doom metal, heralding everything that is underground and extreme with bands like Phobophilic, Autopsy, Stormruler, Watain, Shape of Despair, Ars Hmu, Sedimentum, Chaotian, Trolldom and Immolation!
Another week with amazing releases, check out the 13 singles that caught our attention with Rue Vox, Enter Shikari, …And Oceans, Aphyxion, Dirty Shirt, For I Am King, Hoaxed, Seas On The Moon, Stake, Suicide Silence, VV, Demeted and Tallah!
Finnish festival Steelfest is a true celebration of the underground, but it you’re not convinced yet, here are some reasons why you should go
Last month of 2021, still some releases coming in December that are most anticipated by our team of writers!
Not including these records in my top 2020 was just too painful.
