Osgraef are a black/death metal band and this is their debut album.
Osgraef mix black, death, doom, and war metal into a 42-minute expression of mysterious brutality. Reveries of the Arcane Eye is a ball of raging potency and deep obscure atmosphere. Continue reading “Osgraef – Reveries of the Arcane Eye (Review)”
Aran Angmar are an international, (Greece/Italy/Netherlands), black metal band and this is their third album.
Featuring the vocalist of the mighty Saille, Ordo Diabolicum contains 43 minutes of second wave black metal, enriched by folk and atmospheric elements. A mix of the Scandinavian and Greek scenes in style, if you’ve encountered Aran Angmar previously, this is a newly evolved and accomplished version of the band. Continue reading “Aran Angmar – Ordo Diabolicum (Review)”
This is the eleventh album from Swiss black metal act Borgne.
I really enjoyed 2021’s Temps Morts, so was eager to check out what Renaître de ses Fanges had to offer. With 65 minutes of music to absorb and digest, Borgne’s latest is a satiating meal of atmospheric industrial-tinged black metal flavour. Convincingly demonstrating that Temps Morts was not a one off, Renaître de ses Fanges has more than met my expectations. Continue reading “Borgne – Renaître de ses Fanges (Review)”
This is the second album from Spanish black metal solo act Délirant.
Thoughteater contains 38 minutes of swirling dissonance, esoteric atmosphere, and dark aggression. With a promo blurb that references bands such as Blut Aus Nord, Akhlys, Deathspell Omega, Abigor, and Misþyrming, are you ready for the nightmare experience that the artist behind Délirant offers up? Continue reading “Délirant – Thoughteater (Review)”
This is a split between two US black metal solo acts.
We start off with Genital Shame; two tracks in eight minutes. This is not a band I know. Lust Hag drew me to this split in the first place, of course, but having now heard these two songs, I am not disappointed in what the artist behind Genital Shame has to offer. Continue reading “Genital Shame/Lust Hag – Split (Review)”
This is the third album from Dawn of Ouroboros, a progressive black/death metal band from the US.
Both 2020’s The Art of Morphology and 2023’s Velvet Incandescence were solid albums from Dawn of Ouroboros, so when I heard about Bioluminescence, it became an anticipated album for 2025. Across 43 minutes Dawn of Ouroboros once again deliver an expressive and charismatic album of hybridised metal styles. Continue reading “Dawn of Ouroboros – Bioluminescence (Review)”
This Gift Is a Curse are a blackened hardcore/sludge band from Sweden and this is their fourth album.
I thoroughly enjoyed 2019’s A Throne of Ash, so the return of This Gift Is a Curse is a welcome one. They’ve not held back either; Heir is a 67-minute monster. Honestly, I was expecting something good from the band, but Heir is just exceptional. Continue reading “This Gift Is a Curse – Heir (Review)”
This is the fourth album from Swedish black metallers Istapp.
Brought to us by current/ex-members of bands such as Entrails, Necrophagous, Soijl, and Visceral Bleeding, Sól Tér Sortna contains 45 minutes of sharp and fast melodic black metal. Continue reading “Istapp – Sól Tér Sortna (Review)”
Cryfemal are a Spanish black metal band and this is their latest release.
Despite it being their ninth album, I only got into Cryfemal last year, on 2023’s La Gran Victoria del Mal, and I’ve still got much catching up to do. Apparently there’s no rest for the wicked though, as the band are already back and raring to go, with their 23-minute new release Puro Carbon. Continue reading “Cryfemal – Puro Carbon (Review)”
This is the sixth album from Russian black metal band Grima.
2022’s Frostbitten was an enjoyable record of atmospheric black metal, so I was looking forward to hearing Nightside. It’s a collection of mood-rich tracks that offers an enthralling journey into the cold blackened night. Continue reading “Grima – Nightside (Review)”
Wonderbox Metal 