The Ruins of Beverast – Wonderbox Metal

Esoctrilihum – Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm (Review)

This is the twelfth album from French one-man black metal band Esoctrilihum.

It’s always a pleasure to get a new Esoctrilihum release. If you’re familiar with the artist’s past work, (such as 2018’s Pandaemorthium (Forbidden Formulas to Awaken the Blind Sovereigns of Nothingness), 2021’s Dy’th Requiem for the Serpent Telepath, 2022’s Consecration of the Spiritüs Flesh, 2023’s Astraal Constellations of the Majickal Zodiac, or 2024’s Döth-Dernyàlh), you’ll know that you never quite know quite what to expect from this prolific and idiosyncratic artist. What does the 87-minute Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm have in store for us? Continue reading “Esoctrilihum – Ghostigmatah – Spiritual Rites of the Psychopomp Abxulöm (Review)”

A Flock Named Murder – Incendiary Sanctum (Review)

A Flock Named Murder are a black/extreme metal band from Canada and this is their second album.

Incendiary Sanctum only contains four tracks, but has a running time of 64 minutes. A Flock Named Murder are ambitious, and use this time to explore a hybrid sound that combines elements of black, death, doom, and post-metal together very effectively. Continue reading “A Flock Named Murder – Incendiary Sanctum (Review)”

Moonthoth – Uroczysko (Review)

This is the second album from Polish one-man black metal band Moonthoth.

Uroczysko treats us to 50 minutes of underground black metal. It’s old-school and traditional at heart, yet rich, layered, and adventurous in scope. It has a keen atmospheric edge, is bolstered by powerful symphonic elements, and is not afraid to walk its own path. Continue reading “Moonthoth – Uroczysko (Review)”

Jade – The Pacification of Death (Review)

This is the debut album from international death metal band Jade.

I’ve loosely called this death metal in the introductory sentence above, but The Pacification of Death provides more than this. I suppose blackened atmospheric death metal is more accurate; Jade excel in crafting music that combines 80s/90s death/doom and mood-heavy black metal, resulting in a 40-minute album that is more notable than most. Continue reading “Jade – The Pacification of Death (Review)”

Tchornobog/Abyssal – Split (Review)

This is a split release between US black/doom solo act Tchornobog and UK black/death band Abyssal.

It’s been five long years since Tchornobog’s 2017 self-titled monster, which I really, really liked. Well, the artist has now returned, alongside a host of collaborators, with a single 24-minute track called The Vomiting Choir. Continue reading “Tchornobog/Abyssal – Split (Review)”

The Ruins of Beverast – The Thule Grimoires (Review)

This is the sixth album from one-man German black/doom metal metal band The Ruins of Beverast.

The Ruins of Beverast’s music is an intriguing and exotic combination of atmospheric black and doom metal. Okay, so what’s so exotic about it, you might ask? Well, it’s the artist’s sublime ability to combine lesser-heard influences, (an occasional touch of Continue reading “The Ruins of Beverast – The Thule Grimoires (Review)”