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Krieg - Ruiner (2023)

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In their first full-length release in nearly ten years, Krieg returns to continue pushing the boundaries of USBM with a moody and yet highly engaging Black Metal release. Perfectly balancing the rawness and naivety of their older releases with the more restrained, atmospheric, and at times melodic nature of their more recent work, “Ruiner” delivers nearly 40 minutes of crushing music. If you are a fan of USBM, you can’t afford to miss this one.

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Ravenoir - Cultus Inferi (2023)

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Unleashing a highly effective Death Metal release with some atmospheric and melodic touches, today we have Czech Republic’s Ravenoir and their third full-length release in a span of three years, titled “Cultus Infer”. For the uninitiated, the band creates an interesting amalgamation of old-school DM with some more modern influences. If you are looking for a nice release that has a modern Morgoth-esque vibe, be sure to check this one out.

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Sodom - 1982 (2023)

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Breathing new life to older classics from the band, Sodom is ready to unleash on CD and vinyl, re-recorded versions of earlier songs and a brand new one on that style. However, they are not done in a modern and clean way, but rather have a retro vibe with crunchy guitars and the attitude of back in the day, creating a very pummeling and yet old-school vibe. Strictly for fans of the band and 80’s Thrash Metal, this EP is full of nostalgia.

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Insomnium - Songs of the Dusk (2023)

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Just a few months after unleashing the melancholic masterpiece “Anno 1696”, Insomnium returns with a three song EP titled “Songs of the Dusk”. Featuring over 20 minutes of music, the band exploits their moody and doomier side in the release. As expected, filled with melancholy and gloom, this Finnish band continues to surprise listeners with high quality music and brilliant execution.

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Netherdom - Forsaking, Forseeking (2023)

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Unleashing an extremely raw and powerful Black Metal, today we have France’s Netherdom and his solo release titled “Forsaking, Forseeking”. Featuring three songs and over 40 minutes of demoralizing music, this release is dense, punishing, and very visceral, instantly creating a feeling of unease and despair. If you are looking for something sinister, brutal, and yet quite atmospheric, look no further and get a copy of this release.

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Amorphis - Queen of Time - Live at Tavastia (2023)

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Polishing their live shows over the years, Amorphis now a well oiled machine that can deliver a killer show to a packed arena, but also face-melt the crowd on more intimate club shows. For those that haven’t been able to catch the band live, their latest release: “Queen of Time - Live at Tavastia”, perfectly captures their intensity and precise delivery of their crafty music. Recorded during COVID-19 times, this live album is a testament to the bands tenacity and brilliant live showmanship.

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On Thorns I Lay - On Thorns I Lay (2023)

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Slowly inching their way to a bigger label like Season of Mist, today we have one of the best Greek Death/Doom Metal bands: On Thorns I lay. Unleashing their eponymous release, the band’s 10th full-length effort has them delivering a dark and cohesive sound that is heavier and more sinister than their earlier efforts (“Orama”, “Angeldust”), still features the band’s signature approach to the genre.

Opening with the punishing “Fallen from Grace”, the band delivers a good mix of atmosphere and incisive guitar riffs. The band’s sound is heavy, like really heavy, with a certain Septicflesh vibe to it on most tracks, particularly the longer ones like the opener, “Crestfallen”, and “Among The Wolves”. However, the band’s signature sound can still be heard on pieces like “Newborn Skies” and “Raise Empires” that have the melancholic riffing alongside crafty keyboards.

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Nebelkrähe - Ephemer (2023)

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Hailing from Germany, today we have the strange but quite awesome Nebelkrähe and their first release in ten years “Ephemer”. Combining elements from bands like Eisregen, Pensées Nocturnes, Devil Doll, The Vision Bleak, User Ne, etc., this outfit delivers seven tracks and over 50 minutes of catchy, melodic, and yet odd music. Full of blistering onslaughts alongside a wide range of different instruments like saxophone, harp, dulcimer, the band creates a very melancholic atmosphere that is quite bleak and exciting.

Opening with “Tumult auf Claim Abendland”, the band sets a dissonant mood thanks to its lush acoustic opening that suddenly tours dark and sour with the distorted guitars and harsh snarls. With the band singing exclusively in German, the vocals sound harsher than average, reminding us of Eisregen. While not being soft or too melodic, tracks like “Nielandsmann” and “Ephemer” have a very theatrical vibe, with lush melodic passages alongside creepy clean vocals creating a doomy atmosphere.

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ONI - The Silver Line (2023)

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Delivering a guest-appearances filled full-length release, today we have Canadian ONI and their return “The Silver Line”. As a brainchild of Jake Oni, the music created is an interesting mixture of Progressive/Djent Metal with some Metalcore elements. Featuring nine tracks and 30 minutes of music, this release has quite enjoyable and epic songs that are quite dynamic and engaging.

Opening with “Silhouette”, we get a nice contrast between powerful distorted guitars, clean soaring vocal harmonies, and crafty atmospheric synths. The songs are well written and all have catchy hooks, what makes the release even more enjoyable is the assortment of guests used like Sueco on “Spark”, “Underneath my Skin” featuring Kellin Quinn, and “Aura” with Jost Gilbert and Howard Jones. They all bring a different edge to each track, keeping things fresh.

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