With a very well curated roster of artists, Eisenwald surprises us today with Odal and their highly melodic release “Welten Mutter”. Featuring over 47 minutes of crafty Pagan Black Metal, this German outfit manages to carve a unique style out of combining traditional elements with unconventional instruments. If you are into bands like Thyrfing and Månegarm, this is a band that will catch your attention.

Opening with the melodically intense “...um Ewiges zu schaffen”, the band sets a very lively and intense mood with piercing guitars and catchy tempo changes. We particularly enjoy the band’s superbly melodic core, as waves and waves of riffs make tracks like this, and “Hellwach schwelgend”, and “Schattental” very enjoyable. The additional string instruments nicely give that Pagan/Folk BM edge to the music, breaking any monotony and keeping things interesting.

Unleashing one of their most crushing and ravaging releases of their long career, today we have the legendary Cannibal Corpse and their latest effort “Violence Unimagined”. Clocking in at 42 minutes over 11 tracks, with the addition of Erik Rutan as lead guitarist, the band sounds refreshed and ready for blood. Rarely disappointing over the years, Cannibal Corpse manage to blow past expectations due to the sheer brutality and effectiveness of this release.

As “Murderous Rampage” kicks off this release, we immediately see the fantastic interplay of Corpsegrinder’s signature growls alongside blistering guitar work, including some intense leads. With tracks like “Necrogenic Resurrection”, “Inhumane Harvest”, and “Condemnation Contagion” featuring the traditional meaty hooks, crafty tempo changes, and violent drumming, we found ourselves furiously headbanging most of the time.

Unleashing a very interesting Ambient-infused Black Metal release, today we have Lunar Mantra and their latest EP “Psychosomatika”. With a completely crushing and nicely layered sound, this band reminds us of Decline the I, Nightbringer, and Blaze of Perdition, thanks to their ferocity and intricate atmospheric layering they craft. If you like dense and punishing Black Metal with some Ambient elements, this release is a solid candidate for your collection.

After a short intro, “Nexicthon” quickly delivers waves of ravaging guitars, firm harsh growls, and very unique and anxiety inducing tempo changes. The band’s sound is quite elaborate, with tons of underlying atmospheric elements that create an enigmatic aura around tracks like the ritualistic “Azothic Pyres” and its hypnotic guitar work. While not as straight-forward as some would expect, we love that the band challenges the listener with complex layering and crafty songwriting.

Delivering eleven piercing icicles of frosty Atmospheric Black Metal, today we have one-man battalion Paysage d'Hiver and their latest full-length release “Geister”. For the uninitiated, this band is Tobias Möckl's (Darkspace) solo-project that mainly focuses on Winter-inspired raw and punishing music. Captivating the scene with countless demos, this is just the second official full-length release, and it is one hell of a pummeling ride.

With the typical samples of eerie winds, “Schattä” takes a bit to blast off into infamy with razor sharp screens and violent riffs. The band’s core sound is raw and savage, while the trippy atmospheric undertones allows it to create a captivating experience. As the release pummels through “Bluet”, “Wüetig”, and the more mellow “Undä”, the listener experiences various levels of intensity under the same intoxicating atmosphere.

Creating a very unique and distinctive sound, today we have Kardashev and their latest EP “The Baring of Shadows”. Self-proclaimed as “Deathgaze”, the band’s music merges elements from bands like Deafheaven and Alcest with proggy Deathcore elements. We have to say that this mixture is quite excellent as it delivers over 25 minutes of lush and melancholic music, while keeping a nice dose of heaviness.

Opening with “A Frame. A Light”, we instantly got the Deafheaven “Sunbather” chills as the track starts with very dreamy guitars. Slowly building momentum, we get lush clean vocals and sweeping guitars to serenade you into submission. The tempo changes are subtle and nicely contrast the harsh vocals and more distorted parts with richly atmospheric clean vocals and mellow passages. Right after the first song, “Snow-Sleep” shakes things up delivering a more traditional Deathcore aggression with nice mellow interludes.

It has been a while that we have received an interesting neoclassical release like “Livre Troisième” from Les Chants du Hasard. Channeling a mixture of the turmoil of Elend’s music and the sinister side of the orchestrations and vocal arrangements of Devil Doll, this release unleashes nearly 45 minutes of a very cinematic and harrowing aural experience. Filled with dramatic and moody arrangements, this album is quite interesting and lush.

Opening with the dramatic and quite regal “Le Moine”, a very epic and somber backdrop is set. Followed by “Les Prismes”, a piece that establishes a cinematic experience with its tempo changes and very dramatic vocal arrangements. “Le Reflet” has to be one of our favorite tracks thanks to its over-the-top operatic vocals dueling with creepy harsh screams and a very tense orchestral backdrop, raising our heart rate as the track reaches its climax.

After the shock disbandment of Children of Bodom late in 2019, Bodom After Midnight was set to be the ‘continuation’ of the band with Alexi Laiho and Daniel Freyberg, alongside drummer Waltteri Väyrynen (Paradise Lost), bassist Mitja Toivonen (ex-Santa Cruz). Unfortunately, we all know that Alexi is no longer with us and this EP, “Pain the Sky with Blood” serves as a nice posthumous release showcasing what could have been with this band.

Blasting away with the EP title track, we are suddenly brought back into the past, to the first three CoB albums. Alexi and company deliver one of the most engaging and signature songs they have released in a few years, with fierce vocals and insanely good guitar leads. This nostalgia filled piece serves as a stark reminder of Alexi’s musical brilliance.

Masterminded by Alex Poole, Ringarë is an Atmospheric Black Metal outfit that focuses on creating lush and ethereal soundscapes, and contrasting them against frosty and bitterly furious BM onslaughts. With a singular and very bombastic style, “Thrall of Winter’s Majesty” delivers over 40 minutes of intense and transcendental music that only bands like Lustre or Spectral Lore are capable of unleashing.

Starting the uplifting etherealness of “Witness to Winter's Lament”, this track sets a very dreamy mood that is suddenly muddled by waves of crushing guitar riffs and very contrasting harsh vocals. We particularly love the duality of the band’s sound and their ability to quickly poison dreamy parts with venomous aggression. More in ambient territories, “O'er Winters Shroud” is an instrumental piece that feels quite cinematic and liberating, providing a breather from the harshness of this release.

Unleashing waves of old-school Black Metal with tons of Dark Ambient elements, Germany’s Lebensnatch took us by surprise with “The Realm Beyond”. Released via Naturmacht Productions, this album has that naivety and minimalist approach of early 90’s BM that newer and more polished bands have lost. If you like overly dramatic and yet simple atmospherics alongside raw and basic BM, this release should be at the top of your list.

Opening with the dreamy “Fallen Soul Under A Pale Star”, we get a very nice retro vibe surrounded by dramatic atmospheric keyboards/synths. The band’s sound is raw and retro, making their music quite direct and not overly adorned. With a certain (old) Burzum-esque vibe “Moon And Stars”, this is our favorite track due to its simplicity and very effective harshness.

Hailing from the Czech republic, today we have newcomers Můra and their creepy and cavernous amalgamation of Death Metal with Doom influences. While the genre has evolved in multiple directions in the last few years, there is still nothing like chugging guitar riffs and firm growls. This release delivers both elements in droves, making it perfect for older fans of the genre.

Opening with the 11-minute excruciating piece “Chambers of Decay”, the band sets a very dark and punishing atmosphere that has some elements of Funeral Doom Metal with slower variants of traditaionl Death Metal. The band’s crunchy guitars and crafty leads helps them avoid monotony as this track weaves back and forth different levels of aggression and tempos.