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    SLOW - Ab​î​mes I (2023)

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    Setting a very slow and mournful pace, today we have Belgium’s SLOW and their latest demoralizing release “Ab​î​mes I”. Mastermind Déhà has a knack for unleashing gargantuan releases filled with crushing riffs, vocal extremes, and always a heavy atmospheric component, with this band Funeral Doom is as excruciating and punishing as it gets. With four tracks and nearly 44 minutes of music, this release is as dense as they get, evoking memories of other bands like Shape of Despair and the OGs Thergothon.

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    Délétère - Songes d'une nuit souillée (2023)

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    Unleashing a punishing exercise in Black Metal brilliance, Quebec’s Délétère delivers “Songes d'une Nuit Souillée”. As their first full-length release in five years, the band unravels 42 minutes and eight tracks of high-octane Black Metal filled with eerie atmospherics and incisive melodic undertones. If you like bands like Algazanth, Sargeist, Seth, and everything in between this is the release for you.

    Blasting away with the ravaging “Chasse obscène”, the band quickly delivers waves of incisive guitar riffing alongside pummeling drums and hellish vocals. Particularly the interplay between melodic passages, ominous atmospherics and the choral arrangements create a unique and devilish atmosphere. This atmosphere is perfectly preserved as “Sacre de la perversion”, “Foutredieu”, and “Messe scandaleuse” roll around.

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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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    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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    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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    Heretoir - Nightsphere (2023)

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    Unleashing one of the best Post-Black Metal releases of 2023, today we have Heretoir and their crushing third full-length release “Nightsphere”. Showing great promise with their earlier “Wastelands” EP, this release delivers on that promise clocking in at 42 minutes and five masterful tracks. Filled with dreamy and bleak soundscapes, this release will please any fan of the genre and the band.

    Opening with the dramatic “Sanctum - Nightsphere Part I”, we get an elegant piece oozing melancholy thanks to its lush vocal arrangements (both harsh and clean) and its very crafty pace. For those looking for more typical pieces, “Twilight of the Machines” has that mid-tempo brilliance the band is known for, with blistering onslaughts mixed in between atmospheric passages. The band’s weeping lead guitars are to die for, and this release provides plenty of them.

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    Linus Klausenitzer - Tulpa (2023)

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    Delivering over 52 minutes of intricate Technical/Progressive Death Metal, today we have German virtuoso Linus Klausenitzer. As one of the best 6-string fretless bass guitar players (the other has to be Jeroen Paul Thesseling), Linus manages to craft ten very engaging, and diverse tracks, that while they always highlight his staple instrument, they are very well rounded with tons of guest guitar solos, variety of vocal styles, and Hannes Grossmann on drums. If you like proggy/jazzy extreme metal, and are a fan of bands like Obscura, Obsidious, etc. this release will blow you away.

    Opening with acoustic guitars and quickly jumping into incisive riffs, “King of Hearts” sets the stage for a very engaging and crafty release. The bass guitar lines are superb, as to be expected, but instead of just banking on this ability, Linus has composed very intricate tracks like “Axiom Architect”, and the extremely catchy “Our Soul Sets Sail”, which has a certain Soilwork-esque vibe. Other pieces like “Sister in Black” are quite playful and exploratory, creating a sultry atmosphere, while delivering insane technical proficiency.

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    Mercenary - Soundtrack to the End of Times (2023)

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    Here is a band we never thought we would hear from again: Denmark’s Mercenary makes a triumphant return with “Soundtrack to the End of Times”. For the uninitiated, the band had a great run in the 2000’s with killer releases like “Architect of Lies” and our favorite “11 Dreams”. Crafting a mixture of Melodic Death/Power Metal, the band’s sound is still fresh, powerful and engaging, delivering over 60 minutes of high-octane music.

    Opening with the crafty “Burning in Reverse”, the band brings back those excellent memories of their dramatic clean/harsh vocal lines alongside catchy melodic riffs and superb guitar leads. Dusting off the cobwebs early on, the soaring melodies the band creates continue to be top notch as songs like “Heart of the Numb”, “Where Darkened Souls Belong”, and “Through this Blackened Hatred” perfectly showcase their musicianship and experience.

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