Ellende - Zerfall (2026)

Starting 2026 with a bang, we have Ellende with their latest opus “Zerfall”. Featuring a distinctive and very fierce approach to Post-Black Metal, this Austrian one-man outfit delivers nine tracks and over 53-minutes of highly emotional and crushing music. Constantly improving and refining their sound since their breakthrough “Todbringer”, this release showcases poise and maturity while keeping their signature sound mostly intact.

Opening with the mood setting “Nur”, the band quickly escalates their onslaughts with their fierce two part opener “Warheit”. In the first part we get the band at its finest with waves of crafty riffs alongside L.G’s punishing snarls and very crafty drumming. This nicely transitions into lush atmospheric passages and dramatic guitar leads as this blends into the second part. With both songs so well developed and connected, one only wonders why not have a very long song rather than two movements.

The album title track showcases a more solemn Post-Black Metal mood as it slowly escalates into sheer brutality. One of our favorite pieces is the highly melancholic “Übertritt” and its lush vocal arrangements, creating very dramatic contrasting elements and oozing misery as the release transitions into the equally dreamy “Ode ans Licht”. Featuring guest appearances by members of Norkium and Firtan, “Zeitenwende Tei” is the crowning jewel of this release, filled with dramatic instrumentation and a wide variety of mood changes, creating one of the best Ellende songs.

As the release closes with the magical “Reise”, Ellende has managed to deliver a mesmerizing release from start to finish. Working on expanding its core sound and adding extra layers of dramatism, L.G continues to tune and refine the band’s already very distinctive and exciting sound. “Zerfall” showcases more mature and diverse songwriting, alongside masterful execution, showing that a great band can always get better.

Label: AOP Records

Release: January 2nd, 2026

Genre: Post-Black Metal

Country: Austria