Massteron - Second in the Spheres (2026)

Hitting like a bag of bricks to the face, today we have Poland’s Massteron with their debut release “Second in the Spheres”. With a sound reminiscent of outfits like Azarath, Inquisition, and mid-career Behemoth, this outfit is raw, vicious, and yet precise and punishing. Featuring six tracks spanning over 35-minutes of music, we get an interesting mixture of old-school vibes with modern execution and a hellish intensity, something that comes expertly across the band’s live sound, as the recording was made that way.

Opening with the blistering “Voice of Fire”, the band quickly sets a hectic and pummeling pace, with fierce riffs, masterful guitar leads, and an all-hell is breaking loose attitude. There is a certain rawness to the band’s sound that sneaks up to the listeners as the ravaging onslaughts of “True Midnight” and “Achronon” blast through their speakers. The undeniable power of a release that has not been touched up or cleaned digitally is quite vibrant here, allowing the band to sound organic and powerful.

The deranged guitar dissonance of “Strife Eternal” and “Sidereal Chaoskampf” perfectly capture that oldschool ferocity of a genre that is defined by demonstrating both speed and raw power. The band excels in crafting poignant music that flows naturally while streamrolling over anything in its path. The album’s longest track, “Omnispherous Majesty” showcases a more atmospheric side to the band with a slow progression and closing alongside hellish vocals and blistering guitar and bass guitar onslaughts in the middle.

As a whole, “Second in the Spheres” is a pummeling release that while heavy and fast, it also features enough sinister atmospheric and melodic passages to make it quite eerie and expansive. While the band has tons of evident influences, they stick to their own guns creating an oppressive and demoralizing sound that is retro and yet fresh sounding in nature. Massteron might have taken a while to unleash their debut release, but the wait was worth it, as “Second in the Spheres” is one hell of a punishing release.

Rating: 93/100