Experimental

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    Eivør - Tungl (2026)

    Eivør - Tungl (2026)
    Eivør - Tungl (2026)

    Creating a very interesting mixture of Nordic folk/electronica/rock/experimental music, today we Faroese act Eivør, and her latest release “Tungl”. Having transitioned into more layered and experimental territories, Eivør continues to release captivating music, unleashing ten tracks and over 42-minutes in her 11th solo album. While there is little to no Metal in this release, we can recommend this album to fans of Chelsea Wolf, Emma Ruth Rundle, and even Björk to some extent.

    Opening with the hypnotic “Og mánin græt”, Eivør’s charismatic vocals create a very magical atmosphere alongside the sultry electronics. While the vocal layering and diverse styles are the signature element of Eivør, the musical explorations offered by songs like “Drekafljóð”, “Verjugarðar”, and “Spøkilsir” give a certain lounge feeling as they are catchy, somber, and yet intoxicatingly captivating. While other Nordic acts overly rely on their folky elements, this release masterfully blends them in seamlessly.

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    The Ocean - Solaris (2026)

    The Ocean - Solaris (2026)
    The Ocean - Solaris (2026)

    Continuing their musical evolution, The Ocean returns with pretty much a completely new line-up and a revamped sound that is rooted in Post-Metal, but also adds new elements and textures into the mix. “Solaris” features eight tracks and nearly 70 minutes of high-octane music, filled with emotional and experimental outbursts that at times sound familiar and at others sound quite foreign, but equally engaging. For those that felt that the band’s sound was getting a bit tired with “Holocene”, this is the refresh that everybody was waiting for.

    Creating an intriguing momentum with the opener “52°30'11"N, 13°26'12"E” and transitioning to “Departure Song”, we immediately get to listen to both new vocalists Enrico Tiberi, which sounds at times a bit like Loïc Rossetti, and Lane Shi, which provides extra dynamism to the music. Some of the electronic elements from “Holocene” also made their way here, as “Light Pollution” starts very lively and slowly progresses with haunting vocal melodies from alongside crafty signature The Ocean guitar riffs, and engaging drumming.

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    Holissstik - Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude (2026)

    Holissstik - Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude (2026)
    Holissstik - Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude (2026)

    From mastermind Tor-Helge Skei (Manes, Lethe, Manii, etc.) today we have Holissstik, a highly experimental Avant-garde/tons-of-other-things collective and their debut release “Chapter 1: This Endless Solitude”. In a similar vein, but in a whole weirder and more expansive concept, than Manes and Lethe, this release features eight tracks and over 45-minutes of very emotive and highly expansive music that while hard to describe, it has a very cohesive and engaging vibe.

    Opening with the dreamy “The Rhythm of Silence”, the release kicks off with an experimental piece featuring captivating electronics, and a wide variety of vocal contributions from people like Marita Hellem, Martyna Halas and Pierre Ripka. This song masterfully frames the band’s unique style, sometimes sounding like Lethe, other times like Manes, but also with some hints of bands like (experimental phase) The Gathering and similar outfits. As tracks like “My Salvation” and “Projections” further expand and showcase the amalgamation of elements, guest musicians, and styles, Holissstik’s true nature and core ideas start to become more evident.

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    Yeti on Horseback - Traditional Addictions (2026)

    Yeti on Horseback - Traditional Addictions (2026)
    Yeti on Horseback - Traditional Addictions (2026)

    Delivering one massive slab of Doom, today we have Canada’s Yeti on Horseback and their latest full-length “Traditional Addictions”. While featuring a very traditional musical core, the band masterfully explodes genres like Post-Metal, Sludge, and modern Extreme Metal, creating a very unique and punishing amalgamation of sounds. If you like things heavy, hectic, and aurally haunting, these guys manage to create something that feels familiar and yet is quite dynamic and unique.

    Opening with the piercing distorted guitar of “Drug Addict”, one would think this release will go the same way as the heaps of bands that live by the ‘power of the riff”. However, once the song continues to progress, the listener quickly discovers these guys are not your run of the mill band as hellish vocals, Sludge/Post-Metal elements and crafty tempo changes switch things around. By the time “Mariner’s Lament” rolls around with its masterful momentum building guitar work, one can quickly tell this release is special as it is weird and magical in its own atmospheric way.

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    Igorrr - Amen (2025)

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    The master of weirdness and experimental madness, Gautier Serre, returns with Igorrr’s fifth full-length album titled “Amen”. Featuring over 40 minutes of extremely engaging and totally deranged music, this release continues the band’s tradition of not being bound by any genre, while adding additional heaviness and with a certain live-setting edge that makes the music more digestible and headbangable as well.

    Opening with the dramatic arrangements of “Daemoi”, the stage is set for one hell of a ride, featuring lush vocal arrangements and crafty instrumentation. Of course the electronics create some chaotic dissonance that is the brilliance of Igorrr. The use of unconventional elements and interesting percussions and arrangements, creates unique tracks like “Headbutt”, “Limbo”, and the crazy “Blastbeat Falafel”, which are all brilliant in its own insane way.

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    Sea Mosquito - Majestas (2025)

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    Amassing an excellent roster of some of the most unique bands in the world, I, Voidhanger Records is set to unleash another gem into the universe: Sea Mosquito’s latest opus “Majestas”. Creating a very dissonant and nightmarish wall of Experimental Black Metal, this release is not only oppressive, but soul crushing in its hellish passage. Featuring over 44 minutes of music, this release feels like carrying 500 pounds of bricks with your teeth, as it explores very dark and funky corners of the aural spectrum.

    Opening with the pummeling “Organs Dissolved in Lacquer”, the band sets a very dystopian and oppressive vibe with dissonant guitars and hellish harsh vocals. There is an astonishing level of bleakness communicated by this track, and it is only the beginning. The downward spiral continues with the atmospheric “Dead to the World” and its dreamy melancholic passages amidst the chaos, and the brutal Mysticum-esque “Ascension” with its cathartic ending.

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    Blind Equation - A Funeral In Purgatory (2025)

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    Unleashing over 32 minutes of musical madness, today we have Blind Equation and their self-described “Cyber Grind” music. Mixing elements from chiptune, deathcore, grindcore, and videogame-styled music, this release delivers some pretty interesting and extremely catchy songs. While not our usual cup of tea, this release is quite amusing as it is quite engaging and very different from your run-of-the-mill whatever-core music these days.

    Opening with the dreamy synths of “This Eternal Curse”, the band quickly layers distorted guitars, harsh vocals, alongside some soaring clean vocals and plenty of catchiness. Opening with a Prodigy-esque intro, “Nothing” keeps the momentum going with plenty of crafty synths and catchy tempo changes, this track reminded us of the Cybergoth movement mixed with some early Metalcore elements, particularly as tracks like “It Feels Like The End” and the moody “A Funeral..” come around.

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    Katatonia - Nightmares as Extensions of the Waking State (2025)

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    As the first Katatonia release without Anders Nyström, “Nightmares as Extensions of the Walking State” continues the band’s moody and melancholic journey with ten emotional songs. While losing Anders was a big blow to the band, Jonas Renkse and company compensate by creating a very dreamy and crafty release that weaves back and forth between bleakness and heaviness, but at the end of the day, still feels as just a continuation of their efforts from the last few years.

    The release starts heavy with powerful riffs that very quickly dissolve into the band’s weepy style. New guitarists Nico Elgstrand (ex Entombed) and Sebastian Svalland (ex In Mourning), are definitely capable musicians and imprint some of their personal styles on tracks like “The Liquid Eye”, “Lilac”, and “Departure Trails”, they still mimic some of the older ‘Katatonia-style’ riffs and arrive at a very familiar and traditional sound, which is not band for people expecting more of the same, but it does now grow the band’s musical range.

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    Bong-Ra - Black Noise (2025)

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    With some Godflesh/Ministry industrial vibes, today we have Bong-Ra and their latest exercise in dissonance “Black Noise”. Featuring nine tracks of aural abuse, this release takes the band to its roots while still unleashing Doomy and Industrial craftiness. Masterminded by Jason Köhnen, this outfit always pushed the boundaries of music, and the listener’s comfort levels, so make sure to strap in for this one.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Ulver - Liminal Animals (2024)

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    Mostly first released over the last year as singles, “Liminal Animals” marks Ulver’s latest opus, filled with their usual catchiness with a flair of darkness. Dedicated to the late Tore Ylvisaker, this release sees the band continue their dreamy/catchy endeavors of the last two releases, and also push forward with more somber and experimental elements thrown into the mix. Masterfully structured, this album makes all previously released singles come to life and showcase a different side to themselves, so be prepared for some aural exploration.

    Opening with the superbly dreamy “Ghost Entry”, the band sets a very glamorous and ethereal vibe, similar to their last few albums: catchy AF. The transition into “A City in the Skies” and “Forgive Us” are masterful as the percussion and electronics set a very futuristic mood. We have always been huge fans of Kristoffer Rygg’s vocals and the way they blend with the atmospherics of the music and the choir arrangements is just magical. Providing some nice change of pace, “Nocturne #1” has a great cinematic feeling, while the second part further explores more dynamic atmospherics.

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