Black Metal

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Firtan - Helios (2026)

    Firtan - Helios (2026)
    Firtan - Helios (2026)

    As another one of AOP Records incredible finds, Firtan is a German Black Metal outfit that has transitioned from Pagan Black Metal to regular BM over the last couple of releases. With a very expansive and yet chaotic sound, “Helios” continues the band’s evolution with twelve tracks and nearly one hour of high-octane music. Sounding like a mixture of A Forest of Stars with Thyrfing/Vreid elements, the band’s sound is quite dynamic and engaging, keeping things fresh and heavy at the same time.

    Opening with the dramatic “Himsa”, the band sets a very lush and enigmatic vibe that quickly develops into heavier territories as “Kalikas Tongue” and “Ambrosia” come around. The band’s general pace is firm and punishing, but it is the atmospheric and melodic passages that make songs in this release more engaging and diverse. For instance, we get lush arrangements with clean vocals, violins and saxophone through this release. The combination of the violin and the heavy guitars, create a very immersive and yet chaotic atmosphere that strongly reminds us of A Forest of Stars in their latest efforts.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Servant - Lux Ex Inferis (2026)

    Servant - Lux Ex Inferis (2026)
    Servant - Lux Ex Inferis (2026)

    Masterfully blending the sensibilities of bands like Harakiri for the Sky and the harsh brutality of outfits like Behemoth, today we have Germany’s Servant with their latest offering: “Lux Ex Inferis”. Featuring nine tracks and over 41-minutes of highly emotional and intense Black Metal, this outfit strikes the perfect balance between melancholy and aggression in this exciting release. Not really Post-Black Metal, or Blackened Death Metal, the band’s sound takes from both and creates a punishing product.

    After a dreamy opener, the atmospherics of “Tabula Rasa” lead the way as the song slowly transitions into heavier territories with crushing guitar riffs and crafty drumming. The perfect balance between the music melody and the harsh vocals create a very engaging vibe that permeates the whole release. The band delivers songs like “Glorification”, “Thanatos", "Embrace of the Night”, and “De Profundis”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Massteron - Second in the Spheres (2026)

    Massteron - Second in the Spheres (2026)
    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.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Krallice - Scour Order (2026)

    Krallice - Scour Order (2026)
    Krallice - Scour Order (2026)

    Unleashing their latest opus, today we have Krallice with “Scour Order”. Further elevating their crafty Avant-garde Black Metal, this outfit delivers eight tracks and over one hour of masterful music that brings the genre to new heights. Showcasing a mixture of execution finesse and creative songwriting, the tracks in this release create a very chaotic and yet hypnotic atmosphere, filled with intricate details and crushing aggression.

    Opening with “Agonal Shining” the band unleashes some dreamy atmospheric passages, flanked by progressive-ish guitar work that leads to some crazy cathartic moments. After priming the listener with the antics of the opener, "Grievous Corrector”, “Kill the Guardian”, and “Unceasing Path” continue the onslaught with convoluted riffing onslaught alongside blistering riffing, throwing in some shrieks and harsh screams into the mix. The band’s ability to weave interesting aggressive passages alongside crafty and engaging tempo changes is unrivaled, creating a very unique listening experience.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Fluisteraars - Jacht der mysteriën (2026)

    Fluisteraars - Jacht der mysteriën (2026)
    Fluisteraars - Jacht der mysteriën (2026)

    Enigmatic Dutch duo Fluisteraars strikes again in 2026 with their latest full-length release “Jacht der mysteriën”. Featuring a very dense and expansive sound, this band has been making waves with their visceral and yet highly atmospheric take on Black Metal. Featuring three songs and over 41-minutes of music, this format allows the band to create very profound and nihilistic songs that slowly unravel and take the listener to different aural planes as the album progresses.

    Opening with the chilling atmospherics of “Grondeloos donkere bossen”, the band slowly creates a very cavernous and eerie vibe alongside fierce guitar work, crafty drumming and hellish snarls. There is a certain ray of light that comes across this opening piece, as the atmospherics contrast with the raw harshness of the band’s Black Metal core. Before the listener realizes, the 13-minute mark comes around as this track fully immerses its audience with its masterful progression and bleakness.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Archgoat - Nightbringer, Lightbringer (2026)

    Archgoat - Nightbringer, Lightbringer (2026)
    Archgoat - Nightbringer, Lightbringer (2026)

    Unleashing one of the densest and most foul releases of 2026, today we have none other than Finland's Archgoat and their latest creation “Nightbringer, Lightbringer”. Featuring eleven tracks and over 41-minutes of crushing music, the band’s signature cavernous Blackened Death Metal is as effective as ever in creating a pungent atmosphere of bleakness and destruction. As the band’s first full-length release in five years, be ready to be pummeled with their raw power.

    After a brief decadent atmospheric opener, the band blasts away with the album title track. Archgoat’s low-fi and raw power comes front and center immediately with hellish drumming and Lord Angelslayer’s signature snarl. The mixture of subtle atmospheric keyboards adds to the overall decadence, spicing things up and allowing the rudimentary bass-guitar-drums core to feel more expansive as tracks like “The Dawn to Armageddon", "Iconoclasm the Nazarene”, and “Blood Of Jesus Spilling Upon The Earth” unleash all hell with crunchy riffs and bestial aggression.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Behemoth - I, Scvlptor (2026)

    Behemoth - I, Scvlptor (2026)
    Behemoth - I, Scvlptor (2026)

    Keeping the band’s momentum going after the 2025 release of “The Shit ov God”, Behemoth returns with “I, Scvlptor”. This release offers two completely new songs, a couple of re-recordings from the band’s earlier demos, a live track and cover songs, and an outtake from their 2025 album. Showcasing the band’s explosive and engaging sound with older songs is always a blast, and the new tracks keep the expectations high for any upcoming releases.

    Opening with “I, Scvlptor”, we get the full power of Nergal and company with a brutal sinister piece that quickly explodes after an atmospheric opening. The band’s powerful style is undeniable as it instantly comes across the massive drumming and fierce riffing. Nergal’s harsh screams are nightmare inducing and greatly elevate the level of aggression in the band’s music. However, in “Lord ov the Horizons” he showcases his lighter side with haunting clean vocals to create a different mood, giving this track a creepy edge alongside Behemoth’s pummeling nature. There is also a rough studio mix version of this track that gives an equally effective, but cruder rendition of the piece.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Sigh - Goh-ka (2026)

    Sigh - Goh-ka (2026)
    Sigh - Goh-ka (2026)

    Every time that I think we have Sigh figured out, they go and unleash a crazy and wacky release like “Goh-ka”. For over 55-minutes the band unleashes their madness in very quirky and unique ways, ranging from traditional Japanese passages to all-out-Metal harshness. In the 11 tracks presented in this release, the band weaves back and forth between ‘normal’ music and complete insanity with dramatic tempo and mood swings, and yet creates a very cohesive and a very Sigh-esque atmosphere. Definitely not for Metal purists, this release showcases how all kinds of disparate and different ideas create a very cohesive and expansive listening experience.

    Opening with the folky “Kuso-shi 1, 2, and 3”, we get that nice contrast between traditional instruments, distorted guitars and the monstrous drumming of Mike Heller. We also have Frédéric Leclercq handling the bass guitar, adding extra depth to pieces like “Jigoku-Zoshi 1: Unkamusho”, and “Anzenshokon” to name a few. The band’s inventiveness is always present, shifting the mood from dreamy atmospheric passages to chaotic crescendos of heaviness and vocal madness.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Tsirhic - To Satan I Reply (2026)

    Tsirhic - To Satan I Reply (2026)
    Tsirhic - To Satan I Reply (2026)

    Unleashing one of the most visceral and brutal debut mini-albums in quite a while, today we have one-man battalion Tsirhic with “To Satan I Reply”. Featuring five tracks and nearly 25 minutes of ravaging Black Metal, this outfit brings back the good old days of 90’s Scandinavian Black Metal with certain 90’s USBM influences, creating a raw and punishing sound that we haven’t heard in quite a while. For fans of retro BM, this release will make you dust off your old record collection to keep the nostalgia going.

    Opening with the ominous intro of “Blessed Be”, the release quickly unleashes some frosty rawness with some hellish Black Metal onslaughts. There is a certain crafty melody behind the harshness, making the music more visceral and punishing, this nicely continues with “H.I.P.C”, another super engaging track with intoxicating hooks and that lo-fi vibe that demos from the 90’s used to have. However, do not think this sounds like it was recorded on a port-a-potty, as the production is quite intelligible.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Fen - Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth (2026)

    Fen - Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth (2026)
    Fen - Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth (2026)

    As one of the most awaited releases of 2026 for us, “Elemental Part One: Mourning Earth” marks the return for Fen and their interesting mixture of Atmospheric Black Metal and more melancholic proclivities. Featuring six tracks and around 46-minutes of music, the band goes a bit back into their more mellow and dreamy sound, after the heavier and harsher 2023 release “Monuments to Absence”. Balancing both sides, Fen delivers one hell of a release filled with elegant atmospherics and a hearty dose of aggression, keeping the listener both engaged and entranced with their music.

    Opening with “Glacier”, we have a very interesting progression from dreamy guitars and crafty percussions into heavier territories with additional intensity. With mastermind The Watcher handling guitars, we get a very diverse and engaging mixture of dreamy melodic interludes and harsh BM riffs, creating a very contrasting and yet intoxicating sound as “Tectonic” and “Massif” weave back and forth between styles and tempos. This latter track having an excellent progression from mysterious and ethereal to headbanging harshness.

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