- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Spirit Adrift - Infinite Illumination (2026)
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
- Comments: 0
Ponte Del Diavolo - De Venom Natura (2026)
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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The Eternal - Celestial (2026)
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Perfectly unleashing a highly melancholic mixture of Gothic and Doom Metal, today we have international outfit The Eternal, returning with a six-track EP titled “Celestial”. Featuring current and ex members of Finland’s Amorphis and members of Australia’s Nefariym, this release unleashes nearly 30 minutes of music that reminds us of a cross between bands like To/Die/For with sprinkles of Anathema and Paradise Lost. After the dreamy opener, “Celestial Veil” quickly unleashes powerful Doomy riffs that set a very melancholic backdrop to Mark Kelson’s piercing vocals. The band’s ability to shift tempos and moods is very effective, partly thanks to Jan Rechberger’s expert drumming, creating very dynamic songs. Other tracks like “It All Ends” have a more prominent Gothic Metal edge with crafty percussions and dreamy atmospherics, reminding us of the late 90’s/early 2000’s Finnish Gothic Metal scene. | ||
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Lychgate - Precipice (2025)
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For their first release in over five years, UK’s Lychgate returns with their cavernous and maddening Avant-garde Black/Doom metal, unleashing “Precipice”. Featuring nine tracks and over 45-minutes of truly chaotic and haunting music, the band’s sound is enveloping and this release does feel like falling into a hellish precipice as it descends into total aural annihilation. For the fans of the weird and the bizarre, this release has plenty of magical things to digest. The madness immediately starts with the haunting intro, as it sets a chaotic backdrop for “Mausoleum of Steel” to unleash some crafty doomy riffs alongside harrowing vocals, creating a dense and immersive atmosphere. As “Renunciation” and “The Meeting of Orion and Scorpio” roll around, the band delivers some interesting and sultry jazzy passages alongside hearty guitar driven sections that further expand the band’s creativity and reach. | ||
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Bell Witch & Aerial Ruin - Stygian Bough: Volume II (2025)
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Unleashing one of the most demoralizing and gut-wrenching releases of 2025, today we have Bell Witch pairing with Aerial Ruin to deliver the second volume of “Stygian Bough”. Featuring four tracks and nearly one hour of monumentally crushing Funeral Doom Metal, this album is as bleak as they come. Erik Moggridge of Aerial Ruin perfectly complements Bell Witch, creating a very punishing and lush release that won’t easily be forgotten. Opening with the moody vocals of “Waves Become the Sky”, they perfectly blend into the weeping Doomy riffs, creating a very desolate and punishing atmosphere. The tempo slowly drowns the listener in misery as the opener seamlessly blends into the bleakness of “King of the Wood”, a more atmospheric piece. The band’s ability to create slow and very uneasy soundscapes is just magical, as these tracks fly by and they are over 12-minutes each. | ||
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
- Comments: 0
Novembre - Words of Indigo (2025)
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Hailing from Italy, Novembre was one of those early bands with a strong melancholic Death/Doom sound when Katatonia, Anathema, My Dying Bride were rising up. Over the years, the band shifted into more Progressive and even Gothic Metal territories with excellent releases filled with emotions and intricately crafted music. With a very melancholic sound, Carmelo Orlando returns with a brand new cast of musicians to deliver eleven tracks and over 60 minutes of dreamy and highly emotive music, with some of their best songs to date. Not a very constant presence in the scene, the band after their 2007 release, dropped off the radar, in terms of releases, for nine years, and then after their 2016 release, dropped off again for another nine years. That being said, once “Sun Magenta” opened this release, we were instantly cured of missing the band’s signature ‘mopey’ sound. Being a mixture of mid-stage Katatonia with older Anathema and some sprinkles of Fall of the Leaf, songs like “Statua”, “ Neptunian Hearts”, and our favorite “House of Rain”, are very dreamy and engaging pieces full of atmosphere and craftiness. | ||
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
- Comments: 0
Bianca - Bianca (2025)
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Creating a very unique blend of Black Metal with Doom Metal and a heavy emphasis on atmospherics, today we have Italy’s Bianca and their self-titled debut release. With a very unique sound that could be considered adjacent to bands like Ponte del Diavolo, this release unleashes eight tracks and over 43 minutes of captivating music that is both hypnotic and punishing. After the atmospheric opener “The Dawn”, the release fully unravels with Doomy riffs and dreamy clean female vocal antics of “Abysmal”. However, it's the fierce Black Metal onslaughts that provide a brilliant contrast to a very sultry atmosphere. Keeping the vibes quite sultry and ethereal, “Somniloquies” continues to build the album’s atmosphere as the ravaging BM shrieks, blistering riffs, and crafty drumming keep things weaving back and forth from aggressive to melancholic. | ||
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
- Comments: 0
Evoken - Mendacium (2025)
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Showcasing that the USA can also unleash punishing Funeral Doom albums, today we have the legendary Evoken and their latest opus “Mendacium”. Seven years have passed since their last full-length release and the band returns with some gargantuan slabs of Doom, split in eight tracks and over 60 minutes of music. For fans of slow and painful music, this release has that grainy old-school vibe of outfits like Thergothon and Morgion, with hauntingly simple and effective atmospherics and deep growls. Opening with the cavernous explorations of “Matins”, the band sets a glacial pace with distorted riffs and subtle atmospherics. As the release progresses to the chugging Death Metal riffs of tracks like “Lauds”, and “Terce”, the listener can appreciate the band’s core influences in a slow and demoralizing way, creating a bleak atmosphere while providing rays of light through crafty guitar leads or instrumental passages. The band has perfected their tempo switching, to combine superbly slow parts with some hellish onslaughts of speed and punishment. | ||
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Remina - The Silver Sea (2025)
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Unleashing one of the most dreamy and otherworldly releases of 2025, today we have Remina with their sophomore release “The Silver Sea”. Formed by Heike Langhans and Mike Lamb, and now with Shayne Roos on drums, this outfit delivers one hell of an Atmospheric Gothic/Doom Metal release that will send shivers down your spine. For seven tracks and nearly 45-minutes of music, the band creates some of the most atmospheric and haunting music ever created, so be prepared to be blown away. Opening with the sidereal dreaminess of “Trust No One”, Heike’s solemn and charismatic vocals are perfectly embraced by trippy and crafty atmospherics alongside powerful riffs. Featuring a more prominent Doom vibe, “Algol” has Mick Moss (Antimatter) in an amazingly engaging duet with Heike. The second guest appearance comes under “Vanta Ray”, a very lively piece featuring Tony Dunn of Sgàile and very crafty guitar work, alongside playful drumming and a very melancholic vibe. | ||
- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Ba'al - The Fine Line Between Heaven And Here (2025)
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Unleashing a highly melancholic and very cathartic release, today we have UK’s Ba’al with “The Fine Line Between Heaven and Here”. Featuring over 60 minutes of a brilliant amalgamation of Sludge/Post-Metal/Doom Metal, and some sprinkles of Black Metal, this release is fierce and punishing. Creating masterful emotionally charged soundscapes, this album will sneak up on you and you will find yourself playing it over and over again. Opening with the moody “Mother’s Concrete Womb”, the band sets a bleak and yet pummeling mood, thanks to crushing Sludgey riffs that blend into lush Post-Metal territories. There are plenty of tempo changes into fierce and brutal Black Metal-ish territories, perfectly adorned by the harsh,and familiar, screams of Joe Stamps, of current Hecate Enthroned fame. The band seamlessly transitions between dreamy atmospheric passages, like the opening of “Waxwork Gorgon” as it transitions into heavy walls of distortion and moody Sludgy/Post-Metal atmospherics. | ||
