Season Of Mist

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    Green Carnation - A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex (2026)

    Green Carnation - A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex (2026)
    Green Carnation - A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex (2026)

    Bringing their latest trilogy to a close, Green Carnation saved the best for last with the lush and bombastic “A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex”. Featuring nearly 40-minute of proggy goddess, this Norwegian outfit showcases their excellent compositional abilities with one massive orchestral piece to further elevate their rich and complex sound. If you liked the previous two installments, this is a natural progression and a closer for the band’s most ambitious and expansive ideas to date.

    Opening with the dreaminess of “Unconditional Artificial Chemistry”, the band creates a 60/70’s Prog backdrop with lush arrangements, crafty guitar work, and the melodramatic vocal talents of Kjetil Nordhus. Moving into “The Messiah Complex”, the tempo shifts a bit into even more melancholic territories, slowly building up as engaging instrumental passages and trippy atmospherics are deployed. As the masters of creating captivating atmospheres, Green Carnation is off to a great start with this one.

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    Miscreance - Reminiscence (2026)

    Miscreance - Reminiscence (2026)
    Miscreance - Reminiscence (2026)

    Delivering a very crafty and unique release, today we have Italian outfit Miscreance with their sophomore album “Reminiscence”. With a similar vibe to Death, yes - the Chuck Schuldiner one, this album unleashes nearly 40-minutes across nine-tracks of old-school Technical Death Metal, with a Thrash vibe. Making the style their own, this release is quite engaging and nostalgic, while still delivering some uniqueness that makes the band stand out.

    Opening with the intricacies of “Trait d’Union” and “Vision”, we quickly get that Proggy playfulness we loved from Death with a modern clean production and some extra funkiness added, creating a very engaging release. Andrea Granauro and Tommaso Cappelletti guitar work is pretty solid, nailing Thrash-infused riffs alongside crazy tempo changes and blistering solos, and some pretty entertaining progressions like on the killer “Scalp Ceremony” and "Synaptic Cortex Dissection”.

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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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    Emptiness - Nowhere Speaks (2026)

    Emptiness - Nowhere Speaks (2026)
    Emptiness - Nowhere Speaks (2026)

    Creating a truly immersive and sickening listening experience, “Nowhere Speaks” delivers waves of minimalist textures layered in dissonant ways unlike anything you have heard before. Emptiness continues to surprise the listener with their highly evocative fractured approach to experimental Metal, while incorporating tons of decadent elements to perfection. For over 40-minutes, the listener will be challenged by this expansive and disturbing release.

    This album is more of a continuation of 2014’s “Nothing but the Whole”, as the release has that cavernous and more Avant-garde Black/Death Metal nature. Bringing back that darker and more punishing side of the band, tracks like “The Threat”, "Nowhere Speaks”, and the vicious “Darkness Commands”, layer crafty distorted guitars with minimalist rhythms and some enigmatic vocals. The band’s Black/Death Metal elements shine more than in their recent release, and create creepy tracks like the playful and funky “Words to Wind”.

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    Wailin Storms - The Arsonist (2026)

    Wailin Storms - The Arsonist (2026)
    Wailin Storms - The Arsonist (2026)

    Featuring a very fuzzy and twangy sound, today we have Wailin Storms and their Season of Mist first release: “The Arsonist”. Mixing elements from outfits like King Dude, Beast Milk/Grave Pleasures and Årabrot, this outfit delivers nine crafty tracks, clocking in at over 46 minutes. For those that like hard to define but yet rewarding music, the band will immerse you in their Southerny sound from the first minute.

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    Todomal - Graveyards of Joy (2026)

    Todomal - Graveyards of Joy (2026)
    Todomal - Graveyards of Joy (2026)

    Delivering one of the most Atmospheric Doom Metal releases ever produced, today we have Spain’s Todomal and their third full-length release “Graveyards of Joy”. Very aptly titled, this release features a very powerful and uplifting found, creating a very epic and dramatic vibe. With the usual influences from bands like Candlemass, Anathema, Katatonia, there are also some Pink Floyd-esque elements that give this outfit a completely unique and very regal sound.

    Making a statement with the dreamy opener “Mare Ignis”, Mile and Wildman create a very powerful and moving vibe with soaring vocal arrangements and piercing atmospherics. Being huge fans of Doom Metal, this is certainly a very unique approach to the genre, creating some truly regal and powerful atmospheres that are intoxicating, as “Lucid Nightmare”, “Point of Coalescence" and “Misericordiah” fill the air. The band’s Doom side is also worth noting, with crushing riffs and very moody atmospherics.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Erdve - Epigrama (2026)

    Erdve - Epigrama (2026)
    Erdve - Epigrama (2026)

    It is rare these days that you play an album and you find yourself confused about what is going on. That is the initial feeling we got when listening to Erdve’s “Epigrama”, as we couldn’t figure out if the release was a hardcore, sludge, or Blackened Death Metal release. Unleashing eight tracks and around 42-minutes of music, this outfit unleashes some truly raw and nasty riffs alongside coarse vocals and a very oppressive atmosphere.

    Opening with the album title track, the band quickly escalates the aggression with ravaging guitar work. As “Myra”, “Skepsis”, and “Ydos” roll around, it is very clear that the band is on a whole other aural level with its suffocating sound that bleeds some Sludge and even Industrial elements that masterfully unnerve the listener. There is just something that this band has that makes you want to start headbanging and moshing uncontrollably.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Crippled Black Phoenix - Sceaduhelm (2026)

    Crippled Black Phoenix - Sceaduhelm (2026)
    Crippled Black Phoenix - Sceaduhelm (2026)

    Always delivering some truly impressive and challenging releases, today we have Crippled Black Phoenix with their latest opus after 4 years. With “Sceaduhelm”, Justin Greaves and company unleash twelve tracks and over 66 minutes of masterful music. Ranging from Post-Rock, Alternative Rock, to some Shoegazey territories, this release has a bit for everybody, from fans of the band to the occasional listener of dark and macabre rock music.

    Opening with some weird samples on “One Man Wall of Death”, the mood is instantly set in a very chaotic and strange way. The bombastic “Ravenettes” quickly shakes things up with catchiness and enveloping atmospherics, only to go back to more weirdness with the opening of the shoegazey “Things Start Falling Apart”. This is what makes the band’s music very unique and engaging, while challenging the listener. CBP’s creativity is unrivaled as these tracks explore different aural soundscapes while staying true to the band’s dynamic and exploratory nature.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Via Doloris - Guerre et Paix (2026)

    Via Doloris - Guerre et Paix (2026)
    Via Doloris - Guerre et Paix (2026)

    Hailing from Norway, today we have a very unique and interesting Black Metal release from Via Doloris. Created by Gildas Le Pape, ex guitarist from Satyricon, “Guerre et Paix” showcases a very mature, lush, and elegant approach to the genre with a hefty focus on melancholy and atmosphere. Reminding us of the times of early Ulver, Borknagar, Satyricon and similar Norwegian outfits, this release unleashes 48 minutes of magical music.

    Opening with the fierce riffing of “Communion”, one quickly notices the massive drumming, which is provided by none-other than Frost. After the initial traditional Norwegian Black Metal impression, the layers to the band’s music start to show as the tempo turns more melancholic, as it transitions into tracks like “Un Franc Soleil”, and “Omniprésents”. It is very evident that this is a project from a guitarist as the songs feature tons of crafty riffs and effects to create a very elegant and refined approach to the genre.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Eihwar - Hugrheim (2026)

    Eihwar - Hugrheim (2026)
    Eihwar - Hugrheim (2026)

    Crafting one of the most soothing and engaging Viking/Folk Metal-ish releases of 2026, today we have Eihwar and their latest release “Hugrheim”. Before genre purists start getting all elitist about this band, their brand of music is quite interesting, masterfully mixing Folk/Viking Metal with electronic elements, creating very engaging and dreamy atmospherics that nicely blend traditional instruments with a modern edge.

    Starting with “Nauðiz”, the band quickly sets an ethereal vibe, with a certain Heilung-esque atmosphere, but with additional catchiness and a different energy. Traditionally, Folk/Viking Metal is a genre that while complex to do well, and execute, it usually sounds very similar and gets tiring, which is not the case with Eihwar. Tracks like “Freyja's Calling”, “Ein”, and “Skuggaríki”, showcase the band’s core, and very traditional, sound, but with added dynamism and different patterns, allowing them to shine and sound very expansive.

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