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    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Somnent - Heirloom (2026)

    (2026)
    Somnent - Heirloom (2026)

    Helmed by multi-instrumentalist Giovanni Antonio Vigliotti, today we have North American Melodic Death/Doom outfit Somnent and their third full-length release “Heirloom”. Mixing all the good things from bands like Draconian, Insomnium, older Katatonia, etc., this release delivers eight tracks and over 49 minutes of highly melancholic music. Mixed and mastered by Jari Lindholm, this release has a distinctive and frosty Scandinavian edge.

    Setting a very melancholic vibe with the moody opener “A Voice of Inner Child”, featuring guest female vocals from Natalia Drepina (Mourneress), the stage is set for the powerful guitars and crafty drumming that follows in “Throne Aflame” and “Severed Ties”. There is an immediate sense of familiarity with bands like Draconian as the guitars sound very similar, not that it is a bad thing as Somnent is not quite a clone of the band, as powerful songs like “King of Ruin” showcase.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Velnias - Substrate Haruspex (2026)

    Velnias - Substrate Haruspex (2026)
    Velnias - Substrate Haruspex (2026)

    Hailing from the forests of Colorado, today we have the return of Blackened Doom/Folk Metal outfit Velnias with “Substrate Haruspex”. Featuring eight tracks and over 48 minutes of majestic music, this release further sets the band apart from the rest. With a certain Agalloch-esque vibe, these guys navigate crafty doomy territories with plenty of atmospherics and engaging guitarwork. Pushed for comparisons, this release is for fans of outfits like Primordial, Agalloch, Fen, and Dordeduh.

    After setting a very magical vibe with the opener “Impetus Arcanum”, featuring lush atmospherics and even some western-ish twang, the listener gets fully immersed in this release as “Divination of Simulacra” comes around. With powerful vocal harmonies and doomy riffs, this track masterfully builds momentum until the harsh vocals and heavier passages make way. Velnias excels in delivering engaging melodies that slowly progress into captivating passages, as the crafty “Resonance of the Concentric” showcases.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Blood and Sun - Aion’s Light (2026)

    Blood and Sun - Aion’s Light (2026)
    Blood and Sun - Aion’s Light (2026)

    Featuring a captivating and gritty lo-fi production, today we have Blood and Sun’s full-length return “Aion’s Light”. Captured in a four-track recorder, it does not get more bare-bones than this. However, the release masterfully showcases melancholy and lush creativity, alongside Luke Tromiczak’s enthralling vocals. If you are looking for something along the lines of Rome, Of the Wand and the Moon, and King Dude, you are in the right place.

    Opening with the lush album title track, we get a very expansive start with powerful guitar strumming alongside deep and hypnotic vocals. This opener sets a very raw and powerful vibe that is maintained by “Life Lessons”, just before it turns darker and even western-ish with the excellent “Jacob’s Ladder”. The release continues ramping up with the lush atmospherics of “Kiss the Wilds” and the enigmatic “Horrid Host”, a song that is more effective thanks to its grainy sound.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    The Crawling - What We Leave Behind (2026)

    The Crawling - What We Leave Behind (2026)
    The Crawling - What We Leave Behind (2026)

    Unleashing a short-but-sweet EP, today we have UK’s The Crawling with “What We Leave Behind”. Featuring two tracks of pure bleakness, the band’s Death/Doom Metal sound is timeless with a slightly fresh edge to it. For fans of My Dying Bride, Swallow the Sun, Insomnium and similar artists, this release heats heavy and quick.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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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.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Orbita - Farewell to All We’ve Lost (2026)

    Orbita - Farewell to All We’ve Lost (2026)
    Orbita - Farewell to All We’ve Lost (2026)

    Oozing with melancholy and bleakness, today we have newcomers Orbita and their debut full-length release “Farewell to All We’ve Lost”. Mixing traditional Doom Metal with some Stoner Metal elements, this Italian outfit delivers four tracks and nearly 40-minutes of powerful and heartfelt music. While most bands in the genre kind of sound alike, these guys keep things fresh and interesting with their own signature style.

    The mellow “Rotten Flowers” gets the release going with bleak vocal harmonies that slowly transition into piercing Doomy riffs. This song has one of the best openings we have heard in a while, masterfully changing the pace while keeping the bleakness and desolation going. Continuing with the crushing “Nèkyia”, the band slowly builds up the momentum and after desolate clean vocals, the song subtly transitions more into Stoner Metal territories while keeping the oppressive riffs going.

    • 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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    The Eternal - Obscured Horizons (2026)

    The Eternal - Obscured Horizons (2026)
    The Eternal - Obscured Horizons (2026)

    Unleashing waves of melancholy through “Obscured Horizons”, International outfit The Eternal returns with their eight full-length release. While the main members hail from Australia, the band also features Jan Rechberger (Amorphis) and Niclas Etelävuori (ex-Amorphis), both from Finland. Delivering nine tracks of highly emotional music, this release brings back some of the good old days of Gothic Metal bands like To/Die/For, mixed in with some of Katatonia’s mopiness, and the band’s own craftiness, creating a very effective and engaging release.

    Opening with the dreamy “LAment for the Hollow”, we get a hearty mix of heavy guitar riffs, alongside a pulsating bass guitar line and crafty atmospherics. Mark Kelson’s mellow vocals perfectly carry the melancholy of this opener track and the transition into more Progressive-ish pieces like “Existing to Expire” and its catchiness, or the Evergrey-esque “Colours Fade”. One thing for sure, the album's vibe is highly intoxicating thanks to a mixture of atmosphere and catchiness.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Jess By The Lake - Human (2026)

    Jess By The Lake - Human (2026)
    Jess By The Lake - Human (2026)

    Filling that Psychedelic Rock/Metal void left by bands like Jex Thoth, Sabbath Assembly and Jess and the Ancient Ones, we have Jasmin Lempinen returning with her sophomore release under the moniker Jess By The Lake. Delivering nine tracks and nearly 43-minutes of sultry, warm, and fuzzy music, this outfit unleashes a very organic and crafty release that is both playful and mysterious. For fans of more mellow and atmospheric Psychedelic music, this release is the perfect soundtrack for the upcoming fall and winter months.

    Opening with the playful retroness of “Jaleihou”, get the warm and fuzzy guitars, a lively bass guitar line, alongside sultry vocals. The band’s style is not overly complex, but rather highly engaging and melodic, filled with engaging songwriting, as tracks like “Waderin Kind” and “Lovely Boy”, deliver twangy melodies. Other songs like the dreamy “Sister” and “Falling Under” while having a different pace, are still magical as the vocal melodies are haunting while the instrumentation leads the way with Jazzy passages.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
    • Comments: 0

    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.

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