Sojourner – Gateways 9/10 After what seems like an interminable wait, The international collective of Sojourner has returned after six years with their new album, the simply incredible Gateways. Featuring a revamped line-up that now includes the formidable vocals skills of Heike Langhans, she is the juxtaposition to the fury of Emilio Crespo, their skills combining to create a rich tapestry of vocal ability that weaves in and out of the music th

Cristina:’’ As with Of the Muses, and perhaps to an even deeper extent this time around, My Lover the Morning Star is once again a solo endeavour. I established it right after announcing the end of my previous project, already with the intention of doing something entirely removed and experimenting with different sounds. ‘’I would say, most of all, this project was born out of a desire to make things easier for myself, by creating more freely, expressing myself in a way that

TÅKEVANDRER emerged from the Austrian Mountains in 2025 and in short order have forged their own individual path that is extreme black metal steadfast in the ideology of profanity and the lunar experience. The three piece create music that surprises and is part of the journey for something that is unique, and reflects the individual in its art. Taranis (Guitars) ‘’It was about expressing feelings and thoughts through a particular art form. Some of the music was already writt

Windswept - Howling in Baptismal Filth 9/10 Not so much a band but a force of nature. Howling in Baptismal Filth is the debut album from Winswept, a group of musicians from different backgrounds in extreme music that have coalesced into a coherent music force of sheer black metal terror. Very rarely does an album catch the fury of a live show but Howling in Baptismal Filth does exactly that. It is physical, tough, and violent, soaked in sweat and fluids repre

My Lover the Morning Star 8.5/10 Cristina Rombi returns with a brand-new project My Lover the Morning Star that is different from her other works, yet it contains the same spirit of individuality and a deep emotional connection through music. At only two tracks it a beautiful introduction to the seductive dreamlike qualities of the music Steeped in Darkwave and dreampop with a hint of the post punk Diy aesthetic and rebellious spirit.’’ la fleur de sa peau’’ ensnar

EVEALE – Enter The Woodland Realm 8/10 The US, UK Collective known as Eveale offer their debut album of multilayered black metal to the powers of the nature, steeped in mythology and passion. Simply Put Enter the Woodland Realm is a celebration of black metal by two accomplished musicians (known simply as the The North East Wizard Tyrant and Monarch of the Hillside ) and reflects their deep profound love for the genre whether it be the acoustic atmosphere of “The B

Meschera - White Captivity 9/10 Russia’s ever prolific Meschera return with their latest single, White Captivity. A song that intertwines the past and the present, the bounty of love and the agony of revenge, a captivity that is forever white. Meschera’s music is instantly recognizable from the level of talent involved and their innate ability to create atmospheric soundscapes that conjure the traditional pagan vast lands and the ferocity of modern black metal From the fi

‘’Couple years ago, Steve (our drummer) got in contact with me and asked if I wanted to do vocals in a black metal band, then slowly he started to weave together the lineup that we've got today. We're all from different musical backgrounds, scenes and have varying levels of experience playing live, so we each bring something special to Windswept. Rachel (Vocals) is the force of nature out front for New Zealand's Windswept. Their live shows are a visceral display of madness t

A.K (Vocals)‘’ I had always wanted to do a death metal band, so I pitched the idea to a few friends and we eventually got to writing and rehearsing material. ‘’ I remember first hearing Slayer's Reign in Blood album when I was getting into metal and it immediately sparked a desire to find the next level (and beyond) from that. Basically, led me on a journey of trying to find the most extreme examples of music and of course I landed on black/death metal relatively quickly. New

Graveir -The Festering Triad 9/10 The third full-length album by Australian black metal band Graveir is The Festering Triad. It is not just an album but a damning account on the accepted. The Brisbane five piece have tormented the masses since 2014 and have released a vicious piece of modern confrontive black metal. Graveir create music that is though provoking, dynamic and ever surprising, their violences is bought about by awareness and the unwillingness to

Dimmu Borgir – Grand Serpent Rising. 8.5/10 Their first album in eight long years Norway’s grand masters of Symphonic Black metal have returned with their eleventh studio album Grand Serpent Rising, an album that marks not only their long awaited retuned but welcomes new guitarist Kjell Åge "Damage" Karlsen into the ceremonies. Taking a step back from the complete OTT blast that was Eonian, Dimmu Borgir returns to the fierce, devoted intensity of their earlier albums

Emerging from the Australian underground in in 2023 is Warpseer. A project that began celebrating true Black metal that has evolved into something more grandiose, yet no less bestial. It is raw powerful music that celebrates its own narrative of horror and conflict. Witchhammer (lead guitar and founder) I created Warpseer not long after I finished high school, and in the beginning, it was me handling all the instruments and a school mate of mine on vocals. The demos we made

“Maria of Copper Mountains is a musical project that was born in Chelyabinsk. I created it out of a desire to write dark, immersive music and apply my folk vocal skills and knowledge of folklore mythology. I came up with this idea with my musical partner Nikita (we had previously written other music) and we decided that black metal was a good medium for expressing the right mood and atmosphere. So, it was never an end in itself, but rather a good tool. Founded by Maria Azanov

Heike Langhans is the multitalented creator and driving force that is LOR3L3I. LOR3L3I is a long running solo project that differs greatly from her other vocal performances that include Ison, Remina, Light Field Reverie and of course her time in Draconian. Her rich warm, unmistakeable vocals are set against an electronic back drop that is gentle yet powerful. The debut album Peace by Proxy is a beautiful, wonderfully addictive tapestry of an album that juxtaposes the darkness

‘’Graveir was formed with the desire to make black metal on our own terms, to create bleak music that holds a mirror up to the world and asks us to reckon with the monsters we see reflected back, knowing that they are us. Gloom (Vocals) is part of the superb Brisbane collective that is Graveir, from 2014 they have terrorized the underground with their brand of ultra-aggressive yet melodic black metal, that is reflected in their live intensity and a violent, intelligent contem

Doodswens- Doodswens 9.5/10 After their incredible debut Lichtvrees in 2021, and the live release Het nieuwe licht in 2024 the Netherlands trio of Doodswens (death wish) return with their sophomore full length self-titled album. Album number two is intense, raw and simply awe inspiring. It is stripped all the way back to the intensity, emotion and the purity that that is extreme black metal. It is an uncomplicated sonic minimalistic ritual that revels in the shadows of d

‘’Invocation of Lilith’’ epitomises Plaguebreeder in 2026. The first single in six years now sees band as a three-piece herald in a new era that has expanded and diversified into a malevolent creation that is pure unrelenting symphonic black metal. Furious aggression tempered by large epic soundscapes that immediately capture the new purpose and vision. The debut album will be Black Death Symphony. And it reflects the new era of Plaguebreeder. Seiran: ‘’When we parted ways wi

Thy Sanatorium- Thy Sanatorium 9/10 The faceless multinational collective that is Thy Sanatorium have unleashed their debut self-titled sonic offering, that is raw brutal, yet also cinematic and symphonic, horrific and beautiful. Thy Sanatorium has created an album that is more a journey than a collection of tracks. The Multiple vocal attack creates a pure sense of drama and chaos amongst the eight tracks within, the musicianship is without question, able to deftly maneuv

‘’Sainte Obyana was created somewhat by chance. I had a guitar part that I felt was too different from the project I was working on at the time (LE PROCHAIN HIVER). It was faster, less classical, with quite a lot of synths. I decided to set that riff aside, then I composed the rest of the track, then another one. Within a few weeks, the album was written, it all came very easily and quickly. Hylgaryss is the creative force that is Sainte Obyana Du Froid along with vocalist Ob

Ernte - Der schwarzen Flamme Vermächtnis 9/10 Ernte are bearers of the back Flame. Their music is pure black metal, misanthropic and full of atmospheric depth. The uncompromising duo of Askahex (Vocals, Bass, Violin) and V Noir (Guitars, Bass, Drums) have carved a reputation for unrepentant extremity that is genuine and Authentic. “Der schwarzen Flamme Vermächtnis’’ from the Swiss collective is their fourth release. From the opening onslaught that is Warrior of the Black