Slidhr – White Heart!

Artist: SlidhrCountry: Ireland / IcelandLabel: Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Once formed as the solo project of the Irish musician Joseph Deegan, Slidhr nowadays is a three-man band located in Iceland that consists of members from Ireland, Iceland…

Frostnatt – I Det Høye Nord [EP]

Artist: Frostnatt Country: Russia Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2023 The sum of the title of this EP, ‘I Det Høye Nord’, which from Norwegian translates to ‘In The High North’, and the appetizing cover artwork gives pretty much…

Neverlight Horizon – Walxaz [EP]

Artist: Neverlight Horizon Country: Belgium Label: Self-Released Formats: CD EP Year: 2023 Once upon a time… twenty years ago, almost 21 even… there was this young, juvenile little fellow that reviewed a fine demo from a Belgian Death Metal band…

Vargrav – The Nighthold

Artist: VargravCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: CD, DigitalYear: 2023 There’s a strong argument to be made that Vargrav was one of the initiators of the blossoming Symphonic Black Metal revival that has been going on the past few years. Certainly, the…

Kalmankantaja – Kohti Valon Kuolemaa

Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Wolfspell RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 As this turn around the sun is about to reach its end and a new round of the endless cycle soon begins, Kalmankanataja closes off 2023 with its third full-length of the year,…

Sadism – Obscurans

Artist: Sadism Country: Chile Label: Hammerheart Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Being formed all the way back in 1988, Sadism definitely is one of the oldest and still running Death Metal bands from Latin America and with that…

Infernal Execrator – Diabolatry

Artist: Infernal Execrator Country: Singapore Label: Pulverised Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Infernal Execrator, ever since their inception in 2005 they have been pounding our collective eardrums on a more than regular basis and with their uncompromising style…

Wolves Of Desor – Lost Kingdom Of The Giants [Demo]

Artist: Wolves Of Desor Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 Although ‘Lost Kingdom Of The Giants’ is the first brain child of Wraithlord, the youthful mind behind Wolves Of Desor, under this moniker, he has been spawning…

Hasswald – Und So Begann… [EP]

Artist: Hasswald Country: Estonia Label: Warhorn Formats: Digital EP Year: 2023 From the deepest and darkest pits of Estonia comes this new and anonymous Black Metal act Hasswald. With next to nothing of information to work with, this illustrious band…

Azathoth’s Dream – Nocturnal Vampyric Bewitchment

Artist: Azathoth’s Dream Country: USA Label: Iron Bonehead Productions Formats: LP Year: 2023 Earlier this year I was pretty impressed by the American Black Metal band Luring, brought to us by Iron Bonehead Productions. The mystic and haunting Black Metal…

Annihilation Cult – Demonstration MMXXIII [Demo]

Artist: Annihilation Cult Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 Although ‘Demonstration MMXXIII’ is the first offering of this new American outfit, it does not consist out of newbees. On the contrary, the trio are also active in…

Kêres – The King Sleeps without Tears [EP]

Artist: KêresCountry: FinlandLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: 12” EP / CD EPYear: 2023 It pretty much says it all about Atvar, that while recording the latest full-length ‘Vexilloid’ he just recorded another Kêres EP in the same session. Thus, instead of making…

Kêres – Vexilloid

Artist: KêresCountry: FinlandLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Kêres has never been a band that delved into frivolic and experimental outskirts of Black Metal. Whenever you buy a record bearing the band name, you know that primitive and raw…

Uhritulet – Uhritulet

Artist: UhrituletCountry: FinlandLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: CDYear: 2023 Even though Uhritulet hails from Finland, the band consisting of sole member VP doesn’t exactly sound like your run of the mill Finnish act. Perhaps the bareboned midtempo basis of groove along…

Malokarpatan – Vertumnus Caesar

Artist: MalokarpatanCountry: SlovakiaLabel: Invictus ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 It’s kind of odd to realize that ‘Stridžie dni’ was released as recently as 2015. It certainly feels to me as if Malokarpatan has been around for decades, in terms of…

Vastum – Inward To Gethsemane

Artist: Vastum Country: USA Label: 20 Buck Spin Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2023 Ever since their inception in 2009, Vastum has been a force to be reckoned with and they have proven to be a true…

Ulvhedner – Fjosmetall

Artist: Ulvhedner Country: Norway Label: Hellstain Productions Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2023 No, I was not exactly impressed by the sophomore album of this Norwegian Pagan-ish Black Metal act. That record, ‘Legd’ from 2020, sounded much…

In Twilight’s Embrace- Eden of Iniquity [EP]

Artist: In Twilight’s EmbraceCountry: PolandLabel: Cold Weapons MusicFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2023 Without any doubt, ‘Lifeblood’ by In Twilight’s Embrace still stands as one of my favorite records of 2022. And while many records lose their radiance over time, I personally…

Grïixis – Srenvëlet Falëndalët [Demo]

Artist: Grïixis Country: France Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 Without the need of having to give any specific examples, some countries are special when it comes to their local (extreme) metal scenes. The beauty of Black Metal is…

Gam – Alt Hans Væsen

Artist: Gam Country: Denmark Label: Den Ottende Kunst Formats: Cassette Tape Year: 2023 Those who have been digging deep enough into the gems and secrets of today’s Black Metal scene might have been stumbling upon last year’s great ‘Hvisken Fra…

Left Cross – Upon Desecrated Altars

Artist: Left Cross Country: USA Label: Profound Lore Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 After a couple of EP’s and a self-released debut album, the American Death Metal band Left Cross got picked up by the revered Profound Lore…

Thurthul – Hate, Vengeance, Black Metal

Artist: ThurthulCountry: PolandLabel: Stronghold Clothes and Music / Werewolf Promotion / Wulfhere ProductionsFormats: Cassette EP / CD EP
Year: 2023 Hate, Vengeance, Black Metal: the Polish one-man band Thurthul leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the genre of…

Asagraum – Veil of Death, Ruptured

Artist: AsagraumCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Edged Circle ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 That the Dutch Black Metal scene has been thriving has been noticeable within the borders of the country for many years. But also internationally, bands are…

Kratti – Demo 2023

Artist: KrattiCountry: FinlandLabel: Escafismo Records / TÄH! RecordsFormats: Demo tape / Demo CDYear: 2023 Anleifr strikes again. Having previously impressed with Xavarthan, Stutyr and Herugrim, the multi-instrumentalist returns with Kratti in which he’s joined by Elliot and Sami. Black Metal is…

Siimes – Näkyjä Pimeydessä [EP]

Artist: SiimesCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 Siimes from Joensuu, Finland, is not your typical Finnish Black Metal band. At least not in terms of musical formula. Rather than basing their style on influential compatriots such as Beherit, Satanic Warmaster,…