Nihil Invocation – The Chaos Of Our Lost And Evil Souls

Artist: Nihil Invocation Country: USA Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions Formats: LP / Cassette tape Year: 2022 Although the cassette tape version of Nihil Invocation’s fourth album was already released about a year earlier, the vinyl edition only appeared a…

Chao Abyssi – Spiritual Essence [EP]

Artist: Chao AbyssiCountry: PolandLabel: Black Death ProductionFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 The Polish label Black Death Promotion presents us with the debut release of their countrymen, Chao Abyssi. This first EP titled ‘Spiritual Essence’ of the otherwise mysterious act comes at…

Wolfpath – Wolfpath [EP]

Artist: WolfpathCountry: PolandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 From the Pagan Vastlands of Warsaw, Poland comes Wolfpath, a new unity in which multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Void is joined by current Acherontas and former Inferno drummer Marcello. After having formed in 2021,…

Witchcraft – Ghastly Demonolatria [Demo]

Artist: WitchcraftCountry: FinlandLabel: Down With The Most HighFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 Out of a series of three reissues demo/rehearsal tapes of one of Finland’s best kept secrets, Witchcraft, comes this second tape: ‘Ghastly Demonolatria’. Which was, just like the other…

Nachtgnawer – Eternal Curse of the Blood [Demo]

Artist: NachtgnawerCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital DemoYear: 2022 Straight from the chasms of the Finnish underground comes Nachtgnawer, a new Black Metal band consisting of two members of Licht Des Urteils, as well as Advorsvs of Sacrificium Carmen, Riivaus, Wömit Angel…

Strychnos – A Mother’s Curse

Artist: Strychnos Country: Denmark Label: Dark Descent Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Honestly, Danish Black/Death Metal band Strychnos never really did much to me with the bands’ early (and sparse) releases over the course of…

Witchcraft – Black Imprecation [Demo]

Artist: WitchcraftCountry: FinlandLabel: Down With The Most HighFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 Originally released in only a handful of copies and spread early on in 2022, this rehearsal demo is the first of three of such demos that were reissued by…

Siniestral – Contemplando el Abismo [Demo]

Artist: SiniestralCountry: ChileLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital DemoYear: 2023 Siniestral is the brainchild of the Chilean multi-instrumentalist Victor L. Zamarca, who had previously released Thrash Metal recordings with his other bands Deathrone and Ectoplasma. With this entity he threads into new territories,…

Funeral Mass – Shadow of the Raventhrone

Artist: Funeral MassCountry: PolandLabel: Marquee RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 The Polish Black Metal act Funeral Mass was formed in 2018 by three members of the Blackened Thrash Metal band Deafness. Their first release was the ‘Cold Winds of Desolation’ EP released…

Abraded – Unadulterated Perversity

Artist: AbradedCountry: USALabel: Aggressively Uninterested Formats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 American Death Metal/Grindcore combo Abraded returns with a new full-length album, after their eponymous debut from 2021. A debut that to me was a very welcome and refreshing listen,…

Vargrike – A Vereségben

Artist: VargrikeCountry: Hungary / USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 Not long after the release of their debut EP, the American/Hungarian duo of Vargrike commenced work on their first full-length album. What exactly determines the line between an EP and full-length is…

Vargrike – Útkereső [EP]

Artist: VargrikeCountry: Hungary / USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: CD EPYear: 2021 How the international Black Metal duo came together is unknown, but in today’s day and age it allowed the union of the San Diego, USA based Velsingard and the Budapest, Hungary…

Nächtlich – Third Ritual [EP / Re-Release]

Artist: Nächtlich Country: Canada Label: Inferna Profundus Records Formats: CD EP Year: 2022 Canadian Nächtlich was one of the bands that helped shape the current revival of the (ultimate) Raw or even Lo-Fi Black Metal movement. The band that already…

Nächtlich – Howling Depths Rehearsal [Demo]

Artist: Nächtlich Country: Canada Label: Vinland Corpse Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2022 In the band’s preparation for their show at the Summoning Of The Elder Spirits festival earlier in 2022, at which the band appeared alongside acts such as Borda’s…

Galvanizer – Prying Sight Of Imperception

Artist: GalvanizerCountry: FinlandLabel: Everlasting Spew Records / Extremely Rotten Productions / Headsplit Records / Me Saco un Ojo RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Oh dear, this album has been gathering dust in our promo closet for far…

…and Oceans – As in Gardens, So in Tombs

Artist: …and OceansCountry: FinlandLabel: Season of MistFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 The musical legacy of …and Oceans has hardly been one of conformity. From the very earliest album, the band has always given their own distinct and…

Noenum – Heresiarch

Artist: NoenumCountry: FinlandLabel: Northern Heritage RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 Form in the mid to late 90’s, release a sensational demo or EP, and then disappear for a few decades only to come back with an unexpected debut album. It seems to…

Nécropole – Yoga

Artist: NécropoleCountry: FranceLabel: Northern Heritage RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 Nécropole’s star rose to fame with the rather sensational demos ‘Atavisme’ and ‘Ostara’. Both were examples of a rejuvenated style of French Black Metal that hints back at the infamous past of…

Arnaut Pavle – Transylvanian Glare

Artist: Arnaut PavleCountry: FinlandLabel: Amor Fati Productions / MystiskaosFormats: LPYear: 2023 The 2013 demo by the Finnish band Arnaut Pavle was a pretty sensational release, filled with filthy punky Black Metal heavily inspired by Darkthrone. In the following years the…

Arnaut Pavle – Arnaut Pavle [Demo / Reissue]

Artist: Arnaut PavleCountry: FinlandLabel: MystiskaosFormats: LPYear: 2023 Arnaut Pavle, also known as Arnold Paole, was a Serbian Hajduk living in the town of Meduegna. His particular name was remembered as a curious case study documented by two Austrian doctors. In…

Kringa – All Stillborn Fires, Lick My Heart!

Artist: KringaCountry: AustriaLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: CDYear: 2023 Kringa’s ‘Total Mental Desecration’ was a pretty sensational EP. Although the band had released some demos since its inception in 2009, it was probably that specific release that gained the band a bit…

Dødsengel – Bab Al On

Artist: DødsengelCountry: NorwayLabel: Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The unorthodox creativity and impenetrable darkness that Dødsengel managed to evoke with their earliest recordings were of a major influence on the revival of Norwegian Black Metal, so near the end of the 00’s.…

Sacrificium Carmen – Nekrognosis – Avain Varjoihin

Artist: Sacrificium CarmenCountry: FinlandLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 For the Tampere, Finland based Black Metal band Sacrificium Carmen, ‘Nekrognosis – Avain Varjoihin’ is their third album. Formed in 2009, the band took a few…

Morbikon – Ov Mournful Twilight

Artist: Morbikon Country: USA Label: Tankcrimes Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 That music in general and metal more specifically is something that can bring together the most unlikely people. There are so many great examples of implausible collaborations,…

Odal – Sturmes Brut [Re-Release]

Artist: Odal Country: Germany Label: Eisenwald Formats: LP Year: 2022 At the tail end of 2022 the German quality label Eisenwald reissued Odal’s debut album ‘Sturmes Brut’ on vinyl. Originally released in 2002 through the Christhunt Productions label, it hasn’t…

Gouffre – Demo Compilation

Artist: Gouffre Country: Belgium Label: Medieval Prophecy Records Formats: LP Year: 2022 At the very end of 2022 Medieval Prophecy Records released this compilation LP that contains both Gouffre demos, 2019’s ‘1: Grim Spirit’ and ‘Crawling Death’ from 2021. The…

Fleshrot – Unburied Corpse

Artist: Fleshrot Country: USA Label: Desert Wastelands Productions / Me Saco Un Ojo Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 After the band’s eponymous 2020 demo, the Texas Death Metal band Fleshrot returns for their debut album. Those…

Förgjord – Ruumissaarna pt. 1

Artist: FörgjordCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Veterans of the underground Finnish Black Metal scene, Förgjord had undertaken the ambitious project of releasing the ’Ruumissaarna’ trilogy. The songs recorded during these sessions, of which the title translates to…

Harvest Gulgaltha – Ancient Woods

Artist: Harvest Gulgaltha Country: USA Label: Godz Ov War Productions Formats: Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 The anonymous American trio that is Harvest Gulgaltha returns with their sophomore effort, five years after their debut. The enigmatic Black/Death Metal combo…

Cryptopsy – Ungentle Exhumation [Demo / Re-Release]

Artist: CryptopsyCountry: CanadaLabel: Xtreem RecordsFormats: 10″ EP / CD EPYear: 2021 ‘Ungentle Exhumation’ is undoubtedly one of the most important demos from the Canadian metal scene. It marked the start not only of Cryptopsy, but actually of a whole tradition…

Fleshcrawl – Festering Flesh [Demo / Reissue]

Artist: Fleshcrawl Country: Germany Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP / CD EP Year: 2021 Before the band would become known as Fleshcrawl, one of Germany’s best and longest-running Death Metal bands, they were known as Morgöth and subsequently Suffocation.…

Toxik – Dynamo Open Air 1988 [Re-Release]

Artist: ToxikCountry: USALabel: Back On BlackFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 My personal story is actually like so many here in The Netherlands. As a young enthusiast, I became hooked on metal in the late 1990’s, but at the time when Spotify…

Kamra – Cerebral Alchemy

Artist: Kamra Country: Slovenia Label: Avantgarde Music / Edged Circle Productions Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 After a two-track demo/EP from 2021, this new Slovenian metal band propels itself to new levels with their Avantgarde Music…

Autopsy – Morbidity Triumphant

Artist: AutopsyCountry: USALabel: Peaceville RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Introducing Autopsy to a VM-Underground reader is like explaining Star Wars to a sci-fi enthusiast. Useless, then, so we won’t do that. There is, however, no denying of…

Nigrum Tenebris – I Am The Serpent

Artist: Nigrum Tenebris Country: Germany Label: Sol Records Formats: CD Year: 2021 Nigrum Tenebris comes from the rich Black Metal underground scene of the city of Kassel, over the past two decades this German city has produced many a good…

Autophagy – Bacteriophage

Artist: AutophagyCountry: USALabel: Necrolatry Records / Pulverised RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 In 2018 the American Death Metal band Autophagy delivered a nice demo that our chief editor Ricardo here at VM-Underground described as a good blend…

Sacrimonia – Anthems Of Eclipse

Artist: Sacrimonia Country: Poland Label: Self-Released Formats: CD Year: 2022 Sacrimonia is a Melodic/Symphonic Black Metal band from Poland that was founded in 2015 and released a first EP in 2016 but went silent for the following years. It wasn’t…

Carnal Ruin – Soulless I Remain

Artist: Carnal RuinCountry: USALabel: Redefining Darkness RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The nowadays Death Metal scene is getting gradually more bland and actually starts to feel a little jaded. The trends of today tend to flatten out the entire scene, with one part dealing with…

Putrevore – Miasmal Monstrosity

Artist: Putrevore Country: Spain / Sweden Label: Xtreem Music Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2021 Putrevore is the collaboration of two of Death Metal’s most prolific veterans, Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Revolting among many others) and Dave…

Saram – …Lima Hell! [Compilation / Re-Release]

Artist: Saram Country: Peru Label: Werewolf Records Formats: LP Year: 2023 Despite being officially formed in 1998 in Lima, Peru, Saram’s history goes back many more years. In 1991, the band Neuroparalya was formed which eventually turned into Saram Scivit…

Outlaw – Death Miasma [EP]

Artist: Outlaw Country: Brazil Label: Drakkar Productions – South American Division Formats: CD EP Year: 2021 Outlaw is an international band made up of band members from at least Brazil and Finland who, despite this EP being my first introduction…

Furnace – Stellarum

Artist: Furnace Country: Sweden Label: MDD Records Formats: CD Year: 2022 With Furnace the multi-instrumentalist with too much time Rogga Johansson and Peter Svensson (Void Moon) went for a more melodic sound with their first two albums, ‘Black Stone Church’…

Manticore – Endless Scourge Of Torment

Artist: Manticore Country: USA Label: Hells Headbangers Records Formats: Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 One of Hells Headbangers earliest releases was Manticore’s debut album, ‘Bowels Of The Holy Anoint Us In Evil’. Together with a few other of those…

Purgatory – Apotheosis Of Anti-Light

Artist: Purgatory Country: Germany Label: War Anthem Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Nossen, Germany-based Death Metal band Purgatory celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, making it one of the country’s longest-running extreme metal bands. While…