Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: Orrery Country: Australia Label: Forbidden Frequencies Formats: LP Year: 2025 I’m sure many a music fanatic has those releases, the ones that made an immediate impact, stuck with you for years, yet never got the proper treatment and recognition…
Artist: FaidraCountry: SwedenLabel: Northern Silence ProductionsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2025 ‘Militant : Penitent : Triumphant’ was a rather impressive record, released by the Swedish one-man act Faidra in late 2023. Basing its atmospheric Black Metal on a straightforward but…
Artist: DrudkhCountry: UkraineLabel: Season of Mist Underground ActivistsFormats: LP / Cassette tape /CDYear: 2025 As conflict continues to tear apart their homeland, Roman Saenko and companions relentlessly persist to bring a homage to the landscapes of Ukraine and its history.…
Artist: Canis Dirus Country: USA Label: Bindrune Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 In this wretched world, life can still sometimes surprise you in a positive way. When I was asked to dive into this latest record of Canis Dirus,…
Artist: Svrm Country: Ukraine Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2025 The prolific Ukrainian one-man Black Metal operation that is Svrm seems to prefer shorter releases over full-lengths. Although S. has delivered three full-length albums, ‘Скорбота’ is the band’s 11th…
Artist: DjevelCountry: NorwayLabel: Aftermath MusicFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2024 Ever since their beginning, Djevel has brought an ode to the Norwegian Black Metal of the 90’s, and in particular the more atmospheric likes of Gehenna, Ulver, Borknagar…
Artist: Vampyric BloodlustCountry: USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2024 Sure, I’m not the fastest writer, but in the time between adding the first Vampyric Bloodlust EP ‘Midnight Slaughter’ to my review list and the actual review, sole band member Mördann managed to…
Artist: Demstervold Country: The Netherlands Label: New Era Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 After the impressive ‘Den Svartne Spökerii’ demo tape from 2017, which was released through Jeroen’s own then resurrected Black Abyss Productions, we were treated with…
Artist: Bortglömd Country: Sweden Label: Heidens Hart Records Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2024 ‘Haunting Calls’ is the debut demo of a new Swedish duo with Dutch connections, yet with this 3-track demo tape the band is distinctly sounding more Northern…
Artist: Winterfyllth Country: United Kingdom Label: Candlelight Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 Although Winterfylleth has become more or less synonymous with everything sounding safe, slick and accessible in Black Metal over the past few years, the English collective…
Artist: NahtrunarCountry: AustriaLabel: Altare ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2024 Following up ‘Wolfsstunde’ is quite a tall order, as Nahtrunar delivered a stellar atmospheric Black Metal record that could match itself with their fantastic debut ‘Symbolismus’ and their genre peers. Yet…
Artist: AethyrickCountry: FinlandLabel: End All Life ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2024 After a collaboration giving rise to four full-length albums, a compilation and two EPs, the union of Aethyrick and The Sinister Flame is no more. As the fire of…
Despite moving to Sweden a few years ago, Volc Vermaledide can still be seen as a Dutch Black Metal band. After all, already formed in 2001, the band has existed on Dutch soil for the most part. Despite now slowly…
Artist: Volc VermaledideCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Wolfkult ReligionFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2024 The Dutch band Volc Vermaledide finds its origins in 2001, and is the brainchild of Satanael M Raben, formerly in Cirith Gorgor and Walpurgisnacht and currently also in Asregen. After…
Artist: Wirdha / NachtheemCountry: Sweden / The NetherlandsLabel: Tour de GardeFormats: Split TapeYear: 2024 On this Tour de Garde released Split Tape, Wirdha and Nachtheem found each other. Wirdha is a new entity with anonymous Black Metal veterans from Sweden.…
Artist: Cachot d’Effroi / Wolftower Country: France / Finland Label: Narbentage Produktionen Formats: Split Cassette Tape Year: 2024 On this Narbentage Produktionen released split tape two of the most interesting bands out of today’s European Black Metal scene team up…
Artist: Cantique Lépreux Country: Canada Label: Eisenwald Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 Anyone who has been compelled by the grandeur of the Metal Noir Quebecois scene will most likely have stumbled upon the back catalogue of Cantique Lépreux. It might be a bit…
Artist: Svrm Country: Ukraine Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2024 As stated in a previous Svrm review, I wouldn’t claim that I have heard the entire back catalogue of this Ukrainian band. But it was clear to me that…
Artist: Schrecken / Erzfeynd Country: Germany Label: Urtod Void Formats: Split LP Year: 2024 This split between two German Black Metal bands was actually already released digitally by both bands on their respective Bandcamp pages in November 2023 and it…
Artist: Liminal Shroud Country: Canada Label: Willowtip Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 Album number three for this Canadian three-piece and with 2022’s ‘All Virtues Ablaze’ they have set the bar high for its follow-up release. That sophomore album…
Much like the artwork of ‘Heavenly Down’ suggests, the new album by Sear Bliss is a grand return to its majestic sound of old. Yet, just like the band never was easy to catch under a single moniker, they are…
Artist: IätönCountry: FinlandLabel: Korpituli ProductionsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2024 Following the release of their first demo ‘Loitsutulet’ I lauded the Finns in Iätön for delivering harsh and haunting Black Metal in the vein of Barathrum and Korgonthurus mixed with a dash of…
Artist: OerheksCountry: BelgiumLabel: Amor Fati ProductionsFormats: 10″ DemoYear: 2024 In many ways, this review for the fourth demo of Oerheks has been a while coming. Mastermind H. had already mentioned last year that he had recorded five demos for this…
Artist: NachtheemCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2024 Nachtheem is a mysterious new entity hailing from The Netherlands that released their debut EP ‘Nacht, Zij met Ons…’ at the dawn of 2024. While that release initially passed me by unnoticed,…
Artist: Svrm Country: Ukraine Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2024 Almost immediately after the band’s conception back in the early 00’s Drudkh has gained a big following. Not only in people who found something new in the sort of…
Artist: Kalmankantaja / Somber WindsCountry: FinlandLabel: Misantropia RecordsFormats: Split CDYear: 2024 Shortly after the release of reimagined tracks from the 2014-2016 period, Kalmankantaja returns to the release front with the first new material of 2024 (although technically it was already…
Artist: Conifère Country: Canada Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Year: 2024 After having released a demo and a split in 2020, Conifère went silent for a good couple of years. While many bands do release one album or EP after another,…
Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Wolfspell RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2024 It has taken a couple of months, but with the release of ‘Varjosielu’ the first recording of Kalmankantaja of 2024 is finally here. This time around we aren’t presented with a new album,…
Artist: Vuosista Country: Finland Label: Self-Released Formats: Demo tape Year: 2024 ‘Kuilu’ might seem the first ever release for this Finnish Atmospheric Black Metal band, it is actually its second outing. Before switching to the name of ‘Vuosisasta’ the band…
Artist: FaidraCountry: SwedenLabel: Northern Silence ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 It seems that in the past year the number of new Atmospheric Black Metal bands has been through the roof. Or rather, it feels that the term…
Artist: SammaleCountry: FinlandLabel: Naturmacht ProductionsFormats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 In languages, Finno-Ugric is a grouping of all languages in the Uralic family except the Samoyedic languages. The three most common of these languages are Hungarian, Finnish, and Estonian. A…
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,…
Artist: Permanent SolutionCountry: FinlandLabel: Misantropia RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 There’s a few things that drew me to the album of Permanent Solution. For one, their label Misantropia Records generally releases good, often Kalmankantaja related, Finnish Black Metal. The tracklist of ‘Permanent…
Artist: Wolves In The Throne Room Country: USA Label: Relapse Records / Century Media Formats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2023 As with many bands that are dealt with a certain hype in their careers this phenomenon comes with…
Artist: OerheksCountry: BelgiumLabel: Amor Fati Productions / Babylon Doom Cult RecordsFormats: 12″ Demo / Demo tapeYear: 2023 Soaring, high above the tree lines, carried by the thermals, observing all that transpires far beneath. With ‘Valkengebed’, Oerheks takes us once more to…
Artist: WaldgeflüsterCountry: GermanyLabel: AOP RecordsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2023 Autumn equinox is here, and to celebrate the beauty of the leaves turning shades of red, green and bronze, Germany’s Waldgeflüster offers us with their latest EP, ‘Unter Bronzenen…
Artist: Wooden ThroneCountry: FinlandLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: CDYear: 2023 Mikko Lehto isn’t exactly a stranger to atmospheric Black Metal. Since the inception in 2001, he has released six full-length albums with October Falls, initially as a solo project but since…
The combination of enchanting atmospheric Black metal and profound lyrics dealing with the Belgian area of Kaggevinne were just a few of the many obvious qualities of the band Oerheks. To delve into what moves the band and what lies…
De combinatie van de bezwerende atmosferische Black Metal en diepgaande teksten over de Belgische streek Kaggevinne waren slechts enkele van de in het oog springende kwaliteiten van de Belgische band Oerheks. Om verder te duiken in wat de band beweegt…
Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Wolfspell RecordsFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 With the release of ‘Unohdettu’, Kalmankantaja is up to their third release of 2023. After two full-length albums the latest addition to the discography is an EP, although with a total playing…
Artist: HedenskfridCountry: FinlandLabel: Hellthrasher ProductionsFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 A cover showing a view through the trees on a lake with far away hills is certainly a captivating sight. And the same nature-inspired approach seems to have taken a deep root…
Artist: VoidwindCountry: FinlandLabel: Misantropia RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 Soothing, longing, sorrowful and intriguing: just some words that describe the music of Voidwind on their album ‘Clad in Your Misery’. Besides that it’s released by the Finnish Misantropia Records, not a whole…
Artist: BurgonetCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 Hailing from Finland, Burgonet does not hide their love of the Norwegian Black Metal scene at all. On their first demo simply titled ‘Demo One’, the band professes their adoration for the earliest…
Artist: LureCountry: FranceLabel: Amor Fati ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2023 In some artists, creativity flows in many shapes and forms. The name of Pierre Perichaud may ring a few bells, but it’s especially the pseudonym Business for Satan (or B.F.S.) that probably…
Artist: Miserere LuminisCountry: CanadaLabel: Sepulchral ProductionsFormats: CDYear: 2023 Miserere Luminis is a band with a bit of a mythical status in the Québécois Metal scene. Formed in 2008, it represented the collaboration of Neptune and Icare of the band Gris…
Artist: OerheksCountry: BelgiumLabel: Amor Fati Productions / Babylon Doom Cult RecordsFormats: 12″ Demo / Demo tapeYear: 2023 In the region of Cagghenvinna (currently known as Kaggevinne) in Belgium, a forest called the Prinsenbos once stood proud. Victim to the greed…
Artist: SieluhaaskaCountry: FinlandLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 A melancholic piercing riff, an ever so subtle background hum of the keyboards, rumbling bass and raspy cries upon a midpace drum rhythm: Sieluhaaska doesn’t waste time to introduce what they…
Artist: AutrestCountry: BrazilLabel: Northern Silence ProductionsFormats: Digital / CDYear: 2023 A view from a snowclad forest, with mountainsides reaching beyond where the eye can see. Hardly a scenery that you associate with the country Brazil, but this is exactly the…
Artist: AaraCountry: SwitzerlandLabel: Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 In 1820 the Irish playwright finished his gothic novel ‘Melmoth the Wanderer’. In this tale, the lead character Melmoth is a scholar who sells his soul to the devil in…
Artist: MotherwoodCountry: Brazil, GermanyLabel: Low Noise ProductionsFormats: Cassette TapeYear: 2023 The origins of Motherwood lie in Brazil, where both of its band members, Yuri Camargo and Guilherme Malosso, originate from. Somewhere after their self-titled debut album saw its release in…