Aara – Triade III – Nyx

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…

Motherwood – Im Zeichen der Dunkelheit

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…

Entrancement – Of Passion’s Cruelty

Artist: EntrancementCountry: USALabel: Altare Productions / Perverse HomageFormats: Cassette Tape, CDYear: 2023 After two demos, which also appeared together on a compilation LP by Goatowarex, and a split with the (dreadful) Midnight Betrothed, American Entrancement comes out with the much…

Unohdus – Niin Turhaan Tähdet Valaisivat Meitä [Demo]

Artist: UnohdusCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 With two tracks spanning a total of 8 minutes, Finland’s Unohdus’ arrival on the Black Metal scene is short but sweet. The atmospheric Black Metal in these two songs shows the one-man band…

Kalmankantaja – Surun Saattomailla

Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: HammerbundFormats: CDYear: 2023 With the arrival of ‘Surun Saattomailla’, the second Kalmankantaja album of 2023 and 24th full-length in total sees its release. Often working with in particular different vocalists, this time we once again find Grim666 taking…

Tetrasigil – Forest Storm

Artist: TetrasigilCountry: FinlandLabel: Amor Fati Productions / KuunpalvelusFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 When Luxixul Sumering Auter put an end to Cosmic Church in 2017 it opened room for him to focus on some of his other projects. Frozen Graves released…

Bjes – Prázdnota [EP]

Artist: BjesCountry: Czech RepublicLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 For the Czech band Bjes, the self-released EP ‘Prázdnota’ is their first release. With a release title that translates to ‘Emptiness’ you might be tempted to think the tone of the band’s…

Insikt – Wanderings through a Cursed Mind

Artist: InsiktCountry: SwedenLabel: Amor Fati Productions / Mysticism ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Insikt is one of the many vessels of Swedish Black Metal mastermind Swartadauþuz, of which the first and thus far only release ‘Wanderings Through a Cursed Mind’…

Greve – Föllo Afv Svavel Lifvets Dimridå

Artist: GreveCountry: SwedenLabel: Mysticism Productions / Purity Through FireFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Those with a weak spot for Black Metal will undoubtedly have heard one or more bands featuring the Swedish multi-instrumentalist Swartadauþuz, who also runs Ancient Records and Mysticism Productions.…

Sammale – Sammale

Artist: SammaleCountry: FinlandLabel: Naturmacht ProductionsFormats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 The artist behind Paisaunt and main composer and guitar player of Marrasmieli, an individual called Zannibal, sought a vessel for the atmospheric soundtrack fitting with a path through forest and…

Kalmankantaja – Waiennut

Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Korpituli Productions / Wolfspell RecordsFormats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Although the name was very familiar to me, Kalmakantaja from Finland was the sort of band that I never paid much attention to. But when I randomly…

Kalmankantaja – Talvisota [EP]

Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Hammerbund / Korpituli ProductionsFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2022 On November 30, 1939, three months after World War II had started, the Soviet Union invaded Finland. Three and a half months later on March 13th, 1940…

Kalmankantaja – Ahdistus MMXXI

Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Misantropia RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 ‘Ahdistus’ was originally the fourth full-length album by the Finnish Kalmankantaja, which saw a release in 2014 courtesy of War Against Yourself Records. At that time, vocalist Nagh was still part of the…

Kalmankantaja – Metsäuhri

Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Korpituli Productions / Wolfspell RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 The first full-length album that Kalmankantaja released in 2022 was the, by my count, 20th in the history of the band. Quite a feat considering…

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…

Geistlicht – Fading Light

Artist: GeistlichtCountry: GermanyLabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 In September of 2022, Geistlicht’s debut release ‘Hidden in the Mists’ pleasantly surprised me with beautiful artwork but most of all, a great album filled with atmospheric Black Metal. Possibly equally surprising, the band…

Nyrak – Malvs

Artist: NyrakCountry: BelgiumLabel: Self-releasedFormats: CDYear: 2022 Featuring members that are involved in bands such as Gotmoor, Serpent’s Oath, Wound Collector and Scarificator, the Belgian band Nyrak formed in 2021. Within a year they were ready to release their first release,…

Heinous – Ritual, Blood and Mysterious Dawn

Artist: HeinousCountry: BelgiumLabel: New Era Productions / Nuclear War Now! ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 My first introduction to Heinous came with their ‘Demo I’, initially released through Medieval Prophecy Records (cassette) and later by New Era…

Kêres- Flaming Ash [EP]

Artist: KêresCountry: FinlandLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2021 Kêres is one of the many vessels that the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and Kuunpalvelus label boss Rauta (in the case of Kêres performing under the name of Atvar) uses to…

Frozen Graves – An Age of Emptiness

Artist: Frozen GravesCountry: FinlandLabel: KuunpalvelusFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Cosmic Church, the band whose later albums had iconic images of mastermind Luxixul Sumering Auter in a red robe on the cover, left quite an impression with their recordings. The release…

Geistlicht – Hidden in the Mists

Artist: GeistlichtCountry: GermanyLabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 Sometimes I think about the good old days, when you wouldn’t know a thing about a band except for the appeal of the album cover, the excitement of discovering something based on a piece…

Précieux Sang – Les Nuits de Gethsémani

Artist: Précieux SangCountry: CanadaLabel: EisenwaldFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The Black Metal scene in the Canadian province of Québec, often named Métal Noir Québécois after the first Forteresse album, has made a name for itself around the globe for producing numerous outstanding bands. While many…

Nahtrunar – Wolfsstunde

Artist: NahtrunarCountry: AustriaLabel: Altare Productions / Symbolismus WerkeFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Insiders might know Austria’s Nahtrunar from the excellent debut album `Symbolismus’, a work that was heavily inspired by the spirit of 90s Norwegian Black Metal. Follow-up `Existenz’ mostly…

Saor – Origins

Artist: Saor Country: United Kingdom Label: Season Of Mist Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 With Saor celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, it’s safe to say that Andy Marshall has (much) more to offer than just…

Negură Bunget – Om

Artist: Negură Bunget Country: Romania Label: Code666 Formats: CD Year: 2006 If there is one band that has been pushing the boundaries of black metal, and if there is one band that has been working their blackened asses off to…

Negură Bunget – Inarborat Kosmos [EP]

Artist: Negură Bunget Country: Romania Label: Code666 Formats: CD EP Year: 2005 One of the better things that has happend over the last few years when it comes to black metal will definitely be the signing of Negura Bunget to…

Negură Bunget – ‘n Crugu Bradului

Artist: Negură Bunget Country: Romania Label: Code666 Formats: CD Year: 2002 Much has been said and told about this band from Romania, but not really much is known about them. Also, all the releases, before this one, are barely obtainable.…