Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: Black HurstCountry: USALabel: Into The PentagramFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 This eponymous demo tape is the first offering of the New York, USA based Black Hurst. The band profiles itself with a term of ‘Pagan Black Metal Mysticism’ and with…
Artist: KalmankantajaCountry: FinlandLabel: Misantropia RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 About four months have passed since the most recent Kalmankantaja album ‘Waiennut’ was released, and the Finnish band revolving around the creative mastermind Grim666 is back with another full-length. Despite numerous releases every…
Artist: GoatScrote Country: Canada Label: Self-Released Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2023 Besides one full-length album the Canadian pervs of GoatScrote have released a handful of demos and EP’s as well, this new one, ‘Humanity Must Be Destroyed’, being their fifth.…
Artist: Ghostwound Country: Indonesia Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 Ghostwound is a new Dungeon Synth-heavy Black Metal act that is most likely the product of one anonymous figure, I guess the one depicted on the cover, from Indonesia.…
Artist: Sotherion Country: France Label: W.T.C. Productions Formats: Demo tape Year: 2022 Though W.T.C. Productions does release cassette tapes every now and then, I can’t really remember when they last released a ‘real’ demo tape, if they ever did. With the two-track…
Artist: Drakon Ho MegasCountry: GreeceLabel: Floga RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 At the very beginning of this year Drakon Ho Megas’ sophomore album was released through Floga Records. ‘Έλευσις Αντίχριστου’, ‘Coming Of The Antichrist’ in English, is the follow-up to the 2021 released great…
Artist: AgönphetishCountry: TurkeyLabel: Demo tapeYear: 2023 ‘Promo ‘23’ is the first offering of Agönphetish, a new band from Turkey of which its band member or members is (yet) unknown. Yet, this four-track demo tape, including an intro, gives quite a…
Artist: Satanika Country: Italy Label: Osmose Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 ‘Horde Of Disgust’ is the fifth album for the Italian Black/Thrash Metal band Satanika. Although the band has been releasing their albums and EP’s through a wide…
Artist: Scáth Na DéitheCountry: IrelandLabel: Vendetta RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 Shadow of the Gods. That is a rough translation of the Irish text Scáth Na Déithe, which is also a band hailing from Rush (or An…
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…
Artist: Cult Of FireCountry: CzechiaLabel: Doomentia RecordsFormats: 7″ EPYear: 2023 The recently resurrected Doomentia Records returns with a few new records. The label started with the reissue of Fata Morgana’s ‘Kremace Dábla’ demo from 1992 (with great artwork from Rok).…
Artist: Regnum Tenebrarum Country: Belgium Label: Medieval Prophecy Records Formats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2023 After the 2020 ‘Des Enfers’ EP, also released via Medieval Prophecy Records, things went quiet for a while around Regnum Tenebrarum, who hail…
Artist: UønsketCountry: USALabel: Jems LabelFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2022 Depending on which picture you see of Richard Fuller, the young man behind Uønsket, he is adorned in a dark cape, wearing warpaint and spikes (sometimes of impressive size)…
Artist: AbnutivumCountry: USALabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 The illustrious duo that is known as Abnutivum has seemingly resurrected out of a 10 year hibernation. Their first and only offering was a 2013 released demo/EP on cassette tape, called ‘Master’s Morbid…
Artist: Tulus Country: Norway Label: Soulseller Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 With the release of ‘Fandens Kall’ the Norwegian zealots of Tulus have released more albums after their return in 2006 than in their first period that is…
Artist: AethyrickCountry: FinlandLabel: The Sinister FlameFormats: Cassette EPYear: 2022 On December 21st, 2022, exactly six years after their formation, the Finnish band Aethyrick unveiled their latest release. This time presented as a three-song EP, ‘The Seventh’ is a special cassette…
Artist: AethyrickCountry: FinlandLabel: The Sinister FlameFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 On winter solstice of 2016, Gall and Exile formed the band Aethyrick. The Finnish duo has turned out to be a prolific songwriting entity, quickly releasing a…
Artist: Hulder Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Cassette Year: 2022 Over the past two or three years the name of Hulder became a much revered band in the Black Metal scene. The one-woman band gained some quick ‘fame’ and went…
Artist: Forbidden Temple Country: Belgium Label: Gramschap Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 This is actually not the right order, because after this first full-length album by this downright fantastic Belgian Black Metal band, two more releases…
Artist: Old Castles / Winterstorm Country: Chile / Chile/Ecuador Label: Inferna Profundus Records Formats: Split LP / Split CD Year: 2023 The Lithuanian label Inferna Profundus Records apparently is increasingly becoming the home for South American Raw Black Metal. With…
Artist: Mánþiel Country: Chile / Germany Label: Inferna Profundus Records Formats: LP Year: 2023 This new Mánþiel (or Mantiel, if you prefer an easier version of their band name) album is one that will only have a vinyl release, done…
Artist: Opiumortem Country: Bulgaria Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Year: 2023 After two demos, which were recently compiled onto one tape and released through Narbentage Produktionen, Opiumortem now returns with a full-length album. Apparently it was recorded in the span of…
Artist: Opiumortem Country: Bulgaria Label: Narbentage Produktionen Formats: Cassette Tape Year: 2022 Bulgaria’s Opiumortem’s both demos were rather hard to get, in fact, only the first one, entitled ‘Lethargia’ was released on a very small self-released run of cassette tapes.…
Artist: DeviserCountry: GreeceLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Many of my reviews have started with the remark that there is more to the Greek Black Metal scene than your standard Rotting Christ, Varathron and SepticFlesh. Which, by no means…
Artist: Pale Spektr Country: Germany Label: Amor Fati Productions / Nuclear War Now! Productions Formats: LP / Cassette Tape Year: 2022 Pale Spektre is a new German Black/Death Metal band that seemingly came out of nowhere. Though the four musicians…
Artist: ÄnterbilaCountry: SwedenLabel: Nordvis ProduktionFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Some labels release whatever band they like regardless of genre, others focus on a music scene from a certain city, and there’s some that are known for a specific sound. When…
Artist: SlegestCountry: NorwayLabel: Dark Essence RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Slegest was formed by Stig Ese in 2010, a year after he left the Norwegian band Vreid. He released two full-length albums and two EPs as a one-man band before…
Artist: FrostCountry: HungaryLabel: Metal ör Die RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2021 The roots of the Hungarian Black Metal band Frost go back to 1996, although technically they were formed upon the ruins of the shortlived band Prophecy that started even a year…
Artist: VéhémenceCountry: FranceLabel: Antiq RecordsFormats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Blending metal with folky and medieval elements are almost as old as the metal genre itself, from the very giants of the Heavy Metal genre, including Black Sabbath and Iron…
Artist: AnéantiCountry: BelgiumLabel: Death Prayer RecordsFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2023 Formed in Brussels, Belgium in 2020, the Black Metal duo of Anéanti consists of Grafdelver on drums and backing vocals and Woudmeester on vocals, guitars and bass. Their…
Artist: Ritual DeathCountry: NorwayLabel: Shadow RecordsFormats: Cassette tapeYear: 2023 The end of 2022 saw the release of the debut full length album of the Nidrosian Black Metal band Ritual Death. That album followed a number of EPs released between 2016…
Artist: Beyond HelveteCountry: GermanyLabel: Immortal Frost ProductionsFormats: CDYear: 2022 The oddly named one-man Black Metal band Beyond Helvete is the brainchild of Sven ‘Natrgaard’ Krause and was already formed in 2007. Though being able to release two albums and some…
Artist: BeheritCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: 12″ EP / Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2023 It always baffles me when I realise that Beherit, as a Black Metal entity, only existed for some 4 years. Their unparalleled and indescribable influence on…
Artist: Nubivagant Country: Italy Label: Amor Fati Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 It was in 2020 that Gionata “Omega” Potenti (Darvaza, Frostmoon Eclipse, Chaos Invocation, ex-Acherontas, ex-Blut Aus Nord, ex-Fides Inversa a.o.) surprised the world with a stunningly…
Artist: NorrhemCountry: FinlandLabel: Spread Evil ProductionsFormats: CDYear: 2022 Formed in 2017 in Turku, Finland, the then two-piece of Valthor and MA started their journey which led to their first demo. When T also joined the band, Norrhem swiftly finished their…
Artist: Nocturnal Departure Country: Canada Label: Hells Headbangers Records Formats: Split 7″ EP Year: 2022 In the current and ongoing Black Metal rejuvenation, the name of Nocturnal Departure was dropped more than once as one of the genre highlights. The…
Artist: BarbalansCountry: MalaysiaLabel: Goatlordth RecordsFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 Barbalans was undoubtedly one of the earliest Black Metal bands from Malaysia, being formed as early as 1993. Despite releasing a couple of demos and an EP in those early years, the…
Artist: Diabolique Nocturne MagickaCountry: USALabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 One-man Black Metal band Diabolique Nocturne Magicka is run by the anonymous figure of Graf Kaalveg S. A. Starnesii, who self-released his project’s first offering, the ‘Aufklärung’ EP on a nice…
Artist: PanychidaCountry: Czech RepublicLabel: Folter RecordsFormats: CD EPYear: 2022 The release of the ‘Gabreta Aeterna’ album in 2020 marked the fifth full-length in the history of the Czech band Panychida. Having taken three to four years between each album so…
Artist: PanychidaCountry: Czech RepublicLabel: Evil Horn Records / Folter Records / Nasphyr RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2020 Ever since 2004, the Czech band Panychida have been spreading their Pagan Metal to the world. The creative core of…
Artist: VonülfsrëichCountry: FinlandLabel: Fallen TempleFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 That the music of Vonülfsrëich has been changing from one release to the other was clear from their slew of EPs released since the band was born. This was possibly in part due…
Artist: VonülfsrëichCountry: FinlandLabel: Fallen TempleFormats: CDYear: 2022 After its inception in 2012, the Finnish band Vonülfsrëich have released numerous releases, of which most were EPs. And on these EPs, the musical direction wasn’t always the same as the releases that…
Artist: VonülfsrëichCountry: FinlandLabel: Fallen TempleFormats: CDYear: 2021 The Oulu, Finland based band Vonülfsrëich was formed by Fogg in 2012. In the early days Fogg was joined by bass player and vocalist Lempo, who passed away in 2015. However, the band’s…
Artist: Moenen Of Xezbeth Country: Belgium Label: Medieval Prophecy Records Formats: 12″ EP Year: 2023 Hot on the heals of the band’s debut 7” EP, ‘Forever Rotting Winter’ in 2017, Moenen Of Xezbeth also released this 5-track demo tape (including…
Artist: Ieschure Country: Ukraine Label: Ars Funebris Records / Old Metal Rites Formats: Cassette EP / CD EP Year: 2023 Ever since the inception of Ieschure, back in 2015, this Rivne-based Ukrainian Black Metal act has been on the top…
Artist: YrrCountry: FinlandLabel: Korpituli Productions / The Oath / White Wolf ProductionsFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2022 After a decent first demo in early 2022, the Finnish band Yrr continued to work on their first EP. Initially started by…
Artist: YrrCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital DemoYear: 2022 Yrr is a project formed in Finland. It was formed by the sole band member, also called YRR, who had previously contributed to the bands Yrrthorn and Grimsvötn. On the first demo of the…
Artist: EnthronedCountry: BelgiumLabel: Medieval Prophecy RecordsFormats: LPYear: 2021 Enthroned is without a glimmer of a doubt one of the most important bands of the Belgian extreme metal scene. Though being formed back in 1993, in those very thriving formative years…
Artist: Serpents Oath Country: Belgium Label: Soulseller Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 The Belgian Black Metal band Serpents Oath released their second album halfway last year, again through the Dutch Soulseller Records label. Though the band might not…
Artist: OhydaCountry: PolandLabel: Wolfspell RecordsFormats: CD EPYear: 2022 On the back of their excellent first EP, Ohyda started working on new material. Once more released by Wolfspell Records, the Polish band again brings us an EP filled with raw Black…