Azazel – Aegrum Satanas Tecum

Artist: AzazelCountry: FinlandLabel: Primitive ReactionFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 When you list the originators of the Finnish Black Metal scene, names like Beherit, Impaled Nazarene, Archgoat and Barathrum are inevitable. You would almost forget Azazel was right…

Lunar Spells – Demise Of Heaven

Artist: Lunar Spells Country: Greece Label: Northern Silence Productions Formats: CD Year: 2022 Anyone who follows the Black Metal scene a bit will have noticed that Melodic or Symphonic Black Metal is on the rise and is being widely embraced…

Liminal Shroud – All Virtues Ablaze

Artist: Liminal Shroud Country: Canada Label: Willowtip Records Formats: CD Year: 2022 ‘All Virtues Ablaze’ is the second album by Canadian Black Metal band Liminal Shroud, the first album, ‘Through The False Narrows’ (2020, Hypnotic Dirge), had escaped my attention,…

Haradrim – Demo 2022

Artist: Haradrim Country: Sweden Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital demo Year: 2022 For the non-Lord of the Rings aficionado among us: The Haradrim were the race of Men from Harad in the region of Middle-Earth, directly south of Gondor. These people…

Ancient – Eerily Howling Winds [Compilation]

Artist: AncientCountry: NorwayLabel: Soulseller RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Earlier this summer, Dutch label Soulseller Records released a collection of old recordings by Ancient. A band that was hardly taken seriously in the past, at least, after their debut album.…

Olio Tähtien Takana – Spectral Katharsis

Artist: Olio Tähtien TakanaCountry: FinlandLabel: Avantgarde MusicFormats: LP / CDYear: 2021 The first band that people are most likely to recognize from the list of acts that v-KhaoZ features in is Vargrav, whose stellar debut `Netherstorm’ caused quite a stir upon release (not in the…

Vermisst – Night And Fog

Artist: VermisstCountry: PolandLabel: Esfinge de la CalaveraFormats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Polish Black Metal band Vermisst has been around for a while and already has quite a discography, a handful of demos and (split) EPs via various underground labels,…

Vel’Har – Letanía I [Demo / Re-Release]

Info Artist: Vel’HarCountry: GermanyLabel: Sentient Ruin LaboratoriesFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2022 Although the band denies it, Vel’Hal was part of Chile’s Black Metal underground elitist circle that goes under the name of ‘Pure Raw Underground Black Metal Plague’. Whether that is…

Belphegor – The Devils

Artist: BelphegorCountry: AustriaLabel: Nuclear BlastFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Admittedly, I had lost sight of Belphegor for a while. After the 2000 release of ‘Necrodaemon Terrorsathan’, I somewhat lost interest in the band. I did hear some…

Amorphous Dominion – Demo 2022

Artist: Amorphous DominionCountry: ThailandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 This Bangkok, Thailand based Black Metal band Amorphous Dominion started in 2018 from the spirited soul of ‘Sunrize Eclipse’, who after some time realised that he could only realise his black visions…

Hulder – The Eternal Fanfare [EP]

Artist: Hulder Country: USA Label: 20 Buck Spin Formats: 12″ LP / Cassette EP / CD EP Year: 2022 EP’s are often used by bands as a taster for a new album, a sort of sop, but it also happens…

Kvad – Cold & Dark, As Life [EP]

Artist: KvadCountry: NorwayLabel: Forbidden Keep Records / TormentRexFormats: Cassette / CDYear: 2022 This Norwegian act has chosen a cover for its debut-album that is very much in the same vein as many of their fellow countrymen, it depicts a cold…

Kvad – Invocations [EP]

Artist: KvadCountry: NorwayLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2022 The debut album ‘Cold & Dark, As Life’, released on cassette via Forbidden Keep Records, was my first introduction to the Norwegian Black Metal band Kvad. The album brought an interesting mix of…

Funeral – Llamada Funebre

Artist: Funeral Country: Chile Label: Burning Coffin Records Formats: Cassette Year: 2022 Although I don’t know exactly how old this Chilean Black Metal band is, I always wonder how it is possible that the creative minds of musicians can’t come…

Issolei – Cilicium

Artist: IssoleiCountry: NorwayLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2021 Unconventional was the term used earlier to describe pretty much everything about Issolei. Fascinating would be another. While the `Devouring Current’ EP’s spent a lot of time disorienting the listener, only…

Hekseblad – The White Flame [EP]

Artist: Hekseblad Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2022 With the Woods Of Ypres-tribute EP as some sort of an interlude, the American Black Metal duo continues with this 1-track EP/single where they left off: the musical narration…

Hekseblad – The Night Of The Long Fangs [Demo]

Artist: Hekseblad Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2021 This is the first 1-track demo of this American Black Metal duo, consisting out of Frosk who is responsible for all instrumentation and Bruxa who contributes the vocals. When…

Hekseblad – The Fall Of Cintra [EP]

Artist: Hekseblad Country: USA Label: Fólkvangr Records / Grime Stone Records Formats: Cassette EP / CD EP Year: 2022 After a first 1-track demo, ‘The Night Of The Long Fangs’, the American duo of Hekseblad (which is actually Dutch for…

Kūka’ilimoku / Aarkanne – Ele’abyssus [Split LP]

Artist: Kūka’ilimoku / AarkanneCountry: USA / ChileLabel: Inferna Profundus RecordsFormats: Split LPYear: 2022 ‘Ele’abyssus’ is the title of a split LP between two rather stripped down Black Metal acts, Kūka’ilimoku from the USA and Aarkanne from Chile. Earlier releases by…

Klaaromtesterven – Pyschological Pain [Demo]

Artist: Klaaromstesterven Country: United Kingdom Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital demo Year: 2019 The Bandcamp-page of this one-man act says that it is from the UK, something I do not dispute, but judging from the Dutch band name it is a…

Stormkeep – Tales of Othertime

Artist: StormkeepCountry: USALabel: Ván RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2021 In the wake of the popular `Galdrum’ EP, Stormkeep released their first full length album `Tales of Othertime’ in late 2021. Members from amongst others Wayfarer, Blood Incantation, Lord Dahthar and…

Watain – The Agony & Ecstasy Of Watain

Artist: WatainCountry: SwedenLabel: Chaos Reigns / Darkness Shall Rise Productions / His Master’s Noise / Nuclear Blast / Soyuz MusicFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Originally released on April 29th, I am a little late with this review…

Mystic Circle – Mystic Circle

Artist: Mystic Circle Country: Germany Label: Atomic Fire / Chaos Reigns Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 It sometimes happens that even though you think you are prepared for everything, life surprises you. Who, for example, was thinking of a…

Inferno – Paradeigma (Phosphenes of Aphotic Eternity)

Artist: InfernoCountry: Czech RepublicLabel: Bile Noire / Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Those only familiar with the earliest Inferno albums might be surprised at how the band sounds anno 2021. The Czechs released numerous albums…

Diabolic Oath – Aischrolatreia [EP]

Artist: Diabolical OathCountry: USALabel: Sentient Ruin LaboratoriesFormats: 12″ EP / Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2022 After Shroud Of The Heretic went on a indefinite hiatus by the end of the 10’s some members went on to form this Diabolic…

Anal Vomit – Into The Eternal Agony [Reissue]

Artist: Anal VomitCountry: PeruLabel: Black Legion RecordsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 It was about 17 years ago when I reviewed Anal Vomit’s ‘Demonic Flagellations’ (From Beyond Productions) for VM-Underground’s predecessor and also conducted an interview with the band about these early…

Syning – Syning

Artist: SyningCountry: NorwayLabel: Cloven Hoof Brewing & Releasing / Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Syning is the union of members of some of the finest acts on the Terratur Possessions roster: V. Einrede of Whoredom Rife…

Kastijder – Kastijder [Demo]

Artist: KastijderCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Dark Adversary Productions / New Era ProductionsFormats: 12″ Demo / Demo tape / Demo CDYear: 2021 The Dutch Black Metal scene is buzzing. After years where it was only a few bands like Countess, Funeral Winds,…

Imha Tarikat – Sternenberster

Artist: Imha TarikatCountry: GermanyLabel: Lupus Lounge / Prophecy ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2020 Although the 2017 ‘Kenoboros’ 12″ EP on Terratur Possessions was well received amongst the followers of the flourishing Black Metal scene, I always kept…

Krushhammer – Blood, Violence & Blasphemy

Artist: Krushhammer Country: Brazil Label: Hellprod Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 I do love the simple things in life. I am just fine when things are predictable. Admitted, I also like to have a musical surprise every now…

Destructo – Demonic Possession

Artist: DestructoCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Dying Victims Productions / Wolves Of Hades RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 I don’t think I have to tell you that The Netherlands is a rather small country and its metal scene is…

Aargøn – Demo No. 1

Artist: AargønCountry: USALabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2022 This is another Black Metal project led by one individual and this one hails from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and released a two-track demo simply called ‘Demo No. 1’. It was Spotify that drew…

Aerdryk – Met de Drietand op Mijn Huid

Artist: AerdrykCountry: BelgiumLabel: Amor Fati ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2022 With label releases AFP199 and AFP200, Amor Fati Productions pays homage to the rich history of the Belgian region of Flanders through the narrations told by the bands Oerheks (which my colleague…

Oerheks – Cagghenvinna [Demo]

Artist: OerheksCountry: BelgiumLabel: Amor Fati Productions / Babylon Doom Cult RecordsFormats: 12″ Demo / Demo tapeYear: 2022 This Belgian Black Metal act Oerheks is the brainchild of H (Hans Cools) who we also know from bands such as Hypothermia, Silver…

Aarkanne – Revelatio

Artist: AarkanneCountry: ChileLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2022 Aarkanne from Chile got a review here on VM-Underground for their full-length, ‘Mysterii’, that was released last year through Ars Negative on CD, Soul Reaper on cassette tape and on vinyl through Inferna…

Kūka’ilimoku – Pahu O Ka Ua

Artist: Kūkāʻilimoku Country: USALabel: Expansion AbyssFormats: CassetteYear: 2021 Kūka’ilimoku is the brainchild of Kūwāha’ilo, I am glad this is written media, because I wouldn’t know how to pronounce it exactly, but it’s probably related to the background of the musician,…

Svardenvyrd – Scarred Lands

Artist: Svardenvyrd Country: Czechia Label: Far Horizon Music Formats: Digital EP Year: 2021 Svardenvyrd’s origin dates back to as early as 2002 and already released two demo’s, a split CD and one album in the first half of the 00’s…

Spectral Wound – A Diabolic Thirst

Artist: Spectral WoundCountry: CanadaLabel: Les Fleurs du Mal Productions / Profound Lore RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 The star of Montréal’s Spectral Wound quickly rose after the release of their well-received sophomore album `Infernal Decadence’ and intense…

Lamentari – Clavis Aurea [EP]

Artist: Lamentari Country: Denmark Label: Over The Under Records Formats: 12″ EP Year: 2022 Formed in 2019, this Danish six-piece have already released two EP’s, both of which were released by the also Danish Over The Under Records. A professionally…

Xenomorph8472 – Rüstwelt

Artist: Xenomorph8472Country: USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 Taoism teaches its followers to live in perfect harmony with the universe, live in peaceful friendship with both each fellow man and animal and practice patience, simplicity and balance in life. Not quite the…

Opus Magorum – Opus Magorum [Demo / Re-Release]

Artist: Opus Magorum Country: Greece Label: Inferna Profundus Records Formats: LP Year: 2022 This Greek Black Metal band Opus Magorum has been around for over 20 years with its formation in 2001. But don’t feel embarrassed if you haven’t heard…

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…