Deimhal – The Grand Gathering [EP]

Artist: DeimhalCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 In a time where melodic Dissection-inspired Black Metal and symphonic Black Metal were at the height of their popularity, bands like the Finnish Catamenia fit right in. Perhaps never the most original or…

Norrhem / Sielunvihollinen – Split CD

Artist: Norrhem / SielunvihollinenCountry: FinlandLabel: Hammer Of Hate RecordsFormats: Split CDYear: 2023 Norrhem and Sielunvihollinen have a bit of history together. Not only are they both from Finland, Sielunvihollinen mastermind Ruttokieli was part of the live lineup of Norrhem and…

Anal Blasphemy – Lust Of The Evil Witches [EP]

Artist: Anal BlasphemyCountry: FinlandLabel: Spread Evil ProductionsFormats: 7″ EP / CD EPYear: 2023 With ‘Lust Of The Evil Witches’ Finland’s finest, Anal Blasphemy, makes its return after what ultimately turned out to be a five-year hiatus. After the Iron Bonehead Productions released ‘Western Decadence’-album from…

Galvanizer / Morbific – Split Tape

Artist: Galvanizer / MorbificCountry: FinlandLabel: Iron CorpseFormats: Split cassette tapeYear: 2023 To add some lustre to their joint tour, these Finnish bands are releasing a split tape where, in a pretty pink and yellow cover, they want to show off…

Sieluhaaska – Kun Aurinkoni Kuoli [EP]

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…

Satanic Warmaster – Aamongandr

Artist: Satanic WarmasterCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Despite coming somewhat later to the party after formation in 1998, the mark of Satanic Warmaster on the Finnish Black Metal scene is considerable. With albums such…

Darkness Domain – The Judgement Bells

Artist: Darkness DomainCountry: FinlandLabel: Darker Than Black Records / Old Forest ProductionFormats: Digital / LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 A mysterious entity that hails somewhere from within the borders of Finland, Darkness Domain released their first recording upon…

Raakimus – Tuskien Taival [EP]

Artist: RaakimusCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 ‘Tuskien Taival’ is the debut EP of this Finnish duo that blends parts of both Melodic/Symphonic Black with Dungeon Synth. Not quite the first band to do so, but that they might be…

Mithrandir – Towards the Spires of Dol Guldur

Artist: MithrandirCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2023 The connection between Lord of the Rings and Metal is one that has lasted almost as long as the music genre has been around. Legions of bands including Cirith Ungol, Gorgoroth and Burzum owe…

Moon Oracle – Ophidian Glare

Artist: Moon OracleCountry: FinlandLabel: Bestial Burst / Signal RexFormats: LP / Cassette tape /CDYear: 2023 Ever since the band’s formation Moon Oracle has been a bit of the odd-one out in the current Finnish Black Metal scene. Although the involved…

Nightside – Lions [Demo]

Artist: NightsideCountry: FinlandLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: Demo CDYear: 2023 When Nightside was formed in Turku, Finland in 1996, there wasn’t so much of a Finnish Black Metal scene as we know it today. Sure, bands like Beherit, Impaled Nazarene, Archgoat…

Vargrav – Encircle the Astral Dimension [Single]

Artist: VargravCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: CD, DigitalYear: 2023 2023 will see the release of the new Vargrav album, baptized ‘The Nighthold’. This third album follows the critically acclaimed debut album ‘Netherstorm’ from 2018 and ‘Reign in Supreme Darkness’ from 2019.…

Argenthorns – The Ravening

Artist: Argenthorns Country: Finland Label: Avantgarde Music Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Symphonic Black Metal has been on the rise for a few years now, and Finland has certainly made some big contributions to its revival. One of the…

Serpentfyre – Baptism of Shadows

Artist: SerpentfyreCountry: FinlandLabel: Altare ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 ‘Baptism of Shadows’ is the second album by the Finnish act Serpentfyre and comes roughly 10 years after the formation of the band. As soon as the gates open with ‘Black…

Qwälen – Syvä hiljaisuus

Artist: QwälenCountry: FinlandLabel: Time To Kill RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette Tape / CDYear: 2023 That Qwälen is a Finnish band becomes immediately clear once the ambient intro track ‘Sairaus’ fades into ‘Kutsu Minua Saatanaksi’. On their sophomore album ‘Syvä Hiljaisuus’…

Sokeus – Immortal Wisdom [Demo]

Artist: SokeusCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 With ‘Immortal Wisdom’ the Finnish duo behind black metal band Sokeus shove their second demo under our collective noses. The first, ‘Forever Cursed’ saw the light of day last summer and already gave…

Order Of Nosferat – Vampiric Wrath Unleashed

Artist: Order Of NosferatCountry: Finland / GermanyLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: LP, CDYear: 2022 The previous album by this international Black Metal band was a good and organic album in which the loneliness of existence as a vampire clearly shone through.…

Order Of Nosferat – Nachtmusik

Artist: Order Of NosferatCountry: Finland / GermanyLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: LP, CDYear: 2022 When a band chooses a name that leaves so little to the imagination, it can only do its best to fully and completely live up to the…

Aethyrick – Kolme Veljestä [EP]

Artist: AethyrickCountry: FinlandLabel: The Sinister FlameFormats: 12″ EP / CDYear: 2023 On April 9th, Finland celebrates the Day of the Finnish language. On this day Finland commemorates the death of Mikael Agricola, the father of the Finnish language who is…

Doomorder – Protocol: Death

Artist: DoomorderCountry: Finland / SpainLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 After a short promo in 2016, which was released as a part of a split 7” (pressed on a clear lathe disc) in 2017 the duo behind Doomorder returns with a self-released digital full-length album. The…

Kalmankantaja / Hadak Ura – Split

Artist: Kalmankantaja / Hadak Ura Country: Finland / USA Label: Death Hymns / Wolfspell Records Formats: Split Cassette / Split CD Year: 2022 Although Kalmankantaja beats Hadak Ura in terms of volume, both acts are quite prolific and dish out…

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…

Slugathor – Crypt Of The Ancient Fire

Artist: Slugathor Country: Finland Label: Drakkar Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Slugathor’s latest offering, ‘Crypt Of The Ancient Fire’ was already unleashed just before summer last year, but its vinyl issue only saw the light of day a…

Kiira – I​ä​tt​ö​m​ä​n Sanat

Artist: KiiraCountry: FinlandLabel: Amor Fati Productions / Out Of The DungeonFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 With the release of their debut album ‘Tulkoon Yö / Talviyö’, Kiira performed a work based on the contemplation of Bláinn, who was perceived as…

Kiira / Svartsejd – Kiira / Svartsejd [Split]

Artist: Kiira / SvartsejdCountry: Finland / SwedenLabel: AvgrundsklangerFormats: Split cassette tape Year: 2022 The bands Svartsejd and Kiira are far from strangers from each other. Although they were formed separately in 2010 and 2011 respectively and even originate from different…

Grieve – Wolves of the Northern Moon

Artist: GrieveCountry: FinlandLabel: Werewolf RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 In 2022, Grieve appeared to have drawn their last breath. The band, consisting of Finnish Black Metal icons Werwolf (Satanic Warmaster and many more) and v-Khaoz (Vargrav and numerous others) had announced that…

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…

Scourge Lair – Calamities

Artist: Scourge LairCountry: FinlandLabel: Nuclear War Now! ProductionsFormats: LPYear: 2022 Scourge Lair caught the attention of the esteemed Nuclear War Now! Productions with the release of their 2019 demo ‘One Hundred Eyes One Hundred Arms’. That demo was the second…

Daemonlust – Daemonlust

Artist: DaemonlustCountry: FinlandLabel: Out Of The DungeonFormats: 12″ EP / CD EPYear: 2022 Though the band was already founded back in 2006, Daemonlust is not quite a very well known band within the Finnish Black Metal scene. The fact that…

Kalmankantaja – Second Death

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…

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…

Solothus – Summoned From The Void [Re-Release]

Artist: Solothus Country: Finland Label: Doomentia Records Formats: LP Year: 2023 The first time I heard the Finnish Death/Doom Metal band Solothus was with the 2013 Nihilistic Holocaust released reissue of the band’s sole demo, ‘Ritual Of The Horned Skull’,…

Aethyrick – The Seventh

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…

Aethyrick – Pilgrimage

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…

Desolate Shrine – Fires Of The Dying World

Artist: Desolate ShrineCountry: FinlandLabel: Dark Descent RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 My first encounter with Desolate Shrine was with their second album, ‘The Sanctum Of Human Darkness’. The band’s dense Death Metal had such a dark and…

Azatoth – Ungodly Carnage [Demo]

Artist: AzatothCountry: FinlandLabel: The Other RecordsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 The guys of Azatoth, a Finnish Death Metal band, returned with their recording in the summer of 2022. Their previous EP was covered on our VM-Underground pages already and was described…

Disguised Malignance – Unearthly Death [Demo]

Artist: Disguised MalignanceCountry: FinlandLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 Disguised Malignance is a relatively new band from Helsinki, Finland. Some of the young band members have already been featured on our pages with a review for a demo of their other…

Beherit – Messe Des Morts [EP / Reissue]

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…

Norrhem – Elonkehrä

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…

Vonülfsrëich – Miasmal Winds

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…

Vonülfsrëich – Ragnarök Rising

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…

Vonülfsrëich – Northern Shamanism [Reissue]

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…

Yrr – Sokeiden Valtakunta [EP]

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…

Yrr – Vanhat Haavat Ovat Auenneet [Demo]

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…

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…