Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: Mournful Moon Country: Greece Label: His Wounds Formats: LP Year: 2025 Those who heard the band’s previous two outings will testify that Mournful Moon is truly something special. With 2020’s ‘...As Shadows Fall Over Zenitheaen’-EP and especially the ‘Rose…
Artist: Salacious GodsCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: WolfKult ReligionFormats: Demo TapeYear: 2025 After an extended period without releases, Salacious Gods has turned the tide completely. There was the long-awaited full-length ‘Oaelevluuk’ and the band returned to the stages in 2023. Last year…
Artist: Ninkharsag Country: United Kingdom Label: Vendetta Records Formats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2025 Of course, when you have heard something good or “discovered” a new band, you really want nothing but more of it. But personally, I…
Artist: The Mist From The Mountains Country: Finland Label: Primitive Reaction Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2024 The Mist From The Mountains’ current line-up includes members of bands such as Diablerie and Black Beast, but during the…
Artist: Ars VeneficiumCountry: BelgiumLabel: Immortal Frost ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2024 2024 sees the return of Ars Veneficium after a four years absence since their last album, ‘Usurpation of the Seven’ was released. Now S. and Ronarg return, accompanied by…
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…
Artist: In Aphelion Country: The Netherlands / Sweden Label: Century Media Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 With ‘Reaperdawn’ the Swedish/Dutch alliance of In Aphelion delivers their second full-length album, and while the band is regarded as a new band…
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…
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: Sear Bliss Country: Hungary Label: Hammerheart Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2024 In the more melodic and atmospheric Black Metal constellation from roughly half of the 90’s to the mid 00’s, Sear Bliss played a significant role. Maybe…
Although Korpituli had already put out some good quality releases, it was with the recently released ‘Pohjola’ that things got really interesting. Whereas the first two albums consisted of fairly well-executed, but perhaps a bit on the safe side Melodic…
Artist: NightsideCountry: FinlandLabel: Purity Through FireFormats: LP / CDYear: 2024 Last year Nightside returned with the demo ‘Lions’, their first release in 22 years. A glorious return, as the Finnish Black Metal outfit combined an excellent sense of fast-paced Swedish…
Artist: Witchflame Country: Finland Label: Werewolf Records Formats: CD Year: 2023 Being released on the 12th of December of 2023, ‘Omen’, the debut album of Finnish Black Metal band Witchflame is not quite the latest of releases from the Werewolf…
Formed in 2021, Hekseblad have used their first few years to flesh out and further perfect their musical formula of melodic and even symphonic Black Metal. While perhaps not all initial recordings have turned out equally well, it is clear…
Artist: Depressive Witches Country: France Label: Self-Released Formats: CD Year: 2024 On the band’s first two albums, ‘Bad Flask’ (2021) and ‘Distant Kingdoms’ (2022) the two French brothers of Depressive Witches already tried to prepare humanity for something seriously different.…
Artist: Amorphous Dominion Country: Thailand Label: Self-released Formats: CD EP Year: 2024 After having released a debut demo tape in 2022, the Thai Black Metal band Amorphous Dominion returns with its follow-up in the form of this self-released EP. That…
Artist: Deathcode Society Country: France Label: Osmose Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 While the French Black Metal scene will be mostly remembered for its crude and harsh sound that was brought to our ears by the likes of…
Artist: AldaaronCountry: FranceLabel: Paragon RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 With a striking cover on their latest album ‘Majestic Heights, Melancholic Depths’ the French band Aldaaron surely managed to pique my interest. And to those that see resemblance to the Limbonic…
Artist: Obsidian Grave Country: USA Label: Dark Adversary Productions Formats: CD Year: 2023 Over the roughly half decade of their existence, American Obsidian Grave have released their music through labels such as Atrocity Altar, Hatework, Perverse Homage and Death Hymns,…
When you are caught off guard by a new album from a band that has more or less fallen off the radar since 2006, it is not only enough for a set of puzzled eyes, but more importantly for sparking…
Artist: Vesthangarth Country: Chile Label: Consumed By The Flames Productions Formats: Digital Year: 2023 In the summer of 2022 I reviewed Vesthangarth’s demo, which was a surprisingly great affair of Scandinavian sounding Black Metal and I concluded that this band…
Artist: Moonlight Sorcery Country: Finland Label: Avantgarde Music Formats: 12″ EP / CD EP Year: 2023 Admittedly, after the amazing ‘Piercing Through The Frozen Eternity’ EP from early 2022 my expectation were extremely high on any material that would serve…
Artist: Mystic Circle Country: Germany Label: Fireflash Records Formats: LP Year: 2023 Alright, here it is. Already. In my review of the remastered reissue of ‘Drachenblut’ earlier this year I predicted that this album would see a remastered version of…
Artist: SieliunvihollinenCountry: FinlandLabel: Hammer of Hate RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Leading melodies aren’t exactly a stranger to a large part of Finnish Black Metal bands. Often inspired by the pioneering works of Satanic Warmaster, Horna and Sargeist, that sense…
Artist: Moonlight Sorcery Country: Finland Label: Avantgarde Music Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2023 Admittedly, I felt a little let down by Moonlight Sorcery’s second EP, ‘Nightwind: The Conqueror From The Stars’ from December 2022. Although having largely the same ingredients…
Artist: UnhallowedCountry: GermanyLabel: Folter RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2023 One should never judge a book by its cover, but it’s hard not to think of Dissection when a band is named after one of their many iconic songs. Even putting this name…
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: Mystic Circle Country: Germany Label: Fireflash Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Actually, only just recovered from the shock of Mystic Circle’s unexpected return and, subsequently, their first feat in sixteen years, the German duo is already back…
Artist: Fourth Monarchy Country: Italy Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Year: 2023 The history of this Italian Black Metal band dates back all the way to 2002, when the band was founded. In the very first years of their existence they…
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…
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.…
Artist: MorcaintCountry: SwedenLabel: Nordvis ProduktionFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 In 2008, Ulvtyr and Heruhim formed the band Morcaint. Together, they started work on an album which they wrote, but ultimately never recorded. And so, the project was put on hold, while…
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: ACODCountry: FranceLabel: Les Acteurs de l’Ombre ProductionsFormats: CD EPYear: 2023 I was initially drawn to the band ACOD when they were featured on the Black Metal Promotion YouTube channel with their newest EP ‘Cryptic Curse’. To be honest, I…
Artist: ACODCountry: FranceLabel: Les Acteurs de l’Ombre ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The French band ACOD was formed in 2006, but as years progressed the line-up of the band was reduced to just the duo of original members Fred on…
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: SiniestralCountry: ChileLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital DemoYear: 2023 Siniestral is the brainchild of the Chilean multi-instrumentalist Victor L. Zamarca, who had previously released Thrash Metal recordings with his other bands Deathrone and Ectoplasma. With this entity he threads into new territories,…
Artist: Funeral MassCountry: PolandLabel: Marquee RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 The Polish Black Metal act Funeral Mass was formed in 2018 by three members of the Blackened Thrash Metal band Deafness. Their first release was the ‘Cold Winds of Desolation’ EP released…
Artist: Morbikon Country: USA Label: Tankcrimes Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 That music in general and metal more specifically is something that can bring together the most unlikely people. There are so many great examples of implausible collaborations,…
Artist: Pestilent HexCountry: FinlandLabel: Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The debut album of Finland’s Pestilent Hex has been in the works for some years. In 2017, Convocation, Desolate Shrine and Ordinance multi-instrumentalist L.L. and Corpsessed, Profetus and Tyranny…
Artist: Mystic Circle Country: Germany Label: Atomic Fire Formats: LP Year: 2023 Time is a wonderful thing, it tends to heal wounds and make one think more mildly of things that happened in the past. When we listen to today’s…
Artist: AshesCountry: PolandLabel: Malignant VoicesFormats: CDYear: 2022 The tremendous level of musicianship and creativity within the Polish Black Metal scene has been highlighted several times already. This obviously hasn’t gone unnoticed, with foreign labels such as Terratur Possessions, Northern Heritage…
Artist: MimoriumCountry: FinlandLabel: Korpituli Productions / Spread Evil ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 In 2022, the Finnish band Mimorium was ready to unleash it’s third opus unto the world. The second album, ‘Blood of Qayin’, received quite…
Artist: Stormruler Country: USA Label: Napalm Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 While I will forever respect Napalm Records for their amazing pioneering work for the development of (extreme) metal, I also regularly scratch the back of my head…
Artist: DawnCountry: SwedenLabel: Cosmic Key CreationsFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2022 The creation of the Swedish band Dawn dates back to 1986, when guitar player Fredrik Söderberg formed the band as a solo project. When he moved to another city and recruited…
Artist: Depressive WitchesCountry: FranceLabel: WormHoleDeathFormats: CDYear: 2022 After the release of the band’s debut album ‘Bad Flask’ and after getting somewhat used to the band not taking themselves very seriously, we should be ready for Depressive Witches’ second album. Again…
Artist: Depressive WitchesCountry: FranceLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: CDYear: 2021 Anyone here who has been around a bit longer and knows the Black Metal scene of the 90’s will remember the video clips of the likes of Immortal and Hecate Enthroned. Where the…
Artist: Moonlight Sorcery Country: Finland Label: Avantgarde Music Formats: 12″ EP / Cassette EP / CD EP Year: 2022 At the beginning of this year I was completely blown away by the debut EP from Finnish newcomers Moonlight Sorcery. Just…
Artist: BythosCountry: FinlandLabel: Terratur PossessionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2020 The Finnish Black Metal scene is about as rich and diverse as any scene, ranging from the ultra raw to the symphonic and melodic. However, for the most…
Artist: Angrrsth / CzortCountry: PolandLabel: Under the Sign of Garazel ProductionsFormats: Split CDYear: 2020 Czort is a Polish band from the Silesian Voivodeship, a province of which Katowice is the capital. The band, who shares their name with a horned,…