Perfide – De Republiek Der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden

Artist: PerfideCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: ZwaertgevegtFormats: LP / Cassette tapeYear: 2023 ‘De Republiek Der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden’ (which translates to ‘The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands’) was a confederation that existed from 1588 to 1795 and covered most of what…

Countess – Live By The Sword [EP]

Artist: CountessCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 One of the very oldest Dutch Black Metal bands is Countess, formed in 1992. There may no longer be any original band members in the current line-up and the band took a…

Cirith Gorgor – Cirith Gorgor MMXXII [Reissue]

Artist: Cirith GorgorCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Heidens Hart Records / Ketzer RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Almost like no other Black Metal band from the Dutch scene, Cirith Gorgor turned out to be the child of its time. When they put…

Funeral Winds – Stigmata Mali

Artist: Funeral WindsCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Osmose ProductionsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 One of the most important bands in the development of Dutch Black Metal is without a glimmer of a doubt Funeral Winds. Though now operating out…

Defy The Curse – Horrors Of Human Sacrifice

Artist: Defy The CurseCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 This Dutch band, Defy The Curse, is a new collective formed by a couple of scene veterans. With ‘Horrors Of Human Sacrifice’, released on all…

Written In Blood – Written In Blood

Artist: Written In BloodCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Trollzorn RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 Written In Blood is a new Dutch Death Metal band featuring ex-Vortex and ex-Mandator drummer Jos Eggens and, most prominently, ex-God Dethroned bassist Bert ‘Beef’ Hoving. When I first got…

Sterveling – In de Schoot der Aarde [Demo]

Artist: StervelingCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Self-releasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 Sterveling is the brainchild of M.vdW, who is or was active in the Avant-garde Metal band Prospectors, Black Metal band Weltschmerz, the Death Metal band Iron Harvest and the dissonant Black Metal…

Iku-Turso / Standvast – Ikuinen Viha [Split]

Artist: Iku-Turso / Standvast Country: Finland-The Netherlands / The Netherlands Label: Wolfspell Records Formats: Split 7″ EP Year: 2022 The Finnish/Dutch Black Metal band Iku-Turso shared a piece of vinyl with Kalmankantaja and Goats Of Doom before, so they are…

Bezwering – Dodenkroning

Artist: BezweringCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Ván RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 I have regarded Bezwering’s debut album, ‘Aan De Wormen Overgeleverd’, as one of the better Dutch Black Metal albums of recent years and a more than worthy successor to Wederganger, on which…

Wanklank – Waar Klanken De Ruimte En Tijd Verbinden

Artist: WanklankCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Heidens Hart RecordsFormats: LPYear: 2021 Put in a plain sleeve, black with only the somewhat scratchy logo on it very large, with no info or extras, this vinyl-only album by the obscure Black Metal band, Wanklank…

Alburnum – Buitenlucht

Artist: AlburnumCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Babylon Doom Cult RecordsFormats: Cassette CD / CD EPYear: 2022 The Dutch band Alburnum is a relatively new act from the ever-fertile Black Metal scene of the city of Utrecht. Like many (very) local scenes, a…

Graceless – Chants From Purgatory

Artist: Graceless Country: The Netherlands Label: Into It Records / Raw Skull Records Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 Dutch Death Metal outfit Graceless have been a band that has received quite some exposure over the recent…

Grafjammer – De Zoute Kwel

Artist: GrafjammerCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Black Tapes / Folter Records / RabauwFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2020 Sometimes things get lost. But some things that are too old and too cold should not be forgotten… no, I’m not talking…

Lucifericon – The Warlock Of Da’ath

Artist: Lucifericon Country: The Netherlands Label: Invictus Productions Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 After releasing three EP’s and one full-length album, the Dutch Black/Death Metal combo Lucifericon is ready to strike again with a new full-length…

Liber Null – For Whom Is The Night

Artist: Liber Null Country: Italy / The Netherlands Label: Immortal Frost Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Liber Null, for those who are not familiar with the band, is another band that has one of Black Metal’s most prolific…

Phlebotomized – Devoted To God [Demo / Re-Release]

Artist: Phlebotomized Country: The Netherlands Label: Hammerheart Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape Year: 2022 One of the most original bands that helped shape the ‘famous’ Dutch Death/Doom Metal scene was certainly Phlebotomized. With their 1992 ‘Devoted To God’-demo tape…

Phlebotomized – Pain, Resistance, Suffering [EP]

Artist: Phlebotomized Country: The Netherlands Label: Hammerheart Records / Petrichor Formats: 12″ EP / Cassette EP Year: 2021 Being one of the bands that helped shape the Dutch underground metal scene, many eyes were on Phlebotomized after it was announced…

Meslamtaea – Weemoedsklanken

Artist: Meslamtaea Country: The Netherlands Label: Babylon Doom Cult Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Formed in 1998, Meslamtaea may be considered one of the longest-running Dutch Black Metal acts, but in that almost quarter-century of its existence, main…

Maliënkolder – Maliënkolder [Demo]

Artist: Maliënkolder Country: The Netherlands Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2022 Maliënkolder, Dutch for habergeon, is a new band from The Netherlands, formed by a duo that goes under the names of Knevelaer and Geerling. I am not sure…

Wesenwille – III: The Great Light Above

Artist: WesenwilleCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Les Acteurs de l’Ombre ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Once dubbed “The Svartidauði project” by the band members, the release of the sophomore album ‘II: A Material God’ saw the band Wesenwille take a large step…

Wesenwille – II: A Material God

Artist: WesenwilleCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Les Acteurs de l’Ombre ProductionsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2021 Even though the band born as a project meant to honour stalwarts of dissonant Black Metal, Wesenwille didn’t intend to end it there and remain a one-time…

Kjeld – Ôfstân

Artist: Kjeld Country: The Netherlands Label: Heidens Hart Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2021 Northern Netherlands-based Kjeld is not a band in a big hurry. On the contrary. The band was formed back in 2003, but it took them…

Gärgäntuäh – Dödenlicht [Demo / Reissue]

Artist: GärgäntuähCountry: The NetherlandsLabels: GoatowaRex / New Era Productions / Tour de GardeFormats: 12″ Demo / Demo tapeYear: 2021 This first demo by Dutch band Gärgäntuäh has already been released back in 2020 by the highly revered labels of New…

Ceremoniële Walging – Ingekankerd

Artist: Ceremoniële WalgingCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Babylon Doom Cult RecordsFormats: Cassette tapeYear: 2022 After last year’s scorching ‘Vergeet De Eeuwenoude Haat Nooit’ demo (which was also released on cassette tape by Babylon Doom Cult Records early this year), the anonymous Ceremoniële…

Skinless Bride – Rotting Carcass [Reissue]

Artist: Skinless BrideCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Brutal Insanity RecordsFormats: Cassette EPYear: 2022 Skinless Bride sounds like a mix of Skinless and My Dying Bride… no, musically they don’t actually sound like that at all, but I guess that would be an…

Soulburn – Noa’s D’Ark

Artist: Soulburn Country: The Netherlands Label: Century Media Formats: LP / CD Year: 2020 I’ll spare everyone the confusing history of Soulburn in which it’s kind of a shuffle with Ashphyx, I assume that when you read this you already…

Dead Head – Slave Driver

Artist: Dead HeadCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Hammerheart RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 Considering this album was released by the end of April this year, I am a little late to the party with this review. Dead Head has never really changed…

Sagenland – Oale Groond

Artist: Sagenland Country: The Netherlands Label: Heidens Hart Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2021 Despite the fact that Sagenland has been around since the early 00’s, 2021’s ‘Oale Groond’ is only their first album. Earlier, in…

Funeral Winds – Gruzelementen

Artist: Funeral WindsCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Necromanteion / New Era RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2021 Sometime after the release of 2007’s ‘Nexion Xul – The Cursed Bloodline’, Hellchrist Xul brought Funeral Winds back to what can be considered…

Angmodnes – The Weight of Eternity

Artist: AngmodnesCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Black Lion RecordsFormats: CD EPYear: 2022 Sometimes there’s just too much Doom Metal in you. This is the case for Y.S and M.V, two members of the Dutch Doom Metal band Apotelesma, who needed a vessel…

Severe Torture – Fisting The Sockets [EP]

Artist: Severe Torture Country: The Netherlands Label: Season Of Mist Formats: CD EP Year: 2022 Dutch Death Metal is mainly linked to the more classic bands from around the 90’s. Of course, bands like Pestilence, Sinister and Gorefest have been…

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,…

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…

Impure – Blasphemy [EP]

Artist: Impure Country: The Netherlands Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2007 The young band Impure from Breda, The Netherlands, releases their first feat with this self-released EP With ‘Blasphemy’, the five-piece band presents itself as a Black/Death Metal band…

Beenkerver – Ontaard

Artist: BeenkerverCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Vendetta RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 From the ever-fertile Dutch underground comes this new act, Beenkerver. And although the band name may not instantly ring a bell, the name of the man…

Bottenberg – Demo 2022 [Demo]

Artist: BottenbergCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Heidens Hart RecordsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 Unearthed from the soil of the Dutch Twente-region comes Bottenberg. A new one-man Black Metal band, led by the illustrious figure who calls himself De Bottenboer. For non-Dutch readers: Bottenberg…

Headless Dawn – Crap On Demand

Artist: Headless Dawn Country: The Netherlands Label: Into It Records / Meat 5000 Records Formats: Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 “16 Tearjerkers For The Woke Generation” is what the promo sheet accompanying this EP says. That does not promise…

Hellevaerder – In De Nevel Van Afgunst

Artist: Hellevaerder Country: The Netherlands Label: Zwaertgevegt Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 ‘Je bent niks waard!’, screams vocalist Miranda Visser in the very first second of this album. It translates to ‘You are worthless’ and sets…

Hammerdeath – Hammerdeath [EP]

Artist: Hammerdeath Country: The Netherlands Label: Stageblast Records Formats: Digital EP Year: 2022 In the Dutch metal scene in the 90’s it was pretty much impossible to ignore the presence and influence of the Displeased Productions-label. It presented many a…

Coffin Lurker – Foul and Defiled

Artist: Coffin LurkerCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Sentient Ruin LaboratoriesFormats: LP / Cassette tapeYear: 2022 Coffin Lurker is yet another brainchild of Maurice de Jong, an important figure in the Dutch underground metal scene responsible for a hell of a lot bands…

Thanatos – Omnicoitor [Demo / Re-Release]

Artist: ThanatosCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Xtreem MusicFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2020 A series that is called ’10 Inches Of Deathcult’ would not be complete without Hollands’ self-proclaimed initiators of Dutch Death Metal. Though the band was already founded as early as 1984…

God Dethroned – The Christhunt [Re-Release]

Artist: God Dethroned Country: The Netherlands Label: VIC Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 Before God Dethroned gained worldwide fame with their brilliant ‘The Grand Grimoire’ and ‘Bloody Blasphemy’ albums in the second half of the 90’s, for which…