Ripper--Towards Rebirth CD&LP{Dark Descent Rec.}

 

Chile's Ripper return with a new assult of razor sharp thrashing death metal mayhem.The guitars are played with fast paced guitars that are relentless in their delievery.The guitarist does write and perform some memorable passages and adds some well performed solo's throughout the songs.The drums are equally as violent with some extremly fast and chaotic drum passages.Like the guitars the drummer does execute some memorable well performed drum passages.The vocals are old school death metals and some gruff growls and screams for a nice mix of the two vocal styles.If you are looking for a violent and lethal thrashing death metal release then do not  miss out on Ripper's newest release and pick it up today.                                                                                                                                              Ripper                                                                                                                                                          https://ripperdeathrashchile.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                https://www.facebook.com/ripperchileoficial/                                                                                            https://www.instagram.com/ripper.chile?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D                                                Dark Descent Rec.                                                                                                                                    https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/                                                                                                  https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/towards-rebirth                                                              https://www.facebook.com/DarkDescentRecords                                                                                    https://www.instagram.com/darkdescentrecords/                                                                                    https://www.youtube.com/user/darkdescentrecords                                                                                          

Mordant Rhed/Lord Humongous--Bonded By the Bomb (LP) (2026 Jems Label)

This record has two of the most important black metal bands from the US on its two sides. No other black metal bands sound like these two bands, and it speaks to their originality and songcraft that this is so. Hopefully this will be repressed, as I am sure availability is low. You can always get this digitally if you have to, I recommend getting it however you can. Side A contains Lord Humongous' offerings, and we get three originals and a cover of Exodus' "And Then There Were None" for good measure (which Mordant Rhed helps out on). Their thrash-based black metal assault is as it ever was - intense, evil, and nuclear-obsessed, with the usual bit of influence from war metal in their sound. They're deceptively skilled musicians, delivering some wild time shifts and changes in what at first seem to be simpler songs. Side B has the sick dreamings of Mordant Rhed, one of my personal favorites. They start strong, blasting like Blasphemy, but tempered by their hardcore punk influences into something more. Their songs are short, sharp, black metal shocks, the way it ought to be. They're barbaric, by far the more uncontrolled of the two bands, and they just sound dangerous. The material here is their best yet, and catchiest by far. Depending on if your tastes are like mine, they're the best band on the split. Mark my words - these two bands will be legends in the US underground, and they're well on their way to notoriety.

mordantrhed.bandcamp.com

From Distant Hills--...and Whispering Trees (CD) (2026 Purity Through Fire Records)

Here we have some nature-worshipping black metal from Greece from a member of Sad, as well as a bunch of other bands. How does this material differ? Well, for one thing it's a mostly mid-paced effort with a lot of melodic tremolo-picked riffs that soar like the mountains and forests they write about. They absolutely nail the imagery-to-music ideas, and you can almost "see" these riffs. I'd call that a success. The vocals are absolutely wild, high pitched wails that reek of insanity and pain, almost literally. It sounds like he's being stabbed while singing, or maybe his nuts are caught in something. Either thing would cause a scream like this, honestly. All jokes aside, they're unique vocals that take a second or two to digest and to become accustomed. The band is quite good at building textures in their songs, often with one guitar doing something completely different as an overlaid melody, and they build up these textures slowly over the length of the songs. This isn't my favorite style of black metal, but I recognize talent where I see it, and these guys have it. Worth a listen.

www.purity-through-fire.com

Axe--Autogeddon (CS) (2026 Caligari Records)

Black thrash bands tend to be a dime a dozen, and they're often fairly interchangeable. Enter Axe with their Autogeddon demo, a solid slab of blackness that just sounds honest and unpretentious. Not only do they bring their thrash with excellent raw sound, with true black metal spirit (especially in the vocals), the musicianship is excellent. Everything is properly tight and audible. These guys can play as well as look the part. I honestly place this band more in the black metal camp than the thrash camp just due to the seriously dark atmosphere this stuff has. It's less about style and more about ripping your head off. You can't listen to this and say it's not black as fuck. That said, the thrashier riffs do remind me a bit of Razor, and that's a good thing. They have a frenetic approach that most black thrash bands don't, a dark energy that suffuses their work, that certain intangible "something" we all crave in black metal. This is a truly exciting demo and I'll be quite interested to hear what they do next, whether EP or LP. I am sure it will be good. I hope they keep it raw.

www.caligarirecords.com

Scordatura--Led Into Oblivion CD&LP and CS{Everlasting Spew Rec.)

 

Scordatura are a four man band  coming out of the U.K'S brutal death metal scene.Led Into Oblivion is the  bands  newest full length featuring nine tracks  of solid brutal death metal at it's  finest.The guitars range from extremely fast paced patterns.The guitars do slow to a more controlled mid paced in a few of the songs.The guitarist does write and execute some well performed solo's and passages.The drums are a mix of extremly fast chaotic drum passages that are brutal in the delievery.Like the guitars the drums do slow to a more heavier mid paced range in a few of the songs.The vocals are brutal death metal growls that are powerful in their delievery.This is my first encounter with Scordatura but this is a top notch death metal band and release.If you are a fan of well written and performed death metal then defintly  give this band a chance and pick this up today.                                                                            Scordatura                                                                                                                                                    https://scordatura.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                                https://www.facebook.com/Scordaturaofficial                                                                                        https://www.instagram.com/scordatura__/                                                                                                    Everlasting Spew Rec.                                                                                                                                  https://everlastingspew.com/                                                                                                                    https://everlastingspew.bandcamp.com/album/led-into-oblivion                                                                https://www.facebook.com/everlastingspew/                                                                                          https://www.instagram.com/everlastingspew/                                                                                              https://www.youtube.com/@EverlastingSpew/featured

Khemmis--Khemmis (CD/LP) (2026 Nuclear Blast Records)

It's uncommon for a band to name their fifth album after themselves - it's usually a statement made earlier in a band's career, typically on the first or third record. This time, however, Khemmis have turned in an album sufficiently impressive to deserve that eponymous treatment. Their hybrid heavy/doom metal is much as it ever was, except perhaps more polished and focused with intent than ever. I am completely floored with just how good this album is - it transcends their previous work. The vocals remain haunting, somber, and smooth. If only every doom metal band had a vocalist like this I would probably listen to so much more of it. Not to mention the inventiveness of the riffing, which is masterful. The whole album is a heavy metal masterclass of melody and malevolence. The production is natural-sounding and pristine, a top notch recording and engineering job by someone who clearly understands the band and its sound. I can't say enough how great the melodies themselves are on this record. They're sublime and emotional and transcendent, and fully metal. I'll be picking this album up for sure, and I'll be spinning it often.

www.nuclearblast.de

Sardonic Order--By Doom Of Battle {digital}{Independent}

 

Sardonic Order is a duo who comes out of Canada's black metal scene and this is a review of their new EP.By Doom Of Battle is a two song EP that features some very well performed black metal that is mainly played with mid paced passages and even has some melodic influences mixed into the raw delievery.The first song is By Doom Of Battle and starts off with some very well executed fast guitars that are played with intensity.The guitars and music does slow to a more mid paced range.The drums are played in the same vein with ssome mid paced drums that are performed with skill.The vocals are raw black metal metal screams that are powerful.The second song is  Enthralling Ancestral Void starts off with some fast paced drums and guitars that are well performed with skill.The music does slow to a more controlled pace with some well composed music.Both the guitars and drums are performed with memorable passages that played with intensity.The music does speed up to a faster pace halfway through the song for a nice mix of fast paced and mid paced black metal.Sardonic Order has crafted a raw black metal release with some melodic touches throughout both songs for a good release worth checking out.                                                                                                                                              Sardonic Order                                                                                                                                              https://sardonicorder.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                          https://www.instagram.com/sardonicorder                                                                                                  https://www.youtube.com/@SardonicOrder

Ymberophilia--Vegletek {digital}{Independent}

 

Ymberophilia is a solo project  coming out of Hungary who plays a good style of black and death metal.Vegletek is the newest five tracks of well played black death metal.Musically it has a good mix of mid paced and faster passages. The guitars are played with some fast paced guitars that are well executed even adding in some solo's and patterns.Their are some slower and heavier mid paced guitars used in a few of the songs The vocals are a mix of  raw black metal screams and some deeper death metal growls are used in a few of the songs.Ymberophilia has some  good musicial idea's on the debut so if you are looking for a new band that blends black and death metal influences totgether then be sure to check this band out today.                                                                                                                          Ymberophilia                                                                                                                                                https://ymberophilia.bandcamp.com/music                                                                                                https://www.instagram.com/ymberophilia                                                                                                     https://www.youtube.com/@Ymberophilia

Kerzenlicht/Kirous--Split (CD/CS) (2026 Signal Rex)

On this split Kerzenlicht give us four tracks of raw black metal while Kirous give us three tracks of (less raw) black metal. Kerzenlicht, from Finland, is quite similar to Satanic Warmaster with the same melodic, plodding style. The vocals are shrieks that cut like a knife and really add to the occult atmosphere. They have that obscure black metal feel that I like to hear in bands. Kirous, also from Finland, also sound a lot like Satanic Warmaster, and have a similar vocal style to Kerzenlicht. The band is more clearly produced yet still has an element of rawness to the music. They mix in some epic riffs and acoustic guitar to make their music just that little bit different. Of the two bands Kirous is the most musically accomplished, as is evident in the songwriting and riffs. They're just a bit more interesting. Overall this is a mildly interesting release with a few good songs. It appears it may be Kirous' last, according to the Archives. But we can hope for some additional material from Kerzenlicht if they continue strong.

www.signalrex.com

Gravecity Bandits--Bandit Rock 'N Roll (Digital) (2026 Independent)

Finally, something a little different to review. Gravecity Bandits from Finland mix Motorhead, speed metal, and ferocious punk rock to bring us a real bastard of an album with a full speed ahead approach and not wasted effort. The production is dirty and mean and organic, and it absolutely perfect. It makes them sound gritty, tough, and dangerous, which is exactly what I want from tunes like these. Vocally, the singer uses a style similar to Lemmy, with maybe a bit more raspiness and punk snark in his voice. The band has the same fuck you attitude that pervades Pig Iron by Anti-Nowhere League, and I would reckon that band is an influence on this one. Attitude is all-important with music like this and these boys have all of it. They also bring some speed metal to the party, like on the songs "Built to Last" and "Speed Blues," and they merge them perfectly with the punk influences and Motorhead-isms to make a seamless whole. They have some musical chops, too, evidenced by the decent guitar solos and quick drum work that crop up in several songs. They can play, and they prove it. I recommend this highly and anticipate hearing more from this band in the future. They're a joy to listen to.

Black Odyssey--Black Odyssey (CD/LP) (2026 Independent)

Here's a band that gets it! They've released their own CD and LP physically, which is what bands should be doing! Now on to the music. For some reason, although this band's Archives page tells us they've been a band since 2010, this is their first full length and only release thus far, other than two singles prior to this record, likely in preparation for the album coming out. They give us dark heavy metal similar to modern Judas Priest, just without the vocal histrionics. Instead we get understated vocals that are similar to Halford's lower range, and they're fucking good. They're smooth and powerful and perfectly suited to the music. I have to commend them on a heavy, thick drum sound, which isn't always the case nowadays in this age of triggers and sound replacement. I can tell they were going the extra mile to get a good solid sound with a lot of what I call "wetness" to it. Some bluesy influences pop into the mix on the second track, "Bless Me Father," with its slow grind of a riff and emphatic vocals. It fits perfectly into the record with the tinges of doom in their songs. This is an incredible record for a first full length and I hope they continue to regularly make music. Every song is distinct and worthy of being on the record, and there are no songs where I felt like hitting the skip button. This is pretty dark stuff atmospherically, and there's no feel-good songs here, just shadowy riffs. Nine Euros gets you the digital album on Bandcamp, and with the way the mail is now with the fucking tariffs in place in the US, it's the best option for US fans to get this mighty slab of heavy metal.

blackodysseyband.bandcamp.com

Vehemence--Assiege pour l'eternite (CD/LP) (2026 Antiq Records)

This is the fourth full length from Vehemence from France, and they give us epic melodic black metal on this release. The melodies soar on this one, and they're amazing at building textures throughout the songs, with added layers of melody often happening behind or on top of the main riffs. The recording itself is a natural-sounding one, almost a live sound, especially where the drums are concerned. I won't give them too much shit for having such a nice recording, as the textures in this piece of black metal actually require a decent production. That doesn't stop them from including the rogue string scrape or pick sound on the recording, and that's a nice touch. It helps add just a bit of rawness. They're not afraid of other instruments, either, as a flute makes an appearance in one of the songs with a lilting melody. They can also blast fiercely, and they pepper these explosions in fairly readily in all the songs. It makes for quite an interesting listen. My high school French sucks, so I can't understand a damn word of the lyrics, but the songs appear to be about quests, forests, plains, and shit like that. I liked this album quite a bit, and will probably revisit it at some point. Worth the price of admission.

www.antiqrecords.com

Windswept--Howling in Baptismal Filth (LP/CS) (2026 Northern Void Records)

New Zealand often gets lumped in with the Australian scene, what I think is unfairly. They have a share of decent bands in New Zealand, and this is one of them. Windswept play rather melodic black metal that definitely takes its influence from the Norwegian gods, particularly Satyricon circa Nemesis Divina (at least that's what my ears make of it). They have a similar anthemic melodic approach even when they're blasting. The problem is I don't much like the recording - it's too clean. While it's very natural-sounding, it's pristinely recorded which isn't how I want much of my black metal to sound. I want it to be ugly, in your face, but all instruments still audible. Rough and rugged is the way, and this isn't so much. However, this is nitpicky. Sometime that stands way out is the frantic and frenzied vocal performance of Rachel Collins, their singer. She's a fuckin' beast and even has the look a black metal singer should have. Her vocals are some of the most filthy I've heard in black metal for a while, raspy screams that exude metalized blood. Apart from that there are some standout riffs and solid playing by all, and some great guitar harmonies. I just wish this was a bit dirtier-sounding, like I often do with modern black metal.

www.northernvoidrecords.com

Medieval Skull--Hellion Earth (Digital) (2026 Independent)

Well, I've definitely never heard this particular mixture before - epic heavy metal with black metal vocals. It really does sound unique, like a black thrash band playing Manilla Road's instruments. It's kind of a refreshing style mix. Of course, I'm a sucker for epic metal of all kinds, and this definitely scratches that itch. Some of the riffs are, yeah I'm gonna say it, medieval in nature, with that little gallop that epic heavy metal bands have. The riffs are big, also, with lots of space for the drums and vocals to do their thing. Vocally this almost reminds me of Gravewurm, with that high-in-the-throat black metal vocal style that's really raspy and not all that powerful. It works, though, and it meshes with the music, acting almost like another instrument. From what little I can make out, I hear lyrics about fantasy, dark quests, and other such epic metal fodder, which is perfectly suited for this music. Sometimes the drums are a little loose, which gives this a very human feel and in today's world that is worth something. Not a bad album at all, and one that I'll surely play again.

medievalskull.bandcamp.com

Heavy Metal Shapnel--Heavy Metal Hairspray (CD/LP) (2026 Nameless Grave Records)

This is '80s heavy metal in the vein of early Dokken, which is fine by me. I like the straight beats and easily listenable riffs! However, I'm gonna bitch about the lyrical content. Heavy Metal Hairspray, the album and the song, has some dumb as fuck lyrics. I don't even want to give you an example. I get what they're trying to do, but even as a song that lampoons '80s metal, it's too on-the-nose. And this song starts the album. It's not too agonizing from there until we get to the goddamn love ballad "When Love Isn't Enough." Fucking gross. That shit isn't metal. It's weak. It's followed up by "Love Is A Racket (Baby Grab My Handle)." DO YOU SEE? Do. You. See? Fortunately the rest of the album is mostly devoid of this stuff. So tuned out the dumbass lyrics and focused on the overall pretty excellent heavy metal music. The melodies are killer, worming their way into your brain very easily, and the songs don't overstay their welcome (at least, the ones with decent lyrics don't). The guitarist can fuckin' shred, too, the leads and harmonies are incredible, Yngwie-like even. Very talented. When they stay away from dumb ballads and goofy lyrics their tunes are great, and I can skip the stupid songs. I'll definitely listen to this more than once, even with the lyrics I hate. The music is just that good.

www.namelessgraverecords.com