Shadow Hounds / Sexcult--Split (CS) (2026 Independent)

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a cassette copy of this killer split, and it was worth the price. Each band delivers four tracks of vicious punked-up metal, with Shadow Hounds bestowing upon us their brand of thrashing deathcrust, and Sexcult bringing their amped up blackthrash. Shadow Hounds even gives us a cover of Death's "Evil Dead" as their fourth track, and it's a superb version. They manage to be more aggressive than so much of what calls itself thrash metal these days, the heavy crust influence serving to make them extra violent, especially in a breakdown. Their singer reminds me a lot of John Tardy from Obituary, with strong higher-pitched screams and growls, and there are plenty of excellent gang vocals as well to punctuate important parts of the songs. Their sound reminds me of Amebix playing early Death's instruments after being taught how to play by Hellhammer or Celtic Frost. Sexcult, on side B of the cassette, has plenty of black metal influence in their sound, but more of the first wave variety. They trade off male and female screamed vocals for a very crusty feel, matching the punk rhythms of the songs perfectly. All four of their tracks are originals, and while I don't like them as much as I do Shadow Hounds, they're still an incredibly good band. Their sound is more thrash-based, with plenty of Venom influence in the drumming and guitars, but punk as fuck in the vocal department and songwriting. These are unique bands united on magnetic tape, the way it should be, and if this sounds like something you need, you can always pick up the digital release if the cassette is sold out.

https://sexcultofficial.bandcamp.com/music

Zothique--Abominations of Yondo (CS) (2026 Fiadh Productions)

Out on limited run cassette on Portland's mighty Fiadh Productions (and now Dodsrune), Zothique has dropped their first and only full length. They just went for it - no singles or demos in the runup to the release at all. I was quite surprised to see a band name themselves after a literary creation of Clark Ashton Smith, as well as naming their album after a story of his. They also have a track titled "Averoigne," which is another of his creations. I really don't understand why he isn't held in the same regard in the cultural zeitgeist as his contemporary H.P. Lovecraft. I honestly like C.A.S.'s work more. The band's music reminds me just slightly of Nemesis Divina-era Satyricon, but the vocals are a wall of harshness with layers of reverb and distortion. However, what makes the vocals special is still there - this singer can fuckin' scream. At several points his vocals almost become shrill white noise, reaching full aural penetration, and that's incredible, whether achieved by effects or not. The actual performance still needs to be solid. Those looking for black metal with a little morose melody and longer songs, but with a constant intensity, need look no further.

https://dodsrunerecords.bandcamp.com/album/abominations-of-yondo

The Well--...and Flames Ran Like Living Animals (CD/LP) (2026 Spaceflight Records)

I'm not nearly enough of an expert on doom metal, but I like a great deal of it, especially epic and psychedelic doom, and this falls firmly into the psychedelic category. From the trippy cover to some of the melodies, this is as much doom metal as it is psychedelic rock and roll. There are sections of spaced-out vocals (male and female, which is an interesting tandem attack), suitably far-out guitar solos, and they keep their forward momentum as far as the music itself, which a lot of doom cannot do. The music feels like it's always in motion, and not at a stand-still. I see this more as music I can listen to for relaxation, since it's not completely in your face, and it has some definite laid back aspects. It's not light by any means, but it's not constantly crushing. The Well is definitely a band to check out if you like the more occult side of doom or psych rock, for sure. 

www.spaceflightrecords.com

Skumstrike--Flawless Intrigue From Hell (CD/LP) (2026 Dying Victims Productions)

This Canadian black/thrash metal band gives us nine original and a cover of Abigail's "Satanic Metal Fucking Hell." The obvious influences can be heard in their style, like Bathory, Sodom, and Venom, but also perhaps Nifelheim and Toxic Holocaust, as well as the aforementioned Abigail. There's also a tiny bit of death metal in the relentless riffing, which can be chaotic. Relentless thrash attack is what this band is really all about! I really like the cover art, the fire-y skeleton having flown through the night sky and leaving a trail in its wake is an apt image. "Endless Warlust" is probably my favorite track with its Celtic Frost-like opening riff. "Glacial Winds of Perdition" is a solid runner-up, or perhaps "Sacred Fornication." The second half of this record is stronger than the first, which almost creates a crescendo-like experience as the album progresses. I highly recommend this record for all the thrash maniacs and black metal fans reading this.

www.dying-victims.de