Korp--And Darker It Shall Become CD {Grind to Death Records} done on 9-12-25

This is the fourth full length from this Swedish horde. Their history stretches all the way back to the mid-1990s, and I'm sad to have missed their other albums since this one is so good. Their style is vicious thrashing black metal, heavy on the black metal, with a cold sense of melody and aggressive musical arrangements. The black metal riffs are epic, reminding me of the best of the '90s Scandinavian bands, and they stick in your head like a bad memory. The double bass rarely stops, creating a distinct feeling of urgency and momentum as the album progresses. This is truly inspired material made by talented musicians. Thrash riffs are used for emphasis and power rather than as a basis for the songs - the black metal side of them does that part. This is easily one of the best black metal records I've heard this year, so far. It's not bullshit forest-worshipping, no-riff-having garbage black metal - this is real metal for real metalists.

grindtodeathrecords.bigcartel.com

Perishing--Malicious Acropolis Unveiled cd&LP{Transcending Obscurity Rec.} done on 9-7-25

 

Perishing is a four man band that comes  out of Costa Rica and plays a bleak death,doom style.Malicious Acropolis Unveiled is the debut featuring six songs of heavy.crushing and devestating death,doom.The guitars are played with slow,heavy guitar patterns.The guitarist does speed to a more mid paced range throughout a few of the tracks to give the songs a little variety.The drums will devestate you with their power.The vocals are low death metal growls that are done with powerful vocal passages. Fans of bands like Winter,Disembowelment or just plain heavy,bleak death,doom should check this band out today.

Perishing

https://www.instagram.com/perishing_doom/#                                                                                          Transcending Obscurity Rec.

https://tometal.com/                                                                                                                                  https://transcendingobscurity.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurityrecords                                                                            https://www.instagram.com/transcendingobscurity/                                                                                    https://bsky.app/profile/transcendingobs.bsky.social                                                                                   

Kaeck--Gruwelijk Onthaal cd&LP{Folter Rec.} done on 9-7-25

 

Kaeck is a black metal band that comes out of the Netherland's black metal scene.Gruwelijk Onthaal is the third full length featuring seven tracks of dark,cold traditional black metal at it's finest.The guitars range from icy cold mid paced guitar parts to a more fast and aggressive pace.Both the mid paced and faster patterns are played with equally great writing and skill.The drumming is done with extremely fast,chaotic passages that will shatter your speakers.The drummer does slow to a more mid paced drum pace with some well delievered mid paced passages.The band even uses some keyboards to add another layer of  darkness into the music.The vocals are a mix of gruff old school growls and raw screams and growls.Gruwelijk Onthaal is a great release of quality black metal that should please all fans of this genre.                                                                                                                                                              Kaeck                                                                                                                                                          https://www.facebook.com/Kaeckhorde/                                                                                                  https://www.instagram.com/__kaeck__/                                                                                                        Folter Rec.                                                                                                                                                      https://folter666.de/folter/                                                                                                                            https://folterrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gruwelijk-onthaal                                                                    https://www.facebook.com/FolterRecordsGermany                                                                                    https://www.instagram.com/folterrecords/#                                                                                                 https://www.youtube.com/@folterrecords                                                                                                    

Affliction Vector--Contra Hominem CD/LP {Iron Bonehead Records} done on 9-3-25

From Italy comes Affliction Vector with their first full length album - they had just one EP prior to this. It's definitely more to the black metal end of the black/death spectrum, with claustrophobic riffing and smothering textures. The vocals range from shout to snarl to scream in true black metal style. It's brutal, but with a definite sense of dark and cold melody at times. This has as much in common with Mayhem as it does with Conqueror or Revenge, a perfect middle ground with good riffs and decent composition. Weird intros and outros abound, adding to the horrific, choking atmosphere. Their songs do tend to blend a bit on the first listen through, but I imagine with multiple listens that subsides. There's just so much going on in these songs that you won't catch it all the first time through unless you have a truly trained ear. It's hard to absorb in one sitting. This is not a bad thing, as Emperor was like this for me at first as well. This is worth the time to check out if you want something a bit more visceral from your black metal.

ironbonehead.de

Flagg--Diabolical Bloodlust CD {Purity Through Fire} done on 9-2-25

Flagg from Finland gives us this, their third full length, and a might one it is. Breaking somewhat with what has become known as the Finnish sound, Flagg has crafted a record influenced mainly by the Norwegian gods, and it could stand alongside those records if it had been released in the 1990s. So, is it derivative? Yes. Is it good? Fuck yes. It's very good. Icy black melodies and cold-as-winter riffs abound. The vocals are strong, long and drawn out screams, but perfectly timed. Synths make extended appearances here, but much like Emperor, they add to the music instead of detract from it. They add an extra layer of melody to the tracks. The drums are masterful indeed, and the double bass is relentless, as is proper with this style of black metal. In fact, the bass and drums work together more than most acts that play in this style, playing off each other and avoiding the pitfall of just following the riffs. This is a perfect record for those of us who pine for the glory days of black metal, when the astounding releases just kept coming. Is this as memorable as those classic albums? No. But few things are. Flagg has done an outstanding job here, and credit where it's due. It's worth tracking down.

purity-through-fire.com

Urn--Demon Steel CD/LP/CS {Osmose Productions} done on 9-1-25

By now everyone ought to know about Urn from Finland, who ply us with their black/thrash for a sixth time on this new full length. It's black/thrash of the highest order, bringing to mind all the greats, but Urn has seemingly become one of these greats in their own right, bringing melody to bear on this album in a way that I do not recall that they did on the material that I previously heard. I'm not as familiar with their back catalog as I should be, checking out after their debut 666 Megatons, and I am glad I decided to review this to catch up with them. They came to prominence during the black/thrash boom of the early 2000s, and for some reason I just lost track of them. Even with the masterful melodies on display (and excellent solos), as well as more brutal thrash aspects, they maintain a primitive aspect to the music that belies their black metal roots, and this is a good thing. It's where they came from, and where they continue to tread. The lyrics and vocal patterns are a little simplistic but I think this has rather to do with English as a second language rather than any sort of songwriting defect. I think I'll be paying much closer attention to any future Urn albums, and checking out that back catalog. I did not expect this to be as good as it is, and it's truly one of the better records in this style I've heard in quite some time. 

osmoseproductions.com

Deteriorot--Awakening cd{Xtreem Music} done on 8-30-25

 

Deteriorot  is  back to  unleash another great release of Old school Death Metal.Awakening is the bands fourth full length with twelve tracks of heavy,pounding death metal.The guitars are played with a mix of heavy mid paced patterns.The guitars do speed to a much faster pace throughout the songs.The guitarist does write some memorable passages and performs some well played solo's throughout the songs.The drumming is top notch with some really well played patterns,The drummer does a nice mix of heavy pounding drums and some faster more chaotic drum passages.The vocals are done with powerful death metal growls that fit the bands music perfectly.If you are a fan of Deteriorot past releases defintly add this one to your collection,And if you have never heard the band but enjoy quality well performed old school death metal pick this one up you will not bedisapointed.                                                                  Deteriorot                                                                                                                                                       https://deteriorot.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                                  https://www.facebook.com/Deteriorot                                                                                                         https://www.instagram.com/deteriorot_official/                                                                                           https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1ny9FQjDL2VGgaizM2lG3g                                                          Xtreem Music                                                                                                                                                 https://www.xtreemmusic.com/                                                                                                                     https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                             https://www.facebook.com/xtreemmusic666?fref=ts                                                                                   https://www.instagram.com/xtreemmusic/                                                                                                    https://www.youtube.com/xtreemmusic                                                                                                       

Kingdom--Primeval Cult Of Strength In The Womb Of Suffer cd&LP{Osmose Prod.} 8-29-25

 

Poland's  Kingdom return with their newest full length -Primeval Cult Of Strength In The Womb Of Suffer.The ten original tracks are uncomprimising fast and chaotic death metal hyms.The band does a really good cover of Deicide's Lunatic Of God's Creation.The music is fast and chaotic with furious blasting drums that are devestating in their delievery.The guitars are fast paced with some well played passages.The musicians do slow to a more mid paced range in a few of the songs.The vocals are brutal death metal growls that are powerful in the delievery.The vocalist does use some raw black metal screams in a few of the songs.If you are a fan uncompriming and devestating death metal do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Primeval Cult Of Strength In The Womb Of Suffer today.                               Kingdom                                                                                                                                                        https://www.facebook.com/kingdomtempleofdeath/timeline                                                                      Osmose  Prod.                                                                                                                                            https://osmoseproductions-label.com/                                                                                                        https://osmoseproductions.bandcamp.com/                                                                                                   https://www.facebook.com/osmoseproductions/#                                                                                         https://www.instagram.com/osmoseproductions/                                                                                         

Devastrosity--Eviscerating Desolation cd{Comatose Music} done on 8-29-25

 

Devastrosity is a band that comes out of the Indonesian brutal death metal scene.Eviscerating Desolation is the debut full length featuring nine songs of brutal and violent death metal.The drums are played with hyperspeed blast beats that are crazed in their delievery.The drummer does write and perform some really good drum passages.The guitars are played at a fast whirlwind speed that are played with intensity.The guitarist writes some really well played patterns that are memorable.The vocals are death metal growls that are heavy and brutal in their delievery.If you are a fan of pure brutality with no filler then be sure to  pick up a copy of Eviscerating Desolation when it is released.       Devastrosity                                                                                                                                                    https://devastrosity.bandcamp.com/merch                                                                                                   https://www.facebook.com/devastrosity                                                                                                       https://www.instagram.com/devastrosity/#                                                                                                Comatose Music                                                                                                                                             https://www.comatosemusic.com/                                                                                                                 https://comatosemusic.bandcamp.com/album/eviscerating-desolation                                                        https://www.facebook.com/Comatosemusiclabel                                                                                        https://www.instagram.com/comatose_music/?utm_medium=copy_link                                                   

Bluthammer--Iron Eagle Division CS {WolfKult Religion} done on 8-27-25

Vicious, intense, pounding war metal is what Bluthammer give us on this, their first release. It's cleanly produced which is unusual for this style. The drumming sets this apart also, being some of the more talented material I've ever heard in a band in this style, while still stiff and militant, with super-fast grinding blast beats. The guitars are largely repetitious with what I call "vacuum cleaner riffs," but with enough variation in each song that they'll imprint on your brain, especially since they do slow down once in a while. The singer employs a death growl, but it sounds almost pitch shifted, which is wild. Or at least a layer of it is pitch shifted. Whatever the case, it sounds evil as fuck. I enjoy listening to war metal sparingly since so much of it is the same, while giving the masters like Blasphemy, Black Witchery, Conqueror, or Revenge most of my attention, but occasionally something good comes a long like this that breaks the mold just a little bit while sticking to the genre conventions and catches my attention. Highly recommended for all the black/death maniacs out there.

https://www.wolfkultreligion.com

https://wolfkultreligion.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/WolfKultReligion777

https://www.instagram.com/wolfkultreligion/