Blood Countess--Imperatrix Sanguinis (CD/LP) {2026 Dominance of Darkness Records}

Blood Countess (from the UK, a female-fronted band) play fierce black metal like it was in the 1990s, with all the hallmarks you would expect of a band from that time. The drums in particular are a strong point here, with lots of tight blasts, rolls, and fills. The drummer is wildly talented with a real personality. The Cuntess's vocals are a pristine example of black metal singing, with plenty of throaty roars and a bad fuckin' attitude - there's no pretense here other than good, solid vocals. The riffs are quite catchy, and quite reminiscent of the '90s, with plenty of tremolo picking and riffs that blow like the cold winds of winter. They remind me a bit of Mayhem or Satyricon at their height of ability. This is a solid effort, and it has that old black metal feel we all chase in this genre. A worthy release. Get it when it comes out in April.

www.dod-records.com

Asenheim--Elbenblut (CD) {2026 Dominance of Darkness Records}

When  I saw Asenheim was described as epic black metal, I was interested because other than the more savage bands, I like bands that have an epic feel to them. I can hear perhaps some Manowar influence in the riffing, as well as Viking-era Bathory and perhaps Iron Maiden. I like the symphonic elements here, but I feel like this could be even more epic with choirs added, but that's just my preference. They do a fine job with what they've used here. Even though I can't speak German, I can clearly tell this record (the band's tenth full length) is about Tolkien, with song titles like "Im Lande Mordor," and "Das Juwel von Erebor." I do like when the band has a guitar melody playing overtop the main riffs and keys, it makes the music soar. Big melodies and dramatic riffs are what this band does best. Keep in mind this is more traditionally black metal than I had anticipated, so the true-heads out there might like this as well. This releases in April this year.

www.dod-records.de