In this show, I’ll take a look at some of my favourite bands, where they’ve come from, where they’ve gone over their career, and where they are going if they’re still around. Then, I’ll work through their discographies discussing each album and its context, sharing some favourite tracks, looking at the reviews and sharing my own thoughts. Finally, I’ll wrap up with a track-by-track look at a favourite, important or new album from their discography, and rank the albums covered from bottom to top.

For the first episode, however, I’m easing us in and trying something else. I’ve interviewed one of my favourite artists of 2026, who released an album mixing some really unusual musical styles. They kindly agreed to have a chat and we had a lot of fun talking about their background, the new album, what they’ve been up to recently, and future plans.

Listen or read along as I talk to and work through what are in my opinion some of the best and most important bands in the heavy music world. And while I do it, join in by chatting and reading more about them, and help build a community of like minded heavy music fans.

Give the podcast a like, subscribe, review, etc… on all the relevant platforms you can find it on - Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, etc… to make sure you don’t miss any, and keep an eye out for the first full episode. It’ll be coming soon!

While we’re at it, give the club a follow on Instagram and YouTube as well. I’ll be sharing things there, too. All handles are @theheavymusicclub

This trailer for The Heavy Music Club was written, edited and recorded by me, Pete Churchill. Theme music is Yellow Eye’s Warmth Trance Reversal from their amazing 2019 album Rare Field Ceiling and is used with their kind, express permission.

The context for this release is really what’s interesting about it. I’m pretty sure I discovered it while spending hours trawling through Soulseek looking for obscure records. The weirder and the more out there or underground the better.

I stumbled upon Harvist’s He Who Rises, because of the artwork and the Cthulhu sounding release name. That and I’d seen it was part of the same series as Caïna’s I, Mountain, an instrumental retelling of At the Mountains of Madness. The Lovecraftian connection was a massive draw for me then, and remains so.

What drew me in further, however, was that this was part of a series of 3” CDrs released by God is Myth Records around 2007-2010 that featured a range of artists from the less well known like Harvist and Smohalla, to bigger names like Brown Jenkins and Sapthuran. All of the records paid tribute to H.P. Lovecraft, and intriguingly for me at the time were extremely limited releases and had a core theme.

I was fascinated by this concept; that a series of releases could be themed across bands and albums. I knew about concept albums, of course, but this was different. It transcended that and wasn’t some wanky prog band noodling away for hours on end. It was independent, dark and serious attention was given to it the thought behind it.

The artwork features Cthulhu rising from the depths and needless to say the songs are all themed around the return and rise of Cthulhu. To quote Metal Archives ‘Includes an actual Chaos Magic Ritual dedicated to the awakening of the essence of Cthulhu.’ for the last track, which is obviously awesome. Love touches like that, even if they seem kitsch when described as such.

All of that lent itself to giving me an understanding that there were bigger concepts and themes that could be dealt with cross-release and by multiple bands. I’d heard compilation albums and the likes before, but never really cared for them. I felt and to some extent still feel, that bands in this world typically need more than one track to make themselves heard and felt. A series of small releases that give them that opportunity and also have a theme, though? Sign me up. It won’t be the last time I discuss the significance of that in this series of articles.

The music itself is pretty raw, slightly thrashy black metal, but it manages to be evocative at the same time. It’s like we’re witnessing a primitive Cthulhian ritual from a distance, with no choice but to submit. The vocals are at times clear enough that you can make out mutterings about ‘Cthulhu’s children’ and the likes, and the ritual at the end is clearer still. It’s a combination I really enjoy. I don’t need to know every word, but there’s enough there to keep me intrigued.

It’s no masterpiece, let’s be frank, but it’s an enjoyable listen for its 20 or so minute duration, and is a record that hints at a more serious intention in the music than perhaps you might think at first glance.

For me, the attraction of a combination of Lovecraft and black metal begins here, and is a theme that continues to this day.

I’d love to see the full God Is Myth H.P. Lovecraft series released on a 7” boxset. I would 100% buy it. For now though, I’m going to go and track down the other releases and see what else is worth listening to.

Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!

I’ve chosen to write this one because I’m sitting on holiday in a sweltering corner of the Mediterranean on the beach, reading Tero Ikäheimonen‘s The Devil’s Cradle: The Story of Finnish Black Metal. My partner gave me a funny look when I put this out to bring with me, mainly because it’s so big, but also because it’s not exactly your typical beach reading. It’s dense, and has some delightful translations in it. As well as the obvious gnarly band imagery.

But, the Finns are mental, and their black metal equally so. I adore them both, having known a few Finns over the years, and spent some time there.

Tero’s book is one for those who really love their black metal, of any stripe, colour or origin. It’s a fantastically well researched and in depth book, and covers the Finnish scene, warts and all.

On a side note he talks about being gutted never to see Beherit live, so I’m delighted I’ll get to see them next year at Winds of Agony, and hope he’s seen them!

The reason I’ve chosen to write about this album though, is because it came at a point where my heavy music tastes were cementing, and that it is specifically called out in the Horna chapter as being unusual for their discography. I suspect the two are linked, although that was definitely not a conscious decision at the time.

This album undoubtedly helped ensure that repetition beyond the typical for even black metal, and lengthy tracks were fundamental to my tastes. That remains the case now. Dopesmoker played a part as well, but that’s a different story.

If you know anything about Finnish black metal, you’ll know Horna are stalwarts in that scene, well deserving of the credit they’re given, and a band that has always followed their own, entirely idiosyncratic path. I also happen to have just read the chapter on them in the book, and between me starting this series and that coincidence, well, it was too much of a coincidence not to make them the next entry.

Ääniä Yössä (‘Sounds in the Night’ - all about the Yersinia Pestis plague that came to Europe in the medieval period) came out in 2006 and was my introduction to Horna as a band. Which, if you know anything about their discography, is an odd place to start. Not that there’s really a conventional place, but this is not it.

Having said that, the album features some of Corvus’ finest vocals, and Shatraug’s guitar work is unmistakable and working overtime. The opening sample of what sounds like maybe rats running is just odd enough that you’ll not really get what it is until it’s too late, and then you’re plunged into the harrowing fervour of a Horna album, but this time with more than a dash of atypical tortuous intention.

Eschewing some of their more high paced and frenetic songs, this focuses on the melodic and slow, invoking and building a plague-ridden atmosphere above all else. There are chord sequences repeated throughout, and the final 21 (!) minute track features a drum sequence that is literally the same, looped for the entire duration of the track.

The album is an exercise in repetition, taking you to extremes of discomfort and really boiling down the essentials of black metal to its bare bones. You can imagine Shatraug and Corvus sitting there writing and recording it, simultaneously managing to troll us and be completely deadly serious.

Ääniä Yössä is my favourite Horna album, and one that I’d urge anyone with an interest in their music to try. It’s well outside the norm for them, but all the better for it.

A final note on Horna, I saw them live years ago at Incineration Festival, and while I forget who was in the band lineup except Shatraug, and it wasn’t around this time album came out, it was a great performance. More importantly, while hanging around afterwards in the bit between the two venues at the Dome, they gave off a fucking evil vibe. They’re utterly true to their aims, and you have to respect that. They’re definitely not ones for a meet and greet.

Chalk one up for me loving repetition, and some rather niche beach reading.

Anyone got good recommendations for black metal scene books? I’ve done USBM and Finland now.

In these articles/reviews, there will be none of the most common albums that induct people into black metal. Yes I went through Hvis Lyset Tar Oss and others in the very earliest stages, and yes, I still think that is the best black metal album ever written. 

But, this is not about that. This is about me discovering there was a hell of a lot more to black metal and the world adjacent to it, and that there existed a seedy, grimy, dank and dark under belly that my fairly naive teenage mind could barely conceive of.

To further clarify, some of them may not be very good, or have stood the test of time. One or two might even be a bit controversial. ‘Fraid I was young and dumb, and didn’t really know better.

All of that to say, these records are those beyond the obvious that formed my music tastes and/or were pivotal in my journey into the world of dark, heavy music. Take from them what you will.

I don’t know how many of them I’m going to do, or how often, but I’ve got a list as long as my arm, so I’m sure it’ll keep me busy for a while.

Back in those very earliest days of my journey into heavy music, and the madness that was black metal in the early/mid oughts, I spent a huge amount of time on the blackmetal.co.uk forum. Before anyone had heard of Facebook or enshittification.

Around the same time there were various nascent labels in the UK and wider scenes that I’d discovered, and it all coalesced into a period in which suddenly people were prepared to pay for things online, and it actually became easy to do so. I had a PayPal account frighteningly early on in my internet use, and that was mostly so I could buy tapes and CDs from these labels and eBay.

Among those labels one stands out in my memory - Todestrieb. That label was my gateway to the global and UK black metal and dark ambient underground. Quite a lot of these releases will have featured on their early roster. Evidently that label is still active, and now has a pretty slick online webstore. That definitely wasn’t the case in 2004.

As with records now, some stand out more. Whether it’s simply the artist name, the artwork, the album title, something less tangible, or a combination of all of that, these records grab hold of us. We all will have them, whether we know it or not.

Extinction’s Down Below the Fog was one of them.

Firmly part of the UK underground and released on Todestrieb, what grabbed me about this release at first glance was the artwork and the image of sole member, Vuel on Metal Archives.

Now, remember, at this time albums like Abyssic Hate’s Suicide Emotions were truly shocking, with cover art such as it is, and Vuel appeared to be in that or the Silencer ‘pigman’ vein. It was a violent assault on the senses, visually and audibly, and was really unlike anything I’d heard up to that point.

Listening to it now, it still stands out to me as being particularly unpleasant and noisy. Not in a tinny, thin way, or in the kind of batshit Ahulabrum way, but in a primitive, barbaric, wall of noise, but still definitely music, just about, way.

The vocals are cavernous and roaring, and combined with the jarring, angular and possibly improvised songs, really leave you with a lasting, unpleasant sensation. Like you’ve just eaten something on the verge of going off, but at the same time enjoyed it a lot more than you should have.

This music firmly walks the line between black metal and noise and ambient in some ways, but was really around before much of that became a thing. I very much doubt this had the impact it should have, because it was first released on a limited cassette run of 50, and then again twice on CDr by Todestrieb.

But if you love you metal fucked up, noisy, rasping and recorded at the bottom of a well, check this out. It’s vile.

On the releases, I had the CDr, but ditched all my CDs a while ago. I’d love to get hold of one of those cassettes. Hit me up if anyone’s got one. Otherwise I’m waiting for the Discogs notification.

A mild humble brag to end on. Back in those blackmetal.co.uk days, I’m pretty sure Vuel reached out to me via private chat, because I was banging on about this at the time. No context, no actual message, just a file attached with a bunch of unreleased material. Some of it on cello, some of it more demos, and all of it absolutely disgusting, in the best possible way. I’m sure I’ve still got it on a hard drive somewhere. It’s all deserving of a re-release on vinyl and tape again. I’d love to see a label pick that up.

This was the first release from my list that sprang to mind when mapping my black metal journey. I’ve got plenty more to come, soon. Come back for more delicacies.

And if you’ve got anything like it - those less well known, frankly less good records that started you off on your path. Let me know. You never know what goodies you might have in your stash.

My Q1 list this year felt a little dry for new releases that stood out. Certainly compared to 2025, anyway.

Q2 2026, on the other hand has more than made up for it. So much so that I actually hit the word limit on the Google Keep note I usually make these notes in. I didn’t even realise that was a thing! I’ve had to move over to a Google Doc, which I probably should have done a while ago.

Anyway, these are bound by the same rules I always follow - they have to stand out to me, be something special and I have to have heard them in the quarter I’m writing about. Not that they were necessarily released in that quarter.

I’m also trying something new with this list - I’ve split out the dungeon synth/ambient side of things into a ‘The Synth Dungeon’ at the bottom of the list. Keep an eye out for that. There’s some amazing music included.

With that, straight into the main list and what’s kept me entertained, enthralled, and in one or two cases, entombed.

Antrisch - Expedition III: Renitenzfpad

Having had the good fortune to see Antrisch live at Fortress this year, I can confirm that they are one of the best live black metal bands around, and a small part of that magic is captured on their records.

This latest expedition, tracking the journey of conquistador Lope de Aguirre and his part in an expedition into the Amazon in 1560, is nicely in keeping with their previous albums following failed or doomed expeditions to dangerous corners of the planet.

The music itself is a perfect example of polished and well-practised black metal, without straying into the more cliched end of things. There’s a good use of samples and vocalist Maurice Wilson’s skills are allowed to shine through without overwhelming.

Their ability to convey a story and the madness that ensues transcends language barriers, with the tone and composition perfectly illustrating what happened on this particular expedition.

Antrisch have three expeditions to their name, and I hope many more to come. This one to the depths of the Amazon might just being their sweltering, searing magnum opus, so far…

Standout track - Nattern & Narren - Los Marañones I

Paisaunt - Life and Other Horrors

Now this is some trippy shit. It's haunting and melodic and psychedelic and almost into the weirdo outsider end of things. It's also brilliant. You could probably argue that there’s something about this that Finnish. Their lunatic light has always burnt strongly since the very beginning of their black metal history. Nuclear Holocaust Vengeance hardly took things lightly.

Anyway, this album is a brilliant blend of the ferocious, the furious and the frankly, f*cking weird. Whether it’s opening track Every Grief I Meet, which starts of like a fairly typical, very good black metal track, or my favourite from the album Maladaptive daydreaming, which quickly descends into the psychedelic and tripped out. Take its yellow album cover and the amazing music within and it’s almost like a Van Gogh that’s been smeared with corpse paint. Something like that anyway. Brilliant stuff.

Standout track - Maladaptive daydreaming

Ultha - A Light So Dim

New Neurosis and new Ultha in the same year. Honestly, does it get much better? They're very different, after all Ultha think you exist for nothing, while Neurosis want you to exist for a reason. Neither invalid, but both sides of the same coin. Both making powerful, infectious, driven heavy music that should be bringing us together.

I was about to write 'last year's All That Has Never Been True', but no, that was 2022. So, while I've clearly still been getting to terms with that album, this one has come along and Ultha sound more vital, more alive and frankly even better than ever. There is more variety, more complexity, and even more emotion on display on A Light So Dim than ever before. In their 11 years, Ultha have never put a foot wrong in my opinion, but this might be the point they move up to an entirely new level. Even relatively simple things like the use of spoken word and the way they've constructed songs like 'Pink Lights Soiling to Copper' building from a relatively simple post-punk sounding intro, up to its screamed, roaring peaks leave me breathless. I hope to see them play tracks from this album live some time soon. It’s sure to be breathtaking.

Standout track - Pink Lights Soiling to Copper

Mylingar - Út

Mylingar have never been subtle about their music, but this is somehow even more brutal than anything they’ve done before. It’s like being trampled by a horde of psychotropic addled berserkers. Their mix of utterly relentless death metal with black metal adjacent aesthetics and attitude isn’t unique, but stands out as particularly effective.

They’re not shy about what they do, but even so, it’s bold to end your unbelievably brutal album on an 11 minute track. The riff that opens Nedan winds and wends and writhes and wraps you in its sinuous muscle takes hold, drags you into its gaping maw and takes all 11 minutes to swallow you whole. If this album hadn’t already completely taken control of you, Nedan doesn’t really give you a choice. You will submit or die.

Standout track - Nedan

Arbor - Ultima Thule

There's an awful lot of black metal out there that either explicitly aims to recapture the mystery and atmosphere of the 90s scene, or implicitly does. Almost none of them succeed however. And frankly, until today, even those that got close were missing something.

This, however, succeeds. It's not really enough to say that, but somehow it captures the melancholy and emotion of early Graveland, combined with the stringy, thin, deliberately difficult to listen to, but simultaneously catchy approach of Moonblood. It's a potent mix and not hard to see why Taurus has become such an in demand figure across projects like Gauntlet Ring and Fellwinter. For me though, none of them have come close to this. I'm not sure what will this year. Highest recommendation.

Standout track - Born from Heretic's Vision

Too cool for Bandcamp

Void of Light - Asymmetries

With just three releases under their belts; two EPs and now this, their debut full length, the maturity on display on this album from Scots Void of Light is impressive. Their well considered and powerful blend of atmospheric post metal and sludge is different enough that they really stand out, while not straying too far from the established genre boundaries.

A track like Still the Night Skies is mournful and soaring, blending Ali Lauder's (also of Ageless Summoning) impressive vocals with the impassioned drum playing of Stephen Wilkinson (who appears to have played in just about every band in the UK), and is a clear album highlight. They're not all sweetness and light though, they really know how to churn out a powerful riff, with closing track Mirrorings featuring some towering guitar work. I will say though, it jarrs slightly with the calmness of Still the Night Skies, but maybe it just caught me slightly unawares.

A brilliant debut, one that should be featuring on a lot more lists and garnering a lot more attention. I look forward to listening to this many more times and hearing more from them in the future.

Standout track - Still the Night Skies

Werwolf - Satanic Terror

I knew within about 10 seconds that this album was going to be on my best of list for the year.

There’s nothing subtle about this. From just reading the album name, you know what you’re going to get. This is BLACK METAL. Upper case and absolutely no fucks given.

The riffs are furious. The vocalist clearly hates us all. And the drummer sounds like he might actually be pounding someone’s skull in. And yet, at the same time, it manages to get some melody across, and you can even hear and understand some of the vocals. You could, if you so chose, chant along to the opening track ‘SATANIC TERROR’. This album needs a lot of shouting.

They really don’t make black metal like this now. And I know I sound like an old man when I say that, but they don’t. If you took prime, world-conquering era Watain and added a healthy dose of Satanic Warmaster, you’d get something close to this. It’s very much its own thing, but that gives you a sense of the beast we’re dealing with.

For a first full length in 21 years, it’s worth the wait. 100%. Pure, true, old school, devastating black metal. Put it on and sell your soul.

Standout track - Satanic Terror

Bewitched - Diabolical Death Mass

Another band with 20 years or so between full lengths! And another one that absolutely rips. Bewitched are a different beast though. This one thrashes and slashes. They're like the bastard cousin Iron Maiden keep under the stairs or the next best thing to Motörhead now Lemmy’s dead.

There’s not a lot you need to know about this album - it’s got soaring leads, thrashing guitars and a vocalist that manages to sneer, snarl and scream his way into your head, heart and neck. If you’re not smashing your head back and forth on this album as he screams ‘COME ON!’ There’s something wrong with you. It’s a ton of fun and really surprisingly catchy.

Standout track - Black Spells & Unclean Spirits (if only for the lyric ‘copulate on the altar’ and then some other delightful verses)

Hajduk - Хвърковата чета

This was another release I knew would be on this list within about 10 seconds. Hajduk blends the melodies of early Drudkh, with the power of recent Paysage d’Hiver and a vocalist that is perfectly placed in the mix and hits my sweet spot of being simultaneously completely incomprehensible and utterly convincing.

It’s not surprising that each region produces its own very distinct black metal, but Eastern European black metal has always held a special place in my heart. Some of my earliest dabbling in the genre came through discovering bands like Graveland, Woodtemple and the aforementioned Drudkh. This band can comfortably join that pantheon with this latest release. It’s a raw masterpiece of melodic, atmospheric and distinctive black metal.

Standout track - Дим до бога

It’s also slightly ridiculously free to download on Bandcamp now.

Sulphuric Deity - Demonstration MMXXVI

Ah a good old fashioned air raid siren intro followed by a blistering war metal assault on the ears. For a first demo, this is absolutely disgusting. Frenetic, furious, ferocious. All of the Fs. Sulphuric Deity are a new entity this year, but have some great UK pedigree with NC of Nemorous and Vacivus on vocals.

It’s a slightly obvious comparison, but if Revenge are your thing then you will love these guys. Their demo is all of 11 minutes long, but wastes absolutely none of it. You’re grabbed by the throat the second the music kicks in and only let go once the final riffs and fills have finished echoing in your ears.

Go and see them play with Primitive Warfare in October at Blondie’s Brewery. I might have to make it.

Standout track - Mutant Plague Assault (The Plague Becomes the Sword)

Tyrannus - Mournhold

If Bewitched sound like your kind of thing, then you have to give Scotland’s Tyrannus’ latest work of doomy, blackened heavy metal a go. It’s a lot more developed than their last album, Unslayable, which I remember being decent but nothing out of the ordinary.

Mournhold takes that whole mix to a new level and runs the whole gamut from the outright raging through to the well tempered and almost beautiful at points. None of that gets lost in the fact that this is heavy music that is meant to induce banging of heads. It succeeds on every count. Callum John Cant deserves a special shoutout for his brilliant guitar work, it shines through on every track in some way, whether it is just the quality of riffs, or the leads he’s capable of putting down.

Don’t think you know what they’re going to sound like though. They mix in a healthy dose of atmosphere with my favourite track on the album mixing a cleaner guitar tone and a much more melodic approach. All woven smoothly into the wider piece. It’s a mature and polished album that has clearly been a while in the works. It shows and was worth the wait.

Standout track - Flesh eternal

Downfall of Nur - And the Firmament Will Burn to Quench the Pain of This Earth

A truly towering, epic work. Downfall of Nur’s last album stands out in my memory as being a work of majestic emotions, and so hearing something new was in the works after 10/11 years, I was immediately excited.

A small side note, evidently Nur was an ancient Sardinian society. And the band is based in Argentina. Now that’s my kind of background. Obscure and unknown.

Musically, this album stands at 80 minutes long, and is made up of three interludes and four ‘proper’ tracks, the shortest of which clocks in at over 14 minutes. So you’ve got a sense of what you’re getting yourself into; beautiful, atmospheric, and perfectly constructed black metal. This is the Jekyll to Coldfall’s Hyde.

Take the plunge, embrace the harrowing narrative about the downfall of society and maybe, just maybe, you’ll end up reassessing something. The music is surely beautiful and powerful enough to make even the most cold hearted feel something. Small wonder it’’s been so long. When you pour this much emotion into music, how could you possibly do it every year. I do hope it’s not quite another 10 years for the next one though.

Standout track - And the Firmament Will Burn to Quench the Pain of This Earth

Haemoth - Black Dust

French black metal. Again. This is of the absolute highest calibre, and is their first release in 12 years. 15 if you’re counting full albums. And boy is it worth the wait. Somehow doing what only French black metal seems to be able to do - be utterly savage, and yet simultaneously catchy and melodic, without, you know, actually being melodic. I really don’t know what’s in the water over there, but it’s magical stuff.

Haemoth’s connection to long time personal favourite band Spektr helps explain some of this magic. That band employed a similar approach, with a healthy dose more of psychosis inducing psychaedelia in their metal. Haemoth don’t take that approach. Theirs is a purer, more ferocious sound, firmly in the Antaeus end of things, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that they manage to work in dimensions that leave you gasping for air.

Standout track - Black Dust

Fields of Agony - Self titled EP

There's quite a scene forming around the guys from Final Dose and Mutagenic Host. This project is just one of them, along with Glemt, Coldfall and various others, but this might just be the best of them.

Pained and prideful (but not in that way) black metal that strips it right back to the basics, and does it really f*cking well. No frills or trills, just the bare bones, with a punkish attitude and the very lightest punk sound to it. Top stuff. Gutted to miss them support Nachtlich.

Standout track - Joy, Languished and Withered

Brand - Tåg & Nåcht

I’ve never really clicked with Brand before, but somehow their first full length album that is basically a post-punk/punk/black metal mash up did the job for me. It’s taken a few listens to really get into even with that shift, but it’s got right under my skin and is likely to stay there for a while. To say it’s black metal in any way really isn’t doing it justice. It’s sparse and light and really has absolutely minimal music that would traditionally be associated with that heavier and denser genre.

This, instead manages to blend those elements mentioned of post-punk, punk and black metal into something much greater than the whole. Honestly, if this isn’t what the next ‘wave’ of black metal is based on, we’ll all be missing out. It’s rare I hear something truly original and different in this genre, but this absolutely is. I’m in awe.

Standout track - Fodweg

Coldfall - Dregs of the Scythe

This takes me right back to getting into black metal for the first time and listening to shitty band demo tapes on my walkman. It’s pure nostalgia in black metal form. Or is that pure black metal in nostalgia form? Does it matter?

Whatever it is, this is cold, evil, second wave worship and brilliantly done. As mentioned in the review of Fields of Agony, these guys are in the same circle, and as with that album, it seems like they can really do no wrong. This is blackened gold, buried under a ton of raw filth.

Standout track - Dregs of the Scythe

Arckanum - Motestandarin single

New music from Arckanum is always a big deal. Making what was already a great year for new music from big bands into a real banner year.

This singe is only 9 minutes long, but is already one of my most played listens this year, and I will 100% be ordering the new album when it is unveiled in full.

Shamaatae doesn’t mess around when it comes to his music. It’s serious, mystical and f*cking rips. The riffs are extraordinary, the whole approach speaks of mastery and practice. He’s crafted two real earworms here, penetrating into your subconscious and leaving you completely enthralled.

I can’t say much more than that, but if the rest of the album is anything like as good as this EP it’ll be an album of the year contender.

Standout track - Well it’s only two tracks long. Go and listen to the whole thing

Fyrnask - Íosir

I remember listening to Fyrnask’s debut album Bluostar back in 2011 and being really struck by the artwork, and that the music was fine, but not that memorable. 

Well, that’s changed a lot in 15 years. This is an incredible work, and just snuck into my radar on the penultimate day of the quarter. I’m very glad it did. It’s up there with Arckanum in terms of the scale and seriousness with which they approach it, and the evolution beyond the solo project of Fyrnd has clearly done them good.

A side note - this album deals with a journey through the world of the dead, and its song titles are in Icelandic and deal with topics such as Hilðsvera ‘hidden being’s and the like. It’s not something that really needed spelling out, but I like to know a little more about a band’s intentions when they’re based in Germany, but using a totally different language.

With that dealt with, this is meaty, bold and even a little daunting. While its run time is a not too intimidating 51 minutes, the depth and intensity of the music is really something to behold. You can feel the passion bleeding into every beat and note, it immediately stood out to me upon hearing it.

Ván Records rarely put a foot wrong, and this is yet another example of it. If you can’t wait for Arckanum’s now album to come out and the Motestandarin single reviewed above isn’t giving you the fix you need, you could do a hell of a lot worse than check out their similarly chaos-minded colleagues from Germany in Fyrnask and what they have to offer here. Shamaatae has some competition.

Standout track - Glóð svíður

The Synth Dungeon

I’m going to try something new this quarter as I’m noticing more and more than there’s room for ambient/dungeon synth music in my tastes, so I give you my own little dungeon synth/ambient corner.

Cosmic Crypt - Cosmic Crypt EP

As I say, I'm definitely getting old. I have way more time for ambient music than I ever have before. This EP is included not because I'm getting old, but because this is the closest I've come to hearing what I imagine the actual sound of space would be like. If you could run a black hole through a synthesiser this is what would come out.

It's not got overly twinkly or spacey tones to it or anything like that, but just the vastness of the sound gives the kind of depth and breadth to it that could only be galactic in scale. The music sounds cold and vast and mysterious. I can find relatively little out about this band other than it’s put together by the same guy, Christian Colon, who is behind Ka’Bael, about whom I also know relatively little. Whatever or whoever it is, though, this is a brilliant EP and one that would benefit from being played loudly in a pitch black room. Although that might tip you over into some kind of Lovecraftian psychosis. Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!

Standout track - Souldust starlight

Star Mace - Meandering Dreams of Forgotten Times

Just occasionally Instagram nails a recommendation. Not often, but just occasionally. Star Mace is one of those. With a name I was intrigued to know more about, and my interest in dungeon synth waxing, it was fortuitous timing.

The music itself is on the simpler end of that world, but is still evocative and worth your time. It achieves exactly what it sets out to do - transport you into a dream world and state, and for a first release it is extremely promising. I’ve found myself rapt as I sit and travel through mysterious and unknown worlds in my mind with this music as a guide.

I’m reminded of the HP Lovecraft story Celephaïs and the fantastical worlds is protagonist becomes obsessed with. This is the soundtrack to that world and the adventures within. But beware becoming lost…

Standout track - Dream IV

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Foglord - Lore of the Blue Mist

I listened to this through twice on the first day I heard it, which should say a lot, especially for a dungeon synth album that's nearly 73 minutes long.

It's a truly sublime work. Mixing elements of bluegrass, ambient, field recordings and, of course, synths. And all sounding humble, somehow. Like a real tribute to the land and souls that tend it. Quiet, peaceful, caring and uplifting all at the same time. If you took the best bits of what Panopticon do on their acoustic/folky elements and blended them with the finest dungeon synth going, you’d have the smallest sense of what Foglord has achieved here.

Foglord has just played at the Appalachian Dungeon Fest, and I'm a little bit gutted that a. It would have been wildly unattainable to attend, b. That I only just discovered that the Appalachian Dungeon Fest was a thing and c. That I’ve only just discovered his music more generally. It would be the perfect setting to hear him weave his magic. I can only hope that Fortress Festival will bring him over to play the dungeon synth stage next year. Come on Gary…

Standout track - These Old Woods

That’s it for Q2! And by that’s it, I do mean phew.

If you got this far, well done. That was an epic read, but hopefully you found something you either didn’t know, or liked.

Come back later in the year for my Q3 list, and come back well before then for more ramblings and reviews. There should be something quite exciting coming fairly soon.

If you did get this far and you enjoyed what you read, how about telling a friend?

Thanks!

Day two of Fortress brought with it a much more mixed agenda including some world firsts. But also something that was entirely new to me as a live phenomenon - dungeon synth, and a completely new stage for Fortress’ Theatre Room.

I’m relatively new to the world of dungeon synth, but Fortress did a lot to push me further down that path, and not necessarily by the route I would have expected.

Before all that though, some good old fashioned sonic destruction.

A Forest of Stars opened the Sunday with their idiosyncratic brand of UK avant-garde/prog black metal, and while I lasted a bit longer than some of the previous day’s acts, the weirdness put me off a bit, and I really wanted to see the next act in the Ocean Room, so after enjoying some of their set, feeling a bit warmed up and having shaken off a few of the previous day’s cobwebs, I headed upstairs.

I’d heard This Gift is a Curse’s latest album and had a feeling I enjoyed it, but that it hadn’t stood out that much for me among a sea of blackened hardcore sounding bands. I was about to be corrected in that impression, however.

With minimal fanfare and only the lightest setup, including the distribution of some very large and heavy looking rope about the stage, they tore into their set. And honestly, within about 2 seconds I was completely floored. Everything I thought I knew about them went straight out of the window. This was serious business.

Frontman Jonas A. Holmberg, is a giant of a man and much like VR from Whoredom Rife kept us utterly spellbound. Only this time, it was by pure passion and commonality.

No fire and brimstone here. This was pure passion and brute humanity on display. By the time the room had caught its breath from the initial onslaught, they were tearing through No Sun, Nor Moon and the chorus will remain etched in my subconsciousness for the forseeable.

Wrapping up with the towering Ascension, whose opening riff is one for the ages, This Gift is a Curse left the Ocean Room in tatters, but seemed to really just be very nice Swedish chaps that happened to like making an incredible racket.

One side note here - Atlantean Sword were due to play the dungeon synth theatre, but had to drop out due to illness, so Portcullis were swapped in. The clash with This Gift is a Curse was unavoidable, but I wish Atlantean Sword a speedy recovery.

In need of a break, I took a bit of time to sit, chill and crate dig during Abigail Williams’ set, but understand it was very good.

On to something completely different, and for me a first. The dungeon synth theatre called, and with Out of Season’s Fief playing next I made my way there to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet in the dark theatre.

Fief and his fairly minimal setup kicked off with an intro on screen from an old Errol Flynn film, before coming out to take us on a journey through heraldic knights and medieval castles. Including video of one I used to frequent as a child - Bodiam Castle. It made for a slightly surreal experience, but the lilting, light and even jolly synth tones that Fief produced were the perfect juxtaposition to some of the day’s more serious offerings, and worked perfectly with the visuals.

On the subject of seriousness, Fluisteraars probably could do with taking themselves a little less seriously. Their music has at times been quite engaging on record, but live, I have to be honest, it came across as fairly sterile hipster metal. Sorry Dutchies, I’m sure they’re lovely guys, but it’s a no from me.

Antrisch on the other hand, absolutely float my boat. Their brand of thematic, well constructed and performed black metal is a joy to see live. It helps that they really know how to put on a show, and their vocalist is an absolute monster. He may not be the biggest man in metal, but his vocal performance was a highlight of the entire weekend, even if it was plagued by some sound issues.

Taking their time to warm up the crowd in the Ocean Room and going the whole hog with costumes, changes and some seriously dramatic posturing, even on the hottest day of the year, made them stand head and shoulders above many bigger acts. I’d love to see them back on the main stage next year.

I’d hoped to catch a bit of Vinterland’s set before seeing Old Sorcery, but a queue was already forming, and having delivered one of my favourite records of Q1, there was no way I was going to miss their world live debut. Taking to the stage at a nicely elaborate key/synth setup and with plenty of visual support, Old Sorcery gave a minimalist performance and left most of it up to the music. Their mix of dungeon synth and ambient black metal worked pretty well, although the best bits for me came from this year’s record The Outsider, which seemed a little lacking in the setlist. The more synth-y/less metal-y pieces were good and the performance was well done, but there was a nagging though in the back of my head that seeing Vespéral might have been the better choice. I look forward to seeing him play live more and build confidence in doing so.

We came out of the theatre to find that people were already queuing to see Mortiis, and given he literally invented the dungeon synth genre, it seemed churlish not to immediately join the queue and see the master himself. Misthyrming would sadly have to wait for another time (again - I missed their 2024 performance as well).

Mortiis’ was playing a special ‘Era One’ set, so leant heavily into the first few records and the more narrative, synth driven side of things, eschewing the later goth/industrial sound. That suited my dungeon synth/ambient tastes nicely, and the combination of this, his even more elaborate synth setup, and the excellent hand drawn visuals, meant for a captivating performance, and another special one that Fortress have carefully curated. Honestly, how you top that for a first even dungeon synth day at the festival, I don’t know.

After a day mostly dominated by the quieter, metal-adjacent end of things, the day could only finish one way; with another live debut, and a real barnstorming performance from none other than Gallowbraid. One EP released 16 years ago, seemed like an odd choice of the Sunday night headliner, but if we should know anything by now, it’s that Gary’s tastes are rarely off.

The set was an absolute triumph. Jake Rogers fumbled a little to start with and seemed genuinely baffled that the best part of 1,800 people had come to see him and his friends perform live. It was among the most honest and heartfelt performances I’ve seen any live band give ever, and the crowd responded in kind, roaring along and giving their absolute all to support and encourage. I was still quite hoarse three days later...

Not content with giving us a live debut, Jake and co. casually dropped into the repartie that they knew they didn’t have enough material to fill the slot they’d been given, so they were going to play two _new_ songs for us, if that was ok? If you thought the volume level had been high already, this took it to a whole new level. The crowd went mad and the new songs, Leaf Dance and Stormcloud Memories exceeded any possible expectations.

Finishing up with the soaring, epic Stone of Remembrance, the band gave their final thanks and left us to wander out into the night, dazzled, deafened and delighted.

In a final gift for the weekend, the most incredible moon shone out over the cliffs, lighting the way home.

Fortress 2026. What an incredible weekend. Unparalleled. I’ve already got my ticket for 2027. I cannot wait. Although am I that excited for Emperor…? We’ll see.

Fortress has never messed around when it comes to lineups, and its fourth edition, while not all to my tastes, was no exception.

Groza opened the festival on the Saturday afternoon, kicking off with some blistering noise. Their black clad, black masked look setting the tone perfectly for what was to follow over the next 36 hours. They’re not a band I’m hugely familiar with, but their Mgła-esque mix of black metal with just a hint of death, was the perfect appetiser, combined with an impassioned performance and a moving tribute to their lost bass player, the bar had been set high. They were not messing around.

A quick side note - the stage setup in the Grand Hall had impressively levelled up this year. Two LED panels on each side of the stage brought the already massive main screen out onto the stage and that much closer to the audience. This lent bands’ performances an additional level of power, especially when creatively used with visualisations flowing from one to the other. It was genuinely impressive, and something I look forward to seeing more of in years to come.

Sadly the queue for Black Cilice in the Ocean Room was already a mile long by the time I even considered it, so I bailed on that, got a drink and enjoyed the good weather before heading back to the Ocean Room for Aeon Winds. Lesson learnt. I also massively regretted not bringing any shorts at all… Scarbados really put on its best this year. It was scorching!

Aeon Winds ambled out onto the stage looking very much like three normal blokes from Slovakia, but quickly put us in our place. They play ferocious, symphonic black metal and it only took a song or two before the crowd was firmly in their grasp, being swept along by their spells.

They also brought out Dis Pater from Midnight Odyssey to play a couple of songs from their Ardorem split. Not an album I’m familiar with, although I know Midnight Odyssey, but one of the great joys of these festivals is the ability to join performances like this, and bring to life something that might never have happened otherwise. They were clearly thrilled to have him join them, and the crowd responded in kind.

The chance to see Ossaert in the Grand Hall couldn’t be passed up, however, so we moved a little early and got a spot near the front. It proved to be one of the best decisions of the weekend. Performing live for only the second time, Ossaert pulled out all the stops, delivering a mournful and truly devastating performance. Between monk’s cowl, and Flying V guitars, it was a hell of a show, mixing the religious, the devilish and a fantastic blend of the heaviest black metal. A massive highlight of the weekend and something we all felt privileged to have seen.

This is where the day dipped for me. My heavy music tastes lie firmly in the old school/aggressive/raw end of things, so anything progressive/technical leaves me completely cold, and so it proved for Akercocke. They were playing their album Choronzon, which I’m sure is great if that’s your thing, but it didn’t do much for me, so I left early on, got a drink and some food and enjoyed the weather again.

Totenwache tempted us, but not enough to stick around. More and more I’m realising I’m a grumpy old man, and the toad-style vocals they employed put me right off. Back out to do some crate digging and enjoy more of the weather and a sit down. Always appreciated.

Dodheimsgard were due to play their full Black Medium Current album, but, again, sit in that progressive camp so weren’t for me. After a song or two, I headed out and got ready for the certain annihilation Whoredom Rife would deliver in the Ocean Room.

We were clearly not the only ones. A small, but dedicated group was already gathering outside, waiting for the sound check to finish.

Ensuring we were right near the front, we settled in and waited for the scariest man in live metal to make an appearance. With very little ado, Whoredom Rife appeared on stage and set about tearing us apart. KR prowled the stage, snarling and staring. A giant of a man and someone clearly in their element when on stage and commanding his audience. I felt a little sorry for the mic stand that was javelined out of the way.

That was pretty much it for me for day 1. Old Man’s Child aren’t for me, so I took the opportunity to call it a night and catch up on some sleep.

One thing I will say though. The broadening of the Fortress offering to include dungeon synth on the Sunday meant that the merch offering this year was even better than usual.

The lovely folks at Dark Earth had their usual small, but exquisitely selected record offering, and a ton of books on offer, including a couple I just couldn’t resist picking up.

Zach of Forbidden Keep was present with his usual excellent selection, and the guys at Cult Never Dies had a ton of their wide offering on display. I couldn’t resist picking up something from both.

Out of Season made a first appearance and had some brilliant merch. I’m a bit gutted I didn’t pick up a Fief cap, but there’ll be another time. I hope they’re back next year!

There was another vendor present, but they’d chosen to offer a bunch of merch from some extremely ’sketchy’ bands, including Dark Fury records and Absurd and Goatmoon patches and badges, which seemed like an odd fit.

Aside from that and one particularly bizarre t-shirt choice seen in the crowd, Fortress retained its friendly, welcoming atmosphere and I’m already looking forward to going back next year to see recently announced headliners Emperor play. As long as they play something from Wrath of the Tyrant I’ll be happy!

Day 2’s report is to come, including some world firsts and a lot more dungeon synth!

For the third year, I’ve made the journey to Scarborough for the UK’s best extreme metal festival. You can keep your Damnations, Bloodstocks, and to a slightly lesser extent Incinerations. This is it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Incineration Festival a lot, but for me this is the perfect metal festival.

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Here are a few of the things about Fortress that make it the best:

- A fantastic seafront venue

- No clashes. Cannot overstate this.

- No 20/25 minute walk between venues

- But most importantly, a simply unparalleled range of artists. From Sunday opener Abduction through to long time hiatus-bound festival closer Agalloch, it’s not even close.

A small side note - it’s a really friendly festival. I met the booker on my way out on the final night and despite never having spoken to him before, ended up sharing a big hug to celebrate how generally awesome the crowd and festival had been (cheers Gary!). I also saw people that had only got talking because they were standing next to each other in the front row for a particular act swapping details and agreeing to meet up in a completely different country at a later date.

On to the festival itself. As mentioned, the range of acts is incredible, but I am becoming a bit of an old man and as such was a bit more selective this year about the acts I went to as I couldn’t face having to leave every act early to ensure I got between the stages in time.

Having said that, I basically didn’t hear a bad word about any of the bands playing. There’s something for everyone.

Here’s a quick write up of the ones I did see, and then some more photos below:

Saturday bands

Aquilus

Beautiful Aussie atmospheric black metal making their UK debut. As they, not unreasonably, said “we’ve come a long way for this”, and they didn’t disappoint. The violin soared without dominating or veering into cheesiness. The overall mix was effective, and I look forward to seeing what they do in coming years.

Devastator

Honestly, I only really caught part of their set as I’d popped up to the Ocean Room to crate dig, but I wish I’d heard more. Ripping black/thrash metal, up there with the best of them. Front man Thomas Collings knows how to get a crowd going. I’ll definitely be catching them again.

Spirit Possession

I actually hadn’t realised these guys are a two piece, but my god what a racket they make. Incredible stuff. A’s drums lived up to the incredible sound and feeling we got a taste of during sound check, while S’s batshit vocals and guitar playing meant you’d never have known it was just him. I loved their album from 2023, and seeing them play some of it live was awesome. The whole red-drenched minimal light aesthetic killed it to. Fair play to the lighting crew.

The Great Old Ones

Alright, I’ll be up front. I fucking love these guys. This is the second time I’ve seen them live this year, and they are also the only band that I own all their records. With that in mind, they ruled. Opener ‘Kadath’ is a personal favourite, and they manage to work in a brilliant sense of melody and leads that I’m still humming now. Top tier stuff. Please sir, I want some more.

Akhlys

Let’s get one thing out of the way. I get what they’re trying to do with the masks, but for me it just makes them look like something out of a bad 80s animatronic horror. Having said that, these guys are clearly very serious about their music and it shows. It’s utterly punishing. The power they create on record comes across unaltered live. It’s a rare feat and one to praise.

That was me finished for the day. I’ve seen Saturday headliners 1349 before and am not that fussed. I’m sure they were awesome, but my bed was calling after a 5:45am start.

Sunday bands

Abduction

I’ve seen these guys a few times at Fortress now, and several times elsewhere, and they never get boring. Their brand of esoteric black/death metal is really made them feel like they were much higher up the list than Sunday opener. The new album is brilliant, and the performance, led by main man A | V was captivating as always.

Dödsrit

I knew these guys would be good, but not how good. Honestly, a bit of a revelation after enjoying the last couple of albums. They showed huge dynamism on stage and it showed in the crowd response. Being front row for them was a treat. The triple axe attack absolutely slays and they’ve got some bloody brilliant songs to boot. Would see again. 100%.

Moonlight Sorcery

I enjoyed these guys’ last album. The fantastically named ‘The Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle’. It’s great slightly melodic, thrashy black metal. Live, however, it just didn’t really do much for me. A total lack of interaction and slightly weak vocals from a front man that seemed to be in a pair of baggy skater shorts just left me a bit cold. Nothing wrong or bad about it. Just a bit meh.

Ulcerate

Side note - I love how Fortress always has at least one really, really good death metal band, despite the overarching black metal theme.

Fuck me. These quiet and nerdy looking Kiwis absolutely floored me. They were unbelievable.

Ulcerate may only have been a three piece, but the noise they kicked out was impressive. I’m no expert, but from where I was standing slap bang in the middle of the front row, drummer Jamie Saint Merat is actually an octopus. To say nothing of Michael Hoggard who does ludicrous things with his guitar. Bass and vocals from Paul Kelland were ferocious and rounded off a real festival highlight. There was a lot of excitement for their set, and rightly so.

Forteresse

This Quebecois crew’s passions were running high, with Fleur de Lis flags and ceinture flechées replete. Their brand of patriotic black metal translates brilliantly live, and it felt like the first of two really seminal performances of the evening. Monarque up front did a truly passionate job of snarling his way through their set list and making us all feel like the anglophone scum we are.

Agalloch

Let me tell you a little story about something that happened just before this performance that gives a sense of how important this performance was:

In short, after waiting a good couple of hours near the front with a crowd of other people who were similarly minded, someone attempted barge through and get in front of a couple of people that had been waiting. This did not go down well. To the extent that the bargee was fully prepared to get physical and be thrown out of the venue, rather than let someone stand in front of them. He was completely serious. This was not a front.

Anyway, it was resolved with a minimum of physical interaction and the bargers were returned to their previous positions looking a bit sheepish.

After an hour and a bit set change, it was something of an anticlimax to have the curtain pull back and reveal a visually unchanged set, especially in light of the transformation Wolves in the Throne Room underwent in 2024’s edition.

However, what followed was anything but anticlimactic. Agalloch haven’t played in the UK for ten years or so, and the audience response showed. They were met with (anti-)religious enthusiasm and were clearly blown away at the reception. Delivering track after anthemic track and including old favourites and even a number of two from The Mantle. They also got in some repartee as well, which for me really makes a performance - I want to know you’re there and enjoy yourselves too!

The 1.5 hour long set flew by and before long we were left with just John Haughm rolling around on the ground while his guitar screeched feedback.

I sincerely hope to see more of Agalloch live soon. Their music felt timeless and deserving of more than one gig a decade.

I’ll leave you with a few more pictures from my amblings around Scarborough around the festival. It’s a fun places to photograph, and I’m excited to get back next year for more metal mania.

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With that said, I don’t know if it’s going to be my album of the year. Most important? Sure. Most listened to, maybe. Favourite. We’ll see.

That elephant out of the way. It’s been a slightly slower start to the year for this list than Q1 2025, I’d say. Or maybe I’m just getting more selective. I don’t think so, as I’ve had similar conversations with a few people.

The other day a colleague asked me if doing this has made me think about music in a different way. At the time I wasn’t sure, but now I think I can say - I don’t think about music in a different way, but I care even more. I spend more time on the reviews I write and what they say. I hope that’s coming across. Practice makes perfect better, after all.

That thing I mentioned at the end of my Q4 2025 list - I’m starting something. Lord knows what format it’s going to take, but I’m toying with a podcast. Probably just some written stuff to start with though. If you felt inclined to give @heavybookclub a follow over on Instagram I’d be grateful, and you never know, there might be something there for you. I’ll be talking/writing more about music. Hopefully more regularly and more in depth. Could be fun.

Janvier- L’hiver n’est jamais fini

Not technically, French, but Quebecois metal, so kind of also still French. I’ve lost track of the number of French language bands I’ve featured here, and these guys are no exception to the rule. French (language) metal fucking rules. This is ice cold, and winter sure as hell really has never finished for members Cardinal, Taciturne and Oxymort.

Their music is a blistering mix of stripped back second wave metal, with a curious higher toned sound that really struck a chord with me. Unlike a lot of second wave black metal imitators, these guys do more than endless unvarying tremolo picking. The bass is well up in the mix in the right places and is definitely doing its own thing. No mere following the leads. It gives the music an almost doomy undertone. It’s very unusual and a real highlight. They’re not reinventing the wheel, but they might have added a spoke.

Standout track - L’hiver n’est jamais fini

Misotheist - De Pinte

Misotheist have never shied away from creating challenging music. Even within the Nidarosian scene they operate in, they have always pushed boundaries. 2024’s Vessels By Which the Devil Is Made Flesh was 3 tracks and 40 minutes. De Pinte is similar, but spread over 4 tracks.

This music shines. It’s not a pure, positive light, don’t get me wrong. This is the devil’s light. It’s majestic, and shimmering, twisting, writhing. It gets under your skin and urges strength and individualism. Somehow, despite the grandeur of its vision it is accessible and infectious at points. Arguably even uplifting.

The title track De Pinte (’The Torment’ in English) is a prime example. It’s an epic work at over 21 minutes, but still manages to work in a change of pace at 6 minutes that is astonishing. Genuinely causing me to stop what I was doing and check what had happened the first time I heard it. The clarity to understand that the second half of the track would be stronger by slowing down after a truly intense second quarter is inspired. The final quarter of the track descends into the technical while losing none of its power and appeal. It’s a sum greater than its parts. A singular effort. And a fitting note to end this imposing album on.

Standout track - De Pinte

Old Sorcery - The Outsider

This is comfortably the best mix of dungeon synth/dark ambient and black metal I’ve heard to date. Well, certainly since Hvis Lyset Tar Oss. I’ve dipped into Old Sorcery’s music on and off over the years, but last year’s The Escapist (part 1 of a trilogy, The Outsider is part 2) left me cold as it was very much in the pure dungeon/comfy synth realm, which isn’t my cup of tea.

This, however, is an entirely different beast. It’s a dense, almost impenetrable, wall of sound comprised of shrieking keys, churning guitars, wailing vocals and a thicket of other spikey sounds. The album opens with a 20 minute tester. A few seconds of running water and a storm rumbling in the distance, before dischordant keys kick in. Magick Triumph sets the tone for the album. No comfort here. This will be a journey. Whether that journey mirrors the HP Lovecraft story of the same name I don’t know, but the effect that most disturbing of stories leaves is similar to this. The tension and suspense is palpable. You’re waiting for something sinister to happen, only to realise that it’s been there all along, all around you.

Running at 1 hour and 11 minutes (and change) The Outsider is an imposing work, but worth every minute. I am unreasonably excited for their world live debut at the now-sold-out Fortress Festival in June.

Standout track - The Interior Gates of the True Soul

Bronze Hall - Embers of the Dawn

I didn’t really know where to start with this one. It’s a little out of my usual realm of music. Quite a few keys and synth elements, and some bits that are a little bit cheesy. But. It’s bloody great. Stomping riffs, vocals that snarl and snap and are entirely serious. No pomp for the most part.

Is there a ton of Summoning/Enslaved worship? Yes. If you make this kind of music that’s unavoidable though. This is epic stuff that’ll make you want to get hold of a sword and go and stand on top of a mountain. Or something like that.

Standout track - In Northern Twilight

Keys to the Astral Gates and Mystic Doors/Bloody Keep/Sanguine Wounds - Split

So unbelievably raw as to almost be comical, were it not for the fact that anything else from these three bands would be ridiculous.

Keys to the Astral Gates and Mystic Doors open this split with pieces that sound like they could have come out of the very dustiest corners of the early 90s Norwegian or French black metal scenes. I mean that in the very best possible way, and I’m 100% sure is what they’re going for. What they add though is a sense of rhythm and a bit more subtlety and a healthy dose of dungeon synth that those scenes were (charmingly) missing, but helped foment. There’s some pretence about who they are and posturing, but the music speaks for itself.

I love the band logo. It’s bonkers.

The other two, Bloody Keep and Sanguine Wounds (tautologous?) are a more mixed bag. Bloody Keep play stomping punky black metal that has an almost fun edge to it and fits right at home in the Grimestone stable. It’s the sort of music I think I’d make if I had any musical capabilities, and has that true (not trve) bedroom/home made feel to it. Sanguine Wounds manage to take the raw sound even further. The vocals are buried waaay down in the mix, almost impossible to make out. They have their own distinctive sound though - it’s that hypnotic, droning sort of black metal that’s deceptively simple, but devilishly tricky to actually do well. They nail it, and finish the split off on a fine note.

Standout track - Well, it’s a split, so it’s not really fair, but probably Massacramist

Olhava - Memorial

To call Memorial ‘atmospheric black metal’ doesn’t really do it justice. This is euphoric, uplifting, beautiful music. If you thought early era Alcest could have done with a bit more weight, or that Mono wasn’t quite metal enough, then you’re in the right place. Frankly, if you consider yourself a music fan and this isn’t on your list, you’re missing out.

Broken up by four ambient/field recording pieces (Ageless River X - XIII), this album centres on four tracks. The shortest of which is over 7 minutes long, the longest over 20. The ambient pieces work beautifully as interludes. They’re not afterthoughts. We hear dripping, and rain pattering on a roof layered over beautiful synths. These intros are so often done with very little thought for the overall structure of an album and what they really bring to it, but the segue Ageless River X into After I’m Gone is so seamless as to render it really pointless having them as separate tracks.

That sense of purpose is front of mind throughout the entire album. Take When the Ashes Grow Cold for example. It contains a climax on a par with any post rock god tier album, and yet for my money it is woven with a greater weight and power than any of those bands might dream of. It ascends into the truly euphoric. Beautiful. Avantarde Music features twice in this list with two of the best albums of the year - this, and The Outsider. If I ran that label, I’d be happy to retire at this point. How do you begin to top that?

Standout track - When the Ashes Grow Cold

Fenland Drone Workshop - Wicken Dawn

Despite hailing from much lumpier territory, I’ve had a soft spot for the Fens for a long time. Whether it’s the superhuman history of how they were drained, or their utter flatness and the huge skies that brings, I don’t know, but there is something magical about them.

Fenland Drone Workshop attempt to capture elements of that, and in this work recorded two of the long improv pieces they are known for in Cambridge’s Leper Chapel (https://cambridgeppf.org/leper-chapel/). The recordings themselves are long. Both 25 minutes plus, and both a mixture of improv field recordings soaking up the rich esoteric atmosphere of the Fens and the ancient building this was recorded in.

Standout track - It’s only two very long tracks, so no deal, but I love the vocal sample pieces spliced in half way through both sides.

Incandescence - Hors Temps

More Quebecois/French language metal! These guys are at the other end of the spectrum from Janvier though. I’m sitting writing this pumping my fist and banging my head along. Undoubtedly a good sign.

The music itself is a driving mix of black/death metal, leaning more towards the latter, but with the aesthetic and ethos of the former. Right in my sweet spot, in other words. No screaming thin music here, this is deep, thought through, punishing music, designed to make you question what you consider real and true.

It’s tell that I keep coming back to this album and getting more out of it each time I listen. Nothing too out of the ordinary that, but tracks like Sécheresse reveal themselves more and more each time. 100% worth your time and effort.

Standout track - Sécheresse

Neurosis - An Undying Love for a Burning World

2026 has had a ton of curveballs already, but a new Neurosis album was not on my list. Ten years since Fires Within Fires and the unpleasantness that ensued with Scott Kelly, they are back, and they are angrier, bigger, and pushing the envelope more than ever. And Aaron f*cking Turner has joined their ranks!

I’m going to do a much more in depth piece on my love of Neurosis, but this is not the place. It feels like Neurosis come back around every time we find ourselves in a time of tumult. And every time they have something powerful and worthwhile to say. An Undying Love for a Burning World is the album we needed, cliche as that may be. Steve Von Till, Jason Roeder, et al. clearly knew it.

Opening with a raging diatribe, and never fully releasing their post-metal grip on our throats for the following hour and three minutes Neurosis’ potent blend of weight, emotion and intention is immediately felt. The influence of Aaron Turner is subtly, but clearly, present throughout. His distinct vocals adding a layer to it that has already grown on me. There was something magical about the combination of Steve Von Till and Scott Kelly, but this is a combination I can see only getting better with time. The Sumac/Old Man Gloom influence from Aaron Turner comes through at points, with the addition of more electronics than I can remember Neurosis ever featuring before. No complaint from me. They’re a welcome addition to an already nigh on perfect musical style.

Standout track - Last Light

Blackbraid - Nocturnal Womb EP

This felt like a return to form for Blackbraid. Their last album didn’t quite do it for me. Not sure why, but something didn’t click. This, on the other hand, has been spun many times and feels more powerful and focused. Granted it helps that it’s an EP and only 20 minutes long, including an acoustic piece, but the force Sgah’gahsowáh is capable of creating has returned to form.

Standout track - Not really fair on a 3 (2 really) track EP.

Winselmutter - Ketzergeyst EP

This EP is f*cking brilliant. It’s utterly relentless and shows fantastic ambition. I’m already excited for what they’ll do next, and am going back to track down their 2024 full length.

Side note - they’ve nailed the stage names. Eternal Chaos Witch ov Blackened Ritual Nights? Hell. Yes.

On that note, said Chaos Witch delivers a vocal performance for the books. She’s up there with the best.

The EP opens with a very brief sample of walking or marching and some ominous organ playing, before launching into a full frontal, throat grabbing assault and does not let go for the length of its 20 minutes. It’s not quite into the war metal end of things, but it’s not too far off. There’s a smattering of J Read style drum battery throughout. If you like your metal evil, relentless and utterly without compromise, this is for you.

Standout track - Where Once Was Our Heart

Malum - From the Voids

It feels almost reductive, but this really is top tier Norwegian black/death metal, with a healthy dollop of orthodox satanism that wouldn’t feel out of place in the Junger Tumilon circle or early 00s Sweden. Although the ambition is grander than that earlier first foray somehow. Standing on the shoulders of giants.

I don’t recall having heard Malum before, but on the evidence of this album I’m going to go back through their discography and educate myself. They’re accomplished and serious about what they do, offering a blend of music that nails a few of my favourite hallmarks - deep, sonorous sound, blending black metal aesthetics and death metal tones, without leaning too far either way.

Standout track - Stare into darkness

That’s it for now. And look at that. Q1 done just over a week into Q2. Madness.

Do come follow along on Instagram - @heavybookclub. Can’t promise when the first thing might be out, but I’ll be share interesting new things as I go.

Also, I know it’s February 2026, but give me a break. In the last 3 months I’ve had major surgery, moved house twice and actually had to do a real job. Plus, you know, Christmas, etc…

In case you wanted to catch up, here are my 2025 lists so far:

Q1

Q2

Q3

Read on for my Q4 list. And I might do a top 10 of 2025 if I get time. Probably not at this point, but you never know.

The usual rules apply.

Tar Pit - Scrying the Angel Gate

Tar Pit’s type of doomy, Wiz-worship can be quite forgettable unless it’s done very well. Fortunately these guys are very, very good at what they do. The vocals are the perfect mix of Jus Osborn and Steve Von Till - raspy, emotive and cut through just enough without really giving anything away. The music features just the right mix of lugubrious solos and chunky riffs, and keeps you coming back for more. It helps that they open their latest album with a four part, 10 minute track entitled ‘Dagon, Dark Lord Dwelling Beneath (Parts I-IIII), which checks my inner music nerd and lover of all things Lovecraftian. Plus I’ve just re-read this slimiest of stories. Fortuitous timing.

Check out their previous album, which had amazing art work and the banging name; ‘Tomb of Doom’.

Standout track - Coven Vespers (opening the track with harmonising solos? Yes please.)

Ashtoreth & Penumbral Aethyr - Naiad

I can’t remember where I came across Ashtoreth first. I think it was way back in the early days of my metal obsession maybe when he was playing something more black metal adjacent? I was lucky enough to see him live around that time. Maybe at the Nambucca? Anyway, he’s moved on into the ambient/ritual/shamanistic sort of space, and this collection of pieces with Penumbral Aethyr (about whom I know nothing) inspired by mythical creatures stood out immediately. It’s shimmering and chthonic and tactile. Like moving through a forest of broken mirrors. I love it.

Standout track - Ptah (this one isn’t on YouTube, so here’s a Bandcamp link for the album)

Faetooth - Labyrinthine

For the vast majority of my heavier music listening, from my perspective, the vocals and lyrics are a bit of an afterthought. That’s not to say I only like instrumental music, though, and I’m sure that’s not the bands’ view. Far from it. But, I am very picky about how the vocals are incorporated into the music. Not too high up in the mix, not too clean, not too Hardcore shouty. It’s a tricky balance.

The vocals here from Jenna Garcia and Ari May are sublime. The perfect mixture etherial and powerful. They compliment the rest of the sludgy/doom/post mix perfectly. The music itself manages to do something new with that now well-trodden path and not fall into the standard quiet/loud pattern, while losing none of its weight. I’ve got something new out of this every time I listen to it and look forward to that never getting old. Highly recommended.

Standout track - Hole

Hadopelagyal - Haematophoryktos

Completely batshit crazy. This is not for the faint hearted. If Impetuous Ritual and Mitochondrion had a horrible bastard child it would be Hadopelagyal. A churning, furious, wall-of-sound, blackened death metal of the most out there kind. I have no idea how anyone dreams this stuff up, but I’m sure glad they do. It’s monolithic, but it is not without moments of ebb and flow that keep the chaos anchored. The aural equivalent of some ancient mould festooned tomb privy to horrific rites.

Standout track - Promulgating Haematekchysia

Last Retch - Abject Cruelty

And this is at yet another other end of a spectrum. Filthy, vile, disgusting and bloody good fun death metal. I knew from the first riff this would be on my list. The vocals remind me of Red Before Black era Corpsegrinder and suit the music perfectly. Put this on, and tell me you aren’t immediately curling your lip and banging your head. I dare you.

Standout track - In the polder they reek (Feel like they missed a trick here not calling the track ‘In the polder they molder’, but that’s just me)

Deathwinds - ...Towards Doom

Some vanta-black death metal here. Equal parts grinding guitar and a judicious usage of bass to lend the sound a cavernous tone. Messy, nasty and exactly what you’d expect from a member of Grave Upheaval (featured in my Q1 list) and a couple of members of Radioactive Vomit who go by the noms de guerre Nuclear Hammer Throne, Nocturnal Black and Desolator. If you wanted a slightly thrashier Revenge or a (very slightly) more melodic Black Witchery, these guys are for you.

Standout track - Towards Doom

Illusive Key - Consume Us

I don’t know how Déhà does it. His list of active projects is frankly ridiculous. I’ve barely scratched the surface with them, but you can be sure that there is little variation in terms of quality. Illusive Key is the opposite of his eponymous project where he experiments with what the ambient and sinister can convey. This is pure, luminescent rage. The mix is perfect - it’s nailed that Freezing Moon black metal tone and applied it to the entire record, while simultaneously sounding modern and clean. Quite the achievement and one that many artists have tried and failed at.

Noevdia’s Words as Weapons features a 50+ page interview with Déhà and I can’t recommend it enough.

Standout track - Yearning

Fordæðuskapr - Hræflóð markar fjalla

With several notable, classic exceptions I actually don’t find myself listening to that much Norwegian black metal. It’s not something I avoid, but I’ve historically found myself drawn to the French scene and at times the Swedish and central European ones more.

This, however, is top tier Norwegian black metal. The music is a pulsing, writhing blend. The guitars speed you along, sweeping you up in their maelstrom, while the drums and bass work brilliantly in harmony. There’s a very effective use of keys/synths as well. They’re buried way down in the mix, which is right where I like them, but when you listen closely they lend the whole thing an extra dimension with little notes pealing out like some sort of sinister call to prayer for those willing to hear.

I’ve no idea how one person comes up with music like this, but I am glad they have. Excellent, no frills, well-produced and thought out black metal. Hails.

Standout track - Hræflóð markar fjalla

Malakhim - And In Our Hearts the Devil Sings

Well, turns out I’m back to my old self after that Norwegian blip. This is Swedish, orthodox/religious black metal that positively shines with Luciferian light. I’d argue these Swedes could be the successor to Watain’s vaunted position. They’ve got an ear for song writing and song composition that elevates them above many of their peers - the tracks on this album are a perfect mix of ruthless intensity and melody. They, however, also lose nothing of their power when they let you catch your breath and take in the slower moments. I’ll be spinning this one for a while. Plus, that artwork!

Standout track - Angel of the Bottomless Pit

Angrrsth - Zludnia

You could argue that Angrrsth have been overlooked for some of their better known countrymen (Mgła, Batushka, etc.). I hope this album goes some way to correcting that. It’s got a cutting martial edge and an ear for the dramatic that should have had a lot more attention. The vocals are snarled in a pure evil fashion, and whoever is on the drums really knows their stuff. I’m no musician, but the power and creativity they bring to the band’s rhythm section is impressive. This might even be where Behemoth would have ended up if they’d pursued the Demigod angle to its nth degree, rather than whatever the hell it is they’re doing now.

Standout track - Prog (the UGH at about 40 seconds is delicious)

Nimbifer - Vom Gipfel

It’s a rare thing to be able to be melodic and utterly frozen and impenetrable, but Nimbifer have done it again. Their 2024 Der Böse Geist was similarly brilliant. This EP is all of 19 minutes long and is one I keep coming back to. There are elements of Drudkh, and their elemental wall of sound approach, but with a distinctly rawer, individual take.

Standout track - Das Ende

Phobocosm - Gateway

This album made me make the invisible oranges hand grab and do a death metal face from the first track. Can’t really get better than that. The vocals are right in my sweet spot for death metal - chuggy and grunty, but not pitchshifted or weird and froggy. The music itself is well produced without being all shiny and gross. It’s just the right blend. You can really feel the bottom end of it, while the guitars are absolute filth. The perfect soundtrack to a serial killer dragging a corpse through a sewer. Something fun like that anyway.

Standout track - Sempiternal Penitence

Puritan Bone - Ecstasy on the Frontier of Blood

Not the sort of sound I expect to be coming out of the Netherlands, and if anything that feeling is compounded by digging deeper into the people behind this blistering, very Central/Eastern European sounded black metal project.

I love what T has done with Turia, particularly the De Oord split, but this is something else. It’s cold, windswept and so raw that I’m sure I’ve got frostbite just listening to it. The mix is perfect for this style, the drums are buried way down and little more than a deep thumping with the odd roll thrown in, while the guitars create a pure, evil second wave style wall of sound. The vocals are pained and reminiscent of Wintherr of Paysage d’Hiver, which is no small feat. All in all, if you’re after scathing, heavily second wave-inspired black metal that throws all sorts of surprises your way this is for you.

Standout track - Corporeal Drift

Slaughterday - Terrified

In a way this is was the hardest thing to review this quarter. But when it’s four tracks and only 9 minutes long, that’s not too surprising. I love the blatant Repulsion tribute/rip-off (delete as appropriate) artwork. The music itself is fantastic, chuggy, very-nearly-grind death metal, and they’re not doing anything different with the themes, but it works brilliantly. I thought this might be a first release, but no, absolutely not. They’ve been around since 2013 and are releasing a new full length in 2026. 100% checking it out.

Standout track - Chained to oblivion

Martröð - Draumsýnir Eldsins

Alex Poole is nearly as prolific as Déhà although his projects reflect his involvement with the now sadly defunct Vrasubatlat label and ongoing Mystikaos. My personal favourite project of his is Skaphé, which this project is close to in sound and makeup. This is a similar swirling, churning, jarring black metal project, but that does it a gross disservice really. It’s top tier, complex, well thought out and has that unmistakable Icelandic tinge brought by HV Lyngdal of Wormlust fame combined with Alex Poole’s particular brand of genius. It’s been 9 years between releases. I sincerely hope it’s not another 9 before the next one.

Standout track - Timinn

Gnarl - The Old Rutted Track

SunnO)))’s bastard rural cousin. And I mean that in the best way possible. Gnarl are a bit of an unknown to me, but they might actually be my favourite discovery of the year. The album is three tracks, the shortest of which clocks in at 15 minutes, and it truly is a soundtrack for a damp, muddy, cold, unforgiving day in the depths of the British countryside. Combining drone, doom, noise and field recordings, you would never describe this as catchy music, but it really got under my skin. I can hear the clanking and groaning now as I write. An aural MR James story?

Standout track - Three very long tracks, decide for yourself. Bandcamp name your price link here.

11034 - Deep Cold Grave

Another long one, but no drone or field recordings here - just cold, Germanic black metal. Seems to be relatively little known about these guys, but, yeah, four tracks and the shortest of them is 19 minutes long. It’s dark, well constructed and uses a great mix of early 00s black metal sounds with a healthy dose of Burzum and Vinterriket worship thrown in for good measure, combined with some slower more gently strummed pieces to break things up. Metal Archives tells me they’re aquatic themed, which matches with a (un)healthy sense of drowning and a slow release. Whatever it is, it’s another one that really got under my skin, despite its imposing length.

Standout track - Drifting 2

Blut Aus Nord - Ethereal Horizons

People literally do entire podcasts on Blut Aus Nord and Vindsval’s output. I can’t really add a lot to what has been said about this album, but a BAN album is always something to look forward to. Ethereal Horizons doesn’t top the dizzying heights of Hallucinogen or The Work Which Transforms God, but then again really, what does? It is, however, a truly masterful, technically perfect, soaring black metal album album and one that I am confident I will go back to time and time again.

Standout track - The Fall Opens the Sky

Darvaza - We Are Him

Darvaza never clicked for me before this album. The second I heard premiere track Holy Blood, however, I knew this was something special. It had a unique blend of ferocity and melody and captivated me from the opening chords. Omega’s performance as vocalist is truly impressive. Conveying his message with ferocity and sincerity. This is true, orthodox, satanic black metal practiced at its highest level. The more I listen to this album the more I get out of it. The final 2 minutes of A Last Prayer in Gethsemane are some of the finest metal I’ve heard in years. Searing leads, a wall of sound evoking damnation and darkness. Majestic.

Standout track - Slaying Heaven

If you’ve read this far, well done. I’m genuinely surprised and grateful.

Plans for 2026.

Primarily more of this, but also maybe an album club. Like a book club, but for albums. Monthly or maybe more regularly if I can find the time. Possibly in podcast format if I can stand the sound of my own voice, and find willing people to do it with.

I might still get to that top 10 list. Pose it as a challenge to myself.

Plus, 2026 is looking healthy. Four albums on my best of list already.

Having said that, a couple of the releases here will probably end up being some of my favourites of the year, and I’m publishing this quite a bit later than I normally would, so it’s nearly time to think about an end of year list.

The changed title for this reflects the broader gamut of genres I’m looking at here, although still dominated by metal, there are multiple entries here that are a world away from that, and yet still have a heavy element to them.

Patristic - Catechesis

Counter to the above, this very much is metal. It’s brilliant. I’m not keen on Hideous Divinity and their tech-death thing, but this is Enrico Schettino’s project and I am keen. The music is the perfect blend of death and black metal aesthetic and practices, and covers a fascinating topic. I know relatively little about the early church fathers (paters), but some of them were a bit mental, and tapping into that history is right up my street. This album is polished, practiced and brilliantly paced. If you like late era Watain and the NIHILVM debut album reviewed below, you’ll love it.

Standout track - A Vinculis Soluta II

Haress - Skylarks

I happened catch Haress support Steve Von Till when he played St John at Bethnal Green a couple of years ago. I didn’t know them at the time, and while I love Mr Von Till, they might actually have been the highlight of the evening for me. Coming back across them as they release this album reaffirmed that for me. It’s four long, achingly beautiful tracks that somehow evoke open skies, moments of longing and the simple power of nature. The repetition of the only lyrics on the entire album in the title track are still etched in my memory from that evening in Bethnal Green.

Standout track - Skylarks

Mania/Naturgeist split 7”

I loved Naturgeist’s demo/single that came out back in 2021 with its Paul Ledney inspired cover and out there black metal tones. Mania are new to me though, but I’m pleasantly surprised by their well-produced very black death metal. It’s somehow methodical and ethereal, with a fantastic guitar tone and vocals buried down in the mix, so they don’t distract. Naturgeist, sorry Natürgeist, do excellent fast paced and riff-led black metal. I love the deranged vocals and general approach. It’s full of great melodic elements that you could hum along to, while remaining intense and high quality.

Standout track - not really fair on this one. There are only three songs and only one is Naturgeist’s

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Phantom Island

This album just blew me away. It’s the most fun I’ve had listening to an album in years, and it sounds like they had a blast making it. I’ve enjoyed bits from these Aussie lads before, but this is a whole new level. It’s like David Bowie, Etta James and Crosby, Stills & Nash wrote a rock opera together. Couldn’t be higher praise in my book.

Standout track - Aerodynamic (this was the easiest choice of the year)

Cénotaphe - Chimères

I have a thing for French black metal. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again I’m sure. This album is more exceptional black metal. It’s got that edge and sincerity to it that French bands seem to bring to their work. There’s efficient usage of synths within some tracks giving them an eerie edge and making it more than just a tremolo riff-fest. It’s somehow bigger than the sum of its parts, taking a fairly traditional approach, and elevating it.

Standout track - Sous les fourches manichéennes

NIHILVM - Ancient Cosmic Emanation

Thunderous is really the only word I can think of for this. It’s this outfit’s debut album, despite having some members that have been around for a while, and it is stunning. Its mix of death and black metal feels meticulous and complete. It’s got just the perfect tone for me - guitars driving things forward, and the vocals a mix of evocative, invokative and declarative. They know what they’re doing, saying, and what they want to achieve.

Standout track - Srebrzyste ostrza gwiazd

Arhaaik - Uihtis

The Jünger Tumilon lot are a talented bunch. There are two of their releases on this quarter’s list. This is the trippier of the two releases, which fits with Arkhaaik’s more batshit outlook generally. It’s four tracks, 50 minutes, and a real aural whirlwind of deep, dark, complex blackened death metal. Each piece stands well on its own, but it’s also a hell of a piece of work all together.

Standout tracker - Hagrah Gurres

Pralaya - Beyond the Tattered Curtain of Unspeakable Madness

Polish Sanskrit black/death metal. Obviously. Fantastic stuff though. They’ve got that Teitanblood-esque guitar tone nailed where you can really feel the bass and what it adds to the music. You almost physically experience it. There are blistering leads used throughout and I love how they walk that line between a proper maelstrom and a polished production. It’s like the best bits of Infernal Coil or a cleaner Revenge at times.

Standout track - He Who Swallows Millions

Smote - Clyppan (Live album)

If Earthless was British and had a healthy dose of folk instruments in the mix. Although that’s unfairly reductive. Four long tracks of pounding, droning, pensive music to get lost in. Live they must be a treat. I only found out about them thanks to some social coverage of Supersonic Festival where they played a set with One Eye One Leg, which must have been something really special. They’re playing the 100 Club next year and I can’t wait.

Standout track - The Opinion of the Lamb, pt. 1

Arrows - Yearning Arrows; Cloven Suns

This is the newest project out of the Jünger Tumilon circle and it immediately leapt out at me. The artwork has a weird occult-looking sigil, and a fantastic Dali-esque scene going on. It was pretty much guaranteed to be up my street. Sure enough, the music is slightly melodic, orthodox/religious black metal in a style that’s somewhere between early 00s Swedish and Kenose-era Deathspell Omega. It’s twisting, slithering, winding and it’s bloody brilliant. Can’t wait to see what these guys do next.

Standout track - At War With Peace (couldn’t find a track link - this is the full album linked to the right chapter)

Deathhammer - Crimson Dawn

METAL UP YOUR ASS! Or something like that. The spirit is there. This is old school, black/thrash thrashing black metal, and it’s silly and at the same time completely serious and stupid and fun all wrapped up into one 40 minute bundle. I found myself at the last track before I’d really noticed and having a blast the whole time. No reinventing the wheel here, but if you like your metal full of thrashing riffs, blazing leads and some Lemmy/Gillan-esque vocals, this is for you. Also, if that cover doesn’t tell you what to expect, I don’t know what will.

Standout tracker - Die Eternal

Hedonist - Scapulimancy

BOLT THROWEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!! Seriously. Aside from Chainsword, these guys are probably doing the best job of picking up where the fêted Coventry lot left off. Bloody marvellous grinding death metal. Not grind. Or grindcore. But grinding. You can practically feel your bones being pulverised. Cavernous vocals, pounding riffs and an ability to be brutal and melodic, without being either brootal death metal or melodic. Plus, the album is named after the ancient art of divining from the cracks in a scapula/shoulder blade, which is cool.

Standout track - Cremator. It ends with a sample of rolling tank tracks!

Worm Altar - Promo 2025

Absolutely disgusting, filthy, riff-tastic death metal. And what a name. I love it. Unashamedly gross and evocative. Not a lot more to say.

Standout track - It’s only 2 tracks long!

Acceptance - Crucifixion of Orchids EP

I’m not usually into the move hardcore style vocals in black/death metal, but these guys have nailed it. The style is a furious, battering style of sludgy black metal that takes the usual tremolo wall, pushes the anger up a good chunk and then brings the vocals right to the front of the mix. It’s a powerful combination and one that I’m sure will serve them well in future endeavours.

Standout track - Wither

Castle Rat - The Bestiary

I almost forgot to include Castle Rat on this quarter’s list, but fuck me if this isn’t one of the best, most fun albums of the year. It’s straight up, brilliant, old school heavy metal with a good dose of atmosphere and creativity, and it absolutely bangs. Equal parts Electric Wizard and Thin Lizzy, with those vocals layered on top. And the art work is straight out of a Boris Vallejo painting. Chef’s kiss.

Standout track - UNICORN

To be up front, these lists will be overwhelmingly focused on metal as that is reflective of my musical tastes and the bulk of music I listen to. The genres will vary, but largely black metal, some death, very rare thrash, and then some metal adjacent such as ambient with the odd bit of folk or rock thrown in for good measure. So, caveat emptor.

Beyond that, same rules as last time:

1. These are in no particular order beyond that which I listened to them and thought to add them to my ‘Best of 2025’ playlist

2. There is no rhyme or reason for why they’re on that list beyond I enjoyed them enough to think they merit it

3. I will include a standout track recommendation and YouTube link for each album, which is meant to serve as a taster. Nothing more. I am a firm believer in the power of albums and basically only ever listen to music in that format. Do the artists the credit of listening to the full work in the context it’s meant to be.

Here we go.

Aldaaron - Par-delà les cimes

More amazing, glacial French black metal. If you’ve not read the Q1 list, know this is a bit of a theme for me. It’s not a conscious thing, but something about the French scene just chimes with me. Aldaaron take a fairly typical black metal formula and just do it really bloody well and I love them for it. Blistering tremolo guitars, a hint of synths and some vocals that leave you in no doubt as to the icy, hateful nature of the music.

Standout track - Under the icy sky, memories fade

Mortuaire - Monde Vide

Roaring out of the gates with Mauvais Présage, this album blows the cobwebs away. It’s a roiling, churning, cannonade of top tier death metal. The vocals are spot on for me. Managing to growl and sing just enough,

but be emphatically _death metal_ without veering into the cartoon Mortician-esque. If you like your death metal with a healthy mix of Bolt Thrower and Dismember, this is one for you.

Standout tracker - Octagone de Fer

Robust - Self Titled

Neill Jameson of Krieg fame has recently completed a three part piece on his Substack focused on the world of black metal that is punk infused/inspired. This totally anonymous group would fit nicely into any of his pieces. The artwork grabbed me at first as it’s not your standard metal fare. The music is similar. I find it hard to put my finger on what it is that does it for me, but it’s harsh and abrasive black metal, and also not afraid to include some melody and searing leads and longer tracks. Not for the casual listener.

Standout track - Feather Key

Blood Abscission - I I

This basically anonymous outfit have made two fantastic albums now. Sitting somewhere between the more recent technical and polished Enslaved albums and the intricate fury of the Dutch scene or Krallice, they blend musical talent, passion and top tier songwriting.

Standout track(s) - IV & V medley

Kiira - Syvyyden Yllä

I started listening to this album primarily because it’s got fantastic artwork and a t-shirt design so good I _almost_ put in an order for one before I’d even heard it. Sensibility won out and I had to actually listen to it before.

The music is cold, harsh, hypnotic and mysterious. The guitar tone is fairly clean and leaves you with a sensation of having been immersed in the waves of their music. The almost sorrowful leads are used to great effect. This is really a care of something new being unveiled with every listen.

I need to go back and listen to the rest of their discography. There’s a lot to unpack with Kiira.

Standout track - Tuliportit

(Can’t find a track stream for this one, so below is the full album)

Uulliata Digir - Self Titled

Ooliata Dig-ear? Something like that. Whatever. The music is incredible. I keep coming back to it. It’s psychedelic, it’s jazzy, it’s kind of catchy actually, it’s heavy as hell, and I love it. Equal parts Five the Hierophant and Mgła. Cannot wait to see what they do next.

Standout track - Myrthys. All 15+ minutes of it.

Neptunian Maximalism - Le Sacre du Sol Invaincu

Honestly, where to even begin with this. It’s monumental. It was recorded at St John’s in Hackney and I sincerely hope to see it performed live one day. It does it a gross disservice to describe it as Indian raga-inspired drone, but that’s it at its roots. Throw in some psychedelia and you’re most of the way there. Dedicate some time to this. You’ll need it. It’s a three part, 1hr 40 minute piece that’ll take you places. Reminds me of Bong meets Ali Akbhar Khan, which for me is really the highest praise.

I will do a more in depth piece on Neptunian Maximalism. Their music is so interesting.

Standout track - Couldn’t really say. Start at the beginning and take your time.

Full album stream here:

Cave Sermon - Fragile Wings

I knew I’d love this album from the first notes. A very slightly blackened post-metal that plunges through emotional ups and downs, all sprinkled with just the right mixture of reserve, technical skill and melody. Cave Sermon are new to this world, but I’m excited to see where they go.

Standout tracker - Sunless morning

Verhinderer - Heimatblick

This is about as raw as I can really be bothered to listen to black metal now. There are exceptions, but they’re few and far between. Verhinderer play very good, pretty raw black metal that has some amazing rasped vocals that I can really only describe as almost serpentine. I’ve not really heard anything quite like this before. Their sound overall is a good mix of tremolo and almost at times thrashy, chugging riffs. Little hints of Bestial Mockery in there.

Standout track - Ein mensch von unnötiger Ekstase

Seas of Cosmic Filth - VI - XI

Filth is the word. This is some truly disgusting black metal. It looks like they might have split up (but really, who knows), which would be a shame, but this is a fantastic piece to leave us with.

Standout track - IX

Full album, but starting at track IX

KVR - The Black Flame

It would be churlish to call KVR a Deathspell Omega imitator, when they’re this good. They take DSO’s formula, add a slightly more full bodied approach and somehow reminding me of what Motörhead would sound like if they were only a Blut Aus Nord cover. All round a dark, whirling, esoteric storm.

Standout track - Through Cosmic Gates

Full album stream starting at this track:

Medico Peste - Aesthetic of Hunger

This horde would feel right at home in early 00s Sweden with the rise of ‘religious’ black metal. Blazing, furious and powerful black metal with some odd and truly demented vocals; Gillan-esque screams, and what sounds like the chattering of a lunatic. The music is exactly what I love from this scene - it’s a wall of sound, that slowly reveals its secrets with every listen.

Standout track - Act of Faith

Drudensang - Geysterzvvang EP

Real second wave worship, but done brilliantly and carrying the torch on into the future. Drudensang offer a powerful vocal performance from what sounds like at least two of their number and have nailed the blistering tremolo style their approach dictates. These guys have been around for a while, and the experience and passion is clear.

Standout track - Hoellenunst in brennend Aether

Pelican - Flickering Resonant

I adore Pelican. Basically always have. Their untitled debut EP/demo was one of the first metal CDs I bought. This latest work is so far from that, and yet still remains emphatically them. It’s glorious, uplifting, melodic and rhythmic instrumental post metal, and I’ll basically never not have time for it. Put on album opener Gulch and tell me you’re not immediately nodding your head.

Standout track - Indelible (tell me the lead at 3 minutes isn’t ripped straight from the Top Gun soundtrack!)

Swans - Birthing

Gira and co. aren’t pulling any punches when it comes to the vision of their work. 7 tracks and basically 2 hours of music. What is changing for me is the enjoyment though. This is beautiful music and entirely justifies the run time. It’s another staggering work of power, emotion, and if you’ve never listened to Swans before this or 2023’s The Beggar wouldn’t be a bad place to start.

Standout track - I Am A Tower

Conan - Violence Dimension

Conan have never really clicked or done it for me, but this is different. They’ve stepped up a level and it really shows. The album is as heavy as they’ve ever been, but the song writing is better, the music is more compelling and yet it’s still that nasty, Neanderthal grinding sludge they’ve always been known for. You can practically see them lumbering towards you, best club in hand.

Also, how cool is that artwork?!

Standout track - Ocean of Boiling Skin

Returning - Numinous

A pretty unique offering in the black metal world. Equal parts Deafheaven, Fauna and Agriculture. Take shimmering, vibrant black metal, mix in a healthy dose of nature worship and things ritual, and then the kind of clean vocal passion that comes out of the hardcore world and you get some of the way there. The vision requires for this is admirable. I look forward to hearing more from them.

Standout track - Offerings to the Great Circle

Some ground rules:

1. These are in no particular order beyond that which I listened to them and thought to add them to my ‘Best of 2025’ playlist

2. There is no particular rhyme or reason for why they’re on that list beyond I enjoyed them enough to think they merit it

3. I will include a standout track recommendation and YouTube link for each album, which is meant to serve as a taster. Nothing more. I am a firm believer in the power of albums and basically only ever listen to music in that format. Do the artists the credit of listening to the full work.

To be clear, these lists will almost all be focused on metal as that is reflective of my musical tastes and the bulk of music I listen to. The genres will vary, but mostly focused on black metal, some death, very rare thrash, and then some metal adjacent such as ambient with the odd bit of folk or rock thrown in for good measure. So, caveat emptor.

Looking back at my ‘Best of 2025’ playlist the first thing that leapt out at me was Catacombes’ Les Âmes Oubliées EP and I’m thrilled to find them back on great form after a 3 year gap. Their unmistakably French black metal hit the spot for me all the way back in 2018 with Acceuille le Diable and this is more of the same.

Standout track: Ils sont là!

Label: Sun & Moon Records

Next up is Grima’s Nightside, which I love for many reasons, not least its fantastic artwork. Mysterious figures with masks in a painted snowy landscape? Sign me up. Evidently their 2022 album Frostbitten didn’t have the same impact on me as it didn’t make my best of 2022 list, but I suspected this would be on 2025’s from the first single.

I was right. It’s top tier, well produced, melodic but not melodic black metal. Their earthy sound shining through, even featuring what sounds like an accordion throughout! Sort of like a more grandiose Saor, or a less raw Summoning.

Standout track: Skull Gatherers

Label: Napalm Records

First death metal album of the list is Mutagenic Host’s The Diseased Machine, which checks all my death metal boxes - insane monster artwork, fantastic choppy, not-too-technical riff work, barked vocals that don’t stray into the Mortician-style gurgling, and room for some breakdowns and blistering leads. A very good debut album.

Standout track: Artificial Harvest of the Obscene

Label: Dry Cough Records

Grave Infestation - Carnage Gathers. A new act to me, but from the logo alone I’d have guessed they would be up my street. Dripping blood and all old school Vomitor/Goat Molestor (pre-Grave Miasma) vibes, yes please. Sure enough. Top quality, filthy death/black metal. A bit like a less relentless/cavernous Black Witchery.

Standout track: Inhuman Remains

Label: Invictus Productions

Morast - Fentanyl. Appropriately horrific title for the quality of music produced. Spektr meets Misotheist vibes by way of Dehn Sora. Mandatory listening if you like your black metal on the doomy and death-ridden side, that seems to be leaping out of the speaker to choke you. Listen in one sitting if you can.

Standout track: Akasha

Label: Ván Records

This Gift is a Curse - Heir. Very slightly blackened sludge metal, and bloody great stuff it is at that. The album is a slightly imposing 67 minutes long, but is worth every minute. The vocals nail the NeurIsis tone and the structure is varied and interesting so that it’s not just the classic post-rock/metal quiet loud quiet loud thing.

Standout track: Ascension

Label: Season of Mist

Ninkharsag - The Black Swords of Winter EP. These guys are bloody great. Top quality melodic, thrashy black metal, with an ear for a riff and a name that, to me anyway, that rolls off the tongue in an evocative way. This EP is all of that and is very welcome after a four year gap since their last full length.

Standout track: Beneath the Cloak of Nightfall

Label: Vendetta Records

I’m going to take a breath here to say we’re probably half way through my list for this quarter. Bear with me, it was a productive one for the heavy music industry.

If you’re looking for something to break up the blasting and gurgling, then can I emphatically recommend you go away (once you’ve finished reading this) and listen to Lankum’s Live in Dublin album. It is an incredible experience, and after a couple of attempts to ‘get’ their music that failed, this did it, and was quickly my favourite album of 2024. I’m very excited to see them live later this year.

And now, back to the face melting.

Sepulchral Curse - Crimson Moon Evocations. A sort of fantastic grinding, chuggy death metal mess. The vocals are a real standout - kind of croaked and like they’ve got ash in their mouth, but really work. Plenty of blazing leads and chugging riffs. I’m a huge fan of the artwork too. Seriously, check it out.

Standout track: The Currents of Chaos

Label: Dark Descent Records

Rhûn - Burial Pact EP. Being part of Falls of Rauros and a live performer with Panopticon was always going to make this a winner in my book. Rhûn tap into that Cascadian, atmospheric black metal sound, but with some additional punch and vigour, where some of the other acts in that world are happier to meander and draw things out. Not a bad thing by any means, but the variety is welcome.

Standout track: Gleaming Swords Howl

Label: House of Inkantation

Pothamus - Abur. One of my favourite musical discoveries of the past few years. Cannot recommend them enough (although I think I actually prefer their first album as it’s a one track wonder - more on my liking for those another time). Fantastic Belgian post-metal sharing members with Amenra, and showing huge ambition with what they want to do. This will be in my top 3 records of the year, for sure.

Standout track: Savartuum Avur

Label: Pelagic Records

Voodus - Emanating Sparks. For some reason in my head Voodus are always a stoner band. They’re not. They’re from Sweden and play excellent black metal. This album is no exception. It makes you want to put on your corpsepaint and spikes and go and gurn in a forest somewhere while grabbing some invisible oranges. Banging stuff.

Standout track: The Scorned

Label: Shadow Records

Ghûl - Rhîw. I’ll always have a soft spot for UK black metal and any band that incorporates Tolkien in their music. This checks both those boxes. It’s Transilvanian Hunger worship taken to the nth degree with an ambient tone thrown in for good measure, and done really well. To say the guitars buzz does them a disservice. It’s a wall of sound with the drums way up in the mix, but I love it. Sun of the Sleepless meets Blodulv.

Standout track: Yá Hrívë Tenë II

Label: Matriarch Records

That takes me up to the end of March 2025 and so the end of this list.

Check back in *counts on fingers* a couple of months for Q2’s list for more aural delights.

For now, listen, learn and share.