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Foetorem – Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot Review By Alekhines GunI am writing this review with tequila and lime salt still oozing out of my pores. My eyeballs each have a different heartbeat, and I am honestly amazed (if not a little disappointed) that I began the day with my pants still on. And yet the call of the promo pit continues, as I was shaken out of my birthday-shenanigans-induced stupor by the smell of gorilla breath outside my lion’s den, and something rancid chucked at its entrance. The Ape being pleased post-album release usually means great news for hopeful bands and an increased labor for those under his watchful and merciless eye, and one peep at this moldy art spelled out the whole mission statement from the get-go. Denmark’s Foetorem are a very young outfit, having just penned their sole demo last year1 before unleashing their debut full-length Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot on the unsuspecting masses. I hope you’re hungry, because we’ve got some leftovers from rotsgiving waiting for you!
Foetorem specialize in a refreshingly energetic breed of death/doom. Blasts feature aplenty, but are typically used as points of transition or introduction/outro to songs. Most of Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot operates on second and third gear, with the sustained open chords you’d expect often molding into mid-paced chugging savagery. Indeed, if you’re a sucker for mid-paced chuggathons, this will be a euphoric experience for you as the overwhelming backbone of most of the songs rely on such a trope. Imagine the most downtempo moments of Cannibal Corpse with a lot of atmospheric high-trem plucking for atmospherics and run through some extra fresh grave soil—something between Phobophilic and SEDIMENTUM—and you have a good idea of what’s waiting. The high note musings are a great addition, giving whiffs of melancholy and gloom to the proceedings, which might otherwise threaten to be an overly simplistic sound with their engaging melodies (“Mors Viaturis – The Death Traveler”) before collapsing into the next jackhammer assault.
Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot by Foetorem
And boy howdy, jackhammers are aplenty. Despite the relative simplicity of the approach, a great deal of thought has gone into each arrangement to keep one concrete-burrowing assault after another fresh and engaging. “Tapestries of Misery” commands with a gripping 6/8 time signature and a whiff of unexpected SKRONK, while “Oozing with Pustulent Fluids” keeps burrowing into the earth’s crust with a classic Vader riff played at half speed while drummer Geistaz keeps things engaging with an ever-shifting focus between creative bass fills and high-hat ting-and-tangs. His drumming is part of what keeps the Foetorem recipe so engaging (“Rebirth in Morbid Disgust”) as no chug sounds exactly the same despite the band drawing so deeply from what is a usually very narrowly defined well.
If you’re about that chug life, the death here is excellent; the only real stumbling block comes from some of the doomier elements. Foetorem have improved on the Sanctuarium formula of sandwiching their blasts and chugs between sudden slowdowns, but there’s no escaping that some moments are real momentum killers. “Oozing…” drops down to bare-minimum quarter note walks lacking any weight to carry the empty space, while “Decay of the Flesh” throws in some harmonized leads that don’t quite overcome the lack of progression in the songs. Not every doom element is poor, by any means, but it happens enough to degrade decompose Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot” to an album more memorable by its moments than by the wholeness of its songs. And yet, those highlights are plenty, and it’s great to hear when the band really stick the landing, like in album finale “Peeled Face Mask”. This is a contender for the top of the song pile, with the most ruthless chugs, groovy riffing, great doomy moments, and even a major dollop of leads sounding pulled from Gates of Ishtar.2 This track shows the band have a great grasp of what makes their sound a success, and more of this across the whole body of work would lead to a real RotM contender.
Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot is less an excellent debut and more an excellent debut. It shows a band with a clear purpose and musical vision, but a vision not free of warts and rough edges. When it hits, though, it hits. Foetorem have erupted from the grave, covered in fluid and mold, ready to make their deathly mark on the world. With enough force to change cave structure and a grasp of atmosphere beyond their youth, the band have announced their presence in style, and I believe the best is yet to come for their cemetery anthems. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get myself some coffee and some food. Preferably, something a little extra raw and rotted…
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #CannibalCorpse #DanishMetal #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #Foetorem #GatesOfIshtar #IncongruousFormsOfEvergrowingRot #Mar26 #Phobophilic #Review #Reviews #Sanctuarium #Sedimentum #Vader
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Foetorem – Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot Review By Alekhines GunI am writing this review with tequila and lime salt still oozing out of my pores. My eyeballs each have a different heartbeat, and I am honestly amazed (if not a little disappointed) that I began the day with my pants still on. And yet the call of the promo pit continues, as I was shaken out of my birthday-shenanigans-induced stupor by the smell of gorilla breath outside my lion’s den, and something rancid chucked at its entrance. The Ape being pleased post-album release usually means great news for hopeful bands and an increased labor for those under his watchful and merciless eye, and one peep at this moldy art spelled out the whole mission statement from the get-go. Denmark’s Foetorem are a very young outfit, having just penned their sole demo last year1 before unleashing their debut full-length Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot on the unsuspecting masses. I hope you’re hungry, because we’ve got some leftovers from rotsgiving waiting for you!
Foetorem specialize in a refreshingly energetic breed of death/doom. Blasts feature aplenty, but are typically used as points of transition or introduction/outro to songs. Most of Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot operates on second and third gear, with the sustained open chords you’d expect often molding into mid-paced chugging savagery. Indeed, if you’re a sucker for mid-paced chuggathons, this will be a euphoric experience for you as the overwhelming backbone of most of the songs rely on such a trope. Imagine the most downtempo moments of Cannibal Corpse with a lot of atmospheric high-trem plucking for atmospherics and run through some extra fresh grave soil—something between Phobophilic and SEDIMENTUM—and you have a good idea of what’s waiting. The high note musings are a great addition, giving whiffs of melancholy and gloom to the proceedings, which might otherwise threaten to be an overly simplistic sound with their engaging melodies (“Mors Viaturis – The Death Traveler”) before collapsing into the next jackhammer assault.
Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot by Foetorem
And boy howdy, jackhammers are aplenty. Despite the relative simplicity of the approach, a great deal of thought has gone into each arrangement to keep one concrete-burrowing assault after another fresh and engaging. “Tapestries of Misery” commands with a gripping 6/8 time signature and a whiff of unexpected SKRONK, while “Oozing with Pustulent Fluids” keeps burrowing into the earth’s crust with a classic Vader riff played at half speed while drummer Geistaz keeps things engaging with an ever-shifting focus between creative bass fills and high-hat ting-and-tangs. His drumming is part of what keeps the Foetorem recipe so engaging (“Rebirth in Morbid Disgust”) as no chug sounds exactly the same despite the band drawing so deeply from what is a usually very narrowly defined well.
If you’re about that chug life, the death here is excellent; the only real stumbling block comes from some of the doomier elements. Foetorem have improved on the Sanctuarium formula of sandwiching their blasts and chugs between sudden slowdowns, but there’s no escaping that some moments are real momentum killers. “Oozing…” drops down to bare-minimum quarter note walks lacking any weight to carry the empty space, while “Decay of the Flesh” throws in some harmonized leads that don’t quite overcome the lack of progression in the songs. Not every doom element is poor, by any means, but it happens enough to degrade decompose Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot” to an album more memorable by its moments than by the wholeness of its songs. And yet, those highlights are plenty, and it’s great to hear when the band really stick the landing, like in album finale “Peeled Face Mask”. This is a contender for the top of the song pile, with the most ruthless chugs, groovy riffing, great doomy moments, and even a major dollop of leads sounding pulled from Gates of Ishtar.2 This track shows the band have a great grasp of what makes their sound a success, and more of this across the whole body of work would lead to a real RotM contender.
Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot is less an excellent debut and more an excellent debut. It shows a band with a clear purpose and musical vision, but a vision not free of warts and rough edges. When it hits, though, it hits. Foetorem have erupted from the grave, covered in fluid and mold, ready to make their deathly mark on the world. With enough force to change cave structure and a grasp of atmosphere beyond their youth, the band have announced their presence in style, and I believe the best is yet to come for their cemetery anthems. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get myself some coffee and some food. Preferably, something a little extra raw and rotted…
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #CannibalCorpse #DanishMetal #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #Foetorem #GatesOfIshtar #IncongruousFormsOfEvergrowingRot #Mar26 #Phobophilic #Review #Reviews #Sanctuarium #Sedimentum #Vader
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Foetorem – Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot Review By Alekhines GunI am writing this review with tequila and lime salt still oozing out of my pores. My eyeballs each have a different heartbeat, and I am honestly amazed (if not a little disappointed) that I began the day with my pants still on. And yet the call of the promo pit continues, as I was shaken out of my birthday-shenanigans-induced stupor by the smell of gorilla breath outside my lion’s den, and something rancid chucked at its entrance. The Ape being pleased post-album release usually means great news for hopeful bands and an increased labor for those under his watchful and merciless eye, and one peep at this moldy art spelled out the whole mission statement from the get-go. Denmark’s Foetorem are a very young outfit, having just penned their sole demo last year1 before unleashing their debut full-length Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot on the unsuspecting masses. I hope you’re hungry, because we’ve got some leftovers from rotsgiving waiting for you!
Foetorem specialize in a refreshingly energetic breed of death/doom. Blasts feature aplenty, but are typically used as points of transition or introduction/outro to songs. Most of Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot operates on second and third gear, with the sustained open chords you’d expect often molding into mid-paced chugging savagery. Indeed, if you’re a sucker for mid-paced chuggathons, this will be a euphoric experience for you as the overwhelming backbone of most of the songs rely on such a trope. Imagine the most downtempo moments of Cannibal Corpse with a lot of atmospheric high-trem plucking for atmospherics and run through some extra fresh grave soil—something between Phobophilic and SEDIMENTUM—and you have a good idea of what’s waiting. The high note musings are a great addition, giving whiffs of melancholy and gloom to the proceedings, which might otherwise threaten to be an overly simplistic sound with their engaging melodies (“Mors Viaturis – The Death Traveler”) before collapsing into the next jackhammer assault.
Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot by Foetorem
And boy howdy, jackhammers are aplenty. Despite the relative simplicity of the approach, a great deal of thought has gone into each arrangement to keep one concrete-burrowing assault after another fresh and engaging. “Tapestries of Misery” commands with a gripping 6/8 time signature and a whiff of unexpected SKRONK, while “Oozing with Pustulent Fluids” keeps burrowing into the earth’s crust with a classic Vader riff played at half speed while drummer Geistaz keeps things engaging with an ever-shifting focus between creative bass fills and high-hat ting-and-tangs. His drumming is part of what keeps the Foetorem recipe so engaging (“Rebirth in Morbid Disgust”) as no chug sounds exactly the same despite the band drawing so deeply from what is a usually very narrowly defined well.
If you’re about that chug life, the death here is excellent; the only real stumbling block comes from some of the doomier elements. Foetorem have improved on the Sanctuarium formula of sandwiching their blasts and chugs between sudden slowdowns, but there’s no escaping that some moments are real momentum killers. “Oozing…” drops down to bare-minimum quarter note walks lacking any weight to carry the empty space, while “Decay of the Flesh” throws in some harmonized leads that don’t quite overcome the lack of progression in the songs. Not every doom element is poor, by any means, but it happens enough to degrade decompose Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot” to an album more memorable by its moments than by the wholeness of its songs. And yet, those highlights are plenty, and it’s great to hear when the band really stick the landing, like in album finale “Peeled Face Mask”. This is a contender for the top of the song pile, with the most ruthless chugs, groovy riffing, great doomy moments, and even a major dollop of leads sounding pulled from Gates of Ishtar.2 This track shows the band have a great grasp of what makes their sound a success, and more of this across the whole body of work would lead to a real RotM contender.
Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot is less an excellent debut and more an excellent debut. It shows a band with a clear purpose and musical vision, but a vision not free of warts and rough edges. When it hits, though, it hits. Foetorem have erupted from the grave, covered in fluid and mold, ready to make their deathly mark on the world. With enough force to change cave structure and a grasp of atmosphere beyond their youth, the band have announced their presence in style, and I believe the best is yet to come for their cemetery anthems. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get myself some coffee and some food. Preferably, something a little extra raw and rotted…
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #CannibalCorpse #DanishMetal #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #Foetorem #GatesOfIshtar #IncongruousFormsOfEvergrowingRot #Mar26 #Phobophilic #Review #Reviews #Sanctuarium #Sedimentum #Vader
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Foetorem – Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot Review By Alekhines GunI am writing this review with tequila and lime salt still oozing out of my pores. My eyeballs each have a different heartbeat, and I am honestly amazed (if not a little disappointed) that I began the day with my pants still on. And yet the call of the promo pit continues, as I was shaken out of my birthday-shenanigans-induced stupor by the smell of gorilla breath outside my lion’s den, and something rancid chucked at its entrance. The Ape being pleased post-album release usually means great news for hopeful bands and an increased labor for those under his watchful and merciless eye, and one peep at this moldy art spelled out the whole mission statement from the get-go. Denmark’s Foetorem are a very young outfit, having just penned their sole demo last year1 before unleashing their debut full-length Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot on the unsuspecting masses. I hope you’re hungry, because we’ve got some leftovers from rotsgiving waiting for you!
Foetorem specialize in a refreshingly energetic breed of death/doom. Blasts feature aplenty, but are typically used as points of transition or introduction/outro to songs. Most of Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot operates on second and third gear, with the sustained open chords you’d expect often molding into mid-paced chugging savagery. Indeed, if you’re a sucker for mid-paced chuggathons, this will be a euphoric experience for you as the overwhelming backbone of most of the songs rely on such a trope. Imagine the most downtempo moments of Cannibal Corpse with a lot of atmospheric high-trem plucking for atmospherics and run through some extra fresh grave soil—something between Phobophilic and SEDIMENTUM—and you have a good idea of what’s waiting. The high note musings are a great addition, giving whiffs of melancholy and gloom to the proceedings, which might otherwise threaten to be an overly simplistic sound with their engaging melodies (“Mors Viaturis – The Death Traveler”) before collapsing into the next jackhammer assault.
Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot by Foetorem
And boy howdy, jackhammers are aplenty. Despite the relative simplicity of the approach, a great deal of thought has gone into each arrangement to keep one concrete-burrowing assault after another fresh and engaging. “Tapestries of Misery” commands with a gripping 6/8 time signature and a whiff of unexpected SKRONK, while “Oozing with Pustulent Fluids” keeps burrowing into the earth’s crust with a classic Vader riff played at half speed while drummer Geistaz keeps things engaging with an ever-shifting focus between creative bass fills and high-hat ting-and-tangs. His drumming is part of what keeps the Foetorem recipe so engaging (“Rebirth in Morbid Disgust”) as no chug sounds exactly the same despite the band drawing so deeply from what is a usually very narrowly defined well.
If you’re about that chug life, the death here is excellent; the only real stumbling block comes from some of the doomier elements. Foetorem have improved on the Sanctuarium formula of sandwiching their blasts and chugs between sudden slowdowns, but there’s no escaping that some moments are real momentum killers. “Oozing…” drops down to bare-minimum quarter note walks lacking any weight to carry the empty space, while “Decay of the Flesh” throws in some harmonized leads that don’t quite overcome the lack of progression in the songs. Not every doom element is poor, by any means, but it happens enough to degrade decompose Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot” to an album more memorable by its moments than by the wholeness of its songs. And yet, those highlights are plenty, and it’s great to hear when the band really stick the landing, like in album finale “Peeled Face Mask”. This is a contender for the top of the song pile, with the most ruthless chugs, groovy riffing, great doomy moments, and even a major dollop of leads sounding pulled from Gates of Ishtar.2 This track shows the band have a great grasp of what makes their sound a success, and more of this across the whole body of work would lead to a real RotM contender.
Incongruous Forms of Evergrowing Rot is less an excellent debut and more an excellent debut. It shows a band with a clear purpose and musical vision, but a vision not free of warts and rough edges. When it hits, though, it hits. Foetorem have erupted from the grave, covered in fluid and mold, ready to make their deathly mark on the world. With enough force to change cave structure and a grasp of atmosphere beyond their youth, the band have announced their presence in style, and I believe the best is yet to come for their cemetery anthems. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get myself some coffee and some food. Preferably, something a little extra raw and rotted…
Rating: 3.0/5.0
#2026 #30 #CannibalCorpse #DanishMetal #DeathMetal #DoomMetal #Foetorem #GatesOfIshtar #IncongruousFormsOfEvergrowingRot #Mar26 #Phobophilic #Review #Reviews #Sanctuarium #Sedimentum #Vader
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Speglas – Endarkenment, Being & Death Review By Baguette of BodomIt’s not uncommon for death metal musicians to mellow and prog out the longer they roam this Earth. Far from a negative connotation, enough songwriting prowess can lead to a tasteful and potent way to carry out said development. One of many collectives in this category is the Morbus Chron expanded universe. These Swedes first went from classic death metal to Sweven, which eventually led to an even proggier Sweven. Now, in a further evolution following the Law of Increasing Hippietude™, we arrive at Speglas. Although predating Sweven by some five years, it took until now for the debut full-length Endarkenment, Being & Death to come to fruition. Their goal of fusing death and black metal with heavy metal, however, has remained the same throughout. With two degrees of staff and sound separation between Morbus Chron and Speglas, where has all this evolution led to?
The Sweven presence in the lineup of Speglas is noticeable from the get go. Isak Rosemarin (Sweven, ex-Morbus Chron) acts as half of the guitar crew and all of the vocal crew, lending the album a warm but powerful, raspy growl often reminiscent of Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium). Jesper Nyrelius’s (Sweven) drumming is varied and detailed (“The Spirit Postmortem,” “Hitherto Awry”). Alexi Hedlund’s guitar and Victor Berg’s bass round out the great performances of the lineup. Musically, Endarkenment… tends to fall somewhere between Inconcessus Lux Lucis’s blackened Iron Maiden approach (sadly gone unmentioned on site until now) and Chapel of Disease’s severely underrated deathened dad rock from 2024. Fans of Tribulation’s Down Below era might find a lot to like here as well. The songwriting builds upon their preceding EPs—2015’s Birth, Dreams & Death and 2022’s Time, Futility & Death—but improves on all aspects, nailing down the vocals and crafting a memorable dual guitar tandem (“Incessant Severance,” “Dies Mali”). And while the project’s vision does precede Sweven by a lot, its instrumentation inevitably ends up feeling distantly related (“Dearth”).
Endarkenment, Being & Death by Speglas
Endarkenment, Being & Death flows seamlessly from atmospheric to intense in various styles and tempos. Iron Maiden licks run amok throughout the album’s dual-harmonized guitar work (“Dearth,” “Rage upon the Dying Fire”) of course, but they’re not carrying the record alone. Gorgeous clean guitar parts (“Ailing,” “Dearth”) and sadboi tremolos (“Dies Mali”) accompany the superb rhythm and lead guitar efforts elsewhere. Parts of “The Endarkenment” even resemble Alcest by way of Spiritual Instinct’s fantastic post-black direction. All this leads to Speglas being progressive without it getting in the way of the music. In addition, a stellar production job only lifts up the band’s great stylistic choices. Simon Söderberg’s (whose production credits surprisingly include early Ghost) placement of drums and bass in the mix deserve special mention, as it makes an already good set of instruments sound incredible. Though not a massively layered or complex album, the combination of both songwriting and production depth makes for a highly repeatable experience.
Careful pacing allows Speglas to end their experiment with a triumphant bang instead of a whimper. Though the album could benefit from showing more teeth and grit at its most aggressive, the ending one-two punch of the album in “Dies Mali” and “Rage upon the Dying Fire” is a cornerstone hard to argue against. I wouldn’t be surprised if both end up being among my Song o’ the Year finalists. As for its softer side, the beauty of “Woe” and “Ailing” won’t change the minds of people diametrically opposed to intros and interludes. Some will say Speglas’s style is too watered down, others might think it’s not watered down enough. But I think Endarkenment… strikes a great balance in between, the music being both heavy and beautiful, intricate and addictingly catchy as a result.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to craft something that feels fresh and exemplary. Speglas took a long while to fine-tune their writing prowess for the debut, and it paid off in spades. Endarkenment, Being & Death succeeds in its primary goal as a superb example of progressive, deathened and blackened heavy metal. Despite not featuring any cowbell, I reckon it’ll be difficult for future 2026 albums to top this one come year-end. As the final recent n00b remaining who hadn’t broken the Score Safety Counter yet, I’m glad I held out this long for something remarkable. And I wasn’t even originally in charge of covering it!
Rating: Excellent
#2026 #45 #Alcest #BlackMetal #ChapelOfDisease #DeathMetal #EndarkenmentBeingDeath #Feb26 #Ghost #HeavyMetal #InconcessusLuxLucis #Insomnium #IronMaiden #MorbusChron #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Speglas #SwedishMetal #Sweven #Tribulation #TrustNoOneRecordings
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Trust No One Recordings | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026 -
Speglas – Endarkenment, Being & Death Review By Baguette of Bodom
It’s not uncommon for death metal musicians to mellow and prog out the longer they roam this Earth. Far from a negative connotation, enough songwriting prowess can lead to a tasteful and potent way to carry out said development. One of many collectives in this category is the Morbus Chron expanded universe. These Swedes first went from classic death metal to Sweven, which eventually led to an even proggier Sweven. Now, in a further evolution following the Law of Increasing Hippietude™, we arrive at Speglas. Although predating Sweven by some five years, it took until now for the debut full-length Endarkenment, Being & Death to come to fruition. Their goal of fusing death and black metal with heavy metal, however, has remained the same throughout. With two degrees of staff and sound separation between Morbus Chron and Speglas, where has all this evolution led to?
The Sweven presence in the lineup of Speglas is noticeable from the get go. Isak Rosemarin (Sweven, ex-Morbus Chron) acts as half of the guitar crew and all of the vocal crew, lending the album a warm but powerful, raspy growl often reminiscent of Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium). Jesper Nyrelius’s (Sweven) drumming is varied and detailed (“The Spirit Postmortem,” “Hitherto Awry”). Alexi Hedlund’s guitar and Victor Berg’s bass round out the great performances of the lineup. Musically, Endarkenment… tends to fall somewhere between Inconcessus Lux Lucis’s blackened Iron Maiden approach (sadly gone unmentioned on site until now) and Chapel of Disease’s severely underrated deathened dad rock from 2024. Fans of Tribulation’s Down Below era might find a lot to like here as well. The songwriting builds upon their preceding EPs—2015’s Birth, Dreams & Death and 2022’s Time, Futility & Death—but improves on all aspects, nailing down the vocals and crafting a memorable dual guitar tandem (“Incessant Severance,” “Dies Mali”). And while the project’s vision does precede Sweven by a lot, its instrumentation inevitably ends up feeling distantly related (“Dearth”).
Endarkenment, Being & Death by Speglas
Endarkenment, Being & Death flows seamlessly from atmospheric to intense in various styles and tempos. Iron Maiden licks run amok throughout the album’s dual-harmonized guitar work (“Dearth,” “Rage upon the Dying Fire”) of course, but they’re not carrying the record alone. Gorgeous clean guitar parts (“Ailing,” “Dearth”) and sadboi tremolos (“Dies Mali”) accompany the superb rhythm and lead guitar efforts elsewhere. Parts of “The Endarkenment” even resemble Alcest by way of Spiritual Instinct’s fantastic post-black direction. All this leads to Speglas being progressive without it getting in the way of the music. In addition, a stellar production job only lifts up the band’s great stylistic choices. Simon Söderberg’s (whose production credits surprisingly include early Ghost) placement of drums and bass in the mix deserve special mention, as it makes an already good set of instruments sound incredible. Though not a massively layered or complex album, the combination of both songwriting and production depth makes for a highly repeatable experience.
Careful pacing allows Speglas to end their experiment with a triumphant bang instead of a whimper. Though the album could benefit from showing more teeth and grit at its most aggressive, the ending one-two punch of the album in “Dies Mali” and “Rage upon the Dying Fire” is a cornerstone hard to argue against. I wouldn’t be surprised if both end up being among my Song o’ the Year finalists. As for its softer side, the beauty of “Woe” and “Ailing” won’t change the minds of people diametrically opposed to intros and interludes. Some will say Speglas’s style is too watered down, others might think it’s not watered down enough. But I think Endarkenment… strikes a great balance in between, the music being both heavy and beautiful, intricate and addictingly catchy as a result.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to craft something that feels fresh and exemplary. Speglas took a long while to fine-tune their writing prowess for the debut, and it paid off in spades. Endarkenment, Being & Death succeeds in its primary goal as a superb example of progressive, deathened and blackened heavy metal. Despite not featuring any cowbell, I reckon it’ll be difficult for future 2026 albums to top this one come year-end. As the final recent n00b remaining who hadn’t broken the Score Safety Counter yet, I’m glad I held out this long for something remarkable. And I wasn’t even originally in charge of covering it!
Rating: Excellent
#2026 #45 #Alcest #BlackMetal #ChapelOfDisease #DeathMetal #EndarkenmentBeingDeath #Feb26 #Ghost #HeavyMetal #InconcessusLuxLucis #Insomnium #IronMaiden #MorbusChron #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Speglas #SwedishMetal #Sweven #Tribulation #TrustNoOneRecordings
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Trust No One Recordings | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026 -
Speglas – Endarkenment, Being & Death Review By Baguette of Bodom
It’s not uncommon for death metal musicians to mellow and prog out the longer they roam this Earth. Far from a negative connotation, enough songwriting prowess can lead to a tasteful and potent way to carry out said development. One of many collectives in this category is the Morbus Chron expanded universe. These Swedes first went from classic death metal to Sweven, which eventually led to an even proggier Sweven. Now, in a further evolution following the Law of Increasing Hippietude™, we arrive at Speglas. Although predating Sweven by some five years, it took until now for the debut full-length Endarkenment, Being & Death to come to fruition. Their goal of fusing death and black metal with heavy metal, however, has remained the same throughout. With two degrees of staff and sound separation between Morbus Chron and Speglas, where has all this evolution led to?
The Sweven presence in the lineup of Speglas is noticeable from the get go. Isak Rosemarin (Sweven, ex-Morbus Chron) acts as half of the guitar crew and all of the vocal crew, lending the album a warm but powerful, raspy growl often reminiscent of Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium). Jesper Nyrelius’s (Sweven) drumming is varied and detailed (“The Spirit Postmortem,” “Hitherto Awry”). Alexi Hedlund’s guitar and Victor Berg’s bass round out the great performances of the lineup. Musically, Endarkenment… tends to fall somewhere between Inconcessus Lux Lucis’s blackened Iron Maiden approach (sadly gone unmentioned on site until now) and Chapel of Disease’s severely underrated deathened dad rock from 2024. Fans of Tribulation’s Down Below era might find a lot to like here as well. The songwriting builds upon their preceding EPs—2015’s Birth, Dreams & Death and 2022’s Time, Futility & Death—but improves on all aspects, nailing down the vocals and crafting a memorable dual guitar tandem (“Incessant Severance,” “Dies Mali”). And while the project’s vision does precede Sweven by a lot, its instrumentation inevitably ends up feeling distantly related (“Dearth”).
Endarkenment, Being & Death by Speglas
Endarkenment, Being & Death flows seamlessly from atmospheric to intense in various styles and tempos. Iron Maiden licks run amok throughout the album’s dual-harmonized guitar work (“Dearth,” “Rage upon the Dying Fire”) of course, but they’re not carrying the record alone. Gorgeous clean guitar parts (“Ailing,” “Dearth”) and sadboi tremolos (“Dies Mali”) accompany the superb rhythm and lead guitar efforts elsewhere. Parts of “The Endarkenment” even resemble Alcest by way of Spiritual Instinct’s fantastic post-black direction. All this leads to Speglas being progressive without it getting in the way of the music. In addition, a stellar production job only lifts up the band’s great stylistic choices. Simon Söderberg’s (whose production credits surprisingly include early Ghost) placement of drums and bass in the mix deserve special mention, as it makes an already good set of instruments sound incredible. Though not a massively layered or complex album, the combination of both songwriting and production depth makes for a highly repeatable experience.
Careful pacing allows Speglas to end their experiment with a triumphant bang instead of a whimper. Though the album could benefit from showing more teeth and grit at its most aggressive, the ending one-two punch of the album in “Dies Mali” and “Rage upon the Dying Fire” is a cornerstone hard to argue against. I wouldn’t be surprised if both end up being among my Song o’ the Year finalists. As for its softer side, the beauty of “Woe” and “Ailing” won’t change the minds of people diametrically opposed to intros and interludes. Some will say Speglas’s style is too watered down, others might think it’s not watered down enough. But I think Endarkenment… strikes a great balance in between, the music being both heavy and beautiful, intricate and addictingly catchy as a result.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to craft something that feels fresh and exemplary. Speglas took a long while to fine-tune their writing prowess for the debut, and it paid off in spades. Endarkenment, Being & Death succeeds in its primary goal as a superb example of progressive, deathened and blackened heavy metal. Despite not featuring any cowbell, I reckon it’ll be difficult for future 2026 albums to top this one come year-end. As the final recent n00b remaining who hadn’t broken the Score Safety Counter yet, I’m glad I held out this long for something remarkable. And I wasn’t even originally in charge of covering it!
Rating: Excellent
#2026 #45 #Alcest #BlackMetal #ChapelOfDisease #DeathMetal #EndarkenmentBeingDeath #Feb26 #Ghost #HeavyMetal #InconcessusLuxLucis #Insomnium #IronMaiden #MorbusChron #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Speglas #SwedishMetal #Sweven #Tribulation #TrustNoOneRecordings
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Trust No One Recordings | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026 -
Speglas – Endarkenment, Being & Death Review By Baguette of Bodom
It’s not uncommon for death metal musicians to mellow and prog out the longer they roam this Earth. Far from a negative connotation, enough songwriting prowess can lead to a tasteful and potent way to carry out said development. One of many collectives in this category is the Morbus Chron expanded universe. These Swedes first went from classic death metal to Sweven, which eventually led to an even proggier Sweven. Now, in a further evolution following the Law of Increasing Hippietude™, we arrive at Speglas. Although predating Sweven by some five years, it took until now for the debut full-length Endarkenment, Being & Death to come to fruition. Their goal of fusing death and black metal with heavy metal, however, has remained the same throughout. With two degrees of staff and sound separation between Morbus Chron and Speglas, where has all this evolution led to?
The Sweven presence in the lineup of Speglas is noticeable from the get go. Isak Rosemarin (Sweven, ex-Morbus Chron) acts as half of the guitar crew and all of the vocal crew, lending the album a warm but powerful, raspy growl often reminiscent of Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium). Jesper Nyrelius’s (Sweven) drumming is varied and detailed (“The Spirit Postmortem,” “Hitherto Awry”). Alexi Hedlund’s guitar and Victor Berg’s bass round out the great performances of the lineup. Musically, Endarkenment… tends to fall somewhere between Inconcessus Lux Lucis’s blackened Iron Maiden approach (sadly gone unmentioned on site until now) and Chapel of Disease’s severely underrated deathened dad rock from 2024. Fans of Tribulation’s Down Below era might find a lot to like here as well. The songwriting builds upon their preceding EPs—2015’s Birth, Dreams & Death and 2022’s Time, Futility & Death—but improves on all aspects, nailing down the vocals and crafting a memorable dual guitar tandem (“Incessant Severance,” “Dies Mali”). And while the project’s vision does precede Sweven by a lot, its instrumentation inevitably ends up feeling distantly related (“Dearth”).
Endarkenment, Being & Death by Speglas
Endarkenment, Being & Death flows seamlessly from atmospheric to intense in various styles and tempos. Iron Maiden licks run amok throughout the album’s dual-harmonized guitar work (“Dearth,” “Rage upon the Dying Fire”) of course, but they’re not carrying the record alone. Gorgeous clean guitar parts (“Ailing,” “Dearth”) and sadboi tremolos (“Dies Mali”) accompany the superb rhythm and lead guitar efforts elsewhere. Parts of “The Endarkenment” even resemble Alcest by way of Spiritual Instinct’s fantastic post-black direction. All this leads to Speglas being progressive without it getting in the way of the music. In addition, a stellar production job only lifts up the band’s great stylistic choices. Simon Söderberg’s (whose production credits surprisingly include early Ghost) placement of drums and bass in the mix deserve special mention, as it makes an already good set of instruments sound incredible. Though not a massively layered or complex album, the combination of both songwriting and production depth makes for a highly repeatable experience.
Careful pacing allows Speglas to end their experiment with a triumphant bang instead of a whimper. Though the album could benefit from showing more teeth and grit at its most aggressive, the ending one-two punch of the album in “Dies Mali” and “Rage upon the Dying Fire” is a cornerstone hard to argue against. I wouldn’t be surprised if both end up being among my Song o’ the Year finalists. As for its softer side, the beauty of “Woe” and “Ailing” won’t change the minds of people diametrically opposed to intros and interludes. Some will say Speglas’s style is too watered down, others might think it’s not watered down enough. But I think Endarkenment… strikes a great balance in between, the music being both heavy and beautiful, intricate and addictingly catchy as a result.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to craft something that feels fresh and exemplary. Speglas took a long while to fine-tune their writing prowess for the debut, and it paid off in spades. Endarkenment, Being & Death succeeds in its primary goal as a superb example of progressive, deathened and blackened heavy metal. Despite not featuring any cowbell, I reckon it’ll be difficult for future 2026 albums to top this one come year-end. As the final recent n00b remaining who hadn’t broken the Score Safety Counter yet, I’m glad I held out this long for something remarkable. And I wasn’t even originally in charge of covering it!
Rating: Excellent
#2026 #45 #Alcest #BlackMetal #ChapelOfDisease #DeathMetal #EndarkenmentBeingDeath #Feb26 #Ghost #HeavyMetal #InconcessusLuxLucis #Insomnium #IronMaiden #MorbusChron #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Speglas #SwedishMetal #Sweven #Tribulation #TrustNoOneRecordings
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Trust No One Recordings | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026 -
Speglas – Endarkenment, Being & Death Review By Baguette of Bodom
It’s not uncommon for death metal musicians to mellow and prog out the longer they roam this Earth. Far from a negative connotation, enough songwriting prowess can lead to a tasteful and potent way to carry out said development. One of many collectives in this category is the Morbus Chron expanded universe. These Swedes first went from classic death metal to Sweven, which eventually led to an even proggier Sweven. Now, in a further evolution following the Law of Increasing Hippietude™, we arrive at Speglas. Although predating Sweven by some five years, it took until now for the debut full-length Endarkenment, Being & Death to come to fruition. Their goal of fusing death and black metal with heavy metal, however, has remained the same throughout. With two degrees of staff and sound separation between Morbus Chron and Speglas, where has all this evolution led to?
The Sweven presence in the lineup of Speglas is noticeable from the get go. Isak Rosemarin (Sweven, ex-Morbus Chron) acts as half of the guitar crew and all of the vocal crew, lending the album a warm but powerful, raspy growl often reminiscent of Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium). Jesper Nyrelius’s (Sweven) drumming is varied and detailed (“The Spirit Postmortem,” “Hitherto Awry”). Alexi Hedlund’s guitar and Victor Berg’s bass round out the great performances of the lineup. Musically, Endarkenment… tends to fall somewhere between Inconcessus Lux Lucis’s blackened Iron Maiden approach (sadly gone unmentioned on site until now) and Chapel of Disease’s severely underrated deathened dad rock from 2024. Fans of Tribulation’s Down Below era might find a lot to like here as well. The songwriting builds upon their preceding EPs—2015’s Birth, Dreams & Death and 2022’s Time, Futility & Death—but improves on all aspects, nailing down the vocals and crafting a memorable dual guitar tandem (“Incessant Severance,” “Dies Mali”). And while the project’s vision does precede Sweven by a lot, its instrumentation inevitably ends up feeling distantly related (“Dearth”).
Endarkenment, Being & Death by Speglas
Endarkenment, Being & Death flows seamlessly from atmospheric to intense in various styles and tempos. Iron Maiden licks run amok throughout the album’s dual-harmonized guitar work (“Dearth,” “Rage upon the Dying Fire”) of course, but they’re not carrying the record alone. Gorgeous clean guitar parts (“Ailing,” “Dearth”) and sadboi tremolos (“Dies Mali”) accompany the superb rhythm and lead guitar efforts elsewhere. Parts of “The Endarkenment” even resemble Alcest by way of Spiritual Instinct’s fantastic post-black direction. All this leads to Speglas being progressive without it getting in the way of the music. In addition, a stellar production job only lifts up the band’s great stylistic choices. Simon Söderberg’s (whose production credits surprisingly include early Ghost) placement of drums and bass in the mix deserve special mention, as it makes an already good set of instruments sound incredible. Though not a massively layered or complex album, the combination of both songwriting and production depth makes for a highly repeatable experience.
Careful pacing allows Speglas to end their experiment with a triumphant bang instead of a whimper. Though the album could benefit from showing more teeth and grit at its most aggressive, the ending one-two punch of the album in “Dies Mali” and “Rage upon the Dying Fire” is a cornerstone hard to argue against. I wouldn’t be surprised if both end up being among my Song o’ the Year finalists. As for its softer side, the beauty of “Woe” and “Ailing” won’t change the minds of people diametrically opposed to intros and interludes. Some will say Speglas’s style is too watered down, others might think it’s not watered down enough. But I think Endarkenment… strikes a great balance in between, the music being both heavy and beautiful, intricate and addictingly catchy as a result.
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to craft something that feels fresh and exemplary. Speglas took a long while to fine-tune their writing prowess for the debut, and it paid off in spades. Endarkenment, Being & Death succeeds in its primary goal as a superb example of progressive, deathened and blackened heavy metal. Despite not featuring any cowbell, I reckon it’ll be difficult for future 2026 albums to top this one come year-end. As the final recent n00b remaining who hadn’t broken the Score Safety Counter yet, I’m glad I held out this long for something remarkable. And I wasn’t even originally in charge of covering it!
Rating: Excellent
#2026 #45 #Alcest #BlackMetal #ChapelOfDisease #DeathMetal #EndarkenmentBeingDeath #Feb26 #Ghost #HeavyMetal #InconcessusLuxLucis #Insomnium #IronMaiden #MorbusChron #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Speglas #SwedishMetal #Sweven #Tribulation #TrustNoOneRecordings
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Trust No One Recordings | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026 -
Nuctemeron – Demonic Sceptre Review By Mark Z.
There’s a big problem with today’s metal scene: There aren’t enough fukkin bands that sound like Nifelheim. Every time I listen to those crazy Swedes, I want MOAR of their scalding black-thrash riffs, MORE of their pummeling blast beats, more of the unhinged ferocity that feels sorely lacking in today’s scene, when it seems like every band needs to have clean vocals and mix at least three genres. While Nifelheim vocalist Hellbutcher did release a very good album in 2024 via his eponymous band, his main project’s frantic intensity has gone largely unreplicated. Fortunately, Nuctemeron are here to change that. Over the past decade, this German group has kept the black flame burning with a slew of splits and EPs that bear titles like Beastfuck and Rape from the Grave, all while clad in enough spikes and leather to make them the favorite customers of their local BDSM shop. With their debut album, Demonic Sceptre, the group has continued following Nifelheim’s burning warpath, unleashing a barrage of frenetic riffs, scathing vocals, and battering rhythms that would make those Swedes proud.
Yet at the same time, calling Nuctemeron mere Nifelheim clones is hardly accurate. Perhaps most notably, the band’s aptly-named vocalist, “Lunatic Aggressor,” avoids mimicking Hellbutcher’s manic rasp by instead delivering a larynx-shredding shriek that somehow turns songs like “Burn My Skin to Leather” into singalong anthems. And, as hinted at by the cover art’s apparent homage to Destruction’s Eternal Devastation, the music here shows that these Germans have heard plenty of thrashy bands besides Hellbutcher and Co. Take the instrumental opener, “Fresh Blood for the 13th Coffin,” which is an ambient synth piece with vaguely medieval vibes that recall Desaster. Said influence continues with the Hellfire‘s Dominion-style guitar melodies that open the first proper track, “The Bat,” before the slicing verses began slashing into your neck like a sharpened scythe. Likewise, “Under Devil’s Command” features a terrific, olde school main riff that evokes the glory days of 80s speed metal, while the harmonized guitars of that song’s bridge serve as a saccharine throwback to metal’s golden age.
That said, it’s clear that Nifelheim is a massive influence here. And fortunately, Nuctemeron absolutely nail that band’s sound with a slew of the wildest black-thrash cuts I’ve heard in a long time. Early highlight “After Violent Storm” basically functions as a complementary vasectomy, as the ricocheting guitar line in that song’s refrain is hot enough to turn whatever genitals you have into something that looks like a charred pork rind. “Fuck Off!!! (In the Name of Evil)” uses Nifelheim’s infamous two-word mantra as the basis to unleash a shitstorm of bouncy, frantic guitars that culminates with the sound of a skipping record repeating that titular proclamation over and over. Later, the aforementioned “Burn My Skin to Leather” sounds like a lost cut from Servants of Darkness with its squealing guitar lines, while “Metallic Thunder” uses a rapid, tapping guitar line to great effect.
My only real criticism here is that some of the songs repeat their main riffs a bit too much, but that feels like a minor quibble in light of the sheer inspiration on display. The aforementioned “Lunatic Aggressor” shrieks his head off like a banshee the whole time, and the way he pronounces his V’s as W’s is positively endearing. Guitarist “Exterminator” unleashes riff after riff of pure maniacal energy, and his searing, fast solos are a perfect complement to the band’s relentless nature. As shown on the closing track, “Brandish the Hammer of Hell,” the group also aren’t afraid to mix things up, as the song concludes with crooning clean vocals that mimic a melodic guitar line. The production is also great, sounding raw and powerful while remaining clear and retaining plenty of dynamic range.
Demonic Sceptre is exactly what your psychotic inner black-thrash fan has been craving. This is the first group I’ve heard that truly embodies Nifelheim’s unhinged, frantic style, and yet they mix things up just enough to avoid being a mere worship act. What’s more, the band constantly exude a sense of furious inspiration, yet for how extreme they are, their songs sure are fukkin catchy. For me and anyone else bold enough to brave the group’s scorching fury, Nuctemeron’s debut may just be the best black-thrash record we hear this year.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
#2026 #40 #BlackMetal #DemonicSceptre #Desaster #Destruction #GermanMetal #IHateRecords #Mar26 #Nifelheim #Nuctemeron #Review #Reviews #SpeedMetal #ThrashMetal
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: I Hate Records
Websites: nuctemeron-blackspeedhell.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blackspeedhell
Releases Worldwide: March 13th, 2026 -
Phasma – Purgatory Review By Kenstrosity
Sometimes an album comes around ye olde promo pit that looks and smells familiar, but plays like something else entirely. Today’s entry into the “what the heck am I actually listening to?” hall of infamy is Phasma’s Purgatory. The third record from the Greek/US duo, and the first carried by a label—our beloved Transcending Obscurity Records—Purgatory continually subverted every expectation I had. In doing so, it became one of my biggest pleasant surprises in recent memory.
While early Phasma works boasted a songwriting style and sound that evoked a grotesque Whitechapel/Vampire Squid lovechild, Purgatory is a charred and venomous affair of only a tenuous relation to that concoction, and all the better for it. Conjuring a vision where Vimur, Harms Way, and Crypts of Despair’s first two albums merged into one mangled mass, Purgatory writhes and slithers through an unholy collection of brutal riffs, immolating tremolo flares, and swaggering grooves. While Phasma’s vocal approach largely carries over from early works, pairing a guttural roar with piercing screeches, but minimizing previously prevalent items like subterranean gurgles and glass-shattering squeals, it takes on an altogether more intimidating character here. Instead of showing off the full range of technical skills and range as this unit had to prove on their self-titled debut, Phasma took Purgatory as an opportunity to be as mean and concise as possible.
Simplifying their song structures, doubling down on memorable hooks, and restricting technical expositions to a minimum helped Phasma achieve their goal, resulting in a work that feels genuinely terrifying. Opening duo “I” and early highlight “II” prove this within thirty seconds of their introduction, but also create a delightful deviation from the usual songwriting tricks I expect from one phrase to another. For example, “I” makes me think a huge breakdown is about to drop right at the start, only to blast into the shadowed iciness of black metal, then dive seamlessly into a gym-ready hardcore groove. Subverting my expectations becomes a regular occurrence in Purgatory. “II,” “III,” and “VI” all venture deeper into doom-laden dungeons than I would’ve ever anticipated from a record as evil and high-energy as this. Harmonized melodies and layered guitar pyrotechnics only enhance this effect when things transition between paces and moods in a snap (“II”). By thusly offsetting their stripped-down writing with constant fiery twists and gnarly turns, Phasma crafted a remarkably exciting and rich experience that is an absolute joy to experience over and over again.
Despite its truncated 27-minute runtime, Purgatory burgeons with invigorating ideas all meticulously arranged, but initial spins suffer at the hands of a production of unforgiving loudness. “IV” in particular challenged my ability to appreciate the fantastic lead-into-chug-triplets and Vampire Squid riffs that bulge out from densely packed bass rumbles and glassy cymbals, in no small part because everything is so in-your-face as to flatten entirely. “V” feels a similar impact, though an eerie, bass-driven atmospheric break and subsequent Atrae Bilis-esque bridge briefly alleviates that effect. Understanding that the intended purpose of Purgatory is to oppress and destroy, a little more headroom in the mix and master would’ve allowed Phasma to hit harder and better highlight the myriad clever details distributed throughout.
Thankfully, the production isn’t so ruinous as to make my experience with Purgatory anything less than a delightful treat. As I spent more time with it, I loved it more, craved it regularly, and found additional moments to take home. Memorable beyond what I anticipated, and more engaging than I dared hope, Purgatory is a resounding success in all areas other than engineering. In some circles, that one weakness won’t matter much. In the end, it didn’t matter much to me either, such is the strength of Phasma’s songwriting.1 This is one trip to limbo you won’t want to miss!
Rating: Great!
#2026 #40 #American #AtraeBilis #BlackMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #CryptsOfDespair #DeathMetal #Deathcore #Feb26 #GreekMetal #Hardcore #HarmSWay #International #Phasma #Purgatory #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TranscendingObscurityRecords #VampireSquid #Vimur #Whitechapel
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: phasmaproject.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/PhasmaProject
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026 -
Phasma – Purgatory Review By Kenstrosity
Sometimes an album comes around ye olde promo pit that looks and smells familiar, but plays like something else entirely. Today’s entry into the “what the heck am I actually listening to?” hall of infamy is Phasma’s Purgatory. The third record from the Greek/US duo, and the first carried by a label—our beloved Transcending Obscurity Records—Purgatory continually subverted every expectation I had. In doing so, it became one of my biggest pleasant surprises in recent memory.
While early Phasma works boasted a songwriting style and sound that evoked a grotesque Whitechapel/Vampire Squid lovechild, Purgatory is a charred and venomous affair of only a tenuous relation to that concoction, and all the better for it. Conjuring a vision where Vimur, Harms Way, and Crypts of Despair’s first two albums merged into one mangled mass, Purgatory writhes and slithers through an unholy collection of brutal riffs, immolating tremolo flares, and swaggering grooves. While Phasma’s vocal approach largely carries over from early works, pairing a guttural roar with piercing screeches, but minimizing previously prevalent items like subterranean gurgles and glass-shattering squeals, it takes on an altogether more intimidating character here. Instead of showing off the full range of technical skills and range as this unit had to prove on their self-titled debut, Phasma took Purgatory as an opportunity to be as mean and concise as possible.
Simplifying their song structures, doubling down on memorable hooks, and restricting technical expositions to a minimum helped Phasma achieve their goal, resulting in a work that feels genuinely terrifying. Opening duo “I” and early highlight “II” prove this within thirty seconds of their introduction, but also create a delightful deviation from the usual songwriting tricks I expect from one phrase to another. For example, “I” makes me think a huge breakdown is about to drop right at the start, only to blast into the shadowed iciness of black metal, then dive seamlessly into a gym-ready hardcore groove. Subverting my expectations becomes a regular occurrence in Purgatory. “II,” “III,” and “VI” all venture deeper into doom-laden dungeons than I would’ve ever anticipated from a record as evil and high-energy as this. Harmonized melodies and layered guitar pyrotechnics only enhance this effect when things transition between paces and moods in a snap (“II”). By thusly offsetting their stripped-down writing with constant fiery twists and gnarly turns, Phasma crafted a remarkably exciting and rich experience that is an absolute joy to experience over and over again.
Despite its truncated 27-minute runtime, Purgatory burgeons with invigorating ideas all meticulously arranged, but initial spins suffer at the hands of a production of unforgiving loudness. “IV” in particular challenged my ability to appreciate the fantastic lead-into-chug-triplets and Vampire Squid riffs that bulge out from densely packed bass rumbles and glassy cymbals, in no small part because everything is so in-your-face as to flatten entirely. “V” feels a similar impact, though an eerie, bass-driven atmospheric break and subsequent Atrae Bilis-esque bridge briefly alleviates that effect. Understanding that the intended purpose of Purgatory is to oppress and destroy, a little more headroom in the mix and master would’ve allowed Phasma to hit harder and better highlight the myriad clever details distributed throughout.
Thankfully, the production isn’t so ruinous as to make my experience with Purgatory anything less than a delightful treat. As I spent more time with it, I loved it more, craved it regularly, and found additional moments to take home. Memorable beyond what I anticipated, and more engaging than I dared hope, Purgatory is a resounding success in all areas other than engineering. In some circles, that one weakness won’t matter much. In the end, it didn’t matter much to me either, such is the strength of Phasma’s songwriting.1 This is one trip to limbo you won’t want to miss!
Rating: Great!
#2026 #40 #American #AtraeBilis #BlackMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #CryptsOfDespair #DeathMetal #Deathcore #Feb26 #GreekMetal #Hardcore #HarmSWay #International #Phasma #Purgatory #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TranscendingObscurityRecords #VampireSquid #Vimur #Whitechapel
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: phasmaproject.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/PhasmaProject
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026 -
Phasma – Purgatory Review By Kenstrosity
Sometimes an album comes around ye olde promo pit that looks and smells familiar, but plays like something else entirely. Today’s entry into the “what the heck am I actually listening to?” hall of infamy is Phasma’s Purgatory. The third record from the Greek/US duo, and the first carried by a label—our beloved Transcending Obscurity Records—Purgatory continually subverted every expectation I had. In doing so, it became one of my biggest pleasant surprises in recent memory.
While early Phasma works boasted a songwriting style and sound that evoked a grotesque Whitechapel/Vampire Squid lovechild, Purgatory is a charred and venomous affair of only a tenuous relation to that concoction, and all the better for it. Conjuring a vision where Vimur, Harms Way, and Crypts of Despair’s first two albums merged into one mangled mass, Purgatory writhes and slithers through an unholy collection of brutal riffs, immolating tremolo flares, and swaggering grooves. While Phasma’s vocal approach largely carries over from early works, pairing a guttural roar with piercing screeches, but minimizing previously prevalent items like subterranean gurgles and glass-shattering squeals, it takes on an altogether more intimidating character here. Instead of showing off the full range of technical skills and range as this unit had to prove on their self-titled debut, Phasma took Purgatory as an opportunity to be as mean and concise as possible.
Simplifying their song structures, doubling down on memorable hooks, and restricting technical expositions to a minimum helped Phasma achieve their goal, resulting in a work that feels genuinely terrifying. Opening duo “I” and early highlight “II” prove this within thirty seconds of their introduction, but also create a delightful deviation from the usual songwriting tricks I expect from one phrase to another. For example, “I” makes me think a huge breakdown is about to drop right at the start, only to blast into the shadowed iciness of black metal, then dive seamlessly into a gym-ready hardcore groove. Subverting my expectations becomes a regular occurrence in Purgatory. “II,” “III,” and “VI” all venture deeper into doom-laden dungeons than I would’ve ever anticipated from a record as evil and high-energy as this. Harmonized melodies and layered guitar pyrotechnics only enhance this effect when things transition between paces and moods in a snap (“II”). By thusly offsetting their stripped-down writing with constant fiery twists and gnarly turns, Phasma crafted a remarkably exciting and rich experience that is an absolute joy to experience over and over again.
Despite its truncated 27-minute runtime, Purgatory burgeons with invigorating ideas all meticulously arranged, but initial spins suffer at the hands of a production of unforgiving loudness. “IV” in particular challenged my ability to appreciate the fantastic lead-into-chug-triplets and Vampire Squid riffs that bulge out from densely packed bass rumbles and glassy cymbals, in no small part because everything is so in-your-face as to flatten entirely. “V” feels a similar impact, though an eerie, bass-driven atmospheric break and subsequent Atrae Bilis-esque bridge briefly alleviates that effect. Understanding that the intended purpose of Purgatory is to oppress and destroy, a little more headroom in the mix and master would’ve allowed Phasma to hit harder and better highlight the myriad clever details distributed throughout.
Thankfully, the production isn’t so ruinous as to make my experience with Purgatory anything less than a delightful treat. As I spent more time with it, I loved it more, craved it regularly, and found additional moments to take home. Memorable beyond what I anticipated, and more engaging than I dared hope, Purgatory is a resounding success in all areas other than engineering. In some circles, that one weakness won’t matter much. In the end, it didn’t matter much to me either, such is the strength of Phasma’s songwriting.1 This is one trip to limbo you won’t want to miss!
Rating: Great!
#2026 #40 #American #AtraeBilis #BlackMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #CryptsOfDespair #DeathMetal #Deathcore #Feb26 #GreekMetal #Hardcore #HarmSWay #International #Phasma #Purgatory #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TranscendingObscurityRecords #VampireSquid #Vimur #Whitechapel
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: phasmaproject.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/PhasmaProject
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026 -
Phasma – Purgatory Review By Kenstrosity
Sometimes an album comes around ye olde promo pit that looks and smells familiar, but plays like something else entirely. Today’s entry into the “what the heck am I actually listening to?” hall of infamy is Phasma’s Purgatory. The third record from the Greek/US duo, and the first carried by a label—our beloved Transcending Obscurity Records—Purgatory continually subverted every expectation I had. In doing so, it became one of my biggest pleasant surprises in recent memory.
While early Phasma works boasted a songwriting style and sound that evoked a grotesque Whitechapel/Vampire Squid lovechild, Purgatory is a charred and venomous affair of only a tenuous relation to that concoction, and all the better for it. Conjuring a vision where Vimur, Harms Way, and Crypts of Despair’s first two albums merged into one mangled mass, Purgatory writhes and slithers through an unholy collection of brutal riffs, immolating tremolo flares, and swaggering grooves. While Phasma’s vocal approach largely carries over from early works, pairing a guttural roar with piercing screeches, but minimizing previously prevalent items like subterranean gurgles and glass-shattering squeals, it takes on an altogether more intimidating character here. Instead of showing off the full range of technical skills and range as this unit had to prove on their self-titled debut, Phasma took Purgatory as an opportunity to be as mean and concise as possible.
Simplifying their song structures, doubling down on memorable hooks, and restricting technical expositions to a minimum helped Phasma achieve their goal, resulting in a work that feels genuinely terrifying. Opening duo “I” and early highlight “II” prove this within thirty seconds of their introduction, but also create a delightful deviation from the usual songwriting tricks I expect from one phrase to another. For example, “I” makes me think a huge breakdown is about to drop right at the start, only to blast into the shadowed iciness of black metal, then dive seamlessly into a gym-ready hardcore groove. Subverting my expectations becomes a regular occurrence in Purgatory. “II,” “III,” and “VI” all venture deeper into doom-laden dungeons than I would’ve ever anticipated from a record as evil and high-energy as this. Harmonized melodies and layered guitar pyrotechnics only enhance this effect when things transition between paces and moods in a snap (“II”). By thusly offsetting their stripped-down writing with constant fiery twists and gnarly turns, Phasma crafted a remarkably exciting and rich experience that is an absolute joy to experience over and over again.
Despite its truncated 27-minute runtime, Purgatory burgeons with invigorating ideas all meticulously arranged, but initial spins suffer at the hands of a production of unforgiving loudness. “IV” in particular challenged my ability to appreciate the fantastic lead-into-chug-triplets and Vampire Squid riffs that bulge out from densely packed bass rumbles and glassy cymbals, in no small part because everything is so in-your-face as to flatten entirely. “V” feels a similar impact, though an eerie, bass-driven atmospheric break and subsequent Atrae Bilis-esque bridge briefly alleviates that effect. Understanding that the intended purpose of Purgatory is to oppress and destroy, a little more headroom in the mix and master would’ve allowed Phasma to hit harder and better highlight the myriad clever details distributed throughout.
Thankfully, the production isn’t so ruinous as to make my experience with Purgatory anything less than a delightful treat. As I spent more time with it, I loved it more, craved it regularly, and found additional moments to take home. Memorable beyond what I anticipated, and more engaging than I dared hope, Purgatory is a resounding success in all areas other than engineering. In some circles, that one weakness won’t matter much. In the end, it didn’t matter much to me either, such is the strength of Phasma’s songwriting.1 This is one trip to limbo you won’t want to miss!
Rating: Great!
#2026 #40 #American #AtraeBilis #BlackMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #CryptsOfDespair #DeathMetal #Deathcore #Feb26 #GreekMetal #Hardcore #HarmSWay #International #Phasma #Purgatory #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TranscendingObscurityRecords #VampireSquid #Vimur #Whitechapel
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: phasmaproject.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/PhasmaProject
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026 -
Phasma – Purgatory Review By Kenstrosity
Sometimes an album comes around ye olde promo pit that looks and smells familiar, but plays like something else entirely. Today’s entry into the “what the heck am I actually listening to?” hall of infamy is Phasma’s Purgatory. The third record from the Greek/US duo, and the first carried by a label—our beloved Transcending Obscurity Records—Purgatory continually subverted every expectation I had. In doing so, it became one of my biggest pleasant surprises in recent memory.
While early Phasma works boasted a songwriting style and sound that evoked a grotesque Whitechapel/Vampire Squid lovechild, Purgatory is a charred and venomous affair of only a tenuous relation to that concoction, and all the better for it. Conjuring a vision where Vimur, Harms Way, and Crypts of Despair’s first two albums merged into one mangled mass, Purgatory writhes and slithers through an unholy collection of brutal riffs, immolating tremolo flares, and swaggering grooves. While Phasma’s vocal approach largely carries over from early works, pairing a guttural roar with piercing screeches, but minimizing previously prevalent items like subterranean gurgles and glass-shattering squeals, it takes on an altogether more intimidating character here. Instead of showing off the full range of technical skills and range as this unit had to prove on their self-titled debut, Phasma took Purgatory as an opportunity to be as mean and concise as possible.
Simplifying their song structures, doubling down on memorable hooks, and restricting technical expositions to a minimum helped Phasma achieve their goal, resulting in a work that feels genuinely terrifying. Opening duo “I” and early highlight “II” prove this within thirty seconds of their introduction, but also create a delightful deviation from the usual songwriting tricks I expect from one phrase to another. For example, “I” makes me think a huge breakdown is about to drop right at the start, only to blast into the shadowed iciness of black metal, then dive seamlessly into a gym-ready hardcore groove. Subverting my expectations becomes a regular occurrence in Purgatory. “II,” “III,” and “VI” all venture deeper into doom-laden dungeons than I would’ve ever anticipated from a record as evil and high-energy as this. Harmonized melodies and layered guitar pyrotechnics only enhance this effect when things transition between paces and moods in a snap (“II”). By thusly offsetting their stripped-down writing with constant fiery twists and gnarly turns, Phasma crafted a remarkably exciting and rich experience that is an absolute joy to experience over and over again.
Despite its truncated 27-minute runtime, Purgatory burgeons with invigorating ideas all meticulously arranged, but initial spins suffer at the hands of a production of unforgiving loudness. “IV” in particular challenged my ability to appreciate the fantastic lead-into-chug-triplets and Vampire Squid riffs that bulge out from densely packed bass rumbles and glassy cymbals, in no small part because everything is so in-your-face as to flatten entirely. “V” feels a similar impact, though an eerie, bass-driven atmospheric break and subsequent Atrae Bilis-esque bridge briefly alleviates that effect. Understanding that the intended purpose of Purgatory is to oppress and destroy, a little more headroom in the mix and master would’ve allowed Phasma to hit harder and better highlight the myriad clever details distributed throughout.
Thankfully, the production isn’t so ruinous as to make my experience with Purgatory anything less than a delightful treat. As I spent more time with it, I loved it more, craved it regularly, and found additional moments to take home. Memorable beyond what I anticipated, and more engaging than I dared hope, Purgatory is a resounding success in all areas other than engineering. In some circles, that one weakness won’t matter much. In the end, it didn’t matter much to me either, such is the strength of Phasma’s songwriting.1 This is one trip to limbo you won’t want to miss!
Rating: Great!
#2026 #40 #American #AtraeBilis #BlackMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #CryptsOfDespair #DeathMetal #Deathcore #Feb26 #GreekMetal #Hardcore #HarmSWay #International #Phasma #Purgatory #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TranscendingObscurityRecords #VampireSquid #Vimur #Whitechapel
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: phasmaproject.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/PhasmaProject
Releases Worldwide: February 20th, 2026 -
Hällas – Panorama Review By Creeping Ivy
Hällas—Sweden’s self-styled administrators of ‘adventure rock’—has suffered a nearly decade-long absence from AMG. Back in 2017, El Cuervo (rightly) awarded Excerpts from a Future Past a 4.0, praising the debut for its transportive aesthetic and cohesive performances. Since this one-off review, Hällas has become a premier neo- proto-metal act, yet they haven’t reached the exceptionality of their entrance. Conundrum (2020) continued in the vein of Excerpts with a synth-heavy slow burn that (why not?) feels less adventurous than the debut.1 Redressing this safeness, Isle of Wisdom (2022) favors tighter, jauntier tunes that bleed into each other.2 On the heels of two very good albums is Panorama, the first to be released on Hällas’s own (aptly named) Äventry Records. This shift seems to signal the kind of confidence arising from a veteran band coming into their own. Accordingly, Panorama experiments more than any previous Hällas album, but experimentation alone does not guarantee Greatness.
Panorama deftly delivers Hällas’s now-familiar take on heavy, psychedelic prog rock. Indeed, these Swedes still sound like Uriah Heep counseling Iron Maiden. Pre-release single “The Emissary” and closer “At the Summit” best encapsulate classic Hällas. On these tracks, Rickard Swahn and Marcus Petersson bounce between wee-da-lee guitarmonies, Ren-faire acoustic plucks, and driving riffage. Nicklas Malmqvist supplies texture via sparkling synthesizers and percussive organ. It is the infectious guitar/key interplays, however, that define Hällas. Towards the end of “At the Summit,” Swahn, Petersson, and Malmqvist unite for delicious harmonized noodling, building drama before a serene denouement. Wrapped in warm, 70s-sounding production fans have come to expect, Panorama supplies some of the strongest Hällas tunes yet.
Panorama’s experimentations, however, make it Hällas’s most singular statement. Its boldest innovation is “Above the Continuum,” a 20-minute, 7-part suite akin to the eponymous openers of Rush’s 2112 and Yes’s Close to the Edge. On this cinematic saga, Hällas brings Gregorian chants, strings, and horns to their brand of synth-rock. Floydian voice-overs materialize Panorama’s somber narrative, in which a hermit laments encroaching dystopia atop his tower. An imperceptible escalation that finally burrowed under my skin after ten or so listens, “Above the Continuum” is an early Song o’ the Year candidate.3 How does one follow such a sprawling epic? With a trotting jam, of course. On “Face of an Angel,” another pre-release single, drummer Kasper Eriksson rides a sleazy Thin Lizzy groove with bassist/vocalist Tommy Alexandersson, who lays down a droningly hooky chorus. Hällas has dropped crowd pleasers before (“Star Rider,” “Carry On”), but “Face of an Angel” is their poppiest ditty yet and the perfect counterbalance to the opening beast. It is “Bestiaus,” though, that truly spotlights Alexandersson’s vocals. His smoky baritone and booming bellow sit center stage on this affecting piano ballad, standing alone in Hällas’s catalogue.
Five scenes spliced into one holistic picture, Panorama is a grand album, which might not register when glancing at the runtime. Like every Hällas record, Panorama clocks in at just under 45 minutes, yet its more limited track count (5, instead of 7–8) renders every song utterly distinct. There is zero filler here, only questionable moments. “Above the Continuum” has abrupt transitions in its opening minutes, but they don’t hinder the track as a whole. Additionally, the immediate fadeout on the punk ending of “The Emissary” always frustrates me. Frustration is surely the intended effect, but Hällas could have stretched the part a few measures and achieved the same. And “Bestiaus” itself feels a little like a moment, striving for songhood but not quite reaching it. Still, it’s an elegant setup for “At the Summit”—an epic but unprotracted finale.
With Panorama, Hällas has delivered (why not?) their most adventurous album, but it’s also their best work to date. Excerpts hinted at excellence—Panorama achieves it. Per its namesake, Panorama provides a virtually seamless showcase of all that Hällas has done while splendidly surveying new terrain. A fun yet serious record, Panorama puts an angelic synth-rock face on a devilish narrative circulatory system. It’s only January, but these Swedes may have already dropped the neo- proto-metal album of 2026 (and a list-topping contender for yours truly).
Rating: 4.5/5.0
#2026 #45 #ÄventyrRecords #BloodIncantation #Hällas #HardRock #IronMaiden #Jan26 #Panorama #PinkFloyd #ProgressiveRock #ProtoMetal #PsychedelicRock #Review #Reviews #Rush #SwedishRock #ThinLizzy #UriahHeep #Yes
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Äventyr Records
Websites: facebook.com/haellas | hallasband.com
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
Hällas – Panorama Review By Creeping Ivy
Hällas—Sweden’s self-styled administrators of ‘adventure rock’—has suffered a nearly decade-long absence from AMG. Back in 2017, El Cuervo (rightly) awarded Excerpts from a Future Past a 4.0, praising the debut for its transportive aesthetic and cohesive performances. Since this one-off review, Hällas has become a premier neo- proto-metal act, yet they haven’t reached the exceptionality of their entrance. Conundrum (2020) continued in the vein of Excerpts with a synth-heavy slow burn that (why not?) feels less adventurous than the debut.1 Redressing this safeness, Isle of Wisdom (2022) favors tighter, jauntier tunes that bleed into each other.2 On the heels of two very good albums is Panorama, the first to be released on Hällas’s own (aptly named) Äventry Records. This shift seems to signal the kind of confidence arising from a veteran band coming into their own. Accordingly, Panorama experiments more than any previous Hällas album, but experimentation alone does not guarantee Greatness.
Panorama deftly delivers Hällas’s now-familiar take on heavy, psychedelic prog rock. Indeed, these Swedes still sound like Uriah Heep counseling Iron Maiden. Pre-release single “The Emissary” and closer “At the Summit” best encapsulate classic Hällas. On these tracks, Rickard Swahn and Marcus Petersson bounce between wee-da-lee guitarmonies, Ren-faire acoustic plucks, and driving riffage. Nicklas Malmqvist supplies texture via sparkling synthesizers and percussive organ. It is the infectious guitar/key interplays, however, that define Hällas. Towards the end of “At the Summit,” Swahn, Petersson, and Malmqvist unite for delicious harmonized noodling, building drama before a serene denouement. Wrapped in warm, 70s-sounding production fans have come to expect, Panorama supplies some of the strongest Hällas tunes yet.
Panorama’s experimentations, however, make it Hällas’s most singular statement. Its boldest innovation is “Above the Continuum,” a 20-minute, 7-part suite akin to the eponymous openers of Rush’s 2112 and Yes’s Close to the Edge. On this cinematic saga, Hällas brings Gregorian chants, strings, and horns to their brand of synth-rock. Floydian voice-overs materialize Panorama’s somber narrative, in which a hermit laments encroaching dystopia atop his tower. An imperceptible escalation that finally burrowed under my skin after ten or so listens, “Above the Continuum” is an early Song o’ the Year candidate.3 How does one follow such a sprawling epic? With a trotting jam, of course. On “Face of an Angel,” another pre-release single, drummer Kasper Eriksson rides a sleazy Thin Lizzy groove with bassist/vocalist Tommy Alexandersson, who lays down a droningly hooky chorus. Hällas has dropped crowd pleasers before (“Star Rider,” “Carry On”), but “Face of an Angel” is their poppiest ditty yet and the perfect counterbalance to the opening beast. It is “Bestiaus,” though, that truly spotlights Alexandersson’s vocals. His smoky baritone and booming bellow sit center stage on this affecting piano ballad, standing alone in Hällas’s catalogue.
Five scenes spliced into one holistic picture, Panorama is a grand album, which might not register when glancing at the runtime. Like every Hällas record, Panorama clocks in at just under 45 minutes, yet its more limited track count (5, instead of 7–8) renders every song utterly distinct. There is zero filler here, only questionable moments. “Above the Continuum” has abrupt transitions in its opening minutes, but they don’t hinder the track as a whole. Additionally, the immediate fadeout on the punk ending of “The Emissary” always frustrates me. Frustration is surely the intended effect, but Hällas could have stretched the part a few measures and achieved the same. And “Bestiaus” itself feels a little like a moment, striving for songhood but not quite reaching it. Still, it’s an elegant setup for “At the Summit”—an epic but unprotracted finale.
With Panorama, Hällas has delivered (why not?) their most adventurous album, but it’s also their best work to date. Excerpts hinted at excellence—Panorama achieves it. Per its namesake, Panorama provides a virtually seamless showcase of all that Hällas has done while splendidly surveying new terrain. A fun yet serious record, Panorama puts an angelic synth-rock face on a devilish narrative circulatory system. It’s only January, but these Swedes may have already dropped the neo- proto-metal album of 2026 (and a list-topping contender for yours truly).
Rating: 4.5/5.0
#2026 #45 #ÄventyrRecords #BloodIncantation #Hällas #HardRock #IronMaiden #Jan26 #Panorama #PinkFloyd #ProgressiveRock #ProtoMetal #PsychedelicRock #Review #Reviews #Rush #SwedishRock #ThinLizzy #UriahHeep #Yes
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Äventyr Records
Websites: facebook.com/haellas | hallasband.com
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
Hällas – Panorama Review By Creeping Ivy
Hällas—Sweden’s self-styled administrators of ‘adventure rock’—has suffered a nearly decade-long absence from AMG. Back in 2017, El Cuervo (rightly) awarded Excerpts from a Future Past a 4.0, praising the debut for its transportive aesthetic and cohesive performances. Since this one-off review, Hällas has become a premier neo- proto-metal act, yet they haven’t reached the exceptionality of their entrance. Conundrum (2020) continued in the vein of Excerpts with a synth-heavy slow burn that (why not?) feels less adventurous than the debut.1 Redressing this safeness, Isle of Wisdom (2022) favors tighter, jauntier tunes that bleed into each other.2 On the heels of two very good albums is Panorama, the first to be released on Hällas’s own (aptly named) Äventry Records. This shift seems to signal the kind of confidence arising from a veteran band coming into their own. Accordingly, Panorama experiments more than any previous Hällas album, but experimentation alone does not guarantee Greatness.
Panorama deftly delivers Hällas’s now-familiar take on heavy, psychedelic prog rock. Indeed, these Swedes still sound like Uriah Heep counseling Iron Maiden. Pre-release single “The Emissary” and closer “At the Summit” best encapsulate classic Hällas. On these tracks, Rickard Swahn and Marcus Petersson bounce between wee-da-lee guitarmonies, Ren-faire acoustic plucks, and driving riffage. Nicklas Malmqvist supplies texture via sparkling synthesizers and percussive organ. It is the infectious guitar/key interplays, however, that define Hällas. Towards the end of “At the Summit,” Swahn, Petersson, and Malmqvist unite for delicious harmonized noodling, building drama before a serene denouement. Wrapped in warm, 70s-sounding production fans have come to expect, Panorama supplies some of the strongest Hällas tunes yet.
Panorama’s experimentations, however, make it Hällas’s most singular statement. Its boldest innovation is “Above the Continuum,” a 20-minute, 7-part suite akin to the eponymous openers of Rush’s 2112 and Yes’s Close to the Edge. On this cinematic saga, Hällas brings Gregorian chants, strings, and horns to their brand of synth-rock. Floydian voice-overs materialize Panorama’s somber narrative, in which a hermit laments encroaching dystopia atop his tower. An imperceptible escalation that finally burrowed under my skin after ten or so listens, “Above the Continuum” is an early Song o’ the Year candidate.3 How does one follow such a sprawling epic? With a trotting jam, of course. On “Face of an Angel,” another pre-release single, drummer Kasper Eriksson rides a sleazy Thin Lizzy groove with bassist/vocalist Tommy Alexandersson, who lays down a droningly hooky chorus. Hällas has dropped crowd pleasers before (“Star Rider,” “Carry On”), but “Face of an Angel” is their poppiest ditty yet and the perfect counterbalance to the opening beast. It is “Bestiaus,” though, that truly spotlights Alexandersson’s vocals. His smoky baritone and booming bellow sit center stage on this affecting piano ballad, standing alone in Hällas’s catalogue.
Five scenes spliced into one holistic picture, Panorama is a grand album, which might not register when glancing at the runtime. Like every Hällas record, Panorama clocks in at just under 45 minutes, yet its more limited track count (5, instead of 7–8) renders every song utterly distinct. There is zero filler here, only questionable moments. “Above the Continuum” has abrupt transitions in its opening minutes, but they don’t hinder the track as a whole. Additionally, the immediate fadeout on the punk ending of “The Emissary” always frustrates me. Frustration is surely the intended effect, but Hällas could have stretched the part a few measures and achieved the same. And “Bestiaus” itself feels a little like a moment, striving for songhood but not quite reaching it. Still, it’s an elegant setup for “At the Summit”—an epic but unprotracted finale.
With Panorama, Hällas has delivered (why not?) their most adventurous album, but it’s also their best work to date. Excerpts hinted at excellence—Panorama achieves it. Per its namesake, Panorama provides a virtually seamless showcase of all that Hällas has done while splendidly surveying new terrain. A fun yet serious record, Panorama puts an angelic synth-rock face on a devilish narrative circulatory system. It’s only January, but these Swedes may have already dropped the neo- proto-metal album of 2026 (and a list-topping contender for yours truly).
Rating: 4.5/5.0
#2026 #45 #ÄventyrRecords #BloodIncantation #Hällas #HardRock #IronMaiden #Jan26 #Panorama #PinkFloyd #ProgressiveRock #ProtoMetal #PsychedelicRock #Review #Reviews #Rush #SwedishRock #ThinLizzy #UriahHeep #Yes
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Äventyr Records
Websites: facebook.com/haellas | hallasband.com
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
Hällas – Panorama Review By Creeping Ivy
Hällas—Sweden’s self-styled administrators of ‘adventure rock’—has suffered a nearly decade-long absence from AMG. Back in 2017, El Cuervo (rightly) awarded Excerpts from a Future Past a 4.0, praising the debut for its transportive aesthetic and cohesive performances. Since this one-off review, Hällas has become a premier neo- proto-metal act, yet they haven’t reached the exceptionality of their entrance. Conundrum (2020) continued in the vein of Excerpts with a synth-heavy slow burn that (why not?) feels less adventurous than the debut.1 Redressing this safeness, Isle of Wisdom (2022) favors tighter, jauntier tunes that bleed into each other.2 On the heels of two very good albums is Panorama, the first to be released on Hällas’s own (aptly named) Äventry Records. This shift seems to signal the kind of confidence arising from a veteran band coming into their own. Accordingly, Panorama experiments more than any previous Hällas album, but experimentation alone does not guarantee Greatness.
Panorama deftly delivers Hällas’s now-familiar take on heavy, psychedelic prog rock. Indeed, these Swedes still sound like Uriah Heep counseling Iron Maiden. Pre-release single “The Emissary” and closer “At the Summit” best encapsulate classic Hällas. On these tracks, Rickard Swahn and Marcus Petersson bounce between wee-da-lee guitarmonies, Ren-faire acoustic plucks, and driving riffage. Nicklas Malmqvist supplies texture via sparkling synthesizers and percussive organ. It is the infectious guitar/key interplays, however, that define Hällas. Towards the end of “At the Summit,” Swahn, Petersson, and Malmqvist unite for delicious harmonized noodling, building drama before a serene denouement. Wrapped in warm, 70s-sounding production fans have come to expect, Panorama supplies some of the strongest Hällas tunes yet.
Panorama’s experimentations, however, make it Hällas’s most singular statement. Its boldest innovation is “Above the Continuum,” a 20-minute, 7-part suite akin to the eponymous openers of Rush’s 2112 and Yes’s Close to the Edge. On this cinematic saga, Hällas brings Gregorian chants, strings, and horns to their brand of synth-rock. Floydian voice-overs materialize Panorama’s somber narrative, in which a hermit laments encroaching dystopia atop his tower. An imperceptible escalation that finally burrowed under my skin after ten or so listens, “Above the Continuum” is an early Song o’ the Year candidate.3 How does one follow such a sprawling epic? With a trotting jam, of course. On “Face of an Angel,” another pre-release single, drummer Kasper Eriksson rides a sleazy Thin Lizzy groove with bassist/vocalist Tommy Alexandersson, who lays down a droningly hooky chorus. Hällas has dropped crowd pleasers before (“Star Rider,” “Carry On”), but “Face of an Angel” is their poppiest ditty yet and the perfect counterbalance to the opening beast. It is “Bestiaus,” though, that truly spotlights Alexandersson’s vocals. His smoky baritone and booming bellow sit center stage on this affecting piano ballad, standing alone in Hällas’s catalogue.
Five scenes spliced into one holistic picture, Panorama is a grand album, which might not register when glancing at the runtime. Like every Hällas record, Panorama clocks in at just under 45 minutes, yet its more limited track count (5, instead of 7–8) renders every song utterly distinct. There is zero filler here, only questionable moments. “Above the Continuum” has abrupt transitions in its opening minutes, but they don’t hinder the track as a whole. Additionally, the immediate fadeout on the punk ending of “The Emissary” always frustrates me. Frustration is surely the intended effect, but Hällas could have stretched the part a few measures and achieved the same. And “Bestiaus” itself feels a little like a moment, striving for songhood but not quite reaching it. Still, it’s an elegant setup for “At the Summit”—an epic but unprotracted finale.
With Panorama, Hällas has delivered (why not?) their most adventurous album, but it’s also their best work to date. Excerpts hinted at excellence—Panorama achieves it. Per its namesake, Panorama provides a virtually seamless showcase of all that Hällas has done while splendidly surveying new terrain. A fun yet serious record, Panorama puts an angelic synth-rock face on a devilish narrative circulatory system. It’s only January, but these Swedes may have already dropped the neo- proto-metal album of 2026 (and a list-topping contender for yours truly).
Rating: 4.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Äventyr Records
Websites: haellas.bandcamp.com | hallasband.com | facebook.com/haellas
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026Show 3 footnotes
- Conundrum also concluded a narrative trilogy beginning with the Hällas EP (2015). ↩
- After Isle of Wisdom, Nicklas Malmqvist supplied keyboards on Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere (2024). ↩
- The transition between Desolate Land Ruminations and Into the Chasm at 14:39 made it happen. Thanks to Emmy Sjöström, the band’s manager, for the segment titles! ↩
-
Hällas – Panorama Review By Creeping Ivy
Hällas—Sweden’s self-styled administrators of ‘adventure rock’—has suffered a nearly decade-long absence from AMG. Back in 2017, El Cuervo (rightly) awarded Excerpts from a Future Past a 4.0, praising the debut for its transportive aesthetic and cohesive performances. Since this one-off review, Hällas has become a premier neo- proto-metal act, yet they haven’t reached the exceptionality of their entrance. Conundrum (2020) continued in the vein of Excerpts with a synth-heavy slow burn that (why not?) feels less adventurous than the debut.1 Redressing this safeness, Isle of Wisdom (2022) favors tighter, jauntier tunes that bleed into each other.2 On the heels of two very good albums is Panorama, the first to be released on Hällas’s own (aptly named) Äventry Records. This shift seems to signal the kind of confidence arising from a veteran band coming into their own. Accordingly, Panorama experiments more than any previous Hällas album, but experimentation alone does not guarantee Greatness.
Panorama deftly delivers Hällas’s now-familiar take on heavy, psychedelic prog rock. Indeed, these Swedes still sound like Uriah Heep counseling Iron Maiden. Pre-release single “The Emissary” and closer “At the Summit” best encapsulate classic Hällas. On these tracks, Rickard Swahn and Marcus Petersson bounce between wee-da-lee guitarmonies, Ren-faire acoustic plucks, and driving riffage. Nicklas Malmqvist supplies texture via sparkling synthesizers and percussive organ. It is the infectious guitar/key interplays, however, that define Hällas. Towards the end of “At the Summit,” Swahn, Petersson, and Malmqvist unite for delicious harmonized noodling, building drama before a serene denouement. Wrapped in warm, 70s-sounding production fans have come to expect, Panorama supplies some of the strongest Hällas tunes yet.
Panorama’s experimentations, however, make it Hällas’s most singular statement. Its boldest innovation is “Above the Continuum,” a 20-minute, 7-part suite akin to the eponymous openers of Rush’s 2112 and Yes’s Close to the Edge. On this cinematic saga, Hällas brings Gregorian chants, strings, and horns to their brand of synth-rock. Floydian voice-overs materialize Panorama’s somber narrative, in which a hermit laments encroaching dystopia atop his tower. An imperceptible escalation that finally burrowed under my skin after ten or so listens, “Above the Continuum” is an early Song o’ the Year candidate.3 How does one follow such a sprawling epic? With a trotting jam, of course. On “Face of an Angel,” another pre-release single, drummer Kasper Eriksson rides a sleazy Thin Lizzy groove with bassist/vocalist Tommy Alexandersson, who lays down a droningly hooky chorus. Hällas has dropped crowd pleasers before (“Star Rider,” “Carry On”), but “Face of an Angel” is their poppiest ditty yet and the perfect counterbalance to the opening beast. It is “Bestiaus,” though, that truly spotlights Alexandersson’s vocals. His smoky baritone and booming bellow sit center stage on this affecting piano ballad, standing alone in Hällas’s catalogue.
Five scenes spliced into one holistic picture, Panorama is a grand album, which might not register when glancing at the runtime. Like every Hällas record, Panorama clocks in at just under 45 minutes, yet its more limited track count (5, instead of 7–8) renders every song utterly distinct. There is zero filler here, only questionable moments. “Above the Continuum” has abrupt transitions in its opening minutes, but they don’t hinder the track as a whole. Additionally, the immediate fadeout on the punk ending of “The Emissary” always frustrates me. Frustration is surely the intended effect, but Hällas could have stretched the part a few measures and achieved the same. And “Bestiaus” itself feels a little like a moment, striving for songhood but not quite reaching it. Still, it’s an elegant setup for “At the Summit”—an epic but unprotracted finale.
With Panorama, Hällas has delivered (why not?) their most adventurous album, but it’s also their best work to date. Excerpts hinted at excellence—Panorama achieves it. Per its namesake, Panorama provides a virtually seamless showcase of all that Hällas has done while splendidly surveying new terrain. A fun yet serious record, Panorama puts an angelic synth-rock face on a devilish narrative circulatory system. It’s only January, but these Swedes may have already dropped the neo- proto-metal album of 2026 (and a list-topping contender for yours truly).
Rating: 4.5/5.0
#2026 #45 #ÄventyrRecords #BloodIncantation #Hällas #HardRock #IronMaiden #Jan26 #Panorama #PinkFloyd #ProgressiveRock #ProtoMetal #PsychedelicRock #Review #Reviews #Rush #SwedishRock #ThinLizzy #UriahHeep #Yes
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Äventyr Records
Websites: facebook.com/haellas | hallasband.com
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
URNE – Setting Fire to the Sky Review By Lavender Larcenist
The evolution of a band is a fickle thing. Change too much, and you alienate those who started the journey with you; change too little and bore listeners over time, leaving only ardent fans of the sound. URNE, a London three-piece with close ties to Gojira and Mastodon, has already shown a surprising amount of reformation by their third release, Setting Fire to the Sky. The band’s debut, SERPENT & SPIRIT, was a hard-edged mix of post-hardcore, sweeping grooves, and raw vocals, with a little bit of sludge thrown into their clean-singing. Their sophomore album refined the sound and felt like a logical evolution, even with a few missteps (especially on the production side). Setting Fire to the Sky fixes some of these issues and sees the band streamline their songs, but not all change is good. Instead of crawling into a chrysalis and emerging as a flying beauty, they slither out as something more akin to a leech, spilling out of their cocoon and siphoning other bands’ sounds to a fault.
URNE serves up nearly fifty minutes of Mastodon-infused metalcore on Setting Fire to the Sky. Yes, you read that correctly. Nothing on their third album feels reminiscent of the classic-rock-infused, post-hardcore sludge on their debut, or the post-metal epics on A Feast on Sorrow. Instead, their latest is stuffed with songs that, while expertly played and produced, feel soulless. Joe Nally sounds like a different singer at this point. While his clean singing is infinitely more competent, it sounds too similar to Mastodon’s Troy Sanders. Nally’s basswork fares better, and he manhandles the frets along Angus Neyra’s thrashy riffs and James Cook’s punchy drumming. The trio sounds great, and their work has been honed like a razor, likely due to their time alongside massive acts like Gojira and Mastodon, but they lack the creative bend of either. Setting Fire to the Sky feels meant to cast a wide net, playing arenas and the radio, but leaving much of the spirit (heh) that was present on SPIRIT & SERPENT to wither.
Expectations hurt URNE on Setting Fire to the Sky. After A Feast on Sorrow, I saw a band poised for their best work yet. URNE’s latest shows a tighter band playing well, and the production is much better than their last outing, but nearly every other facet feels weaker. Songs quickly grow formulaic and repetitive, with “Be Not Dismayed,” “The Spirit, Alive,” and “Setting Fire to the Sky” starting with a chuggy opening riff (usually the best part) and slowly morphing into a generic metalcore song. Each features the typical swing back and forth between core-style screaming and harmonized clean choruses that feel hamfisted, with generically uplifting lyrics like “Be not dismayed and carry this torch forward.” The album lacks the flourishes of URNE’s past two releases, and rarely do songs deviate from their repetitive structures.
Setting Fire to the Sky isn’t all disappointing. As previously mentioned, the production is great, and James Cook’s snare sounds wonderful throughout. While formulaic, the album is full of riffs that will at least get you headbanging, even if they are without pathos. “The Ancient Horizon” is an album highlight, featuring a massive lead and a sound worthy of its title while avoiding the pitfalls of the metalcore hole URNE has crawled into. Album closer “Nocturnal Forms” falls on the good side of Mastodon worship, with a chorus that feels like something off Emperor of Sand. A few features appear on the album, like the aforementioned “Harken the Waves” with Troy Sanders. A song that feels somewhat comical given Joe Nally’s clear worship of Sander’s iconic style, making for a feature that feels obligatory but not complementary. The second, “Breathe” with Jo Quail, goes nowhere. An overly sappy tune with bland cleans and cringe lyrics like “I saw the world, before the world saw me.” Neither feature feels necessary, and with the latter, you have a track that could be cut altogether.
I had high expectations, but Setting Fire to the Sky failed to meet them at every turn. The band’s sound changed in a way that many metal fans are familiar with. More generic music, more radio-friendly songs, more clean singing, all the things that make longtime metal fans cringe and flip on a group. While I foresee this album ending up all over year-end lists on the normie sites, this record is a shadow of the band’s clear inspirations and shows a group that should return to what made them stand out in the first place. At least the album artwork is gorgeous.
Rating: Mixed
#25 #2026 #Gojira #Hardcore #Jan26 #Mastodon #Metalcore #Review #Reviews #SettingFireToTheSky #Spinefarm #UKMetal #Urne
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream :(
Label: Spinefarm
Websites: urneofficial.com | instagram.com/urneband
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
URNE – Setting Fire to the Sky Review By Lavender Larcenist
The evolution of a band is a fickle thing. Change too much, and you alienate those who started the journey with you; change too little and bore listeners over time, leaving only ardent fans of the sound. URNE, a London three-piece with close ties to Gojira and Mastodon, has already shown a surprising amount of reformation by their third release, Setting Fire to the Sky. The band’s debut, SERPENT & SPIRIT, was a hard-edged mix of post-hardcore, sweeping grooves, and raw vocals, with a little bit of sludge thrown into their clean-singing. Their sophomore album refined the sound and felt like a logical evolution, even with a few missteps (especially on the production side). Setting Fire to the Sky fixes some of these issues and sees the band streamline their songs, but not all change is good. Instead of crawling into a chrysalis and emerging as a flying beauty, they slither out as something more akin to a leech, spilling out of their cocoon and siphoning other bands’ sounds to a fault.
URNE serves up nearly fifty minutes of Mastodon-infused metalcore on Setting Fire to the Sky. Yes, you read that correctly. Nothing on their third album feels reminiscent of the classic-rock-infused, post-hardcore sludge on their debut, or the post-metal epics on A Feast on Sorrow. Instead, their latest is stuffed with songs that, while expertly played and produced, feel soulless. Joe Nally sounds like a different singer at this point. While his clean singing is infinitely more competent, it sounds too similar to Mastodon’s Troy Sanders. Nally’s basswork fares better, and he manhandles the frets along Angus Neyra’s thrashy riffs and James Cook’s punchy drumming. The trio sounds great, and their work has been honed like a razor, likely due to their time alongside massive acts like Gojira and Mastodon, but they lack the creative bend of either. Setting Fire to the Sky feels meant to cast a wide net, playing arenas and the radio, but leaving much of the spirit (heh) that was present on SPIRIT & SERPENT to wither.
Expectations hurt URNE on Setting Fire to the Sky. After A Feast on Sorrow, I saw a band poised for their best work yet. URNE’s latest shows a tighter band playing well, and the production is much better than their last outing, but nearly every other facet feels weaker. Songs quickly grow formulaic and repetitive, with “Be Not Dismayed,” “The Spirit, Alive,” and “Setting Fire to the Sky” starting with a chuggy opening riff (usually the best part) and slowly morphing into a generic metalcore song. Each features the typical swing back and forth between core-style screaming and harmonized clean choruses that feel hamfisted, with generically uplifting lyrics like “Be not dismayed and carry this torch forward.” The album lacks the flourishes of URNE’s past two releases, and rarely do songs deviate from their repetitive structures.
Setting Fire to the Sky isn’t all disappointing. As previously mentioned, the production is great, and James Cook’s snare sounds wonderful throughout. While formulaic, the album is full of riffs that will at least get you headbanging, even if they are without pathos. “The Ancient Horizon” is an album highlight, featuring a massive lead and a sound worthy of its title while avoiding the pitfalls of the metalcore hole URNE has crawled into. Album closer “Nocturnal Forms” falls on the good side of Mastodon worship, with a chorus that feels like something off Emperor of Sand. A few features appear on the album, like the aforementioned “Harken the Waves” with Troy Sanders. A song that feels somewhat comical given Joe Nally’s clear worship of Sander’s iconic style, making for a feature that feels obligatory but not complementary. The second, “Breathe” with Jo Quail, goes nowhere. An overly sappy tune with bland cleans and cringe lyrics like “I saw the world, before the world saw me.” Neither feature feels necessary, and with the latter, you have a track that could be cut altogether.
I had high expectations, but Setting Fire to the Sky failed to meet them at every turn. The band’s sound changed in a way that many metal fans are familiar with. More generic music, more radio-friendly songs, more clean singing, all the things that make longtime metal fans cringe and flip on a group. While I foresee this album ending up all over year-end lists on the normie sites, this record is a shadow of the band’s clear inspirations and shows a group that should return to what made them stand out in the first place. At least the album artwork is gorgeous.
Rating: Mixed
#25 #2026 #Gojira #Hardcore #Jan26 #Mastodon #Metalcore #Review #Reviews #SettingFireToTheSky #Spinefarm #UKMetal #Urne
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream :(
Label: Spinefarm
Websites: urneofficial.com | instagram.com/urneband
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
URNE – Setting Fire to the Sky Review By Lavender Larcenist
The evolution of a band is a fickle thing. Change too much, and you alienate those who started the journey with you; change too little and bore listeners over time, leaving only ardent fans of the sound. URNE, a London three-piece with close ties to Gojira and Mastodon, has already shown a surprising amount of reformation by their third release, Setting Fire to the Sky. The band’s debut, SERPENT & SPIRIT, was a hard-edged mix of post-hardcore, sweeping grooves, and raw vocals, with a little bit of sludge thrown into their clean-singing. Their sophomore album refined the sound and felt like a logical evolution, even with a few missteps (especially on the production side). Setting Fire to the Sky fixes some of these issues and sees the band streamline their songs, but not all change is good. Instead of crawling into a chrysalis and emerging as a flying beauty, they slither out as something more akin to a leech, spilling out of their cocoon and siphoning other bands’ sounds to a fault.
URNE serves up nearly fifty minutes of Mastodon-infused metalcore on Setting Fire to the Sky. Yes, you read that correctly. Nothing on their third album feels reminiscent of the classic-rock-infused, post-hardcore sludge on their debut, or the post-metal epics on A Feast on Sorrow. Instead, their latest is stuffed with songs that, while expertly played and produced, feel soulless. Joe Nally sounds like a different singer at this point. While his clean singing is infinitely more competent, it sounds too similar to Mastodon’s Troy Sanders. Nally’s basswork fares better, and he manhandles the frets along Angus Neyra’s thrashy riffs and James Cook’s punchy drumming. The trio sounds great, and their work has been honed like a razor, likely due to their time alongside massive acts like Gojira and Mastodon, but they lack the creative bend of either. Setting Fire to the Sky feels meant to cast a wide net, playing arenas and the radio, but leaving much of the spirit (heh) that was present on SPIRIT & SERPENT to wither.
Expectations hurt URNE on Setting Fire to the Sky. After A Feast on Sorrow, I saw a band poised for their best work yet. URNE’s latest shows a tighter band playing well, and the production is much better than their last outing, but nearly every other facet feels weaker. Songs quickly grow formulaic and repetitive, with “Be Not Dismayed,” “The Spirit, Alive,” and “Setting Fire to the Sky” starting with a chuggy opening riff (usually the best part) and slowly morphing into a generic metalcore song. Each features the typical swing back and forth between core-style screaming and harmonized clean choruses that feel hamfisted, with generically uplifting lyrics like “Be not dismayed and carry this torch forward.” The album lacks the flourishes of URNE’s past two releases, and rarely do songs deviate from their repetitive structures.
Setting Fire to the Sky isn’t all disappointing. As previously mentioned, the production is great, and James Cook’s snare sounds wonderful throughout. While formulaic, the album is full of riffs that will at least get you headbanging, even if they are without pathos. “The Ancient Horizon” is an album highlight, featuring a massive lead and a sound worthy of its title while avoiding the pitfalls of the metalcore hole URNE has crawled into. Album closer “Nocturnal Forms” falls on the good side of Mastodon worship, with a chorus that feels like something off Emperor of Sand. A few features appear on the album, like the aforementioned “Harken the Waves” with Troy Sanders. A song that feels somewhat comical given Joe Nally’s clear worship of Sander’s iconic style, making for a feature that feels obligatory but not complementary. The second, “Breathe” with Jo Quail, goes nowhere. An overly sappy tune with bland cleans and cringe lyrics like “I saw the world, before the world saw me.” Neither feature feels necessary, and with the latter, you have a track that could be cut altogether.
I had high expectations, but Setting Fire to the Sky failed to meet them at every turn. The band’s sound changed in a way that many metal fans are familiar with. More generic music, more radio-friendly songs, more clean singing, all the things that make longtime metal fans cringe and flip on a group. While I foresee this album ending up all over year-end lists on the normie sites, this record is a shadow of the band’s clear inspirations and shows a group that should return to what made them stand out in the first place. At least the album artwork is gorgeous.
Rating: Mixed
#25 #2026 #Gojira #Hardcore #Jan26 #Mastodon #Metalcore #Review #Reviews #SettingFireToTheSky #Spinefarm #UKMetal #Urne
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream :(
Label: Spinefarm
Websites: urneofficial.com | instagram.com/urneband
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
URNE – Setting Fire to the Sky Review By Lavender Larcenist
The evolution of a band is a fickle thing. Change too much, and you alienate those who started the journey with you; change too little and bore listeners over time, leaving only ardent fans of the sound. URNE, a London three-piece with close ties to Gojira and Mastodon, has already shown a surprising amount of reformation by their third release, Setting Fire to the Sky. The band’s debut, SERPENT & SPIRIT, was a hard-edged mix of post-hardcore, sweeping grooves, and raw vocals, with a little bit of sludge thrown into their clean-singing. Their sophomore album refined the sound and felt like a logical evolution, even with a few missteps (especially on the production side). Setting Fire to the Sky fixes some of these issues and sees the band streamline their songs, but not all change is good. Instead of crawling into a chrysalis and emerging as a flying beauty, they slither out as something more akin to a leech, spilling out of their cocoon and siphoning other bands’ sounds to a fault.
URNE serves up nearly fifty minutes of Mastodon-infused metalcore on Setting Fire to the Sky. Yes, you read that correctly. Nothing on their third album feels reminiscent of the classic-rock-infused, post-hardcore sludge on their debut, or the post-metal epics on A Feast on Sorrow. Instead, their latest is stuffed with songs that, while expertly played and produced, feel soulless. Joe Nally sounds like a different singer at this point. While his clean singing is infinitely more competent, it sounds too similar to Mastodon’s Troy Sanders. Nally’s basswork fares better, and he manhandles the frets along Angus Neyra’s thrashy riffs and James Cook’s punchy drumming. The trio sounds great, and their work has been honed like a razor, likely due to their time alongside massive acts like Gojira and Mastodon, but they lack the creative bend of either. Setting Fire to the Sky feels meant to cast a wide net, playing arenas and the radio, but leaving much of the spirit (heh) that was present on SPIRIT & SERPENT to wither.
Expectations hurt URNE on Setting Fire to the Sky. After A Feast on Sorrow, I saw a band poised for their best work yet. URNE’s latest shows a tighter band playing well, and the production is much better than their last outing, but nearly every other facet feels weaker. Songs quickly grow formulaic and repetitive, with “Be Not Dismayed,” “The Spirit, Alive,” and “Setting Fire to the Sky” starting with a chuggy opening riff (usually the best part) and slowly morphing into a generic metalcore song. Each features the typical swing back and forth between core-style screaming and harmonized clean choruses that feel hamfisted, with generically uplifting lyrics like “Be not dismayed and carry this torch forward.” The album lacks the flourishes of URNE’s past two releases, and rarely do songs deviate from their repetitive structures.
Setting Fire to the Sky isn’t all disappointing. As previously mentioned, the production is great, and James Cook’s snare sounds wonderful throughout. While formulaic, the album is full of riffs that will at least get you headbanging, even if they are without pathos. “The Ancient Horizon” is an album highlight, featuring a massive lead and a sound worthy of its title while avoiding the pitfalls of the metalcore hole URNE has crawled into. Album closer “Nocturnal Forms” falls on the good side of Mastodon worship, with a chorus that feels like something off Emperor of Sand. A few features appear on the album, like the aforementioned “Harken the Waves” with Troy Sanders. A song that feels somewhat comical given Joe Nally’s clear worship of Sander’s iconic style, making for a feature that feels obligatory but not complementary. The second, “Breathe” with Jo Quail, goes nowhere. An overly sappy tune with bland cleans and cringe lyrics like “I saw the world, before the world saw me.” Neither feature feels necessary, and with the latter, you have a track that could be cut altogether.
I had high expectations, but Setting Fire to the Sky failed to meet them at every turn. The band’s sound changed in a way that many metal fans are familiar with. More generic music, more radio-friendly songs, more clean singing, all the things that make longtime metal fans cringe and flip on a group. While I foresee this album ending up all over year-end lists on the normie sites, this record is a shadow of the band’s clear inspirations and shows a group that should return to what made them stand out in the first place. At least the album artwork is gorgeous.
Rating: Mixed
#25 #2026 #Gojira #Hardcore #Jan26 #Mastodon #Metalcore #Review #Reviews #SettingFireToTheSky #Spinefarm #UKMetal #Urne
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream :(
Label: Spinefarm
Websites: urneofficial.com | instagram.com/urneband
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026 -
Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly Review By Grin Reaper
Carrion Vael has cultivated an admirably consistent release schedule since dropping Resurrection of the Doomed in 2017. After unleashing follow-up God Killer in 2020, the Richmond, Indiana quintet has delivered big, veiny doses of muscular, technical melodeath every other year. Slay Utterly is Carrion Vael’s fifth load of unfettered aggression, slinging riffs that sparkle and crush in whiplashing frenzies. Though not explicitly billed as a concept album, Slay Utterly delves into tales morbid and macabre. Each track describes a different serial killer, with songs exploring the perspectives of both killers and their victims. It’s a brutal conceit, and with it Carrion Vael bum-rushes into 2026 with ambitions of aural beatdowns that’ll leave your ears bleeding. With five albums in fewer than ten years, does Carrion Vael have the stamina to keep slaying, or would they benefit from more premeditation?
Looking back over the last three albums, Carrion Vael strikes me as a band trying out different personas. Abhorrent Obsessions revels in technicality, reminding me of Exocrine and Psycroptic, while Cannibals Anonymous dabbles with deathcore along with adding a hearty helping of clean vocals. Overall, Carrion Vael embodies the violent onslaught of The Black Dahlia Murder and merges it with the melodic agility of Allegaeon, crafting an influence-laced affair with staunch sonic keystones. The clean and harsh vocal trade-offs throughout Slay Utterly serve as a clever nod to the killer/victim subject matter, expanding on the melodic phrasing from Cannibals. Meanwhile, understated orchestrations occasionally sneak in, unlocking an intricate audio arena that ranges from bludgeoning to grandiose and bracing Carrion Vael for their next evolution.
Carrion Vael scintillates with battering virtuosity on Slay Utterly, continuing both the technical guile from Abhorrent Obsessions and the savage euphony of Cannibals Anonymous. Guitarists Trenton Limburg and Ryan Kurder strut up and down the fretboard like cocks of the walk, ejecting molten melodies and solos with wicked exuberance. “Truth or Consequences” features choice six-string moments, opening with a stripped-back, Spanish-style acoustic jaunt and unleashing a nifty harmonized solo towards the end. In the meantime, human metronome Matt Boehner bashes his kit to smithereens, rarely relenting in his unyielding kicks and bionically smooth fills. On the vocal front, Travis Lawson Purcell roars, croons, and bellows in an inspired exhibition of versatility, with “1912” demonstrating his strong cleans as well as rapid-fire stylings that recall Archspire. Throughout, subtle swells of strings (“19(fucking)78”, “Black Chariot”) expand on a burgeoning dimension of Carrion Vael’s already overflowing arsenal.
Despite Carrion Vael doing so much right, a few weak links undercut what Slay Utterly could be. Given the complex layers populating this lush soundscape, it craves room to breathe. Instead, Slay Utterly nearly asphyxiates for lack of dynamic range, with Alex Arford’s bass the most immediate casualty in the loudness war.1 Listening in my car or through my computer speakers dampens the experience because of how crushed everything sounds, which I loathe because of the fabulous passion present. My headphones present an improved experience, but not by much. Influences also restrict Carrion Vael’s identity, where some tracks sound like mashups of other bands rather than an original, cohesive personality. While “40 Echoes upon the Parlor” separates itself by dexterously blending hyper-speed guitars, harsh and clean vocals, and supporting orchestrations, adopting this modality across all tracks would further buoy Slay Utterly. Lastly, I wish there were more obvious musical cues that coincided with the album’s theme. I listened to it ten times before I read the promo blurb about serial killers and their victims, but even knowing that, nothing stands out to connect the songs with their inspirations. Leaning into the concept more would have helped the album attain loftier heights.
Ultimately, Slay Utterly leaves me torn of heart and eardrum. Carrion Vael delivers a fun album that I would revisit more if the production leaned toward organic and rich rather than bricked and over-compressed. Despite that, these Hoosiers have constructed a burly forty-two minutes that sizzle with enough slick riffcraft to justify at least one spin. Knowing what aural atrocities Carrion Vael is capable of committing, I hope their next platter saunters in with a better production and more hooks to kill.
Rating: Good
#2026 #30 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Archspire #CarrionVael #Exocrine #Jan26 #MelodicDeathMetal #Psycroptic #Review #Reviews #SlayUtterly #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #UniqueLeaderRecords
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp23 | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 16th, 2026 -
Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly Review By Grin Reaper
Carrion Vael has cultivated an admirably consistent release schedule since dropping Resurrection of the Doomed in 2017. After unleashing follow-up God Killer in 2020, the Richmond, Indiana quintet has delivered big, veiny doses of muscular, technical melodeath every other year. Slay Utterly is Carrion Vael’s fifth load of unfettered aggression, slinging riffs that sparkle and crush in whiplashing frenzies. Though not explicitly billed as a concept album, Slay Utterly delves into tales morbid and macabre. Each track describes a different serial killer, with songs exploring the perspectives of both killers and their victims. It’s a brutal conceit, and with it Carrion Vael bum-rushes into 2026 with ambitions of aural beatdowns that’ll leave your ears bleeding. With five albums in fewer than ten years, does Carrion Vael have the stamina to keep slaying, or would they benefit from more premeditation?
Looking back over the last three albums, Carrion Vael strikes me as a band trying out different personas. Abhorrent Obsessions revels in technicality, reminding me of Exocrine and Psycroptic, while Cannibals Anonymous dabbles with deathcore along with adding a hearty helping of clean vocals. Overall, Carrion Vael embodies the violent onslaught of The Black Dahlia Murder and merges it with the melodic agility of Allegaeon, crafting an influence-laced affair with staunch sonic keystones. The clean and harsh vocal trade-offs throughout Slay Utterly serve as a clever nod to the killer/victim subject matter, expanding on the melodic phrasing from Cannibals. Meanwhile, understated orchestrations occasionally sneak in, unlocking an intricate audio arena that ranges from bludgeoning to grandiose and bracing Carrion Vael for their next evolution.
Carrion Vael scintillates with battering virtuosity on Slay Utterly, continuing both the technical guile from Abhorrent Obsessions and the savage euphony of Cannibals Anonymous. Guitarists Trenton Limburg and Ryan Kurder strut up and down the fretboard like cocks of the walk, ejecting molten melodies and solos with wicked exuberance. “Truth or Consequences” features choice six-string moments, opening with a stripped-back, Spanish-style acoustic jaunt and unleashing a nifty harmonized solo towards the end. In the meantime, human metronome Matt Boehner bashes his kit to smithereens, rarely relenting in his unyielding kicks and bionically smooth fills. On the vocal front, Travis Lawson Purcell roars, croons, and bellows in an inspired exhibition of versatility, with “1912” demonstrating his strong cleans as well as rapid-fire stylings that recall Archspire. Throughout, subtle swells of strings (“19(fucking)78”, “Black Chariot”) expand on a burgeoning dimension of Carrion Vael’s already overflowing arsenal.
Despite Carrion Vael doing so much right, a few weak links undercut what Slay Utterly could be. Given the complex layers populating this lush soundscape, it craves room to breathe. Instead, Slay Utterly nearly asphyxiates for lack of dynamic range, with Alex Arford’s bass the most immediate casualty in the loudness war.1 Listening in my car or through my computer speakers dampens the experience because of how crushed everything sounds, which I loathe because of the fabulous passion present. My headphones present an improved experience, but not by much. Influences also restrict Carrion Vael’s identity, where some tracks sound like mashups of other bands rather than an original, cohesive personality. While “40 Echoes upon the Parlor” separates itself by dexterously blending hyper-speed guitars, harsh and clean vocals, and supporting orchestrations, adopting this modality across all tracks would further buoy Slay Utterly. Lastly, I wish there were more obvious musical cues that coincided with the album’s theme. I listened to it ten times before I read the promo blurb about serial killers and their victims, but even knowing that, nothing stands out to connect the songs with their inspirations. Leaning into the concept more would have helped the album attain loftier heights.
Ultimately, Slay Utterly leaves me torn of heart and eardrum. Carrion Vael delivers a fun album that I would revisit more if the production leaned toward organic and rich rather than bricked and over-compressed. Despite that, these Hoosiers have constructed a burly forty-two minutes that sizzle with enough slick riffcraft to justify at least one spin. Knowing what aural atrocities Carrion Vael is capable of committing, I hope their next platter saunters in with a better production and more hooks to kill.
Rating: Good
#2026 #30 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Archspire #CarrionVael #Exocrine #Jan26 #MelodicDeathMetal #Psycroptic #Review #Reviews #SlayUtterly #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #UniqueLeaderRecords
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp23 | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 16th, 2026 -
Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly Review By Grin Reaper
Carrion Vael has cultivated an admirably consistent release schedule since dropping Resurrection of the Doomed in 2017. After unleashing follow-up God Killer in 2020, the Richmond, Indiana quintet has delivered big, veiny doses of muscular, technical melodeath every other year. Slay Utterly is Carrion Vael’s fifth load of unfettered aggression, slinging riffs that sparkle and crush in whiplashing frenzies. Though not explicitly billed as a concept album, Slay Utterly delves into tales morbid and macabre. Each track describes a different serial killer, with songs exploring the perspectives of both killers and their victims. It’s a brutal conceit, and with it Carrion Vael bum-rushes into 2026 with ambitions of aural beatdowns that’ll leave your ears bleeding. With five albums in fewer than ten years, does Carrion Vael have the stamina to keep slaying, or would they benefit from more premeditation?
Looking back over the last three albums, Carrion Vael strikes me as a band trying out different personas. Abhorrent Obsessions revels in technicality, reminding me of Exocrine and Psycroptic, while Cannibals Anonymous dabbles with deathcore along with adding a hearty helping of clean vocals. Overall, Carrion Vael embodies the violent onslaught of The Black Dahlia Murder and merges it with the melodic agility of Allegaeon, crafting an influence-laced affair with staunch sonic keystones. The clean and harsh vocal trade-offs throughout Slay Utterly serve as a clever nod to the killer/victim subject matter, expanding on the melodic phrasing from Cannibals. Meanwhile, understated orchestrations occasionally sneak in, unlocking an intricate audio arena that ranges from bludgeoning to grandiose and bracing Carrion Vael for their next evolution.
Carrion Vael scintillates with battering virtuosity on Slay Utterly, continuing both the technical guile from Abhorrent Obsessions and the savage euphony of Cannibals Anonymous. Guitarists Trenton Limburg and Ryan Kurder strut up and down the fretboard like cocks of the walk, ejecting molten melodies and solos with wicked exuberance. “Truth or Consequences” features choice six-string moments, opening with a stripped-back, Spanish-style acoustic jaunt and unleashing a nifty harmonized solo towards the end. In the meantime, human metronome Matt Boehner bashes his kit to smithereens, rarely relenting in his unyielding kicks and bionically smooth fills. On the vocal front, Travis Lawson Purcell roars, croons, and bellows in an inspired exhibition of versatility, with “1912” demonstrating his strong cleans as well as rapid-fire stylings that recall Archspire. Throughout, subtle swells of strings (“19(fucking)78”, “Black Chariot”) expand on a burgeoning dimension of Carrion Vael’s already overflowing arsenal.
Despite Carrion Vael doing so much right, a few weak links undercut what Slay Utterly could be. Given the complex layers populating this lush soundscape, it craves room to breathe. Instead, Slay Utterly nearly asphyxiates for lack of dynamic range, with Alex Arford’s bass the most immediate casualty in the loudness war.1 Listening in my car or through my computer speakers dampens the experience because of how crushed everything sounds, which I loathe because of the fabulous passion present. My headphones present an improved experience, but not by much. Influences also restrict Carrion Vael’s identity, where some tracks sound like mashups of other bands rather than an original, cohesive personality. While “40 Echoes upon the Parlor” separates itself by dexterously blending hyper-speed guitars, harsh and clean vocals, and supporting orchestrations, adopting this modality across all tracks would further buoy Slay Utterly. Lastly, I wish there were more obvious musical cues that coincided with the album’s theme. I listened to it ten times before I read the promo blurb about serial killers and their victims, but even knowing that, nothing stands out to connect the songs with their inspirations. Leaning into the concept more would have helped the album attain loftier heights.
Ultimately, Slay Utterly leaves me torn of heart and eardrum. Carrion Vael delivers a fun album that I would revisit more if the production leaned toward organic and rich rather than bricked and over-compressed. Despite that, these Hoosiers have constructed a burly forty-two minutes that sizzle with enough slick riffcraft to justify at least one spin. Knowing what aural atrocities Carrion Vael is capable of committing, I hope their next platter saunters in with a better production and more hooks to kill.
Rating: Good
#2026 #30 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Archspire #CarrionVael #Exocrine #Jan26 #MelodicDeathMetal #Psycroptic #Review #Reviews #SlayUtterly #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #UniqueLeaderRecords
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp23 | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 16th, 2026 -
Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly Review By Grin Reaper
Carrion Vael has cultivated an admirably consistent release schedule since dropping Resurrection of the Doomed in 2017. After unleashing follow-up God Killer in 2020, the Richmond, Indiana quintet has delivered big, veiny doses of muscular, technical melodeath every other year. Slay Utterly is Carrion Vael’s fifth load of unfettered aggression, slinging riffs that sparkle and crush in whiplashing frenzies. Though not explicitly billed as a concept album, Slay Utterly delves into tales morbid and macabre. Each track describes a different serial killer, with songs exploring the perspectives of both killers and their victims. It’s a brutal conceit, and with it Carrion Vael bum-rushes into 2026 with ambitions of aural beatdowns that’ll leave your ears bleeding. With five albums in fewer than ten years, does Carrion Vael have the stamina to keep slaying, or would they benefit from more premeditation?
Looking back over the last three albums, Carrion Vael strikes me as a band trying out different personas. Abhorrent Obsessions revels in technicality, reminding me of Exocrine and Psycroptic, while Cannibals Anonymous dabbles with deathcore along with adding a hearty helping of clean vocals. Overall, Carrion Vael embodies the violent onslaught of The Black Dahlia Murder and merges it with the melodic agility of Allegaeon, crafting an influence-laced affair with staunch sonic keystones. The clean and harsh vocal trade-offs throughout Slay Utterly serve as a clever nod to the killer/victim subject matter, expanding on the melodic phrasing from Cannibals. Meanwhile, understated orchestrations occasionally sneak in, unlocking an intricate audio arena that ranges from bludgeoning to grandiose and bracing Carrion Vael for their next evolution.
Carrion Vael scintillates with battering virtuosity on Slay Utterly, continuing both the technical guile from Abhorrent Obsessions and the savage euphony of Cannibals Anonymous. Guitarists Trenton Limburg and Ryan Kurder strut up and down the fretboard like cocks of the walk, ejecting molten melodies and solos with wicked exuberance. “Truth or Consequences” features choice six-string moments, opening with a stripped-back, Spanish-style acoustic jaunt and unleashing a nifty harmonized solo towards the end. In the meantime, human metronome Matt Boehner bashes his kit to smithereens, rarely relenting in his unyielding kicks and bionically smooth fills. On the vocal front, Travis Lawson Purcell roars, croons, and bellows in an inspired exhibition of versatility, with “1912” demonstrating his strong cleans as well as rapid-fire stylings that recall Archspire. Throughout, subtle swells of strings (“19(fucking)78”, “Black Chariot”) expand on a burgeoning dimension of Carrion Vael’s already overflowing arsenal.
Despite Carrion Vael doing so much right, a few weak links undercut what Slay Utterly could be. Given the complex layers populating this lush soundscape, it craves room to breathe. Instead, Slay Utterly nearly asphyxiates for lack of dynamic range, with Alex Arford’s bass the most immediate casualty in the loudness war.1 Listening in my car or through my computer speakers dampens the experience because of how crushed everything sounds, which I loathe because of the fabulous passion present. My headphones present an improved experience, but not by much. Influences also restrict Carrion Vael’s identity, where some tracks sound like mashups of other bands rather than an original, cohesive personality. While “40 Echoes upon the Parlor” separates itself by dexterously blending hyper-speed guitars, harsh and clean vocals, and supporting orchestrations, adopting this modality across all tracks would further buoy Slay Utterly. Lastly, I wish there were more obvious musical cues that coincided with the album’s theme. I listened to it ten times before I read the promo blurb about serial killers and their victims, but even knowing that, nothing stands out to connect the songs with their inspirations. Leaning into the concept more would have helped the album attain loftier heights.
Ultimately, Slay Utterly leaves me torn of heart and eardrum. Carrion Vael delivers a fun album that I would revisit more if the production leaned toward organic and rich rather than bricked and over-compressed. Despite that, these Hoosiers have constructed a burly forty-two minutes that sizzle with enough slick riffcraft to justify at least one spin. Knowing what aural atrocities Carrion Vael is capable of committing, I hope their next platter saunters in with a better production and more hooks to kill.
Rating: Good
#2026 #30 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Archspire #CarrionVael #Exocrine #Jan26 #MelodicDeathMetal #Psycroptic #Review #Reviews #SlayUtterly #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #UniqueLeaderRecords
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp23 | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 16th, 2026 -
Carrion Vael – Slay Utterly Review By Grin Reaper
Carrion Vael has cultivated an admirably consistent release schedule since dropping Resurrection of the Doomed in 2017. After unleashing follow-up God Killer in 2020, the Richmond, Indiana quintet has delivered big, veiny doses of muscular, technical melodeath every other year. Slay Utterly is Carrion Vael’s fifth load of unfettered aggression, slinging riffs that sparkle and crush in whiplashing frenzies. Though not explicitly billed as a concept album, Slay Utterly delves into tales morbid and macabre. Each track describes a different serial killer, with songs exploring the perspectives of both killers and their victims. It’s a brutal conceit, and with it Carrion Vael bum-rushes into 2026 with ambitions of aural beatdowns that’ll leave your ears bleeding. With five albums in fewer than ten years, does Carrion Vael have the stamina to keep slaying, or would they benefit from more premeditation?
Looking back over the last three albums, Carrion Vael strikes me as a band trying out different personas. Abhorrent Obsessions revels in technicality, reminding me of Exocrine and Psycroptic, while Cannibals Anonymous dabbles with deathcore along with adding a hearty helping of clean vocals. Overall, Carrion Vael embodies the violent onslaught of The Black Dahlia Murder and merges it with the melodic agility of Allegaeon, crafting an influence-laced affair with staunch sonic keystones. The clean and harsh vocal trade-offs throughout Slay Utterly serve as a clever nod to the killer/victim subject matter, expanding on the melodic phrasing from Cannibals. Meanwhile, understated orchestrations occasionally sneak in, unlocking an intricate audio arena that ranges from bludgeoning to grandiose and bracing Carrion Vael for their next evolution.
Carrion Vael scintillates with battering virtuosity on Slay Utterly, continuing both the technical guile from Abhorrent Obsessions and the savage euphony of Cannibals Anonymous. Guitarists Trenton Limburg and Ryan Kurder strut up and down the fretboard like cocks of the walk, ejecting molten melodies and solos with wicked exuberance. “Truth or Consequences” features choice six-string moments, opening with a stripped-back, Spanish-style acoustic jaunt and unleashing a nifty harmonized solo towards the end. In the meantime, human metronome Matt Boehner bashes his kit to smithereens, rarely relenting in his unyielding kicks and bionically smooth fills. On the vocal front, Travis Lawson Purcell roars, croons, and bellows in an inspired exhibition of versatility, with “1912” demonstrating his strong cleans as well as rapid-fire stylings that recall Archspire. Throughout, subtle swells of strings (“19(fucking)78”, “Black Chariot”) expand on a burgeoning dimension of Carrion Vael’s already overflowing arsenal.
Despite Carrion Vael doing so much right, a few weak links undercut what Slay Utterly could be. Given the complex layers populating this lush soundscape, it craves room to breathe. Instead, Slay Utterly nearly asphyxiates for lack of dynamic range, with Alex Arford’s bass the most immediate casualty in the loudness war.1 Listening in my car or through my computer speakers dampens the experience because of how crushed everything sounds, which I loathe because of the fabulous passion present. My headphones present an improved experience, but not by much. Influences also restrict Carrion Vael’s identity, where some tracks sound like mashups of other bands rather than an original, cohesive personality. While “40 Echoes upon the Parlor” separates itself by dexterously blending hyper-speed guitars, harsh and clean vocals, and supporting orchestrations, adopting this modality across all tracks would further buoy Slay Utterly. Lastly, I wish there were more obvious musical cues that coincided with the album’s theme. I listened to it ten times before I read the promo blurb about serial killers and their victims, but even knowing that, nothing stands out to connect the songs with their inspirations. Leaning into the concept more would have helped the album attain loftier heights.
Ultimately, Slay Utterly leaves me torn of heart and eardrum. Carrion Vael delivers a fun album that I would revisit more if the production leaned toward organic and rich rather than bricked and over-compressed. Despite that, these Hoosiers have constructed a burly forty-two minutes that sizzle with enough slick riffcraft to justify at least one spin. Knowing what aural atrocities Carrion Vael is capable of committing, I hope their next platter saunters in with a better production and more hooks to kill.
Rating: Good
#2026 #30 #Allegaeon #AmericanMetal #Archspire #CarrionVael #Exocrine #Jan26 #MelodicDeathMetal #Psycroptic #Review #Reviews #SlayUtterly #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #UniqueLeaderRecords
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp23 | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 16th, 2026 -
Dragon Skull – Chaos Fire Vengeance [Things You Might Have Missed 2025]
By Baguette of Bodom
Greece is a surprising hotbed for power metal-adjacent sounds, providing recent gems such as Sunburst last year and Sacred Outcry’s 2023 masterpiece.1 Dragon Skull is a newcomer to these fields of glory, introducing their burly heavy/power style on their promising self-titled EP as recently as 2022. Now, three years later, they were finally ready to unleash their debut Chaos Fire Vengeance on the world. And oh my, what an entrance it is.
Dragon Skull know how to riff like hell and craft anthemic, cataclysmically heavy tunes. In addition to the fist-pumping Manowar feel the band is going for (“Brethren,” “Skull Crusher”), the songwriting is further guided by the spirit of German power metal, something like Brainstorm further reinforced with later Blind Guardian bombast (“Nampat,” “Blood and Souls”). But what makes the instrumentation incendiary is how guitarists Panos Wallach and Chris Brintzikis take influence from several directions at once. This guarantees plenty of variety through the album’s eight tracks, ranging from the dual-harmonized NWoBHM of “Brethren” to the melodeath/meloblack-informed tremolos on “Shield Maiden.” To top it all off, the pummeling war drums of Teo Stamatiadis and gargantuan vocals of Aris Labos lend maximum grit to an already muscular record.
Chaos Fire Vengeance offers a refreshing mixture of ’80s heavy metal and ’00s power metal. Slower, anthemic annihilation is counterpointed by thunderous fury, often during the same song (“Dragon Riders,” Shield Maiden”). The extra melodic death metal DNA brings with it a welcome burst of harsh vocals as well (“War Drums,” “Skeleton Hand”), and the way it all gels effortlessly is impressive. Despite the amount of various elements and influences in the album, the end result is deceivingly simple and effective. It makes Dragon Skull’s style stand out in a similar way Triumpher’s shtick does, but the increased mass and grit of Chaos Fire Vengeance improves the formula from good to face-melting. Though the first half of the album is already potent, the second half is where the band’s ambitions are fully realized. The hooks in “Nampat” and “Skeleton Hand” are immense, and the gargantuan epic “Blood and Souls” is a serious Song o’ the Year contender. I mean, how can you not love a song with Elric and Tanelorn-themed lyrical homages to Cirith Ungol and Blind Guardian?2
Dragon Skull is single-handedly carrying the power metal torch this year. Sure, it might be more heavy/power, but who’s counting? The songwriting is superbly anthemic, and the band knocked it out of the park on their first try in 42 brief minutes. I’ve had some trouble getting all my writing done late in the year for countless reasons, and this album in particular felt difficult to write deeper analysis for. But maybe it’s not necessary. After all, what is a TYMHM but a long-winded way to say “this album rocks, go check it out?” Sometimes it’s just better to keep things short and simple, and all Chaos Fire Vengeance needs is a damn strong barrage of eight massive tunes. Better yet, it’s a brilliant blueprint Dragon Skull can use to further refine their songcraft.
Tracks to Check Out: “Nampat,” “Skeleton Hand,” and “Blood and Souls.”
#2025 #BlindGuardian #Brainstorm #ChaosFireVengeance #CirithUngol #DragonSkull #EpicHeavyMetal #GreekMetal #HeavyMetal #Manowar #PowerMetal #SacredOutcry #SelfReleased #Sunburst #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #Triumpher #TYMHM