It’s going to be a while before cold winds return to destroy summer, when spookier tales come back into focus for so many people. For others, those visions always are in their heads, swimming through their bloodstreams, coming out in their art. The three members of Hoaxed very much seem like those type of people.

Their second record “Death Knocks” feels like it’s trying to be a serial monster-of-the-week adventure, and over these nine songs, the band—vocalist/guitarist Kat Keo, bassist/vocalist April Dimmick, drummer Kim Coffel—puts forth an effort that is as thought-provoking musically and is it visually. It gives a little something extra than most records you’ll hear, and their dark rock that veers ever so closely to metal sounds more realized than what’s on their debut and constantly keeps you engaged.

“Where the Seas Fall Silent” starts with a creaking ship, waves lashing, and then the adventure opens, the singing soaring, and a sweltering fog hanging over driving guitars. The bass prowls as harsh cries belt, the storm and thunder subsiding. “Kill Switch” chugs, the vocals feeling more hushed but direct, guitars scathing. “Here they come again,” Keo howls as bass plods, and then she continues with, “Out here, everything hurts, everything’s poison,” all musical elements swirling away. “Promised to Me” has darker leads, the melodies pulling back a bit, shadowy singing blending with the atmosphere. The pace builds up and numbs, strong singing whipping, burning into the clouds. “The Fallen” opens with battle cries, a synth glaze blinding, the signing pushing as the temperatures scorch. The drums rumble as the chorus rushes, hitting harder as layered singing mesmerizes, slipping into psyches.

“Looking Glass” is an interlude with synth and elegant sounds, fantastical playing sounding like a film score, moving into “Dead Ringer” that feels ashen at the start. The singing numbs as darkness grows thicker, a strong chorus adding muscle. Harmonized voices dash emotion as everything subsides to orchestral mist. “Wretched” has the bass galvanizing, the singing tingling nerve endings, the tempo growing tougher and more bruising. The band hits even harder, mashing as the drums pummel and wild cackling haunts. “The Family” is catchy and energetic, singing flooding and feeling more forceful, the chorus bursting with electricity. Blood pulses as the drums steady the attack, the guitars burning before disappearing into smoke. Closer “Killing Stone” has guitars flooding and the verses feeling jerky and fun. “Three knocks upon the stone, three knocks from a source unknown,” Keo wails, spilling spooky darkness into the room, the spirits rising and leaving this plane.

“Death Knocks” feels cinematic in a way that’s rough around the edges and constantly keeps you guessed both musically and thematically. Hoaxed are a tighter, more focused beast on record two, sounding even more confident and comfortable in this frame of mind. The promise they showed on their debut is feeling more realized on a record that can keep you engaged musically and visually.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.hoaxedband.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.relapse.com/collections/hoaxed-death-knocks

For more on the label, go here: https://www.relapse.com/

I had an experience right after the holidays that made me realize what a strange thing the passage of time really is. You live these chunks of years, grow, change, hopefully become a better version of yourself, and you don’t even realize. It also puts the future in more focus that the time from here to the end isn’t necessarily happening in a flash.

Listening to “Subglacial,” the fifth record from Ashbringer, made me think that. It felt like it was just yesterday their debut “Vacant” arrived, but in reality, it’s only been a decade. The six tracks on this album are noticeably less polished and also brimming with such primal emotion that it’s impossible to shake. The band—vocalist/guitarist/synth player Nick Stanger, guitarist/synth player/vocalist Jackson Catton, bassist Nathan Wallestad, drummer Andy Meyer—sounds like their most genuine version, the realization of a  journey they have been on that hits with atomic impact. That time has been well spent. By the way, this record is being released by Bolverk Collective, a label run by some of the folks from Brimming Horn Meadery in Milton, Del., a pretty great place you could drive by and miss.

“My Flesh Shows Its Weakness” opens with keys stretching, conjuring atmosphere before the stormfront explodes, riffs pounding as howls lash. Speed jets as the energy is daring and darting, guitars layering sheets of ice, and a rawness digging into your ribs, Stanger wailing, “Longing for release, my mind holds on, my flesh gives in.” “Waning Conviction” brings guitar ache and flexible howls, a rustic thread moving through the song’s heart, acoustics washing in before the shots echo. The tempo blisters as the wails peel back flesh, the guitars explore the skies, and colors explode in unpredictable forms. The title track opens with acoustics breezing, tranquil waters flowing as drums tap, stirring open and pouring lava. Fluid leads and furious cries unite, ripping with an acidic attack, later unloading steamy leads that leave thick condensation. The playing surges as the vocals wrench, the melodies flood, and final gusts lead to a woody ambiance.

“Fleeing into Portals” is moody and warm, organs gushing, guitars bubbling to the surface as the heat cracks through the crust. The emotion is thick enough to cut, sorrow floods the senses, and drums blister, the vocals echoing in the atmosphere, the intensity jolting before subsiding. “Send Him to the Lake” starts with bleary guitars before destroying, anger cresting, the vocals gutting as the guitars chug harder. The playing is volatile and even leans toward death territory, mashing as the pathway warps, icy danger piercing and ushering in a sense of psychedelics. Chaos erodes as the screams lash, the forceful recitation of the title pounds away, and everything comes to a smashing end. “Vessels” ends the record, sprawling and spreading delirium, a melodic, progressive push making heads spin. “I am not just my trauma, I am not just my scars,” Stanger wails, a sentiment that hits home, and that leads to a tidal wave of emotion, downright Rush-like basslines that thrill, and a fiery pulse at the end.

“Subglacial” sounds like a record that has Ashbringer’s time as a band imprinted in it deeply. The roots of their atmospheric black metal to the experimentation the last few years have congealed here, its raw sound also a testament to their journey. This is both a return to form and a refusal to adhere to any rules. As a result, it’s one of the more exciting Ashbringer releases in total, and it’s a bright light in the dark.

For more on the band, go here: https://ashbringermusic.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.bolverkcollective.com/ashbringer

For more on the label, go here: https://www.bolverkcollective.com/bolverk-records

Can you fucking believe this place? This country in which I and a lot of people live, is in fucking disarray. It would be funny if it wasn’t actual reality and people weren’t bleeding and dying in the street. There probably are going to be more intros like this as long as this activity lasts, so, you know. Just start with graph 2.

California-based crust maulers Arüspex are living in this hell as well, and while the music on “The Death Instinct” may not be inspired by the past few weeks, it has the volcanic reaction that this insanity deserves. Over nine hellacious tracks, the band (I cannot find a lineup anywhere) bulldozes through the forces of oppression, smothering with dashes of punk, hardcore, and metal, leaving no sonic stone unturned as they pave their own path of destruction toward justice.

“The Pyre” opens with drums rampaging, guitars surging, and beastly wails, punk fire making this thing go. Nasty fire spits as the fury hits a fevered pitch, blistering to the end. “Elegant Decay” is sooty and melodic, vicious, infernal energy sparking veins, melting into colder guitars that bring a freeze. Then the piece comes unglued, speed taking over and torching, riffs spewing urgency, and a finish that spirals out. “Wither” starts with punchy, catchy playing, howls scarring, the energy turning deeper toward hardcore. The vocals go off as the pace tramples, leaving everything under inches of smoldering ash. The title track blows through the doors, drums crashing, chilling guitars leaving shivers, the vocals tearing open congealing wounds. A breath of calm takes over as guitars swim through muck only to find detonation on the other end, blackness blasting through raspy wails and explosives that make the ground shake.

“In the Black” opens with a clip about global economic greed, and then it works into a hypnotic pace, the growls menacing, a sense of rawness reddening flesh. Guitars charge but also flow cleanly, the cries rippling over top, burning brightly. “The Only Constant” starts more calmly, but it isn’t long until the vocals are tearing through the earth, the bass thickening, and metallic bursts igniting and spitting cinders. The playing jolts as the pace grows more channeled, wails wrenching over an ashen ending. “Ask Your God” brings nasty guitars, wild cries, and the pace breaking apart the earth, stunning as drums punish. Leads glimmer as the bass tramples, the wails of, “We will get what we deserve!” resonating deep within the bones. “Modern Conditions” has the bass clobbering, punk energy driving, and heat hanging in the air. The tempo rips sanity apart, raspy howls make direct impact, and melodies trample, bringing this to a dusty end. Closer “Despair Is a Weapon” is electric and monstrous, bringing ferocity and active guitars, blazing a scorched trail. The playing races even harder as howls lash at muscles, the tempo uproots, and everything dissolves into a strange time warp.

Arüspex show no sonic mercy on “The Death Instinct,” an album that should jar awake anyone who somehow has slept through tyranny. Their crusty, deathy, punk-driven ferocity is infectious and volatile, which should be a warning sign to any who oppose them. This is an era that needs music as pissed off as many of us, and Arüspex deliver that with blood and fire.

For more on the band, go here: https://aruspexcrust.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://aruspexcrust.bandcamp.com/album/the-death-instinct

For more on the label, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/

Being high is a journey for me, and it typically only happens when I’m at home at night when I have time to venture in my head. If I put on a metal record and it takes me to relatively the same place mentally, that thing sticks with me. It’s not often I get that experience, maybe a handful of times a year, and it’s always powerful.

“From the Temple to the Grave” is Hieron’s first record, but right away it turned into fodder that provides a perfect escape. This isn’t the atmospheric cosmic stuff, which usually does the trick. Instead, it’s a little more straightforward from these nameless ghouls with a  miasma of nightmare mixed in to make the visions stain your psyche a little more effectively. The record is into a darkness so thick, you can never hope to see again. Its nature is to drive you through the layers of madness and into a reality unforeseen.

“Act 1: God’s Acre” whips in orchestrally before unleashing furious howls and a drilling force, the leads swelling and taking over. Brutal howls fire up a wintry front while a brief calm turns back into volcanic activity, roared words and boiling hell slamming the door closed. “Act 2: Reverence Lost” drives in, melodic blazes spreading, howls charring, the pace rushing harder as progress unnfurls. The ground rumbles as speed becomes a greater factor, electricity flowing and encircling, the drums mashing over a disorienting finish. “Act 3: Penetralia” starts with winds whipping, birds cawing, and then an eruption that tramples, howls washing over a storm front. Foggy echo immerses as vile howls and metallic might become a mightier foe, the intensity spiking over epic energy. Wails thicken as the playing buzzes, drums leave everything in the dust, and all elements rise for a blackened end. 

“Act 4: Forever Scorned” washes in liturgical organs, battle sounds clang in the background, and throaty cries attack as guitars swell. The tempo gets faster as the leads ignite and fire up fully, battering and bringing relentless pressure, finally choking out in fumes. “Act 5: Unholy Immolation” has a lacing pace and a melodic gush, the vocals strangling as the playing strengthens and rattles bones. The leads tangle as the heat grows unmanageable, burning and blasting, dashing strange colors across the horizon. Closer “Act 6: From the Temple to the Grave” brings a guitar gush and shrieks and growls mixing, an active pace keeping blood charging through veins. The playing turns forceful and catchy, a brief calm slipping into power reverberating, bells chiming, and strange chants icing your thrashing psyche.

“From the Temple to the Grave” is a pretty powerful debut for Hieron, one that takes familial black metal forms and injects their own spirit into the DNA. The madness and fury emanating from these tracks get inside you easily and transport you to experiencing a vortex with little to no hope that might mirror where we are now. This is a band on which to keep tabs as they seeps into black metal pools and continue to grow this beast from here.

For more on the band, go here: https://hieron.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here or for more on the label, go here: https://vendetta-records.bandcamp.com/

For as primitive and brutal death metal always has been deemed, and for good reason, it also is a really dexterous sound that bands have found ways to stretch like rubber. The creativity and ferocity have worked together as pretty decent partners, and it’s refreshing to know this sound has grown well past the swamps and graveyards.

Canadian death band Mors Verum haven’t been terribly consistent with recorded output since their inception more than a decade ago as they have a 2019 full-length and a couple EPs on their resume leading into 2026. They have returned with “Canvas,” a five-track EP that is their first release in five years, and it shows they have progressed into a different animal. The band—vocalist Lyndon, guitarist Kamble, bassist Spencer, drummer Greg—seems to have found a formula that works for them, and if they continue down this path, perhaps we can get more consistent output from them. It’s a promising step toward a richer future.

“Bloodied Teeth” opens blistering, guitars jarring as the howls scrape, stretchy and delirious playing muddying the waters. The pace explores before pummeling again, techy soot choking as it hammers away. “Your Apocalypse” chews and trudges, throaty growls hammering, shrieks taking over from there. Everything enters into a dreamy haze, the guitars going spacey as the vocals seize further control, the bass quivering before the veins begin to clog. Leads spread and then dart, the growls smearing, the guitars cutting through bone. “Serenade” rings out before guitars drill, guttural filth spewing, mauling intensity energizing the brawl. The conditions turn dry and zany, guitars tingling as the lead lines burn into a strange dose of psychedelia. The title track chugs, growls carve, and the guitars pulse, speed becoming a greater factor. Riffs spiral as the bass buzzes, prog fog rising and intoxicating, a haunting theremin acting as a phantom. Bruising power and dizzying chaos unite, guitars glistening and sweeping before burning out. “Mortal” closes things, darkness spreading as drums pulse, and the pace batters. Deathly thrashing bursts, the growls barring, dehydrated planes feeling properly storming, throaty wails choking hard, a manic run coming to a devastating end.

“Canvas” is an EP that doesn’t necessarily break new ground in progressive death metal, but it adds some different nuances that makes things more interesting. Mors Verum aren’t exactly awash in recorded material, and this is a slightly different direction, but it’s eye opening and seems to have found an interesting path. If the band is feeling this direction, keep with it and come up with a new full-length album. That’ll be telling.

For more on the band, go here: https://morsverum-label.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://morsverum-label.bandcamp.com/album/canvas

For more on the label, go here: https://transcendingobscurity.bandcamp.com/

It’s a metal site, and with that comes descriptions of music that makes it feel like your head might be coming off. And that’s part of the reason we’re here. Just as alluring can be heavy music that gets inside your pores, then into your veins, making you able to visualize the intent of the music. It suddenly makes you realize you’re elsewhere.

“Not Here Not Gone” is the perfect title for an album that steers you in and out of reality. It’s Blackwater Holylight’s fourth record and first in five years since 2021’s “Silence/Motion.” It enables you to get inside the psyche of the music and travel within its sonic pathways as they stretch out their own universe into something richer. The band—vocalist/guitarist/bassist Sunny Faris, bassist/guitarist Mikayla Mayhew, drummer Eliese Dorsay—got assists from former member Sarah McKenna (synths), as well as violinist Camille Getz, and that serves to make these songs more full bodied. Past records reminded more of dusty terrain while under the influence. This record puts more emphasis on the skygazing, staring deep into the stars and deepening the bleeding psychedelia.

“How Will You Feel” starts feeling gungy, the singing floating, keys glazing as the verses remain moody. The pace turns punchier as guitars gush into a melodic fog, Faris calling, “How will you live without me?” as the images fade. “Involuntary Haze” is dark and driving, singing lulling, the crunch feeling weightier as the chorus strikes. Riffs give off smoke as Faris’ vocals spiral, an immersive storm sweeping up everything into a blur. “Bodies” is burly and heavy, the singing icing over the verses, turning dreamy during the choruses that chill cells. The pace is catchy and sticky, the riffs soaking in the aftermath of torment, guitars battering away at wounds before subsiding. “Heavy, Why?” simmers in steam, the singing pulling you into the clouds, cosmic dashes clashing with mesmerizing keys that make your face feel drowsy. Atmospheric pressure builds, opening a path for the guitars to scorch and snake through psyches. “Giraffe” is a quick instrumental track that features beats from David Sitek (TV on the Radio) and loopy psychedelics from the band that make it feel like you’re in a suspended state of animation.

“Spades” tears in, guitars slicing, a burly pace grinding as doomy power makes a deep impact. Metallic energy swelters, synth swooping in and sparking dreams, the drums driving as everything gets filthier and leaves bruising that won’t subside for weeks. “Void to Be” opens with bass gusting, softer singing that’s still direct, and the darkness flowing through the creators like vessels. The pace trudges, light beaming through the din, strings layering in newfound colors, and the intensity ramping up before slipping into a chasm. “Fade” begins elegantly and more gently, easing its way to the inevitable eruption, grungy fire exploding from chrome exhaust pipes. The track turns more reflective, gazey guitar work bubbling violently to the surface, coating wounds and flowing into an old-time music sample that makes you feel like you’re in a carnival. “Mourning After” prods as the bass chunks, washing through warm guitars and a numbing essence that lets your body open. The playing hypnotizes, the singing breezing amid gusty melodies, churning and slipping into space. Closer “Poppyfields” begins ominously, slowly turning toward space, hovering as the drums lash and Faris’ singing turns celestial. Synth cools as things shift darker, drums digging deeper, the haze helping you levitate. A dreamy push navigates ethereal vocals, aching strings, and a slow trickle to the end, which travels into a void, anything waiting on the other side.

Blackwater Holylight’s transformation into a more fully realized entity on “Not Here Not Gone” is something to behold, as they sound as complete and channeled as ever on these 10 songs. It won’t be a foreign world to those who have followed the band, but it will be evident that new colors and ideas are flowing, and it’s only made this band more powerful. I liked this album upon first listen, and each subsequent led to more appreciation for the music and a deeper willingness to travel the full extent of these adventures.

For more on the band, go here: https://blackwaterholylight.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://store.suicidesqueeze.net/products/blackwater-holylight-not-here-not-gone-pre-order

For more on the label, go here: https://suicidesqueeze.net/

I do a lot of black metal records here. I’ll be honest: A lot of them don’t stick with me, and after doing my notes-taking listen, I never hear them again. There’s just so much of it. Going unconventional directions and adding other elements makes the music stick inside brains a little better, and that’s the stuff that tends to get repeat listens here.

Swedish force Circular Ruin is one that I believe will receive plenty of attention beyond this piece. “A Sermon in Tongues” is their debut record, and their fearless brand of black metal brings loads of darkness that will haunt you. Comprised of vocalist Oscar Tornborg, guitarists Daniel Johansson and Henrik Löfgren, bassist Mathias Rask-Andersen, drummer Christian Thunarf, the band blends hues you don’t necessarily expect from this sub-genre, and their explosive heart and emotion push all of that over the top.

“No Solace (Intro)” spills in ominously, mystically, setting a mood for  “The Altering Altar” that ruptures right away (by the way, backing vocals are provided by David Sandström, drummer for MOTHERFUCKING Refused). The playing races as the vocals ravage, the power blasting through mountainsides, sparking delirium. The savagery combines with an icy melodic gust, continuing the intensity to the end. “Perisher” brings guitar fire and hellacious storming from the skies, the riffs darting as the aura hangs like a phantom. A thick black metal fog envelopes as demonic wails scorch flesh, guitars boil and then rain down, and a rising smoke chokes lungs. “The Storm I Keep Within” starts hazily before sparks fly, jolting with relentless speed. Tornborg wails about “dreams of nothingness,” as the playing mangles, increasing the violence as the taste of blood stings the tongue. The pace clubs as the drums gut, Tornborg declaring, “Time to die!” as the final moments warble away.

“Ropes to Salvation” starts with the guitars and bass tangling for the upper hand, howls churning as the soot collects and increases the blackness. Wails warp as the pace is torn apart, drums rousing as the crazed fury gets more dangerous. The pace lulls and gets more mesmerizing, hand drumming tapping, the leads slinking before the volcanic elements return, swarming and tearing everything apart. “Nocturnum” is dizzying with shadows sprawling, throaty wails digging into flesh, the bass absolutely clubbing. Blasts open new wounds as punches land harder, and the stickiness keeps you engaged as while battered. “A Dream of Thirst” closes things, blasting in with grisly growls, jolting electricity, and melodies swimming through murk. The blazing force continues as Tornborg howls, “Already dead, he cannot see!” the soloing robbing everything of light. The power slowly subsides, surfy guitar tones luring, the final moments glimmering and fading.

“A Sermon in Tongues” is a stunning debut full-length for Circular Ruin, and it’s one that should take a torch to black metal’s foundation. This is both feral and stirring, an album that pulls you in and captures your attention for the entire run time, grinding your psyche in a dynamic, devastating fashion. Everything here feels volatile, like it could burst open at any moment and drag bodies along with it.

For more on the band, go here: https://circularruin.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://vendetta-records.bandcamp.com/merch

For more on the label, go here: https://vendetta-records.com/

Band names can tell you a lot or nothing at all. Or some things. Like, take the band Stabbing. The first time I heard them, I expected a splatter fest from their brand of brutal death metal. Something that makes me want to hang plastic sheets to prevent spatter from staining. What I got sounded like it should be called Punching.

“Eon of Obscenity,” the second record from this Texas-based assault unit, sounds more like a band that will ground and pound more than slash with a blade. It pulverizes, with vocalist Bridget Lynch sounding not of this world, definitely not of this species. This 10-track, 31-minute animal wrestles you down from the start, delivering blow after blow and showing more nuance than on their 2022 debut “Extirpated Mortal Process” and bringing a snarling new force into this realm. Lynch is joined by guitarist Marvin Ruiz, bassist Matt Day, and drummer Aron Hetsko, and their devotion to the grim and punishing is much respected, as well as their penchant for adding new spices into their brutal muck.

“Rotting Eternal” is a brief opener that attacks with brute force, Lynch’s growls engorging, total incineration achieved at the blink of an eye. “Inhuman Torture Chamber” attacks quickly, the pace going faster, growls and strange alien-like bursts choking. Guitars bend and squeal as the drums destroy, everything mashed into oblivion. “Masticate the Subdued” is relentless, growls smothering, the guitars heating up as the low end rattles bones. The force snarls as the muddy assault multiplies, mauling to the end. The title track bludgeons, strangling with intensity, the drums spattering. Leads cut through bone and shakes brains inside skulls, the vocals further terrifying for good measure. “Reborn to Kill Once More” chugs, growls and shrieks uniting and causing psychic damage. The guitars thicken before the planet spins out of control, a mashing force ending in total destruction. “Ruminations” is an instrumental piece with exploratory guitars scanning the skies, the thrashing pace shaking guts inside bellies, the drums causing plate shifts.

“Nauseating Composition” features Suffocation’s current vocalist Ricky Myers (Lynch has filled in on live vocals for them), and it’s a battering attack, both sets of growls twisting and turning your muscles. The temperature skyrockets as the pace slows and clobbers, menacing through tornadic might. “Their Melted Remains” punishes like taking several belt shots to the face, the guitars catching fire before melting, spiraling into a deep pit of ugliness. The growls continue to sicken, shaking with storming madness that cuts into the void. “Sonoluminescent Hemoglobinopathy” is another quick one that grinds and gets out. The chugging tempo bruises flesh and the growls blacken skies, clubbing and sludging into blook-soaked earth. “Symphony of Absurdity” attacks, the drums driving and sparking machine-gun heat, burly growls scathing and squeezing throats. The guitars stab as the thrashiness increases, Lynch’s inhuman voice distorting, battering as blood sprays. Closer “Sinking Into Catatonic Reality” opens with a drum assault, growls feeling monstrous as the playing and the ferocity hit the gas pedal. Growls attack as the band twists the vice, lurching to a smearing end.

Stabbing’s brand of brutal death metal is as suffocating as any other’s band’s output, and “Eon of Obscenity” is a clear warning shot to that sub-genre. Plus, the fact you don’t have to sift through misogynistic horse shit is a huge benefit if you, like me, are especially tired of that kind of thing. They can be animalistic, alien, and bloodthirsty, and they have something a little different to inject in the festering brutal pool.

For more on the band, go here: https://stabbingtxdm.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://centurymedia.store/

Or here (Europe): https://www.cmdistro.de/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.centurymedia.com/

I can’t imagine what people living in ancient times would think about modern technology, especially social media that has done an incredible job destroying the cultural fabric in so many places. At that time they only had stories, rituals, and the stars, not phones glued to their hands. They were not yet corrupted by supposed interconnectedness.

Polish extreme metal power Shine harken back to those times on their punishing debut record “Wrathcult,” an album inspired by pre-Christian religions as well as Slavic folklore, putting a light on a time that seems forever buried in the past. These 10 tracks find the band—vocalist Marek Krajcer, guitarists Tomasz Dobrzeniecki (formerly of Hazael) and Mateusz Waśkiewicz, bassist Wojciech Gąsiorowski, drummer Paweł Duda—mixing shades of death and black metal into something frostily atmospheric and reflective even as you’re being taken apart by their buzzsaw sound.

“Ancient Chaos” slips in, an eerie instrumental piece that has brushed acoustics and strange sounds mixing into “The Lamb Against the Wolf” that opens with warbled words and a blistering attack. Howls snarl as the guitars catch fire, the pressure getting tougher to manage as it pulls you under the insanity. Infernal heat gusts as the speed spreads, the final moments thrashing away. “Kneel Before the Serpent” rips in, spiraling and melting, a complete slaughter that quickly takes hold. Howls smash as the guitars ramp up the intensity, crushing along the way, the wails of the title feeling like nails spat at your chest. “Oddajcie co moje” has a bit of a different feel, more melodic with a punk edge, guitars tingling while the vocals grasp throats. Bass chugs as the playing flows, a bit of rawness thrown in for good measure, ashen singing wafting to the end. “The Cult of Oak” massacres, growls lashing, killing as the heat rises to almost impossible levels. The bass loops as a dizzying pace causes confusion, growls thicken, and the pace slashes anew, delivering a delirious end.

“The Horror of the Night” is jarring, growls curdling, guitars racing and shaking brains in skulls. Weird “ooh-ah!” chants feel mystical as deep singing lurches, darkening as sounds boil over and thicken, the playing driving blood through veins. “Witch’s Prophecies” opens with guitars steaming, ferocious howls blowing you back, and the playing stabbing seemingly at will. The pace surges as speaking makes chills stripe your back, melodies leaning into mounds of soot, ending with heavy breathing. “Wrath of the Hammer” stabs, growls blasting, the force melting faces as things turn into a sprawl. Blinding leads and a manic tempo unite as demonic bursts add to the horrors, churning into oblivion. “The Necklace With Runes” has the bass coiling, singing going lower register, almost feeling gothy before the furnace force amplifies madness. Spoken calls feel like incantations, the playing ramping up as the bass slinks into ominous fog. Closer “Ancient Spirit” is a book-end instrumental piece that twists brains, guitars poking through thick, greenish synth clouds, and sounds drifting into an endless void.

“Wrathcult” is an interesting record, one that certainly feeds with ample amounts of death and black metal but also leaves room for introspection and unexpected twists and turns. The concentration on ancient knowledge and theologies certainly paints this Shine debut with a different palette from which most of us are accustomed. It also make take a few visits to fully reveal itself, but it’s a trip worth pursuing as you peel back each layer.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/shine.wrathcult/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/?s=shine&post_type=product

For more on the label, go here: https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/

Death metal’s resurgence the past decade has given us a lot of different perspectives and hopefully helped broaden some minds. I know there still remains that caveman mentality in some parts. You’ll have that. Imagine only liking one type of something. It is what it is, though, and I guess there’s no bad way to get crushed.

Japanese death crew Invictus is one that could bridge some gaps among audiences for the foulest form of metal. Their second record “Nocturnal Visions” is one that should satisfy the old heads easily, but it also isn’t knuckle-dragging content by any means. The band—guitarist/vocalist Takehitopsy Seki, bassist/guitarist Toshihiro Seki, drummer Haruki Tokutake—take what they started on 2020’s “The Catacombs of Fear” and broaden their artillery while remaining true to the ugly, menacing roots. There’s something about this that just hammers the right spot between morbidity and creativity, locking you in easily as the power overtakes you.

“Intro” is, you guessed it, an introductory piece with guitars stoking fires and keys dripping, spilling into “Abyssal Earth Eradicates” that opens with clobbering bass and meaty riffs. The growls mar, feeling throat destroying, as guitars jar and add to the savagery. Leads set the scene ablaze as the band drills even harder, fading into darkness. “Altar of Devoted Slaughter” is an onslaught, crushing wills, the growls smearing over sinewy power, the chorus digging into your guts. The playing turns thrashy as fuck, the sludge elements increasing, blasting out of a hellish furnace and into your face. “Lucid Dream Trauma” might sound a little gentler from its title. It’s not. Riffs cut as the drums pace, the growls welling and scraping, chewy guitars further darkening the surroundings. The drums dust up as the riffs accumulate speed, the final moments of punishment slashing sanity. “Persecution Madness” opens with stellar riffs and a tempo that defaces, the crunch working to devastate rib cages. The band charges anew, absolutely demolishing everything in front of them, leaving nothing but charred remains behind.

“Dragged Beneath the Grave” blisters, guitars racing hard, the growls spat as if the words tasted poisonous in the mouth. Guitars bubble and lash, everything coming gloriously unglued, the rampage leading to a skull-dragging finish. “Wandering Ashdream” has riffs firing and a mucky bottom end holding you to the ground, growls retching as the leads roll violently. The vocals bleed deeper and nastier as the pace sickens, jerky, thrashy hell allowed to run amok as the earth is smothered whole. “Frozen Tomb” starts with a gust, blasting guts as death menaces, sooty growls exuding blackness. Guitars spiral and then drive in the knife, melodic soloing aims to ice wounds, and the final moments scatter broken teeth. Closer “Nocturnal Visions” is the longest cut, running 8:01 and exploding with swaggering riffs, chugging force, and a bruising path that leads to misery. The playing turns delirious, leaning into scorching temperatures and then slow-driving muck designed to make the body shots sink in fully. The pace quickens as the violence ramps up yet again, the lead exploding and bringing the ritual to a smashing end. 

“Nocturnal Visions” is the first monumental death metal album of 2026, one that is heavier than you can handle and a bulldozer through sanity and safety. Invictus pull no punches at all and delve right into a more devious dimension of their sound than we’ve heard before. This is a motherfucker of a record that should find favor with death metal audiences that prefer raw, sonically violent, and surgically maniacal sounds. Get on this one now.

For more on the band, go here: https://invictus3.bandcamp.com/music

To buy the album, go here: https://www.memento-mori.es/label/memento-mori/

Or here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/shop/invictus-nocturnal-visions-lp/

For more on the label go here: https://www.memento-mori.es/

And here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/