In June’s best metal, Cryptosy reconquer brutal death metal heights, Anfauglir’s symphonic black metal returns, and Hexvessel offer mystique and bleakness.
OK, the heatwaves are on, and some heavy, otherworldly music is always a good way to try and escape them! For this month, there is a black metal depth worth exploring. From Stygian Ruin’s atmospheric waves, Anfauglir’s epic symphonies, to Vauruvã’s and Hexvessel’s folk obsessions and Necromantic Worship’s romantic traditionalism.
On the death metal edge, the veterans return. Cryptopsy reclaim the throne, while Drawn and Quartered continue to be reliable in their output. In the space between, Thanatorean project avant-garde visions of extreme metal, while ByoNoiseGenerator completely flip the script with their all-encompassing grind-frenzied punk/jazz chaos.
On the hardcore side, we have the surprising return of Deadguy with an excellent follow-up to the classic (I still cannot stop spinning it), Fixation on a Coworker, and Skinhead are an absolute delight in their hard-hitting, melodically inclined sophomore. That and much more, so dig in! – Spyros Stasis
The Best Metal Albums of June 2025
- Anfauglir – Akallabêth (Debemur Morti)
- ByoNoiseGenerator – Subnormal Dives (Transcending Obscurity)
- Cryptopsy – An Insatiable Violence (Season of Mist)
- Deadguy – Near Death Travel Services (Relapse)
- Devilpriest – Where I Am the Chalice, Be Though Blood (Nuclear Winter)
- Drawn and Quartered – Lord of Two Horns (Nuclear Winter)
- Haggus – Destination Extinction (Tankcrimes)
- Helms Deep – Chasing the Dragon (Nameless Grave)
- Hexerei – Realms… (Sentient Ruin)
- Hexvessel – Nocturne (Prophecy)
- Mizmor – Mnemonic (Profound Lore)
- Necromantic Worship – Necromantic Worship (Nuclear War Now!)
- Obsidian Scapes – Death Chants Echo From Aphotic Void (Darkness Shall Rise)
- Patristic – Catechesis (Willowtip)
- Skinhead – It’s a Beautiful Day, What a Beautiful Day (Closed Casket Activities)
- Stygian Ruin – Stygia II: Ancient and Arcane (Independent)
- Thanatorean – Ekstasis of Subterranean Currents (I, Voidhanger)
- Vauruvã – Mar de Deriva (Independent)
Anfauglir – Akallabêth (Debemur Morti)
Akallabêth by Anfauglir
Symphonic black metal band with a Tolkien fetish? Wait, this is not Summoning! Better yet, this is not a Summoning clone! Anfauglir’s story dates back to the mid-2000s but faded away quickly. An ambitious debut, Hymns over Anfauglith, and then silence, until today when Debemur Morti releases their sophomore work, Akallabêth. The 70-minute-long work dives into the tale of Númenor, its rise, and eventual downfall. This epic subject requires an equally weighty and complex sonic representation, and Anfauglir implement all their symphonic mastery to achieve this end.
Anfauglir put a lot of work into this record, and it shows. The long-form compositions reach operatic levels, and not solely through their dense orchestration. The song structures follow a non-linear and at times circular perspective. Themes are introduced, then disappear only to make a triumphant return. The tragedy of Númenor is mirrored in the record’s brooding tone, especially in “Defying the Doom of Men”, where despair seeps into every layer. Fleeting moments of glory still emerge, while soprano vocals and shadowed choirs chart the descent. The black metal elements twist the knife, adding bitterness that counterbalances the symphonic sweep.
In this mode, Anfauglir align more with Emperor’s Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk than with Summoning, aiming for grandeur over raw minimalism. So unfolds a labyrinthine narrative—an overtly ambitious project reaching Wagnerian levels. It is overall a successful experiment, where the only downside is that the whole is more important than any individual moment. Unlike acts like Caladan Brood, Anfauglir are not as interested in presenting momentary hooks and catchy phrases, something that helps with a record of such duration. Still, it does little to diminish the album’s overall impact. If you are looking for something deep, intricate, layered, and epic to sink your teeth into, then Akallabêth has you covered. – Spyros Stasis
ByoNoiseGenerator – Subnormal Dives (Transcending Obscurity)
Subnormal Dives by BYONOISEGENERATOR
Imagine John Zorn’s Naked City but energized by a growling metallic dynamo, Mr. Bungle’s first (Mr. Bungle) and latest (The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo) albums fusing into one, Obscura-era Gorguts embracing saxophones and jazz, or Clown Core with less clown and extra (grind)core. ByoNoiseGenerator are all of that and somehow more: more brutal, more deranged, and more acute.
The Perm, Russia outfit’s third album Subnormal Dives packs everything from cybergrind (“NULL.state = PERMANENT; return VOID;”) and cosmic fusion (“IQ69Exaltations”) to unexpectedly romantic jazz (“LoveChargedDiveBombs”) into dozes so tight and potent that it all becomes almost unbearable as the aggressive closer “C16H25NO2EfficiencyRatio” rolls in on a wave of blast beats. You’ll want a post-coital cigarette after this one. – Antonio Poscic
Cryptopsy – An Insatiable Violence (Season of Mist)
An Insatiable Violence by Cryptopsy
While their initial run of LPs from 1994 to 1998 significantly contributed to the sound we associate with brutal, slamming technical death metal, the career of Canadian stalwarts Cryptopsy has been marred by violent ups and downs. From the uninspired albums they released in the 2000s to the deathcore-evoking monstrosity that was 2008’s The Unspoken King, Cryptopsy became almost synonymous with inconsistency.
After a decade of discographical silence, at least in terms of full-lengths, 2023’s As Gomorrah Burns had already announced a rejuvenated group with a newfound purpose in their work. Now, An Insatiable Violence capitalizes on that promise. This is a vicious, mean, and lean album, its eight pieces a display of masterful brutality propelled by Flo Mounier’s octopus-on-PCP drumming style.
A part of this revitalization comes from Cryptopsy quite obviously taking a hint from contemporary powerhouses, embracing the bumbling, absurdly technical forms and breakneck tempo changes of Wormed (“The Nimis Adoration”) and even the symphonic traits and sense of hyper speed melodicism represented by Fleshgod Apocalypse (“Our Great Deception”). As the band weave through these styles, they remain nimble and focused, ultimately crafting a set of songs that are stronger than anything else they’ve produced in the past 25 years. – Antonio Poscic
Deadguy – Near Death Travel Services (Relapse)
Near-Death Travel Services by Deadguy
Saying that it is a tall task to follow up a record like Fixation on a Coworker is an understatement. Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan all owe a debt to Deadguy’s singular work. So, is it possible to capture the same magic, 30 years later? Near Death Travel Services strives to do so. If Fixation on a Coworker is a kick in the teeth, then Near Death Travel Services is the follow-up gut punch.
The anger is still brewing as “Kill Fee” arrives in a frenzy. Here, metallic influences are applied to hardcore structures, the riffs ooze with a razor-sharp quality (“The Forever People”), and the latent thrash tones fall into dissonance and disarray (“New Best Friend”). Yet, Deadguy operate on more levels. Beneath the poignant aggression, progressive-minded ideas can flourish (“The Alarmist”). The second half of “Kill Fee” makes this move abundantly clear, as the quasi-mathcore tendencies burst with energy.
The same methodology is applied over the rhythmic patterns of “Barn Burner”, tilting the whole endeavor toward an off-kilter procession. There is much of the post-hardcore DNA that finds its way here, from the likes of Today Is the Day and Unsane, to even Helmet and Fugazi. In that context, the sludge descents are natural, providing more grit and dirt to moments like “War With Strangers”. Topping it all off is once again the biting lyrical depth, leaving a bitter taste in “The Long Search for Perfect Timing” as the lines go from dark to hopeless (“The more I see, the less I feel, the more I dream the less I can dream…”).
Still, context matters, and this is not the same world as when Deadguy released their debut record. It is, therefore, unfair to expect something as groundbreaking as Fixation on a Coworker. Still, we got something quite jawbreaking with Near Death Travel Services, and maybe that is enough. – Spyros Stasis
Devilpriest – Where I Am the Chalice, Be Though Blood (Nuclear Winter)
Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood by DEVILPRIEST
Formed by veterans of the Polish extreme metal scene, Devilpriest’s reign of terror started with a black/death assault in 2017’s Devil Inspired Chants. Their subsequent return after a five-year hiatus found them tapping more heavily into the death metal tradition, as showcased in their excellent sophomore release, In Repugnant Adoration, and continues today with Where I Am the Chalice, Be Though Blood.
This is introduced early on, as the uncanny precision results in a methodical beating with “He Is Me”. The drumming is a highlight, very economical in its chosen patterns, and that provides a harrowing drive. They exemplify the sense of control, as do the guitar leads, abstaining from a descent to Blasphemy’s chaos, even though there are times when they get close (“Enmity Against the Grace”).
Devilpriest’s new record builds upon two primary foundations. On one hand, there is the death metal basis that Morbid Angel introduce. “Dragon of Blasphemy” reveals the Azagthothian methodology, weaving its dark machinations over lead and solo parts and rhythmic structures. In that mode, they make a short transition to mid-era Behemoth’s fervency, particularly in terms of the grooves and demeanor, and incorporate touches of Belphegor’s blasphemous aesthetic.
The second pillar draws from the proto-death metal style, which is reflected in the lead and solo work. “Unwavering in the Left Hand Path” is an example of Seven Churches’ influence, while “SNEGTH IER ARNES” fuels its pacing from the heavy, mid-tempo groove of Slayer‘s early days. All in all, Where I Am The Chalice… is a solid work that stands on an established tradition, and does not look much further. – Spyros Stasis
Drawn and Quartered – Lord of Two Horns (Nuclear Winter)
Lord of Two Horns by DRAWN AND QUARTERED
The music of Seattle, Washington’s death metallers Drawn and Quartered feels peculiarly atemporal. Around since 1992—initially in the form of guitarist Kelly Shane Kuciemba’s project Plague Bearer—they have remained impervious to the fickle nature of contemporary death metal currents. Instead, the latest album. Lord of Two Horns finds them in the same spot as 2012’s Feeding Hell’s Furnace and 2021’s Congregation Pestilence did, namely, once again revisiting the meaty and bombastic sound of the early 1990s, bringing to mind the likes of prime Immolation and Incantation.
I write revisiting, but despite their obvious stylistic origins, there is very little to this music that feels nostalgic or stuck in time. Instead, the eight cuts on the album brim with power and purpose, ripping relentlessly through scorchers like “Black Castle Butcher” and “Lord of Two Horns” with a sense of oppressive heaviness and mad zest that only increases as the album progresses. Like gold label whiskey, you really don’t want these things to change. – Antonio Poscic
Haggus – Destination Extinction (Tankcrimes)
Destination Extinction by Haggus
For the uninitiated, mincecore is a subgenre of grindcore coined by legendary Belgian band Agathocles in the 1980s. On the musical side, their music took things back to basics, doubling down on the primitive, punk-adjacent aspects of grindcore. On the ideological end, it made a hard left turn, renouncing misogyny, homophobia, and other forms of right-wing extremism in favor of antifascism and anarchism.
Considering the situation around us, we need the OG spirit of mincecore now more than ever. Yet, today the Oakland, California trio Haggus are one of the rare groups that remain true to Agathocles’ radical, politically-charged vision of mincecore. Destination Extinction, then, is their urgent screed. “When writing this album I really wanted to keep true to the genre’s roots and make our political beliefs and the things we protest very apparent (fascism, war, Israel, the meat industry, mindless over-consumption, homophobia, misogyny, the list goes on),” founder and frontman Hambone tells Kim Kelly in a recent interview.
In a sense, Destination Extinction is Haggus’ purest expression of mincecore to date, with the caveman-like power and simplicity of riffs, rhythms, and absolutely unintelligible singing arranged into catchy, absurdly fan romps. The music is so energetic that it wakes bodies and minds, whether with the accelerating cadences of “Rotting Off”, the twin-guitar attacks of “Bound By Realms of Cruelty”, or the brutal punk and hardcore sommersaults of “What’s Fucking Left?” and “As the Hammer Drops”. – Antonio Poscic
Helms Deep – Chasing the Dragon (Nameless Grave)
Chasing the Dragon by Helms Deep
Led by guitarist and vocalist Alex Sciortino, Helms Deep came away with the unlikely title of best trad heavy metal album of 2023—not a style you’d usually associate with the group’s native Florida. While the exquisite mixture of classic heavy metal styles, from NWOBHM to Euro power, showcased on their follow-up, Chasing the Dragon, is now less of a surprise, the fact that they manage to recapture the magic of their debut and escape the curse of the sophomore album remains baffling.
The gamut of styles encompassed by Chasing the Dragon is again ambitious, expanding from Iron Maiden-esque harmonies complete with Steve Harris-approved bass grooves to Judas Priest-influenced grimy speed metal, with touches of Satan, Diamond Head, and Savatage sprinkled along the way for flair. Throughout, the songs remain inspired. The music flows elegantly, demonstrating a natural, unencumbered songwriting style, while Sciortino hits soaring falsettos and poignant deep notes over a rumbling melange of thrashing riffs and elastic rhythms. Combine that with the obvious gusto in the instrumental performance, and we once again have one of the best heavy metal albums of the year. – Antonio Poscic
Hexerei – Realms… (Sentient Ruin)
Realms….. by HEXEREI
Finland’s Hexerei are firmly rooted in the primal tradition of black and death metal. Their debut, Ancient Evil Spirits, is steeped in this lineage—discordant lead work, chaotic structures, and lo-fi production fueling the ritualistic devastation. No wonder Sentient Ruin re-released in 2022 and is now releasing Hexerei’s sophomore effort, Realms… Catastrophe arrives as Hexerei channel an elemental fury on “Omenstorm of Eucharist Massacre”. There is little structure to be found here, just a stream of continuous riffs, howling screams, and erratic drumming projected for maximum impact.
Barbarity remains the guiding force, with Hexerei leaning hard into sheer velocity and unrelenting aggression. Tracks like “Across the Realm of Blood” and “Skinless Prophecies Ablaze” escalate the assault, each riff a detonation, each transition a deeper plunge into chaos. There are no breaks to be found here, no respite. What further elevates the unworldliness of this procedure is the discordant guitar lead, which on the surface carries the Blasphemy aura. Dig beneath the surface, and a twisted heavy metal spirit emerges, closer to Negative Plane and Spirit Possession than Blasphemy’s brute force.
The other fundamental gear is the production, which nicely encapsulates the black/death chaos, but also plunges the world into shadow. This is particularly apparent in “The Sabbath Red” when the martial procession takes over, and the ending of “Skinless Prophecies Ablaze” carries into the corrosive, freeform motifs of “Corda Plena Inferus Gloria”. It’s a welcome gear shift—freeform yet still corrosive—that brings the record to a close without losing its polemical edge. Realms… is not a reinvention, but a vivid continuation of black/death’s most harrowing tradition. – Spyros Stasis
Hexvessel – Nocturne (Prophecy)
Nocturne by Hexvessel
Hexvessel have transformed many times through the years. From the neofolk beginnings to psychedelic and progressive rock manifestations, all the way to 2023’s blackened evolution in Polar Veil. Nocturne, its counterpart, is marked by a “negative” inversion of Polar Veil‘s artwork, a visual cue to its lineage. This kinship seeps into the auditory dimension with the opener “Sapphire Zephyrs,” whose traditional, amorphous black metal riffing fills the void. The spirit of Ulver looms large, guiding the melancholic, otherworldly textures that blend acoustic folk passages (“Concealed Descent”) with violent black metal flares echoing Nattens Madrigal (“Sapphire Zephyrs”).
Elsewhere, Nocturne draws in the slithering pace of doom (“Inward Landscape”) and the discordant angularity of Ved Buens Ende (“Unworld”), all woven into Hexvessel’s longstanding neofolk sensibility. What works great here is the record’s relaxed pacing. There is confidence in the way Kvhost and company let the songs breathe, weaving their acoustic interludes and layered instrumentation. The violin parts in “Phoebus” elevate the track to its grand and moving final form.
Still, I find specific extensions slightly hinder the compositions. The combination of black metal and neofolk is spectacular in moments like “Mother Destroyer” and “A Dark Graceful Wilderness”. The latter is a highlight, with mournful black metal riffs coupled with neofolk narration, a motif that preserves the lineage of both genres. However, the switch to the minimal, processional outro feels a bit superfluous. While rare, these moments keep the record just shy of the upper echelon of folk-informed black metal. However, even with its minor flaws, Nocturne remains an enticing listen. – Spyros Stasis
Mizmor – Mnemonic (Profound Lore)
Mnemonic: Ambient Mosaic by MIZMOR
According to an interview and the Gilead Media documentary (which I highly recommend you watch), Mizmor was born in a time of spiritual and personal struggle. Their first record, composed by sole member A.L.N., was shaped as a series of prayers, infusing the music with a raw, transcendental charge. Many years have now passed, and Mizmor have traversed the drone, doom, and black metal landscapes, amassing a substantial discography. Mnemonic: Ambient Mosaic returns to this origin, stripping away the structural aspects of early Mizmor and focusing on the atmosphere.
Mnemonic is a minimal work, relying on deep, booming drones to conjure its darkest ambiance (“I”) and to provide a sense of mystery (“IX”). Delays and echoes are applied, stretching the time dimension and making things appear as if they are arriving in reverse (“III”). The effect is haunting, especially when a deconstructed vocal delivery is applied (“VIII”). It is one of the few familiar and humane sounds A.L.N. features, the other being the guitar.
The guitar becomes a multi-purpose instrument—sometimes a percussive anchor, as in “I”, other times a central melodic source, as in “V”, evoking a bizarro soundtrack for an alternate black-and-white Paris, Texas. This is Mnemonic’s allure and strength, and it mirrors the side projects and solo work of Neurosis members when compared to their main band. The compositions here are abstracted ideas, skeletal frameworks of what could have been the material for a Mizmor record. In this way, it reveals the bare bones, lower level of the project.
For dedicated listeners, Mnemonic offers a rare, stripped-back look into Mizmor’s subterranean architecture. Casual listeners may find its minimalism impenetrable, but for those attuned to its frequency, it’s a deeply meditative descent. – Spyros Stasis
Necromantic Worship – Necromantic Worship (Nuclear War Now!)
Necromantic Worship by Necromantic Worship
Wearing your primary influence on your sleeve is a bold move—one that invites scrutiny. However, Necromantic Worship rise to the challenge. Tracing their obscure origins to the mid-2010s, the Dutch act conjured Necromantia’s dark ethos in full force with two bass guitars and an infernal atmosphere. Silently disappearing after two demos, they reformed in 2023 and are now finally releasing their self-titled debut.
The vampiric black metal of old is alive and kicking, as the primal darkness escapes “The Tempering of Erevos” through its subharmonic frequencies. This mode is best served in short bursts, making “Malicious Paradise” one of the most potent offerings. Immediate and poignant, the bass guitars add to the addictive groove while maintaining the vulgar and nasty demeanor. The further enhancements in choirs and keyboards contribute not only to the ambiance but also to momentum.
On top of this primal drive, Necromantic Worship also establish the thick oppressive veil propagated through Necromantia’s early works. The demonic atmosphere is harrowing, built through keyboards and stitched together with samples to ease the descent. The mid-point of “The Tempering of Erevos” evokes Hammer Horror at its most serious, while “Into the Haunted Crypt” conjures an infernal setting through minimal keys, sparse bass lines, and demonic vocals.
From there, tapping into the dark ambient space is easy, and moments like “The Offering” or the “Rub — Al – Khali” outro display these sinister invocations. Ritual remains important, seeping into the structure of “Nightmare Visions of the Nameless City”, exploding through the over-the-top organ sounds as the voice echoes, “They are calling me”. Final touches, in the well-placed and expressive guitar solos, forge a connection to the heavy metal lineage —a trait just as vital to Necromantia as it is to Mortuary Drape and Varathron, which adds a sinister yet delicious twist. So the worship ends successfully. Now we wait for an answer from the other side. What have they awakened? – Spyros Stasis
Obsidian Scapes – Death Chants Echo From Aphotic Void (Darkness Shall Rise)
Death Chants Echo From Aphotic Void by Obsidian Scapes
Earlier in 2025, Obsidian Scapes provided the first specimen of their apocalyptic doom metal in their self-titled EP, which featured “Endless Sea of Dead Mirrors” and a surprising Sigh cover. The German act produced a curious amalgamation that is now further exposed in Death Chants Echo From Aphotic Void. One part of the foundation thrives in the extreme side of doom, moving a space akin to funeral doom.
The ritualistic pace is the first signal, where “The Pettiness of Life” combines active drums with glacial guitar riffs to create a harrowing ambiance. Obsidian Scapes are apt in working this space, at times weaving melodies toward a blackened perspective (“Endless Sea of Dead Mirrors”) or pushing toward the psychedelic, where audio effects create a dizzying and otherworldly manifestation (“Despise Everything”).
While they incorporate elements of various genres, such as some death metal harshness (“The Pettiness of Life”), post-metallic grandeur (“Trapped In Equilibrium”), or even blackened bitterness (“My Utter Contempt for the Sun”), their most defining move is toward traditional doom. This is first unveiled with the vocal delivery, a clean, larger-than-life performance. More grandiose than harsh, it awakens an epic sensibility. It is somewhat unexpected, but it yields some over-the-top moments in “Endless Sea of Dead Mirrors”, where it delves deep for an emotional payoff.
Then it is the 1970s twist, evoking a Sabbath-ian demeanor in “Despise Everything” and “My Utter Contempt for the Sun” that completes the picture. It is where Obsidian Scapes thrive, and while there are moments in Death Chants Echo From Aphotic Void where the slower segments feel a bit hollow, the record rarely loses its grip. The band still craft their vision, and it is one of grandeur and gloom. With their full-length, they have summoned something weird and punishing, a dense record to be listened to under ashen skies. – Spyros Stasis
Patristic – Catechesis (Willowtip)
Catechesis by Patristic
While taking inspiration from the Roman Empire has become a red flag in recent years, the side project of Hideous Divinity’s guitarist Enrico Schettino seems more interested in transporting the listener into the turbulent period between the fall of the Empire and rise of Christianity than transposing the era onto our present as an unfortunate and misplaced Western ideal. The project’s name alludes to this, symbolizing the study of early Christian theologians known as the Church Fathers.
Joined by vocalist LS, drummer Sathrath, and bassist TV, Schettino turns the music on Catechesis into a boa constrictor whose very nature forces it to wrap around your neck. Each track thus becomes a noose made out of riffs, blast beats, and growls, with strands of brutal blackened death metal gripping tighter and tighter as you feel your mind’s skeleton break. Here, even string arrangements become threatening, the nervous flutter of their staccato bows announcing the imminent explosion of crushing Second Wave riffing.
Throughout, Catechesis appears as a rumbling, barbarous beast, diving into bleak misery on the two-parter “A Vinculis Soluta” and motoring with conviction and abandon through the anxiety-inducing four movements of “Catechesis”. What a debut! – Antonio Poscic
Skinhead – It’s a Beautiful Day, What a Beautiful Day (Closed Casket Activities)
It's a Beautiful Day, What a Beautiful Day by Skinhead
From Skinhead’s very beginning, mainman Joshua Long combined hardcore’s raw energy with an underlying melodic inclination. While both the Skinhead EP and Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt carried this balance, Skinhead’s new record. It’s a Beautiful Day, What a Beautiful Day, drives harder on the melodic edge. The impact is immediate as “45’s” melodic lines take over, and they carry throughout the record. There is always an emotional tone associated with the melody, and it tilts the entire endeavor toward a post-hardcore paradigm (“Ancient History”).
Regardless, the foundation is deeply rooted in the traditional hardcore lineage. “Chuck’s” D-beat progression showcases as much, while the rhythmic patterns complement the melodic flourishes (“Dreams”). Gang vocals give a street-punk flavor (“That’s a Promise”) and metallic chugging adds weight (“Everything Is Stories”), completing the picture, while the constant sardonic outlook drips caustic wisdom. Take “Kill Yourself” and its escalating levels as the story unfolds. It hits hard, but a refreshing ire and dark humor stabilize it, preventing it from tilting toward utter despair.
In the same way, Long balances the entire record as a cohesive offering of hardcore tradition, melodic (dare I say post-hardcore) notions, and strong narrative prose. At just around 20 minutes, it’s a modern take on classic forms — imagine Good Clean Fun filtered through contemporary production. It’s raw, smart, and worth keeping on repeat. – Spyros Stasis
Stygian Ruin – Stygia II: Ancient and Arcane (Independent)
Stygia II: Ancient and Arcane by Stygian Ruin
It might be a stretch to call anything related to black metal unique in 2025, but the music of Stygian Ruin certainly comes close to qualifying. The project helmed by Norwegian musician Erlend Rønning evolved from dungeon synth into black metal that is simultaneously atmospherically expansive and rhythmically pulsating, replete with ambient music-evoking cues and the nervous trill of guitar tremolos fusing into a strangely oneiric vision of the genre.
A shimmer of electronic textures envelops melodic riffs and blast beats, delicately like mist descending upon a forest’s clearing. In its midst, a lyrical fantasy is delivered with a dramatic, almost Sprechgesang flair. Listening to Stygia II: Ancient and Arcane, bands like Virus, Agalloch, Secrets of the Moon, and even Aluk Todolo—thanks to passages of motorik dynamism—occasionally come to mind, but the mixture of black metal tropes delivered at andante pace carve out a niche of their own and form an album that is both a great entrypoint into Stygian Ruin’s discography and the culmination of their work so far. – Antonio Poscic
Thanatorean – Ekstasis of Subterranean Currents (I, Voidhanger)
Ekstasis Of Subterranean Currents by THANATOREAN
Fresh blood on the avant-garde black metal playfield is always welcome, especially if it brings with it intoxicating, mind-warping incantations like Ekstasis of Subterranean Currents. Formed by mainstays of the Polish black metal scene, Cultum Interitum’s mysterious E (vocals) and Ars Magna Umbrae’s Petros Xolaiathyos alias Kthunae Mortifer (everything else), Thanatorean play a disorienting meld of dissonant, vaguely atmospheric black metal and the genre’s rawer tendencies, scintillating between orthodox and avant traditions.
The tracks practice restrained melodicism (“Thrice-Hexed”), unrestrained fury (“De Profundis”), and aimless chaos (“In Reverent Throes”), all the while oozing with sickly, all-permeating darkness. This sort of determination and clarity of vision is rarely seen even in much more seasoned outfits, let alone one that was created just a year ago. – Antonio Poscic
Vauruvã – Mar de Deriva (Independent)
Mar da Deriva by Vauruvã
In Caio Lemos’s exponentially growing discography, Vauruvã stands as his most emotionally melodic and expressive project to date. Starting from the raw, folk-tinged improvisations of Manso Queimor Dacordado, the project embraced a wild sense of unpredictability in Por Nós da Ventania before transforming once again with Mar de Deriva. Surprisingly, the structure now prevails, steering the project away from its free-form origins and toward a more mature progressive rock sound.
“Legado” with its meditative progression opens a cosmic dimension. Traditional percussion and acoustic guitars combine in a spiraling vision through the Milky Way. That mystical perspective persists—serene craftsmanship carries “Os Caçadores” even after distorted guitars explode into brilliant color. The melodic quality lends the album a cinematic scope.
The sorrowful tones of “Legado” arrive in intimate fashion, but Lemos still allows a hopeful essence to pierce through. Here, the black metal is reworked to fit a progressive rock approach. The result is a rough yet melodic timbre. It carries Krallice’s DNA, even drawing from Scarcity in how the instrument is stretched to its limits. The result is epic, with the beginning of the closer “As Selvas Vermelhas no Planeta dos Eminentes” tearing your heart out with its moving lines. Given the current black metal landscape and its dissonant tendencies, it is refreshing to see Vauruvã adopt this approach without turning it into a gimmick.
They do not stop there. Their folk inclinations remain strong, drawing on Panopticon’s fusion of Americana and black metal as a blueprint and reformulating it through the lens of Brazilian folk traditions. The additional percussion and the synthesizers come together to carve out a sense of wonder and grace from the black metal and progressive rock stones. The result is an exquisite effort, dense, detailed, and emotionally resonant. An absolute gem, both heartfelt and compositionally daring, it marks a new chapter in Vauruvã’s evolving language. – Spyros Stasis