ACOLYTHUS - Unearthly Kingdoms Neath Lifeless Stars review

 

ACOLYTHUS - Unearthly Kingdoms Neath Lifeless Stars

Inverse Records

So this came in on the PR info that it was Old School Finnish Black Metal. Ah really? I mean they don't sound like BEHERIT or IMPALED NAZARENE who were two of the most important Finnish BM bands of the early era. This band also does not sound like ARCHGOAT, HORNA, BEHEXEN, SARGEIST or SATANIC WARMASTER. All of whom are / were killer as fuck and literally defined the whole Finnish Black Metal scene for decades. 

Actually ACOLYTHUS come across as one or two Finnish BM bands from the 1990's who just copied what the Swedes and Norwegians were doing. Pardon me if I don't name drop because it's late and I'm too tired to search through two and half standing shelves of Black Metal releases to find a good sharp nail. Obviously after one listen it's clear that this Finnish three piece are influenced from a more melodic form of the genre. I like that to a point. 

The vocals are of that blackened screech as well as baritone style. You've got the icy tremolo picked riffs. The drum work is good but for me this is introduction Black Metal for people with nose rings and gender confusion issues. Nuff Said!  

https://www.inverse.fi/

LISTEN HERE:

https://acolythus.bandcamp.com/album/unearthly-kingdoms-neath-lifeless-stars

GORENCEPHALIC - Gore of the Forgotten EP Re-Release review

GORENCEPHALIC - Gore of the Forgotten EP re-release

Nihilistic Holocaust

So when this came in for review I checked out the band's line-up and saw that their drummer use to play in MYSTIFIER. That was a guarantee to check this out. Let me be clear on this point. If it wasn't for Greyhaze Records reissues of great Extreme Metal bands from South America then Metal fans here in the states wouldn't know shit about the greatness of bands from South America. 

With that said there's a bunch of things to say but the main thing I like about GORENCEPHALIC is their rhythm section. It's a standout which makes them non generic. Sound-wise this four piece band from Brazil is all Brutal Fuckin Death Metal with a progressive bent. But not too much since the rhythm section delivers in such a bad ass fashion. Usually it's the vocals and riffs matched with the drum work which defines Brutal Fuckin DM. 

Just for the record since I didn't mention it earlier, GORENCEPHALIC is a four piece Brutal DM act from Brazil who started out in 2023. Since then they've put out a handful of short form releases. Basically it's been a handful of singles and two EPs. This particular release originally came out in late 2024 as a five song EP. Now it's all five songs plus the song "Body Snatcher" which was an early single. Add to that you've got two live cuts. 

Now in all honesty when it comes to Extreme Metal from Brazil the first band name I'd always say is KRISIUN. Sure I like / have releases by the legacy bands from the great nation of Brazil as well as other nations from South America. But for me KRISIUN is it. GORENCEPHALIC just charged up behind em. I hope they release something really cool in the near future. 

https://nihilistic-webzine-distro.fr/

LISTEN HERE:

https://gorencephalic.bandcamp.com/album/gore-of-the-forgotten-2

 

FLESHCRAWL - Epitome of Carnage review

 

FLESHCRAWL - Epitome of Carnage

Reigning Phoenix Music

Well there's a lot to unpack here so let's hit it. FLESHCRAWL is the best German version of Old School Swedish Death Metal there is from that great nation. The band started out back in 1991 under this name and has since release a bunch of material as in short form and full length releases. This release here is the band's tenth.

I first got into FLESHCRAWL with their seventh full length, Made of Flesh, from 2004. That one came out on Metal Blade Records so yeah duh? Anyways back then Melo-Deth was still the rage with losers and here was a band cranking out ENTOMBED style Death Metal. Stranger still is that it would be four more years until the whole Old School Death Metal revival in Sweden and the US would come about big time. 

Since then I did pick up their 2007 full length, Structures of Death, which also came out on Metal blade Records. According to J-Dawg from Hells Headbangers Records the band's first EP, Lost in a Grave, is the best thing they've ever done. Unfortunately I never got that or any of their early material. Sorry I guess I'm just one of those people who likes their Old School Swedish Death Metal to come from Sweden. 

So with all of that said here we are with FLESHCRAWL's tenth full length. And to no surprise yeah it's Swede Death to the fuckin hilt. But what is surprising is that the line-up has changed so much but their sound hasn't. Drummer Bastian Herzog is the only original member but I'll give em props for keeping the legacy going. Bassist Manu Markowski has been with the band since 2011. After that everyone is new. 

On vocals there's Borisz Sarafutgyinov who joined in 2021 and sounds exactley like their last two vocalists. The guitar duo here is Christian Kalbrecht and Apu Justin Reisch who both joined in 2020. These guys have been totally schooled on the classic Swede Death sound of old. When I listen to this I'm thinking yeah ENTOMBED should've followed this left hand path instead of going where they did. In all honesty I'd rather listen to NIHILIST demo instead of Left Hand Path. 

With all of that said this new one from Germany's FLESHCRAWL rules. But let's remember that there's a guy in Sweden named Rogga Johansson who's been the king of Swedish DM for close to thirty years now with a ton of bands. So pick your Swede Death wisely.  

https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPiF73Z_NYI

AGELESS GATEWAY - Corruptor of Stars review

AGELESS GATEWAY - Corruptor of Stars

Godz ov War Productions

This is the debut full length by Poland's AGELESS GATEWAY which is a one man Atmospheric Black Metal act. The one man is Apparition who obviously performs everything. Honestly it took me three listens to this release in order to appreciate and respect the quality which this artist put into it. I mean it's 2026 and this style of BM has to be inviting without being generic in order to be liked. 

On this release I'll say it's a hell yeah. Apparition creates soundscapes which are in part brutal (hello he's Polish) with plenty of bestial attitude along with classic riffs which can be icy at times. But in the long run invokes horror. Listening to this is like walking into an old house. The hallway is freaky enough but then you enter a room. The door behind you shuts and then you are overwhelmed by a ghostly / ghastly haunt.

This might be Apparition's first release but damm! The illusions his compositions create are amazing as well as memorable and need to be listened to forever. It's 2026 and you want something which will last? 

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/corruptor-of-stars

 

NECROMORBID - Ceremonial Demonslaught review

 

NECROMORBID - Ceremonial Demonslaught

Godz ov War Productions

So to all of you who read this blog (and frankly who doesn't). You know of late I've been pissing on modern day Blackened Death Metal because it's become generic. Certain labels just put out a new band's release which just sounds like an album I bought a year before. Now without trashing the whole sub-genre it's made me look for bands who forgo the generic sound and maybe push the intensity to another better level. 

So far this year I've found one Blackened Death Metal act who has risen to my expectations. This new one by NECROMORBID joins the ranks as well. Now forget the opening intro cut because it sucks. The second cut "Perverted Abhorrence Domain" really introduces what this band is all about. I mean let's check the fuckin boxes. 

You've got cavern style bestial vocals which grow on a hot take on later cuts. Amazing dive bomb guitar solos abound throughout. The drum work is a diabolical punishing style which I just love. The song structure riffs are in the backdrop and are like the belly of the beast. 

In the end who would've thought that Italy's NECROMORBID, with their third full length since starting out in 2015, would be monsters of Blackened Death Metal in 2026. Let this be a lesson which will put a sadistic smile on your face.   

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/ceremonial-demonslaught

SZNUR - Cwel review

 

SZNUR - Cwel

Godz ov War Productions

I first got into this Polish band back in 2021 with their third full length Dom człowieka. Back then I called em misanthropic Black Metal with talent. Yeah I know that some misanthropic BM fans probably took it the wrong way but come on be honest. Be that as it may SZNUR already have a bad reputation to say the least. Here's their logo which some weak people will find offensive but not me.

Then there's this band photo of three members which looks like a Polish Black Metal version of The MENTORS. Once again it's no problem with me.

As far as this new album goes SZNUR have taken their early brutal BM style and added a huge touch of progressive atmospheric BM. But it's a rip roaring balance of the two. The song structures deliver a great amount of brutality via Polish anger with added melodic touches which I find cool as fuck.The diabolic lead guitar soloing is killer as fuck. 

In the end SZNUR's latest full length is beyond a winner in my not so humble opinion. This is Polish Black Metal in 2026 to get your hands onto. It's an amazing release.  

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/cwel

GRAVEIR - The Festering Triad review

 

GRAVEIR - The Festering Triad

Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings

A few years back I had written a review in which I described the band as great modern day Black Metal. I sent it off to the label rep. He responded with the question "What's modern day Black Metal?" So I sent an email back explaining to him that modern day Black Metal in my opinion is not old school sounding and it's not hipster shit which is non metal but uses certain BM elements to fake it.

Modern Black Metal keeps the essential genre elements while also incorporating a variety of other extreme or prog Metal influences. The end result is a sound that not only is interesting but compelling to hear as if your life depended on it. His reply to that was "I like that!" Speaking of which here's a release by a band that falls into everything I've just said. 

GRAVEIR is a five piece Black Metal act hailing from Brisbane, Australia. In all honesty 99.9% of Black Metal from Australia is gonna be a winner with me as far as my history goes. This band started out in 2014 and this release here is their third full length so far. I've blasted this one for a week straight and found it to be a unique piece of work. Just thinking of it musically you're gonna hear violent attacks, morose atmosphere, prog like melodies and down right pain. 

Vocalist Gloom sings as if he's being lowered into a boiling cauldron of oil at certain times. Other instances he's screaming as if wanting to kill you and dance on your corpse. The guitar work by Snjor (aka: Dane Perry) and VVoid (aka: Chris Jackson) is over the top exciting, I mean whether it's the intense riffs, the few diabolic solos, the headbanging riffage or the almost symphonic song structures. These two guys combine to make an awesome sound.

If there's one thing I don't care for on this release is a few times where the drum work has that beating on a box snare sound. Overall the drum work on here is killer as fuck because XI (aka: Kris Wolf) is punishing as well as filling in at precise moments which are key to certain cuts. Sorry to bassist Pandora (aka: Alahna Bassett) but you're not heard in the overall mix. 

Be that as it may this release is the epitome of Black Metal in 2026. It is why I mocked hipster scribes in the past who thought their ilk would define the genre's future. Ah no because it was always going to be people into Metal who would be Black Metal's future. So hey pick up this release and enjoy the hate. It's one of the best hates this year.

https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/

LISTEN HERE:

https://graveircult.bandcamp.com/album/the-festering-triad-2