OSSUARY ANEX: Obscurantism Apogee Release year: 2020Label: Xtreem Music Cultural exchange is a wonderful thing. It builds understanding between peoples, nations and cultures in a way that no formal channels can. As such, when a Russian act belts out pure-bred … Continue reading Ossuary obscurantism
UNDEAD: Existential Horror Release year: 2019/2020Label: Kadabra Music With what appears to be a zombie on the cover of the album, Undead set the tone for the record from the go. The band, whose members reside in Spain and the … Continue reading Curse of the Undead
ZWIESPALT: Ambivalenz Release year: 2020Label: self-released German three-piece Zwiespalt make no attempts to conceal what they’re all about: even the promo text states clearly that these guys are into 90’s black metal and that’s from where they draw inspiration, and … Continue reading Zwiespalt blasting from the past
IKU-TURSO: Pakana Release year: 2020Label: Wolfspell Records Last time we bumped into Finnish-Dutch Iku-Turso, named after a sea monster in Finnish national epic Kalevala, was with their Storm Over Isengard mini-album. That album saw them go into full 90’s Norway … Continue reading Into the heathen foray
DECREPID: Endless Sea Of Graves Release year: 2020Label: Xtreem Music According to the bio that came with the promo, UK death metal outift Decrepid are “among the small band of groups around the world who decided to take a stand … Continue reading A decrepid sea of graves
XAEMORA: At Dusk Of Existence Release year: 2020Label: self-released There’s an art in how to properly tap into the sound and style of yesteryear without sounding cheap or void of ideas. I’ve touched upon this a couple of times already, … Continue reading Xaemora’s manifestos
ENTARTUNG: Maleficae Artes Release year: 2020Label: Dunkelheit Produktionen With almost ten years since their inception, and with several albums to their name, Entartung from Germany are far from newcomers to the field. Yet, they’ve remained firmly locked in the shadows … Continue reading Entartung’s malefic arts
SOUL GRINDER: Chronicles Of Decay Release year: 2020Label: Black Sunset German Soul Grinder have been practising their brand of old school death metal since 2018. In that time, they’ve released one EP and now this, their debut full-length album. Not … Continue reading Chronicles of the soul grinders
MERCYFUL FATE: Mercyful Fate EP Release year: 1982/2020Label: Rave-On Records/Metal Blade Records Finishing our backwards journey of looking at Danish occult metal legends Mercyful Fate’s three first releases in reverse order, we’ve arrived at the very start: their debut four-track … Continue reading Do nuns have fun?
MERCYFUL FATE: Melissa Release year: 1983/2020Label: Roadrunner Records/Metal Blade Records Released just a year before the previously reviewed Don’t Break The Oath, Melissa was Danish occult metal group Mercyful Fate’s full-length debut. Compared to the self-titled four-track EP preceeding it, … Continue reading Into the coven
Only Death Is Real 