CD

By now, GOATS OF DOOM should require no introduction. Since their formation in 2008, they've remained one of the Finnish underground's best-kept secrets, largely because of a somewhat misleading moniker, but make no mistake: GOATS OF DOOM are 100% black metal through and through. Their stout catalog has seen the band develop from a synth-based style of black metal during their first three albums; then, with an expansion from a trio to quintet, GOATS OF DOOM truly began their ascent with 2018's Rukous, where an uptick in aggression melded with the mysterious atmosphere of old. Aligning with PURITY THROUGH FIRE in 2020 for Tie on hänen omilleen, GOATS OF DOOM finally seemed to have gotten their due or at least raised their profile - not for nothing, that, as Tie on hänen omilleen was arguably the band's most powerful 'n' poignant record to date. But, a year later came the eclipsing Shiva, where they unloaded anthem after anthem, proving that the metal can be kept firmly within black metal without sacrificing its mystical powers.

Following something of a respite - unusual for the band, given the feverish release rate at which they operated since 2015 - GOATS OF DOOM return refreshed and recharged with INRI. The Finns' seventh full-length thus far, INRI is a rather unique entry in their gem-laded catalog: initially beginning as a disarmingly raw affair, the album soon opens up into a bountiful feast of alternately asskicking / ethereal black METAL. GOATS OF DOOM unload the entirety of their arsenal here - charging-hard speed, Bathorian gallop, medieval triumph, and pagan hymnal, all with a pronounced emphasis on melancholic, distinctly Finnish melodicism - and really give rise to heroic heavy metal leads, which seem strangely out of character for cold & raw black metal, but their burning-hot touch eventually melts the ice and floods the heart with emotion or at least reflection. The cleaner, choir-style vocals also aid this lateral move, imbuing INRI with a soaring / ascending sensation - or, again, ethereal in many senses of the word - that's absolutely perfect for the album's unique production style. As ever, when GOATS OF DOOM wanna get going, they kick ass with the best of 'em and exude charisma every step of the way; it's just that they're here able to incorporate more acoustic passages without losing steam, which also goes for album's track sequence, closing out the latter third of it in epic fashion. Thus, INRI is yet another triumph of ANTHEMIC black metal heroism: bow before these GOATS of greatness!

LORD AMONG THE GIANTS…

This is the solo project from EMPERORs Trym, featuring cinematic soundscapes telling an epic viking story.

Trym Torson who is widely known as the drummer on landmark albums of Norwegian Black Metal like EMPEROR`s Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk or ENSLAVED`s Vikingligr veldi and Frost moved into uncharted waters by composing music inspired by his longstanding passion for cinematic soundscapes and ambient music.

THRYMR doesn`t have much in common with Black Metal; instead, the 8 tracks that make up the debut album Saga Of The North are not to be missed if you are into dark sounds which tell their own stories and journeys.

Digipak-CD with silver hot foil, 20-page booklet

HELL MILITIA, an assemblage of the vilest and most depraved individuals the French underground has spawned who have earned themselves a bad reputation by participating in among others MÜTIILATION, ARKHON INFAUSTUS and TEMPLE OF BAAL burst onto the scene with their first full length in 2005.
Preceded only by an appearance on a split 7 inch and a demo, the aptly titled Canonisation of the Foul Spirit was unleashed to wreak havoc and soil anything pure and holy in utter contempt.
The album comprises 10 tracks (Psalms) with a professional but not too clean studio production allowing for each instrument to be easily distinguished from one another without resulting in sounding polished or sterile. The riffs which are not too far removed from what one can hear on some of the albums the members have had a hand in and the quality of the songwriting disclose the fact that HELL MILITIA are anything but newcomers. The demented vocals that grace jolly carols like “Burning Human Pigs”, “Prophecy from the Mutilated Children” or “Black Fucking Cancer” are cantillated by none other than Meyhnach from MÜTIILATION.
Listening to him preaching the false gospel and spewing foul bile in his characteristic, unmistakable way of madness is certainly one of the highlights of Canonisation of the Foul Spirit.

4-panel digipak-CD with a 12-page booklet.

With an inception heading back to the year 2020, UK’s Final Dose have built a reputation from its feral blend of black metal’s icy malevolence and the raw, uncompromising power of punk through the release of a demo, an EP and a full-length album in 2023.
With the experience of touring across the US and Europe granted by the excellent reception of aforementioned “Void Inside”, Final Dose return with a vengeance, a bone-crushing slab of savagery and frostbitten fury entitled “Under the Eternal Shadow”.

Merging Black Metal and Punk is not in any way a novelty, however few acts have managed to imply the solid edge of both approaches in a such a vehemently organic fashion as the UK horde. From the very first seconds of opener “Eternal Winter”, a clear, powerful, in-your-face production compels the razor-sharp virulent riffs to gleam and cut through the ether like an electrical storm, whereas pounding fast beats function as a taser for the body, a remarkably pulsing mania which serves as a marching order for the wild raging vocals, a performance which renders gist to each word yelled in anguish.

But, beware. “Under the Eternal Shadow”’s ornamentation is yet provided by various elements such as Dungeon Synth and Folk, details that supply the record with more than a Black Metal/Punk substance. The brilliant slower moments offer an extra dose of bleakness and despair to the filthy fury, together with the lugubrious clean chords, filled with disheartening melody. These traits blazingly give shape to the lyrical concept of the album, the pain and gloom of mental decline, the misery of the societal ravishingly decay. This layer of mournfulness genuinely confers momentum to Final Dose’s art, a sense of impending doom which sticks to the brain and captures the heart, making “Under the Eternal Shadow” much more than a musical record, but a tome of inspiration through the ashes of the world’s turmoil and dismay.

A forgotten tale, long buried beneath the snows of time, is about to be retold. “Midvintersagor” (‘Midwinter Sagas’) is the first music ever composed by Örnatorpet, a landmark in both personal and artistic discovery. Originally self-released in a small cassette run, this unaltered reissue allows listeners to experience the album exactly as it was conceived – pure, unrefined, and brimming with the wonder of creation.

At its core, “Midvintersagor” is a soundtrack to an unwritten legend. Each track weaves a narrative steeped in medieval fantasy, channelling the essence of forgotten folklore and the grandeur of winter’s stillness. Inspired by the interludes and atmospheric passages of 90s black metal, Örnatorpet sought to craft an instrumental world as evocative as the landscapes of his native Sweden.

Since its inception in 2018, Örnatorpet has become one of the foremost torchbearers of dungeon synth. With no formal musical training, he followed only instinct and inspiration, carving out a path that has since led him to the forefront of the genre. “Midvintersagor” is where that journey began – an unpolished gem gleaming with the spirit of discovery, now unearthed for a new audience to behold.

For over a decade, Nechochwen has bridged the gap between history and mythology, folklore and personal journey. With “spelewithiipi”, the West Virginian duo returns to their earliest roots – trading the weight of distortion for the delicate power of dark folk.

“spelewithiipi” is the sound of rivers that remember, of trails worn by centuries of footsteps, of stories whispered through leaves and stone. Nechochwen weaves rich acoustic instrumentation with an immersive sense of place, crafting melodies steeped in the Eastern Woodlands’ indigenous past. Echoes of Nest, Tenhi, and October Falls resonate throughout, but the heart of the album belongs to the Ohio River Valley – the spelewithiipi, the Big Turkey River – its wild beauty flowing through every note.

This is an album of patience and reverence, composed slowly over eleven years, gathering shape and meaning. It is a tribute to forgotten pathways and the wisdom they carry. From the spectral visions of “othaškwa’alowethi behme” to the contemplative stillness of “Precipice of Stone”, each piece is a portal – to memory, to mystery, to the primordial pulse of the land itself.

Nechochwen is an artistic force dedicated to preserving the past through sound. With “Kanawha Black”, the West Virginia duo delves deeper into the folklore, war, and generational wisdom of Appalachia, transforming history into music that is both urgent and timeless. This is an album shaped by the land itself – its rivers and ridgelines, its battles and buried secrets, its ghosts and forgotten voices.

Melding intricate folk passages with the might of black metal, “Kanawha Black” is a work of contrasts: the tangible and the spectral, history and legend, past and present. The doomed last stand of Chief Cornstalk in “I Can Die But Once” and the ancestral scars of “Generations of War” stand alongside the mythic – the great horned serpent of “The Murky Deep”, the strange omens of “Visions, Dreams, and Signs”, and the meditative “A Cure for the Winter Plagues”, a tribute to nature’s quiet resilience. The further one listens, the more the lines blur, until history and folklore become one.

More than an album, “Kanawha Black” is a testament to the unbroken lineage of Appalachian customs and indigenous tradition. With this reissue through Nordvis – now available on CD for the first time – its themes remain as vital as ever, offering new listeners a chance to step into Nechochwen’s world.

This edition also includes two bonus tracks: “Eastern Hemlock Medicine Song”, appearing on physical format for the first time, and “Across the Divide (Acoustic Version)”, making its debut release.

Tracks 11 to 13 are bonus tracks.
Released in a jewel case, a 16-page booklet.