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One of Australia's longest-running and most respected black metal bands, Pestilential Shadows have been building a towering canon of work since 2003. Whereas many of their native land's extreme metal exports either tend toward the chaotic or too clean, the shadowy collective led by founding vocalist / guitarist Balam consistently create compelling swathes of drama and darkness, all-enveloping emotion and regal-yet-gritty grandeur. Truly, Pestilential Shadows are black metal classicism par excellence.
And while the last handful of their albums the past decade-plus have seen sizable gaps between them, Pestilential Shadows strike while the iron's hot with Wretch. Simply and substantially titled, Wretch follows from last year's Devil's Hammer and continues the band's progression / regression toward uglier, gnarlier expanses. Mind you, it's a lateral development rather than a vertical one - the "form" is still BLACK METAL, and its attendant contents are ruminations on death and the beyond - but the fact that Pestilential Shadows can subtly-to-significantly shift their sonic palette whilst conveying their characteristic melancholy and tragedy speaks to the enduring strength of their songwriting. What's more, the album's production is palpably professional, feeling effervescent and crisp even when running through those uglier, gnarlier expanses. If anything, said recording style of Wretch - mastered by Krvna mainman Krvna Vatra, who played on the aforementioned Devil's Hammer, with mixing done by Balam - gives the record a uniquely ethereal aspect, even when the band have kicked into ultraviolent overdrive. Above all, the eight songs that comprise the 49-minute Wretch prove Pestilential Shadows as masters of pacing, doling out the sublime and the profane with equally windswept aplomb. Of especial note is the solemn procession of "Where Sunlight Goes to Die," which features guest choral vocals from Dis Pater of Midnight Odyssey.
As always, totality is key, and thus has Greallach Art been brought back to provide stark & austere cover artwork for Wretch. On the strength of this album alone, Pestilential Shadows continue to assert their position as a classics-minded black metal vanguard.
Limited edition of 198 copies on white vinyl, incl. gatefold cover and download.
Isen’s debut album delivers a powerful blend of melodic black metal, diving deep into the aggressive essence of late Norwegian second wave while weaving in melodic elements reminiscent of classic Swedish black metal, yet with a unique twist. Cutting riffs, bleak atmospheres, and organic production converge to form an album that honours the genre’s golden era, yet forges its own dark and evocative path. Each track unfolds like a puzzle piece in a haunting journey through frozen emotional landscapes, where melancholy and fury coexist in eerie harmony. A must-have for any fan of the genre
Isen’s debut album delivers a powerful blend of melodic black metal, diving deep into the aggressive essence of late Norwegian second wave while weaving in melodic elements reminiscent of classic Swedish black metal, yet with a unique twist. Cutting riffs, bleak atmospheres, and organic production converge to form an album that honours the genre’s golden era, yet forges its own dark and evocative path. Each track unfolds like a puzzle piece in a haunting journey through frozen emotional landscapes, where melancholy and fury coexist in eerie harmony. A must-have for any fan of the genre
Classic Folk/Black Metal goes progressive! Remastered and finally available again.
In progressive music circles, the genre of Black Metal sometimes seemed to get a treatment as if it is was plague-like. Even a lot of Metalheads themselves cannot bring themselves to develop a taste for it, although diehard fans of the genre swear it is one of the most atmospheric and emotive styles of music in existence to date.
With Vintersorg’s “Cosmic Genesis” it appears as if there is a perfect album for those who are not too much into Black/Pagan Metal (or other extreme forms) but are interested to look into it. Strong melodies and intelligent instrumentation mixed with some more primal, heavy sounding riffs make for a very wellrounded Metal album that a much wider variety of listeners should find appreciation for.
One of the biggest points of contention people seem to have with Black Metal are the high-pitched screams which dominate and help define the genre. While these are indeed present in “Cosmic Genesis”, the main form of vocal delivery rests on the deep and strong clean singing of Andreas Hedlund, at times verging on being operatic in nature. Strong melodies and some rocking guitar riffs are the order of the day for this classic Vintersorg album. A special track worth mentioning here is a great cover of the Uriah Heep track “Rainbow Demon”, which is performed in great Vintersorg style (and has a strong medievalsounding intro). The album is full of great Black/Folk Metal tracks, although the highlights would undeniably include the opener (‘Astral & Arcane,’) the title track, and the powerful ballad ‘The Enigmatic Spirit,’ which should convince anyone to check out this album after hearing it. We think the highly melodic nature of this album will help at least a few people open up to Black Metal as a whole, who are not too familiar with this style, or do not like it too extreme.
For fans of: Falkenbach, Moonsorrow, Borknagar, Finntroll, Kampfar, Einherjer.
Vintersorg’s classic album remastered! A real gem of epic Swedish Viking Metal!
As someone who listens to Metal albums on a daily basis, as well as being a Metal fan for well over 40 years, there are many great Metal albums out there. But sometimes an album comes along that changes how we look at Metal. We are not sure if that was Andreas “Vintersorg” Hedlund‘s intention when he wrote his debut full length, “Till Fjälls”, but that is exactly what this album did. His intention was to create a sound that was Black Metal based but also focusing more on clean vocals and adding more traditional Swedish folk elements to the that base. He inadvertently patented a new sound and sub-genre.
The album opens with, “Rundans,” which is basically an intro, being part acoustic and part electric. Keyboards take the place of what sounds like wind instruments. “For kung och fosterland,” follows as the first proper song, opening with speed and fury there are tremolo riffs and grim vocals but they lead to a much more melodic approach with the clean vocals taking over. Vintersorg sings here in a low baritone which became his trademark. But it is the way he used those melodies intertwined with the heavier more Black Metal oriented sounds was new and nothing like it existed before.
But what the real magic here is the entire package. Songs about that show how ancient paganism was so rooted in the actual forces of nature; while done so in his own language over top this epic Metal music that was all new.
From the cold of Norrland this album manages to take the cold and grim and add some warmth and emotion. This masterpiece was just the first in a string of absolutely brilliant albums from this incredible talented artist. After 27 years this album still resonated with me the same as it did when I first heard it. This is proof that great music is timeless.
For fans of: Falkenbach, Moonsorrow, Borknagar, Finntroll, Kampfar, Einherjer.
Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal formation 1914 return with unrelenting force on their fourth studio album, Viribus Unitis, Latin for "With United Forces." Far more than a historical reference to the personal motto of Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the title reflects the band’s resilience through war, loss, and upheaval – a powerful symbol of survival and solidarity. Releasing on November 14, 2025 via Napalm Records, Viribus Unitis builds on the band’s acclaimed conceptual approach, pushing even deeper into emotional and musical intensity.
Continuing their chronicle of World War I, 1914 shift their focus slightly, from the raw portrayal of death and destruction to themes of camaraderie, endurance, and the emotional landscapes of those who endured the horrors. While previous releases like The Blind Leading the Blind (2018) and Where Fear and Weapons Meet (2021) centered on the futility and finality of war, Viribus Unitis explores the human bonds forged under fire and the strength of those who returned: broken, changed, yet still alive.
Musically, 1914 remain true to their identity – brutal mixture of blackened death metal, slow-burning doom, and ambient war soundscapes. This time, however, their sound gains a broader dynamic range, with soaring melodic leads, orchestral textures, and haunting clean vocals that provide dramatic contrast to the crushing heaviness. One of the album’s highlights is a collaboration with Aaron Stainthorpe of My Dying Bride and High Parasite on “1918 Pt. 3: ADE (A Duty to Escape),” whose mournful voice adds a solemn, almost liturgical quality to this elegy of grief and brotherhood on the front lines.
Viribus Unitis deepens 1914’s commitment to historical authenticity, both lyrically and conceptually. Told through real events and personal accounts of a Ukrainian soldier in the K.u.K. army, the album traces a timeline from 1914 to 1919, painting a grim journey through the war’s rise, climax, and hollow aftermath.
From the brooding opener “War In” to the bleak closer “War Out (The End?)”, each track captures a moment in time: the brutal “1914 (The Siege of Przemysl)”, the frostbitten “1915 (Zwinin Ridge)”, the crushing Alpine combat of “1916 (Südtirol Offensive)”, and the madness of “1918 Pt. 2: POW (Prisoner of War)” featuring Christopher Scott of Precious Death.
The album ends with “1919 (The Home Where I Died),” featuring Rome’s Jerome Reuter, a haunting portrait of a soldier who survived the war, but not its shadow. This emotional song deals with the soldier's will to live and his family values, seeing him escape from captivity to finally return home to embrace his wife and daughter. 1914 fuse blackened death metal, doom, and atmospheric textures with dramatic flourishes and guest vocals, creating their most dynamic and emotionally resonant record to date.
Havukruunu's debut album HAVULINNAAN reissued in June Svart Records is proud to bring Havukruunu's 2015 debut album HAVULINNAAN back to the market on June 6th, 2025. HAVULINNAAN is filled to the brim with raw, bleak, unforgiven heavy metal mixed with spells from the very depths of the misty Finnish forests. Havukruunu's Stefa had this to say about the upcoming reissue: "INTO THE CONIFEROUS CASTLE….. Ten years ago, we didst unleash an abomination of immortal-worship, improvised guitar solos and a first glance of a certain type of spiritual freedom, the very first full-length Havukruunu album HAVULINNAAN and thus began our search. Experience our then meandering worry anew, through this humble, slightly remastered reissue through Svart records."
