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A still-mysterious quintet hailing from the black metal hotbed of Finland, AGANTHROS formed in 2021 and digitally released their debut demo a year later. Those two songs served as a swift foretaste of the band's forthcoming debut album, Syntiset Saatanat Kurjat, which is at last at hand.

Unlike the vast number of bands honoring their homeland's prevailing black metal paradigm, AGANTHROS walk their own left-hand path both lyrically and especially sonically. Those lyrical themes of course include Satanism and the left-hand path; others more or less include the noble tragicalness of humanity and life. Gazing within instead of outside and walking the sewers of the individual and collective subconscious, AGANTHROS on their debut album musically illustrate such pathos through a wide-ranging but always-melodic sturm und drang style of black metal that bears similarities to Finnish iconoclasts Enochian Crescent and Trollheims Grott - or, thinking further afield of Finland, the avant-garde angularity of Ved Buens Ende meeting the spiraling melodicism of Mgla. However, such references are merely a springboard from which to meet AGANTHROS on Syntiset Saatanat Kurjat. From its disarming folk-inflected opening on through the rest of its 41-minute runtime, the album bracingly balances a whole host of extremities that the band masterfully wrangle to their own design, reaping triumphant rumbling on to twisted nightmare psychedelia. You never quite know what's coming next, but AGANTHROS thread it together with punishing physicality and serpentine flow. Refreshingly different and yet timeless all the same, Syntiset Saatanat Kurjat sounds the trumpets for the new/now sound of Finnish black metal.

Hell ain’t a bad place to be”, they say. Well, it’s probably because THRONE are not running the place, because if they were, hell would be really… hellish. THRONE are back with their heaviest, strongest and most desperate effort so far and their solid sludge metal morphed into something more sulphureous, more malignant and definitely more feral.
“Ossarium” is a long, painful trip into the territories laden out by EYEHATEGOD, BUZZOVEN and ACID BATH but with an evolved take bordering on black metal sound, as the first single “Aten” clearly demonstrates. In other episodes like “Morrigan”, for which a videoclip will premiere out during the month of January, the band goes back delivering mid-tempo funeral marches for the expected sludge-experience.
Empowered by an astonishing sound quality, perfect for a nightmarish musical experience, “Ossarium” will surely make an impact in early 2025!

The highly anticipated 2nd full-length by this Romanian band. Hailing from Transylvania, Putred was formed by Uriel on guitars (Morbicus, Vorus, Reveler) and Filip on vocals / bass (Necrotum, Vorus, Demoted) back in June 2020. Dante (Slaughter Ceremony, ex-In Obscurity Revealed, ex-Infested) joined the band behind the drumkit right after writing the first two songs, titled "Necroza" and "Devorat de Viermi." These tracks were self-released as a promo/demo tape in July 2020. In late 2021, Corina (ex-Deimos, Vorus, Reveler) joined the band as a bass player and Filip stuck to vocals only. In October 2022, Doru (ex-Necrovile, Vorus, Malpraxis) replaced Dante on drums, and the band immediately started playing live all over Romania. After myriad splits and more demos, Putred released their debut album, "Repulsie Post-Mortem", in early 2023. If that simple-yet-sublime debut full-length firmed up their filthy foundation, then Putred´s second album surely builds that foundation ever higher -and deeper- with miles of slime! Titled "Megalit al Putrefacției", Putred perfect pounding, ponderously mid-paced Death Metal of a most eldritch nature. Rancid and foul-smelling as ever, the Romanians´ tank continues to crush forward at a patient gait, exhibiting brutality and all-out heaviness not through sheer speed or dazzling displays of technique, but rather through thoughtful songwriting, slamming/slithering riffing and none-slimier atmosphere. The leads are especially eerie, as are the multi-tracked high/low vocals, with Corina´s wandering bass-work instilling a truly unsettling feeling. Sonic references across "Megalit al Putrefacției" are many -Mortician at half-speed, Cianide at their world-eating best, early Necrophagia´s weird textures, Apparition/Sorrow with a shot of energy, and of course the unholy trifecta of Bolt Thrower, Asphyx and Grave- but Putred manage to integrate their own personality into proceedings, particularly their lyrics, all written and growled in their native tongue, telling short horror-drenched stories about death, horror, the occult and the afterlife. The closing cover of Autopsy´s "Critical Madness" simply underlines that spiritual center. Completed by absolutely perfect cover artwork courtesy of Jan Pysander Whitney, Putred´s "Megalit al Putrefacției" is prime-grade Death Metal for those who want it slower, deeper and harder.

Svart Records continues to reissue the albums of Havukruunu, bringing their 2020 classic UINUOS SYÖMEIN SOTA back on the market in September 2025. Havukruunu's third album UINUOS SYÖMEIN SOTA is widely praised for its epic and melodic black metal, combining heavy metal influences with folk music. The album is celebrated in particular for its catchy melodies, powerful atmospherics, lush guitar solos and choral vocals, which create a unique blend of bleak heavy metal and other genres. The album has been compared to the works of Bathory and Moonsorrow, but critics have put Havukruunu on their own level for having such a unique style. True Finnish Forest Metal.

Svart Records proudly present the Black- and Doom Metal pioneers Unholy’s compilation of early material – Demology out on July 19th

“Unholy are arguably the most original, avant-garde, definitive, and important Finnish extreme metal band. The paths they have walked have always been lonely and unknown, entering to the deepest celestial forests and psychic graveyards, and the treasures found there dark and exquisite. This compilation consists of their three legendary demos, of which Trip to Depressive Autumn is the best recording ever done in Finland, of any genre or style”.
- Albert Witchfinder, Reverend Bizarre

Svart Records is set to release the compilation album “Demology” by Finnish avant-garde death doom metal band Unholy. Including their early demo recordings "The Procession of Black Doom" (1990), "Demo 11.90" (1990) and "Trip to Depressive Autumn" (1992), this is the first time these demos are in the same package with exclusive liner notes.

Unholy emerged from the eastern Finnish town of Imatra in the late '80s. After changing their name from Armageddon to Holy Hell and eventually to Unholy, their mission was simple; to create harder, heavier, and slower music than their idols Black Sabbath and Celtic Frost. The lyrical themes and ideas for the songs came from Satanism, mysticism, anti-Christianity, mushroom trips, and shamanism among others. Finnish deep ecologist Pentti Linkola also inspired the band and their music. Some of the songs came up naturally by jamming riffs and others entirely by improvisation.

While the first two demos already made Unholy a force to be reckoned with, the release of “Trip to Depressive Autumn” caught the attention of the underground metal scene and various labels. The band was hungry for a recording contract, and it finally came into realization when Lethal Records released their debut album “From the Shadows” in 1993.

“Demology”, mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano at Orgone Studios, is out on July 19^th. Available formats include the Svart exclusive 2LP black/white marble vinyl, 2LP limited transparent red vinyl, 2LP classic black vinyl, and the 2CD edition.

Hexvessel have been a long time in the making. For more than a decade, their frontman, Kvohst, has been dabbling in forms of avant-garde black metal. Boasting acts like Dodheimsgard and Code, Kvohst's very distinct vocals were what set him apart from many other vocalists. He had a unique way of delivering his lyrics, bending the pitch in his voice and experimenting with atmosphere. Contrasting with often fierce black metal, his vocals would stand out as pure, but unsettling. With the black metal element removed, and a lot more freedom, Kvohst and his band release some of their best work to date.
 

The fourth and final album of symphonic extreme metal from 2001, from Katatonia mastermind Anders ‘Blakkheim’ Nyström. 

180g translucent gold vinyl in single sleeve with printed inner.