Stuck in the Filter: September 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

At last, a burst of cool calms the blood after a brutal summer, and the leaves are turning. Which means I was able to recruit a bunch of grubby little leaf-lookers off the highway to serve as minions to my ever-needy Filter! With a temporarily replenished staff of fools who are unwittingly risking their lives for mere nuggets, I conduct with renewed vigor the search for quality finds.

Today, I bring you those finds, in all of their sparkly glory. WITNESS THEM!

Kenstrosity’s Jaunty Juke

Jordsjuk // Naglet til livet [September 19th, 2025 – Indie Recordings]

The lack of conversation I’ve seen surrounding this Norwegian black metal riff machine is highly disconcerting. Brought to my attention by my wonderfully wise—and devilshly handsome—owlpal1 from… GASP… another blog, Jordsjuk’s debut LP Naglet til livet has my spine whipping to a fro from the onset of ripping opener “Kollaps.” The whiplash doesn’t stop there as thrashy numbers “Grovt skadeverk” and “Skreddersøm” body me against several walls and even a couple of ceilings. For 36 relentless minutes, with only one song pushing the four minute mark, Naglet til livet is an unqualified triumph of editing and tight, effective songwriting. My immediate comparison is 2007-2013 Skeletonwitch, but some of these riffs, like the turbobangers on “Parasitt,” “Rottebitt,” “Klarhet og dybde,” and “Rennestein,” give those hallowed skellybois a serious run for their money. When they aren’t thrashing, Jordsjuk shift into a dour, but still ravenous black metal shadow. Wraiths like “Riv skorpen av såret” and “Svikter din neste” showcase this looming character quite well, and prove Jordsjuk to be dynamic, versatile songwriters. In short, Naglet til livet is a raucous good time for anyone craving black metal with sharp teeth and limitless energy.

Baguette’s Bouncy Blessing

Arjen Anthony Lucassen // Songs No One Will Hear [September 12th, 2025 – Inside Out Music]

A year without an Arjen record would be a much lesser one. It’s not often the crazy Dutchman reuses a non-Ayreon project title, but here we have his fourth solo album becoming the second under the full Arjen Anthony Lucassen name! Dropping 13 years after the previous one, Songs No One Will Hear announces the end of the world is a mere five months away, its tracks depicting the resulting stages of chaos, disarray, and human silliness. It doesn’t fall far off the catchy and melodic Arjen tree but casts a wider net than prior prog rock adventures. Much of the record reflects different eras of Ayreon, including the ’70s prog whimsy of Into the Electric Castle (“Dr. Slumber’s Blue Bus”) and the fun ’80s metal edge of The Source (“Goddamn Conspiracy”). Closing epic “Our Final Song” is a microcosm of his musical breadth, shapeshifting from Jethro Tull flute shenanigans to analog synth ambience to dramatic riff bombast at will. But it’s “The Clock Ticks Down” that steals the spotlight, marking a brief return to the dark, somber grit of Guilt Machine and 01011001. It’s an unusually normal-sized album from Mr. Lucassen as well, the regular, unnarrated version being only 46 minutes and change. A condensed, jovial jack-of-all-trades showcase with many of the usual great guest musician and vocalist selections! And it’s always nice to hear him sing more, too.

Thus Spoke’s Lurid Leftovers

Fauna // Ochre and Ash [September 26th, 2025 – Lupus Lounge/Prophecy Productions]

It’s been 13 years since Cascadian black metal duo Fauna released Avifauna, to quiet yet great acclaim. Given their preoccupation with human prehistory, they might just be operating on a larger timescale than you or I. Ochre and Ash—the two main ingredients used in ancient cave paintings—is an attempt to invoke the spirit of forgotten ceremonies during which the stories of the people were immortalised on stone. Building on an atmospheric black metal base familiar in their better-known exemplars Wolves in the Throne Room and Agalloch, Fauna give Ochre and Ash a distinctive edge by roaming further afield into the experimental. For every metal-dominated track (“Nature & Madness,” “Labyrinths,” “Eternal Return”), there is an ambient, decidedly unsettling counterpart (“A Conjuring,” “Femoral Sun,” “Mockery”), and the latter are not interludes, but integral parts of the ritual. Each infuses skin-prickling drone with eerie chimes and rattles, and uncomfortable vocalisations ranging from moans and wails to laughter and the howling, yipping cries of animals—or humans mimicking them. In their repetition of haunting, hollow sounds, they are both frightening and trance-inducing. Ochre and Ash’s metallic segments are no less ominous, treading as they do between confrontationally turbulent atmoblack2 and diSEMBOWELMENT-adjacent death doom that puts me right back in the void of madness last year’s Spectral Voice generated. This is not a casual listen, and Fauna could have helped it a bit with some editing, as the weirdness combined with an excessive 70-minute runtime makes some longer passages feel tired and could be off-putting to some. Still, it’s an experience I’d recommend trying at least once.

Spicie Forrest’s Sautéed Surplus

Piece // Rambler’s Axe [September 5th, 2025 – This Charming Man Records]

Finding gym metal has always proven difficult for me. It’s not about the fastest or loudest, but about striking a balance between weight and pace. Rambler’s Axe fits the bill nicely. Influenced by the likes of Crowbar and High on Fire, these Berlin-based doomsters peddle raucous and sludgy heavy metal. There’s a bit of Conan in Piece’s DNA, too, making sure to worship each riff long enough for you to make it through any given set. Beefy basslines and aggressive, chiseled drums make it easy to drop into a groove and get your pump on. Faster cuts like “Demigod” and “Rambler’s Axe” go great with chest flies and leg press, but they’ve got tracks for bench press and deadlifts too. “Bastard Sword” and “Owl Eyes” rumble forward like the slow but inevitable rise of the barbell at max weight. Whether marching or running, baritone shouts like tank treads hang over riffs just looking for an excuse to blow off steam. Whatever your reason for visiting the glorious house of gains, Piece has your soundtrack covered.

Heruvim // Mercator [September 12th, 2025 – Self-Release]

As each passing year leaves the almighty Bolt Thrower further in the past, the yearning for that sound grows. I was quite surprised to find a small amount of solace in Heruvim, hailing from Odesa, Ukraine. I say small solace, because debut LP Mercator is more than just a clone. Augmented with the unsettling atmosphere of early Pestilence and the vocal malevolence of Sinister, this platter of old school death metal carves its own niche in a storied scene. Off-kilter leads bubble up and spew out of a murky, tarred rhythm section like prehistoric gases in a primordial soup (“Gnosis,” “Lacrimae Rerum”). Lachrymose, doom-laden passages and violent death threats trade back and forth, anchored by volatile blast beats and percussive assaults in the vein of Cannibal Corpse (“Nulla Res,” “Mercator”). Stitched together with eerie, short-and-sweet interludes, Mercator’s lean 30 minutes fly by and always leave me itching for more. Heruvim riffs on a slew of classic sounds, creating a casual brutality and primal barbarism that is both compelling and uniquely their own.

ClarkKent’s Melodic Monstrosities

Galundo Tenvulance // Insomnis Somnia [September 17th, 2025 – Spiritual Beast Records]

Falling somewhere between symphonic deathcore acts Assemble the Chariots and Grimnis enters Japan’s Galundo Tenvulance. On their second full-length LP, Insomnis Somnia, the sextet demonstrates raw power and frenetic energy throughout its 41-minute runtime. Songs are anchored by catchy melodic leads, atmospheric symphonies, and punishing, relentless kitwork (no drummer is credited, so hopefully it’s not programmed). Galundo Tenvulance’s new vocalist, Sao, delivers the goods, bringing a spirited energy to her performance that elevates the already terrific material. While the symphonics don’t quite elevate the music the same way they do for Assemble the Chariots, it’s the melodic riffs that make these guys stand out. “Noble Rot” is the highlight, with a killer lead riff that uses harmonics to add just that extra bit of oomph. Other highlights include the catchy “Regret Never Sleeps,” evoking Character-era Dark Tranquillity, and “In The Realms of the Unreal,” which demonstrates their ability to transform solos into surprising melodies. This might be too good to have landed in the filter, but with my TYMHM slots filled up, it’s better than nothing.

Mortal Scepter // Ethereal Dominance [September 9th, 2025 – Xtreem Music]

As if we didn’t have enough thrash floating in the filter, French outfit Mortal Scepter finds itself as yet another piece of thrash dredged from the muck. This quartet has been around since 2012, yet Ethereal Dominance is only their second full-length release. Their sound lands somewhere between the melodic thrash of Bloodletter and the mania of Deathhammer—though a touch less zany. The persistent level of energy these bands can maintain never ceases to amaze me. While the constant beat of drum blasts threatens to make thrash songs sound too similar, the variety of melodies Mortal Scepter delivers ensures that things never grow repetitive. They have a raw, blackened sound that feels immediate and in your face. Drummer Guillaume keeps an impressive pace with fresh-sounding, nonstop blast beats, while vocalist Lucas Scellier snarls with enthusiasm, with a voice comparable to Deathhammer’s Sergeant Salsten. However, it’s the guitars by Maxime and Scellier that really bring the band to life, from the noodly melodies to the dynamic, lengthy, and impressive solos on each song. These guys prove they are more than just simple thrash metallers on the epic thrash, ten-minute finale, “Into the Wolves Den,” which uses a mix of tempo shifts and hooky melodies to make the song just fly by. With this second LP under their belts, these guys have proven themselves an exciting newish band on the thrash scene.

Grin Reaper’s Woodland Windfall

Autrest // Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves [September 5th, 2025 – Northern Silence Productions]

Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves merges atmospheric black metal with nature, resuming Autrest’s vision from debut Follow the Cold Path. Like Saor or Falls of Rauros, stunning melodies play across untamed backdrops that stir heartstrings in unexpected ways. Ethereal keys, mournful strings, and rapid-fire tremolos impeccably capture Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves’ autumnal artwork, bringing Autrest’s imagery to life. Harsh vocals sit back in the mix, evoking windswept trees as cool harvest gusts leach branches of color, while sporadic baritone cleans add variation. “Lobos (Offering)” sets the stage with melancholic guitar plucks bolstered by forlorn strings, giving way to a controlled spark as “Ashes from the Burning Embers” ratchets up roiling vigor. Through forty-two minutes, Autrest expertly guides listeners across shifting landscapes that are delightful in their earnestness. Mastermind Matheus Vidor establishes himself as a preeminent architect of mood, channeling transitions from gentle, wonder-filled serenity to unyielding wrath. The dynamic between aggression and introspection is marvelous, permeating the album with emotion. While I could understand a complaint that some songs blur together, the spirit of Burning Embers, Forgotten Wolves is never stale or disposable. Rather, Autrest has taken what began two years ago and enriched it, composing an ode to self-discovery and transformation.3 My own experience with the music conjures wilderness’s last hurrah before succumbing to winter’s embrace. As days grow shorter and temperatures drop,4 I encourage you to seek refuge and draw warmth from these Burning Embers.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Very Not Late Novella

Sterveling // Sterveling [September 26th, 2025 – Self Release]

Between the world of atmospheric and post-tinged black metal, there exists a twisted form of progressive music that teeters about brooding moods and crackling tones to explore shrieking sadness and profound sorrow. Michiel van der Werff (Prospectors, Weltschmerz), primary Dutch proprietor of Sterveling, places his expressive guitar runs and lurching rhythm clangs in the company of trusted friends to carry out his tortured, baroque vision of black metal. Against the hissing design of synth maestro and Prospectors bandmate Matthias Ruijgrok, a fullness and warping warmth pervades the spacious amp textures and muscular rhythmic framework of each piece. And through the bloodied cries of Weltschmerz bandmate Hreim, a vocal lightning flashes to illuminate the nooks between pulsing synth lines and deathly bursts of full tremolo assault. In three longform pieces, all still totaling a generous forty-two minutes, Sterveling tints a monochrome narrative with vibrant shades from thoughtful tones and well-timed, emotional escalations. Committed to each careful iteration on a melody, the woven Sterveling web grows ever stickier with every passing moment, none of the ten-minute-plus excursions ever feeling even close to their declared runtimes. And with a sound construction that hits delicate yet forceful, creaking yet incising, it’s easy to wander through several journeys on this debut outing before realizing what time has passed. Fans of equally forlorn acts like Tongues or Andalvald will feel more at home here than others. But with a tonal palette that’s as inviting as it is crushing, Sterveling should attract the ears of fans across the extreme spectrum.

#2025 #agalloch #americanMetal #andavald #arjenAnthonyLucassen #assembleTheChariots #atmosphericBlackMetal #autrest #ayreon #blackMetal #bloodletter #boltThrower #brazillianMetal #burningEmbersForgottenWolves #cannibalCorpse #conan #crowbar #darkTranquillity #deathDoom #deathMetal #deathcore #deathhammer #disembowelment #doomMetal #dutchMetal #etherealDominance #fallsOfRauros #fauna #frenchMetal #galundoTenvulance #grimnis #guiltMachine #heruvim #highOnFire #independentRelease #indieRecordings #insideoutMusic #insomnisSomnia #japaneseMetal #jethroTull #jordsjuk #lupusLounge #melodicBlackMetal #melodicDeathMetal #melodicThrashMetal #mercator #mortalScepter #nagletTilLivet #northernSilenceProductions #norwegianMetal #ochreAndAsh #pestilence #piece #postBlackMetal #progressiveBlackMetal #progressiveMetal #progressiveRock #prophecyProductions #ramblersAxe #review #reviews #saor #selfRelease #selfReleased #sep25 #sinister #skeletonwitch #sludge #sludgeMetal #songsNoOneWillHear #spectralVoice #sterveling #stuckInTheFilter #stuckInTheFilter2025 #symphonicDeathcore #thisCharmingManRecords #thrashMetal #tongues #ukrainianMetal #wolvesInTheThroneRoom

Stuck in the Filter: August 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

The heat persists, but now the humidity comes in full force as storm systems wreak havoc upon the coasts. I hide in my cramped closet of an office, lest I be washed out once again by an unsuspecting deluge. However, I still send my minions out into the facility, bound by duty to search for those metallic scraps on which we feast.

Fortuitously, most all of those imps I sent out came back alive, and with wares! BEHOLD!

Kenstrosity’s Galactic Gremlin

Silent Millenia // Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil [August 26th, 2025 – Self-Release]

Have you ever seen such a delightfully cheesy cover? Probably, but it’s been a while for me. I bought Celestial Twilight: Beyond the Crimson Veil, the second raw symphonic black metal opus from Finnish one-man act Silent Millenia, on the strength of the artwork alone. Little did I know that what lay beyond this crimson veil was some of the most fun melodic black metal this side of Moonlight Sorcery. The same low-fi roughness that personifies Old Nick’s work grounds Silent Millenia’s starbound songwriting as it traverses the universe with an energetic punch reminiscent of Emperor or Stormkeep (“Awaken the Celestial Spell,” “Daemonic Mastery”). To help differentiate Silent Millenia’s sound from that of their peers, a gothic atmosphere ensorcells much of this material to great effect, merging eerie Victorian melodies with galactic adventurism in an unlikely pair (“Enthrone the Spectral”). Swirling synths and sparkling twinkles abound as well, creating blissful moments of interest as frosty tremolos and piercing blasts take full advantage of the false sense of security those entrancing clouds of synthetic instrumentation create (“Benighted Path to Darkness Mysterium,” “Reign in Cosmic Majesty”). Simply put, Celestial Twilight is an unexpected gem of a symphonic black metal record, bursting with killer ideas and infinite levels of raw, unabashed fun. You should hear it!

Kronos’ Unexpected Unearthments

Street Sects // Dry Drunk [August 15th, 2025 – Self Release]

Dry Drunk sticks to your inner surfaces, draining down like cigarette tar along paralyzed cilia to pool in your lungs until the cells themselves foment rebellion. Once it’s in you, you feel paranoid, wretched, and alone. So it’s the proper follow-up to Street Sects’ visionary debut, End Position. Like that record, Dry Drunk plumbs the most mundane and unsavory gutters of America for a cast of protagonists that it dwells in or dispatches with a mixture of pity and disgust, with vocalist Leo Ashline narrating their violent crimes and self-hatred in a mixture of croons, shrieks, and snarls that cook the air before the speakers into the scent of booze and rotten teeth. And like that record, Shaun Ringsmuth (Glassing) dresses the sets with a fractal litter of snaps, squeals, crashes, gunshots, and grinding electronics, caked in tar and collapsing just as soon as it is swept into a structure. And like End Position, Dry Drunk is a masterpiece. The impeccable six-song stretch from “Love Makes You Fat” through “Riding the Clock” ties you to the bumper and drags you along some of the duo’s most creative side-roads, through the simmering, straightjacketed sludge of “Baker Act” to the chopped-up, smirking electronica of “Eject Button.” Swerving between addled, unintelligible agony and unforgettable anthems, Dry Drunk, like End Position before it is nothing less than the life of a junkie scraped together, heated on a spoon, and injected into your head. Once you’ve taken a hit, you will never be quite the same.

Thus Spoke’s Frightening Fragments

Defacement // Doomed [August 22nd, 2025 – Self Release]

There’s music for every vibe.1 The one Defacement fits is an exclusively extreme metal flavor of moody that is only appreciable by genre fans, made tangibly more eerie by their persistent idiosyncratic use of dark ambient interludes amidst the viciously distorted blackened death. Audiences—and reviewers—tend to disparage these electronic segments, but I’ve always felt their crackling presence increases the analog horror of it all, and rather than being a breather from the intensity, they prolong the nausea, the sense of emptiness, and the abject fearfulness of head-based trauma. This latter concept grows more metaphorical still on Doomed, where the violence is inside the mind, purpose-erasing, and emotionally-detaching. The ambience might be the most sadly beautiful so far (“Mournful,” and “Clouded” especially), and the transitions into nightmarish heaviness arguably the most fluid. And the metal is undoubtedly the most ambitious, dynamic, and magnificent of Defacement’s career, combining their most gruesome dissonance (“Portrait”) with their most bizarrely exuberant guitar melodies (“Unexplainable,” “Unrecognised”). Solos drip tangibly with (emotional) resonance (“Unexplainable,” “Absent”) and there’s not a breath or a moment of wasted space. Yes, the band’s heavier side can suffer from a nagging sense of homogeneous mass, but it remains transporting. While I can appreciate why others do not appreciate Defacement, this is the first of their outings I can truthfully say mesmerised me on first listen.

ClarkKent’s Heated Hymns

Phantom Fire // Phantom Fire [August 8th, 2025 – Edged Circle Productions]

While I waded through the murky depths of the August promo sump, Steel implored me to take the eponymous third album from Phantom Fire. “The AMG commentariat love blackened heavy metal,” he said. I disregarded his advice at my peril, and while I ended up enjoying what I grabbed, it turns out this would have been solid too. Featuring members from Enslaved, Kraków. Hellbutcher, and Aeternus, Phantom Fire play old school speed metal that harks back to the likes of Motörhead and Iron Maiden’s Killers. Thanks to healthy doses of bass and production values that allow the instruments to shine, each song is infused with energetic grooves. The music sounds fresh, crisp, and clear, from the booming drums to Eld’s “blackened” snarls. Early tracks “Eternal Void” and “All For None” show off the catchy blend of simple guitar riffs and a hoppin’ bass accompanied by energetic kit work. While placing a somewhat lengthy instrumental track in the middle of a record usually slows it down, “Fatal Attraction” turns out to be a highlight. It tells a tragic love story involving a motorcycle with nothing but instruments, an engine revving, and some police sirens. The second half of Phantom Fire gets a bit on the weirder side, turning to some stoner and psychedelia. There’s a push and pull between the stoner and Motörhead speed stuff on songs like “Malphas” and “Submersible Pt. 2,” and this blend actually works pretty well. It turns out that they aren’t phantom after all—these guys are truly fire.

Burning Witches // Inquisition [August 22nd, 2025 – Napalm Records]

With six albums in eight years, Swiss quintet Burning Witches has really been burning rubber. While such prolific output in such a short time frame generally spells trouble, Inquisition is a solid piece of heavy/power metal. Burning Witches dabbles in a mix of speedy power metal and mid-tempo heavy metal, often sounding like ’80s stalwarts Judas Priest and Def Leppard. With Laura Guldemond’s gruff voice, they produce a more weighty, less happy version of power metal than the likes of Fellowship or Frozen Crown. While the songs stick to formulaic structures, tempo shifts from song to song help keep things from growing stale. We see this variety right from the get-go, where “Soul Eater” takes a high-energy approach before moving into the more mellow “Shame.” There’s even a pretty solid ballad, “Release Me,” that grounds the back half of the record. Songs of the sort that Burning Witches write need catchy choruses, and fortunately, they deliver. “High Priestess of the Night” is a particular standout, delivering a knock-out punch in its delivery. It helps that the instrumental parts are well-executed, from crunchy riffs to subdued solos to booming blast beats. Anyone looking for a solid bit of power metal that’s not too heavy on the cheese will find this worth a listen.

Deathhammer // Crimson Dawn [August 29th, 2025 – Hells Headbangers Records]

Celebrating 20 years of blackened speed, Deathhammer drop LP number six with the kind of energy that exhausted parents dread to see in their children at bedtime. This is my first foray with the band, and I am in awe of the relentless level of manic energy they keep throughout Crimson Dawn’s 39 minutes. If science could learn how to harness their energy, we’d have an endless source of renewables. The two-piece out of Norway channels classic Slayer on crack and even has moments reminiscent of Painkiller-era Judas Priest. They play non-stop thrash cranked to 11, with persistent blast beats and some dual guitar parts that leave your head spinning from the rapid-fire directions the riffs fire off in. The heart of the mania is singer Sergeant Salsten. His crazed vocals are amazing—snarling, shouting, and shrieking in a way that took me back to the manic pitch Judge Doom could reach in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He sings so fast that on the chorus of “Crimson Dawn,” it sounds like he says “Griffindor,” which had me searching confusedly for the Harry Potter tag. This was probably my favorite song, not just because of the Griffindor thing, but because that chorus is so catchy. Either way, it’s tough to pick a standout track because they all grip you by the throat and don’t let go. Crimson Dawn is a ton of fun and a must listen if you like your music fast.

Grin Reaper’s Bountiful Blight

Kallias // Digital Plague [August 14th, 2025 – Self Release]

Machine gun drumming, spacey synths, Morbid Angel-meets-Meshuggah riffing, Turian-esque barking and Voyager-reminiscent vocal melodies…what the fuck is going on here? The only thing more surprising than someone having the moxie to blend all these things together is how well they work in concert. Kallias doesn’t hold back on sophomore album Digital Plague, and the result is a rocket-fueled blast through forty-four minutes of eclectic, addictive prog. The mishmash of styles keeps the album fresh and unpredictable while never dipping its toes in inconsistent waters, and staccato rhythms propel listeners through eight tracks without losing steam. As with any prog metal worth its salt, Kallias brandishes technical prowess, and their cohesion belies the relatively short time they’ve been putting out music.2 The mix is well-suited to spotlight whoever needs it at a given time, whether the bass is purring (“Exogíini Kyriarchía”), the drums are being annihilated (“Pyrrhic Victory”), or a guitar solo nears Pettrucian wankery (“Phenomenal in Theory”). The end result is three-quarters of an hour filled with myriad influences that fuse into a sound all Kallias’s own, and it’s one I’ve returned to several times since discovering (also, credit to MontDoom for his stunning artwork, which helped initially draw my attention). Check it out—you’ll be sick if you avoid this one like the Plague.

Luke’s Kaleidoscopic Kicks

Giant Haze // Cosmic Mother [August 22nd, 2025 – Tonzonen Records]

Whereas many of my colleagues are bracing themselves for cooler conditions and harsh winters to come, in my neck of the woods, things are warming up. While my own wintry August filter proved scarce, there was one particular summery gem to lift moods with burly riffs and fat stoner grooves. Unheralded German act Giant Haze seemingly emerged out of nowhere during a random Bandcamp deep dive. Debut LP Cosmic Mother channels the good old days of ’90s-inspired desert rock, featuring grungy, doomy vibes via a groovy batch of riff-centric, hard-rocking and uplifting jams, evoking the nostalgic spirit of Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Clutch and perhaps even a dash of Danzig. Punching out raucous, groove-soaked hard rockers with skyscraping hooks (“Geographic Gardens Suck,” “King of Tomorrow,” “Panic to Ride”), summery, funk–psych jams (“Sunrise”), and bluesy, punk-infused fireballs (“Crank in Public,” “Shrink Age”) Giant Haze get a lot of things right on this assured debut. The songwriting is deceptively diverse and punchy, bolstered by solid production, tight musicianship, and the swaggering, ever so slightly goofy vocal charms and powerful hooks of frontman Christoph Wollmann. Inevitably, a few rough spots appear, but overall Cosmic Mother showcases oodles of budding potential, an impactful delivery, cheeky sense of humor, and infectious, feel-good songcraft.

Spicie Forrest’s Foraged Fruit

Bask // The Turning [August 22nd, 2025 – Season of Mist]

Last seen in 2019, Bask returns with fourth LP, The Turning, a concept album following The Rider as she and The Traveler traverse the stars. They still peddle the unique blend of stoner rock and Americana Kenstrosity reviewed favorably in 2019, but 2025 sees them looking up for inspiration. The Turning incorporates a distinct cosmic bent (“The Traveler,” “The Turning”) and post-rock structures (“Dig My Heels,” “Unwound”). These augmentations to Bask’s core sound are enhanced by the masterful pedal steel of new official member Jed Willis. Whether floating through the firmament or tilling earthly pastures, Willis creates textures both fresh and intensely nostalgic. The infinite shifting vistas of The Turning’s front half coalesce into singular timeless visions on the back half, supporting its conceptual nature in both content and form. Like a combination of Huntsmen and Somali Yacht Club, Bask weaves riffs and melodies heard across the plains and through the void above with an unguarded authenticity felt in your soul.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Disseminating Discharge

Plasmodulated // An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell [August 1st, 2025 – Personal Records]

Stinky, sticky, slimy—all adjectives that define the ideal death metal platter. Myk Colby has been trying to chase this perfect balance in a reverb-wonky package with projects like the d-beaten Hot Graves and extra hazy Wharflurch, but vile death metal balance is hard to achieve. However, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell contains a recklessly pinched Demilichian riffage, classic piercing whammy bombs, and spook-minded synth ambience that places Plasmodulated with an odor more pungent than its peers. With an infected ear that festers equally with doom-loaded, Incantation-indebted drags (“Gelatinous Mutation ov Brewed Origin,” “Trapped in the Plasmovoid”) and Voivod-on-jenkem cutaways to foul-throated extravagence (“The Final Fuckening”). An air of intelligent tempo design keeps An Ocean from never feeling trapped in a maze of its own fumes, with Colby’s lush and bubbling synth design seguing tumbles into hammering deathly tremolo runs (“Such Rapid Sphacelation”) and Celtic Frosted riff tumbles (“Drowning in Sputum”) alike, all before swirling about his own tattered, trailing vocal sputters. Steady but slippery, elegant yet effluvial, An Ocean ov Putrid, Stinky, Vile, Disgusting Hell provides the necessary noxious pressure to corrode death metal-loving denizens into pure gloops of stained-denim pit worship. Delivered as labeled, Plasmodulated earns its hazardous declaration. We here at AMG are not liable for any OSHA violations that occur as a result of Plasmodulated consumption on the job, though.

#2025 #Aeternus #AmericanMetal #Americana #AnOceanOvPutridStinkyVileDisgustingHell #Aug25 #Bask #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BurningWitches #CelestialTwilightBeyondTheCrimsonVeil #CelticFrost #Clutch #CosmicMother #CrimsonDawn #Danzig #DarkAmbient #DeathMetal #Deathhammer #DefLeppard #Defacement #Demilich #DigitalPlague #Doomed #DryDrunk #DutchMetal #EdgedCircleProductions #Emperor #Enslaved #Fellship #FinnishMetal #FrozenCrown #FuManchu #GermanMetal #GiantHaze #Glassing #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #Hellbutcher #HellsHeadbangersRecords #HotGraves #Huntsmen #Incantation #Inquisition #IronMaiden #JudasPriest #Kallias #Kraków #Kyuss #MelodicBlackMetal #Meshuggah #MoonlightSorcery #MorbidAngel #Motörhead #NapalmRecords #NorwegianMetal #OldNick #PersonalRecords #PhantomFire #Plasmodulated #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease #SilentMillenia #Slayer #Sludge #SludgeMetal #SomaliYachtClub #SpeedMetal #StonerRock #Stormkeep #StreetSects #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #SwissMetal #SymphonicBlackMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheTurning #TonzonenRecords #Turian #Voivod #Voyager #Wharflurch

Exelerate – Hell for the Helpless Review

By Grin Reaper

After dropping their self-titled debut in 2023, Exelerate returns with their patented twist of power thrash to unleash Hell for the Helpless. This cross-genre hybrid takes the speed and wiolence of thrash and marries it with the upbeat and anthemic buoyancy of power metal. Megadeth and Dio are listed as primary influences, but I hear more recent Flotsam & Jetsam, Unleash the Archers and Iced Earth. Exelerate skewed heavily toward thrash on their debut, but they tone down the aggression to embrace power metal swagger on Hell for the Helpless. While they continue to flex technical chops and guitar wizardry, the speed and flamboyance of Exelerate take a back seat this go round. Perhaps this is to put a finer point on their new album’s concept, which is billed as an exploration of adverse mental states and the capacity to overcome through healing and understanding. It’s a noble position, and one I believe could connect with listeners, but does the reformulation help Hell for the Helpless cross the finish line, or do they take the foot off the Exelerater and run out of gas?

Generally speaking, concept albums are comprised of an interconnectedness between songs that transcends face value. At the risk of gravely oversimplifying, there are two flavors—narrative and thematic concepts. Hell for the Helpless bears the flag of the latter. Exelerate brings musical congruity, as there are self-referential moments like when the mournful guitar melody from “The Breach” creeps back in toward the end of “The Summoning.” While I admire the cleverly interwoven motifs, it’s not enough to earn the ‘concept’ moniker. The best concept albums merge narrative and thematic cohesion in ways that are immediately accessible yet profoundly tethered, and there’s more Exelerate could have done to distill their message. Adding a story or featuring guest vocalists to represent different mental maladies could have accentuated the nuances of the themes explored. Instead, Hell for the Helpless feels a touch light on conceptual gravity.

Still, Exelerate finds plenty of moments to dazzle with their musicianship, excelling when it comes to hooky guitar licks and throat-searing falsettos. Guitarist Mads Sorensen and guitarist/vocalist Stefan Jensen set fretboards aflame across Hell for the Helpless, slinging neoclassical solos (“The Summoning”) and dispensing frenetic bursts of arpeggiated runs (“A Painful Debt”). There’s nary a track that isn’t sticky with ear candy, and even when the pace slows down (“Falling in Lust”), Sorensen and Jensen make those bad axes wail. Speaking of wailing, Jensen doesn’t hold back during his vocal onslaught. Living somewhere between Queensrÿche’s Geoff Tate and Flotsam & Jetsam’s Eric Knutson, Jensen most frequently occupies power metal’s comfort zone of high-pitched histrionics. At the top end of his register, he bears a passing resemblance to Unleash the Archers’ Brittney Slayes (“Stranger out of Time”). Jensen also dips into growls (“Impending Doom”), adding welcome variation in the back half. The rhythm section earns their keep as well—bassist Io Sklarstrup rumbles along and drummer Stig Eilsøe-Madsen drives the momentum throughout. There aren’t many showy moments for them, but the duo skillfully supports the foundation of Hell for the Helpless.

Despite the slick musicianship and luster of a deft production, Hell for the Helpless falters when evaluated as a whole. Power metal is no stranger to bloat, and the fifty-three-minute runtime is too long for what Exelerate deals out. Six of the ten tracks clear the five-minute mark, but they lack the riff diversity and substance to sustain those lengths. A minute could be trimmed from most tracks and engender a tighter, more focused album, rather than songs seeming like butter scraped over too much bread. Regardless of this and the concept execution stumble, Hell for the Helpless is a success. The mix gives all contributors space to be heard and appreciated, and the guitar tone is perfect for power thrash.

Exelerate’s latest revs my engine, goosing the throttle in lots of right ways. Addictive guitars, supercharged melodies, and singalong choruses deserve at least one spin, although repeated listens will remain a hurdle for some. I quite enjoyed my many listens and think Hell for the Helpless is a bundle of fun. Refining their approach will turbo boost what comes next for Exelerate and I’ll patrol for future releases from these Danes with my fingers crossed that we get the high-octane thrill ride they’re capable of driving.

Rating: Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: From the Vaults
Websites: exelerate.bandcamp.com | exelerate.dk | facebook.com/Exelerateband
Releases Worldwide: September 12th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Dio #DutchMetal #Exelerate #FlotsamJetsam #FromTheVaults #HellForTheHelpless #IcedEarth #Megadeth #PowerMetal #PowerThrash #Queensryche #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #ThrashMetal #UnleashTheArchers

The new album by Terzij De Horde is out and boy, this one booked it straight up to the top of my AOTY-list. The band somehow went harder and more intense while at the same time adding more melodic and open elements.

The struggle in this unjust world are palpable on this record, from the insane and contagious fury of the vocals to the relentless drumming whilst the guitars and layer up layer of riffs and noise.

👥 Terzij De Horde
💿 Our Breath Is Not Ours Alone

https://album.link/t/453440950

Highights; Race Them Towards The Sun & Discarding All Adornments (ft. Cinderwell)

#PostBlackMetal #PostHardcore #FletchsFridayReleases #DutchMetal #RABM

Sowulo – Niht Review

By Twelve

It’s been a minute since I’ve got a chance to review some folk music around here. It’s not super common that we get these promos, but when a sample of dark folk, spiritually, resembles our heavy metal world, we occasionally find some sent our way. Today’s sample is Niht, the sixth full-length release from Dutch Sowulo (“sun” in proto-Germanic), which takes a philosophical approach to the histories of northern Europe. It’s got everything you could ask for in dark folk on paper: lyrics written in a language no one (to the best of my knowledge) speaks anymore, a small army of instruments that I can’t picture by name alone, and an inscrutable cover with a vague runic shape on it. Sowulo are, on paper, set up for success with Niht already; how does the music itself fare?

Like most works of dark folk in a similar vein—Urferd, Forndom, Wardruna, as examples—Niht draws strength from its reaches at authenticity. Sole band member Faber Horbach (Myrkvur) sings, plays nyckelharpa, carnyx, bouzouki, and acoustic percussion, with guest musicians contribution violins, harps, horns, and more to the work. The stringed instruments create an orchestral-Nordic-folk atmosphere for Sowulo to thrive in, and Niht has a lot of great moments in this vein, from the dramatic “Full Mōna,” featuring hypnotic throat singing at rising intensity, to the eerie, expansive “Swefnian.” Horbach’s gruff, throaty singing, complemented by guest singing from Micky Huijsmans (End of the Dream), brings the Anglo-Saxon lyrics to life; their duet in the stirring chorus of “Nihtēagan” is one of the best moments on Niht, owing largely to their emotional delivery (though the strings work does a lot of heavy lifting too).

Of course, there’s no metal here, and very little in the way of electric influence. Distortion is a distant dream; instead, the music and production are clean and airy, for the most part. “Mōnaþblōd” is a notable exception, with elements of electronica meshing against Sowulo’s natural folk leanings. But generally, you can hear every instrument and enjoy a comparatively quiet listen with atmospheric influence. “Miċele Steorran” is a fantastic example, a peaceful track that uses gently strings to create dream-like soundscapes that complement Horbach and Huijsmans’s singing. It’s not “purely” dark folk or neofolk, but the influences are strong enough that its power comes largely from orchestral highs and emotional vocal melodies, rather than any kind of heaviness.

Despite these terrific qualities, Niht still feels held back, as if it’s a restrained version of Horbach’s original intention—at least to my ears. Niht has on it a lot of tracks that contain a lot of repetition, which makes it feel artificially long. “Carnyx,” for example, is a nearly four-minute exploration of the eponymous wind instrument that doesn’t do much of anything except add ambience, all but halting Niht halfway through. Both the intro and closer share this approach. On the other side of the coin, “Seolfren Sicol” is dominated by its chorus, to the point that it’s the only thing I ever remember about the song. This is, perhaps, the drawback of writing your songs in a dead language—the two verses in the song resemble each other so closely that the song feels like it’s been copied and pasted in several places. With thirteen tracks, it feels as if Sowulo brought too many ideas to Niht—as if there is simultaneously too much album and too little.

Niht does a good job of building an authentic-feeling, atmospheric Nordic folk experience. It is, at varying times, complex, mesmerizing, and passionate. It does have its moments that don’t quite land as they should, but the whole is enjoyable and moving. I hadn’t heard of Sowulo before Niht, but it’s the kind of album that makes me want to hear more. If you need a break from our usual fare, you could do a lot worse than Niht.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: sowulo.bandcamp.com | sowulo.nl | facebook.com/Sowulo
Releases Worldwide: August 29th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Aug25 #DarkFolk #DutchMetal #EndOfTheDream #Forndom #Myrkvur #Neofolk #Niht #Review #Reviews #SeasonOfMist #Sowulo #Urferd #Wardruna

#WhatIsThat is today's theme for today's #TuneTuesday. A question I'm all to familiar with right now.

Songs with unusual instruments, so let's kick it off with a go to suggestion:

👥 Walg (Disgust)
💿 II
🎶 Verlossing (Salvation)
🔗 https://song.link/t/215380264

This song features a hurdy-gurdy up front and central for drone and melody, and it works.

#BlackMetal #DutchMetal #Groningen

New #Gutslasher 🎥📷 #RoosendaalOpenAir video is on its way 👀

🎥📷 by me
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#metalband #dutchmetal #dutchmetalband #metalhead
#metalband
#metalconcert #metalmusic

Wildings, to celebrate the next #BandcampFriday, we're dropping 10 FREE #downloadcodes for our latest release:
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Redeem yours at: https://beyondthepalemetal.bandcamp.com/yum
Thanks for supporting #Metal! 🤘🙏🎸 #DeathMetal #ThrashMetal #DutchMetal

Back from 2 intense days of Dutch underground metal right in time for #BlackMetalMonday.

Lijkschouwer (Coroner) also played this weekend and brought their furious Rotterdam ‘trve kvlt’ black metal to the stage. Relentless assault on the senses, soaring / sawing melodies and obliterating grunts descended on the crowd.

Here is their latest single; https://song.link/t/455366900

#BlackMetal #DutchMetal #Metal

Next up; what happens when you make post-black, but add back in a whole lot of black? Why, you get Noctambulist! Dreamy post-black / black metal with a lot of atmosphere. Two of my friends play in this band, so send them some love!

:bandcamp: https://noctambulistofficial.bandcamp.com/album/noctambulist-ii-de-droom

#DuisterCollectief #UndergroundMetal #DutchMetal #metal

Next up; Ortega. Oldschool Sludge/Doom metal from my hometown of #Groningen. They wield a mighty sledge hammer to flatten and break everything in their path. Very happy they’re making music again.

:bandcamp: https://ortegaband.bandcamp.com/album/sacred-states

#DuisterCollectief #UndergroundMetal #DutchMetal #metal

First act of the day: Blossom & Wither.

Instrumental post/atmo-black. They really craft their songs and build layer upon layer.

:bandcamp: https://blossomandwither.bandcamp.com/album/nevermore

#DuisterCollectief #UndergroundMetal #DutchMetal #Metal

According to Spotify, these 3 songs from 'Monument in Time' are the most listened to:
1) The Age of the Pariah
2) Storm en Drift (re-recording)
3) Liberation for the Damned
What would your top 3 of Beyond the Pale be?

#metal #metalmusic #metalband #beyondthepale #dutchmetal #deathmetal #thrashmetal #thrash #Utrecht #spotify

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords–WhereMusicLives
Watch WITHIN TEMPTATION Live At Pinkpop 2005; Pro-Shot Video

https://bravewords.com/news/watch-within-temptation-live-at-pinkpop-2005-pro-shot-video/

#WithinTemptation #Pinkpop2005 #SharonDenAdel #RobertWesterholt #GothicMetal #SymphonMetal #DutchMetal #Pinkpop #LivePerformance #ProShotVideo

🎉 This Saturday #Anchillys will perform at sold out Stonehenge Festival.
Here’s a little clip from a recent rehearsal.

Who are we seeing in the pit this Saturday?
I will 🎥📷 for #Anchillysband 👀
ℹ️ https://www.stonehengefestival.nl
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#stonehengefestival #dutchmetal #dutchmetalhead #dutchmetalband #steenwijk #technicaldeathmetal #metalfestival #metalfestivals

Rehearsal video by Anchillys :)

🤘✌️

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#Blabbermouth
BLACKBRIAR Releases 'A Last Sigh Of Bliss' Single From Upcoming 'A Thousand Little Deaths' Album

https://blabbermouth.net/news/blackbriar-releases-a-last-sigh-of-bliss-single-from-upcoming-a-thousand-little-deaths-album

#BLACKBRIAR #ALastSighOfBliss #AThousandLittleDeaths #NuclearBlastRecords #ZoraCock #DutchMetal #MetalSingle #MetalAlbum #TragicRomance #FeverDream

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords–WhereMusicLives
Watch EPICA Perform At Hellfest 2025; Pro-Shot Video

https://bravewords.com/news/watch-epica-perform-at-hellfest-2025-pro-shot-video/

#Epica #Hellfest2025 #HeavyMetal #News #DutchMetal #Clisson #France #ProShotVideo #Setlist #VictimsOfContingency

After Taste – Hungry For Life Review

By Grymm

I’ll be the first to admit, right now, that I miss Type O Negative. Chances are that you do, too. When bassist/vocalist Peter Steele died in 2010, he and his merry cohorts of doom and lust left a massive, gaping hole in the world of metal that no one to this day could replace or replicate. That hasn’t stopped others from trying, however. After Taste, hailing from the Netherlands and featuring Dave Meester of God Dethroned on guitar and vocals, are the latest in a line of those who worship at the altar of Black and Neon Green. With their second album, Hungry for Life, these Dutch doom-peddlers are hoping you will give in to your carnal cravings.

On a couple of songs, they do the trick. “Morning XTC” gives off a Host-era Paradise Lost vibe, with its somewhat upbeat, danceable rhythms and simple-yet-catchy riffs. Elsewhere, “Mind Over Body” could slot itself alongside Katatonia’s Night is the New Day in both atmosphere and performance, but with Meester aiming for Peter Steele instead of Jonas Renkse vocally. Their influences are sound, and their passions are in the right places when it comes to capturing a particular snapshot of a lifestyle of non-stop partying, and the grotesque, inevitable come-down afterwards.

So why doesn’t this land as well as it should? In their one-sheet, they’re aiming for a sound that’s equal parts Type O Negative, Rammstein, and Alice in Chains with electronic and synthwave vibes. Instead, what this reminds me of are the Century Media bands of the late 90s and early 2000s that decided they weren’t metal anymore: Morgoth, Moonspell, and Tiamat. Not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but Hungry for Life sounds exactly like those aforementioned bands that were once inspirational, but had gone pedestrian with their sound, and this album captures that complacency a bit too well.

For example, opener “Sustain Me” crawls along at a snail’s pace and doesn’t move the needle much in terms of melody or memorability. “Lost at Sea” could have been a strong single, but it drags out for too long, all while being a scant four-and-a-half minutes, due to its repetitive nature. “Methmouth” and “Liquid Courage” both aim for lyrical grossness, especially in the former (“You’re lips are locked/’Round my member/Yet your breath still fills the air”), yet don’t really go anywhere of note musically to back it up. Granted, the last band to impress me going this direction lyrically and stylistically was Voices, but London was released a long time ago at this point, and that band backed it up with chilling performances, compelling songwriting, and tight musicianship, all things that Hungry for Life lacks.

I wanted to like Hungry for Life more than I did. It had all the ingredients in place to make for a fantastic album. Sadly, other than a scant few moments, it did little to quell my thirst for music in the vein of New York’s sorely missed goth overlords. I can only recommend this album for those that really, really miss Type of Negative, and even then, it’s not going to hit the same way as the originals did, and the end result yields an aggressively okay album. It’s a shame, because it feels like it could be a whole lot more.

Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Independent/Unsigned
Websites: Facebook1
Releases Worldwide: June 6th, 2025

#20 #2025 #AfterTaste #AliceInChains #DoomMetal #DutchMetal #GodDethroned #HardRock #HungryForLife #IndependentUnsigned #Jun25 #Katatonia #Moonspell #Morgoth #MyDyingBride #ParadiseLost #Rammstein #Review #Reviews #Tiamat #TypeONegative #Voices

Walg – V Review

By GardensTale

As I have mentioned before, I’m focusing primarily on contact form promos this year. But every now and then, I will make exceptions, mostly to cover bands I have seniority over. Fortuitous, then, that twice-listing meloblack mavericks Walg sent their fifth opus V in through our back door, allowing me to keep my streak and eat it too! I admit, I did grovel for the promo because I finally wanted to give the Dutch duo their dues with a real review, rather than relegating it to yet another TYMHM article. But my point stands, and so does my hype. Will Walg keep up its insane release-rate-to-quality ratio?

That’s largely a yes, and I’ll get to the caveat later. If you’re new to the band, Walg is melodic black metal distilled to its purest form. Equally catchy and vicious, the studio-only pair has settled handily into a niche somewhere between modern …And Oceans, early Dimmu Borgir, and Old Man’s Child. They don’t break new ground, but are absolute experts at treading the old. Yorick Keijzer is a beast on vocals, his primary weapon a slavering snarl still chewing the meat from its last kill. But he flips just as easily to a hoarse howl straight from the DSBM handbook. Robert Koning adds the occasional ICS Vortex adjacent cleans, and also all of the instrumentation, which spans a fairly broad range of high-speed assaults, atmospheric folk intros and interludes, and intricate multi-part melodic movements.

50-odd quality tracks in 5 years is hard to do without some sort of formula, and it has become easier to recognize the handful of structural stencils Walg employs. Usually, the band can dazzle hard enough to distract from that sense of familiarity, but the back half of V consistently fails to draw my attention away entirely from the man behind the curtain. “Zielsalleen”1 leans a little too much on the same hook and the decrease in pace of “Pijnlichaam”2 is not accompanied by as gripping a riff as it needs. These tracks are not even a little bit bad, by the way; most bands would kill to write something as powerful as the final minute of “Ego-Dood.”3 They are just a smidge harder to love without reservation when I’ve heard the same band do better with the same tools.

But 4 tracks that are merely very good still leaves 5 that are every bit as strong as Walg has ever written. Opener “De Vlinder en de Dromer”4 takes all of 0.5 seconds to launch into an intense onslaught of ariose tremolos that reminds favorably of …And Oceans’ “Cosmic World Mother.” Follow-through uppercut “De Adem van het Einde”5 employs a riffing style that borrows from NWOBHM and speed metal for an exhilarating turn. And centerpiece “Daar Waar Stilte Spreekt”6 is downright addictive with its jaunty swinging rhythm that conjures imagery of ghost ships and haunted cliffs. There’s no fat on the compositions either. Walg may have a formula, but one of its most potent ingredients is a strict lack of bloat. Koning and Keijzer would rather end a track early than overstay its welcome, and the entirety of V runs a svelte 40 minutes. Combine that with the excellent, rich production and finely tuned mix, and you get some of the most replayable black metal in the scene.

Infinite growth is impossible, and Walg’s meteoric rise had to slow down somewhere. But in this case, it means nothing more than a small step below the pinnacle that was IV. The front-loading of the album makes the flaws of V a tad more noticeable and makes me less hungry to spin it again the moment it’s over. But every time I do, I still get my head caved in and my neck snapped in twain, and with Walg’s production speed, that remains a colossal achievement. If you like melodic black, you owe it to yourself to give V a few spins, and I would hardly be surprised to see this wind up on a few Top 10 lists anyway.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-released
Websites: walg.bandcamp.com | walgmetal.com | facebook.com/Walgmetal
Releases Worldwide: May 25th, 2025

#AndOceans #2025 #35 #DimmuBorgir #DutchMetal #May25 #MelodicBlackMetal #OldManSChild #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #V #Walg

Graceless – Icons Of Ruin Review

By Steel Druhm

Dutch death crew Graceless have been plowing the bone fields once loyal to Bolt Thrower, Hail of Bullets, and Asphyx since their eruption on the scene in 2017. What followed was a series of high-quality platters of relentlessly heavy music designed to push your cadaver deeper into the mud of No Man’s Land. Holdeneye lavished praise on 2020s Where Vultures Know Your Name and 2022s Chants from Purgatory, while noting the tendency for Graceless to cling too tightly to their influences. And they certainly did seem happy to dwell in that heavy yet melancholic space we’ve heard before, with atmospheric embellishments that evoke the works of 1914. Stepping in for Holdeneye this time, I expected another big dose of tank-treadcore and I’m always up for the battle. While there’s some of that on 4th album, Icons of Ruin, Graceless have expanded their sound palette this time, with Goth and Swedeath elements creeping in. Will this modification stall their IV Crusade or be the blueprint …for victory?

The Graceless I expected to hear hits the beach hard on opener “God Shines in Absence,” with a fullsade of aggressive, beefy riffs powering an urgent death metal attack. Yes, it reeks of Bolt Thrower, but not so closely as to be mere homage. It’s ripping, rousing stuff that will have you strapping on the 1911 and K-Bar and getting your ass in the fucking trench. This is the caveman bully-boy shit I came for. “Sanctified Slaughter” keeps the momentum pressing forward with big power-chugging riffs that you can almost imagine giving off blasts of diesel smoke as they cut through the muck and mire. It’s rudimentary but heavy, brutish fun and made for a gym playlist. From that point on, Icons of Ruin gets wobbly. Where “Lash Me to My Painful Death” successfully goes for an atmospheric and grinding blackened approach that veers toward Marduk and 1914, “Hardening of the Heart” crams a heavy dose of Goth aesthetics into the mortar tube. It reminds me of the Amok era of Sentenced, which I certainly did not expect. It has an upbeat, soft-rocking energy that doesn’t fit with Remco Kreft’s ragged death roars. Add some melodic guitar plucking that sounds like early days Testament, and you get an odd duck of a track that sticks out amid the heavier fare like a rhino turd on a snow cone.

The back half of Icons settles back into a more predictable death onslaught, but not a lot of it feels essential. Track after track goes by without leaving a major impression. None are awful, but very little grabs me and shakes my brain with bestial relish. “Rise of the Blackest Sun” fares best with a slowly building momentum and a strong Just Before Dawn-esque attack spearheaded by bruising, burly riffs. Things wind out with the fairly weak, d-beat-y “Resurrection of the Graveless,” leaving the listener with the nagging feeling that something is missing. The overreliance on mid-tempo chugs and plods takes its toll, too, resulting in Icons feeling like a significant fall-off from prior releases, both intensity and songwriting-wise. There’s good stuff scattered over the 46-minute runtime, but there’s a lot of flab and flubber, too.

Graceless have kept the same lineup in place since the debut, which led to three very good death albums. I suppose the band wanted to change things up a bit style-wise this time, but the new elements don’t fully gel, and the writing feels inconsistent and, at times, staid and flat. I’m a big fan of Remco’s vocals, and he does fine as usual, splitting the difference between Martin van Drunen and Karl Willetts. Björn Brusse delivers powerhouse riffs at times as he toys with death and doom idioms, even invoking the ghosts of vintage Candlemass on “Beneath Starless Skies.” However, a lot of his playing feels lighter, less substantial, and less compelling here. Good grooves and doomy harmonies dot the landscape, but don’t always result in memorable songs. While his tendency to overuse mid-tempo ploddery worked on past albums, it doesn’t here

Icons of Ruin is the first Graceless album to underwhelm me. Maybe the next time out, they’ll smooth out the rough edges and make the new elements fit in the war machine, but this one feels like an awkward transition phase between the band we knew and whatever comes next. It’s also not as heavy as I expected or wanted, with more emphasis on mood and less on cracking ribs. I’ll give grace to Graceless due to their past heroics, but I’m expecting MOAR next time. Happy tank trails.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Listenable Records
Websites: graceless-deathmetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/graceless.osdm | instagram.com/graceless.deathmetal
Releases Worldwide: May 30th, 2025

#1914 #25 #2025 #Asphyx #BoltThrower #ChantsFromPurgatory #DeathMetal #DutchMetal #HailOfBullets #IconsOfRuin #ListenableRecords #May25 #Review #Reviews #WhereVulturesKnowYourName