Wydana
dwa lata temu debiutancka EP-ka Fantom zrobiła na mnie piorunujące wrażenie.
Choćby z tego powodu, że oto nagle, znikąd, pojawia się banda dzieciaków (i to
słowo tu podkreślam, bo nie wiem, czy oni wszyscy aby dobili dwudziestki) i
wysmaża taki materiał, że starzy wyjadacze mogli poczuć się zawstydzeni. Nic
dziwnego, że na kolejny krok zespołu czekałem niecierpliwie, niczym pająk na
wpadającą w uwitą misternie przez niego sieć muszkę. I nadszedł
„Breathtaking…”. (Czytaj dalej...)
Już kilka lat ci Włosi
komponują, bo od 2010 roku, a najnowsza ich płyta „Anthropic Genetic
Involution” jest czwartym wydawnictwem tej brygady. Nigdy nie słyszałem Ural,
ale nigdy nie jest za późno. To z czym przyszło mi obcować za pośrednictwem
tego krążka, jest cholernie entuzjastycznie zagranym thrashem, który od
pierwszych taktów skojarzył mi się z takimi kapelami jak chociażby Tankard czy
Anthrax. (Czytaj dalej...)
Los Angeles (CA) - ORGA MECHA, a Southern California band that melds traditional heavy metal with electronic textures and futuristic, sci-fi driven themes, will release its full-length debut album, Humanity.exe in June!
The music of ORGA MECHA weaves 1980s sounds in the vein of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Dio with synths, glitchy vocal effects and electronic drums heard among artists such as Dance With the Dead and Muse. Thematically, the group focuses on classic science fiction, societal decay and heavy metal unity.
A music video for "Idols and Gods," the album's first single, is available at:
ORGA MECHA is composed of Melissa Pinion (vocals/keyboards; also of STYGIAN CROWN), Raoul Rañoa (lead guitar), Rob D (bass), and Richie “Captain Black” Brooks (drums; also of NINTH CIRCLE).
Named in homage to the 2001 Stephen Spielberg classic “Artificial Intelligence,” ORGA MECHA's robust debut full-length album aims to reach both longtime classic fans, as well as metalheads looking to explore unchartered terrain.
“It’s all about classic metal, sci-fi and keytars. We’re excited to finally unleash this project and our music!” - Orga Mecha
Humanity.exe will be released June 26 on digital and CD (U.S.. only) formats.
"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." (Revelation 8:10-11)
Originally released in 2017 by Dark Descent Records and long sold-out, "Holókauston" is - for now - the crowning achievement of BESTIA ARCANA, the occultist Black Metal outlet for Naas Alcameth (AKHLYS, AORATOS, NIGHTBRINGER) alongside current and ex-members of NIGHTBRINGER.
The successor to 2011's acclaimed "To Anabainon ek tes Abyssu" is a stark reminder of the labyrinthine depths Alcameth had mined prior to recent achievements with oneiric and nightmarish entity AKHLYS – outlandish, shadow-crafted, compulsive and still vital.
Tracklist:
01. Hellmouth
02. Obscurator
03. Howling
04. Iniquity
In celebration of this heretical and apocalyptic black opera, DMP will reissue "Holókauston" on CD, vinyl - including an exclusive DMP edition - and digital on July 17th. This edition reaffirms the album's enduring and strikingly prescient cataclysmic stance, as Naas Alcameth reflects:
"When we recorded "Holókauston", it expressed eschatological vision and apocalyptic dread, reaching toward archetypal depths. Nearly a decade later, we find ourselves in a time of greater uncertainties and eroding paradigms. Its themes feel less like distant myths or parables and more like something fearfully close and inevitable. This re-release reminds us that "Holókauston" was never tied to a single moment but continues to resonate wherever the looming shadow of Armageddon falls."
Today, Portuguese black metallers Black Cilice stream the entirety of their highly anticipated seventh album, Votive Fire, at the Rites of Pestilence YouTube channel. Set for international release on May 1st via Iron Bonehead Productions, hear Black Cilice's Votive Fire in its entirety HERE.
Czech Black Metal legends INFERNO – actively shaping the genre since the mid '90s – return with a successor to 2021's highly acclaimed "Paradeigma". The band's electrifying ninth full-length, "The Anthropic Sophisms", contains four epic tracks where deep space Black Metal, Industrial brutalism, malevolent motorik rhythms, crackling electronics and obscure vocals collide in an ecstatic, perma-climatic trance without hope of resolution or a semblance of light.
Tracklist:
01. Fission of the Soul
02. Dekranos Katexochen (Mých smrtí je bezpočet, mých nemocí mnoho)
03. With Raving Mouths They Utter Things Mirthless, Unadorned and Unperfumed
04. Circulus Vitiosus Deus (The Infinity Ravages All)
INFERNO now unveil a first and only single for their ninth opus, supported by a surrealist video from Fabio Rincones (SELBST). 'Circulus Vitiosus Deus (The Infinity Ravages All)' combines viscous deep space atmospherics and Industrial force into a relentless, hallucinatory spiral of tense dissonance.
Watch here:
INFERNO came into existence 1995 in the Czech Republic, with first demo offerings "Peklo Na Zemi" (1996) and "Temná Poselství Dávných Předků" (1997) gaining significant acclaim in the Czech scene and beyond, opening many possibilities within the Black Metal underground.
Following a number of successful split releases, in the first decade of the new millennium INFERNO recorded two full-length albums of defiant and warlike Black Metal - "Duch slovanské síly" (2001) and "V návratu pohanství..." (2003) – the raw and ominous "Nikdy nepokřtěni" (2006) and concluded this period of rabid Black Metal traditionalism with "Uctívání temné zuřivosti" (2008) which merged old currents into a more refined offering, aggressive yet triumphantly melodic.
The release of pivotal album "Black Devotion" (2009) reshaped and regenerated the creative forces within the band. INFERNO subsequently entered Necromorbus Studio to create the cacophonic and malevolent "Omniabsence Filled By His Greatness" (2013) another step-up which imbued band-members with the will to transcend their previous self-imposed limitations.
In the following years, INFERNO performed on prominent stages around the world, securing a reputation for being a savage and mystical live act. Dedicated to self-transformation and unconscious dialogue with the great other, the monumental and idiosyncratic "Gnosis Kardias (Of Transcension and Involution)" (2017) helped redefine contemporary Black Metal Art.
In 2021, INFERNO unveiled their most transcendent and dynamic work to-date, "PARADEIGMA (Phosphenes Of Aphotic Eternity)", through Debemur Morti Productions. In the ensuing years, the band carried this singular vision onto stages across the globe, refining its intensity in the live realm while restlessly shaping new material in parallel. "The Anthropic Sophisms (On the Heights of Despair)" - an electrifying, hypnotic & profound 9th album from these Czech avant-Black Metal voyagers - will be released on 17th June 2026.
Today, transplanted Swedish metal warriors Sandstorm premiere the new track "Dungeon of Death" at heavily trafficked web-portal Metal.de. The track is the third to be revealed from the band's highly anticipated new mini-album, Dungeon of Death, set for international release on May 22nd via Dying Victims Productions. Hear Sandstorm's title track "Dungeon of Death" in its entirety exclusively HERE.
Imagine three black-clad warriors galloping across the battlefield at full speed towards you, with weapons held high and the clash of thunder overhead… but instead of a swift, merciless death, what assaults you is the charming heavy metal of Sandstorm!
Sandstorm was formed in 2017 by Swedish brothers Stevie Whiteless and Reptile Anderson, and joined by Canadian drummer PJ “The Butcher” LaGriffe. Inspired by underground Swedish metal, the NWOBHM, shining studs and black leather, Sandstorm are the perfect embodiment of what real HEAVY METAL is all about.
Ever since the twin releases of Time to Strike (2019) and Desert Warrior (2021), both released to international acclaim by Dying Victims, true metallers have been craving a new Sandstorm record – and it seems that those prayers are about to be answered with yet another mini-album, Dungeon of Death!
The format is truly suiting to the power-trio, as their punchiness is amplified further, giving an immediacy to their largely patient march & gallop. Compared to its predecessors, Dungeon of Death sees Sandstorm bringing out the rock ‘n’ roll roots of ancient heavy metal even more than before. And when paired with the cleaner production style – warm, vintage, and very nearly time-traveled from 1982 – a certain mystical atmosphere arises from that dungeon…and with it, medieval metal might! Sandstorm bring you back to life – tonight!
In the meantime, hear the brand-new title track "Dungeon of Death" exclusively HERE, courtesy of Metal.de. Also hear the previously revealed "Close Combat" exclusively HERE, courtesy of the NWOTHM YouTube channel, as well as the previously revealed "Slave to Sin" exclusively HERE, courtesy of Deaf Forever magazine. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Spanish black metal/punk force PVRGATORII is set to release a new EP, “Profane Rites For Cursed Times”, on May 29, 2026 through Night Terrors Records. Marking a significant new chapter in the band’s trajectory, the record will be issued as a strictly limited edition: a one-sided 12" black vinyl with OBI strip, double-sided insert and an extensive 16-page fanzine entirely dedicated to the band, limited to 100 copies.
The first single “Hermetik Axis” is now streaming HERE.
Far from being a mere accessory, the accompanying fanzine stands as a crucial extension of the release itself. Across sixteen pages, it delves deep into PVRGATORII’s world, tracing the band’s history, exploring the Barcelona underground that shaped them, documenting their approach to instrumentation, and offering a broader insight into the ethos that fuels their work. It is both a document and a statement, reinforcing the physical and cultural weight of the release in an increasingly intangible musical landscape.
Formed in Barcelona in 2018, PVRGATORII have consistently defined their sound as “Black Metal ov Death,” a volatile fusion of raw black metal abrasion, punk urgency, and noise-laden hostility. Yet their approach deliberately resists contemporary trends: while rooted in aggression and immediacy, their music avoids the swagger and looseness often associated with black’n’roll. Instead, “Profane Rites For Cursed Times” remains steeped in a sinister, malevolent atmosphere, where tension is never released into levity and every element serves a darker purpose.
Following their debut album “Con Las Uñas Clavadas En La Cara De Dios” (2021) and the subsequent “Marching Through Thee Night Guided by a Black Fire” (2024), this new EP sharpens the band’s identity even further. It is a concise yet forceful statement, where the most unsettling aspects of black metal and punk converge without compromise, resulting in a sound that feels both immediate and deeply corrosive.
With “Profane Rites For Cursed Times”, PVRGATORII reaffirm their commitment to a vision that is as uncompromising as it is distinct, one that rejects dilution, embraces extremity and continues to evolve on its own terms.
