Voidmaker Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?

Voidmaker is basically a vehicle that combines blackened death/thrash and huge, cosmic themes into a neat little package. We think that it has the gnarly riffs, sweet solos, brutal vocals, and cool lyrical content to be accessible and engaging for most metal fans.  

2.So far you have released a full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

We knew we wanted some of it to be very fast and thrashy - that would be a song like "Terminus" or "Terraforming the Red Planet." Other pieces we wanted to lurk a bit more and have an atmosphere that builds, like "Ganymede, the Outpost." Overall, we wanted it all to be cohesive, and for the sum of the parts to make something amazing. The music itself borrows from so many influences: you have power chordy thrash riffs, trem-picked super-fast death metal stuff, and those quickly strummed minor chords that you find a lot in black metal. In short, there's some variety, but we like to think that it all comes together.

3.Both of the band members are also veterans, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Voidmaker', that you have not been able to do with your other groups?

Probably the biggest thing is the theming. We've never done projects before that were so focused. I (Joe) did an instrumental Egyptian-themed solo album a few years back, but it's not quite the same if there aren't lyrics. With Voidmaker, we were really able to dig into the sci-fi themes and create a whole connected universe with our songs.

4.A lot of your lyrics cover science fiction themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

I (Joe) am always reading some sci-fi book, watching a series or movie, or even playing a sci-fi themed video game. I've been a sci-fi fan for basically my whole life, so being able to create an album that is an homage to all the great media I've seen over the years has been a lot of fun and very satisfying. There's inspiration in "A Cold, Unyielding Universe" from authors like Alistair Reynolds, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Adrian Tchaikovsky, shows like "Foundation", "The Expanse", even games like "The Outer Worlds" series. Overall, doing an album like this has been something I've wanted to do for a while, and having Voidmaker bring all that inspiration to life has been a blast.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Voidmaker'?

Probably all the above sci-fi inspiration, plus, we thought it just sounds really cool and conjures up some cool visuals. Some eldritch universal being making voids everywhere? Pretty rad.

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

This is an Adam Burke (Nightjar Illustration) custom piece. He is an amazing artist, and for this kind of stuff (sci-fi/fantasy) I would almost call him an "industry standard", except for the fact that I think he elevates art so much that it's anything but "standard". He painted this by hand, and shows us this amazing scene of a hulking space station, complete with ethereal glow, with a backdrop of fantastic nebulae/stars/nearby planets. The palette choices are amazing, the execution is flawless, just such a cool piece and something we were very lucky to have made for us.

7.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

There are no real plans to expand the band at this time - we're lucky to have been able to make this album as a duo, and I think it gave us a lot of creative freedom, but then again, who knows what the future will bring? 

8.The physical version of the album is going to be released by 'Witches Brew', how did you get in contact with this label?

We worked with an amazing firm based in the UK, Imperative PR, for our label search. They were able to get us into contact with Cheryl at "Witches Brew", and it's the perfect fit for us. Cheryl has been such a pleasure to work with, she's super responsive and supportive, and we're lucky that the label search went so well.

9.On a worldwide level, how has the reaction been to your music by fans of extreme metal?

In terms of streaming locations, we've got listeners in quite a few countries! The bulk are based in North America and Europe, but some countries in South America and Southeast Asia are doing well too. I think a lot of this too was the result of working with a few different companies for album PR, in concert with the publicity from Witches Brew.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

I think Voidmaker 2, whenever that comes out, will probably still deal thematically with sci-fi, and our overall sound will be similar, but we want to keep things fresh and interesting, so we'll push ourselves musically to make that happen.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

There are so many! Vektor, Revocation, Vorga, Mare Cognitum, Inferi, Impureza, Allegaeon, Carnosus, Gorod, and it goes on. I've been listening to a lot of atmospheric/meloblack and hardcore lately; I like to keep things fresh in terms of finding new bands to listen to.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

We put a lot of time into "A Cold, Unyielding Universe"; it's been a passion project and something that we're really proud of. We think there's something cool in there for all metal fans, so if you haven't already checked it out, find us on Spotify/Bandcamp/Apple Music, or visit us at voidmakerband.com!

Seven Chains/Swollen, In Flux/I, Voidhanger Records/Rubeus Obex/2026 Full Length Review

  Seven  Chains  are  a  band  form  Idaho  that  plays  an  experimental  and  avant  garde  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Swollen,  In  Flux"  which  will  be  released  on  June  26th  as  a  joint  effort  between  I,  Voidhanger  Records  and  Rebeus  Obex.

  Choirs  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  synths  a  few  seconds  later  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast b eats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  album  also  having  its  avant  garde  and  experimental  moments.

  Vocals  are  mostly  guttural  death  metal  growls  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  technical  style.  Black  metal  style  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words,  piano's  and  trumpets  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

  Seven  Chains  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  avant  garde  and  experimental  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Seven  Chains  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde  and  experimental  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Whence  Blood  No  Longer  Flows"  and  "The  Earth's  Tentacular  Cross".  8  out  of  10.

  https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/swollen-in-flux  

  

   

Apogean/Waste Where Life Begins/The Artisan Era/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Apogean  are  a  band  from  Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  technical  and  blackened  style  of  death  metal  with  elements  of  neo-folk  and  classical  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Waste  Where  Life  Begins"  which  will  be  released  in  July  by  The  Artisan  Era.

  A  very  heavy  and  brutal  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  done  in  a  very  technical  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  some  black  metal  screams  also  being  utilized  at  times.

  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  while  the  album  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Violins  and  synths  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  tracks  along  with    spoken  word  samples  also being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording,  some  of  the  tracks  also  add  in  touches  of  neo-folk  and  classical  as  well  as  keeping  everything  brutal  at  the  same  time  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  ritualistic  chants.\

  Apogean  plays  a  style  of  blackened  death  that  is  very  technical  and  brutal  sounding as  well  as  adding  in  elements  of  neo-folk  and  classical  to  create  something  very  original.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  Ray  Bradbury's  "Fahrenheit  451"  and  George  Orwell's  "1984".

  In  my  opinion  Apogean  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Daughter  Of  The  Oak"  "Lie  In  Cinder"  and "Black  Smoke,  Bleeding  Earth".  8  out  of  10.

  https://apogean.bandcamp.com/album/waste-where-life-begins (vinyl, CD, digital, merch)

https://www.theartisanerastore.com/search?type=product&q=apogean (vinyl, CD, and digital)

https://linktr.ee/apogean
https://facebook.com/apogeanofficial
https://instagram.com/apogeanofficial
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Wl6PA1ABnzNQMnZd5cOOd
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzcgbrbyn91GqyY8PEA4ig
https://apogean.bandcamp.com

     

Aurora Borealis/Disillusioned By The Illusion/Non Serviam Records/2026 Full Length Review

  Maryland's  Aurora  Borealis  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  blackened  form  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Disillusioned  By  The  Illusion"  which  was  released  by  Non  Serviam  Records.

  Dark  soundscapes  and  synths  start  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  whispers  before  going  into a   heavier  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  brutal  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  technical  style  and  the  music  also  shows  influences  from  both  the  old  school  and  modern  era's  of  the  genre,  spoken  words  are  also  added  towards  the  end.

  On  this  recording  Aurora  Borealis  continue  to  expand  on  the  blackened  death  metal  style  that  they  have  established  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Aurora  Borealis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECO(MMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Millisecond  Pulsar"  "Molten  Sea"  "Night  Cannibals"  and  "Your  Penumbra".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuroraBorealisBand/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurora__borealis_official/
Bandcamp: https://auroraborealisofficial.bandcamp.com/music
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AURORA4DTH

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6OzXCWH8abO5qPzD09vmaU  

    

Voidmaker/A Cold, Unyielding Universe/Witches Brew/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Voidmaker  are  a  band  from  Boston,  Massachusetts  that  plays  a  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "A  Cold,  Unyielding  universe"  which  will  be  released  on  May  25th  by  Witches  Brew.

  Keyboards  start  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  some  orchestral  touches  and  the  clean  sections  also  take  the  music  into  more  of  a  progressive  direction.  Sci-fi  sounds  are  also  mixed  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast b eats  can  be  heard.

  Vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams,  death  metal  growls  and  clear  singing  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing.  The  album  also  mixes  in  a  great  amount  of  thrash  metal  elements  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  more  of  a  technical  style.

  Al  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words  and  a  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  science  fiction,  cosmic  dread  and  what  waits  beyond  the  world  humanity  has  already  outgrown.  

  In  my  opinion  Voidmaker  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  an  progressive  mixture  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Post-Human  Emergence"  "Ganymede,  The  Outpost"  and  "Wormhole/Lightchaser".  8  out  of  10.

Website: https://voidmakerband.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voidmakerband/
Bandcamp: https://voidmaker.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voidmakerband

  

  

Imperanence Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

Mateusz - 1. We are a technical death/black metal band from Poland – probably the most typical information

in the world :D But we are trying to build a deeper purpose around the band. Our message is about how

impermanent life is, how our values are temporary, and how fragile everything that surrounds us really is

2.In October you released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

Wojciech - 2. The foundation of our style is death metal, of course. But we wanted to aim for something that

isn't a stereotypical death metal, in the meaning of entirety. The whole album is about fragility of life, so it

was important for us to place all the emotions correctly in the composition. That's why you may hear some

black metal influences, for example in "Fugitive". But still, there's always a place for more old school-ish

bangers, like "Ascension through defiance".

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

Mateusz - 3. Everything that is impermanent is our inspiration, and our debut album approaches this idea

from different angles. For example, in “Sorrodise” we tell a story about how everything around us is

temporary – how one seemingly eternal being is replaced by another. In “Apocalypse”, you can find a very

personal tragedy: the feelings that come when you lose your loved ones and realize there is nothing you can

do about it. This is how we try to tell our stories. 

4.I know the album title came from Buddhist terminology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

Wojciech - 4. Buddhism highly inspires us but not as a religion per se. It's more about subjects it tells us

about. "Anicca" is about constant changes, mortality and what you lose during your life. Such losses affect us

all - no matter if you're a Buddhist. 

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Impermanence'?

Wojciech - 5. "Impermanence" is a term taken from Buddhism. It means that nothing lasts forever - neither

life, nor death. We find this concept and high-level spirituality truly inspiring. We knew right away what

comes with this name. The whole image of the band became clear pretty early

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

Mateusz - 6. The cover is one of my favourite parts of this release. It is inspired by our beloved Dark Souls

game franchise. However, the artwork itself is full of contradictions: there are dead trees, but also green

grass; there is a coffin, but it is open. Finally, you can see light coming from it – but what does it mean? Is it

some kind of redemption? Maybe a form of rebirth? This question is left to the listener. 

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Mateusz - 7. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but playing live is really one of our strongest sides – it is the

main source of joy for us as a band. The first event I must mention is our recurring charity show against

depression, the second part of which took place on 17.10.25. The club was full, we invited amazing bands,

and the show was absolutely incredible. We also played twice in Slovakia, and those concerts were great as

well. People there really love metal, and we always give them everything we have to make the club fall

apart. 

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2026?

Mateusz - 8. We have a small tour planned – 11 shows in the first half of the year. Most of them will take

place in Poland, but for four gigs we are coming back to Slovakia. We can’t wait to meet those people again.

I would also like to thank the guys from Plague of Tartar for all their help and for booking these concerts for

us.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black, death and thrasj metal?

Mateusz - 9. It’s hard to say. I think thrash metal fans are generally fine with us, even though we don’t really

have many thrash-style guitars or drums in our music. We are much closer to black metal. However,

whenever we played black metal–oriented shows, I always had the feeling that we needed to earn the

audience’s respect – and I’m happy to say that we managed to do exactly that. 

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Wojciech - 10. We are already in the process of recording new songs and I can tell that we have immersed in

the atmosphere. It has come with more cleans and black metal guitar style in some moments. And yet, it's

still mostly death metal, brutal and technical. Maybe less old school. 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Wojciech - 11. That's a tough question. Everyone in the band listens to extreme music but we like many

different genres and bands as well. For example I'm a huge fun of electronic music, such as DnB and

psytrance. But I think that we all have been inspired by Beyond Creation and other technical bands like

Fleshgod Apocalypse. 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Mateusz - 12. First of all, I hope that one day I can meet you at one of our concerts (and everyone who is

reading this). You can be sure that we always give our best. Thank you very much for the invitation to this

interview, and hopefully see you again soon! 

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

Ancient Thrones Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

We released the album in September, and then played release shows in December. We had a great 2025 and we’re looking to continue that momentum into the new year. 

2.A few months back you released a new album, musically how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

It’s much more aggressive, with a focus on extremity. We purposefully wanted to look at Melancholia through a death metal lens and pay tribute to bands like The Black Dahlia Murder and The Red Chord, bands we came up on in the early 2000’s. Our previous record was more atmospheric and carefully constructed. We took that structure from The Veil and obliterated it through the intensity in this album. As a band we never want to make the same album twice, and we’re always looking at pushing ourselves and our listener into new territories. 

3.This was also your first album since 2020, can you tell us a little bit more about the long wait between releases?

We had this album written in 2021, and began recording in 2022. We wanted to maintain our DIY focus in everything about this band, and so we were able to take our time with the production, mixing and mastering. We made mistakes, and we learned a lot of valuable skills in making this record that will be beneficial to whatever we decide to do next. It’s good to have that space you need to ensure the end product meets the high bar we set for ourselves as an independent band. 

4.The lyrics on the new recording are a concept album, can you tell us a little bit more about the story you have covered with the release?

The album follows a person who’s colourblind and takes psychedelic drugs to see colour. They start to see the life they think they would have if they were given that privilege. That’s the initial idea, and it sort of speaks to a cautionary message about what happens when you give yourself over to external things to cure what’s missing inside of you.

5.Originally the band was known as 'Abysseral Throne', what was the cause of the name change and also the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Ancient Thrones'?

Abysseral Throne was a band that I started in 2011, so it didn’t make sense to continue to use that name when the lineup drastically changed in 2018. We loved that band, but if you listen to the music we did then and what we do now, there are few parallels. Ancient Thrones was sort of a way to let the fans of Abysseral know we were still here, with the same drive but that we were reinvigorated to be something new. The new name comes from Wolves in the Throne Room lyrics from the song “Astral Blood”. 

6.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

It was painted by Carter Doody, a local Canadian artist who we were fans of for many years. The idea is sort of to present an idea of a beautiful, but dangerous place with elements from real life that could possibly exist within nature. It’s like looking at a landscape when you’re tripping on acid. The colours and shapes are unnatural, twisted and distorted purposefully. There’s a lot of direct translation from the lyrics of the record on full display throughout the art. 

7.Out of all the shows and tours the band has done so far, which one stands out the most?

We’ve been blessed to open for so many great bands, The Faceless, Black Crown Initiate, Rings of Saturn, etc. It would be hard to pinpoint a favourite. Our last run with Necrohol and Omnivide was a highlight from recent years. 

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for 2026?

Under wraps at the moment, but short answer is yes. 

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received ant interest?

It’s hard to say. We’ve done this for so long on our own, a label would really have to provide us with something unique. When we don’t even have our own government providing us any kind of funding, you really start to see outside resources as a fantasy. There’s a lot of positives being with a label and the idea of it is cool to us, we’ve just been very focused with keeping this band internal to our wants and needs. If there are any labels interested in talking to us, we’d certainly have the conversation. 

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?

Internationally it’s cool to see people are digging the album. We’ve seen a spike in people buying and supporting the record sort of throughout the world. It means a lot to us. 

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We’re back in our writing dungeon to figure out what comes next. I can’t say much else, other than we don’t intend to write the same thing twice. New influences, perspectives and experiments are what we’re always looking for. 

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to these days? 

Our music tastes are pretty diverse in the band but some things we've been listening to recently are Deafheaven, Blood Incantation, Archspire, Ulcerate, The Armed, Drain. 

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

We're thankful for all the support for our music and you can check out Melancholia wherever you stream your music or purchase merch & vinyl through our Bandcamp. 

acebook.com/Ancientthrones | Instagram.com/ancientthrones

Fleshvessel/Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded/I, VOidhanger Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Fleshvessel  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  plats  an  avant  garde,  experimental  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Obstinacy  Sisyphean  Dreams  Unfolded"  which  was  released  by  I,  Voidhanger  Records,

  Puerto  Rican  style  instruments  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  heavy  and  technical  direction  while  the  vocals  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  solos  and  leads  add  in  more  of  an  aggressive  style.

  Avvant  garde  style  synths  and  keyboards  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the music  and  also  takes  the  album  into  more  of  an  experimental  direction.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  clear  singing  is  also  used  on  a  few  songs.

  Touches  of  jazz  music  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  album  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in a   good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Folk  instruments  are  also  used  at  times  as  well  as  a  few  tracks also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  words  and  clean  playing  is  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  humanity's  strife  with  the  world.

  In  my  opinion  Fleshvessel  are  a  very  great  sounding  avant  garde,  experimental  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Mental  Myasis"  and  "It  Lurched  From  A  Chasm  In  The  Sky".  8  out  of  10.

  https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/obstinacy-sisyphean-dreams-unfolded

  

Ancient Thrones/Melancholia/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Ancient  Thrones  are  a  band  from  Nova  Scotia,  Canada  that  plays  a  very  dissonant,  technical  and  progressive  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2025  album  "Melancholia".

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  technical  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in a   great  amount  of  blast  beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  yet  dissonant  style  and  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  

 Classical  music  style  keyboards  can  also be  heard  at  times  along  with  the  album  also  having  its  progressive  moments.  Whispers  are  also  added  on  one  song  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  being  long  and  epic  in  length,. Clean  playing  is  also  added  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  and  some  of  the  music  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  psychedelic  touches  and  a  few  songs  also  add  in  some  whispers  and  spoken  words.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  a  concept  album  and  covers  a  colorblind  individual  and  his  experiences  with  psychedelic  drugs  as  a  last  ditch-attempt  to  enjoy  life  in  color.

  In  my  opinion  Ancient  Thrones  are  a  very  great  sounding  dissonant,  progressive  and  technical  blackened  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "A  Moon  Fused  Key"  "A  Pellucid  Prism"  and  "Vacant".  8  out  of  10.

 Facebook.com/Ancientthrones | Instagram.com/ancientthrones

Album order (Vinyl, Digital) - https://ancientthrones.bandcamp.com

Lyric Video - "A Moon Fused Key" https://youtu.be/IfDBNhlJ0sI

Music Video - "Melancholia" - https://youtu.be/_LvSTJ78kd8

Playthrough - “A Turning Point” - https://youtu.be/zQ3wZqZj9EQ

        

Veilburner/Longing For Triumph, Reeking Of Tragedy/Transcending Obscurity Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Pennsylvania's  Veilburner  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  avant  garde,  experimental  and  dissonant  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Longing  For  Triumph,  Reeking  of  tragedy"  which  was  released  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  Drum  beats  and  chants  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  Dissonant  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  while  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  songs.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  and  avant  garde  sounding  along  with  some  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  clean  playing.

 ,  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  more  of  a  technical  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Left  Hand  Path  and  Qlipthoth  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Veilburner  and  if  you  are  a f an  of  progressive  and  technical  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Longing  For  Triumph..."  "That  Which  Crypts  Howls  Grandeur"  and  "...Reeking  Of  Tragedy".  8  out  of  10.

  Veilburner Bandcamp

Veilburner Facebook

Veilburner Instagram  

VoidCeremony/Abditum/20 Buck Spin/2025 Full Length Review

 

   California's  VoidCeremony  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  progressive  and  technical  form  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Abditum"  which  was  released  by  20  Buck  Spin.

  

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  heavier  direction  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in a   great  amount  of  brutal  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  mixed  in  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  and  at  times  the  music  also  goes  into  more  of  a  technical  direction.

  

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  technical  yet  melodic  style  along  with  the  album  also  having  its  progressive  moments.  Some  of  the  music  also  shows  an  influence  of  jazz  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  used  on  a  couple  of  tracks  and  tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  and  they  also  bring  in  an  instrumental.

  

  On  this  recording  VoidCeremony  continues  to  expand  on  the  progressive  and  technical  style  of  blackened  death  metal  that  they  have  introduced  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism  and  Philosophy  themes.

  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  VoidCeremony  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  progressive  and  technical  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Verecious  Duality"  "Failure  of  Ancient  Wisdoms"  and  "Gnosis  Of  Ambivalence".  8  out  of  10.

 

https://voidceremony.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/voidceremony

https://www.facebook.com/VoidCeremony

  

Impermanence/Anicca/Satanath Records/Sanatorio Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

 Imperanence  are  a  band  from  Poland  that  plays  a  technical  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Anicca"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Sanatorio  Records.

  A  synth  orientated  intro  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  more  heavy  and  brutal  direction  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  sounding  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  death  metal  growls  mixed  in  with  a  few  screams.  and  blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.

  Elements  of  black  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Blast  beats  are  also  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  having  its  progressive  moments,  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  tremolo  picking  can  also  be  heard  ins  some  of  the  faster  riffing.

  Imperanence  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  technical  and  progressive  form  of  death  metal  and  mixes  it  with  black  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  fragility  and  transience  of  human  life.

  In  my  opinion  Imperanence  are  a  very  great  sounding  technical  and  progressive  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sorrodise"  "Spiritual  War"  and "Crumbling".  8  out  of  10.

https://youtu.be/9zUIyu7orB4

Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram

  

Phasma/Purgatory/Transcending Obscurity Records/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Phasma  are  a  duo  from  Greece  that  plays  a  brutal  and  technical  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Purgatory"  which  will  be  released  in  February  by  Transcending  Obscurity  Records.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  death  metal  growls  into  the  music.  Black  metal  screams  are  also  utilized  at  times  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in a   lot  of  brutal  blast  and  the  recording  also h as  its  technical  moments.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  get  very  guttural  at  times.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  also  remain  true  to  a  technical  style  along  with  the  faster  riffing  also  adding  in  a  good  amount  of  tremolo  picking,  throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A  couple  of  songs  also  adds in  a  small  amount  of  synths  and  elements  of  deathcore  are  also  added  into  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  acoustic  guitars  and  clean  are  also  added  on  the  closing  track.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  purgatory  themes.    

  In  my  opinion  Phasma  are  a  very  great  sounding  brutal  and  technical  mixture  of  black,  death  metal  and  deathcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUD E "I"  and  "VI".  8  out  of  10.

Phasma Facebook

Phasma Instagram

Phasma Bandcamp

  

Night Attack/Necromancer/WormHoleDeath Records/2025 EP Review

 

  Night  Attack  are  a  band  from  North  Carolina  that  has  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  blackened  mixture  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  ep  "Necromancer"  which  was  released  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  ep  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  thrash  metal  and  blast  bears  are  added  into  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in a  lot  of  melody  and  they  also  take  an  80's  style  and  update  it  for  the  modern  era.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  music  also  has  its  technical  moments.  Elements  of  death  metal  are  also  added  throughout  the  whole  ep    along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  going  for  a  very  melodic  yet  old  school  style  and  all  of  the  songs  also  stick  to  a  heavier  direction,  growls  can  also  be  heard  briefly.

    On  this  recording  Night  Attack  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  black,  death  and  thrash  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a very  heavy  and  aggressive.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Necromancy,  War  and  Moshing  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Night  Attack  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  black,  death  and  thrash  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Necromancer"  and  "Mosh  And  thrash".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/NIGHTATTACKBAND
https://nightattack.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/nightattackbandofficial

Hebephrenique/Decathexis/Gutter Prince Cabal/Brilliant Emperor Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Hebephrenique  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  death  and  industrial  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Decathexis"  which  will b e  released  in  August  as  a  joint  effort  between  Gutter  Prince  Cabal  and  Brilliant  Emperor  Records.

  

    Dark  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  while  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  dissonant  direction.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  while  the  vocals  also  bring  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  

   At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  avant  garde  and  technical  sounding  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  clean  playing  also  being  utilized  on  a  few  songs  and  elements  of  industrial  can  also  be  heard  at  times.

  

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  riffing  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  at  times  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  finally  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  melodic  style.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dystopian themes.

  

 In  my  opinion  Hebephrenique  are  a  very  great  sounding  dissonant  mixture  of  black,  death  and  industrial  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Visions  Of  Magdalene"  "Arguementum  Ad  Baculum"  and  "Decathexis".  8  out  of  10.

  https://hebephrenique.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/hebephrenique