heavy-metal-darkness

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Drowned In Silver | Mothers | Pagan Records

Release Date: 7 November 2025

Format: CD/LP/Digital

Genre: Occult Doom Metal

Country: Poland

Drowned In Silver emerged from musicians already known in black metal and experimental circles. Instead of following their past paths, they built a project focused on trance driven occult rock. Their influences come from spiritual and ritualistic traditions, especially the atmospheric pull of The Devil’s Blood, the ceremonial darkness of Dead Can Dance and the folk mysticism of Wardruna. The band’s work leans toward long compositions, hypnotic rhythms and vocals that function as both narrative and incantation. For their debut album they also collaborated with visual artists and dancers, expanding the project into a broader artistic expression.

“Mothers” arrives as a debut with a clear direction. “Drowned In Silver” create long, meditative songs shaped by slow building progressions, steady percussion and layers of guitar that move between shadowed chords and brighter surges. The saxophone and duclar add an unusual voice, giving the album an air of old ceremony mixed with modern doom rock. The band pulls from various corners of dark atmospheric music and the result is an album that unfolds like a half remembered dream.

The vocals guide the listener through this landscape with an almost storytelling quality. They shift between calm spoken lines, trance chants and sorrowed melodic passages. The addition of Emil Gruca’s vocals strengthens these moments, turning some sections into something close to a ritual choir. The production allows all elements to breathe in a steady and grounded way, supporting the long running structures without turning them into chaos.

Each track stretches forward with patience. The guitars repeat slow phrases that create a circular effect, the bass anchors everything from below and the drums keep the pulse steady. The saxophone sometimes cuts through with mournful, droning tones that lift the songs into a more psychedelic zone. The band’s use of rattles and hand percussion adds to the atmosphere, giving the music an earthy texture.

The themes of “Mothers” touch on grief, spirituality and the transformation of identity. The lyrics move between personal imagery and mythic symbolism, often circling around cycles of death and rebirth. As a debut, “Mothers” shows a band that knows its direction. The album offers a deep dive into occult doom metal with a trance like approach and a strong sense of atmosphere. Listeners who enjoy The Devil’s Blood, Dead Can Dance or Wardruna will feel at home in this sound. “Drowned In Silver” manage to craft a work that invites the listener into a dark and patient universe, built on repetition, voice and ritualistic tones.

Score: 7.0

Drowned In Silver:

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drowned_in_silver/

Pagan Records:

Website / Shop: https://www.pagan-records.com

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

Bandcamp: https://paganrecords.bandcamp.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/paganrecords

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaganRecords

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagan.records/

Monday, November 24, 2025

Deadwood | Rituals Of A Dying Light | Innerstrength Records

Release Date: 6 January 2026

Format: Digital

Genre: Deathcore

Country: Canada

Deadwood formed in Montréal in 2020 during the chaos of the pandemic. The project brought together musicians with long backgrounds in heavy music. Fred brought experience from The Plasmarifle and Ion Dissonance, Stéphane came from Nova Spei and an Iron Maiden tribute, Charles had years behind him in Dismayd and Discovery Through Torment, while Derek reconnected with Fred after their Málaga days. The band shaped a style built on the force of Meshuggah, the brutality of Whitechapel and the swagger of Pantera. Their work often draws from violent chapters in history, from witch hunts to serial killers. Through releases like “Nemesis”, “Inhuman” and singles such as “Straightblade”, “Djinn Pitts” and “Heretic”, they positioned themselves as a band that wants deathcore to sound hostile again. Their live reputation kept growing with tours in Japan, the United States and Canada, alongside shows with Humanity’s Last Breath, DVRK and Born Of Osiris. With a European tour on the horizon, the band now steps forward with their new EP, “Rituals Of A Dying Light”, released through Innerstrength Records.

“Rituals Of A Dying Light” presents Deadwood at a stage where their identity is fully locked in. The EP offers the violence that their motto promises, channeling it through thick guitar lines, steady pounding drums and vocals that feel torn straight from a nightmare. The approach stays close to the deathcore tradition they embrace, although the band brings in darker atmospheric shapes that link back to their fascination with real historical horror. There is no attempt to soften anything, no room for sentiment, only pressure that builds from track to track.

The production by Fred Element gives the music a brutal edge. The guitars crush forward with wide, heavy patterns. The drums strike with consistency and the cymbals slice through the mix. The vocals by Martin Demontigny add another layer, rough and ruthless, pushing the stories toward something that resembles an audio execution chamber. Even the slower passages do not bring relief, they only deepen the sense of violence.

The songwriting keeps moving between groove driven sequences and sudden outbursts. Deadwood mix their influences openly, drawing from Meshuggah’s mechanical pulse, Pantera’s swagger and the crushing stomp of Whitechapel. What makes the EP engaging is the way these elements collide against each other without turning into chaos. The band has enough experience to keep their aggression organized, which helps every track land with force.

Lyrically the EP walks inside the worlds Deadwood love to explore, stories soaked in murder, superstition and the dark side of human nature. The words cut straight into violence and fear, holding tight to the concept of ritualistic death. It suits the band’s aim, matching their sound with images that strike hard and without pretension.

Overall “Rituals Of A Dying Light” is a strong step forward for the band. Deadwood deliver exactly what their history and live reputation set up, meaning hostile music that goes for the throat without apology. It is a release that will satisfy fans who crave raw aggression and it reinforces the band’s position in the current Canadian heavy scene. As they head toward Europe, this EP works as a loud announcement of what they plan to unleash on stage night after night.

Score: 7.0

https://www.facebook.com/Deadwood666/

https://deadwood666.bandcamp.com/track/tales-of-massacre

https://www.instagram.com/deadwood.officiel/#

https://www.youtube.com/@Deadwood.666

217 | In Your Gaze | Time To Kill Records

Release Date: 7 Nov 2025
Format: LP/CD/Digital
Genre: Hardcore
Country: Italy

217 started in Pescara in 2018 with the ambition to unite old-school hardcore shaped by Slapshot and Judge with thrash roots inspired by The Haunted and Slayer. After a series of shows and a first European run, the band released the EP “Atheist Agnostic Rationalist” through Indelirium Records in 2019, a small pressing that moved fast inside the Italian hardcore circuit. The pandemic forced them to pause, then a line-up shift shook the project in 2020, although they never issued a breakup. In 2024 the band returned as a four-piece and began writing the material that would become their debut album. Their influences spread wider now, from classic American hardcore to mid nineties new school and even the darker edges of alternative rock, giving the band a broader voice.

“In Your Gaze” marks the return of a band that clearly spent years sharpening their style. The core remains rooted in American hardcore traditions, straight from the lineage of Cro-Mags, Slapshot and Snapcase, although the band opens the gates to thicker, gloomier textures inspired by Bauhaus, My Dying Bride and Sisters Of Mercy. This combination gives the album a restless personality, one moment swinging toward punchy hardcore, the next sliding into something darker and dreamlike.

The vocals sit right at the center, raw and unfiltered, carrying a tone that fits the push and pull of the music. The guitars change direction often, moving from fast chugging patterns to more atmospheric parts where the influence of bands like Into Another and Life Of Agony becomes obvious. The bass and drums hold everything steady, keeping the music grounded even when the band moves into their more shadowy zones.

Lyrically the album walks through grief, loss and the messy corners of human behaviour. The writing touches on personal collapse, the weight of capitalism on relationships and the struggle to hold on to identity while everything around you twists for profit. The band uses this theme as a thread between songs, turning different stories into one larger narrative about survival inside a world that eats its own people.

The production stays rough around the edges, which suits the band’s roots. Nothing comes across as too polished once the album gets going. The guest appearance of Kate in “Pit Is Not A Crime” adds a sharp turn and gives the album a moment where the energy spikes again before dropping into darker territory. Their cover of “Hood Crew” pays respect to Growing Concern and reinforces where the band’s heart lies.

The album lands just above average. It shows ambition and a strong identity, although some ideas could have used a bit more shaping. Still, “In Your Gaze” presents a band that refuses to play it safe. They return to the scene with a work that mixes aggression with gloom and personal storytelling with a sense of restless exploration. It is a solid first full-length, built with commitment and clear intent, and it places 217 back into motion for whatever comes next.

Score: 6.5

https://www.facebook.com/217pescarahardcore/

https://217pescarahardcore.bandcamp.com/album/in-your-gaze

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCydoZxnJqGq4AeETKM6uO-A

https://www.instagram.com/217_pescarahardcore/

Bygone | Bygone | Svart Records

Release Date: 12.12.2025

Format: CD/LP/Digital

Genre: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock

Country: United States

Bygone comes from Boston, a place that has always produced musicians who enjoy digging into heavy metal’s deep roots. The members have long histories in bands like Magic Circle, Blazon Rite, Concilium, Witchtrial and Missionary Work, so they walk into this debut with plenty of miles behind them. The self titled album arrives through Svart Records and leans into a cosmic, retro minded spirit, the kind of sound that could sit comfortably beside old heavy rock tales of star travel, strange civilizations and fantasy wanderers.

Bygone’s first full length lands with the attitude of a band that enjoys throwing itself straight into a cosmic adventure. The guitars move with vivid colour, the keyboards flash like starglow in the distance and the vocals carry a rugged storyteller’s edge. This combination gives the album its charm, a mix of wide open imagination and earthy hard rock grounding. In short, it invites you into its world without fuss and lets the atmosphere grow naturally.

"Take Me Home" works as a calling card, with its galloping rhythm and melodic interplay making it feel like a transmission from some forgotten rock broadcast beamed across galaxies. The rest of the album continues to travel along that line. "Lightspeed Nights", "Shadow Rising" and "Into The Gleam" drift into cosmic territory, the band using classic heavy metal language to paint scenes of wandering through star fields and strange horizons. The keyboards add a warm shimmer, the bass keeps everything anchored and the guitars often take off with bright, melodic sparks.

There is also an old school, dust covered fantasy streak moving through tracks like "The Last Horses Of Avalon", giving the album a slightly mythical dimension. The band plays with a steady hand, giving each track space to form a clear image. Vocally, Jim taps into a raw expressive tone that recalls seventies hard rock singers who knew how to tell a story without theatrical overkill. The production stays true to the band’s retro spirit. Everything sounds lived in, like a favourite stack of vinyl pulled from a shelf of cosmic rock treasures. It is not flashy, it stays honest, which suits the album’s character.

Bygone’s debut does not aim for bombast or hyper modern gloss. Instead, it presents a straightforward heavy metal voyage, steady in its intentions and rich in colour. It is the kind of album that rewards listeners who enjoy classic metal textures, cosmic themes, melodic interplay and a clear sense of direction. Once it settles in, you can easily imagine it spinning on a turntable while a vintage sci fi paperback waits nearby.

Score: 7.0

https://www.svartrecords.com

https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords

https://www.instagram.com/svartrecords

https://bygonerocknroll.bandcamp.com

Kaksonen | Valo-Olento | Inverse Records

Release Date: October 17th 2025

Format: CD/Digital

Genre: Heavy Metal

Country: Finland

Kaksonen comes from Äänekoski and started gaining attention with their first album “Universumin Kuningas”. The group, Antti Lähdesmäki, Ville Koskivaara, Tuomo Rinkinen and Miika Vainio, approach heavy music with an interest in human nature and the strange contradictions that follow us around. Their second album “Valo Olento”, translated as “Being Of Light”, continues that focus. The lyrical world moves between the darker parts of the human story and the things that lift us up, creating a constant pull between harsh reality and everything that makes life worth taking seriously.

“Valo Olento” uses that idea as a guiding thread. The music shifts between aggressive thrash driven attacks and slower, heavier passages that carry a more reflective tone. Kaksonen push themselves into a broader palette this time, as if they want to capture human struggle from several angles instead of sticking to one emotional direction. The riffs move with confidence, the drumming keeps the material grounded and the vocals, shared by different members, give the album a raw personality. The production keeps the sound direct and sturdy, so the heavier parts land with force while the calmer stretches can breathe a little without losing shape.

Lyrically the album continues the ideas of inner conflict, guilt, hope, damage done by the world around us and the stubborn spark that refuses to die. The Finnish language gives the words extra punch, since the phonetics fit this kind of metal extremely well. You can hear the band leaning into that, treating their language as another tool instead of just a vehicle for lines.

As a whole “Valo Olento” works well. It has grit and emotional weight, it stays true to the band’s identity and it shows growth compared to their previous release. It does not break into the top tier of Finnish underground metal, although the ambition is clearly there. What the album does deliver is a solid experience built with honesty, energy and a clear artistic direction.

Kaksonen is moving step by step, expanding their sound without losing themselves. “Valo Olento” is a strong second chapter and gives enough hints of what this band might achieve if they keep pushing forward. Anyone into Finnish heaviness with thematic depth will find plenty to appreciate here.

Score: 7.0

https://www.facebook.com/kaksonenband/

https://www.instagram.com/kaksonenband/

https://kaksonen.bandcamp.com/

Morbikon | Lost Within The Astral Crypts | Tankcrimes

Release Date: November 21^st, 2025

Format: CD/Digital/Vinyl

Genre: Black/Thrash Metal

Country: United States

Morbikon began as the project of Phil “Land Phil” Hall, known from Municipal Waste, Cannabis Corpse and Iron Reagan. Wanting a vessel for frostbitten aggression and melodic chaos, he teamed up with Mathias “Vreth” Lillmåns of Finntroll and launched a path straight into the darker corners of Scandinavian, early ninety style black and death metal. Their first album “Ov Mournful Twilight” arrived in 2022 and quickly built a name for its speed, its cold atmosphere and its old school spirit. Morbikon refused to stay behind studio doors, taking the material on the road with Exhumed and Skeletal Remains appearing at several extreme metal festivals. After all this movement and noise, the band returns with “Lost Within The Astral Crypts”, an album shaped by Hall’s intention to dive deeper into harsher territory.

“Lost Within The Astral Crypts” opens the door to Morbikon’s darker imagination and keeps a firm hand on intensity throughout the entire run. The album sticks to fast riffing, icy melodies and harsh vocals, giving the songs a constant forward motion. The guitars switch between slicing tremolo runs and heavier, stomping strikes, and the drumming stays active enough to push everything along without drifting into chaos.

Vreth’s voice is ragged and hostile, matching the themes and giving the album a cold personality. The guest contributions, especially the lead guitar work, add extra fire without distracting from the main direction. The music moves in a straight line, driven by riffs, aggression and a harsh, nocturnal atmosphere, the kind you’d expect from a project openly rooted in older extreme metal but played with fresh energy.

The production is raw enough to keep things abrasive while still allowing the riffs to hit clearly. Morbikon’s songwriting stays consistent, heavy and aggressive, moving between fast blasts and mid tempo hammering in a way that keeps the listener hooked. Nothing collapses into chaos and nothing softens the edges, the whole album moves with determination and dark energy.

“Lost Within The Astral Crypts” lands as Morbikon’s strongest and most violent release so far, sharpening the direction they began on their debut and pushing it harder, colder and more confidently. It feels like a statement of where the project wants to go next and shows that Morbikon is ready to stand firmly in the harshest corner of their field. Anyone who follows modern expressions of old school blackened death thrash will recognize something powerful here.

Score: 7.0

https://www.facebook.com/morbikon

https://www.instagram.com/morbikon

https://tankcrimes.merchtable.com

https://www.facebook.com/tankcrimes

https://www.instagram.com/tankcrimes

Where Giants Fall I Rise | Once Ignited Dreams |Self-Release

Release Date: 8 August 2025

Format: Digital

Genre: Melodic Progressive/Death Metal

Country: Germany

Where Giants Fall I Rise is the personal project of German musician Alexander Grothe. After years of writing for different bands, he gathered a large archive of unfinished ideas, sketches and half shaped concepts. Instead of letting them gather dust in storage boxes and old hard drives, he rebuilt everything from the ground up. He composed, recorded and mixed the album on his own at Radio Moon Records in Ilsenburg with mastering by Tom Porcell Mastering. It is a clear snapshot of his musical identity across many years, collected into one full release.

“Once Ignited Dreams” moves between melodic death metal and melodic progressive metal with a guitar driven character. The production is modern, bright and spacious, which helps every part stand on its own. The album runs with a clear direction. Grothe leans heavily on melodic themes, changing patterns and steady energy. Even when the music grows more aggressive, it retains a steady emotional tone. It is easy to follow and easy to enjoy for listeners who want melody as the driving force rather than chaotic shifts.

The writing offers movement without sounding chaotic. Grothe structures his ideas in a straightforward way. Themes return, expand and transform with patience. There is no rush, no chaotic jumps, no random detours. The album stays loyal to a melodic path, using metal as the surrounding shell. Fans of Amorphis, In Flames, Omnium Gatherum, Insomnium, Wolfheart and Dimension Zero will notice familiar territory, although Grothe’s melodic choices give the album its own identity. The pacing is balanced. The album keeps a steady pulse from start to finish with no sudden drops in quality.

“Once Ignited Dreams” is an album built from older ideas, but nothing sounds stitched together or confused. Grothe managed to take material from many chapters of his life and shape it into one consistent musical line. It is a patient listen that rewards anyone who enjoys long form melodic writing with a metal edge.

Score: 7.5