Scott
“Wino” Weinrichhas long been a restless spirit in the heavy underground, a figure whose
career stretches back to the late 70s and the dawn of doom metal itself. From The
Obsessedto Saint Vitusand Spirit Caravan, he’s built a reputation on honesty and grit, crafting songs that come
from lived experience rather than calculated design. Through decades of
shifting musical trends, Wino has stayed true to his calling: heavy, soulful music
with a pulse that comes straight from the gut.
“Create Or Die,” his fourth solo album, lands as a
reflection of that creed. What began as an acoustic project has evolved into
something louder, more urgent, yet still personal. The songs here sound like
they were written by a man who’s been through storms but hasn’t lost the will
to keep moving. His voice carries the kind of weathered truth that can’t be
faked, while the guitars burn with a rough and timeless energy.
Tracks like “New Terms” and “Hopeful Defiance” bring a
raw intensity, combining heavy blues undercurrents with rugged storytelling.
The Irish folk textures woven into “New Terms” add an unexpected twist without
feeling out of place, while “Bury Me In Texas” and “Lost Souls Fly” expand the
emotional reach with hints of Americana and old-school melancholy. It’s the
sound of a veteran artist following his instincts, without chasing trends or
worrying about polish.
Wino’s playing remains earthy and unpretentious, grounded
in the same rough spirit that first defined his work. The production keeps
everything direct and human, with just enough grit to keep the edges sharp. The strength of “Create
Or Die” lies in its authenticity, a seasoned musician creating simply because
he must.
Ripple Musiconce again proves a fitting home for this kind of
release. Honest, heavy, and built on feeling rather than gloss. Wino doesn’t
preach, he shares, and that’s what makes the album connect. It’s not a
masterpiece or a reinvention of his past, but it’s a solid statement from an
artist who’s earned the right to speak plainly through his music. “Create Or
Die” is exactly what its title says. It’s not about perfection, it’s about
necessity, a rugged, heartfelt continuation of a life spent in devotion to
heavy sound and truth.
Fate’s Hand formed in Australia in 2021 and
immediately stirred attention with their self-titled EP. The members, coming
from groups such as StarGazer and Mongrels Cross, already had deep roots in extreme
and traditional metal. That short release hinted at something more ambitious: a
band channeling the ancient spirit of heavy metal with vigor and intensity.
Now, a few years later, they return fully armed with their first album, “Steel,
Fire And Ice”, through Dying Victims Productions.
This debut
full-length plays like an anthem to the essence of classic heavy metal, fueled
by galloping rhythms, heroic vocal lines, and blazing guitar duels. Fate’s Hand takes everything that made their EP
powerful and expand it with grander storytelling and wilder momentum. The album
charges forward with energy that recalls early Judas
Priest and Bathory’s first spark of
fury, but with the melodic edge and precision of ‘80s warriors such as King Diamond.
There’s a compelling
sense of battle in every song. The riffs strike with force and rhythmical bite,
while the vocals soar high, cutting through the storm. The band’s chemistry
shows in how tightly they lock into each attack, bringing that old-school fire
into sharp modern focus. The production is strong and raw, fitting perfectly with
the band’s steel-forged character. Every moment is driven by a passion for
glory and confrontation, as if each track were a call to arms in some mythic
struggle.
What makes
“Steel, Fire And Ice” stand tall is its determination to pure heavy metal
spirit. It doesn’t fall into nostalgia or mimicry, it simply is heavy metal in
its truest, loudest form. The melodies have muscle, the pace keeps the
adrenaline high, and the atmosphere stays fierce from beginning to end. Fate’s Hand has delivered an album that can rally
fans of the old masters while proving that the flame still burns strong in new
hands.
Formed in Rome back in 1994 under the name Scapegoat,
and reborn as Enemynside in 1999, this
veteran act has built a steady reputation across the international thrash
scene. With four albums and a string of EPs, countless European tours, and
stage time alongside acts like Destruction, Tankard, and Flotsam And
Jetsam, they’ve earned their scars honestly. Over the years, Enemynside has stayed loyal to their roots while
sharpening their edge with each release, and their new EP "In The Shadows
Of Unrest" is another solid testament to their enduring energy.
The EP packs
aggression from the first note. It’s thrash metal through and through, fast,
angry, and packed with hooks that bite. The riffs are crisp and punchy, the
drumming relentless, and the production gives everything a modern punch without
sanding down the raw edges. The sound is fierce and unfiltered, with a clear
nod to the classic thrash ethos that still drives the band forward.
Fran
Cremisini’s vocal delivery
remains a defining weapon, barking with precision and attitude. The guitars of Matteo Bellezza and Andrea
Mataloni tear through the mix with a sense of urgency, creating a storm
of chugging and slicing riffs. The rhythm section from Andrea
Pistone and Fabio Migliori keeps
things grounded, maintaining a tight energy that holds the EP together from
start to finish.
Each song on "In
The Shadows Of Unrest" comes across as a direct punch, short, aggressive,
and infused with power. There’s no filler or hesitation, only straightforward
thrash with just enough bite to make it memorable. The mix by Marco “Cinghio” Mastrobuono (at Kick Recording Studio) ensures every instrument
hits with the right impact, giving the release a fresh sound while keeping it
raw at heart.
Visually, Diyaco Paymazd’s artwork captures the unrest and
fury that pulse through the music. It mirrors the tension and chaos that have
always been at the core of Enemynside’s
identity, a band that has survived trends and decades without softening its
tone. "In The Shadows Of Unrest" may be brief, but it’s a fierce
reminder of why Enemynside remains relevant
after all these years. It’s thrash played with heart, precision, and pure
determination.
From Brussels rises Abysmal Descent,
a new death metal formation born from members of Dehuman,
Putrid Offal, Echo
Solar Void, and Neptunian Maximalism.
Their debut, "Dismal Thoughts", released through Nuclear Winter Records, throws the listener
straight into the heart of darkness that defines classic death metal, sculpted
with an oppressive and unrelenting approach.
This album unfolds
like a slow drag through a crypt, heavy and suffocating in atmosphere. The
production is raw enough to retain its underground spirit but refined to let
every crushing riff and guttural roar stand tall. The guitars twist and churn
through layers of distortion, while the drumming never loosens its grip,
keeping everything locked in a punishing rhythm. There’s a sinister sense of
structure to the compositions, each track moving with grim purpose, balancing
chaos with control.
Vocally, Adrien Luxen delivers a commanding performance,
his growls soaked in despair and decay. The interplay between guitars creates a
constant tension, melodic enough to suggest traces of old Immolation or Morbid Angel but always keeping things dark,
suffocating, and organic. "Labyrinth Of Distress" and "Obscured
Visions" are prime examples of this balance, dragging the listener deeper
into the mire with every riff and tempo shift.
The atmosphere remains
consistent from start to finish, cold, oppressive, and unyielding. There’s no
attempt at false grandeur or theatrics here, only pure, focused death metal. Abysmal Descent clearly understands the art of
evoking dread through precision and restraint, crafting a sound that feels
ancient yet alive, like something unearthed from a forgotten tomb. "Dismal
Thoughts" is not just another debut. It’s a manifesto of intent from a band
of seasoned musicians who know exactly what they’re invoking. A vision of death
metal that’s uncompromising, abyssal, and heavy in spirit.
Cruentus formed in
Sweden in the late 2000s, slowly carving their place in the underground with a
style that blends death, black, and thrash metal into one savage strike. Their
sound nods to the chaos of early Swedish death metal while embracing the
frostbitten aggression of the blackened side. The duo of Martin Öhman and Petter
Bocian handle everything themselves, from the riffs to the roars, and
that self-contained fury defines their identity.
“End Without End” runs
on pure attack. The guitars churn with a classic Scandinavian sharpness,
pushing forward through a storm of blasting drums and cold, cutting aggression.
The production by Lawrence Mackrory captures
their raw intensity but keeps everything punchy enough to hit hard. There’s no
gloss or unnecessary layering, just relentless drive and precision.
The songs jump between
death metal heaviness and blackened chaos, keeping the energy high throughout.
“Förtärande Ilska” and “Womb Eternal” stretch into darker, more menacing
territory, while shorter bursts like “Evenflow” and “M.I.A.” strike fast and vanish
like explosions in the dark. The interplay between harsh vocals and furious
riffing feels natural and confident, delivering that old Swedish menace with
modern fire.
Cruentus
sounds completely locked in, delivering
ten tracks that never lose their impact. “End Without End” doesn’t chase trends
or experiment for its own sake; it simply burns with focused aggression and a
strong sense of identity. It’s the kind of album that lives on instinct, played
with intensity and conviction, and built for those who want their metal
unfiltered and fierce.
Dolmen Gate emerged from
Lisbon in 2021, a band formed with one clear goal, to summon the spirit of
classic heavy metal through epic storytelling and fiery performance. Drawing
their inspiration from the mighty roots of the Portuguese underground and the
legacy of giants like Manowar, Omen, and Manilla Road,
the band quickly found a place among Europe’s growing traditional metal
revival. After their 2024 debut “Gateways Of Eternity,” they return with
“Echoes Of Ancient Tales,” a stronger, more focused album that expands their
epic sound into something memorable and full of heart.
From the first song,
the album bursts with the kind of passion only true believers in heavy metal
can conjure. The guitars of Kiko and Artur lead the charge, weaving powerful riffs and
melodic leads that recall the best days of the 80s underground scene. Ana’s vocals shine across the entire release, heroic,
expressive, and commanding, she sounds like a bard telling long-forgotten
stories of battle and loss. The rhythm section of Nuno
and Alex anchors everything with
steady precision, giving the songs a galloping pulse that fits perfectly with
the band’s epic direction.
“Echoes Of Ancient
Tales” sounds like a journey across time and myth. “Souls To Sea” and “The
Prophecy” have an almost cinematic grandeur, filled with anthemic choruses and
twin-guitar harmonies. “The Maze” brings a darker shade, balancing melody and
raw power, while “We Are The Storm” explodes with defiance, a perfect closer
for the album’s heroic tone. “Carthage Eternal” deserves mention for its
storytelling, a track that could easily fit into the golden era of heavy metal
concept albums.
The production,
handled by Fernando Matias together with the
band, is balanced and warm. It captures the essence of classic metal without
sounding dated. The mix gives each instrument enough space to shine, preserving
that live energy so crucial to this style. The artwork by Márcio Blasphemator completes the package, grand,
mysterious, and perfectly fitting for an album steeped in legend and glory.
“Echoes Of Ancient
Tales” proves that Dolmen Gate is not just
another nostalgic act. They carry a genuine flame for epic heavy metal, and
this album shows that their path is clear and strong. It’s an album made by
musicians who know exactly what kind of world they want to create, and they
invite the listener to step through the gate with them.
Germany’s Scheusal emerged earlier
this year with “Urwahn,” a debut that caught underground attention through its
savage minimalism and proud adherence to the country’s black metal lineage.
Without wasting time, the mysterious one-man project returns with “Fressfeind,”
a continuation of that same uncompromising spirit. The quick turnaround between
albums suggests a creative momentum that hasn’t cooled down, and this second
chapter only deepens the band’s raw, martial energy.
“Fressfeind” is a
vicious, straightforward black metal assault steeped in cold aggression and
spite. The sound is stripped of any gloss, and that’s entirely the point. The
production is raw but surprisingly defined, with the instruments cutting
through in a way that keeps the chaos legible. There’s a sense of constant
motion, tracks hammer forward without hesitation, filled with sharp riffing and
relentless percussion. Vocally, the album is manic and varied; growls, shouts,
and distorted howls overlap like a drunken brawl between spirits. It’s not
pleasant, but it’s gripping in its madness.
The album’s strength
lies in its refusal to soften anything. Scheusal keeps
the tempo high and the spirit violent, with the occasional melodic shimmer
slipping through the grime to remind you that this isn’t just noise, it’s
carefully controlled aggression. The martial undertones give parts of the
record a warlike pulse, adding a sense of movement and tension that fits the
Teutonic tradition perfectly.
“Fressfeind” doesn’t
feel like a new direction for Scheusal but
more like a deeper excavation of what the project already stood for. Primitive,
passionate, German black metal that rasps rather than speaks. The atmosphere
remains grim, the pacing unrelenting, and the sense of individuality definite in
its twisted energy. A solid release for diehard fans of underground black metal,
raw, energetic, and authentic, though its narrow focus limits its long-term
impact. It’s a harsh, headstrong album that sticks to its path and dares you to
follow it into the fire.
There are few figures in Nordic metal with the endurance and singular
voice of Andreas Hedlund, better known as Vintersorg. Since the mid-90s he’s been crafting
music that bridges harsh black metal, northern folk melodies, and philosophical
storytelling. What began in the icy landscapes of Skellefteå
under the name Vargatron evolved into
one of Scandinavia’s most distinctive metal projects. From the raw mountain
hymns of “Till Fjälls” and “Ödemarkens Son” to the cosmic journeys of “Cosmic
Genesis” and “The Focusing Blur”, Vintersorg has
always merged intellect with atmosphere. With Matte
Marklund on lead guitars and Simon Lundstöm on
bass, the band stands as a lasting force of elemental sound.
Now comes “Vattenkrafternas
Spel”, a return that thrives on instinct and immersion. This is an album that
moves through water’s many states, calm, violent, mysterious, without losing
its human pulse. The guitar lines ripple with melody, meeting bursts of
blackened aggression that is as natural as river currents. Hedlund’s voice alternates between fierce rasp and
broad, melodic singing, a contrast that brings tension and release throughout.
The production is crisp, giving space for every layer of harmony, folk
phrasing, and metallic surge to merge.
There’s a deep
connection to nature in every second. You can almost sense the mist and flow
through tracks such as “Ur Älv Och Å” and “Regnskuggans Rike”, where
melodies intertwine with storm-like percussion. “Efter Dis Kommer Dimma”, with Johanna Lundberg’s guest vocals, adds a haunting
softness that opens into an expansive chorus. The guest keyboard solo by Peter Roy Wester on “Ödsliga Salar” adds a
spectral edge, lifting the song into something dreamlike.
The guitars are
intricate and fluid, moving between icy tremolo patterns and soaring folk
harmonies. Keyboards add depth rather than ornament, shaping the background
like unseen wind. The drum programming is alive, detailed, and dynamic enough
to carry the shifting tempos naturally. Hedlund’s
arrangements keep everything in motion, nothing static, nothing exaggerated,
only a strong sense of movement, emotion, and scale.
“Vattenkrafternas
Spel” has the essence of Vintersorg’s
earliest sound but without nostalgia. There’s focus, rawness, and melody
working together in balance, as if the elements themselves guided the
songwriting. The artwork by Kris Verwimp completes
the vision, matching the album’s spiritual connection to the wild. Hammerheart’s release gives it the visual grandeur
it deserves, especially in the deluxe gatefold vinyl edition.
Vintersorg
stands once again as a rare voice in
Nordic metal, reflective, forceful, and deeply rooted in the natural world.
“Vattenkrafternas Spel” doesn’t rely on past triumphs or abstract concepts; it
simply lives and breathes through sound, atmosphere, and emotion.
After four albums that have carved deep scars into the European
post-metal scene, Abraham returns with
“Idsungwüssä”, their fifth full-length and the final chapter in their
apocalyptic trilogy. Known for their bleak atmospheres and philosophical
undertones, the Swiss collective once again step into the void with a record
that sounds as if it’s written from the ashes of humanity itself.
Their previous
releases, especially “Débris De Mondes Perdus” and “Look, Here Comes The
Dark!”, were vast explorations of ruin and rebirth. “Idsungwüssä” continues
that path but shifts the perspective, away from Earth and into a cosmic
wilderness, where desolation turns into transcendence. The album’s concept
follows a parallel thread to their earlier works, closing the circle not
through repetition, but through expansion.
The production, shaped
between late 2024 and early 2025, captures an intensity that feels lived-in.
You can almost sense the fatigue and determination of the band as they balanced
daily life with creative struggle. This pressure becomes part of the music. The
sound is enormous, thick layers of guitars stacked in an unusual way, left and
right channels in unison while the center bursts through with a third voice.
The result is colossal and suffocating, drenched in reverb that turns riffs
into waves of distortion.
Vocals delivered in
Swiss-German give the album a unique edge, blending anguish with a kind of
distant ritualism. When they rise from beneath the instrumental mass, they
sound less human and more elemental, like something screaming from the void.
Between the heavier passages, melodic interludes and fragile moments of calm
appear, not as relief but as emotional depth. The band’s use of organ, Moog,
and additional keys brings an eerie, almost liturgical texture, like an ancient
signal sent through space.
“Idsungwüssä” unfolds
as a journey rather than a collection of songs. It stretches across despair and
transcendence, moving from grinding sludge passages to ethereal stretches that
dissolve into silence before another storm returns. It’s not an easy listen,
but that’s precisely its strength. This is music made to confront the listener
rather than comfort them.
By the album’s closing
moments, there’s a sense of finality, a strange peace among ruins. Abraham don’t simply continue their saga, they
bring it to an end with conviction, beauty, and an honesty that few bands in
post-metal can claim. It’s an album that demands patience and rewards
immersion. A powerful and immersive finale from a band unafraid to dig deep
into the bleakest corners of existence, “Idsungwüssä” stands as a fitting
closure to Abraham’s trilogy, harsh, human,
and haunting.
Release Date: 1
October 2025
Format: Digital/Vinyl
Genre: Death Metal
Country: USA
Formed by musicians deeply rooted in the American underground, Umulamahri is a new death metal entity built from
the creative collision of Andrew Hawkins (Baring Teeth) and Doug
Moore (Pyrrhon, Seputus, Glorious
Depravity, Weeping Sores). The lineup
is completed by session drummer Kevin Paradis,
known for his explosive precision. With this combination, “Learning The Secrets
Of Acid” arrives as an album that doesn’t simply add noise to the genre, it
bends it into strange, unpredictable shapes.
The album is a twisted
labyrinth of angular riffs, unstable rhythm patterns, and hallucinatory shifts.
Umulamahri sounds as if it’s operating
inside a fever dream where dissonance replaces logic and structure is
constantly under threat of collapse. “Rot Shall Rule The Oily Voids” opens the
album with chaos that borders on mathematical insanity, while “Bursting With Life’s
True Fruit” moves like a creature mutating in real time. “VVVVRMS” turns rhythm
into a weapon, cutting through distorted layers with near-mechanical precision.
“Orifice Invocation,” already revealed as a single, stands as the album’s most
direct strike, acidic and unpredictable. “Leaked Photo Of Heaven” closes things
with a warped sense of decay, like a transmission slowly dissolving in static.
What makes this album
engaging is not accessibility, but commitment to discomfort. The sound
production balances harshness and precision, letting the intricate playing
twist and churn without collapsing into chaos. It’s not easy listening, but
it’s magnetic in its strangeness. Every riff, every drum pattern, feels
infected by a scientific curiosity toward how far sound can be stretched before
it snaps. “Learning The Secrets Of Acid” is not for those seeking groove or
melody, it’s for listeners drawn to the abyss of experimental death metal,
where the edges are sharp and the terrain is alien. It rewards attention,
confusion, and a touch of madness.
Few names in extreme music have walked through fire the way Today Is The Day has. Led by the ever-volatile Steve Austin since the early 1990s, the band
became a singular force in the underground, twisting metal, noise, and chaos
into something personal and brutally honest. Across decades and countless
lineups, Austin turned trauma and
confrontation into sound. From “Willpower” and “Temple Of The Morning Star” to
“No Good To Anyone”, his work has always been an unfiltered reflection of inner
war. “Never Give In” continues that lineage, scarred, angry, visionary, and
deeply human.
Born out of the
claustrophobic atmosphere of the pandemic years, “Never Give In” is steeped in
disillusionment and resistance. Austin doesn’t
romanticize struggle; he documents it, microphone in one hand, gasoline can in
the other. The album opens in full combat stance with “Divide And Conquer,” a
track that lunges forward with jagged riffs and a barked warning. From there,
it descends into a feverish cycle of paranoia, frustration, and catharsis.
Titles like “Intentional Psychological Warfare” and “Secret Police” speak
plainly for themselves.
The production is raw
and unforgiving, the way Today Is The Day should
sound. Guitars scrape like exposed nerves, bass churns underneath, and the
drums come in waves of collapse and resurgence. Austin’s
voice, alternately pleading and venomous, carries the manic energy of someone
clawing through the static. When the brass enters on “Secret Police,” it
doesn’t lighten the chaos, it deepens it, as if the whole thing’s collapsing
under its own paranoia.
What gives “Never Give
In” its pulse is not refinement but tension. It’s the sound of one man refusing
to disappear, digging through modern decay to find meaning in the wreckage. The
album’s psychedelic flourishes aren’t soothing, they’re warped, distorted
windows into a collapsing mental state. Everything sounds haunted, as if
transmitted from a bunker.
“Never Give In” is
neither nostalgic nor neatly assembled. It’s a survival document, full of bile
and self-reconstruction, too strange to be labeled hardcore, too aggressive to
be called experimental rock. There’s an electricity in how unstable it feels, every
track teeters on implosion, and that’s where its truth lies.
As the first half of a
planned two-part concept, it doesn’t aim for resolution. It exists in the eye
of the storm, alive, furious, and unfiltered. It’s not an easy listen but an
honest one, an album made by someone who’s seen the machinery of despair and
refused to let it grind him down. A harsh, restless statement from an artist
who thrives on discomfort. “Never Give In” doesn’t seek comfort or perfection, it
burns, screams, and drags itself forward, still standing after everything that
tried to erase it.
Harkon, hailing from North Rhine-Westphalia, have
been brewing their brand of heavy, melodic metal since 2019, when they first
drew attention with the EP “Ruins Of Gold.” Now, after years of refining their
sound and playing shows, their debut full-length “Love And Vore” finally lands,
bringing together their technical side and their melodic instincts under a
strong production team. Recorded and mixed by Cornelius
Rambadt and mastered by Dennis Koehne,
the album sounds massive and balanced, with every element sitting where it
should.
The eleven
songs here form a consistent and colorful mix of power, melody, and narrative.
“Double Down” hits with driving energy and catchy hooks, while “Blood Will Have
Blood” stretches into mini-epic territory with dynamic shifts and tension that
rises naturally. “The Errorist” adds an emotional punch, showing that Harkon can move from aggression to reflection
without losing direction. Their songwriting is detailed, with solid riffing,
expressive vocals, and arrangements that keep the listener interested from
start to finish.
Björn Gooßes’
vocals have power and character, moving between grit and melody. The guitars of
Volker Rummel provide a constant interplay
of rhythm and lead work that brings the songs alive, and the rhythm section of Marcel Willnat (bass) and Lars
Zehner (drums) gives the album its pulse, tight, muscular, and dynamic.
The production enhances this sense of balance, giving the music depth and punch
without blurring its edges.
The album’s
presentation also deserves mention. The visual concept, designed by frontman Bjorn under his Killustrations
moniker, fits perfectly with the music; vivid, dark, and imaginative.
There’s a strong sense of identity here, sonically and visually, and it helps Harkon stand apart from countless other melodic
metal acts.
“Love And
Vore” is a debut that proves Harkon’s long
preparation was worth the wait. It’s melodic but never sugary, heavy without
drowning in distortion, and progressive without getting lost in technical
showmanship. The album’s flow and consistency make it an enjoyable listen for
fans of intelligent heavy metal with heart and punch. This is a band with
vision and skill, delivering an album that sits comfortably among the most
engaging modern heavy metal releases from Germany.
Crimson Crown is the creation of Russian musician Nick Kholodov, better known as Ovfrost from Malist.
His new project turns its gaze toward the raw and melodic sides of black metal,
channeling the fury and grandeur of the Scandinavian wave from the 90s and
early 2000s. Backed by drummer Vladimir Udarnov (Blastbeatology) and a few guest contributors, Ovfrost shapes “Vae Victis” into a vision of
ancient wars, lost faith, and human cruelty. The album arrives through a
collaboration between Satanath Records and More Hate Productions, with artwork by Milena Kress that visually matches its martial and
grim atmosphere.
“Vae
Victis” strikes directly from the old black metal heart, icy riffs, relentless drumming, and harsh,
echoing vocals dominate the landscape. The guitars have that frostbitten tone
reminiscent of the Norwegian classics, but they’re built around strong rhythmic
patterns that keep the listener anchored in the chaos. There’s a melodic thread
weaving through the violence, giving moments of dark grandeur without softening
the aggression. The production is clear enough to give space to the layers of
guitars and bass, while still preserving that raw edge essential to the genre’s
bite.
The songs
balance ferocity and melody with natural precision. “King” and “The Pyre Of Being”
strike early with galloping riffs and grim authority, while “Spirit Of Hate”
brings longer, more sinister progressions. The title track “Vae Victis”
embodies the album’s message of defeat and power intertwined, and “For the
Fallen” introduces haunting clean vocals that give a solemn contrast to the
constant warfare of sound. The later tracks, “Dealers In Malice” and “Burn The Chains
With Unholy Fire,” keep the intensity high, hammering through fast rhythms and
violent tremolo lines. By the time “The Long War” closes the album, the world Crimson Crown has built feels scorched, exhausted,
and victorious in its ruin.
Ovfrost’s solo
vision stands firm, melodic, violent, and unyielding. The album captures the
essence of traditional black metal but delivers it with a strong personal mark.
The songwriting remains consistent throughout, built on atmosphere and energy
rather than technical exhibition. “Vae Victis” sounds like a declaration of
strength and devotion to the cold spirit of black metal, executed with focus
and precision. “Vae
Victis” is a confident and vivid debut from Crimson
Crown, an album that rises from the ashes of old battles with grit,
melody, and an iron will. It doesn’t need grand gestures or experimentation to
make its statement; its power lies in its directness and unwavering devotion to
the craft.
