Abysmal Descent | Dismal Thoughts | Nuclear Winter Records

Release Date: October 31, 2025

Format: CD, LP, Digital

Genre: Death Metal

Country: Belgium

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.

Score: 7.0

Abysmal Descent

https://www.instagram.com/abysmaldescent/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557997834152

Nuclear Winter Records

https://nuclearwinterrecords.bandcamp.com/

https://nuclearwinterrecords.com/

https://www.facebook.com/martyrdoomproductions/

https://www.instagram.com/nuclearwinterrecords/

Cruentus | End Without End | Kvlt Und Kaos Productions

Release Date: October 3, 2025

Format: Digital, CD, LP, Cassette

Genre: Death/Black/Thrash Metal

Country: Sweden

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.

Score: 7.5

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/cruentus_swe/

https://www.facebook.com/Cruentus-SWE-101581451696691

Dolmen Gate | Echoes Of Ancient Tales | No Remorse Records

Release Date: October 3, 2025

Formats: CD/LP

Genre: Epic/Heavy Metal

Country: Portugal

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.

Score: 7.5

https://www.noremorse.gr

https://www.facebook.com/NoRemorseRecordsGreece

https://www.instagram.com/noremorserecords

https://www.facebook.com/DolmenGate

https://www.instagram.com/dolmengate

https://dolmengate.bandcamp.com

Scheusal | Fressfeind | Purity Through Fire

Release Date: October 31, 2025

Format: CD

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Germany

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.

Score: 6.5

https://scheusal.bandcamp.com/

Vintersorg | Vattenkrafternas Spel | Hammerheart Records

Release Date: 26 September 2025

Format: CD/LP/Digital

Genre: Atmospheric Black/Folk Metal

Country: Sweden

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.

Score: 8.5

https://www.facebook.com/vintersorganic

https://www.instagram.com/vintersorgofficial/#

Abraham | idsungwüssä | Pelagic Records

Release Date: 26 September 2025

Format: Digital / Vinyl / CD

Genre: Post Metal, Sludge, Experimental

Country: Switzerland

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.

Score: 7.0

https://www.facebook.com/abrahamtheband

https://www.instagram.com/abrahamband/#

Umulamahri | Learning The Secrets Of Acid | Ordovician Records

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.

Score: 7.0

ordovicianrecords.bandcamp.com

https://umulamahrideath.com/

https://www.instagram.com/umulamahrideath

https://www.youtube.com/@UmulamahriDeath

Today Is The Day | Never Give In | SuperNova Records

Release Date: October 3, 2025

Format: LP/CD/Digital

Genre: Avant Metal, Psychedelic Metal, Noise Rock

Country: USA

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.

Score: 6.5

https://www.todayistheday.us

https://www.todayistheday.bigcartel.com

https://todayistheday.bandcamp.com

https://www.instagram.com/titdofficial

https://x.com/todayistheday66

https://www.facebook.com/todayisthedayofficial

https://www.supernovarecordsusa.com

https://supernovarecordsusa.bandcamp.com

https://x.com/supernovarecusa

https://www.facebook.com/supernovarecordsusa

https://www.instagram.com/supernovarecordsusa

Harkon | Love And Vore | Doc Gator Records

Release Date: October 31st, 2025

Format: LP/CD

Genre: Progressive Metal/Hard Rock

Country: Germany

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.

Score: 7.5

https://harkon.bandcamp.com/album/love-and-vore

https://www.facebook.com/harkonmusic

https://www.instagram.com/harkonmusic/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFMI0a88N0PGuRzqCeZnzaw

https://www.facebook.com/docgatorrecords/

https://docgatorrecords.bandcamp.com/

Crimson Crown | Vae Victis | Satanath Records

Release Date: May 9, 2025

Format: CD

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Russian Federation

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.

Score: 7.8

http://crimsoncrown.bandcamp.com

http://www.facebook.com/crimsoncrownband

http://www.instagram.com/crimsoncrownband

https://vk.com/crimsoncrownband

Bretwaldas Of Heathen Doom | Seven Bloodied Ramparts | Caligari Records (Reissue)

 

Release Date: 14 November 2025

Format: Vinyl LP

Genre: Pagan/Doom/Heavy Metal

Country: United Kingdom

Formed back in 2001 by the duo Dagfari Wartooth and Sceot Acwealde, Bretwaldas Of Heathen Doom is one of those British underground curiosities that refuse to fade into obscurity. They emerged from the shadows of the West Midlands with a sound drenched in ancient folklore, battle smoke, and ale-soaked pagan spirit. Their music stands somewhere between the primal heaviness of Amebix and the cosmic grit of Hawkwind, merging raw doom metal with rough-edged storytelling. “Seven Bloodied Ramparts,” first released in 2010 and now finally pressed on vinyl by Caligari Records, remains their most defining work, a strange and stubborn monument to rustic heaviness and weird English heritage.

This album doesn’t rush to impress. It trudges, stumbles, and sways like an armored drunk at dawn, its riffs thick with earth and age. The production is dry and honest, no gloss, no trickery, just guitars that rumble like stone wheels and drums that sound as if recorded in a damp barn. Vocals come in rough chants and half-growled verses, and that’s where the charm lies. There’s a sense of old soil under the fingernails, a spirit of forgotten fields and rain-worn ruins.

“Seven Bloodied Ramparts” walks the line between heavy metal’s heroic roots and a kind of eccentric English doom. The songs move with a stubborn rhythm, sometimes with slow, stomping menace, other times in a rough gallop that nods toward the old days of Bathory and Pentagram. The lyrics speak of war, death, and defiance, but always from the perspective of survivors who drink and laugh in the aftermath, not conquerors basking in glory.

It’s easy to see why this release gained cult status. It’s simple and strange in equal measure, too stubborn to die and too personal to imitate. The new mastering brings a bit more depth without taming the rough spirit that defines it. Listening to it today, it still sounds out of step with everything else, a dusty, unshaven artifact from a corner of British metal that refuses to clean itself up. Not for everyone but for those drawn to the ancient, muddy, and oddly poetic corners of heavy metal, “Seven Bloodied Ramparts” is a curious and stubbornly alive piece of history.

Score: 6.0

www.facebook.com/bretwaldasofheathendoom

www.caligarirecords.com

caligarirecords.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/caligarirecords

Ültra Raptör | Fossilized | Fighter Records

 

Release Date: October 7th, 2025

Format: CD/LP/Cassette/Digital

Genre: Heavy/Speed Metal

Country: Canada

Formed in Québec City in 2015 by guitarists Criss Raptör and Steve Force, along with drummer Rick Wild, Ültra Raptör was born from beer, metal, and dinosaurs. Their early spark came from an offhand comment about Cadillacs and dinosaurs, a phrase that somehow captured their mix of wild fantasy, retro fury, and full-throttle precision. After their 2018 self-titled EP and 2021 debut “Tyrants,” the band became one of Canada’s liveliest names in speed metal. Now, Criss Raptör leads a refreshed lineup into their second album, “Fossilized,” a release that doubles down on everything that made their debut such a lightning strike.

“Fossilized” opens with a roaring title track that wastes no time with its pure speed metal electricity. The riffs slice through the air with the sort of galloping energy that turns a small room into a festival pit. Phil T. Lung’s high-pitched vocals soar with an old-school grandeur that calls back to the golden age of heavy metal without sounding like a tribute act. Tracks such as “Spinosaurus” and “Hard ’N Fast” throw hooks around like they’re being fired from a machine gun, while the rhythm section keeps things tight and driving, giving each song its own punch of power.

Ültra Raptör manages to capture that wild, youthful excitement that made so many of us fall in love with heavy metal in the first place. “Pterö-Ranger” and “Living For The Riff” are prime examples of their style, fast, melodic, and played with a contagious sense of joy. Even the shorter instrumental moment “Le Voyageur d’Oort” works as a brief cosmic breather before the album’s final sprint. The closing “Face The Challenge” ties the album together with a grand, triumphant chorus that sounds tailor-made for fists in the air and sweat-drenched live shows.

The production, handled by David Lizotte, finds the right point between raw energy and precision. Every guitar squeal, drum strike, and vocal shriek lands with force while keeping the band’s natural bite intact. The artwork by Mario E. Lopez M fits the album’s prehistoric madness perfectly, vivid, wild, and larger than life. Ültra Raptör hasn’t just made another fast metal album, they’ve built a time machine fueled by riffs and adrenaline. “Fossilized” is a shot of heavy/speed metal purity, executed with heart and energy from start to finish.

Score: 8.0

https://www.facebook.com/UltraRaptor

http://www.fighter-records.com/

Blizaro | Light And Desolation | Nameless Grave Records

 

Release Date: September 26^th, 2025

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl

Genre: Traditional Metal, Doom Metal

Country: United States

From the frozen outskirts of Rochester, New York, Blizaro has been circling the underground for over two decades, dragging doom metal through a kaleidoscope of horror film tension and ‘70s prog mysticism. The band is the vision of John Gallo, a man equally at home crafting molten riffs for Orodruin or conjuring occult melodies on vintage synths. Through earlier releases like “City Of The Living Nightmare” and “Cornucopia Della Morte,” Blizaro earned a cult reputation for mixing doom’s heaviness with cinematic strangeness, creating something that felt like a Hammer Horror flick brought to life through amplifiers.

“Light And Desolation,” the band’s third album, continues this eerie alchemy. Gallo and his collaborators walk the narrow line between the metal of old, rooted in the spirits of Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and Pagan Altar, and the soundtracks of Goblin or Tangerine Dream. The songs roll forward with a ghostly sense of drama, guided by the glimmer of analog synths and riffs that rumble more than roar. There’s a strange beauty in how it all unfolds, as if you’re listening to heavy metal played in a cathedral lost in fog.

The production captures that sense of haunted grandeur, blending guitars, bass, and keys in a way that feels organic and handmade. Gallo’s touch is everywhere, his guitar tone thick and vintage, his organ and synthesizer layers giving the music a slightly surreal atmosphere. The vocals, too, have that early 80s charm: more narrative than aggressive, almost as if they’re narrating a cosmic fable.

The album thrives on contrasts. One track might wander through slow, doom-laden riffs and melodic gloom, while another brings flashes of classic heavy metal urgency. There’s melody and drama. The closing stretch of the album has a strange calmness, as though the storm has moved on but the sky still glows red. It’s the kind of release made for listeners who enjoy the arcane corners of metal history, where riffs and keyboards are equal partners in storytelling. “Light And Desolation” is about atmosphere and vision, a continuation of Blizaro’s mission to make doom sound cinematic and weird. It’s a work that will draw in those who like their metal with mystique, somewhere between the crypt and the cosmos.

Score: 6.5

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