Bethesda | Bethesda |Roxx Records

Release Date January 30^th, 2026
Format Vinyl/CD
Genre Christian Metal, Heavy Metal
Country Sweden

Bethesda brings together some serious Swedish heavy hitters. Conceived back in 2014, the project finally laid down tracks in 2022. You get Germán Pascual from Narnia and Essence Of Sorrow handling the vocals, teaming up with a massive Veni Domine reunion section. Torbjörn Weinesjö shreds on guitar, his brother Thomas Weinesjö smashes the drums, and Gabriel Ingemarson locks down the bass. These guys have deep roots in the Christian metal scene, and they finally forged a complete album together under the name Bethesda.

When you spin "Bethesda", you get a massive dose of classic metal thunder. They blend the doom-laden riffs of Black Sabbath with the hard rock swagger of Led Zeppelin. Add the epic scale of Veni Domine and the melodic power of Narnia, and you have their core sound. The music is heavy, straightforward, and driven by massive guitar work. Germán brings an absolute powerhouse vocal delivery that cuts right through the distortion. The rhythm section keeps things locked in, generating heavy grooves that demand immediate headbanging.

The songs on "Bethesda" deliver crushing riffs and soaring choruses. Tunes like "Power" and "This Is The End" strike forcefully with aggressive tempos and blazing solos. Then you get massive epics like "I Will Return" that slow things down, dragging you through heavy doom passages. The production is loud and raw, giving the drums a massive punch. Every instrument blasts through the speakers distinctly. You can hear the bass rattling the floorboards alongside the crunching guitars.

The album absolutely rules, even if a few minor flaws pop up. Sometimes the mid-tempo tracks blend together, making the middle section of the tracklist drag a tiny bit. The bonus tracks on the CD version, especially "As The Time Goes By", add some excellent extra minutes to the playtime. It is a very cool debut from a band of veterans who clearly know how to play real heavy metal. Grab the blood red vinyl, turn up the volume, and let these Swedish metalheads ruin your hearing in the best way possible.

Score: 7.5