heavy-metal-darkness: The Leaving |The Leaving |Personal Records

Saturday, February 28, 2026

The Leaving |The Leaving |Personal Records

Release Date 06.03.2026
Format CD
Genre Blackened/Doom Metal
Country International

The Leaving exist as a massive international collaboration of veteran metalheads. You get Dany Tee from Los Males Del Mundo screaming his lungs out. Kevin Storm brings his guitar and bass experience from Heretoir, having also shredded live with Shining and Vulture Industries. Joining the string section is Ferry Hofman, a guy tearing up the Dutch scene with Endymaeria. Down in the engine room sits Ed Warby, the legendary drummer famous for crushing the kit in Gorefest and Hail Of Bullets. These guys got together to unleash their self-titled debut.

"The Leaving" dives straight into the psychological torment of a totally shattered relationship. The music bases itself heavily in crushing doom structures while ripping through everything with pure black metal aggression. Dany Tee unleashes sheer agony and desperation through his harsh, throat-shredding shrieks. The twin guitar assault delivered by Kevin Storm and Ferry Hofman produces massive, sorrowful riffs and haunting leads. Ed Warby drives the devastation forward with gigantic grooves and extreme drum patterns.

Songs like "I" and "II" construct huge walls of sound designed to crush the listener. The atmosphere remains completely oppressive across the entire runtime. The guitars weave constantly out of dissonant chords into haunting melodies. Warby dictates the pacing, moving from slow, dragging doom sections into sudden bursts of black metal speed. The production stays raw, perfectly matching the total torment described in the lyrics. Everything sounds desperate, angry, and completely devastated.

This release represents a very good debut with just a few minor flaws, justifying its final rating. The short runtime goes by incredibly fast, leaving the listener demanding more music from this lineup. Some transitions between the slow doom segments and the faster black metal attacks are a bit abrupt. Certain sections loop the same riff ideas a few times too many. Tracks like "V" and "VI" unleash total devastation, keeping the agonizing atmosphere alive regardless of the sudden shifts.

"The Leaving" demands your attention with its raw depiction of pure mental anguish. The guys successfully merge two extreme styles into a totally chaotic assault. Extreme metal maniacs will appreciate the unholy alliance of these seasoned veterans. The final song, "VII", closes the release on an absolutely depressing note. They just need to iron out a few songwriting kinks for the next release to reach total perfection.

Score: 7.5