Internal Decay |Fires Of The Forgotten |Hammerheart Records

Release Date February 27^th, 2026
Format CD/LP
Genre Death/Doom Metal
Country Sweden

Spawned in Stockholm back in 1991, Internal Decay operated in the underground tape-trading days before dropping their debut "A Forgotten Dream" in 1993. Even though they tracked it at Sunlight Studios with Thomas Skogsberg, the band avoided the standard chainsaw distortion, choosing a more atmospheric and gloomy direction. They faded into silence after a single compilation track in 1994. The members split up to join acts like Therion and A Canorous Quintet. Over thirty years later, Mikael Vega and Kim Blomkvist resurrected the beast. Backed by new blood, they unleashed this new EP on the Hammerheart label.

"Fires Of The Forgotten" delivers three tracks of sorrow-drenched melodic death metal. The music crawls through the speakers, channeling the early days of Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride. Guitars weave melancholic melodies over steady, pounding drums. The atmosphere is grim and desolate. Vocals roar as a deep, agonizing growl, fitting the funereal doom pacing perfectly.

It is just straight-up old-school misery. The guitars drag you into the dirt. Internal Decay delivers some seriously bleak riffs. The drumming pounds heavily. Mikael Vega and Björn Sundling play sinister, weeping harmonies. The bass from Linus Nirbrant thumps constantly in the background. Hearing an old band return and play proper, gloomy death metal with zero nonsense is great.

These three songs deliver a heavy dose of melodic sadness. The return of Internal Decay adds a seriously dark chapter to their story. Fans of early Anathema and Sentenced will spin this EP constantly. The playtime goes by fast, leaving a massive desire for a full-length release soon.

Score: 7.5

Internal Decay:

https://internal-decay.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/internaldecayofficial

https://www.instagram.com/Internaldecayofficial

Funelore |The Dissolution Of Consciousness |Me Saco Un Ojo Records

Release Date March 27^th, 2026
Format 12" Vinyl EP
Genre Death/Doom Metal
Country Canada

Funelore hail from Canada, rising from the frozen earth to drop their debut EP, "The Dissolution Of Consciousness". Unleashed through Me Saco Un Ojo Records, this short burst of doomed death metal channels pure auditory agony. The duo of songs runs just under twenty minutes, serving up a morbid dose of darkness. These guys are diving straight into the abyss, combining crushing extremity with ghostly atmospherics.

The sound is a suffocating crawl through a desolate graveyard. Guitars drag along the floor like rusted iron chains, matched by drums that pound with a relentless, punishing strike. The vocals are absolutely monstrous, rising from the deepest pits to pair with eerie, phantom-like synthesizers. This blend creates a funereal atmosphere, wrapping everything in pitch-black shadows from the very first second. The music induces a hypnotic, morbid trance.

The production is coated in ash, keeping everything completely raw. Every instrument crushes down heavily on your chest, simulating the act of inhaling toxic smoke into collapsing lungs. The mix ensures the destructive force of the music stays front and center at all times. "Tides In Agony" and "Dissolution Of Consciousness" are massive, lumbering beasts that drag you straight into an ethereal nightmare.

At roughly eighteen minutes, this EP is a brief dive into total misery. The sonic hostility strips the soul bare, leaving a trail of absolute ruin. The sheer devastation packed into this short timeframe proves Funelore is a genuinely destructive entity. It is a terrifying, cinematic experience wrapped in rotting flesh. The execution is purely agonizing, a brutal offering for maniacs demanding rotting doom.

Score: 7.5

https://www.instagram.com/funelore.doom/

www.funelore.bandcamp.com

www.mesacounojo.com

www.mesacounojo.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/mesacounojo

Rotheads |Unfazed By Death |Memento Mori (Demo, 10th anniversary official release)

Release Date January 26^th, 2026
Format Digital/CD
Genre Death/Doom Metal
Country Romania

Rotheads kicked off their existence in Bucharest back in late 2014. Before they started churning out full albums, the duo of Bogdan and Dávid laid down these tracks in a jazz rehearsal room at the Bucharest Music University between 2015 and 2016. Now, marking a full decade of decay, Memento Mori and Temniță Recs have dug up "Unfazed By Death" for an official release on CD and cassette. This is a chance to hear the band in their rawest form, long before they polished their blades.

The production here is exactly what you expect from a ten-year-old death metal demo. It sounds rough, abrasive, and totally unconcerned with modern standards. The guitars have a thick, jagged distortion that dominates the mix, while the drums sound distinctively organic. It lacks the punch of a big studio effort, but that is part of the charm. It captures the honest, scraping sound of two guys making noise because they have to.

Musically, this is pure worship of the old gods. Rotheads leans heavily into the doom side of death metal here. The riffs are slow, heavy, and repetitive in a way that induces a trance. You can hear heavy influences from bands like Autopsy and Asphyx. The tempo rarely picks up speed, preferring to drag the listener through the mud. Dávid’s vocals are deep and guttural, sitting right in the center of the noise. It is simple, effective, and heavy.

Since this is a look back at their start, the songwriting is a bit primitive compared to their later work. The ideas are there, but the execution is still finding its footing. Some sections wander a bit, and the variety is limited. However, for a first attempt, it sets the groundwork for everything that came later. It is a grim snapshot of a band just starting to rot. "Unfazed By Death" is a cool collectible for the dedicated fans. It has grit, it has riffs, and it has a rotten attitude. If you like your death metal stripped down to the bone, this is worth a spin.

Score: 7.0

 

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/rotheads/

https://www.instagram.com/rotheads/

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

https://rotheads.bandcamp.com/album/unfazed-by-death

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0IaUxf3CmYzeYNLKjvR6n0

https://www.bandsintown.com/a/10624839-rotheads

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/rotheads/dBrL

https://www.memento-mori.es/

Marianas Rest |The Bereaved |Noble Demon

Release Date 16.01.2026
Format CD/LP/Digital
Genre Death/Doom Metal
Country Finland

Born in the gloom of the Finnish coastal town of Kotka, Marianas Rest has been churning out misery since 2013. These guys drag you into a cold, wet trench and leave you to contemplate every bad decision you’ve ever made. After finishing a trilogy focused on isolation and hitting us with the war-torn vibes of their last record, they’ve jumped over to Noble Demon for their fifth outing. This isn't a band that follows trends, they just sit in the rain and wait for the black clouds to burst.

If you want speed, go find some thrash kids. "The Bereaved" is a heavy-as-hell funeral march that hits like a lead pipe to the chest. This album is a massive, crushing celebration of death and the poor bastards left behind to clean up the mess. It’s got that signature Finnish DNA, depressing, beautiful, and loud. The production is thick, the atmosphere is suffocating, and the riffs have enough dirt on them to bury a city. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to drink cheap whiskey in a dark room while staring at a wall.

Jaakko Mäntymaa sounds like he’s coughing up his own soul with those screams, and the rhythm section provides a pulse that’s steady and punishing. But the real star is Nico Mänttäri on lead guitar. He isn’t some shredder trying to show off; he plays lines that actually hurt to listen to because they’re so drenched in misery. When you hear "Thank You For The Dance" or the absolute gut-punch of "Pity The Living," you aren't listening to a "performance", you’re listening to a breakdown.

The songwriting here is top-tier for anyone who worships at the altar of melodic doom. Songs like "Rat In The Wall" and "Divided" are relentless, suffocating you with massive chords before "The Colour Of You" closes the door on your fingers. It’s a miserable experience in the best possible way. There’s zero filler, no weak spots, and a total commitment to making the listener suffer alongside the band. If you have a heart, this record will probably break it.

Score: 8.3

https://www.facebook.com/marianasrestofficial

https://www.marianasrest.com/

https://www.instagram.com/marianasrestofficial/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdcCG_mNj82WjjExpiJEwVA

https://www.facebook.com/nobledemonrecords/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2X3FMgVqyn1XVdhLF-rmjg

https://www.instagram.com/nobledemonrecords/

https://nobledemon.bandcamp.com/

Citrinitas |Unending Descent |Caligari Records (Demo)

Release Date January 30^th, 2026
Format Cassette
Genre Death/Doom/Black Metal
Country Finland

Citrinitas emerges from the frozen landscape of Oulu, Finland, presenting their first public recording. This mysterious entity formed and captured these sounds in 2025, keeping their identities completely hidden from the public and their label. With a total runtime of around thirteen minutes, this debut demo is released through Caligari Records, aimed at listeners looking for a blend of death, doom, and black metal influences.

Citrinitas offers a very standard, by-the-numbers approach to extreme metal that sounds exactly like a hundred other demos sitting in the bargain bin. The production is raw, which usually works for this genre, but here it just renders everything flat. The guitars buzz and the drums clatter, creating a wall of sound that fails to leave any lasting bruise. The three tracks on offer blend together into one long, undistinguished jam session. The band tries to fuse the slowness of doom with the aggression of death metal, but they end up canceling each other out. Instead of crushing heaviness or manic speed, you get a mid-paced rumble that never really goes anywhere. The riffs are buried so deep in the mix that they lose all their teeth. You can hear what they are trying to do, but the execution lacks the venom required to make this style dangerous.

"Unending Descent" plays out, the noise happens, and then it stops. It creates an atmosphere of sorts, but it is one of boredom more than dread. The vocals are standard distortions that sit on top of the instruments without adding any rhythmic drive. It’s like the band is going through the motions of being "evil" and "dark" without actually channeling any real hatred or despair into the recording.

This demo serves as a placeholder for a band that hasn't figured out their identity yet. It is functional background noise for people who just want something heavy playing but don't expect to remember a single second of it once the tape clicks off. Citrinitas has managed to put three songs on a cassette, which is an accomplishment in itself, but they need to bring actual riffs to the table next time if they want anyone to care.

Score: 5.0

www.caligarirecords.com

www.caligarirecords.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/caligarirecords

Victim Of Reality |The Dump Of Human Hopes |Satanath Records/The End Of Time Records

Release Date: November 28^th, 2025
Format: Digital/CD
Genre: Doom/Death Metal
Country: Belarus

Victim Of Reality was formed in Grodno, Belarus in 2021, carving its path deep in atmospheric doom death metal. Drawing influence from early My Dying Bride, Swallow The Sun, Saturnus, Evoken and Funeral, the band first appeared with the mini album "Black Rain" and later the single "Her Pale Face Haunts Me". Their first full length, "The Dump Of Human Hopes", arrives through a co release of Satanath Records and The End Of Time Records, carrying a bleak emotional charge shaped by loss, anger and long term desolation.

"The Dump Of Human Hopes" sits knee deep in decay and does not bother cleaning the dirt off its boots. This album drags depression through the mud and lets it rot there, wrapped in slow crushing riffs and suffocating atmospheres. Doom metal dominates the core, death metal aggression claws at the surface, and blackened riffing poisons the edges. The songs stretch and crawl, pressing down hard, leaving bitterness clinging to every note.

The guitar work leans heavily on melancholic lines that twist and sink, never rushing, never showing mercy. Rhythm guitars grind patiently while leads bleed sorrow without falling into empty dramatics. Vocals stay harsh and hostile for most of the ride, torn and exhausted, with guest clean vocals adding extra misery without softening the impact. The production stays raw and oppressive, keeping everything thick and unpleasant, exactly where this style belongs.

Lyrically and emotionally, the album is soaked in hopelessness but as a constant presence. Every composition leaves behind a grey aftertaste, like walking through abandoned streets under a dead sky. Some passages stretch longer than needed, and not every moment cuts as deep as it aims to, which keeps the album from reaching its darkest potential. Still, the overall experience remains solid, grim and honest.

Victim Of Reality delivers an album that respects the old school doom death tradition and sinks fully into despair without apology. "The Dump Of Human Hopes" may not crush everything in its path, but it delivers enough filth, sorrow and aggression to satisfy listeners who want their metal slow, heavy and emotionally broken.

 Score: 7.5

Solus Rex |Scenes from Yonder Life |Obelisk Polaris Productions

Release Date: December 12th, 2025

Format: Digital

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Country: Sweden

Solus Rex is the solo vision of Peter Svensson, the guy behind projects like Void Moon, Assassin’s Blade, Anchorite, and even ex-Goatess. This Swedish one-man force has been grinding in the old-school death/doom trenches for years, and after dropping a limited digipack EP back in 2024, he comes back swinging with “Scenes from Yonder Life”. The lyrics pull from nearly 25 years of buried shit, personal fragments and raw emotion that hit like echoes from a distant life. It digs into the intimate, the dark corners most keep locked away, and delivered with that heavy, honest weight only someone who's lived it can muster.

This EP strikes hard with those classic crushing riffs and slow, grinding tempos that define the best of early Paradise Lost, early My Dying Bride, Winter, and Mourning Beloveth. Peter handles everything, vocals, guitars, bass, drums, and it shows in the tight, focused delivery. The songs plod forward with purpose, layering thick distortion and mournful melodies that stick in your gut. Tracks like “Isn’t This What You Wanted?” and “Revelation Of The Unspeakable” drag you through the mud with real emotional punch, no filler, just solid doom/death that knows its roots and owns them.

It’s got that raw, unpolished edge that makes old-school stuff feel alive, dirty production that lets the heaviness breathe without getting buried in modern gloss. The whole thing clocks in concise, no wasted moments, and leaves you feeling the melancholy long after it ends. Solid riffs, growled introspection, and a vibe that’s pure shadowed despair. This is a damn strong EP for fans of that classic Swedish/Gothic doom/death sound, dark, reflective, and heavy as hell. It doesn’t fuck around with trends, just delivers the goods straight to the chest. Worth digging into if you’re craving something that hits deep and stays there.

Score: 7.5

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/SolusRexSweden/

https://www.obelisk-polaris.com

Tempestuous Fall |The Descent Of Mortals Past |I, Voidhanger Records

Release Date: November 14^th,  2025
Format: CD/Digital
Genre: Death/Doom Metal
Country: Australia

Tempestuous Fall is a project guided by Dis Pater, known for shaping a large part of the Australian extreme metal underground. The name first appeared in 2012, then quietly faded as its creator focused elsewhere. After more than a decade of silence, the project returns with a full vision restored, informed by years of writing, arranging, and refining ideas across different musical paths. This comeback is calm, deliberate, and rooted in experience rather than nostalgia.

“The Descent Of Mortals Past” unfolds as a slow, ceremonial journey through death doom built on melody, atmosphere, and narrative flow. The music favors wide harmonic movement and mournful pacing, drawing from classic traditions without sounding frozen in time. The arrangements are rich and layered, creating a sense of scale that stays consistent across the album. Everything here points toward immersion, allowing the listener to sink into the world the album builds.

Vocals play a central role in shaping the emotional weight of the album. Deep growls and clean singing alternate naturally, each serving the storytelling rather than competing for attention. The clean passages are especially striking, expressive and solemn, adding a tragic, almost liturgical tone. The riffs remain simple in structure, focused on melody and atmosphere, giving the songs space to unfold without distraction.

Lyrically, the album follows a descent into the afterlife through figures of Graeco Roman mythology. These stories are presented with restraint and elegance, treating myth as reflection rather than spectacle. “The Descent Of Mortals Past” stands as a thoughtful, mature work that values cohesion, emotion, and atmosphere above excess. It leaves a lasting impression through its steady pacing and carefully shaped vision.

Score: 8.0

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-descent-of-mortals-past

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076153599595