Evig Natt |Vaketimen |Wormholedeath Records

Release Date February 20^th, 2026
Format CD/Digital
Genre Gothic/Doom Metal
Country Norway

Evig Natt originated as a studio project in the freezing ruins of Karmøy, Norway, in 2003. Founded by vocalist Kirsten Jørgensen and bassist Stein Sund, the group mutated into a massive beast rooted in orchestral gothic doom metal. Dragging along the DNA of the local extreme scene with ex-members of Einherjer and Enslaved, these maniacs unleashed their debut album "I Am Silence" in 2007. They swelled their ranks, throwing deeper growls and twin guitars into the fire for "Darkland" in 2010. Following a sick self-titled assault in 2016, the horde raided venues across Belgium and Japan. Now, chained to Wormholedeath Records, they return to drag us straight to hell with "Vaketimen".

"Vaketimen" unleashes a grim storm of aggression and pure sorrow. The music crashes down, smashing massive symphonic arrangements into harsh extreme metal. Stein Sund rips his vocal cords apart with punishing death growls right alongside Kirsten Jørgensen’s soaring, operatic melodies. Arne Marton Tangjerd and Ruben Osnes unleash a crushing dual-guitar assault. The riffing drags the listener across frozen, barren soundscapes. Session drummer Tom Andre Enge pounds the kit relentlessly, anchoring the entire assault.

The extreme collision between the symphonic orchestration and the harsh metal foundation works damn well most of the time. Evig Natt builds massive walls of sound and immediately tears them down with aggressive blast beats. The guitar work provides a constant barrage of skull-crushing chords. Occasionally, the transitions between the aggressive extreme metal sections and the sweeping gothic melodies become jarring. The pacing dips a fraction during the longer stretches, dragging the momentum down just a tiny bit.

Evig Natt understands their sinister craft inside and out after two decades in the trenches. "Vaketimen" delivers a massive dose of despair and fury straight to the skull. The orchestration amplifies the sorrow, creating a freezing and desolate atmosphere. Fans of extreme symphonic metal will violently break their necks to this release. The album takes a proud spot among modern extreme metal offerings.

Score: 7.8

Evig Natt:

Bandcamp: evignatt.bandcamp.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/evignattofficial

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Redwood |Time To Lose |Self-release

Release Date January 30^th, 2026
Format Digital
Genre Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock, Desert Rock, Doom Metal
Country USA

Redwood is the brainchild of Sheafer McComber, a Northern California native who has been churning out heavy psych and stoner riffs with a relentless work ethic. Following the momentum of the 2025 release "Cloud Colony", Redwood didn't waste any time getting back into the studio to cook up more cosmic noise. This project has always been about that intersection where the desert sun meets the deep reaches of space, blending a massive low-end with enough fuzz to coat a mountain.

Look, if you want something to vibrate the loose screws in your skull, "Time To Lose" delivers exactly that. It's a trip through the Northern California redwoods and straight out of the atmosphere. The riffs are thick and hairy, sitting right in that sweet spot between a slow-motion avalanche and a fever dream. The production isn't some over-sanitized plastic garbage; it sounds like a real amp being pushed to the edge of a total meltdown, which is how this music should be played.

There are some legit surprises on this one that’ll catch you off guard. "Highway Is My Way" is a total bruiser, switching up the vocal delivery to something much meaner than what we usually hear from Redwood. It’s got a jagged, aggressive edge that provides a nice kick to the ribs. On the other side of the coin, "Titan" leans hard into the synth pedals. It creates this floating, hallucinatory vibe that makes you feel like you're drifting through a nebula before the final hammer drops.

The massive finale "Blue Mass" is where everything culminates into a massive, 11-minute journey. It’s a huge, expansive track that demands your attention, pulling together all the fuzzy textures and cosmic energy McComber has been building. This album shows a lot of growth without losing the heavy-as-lead foundation. It’s a strong addition to the collection for anyone who lives for the riff.

Score: 7.5

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Desert Storm |Buried Under The Weight Of Reason |Heavy Psych Sounds

Release Date March 6^th, 2026
Format CD/LP/Digital
Genre Sludge/Doom/Stoner Metal
Country United Kingdom

Desert Storm originate from Oxford, England, tearing up the underground since 2007. Over nineteen years, these guys forged an absolute monster of a sound blending stoner metal, sludge, and doom. Now, they return under the Heavy Psych Sounds banner, dropping "Buried Under The Weight Of Reason". Recorded at Woodworm Studios and mixed by Joe Clayton at Nø Studio, this new assault follows up their 2023 release "Death Rattle". Matthew Ryan, Ryan Cole, Elliot Cole, and Andrew Keyzor construct an aggressive sonic foundation here.

Listening to "Buried Under The Weight Of Reason" gives you a seriously punishing experience. The boys unleash primal sounds mixed with trippy lull, space, and vulnerability. The noise crashes through the speakers, throwing the chaos of the human condition right in your face. Maniacs blasting Crowbar, Mastodon, or Neurosis will definitely connect with these nine tracks. The guitars drag you through the mud, switching between crushing doom sections and spaced-out, atmospheric passages.

The fretwork from Ryan Cole chugs mercilessly, bringing massive low-end thunder alongside Andrew Keyzor on bass. Elliot Cole basically destroys the drum kit, dictating a relentless pace during the faster segments and pulling back into doom-laden grooves when required. Matthew Ryan screams and growls over the chaos, adding total aggression to the mix. Sometimes the shift between the quiet, melodic parts and the extreme metal onslaught drops the energy slightly, slowing down the overall momentum.

Desert Storm deliver a completely heavy album for anyone craving sludgy destruction. The tracks provide massive volume and aggressive riffing. Some moments drift into quieter spaces, stripping away the distortion before diving right back into the madness. "Buried Under The Weight Of Reason" brings the goods for metalheads wanting total sonic annihilation.  

Score: 8.3

https://www.desertstormband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/desertstormuk

https://desertstorm.bandcamp.com/album/death-rattle

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Wazzara |Arbor |Self-release

Release Date February 13^th, 2026
Format Full-length
Genre Atmospheric Black/Doom Metal, Blackgaze
Country Switzerland

Wazzara started burning their path in 2015 as the solo project of Swiss singer and composer Barbara Brawand. After dropping the "Zessa" EP in 2019, the lineup expanded. George Necola brought his low-end rumbling and production skills to the fold in 2020. They gathered a full live crew and spent the next few years spreading their chaotic, hypnotic noise across stages. Now we get "Arbor", their fourth release and an absolute collision of atmospheric black metal, crushing doom, and massive blackgaze walls of sound. This release summons ancient forces, bringing out untamed aggression masked in sheer beauty.

The musicianship on "Arbor" rips through the speakers with serious hostility, fusing absolute darkness with strange, ethereal beauty. We get heavy, dragging doom riffs crashing into vast, echoing tremolo picking. Andrei Jumuga sits behind the kit to provide a massive rhythmic foundation, blasting through the fast sections and slowing down to a monstrous, agonizing crawl when required. The guitar work from Tom Kuzmic and Masi Stettler shreds out huge, melancholic melodies that drift above the crushing rhythm section. The production job gives the harsh elements plenty of teeth to rip your face off, ensuring the massive soundscapes echo straight into the void.

Barbara’s vocal delivery dictates the entire massacre, echoing like ancient spirits rising from the dirt. She switches between haunting, spectral singing and absolutely vicious shrieks, anchoring the extreme shifts happening in the music. Tracks like "9 Confines" and "Nova" display this dynamic assault, hitting you with pure aggression before pulling back into huge, sorrowful valleys of sound. The band even dragged an older song, "Zessa (Reborn)", into the studio to give it a massive overhaul, completely thrashing the 2019 version and bringing it up to their current, devastating standard.

This album delivers a serious, heavy beating layered with beautiful, agonizing melancholy. The score reflects the killer riffs and crushing atmospheres all over the place, even if a couple of the transitions between the black metal blasting and the slow doom sections drag on a fraction too long. It is a massive, bone-crushing release that truly holds up under maximum volume. Wazzara forged an alloy of sheer, untamed aggression and soaring melodies for extreme metal maniacs who want their eardrums annihilated.

Score: 7.8

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Midyrasi’s Kult |Italian Dark Sound |Dying Victims Productions

Release Date March 27^th, 2026
Format CD/LP
Genre Doom Metal, NWOBHM
Country Italy

Midyrasi's Kult formed as an underground alliance of veterans from Italian doom outfits like DoomSword, Midryasi, Agarthi, and Fiurach. They dropped their first demo, "Mountain Devil", through Caligari Records in March 2025, catching the attention of tape traders everywhere. Now, Dying Victims Productions is backing their first full-length assault, "Italian Dark Sound". These guys mix traditional heavy metal, old-school doom metal, and early black metal, channeling the bizarre occult aura of their homeland's cult names like Black Hole and Death SS. Geilt handles the vocals and bass, bringing up to eleven different musicians into the fold to complete the sessions.

The music on "Italian Dark Sound" delivers a chaotic, hypnotic trip into a total underground nightmare. Geilt's low-end thunder meets Avenir's traditional metal guitar attacks, creating riffs loaded with old-school evil. Wrathlord punishes the drums with steady, doom-laden pounding. They throw away modern studio tricks entirely. Gabry Strada produced the album at RDF Studio, delivering an earthy, kaleidoscopic audio assault. The guitars cut through the speakers with a raw edge. The vocals sound totally possessed. Listeners looking for that specific Pentagram and Celtic Frost crossover will find it right here.

The band unleashes high energy for the majority of the album. Sometimes the strange atmospheric sections drag down the momentum. Certain riffs loop longer than necessary before the next transition happens. The chaotic mix of old Bathory malice and classic Mercyful Fate twin-guitar ideas works well most of the time. Occasionally, the transitions between the doom passages and the faster heavy metal attacks become clunky. The ideas are definitely sick, even when the execution stumbles for a minute. This creates a highly entertaining listening session.

Midyrasi's Kult made a weird, evil album for fans that worship old cassette tapes and patched denim jackets. "Italian Dark Sound" delivers an authentic dose of obscure heavy metal madness. The raw production and sinister songwriting provide massive headbanging moments for anyone devoted to the old underground ways. This release guarantees a good time for maniacs of dark, old-school terror.

Score: 7.5

https://midryasiskult.bandcamp.com/track/mountain-devil-4

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

https://www.instagram.com/midryasiskult

Midnight Odyssey/Swords Of Dis/ÔRos Kaù/Serpent Ascending |From The Waters Of Death |I, Voidhanger Records

Release Date February 13^th, 2026
Format 2LP/Digital
Genre Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal
Country Australia, United Kingdom, France, Finland

Four underground forces spent over two years hammering together "From The Waters Of Death - A Retelling Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh". This giant conceptual split tackles the oldest written story on earth. It tracks the tyrannical king of Uruk clashing with the wild beast-man Enkidu. The two beat each other senseless, become brothers in arms, and tear through mythical beasts until Enkidu dies. That loss sends a terrified Gilgamesh hunting for eternal life, ultimately discovering immortality strictly resides within the wisdom left behind for future generations. Translating a Mesopotamian myth into extreme metal requires serious ambition and a ridiculous amount of riffs.

Midnight Odyssey, Swords Of Dis, ÔRos Kaù, and Serpent Ascending share the burden of this massive sonic undertaking. The English doomsters in Swords Of Dis basically direct the entire assault, with vocalist Alice Corvinus spreading her unholy screams across the runtime to bind the different visions together. Jarno Nurmi delivers total death metal destruction through Serpent Ascending, while Guillaume Cazalet injects his twisted black and death metal madness via Ôros Kaù. Dis Pater caps it all off with his signature cosmic black metal approach in Midnight Odyssey. The transition between these distinct styles happens constantly, crashing huge doom passages straight into blistering blast beats.

Clocking in at over an hour and twenty minutes across just five tracks, "From The Waters Of Death" demands absolute attention. Blending black, death, and doom metal, the music gets incredibly punishing and dark. Because four separate entities handle different chapters of the story, the flow occasionally stumbles when switching gears between extreme speed and agonizingly slow doom sections. A few riffs drag longer than necessary during the twenty-minute compositions. Even with those minor pacing bumps, the sheer aggressive output keeps the listener hooked. The vocals sound totally rabid, matching the vicious guitars step for step.

To match the musical insanity, David Glomba handled the cover art and packed the booklet with cuneiform script and giant paintings. It is a visually stunning addition that demands a physical purchase. Extreme metal and ancient poetry combine into an absolute behemoth of an album here. The artists successfully carved the tragic story of a broken, grieving demigod into an unrelenting assault on the ears.

Score: 8.0 (SA 7.5 |OK 7.5 |SOD 9.0 |MO 8.5)

https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-waters-of-death

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New Dawn Fades |Lores |Self-release

Release Date March 25^th, 2026
Format Vinyl/Digital
Genre Stoner/Doom Metal
Country United States

New Dawn Fades hails from Philadelphia, bringing a thick blend of doom, grunge, and heavy psych to the table. The lineup features veterans of the scene including vocalist and guitarist GFA (Ritual Earth), guitarist Corey Pettingill (Blackhand), bassist Algar (Green Meteor), and drummer Steve Roche (Saetia). Drawing on the aggressive sounds of bands like Soundgarden, Down, and High On Fire, they mix crushing volume with melodic hooks.

"Lores" is a dirty, loud, and aggressive album that sounds exactly like a dark basement in Philadelphia should sound. The guitars are tuned low and the distortion is thick enough to chew on. The production captures the raw energy of the band without making it sound like a demo tape. The riffs are big and simple, driving the songs forward with a primitive stomp that gets the head nodding immediately.

The songs on this album rely heavily on the interplay between GFA and Corey Pettingill. They trade riffs that sound like chainsaws cutting through metal. Tracks like "Villains Come To Light" and "True Till Death" show that these guys understand how to write a hook without sacrificing heaviness. The vocals are gritty and emotional, fitting the music perfectly. The rhythm section is locked in, with Algar’s bass providing a low-end rumble that shakes the floorboards. Steve Roche’s drumming is particularly interesting, adding a frantic, nervous energy that keeps the slower doom parts from dragging.

There is a straightforward honesty to "Lores" that is refreshing. New Dawn Fades isn't trying to trick you with complex time signatures or overproduced nonsense. They plug in, turn up the volume, and play until their fingers bleed. "Souls" and "Dead Vultures" keep the momentum going with sludge-filled grooves that feel heavy and dangerous. It is rock and roll stripped down to its ugly, beautiful essentials.

This album is a strong release for anyone who likes their music slow, low, and loud. It has a few repetitive moments, but the sheer power of the riffs makes up for it. It is a good, solid listen that delivers the goods without asking for permission. If you are into the heavy side of grunge or the catchier side of doom, "Lores" is worth your time.

Score: 7.0

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Hibernaut/Face Pulp |Split LP |What’s Left Records

Release Date March 6^th, 2026
Format Vinyl/CD/Cassette/Digital
Genre Sludge/Stoner/Doom Metal, Death Metal
Country USA

Hibernaut is a heavy hybrid of doom, stoner, and sludge metal hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah. The band formed in 2021 when guitarist/vocalist Dave Jones (Subrosa, Dwellers, Oxcross) and drummer Zach Hatsis (Subrosa, Dwellers) reconnected creatively after years of collaboration. Joined by bassist Josh Dupree and lead guitarist Matt Miller (Thunderfist, Oldtimer), Hibernaut found their stride channeling decades of collective experience into a powerful, riff-laden sound. Their 2023 debut album "Ingress" was recorded with producer Andy Patterson and landed at #15 on The Doom Charts. Their second full-length album, "Obsidian Eye", released on July 11, 2025, marked a significant leap for the band, earning #7 on that month’s Doom Charts.

Face Pulp started officially in October of 2021 in Flagstaff, Arizona. The band features Steve on vocals, MT on guitar, Landyn on bass, and Randy on drums. Face Pulp mixes genres of hardcore punk, grindcore, thrash, and hints of OSDM. In 2023 they released their full length "Eye Grabbing Detail" and were pivotal in booking the "Burning Pines" festival. Throughout 2025 they played consistently all over the region, ran a southwest tour, and opened for acts like Gatecreeper, Soulfly, and Go Ahead And Die. With big tour plans for 2026 in the midwest and Europe, they joined forces with Hibernaut for this split LP.

This split LP plays out like a bar fight between a giant and a meth-head. It brings together two bands that have no business sharing a stage, yet somehow, the carnage makes sense. On side A, Hibernaut drags the listener into the mud. These guys have been around the block in bands like Subrosa, and you can hear that experience in the distortion. They do not rush anything. The riffs roll out slow and thick, burying the room in a wall of fuzz. It is heavy, smoked-out doom that rumbles the floorboards. They keep the tempo down and the volume up, creating a massive, suffocating noise that demands volume.

Then you flip the album, and Face Pulp kicks the door in. The Arizona crew drops the doom vibes entirely for a spazzed-out assault of grind and hardcore. The drums sound like they are falling down stairs, and the vocals are pure screeching hostility. It is chaotic and abrasive. Where the first half of the split tries to crush you with weight, Face Pulp tries to stab you with speed. The contrast is jarring, snapping you out of the stoner trance and forcing you into the pit.

The production on this release is appropriately filthy. Neither band sounds over-produced or sterile. The drums sound like drums, and the guitars sound like chainsaws. What's Left Records put this out on vinyl, and the analog format suits the griminess of the music. It is raw, loud, and honest. This is not high art; it is a noise complaint waiting to happen.

This split is a solid addition to the shelf for anyone who collects underground heavy music. It captures two distinct scenes in the American West and mashes them together without apology. It is not going to change the world, but it will definitely annoy the neighbors. It is a good, heavy listen that delivers on its promises without any pretentious nonsense.

Score: 7.5/7.0

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Mirror Of Deception |Transience |Estuarial Records

Release Date March 27^th, 2026
Format CD, LP, MC
Genre Doom Metal
Country Germany

Mirror Of Deception formed in south-west Germany back in 1990. The band has spent decades refining a specific sound, resulting in a catalog that reflects their long journey. "Transience" serves as their sixth full-length album, arriving over seven years after their previous output, "The Estuary." The current lineup features Michael Siffermann on vocals and guitar, Jochen Fopp on guitar, Pascal Schrade on bass and vocals, and Uwe Kurz on drums. Consistent with their last album, they worked with Michelle Darkness for the mix, and this release comes out directly through their own label, Estuarial Records.

It has been a long seven years since we last heard from these German veterans, but Mirror Of Deception is finally back. The concept here is heavy, dealing with the idea that everything has an expiration date and that nothing lasts forever. It is a fitting theme for a doom metal band that has been slogging through the underground since the early nineties. You can hear the age and experience in the music. This isn't a young band trying to figure out their identity; these guys have their boots planted firmly in the ground.

The sound on "Transience" is thick and miserable. Michelle Darkness did a great job behind the desk, making sure the guitars have a massive crunch without sounding muddy. The bass rattles the speakers, and the drums plod along with a heavy, deliberate pace. Siffermann and Schrade trade vocal duties, adding a nice layer of texture to the songs. The delivery is weary and melancholic, perfectly matching the lyrics about things ending and fading away.

Listening to this album is like sitting in a cold, damp room and staring at a wall, which is exactly what you want from this style of metal. The riffs are memorable and catchy in a depressive way. The band sticks to a mid-tempo march that keeps your head nodding. They don't speed up, and they don't get overly technical. They focus on creating an atmosphere of gloom and keeping it there.

Mirror Of Deception has delivered an album that honors their legacy. It is a worthy follow-up to "The Estuary" and proves they still have something to say after all these years. If you are into slow, sad, and heavy music, this album belongs in your collection. It is a strong return from a band that understands the essence of doom.

Score: 8.3

https://linktr.ee/mirrorofdeception

info@mirrorofdeception.de

St. Unholyness |Through High Holy Haze |Self-Release

Release Date December 25^th, 2025
Format Digital
Genre Stoner/Doom Metal
Country Germany

St. Unholyness is a stoner-doom duo hailing from southern Germany who dropped their debut album, "Through High Holy Haze", on Christmas Day, 2025. They define their noise as chromed stoner doom, leaning heavily on the buzzsaw HM-2 guitar tone usually reserved for Swedish death metal. The material was written over a span of eight years, from 2017 to 2025, blending slow riffs with faster, blackened outbursts. Christina Earlymorn handled the recording, production, and mixing at her own place, taking on guitar and vocal duties, while Mac Carrigan handles the bass. Themes on the album range from religious control and social pressure to tributes to fallen metal heroes. Currently, they are a two-piece looking for a drummer to flesh out their live sound.

The idea of taking that nasty, chainsaw HM-2 guitar tone, the holy grail of Swedish death metal, and slowing it down for stoner doom sounds killer on paper. In execution, however, "Through High Holy Haze" struggles to keep its head above water. The guitar tone is so dominant and fuzzy that it buries the nuances of the riffs. Instead of a thick wall of sound, you get a wall of static that hides the groove the band claims to have. It makes the listening experience fatiguing halfway through, as the frequencies just mash together into a gray noise.

Songwriting-wise, the album is disjointed for something brewed over eight years. The band tries to stitch together blues rock, psychedelic wandering, and sudden bursts of black metal, but the transitions are often clumsy. "Alchemist Blues" is the biggest offender, dragging on for nearly ten minutes without enough distinct riff changes to justify the length. It wanders around aimlessly when it needs to march.

Lyrically, St. Unholyness has plenty to say, tackling heavy stuff like religious hypocrisy and anti-trans politics in "Hate Response". The passion is there, and the anger is real, but the vocal delivery often gets lost in the mix. The tribute to the Abbott brothers, "Black Tooth Brothers", is a nice sentiment for any metalhead, yet musically it lacks the stomp and swagger that Dimebag and Vinnie were famous for. It sounds thin where it needs to be thick.

Christina Earlymorn took on a massive task by producing this herself, and sadly, the cracks show. The drums (presumably programmed or just buried) have zero punch, sounding like cardboard boxes tapping in the background against that overwhelming guitar fuzz. The rhythm section needs to drive a doom band, and here it feels like an afterthought.

"Through High Holy Haze" is a brave experiment that doesn't quite work. It is a bumpy ride that needs a lot more quality control in the studio and a real drummer to inject some life into these jams. There are sparks of potential here, but they are currently suffocated by the production choices and unfocused songwriting.

Score: 4.5

Links:

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StUnholynessOfficial

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@st.unholynessofficial

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Bandcamp: http://www.stunholyness.bandcamp.com/

https://www.christinaearlymorn.com/St.Unholyness/

Pagan Altar |Mythical & Magical |Dying Victims Productions

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

Pagan Altar is a name whispered in the shadows by anyone who actually gives a damn about the history of British metal. Formed in London back in 1978, these guys were far too weird and mystical for the radio, blending heavy/doom with a gloomy, rustic folk vibe that felt like it was unearthed from a burial mound. Led by the late, legendary Terry Jones and his son Alan, the band spent decades as a cult secret before finally getting the respect they deserved. "Mythical & Magical" is their third full-length, pulling together songs that sat in the vault since the late seventies and early eighties, finally seeing the light of day to prove that some things just get more potent with age.

If you want music that sounds like a damp forest at midnight, "Mythical & Magical" is the gold standard. This album is a massive, sprawling beast that ignores every trend from the last forty years. Alan Jones handles the guitar like a wizard, weaving these intricate, soulful leads that dance around the crushing weight of the riffs. It’s got that ancient, dusty atmosphere that Dying Victims Productions is smart to keep alive. This isn't just a collection of songs. It’s a trip into a world of folklore and dark magic that leaves most modern "occult" bands looking like plastic toys.

The vocals from Terry Jones are the real deal, high, reedy, and full of a haunting character that you just don't hear anymore. When he tells stories in tracks like "The Cry Of The Banshee" or "The Crowman," you believe every word of the nightmare. The rhythm section of Trevor Portch and Mark Elliot keeps things grounded, providing a thick, thumping pulse that allows the melodies to soar. There’s a certain melancholy hanging over the whole experience, especially on the longer epics where the folk influence bleeds into the heavy rock foundations.

This reissue is a mandatory pickup for the double vinyl alone, especially with that etching on the final side. It’s the peak of the band’s output, showing off their mastery of that specific "NWOBHM meets 70s rock" style they perfected. The production on "Samhein" and "The Sorcerer" captures warmth and a resonance that digital-obsessed bands can’t replicate. It’s a 20th-anniversary celebration of an album that was already timeless when it dropped, proving Pagan Altar is the true king of the underground.

Score: 8.0

Belzebong |The End Is High |Heavy Psych Sounds Records

Release Date February 20^th, 2026
Format LP/CD/Digital
Genre Doom/Stoner Metal
Country Poland

Poland’s loudest riff dealers, Belzebong has been spreading their fuzz-drenched gospel of bong metal since 2008. With no vocals and no compromises, they summon crushing instrumentals soaked in doom, sludge, and psychedelic haze. Their hypnotic live shows and cult-like following have turned them into underground legends, delivering slow, sinister grooves straight from the green abyss. With acclaimed albums like “Sonic Scapes & Weedy Grooves”, “Greenferno”, and “Light The Dankness”, Belzebong have toured extensively across Europe and the U.S., leaving trails of blown minds and smoke-filled venues in their wake. Belzebong is not just a band, it’s a ritual of riff worship for those who live by the fuzz and die by the bong.

Belzebong drags everyone down into the dirt with "The End Is High". The Polish riff lords deliver a soundtrack for the apocalypse that sounds like a mountain collapsing. Heavy Psych Sounds Records put this out, and it fits perfectly with the vibe of total destruction. The whole thing reeks of green smoke and impending doom. It is aggressive, heavy, and loud enough to wake the dead.

Satanic Audio handled the recording, and the result is a wall of noise. Sheepy Dude, Alky Dude, and Cheesy Dude stack fuzz on top of distortion until the air gets thick. The low frequencies rattle the teeth in your skull. It is abrasive and exactly what a doom fanatic needs. The production captures the grime of their gear without cleaning up the mess.

The tracks roll forward with crushing slowness. "420 Horsemen" and "Hempnotized" plod along like a funeral march for the planet. Hexy Dude keeps the drums slow and punishing. The repetition locks you in and refuses to let go. You just nod your head until your neck hurts. It is hypnotic in the most violent way possible. This is a great addition to the collection. Belzebong stays true to the fuzz and the weed. "The End Is High" offers no salvation, just heavy riffs and a slow descent into oblivion.

Score: 7.8

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Soul Of Anubis |Ritual |Time To Kill Records

Release Date 20.02.2026
Format LP/CD/MC/Digital
Genre Sludge/Doom Metal
Country Portugal

Soul Of Anubis is a power duo formed in 2010 from the North of Portugal. Their music is a blast on stage with ferocity of sound that goes from thrash to sludge, capturing doom and post-metal at same time, performing energetic and contagious live acts. With several concerts in the underground scene and festivals in Portugal and across borders, they created their own fan base and captured the most distracted of this genre, delivering to the public not only intense performances that provoke a certain magnetism, but that lead them to be outside of themselves.

It is always cool when two dudes make enough noise to sound like five. Soul Of Anubis brings a massive wall of fuzz on "Ritual" that proves you do not need a bass player if your guitar rig is loud enough. This is sludge metal that drags its knuckles on the ground. Hugo Ferrão handles the riffs and the screaming while Rui Silva beats the hell out of the drums. They stick to a formula that works for them, mixing slow, miserable doom sections with faster thrash beats when the energy needs a kick.

The band built this album around the idea of dying and coming back, inspired by Egyptian myths and personal loss. You can hear that struggle in the vocals. The screaming sounds like someone actually fighting off demons in the underworld. The songs have a darkness to them that matches the subject matter perfectly. It sounds angry and desperate. They channel the exhaustion and mental battles of the last few years into the riffs, making the whole thing feel heavy in more ways than just the tuning.

Getting Keijo Niinimaa from Rotten Sound on "Mind Crusher" was a smart move. His voice adds an extra layer of grime to the mix. The rest of the songs follow that lead without dropping the ball. They don't mess around with boring jams that go nowhere. These guys know when to speed up and when to let the feedback ring out. The tracks fit together well to tell that story of going down into the darkness and clawing your way back out to the light.

"Ritual" is a cool release for anyone who digs heavy, down-tuned music. It has plenty of aggression and a dark atmosphere that sticks with you. Soul Of Anubis delivers the goods without trying to be something they are not. It is a loud, angry album that serves as a fitting soundtrack for bad days. If you like your metal raw and full of hate, give this a spin.

Score: 7.5

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