Sakna | De Syv Dødssynder | Hypaethral Records

Release Date: October 31, 2025

Format: CD (Ltd. 300), Vinyl, Digital

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal, DSBM

Country: Canada

Sakna is the creation of the late Canadian multi-instrumentalist Solemn, a one-man force behind some of the most intricate atmospheric black metal compositions to emerge from the post-second wave era. Starting at just 14, Solemn developed a style merging epic Sognametal, emotive atmospheric black metal, DSBM, funeral doom, neo-folk, and dark ambient. After years of obscurity, his brother S. of Lunedi unearthed these recordings, overseeing their careful mixing and mastering, bringing them to light nearly two decades after their creation. “De Syv Dødssynder” stands as Solemn’s singular full-length legacy, a deeply layered work inspired by Dante’s “The Divine Comedy”, revealing the scope of his vision and talent.

“De Syv Dødssynder” is an album that demands attention simply through its presence. Sakna’s world is vast and immersive, stretching across layers of emotion and melody that feel carefully considered, never rushed. The music is epic without grandstanding, blending soaring passages and quieter, contemplative moments seamlessly. Vocals alternate between anguished cries and melodic lines, threading through compositions that range from intimate reflections to grand, almost cinematic movements.

The influence of Windir is clear, yet there’s a distinct voice here. There’s a natural evolution from atmospheric black metal into more expansive territory, with undertones of doom and neo-folk that add depth without complicating the listening experience. The songs bear significance, moving from one emotional landscape to another, with each section unfolding in a way that invites repeated listens. Even the longer tracks remain compelling, holding attention through subtle shifts and intricate layering.

Bonus tracks enrich the album further, offering glimpses into different aspects of Sakna’s range, from haunting interpretations to contemplative melodies. There’s an authenticity to the work that resonates a personal journey captured across years of careful creation. It’s easy to imagine why this music maintained a cult following even before its official release. This album is not just a posthumous release; it’s a window into a creative mind that matured far too quickly and ended far too soon. It’s accessible enough for fans of epic black metal while retaining enough intricacy to reward deeper exploration.

Score: 8.5

https://www.instagram.com/saknaeternus/

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Tårfödd | Lidande | Purity Through Fire

Release Date: 31 October 2025

Format: CD

Genre: Depressive Suicidal Black Metal

Country: Sweden

Sweden’s Tårfödd has quickly become one of the most active and talked-about names in the depressive black metal underground. Formed in 2022 by Simon Lindgren, the project has already built an extensive discography filled with sorrowful grandeur and striking intensity. Lindgren’s vision of DSBM has always been drenched in emotional honesty and atmosphere, balancing melodic expression with pure despair. “Lidande”, the fourth album and now released physically through Purity Through Fire, captures Tårfödd at a defining moment.

The album moves like a storm that shifts its force and direction without warning. Harsh tremolo riffs crash against mournful leads, while the vocals sound as if they’ve been torn from somewhere deep and wounded. The songs stretch and contract in tempo, sometimes racing forward with blast beats, sometimes dragging through cold despair. Everything connects through a vivid melodic sense that turns grief into something strangely beautiful.

There’s a precision in how the melancholy unfolds. The guitars ring out with a biting, frozen edge, while the production opens up the layers, allowing each riff and cry to stand clearly in the mix. Melodies drift in and out like fading memories, while the rhythm section keeps the whole structure grounded. Lindgren’s voice remains one of the most haunting aspects of the album, raw and drained but deeply expressive.

“Lidande” moves through sadness and fury with the same intensity, giving the listener a sense of vastness within its sorrow. It’s an album that doesn’t rely on excess but on passion and emotional depth. The songwriting holds a tragic elegance, capturing everything that makes DSBM compelling; honesty, atmosphere, and melodic darkness. By the end, Tårfödd leaves a heavy mark. “Lidande” is the sound of pain given shape and purpose, and of black metal used not as escape but confrontation. It’s immersive, bitter, and strangely graceful, a strong addition to the band’s rapidly growing legacy.

Score: 7.5

trfdd.bandcamp.com

www.purity-through-fire.com

Hangover In Minsk | Party Is Over | Mork Stork Productions

 

Hangover In Minsk is a female-fronted depressive post-black metal band formed by members from Poland and Belarus. The project was born unexpectedly in 2024 during a hungover van ride after Dark Easter Metal Meeting, when musicians from Dymna Lotva joked about starting a band that captured the feeling of drinking through despair. One year later, the joke had turned into something real: a debut album, "Party Is Over," and their first live appearance at the same festival where the idea began.

The band’s music explores the blurry line between euphoria and emptiness, mixing depressive black metal with post-rock influences. Vocals come from Nokt Aeon, while guitars and bass are handled by Jauhien Charkasau, joined by Mikita Stankevich on guitar and Wojciech "Bocian" Muchowicz on drums. Guest appearances from Déhà and Kim Carlsson add extra weight to the emotional depth of the album. The shattered glass heart on the cover is no metaphor—it is an actual bullet-pierced glass heart, a direct and literal image of what this release stands for.

"Party Is Over" is an album that walks through the stages of intoxication, regret, and the heavy silence of morning afters. It opens with "Farewell," where sorrow immediately becomes the main character. From the start, the sound mixes black metal’s bleak aggression with post-rock’s drifting atmosphere, creating music that feels both distant and painfully close.

Tracks like "Drunk And Beautiful" and "Devil In Me Wants To Dance" carry a strange mix of joy and despair, almost as if celebration is used as camouflage for grief. The presence of the drunken choir adds a raw, almost absurd touch, but it fits the concept—the laughter and chants sound fragile, like they could collapse at any moment. "Fuck You, My Love," with guest vocals from Déhà, is one of the emotional peaks. His voice deepens the sense of brokenness, giving the track an extra layer of suffering. Later, "Morning Mourning" captures the emptiness of waking up after the chaos, stripped of all illusion.

The album closes with "Party Is Over," featuring Kim Carlsson, a figure long connected to the DSBM scene. His presence makes the finale hit even harder, turning the end of the night into something like an eternal goodbye. The sound throughout the album is heavy, guitars shift between sharp tremolo riffs and long, reverb-soaked passages. Drums are steady but always giving the songs their backbone. Vocals range from piercing screams to spoken-word and broken chants, embodying both the intoxicated highs and crushing lows the album narrates.

Hangover In Minsk have managed to take something that started as a half-joke and transform it into a painfully sincere musical statement. "Party Is Over" is less about drinking and more about what hides behind it—the endless spiral of searching for comfort and the inevitable collapse that follows. It’s dramatic, tragic, and oddly relatable for anyone who’s stared too long into the bottom of a glass.

Score: 7.3

Links:
https://hangoverinminsk.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1xstYK0cWVjCIQbQXvnvCF?si=Jbqg-U7mSR6MuFy9wFuYOA
https://www.facebook.com/hangoverinminsk/
https://www.instagram.com/hangoverinminsk/
https://www.tiktok.com/@hangover.in.minsk