Sans Roir/Le Rêve & la Vie/Chapitre XIII/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Sans  Roi  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  an  occult  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Le  Rêve  &  la  Vie"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Chapitre  XIII.

  Spoken  word  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  

  The  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  touches  of  black'n;roll  while  the  album  also  adds  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  At  times  the  music  also  adds  in  more  of  a  gothic  metal  direction  along  with  the  slower  parts  of  the  tracks  bringing  in  elements  of  doom  and  dark  metal,  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  growls  and  clear  singing  also  being  utilized  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  French  and  cover  gnosis,  alchemy,  mysticism,  the  writings  of  C.G  Ung  and  the  mysteries  of  Rennes-le-Château.

  In  my  opinion  Sans  Roi  are  a  very  great  sounding  occult  mixture  of  black  and  dark  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Love's  Secret  Domain"  and  "The  Art  Of  Dreaming".  8  out  of  10.

  https://sansroi.bandcamp.com/

  

Destruction Ritual/Providence/EAL Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Destruction  Ritual  are  an  international  band  with  embers  from  France  and  the  united  States  that  plays  a  very  aggressive  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Providence"  which  will  be  released  on  September  12th  by  EAL  Productions.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast   beats.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  chaotic  style  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams  and  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  old  school  era.

  Dark  sounding  melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  death  metal  elements.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  spoken  words.

  Destruction  Ritual  plays  a  very  fast  and  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  to  2000's  era  as  well  as  adding  in  elements  of  death  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  dark,  violent  and  psychotic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Destruction  Ritual  are  a  very  great  sounding  aggressive  black  metal  band  with  elements  of  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Providence"  and  "Wasted  Away  Sins".  8  out  of  10.

  destructionritual.bandcamp.com 

  

HKSPK Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?

1. We are HKSPK, founded in 2023. Arne on drums, Jim Tonik at lead guitar and vocals and Leon at rythm guitar. In 2024 we released our debut album Holy Scum and this year we released the Human Butcher EP. So far we played at some small festivals like Metal Underground Resistance and Summer Ends. Our style compines black and death metal with weird absurd lyrics.

2.So far you have released an ep and a full length, musically how do they both differ from each other?

2. Firstly, the production on the EP became more professional. On Human Butcher we also took a much more complex approach in the structure of the songs and writing riffs and melodies. Those new songs grew into a really brutal and dark atmosphere. 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

3. Our lyrics are telling storys that we've experienced in a weird absurd way and we sing about events that we have heard about. The context is never that serious. Wich does not mean that there isn't a real statement hidden in the lyrics sometimes (for example Schwanzløses Gesindel).

4.I know that the bands name is an acronym for 'Hello Kittie Scum Porn Killer', how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

4. The name based on a sticker that we saw a few years ago. It showed Hello Kitty in a latex costume. We thought it was hilarious. 

The funny thing is: it fits our music, due to it's absurd direction. Our lyrics are weird and so is the band name.

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new ep cover?

5. With the artwork, we tried to capture the atmosphere of our music. It depicts the story of the Human Butcher, and the swamp motifs are based on our concert banner and band logo. The motif was created in Oderbruch (east Germany). Jim took and edited the photos.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

6. In our opinion the 3 best shows we've ever played are the Summer Ends Festival, because it had perfect sound, perfect light and overall a very nice feeling, the Metal Underground Resistance Festivals, because it was the first time we played with bigger bands like Milking The Goatmachine and Warpath and we won a lot of fans and received so much positive feedback. Last but not least the Schafcity Open Air, because we had such an active crowd who moshed, sang our lyrics and we had a really great time with them.

What can I say about our performance? We move as much as we love playing live. We love playing live. We have an agressive blackmetalhead drummer, a strict and serious rythm guitarist and flying hiar in a hawaii shirt at the vocals and lead guitar. 

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

7. Yes, we have. At first we got some bigger festivals for 2026 and 2027 planned. Still there are some concerts we will play this year, for example the Summer Ends Vol. 2 or the Chemical Warfare in our area. Because we all have our jobs and the organisation is very complicated there won't be any tour soon.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?

8. We are not interested in finding a label, because we like doing everything ourself. But we would like to join a booking agency.

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and death metal?

9. It's just amazing. We are overwhelmed by all the positive feedback we get from many different countries. It actually feels so surreal that people love our music so much, they even promote it and write articles about it. Such a wonderful surprise.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

10. Right now we can't tell in wich musical direction we will go. It seems like we are a part of the new black and death metal generation. We always try to do something different and progress in the way we approach writing music. Tomorrow is a mystery.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

11. Nowadays we listen to a lot of different metal genres, including atmospheric black metal, slam, brutal death metal and even classic heavy metal.

We have many different influences. It ranges from german bands like Eisregen, Nargaroth and Mavorim to more famous groups like Slayer, Amon Amarth, Slipknot and Cannibal Corpse. We all have our own favorite bands from different genres, that's why our songs sound so different. There are also groups that we equally like. We try to create our own HKSPK sound, that's why we don't orient ourselves too much towards other bands.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

12. Right now we are living our personal musical adventure. We are overwhelmed by all the compliments from so many different people. Thank you so much for your interest. We hope you will all be a part of our HKSPK journey.

https://hkspk.bandcamp.com/

Dayofwrath/And The World Will Perish In Flames/Cyclic Law/2025 Album Re-Issue Review

 

  Dayofwrath  are  a  musical  project  from  Spain  that  plays  a  ritualistic  mixture  of  black  metal,   and  industrial  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "And  The  World  Will  perish  In  Flames"  which  will  be  re-issued  in  October,  2025  by  Cyclic  Law.

  Grim  black  metal  screams  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  ritualistic  drum  beats  and  heavy  riffing  a  few  seconds  later.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  industrial  elements.

  Most  of  the  music  also  sticks  to  more  of  a  slow  or  mid  tempo  direction  while  all  of  the  drum beats  are  also  programmed  which  also  adds  in  a  militant  touch  and  touches  of  dark  ambient  are  also  utilized  at  times.

  Dayofwrath  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  ritualistic  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  industrial  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Apocalyptic  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Dayofwrath  are  a  very  great  sounding  ritualistic  mixture  of  black  metal  an  industrial  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  project.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Voidhanger"  and  "Death  To  The  World".  8  out  of  10.

  https://cycliclaw.bandcamp.com/album/and-the-world-will-perish-in-flames

Malakhim/And In Our Hearts The Devil Sings/Iron Bonehead Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Sweden's  Malakhim  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  very  melodic  and  old  school  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "And  in  Our  Heart  The  Devil  Sings"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Iron  Bonehead  Productions.

  Ritualistic  sounding  bells  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  more  heavy  and  melodic  direction  while  some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling.

  Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  era  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  very  melodic  style  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

   Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  tracks  as  well  as  one  song  also  introducing  spoken  words  onto  the  album  and  the  vocals  also  have  their  grim  moments  and synths  are  also   added  on  the  closing  track..  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Devil  Worship  and  the  ideas  of  the  Yetzer  Hara.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Malakhim  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  fast  and  aggressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "And  In  Our  Heart  The  Devil  Songs"  "Into  Darkness  We  Depart"  and  "The  Firmament  Submits".  8 out  of  10.

  www.firesofmalakhim.com    

Flesia/Achterbahnekstase/Cultkill Music/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Flesia  are  a  band  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  raw  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Achterbahnekstase"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  Cultkill  Music.

  A  very  fast  and  raw  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  some  growls  also  being  utilized  at  times  and  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the music.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  slower  sections  of  the  album  also  adding  in  elements  of  sludge  and  doom  metal  along  the  bass  guitar  taking  over  as  a  lead  instrument  and  there  is  no  regular  guitar  present  on  any  of  the  tracks  and  all  of  the  music  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Flesia  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  raw  and  lo-fi  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  sludge  and  doom  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  real  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Flesia  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  mixture  of  black,  sludge  and  doom  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Im  Kreis  Nach  unten".  8  out  of  10.

  

linktr.ee/flesiabm    

    

Echoes Of Gloom Interview

 

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?

 

Echoes of gloom is an Australian One Man Atmospheric Black Metal project formed at the start of this year (2025). Debut release “The Mind’s Eternal Storm” was released in July.

 

2.Recently you have released a full length with this project, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

 

The musical style I tried going for is one that both captures the feel of old school black metal while simultaneously being unafraid of venturing into new territories. I wanted to capture a variety of different emotions in each track. For example the track Throes of Bereavement quickly shifts from quiet optimism to feeling like you are sucked deep into a black hole. Too many bands have albums where every song sounds the same so I wanted to avoid that as much as possible.   

 

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far musically with this project?

 

The tracks are tales channelling the melancholy of mystical landscapes that have been long forgotten. The mind is portrayed as a labyrinth with an exit (clarity) , some people reside close to the gateway while others are lost deep in the sunken halls of the labyrinth.

 

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Echoes of Gloom'?

 

I’m not going to lie and say it has some big grand meaning that I thought about for months and months, the name just sounds cool and fits with the vibe of the band. There is nothing more to it than that. I guess it could mean that lingering thoughts of gloom always reside in the mind as echoes that we try to keep at bay.  

 

5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?

 

I have spoken about it before but it is by the brilliant Brazilian artist Marcio Blasphemator. It wasn’t a commission painting, I just saw it on his page and loved it so much I decided to buy it. My interpretation of it is that the hazy surreal backdrop represents the disorienting dream of existence while the more focused clear image of death represents something that is understood and fated for us all.  

 

6.You also have another project called 'Stellar Remains', musically and lyrically how do both of your projects differ from each other?

 

Stellar Remains is more technical and progressive in nature. The lyrics dwell more on science fiction related topics but there is still a bit of overlap between the two bands lyrically with the abstract inward mythology and musically with the heavy use of atmosphere and keyboards. Each band still has a clear definable sound to me however which makes it easy to choose what riff works for each band.

 

7.With both of your projects you record by yourself, are you open to working with a full bands?

 

Definitely, Stellar Remains I record the parts by myself and have friends who play it live and I wouldn’t be opposed to doing the same thing with Echoes down the line. It has just always turned out that by default I always seem to be the main writer of the bands I am in and could play drums too so it just seemed natural to do a project where I self-record everything. It can be a double-edged sword when you are the only song writer but I can do exactly what I want to without the vision becoming distorted.  

 

8.'ATMF' are re-issuing your current album, how did you get in contact with this label?

 

They reached out to me kindly enough after listening to the stream on bandcamp. I love so many other albums they have put out and they have been great and easy to work with.

 

9.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?

 

It has been largely surprising, the record was written very quickly but I think that is part of the charm. Even though it was written quickly it’s not as if I woke up one day and decided to write black metal, it has always been something I’ve done since I was in like the 10th grade so I’ve had plenty of time to work on and refine my craft. It seems the record has reached a large amount of countries so I am forever grateful to BMP for believing in it and exposing it to a wide range of people. I think a lot of great Australian Metal stays in Australia but if anything for this record, it is more popular in Europe etc than Australia.

 

10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

 

Just keep doing what I’ve been doing. I have more Echoes of Gloom and Stellar Remains music written but honestly, I don’t like to think too far ahead I would rather be surprised by what the future will bring, I’m always keen to experiment and evolve over time and I can’t predict how that will be. I think the new Echoes of Gloom is going to get a little bit weirder for sure.

 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

 

There is obviously a heavy inspiration from black metal bands such as Wolves in the Throne Room, Stormkeep, Leviathan etc but also I think quite a lot of the old school metal influences I listen to have creeped in quite heavy on the record such as King Diamond, Iron Maiden and Fates Warning as well as shoegaze and post punk bands. Black metal has been going on for nearly four decades and metal as a whole even longer so I think it is important for bands to experiment more while still retaining what made the classics so great. As for what I am listening to nowadays I listen to almost everything under the sun, there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure but I have been pretty obsessed with Blind Guardian the past year or so, they never fail to lift my mood up. I feel like I am more inspired by Movies or Books than music in a way as well, part of what really inspires me to do a new song is when I read something I really love or watch a really thought provoking movie, I try to channel the feeling into music. I think more and more bands these days who have found success have opted for more of an old school production style which is great, I don’t like things too polished and manufactured sounding.

 

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? 

Thanks for the interview and for giving Australian Black Metal some more exposure, there’s plenty of great bands to be heard this side of the globe. 

https://echoesofgloom.bandcamp.com/album/the-minds-eternal-storm