Deathfuckingwound/Void MMXXV/Iron Corpse/2025 Demo Review

 

  Deathfuckingwound  are  a  duo  from  Finland  that  plays  a  mixture  of  war,  black,  death  metal,  grindcore  and  noise  and  this  is  a  review  of t heir  2025  demo  "Void  MMXXXV"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  Iron  Corpse.

  A  very  distorted  sound  starts  off  the  demo  before  going  into  a  very  fast,  raw  and  brutal  war  metal  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  bestial  growls  and  powerviolence  shouting  mixed in  with  a  few  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  captures  the  brutality  of  grindcore.

  Throughout  the  demo  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  noises  are  also  utilized  at  times  and  all  of  the  tracks  on  the  recording  stick  to  a  very  heavy,  raw  and  brutal  direction.

  Deathfuckingwound  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  war,  black,  death  metal,  grindcore,  powerviolence  and  noise  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  violence  and  chaos  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Deathfuckingwound  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  war,  black,  death  metal,  grindcore,  powerviolence  and  noise  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Crippling  Jacob's  Ladder"  and  "Tortured  Antagonist".   8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT8RyBOBqng&feature=youtu.be 

    

Execrion/Rituals Of Desecrated Benediction/Morbid Shrine Productions/2025 EP Review

 

  Execrion  are  a  duo  from  Spain  that  plays  a  bestial  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  ep  "Rituals  Of  Desecrated  Benediction"  which  was  released  by  Morbid  Shrine  Productions.

  Synths  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  brutal  war  metal  direction  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  bestial  growls.  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  music  also  being  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  more  of  an  old  school  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  some  of  the  riffing  also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  melody.  Samples  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  the  screams  also  adding  in  elements  of  black  metal  when  they  are  introduced  into  the  music,  choirs  and  Gregorian  chants  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Execrion  plays  a  musical  style  that takes  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  old  school  while  the  lyrics  cover  Blasphemy,  Death  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Execrion  are  a  very  great  sounding  bestial  mixture  of  war,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Scourge  Upon  The  Sanctified  Revelation"  and  "Blasphemic  Pyre  Ascension".  8  out  of  10.

      Rituals of Desecrated Benediction de Execrion

Inritvm/Ex Nihilo Ad Nihilum/EAL Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Inritvm  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  very  nihilistic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Ex  Nihilo  Ad  Nihilum"  which  will  be  released  in  October  by  EAL  Productions.

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  while  spoken  words  can  be  heard  in  the  background  briefly  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavier  and  melodic  direction.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  along  with  most  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  lot  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  album  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  recording  also  mixes  both  the  old  school  and  modern  era's  of  the  genre  together  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  adding  in  more  of  a  melodic  style,  synths  and  spoken  word  samples  are  also  utilized  at  certain  sections  of  the  tracks.

  Inritvm  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  aggressive,  nihilistic  and  traditional  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  chaos,  emptiness  and  the  descent  into  the  void.

 In  my  opinion  Inritvm  are  a  very  great  sounding  nihilistic  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Principles  Of  Forfeiture"  and  "From  Nothing  To  Nothingness".  8  out  of  10.

  https://inritvm.bandcamp.com/album/ex-nihilo-ad-nihilum       

Ulverhyrde/Dødsdømt/Solistitium Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Ulverhydre  are  a  band  from  Norway  that  plays  an  old  school  from  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Dødsdømt"  which  will  be  released  on  Halloween  by  Solistitium  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams.  The solos  and  leads  also  add  in  decent  amount  of  melody  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also h aving  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  A  couple  of  the  tracks  are  also  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  album  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  mid  90's  to  early  2000's  Nordic  tradition,  spoken  words  can  also b e  heard  on  a  few  tracks  and  the  whole  album  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction.

  Ulverhydre  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  aggressive  and  old  school  sounding  in the  classic  Nordic  tradition.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover  the  darker  side  of  history.

  In  my  opinion  Ulverhydre  are  a  very  great  sounding  old  school  black  metal  band  and  f  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Merraflåer"  "Barnedrap"  and "Rekviem'.  8  out  of  10.

  https://youtu.be/3Yd_bIeTQMM  

Mount Depression Interview

 

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

Mount Depression is a black metal band active since 2013. Over the years, it has undergone various changes in its sound, always maintaining black metal (perhaps more atmospheric black metal initially) alongside dark ambient in most of its releases. In its 12 years of activity, it has an extensive and varied discography, even experimenting with black/noise styles in some releases. Line up: Juan Pineda in Drums, Ramon Ortiz, bass and E.N in guitar/vocals.

2.Recently you have released a new ep, musically how does ti differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

Our latest EP is called Act of Illusion, preceded by our live album Live Dark Ritual, recorded in northern Argentina, in the city of Salta, in May of this year. Regarding our previous releases, the EP Act of Illusion has a slightly more "polished" sound compared to our earlier work, with more focus on guitars and some keyboard and ambient tracks provided by excerpts from horror films, in this case, the Korean film R-Point (2004).

3.Since 2014 the band has been  recording and releasing a great amount of material, do you spend a great out of time writing and creating music?

Generally, I, (E.N.), spend a lot of time on composition, usually guided by what inspires me at the moment. Spending a lot of time focused on listening to different music styles always brings inspiration to create something at any time. I usually record the ideas for the initial riffs, and then I compose the entire instrumental based on that initial riff. However, with the addition of bassist Ramón Ortiz, the composition process expanded even further, as he also records his ideas and sends them to me. This led to the creation of new songs like "King's Burial." With the participation of Juan Pineda on drums, we managed to finalize all the composition ideas during rehearsals. I no longer tend to compose with digital drums, as I did before.

4.Some of your recordings have been more ambient and experimental while some of brought out a more raw and dpressive black metal style, do you feel making a lot of the recordings sound different keeps the band away from stagnating and repeating the same thing over?

If there's one thing I agree with, it's that quantity isn't quality. However, I've always been guided by inspiration at a given moment, and although we've left a lot of material unreleased over these 12 years, we don't have albums that sound too similar to each other. That's exactly what I wanted to achieve—that each release would offer a different experience.

5.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored with the newer music and also how would you describe your prgress as songwriters over the years?

The themes of the song lyrics revolve around the deepest emotions and traumatic situations a human being can experience (on one hand). On the other hand, in the beginning, we were more oriented toward DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black Metal), and this whole concept of "suffering" led us to look a bit further. B-class horror and more unsettling themes were highly inspiring for the creation of our latest albums, such as Bloodstained or Fullmoon Killer. In Mount Depression, you are not the victim—you are the killer.

The writing process is always sparked by a phrase. For example, "Dying Under The Master's Vision" was a phrase I had written down in a notebook, and based on that phrase, I wrote the song's lyrics, which are centered on vices.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Mount Depression'?

Mount Depression is essentially like saying "downward spiral." Mount represents a height, and Depression signifies the descent.

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

The cover art of our EP Act of Illusion depicts a nun in a state of possession, while simultaneously displaying an "immaculate" purity. Hence the title Act of Illusion, showing that nothing is what it seems, especially within an institution as corrupt as the church.

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

Our best show to date was captured live on the album Dark Live Ritual. Why do I say this, having gone through so many lineup changes? Because I was able to have complete control over the guitar sound, which is what I aimed for as a guitarist in particular. This is not to diminish the work of previous guitarists, who always worked hard to contribute to the band’s sound and gave their all for Mount Depression, for which we are endlessly grateful. I had to stop focusing solely on vocals, so I took on both vocals and guitar. In second place is our live album The Knife and the Life Option, recorded with professional sound quality. This ranking, of course, is subject to change in the future.Regarding our performances, our delivery is direct and raw, with fast songs designed to create an atmosphere that gets the audience to react. Obviously, things have changed a lot since I stopped solely focusing on vocals and started singing and playing guitar. The goal is to make the show as good as possible, and gradually, we plan to incorporate more theatrical elements. Mount Depression is blood, and that’s what defines our latest shows.

9.The band has also been a part of a great amount of splits, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands you have shared these recordings with?

Over the years, we’ve collaborated with a wide variety of artists on splits, mostly one-man band projects, with many being multi-instrumentalists, as well as some bands from abroad. For example, to name a few, Suicide Movement from Spain, and Elegiac from the United States (who also collaborated on a song for our third album, and whose label released our second album). We’ve also worked with projects from places where this kind of music is banned, such as Vitaphobia from Iran, among many other artists.

10.You have also worked with a few labels on the physical versions of your releases, can you tell us a little bit more about the labels you have worked with so far?

We’ve had both great and bad experiences with labels over the years. We started, like many projects, with Depressive Illusions Records. Back in 2014, when I received the physical copies, I couldn’t believe our music had been released in physical format. Sacrificial Sounds, run by Zane Young, the singer of Elegiac, did amazing editions of the album Servants of Hate. Voices Defying Death, from Argentina, also released this same album on tape in a run of 200 copies, a huge number for us when we were just starting out. Cvlminis was also involved in a wide range of releases, both albums and splits. The now-defunct label Wulfrune Worxx released our first EP About My Impure Thoughts and our first album Suffering in Peace on tape. On the flip side, we’ve had bad experiences too—some labels never sent the copies they owed us, and there were also shipments that got lost or returned to their country of origin due to poor management by our country’s postal service.

11.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of depressive black metal?

Globally, we’ve had a pretty good response, much more than I expected when we started—it exceeded my expectations. However, since we still don’t have a solid circuit of live performances, we’re focusing more on releasing a new album and playing live more frequently.

12.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band membets are a part of?

Our bassist, Ramón Ortiz, comes from a completely different genre, Punk Rock, which he continues to explore in parallel with the band through his project called Otra Superficie.

Our drummer, Juan Pineda, doesn’t have any other side projects. He’s very committed to the band he’s in and is one of the few drummers (or perhaps the only drummer I know) who is dedicated to just one band.

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

Mount Depression has a lot of material and potential to bring to the studio. Having finished this new album, we want to play, perform live, travel, and play shows wherever possible—we really want to take our music everywhere.

14.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?

Mount Depression is influenced by both the first and second waves of black metal, as well as more classic heavy metal and rock. Bands like Immortal, Darkthrone, Mayhem, Ondskapt, and Bethlehem, alongside Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and, of course, Black Sabbath.

As for what we’re listening to these days, we all have very different tastes in music. Juan might be listening to national heavy metal, the most primitive alternative metal, and Mexican bands at the same time—he’s a true music lover with varied tastes. I’m particularly listening to the album The Black House by Krieg, while Ramón always leans toward punk as well as heavy metal. There’s a lot of musical contrast among us.

15.How would you describe your views on Satanism?

Regarding Satanism as a philosophical perspective, personally, I respect it a lot as a belief, though I haven’t delved deeply into it. As for my bandmates, they haven’t made any comments about it.

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

It’s been a long journey, and it’s still going strong.

 We hope to bring you more live shows soon, see you on the road!

https://www.facebook.com/mountdepression

Zythaex/Devouring Principle/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Zythaex  are  an  international  duo  with  members  from  Iceland  and  Hungary  that  plays  a  very  dissonant  and  avant  garde  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2025  album  "Devouring  Principle".

  Dark  soundscapes  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.  Vocals  are  mostly  grim  yet  high  pitched  sounding  black  metal  screams  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  dissonant  sounding  melodies.

  The  only  song  that  is  presented  on  the  recording  is  over  35  minutes  in  length  while  synths  are  also  utilized  at  times.  The  album  also  has  its  avant  garde  moments  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  track  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  and  tremolo  picking  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling.  

  Whispered  vocals,  spoken  words  and  chants  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  track  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  as  well  as  the  music  also  getting  very  atmospheric  sounding  at  times  and  most  of  the  recording  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  modern  era.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  existence  as  a  process  of  erasure.

  In  my  opinion  Zythaex  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric,  avant  garde  and  dissonant  black  metal  duo  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  8  out  of  10.

  https://zythaex.bandcamp.com/album/devouring-principle        

Araphel Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album? 

The band has been busy with intensive rehearsals as we are finally preparing for our live debut. I was able to bring together the missing members to make this possible, and I couldn’t be happier. We now have a permanent drummer, Elend – a true veteran, having played with bands like Horrid and Mortuary Drape. On bass, we’ve enlisted our friend Theo from Exequiae Sacro, who will join us as a session member for the live shows.

 2.On Halloween you have your first full length coming out, musically how does it differ from your previous ep? 

As you may have noticed, two of the seven tracks on the album were already featured on our previous EP Old Comet Transition. This was intentional, as the EP was initially meant as a teaser to present the band to labels and immediately showcase the seriousness and quality behind Araphel. Most of the tracks on The Endchanter were written around the same time as those on the EP, with a few exceptions. I also wanted to create a sense of continuity between the two releases by using the same studio and the same person for mixing. The overall sound has slightly evolved, as Old Comet... allowed me to better identify the sonic identity that currently fits the band best. The main difference lies in the people involved, who brought their own excellent touch to the recording while following my direction. 

3.All of the band members are also involved with other bands, what is it that you bring into the music of 'Araphel', that you have not been able to do with your previous groups? 

That’s a great question. Despite all the bands I have played with, past and present, Araphel is my first fully personal endeavor – something born independently of the other members. In bands like Demonomancy or Thulsa Doom, which I co-founded and contributed to, the creative output was the sum of multiple viewpoints, and drawing inspiration from certain bands was a core principle of the songwriting. With Araphel, even if people tell me how close it sounds to the pillars of Greek black metal, I never set out to follow a specific compositional path. I have always let instinct guide me, using the music as a way to express my own perspective. For this reason, it wouldn’t be surprising if I composed something completely different in the future. Change is a part of everyone’s existence, and Araphel is built upon that – transformation, contrast, and critique. 

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new album and also how would you describe your progress as songwriters with the two releases?

The two releases are closely connected. As mentioned, the EP’s tracks were already meant for the album, and most of the music and lyrics were written during the same time frame – from 2021 through mid-2024. The most distinctive tracks are the instrumental Tempus Edax Rerum and Elysian Fields Ablaze. The first is built around a single melody, while the latter is the only song I composed starting from the guitars rather than the bass. 

5.I know that the bands name means 'darkness' in Hebrew, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play? 

Yes, that is the most straightforward translation, but with deeper research you realize it refers to a very specific kind of darkness – the one in which God resides. It is where His presence is most pure, completely at odds with the Western notion of paradise or light. I am neither Jewish nor obsessed with religious terms, elected/chosen people bullshit, or esoteric concepts; my choice was guided by this precise meaning. I’ve always believed that the darkness surrounding us, or the one we carry within – in our most private thoughts and darkest moments – is not inherently evil. For me, it is a space where we can elevate ourselves. 

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

The Endchanter is the true and complete introduction of Araphel. Nothing made more sense than placing our logo as the centerpiece, rising against a sky captured by a very talented photographer, Carlotta Valente. I’ve known her since we were teenagers, and as soon as I saw her cyanotype work, I knew it was a powerful and fitting representation of what the word “Araphel” evokes in my mind. 

7.So far the band has not done any live shows is that going to change in the future/?

Yes, our live debut is scheduled for early October, supporting Mayhemic and Sijjin. We’re extremely excited to share the stage with two such excellent bands. There are talks of other shows, though nothing is confirmed yet. 

8.Currently the band is singed to 'Nuclear War Now! Productions, how did you get in contact with this label?

 I first met Yosuke Konishi around 2011, when we released Demonomancy’s first EP Rites of Barbaric Demons through his label. He even had us play multiple editions of the NWN! Fest. He has always proven to be professional and passionate. His label was one of my top choices for Araphel, as I knew from experience that he works quickly and seriously, respecting the band’s requests. I sent him the tracks that would become the Old Comet... EP as a promo, and it was actually his idea to release it as a standalone record before the album. 

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

The response to our first EP was very positive and came quite quickly, despite it being under 15 minutes long. Many listeners went beyond the idea of it simply sounding like classic Greek black metal, and recognized influences from a variety of black metal bands known for their powerful, proud, and tragic sound. I am very curious to see how the album will be received, as it offers a much more complete picture of what Araphel is meant to convey. 

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

 I am currently active as a drummer in Giulia Doomed Warrior’s band Into Darkness and as a bassist in Gabriel’s project Eternal Mourn. We have just finished recording new releases with both – a full-length for Into Darkness, which has been active for many years, and a debut EP for Eternal Mourn. Both projects are fascinating and have something original to say. Gabriel is probably the most active of us all – I recommend checking out all of his bands. 

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are currently listening to nowadays?

 One thing I particularly enjoy about this lineup is how diverse our tastes are. We span from classic metal to early black metal, doom-death, and even dissonant music. During rehearsals we often discuss what we are listening to and recommend music to one another. These exchanges are very inspiring, and I must admit that our varied influences have added something unique to my compositions.

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

 Thank you for your review and this interview. Cheers

Listen: bandcamp / spotify