Wandar/Tiefe Erde/Vendetta Records/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Wandar  are  a  band  From  Belgium  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Tiefe  Ende"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Vendetta  Records/

  Keyboards  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  recording  at  times  while  most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  atmospheric  sounding  along  with  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats.

  When  tremolo  picking  is  added  into  the  faster  riffing  they  also  give  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feeling  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.

   Most  of  the  music  is  very  heavily influenced  by  both  the  Scandinavian  and  Cascadian  styles  of  the  genre  as  well  as  the  guitar  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  melodic  style  when  they  are  utilized,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  briefly.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  nature  and  melancholy  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Wandar  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Trug"  "Drangsal"  and  "Gestirne".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/Wandar666

  

Dépérir/War/Adipocere Records/2026 EP Review

  Dépérir  are  a  band  from  Quebec,  Canada  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  misanthropic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  ep  "War"  which  will  be  released  in  May  by  Adipocere  Records  in  May.

  War  samples  start  off  the  ep  before  going  into  a  very  fast  and  raw  musical  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  a  few  growls  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  old  school  era  of  the  genre.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  aggressive  style,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  war  music  samples  are  added  on  the  closing  track

  On  this  recording  Dépérir  remain  true  to  the  misanthropic  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases.  Th e production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  war  and  misanthropy  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Dépérir  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  misanthropic  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bloodspell"  and  "Payback".  8  out  of  10.

https://www.facebook.com/Deperir666        
 

   

Vampyriia/Luxuria Sanguis Plenilunium/Void Wanderer Productions/2026 Full Length Review

  Vampyriia  are  a  solo  project  from  Italy  that h as  had  music  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  on  this  recording  plays  a  very  raw  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  with  elements  of  dark  ambient  and  drone  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2026  album  "Luxuria  Sanguis  Plenilunium"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Void  Wanderer  Productions.

  Dark  ambient  style  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  all  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  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.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts,  drones  are  also  utilized  at  times  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  as  well  as  the  album also  having  its  atmospheric  moments  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  dark  yet  melodic  style,

  On  this  recording  Vampyria  expand  on  the  drone  and  dark  ambient  elements  which he  brings  into  his  raw  and  atmospheric  style  of  black  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while  the  lyrics  cover  Baphomet  Worship,  Necromancy,  Negativity  and  Darkness  themes,

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Vampyriia  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  and  atmospheric  black  metal  with  elements  of  drone  and  dark  ambient,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Viper  Venom"  and  Dragon  Necromancy".  8  out  of  10.

  https://voidwanderer.com/product/vampyriia-mc/

Nocturnal Reveries/Song Of The Forest/Naturmacht Producitons/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Nocturnal  Reveries  are  a  solo  project  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2026  album  "Song  Of  The  Forest"  which  will  be  released  in  may  by  Naturmacht  Productions.

  Atmospheric  sounding  synths  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  recording  also  adds  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  raw  feleing.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  also  very  heavily  influenced  by  the  old  school  era  of  the  genre  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  growls  and  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  as  well  as  a  couple  of  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  one  track  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  words,  acoustic  guitars  can  also  be  heard  on  a  couple  of  songs.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  the  mysterious  force  residing  in  nature.

  In  my  opinion  Nocturnal  Reveries  are  a  very  great  sounding  raw  and  atmospheric  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Gates  To  The  Nocturnal  Realm"  and  "Intuition's  Quest".  8  out  of  10.

https://nocturnalreveries.bandcamp.com/album/song-of-the-forest  

Musta Suru Interview

 

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

Non (guitar and vocals) - We are Musta Suru from Finland and we are playing depressive black metal. We have always been a duo and we have been making this music since 2020.

Mors (drums) - In our music we try our best to convey to the listener the feeling we had when we were making the song. Our songs have this depressive black metal atmosphere but there’s always a glimmer of hope. Since the beginning the songs have been improvised and composed by the two of us.

2.You have your first full length coming out in May, musically how does it differ from your previous demo’s?

Non - Of course we have evolved as a band but our sound and the atmosphere of the songs have not changed. Some songs in the upcoming album have actually been composed before the demos.

Mors - The new album is a mix of old songs with the latest we have done. Our first demo was mostly improvisation and the second demo was rehearsed before the recording. The album was made in a similar manner as the second demo. It has been a while since demos came out, the songs from the new album are more versatile. All of your releases are unique.

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

Non - So far, the lyrics have been about death, suicide and darkness.

Mors - The lyrics in the album “Viimeinen Viilto” talk about the journey towards death. Each song is about the different stages of the journey.

4.I know that the band’s name means 'Black Sadness' in Finnish, how does this name fit in with the musical style that you play?

Non - It’s more like "black sorrow”. The name itself tells everything about this music.

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

Mors - The cover art is made by MT. She made the artwork from snapshots taken over the years. She is almost like a member of our band and her art reflects the mood of our music.

Non - The photos are quite interesting, most of them are taken in our home town in different kind of real-life situations, but the photo used in the cover is taken by me at the Highgate cemetery in London. The statue in the cover expresses sadness really well and also describes the atmosphere of our music.

6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?

Mors - The only thing we have considered is to get a session bassist for the possible live gigs. But otherwise, we continue as a duo, because we see it as the best way to maintain the atmosphere of our music.

Non - We prefer to continue as duo because there are less compromises to be made and we don’t need more elements in this band.

7.The album is coming out on 'Downfall Records', how did you get in contact with this label?

Mors - After the mixing and mastering I started to look for a record company. I mailed Downfall Records and luckily for us they got interested in releasing our album. 

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

Mors - We have had positive feedback and we have sold some copies of our cassette demos to many different countries.

9.What is going on with 'Uhrilanja' these days. a band that also shows a couple of the same members?

Mors - I still play the drums in Uhrilahja and Non plays the lead guitar

Non - Everything is going well with Uhrilahja. We are composing new songs and playing some gigs, fucking hell yeah!

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

Non - We are only living in this moment.

Mors - We have started to compose for a new album, that we try get released in the near future. Live gigs are also under consideration. Festivals would be nice to play at some point also.

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?

Mors - Maybe some influences have come from Lifelover, Begotten, Mgła, Shining and Alcest.

Non - Most influences are coming from dsbm bands: such as Bethlehem, Shining (swe) and Lifelover. Nowadays I listen to everything that sounds good. 

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

Mors - Hope to see you at our gigs!

Non - Whatever does not kill you, it makes your stranger

https://youtu.be/InNLVx4Xu6Q

Sombre/Another Shade Of Autumn Lost/2026 Single Review

 

  Sombre  are    a  solo  project  from  the  United  Kingdom  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  this  is  a  review of  his  self  released  2026  single  "Another  Shade  Of  Autumn  Lost".

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  single  while  the  track  is  also  10  minutes  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to t hem.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  scream.

  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  song  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  when  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  post  metal  style  along  with  the  track  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  as  well  as  some  clean  playing  also  being  used  briefly.

  On  this  track  Sombre  remains  true  to  the  post  black  metal  style  he  has  introduced  on  previous  release.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nature  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  track  from  Sombre  and  if  you  are  a  fan  o=f  post  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  single.  8  out  of  10.

https://sombre2.bandcamp.com/track/another-shade-of-autumn-lost

  

Conjuring/Memento Mori/Hypnotic Dirge Records/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Conjuring  are  a  solo  project  from  Switzerland  that  plays  an  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Memento  Mori"  which  will b e  released  in  may  by  Hypnotic  Dirge  Records.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  the  vocals  being  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  clean  playing  can  also  be  heard on  a  few  songs.  Some  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  some  synths  also  being  utilized  at  times,  the  recording  also  has  its  atmospheric  moments  as  well  as  some  spoken  words  also  being  used  briefly,  the  closing  track  is  also  an  instrumental.

  Conjuring  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  modern,  aggressive  and  atmospheric  sounding.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  mortality,  transience  and  spiritual  awakening. 

  In  my  opinion  Conjuring  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Memento  Mori"  and  "Anima".  8  out  of  10.

https://hypnoticdirgerecords.bandcamp.com/album/memento-mori