Erbeet Azhak/Only The Vile Will Remain/Amor Fati Productions/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Erbeet  Azhak  are  a  solo  project  from  Belgium  that  plays  a  dissonant  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  2026  album  "Only  The  Vile  Will  Remain"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  Amor  Fati  Productions.

  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  dissonant  sounding  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  which  also  gives  the  recording  more  of  a  raw  feeling  and  throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  A couple  of  the  tracks  also  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  vocals  also  get  more  deep,  grim  and  angry  sounding  as  the  album  progresses  and  one  song  also  adds  in  a  brief  use  of  clear  chants  as  well  as  the  closing  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  death:  deliberate,  irreversible  and  liberating.

  In  my  opinion  Erbeet  Azhak  is  a  very  great  sounding  dissonant  black  metal  solo  project  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "The  Weakness  Of  Our  Cycle"  "Death  To  The  Self"  and  "The  Inner  Circle".  8  out  of  10.

  www.amor-fati-productions.de  

amorfatiproductions.bandcamp.com  

www.facebook.com/amorfatiprod    .

Heruka/Live in Rome/Rude Awakening Records/2026 Live Album Review

 

   Italy's  Heruka  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  bringing  their  modern  and  aggressive  style  of  black  metal  to  the  concert  setting  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  live  2026  album  "Live  in  Rome"  which  will b e  released  in  March  by  Rude  Awakening  Records.

  Symphonic  sounding  keyboards  and  orchestration  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast b eats  can b e  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a r aw  feeling  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  vocals  also  add  in  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  Throughout  the  album  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style,  spoken  words  and  clear  singing  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  their  is  also  some  audience  reaction  in  between  the  tracks

  On  this  recording  Heruka  focused  more  on  their  newer  material  of  the  last  few  albums  in  the  live  setting.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  introspection,  surrealism  and  visionary  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Heruka  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  modern  and  aggressive  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  live  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Zoryas  -  Emho's  Army"  "Npo  Sun  Dared  paa  Our  Windows"  "Francis  Bacon"  and  "Coisomo  -  Decption's  End".  8  out  of  10.

  https://linktr.ee/herukaproject

  

Arxøytt Interview

 

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

Årxøytt is a solo black metal project conceived out of the necessity to communicate messages born from deep introspection, reflection, and moments of solitude. These moments allow a glimpse behind the veil of what humankind defines as reality.

2.In December you released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

As much as Black Metal has certain established sonic parameters, it keeps mutating, as it should, through the inclusion of elements from other musical genres. With the EP Sunder, the intention was to not just conjure an aggressive sound, but also to give it depth and meaning through the inclusion of elements such as ambient and electronica and a few clean vocals.

3.You refer to your music as being 'Fourth Dimension black metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

The fourth dimension can be understood as the layer closest to the third, the one humans perceive as reality through their senses. It is a realm where influences beyond ordinary perception dwell: archons, astral parasites, so-called spirits. I, Årxøytt, belong to this threshold and exert a musical influence upon a being in the third dimension — my human vessel — who then channels it through voice and instruments.

Since Black Metal connects with a raw, primal energy similar to that which early human settlements already channeled in order to see beyond the veil, I saw it as a fit kind of music to transmit my messages from the fourth dimension to the third, hence the term Fourth Dimension Black Metal.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?

With Sunder I have explored the concept of human awakening through destruction, the confrontation with false divinity such as the Demiurg and its religious institutions, as well as the psychological fracture that occurs when illusion collapses.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name ‚Årxøytt'?

Humans need names to recognize things. When my human vessel first started channeling me, he asked me for a name and I gave him this one. The use of characters like å and ø are the result of connecting with the powerful energy of the physical realm you know as Scandinavia, which has produced some of the mightiest music ever known in the realms of what you call Metal music.

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

In order to present myself to you, I appeared in human form in the forest of the place known as Fantoft, which carries a very strong mystical energy, not just because of its well-known contemporary history, but also because of how thin the veil between worlds is in there. Several images of me were taken there and the one selected for the EP cover is one that shows both integration and separation, with a tree to my right and an old pit to my left (nature-humanity) with me standing in the middle as the point of convergence between them.

7.With this project you record everything by yourself but have worked with musicians in a different project, do you prefer to work solo?

My very first sonic manifestation as Årxøytt was fulfilled as a guest musician with German Black Metal Project Waldseel. I conjured acoustic guitar and vocal sounds to a single called Raunacht Ritus, which was released on 1 January 2025. Waldseel beckoned me to become a "live"-member and since then I have materialized in order to play guitar with them. Further collaborations are being elaborated at this very moment. In short, Årxøytt is and remains a solo entity, but one that is also willing to work with other conjurers of sound.

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

My human vessel takes care of such earthy matters. He would be very interested in working with a label in order to facilitate promotion/logistic issues. No offers have been received so far, yet the EP is fairly new and the message is still spreading. From where I am, I perceive a possible unfolding of this in the mid-term.

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

I am filled with gratitude seeing that my sounds have been resonating very positively with fans of Black Metal in several different geographical locations of your reality. Reviews such as your own have certainly aided this expansion. 

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?

The next unleashing of sounds will reach your reality in the near future. It will be a self-released split with Waldseel, with three songs of them and three songs of mine. The next logical step will be a full length and I expect this to happen in the timeline of your year 2026. The sounds that will be included there are being conjured at this very moment and they should be even more varied than the ones presented in Sunder.

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?

My human vessel has gravitated towards many different musical styles ever since his early childhood, more particularly progressive rock. Artists such as Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden and Rush still exercise a huge influence on him. When it comes to Black Metal, he looks for similar elements: atmosphere and odd musicality. He currently listens to artists such as Vemod, Darkspace, Djevel, Misotheist, Alcest and Emperor. 

12.Does Occultism play any role in your music?

Probably not in the sense of what Occultism has been known to humankind in the last century or so, but certainly the aspect of interdimensional interaction with the otherworldly does play a role, as I explained above when referring to the concepts touched upon in Sunder. Humankind is destined to connect more and more with the other side and see through the veil of reality. It is a part of my mission to facilitate this. 

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

I would like to express my gratitude to you at OccultBlackMetalZine for your interest in establishing this communication with me and the work you do disseminating Black Metal.

I would also like to invite anyone whose attention has been grabbed by this interview and your previous review of Sunder to listen to the music on any of the available streaming services and, even better, to order a physical hand-numbered CD directly from me via arxoytt@proton.me

You may also follow me on Instagram or Facebook if you feel inclined to connect in that way.

Tulus/Morbid Desires/Darkness Shall Rise/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Norway's  Tulus  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  band  taking  the  classic  Norwegian  black  metal  style  into  a  different  direction  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Morbid  Desires"  which  will  be  released  in  March  by  Darkness  Shall  Rise.

  Synths  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  melodic  direction  while  the  vocals  are  done  in  a  very  grim  and  angry  black  metal  style.  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.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  clear  singing  is  also  used  at  times.  Flamenco's  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  music  also  being  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  classic  Nordic  style  as  well  as  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  more  of  a  classic  style  of  metal  along  with  some  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  adding  in  touches  of  blacl'n'roll  and  the  closing  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  shows  an  influence  of  doom  metal.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Norwegian  and  cover  dark  folklore.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Tulus  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  Norwegian  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Skabb"  "Vanvidd"  "Foessegrimens  Vakt"  and  "Sabbat".  8  out  of  10.

  facebook.com/TULUSband 

Black Luster Interview

 

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

Black Luster is a home-recording project between me & my partner. We make metal, most dominantly black metal but with influences of punk & hardcore – the genres we listened to most in our lives. We have screamy and clean vocals and sing about the anime Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters

2.Recently you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?

It’s the first time we made a record in the metal genre, so it was an adventure to figure out the style we wanted. I wanted to make it modern-sounding, and I wanted to make sure there were riffs. There’s a certain urgency to how it came out that I hope makes it stand out from all the atmos-black out there.

3.Your lyrics cover Yu-Gi-Oh! themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this franchise?

When I was a kid, I watched a the usual mainstream anime on Saturday mornings. Later, I revisited Yu-Gi-Oh! during my college years. It turns out it’s a lot of darker and more sinister than I recalled. It deals with stuff like the Shadow Realm, capturing souls, various mythological creatures & deities, different dimensions and of course all the cool monsters. I felt like the topics would fit right into some of the traditional black metal lyrical tropes and themes.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Black Luster'?

The Black Luster Soldier is a Monster Card in the anime series, summoned by using the Black Luster Ritual. At various moments in the series it’s a sort of deus ex machina. I felt the name Black Luster would be generally cool sounding, but also hint the theme to people knowing the series: “if you know, you know”.

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

Our vocalist Invader of the Throne created the cover from a picture we took on a hike. It has typical features, like the black/white contrast, natural elements and a vague portrayal, but the picture itself is very candid.

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

I think it will remain a home-recording project with the two of us.

7.So far very little is known about the project, do you prefer to keep a lower profile?

It’s new and we don’t have a lot of public relations in the (black) metal scene. I’ve written to some webzines and some of those, like Occult Black Metal, were nice enough to give us some space online and support us in a world of total abundancy of musical projects. I’d love to be able to reach the niche of nerdy black metal lovers, but my general aspirations with this band are not very high.

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

That is not something we have given any thought, to be honest.

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

So far, nice. Someone from the UK bought a CD last week. We have been added to the Encyclopaedia Metallum, which was one of my personal goals. It's an ongoing road.

10.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We hope to have some new material in 2027. Maybe a full length, maybe another small batch of songs. There are some general ideas and lyrical topics I want to develop into songs. I’m trying to continue a similar sound – I was very pleased with how ‘The Monster Reborn’ came out in terms of songwriting, so I think we’ll follow up on that path

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?

These first 3 songs were directly inspired by: Woe, a US black metal band with some hardcore influences at the start of their career; Gudtsforladt, another US act that has these amazing melodies and harsh, catchy riffs; Dödsrit, generic but excellent European atmospheric crust/black metal. And Darkthrone, especially the Arctic Thunder/Old Star records, right after their full-on Motörhead period. Nowadays we're listening to the new Ellende, latest Yellow Eyes record, Austere and svrm.

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

If you like cartoons and want to re-watch any of the turn-of-the-century popular anime series: consider Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. The different story archs reference so many different mythologies & folklore which all culminate into an epic final season set in ancient Egypt. Of course, it’s mainly just kids playing with monster cards, but still! There is a historical & mythological gravitas that can be quite inspiring.

Thanks for the questions! Very exciting to have DIY zines like yours around.

https://blackluster.bandcamp.com/album/revealing-light

Qwalen/Veri Virtaa Edelleen/Time To Kill Records/2026 Full Length Review

 

  Finland's  Qwalen  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  a  raw  mixture  of  black  metal  and  punk  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2026  album  "Veri  Virtaa  Edelleen"  which  will  be  released  in  march  by  Time  To  Kill  Records.

  A  very  dark,  heavy  and  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.  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  and  the  solos  and  leads  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody.

  Elements  of  punk  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a  lot  of  the  old  aggression  with  a  more  modern  take  on  the  genre.  Angry  shouts  can  also  be  heard  at  along  with  one  song  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  synths,  clean  playing  and  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks,   A  couple  of  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  album  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  On  this  recording  Qwalen  continue  to  expand  on  the  raw  mixture  of  black  metal  and  punk  that  they  introduced  on  previous  releases.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Finnish  and  cover  the  rottenness  of  human  realty  and  the  abolition  of  kings  and  gods.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Qwalen  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  raw  black  metal  and  punk,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hunnutettu  maa"  "Kiviä  ja  luita"  and  "Kuolleet  jumalat".  8  out  of  10.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/0VeCkt13riw

Stream: https://ffm.to/qwalen-matala-hauta-huutaa

YouTube: https://youtu.be/0VeCkt13riw

Stream: https://ffm.to/qwalen-matala-hauta-huutaa      

Årxøytt/Sunder/2025 EP Review

 

  Årxøytt  are  a  solo  project  from  Germany  that  plays  a  very  raw  and  atmospheric  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  his  self  released  2025  ep  "Sunder".

  A  very  fast  and  raw  black  metal   sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  adds  in  a mixture  of old  school  and  modern  influences  as  well  as  some  keyboards  being  added  on  a  few  tracks  which  gives  the  recording  more  of  an  atmospheric  feeling

  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  at  times  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  grim  black  metal  screams  mixed  in  with  a  brief  use  of  clear  singing  The  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  along  with  some   melodies  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  and all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  one  song  is  an   ambient  orientated  instrumental.

  Årxøytt  plays  a  style  of  black  metal  that  is  very  raw  yet  atmospheric  at  the  same  time.  The  production  sounds  very  dark  and  raw  while t he  lyrics  cover  Darkness,  Occultism  and  Fourth  Dimension  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  Årxøytt  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  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Pain"  and  "Opfer".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.youtube.com/@arxoytt