Häxanu/Greve – Naturmystik – Split (Review)

This is a split between black metal bands Häxanu, from the US, and Greve, from Sweden.

Häxanu open up the split, with four tracks that last 20 minutes in total. I was a big fan of 2023’s Totenpass, which is why I knew I wanted to check out this split when it appeared on my radar.

Cognitive – Abhorrence (Review)

This is the fifth album from US death metallers Cognitive.

I always enjoy a new slab of Cognitive, (check out 2016’s Deformity, 2018’s Matricide, and 2021’s Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction), so Abhorrence is well-received. Across 36 minutes Cognitive deliver the goods.

Gatecreeper – Dark Superstition (Review)

This is the third album from US death metallers Gatecreeper.

Gatecreeper are always a reliable source of crushing old-school death metal carnage. Both 2016’s Sonoran Depravation and 2019’s Deserted were solid slabs of heaviness, (I also really enjoyed their 2018 split with Iron Reagan), so checking out the 37-minute Dark Superstition was mandatory.

Urzah – The Scorching Gaze (Review)

This is the debut album from UK sludge/post-metal band Urzah.

The Scorching Gaze contains 42 minutes of material delivered in a charismatic hybrid metallic style. Urzah combine elements of sludge, post-metal, progressive metal, doom, and hardcore/metalcore into an exemplar of heaviness that feels timeless.

Ufomammut – Hidden (Review)

Ufomammut are an Italian doom band and this is their tenth album.

I always really enjoy catching up with Ufomammut. 2015’s Ectate, 2017’s 8, and 2022’s Fenice were all stonkingly good records, so expectations are high for the 45-minute Hidden. And, as I would have hoped, expectations have been satisfied.

Tzompantli – Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force (Review)

This is the second album from US death/doom band Tzompantli.

2022’s Tlazcaltiliztli was a record that I got a lot of enjoyment out of, so it’s great to see the return of Tzompantli once more. Beating the Drums of Ancestral Force contains 42 minutes of new material, and finds the band taking giant leaps forward in more than one way.

Pathology – Unholy Descent (Review)

Pathology are a death metal band from the US and this is their twelfth album.

2017’s Pathology, 2019’s Reborn to Kill, and 2021’s The Everlasting Plague all hit like trucks, with Pathology displaying an easy mastery of brutal death metal each time they erupted from the shadows to strike. This made me excited to experience the punishment that Unholy Descent had to offer.

Downcross – White Tower (Review)

Downcross are a black metal band from Belarus and this is their sixth album.

White Tower contains 43 minutes of melodic black metal. It’s sharp and well-performed, and Downcross showcase what they’re capable of with attitude and force.

Sidus Atrum – Розірване Небо (Torn Sky​) (Review)

This is the third album from Ukrainian black metal band Sidus Atrum.

2022’s Spiral of Life made a strong impression on me, and I really enjoyed it. This makes Розірване Небо (Torn Sky) one I’ve definitely been looking forward to. On Torn Sky Sidus Atrum have expanded to a duo, bringing us 37 minutes of new music.

Jours Pâles – Dissolution (Review)

This is the third album from French black metal act Jours Pâles.

Jours Pâles’ debut album Éclosion was a surprise hit of 2021 for me, and while 2022 follow up Tensions was a worthy successor, it was released too late in the year to impact upon list season. So, now we have 46 minutes of new material to work through on Dissolution, how have Jours Pâles fared this time around?