After kicking off the (proper) revival of old-school Symphonic Black Metal back in 2018 with “Netherstorm”, Vargrav has cranked out a few additional masterful releases. With “Dimension: Daemonium”, the band comes back after 3 years with eight tracks and over 42-minutes of their high-octane retro-inspired music, filled with dramatic synths and chilling atmospheres. For those fans of the genre, this release showcases Vargrav’s creativity and knack for writing some truly epic songs.

Setting a very cinematic and theatrical mood with the opener, the blistering “Ablaze Upon the Nocturnal Realms” unleashes that frosty old-school Symphonic Black Metal vibe as the magical keyboards permeate the atmosphere. Don’t get us wrong, the band is more than its atmospherics as their riffs are vicious, the drumming is punishing, and the vocals, handled by Graf Werwolf Von Armageddon (of Satanic Warmaster, etc.) since 2023, create a very cohesive and ravaging Black Metal core as “Moonfrost Storms”, “Dragons of Nightmare”, and “The Gates of My Dimension” showcase.

Just when you think you have heard enough Finnish Melodic Death Metal, a band like Crowen comes around and lets you know that you can always enjoy some more. In their latest EP, “Through the Dying Mist”, the band combines elements from all the greats: Wolfheart, Before the Dawn, Insomnium, Dawn of Solace, etc. Unleashing 16-minutes of high-octane music, this release is the perfect addition for any fan of the genre, as it is unique enough to not be labeled a clone of the previously mentioned outfits.

Unleashing hell on earth, today we have Relic with their hard-hitting EP “Crown of Flies”. Featuring four songs and over 10-minutes of crushing Death/Black Metal, the band makes a serious introduction with some of the most crushing music released in 2026. If you are looking for a heavy release to mosh till you drop, this is a diamond in the rough.

Hailing from the UK, today we have Industrial Death/Black Metal outfit The Machinist with their latest EP “Towers”. Featuring a futuristic and yet pretty crushing sound, this British trio unleashes all hell for over 24 minutes. With hefty influences from bands like Mysticum and Malignant Eternal, the band also incorporates additional influences to create very engaging and atmospheric songs.

Continuing their musical journey outside of the confines of their original Post-Black Metal sound, today we have Markus Skye and Lantlôs, with their latest effort “Nowhere in Between Forever”. First off, for anybody expecting the old sound, they should have realized by now that Markus and company have embarked into more experimental territories since “Melting Sun”, and this one takes the band’s sound into more Alternative Metal territories with some Post-Punk, Electronic, and Shoegazey elements thrown into the mix.

Opening with the vibrant “Daisies”, we get crunchy and playful distorted guitars with some masterful atmospherics, in a very magical Shoegazey way. With some elements of bands like Deftones and Holy Fawn, the songs in this release are beautiful sonic exploration of unique combinations, like the electronics of “Cherries”, the 90’s vibes of “Oxygen”, and the dreamy video-game esque atmospherics of “Jeanet”. There are definitely no fillers in this release as each track creates its own unique aural universe with very lively vibes like “Numb TV Superstar” and “Solar Death”.

Unleashing one of the most explosive and expansive Atmospheric Black Metal releases of the last few years, today we have Antrisch and their sophomore full-length release “Expedition III: Renitenzpfad”. Clocking in at nearly 50-minutes of music, this release creates a very thick and tense atmosphere that is benefitted with sprinkles of Doom/Ambient/Djent elements around a fierce and punishing Black Metal core.

Opening with the mysterious “I. Prolog - Conquista”, the band creates a very cinematic experience that quickly escalates with Maurice Wilson’s fierce shrieks and the band’s superbly crafty guitar work. The album’s lyrical narrative focuses on Pedro de Ursúa's Amazon expedition of 1560, delivering a very unique and powerful cinematic experience. Particularly, the mixture of passages in both Spanish and German, creates a very immersive and unique experience throughout the release.

Completely unexpected and totally out of the blue, 2026 sees the return of the mighty Neurosis with none other than Aaron Turner on vocals and guitars. If the band’s return wasn’t enough, they also dropped a monumental release with the crushing “An Undying Love For A Burning World”. With over 63 minutes of music, the band takes the listener through their cavernous and visceral sound, delivering some of their finest songs to date.

Ripping things wide open with the crafty “Mirror Deep”, we get the back coming back in their best form with a wall of punishing riffs and massive drumming. The addition of Aaron Turner is quickly evident with his signature snarl alongside Steve Von Till’s. The band’s sound has always been quite cavernous and filled with slower and atmospheric sections, and the opener alongside “First Red Rays”, and “Blind” continue the tradition. There is a certain sense of hopelessness that the band masterfully conveys through their crushing distortion alongside subtle and yet powerful atmospheric synths, point in case, the pummeling and yet hypnotic “Seething and Scattered”.

It has been quite a while since we heard from Melechesh and their unique Black/Death Metal, thankfully “Sentinels of Shamash” is a little taste of what is to come from the band. Featuring three songs and over 21-minutes of music, mastermind Ashmedi returns with a vengeance. Filled with aggression and a hefty dose of melody, this release showcases the band hasn't lost a step and it is ready for bigger and greater things.

Unleashing one of the coolest Black Metal releases of 2026, today we have Tulus with “Morbid Desires”. As one of the first Norwegian Black Metal bands, Tulus made some great cult releases in the 90’s and disappeared for quite a while (into other projects). However, the band came back after a while, but has been more active and productive in the 2020’s. With a very old-school sound that bleeds into Black’n’Roll territories, the band has that frosty magic that comes from the heydays of the genre.

Opening with the blistering “Salme II”, Tulus means business with a vicious onslaught of fierce riffing and crafty drumming. The track takes on some truly haunting atmospheric tour with eerie clean vocals and some magical acoustic guitars. This opener showcases the magic of Tulus, as it quickly draws you with nostalgia and craftiness. The band’s sleazier and more Black’n’Roll side comes alive with crafty songs like “Skabb”, “Kistesmed” and “Vanvidd”, which are masterfully executed to create a very decadent vibe.

Keeping up with their one release a year consistency, Finland’s Hanging Garden return this time with their latest full-length “Isle of Bliss”. Featuring their usual doom and gloom sound, but this time with more fierce onslaughts, the band sets a very melancholic vibe for nearly 50-minutes of highly engaging music. Compared to outfits like Swallow the Sun, Rapture, Insomnium, etc. the band further expands their musical palette in this excellent release.

Opening with the fierce “To Outlive the Nine Ravens”, we were caught completely by surprise on how brutal this track was. Until the layered vocal arrangements came on, we thought that we were listening to a different band. This explosivity nicely continues as “Eternal Trees of Turquoise” comes along, but progressively moves the band into their more familiar Doomy and melancholic territories. With the album title track, we are fully back to the band’s bread and butter Death/Doom/Gothic Metal with a very mellow and magical piece, thanks to Riikka Hatakka and Toni Hatakka dueting.