If the great anticipation of the band’s first full-length release in nine years wasn’t enough, the band created all kinds of additional hype with their masterfully executed missing persons faux report in late 2025. For the uninitiated, Slagmaur is one of the truly weirdest and more mysterious Avant-garde Black Metal outfits to ever come out of Norway, with their intense live performances and insane music. With all the hype around “Hulders Ritual”, we can confirm that the hype is real as this release propels the band to the next level.

Opening with the fierce “Ritual Dogs”, we quickly get that raw and cavernous Norwegian Black Metal sound of yesteryears alongside some funky atmospherics. That initial impression quickly evolves into the buzzsawing guitars of “Wildkatze”, which is less raw and more typical Slagmaur, repetitive, crafty and intense. Eliciting a visceral reaction, the opening riffs of “Huldergeist” are brutal and haunting, creating a truly immersive and ravaging experience.

Bringing back some memories of the good old days of White Zombie and their seminal “Astro-Creep: 2000”, Rob Zombie is set to unleash “The Great Satan” this February. While we haven’t kept track of his musical antics for quite a while, it is nice to hear that the music is still fun, heavy, and full of catchiness. Featuring fifteen tracks and nearly 40 minutes of music, this release has something for his fans of any period of Rob Zombie’s career.

Opening with the one-two punch of “F.T.W 84” and “Tarantula”, catchiness takes center stage alongside meaty riffs and Rob’s signature snarl. Things continue to get interesting as “(I’m a) Rock ‘N’ Roller” gave us some nice White Zombie-meets-Marilyn Manson esque vibes, while “Heather Days” unleashes the heavier side of the band, and “Black Rat Coffin” delivers the playfulness we expected.

Opening with the expansive “Axis”, the band sets a very lively vibe with soaring vocal arrangements, intricate bass guitar lines, and very engaging tempo changes. Things get heavier with the powerful “Languish”, a song that features Chaney Crabb of Entheos on guest vocals. The band’s ability to switch from full on Prog mode into heavier territories is perfectly showcased in the magical “Sirens”, a very engaging song full of technical wizardry and engaging melodies.

Opening with a dramatic overture, the release sets a very cinematic opening that quickly shapes into the catchy futuristic vibes of “Major Threat”, a complete banger that sets the mood for a very lively release. Masterfully crafting an aural journey, the listener will be quickly immersed in this release as tracks like “Leather Temple”, and “She Rules the Ruins” blast their way around dramatic synth arrangements and masterful tempo changes.

Hailing from Brazil, today we have Progressive Death Metal outfit Abstracted and their captivating sophomore release “Hiraeth”. Featuring a very well crafted and intricate sound that reminds us of bands like Obscura, Persefone, and similar outfits, the band unleashes seven tracks and over 50 minutes of high-octane music. Highly recommended for fans of crafty and well executed music, this release is full of surprises.

Opening with the expansive “Axis”, the band sets a very lively vibe with soaring vocal arrangements, intricate bass guitar lines, and very engaging tempo changes. Things get heavier with the powerful “Languish”, a song that features Chaney Crabb of Entheos on guest vocals. The band’s ability to switch from full on Prog mode into heavier territories is perfectly showcased in the magical “Sirens”, a very engaging song full of technical wizardry and engaging melodies.

Unleashing a highly melancholic and very diverse take on Black Metal, today we have Bizarrekult and their third full-length release “Alt som finnes”. Featuring eight tracks and over 42 minutes of music, this album delves into the vowels of old-school BM, while touching the more unique and expansive confines of Post-Black Metal/Avant-garde Black Metal. As a whole, this release is full of surprises and excellent corners to explore.

Opening with the moody “Hun”, we get a small glimpse into the band’s more atmospheric inclinations alongside a hearty dose of punishing riffs. Things quickly escalate with the piercing “Blikket hennes”, and its waves of pummeling drumming, which also features Vicotnik (DHG, ex-Code) on guest vocals. This track creates that bleak and desolate ambiance of old-school Norwegian Black Metal, while adding some extra layers of madness, particularly the super catchy clean vocal passages.

It has been a while since Symphonic/Melodic Black Metal outfit, Saille, has released a full length album. Luckily for us, “Forbode” marks the band’s sixth release and it delivers nine tracks and over 52 minutes of high-octane music. Featuring 4 new songs, one re-interpretation and one extended version of older tracks, and three live offerings, the band showcases they still have some killer chops to unleash crafty and engaging music.

Opening with the lush “Deception of Decadence”, we get a blistering pace and whirlwind guitar riffing, creating a very immersive atmosphere. Reinier Schenk’s the band’s remaining original member unleashes vicious guitar onslaughts that nicely change tempos and allow for the immersive atmospherics to permeate. New members, Jasper van Minnen and Wessel van Oostrum do an excellent job at drums and bass guitar respectively, showcasing their fury on blistering tracks like “Cycle of Cynicism”.

After a series of demos over the years, Atlanta’s Malefic unleashes their debut full-length with the crafty “Impermenance”. Delivering nine tracks and around 38 minutes of high-octane music, this release is for the diehard fans of Black/Death Metal with plenty of melody and aggression. Headbanging from start to finish, this album will leave you neck sore and wanting more.

Opening with the dynamism of “Blood of the Throne”, we immediately get a taste of the technically mature and proficient abilities of the band in crafting catchy and engaging songs. As the band pummels through tracks like “In Darkest Dreams”, “Of Gods and Man”, “Idiocracy”, and “Deserter”, we further appreciate the band’s core influences taking elements from old-school Death Metal greats like Grave, to Blackened Death Metal influences from Dissection and Necrophobic.

Proving their intoxicating 2024 release “Fire Blades from the Tomb” was not a fluke, Italian outfit Ponte Del Diavolo returns with another brilliant exercise in blending genres with “De Venom Natura”. Further evolving their sultry Post-Punk/Doom/Black Metal sound, the band returns with seven tracks and around 40 minutes of hypnotic music. If you are looking for a band that defies stereotypes and has a truly unique and haunting sound, do not miss out on this release.

Opening with “Every Tongue Has Its Thorns”, the band quickly sets a very sultry and intoxicating backdrop with fuzzy guitars and crafty drums. However, one of the standout elements has to be Erba del Diavolo’s mysterious vocals, and how they blend between Black Metal riffs, crafty atmospherics and suddenly transform to fierce harsh vocals. Just when you think the album will go in one direction, tracks like “Lunga vita alla necrosi” showcase the band’s more theatrical and playful side, with its Post-Punk influences and crafty tempo changes.

Unleashing frosty and fierce old-school Black Metal onslaughts, today we have Switzerland's Ernet and their fourth full-length release “Der schwarzen Flamme Vermächtnis”. With a very ravagaging and punishing style, this duo delivers over 36 minutes of harsh music that brings back some of the late 90’s Scandinavian harshness with updated production values.