 Colombian melodic black / death metal band Eshtadur announce their new full-length album, "In Darkness All Shadows Gone", due for release on October 2nd, 2026 through Rockshots Records. The announcement is accompanied by “Into The Woods”, the first single and official video introducing the musical and conceptual journey behind the record. Developed over four years, "In Darkness All Shadows Gone" consists of twelve compositions combining melodic black and death metal, symphonic arrangements, layered vocals, Tuvan throat singing and atmospheric passages. Recorded with the Caldas Symphonic Orchestra, the album expands the band’s established sound while maintaining the combination of heavy riffing, dark melodies and orchestral textures that has shaped its identity. The album follows a conceptual journey through mysticism, transformation and inner transmutation. At the centre of the narrative stands The Crow, a shamanic figure moving between existence, death, emptiness and the unknown. Acting as both master and apprentice, The Crow guides the listener through a process of isolation, self-discovery and spiritual awakening, where darkness becomes not only an oppressive force but also a path towards understanding the self.
Across the record, Eshtadur explore the relationship between darkness and the light contained within each individual. The songs draw upon occult symbolism, cosmic philosophy, ancestral knowledge and human emotion, forming a continuous narrative rather than a collection of disconnected tracks. Musically, black and death metal alternate as leading forces throughout the album, supported by melodic writing, cinematic orchestration and folk-rooted elements. Jorg August comments on the creation of the album: “We worked on this material for four years. It is a long album with twelve tracks, symphonic arrangements, a real orchestra, many vocal layers and Tuvan voices. At times, it felt like a giant puzzle but everything finally came together. We are proud of the result and grateful to everyone who helped us build it. A crow is calling.” The first single, “Into The Woods” represents the call to initiation and the first step into the album’s inner world. The listener is invited to leave behind external noise and enter the forest alone, confronting silence, memory and self-delusion. Inspired by contemplative philosophies and the idea of returning to nature as a means of self-discovery, the song presents the forest as both a physical place and a metaphorical descent into consciousness. Musically, “Into The Woods” combines fast melodic and aggressive guitar riffs, alternate-picked passages, dark orchestration, dissonant elements, ancestral chants and forceful vocals. The track establishes the balance between aggression, melody and atmosphere that continues throughout the album, while its lyrics address inner turmoil, past trauma and the need to confront fear before transformation can begin. The accompanying official video focuses on frontman Jorg August, who is guided by the symbolic Crow into the forest and towards the first dimension of the album’s narrative. The visual interpretation reinforces the song’s themes of solitude, initiation and departure, presenting the journey as an individual mission in search of a deeper understanding of the self. "In Darkness All Shadows Gone" will be available from October 2nd, 2026 through Rockshots Records. The album can be pre-ordered now from the Rockshots Records store at: https://rockshots.eu/cuhb5ys9ncs1ndx The album was produced by Jorg August, who also wrote the music, lyrics, compositions and orchestral arrangements. The recordings took place at RockStar Studios Colombia, while the orchestra was recorded at Batuta’s Theater in Manizales, Colombia. The album was mixed and mastered by Tomasz “Zed” Zalewski, with additional mixing and mastering by Chris Clancy on “Fire Above Mountain Below” and “Umbra.” The cover artwork was created by Valesia Obscura. Follow Eshtadur:
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 Photo by © Tasos Anestis Rotting Christ announce a reissue of "Sanctus Diavolos," their eighth full-length, on vinyl through Season of Mist, set for release on September 11th. Originally released via Century Media in September 2004, the album is the closing chapter of the band's pre-Season of Mist, Vasilakopoulos-less line-up era, and one of the most extreme, cohesive records the group made in that stretch. "Sanctus Diavolos" was the first album Sakis Tolis wrote after the departures of long-time guitarist Costas Vasilakopoulos and keyboardist Georgios Tolias, and he absorbed both roles himself, handling guitars, keys, and vocals alongside only his brother Themis Tolis on drums and Andreas Lagios on bass. Across ten tracks the record moves from the aggression of opener "Visions of a Blind Order" through mid-tempo, riff-driven black and gothic metal, pausing at the string-and-choir interlude "Sanctimonious," before closing on the sprawling, choir-drenched title track. Thematically, it reframes its central figure as Lucifer the light-bearer, a seductive, welcoming presence, a distinction that set it apart from the band's earlier work and from most of the genre's stock devil-worship posturing. Symphonic and choral writing plays a larger role here than on any Rotting Christ record before it.
The album features a guest solo from Gus G on "Visions of a Blind Order," and choir arrangements by Christos Antoniou of Septicflesh, performed by a live eight-person choir rather than a synthesized approximation. Sanctus Diavolos was recorded at SCA Studios in Athens and mixed by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman in Sweden. Follow Rotting Christ:
 Heiden, the Czech progressive black metal band, announce their tenth full-length album, "Cma", set for release on 24 April 2026 via Epidemie Records. Available in digital, CD, and vinyl formats, the album marks a continuation of the journey begun with 2022’s acclaimed "Andzjel". The first single and official music video, “Temnoplodec”, is out now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE0wO5wXZwY Three years after the acclaimed album Andzjel, Heiden return with their tenth full-length release, Cma. The album is a direct continuation of the previous chapter, yet one that dives even deeper into darkness. Once again, Heiden’s music flows through the landscape of the Carpathian Mountains — not as a backdrop, but as an inner terrain where memory, guilt, and fear merge into a single current. Across nine tracks, Cma rises from silence and ashes, from images of remote mountain villages where time has come to a standstill, and from human stories in which borders no longer began in the land itself, but within people. Clean, hypnotic riffs and an urgent vocal delivery create a sense of inescapable tension — like a nocturnal flight through a landscape that no longer offers shelter. Emerging from the black metal underground more than twenty years ago, Heiden have never allowed themselves to be confined by genre boundaries. Their music has always been rooted in place, language, and personal experience, remaining open to experimentation and silence alike. Cma continues this path with unprecedented intensity. This is not an album that offers catharsis, strength, or comfort. It is a record of brooding reflection, heavy sorrow, and quiet dread, born from stories of the borderlands of occupied Czechoslovakia, where humanity slowly eroded under the pressure of fear and hatred. It does not seek to overwhelm the listener — instead, it draws them into a state of melancholy where the past continually resurfaces. Darkness here is not an effect, but an inseparable part of the human condition. Cma stands as the darkest album in Heiden’s history — and one of their most honest.
All songs were originally composed and recorded by Heiden, all lyrics were written by Kverd. Bass parts were composed and recorded by the band’s close friend Murky. All tracks except the bass and key were tracked during spring – beginning of summer 2025 in SHAARK recording studio, engineered by Pavel Hlavica and Petr Nejezchleba. Bass was tracked in Murky’s home studio, keys were recorded in Niche home studio & engineered by Kverd, both during the same period. The album was mixed and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén in Tri-Lamb studio during July 2025. Album cover photo was arranged and taken by Jan Škop during photo session with Jakub König. For artwork used with kind permission of the author. The band photo was taken by Tom. Ink graphics used on a cover were drawn by Kverd. Design and layout of the cover was made by Kverd. Line-up:
 Promo picture by Christian Koitla The Finnish melodic death / black metal band Se, Josta Ei Puhuta are set to release their new album, "Syvyyden Portit On Saatava Auki", on 29 May 2026 via Inverse Records. The first single 'Kuolemaa Ei Ole', accompanied by a music video, is released today and can be seen here: https://youtu.be/T7tHrBma1YU The band comments: "Kuolemaa ei ole is a declaration of rebirth and the fracture of consciousness. That which remains unspoken opens a gateway to unseen realms, where the end is not an ending but a transition. The song simmers beneath the surface, shifting in intensity as if an ancient force were awakening within a body long believed to be dead. Interwoven guitar harmonies guide the listener from one layer to another, creating a tense yet unexpectedly warm atmosphere. Resurrection does not occur through light, but through darkness, where the old self is abandoned and a new form is born. For this reason, Kuolemaa ei ole is a natural choice as the album’s first release. It is a beginning, but also a reminder of eternity. The song functions as a ritual in which the concept of death is stripped of its meaning. What remains is movement, continuation, and an endless cycle. We have seen the light, we have risen from the dead, this eternity is but a blink of an eye in the vastness of eternities." LISTEN to the single on streaming services: https://push.fm/fl/sjep-kuolemaa
CD PRE-ORDERS from Inverse Store.
 Indian extreme metal veterans Demonic Resurrection have released a new EP 'Apocalyptic Dawn' The 3 song EP features 2 new tracks along with a re-recorded version of the band's 2005 track 'Apocalyptic Dawn'. The release showcases the talents of the new line-up of Aditya Swaminathan (Lead Guitar), Swarnava Sengupta (Bass) and Nikhil Rajkumar (Drums). The band collaborated with keyboardist and vocalist Anabelle Iratni (Veile, ex-Cradle Of Filth) to lay down keys for this record. While Keshav Dhar (Skyharbor) has mixed and mastered it. The artwork has been created by Gaurav Basu aka Acid Toad.
 Leaders and titans of Symphonic Black Metal, Hecate Enthroned return seven years since the release of the group’s last album with a new, vicious single! “Gallery of Rotting Portraits” is now online at all digital platforms, or watch the lyric video (created by Jack Maguire from artwork by Erskine Designs) here https://youtu.be/UyS7z94yEUk?si=BZWz2IUUh_CADwIt "The single takes its name from the morbid preservation of the peat bogs, where bodies like the Lindow Man have rested for centuries,” - explains bassist Dylan Hughes. “‘A Gallery of Rotting Portraits’ uses these 'pagan sacrifices' as a metaphor for obsolete devotion. It captures the jarring disconnect of unearthing a ritualized past only to find it stripped of its power. The song confronts the cold reality that while the bodies remain, the spirits and superstitions that put them there have long since rotted away, leaving us in a world devoid of its ancient magic." “Gallery of Rotting Portraits” gives us the first glimpse of the much anticipated new Hecate Enthroned album ‘The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried’ to be released May 29 on Digipak CD, limited-edition coloured vinyl including 250 Boreal Light (EU) and 250 Draconic Vision (US) variants, and digital. Also pre-order package available with exclusive merch design. Pre-Order now at www.m-theoryaudio.com/store
‘The Corpse of a Titan, A Lament Long Buried’ is once again produced by Hecate Enthroned and Dan Abela (Akercocke, Bleed From Within, Annal Nathrakh), who also mixed/mastered the album with cover art created by Erskine Designs (Inanimate Existence, Bleed The Sky). Regarding the new Hecate Enthroned album Dylan continues, “Our first release since 2019, these are huge, epic, hard-hitting songs carved in the traditional Hecate Enthroned way with a menacing veil delivered with a crisp punch. Lyrically based around ancient British myths and legends.” HECATE ENTHRONED is: Joe Stamps – Vocals Nige Dennan – guitar Andy Milnes – guitar Dylan Hughes – bass Pete White – piano/keyboards Matt Holmes – drums www.m-theoryaudio.com www.facebook.com/hecateenthroned www.instagram.com/hecateenthronedofficial https://hecateenthroned.bandcamp.com  Band photo by Tom Hens, edit by Kristien Cools, background by Aaron Bonogofsky© Belgian Atmospheric Black / Doom Metal band Splendidula presents 'Kilte', the second single from their upcoming album "Absentia", set for release on April 3 2026, via Argonauta Records. Following the emotionally charged first single 'Echoes Of Quiet Remain', Kilte stands as the album’s most intense and searing moment. Tormented screams, relentless energy and hauntingly atmospheric passages ultimately unfold into a lingering climax, carrying the listener through a frozen landscape of grief, isolation and inner torment. Pre-orders for Absentia are now live at Argonauta Records and Bandcamp Written in the aftermath of several personal tragedies, Absentia opens a new and vulnerable chapter for Splendidula. The album was created during a period marked by the passing of loved ones, including bassist Peter Chromiak. Musically, the band blends black metal and doom with fragile atmospheric passages, creating a sound drenched in sorrow, tension and introspection. Watch the lyric video for Kilte: https://youtu.be/qaVqOM5BbrY Listen to the single Kilte on all streaming services: https://song.link/splendidula_kilte Vocalist Kristien comments: “The lyrics for Kilte (Dutch for Coldness) were written in the immediate aftermath of personal loss, born in tears and carrying an unbearable weight. Choosing our native language allowed the emotions to surface without filters. Grief, emptiness, and inner struggle are woven deeply into the song, with the music reflecting a journey through sorrow, isolation, and vulnerability. It has become the track we feel most intensely when performing live, and at first, singing it was almost too heavy to bear. We hope that same emotional intensity reaches the listener just as deeply.” Bandcamp YouTube Spotify https://www.argonautarecords.com/  Photo credit: Aaron Scott Napalm Records is proud to announce the signing of England's black metal legends, Winterfylleth. To celebrate this new partnership, the band unveils a new album, "The Unyielding Season", set for release on 27th March. Making a stand, Winterfylleth's ninth album is a social commentary wrapped in meticulously crafted poetry and prose. Where the preceding album, The Imperious Horizon (2024), described an ominous, malevolent force, lurking in the distance, The Unyielding Season now explores said threat becoming a reality. The raging wildfire to its predecessor’s calculating, icy cold, Winterfylleth’s first offering for their new record label is a reflection and a rebellion against the turmoil tearing individuals apart. It is a cry against the unsustainable weight of fear and pressure being pushed into the world, by the agents of an non-resting, and unyielding force for evil. The first glimpse into the infernal release is 'Heroes of a Hundred Fields'. Winterfylleth weave an epic story into a raging battle hymn, describing brave minds joining forces against a common oppressor to fight for their freedom.
Winterfylleth about 'Heroes of a Hundred Fields"- "'Heroes of a Hundred Fields’ is framed in a wartime, battlefield setting and uses the premise of soldiers coming together, united as brothers, to fight against a foe who are powerful, oppressive, and domineering. It talks about how people should come together and fight for the freedoms they have and not succumb to those who would attack them and try to weaken them (or take them away entirely). There have been so many ideas and schemes pushed into the world over the last few years that only serve to erode people’s personal freedoms, slowly, little-by-little, until they are gone. This song talks about ‘lighting the beacons of rebellion’ against those who would seek to undermine the way of life and freedom that we all – hopefully – hold dear.” Where our surroundings grow more challenging every day, Winterfylleth offers a pause for respite and resistance. The world is on fire, and The Unyielding Season is a warning. Winterfylleth about The Unyielding Season: “2026 marks a year of big changes for Winterfylleth! A new label, a new member, a new album, and the landmark of 20 years making music together. We are enthused by what this new chapter will bring, and as a result, we are now able to share our ninth album, The Unyielding Season, with the world. It is also a powerful and virulent first output, through which we seal our new collaboration with Napalm Records. In many ways, the new album is a reflection on – and a rebellion against – the turmoil’s and fears that are tearing the lives of many individuals apart. It is a cry against the unsustainable & constant weight of malevolence and pressure being pushed into the world by agents of an un-resting and unyielding force for evil. We hope the album resonates with you, stirs your soul, and gives you a source for hope. But, we also hope it makes you ask questions of your own circumstances and gives you pause to consider the unnerving state of the world we all share.”
'Heroes of a Hundred Fields' is the first revolt on their ten-song manifesto, describing brave minds joining forces against a common oppressor to fight for their freedom. The song unfolds in marvellous grandeur as chants of “Rebellions beacons now alight”, ring out against a tide of evil. With 'Echoes In The After', Winterfylleth deliver a striking epic: adapted from a poem by Sir Philip Sidney’s late 16th-century romance “The Countess Of Pembroke’s Arcadia”, the track was written as a reaction to the felling of the famous 'Robin Hood' tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall, in the North East of the UK. The following track, 'A Hollow Existence', opens up with galloping drums and explodes into equally aggressive and atmospheric black metal fireworks. The band’s trademark sound continues throughout 'Perdition’s Flame' into the album’s title track, a powerful observation of our world’s current situation and a voice for those silenced by its hostility. Atmospheric masters Winterfylleth then pause their rage, making room for 'Unspoken Elegy', an acoustic guitar-driven instrumental enriched by equally hopeful and menacing cello melodies, a hauntingly beautiful illustration of the dichotomy within The Unyielding Season. 'In Ashen Wake' takes up the perilous undertone, taking its time before unveiling itself as another highly melodic black metal saga. 'Toward Elysium' expands on that with a strong, old-school-inspired guitar riff, thrilling and catchy. Following another instrumental, the beautifully structured 'Where Dreams Once Grew', Winterfylleth end the album running order with a bonus track, a cover of fellow Brits Paradise Lost’s 'Enchantment', originally released as the opening track on their 1995 classic Draconian Times. Winterfylleth will bring The Unyielding Season to the stage this April, touring the UK and Ireland alongside Blackbraid and Noctem.
Facebook || Instagram || Bandcamp  Photo: Uljas Blind Visions Finnish Blackened Death metallers Saasta's new single The Leeches is a grittily realistic depiction of present-day and past societies, in which the world’s small, blood-sucking elite disguised as sirs and lords - rip everything from the common person, down to their very hope and health. The story can be seen as the complete failure of a beautiful future utopia. A human being works throughout their life only to be drained dry and thrown into a pit once they are no longer considered productive enough by the ruling elite. In the end, does a civilized society differ at all from livestock farming? Musically, the track combines black and death metal in Saasta’s characteristic way, with death metal’s brute force ensuring that the black metal message reaches the listener’s deepest core. The single’s cover art and the music video were created with a raw DIY spirit by Saasta.
Saasta is an extreme metal band from Kotka, Finland. Formed in 2020 the band combines the mercilessness of black and death metal, with the more subtle nuances of doom. The combination is dark and groovy metal with its own distinctive sound, where strong lyrical expression meets raw energy. Saasta is known for their intense stage presence and uncompromising effort. Vocals – Leevi Kärsämä Guitar – Topias Jokipii Bass Guitar – Janne Hietanen Drums – Jimi Lahtinen https://www.saastaofficial.com/ https://www.facebook.com/saastaofficial https://www.instagram.com/saastaofficial https://saasta.bandcamp.com/  Indian metal veterans Demonic Resurrection who are celebrating 25 years have just announced the release of a new EP on 6th Feb 2026. The new EP is titled 'Apocalyptic Dawn' and has artwork done by Gaurav Basu aka Acid Toad. The EP features 3 songs recorded by the new line-up featuring Demonstealer, Aditya Swaminathan, Nikhil Rajkumar and Swarnava Sengupta. The band also recruited the talents of Anabelle Iratni (Veille/ex-Cradle of Filth) for the keyboards on the EP. While Keshav Dhar (Skyharbor) has mixed and mastered it.
The band has also tied up with Transcending Obscurity Records to release merchandise worldwide. Their new designs are available at https://tometal.com/?s=demonic+resurrection Demonstealer says: "Not many bands make it to 25 years. Even few bands make it to 25 years being from India 🇮🇳. To celebrate this monumental milestone we are proud to announce our brand new EP ‘Apocalyptic Dawn’ which celebrates the legacy of the band but also kick stars the next chapter in our journey." The EP releases independently and can be streamed on all digital music services. |
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