Create your Metal Academy account.

It's free and only takes a minute.

Join Metal Academy Today

Latest Releases See more

Woe Unto Me - Along the Meandering Ordeals, Reshape the Pivot of Harmony

Woe Unto Me - Along the Meandering Ordeals, Reshape the Pivot of Harmony (2023)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Woe Unto Me - Among the Lightened Skies the Voidness Flashed

Woe Unto Me - Among the Lightened Skies the Voidness Flashed (2017)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Woe Unto Me - A Step Into the Waters of Forgetfulness

Woe Unto Me - A Step Into the Waters of Forgetfulness (2014)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Woe Unto Me - Spiral-Shaped Hopewreck

Woe Unto Me - Spiral-Shaped Hopewreck (2021)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Tribunal - In Penitence and Ruin

Tribunal - In Penitence and Ruin (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Darkmatter - The Anatomy of Violence

Darkmatter - The Anatomy of Violence (2023)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Darkmatter - Project Darkmatter

Darkmatter - Project Darkmatter (2022)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Underoath - The Place After This One

Underoath - The Place After This One (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 1
Reviews: 1
Site Rating
3.5
Clan Rating
3.5
Magnolia Park - Vamp

Magnolia Park - Vamp (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Suns of the Tundra - The Only Equation

Suns of the Tundra - The Only Equation (2023)

Added: April 14, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Elvenking - Reader of the Runes – Luna

Elvenking - Reader of the Runes – Luna (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Dogma - Dogma

Dogma - Dogma (2023)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Zeicrydeus - La Grande Heresie

Zeicrydeus - La Grande Heresie (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Arktida - Музыка ветра, земли и огня

Arktida - Музыка ветра, земли и огня (2023)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Arktida - Singles

Arktida - Singles (2020)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Diabolizer - Murderous Revelations

Diabolizer - Murderous Revelations (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Impurity (SWE) - The Eternal Sleep

Impurity (SWE) - The Eternal Sleep (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Terminal Function - The Symbiont

Terminal Function - The Symbiont (2024)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Oculus - Of Temples and Vultures

Oculus - Of Temples and Vultures (2023)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Oculus - Relinquishment of Existence

Oculus - Relinquishment of Existence (2020)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Flummox - Southern Progress

Flummox - Southern Progress (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Flummox - Live at Hop Springs

Flummox - Live at Hop Springs (2023)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Cave Sermon - Fragile Wings

Cave Sermon - Fragile Wings (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Ostraca - Eventualities

Ostraca - Eventualities (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Terminal Function - The Symbiont

Terminal Function - The Symbiont (2024)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Elderwind - Древнее Древних Older Than Ancient

Elderwind - Древнее Древних Older Than Ancient (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Sammale - Ikiharmaja (Evergrey)

Sammale - Ikiharmaja (Evergrey) (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Sammale - Finno-Ugric

Sammale - Finno-Ugric (2023)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Sammale - Sammale

Sammale - Sammale (2022)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Aran Angmar - Ordo Diabolicum

Aran Angmar - Ordo Diabolicum (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Void (USA) - Horrors of Reality

Void (USA) - Horrors of Reality (2023)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Atonement - Sadistic Invaders

Atonement - Sadistic Invaders (2023)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Bloody Vengeance - Ruido de guerra

Bloody Vengeance - Ruido de guerra (2023)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Bloody Vengeance - Destruição nuclear

Bloody Vengeance - Destruição nuclear (2014)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Zeicrydeus - La Grande Heresie

Zeicrydeus - La Grande Heresie (2025)

Added: April 21, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Long.way.down. - Until There's Nothing Left...

Long.way.down. - Until There's Nothing Left... (2023)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Long.way.down. - Three_final_notes

Long.way.down. - Three_final_notes (2020)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Harmonys Demise - Four Songs

Harmonys Demise - Four Songs (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Denouement. - Denouement.

Denouement. - Denouement. (2025)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Dreaming Maria - The Silence It Left Behind

Dreaming Maria - The Silence It Left Behind (2023)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Horskh - BODY

Horskh - BODY (2024)

Added: April 22, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Wicked, The - ...For Theirs Is the Flesh

Wicked, The - ...For Theirs Is the Flesh (2002)

Added: April 15, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Ensoph - Rex Mundi X-Ile

Ensoph - Rex Mundi X-Ile (2009)

Added: April 14, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Ensoph - Project X-Katon

Ensoph - Project X-Katon (2006)

Added: April 14, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0
Ensoph - Opus dementiae - Per speculum et in aenigmate

Ensoph - Opus dementiae - Per speculum et in aenigmate (2004)

Added: April 14, 2025
Ratings: 0
Reviews: 0
Site Rating
0.0
Clan Rating
0.0

Clans

The Fallen
The Fallen

Members: 184

Releases: 7630

The Gateway
The Gateway

Members: 68

Releases: 2965

The Guardians
The Guardians

Members: 193

Releases: 9514

The Horde
The Horde

Members: 242

Releases: 12537

The Infinite
The Infinite

Members: 142

Releases: 6184

The North
The North

Members: 195

Releases: 13901

The Pit
The Pit

Members: 206

Releases: 5658

The Revolution
The Revolution

Members: 47

Releases: 4641

The Sphere
The Sphere

Members: 34

Releases: 1121

De kronieken van het verdwenen kasteel III: Grunsfoort

The final EP (to date) in this series ‘…:Grunsfoort’ harks back to the jangly tremolo and melodic gallop of Drudkh to kick things off this time.  Opening track ‘Sediment der Impressies’ again picks up where the previous EP left off some 18 months ago, trailing an air of accessibility and directness to its presence.  For the most part, this is a well-balanced track in terms of pace.  It measures the urgency of the tremolo with passages of thoughtful refrain and folky strings that really sound like they are grounding the track.  There is also a strong bass presence here as well which really does add depth to the slower parts.  The track does seem to lose its way about two-thirds of the way through, disappearing into an unexpected dark ambient section before racing back for the final meeting.  This feels disruptive, like they thought about ending the track there but changed their mind.

The strong, yet never intrusive bass, is retained on ‘Grunsfoort in de mist’.  Opting for a slower pace to start this time around the track also deploys acoustic strings to good effect, using them to herald the arrival of additional layers on proceedings.  This is the standout track on the release for me.  It is thoughtfully composed and builds up well.  The rich melodic aspects are never at the expense of the directness and despite the more softer approach, the band avoids ‘gaze’ territory in the main and still delivers a haunting and ethereal experience to draw the track to a close.

Whether this is the totality of the series or not, these three EPs are strong as a collective.  My criticisms are never items that necessarily diminish from my overall enjoyment of the series and they do showcase the talent, ability and influences of the duo involved here.  I would recommend playing them back to back to truly appreciate them but they do also work in isolation.

Read more...
Vinny Vinny / April 24, 2025 09:26 PM
De kronieken van het verdwenen kasteel II: Nergena

Landing just three months after the first EP in this series, Fluisteraars picked up on ‘…:Nergena’ pretty much where they left off on ‘…:Harslo’ back in March.  The dashing tremolos on opening track ‘De man, Zon van de Doden’ coupled with the erratic folk sounding instrumentation alongside more calming, clean and choral vocal sections make for an interesting start to proceedings.  Instrumentally, this EP feels a little more complex than its predecessor but it still manages to retain a rhythm that sticks in the brain making the opening track easy enough to follow.

When we get to the second offering here, ‘De Mystiek Rondom de Steen des Hamers’, we see a more direct approach.  This folky, chiming and pagan sounding track retains a catchiness that leaves me very much reminded of Havukruunu.  It is a very earthy sounding track that use melody intelligently to accentuate the softer nature to the bands sound.  It feels very relaxed in pace also and the jangly tremolo is less fuzzy here than on the opening track on the first EP.  It is kind of a chilled experience overall on this second track.

For me, I prefer the first EP over this one.  Whilst I respect the direct nature and earthiness that gets introduced here, I was kind of enjoying the more chaotic and eclectic elements that got called out in my review of the first release in the series.  Still there’s nothing bad here, just not as enjoyable as the first.

Read more...
Vinny Vinny / April 24, 2025 09:11 PM
De Kronieken van het Verdwenen Kasteel I: Harslo

This two track EP from Dutch post-black metal outfit Fluisteraars, is the first of a trio of releases in the series (I am not sure how many there will be in the end, however the third instalment just got released in 2025).  Using the Dutch word for “Whisperers” as their band name is actually a good indication of how I find their sound.  Refusing to be drawn on exactly what type of a band they are in interviews, I find them to be a modern take on the the sub-genre of black metal in the sense that they infer a black metal aesthetic but seem to only whisper this.  There’s a definite Oranssi Pazuzu vibe to opening track ‘Dromen van de zon’ for instance.  The chaos of the guitar is underlined by a shrill tremolo that rides atop of crashing and dashing percussion and wild, shouted vocals.

The jangly edge to the tremolo does remind me of Drudkh somewhat, yet it retains a fuzzy, almost psychedelic and warm tone also.  There is also an intensity to the track that brings Wiegedood to mind.  That deranged edge to proceedings in particular draws this comparison.  Track number two on the release ‘ De konig de werd ontedkt tidens de blootlegging van de nieuwe dimensie’ has the vastness of ‘Blaze…’ or ‘Transylvanian…’ era Darkthrone to my ears.  It has a heavy atmospheric element to it also and touches on the horror of perhaps Leviathan or Xasthur too.

Whispered or not, there’s no denying the influence of black metal on the sound of Fluisteraars. The post elements fit well also, arguably being an extension of atmospheric black metal as opposed to outright post-metal.  There are chimes and and keys here that would not be out of place on a dungeon synth record and so I would say the influences here are far reaching, beyond what you may initially hear upon putting this on.

Read more...
Vinny Vinny / April 24, 2025 08:55 PM
Beyond the Permafrost

During the first quarter of the 21st century, there has been no thrash metal band that has piqued my interest in the genre quite like Skeletonwitch. They have been one of my most consistently solid bands in the genre since I really started paying attention around 2007, and only grew in popularity for me when I started to embrace the more extreme of the metal subgenres around 2010. Skeletonwitch's brand of old school Iron Maiden riffs, modified with faster grooves, a healthy dose of death metal guttural vocals and a sprinkle of black metal tossed in just to keep you guessing. Beyond the Permafrost was not my first exposure to this band, but after hearing it in full again, it really gets to the crux of my main concern with thrash metal as a whole.

And that concern is in the songwriting. Yeah, I can admit that Beyond the Permafrost can be a bit one-note at times, especially the longer it goes on, but that one-note mentality allows for this album to be far more concise than a typical thrash metal album. Skeletonwitch do not waste any time here as songs are concise and poignant. Guitar does play an integral role here, but the guitar solos are quick, technically impressive and get us back to the meat-and-potatoes expediently, while the main riffs almost take the form of an earworm considering how many times you hear them played over such a short period of time. 

Given that Skeletonwitch are not a full fledged tribute/homage band to the early "extreme" thrash giants like Slayer and Possessed, the album does have some variety. You will hear the occasional blast beat in the percussion, but they serve primarily as fills and embellishment rather than forming the grooves. What makes the comparisons make sense is when Skeletonwitch break out into a black metal riff with open chordal guitar harmonies and slower percussion grooves. While songs like "Remains of the Defeated" serve as too much of a good thing as well as an interlude, it isn't like the drastic style change is out-of-pocket, since Skeletonwitch have been embracing these types of grooves throughout the record. 

One thing that I would love for Skeletonwitch to embrace would be a couple of longer songs to show off their songwriting capability over an extended timeframe. The bands most recent album, Devouring Radiant Light does exactly that and would serve as quality, complimentary listening material if you find this album to be too simple for its own sake. As for me, I like the simplicity of Beyond the Permafrost more than most and pieces of it reminds me of early Kreator and more recently, Power Trip and Enforced. 

Best Songs: Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod, Beyond the Permafrost, Cast into the Open Sea, Soul Thrashing Black Sorcery, Within My Blood

Read more...
Saxy S Saxy S / April 24, 2025 03:15 PM
Vortex of the Destroyer

If I had my time again, I would start listening to black metal a lot sooner than I did. The peak of the scene was around the time when I was just turning into a teenager and there was no mention whatsoever of black metal amongst my metalhead mates at the time. We were all about death metal, thrash metal and heavy metal and I cannot recall the likes of Burzum, Mayhem, Emperor or Satyricon ever entering conversation even, across five years of high school. As such, I have always felt like I have missed out on the true essence of black metal, my initial, stronger, affiliation with death metal being largely because I was watching it grow in front of my very eyes. Whilst I have many memorable experiences listening to black metal in my adult years, some of the same emotions that I feel when listening to say De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, can never be the same as when I listen to Slowly We Rot. I guess then, that when I am looking for the ultimate experience of black metal when I get to a new release or one that I have not heard despite it being available for years, is that sense of true passion and excitement for the art that I feel I missed out on back in the day. Albums like the latest by Svartsyn.

It is all here for the taking for me. Themes of Satanism, death, ritualistic offerings and dark mythology are what help pique my interest on most metal records. When they are as well integrated into a wall of crawling, lumbering, threatening and menacing black metal music such as Vortex of the Destroyer, then this is the icing on the cake. Ornias sounds genuinely deranged on here, his vocals are as pestilent as the vilest of diseases, his riffs are relentless sorties of marauding layers of darkness hammered home by guest drummer Ignace Verstrate’s (the aptly nicknamed Hammerman) unabating pounding on the skins. It is the dead body the kids find out by the lake one day. Bloated with filth, hissing noxious gases from its orifices, its flesh infested with all manner of crawling things. If you need a quick teaser of VotD at its best, throw on the amazing ‘Utter Northern Darkness’ and you will soon be met with the type of barrage of fury you can expect from pretty much all ten tracks on offer here.

Whilst I will accept that sometimes the mix does lose elements of the instruments, it is a black metal record after all, so production values are not always the order of the day, let’s be honest. Not even this though can hinder the majestic grimness of the album. Clearly written from a place of passion for the darkest of arts, VotD has enough black metal heart to keep me freezing cold for the whole of 2025 alone. It is not polished, it does not rely on atmospherics, and it yet has a sense of balance to its chaos. It has borders to its disorder. With hints of black ‘n roll here and there, the pacing of tracks always feels measured, despite the often-raging intensity. This will be a go to record for me for some time to come.


Read more...
Vinny Vinny / April 23, 2025 08:17 PM

Recent Topics

Vinny in Metal Academy Radio Playlist Suggestions - The Pit Edition at 25.04.2025 06:53 PM: Thanks Sonny...
Saxy S in Past The Infinite playlist tracklistings at 25.04.2025 05:38 PM: April 20251. Allegaeon – Driftwood...
Sonny in Metal Academy Radio Playlist Suggestions - The Pit Edition at 25.04.2025 03:03 PM: My picks for June Vinny:Anthrax - "N...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Horde Edition at 25.04.2025 09:16 AM: Everyone in the band's talent shines...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Pit Edition at 25.04.2025 09:14 AM: A groove metal epic that shows the b...
Vinny in Metal Academy Radio Playlist Suggestions - The Pit Edition at 25.04.2025 09:00 AM: Thanks Andi...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Horde Edition at 25.04.2025 06:30 AM: This popular modern melodeath highli...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Pit Edition at 25.04.2025 06:28 AM: One of the best tracks I've heard fr...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Horde Edition at 25.04.2025 12:20 AM: Some of the best vocals and lyrics e...
Shadowdoom9 (Andi) in Track Of The Day - The Pit Edition at 25.04.2025 12:17 AM: A great highlight with lots of heavy...