January 2026 Black Metal Desecration: The North Playlist - Metal Academy Radio
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Sw9mEcyXo1pGyFHR3znLT
January is the perfect time for some black metal istening (here in the Northern Hemisphere anyway, with all due respect to our Antipodean hosts) and there are some crackers on January's playlist.
I also want to announce that I am going back to issuing The North playlist monthly, so get those suggestions in for February by the 15th.
1. Archgoat - "Rats Pray God" (from "Worship the Eternal Darkness", 2021) [submitted by Sonny]
2. Watain - "Ecstasies in Night Infinite" (from "The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain", 2022) [submitted by Vinny]
3. Thou Art Lord - "The Era of Satan Rising" (from "Eosforos", 1994) [submitted by Karl]
4. Stworz - "U Śmierci na komornem" (from "U Śmierci na komornem", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
5. Mayhem - "Despair" (from "Liturgy of Death", 2026) [submitted by Sonny]
6. Lord Belial - "Ipse Venit" (from "Unholy Trinity", 2025) [submitted by Karl]
7. Odium - "The Brightness of the Weeping Kingdom" (from "The Sad Realm of the Stars", 1998)
8. Martwa Aura - "Lament Drugi" (from "Lament", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
9. Atomic Goatcrime - "Cycle of Wrath" (from "Thermonuclear Humanicide", 2025) [submitted by Karl]
10. Blasphamagoatachrist - "Cyanide Sacrament" (from "Bestial Abominator", 2025) [submitted by Karl]
11. Nexion - "Gandra" (from "Sundrung", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
12. Enslaved - "Lightening" (from "Axioma Ethica Odini", 2010) [submitted by Sonny]
13. Apati - "Sömnlösa nätter" (from "Eufori", 2009)
14. Menhir - "Die Kelten" (from "Thuringia", 1999) [submitted by Karl]
15. Malakhim - "Solar Crucifixion" (from "And in Our Hearts the Devil Sings", 2025) [submitted by Vinny]
16. Vreid - "Fangegard" (from "I krig", 2007)
17. Naked Whipper - "Bloodstained White Icon" (from "Chapel Defilement", 2025) [submitted by Karl]
18. Imperial Crystalline Entombment - "White Behemoths of Woe" (from "Abominable Astral Summoning", 2025) [submitted by Karl]
19. Finsterforst - "Urquell" (from "...zum Tode hin", 2009)
20. Blut aus Nord - "Seclusion" (from "Ethereal Horizons", 2025) [submitted by Sonny]
21. Soulless - "As If Our Time Runs No Longer" (from "The Supreme Resurgence", 2023)
I should start by saying that I think it is great that The North is getting an increase in programming frequency. I have a list from 2025 of bands to check out from last year’s playlists already as I genuinely do find new bands and albums from listening to the playlist. I am also, for my part, going to make more of an effort to comment on the tracks that jump out at me each month, especially from acts/albums that are new to me.
Thou Art Lord – never listened to these Greeks before and it seems I am missing out, so added to the to do list.
Stworz – this was a real find from last year that made my top ten bm releases for the year. Reminds me of Swan Road era Drudkh on this track in that it holds that potency in the attack of the track but somehow still possesses that earthiness at the same time.
Mayhem – increasingly they sound the same with most of what they release in recent years, and they certainly lack the mystery they had in the 90s which is what I feel is missing in recent years. This track has the attack of a Watain track and some hint of the menace I would expect from Mayhem.
Odium – symphonic bm is increasingly less my thing in recent years (Emperor made it good and then it’s been broken ever since really) but this Odium track has a real glacial edge to the keys that permeate nicely alongside the harsher riffs. The keys do interrupt the flow on at least one occasion from where I am sitting but they are still not an entirely invasive force.
Martwa Aura – another fave from the past year that ended up just inside the top 20 bm records. The vocals here are a harsh whisper which adds to the overall smothering effect of the music for me.
Nexion – this album was last month’s feature release and what a filthy little number it is. This track gives some Attila style vocals into proceedings which can only be a good thing. Overall, here the vocals are fucking deranged and a perfect accompaniment to the music.
Enslaved – Sonny has picked my favourite track off this record; I love the opening to this one. Unusually positive sounding for me to like it.
Apati – tragic to read about what happened to the guitarist and vocalist of this band and his overdose. Solid DSBM but not sure about the post-rock vibes on this one.
Menhir – with pagan bm a growing sub-genre for me, I was disappointed by the terrible clean vocals on this track. Otherwise, I would have gotten along fine with the rest of it.
Malakhim – one of the 2025 releases that got on my EOY list just on the quality of musicianship and song writing alone. An incredibly consistent album this one and this track shows this in heaps.
Vreid – whilst not a band I have extensive experience of, whenever I have dipped into the Vreid catalogue, it hasn’t rewarded much. Same here with this one from perhaps the earliest in their career that I have listened to. Vocally, I just cannot get on with it.
Naked Whipper – whilst I get the aesthetics of war metal, sometimes it does just sound like the band set up one microphone and then hit record. Not my thing this one.
Imperial Crystalline Entombment I.C.E. – a bit too Dark Funeral for my tastes, but better than I remember when I listened to the album last year.
Finsterforst – the matching plaid shirt image of the band pisses me right off but this track was more than pleasing to me so I should get over myself and listen to the album perhaps.
Soulless – most definitely not soulless by any means, this was an uplifting ending to the list that I was just a tad too heavy on the melodic keys.
Thanks Vinny, I really appreciate the feedback. I feel obliged (as with all the playlists that I compile) to include some sub-genres that I am not the biggest fan of. With the North this is often the symphonic, black 'n' roll and folk metal entries, although I have found stuff to enjoy in each of those too. I also think it adds some variety and acts as a nice illustration of the breadth of material within the North.
I will also try to supply more commentary on each playlist going forward.