Dissentience - Kaiju EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 20 Feb 2026

Tracklist:

1. Obsidian Tomb

2. Chaos Absolute

3. Kaiju

4. Death Shroud

My Laptop has been doing all kinds of weird things today. The weirdest of all was when the screen decided to glitch and the mouse stopped working in unison, only for couple of seconds though, but enough time for it to become really annoying. With that minor grumble out the way though, February looks like it's going to set a new record for the blog. I might mention it at the end of the month.

I took last week off with the aim of getting a few things written up and published, but as fate would have it I didn’t even get close to achieving what I wanted to. We’re now into a new month and I’m handing the floor over to US progressive death/thrash band Dissentience as they self-released their latest EP Kaiju just a couple of weeks ago. Opener ‘Obsidian Tomb’ has the kind of instrumental intro/build-up that absolutely screams progression before the full band kicks in with a sound that’s more akin to metalcore. When I mention metalcore though, I’m talking about the melodic nature of their sound, as that sub-genre has always been more musical and indeed palatable I guess.

Talking of palatable; I was looking at the line-up for this year’s Download festival in the UK the other day and I think it’s growing into a more mainstream festival (compered to when I attended in 2006 and 2007), and while it’s embracing nu-metal once again this year, there are a lot of acts that perhaps belong on different bills. Dissentience would be the perfect addition for a future line-up though, as they epitomise the spirit that the likes of Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium left on that hallowed ground. I say that as ‘Chaos Absolute’ presents Dissentience at their most off-kilter and unpredictable. I’m here for heaviness that keeps me guessing and there’s plenty of that throughout this rager!

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before but this EP brings the same chills I felt when I heard the first EP from fellow US metalcore band A Wanted Awakening. There are few bands that have properly buried themselves within my muscle memory throughout the last fifteen years and AWA are one. I can’t fully explain why, but I’m getting the same feeling with Dissentience, which is a very good sign. Title-song ‘Kaiju’ is a lot more pummelling with its thrash metal influences and groove, leaving behind some of the prog sensibilities of the song it follows. Given the global instability over the last 24 hours, this hits differently for sure.

Closing out their newest EP with ‘Death Shroud’, Dissentience go with a moodier into followed by some excellent tech instrumentation. Two minutes have gone by before the full band kicks into top gear, with furious death-thrash taking over. They slide subtle prog-elements into it throughout, which help with the song’s momentum too. It is well over seven minutes in length after all! Sometimes, short/sharp bursts of music really help a band stand out. It’s definitely the case here. Dissentience have nailed it.

You can stream and purchase Kaiju digitally from Dissentience below:-

CD copies and other merch are available to purchase from the band here -https://www.dissentience.com/products

Dissentience - https://www.facebook.com/dissentienceband

Vesseles - Home

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 16 Jan 2026

Tracklist:

1. Flesh Throne

2. Eternally Within Us

3. The Beneath

4. Home

5. They Wither...

6. Until They Are Dust

7. Scriptures Etched Into the Mind's Pillars

8. Perpetual Chasm of Black Mirrors

9. This Is Not Home

So I've finally twigged that when I share blog updates on Instagram, they also get automatically posted on Threads, which means I no longer need to post separately on the latter (I'm going for maximum social media reach this year apparently!). 

My technical ineptitude and self-deprecation aside, the approach is working as interaction and blog visits are on the rise. That can only be a good thing, especially for the bands I cover, including US symphonic black metallers Vesseles.

The Californian quartet released their debut album Home in January, consisting of nine songs and it follows their 2024 EP I Am A Demon. They draw influence from the likes of Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir and Septic Flesh.

Like death metal, black metal takes on many forms. From the raw black metal associated with the genre’s origins to the more melodic reaches of sub genres like post-black metal or blackgaze, there’s always something for every listener. Symphonic elements like choral singing and piano or synths have long been close bedfellows too and they’re used here to great effect. Album opener ‘Flesh Throne’ actually sounds a lot more theatrical musically than it should, given the extremity of Vesseles. The percussion, guitar work and harsh vocals are all delivered with such purpose. Even when cleanly sung passages and the session piano of Antonio Giardina take the lead (as it does throughout the album), they’re swiftly followed by extra intensity.

‘Eternally Within Us’ sees the clean passages increase as a chorus of sinister chants from The Vicken Studios Orchestra add more intrigue to what’s laid down by Vesseles. The kick drumming pummels here but there’s also a real sense of how different percussive tempos can add atmosphere. That’s a real takeaway for me here as two musical worlds collide and proceed to dance in perfect harmony. There are so many subtly progressive touches on this album and they become more evident on ‘The Beneath’, where the piano key changes reflect the dark movements of the music, thankfully refraining from the usual corny fantasy-like melodies. I’m on board with everything so far, which I honestly didn’t think I would say. 

Title song ‘Home’ initially presents itself as a striking ballad complete with lovely clean dual-vocals and keys, before Vesseles whisk you back into more familiar territory. As with all of their song so far, it’s expansive across its entire timespan. ‘They Wither…’ is the perfect orchestral interlude to lead into what is a more urgent latter half starting with ‘Until They Are Dust’, which sees the black metal take the spotlight as it sits front and centre. It’s up there as the standout track here for me.

’Scriptures Etched Into the Mind’s Pillars’ retains the urgency and builds with melody that flows all the way through, even during the periods of dissonant barbarity. It’s over all too quickly, which just goes to show how proficient and enjoyable the music is. That’s the case throughout the entire record too. Penultimate song ‘Perpetual Chasm of Black Mirrors’ follows a very brief yet unnecessary pause, leading you into a sometimes grimier, sometimes artier version of what Vesseles and accomplices can create.

Closing with ’This Is Not Home’, there’s a real sense that you’re coming to the end of a journey filled with inward and existential reflection. Once again clean singing prevails, coupled with demonic growls and expansive instrumentation. It’s a hell of an ending and end it does, on a dime. While it’s still cold and dark in the UK, the warming embrace of black metal is comforting. Home is an album you’ll be glad you have given your attention to, if you haven’t already/ Hopefully, there will be more to come from Vesseles in the future.

You can stream and purchase Home on all formats from Vesseles below:-

Vesseles - https://www.facebook.com/vesseles

Limbs - Like A Poet, Keen To The Rustle Of Leaves

Labels: Kuwago Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 02 Feb 2026

 Tracklist:

1. Ishtar

2. Centro de Gravedad

3. Sunrise, Parabellum

4. War of Jig-saw Pattern

5. La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo

6. Song For Swans

7. Pag-aaral Sa Oras

I have two sofas in my living room (which, doubles as my music room currently). One is where I sit and the other is currently covered in records, tapes and other cool music-related things that I have received recently, I'm notoriously slow at merging new stuff with the rest of my collection, as I have over 1,400 records and nearly 300 tapes at this point. A large part of what needs merging came from Zegema Beach Records last week, which is where the link to this review comes in because I'm writing about a new 2026 ZBR release this evening.

The release I'm talking about is the fourth and final release from Filipino screamo/math/post-hardcore and Limbs. Like A Poet, Keen To The Rustle Of Leaves came out in early February on tape via ZBR, as well as on CD via Filipino label Kuwago Records and digitally via Limbs themselves. After this album, Limbs have elected to call it a day after ten years, so this acts as a legacy to their sound and their love of humanity.

We’re now at the other side of a forty-five day streak of rain (or something like that!), which accounts for almost every day so far this year! I wish I lived somewhere with a better climate. Grumble aside, my energy is better spent focusing on this new (and last) album from Limbs. Opener ‘Ishtar’ sounds absolutely huge! The volume of the instrumentation as it kicks into life is completely unexpected and when the vocals join in, things get even louder. Limbs aren’t just about high intensity though, as they soon throttle back to more post-hardcore/introspective territory, with some added mathcore thrown in. Their tempo slows as the song progresses, which suits their sound really well actually.

‘Centro de Gravedad’ builds on the foundation left by ‘Ishtar’ as Limbs go for something much longer. For a trio, they’re able to make such technical and engrossing noise as if it were easy. The atonal opening two-minutes of this second song illustrate that point before things get a lot faster, with ripping emoviolence taking hold. Percussive blasts, shattering bass, grinding yet melodic guitar and dual vocals of the hellish variety make up the first half, and then some! The latter half of more subdued, with some loverly bluesy bass lines and suspense-laden instumentation before everything gives way to more crazed mathcore.

Overanalysing music is a curse and it’s one that hangs over me, so I’m sorry if my writing is too much writing, I’ll try to cut it down some. ‘Sunrise, Parabellum’ is more concise in delivery but it’s still resplendent in what makes Limbs sound so epic. Raw yet brilliantly recorded, mixed and mastered chaos. The additional vocals performed by Angela, Nico, Terence and Therese of Kuwago Records towards the end show how tight their community is and are joyful to hear. 

This is such an immersive album. ‘War of Jig-saw Pattern’ could be interpreted in so many ways as a song-title but after such an expansive intro, you’re greeted with a very different approach from Limbs. One that sounds much rawer and more immediate that you might be expecting, almost as if Limbs embraced industrial audio-terror. I’m not degrading it so don’t throw any shade on me. It sounds brilliant!

‘La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo’ is instantly different, with the gentle guitar and up-front spoken-word poetry from Terence Repelente. It sounds very real and very visceral (in a subtle kind of way), even though I can’t speak or translate Filipino. It only lasts for a few minutes though as Limbs soon break back into their characteristic heaviness. It’s heaviness that has a great deal of impact as it’s bookended by more subtle, introspective musicianship and vocals. Ending with another flourish of sludgy post-hardcore/emoviolence, Limbs are determined to go out on a high.

Penultimate song ‘Song For Swans’ has a rare glimpse of Limbs using clean vocals in English, which is a surprise as far as intros go. In fact, the opening bars bring to mind folk music before the screamo that follows soon after. It’s characteristically fast as you’d expect, with additional panic chords and mathcore-tones thrown in; that is until brass/woodwind joins in towards the end. 

Limbs say album closer ‘Pag-aaral Sa Oras’ is an adaptation of the song of the same name by Kerima Tariman (also featuring additional vocals from YJ of FFPS Canada here) and it’s very much traditional in sound with percussion playing alongside soft acoustic guitar and choral singing. It builds in layers for the first half before stopping unexpectedly, giving way to more gentle acoustic music to close.

As goodbye albums go, this one is very strong. It’s very bittersweet that this is my first time hearing Limbs as well. I guess that sometimes the best ones just pass us by.

You can stream and purchase the album digitally via bandcamp below:-

Limbs - https://www.facebook.com/limbs1991

Physical copies can be purchased from the labels below:-

Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/limbs / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/limbs

I believe that Kuwago Record have sold out of their CD copies, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

Kuwago Records - https://www.facebook.com/kuwagorecords

Zegema Beach Records - https://bsky.app/profile/zegemabeachrecords.bsky.social

Mt. Dagger - Nothing Personal. Just Misery.

Labels: Dingleberry Records/Pasidaryk Pats Records/Pike Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 08 Jan 2026

Tracklist: 

1. Inertia

2. Hellscape

3. Excision

4. Farce

5. Bloodsport

6. False Prophet

7. Terminal Velocity

8. Medic

9. Suburbia

10. Misanthrope

I have a framed print of the cover art from the album Gravity by Crowns&Thieves hanging on my wall. I asked the artist for it specially when I moved into my own place. I'm mentioning this because one of the band's ex-members plays in Berlin's Mt. Dagger, alongside musicians from countless other bands including Julith Krishun, Throwers and Pleite amongst others. 

Mt. Dagger released a demo back in 2023, containing three songs that would eventually help to make up their debut album, Nothing Personal. Just Misery. It was released on 300 copies of 180g ultra clear/black marble vinyl via Pike Records, Dingleberry Records and Pasidaryk Pats Records in January. 

Last week was hectic work-wise and this week’s shaping up to be just the same. You would think that I’d want to settle down with some easy-listening but you’d be wrong! The crusty, metallic hardcore of Mt. Dagger should be all I need and it’s thanks to Axel of Pike Records that I know of them. Opening Nothing Personal, Just Misery, ‘Inertia’ goes from almost Spaghetti Western-style guitar to graduating darkness before Mt. Dagger’s metallic hardcore takes hold properly. Its tempo is pretty frenetic, yet there are some elements that surprise too. The instrumentation brings to mind Totem Skin, while the vocal delivery leans toward a heavier version of Refused (at least to my ears).

I’m not trying to pigeonhole Mt. Dagger this early but sometimes it is worth laying down a boundary or two. ‘Hellscape’ rages harder with a crustier tone punching through the metallic guitars, as the percussion and bass really pile on the low-end heft. The vocals at times sound blackened. I like the fact that the first trio of songs get shorter and grow with intensity, as ‘Excision’ shows. There’s great chemistry between band members here, as this recording already sounds very complete.

The ringing feedback that kicks off ‘Farce’ tells you that you’re in for something lengthier, but there’s no sludge or doom present here; instead, Mt. Dagger move in a more off-kilter direction, which adds another layer to their already engrossing sound. Reading down the track listing and coming across a song called ‘Bloodsport’, I thought for a second that it could be a cover of the song by Sleep Token, until I realised that here it’s one word as opposed to two. What it actually is, is a song filled with scathing hardcore and classy melody.

The rumbling bass of ‘False Prophet’ takes no prisoners as it bleeds into utter driving heaviness. It’s one of those songs that goes by in a shot, leaving you wondering if you had even listened to it at all! The fact that Mt. Dagger have the sense of humour to call their longest song ‘Terminal Velocity’ isn’t lost on me. That being said though, it doesn’t hang around itself. There are plenty of tempo shifts and percussive transitions to keep you busy throughout.

Things get more urgent on ‘Medic’, as the band’s muscles are truly flexed with their most grooving, hardcore-punk laden song. Don’t let my description fool you though, as this sub two-minute song is still in keeping with the rest of the album. The focus that Mt. Dagger keep throughout this record is amazing to witness as ‘Suburbia’ takes over. The building ambience/atmosphere translates well as the full band hits the high gear. I’m a huge fan of their murkier, dank hardcore if I’m honest. It just hits differently, especially when those sweet cymbal chimes ring out. 

Closing with ‘Misanthrope’, Mt. Dagger go out on a high. One last deep-dive into chaos; exemplified by their precision tempo shifts. Nothing Personal. Just Misery. goes super hard right from the start. Mt. Dagger have laid down an early marker for metallic hardcore in 2026 and honestly, it’s gonna be hard to match. 

You can stream and purchase the album digitally from Mt. Dagger below:-

Mt. Dagger - https://www.instagram.com/mt.dagger/

Physical copies can be purchased from the labels below:-

Pasidaryk Pats Records - https://pasidarykpatsrecords.lt/pasidaryk-pats-records-817/mt-dagger-nothing-personal-just-misery-lp

Pike Records - https://www.pikerecords.com/product/mt-dagger-nothing-personal-just-misery-lp/

Dingleberry Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile

Pasidaryk Pats Records - https://www.instagram.com/pasidaryk_pats_records/

Pike Records - https://www.facebook.com/pikercrds

Arcanum Sanctum - Pax EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 16 Jan 2026

Tracklist:

1. A Different Form of Life

2. Wake Up

3. Resistance

4. Song of Hope

Russian melodic death metal band Arcanum Sanctum released their latest EP Pax in January. Arcanum Sanctum first formed as a duo in 2004 and since then they have grown their ranks, releasing a demo and three significant full-lengths in the process. I am a little confused by the size of the band currently as the promo pic I've seen contains four members, the promo e-mail I've been sent lists five and their bandcamp page goes one further still. What I do know though is that this EP was mastered by none other than Dan Swanö of Unisound (and Edge of Sanity fame, amongst others).

Arcanum Sanctum describe their music as being melodic death metal with a Soviet sci-fi movie soundtrack approach. I’m not exactly sure how that’s going to translate when I hit play but the EP cover art certainly backs up their bio. The keyboard tones that kick off EP opener ‘A Different Form of Life’ bring forth an upbeat feel that exists throughout the song, even spilling over to the drums, bass and guitars. The vocals, while harsh as expected, fit really well amongst all of this and I must say, the instrumentation is excellent.

‘Wake Up’ delivers something a little more familiar sounding in terms of the band’s melodic death metal approach, but catchiness isn’t far away and before long your enveloped by Arcanum Sanctum’s warming soundtrack once again. I’m blown away by how good this EP sounds. I was a little bit wary about this being on the cheesier end of the spectrum but it’s way more genuine and engrossing, so there’s no need to be wary at all.

The transition from ‘Wake Up’ to ‘Resistance’ keeps the momentum high, leading to more upbeat tempos and melodies. You could call this extreme metal for people who don’t like extreme metal and that would be true to a degree, but it would also be doing Arcanum Sanctum a huge disservice. At risk of sounding like I was paid to write this review (I wasn’t!), I can’t get enough of it.

EP closer ‘Song of Hope’ is the longest song here and also, as the title suggests, one that spreads an important message during difficult times. Musical maturity spills over in the form of exquisite lead guitar and subtle keyboard strokes early on, before a bit of introspection leads to classy soloing and well crafted variation later on.

Every once in a while (and it’s becoming less frequent) a band shoots across my bow that really stands out. Don’t get me wrong, all of the music I choose to write about here is written about because I personally enjoy it (otherwise, what’s the point?), but Arcanum Sanctum just hit different. It’s like they’re on another plain (or planet, if you will). Definitely give this your time.

You can stream and purchase Pax digitally via bandcamp below:-

Arcanum Sanctum - https://www.facebook.com/arcanumsanctum