Sulphuric Deity - Demonstration MMXXVI

Labels: Self-Released/Iconoclasm Conquest

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 06 Feb 2026

Tracklist:

1. Introduction

2. Gas Guts

3. Mutant Plague Assault (The Plague Becomes The Sword)

4. Foetus Christ

5. Subterranean Eradication

These are bleak times. Grey Britain is definitely living up to its name. From an island nation that gave birth to Black Sabbath's doom and the driving tempos of Motörhead, the bedrock for extreme metal was laid (at least in the UK). War metal, which shares its roots with black and death metal, has branches that stretch from South America to India and across every other country/continent if you look hard enough.

A new band emerged last year going by the name Sulphuric Deity and quickly released their first demo in February. Needless to say it sold out quickly, leading to a repress via German label Iconoclasm Conquest. My review this evening is of the digital version that contains five songs, while the tape version includes an additional exclusive cover of Blasphemy's 'War Command'.

Starting with ‘Introduction’, which was a collaboration between Sulphuric Deity and Mike Blenkarn-Durning, the sound of distorted air raid sirens, gales and disconcerting explosions provide the perfect backdrop to Sulphuric Deity’s intense barbarity. ‘Gas Guts’ unleashes hellishly loud, feedback-laden instrumentation as well as high/low-pitched vocals. It’s an instant impact that you never recover from.

‘Mutant Plague Assault (The Plague Becomes The Sword)’ takes the band’s grind influence and dials it up as high as it’ll go. There’s a metallic edge but not one that’s too obvious, as the recording and the rest of the instrumentation drags it back into darker territory. Demos can sometimes be overlooked but not by fans of extreme music and this one demonstrates why (sorry).

Sulphuric Deity’s sound leaps forward throughout this release and nowhere is that more obvious than on ‘Foetus Christ’, where bestial back metal is joined by death metal groove and screeching solos, causing a rousing opening salvo that leads to more crazed musicianship. Closing with ‘Subterranean Eradication’, there’s something immediately satisfying about the power of the instrumentation. Slightly powerviolence-esque, it continues on alongside scathing vocals that harness the true hatred that exists within black metal.

This is a powerful demo. One that justifies constant rotation alongside its recent tape repress. I’ve witnessed a lot of bands go silent after one or two releases. Hopefully, it isn’t the case with Sulphuric Deity.  

Demonstration MMXXVI is available to stream and purchase digitally from Sulphuric Deity below:-

Limited 2nd press tape copies are available from Iconoclasm Conquest here:-

https://iconoclasmconquest.com/products/sulphuric-deity-demonstration-mmxxvi-mc

Sulphuric Deity - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586266141454

Iconoclasm Conquest - https://www.facebook.com/iconoclasmxconquest

Viamaer - In lumine lunae

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 29 Jan 2026

Tracklist:

1. In excitatione terrae

2. In lumine lunae

3. Dimensio mortis

4. Ultra insaniam

5. Liberum arbitrium

6. Haec vox

7. Magna paranoia

8. Smaragdus somnium

A few weeks ago a copy of the debut album from Polish post-black metal/shoegaze act Viamaer dropped through my letter box. In lumine lunae was self-released in January by sole member Krystian Jurkiewicz (also a member of Polish Thrash/Groove metallers Steamachine). This is a record full of Krystian's personal experiences, yet it's also written with the listener in mind. Let's put that to the test...

All of the song titles here (alongside the album title) are in Latin, so forgive me for not translating them. Starting with ‘In excitatione terrae’, Viamaer immediately surprises with music that sounds so clean and melodic. The instrumentation early on is slightly jarring due to a subtle disconnect with the percussion but that’s soon resolved, as the vocals (varying between clean singing and harsh growls) take center stage. The vocals are used sparingly in between the vast instrumental approach of Viamaer though, which is very good indeed.

I’m not a linguist but I think the vocals are being delivered in Polish, Viamaer’s mother tongue (please correct me if I’m wrong here!). The language doesn’t really matter though, as title-track ‘In lumine lunae’  presents itself with so much atmosphere and progression. Viamaer’s bandcamp page recommends  Asunojokei and Ghost Bath as similar bands, which aren’t too far off actually. ‘Dimensio mortis’ might come across as something morbid, but it’s anything but. The instrumentation grows with every bar, sounding very upbeat. The clean vocals sit deeper on the recording, which is quite disappointing actually. All elements come together in the latter-half though, as harsh vocals join the melodic vocals and heavier instrumentation, lifting the tempo and mood on the record.

‘Ultra insaniam’ is the album’s shortest song and as such, it’s a lot calmer in delivery. It’s actually a lot closer to Scandinavian melodic metal than anything else, which is certainly no bad thing. It’s also another really strong example of how creative one individual can be, as Krystian shows during its instrumental entirety. Crossing to the album’s latter-half, ‘Liberum arbitrum’ is gently choral but that gentleness leads into some of the most pummelling percussion so far.

In truth, it’s a record that flows in unexpected directions and is definitely the work of a musician trying to find their sound. ‘Liberum arbitrum’ is the album’s lengthiest song conversely to the one it follows, yet it’s better because of that fact. A lot doomier and earthier for me. ‘Haec vox’ features some truly beguiling guitar that’s retained throughout. The clean vocals are more front and center at times here, but Viamaer’s blackgaze/shoegaze influence does mean that they are still buried within the mix at times. The same can’t be said for the harsh vocal though.

Penultimate number ‘Magna paranoia’ strikes me as Viamaer’s most complete songs on In lumine lunae. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve now spent a good couple of hours with this record or because it just sounds a lot more rounded musically, but something’s definitely clicked. Closer ’Smaragdus somnium’ is another loverly instrumental piece. It rounds out the album in confident fashion.

As I mentioned earlier in the review, Viamaer is a band finding it’s sound. As the album progresses, that sound takes shape and grows in confidence. There’s already an acoustic session available on bandcamp that re-works some of the songs present here, so that tells you that Viamaer isn’t sitting still. A band that’s well worth your time.

You can stream and purchase In lumine lunae digitally below, where it's also available from Viamaer on CD:-

Viamaer - https://www.facebook.com/viamaer

Carrion Spring - Those We've Lost And Continue To Lose

Labels: Self-Released/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 06 Mar 2026

Tracklist:

1. Abject Disaster

2. Pocket Full Of Poseurs

3. You Feel Like A Dickhead

4. Carrion Phase Springs Eternal

5. Motional

6. The World Is No Longer A Beautiful Place And I'm Afraid To Die

7. I'm Not Fighter

8. Paraquat

9. So Long And Thanks For All The Microfiche

10. Peacemeal

11. Supervisionary

12. Those We've Lost And Continue To Lose

It's been nearly five years since the self-titled full-length from Oregon, USA screamo band Carrion Spring. In between that release and Those We've Lost And Continue To lose, there was an EP that featured three of the songs that made their way onto this album and that made it's way onto tape via ZBR sister label Tomb Tree, albeit in slightly different forms. 

This new LP is available on 250 copies on white/green colour-in-colour vinyl with red and black splatter, which looks stunning as you'll see in the promo pic below:-

Final bit of promo before I dive into the album; Carrion Spring will be playing both the pre-show and the main fest of ZBR Fest itself in Vancouver next month. I'll post a ticket link at the end of my review.

The recent four day weekend seems like a distant memory now but I had some great news last Thursday and have managed to order some records I’ve been after for a while, so things are pretty good! I’ve also taken some time to plan my new review schedule for the next few weeks, starting here. This is actually the first time I’ve featured Carrion Spring too (which I didn’t realise until I sat down to write this review). Opening with ‘Abject Disaster’, the quartet’s emotive hardcore sounds very much rooted in the early-mid 2000’s. The instrumentation is a mix of crunching heaviness and lighter melodies, while the vocals are delivered in much the same way. The contrast between harsh screams and semi-clean singing takes me back to when I discovered 36 Crazyfists and From Autumn To Ashes (and it’s not the first time I’ve name checked those bands).

‘Pocket Full Of Poseurs’ sees Carrion Spring employing math-like instrumentation and time signatures alongside more furious percussion to begin with before layering more of their exceptional post-hardcore over the top. As opening salvos go, the first couple of songs have grown in intensity and urgency, as does ‘You Feel Like A Dickhead’. It’s a delight musically. Slightly math-like once again but also aggressive enough to appeal to those who want an instant hit. There are some tongue-in-cheek song titles on this album too, starting with ‘Carrion Phase Springs Eternal’, which may or may not be a respectful nod to US hip-hop/electronic act Wicca Phase Springs Eternal. There’s no hip-hop or electronic music going on here though. Instead, Carrion Spring continue on their emotive hardcore path, channeling their inner Refused/Snapcase influences as they go. 

This is turning into one of those reviews that could grow to mammoth proportions if I’m not careful! ‘Motional’ gives off a solid metalcore vibe at times, but that vibe is only fleeting as gentler instrumentation and singing muscles in later on. It’s the album’s longest song actually, so the varying styles are expected and welcomed. The second song with a witty musical reference is ‘The World Is No Longer A Beautiful Place And I’m Afraid To Die’, which is a play on words inspired by a US emo band. I think you’ll be able to guess the one! If you’re expecting it to be more emo then you’re in the wrong place. This is probably as gritty as Carrion Spring’s sound gets, if I’m describing it right.

The album’s latter half kicks off with the raucous blast-a-thon ‘I’m Not Fighter’, where Carrion Spring just go full-on hardcore on us. This will definitely be one that gets people dancing/moshing when it’s played live. According to the band’s bandcamp page, ‘I’m Not Fighter’ and ‘Paraquat’ that follows are both the same length. That really doesn’t mean anything, I just note stuff like that you know? ‘Paraquat’ is less hardcore and more off-kilter, with more focus on gentler progressions.

‘So Long And Thanks For All The Microfiche’ holds a special place in my heart already because in my first full-time job, I had to use a Microfiche machine. Funny how memories come flooding back when listening to music! It strikes me that if Turnstile wrote heavier music (now at least), they might sound a bit like this. Damn, that’s enough name-dropping! There’s a pattern to this album too, as just like the opening three songs, the closing three get shorter starting with ‘Peacemeal’. There are so many retro feels flowing through it yet it’s still so fresh.

The nostalgia is super strong on ’Supervisionary’ as sumptuous post-hardcore and dual harsh/clean vocals sing in unison early on, before things take a more familiar turn once again. Carrion Spring just know how to pull the right leavers musically. Closing with the title-track ’Those We’ve Lost And Continue To Lose’, Carrion Spring let gentle piano take centre stage in an unexpected instrumental number. This is a grand album. An album that shows Carrion Spring at their very best. I can’t heap anymore praise on them as a band than that. 

You can stream and purchase the album digitally below, where it's also available on vinyl from Carrion Spring directly (USA only):-

Carrion Spring Instagram - @carrionspring

Copies are also available from Zegema Beach Records below:-

CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/twlactl

USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/zbr-releases/products/twlactl

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

Also, you can buy tickets to ZBR Fest 2026 here - https://www.zbrfest.com

Ain Sof Aur - Theos-Vel-Samael

Labels: I, Voidhanger Records

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 03 Apr 2026

Tracklist:

1. I

2. II

3. III

It's been a long time since I've featured a release from Italian label I, Voidhanger Records. I was planning to stick to my schedule but the call for something more avant-garde was too great. That's where Brazilian black metal band Ain Sof Aur drew my attention.

It's well worth noting that Ain Sof Aur have been a band since 2006. They released three demos, two full-lengths and a split during nine very productive years before a gap of eight years leading to this release (Disclaimer: all the above information comes courtesy of Metal Archives and therefore may not be fully accurate).

I love experimental, avant-garde metal now more so than ever. Despite the fact that it’s taking pride of place in my personal record collection; it’s not something that my fellow record-loving (local) friends can stomach. Their loss! I guess that’s why I chose to go off-piste this evening with the latest album from Brazilian black metal band Ain Sof Aur. Containing three songs and starting with ‘I’, you’re greeted with a sound that’s both melodic but also incredibly frenetic, and metallic in places. This opening song sits just shy of twenty-one minutes in length and as such, it takes a while to grow. Instrumental metallic elements and subtle doom-like passages grow in prominence before the band’s experimental black metal reveals itself fully.

I can completely see why I, Voidhanger Records took Ain Sof Aur under their wing, even at this early point. After doing some early reading about the album, I was expecting this opener to be a lot more instrumental/drone-like in delivery, but it’s so far from that. It’s a fully encompassing black metal song that rages when it needs to, slows down in tempo where appropriate and uses beautiful panic-chords/riffs as if they were free. I can’t put my finger on any single comparison and I guess that’s a good thing overall.

I decided to write this review in two sittings, which I now realise was a stupid idea because the break in between has halted my momentum. I’ll learn one of these days. ‘II’ thankfully has momentum of its own, being more condensed and shorter than the opener on Theos-Vel-Samael. There’s still a lot of doom influences here but it seems to walk a more avant-garde path too, relying greatly on the band’s instrumental creativity as the vocals flow in and out. Pleasingly to my ears, the further the song progresses, the more avant-garde sounding it becomes. Ain Sof Aur do a great a job though of appealing to all manner of extreme metal listeners, so don’t be worried about my attempts to describe their music.

Even before ‘II’ has had time to finish and sink in, closer ‘III’ comes at you with insane energy. The furious combination of both percussion and guitars lead to the most disgusting black/death metal song to come out of Brazil since I can remember. I don’t think even music by the most well-known Brazilian extreme metal greats can compare (but feel free to shoot me down here!). Honestly, this album is such a joy to listen to. It’s delivered with great integrity and artistry. Ain Sof Aur themselves add to the excitement that’s growing around the Central/South American extreme music community of late.

Theos-Vel-Samael is due for official release just two days now but pre-listening and ordering can be made via I, Voidhanger Records below:-

Alternatively, physical copies will be available to purchase soon from I, Voidhanger Records through their web stores here:-

EU - http://metalodyssey.8merch.com/

USA - http://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

Ain Sof Aur - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076227245589

I, Voidhanger Records - https://www.facebook.com/i.voidhanger.records

Hegeroth - Soaked In Rot

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 25 Mar 2026

Tracklist:

1. You May Call Me a Witch

2. The Act of Lust

3. Błogosławieni Ślepi

4. The Nails

5. Hypocrisy Demands Blood

6. Święte Szlachtowanie

7. The Degrees

8. The Swing

9. Gdybym Istniał 

I've been thinking about how to start this review for most of the day. One country I haven't featured a lot of here is Poland but that changes now, thanks to Solid Rock PR, who're doing their utmost to champion the country's ever growing metal community. I recently received a promo package that featured the newest album from Polish black metal duo Hegeroth. Not only did I receive a CD copy of their 2026 full-length Soaked In Rot, but they were kind enough to throw in some stickers, a plectrum and a handwritten note!

Hegeroth formed in 2010 and released their first and only demo in 2012. Since then they have released five full-length albums, with Soaked In Rot (their sixth) due for official release this coming Wednesday. Thank you to Bene and Chors for this opportunity.

Even though the days are getting lighter and longer, I’ve been looking for an excuse to delve into more black metal (not that I should really need one!). Cue Polish melodic black metallers Hegeroth and their newest album. Starting with ‘You May Call Me a Witch’, they’re out to show that Polish black metal is about more than just Behemoth et al. As a duo, they do stay true to their country’s version of black metal, which is equal part Slavic and Hellenic with some war metal tendencies thrown in too. After the somewhat expensive opener, ‘The Act of Lust’ goes for more immediacy with raging percussion and guitar work, as well as the snarling vocals. This is excellent so far! A lot of attention has gone into it and it shows. I just hope my neighbours think so too!

The other thing I like about this album is that Hegeroth don’t just write their vocals in English. ‘Błogosławieni Ślepi’ is their first Polish language song here and it only makes their black metal sound even more fearsome. That fearsome sound is made in part due to the raw, organic recording. There’s something quite haunting and unnerving about the intro to ‘The Nails’ and it sets the scene perfectly, as Hegeroth deliver another frenetic blackened hymn. That being said though, there’s a great deal of control rhythmically. I don’t know if the percussion being performed is the work of a session drummer or a drum machine, which I suppose is a good thing as it blends well with the rest of the music.

The mid-point of the album is taken up by ‘Hypocrisy Demands Blood’, which is an utterly disgusting slab of black metal that’s joined by what sounds like slam/death metal in places. I’m probably hearing it wrong but I love it all the same. By now it’s obvious that Hegeroth are at their most brutal when they’re performing in their mother tongue, as is demonstrated by ‘Święte Szlachtowanie’, which is the shortest song on the album. The brutality is rained in slightly by their melody though.

It’s always impressive to me that simple tempo changes can make an album sound completely different from one minute to the next, as is the case with ‘The Degrees’. Initially it sounds like a doom/death song before it shifts back into more familiar black metal territory. The melodic elements are great here, adding extra depth to the music. Penultimate song ‘The Swing’ is actually the album’s longest, so don’t be expecting anything too swinging! It has elements of progression and noise alongside the extremity that makes this album such an enjoyable listen.

‘Gdybym Istniał’ closes the album in a suitably unnerving manner, as the dramatic intro builds in volume and melody, leading to a gloriously dark hymn filled with tempo changes, crashing percussion and guitar work that features both low driving tones, and melodic highs. The vocals could be best described as throat-scraping too (in the nicest possible way). It’s great to be able to experience an album by a band that is well established but also fiercely loyal to the underground. Hegeroth’s black metal is shaped by their roots and it’s much more authentic than you might think. Excellent work!

Soaked In Rot is now available to stream in full and purchase on both physical/digital formats from Hegeroth below:-

Hegeroth - https://www.facebook.com/Hegeroth