Sulphuric Deity - Extermination Hammer EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 04 Sep 2026

Tracklist:

1. Extermination Hammer (Salvation Rejected)

2. Holocaust Wings

3. Eternal Night Of War

4. Deiform Protocol

5. Total Spiritual Annihilation

UK war metal trio Sulphuric Deity burst forth in February with their debut demo, filled with blistering black/death metal. A mere seven months on, they have self-released their first EP Extermination Hammer. As a band still in their infancy (but not experience-wise), they have notched up live appearances alongside Deitus, Funebrarum, Morbific, and they'll soon be ripping the stage apart again in November as part of a stacked line-up that includes Rwake, Wormrot, Pig Destroyer and Eyehategod! Now is a good time to get acquainted if you aren't already.

The demo set the stall out early. The EP builds on it in ridiculous fashion. The screaming, swirling noise that opens ‘Extermination Hammer (Salvation Rejected) isn’t an accident, as Sulphuric Deity lay out a more expansive and destructive sound. The sheer level at which this trio operates sonically is something to behold, while the song-writing and performance is incredibly mature. From the pummelling percussion, to the insane harsh vocal range and guitar tones that could only come from a UK underground band, there’s a lot to appreciate here.

No time between songs is wasted, as ‘Holocaust Wings’ kicks into gear straight away with an even greater tempo. Crashing cymbals, gutteral lows, piercing highs and buzzing riffs keep up the intensity. ‘Eternal Night Of War’ is almost the opposite, as it builds anticipation initially before lurching instantly into a mass of grinding ferocity. I said earlier on that Sulphuric Deity were becoming more expansive but I’d like to strike that part of the statement from the record. They are just more destructive.

The trio’s war metal approach is more obvious again on ‘Deiform Protocol’, as they deliver something closer to mid-paced blasting with powerviolence-esque riffs and crazed screams. In truth, it’s a song that defies any kind of description I’m trying to give. EP closer ‘Total Spiritual Annihilation’ is warp-speed personified from the very start. Even when Sulphuric Deity slow things down later on, there’s no true respite, as time-signatures fluctuate and atmospheres change in an instant. 

There are no gimmicks or embellishments employed here. What you get is a raging EP that doesn’t let up from a band that are set on delivering pure aural terrorism. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of another band in the UK that comes close to Sulphuric Deity at this time.

Sulphuric Deity released Extermination Hammer on a very limited tape pressing, which unsurprisingly sold out quickly. You can purchase it digitally from their bandcamp page below:-

To keep up to date with future live activity and releases, they are on Instagram @sulphuricdeity.

Dødmoon - Demø MMXXV

Labels: Signal Rex

Formats: CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 05 Nov 2025

Tracklist:

1. Reaped by The Dark Light

2. Victorious Signs of Arcane Madness

3. Hail of Hellfire

Having spent much of today with my laptop stuck in a loop at work, I came to the realisation that I too am stuck in a loop at home. I have a review (not this one, obviously) in the works, but my brain just isn't braining. Not knowing if I have some form of undiagnosed ADHD, I have decided to try and do a hard-reset with some truly epic Finnish black metal.

I seem to have a knack for covering pretty obscure black metal of late (by that I mean in the last week or so), as Dødmoon come with no information aside from a bandcamp page and a Metal Archives page. No members, no history, just mystery. The band's debut demo was released in November 2025, before Portuguese label Signal Rex picked it up for both a CD, and tape release.

Right from the off, Dødmoon serve up barbaric rawness on ‘Reaped by the Dark Light’. The percussion is pretty central to that raw sound, while the guitars buzz away underneath as rasping distorted vocals add to the bleak atmosphere. That said, the guitars are allowed space a times, where they provide a thin veil of melody. 

After the up-tempo approach of the demo opener, ‘Victorious Signs of Arcane Madness’ shows a slower, more off-kilter side to Dødmoon’s sound. It’s still raw but there are subtle avant-garde flourishes too. That’s what’s so great about Finland’s heavy music community; they’re able to inject so much personality into what they produce. 

Demo closer ‘Hail of Hellfire’ again offers something unique and unlike what came before it. Paying close attention to the guitar work reveals a catchy and consistent pattern before the music takes a more intense turn. From the mid-point onwards, it gets louder and weirder, thanks to the pummelling drums and screeching solos. The hauntingly melodic/metallic ending fades out at just the right pace for you to regain some breath.

With that, it’s all over. This demo acts as a glimpse into what Dødmoon could offer with future releases. Calling it just a black metal release does it a disservice too. Its layers and swirling artistry make it infectious. I for one am excited to hear more from this band.

You can stream and purchase the demo digitally from Dødmoon via bandcamp below:-

Both CD and tape copies can be purchased from Signal Rex here:-

https://www.signalrex.com/store/releases

Dødmoon Metal Archives - https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Dødmoon

Signal Rex Instagram - @signalrex

Depredation Netra - Third Eye Predation

Labels: Iron Bonehead Productions

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 18 Nov 2025

Tracklist:

1. I, Eye, Ayin (Lifting The Blindfold)

2. Netra Drakonis: Vajra-Ophidian Opening Of The Black Diamond Eye

3. Third Eye Predation Befalls The Foul Pillars Of Formation

I have been writing about a release in the background but honestly, it's felt forced. Not because the band is bad, far from it. I'm just not happy with my writing so I'm going to re-do it. In the meantime though, a kick up the proverbial is much needed and it will duly be given by some black/death metal from India.

Released late last year via Iron Bonehead Productions, Third Eye Predation is the debut demo from the newest member of the Kolkata Inner Order, Depredation Netra. The Kolkata Inner Order is a group of bands (for want of a better phrase) who are spreading their own extremity throughout the underground. Join me and venture into the unknown.

Demo opener ‘I, Eye, Ayin (Lifting The Blindfold)’ is an ambient, cosmic intro that gives very little away about what’s to come from Depredation Netra. That’s a good thing in my opinion, as it keeps that air of intrigue high. It’s too easy to get swept up in expectation sometimes. 

‘Netra Drakonis: Vajra-Ophidian Opening Of The Black Diamond Eye’ is where things become clearer. You might think that’s a misnomer given the rawness of the song, but this is a demo after all and the first murmurings from a new underground trio. I would much prefer something with an honest live-sound, than something that’s overproduced.  

The percussion very much rules over everything else here, while the guitar and bass offer both merciless thrash, and subtle bluesy tones too. The vocals have a blackened rasp to them, though they are used more sparingly than you might expect.

The demo’s closer ‘Third Eye Predation Befalls The Foul Pillars Of Formation’ is another barrage of cold extremity. Its tempos shift throughout, from properly blasting to the unexpectedly brutal (almost slam-like) passage after the two-minute mark. I was about to say this wouldn’t drop to the slowest depths and then it almost did!

That was definitely the kick I needed. Depredation Netra have gained a fan here and yet more appreciation should go to Iron Bonehead Productions for giving such bands a home. Black/death metal is alive and well in Kolkata, and long may it continue!

You can stream and purchase Third Eye Predation digitally from Depredation Netra below:-

Tape copies can be purchased from Iron Bonehead Productions here -https://shop.ironbonehead.de/en/ibp-releases-/33026-depredation-netra-ind-third-eye-predation-tape.html

Depredation Netra - https://www.facebook.com/depredationnetra

Iron Bonehead Productions - https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions

Letterstoyou - A Shoebox Of Letterstoyou

Labels: Zegema Beach Records/Third House Label

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 25 May 2026

Tracklist:

1. Lifted

2. Fireflies

3. Watch Your Lips Beg

4. Summer Rain

5. Letter To You: July 7

6. Subtle Language

7. Feral Growth At The Side Of Mystery

8. Letter To You: July 9

9. From A Photograph

10. Our Naked Legs

11. November

12. You're The Warmest Place I've Ever Felt

13. My Veins Are Burning

14. Eight Autumn

15. Early Garden

16. Orange Lights And November Rain

17. My Heart Is Beating Out Of My Chest

18. Lavender Orange Blood

Last month was quiet both on the blog and on ordering of new records. Notifications are coming through about imminent arrivals though and I did splurge on one big drop (points for guessing correctly on that one!). This post has nothing to do with that though and all to do with the semi recent Letterstoyou compilation release from Zegema Beach Records and Third House Label.

Letterstoyou is one of the many projects from the mastermind more widely known, perhaps, for Sadness. This comp gathers the first three releases from Letterstoyou. Eighteen songs is an insane amount to have on a tape. They're almost completely sold out too, so be quick if you want one!

ZBR has been putting together loads of great discography/compilation releases recently and this is the latest one. Opening with ‘Lifted’, the first of four tracks from the very first Letterstoyou release And Crying Impulse (released July 2025) is both kind of obvious but also a masterstroke, as it shows right away what the band is about. Solo emo-violence/mathcore instumentation with shrieking/black metal vocals. I didn’t realise that all three releases featured here were only released last year! Crazy productivity.

‘Fireflies’ follows with a more gentile intro before morphing into a start/stop collage of melody, mathcore heaviness and piercing vocals. Its mid-section is instrumental emo at its best, but the foreboding notion that it’s going to blow up again is always there, and it does so but slowly. The build-up is done in a very obvious way, where it readies you properly before hitting something that’s nearly full-throttle. On the contrary, ‘Watch Your Lips Beg’ kind of moves in the opposite direction. It’s heavier than it is light and it has more urgency, due to its brief length. 

Rounding out the And Crying Impulse portion of this collection, ‘Summer Rain’ shows an even more expansive side to Letterstoyou. Every texture and sound seem to be completely separate yet they fit together perfectly. It’s crazy how that happens. Even after years of listening to and digging deeper into the music, I still don’t know how it’s possible. Maybe that’s why I’m not a musician! The next portion of this collection belongs to Feral Growth At The Side Of Mystery (also released July 2025) and  ‘Letter To You: July 7’ is a lot more subtle, at least until it fully kicks in, when the mix of twinkly emo and mathcore seems to become even more entwined. It’s quite majestic really. 

The drumming on ’Subtle Language’ is amazing and it’s given so much space, which was very unexpected. It’s only joined by quiet guitar and acts as a massive drum solo for at least two minutes. When the guitar and vocals grow in prominence later on, the drumming is still there and just as spellbinding, It’s just fills for days. I was going to say that title-track ‘Feral Growth At The Side Of Mystery’ was more normal, but there’s nothing normal about it. There are less drum fills here, but instead there are some proper heavy breakdowns and melodic textures that sound like 80’s video game synths in parts. 

It’s normal for me bemoan those pauses between songs but I think with Letterstoyou, they do work. ‘Letter To You: July 9’ may be a continuation of track 5 ‘Letter To You: July 7”, but I’m not sure how to tell you if it is. It’s better to treat it individually though, as once again the project delivers a song that’s expensive and quite diverse in my opinion. ‘From A Photograph’ is Killers-esque for a brief minute, but not for long so don’t worry (sorry for what comes out of my head sometimes!). It’s hella funky though in places, reminding me of some nu-metal in the riff department. Maybe Incubus? Really, there’s just a whole lot of beauty and a dash of mayhem here. 

‘Our Naked Legs’ is the final song on Feral Growth At The Side Of Mystery and its warm, fuzzy rawness radiates throughout the recording. It’s a lengthier song once again but that just adds to the enjoyment, with more off-kilter instrumentation, frenetic screams and bass-drops that bookend more lovely emo. The collection closes with the self-titled album, which was released in November of 2025. It’s quite something to hear how far the songwriting and musicianship of Letterstoyou progressed through these three releases. ‘November’ is a case in point, being more brooding and mid-paced with a big hint of shoegaze, until the emoviolence kicks in.

The melodic, country-like intro to the excellently titled ‘You’re The Warmest Place I’ve Ever Felt’ fools you, but only for a moment, as familiarity returns fairly quickly. The melody is retained throughout the song though, which has violent elements but also nods to modern pop culture too. The urgency is real here as ‘My Veins Are Burning’ presents an aural take on that very notion. It’s like it was written as a commentary about how polarised and angry society is becoming, while also referencing the rise in environmental temperatures we’re all facing. My interpretation’s probably way off the mark, but I don’t mind. I still feel it!

It’s back to the off-kilter madness on ‘Eight Autumn’ and suffice to say, it’s bloody brilliant. Cathartic songs like this seem to come along exactly when I need them. I’m not sure if that’s the case for everyone else! That mentality carries on through ‘Early Garden’, even when it drops back into the same guitar refrain that appeared on ‘You’re The Warmest Place I’ve Ever Felt’ towards the end. ’Orange Lights And November Rain’ contains emotive spoken-word and instrumentation that gets faster and faster, before crushing hardcore riffs take over. The rest is history as they say, as it’s over before you know it. A whirlwind of excellent screamo and extreme heaviness.

‘My Heart Is Beating Out Of My Chest’ is a bewildering song, as it combines nursery rhyme-esque melodies with furious screamo. I’ve got to say that dramatic penultimate songs don’t get much better than this. Ending with ‘Lavender Orange Blood’, Letterstoyou sign off in beautiful style. This has been a joy to listen to and while my paragraphs have shortened (I still need to edit it as well!), my love for Letterstoyou has grown. A project that’s new to me but one that also sounds so familiar. To have three releases gathered in one place is a great way for new fans to discover it too. 

You can stream and buy the collection as a name-your-price download from ZBR below:-

Letterstoyou Instagram - @letterstoyouscreamo

All three releases are also available digitally to buy directly from Letterstoyou here -https://letterstoyouscreamo.bandcamp.com/music.

Very limited tape copies remain for sale via ZBR here - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/ashoeboxofletterstoyou and Third House Label here - https://thirdhouse.limitedrun.com.

Zegema Beach Records Instagram  - @zegema_beach

Third House Label - @thirdhouselabel

Ultima - I: Katabasis

Labels: Self-Released/Obscurant Visions

Formats: Digital/Vinyl

Release Date: 18 Jan 2026

Tracklist:

1.  Hermeticism

2. A Labyrinth Beneath Reality

3. Cryptic Spiral of Wisdom

4. Catacombs of the Sun

5. Katabasis

While I enjoy various genres and sub-genres of heavy music, I find myself being drawn to black metal more of late. There's something about the imagery and the often anonymous creators behind the music that pulls me to dig deeper. I trawled the Internet recently in search of such music but I needn't have bothered, because it was closer to me than I thought.

D.B. wrote to me regarding his new project Ultima and its first full-length I: Katabasis, which he self-released digitally and cult Kazakhstani label Obscurant Visions released on vinyl early in 2026. D.B. himself is fairly well known in underground black metal circles, as the musical brain behind Délirant,   Hässlig and Negativa, as well as Spanish label Bile Noire.

I’ve been getting twitchy again. Mainly because I didn’t end up writing anywhere near as much as I had hoped last week. I’ll try harder this week. I mean, it’s not like I’m short of releases to cover! Anyway, in between sneezing, hitting play on the opening track of I: Katabasis brings a surprise of sorts. ‘Hermeticism’ is an ambient intro that’s both relaxing and unnerving, if that makes any sense. Following next, ‘A Labyrinth Beneath Reality’ is anything but, as Ultima bursts into life with a mixture of blasting and melodic black metal. It’s not totally true/occult sounding, but it’s also not too avant-garde/progressive. It sits in between, at least to my ears. The instumentation is very well executed and ice cold at times, while the vocals have a raspiness to them that could easily put you to sleep (in the best way).

‘Cryptic Spiral of Wisdom’ is a real joy to listen to now my neighbour has stopped revving the hell out of their motorbike (I try to be considerate with my own volume after all!). It’s a longer song too, all eight-and-a-half minutes of it. That’s a proper length for an all engrossing black metal song in my opinion. There’s a cascadian element to Ultima’s music at times and it shows itself here. ‘Catacombs of the Sun’ has a mdi-tempo feel thanks to the pace of the percussion and the hypnotic riffs. The orchestration during the song makes you think there is actually a full orchestra on the recording, while the raspy vocals are backed up by subtle blackgaze elements (if I’m allowed to use that comparison here!).

Ending with ‘Katabasis’, Ultima leaves the most expansive track till last. It encompasses not just the early sound that Ultima is built on but also the collective experience that D.B. has gained over the years, It’s where the music slows to a near crawl, almost funeral doom-like for a few moments. It’s here though where the approach does become a bit more abstract, as Ultima flirts with more metallic guitar elements and melodic textures. That said, furious black metal is just around the corner and with a flourish of up-tempo musicianship, it all ends with the shortest of outro sections.

For a project to be able to deliver its musical intent on debut is very difficult. Ultima isn’t far away from achieving that though, given D.B.’s experience. Black metal fans are almost fervent in their support of the genre, so they’ll warm to Ultima really quickly (if they haven’t already). I have that warm feeling already and will be returning to listen to more Spanish black metal immediately.

You can stream and purchase I: Katabasis on both digital/vinyl formats via Ultima's bandcamp page below:-

Vinyl copies are also available from Obscurant Visions here - https://www.obscurantvisions.com/product/ultima-ikatabasis

Ultima Instagram - @negativa0

Obscurant Visions Instagram - @obscurantvisions 

Mound of Orchids - Silhouettes EP

Labels: Self-Released/Fiadh Productions

Formats: Digital/Tape

Release Date: 17 Apr 2026

Tracklist:

1. Silhouette of Faith

2. Of Sinew and Blood

3. Swallow Your Sorrow

Blackgaze, the sub-genre that was born out of shoegaze (while encompassing black metal and screamo) is producing some really interesting bands at the moment. The majority are still pretty unknown outside of their local areas, which is certainly the case for Mound of Orchids from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They released their debut EP Silhouettes in April on digital platforms and Fiadh Productions have also released a tape version.

To spread their music before the EP release and to hone their sound, they played alongside a whole host of really great bands across their home state including Italy's Radura (who'll be releasing their newest LP via Dog Knights Productions later this year), Ragana, Sunrot and Respire to name but a few. I'm excited to hear this.

It’s not often that a release starts with piano as majestic as that which opens ‘Silhouette of Faith’. It’s a gentile way to ease into what becomes post-metal tinged blackgaze. It’s atmospheric and anthemic, thanks to the instrumentation while the vocals are very blackened for the most part. Clean vocals are used in the song’s latter half, when the music settles into a brief period of calm. Even though that calm is shattered towards the end, there’s still a sense of brightness.

That opener stretched to over six minutes and it was worth every second. ‘Of Sinew and Blood’ that follows is somewhat shorter and a lot more pensive (if that’s the right word). The harsh vocals sit much deeper in the mix and at a lower volume, as melodic guitars and other musical elements are allowed to breathe. Perfect for an early morning autumn sunrise perhaps.

Ending with ‘Swallow Your Sorrow’, Mound of Orchids go even more expansive. Their black metal/blackgaze hits top gear straight away but it isn’t long before more engrossing instrumentals and clean vocals regain their place on the recording. An awful lot of thought and time has gone into writing these songs and it shows. The contrast between heavy and light on this song in particular is what makes it work so well, as even when it gets heavier later on, it never feels oppressive.

With such a stirring end to the EP, it’s hard not to feel emotional. I found myself reflecting on where I am in life right now and whether or not I’m merely existing. That’s the power that music can have and Mound of Orchids are able to harness that power to create something greater than just notes, and words.

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

Mound of Orchids - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093998209912

Tape copies from Fiadh Productions are sold out. 

Fiadh Productions - https://www.facebook.com/fiadhproductions