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

Mascharat - Ars Aurea Mortis

Labels: Remparts Productions

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 31 Jan 2026

Tracklist:

 

1. Intro

2. Re Mida

3. Nigredo

4. Albedo

5. Citrinitas

6. Rubedo

7. Lapis

8. Outro

May has been a little bit frustrating as I haven't been able to post as frequently as I would have liked. I'm still pleased with what I have been able to write about, just wish time would have been on my side a bit more. I was certainly hoping that would be the case when I put together this month's schedule! Italian black metallers Mascharat were one of bands I added to said schedule, after they wrote to me earlier in the year.

Their newest (and second full-length) Ars Aurea Mortis was released back in January via French label Remparts Productions. Mascharat released their debut demo back in 2014 before their first self-titled album in 2017. With a gap of nearly nine years between albums, Mascharat will be opening themselves up to a whole new wave of listeners.

As I sat down to write this review I realised how many other sites/blogs have already done a similar thing. That’s not a negative realisation though, as it just means that this album and Mascharat have gathered a lot of attention, which is fully deserved. For me that attention starts with the ‘Intro’ to Ars Aurea Mortis, which is a lot more grandiose than I was expecting. ‘Re Mida’ goes someway to banishing that sense of grandeur, as Mascharat launch into typically fabled black metal with an occult tinge. I was actually thinking today about the fact that I don’t listen to enough black metal! This has all the icy hallmarks of the genre, from the raspy vocals to the metallic guitar melodies and mesmeric percussive barrages. Not truly raw but not avant-garde either. 

Mascharat give their songs plenty of space to build and breathe on this album, if you excuse the first and last ones. ‘Nigredo’ is a perfect case in point, as the marauding opening passages give way to mid-paced introspection and dramatic shifts later on. For a Mediterranean country that’s known for great food and wine, it’s hard to imagine such musical bleakness. I’m sure I’ve alluded to something similar before though! ‘Albedo’ wraps itself around your ears in a way that only black metal can. Mainly, due to those unnerving riffs and ghostly vocals. I will say that it’s a bit of a disappointment when the song fades out with nearly a minute to go, leaving only ambient tones.

Following the album’s longest song, ‘Citrinitas’ takes you into it’s latter half with plenty of immediacy. The metallic/melodic guitar work takes centre stage again, as bass, drums and vocals swirl around them. Mascharat’s approach is one that’s more deeply rooted in traditional black metal and they do it well. ‘Rubedo’ packs a lot more urgency to say the least. Containing fewer atmospheric passages than earlier songs, it sees Mascharat revelling in their furious blasphemy. Can’t say fairer than that!

Penultimate song ‘Lapis’ mixes both Mascharat’s traditional black metal blueprint with introspective/instrumental passages that feel airy and light. I’m not saying that they’re going soft or anything, just that their instrumentation is able to breathe life into what is an extreme album, just when it needs to. Closing Ars Aurea Mortis with a beautiful ‘Outro’, Mascharat bring to an end what is an engrossing album. Above, I mentored that it was neither raw nor avant-garde. It sits in that middle ground and gives Mascharat a platform to really build upon.

You can stream and purchase the album digitally below:-

Mascharat have sold out of their CD copies but you can still purchase them from Remparts Productions here - https://rempartsproductions.bigcartel.com/product/mascharat-ars-aurea-mortis-cd-digital

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

Remparts Productions - https://www.facebook.com/RempartsProductions 

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

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