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The Garden Of Unearthly Delights was the eighth studio album by British Doom legends Cathedral, for which they were signed by Nuclear Blast Records in Germany. The album received a lot of critical acclaim and was well received by fans alike. Tracks such as Corpsecycle and North Berwick Witch Trials were firm favourites and staples in the live setlists right up until the bands end.

Produced by warren Riker (Fugees, Corrosion Of Conformity, Down, Cynic etc), it had a revitalised energy, which saw the band touring relentlessly around the globe once again. 

Choc full of the usual monstrous riffs, strange subject matter and non-conforming twists and turns that Cathedral became known  for, it’s crowning achievement was epic 27-minute track simply titled The Garden. It’s a Doom prog odyssey which took the  listener through a myriad of arcane environments and odd musical passages. 

The term ‘back from the grave’ takes on a whole new meaning with the release of this (thought to be long lost) epic recording  by the much-missed British Doom Metal lords: Cathedral. Society’s Pact With Satan was the last ever recording made by the band, back in 2012. It was recorded at the end of the sessions for their swan song album; 2013’s The Last Spire. But, for some reason, the 30-minute track was not mixed at the time, thus pretty much forgotten about by everyone involved, until very recently.

Rediscovered by producer Jaime Gomez Arellano, whilst sorting through his old studio recordings, he excitedly alerted the band, saying that he had discovered a long-lost gem. Upon hearing it, the band members were convinced enough to agree that it should see a commercial release.

So, here we have it: the final sermon by Cathedral and what a way to go out. It’s an unapologetic, uncompromising exercise in macabre observations, musical eccentricity, brutal riffing and general arcane self-indulgence. There genuinely was/is no other band like Cathedral. Just ask Tony Iommi.

A shapeshifting beast to sacrifice. Conduit of meditations to emanations. Through the vessels ( ) 1853, Ritualmord manifests.

Unbound by genres and style. Firmly rooted in black metal. Not as a mere genre, but lifestyle.

With each release, a pursuit to explore. From neofolk-tinged acoustic rumbles to alternative electronic flirting with industrial. Drones emerging into post-rock. Some may say post-black metal, someday.

It began as a place where songs from Lifelover and Hypothermia would go.
As we grow as artists and individuals, yet remain true to ourselves and ideals.
Which is one of the foundations that made those aforementioned bands stand out from the masses.

To creatively be and remain original. True to ourselves and the art that we live for.
Without boundaries. Ever-evolving.

After three EPs, ahead is the following: The first full-length debut album "This is Not Lifelover"

Following a five-year hiatus, Denmark’s SUNKEN return with Lykke – four meticulously crafted tracks of atmospheric black metal, running nearly fifty minutes.

Lykke is an exploration of contrasts: intense, unrelenting passages built on blast beats and layered riffs give way to moments of striking calm and melody. Orchestral textures, choral arrangements, and mournful strings weave seamlessly into the sound, while anguished vocals cut through with precision.

The result is a work that balances aggression and atmosphere with rare finesse. Every shift feels deliberate, every return to stillness earned. This is atmospheric black metal at its most refined - immersive, dynamic, and emotionally resonant.

For listeners who value both weight and nuance in their black metal, Lykke is a standout release from a band at the height of their craft.

Released on Scream / Bellaphon

The first album from unconventional Polish power trio Species, ‘To Find Deliverance’, leveled us with its rare blend of technical thrash prowess and unorthodox but highly inspired songwriting, enough to make our best of 2022 album list. Out of that list a collaboration was born and now Species make their 20 Buck Spin debut with second album ‘Changelings’.

A step up in every regard, ‘Changelings’ is astonishing in its accomplished precision and how much it manages to achieve within the scope of individual tracks and as a cohesive whole. The album features an overload of angular guitar warfare, traditional Euro-thrash aggression with a modern resonance, rhythmic percussive seizures, and intricate basslines that make their intention deeply felt, not just following the guitar but dialoguing with it in a way that offers a second melodic brain to the album. In combination these elements thread seamlessly to give ‘Changelings’ its colorful and uncanny vision, as if John Carpenter had co-produced ‘Rust In Peace’ behind the iron curtain. It’s bristling with sci-fi paranoia, alien terror and a hint of Cold War menace. The early convergence of Thrash Metal with Death Metal is also unmistakably present in the shape-shifting sound of Species.

While there’s more than enough primitive and traditional Thrash bands to go around, Species embraces the genre’s lesser-travelled road of forward-thinking virtuosity and inventive experimentation, showing there’s still plenty of fertile ground to seed new musical territory. Nowhere is it more apparent than on 10-minute album closer ‘Biological Masterpiece’, where Species displays all its weapons; hyperspeed assaults, dystopian lulls and instrumental mastery, in a climatic saga beyond space and time. “Changelings” is that rare album nowadays that still has the ability to surprise in the most triumphant and euphoric way possible.