CD

(slipcase CD)

Emerging in 2021 with their self-titled debut mini-album for PURITY THROUGH FIRE, MEISTER LEONHARDT were a new entity thriving on the old bones, dust, and hoarfrost. Still mysterious, we know that they hailed from Moscow, Russia, and consisted of members of such well-established underground outfits as Thy Grave, Goatpsalm, and Frozen Ocean among others. Named after one of Gustav Meyrink’s most inspiring short novels, Meister Leonhardt presented its opinion of what nowadays black metal should sound like in a throttling 'n' thrilling 27 minutes. 

With deep respect to black metal traditions, from deepest desolation to barely restrained violence, MEISTER LEONHARDT return again to skillfully span true black metal's extremes with the full-length Thanatopoeia. As a debut album, it establishes itself in both presenting where the band is coming from and more so where they are going. MEISTER LEONHARDT's sound is still raw - unadorned, confrontational, and undeniably physical - but there's a skillful execution at play that sharpens their already-adept songwriting to a superlative degree. That songwriting swarms the listener with a shapeshifting number of shapes, whipping forth a fury when needed but surprising the listener with utterly incensed mid-tempo thrust. Thankfully, the quintet expound upon that anthemic element, twisting forth melancholic-yet-malevolent melodies that make their ever-escalating nastiness slice through to the bone. Fans of classic Craft and Carpathian Forest will surely have their fires stoked by Thanatopoeia.

From moniker to visual aesthetic and especially to the sonics themselves, HERALDIC BLAZE are encapsulating the oft-nebulous "medieval black metal" idiom with startling aplomb. While it's often difficult to discern exactly what medieval BM is other than a pithy "I know it when I hear it," HERALDIC BLAZE leave no doubt as to their intentions.

Witness their debut demo, Blazoned Heraldry. The duo of American multi-instrumentalist Argent Pale (vocals, bass, flute) and Norwegian guitarist Peregrinus (HJEMSØKT, SOLUS GRIEF, KVAD, UNHOLY CRAFT) create a spellbinding tapestry of rustic tones and textures. In fact, on texture alone - kinda clean and clanging, yet with more than a hint of ghostly grit and almost surfy reverb - HERALDIC BLAZE stand out, but it's how they utilize those textures in the service of songwriting: winding and wild, frothing up to an almost-dangerous delirium, but more often than not leaving wide-open spaces to let their medieval melodicism bend and sway with bravado and bittersweetness. And as actual flute flutters in from time to time, the sum effect, more often than not, is ALIEN - unsettling and alluring in equal measure.

While "merely" a demo recording, HERALDIC BLAZE's first work already trounces most modern works of "black metal." Unorthodox and unbound, Blazoned Heraldry is mandatory listening for fans of Sühnopfer, Ungfell, Grylle, Heltekvad, and particularly mid-2000s Peste Noire.

One of the most fully formed black metal entities of recent times, GRANITADER burst into brilliance with their debut full-length, Der Wald zwischen den Welten. After but an EP last year, the German quintet's first full-length displays a masterful grasp of songwriting and dynamics as well as confidence and charisma to spare. GRANITADER are old souls who exude the effervescence of the new; their continually cresting surge recalls pagan touchstones like Windir, Falkenbach, or Germany's Horn closer to home, as well as Drudkh's more cinematic moments. However, the wind beneath the wings of Der Wald zwischen den Welten is the album's overarching theme: a homage to their - as well as PURITY THROUGH FIRE's - home area of Erzgebirge, the Ore Mountains that are an UNESCO world heritage site, as well as older German history. Truly, it all comes together as one breathtaking blast of classically austere German black metal, but poignantly brimming with a heroic, almost-positive aspect that's simply impossible to deny. The spiraling lead-work is categorically sublime, and helps elevate GRANITADER to the top of today's pagan black metal pack. Completing this complete package is the professional & powerful production, encasing their bravado in a sheen wholly befitting of its majesty. Let GRANITADER guide you through Der Wald zwischen den Welten!

Ecclesia play dark & epic HEAVY METAL heavily influenced by traditional doom. Since their formation as a trio in 2016, this now-fully-formed army of French Inquisitors released the demo Witchfinding Metal of Doom in 2017 and the Aural Music-released debut album De Ecclesiæ Universalis in 2020 for all the sinners around the globe.

Armed with purifying fire, blessed swords, and Holy Rage, Ecclesia's lyrical themes deal with the 12th Century dark medieval age of Holy Inquisition. On Ecclesia Militans, one will find a perfect syncretism between traditional heavy metal and epic doom, recalling the likes of Candlemass, the UK's Solstice, and especially Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath. Ecclesia's proselytism will convert fans of those as well as anyone who can feel the righteous fervor of medieval brimstone - now confess your sins!

4 panel digipak with lyrics and exclusive artwork

Sometimes in a band's history, there's a moment where the calm comes after the storm – when their first output burns brightly, making itself almost impossible to compete with. To simply repeat it would be a mistake, so it's time to change. A significant change, but not in the core of the music, just a change in tonalities, from harsh to smooth, from pained to beautiful…

This is not the case with Acathexis.

Jake, Dany & Déhà return with their searing style of atmospheric black metal. Like the ebb and flow of the human experience, light-speed blast beats interweave with introspective passages to express a flurry of emotions and energy, with heartrending screams, harsh guitars that veil solemnity, produced triumphantly but with the mark of each member imprinted clearly upon it. They haven’t changed, and they have much more to say with the sound which has become their signature.

TOXODETH ‘Mysteries About Life and Death’ 1990 cult debut album finally re-issued and completely remastered by guitar player and founding member Raul Guzman. Toxodeth was (and is) one of the very first extreme death black metal bands from Mexico, formed in 1985. Massive booklet remake by RaDesign (Possessed, Sacramentum, Varathron). As bonus comes the demo ‘Phantasms’ from 1988.

Cult black death metal from the South of The Netherlands. Formed in 1989, demo ‘Day of the Lord’ was originally released in 1990. New cover art, remastered, rare and old pictures. Extensive liner notes from Steven Willems (Rock Tribune, Streams of Ancient Wisdom: The History of Dutch Death And Extreme Metal). Young musicians as Roel Sanders on drums (Asphyx, God Dethroned, Inhume) and Ron van de Pol on bass & vocals (also featuring on Asphyx – Asphyx album from 1994) started their musical career in Malignant. One of the most appreciated cult demos from the Netherlands now on  mini cd, 17 minutes of old school evil extreme metal.

Skeletal Earth was one of those bands that stuck out. Being influenced by both death and thrash metal as well as the more crossover style where hardcore punk meets metal they came up with an original sounding couple of demos and albums. ‘De.ev o.lu’shun’ is their second full length. The album was recorded at Tampa, Florida based Morrisound Studios ( Death, Cynic, Agent Steel) and produced by Scott Burns (Cannibal Corpse, Atheist, Deicide). Due to the end of the label around the same time as the release of ‘De.ev o.lu’shun’ is the album never had any serious promotion nor distribution. Drummer Doug Sylvia also played with Fear of God (featuring Detente ‘s Dawn Crosby R.I.P.)

VIC-reissue with the Dreighphuck EP and the A Taste of Bile live 1988 recording as bonus. 31 Songs in total!