Fauna - Ochre & Ash (2025) Review

Some years ago, I went on to put a few words together about Fauna's then latest and final album Avifauna, but was so oversatisfied with their own description, that I quoted them in full instead. This time, to urge you to visit their Bandcamp page and support this once in a lifetime kind of artistic entity, I won't take the whole text as is, but instead I'll define some important terms:

• Animism: The belief that natural objects, places, and beings possess a spiritual essence.
• Shamanism: A spiritual practice in which a healer or mediator communicates with the spirit world to guide or heal a community.
• Atavism: The reappearance of traits or behaviors from distant ancestral origins, often seen as a throwback.
• Ochre: A natural earth pigment, usually reddish or yellowish, used by humans since prehistory for art and ritual.
• Ash: The powdery residue left after something is burned, often symbolizing both destruction and the possibility of renewal.

The rest of my review, would actually be the Bandcamp description itself, and a 5/5 rating. That's all there is when it comes to this band's presence in black metal.

Extending much further than the conventional atmospheric or ambient black metal template, unfurling in long, organic movements that breathe 9000 year old air and with an overwhelming focus on the element of atmosphere, Ochre & Ash is a ritual for both performer and observer. You may have seen the words atmosphere and ritual being passed around with a light heart elsewhere, but this here is the epitome of their essence.

The album art itself nods: Cueva de las Manos, old hands stencilled into rock inside Argentina, some older even than agriculture. In that image lies the soul of Ochre & Ash, symbolizing the human animal as more than craft or survival, but belonging to earth, to spirit, to what endures beyond the blood-letting of time.

I often mention how the interludes are the first to skip in these albums, yet here they are stunning in their own right. Weaving field-like sounds, drones, and subtle textures that conjure the presence of forests, caverns, and the ghost of ancient ritual fires, they're as effective as the three main (and seriously long) compositions. 

Each one of these three, requires a separate post. Until then, I'll just say that there's no band in this sub style, that feels more real than this. And to think, we haven't even recovered from the return of Volahn last week, and now this...

Nature and madness

Rating | 4.5 out of 5 [Brilliant]

Condemned - Desecrate the Vile (2007) Review

Right from the wretched womb that gave birth to Disgorge (one of the tightest brutal death metal bands of all time), released just a couple of weeks before the debut of Cephalotripsy (one of the filthiest brutal death metal records of all time), and sharing members from both aforementioned monstrosities, Condemned's debut Desecrate the Vile was released in 2007 through Lacerated Enemy Records with a clear goal to be the most accessible album you'll come across.

If you've been around the blocks of this blog, I shall not continue. I have mixed feelings for both Realms of the Ungodly (2011) and Desecrate the Vile when the maniac side of my brain takes over, but when in the mood for thick, brutal as hell extremity, then riffs of a band like this stomp on the heart like the proverbial ton of bricks. 

The album embodies everything the genre’s devotees demand. From subterranean gutturals to slam-laden riffing, it keeps the sense of suffocation constant and has a production so dense, you'll feel like swimming in honey is easier. It's their right to paraphrase legends:

"You merely adopted the slam, I was born in it, molded by it".

- Angel Ochoa

I'm sort of missing a bass sound in this mayhem, yet it's definitely there, as one can notice from the first seconds of the album's highlight "Chapter of Defilement". 

Most of the tracks are fairly short (1 - 3 minutes), monotonous, borderline underdeveloped but with primal purpose, and then you have an 11 minute composition, "Amputated Repugnance" as closure. Worry not, as it's largely distorted, post-apocalyptic noise / dark ambient creepiness from the third minute onward, as if you're playing a video game and navigate through a barren wasteland with creatures of unknown origins hunting down on you.

Otherwise, Desecrate the Vile would be 20 minutes long instead of half an hour, and that would then make it a masterpiece!

No epitaph to be found

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Recorded in July 2006 at RedCrosby Studios Fallbrook, CA.
Mastered at Imperial Mastering, Pacheco, California, USA.
Produced by Jeremy Craw and Condemned.

Lorna Shore - I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me (2025)

Symphonic Deathcore
New Jersey, United States 

1. Prison of Flesh
2. Oblivion
3. In Darkness
4. Unbreakable
5. Glenwood
6. Lionheart
7. Death Can Take Me
8. War Machine
9. A Nameless Hymn
10. Forevermore 

Read about it 

Malthusian - The Summoning Bell (2025)

 

Black / Death Metal

Dublin, Ireland

 

 1. Isolation

2. Red, Waiting

3. Between Dens and Ruins

4. The Summoning Bell

5. The Onset of the Death of Man

6. Eroded Into Superstition

7. Amongst the Swarms of Vermin

8. In Chaos, Exult

 

Read about it

Scalp - Not Worthy of Human Compassion (2025)

 

Death Metal / Grindcore / Harcore

Orange County, California / United States

 

1. LTARMLAC
2. EgoDeath
3. Pit
4. 80AcresofHell
5. ShackleRot
6. Crowsfoot
7. Loather
8. SurrogateVictim
9. Untitled
10. Conspiracy
11. RigorVivus
12. Drag
13. Bottomless
 

Read about it

Hell - Submersus (2025)

Sludge / Drone / Doom Metal
Salem, Oregon, United States

 

1. Hevy
2. Gravis
3. Factum
4. Mortem
5. Bog

 

Read about it  

On Substack

Moving to Substack alongside several very cool people, sub and keep an eye out here: 

gatekeepmusic!

First review is already up:

Cryptopsy - An Insatiable Violence

Beleth's Trumpet - Chapel of Bones (2025)

New and fast-working black metal band from Finland Beleth's Trumpet released a short demo last year and already put their debut full length forth, Chapel of Bones through Dominance of Darkness Records. And just from that sentence, the hints already given basically describe the music on the album almost perfectly, as it is just that: a black metal band from Finland. Semi-clean production, mostly middle-paced with enough melody and melancholy on the guitars as you've heard from a lot, lot, lot of other bands from the same region. I couldn't find any moment that made Chapel of Bones a bit special (maybe the album cover) or memorable, except the track "Clandestine Ritual" which does have a couple of more ominous riffs, even though nothing's new there either. Fans of Finnish black metal are built to like this blindly, as the band takes no risks and sits well within the expected boundaries of their sound, and lyrical concepts. 

Listen 

Lichen - Mossblood (2025)

1. Symbiogenesis
2. Chthonian Mysteries
3. Usnea
4. From Life to Loam
5. Hyphae
6. Where the Sky and Ground Become One
7. Mossblood Sigil
8. When Carrion Winds Shall Blow 

Lo-fi lowlife - May '25

Parasitic Infestation - Killzone

 

 

 

Brutal Death Metal / Slam | New Zealand | EP, 2025

 

1. Buckshot
2. Violence Ensued
3. G.D.F.T
4. Blunts
5. Bobcat Defense Tactics
6. Hammer Time
7. Hollowpoints

 

Listen

 

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Nuclear Hammer - Black Mass Invocation

 

 

War Metal | Russia | EP, 2025

 

1. Intro
2. Black Mass Invocation
3. Nuclear Blast from Hell    
4. Goat Vomit Command
5. Molested Corpse
6. Chainsaw Christfuck
7. Ritual (Blasphemy live cover)

 

Listen

 

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Spekter - Upon the Stronghold of Crimson Flesh

 

Raw Black Metal / Dungeon Synth | Brazil | Demo, 2025

 

1. I

2. II

3. III

4. IV

5. V

 

Listen

 

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Enthrallment - Enthrallment

 

Death Metal | United States | EP, 2025

 

1. Enthrallment

2. Those Who Crawl

 

Listen

 

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Alienated Inhumanity - Irrevocable Doom

 

 

Dark Ambient / Deathstep / Industrial | 2025

 

1. Insensitive

2. Transfiguration

3. Disappearance

 

Listen

 

Nachtheem - Dromende goden (2025)

Originally appearing on the "Woudmeditatie / Dromende goden" split LP with Moft. 

This split contains two tracks of atmospheric, unpolished black metal. Both acts have contributed in one way or another to each other’s tracks, making this a truly collaborative effort.

1.  Dromende goden (17:08)

Listen

Wodensthrone - Loss (2009)

For years, the British black metal scene seemed to exist in the shadows of its European neighbors. While countries like France and Germany built influential scenes with a distinct identity, the UK struggled to maintain the same momentum. However, over the last decade, a wave of new and reinvigorated bands has redefined the region’s output. Winterfylleth, Fen, and Altar of Plagues have pushed the envelope, but beneath them, a new class of underground contenders has emerged, including the likes of Askival, Skaldic Curse, and the subject of this text - Wodensthrone.

With their debut album Loss, Wodensthrone make a striking entrance into this growing movement, crafting a sound that is both epic and deeply rooted in themes of nature, mythology, and Anglo-Saxon heritage. Unlike bands that use history as a platform for nationalism, Wodensthrone’s lyrical themes are less about territorial pride and more about a longing for a lost world—one where untouched landscapes stretched endlessly, unmarred by industrialization. This atmosphere permeates every aspect of the album, from its sweeping compositions to the evocative use of synths and acoustics.

The band’s musical approach finds itself at a fascinating crossroads. Loss is as much indebted to the ethereal, nature-infused stylings of Drudkh as it is to the stormy, unrelenting aggression of Wolves in the Throne Room. This duality is immediately apparent in tracks like “Black Moss,” which erupts with frantic double bass and sharp tremolo riffs before melting into haunting, melodic passages. “Upon These Stones” takes this even further, its lush synth work and clean instrumentation elevating the album’s immersive, almost cinematic scope. Then there’s the standout “Heófungtid,” a track that perfectly captures Wodensthrone’s ability to balance raw energy with moments of quiet introspection.

Despite wearing its influences on its sleeve, Loss never feels derivative. Instead, it refines and reshapes familiar black metal elements into something uniquely its own. The production strikes a delicate balance between grit and clarity, allowing the album’s layers to breathe without stripping away its primal edge. While some might draw comparisons to the atmospheric American black metal movement, Wodensthrone ultimately carves out its own space within the broader landscape of the genre.

With Loss, Wodensthrone contribute to the ongoing resurgence of British black metal, proving that the scene is no longer just a regional force but a global contender. It’s an album that not only delivers powerful, immersive compositions but also reaffirms the idea that black metal can be as much about beauty and history as it is about darkness and aggression.

Bullet Ratings - Jan '25 [II]

Anhedonist - Netherwards (2012): In the cave, Cyclops just blocked the entrance. [3.5]

Anvil - Juggernaut of Justice (2011): Old geezer rock that I will never care about whether it’s good or not. [2]

Black Cilice - Transfixion of Spirits (2019): A lot of freaks meditate on this, but not me. [2.5]

Blood Feast - Kill for Pleasure (1987): Not Pleasure to Kill, but still O.G. and the realest. [4]

Cognizant - Cognizant (2016): Snapped necks, pretty crazy overall. [3.5]

Cytotoxin - Gammageddon (2017): Hacksaws the kvlt out of you. [4]

Eyehategod - Dopesick (1996): If you weren’t in a bad mood, well you are now. [3.5]

Rot - A Cold Dead Stare (2002): Legendary grindcore band from Brazil, with a handful of full lengths and infinite splits / mini-albums since starting in 1990. [3.5]

Vacuous - Dreams of Dysphoria (2022): Murky but standard. [3]

While Heavent Wept - Sorrow of the Angels (1998): Thus with a kiss I die, into the well of sorrow, the death of love. [2.5]

Bullet Ratings - Jan '25

Barshasketh - Antinomian Asceticism (New Zealand, World Terror Committee): The album starts very potently but starts losing its direction towards the middle / ending part. Still quite enjoyable, well-written stuff. [3.25 / 5]

Harvst - Mahlstrom (Germany, Onism Productions): I would prefer not to. [2.25 / 5]

Infernal Cross - Blood Red Triumph (Sweden, Self-released): Devilish black / thrash metal with everything at the right place. [3.25 / 5]

Luring - Malevolent Lycanthropic Heresy (Ohio / US, Iron Bonehead Productions): Nice melodies, lo-fi approach and comes off as punchy and as evil as needed. Fine, but I might not come back to it. [3 / 5]

Mooondark - The Abysmal Womb (Sweden, Pulverised Records): Released on demo in the early nineties and then disappeared, this is their debut full length after getting back together two decades later. Like the aesthetics, but sadly nothing special. [2.5 / 5]

Necromaniac - Sciomancy, Malediction & Rites Abominable (England, Invictus Productions): The most literal and accurate definition of “morbid metal” I have ever seen. [4 / 5]

Revolting - Night of the Horrid (Sweden, Xtreem Music): Has been heard thousands and thousands of times, yet another one. [2 / 5]

Rudra - Antithesis (Indonesia, Awakening Records): Legendary Indonesian band, with many releases since 1992 and I haven’t talked about them that much here. A bit of black and a bit of death metal, but totally their own sound, and quite decent. [3.5 / 5]

Skagos - Chariot Sun Blazing (Canada, Self-released): Look who’s back. I have really enjoyed their previous two in the past, and the new one is no exception. Hope for more activity from one of the best Cascadian black metal bands out there. [3.5 / 5].

Uulliata Digir - Uulliata Digir (Poland, Self-released): What did I just listen. Amazing. [3.75 / 5]