Maesitia/Hate Of Sorrow/Via Nocturna/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Maesitia  are  a  band  from  France  that  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  with  elements  of  thrash  and  traditional  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Hate  Of  Sorrow"  which  will  be  released  on  April  18th  by  Via  Nocturna.

  Keyboards  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  album  while  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  blast  beats.  Elements  of  thrash  metal  are  also  added  into  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  more  of  a  melodic  traditional  metal  direction.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls  while  the  songs  also  add  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  Clean  playing  is  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  album  along  with  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them,  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  and  at  times  the  music  also  gets  very  progressive  sounding.

  Maesitia  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  the  melodic  forms  of  black  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  with  some  touches  of  thrash,  progressive  and  traditional  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  darkness,  death  and  sorrow  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Maesitia  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Hatred  In  My  Soul"  "Steal  Your  Death"  and  "Flood  Of  Tears".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook | Bandcamp

      

RawMoor/En Route/WormHoleDeath Records/2025 Full Length Review

 

  RawMoor  are  a  duo  from  Finland  that  plays  a  very  melodic  and  symphonic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "En  Route"  which  will  be  released  in  may  by  WormHoleDeath  Records.

  Keyboards  and  symphonic  orchestration  starts  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  on  a  few  tracks  along  with  the  harsh  vocals  being  a  mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  Clean  playing  can  also  be  heard  in  certain  sections  of  the  album  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  choir  vocals,  acoustic  guitars  are  also  added  towards  the  end.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  treachery,  betrayal,  critiques  on  left  wing  ideology,  anti-religion  and  pro  freedom  themes. 

  In  my  opinion  RawMoor  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  duo.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Frostglade"  and  "Pine  Branches".  8  out  of  10.

  www.youtube.com/channel/UCv5TPiRLJo-OHOaxl5p3b1g

rawmoor.bandcamp.com

   

    

Khôra/Ananke/Les Acteurs de L'Ombre Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

   Khôra  are  an  international  band  with  embers  from  Germany  and  Ireland  that  plays  a  very  progressive  and  symphonic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Ananke"  which  will  be  released  in  may  by  Les  Acteurs  de  L'Ombre  Productions.

  A  very  dark  orchestrated  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  also  adding  in  symphonic  elements  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  while  growls  can  also  be  heard  at   times.  Clear  vocals  are  also  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  recording  along  with  the  songs  also  adding  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.

  Clean  playing  is  also  added  on  some  of  the  tracks  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody.  Spoken  words  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  the  album  also  having  its  progressive  moments,  choirs  are  also  introduced  on  a  later  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  cosmic  and  philosophical  themes.

  In  my  opinion   Khôra  are  a  very  great  sounding  symphonic  and  progressive  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Legion  of  The  Moirai"  "Arcane  Creation"  and  "Crowned".  8  out  of  10.

  Facebook // Youtube

  

Valhalore Interview

 

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Firstly, thanks for having us! Since finishing Beyond the Stars mid-2021, we have been fortunate to support a number of amazing bands across Australia: Alestorm in 2022, Arch Enemy in 2023, Blind Guardian in 2024, and Hammerfall in 2025. We have also signed with ROAR, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music, and released Beyond the Stars through them a few days ago. The band is keeping very busy preparing for our Australian tour in May in support of Beyond the Stars, and we are looking to tour overseas toward the end of 2025.

2.Recently you have released a new album, musically how does it differ form the stuff you have released in the past?

Voyage into Eternity, our first album, was written well before the band was formed, so it was more of a studio project that had many ideas and experimentations. With Beyond the Stars, it was a much more collaborative approach to the music, and we really leaned into our own ‘sound’ this time with what came out naturally, rather than trying to sound like other bands.

3.This is also your first album in 8 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time frame?

Sure! So we did a few Australian main support runs, and had to take some time to really organise the release of Beyond the Stars. The label process can take some time, and this in particular took around 2 years to come to fruition. If not for the pandemic, this album would have come out a lot sooner, but fortunately there are many songs and ideas already written for our third album. We do not want another 8 years to wait for our next release!

4. lot of your lyrics cover Vikings and paganism themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?

On Voyage into Eternity there is a lot of these themes. On Beyond the Stars, we strayed from the Viking theme and focused on what resonated with us at the time: exactly what makes us who we are? Beyond the Stars deals with the highs and lows of the human experience and ultimately dares to answer what happens after we pass on. Do we become nothing or do we become something far greater? These topics resonate a lot more with us nowadays as opposed to ‘literal’ topics we have sung about on Voyage into Eternity.

5.What are some of the other lyrical topics and subjects the band has explored so far with the music?

‘The Storm’ for example, deals with the following: "Being a musician (or just a human, really) is a constant battle with self-doubt, depression, and inner demons. This all became even more prominent during the pandemic when everything you’ve spent your life working towards seemed to disappear overnight. ‘The Storm’ asks the questions; will you give up and succumb to the inner darkness, or will you rise above?" We feel that this is a topic that resonates with us and many people these days, and is an important topic to bring to the foreground.

6.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Valhalore'?

“Valhalore” came about around 2014 – being a portmanteau of the words ‘Valhalla’ and ‘folklore’. It was a combination of words that we thought sounded cool, so it stuck!

7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover/

Certainly. The artwork demonstrates a person or figure who has passed on and is becoming ‘greater’ than themselves by expanding through space and time. The song ‘A Walk Among the Stars’ deals with this concept and theme.

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

One of our most memorable shows would be when we played Melbourne with Arch Enemy in 2023. The venue was called The Forum and it was an absolutely beautiful space; it was a pleasure to play there. Our Japan tour in 2018 with Ensiferum, Wind Rose, and Trollfest was also very memorable. Our stage show, we like to say, is a high energy and emotional experience. Our aim is to take listeners on an amazing journey, full of aggression, dynamics, and fun!

9.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album/

Yes – we are touring Beyond the Stars in our home country of Australia in May 2025, and hope to tour Beyond the Stars overseas later in the year.

10.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your newer music by fans of viking and folk metal?

We have been inundated with support for Beyond the Stars across the globe. Currently, the album has already had 100,000 total plays on Spotify in just a few days. We also have received a lot of genuine and amazing feedback showing love for the album. Many people have said the long wait has been totally worth it, which is so awesome to hear!

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

We deal with many dark themes on Beyond the Stars. Considering the new material that’s currently written, I can see the band heading into a darker direction in the future.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles the band members are listening to nowadays?

Overall for the band: melodic death, power, prog, symphonic, folk, core, rock, and atmospheric are some of the genres we all like to listen to!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for having me! We really appreciate you taking the time to ask us these questions and support Valhalore and Beyond the Stars. We hope you love the album just as much as we loved making it, and we hope to perform for you wherever you are reading this from very soon!

Anthony

https://www.valhalore.com
https://www.facebook.com/valhalore
https://www.instagram.com/valhalore 

Ancestor Of Kaos/Animal Ritual/Hore Pain Gore Death Productions/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Ancestor  Of  Kaos  are  a  band  originally  from  Cuba  but  now  resides  in  the  United  States  and  plays  a  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Animal  Ritual"  which  will  be  released  on  April  18th  by  Horror  Pain  Gore  Death  Productions.

  A  very  heavy  thrash  metal  influenced  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  a  very  fast  direction  which  also  utilizes  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  and  blast  beats.  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  a  lot  of  the  music  is  heavily  rooted  in  the  Swedish  style.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  part  while  the  solos  and  leads  also  bring  in  more  of  a  melodic  and  old  school  style.  A  lot  of  the  music  is  very  heavily  rooted  in  the  90's  era  as  well  as  being  modern  at  the  same  time  and  the  whole  album  also  sticks  to  a  heavier  direction,  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them

  Ancestor  Of  Kaos  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  a  very  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  thrash  metal  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Death  and  Darkness  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Ancestor  Of  Kaos  are  a  very  great  sounding  melodic  mixture  of  black  and  thrash  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Death  By  Hanging"  "Dance  Of  The  Sullen"  "Animal  Ritual"  and  "Under  Red  menace".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/ Ancestorofkaos/

https://ancestorofkaos. bandcamp.com/music
https://www.youtube.com/@ ancestorofkaos

https://open.spotify.com/ artist/57B5CRC1kkravkNU1u8pTn  

  

Valhalore/Voyage Into Eternity/ROAR/2025 Album Re-Issue Review

 

  This  is  a  review  of  another  recording  from  Australia's  Valhalore  which  shows  the  music  going  for  an  epic  and  symphonic  form  of  folk  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2017  album  "Voyage  To  Eternity"  which  will  be  re-issued  on  April  11th,  2025  by  ROAR.

  Nature  sounds  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  spoken  words  a  few  seconds  later  while  also  introducing  folk  instruments  on  the  recording  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  At  times  the  music  also  gets  very  symphonic  sounding  and  some  tracks  also  add  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  Some  of  the  songs  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  while  the  harsh  vocals  bring  in a   mixture  of  black  metal  screams  and  death  metal  growls.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  decent  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  along  with  the  riffs  also  adding  in  a  lot  of  melody  and  all  of  the  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  When  clear  vocals  are  utilized  they  also  bring  in  a  combination  of  pagan  and  power  metal  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  also  being  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  good  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  adventure,  death,  battle  and  Vikings

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Valhalore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  epic  and  symphonic  folk  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  re-issue.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Malice  Of  Illusion"  "Upon  The  Shore"  and  "Voyage  To  Eternity".  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/valhalore  .

Valhalore/Beyond The Stars/ROAR/2025 Full Length Review

 

  Valhalore  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  very  epic  and  symphonic  form  of  folk  metal  with  elements  of  melodic  death  and  power  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2025  album  "Beyond  The  Stars"  which  will  be  released  on  April  11th  by  ROAR.

  Epic  sounding  keyboards  and  folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  which  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  songs  at  times.  Melodies  are  also  added  into  a  lot  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  the  music  also  has  its  symphonic  moments  along  with  the  harsh  vocals  being  mostly  death  metal  growls.

  Clear  pagan  vocals  which  also  mixes  in  a  touch  of  power  metal  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.  When  guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  they  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style  along  with  some  of  the  tracks  also  adding  in  a  small  amount  of  acoustic  guitars.

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  album  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  screams  also  adding  in  elements  of  black  metal  when  they  are  utilized,  when  the  music  speeds  up  on  a  couple  of  tracks  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  and  female  vocals  are  also  added  one  song.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  adventures,  death,  battles  and  Vikings.  

  In  my  opinion  Valhalore  are  a  very  great  sounding  epic  and  symphonic  folk  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Edge  Of  Forever"  "Wayfinder"  "Horizon"  and  "A  Walk  Among  Stars'.  8  out  of  10.

  https://www.facebook.com/valhalore